#mha 356 spoilers

[linkspooky]

My Hero Academia, Chapter 376 Thoughts

Short chapter this week so there is not much to say, besides the obvious question. The heroes strategy with divide and conquer has failed, Hawks does not face Twice directly but rather chooses to go after AFO. Hawks announces to Enji the change in strategy and that he will have to be the one to take care of Toya now. Enji seems to be finally facing Toya, so what will he do with his son, try to battle him, or try to talk him down?

1. Let's all Take Bets

@transhawks and I have a running bet on what exactly Enji is going to do next because our opinion is the exact opposite. I am on the side that Enji is not really in a mental space where the first thing he's going to try to do is talk Toya down. I think the requirement to do that would be Enji finally beginning to view Toya as his own person which I am going to argue below he still has not done yet.

We have seen a peak inside of Enji's head fairly recently, so let's review that scene. The first thing Enji focuses on when he's self reflecting is how taking on the burdens of atonement for his past has made him even weaker than he already is now.

The biggest flaw in his thinking is shown right away with the way his younger self phrases what his problem is. Enji seems to think the source of all of this, the very origin of the decision to abuse his family and use his children for his ambition to surpass All Might is that he was too physically weak. That if he had been strong enough to surpass All Might on his own merit, that somehow, none of this ever would have happened.

I'm actually going to express an unpopular opinion, I don't think the flashback we see of Enji's origin story is unnecessary here I think it adds to his character. Enji feels abandoned by his father at a young age, because his father was too weak to save the girl from the criminal he was fighting against.

His father's flaw was being too weak to play hero, and his attempt at a good deed not only left Enji traumatized by the sight of his father's corpse, but also with no father figure for the rest of his developmental years. He is wearing a UA uniform in this flashback, and it's said in side materials (the light novels) that Enji's insane and toxic obsession with All Might started as early as UA.

If his father's failure was being too weak to defeat a villain, it almost makes sense in a twisted way, that in Enji's own headspace being stronger than villains, and being a competent hero and a provider for his family is him doing his job as a father.

This is as far back as the Pro-Hero Arc, Enji feels a sense of accomplishment from defeating the High End Nomu and surviving the battle, and comes home to find that nobody cares that he did a good job winning the battle. He expected that being a good hero that Shoto could look up to, would somehow fix their relationship so far.

That's actually a good origin for Enji's toxic mentality, and explanation for his behavior, he despises any weakness within himself, and the trouble he has with his atonement arc is that admitting to fault within himself counts as showing that weakness. He would rather be a strong hero than a failure of a father. All good, it's just after this scene Enji doesn't really progress. The way to go would be "Weakness = Okay" because all people are weak. You learn to get healthier by showing emotional vulneraiblity, which is just what Enji was raging about because admitting his mistakes and his atonement makes him vulnerable in a way he doesn't like. However, instead of doing that, he decides to continue "raging against his weakness." Of course, if his weakness is like "I did bad things in the past because I was an emotionally weak person and took it out on others" then yes, he shouldn't see that as a good thing. But like, Enji literally talks about how his weakness is just "not being a superman".

Enji's actions in his mental space don't really indicate the fact that he's moved on either, the thing he does is strangle his teenage self, and considering that Enji projects himself onto his children hard having this relationship with his personal weaknesses isn't the best thing.

He tells Natsuo that he was never trying to neglect them, but like it was a pretty clear and deliberate action on Enji's choice, he even physically seperated Shoto from the rest of his siblings and hired a nanny so he wouldn't have to take care of them. Enji even phrases Toya's death as a "mistake" in his recollection, again not a deliberate choice on his part to neglect him for years.

As I said above, Enji has trouble admitting when he's done something wrong, because that is admitting to a vulernability and he can't show any of those, no siree!

There's just a lot of negative foreshadowing in the way that Enji sees Toya. From the start he always pictures him in his head as Dabi smiling maniacally, not the twelve year old boy he continually let down. There's this scene where Shoto mentions that they have to handle Toya together, even referring to him differently than he usually does (I think he uses otousan rather than oyajii) but Enji only sees Dabi's maniacal face once again and averts his eyes.

He pictures Dabi the same way on the hospital bed, when he's expressing reluctance to face Toya on his hospital bed, he automatically jumps to having to fight him, like there isn't another way this could work out.

As far back as Dabi's reveal itself, Enji's first reaction is that Toya could have been the one to smash away all of the ugliness in his heart. Which indicates a deeper underlying problem.

