u/RainMoonbow

I play the game so everything I say about it is true happy pride month

She’s best known for being Kurt’s girlfriend and being British. A lot of her character revolves around Kurt, but there’s potential for something better…probably!

The princess of Holtz is the last ally to join Kurt’s squad. She crossed the border just to be by her consort’s side and aid her. Aww! A lot of Rose’s motivations and dialogue tend to involve Kurt and/or love in some way. Depending on how much you like lovey dovey characters, this is for better or worse. But, seeing as how she’s the girlfriend of the first openly queer lord, it is pretty nice to see her wholesome love for Kurt. I like Rose’s dedication and her gentle nature. She has an ethereal presence that really helps lighten the mood.

Rose’s role mirrors Caeda’s, seeing how Book 1 is very much inspired by the Archanea series. Both are engaged to the main character whom they love dearly, and fill in the “Heroine” slot of the group. Now with the limited screentime, it’s understandable that Rose can only be fleshed out so much. But I do wish Rose could maybe have had more time to interact with others besides Kurt. Maybe an unlikely friendship between her and Zasha? Or how she interacts with Alberta and/or Carina? Once you get past the wonder of wholesome wlw rep (and I’m grateful for it!) and how much Rose loves Kurt, there’s little else unfortunately.

As for her design, I kinda have some mixed opinions. To start with the positives, I love her hair! It’s flowy and got a beautiful light blue color. Her pink accents go great with her vibe and her boots are adorable. As for the negatives, I’m not really a fan of her full outfit. It feels weirdly…modern? Without the pink pauldron, which frankly feels out of place (why does she only have one anyway?), I’d think this was an outfit I could see in real life than in a fire emblem game. I think the combo of trendy shirt + skirt + leggings doesn’t really help her case. The black shirt is something I’m conflicted about. I get the idea of not wanting a design to be drowned in a specific color, but the black shirt is a random element that only adds an unnecessary element into her color scheme. I think a white shirt would have been better, because at least it would adhere to a uniform color scheme. I’m also not really sure why her skirt has braids, but not really a fan.

Ok, so Rose’s shadow design definitely works better, but I still have some caveats. Starting with the positives again, I really like the designers dipping their toes into a female design that doesn’t prioritize beauty. Which is doubly ironic considering how Rose’s usual looks are quite feminine and graceful. Her face is nightmarish, alongside her protruding clawed arms and legs. Her color scheme is more unified here too. I really like the bandage motif for her as her body also looks like it’s literally falling apart as she destroys herself for love. Now what I don’t like is what’s underneath the bandages. The top part looks a lot like a short sleeved shirt which annoys me, and I don’t really get the divide between the pink and white. It neither looks like fabric nor skin. The fabric over her upper chest also looks strange.

This might be controversial, but I have to give Rose a B-. I know, I know! But when you divorce Kurt from her character, there’s really not much else that she gives. Despite being Kurt’s girlfriend, it doesn’t mean that’s all she has to be. Even though Alberta and Carina are a pair, they still have differing motives and traits outside of each other. Alberta can be a coward, Carina can be uncontrollable in battle. They might not be particularly complex, but they still have an individuality to them that would still exist if they weren’t Cain and Abel expies. Rose’s design is a mixed bag both in shadow and light form. I would love for her to be explored beyond being a satellite love interest, and I do love how she and Kurt care about each other and even subvert the unhappy arranged marriage trope. Despite her being the lowest scored so far, I certainly don’t hate Rose! She just needs a little more to her beyond Kurt.

So…what is your stance on Rose?

Navarre…but blue?!?!?!? (And better, too)

It’s very easy to write off Zasha as another installment in the long line of stoic swordsmen who keep their distance. But I think Zasha is more enjoyable than you’d expect! He’s introduced as a desperate, bitter man who attempts to take Kurt hostage. His tale of losing his sister, his only living family, is a tragic one. Many people in the kingdom have suffered losses just like Kurt. It’s only with Kurt’s appeal to his humanity and a chance to fight the empire that took everything from him. He agrees, but it takes much convincing, and he’s still rather wary of Kurt and the group. However, upon recognizing just how dedicated Kurt is to making things right, he instantly changes his tune and begins to put more effort into keeping the group safe. Zasha becomes more vocal as well when he’s the one who first suggests there is a…dun dun dun…traitor among us.

