My Hero Academia is filled with an incredible amount of fan-favorite characters. If a character isn’t likable immediately upon their introduction, they’re likely such a well-written and fleshed-out character that they’ll end up having at least a small group of supporters by the time their on-screen moments come to an end. While many of the students who attend U.A. are incredibly likable in their own way, one of the most beloved by far has to be Todoroki.
He’s able to stay cool and collected during combat, even when fighting off threats such as the Hero Killer, and his backstory makes it incredibly easy to want to cheer him on and support him. However, that cool side of his personality combined with not having socialized with other children much when he was younger means that there are also moments where he acts like more of a jerk.
10 He Purposely Freezes The Robots So They’ll Fall & Stop Other Students During The Sports Festival Preliminaries
In the U.A. Sports Festival Preliminaries, the first forty-two participants who cross the finish line are able to participate in the festival itself. And while Todoroki’s skilled enough to secure a top-five spot easily, he takes extra measures to ensure he’ll be leagues ahead of many of his peers.
Not only does he manage to freeze the soles of others’ shoes so they’re unable to take off on time, but he freezes the robots in the prelims off-balance so they’ll fall and block the path for other students. While this does show his intelligence, it also feels like a jerk move when considering that he’d place high regardless.
9 He Doesn’t Make Any Effort To Reach Out To/Visit His Mother For Years
When Shoto is still a child, his mother loses it after being pushed to the edge by Endeavor’s abuse and takes it out on her son. She scars his face with boiling water, and Shoto’s father has her sent away as a result.
It’s assumed that Todoroki doesn’t make any effort to reach out to her or contact her the entire time she’s there, at least not until after his fight with Midoriya in the Sports Festival. While she did hurt him, even as a child, he seems to understand that it’s a result of his father’s treatment of her and not an example of her true character.
8 He Leads Momo Along Without Bothering To Ask If She Has A Plan Of Her Own
During Final Exams, Todoroki is paired up with Momo, and the two have to either catch or sneak past their teacher Aizawa. As their exam starts, Todoroki instructs Momo on what to do, going off of his plan without asking if she has her own.
This is a fatal error on his part, as Momo is a brilliant strategist, and simply wasn’t speaking up because her self-confidence is damaged during the Sports Festival. He does amend this by later asking what her plan is and working with her after she comes to his rescue, and the two are able to succeed thanks to it.
7 He Disappears On His Father During A Training Session Without Explaining Why
Endeavor is thrilled when Shoto arrives at his hero agency, thinking that his son’s put the past entirely behind him and is there to follow in his father’s footsteps. This isn’t entirely true, as he still isn’t sure how he feels about his father, but he does understand that he’s one of the best heroes for a reason, and learning from him would be beneficial.
The two make their way to Hosu City and are there when Deku runs across Iida and the Hero Killer, and Todoroki responds to his classmates’ request for help. He shouts at his father for reinforcements as he rushes off, but doesn’t explain things to him—while it makes sense as he’s strained for time, it still comes across as rude.
6 He Backs Down From Trying To Defend His Mother After Only A Single Rebuttal From Endeavor
When Endeavor realizes that the son he had before Shoto, Toya, is still training and trying to improve his Fire Quirk, he blames and lashes out at Rei. This understandably enrages Shoto, who tries to step in, but his father tells him to stay out of it.
Contrary to his fiery and defiant nature, it only takes this single command from his father for Shoto to back down. Although it is true that a younger Shoto simply doesn’t possess the physical strength to stand up to his father, it doesn’t make sense for his character that he wouldn’t at least try a bit harder to defend his mother.
5 Inasa Tries To Befriend Him But Shoto Coldly Tells Him To Get Out Of His Way
Inasa loves Pro Heroes ever since he discovers them as a boy, and he’s coldly rejected upon attempting to get an autograph from Endeavor. In the U.A. Recommendation Entrance Exam, he runs into Shoto, and notices that the boy has the same cold eyes that his father does.
He places first, just barely ahead of Shoto, and then attempts to befriend the boy. The only thing Todoroki can think of is how disappointed he is in himself for not placing first—and proving that he can reject his father and succeed without him—and tells Inasa to get out of his way.
4 He Declares That He Plans To Crush Deku Seemingly Out Of Nowhere
While all of the students are in the waiting room awaiting the start of the Sports Festival, Todoroki approaches Izuku. He tells him that although he’s noticed the interest All Might has in the boy that Shoto still believes he’s stronger, and plans to crush him during the Festival to prove he’s worthy of being the Number One Hero.
It’s not like this doesn’t make sense for his character, as the only thing Shoto wants is solid proof that he’s strong enough to reject his father. While winning against Izuku here would certainly prove that, calling Izuku out in front of everyone comes off as an incredibly rude move.
3 He Gives His All Against Midoriya But Doesn’t Exert The Same Effort Against Bakugo
After besting Midoriya during the Sports Festival, the final opponent Todoroki has to take down is Bakugo. The two begin fighting, but Shoto refuses to use his left side, only flaring up and doing so after extra encouragement from Izuku.
However, as Bakugo lunges at him, Todoroki becomes unsure of himself and his flames die out, eliminating himself after taking the full brunt of Bakugo’s attack. He doesn’t do this on purpose to upset Bakugo, but refusing to use his full strength against the other during a competition such as this isn’t a good move.
2 He Tries To Lash Out At The Chief Of Hosu City Police, Who Punishes Them For Attacking The Hero Killer
After the Hero Killer incident, the Chief of Hosu City Police comes to visit the three boys while they’re recuperating. They’re informed that although they did great work, they also used their Quirks unsupervised and without permission outside of U.A. High, and for that, they would have to receive punishment.
This is something that Todoroki intensely disagrees with, and he even attempts to lash out at the Chief of Police. Gran Torino urges him to hear him out, and it’s only after hearing that they simply won’t be getting credit for taking the Hero Killer down that Todoroki begins to calm down.
1 He Has No Sympathy For Those Who Place Low On The Midterms & Blames Them For Not Paying Attention
A week before U.A.’s final exams begin, Denki can be seen panicking as he hasn’t studied at all since midterms. He’s not the only student who’s been too busy with festivals and real-life villains to study, as Mina comments that she hasn’t studied at all either.
Characters like Momo will come around and offer to hold a giant study party in order to help everyone pass, but Todoroki takes a much colder approach. Despite ranking in the top fourth of the class, he has naught to offer his classmates but a scorning, insisting that if they’d only paid attention before, they wouldn’t be struggling so much now, when in reality it isn’t that easy for everyone.
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