The Rising of the Shield Hero (Seasons 1–5)

The Rising of the Shield Hero (盾の勇者の成り上がり, 2019) is a Japanese anime series by Kinema Citrus — watch online all episodes on iFILM. Naofumi Iwatani, an ordinary college student, finds a strange book in the library and is pulled into a parallel world. He is designated the Shield Hero, one of four Cardinal Heroes summoned to fight off waves of destruction. Within days, his party betrays him, strips him of everything, and leaves him with nothing but the shield he can't even use as a weapon.

So he rebuilds from the bottom. He recruits Raphtalia, a young demi-human slave voiced by Asami Seto, and together they grind through battles the other heroes won't touch. Kaito Ishikawa voices Naofumi with a controlled bitterness that fits a man who has been publicly humiliated and refuses to forgive easily. The series is based on the light novel by Aneko Yusagi, which began serialization in 2012.

What sets the show apart from the crowded isekai genre is that its protagonist starts from disgrace, not from power. The betrayal isn't backstory — it shapes every decision Naofumi makes across three seasons. Stream The Rising of the Shield Hero online on iFILM.