HiroIchi

HiroIchi is the het ship between Hiro and Ichigo from the DARLING in the FRANXX fandom.

Anime
Hiro and Ichigo have known each other since they were small children living in the Garden. They first met when Ichigo was crying because the other children were emotionless and Ichigo found it scary that she was different than them and wondered if she should get more injections to be like them. Hiro noticed she was crying and approached her. He reminded her that they both have double-digit code names and were different to begin with but Ichigo said she didn't want to be different. He sat next to her and offered to give her a name, as he gave himself one. He chose the name Ichigo for her, as it was the first thing he thought of when he thought about her number. He explained having a name made it feel like it was alright to be different and she can be her own person. She blushed and was amazed, and she asked him to give names to the other children, which he did.

At some point, Hiro gave Ichigo a hair clip to keep her bangs out of her eyes, and she has treasured it ever since. He also gave her the book The Golden Bough to read. When she finished it, she said she didn’t understand it and Hiro said he didn’t either but explained the symbolism of the mistletoe in the book, and he heard there was a mistletoe tree somewhere outside the Garden.

When many of their friends began disappearing, Hiro felt hopeless to do anything but was determined to find out. Ichigo and Goro said it was Papa's decision and therefore, there's nothing they can do. Shortly after, Ichigo noticed a change in Hiro due to that he stopped naming the children and became more focused on becoming a parasite. Five years later, when they are 14, they are discharged from the Garden and assigned to the same FRANXX squad. However, during their capacity test, Ichigo passes with Goro but she is devastated when Hiro fails with Naomi, putting his fate at a standstill. Hiro is offered to stay at Mistilteinn due to his status as a special specimen and Ichigo hopes he will accept. In the days leading up to their graduation ceremony, Hiro avoids his friends and Ichigo tries contacting him to make him come to the ceremony but when he doesn't show up, Ichigo worries he will leave. Despite this, she goes to the startup ritual with the others, choosing to remain focused on learning to pilot Delphinium and not disappoint Papa. After a klaxosaur attacks the plantation but is neutralized by Strelizia, Ichigo is surprised to see an unconscious Hiro come out of the cockpit with Zero Two, whom Ichigo realizes is the infamous Partner Killer.

The next day, Ichigo runs into Hiro and asks him if he really rode Strelizia but he doesn't remember. He decides to try agin to be sure but she says Zero Two is not part of their squad, but he replies he doesn't care. She then brings up the rumors about Zero Two never having a partner ride with her more than three times because they all die. Hiro replies he is as good as dead if he can't pilot. While Zero Two eats breakfast with the squad, she sits with Hiro and Ichigo advises Miku to act nice to Zero Two because she helped save them from the klaxosaur. Zero Two flirtatiously praises Hiro for piloting Strelizia, referring to him as 'darling', catching Ichigo off guard. She later reacts jealousy when Miku chides about this to the other girls, making Ichigo slam her hand against the wall and storm out of the room.

To test Hiro's ability, Nana proposes a mock battle and asks anyone to volunteer to be his partner. Zero Two offers but so does Ichigo. Nana prefers Ichigo, as Zero Two is not a member of the squad. During the mock battle, Hiro and Ichigo are able to synchronize at 100% and activate Delphinium, much to his joy and she praises him. But a minute later, their connection is severed. Ichigo asks what happened but Hiro doesn't know. She asks what did Zero Two do differently and he shyly brings up the kiss, which Ichigo asks what that means. After he shyly explains what it is, she is embarrassed but she decides to kiss him anyway if it will awaken his abilities. Hiro is hesitant but Ichigo says she doesn't mind and covers his eyes before kissing him. When it is over, Hiro says he doesn't feel anything. Devastated, Ichigo tearfully pilots Delphinium alone and takes down Argentea (their opponent). Hiro attempts to apologize but she retorts he is awful.

