My Hero Academia, despite some recent hiccups, is one of the current stars of shonen manga and anime. Among the many character writing issues fans have with the series though, there is one that has garnered a whirlwind of controversy. Redemptive character arcs have been a mainstay in storytelling for a long time. Iconic characters likeAvatar: The Last Airbender’s Zuko andNaruto’sSasuke Uchiha have helped give redemption for villainous characters a bump in popularity for the modern age, and been widely well received.
However, often there is debate over whether specific characters are capable of redemption, to begin with. At least in a believable and satisfying manner. One such character isMy Hero Academia’s new number 1 hero, Endeavor. How well a redemption is received often depends on how detestable a character was initially, and for many, Endeavor already went too far toever be seen as anything but a villain.
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How Bad Was He?
One of themoments inMHA’s early chapters that made it stand out as a story worth reading was the ‘sports festival’ arc, particularly its focus on a mysterious character at the time; Shoto Todoroki. Before the sports festival, he was presented as a standard, cold, abrasive character with a powerful control over ice. When it came time for series protagonist Deku toface Shoto in the tournament, however, the audience’s view of Shoto changed forever.
Not only was it revealed that Shoto was the son of the number 2(at the time) hero, Endeavor, but also that he had a fire half of his powers to go with his ice half. However, due to his father’s abuse of their family growing up, Shoto had sworn off ever using the powers inherited from Endeavor. While Deku did help him overcome this mental barrier, the audience was now primed to view Endeavor as a detestable, abusive monster obsessed with only his own success.
As the chapters rolled on, this view was only further emphasized. Endeavor was always angry, continuously tried to get Shoto to resume the training from his abused childhood, and was just genuinely unpleasant, even drawing hatred from Inasa, who was an Endeavor superfan as a child. When theories started to pop up that the villain Dabi was secretly another one of Endeavor’s children, it was also safely assumed that he too had been traumatized by their father just like Shoto. Afterall, even the other 2 siblings, Fuyumi and Natsuo, reported a negative upbringing.
How Far Has He Come?
Ironically, Endeavor’s place in the series changed when he got what he had always wanted. After All Might retired as a hero, Endeavor had an easy ascension to number 1, finally achieving what he had worked his whole life and ruined his family for. Despite this, Endeavor wasn’t satisfied. Suddenly having the eyes of the world on him and after speaking to All Might personally, he began to want to make amends and become a better man.
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He has since apologized to his children, especially Shoto, and promised to do better. He has been shown trying to reconnect with them, even though Natsuo andShotoare apprehensive about it. After a particularly bad argument, he even decided to buildhis familya new house where they could live with their mother who would soon be released from the psych ward she’d been in since burning Shoto’s face. All this with the promise that he wouldn’t go with them, and that they didn’t have to forgive him if they didn’t want to.
He’s also made strides as a hero. Where he was once an abrasive, uncooperative hero, he has been shown to have mellowed out significantly. He no longer addresses his allies with anger, and tries harder to reach out to fans and the public positively. He’s also formed closer bonds with other heroes such as Hawks. Despite his former hatred of All Might, he also chose to pay homage to him after his fight with a high-end nomu. During said fight, he also chose to use the UA school motto “Plus Ultra” despite always hating it, showing he was warming up to even his old school. This fight especially, was a turning point for how the other characters perceived him.
What Would He Have To Do?
Endeavor’s character is now that of a man purely focused on making up for his past actions. He always appears somber and tired whenever he is shown, a far cry from his former enraged self. A recent manga chapter even shows him in a physical altercation with his younger self, implying he is battling with strong self hatred for his past actions. However, not all fans are fully convinced.
For some, Endeavor’s efforts have followed the required steps necessary for redemption. He has apologized, acknowledged his mistakes, and is actively working to make up for and never repeat them. Especially ashe battles All For Onein what is likely his final battle in the series, it seems hard to not root for him and the man he’s become. To them, he’s successfully earned his redemption.
For others though, no amount of battle victories or personal changes might ever be enough. Characters like Zuko and Sasuke were reprehensible at their introduction, but their wrongdoings were quite abstract for many viewers. With EndeavorNigga though, domestic abuse is a deeply personal and traumatic topic for many people, so those affected by it likely connect his actions to those of their own family members, making forgiveness far more difficult.
In general, those who are open to his redemption have already accepted it, while those for whom it is too personal will likely never come around, which is perfectly within their rights.MHAdoes a great job of representing the different fan opinions via the Todoroki children, ranging from the pure hatred of Dabi to the optimistic acceptance of Fuyumi. Wherever anyone stands on that scale though, this is a character arc that will likely be discussed for many years afterMy Hero Academiaends.
