Todoroki vs. Midoriya opens the Sports Festival's marquee bout, and Izuku spends it burning through his own fingers rather than his footing. Ice keeps coming, wind keeps answering, and the round turns into an argument about the half of Shoto's Quirk he refuses to touch.
Main Characters (7)
Summary
Izuku enters the match hunting for a plan while Shoto simply starts working. Half-Cold Half-Hot sends spears of ice racing along the ground, and Izuku answers by flicking a middle finger loaded with One For All, the resulting gust shredding the advance. A second flick from his index finger connects with Shoto, who anchors himself with ice at his back rather than be blown out of bounds. More ice follows from the floor, more wind tears it apart, and Shoto rides a board of his own making into the air before dropping another wave that knocks Izuku down and freezes one of his feet in place.
With Izuku stuck and apparently defenseless, Shoto presses the attack, only for another burst of wind pressure to break the ice and shove him back. The state of Izuku's fingers tells Shoto the match is nearly decided, so he commits to a finishing wave, and it too disintegrates against a gust that should not have been possible. Izuku turns the pause into an accusation: Shoto is chasing the top of the podium on half a Quirk, and he has not managed a single injury yet. Closing his ruined right hand into a fist, he demands a fair fight, man to man, and a furious Shoto is left trying to work out what he is up to.
Key Events
Izuku repeatedly cancels Shoto's ice attacks using the wind pressure generated by One For All flicks, at the cost of his own fingers.
Shoto traps Izuku's foot in ice and moves to end the match, and Izuku frees himself and keeps standing.
Izuku challenges Shoto to stop fighting with only one half of his Quirk.
Watching remotely, All For One tells Tomura to pay close attention to this particular match.
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Notes
Horikoshi numbered this one 38. It runs nineteen pages, debuted in issue 20 of 2015, and sits in Volume 5 as part of the U.A. Sports Festival arc.
Its animated coverage is split, with the first two pages in Episode 22 and the remainder in Episode 23. The chapter starts the Izuku Midoriya versus Shoto Todoroki bout.
Horikoshi's author comment celebrates finally watching Robot Jox, praising the scale and weight of its robots.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens in My Hero Academia Chapter 38?
Chapter 38, Todoroki vs. Midoriya, opens the Sports Festival's marquee bout between Izuku Midoriya and Shoto Todoroki. Izuku repeatedly shreds Shoto's ice attacks with wind gusts from One For All flicks, breaking his own fingers, then challenges Shoto to fight him with his fire as well as his ice.
How does Izuku Midoriya counter Shoto Todoroki's ice attacks in Chapter 38?
In Chapter 38, Izuku Midoriya flicks fingers charged with One For All to generate bursts of wind that shred Shoto Todoroki's incoming ice, at the cost of shattering his own fingers with each flick.
What does Izuku accuse Shoto of during their Sports Festival match in Chapter 38?
In Chapter 38, Izuku Midoriya accuses Shoto Todoroki of chasing the top of the podium while using only half his Quirk, since Shoto has not used his fire and has not landed a single injury on him.
What does All For One say while watching the Chapter 38 match?
In Chapter 38, All For One tells Tomura Shigaraki to pay close attention to the Izuku Midoriya versus Shoto Todoroki match as it unfolds.
When was Chapter 38 released and what arc does it belong to?
Chapter 38 released on April 13, 2015, in issue 20 of that year, and belongs to the U.A. Sports Festival arc within Volume 5.
Sources & Information
Looking for more on Chapter 38? The Dragon Ball Wiki on Fandom has a dedicated page with community notes.
View on FandomThis content is original writing by Daddy Jim Headquarters based on the Dragon Ball anime series, manga, and official materials. Episode and chapter references are cited where applicable.
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