Things between the two became awkward following the kiss. Hiro tells Goro how mad Ichigo has been since the mock battle but Goro says Hiro should know how she is when things don’t go the way she hoped they would. Hiro then asks Goro to apoloze to Ichigo for him and that their failure to pilot together wasn’t her fault. Ichigo was not happy when Hiro rode with Zero Two a second time as she fears it was too risky but, due to the kissing between Plantations 13 and 26 expectating to attract a horde of klaxosaurs, she reluctantly relented to allowing him to ride with Zero Two a third time because the squad will need Strelizia. She attempts to talk to Zero Two about hard she is being on Hiro and to go easy on him or else letting him pilot with her will cause him to die. Zero Two brushes this off, provoking Ichigo to slap her and Zero Two reacts threateningly towards her, frightening her. She later tells Goro that she doesn't understand her feelings and that it hurts, making her cry in confusion. In the battle leading to Hiro's third ride, Ichigo is seen to be visibly troubled and Goro advises her to talk to Hiro before the battle begins. She tries to talk to Hiro but she decides against telling him her feelings, only saying she is counting on him and he is like a sibling to her, which he says he feels the same. To keep Hiro alive, Ichigo resolves to keep Strelizia stalled from entering the battle until the end. However, as everyone struggles against the klaxosaurs, Strelizia rushes in to lend a hand, causing Hiro to start succumbing to the effects. When Strelizia's connection is severed, Ichigo breaks down and cries that Hiro is dead, and blames herself for not stopping him, prompting Goro to rationalize the situation with her. However, when Hiro is revealed to be alive, Ichigo is so overcome with relief that she hugs him.

During a vacation to the beach, Ichigo is seen as happy as she agrees with the others how Hiro has started smiling since he met Zero Two. The boys learn about kissing from Hiro and Futoshi asks Ichigo if she knows what it is. She blushes and denies knowing. While exploring an abandoned modern city, Ikuno notices how flushed Ichigo’s cheeks are, due to her thinking about her kiss with Hiro, and asks what is wrong but Ichigo says its nothing. Ichigo the. sees a poster of a couple kissing and touches her lips, catching Zero Two's attention and she questions Ichigo if she had kissed someone. Ichigo says she had but refuses to say with who. Later that night, Ichigo formally welcomes Hiro into the squad. The two later walk along the beach and watch the stars.

A few months later, Ichigo becomes alarmed by Zero Two's violent behavior and more so when she learns that Hiro's saurification has increased since he began piloting with Zero Two, and he will likely undergo a genetic mutation. During a battle, Zero Two goes rogue and begins strangling Hiro, forcing Ichigo to use Delphinium to restrain Strelizia and ordering Hiro to get away from Zero Two or else he will lose his humanity. She then finds the two together in the cockpit, Hiro is unconscious and Zero Two crying. Ichigo forces Zero Two out and pleads for Hiro to wake up until they are all taken to the hospital. Ichigo later goes to the hospital to see Hiro. As they chat, she slices him an apple to eat. When Ichigo accidentally cuts her finger with the knife. Hiro is concerned for her and helps put a band-aid on the injured finger. As she leaves, affirms that she will protect him. When Ichigo returns to Mistilteinn, Zero Two is angry at being kept away from Hiro and begs Ichigo to let her see him so she can talk to him. Ichigo refuses but the others, having grown tired of keeping the two apart, convince Ichigo to relent. Upon reaching his room, they find he has escaped and Zero Two attacks them. Hiro returns to his room and finds Zero Two strangling Ichigo. She drops Ichigo and Hiro goes to her before calling Zero Two a monster.

The next day, as Zero Two leaves, Hiro is overcome with guilt for calling her a monster and tries to stop her but Ichigo holds him back and begs for him not to chase after Zero Two. She then forcibly kisses him and confesses that she loves him, much to Hiro's surprise but all he can think about is Zero Two. Ichigo remained wary of Hiro going after Zero Two in the days leading up to the siege of Gran Crevasse, she again said she and the others will protect him. During the battle, Hiro rushed in to save Zero Two from losing her sanity. Ichigo stopped him and asked him why he came, and she won't let him go. Goro shuts down Delphinium and says he has had enough, and tells her to help Hiro get to Strelizia. Hiro apologizes to Ichigo but she says not to bother as it's a pain. They synchronize to activate Delphinium and Ichigo sees that his mind is filled with only Zero Geo, making her cry that there is no space for her. She angrily confronts Zero Two, saying she will give up Hiro but Zero Two needs to get her act together. When Hiro and Zero Two reconcile and activate Strelizia, Ichigo tearfully smiles and says she is happy for them.

