The following content contains spoilers from My Hero Academia, Season 6, episode 17, currently streaming on Crunchyroll. The Heroes are valiantly trying to pick up the pieces after the first round of the Paranormal Liberation War; however, the rest of society is not wholeheartedly on board with reinstating their once beloved saviors. Dissatisfied citizens riot in the streets while some take crime-fighting matters into their own hands, causing further chaos in their wake, and only a handful seem pleased by the rare presence of a Pro-Hero.
Unable to bare the harsh judgments, Yoroi Musha and other Heroes begin resigning left, right, and center, while others are still recovering from their wounds, both physical and emotional, with Hawks taking the lead in self-criticism, closely followed by the Todoroki clan.
One Litre of Todoroki Tears
While fans have a vague idea about Shoto's traumatic past, they have only really been given one perspective to work with, and a few titbits added from Toya and Endeavor's side. The truth of the matter has now been laid bare for all to see as Endeavor is stripped of his shame as the sole instigator of Dabi's creation. Each member of the family had a part to play (besides baby Shoto, perhaps) as everyone passed the buck on taming Toya's temperament, essentially leaving him to his own deadly devices.
Endeavor sparked the fires of passion beneath his firstborn's feet and could do little to extinguish his enthusiasm, nor did he try very hard, leaving the task up to Rei (who had a whole bunch of kids to care for.) In turn, the matriarch allowed her personal issues with her husband to cloud her judgment and grouped all the Todoroki boys in the antagonist category, responding with anger and fear while losing touch with compassion and kindness. Although mere children at the time, Fuyumi and Natsuo turned a blind eye to Toya's indiscretions instead of inspiring him to follow a different path or at least attempt to. A domino effect subsequently ensued.
"I'll Make You Glad I Was Born"
It is unclear where Toya's chauvinism stems from, as Rei only began losing the plot after Endeavor and her firstborn's abuse took root; however, the young tyrant firmly believed that "all the women in our family are useless" before his mother started acting out. The poor child went from being daddy's favorite to the black sheep overnight, desperately seeking recognition for his efforts to surpass All Might, only to be disregarded for the latest addition to the family. As brutal as it was, Endeavor likely saved Shoto's life by insisting the brothers remained separated, as Toya would have surely repeatedly attempted to take his competition out of the running until he succeeded, likely creating more casualties with each attempt.
Was Dabi's villainous rebirth inevitable from the start, or could the Todoroki's have rectified the situation, in hindsight? Endeavor's training exclusively emphasized increasing Toya's strength, suggesting that he never truly taught his son how to control his Quirk and keep the flames at a manageable level. Enji has no ice powers himself, so he is well aware of the tricks of the trade to prevent overheating, and passing this knowledge on should have been his priority from the moment the doctor explained the intricacies of Toya's Quirk. Whether or not this would have been enough to counteract his competitive nature or quell the evil brewing in Dabi's soul is debatable, but the extra attention would have surely made an impact on the poor boy.
The Pro-Heroes' Plan
It appears that Best Jeanist and Hawks are focusing their sights away from Shigaraki and will be targeting Dabi instead, which is probably the best plan considering how much damage he has done to destroy society's faith in Heroes. Furthermore, removing Endeavor's kryptonite from the equation is likely to assist the #1 Hero significantly on the battlefield, particularly when it's time for the big guns to tackle the All For One(s.) By combining the top three Pro-Heroes talents, they surely stand a better chance (more so than the previous divide-and-conquer strategy.)
Amidst all the chaos of the Paranormal Liberation War, hearing the name "One For All" did not go over everyone's head, and now that the Heroes have had a moment to ponder, the puzzle pieces are starting to fall into place. Hawks and Endeavor seem to have connected the dots between Deku, All Might, and One For All; but after all, is said and done, will they attempt to use the youngster's powers or prevent him from fighting for his own safety? Will Endeavor learn from past mistakes, or accept the fact that he needs help from a student (or three) to take down the Big Bad? Needless to say, it makes no difference what rules are implemented regarding Deku's freedom to fight, as he will end up on the battlefield regardless. At least next time around, Izuku will have a better understanding of One For All's capabilities, following his in-depth discussion with the previous users during his comatose state.
Inconsistencies or Subtle Hints?
Young Toya's hair keeps changing drastically, as he is first introduced with a head of predominantly red hair, which then cuts to a scene where he resembles Shoto's half-and-half style, followed by a flame-tipped look, and eventually ends with a completely snowy hairdo. Could this be indicative of how his Quirk and genetics have progressed/changed over time? The other Todoroki children maintain the same coloring throughout the flashbacks, so why is Dabi any different?
Fuyumi and Natsuo have whiter hair and a greater affinity for ice, which could indicate that Toya's body is aligning more and more with his mother's cold Quirk as his own hair lightens, even though his firepower is increasing in potency. Nowadays, Dabi shares a closer resemblance to Frankenstein's Monster and apparently has a sky-high pain tolerance, which may be convenient when using his Quirk; however, it does not make him invincible. Without much un-grafted skin left, he might just completely disintegrate during the next face-off (pun intended.)