Social NintenZone Social 6.0 - L'Arachel Edition, Apparently?

Space Stranger · Mar 12, 2018

Mythra said:
Lowkey trying to summon the legendary toy boy.

It didn't work, partner.

praline · Mar 12, 2018

Opossum said:
Okay so do you guys remember in, like, January, when I said I was gonna make a really long post?
You know how I never posted that really long post? There's a reason for that.

Basically I was waiting for Fire Emblem 16 to get its first trailer, but considering that likely won't happen until E3, I'm making the post now instead.

So with that, to celebrate FE16 coming...eventually, I made a list of my top sixteen favorite Fire Emblem characters, and wrote a bit about why I like them. And also why you should too, but I digress. The fact that all of my favorites are from the same universe was a funny coincidence, considering Gerik and Yukimura just barely missed the cutoff, haha.

And with that, the massive post.

Saber

Saber is a mercenary who works out of the Novis Greatport, drinking his troubles away and fighting whoever his client tells him to, so long as he's paid sufficiently. And as the first character Celica recruits after leaving the Novis Priory, Saber couldn't stand out more from the rest of Celica's group. A swordsman among a group of mages and clerics, and the fact that he's double Celica and Mae's age, and more than double Boey and Genny's, doesn't help matters much. You'd be forgiven if you thought he was their babysitter instead of their bodyguard at first glance.

Saber fits the standard rugged mercenary archetype fairly well, and given how much I enjoy characters like Ogma and Gerik (and Inigo, but he doesn't fit the whole "rugged" part), Saber really drew me in. And with these types of characters, the events that led them to become mercenaries are always some of their most interesting aspects. Gerik became one at the behest of his now-deceased friend and never seemed to get out of it, Ogma was a slave who was forced to become a gladiator and still lives with the post-traumatic stress caused by it to this day. In Saber's case, we don't find out exactly what it is, but it may be somewhat implied that it has to do with his sister.

Through his conversations with Jesse, as well as tidbits we find out from villagers on Novis Island, Saber is famous throughout Valentia as a sellsword, having made quite the name for himself and inspiring constant chatter in many a tavern. Many sing of his strength and skill, and it becomes much clearer as to why in time. In his final base conversation with Celica, Saber reveals the truth of his origins: he's Rigelian. He came to Zofia in order to get away from the Empire (perhaps to grant his sister a better life away from the Duma Faithful, considering their penchant for sacrificing young maidens, be it to Nuibaba or Duma himself?).

Saber's travels, in addition to honing his strength, also made him incredibly worldly, especially in comparison to Celica's more sheltered companions. His dynamic with Celica in particular is nice to see, and is almost familial, which makes sense considering Saber sees a lot of his younger sister in Celica. She, in turn, also brings out more of Saber's warmer side. Saber wasn't even going to join her in the first place, but he liked her moxie enough to be swayed (well, and the fact that she seemed oblivious to how much her dagger was worth). And even though he was only hired to see her to the Temple of Mila, Saber doesn't put up much of a fight when Celica, now open about her heritage, asks him to go with her to Duma Tower, despite him not caring for politics enough to let her station sway him. Over time, Saber became genuinely protective of and friendly toward Celica.

As well, Saber's expertise in battle translates very well into gameplay. As a Dread Fighter, Saber becomes one of the single best units in Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia. Giving him the Brave Sword you get from killing Deen only further enhances his combat potential, allowing him to score critical hit after critical hit.

All in all, Saber is my favorite mercenary in Fire Emblem, and stands out as a fantastic character in an already stellar cast in his home game.

Olivia

In Fire Emblem Awakening, Olivia joins your party after rescuing the Shepherds from the Midmire, right in the heart of Plegian territory. A dancer from Regna Ferox, she has been under the employ of Khan Basilio ever since he came to her aid after a boorish nobleman tried to get too touchy-feely for her liking. Calling her a Feroxi jewel, Basilio had her entertain large crowds as a court dancer.

Olivia is, by far, my favorite dancer in the franchise (though Tethys comes very close). "Dancer" isn't just her occupation, it's her lifestyle. Olivia lives for the arts, and while performing, she can inspire all who watch her. In her supports with Ricken, she shows that this isn't even limited to just dancing, but storytelling as well, as she gets really into her performance as she and Rich and ken swap stories. In her supports with Robin, she reveals that her dream is to open a theater of her own so that she can dance for audiences of immense size, further allowing her to spread her art.

When she isn't performing, however, Olivia is incredibly meek and shy. She's socially awkward and uncomfortable in her own skin, often downplaying any compliment she's given. It's possible that this is a result of a need for constant praise and validation from others, providing Olivia with a notable character flaw beyond being the token shy girl.

However, in her supports with her son Inigo, it is revealed that in the future, she overcomes her debilitating confidence issues, and goes so far as to help Inigo through his own. Inigo uses flirtation as a way to distract himself from his confidence issues, using his Casanova-esque personality as a front to hide his shyness. She also spread her love of dancing to her son as well.

As a dancer, Olivia is automatically a useful unit from a utility standpoint, being able to grant allies an extra action on any given turn. However, it's worth mentioning that dancers are somewhat less useful in Awakening than they are in other titles due to how centralizing Galeforce is on player phase, while Nosferatu tanking makes up the bulk of enemy phase at higher levels of play.

Over all, Olivia is a fun and charming character, and one of Awakening's standouts, in my opinion.

Boey

Boey is one of Celica's starting party members, alongside Mae as the other mandatory recruitment and Genny as the optional recruitment. From an early age, both he and Mae trained to become mages while living at the Novis Priory in the event that they'd ever be needed to help Celica.

Boey, prior to the start of the game, has had a bit of a rough life. Having grown up poor even by commoner standards, Boey is the son of a poor Novis fisherman who was sent to live at the priory at a young age due to his family not being able to adequately provide for him and his siblings. Nomah, the priory's resident head sage, noticed that Boey had latent potential for learning magic and took him under his tutelage.

Boey's upbringing informs quite a bit about his character. Whereas Mae clearly sees Celica as her best friend, Boey takes a much more professional approach to their relationship, always addressing her with a formal "milady" and never by her first name. Notably, Celica and Boey don't have a support conversation together, further highlighting Boey's self-imposed divide. Considering his destitute upbringing, he's clearly aware of the class divide between himself and Celica, despite Celica herself clearly not being concerned with such things.

Boey often takes a more practical and professional approach to things, in sharp contrast with Mae's energy and spontaneity. Part of this may also stem from insecurities about his skill with magic, as Mae's own magic is far more powerful than his. As such, he may try to make himself seem better than Mae when he can simply due to fear of his own ineptitude, a fear of failing at his job of protecting Celica. This may also connect to his fear of Terrors and the undead, constant reminders of what fate may befall them should they not be careful. And as the only one among Celica's starting companions unable to learn Seraphim (even Saber gets it through reclassing), he has ample reason to be afraid.

Boey also has strong feelings for Mae, though one may not realize this right away, given how often the two are verbally sparring. Eventually the two confess their mutual feelings, and in the epilogue, it's revealed they got married and had kids. Lots and lots of kids.

At the end of the day, Boey isn't the strongest mage around, but he's a damn good character. And he gets Sagittae, which is undeniably the coolest looking spell.

Hardin

Just as a warning, this one is going to contain some pretty heavy spoilers for both Shadow Dragon and New Mystery of the Emblem, the latter of which was never released internationally.

Hardin is, in my opinion, the single most tragic character in all of Fire Emblem. The younger brother of the King of Aurelis, Hardin sought to change the world for the better in whatever way he could. One of the first acts of improvement was a lofty one: outlawing slavery throughout the Kingdom of Aurelis. This was no small feat, as the ownership of slaves was a tried and true tradition among Aurelian nobility. They had a storied history of enslaving the plainspeople of the Aurelian wild lands, and Hardin throwing it all away didn't sit well with much of the nobility. This act did, however, cast Hardin in a ray of light among the now freed slaves, who pledged full allegiance to their savior. They gave him the title of Coyote as a sign of respect and became his elite guardsmen, a fearsome cavalry that would come to be known as the Wolfguard. He and his men would help the people of Aurelis and, during the early days of the War of Shadows, would help drive bandits and slavers from Aurelian villages. None could stand before the might of Coyote.

After a long series of events that I don't have the time to detail here, Princess Nyna, the last survivor of House Archanea, was brought into Aurelis by Camus, her captor and eventual lover. Hardin was now in charge of securing her safety. Aurelis had no ill will toward the Holy Kingdom, so Hardin was pleased to take Nyna into his protection. What he didn't account for was eventually falling in love with her.

After driving out enemy forces from Macedon with the help of Marth and the Altean League, Hardin forms a fast and furious friendship with Marth, acknowledging his skill in leading his troops. Claiming he is a good judge of character, Hardin allies Aurelis with Altea and becomes one of Marth's closest allies.

At this point, I'd like to point out that Hardin is a fantastic unit, and in my opinion one of Shadow Dragon's best. He has fantastic base stats and a high enough lance rank to immediately wield the Ridersbane, making him incredibly useful. The Coyote is just as powerful as his name implies.

Eventually the (apparent) death of Camus occurs and Nyna is heartbroken. Hardin, meanwhile, becomes the new wielder of the lance Gradivus, one of Archanea's three holy regalia. After a few more fights, the War of Shadows comes to a close.

In the aftermath, Bishop Boah informs Princess Nyna that, as she is the last living member of the Archanean royal family, she should get married to secure her lineage's future. The issue being, however, that...pickings are slim. King Mostyn of Talys is married. King Ludwik of Grust is on his deathbed. King Jiol of Gra was killed by Marth, leaving his daughter Sheena to rule. Princess Minerva now leads Macedon after the death of Michalis. That left only Marth of Altea (who Nyna knows only has eyes for Caeda...she even helped get them together) and Hardin of Aurelis. For Nyna, their marriage was purely political, for she never got over the loss of Camus.

For Hardin, it was the happiest moment of his life.

You see, Hardin had thought Nyna had truly loved him as he loved her. With the joining of Aurelis and Archanea, Hardin dubs their lands the Holy Empire of Archanea, and he has ambitious plans to improve the quality of life for his people. For some time, Hardin was living his dream.

However, reality would soon set in, and Hardin would come to learn his marriage was a loveless one. He couldn't comprehend a loveless arranged marriage. He felt betrayed, used. Hardin quickly fell into a deep depression, the once full of life emperor now wallowed in his own grief behind locked doors.

Depression has a funny way of clouding one's judgment, as Hardin would come to learn. A cloaked figure came to him offering a cure for his sadness, to which Hardin, desperate, quickly accepted. The usual good judge of character wasn't present here, not when his world had fallen apart before him. He hadn't realized the cloaked figure was the now-revived Gharnef offering him the Darksphere, which warped Hardin's mind, turning his own depression against him. It gave him immense strength, but cost him his humanity. It turned his depression into hatred for those closest to him, including Marth. It made the once kind ruler into a monster as the influence of the Darksphere caused Hardin to commit atrocity after atrocity, striking down old allies as ruining the lands he once protected.

Lucidity finally returned to Hardin, but only when it was too late: after Marth had struck the Emperor with a fatal blow. Finally realizing what he had done, and seeing the devastation he had wrought, he begged Marth for forgiveness in his dying breath, apologizing to his closest friend one last time. And with that, Hardin died in Marth's arms.

Hardin is a character that exhibits very modern sensibilities despite living in a medieval fantasy series. The concept of slavery disgusts him, the idea of marrying for politics over love is foreign to him. In many ways, Hardin is a man out of time. And Hardin ultimately fell due to depression setting in, due to him realizing his ideals aren't as compatible with the world around him as he once thought. And in his darkest hour, he was deceived and taken over.

And so ends the story of Hardin. Emancipator of the Aurelian Plainspeople. Mighty Coyote. Protector of Princess Nyna. Hero of the War of Shadows. Holy Emperor of Archanea.

...Backstabber. Tyrant. Villain. Dark Emperor.

Sadly, these last few would be the titles he was remembered by. A great man who had done great things, only to have his legacy tarnished by forces beyond his control.

Lena

Lena is a character that has a lot more going for her than one might think going only by the main storyline. A cleric from a noble Macedonian house, Lena was fairly prominent in the court of Macedon. However, her family's swift rise at court coincided with the beginning of the reign of King Michalis, who had killed his own father to usurp the throne. Macedon's people were...oddly okay with this. Their empire had been ruled by strength since its founding, and most of Macedon adored Michalis because of his military prowess.

Except Lena.

At court, Michalis went searching for a bride-to-be, for what was a king without a queen? For one reason or another, he had his mind set on marrying Lena, and so he proposed to her at court, much to the jealousy of other women.

Lena promptly turned down his offer.

Pretty much everyone is shocked beyond words. How dare she, they thought. Even Lena's own family felt as though she should have put her family's standing above her own happiness. Family of the year, everyone. Lena, knowing that marrying the patricidal tyrant would only end in disaster, left Macedon for the kingdom of Archanea. However, when she arrives, the Millennial Palace had been ransacked and the royal family (save for Princess Nyna) had been killed, leaving the Sable Order of Grust to guard the castle. This made life a living hell for Archanea's people, with most living in poverty as the palace town was routinely ransacked by robbers and human traffickers.

Lena, seeing the devastation around her, forms an alliance with Rickard, a local thief, and together with the hunter Castor and the hired swordsman Navarre, she leads a Robin Hood-like gang in a raid of the palace, attempting to loot what treasures remain there to distribute them among the Archanean people. The plan goes fairly well...until they're caught by Camus. Threatening imprisonment and outright execution, Camus plans to give the quartet no quarter. And what does Lena, the quiet cleric and Angel of Macedon do?

She basically tells Camus that he's nothing more than a pawn for Dolhr right to his face, telling him he should be ashamed to even call himself a knight. At this point Lena is two for two when it comes to verbally roasting Shadow Dragon's mini bosses. Honestly I wouldn't be surprised if while she was abducted she basically told Gharnef his life was meaningless offscreen.

So then Nyna shows up and convinces Camus to let them go and distribute the treasure, and at some point Lena gets captured by the Soothsires only for Julian to rescue her. And my god are those two adorable together. His drive to save her after her abduction in the sequel is really heartwarming.

After all the events of Shadow Dragon and New Mystery, Lena works at a convent in Macedon to help out war orphans because she's just that great. She's quiet and kind, and her epithet in the ending literally names her Angel to All, but at the same time she's not afraid to get her hands dirty for the good of others, and Naga have mercy on any miniboss who tried to overpower her.

Also of note, she is the only character in Shadow Dragon who can wield Hammerne. That's right, Hammerne is her PRF weapon. And it has twelve uses, not one. Lena doesn't mess around. Put her in Heroes already, IS.

Sumia

Sumia is Lucina's canon mother. If that bothers you, I don't know what to tell you. Awakening makes it pretty damn blatant.

In Awakening, Chrom's Shepherds are an elite militia that protects the Halidom of Ylisse. The group also mostly consists of Chrom's own friends, which is awesome in its own right. One of these members is Sumia, a woman of noble birth who is more than a bit of a klutz. In the story, she originally stays behind as the group travels to Regna Ferox seeking aid. Along the way, however, the group encounters an ornery pegasus, which Sumia then immediately tames. Later on at the Longfort on the Feroxi border, Sumia then swoops in on that same pegasus to save Chrom from being impaled by the Feroxi spears. The two lovingly gaze into each other's eyes for a bit, as if to say "this wasn't canon enough."

