There is perhaps no character in all of My Hero Academia who is the subject of more fan theories than Dabi. The mysterious fire-wielding villain was thought by many to actually be Endeavour's absent son, Toya Todoroki. My Hero Academia #266 confirmed Dabi is much more than just Tomura Shigaraki's henchman.
In My Hero Academia #265, Dabi intervened just in time to save Twice from Hawks, who revealed himself as a traitor to the Paranormal Liberation Front. Hawks is majorly injured, and has a new scar. Knowing he won't be able to beat Dabi in that condition, Hawks prepared his exit strategy; then everything went from bad to worse.
How Did Dabi Learn Hawks' Real Name In MHA?
Twice, who is gravely injured, jumps to start making copies of himself, which could prove disastrous to the heroes' efforts to take down the villainous organization. Hawks proves too fast for Dabi and is able to outmaneuver the villain, and that's when Dabi uses his real name: Keigo Takami, the name kanji for which -- according to translator Caleb Cook -- means "enlightenment + enlightenment" and "hawk + see," respectively. Just saying that is enough to catch Hawks off-guard for a few moments, and it's very clear from the context no one is supposed to know his secret identity.
This isn't the first time Hawks' name has been revealed in general. In 2019, the My Hero Academia Official Character Book 2 Ultra Analysis data book noted Hawks' name as Keigo Takami. Still, this is the first time his name has actually been used in the manga, and it was unclear just how Dabi knew Hawks' real name. In My Hero Academia #299, however, the truth became much clearer. It's a well-known fact that villains have very little restraint when it comes to furthering their own gain, and that includes finding out crucial information others might struggle to get their hands on.
Dabi sent thugs to Hawks' house, where they encountered his mother, Tomie. The thugs tormented and threatened Tomie, urging her to spill all of her son's secrets, including his name. Afterward, Tomie wrote Hawks a note, explaining what happened, then fled the house.
Dabi's Own Identity Reveal Explains A Lot
Fans theorized for ages that Dabi was Toya Todoroki, Endeavor's long-lost son. The anime finally confirmed their suspicions in late 2022, putting Endeavor's status as a dependable hero in jeopardy. Young Toya was unable to control his own quirk, which disappointed his father and drew his attention to Toya's youngest brother, Shoto. Toya became obsessed with destroying Shoto and exposing his father's selfish ambitions to the world, adopting the identity of Dabi and joining the Paranormal Liberation Front.
Prior to that confirmation, however, it was clear that Dabi had access to information he shouldn't have. My Hero Academia's paragons of justice are in trouble because if Dabi knows who Hawks is, that means the Paranormal Liberation Front likely has a ton of private information about its enemies. This could prove disastrous were the villainous organization to target heroes and their families the way Dabi's thugs tormented and interrogated Hawks' mother.