This article contains spoilers for To Be Hero X Episode 5, streaming now on Crunchyroll.
Haoling Li’s To Be Hero X has shifted focus to a new protagonist in Episode 5, “One Actor.” Yang Cheng is a classic underdog protagonist, but with every underdog comes a rival. My Hero Academia’s Izuku Midoriya has Katsuki Bakugo, just as Naruto’s titular knucklehead ninja had Sasuke Uchiha. Now, Yang Cheng’s competition comes in the form of Shang Chao: a seemingly harmless classmate with a bright future as well as an eye for Yang Cheng’s crush, Xia Qing.
There’s not a lot known about Shang Chao, though there is enough to surmise what role he could possibly serve in the story. To Be Hero X’s fifth episode shows a number of clues, both subtle and glaring, that suggest that Shang Chao could become the donghua’s next villain. More importantly, he could end up being Yang Cheng’s very own Sasuke, sans the happy ending.
To Be Hero X Introduces a Rival to an Underdog Protagonist
Shang Chao is Written to be Yang Cheng’s Complete Opposite
To Be Hero X fans are first introduced to the character of Shang Chao in the same scene that they meet Xia Qing, the object of Yang Cheng’s affections. Yang Cheng is on the cusp of inviting Xia Qing to a Lucky Cyan concert when Shang Chao enters the room, stealing her attention. They begin to converse about school, and Shang Chao mentions the prospects of his career path, indicating that he is a highly successful student with a promising future in the works. Meanwhile, Yang Cheng looks on in jealousy.
Shang Chao is a handsome and academically exceptional young man with much of his life in order. He’s also shown to be rather social and charming, easily striking up conversation with Xia Qing, whereas Yang Cheng has trouble inviting her to go out despite having known her for years. Immediately, Shang Chao is painted as everything that Yang Chang is not and possibly everything that Yang Chang himself wishes he could be. His existence is meant to reflect every one of the main character’s insecurities.
Because Yang Cheng thinks so little of himself, he assumes that Shang Chao is the kind of person that Xia Qing would end up choosing. By writing him this way, To Be Hero X cleverly frames Shang Chao as a threat through the protagonist’s perspective. Their opposing character traits also easily frame the two as adversaries. This is further highlighted in Shang Chao and Yang Cheng’s contrasting color schemes and what their primary colors symbolize.
Shang Chao’s outfit is mainly yellow, while Yang Cheng’s main color — in accordance with E-Soul — is blue. In Chinese culture, yellow is often associated with royalty, power, and prosperity, making it a rather auspicious color. Blue, on the other hand, can symbolize positive things such as healing and advancement but can also have negative connotations depending on the context. Interestingly, Shang Chao’s color scheme is similar to the initial appearance of Zero, who looked to be E-Soul’s nemesis in the hero’s character trailer.
Shang Chao Becomes a Recurring Obstacle in To Be Hero X
Yang Cheng Can’t Catch a Break Whenever Shang Chao is Around
To Be Hero X fans immediately noticed that Shang Chao kept appearing at inconvenient times throughout Episode 5, especially when Xia Qing was involved. Every moment that Yang Cheng felt as though he were about to approach his crush or make progress with her, Shang Chao was always placed in the way. This is first witnessed right in the scene of his introduction, when Yang Cheng was summoning up the courage to ask Xia Qing out. Shang Chao’s shadow even precedes his entry, as though he is something constantly looming at Yang Cheng’s back.
Another moment that Shang Chao interrupted takes place after the E-Soul auditions, when Yang Cheng was about to approach Xia Qing and Pomelo. Yang Cheng only stopped when he saw that Xia Qing’s attention was, yet again, preoccupied with Shang Chao. Later in the episode, the audience learns that he had actually taken the chance to invite Xia Qing to the same Lucky Cyan concert that Yang Cheng wanted to take her to.
These moments could simply be viewed as mere coincidences, especially when Yang Cheng’s choice to pull back each time is partially the fault of his own insecurities. However, that doesn’t negate the fact that Shang Chao is a constant presence that precedes Yang Cheng’s moments of defeat, as though he is at the center of each failure. He was, after all, one of the judges of the E-Soul auditions that Yang Cheng was unfortunately cut from during the last round.
Quite a number of To Be Hero X fans have theorized that Shang Chao could be the person behind Pomelo’s kidnapping in Episode 5’s climax. With his wealth and connections, he has the means to hire people to get his hands dirty for him. If Xia Qing, who is Pomelo’s older sister, ended up rejecting Shang Chao, then he definitely had the motive. What certainly damned him the most is his appearance after Yang Cheng and Pomelo met with Xia Qing after evading capture, interrupting Yang Cheng yet again when he was about to confess the truth.
To Be Hero X Episode 5 Left Off on a Cliffhanger
Shang Chao Approached Yang Cheng for a Reason
After Yang Cheng successfully saved Pomelo from the kidnappers, it wasn’t Xia Qing that Shang Chao was seeking out. He was specifically looking for Yang Cheng. The reason why has been left up for viewers to think about until To Be Hero X‘s next episode airs, but there are one or two speculations that could fill in the holes in the meantime. One of them being that Shang Chao might have wanted to speak to Yang Cheng about the E-Soul auditions.
Perhaps Shang Chao wanted to try and give his classmate a leg up and offer him another shot. Seeing as he was one of the judges, there were certain strings he could pull in Yang Cheng’s favor. However, this could also be a means for Shang Chao to sneakily confront Yang Cheng about the kidnapping without incriminating himself. More could also be surmised from the trailer for To Be Hero X Episode 6.
The trailer reveals that Yang Cheng’s fight with Pomelo’s kidnappers went viral and that the public has mistaken him for the actual E-Soul. If Shang Chao had noticed this, then he might have seen an opportunity to take advantage of. He is striving to make a name for himself in the hero industry. Perhaps Yang Cheng’s feat of heroism was something of a stepping stone for Shang Chao’s career — a stepping stone that he unknowingly built if he was the one who sent those goons to kidnap Pomelo.
Shang Chao has his future practically lined up. He doesn’t seem like the type to be reckless in his endeavors. He comes from wealth and was likely taught to approach life with a level head and a calculating mind. His friendly personality could also be a cleverly crafted front to appeal to others and increase his chance of success. All this to say, it wouldn’t be too big of a surprise if Shang Chao took the opportunity to exploit Yang Cheng for his own gain.
It may be too early to tell exactly what To Be Hero X is going to do with Shang Chao’s character, but fans of the donghua are already theorizing that Shang Chao could have something to do with Moon’s eventual murder. The current story takes place roughly five years before everything with Lin Ling and Nice went down. If Shang Chao is somehow manipulating things behind the scenes, then he could eventually puppeteer the situation that eventually leads to Moon’s death in episode 4. That, or Shang Chao himself, could somehow be the very culprit who shot her.
Yang Cheng’s arc is projected to take up the next two episodes before To Be Hero X moves on to cover Lucky Cyan’s portion of the story. The donghua has been exceeding the expectations of viewers and churning out one plot twist after another. Whatever way that Yang Cheng’s rise as E-Soul is meant to unfold, Shang Chao will be involved in some manner, for better or for worse. Hopefully, Yang Cheng will be able to see what’s coming before another gutting tragedy strikes.
