My Hero Academia’s epilogue has just confirmed a major death, making the manga’s ending more bittersweet than ever, especially for fans of one particular tragic villain. Thefinal volume ofMy Hero Academiahas finally been released and included in its forty pages of additional content is an all-new epilogue chapter which has ultimately closed the door on Touya Todoroki’s tragic story.
Volume 42 ofMy Hero Academiaconfirms thatDabi or Touya is indeed deaddespite fans' hopes for his survival and reconciliation with his family. In the new epilogue chapter, Shoto is seen having a meal with Deku and Bakugo when he mentions praying at Touya’s memorial altar, subtly confirming that Touya has long passed away most likely from from his injuries in the final battle.
My Hero Academia Confirms Dabi is Dead
The Hellish Todoroki Family’s Story Comes to a Bittersweet Close
ThoughMy Hero Academia’s ending was a satisfying one for the most part, thefinale left Touya’s fate rather open-ended. When fans last saw Touya in chapter #426, Endeavor and the rest of the Todoroki family resolved to visit and talk to Touya during the little time he supposedly had left. The chapter touchingly sawTouya and Shoto bondover the fact they both liked soba noodles, with the revelation bringing Touya to tears as he finally apologized to Shoto.
Even though it was all but clear that Touya was going to die, this sympathetic moment in chapter #426 led many fans to hope that perhaps Touya would survive long enough to fully resolve his grievances with his family. Whether Touya was able to do so or not is still unclear but the new epilogue chapter has sadly shut the door on Touya’s life, making his character arc all the more bittersweet.
Overall, the revelation that Touya is dead is not all that surprising considering the state fans last saw him in. Back in chapter #426, the doctors at the hospital notably mentioned that Touya was only able to speak for a few minutes a day and that he was slowly but surely heading towards his demise. The final battle had all but decimated Touya’s body, leaving little but a charred husk. Even the brief meeting with his family seemed to take a toll on his body, highlighting just how fragile his condition was. As such, sad as fans may be,Touya’s death was inevitable.
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From a thematic standpoint, having Touya die was much more meaningful than allowing him to live, which would arguably let Endeavor off the hook too easily, giving him a chance at redemption which he doesn’t completely deserve. Having Touya survive would mean Endeavor’s horrible actions would inevitably be forgiven and forgotten, forgoing the entire point of his character arc. Such an ending would also be too unrealistic and fairytale-like. Instead, Touya’s death meansEndeavor will carry the weight of his actionsfor the rest of his life, with Dabi’s story serving as a cautionary tale to the rest of quirk society.
My Hero Academiais available from Manga Plus and Viz Media.
My Hero Academia
My Hero Academia is a multimedia franchise that follows a young boy named Izuku Midoriya, who dreams of becoming a hero despite being born without superpowers. These superpowers, known as “Quirks” are found in most people after birth, but Izuku wasn’t so lucky - until a fateful encounter with All Might, Japan’s greatest hero, Izuku inherits his Quirk and enrolls in U.A. High School to learn the true meaning of heroism. Alongside his classmates, each endowed with unique abilities, Izuku faces rigorous training and lethal threats from villainous forces.
