My Hero Academia features a dazzling cast of characters, and it’s not just protagonist Izuku Midoriya who gets substantial character development in this anime. Many of Izuku’s classmates are well-rounded characters with their own strengths and weaknesses, and that includes the talented Shoto Todoroki.
There’s a lot to love about Shoto Todoroki, from his remarkable ice/fire Quirk to his determination to escape his father’s long shadow. However, there are also many things that Shoto doesn’t like, and the worst aspects of him can be a real problem for this character. Some of Shoto’s worst aspects are actually quite minor or not even his fault, but they still count and they all hold him back.
10 Shoto Todoroki’s Hero Name Is Lame
This is one of the small points against Shoto’s character. At one point, the students of class 1-A had to decide on the names of their Pro Heroes, and the hero R Midnight was there to review the names before approving them. Most of the students came up with big names like Froppy, Uravity, and Grape Juice, but Shoto came up short.
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Shoto simply chose his given name as his hero name, and wrote it in the katakana writing system, which makes it look even simpler. He sure as hell came up with something catchier than just “Shoto”.
9 Shoto Todoroki’s First Costume Was Ridiculous
All the students in classes 1-A and 1-B had to design their own hero costumes, which should not only look cool, but also have accessories that would help the students fight. Some costumes look great, like Yuga Aoyama’s shiny armor and cape, while Shoto’s first costume was pretty loosely designed.
Shoto’s initial hero suit consisted of white clothing, boots, and ice covering the left half of his body, which lacked the visual impact of most other hero suits. Luckily Shoto later switched to a slightly better suit.
8 Shoto Todoroki Manhandled Inasa Yoarashi
A flashback revealed how Shoto came to know the wind student Inasa Yoarashi. This flashback showed Inasa and Shoto competing during a physical to get into UA, but it was pretty one-sided. The boys had similar abilities, but Shoto coldly ignored Inasa and even scorned him, even though Inasa only wanted to be friends with her.
Inasa was understandably offended by Shoto’s terrible behavior, and he and Shoto soon became unfriendly rivals who crossed paths again during the provisional hero license exam. This unpleasant situation is entirely Shoto’s fault, without a doubt.
7 Shoto Todoroki Holds Back For Bad Reasons
Shoto Todoroki refuses to use the fire half of his Quirk, all in an attempt to spite his father and act independently. No one can blame Shoto for having negative feelings about the power he inherited from his father, but he took it too far, and Izuku couldn’t accept it.
For a while, Shoto fought with one arm tied behind his back, and Izuku brought this to his attention during their battle at the US sports festival. It took Izuku’s sincere words to finally convince Shoto to take things completely seriously and use all of his power.
6 Shoto Todoroki Refused To Make Friends
Shoto Todoroki certainly has a lot of personal baggage, more than most of his classmates, at least. Understandably, this makes it hard for him to make friends with people his age, but then again, he didn’t even try to make friends. Making an effort would have been better than doing nothing.
Shoto kept everyone at a distance and didn’t try to befriend anyone, which is the last thing he needed. Shoto could gain a lot if he made new friends, but he didn’t want to make any, and that is something he can be blamed for.
5 Shoto Todoroki Takes His Enemies Too Lightly
No one can fault Shoto for being overconfident or even a little arrogant in battle, given his powerful Quirk and extensive training. On the other hand, he tends to take his opponents too lightly, which insults his enemies and sabotages his chances of victory. Despising the rival is never good.
Shoto took Izuku too lightly in their duel and that was what caused Izuku to deliver his impassioned lecture. Later, Shoto took the class 1-B team too lightly in the joint training story arc and ended up getting knocked out, despite being the strongest student in the entire battle.
4 Shoto Todoroki Has Poor Teamwork Abilities
Over the course of five seasons, Shoto gradually learned to be a true team player. With that being said, Shoto still had a poor sense of teamwork and often did not properly coordinate his Quirk with those of his allies. At best, he was just following his lead, like when he and the brilliant Momo Yaoyorozu fought Eraserhead.
Shoto’s lone wolf attitude tends to cost him, and even though he’s won a handful of solo battles, he can’t keep it up for long. Shoto has more weaknesses than he would like to admit, so he needs teammates to make up for those shortcomings, but only if Shoto learns to play well with others.
3 Shoto Todoroki Has Minimal Charisma
Not every professional hero needs a dazzling smile like All Might’s, but it’s still important for student heroes to have strong charisma and inspire others just by their presence. Shoto Todoroki may not be a pervert like Minoru Mineta or an aggressive thug like Katsuki Bakugo, but he still has to work at this.
Shoto has a cold and aloof exterior as a kuudere and kuuderes certainly lack charisma as Pro Heroes. Shoto almost never cracks a smile or makes jokes, nor is he quick to support others when they need a friend. He better get rid of this kuudere exterior quickly or it may cost him later.
2 Shoto Todoroki is self-absorbed
Shoto focuses almost exclusively on himself and his own needs. This self-centered attitude leads directly to many of his other flaws, such as poor teamwork and difficulty making friends. There is no doubt that Shoto has to deal with his baggage, but he has to realize that not everything revolves around him.
Shoto is only one of the twenty students in class 1-A, but he continues to act as if he is the tragic star of the show, which he is not. If Shoto learns to broaden his mind and take the entire 1-A class into account, it will give him a healthier perspective and help him stop thinking about his own problems. That might also increase his empathy.
1 Shoto Todoroki Represents The Abuse Of Quirk Genetics
This particular problem is absolutely not Shoto’s fault. Instead, it’s about what he stands for, and it’s encoded in his own DNA, so no one can do anything about it. Shoto is the product of a Quirk marriage between Enji Todoroki and Rei, designed to be the ultimate hero from his birth.
In-universe, Quirk marriages are highly controversial, and it’s easy to see why. The super babies born from those unions could accelerate the dreaded Quirk Singularity, and if children like Shoto succeed, that encourages more people to have Quirk marriages and turn society into a gigantic arms race. That trend could destroy civilization. Shoto is a part of her whether he likes it or not. The mere existence of him is scary.