HiroIchi

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

Canon
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.

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 notmoart 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 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 explains what it is, she decides to kiss him 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 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. Ichigo was not happy when Hiro rode with Zero Two a second time but, due to the kissing between Plantations 13 and 25 expectating to attract a horde of klaxosaurs, she relented because the squad will need Strelizia. She attempts to talk to Zero Two about not being hard on Hiro 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 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 He beach, 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, Ichigo 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 confronts Zero Two about the rumors and how she used Hiro as a fodder like the other stamen she killed after devouring them. When Zero Two doesn’t deny the rumors, Ichigo says she will never see Hiro again and enlists the squad to keep Zero Two in her room. She later goes to the hospital to see Hiro and sliced him an apple, and affirms that she will protect him. When she 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 But 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 consciously 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 co fronts 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 him 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.

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.

Fandom
FAN FICTION

Trivia

 * HiroIchi is a very popular shipping in the fandom, placed behind HiroZero and in front of MitsuKoko.
 * 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.