Shoto Todoroki is one of the most notable secondary characters in My Hero Academia. Since My Hero Academia is centered on a school where the students are preparing to become full-time superheroes, it should come as no surprise to learn that Shoto is one of them. Here are 10 things that you may or may not have known about Shoto Todoroki:
1. His Name Is Meaningful
Shoto contains the kanji for both “burning” and “freezing.” This references his superpowers, presumably both in and out of setting. In contrast, Todoroki is just a common Japanese family name, though it is interesting to note that it is written using a kanji that can mean either a “boom” or some other “loud, rumbling noise.”
2. His Appearance Is Very Distinctive
On a related note, Shoto’s appearance is very distinctive, seeing as how his hair is split in an even manner between white hair on his right side and red hair on his left side. Furthermore, he has heterochromia, which has resulted in a gray eye on the right side and a turquoise eye on the left side. Once again, these are references to his superpower. Amusingly, Shoto is said by more than one person to be one of the better-looking characters in the series, but the manga style makes it difficult for readers to confirm that particular claim.
3. He Has a Burn Scar Over His Left Eye
Speaking of facial features, Shoto has a very noticeable burn scar over his left eye, which is one of the reasons that he has sometimes been compared to Prince Zuko from Avatar: The Last Airbender. Besides this, the burn scar is a hint that Shoto’s upbringing wasn’t very happy to say the least. In fact, it is best-described as being downright abusive.
4. He Possesses Both Cryokinesis and Pyrokinesis
Generally speaking, people in My Hero Academia possesses one superpower that can be used in various ways. Shoto possesses both cryokinesis and pyrokinesis, which can be used by the left side and the right side of his body respectively.
5. His Control of His Superpowers Isn’t Perfect
Like other characters in My Hero Academia, Shoto wasn’t born with perfect control of his superpowers, meaning that he is still in the process of mastering them in the series. This can be seen in how his cryokinesis is much better than his pyrokinesis, which can be explained by the fact that he has been using ice a lot more than fire for about a decade’s time by the start of the series. Said choice was rooted in spite.
6. His Superpowers Are Synergistic
With that said, it is interesting to note that Shoto has since moved on in the sense that he is now willing to make use of his pyrokinesis as well. This is beneficial because his two superpowers are synergistic, with an excellent example being how each one can keep him from becoming either too hot or too cold because of the use of the other.
7. He Is Very Powerful
On the whole, Shoto is considered to be the single strongest student in his class. After all, he possesses two superpowers, each of which would be powerful on its own but become more so when used in unison. Moreover, Shoto is both tough and smart, which are enough to put him on the same level as some full-fledged Pro-Heroes.
8. He Was Bred to Be Powerful
Unfortunately, Shoto was bred to be powerful, which isn’t exactly a word with positive connotations when used for humans but nonetheless very appropriate. In short, his father used his influence to force his mother to get married to him for the purpose of producing a child who would inherit both of their superpowers. Shoto is the one child who met his father’s standards, which is why he was the one who started receiving brutal training from the age of 5 while his siblings were neglected by their father.
9. He Got the Burn Scar Because of His Mother
In contrast to his father, Shoto’s mother reassured him that he could become whoever he wanted to be. She would intervene with his father’s brutal training for him even though that would result in her getting physically assaulted. Eventually, Shoto’s mother became mentally unstable, with the unfortunate result that when she was startled by Shoto making a sudden appearance, she threw a kettle of boiling water because his left side reminded her of his father. Since then, she has managed to get better to some degree after being admitted to a psychiatric ward.
10. Seems to Draw His Values from All-Might
There are some indications that Shoto draws his values as a would-be Pro-Hero from the number one hero All-Might, which is something that he shares with a number of his class-mates. With that said, it is possible that this is rooted in spite to some extent, seeing as the whole reason that his father wanted a child with two superpowers was because he wanted someone who could surpass All-Might. Something that Shoto’s father failed at doing, as shown by his long stay at the number two position.
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