The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 3 is already on its third episode, and we are starting to get a feeling for how the season is going and how it compares to the previous ones. As someone who thoroughly enjoyed the first season, I am very excited to see that the show is back on track to take its place as one of the best isekai shows.
After a not-so-well-received second season, the third season of The Rising of the Shield Hero has gone back to the formula that made it successful in the first place. While we already had some degree of that in the first two episodes, the third episode really exemplifies this return to roots, with Naofumi going back to his tried and tested plan of saving talented half-human slaves and overall being a badass hero when saving his village. His past experiences are also paying off here, with him immediately recognizing the rich girls posing as slaves to be bought by him.
The fight scene to save the demi-human villagers was very nicely done and showed moments of glory from old and new party members alike. We get to see how overwhelmingly stronger the hero’s party has gotten, and we even get to see a classic “cool guys tanukis don’t look at explosions” moment with Raphtalia completely humiliating the bandit chief in a fraction of a second. The fact that she was able to exact revenge on the bandits who captured her before the events of season 1 is the cherry on top.
The addition of the white tiger siblings to the party promises to be interesting, as they have an interesting relationship and will certainly add good character dynamics going forward. The addition of Sadeena in the previous episode is already adding fun interactions to the party, and while the siblings will likely not be the subject of quick flirty jokes like the aggressive killer whale, they will likely add more depth and meaningful exchanges. The white tigers having the potential for strong stats and fighting abilities is also a great idea for future plot development.
A lot is going on in the world of the Shield Hero, and it can be hard to keep track of all the details. One of the background threads currently happening is the search for the heroes, and it seems that the queen finally found Motoyasu. There is a problem with that, however, in that Naofumi’s party is going to have to deal with his annoying personality again. It seems that is going to be the immediate mission for the next episode, and hopefully, we will get to enjoy Motoyasu getting taken down a peg. Another thread was also thrown out in the open in the last minutes of the episode, with Trash recognizing Alta and hinting that they may be related to the ex-king.
With everything said, I am very optimistic about how this season is going to pan out, and cannot wait to see what the rest of the season has in store. With interesting new additions to the cast and multiple plot devices being prepared in parallel, there is potential for at least matching the highs of season 1, and I for one would not want to miss it!
Crunchyroll describes the plot of The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 3 as such:
Learning that other nations are enduring the Calamity Waves, Naofumi vows to fight. But before he can begin, word comes that the massive Spirit Tortoise is free. Left unchecked, this rampaging monster could destroy the world. He assembles companions Raphtalia and Filo and a few new allies, one of which reveals scary news—this was no accident. Someone deliberately unleashed the legendary beast!
Episode 4 of Shield Hero Season 3 will air on Friday, October 27, 2023. If you enjoyed this episode, then be sure to vote for it in our weekly poll!
Images via Crunchyroll
©2021 Aneko Yusagi / KADOKAWA / Shield Hero S3 Production Committee