Late-Arrival Spoiler warning. This story assumes that the reader is familiar with the canonical plot from the light novel, manga, and anime, so spoilers for all of them will be unmarked.

A list of the different skills shown by the characters

open/close all folders

Main Characters

The Shield Hero's Party

In General

Adaptational Badass: The group officially has Eclair, Melty, Dou-Lon and Ost Horai as members.
Adaptational Wimp: Downplayed. The group won't have Rishia as a member, since she is still with Itsuki.
Family of Choice: Naofumi and Raphtalia, for all intents and purposes, become Filo's foster parents and are seen as an ideal couple by others.
Took a Level in Badass: They each have a slow start, but eventually become a Badass Crew.
Two Girls and a Guy: Naofumi's party was composed of himself, Raphtalia, and Filo until Eclair, Dou-Lon, and Melty came along (and still, the females outnumber the males in the same proportion before Ost joined).

Naofumi Iwatani

Level: 83 Raphtalia's World

Level: 74 Glass' World

The Shield Hero and the main protagonist. He has black hair and green eyes. Naofumi was an otaku summoned to Melromarc to become one of its heroes, but he soon found out that his first party member, Myne, intended to frame him for attempting to rape her. Immediately escaping from the inn he's staying at, Naofumi became a fugitive on the run. His story has evolved from there.

A God I Am Not: The Demi-humans worship Naofumi as their god, something he's really uncomfortable with. He does find good use of this though when he needs to convince Siltvelt's army to work with Melromarc in stopping the Third Wave.
- When the leaders of Siltvelt visit him after the battle with the Spirit Turtle, his status serves him to be able to deal with its leadership, but he balks at their proposal of building a temple dedicated to him.
Achievements in Ignorance:
- Played With. Like the other three heroes, Naofumi was an otaku who could not help but compare Melromarc and its magical and cosmological rules to that of a video game. However, unlike the other Heroes, he had no gaming knowledge of the world they were in. This, combined with being on the run from Bitch and the royal family, caused Naofumi to learn how to survive in this world slowly through trial and error.
- He unlocked his Raccoon (possibly Tanuki due to the Author recently learning the LN's mistranslated that shield's name) Shield after some of Raphtalia's hair fell on his shield and was absorbed into it while he was giving her a haircut.
Adaptational Angst Upgrade: Before being isekaied, Naofumi was interested in a girl, only to find out that she was already dating another guy and leading him on just to get presents from him. This sowed the seeds that flowered after he discovered Myne's treachery, and makes him dislike the Air Strike Shield in the beginning because its design resembles a locket he bought for that girl just before finding the truth.
Adaptational Badass: Thanks to Ren, he gains parts from the first Wave Boss and other monsters, allowing him to unlock shields his canon self didn't.
Adaptational Nice Guy: While Naofumi still becomes cynical and slow to trust as a result of discovering Myne's treachery, he is visibly less unscrupulous than his canon counterpart. When he buys Raphtalia as a slave, he actually treats her less harshly than in canon due to being genuinely sympathetic to her plight, whereas in the Light Novel he bought her so he could try to use her as an outlet for his anger towards Myne (which never ended up happening). He also acknowledges the love Raphtalia feels for him when she willingly stays by his side even after her slave crest is removed.
Adaptational Wimp: A downplayed example. Since Ren buried Gaelion and averted the Dracolich incident, he doesn't have Gaelion's crystal.
Amazon Chaser: He loves it when Raphtalia shows how badass she is.
The Antichrist: Also The Un-Favourite. Much like in Canon, The Church of the Three Heroes believes that the Sword Hero, Spear Hero, and Bow Hero are deities in human form, while the Shield Hero is a "Devil of the Shield" sent to deceive the people. Given Naofumi's track record, however, the opposite is the reality.
Anti-Hero: He became this because of his early treatment. While he's firmly an Unscrupulous Hero, he does play with all the heroic tropes imaginable, and a few villainous ones.
Arch-Enemy: He definitely perceived Malty as this since she was responsible for framing him of rape and having her kingdom turn on him.
Armor-Piercing Attack: Hope Asunder, Naofumi's first skill from the Shield of Hope, allows him to reduce the enemy's defense for every point of SP he uses. He can also choose to destroy an enemy's armor to damage them for an unspecified SP cost.
Barrier Warrior: As the Shield Hero, Naofumi naturally counts as one. He can also summon the Air Strike Shield for an additional Barrier.
Battle Couple: With Raphtalia. They can read each other's thoughts very well, and his near-perfect defense mixed with her powerful offense makes them a force to be reckoned with in battle. Not to mention, if one is injured or threatened, expect the other to go on the warpath. Naofumi doesn't want to view himself and Raphtalia as a romantic couple until after Chapter Thirty-Eight.
The Beastmaster: (see also Cherry Tapping, Combat Pragmatist): Him taming some Balloons to fight for him counts as a downplayed version of this. It's one of the few ways to do damage.
Berserk Button: Naofumi's is when someone is harming Raphtalia, Filo, or anyone else he cares about. When Malty threatens to murder the first two, he becomes so furious that he unlocks the first and second Shield of Rage and attempts to kill Malty, almost losing himself to the Cursed Series entirely.
Blessed with Suck:
- Played for Laughs with Naofumi's Chef's Shields as Naofumi considers them to be things that force him to act as a cook. Or as a butler. He is still unsure about that.
- An Omake introduces the Butler Shield, which dives so deep into this trope it crosses into Power Up Letdown. The Butler Shield gives Naofumi the amazing ability... to follow any order he's given by pretty much anyone. He immediately changes shields before Raphtalia can invoke Power Perversion Potential.
Boring, but Practical: His magical affinities are Healing and Support. Less impressive than offensive spells but extremely useful in helping both his party and others. Likewise, Naofumi learns several non-combat skills such as making medicine and magical trinkets which help support his party both directly and financially, a necessity since he was on the run.
Break the Cutie: He was such an idealistic young lad with a happy outlook on life who was all for going on epic quests in a fantasy world when he was first introduced. That changed really quickly after he figured out Malty's plans for him.
Broken Bird: Male example. The mistreatment he gets from the people of the other world, Malty's nasty betrayal, and being on the run changes the friendly and naive guy hopeful for an adventure into a brooding and cynical Anti-Hero who refuses to trust anyone but Raphtalia. He gradually recovers after he sees there are good and grateful people in the other world, and as he gains more party members.
Brooding Boy, Gentle Girl: The Brooding Boy to Raphtalia's Gentle Girl. When Naofumi is jaded, antisocial, and highly troubled, Raphtalia is normally there to offer her maximum support, love, and kindness to him.
Cassandra Truth: L'Arc thinks Naofumi's only using the Shield Hero's name as an alias. L'Arc even thinks that Naofumi's use of the shield is just him going in character.
Character Development: Thanks to Raphtalia and Filo, and later others, Naofumi slowly becomes nicer and more social towards other people.
Chekhov's Skill: Hope Asunder and Pandora's Box.
Counter-Attack: His Shield has several counterattack abilities depending on which one he equips. But the damage from them is so low that it'd still take several minutes of striking starting-level mobs if he wanted to kill by his own hand.
Crippling Overspecialization:
- The Shield Hero's skillset is entirely focused on defense (see Stone Wall), healing, and support abilities, making him the best Support Party Member there is (see also White Mage). Unfortunately, this also means he can't fight on his own like the other heroes and needs his party members to handle the offense. In addition, as he's a Hero, Naofumi cannot use any kind of weapon except his Shield (and only that Shield) because the Legendary/Vassal weapons keep their wielders from using other weapons in combat, even if it's the same kind of weapon as their legendary/vassal weapon.
- The Witch who runs the magic shop said that because of Naofumi's magical affinities - Healing and Support Magic - he cannot learn any elemental spells and can only learn Healing and Support spells. Effectively, he is unable to cast fire, water, or other kinds of elemental healing/support magic. Not that it matters, since as the Shield Hero, he is unable to cast offensive magic, to begin with. (The Shield's abysmal ATT stat also makes attempts at casting offensive magic useless, as Decay is part of the Healing branch of Magic, so he doesn't have to worry about it either way)
- This is one of his biggest recurring problems. Naofumi's shield gives him next to zero points in Attack (leading to him half-joking that his shield is a yandere that wants to make him a walking tank). This means he has virtually no way to conventionally harm enemies. Rendering him a Tank that's 'amazingly good' at absorbing blows and catching the enemy's attention, yet also requiring his party members/friends to do damage in his stead - this is the main reason he buys slaves in canon. Yet it's also the main reason he's able to help his fellow heroes go toe to toe with Glass and other foes. He can survive attacks that'd otherwise one-shot them.
Dangerous Forbidden Technique: The Cursed Series gives him a serious boost to his attacking ability, but at the cost of losing control over his rage and potentially doing a full Face–Heel Turn if he stays in it for too long as what happened to Ren.
- The Blessed Series shields do not seem to have any direct problems, as they run on Naofumi's positive feelings, but Fitoria points out that the latter is also their weakness: Naofumi falling to despair while using one of these shields could make him fall worse into the Cursed Series. And the longer he's in it, the greater the chance becomes.
Determinator: No matter how much he hates the world and suffers, Naofumi keeps pushing forward to become strong and protect the few people he cares about.
Didn't Think This Through: When he modifies the Cursed Seed to produce a reliable fruit plant that grows quickly, it does indeed produce a lot of fruit in the next few days - but they are soon left dying because the ground nutrients are quickly drained by them being planted so close together.
Easily Forgiven: It's zig-zagged between Naofumi's companions after he loses his temper and lashes out at them. Raphtalia, Dou-Lon, Ren, Itsuki, Filo, and Aultcray play this straight, either because of how close they are to Naofumi in the former five's case, or because they did something worse in the case of the latter. Mirelia, Fitoria, and Eclair on the other hand needed some convincing that Naofumi was genuinely sorry before they were willing to give him a chance. Melty outright averts this, being genuinely furious with Naofumi to the point of rejecting his apology. While her father's words manage to break through some of her barriers, it takes Eclair's words of encouragement for Melty to at least start taking steps to work alongside Naofumi again.
Empathic Weapon: Considering part of what makes the Legendary Weapons what they are is their ability to change and grow depending on the chosen Hero's thoughts and feelings, it's heavily implied that the Wrath Shield perfectly represents Naofumi's desire to inflict pain and suffering onto those who wronged him.
Enraged by Idiocy: Naofumi suffers this every time someone nearby does something absurdly stupid. Unfortunately, it is somewhat common. To the point where he says in Chapter Sixty: "I'm sick and tired of this &%$#."
An Entrepreneur Is You (also Self-Made Man): Since he's on the run with no official funding, Naofumi resorts to manufacturing medicines and peddling to get by.
Foil: He is a foil for the three other heroes in 3 categories
- The others are attackers, while he is the defender.
- The other three heroes were Unskilled, but Strong from relying solely on the raw power and flashy techniques of their Legendary Weapons, while the Weak, but Skilled Naofumi has to constantly make clever use of all the variations of the Legendary Shield as well as unrelated and external sources such as his allies to compensate for his low offensive power.
  - The Unskilled, but Strong trope is averted later on, as well as Naofumi's Weak, but Skilled trope.
- The others are loved by Melromarc and are optimistic of their own future, while he's hated by the public due to being accused by Malty/Myne/Bitch and running away.
Good Is Not Nice: Despite his ruthlessness and seemingly self-serving attitude, Naofumi was (at first) the only of the four summoned heroes who actually cared to do good and help people in trouble. He just doesn't like to show how benevolent he really is because he fears people might betray him as Malty did.
Good Is Not Soft: Though rough around the edges, Naofumi is still a good guy at the end of the day. It's just that after all the unjustified abuse and mistreatment heaped on him since night 2, he has no qualms about fighting dirty (against Motoyasu in a rigged duel) and outright threatening to kill his enemies.
Good Weapon, Evil Weapon: The Blessed Series versus the Cursed Series.
Had to Be Sharp: He can't fight on his own and needs someone to fight for him. He quickly learned leadership skills, situational awareness, and coordination with Raphtalia, Filo, and others to utilize his shield's abilities. The exceptional teamwork he builds with his party, as a result, allows them to grow into a powerful force.
Heroic BSoD: Naofumi breaks down in despair after the cursed flames of his Shield of Wrath nearly kill Raphtalia and he is unable to heal her since he does not have any light magic or holy water to counter the curse.
Heroic Wannabe: An inversion. Naofumi doesn't sell himself as a hero and, during his first few months of adventuring, actively fosters the reputation of a guy who'll only offer his services for the right price. However, anybody who has spent more than 10 minutes with Naofumi knows that he is, deep down, a genuinely heroic person.
Heal It With Fire: Unfortunately, Naofumi is forced to use this to patch up the wounds that Raphtalia received from her former obese noble owner Idol Rabier's whipping from before, as there wasn't any other proper medical treatment available at that time to heal the bleeding wounds that reopened after narrowly escaping the capital of Melromarc.
Healing Hands: He has an affinity for healing magic. He unlocks the Shield of Hope II, which grants him the Ray of Hope effect (allowing him to heal curses from people in exchange for a health and defense debuff) and Hope Springs Eternal (which increases the effectiveness of any healing spell or potion he uses on himself or his party).
Heart Is an Awesome Power: While his powers and magic aren't ideal for combat, they provide good defense and resistance or immunity to the point Ren wishes Naofumi was there to help against the plant monster Motoyasu unleashed. Then he unlocks the Shield of Hope and starts to get other skills that make him a great support fighter.
Henpecked Husband: At times, he is this to Raphtalia.
Hypocritical Humor: He tells Raphtalia he doesn't swear that much, only to immediately swear himself.
It Only Works Once: His plan to trap Malty in the Shield Prison failed as she remembered it from his duel with Motoyasu.
It's Personal: Naofumi had enough reasons to hate Idol Rabier, but when Raphtalia tells him that Rabier tortured her multiple times, he makes it clear that he will kill the SOB if he has the chance. He almost does.
- When it's clear what Balamus' fate turns out to be, Naofumi does not protest in the slightest.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold:
- Although he can be rude towards his allies, he's still a compassionate man beneath it all. The reason he acts like a jerk is because of what happened between him and Malty and he doesn't want himself or anyone else around him to get tricked, turned on, or taken advantage of.
- While he demands payment for his services, he'll take payment other than money (such as goods or information) and is willing to delay payment for those who can't currently pay, saying he'll take his pay the next time he visits.
Knows the Ropes: One of the very first shields he unlocked was the Rope Shield. It let him unlock Air Strike Shield.
Logical Weakness: Being the Shield Hero, Naofumi possesses high physical defense and magical resistance in exchange for abysmal attack power on both fronts. While this means he can take a LOT of punishment, this also means attacks that work off said defense will give him a bad time. Just ask Glass, L'Arc, and any trained practitioner of the Hengen Musou.
Love Epiphany: Slow, but Naofumi realizes that he is actually falling for Raphtalia after she reaffirms her Undying Loyalty to him. In Chapter 26, while he doesn't outright use the L-word and he doesn't fully understand his feelings, he all but tells Raphtalia he cannot live without her. It takes ten more chapters for him to actually say "I love you" to her.
- Non-romantic example in Chapter 26: after an encounter with several creatures using illusions to make people think their partners are attacking them, Naofumi tells Filo that, for all her faults, he would never exchange her for anything, because he considers her his daughter.
Luckily, My Shield Will Protect Me: He was summoned as the Shield Hero into a fantasy world. His status has both its pros and cons. (see Locked Out of the Loop)
Magikarp Power: Naofumi's method of getting stronger back before he learned the other Heroes Strengthening Methods was to simply stuff as much crap as he could find into his Shield in order to unlock new Shield forms and equip stats, and spend time with those Shields equipped in order to make those stats a permanent feature to the Shield even if the corresponding Shield isn't currently equipped to him. It's what allowed him to start beating a Level 66 Bitch while he was 24 levels lower than her through sheer attrition before having switched to either the Blessed and Cursed Series.
Ren: But... aren't those bonuses only one or two stat points?!
Naofumi: Well yeah, but for me, all those small boosts add up after a while. I have at least two-hundred different shields from absorbing Monster materials and other random objects. I'd say a quarter to a third of them give me defense boosts. Unlocking the rest has given me boosts to my speed, MP, SP, and stamina, along with passive resistances to poison, paralysis, elemental attacks, slash attacks, and other types of attacks. some even improve my compounding, cooking, crafting, and other skills. If it was only a couple dozen, it wouldn't amount to much. But I found unlocking every shield I came across was better than relying on a few.
Malicious Misnaming (Also Not So Above It All): Naofumi keeps calling Melty "Second Princess" to needle her over her naivete. And eventually, because he's too stubborn to call her by her real name. This later bites him in the butt, however, and has led to him growing out of calling her by that title anymore. Of course, then there's the part when he reaps delicious karma and gets to legally rename Malty as Bitch.
Mundane Utility:
- Naofumi uses his shield's absorption ability to clean up after giving Raphtalia a haircut, so he basically treats it as an infinite trash can.
- His shields have various forms that can be used in such a way, like mining or storing money.
My God, What Have I Done?: Naofumi's reaction to the destruction he caused while under the influence of the Cursed Shield, and more so when he realizes he harmed Raphtalia in his rampage.
Never Gets Drunk: And never gets seasick or motion sick either. It's been a part of him his whole life. Itsuki ponders if it is a power of Naofumi's like what he has.
No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: After defeating Malty and reducing her defense to zero, he repeatedly punches her in the face.
No-Sell: Naofumi's Defensive stats are so high that he can shrug off or flat out ignore most attacks. Typically signaled by a loud "CLANG" in the text. He also has an unusually high tolerance to alcohol, if not outright immunity to intoxication.
Not So Above It All:
- He admits that had he known about Ren's and Itsuki's strengthening methods, he wouldn't have stopped thinking of the world as a game as quickly as he did.
- He attempted to take advantage of the Bio-Seed to produce monsters to help him level up in an omake. It failed. Epically.
Oblivious to Love: It takes him a while to notice both Raphtalia's feelings for him and his for her.
Pet the Dog: Naofumi stopped calling Aultcray Trash before the start of the Otherworld Arc. It's soon after arriving in Kizuna's world that he decides to tell Mirellia to restore Aultcray's original name.
Playing with Fire: Fittingly, the first counterattack granted by the Wrath Shield is basically a souped-up version of Hellish Rebuke from D&D. If enemies attack him, they're hit with an explosion of cursed flames.
Power of Love: Naofumi's love for Raphtalia and the hope she inspires in him are what allow him to unlock Shield of Hope II, giving him the power to heal people from curses.
Power Perversion Potential: His low Attack power translates to other activities - including sex.
Scratch Damage: Naofumi can only do 1 point of damage when attacking, which means even a weak balloon monster takes minutes to kill.
Screw This, I'm Outta Here: After the encounter with the Siltvelt agents, Naofumi decides the group has to leave town fast before the Church agents that had gone after the Siltvelt spies realize they (Naofumi, Raphtalia, and Filo) are in town as well.
Sense Loss Sadness: He's frustrated when he realizes that he hasn't been able to taste anything since he arrived in Melromarc. After Raphtalia manages to help him work through some of his anger and regain his grip on reality, he regains his sense of taste and starts eating with gusto.
Sex God: When he and Raphtalia finally resolve their Unresolved Sexual Tension, it's implied that he's this thanks to the Shield - since he has a low Attack, he causes no pain and all the pleasure.
Shooting Superman: Not shooting, per se, but after learning new methods to enhance his shields from Ren and Itsuki, Naofumi and the others are raiding Idol Rabier's estate when Naofumi is caught by a single knight. The knight breaks his halberd on Naofumi's shield, and shatters his sword on Naofumi's neck. Having failed to give Naofumi so much as a scratch, the knight passes out from terror. An omake has Naofumi being unfazed by being hit with catapulted rocks, which makes sense when, considering canon, he takes no damage from a monster the size of a mountain range because of how high his defense is with the Shield of Wrath equipped.
Small Steps Hero: Also Smug Super. Naofumi is one of four heroes summoned to a fantasy world to fight against a Regularly Scheduled Evil known as the Waves of Catastrophe. However, the weapon he receives, the Shield, is considered the most useless of the four, and Naofumi himself is not only disrespected but also accused of things he didn't do. Despite this, during the first Wave of Catastrophe, rather than meeting up with the rest of the Heroes to fight the source of the Wave, he instead chooses to defend a small village from the hordes brought forth by it.
Stern Teacher: He has to put Raphtalia through a very rough start in order to get her to the point where she is useful in battle.
Super-Empowering: He has certain shields, like his Slave User Series and Beast Tamer Series of Shields, that makes Raphtalia and Filo stronger, just like the other Heroes. After sharing this method with Ren and Itsuki; they request locks of hair from their own Party Members in order to do the same.
Support Party Member: He's forced into this role because the Shield Hero only possesses skills that usually act as support such as defense and healing. He needs his party members to fight for him instead.
Supreme Chef: Like canon, he has shields that increase his cooking ability and the other heroes even admit they love his cooking. Naofumi however, is frustrated by this since everyone loves it "a little too much". It is then later shown that those shields amount to "throwing sand on a mountain" as Naofumi was always a good chef without them.
Sympathetic Slave Owner: He is technically Raphtalia's owner, but aside from a few times when he was helping her learn how to fight, he never uses his power over her - the only use he makes of it is to empower her through his Slave User Series shields. This causes trouble when Melty and the Heroes discuss the laws for their territory, as they all agree that they want to forbid slavery but this would force Naofumi to lose one of his best force multipliers - and many of the townspeople request getting a seal as well when Naofumi explains Raphtalia's seal. In the end, slavery as a whole is outlawed but seals like Raphtalia's are allowed only for people empowerment.
Taking the Bullet: The primary method he uses to protect people is standing in front of them and raising his shield. He is the Shield Hero, after all.
Taught by Experience: Most, if not all, of Naofumi's skills as the Shield Hero were learned either through experimentation, practice, or self-education (and in the case of the Cursed and Blessed Series, entirely by accident). In addition, all his non-combat skills like potion-making, trading skills, and item crafting were learned through similar means.
Teleporter's Visualization Clause: The Portal Shield allows him to teleport to places he has saved before.
Unwanted False Faith: The regular people call him "The Nocturnal Doctor", and the Demi-humans revere him. His new cynical outlook on life makes the latter a situation he'd rather not deal with.
Utility Party Member: Naofumi has shades of this. Although he is quite a powerful tank, his Holy Weapon has no attack options. It does however have several Mundane Utility functions (such as the Rope Shield that helps in traversal) and allows Naofumi to craft potions, equipment and alchemical compounds. It also gives stat boosts to the Shield Hero's pets and slaves.
When All You Have Is a Hammer…: Due to the Crippling Overspecialization forced upon him by the nature of his shield, Naofumi has had to rely on his party to attack for him. When forced into a situation when he has to face a threat head-on himself, he has proven to be resourceful and creative enough with what little he has to survive the encounter. This is most illustrated in his duel with Motoyasu, nearly winning through the creative use of his various Hero Skills (his two-headed dog shield being his only counter attack shield he had at the time) and balloon monsters that he kept on him.
Worf Had the Flu: Part of the reason he struggled against Malty is that he spent a lot of SP beforehand and forgot to replenish it before the fight.
You Have GOT to Be Kidding Me!: When Naofumi gets rid of some leftovers by absorbing them into his Legendary Shield, he unlocks the Chef's Shields. His response is pretty much this.
You Remind Me of X: Fitoria is reminded of the Cardinal Hero that raised her when she meets him.

Raphtalia

Level: 80's

A half-Raccoon, half-Tanuki slave girl with deep tea-red eyes whom Naofumi bought to serve as his first party member. While afraid of him at first, Raphtalia quickly sees Naofumi's good side and, due to her Rapid Aging, quickly falls in love with him after she's an adult. She swears to stand by Naofumi's side no matter what as his sword. When first introduced, she's a 10-year-old, broken by the destruction of her village, the death of her parents, and her forced slavery. Now, she has matured into the body, mind, and emotions of a nineteen-year-old. Doing her best to overcome her past and to serve at Naofumi's side.

