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Protector Shields Up!
1.Introduction
The Protector(Paladin in the Japanese version) is one of the playable classes in Etrian Odyssey series, an RPG based on the classic genre of Dungeon Crawlers, first appearing in the original Etrian Odyssey by Atlus in 2007 for the DS. Ingame, they function as Tanks by mitigating the damage the party receives through a variety of skills. While the Etrian Odyssey series does not have a set protagonist(outside of the Story Mode for both Untold games), nor does it have set playable characters(all the portraits are to be used for the player’s own characters), the blonde female Protector has always been a sort of mascot of the series ever since the first game, as she’s one of the characters present in the first game’s boxart(alongside a female Medic and male Alchemist, all three are present in both the US version and the Japanese version despite different art being used) and appears in the Explorer’s Log comic which was used to introduce the series’ concepts to players.
The US boxart(left) and the Japanese and European boxart(right)
This Protector received the nickname of Teach, or Shishou in Japanese, from fans, derived from how the Medic calls her in the Explorer’s Log comic. This Medic also received a nickname, being called Medi-Ko. Both of them are usually paired together in promotional material, as seen with them returning for the Etrian Odyssey II: Heroes of Lagaard boxart alongside the male Alchemist. He didn’t get lucky enough though, and the most he ever got were these two boxart appearances.
Teach teaches those damn elitists how to play real games
The Japanese boxart for Heroes of High Lagaard
Teach ended up creating a sort of… archetype for the series, as seen with the second game already, the “female blue-eyed blonde” would not only become a recurring type of portrait, it would also be used as the “main heroine” in promotional materials for most games(Untold II, EOX and EMDII are the only games to not follow the trend).
Boxarts for Etrian Odyssey III: The Drowned City, Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan and Etrian Odyssey V: Beyond the Myth
So far, "Teach" has appeared in EOI, EOII, EOU, EOIIU, EMD, EOV(as DLC), EMDII and EOX, which is far more than any other class portrait can say for themselves, making her(and her fellow Protectors as costumes) the perfect representative of the series. Fun fact, for EOIIU, free DLC was given out in the form of alternate portraits, art used in promotional material neve available ingame, most classes got two or three, while the Protector got 4... all of them were of Teach.
2. Why should they join Smash?
There are two possibilities as to your initial response to seeing this thread. The first is “who?”, the second is “not happening”(there’s a third one that’s “goddamnit Shish” but it isn’t relevant right now). Both are correct, Etrian Odyssey is an extremely niche series, even in Japan(the series as a whole has only 1.5 million sales, both physical and digital, EVER SINCE 2007), additionally, it’s also a 3rd Party as it’s done by Atlus and currently owned by Sega. The holes it’d have to jump to make into Smash are huge(both Atlus and Sega have much more popular game series yet to be represented), even if the series has stayed 100% exclusive to Nintendo, but that’s not the reason we are here. While the impossibility of an EO character ever being present is more than acknowledged, this thread was made to support and raise awareness of a character and its series.
But still, if they did make it into Smash, why should anyone care? The reason is simple, all the prominent EO characters belong to classes that have lots of attributes not really present in Smash yet. Even ignoring Teach, you have both Untold protagonists which, while not representative of the series as a whole, could provide extremely fun movesets with the Highlander’s spear and the Fafnir Knight’s transformation mechanic.
The unnamed silent protagonist of EOU, the Highlander. He fights with his spear by cutting, stabbing and bashing and can power up his own attacks by consuming his or his party's HP. He can also use various support skills to debuff enemies or heal allies of them. Not to be confused with the immortal variant.
The unnamed silent protagonist of EOIIU, the Fafnir Knight. At base, he has a wide variety of sword and katana skills but his abilities truly shine when he transforms. Normally only able to keep it up for 3 turns, by pairing various skills correctly and managing his Boost Gauge, he can extend the transformation period significantly, becoming an incredible damage dealer capable of melting bosses. And this isn't even his final form!