As someone not initially intertwined with Kurt’s gang, Zasha is able to get more moments to shine, and it really helps his avoid the pitfalls associated with avoidant warrior type (which can be done well, but can also make the character insufferable). I have the usual complaint of the short run time not doing him favors. I also think his turnaround was a bit quick, especially considering how distraught he was seen to be in his first appearance. But I am content with the result of his change. Zasha’s rapports are really nice too, and his shadow form has a really hard-hitting line: “If prayin’ to a goddess can bring back my little sister, I’ll pray as much as she wants.” I like the usage of praying as opposed to killing. I feel like killing is such an easy way to make a character feel “badass”, but him angrily declaring to pray until he gets what he wants really gets the point across in a touching yet heartbreaking way.

Zasha’s design is pleasing, and the animalistic aesthetic of Shadows gives him a sense of identity among the many conservatively dressed swordsmen in fire emblem. His blues compliment the black feathers of his lower garments and hair. The disheveled hairstyle adds to his broken nature, and his dark wings are haunting. He’s neither underdesigned nor overdesigned. He looks exactly like what you’d expect a lone swordsman to look like, yet he’s just right. And I won’t lie…he’s very handsome!

Zasha’s shadow form is equally as well crafted. He has clear bird like features in his beak and clawed arms/legs. He looks even more tattered than before, and his hair extends further around his body. I like the change to blue for his hair color than sticking with black. I think he’s a nice mixture between humanoid and animalistic monster. Again, no complaints here.

Zasha gets an A+ from me. He’s not a unique type of character, although I think he’s executed nicely. And he’s certainly better than Navarre. His design is eye catching, but doesn’t go overboard. And that goes for both forms.

So…what’s your stance on Zasha?

The other half of the famed Abel and Cain archetype, she was born when the devs decided “Hey! Let’s paint Sharena red and give her Askr’s horns!” /joke. I find her a bit less interesting than Alberta, but she’s alright!

We see Carina alongside her fellow retainer Alberta, as they and Gotthold help Kurt on her journey to secure a future for Ast. She appears to be the genki girl of the group. Her enthusiasm and simplicity adds a red hued flavor to the otherwise serious air of her allies. She unfortunately doesn’t have many standout moments. But I like how it’s shown she was the most affected by Gotthold’s sacrifice and had to hold herself together for the others.

I’ll be honest, I’ve never been a fan of Carina’s archetype. It’s very frequent in fire emblem and often keeps the characters from being anything more beyond an eternally shallow exuberance. But there’s some nuance to her character, which we see in her rapport. Carina mentions that she can experience uncontrollable rage on the battlefield and actually purposefully makes herself agitated to ensure she’s at top performance. The implication that she’d fall into shadow the quickest is interesting, since most characters like her tend to be more wholesome and pure. Seeing that she’s regarded as a powerful ally by the other characters is refreshing, and participation feels genuine.

Carina’s design is really striking. It’s really fun how her coloration is very villain-esque yet she’s plainly on Kurt’s side of the conflict. And hey, maybe it’s another small sign that she would be the most likely to become corrupted. I like the use of furs, which adds to her bull motif and makes her look intimidating. I don’t mind the skirt for her because Carina is explicitly unrestrained on the field of battle; protection is the least of her concerns. Her hairstyle annoys me though. I just…don’t really get it. She’s got asymmetrical bangs, long and pronounced sidelocks, a ton of strands everywhere around her face, and then a long braid. It feels like there’s a bunch of different aesthetics going on there. The hair accessories feel tacked on too.

Carina’s shadow form could be a lot better. For someone whose style in battle could be easily described as monstrous, her shadow form is disappointingly tame. I wish she had something less conventionally attractive because it doesn’t fit what her personality states and/or implies. I like the colors, but that’s about it. Easily one of my least favorite shadow designs in the game. But at least she isn’t painfully human like…certain others…

Overall, Carina gets a B-. I don’t think she’s got as much character potential, but she’s not as bad as I would have thought. Carina feels useful and strong, and not like a spectator waiting for a guy (or in this case, lady) to get shit done. Her light design is pretty and fits her well, but that shadow form brings her down a lot. So what’s the moral of the story? Uh…let women be violent!

