From Itachi to Touya: The tragic parallels between Naruto and My Hero Academia

As someone who started their anime journey from watching the shonen genre, the premises of Naruto and My Hero Academia are vastly different, and the stories they portray are vastly human. There are a few character arcs that have haunted me the way Itachi Uchiha’s and Touya Todoroki have.

And nothing illustrates that better than the heartbreaking parallel between two of the most emotionally tormented characters in anime: Itachi Uchiha and Touya Todoroki, also known as Dabi.

There is one characteristic that has never left my mind about them is how both of them were forced into conflict with the very people they once cherished the most. That is their younger brother. For Itachi, that was Sasuke. For Touya, it was Shoto.

The first parallel I saw between Itachi and Touya is how early both of them were stripped of their childhoods. For instance, Itachi in Naurto was seen as a prodigy child and was put through intense training and was given the responsibility to carry the burden of the future. He was a weapon molded by Konoha, especially by Danzo and the higher-ups. His father, Fugaku Uchiha, placed immense expectations on him, treating him as the clan's future.

On the other hand, Touya’s story in My Hero Academia was not very different. Even though their environments were entirely different, Touya was raised not with love but with purpose. Endeavor saw him as the key to surpassing All Might. Despite knowing that Touya’s body wasn’t suited for his fire quirk, Endeavor pushed him relentlessly.

These examples show us that both of these characters were pushed and crushed under the weight of someone else’s dream. They were never allowed to dream their own dreams. And I believe that when someone doesn’t get to be themselves, resentment festers.

If there’s one moment in Naruto that will forever break my heart, it’s when Itachi looks at Sasuke for the last time and says, “No matter what you decide to do from here on out, I will love you forever.” Itachi lived as a villain in Sasuke’s eyes for nearly the entire series.

Meanwhile, when Touya became Dabi in My Hero Academia and actively chose the path of villainy, beneath that rage is also a broken heart. Unlike Itachi, who tried to protect his brother from afar, Dabi wants to burn everything. And yet, I think part of him still cares.

One of the biggest questions I’ve asked myself over the years is whether Itachi and Touya were villains, victims, or something else entirely. What makes them so compelling is that the world shaped their fates long before they ever got to choose their paths.

How Naruto and My Hero Academia portrayed redemption and regret

I think what hurts the most about Itachi and Touya is that, in another world, they could have been happy. They weren’t born evil. They weren’t destined to destroy. Itachi was given redemption only after he died, Sasuke learns the truth, and the entire world learns what Itachi gave up. In many ways, he becomes a martyr. But he never got to see peace. He never got to live a life free from duty.

Touya’s redemption is still uncertain, as he has spiraled toward destruction. But I can’t help but wonder if there is the slightest chance for him to completely forgive everyone who wronged him. Unlike Itachi, who hid his truth, Touya in My Hero Academia broadcasted his pain to the world. And that, in itself, is a cry for help.

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Final Thoughts

What cements the parallel for me is how both stories come down to a reckoning between brothers. Sasuke vs. Itachi and Shoto vs. Dabi aren’t just big anime fights, they’re emotional ruptures years in the making. In my opinion, in both cases, it was about two people who once shared a childhood and now stand on opposite sides of a line drawn by history, trauma, and betrayal.

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