Sumia is a bit of a scatterbrain, but she always means well. There's one moment where she wants Chrom to snap out of his worrying, but instead of slapping some sense into him, she outright decks him in the face without realizing what she did wrong. She also has an incredibly nurturing personality and is highly empathetic.

Sumia also has an affinity for animal care, as shown when she tames the pegasus and as is described in her supports with Sully and Cynthia. She is one of the few characters in a Fire Emblem game that I can recall worrying about the safety of the units' mounts in combat, and the sacrifices many of them make on the battlefield.

Despite all of her positive qualities, however, Sumia is absolutely plagued by self-doubt. When she's troubled, she often turns to her flower fortunes to quell her thoughts. When she gets a bad fortune, it gives her the drive needed to change it. When she gets a good one, she fights even harder to secure it. And when she goes without these fortunes, her sense of stability falls out from underneath her. Another coping mechanism of hers comes in the form of escapist literature. She loves to read novels where she can envision herself as the protagonist, all in an effort to distract herself from her own life's shortcomings.

Finally, I wanted to touch on Chrom and Sumia as a couple, as it is definitely a point of contention among fans. Some feel that their entire support chain was a dumb joke about pies, and while I agree on that when it comes to their S-Support (at this point I'd like to mention that almost all S-Supports are poorly written, so Chrom/Sumia isn't alone in this), their C-A Supports show something much more: notably, that they complete each other. Chrom is supportive of all of the Shepherds and treats them like family, complimenting them on their strong points and working alongside them to fix their weaknesses. Sumia, given her predisposition for self-doubt, absolutely needs this emotional rock in her life. Sumia, meanwhile, provides Chrom with a nurturing, almost motherly sense of care and high amount of empathy that he has literally never had throughout his life (try as Emmeryn might, she can only do so much as a parental substitute). The two of them provide the exact kind of support the other needs, so yes, there is far more to them than pies.

As a unit, Sumia is fantastic. High mobility, great in combat, can get Galeforce through Dark Flier and staff utility through Falcon Knight, and gives nice support boosts to Chrom.

Put her in Heroes, IS. Seriously, she should have been in at launch.

Mae

She's at the top of her game, and she's still hyper, so let's go.

Mae, like Boey, grew up on Novis before eventually ending up at the priory at a young age. Unlike Boey, we don't get a whole lot of information on what her life was like beyond the fact that she's a commoner. We do know, though, that her skill in magic far outweighs Boey's, a fact that she reminds him of often. This is shown when she joins already knowing the Thunder spell, while Boey and even Celica need to level up a bit more before learning it.

Mae is spunky and upbeat, with her energetic nature contrasting Boey's more calculated approach. She's friendly and approachable, and despite being trained to be one of Celica's bodyguards, she sees her relationship with the princess as that of best friends more than retainer and royalty. She casually jokes around with Celica and addresses her on a first-name basis, and unlike Boey, Mae has a support conversation chain with Celica.

In fact, Mae often acts as a confidant to Celica, as revealed in their base conversations. She doesn't like Celica bottling up her feelings and would rather her share her thoughts with her.

Mae herself comes to Celica for advice in their supports, mainly in working through her insecurities dealing with the way she carries herself. Boey is quick to point out that Mae often acts childish. To illustrate this, she even comes equipped with a cookie at the start of the game. It weighs on her, however, when she realizes that people may only see her as a girl and not as a woman, despite being the same age as Celica. Quickly realizing that Mae wants Boey to see her as a woman, Celica consoles Mae and encourages her to be herself.

Mae is also genuinely one of the funniest characters in Fire Emblem, mostly thanks to Cherami Leigh's vocal delivery. At her heart she's a comic relief character with some surprising hidden depth, and she does that job well. Seriously, she's up there with Tobin as far as most quotable Shadows of Valentia characters are concerned.

Mae is also pretty great in combat, though she does lose some of her luster in the late game when more enemies gain higher resistance, like arcanists, witches, and cantors. It doesn't help that she's locked to four movement. The Mage Ring can help, but it's better saved for Celica herself. Personally I give her the Ladyblade from Duma Tower, as she's usually a Priestess by then. At the very least though, having access to Seraphim makes her a great anti-terror unit.

In the end, Mae is a great and enjoyable character, and in my eyes, one of the characters that benefitted most from Shadows of Valentia being fully voiced. Here's hoping that full voice acting becomes a series staple.

Silque

Because apparently I have a thing for Warp-wielding clerics that you save from bandits, if Lena was anything to go by.

Silque is a cleric from the Novis priory (which has an astonishingly good track record when it comes to producing my favorite characters) who goes on a journey to Ram Village to deliver Mila's Turnwheel to Alm through Mycen. On her way, she is ambushed by bandits and is held as a hostage until Alm, Lukas, and the rest of the Ram Villagers save her.

Silque doesn't get a whole lot of time to shine in Shadows of Valentia, which I always thought was a bit odd. She has quite a bit of plot importance due to giving Alm the Turnwheel, but for whatever reason, she isn't a mandatory recruitment. That's a shame, I think, because getting her input on some of the story events would have been really neat.

What Silque does get, though, is enough to make her one of my favorite characters, and my third favorite character from Shadows of Valentia over all. Silque, first and foremost, is very worldly, and a far cry from the stereotypically cloistered cleric. According to her recruitment and base conversations, she has a slew of survival skills and field knowledge that she gained from a long pilgrimage she took with her mother when she was a little girl. Her mother also taught her all of the healing and support skills needed to be a cleric.

The exact details of that pilgrimage wouldn't be revealed until her Act IV base conversation, but those details inform much of who Silque is during the events of the game. The pilgrimage she often talks about was in Rigel, and her mother was in fact a cleric of the Duma Faithful. At the end of the pilgrimage, Silque's mother left her at the Novis priory before disappearing. Silque never learned why, and sank into a deep depression. Eventually, she found salvation through Mila's teachings, and this gave purpose back to her life. From then on she pledged to spread the word of the Earth Mother and travel the continent helping those who need her most.

Silque's willingness to seek out those in need also plays into another aspect of her character: contrary to what one may expect of a conversatively-dressed well-mannered nun-style character, Silque is very social. In her supports with Faye, she mentions that because Alm's army is mostly men, she doesn't get to engage in girl talk as much as she'd like (or maybe even as much as she used to...she did live in the same priory as Mae, after all). As well, she also has a surprisingly witty sense of humor. In her Act III base conversation, she mentions that due to the pirate raids, the people of Novis only had fish to eat. She joked that some worried they may grow scales as a result. Additionally, in the memory prism The Flirt and the Faithful, she prays to Mila that Jesse is blessed with good fortune on his travels, before adding in under her breath that he sorely needs it.

Silque also exemplifies one of Shadows of Valentia's key themes: unity.

Silque has a tangible connection to both Alm's party and Celica's party, being recruited by Alm but having lived with Celica and her friends. She has a cross route support bonus with Jesse, making them the only characters outside of the Ram Villagers to have one. Her mother, a member of the Duma Faithful, taught her how to be a cleric, and gave her skills she'd go on to use as a cleric of Mila. And in the end, Silque comes full circle, as her ending has her going back to Rigel to heal those wounded from the war.

Gameplay-wise, Silque is an amazing unit. She doesn't have any long range healing skills like Physic or Fortify, but her support tools are second to none. Additionally, they may also hint at her heritage. She knows the Warp spell, which may be a connection to the fact that Rigelian Witches can warp around the map at will. Additionally, her version of Invoke spawns Dread Fighters, the strongest class in the game, perhaps as a reference to Rigel's strength. She is rather frail, but it's nothing a shield can't fix.

Aesthetically speaking, Silque's design and voice work are also amazing. Her voice actress, Bonnie Gordon, also sings the song in the credits, Heritors of Arcadia, which is a neat fun fact. Also put Silque in Heroes, IS. Seriously.

Frederick

"Pick a god and pray."

See that line? It's not in Heroes, and that's a crime. Warriors got the memo, at least. But more importantly, that critical hit quote embodies Frederick to me. He's a complete badass. Awakening was my first foray into the series before going through some of the older titles, so Frederick definitely made an impression on me. The best part is, unlike some other Jagens, Frederick doesn't fall off very hard. He's usable for most, if not all, of the game, namely due to great base stats, innate access to Luna, and Awakening's busted reclassing and Second Seal system. Plus, mobility.

Frederick is, naturally, a stern lieutenant. He's effectively Chrom's second in command. Of course, as Chrom's retainer, he holds his duties to the Ylissean royal family in very high regard. To a comical degree, even. He clears Chrom's path of pebbles to prevent the possibility of him partaking in a pratfall. He'll knit Chrom a sweater on the spot should he so much as sneeze. At one point he hangs posters of Chrom posing naked around camp to "increase morale" among the troops. His devotion borders on obsession, but he always means well. In fact, it's natural that he'd take his duties as seriously as he does, given Chrom's recklessness.

But for as grueling as Frederick's training is, and for as doting as he is to Chrom, Frederick also enjoys seeing others succeed, for at his heart, he is a teacher. He professes to Sumia that he holds no ill will toward her for trying and failing, for it was the attempt that mattered. He later explains to Nowi that the more he trains, the more he learns, and the more he is able to pass on to the Shepherds, possibly preventing future casualties. In other words, in addition to being gallant, punctual, and chivalrous, Frederick is a firm believer in "to teach is to learn."

Frederick also has a very believable backstory explaining Awakening's otherwise throwaway joke about Frederick not liking bear meat. Frederick grew up in a forested mountain village (also meaning that he is likely not nobility, interestingly), and one day, while out in the forest, he was attacked by a wolf. Even ignoring the fact that Frederick was enough of a badass as a child to survive a wolf attack, the event did, sadly, severely impact Frederick's psyche, and gave him an intense fear of wild animals, predators in particular. It's a fear that creeps up on him from time to time as well, which I think is another neat layer to his character.

As a side note, I'm actually pretty pleased Intelligent Systems has been playing up Frederick's axe usage more than his lance usage as of late. Not only does it fit his character more in my opinion (Chrom even says early on that "Frederick is only happy when he's about to bring down the axe"), but it showcases his class better. Axe usage is the main thing separating Great Knights from Paladins.

Also why the hell did Frederick not get a trophy in Smash. Come on, Sakurai.

Tobin

Poor Tobin.

Tobin is the classic example of a hero with a severe inferiority complex. He's one of Alm's best friends, alongside Gray, but his competitive nature and Alm and Gray's sheer amount of talent only leads to Tobin struggling to catch up.

Tobin is an ordinary villager who is eventually thrown into the Deliverance's war once Alm and Gray volunteer. Tobin is initially apprehensive, but the promise of gold as compensation sways him. Tobin explains that it isn't out of greed, but because he wants to support his struggling family.

Canonically, Tobin becomes an archer when it comes time to pick a class line. This choice of class says a lot about Tobin, and plays into his inferiority complex as well. Alm states early on that Mycen taught all of the Ram Village kids how to use a sword and bow, and Gray canonically becomes a sword wielding mercenary while Alm uses one as a Fighter. If Tobin were to focus on swordplay, there'd only be a greater chance that Alm or Gray would show him up. Therefore, he became an archer so he could excel at something that they couldn't.

Tobin, for as much as he tries to outdo Alm, is incredibly close with him. He's always shown to be wholeheartedly supportive of Alm, even in situations where he himself is apprehensive. When Alm declares war on Rigel, he is shocked beyond words, but eventually tells Alm that he's behind him every step of the way.

As shown in his support with Kliff, Tobin is a genuinely supportive friend in general. He understands that Kliff is on edge, and doesn't take it to heart when he lashes out at him. Instead he kind of laughs it off, because he knows getting mad will get him nowhere.

Tobin also has an interesting dynamic with Gray, with Gray being more worldly and somewhat snarky, while Tobin is much more reactive and worried as the world changes around him. In their supports, he's initially jealous of Gray due to him getting close with Clair, whom Tobin pines for. Eventually though, Tobin realizes he doesn't have a chance with her and instead supports Gray in his attempts to woo her. They patch things up with each other because Tobin realizes that he doesn't want to lose his best friend.

In Tobin's Act IV base conversation, he finally comes to terms with the fact that Alm will always have a leg up on him, and that his job isn't to be stronger than Alm, but to be a part of Alm's strength. He says he doesn't necessarily like that he'll never best Alm, but he can accept it, as Alm is one of his closest friends, bringing a heartwarming close to Tobin's character arc. The epilogue states that he went on to become Alm's most loyal knight, and he was eventually given a title and his own castle. Sir Tobin of Ram definitely has a nice ring to it, wouldn't you say?

Also while Heroes is on a kick with giving out alternate versions of characters, can we get Bow Knight Tobin please? He deserves far more than being just another infantry sword user. Faye stole his bow, dammit.

Caeda

One of Archanea's standout characters, and for good reason. Caeda and Marth share one of my personal favorite romances in the series, and is also really important to the story.

Seriously, Caeda gets things done. She's even responsible for recruiting several members of Marth's army, including Navarre, Castor, Jake, Roger, and Lorenz. She isn't just window dressing for Marth, storywise. And that factors into gameplay as well.

Caeda is a seriously good unit, mainly because of her signature weapon, the Wing Spear. You effectively get a high-mobility rapier that's easily forge-able and able to kill the vast majority of enemies in one shot. Badass.

Anyway, as the daughter of King Mostyn of Talys, Caeda is strong in a fight, but kind and caring all the same. She's also crafty, and not above using her feminine wiles to sway the enemy into joining Marth's army. Roger found that out the hard way. It's also literally the only reason anyone ever remembers Roger.

Her relationship with Ogma is also one that I find really neat. Ogma, for those that don't know, was forced to be a gladiator and endured gruesome fight after gruesome fight. Eventually, the fighting became too much for him, and he set up an escape plan for the rest of the gladiators. However, he took the fall so the others could escape. He was meant to be put to death, but Caeda found out about this and essentially bought Ogma's freedom, asking him to serve as a member of Talys' army. Ogma, of course, obliged. In Shadow Dragon, when King Mostyn sends Ogma and his men (Barst, Bord, and Cord) to look after Caeda, she simply asks that Ogma instead looks after Marth. She can fend for herself, she says, but Marth means the world to her.

Caeda's views on leadership and patriotism are especially admirable. Shadow Dragon has amazing writing in general, but one of the standout moments for me is Caeda's recruitment conversation with Lorenz. For reference, this occurs in the chapter with the fight against Camus. Here is an excerpt from the conversation:

* Lorenz: "...I serve Grust. I cannot simply betray my country."
* Caeda: "Ah, but what makes a country?"
* Lorenz: "Pardon?"
* Caeda: "Is it one man- your king? Or is it the countless innocent people who make their home here?"
* Lorenz: "Well, that's- Hmm..."
* Caeda: "My father has a saying: "A kingless country is a country still; but a king without subjects rules naught but hills." If you disobey your king to ensure his subjects' safety, how is that a betrayal? You are protecting his reign."

Speaking of good Caeda conversations, Marth is absolutely a dope when he confesses to her in the epilogue. Just saying.

