The Rising of the Shield Hero begins when a man equipped with four legendary weapons - a sword, spear, bow, and shield - is summoned to another world and given the mission to defeat the "Waves," a threat that threatens to plunge the world into chaos. The four heroes summoned to this world seem to have nothing in common other than the fact that they were all summoned from Japan. The relationship between these four people also seems to have a major impact on this world. In this article, we will introduce Amagi Ren, the hero of Sword Castle.
Who is Amagi Ren, the summoned sword hero?
Source: The Rising of the Shield Hero © Aneko Yusagi / KADOKAWA / The Rising of the Shield Hero Production Committee
Amaki Ren, the Sword Hero summoned to this world, is a 16-year-old high school student. While he's still a high school student and lacks in thoughtfulness, he doesn't seem like a bad person. When he was summoned, he thought this world was a VRMMO (Virtual Reality MMO). Perhaps swords are a common and coveted weapon in this world, too. Five subordinates volunteered to accompany the hero on his journey, the largest number of the five summoned. Incidentally, the protagonist, the Shield Hero, was unable to equip a weapon at the weapon shop for the first time due to a violation of the terms of service, but even then he was trying to hold a sword in his hand.
Surprisingly Good Guy: The Sword Hero, Ren Amaki
Source: The Rising of the Shield Hero © Aneko Yusagi / KADOKAWA / The Shield Hero Production Committee
Motoyasu, the Spear Hero, learns that the demi-human girl Raphtalia, accompanied by the Shield Hero, Naofumi, is a slave, and challenges him to a duel. Although the Shield Hero lacks offensive power, he wins with a brilliant strategy! Or so it seems, but he is defeated due to Myne's intervention. This is the moment when Naofumi, who has developed hatred for those around him, fulfills the conditions for the Curse series, but as the battle ends and things settle down, Ren, the Sword Hero, and Itsuki, the Bow Hero, enter the conversation. They tell Motoyasu about Myne's earlier intervention, saying that Naofumi has lost, but do not say who intervened, and yet they think that there must be a true bond between Naofumi and Raphtalia as they embrace. He seems to be at odds with the Shield Hero in some way, but this is due to the environment he finds himself in, and Ren is someone who tries to be fair and treats everyone equally.
Sword Hero Amaki Ren has no idea that things can rot!?
Source: The Rising of the Shield Hero © Aneko Yusagi / KADOKAWA / The Shield Hero Production Committee
Amaki Ren, the Sword Hero, slayed the dragon. Given Ren's character, he likely slayed the dragon because he cared about the people living nearby. Deep down, he's by no means a bad person. In fact, Naofumi also says that he has heard stories about the Spear Hero and the Sword Hero, and it seems that he is helping people in the way that they want to help. However, the corpse of the dragon that they slayed has started to rot, causing damage. I think Naofumi was probably a high school student when it came to Ren, who was the cause of this, and didn't realize that things rotting could be a problem. Of course, as a high school student, you'd think he would understand that not disposing of food waste would cause a lot of trouble. Is he really the heir of a wealthy family? Incidentally, the Shield Hero's Curse Shield reacts to Ren because it contains the core of this dragon. Hatred is a scary thing.
The Honest Sword Hero: Amaki Ren
Source: The Rising of the Shield Hero © Aneko Yusagi / KADOKAWA / The Shield Hero Production Committee
This is the story of when the Wave appears aboard a boat. The Spear, Bow, and Sword Heroes are completely useless. The Shield Hero repels the Wave, but the Bow and Spear Heroes somehow end up making some nasty remarks. However, is it really surprising? The Hero of the Sword is willing to admit his defeat. Naofumi seems to clearly understand that he is different from the Hero of the Spear. Even when escaping the threat from the Church of the Three Heroes, Naofumi urges Ren to think. He probably knows that Ren is not an inherently bad person, he just doesn't realize his own ignorance. Even in the case of the dragon corpse, he apparently received a proper apology, and unlike the other heroes, Ren seems to be someone who is able to apologize properly and admit his mistakes.
Amaki Ren, the Sword Hero Who Doesn't Believe in the Shield, No Matter What
Source: The Rising of the Shield Hero © Aneko Yusagi / KADOKAWA / The Shield Hero Production Committee
Ren isn't completely different from other heroes. He suspects there must be some kind of secret behind the Shield Hero's strength. However, he seems reluctant to reveal any useful information he possesses to others. At the Shield Hero's suggestion, they hold a discussion to consolidate their information, but the information that comes to light seems to be different for each individual. But they don't seem to be lying. I have a feeling this will be a key to the story. Just as the Weapon Copy was able to be used by the Shield Hero, it is possible that the things that each of them did in their games could actually affect others by exchanging information and trusting each other. However, at this stage, Ren still doesn't seem to trust the Shield Hero. How will their relationship develop going forward?
The Sword Hero, Ren Amaki, is actually a terrible swimmer.
Source: The Rising of the Shield Hero © Aneko Yusagi / KADOKAWA / The Shield Hero Production Committee
Even this Sword Hero has an endearing side. It's when they head to the underwater temple. Ren is actually a terrible swimmer. He swears he can swim, but he's a manga-style hammer-like character who drowns in shallow water. He used magic to enable him to breathe underwater for a certain period of time and headed to the temple. However, he ended up drowning near the temple, and on the way back he used a penguin suit called a Pekkle mascot, which he had complained was uncool.
Will he ever graduate from being a loser? The Sword Hero, Ren Amaki
Source: The Rising of the Shield Hero © Aneko Yusagi / KADOKAWA / The Shield Hero Production Committee
The three heroes continue to be a drag on the waves. They are easily defeated by Ralph, and Ren is instantly defeated by his swordsmanship instructor, Eclair, making him a true loser. Being a high school student, Ren still shows many immature parts. Come to think of it, his fight with the dragon, which he is said to have defeated, was not shown. Just how long will the Sword Hero Amaki Ren continue to lose? And will he one day turn his losing character around and become a true hero?! We look forward to seeing what happens next!
Sword Hero: Ren Amaki - Final Thoughts
Source: The Rising of the Shield Hero © Aneko Yusagi / KADOKAWA / The Rising of the Shield Hero Production Committee
If he died, the story would come to a halt. These four heroes share a common destiny. Even so, there's still no sign of them working together. However, they've gradually begun to talk, and it seems they're increasingly working together. This work still has many mysteries. How will the story progress from here? And when will Ren really come into play?
