Warning: Spoilers for My Hero Academia Chapter 388Shoto Todoroki of My Hero Academia had a very particular reason for pursuing a career as a hero, and it wasn’t to follow his father’s wishes. Instead, Shoto’s desire to be a hero came from an urge to protect his mother, and now Dabi has created a scenario where Shoto is the only one who can save her.
At the end of chapter #387 of My Hero Academia, Shoto’s mother Rei Todoroki made a surprise appearance on the battlefield, and it turns out that she wasn’t the only one, with Shoto’s siblings Fuyumi and Natsuo also coming along. They’re hoping to stop Dabi before he destroys himself and takes Endeavor (and many innocents) out with him, and the family pleads with him, even though his physical state means he’s far beyond the ability to be reasoned with. As the rest of the Todoroki family stands in the burning heat of Dabi’s flames, Shoto is racing his way there, with the help of Ida.
Shoto to the Todorokis’ Rescue
For the students at UA, the reason why they chose to become heroes is a very important part of their characters. Shoto watched his father abuse his mother as a child and did his best to step in, but a child can’t seriously be expected to stand up to an adult. Now that Shoto has grown and become a hero in his own right, though, the situation has changed. Rei is driven to be here, standing against Dabi, because she feels responsible for the fact that he has ended up in this state, but that’s no reason for her to die. Dabi has burned away significant portions of his body at this point and seems only barely capable of recognizing his family, so to expect any kind of realization from him is foolish. Rei will stay there until Dabi dies, and that will very likely kill her as well.
Shoto wasn’t able to save Rei from his father, but he does have the chance now to save her from her own guilty conscience. The other siblings are doing their best to get through, but only Shoto has the training and raw power necessary to put Dabi down without him going out in a massive explosion that could kill hundreds. This is not only the ultimate test of his hero skills, but it’s also placing the fate of his own family in his hands, in a way no other student has really had to face so far.
If Shoto manages to pull this off, he’ll no doubt feel what it’s like to truly be a hero, but he’s still got to get there first. The fate of the Todorokis in My Hero Academia has become a race against time, and whether the day is saved is entirely on Shoto‘s shoulders.
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