Touya Todoroki Guide

Toya Todoroki Guide

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Toya Todoroki, alias Dabi, is one of the main antagonists in My Hero Academia. He debuted in manga episode 39 as a Shoto’s flashback. He would have an official debut in episode 57.

For the longest time, we don’t know much about Dabi. He is surrounded by a veil of mystery, and occasionally, we don’t even know who he is fighting for. Nevertheless, Dabi is a very powerful opponent, and it comes as a great shock when we finally realize that he’s Enji Todoroki’s long-lost son.

In this Toya Todoroki guide, I will talk about a villain named Dabi, his appearances, and his powers. Lastly, I will share a few fun trivia about this interesting character.

Key Info Up Front

Toya Todoroki, or Dabi, is a powerful emitter villain that can use Blueflame quirk. Like his father Endeavor, he can incinerate everything in his sight. Dabi is a tragic character that has turned insane due to Enji Todoroki’s harassment.

Toya Todoroki’s Personal Info

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Toya was a very energetic child. He looked up to his father for just about anything and wanted to become just like him. When Endeavor tells Dabi about his dream to surpass All Might, Toya becomes equally obsessed with this goal. Even though he didn’t have the necessary potential, he would train and train until he eventually burned himself.

As the obsession grew, the cracks would appear in Toya’s mental state. He would start damaging his body through excessive use of quirk. For the most part, he neglected his mother’s and sister’s concerns considering them as nuisances that stifled his progress. In one instance, he almost killed Shoto. He would, later on, regret these actions.

When Shoto grew and started exhibiting his Hot and Cold quirk, Endeavor would completely focus on him, seeing Shoto as a worthy successor who, unlike Dabi, could actually topple All Might. Toya would cry every night because his father abandoned him. He would continue training nevertheless, trying to supersede both All Might and his brother.

Reaching the Breaking Point

Eventually, his flames grew in size. Wanting to share this discovery, he summoned his father, who didn’t want to check on his progress. Mad with sadness, Dabi almost burned himself to death, which put him in a coma for three years.

Upon waking up, he would go home to reconcile with his family and try to atone for everything that he had done. However, when he saw that Endeavor was still neglecting him and completely focusing his attention on Shoto, Toya broke down. This was the turning point, prompting him to become Dabi.

Unlike his previous self, Dabi would rarely show emotions. He is very confident and calculated. Vengeance is his primary motivator, and he would stop at nothing to get back at his father.

Toya Todoroki Appearance

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When we first encounter Toya, he is 23 years old, slim, handsome individual. Dabi is almost 6 feet tall and initially had black hair, which later on turned to white. In many ways, he is exactly what you would expect a manga antagonist to look like.

The thing that makes him so different is the patches of purple skin on his arms and around his neck. This dead tissue is sawn to his skin with staples and is probably a result of reckless quirk use. As for his outfit, he wears a white t-shirt with a v-neck, black pants, a brown belt, and a nice coat with staples. Dabi has rolled his sleeves, allowing him undisturbed usage of quirk.

Toya Todoroki’s Appearances in Manga and Anime

Dabi was officially introduced at the end of season two. Like many other villains, he was inspired by Stain’s action and wanted to join one of the largest evil factions in the League of Villains. He is a very intriguing character, and during his appearances, you never really know which side he’s on.

Forest Training Camp Arc

Although Dabi appears much earlier (first shown during U.A. Sports Festival Arc and introduced during Vs. Hero Killer Arc), he gets his first significant role during Forest Training Camp Arc.

Dabi is placed as a de facto leader of a villain group that consists of Himiko Toga, Jin Bubaigawara, Atsuhiro Sako, Kenji Hikiishi, Shuichi Iguchi, Goto Imasuji, and Mustard. Some of them are rather inexperienced and anxious about pushing Dabi into acting. However, he calms them down, suggesting a more tactical approach.

Initially, we don’t know much about League of Villains’ motivation besides the fact they are to attach 1-A students. During the engagement, Dabi acted as a decoy attacking Eraser Head, who was acting as the students’ caretaker. He starts the combat by releasing thick smoke that temporarily disables Shota Aizawa from using his Erasure quirk.

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After that, Dabi attacks Shota straight on, which proves to be a mistake. He would quickly lose to a much more experienced melee fighter, getting captured in the process. Aizawa tries to extract information but gets nothing in return.

