Naofumi Iwatani, the protagonist of "The Rising of the Shield Hero," is summoned to another world as the Shield Hero. Normally, he would be welcomed as a hero, but while the Sword, Spear, and Bow Heroes who were summoned along with him gather allies to fight alongside him, no one comes to the Shield Hero. The only one who joins him, Myne, is falsely accused of rape and has all of her possessions stolen. As a result, he is stripped of his money, fame, and credibility, and is forced to live as a criminal. Naofumi is treated badly from the beginning of the story, but as he fights the "Waves" that create monsters, he gradually regains his companions' and their trust, but the harassment and plots against Naofumi never end. I imagine this must have been quite frustrating for viewers. In this article, I would like to introduce the characters who caused this.
My arch-nemesis, the Knight Commander "Nops Armavia"
First up is Nops Armavia, the Knight Commander of the Melromarc Knights. He's a typical authoritarian man who looks down on Naofumi, the hero disliked by King Aultcray and Malty. During the second wave, he launched a magical attack that engulfed Naofumi and his companions as they defended the village, and when Malty plotted to kill Melty, he started a forest fire on Malty's orders and pinned the blame on Naofumi.
The fate of this small-timer remains a mystery?
He had completely become Marty's lackey, but when Ortclay and Marty were impeached, it was made public that Marty had used the Knights to start the mountain fire, and the vice-commander discovered his misdeeds. He was terrified and looked upon with suspicion. In Season 2, the vice-commander became the commander of the Knights, and it's unclear what became of his lackey. In any case, he was a typical "fox using the tiger's authority" type of small-timer.
Kyo-Ethnina, the Selfish and Self-centered Hero from Another World
The final boss of Season 2 is Kyo-Ethnina, the "Hero of the Book Vessel." While she's not the character responsible for Naofumi's downfall, her twisted and evil personality is clearly evident when she commits massacres to steal the power of the Spirit Turtle from Naofumi's world, then laughs loudly, or when she traps Naofumi's companions and laughs at Naofumi's panic. I felt it was important to introduce Kyo, who has a condescending and twisted personality, here.
Before Reincarnation, He Was a Game Otaku
In Episode 12 of Season 2, Kyo himself describes himself as a reincarnated "gamer" who devotes himself to online games day and night. However, it seems his contempt for others dates back to his life in the past. Frustrated by things not going his way, he jumped out of a window after being reported for posting slanderous comments on a message board and trolling others. He was then reincarnated in the form of his own avatar, and began doing whatever he wanted in his new life, calling it "the second life I wanted."
Kyo's nemesis is Rishia!?
In the end, Kyo, like the other Four Holy Heroes (excluding Naofumi), Motoyasu, Ren, and Itsuki, was just playing a game and doing whatever he wanted. When Rishia pointed out his true nature, saying, "Your own cowardly nature is the reason why everything you do is so despicable and insidious. Are you really that afraid of your own weakness?", he snapped, suggesting he may have been a coward after all. This is Kyo's twisted personality.
The Clown-Like Hero: Kitamura Motoyasu
Kitamura Motoyasu is the Spear Hero of the Four Holy Heroes, summoned along with Naofumi. He catches the eye of Malty and is forced to help fabricate a story about Naofumi's attempted rape. Even though he was deceived, he develops hostility toward Naofumi from then on. He continues to be persuaded by Malty, and is manipulated by her to do as she pleases. This makes him even more sinister, considering he believes he is punishing Naofumi for justice.
A feminist, to put it nicely
In his previous world, Motoyasu was cheating on his wife and was summoned just as he was stabbed by her. To put it nicely, he's a feminist and thinks girls are angels, but ultimately he's just a womanizer. Even after being summoned, he continues to pick up women indiscriminately, and his companions are all women. He loves angelic little girls like winged Filo, and he attacks Naofumi in an attempt to free Filo from Naofumi. In the end, Motoyasu, who is reckless and simple-minded, was easily fooled by Malty.
The Clown Spear Hero
Even though he was deceived by Marty, Motoyasu refused to listen to Naofumi's side of the story and repeatedly attacked Naofumi. Even after realizing he had been deceived, he continued to believe in Marty's innocence and refused to change his belief that Naofumi, not Marty, was in the wrong. It's no wonder Naofumi called him a "clown" after seeing his fanaticism. It's all down to his own actions, but he will pay the price for them in Season 3.
The King of Hatred, "Orthoclay Melromarc 32nd"
Orthoclay was the one who summoned Naofumi and led him down a difficult path. It all began when he conspired with the Church of the Three Heroes, who wanted to monopolize the Sword, Spear, and Bow Heroes, outwitting other countries and summoning the Four Saints. Orthoclay, who originally hated the Shield Hero, refused to listen to Naofumi's protests of innocence when Myne framed him. He continued to discriminate against and persecute Naofumi, getting in his way.
Reasons for Hating the Shield Hero
In fact, there's a reason for Orutocray's hatred towards Naofumi. Orutocray was originally the youngest prince of Faublay. However, Siltvelt, which worships only the Shield Hero, massacred his parents and all his loved ones except for his sister. This prompted him to defect with his sister to Melromarc, which was at war with Siltvelt, where he enlisted as a soldier. He gained considerable fame and became a hero, eventually marrying the current queen and becoming king. He was originally known as the "Wise King of Wisdom."
Even after being stripped of his kingship, his resentment remains...
Although he persecuted the Shield Hero out of personal grudge, he was completely unaware of Malty's false accusation of Naofumi and the assassination of the Second Princess, and simply believed his daughter and participated in the crimes. As a result, even when he was impeached, he insisted that the Shield Hero was a demon and undoubtedly believed that he was doing it to protect his family. Even if he was used by Malty, it can only be described as foolish. However, for Naofumi, who was summoned without permission, being hated for a completely unrelated personal grudge must be a sign of "enough is enough." Stay tuned to see how this king changes in Season 3.
The Worst First Princess, "Malty S. Melromarc"
The first person to frame Naofumi was the First Princess, "Malty S. Melromarc." Her adventurer name is Myne. I think she's the worst character in the series. I'm sure many of you agree. She loves to deceive and trap people, and then laughs at them for doing so. She has a terrible personality. She framed Naofumi because she allied herself with the Church of the Three Heroes, who called the Shield Hero the "Shield Devil" and believed that "the Shield Hero is the mastermind behind the Waves, and that killing him would save the world."
The Worst Villain
Her mother, the Queen, saw through her character and had no trust in her, so she stripped her of her first place in line to the throne and gave it to her younger sister, Melty. Jealous of this, she pretended to be concerned about Melty when she was nearly assassinated by the Church of the Three Heroes, and then tried to kill her, blaming Naofumi for Melty's kidnapping. Myne, who has committed many other evil deeds, is stripped of her royal status by the Queen and branded with the highest slave mark. She is also forced to change her name to "Bitch" and her adventurer name to "Whoa". However, she shows no signs of reform and continues to hold a grudge against Naofumi and the Queen.
The Villainess Is Still Alive in Season 3
Marti is a true "egoist" who refuses to repent no matter what punishment she receives. She judges people based on their value to her and uses them to the fullest (even her own family). She's a wicked bitch. In Season 2, her villainous side was slightly hidden. However, in Season 3, she's about to go on a rampage. It depends on how far the story progresses in the anime, but she'll go as far as she can, so please stay tuned.
Summary of Villain Characters
I've introduced some characters who are necessary for this story, but can be frustrating to watch. What I want you to pay attention to in Season 3 is Malty's villainous behavior and King Ortclay's transformation. It depends on how much of this is depicted in the anime, but please keep an eye out. Thank you for reading to the end.
