My Hero Academia: 10 Best Shoto Todoroki Episodes, Ranked

The following contains minor spoilers for My Hero Academia.

While there is no doubt that My Hero Academia's story is mainly focused on Izuku Midoriya's character arc as a zero turned hero, this anime still has ample room for other character arcas well, including that of Shoto Todoroki. My Hero Academia is an ensemble anime, so the narrative can juggle a handful of compelling shonen leads, and Shoto Todoroki is always worth watching as he grows up.

At first, Shoto was a bitter loner who disliked his own prodigious Quirk, but across seven seasons and counting, Shoto has become a true hero with the power of friendship and self-acceptance. The 10 best episodes for his arc all show how Shoto Todoroki mastered his Half Cold Half Hot Quirk, how he learned to rely on his friends, and most of all, how he started mending ties with his broken family. Shoto has come a long way since Shoto began his education at UA, growing up in to a kinder, wiser hero who won't just fight for independence -- he will fight for what's right for everyone.

Endeavor, Shoto, and Dabi

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"Roaring Upheaval" Is an Early Example of Shoto's Teamwork

Season 3, Episode 6

Shoto Todoroki fights with a patch of ice on his cheek.

Among all of Shoto Todoroki's best episodes in My Hero Academia, "Roaring Upheaval" ranks last since Shoto only fought for a handful of seconds, and then the story shifted to other matters. Still, even if Shoto's time in that episode was brief, Shoto still made some personal strides in that nighttime forest battle.

That episode was one of the first examples of Shoto fighting alongside his classmates as a real team player, and not just in practice battles at UA. Shoto and his classmates were facing real villains like the deadly Moonfish, but Shoto didn't dare back down, and neither did his classmates like Katsuki Bakugo and Mezo Shoji. They united against that villain and held him off long enough to escape unharmed, largely thanks to Shoto's ice wall.

"The Boy Born With Everythng" Launches Shoto's and Deku's Rivalry

Season 2, Episode 6

Shoto Todoroki talks with an intense expression.

Shoto Todoroki in several different poses

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"The Boy Born With Everything" depicted Shoto Todoroki at his worst. At the time, the UA sports festival arc was underway, and all Shoto could think about was fighting for his own sake to break away from his father, Endeavor. After the team-based cavalry battle, Shoto also recognized Deku as a rival in the making, and said as much to his classmate.

That episode also helped reveal more of Shoto's backstory and motives, which were shocking to learn about at the time. Also, Endeavor himself was present in the audience, cheering on his son not for the sake of Shoto's personal accomplishments but to watch his son use his Half Cold Half Hot Quirk to its maximum extent.

"Vestiges" Is When Shoto Begins Mending Ties With Endeavor

Season 5, Episode 2

Fuyumi Todoroki holds her head in her hands.

By Season 5, the members of the Todoroki family were finally ready to start coming back together as a whole once again, though the process was slow and dramatic, as one might expect. Endeavor was finally seen in his civilian life, wapping his hero costume for plain clothes, which shifted his character arc to his "family man" side. He tried his best to be a good parent to his two sons and daughter.

While Natsuo had nothing but harsh words for his hero father and Fuyumi tried in vain to keep the peace, Shoto took the middle ground between his brother and sister. He wasn't as optimistic as Fuyumi, but he had far less anger than Natsuo, so Shoto suggested his father seek atonement since forgiveness was asking for too much. Considering how Shoto used to think and behave about his father, though, even that was a big step forward.

"Class 1-A" Makes Shoto a Solo Superstar

Season 3, Episode 17

Shoto Todoroki fights with ice all around him.

During the provisional hero license exam, which was almost like a shonen-style tournament arc, all 20 members of class 1-A took turns shining as true heroes. Early in the exam, Shoto got separated from the rest of class, so he couldn't call on any backup when a team of ninja-themed hero students cornered him in broad daylight.

Shoto struggled at first against such odds, but then he pulled himself together and started using some creative thinking. He used his terrain and both halves of his Quirk to blunt the enemy team's assault on him, and then he captured them with his ice while evading their Quirk attacks. Shoto's arc demands he learn to use teamwork and the power of friendship, but at least he's capable of winning his own battles too, and he looks good in the process.

"Yaoyorozu: Rising" Depicts Shoto Providing Emotional Support For a Friend

Season 2, Episode 22

Shoto Todoroki and Momo Yaoyorozu stand next to one another

My Hero Academia's Shoto Todoroki looking determined.

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Late in My Hero Academia's second season, the students of class 1-A were assigned to fight their own teachers in pairs, and the Quirk-heavy Shoto Todoroki and Momo Yaoyorozu were pitted againt Eraserhead and his Erasure Quirk. At first, the Shoto/Momo duo struggled to make headway, with Shoto getting captured and Momo running off in a panic.