Once again Enji projects himself onto his children, he puts all of his positive traits onto Shoto, and his negative ones onto Toya, after all Toya was the one born weak, who's body was too weak for his quirk which made the overheating flaw that Enji was trying to avoid even more of a problem for Toya. Enji avoids Toya because Toya himself reminds Enji of all of his worst flaws, and this happens even in early childhood. When Toya continues to train, Enji only sees it as "he got that stubbornness from me." Toya's unwillingness to give up is Enji's. Dabi himself is Enji's mistake. Dealing with Dabi is Enji's duty. Enji has not really walked outside of his own head to understand Toya himself as both a person, and a child, because ultimately it is about him, his duties, his atonement.

When he sees Shoto marching off to the future, Toya isn't really included among those people. Does he think Toya has a future? Does he think Toya has a chance of coming back? Nothing he says has clearly indicated that, all signs point to he still considers Shoto the success, the one with the future, whereas Toya is the failure and Enji's greatest mistake.

As for Toya himself, he may just be baiting Enji into fighting him as a last ditch method of making his father fail. If he can't kill Shoto in front of Enji to ruin everything Enji tried to do, then he can at least make it so Enji's atonement can never truly be complete by killing himself. That is part of Toya's speech during Dabi's dance, he wanted to give Enji the chance to feel like he was doing better as a hero, and a father, before tearing the rug out from under him. Dabi's lines here also remind me heavily of Nine's just before his death.

Dabi's biggest goal of all is to ruin Enji as a hero, so if Enji cannot save his own son he's failed both as a hero and in his atonement considering Dabi says he can't truly complete his dream now it might be a last ditch effort.

My only argument against this is Toya probably doesn't consider himself one of Enji's "precious things" because the whole reason he turned into Dabi in the first place, is that the Todorokis buried him and very little changed about the family like he never existed to begin with.

The language Hawks uses when instructing Enji what he's supposed to do is "Stop" once again rather than save, which is what Shoto said before failing to get through to Toya "just stop already".

So, like I said this can go one of two ways. If Enji follows Hawks plan then he is most likely just going to try to face Toya in a physical fight and "stop" him physically rather than reaching out to him emotionally. Or, Enji goes against Hawks plans and tries some other way of reaching out to Toya, and at that point I believe Transhawks theory is the most likely.

[haebeomsleftbuttcheek]

I wonder if the kids will get some kind of therapy for this 🤔 they’ve all just gone through a war, which is traumatic as it is! It could lead to dark mindsets or unhealthy coping mechanisms!

Probably not 😭 I mean one thing I thought of was actually about Enji Todoroki, his father’s death and his trauma.

Now, obviously this is not me trying to defend him or excuse his abuse/neglect, but I just had this thought - Did he ever receive therapy? Or some kind of consolations? We see that in this scene he’s very young, and having to witness his father’s death. That is traumatic, and I think is one of the leading causes to his toxic mindset(alongside his jealousy/envy of All Might).

So, I just wondered if they ever gave him therapy for that? Or something? Because I don’t know if it would have changed anything? Or worked? But maybe if he had gotten therapy? Or help? He could have found a healthier outlet, and maybe the future would have been different!

[greenhappyseed]

Much like how Stain saw All Might as the pinnacle of heroic heart & willpower, Endeavor saw All Might as the pinnacle of heroic strength. Enji only ever saw the world through the lens of strength, in part because he watched his own father die from lack of strength, and that is Enji’s weakness. After Ch.356, it seemed clear that, for Enji, leaning into his obsession with strength would keep him alive. At the time, it sounded right because staying alive was how he’d get to see Toya again.

But now, as Toya approaches death and Enji truly sees his son for the first time, Enji can only respond in terms of strength. He sees Toya’s power and asks Toya to put out the fire. When that doesn’t work (because of course it won’t, has it ever??? Would Enji stop being an asshole just because someone asked???) Enji decides he won’t let Toya die alone or hurt anyone else. Enji goes straight to sacrificing himself to stop a “villain,” which is so often associated with heroism in this series.

Just like All Might and Izuku, Enji isn’t actually showing any heroic heart or willpower by hurling himself and his son towards death when there are other options. His strength can’t save anyone’s heart. And when his strength falters, Enji has no other ideas. It’s Rei, moving without thinking and using her quirk in any way she can, who is running towards danger to save her lost son. And the man who previously deemed Rei too weak to handle Toya is going to have to sit back and watch.

[pikahlua]

[MASTERPOST] My Hero Academia Spoilers/Manga Translations Part 2

Continued from Part 1 here.

