| Shin | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese | Xin (李信) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Kanji | しん/信 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Romaji | Shin | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Epithet | Friend of the king (by Ryo Fui) | ||||||||||||||||||||
|
Biographical Information
| |||||||||||||||||||||
|
Professional Information
| |||||||||||||||||||||
|
Media
| |||||||||||||||||||||
|
Appearance
| |||||||||||||||||||||
Shin(しん/信) is the main protagonist of Kingdom. He is a 5000-Man Commander of Qin and the leader of the Hi Shin Unit.
Appearance
In the beginning, Shin is a thin young boy with spiky black hair styled with a rat-tail on the back. By the time after General Ou Ki's death, Shin's hair has grown slightly longer with his rat-tail reaching his shoulder, he also has hazel eyes. His facial features are more pronounced, and has grown slightly more muscular. Despite this, his appearance largely remains unchanged. In terms of clothing, his only attire that he consistently wears throughout the series is his sleeveless blue garment fastened with a brown cloth belt complete with a pair of straw sandals giving him the appearance of a scraggy peasant to most people. After the Sanyou Campaign, Shin begins to wear armor composed of a blue scalemail , bracers and boots. Underneath his armor, his clothing remains unchanged aside from a pair of white pants that reaches his thigh.
Shin has also carried a sword with him at all times which was given to him by Hyou at the time of his death. He also has in his possession General Ou Ki's Glaive and Duke Hyou's shield entrusted to him at the time of their deaths which in turn was given to Ei Sei for safekeeping until he is strong enough to be able to use them in the battlefield especially Ou Ki's Glaive.
After becoming a 4000-Man Commander, he started to use a glaive for cavalry combat, which he carries around with him. He has also incorporated shoulder spikes onto his armor that act as a form of neck guards.
Personality
Shin is extremely hotheaded and brash, but has a heart of gold along with extreme amounts of determination. He is fiercely loyal to his friends as shown when he vows to avenge Hyou, even at the risk of his own death. His hot temper also makes him clash with Ka Ryo Ten and they tend to bicker like siblings constantly. He is capable of great rage when provoked by other, making him a deadly opponent to fight against. His long orphan days spent with Hyou makes them inextricably link and thus brings him up various times during the first arc.
Shin is also very headstrong and courageous which is evident where he unhesitatingly charges at his enemies often ones that are much more stronger than him (such as Sa Ji and to a much greater extent, Hou Ken).
Shin shows an exceptional level of charisma, who not only can encourage and lead his own unit with his words but also has managed to impress even the greatest generals after his participation in the different campaigns and battles, including Generals Ou Ki, Mou Gou, Ri Boku, Rin Ko, Ren Pa and Duke Hyou.
Shin's dream is to become the world's greatest general, so that his name will be known even in the heavens. He shared this dream with Hyou and now sets out to fulfill it for both of them.
Goal
Shin's goal is becoming a great general under the heavens. The way to prove that he is worthy is to accomplish a legendary achievement and realize Ei Sei's dream; unify all of China.
Relationships
Hyou
Raised as brothers, Hyou was the only person Shin considered to be family prior to meeting Ka Ryo Ten. As young boys they nourished the dream of becoming the greatest generals in history, and even now Shin takes inspiration from him. Hyou considered Shin and himself to be one and the same, and with his last words, requested Shin to 'take me to those heights.'
Ei Sei
The young king of Qin, and originally a target for Shin's revenge, Shin was convinced that aiding Ei Sei would be the only way he could achieve his and Hyou's dream. From there on the two grew close, Shin respecting the king's strength of character and willpower, and Sei relying upon Shin as his sword and shield. The two foster a close friendship, and share the same dream of conquering China together.
Kyou Kai
Having lost a big piece of herself with her sister's death, Shin became a light in the darkness for her, repairing the shattered fragments of her emotions, and giving her a place to call home. Kyou Kai is extremely loyal to Shin and wishes to help him achieve his dream of uniting China while also wanting to have his child, changing her plans accordingly. Shin respects her skills with a blade and often enjoys sparring with her to sharpen his own.
Ka Ryo Ten
Shin considers Ka Ryo Ten as his little sister. On chapter 386, Shin said,"Then I met Ten. The first comrades I ever made were Sei and Ten. And ever since then. You could say I already think of her... as part of my family. Like the one and only sister I have." Shin and Ka Ryo Ten met each other when Sei was trying to get his kingdom back, and later on, fight together as comrades in the Hi Shin Unit, though she may have feelings for him.
General Ou Ki
Shin has nothing but respect and admiration for the Great General, seeing him as a mentor and a guide toward his path towards being a great general. Shin's respect for Ou Ki lead him to kill Zhao's Deputy General Gi Ka without mercy, and stand up to Ren Pa when he insulted Ou Ki's passing. Ou Ki saw Shin as one of the new "sprouts" for the future of Qin and believed he was worthy of inheriting his glaive before he died.
