Fire Emblem (universe): Difference between revisions

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{{Infobox Series

|originconsole    = Famicom

|firstinstallment  = ''[[Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light|Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon & the Blade of Light]]'' (1990)

|interwiki        = fireemblem

|interwikiname    = Fire Emblem Wiki

|interwikipage    = Fire Emblem (series)

}}

Characters from the ''Fire Emblem'' series first appeared in the ''[[Super Smash Bros. (series)|Super Smash Bros.]]'' series in 2001's ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'', with the debut of [[Marth]] and [[Roy]] from ''[[Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light|Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light]]'' and ''The Binding Blade'', respectively. Their appearances in ''Melee'' are frequently credited with sparking global interest in the ''Fire Emblem'' series and beginning the international distribution of the series. Since then, six more ''Fire Emblem'' characters have also become playable in ''Super Smash Bros.'': [[Ike]] from ''Path of Radiance'' and ''Radiant Dawn'', [[Chrom]], [[Lucina]] and [[Robin]] from ''Awakening'', [[Corrin]] from ''Fates'', and [[Byleth]] from ''Three Houses''.

==Franchise description==

Contrary to expectations however, ''Awakening'' was released to widespread critical and commercial success, selling nearly 250,000 copies within its first week and over a million copies worldwide, revitalizing interest in the franchise as a whole. Subsequent games rode the wave of success that ''Awakening'' started, with 2015's ''{{s|fireemblem|Fire Emblem Fates}}'' for Nintendo 3DS. This game sought to further the groundwork laid down by ''Awakening'' by telling three completely different stories depending on which path the player chose: one designed for beginners, one for veterans, and a third acting as a middle ground. The commercial success of ''Fates'' resulted in Nintendo declaring the ''Fire Emblem'' series one of its "major IPs".<ref>[https://mynintendonews.com/2016/04/28/fire-emblem-is-now-considered-a-major-ip-for-nintendo/amp/ MyNintendoNews: Fire Emblem Is Now Considered A "Major IP" For Nintendo]</ref> The final core installment released for the Nintendo 3DS was 2017's ''{{s|fireemblem|Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia}}'', a remake of ''Fire Emblem Gaiden'' that threw out many mechanics of the previous 3DS games while adding some of its own. The most recent core entry is 2019's ''{{s|fireemblem|Fire Emblem: Three Houses}}'' for [[Nintendo Switch]], which returned the series to home consoles for the first time in over a decade, returned to a more mature fantasy setting, refined the branching storyline structure of ''Fates'', and carried forth the gameplay innovations introduced in ''Shadows of Valentia''. It is currently the best-selling game in the entire franchise, outselling the previous record-holders, ''Awakening'' and ''Fates'', in a single year. Throughout this era, the franchise has been under the direction of two key creative leads: {{s|fireemblem|Kouhei Maeda}}, the director of ''Awakening'', ''Fates'', and the mobile spinoff ''Fire Emblem Heroes'', who has spoken about desiring to broaden the series' appeal; and Toshiyuki Kusakihara, the director of ''Shadows of Valentia'' and ''Three Houses'', whose games emphasize world-building and story. To commemorate the series' 30th anniversary, the original ''Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light'' would be officially localized and released outside of Japan in 2020 for the [[Nintendo Switch]].

As a series of tactical role-playing games set in pseudo-medieval, sword-and-sorcery fantasy settings, the many ''Fire Emblem'' games share a variety of distinctive series trademarks; there is less emphasis on complex field effects and unique class ability sets and more of an emphasis on effectively positioning stronger and weaker units relative to each other so that they have the best chances to survive waves of weaker enemy units thrown at them. Leveling up from experience points tends to award incremental statistical boosts based on chance, and units are often able to reliably kill certain types of enemy units one at a time depending on the types and properties of the multiple weapons they can equip (weapons that often interact in rock-paper-scissors relationships and have their own durability meters).

** '''''Fire Emblem Awakening''''' also visits the Valentia setting, now known as '''Valm''', in its second arc. Chrom, Robin, and their allies learn of the threat of the Valmese Empire and its conquest of Valm, and how it now threatens to conquer Ylisse, and travel there to protect their own continent.

