We love isekai stories and the adventures that take us into a new fantasy. But we seem to miss the characters through whom we travel into their Isekai worlds. Such is the story of Naofumi Iwatani from ‘The Rising of the Shield Hero’. The Isekai world in which Naofumi was summoned provides him with new power. But, we all already know that “With great power comes great responsibility”.
Furthermore, with great responsibility comes great consequences. And greater consequences either change a person completely or teach lessons that one can never forget. You will get to see Naofumi teach us about life from the lessons he learned throughout his journey and adventures. And throughout his journey, we will also learn a lot about Naofumi. The kind of person he was and the kind of person he will become will help us become the better versions of ourselves.
Great stories like ‘The Rising Shield Hero’ can change our way of looking at the world and our lives. But knowing about some characters can do wonders just like that. And we are here to know facts about Naofumi Iwatani, our Shield Hero that we should know if we want to change our lives and make them better.
1. Naofumi Is An Otaku In His World
We otaku dream of getting isekai’d all the time, but it just is not in our fate. But, Naofumi is living our dreams. He is an otaku just like us and watching him live our dreams makes us jealous and proud at the same time. But, just because he is living our dreams does not mean he is having the time of his life. He is struggling and suffering in the Isekai world of Melromarc just as much as we do in our real world. Maybe even more. That is the message Naofumi is giving us through his journey that even if we otakus somehow manage to get isekai’d, hardship and suffering won’t end.
Just like he is learning about his new life by suffering, we need to learn and grow as well. New powers will never make our lives easy, they will only add to our responsibilities. So, whatever we have, we need to value it, cherish it, and move forward.
2. Isekai Without Death In The Real World
The usual way of getting isekai’d to a fantasy world is to get hit by Truck-Kun. But, Naofumi is the only one out of the four heroes who did not have to die to get isekai’d. One day, when Naofumi went to the library, he finds a unique book that made him want to pick that up. That book was called ‘The Record of the Four Holy Weapons’. The moment he opened that book to read, he lost consciousness, and the next moment he is in a whole different world.
This world is the Kingdom of Melromarc. And he is not the only one who got isekai’d here. There are three more guys who got isekai’d here. Later it was revealed that the other three guys faced an accident or some unfortunate incident that caused them to lose their lives and then they found themselves in Melromarc. And the moment they got hold of themselves in this new world, people were surrounding them, asking for their help.
3. Shield Spirit’s First Choice But Why?
Shield spirit wants someone who would care for everyone enough to protect them from any attack. Unlike other weapons which are used only to attack, a shield is used to protect. And the one who has a sense of compassion for everyone even after all kinds of suffering is the only right fit for the shield and so becomes the shield hero. Naofumi in his real-world did not get enough love and care from his parents because he chose to be free. He put his otaku stuff above his studies which made his parents think that he is a lost soul now. His parents started putting all their focus on his younger brother. And that made his younger brother jealous of him because now he has no freedom which made him act like a delinquent just so can be free too.
Even after all this, Naofumi tried and saved his brother by introducing him to a dating simulator game, after which his brother became an otaku himself. This is why we think that the Shield spirit found the goodness in Naofumi to be able to protect everyone from themselves. That is why Naofumi was chosen to become The Shield Hero.
Also Read: Who is Naofumi Iwatani? Character Analysis & Personality
4. Naofumi Is The Least Respected Among All The Heroes
People believe that those who can attack are the real heroes. And as the shield heroes can’t attack, they are considered weak. That’s why Naofumi being the Shield Hero is not even considered someone who can protect everyone. But, they seem to forget that others can only attack the enemies whereas Naofumi can shield everyone from getting hurt which makes him a hero like others. But, because of people’s misconceptions, no one wanted to join him. The one who joined him was Malty S Melromarc who later on betrayed him in a way that he could not trust anyone ever again. This incident changed him completely.
Everyone used to think less of him already, but this incident made everyone hate him even more. He was being punished for a crime he did not even commit.