* Marth: "As you said, we have not spoken much since Talys. With you, I felt I never had to say a word. If the battle started to take its toll, you were always there...close by...I would see you there, so beaut- ahem, so brave... and I would, um,....derive! Yes, derive great strength! Derive... ....Ugh, why is this so difficult?! Caeda, I'm just trying to tell you I-"

* Caeda: "Marth... Shh. Me too... Me too."

They're just great, together and on their own. I figure now would be a good time to mention I was relieved that she was in Warriors. Had she been omitted I wouldn't defend the roster, because she's just as important to Shadow Dragon as Marth is, in all honesty.

I'm glad Warriors finally gave her the Wing Spear, and that Heroes gave her the Wing...Sword. Close enough. Caeda deserves more respect than having an Armorslayer, IS. And so does Tobin, hint hint.

Marth

The Hero-King himself. On the surface, Marth is your average JRPG protagonist archetype. Kind, caring, fights for his friends even harder than Ike claims to, overcomes tremendous odds, and all that jazz. But where Marth shines is the fact that he's incredibly well-written.

Marth's struggles are incredibly believable, and throughout his saga, he's plagued with doubt, wondering whether or not he is capable of stopping the seemingly ceaseless war. His sister was taken hostage, his father was killed in battle, and his kingdom was toppled. He'd lost everything. Well, almost. He still had some of his most stalwart Knights at his side, like Cain, Abel, Jagen, Draug, and Gordin. And he had Caeda. And they picked up Wrys at some point. But anyway, Marth ended up getting some of the best of Shadow Dragon's already fantastic writing. Take this exchange, for example:

Jagen: “Look, sire. See how Altea shrinks on the horizon…”
Marth: “...aven…”
Jagen: “I beg your pardon?”
Marth: “I am a craven. Powerless to save my sister, to staunch my kingdom’s wounds; to ease my people’s fears…”
Jagen: “This…was your only recourse, sire. But surely, one day, you will be able to set things right…”
Marth: ”Surely”? Why do words of such conviction smack so much of uncertainty when spoken? Not surely, Jagen. Assuredly. Gra will pay for their acts. Today, though, allow me to wallow in this pain, to feel every awful twist of it. I never want to forget.”
Jagen: “Sire…”
Marth: “I will return, Altea! Your prince will return to you one day!”

Between this and "I am a prince before I am a son or a brother," Marth got some of Shadow Dragon's best lines. He takes the fall of his kingdom directly to heart, and it pains him, but also drives him. In battle, he doesn't want any of his allies to die, for they're all dear to him. And yet he knows the cost of war, and that in all likelihood some will die. And when Altea is liberated but Elice is still captured and his mother is discovered to have been killed, Marth forces a smile and celebrates with his people in what is likely the first day they've had in a long while where they didn't live in fear. He holds back tears because he knows his people deserve happiness, and as the Prince of Altea, it's his duty to ensure their happiness.

Marth is a good man who is put through absolute hell, and yet he grows because of it. As a man, as a commander, and as a prince.

Also he's one of my Smash mains and Yuri Lowenthal's performance was always my headcanon voice for an English Marth, so that was neat. Also localize New Mystery, IS. And give Marth a Brave Heroes variant in Heroes. He was robbed.

Merric

Merric is Fire Emblem's Doctor Strange. With that out of the way, let me tell you all why Merric is my favorite Archanean character by a large margin.

Merric grew up alongside Marth and his older sister, Elice, in Altea. Altea is known for its knights, and being a noble, Merric was expected to become one, much like his family before him. There was a problem with this, however. Merric was a sickly, frail boy without an ounce of muscle. Oftentimes Marth and Elice needed to help him out growing up, especially if he got himself into trouble and couldn't defend himself. If ever he got hurt, Elice would take care of him and nurse him back to health. Naturally, for young Merric, this led to an infatuation with his best friend's older sister, but because Marth is cool like that, he didn't mind.

So Merric, being the sweetheart he is, decides he wants to get stronger to protect Marth and Elice after all they did for him, so he breaks family tradition and travels to Khadein, a city known for its mages, to become versed in magic over swordplay. Many looked down on him for this, but Marth and Elice never doubted him. Eventually Marth reunited with him on his journey in Shadow Dragon, and now Merric is the disciple of Wendell, the head wizard of Khadein. He wields the legendary wind tome Excalibur and joins Marth.

Another character important to Merric's development is Arlen, Merric's rival throughout his time in Khadein. If Merric is Doctor Strange and Wendell is The Ancient One, then Arlen is Baron Mordo. Overcome with envy that Master Wendell gave the Excalibur tome to Merric instead of him, Arlen aligned with the Archanean Empire in an attempt to kill Merric until Wendell explained why he made the decision he did. In short, he had always intended for Arlen to become his successor, but Excalibur wouldn't have resonated with Arlen. What Merric had that Arlen lacked was compassion, which a wielder of Excalibur needed, hence why Arlen got Thoron instead. After being compared to Gharnef, Arlen understood and joined Wendell and Merric as part of Marth's forces.

And true to Wendell's word, Merric was compassionate. He showed no ill will toward Arlen afterward, despite him trying to kill him and all.

When Merric finally sees Elice again, held captive by Gharnef, he tries so hard to be brave to save and impress her, which Elice finds endearing. So much so that they are incredibly heavily implied to get married after the events of New Mystery of the Emblem, making him Marth's brother-in-law.

Finally, Merric is studious and ripe with curiosity. He's fascinated by the nature of magic, always questioning the inner workings of the system, as shown with his support conversations with Linde in New Mystery of the Emblem. Why are Excalibur and Aura gender-exclusive? Why could Pontifex Miloah use Aura despite being male? Does magic have a sort of sentience? Excalibur "chose" Merric, after all. So he writes a whole thesis about it.

Speaking of Linde, her support with Marth in Warriors also sheds some more light on Merric. Apparently when she and Merric were alone, he would constantly sing Marth's praises, telling Linde that his days with Marth and Elice were the happiest days of his life. In turn, he would also speak highly of Linde when talking to Marth. This further proves that Merric is a dork who loves his friends.

Merric is a lovable, caring dork in an oversized wizard hat, and I love him to pieces. Stop getting upset when you get him in Heroes, you ingrates. He's a good boy who deserves to be in the five star pool more than most five star exclusives. Looking at you, Mist.

Celica

The second of three main lords on this list, and definitely the most controversial, as well! However, I do feel that a lot of the backlash Celica got for her actions in Shadows of Valentia was wholly undeserved.

As a character, Celica is duty-bound and pious. She takes her duties both to Mila and later her Kingdom quite seriously. As well, she is a pacifist at heart, though the current circumstances force her to fight regardless.

Many people seem to think her a hypocrite for being upset that Alm plans to fight the Rigelian Empire after she eliminated Barth's pirate gang, and this criticism never made sense to me. Celica drove off a bunch of crudely-organized pirates from Zofia's ports thanks in part due to her magic, while Alm is taking on a rigorously-trained empire with nothing more than his sword skills. The scope of Alm's goal is ludicrously larger than what Celica did. And considering the vision Mila sent her in a dream, she has ample reason to worry for Alm's safety.

Celica's mission to drive back the pirates stems from her sense of duty toward Zofia's people, even if her identity as their princess isn't public knowledge. She loathes fighting, but the wellbeing of the traders and farmers who rely on the harbor forces her hand.

Celica's connection and dedication to Mila is not only inspiring, but also a crucial part of her character. She's a priestess, and as such, she has a greater understanding of Mila than most. This also plays into her controversial decision in the game's fourth act. When she offers her soul to Duma, she realizes she literally has no other choice. She didn't do it because she "trusted Jedah" (she outright says she doesn't during Act IV itself). One should expect a devout servant of Mila to be familiar with how the dragonkin operate.

For the less lore-inclined, Mila and Duma are both dragonkin, or manaketes. In particular, divine dragons. However, when dragons live for long periods of time, they begin to degenerate and go savage, losing all semblance of sanity and even begin to physically fall apart. This is what happened to Duma by the time Act V rolled around, and divine dragons succumbing to their madness will only end in disaster. As such, Naga, ruler of the Divine Dragons, crafted the Falchion, the only blade capable of killing a divine dragon as a fail safe in case humanity ever needed it. When Mila and Duma went to Valentia, she crafted a second one and had it brought with them.

However, Celica doesn't agree to give her soul to Duma until she sees that Mila had Falchion sealed within her skull. From Celica's perspective, Mila had forsaken her people and removed the only way to prevent Duma's madness from destroying the continent. As such, offering her soul is her only recourse, as Celica has no way of knowing Alm is capable of unbinding Falchion.

Celica is willing to make sacrifices where they are needed, but that's both her greatest trait and her fatal flaw, as she values the lives of her people, but seemingly doesn't value her own life, seeing herself more as a tool to bend to the people's needs instead of a ruler to guide them. Given Celica's support conversations with Mae, we know that Celica is incredibly considerate and willing to help her friends, but she also bottles up her own problems, not wishing to burden anyone else with hers.

Celica as a character is sacrificial and duty bound to her people, exemplifying Mila's kindness and compassion. She also deserved to be a whole lot more than just a Marth clone in Warriors, but time constraints suck.

Virion

The archest of archers and the noblest of nobility, Virion is easily one of my favorite Fire Emblem characters. And yet, at first glance, he often gets written off as a one-note gimmick due to his introduction. But beneath the surface is a truly compelling and complex character that doesn't get enough praise, if his Choose Your Legends results are anything to go by.

Virion is introduced in Awakening as a nobleman who's also a bit of a pompous womanizer. He's treated as a bit of a joke character, and is then largely unimportant to the plot until the end of chapter eleven, after the two year time skip. It is here that Virion introduces himself as the Duke of Rosanne, a duchy in the far away continent of Valm. He reveals that Walhart the Conqueror had overtaken his lands, and he went to Ylisse to recruit allies to fight him back. Chrom takes this to mean he fled for his life, but the truth of the matter can instead be found in his support conversation with Panne.

Virion was well and truly loved by his people. His was a fair and fertile country, beautiful and brimming with life. When Walhart began subjugating other nations and approached Rosanne, however, Virion initially announced his plans to give himself up to Walhart so that his people may live, as he knew they stood no chance of surviving against the Conqueror had they fought him. His people, though, would have none of this. Their loyalty to Virion was absolute, and they pledged to fight and die for him if it kept him safe. It was here that Virion enacted his final gambit, a desperate ploy to get his people to live. He gathered his things and fled not only Rosanne, but Valm itself, traveling to Ylisse to try to find allies strong enough to fight against Walhart. He did not tell his plan to his people, though, and they all assumed he was a coward who fled for his life. Not wanting to fight and die for one so craven, the people of Rosanne surrendered to Walhart with little confrontation, securing most of their lives. Virion's plan had worked, but his reputation was lost in the process.

In Virion's own words, a nobleman's duty is to provide for the common people and to keep them safe, no matter the cost, even if it means his own life. Virion carries out this philosophy throughout all of his supports, including his Tharja support, where she has him doing insanely laborious tasks thinking he's under her spell, only for it to be revealed that he's doing it of his own free will to help others.

Virion is also masterfully cunning. In his support with Frederick, he accrued such a large debt that the debt collector actually made several large donations to the Shepherds to ensure that Virion survived the campaign. Frederick is both impressed and disgusted that Virion managed to build up a great enough debt to tie the lender's livelihood to his own. Virion also manages to consistently defeat Robin at chess, but explains that his strategies wouldn't work on a real battlefield, where Robin has the upper hand. Too many of Virion's maneuvers required sacrificing lesser pieces, which he wouldn't be able to do on a real battlefield. His tactics requiring sacrifice also ties back into what led to him fleeing from Rosanne.

Virion is also a talented dancer and lover of the arts, as shown in his support with Olivia.

In the epilogue, Virion returns to Rosanne only to be jeered and ostracized, or else entirely ignored. However, he never stops in his quest to rebuild Rosanne and gives the rest of his life to his people. If he marries, the ending also confirms he eventually gets back into the people's favor.

Virion is a fascinating character with a surprising amount of debt, and even if he's a poor unit in Awakening, it won't stop me from using him every time. He's worth it. Also give this guy more attention, IS. Give him an amiibo or something. I'd buy it.

Chrom

You knew it was gonna be Chrom. I wrote a long essay on why I like Chrom a while ago, so if you missed it, this is essentially that essay.

First of all, I feel that how a character reacts to and changes because of a situation are great indicators of a good character, more so than just a list of personality traits. This is important to Chrom, as it is where I think his character truly shines.

As a bit of context, I'll first describe Chrom's early life, as it lays the foundation of his character early on. During his childhood, Chrom's father waged war against Ylisse's neighboring country, Plegia. His mother is implied to have died when he was very young, around the time Lissa was born. The war against Plegia only ended with the death of Chrom's warmongering father, and his older sister Emmeryn was made Ylisse's new Exalt. At first the citizens hated her, hurling both harsh words and harsher stones. Emmeryn never faltered, however, and eventually earned back the love of the people, mending the scars of the war their father started. Chrom comments that he would have never repaid their abuse with kindness, but recognizes that Emmeryn is a better person for it. As such, he decided that he'd be as great a leader as he could be.

This eventually led to Chrom forming the Shepherds, a group of soldiers acting as a sort of elite squadron of Ylisse's army, with Chrom serving as their commander. And this is where one aspect of Chrom's personality comes into place: Chrom is a "father to his men". He legitimately cares for each of the Shepherds and notices the areas in which they excel. Despite being royalty, he never lets that get in the way, as all are equal on the battlefield. For example, Vaike says exactly this in his support with Lissa.

Vaike:
I've dealt with a lot of fool ignorance since I joined the Shepherds. People are always askin' who I think I am, a commoner lording it up with princes. I've had it from lowborn and highborn alike. ...But never Chrom. It's like he doesn't care where I'm from, so long as I handle myself in a fight.

Another example of this can be seen in the Summer Scramble DLC, where Chrom has a conversation with Stahl. Chrom takes note of Stahl's performance in battle, mentioning how proud he is of how far he's come. Stahl, overjoyed, ends up working himself to near exhaustion in an attempt to live up to Chrom's praise. Chrom then stresses that he doesn't need to over-exert himself, as it would only lead to Stahl getting killed by the enemy. This reaffirms one of Chrom's biggest drives: to become a better man than his father was. Whereas his father conscripted untrained villagers to fight and die for him once his supply of soldiers was burned through, Chrom recognizes the value of the lives of all of Ylisse's people, including his soldiers. Chrom's father had his people fight for him, while Chrom himself fights alongside his people, knowing their limits and never pushing them too far.

One of Chrom's most informative support conversations, however, is his set of supports with (male) Robin. One facet of Chrom's character that often receives criticism, both in universe and in online discussions, is his incredibly trusting nature. Robin comments on this, stating that Chrom taking him in in his amnesiac state was a foolhardy move, as it could have been a massive security risk. Chrom simply replies that he can't change who he is, and that he saw a person in need and needed to help them. Later, Chrom is confronted by a mugger who flees upon seeing Chrom draw Falchion. Chastised by Robin once more, Chrom promises to take more precautions in the future...only for Robin to see that Chrom is taking two or so soldiers with him on patrol. Not satisfied with Chrom's menial attempt at safety, Robin confronts Chrom once more, leading to this exchange:

Chrom:
Look. I understand enemies could be lying in wait to try and kill me... But there could also be others who need my help! There's a war going on, and people are suffering. I can't ignore them. I won't.
Robin:
So why not send your men to search for these hapless innocents?!
Chrom:
Because.
Robin:
Becauuuse...?
Chrom:
Because...of you. If I hadn't been there—if Frederick alone had found you—would we have ever met?
Robin:
...Probably not.
Chrom:
You see? And it's not just you, Robin. It's everyone like you. I know going out there exposes me to danger, and I haven't always been careful. But it's a risk I'm willing to take in order to connect with the people. To forge bonds.
Robin:
Bonds? Between who?
Chrom:
You and me. Me and the others. The villagers we've met, the world we've seen... Such bonds are the true strength of this army. Without them, we're lost. Others may disagree, but that's one benefit of leadership: I make the final call.

