My Hero Academia: Shoto's Scar, Explained

Endeavor's quest to surpass All Might led to a tragic family dynamic, causing scars in the Todoroki family.
Shoto's refusal to use his fire quirk stemmed from his resentment towards his father's cruel actions.
Shoto's growth and acceptance of his dual quirks highlighted his journey toward defining his own hero path.

It's no secret that the Todoroki family has its scars. Shoto Todoroki's father, Enji Todorko, also known as Endeavor was a man who craved fame and most importantly, he wanted to surpass All Might and become My Hero Academia's No.1 Hero.

He quickly learned, however, that this was not his calling. He later realized that if he could not become the No.1 Hero, he would create an offspring who could do this for him, so he married Rei, a woman who possessed the ice quirk. He married her not out of love but hoping she would give him a child who would possess both the fire and ice quirk, enabling that child to one day surpass All Might.

My Hero Academia: The Fall of the Paranormal Liberation Front, Explained

What caused the fall of the Paranormal Liberation Front?

The Chosen One's Destiny

The Origin of the Scar and The Place Where it All Began

Before Shoto was born, Endeavor had three other children. All of them did not possess the quirks that he wanted, and he shunned them. Shoto was his prized possession and treated him as such. But by then, there was too much hatred within the family, as all Endeavor cared about was surpassing All Might and training Shoto mercilessly. Endeavor was a cruel father, always pushing Shoto beyond his limit even though he was only five years old at the time. This caused Rei to intervene and to try to stop Endeavor but she was also abused. This stirred a rage in her, and she grew to hate Endeavor and that hatred slowly began to rub off on her kids.

One day, when Rei was in the kitchen on a call with someone, Shoto overhears his mother saying that she has had enough and that even the left side of Shoto's face reminds her of her husband. When she is approached by Shoto, she loses it and throws hot boiling water at him, leaving the left side of his face heavily burnt. Rei was then shipped off to a mental health facility, where she stayed for the longest time and regrets her doings.

Raising me as a hero who could exceed All Might, just to fulfill his own ambitions, I hate it!

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, Explained

My Hero Academia's Vigilantes took the law into their own hands. Who were these underground heroes?

The Rise of The Fire and Ice Quirk User

The First Time Shoto Unleashed Both His Fire and Ice Quirk

Even though Shoto's scar came from his mother, he blamed his father for it. He blamed his father for the cruelty to his family and hated him for it. Shoto hated his father so much that he refused to use his fire quirk. Even during the Sports Festival, Shoto tried his best not to let his fire quirk come alive. Even though his father tries to push him to use his fire quirk, he still refuses, saying that he will advance by only using his mother's quirk. However, during Shoto's battle with Deku, he is pushed to his limit and is given a valuable lesson by Deku as he teaches him about how everyone is giving it their all to win and to not fight with only half his strength. Deku pushes him to the point where Shoto has no choice but to bring his fire quirk to life.

Even though Shoto had bottled up anger because of his father, he later remembers through a flashback of his younger self watching TV, All Might explaining that children often inherit their quirks from their parents, the most important thing to remember is that quirks are what you make of it, regardless of history. During the battle, he also hears his mother's voice telling him that he is not a prisoner of his lineage and that it's okay for him to use his powers to become who he wants to be. Shoto then unleashes both his fire and ice quirk for the first time, sending the sports festival stadium into a frenzy. As Deku's and Shoto's attacks collide, the stage explodes, leaving Shoto standing as the winner and Deku out of bounds as he is eliminated from the competition.