To Be Hero X added some new layers to one of its main heroes, Ghost Blade, as, in Episode 15, it is revealed why the character killed Ah Sheng. To Be Hero X, which is streaming now on Crunchyroll, is the latest entry into the Chinese To Be Hero anthology series, telling the story of a world of superheroes where powers are granted to people based on whether the world believes that particular person can do their specific super-powered ability.
The mysterious Ghost Blade takes center stage in Episodes 15 and 16 of the hit Chinese animated series, looking into his backstory and how he plays into the ongoing superhero tournament at the heart of the TV show. The character works as a "cleaner" in the To Be Hero universe, 'taking care of' rogue heroes who are ordered to be no longer needed. The public sees the character's quiet demeanor as incredibly badass, leading their faith to turn him completely mute.
To Be Hero X is the latest superhero series set in the To Be Hero universe from Chinese animation studio BeDream. The new series debuted on FujiTV in China and Crunchyroll worldwide in mid-April. Like a 2025 My Hero Academia, the show follows a group of superheroes fighting to climb the public favorability rankings and become the first-ranked hero (aka Hero X).
So, Why Did Ghost Blade Kill Sheng?
In investigating Ghost Blade's backstory in To Be Hero X Episodes 15 and 16, fans get a glimpse of the character's tragic history, including his killing of someone named Ah Sheng.
Before appearing in the show's ongoing superhero-ing tournament, Ghost Blade was hired as a superhero assassin, killing heroes that his employers deem disposable.
The character started doing this simply because he wanted to escape the circumstances he grew up in. Things were so bad in his childhood that the second he was given the opportunity to leave (despite it being to turn into a killing machine), he grabbed it, no questions asked.
One of these early kills was Ah Sheng. Fans have speculated that Ah Sheng is the father of one of the show's main characters, Little Johnny, and had (at one point) held the title of Hero X.
The series did not give a specific reason for Ghost Blade's killing of Sheng at the time; however, that does not mean there wasn't one. According to a dossier given to Ghost Blade for the hit, Ah Sheng is said to be a whistleblower, so the character was ultimately hired to take the hero out.
However, there are theories amongst series fans that perhaps the character was framed.
A prevailing hypothesis among To Be Hero X viewers is that Ah Sheng did not have a bad bone in his body. While Ghost Blade is given the reason that he needs to die after he made some controversial information public, that may not have been the case.
Some seem to think the character was framed and never actually blew the whistle that Ghost Blade's employer thought he did. That means Ghost Blade essentially (given his status as a former Hero X) killed someone with a good heart beating in his chest.
While Ghost Blade, at least on the surface, does not seem to know the true nature behind Ah Sheng's death, as the series goes on, he may discover the truth behind the hit, being forced to reconcile with killing an innocent man.
