WARNING: This article includes spoilers for Episode 26 of The Rising of the Shield Hero, “A New Roar,” which is now available to stream on Funimation, Crunchyroll, and Hulu.
Season 2 of Kadokawa’s fantasy series The Rising of the Shield Hero was eventually released after three years. Fans are looking forward to seeing what this new season has in store, particularly the power-ups and new shields that the Shield Hero, Naofunmi, may unlock.
The summoning of the four cardinal heroes to the Kingdom of Melromarc to confront the Waves of Catastrophe is the central theme of The Rising of the Shield Hero. When the four heroes are summoned, however, Naofunmi is singled out since he is the “Shield” hero, thought to be the weakest. Despite the odds, Naofunmi demonstrates himself to be a Cardinal Hero, outperforming his peers in strength and battle wits.
The opening episode of the new season introduces Naofunmi as the monarch of Lurolona’s hamlet, which also happens to be the home of Rapthalia, his first hero party member. Naofunmi’s motivation for becoming the head of this demi-human community is to assist them in growing and recovering after years of enslavement and other societal vices. The anime portrays the Lurolona inhabitants’ admiration for Naofunmi at this juncture, demonstrating his kind demi-human leadership. The scenery shifts, and Keel and Rishia appear to be being tutored by an instructor. Keel expresses his willingness to help Naofunmi fight the waves, but his mentor quickly dismisses him, saying he is weak.
Rishia, a new character introduced in The Rising of the Shield Hero, may be important in this season. A horde of bat-like animals came to Lurolona before more facts about this new character were released. This catches Naofunmi off guard because the countdown for the next wave hasn’t yet begun. He examines his data and notices that the wave countdown time has been paused, which is understandable. Naofumi’s battle mode activates, and he marches towards the new flock of monsters to defeat them, but by the time he arrived, Rapthalia and his filolial partner, Filo, had already dispatched these nefarious creatures.
The Queen of Melromarc summons the four Cardinal Heroes after the brief conflict. Lurolona wasn’t the only city tormented by odd monsters, it seems. The Queen explains why these new creatures have arrived, attributing the cause to the reawakening of a fabled monster known as the Spirit Tortoise in the Spirit Tortoise Kingdom. This beast is resurrected every few centuries and causes devastation in the surrounding cities. The anime’s introduction of this new realm hints that the current 12-episode season will focus on the Spirit Tortoise story. It could even be a chance for Naofunmi to build up his strength in preparation for the next wave.
The heroes, with the exception of Naofunmi, show their disinterest as the Queen explains the source of the new phenomena, claiming that they were summoned to combat the waves, not to be the kingdom’s solution to every problem. The heroes’ self-centered attitudes demonstrate that they haven’t changed much since the first season. Motoyasu, the spear hero, was guilty of destroying the ecosystem in Season 1, while Ren, the sword hero, slew a dragon and poisoned the land of the neighboring towns. These heroes are simply motivated by their own ambitions and interests, and they are solely responsible for resisting the waves. Unlike the others, Naofunmi seeks to fight the Spirit Tortoise in order to aid the Kingdom of Melromarc.
Why is Rishia so enamored of Itsuki?
Rishia, a newly introduced character, is also seen to want Itsuki, the bow hero, to acknowledge her efforts. Rishia was withdrawn from Itsuki’s party for unknown reasons, most likely because she wasn’t strong enough to handle missions. Rishia’s yearning for Itsuki’s praise could be a result of her love and adoration for the hero. As a result, she resolves to become stronger. She accepts Raphtalia’s advice to become Naofunmi’s slave in order to fast gain power and join Itsuki’s party.
Naofumi travels to the Spirit Tortoise Kingdom at the end of the first episode of The Rising of the Shield Hero. He faces new adversaries, including bat-like creatures, which he fights with the Rage Shield, his most powerful shield. The anime ends on a cliffhanger after Naofumi’s party wins the battle, revealing a mysterious woman who appears and asks Naofumi to murder her. This woman could be linked to the recent calamities, or she could even be the cause of the tragedy. She could possibly be a random stranger looking to commit suicide. In any case, additional information about the suicide request and the Spirit Tortoise saga will be revealed in the next episode of The Rising of the Shield Hero.
