Little is known about Rin Tsuchimi’s early childhood. He was orphaned at a young age after his parents were killed in a car accident and was subsequently taken in by the Fuyou family, where he grew up alongside Kaede Fuyou and her father.

By the events of Shuffle!, Rin is a second-year student in Class 2-C at Verbena National Academy. His academic performance is average, but he demonstrates strong athletic ability and reliability among his peers. His life changes dramatically when Lisianthus and Nerine, the daughters of the King of Gods and the King of Demons transfer to his school and reveal that Rin is a potential suitor for both. This sudden attention earns him the nickname “the man who can become a god, a demon, or an ordinary man,” given by his classmate Mayumi Thyme.

Despite his obliviousness to his popularity, Rin becomes the focus of affection for several girls collectively referred to as the “Tsuchimi Lovers.” His photographs are said to sell well among the female students. In daily life, Rin is portrayed as kind but somewhat inept with household tasks, particularly cooking. Kaede handles most of the domestic responsibilities, including preparing meals and waking him up each morning, highlighting her long-standing role as his caretaker.

Rin Tsuchimi is depicted as an average-built teenage boy with short brown hair and green eyes. His appearance is modest and unassuming, reflecting his grounded personality compared to the supernatural characters surrounding him. He typically wears the standard male uniform of Verbena Academy, consisting of a white dress shirt, dark trousers, and a brown jacket with gold trim. Outside of school, Rin dresses casually in simple shirts and jeans, emphasizing his practical and down-to-earth nature.

Although he does not possess any supernatural traits himself, Rin’s design contrasts with the vivid and fantastical appearances of the god and demon characters, visually reinforcing his role as the human connection between their worlds. His approachable, ordinary appearance complements his personality, humble, reliable, and quietly empathetic.

Rin Tsuchimi is characterized by his selflessness and compassion. Having lost his parents at a young age, he places great value on the well-being of others and is deeply averse to seeing people in pain. This empathy often drives him to put others’ needs before his own, even at the expense of his safety or happiness. Rin also avoids showing vulnerability, preferring to maintain a calm and supportive presence for those around him.

According to Kaede Fuyou, Rin’s defining trait is his kindness, a quality that draws others to him and forms the basis of his many relationships. However, this same kindness becomes his greatest flaw. His desire to make everyone happy leads to emotional conflict and indecision, particularly in his interactions with the various girls who care for him. Though initially passive in romantic situations, Rin gradually develops deeper feelings for Lisianthus and Nerine after their arrival, spending increasing amounts of time with them as the story progresses.

Kaede Fuyou
Kaede Fuyou is Rin’s childhood friend and primary companion throughout much of the Shuffle! series. After losing both of his parents in the same car accident that claimed Kaede’s mother, Rin was taken in by the Fuyou family. During their childhood, Kaede blamed Rin for her mother’s death, unaware that she herself had inadvertently caused the accident by asking her mother to return home early. Her grief and guilt led to years of mistreatment toward Rin, even to the point of violence.

When Kaede later learns the truth, she becomes remorseful and devotes herself to caring for Rin. She joins the cooking club to prepare his meals and assumes many domestic responsibilities, effectively acting as his caretaker. Despite her deep affection for him, Kaede suppresses her feelings out of fear that confessing them would damage their relationship. In the anime adaptation, Rin eventually moves out to live independently, prompting Kaede to begin focusing on her own life. In the Really? Really! visual novel, Rin reciprocates her feelings, and the two enter a relationship. When Kaede falls into a coma after an incident involving Primula’s powers, Rin enters her subconscious memory world to help her awaken, confronting the trauma of their shared past in the process.

Asa Shigure
Asa Shigure is Rin’s senior and an old friend from middle school, introduced to him through Kaede in the cooking club. She is energetic, playful, and often greets Rin by striking his arm, a running gag in both the visual novel and anime. Initially viewing her as an older sister figure, Rin’s feelings for Asa deepen over time, and in the anime adaptation, he ultimately chooses her as his romantic partner.

In Asa’s story route, she becomes gravely ill but refuses to use magic to save herself, resenting her mixed human and demon heritage. In desperation, Rin harms himself, declaring he would rather die than live without her. Overcome by emotion, Asa finally uses her powers to heal both Rin and herself, reconciling her conflict with magic and reaffirming their bond.

Nerine
In the Tick! Tack! sequel, which continues Nerine’s story route, Rin chooses Nerine as his lover. However, interference with the past timeline threatens to alter her parentage, potentially changing her appearance and personality. To preserve the original Nerine he loves, Rin works to correct the disrupted timeline, emphasizing the strength of his devotion.

Primula
Primula, a quiet and emotionless artificial girl, develops a familial bond with both Rin and Kaede. In her story route, Rin helps her regain her emotions, after which she affectionately calls him “onii-chan” (big brother) and refers to Kaede as “onee-chan” (big sister). Her growing attachment to them symbolizes her gradual humanization. In Shuffle! Essence+, Primula continues to mature emotionally regardless of the chosen route.

By the conclusion of the anime, Primula exhibits more expressive emotions and a calmer behavior while maintaining her affection for Rin and their shared experiences. In later media, she comments that Raito Aioi bears a strong resemblance to Rin, suggesting his lasting impression on her life.

The given name Rin (稟) can be interpreted as “salary in rice,” a reference to the historical system in Japan where stipends were measured in rice quantities. The name conveys notions of provision, sustenance, and reliability, qualities that align with Rin’s dependable and caring nature.

His surname Tsuchimi (土見) combines tsuchi (土), meaning “soil” or “earth,” and mi (見), meaning “to see,” “to look at,” or “to observe.” Together, the name can be understood as “one who observes the earth,” symbolically connecting Rin to groundedness and his role as a human mediator between the divine and demonic realms in Shuffle!.