That was when Shoto used his kind words to turn everything around. After Momo freed him, Shoto gave her a pep talk, admiring her potential and commenting on how he had voted for her as clsas 1-A's representative. In his own kuudere way, Shoto inspired Momo with the power of teamwork and did his part to make sure Momo's new plan won them the fight.

"Match 3 Conclusion" Is When Shoto Todoroki Goes Plus Ultra

Season 5, Episode 8

Shoto Todoroki bares his teeth while charging up a fireball.

"Match 3 Conclusion" ranks in the middle among Shoto Todoroki's best episodes because it finally shows Shoto truly struggling and pushing himself to go Plus Ultra against formidable odds. Shoto had dealt with tough opponents before this, but facing class 1-B's team in the joint training arc was an entirely new challenge. Shoto's team didn't win the fight, but they did fight hard enough to force a draw.

Shoto finally learned to go beyond with his Quirk, using a searing fire attack to deal with Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu's remarkable endurance with his Steel Quirk. Shoto had taken class 1-B's team too lightly with his ice, so he needed his fire and his sheer grit to turn the tide and avoid a total catastrophe. Shoto dealt a major blow to the opposing team, but victory eluded him.

"Relief For License Trainees" Asks Shoto to Use His Quick in Constructive Ways

Season 4, Episode 17

Shoto Todoroki grins while looking peaceful.

Some of Shoto Todoroki's best episodes involved not his flashy battles, but his personal growth, so "Relief For License Trainees" ended up being a fantastic episode for his arc. Shoto, Katsuki Bakugo, and the Shiketsu students had failed to get their provisional licenses, so they took a make-up test that demanded creativity over sheer force.

Shoto and the others were tasked with entertaining and managing a rowdy class of kindergartners, and Shoto was ready. He acted like a cool big brother for the kids, including explaining how his hero costume worked, and then he formed some delightful ice slides for the youngsters to enjoy. For her part, Camie Utsushimi loved seeing Shoto's kind and nurturing side, and My Hero Academia fans can certainly see her point.

"What's the Big Idea?" Unites Bitter Rivals Against Gang Orca

Season 3, Episode 21

a closeup of Shoto Todoroki looking intense.

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Shoto fought ferociously in the provisional hero license exam, and even if he ultimately failed, he still entertained anim fans with some great action sequences. At one point, Shoto crossed paths with a certain Inasa Yoarashi, who resented both Shoto and Endeavor and was determined to show them up. They were still at each other's throats when the hero Gang Orca arrived, posing as a villain.

Shoto and Inasa finally set their rivalry aside to fight together, and they had little choice since Gang Orca had them on the ropes with his Quirk. Inasa provided a whirlwind of powerful gales, while Shoto contributed the brutal heat of his Quirk's fire side, creating a scalding hurricane that quickly dried out the water-based Gang Orca.

"Shoto Todoroki: Origin" Was a Turning Point For Endeavor's Troubled Son

Season 2, Episode 10

Shoto Todoroki clashes with Deku.

Shoto's second and best match in the UA sports festival pittd him against Deku himself, a fierce clash of fire, ice, and the overwhelming power of One For All. At first, Shoto held back and used only his ice, a symptom of his rejection of Endeavor's legacy. Shoto didn't mean to mock Deku, but Deku was still angry that Shoto was fighting at half power.

Deku convinced Shoto to break his mental barriers and embrace his full power, just the way Deku was using One For All's full might to keep pace with Shoto's ice. That was a turning point for Shoto, who evidently gained new respect for Deku and for himself. Thus, Shoto fought with maximum power in a titanic clash that nearly destroyed the entire combat arena.

"Inflation" Is a Climactic and Heartfelt Showdown of Brothers

Season 7, Episode 8

shoto todoroki looks intense with ice and fire.

Shoto Todoroki's very best episode is also his most recent one, taking place in Season 7 of My Hero Academia's anime. The villain Dabi had already outed himself as Toya Todoroki, Endeavor's eldest child, and Toya was determined to burn down Endeavor's legacy and the hero society that Endeavor fought for. However, Shoto won't let that happen.

So far, a fierce battle of brothers is unfolding in the anime, with Shoto balancing both halves of his Quitk to fight his villain brother with cold flames. It's symbolic that Shoto found inner harmony with his dual-element Quirk and his personal life, making him stronger than his fire-based, self-destructive eldest brother could ever be.

Deku and all of Class 2-A ready for battle on the My Hero Academia Poster

My Hero Academia

Created by Kohei HorikoshiFirst Film My Hero Academia: Two HeroesLatest Film My Hero Academia: World Heroes' MissionFirst TV Show My Hero Academia (2016)First Episode Air Date April 3, 2016Cast Daiki Yamashita, Nobuhiko Okamoto, Ayane Sakura, Clifford Chapin, Yki Kaji, Justin Briner