Korei Horikoshi's Endeavor. The fiery quirk has sured All Might in becoming the world's newest number one hero, marking the achievement of his lifelong goal. Now that his dreams have come to fruition, is his redemption arc next on the list?
The series seems to think so. In recent releases, Endeavor has appeared to be making an effort towards bettering his character. The hero originally made himself known to the MHA world as the abusive father of U.A. prodigy, Shoto. Endeavor's desire to have children of his own came not out of an aspiration to be a father, but as a result of his goal to prove his own power over All Might. His fire quirk was meant to mesh perfectly with his wife's ice quirk. Their partnership was solely based on quirks, as well as Endeavor's own selfish desires.
As a father, Endeavor's selfish nature came out in the form of physical and mental abuse. Though Shoto turned out to be the birth name League of Villains member, Dabi) disappointed his father as a child. Realizing he would never sur All Might, Toya was heavily neglected, eventually faking his own death to escape his toxic home environment.
This backstory led to a deep-seated hatred of Endeavor amongst fans. Citizens within the MHA world have also ed the Endeavor hate club following the public expose against the pro hero made by Toya, who broadcasted his family secrets in order to destroy his father's reputation. Now that everyone seems to be on the same page, why is the series trying to redeem this character?
As the number one hero, the responsibility of being the new "symbol of peace" has fallen into Endeavor's lap. With All Might out of commission and the hero industry in need of , Endeavor may be the only one capable of uplifting society and bringing the world into a new era.
So yes, the world does need a new symbol of peace. But Endeavor? He has proven himself to be the farthest thing from diplomatic. In reality, this character has developed past the possibility of redemption. He has undoubtedly proven his strength and leadership abilities. The issue doesn't reside in his ability to be a strong hero but in an inability to strike inspiration into the hearts of others as All Might once did.
Still, the manga has been pushing a rock uphill with his redemption arc. In the most recent chapter, Like Those Tragic Tales, the final features fan-favorite character Hawks as he declares his need to go help Endeavor, who he believes needs saving. He may be right, but this comes off as another example of the manga attempting to push Endeavor as a victim, rather than an ab facing the consequences of his actions.
The pro hero has made great strides in bettering himself and making amends for his past mistakes. In that sense, the series has done amazing at giving the rest of the Todoroki family this forced redemption arc, the series places him on a pedestal, when his actions are simply unforgivable.
