The Rising of the Shield Hero is a popular isekai animated series that returned in the Spring 2022 anime season for more otherworldly mayhem. There's a lot to keep track of as Season 2 begins, including a few exotic species and races. New and returning fans alike might want to brush up on who's who and what's what in this ever-expanding universe.
For example, there are demi-humans with animal tails and ears, such as the tanuki girl Raphtalia, as well as the avian filolial race, to which the colorful character Filo belongs. A variety of filolials have appeared so far in Shield Hero, and their race could potentially play a major role in deciding the future of this entire fantasy realm.
The Biology Of The Filolial Race In Shield Hero
Filolials are intelligent avian creatures that are hatched from eggs. Like many birds, filolial hatchlings will immediately seek a parental figure and imprint it onto their minds. These animals are also directly influenced by the chocobo species in the Final Fantasy games, meaning filolials are excellent runners that can easily keep pace with horses, land dragons and other fast-moving creatures. They are capable of carrying a human rider like a horse, and can also pull ordinary wagons for hours on end. In combat they can use wind-based magic, their beaks and talon-based attacks to deal damage to their enemies.
Some filolials can transform into a human form and back again at will, and the human form's apparent age seems to reflect the filolial's actual age. When it transforms, a young filolial will look like a child with a juvenile personality and worldview to match. Filolials can even speak while in human form, and have angel-like wings on their backs as well. Notably, they will grow much larger when they transform back to bird form, so they are liable to tear their clothes apart in the process. Luckily, special clothing can be made from a filolial's hair to circumvent this issue.
Finally, the filolials seen in Shield Hero are known for their community-oriented behavior, such as large numbers working in perfect unison to fight a much larger foe. In a similar vein, they can use the upright feathers on their heads to communicate telepathically from a distance.
Notable Filolials In Rising of the Shield Hero
Only two named filolials have appeared so far in The Rising of the Shield Hero, but both have a major role to play and represent their race well. The first to appear was the newly-hatched Filo, whom Naofumi simply named after her race. Filo is no ordinary filolial -- she has the potential to become a queen, and if she powers up enough, she may develop a few ahoge on her head to mark her status. She can use wind magic and melee attacks like most other filolials, and enjoys pulling Naofumi's wagon during long journeys across Melromarc. Filo views Naofumi as a mother hen and is attached to him -- to the point of making Raphtalia deeply jealous. Despite that, she and Raphtalia get along like foster sisters in Naofumi's party.
The other major filolial seen so far is the queen herself, Fitoria. She has three ahoge on her head to mark her authority and magical power, and she is deeply invested in the Shield Hero's success against the Waves. However, Fitoria can also be demanding and ruthless, stating that if Naofumi cannot reconcile with the other three Cardinal Heroes as a team, Fitoria will simply kill them all and allow four replacement heroes to be summoned.
In Fitoria's eyes, protecting the world is vastly more important than the personal feud between the Cardinal Heroes -- or their lives. Fitoria will support Naofumi and Filo for now, but if they fail her, they might pay for it with their lives. Rising of the Shield Hero's queen has no time for games.