Over the next month while the squad is left to fend for themselves, Ichigo and Hiro have gone back to being friends and Ichigo fully accepts Hiro's relationship with Zero Two.

During the second battle at Gran Crevasse, Ichigo grows worried for Hiro as VIRM attacks the planet and has the squad return to Gran Crevasse to check on him and Zero Two. After hearing that Hiro was forcibly linked with the klaxosaur princess and Hringhorni will explode soon unless stopped, Ichigo and the others rush to help Zero Two reach him in time, even Ichigo and Goro risking their lives to stop a VIRM soldier from attacking Zero Two.

Several days later, Ichigo notices how sullen Hiro has become due to Zero Two's catatonic state and she tells him he can always tell her anything, which he appreciates but doesn't tell her anything. Hiro later finds out that Zero Two is subconsciously fighting with Strelizia in space against VIRM and he decides to go rescue her despite being told it is a suicide mission. While Goro angrily confronts him about this, Ichigo watches close by and cries. The next day, she and the others announce they will go with Hiro.

When the galactic battle ends following Hiro and Zero Two reuniting, they announce they are going through a warp gate to eliminate the VIRM and out an end to the war for good. Ichigo breaks down out of fear thy will never come back. She suggests they all go but Hiro declines. She then tells them she won't let them go but changes her tone, telling them to come back alive. Hiro and Zero Two promise they will come back, and Ichigo cries as the two disappear into the warp gate.

72 days since the gate passage, Ichigo tells Goro that she feels guilty for living peacefully while Hiro and Zero Two are fighting to protect them. He assures her to believe in them.

Two years later, upon sensing that something is wrong in space, Ichigo and the others join hands to send their prayers to Hiro and Zero Two. At the end, Hiro and Zero Two sacrifice themselves to destroy the VIRM home planet, causing the blast to be be seen from Earth. Ichigo starts crying as she realizes Hiro is dead but vows the others will continue rebuilding the planet and society so Hiro and Zero Two will have a home to return to one day.

Eight years later, Ichigo is married to Goro and pregnant with their first child but Hiro remains on her mind. When the squad reunites during their children's schook entrance ceremony, Ichigo credits Hiro and Zero Two for all the lessons everyone learned in life.

Manga
During the vacation and while looking at the stars, she kisses Hiro a second time on the beach to prove to him that each kiss with him was special to her and she didn’t want him to focus all on Zero Two but he still failed to realize her feelings for him.

When Delphinium is absorbed by a klaxosaur with Ichigo inside, Hiro is deeply troubled becaus Ichigo put herself in harms way to save him. Nana and Hachi inform the squad to focus on keeping the klaxosaur away from the plantation and Ichigo tells the others, via comms, that she plans to risk her life to protect them. Hiro is against that and offers to rescue her until Goro says he will do that because Hiro is Strelizia’s stamen whereas Goro is Delphinium‘s. Meanwhile, Ichigo contemplates sacrificing herself by killing the Klaxosaur in stampede mode but regrets not being able to see Hiro again. She then thinks she sees Hiro coming into the cockpit to save her but is surprised that it’s actually Goro.

After 001’s invasion of Mistilteinn and manipulation of Zero Two, Ichigo learned of Hiro’s forgotten past with Zero Two. Afterwards, she was sad and admitted to Goro her grief that Hiro’s heart was so enveloped with Zero Two that there was no room for Ichigo. Despite this, Ichigo gathered the squad together to help Hiro rescue Zero Two during the siege of the Gran Crevasse.

