The Rising of the Shield Hero: Why Was Spear Hero Betrayed?

The Rising of the Shield Hero is a very interesting isekai series that does its best to show what fantasy looks like from a Japanese perspective. There are numerous interesting characters in the series. While we could really discuss each of them, in this article, we will talk about Spear Hero, i.e., Motoyasu Kitamura, one of the Four Legendary Heroes and one of the series’ most important characters. At one point in the plot, Motoyasu Kitamura is betrayed, and in this article, we will provide you with all the details you need to know about this event as it happened in the series.

Motoyasu Kitamura is one of the most important characters in the series

Motoyasu Kitamura is known as the Spear Hero, and he is, in that aspect, one of the Four Legendary Warriors who was summoned to save the fictional world in which the series takes place. Motoyasu Kitamura is not a bad person, but he is quite naive, and his naivete is what enables those around him to manipulate him easily, which ultimately causes a lot of problems for him in the series.

Despite that, he is a powerful and skilled fighter, which is why – when he is right in his mind – he is an exceptionally valuable member of the main cast. Also, he is a big womanizer, which often bothers his companions. So, what is his story in general?

As the story goes on, it becomes clear that Motoyasu Kitamura is merely extremely gullible, delusional, and stupid; he simply does not realize when he is being tricked or when his actions have terrible consequences because, like his fellow heroes (aside from Naofumi), he believes that the world is a game.

He is initially friendly and accepts only those fights he is certain he will win, avoiding any fight in which he could end up in trouble. Also, he thinks women are perfect, which is why he believes Malty’s manipulations and lies that Naofumi attempted to rape her (she was actually burglarizing the Shield Hero) despite all the contradictions in her story.

But, after Malty betrays him as well, he completely changes his personality, especially after unlocking Lust (see below), becoming loyal to Naofumi and more courageous, but also reckless and bloodthirsty, so you’re never sure as to whether the change did him good or not.

The betrayal of the Spear Hero was a pivotal moment in the story

Like Ren, he also had a chaotic and catastrophic encounter with the Spirit Tortoise, but he actually ran away before exposing himself to any harm, and while he did survive, this would prove to be a major issue for him. Namely, when he escaped, he was absent for a while, and Malty, whom he had trusted, started spreading lies about him, so his teammates thought that he was actually dead.

The fact that he was also saved by someone else caused major problems for him, as it hurt his pride. Eventually, he managed to locate Eclair but found out that she decided to retire from adventuring. When Naofumi approached him, though, he simply ran away. At one point, he could find Malty and Lesty; he was particularly happy about seeing Malty again, knowing how close the two of them were. But this is when Motoyasu Kitamura actually realizes who Malty is.

Malty is a manipulative liar, and from the very beginning, she abuses Motoyasu Kitamura’s naivete, manipulating him into trusting her completely. Blinded by her gender, Motoyasu Kitamura did not want to see through her lies and simply ignored all the telltale signs that she was lying. So, what happened then? When he met the two of them, he saw that they had switched to Ren and that Malty had been feeding lies to the Sword Hero.

This realization made his world crumble, basically, as he realized that he had lied to this whole time, and that caused him to fall into a deep depression, which would ultimately lead to a change in his personality, which you can read about in the upcoming paragraphs.

Cared for by Filo, he resolves to recommit himself to earning her love and asks for permission to marry her; his unwelcome advances cause Filo grief and raise doubts about his mental stability. Following Malty’s treachery, he unlocks the Spears of Lust and Envy from the Curse Series. Due to utilizing them, he sees and hears most women as squealing pigs, and his mental state worsens even more.

He acts more rashly than before, and only Filo and Naofumi are able to make him listen to reason. In the spin-off novel The Reprise of the Spear Hero, Motoyasu plays the lead role. In this alternate reality, he dies in combat and recovers the power to travel back in time. He utilizes this newfound ability to save Naofumi from the King and Malty’s schemes and to defeat Filo.

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