The highly anticipated fourth season of “The Rising of the Shield Hero” has revealed its theme song artists and main staff in a newly released promotional video! Fans can rejoice as more details emerge for Naofumi’s next adventure, slated to premiere in July 2025.
Theme Song Artists Announced
Get ready to add some new tunes to your anime playlists! The opening theme song, titled “Resolution,” will be performed by the dance and vocal unit MADKID. This isn’t MADKID’s first rodeo with the series; they’ve performed opening themes for previous seasons, including “RISE,” “Faith,” and “SIN”. The ending theme song, “Eien ni Ikkai no” (One Time for Eternity), will be sung by Chiai Fujikawa, who also has a history with the anime, having performed previous ending themes like “Kimi no Namae,” “Yuzurenai,” and “Suki ni Natte wa Ikenai Riyū”. A portion of MADKID’s opening theme is previewed in the recently released promotional video.
Main Staff Details
The core team behind the anime’s production is largely returning from previous seasons, ensuring a consistent vision for the upcoming installment. Here’s a breakdown of the main staff:
- Director: Hitoshi Haga (returning from Season 3)
- Series Composition: Keigo Koyanagi (returning)
- Character Designers: Franziska van Wulfen, Sana Komatsu, and Masahiro Suwa (all returning from Season 3)
- Assistant Director: Takanori Yamamoto (previously an episode director)
- Music: Kevin Penkin (returning), with Alfredo Sirica and Natalie Jeffreys as sub-composers
Additional Staff
The announcement also included a list of other key staff members contributing to the production:
- Color Design: Azusa Sasaki
- Art Director: Junichi Higashi (new to the franchise)
- 3DCG Director: Yuushi Koshida (Studio Pomelo)
- Screen Design: Shinichirō Miyazaki
- 2D Artist: Hydekick
- Director of Photography: Miho Ikeda (previously assistant director of photography) (T2 Studio)
- Photography Supervisor: Tsunetaka Ema (previously director of photography for season 3) (T2 Studio)
- Editing: Hitomi Suudo, Honami Yamagishi (new to the franchise) (REAL-T)
- Sound Director: Fumiyuki Go
- Sound Effects: Shota Yaso
- Sound Production: Glovision
- Music Production: Nippon Columbia
First Promotional Video
A promotional video has been released, offering a first look at the upcoming season. The video introduces new characters Valnar and Jalaris, and also previews a portion of the opening theme song, “Resolution,” by MADKID.
New Cast Members
Alongside the returning cast, “The Rising of the Shield Hero” Season 4 introduces new faces to the ensemble. Takeo Ōtsuka voices Werner, a winged representative of the Shusaku race from Siltvelt, while Jirō Saitō takes on the role of Jaralis, a demi-human from Siltvelt’s lion race. These characters can be seen alongside Naofumi in the recently released key visual.
Returning Cast
While not explicitly stated in the recent announcements, several cast members are confirmed to appear at the “Shield Fes” event in Tokyo on June 15, suggesting their return for Season 4:
- Kaito Ishikawa as Naofumi Iwatani
- Asami Seto as Raphtalia
- Rina Hidaka as Filo
- Natsuko Hara as Rishia
- Yoshitsugu Matsuoka as Ren Amaki
- Makoto Takahashi as Motoyasu Kitamura
Story and What to Expect
“The Rising of the Shield Hero” follows the journey of Naofumi Iwatani, an ordinary otaku who is summoned to another world as the Shield Hero, one of the Four Cardinal Heroes. Initially excited by the prospect of adventure, Naofumi’s enthusiasm quickly turns to despair when he is betrayed, falsely accused, and left with nothing but his shield.
Season 4 is expected to pick up where the third season left off, with Naofumi and his companions preparing for a direct confrontation with Q’ten Lo, following the revelation of Raphtalia’s royal heritage. The tagline for the season is “Revered yet w(e)ary,” hinting at the growing burdens and challenges that Naofumi will face.
Premiere Date and Streaming Information
“The Rising of the Shield Hero” Season 4 is set to premiere in July 2025. Crunchyroll has confirmed that they will be streaming the new season.
About The Rising of the Shield Hero
“The Rising of the Shield Hero” began as a web novel series written by Aneko Yusagi on the user-generated novel site Shōsetsuka ni Narō in 2012. It was later published by Media Factory with an expanded storyline and illustrations by Seira Minami. The light novel series has inspired a manga adaptation, spin-offs, and the anime series.
The anime adaptation premiered in January 2019 with a two-hour special and ran for 25 episodes. Season 2 aired in April 2022, and Season 3 followed in October 2023.
A rocky road for the Shield Hero
The Rising of the Shield Hero has had an interesting run with its seasons so far. Season 1 was widely praised. However, Season 2 was met with disappointment, and Season 3, while better, didn’t quite reach the heights of the first season. This makes Season 4 a critical point for the series, as it needs to recapture the magic and excitement that initially drew fans in.
With the premiere just around the corner in July 2025, fans worldwide eagerly await the next chapter in Naofumi’s journey.
