Some families don’t raise you. They manage you.

There’s a moment where loyalty starts to feel like control, and love comes with conditions no one warned you about. That’s the space The Inheritance Trap lives in the quiet pressure of family expectations, the secrets people protect, and the cost of choosing yourself when walking away isn’t easy.

This isn’t a loud story. It’s a slow one. Psychological. Uncomfortable. Honest. If you’ve ever felt boxed in by decisions made for you, this might resonate more than you expect.

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That younger version of you is still inside you. She developed strategies that protected her then. Those strategies no longer serve you now and it’s time to replace them. 🫶🏼

This journey isn’t easy but it can be a whole lot more manageable when you’re guided by a trusted expert who has been there herself. 🩷

Literal Connections

Literal connections refer to explicit or implied familial or relational ties between the Todoroki, Shimura, and Shigaraki families.

Himura Family Relation to Both Todorokis and Shigarakis:

Todoroki Connection: Rei Todoroki (née Himura) comes from the prestigious Himura family, known for their ice-related Quirks and a history of marrying between distant relatives to preserve their Quirk lineage (Page 5, Page 4). This practice strengthened the ice Quirk genes, which are dominant in Rei and her children (Page 2).

Shimura Connection: Geten, a distant relative from Rei's side of the Himura family, is explicitly mentioned in Chapter 387 as discussing the Himura family's marriage practices while in a jail cell (Page 4). Geten is a member of the Paranormal Liberation Front, aligning him with Tomura Shigaraki’s forces, suggesting a distant familial tie between the Todorokis and the Shimura/Shigaraki lineage through the Himura family.

Implication: The Himura family serves as a potential literal link, as Geten’s connection to Rei indicates that the Todorokis and Shigarakis may share distant relatives or a common ancestral lineage, even if not directly through the main family lines.

All For One’s Manipulation Across Families:

Shimura Family: All For One, under the guise of Zen Shigaraki, a "family friend" from Koga Construction, directly influenced the Shimura family by encouraging Kotaro Shimura’s abusive behavior and the birth of Tenko (Tomura Shigaraki) to serve as a vessel for his plans (Page 29, Page 25). This manipulation led to the tragic destruction of the Shimura family.

Todoroki Family: While not explicitly stated in the document, All For One’s broader schemes in My Hero Academia involve destabilizing hero society, which indirectly affects the Todorokis through Dabi’s actions as a villain aligned with the League of Villains (Page 19). Dabi’s vendetta against Endeavor aligns with All For One’s goal of undermining heroes, suggesting a thematic but not necessarily literal manipulation of the Todorokis.

Implication: All For One’s influence as a puppet master connects the families through his schemes, positioning both Tomura Shigaraki and Dabi (Toya Todoroki) as his pawns, creating a literal connection through their shared villainous affiliations.

Shared Family Registry Context:

The document mentions that Kotaro Shimura’s relation to his mother, Nana Shimura, was erased from the family registry to protect him from All For One (Page 25). Similarly, the Todoroki family’s dark past, including Toya’s presumed death, was kept hidden until Dabi’s public broadcast (Page 1). While not a direct familial tie, both families have histories of concealing or altering family records to protect or obscure their members’ identities.

Implication: This shared theme of hidden identities or altered family records suggests a parallel in how both families navigate their legacies, potentially hinting at deeper connections in the broader My Hero Academia universe.

Figurative Connections

Figurative connections focus on thematic parallels, shared archetypes, or narrative similarities that make the families seem related in a symbolic or storytelling sense.

Big, Screwed-Up Family Dynamic:

Todoroki Family: Described as a “Big, Screwed-Up Family” due to Endeavor’s obsession with surpassing All Might through a Quirk marriage, leading to domestic abuse, neglect, and Toya’s transformation into Dabi (Page 1). The family’s dysfunction stems from Endeavor’s ambition and its fallout, including emotional and physical scars (Page 1, Page 14).

Shimura Family: Also labeled a “Big, Screwed-Up Family” due to Kotaro Shimura’s abusive parenting, driven by his resentment toward his mother, Nana Shimura, and her hero lifestyle (Page 19). This led to Tenko’s accidental killing of the family and his transformation into Tomura Shigaraki (Page 20).

