Horikoshi reveals Shoto Todoroki's official hero rank

This article contains spoilers from My Hero Academia's epilogue.

Important takeaways

• Shoto is the number 2 hero in Japan.
• Shoto's Half-Cold Half-Hot Quirk is a powerful asset.
• Shoto's focus is on saving people, not on rankings.

Shoto Todoroki is one of the most brilliant characters in My Hero Academia and he has maintained this position for quite some time. In the main story, fans knew he was one of the smartest heroes, especially because he was full of potential that could one day see him surpass even All Might if his father was to be believed. Of course, after enduring all the abuse he did, Shoto could have easily become a villain, just like Toya, but his kind heart ensured that he never lost sight of what he truly wanted and ended up becoming a hero to be proud of.

At the end of My Hero AcademiaShoto finally makes peace with himself and successfully processes all the traumas he dealt with growing up. Shoto embarks on the path to becoming a true hero, and it is revealed in chapter 430 that he is one of the strongest and best heroes around. Now, with the epilogue of My Hero Academia officially revealed, Shoto Todoroki has basically been confirmed as one of the highest ranked heroes in Japan, and his official hero rank has also been announced.

Shoto Todoroki's Incredible Potential In My Hero Academia

• Shoto is a user of Half-Cold Half-Hot
• Shoto is one of the strongest Pro Heroes

At the end of My Hero Academia, it was directly implied to the fans that Shoto and Bakugo were next to each other in terms of their growth. Both were fighting for top spots in the Hero rankings as they became Pro Heroes, while Deku was in the UA, teaching the students and leading them to a new path. But at the time, fans weren't exactly sure of Shoto's hero rank. It was revealed that Shoto was eventually able to pull ahead of Bakugo, which was simply due to his better character. He was revealed to do many public service events and even take care of all his fans. Shoto's kind-hearted nature and good character saw him surpass Bakugo in the hero rankings, while the latter actually dropped.

I want to be a hero too! – Shoto Todoroki

In the epilogue of My Hero Academia, it was revealed that Bakugo's hero rank, although it started at number 4, fell all the way down to 15th, making him one of the most comically tragic Pro Hero fans have seen in recent memory. Of course, the hero rank doesn't take anything away from his strength, and Bakugo is still one of the most powerful heroes in Japan, if not the most powerful.

Coming back to Shoto Todoroki, fans weren't surprised to hear that he was fighting for the top spots. Shoto has the power of the Half-Cold Half-Hot Quirk, which was born from the Quirk marriage between Enji Todoroki and Rei. This Quirk is extremely powerful where one half perfectly balances out the other. The hot flames of wrath are calmed by the cool and freezing effect of the Ice Quirk. This essentially made Shoto nearly invincible in battle, provided he mastered its powers. As can be seen in the Final War Saga of My Hero AcademiaShoto managed to master the powers of his own and came up with Phosphor, one of his strongest moves where he utilized both of these halves properly and brought out their full potential. It was clear to the fans to see that once he mastered Phosphor, he would become one of the most powerful heroes to ever live. Since then, Shoto has grown tremendously, which explains his current hero rank.

Shoto Todoroki's hero rank right now

Shoto is the number 2 hero in Japan right now

My Hero Academia's epilogue, that is, My Hero Academia chapter 431, was recently released with the release of the final volume of the story, and fans were made aware of Shoto's official hero rank. It was made clear to the readers that Shoto is the number two hero in Japan right now, and that this upgrade in the Hero ranking happened recently. Due to his recent rise in the Hero Rankings, Shoto held a party where he invited all the students from Class 1A.

Fans were absolutely delighted to see everyone together, having a good time and revealing the latest developments in their lives. My Hero Academia really pleased the fans with the epilogue, and all the extra focus given to the character of Shoto really helped it.

Shoto's strength continues to grow, and since he hasn't been a pro hero for too long, fans will see him consistently get stronger over the years and potentially continue to take even higher ranks. But, unlike his father, Shoto is not driven by the desire to be number one. He recognizes the strength he has, and at the same time he believes that the most important thing is that he has a smile on his face and saves as many as he can. He is the exact opposite of his father, which is why it doesn't make much of a difference to him that he is the second best hero in Japan, as long as he keeps faith in himself and his abilities.

I realized that I love to eat food! – Shoto

Meanwhile, fans also got to see Shoto get in touch with his non-hero side. Shoto seems to have been driven by his Hero responsibilities over the years. But now it's time for him to change that. After his many encounters with Toya before his eventual death, Shoto realized that one of his favorite things is enjoying good food. As such, Shoto takes an interest in this hobby and travels through certain parts of Japan for lessons in order to get in touch with this side of him and not neglect his personal hobbies. It's clear that Shoto's character growth is impeccable to say the least and fans are happy to see him where he is right now.

Can Shoto Todoroki surpass Mirio Togata?

Shoto has the potential to be #1

As for Shoto's potential, fans know he still hasn't fully fulfilled it. Admittedly, Shoto is impressive to take second place on the Hero Charts, but fans don't know what level he really is right now, as he hasn't been seen in battle. Eventually, Shoto will have to prove himself more in big fights, and when that happens, he might have better chances to rise even higher. Right now, Shoto is going head-to-head with Mirio Togata for the position of Top One Hero.

Mirio still holds this rank and will likely continue to hold it for quite some time. But there is absolutely a huge chance for Shoto to reserve this rank for himself and become the greatest hero in Japan in the current era. But Shoto is at a point where he is happy with who he is and how he lives his life, both as a hero and as a normal person. The rankings don't matter to him, but they really get the fans excited.

My Hero Academia is available to read via Viz Media. The series can be read by fans officially and for free on the Shonen Jump and Manga Plus app. The release date of the final chapter of My Hero Academia, My Hero Academia Chapter 430, was August 4, 2024.