Summary

• Shinn Asuka's writing in Gundam SEED Destiny was a mess, hindering his character development.
• Shinn shines in Gundam SEED Freedom, working alongside Kira and gaining redemption.
• The film serves as a chance for Shinn to evolve, showing his potential that was forgotten in Destiny.

One of the problems many people have with Gundam SEED Destiny is the handling of its protagonist, Shinn Asuka. He is angsty, irritable, rarely listens to others, and is quick to call everyone else out for their flaws. He also works for the bad guys. Some of his traits can be accepted as character quirks meant to distinguish him from his predecessor, Kira Yamato. However, he had distinct flaws that he needed to overcome and never did, at least not until the end of the series.

His character development was cut short so Kira could be SEEDS central protagonist again. Everything about the writing surrounding Shinn was a mess, and his story arc suffered for it. However, Gundam SEED Freedom gave Shinn the chance he needed to be a well-written and likable character. It takes everything that should have worked or been done with him in Destination and sets him on the right path. He now has every right to be called a character equal to Kira, Athrun, and the rest of the legacy cast.

Why People Didn't Like Shin Asuka in Gundam SEED Destiny

On the surface, there are a few things viewers don't like about Shinn, starting with his antagonism toward legacy characters. Modern material for older franchises has taught people that a new protagonist who tries to build himself up by pointing out the flaws of his predecessors, rather than celebrating what made them great, is bound to be disliked by the fandom. As for Shinn, he chastises Cagalli Yula Atha for her incompetent leadership of the Orb Union, which he blames for letting his family die (instead of the Earth Alliance for attacking her).

He also hates Kira Yamato for killing several people he cares about (his family, the girl he loved, etc.) and nearly kills him in retaliation. Even Athrun, his superior and mentor in the first half of the series, must endure his criticism and challenges. Shinn is generally dismissive and critical of all the legacy characters throughout the series. Destination. Shinn also remains firmly on the side of the antagonists. Any other series that starts with the protagonist working for the villains would have them realize their mistake and start working with the real heroes.

Even in a Gundam series, where either side of a conflict brings its own problems, the main characters will at least work towards the lesser of two evils. However, Shinn remains convinced that ZAFT and Chairman Durandal are the good guys. He even tried to kill Athrun for defecting when he realized the truth. Shinn only joined Kira and his friends in the fight for peace after the final battle of the series.

However, more people are disappointed with Shinn than they are annoyed by him. Many acknowledge that his fiery temper and impulsiveness could have made him an interesting contrast to the peace-loving main cast. The anguish he feels over losing his family also adds a layer of depth that the old cast lacked; the others have lost people, but it hasn't shaped them as people as it did Shinn. Shinn just needed the chance to grow as a character. Destination progressed and he could have become someone more people would like.

Unfortunately, Shinn's biggest flaw is his lack of change. He never got over his grief, stood firm with the villains, and continued to verbally and physically assault the rest of the cast. This was supposedly done so that Kira and the rest of the older characters could reprise their roles as SEEDS protagonists. To that end, Shinn's development as a protagonist was stunted, so any chances people had hoped to see him develop into a more likable character were cut short.

Shinn Asuka's Role in Gundam SEED's Freedom

Gundam SEED Freedom allows Shinn to take center stage and fight for the right cause. In this film, he works under Kira's command as a soldier for the global peace monitoring organization Compass. Their rapid response force is sent to different parts of the world to prevent conflicts from escalating into full-scale wars. It should be noted that Shinn remains in a supporting role in this film. Freedom is focused on Kira and Lacus' relationship as its driving force.

In contrast, other protagonists like Shinn, Athrun, and Cagalli only play relatively minor roles, contributing either to Kira and Lacus’ story or to the film’s overarching plot. However, despite these circumstances, everyone has something to do in this film, and Shinn has one of the most consistent screen presences. If one can go into the film understanding and accepting this, one can enjoy the film for what it does for Shin.

This movie gives Kira and Shinn the relationship they could have had in Destination. It's similar to what Shinn had with Athrun when working together in ZAFT. Shinn recognizes Kira as his superior and tries to show him the proper respect, though he never goes so far as to try to be like him. He's just as reckless and ill-tempered as he was Destination, but it is presented as a quirk rather than a flaw to be overcome. Now that Shinn is firmly on the side of the heroes, his traits can be appreciated for how they distinguish him from his predecessors.

If he had a character arc or change of heart in Destination, as viewers wanted him to do, is probably where it would have led him. Most importantly, Shinn got one of the best fights in the film. In the final battles of the film, Kira and Athrun were assisted by Lacus and Cagalli, respectively. You can see this trend, combine it with Freedom theme of love, and assume that Shinn and Lunamaria would be given someone to fight together.

However, the Destination The pair had separate fights. Lunamaria faced Agnes Gibenrath, and Shinn was left alone to deal with the Black Knights without their leader (whom Athrun fought). His moment comes when he uses his new mobile suit, the Destiny Spec II, to destroy all three of his opponents simultaneously. He also shares the honor of blowing up the enemy's doomsday weapon, the confiscated Requiem laser system.

Does Shinn's role in freeing Gundam SEED make up for fate?

Whether or not Shinn's freedom is redemption is a matter of perspective. People's feelings about Shinn's place in the film will depend on how they feel about him. Destination. It may also depend on when or if someone watched it Destination. One's opinion of Shinn will change whether they believe he deserved this second chance. Some may believe this is not a chance Shinn should have had. As he spent all Destination antagonize Kira and her friends; he was only allowed to be on their side because of how merciful they are.

Even though audiences are expected to forgive Shinn as his victims did, there wasn't enough content between Destination and Freedom to establish that Shinn has earned someone's friendship or trust (the 20 years it took for this movie to be released don't count). There will also be those who argue that Shinn could have done more. Kira, Athrun, and even Lunamaria all fought battles against enemies who spent the movie establishing what was important about them and what made them such formidable opponents.

Shinn faced off against the elite soldiers of the Foundation Kingdom, and a one-on-three victory should be impressive under any circumstances, but it doesn’t feel that way. Their roles in the film are minor and indistinguishable from one another; one might not even know their names without looking them up. They could have been a horde of faceless low-level grunts for Shinn to attack and it would have given the audience the same feeling. In that sense, Shinn’s final moment in the film is less of a triumph and more of a fulfillment of his quota.

Long time Gundam fans SEED will probably say that this was the chance Shinn deserved. They will recognize his potential in Destination and how that was left out to make Kira and Athrun the protagonists again. Most importantly, it keeps them on the same side of the conflict instead of being pitted against each other. Shinn is finally being treated like the fellow protagonist to Kira and Athrun he should have been. Destination.

Anyway, Shinn's status in SEED is much better than it was at the end of Destination. If more is done with SEED Going forward, this new version of Shinn, who has overcome his angst but retained his edge, will likely be the characterization Sunrise will want fans to remember him by. As long as he doesn't work for the bad guys again, things can only get better for Shinn.