"What do you care? The less people notice you, the better your chances. [...] A shame you realized it too late."
— The Black Knight to Kellam in one of Awakening's DLC.
As a Long Runner, Fire Emblem has built up a large repertoire of antagonists and villains, and these in particular stand as some of the most cunning, charismatic, or intelligent of them all.
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Gaiden & Echoes: Shadows of Valentia
- Jedah leads the Duma Faithful with an iron will and unshakeable faith. Allied with the Rigelian Empire, Jedah focuses primarily on Celica and her group, preying on the former's Fatal Flaws so he can take her soul to cure Duma of his madness. Showing naught but full loyalty to Duma, molding himself and everyone loyal to him to Duma's doctrines, Jedah controls the heroes up until the end where the Falchion, the one item that can kill Duma, is released. Despite the atrocities he commits in the name of Duma, Jedah is furious the heroes would rather live in a world with an unsure future as opposed to an era of certainty in Duma's chaotic shadow, proving his devotion genuine.
- Emperor Rudolf I was among the few to realize the gods Mila and Duma degenerated from madness, meaning he had to ensure the future of Valentia by any means necessary. He leads a grand conquest of the Valentian continent to feed a starving Rigel as well as make himself a target for a group of heroes to defeat so Rigel and Zofia could unite. Despite leading a war of aggression, Rudolf ensures minimum casualties are sustained and a trusted ally, Ezekiel, keeps his more militant commanders in check. By the time his infamy reaches the ears of Alm, his plan has been set in motion. Before his final battle, he orders his men to surrender upon his death to ensure no further casualties. He may have made mistakes, such as enabling Berkut's pride or telling no one but Mycen of his real heritage, but in the end, his gambit worked: his son became the first king of a united Valentia that lived on for millennia.
- Orphaned at a tender age, Arvis of Velthomer managed to climb his way up the ladder of power and prestige. Once war and corruption threatens to tear Judgral asunder, Arvis aspires to construct a peaceful empire of equality. Although he employs ruthless methods like assassination and deceit, Arvis's dream is pure and admirable. Managing to claim land after land without much trouble through his machinations, Arvis caps off his conquest by slaying his last opposition, who he had outed as a traitor, in Belhalla. Crowned Emperor of Grannvale, Arvis makes the utopia he sacrificed so much for. When the second half of the plot proceeds to tear down his dream, Arvis does his best to subvert the Child Hunts, fight back against Manfroy's manipulations, and ultimately gives Seliph the Tyrfing needed to put an end to the evils plaguing Judgral. This shows that Arvis, while ambitious and unfettered, held enough standards to ensure his own sins were ultimately undone for the sake of a better world.
The Elibe Games
Examples
- The Binding Blade:
- King Zephiel of Bern was once a cheerful, idealistic youth cruelly betrayed by his cruel father King Desmond. Faking his own death, Zephiel killed his father, becoming disillusioned with humanity and helped to unseal the dragon tribe, including the Demon Dragon Idunn, to punish humanity for its sins. Leading Bern in a war of seeming conquest, Zephiel instead intends to unleash Idunn, using the war as a clever front. Even when cornered by the young hero Roy, Zephiel uses himself as bait to keep his plans going, unrepentant to the end.
- General Murdock has been the retainer of King Zephiel ever since he was young and can match his liege in wit and combat. Conspiring with his master in killing Zephiel's abusive father and taking the throne, Murdock helped launch his massive conquest of the continent. As the head of Bern's three generals, Murdock was responsible for Bern's successful war efforts, conquering most of Ilia and assisting in the conquest of Lycia, all the way taking advantage of Roy to eliminate liable allies as pawns while replacing them with his own trusted soldiers. Impressed by Roy, Murdock confronts him in Shrine of Seal while guarding the Binding Blade, leading Bern's elite army to face him in the largest battle in the war with countless elite soldiers of all classes. With massive strength and endurance, Murdock stands as a massive wall against the army, only falling after a long battle of attrition, with his only dying regret being that he can't protect his master any longer.
- The Blazing Blade:
- Uhai the Soaring Hawk is a Sacaean Nomad and founding member of the Black Fang assassins' guild. A close friend of the guild leader Brendan Reed, Uhai watched with dismay as the organization was polluted by Brendan's new wife Sonia and her benefactor Nergal, but nevertheless continued to serve. Intercepting the heroes' party at the shore of the Dread Isle, he grabs Lyn to get their attention but then immediately releases her due to disdaining dishonorable tactics; he then sends an onslaught of powerful warriors hiding in the thick fog banks after them. Honoring a promise he had made, Uhai tells the party how to reach Nergal as he dies.
- Eubans the Fierce Eagle runs a mercenary guild loyal to Marquess Darin of Laus, one of Nergal's more prominent co-conspirators. Hearing of his lord's death at the hands of the heroes, Eubans ambushes them in a fortress where they are tending to the sick Nils, employing brutally effective siege tactics including ballistae and spearmen on wyvern-back. Eubans can be either killed or chased off depending on the player's choice, and either way takes his defeat with consummate grace.
- Ursula the Blue Crow is one of the Black Fang's four top operatives, and Sonia Reed's unflappable right arm. So dangerous that her own subordinates would rather kill themselves than report failure to her, Ursula is charged by Sonia to monitor her daughter Nino's assassination attempt on Prince Zephiel, and to kill both the prince and Nino herself if she backs out. When this does in fact occur, Ursula's men put out all the lights in Zephiel's manor and use every kind of tactic imaginable to slay him, Nino, her partner Jaffar, and the heroes' party. When defeated, Ursula's last thoughts, as always, are of her Lady Sonia.
