Travis Touchdown and Shinobu Jacobs share a lot of similarities that we may not realize through the game. I will discuss how they relate through themes and numbers. The themes I will discuss are Love/Approval - Vengeance - Maturity.
Shinobu: In NMH1 (Vengeance), Shinobu is first seen with her classmates before Travis interrupts her. She then proceeds to confront Travis and kills her classmates because her identity as an assassin has been revealed. Shinobu harbored a deep hatred for Travis, thinking that he was the one who killed her father. She was consumed with vengeance, and her only reason to participate in the ranked fights was to avenge her father. When Travis defeated her, she instantly told him to kill her because she no longer had any purpose in life. However, Travis decided to spare her. Shinobu's view of Travis shifted—she was no longer willing to kill him. This change can be seen at the end of the game when she saves Travis from Jeane.
In NMH2 (Love/Approval), Shinobu addresses Travis as "Master." She begins to show great admiration for him, even to the point of attempting to kiss him. Despite her defeat and losing an arm in the previous game, she was willing to help Travis in the ranked fights. However, this attraction did not last long because Travis rejected her attempt to kiss him, stating that it was inappropriate. After that event, she is no longer seen in the game.
In NMH3 (Maturity), Shinobu is now much older and more mature. It is said in Travis Strikes Again that she began teaching martial arts to kids to lead them to a righteous life and that she maintains the dojo with money earned from assassination jobs. She is no longer driven by hate or the need for approval. Instead, she seeks to do what is right for others.
Travis: In NMH1 (Lust), Travis started his career as an assassin because he needed money, later joining the ranked fights. He was devoted to becoming number one because he promised Sylvia that if he made it to the top, she would have to "do it" with him. He was so blinded by lust that he felt no pity for his victims. However, after killing Holly Summers, he began to feel remorse. He also felt a bit of pity for Jeane after killing her, realizing that not everyone becomes an assassin for fun. It remains unclear whether or not he had an affair with Sylvia.
In NMH2 (Vengeance), Travis’s best friend was murdered. He felt the need to avenge his friend and kill the person responsible. This drove him to rejoin the ranking fights, even though it meant climbing a much longer ladder to the top. At one point, he forgot the reason he was fighting. It took many confrontations for him to realize he no longer wanted to continue killing because it was an endless cycle. He learned that killing was not the answer to grief, contradicting his earlier line, “I cut off heads.”
In NMH3 (Maturity), Travis is now a father. He even insisted that Sylvia keep him away from their children for their safety because he might attract other assassins. Travis no longer participates in ranking fights (against humans) because he realizes it is pointless and that the UAA manipulates his emotions. In Travis Strikes Again, he isolates himself from the city to live a peaceful life. Now, Travis seeks a life of peace, away from danger.
Numbers: The numbers I will be focusing on are 8 and 2 because of their deep connection to these two characters.
The number 8 represents victory and luck in Japan. Shinobu was the 8th-ranked assassin and was lucky to survive her confrontation with Travis. Although she was defeated, she still had a life to continue. Ryugi was the 7th-ranked assassin, making Travis the 8th. Travis finally found an opponent worthy of him. Their fight was fair and square, which is why Travis’s victory meant so much to him. He didn’t feel like it was another meaningless fight.
The number 2 is a symbol of love, friendship, personal growth, and learning. In NMH1, Travis was ranked 2nd. When Jeane was about to kill him, Shinobu appeared out of nowhere and saved him. This shows that after their last encounter, Shinobu had chosen to save the person who had cut off her arm and supposedly killed her father. It demonstrates that Shinobu was developing feelings for Travis.
In NMH2, Alice Twilight was the 2nd-ranked assassin. Before their fight, she told Travis that there was no meaning to killing—that it was a vicious cycle. Travis didn’t take her words seriously at first. However, after defeating her, he realized what she meant. This became his moment of realization and marked the start of his personal growth. He finally understood that all the deaths he caused were meaningless.
This game is so rich for analysis. Suda51 is truly a master at writing plots and characters.