** '''''Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War''''' (1996, Japan only) tells the story of the Chalphy family, one of the six noble houses from the superpower Kingdom of Grannvale, across twenty years and two generations. The first generation story tracks Grannvale's transformation from a kingdom to an empire through the eyes of Lord Sigurd of Chalphy, as both he and his country are involved in a series of conflicts and invasions abroad caused by the machinations of the Loptr Church, a religious order that plots the resurrection of Loptous and an end to their life of exile. Sigurd falls victim to a political conspiracy against his family, and the second generation, set seventeen years later, follows his orphaned son, Seliph, in an age where the Grannvale Empire has conquered almost all of Jugdral. Seliph becomes the leader and figurehead of a grand liberation movement, and travels the continent in a race against time to prevent Loptous from resurrecting by possession of the Empire's Prince Julius, the son of Sigurd's killer. In his travels, Seliph explores the history of Jugdral and the true nature of the Crusaders and Loptous.

** '''''Fire Emblem: Thracia 776''''' (1999, Japan only) is a loose interquel to ''Genealogy of the Holy War'' that stars Prince Leif of Leonster, a cousin of Seliph's, who was a playable character in ''Genealogy''. When two of his childhood friends are abducted by Raydrik, a glory-hungry servant of the Grannvale Empire's colonial rulers of the northern Thracian Peninsula, Leif emerges from hiding and raise a motley coalition of knights, militias, fallen nobles and even criminals from all across the Thracian Peninsula to rescue his friends, liberate the north from both the Empire and the influence of the Loptr Church, and prevent the north from falling into the hands of Leonster's blood enemy, the southern Kingdom of Thracia, all while struggling with his own insecurities and the burden of the immense expectation placed upon him.

*'''Elyos''': Set on a new continent, this land was once ravaged by a beast known as the Fell Dragon. To combat this threat, warriors from other realms known as "Emblems" were summoned to defeat and imprison the beast.

==In ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]''==

==In ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]''==

*[[File:IkeIcon(SSBB).png|50px|right|link=Ike (SSBB)]]'''{{SSBB|Ike}}''' ([[Starter character|Starter]]): The main character of ''Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance'' and its sequel, ''Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn'', Ike is shown in his Ranger outfit from the beginning of his first game. He comes armed with his two-handed Regalia blade, Ragnell, with which due to his sheer strength he needs only one hand to wield efficiently. His strength is present in his optimal playstyle, as unlike most swordfighters in the ''Super Smash Bros.'' series, he focuses less on speed and more on power and a fierce [[punish]] game. Ike is able to use his [[Aether]] skill as his up special move, which involves him throwing his sword into the air, jumping up and catching it, then bringing the sword crashing down on his opponent. [[Great Aether|His Final Smash]] is an enhanced version of Aether.

===Stage===

*[[File:IkeIcon(SSB4-U).png|50px|right|link=Ike (SSB4)]]'''{{SSB4|Ike}}''' ([[Starter character|Starter]]): Ike returns from ''Brawl'' as a starter character. His visual design has been updated to match his appearance in ''{{s|fireemblem|Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn}}'' along with his attacks now having updated sound effects that are still primarily unique to him. Being notably buffed from ''Brawl'', many of his moves have been given greater power, speed, or overall utility, and Ike is no longer one of the slowest characters in the game. His Great Aether, however, was noticeably toned down to compensate for these buffs. His sword attacks that involve fire now have blue flames instead of red, true to ''Radiant Dawn''.{{clr}}

*[[File:LucinaIcon(SSB4-U).png|50px|right|link=Lucina (SSB4)]]'''{{SSB4|Lucina}}''' ([[Unlockable character|Unlockable]]): Lucina, [[Chrom]]'s daughter and a major protagonist from ''Fire Emblem Awakening'', arrives as an unlockable newcomer. She is a [[clone]] of Marth, but lacks his sword tipper mechanic (sans down aerial). Thus, every part of her sword deals the same amount of damage, making her overall KO ability much more consistent, if potentially weaker, than Marth's. She is slightly shorter than Marth, giving her a slightly smaller hurtbox than him, but not as much reach on her sword, the Parallel Falchion. She was originally planned to be an alternate swap for Marth, similar to [[Alph]] and {{SSB4|Olimar}}.{{clr}}

