The Rising of the Shield Hero is a popular light novel series originally serialized on "Let's Become a Novelist," which has since been adapted into an anime, comic, and other media. Season 1 aired in 2019, but was postponed until Season 2, which finally began airing in April 2022. So, this time, we'll take a look back at the characters who appeared in Season 1 and introduce those scheduled to appear in Season 2!
Character #1: The Shield Hero, Naofumi Iwatani
A 20-year-old college student is summoned to the otherworldly country of Melromarc. He was an ordinary college student with a geeky hobby, a very playful personality, and a good personality, but soon after being summoned, he was framed by Myne-Sphere and falsely accused of rape. The Shield Hero was originally shunned in Melromarc. This was because, while demi-humans were treated like slaves in Melromarc, the opposite was true in the demi-human kingdom. While the Shield Hero was worshipped in the demi-human kingdom, the king (acting king) Orthoclay shunned him, calling him a demon. After this incident, he became discouraged and distrustful of people, especially women, and developed a dark personality, willing to retaliate if wronged.
Shield Hero
One of the heroes summoned to another world, he uses a shield. He excels at protecting and supporting others, but has little offensive ability. While his abilities require cooperation with allies, he initially had no trust and was forced to act alone. However, he eventually works with Raphtalia, whom he purchased as a slave, and Filo, who hatched from an egg. In battles against waves and powerful enemies, the other heroes' selfish and self-centered actions rendered her useless, leaving her to fight alone.
Character #2: Raphtalia, the Shield Hero's Slave
A beast girl purchased by Naofumi. Purchased as an offensive slave, she was initially afraid to even wield a sword, and illness and panic made her ineffective. However, as Naofumi patiently built a relationship of trust with her, she overcame her trauma and grew into a strong, beautiful woman. Beast girls' appearances change as they level up, so while they initially appear as children, their appearance quickly changes. As she grows older, she develops a serious personality and supports Naofumi in every situation.
Character #3: Filo, the Filolial Queen
A filolial, a bird-like monster, hatched from a monster egg purchased by Naofumi. Raised by the hero, she becomes a filolial queen, larger than normal species and able to transform into a human form. She has a cheerful and innocent personality, but struggles with complex thinking. As a result of her species' unique traits, she loves to pull carriages. Traveling in a carriage pulled by Filo, Naofumi eventually earned the nickname "Saint of Divine Birds." In combat, he is an attacker capable of powerful attacks with agile movements belying his gigantic physique. However, after his battle with Fitoria, he begins to switch between human forms.
Character #4: The Sword Hero, Amaki Ren
One of the heroes summoned to another world along with Naofumi, Amaki Ren wields a sword. He is 16 years old. He has a lone wolf personality and a high level of pride, and tends to act without thinking about the consequences. However, as seen in his remorse for the disasters caused by his actions, he is somewhat more rational than the other heroes. However, because he plays the game as if it were a game, he believes his lack of ability is due to system issues. Even after the Queen admonishes him during the second wave, he shows no remorse and fails to perform well in the second and third waves.
Character #5: Bow Hero - Itsuki Kawasumi
One of the heroes summoned to another world along with Naofumi, he wields a bow. He is 17 years old. He has a strong sense of justice and does not tolerate evil. However, because his way of thinking is so fundamentally correct, he never reflects on his actions, even when it results in false accusations or makes the situation worse. Although he has an arrogant personality, he actually has a deep inferiority complex, and he framed and exiled Rishia, who had outshone him.
Character #6: Spear Hero - Kitamura Motoyasu
He is one of the heroes summoned to another world along with Naofumi, and uses a spear as his weapon. A 21-year-old womanizer who blindly believes what women say without even checking the facts, he believes Myne's lies and becomes hostile towards Naofumi. Myne continues to manipulate him, and he ends up fighting Naofumi on numerous occasions. While not fundamentally evil, her impulsive and lack of deep thinking led her to take the seeds of a sealed plant, causing a major disaster.
Character #7: The Worst First Princess: Myne-Sphere
She is the first princess of the Kingdom of Melromarc, but second in line to the throne. Her real name is Malty S. Melromarc. Not only did she frame Naofumi and steal all of his assets, but she also conspired with the king to frame him for rape, drastically changing Naofumi's character. She is a spendthrift, selfish, and like boiled sludge, naturally lying and setting people up, to the point of instigating the heroes and soldiers to assassinate her own sister for her own gain. This is why she is second in line to the throne. However, after her attempted assassination of the hero of the Church of the Three Heroes, all of her misdeeds were exposed and she should have been sentenced to death, but Naofumi revealed her real name to be Bitch and her adventurer name to be Whore, sparing her the death penalty. However, she still shows no sign of remorse.
Character #8: A girl who likes Filolials? Melty Melromarc
A girl who loves Filolials whom Naofumi meets during his journey. Her true identity is Melty S. Melromarc, the second princess of Melromarc. Unlike her older sister, she is intelligent, earnest, and has a strong sense of responsibility. She is also trusted by her mother, Mirellia. She asks Naofumi and his friends to act as her guard, and after accompanying them for a while, after Naofumi survives the third wave, she proposes reconciliation with his father, Orthoclay, but she expresses her anger. However, she is almost assassinated by an assassin disguised as one of his subordinates. She escapes the attack by accompanying Naofumi. She learns of the current discrimination against demi-humans and develops a strong desire to change the country.
Character #9: Mirellia Q Melromarc, Queen of Melromarc
Malty, Melty's mother, is a heroine who serves as the Queen of Melromarc. Though she looks very young, she possesses immense political acumen. She was not present when the Four Holy Heroes were summoned, a fact she learns later. Because the Four Holy Heroes were busy avoiding war with other nations, as they were not originally intended to be monopolized by a single nation, she did not appear early in the story. However, after resolving that issue, she devoted herself to eliminating the Cult of the Three Heroes and restoring the honor of the Shield Hero. She is an extremely capable person, serving as commander of the Fourth Wave.
