Did Dabi Feel Remorse For His Actions After The Final War?

The League of Villains Dabi has committed numerous heinous acts towards his family and innocence. Dabi’s ambitions and obsessions in the pursuit of his objectives resemble those of Endeavor, as both are driven to achieve their goals irrespective of the cost or the individuals involved.

Throughout the series, there have been multiple instances in which Dabi is questioned regarding whether he experiences any feelings of remorse or guilt for his actions. As a member of the League, Dabi ranks as a leading candidate for the highest number of fatalities. While some members exhibit a semblance of normalcy and recognize the wrongness of certain actions, Dabi embraces heinous acts and devises malicious schemes that correspond with his ultimate objectives. Nevertheless, at any point in My Hero Academia, has Dabi expressed any remorse for his actions, particularly following the Final War?

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Dabi’s Irredeemable Actions as a Villain

Dabi Has Always Been a “Spare Part” With No One to Acknowledge His Identity

Dabi or Todoroki Toya, the eldest son of Pro Hero Endeavor, had always admired his father and wanted to become a Pro Hero just like him, following in his footsteps and wishing to become the next Number 1 Hero. However, Endeavor’s obsession with becoming the Number 1 Hero took a toll on his family, and Dabi, who had a weakened constitution thanks to his mother, Frost Quirk, made it unlikely for him to proceed as a potential hero as his own flame would burn him.

However, this obsession with heroism would only compel Dabi to harness his skills and make a brighter flame. Unfortunately, his flames were too great, and he nearly died 11 years prior at Sekoto Peak. When Dabi awoke three years after the incident, he was eager to return home and reunite with his family. Unfortunately, the scene that greeted him was the same one he had experienced before when he was under the abuse of his father. Dabi returned to see they had forgotten him and replaced him with Todoroki Shoto, the designer baby made from the arranged Quirk Marriage Endeavor had with his mother, Rei.

After feeling forgotten by his family, Toya was reborn as Dabi, driven by a desire for revenge against those who abandoned him. Initially, he was saved as a backup for All For One; at least his experiments on Shigaraki Tomura did not succeed. Yet, much like his own family, Dabi became just another failed project. The combination of his parents’ traits meant that his flames would harm him, making prolonged use nearly impossible, a necessity for all heroes. All For One and Dr. Garaki also invited Dabi to join their “family” as a candidate for the Demon King’s vessel, but he once again failed. As his hatred simmered and grew, fueling his survival, Dabi began to kill heroes and anyone who stood in his path.

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Dabi’s Actions in an Attempt to Make Endeavor Acknowledge Him

Throughout Dabi’s time as a villain, he would go on to commit heinous crimes. Dabi had always wanted his father to acknowledge and look at him. As all the children had been aware of their father’s goals and aspirations, it was no secret that Toya had been the first to inherit this ambition. However, after learning about his physical condition, this ambition would soon be cut short.

As a result of essentially being replaced by Shoto, Dabi would go on to murder at least 30 people, heroes and villains included. In My Hero Academia, Quirks are inherited, hence the reason for Quirk Marriages, even though these are frowned upon. In Chapter 160, Snatch mentions that burnt corpses have been showing up, and Dabi confirms that he was the reason for it. Dabi has always gone to the extreme to show off his Quirk and Blue Flames, showing off how much more powerful they have become. However, Endeavor and Shoto had yet to make the connection that it was actually Toya and he was alive.

In Chapter 190, Dabi finally reveals himself to Endeavor for the first time, showing off his Blue Flames, likely wanting a reaction from his father and waiting to see whether he would make the connection that Dabi was actually Toya. However, this does not happen, and Endeavor instead questions if Dabi was the one who killed Snatch. Previously, Dabi had not shown any remorse for the individuals he had killed, intent on seeking revenge on his father at the expense of anyone’s life. However, near the end of Chapter 191, Dabi remembers the Hero Snatch, who he had previously killed, and sheds a blood tear from one of the wounds near his eyes as he remembers Snatch’s words.

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With this, Dabi did not feel remorse for Snatch’s death. However, the words uttered to him questioning whether he ever thought of the victim’s families are what resonated with him. This has likely to do with his own presumed death, as his family continued their lives without him, once again showing Dabi that no one acknowledges him. Toya always cried during or after enacting with his family members, as he felt they did not acknowledge or understand him. Despite the numerous individuals Dabi has killed, he did not feel any remorse for killing them as they were merely in the way of his ultimate goal.

Did Dabi Feel Remorse For His Actions?

Dabi’s Actions Towards His Family

This, however, would not be the only action Dabi would take in the attempt to get revenge on his father. After Endeavor became the Number 1 Pro Hero, Dabi sent Starservant and ended after him. However, Ending would then target Natsuo, Dabu’s younger brother, to get Endeavor to kill him. Dabi’s targets have always been Endeavor and Shoto. However, Shoto had always been a means to an end that would allow Dabi to get back at his father by taking away his “masterpiece.”

Even with the threat of Natsuo possibly losing his life to Ending, Dabi did not feel remorse for his actions. This is because Dabi wanted to do anything that would hurt Endeavor and his career; due to that, Dabi would do anything to make his father suffer. In Chapter 290: Dabi’s Dance, Dabi openly admits to all the atrocities he has committed as a villain. Despite this, and mentioning that he has killed “30 innocent people,” Dabi danced to the sight of Endeavor’s shock. With this, Dabi gleefully expresses no remorse for his actions.

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Dabi’s Feelings Towards Shoto

Previously, Dabi had shown absolutely no remorse for any of his actions. However, this changes after the Final War, when the Todoroki Family defeats him. After the War, Toya receives medical attention, and his family visits him. While he remained reluctant to forgive them for their actions, stating they were too late to apologize, his interaction with Shoto differed.

Although Endeavor had committed the rest of his life to atone for his actions, thus putting strain on Toya’s heart, Shoto made him feel remorse for his actions towards the youngest Todoroki. It’s possible that Toya believed Shoto was the only one who acknowledged him, while the remainder of the family apologized for their actions. However, Shoto wanted to know more about his older brother and openly took the initiative to learn more about him. After Shoto questioned Toya about his favorite food, though it took some time, Toya responded that it was Soba. With this, Toya learned that the two had more in common than he thought, bringing tears to his eyes.

• Toya acknowledges that he had committed “despicable acts,” but he blames these acts on his father.
• Dabi also yearned for his father to recognize him and his flames. However, because the Endeavor Agency employs heat-based Quirk users, Endeavor could not make the connection.
• Toya also admitted he spared no feelings for Natsuo, who might have died due to Endings’ attack.
• Shoto was the only person Toya felt guilt about attacking.

This marked Toya’s first display of guilt or remorse for his actions throughout the series. After the family departed, Toya shed tears and apologized to Shoto, realizing that his younger brother was not his foe. Because Toya and Shoto trained under Endeavor, they share more similarities than previously thought. This enables them to connect on a deeper level. With Shoto recognizing Toya’s presence and showing interest in him, Toya finally confronts his past mistakes and acknowledges his misplaced anger towards his younger brother. Though Toya did not feel any remorse for his actions towards others, he only felt guilt towards his brother.

My Hero Academia is now available to stream on Crunchyroll.