Shoto Todoroki is a character in the popular anime and manga series My Hero Academia. He is one of the main characters and students at U.A. High School training to become a pro hero. Shoto is an incredibly powerful hero-in-training who can generate fire from the left side of his body and ice from the right side. However, it is revealed early on that Shoto has trauma related to his family and the use of his fire powers. This trauma stems from abuse by his father Enji Todoroki, also known as the pro hero Endeavor. In this article, we will explore what exactly Shoto suffers from and how it affects him throughout the My Hero Academia story.
Shoto’s Backstory
To understand Shoto’s trauma, it is important to first understand his backstory. Shoto is the son of Enji Todoroki, the pro hero Endeavor who was determined to have a child who could surpass All Might and become the number one hero. Enji essentially bred Shoto by marrying Shoto’s mother Rei for her ice quirk that combined with Enji’s fire quirk would produce extremely powerful offspring.
However, Enji severely abused Shoto and his mother physically and emotionally in his obsessive quest to train Shoto to be the best. He forced Shoto into ruthless training from a very young age, often refusing to let Shoto see his mother for long periods of time. The abuse took a major toll on Rei, eventually causing her to have a mental breakdown and pour boiling water on Shoto’s face, giving him his distinctive scar over his left eye. After this incident, Shoto’s mother was committed to a mental hospital.
Shoto’s Trauma
The relentless abuse by his father and seeing the effect it had on his mother gave Shoto deep psychological trauma. He developed a strong aversion to using the fire side of his quirk, as it reminded him of his abusive father Enji. Shoto essentially rejects that part of himself and refuses to use his fire abilities for most of the beginning of the series.
This trauma manifests in a few key ways for Shoto:
- Fear/aversion to fire and using his left side
- Hatred toward his father Enji
- Survivor’s guilt over his mother’s breakdown
- Feeling that his father only values him for his strength and quirk
- Belief that he must rely only on his right side ice powers
Shoto has repressed many of the painful memories of his childhood abuse. But it still haunts him subconsciously and prevents him from reaching his full potential as a hero.
Effects on Shoto
Shoto’s trauma from his abusive upbringing affects him in significant ways throughout the series:
Hesitation in Using Fire Powers
Due to his aversion to fire, Shoto heavily favors using only his ice abilities when fighting and refuses to use his left fire side. This puts him at a disadvantage and prevents him from fighting at full strength. He is incredibly powerful with just his ice, but by not using his full quirk, he holds himself back from being an even greater hero.
Distance from Father Enji
Shoto clearly still has anger, resentment, and discomfort toward Enji because of the abuse. He shuns any attempts Enji makes to reconnect or improve their relationship. This strained dynamic prevents them from having a healthy father-son relationship.
Guilt Over Mother
Shoto has visible regret and guilt over his mother’s mental breakdown. He blames himself for not being able to help her and wonders if things could have been different. This guilt weighs on him and contributes to his conflicted feelings about his family and quirk.
Inability to Value Himself
Since his father only valued him for his strength and quirk, Shoto struggles to see value in himself beyond those things. He wonders if anyone will appreciate him for who he is as a person. This makes it difficult for Shoto to develop his identity and self-confidence.
Over-Reliance on Ice Powers
By refusing to use his fire abilities, Shoto puts extra pressure and overworks his ice powers. He damages his body repeatedly by solely relying on his right side, which could be avoided by using his full power set. This is self-sabotaging and risky behavior that stems from his trauma.
Treatment and Recovery
Treating psychological trauma is often a long process that requires time, patience, and professional help. However, throughout My Hero Academia, Shoto does begin to make steps toward recovery:
Confronting Enji
A key moment is when Shoto confronts Enji during the Sports Festival, unleashing some of his pent-up hurt and anger. While painful, this helps Shoto release some of those toxic emotions he had bottled up for years.
Improved Family Dynamics
Shoto starts to have slightly improved interactions with his father later in the series. He also visits his mother in the hospital, showing his desire to face his past trauma. Improving these family relationships is important for his healing.
Using His Fire
In his fight with Izuku Midoriya at the Sports Festival, Shoto decides to use his fire powers for the first time in years. This signifies him starting to overcome his fear and accept himself fully. It’s a huge step in embracing his quirk.
Making Friends
As Shoto builds strong friendships and a support system at U.A., it gives him confidence and proves people appreciate him for more than just strength. This helps him value himself beyond his power.
Seeking Closure
In more recent chapters, Shoto has been seeking closure by learning more about his past and visiting old childhood homes. Processing the past will allow him to make peace with it and move forward.
While Shoto still has a long process of recovery ahead, he is making great strides during his time at U.A. High School. With the help of friends and confronting his past traumas, he is overcoming the effects of his abusive childhood.
Conclusion
In summary, Shoto Todoroki suffers from psychological trauma rooted in the abuse by his father Endeavor. This manifests as fear of fire, hatred of Endeavor, guilt over his mother, inability to value himself, and over-reliance on his ice powers. His trauma stems from Endeavor’s harsh training, physical/emotional abuse, and the resulting breakdown of Shoto’s mother Rei.
Throughout My Hero Academia, Shoto begins to recover by confronting Endeavor, improving family dynamics, using his fire, making friends, and seeking closure. However, completely overcoming trauma takes time. With continued support, understanding, and processing of his past, Shoto can keep healing and become an even greater hero in the future. His character arc provides an inspiring view of trauma recovery.