is a fictional character who appears in the Sword Art Online series of light novels and anime by Reki Kawahara. She is more commonly known by her avatar name, , her player name in the Gun Gale Online and Alfheim Online video games that the series is set in. She makes her series debut in the fifth light novel volume, titled Phantom Bullet, and the second season of the Sword Art Online anime, voiced by Miyuki Sawashiro in Japanese and Michelle Ruff in the English dub. When she was eleven years old, Shino was involved in a post office robbery, where she killed the armed robber to defend her mother. As a result, she began to develop a fear of guns, deciding to play Gun Gale Online in hopes it would mend her trauma. The character has achieved popularity in anime and manga fandom, often appearing in fan polls and official merchandise, and has received positive critical reception, with acclaim directed at her appearance and depth of character. Creation and conception In an interview with series creator Reki Kawahara, the author noted that the female characters in Sword Art Online were not based on anyone he knew personally, with him stating "I don't usually make a character, setting, or anything before I start writing. As I write the story, the girls become what they are now. So, somehow, I don't know exactly, but somehow, my subliminal idea or some hidden emotion creates the characters to be strong and capable." In real life, Shino wears glasses containing an NXT polymer which could withstand a bullet; although they are not prescription, they provide her with some security as a result of her trauma. Series artist abec told Dengeki Bunko Magazine that the glasses had been created as he felt there were not enough characters in the series with glasses. Appearances In Sword Art Online When she was two years old, her father died in a car accident. Eight years later, while at a post office, an armed robber attempted to shoot a pregnant woman, but lost control of the gun after Shino bit his hand. Afterwards, she shot him three times, killing him. Since, she developed a fear of guns, entering panic attacks whenever one is visible. As a result, she is bullied at school by her peers, with a finger gun being enough to trigger her phobia. To help ease her