Chrom views the strength of his army, and his country, as a measurement of the bonds he's created with the Shepherds. While this may at first seem like a cliché power of friendship moment, it fully illustrates the dramatic difference between Chrom and his father. His father used his people and his troops as lifeless pawns, simply means to ends, and himself as their ruler. Chrom views his people as his equals, and himself as their leader. One other thing to note is that Chrom instinctively trusted Robin despite the amnesiac being clad in Plegian robes, with Plegia being the country Ylisse has been at odds with for over a decade. Once again highlighting the difference between himself and his father, Chrom thought nothing of this. After all, a person is a person, borders be damned.

However, Chrom's devotion to his friends and family do end up coming at a great cost. During chapter five, King Gangrel of Plegia stages a kidnapping of Lady Maribelle, the daughter of the duke of Themis in an attempt to accuse Maribelle of illegally crossing over into Plegia. Emmeryn, Chrom, and the Shepherds offer parley in an attempt to reason with Gangrel, but Gangrel wishes to put Maribelle to death...unless Emmeryn were to hand over the Fire Emblem, Ylisse's national treasure, to him. Upon refusing, Gangrel threatens to pry it from Emmeryn's "cold, dead hands" and sends a single brigand to take the Emblem. Chrom instinctively kills the brigand with nary a second thought. It is in this moment that Chrom commits an act of war on Plegian soil, setting the stage for the rest of the game's events. Chrom didn't need to kill the brigand. Gangrel's threat was simply words, and a single brigand could be easily disarmed without killing him. He hadn't even attempted to strike at Emmeryn yet. But Chrom's love for his sister and his own impulsive nature singlehandedly led to a brutal campaign against Plegia. War had been declared, and it might have been avoided if Chrom had thought the situation through. Chrom is a flawed character, and because of his flaws, he must live with the fact that his actions had drastic consequences.

Eventually, Ylisse's campaign against Plegia comes to a head when Emmeryn is taken hostage by Gangrel's men to be publicly executed. In a race against time, Chrom, Robin, and the Shepherds book it to Plegia to save her. Once the battlefield is cleared, Chrom prepares to save his sister, only for an ambush to occur. Risen are summoned and shoot down the Ylissean Pegasus Knights with their arrows, eliminating Emmeryn's escape route from atop the spire. Gangrel gives Chrom an ultimatum: give up the Fire Emblem or have the Risen shoot down Emmeryn. Giving one last speech beforehand, Emmeryn spares Chrom of the sadistic choice and walks off the spire, committing suicide and preventing Chrom from giving up the Fire Emblem.

The next chapter ends with the Shepherds escaping a skirmish against Plegian forces, and upon entering the barracks once more, Robin takes it upon himself to reignite Chrom. Chrom sees himself as a failure for not preventing Emmeryn's death. He uses the word "powerless." He had no physical way of reaching her. For one time in his life, Chrom was forced to sit there and watch an atrocity transpire that he couldn't prevent. He watched as his older sister, his longtime guardian, fall to her death to spare him from a choice that would endanger Ylisse's people. Robin seeks to provide another viewpoint.

Robin:
I was powerless once too, remember? And yes, alone, I don't think either one of us is half the person your sister was. But together...maybe we can be something more. If you fall, I'll be there to pull you back up. When you fight for your sister's ideals, I'll be by your side. You don't have to become your sister, you know. You can still be true to yourself. You just have to give people hope in whatever way you can.
Chrom:
And what if I can't? What if I'm not worthy of her ideals? Robin, what if I drag you down with me?
Robin:
If you aren't worthy, you'll keep at it until you are. And if we both fall down, well, that's what friends are for, isn't it?

It's in this moment that the bond between Chrom and Robin is fully cemented, in my opinion. Chrom proclaims that he won't falter again, so long as he has the support of his tactician and his troops. And in Chrom's fated battle against Gangrel, Chrom prevails and Gangrel is slain. As the newly-crowned Exalt of Ylisse, Chrom married and had a daughter, Lucina, and vowed to bring Ylisse into an era of unparalleled peace.

Sadly, however, peace doesn't last long, as the Valmese from across the ocean have
launched warships toward Regna Ferox, Ylisse's closest political ally. Reluctantly, Chrom decides to aid Ferox in the war against Valm, as they are a threat to Ylisse as well.

The Valmese arc in Awakening is controversial, to say the least. Many fans say it was simply a filler segment. However, I disagree, as Chrom's conversations with Walhart do quite a bit to show how Chrom has grown as a leader and how he juxtaposes Walhart in his style of ruling.

During their confrontation in chapter twenty, Chrom's first reaction to facing Walhart is asking the Conqueror if he'd surrender, to which Walhart scoffs. The rest of their pre-battle conversation is as follows:

 Chrom:
It did not have to be this way... You believed in mankind's strength... So did my sister. You believe that we are masters of our destinies... So do I. You could have joined with us. 

Walhart:
 ME, JOIN YOU?! Does a pegasus join with the flea on its back? A dragon, with a cow it eats?! You forget your place, BOY. I am the Conqueror! I will unite the world!

 Chrom:
No! ...I will. And not by forcing all the people to choose the sword or the knee. Peace will only come by stoking people's hearts...not their fear.

 Walhart:
You think that's what you've done? What your sister did before you? No, she shouted some nonsense and leapt off a rock! Such weakness!

 Chrom:
Wrong. Not weakness—strength. That one act lives on, and WILL live on, longer than all your conquests...

 Walhart:
And longer than you will... Come then, flea, and die for your peace!

 Chrom:
Emm, I tried...

The weight of Emmeryn's legacy is clearly weighing on Chrom. His every action as Exalt was done with his sister in mind, as if to ask, "What would Emmeryn do?" In chapter six, he had told Robin that he would never be able to show compassion to those who did him harm, as Emmeryn did when her people turned against her. Here, however, he does just that. Walhart the Conqueror, a man who terrorized and subjugated an entire continent, fought Chrom's army with his own for the entirety of a brutal campaign, and threatened to take over Ylisse and Regna Ferox as well, was now facing off against Chrom directly. Chrom's first, instinctive reaction, however, is to ask if Walhart will stand down. And then when Chrom cannot reason with him, he reluctantly fights him, having unsuccessfully tried to use Emmeryn's own method of peace.

Until now I haven't touched too much on Chrom and Robin's relationship, despite it being a crucial component of Chrom's character. Throughout the game, Robin has acted as emotional support for Chrom. Chrom is prone to doubting himself, and Robin is always there to provide reassurance, as he did in the wake of Emmeryn's death. Likewise, Chrom places his full trust in Robin, both as commander and tactician, and two best friends. However, a revelation is uncovered. In the bad future that Lucina comes from, Robin is the one who took Chrom's life, impaling him with a hardened bolt of magic through the chest. Upon having this confirmed for her, Lucina draws her sword and prepares to kill Robin then and there, to save both her father and her future. Regardless of Robin letting her or not, Chrom comes in at the last minute to stop her, having heard every word, and reestablishes that nothing can shake his faith in Robin.

 Chrom:
Robin and I have held fast through good times and ill... We swore to be two halves of a greater whole. You underestimate the strength of those ties, the bonds we share. I believe in them more than some foretold "destiny."

 Lucina:
That is easier to say when you haven't seen it yourself...

 Chrom:
Lucina, aren't our ties stronger here now than they were in your future? You said so yourself. In this flow of time we are bound tighter than ever, you and I. Not just as father and daughter... But as friends. We can change things—we already have...and we will again.

Chrom is convinced that because things had already changed as a result of their actions, that the bad future is preventable, and his death at Robin's hand is far from guaranteed. In spite of his trust in others not always working out, such as when the Hierophant betrayed the royal family early on, Chrom clings to his ideals. To him, they are worth fighting for, especially when his best friend depends on them. That being said, despite being trusting, Chrom is far from naïve and stupid. He recognizes that Plegia's invitation for parley will likely not end entirely hospitably. He doesn't go to Plegia without him and his men being armed. This is a big part of Chrom's character that often gets mixed up by those online. Idealism is not the same as naivety or stupidity. Chrom holds true to his core beliefs and recognizes the danger associated with them, but should he feel the need to, he will take precautions.

So in short, Chrom is a man who struggled to fight against the legacy of his warmonger father while trying to more closely emulate the ruling style of his older sister Emmeryn. He is a father to his men, and is capable and strong, if a bit reckless. Chrom acts almost solely on instinct and will defend those he cares about to the ends of the earth, and will help someone in need no matter the danger it may pose to himself. Chrom is also plagued with self-doubt, which only worsens after Emmeryn's death, until Robin's friendship breaks him of it, and the two become two halves of a greater whole.

He's also a total dork who stared slack-jawed at (his future wife) Sumia when she saved him from being turned into a pincushion, has an awesome design and color scheme, has a great voice, has an awesome sword when fully upgraded to the Exalted Falchion, and can use lances, but those are more superficial reasons why I like him, to say the least.

So yeah! Maybe give some of it a read if you want, especially if you're unfamiliar with a certain character or something. I put a lot of thought into it, and hey, maybe you guys can say your top sixteen as well.

I’m disappointed at no Ike. Also isn’t Chrom, Swampy’s favourite too?

My theory gets more real every day.

The Stoopid Unikorn · Mar 12, 2018

Opossum said:
So with that, to celebrate FE16 coming...eventually, I made a list of my top sixteen favorite Fire Emblem characters, and wrote a bit about why I like them.

Not even reading it and I can already bet #1 is Chrom.

-clicks-

****ing knew it.

Apollo Justice said:
So, if you guys have read the notifications from FEH, Feh said she wants to try up Gerome's mask, and not surprising, someone already gave her the mask

~~Fabulous isn't it~~

Seriously, they should make a Feh plushie, it would make so much money (I'd buy it)

Just make Feh a playable unit.

200 BST, Flying Breath Unit with a unique Omnibreaker skill and damage mitigation on all hits.

:troll:

Deleted member · Mar 12, 2018

Wario Bros. said:
Almost forgot: I pray that all of you here used the last games' Smash Bros. Fighter Ballot responsibly.

...because if I find out that any of you are responsible for a bad roster, you and I are going to have a problem. >:[

~~Don't worry if you don't want Zael, since he's never making it in.~~

Holder of the Heel · Mar 12, 2018

I've been running back and forth all over Skyrim and only by accident discovered you can fast travel.

Not sure if I want to be happy or sob. :laugh:

Coricus · Mar 12, 2018

Holder of the Heel said:
I've been running back and forth all over Skyrim and only by accident discovered you can fast travel.

Not sure if I want to be happy or sob.

OOOOPH.

I didn't have it quite that bad, but it took me ages to realize you could hire a carriage to go to undiscovered hold capitals. Markarth was a nightmare to get to the first time.

Yes I would rather pay a few Septims than have to haul butt to every hold capital every single time I start a new save.

Deleted member · Mar 12, 2018

Opossum said:
Okay so do you guys remember in, like, January, when I said I was gonna make a really long post?
You know how I never posted that really long post? There's a reason for that.

Basically I was waiting for Fire Emblem 16 to get its first trailer, but considering that likely won't happen until E3, I'm making the post now instead.

So with that, to celebrate FE16 coming...eventually, I made a list of my top sixteen favorite Fire Emblem characters, and wrote a bit about why I like them. And also why you should too, but I digress. The fact that all of my favorites are from the same universe was a funny coincidence, considering Gerik and Yukimura just barely missed the cutoff, haha.

And with that, the massive post.

Saber

Saber is a mercenary who works out of the Novis Greatport, drinking his troubles away and fighting whoever his client tells him to, so long as he's paid sufficiently. And as the first character Celica recruits after leaving the Novis Priory, Saber couldn't stand out more from the rest of Celica's group. A swordsman among a group of mages and clerics, and the fact that he's double Celica and Mae's age, and more than double Boey and Genny's, doesn't help matters much. You'd be forgiven if you thought he was their babysitter instead of their bodyguard at first glance.

Saber fits the standard rugged mercenary archetype fairly well, and given how much I enjoy characters like Ogma and Gerik (and Inigo, but he doesn't fit the whole "rugged" part), Saber really drew me in. And with these types of characters, the events that led them to become mercenaries are always some of their most interesting aspects. Gerik became one at the behest of his now-deceased friend and never seemed to get out of it, Ogma was a slave who was forced to become a gladiator and still lives with the post-traumatic stress caused by it to this day. In Saber's case, we don't find out exactly what it is, but it may be somewhat implied that it has to do with his sister.

Through his conversations with Jesse, as well as tidbits we find out from villagers on Novis Island, Saber is famous throughout Valentia as a sellsword, having made quite the name for himself and inspiring constant chatter in many a tavern. Many sing of his strength and skill, and it becomes much clearer as to why in time. In his final base conversation with Celica, Saber reveals the truth of his origins: he's Rigelian. He came to Zofia in order to get away from the Empire (perhaps to grant his sister a better life away from the Duma Faithful, considering their penchant for sacrificing young maidens, be it to Nuibaba or Duma himself?).

Saber's travels, in addition to honing his strength, also made him incredibly worldly, especially in comparison to Celica's more sheltered companions. His dynamic with Celica in particular is nice to see, and is almost familial, which makes sense considering Saber sees a lot of his younger sister in Celica. She, in turn, also brings out more of Saber's warmer side. Saber wasn't even going to join her in the first place, but he liked her moxie enough to be swayed (well, and the fact that she seemed oblivious to how much her dagger was worth). And even though he was only hired to see her to the Temple of Mila, Saber doesn't put up much of a fight when Celica, now open about her heritage, asks him to go with her to Duma Tower, despite him not caring for politics enough to let her station sway him. Over time, Saber became genuinely protective of and friendly toward Celica.

As well, Saber's expertise in battle translates very well into gameplay. As a Dread Fighter, Saber becomes one of the single best units in Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia. Giving him the Brave Sword you get from killing Deen only further enhances his combat potential, allowing him to score critical hit after critical hit.

All in all, Saber is my favorite mercenary in Fire Emblem, and stands out as a fantastic character in an already stellar cast in his home game.

Olivia

In Fire Emblem Awakening, Olivia joins your party after rescuing the Shepherds from the Midmire, right in the heart of Plegian territory. A dancer from Regna Ferox, she has been under the employ of Khan Basilio ever since he came to her aid after a boorish nobleman tried to get too touchy-feely for her liking. Calling her a Feroxi jewel, Basilio had her entertain large crowds as a court dancer.

