Yushin

WARNING! This article may contain major spoilers for the Hero Killer manhwa series. Please read at your own risk!

Overview

• History

• Powers and Abilities

• Equipment

• Relationships

• Gallery

Yushin
Name	Yushin
Alias	Ghost of Dust City Old Man (by Ihwa and Gundar) Yushin of Yerim (Formerly) Sir
Personal Information
Gender	Male
Race	Gift User
Age	Over 1000+
Birthdate	Chaotic Era
Birth Place	Unknown
Hair Color	Gray
Eye Color	Unknown
Professional Information
Affiliation	Engen Elders (Formerly) The Four Swordsmen (Formerly)
Occupation	Swordsman Villain Ihwa's Mentor (Formerly) Member of the Four Swordsmen (Formerly) Member of the Elders (Formerly)
Gift	Blood Manipulation
Status	Alive
Resides	Mobile Dust City (Formerly)
Relationships
Relations	Hero Killer (Former Student/Daughter Figure) Ijincheon (Associate) Yeon (?) Yeon and Ihwa's Mother (?)
Appearances
Debut	Episode 1

“	I'll do anything for my disciple. Because the Hero Killer...will avenge Me.	”
— Yushin to Victoria.

Yushin (유신), also known as the Ghost of Dust City (먼지의 도시 유령), is a prominent Villain and extremely powerful swordsman famous for his abilities as he was once a member of the Elders, the nine strongest Gift users in the world, but lost his position after being defeated at the hands of a young swordsman known as the Skysword in a one-on-one duel. He is Hero Killer's former teacher and caretaker who fostered her after her older sister Yeon's death.

Yushin was introduced alongside his student Hero Killer in the District 17 Assault Arc, resurfacing in the Age of Heroes and Villains as Ihwa's training was near completion and was ready to make her public debut. Wanting to protect her before she faced the real threats of the Hero Clan, he asked the legendary villain Engen, the Smiling Man, to look out for her and she joined the villain's organization the Nameless. Through his former student's goal of destroying the Hero Clan, he firmly believes that she will avenge him with her actions.

Later on, he was revealed to have been a former member of the Four Swordsmen, the strongest swordsmen in the world, when they were once known as the "Five Swordsmen" centuries ago and an associate of Ihwa's father, Ijincheon the Sword Hunter and Executioner of the Silver Forest of the Four Swordsmen, the former disciple of the first Executioner whom he killed in a one-on-one duel.

Appearance

Yushin is a tall older man with chin-length gray hair and closed eyes that make him appear to be blind. He wears clothing that resembles European nobility and long brown boots, a style of clothing that he has worn for centuries. In his days as an Elder, he used to wear and carry two red straight swords along with his Elder symbol before it was destroyed. Since his duel with the Skysword, he has been confined to a wheelchair.

His exact age isn't fully known, but he is implied to be one of the oldest Gift users in the series as he once referred to The Steel Witch as a "girl".

Personality

Yushin's Wilder days.

Yushin is a very quiet man who speaks in a formal manner. However, in his youth, he was known to be wilder and far more aggressive, radiating an air of potent bloodlust while smiling with a sadistic look on his face even during heights of danger.

Yushin's eyes.

He still retains some of this battle-hungry demeanor, but with a more mature approach which is shown to intimidate and cause the likes of both Engen and Hekate to flinch before him despite their own prowess. Aside from that, Yushin is an intelligent man who's been shown to have a deep sense of wisdom and understanding of various concepts. This is shown throughout his conversations with different individuals like with Victoria as he noted that the future battles and wars will undoubtedly calm many lives regardless of their status, but this means very little to an Elder showing that he understands the general mindset of his past associates with their views on larger masses whom he himself considers mere "ants". Throughout Ihwa's memories of training he routinely imparted various lessons like how even a small needle can kill a powerful opponent.

Yushin does, however, have a caring side to his personality. He acts like a father figure to Ihwa with it being mutual as she refers to him as the "old man" and is one of the very few whom she genuinely puts effort to keep safe and trust.

As a sword wielder, Yushin fully understands the romanticism associated with wielding a sword regardless of having other extraordinary abilities or talents.

Battles & Events

Battles & Events

Past Numerous fights with the Elders Yushin vs. The Executioner Yushin vs. The Master of the Glassblade Yushin vs. The Strength Master Yushin vs. The Agility Master Yushin vs. The Delight Master Yushin vs. The Flexibility Master Yushin vs. The Energy Master Yushin vs. Skysword District 17 Assault Arc Yushin vs. Victoria Hero Clan's Civil War Arc Yushin vs. Voltaire's Gang

Etymology

• 유 (Yu): This can mean "willow tree" (柳), "assent" (兪), or "prosperous" (裕), depending on the Hanja chosen.
• 신 (Shin): This can mean "trust" (信), "new" (新), or "god/spirit" (神), again depending on the chosen Hanja.

Trivia

• Yushin is the first Elder to be introduced in the series.
• Yushin's ability to control blood with his Gift is a popular way to display a powerful character in fictional media.
• Yushin was the first to experience a drunken Ihwa.
• It was spectacled that Yushin was the one to have killed the previous Executioner. This was confirmed in Ijincheon's flashback when the swordsman himself noted that Yushin was a worthy final opponent to give him a graceful sendoff.
• Yushin's primary swords, European looking clothing, and Gift are reminiscent of Lady Maria of the Astral Clocktower, a character and boss in Bloodborne.
  • His prior disability and wheelchair have also been compared to Gehrman, a mysterious old man who appears to act as the Hunter's guide throughout the game.