Warning: Spoilers ahead for My Hero Academia Chapter 301
My Hero Academia has just revealed the backstory of Toya Todoroki, also known as Dabi. The series follows the story of a quirkless boy in a world full of heroes and villains. During one opportune moment, he meets his idol, which was the No. 1 hero at the time, and receives his own quirk. All Might makes him eat a strand of his hair in order to pass his quirk to him. One for All, the quirk that's been passed down, allows Midoriya to use supernatural strength. However, his body back then cannot withstand such strength yet, so he trained hard to withstand the quirk's backlash. When he enters the most renowned heroic high school, he meets the greatest friends he could ever ask for.
Two of his classmates are his greatest rivals, Katsuki Bakugo and Shoto Todoroki. Bakugo and Midoriya have known each other since childhood, but they didn't get along that well. Todoroki, on the other hand, is the son of Endeavor, the then-No. 2 hero and the current No. 1 hero. Through his backstory, the series reveals how bad of a father Endeavor is. He's the reason behind Shoto's scar on his eye, and it's also said that he's the reason why Shoto's big brother died. However, a big plot twist reveals that Toya is actually alive and kicking, and he has another big announcement to make. He tells the world how bad Endeavor is.
In Chapter 301, My Hero Academia tells the story of Dabi as a child. As the fans already know, Endeavor has an obsession with surpassing All Might. Right from the beginning, he's been dead set on getting stronger and acquiring more power. Even his marriage is arranged to further his quirk. Their first child, Toya Todoroki, has inherited aspects from both parents. However, the combination isn't a perfect fit.
Even though he inherits Endeavor's flames, he also inherits his mother's body. That means he overheats when using his quirk. That's not the only thing he inherits from Endeavor. He also acquires Endeavor's passion for getting stronger and surpassing All Might. This leads to self-destructive acts no matter how much Endeavor and Rei discourage him. In an attempt to finally stop him from pushing himself towards the path of self-destruction, Endeavor and Rei continue to try conceiving the perfect balance. The rest is history.
My Hero Academia revealing Dabi's childhood temperament changes a lot of things. First and foremost, it makes fans reconsider Endeavor in a different light. His obsession has led to a couple of unfortunate events, but it seems like he's not as bad as fans initially thought him to be. Second, his past self is also a reflection of his current self. He doesn't have a sob story like the other villains of the series. In fact, he may just be doing what he wants for the sheer joy of it.