Summary
A clear step up from Season 2 that seems to be getting better each week.
When it first premiered on Crunchyroll, The Rising of the Shield Hero saw almost immediate success, easily solidifying itself as one of the better isekai anime available on the platform. Now well into Season 3, the anime continues to prove why it remains among fan favorites, even after a lackluster second season threatened the series’ pacing. Already, Season 3 has exceeded expectations, delivering more of the action and drama that made the show so popular when it first aired. Despite some bumps in the road along the way, The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 3 is proving to be the very improvement this anime needed to remind viewers why this isekai fantasy drew them in in the first place.
With a twelve-episode order, The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 3 is expected to cover the Rebuilding and Fallen Heroes arc. The beginning of the season has seen Naofumi and his party attempting to repopulate Lurolona Village while also beefing up defenses for the upcoming Phoenix attack in less than three months. So far, both tasks have proven to be more challenging than expected.
Despite taking on a few new party members, such as Sadeena, an orca demi-human, and Fohl, a white tiger demi-human, Naofumi still needs to locate and convince the other Legendary and Vassal Heroes to fight in the raids alongside him.
On top of defending the country, Naofumi also has his lands to defend now. With the former residents of Lurolona Village being sold as slaves all across the country, Naofumi has struggled to not only locate them but purchase them once he does. The exorbitant prices on their heads, due to his own popularity, forced him into underground fighting and gambling to make the gold required to buy back the demi-humans.
Although the characters introduced last season were important to the plot and fine overall, the new demi-human characters introduced in this season already feel more compelling after only a handful of episodes. Fohl and Atla seem to have a lot of potential, which makes their future in the series intriguing. The same can also be said about Sadeena and Raphtalia’s past.
The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 3 is absolutely worth watching. After airing four episodes, it’s clear this season is attempting to make improvements, especially to the pacing of the story. Fans who stuck it out through Season 2 will appreciate how much more balance there seems to be between plot and action this time around as it starts to feel more like the first season again.
Despite moving quickly through the story, Season 3 has been an exciting saga thus far. The quick pacing has allowed the story to progress to the heavier-hitting moments without dragging like its predecessor.
Read More: The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 3 Episode 1 Recap
