As followers of the Pope die, so comes the question of whether or not one of the heroes may sacrifice themselves, Naofumi in particular, to save the rest?
| Network | |
| Crunchyroll | |
| Director(s) | Abo Takao |
| Writer(s) | Koyanagi Keigo |
| Air Date | 5/22/2019 |
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The Martyr System: Pope Balmus
In case you are wondering, yes, Pope Balmus is willing to let his followers die for this cause, and some do pass out.
Tapping Into The Darkness: Pope Balmus, Naofumi, Melty, Filo, Raphtalia
However, Naofumi is willing to do whatever it takes for while his Curse Shield is surprisingly holding up, shocking the other heroes who are beyond his level, it isn’t enough. So he digs back into the darkness, speaks to the dragon, and once more his anger against the others heroes is dredged up. But, like before, Raphtalia digs him out of his rut. Well, Raphtalia, Filo, and even Melty.
Blood Sacrifice: Naofumi, Queen Melromarc, Pope Balmus
Leading him to be able to harness the anger of the dragon and its power to present a new move known as “Blood Sacrifice.” An attack that, as the name hints to, uses up Naofumi’s blood in the attack and thanks to it, Pope Balmus has a violent death. I’m talking blood splatter and all.
Leaving Naofumi seemingly on the brink of death and Queen Melromarc, who assisted in delaying Pope Balmus’ attack, after the cardinal heroes decided to give him ample time to gather strength, vying to save him.
Question(s) Left Unanswered
- Why didn’t they try to leave the crater before the Cathedral dome was made?
Highlights
The Emotional Moment When Naofumi Was Reminded He Was Loved
Okay, let’s not pretend the show depicting Naofumi thinking everyone is against him isn’t getting old. They’ve done this at least 4 to 5 times at this point, and it pretty much covers the same events, with maybe one or two added. However, even with this being repeated, I must admit I still got teary-eyed when Raphtalia and the others joined in to refute Naofumi’s insecurities. Not as much as I have done previously, but the impact is still there.
On The Fence
What’s Next?
With how the show has dragged its feet lately, what should we expect next? The show was building to Naofumi and Queen Melromarc speaking, and with the pope gone that should allow for him to do a class upgrade. However, lest we forget, there remains the issue the Cardinal Heroes aren’t supposed to be exclusive to the kingdom of Melromarc and are supposed to protect the others as well. So do we have the time to see them travel, establish themselves in foreign cultures, and eventually have a rematch against Glass?
Not to forget, with the conspiracy Myne pushed being learned, there is undoing all the damage she did, and her dad supported. Never mind figuring out if there are any other potential insurrections pending thanks to the Three Heroes Church. All of which can’t really be addressed, properly, in five episodes.
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| Season/ Episode | Synopsis | Director, Writer, and Introduced Actors | Topics & Focused Characters | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Season 1, Episode 25 “The Rising of the Shield Hero” [Season Finale] | While The Rising of the Shield Hero technically comes to an end, it may actually be a new beginning. |
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| Season 1, Episode 24 “Guardians of Another World” | In its penultimate episode, L’Arc and Therese reveal their true selves and Glass makes a long-awaited appearance. |
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| Season 1, Episode 23 “Cal Mira Archipelago” | What begins as just a regular day of defeating monsters and the Cardinal Heroes bickering turns into a stark realization. |
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| Season 1, Episode 22 “Four Heroes Council” | Despite Naofumi’s name being cleared, there remains many issues keeping the Cardinal Heroes from being on the same page. |
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| Season 1, Episode 21 “Naofumi’s Triumphant Return” | In pursuit of making things right with Naofumi, Queen Mirellia Q. Melromarc seems willing to go to drastic means that even disturb Naofumi. |
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| Season 1, Episode 18 “A Conspiracy Linked” | The true mastermind behind Naofumi being harassed and treated like a social pariah reveals themselves to us. |
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| Season 1, Episode 19 “The Four Cardinal Heroes” | As Pope Balmus attempts to eviscerate the Cardinal Heroes, a few surprises appear and we’re clued in that Naofumi may get some reinforcements. |
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| Season 1, Episode 20 "Battle of Good and Evil" | As followers of the Pope die, so comes the question of whether or not one of the heroes may sacrifice themselves, Naofumi in particular, to save the rest? |
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| Season 1, Episode 15 “Raphtalia” | Raphtalia’s childhood up until when she was purchased by Naofumi is uncovered, and it is a tear-inducing tale. |
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| Season 1, Episode 16 “Filoial Queen” | Never mind the beasts from the last episode, all eyes are on the Filolial queen Fitoria. |
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| Season 1, Episode 17 “A Promise Made” | As Fitoria presents her ultimatum, the other heroes may have walked into a trap. |
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| Season 1, Episode 14 “Everlasting Memory” |  With being unable to cross into Siltvelt, the team encounters someone connected to Raphtalia’s past as someone’s slave. |
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| Season 1, Episode 13 “The Devil of the Shield” |  Are you tired of Myne? I’m tired of Myne, and luckily the heroes are reminded that she isn’t the benevolent person she pretends to be. |
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| Season 1, Episode 10 “In The Midst of Turmoil” | It seems Melty has a mission which could change Melromarc for better or worse. Also, Itsuki and Ren seem on the verge of fighting Naofumi. |
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| Season 1, Episode 11 “Catastrophe Returns” | While the 2nd wave has far more interesting battles than the first, it is the arrival of the character Glass that will be noteworthy. |
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| Season 1, Episode 12 “The Raven Invader” | While you may think the battle between the heroes and Glass would be the highlight of the episode, oh you got another thing coming! |
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| Season 1, Episode 9 “Melty” | Naofumi finds himself involved with a young girl named Melty, thanks to Filo, and he is under the impression she may bring nothing but trouble. |
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| Season 1, Episode 7 “The Savior of the Heavenly Fowl” | Raphtalia has it bad for Naofumi, as does Filo, and both are beginning to make plans on how to make him theirs. |
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| Season 1, Episode 8 “Curse Shield” | Remember that dragon Ren supposedly killed? Well, Naofumi and his girls end up having to face it because Ren didn’t finish the job. |
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| Season 1, Episode 6 “A New Comrade” | As Raphtalia gets jealous of Filo growing closer to Naofumi, we’re given an update on what the other heroes are doing. |
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| Season 1, Episode 5 “Filo” | We’re informally introduced to another kingdom this episode, alongside seeing that Myne and her father truly are trash. |
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| Season 1, Episode 4 “Lullaby at Dawn” | The Riding of the Shield Hero kicks things up a notch as Naofumi, once more, is coerced to play the villain thanks to Myne. |
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| Season 1, Episode 3 “Wave of Catastrophe” | Naofumi and Raphtalia experience their first demon wave, and Raphtalia begins to hear whispers of Naofumi’s past. |
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| Season 1, Episode 2 “The Slave Girl” | Naofumi gets his first follower and may begin to show the world the rumors about him are untrue. |
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The Rising of the Shield Hero lives up to what its trailer hyped and may provide oh so much more. |
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