Fire Emblem (universe)
| Fire Emblem (universe) | |
|---|---|
 
| |
| Developer(s) | Nintendo Intelligent Systems |
| Publisher(s) | Nintendo |
| Designer(s) | Shouzou Kaga |
| Genre(s) | Tactical role-playing |
| Console/platform of origin | Famicom |
| First installment | Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light (1990) 
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| Latest installment | Fire Emblem Warriors (2017) |
| Article on Fire Emblem Wiki | Fire Emblem (universe) |
The Fire Emblem universe (ファイアーエムブレム, Fire Emblem) refers to the Super Smash Bros. series' collection of characters, stages, and properties hailing from Nintendo and Intelligent Systems' Fire Emblem series of fantasy tactical role-playing games. This long-running series had only seen releases in Japan, with Nintendo declining to localize abroad until two of the series' stars, Marth and Roy, appeared as playable characters in Super Smash Bros. Melee. Their appearance in the game sparked enough global interest for the series to begin international distribution. Since then, Fire Emblem as a franchise began to grow and expand beyond its foundations, with the protagonist of Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance and Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn, Ike, appearing in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. In Super Smash Bros. 4, they were joined by Robin and Lucina from Fire Emblem Awakening and Corrin from Fire Emblem Fates. In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate they were joined by Chrom from Fire Emblem Awakening.
Franchise description
The first title in what would become developer Intelligent Systems' long-running Fire Emblem tactical RPG franchise, titled Ankoku Ryū to Hikari no Tsurugi (official translation "Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light"), was released on the Nintendo Famicom in Japan in 1990. It was both one of the earliest games in the turn-based strategy genre and one of the first such games to incorporate JRPG elements, but held flat initial sales. This, taken together with how the original Final Fantasy did not sell well in the Western world at the time, prompted Nintendo to decide not to release the game to Western markets. It took at least two months for Japanese sales to improve strictly from the spreading of word of mouth, leading Intelligent Systems to release what became a large number of follow-up installments under the Fire Emblem name, all of them consistently Japan-exclusive: Fire Emblem Gaiden for the Famicom in 1992; Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem for Super Famicom in 1994; Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War for Super Famicom in 1996; and Fire Emblem: Thracia 776 for Super Famicom in 1999.
While Super Smash Bros. Melee was under development for the GameCube, HAL Laboratory answered Japanese fan requests to include the main character from the first Fire Emblem continuity, the swordsman and hero-prince Marth, as a playable character. At the time, Intelligent Systems was developing the sixth Fire Emblem title, The Binding Blade, for the Game Boy Advance, and HAL Laboratory took the Fire Emblem representation a step further by including its main character, Roy, as another playable character in Melee to help promote the then-upcoming game. Nintendo of America was initially apprehensive about keeping these two then-unfamiliar fantasy swordsmen as playable combatants in the North American release, but enough Western players previewing the game during debug testing expressed interest in them that it was decided to keep them in, while only leaving their voices in Japanese.
The decision revolutionized the series' global presence. Marth and Roy were among the most popular characters in Melee worldwide, and this was arguably a driving force behind Nintendo's decision to localize and release almost every subsequent Fire Emblem title internationally, starting with the 2003 Game Boy Advance prequel to The Binding Blade, simply entitled Fire Emblem outside of Japan (and given the subtitle Rekka no Ken in its Japanese version, officially translated as "The Blazing Blade"). Internationally released entries since then include Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones for Game Boy Advance in early 2005, Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance for GameCube in late 2005, Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn for Wii in 2007, and Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon for Nintendo DS in 2009. The only Fire Emblem title not released internationally since The Binding Blade was New Mystery of the Emblem: Heroes of Light and Shadow for the DS in 2010.
After what amounted to a four-year hiatus from a Western perspective, a new entry was released worldwide as Fire Emblem Awakening on Nintendo 3DS in 2013. Due to the waning success of Fire Emblem, Awakening was intended to be the last game in the series if it did not perform well. On the contrary, the game was released to critical acclaim, proved to be very popular, and ignited interest in the Fire Emblem franchise more than ever before. This resulted in subsequent games riding the wave of success that Awakening started. In 2015, Fire Emblem Fates was revealed for the Nintendo 3DS and was released in Japan on June 25th, 2015 and was released overseas in 2016. The game was released in three versions—Birthright, Conquest and Revelation—with each version focusing on a different facet of the conflict between the Hoshido and Nohr royal families. In January 2017, four additional Fire Emblem games were announced: Fire Emblem Heroes, a mobile title bringing together characters from all corners of the series's history; Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia, a remake of Gaiden from the ground up for the 3DS; Fire Emblem Warriors, a hack-and-slash spinoff in the vein of the Zelda spinoff Hyrule Warriors for the Nintendo Switch and New Nintendo 3DS systems; and a new core series installment due for release on the Nintendo Switch, later revealed to be Fire Emblem: Three Houses. The last title marks the series's return to home consoles for the first time since Radiant Dawn over a decade prior.
As a series of strategy RPGs 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). Units that fight near each other are often granted the opportunity to deepen their emotional bonds, which sometimes bloom into romantic relationships and affect their personal endings at the end of the main story. And what is easily noted as the most oft-noted convention of the series is that when one of the player's units has fallen in battle, that character and unit is well and truly dead for the rest of the game, which can have potentially serious effects on the player's capacity to complete the rest of the game (and in some cases may affect the story itself). Starting with the twelfth entry, the series began to offer an alternative "Casual" mode that breaks away from this norm, so that characters do not permanently die from falling in battle and are allowed to fight again in future battles.
