Ike

For fighter info, see Ike (SSBB), Ike (SSB4), and Ike (SSBU).

For the Japanese smasher, see Ike

Ike
{{{content1}}} {{{content2}}} Official artworks of Ike from Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance and Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn.
Universe	Fire Emblem
Debut	Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance (2005)
Smash Bros. appearances	Brawl SSB4 Ultimate
Most recent non-Smash appearance	Fire Emblem Heroes (2020, via update)
Console/platform of origin	Nintendo GameCube
Species	Beorc
Gender	Male
Place of origin	Tellius
Designed by	Senri Kita
English voice actor	Jason Adkins (Brawl/SSB4) Greg Chun (Ultimate)
Japanese voice actor	Michihiko Hagi
Article on Fire Emblem Wiki	Ike

Ike (アイク, Ike) is a character from the Fire Emblem series. As the main protagonist of Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance and Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn, Ike grows from a naive mercenary-in-training into a savvy and renowned war hero who desires to be a capable warrior like his father, Greil. Ike made his Super Smash Bros. series debut in Super Smash Bros. Brawl as a playable character, and has appeared as such since then.

Origin

Following the release of Super Smash Bros. Melee and its inclusion of Fire Emblem protagonists Marth and Roy, Fire Emblem established itself outside Japan with two Game Boy Advance titles, Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade and Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones. The international success of the former prompted developer Intelligent Systems to begin work on a more ambitious, large-scale Fire Emblem game for the Nintendo GameCube: Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, Ike's debut game, which released in 2005.

Ike is the son of Greil, a legendary warrior who leads a band of mercenaries which operates in Crimea, a minor kingdom on the continent of Tellius. He and his younger sister, Mist, live with the mercenaries in a remote Crimean fort. Notably, he is to date the only protagonist of a Fire Emblem game to have absolutely no royal, noble or divine ancestry at all; this is reflected in his initial character class in Path of Radiance not being the usual Lord, but rather the unique Ranger, instead promoting into a Lord when he is temporarily knighted.

Path of Radiance follows Ike's exploits through the Mad King's War. Having only recently been allowed by Greil to join missions with the Mercenaries, Ike encounters Princess Elincia of Crimea, on the run after the neighboring Kingdom of Daein attacked and conquered Crimea. Elincia hires the Greil Mercenaries to assist her in escaping Crimea, but after Greil himself is killed by his former student, the Black Knight of Daein, Ike is forced to take command of the Mercenaries.

Ike's journeys with Elincia - fleeing to the Begnion Empire, assisting its Empress Sanaki in destroying a slave trafficking ring, being knighted by Elincia, and raising an army to march on Daein and take back Crimea - brings him into contact with the ancient racial tensions between the laguz (clans of animal shapeshifters) and his fellow beorc; with a plot by Daein's Mad King, Ashnard, to unleash a dark god sealed within a bronze medallion and remake the world; and with the sacrifices his parents made to try and stop that plot decades prior. By the end of the war, Ike's deeds have earned him respect across the world, from beorc and laguz nations alike.

Path of Radiance received a direct sequel in 2007 called Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn, in which Ike returned as part of a larger ensemble cast of protagonists, playing out the conflicts from multiple viewpoints. Radiant Dawn is set three years later, by which time Ike has renounced his Crimean knighthood and returned to work with the Greil Mercenaries. After assisting Queen Elincia with ending an uprising in Crimea, Ike is hired by his friend Ranulf, a cat laguz, to assist the Laguz Alliance in a war against Begnion, demanding reparations for the major atrocities they committed against laguz nations. This provokes a civil war in Begnion, in which Sanaki breaks away from her corrupt senate to join Ike's side, and is further complicated when Daein's army, led by the mage Micaiah, joins the war on Begnion's side.

The enormous war awakens and angers the goddess of order, Ashera, with the underlying conflicts having been specifically manipulated to do so, and Ike and Micaiah join forces with the released "dark god" - actually Yune, a sympathetic goddess of chaos - to reverse Ashera's judgement and save the world. The game ends with Ike dealing the finishing blow to Ashera, for which he becomes known as the legendary "Radiant Hero" (青い炎の英雄, Hero of the Blue Flame), and with him leaving Tellius forever for parts unknown.

