#heroranking

Analysis of Endeavor's Character Flaws

Core Fatal Flaws

Pride and Envy - The Cardinal Sins

Endeavor's character is fundamentally driven by these two deadly sins, which manifest as:

An obsessive need to surpass All Might, viewing him as looking down on him (when All Might never did)

Inability to accept being second-best, despite being objectively exceptional

Holding himself and everyone around him to impossibly high standards

Using his family as tools rather than loving them as individuals

Stubborn Obsession

Refuses to let go of his ambition to surpass All Might, even when it becomes destructive

Continues pursuing his goals despite the mounting cost to his family

Cannot accept that some dreams may be unattainable or not worth the price

Emotional Coldness

Callous and indifferent toward civilians he's sworn to protect

Treats his children as experiments or "things" rather than people

Shows contempt for those he deems weak or inferior

Prioritizes prestige over genuine heroism

Secondary Character Defects

Poor Communication Skills

Resorts to yelling or intimidation when frustrated

Fails to properly explain his concerns to his children (especially Toya)

Avoids difficult conversations, leading to tragic misunderstandings

Cannot express love or care in healthy ways

Hypocrisy

Tells Toya to give up his dangerous quirk training while refusing to abandon his own impossible dream

Claims to show his children "the life of a hero" while behaving unheroically at home

Expects others to sacrifice for his goals while avoiding personal responsibility

Social Ineptitude

Lacks basic interpersonal skills outside of professional hero work

Cannot read social situations or emotional needs of others

Alienates people through his aggressive, intimidating demeanor

Struggles to show vulnerability or genuine emotion

The Psychological Root

Inferiority Complex

Hidden beneath his arrogant exterior is a deep-seated belief in his own inadequacy:

Childhood trauma of watching his father die while feeling powerless

Physical limitations of his quirk that prevent him from reaching All Might's level

Compensates for insecurity through domination and control

Projects his self-hatred onto his family

Inability to Process Grief

Cannot properly mourn or accept Toya's apparent death

Channels grief into increased abuse rather than seeking help

Uses his remaining children to "justify" past mistakes through the sunk cost fallacy

The Tragic Irony

Endeavor's flaws create a self-defeating cycle:

His pride prevents him from accepting help or admitting weakness

His envy drives him to extreme measures that damage what he claims to value

His coldness pushes away the very people he needs for emotional support

His stubbornness prevents him from changing course until it's too late

The most tragic aspect is that many of his flaws stem from genuinely caring about strength, heroism, and his family - but his inability to express these feelings healthily transforms love into abuse and admiration into obsession.

The Path to Redemption

What makes Endeavor compelling is that his character arc shows these flaws can be acknowledged and gradually overcome:

Accepting responsibility for his actions rather than making excuses

Learning humility by recognizing he didn't earn the #1 spot

Developing empathy by considering his family's perspectives

Practicing patience in allowing relationships to heal naturally

Choosing sacrifice by removing himself from his family's lives when necessary

However, the text makes clear that some damage cannot be undone - true redemption requires accepting that some relationships may never fully heal, and that living with the consequences of one's actions is part of genuine atonement.

Conclusion

Yoroi Musha’s Core Flaws

1. Secretly Selfish (Fame > Duty)

Despite his lofty, “samurai-like” image as the “Equipped Hero,” Musha admits to himself upon retirement that he only became a hero for fame and admiration, not true altruism.

This makes all his previous “noble samurai” posturing hollow, showing he never embodied the loyalty and self-sacrifice his theme suggested.

His retirement speech tries to make it sound noble (“falling on my sword”), but it’s really a self-serving attempt to exit gracefully while saving face.

2. Cowardice (Dirty Coward / Screw This, I’m Outta Here!)

When society is shaken after the Paranormal Liberation War — villains escaping from prisons, cities in ruins, heroes dying — he quits at the worst moment possible.

Instead of trying to restore hope or rebuild public trust, he wavers and runs away, proving he doesn’t have the backbone the samurai aesthetic implies.

His exit is contrasted with characters like Death Arms (who also quit, but did so lamenting his emotional exhaustion) — Musha quits with excuses and self-pity.

3. Can’t Take Criticism

His decision to retire comes directly from the negative backlash against heroes after the disaster with Shigaraki, Gigantomachia, and Dabi’s revelation.

Rather than weather public anger and prove himself, he folds at the sheer idea of losing face.

This tells us his entire identity as a hero was based on external validation (status, applause, rankings) rather than conviction.

4. Hypocrisy (Broken Pedestal / It’s What I Do, Until It Isn’t)

At the Hero Billboard ranking event, he claimed: “My duty has not changed. I’ll continue doing what I must.”

That vow is utterly contradicted when the backlash hits — meaning he was all talk, no substance.

This hypocrisy leaves fans disillusioned. Some even heckle him mid-announcement, a rare humiliation in-universe for a top 10 Pro Hero.

5. Superficial Identity (Image Over Integrity)

His entire persona is wrapped in samurai aesthetics — armor, beard, loyalty symbolism. Yet his actions reveal he shares none of those samurai values.

This creates an ironic contrast: Japan’s cultural archetype of unwavering discipline and loyalty embodied by someone who abandons his post under pressure.

Essentially, he’s a cosplay samurai — image-rich, substance-poor.

6. Oblivious Insensitivity

His “falling on my sword” comment wasn’t noble; it angered people even more. He failed to recognize that the public was grieving lost family, murdered civilians, destroyed homes — real pain.

His statement boiled down to: “I’m done because you people hurt my feelings; remember me with honor.”

This lack of empathy highlights how disconnected he was from the struggles of the people he claimed to protect.

7. Fragile Resolve (Weak Mental Fortitude)

The real heroes of MHA — from Deku to Mirko to Aizawa — push forward despite injury, hatred, or exhaustion. Yoroi Musha demonstrates the inverse: the moment things look bleak, he exposes that he never had the internal drive to continue.

His retirement effectively makes him a cautionary tale — someone who had a high rank and reputation but no real spirit when it mattered most.

Summary of Flaws

Self-centered: Heroism was a means to personal validation, not altruism.

Cowardly: Quit when his duty became the hardest test.

Hypocritical: Words and image didn’t align with actions.

Weak under scrutiny: Couldn’t stand to lose reputation or endure criticism.

Insensitive: Framing his retirement as “honorable” belittled real suffering.

Theme Irony: “Samurai” hero who embodied everything samurai values are not.

Narrative Function

Yoroi Musha is not meant to be admired — he’s there to show that even the Top 10 heroes included frauds who were more attached to glory than sacrifice. In a story about what makes a true hero, his downfall is a narrative foil: setting him beside people like Mirko, Aizawa, or even Deku makes their conviction shine brighter by contrast.

He’s the sacrificial lamb of disillusionment: proof that not all pro heroes are worthy, and that the public’s mistrust after the war isn’t baseless.