Chapter Text
hang on, hang on, i don’t think it’s recording yet!
didn’t you turn it on before we sat down?
I did!! it’s just, fancy cameras are hard to work!
jirou! hey, jirou! Can you help us out with- oh
well, now i feel like a dumbass
you are a dumbass. you didn’t check the lens cap?
you didn’t notice it either!
(thanks jirou you’re the best i don’t know what i’d do without you.)
die, probably
uncalled for
but also! not wrong
anyways, we ready?
yeah
i’ve got all my notes
aaaaaand…. action!!
---
It starts, as do many of the more interesting episodes of class 1-A’s dorm life, with Kaminari getting an Idea. Now, the collateral damage of said ideas is ordinarily borne by Kirishima, Sero, and Mina, because they’re Kaminari’s best friends and generally willing at any time to throw themselves headfirst into any and all dangerous, harebrained shenanigans.
This time, however, is different.
This time, Kaminari walks up to Todoroki in the hallway after class and says, “Dude, I need your help.”
Todoroki checks over his shoulder, twice, to verify that Kaminari is indeed talking to him. “Why?”
“Yesterday you asked Shinsou-kun if he was Aizawa-sensei’s son,” Kaminari says, as though that explains anything at all.
“...yes?”
“Make a hero conspiracy YouTube channel with me.”
Todoroki blinks. Then he blinks again. When he opens his eyes, Kaminari is still standing there and his smile hasn’t given an inch.
“I’m sorry, what.”
Kaminari shrugs casually, rubbing the back of his neck. “You just seem like you’re into that kind of thing! And I think it’d be fun! So what do ya say?”
Todoroki is silent for a long moment, until Kaminari starts to fidget slightly. Then he nods, once, and says, “Yeah, sure.”
Kaminari fist-pumps. “Hell yeah! You’re not gonna regret this, dude. Come on, I need to tell you some ideas I’ve got.”
Todoroki, still not entirely sure what’s happening, follows.
“So, I was thinking for our first episode we could do one of the top ten! That’d net us more attention, and everybody already knows who they are anyways. Uh, probably not Endeavor. But like, Best Jeanist? He’s pretty weird. I think maybe he’s got a mustache, and that’s why his turtleneck is pulled up all the way past his nose. Then when he’s out of costume, people won’t recognize him. I bet it’s a bad mustache, too.”
“Hm,” Todoroki says when Kaminari pauses for breath. “What makes you sure he has a mouth at all?”
Kaminari slowly turns to look at him, and whispers to himself, slightly awed, “This was the best idea ever.”
---
The borrowed camera switches on, focusing on two boys sitting on a couch. The one on the left is blonde-haired and practically bouncing with excitement, while the other has mismatched eyes, a stoic expression, and a jumble of papers on his lap.
hey! hello! i’m kaminari!
i’m todoroki
and this is the first episode of hero theory!!!
the way it works is basically, my hella smart friend here will explain some wild theories about the pro heroes we all love and look up to
and i’ll react and like chime in and stuff!
suddenly it sounds like i’m doing more work here
too late! you already agreed to this
i did and that was my mistake
alright, so today we’re talking-
theorizing!
makes us sound smarter
THEORIZING about the current number three hero, Best Jeanist, and what exactly is under his… neck. turtleneck.
jurtleneck
no
---
They post the first video the same day they film it, with minimal editing because neither of them really knows how to do that. Kaminari holds up a hand for a high five, which Todoroki returns with some hesitation and a few moments of confused squinting, and then they press the upload button together.
They don’t really expect much.
When he wakes up the next morning, Todoroki’s email inbox is full of comments and subscription notifications. Not an overwhelming number, but far more than the amount he had expected (which was zero).
---
Hero Theory Episode 1: What Does Best Jeanist Really Look Like?
1,034 views
Comments • 21
Mico Nico
Holy shit these kids are hilarious
Sketching
isn’t that endeavor’s son?? from the sports festival? i didn’t know he could look excited
Tara Wonder
Ok but THEYRE NOT WRONG how do we KNOW he has a mouth
All Star
meh, production quality’s crap but the idea’s solid
Paxxxton
im lmao @ todoroki’s face every time kaminari calls jeanist’s hero costume ‘the jostume’
---
Todoroki is just finishing rereading the comments for the third time when Kaminari’s practically breaking down his door, yelling in incoherent excitement. Todoroki lets him in before he can wake up Bakugou next door and cause an incident, and they go over the comments together, making note of the criticisms. They’re both smiling, Kaminari huge and bright and Todoroki small and proud.