Ch. 369

Ch. 368

Ch. 367

Ch. 366

Ch. 365

Ch. 364

Ch. 363

Ch. 362

Ch. 361

Ch. 360

Ch. 359

Ch. 358

Ch. 357

Ch. 356

Ch. 355

Ch. 354

Ch. 353

Ch. 352 (full chapter)

Ch. 352

Ch. 351

Ch. 350

Ch. 349

Ch. 348 (clarification on Izuku’s response to Toga)

Ch. 348 (first three pages complete)

Ch. 348

Ch. 347

Ch. 346

Ch. 345

Ch. 344

Ch. 343 (full chapter)

Ch. 343

Ch. 342

Ch. 341 (first six pages)

Ch. 340

Ch. 338

Ch. 337

Ch. 336 Part 1

Ch. 336 Part 2

Ch. 336: The MHA 336 leak(???) translated

Ch. 335

Ch. 334

Ch. 333

Ch. 332

Ch. 330

Ch. 329

Ch. 327 (but only the first three pages)

Ch. 326

Ch. 325

Ch. 324

Ch. 322: What Katsuki needs to say

Ch. 322

Ch. 321

Ch. 320

Ch. 319

Ch. 318 Part 1

Ch. 318 Part 2

Ch. 318 Part 3

Ch. 310 Translation Notes

Ch. 302 Translation Notes

Ch. 290-291 Dabi’s broadcast translation

Ch. 284 Translation Notes

[erasurecloud]

Oh my god look at him. I’m screaming

[gatobrujoart]

In my heart Hawks will always be the coolest and the true NUMBER 1 HERO.

[jaded-ghoster]

Having the trajectory of your life changed after witnessing someone dying trying to save a child seems to be a pattern in mha

[tori-ok]

MHA chapter 356 spoilers!

[fra080389-2-me]

Aaw, Hawks' reaction when he saw Endeavor protected him and the kids at the price of his arm.

He will be always his hero. There is little to do.

[littleholmes]

Hawks protecting the teens who protected him is everything

[fayday]

I can't believe endeavor continues to be the best written character in the series

I DON'T CARE WHAT ANYONE SAYS THAT'S MY FUCKING GOAT

Yeah yeah he abused his family we know

[the-moons-ace-card]

I can’t do this

[lgbtlunaverse]

Yo this fucking panel... I wanna know what he's saying but the image of him literally choking his younger self, the way it looks like he's burning him in that last panel? Me too dude me too

[tiredpaladins]

Won't happen because Hawks is just a side character in MHA but in my canon he's the main character and he 100% just cut AFO's neck open because he made the opening and he's fast enough to do it 🥰🥰🥰

[pikahlua]

MHA Chapter 356 spoilers translations

This week’s initial tentative super rough/literal translations under the cut.

tagline 1 対AFO白熱‼︎ たいオール・フォー・ワンはくねつ‼︎ tai OORU FOO WAN hakunetsu!! Versus All For One--incandescence!!

1 ツクヨミ！ TSUKUYOMI! "Tsukuyomi!"

2 黒影 ダークシャドウ！ DAAKU SHADOU! “Dark Shadow!”

tagline 2 No.356 敵について　堀越耕平 ナンバー356 てきについて　ほりこしこうへい NANBAA 356 teki ni tsuite  Horikoshi Kouhei No. 356 Regarding the Enemy  Kohei Horikoshi

3 大チャンスだよ！んじゃまた後で！ だいチャンスだよ！んじゃまたあとで！ dai CHANSU da yo! ‘nja mata ato de! “It’s [your] big chance! See you in a bit!”

4 ホークスの力では致命の一撃には届いていない…！ ホークスのパワーではちめいのいちげきにはとどいていない…！ HOOKUSU no PAWAA de wa chimei no ichigeki ni wa todoite inai...! “With Hawks’ power, we haven’t reached a deadly blow...!”

1 深淵 ブラック BURAKKU Black

2 暗躯 アンク ANKU Ankh

3 終焉 ラグナロク RAGUNAROKU Ragnarok

1 「儚」!!! 「ぼう」!!! 「bou」!!! "Ephemeral!!!"

2 "時間稼ぎ"だと思ってたんでしょ "じかんかせぎ"だとおもってたんでしょ “jikan kasegi” da to omottetandesho “You were thinking we were buying time, weren’t you?”

