#icequirk

Post-Analysis: Why Geten from the Meta Liberation Army Could Be a Compelling Arch-Enemy for Shoto Todoroki

Geten, the icy prodigy of the Meta Liberation Army (MLA) and protégé of Re-Destro, stands out as a potential arch-enemy for Shoto Todoroki, the hero-in-training with a dual ice-and-fire Quirk. Their shared abilities, parallel mentor relationships, and contrasting life choices create a dynamic rivalry that could test Shoto’s growth and highlight the stakes of his journey in My Hero Academia. This analysis explores why Geten’s parallels and contrasts with Shoto—through their ice-based Quirks, mentor-protégé dynamics, and Geten’s embodiment of a darker path Shoto avoided—make him a narratively rich adversary.

1. Parallels in Mentor-Protégé Dynamics

Geten’s relationship with Re-Destro mirrors Shoto’s with Endeavor, laying a foundation for their rivalry. As Re-Destro’s protégé, Geten is molded to uphold the MLA’s ideology of Quirk liberation and societal upheaval, serving as an extension of his mentor’s vision. Similarly, Shoto was raised as Endeavor’s heir, trained rigorously to fulfill his father’s ambition of surpassing All Might. Both characters are shaped by powerful, ideologically driven figures who view them as tools for their legacies. However, Endeavor’s abusive methods aimed at heroism contrast with Re-Destro’s grooming of Geten for a destructive agenda that rejects hero society.

This parallel underscores a critical difference: Shoto’s arc involves breaking free from Endeavor’s control to forge his own identity, while Geten remains fiercely loyal to Re-Destro, fully embracing the MLA’s radical cause. Geten represents a version of Shoto who might have blindly followed Endeavor’s orders without questioning his motives, embodying ideological rigidity against Shoto’s personal evolution. Their rivalry would thus be a clash of growth versus stagnation, with their mentor-protégé dynamics adding personal stakes.

2. Shared Ice-Based Abilities and Tactical Similarities

Geten’s Ice Ploy Quirk, which allows precise manipulation of existing ice on a massive scale, closely resembles Shoto’s early reliance on ice-based tactics. Before his character development, Shoto predominantly used his ice powers, rejecting his fire side due to resentment toward Endeavor. His fighting style, seen in battles like the Sports Festival Arc against Midoriya, featured overwhelming ice attacks, such as creating massive glaciers to immobilize opponents. Geten’s combat style—manipulating ice to form complex structures or devastating attacks, like ice dragons in the MLA Arc—mirrors this pre-development Shoto, emphasizing raw power and ice-based dominance.

This similarity positions Geten as a dark reflection of Shoto’s past self. Shoto’s growth into a versatile hero who integrates fire and ice contrasts with Geten’s one-dimensional reliance on ice, symbolizing a refusal to evolve. A battle between them would be a spectacle of ice-based techniques, with Shoto’s balanced Quirk usage highlighting his superiority over Geten’s powerful but limited ice manipulation. Their shared abilities would make their conflict both visually striking and symbolically rich, representing growth versus fixation.

3. Geten as a Dark Reflection of Shoto’s Potential Path

Geten embodies a path Shoto could have taken without his character development. Shoto’s arc in My Hero Academia centers on overcoming Endeavor’s toxic influence, reconciling with his dual nature, and defining heroism on his own terms. His pivotal moment against Midoriya, where he begins using his fire powers, marks his rejection of a one-dimensional identity rooted in resentment. Without this growth, Shoto might have remained a cold, isolated figure, defined by anger and limited by his reliance on ice.

Geten represents this alternate Shoto. His fierce loyalty to the MLA and Re-Destro, combined with his exclusive focus on ice, reflects a Shoto who never moved beyond his trauma or embraced his full potential. Geten’s dedication to the MLA’s cause—prioritizing Quirk supremacy and societal destruction—parallels a hypothetical Shoto who might have channeled his pain into rebellion against hero society rather than reform within it. As a “what-if” scenario, Geten forces Shoto to confront the consequences of a path he narrowly avoided, making their rivalry deeply personal. Geten might see Shoto’s balanced heroism as a betrayal of their shared potential, while Shoto views Geten as a cautionary tale of succumbing to manipulation and anger.

4. Ideological Conflict and Narrative Stakes

The ideological divide between Geten and Shoto amplifies their potential as arch-enemies. Geten’s Social Darwinist beliefs, rooted in the MLA’s vision of Quirk supremacy, prioritize strength as the basis for societal order. This stance directly opposes Shoto’s values, which emphasize protecting others and rebuilding trust in heroes, shaped by his relationships with Midoriya, his mother, and even Endeavor. Shoto’s growth involves rejecting the notion that strength alone defines worth, while Geten views weakness as a flaw to be eradicated.