Duke Hyou
In Shin's first campaign, Duke Hyou was the first general to make him realize that the general is the one who leads thousands of people to fight in a war. In the first day of Battle of Kankoku Pass, Shin's abilities as Instinctual General were awakened and he saved Duke Hyou's army from total destruction. That scene caught the Duke's interest and went so far as to praise him and offer to share drinks with him. Shin got Duke Hyou's Shield just before he was slain by Hou Ken. It is clear that Shin admired Duke Hyou and grew very fond of him during the coalition war. He had fought desperately to go to Duke Hyou's aid during the latter's battle with Houken almost blind to his men's plight. After the war, it was stated by Gaku Rai that Duke Hyou saw Shin as a son, since he never got one himself, which made many soldiers of Duke Hyou's Army jealous of Shin.
Possessions
After the battle with State of Wei during the Sanyou Campaign, he was given Rin Ko's sword by Ren Pa, a former member of the Three Great Heavens of Zhao as a parting gift for defeating Rin Ko, one of the Four Heavenly Kings. He also has Duke Hyou's Shield in his possession but hasn't used it yet together with Rin Ko's Sword. Prior to the Tonryuu Rebellion, Shin's main weapon is Hyou's Sword which he carries on his back when sheathed. By the time Shin becomes a 4000-Man Commander, he had already started wielding a glaive in preparation for him using Ou Ki's.
| Weapon | Arc | Situation |
| Hyou's Sword | Sei Kyou's Rebellion Arc | Hyou passed it on his deathbed. |
| Ou Ki's Glaive | Battle of Bayou Arc | Ou Ki passed it upon his death. |
| Rin Ko's Sword | Sanyou Campaign Arc | Ren Pa passed it right before he parts his way with Shin. |
| Duke Hyou's Shield | Coalition Invasion Arc | Duke Hyou threw it to Shin right before Hou Ken killed him. |
Abilities
| STATS | |
|---|---|
| Strength | 93 + large α |
| Leadership | 88 |
| Intelligence | 76 |
| Experience | A |
| Special Attack: Underworld Regression | |
| STATS | |
|---|---|
| Strength | 91+α |
| Leadership | 83 |
| Intelligence | 74 |
| Experience | B |
| Special Attack: I want to stop jumping | |
| STATS | |
|---|---|
| Strength | 90+α |
| Leadership | 80 |
| Intelligence | 72 |
| Experience | C |
| Special Attack: Jump | |
| STATS | |
|---|---|
| Strength | 88+α |
| Leadership | 70 |
| Knowledge | 70 |
| Special Attack: Still Jump Attack | |
| STATS | |
|---|---|
| Strength | 80+α |
| Leadership | 50 |
| Intelligence | 40 |
| Special Attack: Jump Attack | |
Although possessing little talent for strategy or tactics, Shin has continued to develop his instincts that has allowed a sense of insight into the flow of a battle to be observed as he grows. In lieu of tactics, Shin leads his unit from the front leading direct charges cutting down swaths and deep into enemy ranks. Through this Shin and his unit continue to grow into stronger and more capable fighters, who specialize in being able to take on enemies many times their number. As a warrior Shin boasts superior physical abilities and martial prowess than most. Though perhaps his two most impressive assets is his relentless tenacity that marks both his style of fighting and is the most indicative trait that leads to his growth. When enraged, he is able to break through his physical limits and overwhelm his enemies with brute strength alone. His signature move is to leap into the air and slice down at his opponent, cutting through their heart.
Shin's special attack
Immense Strength: One of Shin's most prominent traits is his monstrous strength, this is evident even at a young age as shown when he overpowers 4 bandits simultaneously despite the huge difference in size. Fueled with rage over Hyou's death, he was able to smash through stone walls with his fist. He applied tremendous force in his swordsmanship, able to easily cut down large numbers of armoured soldiers without tiring. His immense strength was also shown during his fight with Rin Ko, the most dangerous and strongest vassal of Ren Pa, which was enough to slay him. He has even managed to wound Hou Ken, a man whom was only ever wounded by Kyou, Ou Ki and Duke Hyou, three of the most prominent fighters in Qin.
Immense Agility: Shin is extremely fast, capable of dodging fast attacks as shown numerous times throughout his battles. He is agile enough to match Kyou Kai's movements during friendly sparring matches. In battle, Shin could cut down multiple enemies at once with incredible swiftness, giving them little time to react. He even managed to match Hou Ken in terms of speed.
Adaptation: the fight with Jo Kan, Shin has demonstrated the ability to adapt very quickly in order to get the upper hand in the battle.
Shin's willpower
Immense Endurance: has displayed an immense amount of tenacity to the point he is capable of fighting on despite excessive blood loss and numbness from his wounds. As shown in the battle of Sai, Shin is able to fight on for days with little to no sleep through sheer willpower alone.
Enhanced Healing Rate: It is stated by Kyou Kai that he also has a higher healing rate than an average person.
Master Swordsman: From the beginning, Shin is a highly skilled self-taught master swordsman from his constant sparring with Hyou during his days as a servant.