3 羽虫って実際けっこーー煩わしいスよね はむしってじっさいけっこーーわずらわしいスよね hamushi tte jissai kekko---wazurawashii SU yo ne “Gnats are actually---pretty annoying, you know?”

1 今のは避けなければならない攻撃だ いまのはよけなければならないこうげきだ ima no wa yokenakereba naranai kougeki da “Now I have to avoid this attack.”

2 認識が遅れる にんしきがおくれる ninshiki ga okureru “My recognition is delayed.”

3 感覚機能のほとんどを失ってから かんかくきのうのほとんどをうしなってから kankaku kinou no hotondo wo ushinatte kara “Because I’ve lost most of my sensory functions,”

4 振動や赤外線…いくつもの感知"個性"を手に入れ しんどうやせきがいせん…いくつものかんち"こせい"をてにいれ shindou ya sekigaisen...ikutsumo no kanchi “kosei” wo te ni ire “those such as vibrations and infrared light...I got my hands on multiple sensing quirks.”

5 僕の認識能力は人のツレよりも遥かに高い ぼくのにんしきのうりょくはひとのツレよりもはるかにたかい boku no ninshiki nouryoku wa hito no TSURE yori mo haruka ni takai “My perception ability is much higher than that of a human.”

6 あの小娘の未成熟な"音"だけでは何ら支障は無いのだ原因はーーー あのこむすめのみせいじゅくな"おと"だけではなんらししょうはないのだげんいんはーーー ano komusume no miseijuku “oto” dake de wa nanra shishou wa nai no da gen’in wa--- “That little girl’s juvenile ‘sound’ by itself is no real hindrance. The cause is---”

7 "個性"たちの "こせい"たちの “kosei”-tachi no “My quirks’“

8 叛逆！ はんぎゃく！ hangyaku! “rebellion!”

9 こんな事は初めてだ「複製品」ゆえの脆弱性だというのか「僕の力」に比べて こんなことははじめてだ「ふくせいひん」ゆえのぜいじゃくせいだというのか「オリジナル」にくらべて konna koto wa hajimete da 「fukuseihin」 yue no zeijakusei da to iu no ka 「ORIJINARU (kanji: boku no chikara)」 ni kurabete “This is the first time something like this [has happened]. Is this a vulnerability due to their being replicas? Compared to the original (read as: ‘my power’)”

10 権力が弱い‼︎ けんりょくがよわい‼︎ kenryoku ga yowai!! “my influence/power/authority is weak!!”

1 先刻まではなんとか虚を突くだけで致命傷を入れられなかったが せんこくまではなんとかきょをつくだけでちめいしょうをいれられなかったが senkoku made wa nan toka kyo wo tsuku dake de chimeishou wo irerarenakatta ga “Until the last minute, I managed to only poke cracks and couldn’t deliver a fatal injury.”

2 今なら いまなら ima nara “But now”

3 一閃 いっせん issen "in one flash"

4 殺 ころ koro- "I’ll kill-"

1 浅ましい‼︎ あさましい‼︎ asamashii!! "Shameful!!"

1 ーーー…！

2 まったく…‼︎ mattaku...!! “Jeez...!!”

1 その執濃さが そのしっこさが sono shikkosa ga "That obsession,"

2 君を歪めたのだろうに‼︎ きみをゆがめたのだろうに‼︎ kimi wo yugameta no darou ni!! "that’s likely what distorted you!!"

3 エンデヴァー‼︎ ENDEVAA!! "Endeavor!!"

1 更に弱くなった さらによわくなった sara ni yowaku natta "You became beyond weak." (Note: "Sara ni" or "beyond" is the first half of the Plus Ultra school motto when translated into Japanese.)

2 立場と たちばと tachiba to “Your standpoint and”

3 償いと つぐないと tsugunai to “atonement and”

4 過ちと あやまちと ayamachi to “mistakes and”

5 責任が せきにんが sekinin ga “responsibility.”

1 おまえの生来の弱さを曝き出し おまえのせいらいのよわさをあばきだし omae no seirai no yowasa wo abaki dashi “You exposed your innate weaknesses”

2 見るに堪えない愚図へと引きずり下ろした みるにたえないぐずへとひきずりおろした miru ni taenai guzu e to hikizuri oroshita “and were dragged down into an unsightly, hesitant dullard.”

3 超人にはなれないんだよ炎司は ちょうじんにはなれないんだよおまえは choujin ni wa narenainda yo omae (read as: Enji) wa “You can’t become a superhuman, Enji.”

4 原点を思い出せ げんてんをおもいだせ genten wo omoi dase “Remember your origin.”