Their confrontations would be both physical and philosophical. Geten’s taunts could target Shoto’s insecurities—his past struggles with his Quirk, his complex family dynamics, or his role as Endeavor’s son—forcing Shoto to defend his growth and beliefs. Conversely, Shoto’s balanced perspective could challenge Geten’s worldview, exposing the flaws in his blind loyalty to the MLA. This ideological clash adds depth to their rivalry, transforming their battles into tests of conviction as much as combat prowess.

5. Narrative Potential as Arch-Enemies

Geten’s status as a recurring threat enhances his suitability as Shoto’s arch-enemy. As a high-ranking MLA member with prodigious strength and a powerful Quirk, Geten is a formidable adversary capable of challenging top heroes. His survival in the My Hero Academia manga and lack of a definitive resolution suggest he could return as a major villain, especially if the MLA rises again. Pairing him against Shoto would capitalize on their shared traits and contrasting paths, creating a rivalry that tests Shoto’s growth as a hero and individual.

Their youth and talent set up a generational conflict, mirroring Endeavor versus Re-Destro but with higher personal stakes. A prolonged rivalry could explore themes of legacy, redemption, and the cost of loyalty, with Geten pushing Shoto to refine his skills and convictions. Their battles would be visually and emotionally gripping, with ice-based spectacles underscoring their mirrored abilities and divergent choices.

Conclusion

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Icequrik flag; coined here (link) by @specialistmediamogai

Geten (full name Himura Geten, alias Iceman), from the My Hero Academia canon on the official Fandom wiki, is a hardcore ideologue of the Meta Liberation Army (later Paranormal Liberation Front). He embodies extreme meritocracy based on Quirk strength: he believes society should be hierarchical with the most powerful Quirks at the top, and personal worth is measured almost solely by how strong and honed one's Quirk is.

Key traits from canon:

He's obsessively dedicated to training his Ice Ply (Hyōsō) Quirk for years, skipping normal life (no school, constant self-improvement) because he sees raw power as the ultimate value and survival mechanism.

He's deeply grateful to Re-Destro for "granting him more power" (likely via resources, training, or awakening opportunities), showing he values external boosts that amplify strength.

He awakened his Quirk during intense conflict (Re-Destro burning his hand), gaining temperature control over ice/water, making it far more versatile and destructive (city-scale range, manipulating existing ice/water into weapons, defenses, or platforms).

He's proud, arrogant about his own power, and dismissive of those he sees as weaker or reliant on lesser means (e.g., clashing ideologically with Dabi over Quirk philosophy, mocking reliance on fire when ice can counter it).

Rei Todoroki (née Himura) has the Frost Quirk, which lets her generate and manipulate ice from her body at will. It's a strong emitter-type ice Quirk, but she never trained it aggressively—her life was shaped by quirk marriage to Endeavor, trauma, abuse, mental breakdown, and institutionalization. She used it defensively/offensively in flashbacks (e.g., scarring Shoto), but it's portrayed as potent yet emotionally burdensome, not something she honed to its limits.

Regarding how Geten would feel about Rei (sharing the Himura surname/clan ties, both ice users):

Geten would almost certainly feel a mix of envy and disdain toward Rei, leaning heavily into envy over her raw potential but tempered by contempt for her "wasted" life.

Envy factor: Rei's Frost is a pure, innate ice generation Quirk—creating ice from nothing, potentially unlimited output if trained (similar to how Shoto's ice side scales massively). Geten's Ice Ply relies on manipulating existing ice or water sources (he needs moisture/ice nearby to go all-out, though awakening helps). In a direct comparison, Rei's ability to spawn ice freely could be seen as "superior" in versatility or sustainability in dry environments. Geten, who idolizes Quirk strength above all and trains relentlessly to maximize his, would envy someone born with what he might view as a "better toolkit" for ice dominance, especially if he learned she was from the same declining Himura bloodline (which canon ties to quirk marriages and selective breeding for strong ice Quirks).

Disdain/contempt factor: Rei never pursued power maximization—she was a civilian housewife, broken by Endeavor's abuse, and her Quirk use was sporadic/trauma-linked rather than trained to god-tier levels like Geten's lifelong grind. Geten would see this as squandering a gift: someone with strong ice heritage who could have been a top-tier powerhouse but instead became weak, passive, and institutionalized. His worldview doesn't value "potential" alone—it demands active honing and dominance. He'd likely view her as a failure or embarrassment to the bloodline, someone who didn't "earn" her power through effort, making any envy bitter and resentful.

Overall, Geten would be envious of Rei's Quirk's inherent advantages (free generation vs. his manipulation dependency), but that envy would fuel scorn—he'd see her as proof that even strong Quirks mean nothing without relentless pursuit of strength, aligning with his merit-based ideology. If they met (e.g., in a hypothetical where Geten learns of the Himura-Todoroki connections), he'd probably mock her harshly while internally seething at what she "could have been" if she'd trained like him. This fits his canon personality as someone who measures everyone by Quirk power output and effort, not birthright or unused potential.

I realixed that Geten would envy Rei for her powers