Warning: This contains major spoilers for My Hero Academia.
Season 6 of My Hero Academia has been burning on all cylinders since it started, and it only seems to be getting bigger, yielding far-reaching implications for the series going forward. Among its array of surprises, it unveiled the secret identity of one of its coolest and most striking villains, the pyromancer Dabi.
Dabi was first revealed in the anime in Episode 31, "The Aftermath of Hero Killer: Stain," and became a fan-favorite within the League of Villains' Vanguard Action Squad. But not much was known about him other than his burn scars, trademark blue flames, and his disdain for superhero society that he shared with the rest of the League. That was until Episode 124 when he revealed himself as Toya Todoroki, the long-lost son of Endeavor and brother to Shoto Todoroki, an earth-shattering unveiling in the world of MHA. There's just one problem: the moment that it is revealed feels incredibly weak, in spite of building up to the event effectively and the characters' (eventual) reactions to it. Something is missing, and it's time to figure out exactly what that is.
The Build-Up
The truth of the matter is that many fans could have guessed that he might have been a Todoroki for a while, not the least bit because of his character design. Granted, it was also not so obvious that it becomes unbelievable that no one else would have picked up on it. Dabi's screen time wasn't that intertwined with the Todoroki family drama. He kept his distance.
Season 5 was the first time that Toya was even brought up substantially, during the family dinner in which Natsu stormed out in anger, unable to forgive his father for "killing" Toya. Even then, Toya's presumed death was only there to add texture to the pre-existing tensions, not so much to signal a coming resurrection.
It wasn't until Season 6, during the opening rites of the season-long battle that the next piece of evidence came to light, as Dabi interjected to save Twice from Hawks. Dabi spoke Hawks' true name, a well-guarded secret given his undercover status, and caused the winged hero to hesitate. This sudden slip of information was the first hint that Dabi was someone important.
Fast-forward eight whole episodes full of near-death experiences, triumphs, and failures, and Dabi is standing atop Gigantomachia, over Shoto and Endeavor. In the midst of all the chaos, viewers could be forgiven for possibly even forgetting the previous evidence of Dabi's hidden significance. And then... he just sorta casually lets it slip.
Cut to Commercial
Obviously, there is a lot going on in My Hero Academia at this critical juncture in the storyline, so perhaps some people would argue that one iffy reveal is passable, but it doesn't feel that easy. Endeavor's quest to try and be a better father might be one of the most divisive plots in the story, but it's also one of the most fundamental to the story.
The question "is this superhero society good" is intrinsically tied to Endeavor's history of abuse and his search for redemption. Dabi being revealed to be a scarred and twisted villain who used to be the son of the No.1 Hero is a catastrophic epiphany to the characters and the world at large. And several minutes after this reveal, it starts to feel that way.
A message is transmitted across the net revealing Dabi's story and convincing an already divided public that heroes might actually be doing more harm than good. And as the crescendo of Dabi's revenge hits, he leaps into action to kill Endeavor with his own special move. Endeavor sits there in shock, unable to move, while Shoto passionately pleads for him to get ready to fight.
There's just one problem: This episode wasn't written around Dabi's revenge but rather, the return of Best Jeanist. For an episode titled "Dabi's Dance," it sure seemed more concerned with building up a sick cliffhanger than letting the titular villain properly crash the party. Dabi shows up and lets the hair dye remover do its trick, but only offers a passing mention of his name.
There isn't even a reaction shot of Endeavor or Shoto to the mention of his name, it just cuts to the commercial eye-catch and then pivots to the live-streamed video upon return. Both in Japanese and English, the moment lacks a sense of real payoff, as if the script just said, "yeah the theories were right by the way, you already guessed it anyhow."
Full disclosure, the author of this article has not read the manga, so it's unclear if this scene was presented slightly differently. It very well might have worked better if the reader was able to sit there and reflect on the page in front of them. But in anime, the frames don't stop coming, and the sudden commercial break can only summon the thought "oh... okay, they confirmed it."
Spoiled, But Still Splendid
To the argument that it was already obvious and that it doesn't warrant a bigger moment, consider the following: Attack on Titan Season 2. Attack on Titan became an instant success and one of the most popular anime of the decade and the wait for a continuation was so painful that fans couldn't help but turn to the manga to sate their hunger.
They undoubtedly discovered the identity of the Colossal and Armored Titan in the interim between seasons by delving into the manga and knew it going into Season 2. And yet, that moment is regarded as one of the most thrilling sequences in the series. And yes, unlike with MHA, the author of this article did read AOT between seasons, and it didn't kill the hype one bit.
It's an even more perfect comparison because AOT also reveals the identities bluntly and with little warning, but it does so with far more intent. The camera is literally panning over to focus on the characters walking away while Reiner's dialog is fading out. It's meant to be shocking and jarring and the quiet of the scene beforehand makes it work.
But Dabi's reveal? It's coming at us just as quickly as Gigantomachia appeared at the scene. There's no time to wind down, or for more lines to be exchanged between the members of the Todoroki family, not even Dabi saying Shoto's name registers. It could have been the climax of an episode, but instead, it's a commercial stinger that doesn't even have much bite to it.
"Dabi's Dance" was a victim of poor editing above all, where music or more creative pacing could have given the proceedings pause before dropping what should have been a bombshell. Once again, the buildup is well-conceived, as is the aftermath, but the epicenter of this plot point feels like a stumble that sticks out in a show that has performed exceptionally otherwise.