To Be Hero X episode 1: Lin Ling's new life as Hero begins

To Be Hero X episode 1, titled NICE, was released on Sunday, April 6, 2025. The episode explored the hero society through the lens of Lin Ling, an employee at an ad agency, who made commercials for the hero, Nice.

Yet, one day, he found himself in a precarious situation, which led to a massive change in his life. To Be Hero X episode 1 commenced Lin Ling's story as he ventured into the hero society and lived his dream.

However, he soon realized that being a hero wasn't all glitter and gold. The episode showcased Li Haoling's mastery as a director and the series' interesting blend of 2D and 3D animation.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers from To Be Hero X episode 1.

To Be Hero X episode 1: Lin Ling's new life comes at a massive cost

Nice, as seen in the donghua (Image via Pb Animation/LAN Studio/Paper Plane Animation)

To Be Hero X episode 1 begins with Lin Ling, a young man working at an advertising agency, showcasing a commercial promo to his boss. The promotional clip showcases Nice (a Hero) fighting against the evil force. Lin Ling compares the heroes to a beam of light amid darkness and explains how they are the savior of mankind.

Moreover, Lin Ling's clip on Nice reveals how anyone can become a hero in this era, as long as they have people's trust. Although Lin Ling's clip reflects his enormous enthusiasm for heroes, his boss doesn't like it. He reminds him that the ad should only highlight Nice, who happens to be their Client.

Lin Ling's boss admonishes him for adding comments, such as "everyone creates heroes" and "everyone is a hero." However, the boy wonders what's wrong with it, since his boss has always advised him to use what's popular. Since the hero's competition is returning this year, he thinks the ad should work. Moreover, he chooses "To be Hero X" as the closing remark for the ad.

Miss J and others in the episode (Image via Pb Animation/LAN Studio/Paper Plane Animation)

Lin Ling's response further infuriates his boss, who lashes out at him for playing a hero. He reminds him that he lacks every heroic quality. Therefore, he must choose hard work as his only path to success. At this moment in To Be Hero X episode 1, Lin Ling's boss receives a call from Miss. J, an associate of Nice.

During the phone call, the boss finds out that Lin Ling has already sent the proposal clip to the client prior to the review. Unfortunately, the boss couldn't salvage the mishap, so he fires Lin Ling without a thought. Following that, To Be Hero X episode 1 shifts to Lin Ling on the office roof, feeling down and out.

He realizes how tough it is for a normal person to become a hero in this society. What's worse, one of his previously made ads on Moon and Nice comes back to haunt him in an advertisement hoarding. The ad is about Moon urging everyone not to lose faith even if everything goes wrong.

Moon, as seen in the episode (Image via Pb Animation/LAN Studio/Paper Plane Animation)

Just then, in To Be Hero X episode 1, Lin Ling sees Nice emerging from an advertising board. The Hero lands on the roof and makes his signature gesture to Lin Ling before voluntarily falling to his death. Miss J. and other associates of Nice rush to the scene and apprehend Lin Ling.

They take the boy to somewhere discreet. Miss J. asks Lin Ling whether Nice said something to him before jumping off the roof. The boy says the hero only did his signature gesture and nothing else. Meanwhile, Miss. J attends to various calls from clients who want to know about Nice.

She cancels every immediate programme and wonders what they should do next. Suddenly, Miss. J finds notices that Lin Ling has an uncanny resemblance to Nice. Thus, they revamp his look, fake his death as Lin Ling, and turn him into the next Nice.

To Be Hero X episode 1: The tale of Nice and Moon

Lin Ling makes his debut as Nice in the episode (Image via Pb Animation/LAN Studio/Paper Plane Animation)

One week later, Lin Ling makes his debut as Nice. However, the boy remains apprehensive about the situation as he thinks that he doesn't have what he needs to become a hero. Miss J. then reminds him about the power of trust that changes and shapes the world. Since Nice has many followers, their faith will endow him with strength.

In other words, as long as the general public believes the boy is Nice, he should be Nice. Thus begins Lin Ling's new life as Nice, a hero he has always admired. To Be Hero X episode 1 reveals how Trust Value accumulated from people's faith can increase one's attributes.

Miss J. tells Lin Ling that they will package Nice in a way that his Trust Value will increase, which in turn will cause physical changes in his body. Gradually, Lin Ling's physical features become identical to Nice's original look. At this moment, Miss. J reminds Lin Ling that Nice has a girlfriend, who is none other than Moon, the celebrity hero whom Lin Ling has always liked.

Lin Ling transforms into Nice (Image via Pb Animation/LAN Studio/Paper Plane Animation)

However, the boy is slightly afraid to face her since Moon is the only person who understands Nice the most. As a result, she's bound to see through his facade even if the tiniest detail is amiss. To Be Hero X episode 1 then shows Nice and Moon attending a program called True Love Recipe, hosted by the 249th-ranked hero, Enlighter.

According to the episode, Enlighter framed the original host as a fraud to host the show as a substitute. It becomes a massive issue for Nice (Lin Ling) because the original host was their setup, who was bound to ask him selected questions. However, with Enlighter on board, Lin Ling realizes he must be in trouble.

The boy wonders whether the 249th-ranked hero has already noticed his fake identity and has come to expose him. To Be Hero X episode 1 then shows Enlighter asking Nice questions about Moon to see whether he actually knows about the girl. If he gives a wrong answer, the lie detector will expose him.

Lin Ling's boss turns into a villainous figure (Image via Pb Animation/LAN Studio/Paper Plane Animation)

Even though Lin Ling hasn't spent time with Moon, he answers every question correctly based on the knowledge he has about the girl. Finally, Enlighter asks the boy whether Moon is his girlfriend. Ling Ling realizes he cannot answer this question directly due to the lie detector.

Thus, he plays it in a roundabout way. He says Moon isn't his girlfriend but his Goddess who has always inspired him. The crowd erupts in joy at Nice's answer. However, Enlighter doesn't want to accept his defeat. He plays one final card and summons Lin Ling's boss, who has acquired powers from people's Fear using the Fear Value Amplifier.

To Be Hero X episode 1 then showcases a magnificent battle between Nice and the Boss with an interplay of 2D and 3D animation. Although Lin Ling struggles at first, his belief in himself as a hero propels him to unleash an insurmountable amount of power. With renewed energy, Lin Ling (disguised as Nice) defeats his former boss.

Miss J. takes Lin Ling/Nice to the Hero Tower (Image via Pb Animation/LAN Studio/Paper Plane Animation)

As a result of the incident, Nice's Trust Value increased exponentially. Meanwhile, Lin Ling recalls how he only wanted to assume being Nice at first. However, he realizes that he has truly become Nice. As such, Miss J. thinks she can finally send the boy to his home, The Hero Tower.

After entering his room, Lin Ling (Nice) notices Moon lying on the bed. At first, he doesn't suspect anything wrong because Moon is Nice's girlfriend. However, on a closer inspection, he discovers blood on Moon's face. To Be Hero X episode 1 ends on a thrilling cliffhanger, with Nice/Lin Ling discovering Moon's mysterious death.

Conclusion

To Be Hero X episode 1 presented fans with a captivating premise and set up the narrative surrounding Nice. Released on Crunchyroll, the episode focused on expanding the hero society and its dynamics. Moreover, the narrative included an interesting twist at the end. Given how the episode ended, it remains to be seen how the series progresses from hereon.