Greetings, fabulous people of the Internet! Hanime on Anime here, and welcome to the monthly tradition that is Character of the Month. And I’m not gonna lie. I knew who the pick was going to be for a while.
Not that other characters were deserving of it. Edward and Alphonse Elric came in at a close second. But as I stated in my review on Fullmetal Alchemist last week, I want to finish that first.
Besides, I’m positive they’ll both have their moment to shine on this blog.
Anyway, back to the actual pick this month, who, as I said, I knew pretty much from the beginning that this guy– this villain– would be the one. While not the most spectacular character in the juggernaut of a show he’s featured in, this villain proves that it doesn’t take much to create a fascinating antagonist.
Honestly, I’d believe him as the main villain more so than the actual main villains of the show he stars in.
I’m excited to talk about this character, so let’s talk more about April’s Character of the Month, Dabi–formerly known as Toya Todoroki– from My Hero Academia!
Introduced in Season 3 as a chief member of the League of Villains, Dabi is presented as a powerhouse for the group. But even so, he often sat on the sidelines with the other core members. Still, with his blue flame Quirk, he can burn objects at hotter temperatures than average. So it’s not like he can’t fight if he needs to. But when Season 6 comes along, and the Jaku City incident ensues, Dabi drops a bombshell that rocks the hero society to its core: he’s the long-lost son of Endeavor, Toya Todoroki. This moment changes everything in My Hero Academia as the world questions the need for heroes. After all, things can be rough in the court of public opinion. And it’s this moment that genuinely cements Dabi as a true villain in the show.
It may sound straightforward why I picked Dabi for this month’s title. But what’s so amazing is how Dabi proves that one little thing can have a considerable impact.
Dabi’s revelation that he’s Endeavor’s long-thought-dead son is Earth-shattering, changing everything we know about My Hero. The more obvious reason is that it casts Endeavor in a negative light in the eyes of the public, though a lot of the public’s perception of him even before Jaku City was shaky at best. This revelation exposes the Todoroki family drama to the world, taking a massive toll on Endeavor.
The other reason this is huge is that it happens at a critical moment in the battle between the Hero Association and the Paranormal Liberation Front. The heroes are already beaten down and short several people, but this moment comes along and kicks everyone in the teeth.
Dabi’s revelation was the moment where the balance of power shifted for the heroes.
If Dabi hadn’t strategically made the move to reveal this secret, the heroes could have had some hope of bouncing back. But thanks to this moment, it adds gasoline to an already raging fire. But even with this move in mind, we learn a lot about Dabi after the battle in Jaku City.
The fascinating part about Dabi’s backstory is that his Quirk is more powerful than his father’s, but he can’t use it because it hurts him. In a way, he’s like this dark Izuku-esque character. Izuku, for the longest time, couldn’t use his Quirk because it caused significant damage to his body. But ultimately, Izuku had the proper support to help him use his Quirk in a way that didn’t harm him. Dabi, on the other hand, didn’t have that support.
Not that his personality helped or that this was done from a place of ill will, but once Endeavor and his wife realized the damage inflicted on Dabi, they forced him to stop training. This had a significant impact on him as a child, though his stubbornness and ambition didn’t help his case.
However you look at the impact of his dirty little secret or what his childhood says about him as an adult, Dabi is a genuinely fascinating character. And all it took to show that off was one perfectly timed moment.
So congrats—though maybe not air out so much of your dirty laundry—Dabi! You’re Hanime on Anime’s Character of the Month of April!
Next month will be the return of Miyazaki May! And it’ll be a little shorter this year because I’ll only be doing two films and taking a personal day on May 14th. Like Hanime on Autism, I’m looking forward to bringing that back and hope y’all will follow along!
Finally, don’t forget to check out my recent Hanime on Autism review on Come Play!
Till then, stay tuned for more to come, and enjoy the rest of your Sunday!
-Hanime on Anime
Hanime on Anime 