Matou Shinji (間桐 慎二, Matō Shinji?) is the older brother of Sakura, and an old friend of Shirō. Although chauvinistic and narcissistic, Shinji is very popular as Vice-Captain of the Archery Dojo. Like Rin, he is of a distinguished lineage of sorcerers, though the Matou blood has thinned and no longer produces heirs naturally capable of sorcery. Shinji feels uncomfortable with his sister's daily visits to Shirō's home. He has an open crush on Rin, but she does not return his favours.
Appearance
Matou Shinji is young man with blue short wavy hair and grey eyes. At school he wears standard school uniform of Homurahara High.
In Carnival Phantasm in his casual clothes at home he wears black v-shape long sleeves shirt, dark navy pants, and white socks.
Personality
Shinji is haughty and known for having a nasty temper. He's also violent, controlling and manipulative, as shown through his relationship with his younger sister. He does not take any sort of rejection well. In the Unlimited Blade Works route, he becomes insane and is absolutely obsessed with Rin; however, when he is almost killed by Gilgamesh, he becomes a nicer person.
History
Role
Shinji is the temporary master of Rider. He is initially depicted as an evil and deceptive character, but as the story moves along his character begins to show cowardly and even pathetic qualities.
Shinji is killed in Fate by Berserker and Heaven's Feel by Dark Sakura when he attempts to rape her again. In Unlimited Blade Works, his failure and loss of Rider results in him approaching Kotomine Kirei, who lends him Gilgamesh as a Servant. Gilgamesh largely ignores Shinji, who is eventually hospitalized after an attack; he survives and becomes a nicer person as a result.
Rider, in Fate/hollow ataraxia, describes Perseus, the slayer of Medusa, as a Shinji who succeeded.
Abilities
Shinji, like Shirou, is unskilled in magic, but unlike the latter, Shinji doesn't have any particular abilities. His mother had a Carrier Sorcery Trait like the Fraga family, but the pathogen is nothing special like the Fraga's ability to use a Noble Phantasm. According to Zoken, she was just the daughter of "a random third-rate magus."[1] Because Shinji is not Rider's true Master, he must use an item created from the command spells of Rider's true Master known as the Book of False Attendent. The book, which acts as a provisionary command spell, allows Shinji to control Rider and, due to Shinji's incompetence, was made twice by Rider's original Master. Because it is not a true command spell, it burns if it is used beyond its limits or if Rider is destroyed. In the anime, while the book seemingly allowed for Shinji to use a form of magecraft that fired shadows at his opponents, the shadows were weak, and even an incompetent Shirou using a reinforced broom was able to cut them away.
References
- ↑ Fate/complete material vol. III World material -
Q: Shinji's mother is a "Carrier", what kind of pathogen is she carrying? Is she a "God's Holder"?
A: No, nothing special of that sort. According to Zouken, she is the daughter of "a random third-rate magus".
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