The Rising of the Shield Hero is a popular work that is also scheduled to be adapted into an anime in January 2019. The story follows the protagonist, who is summoned as the Shield Hero, but unfortunately falls into a trap and becomes shunned. However, he rises from there. Among these is Filo, one of the main characters who travels with the Shield Hero. What kind of character is Filo? In this article, we will introduce Filo in detail!
Was Filo born from gacha?
Source: The Rising of the Shield Hero © Aneko Yusagi / KADOKAWA / The Shield Hero Production Committee
The Shield Hero's duel with the Spear Hero over Raphtalia has come to an end. Meanwhile, a slave trader is selling a machine-like egg machine, where you can buy an egg for 100 silver coins, with no idea what it will yield. At the time, 100 silver coins was a pretty expensive item for the Shield Hero and his friends, but they were intrigued and chose to purchase one egg. Filo was born from that egg. Her species was a Filolial. She is a mysterious monster who loves to pull carts and becomes restless if she doesn't pull the cart properly. Just like demi-humans, monsters also tend to grow larger as they level up, and Filo grows up healthily. The Shield Hero dotes on Filo as she grows up healthily, while Raphtalia feels a little jealous.
Filo's Growth is Abnormal
Source: The Rising of the Shield Hero © Aneko Yusagi/KADOKAWA/The Rising of the Shield Hero Production Committee
Filo keeps growing. She reaches level 12 in a single day. While the two initially attribute this to the monster's shield, her growth becomes increasingly abnormal. How can this be a filolial?! The Shield Heroes and the others head to the slave trader who originally sold the egg. The person he learned was that it might be the Philoreal Queen. When he asked the slave trader to investigate further, Filo replied in human form. The Shield Hero could not hide his surprise at Filo's sudden transformation from a large bird into that of a human girl.
Filo and Raphtalia Compete for the Shield Hero
Source: The Rising of the Shield Hero © Aneko Yusagi / KADOKAWA / The Shield Hero Production Committee
Filo regards the Shield Hero as a father figure, and will quickly step in when Raphtalia monopolizes her master. Raphtalia also has feelings for the Shield Hero, so while she is slightly jealous, she won't let him monopolize him. Despite everything, the two get along well, but they are quick to get into rivalries. Filo's master, the Shield Hero, sees himself as Filo's owner. He talks about Raphtalia as his own daughter, and feels that he must raise her so that they can fend for themselves if he is gone. Filo loves her master very much, and there are scenes where she fears being abandoned.
Filo and the Filolial Queen
Source: The Rising of the Shield Hero © Aneko Yusagi / KADOKAWA / The Shield Hero Production Committee
A gigantic Filolial appears before the Shield Heroes. Fitoria, the Filolial Queen, is a legendary Filolial said to have been raised by the Four Holy Heroes. She's incredibly large, having lived for dozens of generations, and she's also a monster who has witnessed the fights of the four subsequent heroes. She was reluctant to let the hero use her cursed power, so the Fourth Hero made amends and suggested that they work together to overcome the waves. She also said that she had come to meet Filo. One of the conditions for becoming the Filolial Queen is to be raised by the hero. So, in reality, Filo was just a Filolial, but because she was raised by the hero, she grew so big as a candidate for the Filolial Queen.
Filo's Bangs
Source: The Rising of the Shield Hero © Aneko Yusagi / KADOKAWA / The Rising of the Shield Hero Production Committee
After overcoming the challenges of Fitoria, Filo begins to grow curly bangs. No matter how many times she pulls them out, they grow back, and the number of bangs seems to increase as they grow. Fitoria also has a few bangs. Filo initially dislikes them, but soon becomes unconcerned. Actually, it seems that Filo can communicate with Filolials through these bangs. They can teach her all sorts of things at any time, but from Filo's perspective, her class upgrades are also decided arbitrarily, which she may find quite annoying.
Filo and the Spear Hero
Source: The Rising of the Shield Hero © Aneko Yusagi / KADOKAWA / The Rising of the Shield Hero Production Committee
Another character closely connected to Filo is the Spear Hero, Motoyasu. The first time Filo met Motoyasu, it was during a race for territory. At that time, Motoyasu mocked her, calling her a fat bird. The second time they met, she was in human form. Seeing Filo like that, Motoyasu finds her cute and, not realizing that they are the same person, challenges her to a duel again. In the end, Filo, angry at being mocked as a fat bird last time, kicks Motoyasu and the situation is resolved, but Filo may continue to attack Motoyasu whenever the opportunity arises. Unlike other heroes, Motoyasu's party is entirely made up of girls, and he has also said that he is into angels.
Introducing Filo: Final Thoughts
Source: The Rising of the Shield Hero © Aneko Yusagi / KADOKAWA / The Rising of the Shield Hero Production Committee
Will the Filolials continue to see things differently as the Shield Hero's playthings? Will Filo truly become the Filolial Queen? There are plenty of questions to be asked about Filo's future. While their relationship with the Shield Hero likely won't change, it will be interesting to see how Filo and Raphtalia will fight against those from the other side of the waves. This is a series that you won't want to miss.
