Tabane Shinonono is the mysterious genius scientist behind the Infinite Stratos system, known for her unpredictable actions, unrivaled intellect, and quirky personality. As the older sister of Houki Shinonono, she drives most of the major incidents in the story, making her both a key player and a wild card in the series.
Tabane is 24 years old and stands 165 cm tall.
She has a sleepy expression, thanks to the perpetual dark circles under her eyes from her irregular research habits.
Her recognizable look features a bunny-ear style headband and a daringly low-cut apron dress, highlighting her glamorous figure, much like her sister Houki.
Tabane identifies as a "genius," living each day as though it’s 35 hours long, prioritizing her passion for science above all else.
She is energetic and childlike with close family, but icy and indifferent toward anyone she doesn’t directly care for.
She is known for elaborate pranks and unpredictable moods, flipping from cheerful to cold in a second if she loses interest.
Her lack of concern for most people borders on cruelty, treating acquaintances and admirers with biting indifference unless they’re family.
Tabane single-handedly conceived the core theories of Infinite Stratos and engineered all its cores, recognized worldwide as a once-in-a-century scientist.
After producing the final IS core—number 467—she vanished, slipping from government surveillance three years before the story begins.
Her disappearance turned her into a global fugitive, continually chased by nations desperate for her knowledge, especially the method to create IS cores.
She maintains contact with Houki and Chifuyu Orimura despite her fugitive status, but her family is fragmented due to government intervention.
Tabane is "overspec at the cellular level," excelling in both intellect and physical prowess.
She is able to fight on par—or even better—than Chifuyu Orimura, matching IS users with nothing but her bare hands.
Her inventions include mobile laboratories and unique gear, such as her "Throne Audience" staff, which manipulates gravity.
She is immune to most drugs, further adding to the impression that her specs defy normal human limits.
She orchestrates many critical incidents—terrorist acts and dangerous experiments alike—always hinting at a grander, unknown ambition.
Tabane is deeply affectionate toward her little sister Houki and Chifuyu Orimura, considering them her only genuine kin along with Ichika Orimura.
She built Houki’s custom fourth-generation IS, Akatsubaki, purely out of sisterly love.
She treats Chloe Chronicle as her own daughter and shows rare, ferocious protectiveness when Chloe is threatened, as seen when Autumn took Chloe hostage.
She finds Madoka Orimura fascinating, hinting she would even build a custom IS for her, despite refusing any cooperation with the organization she serves.
Tabane’s relationship with Houki is tense, marked by frustration and distance due to Tabane’s actions and the fragmented family situation.
For everyone else, Tabane has little more than clinical disinterest, snubbing even those who deeply admire her, like Cecilia Alcott.
Tabane is dubbed "Humanity’s Greatest" (Reniyurion) and referred to as a "cunning sheep" and even a "disaster" rather than just a genius.
She decorated her laboratory with a phone glued to the wall, ensuring she can always contact Houki or Chifuyu.
Her laboratory is named "I Am a Cat (Name Not Yet Given)," and she carries a gravity-manipulating staff with a magical girl motif.
Her acts sparked all sorts of drama: Golem attacks, runaway IS incidents, school excursion disasters, and more, often for motives like gathering data or entertaining Chifuyu.
Despite being dismissed as the ultimate villain, some fans and stories explore a "pure-hearted Tabane," showing her capacity for sweetness with her inner circle.
"When the time comes, Chifuyu!"
"Let us begin the song of the end!"
—Code Violet, activate—
Role in Key Incidents
Tabane is responsible for numerous major events in the original work, engineering everything from IS rampages to secret attacks and even assassination attempts.
Her actions played direct and indirect roles in incidents like the Golem attacks, Silver Gospel runaways, and even the plan to kill Ichika Orimura.
She orchestrated these events for reasons such as collecting IS data, debuting Houki as an IS pilot, and entertaining Chifuyu, but her true aim remains shrouded in mystery.
Impact on Other Characters
Her meddling left Houki isolated and under government watch, and fractured her family’s unity.
Chloe Chronicle, considered her own daughter, benefits from Tabane’s rare maternal warmth and protection, shown when Tabane brutally defeated Autumn to save Chloe.
Tabane’s relationship with Madoka Orimura stands as an exception to her general indifference; she offers to build Madoka a custom IS, signifying a unique interest.
Archetype Breaker and Extra Story
In spinoffs, including the browser game "Archetype Breaker," Tabane appears as a secret manipulator, using advanced tech and even alien lifeforms to further her mysterious goals.
The final chapter of "Archetype Breaker" reveals her involvement in bringing forth extraterrestrial threats through experiments performed in her secret laboratory.
Tabane’s custom IS is finally revealed as "Murasaki," or "Code Violet," in volume 12.
Her IS holds similar "King of IS" powers as Ichika’s "Code White" and Akatsubaki’s "Code Red."
The details of "Murasaki" remain unknown, with only hints of its abilities and no released illustrations so far.
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