Fire Emblem narratives are often broad, sweeping epics, filled with particularly high amounts of character development in later games, that typically focus on a young warrior and noble finding his place in a self-contained continent where countries and nations engage in war and competitions of political intrigue. This main character, often assigned the "Lord" class in-game, gathers literally dozens of distinctive characters into a growing, personalized "army" that fights alongside him in skirmishes during his journeys across the continent. Over a dozen games have been released, and they take place within at least five separate timelines and continuities—"sub-universes" that have nothing to do with each other—typically defined by the main, isolated continent the game takes place on. One of the common elements between these separate stories is how they often involve an important plot device named the "Fire Emblem", which differs in form and relevance between each continuity.
The different sub-universes explored thus far are explained below (excluding spin-off titles):
- Archanea and Valentia The original Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light introduces the continent of Archanea and depicts the noble Prince Marth's quest to defeat the dark mage Gharnef and his plot to resurrect the Shadow Dragon Medeus. The first half of the third game, Mystery of the Emblem, is a remake of this story segment, and so is the eleventh game as a whole, Shadow Dragon. The second half of Mystery of the Emblem, taking place years later, pits Marth against Gharnef and Medeus once again after one of his previous allies gets corrupted, and the twelfth game as a whole, New Mystery of the Emblem, is a remake of this story segment. Separately, the continent Valentia is the setting of the second game, Gaiden, due west of Archanea across the sea; two lifelong friends, Alm and Celica, discover the truths of their heritages amidst a war between Valentia's two countries. The fifteenth mainline entry of the series, Echoes: Shadows of Valentia is a remake of Gaiden. The thirteenth game, Fire Emblem Awakening, depicts this same world millennia after Marth's adventures on Archanea, where Archanea has since been renamed Ylisse and Valentia has since been renamed Valm. A distant descendant to the legendary hero Marth, Prince Chrom, regularly leads a peacekeeping force for his halidom called the Shepherds, but two companions he comes across on separate occasions—a masked individual named directly after Marth and a tactician representing the player himself/herself—accompany him into a quest against the world's destiny. Regardless of the game set in this Fire Emblem world, the eponymous "Fire Emblem" is a legendary shield, inlaid with five gemstones. This is a complement to the revered blade of light, Falchion.
- Jugdral: The fourth game, Genealogy of the Holy War, is technically a distant prequel set thousands of years before the first three games on a continent in the same world, but Jugdral is far removed from anything to do with the continents listed above—in fact, Jugdral has its own "Fire Emblem", which is the crest of one particular duchy. Therefore, this is for most intents and purposes counted as its own continuity. The first half of the game deals with Lord Sigurd of Chalphy's affairs during his campaigns on the behalf of Grannvale in a war that has divided the continent, but his story is cut short as he is betrayed and murdered by Lord Arvis of Velthomer. In the second half of the game, taking place seventeen years later, it falls to his son, Seliph, to liberate the continent from the grasp of Grannvale, which is now ruled in all but name by Arvis's son Prince Julius, a puppet of the dark god Loptous. Meanwhile, the fifth game, Thracia 776, is an interquel taking place during the previous game's "second generation", during the in-universe year 776, focusing on Prince Leif's personal quest to take back his homeland from the invading nation of Thracia.
- Elibe: The first continent introduced that has no canonical ties with the world or continents listed above. The seventh game, Fire Emblem (The Blazing Blade), depicts the son of a marquess, Eliwood, and his two companions Lyn and Hector, going on a journey along the lower half of Elibe to find his missing father and take the battle against the dark conspiracy he discovers. Twenty years later in the sixth game, The Binding Blade, Eliwood's fifteen-year-old son, Roy, embarks on his own campaign across the continent to battle the now-twisted king of the militant nation of Bern, Zephiel, whose campaign to dominate all the nations of Elibe bears down on Roy's nation. The "Fire Emblem" in this continuity is a royal seal required to assume Bern's throne.
- Magvel: The eighth game, The Sacred Stones, tells the story of the twin nobles Ephraim and Eirika, who lose their father when eight hundred years of peace between the five primary nations on Magvel is shattered by one of them, Grado, launching a sudden war against the rest in an effort to destroy each nation's guarded Sacred Stone. The twins go on simultaneous quests to defeat Grado and get to the bottom of its mysterious motives. Grado's own Sacred Stone is the "Fire Emblem" in this continuity.
- Tellius: The ninth game, Path of Radiance, is set on a continent populated not only by separate beorc (human) nations, but by multiple nations of separate species of form-shifting laguz (demi-humans) as well. When the mad king Ashnard of Daein invades Crimea, the low-birth mercenary Ike and his group are hired by the Crimean princess Elincia to avenge her country and bring Ashnard down, and it is up to Ike to forge important bonds between nations in order to do so. The tenth game, Radiant Dawn, continues and concludes the saga two years later, at first from the perspective of a Daein girl named Micaiah, who assists in a Daein brigade's efforts to liberate the country from harsh imperial rule that had been imposed over it following Ashnard's defeat. Following this, a new war between beorc and laguz breaks out that pits Ike and his current companions against some of his former allies, as well as against Micaiah's side. The "Fire Emblem" of this universe is a medallion containing the spirit of a dark god that may risk being awakened by the miasma of war.
