The Eminence in Shadow has a lot of potential love interests, but is it an isekai anime with romance? And if so, who will Cid end up with in The Eminence in Shadow?
There's a lot of speculation given the vast female cast surrounding the main character, so let's break this down with all the information we have so far.
Who Is Cid Kagenou?
Cid Kagenou (formerly known as Minoru) has always wanted to be an evil mastermind working from the shadows.
His original life in modern-day Japan ended abruptly, and so did his dream.
Reincarnated in a magical world as Cid Kagenou, he gets another chance to show everyone the true eminence of the shadows.
Will Cid End up with Akane Nishino?
Akane Nishino is one of Cid's classmates from his previous life as a Japanese student. While a possibility of romance is implied, the two don't end up together.
Unfortunately, Akane's story is used as little more than an excuse to explain Cid's character and goals back when he was Minoru Kagenou.
Akane is angry and bitter that Cid doesn't pay her any attention, but ultimately, she's reduced to a plot device, only there to demonstrate that Cid can single-handedly rescue her from her kidnappers.
This early beginning was changed from the light novel, and it doesn't reflect well on the anime, according to many fans of the original.
Worse still, Akane doesn't get a chance to become a full-fledged character, as Cid dies and gets reincarnated elsewhere.
Will Cid End up with Alpha?
So far, Alpha and Cid have not ended up together, though there's a lot of potential there, with an almost-kiss featured in one of the trailers.
Cid rescues Alpha early on, but their relationship isn't built on equal grounds, as he instantly starts manipulating her with lies about the supposed Diabolos Cult.
However, Alpha comes to her own soon enough. She and Cid form a society called the Shadow Garden to resist the Diabolos Cult.
Alpha recruits six more girls, and they're collectively known as the Shadow Seven.
Alpha is a main contender for ending up with Cid, being the leader of the Shadow Seven and the one closest to him.
However, given Cid's personality, we wouldn't be surprised if she ended up leaving him for good.
Will Cid End up with Any of the Shadow Seven Members?
Cid doesn't end up with Beta, Gamma, Delta, Epsilon, Zeta, or Eta — Greek alphabet code names adopted by the members of the Shadow Garden.
While he's on good terms with many of them, romance remains only potential, though Delta loves him deeply.
Will Cid End up with Alexia?
When Cid does badly in an exam, he's forced (due to a bet) to confess to Alexia, one of his classmates who is a princess.
In doing so, he only hoped to be rejected and solidify his status as a background character but, to his surprise, Alexia accepts his confession, and the two start dating.
Their relationship, however, is short-lived. Cid soon finds out that Alexia is engaged to someone she doesn't intend to marry, and she's only using Cid. Eventually, Alexia ends the relationship.
Will Cid End up with Rose?
Princess Rose Oriana is another one of Cid's friends whom he rescued when they were children.
While there's some confusion about their relationship, including a ring misunderstanding, the two don't end up together.
Cid started truly respecting Rose when she stabbed her fiancé, Perv Asshat. In the chaotic aftermath, Rose joined the Shadow Garden.
In season 2, she betrays them and returns to her old life, but Cid seems unwilling to treat her harshly for that.
Will Cid End up with Sherry?
So far in The Eminence in Shadow, Cid has not ended up with Sherry. In the first season, they are involved in a misunderstanding involving chocolates, leading some to believe the two are a couple.
While Cid does not have romantic feelings for Sherry, there's some degree of esteem between them.
Given her complicated past, however, we wouldn't be surprised if she reappeared as an antagonist.
Now that Shadow (whose real identity she doesn't know) has killed her stepfather, it is heavily implied that Sherry is planning her revenge.
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Will Cid End up with Yukime?
Under his alias of John Smith, Cid protects Yukime and the prostitutes under her wing.
Yukime acts flirty towards him and even attempts to seduce him. Although the two eventually become allies, Cid rejects her advances.
So, Who Will Cid End up with?
Cid hasn't ended up with anyone so far in The Eminence in Shadow. He and Alexia briefly date when she unexpectedly accepts his fake confession, but overall, he has no interest in romance.
His relationship with Alexia doesn't work long-term, so Cid's love life is once again open to interpretation.
If anything, he seems to care more about manipulation than about the many girls surrounding him.
The Eminence in Shadow is currently a little too reliant on harem anime tropes, with a single male character being surrounded by countless females.
Moreover, lots of these girls end up getting kidnapped and rescued by Cid at some point, which doesn't help the anime's image.
At least, the anime seems to lean more towards comedy, with the girls understanding that something sinister is happening, even though Cid himself denies this.
These comedic elements make The Eminence in Shadow fun to watch for isekai enthusiasts, though it still isn't the best when it comes to romantic relationships.
That being the case, it might be for the best that Cid doesn't have a romantic partner, as things would probably get problematic fast.
Do you ship Cid with any of the girls in the series? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.