Todoroki starts writing actual scripts, outlining the episode so he doesn’t get distracted or lose his place. Kaminari visits Present Mic after class to ask for lessons in video editing. Jirou commandeers her camera back to film for them, and starts teaching them about lens options and audio settings.
The next day, Aizawa-sensei is collecting worksheets when he blinks down at the back of one, seemingly nonplussed, and says, “Todoroki.”
Todoroki looks up.
“What’s this list on the back of your homework?”
“Brainstorming,” Todoroki says.
“For what?”
Todoroki doesn’t miss a beat. “An extracurricular project.”
“What kind of extracurricular project would produce the words ‘Mount Lady is actually giant and her quirk is shrinking down to normal size?’” Aizawa-sensei asks, his voice totally flat.
“Oh, dude, that’s a great one!” Kaminari exclaims, drawing the attention of the classroom. “We should do that next. Hang on, what else is on there?”
And that’s how the rest of Class 1-A finds out about the project.
---
so, if she’s actually huge
would she get big again if she had quirk restraints on then? or her quirk was cancelled somehow?
that would depend on whether her quirk is active when she’s small
like, is she constantly using it to stay that size or does she just use it once to shrink
oh probably the second one! right? cause otherwise how would she sleep?
in a… really big house?
…
wait, don-
HEY AIZAWA-SENSEI!! CAN YOU HELP US TEST A THEORY?
we’re going to die
---
origamidragons posted
okay so hero theory is a great show just in general but my favorite part of it is the confirmation that todoroki shouto is not in fact that stoic badass we all thought he was after the sports festival and is instead a gIGANTIC NERD
108 notes #hero theory #person: todoroki shouto
---
One by one, a few of their other classmates get roped into the production. Other then Jirou, who’s settled into her role as their camerawoman, there’s also Midoriya, whose encyclopedic knowledge of heroes and quirks makes him a common guest expert; Yaoyorozu and Iida, who are always willing to help with research; and Hagakure, who’s happy to be equipped with a Go-Pro and set to work trying to get evidence for various theories.
Most of the rest of class 1-A makes at least an appearance or two, be it by crossing through the background to get leftovers from the fridge and scowling at the camera (Bakugou) or belly-flopping onto the couch between the two hosts to insert their own opinion (Mina, frequently).
And slowly, steadily, their subscriber count begins to grow. As word gets around about the series and it increases in quality and popularity, they start getting more views, more likes, more comments. Some of them are trolls or spam, but the vast majority are genuine praise.
Todoroki’s not exactly sure just how it happens, but before long he’s the writer and co-host for one of the fastest-growing new shows on YouTube. He’s also suddenly friends with Kaminari, and he’s not quite sure how that happened, either.
But he’s definitely not complaining.
---
Hero Theory Episode 9: What Species is UA’s Principal Nedzu?
41,567 views
Comments • 291
Pterror
okay but did you see that wink at the go pro at 5:66? nedzu definitely knew they were filming him im Afraid
Take On Me
I love how they say Midoriya’s a guest star but really Todoroki just drags him over to the couch, gives him a topic and just lets him run.
Free Bird
I think he’s a rat? A really big rat? I don’t know what kaminari’s on but that is DEFINITELY not a bear
Yuki Nora
fdgsjgdhdj koda’s face when they ask if his quirk works on nedzu WHAT DOES HE KNOW
---
The show makes Endeavor furious, which of course is only another reason to not just continue it but continue to improve it. He calls Todoroki one day to rant about how the ‘ridiculous’ videos are damaging his reputation and preventing people from taking him seriously.
Todoroki plays the entire four-minute message on speakerphone, stone-faced, in the credits to episode fourteen as Kaminari absolutely loses it laughing next to him.
