Shield Hero Season 3 Actually Might Fix its Worst Cardinal Hero -- Slowly (2024)

The Rising of the Shield Hero is an isekai anime whose cast of characters can definitely be hit or miss. Powerful female leads like Raphtalia the tanuki girl or the cheerful bird-hybrid Filo are fan-favorites The anime's protagonist, Naofumi Iwatani, also has his share of admirers. However, many other Shield Hero characters are simply detestable, such as the other three Cardinal Heroes, most of all, Motoyasu Kitamura. Also known as the Spear Hero, Motoyasu is almost comically reviled in the anime's first season.

Over time, the Shield Hero anime has increasingly made the effort to redeem its other three Cardinal Heroes, most importantly, Motoyasu Kitamura. Motoyasu is hardly on the fast track to become the anime's "best boy," but by his own abysmal standards, he continues to inch closer toward redemption. Not only that, but this might be the anime's first building block toward a fully reunited team of Cardinal Heroes. The Rising of the Shield Hero features sparse character development in its second season, which means that there's a lot more pressure for season three to rise to the occasion here.

Motoyasu's Redemption Is Based On Regret & Rejecting Princess Malty

The Rising of the Shield Hero's recent episodes bring back some of the anime's worst and most controversial characters, including princess Malty Melromarc and Motoyasu Kitamura, along with the Sword Hero, Ren. The once haughty Motoyasu has now learned some humility and even regrets some of his past reckless actions. He, Ren, and Itsuki treat their isekai adventure like a JRPG and focus on flashy combat. They have no interest in considering the real-world implications of their actions, such as allowing innocent bystanders or party members to die during battle. In a flashback, Shield Hero fans see Motoyasu attack the Spirit Tortoise in vain. It's a mission that costs Motoyasu the lives of several party members. It's hard for Motoyasu to come to terms with the realization that he's not an infallible video game hero. He's surrounded by real people with real lives, and there are consequences for his actions.

Motoyasu's humbling experiences have fans hopeful that the character isn't past the point of redemption. That being said, it doesn't seem as if Ren and Itsuki have learned this lesson. Naofumi, by contrast, has always understood that this isn't a game, despite everyone's RPG HUD visuals. Naofumi understands that actions have consequences and becomes a practical, thoughtful hero as a result. This allows Naofumi to scold Motoyasu, Ren, and Itsuki when they reunite towards the end of the first season. The villagers' accidental suffering doesn't teach Motoyasu this lesson, but the sight of his party members's death certainly does. It's a shame the brave people who trust Motoyasu with their lives have to die in order for this lesson to sink in.

On an even more personal note, Motoyasu learns not to trust Princess Malty, The Rising of the Shield Hero's most wicked schemer. Malty repeatedly uses the Cardinal Heroes for her own benefit, and for a time, Motoyasu enrages both Naofumi and Shield Hero fans through his endless trust and defense of Malty. Motoyasu now possesses the foresight to reject Malty as a cruel liar and manipulator. Motoyasu's rejection of such an obviously terrible person is a low bar to clear, but it's still incremental progress for The Rising of the Shield Hero. These two pivotal experiences give Motoyasu a better grasp on trust and cooperation, which are lessons that he quickly internalizes.

Shield Hero Must Redeem Motoyasu To Rebuild The Cardinal Hero Team

The Rising of the Shield Hero must redeem Motoyasu Kitamura not only to fix his image and make him more bearable, but to rebuild the anime's original team. Naofumi, Itsuki, Ren, and Motoyasu were always meant to fight as a team of four, the great Cardinal Heroes, who can collectively take on any challenge. The Rising of the Shield Hero progressively focuses on Naofumi's solo adventures and makes him an outcast so that he can impress anime fans through his own redemption. That period is now over and Naofumi has been pushed as far as he can go on, as have the other Cardinal Heroes. The arrival of the Waves of Calamity and the Phoenix means that these heroes can't afford to go on any more solo adventures. The team must reunite under Naofumi's leadership, which must start with Motoyasu.

It's only through Motoyasu Kitamura's self-redemption that he's able to prove that he's still worthy of fighting by Naofumi's side and earning the party's trust. When and if Motoyasu completes his redemption and formally joins Naofumi's team improves these two Cardinal Heroes' ability to convince Ten and Itsuki to follow suit through similar redemptive efforts. One against three are steep odds when it comes to Naofumi's hopes to assemble the "isekai Avengers." However, two against two is another matter and presents a better chance at victory. Ren and Itsuki already trust and understand Motoyasu far more than they do Naofumi, which makes Motoyasu vital in Naofumi's plan to reunite the Cardinal Heroes.

Shield Hero Sets Low Standards For Its Characters

The Rising of the Shield Hero likely wrote Motoyasu, Ren, and Itsuki to be terrible people explicitly for the reason that it presents a tougher challenge when it comes to Naofumi Iwatani's pursuit to reunite the four Cardinal Heroes. Personality flaws are a must for any isekai protagonist or supporting hero and the story wouldn't last very long if everyone were in perfect harmony without any conflict. Still, an isekai anime can use other methods to keep the main team apart, such as a hero's capture or possession by villains. The Rising of the Shield Hero goes too far in its efforts to turn its supporting characters into untrustworthy and unlikable antiheroes. This creates an unpleasant vibe where almost everyone is terrible and Naofumi only seems noble by comparison. Naofumi supports the slave trade and gives Malty highly insulting names. In any other anime, he would be viewed as a monster. However, The Rising of the Shield Hero is full of such vile characters that Naofumi comes across as heroic in comparison.

Other anime series do a better job with twisted, flawed heroes who contribute towards a compelling narrative, such as Chainsaw Man. In contrast, The Rising of the Shield Hero feels clums with its character development and motivations. There is no need to make Motoyasu, Itsuki, and Ren so cartoonishly misguided and vile. Motoyasu's timid attempts at redemption in The Rising of the Shield Hero's third season feel like a breath of fresh air in this dismal context. Many anime fans agree that "I no longer trust the lying manipulator" sets a low standard for anyone's redemption arc, but The Rising of the Shield Hero seems determined to maintain these lackluster expectations. In doing so, fans can decide for themselves whether Motoyasu, the obnoxious tool, actually deserves a shot at redemption, or not.

The Rising of The Shield Hero

A gamer is magically summoned into a parallel universe, where he is chosen as one of four heroes destined to save the world from its prophesied doom.

Release Date

January 9, 2019

Main Genre

Animation

Studio