So…what’s your stance on Carina?

One half of the famed Cain and Abel archetype, Alberta sticks to a familiar archetype. But there’s small nuances to be found in her rapport, and her design assuredly elevates her beyond a simple copy.

Alberta may not be a particularly strong character even among the rather unembellished story, but I can’t help but like her a good amount. She’s another retainer to Kurt and is characterized as the “brains” of the operation. She doesn’t have many key moments in the story, and often falls into providing exposition. However, I do remember a highlight with Zasha following his discovery of Kurt’s true gender. She was…just ready to put him down after that. And the way she was blunt yet apologetic about it. At least she felt bad!

Now what makes her a bit more interesting are the rapports. Her light rapport actually reveals she’s cowardly, and that she can’t feel confident on the battlefield unless she has Carina near her. Her shadow rapport further expounds upon this weakness as she thirsts for power in order to so strong that she will never need to be afraid of anything. And also, her dynamic with Carina is quite sweet as well.

I think Alberta’s design is what really draws me to her. Now my personal tastes must be weird, but I really like the mix of blue and green for her. It’s strangely aesthetically pleasing. Her sleek bob with the blue streaks looks great and her overall attire displays formality and composure. My one complaint is her outfit yet again following the trend of female characters needing to show off their legs for no reason. It doesn’t really make sense for her to wear a short skirt and have parts of her legs exposed. If anything, I’d think she’d want to be more fully armored. It’s a small complaint but yeah, FE as a whole often resorts to appeal before sensibility when it comes to female characters. Other than that though, I like her design a lot.

Her shadow form, I equally like it. The confidence of her expression and the showy outfit makes sense for revealing what she wants to be deep down: someone who doesn’t need to be scared and can overpower anyone who stands in her way. I like the subtle pattern of her panther coat; it’s nice the artists had enough care to render it! Yeah, I don’t really have anything to complain about here. I love her sly expression and how she’s completely ready to go for what she wants.

Alberta gets an A in my book. She’s nothing new, but small parts of her earn my endearment, and her design is one of my favorites in the game. She is another example of IS being unable to fully let go of their trends. It’s both their greatest asset (it’s fun seeing twists on classic archetypes) and greatest curse (her light design would’ve been better if it had pants).

So…what’s your stance on Alberta?

A heartwarming take on the loyal commander, Gotthold is a simple yet effective character. BTW NAGA IF YOU’RE READING THIS YOU’RE A BUM

Gotthold’s character is the tried and true archetype of the Jagen. He commands the royal knights, and has proved staunchly loyal to Kurt following the fall of Ast. Gotthold also doesn’t break many barriers character wise, but I do like how active he is in the story and that his merits are shown rather than told. He makes the difficult choice of forming a shadow pact after Kurt is tragically killed, and has to balance his loyalty with serving Fenris’ goals. This results in him leaking their location to the enemy, which must have been extremely difficult to do. But Gotthold truly had no other option that he could go to (glares at a certain light dragon and her retainers). Eventually, when Kurt does figure it out, Gotthold forcibly transforms and fights his dear companions. But luckily, his honorable qualities and concern for his dear ones allows him to fight back the shadow’s influence, which will assuredly doom him. Additionally, he makes an incredible play by making a deal with Naga to ruin the wolf retainer’s plans. Gotthold feels truly genuine in his efforts, which makes his sacrifices quite tragic.

However, the short format makes it all seem a little rushed. Not his fault, and the other characters are equally affected. His only other flaw is that the simplicity that makes him nice to watch also makes him a little boring and predictable. But of the book 1 cast, he’s one of the more intriguing due to his role and how he maneuvers working both for the good and evil forces in the story. Presumably, following another pact but with the light disciples, Gotthold gives his life to fight off the army that’s going after Kurt. The chances of seeing Gotthold are slim, but he lived as he died: courageously and with honor.

Gotthold’s design uses a really nice maroon in his cape as a background to his grayish armor with gold accents. It’s kind of funny how the colors, typically associated with villainy, are used in one of the most pure-intentioned characters in the game. However, perhaps it is also a hint to his shadow pact, thus tainting that purity (albeit for a very good reason). His mature age is portrayed well in his features, and I like the facial hair. I really like the horn. His hair is alright, I suppose. It’s not offensive, but I think if it was a bit shorter it’d look better. Like with Kurt, though his appearance doesn’t quite suit my tastes, although it works for him.