Described in Radiant Dawn as "blunt, but genuine and loyal", Ike is reserved and socially awkward because of his sheltered upbringing, and starts out both quick to anger and naive to the way that the world works. He is never comfortable in the spotlight into which his work with Elincia and Sanaki thrusts him, or with command of large armies, preferring to work in anonymity with the Greil Mercenaries, but his strong sense of duty and loyalty compels him to accept it when he has to. Despite being a mercenary, Ike takes the life-and-death nature of war very seriously and only takes up arms as a last resort; the only exception is his rivalry with the Black Knight. Ike is also known for his sense of sympathy, even toward his enemies and those who betray him (worrying about what could have driven them to that point), and offers almost every boss he faces an opportunity to surrender and leave the battlefield alive. His one true desire is to someday be as capable a warrior as Greil was, even long after his father's death.

In gameplay, Ike is a formidable all-rounder. In the tradition of all Fire Emblem protagonists, his death in battle causes an immediate Game Over, but his good statistical performance and high utility makes him a consistent front-line force nonetheless. He boasts high strength and speed, and good physical defense, but his big weakness is his resistance to magical attacks. Late in his games, he gains access to two powerful, exclusive tools: Aether, his unique master skill; and Ragnell. In every attack he makes after acquiring it, Aether gives him a small chance to trigger an acrobatic two-hit sequence that combines the effects of two other mastery skills, Sol and Luna (skill), that heals himself before bypassing his opponent's physical defense stat to deal more damage to them. Ragnell, meanwhile, allows him to fight both in close quarters and at a distance, attacking far-away enemies with a powerful shockwave; he is one of only three Fire Emblem main protagonists whose signature sword gives him this extra range, the others being Roy and Byleth.

Even before his Super Smash Bros. appearances, Ike was one of the most popular characters in the entire Fire Emblem series, especially outside of Japan. In 2017, he was voted the single most popular male character in the inaugural Choose Your Legends popularity poll for Fire Emblem Heroes (surpassed only by the top placers of the female bracket, Lyn and Lucina; if votes for multiple incarnations of the same character had been tallied together, as they were in later years, Ike would have placed 1st overall). Fire Emblem Awakening features him as a bonus character, albeit unrelated to the main story, via SpotPass and DLC. Awakening also features the character Priam, a distant descendant of Ike who bears both a noticeable resemblance to him and a heavily aged Ragnell. Later appearances include Code Name: S.T.E.A.M., Fire Emblem Fates and Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia, all via amiibo. Ike also makes frequent appearances in the smartphone game Fire Emblem Heroes and the Fire Emblem Cipher card game.

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl

As a playable character

Ike, as he appears in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Ike was the first Fire Emblem character to be revealed as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Despite Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn being released a year before Brawl, Ike instead sports his Ranger design from Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance.

According to Masahiro Sakurai, Ike was not intended to be on the roster early on. Rather, Sakurai devised a blank character template of a slow and very powerful swordsman, and wanted a new Fire Emblem character in Brawl. When discussing the potential new Fire Emblem character with Intelligent Systems, it was suggested he use Ike, owing to his status as the protagonist of the then-latest two games in the series. Upon this suggestion, Sakurai considered Ike, and saw him to be a perfect fit for the aforementioned character template, leading to his inclusion as the new playable Fire Emblem fighter.

Thanks to the considerable size of his divinely blessed sword Ragnell, the majority of Ike's attacks are among the longest ranged and most powerful in the game. As a trade-off, however, most of his attacks are notorious for being among the slowest in the game in regard to both start-up and ending lag. Ike also possesses Aether as his up special move, which grants him armor at its beginning when he and Ragnell are separated and prior to his leap. Unlike his fellow Fire Emblem fighter Marth, Ike's moveset features a number of unarmed strikes (specifically punches, kicks, and a headbutt) alongside sword swings. On a related note, his neutral attack can jab cancel easily and reliably into various combos, or even KO outright.

In addition to his extremely laggy attacks, Ike also possesses a poor recovery. Despite his appearance, Ike is also a heavyweight, which hinders his mobility and renders him very susceptible to combos. Lastly, Ike lacks a projectile to compliment Ragnell's range; by extension, this leaves him susceptible to camping because of his aforementioned mobility issues. Although Ike's weaknesses have resulted in him attaining a small playerbase, he has nevertheless managed to achieve respectable tournament results. As a result, Ike is ranked 23rd out of 38 on the current tier list, placing him in the D tier and rendering him a mid-tier character.

