Shin Kazama is a Japanese pilot and one of the mercenaries at Area 88. Unlike other mercenaries on the base, however, he joined the force against his will, after he was tricked by his former best friend into signing a contract while drunk. He now fights to pay off the contract bounty so he can return to Japan and to his lover Ryoko. Because of his internal struggles, Shin keeps a cold behavior most of the time, though he befriends most of the other mercenaries and gradually earns their admiration as he becomes the top ace at Area 88.