Character 10: Orthoclay Melromarc 32nd, Acting King of Melromarc
He was thought to be the king of Melromarc, but since Melromarc is a queendom, he is actually the acting king. He conspires with the Church of the Three Heroes and summons all four holy heroes. He also calls the Shield Hero a demon and conspires with his daughter, Myne, to frame him. As of Season 1, it is unclear why he resents the Shield Hero, but it is implied that he lost his family in the past due to the Shield Hero and demi-humans. After restoring the Shield Hero's honor, he was nearly executed at the behest of his wife, Mirellia, but Naofumi renamed him "Trash" and spared him.
Character 11: Fitoria, Queen of the Filolials
The queen who unites the Filolials. She usually lives with other Filolials in the Filolial Sanctuary. Her combat prowess is so high that she easily defeated the Tyrant Dragon Rex, which was released from its seal in Idol's territory. After rescuing Naofumi, she invites him to the Sanctuary, but she reprimands the Four Holy Heroes for not cooperating and challenges Filo, who is a candidate for the next queen. Perhaps knowing the dire situation that awaits the Four Holy Heroes after they become enemies, he orders Naofumi to reconcile the heroes. While he trusts Naofumi to a certain extent due to his role in raising Filo, he also threatens to kill all Four Holy Heroes if the hostility continues.
Character 12: Elhart, the Weapon Shop Owner
An old man who runs a weapons shop in the castle town of Melromarc. At first, he views the Shield Hero as an enemy after he was falsely accused by the king and Myne, but after seeing the real Naofumi, he becomes suspicious and offers his support, albeit gruffly. Even before the Shield Hero's honor was restored, he remained convinced that the crime was a false accusation. He constantly helped Naofumi and his companions, earning Naofumi's great trust.
Character 13: Raphtalia's childhood friend, Keel
A childhood friend of Raphtalia's, Keel lived in the same village as her. After the first wave, the Knights arrived in the village and, together with Raphtalia and Rifana, became slaves of the Idol, where they suffered abuse and torture. He remained imprisoned after Raphtalia was sold into slavery, and was rescued as the only survivor when Raphtalia returned. He is actually a girl. In Season 2, she becomes Naofumi's slave and a new companion.
Character #14: Glass, the Hero from Another World
A beautiful kimono-clad warrior wielding a fan. A hero from another world, she has come to defeat heroes from other worlds in order to save her own. She appears before Naofumi and his companions in the third wave and overwhelms them, including the other heroes. She also appears in the fourth wave and engages in a fierce battle with Naofumi, but Naofumi discovers that she is a being close to a spirit. She is briefly in a difficult position, but recovers with a magical recovery item and fights back. However, she is rendered unconscious by a barrel bomb from the Lukor fruit. The battle remains unresolved.
Character #15: L'Arc, an adventurer they met on Cal Mira Island
An adventurer who uses a scythe as a weapon. He became acquainted with Naofumi and his companions on the boat on their way to the activated Cal Mira Island, and he temporarily formed a party with Teris, who was also in the same party. Despite the short time they spent together, he built a relationship of trust with Naofumi and his companions, and even during the fourth wave, he demonstrated his true abilities. However, the person he invited was a hero from another world, just like Glass, and after Glass's appearance, he became hostile towards Naofumi and his companions. Ultimately, the battle was unresolved, and he retreated with Glass.
Character #16: Teris, the adventurer who travels with L'Arc
A female adventurer who temporarily formed a party with L'Arc during the activation of Cal Mira Island. She loves gems and accessories, and uses her abilities to borrow their powers for both attack and support. She was impressed by the accessories Naofumi crafted from gemstones, and they built a trusting relationship. However, after Glass's arrival, she becomes hostile towards Naofumi and his friends. After the wave's time limit expires, she returns to her own world with L'Arc and Glass.
Character #17: Rishia, Itsuki's Fired Subordinate
Itsuki's servant is timid and often lets out a pathetic "Eeee!" cry. However, she made a significant contribution to the fourth wave, which significantly changed the course of the battle. Itsuki became jealous of her, falsely framed her, and ultimately fired her. Although she was used as an errand boy in Itsuki's party, she still deeply respected him and had a devoted love for him. After being fired, she attempted suicide, but was stopped at the last moment by Motoyasu and Naofumi. In Season 2, she temporarily trained under Naofumi.
Character #18: The Old Woman Who Saved Naofumi's Life
The old woman whose life Naofumi once saved during his journey. She is actually a hidden powerhouse, fighting hard to protect her village during the Battle of the Waves. She's not just an old woman; she's the heir to the Hengen Musou style of chi-wielding magic. In Season 2, after overcoming the fourth wave, she is summoned by Mirellia and serves as her advisor for her training. Her real name is Elrasla Ragralock.
Character #19: Eclair, the Heroes' Combat Advisor
The daughter of the lord who ruled the area where Raphtalia lived. However, after her father died in the First Wave, she was imprisoned by the Church of the Three Heroes. Her existence was hinted at in Season 1, but in Season 2, she takes charge of combat training for the Four Holy Heroes, excluding the useless Naofumi.
[The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2] Character Summary
Here's a roundup of the characters appearing in The Rising of the Shield Hero! Season 1 ended with the true identities and goals of Glass and L'Arc being revealed, and them training with Rishia. I think Season 2 will pick up from there! It will be even more interesting with the exploits of existing characters and the introduction of new ones, so be sure to tune in! The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 is scheduled to begin airing in April 2022!
