The Rise of the Shit Hero

The protagonist, Naofumi Iwatani (an otaku student), is summoned to a parallel world along with three others. There, he must become one of four "Cardinal Heroes" to save the world from a prophesied destruction—a destruction manifesting itself in regular catastrophic "waves." Upon being summoned, each hero receives a legendary weapon or artifact. Naofumi receives the Legendary Shield—a defensive piece of equipment that, by itself, has no offensive capabilities. Things go awry from the start: Naofumi lacks charisma and experience, so almost no one wants to join him as a partner. Eventually, the team is reduced to a single adventurer. But she soon betrays the hero, falsely accusing him of rape and robbing him. After this, Naofumi is shunned by everyone, from the king to the peasants. Overwhelmed by hatred and a thirst for revenge, he turns to a slave trader to survive and level up. The slave trader sells him the tanuki (raccoon girl) Raphtalia. Later, Naofumi purchases the egg of a Filolial, an intelligent bird. Raising it, he gains a faithful companion: Filo grows into the Filolial queen, gaining air magic and the ability to transform into a human, and eventually becomes the Hero of Claws. Together with Raphtalia and Filo, Naofumi strives not only for revenge but also to fulfill his mission—to protect civilians during the "waves." His methods (emphasizing defense over offense) damage his reputation among the nobility, but earn him the respect of the commoners.

Motoyasu Kitamura is the Spear Hero. He's the friendliest of the four, but also quite naive and trusting, especially when dealing with women. Initially, he believed Malty's false accusations and became hostile toward Naofumi. Later, after a series of events (including the "Cursed Series"), his personality changes significantly: he begins to idolize Naofumi and develops a special affection for Filo. But in our case, he remains just as devoted to Malty.

Ren Amaki is the Hero of the Sword. A quiet and taciturn youth. He is less prejudiced against Naofumi than the other heroes, as he tries to listen to reason. After the death of his comrades, he turned to banditry, but later, after enduring difficult trials (the curses of gluttony and greed), he realized his mistakes and returned to goodness.

Itsuki Kawasumi is the Luca Hero. A seventeen-year-old high school student, he's polite in conversation, but arrogant and only considers his own point of view. He has an unhealthy sense of justice, which sometimes leads him to act rashly. After being struck by the Curse of Pride, he lost his will and found himself under the tutelage of Rishia.

Malty—as Naofumi also calls her, "bitch." Malty is described as an attractive girl with medium-length red hair tied in a ponytail and emerald-green eyes. She is slightly shorter than Naofumi. Malty's personality is the opposite of what is expected of an heir to the throne. She is cruel, selfish, stupid, sadistic, and leads a promiscuous lifestyle. Malty skillfully manipulates people, especially men, gaining their trust, and then betraying them after getting what she wants or failing.

Filo is a girl born from an egg Naofumi purchased from the slave trader Verokas. Originally a normal Filolial, she was raised by the Hero and grew into a Filolial Queen—an intelligent, talking bird with the power of air magic. In her human form, she appears as a little girl with golden hair and two wings on her back. Can transform from human to animal at will. She later becomes the Talon Hero.

Raphtalia is Naofumi's first true companion. Initially acquired as a slave, she developed a strong bond with Naofumi, largely due to his kind treatment. She is a young girl with long, reddish-brown hair and large, reddish eyes. Being half-human, it has some animal-like attributes: round tanuki ears and a fluffy tail. After numerous adventures, Raphtalia became Naofumi's true blade, gaining the power to influence him, guiding him on the right path.