But this thread is not for them, this thread is for the Teach herself, so, what can she bring to the table? That’s simple, as a Tank class, the Protector is all about a defensive playstyle, with skills to mitigate, negate, absorb or even counter damage, their moveset would be centered towards survivability more than anything else. And while they do wield swords, they do not possess any sword skills, their main focus IS the Shield, they even have damage skills that make use of it. Additionally, ever since Untold II, they are capable of wielding not only swords, but Axes and Spears too, giving them plenty of options for normal attacks. One of the EO’s series main mechanics is its elemental system, which covers physical elements as well, Cut, Stab and Bash, meaning that thanks to their weapon selection and their Shield, they have access to all physical damage types.
But still, if they did make it into Smash, why should anyone care? The reason is simple, all the prominent EO characters belong to classes that have lots of attributes not really present in Smash yet. Even ignoring Teach, you have both Untold protagonists which, while not representative of the series as a whole, could provide extremely fun movesets with the Highlander’s spear and the Fafnir Knight’s transformation mechanic.
The unnamed silent protagonist of EOU, the Highlander. He fights with his spear by cutting, stabbing and bashing and can power up his own attacks by consuming his or his party's HP. He can also use various support skills to debuff enemies or heal allies of them. Not to be confused with the immortal variant.
The unnamed silent protagonist of EOIIU, the Fafnir Knight. At base, he has a wide variety of sword and katana skills but his abilities truly shine when he transforms. Normally only able to keep it up for 3 turns, by pairing various skills correctly and managing his Boost Gauge, he can extend the transformation period significantly, becoming an incredible damage dealer capable of melting bosses. And this isn't even his final form!
But this thread is not for them, this thread is for the Teach herself, so, what can she bring to the table? That’s simple, as a Tank class, the Protector is all about a defensive playstyle, with skills to mitigate, negate, absorb or even counter damage, their moveset would be centered towards survivability more than anything else. And while they do wield swords, they do not possess any sword skills, their main focus IS the Shield, they even have damage skills that make use of it. Additionally, ever since Untold II, they are capable of wielding not only swords, but Axes and Spears too, giving them plenty of options for normal attacks. One of the EO’s series main mechanics is its elemental system, which covers physical elements as well, Cut, Stab and Bash, meaning that thanks to their weapon selection and their Shield, they have access to all physical damage types.
3. But how would they play in Smash? aka moveset
As mentioned in the previous section, the Protector would be all about defensive play and to that effect, one of many unique traits could be used.
General Overview
Weapon Proficiency: As of EOIIU, the Protector class can use Swords, Axes and Spears. Though she would usually carry her sword around, she would be able to use her other weapons to attack as well.
Shield: The Shield is a Protector's main tool, not only being used to defend but to attack as well.
Sonic Bomb: An item that when used, causes nearby FOEs to be stunned for a turn, preventing them from joining an ongoing fight... or rather, just delaying it.
Immovable Wall: In exchange for being the slowest fighter, the Protector would in return be the heaviest of them all.
Unique Traits
Aegis: Much like Link's shield, the Protector's will block incoming projectiles while standing still or walking on the ground.
Parry: Additionally, when performimg certain moves, her shield will block melee attacks as well. They can't do anything about grabs though, and her back is always exposed.
Moveset
Jab: a single sword poke while she stays behind the shield, a safe option but it doesn't reach very far.
Side Tilt: the Protector does a shield bash with a similar motion to Link's BotW parry. Its hitbox will block incoming attacks but she's left wide open aftwerwards.
Down Tilt: slams her shield's tip on the ground. Spikes both grounded and airbone opponents.
Up Tilt: bashes her shield upwards, doesn't reach very far but protects against attacks from above at the expense of leaving herself open from the sides.
Dash Attack: uses Shield Smite while running, launching herself slightly forward while blocking attacks, much like Palutena's Dash Attack. Does heavy damage to shields but has a lot of endlag, making it easy to simply dodge and punish it.
