Nam Shurugi, a 16-year-old male with black hair and brown eyes, lives an ordinary life in an Aqualoid village. His existence changes irrevocably upon discovering the mystical sword SHADE embedded in stone. This discovery instantly marks him as a target for the Inorganics, artificial entities devastating Aqualoid in opposition to the natural Organics. While SHADE grants Nam the power to eliminate these foes, it carries a grave risk: catastrophic destruction if misused.

Following SHADE's acquisition, Nam becomes the focus of a planet-wide pursuit by the Inorganics. His primary motivation shifts towards protecting Aqualoid and uncovering the sword's secrets, though his actions inadvertently escalate tensions between the warring factions. Adapting from an ordinary villager to a determined figure, he navigates life-threatening chases and battles, traversing desolate landscapes like radiated wastelands scarred by ruins and remnants of past devastation.

His journey involves key relationships: Rasa Jupiter, a female companion from his village who aids him, notably during supply delivery attempts. He also encounters Bao Luzen and Junobel Kim, individuals tracking SHADE who become entangled in the broader struggle against the Inorganics. These interactions unfold amidst chaotic encounters with transforming Inorganic forces, ranging from humanoid figures to colossal machines.

Nam witnesses Aqualoid's final cataclysm, triggered when an Inorganic child activates a doomsday weapon despite negotiation attempts. This event leads to the disintegration of Aqualoid, its inhabitants, and Nam himself. His existence transitions into a spiritual form, joining a collective consciousness transformed by cosmic entities into a new celestial body. His background, actions, relationships, and ultimate fate are confined to the events of the original 1984 OVA.