Last updated: 1 November 2026
The Rising of the Shield Hero is a dark fantasy isekai anime by Kinema Citrus, adapted from Aneko Yusagi's light novels. It follows Naofumi Iwatani, a betrayed Shield Hero who rebuilds from nothing with Raphtalia and Filo. Four seasons (62 episodes, 2019–2025) have aired, and Season 5 is set for 2027.
About The Rising of the Shield Hero
Naofumi Iwatani is summoned to a fantasy kingdom as one of four legendary heroes, the Shield Hero, armed with a shield and nothing else. Betrayed and falsely accused within days, he loses his money, his name and his trust in people. With the demi-human Raphtalia at his side, he has to grow strong enough to stop the Waves of monsters threatening the world. A gritty underdog isekai about rebuilding from zero. Because his shield cannot attack, Naofumi wins differently: he cooks, crafts, trades, heals and builds a party and a village that fight for him, while the kingdom that framed him slowly learns it needs its most hated hero. The story keeps widening, from Waves and rival heroes to other worlds with their own heroes and rules. Animated by Kinema Citrus, it now runs four seasons (62 episodes), with a fifth season announced for 2027.
The Rising of the Shield Hero is a TV anime from 2019, first released in Winter 2019. It belongs to the Action and Adventure and Fantasy genres and is listed as a completed series. The summary above is written by the AnimeYug team in our own words.
Official Trailer
Story & Plot
College student Naofumi Iwatani is pulled into the kingdom of Melromarc with three other young men to become the Cardinal Heroes who must repel the Waves of Calamity. The others receive a sword, spear and bow; Naofumi gets a shield that cannot attack, and the kingdom treats him as the weakest hero from the start. Days later his only companion, the princess Myne, robs him and frames him for a crime he did not commit, leaving him penniless, hated and alone.
Refusing to break, Naofumi buys the freedom of a sick demi-human slave girl, Raphtalia, raises her as his sword, and later hatches Filo, a bird monster with a queen's potential. Together they protect villages the other heroes neglect, expose the church and crown's corruption, and discover the Waves are connected to other worlds. Whose heroes, like Glass, see Naofumi's world as the enemy. His rise is built on the trust of the few who stood by him at zero.
Story Arcs & Episode Guide
The The Rising of the Shield Hero anime is split into story sagas. Here is every saga in order, with its episodes and years.
| Arc | Episodes | Years | About |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1: The Hated Hero | 1–25 | 2019 | Summoned, betrayed and framed, Naofumi builds a party from nothing and faces the Waves, and the otherworldly hero Glass |
| Season 2: The Spirit Tortoise and Another World | 26–38 | 2022 | A colossal Spirit Tortoise rampages, then Naofumi follows its master into Kizuna's world |
| Season 3: Rebuilding and the Lost Heroes | 39–50 | 2023 | Naofumi rebuilds his village, frees demi-human slaves and hunts for the missing, broken heroes |
| Season 4: Siltvelt and Q'ten Lo | 51–62 | 2025 | Demi-human politics in Siltvelt lead to Raphtalia's homeland, Q'ten Lo, and her family's past |
Why Watch The Rising of the Shield Hero
- A true from-zero rise: the hero starts hated, broke and unable to attack.
- Naofumi's party is his weapon, Raphtalia's sword, Filo's kicks and shields for every situation.
- The other heroes are flawed people, not rivals of the week, and their failures have real costs.
- The world keeps expanding: Waves, a corrupt church, and whole other worlds with their own heroes.
- Four seasons out and a fifth confirmed for 2027, so the journey is safely ongoing.
Who Is It For?
The Rising of the Shield Hero is rated TV-14 in the US, so it suits teens and adults. Expect bloody monster battles, slavery and false-accusation themes, political cruelty and dark turns, balanced by warm found-family moments in Naofumi's village.
Main Characters
View all characters →
Voice Actors
The Japanese voices behind the main characters of The Rising of the Shield Hero.
- Naofumi IwataniThe Shield Hero, betrayed and forced to start from zeroJapanese voiceKaito Ishikawa
- RaphtaliaDemi-human swordsman and Naofumi's closest companionJapanese voiceAsami Seto
- FiloFilorial queen who fights with powerful kicksJapanese voiceRina Hidaka
- Melty Q MelromarcSecond princess of Melromarc who befriends FiloJapanese voiceMaaya Uchida
- Rishia IvyredTimid noblewoman who joins Naofumi's partyJapanese voiceNatsuko Hara
- Ren AmakiThe Sword Hero, a teenager who treats the world like a gameJapanese voiceYoshitsugu Matsuoka
- Itsuki KawasumiThe Bow Hero, driven by his own sense of justiceJapanese voiceYoshitaka Yamaya
- Motoyasu KitamuraThe Spear Hero, easily swayed and hopeless with womenJapanese voiceMakoto Takahashi
- Myne SophiaPrincess whose betrayal destroyed Naofumi's reputationJapanese voiceSarah Emi Bridcutt
- GlassFan Hero from another world, bound by strict honourJapanese voiceMegumi Han
- L'Arc Berg SickleScythe Hero from another world and Glass's partnerJapanese voiceJun Fukuyama
- Therese AlexanderiteJewel-using mage and L'Arc's companionJapanese voiceSaori Hayami
- Kizuna KazayamaHunting Hero imprisoned in an endless labyrinthJapanese voiceMiyu Tomita
- Ost HoraiMysterious familiar of the Spirit TortoiseJapanese voiceKana Hanazawa
- Mirellia Q MelromarcQueen of Melromarc, the kingdom's true rulerJapanese voiceKikuko Inoue
Staff & Production
- Original Creator
- Aneko Yusagi
- Animation Studio
- Kinema Citrus (with DR Movie on Season 2)
- Series Director
- Takao Abo (Season 1); Masato Jinbo (Season 2); Hitoshi Haga (Seasons 3–5)
- Series Composition
- Keigo Koyanagi
- Music
- Kevin Penkin; Alfredo Sirica and Natalie Jeffreys (from Season 3)
Manga & Source Material
The Rising of the Shield Hero is a light novel series by Aneko Yusagi with illustrations by Seira Minami. Like many isekai hits, it began as a web novel on Shōsetsuka ni Narō before Kadokawa's MF Books picked it up.