Implication: Both families are defined by generational trauma caused by a parent’s unresolved issues, resulting in a child becoming a major villain (Dabi and Shigaraki), making them narratively parallel as dysfunctional families torn apart by ambition or resentment.

Abusive Parenting Leading to Villainous Offspring:

Todoroki Family: Endeavor’s abuse and neglect of Toya, Fuyumi, Natsuo, and Shoto, coupled with his focus on creating a perfect heir, drove Toya to become Dabi, a villain seeking revenge by exposing Endeavor’s sins (Page 1, Page 2).

Shimura Family: Kotaro’s physical and emotional abuse of Tenko, fueled by his hatred of heroes, pushed Tenko to awaken his Decay Quirk, killing his family and becoming Tomura Shigaraki under All For One’s influence (Page 21, Page 24).

Implication: Both families feature a father figure whose abusive behavior directly contributes to a son’s descent into villainy, creating a mirror image of how parental failure shapes destructive legacies.

Generational Trauma:

Todoroki Family: Endeavor’s obsession with being the strongest hero stems from witnessing his father’s death while trying to save a girl, leading him to impose his ambitions on his children, particularly Toya (Page 2). This trauma cascades into the family’s dysfunction, with Toya internalizing that his worth depends on fulfilling Endeavor’s goals (Page 2).

Shimura Family: Kotaro’s trauma from being abandoned by his mother, Nana Shimura, for his safety fuels his hatred of heroes, which he projects onto Tenko, leading to the family’s destruction (Page 21). Nana’s choice to prioritize her hero duties over her son creates a ripple effect of pain (Page 24).

Implication: Both families suffer from trauma passed down from a parent’s choices (Endeavor’s father’s death, Nana’s abandonment), which shapes their children’s fates and ties them thematically as families burdened by inherited pain.

Accomplice by Inaction:

Todoroki Family: Rei, Fuyumi, and Natsuo acknowledge their roles in failing to stop Toya’s descent into villainy by not addressing his issues or Endeavor’s abuse effectively (Page 3). Rei, in particular, admits her passivity contributed to Toya’s pain (Page 5).

Shimura Family: Nao, Chizuo, and Mako are described as complicit by inaction for not intervening in Kotaro’s abuse of Tenko, telling him to endure it instead, which fueled his resentment and led to their deaths (Page 19).

Implication: Both families feature members who, despite loving their troubled child, fail to act decisively, contributing to the child’s villainous transformation, reinforcing their shared narrative of regret and missed opportunities.

Quirk-Related Dysfunction:

Todoroki Family: The family’s dysfunction revolves around Quirks, with Endeavor’s Quirk marriage to Rei aimed at producing a child with a perfect fire-and-ice Quirk (Page 1). Toya’s powerful fire Quirk, incompatible with his cold-resistant body, led to his neglect and eventual villainy (Page 3).

Shimura Family: Tenko’s Decay Quirk, which awakened uncontrollably, was the catalyst for the family’s destruction (Page 20). Kotaro’s hatred of heroes, tied to his mother’s Quirk-based heroism, exacerbated Tenko’s isolation (Page 21).

Implication: Both families’ tragedies are tied to Quirks, either through deliberate manipulation (Endeavor’s eugenics) or unintended consequences (Tenko’s Quirk awakening), highlighting how Quirks amplify familial conflict.

Public Exposure of Family Secrets:

Todoroki Family: Dabi broadcasts the Todoroki family’s dark past—Endeavor’s abuse and the Quirk marriage—nationwide, aiming to destroy his father’s reputation (Page 1, Page 3).

Shimura Family: While not explicitly public, Tenko’s transformation into Tomura Shigaraki and his actions as a villain indirectly expose the Shimura family’s tragic history, especially through his own recounting of his family’s deaths (Page 19).

Implication: Both families’ dysfunctions are revealed to the public or within the narrative, tying their stories to societal consequences and making their private pain a public spectacle.

