The story begins with Lin Ling, an ordinary worker, witnessing the suicide of the beloved hero Nice. Lin Ling, who closely resembles Nice, is coerced into impersonating him to maintain public morale and the hero's image. As Lin Ling assumes Nice's identity, he begins to gain Nice's powers and even physically transforms to resemble him, including changes in eye color. This transformation is driven by the public's belief and trust in Nice, which fuels the hero's abilities.

Lin Ling struggles with the overwhelming pressure of living up to Nice's flawless public persona. He becomes a perfectionist, unable to rest properly because the public believes Nice "always stands." Meanwhile, the behind-the-scenes reality reveals a darker side to the hero industry, where PR agencies manipulate public perception and heroes compete for higher Trust Values, a quantifiable measure of public trust that determines their power and ranking.

Lin Ling's manager, Miss J, forces him into a contract with Moon, a woman who claims to be Nice's girlfriend. Moon reveals that her relationship with Nice was fabricated for publicity. When Lin Ling tries to escape this arrangement, Miss J locks them inside Nice's apartment, insisting they marry to boost their public image.

To resolve this, Lin Ling proposes faking Moon's death to Miss J. They stage a fake marriage proposal, planning for it to be attacked by Wreck, Nice's best friend and supposed nemesis. However, Wreck sees through the ruse and, enraged by Nice's suicide, attacks Lin Ling violently. Ling fights back, and during the confrontation, Wreck falls to his death. To cover up the incident, Ling and Moon fake her death by pretending she was hit during the battle. Moon then uses her powers to teleport away, and Ling says goodbye to her.

Elsewhere, Enlighter, a character who deduces that Ling is impersonating Nice, is approached by the villainous Spotlight Organization. They offer him the power of Fear, which he accepts, transforming into the villain God Eye.

In a separate subplot, Ling's old boss Cheng is framed for the kidnapping of Pomelo, a young girl, by Ling's manager to increase his own Trust Value. Cheng is arrested but later cleared when Enlighter gathers evidence proving his innocence. However, Cheng and Qing witness Chao, an ally, being killed by the same assailants who tried to kidnap Pomelo.

Throughout the series, the concept of Trust Value is central: heroes gain power from the public's belief, and losing trust means losing abilities. The story explores the consequences of this system, including the psychological toll on heroes like Ling, the manipulations by PR agencies, and the emergence of villains empowered by fear and distrust.

The series culminates in a tense convergence of characters and storylines, with Ling fully embracing his role as Nice, battling both external villains and internal conflicts about identity and heroism. The final scenes reveal that the hero known as Nice may not have been the original, hinting at deeper mysteries behind the hero system and the reasons for the previous Nice's suicide.

The ending of To Be Hero X culminates with Lin Ling successfully impersonating the deceased hero Nice, faking key events including Moon's death, and confronting the complex manipulations within the hero system. Ling parts ways with Moon after their staged battle, while the villainous God Eye emerges from Ling's acceptance of dark power. The story closes on a note of blurred lines between heroism and villainy, with major characters facing uncertain futures shaped by deception and power struggles.

The ending unfolds in a detailed sequence of scenes:

1. Ling's Realization and Moon's Suspicion
   Ling wakes up to find Moon alive, realizing her apparent death was a bad dream. However, Moon quickly deduces that Ling is an impostor, revealing that her relationship with Nice was fabricated. Moon expresses a desire to escape her contract, but Miss J, their manager, insists on a marriage plan between Ling (as Nice) and Moon, locking them inside Nice's apartment until they comply.

2. The Plan to Fake Moon's Death
   After bonding with Moon, Ling proposes an alternative to Miss J: faking Moon's death to break free from the contract. They stage a fake marriage proposal, planning for it to be attacked by Wreck, Nice's best friend and supposed nemesis. This plan is designed to create a believable scenario that would allow Moon to disappear from the public eye.

3. The Battle with Wreck and His Death
   During the staged attack, Wreck sees through Ling's impersonation and goes on a violent rampage. Ling is forced to fight Wreck seriously, resulting in Wreck falling to his death. Following this, Ling and Moon successfully fake Moon's death by pretending she was hit during the battle. Afterward, Moon uses her powers to teleport away, and Ling says goodbye to her.

4. Ling's Transformation into God Eye
   Elsewhere, Enlighter deduces Ling's impersonation of Nice. Ling is approached by the villainous Spotlight Organization, who offer him the power of Fear. Ling accepts, transforming into the villain God Eye, marking a significant shift in his character from hero impersonator to antagonist.

