The Rising of the Shield Hero season 3

 Back into his lands, Naofumi, Raphtalia, Filo and their new companion from last season Rishia are readying themselves for the arrival of the Phoenix guardian beast in 3.5 months.

So that means we can enjoy our beloved Shield Hero once again, and his witty remarks!

Arriving in the Kingdom, he learns from the queen that the three other heroes have gone missing after fighting a Catastrophe Wave that was created while he fought in the parallel world.  He needs to bolster the defences for his lands as well, and goes looking for the missing slaves of the village he freed and now governs.  Melty and Eclair will take care of his lands and teach the inhabitants, while he goes looking for others.  This leads him into the fighting pits of Zeltbone, where he heard rumours of one of the demi-human slaves being auctioned, and earning gold that way to buy it's freedom.

In those pits, he meets Nadia, who is a shapeshifting killerwhale demi-human actually called Sadina, and who decides to join him in his mission.  In the slaver's pen, he meets Fohl and his sick and injured younger sister Atla.  He uses an elixer to bring her back to health, and buys them their freedom, taking them with him to Sardeena, where the defence works are in progress for the coming of the Phoenix.  But slavers attack the demi-human village when Naofumi is out on a trade mission, yet before being captured Fohl manages to send out a signal flare.  

The demi-humans are all captured and the village damaged, but as they prepare to leave the Shield Hero and his companions arrive, quickly defeating the slavers and sending them off to slavery themselves in Siltvelt, the city he is worshipped as the Shield God.  resetting Fohl and Sadina's levels, they now become a part of his group, and in a meeting with the queen he is informed they located the Spear Hero, who wanders the lands now as a broken man.

S'yne, the murder clown from the fighting pits, arrives in his village wanting to find a home, but is rebuked and leaves.  Motoyasu the Spear hero, having hit on lower fortunes, is traced down by Naofumi, Rapthalia and Filo, while they also encounter an embittered Ren, the Sword hero, who has seen all his companions die in battle.  But Myne (Bitch), the fallen princess appears, as she is clearly influencing Ren and shifting all blames on the Shield hero in the presence of the Spear hero.  As the Sword hero flees off with Myna after wanting to use a skill in a crowded inn, which Naofumi manages to deflect, the Spear hero begins recovering from his depression.

Back on the way to their village, they are ambushed by some powerful bandits, only to be saved in the last moment by S'yne.  She reveals she is one of the Vassal heroes from a now destroyed world, and looks to join forces with Naofumi.  While not entirely believing her, he none the less allows her to stay on his lands as he takes the young heroes of his people to upgrade their class.   As they go out to hunt a group of bandits that roam his land, he finds Ren engaged in a duel with Motoyasu.  As they face Ren, we get to see what had transpired with the Sword hero and how he was also betrayed by Myne.  These events led to his Sword's cursed mode becoming active and taking him under it's influence, the friends banding together to stop him causing mass destruction.

Rat, a royal alchemist specialised in the study of monsters and demi-humans arrives in the village to offer her services, bringing along a dragon egg.  Breeded out with the help of Wyndia, the little dragon is named Gaelion, but when he accidentally swallows the Emperor's Dragon Core Jewel, he grows and breaks out.  Linked to Filo, he starts stealing levels from her, and the hero and his friends seek him out at the dragon's den.  Calling Filo to him, the two linked beasts merge as he swallows her, becoming the Emperor dragon.  Wanting to dominate humanity, he takes control of Naofumi's shield, raising the dragon's defensive powers, but with the aid of Atla's power and Wyndia's true link to the zombie dragon of the first season they overcome him, saving Gaelion and Filo and retrieving the jewel.

 

 

They locate the fourth hero, Itsuki the Archer, as he is fighting in the arena's scooping up price money.  Having fallen under Malty's poinous words, he believes that only the things he did where right and the others have been in error.  Rishia enters the battles to face Itsuki and bring him back to his senses, making him join Naofumi in the village as well.  But when Rapthalia dons a seemingly innocent miko cloth, she is revealed to be born of noble family and heir to the throne of Q'ten Lo, an island country that immediatly send assassins after her the moment she does so.

 

With Naofumi deciding to solve the matter before the Phoenix arrives, the others start training and gearing up for the ensuing battle which is now looming closer then 2 months... but that will be for next season.

 

So after a weaker second season, we are back on track with the series in my opinion, though it still strikes a bit odd with all the big reveals suddenly in the final episode, and why these things never been brought up or even hinted at in all the previous episodes.