Highlights
- Shōnen thrives on character pairings for chemistry and tension, showcasing Hawks and Endeavor as a standout duo in My Hero Academia.
- Hawks’ cocky, personable nature complements Endeavor’s serious demeanor, helping lighten his load and enhance their strengths together.
- Hawks’ belief in Endeavor, despite his abusive past, stems from a shared childhood trauma and the Flame Hero’s efforts to atone for his actions.
The lifeblood of any good shōnen lies in its cast of characters and the various ways they will inevitably be paired off to create a sense of identity, maximize chemistry, and introduce tension. Shōnen loves its iconic trios, but the occasional duo can steal the show and knock the protagonists out of the park, something My Hero Academia demonstrates with Hawks and Endeavor.
Both of these top-rated heroes from Japan first met on screen at the end of Season 4, just as Endeavor was starting to carry the weight of being #1, something Hawks was not making easy for him. Despite some initial hostility, however, they’ve been paired up consistently ever since, and fast-forward to Season 7, they’re tag-teaming All for One on their lonesome as a unit.
A High-Flying Case of “Opposites Attract”
Season 4’s conclusion is one of the best in the whole series, made legendary for its emotional battle between Endeavor and the first-ever High-End Nomu. With All Might having retired, there was more pressure than ever to give Japan hope, which made it so much more than just another fight with a monster. The preceding plot was also pivotal in establishing the pecking order among the top heroes and introduced a lot of important characters who would be relevant later.
Their Partnership Got Off To A Rocky Start
But no character introduction was more important – nor more memorable, than Hawks. On a surface level alone, he plays off Endeavor well by sheer contrast. He’s outspoken, cocky, and seems utterly bored with the pomp and circumstance with which heroes present themselves, which leads him to put pressure on Endeavor to stand out when expectations are already at their highest. To endeavor, he just seems like an arrogant child insulting him, but Hawks doesn’t harbor any ill will.
Quite the opposite – Hawks likes Endeavor, and the young upstart wants to help him meet the expectations and needs of the people. He even calls himself Endeavor’s “producer,” which is especially cocky considering how much older and more experienced the Flame Hero is. Still, it doesn’t take long for the audience to gather that Endeavor needs a guy like Hawks.
How Hawks Helped Lighten Endeavor’s Load
It was obvious even before the High-End Nomu broke through the window and kicked off the season finale. Endeavor might be one of the strongest, but being a hero isn’t just about strength; it’s about compassion and being a symbol, something he always paled at compared to All Might. In contrast, saving people comes naturally to Hawks. He does it without barely thinking while the two of them are simply walking down the street. He’s so much more personable too.
When the fight breaks out and the building they’re in gets torn to shreds, it’s Hawks who saves the civilians that Endeavor can’t, taking the pressure off so he can do what he does best. They compensate for each other’s weaknesses and enhance each other’s strengths. It’s no wonder they’d continue working together, but their partnership is far more compelling once it becomes clear why Hawks respects him so greatly.
The Similar Baggage Endeavor and Hawks Carry
Endeavor’s arc as a character is one of the most complicated, divisive, and emotional in the series. His very validity as a hero is continually brought into question the more his responsibility weighs him down and the more his abusive past comes into the spotlight. It’s no exaggeration to say that he has very few fans, but Hawks’ faith in him never seems to waver, and the reason why is pretty ironic considering Endeavor’s transgressions.
Hawks’ Childhood Without Heroes
Episode 129, “The Hellish Todoroki Family, Part 2”, is just as much about Hawks’ backstory as it is about the titular family. The winged hero came from an abusive household himself, and one might think that alone would make him biased against someone like Endeavor, but things were more complicated. For a young Keigo Takami, trapped in a suffocating and violent household, superheroes were as real to him as they are to the audience; something behind a TV screen.
But Endeavor was Keigo’s favorite, not just because he was the only hero he had a toy of, but because he was the one who put his abusive criminal of a father behind bars. Soon after, Keigo gave up his name and spent his childhood preparing to be the hero called Hawks. It’s not a happy story, and even the resolution reveals a lot about My Hero‘s society, namely how Keigo was only saved because he could be groomed into a superhero.
How Endeavor Continues to Inspire Hawks
Regardless, Hawks always believed in Endeavor, even when most of Japan was disgusted with him. One was a perpetrator of abuse while the other was a victim of abuse, but they both felt guilt for their actions. Many would argue Hawks has nothing to feel guilty about considering what his parents did, but whether it is logical or not, he regretted not trying to mend that relationship. So to see Endeavor try to atone for something so abhorrent must have meant everything to him.
If the discourse surrounding Endeavor is proof of anything, it’s that such a feat is gargantuan, requiring delicate handling, patience, and the understanding that forgiveness will never be easy. It’s precisely because it is difficult that Endeavor’s willingness to try is so admirable in Hawks’ eyes, and why he feels compelled to support him. This is what pushes him forward, even when his wings are not quite as strong as they used to be.
Endeavor is trying to atone. He can’t just abandon his past like I did… That’s why I’ve got to keep giving him my support!
Hawks and Endeavor are one of My Hero Academia‘s most engaging duos, not only for their chemistry and their cohesion in combat but also for the resolve with which they’ve confronted their demons. Perhaps Endeavor hasn’t looked at their partnership in quite the same way the other has, but the value of even a single friend in a world that has given up hope for you isn’t easily overlooked.
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