Appearing as the series' lead character, Shinn is a member from the military organization ZAFT composed of genetically advanced humans known as Coordinators.

[3] Shinn is introduced in the series as a member of the military organization ZAFT from the colony PLANT, working as the pilot of the mobile suit ZGMF-X56S Impulse (ZGMF-X56S インパルス) under the command of Talia Gladys, captain of the battleship Minerva.

While Shinn is often seen as a friendly person, he bears an enormous hatred towards the rulers of the country of Orb, where he lived alongside his parents and his younger sister.

[8] Because of Stella being an Extended, a person injected with drugs from a young age to fight at the same level of the Coordinators, the Minerva staff can not do anything to stop her health from deteriorating.

Stella had gone berserk due to her fear of dying and her mobile suit is then destroyed by Kira Yamato, a pilot from the Archangel ship that is trying to stop the war.

[10] Angered with Stella's death, Shinn starts training with his friend Rey Za Burrel to defeat Kira in an upcoming battle.

[18] Shinn returns in the sequel film as a member of peacekeeping group COMPASS serving under Kira, fulfilling his promise from the end of Destiny to join him.

Shinn has also appeared in the original video animation Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny Final Plus, that remakes the events from series' last episode.

[21][22] Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny: The Edge Desire deals with both Shinn's backstory and aftermath after the events of the Second Bloody Valentine War.

Shinn is defined as a civilian whose character could already go through a large development in contrast to Kira who was forced to become a soldier in the prequel Mobile Suit Gundam SEED.

Additionally, his hostility shown towards other popular characters from Gundam SEED led Fargo to find him more as an "antagonistic and obnoxious" person much to the viewers.

[43] A similar response was made by Luis Cruz from Mania Entertainment who stated that Shinn's debut was overshadowed by Athrun Zala's role in the first episodes.

[45] His personality was also found reminiscent to the one of Kira Yamato by Ross Liversidge from UK Anime Network who also expected such two characters to engage in battle in following episodes.

[46] Maria Lin from Animefringe stated that Shinn's relative younger age from the ones of Gundam SEED's returning characters was meant to emphasize the frustration to the beginning of another major conflict.

[48] However, although in following reviews from Gundam SEED Destiny, Liversidge liked how Shinn's and Stella Loussier's relationship concluded ending in a tragic way due to their battles, he found Kira's role in the series to be more likable.

[53] In retrospect, Dengeki Online enjoyed the handling of Shinn as while he was shocked when seeing him lose his final duel in Destiny, Freedom gives me a more heroic portrayal that appealed to his nostalgia of the TV series even if he has mixed feelings of the character piloting the Immortal Justice.