I don’t have much to say about his Shadows design. It looks like a rhino, for sure, and it’s quite intimidating. The clothes, uh…well, there’s not much there besides tattered rags and an eyeball in his chest. His design at least captures the monstrous element, but doesn’t really do anything interesting.

Gotthold will get an A from me. His story captured my attention, and it was a good showing of his honorable character and smarts. His design is fine, and I prefer the light to the shadow one. He deserved to have gotten a pact with Naga first, oh the tragedy😭 You did your best Gotthold, and we love you for it!

So, what’s your stance on Gotthold?

While Kurt’s claim to fame is a wholesome sapphic love story (yay!), there’s a lot more to appreciate about her.

Our prince in disguise was the earliest face in our literally shadow dropped game. I had some reservations about her. This was a game with no fanfare, no lead up, save for a quickly released trailer and some short character bios on Twitter. And look, on first glance, I wasn’t convinced. But playing the story changed that. Kurt ended up being a thoughtfully written character. She’s not super complex or divergent from our other lords. But Kurt does the job very well. She’s intelligent without the story needing to dumb down the plot and characters. Her honor shines in her valiant efforts to restore her kingdom, despite the fact that she endured sexism due to its outdated beliefs on the gender of its rulers. She’s kind to her subjects and her girlfriend Rose, and empathetic to the struggles of others like Zasha. What she lacks in physical prowess, she makes up for in quick thinking and superb social skills. Kurt is a breath of fresh air when it comes to female lords as well. She can be cute and dorky without being dumbed down. She can be heroic and accomplished without her actions being rendered meaningless. Her existence is not centered on a man, nor is there a male equivalent presented as the “superior” option.

The biggest obstacles she faces are ones that every other characters encounter: a lack of closure. The narratives of Shadows fair a bit better than Feh by not sticking strictly to a number of chapters, but that doesn’t mean they are particularly long. We lack paralogues and supports; plus, the character lines/rapports can only say so much. I suppose the only other flaw that I can reasonably assign to her writing is that we don’t really learn much about why she wants to restore Ast aside from a duty to her parents. Nor does she talk about her personal feelings on the kingdom, and what doubts may come with bringing back a kingdom that no doubt gave her suffering. We learn of what Ast has done and how its culture affected her, but Kurt’s personal views are not very explored.

Kurt’s design is good, even if it’s not something I personally love since I have different tastes. Her color palette is my favorite part of her design. The blueish indigo outfit paired with a cool red cape makes her look dignified. And the dog ears are adorable! Best of all, her design does not clash with her established lore/personality by shoehorning needless sexualization. I am not a fan of her hairstyle though. The heavy bangs over her face feel like a forced choice, and contrasts with her otherwise dignified appearance. At least put a hair clip there or something. However, I have much less kind words for her Shadows design, which is one of my least favorites in the cast. The most positive thing I can say is her color scheme makes sense. I can’t stand the ridiculous tube top and skirt. While highlighting her femininity is a meaningful choice to contrast the masculinity she was made to take on, I’m sure there were better ways of doing it. I actually like the hair in this scenario since her shadow appearance is a corrupted opposite to her usual presentation. I like the big, wild hairstyle that covers her face because it displays her unrestrained nature. Additionally, her blinding bangs are more fitting here than in her light design. There’s a good concept in her shadows look that’s buried under ugly choices.

Overall, I give Kurt an A+ rank! She’s a rather nicely executed character in a story cut far too short. Her appearance works well, but her light design easily eclipses her shadow design. Kurt achieved two compelling feats for the Fire Emblem series: first solo female lord and first openly queer lord (excluding avatar romances). And so far, these things were accomplished amazingly for a Fire Emblem game. Here’s to hoping we see more of her soon!

So…what’s your stance on Kurt?

I really just wanted to find a way to have him be able to use a different seal than Close Transcend while still being able to counterattack. So, experimentation!