5 敵が てきが teki ga "The enemy"

6 何だったのかを なんだったのかを nan datta no ka wo "what was it, [I wondered.]"

7 悪漢から少女を救おうとし あっかんからしょうじょをすくおうとし akkan kara shoujo wo sukuou to shi "He tried to save the girl from a villain."

8 結果少女もろとも肉塊と化した父を けっかしょうじょもろともにくかいとかしたちちを kekka shoujo moro tomo nikukai to ka shita chichi wo "As a result, along with the girl, the father had turned into a lump of meat..." (Edit: I believe there is sufficient evidence now to change this sentence to “As a result, along with the girl, my father had turned into a lump of meat...”)

1-2 真の超人への羨望と僻みを しんのちょうじんへのせんぼうとひがみを shin no choujin he no senbou to higami wo "My envy and inferiority complex toward a true superhuman..."

3 "努力"と名乗る "エンデヴァー"となのる "ENDEVAA (kanji: doryoku)" to nanoru "I call myself 'Endeavor' (read as: 'effort')."

4 卑屈な性根を ひくつなしょうねを hikutsu na shoune wo "My servile nature..."

5-6 誇示していなければ保てぬ程度の醜い心を こじしていなければたもてぬていどのみにくいこころを kojishite inakereba tamotenu teido no minikui kokoro wo "The extent to which I sustain my ugly heart if I'm not showing off..."

7 そう sou "Yes."

8 おまえはオールマイトにもデクにもなれない omae wa OORU MAITO ni mo DEKU ni mo narenai "You cannot become All Might or Deku,"

9 炎司はいつも自分の弱さとしか戦ってなかったから おれはいつもじぶんのよわさとしかたたかってなかったから ore (read as: Enji) wa itsumo jibun no yowasa to shika tatakattenakatta kara "because I (read as: Enji) was always fighting with nothing but my own weaknesses."

10 だから dakara "Therefore,"

11 生まれ変わろうなんて考えるな うまれかわろうなんてかんがえるな umare kawarou nante kangaeruna "don't think of being reborn."

1 "己の弱さ"を呪い続けろ "てき"をのろいつづけろ “teki (kanji: onore no yowasa)” wo noroi tsudzukero “Continue cursing the enemy (read as: your weaknesses).”

2 唯一 ゆいいつ yuiitsu “That”

3 それだけが sore dake ga “is the only thing”

4 おまえを生かし���きただから おまえをいかしてきただから omae wo ikashite kita dakara "that has kept you alive."

1 そうだ…俺は…しつこい…‼︎ そうだ…おれは…しつこい…‼︎ sou da...ore wa...shitsukoi...!! "That's right...I am...persistent...!!"

2 だから…この先生涯… だから…このさきしょうがい… dakara...kono saki shougai... "That's why...[my] life from here on..."

3 「よくやった」と自分をなぐさめるような日は来ない…！ 「よくやった」とじぶんをなぐさめるようなひはこない…！ 「yoku yatta」 to jibun wo nagusameru you na hi wa konai...! “No day will come when I can comfort myself by saying, ‘Well done’...!”

4-5 この戦いを終わらせるのが このたたかいをおわらせるのが kono tatakai wo owaraseru no ga "Ending this battle,”

tagline 豪炎ー…その生き様を見よ ごうえんー…そのいきざまをみよ gouen--...sono ikizama wo miyo A gorgeous flame--...look at that way of life

6 俺の使命だ おれのしめいだ ore no shimei da “that is my mission.”

[greenhappyseed]

BnHA Ch.356 - Review, parallels & comparisons: Enji’s strength is his weakness

I’m going with the interpretation that Enji’s father tried (and failed) to save a girl from thugs. After a day of swirl, we now have English, French, and corrected Spanish translations all saying the man is Enji’s father, and Japanese speakers concurring. So I’mma stick with that and move along. The purpose of this flashback scene is to give the origin of Enji’s reason for being a hero, which is ALSO the origin of his drive to be the strongest. His strength and his weakness share the same origin and have the same root cause, so it’s easy to see how Enji’s heroism became corrupted.

Up until this chapter, we were led to believe Enji’s actions stemmed from an intrinsic motivation, like Bakugo’s innate drive to be the absolute best and achieve perfect victory. Ch.356 now gives us a new angle on the root cause of Enji’s motivation: Fear. Just as the root cause of Bakugo’s bullying was his inferiority complex and fear that Izuku was somehow “above” him, Enji’s obsession with strength and power was rooted in a fear that those who lack power will not survive, despite heroic intent. It explains why the man named “Endeavor” gave up so quickly on surpassing All Might by himself and looked to quirk marriage — he was only ~22yo and an active pro hero for ~4 years at the time (younger than Toya is now!).

