The Rising of the Shield Hero is a grim but exciting isekai anime series starring the unfortunate Shield Hero himself, Iwatani Naofumi. His adventure in the kingdom of Melromarc has been anything but easy, but his first true companion Raphtalia has had an even rougher time. Slavery and racism are all too real to her.
Raphtalia is a raccoon-like demi-human, and in the kingdom of Melromarc, demi-humans are second-class citizens at best and a source of slave labor at worst. When the kingdom's forces raided Raphtalia's hometown, her life was shattered, and if it weren't for Naofumi's positive influence, Raphtalia could have ended up like Fullmetal Alchemist's first major antagonist, Scar the Ishvalan monk.
How Raphtalia Narrowly Avoided Scar's Fate In Shield Hero
Raphtalia was captured and sold into slavery as a young girl, and she had a few abusive owners, including the cruel nobleman Rabier, until Naofumi purchased her in an early Shield Hero episode as an adventuring companion. Naofumi was a far better owner than Rabier or the others, and genuinely cared for her and rewarded Raphtalia for her efforts. Still, Raphtalia's brutal past haunted her, and she never forgot what the kingdom of Melromarc did to her and her people. Her parents, friends and neighbors were either butchered or sold into slavery, and partway through Shield Hero, Raphtalia met her ex-owner Rabier once again and engaged him in a sword duel -- although she couldn't bring herself to deal the killing blow.
Raphtalia rightly hated Rabier for what he had done, but after journeying with Naofumi, she wasn't in a position to become like Fullmetal Alchemist's Scar, who suffered a similar fate as Raphtalia's own. He likewise lost his people in the bloody Ishval Civil War, and he had nothing left but revenge against the Amestris military. Also like Raphtalia, he sought to destroy those who had made him suffer, but unlike Raphtalia, Scar didn't have someone like Naofumi to hold him back.
Acting alone, Scar perpetuated the cycle of violence and hatred in Amestris, killing every state alchemist he could find, whether or not they had taken part in the civil war. Scar's hatred kept deepening until he finally learned the truth of Father's plan and its role in the Ishval Civil War, which marked the beginning of Scar's redemption -- but not before he killed dozens of state alchemists and soaked his hands in blood. This is what Raphtalia might have become without Naofumi.
How War & Genocide May Shape Shield Hero's Plot In Season 2
What Raphtalia and Scar experienced were not personal or isolated incidents. In Shield Hero, the entire kingdom of Melromarc routinely treats demi-humans like this, and a previous Shield Hero had stood up for the demi-humans, which is why the current king and royal court hate the current Shield Hero Naofumi. At the same time, the Ishval Civil War was just one step in Father's plan to become a new god, meaning Raphalia and Scar are both part of something much larger than themselves. Their similar character arcs are based on the larger politics of their respective worlds, and this may make all the difference in Shield Hero Season 2, which is due to premiere in the Spring 2022 anime season.
Shield Hero's first season focused mostly on Naofumi's rise to power and the formation of his team, as well as the introduction of rival heroes such as Glass. At the end of Season 1, king Autoclay and his daughter Malty are both stripped of power, and that means the kingdom of Melromarc may change for the better, especially with Naofumi gaining recognition as a proper hero. This may bode well for the future of demi-humans everywhere, with the end of raids and slave capture operations in their lands, at the very least.
This may further soothe Raphtalia's anger and pain, and FMA provides a good reference for that. Scar, despite his many losses and anger, forgave the Amestrians for the war and resumed work as a peaceful monk among the few surviving Ishvalans. Scar learned that healing and hope are stronger than rage and violence, and Raphtalia learned the same lesson from Naofumi's influence.
Fortunately for Raphtalia, she learned that lesson before she went on a killing spree. She might not have ever recovered from going down such a dark path. Instead, she may watch happily as the kingdom pays reparations to the demi-humans, and Raphtalia may face future Waves with stronger spirits than ever. Season 2 is sure to depict the recovery of the demi-humans, and that should be an encouraging, even inspiring sight for Naofumi to witness.
