The Rising of the Shield Hero was originally posted on "Let's Become a Novelist" but was originally published as a light novel, with Season 1 airing in 2019 to great acclaim. There was further news about Season 2, but it was once announced that it would be postponed, and now Season 2 is finally set to air in April 2022! The story follows Iwatani Naofumi, an ordinary college student who is summoned to another world and chosen as the Shield Hero. Despite suffering betrayal and false accusations, he must face a calamity known as the Waves. In this article, we'd like to introduce the heroine, Raphtalia, who is the Shield Hero's slave, partner, and irreplaceable companion, along with her exploits in the first season!
How Raphtalia, a Beastman Slave, Meets the Shield Hero, Naofumi Iwatani
Before the main story begins, Raphtalia lived with her parents in the beastman-inhabited village of Llorona, but lost them in the first wave. Afterward, the lord of the village was killed in the wave, and a mob of knights and anti-demihuman nobles were dispatched. As a result, she was kept as slaves by nobles along with her childhood friends, Rifana and Keel. After being subjected to brutal torture and abuse, Rifana died and Raphtalia herself was sold to a slave trader. These events left Raphtalia deeply traumatized and in dire physical condition.
Raphtalia Bought as a Slave
After being sold as a slave, Raphtalia ends up being bought by Naofumi, the Shield Hero. Having been framed by Myne and the King, Naofumi has developed a deep distrust for people. With no reliable companions and the Shield Hero's limitations making it difficult to earn experience points solo, he chooses to buy a slave as a last resort.
She gradually opens up, overcomes her trauma, and grows into a reliable companion.
At first, she was in poor health and afraid of fighting monsters, making her useless. However, she gradually comes to trust Naofumi, who is clumsy but persistent in his battles. She gradually becomes accustomed to combat, defeats the dog monster that killed her parents, and overcomes her own trauma. From then on, she becomes Naofumi's reliable swordsman. Initially, she appears as a young girl, but because the beastkin's appearance changes depending on her level, her actual age remains 10, but she looks like an 18-year-old.
Steady, Simple, and Strong Raphtalia
Before Naofumi bought her, Raphtalia always seemed timid, and her personality was probably typical of her age. However, after overcoming her trauma and growing up, she transforms into a serious, reliable woman. By this time, she has come to place immense trust in Naofumi, always supporting him from a distance. However, she also has a strong personality and will speak her mind when Naofumi does something a little sneaky or when someone is expressing their distrust.
Raphtalia Re-enters a Slave Contract
After the heroes are summoned and overcome the first wave, Motoyasu, the Spear Hero, challenges them to a duel at the celebration. This is because Myne insinuates Motoyasu that Naofumi is forcing Raphtalia to fight under a slave contract. Naofumi is completely outmatched and has no means of attack, but he still puts up a good fight against Motoyasu. However, he is defeated due to Myne's interference. Raphtalia voluntarily rebukes Motoyasu and returns to Naofumi. Raphtalia returns to Naofumi of her own volition and, as a sign of her will, enters into a slave contract with him again.
Raphtalia is an attacker who wields both sword and magic.
Since Naofumi has almost no offensive capabilities, Raphtalia is the key offensive player in the party, fighting with sword attacks and illusion magic. With Naofumi in charge of defense and support, and Raphtalia and Filo taking on the offensive roles, they have grown into reliable partners in battle.
He has a sensible personality, but can sometimes get impatient.
After overcoming his trauma, he becomes sensible and serious. Because Naofumi is strict and doesn't trust others easily, he plays a major role as the party's communicator. However, because he has such great trust in Naofumi and because the Shield Hero has a bad reputation within the country, he can become so angry that he is willing to cut off anyone who speaks ill of Naofumi.
Raphtalia's affections for Naofumi are obvious, but...
Having grown stronger through Naofumi's devoted support since her slave days, Raphtalia now seeks to support him. She even changes the way she addresses him from "Master" to "Naofumi-sama." While Raphtalia's affections for Naofumi are obvious, as of Season 1, Naofumi showed no signs of reciprocating her affections, even from Raphtalia. This is due to his intense distrust of women, which stems from his betrayal of Myne immediately after arriving in the other world, and his belief that he, a less-than-good person, should not have such a relationship with a woman. Raphtalia knows this, so she doesn't express her feelings directly, but she did look sad when Naofumi told her about her disappearance.
Raphtalia Faces Her Past and Resolves It
After being enslaved, Raphtalia met Naofumi and grew stronger. After many twists and turns, Raphtalia finds herself near where she once lived. There, she reunites with someone who, along with her best friend Rifana, had subjected her to severe torture and abuse. Forced to confront her own trauma once again, Raphtalia rescues the only survivor, Keel, but her best friend, Rifana, has already passed away, and they reunite in a completely different state.
Looking forward to Season 2!
Raphtalia grew significantly as both a companion and a heroine in Season 1, and while she often seemed to provide emotional support to Naofumi, she gained new powers and is even stronger in Season 2!
[The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2] Raphtalia Summary
Here's a summary of Raphtalia, the heroine from The Rising of the Shield Hero! While initially unreliable in Season 1, she quickly grew into a strong, beautiful heroine, supporting Naofumi. In Season 2, she'll have a major role to play as both a heroine and a combat factor, so we can't wait to see her in action! The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 is scheduled to air in April 2022!