- Fates: The fourteenth game in the series, Fire Emblem Fates, is set on an unnamed continent. Before the events of the game, the main protagonist (an Avatar of the player) is born to the Kingdom of Hoshido but kidnapped by the Kingdom of Nohr at a young age and raised there. Several years later, as Nohr declares war on its neighboring kingdom of Hoshido, the Avatar is forced to choose between siding with Nohr and the family that raised them, siding with Hoshido and the family that he/she never knew, or siding with neither side, not wishing to hurt either and constantly struggle to unite the two kingdoms. If the Avatar sides with Hoshido, he/she will fend off Nohrian invaders to defend his/her homeland and defeat the Nohrian king, Garon. If the Avatar sides with Nohr, he/she will assist in the invasion of Hoshido as well as attempt to revolutionize the unruly Nohrian kingdom from within. If the Avatar sides with neither kingdom, he/she will attempt to unite both kingdoms once he/she learns of a larger looming threat among many other previously unknown secrets. The "Fire Emblem" of this continuity is the Omega Yato, the final form of the legendary Yato blade wielded by the Avatar during the events of the third campaign, Revelation.
- Fódlan: The upcoming Nintendo Switch installment, Three Houses, is set on a continent overseen by the Church of Seiros, a divine entity that exercises great control over the land and people below. It is currently unknown what the "Fire Emblem" of this continuity is.
In Super Smash Bros. Melee
Fire Emblem is featured in Super Smash Bros. Melee by two playable characters, their respective game trophy sets, appropriate musical and sound selections in the sound test; this stands in contrast to other franchises which additionally have stages, items and more trophies as well. There is evidence that a Fire Emblem stage was planned, however; hidden in the game's debug menu is a stage entitled AKANEIA, named after the fictional continent where Marth's story takes place, but it was apparently never designed or removed completely, as attempting to access it from the debug menu will only crash the game. Additionally, at the time of Melee's release, no Fire Emblem title had been released outside of Japan, making Marth and Roy the first Japan-only characters to appear in the Super Smash Bros. series, both coincidentally as secret characters.
Characters
- Marth: The young, noble prince of the kingdom of Altea, Marth is forced to become an exile in the neighboring nation of Talys when the kingdom of Dolhr attacks Altea, killing his father Cornelius and taking his sister hostage. He embarks on a quest with help of his various allies to find the sacred blade of light known as the Falchion and the Fire Emblem shield, as well as restoring his war-torn kingdom and rescuing his sister. When he does find the two pieces of equipment, he takes the fight to the driving force behind the Dolhr invasion, the evil priest Gharnef and his resurrection of the dark dragon, Medeus. He slays them and rescues both his sister and the continent of Archanea. As a Melee fighter, Marth is widely considered top-tier for his effective blend of speedy and powerful swordsmanship, with an effective "sweetspot" at the tip of his Falchion. He is the fan-favorite character among many top players. His effectiveness as a fighter as well as his decidedly bishounen character design have contributed to his status as one of Melee's most popular characters.
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- Roy: The star of the sixth Fire Emblem game, The Binding Blade, Roy is the 15-year-old son of Eliwood, one of the stars of the game's prequel, living and studying in a kingdom far from his homeland, Pherae. He is an upstanding, idealistic, and ever-curious individual like other Fire Emblem protagonists and is also rather perceptive and cunning for his age. When the militant nation of Bern wages war on the alliance of nations called the League of Lycia, of which Roy's Pherae is a part of and when Eliwood falls ill, he is called in to lead Pherae's armies in his ailing father's stead. He ends up going on a grand journey across the continent of Elibe and learning of the Fire Emblem crest, which is necessary for unlocking the Binding Blade. He goes to obtain the two artifacts and takes the conflict to Bern's King Zephiel to stop his mysterious thirst for world domination, an effort that would eventually avert a catastrophic war between humans and dragons. As a Melee fighter, Roy is a slower clone of Marth, but his forward smash is more powerful at the center of his blade. He is made to be a good character to use against opponents in one-on-one matchups, but he remains lower on the tier list than Marth because he lacks Marth's vital advantages. Even though Roy is considered low-tier by many competitive players, his fanbase is still quite large.
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Music
- 33: Fire Emblem: A medley of two Fire Emblem tracks, the first of which is the "character recruitment" music in Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light and Mystery of the Emblem, and after some piano-based music, the second tune is the official Fire Emblem series theme. This is heard as a secondary track on Temple and is often heard accompanying Marth and Roy in the single-player modes.
- 48: Fire Emblem Series Victory: The victory fanfare for Marth and Roy is the last line from the aforementioned "character recruitment" theme and can be heard as the last line in "33: Fire Emblem", before the music loops back to the beginning.
Full Trophy List
In Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Perhaps in response to Fire Emblem garnering popularity worldwide, the series continues to be represented in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Marth returns, with newcomer Ike unofficially replacing Roy as the second playable Fire Emblem character, although Roy does cameo as a sticker. The Fire Emblem content has been greatly expanded from Melee, now featuring the first fully playable Fire Emblem stage and many new music tracks and collectables that span from the very first game up to the then-most recent installment, Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn.
Characters
- Marth: The original Fire Emblem lord returns in Brawl, once again as a secret fighter. His design is slightly modified and he has a few new voice clips, though most are reprises from Melee. While his moveset is mostly unchanged, his Shield Breaker has been altered from a slashing maneuver to a stabbing move and also has a faster charge-up time. Marth's Final Smash, Critical Hit, is the most powerful Final Smash in the game, inflicting 60% damage and OHKOing opponents.
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- Ike: 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. His Final Smash, Great Aether, is an enhanced version of Aether.
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On the final character select screen (after all characters are unlocked), the Fire Emblem characters occupy the eighth column alongside the EarthBound characters (both of these series were originally Japan-only RPG franchises that later saw at least one entry released in the West).
Assist Trophy
- Lyn: A major character from Fire Emblem (The Blazing Blade). She charges her blade, then vanishes and reappears while precisely slashing the opponent that is closest to her. Requires a well-timed roll or airdodge to avoid the precise slash.
