On Monday, January 22, Kadokawa has announced that the isekai anime series The Rising of the Shield Hero is getting a fourth season, and new teaser visual was revealed, featuring a dark and rainy atmosphere with a flying dragon. No further details have been revealed about the production of The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 4, so don't expect the upcoming season to premiere anytime soon.
The staff and cast for the fourth season haven't been officially announced yet, but, director Hitoshi Haga and cast members Kaito Ishikawa (Naofumi Iwatani), Asami Seto (Raphtalia), Natsuko Hara (Rishia), Rina Hidaka (Filo), Yoshitsugu Matsuoka (Ren Amaki), Makoto Takahashi (Motoyasu Kitamura), Yoshitaka Yamaya (Itsuki Kawasumi), Makoto Takahashi (Motoyasu Kitamura), Sarah Emi Bridcutt (Myne), Konomi Kohara (Atla), Kōhei Amasaki (Fohl), and Maria Naganawa (S'yne) shared messages in celebration of the anime's renewal.
The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 1 aired from January to June 2019, and it consisted of 25 episodes. Studio Kinema Citrus was in charge of the animation under the direction of Takao Abo and series composition by Keigo Koyonagi. Season 2 aired from June 2022 for 13 episodes, and Korean DR movie animated te season, with Hitoshi Saga as director and Keigo Koyonagi as the series composition writer. Season 3 3 aired from October to December 2023, and Saga returned to direct it while Keigo also returned to work on both the scriptwriting and series composition.
What is The Rising of the Shield Hero about?
The Rising of the Shield Hero anime is based on the dark fantasy light novel series written by Aneko Yusagi and illustrated by Seira Minami, which follows the storytelling trope of the genre known as isekai, which means "different world" or "otherworld" in Japan, but it distinguishes itself in one unique way: The hero, Naofumi Iwatani, is swiftly met with disdain by the realm of fantasy he was supposed to save due to a false allegation of sexual misconduct. Media Factory has been publishing the light novels and the manga series by Aiya Kyu since 2014.
Crunchyroll provided a plot description for The Rising of the Shield Hero:
Iwatani Naofumi, a run-of-the-mill otaku, finds a book in the library that summons him to another world. He is tasked with joining the sword, spear, and bow as one of the Four Cardinal Heroes and fighting the Waves of Catastrophe as the Shield Hero. Excited by the prospect of a grand adventure, Naofumi sets off with his party. However, merely a few days later, he is betrayed and loses all his money, dignity, and respect. Unable to trust anyone anymore, he employs a slave named Raphtalia and takes on the Waves and the world. But will he really find a way to overturn this desperate situation?
Here's the official trailer for The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 3:
The first three seasons of The Rising of the Shield Hero are available to stream on Crunchyroll, and you can check out more information about the series in the anime's official website.
