The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 4 has been the centerpiece of fan discussions, especially after the symbolic ending of its season 3 episode 12, which was also the final episode of season 3. The Rising of the Shield Hero is based on the light novel of the same name. The light novel series currently has 22 volumes released.
Season 3 and the previous two seasons of this anime are currently available on Crunchyroll for streaming. Although the light novel has been serving as the source material for the anime, it is being adapted from the web novel of the same name.
Disclaimer: This article contains minor spoilers for The Rising of the Shield Hero series. Reader's discretion is advised.
The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 4 might not come to fruition
In The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 3, episode 12, the "3" in "Season 3" slowly disappeared. Fans of the series took this as a confirmation of Season 4, even though there haven't been any official announcements of The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 4. The Rising of the Shield Hero season 4 might take some time or get fully canceled, especially considering the waning popularity of The Rising of the Shield Hero series.
All seasons of The Rising of the Shield Hero are currently available for streaming on Crunchyroll. Season 3 followed Naofumi and his efforts to lift Itsuki, Ren, and Motoyasu out of their depression while invaders from other worlds tried to eliminate these four legendary heroes. Season 3 consisted of 12 episodes, and although the production quality of Season 3 was better than Season 2, it faced many pacing issues.
The anime rose to popularity in January 2019 with its initial season, which had 25 episodes. The studio swiftly announced Season 2 and Season 3 of The Rising of the Shield Hero following the newfound popularity of the anime and the isekai genre.
Although the announcements were met with a lot of hype, Season 2disappointedg fans to a large extent. This disappointment was soon followed by the release of Season 3, which also ended up being rather lackluster compared to Season 1.
At the end of Season 3 of Shield Hero anime, assassins from the country Q'ten Lo attacked Raphtalia, which made Naofumi contemplate starting a war against them.
Final Thoughts
The fate of The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 4 remains uncertain, despite fan speculation sparked by the symbolic disappearance of the "3" in Season 3. If Season 4 were to materialize, it would adapt volumes 13 and 14, centering on Naofumi's conflict with Q'ten Lo. However, as of now, no official confirmation exists, leaving the possibility of cancellation looming.