Enji Todoroki Guide

Enji Todoroki Guide

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Enji Todoroki, otherwise known as Endeavor, is the second strongest pro hero in My Hero Academia. Throughout the series, he is often portrayed through his role as Shota Todoroki’s father. Later on, we find out that he is also the father to Toya Todoroki, a notorious villain who is one of the series’ main antagonists.

Enji Todoroki is a very harsh person. Renowned for his ambition and cruelness, he can easily compare to some of the series’ villains. Despite all of that, we cannot deny his strength. Eventually, Enji Todoroki becomes the number one hero in the series after All Might’s retirement.

Key Info Up Front

Enji Todoroki, or Endeavor, is a hero that can control the flames. He is one of the most powerful characters in the anime, with a very enthralling backstory. He is mostly known as the Shota Todoroki’s father.

Enji Todoroki’s Personal Info

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For quite a while, Endeavor was the number two hero in Japan. Although portrayed as an anti-hero, Endeavor is actually very good at his job. In fact, he holds a record in the number of solved cases.

Enji has a very powerful fire-based quirk Hellflame. It allows him to generate and manipulate highly volatile flames. Like many other heroes in the series, All Might had a profound impact on Endeavor. Todoroki always felt inferior compared to All Might, so he set a personal goal to surpass him.

To achieve this, Endeavor was even willing to take extreme steps that most other people wouldn’t even dream of. He married a woman with an ice quirk called Rei. Although Enji developed strong emotions toward her, his ultimate goal is to have children that would combine fire and ice quirks. What’s even worse, he didn’t do this so would have powerful kids, but for his own vanity.

Eventually, they would have a son with the desired ability. Shoto Todoroki could control both fire and ice, and Endeavor was very harsh towards the boy when he honed his abilities. The whole family suffered for his ambition, which would eventually cause Rei’s mental breakdown and subsequent hospitalization.

Before Enji could officially surpass All Might, the latter hero retired. In a way, this caused Endeavor to feel empty, as he didn’t receive the joy of victory that he so much desired. After all that transpired, Enji took a more critical approach to his past actions, realizing that he was a terrible person.

In the following arcs, he tries his best to reconcile with the family, particularly his son Todoroki.  Later on, we discover that the hero had another hidden child in Dabi. Like the rest of his family, Dabi suffered enormous abuse from his father.

Enji Todoroki Appearance

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Enji Todoroki is one of the more muscular heroes in the anime. In that sense, he resembles All Might. He is sturdy and tall, and you can see every muscle through his tight spandex suit. Enji has short dark red hair and blue eyes. He also has a flame-made mustache but not much natural facial hair.

The Endeavor’s costume is pretty cool, and it allows him to maximize the Hellfire quirk. It is a dark blue bodysuit with several orange areas. The outfit is made so that it looks like a flame is dancing beneath it. He wards dark blue tall boots, but they are constantly on fire. Similarly, there are numerous flames protruding around his shoulder and neck area, making it look as if he’s on fire.

The hero has metallic reinforcement around his hands and shoulders. Lastly, he also has a belt with a side pouch.

Enji Todoroki’s Appearances in Manga and Anime

Despite not being one of the main protagonists in My Hero Academia, Enji Todoroki received a lot of screen time. He has a very interesting backstory, which revolves around ambition and redemption. For the longest time, Endeavor felt like a person with no redeeming qualities teetering between a hero and a villain.

Regardless, we cannot neglect his professionalism and self-sacrifice in the face of danger. Only after a few seasons can we see Endeavor in action, and this is when we realize that the moniker of number two was given for a reason.

Vs. Hero Killer Arc

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In this arc, our main protagonists start their internships with pro heroes. While this is happening, evil is looming in the background. Eventually, our heroes are forced to fight a formidable villain that goes under the name Stain and three powerful Nomus.