Trophy

Ike's trophy in Brawl.

Ike

A member of Crimea's top fighting force, the Greil Mercenaries. He's a man of few words whose blunt manner gives the impression that he's uncaring, but he's actually a passionate hero. He was crucial to the reconstruction of Crimea. In Radiant Dawn, he continues to show his deep sense of honor and leads the Greil Mercenaries to the aid of the Laguz Alliance.

: Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance (2005)

: Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn (2007)

Stickers

Name	Game	Effect	Character(s)
Ike	Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance	Attack +23
Ike	Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn	Attack +27

Ike (Fire Emblem Path of Radiance)

Ike (Fire Emblem Radiant Dawn)

In Super Smash Bros. 4

As a playable character

Ike, as he appears in Super Smash Bros. 4.

Ike returns as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. 4. Unlike in Brawl, he now sports his Hero design from Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn. The majority of Ike's frame data saw noticeable improvement primarily in the form of decreased lag, thanks largely to game updates throughout SSB4's lifespan. His mobility has also improved, thanks to his faster dashing and air speeds, as well as his higher double jump. Changes to game mechanics have also benefited Ike: the changes to hitstun canceling grant his up and down throws respectable combo potential at varying percentages, while the removal of edge-hogging significantly improves Aether's reliability as a recovery option.

However, Ike's power and range have been slightly toned down. Despite gaining a varied combo game, Ike's renowned jab cancel has been significantly worsened to the point of being extremely situational. Lastly, Ike's mobility is below-average at best in spite of its improvements, which results in him remaining susceptible to combos, rushdowns and camping.

Ultimately, Ike's buffs have somewhat improved his viability since Brawl and especially SSB4's early days. Although Ike currently has a small playerbase like in Brawl, players such as Ryo have demonstrated that he remains a formidable character as long as his strengths are utilized to the fullest and his easily exploitable weaknesses are circumvented. To reflect this, his playerbase has achieved decent results at both regional and national level of tournament play, much like in Brawl. As a result, Ike is ranked 40th out of 58 on the current tier list; this places him in the E tier, and reaffirms him as a mid-tier character.

Trophies

Ike

One of the main characters from the Fire Emblem series. Having fought in the Mad King's War, restored the fallen nation of Crimea, and taken on the Begnion Empire, Ike is rightly called a hero. He has the strength to back the title—one good swing of his blade can launch the heaviest of foes.

One of the main characters from the Fire Emblem series. Having fought in the Mad King's War, played a huge part in restoring the fallen nation of Crimea, and taken on the Begnion Emprire, Ike is rightly called a hero. And he has the strength to go with that title. One good swing of his blade can launch even the heaviest of fighters.

Ike (Alt.)

Ike's side smash is a powerful two-handed sword strike. It's one of the best launch attacks in the entire game, though it will leave you wide open when you use it. For Eruption, one of his specials, you stab the ground and unleash a pillar of fire. Charging for too long will hurt Ike, so be careful!

Ike's side smash is a powerful two-handed sword strike. It's one of the best launch attacks in the entire game, so even though it leaves you open, it's a real winner. For Eruption, one of his specials, you stab the ground and unleash a pillar of fire that hits anyone nearby. If you charge it too long, though, you'll hurt yourself, so be careful!

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  Classic (3DS)

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  Classic (Wii U)

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  Alt. (3DS)

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  Alt. (Wii U)

In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

As a playable character

Ike (Path of Radiance), as he appears in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

Ike returns as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Unlike his previous appearances, Ike is now an unlockable character, his Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn designs are both available for selection, and Greg Chun has become his English voice actor since succeeding Jason Adkins as of Fire Emblem Heroes.

Ike's moveset has been subtly reworked to better resemble his Fire Emblem appearances, becoming more agile in exchange for a slight loss in power. Ike has been buffed, with his up air's greater range and speed improve its anti-air potential, Eruption generates further fire pillars when charged that increase its range, and neutral air has become somewhat infamous for its utility in neutral and starting combos.

Ike had early success in competitive play, winning or placing highly in several tournaments. However, Ike’s success began to waver as the metagame developed. Counterplay focused on taking advantage of his slower frame data and over-centralized neutral air. Patch 8.0.0 nerfed neutral air while buffing other moves, most notably Aether which gained kill potential.