Shin rallies the men
During his battle with Rankai, Heki taught him that he needed to thrust his sword in order to cut Rankai. After which he then jumped in the air to create more thrust from the falling movement and then he concentrated that power into a single point, piercing Rankai's skin and incapacitating Rankai.
He is able to hold his ground against multiple opponents, this is evident during the Battle of Sai where he quickly overwhelms multiple Zhao soldiers. As the series progress, Shin continued to refine his precision and dexterity in swordsmanship, becoming strong enough to fight highly experienced veteran generals such as Rin Ko, who was a master in dual wielding swordsmanship. He even managed to fight Hou Ken an extremely powerful Bushin and scared him across his face which only Ou Ki had done in the past.
Leadership: He has the skill to inspire the people around him, much like any Great General. Being able to increase morale in dire situations is one of his greatest assets. It has been stated by Rin Ko that Shin was a greater leader than he was at Shin's age, shown when at the time Shin had became the figurehead for the entire central army on the last day of the Sanyou invasion Campaign. Another example is shown when he led 10,000 of Duke Hyou's troops most of whom were in disarray and retreating.
Horsemanship: Ever since his battle with Rin Ko, Shin's Horsemanship has improved by leaps and bounds. He became skilled in cavalry warfare, being even able of riding horses that were difficult to control. His horse also displayed great loyalty to him, so it is assumed that he treated it very nicely to deserve that loyalty.
Shin is an Instinctual type Commander
Instincts: During the invasion of Qin by the Coalition Army at The Battle at Kankoku Pass on the first day, Shin demonstrated an awakening of his powers as an instinctual general. While able to sense that the rear would be attacked, he moved accordingly. In the following days, he felt that there was something wrong with the enemy as he thought that the [[Chu]] army was kind of quiet in their attacks.
At the end of Fire Dragons of Wei Arc, after the enemy's headquarter has been seized, Shin again managed to sense that there's another army moving in the nearby forest. He charged in alone and with that surprise attack, he killed Rei Ou of the Wei's Seven Fire Dragon in a single swoop.
Weaknesses
He isn't capable of creating strategic plans, which makes it difficult for him to score victories against even relatively weak opponents as long as they are using combat strategies. He is easily provoked and can be very reckless. His men often share this trait, as Ryuukoku mentioned his men fall for feints too easily.
Things He Learned
| Learning | Arc | Taught by |
| Swordmanship | Before Sei Kyou's Rebellion Arc |
Hyou |
| Deflect killer intent | Sei Kyou's Rebellion Arc | Ei Sei |
| How to ride horses | Sei Kyou's Rebellion Arc | Himself |
| Sword Technique | Sei Kyou's Rebellion Arc | Heki |
| Strength of a Go (5-Man Squad) | Sei Kyou's Rebellion Arc | Heki |
| Defend against War Chariots | Keiyou Campaign Arc | Himself |
| How to make a Rampart | Keiyou Campaign Arc | Kyou Kai |
| To defeat War Chariots | Keiyou Campaign Arc | Kyou Kai |
| Fight with a glaive | Conspiracy in the Court Arc | Himself |
Other Skills
Just as General Ou Ki was on the verge of dying, he taught Shin how to breathe and see a route of escape when retreating. When he opened his eyes, he was able to see allies and enemies more clearly. He was also able to see the safest escape routes and patterns. We don't know if Shin is currently capable of using this technique, because it is never being mentioned after this event. However, it is possible that during the invasion of Qin by the Coalition Army, when he started to awaken his instinctual ability's, he is actually utilizing what he learned from General Ou Ki. Of course, this is purely speculation.
We sometimes see that very strong people have a sort of aura around them. We don't know if this is just animation for making them appear stronger or this is actually an ability. However, there are hints here and there that this is maybe an actual ability, because Yo Tan Wa was able to see something through walls and General Ou Ki and other generals mentioned being able to sense strong opponents if they are near them. We also don't know if one being able to sense an opponent and see their aura is the same type of ability.
Quotes
- [Monologue] "I want to fight him! And feel the sensation from fighting him. The strength of the former Three Great Heaven, Ren Pa, the man who was evenly matched with Qin's Six Generals." (Chapter 237, page 7)
Owned Land/House
Shin's house
Shin's territory of residence is known as Fuuri. After his achievements in the coalition invasion war, it was enlarged.
Trivia
- From what we see in his time as a servant, Shin had absolutely zero cooking and cleaning skills.
- Fun fact: The voice behind Shin, Masakazu Morita, also was the voice of Ichigo Kurosaki (Bleach), and he was the motion picture actor for Zell Dincht in Final Fantasy VIII!
- Shin is based on real life general of Qin, Li Xin.
- Li Xin is the fifth generation ancestor of Li Guang (the flying general), who helped form the Han dynasty. The Han, founded by Liu Bang, conquered China after the Qin Dynasty collapsed. (Founded by Ying Zheng)
- Li Xin is the ancestor of the founder of the Tang Dynasty Emperor Gaozu of Tang who was born as Li Yuan.