Is it a good Bruno build? I’m…not that Feh savvy to answer that, but I will say he’s really fun to use! I could probably find a more suitable seal though. But man it feels great not being pigeonholed into needing a seal just to ensure he fights back.

Book 1 was the first with lots of doubts to go against, and it ended up being a pretty neat narrative that captures the spirit of classic Fire Emblem stories. Kurt may not be totally unique as a protagonist, but that doesn’t detract from her worth. Kurt is intelligent without it feeling like the story has to make other characters stupid, she’s resilient and courageous, and you can see she has a dorkier side particularly in the Bazaar short. And it goes without saying that she’s a refreshingly wholesome LGBTQ rep in Fire Emblem that doesn’t feel stereotyped or objectified. As our first protagonist, she’s a solid entry who I enjoy more than even some mainline lords.

Joachim is fine too! I liked seeing his struggle with his supposed weakness. I really felt for him with his low self esteem and being gaslit into thinking he was the Disciple of Shadow. And he almost died because of how distrusting in himself he was. I do think he’s a bit more boring since he’s so passive, and he didnt really develop past it. It’s nice he has a new goal although I’d be disappointed in them resurrecting Estel since I feel it should be an impactful moment for him. I like his concept but he does feel a little lacking as a main protagonist and Estel outshone him in my opinion.

Rusty right now is a mystery that I very much enjoy seeing more of. A mercenary who had his royal birthright stolen from him, he’s already a tragic character like the other main characters who lost so much yet still perseveres. And it took years, but he managed work to getting closer and closer to his goal and even finding a “family” of sorts (oh poor Rusty…) He wants to claim the throne despite everything he’s endured due to his heritage. But his tragedies aren’t even near over when he’s a sheep in a den of wolves. I am really curious about how Rusty will manage to navigate the situation, and if he himself truly has pure intentions upon claiming the Sovereign Axe. I think it’d be really cool if he ends up not being pure of heart after all, or if his discovery of his comrades’ treachery ends up with him becoming broken and corrupted.

The power of sloppy late night editing! He would have come with a really good PRF weapon too😭 What a shame TT units aren’t a thing anymore…

Anyway I fully support Eugene being a DILF and having a daughter who looks nothing like him

The upcoming Chosen candidates should be from Ljósálfheimr, Dökkálfheimr, Niðavellir, Jötunheimr, Embla, Vanaheimr, and Yggdrasil. There may be one for Ásgarðr.

Technically, not every freebie has been guarenteed a spot. The promo art for Book X seemingly confirms a Chosen Líf, which puts Eir out of the running. And considering we have Chosen Alfonse (granted powers by Askr), Ash is automatically out of the running despite being a freebie. So, although the Chosens could be predictable (being our freebies/leading characters of formerly antagonistic realms), are they the people you would want? Or would the alternatives be better to you?

• Peony or Mirabilis- Neutral to her as a character, but I like her more than Mirabilis so I’m not opposed to her being the Chosen. I’d be more disappointed if it was Mirabilis.

My overall preference? Peony.

• Plumeria or Triandra- I enjoy them a lot, but prefer Triandra a little more and I think a Chosen alt would help validate her desire to be a true hero instead of being plagued by the fact that her powers can only bring misery. That said, Plumeria may be more likely based on popularity alone. I also worry that she won’t be written respectfully and will also be given another revealing outfit that runs counter to her wishes. I’m certainly perfectly fine with either getting the Chosen, but Plumeria’s track record makes me wary that she’ll go further into the “Reluctant Fanservice Girl” trope.

My overall preference? Slight preference to Triandra but I’d be totally fine with Plumeria.

• Reginn, Otr, Fafnir, or Eitri- What other alternatives would there really be? I doubt Niðavellir is gonna resurrect people he barely knows (on top of Otr and Fafnir both having been villains, although Fafnir was just possessed and is a good guy deep down). I like Fafnir but I don’t really think this would be a good idea since I doubt his return would be handled with any sort of closure on his family. Otr is Otr. Eitri could pull a Surtr and succeed at it, which would really be fun. But this is probably the least likely option.