5. Nice's Return and Final Revelations
   Earlier episodes leading to the ending reveal the real Nice's return and his attempt to kill innocent civilians connected to the hero Loli. This exposes Nice's cruel nature and ends his career tragically. The story then works to redeem Nice's image by providing his backstory, explaining the fractures in the hero system and the manipulation by hero corporations.

6. Fates of Main Characters

7. Lin Ling: Ends as the villain God Eye after accepting dark powers, having impersonated Nice and faked Moon's death.
8. Moon: Escapes her contract by faking her death and teleporting away, leaving Ling behind.
9. Wreck: Dies after falling during the battle with Ling.
10. Nice: His true nature is revealed posthumously, ending his hero career in disgrace.
11. Miss J: Remains a controlling figure, enforcing contracts and manipulating heroes.
12. Enlighter: Acts as a detective figure, uncovering Ling's impersonation and witnessing his transformation.

The ending scene by scene emphasizes the blurred boundaries between heroism and villainy, the manipulation behind the hero industry, and the personal costs for those caught in the system. The narrative closes with Ling's transformation into God Eye, setting a dark tone for the future beyond the series' conclusion.

Yes, To Be Hero X does have a post-credits scene, notably in its fourth episode, which is considered one of the best post-credits scenes in anime for 2025. This scene initially appears to be a perfect ending for the protagonist Lin Ling but quickly turns into a nightmare, signaling a major twist that changes the world of heroes in the series. After Lin defeats the villain Godeye and believes he has saved Moon, it is revealed that Moon was never kidnapped but replaced by a mannequin, making Lin's victory and the public's rally behind him more complicated and ominous.

Additionally, the seventh episode also features a thrilling post-credit scene involving characters Uncle and Lucky Cyan, adding further surprises to the story.

These post-credit scenes serve to deepen the plot and character development, leaving viewers with significant cliffhangers and emotional impact beyond the main episode endings.

Nice's death is a pivotal plot event where he steps off a building and commits suicide, which shocks fans and sets the story in motion. The narrative later reveals that Nice had a cruel nature, including an attempt to kill innocent civilians, which led to his downfall in the hero industry. His death also triggers Lin Ling to impersonate him, leading to complex developments involving trust and identity deception.

Lin Ling is coerced into replacing Nice after witnessing his suicide. Ling's impersonation leads to a fabricated relationship with Moon and a staged proposal intended to fake Moon's death. This deception causes conflict with Wreck, Nice's best friend, who discovers the ruse and attacks, resulting in his own death. Ling's actions create tension with other characters, including Enlighter, who suspects the impersonation and later becomes a villain named God Eye.

Trust Points quantify public trust in heroes and directly determine their superpowers and social standing. If people believe a hero can perform a certain feat, the hero gains that ability; losing trust causes loss of powers. The Trust Points are visible on each hero's wrist and are central to the story's tension, as heroes must balance public perception, personal morals, and survival. The top-ranked hero, titled 'X,' holds the highest trust and power, and every two years, a tournament among the top 10 heroes affects their rankings.

The Spotlight Organization is a group of villains who approach Enlighter, offering him the power of Fear. Enlighter accepts and becomes the villain God Eye. This organization plays a role in manipulating heroes and influencing the power dynamics within the story, contributing to the darker aspects of the hero world and the challenges faced by protagonists like Ling and Moon.

The tournament is held every two years where the top 10 heroes compete intensely for the title of X, the most trusted and powerful hero. Their performance in the tournament directly affects their Trust Points and rankings, creating psychological pressure and fierce competition. This event drives much of the plot's conflict and character development, as heroes navigate public scrutiny, personal ambitions, and survival in a high-stakes environment.

The TV show To Be Hero X (2025) is rated 15+, indicating it is not strictly family-friendly for young children. It contains mild sexual content and nudity, moderate violence and gore, and some frightening or intense scenes that might be upsetting for children or sensitive viewers.

Potentially objectionable or upsetting aspects include:

• Moderate violence and gore: Some scenes involve action and combat with visible injury or blood, which could be intense for younger audiences.
• Mild sexual content and nudity: There are occasional scenes with mild sexual themes or brief nudity, though not explicit.
• Frightening or intense moments: Certain scenes may be suspenseful or emotionally intense, possibly unsettling for sensitive viewers.

There is no profanity, drug use, or alcohol depicted, which reduces some typical adult content concerns.

Overall, To Be Hero X is more suitable for teenagers and adults rather than young children or very sensitive viewers due to its mature themes and moderate violence.