Character Analysis
(Avoiding Spoilers)
Grew up… swimming with his friends. Along with Haruka Nanase, Makoto Tachibana, and Nagisa Hazuki, Rin was part of the Iwatobi Swim Club team in elementary school. However, in order to improve his swimming, Rin decided to travel to Australia, leaving his friends behind to attend an elite swimming school.
Living… in Japan again, and seemingly as a different person. Whatever happened in Australia, it's left its mark on Rin. While he was once a cheerful, energetic boy, he's become an angry teenager who scorns his friends and is determined to show Haru “how different we are now."
Profession… high school student, currently attending Samezuka Academy. An elite school, Samezuka is known especially for its powerful swim team. It's the perfect place for Rin to leave his old life behind – and yet, somehow, he can't seem able to escape Iwatobi High School and his old friends there...
Interests… swimming and winning. Rin has aspirations to be an Olympic swimmer, so he spends most of his time training or swimming. What time he has left, Rin mostly spends brooding or listening to angry Dubstep.
Relationship Status… single. Just as Haruka is obsessed with water, Rin is obsessed with Haruka – with beating him, that is. Until that happens, Rin has no time for romance, or even friends.
Challenge… beating Haruka. Specializing in butterfly, Rin is undoubtedly a talented swimmer, and he's widely admired by the other students at Samezuka. But no matter how much he practices, Rin doesn't seem able to overcome Haruka's natural talent. This frustrates Rin to no end, making him ask, "Does this mean that I can't ever beat him?"
Personality… aloof and competitive, but not nearly as tough as he acts. Though often angry and abrasive, there are hints that behind Rin's prickly exterior, he hasn't changed much from the cheerful boy he once was. No matter what Rin says, it's clear that he still cherishes his days at Iwatobi. But his insecurities make it difficult – if not impossible – for him to reach out to his old friends.