The Rising of the Shield Hero

## The Rising of the Shield Hero **The Rising of the Shield Hero** (盾の勇者の成り上がり, *Tate no Yūsha no Nariagari*) is a 2019 anime television series produced by Kinema Citrus, adapted from Aneko Yusagi's light novel series. The series became a major hit by offering a notably darker take on the isekai genre: its protagonist is not the celebrated chosen hero but the despised, betrayed one, and the early episodes' examination of social rejection and the difficulty of trusting anyone again give the series a distinctive edge compared to many of its contemporaries. Naofumi Iwatani, a college student and otaku, is one of four young men from Japan summoned to a parallel fantasy world as "Cardinal Heroes." The other three receive powerful weapons — sword, spear, bow — while Naofumi is assigned the Shield, historically the weakest and most defensive class. Then, before he can even begin his hero's journey, he is falsely accused of assaulting the princess who briefly traveled with him. The accusation is believed by everyone, and Naofumi is publicly shamed and abandoned. With no money, no party, no trust, and no support from the kingdom, he purchases a demi-human slave girl named Raphtalia as his only possible companion. What follows is a story of grinding survival, growing trust, and a hero determined to prove through actions alone that he deserves to be called one.