| This article is about Shinichi from the altered timeline in the novels. You may be looking for Shinichi from the novels. |
Shinichi is a kitsune that appears in the novels and was a major antagonist in the original timeline. He and his sister were drawn to Fell's Church as a result of Elena Gilbert’s resurrection, which inevitably created a Nexus Vorti that enhanced the ley lines of Fell’s Church so powerfully that all aware supernatural beings felt and saw it. Shinichi came for it with his goddess and Misao, which led to all their deaths.
As a result of Elena’s time travel, a new reality where Elena never died and therefore never created a Nexus Vorti was created and Shinichi of this reality never came to Fell’s Church, never regretted it and never died from it as well as never killed the inhabitants of the town (ironically enough the Guardians had already once reversed the damage caused by the kitsune by altering reality).
History
Early History
It is unknown exactly how old Shinichi is, but due to his extensive number of tails, he may well be older than the old ones, notably Klaus. Sometime in his life, as a kitsune, Shinichi and his twin sister Misao were found by their people’s goddess Inari, the Queen of the Kitsune and were forced to be her partners in her crimes wherein she would choose towns above Ley lines and kill the pollution after subsequently infecting them with the parasitic, mind-controlling malach. Once they were done destroying the town in question, the power gathered from the dead souls would be stored in a gigantic Star Ball, greatly strengthening Inari. Shinchi’s relationship with Inari was strained as she is a bully and usually abuses him and his sister when they do not give her what she seeks. Isolated, Shinichi and Misao found solace in an incestuous relationship with each other and grew to truly love each other as they were all they had.
Eventually, they go to the island of Shinmei no Uma where they kill off the population and take its power for themselves, leaving it in ruins.
Sometime later, Inari moved to Fell’s Church and began her plans to claim its power, posing as a frail old woman named Obaasan Saitou, holding Isobel Saitou and her family hostage as she begun to infect the town even before Elena’s Nexus Vorti.
Throughout the Vampire Diaries Novels
Shinichi made his first appearance in Nightfall through to his death in Midnight.
In The Salvation: Unmasked, long after their deaths, Shinichi, Misao and Inari are referenced as part of Elena’s faults, it was her fault they inevitably destroyed Fell’s Church due to her love of the Salvatore Brothers. After Elena changes the past, a new timeline is birthed and Shinichi and his sister and goddess are alive.
Powers and Abilities
As a kitsune, Shinichi had great levels of Power and can use his power to manipulate a variety of events. He is essentially immortal so long as his hoshi no tama (star ball), the source of all kitsune’s powers, is safe. It his sole star ball is destroyed, he will die.
- Immortality: Shinichi can live forever and appears as a young, Japanese youth though he has lived for millennia. He can heal from most, if not all, inflicted wounds with the exception of weapons blessed by a priestess of the Japanese, which can greatly harm him.
- Compulsion: the ability to control and manipulate the minds of anyone who is inferior in power to him. Shinichi can control the malach, which he can use to infiltrate the minds and bodies of vampires, witches, humans, etc. in essence possessing them.
- Telepathy: the ability to read, feel, control and manipulate the minds and thoughts of others. Shinichi can enter the minds of anyone at will and erase and/or read their thoughts and memories. He is skilled at this and was capable of erasing Damon’s thoughts on several occasions as well as manipulate him even before the Malach.
- Tails: Shinichi is a kitsune, which are in essence, Japanese nature spirits that grow more than one tail the more they grow stronger and older, the more tails, the more power. Each tail they grow they can channel power from.
- Shapeshifting: the ability to change one’s appearance and shape and voice and characteristics at will. Shinichi is actually a very large fox in his true form and can appear as he wishes. His usual choice being an Asian boy.
- Naturopathy: the ability to communicate with and manipulate plants and florae to his will.
Weaknesses
Shinichi is a kitsune and cannot live with regret, the ultimate killer of all kitsune aside from the destruction of their hoshi no tama. They cannot regret anything and therefore live their lives to the fullest, not caring who or what they hurt in order to get what they want. In the event of a regret, a kitsune will almost immediately killed by the Celestial Guardians. His alternate reality self suffered this fate of doom.
Physical Appearance
Shinichi is described as a very beautiful Japanese youth with silky black, red-fiery-tipped hair. He is conscious of his beauty and uses it to control and seduce Caroline in the alternate, now erased universe.
Personality
Shinichi is self and uncaring of anyone and anything but his sister, Misao. He has destroyed various cities and islands without a second thought as well as killed countless humans all for power.