---
everywhereilook reblogged from kingofthegarbagehill
Gif: Todoroki explaining a theory very seriously to the camera while Kaminari reacts with exaggerated expressions of shock next to him.
Gif: Sero, not noticing the camera, walks directly into the shot and starts searching for the TV remote under the couch cushion that Todoroki is sitting on.
Gif: Kaminari acting out a theoretical fight scene, complete with sound affects and a lightsaber substituting for a sword.
Gif: Selfie-cam style footage with Todoroki staring flatly into the camera in the foreground. In the background, Kaminari can be seen trying to get an explanation from Aizawa as to why his hair floats.
Gif: Midoriya, sitting between Todoroki and Kaminari on the couch, sketches out a diagram in a notebook while muttering to himself, then holds it up to the camera.
Gif: Kaminari and Todoroki sitting on the couch, ready to film. A hand appears in the shot from behind the camera, someone counting down on their fingers: three, two, one.
451 notes #hero theory #gifset #gif warning #class 1-a content
---
hey guys! i’m kaminari
and i’m todoroki
and this is episode fifteen of hero theory!
today we’re going to be theorizing about the ghost hero, ectoplasm.
for some background, ectoplasm’s hero costume consists of a long sleeveless trenchcoat-slash-cloak, and he does all his fighting exclusively with his legs
this has led some people-
pretty sure it’s just us, dude
-to wonder if he has arms at all
we couldn’t find any pictures or anything confirming either way, so we decided we’d try and find out ourselves!
wish us luck!
i want it on record that I think this is a terrible idea
The screen switches to a shaky, hand-held found-footage camera feed. Ectoplasm is visible in center of the shot, clearly unaware of the students’ presence. The camera pans slightly to one side to show Todoroki, who activates his quirk to create a snowball in his right hand.
“Ready?” Kaminari whispers from behind the camera. Todoroki nods once, expression tight. Kaminari yells, “THINK FAST!” as Todoroki throws the snowball, aiming directly at Ectoplasm’s head.
Ectoplasm’s head jerks up at the shout and he launches himself into a leap, spinning around in midair and smashing the snowball to power with one peg leg. Kaminari makes a strangled sound as the teacher, clearly annoyed and lightly dusted with snow, glares directly at the camera. He grabs Todoroki’s arm and starts backing down the hallway.
“Abort mission, abort mission, run run run run-“
The footage ends there, switching back to the familiar sight of the two boys on the couch, obviously filmed on a later date than the first segment.
i told you it wouldn’t work
it was worth a try!!
was it worth the week of lunch detention?
absolutely, dude.
---
Amilie Red @houseofarms
the real reason todoroki and kaminari from hero theory r so good at their job: their homeroom teacher is a certified cryptid
Shalyssa @itsyagirllyssa
yaoyorozu appearing in the latest episode of hero theory solely to roast uwabami for being anti-feminist cleared my skin, watered my crops,
Five Plastic Dinosaurs @katitulips
i relate to todoroki shouto bc i too am an antisocial mess constantly being dragged into dumb shit by an extroverted friend
---
The idea for episode twenty comes, of all places, from Midoriya. He catches Todoroki’s attention one day during lunch, and says, “Have you ever thought about researching any older heroes for your show? Like from the Silver Age?”
“No,” Todoroki admits. His knowledge of heroes is extensive, but it’s limited to those that are currently active or very recently retired. Endeavor never saw any use in teaching him about dead or long-retired heroes who would never pose a threat to him, which means he barely knows anything about any heroes from before the time of All Might beyond what’s taught in history class. “It’s a good idea, though. Do you have one in mind?”
And Midoriya says, without a moment of hesitation, “Nana Shimura.”
It’s harder to research than the other episodes, even with Midoriya’s pre-existing knowledge to draw from. Nana Shimura is from before heroes were widely monitored and registered, so most information about her is vague, but Todoroki recruits Yaoyorozu to help him and Midoriya search, and little by little they build a story.
It’s quite a story.
