Rin Matsuoka

"#ac5488"

- I want a real race! Or else, I won't be able to move on.

Rin Matsuoka (松岡 凛 Matsuoka Rin) is one of the main characters of the anime series Free! and the light novel High☆Speed!. He swims for Samezuka Academy and is a rival of Haruka Nanase.

Appearance
Rin is a tall young man with semi-long, brownish red hair. He has red eyes and shark-like teeth. His usual school uniform consists of white trousers, a white buttoned up jacket with a black t-shirt underneath it and black shoes. He is seen wearing a lot of different clothes throughout the show.

While swimming, he wears black long leg swim pants that have red patterns on them.

Personality
When he was young, Rin showed a lot of passion and competitiveness for swimming, as well as an interest in teamwork. After years passed, his ideals about swimming drastically changed. He does not care that much about the trophy they won during their elementary days. With his rude personality, he now only hopes to challenge Haruka Nanase and show him how much more skilled he is.

As the Iwatobi High School Swim Club continues to practice and have fun together, Rin often times catches glimpses of them during their practices and is notably morose when he sees how happy they are together while he stands there alone. The teenager aspires to make his father's dream of becoming an Olympic swimmer come true and has detached himself from everyone while working toward that particular goal. At times, Rin displays a softer side, as he is shown to still harbor concern for his friends' well-being and he acts like a mentor toward his younger sister Gou and teammate Nitori. Rin is conflicted emotionally, but his pride as a swimmer is used to mask his insecurities.

History
Rin's father died when Rin was very young; his father was a swimmer who had dreamed of going to the Olympics but had to give-up his goal and become a fisherman. Due to a tragic incident, his father drowned three kilometers off the coast along with the rest of his crew. Rin stated that he has very few memories of his father and cannot even recall what his father looked like, as his father would be gone for days while out fishing. Rin decided to try and become an Olympic swimmer because he believes that by following this path, he will be able to see his father's face. Rin joined the Iwatobi Swim Club prior to leaving for Australia because that was his father's old club, where his father and his teammates had won the relay. Rin wanted to make a team and win the relay to emulate his father as he started down the path of becoming an Olympic swimmer.

In elementary school, Rin was in the same swimming team along with Haruka, Makoto and Nagisa. After they won a tournament, Rin then went abroad to Australia to study swimming.

Starting Block of Reunions!
While Haruka, Makoto and Nagisa were walking down the corridors of the old Iwatobi Swim Club building, they run into a young man. When they find out that it is actually Rin in front of them, completely changed, he immediately challenges Haruka to a race, until they discover that the old pool is empty. Haruka, Makoto and Nagisa learn from Rin's sister, Gou Matsuoka, that Rin had returned from Australia and that he's now attending Samezuka Academy. Afterwards, Makoto and Nagisa convince a reluctant Haruka to visit Samezuka by tempting him to a swim duel in the school's pool. Upon arriving, they wait until the school's swimming team is done with practice and break into the academy's swimming pool. They are then discovered by Rin who aggressively orders them out. Haruka then steps out of the pool and challenges Rin to a freestyle match.

Memories in the Distance!
Sasabe reveals that Haruka and Rin had a race when the latter made a rare return to Japan, of which Haruka easily won. Rin was exceptionally disappointed that his hard work was for nothing, creating a rift between them, subsequently causing Haruka to quit competitive swimming because he had hurt Rin's pride. Upon learning this, Makoto calls Rin to inform them of their plans while Rin decides to join the Samezuka swim team for his own grudge against Haruka.

Captive Butterfly!
At the store where Iwatobi Swim Club was bying new swimwear, Haruka and Rin run into each other and have a short discussion about their differing forms with Rin wanting a race with them both in peak condition, or else he may not be able to move forward from his loss and both decide to settle the score at the upcoming tournament.

Trial in Open Water!
Upon Iwatobi Swim Club arriving on the island, they coincidentally discover the Samezuka Swim Club, along with Rin, is training at a special swimming facility on the island. As Iwatobi Swim Club prepare for dinner, Gou heads to a nearby convenience store and briefly runs into Rin who shows some concern for Makoto after Gou explains their training, before returning to his usual stoic self. He then offers Gou to walk her to the hotel she's staying in.

Gou Matsuoka
Gou is often worried about her brother. One of her main goals in becoming Iwatobi's swim manager is that the guys will help bring her brother back to normal. Rin in response appears a bit protective of her as well especially in response to Seijuro's use of Gou's first name.

Haruka Nanase
In elementary school, Rin was in the same swimming team along with Haruka, Makoto and Nagisa. After they won a tournament, Rin then went abroad to Australia to study swimming. Haruka and Rin had a race when the latter made a rare return to Japan, of which Haruka easily won. Rin was exceptionally disappointed that his hard work was for nothing, creating a rift between them, subsequently causing Haruka to quit competitive swimming because he had hurt Rin's pride.

Rin's best stroke is the butterfly, but his obsession with beating Haruka, who only swims the crawl stroke, leads him to focusing on that stroke and whatever distance Haruka is swimming in competition only.

Aiichiro Nitori
Initially, Aiichiro and Rin were not on the same team. However, once Rin joined the Samezuka Academy swim team, the two became teammates. The two also appear to be roommates and thus are mostly together. Rin, apparently, also finds Aiichiro to be a bit overwhelming and overbearing especially so if he had been a girl and had to date him or Seijuro.

Seijuro Mikoshiba
Initially, Seijuro and Rin were not on the same team. However, once Rin joined the Samezuka Academy swim team, the two became teammates. Rin does not see Seijuro to be very responsible, and finds that he is a bit too whimsical.

Trivia

 * Like all swimmers associated with the Iwatobi High School Swimming Club, Rin has a female name.
 * Rin is the type of person who cannot sleep without his pillow.
 * Haruka stated that Rin accidentally called his coach mom during elementary school.
 * Gou has admitted that Rin shaves his body hair to reduce water resistance.
 * Rin likes eating meat and kamchi.
 * Rin's best subjects are English and Math, while he's bad at Literature and Old Japanese.
 * Rin likes sports that he's good at.
 * Rin's best stroke is the butterfly, but his obsession with beating Haruka, who only swims the crawl stroke, leads him to focusing on that stroke and whatever distance Haruka is swimming in competition only.

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