My overall preference? Reginn or Eitri. Reginn is the safest and most respectable choice, so I wouldn’t be bummed out at all if she was the candidate. She could use more content too since the tempest trials really sidelined her in the latter half. Eitri isn’t your typical villain and could theoretically learn to work with the heroes (temporarily at least) if Niðavellir commanded her to, and I wouldn’t be opposed to her returning. But since her only reference in the tempest trials was a Sindri namedrop, it’s basically impossible to happen.

• Dagr or Nott (or Þjazi :3)- Yeah….Dagr is a shoe in. I love my older sister jotun with terrible taste in men, but Dagr has more instances of heroism worthy of the title. And Nott is dead. And Þjazi…lol. Dead and bigoted so…no.

My overall preference? Dagr.

• Veronica, Bruno, Letizia, or Elm- Veronica is basically gonna be it, going by sheer popularity and past practices with IS. Plus, Bruno and Letizia are dead and Elm is Elm. I’m not gonna pretend I don’t want to see Bruno again, but like with Plumeria, I worry about the writing. He’s got more potential than just “edgy guy who disappears and gets half naked”. And if Embla is still as evil as she was, she would not resurrect the most rebellious of the Emblian royals who helped ruin her plans. Letizia is more of a wild card. Would she come back reformed, or even more twisted? I’d be totally fine with it since she can be quite interesting, but I don’t see it as likely because of her being a more minor presence. Veronica was also far more useful to Embla than Letizia was (again, assuming if Embla comes back antagonistic). Elm I strongly doubt because it would be pretty uneven to not have Ash, Askr’s retainer, as a Chosen, but for Elm to be. He’s also probably the least popular of the candidates.

My overall preference? Bruno since he is my favorite fire emblem character period. But I would be perfectly understanding of Veronica or Letizia, especially the former who could use better development outside of needing to be assisted by Alfonse.

• Seidr, Kvasir, Gullveig, or Heidr (I guess)- I really cannot see how Kvasir or Gullveig would be options unless the book 7 TT separates them, since the tempest trials are canon to main story events. Heidr is dead, and again, not really a sensible candidate unless she maybe gets resurrected? But I think she wouldn’t be a really good choice because she was less of a character and more of a stepping stool for Seidr’s character development. Seidr is the most developed of all the characters eligible, but far less popular than Gullveig.

My overall preference? Seidr.

• Ratatoskr, Heidrun, Eik, Hrae, or Nidhoggr- From what I’ve seen, Ratatoskr is one of the few freebies who doesn’t seem to be considered a guarantee, with many comments suggesting Heidrun or Eik would be very likely alternatives. But from a narrative standpoint, and the fact she doesn’t have a single alt, Ratatoskr absolutely deserves it. However, she’s probably the second least popular of the Hands outside of Hrae. The other four truthfully didn’t do anything to be considered Chosen in my opinion. Heidrun probably was the second most heroic due to healing the heroes and being the only sibling to not try to kill them. Which is a very good thing to be fair, but that’s the extent of her aid. Eik just told Alfonse about Laeradrs secret and beforehand was prepared to kill us despite being fully aware of the truth. Hrae and Nidhoggr were unfortunately taken out before they could do anything meaningful. And Nidhoggr is my favorite character of the Healing Hands, so I was disappointed about what happened to her.

My overall preference? Ratatoskr.

• Baldr, Hodr, Vali, or Heimdallr- Based on both popularity and actions in the story, Baldr is the most obvious pick. She’s also one of my favorite feh characters hands down. While an antagonist for most of her run, her change of heart and atonement including getting Vali to stop attacking us would make her a great choice. Hodr is complicated; she showed signs of growth by telling Baldr her feelings on the situation, but then devolved back into her shy supporter. A chosen alt would be good for her if the writers tried to separate her from the Baldr praise, but I doubt it. Vali is Vali. Heimdallr kind of changed her ways too, but she’s pretty underdeveloped and I don’t really know why she’d be chosen. However, it is important to take into account that Rune would logically have the final say and could troll us with a surprising pick. But on the other hand…do we really think the devs would go outside the box?

My overall preference? Baldr.

So cool to have Haybelline getting a Mythic before she even got a New Hero Banner! Also I had no idea she was a senator! Iconic💅Really curious about her A passive. The new artist Rias did an incredible job drawing her✨

Edit: It seems like there’s a typo on her intro, so we will need compensation orbs! What a wonderful way to end the month!