With a cast of characters as eclectic as My Hero Academia’s, it’s easy to find all manner of different fans who have very differing opinions on who the best character is.
However, one character in particular consistently proves to be a favorite of many fans across the world: Shoto Todoroki.
Perhaps it’s his cool and aloof personality, his striking character design, or his immensely simple but cool powerset that draws people to him. Whatever it is, he is very much one of the most popular characters in the whole series.
The character has a deeply interesting back-story and a very fraught relationship with his wider family. Can you really blame him? His father is a domineering and world-famous hero, and one of his brothers is a maniacal villain!
There is still much to learn about Shoto, but from what we do know of him, he has some very clear scars, both mental and physical, that impact how he acts in the story.
One of these scars is perhaps why he is so iconic. Upon his left eye is a large red scar left by a burn. But how old was Shoto when he got burned? Let’s find out!
Sadly, Shoto Todoroki first received his facial scarring at the age of 5, when his mother poured boiling water upon his face.
This means that Todoroki has been living with his physical and mental scars for more than two-thirds of his life, which explains why he is often so cold and unwelcoming.
Why Did Shoto Todoroki’s Mother Burn Him?
Shoto Todoroki’s Mother, Rei Todoroki, is responsible for giving him the iconic burn scar across the left side of his face. She first poured the boiling water onto Shoto’s face in a moment of desperation.
Shoto, being one of the more powerful quirk users in the Todoroki family, was quickly taken under the wing of his uncaring father, and forced into intensive training from a very young age.
His lofty expectations for Shoto caused him to be very neglectful, and often downright abusive to the rest of his family, which definitely rubbed off on Rei.
Rei, fearing that the intense training of the then 5-years-old Shoto was becoming too much, began to resent Shoto’s father, Endeavor, and also began to see traces of him in Shoto.
This all came to a head when, seeing Shoto as an extension of the abusive Endeavor, she decided to pour boiling water onto his face.
Does Shoto Todoroki Hate His Mother?
Despite giving him permanent and life-changing scars, Shoto does not resent his mother, and he also does not even blame her.
Largely, he blames Endeavor, his father, for pushing her into such a situation where she felt she had to lash out at her young son. This explains why, especially towards the beginning of the series, Shoto has an intense hatred towards Endeavor.
Rei Todoroki was placed into a hospital shortly after her actions and has remained there until the present day, where Shoto continues to visit her regularly.
Why Does Shoto Todoroki Hate His Father?
Shoto has a burning hatred for his father because of the trouble he put the Todoroki family through. In Endeavor’s pursuit of All Might’s number 1 title, he neglected the feelings of all of his family members and focused entirely on usurping Japan’s number 1 hero.
When Endeavor believed that he could not catch up to All Might, he instead forced his son, Shoto into intensive training, in hopes that he might take over in his stead.
The training from an early age caused Shoto to miss out on much of his childhood, which made him a very cold person who has trouble accepting or giving love to others.
Todoroki also resents his father for abusing his mother mentally to the point that she would lash out at her son.
This caused Todoroki to completely neglect his fire powers, and focus entirely on his ice powers, as a way of spiting his father, by not giving him what he wants.
Do Shoto Todoroki And Endeavor Repair Their Relationship?
Both Shoto and his father Endeavor have begun to make strides towards repairing their relationship, though they still have a long way to go.
Endeavor has made it clear that he wants to atone for his past actions, while Shoto has also made it clear that it would take him some time before he feels that he is able to forgive Endeavor.
Perhaps, by the end of the series, the two will be on good terms again, but it remains to be seen.
To Wrap Up
Shoto Todoroki has definitely experienced some significant turmoil across his 15 years of life, but it is clear that he still has lots of growing left to do.
To this day, fans tune in every week for new manga chapters, so that they can see how much their favorite character has developed and strengthened, to move on from his past.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Age Did Todoroki Get His Quirk?
Shoto first got his quirk abilities around the age of five, at which point his dad put him through grueling training.
Can Todoroki Make Water?
If he were to create some ice and then use his fire powers to make the ice melt, yes, he could make water. However, he cannot simply conjure water outright as he can with ice and fire.
Does Todoroki Have Weakness?
One of Todoroki’s most enduring weaknesses is his inexperience in using his fire powers. Todoroki spent a considerable amount of time neglecting his fire abilities out of spite for his father, so now that he uses them, he is not quite as adept.