Right after that, Dabi manages to escape Eraser Head’s grasp. Shota Aizawa launches another attack, after which Toya Todoroki suddenly starts melting, revealing that he was a clone all along. After that, we can see Dabi with villain Twice, who created the clone. He asks him to create additional two clones.

While all of this is happening, the villains attack students on several fronts managing to capture Bakugo, who turns out to be their main target all along. After apprehending the boy, the villains start to retreat. They meet with Dabi and report how things went. Although not a perfect outcome, they still managed to get Katsuki Bakugo, who is trapped in Mr. Compress’ marble.

They are suddenly attacked by a team of Shoto Todoroki, Midoriya Izuka, and Mezou Shouji. After a short skirmish, the villains start retreating through the portal carrying Bakugo with them.

Hideout Raid Arc

The following arc revolves around Bakugo and the battle between All Might and One For All. We are taken to the villain’s hideout, where the bad guys try to convert Katsuki to their side. Despite their enticing offer, the student doesn’t want to join the villains and would eventually attack Tomura.

While pro heroes are planning a mission to free the young student, his classmates decide to take matters into their own hands. Eventually, this would lead to a massive battle at opponents’ hideout resulting in a clash between One For All and All Might, where One For All is captured, and All Might is permanently incapacitated, no longer being able to perform his duty.

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We can see Dabi in just two scenes. First, he warns Tomura against removing Bakugo’s restraints, thinking that the young hero cannot be trusted. Dabi was right, as Bakugo would instantly attack Tomura upon being released.

During his second scene, the villain’s hideout is attacked by heroes. Kamui Woods, who can control wooden parts of his body, instantly apprehend the entire enemy team. Dabi tries to release them with his flames but is knocked unconscious by Gran Torino. The elderly pro hero discloses the identities of all the enemies, but he doesn’t know much about Dabi’s history.

Later on, Dabi is carried by other villains, who eventually manage to break free.

Shie Hassaikai Arc

Once again, Dabi has a minor role during Shie Hassaikai Arc. This set of episodes revolves around a mysterious drug that appears on the streets and can instantly wipe out any quirk. It turns out that the chemical is made from the blood of a special young girl called Eri.

As the story progresses, the heroes plan a joint strike at Shie Hassaikai headquarters, the place where the young girl is held. Eventually, they would overwhelm the opponents and return Eri to their U.A. for treatment and caretaking. Unfortunately, the attack would cost one of the heroes, Mirio Togata, his powers as he was struck with quirk-nullifying bullets.

When everything was said and done, the yakuza leader Kai Chisaki was apprehended alongside 10 of his followers. The League of Villains monitors the events at the Shie Hassaikai compound. Upon learning that the Kai Chisaki is being transported to a villain hospital, the League of Villains, led by Tomura and Dabi, attacks the convoy.

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Dabi leads the charge against the police escort. He sends a wave of flame towards it, only to be stifled by a wall of sand created by pro hero Snatch. After that, Mr. Compress and Tomura manage to tip over one of the cars, thus stopping the convoy.

Snatch manages to save the officers but is quickly ambushed by Dabi. Snatch realizes that Toya is the villain who has been burning people around the city. Angered by this realization, as well as Dabi’s reaction, Snatch sends a wave of sand toward the villain. Dabi answers with a flame wave of his own. While all of this is happening, Mr. Compress manages to capture Snatch in one of his marbles.

Leaving the scene of the wreckage, Tomura says that the League of Villains now controls the underground.

Pro Hero Arc

This arc is very important for the development of Dabi’s character. It foreshadows the conflict between Endeavor and himself, putting a lot of questions into viewers’ minds.

During this arc, we are introduced to the high-tier hero Hawk. He is a double spy who manages to infiltrate the League of Villains and, on the surface, works for them. During a lunch with Endeavor, the two of them are attacked by a super-powerful Nomu.

While Hawk saves the civilians, Endeavor is forced to battle the monstrosity. Now a new number one hero, Enji Todoroki, has to bear the burden that was previously All Might’s. Not only does he need to beat the Nomu, but he needs to send a strong message to the public, showing them there is nothing to worry about while the pro heroes are there.

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After going back and forth with the villain and suffering a severe injury to the eye, Endeavor finally manages to come on top. Barely standing on his feet after a gruesome fight, the hero is challenged by Dabi. The villain starts speaking with the hero as if he knows him, which catches Endeavor off guard.

