Summary
While Raphtalia’s world is the most prominent of the worlds portrayed in The Rising of the Shield Heroanime series, it is not the only one portrayed. Primarily, the worlds portrayed in the series can be categorized into worlds with status magic and worlds without.
Many times, cardinal heroes are summoned from worlds without status magic to worlds with status magic to protect them from waves. In The Rising of the Shield Hero,unlike worlds with status magic, people in worlds without status magic usually do not have abilities, and their worlds aresimply alternate universes. As various worlds get portrayed, even through the tragic memories of a character, they intrigue fans with their similarities and diversities.
8Glass' World
The Hunting Hero
Glass made her debut in episode 10 of the first season ofTheRising of the Shield Hero. However, at the climax of the series, Glass plays the role of the antagonist who wants to protect her world by destroying Raphtalia’s.
While Glass’ world is different from that of Raphtalia’s, the heroes summoned to the world follow the same system as that of Raphtalia’s world, as seen with Kizuna, the Hunting Hero, and the difference with which time passes. In that world, all three other cardinal heroes are dead, and the vassal heroes, alongside Kizuna, are the only ones who protect it.
7Naofumi’s World
The Shield Hero
As the protagonist ofTheRising of the Shield Hero,Naofumi Iwatani plays an important rolein the series, and his home world was one of the first to be depicted. The current Shield Hero, Naofumi, used to be an ordinary human in a world without status magic or monsters.
He comes from a world that is incredibly similar to the modern world. While it might be a bit behind in technological advancements in comparison to the worlds ofthe other cardinal heroes, Naofumi’s world has a rich history, which is seen in how he makes cultural references.
6Itsuki’s World
The Bow Hero
The cardinal heroes are typically summoned from worlds without status magic and, subsequently, without a power system. However, 25 years before Itsuki was summoned to become the Bow Hero, some of the people in his world developed special ESPer powers. While not magic, these abilities were supernatural powers and were ranked from F to S based on usefulness and sheer power.
Despite the presence of these supernatural abilities, Itsuki’s world still possessed things like comic books and video games that are present in Naofumi’s world. Itsuki’s world is basically modern Japan, with the presence of meta abilities in some individuals, similar to the worlddepicted inOne Punch Man.
5Ren’s World
The Sword Hero
Amaki Ren, the man summoned as the Sword Hero, has had a lot of ups and downs after his integration into Raphtalia’s world. Like Naofumi, Ren wasbetrayed by Malty Melromarc, lost his comrades and his equipment, and then fell victim to his curse of greed and gluttony.
While Ren’s world bears a few cultural references similar to Naofumi’s world, his former world is possibly the most advanced of all the cardinal heroes. In his world, VR technology is widespread and is actively used in watching movies or playing VRMMO games. Basically, VR has become a part of daily life and has been integrated in many ways.
4Motoyasu’s World
The Spear Hero
Of all the worlds without status magic portrayed inThe Rising of the Shield Heroseries so far, the worldthat the SpearHerois from is the most similar to Naofumi’s world. Motoyasu’s world is similar to Naofumi’s world in that it bears very similar cultural references and practices. Moreover, the level of technology portrayed in his world is very similar to that which is portrayed in Naofumi’s.
Motoyasu’s world does not have a power system or people with superhuman abilities like the ESPers from Itsuki’s world, nor does it have advanced technology like Ren’s world. Despite the similarities, as it is a different world, Motoyasu’s world has a unique history of its own and different politicians in power.
3Raphtalia’s World
Naofumi’s Right Hand
This world serves as the primary setting ofTheRising of the Shield Heroanime series. It is the world to which the four cardinal heroes, Motoyasu, Ren, Itsuki, and Naofumi, were summoned. As a world with a magic system, people in Raphtalia’s world can develop themselves with magic by advancing in levels.
Moreover, the use of magic is apparent in the day-to-day activities of the people.Raphtalia’s worldalso has magic beasts,demi-humans, humans, and other races. Potentially, because of the presence of magic, the technological advancements of this world are few, as most things can easily be done with magic.
2Kizuna’s World
Like Naofumi and the other cardinal heroes of Rapltalia’s world, Kizuna was summoned to Glass’ world as the Hunting Hero. Like the other heroes, Kizuna is from an alternate Japan that does not have status magic.
While her world is not as advanced as Ren’s world, with widespread VR devices and full-dive headsets, it still has VRMMO technology, which makes it more technologically advanced than Naofumi’s world. However, the VRMMO devices are not yet streamlined, and one must enter a fluid-filled pod to use them, showing that they are still in their early development phases. Kizuna’s world also appears to celebrate Christmas, as she named her Shikigami after it.
1S’yne’s World
The Sewing Hero
The waves of calamity are hideous attacks by monsters that appear and destroy a world. These waves are caused when different worlds impact each other and “bleed” into each other. While Naofumi and the other cardinal heroes of Raphtalia’s world fight against the waves to prevent their world from collapsing, S’yne, a vassal hero known as the Sewing Hero, is from a fallen world.
Her world fell to a wave due to interference from her sister and a dark organization that instigates waves. Little is known about this world. However, it was a world with status magic and possessedcelestial like demi-humans.
