My Hero Academia has a plethora of characters. Some of these characters we love, while others we love to hate. Endeavor falls into the latter category, for most fans. And there’s plenty of good reasons for that. He's a character full of contradiction; an antagonistic hero, a careless father, and so much more.
That being said, he is still a surprisingly complex character, despite all appearances. Given his villain/antagonist behavior (despite the fact that he’s supposed to be a hero) it's so tempting to want to write him off as something...less but we have to admit that there's still a lot to learn about his character. So here are all of the facts fans should know about this controversial character.
10 10. Quirk
Endeavor's quirk is rather iconic and easy to identify: he's got the ability to generate and control fire. Though the actual name of his primary quirk is called 'hell flame.' This is oddly appropriate when you think about the character.
Endeavor has three (known) named attacks using his fires: Brilliant Scorching Fist-Jet Burn, Brilliant Scorching Fist-Hell Spider, and Prominence Burn. On top of his fire abilities, Endeavor is exceptionally strong – so much so that it should almost be counted as a quirk in its own right.
9 9. Drawbacks
It may seem like Endeavor's quirk is pretty powerful, but it actually comes with a significant drawback. His drawback hasn't yet been revealed yet in the anime, so spoiler warnings up ahead.
Endeavor's quirk leads him to have some serious overheating problems. That probably seems obvious, in hindsight. But it gives him issues with controlling and creating his fire. It's one of the main reasons he sought out a wife with ice quirks – to balance out his fire. Having the two create a strong combination was a nice perk.
8 8. Goal in Life
If you've spent any time paying attention to Endeavor, you like already know what Endeavor's life goal had been (up until recently): he wanted to become the Number One Hero, surpassing All Might.
This is technically something that'll never happen. Yes, he can (and does) become the Number One Hero, but since All Might has officially retired, his ability to surpass All Might in any legitimate way is long gone.
7 7. Family
Endeavor has several named characters as his family members. His wife is Rei Todoroki (who has the famous ice quirk that Shoto uses) – though the two are...estranged at this point in the series. He has one daughter, Fuyumi, and three sons; Toya, Natsuo, and Shoto.
The first three children were what he considered to be 'failures.' They weren't a perfect blend of his and his wife's quirks. But then Shoto came along – the perfect combination of the two. However, his treatment of his family caused Shoto to resist being used, and made him repellent to the idea of using his fire side.
6 6. A Hero In Name
Endeavor may be a hero to the people – his rank as the Number Two Hero says enough about that – but that doesn't mean that he's a hero in anything but name. More accurately, he does a solid job of being a hero in public. But in private? Not so much.
Endeavor is emotionally and physically abusive towards his family. His behavior here is actually enough to get him listed as a series antagonist in most people's books. Especially when one considers his behavior towards the main character.
5 5. His Time As the Number 2 Hero
Endeavor is a hero who has always wanted to get the number one rank – and yet he was always surpassed by All Might. It seemed like no matter what he did he just couldn't surpass the man who became the Symbol of Peace. And perhaps with good reason.
His obsession with beating All Might is one of the reasons (if not the only reason) that Endeavor forced marriage upon his wife; in order to create children who would eventually grow up and beat All Might at his game.
4 4. Aggressive Stance
Endeavor's personality...failures have not gone unnoticed by those paying attention. While he's good at doing heroic things, he's not as great at talking or behaving the way a hero should.
Those that are fans of his will argue that his aggressive behavior is a good thing. Others are less inclined to think so kindly of the man.
3 3. Symbol of Peace? Not So Much
We all know how the story goes. All Might's final battle was enough to use up the last of One for All, forcing the hero into retirement. That left the number one spot open for Endeavor to take. But it wasn't the way he wanted things.
And frankly, it wasn't what the public wanted either. With All Might being forcibly retired, the public has been facing growing concerns about losing the Symbol of Peace. They don't feel that Endeavor has what it takes to become that symbol. In fact, they haven't expressed any belief that any of the acting heroes could take up this mantle.
2 2. Trying to be Better
The way in which Endeavor became number one (All Might retiring) was not what he wanted. But perhaps it's what he needed? This turn of events and the pressure of taking up the mantle of the Symbol of Peace (something he hasn't actually been able to do) forced him to look back on himself and his behavior.
We won't say that he's made his past actions right. But he's trying. And that's something, surely? Some of his children are more willing to deal with him than others, and we can hardly blame them there. But how will the public take this change in Endeavor?
1 1. A Tough Battle Awaits
Thanks to the manga, we know that Endeavor has some tough battles looming in his horizon. It makes sense – the people have lost their Symbol of Peace – yet there are dozens of antagonists still actively working out there. Which means Endeavor has to step up and take on the fights that All Might would normally handle.
There's at least one intense fight looming up in the very near future for Endeavor. It might not make it into the next season of the series – but we sure hope it does.