Neutral Air: slowly slashes with her sword in a downward circular arc, starting in front of her and ending near her feet.
Forward Air: using her spear, the Protector stabs forward, being her longest reaching move.
Back Air: bashes her shield behind her while blocking attacks, the quickest of her aerials but also the one with the least reach.
Down Air: using her axe, she slowly slams it below her, spiking anyone hit by the axe's head with heavy damage. Has a ton of landing lag to it, however.
Up Air: using her spear, she stabs upwards much like in her Forward Air.
Grab: grabs her opponent with her sword hand.
Pummel: hits the grabbed opponent with the tip of the shield
Forward Throw: kicks her opponent, lauching them forward.
Back Throw: turns around and performs a shield bash on them, launching them backwards.
Down Throw: slams them onto the ground by bashing them with her shield.
Up Throw: by hitting them with the upper end of her shield, the Protector sends them upwards.
Smash Attacks
Side Smash: charges an overhead axe swing, dealing the most damage at the very end when it hits the ground.
Down Smash: pulls out a Sonic Bomb, throwing it in front of her and causing a small explosion that stuns oppinents shortly.
Up Smash: charges an upwards spear stab, though it has no hitbox on her sides, the point of the spear is especially deadly. Useful for dealing with opponents directly above her.
Special Moves
Neutral Special - Bravery's Gift: The Protector enters a defensive stance and pulls in all nearby fighters towards herself, before unleashing a sword slash around her. The Protector will be granted super armor during the move and it'll deal double damage and knockback if she's hit during it.
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Bravery's Gift raises the Protector's HP for one turn while receiving all damage for the party for that turn.
Down Special - Chart: The Protector picks up her map and charts the stage, revealing a tile of thorns directly below her. The tile is 3 standing Protectors-wide and will remain on the stage for about 10 seconds, constantly damaging anyone that walks on them. Up to two tiles can be revealed at a time.
![]()
The Etrian Odyssey's map charting is one of its main features, bringing the old-school RPG tradition of drawing maps into the game itself.
Side Special - Perfect Defense: The Protector puts her shield forward as it shines, reflecting physical projectiles at 1.3x their original power and absorbing energy-based ones for the same amount they would be damaged. This move has no hitbox and does not protect against melee attacks.
![]()
Perfect Defense, the Protector's Force Break skill which negates all damage for one turn, the ultimate version of their Elemental Walls and Line Guards.
Up Special - Ariadne Thread: The Protector uses an Ariadne Thread and is teleported to the last spot they touched the ground. This move will go on a cooldown for 10 seconds after it's used.
![]()
The Ariadne Thread is an item used to return to town when exploring the labyrinth. Trust the description when it says it's mecessary.
Final Smash - Even during Smash: F.O.E.!
A ding sound is heard, and that can only mean one thing: a F.O.E.(also known as Formido Oppugnatura Exsequens) has spotted the party. It is then that the FOE will appear and reveal itself as a large fuzzy orange ball and lock onto a player and start relentlessly pursuing them, dealing heavy damage on contact, until their target has been slain.
![]()
What type of monster is this FOE? Trust me, you do not want to know.
General Overview
Weapon Proficiency: As of EOIIU, the Protector class can use Swords, Axes and Spears. Though she would usually carry her sword around, she would be able to use her other weapons to attack as well.
Shield: The Shield is a Protector's main tool, not only being used to defend but to attack as well.
Sonic Bomb: An item that when used, causes nearby FOEs to be stunned for a turn, preventing them from joining an ongoing fight... or rather, just delaying it.
Immovable Wall: In exchange for being the slowest fighter, the Protector would in return be the heaviest of them all.
Unique Traits
Aegis: Much like Link's shield, the Protector's will block incoming projectiles while standing still or walking on the ground.
Parry: Additionally, when performimg certain moves, her shield will block melee attacks as well. They can't do anything about grabs though, and her back is always exposed.
Moveset
Jab: a single sword poke while she stays behind the shield, a safe option but it doesn't reach very far.
