I’m guessing these are from the same anon. 😀 I’m always happy to talk Dabi.
It’s stated in the text that something awful happened to Touya and that is related to Endeavor directly. Natsuo says it twice. The first time I don’t have access to the official Viz translation, but the translator noted that Natsuo is using a term in Japanese when he says “you and Shouto” that implies “you, Shouto, and another sibling who is explicitly not Natsuo himself.” We know now it’s Touya.
It could be abuse or abandonment–which is a type of abuse that produces just as harmful long-lasting psychological effects. Yes, Endeavor did something to Touya.
Dabi clearly has a personal grudge against Endeavor, seeing that he joined the League of Villains because of Stain’s philosophy against heroes who are bad people in their personal lives (Endeavor exactly) and targets Endeavor and plans to target him again.
And we know Dabi has a hang-up about family/something related to why he is a villain now has to do with family.
Not to mention Dabi’s personal grudge against Endeavor–I can’t think of what else would make narrative sense at this point. He’s just someone who Endeavor wasn’t nice to, or a friend of Touya’s who saw a friend suffering? That could in theory work, but we already have that kind of character challenging Todoroki in Inasa (who comments on how Todoroki and Endeavor have the same eyes, which btw, Dabi also has).
So that option no longer makes sense, because it’d just be a repeat of Inasa but villainized and Inasa I like you but you’re just not that important.
Dabi being Touya honestly seems like the only narrative option I can think of that explains why Dabi has a personal grudge against both Endeavor and Shouto (in Japanese, the “too bad, Todoroki Shouto” is very familiar and it’s supposed to be unnerving).
My guess is we can look to Inasa to understand why, perhaps, Dabi if Touya would want to mock Shouto–because Touya might think Shouto’s just like Endeavor. If Natsuo didn’t even know Shouto’s favorite food until chapter 192 I’m guessing Touya knows even less about Shouto, so it might make sense in a sad way for him to presume that the son who’s trying to become a hero like Endeavor was raising him to be might be just like Endeavor–but, of course, Shouto is not.
I’m actually wondering if he might reveal it to Shigaraki and Himiko! The three of them are kind of forming a trio of their own, and I’m curious to see how that plays out.
I do think Fuyumi’s heart is in the right place, and she’s coping with her trauma in a very relatable way: attempting to fix it. We already knew this, of course, because we knew Fuyumi stayed living at home to protect Shouto. Fuyumi is presumably in a very difficult position and has been since her mother was institutionalized, since oldest Touya is MIA off cremating things probably and Endeavor wasn’t interested in parenting, so presumably Fuyumi took over that nurturing role for both Natsuo and Shouto. That’s so hard. That’s such an unfair position for a twelve year old to have been put in (and she would have been about twelve then). Fuyumi is a victim too, even if she chooses to forgive, and of course she wants her family back together. That’s so relatable, and honestly, it’s just as realistic as Shouto and Natsuo’s reactions.
However, I will add that Fuyumi’s attempts to help are ultimately not helping, and irl such tactics can be truly hurtful, so I understand people being grumpy about it but I also feel for her and can’t judge her. Like, I’ve had relatives do what she does, and while I get it, it’s still hurtful for Natsuo to have his feelings invalidated. Which is why I’m glad he called Endeavor out on how he felt. Shouto is right when he says it’s good Natsuo got to express his feelings.
Both Fuyumi and Natsuo’s feelings and reactions are equally valid.
Trying to force others to feel the way you do, though, while understandable, isn’t going to work, though I don’t believe Natsuo resents Fuyumi for it and neither do I. They all need to work through their trauma and feelings for Endeavor on their own.
Fuyumi wishing her family would just get along is okay.
Rei forgiving him, but not wanting to see him is okay.
Natsuo being angry and wanting nothing to do with Endeavor is okay.
Shouto telling Endeavor to prove he wants to change is okay.
Dabi trying to murder Endeavor is not okay.
I will say this chapter did frame Natsuo well, better than the last disagreement with Fuyumi, so I’m happy about that. Each victim of Endeavor’s has a different response, and I’m actually glad that Horikoshi is touching on the different ways abuse victims process and heal. I hope the framing present this chapter keeps up.
I’m not sure I follow, sorry! I don’t think the spoilers invalidate the theory at all–they are phrased confusingly, but if Touya is not there (the most likely case from the way the spoilers are written), I think it’s pretty much guaranteed Dabi is Touya.
If Touya is there, Dabi could be an illegitimate son, but I think that makes the narrative less tight than it should be.
I get feeling that Hori is doing the same statigey for writhing like how
kishimoto did for obito I mean think about it why did Hori set up dabi
endeavor and shoto? We don’t know yet we still don’t know dabis real
name like with obito reveal so let’s wait until the theory is debunked
until dabi retails himself
I don’t know anything about Naruto so I can’t comment on that, but I would be wary of comparing mangas as such. It’s generally not seen as good writing to pull a bait and switch like indicating a character is related when they aren’t unless you have an even more satisfying answer. At this point the amount of answers that would be even more satisfying are slim, but we will see. I tend to approach theorizing/meta with the assumption that the writing, while not perfect, will be largely good unless I have reasons to believe otherwise. So I want to be optimistic!
We don’t know, that’s true. The wording of the spoilers is weird (like, that’s definitely done to tease) so that we don’t know if it’s Touya actually present saying things, or Natsuo. The context of the rest of the spoilers strongly indicates it’s Natsuo, not Touya, though.
If Touya is not present, I think it’d be pretty obvious.
I think that’s a fair reaction, and it’s similar to my own. I was disappointed the reveal (whatever it is) was dragged out because the chapter was clearly designed to make you wonder even more, but I agree that Horikoshi is going to build towards it and deliver (this makes it even less likely it’s anticlimax imo). It’s not bad writing by any means, I am just an impatient bean XD
Yeah, I hope we see Dabi sooner rather than later, and I kind of think we will. This most recent chapter, as long expected, did seem to confirm Dabi as Shouto’s ultimate… not nemesis exactly, but villain counterpart, like Shigaraki for Deku. (And also makes sense that he be family in that case since Shouto’s arc has always been about overcoming his family legacy and being his own person). Their foiling should be explored more before a final confrontation.
I also don’t expect Dabi nor Shigaraki to die villains–my guess is that Deku and Shouto will help save those idiots from themselves. Horikoshi said himself Deku’s vision of a hero is someone who saves people, and while for Shouto it’s slightly different and more along the lines of someone who inspires people, I still see All Might and Endeavor sacrificing themselves (whether or not they die in the process) to save these wayward villains, and Deku and Shouto actually saving them.
It is possible, but the phrase in Japanese according to @lingtosite means “bereaved family!” So we’ll see. I personally think it’s more likely he’s Tinyroki still; there’s no real direct evidence of Endeavor having an illegitimate kid though of course it is possible. I see more evidence against Endeavor having an illegitimate kid, actually.
He’s flying too close to the son. (Horikoshi would use a pun like that, let’s be real.)
No but for real, the heroes are shady AF. Considering Dabi’s ideology + his idolization of Endeavor, Hawks is definitely set up for some sort of… development in the future. That being said, I really like him and hope he’s able to form bonds with the League (it’s fitting that there is a traitor in UA and a traitor in the League now), bonds that will affect Dabi and Shigaraki in particular since I think both of them now have clearly foreshadowed redemptions.
hamliet 