Stage
- Castle Siege: Contrary to much speculation when the stage was first shown in trailers, this stage does not represent any specific Fire Emblem title or moment, but rather the series as a whole by a composition of themes and motifs from throughout the series. The stage takes place on top of a castle under attack. As time passes, the roof will collapse and fighters will be able to battle in the castle's interior throne room, which will feature destructible statues. After yet more time passes, the ground will give way and players will fall into the underground, which consists of a dark cavern filled with lava. After some time in the underground, the locale will reset to the top of the castle again and the cycle begins anew.
Music
See List of SSBB Music (Fire Emblem series)
- Fire Emblem Theme - An orchestrated version of the Fire Emblem theme, because the series is now worldwide, the song is made with Latin lyrics, performed by the same group behind the main theme. It is used on the Castle Siege stage.
- With Mila's Divine Protection (Celica Map 1) - Taken and remixed from Fire Emblem Gaiden. It is used on the Castle Siege stage.
- Attack - A medley and remix of two battle themes taken from Fire Emblem (The Blazing Blade), the first title of the series to be localized. It is the theme of the Castle Siege stage.
- Preparing to Advance - A pre-battle scene track remixed from Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones. It is used on the Castle Siege stage.
- Winning Road - Roy's Hope - A remixed song taken from Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade. It is used on the Castle Siege stage.
- Shadow Dragon Medley - A remixed medley of various tracks from Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light. It is used on the Castle Siege stage.
- Ike's Theme - The track "Eternal Bond", taken directly from Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn. It is used on the Castle Siege stage.
- Against the Dark Knight - The battle theme when facing the Black Knight, taken directly from Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance. It is used on the Castle Siege stage.
- Crimean Army Sortie - Music played in later maps, taken from Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance. It is used on the Castle Siege stage.
- Power-Hungry Fool - Oliver's theme, taken from Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance. It is used on the Castle Siege stage.
- Victory Is Near - The near victory battle map music, taken from Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance. It is used on the Castle Siege stage. This track also plays during Ike's Classic Mode credits.
- Fire Emblem (Melee) - A rehashed version of the track which appeared in Melee. It is used on the Castle Siege stage. This track also plays during Marth's Classic Mode credits.
- Fire Emblem Series Victory - Derived from the main Fire Emblem theme heard in all the games.
Trophies
- Ike
- Great Aether
- Marth
- Critical Hit
- Lyn
- Ashnard
- Elincia
- Black Knight
- Sothe
Stickers
- Marth (Fire Emblem: Monsho no Nazo)
- Shiida (Fire Emblem: Monsho no Nazo)
- Nabaaru (Fire Emblem: Monsho no Nazo)
- Roy (Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade)
- Lilina (Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade)
- Deke (Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade)
- Rutoga (Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade)
- Eliwood (Fire Emblem)
- Hector (Fire Emblem)
- Lyn (Fire Emblem)
- Guy (Fire Emblem)
- Ninian (Fire Emblem)
- Eirika (Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones)
- Ephraim (Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones)
- Myrrh (Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones)
- Joshua (Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones)
- Ike (Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance)
- Mist (Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance)
- Greil (Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance)
- Soren (Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance)
- Ashnard (Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance)
- Black Knight (Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance)
- Ike (Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn)
- Micaiah (Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn)
- Sothe (Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn)
Masterpiece
Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem is a Japan-exclusive playable masterpiece. It stars Marth and was the first Fire Emblem game released to the Virtual Console in Japan.
In Super Smash Bros. 4
The Fire Emblem series had undergone a heavier boost in representation than ever before in the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS games. In total, there are the Brawl veterans with visual updates, a lost veteran returning as downloadable content, and the addition of three newcomers (the most newcomers any universe has in the game), all of them being relatively modern in the franchise's history and one of them being DLC as well. All past Smash Bros. stages from this series, the majority of soundtracks and other collectables have remained largely intact and were further expanded in the new games.
Characters
- Marth: Marth returns and, for the first time, is a starter character. His design derives from his appearance in Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and New Mystery of the Emblem: Heroes of Light and Shadow.[1] Overall, Marth has been hit with numerous noticeable nerfs. His Shield Breaker and Counter are both much more powerful and effective, and the power of his tipper has been overall increased, but while his reach has been increased, other characters received bigger range increases, or newcomers were introduced that have reaches that surpass his own. This effectively reduces his overall reach relative to the cast. Many attacks have been changed in their knockback or angle placements, ultimately altering or completely removing most of his previous KO-confirm setups. Some moves have been given more ending lag while a few are now considerably weaker. Marth is slightly heavier than in Brawl. All of these factors aside, Marth has proven with time to once again be a relatively potent fighter in tournament play, and clocks in the lower high tier on the tier list.
- Roy: after an absence from Brawl, Roy returns as DLC in Smash 4, making him the third veteran to return from Melee after Dr. Mario and Mewtwo. His design now blends elements from his original appearance in Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade and his appearance as an Einherjar in Fire Emblem Awakening. Roy was notably buffed in his transition, now surpassing Marth in overall speed, but has received significant nerfs as well, especially to the range on the Binding Blade, which overall give him a more distinct play-style than his base character Marth. He also received updated voice clips and many animation changes that further negate his prior status as a clone of Marth, now appearing as a near semi-clone instead.
- Ike: Ike returns from Brawl as a starter character. His visual design has been updated to match his appearance in 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.
