What Made Endeavor So Desperate To Surpass All Might In My Hero Academia

Pavas Gagneja
Aug 22
3 min read

Endeavor spends most of his life chasing one goal: surpassing All Might. His obsession goes far beyond just a rivalry between heroes. Instead, it is a deeply rooted need born from pride, frustration, and the fact that he would always be second best.

While All Might saved people with a smile, Endeavor burned himself from the inside. He tortured his body and family to reach a height he could never touch. This situation defines his character as a man who wanted to be the strongest so badly that he lost sight of what it means to be a true hero.

ALSO READ: Bakugo's Apology Was Too Late In My Hero Academia, But That’s Why It Worked

The Weight Of Being No.2

Endeavor’s entire career went in All Might’s shadow in My Hero Academia. No matter how many cases he solved or how many villains he captured, he was always ranked second. And for a man built on pride, discipline, and results, this was unbearable.

It doesn't mean that he lacked effort. On the opposite side, he trained relentlessly, honed his Quirk to perfection, and maintained unmatched consistency. But All Might’s presence was so overwhelming that his charisma, power, and public love created a barrier Endeavor could not break.

That constant comparison twisted Endeavor’s mindset. Heroism is supposed to be about saving people, right? But Endeavor saw it as a ladder to being the best. Every day became a test to prove he was closer to the top, and every failure felt personal. Being No. 2 became a burden he could not bear anymore.

Quirk Marriages And The Creation Of A Successor

When Endeavor realized he couldn’t surpass All Might alone, he turned to bloodline strategy. He entered a Quirk marriage with Rei in hopes of producing a child who could inherit perfect compatibility: his fire and her ice. The plan was cold and clinical — if he couldn’t be the strongest, he would create someone who could be. This mindset treated family like a project, not a source of love or support.

The result was Shoto, who became the focus of Endeavor’s obsession. He was forced into harsh training and cut off from half of his own identity. The older children, Fuyumi, Natsuo, and especially Touya, faced the emotional fallout as well.

Touya, whose fire burned hotter than his body could handle, wanted his father’s recognition more than anything. Endeavor’s refusal to accept Touya’s limits and his fixation on surpassing All Might contributed to a chain of pain that made him one of the worst anime fathers and husbands.

Pride, Fear, And The Myth Of All Might

All Might punching while Endeavor stands in the back

Endeavor’s desperation was also about fear in My Hero Academia All Might represented an era of peace built on one man’s power. But Endeavor feared a world where that pillar would fall and chaos would return. Part of his obsession came from his sense of duty. He thought someone needed to stand equal to that symbol, and he convinced himself that becoming No. 1, by any means, was a necessary burden he had to carry.

But he misunderstood the heart of heroism. All Might’s strength was in the ability to inspire hope. Endeavor’s fire, by contrast, intimidated more than it comforted because he won fights, but he didn’t win hearts. That gap kept him from surpassing All Might, even when All Might was gone.

From Obsession To Accountability

Becoming the top hero after All Might’s retirement did not give Endeavor the satisfaction he expected. On the contrary, the title felt heavy and undeserved. Instead of celebrating, he looked inward for the first time. He began to change how he fought — protecting others first, pushing himself to be a symbol that reassures, rather than terrifies.

He stopped chasing All Might’s shadow and started defining his own version of heroism. He learned to collaborate, to rely on others, and to put people before pride. His fights became statements of protection, and not ego.