For the most part, Endeavor is seen battling Nomus during this arc. He joins up with Gran Torina, trying to eliminate these devilish creatures, while Midoriya, Shoto Todoroki, and Iida Tenya take on Stain. Endeavor soon finds out that Nomus are very resilient to his flames. Nevertheless, with the help of Gran Torino, the duo manages to apprehend their first target.

Endeavor scatters to help a female hero who is attacked by the second Nomu. Realizing that the creatures have great regenerative power, Enji decides to completely burn its head to that it cannot restore itself. After battling the third winged Nomu, our hero goes to Midoriya, Iida, and Todoroki, to check their status.

Momentarily apprehended by the young students, Stain eventually manages to break free. After killing off the third Nomu, Stain faces the remaining heroes. However, the battle wounds catch up to him, and he eventually collapses to the ground.

Hideout Raid Arc

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Hideout Raid Arc is a very important segment that builds Endeavor’s character and backstory.

During this arc, our protagonists try to save their friend, Bakugo, who was apprehended by the League of Villains. This would eventually lead to a clash with All For One. The raid was meant to be done by the elite pro heroes such as All Might, Best Jeanist, Gran Torino, and Endeavor. However, the students take things into their own hands and start the mission without their elders.

For the most part, Endeavor is portrayed as a grumpy hero who questions just about every order issued. As the story progresses, he is forced to battle multiple Nomus with the assistance of his fellow pro heroes. In the storyline, he serves as a decoy while All Might and Midoriya battle All For One.

The battle between All Might and All For One was fierce. At one point, we can see All Might at the end of his rope as All For One tries to finish him. Endeavor intervenes in the nick of the time, blasting the villain with his powerful flames. At this point, All Might looks like an empty husk, having to transform to its original shape.

Seeing his comrade in such a state, Enji is taken back. This was a moment of epiphany for Endeavor as he finally realizes all the efforts and sacrifices All Might had to make to become the number one hero. Furthermore, he realized that, although he was number two, he was never close to All Might’s level.

Through All Might’s heroic sacrifice, the team finally manages to apprehend All For One. However, this also signifies the end of the career for the previous number one. Endeavor is forced to become number one, which only fuels his rage as he was never able to beat All Might for that spot.

Pro Hero Arc

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During this arc, we see Endeavor as he tries to accept his new role. For the most of his life, Endeavor was this gloomy, dark character who would shun everyone who approached him. He never managed to build a relationship with his fans, who were often scared to approach him, which was a part of his appeal.

Now, he was thrown into a situation where he needed to become a carbon copy of All Might and serve as a paragon of peace and justice.

While all of this is happening, we are introduced to a new hero called Hawk. He serves as a double spy for heroes, and he manages to infiltrate the League of Villains. Throughout the arc, Endeavor is not certain where Hawk’s allegiances lie. As the duo takes a casual lunch, they are attacked by the newest, enhanced Nomu.

Enji quickly realizes that this opponent is far beyond what they’ve previously encountered. Able to regenerate even the most grievous of wounds, Nomu can withstand everything that Endeavor throws at him. During their clash, Enji realizes that the Nomu can speak, which is why he decides to capture him in order to extract information.

Hawk initially helped Endeavor, but when this powerful Nomu, summoned other Nomus to attack civilians, Hawk had no choice but to go and help them, leaving Enji alone. Going back and forth, Endeavor slowly starts to overheat, which is one of his biggest weaknesses. He tried to end the fight quickly but was unsuccessful. During the counterattack, the Nomu severely damages the hero’s eye.

Using his last strength, Endeavor manages to propel himself towards the Nomu. He grabs hold of him and continues soaring to the sky, assisted by Hawk’s feathers. When two of them were high enough, Enji released his ultimate ability called Plus Ultra Prominence Burn.

Hawk congratulates the hero for his victory. Quickly after, they are greeted by Dabi, who gives an ominous message to Endeavor setting the stage for future events.

Endeavor Agency Arc

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As you can tell by the name, this is another arc that puts focus on Endeavor. The hero becomes a reluctant tutor for Midoriya, Shoto Todoroki, and Katsuki Bakugo. Although he just wants to focus on his son, he accepts Midoriya and Bakugo only because Todoroki asked him to.