Side Tilt: the Protector does a shield bash with a similar motion to Link's BotW parry. Its hitbox will block incoming attacks but she's left wide open aftwerwards.
Down Tilt: slams her shield's tip on the ground. Spikes both grounded and airbone opponents.
Up Tilt: bashes her shield upwards, doesn't reach very far but protects against attacks from above at the expense of leaving herself open from the sides.
Dash Attack: uses Shield Smite while running, launching herself slightly forward while blocking attacks, much like Palutena's Dash Attack. Does heavy damage to shields but has a lot of endlag, making it easy to simply dodge and punish it.
Neutral Air: slowly slashes with her sword in a downward circular arc, starting in front of her and ending near her feet.
Forward Air: using her spear, the Protector stabs forward, being her longest reaching move.
Back Air: bashes her shield behind her while blocking attacks, the quickest of her aerials but also the one with the least reach.
Down Air: using her axe, she slowly slams it below her, spiking anyone hit by the axe's head with heavy damage. Has a ton of landing lag to it, however.
Up Air: using her spear, she stabs upwards much like in her Forward Air.
Grab: grabs her opponent with her sword hand.
Pummel: hits the grabbed opponent with the tip of the shield
Forward Throw: kicks her opponent, lauching them forward.
Back Throw: turns around and performs a shield bash on them, launching them backwards.
Down Throw: slams them onto the ground by bashing them with her shield.
Up Throw: by hitting them with the upper end of her shield, the Protector sends them upwards.
Smash Attacks
Side Smash: charges an overhead axe swing, dealing the most damage at the very end when it hits the ground.
Down Smash: pulls out a Sonic Bomb, throwing it in front of her and causing a small explosion that stuns oppinents shortly.
Up Smash: charges an upwards spear stab, though it has no hitbox on her sides, the point of the spear is especially deadly. Useful for dealing with opponents directly above her.
Special Moves
Neutral Special - Bravery's Gift: The Protector enters a defensive stance and pulls in all nearby fighters towards herself, before unleashing a sword slash around her. The Protector will be granted super armor during the move and it'll deal double damage and knockback if she's hit during it.
Bravery's Gift raises the Protector's HP for one turn while receiving all damage for the party for that turn.
Down Special - Chart: The Protector picks up her map and charts the stage, revealing a tile of thorns directly below her. The tile is 3 standing Protectors-wide and will remain on the stage for about 10 seconds, constantly damaging anyone that walks on them. Up to two tiles can be revealed at a time.
The Etrian Odyssey's map charting is one of its main features, bringing the old-school RPG tradition of drawing maps into the game itself.
Side Special - Perfect Defense: The Protector puts her shield forward as it shines, reflecting physical projectiles at 1.3x their original power and absorbing energy-based ones for the same amount they would be damaged. This move has no hitbox and does not protect against melee attacks.
Perfect Defense, the Protector's Force Break skill which negates all damage for one turn, the ultimate version of their Elemental Walls and Line Guards.
Up Special - Ariadne Thread: The Protector uses an Ariadne Thread and is teleported to the last spot they touched the ground. This move will go on a cooldown for 10 seconds after it's used.
The Ariadne Thread is an item used to return to town when exploring the labyrinth. Trust the description when it says it's mecessary.
Final Smash - Even during Smash: F.O.E.!
A ding sound is heard, and that can only mean one thing: a F.O.E.(also known as Formido Oppugnatura Exsequens) has spotted the party. It is then that the FOE will appear and reveal itself as a large fuzzy orange ball and lock onto a player and start relentlessly pursuing them, dealing heavy damage on contact, until their target has been slain.
What type of monster is this FOE? Trust me, you do not want to know.
