When "Marth" was finally revealed to be Lucina in chapter 13, I in no way saw this coming. In fact, I was incredibly surprised by the very fact that she was Chrom's daughter from the future. I had really liked her character when she was personifying "Marth" and after she was revealed to be a woman but it wasn't until chapter 13 that solidified my love, admiration and respect for Lucina as a character. When Chrom said to Lucina, "You deserved better from me than one sword and a world of troubles. I'm sorry," and Lucina started to cry, I was both in shock and in tears by the revelation of everything that had just happened. Here's the cutscene so you understand what I mean and why I felt this way.
Lucina had gone through so much before reaching this point. She had lost her parents, family and some friends to Grima and the Risen, had to rule Ylisse in the absent of her parents at such a young age, had to experience a hellish apocalyptic world that was full of despair, death and ruin, was separated from her allies/time travelling friends, masqueraded as someone she was not for around two years, not to mention was alone most if not all of the time within that two year time span after Gangrel's death, and had her parents and loved ones right in front of her many times but couldn't say anything so she didn't mess with the timeline. Yet, within the moment she revealed her true self as Lucina, the mask came off, the barriers dropped, and all the burdens she carried, the anguish and sadness she had kept inside was finally released because of her father's tender words and the relief of finally being Lucina once more.
It was a moment I will never forget, and one that touched me on a level that I didn't think was possible. I rarely cry or tear up with video games, but Fire Emblem: Awakening was most definitely a welcome exception. From that point on, I wanted to know more about Lucina as a character and I felt a connection with her because in many ways, I could relate given how much hardship I had gone through in the last few years of my life and how I constantly had to wear masks to hide my true feelings from others and so I could remain strong for others because I needed to. While I never had to go through even a fraction of the horrible things she went through, I still know the pains and suffering of loss, of being someone your not due to circumstances and trying to be strong for others because you have to, not because you want to.
And when I began to invest myself into the support conversations with Lucina and Robin, I grew to love her even more. I saw a strong, independent and a very wise woman within Lucina, a woman who was constantly worried about the future and felt the burden of changing fate itself rested upon her and her alone. Yet, within Robin and Lucina's support conversation, it's clear that she's no longer alone, that she doesn't have to carry the weight and responsibility of the future by herself any more because of Robin, Chrom, her mother, the Shepards and of course her allies and friends were there to support her. Lucina had also grown up too fast because she was thrust into a hellish world that required her to become someone far more than what she was currently. However, she proved to be up to the task and it's clear that she had become a woman long before even entering adulthood. But because of this, she was missing a sense of innocence that had been taken from her and it's through the various support conversations with her parents that we see that innocence and child like Lucina come out. Also, her support conversations with Robin really convey to me that these two broken characters are able to become complete because of each other, because they want a better future for themselves for a past that is lost to them.
At the end of chapter 21, when Lucina pointed her sword at me and demanded that I forfeit my life for Chrom, I wept like a little child but the choice was not difficult for me to make. I would have given anything to see Lucina smile once more and so that she may have the future she desired and wanted, even at the cost of my own life. It was such a heart wrenching moment, to see Lucina struggle with the very notion of killing her own husband, the man she loved to save the future of everyone, including her father. If any moment within this game was the pinnacle moment for Lucina, I would have to say it was this very scene with her and Robin. It was emotional, raw and was truly deep and sad as that scene still echoes into my mind to this very day. I cry every time I see this scene and I'm not afraid to admit it because it was Lucina at her best, a woman determined to do anything to change the very fate of her future, even if that meant killing the one man she loved or, if you were were married to Chrom as the female Robin, the mother she loved dearly and admired.
She is the epitome of a strong, independent, wise, and truly beautiful woman and because of that, I became enamored with her character and knew that my player avatar had to marry her as soon as possible. As a man, I am very much attracted to women like Lucina as she personifies the best characteristics of a woman in my personal opinion. She's beautiful, both on the inside and the outside, is a passionate woman of truth and justice, has strong moral convictions and isn't afraid to stand up for them, is just as fragile on the inside as you or I but is able to retain a sense of self and strength to overcome her weaknesses and follies. We need more female characters like Lucina who are bursting with depth and complexity, who has a beauty that doesn't need to be shown through cleavage or exposing flesh, and who makes us as individuals want to be come a better human being overall.