My Hero Academia Final Season has had some heart-wrenching episodes, but episode 9 truly stands out. The viewers saw the Todoroki family members reuniting after the final battle of the last war, and finally experienced the scene they’ve been anticipating. This emotional payoff feels even more significant.As viewers who remember this past season's episode titled "I AM HERE" may be aware, the Todorokis were reunited at the end of that episode. However, because Shoto was missing from the family photo in this episode of Season 7, many fans were understandably upset by this.This seemed to be the writer's way of telling viewers that Shoto was not worthy of being a member of the Todoroki family from the perspective of Toya. However, the issue of Shoto being omitted from the photo has now been corrected in My Hero Academia Final Season.The family image of Todoroki that became controversial (Image Source: Studio Bones)The hospital scene in My Hero Academia Final Season has a very heavy feeling to it. Toya Todoroki, who has become Dabi, is a "dying" husk of a person, with only metal structures and medical machines supporting him.What makes this part so sad isn't just that it's sad; it's how sad it actually gets. Throughout the series, Toya's whole life has been based around trying to get his father's attention. He sacrificed himself, burned himself alive (literally), in an attempt to prove himself.The family itself has always been centered on Endeavor (the father) and his dreams, Toya's desperate need for approval, and Shoto's accidental role as the perfect replacement. Now, Toya is slowly dying inside a containment unit, and finally, the family is coming together not to support Endeavor's growth but because Toya has only a few moments left to live.Shoto's Simple Question Changes EverythingToya Todoroki's current status in My Hero Academia Final Season (Image Source: Studio Bones)Here's where My Hero Academia Final Season really hits home in reminding us how all these characters feel, especially between siblings. When Shoto approaches the glass between himself and his brother, he asks him a very simple question, "What do you like to eat?"It's not deep or profound in My Hero Academia Final Season. It's just a brother trying to connect with his sibling, something that never happened due to an abusive father, and assuming that Toya was dead.Shoto is ready to leave when Toya, using what must have been all of his energy and what little humanity remains, said one word, "Soba." Shoto quietly replies, "Same here," and all at once, both brothers realize how connected they are through something so simple as their favorite food. Despite everything that happened, these two brothers share something as mundane and beautiful as a favorite food.Toya's Tear and Apology in My Hero Academia Final Season Episode 9Toya apologizes for everything he did (Image Source: Studio Bones)What follows breaks me every time I think about it. After saying "soba," Toya could say only one word: "Sorry." And a single tear slides down the visible part of his burned, scarred face."This whole scene is honestly really horrific for me. I’m happy Shoto got his happy ending, and I get Toya is a really horrible person, but this is just feels like overkill for him," comment from a fan."I was not prepared to see this animated so early," a fan's emotional connection He was one of the most hated villains to most of the world until now. This guy was a freakin' psycho who told everyone in Japan about how much Endeavor made his life suck. He even tried to kill his baby brother over and over again. But this moment in My Hero Academia Final Season stripped of everything except his dying body and the family surrounding him.When Toya said he was sorry, it wasn't just for Shoto; it was for everything. For all the times he hurt his family for hating Endeavor, and for not being able to see all the love and support his siblings had for him, no matter what. He was just a kid who was sick of being treated like shit by his father but didn't know how to ask for help.Why This Scene Works When the Previous Episode Didn'tIn the picture from My Hero Academia Season 7 Episode 19, we see Rei, Fuyumi, Natsuo, Toya, and Endeavor. But, you also see that Shoto is not among this "family" image. The blast back from fans was instantaneous & was full of reason. Fans had noted that this was Toya's dream and not real life. Removing Shoto from a picture that represented all family seems like the same thing that helped push Toya to become a villain again.That episode portrayed Toya's view as the only & right view of family. Family members are those people with whom he grew up prior to Shoto's birth, and did not include the brother who worked harder than anyone to rescue Toya. It reinforced the idea that Shoto was just a "tool" rather than a victim and family member deserving of recognition.In My Hero Academia Final Season Episode 9, the soba scene was such a relief for Shoto's sadness. The scene was about Shoto looking for his brother, who hated him for simply existing. It acknowledges that Toya's perspective was warped by trauma and abuse, not the objective truth.Most importantly, My Hero Academia Final Season Episode 9 provided the opportunity that both brothers needed. After all, there was a tremendous amount of pain in Shoto Todoroki's heart before this episode aired, and the last thing he deserved was to be recognized for his pain, to be at peace, and to know that he had done everything in his power to save his brother, even in Toya's last moments.