Olivia is, by far, my favorite dancer in the franchise (though Tethys comes very close). "Dancer" isn't just her occupation, it's her lifestyle. Olivia lives for the arts, and while performing, she can inspire all who watch her. In her supports with Ricken, she shows that this isn't even limited to just dancing, but storytelling as well, as she gets really into her performance as she and Rich and ken swap stories. In her supports with Robin, she reveals that her dream is to open a theater of her own so that she can dance for audiences of immense size, further allowing her to spread her art.

When she isn't performing, however, Olivia is incredibly meek and shy. She's socially awkward and uncomfortable in her own skin, often downplaying any compliment she's given. It's possible that this is a result of a need for constant praise and validation from others, providing Olivia with a notable character flaw beyond being the token shy girl.

However, in her supports with her son Inigo, it is revealed that in the future, she overcomes her debilitating confidence issues, and goes so far as to help Inigo through his own. Inigo uses flirtation as a way to distract himself from his confidence issues, using his Casanova-esque personality as a front to hide his shyness. She also spread her love of dancing to her son as well.

As a dancer, Olivia is automatically a useful unit from a utility standpoint, being able to grant allies an extra action on any given turn. However, it's worth mentioning that dancers are somewhat less useful in Awakening than they are in other titles due to how centralizing Galeforce is on player phase, while Nosferatu tanking makes up the bulk of enemy phase at higher levels of play.

Over all, Olivia is a fun and charming character, and one of Awakening's standouts, in my opinion.

Boey

Boey is one of Celica's starting party members, alongside Mae as the other mandatory recruitment and Genny as the optional recruitment. From an early age, both he and Mae trained to become mages while living at the Novis Priory in the event that they'd ever be needed to help Celica.

Boey, prior to the start of the game, has had a bit of a rough life. Having grown up poor even by commoner standards, Boey is the son of a poor Novis fisherman who was sent to live at the priory at a young age due to his family not being able to adequately provide for him and his siblings. Nomah, the priory's resident head sage, noticed that Boey had latent potential for learning magic and took him under his tutelage.

Boey's upbringing informs quite a bit about his character. Whereas Mae clearly sees Celica as her best friend, Boey takes a much more professional approach to their relationship, always addressing her with a formal "milady" and never by her first name. Notably, Celica and Boey don't have a support conversation together, further highlighting Boey's self-imposed divide. Considering his destitute upbringing, he's clearly aware of the class divide between himself and Celica, despite Celica herself clearly not being concerned with such things.

Boey often takes a more practical and professional approach to things, in sharp contrast with Mae's energy and spontaneity. Part of this may also stem from insecurities about his skill with magic, as Mae's own magic is far more powerful than his. As such, he may try to make himself seem better than Mae when he can simply due to fear of his own ineptitude, a fear of failing at his job of protecting Celica. This may also connect to his fear of Terrors and the undead, constant reminders of what fate may befall them should they not be careful. And as the only one among Celica's starting companions unable to learn Seraphim (even Saber gets it through reclassing), he has ample reason to be afraid.

Boey also has strong feelings for Mae, though one may not realize this right away, given how often the two are verbally sparring. Eventually the two confess their mutual feelings, and in the epilogue, it's revealed they got married and had kids. Lots and lots of kids.

At the end of the day, Boey isn't the strongest mage around, but he's a damn good character. And he gets Sagittae, which is undeniably the coolest looking spell.

Hardin

Just as a warning, this one is going to contain some pretty heavy spoilers for both Shadow Dragon and New Mystery of the Emblem, the latter of which was never released internationally.

Hardin is, in my opinion, the single most tragic character in all of Fire Emblem. The younger brother of the King of Aurelis, Hardin sought to change the world for the better in whatever way he could. One of the first acts of improvement was a lofty one: outlawing slavery throughout the Kingdom of Aurelis. This was no small feat, as the ownership of slaves was a tried and true tradition among Aurelian nobility. They had a storied history of enslaving the plainspeople of the Aurelian wild lands, and Hardin throwing it all away didn't sit well with much of the nobility. This act did, however, cast Hardin in a ray of light among the now freed slaves, who pledged full allegiance to their savior. They gave him the title of Coyote as a sign of respect and became his elite guardsmen, a fearsome cavalry that would come to be known as the Wolfguard. He and his men would help the people of Aurelis and, during the early days of the War of Shadows, would help drive bandits and slavers from Aurelian villages. None could stand before the might of Coyote.

After a long series of events that I don't have the time to detail here, Princess Nyna, the last survivor of House Archanea, was brought into Aurelis by Camus, her captor and eventual lover. Hardin was now in charge of securing her safety. Aurelis had no ill will toward the Holy Kingdom, so Hardin was pleased to take Nyna into his protection. What he didn't account for was eventually falling in love with her.

After driving out enemy forces from Macedon with the help of Marth and the Altean League, Hardin forms a fast and furious friendship with Marth, acknowledging his skill in leading his troops. Claiming he is a good judge of character, Hardin allies Aurelis with Altea and becomes one of Marth's closest allies.

At this point, I'd like to point out that Hardin is a fantastic unit, and in my opinion one of Shadow Dragon's best. He has fantastic base stats and a high enough lance rank to immediately wield the Ridersbane, making him incredibly useful. The Coyote is just as powerful as his name implies.

Eventually the (apparent) death of Camus occurs and Nyna is heartbroken. Hardin, meanwhile, becomes the new wielder of the lance Gradivus, one of Archanea's three holy regalia. After a few more fights, the War of Shadows comes to a close.

In the aftermath, Bishop Boah informs Princess Nyna that, as she is the last living member of the Archanean royal family, she should get married to secure her lineage's future. The issue being, however, that...pickings are slim. King Mostyn of Talys is married. King Ludwik of Grust is on his deathbed. King Jiol of Gra was killed by Marth, leaving his daughter Sheena to rule. Princess Minerva now leads Macedon after the death of Michalis. That left only Marth of Altea (who Nyna knows only has eyes for Caeda...she even helped get them together) and Hardin of Aurelis. For Nyna, their marriage was purely political, for she never got over the loss of Camus.

For Hardin, it was the happiest moment of his life.

You see, Hardin had thought Nyna had truly loved him as he loved her. With the joining of Aurelis and Archanea, Hardin dubs their lands the Holy Empire of Archanea, and he has ambitious plans to improve the quality of life for his people. For some time, Hardin was living his dream.

However, reality would soon set in, and Hardin would come to learn his marriage was a loveless one. He couldn't comprehend a loveless arranged marriage. He felt betrayed, used. Hardin quickly fell into a deep depression, the once full of life emperor now wallowed in his own grief behind locked doors.

Depression has a funny way of clouding one's judgment, as Hardin would come to learn. A cloaked figure came to him offering a cure for his sadness, to which Hardin, desperate, quickly accepted. The usual good judge of character wasn't present here, not when his world had fallen apart before him. He hadn't realized the cloaked figure was the now-revived Gharnef offering him the Darksphere, which warped Hardin's mind, turning his own depression against him. It gave him immense strength, but cost him his humanity. It turned his depression into hatred for those closest to him, including Marth. It made the once kind ruler into a monster as the influence of the Darksphere caused Hardin to commit atrocity after atrocity, striking down old allies as ruining the lands he once protected.

Lucidity finally returned to Hardin, but only when it was too late: after Marth had struck the Emperor with a fatal blow. Finally realizing what he had done, and seeing the devastation he had wrought, he begged Marth for forgiveness in his dying breath, apologizing to his closest friend one last time. And with that, Hardin died in Marth's arms.

Hardin is a character that exhibits very modern sensibilities despite living in a medieval fantasy series. The concept of slavery disgusts him, the idea of marrying for politics over love is foreign to him. In many ways, Hardin is a man out of time. And Hardin ultimately fell due to depression setting in, due to him realizing his ideals aren't as compatible with the world around him as he once thought. And in his darkest hour, he was deceived and taken over.

And so ends the story of Hardin. Emancipator of the Aurelian Plainspeople. Mighty Coyote. Protector of Princess Nyna. Hero of the War of Shadows. Holy Emperor of Archanea.

...Backstabber. Tyrant. Villain. Dark Emperor.

Sadly, these last few would be the titles he was remembered by. A great man who had done great things, only to have his legacy tarnished by forces beyond his control.

Lena

Lena is a character that has a lot more going for her than one might think going only by the main storyline. A cleric from a noble Macedonian house, Lena was fairly prominent in the court of Macedon. However, her family's swift rise at court coincided with the beginning of the reign of King Michalis, who had killed his own father to usurp the throne. Macedon's people were...oddly okay with this. Their empire had been ruled by strength since its founding, and most of Macedon adored Michalis because of his military prowess.

Except Lena.

At court, Michalis went searching for a bride-to-be, for what was a king without a queen? For one reason or another, he had his mind set on marrying Lena, and so he proposed to her at court, much to the jealousy of other women.

Lena promptly turned down his offer.

Pretty much everyone is shocked beyond words. How dare she, they thought. Even Lena's own family felt as though she should have put her family's standing above her own happiness. Family of the year, everyone. Lena, knowing that marrying the patricidal tyrant would only end in disaster, left Macedon for the kingdom of Archanea. However, when she arrives, the Millennial Palace had been ransacked and the royal family (save for Princess Nyna) had been killed, leaving the Sable Order of Grust to guard the castle. This made life a living hell for Archanea's people, with most living in poverty as the palace town was routinely ransacked by robbers and human traffickers.

Lena, seeing the devastation around her, forms an alliance with Rickard, a local thief, and together with the hunter Castor and the hired swordsman Navarre, she leads a Robin Hood-like gang in a raid of the palace, attempting to loot what treasures remain there to distribute them among the Archanean people. The plan goes fairly well...until they're caught by Camus. Threatening imprisonment and outright execution, Camus plans to give the quartet no quarter. And what does Lena, the quiet cleric and Angel of Macedon do?

She basically tells Camus that he's nothing more than a pawn for Dolhr right to his face, telling him he should be ashamed to even call himself a knight. At this point Lena is two for two when it comes to verbally roasting Shadow Dragon's mini bosses. Honestly I wouldn't be surprised if while she was abducted she basically told Gharnef his life was meaningless offscreen.

So then Nyna shows up and convinces Camus to let them go and distribute the treasure, and at some point Lena gets captured by the Soothsires only for Julian to rescue her. And my god are those two adorable together. His drive to save her after her abduction in the sequel is really heartwarming.

After all the events of Shadow Dragon and New Mystery, Lena works at a convent in Macedon to help out war orphans because she's just that great. She's quiet and kind, and her epithet in the ending literally names her Angel to All, but at the same time she's not afraid to get her hands dirty for the good of others, and Naga have mercy on any miniboss who tried to overpower her.

Also of note, she is the only character in Shadow Dragon who can wield Hammerne. That's right, Hammerne is her PRF weapon. And it has twelve uses, not one. Lena doesn't mess around. Put her in Heroes already, IS.

Sumia

Sumia is Lucina's canon mother. If that bothers you, I don't know what to tell you. Awakening makes it pretty damn blatant.

In Awakening, Chrom's Shepherds are an elite militia that protects the Halidom of Ylisse. The group also mostly consists of Chrom's own friends, which is awesome in its own right. One of these members is Sumia, a woman of noble birth who is more than a bit of a klutz. In the story, she originally stays behind as the group travels to Regna Ferox seeking aid. Along the way, however, the group encounters an ornery pegasus, which Sumia then immediately tames. Later on at the Longfort on the Feroxi border, Sumia then swoops in on that same pegasus to save Chrom from being impaled by the Feroxi spears. The two lovingly gaze into each other's eyes for a bit, as if to say "this wasn't canon enough."

Sumia is a bit of a scatterbrain, but she always means well. There's one moment where she wants Chrom to snap out of his worrying, but instead of slapping some sense into him, she outright decks him in the face without realizing what she did wrong. She also has an incredibly nurturing personality and is highly empathetic.

Sumia also has an affinity for animal care, as shown when she tames the pegasus and as is described in her supports with Sully and Cynthia. She is one of the few characters in a Fire Emblem game that I can recall worrying about the safety of the units' mounts in combat, and the sacrifices many of them make on the battlefield.

Despite all of her positive qualities, however, Sumia is absolutely plagued by self-doubt. When she's troubled, she often turns to her flower fortunes to quell her thoughts. When she gets a bad fortune, it gives her the drive needed to change it. When she gets a good one, she fights even harder to secure it. And when she goes without these fortunes, her sense of stability falls out from underneath her. Another coping mechanism of hers comes in the form of escapist literature. She loves to read novels where she can envision herself as the protagonist, all in an effort to distract herself from her own life's shortcomings.

Finally, I wanted to touch on Chrom and Sumia as a couple, as it is definitely a point of contention among fans. Some feel that their entire support chain was a dumb joke about pies, and while I agree on that when it comes to their S-Support (at this point I'd like to mention that almost all S-Supports are poorly written, so Chrom/Sumia isn't alone in this), their C-A Supports show something much more: notably, that they complete each other. Chrom is supportive of all of the Shepherds and treats them like family, complimenting them on their strong points and working alongside them to fix their weaknesses. Sumia, given her predisposition for self-doubt, absolutely needs this emotional rock in her life. Sumia, meanwhile, provides Chrom with a nurturing, almost motherly sense of care and high amount of empathy that he has literally never had throughout his life (try as Emmeryn might, she can only do so much as a parental substitute). The two of them provide the exact kind of support the other needs, so yes, there is far more to them than pies.

As a unit, Sumia is fantastic. High mobility, great in combat, can get Galeforce through Dark Flier and staff utility through Falcon Knight, and gives nice support boosts to Chrom.

Put her in Heroes, IS. Seriously, she should have been in at launch.

Mae

She's at the top of her game, and she's still hyper, so let's go.

Mae, like Boey, grew up on Novis before eventually ending up at the priory at a young age. Unlike Boey, we don't get a whole lot of information on what her life was like beyond the fact that she's a commoner. We do know, though, that her skill in magic far outweighs Boey's, a fact that she reminds him of often. This is shown when she joins already knowing the Thunder spell, while Boey and even Celica need to level up a bit more before learning it.

Mae is spunky and upbeat, with her energetic nature contrasting Boey's more calculated approach. She's friendly and approachable, and despite being trained to be one of Celica's bodyguards, she sees her relationship with the princess as that of best friends more than retainer and royalty. She casually jokes around with Celica and addresses her on a first-name basis, and unlike Boey, Mae has a support conversation chain with Celica.

In fact, Mae often acts as a confidant to Celica, as revealed in their base conversations. She doesn't like Celica bottling up her feelings and would rather her share her thoughts with her.

Mae herself comes to Celica for advice in their supports, mainly in working through her insecurities dealing with the way she carries herself. Boey is quick to point out that Mae often acts childish. To illustrate this, she even comes equipped with a cookie at the start of the game. It weighs on her, however, when she realizes that people may only see her as a girl and not as a woman, despite being the same age as Celica. Quickly realizing that Mae wants Boey to see her as a woman, Celica consoles Mae and encourages her to be herself.

Mae is also genuinely one of the funniest characters in Fire Emblem, mostly thanks to Cherami Leigh's vocal delivery. At her heart she's a comic relief character with some surprising hidden depth, and she does that job well. Seriously, she's up there with Tobin as far as most quotable Shadows of Valentia characters are concerned.