For the most part of the arc, Endeavor tries to outrun his students who are struggling to catch up with him. Seeing this as a part of the lesson, the trio is constantly fatigued by constantly pursuing Endeavor as he jets around the city.

During the arc, Enji is visited by Hawk, who gives him the Meta Liberation War book. After sharing a few details about the title, he says something strange that Endeavor fails to comprehend. Later on, he realizes there is a hidden message within a book warning about the threat of the Paranormal Liberation Front.

Later on, Endeavor interrogates the trio of students, wanting to learn more about their powers and goals. During the conversation, he is constantly bumping heads with his son, Shoto Todoroki. In an attempt to reconcile the family, the sister Fuyumi Todoroki makes a dinner which is to be attended by the whole family, including Midoriya and Bakugo.

The dinner goes sideways. Later on, there is a scene where we can see Enji retreating to his room and praying for his deceased son, Toya. While all of this is happening, a former convict, Ending, is watching over Endeavor’s house.

Later on, as our three students and Endeavor are riding a car, Ending appears in the middle of the road, holding Endeavor’s other son, Natsuo, as a hostage. The villain manages to restrain the students within the car, so Enji stands along outside, facing the opponent.

Ending says that he will kill Natsuo, which, in turn, would force Endeavor to kill him, thus ending his misery. Seeing an opening, Enji Todoroki tries to rush Ending, who starts increasing his grip over Natsuo. Endeavor hesitates, haunted by the loss of Toya. As this happens, Midoriya, Shoto, and Bakugo break free from the car and take down the villain.

The arc ends with Natsuo and Endeavor having a heartfelt moment, where Enji confesses that he isn’t looking for forgiveness, just atonement for his past sins.

Paranormal Liberation War Arc

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Here is another arc that heavily features Endeavor. During these episodes, he will battle both Tomura and Dabi, resulting in some amazing battle scenes.

Endeavor is initially a part of a team that features Mirko, Gran Torino, Present Mic, and Eraser Head, among others. Their task is to attack Jaku General Hospital, where Tomura is currently being enhanced. Upon reaching the scene, Eraser Head quickly apprehends Kyudai, a doctor who was behind all these experiments.

Trying to buy time for Tomura to regenerate, thus finishing the enhancement process, the villains release numerous Nomus at the heroes. Some of the allies are badly wounded, including Mirko, but the heroes eventually managed to beat the Nomus.

Unfortunately, this gave Tomura enough time to regenerate. Initially, Enji tries to detain Tomura in a circle of fire, a move called Hell’s Curtain. Despite incredibly intense flames, the villain is able to regenerate continually. The battle goes back and forth. Eventually, Tomura realizes that something is missing, and he flees the battle wanting to find Midoriya.

After a pursuit, Enji finally manages to catch up with Tomura. He and Ryukyu try to battle the enemy, only to get taken down. Beaten but not defeated, Endeavor manages to come to his senses and joins the battle together with Midoriya, Bakugo, Gran Torino, and Eraser Head. After lots of back and forth, the fight ends when Endeavor uses his super move, Vanishing Fist, to completely burn Tomura’s chest.

Despite his grave injuries, Tomura managed to regenerate and takes out the entire team. Endeavor is severely injured during this scene. Later on, Dabi comes to battle and exposes the sad truth. He confesses that he is Enji’s long-lost son and talks about all the abuse that he has suffered over the years. After engaging heroes in battle, Dabi is eventually apprehended by Best Jeanist.

While lying in the hospital, Endeavor gives a press release talking about his past. He decides to relinquish his position as the number one hero.

Quirk and Abilities

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Although the show creators commonly focus on the hero’s Hellfire, there is much more to this character than meets the eye. He is very resilient and intelligent fighter that can utilize his surrounding while exploiting the enemy’s weaknesses.

