When season 2 of The Rising of the Shield Hero was released we had our first impressions out as soon as episode 3 concluded and we had our grievances. While we enjoyed seeing the cast return—alongside some new faces—the early set-up worried us that it wouldn’t be as powerful as season 1. We weren’t alone as we read many comments from fellow fans of the series and saw they agreed but hoped the big light novel shock could save the second season. Well, folks, their wishes were heard as Shield Hero did get a lot better when the big change occurred, and here’s why!

Shield Hero season 2 started off pretty formulaic with Naofumi and his party once more dealing with a new threat aside from the “Waves” but where season 2 really shined was when the party was thrown into yet another world! Akin to isekai inception, The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 goes from Naofumi’s new world to another hero world with new threats, dangers, and adventures. This shift was what the series needed to have a stronger second season and while it didn’t completely rescue season 2 from some issues, it at least made it feel similar to season 1 in terms of drama and darker themes.

With Naofumi, Filo, Raphtalia, and Rishia being sent into the world of Vassal our heroes' party not only gets nerfed quickly—having their skills almost completely reset to level 1—but they are separated and forced to endure a strange world where their original power is all but lost. This leads to some eye-widening dark moments where Filo is captured and treated as a literal beast, Naofumi almost again succumbs to the Wrath Shield, and Raphtalia in her younger form is captured. Honestly, it might feel like a repeat of some themes in the first season but Shield Hero season 2 thrives when it creates this dark tension that has fans wondering how the team will endure these various problems!

Season 2 also added in some new characters that we liked even if a few—like the primary antagonist Kyo—weren’t fully fleshed out. Kizuna, the Hunt Hero, and Ost, the familiar of the Spirit Tortoise, were some of our favorite additions to season 2 as they brought a new type of vibe to the tale when they engaged with various characters throughout the season. Kyo was a great and evil villain but we do feel his reasons weren’t shown well and while they tried to compare his life to Naofumi—via a quick dual flashback of them both being in their respective original worlds—it didn’t make his evil actions pitiable or relatable. Kyo was just evil and that didn’t make for the best final boss the team could have gone up against.

From the get-go, season 2 felt almost too much like season 1 and while that isn’t a bad concept on paper, it doesn’t work when season 1 is nearly perfect and season 2 is okay at best. Shield Hero versus some baddie, Shield Hero saves his team and Shield Hero awakens a new power is how season 2 plays out and that doesn’t make for the best narrative. Do we feel this is a bad format? No, but when we can almost certainly guess how an entire 12-episode season will play out, that doesn’t make for gripping storytelling and makes the experience feel repetitive.

Crafting anime is no easy job. Writing a fiery review or talking about a series in-depth still takes less effort than making a single episode and it's why we have nothing but respect for anime studios. However, we need a season 3 of Shield Hero sooner rather than later. Long breaks between seasons never help a franchise—this is mirrored even in western TV shows—and hurts the feelings experienced in a previous season. The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 did a great job feeling like it didn’t take nearly three years for the new season to release but in our hearts, we wonder if that long break kept us a bit reserved in various feelings.