Prepare yourselves, I’m about to talk like a boomer reminiscing the ‘good ol’ days’ for a second. So, back in my time, rivals in Shonen anime were kind of a big deal. I mean, what big name Shonen didn’t have a protagonist with a perfect rival to compliment them? (And add a little homoerotic tension, to boot.) The rival is there to bring a different perspective to the often extremely naïve hero. And sometimes, it’s just fun pitting the two most powerful characters to see who’s stronger, like with Izuku Midoriya and Shoto Todoroki.
Now, while Izuku Midoriya and Shoto Todoroki aren’t at the level of sheer nemesis rivalry as, say, Midoriya and Bakugou Katsuki, they are still pretty competitive. But in this case, I believe Midoriya is more powerful than Todoroki. I mean, there are plenty of signs that give it away, the biggest one being how Midoriya’s Quirk is just OP as hell. But I can see why they’d be considered nearly equally matched. Just like Midoriya, Todoroki shouldn’t be underestimated.
But then again, this is My Hero Academia we are talking about. And superpowers that cancel each other out, or overwhelm them, is pretty important here. These are superheroes in training and everyone of them is vying for that Number 1 spot. The main rivalry is between our three Heroes – Bakugou, Midoriya and Todoroki. And it is a fierce one. But with Bakugou out of commission, how are the other two faring with it?
To be fair, becoming the top-rated Pro Hero is kind of the point for My Hero Academia. We already know that Midoriya, known also as Deku, is going to be the greatest Hero in the future. But how does he fare against Todoroki as we speak? Let’s break it down in Character Analysis – the segment where we take your favourite characters from across manga and anime, only to pit them against each other and see who comes out on top. So, let’s discuss!
Shoto Todoroki: Hot And Cold And Everything In Between?
There’s a lot that can be said about Todoroki. He’s the son of the current No.1 Pro Hero, Endeavour, and being trained by him initially means he’s got solid ground to back all the hype. But the truth is, he hates his father and what he means to him, which is basically a tool to surpass the former No.1, All Might.
But because of that vigorous training, he’s definitely become the one to beat. As Shoto, his Quirk is a unique thing. Known as Half Hot-Half Cold, he wields mastery over the dual elements of ice and fire. And by mastery, I mean he is extremely skilled as a fighter. As a Cryokinetic, he is extremely adept at using ice for anything, from offense to defence, and even mobility, in some cases. When it comes to the ice side of his powers, he’s got a very strong hold on his skills.
But where he lacks is his powers as a Pyrokinetic. Todoroki hates using his fire powers, solely because they resemble his father and all the wicked ways, he’s hurt him. He wilfully ignores honing that side of skill set, which leaves him at a pretty big disadvantage.
Izuku Midoriya: From Zero To Pro Hero?
We all know Midoriya’s story. His Quirk, One-For-All, is so unique. He wasn’t born with these powers. He earned them and that’s where we are now.
Being the current protégé of All Might aka the greatest Pro Hero yet, Izuku Midoriya has his work cut out for him. And with One-For-All, that work is more than just training himself to be the best. One-For-All is one of the most complicated Quirks out there, inhabiting a host of different powers under one blanket term.
You have your typical super strength, speed and etc. but you also have powers from the previous holders of the Quirk, which include everything from shaping Kinetic energy to a Quirk that can only be used as a last resort.
At this point in the manga, Izuku Midoriya can use about 50% of All Might’s power, which is no joke.
Winner: Deku All the Way!
Maybe for the current arc, the winner for the stronger of the two would’ve been Todoroki. He is certainly more composed and in sync with his Quirk than when he first started. But ultimately, we know Midoriya has been blowing past Villains and Heroes alike.
Deku wins this one!