Some fans are no doubt upset at Enji being portrayed as a shocked, traumatized boy, given the evil he does to his own family. But thematically, it does work — it lines up with Bakugo’s journey and with the Second vestige’s belief that victory is life and defeat is death. It’s also a nice warped parallel to AFO, who believes that those who don’t have quirks lack power to achieve their ideals; that those with weak quirks are mere jobbers or gnats. AFO antagonizes All Might in Tartarus by pointing out how he acquired power but All Might was now powerless, unable to even punch his sworn enemy. To AFO, power predates and controls all aspects of human society…. and he’s going to wield the strongest [quirk] power the planet has ever seen.

We also have a new angle on why Enji discarded Toya so quickly (just as he discarded himself in a few short years and looked to his children): fear of his boy dying a meaningless death due to weakness. Enji’s father failed, he himself failed, and he can’t let his son fail too. Of course, in trying to keep his son alive and not letting him use his quirk, Enji actually pushed him towards “death.” Afterwards, Toya’s “death” was NOT a wake up call for Enji because it merely reinforced Enji’s fear that Toya was too weak to survive. In response, Enji doubled down on “training” (read: abusing) Shoto. The tragic irony is that Toya IS strong. Toya possesses raw power of the highest caliber and he’s always known it. Toya survived and kept himself alive in ways that even AFO and Ujiko do not understand. What motivated Toya to keep living? The chance to burn Enji and use his power to leave a mark on this world. To have a legacy, the way Enji always feared he would not. If Toya shares the same fear as his father, then it also reinforces WHY he wants his father’s validation that he is strong.

This “root cause” has been teased for some time in association with Enji, from Starservant calling him the source of the darkness, to the hospital exchanges with Jeanist, Hawks, and Natsuo. Now we know fear is why Endeavor froze trying to save Natsuo, and why he became a limp noodle when 1A confronted him in Nezu’s office. Enji was scared he didn’t have the strength to save his son or the power to keep up with (and protect) Deku. Scared that Natsuo and Deku don’t have the strength to save themselves. Because Enji’s origin isn’t about saving or helping anyone; it’s about preventing the aftermath from happening again. In both cases, he’s unable to overcome the fear he is no better than his father, and the teen boys are no better than the random girl. Enji is humbled by the outcome of the war and the reveal that nobody would ever surpass All Might & Deku, but also that he is failing at fulfilling his own origin.

That takes us to THE moment of the chapter: Enji roasting his younger self and letting his origin go up in flames. He’s always prized strength and here, he makes himself stronger by destroying the part of himself that deems him weak or a loser. He roasts his younger voice saying, “you’ll never be All Might or Deku.”

It’s selfish, absolutely. But being selfish and staying alive is how the heroes WIN. Having too much to protect and being too eager to sacrifice themselves is how heroes lose. Sacrificing himself is how All Might “wound up like this,” and it’s only that loss that spurred Endeavor to reflect on his own power. Being a little bit selfish can be GOOD. Moreover, by thinking about himself, Endeavor is deflecting AFO’s mind games — the EXACT mind games that led Toshinori to say goodbye to his OFA embers.

When he defeated Hood, Endeavor started to earn his way to the Number 1 ranking he was handed upon All Night’s retirement. But it’s now, in facing AFO, that Endeavor truly has his chance to surpass All Might and for the first time earn his Number 1 designation. Yes, Enji is still a shitty father, and he has not atoned or apologized to his family. But that will come later. First, he needs to prove to himself he can be a hero and “end” this fight alive, even if not in one piece. As Bakugo told Kirishima, just staying standing — like skinny All Might at the end of Kamino — means you’re crazy strong and have something to of value to contribute.

At the start of the AFO battle, Enji almost died because he was distracted thinking about his sons fighting. He was off his game because of his family, so he needs to lean into his weakness — his “dogged” obsession over strength, power, and claiming the #1 spot — to survive. It’s Enji’s “duty” to “end” the AFO fight (not necessarily “kill” AFO) because it’s his only opportunity to prove his lifelong hard work counted for something: The chance to avoid his father’s mistake and be unquestionably strong enough to live for his sons. His duty as a hero and a father are finally united — Enji must fight with everything he has to live through this.