During the battle, Hiro spots a damaged Strelizia and he is about to go to help Zero Two when Goro informs him that Ichigo has a message for Zero Two, which is that Zero Two can have Hiro and she needs to get herself together.

DARLING in the FRANXX!
In Episode 2, during the mock battle against Argentea, Delphinium suddenly disconnects. In the cockpit, Ichigo asks Hiro what was different during his piloting with Zero Two. Hiro answers it was because of the kiss and explains it to Ichigo. Ichigo misunderstands it as a beam of light coming from Zero Two's mouth and says it's a catastrophe, making Hiro confused.

In Episode 9, after Ichigo successfully rescue Goro, Hiro looks at them in awe and calls Ichigo "cool".

In Episode 14, Ichigo confesses to Hiro that she likes him, making Hiro shocked.

Drama CDs
In the first Drama CD, everyone eats mushrooms that make them fall asleep and have strange dreams. In Miku’s dream, Ichigo is part of an idol group with the girls and the boys, including Hiro, cheer for them. When Zero Two seemingly flirts with Hiro, Ichigo becomes jealous and eats the mushroom. In Ichigo's dream, she is a delinquent leader in an All-Girls School and Hiro is her homeroom teacher. Ichigo seemingly helps Hiro when he has difficulty trying to calm the class to announce that they have a new transfer student, but reveals that she is looking down on him. Zero Two is revealed to be the transfer student Hiro was talking about and kisses him in front of the class, surprising everyone. Ikuno is enraged by this as she is a disciplinary committee but Ichigo stops Ikuno and admits that she has a crush on their homeroom teacher, Hiro. A jealous Ichigo then challenge Zero Two to a duel.

In the first story of the second Drama CD, when the whole squad is frightened because of the cockroach, they try to run for their safety but the cockroach slowly got them one by one. When it's only Hiro, Ichigo, Zero Two and Ikuno left, Zero Two flirts with Hiro and Ichigo asks Ikuno if those two have death flags, and she hope they do. When Hiro does get "taken down" by the cockroach, Ichigo cries. Ichigo also seems reluctant to leave Hiro and Zero Two alone.

In the second story of the third Drama CD, when the squad is babysitting Zero Two, who got a sugar overdose, Ichigo says that she remembers what Hiro said after they cooked meals on their own. Even though they have to leave Mistilteinn someday, Ichigo says she won’t forget that they were once here. Hiro agrees with her.

In the final story of the third Drama CD, when Goro comes back from his travel, he finds Ichigo drawing Zero Two's picture book. Even though Ichigo feels her drawing is not good enough, she wants to keep doing it for Hiro and Zero Two. Ichigo is sad because she can't do anything for Hiro and Zero Two who are fighting in space. Goro tells Ichigo that she shouldn't live under Hiro and Zero Two's shadow, but for her own future. Goro continues that they should live their own lives while waiting for HiroZero to come back, because that is what HiroZero wished for.

When the squad accidentally meets up at night, Ichigo shouts for Hiro and Zero Two to do their best and everyone will always cheer on them.

Fanon
HiroIchi is a popular shipping in the fandom due to that the two are childhood friends. However, some fans find their friendship to be unhealthy due to how Ichigo tries to control Hiro by telling him what he can/can not do and trying to force him into a relationship with her by banning him from seeing Zero Two. Other fans point out that Ichigo always had Hiro's best interest in mind and she only worries about him, and when she sees he is happy, she is willing to put her own feelings aside to see him happy. The ship rivals HiroZero and IchiGoro.

Fandom
FANWORKS


 * Hiro/Ichigo on FanFiction.Net
 * Hiro/Ichigo tag on Pixiv
 * Hiro/Ichigo tag on Pixiv

Trivia

 * Hiro's English voice actor, Matt Shipman, is married to Ichigo's English voice actress, Brittany Lauda, in real life.
 * Ichigo was the first person Hiro named.
 * In both instances when Hiro and Ichigo co pilot together, their paracapacity rates are shown to be at 100%, the maximum but their connection is brief due to his incompatibility with anyone except for Zero Two.