- Robin: the player avatar from Fire Emblem Awakening, defaulted as Robin, debuts in the Super Smash Bros. series as a starter newcomer. Robin fights using several different magical Tomes and an electrified Levin Sword, all having a durability system and the capacity to break as seen in Fire Emblem Awakening. Thus, Robin's play-style requires management and proper usage of their limited uses in order to maximize their effects. Players can choose to use either the male or female variants of this character.
- Lucina: Lucina, 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 Olimar.
- Corrin: the player avatar and protagonist of Fire Emblem Fates, defaulted as Corrin, makes his Super Smash Bros. series debut as a downloadable newcomer. He has the ability to transform all or parts of his body into a dragon, in conjunction with attacks using his divine blade Omega Yato. As with Robin, Corrin has both male and female variants to choose from.
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Mii Costumes
Costumes
Chrom Outfit (Swordfighter): this outfit is based on Chrom, one of the protagonists in Fire Emblem Awakening. During the development of SSB4, it was widely speculated that Chrom would be included as a playable newcomer and was even included in the infamous Gematsu leak. Ultimately, Chrom only appears as a component of Robin's Final Smash, but he remains a popular Fire Emblem character.[2] The outfit was released with a corresponding blue wig as downloadable content on July 31, 2015. The Mii wields Falchion. An official Mii based on Chrom's likeness can be downloaded via QR code on the official site.- Black Knight's Armor (Swordfighter): this outfit is based on the Black Knight, Ike's reoccurring rival. It was released with a corresponding helm as downloadable content on July 31, 2015. The Mii wields Alondite and the armor is based on his appearance in Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn.
Hats
Items
Assist Trophy
- Lyn: a nomadic lord from Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade. In Smash, she wields her personal blade Mani Katti. When summoned, she braces herself, vanishes, and slashes the nearest opponent. She does not attack the summoner. Lyn is one of the few Assist Trophies to return from Brawl.
Smash Tour item
- Black Knight (Red): Ike's reoccurring rival from Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn. The user's smash attacks, on occasion, turn into one-hit KOs.
Stages
All Fire Emblem stages are starter stages.
for Nintendo 3DS
- Arena Ferox: staged on a gladiatorial combat arena in the Regna Ferox nation from Fire Emblem Awakening. Like Pokémon Stadium, Arena Ferox is a transforming stage with platforms that rise from the ground and an abyss surrounding the central arena. The stone figures from Castle Siege appear as one of the transitions. It is one of the possible stages to appear in Level 7 of All-Star Mode as a home stage for Robin, Lucina, and Corrin. Its Ω form is columnar. It was the first piece of Fire Emblem content revealed for SSB4, appearing in the 1st Trailer at E3 2013. It later appears in "By Book, Blade, and Crest of Flame", the reveal trailer for Robin and Lucina. It is the only stage to derive from a specific Fire Emblem game.
for Wii U
- Coliseum: 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.
Castle Siege: a transitionary stage derived from various motifs in the Fire Emblem series. It consists of three phases: the first is staged on the top of the titular castle as it is under attack before transitioning to the castle's interior. The third phase is staged deep underground on a precarious platform, high above a sea of lava. It has received subtle graphical revisions in its transition from Brawl. This stage is large enough to accommodate 8-Player Smash and is one of the possible stages to appear in Level 2 of All-Star Mode as a home stage for Ike and Roy. Its Ω form is columnar.
Music
Original tracks
Arrangements and remixes unique to SSB4.
- Coliseum Series Medley: a medley of arena battle themes from Genealogy of the Holy War and The Binding Blade. It plays on Coliseum.
- Fight 1 (Fire Emblem Gaiden): an arrangement of "Battle 1 (Player Side)" from Fire Emblem Gaiden. It plays on Coliseum. It is featured on Disc 2 of A Smashing Soundtrack.
- Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem Medley: a medley of pieces from Mystery of the Emblem, including "Advance", "Attack", "Defense", and "Fire Emblem Theme". It plays on Coliseum.
- Meeting Theme Series Medley: a medley of recruitment themes from multiple Fire Emblem titles. It includes "Meeting Theme" from Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light interlaced with "Comrades" from The Sacred Stones and "Recruitment / Join Us!", the recruitment theme from Genealogy of the Holy War and The Binding Blade. It plays on Coliseum.
- Lost in Thoughts All Alone (DLC): an instrumental remix of "Lost in Thoughts All Alone", the main theme of Fire Emblem Fates. It is bundled with Corrin and cannot be acquired individually. It plays on Smash Run, Castle Siege, and Coliseum. This song was featured in the trailer "Corrin Chooses to Smash!"
Returning tracks
Arrangements and remixes from previous Smash titles.
Fire Emblem: an arrangement containing "Meeting Theme" and "Fire Emblem Theme" from Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light. It plays on Arena Ferox and Castle Siege. This song was featured in the trailer "By Book, Blade, and Crest of Flame".- Fire Emblem Theme: an arrangement of "Fire Emblem Theme" from Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light, but it is attributed to the entire series as a reoccurring piece. It includes Latin vocals, similar to the televised Japanese commercial for Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light. They are provided by Oriko Takahashi and Ken Nishikiori. It plays on Castle Siege.
- Shadow Dragon Medley: a medley of pieces from 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". It plays on Castle Siege.
- With Mila's Divine Protection (Celica Map 1): an arrangement of "Battle Map 3: Battle Map 2-1 (Celica 1)" from Gaiden. It plays on Smash Run and Castle Siege.
- Winning Road - Roy's Hope: an arrangement of "Winning Road" from The Binding Blade. It plays on Castle Siege. The first few bars are included in "Roy seals the deal!"
- Attack (Fire Emblem): an arrangement containing "Strike" and "Rise to the Challenge" from The Blazing Blade. It plays on Castle Siege and was featured in the trailer "Roy seals the deal!"
