Shūkichi Haneda was presumably born Shūkichi Akai in England to Tsutomu Akai and Mary Sera. After an incident involving his father's apparent death, the family moved to Japan, where Shūkichi and his younger sister Masumi adopted the surname "Sera." His older brother Shuichi Akai later left for America to join the FBI. Masumi was born in Japan, and seven years after the move, the family briefly reunited with Shuichi. Upon graduating high school, Shūkichi changed his surname to "Haneda," inspired by shogi player Kohji Haneda, though their precise connection is undefined. He then became a professional shogi player. Shūkichi Haneda possesses a cheerful and outwardly emotional personality, perceived as immature by his ex-girlfriend Yumi Miyamoto. Yet, during shogi matches, media appearances, and investigations, he reveals a calmer, more serious side. He demonstrates strong determination and patience, particularly in his secret goal to win all seven major shogi titles to regain Yumi's approval. His feelings for Yumi profoundly affect his shogi performance, making her his muse; he once interrupted a crucial title match to help her. Highly confident in his exceptional memorization skills, he proclaims himself the world's best memorizer. Despite a generally carefree attitude, he occasionally acts rashly during investigations, leading to dangerous situations. In shogi, Shūkichi Haneda holds six titles after achieving all seven and subsequently losing one in a defense match against rival Chikara Katsumata. He earned the prestigious "Meijin" title early in his career. His deductive abilities are considerable; he often advises Masumi on cases by phone, correcting her conclusions. He solved mysteries during his school years and has demonstrated superior investigative skills in several cases, sometimes identifying culprits before Conan Edogawa. His memory allows him to recall complex codes after brief exposure. Shūkichi first met Yumi Miyamoto on a train when he fell asleep on her shoulder, causing her to miss her stop. They dated until Yumi ended the relationship upon becoming a police officer, though Shūkichi gave her an envelope to open only after he "collected all seven" titles. He continues living in the Chateau Beika Condo apartment they shared. His appearance features distinctive dark brown bedhead-styled hair, and he frequently wears glasses except during shogi events. He resembles his father more than his siblings, who favor their mother. Within the Akai family, Shūkichi interacts warmly with his sister Masumi, who uses nicknames like "Kichi-nii." He respects his mother Mary and maintains a connection to his late father Tsutomu. He refers to Kohji Haneda with reverence. In "The Scarlet Alibi," a compilation film featuring the Akai family, Shūkichi appears in repurposed footage alongside Mary, Masumi, and Shuichi, contributing to the narrative leading into the postponed film "The Scarlet Bullet." The compilation includes new narration but presents no original plot developments for his character. Trivia notes include his name origins: "Akai" references Char Aznable from *Mobile Suit Gundam*, "Sera" derives from Sayla Mass from the same series, and "Haneda" and his "Taikō" nickname allude to historical figure Toyotomi Hideyoshi. The "𠮷" in his given name honors Sankichi Sakata, while the "羽" in Haneda credits shogi player Yoshiharu Habu. He is right-handed.