The Rising of the Shield Hero is a light novel based on a work posted on "Let's Become a Novelist," with changes made to the setting and plot. Season 1 began airing in 2019, and after a delay, Season 2 is scheduled to begin airing in April 2022. In this article, we'll explain the exploits of the main character, the Shield Hero, Iwatani Naofumi, in Season 1, and what actions he will take in Season 2!
College Student Naofumi Iwatani Summoned to Another World and Becomes the Shield Hero
One day, 20-year-old college student Naofumi Iwatani is summoned to the other world of Melromarc as the Shield Hero after accidentally finding a book in the library. Naofumi, along with the Sword Hero Ren Amaki, Spear Hero Motoyasu Kitamura, and Bow Hero Itsuki Kawasumi, who were also summoned at the same time, are asked to act individually and prepare for the coming disaster known as the Wave, which will occur after a certain period of time has passed. The other three heroes, excluding Naofumi, were able to progress smoothly because these events closely resembled the games they played before being summoned. However, Naofumi not only had no prior knowledge, but for some reason, he was treated with ostracism by those around him.
The Shield Hero, Naofumi Iwatani, is completely dejected after being branded a rapist.
Because the heroes were constrained to act independently, they each recruited allies. However, Naofumi, who seemed somewhat ostracized and unpopular, was unwilling to form a party with them. The only one who did join was a woman named Myne. However, Myne's goal was to steal Naofumi's dowry, and after skimming off all of his assets, she lied about being assaulted and branded him a rapist. Naofumi claims innocence, but no one believes him. His reputation spreads throughout the country, and he is constantly criticized. This incident transforms his friendly personality into a suspicious, harsh one, ready to retaliate.
The Shield Hero's Encounter with Raphtalia, a Beast Slave
The Shield Hero has unparalleled defensive capabilities, but his lack of offensive power means he can't even properly earn experience points. However, he finds himself in a situation where he cannot trust anyone who approaches him, and a shady man who sees this suggests he buy a slave. Since slaves are expected to be completely obedient, Naofumi buys a young beast girl, Raphtalia, as a slave. At first, Raphtalia is not as effective as expected due to her chronic illness and tendency to panic, but gradually she builds a relationship of trust with Naofumi. Having overcome her trauma and grown stronger, Raphtalia also grows rapidly in appearance, becoming an unrecognizable beauty (beast people's appearance also improves as they level up), but Naofumi, who distrusts women, doesn't pay her much attention.
The Shield Hero Survives the First Wave
The first wave arrives soon after the heroes are summoned. The first wave occurs near a coal mine, near a village where they regularly receive care. Naturally, the villagers were unaware of the wave's arrival and were unable to evacuate due to the onslaught of monsters. While the other heroes strive to claim credit first, Naofumi and Raphtalia focus on rescuing the villagers. Despite a brief scuffle with the knights who join the battle midway through, the other three defeat the boss and survive the second wave.
The Shield Hero Duels the Spear Hero
After successfully surviving the second wave, the heroes are invited to a celebration. However, there, Naofumi is confronted by Motoyasu, the Spear Hero, who demands that he free his slave, Raphtalia. The duel then begins, with the King, who had been listening to the conversation, standing by. The duel itself was rigged by Myne and the King to frame Naofumi. Naofumi, who initially had the upper hand, is defeated by an outsider's interference. No one immediately called it a foul play. Derided and mocked as a coward, and forced to break Raphtalia's slave contract, Naofumi's anger and despair led him to fulfill the conditions for release from the Curse series. However, he was saved when Raphtalia slapped Motoyasu and returned of her own accord. From then on, he began to recognize Raphtalia as an adult, and his lost sense of taste returned.
The Hero of the Shield Hero Becomes the Parent of Filo, the Philolial
After renewing her contract as Naofumi's slave, Raphtalia purchased a monster egg. The egg that hatched was a filolial, a bird-like monster that loves to pull carriages. The philo-rial grows rapidly, and in just a few days it becomes large enough to ride around in. The village where Naofumi is staying is the one that he saved during the wave disaster, and some people there are grateful to the Shield Hero. Although there is another dispute with Myne and Motoyasu, this prompts Naofumi to start peddling and preparing for the waves. However, the philo-rial he named Filo was clearly no ordinary philo-rial. Filo was a higher-level philo-rial known as a Queen, and was also able to transform into a human form.
Shield Hero: Forced to Clean Up After Other Heroes
After overcoming the issue of Filo's clothes, which change size when she transforms, Naofumi and his companions continue their journey and solve various problems along the way. However, every single one of these problems is the result of the selfish actions of the other heroes. The Spear Hero steals sealed crops and offers them to a village suffering from a food shortage. At first, they harvest fruit and it seems like the food problem has been solved, but the plants are incredibly mutable, and eventually transform into monsters that engulf the village.
The Hero of the Shield Hero Cleans Up, Part 2
A certain village was plague-ridden. The cause was the corpse of a dragon slain by an adventurer for materials. The corpse decayed, spreading a powerful plague. Naofumi attempted to dispose of the dragon's body, but it transformed into a zombie and attacked Naofumi and his companions. During the battle, Filo was eaten by the dragon. The shock of the experience allowed her to activate the Shield's Curse Series, escaping the predicament. However, this power came with a price: she was consumed by rage and was corrupted by a powerful curse. Thanks to Raphtalia's devotion, Naofumi was able to avoid being consumed by rage and return, but he was severely cursed. Filo escaped unharmed.
The Shield Hero Meets a Girl Who Loves Filolials
During his journey, he meets Mel, a well-bred girl who loves Filolials. Naofumi is initially cold towards her, but she asks him to escort her to Melromarc, and he accepts. Upon returning to Melromarc, Myne and Motoyasu once again try to force him into a duel, using their power to their advantage. Mel is the one who stops them. Her real name was Melty Melromarc, the second princess and first in line to the throne. Thanks to her, the duel was avoided, but hatred for the Shield Hero still ran deep. Meanwhile, some people expressed a desire to join the next wave as servants of the Shield Hero. They were soldiers from the village saved by Naofumi in the previous wave.
The Third Wave Arrives! A New Enemy Appears!
Even as the third wave arrived, the heroes, except for Naofumi, acted selfishly and refused to consider working together. In the end, the other three are of little use, and Naofumi manages to defeat the boss, Soul Eater, using the powers of the Curse series. However, just when it seems the wave monsters have been defeated, a kimono-clad figure calling herself Glass appears. She clearly identifies herself as the enemy, and annihilates the hero's camp with overwhelming power. Naofumi fights alone to fight them back, but his strength is far superior. Still, by buying time, he holds out until the end of the wave, and Glass retreats.
The relationship between the Shield Hero and the King is now beyond repair...
The Shield Hero's accomplishments forced the King to acknowledge his accomplishments, but Naofumi's overbearing attitude continued, leading to a back-and-forth exchange of words, and the relationship between the Shield Hero and the King became irreparable. Melty tried to mediate, but the King had his own reasons, suggesting that he had lost his family in the past due to the Shield Hero and demi-humans. Naofumi flatly rejected Melty's request, and an argument ensued. After the argument escalated, Naofumi and his companions and Melty found themselves embroiled in a major conspiracy.
[The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2] A Look Back at Season 1 (Part 1)
With the long-awaited second season approaching, we're taking a look back at Season 1 of The Rising of the Shield Hero. The story of the protagonist, who starts out cheerful and playful, but then becomes gloomy and depressed, and then makes a comeback, is fascinating. The first season was a rich and entertaining masterpiece. This article covers the first half, from episodes 1 to 12, but we've also included a summary of the episodes from that point on, so be sure to check those out too!