Mae is also pretty great in combat, though she does lose some of her luster in the late game when more enemies gain higher resistance, like arcanists, witches, and cantors. It doesn't help that she's locked to four movement. The Mage Ring can help, but it's better saved for Celica herself. Personally I give her the Ladyblade from Duma Tower, as she's usually a Priestess by then. At the very least though, having access to Seraphim makes her a great anti-terror unit.

In the end, Mae is a great and enjoyable character, and in my eyes, one of the characters that benefitted most from Shadows of Valentia being fully voiced. Here's hoping that full voice acting becomes a series staple.

Silque

Because apparently I have a thing for Warp-wielding clerics that you save from bandits, if Lena was anything to go by.

Silque is a cleric from the Novis priory (which has an astonishingly good track record when it comes to producing my favorite characters) who goes on a journey to Ram Village to deliver Mila's Turnwheel to Alm through Mycen. On her way, she is ambushed by bandits and is held as a hostage until Alm, Lukas, and the rest of the Ram Villagers save her.

Silque doesn't get a whole lot of time to shine in Shadows of Valentia, which I always thought was a bit odd. She has quite a bit of plot importance due to giving Alm the Turnwheel, but for whatever reason, she isn't a mandatory recruitment. That's a shame, I think, because getting her input on some of the story events would have been really neat.

What Silque does get, though, is enough to make her one of my favorite characters, and my third favorite character from Shadows of Valentia over all. Silque, first and foremost, is very worldly, and a far cry from the stereotypically cloistered cleric. According to her recruitment and base conversations, she has a slew of survival skills and field knowledge that she gained from a long pilgrimage she took with her mother when she was a little girl. Her mother also taught her all of the healing and support skills needed to be a cleric.

The exact details of that pilgrimage wouldn't be revealed until her Act IV base conversation, but those details inform much of who Silque is during the events of the game. The pilgrimage she often talks about was in Rigel, and her mother was in fact a cleric of the Duma Faithful. At the end of the pilgrimage, Silque's mother left her at the Novis priory before disappearing. Silque never learned why, and sank into a deep depression. Eventually, she found salvation through Mila's teachings, and this gave purpose back to her life. From then on she pledged to spread the word of the Earth Mother and travel the continent helping those who need her most.

Silque's willingness to seek out those in need also plays into another aspect of her character: contrary to what one may expect of a conversatively-dressed well-mannered nun-style character, Silque is very social. In her supports with Faye, she mentions that because Alm's army is mostly men, she doesn't get to engage in girl talk as much as she'd like (or maybe even as much as she used to...she did live in the same priory as Mae, after all). As well, she also has a surprisingly witty sense of humor. In her Act III base conversation, she mentions that due to the pirate raids, the people of Novis only had fish to eat. She joked that some worried they may grow scales as a result. Additionally, in the memory prism The Flirt and the Faithful, she prays to Mila that Jesse is blessed with good fortune on his travels, before adding in under her breath that he sorely needs it.

Silque also exemplifies one of Shadows of Valentia's key themes: unity.

Silque has a tangible connection to both Alm's party and Celica's party, being recruited by Alm but having lived with Celica and her friends. She has a cross route support bonus with Jesse, making them the only characters outside of the Ram Villagers to have one. Her mother, a member of the Duma Faithful, taught her how to be a cleric, and gave her skills she'd go on to use as a cleric of Mila. And in the end, Silque comes full circle, as her ending has her going back to Rigel to heal those wounded from the war.

Gameplay-wise, Silque is an amazing unit. She doesn't have any long range healing skills like Physic or Fortify, but her support tools are second to none. Additionally, they may also hint at her heritage. She knows the Warp spell, which may be a connection to the fact that Rigelian Witches can warp around the map at will. Additionally, her version of Invoke spawns Dread Fighters, the strongest class in the game, perhaps as a reference to Rigel's strength. She is rather frail, but it's nothing a shield can't fix.

Aesthetically speaking, Silque's design and voice work are also amazing. Her voice actress, Bonnie Gordon, also sings the song in the credits, Heritors of Arcadia, which is a neat fun fact. Also put Silque in Heroes, IS. Seriously.

Frederick

"Pick a god and pray."

See that line? It's not in Heroes, and that's a crime. Warriors got the memo, at least. But more importantly, that critical hit quote embodies Frederick to me. He's a complete badass. Awakening was my first foray into the series before going through some of the older titles, so Frederick definitely made an impression on me. The best part is, unlike some other Jagens, Frederick doesn't fall off very hard. He's usable for most, if not all, of the game, namely due to great base stats, innate access to Luna, and Awakening's busted reclassing and Second Seal system. Plus, mobility.

Frederick is, naturally, a stern lieutenant. He's effectively Chrom's second in command. Of course, as Chrom's retainer, he holds his duties to the Ylissean royal family in very high regard. To a comical degree, even. He clears Chrom's path of pebbles to prevent the possibility of him partaking in a pratfall. He'll knit Chrom a sweater on the spot should he so much as sneeze. At one point he hangs posters of Chrom posing naked around camp to "increase morale" among the troops. His devotion borders on obsession, but he always means well. In fact, it's natural that he'd take his duties as seriously as he does, given Chrom's recklessness.

But for as grueling as Frederick's training is, and for as doting as he is to Chrom, Frederick also enjoys seeing others succeed, for at his heart, he is a teacher. He professes to Sumia that he holds no ill will toward her for trying and failing, for it was the attempt that mattered. He later explains to Nowi that the more he trains, the more he learns, and the more he is able to pass on to the Shepherds, possibly preventing future casualties. In other words, in addition to being gallant, punctual, and chivalrous, Frederick is a firm believer in "to teach is to learn."

Frederick also has a very believable backstory explaining Awakening's otherwise throwaway joke about Frederick not liking bear meat. Frederick grew up in a forested mountain village (also meaning that he is likely not nobility, interestingly), and one day, while out in the forest, he was attacked by a wolf. Even ignoring the fact that Frederick was enough of a badass as a child to survive a wolf attack, the event did, sadly, severely impact Frederick's psyche, and gave him an intense fear of wild animals, predators in particular. It's a fear that creeps up on him from time to time as well, which I think is another neat layer to his character.

As a side note, I'm actually pretty pleased Intelligent Systems has been playing up Frederick's axe usage more than his lance usage as of late. Not only does it fit his character more in my opinion (Chrom even says early on that "Frederick is only happy when he's about to bring down the axe"), but it showcases his class better. Axe usage is the main thing separating Great Knights from Paladins.

Also why the hell did Frederick not get a trophy in Smash. Come on, Sakurai.

Tobin

Poor Tobin.

Tobin is the classic example of a hero with a severe inferiority complex. He's one of Alm's best friends, alongside Gray, but his competitive nature and Alm and Gray's sheer amount of talent only leads to Tobin struggling to catch up.

Tobin is an ordinary villager who is eventually thrown into the Deliverance's war once Alm and Gray volunteer. Tobin is initially apprehensive, but the promise of gold as compensation sways him. Tobin explains that it isn't out of greed, but because he wants to support his struggling family.

Canonically, Tobin becomes an archer when it comes time to pick a class line. This choice of class says a lot about Tobin, and plays into his inferiority complex as well. Alm states early on that Mycen taught all of the Ram Village kids how to use a sword and bow, and Gray canonically becomes a sword wielding mercenary while Alm uses one as a Fighter. If Tobin were to focus on swordplay, there'd only be a greater chance that Alm or Gray would show him up. Therefore, he became an archer so he could excel at something that they couldn't.

Tobin, for as much as he tries to outdo Alm, is incredibly close with him. He's always shown to be wholeheartedly supportive of Alm, even in situations where he himself is apprehensive. When Alm declares war on Rigel, he is shocked beyond words, but eventually tells Alm that he's behind him every step of the way.

As shown in his support with Kliff, Tobin is a genuinely supportive friend in general. He understands that Kliff is on edge, and doesn't take it to heart when he lashes out at him. Instead he kind of laughs it off, because he knows getting mad will get him nowhere.

Tobin also has an interesting dynamic with Gray, with Gray being more worldly and somewhat snarky, while Tobin is much more reactive and worried as the world changes around him. In their supports, he's initially jealous of Gray due to him getting close with Clair, whom Tobin pines for. Eventually though, Tobin realizes he doesn't have a chance with her and instead supports Gray in his attempts to woo her. They patch things up with each other because Tobin realizes that he doesn't want to lose his best friend.

In Tobin's Act IV base conversation, he finally comes to terms with the fact that Alm will always have a leg up on him, and that his job isn't to be stronger than Alm, but to be a part of Alm's strength. He says he doesn't necessarily like that he'll never best Alm, but he can accept it, as Alm is one of his closest friends, bringing a heartwarming close to Tobin's character arc. The epilogue states that he went on to become Alm's most loyal knight, and he was eventually given a title and his own castle. Sir Tobin of Ram definitely has a nice ring to it, wouldn't you say?

Also while Heroes is on a kick with giving out alternate versions of characters, can we get Bow Knight Tobin please? He deserves far more than being just another infantry sword user. Faye stole his bow, dammit.

Caeda

One of Archanea's standout characters, and for good reason. Caeda and Marth share one of my personal favorite romances in the series, and is also really important to the story.

Seriously, Caeda gets things done. She's even responsible for recruiting several members of Marth's army, including Navarre, Castor, Jake, Roger, and Lorenz. She isn't just window dressing for Marth, storywise. And that factors into gameplay as well.

Caeda is a seriously good unit, mainly because of her signature weapon, the Wing Spear. You effectively get a high-mobility rapier that's easily forge-able and able to kill the vast majority of enemies in one shot. Badass.

Anyway, as the daughter of King Mostyn of Talys, Caeda is strong in a fight, but kind and caring all the same. She's also crafty, and not above using her feminine wiles to sway the enemy into joining Marth's army. Roger found that out the hard way. It's also literally the only reason anyone ever remembers Roger.

Her relationship with Ogma is also one that I find really neat. Ogma, for those that don't know, was forced to be a gladiator and endured gruesome fight after gruesome fight. Eventually, the fighting became too much for him, and he set up an escape plan for the rest of the gladiators. However, he took the fall so the others could escape. He was meant to be put to death, but Caeda found out about this and essentially bought Ogma's freedom, asking him to serve as a member of Talys' army. Ogma, of course, obliged. In Shadow Dragon, when King Mostyn sends Ogma and his men (Barst, Bord, and Cord) to look after Caeda, she simply asks that Ogma instead looks after Marth. She can fend for herself, she says, but Marth means the world to her.

Caeda's views on leadership and patriotism are especially admirable. Shadow Dragon has amazing writing in general, but one of the standout moments for me is Caeda's recruitment conversation with Lorenz. For reference, this occurs in the chapter with the fight against Camus. Here is an excerpt from the conversation:

* Lorenz: "...I serve Grust. I cannot simply betray my country."
* Caeda: "Ah, but what makes a country?"
* Lorenz: "Pardon?"
* Caeda: "Is it one man- your king? Or is it the countless innocent people who make their home here?"
* Lorenz: "Well, that's- Hmm..."
* Caeda: "My father has a saying: "A kingless country is a country still; but a king without subjects rules naught but hills." If you disobey your king to ensure his subjects' safety, how is that a betrayal? You are protecting his reign."

Speaking of good Caeda conversations, Marth is absolutely a dope when he confesses to her in the epilogue. Just saying.

* Marth: "As you said, we have not spoken much since Talys. With you, I felt I never had to say a word. If the battle started to take its toll, you were always there...close by...I would see you there, so beaut- ahem, so brave... and I would, um,....derive! Yes, derive great strength! Derive... ....Ugh, why is this so difficult?! Caeda, I'm just trying to tell you I-"

* Caeda: "Marth... Shh. Me too... Me too."

They're just great, together and on their own. I figure now would be a good time to mention I was relieved that she was in Warriors. Had she been omitted I wouldn't defend the roster, because she's just as important to Shadow Dragon as Marth is, in all honesty.

I'm glad Warriors finally gave her the Wing Spear, and that Heroes gave her the Wing...Sword. Close enough. Caeda deserves more respect than having an Armorslayer, IS. And so does Tobin, hint hint.

Marth

The Hero-King himself. On the surface, Marth is your average JRPG protagonist archetype. Kind, caring, fights for his friends even harder than Ike claims to, overcomes tremendous odds, and all that jazz. But where Marth shines is the fact that he's incredibly well-written.

Marth's struggles are incredibly believable, and throughout his saga, he's plagued with doubt, wondering whether or not he is capable of stopping the seemingly ceaseless war. His sister was taken hostage, his father was killed in battle, and his kingdom was toppled. He'd lost everything. Well, almost. He still had some of his most stalwart Knights at his side, like Cain, Abel, Jagen, Draug, and Gordin. And he had Caeda. And they picked up Wrys at some point. But anyway, Marth ended up getting some of the best of Shadow Dragon's already fantastic writing. Take this exchange, for example:

Jagen: “Look, sire. See how Altea shrinks on the horizon…”
Marth: “...aven…”
Jagen: “I beg your pardon?”
Marth: “I am a craven. Powerless to save my sister, to staunch my kingdom’s wounds; to ease my people’s fears…”
Jagen: “This…was your only recourse, sire. But surely, one day, you will be able to set things right…”
Marth: ”Surely”? Why do words of such conviction smack so much of uncertainty when spoken? Not surely, Jagen. Assuredly. Gra will pay for their acts. Today, though, allow me to wallow in this pain, to feel every awful twist of it. I never want to forget.”
Jagen: “Sire…”
Marth: “I will return, Altea! Your prince will return to you one day!”

Between this and "I am a prince before I am a son or a brother," Marth got some of Shadow Dragon's best lines. He takes the fall of his kingdom directly to heart, and it pains him, but also drives him. In battle, he doesn't want any of his allies to die, for they're all dear to him. And yet he knows the cost of war, and that in all likelihood some will die. And when Altea is liberated but Elice is still captured and his mother is discovered to have been killed, Marth forces a smile and celebrates with his people in what is likely the first day they've had in a long while where they didn't live in fear. He holds back tears because he knows his people deserve happiness, and as the Prince of Altea, it's his duty to ensure their happiness.

Marth is a good man who is put through absolute hell, and yet he grows because of it. As a man, as a commander, and as a prince.

Also he's one of my Smash mains and Yuri Lowenthal's performance was always my headcanon voice for an English Marth, so that was neat. Also localize New Mystery, IS. And give Marth a Brave Heroes variant in Heroes. He was robbed.

Merric

Merric is Fire Emblem's Doctor Strange. With that out of the way, let me tell you all why Merric is my favorite Archanean character by a large margin.

Merric grew up alongside Marth and his older sister, Elice, in Altea. Altea is known for its knights, and being a noble, Merric was expected to become one, much like his family before him. There was a problem with this, however. Merric was a sickly, frail boy without an ounce of muscle. Oftentimes Marth and Elice needed to help him out growing up, especially if he got himself into trouble and couldn't defend himself. If ever he got hurt, Elice would take care of him and nurse him back to health. Naturally, for young Merric, this led to an infatuation with his best friend's older sister, but because Marth is cool like that, he didn't mind.

So Merric, being the sweetheart he is, decides he wants to get stronger to protect Marth and Elice after all they did for him, so he breaks family tradition and travels to Khadein, a city known for its mages, to become versed in magic over swordplay. Many looked down on him for this, but Marth and Elice never doubted him. Eventually Marth reunited with him on his journey in Shadow Dragon, and now Merric is the disciple of Wendell, the head wizard of Khadein. He wields the legendary wind tome Excalibur and joins Marth.

