WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Episode 26 of The Rising of the Shield Hero, "A New Roar," now streaming on Funimation, Crunchyroll & Hulu.
After three years, Kadokawa finally released season 2 of the fantasy series, The Rising of the Shield Hero. Fans are excited about what this new season may have to offer, especially the power-ups and new shields the Shield Hero, Naofunmi, may unlock.
The Rising of the Shield Hero revolves around the summoning of the four cardinal heroes to the Kingdom of Melromarc to combat the Waves of Catastrophe. However, after the four heroes are summoned, Naofunmi is discriminated against because he is the “Shield” hero, suspected to be the weakest. Despite the odds stacked against him, Naofunmi proves himself as a Cardinal Hero, surpassing his colleagues in strength and battle wits.
The new season's first episode reveals Naofunmi as the ruler of Lurolona's village, the home of Rapthalia, his first hero party member. Naofunmi's reason for becoming the leader of this village populated by demi-humans is to help them grow and recover after years of being subjected to slavery and other societal vices. At this point, the anime reveals Lurolona citizens' love for Naofunmi, proof of his warm leadership of the demi-humans. The scenery changes and an instructor appears to be tutoring Keel and Rishia. Keel shows his optimism to assist Naofunmi in battling the waves but is quickly turned down by his mentor, who says he is weak.
The Rising of the Shield Hero also introduces a new character, Rishia, who may be relevant in this season. Before more details are revealed about this new character, a flock of bat-like creatures flocked toward Lurolona. This surprises Naofunmi since the countdown for the next wave wasn’t over yet. Understandably, he checks his stats and discovers that the wave countdown time is paused. Naofumi's battle mode kicks in, and he heads towards the new flock of monsters to defeat them, but on his arrival, Rapthalia and his filolial partner, Filo, had already eliminated these nasty creatures.
The Spirit Tortoise Saga, Revealed
After the short-lived battle, the Queen of Melromarc summons the four Cardinal Heroes. Apparently, Lurolona wasn't the only city plagued by strange creatures. The Queen shares the reason for the arrival of these new creatures, linking the cause to a legendary monster, The Spirit Tortoise, that has been awakened in the Spirit Tortoise Kingdom. Once in a few centuries, this creature is revived, and it wreaks havoc on the surrounding cities. The introduction of this new dimension in the anime suggests that the current 12-episode season may center on the Spirit Tortoise saga. It may even be an opportunity for Naofunmi to increase his strength to prepare for the next wave.
After the Queen shares the cause of the new phenomenon, the heroes, except Naofunmi, display their disinterest, saying that they were summoned to fight the waves, not be the kingdom's solution to every problem. The heroes' selfish attitudes reveal that they haven't changed since season 1. Back in season 1, Motoyasu, the spear hero, was responsible for ruining the ecosystem, while the sword hero, Ren, slew a dragon, poisoning the land of the surrounding villages. These heroes are only driven by their own interests and desires, only taking responsibility for combating the waves. Unlike the rest, Naofunmi chooses to help the Kingdom of Melromarc by defeating the Spirit Tortoise.
Why is Rishia Obsessed with Itsuki?
The newly introduced character, Rishia, is also portrayed to have a desire to earn acknowledgment from Itsuki, the bow hero. Itsuki removed Rishia from his party for some reason, probably because she wasn't strong enough to handle missions. Possibly, Rishia's desire for Itsuki's praise stems from love and admiration for the hero. This leads to her resolve to get stronger. She agrees to Raphtalia's suggestion to become Naofunmi's slave to power-up quickly and join Itsuki's party.
The ending of the first episode of The Rising of the Shield Hero shows Naofumi journeying to the Spirit Tortoise Kingdom. He encounters new monsters, including the bat-looking ones, which he defeats, using the most powerful shield in his arsenal: The Rage Shield. After Naofunmi’s party wins the battle, the anime ends on a cliffhanger – revealing a mysterious woman who shows up, requesting Naofumi to kill her. This woman may be connected to the recent disasters or even be the source of the disaster itself. She could also be just a regular stranger seeking suicide. Either way, the next episode of The Rising of the Shield Hero will reveal more info on the suicidal request and the Spirit Tortoise saga.