Toya creates a ring of flame around the two. The students quickly realize who he is, remembering the forest incident. The bad guy makes his move but is quickly stopped by Rumi Usagiyama, who just arrived at the scene. Dabi makes his retreat but not before saying goodbye to Endeavor addressing him by his real name.

In the following scene, Hawk and Dabi meet at an abandoned warehouse. We learn that the attack was orchestrated by Hawk. However, according to Toya, he was supposed to bring a weaker hero to the meeting place. By dragging Endeavor, he ensured that the League’s attack would be stifled. Hawk justifies himself by saying that he had to bring Enji so he wouldn’t blow his cover.

Meta Liberation Army Arc

The story of this arc revolves around Tomura Shigaraki and his quest for power. Although deemed as a successor to One For All, Dr. Kyudai Garaki is not certain if he’s worth the honors. To test his power, the doctor tells him to gain Gigantomachia’s respect. All For One’s former minion would only obey someone stronger than him, so Tomura has a tall task ahead of him.

While all of this is happening, Meta Liberation Army grabs Giran, who is the League of Villain’s ally. This would eventually lead to a clash for supremacy between the two factions.

At the start of the arc, we can see League of Villains scattering to earn some valuables. They attack the Creature Rejection Clan and steal their valuables. The villains are exhausted by everything that has been happening as of late. Dabi confronts the rest of the team, telling them they need to do a better job recruiting new prospects.

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As mentioned, before Tomura can gain access to this new power, he is forced to battle Gigantomachia and earn his trust. The League of Villains does a very poor job matching the monster’s strength. Dabi tries to burn the creature down with his most intense flames, but it is all for naught. Later on, Dabi says that he doesn’t want to do anything with Gigantomachia, as he leaves to gather new recruits as the rest of the League tries to take the monster down.

Eventually, Tomura would overpower this enemy gaining a powerful ally in the process. After this, they learn about Giran’s kidnaping. They immediately go to Deika City, which is fully inhabited by Meta Liberation Army cronies. As a person who was never truly a part of the League of Villains, Dabi is quite angry that he needs to join them on their little rescue mission.

Upon entering Deika City, the League of Villains realizes the severity of the situation. The sheer number of enemies quickly overwhelms the team. Some of them are forced to face Meta Liberation Army officers. As for Dabi, he clashed with Geten, a powerful ice user.

After releasing a few powerful ice attacks, Geten is perplexed as to why Toya hasn’t counterattacked yet. Dabi answers by releasing a full-strength attack on his opponent. Geten’s ice structure is destroyed, and he is sent flying. He quickly realizes that Dabi is a problem and that he needs to be very careful. Meanwhile, Mr. Compress complains about Toya’s widespread attack, warning Dabi that he almost got burned by it.

The two go back and forth, but Dabi’s fire strikes finally manage to thaw Geten’s ice attacks. After this, Mr. Compress and Toya have a brief conversation. Right after that, they are suddenly surrounded by numerous Twice’s clones.

Getting to his feet, Geten sees this newly created clone army and promptly destroys it with his most powerful move. Dabi calls out Geten, saying that he should’ve used that attack from the get-go. Eventually, Toya would overwhelm his opponent.

Anyway, the League of Villains would eventually win against Meta Liberation Army. The two factions would join hands with Tomura as its leader.

Paranormal Liberation War Arc

Paranormal Liberation War Arc had a huge impact on Dabi’s character. We finally learn about the villain’s backstory and how he became such an evil guy.

The arc depicts the clash between Paranormal Liberation Front and the hero protagonists. Heroes split into two teams: the hospital raid team and the villa raid team.

Dabi’s first bigger scene comes during Hawks’ and Twice’s fight. Just as the hero is preparing to kill the villain, Toya comes to the rescue. The whole room is in flames, and Hawks manages to roll out with Twice. This gives Dabi enough time to stomp on the Hawks’ head, breaking his goggles in the process.

Just as Toya was preparing to end Hawks, he used his feather to move himself and Twice, who he now decided to protect, out of the way. Dabi claims that the fight is nearing the end, given that the hero’s feathers are charred. Hawks complains that he almost killed his ally, to which Dabi replies that he expected Hawks would rescue Twice, given that this is a part of his persona. Dabi orders Twice to go and help the others.

