The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 3 will begin airing in Japan on October 6, it has been announced.
It was also revealed that the first Blu-ray/DVD volume, which contains the anime’s first four episodes, will go on sale on January 24, 2024. Special edition goodies include a plate mat and acrylic panels feature illustrations by light novel illustrator Seira Minami and a booklet containing the story written by the book’s author Yusagi Aneko.
The Rising of the Shield Hero light novel series published by KADOKAWA, under the MF Books label, began publication in 2013 and has 22 volumes as of 2019. The first two seasons of the anime premiered in 2019 and 2022.
One Peace Books describes the plot of the light novel series as:
Naofumi Iwatani, an uncharismatic otaku who spends his days with games and manga, suddenly finds himself summoned to a parallel universe! He discovers he is one of four heroes armed with legendary weapons and tasked with saving the world from prophesied destruction. As the Shield Hero, the weakest of the heroes, all is not as it seems. Naofumi was soon alone, penniless and betrayed. With no one to rely on and nowhere to run, he was left with only his shield. Now, Naofumi must rise to become the legendary Shield Hero and save the world!
The third season of the anime is directed by Hitoshi Haga (Made in Abyss assistant director) instead Takao Abo of Part 1 or Masato Jinbou of Part 2. Other new additions include Franziska van Wulfen (Bocchi the Rock! Episode 8 animation co-director) and Sana Komatsu (The Rising of the Shield Hero animation co-director for Episodes 15, 20, and others), who is credited as the character designer for Masahiro Suwa of previous seasons.
Returning staff included Keigo Koyanagi as series composer and Kevin Penkin as a composer. Animation production company Kinema Citrus is sharing series composition and writing credits with Koyanagi. The company co-produced Part 2 DR MOVIE is no longer listed in the main animation production credits.
As for the cast, new additions include Ami Koshimizu as Nadia, Kouhei Amasaki as Fohl, Konomi Kohara as Atla and Maria Naganawa as S’yne.
The Rise of the Shield Hero was originally a web novel that debuted on Shousetsuka ni Narou in 2012. A manga adaptation of the light novel by A. Kyu began in 2014. This series has also inspired spin-offs, a stage play, video games, etc.
Source: @shieldheroanime
