Is Endeavor the Most Controversial Character of MHA?

Summary:

• Opinions about Endeavor from My Hero Academia are quite polarizing.
• He was obsessed with becoming the top hero and was ready to sacrifice anything and anyone for that.
• His behavior is written way too realistically, and the reactions of his family to his redemption arc are relatable, too.
• This level of realism is what makes people flinch.

Twitter is a cesspool of opinions, and that's why we love it. Just recently a simple tweet asking people what they think of Endeavor from My Hero Academia (Boku No Hero Academia) spawned some heated discussions. The opinions seemed polarizing: some wished for him to rot in hell, some wanted to do unspeakable and unprintable things to him, and some believed that he's one of the most realistically portrayed and well-written characters in this story.

Almost every character has the second category, especially if their design features specific stylistic choices, but the former and the latter prove to be a very interesting combination, one that proves that Endeavor's writing is actually top-notch.

Inexcusable crimes

Kohei Horikoshi spent a lot of time crafting the story of the Todoroki family, starting with the simple notion that Endeavor was a strict father to Shoto which was almost excusable by shounen standards. But as the story progressed and more characters got their spotlights, the atrocity of Endeavor's behavior toward his family members came to light.

He's abusive, obsessed with his goal of becoming the best hero, and in his pursuit of that he is ready to do anything. And if that required him to bend the will of those dependent on him, then so be it.

What he did to his family is inexcusable. He destroyed it, simple as that, his ambitions turning him into a power-hungry machine devoid of empathy. And his arc that focuses on his atonement didn't change that much. There is a reason why some people resent him: he's written way too realistically as a person who realized what he has done and tries to do better but fails time and time again because he is torn between his genuine wish to make amends and his will to justify himself.

Swaying away from shounen tropes

Maybe the way he is portrayed in this arc, with his constant failed attempts at rebuilding his relationships with his family, with him constantly feeling bad about it and focusing on himself, is why it sparks such violent reactions in people. It's too realistic, it hits too close to home.

The good thing about his arc is that his apologies are neither universally accepted nor declined. His family members have different reactions to his actions, they don't follow the classical shounen path of extreme forgiveness even in the direst situations — no. Natsuo still resents him, Shoto feels lost, Touya is angry, and Fuyumi accepts him.

Endeavor has to accept all these reactions, which makes his arc even more compelling. He understands that he's not in control anymore. He allows his family to choose whether they want to interact with him or not. He willingly gives them space, and gives them their dignity.

His redemption arc didn't simply end with Endeavor dying with the names of his kids on his lips: it actually had a more realistic conclusion, maybe too realistic, one that makes people shiver.