The Rising of the Shield Hero presents a mystifying scenario – why is the titular Shield Hero, Naofumi Iwatani, subjected to extreme discrimination and hate after being summoned as one of four heroes? At first, it appears Naofumi’s unpopularity stems from his underdog status. Lacking knowledge of this parallel world compared to the other heroes, he is seen as the least impressive.
However, later events reveal that Naofumi has been deliberately cast in a negative light by sinister forces working against him behind the scenes. When the heroes receive their retainers, Naofumi is isolated and left without companionship.
Princess Malty pretends to join his party, only to swindle his money and destroy his reputation. This despicable betrayal turns the public against Naofumi, making him appear to be the worst and most untrustworthy hero.
In truth, unknown antagonists have been plotting against the Shield Hero from the start, intentionally painting him as an inferior and reprehensible character.
By unfairly manipulating things from the shadows, powerful enemies manufacture Naofumi’s poor treatment and reputation. It is not until the end of Season 1 that it becomes clear the discrimination faced by the Shield Hero stems not from his own shortcomings but from the machinations of nefarious forces seeking to bring him down.
Who Is The Shield Hero?
Naofumi Iwatani, the protagonist of The Rising of the Shield Hero, was originally a positive and trusting person, excited to serve as the legendary Shield Hero. However, after being betrayed and framed by Princess Malty, he becomes cynical, distrustful, and hostile towards others.
Left penniless and hated, Naofumi assumes people only want to use him. This mentality, unfortunately, causes him to push away potential allies. As the Shield Hero, he is weak alone, forcing him to reluctantly acquire a slave, Raphtalia, who can’t betray him.
Over time, bonding with Raphtalia and Filo helps Naofumi slowly heal and rebuild some ability to trust his companions. However, Princess Malty’s betrayal left deep scars. Naofumi remains unable to fully open up to or empathize with others.
Why Is The Shield Hero Hated?
The Church of the Three Heroes holds immense influence as the primary religion in the kingdom of Melromarc. As their name indicates, they preach worship and devotion towards the Spear, Sword, and Bow Heroes, proclaiming these saviors shall defend the people against the demonic Waves. In contrast, they vilify the Shield Hero as a devil whose mission is supposedly to destroy the world.
Princess Malty, one of the first to betray the Shield Hero Naofumi, is a faithful adherent of the church’s teachings. The church rallies an army of believers ready to oppose the Shield Hero, demonstrating their extensive reach and power throughout Melromarc—their preaching fuels discrimination against demi-humans, leading to the rise of dangerous human supremacist factions.
However, the people’s animosity towards the Shield Hero also has roots in a past war. The current king lost family members fighting against demi-humans allied with the Shield Hero at the time and irrationally blames that Shield Hero for his profound personal losses.
The church capitalizes on these historical grudges, aligning their vilification of the Shield Hero with existing anger and pain. These forces manipulate public perception to unfairly paint the Shield Hero as a villain. Only when Queen Mirella steps in is the truth revealed – corrupt entities have deliberately made the Shield Hero a scapegoat in their grasp for power.
The Church of the Three Heroes manipulated longstanding prejudices to further vilify the Shield Hero. By framing Naofumi and the demi-humans he allied with as evil spawns, the church capitalized on existing discrimination against demi-humans in Melromarc.
This cemented the stark contrast where the Shield Hero is revered among the demi-human populations of Siltvelt yet despised as a supposed villain in Melromarc under the church’s influence.
To combat this corruption, Queen Mirellia undertakes bold reforms. She imprisons the church leaders responsible for propagating harmful falsehoods and abolishes the Church of the Three Heroes itself. In its place, she establishes a new religion focused on equality among all four Cardinal Heroes.
However, considering how deeply and insidiously the Church of the Three Heroes embedded its prejudiced beliefs throughout Melromarc, it may prove difficult to completely erase their impact. The church spent years sowing discrimination and suspicion of the Shield Hero among the populace.
Some residual faith and latent bigotry may continue simmering under the surface, even after the queen’s overhaul. The potential ongoing effects of the corrupt church’s legacy may become evident in the anime’s second season.