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Hawks manages to take advantage of the short distraction, pummeling Toya. After that, he catches up with the fleeing Twice and kills him with a feather blade. Seeing his friend dead, Dabi unleashes a devastating attack that burns Hawks’ feathers.

While the hero is prone, still reeling from the attack, the two have a chat. He asks Dabi about his true identity and is shocked to find out the truth. As Toya is preparing to kill Hawks, Tokoyami arrives at the scene and saves his mentor. Dabi shows Twice’s body to Tokoyami, saying that the heroes are far worse than any villain.

After that, Toya Todoroki attacks Tokoyami and burns his leg. Knowing that his Dark Shadow won’t be effective with all this light, Tokoyami decides to flee, carrying his teacher in his hands. Two of them fall to the lower level, and just as Dabi is preparing to use his most devastating attack, Geten comes to the scene, inadvertently saving fleeing Tokoyami and Hawks.

Enemies scramble and together climb on Gigantomachia’s back. However, the heroes notice this because of the blue flame emitted by Dabi. As the Endeavor and other heroes face the villains, Toya makes his shocking revelation. Skeptic’s quirk allows him to transmit this message all over the country. He incriminates Endeavor all while his wife Rei and other members of the Todoroki family watch the broadcast.

After that, Dabi shows how Hawks killed Twice by stabbing him in the back. He also shows the people of Japan how this so-called hero killed Best Jeanist. Everything that occurred in this short time span has left Endeavor speechless. Shoto Todoroki takes the initiative and attacks Dabi. However, their fight is cut short by Midoriya.

The villains start to execute the retreat strategy. Mr. Compress puts Dabi and Skeptic in marbles, and together with Spinner, they escape the battle with the help of High-End Nomus, who provide a diversion. In the end, we can see Dabi in the new League of Villain’s hideout, complaining about his scars that have gotten even worse after the battle.

Quirk and Abilities

Quirk – Blueflame

Dabi’s quirk is very similar to Endeavor’s Hellflame, with a few differences. It is much more potent, but in the manga, we can see that Dabi doesn’t have the same level of control. He cannot create intricate shapes and would often endanger allies with it.

Furthermore, his quirk can be amplified by his emotions; the more Dabi is enraged, the stronger the quirk. Unfortunately, the ability has powerful feedback, charring the villain’s skin in the process. Unlike his father, Dabi doesn’t have the same fire protection as he has inherited fire weakness from his mother.

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In terms of special moves and abilities, Dabi can utilize Hell Spider, Flashfire Fist, Jet Burn, and Prominence Burn. He learned all of these moves from his father. However, Endeavor has a few more attacks on top of these.

High Endurance

Due to the nature of his quirk, Dabi requires high mental and physical endurance just to use his quirk. His body is continuously damaged by it, so he needs to endure heavy pain just to continue the fight. The endurance has probably developed over time through grueling training with his father.

Toya Todoroki’s Strengths and Weaknesses

Despite having a very powerful quirk, he suffers from similar weaknesses as his father. Toya needs to cool off, and what’s worse, the flames can even damage his body.

Strengths

  • Enormously powerful attacks can overwhelm many elemental quirks. It gets even stronger when Dabi is emotional.
  • Despite being a self-damaging ability, Toya has learned how to maximize its potential. He would often distract enemies by talking, buying himself time to cool off.
  • Like his father, Toya can alternate the strength of his attacks, saving some energy for later.
  • Some good combos with allies (i.e., when coupled with Compress quirk, he can burn enemies within Mr. Compress’ marbles).
  • Probably the strongest fire attack in the whole of Japan.

Weaknesses

  • The strength of the attack damages his body in the process. After increased use, his body becomes numb, making it harder to determine when to stop.
  • Dabi often has trouble controlling the size of the flames, making him a team liability.
  • He is a reluctant participant in the battles, which sometimes affects his performance.
  • Bad in close combat.

Toya Todoroki Trivia

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Given the villain’s backstory, there are numerous interesting tidbits surrounding the character, most of which we learn later on in the show.

Double Allies

For the longest time, we have known this villain under the code name “Dabi.” His real identity is kept secret and would ultimately shock all the readers. What’s interesting is that he has another alias that is rarely used, “Blueflame,” which refers to his powerful quirk.

Changing Hair Color

When he was little, Toya Todoroki had fully red hair. This probably refers to the fact he only uses fire attacks. If you check the rest of the family, the color of their hair indicates their quirk. White-haired kids use ice, red hair signifies fire, while red/white (Todoroki) signifies a child that can use both.

