Sakamoto Days establishes Shin as the most important character in the series

Shin as seen in the Sakamoto Days anime
Shin as seen in the Sakamoto Days anime (Image credit: TMS Entertainment)

Sakamoto Days is a popular series that has captivated fans with its memorable cast and deep dive into the world of assassins. The recent chapters of the manga have seen the stakes rise drastically, as Kei Uzuki provided a gun and 3 bullets to every citizen and plunged the country into terror.

With his goal of destroying society and turning every person into a murderer coming to fruition, there seemed to be little hope of stopping him. However, Sakamoto Days chapter 213 confirms that Shin is the only person capable of thwarting Uzuki’s plans, establishing him as the most important figure currently in the story.

As an apprentice working under Taro Sakamoto, Shin is the deuteragonist of the series. Unlike the protagonist, who is often stoic and calm-headed, Shin is vulnerable and wears his emotions on his face. He is prone to feeling overwhelmed and has also come close to abandoning his ideals several times to protect those he loves.

Shin comforts Sakamoto as seen in the Sakamoto Days manga (Image credit: Shueisha)
Shin comforts Sakamoto as seen in the Sakamoto Days manga (Image credit: Shueisha)

Nevertheless, Shin’s complexity and relentless desire to develop and grow stronger have made fans attached to his character. The recent chapters of the manga have finally brought him into the spotlight, confirming his place as Sakamoto’s successor and a man destined to be a central figure by the end of the story.

When Kei Uzuki set off his plan of making every citizen a killer, the main cast tried stopping those around them from shooting their guns. Unfortunately, Sakamoto, who had nearly lost Aoi earlier, froze up, having lost his senses as an assassin. To protect Sakamoto from a mob trying to kill him, Shin used his mind control abilities and manipulated them into shooting the bullets away from him.

After this, he came up with an ingenious plan to stop Uzuki’s scheme and visited his adoptive father, Asakura. Upon requesting him to create a device, Asakura and Kashima developed a broadcasting device that would allow Shin’s ESP to reach a large number of citizens at the same time.

Shin uses his powers to stop the gun shootings as seen in the Sakamoto Days manga (Image credit: Shueisha)
Shin uses his powers to stop the gun shootings as seen in the Sakamoto Days manga (Image credit: Shueisha)

This worked, as Shin commanded everyone in his vicinity to shoot the bullets from their guns towards the ground. As a result, through one strenuous use of his evolved mind control powers, Shin could stop the killings in an entire district. He then rapidly began moving from area to area, during which Heisuke suggested that using the tall Sky Tower could allow Shin to command all of Japan.

Inspired, Shin made his way up the tower, only to be ambushed by Uzuki, who expressed how Shin was beginning to remind him of Sakamoto. While the two engaged in a short battle, Shin was soon overpowered, after which Uzuki attempted to shoot him.

Thankfully, due to the efforts of Natsuki Seba, all the guns in Japan were hacked, rendering them unfit for use. With his plan halted, the end of Sakamoto Days chapter 213 sees Uzuki preparing to achieve his goal using his sword.


Why Shin being the most important character in Sakamoto Days makes perfect sense

Some fans may wonder why Shin has been bestowed this crucial role when many other intimidating individuals exist in the series. However, Shin’s weakness is what makes him the perfect person to take on this position.

In Sakamoto Days, most characters are introduced as already being powerful, with little emphasis on training or growth. Shin is a major exception, who started with merely reading the thoughts of others and has now reached a point where he can see the future and control targets.

His development represents the soul of the story, where he keeps pushing forward despite all the hardships he endures. As one of the few who truly understands Taro Sakamoto and wishes the best for him, there is no better person to take on this mantle of significance at this point in the manga.

There is an added layer of history as well, since Shin was present at the scene when Uzuki first appeared but was unable to do anything against the antagonist’s terrifying aura. His resistance against Uzuki in the recent chapters of the manga further highlights how far he has come, making him an emotional and thematic cornerstone of the narrative.

Edited by Sroban Ghosh