The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 3: Premiere episode at Anime Expo 2023 (plus worldwide tour)

Spoiler Alert: This article contains spoilers. Proceed with caution if you have not watched the show/movie.

Crunchyroll is preparing to launch the highly anticipated Season 3 of The Rising of the Shield Hero (Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari). Recently, the streaming platform unveiled the complete key visual and an exciting teaser trailer for the upcoming season. Fans can look forward to the series returning to Japanese TV and Crunchyroll this October. Additionally, Anime Expo 2023 will feature the premiere episode of The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 3, which is incredibly exciting news.

The production team of The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 3 TV anime has revealed their plans for a world premiere tour in five different countries: the United States, France, Germany, Canada, and Japan. The tour will kick off with the highly anticipated world premiere at Anime Expo in Los Angeles on July 3. Following that, the anime will be screened in Paris, France, and Austin, Texas in July. In August, the tour will make its way to Mannheim, Germany, and Toronto, Canada. Finally, in October, the tour will conclude in Tokyo, Japan.

The team behind The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 3 has revealed a captivating new key visual for the anime. The visual showcases all four cardinal heroes of Melromarc: Ren Amaki, also known as the "Sword Hero," Motoyasu Kitamura, the "Spear Hero," Itsuki Kawasumi, the "Bow Hero," and Naofumi Iwatani, the "Shield Hero" and the series' protagonist.

Accompanying the key visual is the powerful line, "Our regrets make us stronger." This statement holds potential significance for the upcoming storyline of the anime, as it can also be observed in the teaser video. Be sure to watch the latest preview below and continue reading for an overview of the plotline.

The Rising of the Shield Hero is a popular Japanese anime series based on light novels written by Aneko Yusagi and illustrated by Seira Minami. The story revolves around Naofumi Iwatani, an unimpressive otaku who is summoned to a parallel universe and chosen as one of the four cardinal heroes destined to save the world from its impending doom. However, things take a turn for the worse, leaving Naofumi with only his shield to rely on.

The second season of the series introduced The New World Arc, in which Naofumi and his companions venture into Kyo's world. The season concluded with the group finally reaching their destination, the location where the Spirit Tortoise met its demise, and paying homage to Ost. Before departing, Naofumi shares a meaningful moment with Ost, exchanging smiles.

It is speculated that The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 3 will adapt the Fallen Heroes arc from the light novel. This arc, the fourteenth in the Light Novel and the fifteenth in the Web Novel, explores the aftermath of the heroes' defeat at the hands of the Spirit Tortoise. Ren, Itsuki, and Motoyasu grapple with the responsibilities and burdens that come with being heroes. Season 3 will delve into their internal struggles as they navigate this newfound sense of duty.

Following Naofumi's victory over the Spirit Tortoise and the apprehension of Kyo, the mastermind behind its resurrection, he returns to Melromarc. As he prepares to face the next revived beast, the Phoenix, news reaches Naofumi that the other three cardinal heroes have gone missing. It appears that the trio made a grave mistake during the Spirit Tortoise incident.

Meanwhile, Naofumi's territory, Lurolona Village, faces a dire situation as the slaves within it begin to disappear. Determined to investigate, Naofumi decides to visit Zeltoble, the place where the slaves were originally sold. Alongside his companions Raphtalia and Filo, he becomes involved in an underground gambling arena, intending to use it as a means to rescue the missing heroes and slaves. These events set the stage for a series of new conflicts that will unfold in the upcoming season.

Hitoshi Haga, who worked as an animation director and director for several episodes in the first season, will be directing The Rising of the Shield Hero season 3. Keigo Koyanagi will continue to write and supervise the scripts, while Kevin Penkin will return to compose the music. Kinema Citrus remains the production studio for the anime. Musahiro Suwa, Franziska van Wulfen, and Sana Komatsu are the character designers, with Kōta Sera collaborating on the designs. The first two seasons of the series are currently available on Crunchyroll. The show follows Naofumi's journey to fight against the Calamity Waves and the unleashed Spirit Tortoise with the help of his companions Raphtalia and Filo.

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