Another character important to Merric's development is Arlen, Merric's rival throughout his time in Khadein. If Merric is Doctor Strange and Wendell is The Ancient One, then Arlen is Baron Mordo. Overcome with envy that Master Wendell gave the Excalibur tome to Merric instead of him, Arlen aligned with the Archanean Empire in an attempt to kill Merric until Wendell explained why he made the decision he did. In short, he had always intended for Arlen to become his successor, but Excalibur wouldn't have resonated with Arlen. What Merric had that Arlen lacked was compassion, which a wielder of Excalibur needed, hence why Arlen got Thoron instead. After being compared to Gharnef, Arlen understood and joined Wendell and Merric as part of Marth's forces.

And true to Wendell's word, Merric was compassionate. He showed no ill will toward Arlen afterward, despite him trying to kill him and all.

When Merric finally sees Elice again, held captive by Gharnef, he tries so hard to be brave to save and impress her, which Elice finds endearing. So much so that they are incredibly heavily implied to get married after the events of New Mystery of the Emblem, making him Marth's brother-in-law.

Finally, Merric is studious and ripe with curiosity. He's fascinated by the nature of magic, always questioning the inner workings of the system, as shown with his support conversations with Linde in New Mystery of the Emblem. Why are Excalibur and Aura gender-exclusive? Why could Pontifex Miloah use Aura despite being male? Does magic have a sort of sentience? Excalibur "chose" Merric, after all. So he writes a whole thesis about it.

Speaking of Linde, her support with Marth in Warriors also sheds some more light on Merric. Apparently when she and Merric were alone, he would constantly sing Marth's praises, telling Linde that his days with Marth and Elice were the happiest days of his life. In turn, he would also speak highly of Linde when talking to Marth. This further proves that Merric is a dork who loves his friends.

Merric is a lovable, caring dork in an oversized wizard hat, and I love him to pieces. Stop getting upset when you get him in Heroes, you ingrates. He's a good boy who deserves to be in the five star pool more than most five star exclusives. Looking at you, Mist.

Celica

The second of three main lords on this list, and definitely the most controversial, as well! However, I do feel that a lot of the backlash Celica got for her actions in Shadows of Valentia was wholly undeserved.

As a character, Celica is duty-bound and pious. She takes her duties both to Mila and later her Kingdom quite seriously. As well, she is a pacifist at heart, though the current circumstances force her to fight regardless.

Many people seem to think her a hypocrite for being upset that Alm plans to fight the Rigelian Empire after she eliminated Barth's pirate gang, and this criticism never made sense to me. Celica drove off a bunch of crudely-organized pirates from Zofia's ports thanks in part due to her magic, while Alm is taking on a rigorously-trained empire with nothing more than his sword skills. The scope of Alm's goal is ludicrously larger than what Celica did. And considering the vision Mila sent her in a dream, she has ample reason to worry for Alm's safety.

Celica's mission to drive back the pirates stems from her sense of duty toward Zofia's people, even if her identity as their princess isn't public knowledge. She loathes fighting, but the wellbeing of the traders and farmers who rely on the harbor forces her hand.

Celica's connection and dedication to Mila is not only inspiring, but also a crucial part of her character. She's a priestess, and as such, she has a greater understanding of Mila than most. This also plays into her controversial decision in the game's fourth act. When she offers her soul to Duma, she realizes she literally has no other choice. She didn't do it because she "trusted Jedah" (she outright says she doesn't during Act IV itself). One should expect a devout servant of Mila to be familiar with how the dragonkin operate.

For the less lore-inclined, Mila and Duma are both dragonkin, or manaketes. In particular, divine dragons. However, when dragons live for long periods of time, they begin to degenerate and go savage, losing all semblance of sanity and even begin to physically fall apart. This is what happened to Duma by the time Act V rolled around, and divine dragons succumbing to their madness will only end in disaster. As such, Naga, ruler of the Divine Dragons, crafted the Falchion, the only blade capable of killing a divine dragon as a fail safe in case humanity ever needed it. When Mila and Duma went to Valentia, she crafted a second one and had it brought with them.

However, Celica doesn't agree to give her soul to Duma until she sees that Mila had Falchion sealed within her skull. From Celica's perspective, Mila had forsaken her people and removed the only way to prevent Duma's madness from destroying the continent. As such, offering her soul is her only recourse, as Celica has no way of knowing Alm is capable of unbinding Falchion.

Celica is willing to make sacrifices where they are needed, but that's both her greatest trait and her fatal flaw, as she values the lives of her people, but seemingly doesn't value her own life, seeing herself more as a tool to bend to the people's needs instead of a ruler to guide them. Given Celica's support conversations with Mae, we know that Celica is incredibly considerate and willing to help her friends, but she also bottles up her own problems, not wishing to burden anyone else with hers.

Celica as a character is sacrificial and duty bound to her people, exemplifying Mila's kindness and compassion. She also deserved to be a whole lot more than just a Marth clone in Warriors, but time constraints suck.

Virion

The archest of archers and the noblest of nobility, Virion is easily one of my favorite Fire Emblem characters. And yet, at first glance, he often gets written off as a one-note gimmick due to his introduction. But beneath the surface is a truly compelling and complex character that doesn't get enough praise, if his Choose Your Legends results are anything to go by.

Virion is introduced in Awakening as a nobleman who's also a bit of a pompous womanizer. He's treated as a bit of a joke character, and is then largely unimportant to the plot until the end of chapter eleven, after the two year time skip. It is here that Virion introduces himself as the Duke of Rosanne, a duchy in the far away continent of Valm. He reveals that Walhart the Conqueror had overtaken his lands, and he went to Ylisse to recruit allies to fight him back. Chrom takes this to mean he fled for his life, but the truth of the matter can instead be found in his support conversation with Panne.

Virion was well and truly loved by his people. His was a fair and fertile country, beautiful and brimming with life. When Walhart began subjugating other nations and approached Rosanne, however, Virion initially announced his plans to give himself up to Walhart so that his people may live, as he knew they stood no chance of surviving against the Conqueror had they fought him. His people, though, would have none of this. Their loyalty to Virion was absolute, and they pledged to fight and die for him if it kept him safe. It was here that Virion enacted his final gambit, a desperate ploy to get his people to live. He gathered his things and fled not only Rosanne, but Valm itself, traveling to Ylisse to try to find allies strong enough to fight against Walhart. He did not tell his plan to his people, though, and they all assumed he was a coward who fled for his life. Not wanting to fight and die for one so craven, the people of Rosanne surrendered to Walhart with little confrontation, securing most of their lives. Virion's plan had worked, but his reputation was lost in the process.

In Virion's own words, a nobleman's duty is to provide for the common people and to keep them safe, no matter the cost, even if it means his own life. Virion carries out this philosophy throughout all of his supports, including his Tharja support, where she has him doing insanely laborious tasks thinking he's under her spell, only for it to be revealed that he's doing it of his own free will to help others.

Virion is also masterfully cunning. In his support with Frederick, he accrued such a large debt that the debt collector actually made several large donations to the Shepherds to ensure that Virion survived the campaign. Frederick is both impressed and disgusted that Virion managed to build up a great enough debt to tie the lender's livelihood to his own. Virion also manages to consistently defeat Robin at chess, but explains that his strategies wouldn't work on a real battlefield, where Robin has the upper hand. Too many of Virion's maneuvers required sacrificing lesser pieces, which he wouldn't be able to do on a real battlefield. His tactics requiring sacrifice also ties back into what led to him fleeing from Rosanne.

Virion is also a talented dancer and lover of the arts, as shown in his support with Olivia.

In the epilogue, Virion returns to Rosanne only to be jeered and ostracized, or else entirely ignored. However, he never stops in his quest to rebuild Rosanne and gives the rest of his life to his people. If he marries, the ending also confirms he eventually gets back into the people's favor.

Virion is a fascinating character with a surprising amount of debt, and even if he's a poor unit in Awakening, it won't stop me from using him every time. He's worth it. Also give this guy more attention, IS. Give him an amiibo or something. I'd buy it.

Chrom

You knew it was gonna be Chrom. I wrote a long essay on why I like Chrom a while ago, so if you missed it, this is essentially that essay.

First of all, I feel that how a character reacts to and changes because of a situation are great indicators of a good character, more so than just a list of personality traits. This is important to Chrom, as it is where I think his character truly shines.

As a bit of context, I'll first describe Chrom's early life, as it lays the foundation of his character early on. During his childhood, Chrom's father waged war against Ylisse's neighboring country, Plegia. His mother is implied to have died when he was very young, around the time Lissa was born. The war against Plegia only ended with the death of Chrom's warmongering father, and his older sister Emmeryn was made Ylisse's new Exalt. At first the citizens hated her, hurling both harsh words and harsher stones. Emmeryn never faltered, however, and eventually earned back the love of the people, mending the scars of the war their father started. Chrom comments that he would have never repaid their abuse with kindness, but recognizes that Emmeryn is a better person for it. As such, he decided that he'd be as great a leader as he could be.

This eventually led to Chrom forming the Shepherds, a group of soldiers acting as a sort of elite squadron of Ylisse's army, with Chrom serving as their commander. And this is where one aspect of Chrom's personality comes into place: Chrom is a "father to his men". He legitimately cares for each of the Shepherds and notices the areas in which they excel. Despite being royalty, he never lets that get in the way, as all are equal on the battlefield. For example, Vaike says exactly this in his support with Lissa.

Vaike:
I've dealt with a lot of fool ignorance since I joined the Shepherds. People are always askin' who I think I am, a commoner lording it up with princes. I've had it from lowborn and highborn alike. ...But never Chrom. It's like he doesn't care where I'm from, so long as I handle myself in a fight.

Another example of this can be seen in the Summer Scramble DLC, where Chrom has a conversation with Stahl. Chrom takes note of Stahl's performance in battle, mentioning how proud he is of how far he's come. Stahl, overjoyed, ends up working himself to near exhaustion in an attempt to live up to Chrom's praise. Chrom then stresses that he doesn't need to over-exert himself, as it would only lead to Stahl getting killed by the enemy. This reaffirms one of Chrom's biggest drives: to become a better man than his father was. Whereas his father conscripted untrained villagers to fight and die for him once his supply of soldiers was burned through, Chrom recognizes the value of the lives of all of Ylisse's people, including his soldiers. Chrom's father had his people fight for him, while Chrom himself fights alongside his people, knowing their limits and never pushing them too far.

One of Chrom's most informative support conversations, however, is his set of supports with (male) Robin. One facet of Chrom's character that often receives criticism, both in universe and in online discussions, is his incredibly trusting nature. Robin comments on this, stating that Chrom taking him in in his amnesiac state was a foolhardy move, as it could have been a massive security risk. Chrom simply replies that he can't change who he is, and that he saw a person in need and needed to help them. Later, Chrom is confronted by a mugger who flees upon seeing Chrom draw Falchion. Chastised by Robin once more, Chrom promises to take more precautions in the future...only for Robin to see that Chrom is taking two or so soldiers with him on patrol. Not satisfied with Chrom's menial attempt at safety, Robin confronts Chrom once more, leading to this exchange:

Chrom:
Look. I understand enemies could be lying in wait to try and kill me... But there could also be others who need my help! There's a war going on, and people are suffering. I can't ignore them. I won't.
Robin:
So why not send your men to search for these hapless innocents?!
Chrom:
Because.
Robin:
Becauuuse...?
Chrom:
Because...of you. If I hadn't been there—if Frederick alone had found you—would we have ever met?
Robin:
...Probably not.
Chrom:
You see? And it's not just you, Robin. It's everyone like you. I know going out there exposes me to danger, and I haven't always been careful. But it's a risk I'm willing to take in order to connect with the people. To forge bonds.
Robin:
Bonds? Between who?
Chrom:
You and me. Me and the others. The villagers we've met, the world we've seen... Such bonds are the true strength of this army. Without them, we're lost. Others may disagree, but that's one benefit of leadership: I make the final call.

Chrom views the strength of his army, and his country, as a measurement of the bonds he's created with the Shepherds. While this may at first seem like a cliché power of friendship moment, it fully illustrates the dramatic difference between Chrom and his father. His father used his people and his troops as lifeless pawns, simply means to ends, and himself as their ruler. Chrom views his people as his equals, and himself as their leader. One other thing to note is that Chrom instinctively trusted Robin despite the amnesiac being clad in Plegian robes, with Plegia being the country Ylisse has been at odds with for over a decade. Once again highlighting the difference between himself and his father, Chrom thought nothing of this. After all, a person is a person, borders be damned.

However, Chrom's devotion to his friends and family do end up coming at a great cost. During chapter five, King Gangrel of Plegia stages a kidnapping of Lady Maribelle, the daughter of the duke of Themis in an attempt to accuse Maribelle of illegally crossing over into Plegia. Emmeryn, Chrom, and the Shepherds offer parley in an attempt to reason with Gangrel, but Gangrel wishes to put Maribelle to death...unless Emmeryn were to hand over the Fire Emblem, Ylisse's national treasure, to him. Upon refusing, Gangrel threatens to pry it from Emmeryn's "cold, dead hands" and sends a single brigand to take the Emblem. Chrom instinctively kills the brigand with nary a second thought. It is in this moment that Chrom commits an act of war on Plegian soil, setting the stage for the rest of the game's events. Chrom didn't need to kill the brigand. Gangrel's threat was simply words, and a single brigand could be easily disarmed without killing him. He hadn't even attempted to strike at Emmeryn yet. But Chrom's love for his sister and his own impulsive nature singlehandedly led to a brutal campaign against Plegia. War had been declared, and it might have been avoided if Chrom had thought the situation through. Chrom is a flawed character, and because of his flaws, he must live with the fact that his actions had drastic consequences.

Eventually, Ylisse's campaign against Plegia comes to a head when Emmeryn is taken hostage by Gangrel's men to be publicly executed. In a race against time, Chrom, Robin, and the Shepherds book it to Plegia to save her. Once the battlefield is cleared, Chrom prepares to save his sister, only for an ambush to occur. Risen are summoned and shoot down the Ylissean Pegasus Knights with their arrows, eliminating Emmeryn's escape route from atop the spire. Gangrel gives Chrom an ultimatum: give up the Fire Emblem or have the Risen shoot down Emmeryn. Giving one last speech beforehand, Emmeryn spares Chrom of the sadistic choice and walks off the spire, committing suicide and preventing Chrom from giving up the Fire Emblem.

The next chapter ends with the Shepherds escaping a skirmish against Plegian forces, and upon entering the barracks once more, Robin takes it upon himself to reignite Chrom. Chrom sees himself as a failure for not preventing Emmeryn's death. He uses the word "powerless." He had no physical way of reaching her. For one time in his life, Chrom was forced to sit there and watch an atrocity transpire that he couldn't prevent. He watched as his older sister, his longtime guardian, fall to her death to spare him from a choice that would endanger Ylisse's people. Robin seeks to provide another viewpoint.