Sibling Dynamics and Betrayal:

Todoroki Family: Toya feels replaced by Shoto, leading to his resentment and eventual villainy, while Fuyumi and Natsuo struggle with their roles in ignoring Toya’s issues (Page 5, Page 3). Shoto, being too young, is the only one not blamed (Page 3).

Shimura Family: Hana betrays Tenko by scapegoating him to avoid Kotaro’s wrath, damaging their bond and contributing to Tenko’s emotional spiral (Page 27). This betrayal parallels Toya’s sense of being replaced.

Implication: Both families feature a sibling who feels betrayed or neglected (Toya by Shoto’s birth, Tenko by Hana’s betrayal), driving them toward villainy, creating a parallel in sibling-related pain.

Thematic Connections Involving the Shigaraki Brothers

The Shigaraki brothers, Yoichi and Zen (All For One), add another layer of connection, particularly through their influence on the Shimura family and their broader impact on the Todorokis.

Opposing Ideals and Family Conflict:

Shigaraki Brothers: Yoichi’s sense of justice clashes with Zen’s (All For One’s) ambition and megalomania, leading to Yoichi’s death and the creation of One For All (Page 31). Their sibling conflict drives the central hero-villain dichotomy of the series.

Todoroki Family: Shoto and Toya (Dabi) represent a similar hero-villain split, with Shoto pursuing heroism and Toya seeking revenge against their father (Page 1). Their conflict mirrors Yoichi and Zen’s ideological divide.

Shimura Family: Tenko’s desire to be a hero conflicts with Kotaro’s anti-hero stance, leading to Tenko’s transformation into Shigaraki (Page 21). This echoes the Shigaraki brothers’ conflict between justice and villainy.

Implication: All three family units feature internal conflicts between members with opposing values (heroism vs. villainy), tying them thematically as families divided by ideology.

Manipulation by All For One:

Shimura Family: All For One, as Zen Shigaraki, manipulates Kotaro into abusing Tenko, orchestrating the family’s destruction to create Tomura Shigaraki (Page 29).

Todoroki Family: While not directly manipulated, Toya/Dabi’s alignment with the League of Villains, led by All For One, ties the Todorokis to his schemes, as Dabi’s actions further All For One’s goal of destabilizing hero society (Page 19).

Shigaraki Brothers: Zen (All For One) directly kills Yoichi, setting the stage for One For All’s legacy, which opposes his plans (Page 31).

Implication: All For One’s influence as a manipulator connects all three families, either directly (Shimura, Shigaraki) or indirectly (Todoroki), making him a unifying force behind their tragedies.

Legacy of Heroism and Villainy:

Shigaraki Brothers: Yoichi’s creation of One For All establishes a heroic legacy, while Zen’s All For One Quirk fuels villainy, creating a generational conflict that impacts the entire series (Page 31).

Todoroki Family: Shoto carries on a heroic legacy, aiming to redefine his father’s tainted heroism, while Dabi represents a villainous rebellion against it (Page 1).

Shimura Family: Tenko’s initial desire to be a hero is crushed by Kotaro, leading to his villainous transformation as Shigaraki, who ironically becomes All For One’s successor (Page 20).

Implication: All three families are tied to the broader narrative of heroism vs. villainy, with each producing both heroes and villains whose actions ripple across generations.

Seemingly Related Elements

These are elements that make the families appear related due to narrative parallels or ambiguous connections that suggest deeper ties.

Shared Ice Quirks and the Himura Influence:

The Todoroki family’s ice Quirks (Rei, Fuyumi, Natsuo, and Shoto) and Toya’s latent ice Quirk (Page 2) are tied to the Himura family’s dominant ice genes (Page 3). Geten, a Himura relative, uses an ice Quirk and is aligned with Shigaraki’s forces (Page 4), creating a potential bridge between the families.

Seeming Connection: The presence of ice Quirks in both the Todoroki family and a Shigaraki-aligned character (Geten) suggests a possible shared genetic or Quirk-related history, though not explicitly confirmed.

Oversharing Family Drama:

Todoroki Family: The Todorokis are notorious for oversharing their drama, from Shoto’s conversation with Midoriya to Dabi’s nationwide broadcast (Page 3). This is humorously dubbed “Keeping up with the Todoroki” by fans (Page 3).