Afraid of Blood: She was initially terrified to kill monsters that would bleed. She soon overcomes it thanks to Naofumi and has since become indifferent to it. To the point that she no longer recognizes when her clothes are stained with it after a fierce battle.
Battle Couple: With Naofumi. They can interpret and predict each other's movements, and Raphtalia often knows what Naofumi is thinking by looking at his face.
Beauty Equals Goodness: Following her Rapid Aging, Raphtalia grows up into quite the looker. And unlike Malty, she is an absolute sweetheart.
Beautiful Slave Girl: After leveling up, Raphtalia grows into an attractive young woman. The slave trader tells Naofumi a slave girl this pretty would be worth a fortune.
Because You Were Nice to Me: She's happy to be Naofumi's slave for many reasons. Not abusing her, giving her medicine, treating her like a person, loving her, amongst several other things.
Berserk Button:
- Raphtalia is actually pretty good with money. And works hard to help Naofumi not waste it. When Naofumi's shield accidentally eats a bag with 500 silver inside when he's joking with her, he notes that he's pretty sure the Slave Mark was the only thing preventing her from literally murdering him. Had he been unable to find a way to take said silver out of his shield, Raphtalia probably would have found a way around the Slave Mark to kill him.
- Raphtalia's other one is her friend Rifana, whose death mere minutes before she could be saved drives her into a berserker fury against Idol Rabier.
Big Eater: She is noted by Naofumi to be very gluttonous as she leveled up and aged.
Break the Cutie: As her belated Backstory reveals, Raphtalia was once an incredibly strong-willed girl. After her village was wiped out in the first Wave, including her own parents, Raphtalia encouraged the survivors to rebuild with a Rousing Speech. When sold into slavery, she would grit her teeth and refuse to cry out when her master tortured her, and put up a strong front for her friends, promising them they would come back home someday. Unfortunately, her master's cruelty combined with helplessly watching her friends suffer gradually wore down her spirit until she was the cringing, broken, sickly girl Naofumi first met.
- Her support and encouragement of the Shield Hero can be see as Raphtalia coming back to her old self.
Break Them by Talking (see also Unwanted Rescue): She demolishes Motoyasu's flimsy excuses for forcibly freeing her from Naofumi. She also punches him in the face.
Brooding Boy, Gentle Girl (see also Rude Hero, Nice Sidekick): The Gentle Girl to Naofumi's Brooding Boy. In a world where almost everyone treated him like a despicable criminal, Raphtalia is the one person who is always there for Naofumi to comfort him with kind words.
Does This Make Me Look Fat?: Raphtalia asks this of Naofumi with a new set of armor. Naofumi is immediately set off by this, trying to fish for the right words to say to her, only for Raphtalia to admit she was just messing with him.
Fan of Underdog: Even before she met Naofumi, Raphtalia looked up to the Shield Hero because her parents told her he was kind to demi-humans. Naofumi treating her nicely despite being his slave cemented her love and admiration for him.
Florence Nightingale Effect: Part of the reason why she falls in love with Naofumi is because of his taking care of her. The other part is because, despite everything he went through, she could still tell that he had a kind heart.
Fragile Speedster: To compliment Naofumi's Stone Wall abilities, she's very fast and focuses on being purely offensive. On the flip side, she has very little defensive abilities, and so tends to focus on overpowering her foe as quickly as possible.
Glass Cannon: She has potent attack power, but doesn't handle defense much because she leaves that to Naofumi.
Happiness in Slavery: She wants to be Naofumi's slave, even when offered the chance to be freed. There are a number of reasons why being a slave ultimately benefits her more than one might think:
- Raphtalia receives stat bonuses as she levels up since Naofumi's status as a Legendary Hero means that any slave under his command grows more quickly and more powerful compared to a normal person. This bonus gets applied to others for the same reason.
- At a time when Naofumi couldn't trust many people, she wanted to be sure that Naofumi would always be able to trust her.
- She views it as a symbol of her loyalty to Naofumi. Much like how tribesmen would wear facepaint to represent loyalty to their tribe.
Hidden Buxom: Naofumi is completely caught off guard when he sees how well-endowed Raphtalia is in the hot springs. While part of it is because of the armor and clothing, it's also a sign that he is starting to see her as a woman instead of the young girl he bought.
Invisibility: Can cast "Hide Mirage" on herself to become invisible, making it easier to fight enemies.
- Can also cast it on others during battle.
It Only Works Once: During her duel with Eclair, she manages to land a hit thanks to her illusion powers. Every other time she tried it, Eclair saw it coming.
Little Bit Beastly: All demi-humans exhibit the physical traits of some kind of animal. In Raphtalia's case, she has a tanuki's ears and tail.
Living Emotional Crutch: She is Naofumi's emotional support and most trusted companion, to the point that Raphtalia seemingly abandoning him causes him to unlock his Cursed Series. When he later pushes her away in a fit of anger and comes back to himself, he realizes more fully just how much of his world Raphtalia has come to represent, and that he, in fact, can't picture any world without her.
- This is brought up again and again as time goes on.
Made a Slave: She was sold into slavery after her hometown was destroyed and her parents were killed by a Three-Headed Dog. Lucky for her that Naofumi was the one who eventually bought her, because he treats her better than anyone else in the world.
Magic Knight: Is capable of fighting with a sword and magic. Her attacks have recently seen power-ups as she's managing to pull off magic sword techniques she learned from training with Eclair alongside drifa-tier illusion magic.
Mana Drain: The Vassal Katana skill Powder Snow lets her cut out a target's magical energy in form of snow. Extremely effective on enemies that primarily rely on magic to fight.
Miss Conception: Raphtalia "used" to believe that kissing is all it would take to make her pregnant. This was because her parents told her this as a way to get her to not chase boys, but didn't live long enough to give her the proper facts on how pregnancy works. Thanks to Therese, she now knows how the process works. (In the LN's, she's very much informed as to how making a baby actually works from the start as her parents had made sure she was properly educated on the matter before they died)
Morality Pet: She's the main reason Naofumi is not an absolute bitter/unempathetic man after being betrayed. She can also be considered one to Itsuki, as she inspired him to liberate slaves in the first place.
Ms. Fanservice: Following her Rapid Maturity from leveling up, she develops a very beautiful and overall attractive body befitting of a young woman, with scenarios like wearing a swimsuit at the beach or wandering naked in a hot spring showing that her figure has improved quite nicely compared to her original body as a malnourished child. It's to the point that plenty of men in-story find her to be one heck of a woman lookswise.
One-Hit Kill: Instant Blade: Mist, which will vivisect a target unless they remain still and get medical treatment. Raphtalia used this skill to give Trash the death he so deserved.
Property of Love: She considers her slave mark the proof of how much she trusts and loves Naofumi. It helps that Naofumi never forces Raphtalia to do anything against her will with it either. Later in the story to reflect that, they refer to calling any slave crests used by the Heroes "Hero Service Seals" as a demonstration of that fact.
Rapid Aging: Since Demi-human children and teens mature as they level up, she becomes a grown-up over the course of several weeks thanks to spending that time level-grinding with Naofumi to prepare for the Waves of Destruction.
She Is All Grown Up: Demi-humans mature as they level up. Due to all the levels she gained fighting, she quickly matured. Naofumi played this trope especially straight at the end of chapter eleven as, after being mostly oblivious to her aging, he abruptly realizes that she has been an adult for quite some time now.
Sickly Child Grew Up Strong (See also Delicate and Sickly and Took a Level in Badass): When Naofumi first bought her, Raphtalia was a fragile and sickly little girl. Thanks to Naofumi training her and treating her illness, Raphtalia levels up quickly, her body undergoes Rapid Aging into a young adult and she's now an accomplished swordswoman who can fight to protect Naofumi and everyone else she has come to care about.
Single Woman Seeks Good Man: Raphtalia falls in love with Naofumi for treating her like a person. She even goes out of her way to list all of his good points when he's first suffering from his Cursed Series. Because of her care, she saves him time and time again.
Stealth Expert: Thanks to Hide Mirage and several other illusion spells she's come up with, she can go undetected quite easily, even fighting enemies before they realize she's there or sneaking up on large groups of enemies to scout them out.
Subordinate Excuse: Raphtalia is happy to be Naofumi's sword because she loves him and sees it as her purpose in life. She wants to do whatever she can for him.
Unskilled, but Strong: She is very physically strong, but is entirely self-trained and has limited experience fighting fellow warriors, usually fighting monsters instead.
- Averted somewhat thanks to training with Eclair.
Undying Loyalty: To Naofumi. She devotes herself to being his second-in-command as well as his sword, and is willing to lay down her life for his sake.
- Naofumi also points this out as being one of her few flaws. With the level of threats they face growing stronger and stronger, it would be suicide for her to lay down her life for his around the Spirit Tortoise arc forward. She has since been holding herself back from protecting him from attacks.
Worth It: In a dramatic version, Raphtalia tells Naofumi she considers her kissing him to get him out of his Shield of Rage state was worth it, even if it ended with her almost dying because she knew she was saving him.
Yin-Yang Bomb: Wields both light and dark affinity magic. Later learns how to do light and dark magic sword techniques from Eclair with the name Yin-Yang in the title.

Filo

Level: 70 (As of chapter 32 of Diligence)

A Filolial Queen that Naofumi bought from the Slave Trader. She quickly comes to see Naofumi and Raphtalia as her parents once she hatches thanks to Raphtalia establishing the family structure early on in her growth. The Author threw the rules away to bring her into the story, as Reprise shows how hard it actually is to bring Filo into an Alternate timeline.

Adaptational Jerkass: This Filo is way more unruly and behaves more like a spoiled child than in canon. Justified since Naofumi never had the chance to have her branded with a Monster Mark to tame her. However, fortunately for Naofumi's sanity, she becomes better over time.
Adaptation Relationship Overhaul: In the anime (treated differently in the LN's and Manga), Filo is attracted to Naofumi and sees Raphtalia as a big sister figure and rival for his affections. Here, she comes to see Naofumi and Raphtalia as her parents.
Ambiguous Innocence: While she looks and acts like a young child, Filo is still a predatory bird with a limited understanding of human morals. As such there are times when she'll say something that seems completely shocking given her innocence, such as wanting to eat other Filolials. Or knowing how sex works. Etc.
Angelic Beauty: Her human form is that of a little blonde girl with feathered white wings on her back. Others think she looks like a gorgeous angel.
- Motoyasu adores her for this. Much to her ire.
The Baby of the Bunch: She was born very recently even though she looks like a little girl, making her the youngest member of Naofumi's party.
Badass Adorable: Adorable? Check. A charged-up kick stronger than the Hero of the Sword's swing? Check. Twenty levels lower than someone but still the stronger of the two? Check. Thank you Fitoria for strengthening her for Naofumi.
The Big Girl: She's easily the strongest out of the Shield Hero's party, being able to send Motoyasu and most other guys flying away with a kick to the balls.
Blow You Away: Uses Wind-affinity magic.
Extreme Omnivore: The things that she won't eat can be counted on one hand.
Glass Cannon: Of Naofumi's core group, Filo is extremely fast and can hit, making her the strongest fighter the group has in raw power. However, as Fitoria shows and exploits, she can easily be blocked by a reasonably intelligent fighter, and takes lots of damage from counter-attacks.
- After her first battle with Fitoria, she has since trained to become a better fighter in both her Filolial Queen form and her human form. Making her much less of a glass cannon compared to before.
Godiva Hair: Her Naked on Arrival scene has her hair covering up her undeveloped breasts.
Good Wings, Evil Wings: Has one of the angel variations in her human form.
Groin Attack: Is fond of pulling these in giant bird mode against Motoyasu, usually after he says or does something jerkassed.
Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: Her human form has blonde hair, fitting her cheerful and childlike nature and angelic appearance
Head Pet: As a hatchling, she rode on Naofumi's fuzzy black crown until she got too big.
Idiot Hair: She gets her ahoge on schedule after fighting Fitoria and proving she is capable of becoming the next Filolial Queen. Her ahoge also messed in her class-up, keeping her from being able to spit poison (much to Naofumi's relief), whilst also doubling her stats.
- Naofumi further takes advantage of her ahoge for when others need a class-up. Again, to her ire.
Innocent Blue Eyes: Blue eyes for a newborn Filolial with the innocence of a little child.
Innocent Fanservice Girl: Since she's actually a bird, Filo is naked in her human form until she gets some special clothes for her transformations, and is totally and completely unaware of why humans wear clothes in the first place.
Kick Chick: Due to her strong legs in bird form, she tends to utilize a lot of dropkicks and crotch-crushing punts on her enemies.
A Lizard Named "Liz": Naofumi names her Filo for being a Filolial. Raphtalia quickly lampshades how uncreative it is.
Lust Object: Motoyasu begins lusting after her "angel" form the moment he lays his eyes on it.
Magical Accessory: Naofumi gives her a hairpin which is actually an item that increases her agility.
Really Was Born Yesterday: Thanks to Naofumi leveling her up quickly, Filo is already a fully-grown Filolial Queen. She also can take the form of a winged child. The truth is she hatched from her egg very recently, making her practically a toddler.
Something Only They Would Say: Naofumi and Raphtalia start freaking out over finding a naked blonde girl in the stable stall where they left Filo. They freak out more when said girl claims to be Filo. They accept the claim instantly when she asks if she can have something to eat.
Spoiled Brat: Unfortunately for Naofumi's nerves, Filo is quite demanding due to her lack of knowledge of social mores. Fortunately, Raphtalia is capable (most of the time) of getting her to listen to her. This is at least somewhat justified by her being less than three months old and the lack of the Monster Seal, and she does grow up with time thanks to Melty.
Token Mini-Moe: Filo in humanoid form is the little girl in Naofumi's party since by the time she joins Raphtalia already grew into a older teen/young adult.
Winged Humanoid: Her humanoid form is that of a young girl with wings on her back.
Wings Do Nothing: The wings on her back are just for show because Filolials are flightless birds.

Eclair

Level: 80's

A young female noble knight from Seaetto, she volunteered to join the Shield Hero's party when the decision to summon him was made. Instead, she was framed for the murder of the others who would have helped the Shield Hero and imprisoned in the castle's dungeon. Naofumi meets her when he is imprisoned there as well. After escaping, she has been a member of the Shield Hero's party ever since and is often found training the Heroes' party members.

Adaptational Backstory Change: In canon, Eclair was imprisoned for her opposition to demi-human slavery, due to Seaetto being a refuge for them. Here, she is imprisoned because she wanted to join the Shield Hero and was framed for the murder of the other people that intended to do the same.
Adaptational Badass: Thanks to reappearing earlier and coming along to Cal Mira, her level is in the low 80's.
Adaptational Early Appearance: Naofumi meets her much earlier than in the canon story.
Big "NO!": Her second response to Raphtalia asking her about love.
Broken Pedestal: She becomes unsettled when she meets Naofumi, who is quite different from what she had imagined. This is only made worse when Naofumi breaks from pressure and burns bridges with her and everyone else he cares about.
Flat "What": Her first response to Raphtalia asking her for advice on love.
Healing Hands: Her Light magic can be used for a variety of things, including to help heal Curses, which becomes critical when Raphtalia gets badly injured by Naofumi's cursed flames.
Heroes Prefer Swords: She's a swordswoman and fights with a rapier.
Lady of War: She is a skilled swordswoman and fights with a certain amount of grace.
Love Hurts: Downplayed. She has a crush (sight-unseen) on the Shield Hero, but when she meets him she realizes he is in love with someone else and that he isn't the person she imagined him to be. This leads her to the mindset of her sword being the only thing for her.
- Though perhaps there is someone else out there...
Magic Knight: Is capable of fighting with sword and magic and she's a gifted knight.
Master Swordsman: She is an excellent sword fighter, capable of holding off several knights at the same time and defeating the Sword Hero again and again in practice duels. Many of the Hero's party members have decided to learn from her due to her skill. Ren himself is being trained by her as well.
Mentor Archetype: She is this to Welt and Raphtalia. She later becomes this to the Sword and Bow parties, as well as the hero's village as a whole.
Rose-Haired Sweetie: She's a kindhearted and noble knight girl with rose-colored hair. Though she loves training with her sword way too much. It may pose a problem down the road in other aspects of her growth.
- This proved to be true, as she sustained some of the heaviest injuries in the fight against Glass.
Team Member in the Adaptation: While an ally in canon, she never officially joined Naofumi's party in canon. Here, she does.
Weak, but Skilled:
- Just like in canon, she's initially very under leveled compared to the heroes and their parties, but her skill with a sword is more than enough to make up the difference. She begins training others in basic swordsmanship after being rescued.
- The weak part is averted by the time of the Cal Mira Arc, when her level enters the eighties.
Worthy Opponent: She views Raphtalia as this after learning of her insane strength from sparring with her.

Dou-Lon

Level: Possibly late 60's

A Hakuko agent of Siltvelt sent to infiltrate Melromarc to find the Shield Hero and bring him across the border, he ends up getting in a mess when his party crosses paths with a Church group that attacks him and his partners. Upon waking up thanks to the help of a local human, and realizing the error of his ways, he resolves to find the Shield Hero and help him. He does so, joining his party.

Ascended Fanboy: Like most of his race, he worships the Shield Hero and was ecstatic to join his party.
The Atoner: Wishes to atone for his actions leading the Church of the Three Heroes to the Shield Hero.
Bare-Fisted Monk: He can fight both with his fists and with a lance.
Big Damn Heroes: Appears in Melromarc's Royal Palace just in time to help Raphtalia in her fight against Altara.
Butt-Monkey: Constantly spars with, and is soundly defeated by his royal knight rival Eclair. She has also taken to calling him Bakako, having learned the word from the Heroes and combining it with Dou-Lon's hakuko heritage. While he might not understand the hidden meaning behind it right now, it riles him up and makes him determined to defeat Eclair one day.
Childhood Friend: This with his fellow Royal Knight Chen.
Everyone Has Standards: He disliked his fellows' plan to kill Raphtalia just because she was a Tanuki serving Naofumi.
Heel–Face Turn: Initially planned to get Naofumi into Siltvelt at any cost, and then the debacle of his party's encounter with the Church of the Three Heroes, as well as receiving help from a local elder woman in being brought back to fighting shape after nearly dying causes him to reevaluate his life and decide to join Naofumi instead.
My Species Doth Protest Too Much: After his Heel–Face Turn, he supports Naofumi's efforts to stop Siltvelt's invasion of Melromarc.
Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Had he stayed silent after seeing Naofumi and Raphtalia, he would have prevented the death of his two partners and also kept the Church from finding Naofumi.
Original Character: He is the only member of the party to be original to the fic.

Melty Melromarc

Level: 77

The second princess of the Melromarc Kingdom. She was raised separately by her mother Mirelia, away from the influence of Aultcray and her sister Malty. As such, she's much kinder and more fit to rule, if a bit naïve.

Adaptational Badass: Thanks to staying with Naofumi longer, this version has more battle experience than her early canon self. Her level enters the seventies by Cal Mira, whereas her canon-self wouldn't even reach level 40 till the Siltvelt Succession Arc.
Adaptation Expansion: She is allowed to stay a part of the Shield Hero's party longer than her canon self, since her murderous sister and the Three Church remnants, as well as various nobles in Melromarc who'd want her dead, are still at large.
Blue Is Heroic: Everything of her, from her dress to her hair, is blue. Unlike her corrupted sister and father, Melty is a good princess who does want to think about what is best for the kingdom.
Blue Blood: She has the title "Princess" as the daughter of the reigning monarch Queen Mirelia Q. Melromarc and her King Consort, Aultcray Melromarc XXXII.
Beleaguered Assistant: She becomes this to the Four Heroes as she attempts to create a comprehensive law system.
Cain and Abel: The Abel to Malty's Cain. While her older sister is rotten to the core, Melty is a good girl who wishes the best for her kingdom. Out of jealousy that Melty is the successor of the throne, Malty plots to have her murdered and then steal the position of crown princess.
Cuteness Proximity: For all things Filolial, especially Filo. And Fitoria.
Cute Witch: Excels in water-based magic, and is as cute as a button.
Dishing Out Dirt: She can use Earth Hole to make a hole in the ground, and is capable of other Earth Spells.
Girlish Pigtails: She wears two blue ribbons to tie up her hair into this. It shows her innocence and youth.
Hidden Depths: She is a gifted musician.
Making a Splash: She can use Water Magic, much like her mother, contrasting her sister's affinity for fire.
Morality Pet: Melty is one of the few the King will show his soft spot towards.
Not So Above It All: Unsurprisingly, despite trying to act regal and refined, the moment Melty sees a Filolial she shows her inner child.
- It's also easy to rile her up by calling her by a nickname like, say, Second Princess.
Royals Who Actually Do Something: When she had heard that the Hero of Shield had disrespected her father, she wanted to see him - personally. Her role is also expanded in the fic, actively working as one of Naofumi's party members during the Third Wave and Cal Mira Wave. Later on, she is given the task of managing the Cardinal Heroes' growing country.
Security Cling: She is aware that she doesn't have a loving relationship with her older sister, but she didn't think that Malty hated her enough to kill her. When she sees the murderous look and realizes that, yes, Malty will kill her as soon as she leaves Naofumi's protection, she stands closer to him and grips his cloak.
Sheltered Aristocrat: While she's good-natured, she still has grown up protected from the worst parts of her kingdom and the corruption of fellow royalty, leading to her shock when discovering how badly demihumans are abused. The queen prevented Melty from being spoiled by the king like her older sister Malty was, which is why Melty is very polite and friendly to even commoners and non-humans despite being royalty. Also, Melty doesn't abuse her status power like most nobles do.
Team Member in the Adaptation: In Canon, Melty was simply a Guest-Star Party Member during the Three Heroes Church's Coup before rejoining her mother in the Capital after the Church was abolished and remains a staunch ally to Naofumi; here however, since the majority of the Church managed to escape into hiding along with Malty still being a threat, Melty now remains an actual member of Naofumi's Party for her own protection.
Tsundere: She keeps getting in verbal fights with Naofumi (mostly over him not using her name) but is surprised whenever he does choose to use her name.
- She is easily flustered whenever Filo says something that could have a potential double meaning.
Water Is Womanly: Melty has water magic to contrast with her sister's fire, a blue dress, and blue hair, and is a polite, charming young princess.
The Wise Princess: In spite of her age, she's more capable than her sister, which is "one reason" why she's the Heiress to the throne of Melromarc instead of her.
You Called Me "X"; It Must Be Serious: Because of Naofumi constantly calling Melty "Second Princess", she knows when to take things seriously whenever he uses her name.

Ost Horai

A mysterious woman who appeared to warn Naofumi of the Tortoise's impending awakening by the hands of the Book Hero, Kyo. After Kyo took complete control of the Guardian Beast, Ost was finally able to act for herself and began assisting the Cardinal Heroes with stopping her main body. She introduced herself as its conscience, but in reality, she is the soul and will of the Guardian Beast given human form to stop itself from destroying the world. Though she speaks evil, she is probably the most genuine and honest person Naofumi has met beside his close friends and family. Practitioner of Earth Magic and Gravity Magic.

Adaptational Back Story Change: In a flashback, it is revealed that the Spirit Tortoise wasn't always a compassionate being that cared about the people of the world. But because of a past Sword Hero and the love he shared with a dog girl, who's soul Ost had absorbed as the Spirit Tortoise was being sealed, that changed forever.
Femme Fatale: How she operated in order to get close to leaders of powerful nations in her long-term goal of soul-collecting.
Gravity Master: One of her specialties is Gravity Magic. She can negate or increase it.
Guest-Star Party Member: Since she will die when the Spirit Tortoise does, she is only a temporary member of Naofumi's party. It is averted when she is absorbed into Naofumi's shield and joins permanently.
Humanity Is Infectious: Ost truly gained her own persona and principles as an individual after absorbing the soul of Nausicaa, the lover of Keichi the Sword Hero from centuries past.
Spared by the Adaptation: Instead of being killed with the Spirit Tortoise, she lives on inside of Naofumi's shield.
Weak, but Skilled: Since Kyo had taken control over a majority of the Spirit Tortoise's functions and soul energy, Ost is left severely underpowered. However, she is still the soul of the Spirit Tortoise, which means, unlike Kyo, Ost actually knows how to use what power she has left to their maximum potential in aiding the Heroes.

SPOILER CHARACTER

Raph-chan, A.K.A. Rifana

A Shikigami grown from a lock of Raphtalia's hair and Naofumi's blood in the form of a tanuki/raccoon hybrid. Unknown to the main characters, she's the reincarnation of Rifana, Raphtalia's childhood friend, who was sold into slavery alongside her.

As Rifana

Childhood Friend: With Raphtalia and Keel.
Death-Activated Superpower: Her death managed to awaken her dormant weasel demi-human powers allowing her to survive as a spirit and granted her power to call on the souls of others.
Dream Weaver: She helped to give Naofumi comfort in his despair over the Spirit Tortoise's attack by showing him a peaceful vision of Raphtalia.
Due to the Dead: Raphtalia takes her body back to their former village to give her a proper burial.
Hope Spot: Due to the way Raphtalia was found, it seemed like Rifana was going to survive. However, she ultimately ended up in Idol's hands once more. And ultimately died to one of his whippings just minutes before Raphtalia came to rescue her.
It Was with You All Along: While Rifana had physically perished when Rapthalia had found her, her spirit managed to live on and follow her dear friend unbeknownst to Raphtalia thanks Rifana's weasel heritage. This fact help to set up several important events such as interfering with Kyo's plot and becoming the core of Naofumi's shikigami.
Made a Slave: Like canon, she is enslaved to Idol Rabier.
Necromancer: As a soul entity, Rifana could call on the deceased, especially when those with a connection to the desired souls were close-by.
Soul Power: Unbeknownst to the heroes, Rifana safeguarded important souls during the Spirit Tortoise's rampage like those that died at the village, or most notably, Welt and Bakta.

As Raph-chan

Animal Talk: Her current form means she can only say "Rafu!" like a Pokemon. Only, she sounds like Raphtalia when she says "Rafu!"
Back from the Dead: She's Rifana's reincarnation.
Familiar: Becomes Naofumi's, and by extension, Raphtalia's shikigami.
Master of Illusion: She is proficient in illusion magic, just like her mother, Raphtalia.
Ridiculously Cute Critter: She's a tanuki raccoon hybrid, and in her first appearance Naofumi describes her as "the most adorable creature in all of existence".
- This has only seemed to cement itself even further as Naofumi has called her the epitome of walking and breathing perfection.
Sensor Character: Raph-chan has almost pin-point accuracy over the locations of her source, Naofumi and Rapthalia. This ability was crucial in helping Naofumi reunite with Raphtalia. And Raphtalia with him.

The Sword Hero's Party

In General

Ascended Extra: Ren's party members get more screentime in this story, whereas in canon the only visible characterization they had was being Ren's loyal party members and dying during the Spirit Turtle rampage.
Gender-Equal Ensemble: After Wyndia joined, the party has 3 girls and 3 boys in it.
- With the deaths of Welt and Bakta, however, this is no longer the case.
No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: Welt and Bakta are killed by the Spirit Tortoise.

Ren Amaki

Level: 75 (as of chapter 34 of Diligence, and won't change anytime soon)

A 16-year-old high school student who was summoned to be the Hero of the Sword. Black hair and blue eyes. Due to preferring solo play in MMOs he is poor at teamwork and his party suffered from poor leadership, but he learned from this after he's convinced the world he was summoned to is not his favorite video game. He tries to integrate his party in more, but he still feels like he falls short a lot even when he isn't. He also suffers from guilt because of the mistakes he's made in the past, as well as social anxiety from not wanting to let everyone down. As the youngest of the Four Heroes, he has to take steps to grow into the Hero he's destined to become. Something that will be easier to do, now that he has a girl at his side helping him every step of the way.

Adaptational Badass: Thanks to sharing strengthening methods with Itsuki and Naofumi, he is stronger than his canon counterpart, to the point that he's able to land the killing blow on the T-Rex, battle Glass with Wyndia's help at the Ghost Ship Wave, deliver a Curb-Stomp Battle to the spirit woman at the Cal Mira wave, and slice off the Book Hero's arm during the battle inside the core of the Spirit Tortoise.
Adaptational Nice Guy: Combined with Adaptational Heroism. While Ren was the Token Good Teammate among the Three Heroes in canon and barely antagonized Naofumi unless he believed him to be guilty of grave crimes, he still had the character flaw of being The Poorly Chosen One, becoming a Destructive Savior as a result of slaying Gaelion and leaving his body to rot, and keeping his distance from his teammates, which resulted in poor teamwork that hindered his progress as a hero. Ren here treats Naofumi with more kindness and respect, giving him the benefit of the doubt after seeing Myne get in bed with Motoyasu. He also learns that Gaelion was an adopted father soon after striking the fatal blow on him, causing him to take in Wyndia to atone for his mistake as well as to give Gaelion a proper burial (averting the Dracolich problem that occurred in canon). This allows him to learn to work alongside his team, and even more so than canon, the mistakes he makes weigh far more heavily on his soul.
Adaptational Intelligence: Unlike in canon, Ren is not so easily convinced by Myne's False Rape Accusation towards Naofumi due to seeing her get into bed with Motoyasu not long after the accusation, having known a real victim of attempted rape in his home world. He also goes out of his way to help Naofumi escape from the Church and investigates them far earlier than in canon, though this almost gets him and his party killed by them.
The Atoner: After discovering he was tricked into killing a kind, powerful dragon because some people wanted to make its adopted dog girl daughter a slave, Ren punishes them and immediately takes her into his party to atone for what he'd done.
Badass in Distress: Kyo, the traitorous Book Hero, kidnaps Ren to use him as a living battery for the Spirit Tortoise.
Big Damn Heroes: His party, along with Itsuki's, arrive right on time to save Naofumi and his allies from the Church. Naofumi mentions that Ren has a habit of showing up to save him.
- Naofumi later calls Ren a glory hound because of his latest Big Damn Heroes moment against Kyo but immediately follows it with a tight hug because of how worried he'd been with him missing.
Blue Is Heroic (see also Dark Is Not Evil): He has a blue and black color scheme as a cardinal hero. And is the noblest hero after Naofumi.
Butt-Monkey: He used to be constantly slapped by Wyndia in her Tsundere moments.
Can't Hold His Liquor: He gets drunk after only three cups.
Character Development: After his My God, What Have I Done? experience, Ren becomes far more willing to work alongside his team. After their close encounter with death while in the Church though, he is making their safety a higher and higher priority.
Close-Range Combatant: Between himself, Itsuki and Motoyasu, he has the shortest attack range. Justified since Itsuki's status as the bow hero makes him a long range specialist and Motoyasu's spear gives him a longer attack range than Ren's sword.
Despair Event Horizon: Hits it when Bakta and Welt sacrifice themselves to save him from the Spirit Tortoise. This leads to him unlocking three levels of his Cursed Sword, beyond what even Naofumi had at that point.
Get A Hold Of Yourself Man:
- Ren slaps Itsuki when he starts to go off the deep end while trying to frame things as if they are a videogame.
- He is on the receiving end of one when Wyndia slaps him as he wonders if the Legendary Sword made a mistake in choosing him.
Heroes Prefer Swords: Fitting since he is the Sword Hero.
Irony: Ren has Super Drowning Skills and is terrified of the ocean. At the same time, he has an affinity for water magic.
Level Drain: After using the Curse Series, he dropped 20 levels and can't gain exp for two months.
My God, What Have I Done?: Ren becomes horrified when he realizes that he was duped into killing Gaelion, leaving little Wyndia all alone - and then he learns it was all because the guy who hired him wanted to reenslave Wyndia.
Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Ren realizes that him killing Gaelion was this, learning too late that Gaelion never intended to attack anyone, and that the person who hired him only did it because he wanted to take Wyndia as a slave. It should be noted, though, that he quickly starts to take steps to make things right, such as taking Wyndia into his party, promising to protect her, and giving Gaelion a proper burial.
No Social Skills: He is not very good at the whole 'comforting others' thing, but he can get better. Slowly... possibly...
- In all honesty, he needs all the comfort he can get after the Spirit Tortoise Arc.
Not a Game: He learns this after killing Gaelion.
Not So Stoic: He is every bit afraid of the queen and Fitoria as the other heroes.
Pet the Dog:
- He and Itsuki come up to Naofumi's defense when he "lost" against Motoyasu in a duel due to Malty attacking him in the back.
- He gave Naofumi dragon bones and bones from the first Wave boss to unlock more shields.
Power Parasite: His Rank III curse skill "Dragon's Feast" drains levels from the enemies it's used on, but at the cost of his own levels.
Rage Breaking Point: He finally goes off against Wyndia's constant criticism of his actions to protect his party members, as well as pointing out to her that he isn't a Hero or a God; he's just a teenager that is very naturally overwhelmed by everything going on. He's not infallible, and he needs time to think things through and to be alone without people constantly being concerned for and criticizing him for trying to do his best to help people against foes that are far too strong for them to survive. He immediately regrets shouting at Wyndia when she starts crying and runs off, telling him not to follow her.
Socially Awkward Hero: As stated repeatedly, he is better at fighting than he is at socializing.
Storm of Blades: One of his strongest skills, One Hundred Swords summons one.
Super-Empowering: Some of his swords, like his Dog Sword, can do this for his party members.
Teleporter's Visualization Clause: The Portal Sword allows him to teleport to places he has saved before.

Welt

Deceased

A light orange-haired swordsman in Ren's party. He typically hangs back to protect the two female party mages, Tersia and Farrie, from attacks. He seems nervous around others, but he gets along with the party. One of the original members of Ren's party when he was first summoned. He was training under Eclair to become a better swordsman.

Determinator: He seeks to become strong under Eclair, despite how hard it is.
Heroes Prefer Swords: He is a swordsman and a member of the Sword Hero's party.
Heroic Sacrifice: Jumps along with Bakta to push Ren out of the way of the Turtle's lightning attack, instantly dying when they are struck.
No Social Skills: Like Ren, he doesn't appear to have much in the way of social skills with people outside of the party, though more out of nervousness than being anti-social like Ren.
Socially Awkward Hero: He is shown to be rather timid when around those outside his party. Though once people get to know him, they get to see how nice he is and how loyal to his friends he can be.

Farrie

Level: Late 80's

A light-green-haired mage who doesn't wear the typical robes. A former nun-in-training in the Three Heroes Church, she decided to leave because she wanted to live free of such rules. Her magical affinities lean towards wind and fire.

Blow You Away: She has an affinity for wind magic.
Cannot Spit It Out: Never got to tell Bakta how she felt about him before he died.
Childhood Friend: With Tersia.
Retail Therapy: Likes to shop as stress relief.
Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Left wanting to become a nun, because she did not want to limit her life with a bunch of stupid rules. Tends to be more carefree, but spirited.
Those Two Guys: Likes to be in the company of her friend Tersia, and the two left the habits together.

Tersia

Level: Late 80's

A blonde-haired mage. A former nun-in-training in the Three Heroes Church, she chose to leave with her friend Farrie. Her magical affinities lean towards wind and earth.

Blow You Away: She has an affinity for wind magic.
Childhood Friend: With Farrie.
Dishing Out Dirt: She has an affinity for earth magic.
Not So Above It All: Sometimes joins Farrie in teasing Bakta.
- And is sometimes at a loss for what to do when confronted with the emotional problems of her friends.
Those Two Guys: Also care-free like her friend Farrie, but is generally the calmer and more mature of the two. As she'll help rein her in before she does anything too troublesome. This does not, however, keep her from joining in on the teasing against Bakta every now and then.

Bakta

Bakta Payne

Deceased

The fifth son of a noble, the unlikeliness of becoming his heir led him to focus mainly on training to join Melromarc's Knights, putting aside the skills he would have used if he were to take over his Father's estate, such as reading and writing. On one side, it's made him a reliable tank in battle, but on the other side, he can barely write his own name and needs other people to read stuff to him.

Birds of a Feather: Forms this kind of relationship with Aksel. They are both the tanks of their parties, both are really strong, both enjoy combat and both are constantly made fun of.
Butt-Monkey: He is constantly made fun of by Tersia and Farrie and once almost pissed himself in a church while waiting for a classup.
- This is only made worse when his last name is revealed.
Crippling Overspecialization: He is good at fighting but can barely read or write.
Didn't Think This Through: Tersia pointed out that since he was a noble, he could have become an officer, where knowing how to read and write would be useful.
Embarrassing Last Name: His biggest fear is his party members learning his last name, knowing that it would make him the butt of many jokes. Unfortunately, when his party meets his family, this happens.
Heroic Sacrifice: Jumps along with Welt to push Ren out of the way of the Turtle's lightning attack, instantly dying when they are struck.
Never Learned to Read: Focusing on learning how to fight instead of taking some time to study has left him pretty much illiterate.
One Degree of Separation: Karn knew Bakta's parents, having worked for them in the past.
Royals Who Actually Do Something: He aids Ren in fighting demons and monsters, though it is partly because he knows the odds of becoming the head of the family are low.

Wyndia

Level: Late 80's

A dog demihuman girl with light-brown hair, adopted by the dragon Gaelion after escaping slavery. After Ren's party is tricked into killing Gaelion, Ren recruits her to atone for killing her foster father and save her from the slavers that tricked them. She fights in light metal armor enchanted to increase her speed and dexterity, and styles her hair with a french braid running beside her ears on her head.

A-Cup Angst: Wyndia is jealous of Rishia's, and everyone else's breasts.
Adaptational Badass: By way of joining Ren's Party to fight against The Waves, including taking the fight directly to the Three Heroes Church at both Idol Rabier's Estate and within the Capital, and later participating in the Second Wave where she and Ren had to fight against Glass. All this earns Wyndia far more levels of Badass than her canon self, who's just one of many residents that lives in Naofumi's village.
Adaptational Early Appearance: Appears much earlier than in canon.
Ascended Fangirl: Becoming a member of the Sword Hero's party is a dream come true for her. The fact she got to meet the Shield Hero made her even happier.
- It's possible her dream of one day meeting the Sword Hero is because her family is part of a group of descendants from the Sword Hero of the past, Keichi.
Big Damn Heroes: Her Draconic magic allowed Ren's party to escape the Church's trap at the archives, and also gave Ren and Itsuki enough power to push their teleportation through the Church's barrier. As well as allowing her to make an escape route in the Capital, and giving Ren the strength he needed to fight against Glass.
- This power already fit her for the Glass Cannon role in fights. However, in Chapter Three of Diligence (chapter 66 overall), she states that "this isn't what it's supposed to do". Meaning if she learns what's messing up her magic, she could use it far more during a battle.
- And indeed, after the Cal Mira arc, she has been capable of using it time and time again without any of the pushback that had been plaguing her before.
Character Development: Especially notable as time goes on: Wyndia starts to be less and less tsundere, and even has a few heart-to-heart moments with Ren and the others.
- After the events of the Spirit Tortoise, she makes the decision to grow out of her tsundere attitude entirely. At least, when she's around Ren. When Naofumi and the others return, they will find Wyndia to be a very different person around Ren compared to before.
Deadpan Snarker: As pointed out by Naofumi, Wyndia may be kind-hearted but she doesn't mince her words. Didn't mix well (or did, depending on how you look at it) with her Tsundere attitude.
Death Glare: She constantly gives these to Blue the Filolial whenever she sees him with Ren.
For Want Of A Nail: In canon, Ren left Wyndia's adoptive dragon father, Gaelion, dead where he'd killed it. Wyndia was captured and sold into slavery and wasn't introduced to the story until after Naofumi had reestablished Lurolona Village. Here, Ren figures out how he'd been used to kill the dragon so slavers could capture Wyndia, and he fights them off, later taking Wyndia in as a party member so he can atone for being fooled into killing her father.
- In canon, Wyndia relies on her magical skills and knowledge of monsters to aid in the fight. Here, she learns how to fight with a wazikashi and learns how to use normal magic, allowing her to fight both close-up and at long-range.
Heroic Lineage: She's the descendant of a previous Sword Hero.
Katanas Are Just Better: Her first sword is a wazikashi (short katana).
Love Confession: Almost manages to spit out her feelings for Ren on the eve of the fight to save Melromarc from the Spirit Tortoise.
- And gives it to him in full during a peaceful moment after the battle with Kyo is over and everyone else is heading back to report to Mirellia.
Made a Slave: It is revealed that her former slave Master was Pope Balamus himself.
Magic Knight: She is quite good at fighting with a weapon, and also proficient in Dragon Vein Magic.
Meta Power Up: She can use Earth Vein to fuel high-tier spells.
Rapid Aging: Being a demihuman, Wyndia undergoes this as she levels up in Ren's party. At level 38, she now looks around 15 to 16.
- It is possible she was already around 15 to 16 at this point in time, but thanks to being on a better diet with Ren and his party than what she would have gotten being raised by a dragon, as well as swords Ren unlocked to strengthen his party, she grew up, if only a little bit.
Team Member in the Adaptation: In Canon, she was a slave that Naofumi bought to help populate his growing village. Here, she's an effective member of Ren's Party.
Tsundere: She may be one of a few in the series, but she more than makes up for it by being a big one.
- She acts coldly when Ren accepts her help, but her tail wags, revealing her happiness.
- When he asks how she is after powering up Ren and Itsuki's Teleport to get themselves, Naofumi, and their parties away from Melromarc she gives him a cold reply, but still blushes when he helps her stand up.
- Tends to hold Gaelion's death over Ren's head, but does it to encourage him to trust in his party and work with them instead of trying to handle problems on his own. There are deeper, more personal reasons which she reveals in Chapter Sixty-One of Hope, and Chapter Fifty of Diligence.
- When she snaps Ren out of a doubting phase and she gets a smile, a 'thank you' and a head pat in return, she blushes in embarrassment for enjoying it, screams to the heavens, and runs after Ren to slap him while calling him an idiot. This, while thinking that she might be mad at being called a 'friend'.
- She later thinks that Ren should use more headpats to praise her, but also that she would never admit that.
- When Ren realizes the Tyrant Rex is after him specifically and draws it away from the group, a drained Wyndia secretly cries tears and laments that she can't go help him. When he returns, Wyndia (thinking he was someone else), confesses that she wants to hate him but simply can't and that she's worried about him and frustrated that he won't let them help and that she wants to become stronger so she doesn't get left behind while he's in danger.
- After Ren has his Rage Breaking Point moment at her, she tells him not to touch her and runs away to cry. Some of the reasons why she's upset are because he made her upset, he was being stupid for not seeing that his party cares for him, and the biggest reason of all was because he didn't chase after her even though she told him not to. She wishes that "her brave, stupid Sword Hero would rescue her heart" at the end of the scene.
- During the fight with Glass, after she's injured, she screams at Ren when he throws her on Filo's back and has her taken away from the fight. Yet, later as Ren is about to give up, she reappears, still injured, but determined not to let her Hero fight alone.
- In the omake "Embarrassed Tsunderes", she ends up blushing up a storm after seeing Ren come out of the shower before she repeatedly hits him on the head while calling him an idiot to cover up the fact that she was daydreaming about how hot he was.
- There is a Part Two for the above omake. Where Ren and she are having a moment, and it gets interrupted by the rest of the party. Due to their shenanigans, she gets so embarrassed that she yells "BAKA" at Ren, before slapping him out of the castle window they had been hugging in front of before the party interrupted.
- She's a fan of monsters. But every time a blue feathered Filolial from Fitoria's flock comes around to receive pets from Ren, it's like a rehash of Raphtalia and Filo's initial interactions from canon. Except Wyndia wants to cook the 'stupid' bird for dinner.
- In possibly one of the sadder examples of it, when Ren is kidnapped in the Spirit Tortoise arc, she begins to snap and lashes out at all of her friends. Unable, or unwilling to accept their help when all she wants is to find Ren.
You Are Not Alone: Tells this to Itsuki, pointing out that he has saved hundreds of demi-humans that look up to him almost as much as (or even more than) the Shield Hero, and that he has a party and allies that will help him ensure he can protect them all.
- And this comes full circle when, during the Spirit Tortoise arc, her party and allies tell her that she has worth and that they'll do whatever it takes to help her find and save Ren.
- Alongside her Love Confession to Ren at the end of the Spirit Tortoise Arc, she makes sure to let him know that he'll never be alone again. Not as long as she and their friends are around.
You Have GOT to Be Kidding Me!: Has this reaction in chapter 76 on realizing Raphtalia doesn't know what sex is, pointing out how anyone could be so ignorant on that when Wyndia herself knows about it despite, in her own words, being raised in a cave by a dragon.

The Bow Hero's Party

In General

Adaptational Heroism: Because of Itsuki's decision to free Demi-Human slaves, Itsuki now has a party that is genuinely heroic and loyal to him, instead of a party full of nobles and church zealots like in canon.
Adaptation Expansion: Like Ren's party, they play a larger role than in canon.
Rag Tag Bunch Of Misfits: After learning of Melromarc's slave trade industry from Raphtalia and Naofumi, Itsuki wanting to go through with a Slave Liberation saw to a large number of his Party (including Mauld) to leave him. The few who stayed with Itsuki helped direct the Bow Hero to other potential recruits and even liberated Slaves that wanted to help him out.

Itsuki Kawasumi

Level: 80's

A 17-year-old high school student was summoned to be the Hero of the Bow. Light brown hair and gold eyes. He starts out as his typical, prideful, snotty, arrogant self, but experiencing the world and seeing the truth of it forces him to grow as a character: he now strives to help people by bringing true justice to the world. He is also learning to let go of his pride, and to rely on his friends around him.

Adaptational Angst Upgrade: Itsuki has a much harsher backstory than in canon as he lives with the guilt that he couldn't save a childhood friend from committing suicide thanks to being "bullied" to death.
Adaptational Badass: Thanks to sharing strengthening techniques with Naofumi and Ren, he is stronger than his canon counterpart earlier on in the story.
Adaptational Heroism: Itsuki in canon was The Poorly Chosen One because he cared more about the fame and glory he could receive as a hero. His party members stroked his ego until it was so bad that he made decisions that proved detrimental to other people in the long run ^note and he refuses to take responsibility for it. It takes being betrayed by his party members, falling victim to the Cursed Series, and having the Cursed Series kicked out of him by Rishia for him to get his act together. Here, Itsuki gets more Pet the Dog moments and takes Raphtalia's words about helping free the Demi-Human slaves to heart, leading him to root out Melromarc's corruption far before his former party of church zealots and nobles had corrupted him. Perhaps the most noticeable change is how Itsuki actually grows to care about Rishia far earlier than in canon, showing remorse and deep concern when he accidentally injures her and being relieved when she's healed whereas Pre-Character Development Itsuki in canon abandoned her because of his party convincing him that she was weak and useless to their cause.
Adaptational Intelligence: Unlike his canon-self, he is able to read the stone at Cal Mira thanks to learning magic text from Rishia.
Adaptation Expansion: In canon, he is the least seen of the four heroes. Here, he is far more prominent.
- It is also revealed by Ren Amaki that the very first Bow Hero actually arrived in this world during a Wave which connected with another world: the original homeworld of the Demi-Humans who possessed the Legendary Shield and the Legendary Bow. When Humanity decided to immediately declare war on the Demi-Humans due to their Rapid Aging; they managed to convince that unknown Bow Hero to join their side, and has since been an integral part of the Three Heroes Church faith as the third Legendary Weapon in their control. It is only thanks to the efforts of Itsuki Kawasumi after hearing of the corruption and ill-treatment of Demi-Human Slaves from Raphtalia that the Legendary Bow now has returned to helping protect the Demi-Humans from persecution and harm once again.
Big Damn Heroes: His party, along with Ren's, arrives right on time to save Naofumi and his allies from the Church.
Birds of a Feather: Becomes this to Naofumi due to their shared desire to free demi-human slaves.
Brainwashed and Crazy: He can weaponize this through his Cursed Bow.
Dangerous Forbidden Technique: The Cursed Series gives him a serious boost to his attacking ability, but at the cost of losing control over his egomania and potentially doing a full Face–Heel Turn if he stays in it for too long.
Glory Hound: Like canon, glory and praise are a primary reason for his actions. He grows out of it for the most part, but is still a little egotistical, but is not nearly as bad as his canon counterpart.
Heel–Face Turn: After hearing about how Melromarc Nobles were keeping and abusing Demi-Human Slaves, Itsuki makes it his mission to go after them thinking that it's a Questline Story (at first); after seeing a Noble brutally kill a demi-human kid, and that the noble said it was their Gods' will: caused Itsuki to undergo this completely; turning his back on the Three Heroes Church because of it. It is later revealed by Ren's Party that the first Bow Hero originally came from the same world as the Shield Hero and demi-humans when their worlds collided long ago, and that Itsuki is the first Bow Hero since to re-join the Demi-Humans side again.
Hidden Depths: He is shown to be a skilled violin player. It is later revealed that this is due to him possessing a super power that makes him an Instant Expert at any musical instrument within a few minutes of playing it.
I Let Gwen Stacy Die: Marx's death weighed heavily on Itsuki that it finally snapped his delusions that this world really wasn't Dimension Wave.
In Spite of a Nail: He still goes to the corrupt noble that he went to in canon and saves Rishia.
I Reject Your Reality: After realizing that they aren't in a game world, he goes into severe denial.
Improbable Aiming Skills: He actually has a quirk, and it grants him around a 20% aim correction for all ranged weapons. However, he was only able to use it to the fullest thanks to spending most of his childhood training his aim with bows, rifles, and other weapons, which fittingly, makes him very well suited for being the Bow Hero.
My God, What Have I Done?: He becomes terrified after he wakes from his first foray with the second tier of the Cursed Bow, and is distraught by what he accidentally did to Rishia.
- It's even worse when, after losing control in the Cursed Series a second time, he remembers all the people he'd killed, as well as the fact that he'd not only tried to kill a group of demi-kids, but also Naofumi, Ren, and his own party.
No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: After witnessing a corrupt noble murder a slave child, Itsuki flashes back to his bullied upbringing as well as the death of his best friend, flying into a rage and beating the man's face into a bloody pulp and not stopping even after he's dead.
Not a Game: He knows this, but until the Battle of Melromarc he attempted to convince himself otherwise in an attempt to put distance between himself and the consequences of some of his actions.
Pet the Dog:
- He and Ren come up to Naofumi's defense when he "lost" against Motoyasu in a duel due to Malty blatantly attacking him in the back.
- He tells Naofumi he is the most competent of the heroes.
Psychic Powers: Itsuki is revealed to have come from a world where people with ESP are common, himself having two ESP abilities. Aim Correction Rank E (low), and Band Hero Rank SSS (Cannot go any higher than this).
Ship Tease: He's blatantly crushing on Rishia.
- The girl has even kissed him, on the lips, during the Otherworld Arc. Just get together already, stupid!
Slave Liberation: He's slowly working on this outside of Lurolona.
Teleporter's Visualization Clause: The Portal Bow allows him to teleport to places he has saved before.
Took a Level in Kindness: He acknowledges that Naofumi is just as heroic as Itsuki thinks of himself as, and the only reason he hasn't done as much good is that Naofumi is on the run.
Vigilante Man: Has taken up going around assassinating corrupt nobles in order to free their slaves.
You Are Better Than You Think You Are: Gives this speech to Ethnobalt when the latter feels he's not contributing enough to fighting the Waves.

Rachel

Level: 80's

A mage with dyed black hair who joined Itsuki sometime after he began his adventuring. Her affinity is in Shadow and Healing magic, though she is more proficient in the former, and wields a dagger when magic is not possible. Generally speaks in a calm tone, but really cares for Itsuki and the party, and acts as a pillar for its members.

Book Worm: Has a very fond appreciation for books. If anyone even insults books, she glares or sometimes even hisses at them.
Casting a Shadow: Her main magic affinity.
Expy: She is partly based on Raven from DC Comics, both are Book Smart, magic girls that specialize in dark magic. Rachel is even Raven's civilian name.
Healing Hands: Her secondary magic affinity.
Interspecies Romance: Has a demi-human fiancé waiting for her back at home.
Lady of Black Magic: Wields dark affinity magic.
Team Mom: Usually acts as this for the group
Working-Class Hero: Comes from a commoner background instead of a noble background.

Karn

Level: 70's?

A generally laidback swordsman. Lacking any apparent magical ability, he relies on his martial skills to fight. He was raised in the Three Heroes Faith but left it because he disagreed with some of their teachings. Is generally friendly, but hasn't really revealed more of his background, besides working with nobles in the past. Also wasn't part of Itsuki's original party.

Badass Normal: He has no magic skills to speak of and relies on good old swordsmanship.
Cultural Rebel: He left the worship of the Three Heroes because he disagreed with the Church's teachings.
One Degree of Separation: He knew Bakta's parents, having worked for them in the past.
Spiteful Spit: After Itsuki kills a corrupt noble for murdering a demihuman slave child, Karn scornfully spits on the bastard's corpse after managing to snap Itsuki out of it.

Aksel

Level: 80's

A dark-haired, strong fighter who wears heavy armor, he acts as Itsuki's tank. Initially nicknamed "Armor", he eventually moves on to be called by his first name. He's a very nice guy and the target of teasing by the other members of his party. In Chapter 83 of Diligence, he becomes the Axe Hero.

Birds of a Feather: Forms this kind of relationship with Bakta. They are both the tanks of their parties, both are really strong, both enjoy combat and both are constantly made fun of. After Bakta's death, he feels broken and lonely.
Blood Knight: Despite his nice exterior, he is dangerous in battle. To the point that he'll throw himself at opponents and knock them out of the way.
Comedic Lolicon: He has developed a crush on the grown adult Maya despite her looking like a little kid when they first met. Does everything possible to try and deny it until Bakta forces him to acknowledge it, and then finally gets with her in the end after his death.
- A separate one-shot the Author made took this trope to ridiculous proportions.
Heel–Face Turn: He failed the original Royal Exams to become a knight, and took training with the Church Knights to eventually become a Royal Knight. However, after hearing what they did to his home region of Seaetto, he left the Church Knights.
Only Known by Their Nickname: Initially everyone called him Armor, but eventually they would use his actual name.
A World Half Full: It was only because of Itsuki saying he was going to free the slaves of Melromarc, including those from Seaetto, that Aksel didn't entirely lose faith in the Cardinal Heroes and realized that there was a difference between them and the Church.

Maya

Level: 80's

A former raccoon demi-human slave Itsuki rescued from a noble. Black hair held in a ponytail. Brown-eyed. Has a teasing/playful personality.

The Gadfly: Well-known for teasing her fellow party members, especially Aksel.
I Owe You My Life: Joins Itsuki's party after he freed her from slavery.
Invisibility: Can cast "First Hiding" on herself to become invisible, making it easier to fight enemies.
Miss Conception: Like Raphtalia, Maya never received The Talk. She also believed kissing got you pregnant until Raphtalia told her otherwise.
Rapid Aging: The third Demihuman that joins a Cardinal Hero to undergo this. She looks to be around 18 years old now. While still playful, her mental and emotional maturity is gradually shown bit by bit.
Slave Liberation: A target of this.
Yin-Yang Bomb: Wields both light and dark affinity magic, just like Raphtalia and other Raccoon demi-humans.

Crystal

Level: 80's

A silver-haired girl adventurer that fights with a spear. As a child, she suffered a rare illness that killed her parents and turned her hair silver. Shunned by her village, she was forced to grow up quickly, stealing and squatting to survive, until a demi-human family took her in. Their kindness to her prompted her to shed her Three Heroes Church beliefs.

I Owe You My Life: Crystal's reasons for questing with Itsuki are straightforward. The demi-human that took her in had a son, who became her best friend and was kidnapped by slavers. She considers finding him and bringing him back repaying the debt of kindness the demi-human family has shown her.
Tsundere: Unlike other tsunderes in the story, Crystal doesn't seem to have anyone she likes. And is only closed off because of her previous upbringing.

Marx

Deceased

A young blonde-haired mage with a water magic affinity. He is, in reality, half-Kitsune and half-human, but manages to hide his inheritance thanks to not having any recognizable Kitsune characteristics.

Half-Human Hybrid: He is half-human and half-kitsune.
I Will Find You: Vowed to his father that he would find and rescue their family.
Last Request: While dying, he asks Itsuki to find and rescue his family.
Making a Splash: He has an affinity for water magic.
Maligned Mixed Marriage: His parents were one. His human father was whipped by the Three Heroes Church, and his kitsune mother and three siblings (all of whom had inherited their mother's characteristics) were enslaved. The only reason he avoided the same fate was that his father managed to convince the priests that he was the son born of an affair with a human woman.
Sacrificial Lamb: He was killed by a Church Shadow in a trap set for Itsuki.
Small Role, Big Impact: While only introduced by name in the chapter that he dies in, it's in Itsuki seeing Marx's death that serves as the Bow Hero's breaking point to make Itsuki realize that he truly wasn't playing a game.
We Hardly Knew Ye: Marx doesn't get much screentime, only really getting a few moments of character establishment and defining traits, before he's killed off by the Church Of The Three Heroes.

Rishia Ivyred

Level: 68 Raphtalia's World
Level: 46 Glass' World

The young daughter of an impoverished noble family, she joined the Bow Hero's party after he saved them. While she has not had many appearances, she's slowly gaining protagonism as she grows as a character with (surprisingly) Itsuki's help. In Chapter 83 of Diligence, she becomes the Projectile Hero.

Armor-Piercing Attack: She can imbue her attacks with defense-piercing or defense-rating properties, allowing them to slip through or destroy Kyo's barriers with ease.
Asleep for Days: Falls into a coma after Itsuki accidentally burns her with cursed flames. Naofumi unlocking the second level of the Shield of Hope and using its effect "Ray of Hope" cures her, waking her up.
Curb-Stomp Battle: Delivers a glorious one to Kyo after the bastard ran his mouth one too many times during the battle in the Spirit Tortoise's core room and she even does it while delivering a "The Reason You Suck" Speech to the psycho!
Foreshadowing: While training in Hengen Musou with Itsuki, she is noted to have an easier time learning it than him or Motoyasu. This foreshadows her inherited skill in the martial art.
I Owe You My Life: Much like her canon self, she joins the Bow Hero's party as a way to repay him for saving her and her family.
Impoverished Patrician: Before she joined Itsuki, Rishia's family were once Nobles that ruled over a village that had fallen on hard times; having grown up in a farmhouse instead of a mansion as a result of their financial issues.
Ki Manipulation: Rishia has a phenomenal talent for Hengen Musou. It took a while for her talents to show themselves but when they did, Kyo got a well-deserved first taste of it.
The Load: Downplayed, unlike in canon, since Itsuki and the rest of the party are more supportive here, Rishia is still able to provide valuable support to the group despite not being one of their best fighters initially.
- Once again, when she and Naofumi are stuck in the Endless Labyrinth in Kizuna's world, despite her terrible stats, she is still a force to be reckoned with thanks to her newly mastered Hengen Musou techniques.
"The Reason You Suck" Speech: Gives Kyo the biggest physical and verbal smack-down of his misbegotten life, pointing out just how much of a parasitic megalomaniacal coward he is at the end of the day and how he will pay for his crimes, each and every one of them!
Royal Rapier: Her weapon of choice, which is appropriate given she is technically a noble.
Ship Tease: Itsuki was particularly terrified when she fell into a coma, and he hugged her after Naofumi healed her from the curse.
- It has been teased several times since. With him encouraging Rishia as she practices magic, or praising her when she makes a dish so good, he says that it's better than Naofumi's "God-Tier" cooking.
- And it only seems to continue growing from there as others point out how cute Rishia and him look together and want them to just kiss already (which has happened, but the others don't realize it yet).
Weak, but Skilled: Rishia has abysmal stats despite her consistently leveling up with her party. However, thanks to her affinity for Hengen Musou martial arts, which don't rely on stats but rather on the user's skills, she can make quick work on almost anything in her way, including a super-charged Kyo.
What If?: Since Itsuki doesn't kick her out of his party, she doesn't suffer from a Broken Pedestal and doesn't join Naofumi's party.
You Remind Me of X: One of the reasons why Itsuki is so protective of her is that she reminds him of the friend he couldn't protect from the bullying that led to her killing herself.

Mauld

One of Itsuki's original party members, he abandoned the group after Itsuki made it clear he was planning to free demihuman slaves from their bondage, which went against his beliefs.

Ambiguous Situation: Since he leaves Itsuki's party early, it is unknown if he will be killed by Itsuki or not.
The Bus Came Back: Because of Itsuki's decision to free demihuman slaves and his own prejudice, Mauld leaves Itsuki's party in Chapter 14, and is not seen again until Chapter 63, where he offers shelter to Malty, Lesty, and Balamus' remaining supporters and proposes they join forces against the four heroes and Melromarc Kingdom.
Token Evil Teammate: Like canon, he is a jerk and a villain through and through.

The Spear Hero's Party

In General

Adaptational Badass: In canon, Motoyasu's party was easily the weakest and could be taken down in one hit. Here they have become genuine Action Girls thanks to Malty using Rino to level up the party.
Battle Harem: Like canon, Motoyasu runs his party this way.
Out of Focus: Like canon, none of Motoyasu's party members, other than Malty, get much focus early on. It is lampshaded in an omake where Motoyasu admits he forgot Elena's name.
Pretty Freeloader: With the exception of Rino, every member of Motoyasu's party is this. Though, Elena is admittedly not as bad as Lesty and Malty were.
Two Girls and a Guy: After Malty and Lesty leave, the party becomes this.

Motoyasu Kitamura

Level: 70's

A 21-year-old University Student summoned to be the Hero of the Spear. Blonde hair and orange/red eyes. He liked to believe that he was extremely popular with women and viewed it as his duty to protect them and show off his cool side. As he believed anything Myne told him, he was often put in conflict with Naofumi at the beginning of the story... and with other women in general. His character remains mostly unchanged after Bitch leaves him. But thankfully, he is given time to show more of his canon traits. Traits he was unable to show thanks to Bitch manipulating his actions at the beginning. This Love Seeker is further down the path of becoming a Hero than the others realized.

Abhorrent Admirer: He falls madly in love with Filo, who hates him because of his annoying personality and gives him the Groin Attack regularly.
Accidental Hero: Motoyasu unintentionally gets the Pope to perform an Engineered Public Confession during the last part of the Liberation of Melromarc. Had the Pope just kept his mouth shut and not done any lengthy Evil Gloating, he would have used Cathedral's power to kill the Four Cardinal Heroes and everyone else in the castle. But because he confessed his true thoughts in regards to Altara, the latter had a Heel–Face Turn moment in regards to his evil Excellency and ultimately brought about his downfall when he decided to deal with her first.
Adaptational Badass:
- During his duel with Naofumi, he faired significantly better than his canon counterpart did.
- Thanks to a several-week-long exile where he wholly committed himself to grind monsters, his level was higher than his canon counterpart in Hope.
- Downplayed by the Third Wave. He is able to prove more useful against the Waves' monsters than his canon-self but is still no match for Glass.
- He eventually learns Hengen Musou from Granny.
Adaptational Heroism: While it does take him the longest, he eventually becomes an ally of Naofumi after finally learning of Malty's true nature and comes to accept that the world they're in isn't a game. And he also never loses his sanity either!
Adaptational Intelligence:
- Downplayed. He does notice that Raphtalia's feelings for Naofumi are more genuine than he was led to believe, but still ultimately dismisses them as being because of the slave seal.
- While he still falls for the whole Brainwashing shield lie, he is smart enough to conclude that Naofumi doesn't have the SP to brainwash a whole army.
- Averted by the time of the Third Wave. Like canon Motoyasu, he doesn't believe that sharing Strengthening Methods makes you stronger and just believes that Naofumi, Ren, and Itsuki are hiding some 'true' way of acquiring strength. This arguably makes him even dumber than his canon counterpart in that regard, since he could at least claim that Ren and Itsuki made the same mistake.
  - This is later proven to be something caused by his Cursed Series. And as a step to overcoming it, he overcomes some of his jealousy of his fellow Heroes in giving them his strengthening methods, and believing them in return at the end of the Spirit Tortoise arc.
- Motoyasu is smart enough to acknowledge that his gaming knowledge doesn't entirely apply to the world they're in.
Adaptational Karma: Motoyasu suffers the consequences for his incompetence far earlier than in canon, starting with how he was able to become the Lord of Lute without Naofumi's interference and the townspeople revolting.
Badass in Distress: Kyo, the traitorous Book Hero, kidnapped him to act as a living battery for the Spirit Tortoise.
Bait the Dog: While he does accept his loss against Naofumi gracefully, the moment Myne falsely accuses Naofumi of cheating (even after she blatantly cheated in Motoyasu's favor), he immediately agrees to it without argument and goes back to antagonizing Naofumi.
Big Damn Heroes: He manages to save Naofumi and Raphtalia from Balamus.
Book Dumb: Despite being a university student, Motoyasu doesn't seem particularly bright. He acknowledges that after he failed at ruling Lute, he isn't really qualified to lead a village. Leading to him being hesitant to be left in charge later on.
- Thankfully, because he learned he couldn't do it all by himself, he relied on his party members as well as the volunteer knights, and did a decent job running the village with their help.
Can't Catch Up: Thanks to Ren, Naofumi, and Itsuki sharing strengthening techniques, he is the weakest hero. The queen decides to get him a mentor to try and avert this.
- After the events of the Spirit Tortoise Arc, however, he'll finally be able to take his place alongside the Heroes in terms of strength.
Casanova Wannabe: Like canon, he is handsome but has no real skills with women. The only member of his party who was actually interested in him was Rino.
The Chew Toy: Like canon, he is this. Ren and Itsuki join Naofumi in taking potshots at him, though now they're basically brothers.
Crippling Overspecialization: Motoyasu's Legendary Spear is great for going against mid-range enemies; because of his lack of skill early on, it wasn't so good for when the enemy got up close and personal.
Curb-Stomp Battle: Despite being stronger than his canon self at the time and using his most powerful spell right off the bat, he was still no match for Glass at the Ghost Ship Wave.
Curb Stomp Cushion: During their duel, he was able to back Naofumi into a corner, before Naofumi turned the tables on him.
Death by Woman Scorned: Like canon, he was killed by two Yandere who wanted him to choose one of them as his girlfriend.
Declaration of Protection: He promises to protect the town after the other heroes go to Cal Mira (after Naofumi promises to give him Filolial eggs of course).
Destructive Savior: Like canon, Motoyasu gave the Bio-Seed to the villagers, calling it the "Miracle Seed". It later tried to destroy said village, forcing Ren to clean up his mess.
- Later on, to make amends, he returns with a version of the Bio-Seed Naofumi engineered, saving the village from famine once and for all. He gave credit for the action to the Shield Hero, hiding his identity from those he'd hurt. However, the village chief saw through his disguise, and instead of hating him, he forgave the Spear Hero and told him he was welcome in his home.
Dumbass Has a Point: When Naofumi states if he had a Brainwashing Shield, he'd used it to escape, Motoyasu concludes that Naofumi wouldn't have enough SP to do that. Naofumi himself admits it's not a bad theory on his part.
Everyone Has Standards:
- Back while he was on Malty's side, he was fine with Naofumi using magic during their duel since Malty was using magic herself.
- He is horrified to learn Malty used Rino as a slave to level up the party.
Foil: Of all the three heroes, he is the best one to Naofumi early on. Whereas Naofumi used his head, Motoyasu was a Dumb Jock. Naofumi established bonds of trust, Motoyasu got betrayed by all the women in his life. Naofumi accomplished all of his goals, Motoyasu got left in the dust. He was The Casanova while Naofumi was the Clueless Chick-Magnet. He focused purely on offense while Naofumi focused on defense.
Harem Seeker: Malty gets rid of his male followers and only recruits females, purely for the sake of being pretty freeloaders. Motoyasu didn't know she was doing this, and never suspected it until after he learned the depths of her evils.
Healing Hands: He possesses healing magic, but before the Spirit Tortoise and Otherworld Arcs, he wasn't on Naofumi's level.
Heroic Wannabe: Like canon, he believed that because he was the chosen Hero of the Spear, he didn't have to work for his title. He eventually learns from his mistakes and puts forth effort to become a real Hero and an older brother figure to the other Heroes starting from Chapter Fifty-One on.
Hidden Depths: Motoyasu surprisingly proves himself to be good at counseling others when he gives Naofumi sound advice about thinking of all the good they've done instead of letting their failures weigh them down. Granted, Naofumi suspects that Motoyasu actually got those words from a different source and the latter admits he read it from a fantasy novel back in his world, but the fact that he was able to help Naofumi like that shows that Motoyasu can be a good and supporting older brother figure.
- It only gets better from there as time goes on and Motoyasu continues to grow as a person.
Hopeless Suitor (see also Love at First Sight):
- Like canon, he's instantly infatuated with Filo. However, Filo feels nothing but disdain and annoyance for him (and penchant for kicking him), much to his eternal despair.
- He later develops a similar infatuation towards Fitoria, who is also not interested in him outside of a maternal perspective.
Horrible Judge of Character: In the beginning, just like in canon, Motoyasu believed everything Myne said at face value, even when she was clearly lying. He'd also refuse to believe in any accusation against Myne as well, though he questioned her at times in his mind. His faith in Myne was one of the biggest reasons he remained The Poorly Chosen One early on.
- It took Myne's Engineered Public Confession to realize how much he's been had. And it takes him a little while after that before he finally makes the choice to abandon her in her cell to help the other Heroes.
  - Thankfully, since then, he has made vast improvements on his character judging skills.
Long-Range Fighter (see also Javelin Thrower): After Itsuki, he has the longest attack range of the four heroes, thanks to the length of his spear and being able to employ distance skills like Air Strike Javelin in his attacks.
Mundane Utility: He uses fire magic to help with his cooking.
My God, What Have I Done?: After the king called him out for his failure as a hero, he finally started to question if he was actually a hero in Hope.
Never My Fault: With a bit of goading from a Church Shadow and the influence of the Spear of Jealousy, Motoyasu came to the conclusion that his failure at being a governor and the disastrous consequences of leaving the shipment of food behind and the miracle seed were all somehow Naofumi's fault, despite him being absolutely nowhere near any of those events.
Motoyasu: You've done plenty of bad things! You turned the people of Lute Village against me! You took the miracle I gave the town of Leruno and mutated it into a monster! You made me doubt my friends and live in exile for a long time! Everything is your fault!
Naofumi: What the hell are you talking about Motoyasu?! I wasn't even near Lute when all that crap went down. And I've never heard of a town named Leruno before-
Motoyasu: Shut up! The Shadows already told me you'd try to lie to me again so that you could brainwash me into letting you rape and pillage your way to Shieldfreeden! I won't allow it!
Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Motoyasu ruined the town of Lute because he let Myne guide his decisions as its Lord.
Reformed, but Not Tamed: After his Heel–Face Turn, he still is in it to win over ladies, though its not his only reason anymore. As Naofumi likes to joke, once a simp, always a simp.
Royal Favorite: Like canon, out of the four heroes, Motoyasu found himself getting the most favor from the king of Melromarc. This is due to Princess Malty/Myne being on his team, and because Aultcray is a descendant of the past Spear Hero. This is shown by how, after the first monster invasion, he is made the lord of a town. However, after Aultcray learned of how bad he was doing as a hero, he starts to lose respect for Motoyasu.
Sore Loser: Motoyasu attempted to take his defeat to Naofumi with dignity, but when Myne accused Naofumi of cheating, he went along with her claim. Itsuki calls him such at one point.
Super Natural Martial Arts: The first of the heroes to learn Hengen Musou from Granny.
The One Guy: He is the only named male member of his party.
Teleporter's Visualization Clause: The Portal Spear allows him to teleport to places he has saved before.
Token Evil Teammate: With Ren and Itsuki both taking a level in adaptational kindness and competence, only Motoyasu remained antagonistic towards Naofumi for a time in Hope.
Uncertain Doom: After the Spirit Tortoise's familiars attack Lurolona, he goes out originally to save those around the country where it sleeps, but ends up fighting it on his own when it wakes and disappears sometime after that.
The Worf Barrage: His ultimate attack, Hundred Fiery Javelins, is usually used to scale the rank in strength between himself and his opponent.

Amber

Level: 82

An orange feathered Filolial raised by a human owner and taken in by Fitoria's flock. She lived in Fitoria's Sanctuary for a number of years, before meeting and taking a liking to Motoyasu after being assigned by Fitoria to watch over the Hero's Village. After the Spear Hero was saved from Kyo, she decided to offically join the kind-hearted Spear Hero, accepting a monster crest so she could be tamed by him.

A few days after this, she achieved Filolial Queen status, and showed that her human transformation was that of a teenager around Ren and Wyndia's age. Officially solidifying her connection to the Spear Hero.

Malty Melromarc/Myne/Bitch

Malty Melromarc (Bitch)

Level: Unknown

The eldest daughter of Queen Mirellia and King Aultcray of Melromarc. Her actions and manipulations drive a good part of the plot: her framing of Naofumi for attempted rape is but one of her many actions that make it harder for the Heroes to save the world. Corrupt and vile, this spoiled Bitch will not let anything keep her from her goals, and she'll cause as much suffering as possible to enjoy attaining those goals.

The Author adds this as a personal note about her character. As this fic is based on the Light Novels and not the Web Novel, Malty is not a shard of some evil goddess. She is the legitimate daughter of Mirellia and Aultcray. Meaning all of her evil actions are her own.

Adaptational Badass (see also Not-So-Harmless Villain):
- During her duel with Naofumi in chapter 34, Malty displays a surprising amount of tactical thinking and combative ability. Granted, as the Shield Hero, Naofumi's lack of one-on-one combat, as well as his no-go Attack stat, he had a severe handicap, and stood no chance of actually defeating her thanks to an endless supply of potions she had on her person.
- Thanks to using Rino to level up, her level was 66 at the time of the fight.
- Unlike her canon self, she actually uses her sword and actually has been trained to use one.
Adaptational Villainy: While she's already a nasty piece of work in canon, she actually starts to get worse far earlier than in canon because of the series of events that occur thanks to Naofumi seeing her true colors before she could enact her plan. As time goes on, she commits worse and worse evil deeds to Naofumi, Motoyasu, and everyone she comes across.
- Bonus points for following her LN characterization of being a natural-born human instead of being a fragment of an evil goddess, which means her actions are done of her own volition.
All for Nothing: Malty concocts a myriad of nasty schemes to elevate herself or spite the people she hates most. As a consequence of never thinking her actions through, these plans usually amount to nothing because she's focused only on the short-term satisfaction and not the long-term problems it could create.
- She was dead set on becoming the next Queen of Melromarc, to the point that she threw her lot in with the local Corrupt Church to assassinate Melty and Naofumi. Even if Malty succeeded, the Pope made it clear he would never allow her near the throne and would have easily killed her since she and Motoyasu were laughably weak compared to the Pope. Surviving the Pope's attack would have also been pointless because she would have to deal with every other country wanting to burn Melromarc to the ground, both for hogging all the heroes and her disgracing Naofumi, who as The Shield Hero is a figure of worship in said countries. Malty's plan of becoming the next Queen was doomed the moment she convinced her father to summon all four Cardinal Heroes for the Church.
Alpha Bitch: She's also a Rich Bitch to boot. Pretty much every major problem early on in the series can be linked directly to her, and whenever she joins a new force, she quickly establishes her superiority as a princess, making any protests futile.
Antagonistic Offspring: Mirelia makes it clear that she's extremely unhappy with Malty's actions.
Arch-Enemy: She firmly establishes herself as this to Naofumi once she betrays him, going out of her way to oppose and demonize him through any means necessary.
Beauty Equals Goodness: Deconstructed. Malty actually invokes this trope when manipulating people, tricking them into thinking she's a "good, honest girl" in order to screw them over, trick them into doing her bidding, or both. Unfortunately, someone with her level of sheer petty malice and stupidity repeatedly makes the mistake of shooting herself in the foot with her blatantly nasty behavior and Chronic Backstabbing Disorder so this advantage winds up being squandered.
Be Careful What You Wish For: She wanted Naofumi to show himself as the Demon of the Shield during their duel. She got what she wanted... and she found herself completely outclassed by Naofumi when he went completely volcanic whilst triggering the first and second Shield of Rage, nearly killing her and pretty much every soldier he saw while burning down Melromarc's Capital with his cursed flames.
Beauty Is Bad: She is easily one of the most attractive characters of the setting. Also one of the most rotten.
Beauty Is Never Tarnished: Averted. After her duel with Naofumi, her hair has to be recut because it was clearly burned, and her face was covered in scars and burns.
Berserk Button: Being reminded that she's not the heir of Melromarc. Naofumi exploits this for all that it's worth during the Liberation of Melromarc arc.
Big Bad Wannabe: While she ultimately sets the plot into motion by falsely accusing Naofumi, much of her evil actions just hinged on riding the coattails of other people, especially ones with power and influence such as Motoyasu, her father Aultcray, and the fanatical members of the Three Heroes Church. Deprive her of all of those (and anyone unaware of her true nature) and she's doomed, and it helps that whoever she betrays and ditches in a short-sighted attempt to escape punishment or improve her standing are quickly enlightened to the horrible person she really is.
Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Somehow, Malty Melromarc, AKA Bitch, is even more unlikeable in the story than in canon. Not only is she shown to frame Naofumi for rape, but she seeks any means necessary to make his life and the lives of all those around her an absolute hell. She sucked a town ravaged by a Wave of its money so she could live in luxury. She pinned the blame of the Miracle Seed on Motoyasu so she'd avoid being punished by Papa Aultcray (in which she didn't escape full punishment). She bought a human slave, Rino, to level up herself as well as Motoyasu's other party members while he lived in a self-inflicted exile. She plotted to kill both her younger sister Melty and Naofumi at the same time. Worst of all, the Author himself has said he is following her LN canon and not her WN canon, so her actions don't come from her being a shard of an evil goddess. She is the legitimate daughter of Aultcray and Mirellia, meaning she is evil because 'she' is evil.
- Bitch cries crocodile tears and fakes being a damsel in distress when things don't go her way, but don't be fooled. There is nothing pure or innocent about her. She is a bitch through and through. She is approaching the point of being irredeemable much more quickly than her canon counterpart. And that's likely because she is given more opportunity to cause far more suffering for more people here than in canon.
Book Dumb: Part of Malty's problem is that she is so busy scheming, that she never learned to actually be a strategist or even basic book knowledge. She gets slightly better after her dad forced her to study when Motoyasu exiled himself. Even if she wasn't evil, she's far too lacking in knowledge of strategy, politics and finances to actually make a competent ruler.
Brainless Beauty: As the series goes on, it becomes increasingly obvious that the only thing Malty has going for her is her (external) beauty, and that she isn't nearly as clever or cunning as she thinks she is, mainly acting purely out of either pure sadism or petty vindictiveness. She becomes only (slightly) better at intellectual thinking when she proves she can set a trap for Motoyasu, in which the Spear Hero is almost killed.
Brilliant, but Lazy: Despite being skilled with her fire magic and the sword, she hates having to train, only doing so after her father basically forced her. Despite the obvious benefits to said training that show she could be really dangerous if she actually put some effort into it, she wants to murder Naofumi for causing it because she simply hates having to put any actual effort into things that much.
Cain and Abel: The Cain to Melty's Abel. She would gladly kill Melty so she can be the only successor to the throne.
The Corrupter: Like canon, she serves this role, she causes Naofumi and Motoyasu to unlock their Curse series and made Albert and his men desire Revenge against the Cardinal heroes.
Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: While she is lazy and prone to Stupid Evil, she is also a powerful fire mage that can hold her own against the Cardinal heroes. If she were more trustworthy, she'd make a decent party member.
Determinator: In a dark deconstruction of this trope, Malty is utterly determined to screw over everyone and anyone that even slightly pisses her off no matter how tortured her logic is or how justified their actions were, which includes people who forced her to be held accountable for her reprehensible actions. She doesn't have the forethought, brainpower, or even a sense of basic empathy to stop and consider that her own actions led to her punishments, and this just leads to her crimes escalating more and more in blindly vindictive attempts to have the last laugh.
Dirty Coward: Whenever she does anything, it's always behind someone else, whether it be her father Aultcray, Motoyasu, or some fanatical knights. Even when she fights Naofumi on her own, it's only after the odds are stacked in favor.
Didn't Think This Through: The main reason behind her Stupid Evil tendencies is that she fails to consider perfectly logical or natural consequences of her actions. Such as when she levies a tax on Lute that is physically impossible for any of the villagers to pay, leading to a mass of villagers leaving, the former lord (successfully) petitioning her father to reinstate him, and a rebellion forming from every able-bodied fighter left in the village.
Does Not Like Men: Implied to be the case, considering how she has no problem with leaving them to suffer the rather fatal effects of her accusations. Then again, women like Rino show that she's not above acting like this to the same sex either. Perhaps she just doesn't like anyone except herself?
Engineered Public Confession: Naofumi tricks her into revealing, in front of the Spear Hero, that she cares for nothing but power and that everyone - from her family to the other heroes - are stepping stones for her to ascend to the throne. She further says that she would kill all the ones she's supposed to care for if it meant becoming Queen.
Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: Being a greedy, deceitful and manipulative backstabber of the first degree, things like compassion and friendship are alien to her. Why would Malty care about others when she can screw around them For the Evulz? She is also totally apathetic and uncaring of how those same people have a laundry list of reasons to hate and condemn her. Even if people condemn her for being vindictive and petty, she'll instead blame them for her "misery", ignorant of what she's being punished for even if she realizes she's screwed.
Evil Gloating: It's like a compulsion for her so long as no one else is around to hear it but her target. This comes back to bite her in her duel with Naofumi when she takes the time to give him a detailed description of just what she'll do to Raphtalia, Filo, and her own sister now that Naofumi can't defend them, fully intending to make him angry. He unlocks his Curse series in response. And her continual gloating only proceeds to make him unlock the Second tier to 'absolutely wipe the floor' with her.
Evil Is Petty: Does everything in her power to ruin people's lives, for no good reason, all the while smugly rubbing it in their faces how they can't retaliate against her without getting into legal trouble. She also tries to kill Melty when the latter undermines her authority to the knights loyal to the crown and calls her out on her Stupid Evil tendencies.
False Rape Accusation: While it doesn't go according to plan, Malty still manages to frame Naofumi for attempted rape, and takes advantage of him running away to make him a fugitive.
Femme Fatale: She uses her looks to screw anyone over. Naofumi and Motoyasu found out the hard way.
Fiery Sensuality: Malty is a (purportedly) skilled fire mage and uses her looks to entice men to get what she wants and screw them over when done with them.
For the Evulz: Several instances of her attempting to attack Naofumi occurred when there would have been little if anything to gain; she simply enjoys making him suffer.
Point of Divergence: Due to her father deciding to discipline her for messing up with Lute, she ends up receiving actual training in swordsmanship, battle tactics, and magic, making her a more genuine Magic Knight Dark Action Girl than her canon self could ever hope to be.
Hard Work Hardly Works: She certainly believes this and abhors putting effort into anything.
- Despite ultimately helping her in the long run, she is rather open about her hatred of her dad making her study and wouldn't have done it otherwise.
- She expresses complete disappointment for the church members being unable to defeat Motoyasu, stating their efforts were All for Nothing.
Hate Sink: She's just as bad, if not worse, as she is canon and she doesn't even have the excuse of being a fragment of an evil goddess. And she just seems to be getting worse from there. It's about to the point where her being married to King Faubley might not be enough to satisfy the readers' desire for her to suffer (not that Faubley will end up doing that. There are just some things that should never be written).
Insistent Terminology: Whenever she casts spells the long way, she always adds the line 'and as the next Queen' despite the fact that she's been officially removed from the line of succession. She does this even when taking it out would allow her to cast faster.
Kick the Dog: Burned a man to death for being worried about her safety during her duel with Naofumi.
Lady Macbeth: Her whole character summed up in one trope, and essentially her entire role in the story, she's this to anyone either unaware, naïve or stupid enough to take her word at face value. She'll gleefully encourage their worst traits in order to watch the drama and carnage unfold for her personal gain or amusement until she either ditches them for someone else, or she's forced to take responsibility for her actions. Just don't expect her to feel anything resembling guilt, though. She would sooner see the entire world burn than acknowledge any wrongdoing on her part, let alone apologize for them.
Lady of Black Magic: Former Princess of the Melromarc Kingdom who is attractive and even more so cruel and manipulative. She's also a powerful mage with a penchant for fire magic.
Laser-Guided Karma:
- Comparatively minor to the rest, but her "chosen champion" being repeatedly made an ineffectual fool of himself almost every time he tried to wave his spear around for her sake was very cathartic.
- When she cheats in his duel and claims Naofumi raped her, Raphtalia slapped her and called her a pig.
- After she causes a rebellion via over-taxation, she loses Motoyasu and Aultcray cuts off his backing to her and forces his daughter to study her magic and Swordsmanship, which she hates.
- After abusing Naofumi and making him spend all his money on armor for her when they first met, he destroys it with Hope Asunder.
Lethally Stupid: Malty is this in spades, to the point of losing all of the advantages her status as a princess granted her a becoming homeless vagabond. A more competent villain would have known when to stop instead of deciding that it would be in her best interest to act out of pure, petty spite.
Manic Pixie Dream Girl: A dark subversion. She starts off acting as a cutesy, helpful girl who joins the underdog Naofumi to help him become the strongest hero, introducing him to the world's workings and even taking him to a nice inn. All while planning to steal everything he owns while accusing him of raping her.
Ms. Fanservice: Despite how evil she is, one cannot deny that she is physically attractive with her red hair, fairly ample breasts, and choice of wardrobe. Invoked in-universe as well as one of her ways of manipulating others.
Mugging the Monster: After finally getting the upper hand in their duel in chapter 34, Malty takes a moment to mock and belittle Naofumi along with threatening to have him watch as Raphtalia's former owner tortures both her and Filo to death. Too bad she doesn't know about the Cursed Series.
Narcissist: Her personality as a whole, Malty only cares about herself and will manipulate anyone to get what she wants, especially men.
Never My Fault: Lampshaded by the narrative. After being forced to go on the run after her Engineered Public Confession, Malty blames everyone but herself for her misfortune, even going so far as to blame Motoyasu for 'betraying her' despite the fact he was her biggest supporter until Naofumi tricked her into confessing she was using him.
Nice Job Fixing It, Villain:
- Her using Rino to power herself up eventually causes Rino to be released from slavery earlier than in canon.
- It also caused Rino and Elena to become far more powerful and useful to Motoyasu.
Noblewoman's Laugh: She's prone to laugh like this, complete with the hand pose, usually after screwing Naofumi over in some way.
Only Known by Their Nickname: Naofumi has called her Bitch for so long that he pretty much forgets her real name.
Opportunistic Bastard: If the opportunity for increasing her personal comfort or standing appears she'll jump on it, usually without fully considering what will come after.
Personality Powers: Malty's specialty in magic is fire spells. Fitting how Malty herself comes off as destructive and out of control when it comes to her disgustingly toxic personality.
Playing with Fire: She's already an accomplished fire mage before the start of the story, contrasting her sister and mother's affinity for water and ice magic respectively. This puts more holes in her accusation: if Naofumi did try to rape her, it would've been at a point where he had almost no fighting skills, and Malty would've burnt him to a crisp with no trouble at all.
Pretty Freeloader:
- The only thing Malty has going for her is her looks, and it shows with just how little she actually contributes to Motoyasu's party when she's not busy kicking puppies.
- What's more, this also results in Melromarc's royal treasury being spent on frivolous things since, as its princess, she was essentially this trope to the whole country.
Psychopathic Womanchild: She's basically an insufferable Royal Brat in a grown woman's body who thinks she can get away with anything because her parents are the rulers and throws tantrums whenever things don't go her way. This is the reason why her younger sister Melty was personally groomed to be the heir to Melromarc's throne, simply because their mother could clearly see that Malty is the kind of person that would run the whole country into the ground. Considering how she was encouraging her father to do just that, Mirelia's decision to do that and later disown her and Aultcray was more than justified.
Powers via Weapon: Her Magic Dragon Steel Sword is noted to give her stats a huge boost.
Pyromaniac: Malty just loves to burn people to death if they annoy her.
Redemption Rejection: She is completely unrepentant of everything she's done to Naofumi and everyone else she's ever crossed. Despite this, she's not above acting remorseful to try and escape punishment, and her lack of apology during her pitiful begging is a dead giveaway that she doesn't feel a damn thing about what she's done.
Rich in Dollars, Poor in Sense:
- Like canon, Malty was so spoiled by her father and Motoyasu, she never really learned how to be responsible with money.
- In one Omake, she spent 2500 gold coins on a sword that only costs 5 gold coins.
Screw the Rules, I Have Connections!: Loves to leverage the fact that she's the eldest child of the king and queen to get what she wants and counter any accusations against her. Subverted in that when her actions start to reflect poorly upon her father (her mother was already well aware that she was poor leadership material, which is why her younger sister is the heir to the throne), he pulls his backing and forces her to learn magic amongst other things to try and become more useful as a party member.
Seven Deadly Sins: Just like canon, Malty exhibits all of the Seven Sins.
- Envy - Malty is envious of whoever gets anything she thinks she's entitled to. Like her attempts to kill her younger sister Melty because Queen Mirelia made the latter next in line for the throne and not her. She also sold Rino into slavery for getting too close to Motoyasu.
- Lust - She is a promiscuous vixen who used her looks to manipulate men. She has slept around with dozens of men before accusing them of rape. It's also implied she has done this on Motoyasu to manipulate him.
- Greed - Malty overspends money from the royal treasury on frivolities. She hates when someone doesn't spend a lot of money on her, such as Naofumi's haggling with Elhart to buy her fancy armor set for cheaper. She also has no problems with stealing Heroes' possessions and money when they're no longer useful to her.
- Pride - Malty has an incredibly inflated ego, resulting in an extremely vindictive character when she's put in her place by someone more competent than her. Furthermore, she also believes she can do no wrong and that she should be free to do as she pleases without consequence.
- Sloth - Despite being purportedly skilled in the art of the sword and fire magic, Malty never bothered to train her skills, always relying on proxies to win battles. She only trained after her father forced her to and used Rino so she would have to put any real effort into getting EXP herself.
- Gluttony - Being spoiled rotten by her father Aultcray, she wants to have anything she fancies, no matter the cost.
- Wrath - She becomes murderously angry when she's humiliated or not given what she wants, driving her to make rash decisions without thinking beforehand. Like wanting to murder Naofumi simply because she had to actually put effort into something.
Sibling Murder: She tried to kill her little sister Melty personally by burning her alive with fire magic.
Significant Green-Eyed Redhead: Yep, that red hair and green eyes mean that she's important. Not that it's a good thing, though...
Smug Snake: She'll gleefully insult, belittle and kick down anyone she perceives as an easy target for her own amusement. But when her actions inevitably backfire on her, she wastes no time in shamelessly begging for her life or blaming someone else.
The Sociopath: An astoundingly low-functioning version. She cares only for herself and is seemingly unable to stop herself from being cruel to others even when it ends up inconveniencing her.
Spoiled Brat: She was spoiled rotten by her father, which likely contributed to her personality.
Strong Family Resemblance: She looks almost exactly like her mother.
Stupid Evil: She's pretty much mentally incapable of considering a path that would make her a Villain with Good Publicity and instead acts like she already is one due to being a member of the royal family to sow as much pain and suffering as possible as quickly as possible without thinking of how that might come back to bite her.
Too Dumb to Live: She sincerely thought it was a good idea to attack a Curse Series Naofumi head-on after seeing what he could do.
Villain: Exit, Stage Left: Escaped in the chaos during the fight with the Pope.
Villainous Princess: She is the Big Bad of the series who kicks off the plot by making a False Rape Accusation against Naofumi, turning him into an outcast. She also treats her more kind-hearted sister like trash and is behind a lot of the bad happenings in the series. She also screwed over a lot of other people besides Naofumi as well.
Wounded Gazelle Gambit: One of her favorite strategies is to tearfully confess to her mark that her previous benefactor abused her in some way.
Would Hurt a Child: Malty openly tries to have Melty murdered so that she'll be the only candidate of ascending to the throne.
The Wrongful Heir to the Throne: Her mother could see that she would be a horrible Queen, so she named Melty as the Heir. Being reminded of this is her Berserk Button.
You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: She has everyone who has helped her abandoned at some point when she decides that she doesn't need them anymore.
- Readers wait for the day when this trope is applied to her.

Lesty

Level: 60's

One of Motoyasu's party members. She helped Malty escape after Melromarc was liberated from the Church of the Three Heroes. She and Malty are working with Mauld to get revenge.

Adaptational Karma: She suffers the consequences of her actions sooner than in canon, she is poor and homeless after she frees Malty from jail.
Adapted Out: Due to leaving after Balamus is defeated, she is absent from the Third Wave and Cal Mira.
Horrible Judge of Character: She thinks of Malty as a friend and the perfect partner but she can`t see that Malty just uses her as a pawn just like everyone else.
Only Friend: She is pretty much Malty's only friend.
Out of Focus: She is, by far, the least focused on of all of Motoyasu's party.
Spoiled Brat: Along with being a Royal Brat. She comes from a noble family and spends most of her time whining when things don't go her way. Combined with their similar appearances, one could mistake Lesty and Malty for sisters and that helps to explain why the two are considered friends (at least to Lesty).
Token Evil Teammate: She willingly goes along with Malty's schemes and orders instead of pretending like the others.
Villain: Exit, Stage Left: Escaped in the chaos during the fight with the Pope.

Elena

Level: 70's?

One of Motoyasu's party members. A woman with orange hair. Generally lazy, but at least cares for the Spear Hero enough that she decides to stay after Malty convinces Lesty to leave with her.

Adaptational Badass:
- In canon, she was a Faux Action Girl like the rest of Motoyasu's party. Here her level is in the sixties, about thirty levels higher than her canon-self was at the time.
- After grinding, her level is sixty-nine by Cal Mira.
Brilliant, but Lazy: Elena's a very good and trustworthy merchant, but she just doesn't want to do the work.
Pet the Dog: She comforts Motoyasu after Filo kicks him in the groin.
Sour Supporter: Not the most outward supporter, but loyal.
Token Good Teammate: She was the only member of Motoyasu's original party besides Rino that had any real loyalty to him.

Rino

Level: 70's

A swordswoman with originally blonde, now light green hair. In canon, she tries to join Motoyasu's party, and Bitch sells her off as a human slave (breaking several different laws about slavery in Melromarc). She isn't seen again until LN 19. Here, however, after Motoyasu runs off into a self-inflicted exile, Malty purchases Rino back and forces her to grind monsters to make her and the rest of Motoyasu's girls stronger. The fact that she even survived grinding Malty past level 60 is impressive, to say the least. Her hair color is supposed to be blonde, but now, it is light green for some reason.

Adaptational Badass:
- Rino's level in canon was about 20 the last time it was reported in canon. Here it is in the 60's thanks to Malty using her as her new attack dog.
- After level grinding, her level is 71 by Cal Mira.
Adaptational Early Appearance: She reappears earlier than in canon.
Foil: She can be seen to Raphtalia. Both were taken in as slaves made to fight for another, unlike Raphtalia however, Malty treated her poorly. Both are also swordswomen and members of Cardinal hero's parties.
Point of Divergence: Thanks to Motoyasu running off, Malty needed a new attack dog, so she decided to use Rino for that role.
Heroes Prefer Swords: A swordswoman and probably the most heroic member of the Spear Hero's party.
Made a Slave: It's revealed that Malty had placed a Slave Brand on her, and forced her to fight monsters non-stop in order to help Malty level up. Fortunately, it was removed by Motoyasu.
Strong and Skilled: Compared to the rest of the party, she is this. She is the only one with any real formal combat training before becoming a member of the party and has a level as high as 71.
Token Human: She is the only former slave to not be a demihuman.
Throw the Dog a Bone: She is freed from slavery sooner than her canon self and gets to fight alongside Motoyasu.
Token Good Teammate: She is one of the only members of Motoyasu's party to be loyal to him and is probably the noblest member of the Spear Hero's party.