===Stages===

====''for Wii U''====

*[[File:ColiseumIconSSB4-U.png|75px|right|link=Coliseum]]'''[[Coliseum]]''' ([[Starter stage|Starter]]): a spacious combat arena derived from various locations in the ''Fire Emblem'' series. Like Pokémon Stadium and Arena Ferox, it is a transforming stage with different sets of rising platforms appearing as the battle progresses. Like [[Wii Fit Studio]], there are no abysses on the stage, just walk-off boundaries. It is one of the possible stages to appear in Level 1 of [[All-Star Mode]] as a [[home stage]] for Robin, Lucina, and Corrin. Its [[Ω form]] is columnar.{{clr}}

===Items===

*62. [[File:CorrinIcon(SSBU).png|50px|right|link=Corrin (SSBU)]]'''{{SSBU|Corrin}}''' ([[Unlockable character|Unlockable]]): The heir of two families returns as an unlockable fighter after being DLC in ''Smash 4''. A handful of moves such as jab, pummel, and Dragon Lunge have been slightly reworked, but Corrin otherwise performs similarly to ''Smash 4''. As before, both male and female versions can be selected.{{clr}}

*25^ε. [[File:ChromIcon(SSBU).png|50px|right|link=Chrom (SSBU)]]'''{{SSBU|Chrom}}''' ([[Unlockable character|Unlockable]]): The Prince of Ylisse and main protagonist of ''Fire Emblem Awakening'' debuts as an unlockable Echo Fighter of Roy. Despite this, he still appears in Robin's Final Smash and victory screens, and does not have the exact same moveset as Roy, instead taking cues from the other ''Fire Emblem'' fighters: his sword lacks a sweetspot like Lucina's, [[Soaring Slash|his up special]] is adapted from Ike's, his sword attacks lack fire effects, and his Final Smash, [[Awakening Aether]], is functionally different from Roy's.{{clr}}

===Stages===

====Returning Tracks====

Arrangements and remixes from previous ''Smash'' games.

*{{gameIcon|SSBB}}'''{{SSBUMusicLink|Fire Emblem|Fire Emblem Theme}}''': An orchestral remix of the Fire Emblem Theme, with Latin lyrics. Returns from ''Brawl''.

*{{gameIcon|SSBB}}'''{{SSBUMusicLink|Fire Emblem|Shadow Dragon Medley}}''': A medley of themes from ''Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light'', including "Battle Map 2: CP Side's Attack", "Story 2: The Beginning of Each Map", and "Battle Map 1: Player Side's Attack". Returns from ''Brawl''.

*{{gameIcon|SSB4-WiiU}}'''{{SSBUMusicLink|Fire Emblem|Fight 1 - Fire Emblem Gaiden}}''': A remix of the player phase battle theme from ''Fire Emblem Gaiden''. Returns from ''Smash for Wii U''.

*{{gameIcon|SSB4-WiiU}}'''{{SSBUMusicLink|Fire Emblem|Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem Medley}}''': A medley of themes from ''Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem'', including "Advance", "Attack", "Defense", and the Fire Emblem Theme. Returns from ''Smash for Wii U''.

====Source Tracks====

==Media with elements appearing in the ''Super Smash Bros.'' series==

{{main|Fire Emblem (universe)/Elements appearing in the Super Smash Bros. series}}

==Trivia==

<!--NOTE: Please do not add anything about the criticism towards the number of Fire Emblem characters. This especially applies to Byleth.-->

*As of version 7.0.0 in ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'', ''Fire Emblem'' has the most number of unique victory fanfares in a single universe, with four in total.

*''Fire Emblem'' is one of the four series not to have a home stage for a fighter in the installment it was first included in, the other three being {{uv|EarthBound}}, {{uv|F-Zero}}, and {{uv|R.O.B.}}

*''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'' is the second video game ever to feature all eight ''Fire Emblem'' fighters as playable characters, the first being ''Fire Emblem Heroes''.

*''Fire Emblem'' is the only universe in ''Melee'' without a stage.

*''Fire Emblem'' is the only universe with more than one downloadable character available in ''SSB4''.

*''Fire Emblem'' is the only universe with more than one Echo Fighter in ''Ultimate''.