---
hey hey guys! as you all know, i’m kaminari
and i’m todoroki
and this is episode 20- holy shit- of hero theory!!
we’ve got a surprise for you guys today! a deep dive into the age of heroes past!
todoroki, you wanna explain?
right. today we’re talking about a lesser-known heroine from the silver age
it’s important to learn not just about the heroes who are active today, but also those that came before
so today we’re telling you the story of a woman named nana shimura, hero name adamant
hell yeah!! and let me tell you guys, this lady was a certified, grade a badass
she could beat me up and i wouldn’t even be mad
lots of people could beat you up, though
didn’t ojiro kick your ass in training this morning?
don’t expose me like this, dude
it’s what i’m here for
yeah i know
ANYWAYS!! Tell us about adamant!
right. so, adamant first emerged as a hero around the middle of the silver age
---
Hero Theory Episode 20: Who Was Nana Shimura?
231,239 views
Comments • 1,012
Kono Pisces
This was a really cool episode! I know it was a departure for you guys, but it’s actually my favorite so far.
Cleopatra
shE PUNCHED OUT MATTERHORN?? THAT GUY WAS HUGE??
Ab3see
wow thanks I’m crying ;-;;;
Westerling Pride
how have i never heard of her? man suddenly i really want to read up on the silver age
(*^o^*)
Hey petition to add this lady posthumously to the memorial for heroes died in the line of duty!
---
The day after the video on Nana Shimura goes up, All Might walks up to Todoroki and Kaminari in the hallway and drags them both into a tight hug, muttering thank yous. After a long beat of silence, Todoroki, very slowly and uncertainly, hugs him back.
He might not be able to understand just what he’s being thanked for, but he can tell it’s something important.
If All Might’s rake-thin shoulders are shuddering, Todoroki doesn’t mention it.
---
so normally, we’re always talking about heroes on this show, right?
yes, it is called ‘hero theory,’ kaminari
right! so today, we’re taking a break from all that!
instead, we’re going to be theorizing on the other side of the law! the villains!
take it away, todoroki
so stain was wrong and people who idolize him are terrible
here’s why
heck yeah, man, spill that tea
i have no idea what that means
---
Josephine Johnson @jojojojo
my aesthetic is todoroki shouto completely dismantling stain’s fucked-up ideology while kaminari cheers him on
Hitsumi Tatsuya @burnboiburn
Musutafu Tonight Whomst? I only know Hero Theory
Empty Bitch @lulupeir
@chargebolt why doesn’t todoroki have a twitter how else am I supposed to roast him for his conclusions
Kaminari Denki @chargebolt
@lulupeir dude dm me your roasts and ill read them out loud to him in the next episode
Empty Bitch @lulupeir
@chargebolt isn’t the hero we need but he’s the one we deserve
---
It gives Todoroki an idea, seeing the impact that the Adamant episode has. He has to spend a while thinking about it, making sure it’s what he wants to do. Talks to Midoriya, and All Might, and Fuyumi and Natsuo.
Then he tells Kaminari he wants to do an episode on Endeavor. And through halting words, he tells him why.
---
Hero Theory Episode 23: The Truth About Endeavor?
432,765 views
Comments • 3,283
Razzmatazz
holy fuck
Mira Ramone
is this for real? if this is a publicity thing, it’s really tasteless.
Zevvon
The part at 10:51 where Kaminari puts his hand on Todoroki’s shoulder? My HEART
Terabyte Tim
todoroki sounds so… off. i want to give him a hug???
Reimi
DID KAMINARI REALLY CALL THE NUMBER ONE HERO A BURNED CHICKEN NUGGET WE STAN ONE ICON
---
From behind the camera, Jirou counts them down with hand signals: three, two, one, go. As soon as she hits the last, Kaminari breaks out into a beaming grin. “Hey guys! So, Hero Theory is going to be a little different today. There was a lot of demand on it for Twitter, especially after the last episode, so we’re doing a Q&A thing to celebrate hitting a hundred thousand subscribers!”
Todoroki nods. He looks a little more downcast and anxious than he usually does, not quite making eye contact with the camera.
“If you have a question, remember to submit it on Twitter under the hashtag #HTQA! Asshole questions will be smited with the fury of a thousand suns and one point three million volts!”
“Smote.”
“Huh?”
“Past tense of smite is smote,” Todoroki clarifies.