- Written by Aneko Yusagi and illustrated by Seira Minami
- Began as a web novel on Shōsetsuka ni Narō in 2012
- Light novels published by Media Factory under the MF Books imprint from 22 August 2013
- 22 light novel volumes had been published as of June 2019, with the series still listed as ongoing
- Aiya Kyū's manga adaptation had reached 30 volumes by May 2026
- The novels and manga passed 6.2 million copies in Japan by April 2019
Music
One duo owns the sound of Shield Hero: MADKID performs every opening across all four seasons, and Chiai Fujikawa performs every ending, giving the series a consistent musical identity from 2019 to 2025.
Opening Themes
- “RISE”by MADKIDSeason 1, first opening (2019)
- “FAITH”by MADKIDSeason 1, second opening (2019)
- “Bring Back”by MADKIDSeason 2 opening (2022)
- “SIN”by MADKIDSeason 3 opening (2023)
- “Resolution”by MADKIDSeason 4 opening (2025)
Ending Themes
- “Kimi no Namae”by Chiai FujikawaSeason 1, first ending (2019)
- “Atashi ga Tonari ni Iru Uchi ni”by Chiai FujikawaSeason 1, second ending (2019)
- “Yuzurenai”by Chiai FujikawaSeason 2 ending (2022)
- “Suki ni Natte wa Ikenai Riyū”by Chiai FujikawaSeason 3 ending (2023)
- “Eien ni Ikkai no”by Chiai FujikawaSeason 4 ending (2025)
Series Timeline
- 2012
Aneko Yusagi begins the story as a web novel on Shōsetsuka ni Narō.
- 2013
MF Books publishes the first light novel volume on 22 August.
- 2019
The Kinema Citrus anime premieres in January; Season 1 runs for 25 episodes.
- 2022
Season 2 airs from April to June, co-produced with DR Movie.
- 2023
Season 3 airs from October to December under director Hitoshi Haga.
- 2025
Season 4 airs from July to September; a fifth season is announced at its finale.
- 2027
Season 5 is scheduled to premiere, continuing Naofumi's story.
Quick Answers
Is The Rising of the Shield Hero finished?
Yes. The Rising of the Shield Hero has finished airing, so you can watch the complete story from start to end without waiting for new episodes.
What genre is The Rising of the Shield Hero?
The Rising of the Shield Hero is a Action and Adventure and Fantasy anime. You can browse more titles like it on our Action anime page.
When did The Rising of the Shield Hero release?
The Rising of the Shield Hero first released in Winter 2019. It is a TV series.
How many episodes does The Rising of the Shield Hero have?
There are 62 episodes across four seasons: 25 in Season 1 (2019), 13 in Season 2 (2022), 12 in Season 3 (2023) and 12 in Season 4 (2025).
Will there be a Season 5 of Shield Hero?
Yes. A fifth season was announced right after Season 4's finale in September 2025, with director Hitoshi Haga and Kinema Citrus returning, and it is scheduled to premiere in 2027.
How far does the anime get in the light novels?
Season 4 adapts volumes 13 and 14 of Aneko Yusagi's novels. The light novel series stands at 22 volumes, published since 2013, so plenty of Naofumi's story is still ahead of the anime.
Is Shield Hero a revenge story?
It starts with betrayal and a strong hunger for payback, and Naofumi stays cynical for a long time. But the heart of the series is what he builds instead: a party, a village and a name earned back through protecting people who once despised him.
Watch Order
Here is the release order for The Rising of the Shield Hero and the series connected to it. Start at step 1 and work your way down.
- 1The Rising of the Shield HeroTV series (2019): this series; Season 1, 25 episodes. Start here.
- 2The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2TV series (2022): 13 episodes; the Spirit Tortoise and Kizuna's world.
- 3The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 3TV series (2023): 12 episodes; rebuilding the village and finding the lost heroes.
- 4The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 4TV series (2025): 12 episodes; Siltvelt and the journey to Q'ten Lo.
- 5The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 5TV series (2027): announced and in production; the next chapter of Naofumi's story.
Where to Watch
The Rising of the Shield Hero is officially available to stream on these platforms:
Streaming availability changes often and differs by country. Please check the platform in your region.