- Preparing to Advance: an arrangement of "Combat Preparation" from The Sacred Stones. It plays on Castle Siege.
Source tracks
Compositions and arrangements directly sourced from the Fire Emblem series with no alterations.
- Crimean Army Sortie: "Crimea Attacks" from Path of Radiance. It plays on Castle Siege.
- Against the Dark Knight: "Against the Black Knight" from Path of Radiance. It plays on Castle Siege.
- Power-Hungry Fool: from Path of Radiance. It plays on Castle Siege.
- Victory Is Near: from Path of Radiance. It plays on Castle Siege.
- Ike's Theme: "Eternal Bond" from Radiant Dawn. It plays on Castle Siege.
- Time of Action: from Radiant Dawn. It plays on Castle Siege.
- The Devoted: from Radiant Dawn. It plays on Coliseum.
- Duty (Ablaze): from Fire Emblem Awakening. It plays on Coliseum.
- Conquest (Ablaze): from Awakening. It plays on Coliseum.
- Id (Purpose): an abridged version of "Id (Purpose)" from Awakening. It plays on Arena Ferox and Coliseum. It is featured on Disc 1 of A Smashing Soundtrack.
- Lost in Thoughts All Alone (DLC): the main theme of Fire Emblem Fates. It includes vocals provided by Rena Strober as Azura in English releases and Renka in Japanese releases. It plays on Castle Siege and Coliseum.
Victory fanfare
- Victory! Fire Emblem Series: an orchestration of the first few bars of the "Fire Emblem Theme".
Other
"Omen / Main Theme" from Fire Emblem Awakening was used in "By Book, Blade, and Crest of Flame", the reveal trailer for Robin and Lucina. It is not in either of the final games.
Trophies
Collectible trophies that appear in both the 3DS version and the Wii U version.
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for Nintendo 3DS
A trophy of Tharja was planned and was seen in-game during the ESRB review period, but was scrapped for the final release.
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for Wii U
Only one Trophy Box appears in the Wii U version. It is titled "Heroes of the Emblem".
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Masterpiece
Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light is a Japan-exclusive masterpiece.
In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
This is the first title since Melee where all Fire Emblem characters must be unlocked. For the first time, the series has an item represented in the game in the form of a Killing Edge. All past stages and music tracks return, as well as the introduction of two new Assist Trophies. Finally, all of the fighters now speak English in overseas versions.
Characters
- 21. Marth: Marth returns as an unlockable fighter after being a starter in Smash 4. He is now voiced in English by Yuri Lowenthal.
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- 25. Roy: Roy returns as an unlockable fighter after being DLC in Smash 4. He is now voiced in English by Ray Chase.
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- 32. Ike: Ike returns as an unlockable fighter after being a starter in Brawl and Smash 4. Both his Radiant Dawn Hero design and his Path of Radiance Mercenary design can be selected, with the latter being the default. Both versions are now voiced by Greg Chun.
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- 56. Robin: Robin returns as an unlockable fighter after being a starter in Smash 4. As before, both male and female versions can be selected. A new meter has been added to more clearly show how much Robin can use Levin Sword and Tomes.
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- 21ε. Lucina: Lucina returns from Smash 4 as an unlockable character. She is now labeled as an Echo fighter of Marth.
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- 62. Corrin: Corrin returns as an unlockable fighter after being DLC in Smash 4. As before, both male and female versions can be selected.
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- 25ε. Chrom: The main protagonist of Fire Emblem Awakening, Chrom, debuts as an unlockable character. Despite this, he still appears in Robin’s Final Smash and victory screens. He is an echo fighter of Roy, but he also takes cues from Lucina, as well, as he also lacks a sweetspot. He also lack fire effects, his up special is adapted from Ike, and his Final Smash, Awakening Aether, is completely different from Roy’s.
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Items
Assist Trophies
Stages
Every Fire Emblem stage from past titles return.
- Castle Siege: returning from Brawl as a retro stage.
Arena Ferox: returning from Smash 3DS as a retro stage.
Coliseum: returning from Smash Wii U as a retro stage.
Mii Costumes
Costumes
Hats
Music
- A new remix of "Id (Purpose)" from Fire Emblem Awakening played during Robin's showcase trailer.
- A new arrangement of "Destiny (Ablaze)" from Fire Emblem Awakening played during Lucina's showcase trailer.
- A new arrangement of "Prelude (Ablaze)" from Fire Emblem Awakening was played in the November 1 Direct.
- A new instrumental arrangement of "Lost in Thoughts All Alone" from Fire Emblem Fates. It is played for Corrin's showcase trailer.
- A new arrangement of "Beyond Distant Skies (Roy's Departure)" from The Binding Blade played during Roy's showcase trailer.
- "Gear Up For...": A new faster paced remix of "Gear Up For..." from Fire Emblem Heroes.
- "Lord Of A Dead Empire": taken directly from Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia.
- "March To Deliverance": taken directly from Shadows of Valentia.
- "Those Who Challenge Gods": taken directly from Shadows of Valentia.
- "The Scion's Dance In Purgatory": taken directly from Shadows of Valentia.
- "Story 5 Meeting" (formerly known simply as Fire Emblem.)
- "Fire Emblem Theme": played for Marth's showcase trailer.
- "Attack (Fire Emblem)"
- "With Mila's Divine Protection (Celica Map 1)"
- "Shadow Dragon Medley"
- "Winning Road (Roy's Hope)"
- "Preparing To Advance"
- "Crimean Army Sortie"
- "Eternal Bond (Ike's Theme)": taken directly from Radiant Dawn. It is played during Ike's showcase trailer.