Because of his diminishing competitive results and mixed balancing, Ike’s tier placement is a topic of debate amongst the community. It is generally agreed upon that Ike is a solo viable character.

Spirits

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  614. Ike (Path of Radiance)

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  615. Ike (Radiant Dawn)

Gallery

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  Ike (Radiant Dawn), as he appears in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

Names in other languages

Language	Name
Japanese	アイク, Ike
English	Ike
French	Ike
German	Ike
Spanish	Ike
Italian	Ike
Chinese	艾克, Ike
Korean	아이크, Ike
Dutch	Ike
Russian	Айк
Portuguese	Ike

Trivia

• Like Ganondorf, Ike's fighter design and portrayal in the Super Smash Bros. series features many noticeable inaccuracies to his native games:
  • Although Ike boasts impressive strength within both series, in his own games his speed stat is also noticeably one of his best, to the point of even eclipsing his strength in certain ways: his speed growth in Path of Radiance is higher than his strength growth, and his speed stat in Radiant Dawn is higher than his strength stat at base. This is not reflected in Smash, where his movement speed is poor. Robin and Byleth underwent a similar decrease in speed in their transitions into Smash.
  • While Smash makes Ike a heavyweight fighter, his weight state in Path of Radiance is relatively low. That said, his weight did increase considerably in Radiant Dawn, coinciding with the significant physical growth he underwent between the games, though he is still far from being among the heaviest units in the game.
  • In Fire Emblem games, Ike practices a uniquely agile and fluid fighting style, prominently featuring many flashy acrobatic flourishes, made most apparent in his animations as a lord in Path of Radiance. Indeed, this distinctive fighting style, and the fact that Ike learned it from Greil, is a recurring plot point in both games and a central factor in his relationship with the Black Knight. His moveset in Smash, which revolves primarily around laggy, heavy-handed hits, is a major contrast to this.
  • Ragnell's powers in the Fire Emblem series were totally replaced in Smash: its long-range shockwave attacks in Fire Emblem were replaced with the fire-themed Eruption
  • As Ike's up special in Smash, Aether loses both of its special effects from Fire Emblem and only consists of the first sword-throwing hit. (In Ultimate, Chrom would later get his own version of Aether as his Final Smash which, while again lacking the special effects, is identical to both hits of its Awakening source material.)
• Ike is the only Fire Emblem character to be a heavyweight as opposed to a middleweight.
• Although Ike is eventually promoted to the Lord class in Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, he appears as a Ranger in Brawl and a Hero in SSB4. As such, he is the first playable Fire Emblem character to not appear as a Lord upon debuting in the Super Smash Bros. series.
• Ike is the first Fire Emblem character in the Super Smash Bros. series to be a starter character.
  • He is also the first Fire Emblem character to speak English in the Super Smash Bros. series, and the first one to have a change in voice actor.
• Ike is the only Fire Emblem character in the Super Smash Bros. series who has an up smash that is not an upward thrust.
  • Prior to Ultimate, Ike was also the only Fire Emblem character who has an up aerial that is not an overhead swing.
• Ike appears in several downloadable chapters as an Einherjar in Fire Emblem Awakening. This includes all three of the aptly named Smash Brethren chapters, which reference Ike's involvement in the Super Smash Bros. series.
• Ike and Ganondorf are the only characters in the Super Smash Bros. series to revert to an earlier design used for their debut appearance in a later installment.
  • Unlike Ganondorf, however, his Radiant Dawn design used in SSB4 is available as an alternate costume in Ultimate.
• Because the Spanish language does not contain /aɪ/ (as in "eye"), Ike's name is pronounced as /ˈiː-kɛ/ ("ee-keh") in the Spanish versions of Brawl, SSB4, and Ultimate. While the Italian language lacks this as well, his name is pronounced properly in Italian nonetheless.
• Ike and R.O.B. are the only characters whose default costumes became alternate costumes in a later installment.
  • While Link and Princess Zelda both have alternate costumes that resemble their prior appearances, they are not directly based on their prior appearances. For example, Link's Wild Set of clothes is based on his original design, but is not the general design used by the other Links in previous Super Smash Bros. games.
• Ike, along with Corrin, are the only Fire Emblem characters that aren't based on Marth moveset wise to have counters.
• Ike and Roy are the only Fire Emblem characters who are not playable in Fire Emblem Warriors. This is not including Byleth, who debuted after that game's release.