Deku's words to Shoto are one of My Hero Academia's most misunderstood moments

Modified Jan 26, 2025 02:30 GMT

My Hero Academia fans sometimes misunderstand Deku's words to Todoroki (Image via Shueisha)

My Hero Academia had one of its most controversial storylines in the Todoroki family subplot because of how it dealt with abusive behavior, with some people praising the direction and others thinking that it didn't send the right message. Within that context, there are words that the protagonist, Izuku "Deku" Midoriya, told Shoto Todoroki regarding the issues with his father, Endeavor.

When having dinner in the Todoroki household, Deku tells Shoto that, while it is not his problem, he wants the latter to forgive Endeavor because he is a kind-hearted person. A lot of My Hero Academia have viewed this statement by the protagonist as him pushing his friend to forgive his abusive father, but in reality, it is him understanding Shoto's personality and how he feels.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the series. Any opinion expressed here belongs to the author and not Sportskeeda as a publication.

Deku's words to Shoto regarding the Endeavor situation are often misunderstood by My Hero Academia fans

Shoto's issues with Endeavor were quite evident throughout the story (Image via Bones)

As mentioned earlier, there was a moment in the series where Izuku "Deku" Midoriya and Katsuki Bakugo went to eat at Shoto Todoroki's house, with the duo witnessing the tension in his family with his father, Endeavor. While Shoto's brother, Natsuo, was the only one truly confrontational against Endeavor at that dinner, Deku was quite clear with his friend that he wanted the latter to forgive him.

A lot of fans feel that this is the protagonist pushing Shoto to forgive Endeavor after all the damage that he caused his family, when that should be young Todoroki's decision to make. However, this is not what Deku meant by that, but rather that he understands his friend because he knows Shoto is a kind-hearted person, and can see his father trying to make amends and become a better person.

It is shown during that period of the series that Endeavor realizes how much damage he caused his loved ones in his pursuit of greatness as a hero, and wants to fix the situation, even if there are people like his son Natsuo who have valid reasons to never forgive him. Therefore, Shoto knows that, and his nature leads him to forgive his father, which is something that Deku highlights.

The controversies of the Todoroki family subplot

Deku and Shoto as seen in the anime (Image via Bones)

The basis of this criticism is that a lot of My Hero Academia fans are not truly comfortable with the Todoroki family subplot because of the way Endeavor is characterized, mostly due to his redemption.

Some people feel that author Kohei Horikoshi was playing lightly with the topic of child abuse, and sending the wrong message by showing that the abuser should be forgiven, although the execution goes against this criticism.

While people like Endeavor's wife, Rei, do give him a second chance, the notorious still has to deal with his son Toya becoming the villain named Dabi because of his actions, his son Natsuo never forgiving him, and Shoto by and large walking away.

However, he has accepted this and still strives to be a better man, fully aware that he cannot undo the damage he has caused but trying to keep moving forward.

Final thoughts

Deku told Shoto that he understood how his friend felt regarding Endeavor and his desire to forgive him, which is something that a lot of My Hero Academia fans didn't understand.

It wasn't the protagonist pushing Shoto to do anything, but rather showing empathy and understanding how he feels— something that has defined Deku's character throughout the story.

Edited by Ahana Mukhopadhyay