- "Against The Dark Knight"
- "Power-Hungry Fool"
- "Victory Is Near"
"Id (Purpose)": taken directly from Awakening. It is played for Chrom's showcase trailer.- "The Devoted": taken directly from Radiant Dawn. Heard during Nintendo Treehouse Live demonstrations staged on Coliseum.
- "Meeting Theme Series Medley"
- "Duty (Ablaze)"
- "Conquest (Ablaze)"
- "Coliseum Series Medley"
- "Fight 1 (Fire Emblem Gaiden)"
- "Fire Emblem: Mystery Of The Emblem Medley"
- "Time Of Action"
- "Lost In Thoughts All Alone" (original)
- "Lost In Thoughts All Alone" (remix)
Spirits
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Games with elements from or in the Super Smash Bros. series
Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light
Marth was included as an unlockable playable character in Melee and Brawl and later became a starter character in Smash 4. His inclusion, along with Roy's, gave the series the worldwide exposure that led to the decision to release future Fire Emblem installments globally.
A stage based on the continent of the game was originally intended to appear in Melee. It was, however, unfinished and cannot be properly accessed even with a hacking device.
Two songs from Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light can be heard on Castle Siege:
- "Fire Emblem Theme"
- "Shadow Dragon Medley"
A third song, "The Chosen Ones", was intended to be included in Brawl, but was removed. The "Fire Emblem" track heard in all games since Melee is a medley of the original game's character recruitment music, "Come, Join Us", and the series's overall main theme. Another arrangement of "Come, Join Us" can be heard in the Wii U version as part of the "Meeting Theme Series Medley", a My Music option for the Coliseum stage.
From Brawl onward, Marth's Final Smash is the "Critical Hit", based on a random percentage algorithm mechanic from the game that, if triggered, deals triple the usual damage inflicted.
The Falchion, Marth's primary weapon, debuted in this game, and its design in the Super Smash Bros. series matches its appearance in this game.
Fire Emblem Gaiden
The track "With Mila's Divine Protection (Celica Map 1)" is a music choice for Castle Siege in Brawl and in the Wii U version. The Wii U version also features a remix of the battle theme from this game on the Coliseum stage. Said theme is also featured in "Lords-Showdown", a remix taken from Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. that is used in Ultimate.
Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem
Marth's design in Melee and Brawl is based on his design in this game.
The track "Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem Medley" remixes various tracks from this game and plays on the Coliseum stage. Ultimate includes two more remixes originating from this game, "Under This Banner" and "Advance".
Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War
Ike has a palette swap in SSB4 based on Sigurd, the protagonist of this game. As well, the "Meeting Theme Series Medley" track on Coliseum incorporates its character recruitment theme.
"Edge of Adversity", the song played during the end of Chapter 5 of this game, is remixed in Ultimate.
Fire Emblem: Thracia 776
In all of his appearances, Marth has had a white color swap based on the outfit of Leif, the main character of Thracia 776. Also, Robin's yellow color swap is based on a playable character in Thracia 776, Eyvel. As the game is set in the same world as Genealogy of the Holy War, it shares the same character recruitment theme heard in SSB4's "Meeting Theme Series Medley".
Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade
The main hero, Roy, was included as an unlockable playable character in Melee to promote the game's then-upcoming release in Japan. His inclusion, along with Marth's, gave the series the global exposure that led to the decision to release future Fire Emblem installments worldwide.
The song "Winning Road - Roy's Hope" is one of the songs that can be heard on Castle Siege. In The Binding Blade, this song was the player phase map theme played when three or less enemies remain in a chapter. A slightly modified version of this song also appears in Fire Emblem (The Blazing Blade) with a near-identical function. Ultimate adds in a remix of "Beyond Distant Skies - Roy's Departure", the first map theme from the game.
Appearing stickers from Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade are:
Fire Emblem (The Blazing Blade)
Lyn, one of the main characters of the game, appears in Brawl, Smash 4 and Ultimate as an Assist Trophy. She charges her sword the Mani Katti, then disappears and reappears near an enemy, slashing them (resembling her critical hit animation from the original game). This attack is devastatingly accurate and powerful, even against a moving or airborne foe. It can also hit someone as they are holding onto the ledge. There is no known outside range for her to hit in and she can KO at percents as low as 32%. This attack can only be avoided with a well-timed airdodge or roll.
The song "Attack", heard on Castle Siege, is a composite of two songs from this game, "Strike" and "Rise to the Challenge".
Appearing stickers from Fire Emblem (The Blazing Blade) are:
Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
Brawl contains a remix of "Preparing to Advance" on the Castle Siege stage. This music originally played during the combat preparation screens in The Sacred Stones, when the player would set up their army, items, map placements, and options before each battle. In the Wii U version, the "Meeting Theme Series Medley" incorporates the character recruitment theme from this game, "Comrades".
Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance
This game's main character, Ike, was included in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. In addition, the characters King Ashnard and the Black Knight are trophies and stickers, with the latter also eventually appearing as a Mii Swordfighter costume in SSB4, then an Assist Trophy in Ultimate. Mist and Greil, Ike's sister and father respectively, also appear as stickers. Furthermore, four music tracks that are used in the Castle Siege stage are taken directly from Path of Radiance; "Crimean Army Sortie", "Power-Hungry Fool", "Against the Dark Knight" and "Victory is Near".
Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn
As with Path of Radiance, Ike is one of the main characters in Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn. His design in SSB4 was updated to match his Radiant Dawn appearance. Sothe, The Black Knight, Micaiah, and Queen Elincia are major characters in the game and appear as trophies. Ike in his Radiant Dawn attire, Micaiah, and Sothe are all featured as stickers in Brawl. "Ike's Theme" appears as a My Music choice in Brawl and in the Wii U version, with "The Devoted" and "Time of Action" joining in the latter game. All three tracks appear in their original arrangements, taken directly from Radiant Dawn.
Fire Emblem: New Mystery of the Emblem: Heroes of Light and Shadow
Marth's design in SSB4 and Ultimate is based on his design from this remake.
Fire Emblem Awakening
Fire Emblem Awakening is strongly represented in the Wii U and 3DS games. It introduced the Arena Ferox stage,which appears in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS. One of Awakening's several DLC map packs is entitled "Smash Bretheren" as an allusion to Fire Emblem's presence in the Super Smash Bros. series. The maps' story revolves around Chrom's encounter with the wandering Einherjar armies of Roy and Ike, both sporting their original respective designs. One of the rewards upon completion is the Einherjar card for Lyn, who sports a completely new design from her original appearance. Lucina and Robin from Fire Emblem Awakening were revealed to be playable fighters in Super Smash Bros. 4. Chrom makes an appearance in Robin's Final Smash and Palutena's Guidance conversation, has a Mii Fighter costume based on him and finally becomes playable in Ultimate. Roy's design as a downloadable fighter is partially inspired from the DLC artwork for his appearance as a downloadable Einherjar from this game.
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS uses "Id (Purpose)", Awakening's final map theme, as a track in Arena Ferox. The Wii U version adds "Conquest (Ablaze)" and "Duty (Ablaze)", two battle themes from the game, on the Coliseum stage. Ultimate also adds a remix of "Id (Purpose)", as well as remixes of "Prelude (Ablaze)" and "Destiny (Ablaze)", two other battle themes from the game.
Tiki, as she appears in Awakening, appears in Ultimate as an Assist Trophy.
Fire Emblem Fates
Corrin is the default player Avatar and main protagonist of this installment. Amiibo characters of Marth, Ike, Robin, and Lucina appear as recruitable units. As the Avatar converses with them, they will subtly allude to their appearances in Super Smash Bros. 4. In Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, "Lost in Thoughts All Alone" and its rearrangement play on the Castle Siege and Coliseum stages if Corrin is been downloaded. Downloading Corrin on the 3DS version also comes with bonus trophies of Ryoma and Xander, in addition to the rearrangement of "Lost in Thoughts All Alone". A new remix of the song would later be featured in Ultimate.
Fire Emblem Heroes
Two songs from this game are remixed for Ultimate: "Gear Up For ...", the main menu background song, and "Fire Emblem Theme (Heroic Origins)", which plays on the game's title screen. The Assist Trophy characters Tiki and the Black Knight reuse their voice clips from this game. This is also the first game where Roy spoke english; thus, it is the first time Ray Chase had voiced the character. Notably, it is the first mobile game to be represented in any way in Super Smash Bros.
Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia
In Ultimate, four music tracks from this game appear: "March to Deliverance", "Those Who Challenge Gods", "Lord of a Dead Empire", and "The Scions' Dance in Purgatory". Two Spirits of Alm and Celica as pairs appear as well.
Trivia
- Fire Emblem is one of four series not to have a home stage for a fighter in the installment it was first included in, the other three being Earthbound, F-Zero, and R.O.B.
- Fire Emblem is the only universe introduced in Melee to have multiple characters.
- Additionally, Fire Emblem, Kid Icarus, Animal Crossing, Street Fighter, and Castlevania are the only universes with multiple characters to not be introduced in the original Super Smash Bros.
- The Fire Emblem universe has the third most amount of playable characters, with 7.
- Fire Emblem is the only universe in Melee without a stage.
- Fire Emblem is the only universe with more than one downloadable character in SSB4.
- It is also the only universe with more than one echo fighter in Ultimate.
- Every playable character from the Fire Emblem series has a chargeable neutral special move.
- Fire Emblem universe characters share the most move names with characters from other universes.
- Fire Emblem Awakening has the most representatives from a single game, with 3; it is also the only Fire Emblem game with more than one character representing it.
- Fire Emblem is the only first party universe to have more characters than stages for a franchise with more than one character.
External links
- Fire Emblem Wiki
- Sakurai Interview Article on Source Gaming: Fire Emblem's 25th Anniversary
- Palutena's Guidance: Robin
- Amiibo Unit Conversations in Fire Emblem Fates
References
- ^ Masahiro Sakurai (2014-09-03). Director's Room. Miiverse. Retrieved on 2018-04-28. “We gave Marth a full makeover, giving him design elements from Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and newer games.”
- ^ Nintendo (2017-02-08). Fire Emblem Heroes - Choose Your Legends Event. Nintendo / INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS. Retrieved on 2018-07-09.
 Fire Emblem universe
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| Fighters | Marth (SSBM · SSBB · SSB4 · SSBU) · Roy (SSBM · SSB4 · SSBU) · Ike (SSBB · SSB4 · SSBU) · Lucina (SSB4 · SSBU) · Robin (SSB4 · SSBU) · Corrin (SSB4 · SSBU) · Chrom (SSBU) · Byleth (SSBU) |
| Assist Trophies | Lyn · Black Knight · Tiki |
| Stages | Castle Siege · Arena Ferox · Coliseum · Garreg Mach Monastery |
| Item | Killing Edge |
| Other | Sothis |
| Trophies, Stickers and Spirits | Trophies (SSBM · SSBB · SSB4) · Stickers · Spirits |
| Music | Brawl · SSB4 · Ultimate |
| Masterpieces | Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light · Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem |
