Foe or Ally: Who is Glass in The Rising of the Shield Hero?

Episode 5 of the second season of The Rising of the Shield Hero just premiered yesterday and it looks like anime’s hottest Isekai just got hotter.

Some characters are instant favorites, and one of them is Naofumi’s strongest opponent yet: Glass. She made a comeback in episode 4, and it’s pretty evident that she ain’t going anywhere.

The last time we saw her, she was wiping the floor with 3 of the 4 Cardinal Heroes. She even penetrated Naofumi’s Shield Prison, and fought against our Shield Hero, Raphtalia, and Filo together, without breaking a sweat.

Glass made it very clear that she could take the entire group down. But she thought it pointless to finish Naofumi off with the Third Wave ending, and disappeared in a flash of golden light.

Disappeared to where? What makes this character so ridiculously overpowered that she can put all 4 Legendary Heroes to shame?Who exactly is Glass?

Glass is a Spirit/Soul Person from a different world on the other side of the Wave. She is the Fan Hero, the holder of the Vassal Fan. She declares herself an enemy to Naofumi and vows to kill all 4 Cardinal Heroes of Raphtalia’s world.

1. Is Glass a villain in Shield Hero?

Although Glass starts of as a major antagonist, she is not truly a villain. She only wants to end the 4 Legendary Heroes of Raphtalia’s world so she can save and extend the life of her own world.

In actuality, Glass and Naofumi want the same thing: to stop the Waves of Calamity from destroying their worlds.

In season 2, episode 4, the seal of the Spirit Tortoise is broken. Naofumi’s party and Glass’s party are on separate missions to combat whoever it is that is controlling the Guardian Beast.

Within the belly of the Tortoise, Naofumi bumps into L’Arc, the Scythe Hero, his companion, Therese, and the ever-cool and composed, Glass.

Killing the controller of the beast is more critical at this point than trying to kill each other; the two parties become temporary allies.

This is the first cooperative encounter between Naofumi and Glass, but it isn’t the last.

2. Does Glass join Naofumi?

Glass forms a truce with Naofumi to defeat Kyo Ethnina, who has forcefully made himself the Vassal Book Holder. It is Naofumi who joins Glass as she leads them to Kyo.

They join forces and eventually kill the Spirit Tortoise in Raphtalia’s world, but Kyo escapes. Naofumi and his party follow into Glass’s world in search of him.

In volume 8 of the light novel, Naofumi and Rishia rescue Glass’s closest friend and companion, Kizuna, the Hunting Hero – one of the 4 Legendary Heroes of Glass’s world.

It is after this incident that Glass and Naofumi truly become allies. As the series progresses, Glass and Naofumi actively work together to stop the Waves of Calamity at its source.

3. Is Glass stronger than Naofumi?

Glass is not stronger than Naofumi. Glass derives all her power from Soul Power due to her race. Naofumi has been training and evolving to get stronger, and also unlocks the Blessed and Cursed Series. Glass herself acknowledges him as the only true hero of that world.

The more Soul Power Glass has, the stronger her attacks and defenses get. On the other hand, if her Soul Power is low, she gets considerably weaker, even though she is a Seven Star/Vassal Hero.

Practically speaking, if her Soul Power is completely depleted, she won’t even be able to fight Motayasu, Itsuki, and Ren, whom she had earlier defeated with ease.

Glass was much stronger than Naofumi when she met him the first time and even took care of the Soul Eater for him. But as the series progresses, it is Naofumi who gets stronger, not Glass.

In fact, Glass is only overpowered in Raphtalia’s world because it is here that a certain Soul Healing Water exists. Upon consumption, Glass can totally heal herself and restore her Soul Power.

Unfortunately for Glass, this Soul Healing Water does not exist in her own world. So, when Naofumi and his party cross over to Glass’s world in search of Kyo, Glass is at a potential disadvantage.

In volume 19, Glass finds a way to get stronger by merging her powers with Shildina, the Ofuda Hero with special Oracle powers.

It is then that Glass realizes that she is also a descendent of a clan equivalent to the Pacifiers in Raphtalia’s world.

Pacifiers are people who have the authority to keep the Holy Weapon Holders in check. In this way, Glass is to Kizuna what Raphtalia is to Naofumi.

But her bloodline is too diluted for her to make full use of that power. Her Synergy powers with Shildina, though, are pretty impressive, and together, they are able to access the power of a Pacifier.

4. Does Glass fall in love with Naofumi?

Glass does not fall in love with Naofumi. She is actually in love with her best friend and companion, Kizuna Kazayama, the Legendary Hunting Hero.

For now, the feelings are primarily one-sided – which I can’t really say the same about for Naofumi and Raphtalia.

Glass and Kizuna teamed up to defeat the Demon Dragon Emperor and become thick as thieves after that. Glass gives Kizuna her haori, a symbol of her feelings for Kizuna.

I’m glad Aneko Yusgai didn’t take the romantic route for Glass and Naofumi. Their frenemy equation is one of the things that gives the series dimension – literally.

5. Conclusion

It can be said that Glass’s role in The Rising of the Shield Hero is as important as Raphtalia’s, if not Naofumi’s.

In the future of the series, Glass will play a key figure in hunting down the mastermind of the Waves, and saving the worlds along with the other Heroes.

6. About The Rising of the Shield Hero

Tate no Yusha no Nariagari or The Rising of the Shield Hero is an isekai light novel series written by Aneko Yusagi. It was initially published as a web novel on the Shosetsuka ni Naro website from 2012 to 2015.

In August 2013, Media Factory started publishing the light novel series with an expanded storyline featuring illustrations by Seira Minami.

Later on, Kinema Citrus adapted the light novel into an anime television series. The first episode aired on 9 January 2019.