4. Other series representation
4a. Stage
Of course, every series needs its own stage. If you've played the first EO game or the Untold remake, the answer should be obvious
The 5th Stratum: Lost Shinjuku
Lost Shinjuku is the 5th and final main stratum of the first game. It is not a natural area like previous strata, but rather the remains of a city from a past civilization. Even with EO's simple graphics, the stratum is beautiful, and its whole atmosphere is set up so it really feels like you're exploring the memories of a long gone civilization. Initially, it was a big plot twist for the series, but it quickly became that sort of spoiler that's hard not to talk about and then Untold just spoiled it 30 minutes into the game. Ingame, the stratum has a cetain "gimmick" to it in that all floors are composed of the two towers with large tree trunks connecting the two, alongside elevators being used to get around it.
Ingame map of the 22nd floor. The paths in the middle represent the tree trunks while the more dense areas are each of the towers.
In Smash, this could easily be translated as a two-floor stage like Spear Pillar, or a really big stage ala Temple or Palutena's Temple. Regardless, the battle would most definitely center around one of the tree trunks, as it is the stage for a certain climatic boss fight.
4b. Assist Trophy
Ragelope - The Most Dreaded FOE
![]()
Top 10 Photos Taken Before Disaster
The Ragelope is one of the most infamous FOEs in the series. Naturally, it's just as deadly as any other FOE but its appearance tricked many new players into ignoring the game's constant and big warning of "DO NOT ENGAGE", I mean, who would be afraid of a deer, right? Its signature skill is Panic Step, which can cause Panic on hit, which is an ailment that makes you lose control of a character and makes them attack at random, including allies. As an assist, the Ragelope would run over the stage, causing all fighters it hits to have their controls reversed... if they even survive that is.
![]()
Artist's rendition of the illusory Ragelope, circa 2009
4c. Music
It's impossible to talk about Etrian Odyssey without talking about its music, a few examples of some great music can be found here:
Battlefield's Awakening
Lost Shinjuku
Betting it All
The End of Raging Winds
Shiver
To Be Updated
But really, you can't go wrong with music, all of the tracks are great.
Of course, every series needs its own stage. If you've played the first EO game or the Untold remake, the answer should be obvious
The 5th Stratum: Lost Shinjuku
Lost Shinjuku is the 5th and final main stratum of the first game. It is not a natural area like previous strata, but rather the remains of a city from a past civilization. Even with EO's simple graphics, the stratum is beautiful, and its whole atmosphere is set up so it really feels like you're exploring the memories of a long gone civilization. Initially, it was a big plot twist for the series, but it quickly became that sort of spoiler that's hard not to talk about and then Untold just spoiled it 30 minutes into the game. Ingame, the stratum has a cetain "gimmick" to it in that all floors are composed of the two towers with large tree trunks connecting the two, alongside elevators being used to get around it.
Ingame map of the 22nd floor. The paths in the middle represent the tree trunks while the more dense areas are each of the towers.
In Smash, this could easily be translated as a two-floor stage like Spear Pillar, or a really big stage ala Temple or Palutena's Temple. Regardless, the battle would most definitely center around one of the tree trunks, as it is the stage for a certain climatic boss fight.
4b. Assist Trophy
Ragelope - The Most Dreaded FOE
Top 10 Photos Taken Before Disaster
The Ragelope is one of the most infamous FOEs in the series. Naturally, it's just as deadly as any other FOE but its appearance tricked many new players into ignoring the game's constant and big warning of "DO NOT ENGAGE", I mean, who would be afraid of a deer, right? Its signature skill is Panic Step, which can cause Panic on hit, which is an ailment that makes you lose control of a character and makes them attack at random, including allies. As an assist, the Ragelope would run over the stage, causing all fighters it hits to have their controls reversed... if they even survive that is.
Artist's rendition of the illusory Ragelope, circa 2009
4c. Music
It's impossible to talk about Etrian Odyssey without talking about its music, a few examples of some great music can be found here:
Battlefield's Awakening
Lost Shinjuku
Betting it All
The End of Raging Winds
Shiver
To Be Updated
But really, you can't go wrong with music, all of the tracks are great.
5. In Conclusion
Go play Etrian Odyssey nerds
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