Hidden detail in My Hero Academia proves Dabi could never be a Hero
My Hero Academia is a story with a major theme of how certain circumstances and decisions can shape a person's entire life, and Toya Todoroki, most commonly known as Dabi, is a prime example of that. While it is true that his issues with his father Enji, known as the hero Endeavor, were a major cause of his road to becoming a villain, some subtle details reveal he was never going to become a hero.
It was established in Dabi's backstory that his father wanted him to become a hero, and the pressure of not living up to his expectations was his villain origin story in My Hero Academia. However, there was also a moment when his mother, Rei, asked him if he truly wanted to be a hero, and the young boy didn't answer and lashed out, which is a direct contrast to what Tenko Shimura and Shoto Todoroki answered when asked the same thing.
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the series. Any opinion expressed here belongs to the author and not Sportskeeda as a publication.
Explaining how some subtle details in My Hero Academia show how Dabi wasn't meant to be a villain
A detail that is often ignored in the series is how several characters are asked if they want to be heroes, and their answers reveal a lot of who they are. Shoto Todoroki was asked by his mother, Rei, and answered that he wanted to, further reinforced by his journey in the series, and Tenko Shimura did likewise, which is emphasized by his role as the "hero of the villains" and the little semblance of humanity he still had throughout the story.
On the other hand, Rei asks Toya Todoroki if he wants to become a hero, and the latter lashes out at his mother, emphasizing how that was never his true goal. He wanted to live up to Endeavor's expectations but never truly cared about heroics or helping others, which is confirmed by the selfish and evil actions he committed in the manga.
It also draws a direct contrast with his brother Shoto since they were both pushed to be heroes because of Endeavor, but the first one didn't care about it, and the second one did want to become one. Heroism also requires helping others without wanting something in return, so Shoto wanting to be one makes him a better person while Dabi is fundamentally broken.
The differences between Shoto and Dabi
Dabi and Shoto's contrast throughout My Hero Academia ends up becoming the main focus of the Todoroki family contrast since they are direct opposites. While both characters were pushed by Endeavor to become heroes, they reacted in very different ways, and their paths highlight their true nature, with Dabi ultimately being a villain and Shoto becoming a hero.
Moreover, these two characters represent the tragedy that is this family since they could never overcome the issues they had. By the end of the series, Dabi dies because of having overheated himself by his fire Quirk, their brother Natsuo ends up moving away from his father, and Shoto becomes his own man, although the unity of the family is destroyed through these events.
Final thoughts
Dabi's true nature was highlighted in My Hero Academia when he was asked if he wanted to become a hero by his father and rejected the idea. It also serves as his origin villain story since he became evil because he wanted to spite his father, with a lot of innocent people suffering the consequences.
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