Kinema Citrus has shared a new promo poster for the upcoming Season 4 of The Rising of the Shield Hero on the official social media accounts for the anime. The new image shows the main character, Naofumi Iwatani, sitting on a throne surrounded by his closest allies, including Raphtalia and two new characters. The new characters are the winged, eagle man named Vaner, and the lion-man called Jalaris. The fourth season is confirmed to air in July 2025, though, no specific day was revealed at the time of this writing. The series is licensed by Crunchyroll, with the previous seasons available to watch on that streaming service. The fourth season will likely be available on Crunchyroll for fans in the West.
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The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 1 aired on January 9th, 2019. Because of its subject matter and the marketing push behind it, it was one of the most discussed series of the year. The first season consists of 25 episodes, lasting until the summer of that year. The second season premiered nearly three years later, in April 2022, but only had 13 episodes. The third season aired the following year, on October 6th, 2023, and only consisted of 12 episodes this time, giving the series a total of 50 episodes. It’s unknown how many episodes the fourth season will have, yet fans don’t expect it to be a full 25-episode season like the first again.
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Why The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 4 Is Divisive
The Rising of the Shield Hero has always had some controversy surrounding its premise and themes. The entire story is kicked off by the titular hero being falsely accused of sexually assaulting a princess and being shunned by society. The woman who made the false accusation is portrayed as a manipulative schemer who takes joy in Naofumi’s misfortune. Many viewers believe this premise gives the impression that most accusations are fake, which could lead unassuming people to make harmful assumptions about real-life accusations. The series’ crude and sometimes cynical humor makes some viewers feel the show is making light of a serious topic.
Furthermore, slavery is a major topic in The Rising of the Shield Hero. Many of the supporting characters are Naofumi’s slaves and genuinely enjoy being his slaves, making it as seem as if the anime is in favor of pro-slavery. Despite these controversies, the anime has proven popular enough to last four seasons, consisting of more episodes than many other anime series. The third season ended with the revelation that Raphtalia is the secret heir to the throne of an isolated empire, with assassins coming after her. Naofumi decides to confront the empire while also planning the forthcoming confrontation with the Phoenix.
H/T: Oricon
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