“Okay, then asshole questions will be smote. Let’s get this started!” Kaminari pulls out his phone and starts scrolling through the tag. “First question! One I’ve been asking for ages. Todoroki. Dude. Why don’t you have a Twitter yet?”
“I don’t need one,” Todoroki says, like it’s obvious.
“I’ve been trying,” Kaminari confides in an aside to the camera. “Dude’s intent on being a social media ghost. Second question: ‘are you two dating?’ Tragically, no. He’s hot, and I know, anybody would be lucky to have me, but Todoroki’s already got a cru-”
The last word is abruptly cut off into a stifled yell when he takes a couch pillow hard to the face. Todoroki, holding the pillow over Kaminari’s mouth with one hand, steals his phone with the other and scrolls through the next few questions while ignoring his co-host’s muffled complaints.
“‘Will you ever do theories on your classmates?’” he reads. “Maybe, but probably not. We already know them very well, and the hero license exam revealed that we place ourselves at a disadvantage if we release too much information about ourselves.” He scrolls down to the next question, and reads it silently with raised eyebrows before staring flatly into the camera. "Keep your questions appropriate."
Kaminari finally succeeds in shoving free of the pillow a few questions later, and seizes his phone back, settling into his seat again. “‘Where did the idea for the Adamant episode come from?’ I actually don’t know. Todoroki?”
“That one was Midoriya’s idea. Apparently he was a big fan of hers and wanted her to get more recognition.”
“Nice. ‘Who’s your cameraman?’ Camerawoman, actually. Say hi, Jirou!”
“Hey,” Jirou says, sounding bemused. A hand wearing chipped black nail polish appears in the shot, flashing a peace sign at the audience. Todoroki gives her a thumbs up.
“‘Question for both of you,’” Kaminari continues. “‘which episode was your favorite?’ Oh, uh, I was really proud of the Thirteen episode. We had a whole ton of nonbinary folks commenting to tell us they were happy with the way we handled all the theorizing about their gender! That was great!”
“The Adamant episode was mine,” Todoroki says. “It was harder to research, but it felt good to see a less glorified hero get the recognition she deserved.” He pauses, then adds, “Personally, though, I got the most satisfaction out of the Endeavor episode.”
Kaminari grins at that, before moving on to the next question. “‘Why don’t you guys have a Discord server?’ We should absolutely have a Discord server. That’s such a good idea. I’m making one as soon as we’re done with this.”
“Next question! This one’s for Todoroki too. Let me know if you’re not comfortable answering this, dude. ‘Why’d you decide to make the Endeavor episode?’”
Todoroki is quiet for a long moment before he answers, measuring his words. “Because… it’s important that people understand what sort of person he is. Even if he’s trying to be better now, and do better.” He shrugs a little. “After the Adamant episode proved that our show could actually have an impact, it just felt right.”
“Good answer, dude,” Kaminari says. “‘How did you get the idea to start this show?’ This one I can answer. Okay, so one of our classmates, Shinsou, you guys know him, he showed up in one of our episodes when we were talking about, uh…”
“Negative quirk stigma,” Todoroki says.
“Right, that. So he’s got kind of crazy hair and looks tired all the time, and Aizawa-sensei has crazy hair and looks tired all the time, so on the first day after Shinsou joined our class-“
“Is this necessary?”
“Yep!” Kaminari answers, sounding absolutely delighted. “On the first day after Shinsou joined our class, Todoroki walked up to him and asked him, to his face, if he was secretly Aizawa-sensei’s secret love child.”
“It wasn’t that unreasonable,” Todoroki mutters, looking away from the camera. “Aizawa-sensei was privately training him to get him into the hero course, and gave him a version of his capture weapon too.”
“So I saw this go down, and my immediate thought was, of course, dude, that guy would be a perfect co-host for a show about hero conspiracy theories.” Kaminari grinned widely, and hooked an arm around Todoroki’s shoulders, pulling him into a one-armed hug. “And look, I was right!”
---
“Are you okay, man?” Kaminari asks, after they finish filming. He sounds uncharacteristically cautious when he says it.
Todoroki has to think about it for a moment. He nods. “Yeah, I think I am.”
When Kaminari holds his hand up for a high five this time, Todoroki doesn’t hesitate.