Shimura Family: Tenko’s recounting of his family’s deaths and Kotaro’s abuse in his memories (Page 19) mirrors the Todorokis’ public exposure, as does Geten’s oversharing about the Himura family (Page 4).

Seeming Connection: The tendency to reveal family secrets, whether intentionally (Dabi) or unintentionally (Shoto, Geten), creates a narrative parallel that makes the families seem linked through their inability to keep private matters private.

Environmental Impact of Family Conflicts:

Todoroki Family: The Todorokis’ use of Flashfire Fist during their battles creates a pyrocumulonimbus storm, potentially affecting global weather (Page 4).

Shimura Family: Tenko’s Decay Quirk destroys the Shimura household, symbolizing the collapse of Kotaro’s control (Page 20).

Seeming Connection: Both families’ conflicts have outsized environmental or societal impacts, suggesting their dramas are not just personal but world-altering, reinforcing their narrative kinship.

Tragic Parental Figures:

Todoroki Family: Rei’s mental breakdown and Endeavor’s abusive ambition parallel Kotaro’s abusive control and Nao’s inability to stop him (Page 5, Page 26).

Shimura Family: Kotaro’s hatred of heroes and Nao’s passive complicity mirror the Todorokis’ dynamic of an abusive father and a mother who fails to intervene effectively (Page 21, Page 26).

Shigaraki Brothers: Yoichi’s powerlessness against Zen’s villainy parallels the Todoroki and Shimura parents’ failures to protect their children (Page 31).

Seeming Connection: The presence of tragic parental figures who either perpetuate or fail to stop harm creates a shared archetype across the families, making them seem related through their flawed guardianship.

Summary of Similarities

Literal Connections:

The Himura family links the Todorokis to the Shigaraki-aligned Geten, suggesting a distant familial tie.

All For One’s manipulation directly shapes the Shimura family and indirectly influences the Todorokis through Dabi’s villainy.

Both families have histories of concealed or altered family records.

Figurative Connections:

Both the Todoroki and Shimura families are “Big, Screwed-Up Families” driven by abusive fathers (Endeavor, Kotaro) and passive mothers (Rei, Nao), leading to villainous sons (Dabi, Shigaraki).

Generational trauma from parental choices (Endeavor’s father’s death, Nana’s abandonment) shapes both families’ dysfunction.

Both families’ tragedies are tied to Quirks and public exposure of their secrets.

Sibling betrayals or neglect (Toya vs. Shoto, Hana vs. Tenko) drive key characters toward villainy.

Shigaraki Brothers’ Role:

Yoichi and Zen’s hero-villain conflict mirrors the Todoroki and Shimura families’ internal divisions.

All For One’s manipulation ties all three families, either directly or indirectly.

The legacy of heroism (Yoichi, Shoto) vs. villainy (Zen, Dabi, Shigaraki) is a unifying theme.

Seeming Connections:

Shared ice Quirks via the Himura family suggest a possible genetic link.

Oversharing family drama and environmental impacts create narrative parallels.

Tragic parental figures reinforce a shared archetype of flawed guardianship.

So as a kid I have always felt rejected, unwanted from the people who were supposed to love me and protect me, so I started to do things ,make stuff, like art, drawings, calligraphy just so that I can be appreciated, get a little bit of my parents affection/attention.

Later applied the same notion in making friends, which explains why i felt that my friends- don't see "me", they only see my skill set. Now I realise why, because that is the only thing that I showed them. I never reflected who I was on the inside and tbh there was nothing to see. Only damage goods.

I was absolutely broken, my skill set saved me from becoming a social disaster but also made me just an asset in people's lives. I do good at work because I know how to be useful but I don't know one person who has picked me for who I am, for me, my personality, my essence.

And that is exactly why when my first love rejected me i felt like he rejected my soul...

My mere existence.

It was devastating because it was proof, a real time "history repeating itself" a notation of what my father did to me. I was rejected and it felt like I was worthless.... Again.

That I was not likable if I wasn't useful.