Quirk – Hellfire

Hellfire is a quirk that allows the hero to create and manipulate flames. He can create a fire of different shapes and sizes and even mold it into objects such as spears. Furthermore, Enji is completely immune to fire attacks.

The quirk can be released from any part of the body, among others, his feet. That way, Endeavor can use flames to propel himself into the air and fly around. However, extensive use of the fire will make him overheat quickly, depleting his stamina.

Enji Todoroki can create flame waves, whirlwinds, and even powerful fire nova. His special moves include Flashfire Fist, Jet Burn, Hell Spider, Hell’s Curtain, Prominence Burn, Plus Ultra Prominence Burn, Hellfire Storm, Hell Minefield, Vanquishing Fist, and Ignited Arrow.

Flight

As mentioned, the hero can shoot flames from his feet, thus propelling him through the air. It is a great power for pursuing enemies and fleeing for them. He can also use it to fly to the air and utilize some of his more devastating moves without endangering civilians.

Incredible Willpower

One of the character’s main traits is his willpower. It is exhibited throughout the show, and you can also see it in a few fights. Even when incapacitated, Enji finds the strength to use some of his most powerful moves, even if it’s at his own peril.

Great Physical Characteristics

As mentioned, Endeavor is one of the most buffed heroes in the manga. He is very strong and durable, with high stamina and quick reflexes. Together with a high I.Q. and powerful quirk, he can utilize all these physical traits to exploit enemies’ weak spots.

Enji Todoroki’s strengths and weaknesses

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Even the number one hero has his fair share of weaknesses. Although he is the strongest hero alive, there are a few situations where his will and determination waver. Even his quirk, Hellfire, has its drawbacks.

Strengths

  • Enormous endurance, strength, and durability.
  • Can easily predict enemy movement and devise an effective strategy.
  • Ability to fly.
  • A wide array of fire attacks.
  • A special with enormous power and radius.
  • Deceivingly quick and with fast reflexes.
  • Incredible mental strength and resilience.
  • Hard to stop even after suffering grievous wounds.
  • Resistant to fire.

Weaknesses

  • Occasionally, doubts his decisions. Lets his emotions get better of him.
  • Can overheat, leading to a drop in stamina and strength.
  • Enji’s reluctance to cooperate with others can negatively affect the whole team.

Enji Todoroki Trivia

Enji’s story has a lot of twists and turns. The more we learn about the character, the more we get attached to him. The creators did a great job turning him around and providing some redeeming qualities, especially once he became the number one pro hero.

Ability to Control the Heat

One thing that is not praised enough is the way Endeavor uses his flame attacks. It looks as if he simply pummels the enemies with random moves, but this isn’t entirely true. In fact, he utilizes different attacks according to the enemy’s strength. Endeavor understands how much heat it takes to incinerate a specific opponent, and according to the level of threat, he can utilize stronger or weaker moves. This helps Enji Todoroki keep his internal temperature in check.

Reliance on Flight

If you think about it, Enji does fly a lot during the show. The creators didn’t want to emphasize this, but he definitely works better in the air. Among others, this allows the hero to use his most destructive attacks. By propelling himself forward, he also gains extra speed that allows him to catch up with faster opponents.

He looks Silly Without Flames

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Enji Todoroki looks very different when he doesn’t use the flames. One of the first things you’ve noticed is the fiery aura surrounding the character. One of his distinct facial features is the flame mustache. However, when he turns off his power, you can see that Endeavor is cleanly shaven. It takes several seasons until we finally see him without a mustache.

In my opinion, the creators probably wanted to present him with facial hair to make him look more authoritative and menacing. As the story goes on and his character changes, they wanted to make him look more mellow.

Outfit Change

Endeavor’s costume has also changed with episodes, but some viewers have probably disregarded this. The hero wears a dark blue suit with numerous red lines across it. There are also patches of flames as if you can see inside of the suit.

Enji also wears large metallic arm braces and shoulder pads. While the patterns haven’t changed a lot, they increased in size. This is especially noticeable with shoulder pauldrons. This is probably a status change as a way of showing that he is now the number one pro hero.

