Naofumi IwataniNaofumi IwataniHe looks at you with distrust, vibrant green eyes calculating your every movement.
Naofumi Iwatani is known as the infamous Shield Hero.
Appearance: Naofumi has short black hair that spikes in all directions and sharp green eyes. He often wears a scowl on his face because of his cynical outlook towards the world, but he does express gratitude from time to time.
The armor he primarily wears is Barbarian Armor +3, which has gone through numerous upgrades and transformations. Depending on the situation, he may switch to different sets of armor or clothing.
The weapon in his possession is the Legendary Shield, which was granted to him when he was summoned to another world. Personality: Naofumi was initially an exceedingly trusting and positive person - excited about being summoned as a hero. However, his mentality abruptly changed after Malty S Melromarc, the princess of Melromarc, betrayed and framed him.
Being left near-penniless, falsely accused as a criminal, and hated by nearly everyone, Naofumi became extremely distrustful towards everyone and cynical about life. He could not trust anyone and started to assume that others were trying to get something from him. The result of the Princess's betrayal has left him in an almost permanent state of anger and hostility, which he masks behind a calm and level-headed personality. This mentality bites him back as he unknowingly pushes away genuine supporters of the Shield Hero and Siltvelt envoys.
Unfortunately, being a Shield Hero meant that Naofumi was essentially useless by himself, which forced him to eventually seek help. He was convinced to get a slave - someone who could not betray him - so he eventually finds Raphtalia. Naofumi treats her deadly illness and teaches her to fight. After spending time with Raphtalia, and eventually Filo, Naofumi starts to heal mentally and trust his close companions. However, this is a long process and Naofumi is still unable to fully trust or be intimate with others. Unlocking the curse series weapon Shield of Wrath also placed a block on his psyche which prevented him from empathizing with others.
After losing nearly everything, Naofumi deeply values what he has built up since being summoned, especially his relationships. Therefore, he is protective of people like Raphtalia. It is also shown several times that Naofumi is at his most vulnerable when he loses someone close to him. This can be seen when Naofumi thought he had lost Raphtalia after losing the Duel with Motoyasu, and when he was separated from Raphtalia and the rest of his party he traveled to Glass' World. He was even willing to sacrifice his life to save his friends such as when they were battling against the Phoenix or Takt.
Naofumi is a pragmatist and is willing to take some unconventional measures to meet his goals. For example, after saving Rishia and Keel, he offers both of them to be his slave since the shield helps improves a persons growth and stats. Once becoming governor of the territory which includes Raphtalia's destroyed village, Lurolona Village, Naofumi purchases slaves to be villagers. He justifies this saying that this will give them a better life and that it will help them gain independence. Due to their good treatment and their respect of Naofumi, the children end up adoring him. At one point, Rishia wonders if Naofumi's commitment to the villagers make him their slave instead of the other way around.
Subconsciously, Naofumi often feels unworthy of what he has and tries to deny certain things. This can be seen in his constant ignoring of Raphtalia's romantic feelings due to feeling unworthy of her. This also shows in his addiction to Raph-chan which - in his own words - he only likes so much due to its resemblance to Raphtalia herself. He often feels vulnerable about certain actions he takes which can be seen often when Raphtalia points out the absurdity of some of them. He has feelings for Raphtalia for many reasons, including her being the light that brought him out of the darkness of his life. He considers her a hero for being the one person to stay by his side even after everyone despised him.
One of the biggest differences that Naofumi has from the other heroes is that he thinks of the consequences of his actions. Despite having the most villainous attitude, Naofumi is ironically the most effective of the heroes at getting things done. He even corrects the problems that the other three heroes either start or make worse. Another aspect of Naofumi that sets him apart is that he is generally reasonable and willing to listen to others. He was convinced to stay in Melromarc after listening to the arguments of the queen. He also attempted to amend his relationship with the other heroes at Fitoria's request despite their mutual hatred. When Naofumi became loved and adored by the public while the three other Heroes became hated by the same people that use to admire them, he decided to take them under his wing.
Naofumi has a habit of giving people he meets nicknames. His reasons tend to be because they didn't tell him their name or because he hates them. In the latter case, he will give them extremely degrading nicknames such as referring to Malty as Bitch. For most people, he tends to nickname them based off of who or what they remind him of, sometimes add a number if he feels they act a lot like someone he knows. After Naofumi became the Mirror Vassal Hero of Glass' world, his friends note it suited him given how he always 'reflects' other people's treatment of him right back at them, insulting those whom insulted him first and helping those whom helped him.
Being left near-penniless, falsely accused as a criminal, and hated by nearly everyone, Naofumi became extremely distrustful towards everyone and cynical about life. Naofumi was betrayed by Malty S. Melromarc, who was under the guise of the adventurer name of Myne Sophia, and betrayed Naofumi. He was framed and betrayed by her in the sense of Sexual Assault which resulted into an unfair trial by King Aultcray of Melromarc, father of Malty He could not trust anyone and started to assume that others were trying to get something from him. The result of the Princess's betrayal has left him in an almost permanent state of anger and hostility, which he masks behind a calm and level-headed personality. So now Naofumi has to forge a party so he can fight the Waves of Calamity and get a way back home once the waves are no longer a threat into the world he's been summoned to.