Melromarc Kingdom

King Aultcray Melromarc

The King of Melromarc. He was the one that ultimately decided to summon the Four Heroes to Melromarc after Balamus and Malty convinced him that there was no other option for surviving the waves. After his daughter accused Naofumi of rape and because Naofumi ran away instead of staying to defend himself, Aultcray came to see Naofumi as a villain instead of a hero - which unknowingly played into the hands of the Church, who blindsided him later on with their coup and the supposed death of his daughter, Melty. He got through it all and learned Melty was still alive and that Naofumi hadn't done anything wrong, but he was still destroyed mentally and emotionally by the weight of his actions and is slow to recover from the mental guilt he is under from them.

Adaptational Intelligence: While he's still a Jerkass to Naofumi, the King was noticeably less incompetent as a ruler than in canon thanks to how events played out.
Asskicking Leads to Leadership: He's an incredibly skilled tactician and earned the attention of his wife by leading Melromarc as the Staff Hero against their enemies.
Authority in Name Only: He's eventually revealed to be only a King consort, with the real ruler of Melromarc being his wife. It is later revealed Lord Seaetto had been left in charge while Mirellia was gone, and it was only because the Church assassinated him at the time of the Wave (unknown to everyone) that Aultcray was forced to take charge.
Cynicism Catalyst: He was a genuinely good person and very skilled on the battlefield. But because he lost his family to demi-humans, specifically the hakuko, he developed an intense hatred for them.
Et Tu, Brute?: Aultcray and Pope Balamus were allies during the 8-year war, so he was completely shocked when he discovers the latter's conspiracy against the crown and attempted assassination of Melty.
Everyone Has Standards: While he was initially a supporter of Motoyasu, he cannot turn a blind eye to his failings as a hero and calls him out for it. He also punishes Malty for her role in messing up Lute.
Fallen Hero: He was once a beloved hero who fought Siltvelt head-on in their quest for world domination, managing to overthrow their king and save many countries. By the time the series begins, thanks to his years of hatred toward Demi-Humans and Malty manipulating him, he became a shell of the wise and intelligent strategist he once was. He's long since lost the ability to summon his Seven Star weapon, though it sticks around for the day he'll once again be worthy of holding it.
Forgiven, but Not Forgotten: As long as he takes step to repent, Naofumi won't press the issue.
- In fact, Naofumi and Aultcray grow closer than before thanks to the events that occur during the Spirit Tortoise incident.
Heroic BSoD: In the aftermath of the Church's betrayal, he becomes almost catatonic, being unable to react to anything - until his wife doles out a storm of dope slaps with her Combat Hand Fan. And the only thing he's able to say to her is: "I'm... sorry."
Misplaced Retribution: This is what his grudge against Naofumi boils down to. His hatred for him stemmed from his sister being killed by demihumans. And Malty's manipulations did not help matters whatsoever.
Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: He is the one that orders the summoning of the Four Heroes, causing no end of political trouble that his wife is forced to deal with.
Noble Bigot: Deconstructed, much like in canon. His hatred for demi-humans is a likely cause for him not thinking Naofumi could be innocent. It is also reasonable for him as a Father to not doubt it, since it was possible his own daughter was raped, and Naofumi 'ran away' from the Capital immediately afterward.
Papa Wolf: Deconstructed. He loves his eldest daughter but was so blind to her faults that he didn't realize she was playing him for a fool.
Retired Badass: Years ago, Aultcray was a powerful adventurer and wielded the Seven Star Cane while leading a war against Siltvelt. He retired from active adventuring and has settled into his role as King Consort.
Tragic Villain:
- Aultcray Melromarc, AKA Luge Faubley, AKA the Trash King, didn't dislike Naofumi from the start because he was the God of the demi-humans. As it was revealed, Aultcray lost all his original family except his sister as a child to Hakuko mercenaries. Then, as the General/King of Melromarc in his prime, he lost his sister to what was supposed to be a Hakuko peace party. Aultcray's motivation now is to keep his family safe, no matter the cost. And it both blinds him and drives him - something his daughter Malty (AKA Bitch) uses to her advantage.
- It's implied that had Bitch never accused Naofumi of rape, Aultcray would have warmed up to working with the Shield Hero, especially since he'd come to realize Naofumi was far more capable than the other heroes. Because of Bitch manipulating her dear daddy, that didn't happen.
- After Balamus and his Royal Knight Commander turn against him, performing a coup, and making it appear that his precious daughter Melty died in a blast of Judgment, Aultcray is thrown into a cell. When he's next shown, he is broken. Gone is the King of Melromarc. Here, he is just a broken old man, preparing to be whipped and then executed by the Church.
- Even after being saved and spared, by the Spirit Tortoise Arc, he is still a broken man. One that is slowly taking steps towards the path of redemption in the eyes of Mirellia, and in the eyes of Naofumi.

Queen Mirelia Melromarc

The Queen of Melromarc. She spent most of Hope away from Melromarc, attempting to convince the other nations not to declare war over her country's prompt decision to summon all Four Heroes out of turn. Still, her hand was felt through her Shadows and her second daughter up until her return. Where she has remained an important figure for her country and for the Heroes ever since.

Big Damn Heroes: Finally makes her return to Melromarc during the Heroes' liberation, killing a Church knight that was about to kill Melty.
Big Good: She's one of the Hero's most valuable allies.
Fiery Redhead: She's a purple-haired woman that can get really angry if someone sets her off - even if she manages to hide it behind a Tranquil Fury façade. She can also be this literally when she uses Fire Magic.
Foolish Husband, Responsible Wife: Most certainly in this case. While her husband made stupid decisions thanks to their eldest daughter and the Church, Mirelia was busy handling diplomatic affairs in other countries. She also takes great pains to get the Heroes on her side, both because she feels remorse for her daughter's actions, and because she knows that as someone who is worshipped in demi-human countries, the Shield Hero would make for a powerful ally should war break out.
Good Is Not Dumb: She tries hard to keep Naofumi as a valued ally because she knows the demi-human countries will listen to whatever he says, and because she feels genuinely sorry for how he's been treated by the people of her country.
Good Is Not Soft: She's the Big Good of the series but you still don't want to mess with her. She dishes out a brutal execution to Balamus for what he's done to Naofumi, Ren, Itsuki, Motoyasu, and the rest of the country.
The High Queen: The Queen of Melromarc. When she gets back home, she does everything she can to fix her husband's and the Church's mistakes while finding a way to keep the Heroes around.
An Ice Person: She wields ice magic while fighting.
Making a Splash: Capable of wielding Water Magic.
Mama Bear: She threatens to kill Naofumi if anything happens to Melty.
- She almost looks like she will kill Naofumi when she learns what he said to her during the events of the Spirit Tortoise arc.
Mom Looks Like a Sister: She looks more like she could be the older sister to Malty and Melty than their mother.
Out of Focus: Being away from Melromarc kept her out of Hope, for the most part, unable to do anything beyond sending her Shadows to aid the Heroes and their allies.
Red Baron: She's the "Vixen of Melromarc".
Reasonable Authority Figure: She uses her authority to grant the Heroes the region of Seaetto, and aids them as much as she can both upfront and behind the scenes. Her honest yet firm attitude causes her to be one of the very few upper-class people Naofumi and the other Heroes trust.
Royals Who Actually Do Something: She fights with her army and makes it clear that she's going to personally take meting out justice to Balamus with her own hands. She later does so.
Tranquil Fury: She's described as being Fire and Water - the former for her personality, the latter for her calm and collected behavior. This combines into someone that can show how furious she is in one sentence while appearing outwardly calm. Though when the calm facade drops, it is not pretty for whoever is on the receiving end of it.
- This is also the key to her ability to control Ice Magic, which can only be produced through training with both Fire and Water Magic.
Ugly Guy, Hot Wife: Her husband is clearly getting on in years while Mirelia, despite being "old", is still quite beautiful. Despite that, she still very much loves and cares for him.
We Used to Be Friends: She was Altara's friend back when they were young.
What the Hell, Hero?: Finally lets out her rage with her husband after all his screw-ups put her diplomatic mission at risk - and caused Siltvelt to declare war.
- She later did this to Naofumi, when the Shield Hero singlehandedly burned every bridge he had with all of his allies, including Melty.

Knight Leader of Melromarc/Mustached Royal Knight Commander

Knight Leader of Melromarc

The commander of the royal knight guard.

Adaptational Villainy: While he was a jerk in canon, this version is far worse, betraying the king to Balamus and being the one that killed Eclair's father.
Adaptation Expansion: He plays a slightly larger role than in canon.
Asshole Victim: After all the dicking around he did, no one shed any tears when Eclair slayed him.
Death by Adaptation: He's alive in Canon; having been present to witness the Trial of King Aultcray and Malty. Here, he dies before The Second Wave even happens.
Dirty Coward: He was easily spooked when Ake claimed a Wave monster was in the room with him.
Elite Mook: He is only slightly more important than the average soldier.
Enemy Mine: He was forced to watch as his allies allied with Naofumi to fight the first Wave monsters.
Karmic Death: He entered Luroluna Village after having killed off Lord Seatto and sold off the villagers due to their reverence for The Shield Hero, Months later; he is killed off by Seaetto's daughter Eclair; who originally left the Queen in order to join The Shield Hero's party.
Hate Sink: An egomaniac that cares more about fame than helping people. He later sells out his country to save his own skin.
Mook Lieutenant: He is the commander of the royal knight guard.
No Name Given: Like canon, his name is never revealed. It is lampshaded when Eclair kills him, with the narration noting he was never important enough to receive a name. His only distinguishing feature was his mustache.
Off with His Head!: Upon learning that he was the one who murdered her father, Eclair decapitates him.
Rewarded as a Traitor Deserves: He sells out the king to Balamus and is executed by Eclair for his crimes.
Skewed Priorities: A non-comedic example. He prioritized catching Naofumi over fighting the Wave forces.
Smug Snake: Like canon, he bragged about being more helpful in the Wave than he actually was. Ake embarrasses him by calling him out on it at the celebration.
- Later, he is overconfident and mocking towards Eclair when she confronts him about the person that killed her father, but quickly starts to panic as she effortlessly overpowers him.
Villainous Breakdown: When Eclair overpowers him during their fight, he quickly loses all his bravado and, after one of the other commanders reveals that he was the one who killed Lord Seatto, he starts screaming for his knights to protect him before getting decapitated.

Church of the Three Heroes

In General

Originally the legend was about the Four Heroes: The Sword, Spear, Bow, and Shield. From this legend came the Four Saints Faith which worshipped all Heroes equally. However, the Shield's legend was more closely tied with the demi-humans, to the point that many demi-humans worshipped the Shield exclusively. A faction advocating human supremacy deemed the Shield a devil and splintered from the Faith. This is part of the background for the Three Heroes Church.

Belief Makes You Stupid: The Church Knights take their faith to ungodly levels by marching off into battle without carrying any shields to protect them. Come Chapter 53 when they are facing off against Queen Mirellia's Royal Knights, the Church Knights are immediately routed and suffer far more casualties due to arrows and spells that are fired at them by the Royal Knights: who are carrying both weapons and shields.
Believing Their Own Lies: When Ren and his party uncover documents of how the Three Heroes Church was founded and the reasons why they demonize demihumans and the Shield Hero in the way that they do, the Pope remarks that they should have destroyed the document sooner because it was "filled with old blasphemies".
Bestiality Is Depraved: According to the Three Heroes Church' theology, demi-humans are the product of humans mating with monsters and are thus abominations in the eyes of God, this being a primary motivator for racism against them in Melromarc. This is, in fact, a lie- the real reason is so that Demihumans, with their exceedingly fast growth rate through leveling, don't outnumber humans and drive them to extinction.
The Church: They are called the Church of Three Heroes for a reason.
Corrupt Church: The High Priest planned to seize control of Melromarc by wiping out the Heroes and Melromarc's royal family.
Crystal Dragon Jesus: They worship three of the Heroes rather than any god, but their iconography, attires, architecture, hierarchy, and rituals bear similarities to those of Catholicism.
Evil Counterpart: Their weapon replica serves as one for the Heroes.
Hide the Evidence: It is revealed by Ren that The Three Heroes Church held knowledge into the origins of the Demi-Humans: not as the result of Humans mating with Monsters, but through a Merged Reality that brought the Beastmen and Demi-Humans' from their world to this one: in doing so, it also made the Legendary Shield and Bow that was a part of that world now native to this one. Over time, the predecessors of the Church managed to convert the Bow Hero to their side; yet the Legendary Shield and its bearers remained steadfast to its original world's inhabitants.
Hoist by His Own Petard: The church lured Naofumi and Raphtalia into a mine to have them eaten by an Orthrus Dog since it was way too high level for the two to beat. However, since they did beat it, and since Naofumi absorbed the remains into his shield, he gets a shield based on the Orthrus Dog, which is one of his more effective ones and one of the few with an offensive use. Not only does the fight make Naofumi stronger, but he uses the shield against the Church's forces multiple times.
Illegal Religion: As a result of Pope Balamus' attempt to overthrow the Melromarc royal family, Queen Mirelia outlaws the Church of Three Heroes, replacing it with the original Four Saints Faith. Survivors of the Three Heroes Church attempt to return to power by joining forces with Malty and Mauld and are subsequently crushed.
Religion of Evil: They are a religion that preaches Fantastic Racism towards demihumans and has fascist leanings.
Screw the Rules, I Have Connections!: Despite the fact that they were accomplices in the attempted murder of the Melromarc royal family, many members of the Church were merely imprisoned instead of executed because they were nobles by birth.
Shields Are Useless: Or rather, "Shields are Evil" due to the fact that The Shield Hero is seen as the Devil of their religion, this belief is so strong that even Knights loyal to the Church go without carrying any sort of shield to protect them. The Pope foregoes using the Replica Weapon's Shield Form when he is fighting against the other Heroes and instead relies on a Magic barrier and a Cathedral powered by his followers to protect him.

Pope Balamus

The Pope of the Church of the Three Heroes.

Adaptation Name Change: His canon name is Balmus, but here he is called Balamus.
Adaptational Villainy: He was already a villain in canon, but he's shown to be much worse here, being all too willing to have his followers use the highly destructive Judgement spell in Melromarc's capital, even though it could kill hundreds of people, for the sake of killing Itsuki, Naofumi and Ren. He also brainwashes a demihuman into following his beliefs in order to use her as a weapon against her own people, and his actions ruling Melromarc after his coup resulted in more deaths than the three Waves of Destruction combined.
A God Am I: He outright proclaims to be God during the Liberation of Melromarc, when the Four Heroes fight him.
And There Was Much Rejoicing: The crowd witnessing his execution cheer once he finally meets his end.
Arch-Enemy: As the leader of the Three Heroes Church, he views Naofumi as his arch-enemy.
Asshole Victim: After all the suffering he caused, it's hard to feel sorry for him when he is executed, twice.
All Your Powers Combined: He can use the skills of Itsuki, Motoyasu, and Ren due to having a Morph Weapon that was made as a replica of the original Legendary Weapons. He could use Naofumi's skills as well but is too prejudiced and prideful to do so.
Composite Character: Not him, but rather the Replica Weapon. As explained in Lessons on the Replica omake, the fic's Replica Weapon takes qualities from both the Light Novel and the Anime. The Weapon's vast mana supply comes from both ancient followers storing their mana into it over the centuries, like in the LN, and from the mana being donated from the thousands of followers already present, like in the anime. This also causes the Replica's skills to charge up faster due to the overabundance of mana, though the author subtlety admits that this isn't how that works but is doing it anyway.
Cruel and Unusual Death: He is burned alive at the same time his soul is shredded and eaten by a Soul Worm. The brutality is such that even Naofumi (who outright hates the guy and is looking forward to seeing him dead) considers it too much.
Deader than Dead: Getting his soul eaten by a Soul Worm ensures he's rendered into non-existence.
Didn't Think This Through: Even if he did succeed in killing the four heroes and the two princesses, the queen would have still executed him and the rest of the Three Heroes Church for what they have done, even with the Replica he had, he would have run out of mana eventually and either been executed by Mirellia or killed by Siltvelt, depending on who he was fighting at the time.
Evil Is Petty: He's even worse than the king when it comes to grudges against the shield hero. The king at least has an understandable reason for not liking him. But Bisca's reasons are flat-out contempt just because the Shield Hero was worshiped by demi-humans. Naofumi has never done anything to him personally and the pope only targeted him just due to the title he was given, that's it.
For Want Of A Nail:
- Instead of just the thousands of followers constantly supplying mana to Balamus like in the Anime, the Replica Weapon itself is also powered by centuries worth of past church followers storing their mana inside it like in the Light Novel. The author invokes Rule of Cool, with the overflow of mana from all the followers making fighting Balamus much more dangerous than ever in either canon media. In addition, the Sanctuary/Cathedral Spell not only cancels out the effects of curses from Tier II and lower Curse Series Weapon forms, but it also cancels out many of the effects of Tier II Blessed Series Weapon forms. Somehow, Naofumi overcomes the barrier with "Pandora's Box", like in canon with the Shield of Wrath and Blood Sacrifice.
- Balamus is executed, physically and spiritually, by being burned at a stake and having his soul eaten by a soul worm.
Four Eyes, Zero Soul: While he acts like a benevolent leader of the Church of the Three Heroes, his true colors show when he reveals his plot of murdering all of the heroes and the royal family.
Hated by All: By the time he is defeated and executed, just about everyone in Melromarc (with the possible exception of his remaining loyalists) hates Balamus for what he's done ruling the kingdom after his coup.
Hate Sink: Balamus becomes one In-Universe after being captured, as Melromarc's population are finally able to unleash their rage with him during his trial.
Holy Hand Grenade: The Pope wields a replica of the four cardinal weapons. It is shown to be incredibly powerful, allowing the Pope to effortlessly block everything thrown at him and can use the same techniques as the heroes themselves. However, it is flawed, as each use of it take massive reserves of mana, draining the weapon and swaths of his followers exponentially.
Home Field Advantage: He uses an Area of Effect ability called Cathedral (the real name for it being Sanctuary) which grants him protection from curses and gives him passive defenses as long as it stands. This takes a massive amount of mana to summon and maintain, so it is powered by the Church's followers channeling their mana onto him.
Horrible Judge of Character: He believes Naofumi is a follower of the devil just because the Legendary Shield chose Naofumi as its Bearer, even though Naofumi didn't do anything wrong and was earnestly helping the world fight against the waves of calamity. Naofumi was also helping the Heroes the Church did worship to grow more powerful and do good things. This just shows how delusional this fanatic is.
Hypocrite: He claims that he is a follower of God when he is attempting to kill Naofumi just because he is the Shield Hero which is discrimination and a crime against God. He even has a "God complex" as he proclaims that anyone who opposes him is "evil" when he is the only one carrying out any evil deeds by the church.
Logical Weakness: Since his replica weapon and spells take a massive amount of mana to use, he has to bring an army's worth of followers whose sole purpose is to act as living batteries just to have a continuous mana source. This means defeating his followers would weaken him. He is able to compensate for this with the mana his predecessors put into it, but eventually, he'd be forced to rely entirely on this mana when his followers run out of power.
More than Mind Control: This is how he turns Victoria against demihumans, slowly brainwashing her to hate her people and turning her into Altara via false kindness.
Rank Scales with Asskicking: He is the head of the Church and all four Heroes have trouble dealing with him until Naofumi hits him with Pandora's Box. That said, it's not really his fighting skills that make him dangerous, just the sheer power of his weapon powered by the faith of his followers.
Sinister Minister: The leader of a church full of these. He's also the former slave master of Wyndia.
Smug Snake: During his execution, tries to preach on about how the Church of the Three Heroes will return and that he will be their martyr. He changes his tune when Mirellia reveals that the execution involves getting his soul torn to shreds and eaten by a Soul Worm.
Taken for Granite: How Naofumi defeats him via Pandora's Box. He returns to normal in the next chapter but is no longer in any position to fight back.
Tautological Templar: He honestly believes he's a good and just person, so everything he does is therefore honest and just whether it's backstabbing the Three Heroes or organizing a coup to overthrow the country at a time that waves of monsters appear at set intervals.
Unskilled, but Strong: The Replica Weapon gives the Pope the power of a Level 216 person, on top of his own personal levels and buffs, with access to the strongest skills of each Legendary Weapon that the other Heroes haven't even unlocked yet, the abundance of donated mana from both past and current followers means that he can spam powerful skills left and right, and his skills take less time to charge up and have no cooldown. However, the stats of his high level is only for a normal person instead of the stats of a Hero of equivalent level, he hasn't gotten increases from Strengthening Methods, Equipment Bonuses or Hero bonuses, and the Replica's versions of the skills of the Legendary Weapons are weaker than theirs. But on the other hand, the level difference between the Replica and the Legendary Heroes at that point is too large for that last fact to matter.
Villains Want Mercy:
- Once he finds himself in the dungeon completely helpless and finds out he will be executed in a few days, whatever remains of his pride is shattered to the point he begs for his life.
- Double Subverted during his actual execution itself. He initially refuses to beg for his life, remaining unrepentant of his deeds and confident that his death will serve as a martyr for his supporters in the Three Heroes Church. It's not until he finds out his soul will be fed to a Soul Worm that his bravado finally goes out the window. Too little, too late.
Willfully Weak: Like canon, he was not using the replica of the Legendary Weapons to its fullest potential as it could change into all four forms of the four heroes' weapons - including the shield. Whether it was out of pride, belief in his cause, or just to not look like a hypocrite, he refused to use the shield form.

Altara/Victoria

A nun of the Three Heroes Church, her identity and past were a complete mystery, as well as her looks, always hidden under her hood. Wearing a nun's white attire and a hood that is always up, she is a bigoted believer of the Church of the Three Heroes, using her position to kill demi-humans in the name of her Gods, and becomes one of many obstacles Naofumi (whom she regards as the Devil) has to avoid in his attempts to save Melromarc.
However, she was not always like this. Once upon a time, she was Victoria, the Raccoon representative on the Council of Siltvelt. After falling in love with a human prisoner of war, she married him in secret and ended up having two children - which ended up being discovered. The more extremist members of the Council had her family brutally executed and her exiled from Siltvelt, sending her into a fit of depression that Balamus took advantage of to brainwash her into becoming an instrument of the Church she had once opposed.

Alas, Poor Villain: Despite all the awful things she did and all the people she killed or injured, Altara/Victoria's death was rather sad, with the story pointing out how she was a woman who lost everything to evil people, which made her easy to manipulate by yet someone else who was evil.
An Arm and a Leg: She had her tail (the same most demi-humans have) amputated due to her Boomerang Bigot views.
Armor-Piercing Attack: At least one of the Light attacks Altara uses against Naofumi in the Pope Battle passes right through his shield, injuring him.
Berserk Button: When Naofumi knocks off her hood, revealing her long hair, she reacts by flying into a murderous rage and screaming that she will kill him and Raphtalia. Turns out it's not because her hair was revealed, but because her hood was knocked off, which she uses to hide her secret heritage.
Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: A nun, she is a die-hard believer of the doctrine of the Three Heroes' Church, and as such hates the Shield Hero and all demi-humans. She has tried to kill Naofumi several times in the name of her God and takes pleasure in using her light magic (which she claims was a gift from God) to murder demi-humans.
Boomerang Bigot: Once her hood is fully destroyed, it's revealed that she's actually a Demi-human, more specifically she's a Raccoon-type like Raphtalia (who is half-Raccoon, half-Tanuki) as she has Raccoon ears and grows prominent fangs, though she is missing a tail.
Dark and Troubled Past: It is heavily implied that she fell into a bad situation before joining the Three Heroes Church.
Dark Is Evil: It is revealed that she also has Shadow magic in addition to her Light magic, allowing her to cast Illusion magic in her fight against Raphtalia. This is because she is a Raccoon Demi-Human like Maya, thus sharing the same species-specific affinity as her and Raphtalia (who is half-raccoon).
The Dragon: She serves this role Balamus. Prior to her Heel–Face Turn.
Fantastic Racism: Really has it out for demi-humans. Claims to like killing at least one every few days.
Evil Former Friend: She was friends with the Queen prior to becoming a nun of the church. They reconcile in her final moments.
The Fundamentalist: She worships the Three Heroes and hates Naofumi (whom she considers the "Shield Devil") more than anything else in the world.
Heel–Face Turn: Turns on Balamus when she hears him say that she was nothing but a tool and that all he had done for her was just to manipulate her.
I Owe You My Life: Serves Pope Balamus because he saved her from her Dark and Troubled Past.
In the Hood: She's possibly under in her 40's, but no one even knows what Altara's hair color is. Until Naofumi knocks her hood off.
Light Is Not Good: Claims her Light magic is a gift from God. It's not quite true...
Locked Out of the Loop: Altara was not told by Balamus that the Sword and Bow Hero are fighting against the Church, and is completely caught off guard when she sees them coming to Naofumi's rescue.
Maligned Mixed Marriage: During the Siltvelt War she fell in love with a human and secretly married him. Unfortunately, when the children they had were shown to be human, the gig was up and her husband and children were murdered on the orders of the Siltvelt nobles.
Meaningful Rename: She allowed Balamus to rename her as Altara to show how she had become loyal to his cause, and reclaim her true name while she dies to show how she's repentant of her crimes.
Misplaced Retribution: One of the reasons she hates Naofumi is because she believes he ruined her life in the past before she became a nun, even though Naofumi had never crossed paths with her. Her hatred comes from how her husband and children were murdered by Siltvelt agents and herself exiled due to the Raccoon demis being framed for the war, and her prayer to the Shield Hero was not answered. Balamus was then able to manipulate her into hating the Shield Hero and the other demi-humans.
Nun Too Holy: Is a nun, but is also sociopathic to the point that she thinks nothing of murdering people just for who they are.
Original Character: She is a character created for the fic.
Redemption Equals Death: Altara dies due to the injuries she suffered in the Battle of Melromarc, but dies redeemed after helping to bring down Balamus.
We Used to Be Friends: She was Mirellia's friend back when they were young.
- Was mentored by the Genmu Elder.
You Are What You Hate: She's a Demi-Human, a species known for their love of the Shield Hero, who hates the Shield Hero and thinks Demi-Humans are inferior creatures to Humans that must be destroyed, where other Demi-Human Kingdoms either live equally with Humans or treat them as inferior to Demi-Humans.

Siltvelt

In General

Fantastic Racism: Similar to how Melromarc tends to be racist against demi-humans, Siltvelt tends to be racist against humans.
Germans Love David Hasselhoff: Like in Canon, The folks of Siltvelt all love The Shield Hero; whom they see as a God in Human Form and treat as the rightful King of their nation, regardless of how Naofumi himself feels about it. Most of this stems from the Merged Reality trope: whereupon after the Beastmen and Demi-Humans world merged with this one, and the natives decided to launch a campaign of extermination, The Bow Hero had performed a Face–Heel Turn to join with Humanity. The Shield Hero was the only one of their world's original Cardinal Heroes that stood firmly on their side all this time.
Little Bit Beastly: Most of Siltvelt's population is demi-human, human-like with animal characteristics.
Merged Reality: It's revealed by a book within the Three Heroes' Church that this was the origin of Demi-Humans from their world merging with this one: bringing with them not only the Beastmen and Demi-Humans, but also the Legendary Shield and Legendary Bow along with several Vassal Weapons - including the Vassal Claw that were all a part of their original world.

Jaralis

A lion-therianthrope demi-human, Jaralis is one of the more outspoken of the Council of Siltvelt, which he uses to push forward his Warhawk ideas - including a war of extermination against Melromarc for their mistreatment of the Shield Hero.

Arc Villain: He is the opening antagonist of the Third Wave Arc.
Evil Mentor: Not him, but his mentor, Malak, who was one of the Council members that killed Victoria's family.
Fantastic Racism: He stands out in between the people of Siltvelt for wanting to exterminate the people of Melromarc.
Hate Sink: Naofumi only needs to meet him once to feel the need to punch the daylights out of him with the Shield of Rage equipped.
Hoist by His Own Petard: He used Naofumi's situation as an excuse to declare war on Melromarc. Then the Third Wave comes and Naofumi manages to use his status as the demihumans' God to get them to stop the war and work together with Melromarc.
Humiliation Conga: The god he claims to be fighting for rejects his justifications in front of Siltvelt's army, ruins his plan to destroy Melromarc by paralyzing him and motivating the army to focus on fighting the waves, provokes him into making a fool of himself in front of the council members, gets threatened into backing off and meeting Naofumi's demands, gets slandered with Naofumi's rumors of being a murderer, gets blamed and scapegoated by his former supporters for coercing them, and will most likely be dismissed from the council alongside the other corrupt members. By the time Siltvelt's forces are forced to return to their country, Jaralis is left fuming and forced to stay out of the public eye out of fear of being assassinated.
Hypocrite: He claims to fight to save Siltvelt's God (Naofumi), but ignores Naofumi's pleas to stop the war and is shown to be only using his people's religion to fit his own interests.
Pride: His main problem is that he's too prideful to accept someone getting one over him - which makes sense, given that he is a lion demi-human.
Skewed Priorities: A non-comedic example. Naofumi becomes dumbfounded and furious when Jaralis puts the destruction of Melromarc's army above the very real danger of Melromarc's Third Wave falling on both armies.
Smug Snake: He's a slimy Jerkass who is pretty much a demihuman Balamus. When he meets Naofumi, he is sure that he will support his ideas and plans - and becomes dumbfounded when he not only shoots them down but urges for peace in the face of the Waves.
- And just like Balamus, he is a true believer in his religion. Though, unlike Balamus, had Naofumi been summoned to Siltvelt instead of Melromarc, he would not have been the same character as he was in canon and this fic.

Werner

A bird-like demi-human, he is one of the leaders/most influential members of the Siltvelt Council. While Jaralis pushes for war, he pushes for peace. His flaw, however, is following with the will of the Council, even when said Council is in the wrong.

My Country, Right or Wrong: When the Council of Siltvelt makes a decision, he will not go against it even when he knows it is a terrible choice.
Playing with Fire: He shows his mastery of fire magic and his religious attitude at the same time when he burns a mimic familiar to a crisp for blasphemy (since it had taken on the Shield Hero's appearance).
Reasonable Authority Figure:
- He is one of the few who agrees with Naofumi about the need of making peace with Melromarc.
- Appears as an ally that helps out during the Spirit Tortoise Arc.

Genmu

Old Man Genmu

Has no given name thus far. One of the oldest and most influential representatives on the Siltvelt Council. A turtle-like demi-human with a large shell on his back, and a turtle tail sticking out his back, whether or not he's in human or therianthrope form. Has a great sense of humor, and shows up in time to throw his support to the Shield Hero after the Ghost Ship Wave. Was one of Victoria's mentors.

Dishing Out Dirt: As part of the Genmu race, he has an affinity for Earth Magic.
Reasonable Authority Figure: He is one of the few who agrees with Naofumi about the need of making peace with Melromarc.
Token Good Teammate: He is one of the only members of the council to openly support Naofumi.

Chen

Dou-Lon's Hakuko friend in the Siltvelt Royal Guard. After the Ghost Ship Wave, she is promoted to Captain and made the new head over the Royal Guard. Her specialty is scouting and tracking and she also has extensive knowledge as a ranger on monsters. Her appearance is different from normal Hakuko in that she has no fur on her arms or legs. Her hair color is brown instead of black and white. She also has a therianthrope form that she doesn't use. She does have the same blue eyes as the rest of her race though.

Childhood Friend: She is this to Dou-Lon.
Fantastic Science: Because of her ranger abilities, she has learned a lot about monsters. Her knowledge of them is quite extensive to the point that she knows their eating habits and their weak points. This plays a role in not only saving Wyndia but a group of people in a spider's nest.
The Gadfly: Even more so than Maya. She's carefree to the point that Dou-Lon questions when he learns about it if she's actually the Captain of the Royal Guard of Siltvelt or not.
- Can actually be serious when she needs to give out orders or organize her troops.
Original Character: Just like Dou-Lon, she's exclusive to the fic.
Rapid Aging: It is unclear how old she was before undergoing this, but like other demi-humans, she matured when she went up in levels.

Kizuna's World

Kizuna Kazayama

Lv: Unknown

The Holy Hero of the Hunting Tool from Glass's world. Was originally summoned before the Waves to defeat a world threat foe known as the Demon Dragon. She was successful alongside her friends and allies. However, she disappeared sometime before the Waves started. Glass and co have no idea as to her current whereabouts. All they know for sure is that she's still alive out there somewhere.

And I Must Scream: Was thrown into a seemingly inescapable prison for years by an enemy nation after being separated from her friends, with no one to interact with beside monsters. It is a miracle she is still so plucky after all of this time once she encounters Naofumi and Rishia.
BFS: Kizuna typically keep her weapon in the form of a tuna knife since this form is more practical for general combat engagement.
Blue Is Heroic: Cerulean is a major color in her main outfit and she is one of the most altruistic and kind people in the story.
Break the Cutie: Learning how low Kyo had fallen in his pursuit of power leads to her trying to kill him.
Crippling Overspecialization: She is unable to harm people in any way besides the Cursed Series. In a world where the Hunting Tools Hero isn't very well-liked, this is especially disadvantageous to her.
Cuteness Overload: Kizuna likes to hug Ethnobalt's rabbit form, to the point where she has demanded that he take on his rabbit form several times in the past and screams with excitement whenever he does.
Damage-Increasing Debuff: Her Lure Needle skill, which increases the damage done to a target she marks with her fishing lure on the next attack they take.
Despair Event Horizon: Implied to have recovered from one after being stuck in the Endless Labryrith for years without a possible way out. It is also confirmed that she unlocked a Cursed Series, though she hasn't said which one it is.
Good Cannot Comprehend Evil: She has a hard time believing the stories about the horrors Kyo had inflicted on Raphtalia's world from Naofumi and Rishia as the Book Hero had always maintained a polite, if cold facade around her and because she tries to believe in the good in everyone.
- The fact that she only met Naofumi and Rishia that day while she'd known Kyo for 'years' didn't help matters either.
Heart Is an Awesome Power: Although she can't normally attack humans, Kizuna is spectacularly effective against monsters and animals - and she can still help cause damage to humans.
Hero of Another Story: Was already a hero when she defeated the threat against her world, the Demon Dragon. However, she was then captured by the Mirror Country which hated her and thrown into a prison that acted as another dimension before the Waves began to occur. She was trapped there for years until the arrival of Naofumi and Rishia.
Hunter Trapper: Par for the course given her title as the Hunting Hero.
Improbable Weapon User: Her legendary weapon takes that form of any kind of tool typically considered appropriate for hunting. This can range from things such as knives, bows, and fishing rods. The weapon's fishing rod form is Kizuna's favorite thanks to fishing being her pastime, but it is also potentially more dangerous than its knife or bow forms thanks to the skills associated with that form.
Let's Get Dangerous!:
- Trash's confession makes Kizuna throw the 'peace' option out the window, as the sack of scum is clearly not deserving of life any longer. While she can't hurt 'him' specifically, she showcases how dangerous she is by one-shotting a bunch of powerful monsters, all at once, with one skill; and then proceeds to tell him to either surrender or die.
- When Kyo details his Evil Plan, she equips her Cursed Series and attacks with lethal intention.
Ludicrous Gibs: The usual result of her skill Blood Flower Strike. It connects together all of her enemies' weak points that she then strikes simultaneously to render them into bloody chunks. Some powerful monsters can survive the move, but only barely.
Morality Pet: She didn't know it, but she was this to Kyo. Her disappearance was what led to Kyo Jumping Off the Slippery Slope.
Morph Weapon: Her Legendary Hunting Tool can transform into a fishing rod, hunting spear, carving knife, and any other tools that relates to hunting and trapping. This is like the Legendary weapons of Naofumi and co., only Kizuna has a wider range than they do.
The Paragon: The most good-natured and kind-hearted Hero encountered so far in the story.
- Though even she clearly has a tolerance for how much evil she can put up with.
The Power of Friendship: Like Naofumi, Kizuna requires allies due to the limitations of her weapon. She has such a large circle of friends and allies that they all but single-handedly fight off the waves occurring in their world on their own. Some of the other Vassal Heroes are generally more interested in internecine politics, whilst the Holy Heroes are just waiting around waiting for an update to fix the wave's power levels so they aren't so weak compared to the wave monsters.
Rage Breaking Point: Hearing Kyo detailing his Evil Plan and all the things he's done to carry it out, Kizuna snaps and equips her Cursed Series.
Situational Sword: The Hunting Tools Weapon is almost useless against humans, but it's very lethal if the target is an animal or a monster.
Token Good Teammate: She is the only one of Glass' group who never attempts to hunt down other heroes.
True Companions: With Glass, L'Arc, and Therese. They are their own world's version of Naofumi's party.
What Kind of Lame Power Is Heart, Anyway?: Her Holy Weapon prevents her from directly harming other humans. Monsters and everything else, on the other hand, are fair game.

Akane Kaori

Lv: Unknown

The Hero of the Jewel from Glass's world. Described as being as tall as Motoyasu but as flat as a board. She has red hair and blue eyes but would be considered beautiful.

A-Cup Angst: She's flat as a board, and hates to be reminded of that fact.
Meta Power Up: After Kyo's death, she admits that her core power-up method is this type - rather than boosting weapons through some action, it boosts the effect each method has on a weapon, and the effect is stronger the more power-up methods are shared among heroes. When the other heroes activate this on themselves, their stats increase astronomically.
The Power of Trust: Her second power-up method boosts the stats of people she trusts and her own based on how many people trust her.

Daitan Genki

Lv: 85

The Hero of the Blunt Weapons from Glass's world. Described as being as short as Itsuki and kind of like his past self. He is described as a discount Motoyasu or L'Arc, but lacks the charisma with women that they have. He has sandy brown hair as well as wide, green, almond-shaped eyes. Also has acne and freckles.

Casanova Wannabe: He keeps flirting with any attractive woman he finds, but keeps striking out.
Forgot About His Powers: He didn't use his power-up method (which increases the power of ranked attacks) because he didn't understand how to upgrade skills when he was first summoned and then it all fell in the backburner.
Otaku: Looks like a stereotypical one, being short and covered in freckles.
Refuge in Audacity: His contribution to the fight with Kyo is going Full-Frontal Assault, taunting him and being as obnoxious as he can.
Undignified Death: He died by being run over by a truck. While he was at the gym. And he was nowhere close to the entrance. He seems to think it's Actually Pretty Funny, though.

Hoshi Isao

Lv: Unknown

The Hero of the Ofuda from Glass's world. Described as being around Naofumi's height. His hair is black and his eyes are gray. His clothing scheme follows this same line of color. He is introverted to the point that Ren looks like an extrovert compared to him. He appears to be the friendliest of the three other Heroes when first introduced to Kizuna and Itsuki.

Glass

Lv (in Raphtalia's world): 40's

A mysterious woman who'd been thought to be aiding the forces of the Waves. That turned out to be false though. She is only the Vassal Fan Hero of another world, who fought solely so their world could be saved and so she could find Kizuna. her best friend.

Ambiguously Gay: She is noticeably close to Kizuna and the loss of her friend has greatly affected her, so much that a Kizuna doppelganger sent by Kyo almost convinced Glass to kill herself out of guilt for being unable to find the original Kizuna.
- The author has made a couple of hilarious omakes referencing this. And has himself confirmed that Glass has no interest in men whatsoever. She is very much undeniably gay for her friend.
Armor-Piercing Attack: Rupture-Stance Rondo: Tortoise Shell Cracker, wherein she fires a thin energy blade from her fan that can go through even Naofumi's or Kyo's defenses.
Combat Hand Fan: Her primary weapon is the Vassal Fan.
Curb-Stomp Battle: She was able to defeat Motoyasu at the Ghost Ship Wave without any real effort.
- Was then defeated by Naofumi, Itsuki, and Ren in such a battle at the Cal Mira Wave.
Dimensional Traveler: Came from a different world. She was on a misguided attempt to save her world from destruction by attempting to kill the Heroes of other worlds. Thankfully, she has since been talked out of it.
Energy Absorption: Part of her natural ability as a Spirit-Person which her weapon augments with. This being its personal power-up method. Glass can absorb ambient mana and the energy given off by her enemies to add to her own.
Energy Beings: More corporeal than most example, but as a Spirit-Person, Glass is this. Her combat parameters from her level to her stats and even her HP/life force is defined by how much soul energy she has saved up in-between battles. This is a double-edge sword for Glass as while she can gather and hold a much larger quantity of energy than most people this also means that using powerful, energy-intensive skills can quickly weaken her in battle, forcing her use those same skills to end her fights quickly before her energy get low enough that it becomes life-threatening for her.
Godzilla Threshold: She came to kill Naofumi and the other heroes in order to delay the destruction of her own world.
Hero Killer: She has killed an unspecific number of Heroes prior to encountering Naofumi and co. in her quest to save her own world.
Kimono Fanservice: She's a beautiful woman dressed in an elegant kimono. It's too bad she has no interest in guys whatsoever.
Lightning Bruiser: In short fights, the people of her race are this. Though they get weaker over time if a fight drags for long enough.
Mana Potion: Soul-healing water potions are a welcomed perk for her in Raphtalia's world since her homeworld lacks any convenient means to allow her to replenish large quantity of energy, forcing Glass to rely on her natural abilities and her weapon to replenish her energy after every battle.
Meaningful Name: Being a Spirit-Person, Glass is noticeably pale, almost enough to be as translucent as her namesake.
No-Sell: Thanks to her higher level at the time of their first encounter, she could tank most attacks with ease.
- She is completely unaffected by Motoyasu's strongest attack at the Ghost Ship Wave.
- Glass manages to do this to Pandora's Box. Naofumi learns later that it is because she did not do anything that the Shield judged deserving of being sealed. It was finally made understandable at the Cal Mira Wave when the Heroes learned the true reason Glass was fighting against them. She was trying to save her world.
Our Ghosts Are Different: Glass is part of a race of Spirit-People, who are less like traditional undead and more similar to a kind of quasi-energy people. Still, this means Glass is more sensitive to the spiritual aspects of the world around her.
Power of Friendship: L'Arc and Therese manage to talk her out of her Curse series after she busted their party out of a prison.
Razor Wind: Since her weapon is a fan, a single swing from her can launch these at her enemies.
Sword Beam: Her skill Zero-Stance Rondo: Reverse Moon Flower has her unleash a barrage of these.
Tranquil Fury: The prison wardens get the blunt of her Curse Series-infused Wrath once Raphtalia manages to free her during their brief imprisonment in an enemy country. Glass massacres all of the guards that try to fight her and immolates the prison in mere moments with her Cursed Flames and powerful cursed skills such as Empty Stance Rondo: Moon Break.

L'Arc Berg

L'Arc Berg Sickle

Lv (in Raphtalia's world): 70's

A laidback redhead in his early to mid-twenties. In Naofumi's world, he dresses in adventuring gear and wields a scythe with a red gemstone in the center of its blade. He is obviously in love with Therese but still enjoys flirting around and being an idiot at times. He also has bad luck in terms of accessory making, which is slowly consuming his mind as Naofumi becomes more of a god in the eyes of Therese.

Affectionate Nickname: He calls Naofumi Kiddo when they first meet, then he calls him the "Shield Kiddo" because he thinks that it's endearing that Naofumi is pretending to be the Shield Hero. He does the same thing to Ren and Itsuki, calling them Sword Kiddo and Bow Kiddo respectively.
Berserk Button: Hurting his friends and loved ones. Trash had the 'wonderful pleasure' of learning firsthand what an enraged L'arc is like when the bastard casually revealed he had orchestrated Kenshiro's murder and subsequently scapegoated Sickle for it.
- While he's normally laidback, if he gets pissed off enough in a fight, he will bring out a battle form skill called 'War Scythe'. It points the blade of his scythe forward and increases his attack power at the cost of his defense. When he brings it out, people know he's going all out to kill whatever he's facing.
Cool Big Bro: Tries to be one with most of the Holy Heroes with varying degrees of success, Naofumi and Ren in particular.
Failed a Spot Check: When Naofumi tells him his name, he thinks he is using an alias.
- It'd be funny, if not for the fact he ends up thinking the same thing when he hears Ren and Itsuki's names too.
Friendly Enemy: Gets along very well with Naofumi and the other Heroes and is genuinely apologetic for almost fighting them at Cal Mira. By the Spirit Tortoise Arc, it is clear they're no longer enemies.
Nice Guy: L'Arc is a bit immature and gets in trouble a lot. But at his core, he's an amicable, respectful dude who's ready to help others whenever he can. His genuine niceness throws Naofumi off his game. Naofumi manages to convince him to back off from trying to kill the Heroes through this, and it's one of the reasons he and the others want to help them save their world.
Royals Who Actually Do Something: Officially, he is the crown prince of Sickle, the country that had originally summoned Kizuna. However, since his father's passing, L'Arc has been the King of Sickle while also doing his duty as a Hero to repel the Waves.
Sinister Scythe: He's the Vassal Scythe Hero from Glass's world.
Sword and Sorcerer: The Sword/Warrior in this equation while his partner, Therese, is the Sorcerer.

Therese Alexandrite

Lv (in Raphtalia's world): 70's

The more serious counterpart of the dynamic duo with L'Arc. Also dressed in adventuring gear, with the addition of several different bracelets on her arms, as well as a brown leather circlet. She reins L'Arc in whenever he gets too annoying to other people. She has become good friends with the Hero's female party members and is best friends with Wyndia, whom she helped to teach gem magic to during the events of the Spirit Tortoise.

Cool Big Sis: To Wyndia, as the two of them bond over their affinity for Dragon Vein magic.
Curtains Match the Windows: Blue eyes to go with her blue Hair. Both features will change to match the jewel she is currently using to channel her magic (red for ruby, green for emerald, purple for amethyst, etc.)
Elemental Powers: Each of her accessories corresponds to a specific elemental affinity, i.e. ruby for fire.
Empathic Weapon: Therese treats all the gemstones she has as her friends. The accessories made for her won't ever harm their original creator, and they will even sacrifice themselves for her or her friends if need be.
Friendly Fireproof: Her AoE spells have this quality to them, which makes them more efficient when dealing with groups of enemies while her allies are in the middle of combat.
Gem Tissue: Her leather bandana hides her jewel core on her forehead. She removes it when she no longer needs to masquerade as an ordinary adventurer with L'Arc.
Magical Accessory: All of them give her various status boosts. They are also her means of casting magic, by pulling vitality from them to cast Gem Magic, her world's version of Dragon Vein Magic.
Meaningful Name: Since she uses gems as her medium for casting magic, it's fitting that her surname would be a gemstone as well. Just as an alexandrite changes color based on the ambient light it reflects, Therese also changes color based on the energy she draws from her gems.
Not So Above It All: When Naofumi makes her a particularly high-quality accessory, she goes completely gaga over it and starts calling him Master Craftsman. Even going as far as to correct L'Arc when he doesn't call Naofumi by that title.
- In an omake where Naofumi makes her a "Perfect" Quality accessory, she names Naofumi as her new God. And her zealousness outrivaled even Siltvelt's love for the Shield Hero.
- When Naofumi and the Author started the cult of Raph-Chan in an omake, Therese joined as a fellow preacher of the word.
Playing with Fire: "Bejeweled Ruby Blaze", a blast of bright flames from her new Starfire bracelet.
Sword and Sorcerer: The sorcerer in this equation with L'arc serving as the Sword/Warrior.
The Tease: She loves to do this to L'arc.

Kyo Ethniba

Lv (in Raphtalia's world): Unknown

The Vassal Hero of the Book from Glass's world. He was originally one of Kizuna's allies in the fight against the Demon Dragon. Sometime after her disappearance and the beginning of the Waves, he left Glass and L'Arc's coalition on 'good terms'. However, it's probable he was hiding his true intentions from the very beginning. What they are is uncertain, but he's taken over another world's guardian beast just to fulfill that goal, so it's probably not very pleasant.

And I Must Scream: It's implied that Kyo's actual personality is buried so deep it can only come back out in certain situations. It's later revealed that he was a big case of a Hero being subsumed by his Cursed Series.
Arc Villain: Of the Spirit Tortoise and Otherworld Arc.
Barrier Warrior: Since he is a Squishy Wizard, Kyo maintains a powerful barrier around himself using the Spirit Tortoise's power to prevent enemies from physically touching him.
Deal with the Devil: As he laid dying, he was targeted by "Them" and offered a deal: become reincarnated in another world, in exchange of helping "Them" with their plots.
Even Evil Has Standards: Absolutely refuses to work with someone like Trash. Experimenting on him, on the other hand, he doesn't mind whatsoever.
Evil Counterpart: He is this to the Cardinal heroes. While the three idiots had, initially, treated the world like a game, Kyo is much worse as he sees the world and its inhabitants as his playthings.
Evil Sorcerer: He's the Token Wizard of the vassal heroes who went rogue out of aspirations for world conquest.
Fashion-Victim Villain: To the point the author dedicated an omake just to point how terrible it is. Kyo seems to have a taste for layering on things that shouldn't be layered like his double gloves, boots, and coats. The bastard is also carrying so many vials, flasks, and scrolls that don't seem to help him in combat or otherwise, that's almost comical.
Flunky Boss: Likes to summon the Spirit Tortoise's minions alongside minions he's personally modified to fight for him as he's a Squishy Wizard.
Foil: Much like Naofumi, Kyo's "weapon" was designed more for support than direct conflict. He has a Mad Scientist knack for magical experimentation. While everyone's hatred of Naofumi was built on lies, bad publicity, and everyone underestimating him, the vitriol towards Kyo is very much well-earned.
Four Eyes, Zero Soul: Wears spectacles and is a Mad Scientist hell-bent on the genocide of a whole world for no reason other than to amass more power.
Freudian Excuse: Chapter 84 of Diligence reveals that he was originally a Japanese man whose Education Mama Abusive Parents forced to study in detriment of anything else. Then, the day he finally graduated from university, he learned they were dead, leaving him at the mercy of the Loan Sharks his parents heavily borrowed from, and his lack of connections meant that his impressive engineering skills weren't enough to find a well-paid job in the extremely corporate-driven culture of his homeland, which led to his life going From Bad to Worse as the few attempts he made to improve his life went down the drain, until the loan sharks' goons ended up beating him to death. The accumulated disgraces turned him into a Misanthrope Supreme and made him an easy target for a Deal with the Devil.
Hypocrite: He makes plenty of mistakes in combat, and yet he has no problem belittling and mocking his opponents for their own mistakes.
Ignored Epiphany: When Kizuna openly expressed her gratitude towards him for helping with defeating the Demon Dragon back in their homeworld and even wishing to invite him on stage to give him the recognition he oh so desperately craves, something he was actually fuming over internally mere moments ago, he briefly considered taking her up on her offer and even began to feel a bit of camaraderie toward the Hero. Unfortunately, he quickly stomped the feeling dead, played his well-practiced Humble Hero act, and internally swore to achieve his evil scheme to make the world bend at the knee to him. The fact that he was also being forced by "Them" into killing Kizuna didn't help matters.
Mad Scientist: He has this kind of vibe about him, considering the evil experiments he performs.
Misanthrope Supreme: Due to his Freudian Excuse, he hates humanity as a whole.
Non-Action Guy: Downplayed. Kyo can fight, but with his Vassal Weapon more suited towards support and actively hindering him as much as it could, he has to rely on the Spirit Tortoise’s power in his confrontations with Naofumi’s party, something Rishia mocks him for.
Paper Master: His weapon being a book, Kyo's most basic offense is to unleash torrents of razor-sharp pages upon his enemies.
Pay Evil unto Evil: Deconstructed. Kyo experiments on Trash after his previous body is killed by Raphtalia, and inflicts a No-Holds-Barred Beatdown on Albert the Mirror Hero so he can make him his new test subject. Even though the two of them are utterly despicable people, what Kyo does to them in his experiments is so horrific and inhumane that nobody can take catharsis in what happened to them. Trash’s soul is splintered into multiple homunculi bodies and no longer able to coherently think, and Albert is left to suffer intense Body Horror and unable to die. Kizuna is utterly horrified by Kyo's "present" to her in seeing Albert's state, and Glass chooses to kill Albert as an act of mercy instead of revenge for what he did to Kizuna.
Power Copying: Thanks to his control over the Spirit Tortoise and its functions, Kyo can replicate some of its most powerful abilities like the forcefield around its heart or its gravity magic.
- He equips his most powerful monsters with hollow copies of the Legendary Spear and Sword once he is forced to summon them to deal with the heroes.
Power Parasite: He took control of the Spirit Tortoise in order to steal its power for his own malicious ends.
Smug Snake: He thinks of himself as an Evil Genius, but he often falls for enemy traps easily and he wildly throws his power around.
Spell Book: His Book Vassal Weapon is a deceptively simple-looking grimoire. The Book has all of the traditional abilities one would associate with an enchanted grimoire like spending flurries of papers to slice apart enemies or acting as a medium for his spells.
The Swarm: He utilizes the Spirit Tortoise's bat and yeti familiars to get his own zombie-like army to reap the souls of Rapthalia's homeworld for his own gain.
Squishy Wizard: Once an opponent gets past his tricks, Kyo wouldn't have much going for him physically.
Support Party Member: His weapon contains support spells alongside its offensive arsenal which he can cast alongside his potions to facilitate their effects.
We Have Reserves: He doesn't care one lick about the guardians he uses to hurt people.
You Remind Me of X: Naofumi calls him "Male Bitch" in his mind, because his behavior is all too similar to Malty's.

Trash

A self-described genius allied with an enemy nation in Kizuna's world who has managed to replicate the Dragon Hourglass travel ability that is normally limited to Heroes. Narcissistic and self-important, the fool surrounds himself with a sycophantic harem who constantly sings his praises and does his bidding without question, although they actually are strong and capable fighters in their own right. In canon, he was known as Trash II. As Aultcray is not considered Trash by the time Naofumi meets this dude in the fic, however, Naofumi decides to just give Aultcray's old nickname to him instead, as he perfectly deserves it.

Attack! Attack! Attack!: His go-to strategy should things not work out is to just try and kill the offending party with very predictable and untrained attacks.
Battle Harem: Has one and they are significantly more threatening than he is. They remain loyal to Trash even after he gloats about his murder of Kenshiro and they are devastated by his gruesome death.
Beast Master: Managed to find a way to coin clones of the White Tiger guardian beast which he then enslaved using special talismans to become his personal attack animals.
Body Backup Drive: If Trash dies, his soul will immediately transfer itself to a homunculus body instead of taking time to 'respawn' like a normal reincarnator, which allows him to resurrect so quickly after his gory death at Raphtalia's hands. Unfortunately, this leaves him at Kyo's mercy.
BFS: Wields a comically long nodachi that's a not-so-subtle reference to another famous fantasy series. It predictably does jack-diddly-squat against Naofumi and instead results in Trash almost destroying his own weapon in the process.
Cruel and Unusual Death: Gets sliced in half vertically by Raphtalia, but not before he is made painfully aware of his inevitable fate as his body literally falls apart at the seams. Trash's death is given so much detail that the author actually warns the reader in advance that there would be a gory death in the chapter it happens in and to skip the paragraphs if they can't handle it. Even the other heroes and Raphtalia, despite unanimously agreeing he deserved it, couldn't bear to watch it happen, to the point where Naofumi and Raphtalia actually keep Raph-chan and Filo from seeing it.
Family Extermination: Invoked. Trash sold out his entire family, his own father in particular, to the Demon Dragon's army all just so he could try to get the Vassal Katana. Keep in mind he did this as a child.
Fate Worse than Death: While Trash managed to awaken in one of his backup bodies after getting vivisected by Raphtalia, the fool realized too late that he had just fallen into Kyo's, er, well, hand at that point.
Fashion-Victim Villain: Not to the extent of Kyo, but it should be noted that he is wearing a school uniform under samurai armor. Thankfully, Raphtalia relieves him of his tacky clothing along with his life in a single slash.
Half the Man He Used to Be: Meets his end after Raphtalia cuts him in half vertically. Ironically, L'arc had unknowingly foreshadowed Trash's ultimate fate when he had decried him for his heinous actions moments before.
It's All About Me: He killed his father and uncle just so he could take the Vassal Katana for himself, and throws a temper tantrum when Kenshiro's ghost gives the Katana to Raphtalia.
Magic Knight: Seems to be what he was going for given his use of a katana alongside his magic. In reality, he's just a very Squishy Wizard.
Named by the Adaptation: This story uses his name from the anime, Kazuki, though this isn't revealed until Chapter 127.
Only Known by Their Nickname: Trash isn't his real name, but it's the only one we know him by until it's revealed during L'Arc and Kenshiro's conversation in Chapter 127. Every time someone tries to say his name to Naofumi, some other sound blocks it out, and Naofumi doesn't really care to know about his name anyway.
Patricide: He sold out his town as a young boy to get his father killed, and later gave his uncle Kenshiro a slow-acting paralytic to leave him vulnerable during a Wave, getting him killed when the Wave Boss attacked.
Playing with Fire: Has a thing for fireball spells, which he can nonverbally cast thanks his cheat skill.
Plot-Based Voice Cancellation: Every time somebody tries to say his real name around Naofumi, it is drowned out by a random noise.
Refused by the Call: He tries to get Vassal Katana from its stone in a public ritual, only for the weapon to immediately jump to Raphtalia's hands. He throws a fit and sends guards after her.
Small Name, Big Ego: He throws a tantrum every time he's seen as secondary/irrelevant to anything important that's going on.
Simplified Spellcasting: The cheat skill granted to him upon accepting the Mysterious Villain's deal to reincarnate him in Glass' world. It allows him to force magical energy into crude shapes using his thoughts. While this does make his spells nigh-instantaneous, it is noted that they are weaker than if he were to supplement them with their incantations. One of the deadlier aspect of this skill aside from its speed is that Trash can cast magic without any tells, like hand gestures, which caught L'Arc by surprise.
Stock Shōnen Hero: Naofumi describes him as looking like a really cheap, second-rate version.
Stupid Evil: He gets several moments of this during his fight against Naofumi, Itsuki, and Kizuna's party:
- When Raphtalia accuses him of murdering the previous wielder of the Vassal Katana, he not only admits it, but also callously and smugly gloats about all the details in front of the soldiers sent to aid him. And he has the gall to be shocked when they turn on him instead of remaining loyal to him, something that Kizuna lampshades.
- While Trash had no reason to know that Naofumi had the means to record his confession due to such methods originating from another world, it still never occurred to Trash that once the heroes escape and actually prove his involvement in Kenshiro's death, his reputation would be destroyed completely, even if he does survive.
- When the soldiers turn on him, Trash orders his tigers to kill them all. Kizuna again lampshades the stupidity, because now he's lost all of his human back-ups and is left with only his Battle Harem and White Tiger Clones to fight against six powerful and skilled heroes and their backup. And even though Kizuna can't directly harm people, she can still create exploitable weak spots in her enemies for her allies to exploit, as well as kill monsters effortlessly, destroying the beasts under Trash's command and reducing his odds even further.

Other Characters

Elhart

A friendly blacksmith that lives in Melromarc, he is one of the few people to trust Naofumi's side of the story and helps him as best as possible.

The Blacksmith: Probably one of the (if not the) best in Melromarc, as he makes the armor used by the Royal Knights.
Excellent Judge of Character: In strong contrast to the general public who readily accept the word of the self-serving nobles about the False Rape Accusation and subsequent slander towards Naofumi, Elhart needed only to have a good look in Naofumi's eyes and to listen to Naofumi's words from his own mouth to understand that there's no way he did any of the stuff he was accused of.
Only Friend: For a while, he was the only supporter Naofumi had outside of Raphtalia.
Retired Badass: Before becoming a blacksmith, he was an adventurer, and he still keeps his equipment on hand. He briefly un-retires when he decides to leave the Capital after the Church casts the Judgement spell. Then goes back to being a blacksmith when the Church is subsequently dealt with by the Heroes.
Running Gag: Is constantly used in jokes where he's only around to help the Heroes out because of how much money they make.
Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Runs away from Melromarc a few minutes before the Church's Knights storm his store after the Church starts their coup.

Beloukas (Slave Trader)

Slave Trader

A slave trader who deals in the back alley of Melromarc's capital. He sold Raphtalia and a random egg that hatched Filo to Naofumi.

Affably Evil: A slave trader who tosses his slaves out like garbage when they die but he is polite and helpful to customers of all income levels. In fact, he is one of the few people Naofumi considers trustworthy because he cares only for profit and developing repeat customers.
- This helps later on as they establish a deal where the heroes buy those slaves that otherwise wouldn't sell to save their lives. Encouraging Beloukas to acquire them from other slavers to sell to the heroes for profits.
Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep": His name is never given and he's always called "the slave trader".
Friend in the Black Market: He's one who gives Naofumi and the other heroes allies to help them in battle. As such, he's one of the few folks that Naofumi can't really get mad at.
Irony: His business dealings and Naofumi's status as a hero, not to mention his inherently kind nature, would in any other Isekai make him somebody Naofumi would defeat as a villain. Here, he's the only person who's actually willing to earnestly help said hero fulfil his duties from the start^note, and his dealings with Naofumi form the backbone of his ability to become as effective as hero as he eventually does.
Masochist: Every time Naofumi or anyone acts a bit cutthroat with him he's giddily excited to do business with him, which raises the eyebrows of Naofumi and everyone with him.
Nightmare Fetishist: He takes pleasure in anyone who glares at him, be it Naofumi, the other Heroes, even Mirellia's Shadows. It's safe to say that hitting him would be the worst mistake one could ever make, as it might just make him fall in love with you.
Noble Demon: Yeah, he's selling demi-humans as slaves. But he follows the rules of slavery in whatever country he's in. He's also one of the few characters who doesn't stab Naofumi in the back at any point in time. Naofumi even finds his Obviously Evil nature comforting in a way, as the Slave Trader is incredibly upfront and honest about everything he's doing and the immorality of his line of business, as well as how he, at times, tests Naofumi's business and negotiation skills with his products when Naofumi calls him on this. In comparison to the treachery of Myne, Naofumi much prefers somebody who admits they're bad, because they have nothing to hide from him.
Obviously Evil: Subverted. He has Opaque Lenses, a stereotypical villain mustache, speaks like a slimy bastard, and, oh yeah, he deals in slavery. He looks like he would con Naofumi at the first opportunity, but proves to be a "reliable ally".
Opaque Lenses: His eyes are never shown through his glasses, regardless of lighting. Sometimes, when he really gets greedy, you can see silver/gold coins reflecting off his lenses.
Pet the Dog: He has a policy of giving preferential treatment to repeat customers. When Naofumi comes asking for information on slave crests, he answers all of his questions, free of charge. This is because Naofumi has purchased two slaves and three slave crests from him, along with boosting his own reputation as a merchant of quality merchandise. It also helped when Naofumi ensured a deal between him and the other Heroes that brings him 'more profit than ever before.'
Pragmatic Villainy: He is very loyal to his customer base and never tries to betray, backstab, con, or cheat them. After all, repeat customers from a reliable vendor is more profitable than constantly cheating everyone you meet.
Superhuman Trafficking: His "goods" that we see are demi-humans. He also runs a side monster business.
Token Evil Teammate: Not a teammate per se, but in terms of the people Naofumi deals with, he is as evil as they come. Still, as long as he profits from it, he'll refuse to stab Naofumi or the others in the back.
Tombstone Teeth (see also Repulsive Ringmaster): Beloukas is a short, rotund man who styles himself after a circus ringmaster and constantly sports a too-wide grin of unusually rectangular teeth. His theatrically cheerful attitude belies a deeply sinister nature and serves mainly as a lure for potential customers and victims alike.

Gaelion

A proud dragon and the adoptive father of Wyndia. He was killed by Ren after he was tricked into thinking Gaelion was going to attack the nearby towns.

Back from the Dead: Awakens in Ren's sword during a time of great physical and emotional strain to help him survive his fight against Glass.
Due to the Dead: Ren and his party give Gaelion a decent burial, honoring him and preventing the "Necrodragon" problem from happening.
Forgiveness: To Ren, only asking that Ren protect his adoptive daughter Wyndia in return.
Last Request: He requests Ren take care of Wyndia before dying.
Retired Badass: Was this until Ren came and defeated him in combat.
Shipper on Deck: He supports Wyndia dating Ren.
Super-Toughness: What little we saw of the fight between Ren and Gaelion, Gaelion could shrug off a number of Ren's attacks, as well as his party's attacks.

Idol Rabier

A corrupt noble in Melromarc and Raphtalia's previous abusive owner.

But for Me, It Was Tuesday: Doesn't even recognize Raphtalia as one of the slaves he used to own. Though to be fair, she was a child when he owned her.
Dirty Coward: When faced in one-on-one combat with Raphtalia, he kept on fleeing to find knights to help him. Up until Raphtalia had him cornered in his own courtyard. Where he proceeded to beg for his life like the bastardly coward he was.
Fat Bastard: He is as overweight as he is rotten to the core.
Gonk: While the story often points out how fat he is, the omakes proceed to exaggerate this to the nth degree by not only mocking how fat he is, but also adding how greasy he is, to the point that one of the omakes ends with the dinosaur he summoned being killed after it steps on and proceed to slip on his dead, greasy body.
Hate Sink: Like in canon, he is known and hated for his abusive attitude towards his slaves, like Raphtalia and Demihumans in general.
Hoist by His Own Petard: An example of Karma finally catching up. In attempting to shock Naofumi, the Shield Hero deflects Rabier's electrified whip back against the man, nearly killing the bastard. It is epic.
Self-Disposing Villain: Much like his Canon Self, he unseals the monstrous Tyrant Dragon Rex from its Obelisk in one last attempt to kill Naofumi and his friends. It promptly crushes the fat lord under its foot without even really looking at him.
Would Hurt a Child: Idol Rabier would whip his slaves with no mercy, no matter their age. He is definitely a kill on sight.

Fitoria

The current Queen of the Filolials. She was present during a past time when the Cardinal Heroes were summoned and established a great friendship with one of them, most likely the Shield Hero of Keichi's time. Nowadays, she runs around the world, pulling her Vassal Carriage, and helping to put down monster attacks while keeping an ear on the Cardinal Heroes.

Big Good: She is one of the most powerful (sentient) beings in the world and is definitely a force for good, having ventured all over the world to help fight against the Waves of Catastrophe when the Four Heroes were only fighting in Melromarc. Unfortunately, due to the cruelty she has seen caused by humans over the centuries, she cares about the state of the world more than humankind as a whole. Should the Four Heroes not work together, or even turn evil and threaten the safety of the world, she wouldn't hesitate to kill all four of them so a new batch could be summoned. This would make her sad, as she has started to grow attached to the current batch of Heroes.
Blow You Away: Like Filo, she is affiliated with wind magic, but has a much finer control of the element due to her advanced age and level.
Drama-Preserving Handicap: She's vowed to not interfere in human affairs, though she's not above giving nudges here and there. So even though she's strong enough to fight against the Pope or other super-strong monsters, she leaves that job to the Cardinal Heroes, allowing them to grow.
- When Naofumi gives his speech to the armies of Siltvelt, while listening far away in a distant land through Filo's ahoge, Fitoria is moved by his words. It is only hours later when Naofumi learns that Fitoria sent members of her flock to assist the Heroes during the Wave.
Hero of Another Story: Due to how the Four Heroes were summoned in Melromarc, she's pretty much one of the only Heroes fighting off the Waves of Destruction that happen in other places around the world.
Idiot Hair: She possesses three ahoges in both her human and Filolial form. They're a sign of her status, and she gifts one to Filo as a sign of her being the next queen.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: She can come off as aloof and uncaring, but deep down, she really is a nice person. This is shown more and more the longer she spends around the current Heroes.
Living Legend: Fitoria is famous for her role during the past waves and her Filolials are respected as a result.
A Lizard Named "Liz": It's maybe not quite as uncreative as "Filo", but her name is still "Filolial" with two letters changed and another removed.
Lust Object: Like with Filo, Motoyasu begins lusting after her "angel" form the moment he lays his eyes on it.
Neutral No Longer: After Naofumi gives her a heartfelt apology for his actions and his hope that he will be able to make up for them, she decides she cannot stay on the sidelines as the Heroes prepare to battle the Spirit Tortoise.
Pet the Dog: She gives a feather of hers to each of the Cardinal heroes to help them become stronger.
Well-Intentioned Extremist: If she needs to kill the Cardinal Heroes so the next crop will be more capable of working together, she will, even if she dislikes the idea.

Elasla Lagralock (Granny)

Elasla Lagralock

A retired adventurer and last practitioner of the Hengen Musou style of combat. When Naofumi administered a life-saving medicine purchased by her grandson, she regained her lost strength and came to view him as her benefactor and agrees to teach her art to his followers. She is called upon by the queen to help Motoyasu become stronger.

Badass Boast: While wiping out monsters she happily boasts how her level is the same as her age - High.
Cool Old Lady: A little old woman who gleefully bounces around the battlefield and becomes the beloved master of several secondary characters.
Dope Slap: She constantly delivers these as well as karate chops to Motoyasu's head.
Foreshadowing: When we first meet her, she's ill in bed and doesn't look like anyone special. However, next she's seen, she's fighting off a Wave, saving the Queen's beleaguered knights, and slaying monsters left and right; all while wielding only a simple garden hoe (or the red-headed hoe herself, as shown in an omake).
Old Master: Her teachings are currently helping Motoyasu and his followers to greatly improve their skills.
Only Known by Their Nickname: Even her son only refers to her as "Granny" and she wants it that way.
Retired Badass: A high-level adventurer, the last practitioner of Hengen Musou who retired, had a family, and was on her way to dying of sickness in her old age when the Waves started, forcing her to buy Yggdrasil's Elixir (several times thanks to her clumsy son) and reenter the playing field.
Supernatural Martial Arts: The Hengen Musou is a flexible style of combat meant to enhance a normal warrior's abilities so they can perform skills and other feats similar to the Legendary Heroes.

Van Reichnott

A member of a wealthy family who happened to have close relations with Queen Mirellia and Lord Seaetto. He is respected by the Demi-humans of his region.

All-Loving Hero: Implied to be the case, seeing how he's one of the few Melromarc nobles who aren't anti-demihuman thanks to the long war with Siltvelt years ago.
Eyes Always Shut: Most of the time, anyway.
Fantastic Racism: Very much averted. He's one of the few nobles who actively try to foster peace between humans and demi-humans.
Nice Guy: To the point Naofumi actually nicknamed him this way in the original novel.
Sheep in Sheep's Clothing: Naofumi is initially suspicious of him, but in the end, he turns out to be one of the good guys.
The Strategist: When Itsuki decided to start liberating demi-human slaves from corrupt nobles, Van Reichnott was the one to provide The Bow Hero with information on his targets and how to best liberate those slaves from bondage. In a more higher-tech setting, Van would have easily been Mission Control.

Characters / Hope of the Shield Hero

Edit Locked

Main Characters

The Shield Hero's Party

Naofumi Iwatani

Raphtalia

Filo

Eclair

Dou-Lon

Melty Melromarc

Ost Horai

Raph-chan, A.K.A. Rifana

As Rifana

As Raph-chan

The Sword Hero's Party

Ren Amaki

Welt

Farrie

Tersia

Bakta Payne

Wyndia

The Bow Hero's Party

Itsuki Kawasumi

Rachel

Karn

Aksel

Maya

Crystal

Marx

Rishia Ivyred

Mauld

The Spear Hero's Party

Motoyasu Kitamura

Amber

Malty Melromarc (Bitch)

Lesty

Elena

Rino

Melromarc Kingdom

King Aultcray Melromarc

Queen Mirelia Melromarc

Knight Leader of Melromarc

Church of the Three Heroes

Pope Balamus

Altara/Victoria

Siltvelt

Old Man Genmu

Chen

Kizuna's World

Kizuna Kazayama

Akane Kaori

Daitan Genki

Hoshi Isao

Glass

L'Arc Berg Sickle

Therese Alexandrite

Kyo Ethniba

Trash

Other Characters

Elhart

Slave Trader

Gaelion

Idol Rabier

Fitoria

Elasla Lagralock

Previous

Index

Next