5. Naofumi’s Nature And The Reasons Behind It
All the things Naofumi has been through ever since he got Isekai’d changed him. He used to be a kind person. But, the betrayal he faced from Malty made him more observant. He does not trust anyone anymore. So, if anything happens, he keeps his eyes and ears open. He became a sadist. If someone bad is getting punished for what they did, he starts enjoying it. That’s valid as he suffered for things he did not even do, so if someone’s getting punished for what they did, that makes him happy. Even when his arch enemy Malty and her father were about to get executed, he was having fun watching them suffer.
He also became a realist. People treat their slaves badly, and that makes him wonder, why would anyone treat their slaves that way. Slaves are useful, so if they treat them badly then these slaves will get useless. So, when Naofumi bought Raphtalia and Filo, he did not treat them as a slave. Instead, he treated them like his own children. He became a parent figure for both of them. And when he was betrayed, he was left with nothing. So he became someone who can do anything to earn. He became skillful and could adapt anywhere easily.
6. Mirror Vassal Hero Of Glass’s World
In the light novel and manga, when Naofumi became the Mirror Vassal Hero of Glass’s World, his friends found his new name suitable. As Naofumi treats everyone the way they treat him. Just like a mirror shows you the reflection of yourself, Naofumi gives the same treatment that others give him. He is good to the good people. And for the bad ones he gives them the taste of their own medicine.
And as Naofumi is a sadist, he shows no mercy to the bad people. If they insult him or his friends, he’ll return the favor tenfold.
7. Loved By Animals
When Naofumi was young, there was not a single moment where any animal showed any kind of hostility towards him. In the real world when he was little, there was a moment when a dog offered him a ride. That dog never did this for anyone. There was also a moment when the chickens that are known for their pecking never pecked him once. He was truly loved by all animals.
And maybe that’s one of the reasons why he was chosen as the Shield Hero. Because all the shield heroes were loved by the people of Siltvelt. And the people of Siltvelt are demi-humans who are treated badly just like real-world animals are treated by humans. After getting Isekai’d Naofumi did everything he can for the people of Siltvelt, and so he was worshiped here.
Also Read: 7 Anime Like The Rising of The Shield Hero
8. Raphtalia And Filo Keep Naofumi Sane And Help Him Heal
After getting betrayed, Naofumi could not trust anyone ever again, especially women. But, Raphtalia and Filo kept him sane and helped him trust again. They are the only ones whom he could trust. And the love and affection of Raphtalia and Filo helped him heal from the trauma of the betrayal that changed his life. Naofumi became a father figure for them.
9. Naofumi’s Habit Of Giving Nicknames
Because of people’s hatred towards him, no one would come to talk to Naofumi. So, he would simply give them all nicknames which remind him of something or someone. Even when Malty and her father were about to get executed, he enjoyed the moment and gave each of them a special nickname. Malty received the nickname “Bitch” and her father “Trash”. Well, these names suit them perfectly.
10. Powers And Abilities
His Shield might not be considered a weapon by others, but that shield has a lot of power and all that power resides in Naofumi’s hand. His shield has offensive powers such as Energy Blast, Night Terror, and Shield Bash. The shield is known for defending so it has defensive abilities as well, such as Air Strike Shield, Shield Prison, Shooting Star Shield, Shooting Star Wall, E Float Shield, and S Float Shield. Not only did he enhance the abilities of his shield, but also his own abilities as well. While he was struggling to survive on his own he developed his skills, such as cooking abilities, negotiating abilities, potion crafting, and accessory crafting.
Naofumi also has some natural abilities as well. He is immune to the adverse effects of alcohol. He is also immune to motion sickness and he is an Animal Whisperer. As animals always loved him ever since his childhood, he was the only one with whom the Demi-Humans and the Beastmen were friendly. Itsuki believed that this ability is one of Naofumi’s Esper abilities.
Also Read: Top 10 Reasons To Watch The Rising Of The Shield Hero Season 2
