My Hero Academia (MHA) fans have shared some wild fan theories over the years. From believing multiple traitors exist at U.A. to a crazy idea about Izuku Midoriya's father, the possible plot twists have flooded the internet. However, one has always stuck out and has been basically treated as canon ever since it was first introduced.
League of Villains member Dabi is known for hiding his past from the audience. His immediately mysterious demeanor both appealed to fans and left them wondering more about his history. So, fan theories started brewing. Readers began wondering about his childhood, and the popular idea was coined; could Dabi be the son of a world-renowned pro hero, Enji Todoroki (aka Endeavor)? His fiery quirk allows him to create blue flames, aiding him in destruction and long-distance fighting. With Endeavor's shady past and fire-based quirk, it wasn't crazy to assume there may be some familial link.
Chapter #290 of the series finally confirmed what many Dabi fans have thought all along. In front of both Enji and Shoto (Endeavor's younger son), Dabi revealed his true name, Toya Todoroki. While some readers saw this coming, his true identity came as a shock to both heroes. He confessed to a shockingly large number of cold-blooded killings due to the path his father unwittingly set him on. Knowing the negative impact Endeavor had on Shoto's life, it stands to reason he would have the same effect on the son he cast away.
When Enji married Rei, he believed her ice quirk would perfectly complement his fire quirk. These "quirk marriages" exist in the MHA world to enhance specific quirks within bloodlines. In this case, Enji wanted to create the most powerful offspring possible in order to overpower his rival, All Might. Enji deemed all of his children failures (except for Shoto) and treated them as so. Enji was a controlling and abusive husband/father, and even abandoned Toyo when he proved to be incapable of surpassing All Might, showing little remorse for tossing aside his eldest son.
Though Enji seemed to move past the incident rather quickly, channeling all his energy into training Shoto, Toyo (now Dabi) certainly did not forget. Operating with a new name and look, he plotted his revenge against his father. It wasn't until chapter #290 that Dabi revealed his true identity to Enji. In dramatic fashion, he also broadcasted his speech nationwide in order to expose Enji's tainted past to the public. He contributed all of his actions to Endeavor's faults, forever changing the public's perception of this #1 hero.
The confirmation of Dabi as Toyo Todoroki both explains so much and leaves even more questions for the reader. Dabi, like the rest of the League of Villains, has a distinct hatred towards the hero system. It makes sense that Dabi would resent the system that left him feeling so rejected. Though Enji is to blame for abandoning his child, it's the My Hero Academia world itself that created Endeavor and his obsession with public success. Still, this chapter ends with a massive cliffhanger in which Dabi challenges his father to a final fight. Fans will have to wait on the edge of their seat for the next chapter to see which Todoroki will come out on top.