Shouko has been bed-ridden for most of her life from some chronic disease. Although her best friend Maya visits her daily, she is often lonely and wants desperately to go to school and be with everyone else. When she is selected to be a Fafner pilot (despite her poor physical condition, her aptitude for piloting Fafners is pretty good), she feels she finally has the chance to prove herself to everyone (especially to Kazuki, whom she has a very big crush on). Her desperate actions become a major impetus for everyone else's growth.
Shouko lives with her adopted mother Youko and a short-tailed white cat named Kuu. She is the pilot of Mark VI.