Ginjirō Nezu is an elderly hunter on Hitogashima Island, marked by gray hair, a beard, and an eyepatch over his left eye. He usually wears a red hat. Outwardly serious and calm, he carries profound emotional scars from his wife's transformation into a shadow. This trauma deeply affects him, though he ultimately confronts and overcomes it by slaying her shadow form, witnessed by Ushio. He holds extensive knowledge of the shadows plaguing the island. His grandfather taught him about the "shadow sickness" afflicting residents pre-war, where victims saw their doppelgängers before being killed and replaced. His grandfather also noted the afflicted sought cleansing from Hiruko, the island's enshrined deity. Nezu forms a close alliance with Hizuru Minakata, who deems him one of Hitogashima's few trustworthy individuals. This partnership began when he aided Hizuru against a berserk Haine, who had killed Ryunosuke and copied his shadow. Nezu specializes in fighting shadows using firearms like shotguns, nail guns, and bolt-action sniper rifles. He shows precise marksmanship, exemplified by shooting Shinpei's shadow to test his humanity and participating in shadow ambushes. His tactical intelligence allows him to modify construction tools into effective anti-shadow weapons. In combat, he exhibits heightened reaction speed, enabling him to intercept attacks aimed at allies. His involvement spans multiple time loops initiated by Shinpei Ajiro. In the fourth loop, he collaborates with Hizuru and Shinpei to capture Shadow Shiori, immobilizing her with a nail gun. While exploring underground tunnels with Ryunosuke, he shares lore about the Hiruko cave—a sealed network beneath the island—and sacrifices himself to block an attack targeting Ryunosuke. The fifth loop sees him killed by a four-armed shadow after his weapons prove ineffective. During the sixth loop, stationed as a sniper near an elementary school, he is ambushed and killed by Shadow Mio. In the seventh loop, he provides sniper support against Shide and Haine, offers tactical insights about shadow limitations, and helps protect Hizuru from lethal threats. Nezu's primary motivation is the extermination of shadows, his self-described "life’s calling." This dedication highlights his resilience and strategic mindset, informed by his personal history of loss. His character progresses from trauma to resolution, culminating in the confrontation with his wife's shadow.