Robin:
I was powerless once too, remember? And yes, alone, I don't think either one of us is half the person your sister was. But together...maybe we can be something more. If you fall, I'll be there to pull you back up. When you fight for your sister's ideals, I'll be by your side. You don't have to become your sister, you know. You can still be true to yourself. You just have to give people hope in whatever way you can.
Chrom:
And what if I can't? What if I'm not worthy of her ideals? Robin, what if I drag you down with me?
Robin:
If you aren't worthy, you'll keep at it until you are. And if we both fall down, well, that's what friends are for, isn't it?

It's in this moment that the bond between Chrom and Robin is fully cemented, in my opinion. Chrom proclaims that he won't falter again, so long as he has the support of his tactician and his troops. And in Chrom's fated battle against Gangrel, Chrom prevails and Gangrel is slain. As the newly-crowned Exalt of Ylisse, Chrom married and had a daughter, Lucina, and vowed to bring Ylisse into an era of unparalleled peace.

Sadly, however, peace doesn't last long, as the Valmese from across the ocean have
launched warships toward Regna Ferox, Ylisse's closest political ally. Reluctantly, Chrom decides to aid Ferox in the war against Valm, as they are a threat to Ylisse as well.

The Valmese arc in Awakening is controversial, to say the least. Many fans say it was simply a filler segment. However, I disagree, as Chrom's conversations with Walhart do quite a bit to show how Chrom has grown as a leader and how he juxtaposes Walhart in his style of ruling.

During their confrontation in chapter twenty, Chrom's first reaction to facing Walhart is asking the Conqueror if he'd surrender, to which Walhart scoffs. The rest of their pre-battle conversation is as follows:

 Chrom:
It did not have to be this way... You believed in mankind's strength... So did my sister. You believe that we are masters of our destinies... So do I. You could have joined with us. 

Walhart:
 ME, JOIN YOU?! Does a pegasus join with the flea on its back? A dragon, with a cow it eats?! You forget your place, BOY. I am the Conqueror! I will unite the world!

 Chrom:
No! ...I will. And not by forcing all the people to choose the sword or the knee. Peace will only come by stoking people's hearts...not their fear.

 Walhart:
You think that's what you've done? What your sister did before you? No, she shouted some nonsense and leapt off a rock! Such weakness!

 Chrom:
Wrong. Not weakness—strength. That one act lives on, and WILL live on, longer than all your conquests...

 Walhart:
And longer than you will... Come then, flea, and die for your peace!

 Chrom:
Emm, I tried...

The weight of Emmeryn's legacy is clearly weighing on Chrom. His every action as Exalt was done with his sister in mind, as if to ask, "What would Emmeryn do?" In chapter six, he had told Robin that he would never be able to show compassion to those who did him harm, as Emmeryn did when her people turned against her. Here, however, he does just that. Walhart the Conqueror, a man who terrorized and subjugated an entire continent, fought Chrom's army with his own for the entirety of a brutal campaign, and threatened to take over Ylisse and Regna Ferox as well, was now facing off against Chrom directly. Chrom's first, instinctive reaction, however, is to ask if Walhart will stand down. And then when Chrom cannot reason with him, he reluctantly fights him, having unsuccessfully tried to use Emmeryn's own method of peace.

Until now I haven't touched too much on Chrom and Robin's relationship, despite it being a crucial component of Chrom's character. Throughout the game, Robin has acted as emotional support for Chrom. Chrom is prone to doubting himself, and Robin is always there to provide reassurance, as he did in the wake of Emmeryn's death. Likewise, Chrom places his full trust in Robin, both as commander and tactician, and two best friends. However, a revelation is uncovered. In the bad future that Lucina comes from, Robin is the one who took Chrom's life, impaling him with a hardened bolt of magic through the chest. Upon having this confirmed for her, Lucina draws her sword and prepares to kill Robin then and there, to save both her father and her future. Regardless of Robin letting her or not, Chrom comes in at the last minute to stop her, having heard every word, and reestablishes that nothing can shake his faith in Robin.

 Chrom:
Robin and I have held fast through good times and ill... We swore to be two halves of a greater whole. You underestimate the strength of those ties, the bonds we share. I believe in them more than some foretold "destiny."

 Lucina:
That is easier to say when you haven't seen it yourself...

 Chrom:
Lucina, aren't our ties stronger here now than they were in your future? You said so yourself. In this flow of time we are bound tighter than ever, you and I. Not just as father and daughter... But as friends. We can change things—we already have...and we will again.

Chrom is convinced that because things had already changed as a result of their actions, that the bad future is preventable, and his death at Robin's hand is far from guaranteed. In spite of his trust in others not always working out, such as when the Hierophant betrayed the royal family early on, Chrom clings to his ideals. To him, they are worth fighting for, especially when his best friend depends on them. That being said, despite being trusting, Chrom is far from naïve and stupid. He recognizes that Plegia's invitation for parley will likely not end entirely hospitably. He doesn't go to Plegia without him and his men being armed. This is a big part of Chrom's character that often gets mixed up by those online. Idealism is not the same as naivety or stupidity. Chrom holds true to his core beliefs and recognizes the danger associated with them, but should he feel the need to, he will take precautions.

So in short, Chrom is a man who struggled to fight against the legacy of his warmonger father while trying to more closely emulate the ruling style of his older sister Emmeryn. He is a father to his men, and is capable and strong, if a bit reckless. Chrom acts almost solely on instinct and will defend those he cares about to the ends of the earth, and will help someone in need no matter the danger it may pose to himself. Chrom is also plagued with self-doubt, which only worsens after Emmeryn's death, until Robin's friendship breaks him of it, and the two become two halves of a greater whole.

He's also a total dork who stared slack-jawed at (his future wife) Sumia when she saved him from being turned into a pincushion, has an awesome design and color scheme, has a great voice, has an awesome sword when fully upgraded to the Exalted Falchion, and can use lances, but those are more superficial reasons why I like him, to say the least.

So yeah! Maybe give some of it a read if you want, especially if you're unfamiliar with a certain character or something. I put a lot of thought into it, and hey, maybe you guys can say your top sixteen as well.

You should save this list, I love it.

I like Chrom a lot as well. I am sad he is not in Smash Brothers, hopefully he gets in next game.

Fenriraga · Mar 12, 2018

Hot damn Opo, that list is solid.

Now I actually want to make one of my own. And in fact, I probably will.

~~It also has no Fates characters, that's how you KNOW a man has good tastes.~~

The Stoopid Unikorn · Mar 12, 2018

ShinyLegendary said:
I like Chrom a lot as well. I am sad he is not in Smash Brothers, hopefully he gets in next game.

Don't expect a character from a past game as a newcomer. Not gonna happen unless they're incredibly popular or their game is remade at the right time.

This means the only ones who have an actual shot without being from the Switch game are the CYL winners (Lyn, Celica, Hector and Ephraim) due to them being popular enough to win the polls, getting IS's attention and making variants of them in Heroes.

Veronica also won the latest poll, but she's an antagonist, so she can't make it in until Fjorm or an Askran does.

Kirby Dragons · Mar 12, 2018

praline said:
Someone needs to make a game where you play as some kind of dog thing and you fight with swords and axes and stuffs but the dogs holds in with the mouth and like when people pet you or things you get mor powerfull

I’m at the stage where I’m so tired I’m not.

I think your game idea proves that you're just plain tired.

The Stoopid Unikorn · Mar 12, 2018

Kirby Dragons said:
I think your game idea proves that you're just plain tired.

But it's a legit cute idea!

-is also tired-

Deleted member · Mar 12, 2018

I ate some Recess Cups cereal and I regret it... It got soggy very quickly and it made me not want to move at all.

The Stoopid Unikorn said:
Don't expect a character from a past game as a newcomer. Not gonna happen unless they're incredibly popular or their game is remade at the right time.

Well Sakurai considered Chrom. If Chrom got more diversity in his next game, I could see him optimal.
I love Chrom's design, so handsome. ( No, I am not attracted to him ).

The Stoopid Unikorn · Mar 12, 2018

ShinyLegendary said:
Well Sakurai considered Chrom. If Chrom got more diversity in his next game, I could see him optimal.
I love Chrom's design, so handsome. ( No, I am not attracted to him ).

This shows how little you know of Fire Emblem lol

Aside from maybe two exceptions and excluding remakes, Fire Emblem games always had a different story, a different setting and a different cast for each title.

It's like Final Fantasy in that aspect, really. As such, Smash 4 was really Chrom's only chance until an Awakening sequel/remake.

praline · Mar 12, 2018

Kirby Dragons said:
I think your game idea proves that you're just plain tired.

But it’s a good idea.

Coricus · Mar 12, 2018

ShinyLegendary said:
I ate some Recess Cups cereal and I regret it... It got soggy very quickly and it made me not want to move at all.

Well Sakurai considered Chrom. If Chrom got more diversity in his next game, I could see him optimal.
I love Chrom's design, so handsome. ( No, I am not attracted to him ).

What Stoopid said + Chrob's not quite my type so I don't exactly get it. Think it's his boring hair LOOOOOL.

Anyway, speaking of cereal, my trucker dad managed to find some Super Mario Amiibo cereal from gosh knows where, so woohoo!

The Stoopid Unikorn · Mar 12, 2018

praline said:
But it’s a good idea.

Coricus said:
What Stoopid said

My words have an actual point?

The ****? I'm supposed to be an idiot! :troll:

praline · Mar 12, 2018

ShinyLegendary said:
I ate some Recess Cups cereal and I regret it... It got soggy very quickly and it made me not want to move at all.

Well Sakurai considered Chrom. If Chrom got more diversity in his next game, I could see him optimal.
I love Chrom's design, so handsome. ( No, I am not attracted to him ).

His next game? There’s been 2 games since he was in one. Only 3 games have had sequels. Marth’s game, Ike’s game and Roy’s game.p(yeah it’s a prequel whatevz).

The Stoopid Unikorn · Mar 12, 2018

praline said:
His next game? There’s been 2 games since he was in one. Only 3 games have had sequels. Marth’s game, Ike’s game and Roy’s game.p(yeah it’s a prequel whatevz).

I forgot the Blazing Blade! ****!

praline · Mar 12, 2018

The Stoopid Unikorn said:
I forgot the Blazing Blade! ****!

What we really need is a third Ike game.

Deleted member · Mar 12, 2018

That cereal made me feel too stuffed, I am thinking about taking a nap even though I am not that tired.

Coricus said:
What Stoopid said + Chrob's not quite my type so I don't exactly get it. Think it's his boring hair LOOOOOL.

Can you tell me who "Chrob" is please? A new FE character I do not know about? :troll:

The Stoopid Unikorn · Mar 12, 2018

praline said:
What we really need is a third Ike game.

Third?

Let's make the whole franchise nothing but Ike games :troll:

praline · Mar 12, 2018

The Stoopid Unikorn said:
Third?

Let's make the whole franchise nothing but Ike games

That would make the fanboy in me very happy. :love:

The Stoopid Unikorn · Mar 12, 2018

praline said:
That would make the fanboy in me very happy.

But Ike is not a waifu, so the chances of that happening aren't high

ShinyLegendary said:
Can you tell me who "Chrob" is please? A new FE character I do not know about?

Chrom's evil twin.

He follows Grima because he's a bully.

:troll:

Coricus · Mar 12, 2018

The Stoopid Unikorn said:
View attachment 138521

My words have an actual point?

The ****? I'm supposed to be an idiot!

That cat is about to smack that dog in the mouth. :sadsheep:

ShinyLegendary said:
That cereal made me feel too stuffed, I am thinking about taking a nap even though I am not that tired.

Can you tell me who "Chrob" is please? A new FE character I do not know about?

An old meme back when I wasn't too unstable for GameFAQs.

Pretty sure it was based on an initial misspelling, but once it was put into play on any future thread, a string of posts from various users would go on like this:

Chrob 2

Chrob 3

Chrob 64

And so on.

Deleted member · Mar 12, 2018

The Stoopid Unikorn said:
Third?

Let's make the whole franchise nothing but Ike games

Nothing but fighting for his friends and giving no sympathy whatsoever. Prepare yourself!

The Stoopid Unikorn · Mar 12, 2018

Coricus said:
That cat is about to smack that dog in the mouth.

At least, the dog isn't Shiny :troll:

Z25 · Mar 12, 2018

Oh boy the Eeveelution “leaks” are already coming in

Opossum · Mar 12, 2018

DarkAura64/Fenrir said:
Hot damn Opo, that list is solid.

Now I actually want to make one of my own. And in fact, I probably will.

~~It also has no Fates characters, that's how you KNOW a man has good tastes.~~

I mean, there are a few Fates characters I really like. Yukimura, Oboro, Takumi, Arthur, Ryoma, and Shiro come to mind. And the Nohrian Awakening trio if they count, haha.

They just didn't crack the top sixteen.

praline · Mar 12, 2018

The Stoopid Unikorn said:
But Ike is not a waifu, so the chances of that happening aren't high

Chrom's evil twin.

He follows Grima because he's a bully.

Ike is too good to be a waifu.

Opossum · Mar 12, 2018

praline said:
Ike is too good to be a waifu.

Tell that to Soren.

Deleted member · Mar 12, 2018

Viridi broke my heart....

The Stoopid Unikorn said:
At least, the dog isn't Shiny

You tell me what this is leading to.

praline said:
Ike is too good to be a waifu.

~Flashbacks of Aurane joking about Ike and Cloud's "sword"...~

praline · Mar 12, 2018

Opossum said:
Tell that to Soren.

Oh I’ve seen enough fan art to think of Soren as a waifu.

The Stoopid Unikorn · Mar 12, 2018

ShinyLegendary said:
Viridi broke my heart....

Viridi is also a hypocrite because Dark Pit.

praline · Mar 12, 2018

ShinyLegendary said:
Viridi broke my heart....

You tell me what this is leading to.

~Flashbacks of Aurane joking about Ike and Cloud's "sword"...~

Nobody jokes about that.

The Stoopid Unikorn · Mar 12, 2018

ShinyLegendary said:
~Flashbacks of Aurane joking about Ike and Cloud's "sword"...~

: "Mine's bigger than yours." :troll:

: "You'll get no sympathy from me!"

praline · Mar 12, 2018

Man this is my final week of premium l

Deleted member · Mar 12, 2018

The Stoopid Unikorn said:
: "Mine's bigger than yours."

: "You'll get no sympathy from me!"

: "This is my Monado's power!"

The Stoopid Unikorn · Mar 12, 2018

Xeno VII said:
: "This is my Monado's power!"

Or alternatively

: "I'M REALLY FEELING IT!"

: -uses Dragon Fang-

Aurane · Mar 12, 2018

Holder of the Heel said:
I've been running back and forth all over Skyrim and only by accident discovered you can fast travel.

Not sure if I want to be happy or sob.

If you opened your map it should of told you right then and there that you can fast travel.

I usually walk to different places by default. You experience more events rather than when you're just zipping to place to place. You'll also have more leveling this way, because there's usually some idiot on the road who wants to attempt to spill your blood.

Fast Travel's nice if I'm in a rush though. Otherwise the journey usually beats the destination.

Z25 · Mar 12, 2018

Since he was a bonus unit, I used possessed Takumi for arena today because my score needed to be bought up. Giving him savage blow and the seal is fun. He can rack up 40 damage on one unit a turn and 14 on others. And then turn 3 he can deal like 70 damage within his area. He makes pretty good use of it and diminishes teams fast. With desperation he can take on most armored units and distant counter units as well.

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