Endeavor and Ozai

In many ways, Enji Todoroki is similar to Ozai from Avatar: The Last Bender. Both were in arranged marriages that resulted in several children. Like Shoto Todoroki, Ozai’s child was also burned in the face. However, the main difference between the two is that Endeavor has changed over time while Ozai hasn’t. So, if you watched Avatar, this would be a great swerve.

Original Concept

Like a few other heroes in the series, Endeavor could’ve had a bit different role/personality. During the first manga concept, Enji Todoroki was meant to be one of the U.A. faculty members. It is hard to say why they changed him. One of the theories is that the creators wanted to make him a bit distant from the readers or to introduce him later in the story.

Enji’s Blood Type

As you well know, blood types are often featured during anime episodes. Enji’s blood type is A.B., which means that Stain could’ve easily killed him if the two fought together.

Mysterious Personality

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It is hard to say if the creators wanted to make a redemption arc or if the concept was later on conceived. No matter the case, Endeavor was meant to be a tough, brooding character with little to no redeeming qualities. I’ve already mentioned a few little things that added to his persona, such as his mustache.

However, another thing that I really liked was how they introduced him. It took us quite a while to learn that his name is Enji Todoroki, which means roar flame-boss.

Haunted by Regret

Initially, the hero formed a family for just one reason: to surpass All Might through his children. And while he did torture his family members, causing devastating effects, he does care about his kids. In fact, throughout the show, he is haunted by everything that he’s done.

This is best shown during the kidnapping scene with Natsuo, where he is paralyzed from fear. After losing Toya, he cannot bear the thought of losing another child.

Endeavor and All Might

Endeavor and All Might have a lot in common despite the fact one of them is portrayed as a bad guy, and the other one is virtuous. This dynamic is very similar to that of Bakugo and Midoriya. Endeavor doesn’t actually hate all might, but he definitely respects him and envies him. He always wanted to be the best hero who saves lives. This can also be seen by his enormous rate of closed cases.

While All Might is portrayed as a character that wins through sheer strength, Endeavor is also immensely powerful and resilient. The two of them share a similar mentality where, no matter how tough things get, they will put their bodies on the line to try and secure the victory. Each one of them was willing to sacrifice their safety to save the civilians but also other team members.

FAQs

Question: Are Rei and Enji Still Married?

Answer: Throughout the show, Rei is depicted as a broken woman living in a mental institution. Although the couple has come to its breaking point, and Rei is barely able to make any decisions herself, the two of them are still legally married.

Question: Does Enji Know that Dabi is Toya?

Answer: During Endeavor Agency Arc, we can see Endeavor praying for his dead son, Toya. Neither Enji nor the rest of the Todoroki family knew that he was alive. During Paranormal Liberation War Arc, we learn that Toya is not only alive but one of the most potent villains. He revealed the secret to the whole world, which ultimately led to Endeavor’s retirement.

Question: How Does Enji’s Quirk Work?

Answer: Enji’s quirk is called Hellfire. It allows the hero to create and manipulate flames. He can produce fire of various sizes and shapes, which can even take the shape of a weapon. The flame can be of different intensity, allowing him to burn or instantly kill enemies. Enji usually adjusts the quirk’s strength according to the threat he is facing. Furthermore, he can use it to shoot fire from his legs, giving him the power of a flight. However, if he uses it too much, his body will overheat, causing a massive loss of stamina.

Enji Todoroki Guide: Conclusion

Endeavor is an incredibly well-thought character. He provides the biggest swerve in My Hero Academia manga, going from a completely despicable individual to one of the show’s favorites. A lot of his motivations are led by jealousy and ambition. Eventually, he comes to understand his folly and tries to reconcile with his sons, daughter, and wife.

As a hero, he is very formidable. Endeavor or Flame Hero has full control of fire. He can make it out of nowhere and shape it according to his will. What’s even better, he can adjust its intensity in order to battle foes of different strengths.

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