In order to conceal his identity, the first iteration of Dabi in the show would have black, dyed hair. During Paranormal Liberation War Arc, Dabi no longer uses dye, and you can see that his hair is white. The change actually started happening much earlier, when he was very little. As he wanted to be like his dad, he would continue dying his hair red as a child.

Cremation Quirk

Dabi’s quirk actually has two names. Blueflame is likely the official name, and it also refers to the villain’s alias. However, you might have also noticed the secondary name “Cremation.” This name is much more suitable for his power but also the character as it has a very ominous sounding.

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While Shoto’s and Enji’s quirk might look badass, they cannot compare with the power that Dabi can muster. His Cremation quick can reach a temperature of up to 3,000 Fahrenheit, which, as its name implies, can instantly cremate opponents. This is why the creators gave it such a distinct color to indicate the difference in strength between his quirk and that of his family members.

Keeping it at a Distance

Despite looking like a character led by his emotions, Dabi is very cerebral. We can notice this by the way he uses verbal distractions to cool off his power. However, there is another thing he does really well.

His Blueflame is an ability that works the best at a long-range. Given its strength, Toya doesn’t want to be engulfed by the flames, so he makes sure to utilize this power at a distance. However, this also allows the villain to utilize his surroundings. Unlike many other heroes and villains, as well as Endeavor, he is rather weak in melee combat. This is why Dabi always attacks at a long-range, where he has absolute supremacy.

He Surpassed his Father and Brother

Although deemed a failure, Dabi actually managed to surpass both his father and brother. His flames are much more powerful and can easily overwhelm any opponent. This is the character’s greatest irony, as he should probably be the rightful successor of the Todoroki family.

Nevertheless, there were valid reasons why Endeavor would think that Toya is weak. He was very small as he was born prematurely. Furthermore, his flames weren’t special at first. Only when he reached puberty would they turn to a more powerful, blue version.

Similarities to Frankenstein

This might not be obvious at first glance, but Toya’s story has some similarities to the classic novel Frankenstein. First off, Dabi’s body is patched together by using numerous skin parts and stapled so that it’s held in place, like that of a monster.

On the other hand, Endeavor bears a resemblance to doctor Viktor Frankenstein. He is haunted by his dream and will stoop to anything to make this dream come true. In the end, like in the book, the creation turns against its creator.

Lots of Small Peculiarities

There are several interesting things about Dabi, aside from his backstory. For example, during one of the car scenes, he is really struggling to reveal that this tough villain is actually carsick. Although Toya cannot cry, as his glands are scorched, he can still ooze blood through his eyes. Lastly, he is left-handed and dislikes fish.

FAQs

Question: Why did Toya Todoroki’s Hair Turn White?

Answer: It is hard to say why Toya Todoroki’s hair started turning white, but it probably carries certain symbolism. His hair started turning white when he was little, but he would regularly dye it red, unbeknownst to his father. Toya probably did this to get Endeavor’s approval and to resemble him. The color change might indicate his inadequacy as a successor or perhaps the high level of stress that Dabi endured as a child.

Question: How did Dabi Get his Scars?

Answer: When he was a little boy, Dabi had grueling training with Endeavor. As he was pushing his quirk to its limits, he released an enormous burst of blue flames that destroyed his skin. Later on, we see that Dabi damages his skin each time he uses Cremation to its full potential.

Question: Does Shoto Know Dabi is his Brother?

Answer: Like the rest of his family, Shoto is totally clueless regarding Dabi’s identity. The reveal comes as quite a shock, as both Endeavor and Shoto thought that Toya Todoroki was dead.

Touya Todoroki Guide: Conclusion

Dabi is one of the several tragic characters from My Hero Academia manga and anime. He is Enji Todoroki’s son and Shoto Todoroki’s brother. For the longest time, his family thought that Toya was dead. After a few seasons, it is revealed that he was actually alive all this time and working for villains.

Toya is a character haunted by his past. He always wanted to prove to Endeavor that he was a worthy successor, which pushed him to his physical and mental limits. Eventually, this would lead to a total breakdown, after which he swore vengeance upon Enji Todoroki.

Dabi utilizes a powerful flame quirk called Cremation or Blueflame. It bears some similarities to Shoto’s and Enji’s flame quirks, but it is much more powerful. So much so that the villain is constantly charred when using the power.

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