Examples
- Prince Lyon in Ephraim's route is initially a noble, well-intentioned prince out to prevent his kingdom of Grado and his people from dying a foreseen earthquake. Awakening the Demon King Fomortiis to use its power to save his homeland, Lyon resurrects his dead father Vigarde as a proxy and uses his nation of Grado to invade others so he may steal and destroy their Sacred Stones. Bringing the other nations to their knees, Lyon manipulates his old friends Ephraim and Eirika to constantly stay one step ahead of them. Even at the end, Lyon is driven only by a wish to save his Grado, no matter how far he has to go. While always haunted by Fomortiis, when summoned to the Order of Heroes, Lyon calmly cows the Demon King into submission and servitude using his newfound leverage, performing the one deed he never could completely do before: control the devil.
- Caellach the Tiger Eye is a former Jehanna mercenary who has ambitions to become a king. Wanting to escape the confines of the desert, Caellach grew a reputation in his mercenary days as a boisterous yet reliable warrior for better opportunities, ending up scouted by Grado to become one of their new generals. In charge of dealing with his former home in the war efforts, Caellach's cunning and charisma was able to conquer Jehanna, taking the palace and destroying its Sacred Stone after using Carlyle, while setting in-roads with Carcino for his future reigns. Establishing his connections and cutting off his attachments to his old life, Caellach joined Valter's army in a massive battle against the Magvel army, equipping himself against any potential weaknesses, ultimately losing only inches away from ascending to his beloved throne.
- Aias is the former comrade Caellach of, and a famed tactician that has never been cut in battle. Joining Caellach with Grado, Aias was assigned to help conquer Jehanna, defending the borders from Erika's encroaching army. With the formation he set-up, Aias stood mightly against her army, sending waves of countless cavalry and infantry to batter them as he keeps himself well defended in a wall of knights and cavalry, while remaining formidable himself if directly fought. Standing near untouchable, it's only through the impending support of the Rausten army Aias was finally defeated, either dying in battle praising his killers' tactical prowess over him, or being killed by Caellach after defiantly facing him.
- Tirado is Valter's subordinate who contrasting him uses wit and strategic betrayal. Tasked with capturing the heirs of Renais, Tirado places the traitor Orson in Ephraim's fold and get him to try reclaiming Renais Castle, using mercenaries to weaken the prince's army before ambushing him. When Ephraim manages to escape, Tirado adapted and spread gossip of Ephraim's capture to lure Eirika, tricking his adjutant Murray and a ballista squad as bait to weaken her, and then sending Orson to trick Eirika, before destroying her escape route when it fails, nearly capturing her had it not been for Ephraim's arrival leading to him engaging them in a final battle, where in defeat praises the two's skills and warns them of the future dangers of Grado.
The Tellius Games
Examples
- Path of Radiance:
- Volke the "Fireman" is an ever professional assassin loyal to only gold and reputation. An infamous killer who'll do any job no matter how dirty, he was hired by Greil to kill him if he fell to Lehran's Medallion, but when he died, Volke decided to work for his son Ike to keep his deal. Disguise as a thief, Volke took advantage of the Greil's Mercernary needing one to join them, all the while extorting money from them for his services. Once Ike manages to garner the funds to bribe Volke, Volke reveals his true identity as an assassin and tells of his deal with Greil, offering the same deal as his father, serving as his assassin, as one of his most lethal fighters in the war, and his contingency if he goes berserk. In Radiant Dawn, Volke returns under Bastian, sent to capture Izuka, before extorting more gold from his client to kill his former client, then joining the battle against the Begnion and Ashera for a massive fortune uncaring of the fate of the world.
- Naesala, the King of Kilvas, is a Raven Laguz who is introduced cheerfully working with the Daein army and betraying them to loot their ships for the betterment of Kilvas. Selling his friend, the Heron Laguz Reyson into slavery for benefits to Kilvas, Naesala does intend to recover him, and later assists the army against Daein to rescue Reyson's sister Leanne. Constantly manipulating and betraying his allies, it turns out Naesala is under a Blood Pact to the Beginon Senate, to force them to do his worst deeds or risk his entire nation dying. Finding a loophole in the Blood Pact, Naesala is able to break it and join the heroes to achieve a final freedom for Kilvas and live happily ever after with Leanne.
- Nasir is a White Dragon laguz sent by Daein to act as The Mole against the Greil Mercenaries. During his time with them, he begins to inform Daein of their plans and steals Lehran's medallion from Mist, wrapping it in a cloth to avoid its insanity-inducing effects. When Soren begins to suspect he's been sending information to the enemy, Nasir keeps him from telling everyone by threatening to reveal his mixed blood. After Nasir's granddaughter Ena is defeated, he helps her escape by getting in Ike's way and facing imprisonment. Nasir later breaks out and rescues Ena from Nados Castle before it collapses. Desiring Ena's safety but also regretting his treacherous actions, Nasir is forgiven for his betrayal after rejoining the war effort against Daein.
- Radiant Dawn:
- Sephiran, real name Lehran, was once a great hero who helped to defeat the goddess Yune. Centuries of observing Laguz oppression, culminating in the murder of Sephiran's descendant and the horrific Serenes Forest Massacre forever broke Sephiran's faith in the world, leading to him to attempt to awaken the goddess Ashera to judge it. As a member of the Begnion senate, Sephiran manipulates all the events of Path of Radiance, having tricked Ashnard into starting his war to awaken the goddess and manipulates everyone further in Radiant Dawn, culminating in the awakening of the goddess to deliver the judgement he feels the world deserves.
- The Black Knight, true identity Zelgius, is a bold commander who leads Daein's armies while manipulating them as well. Having suffered persecution as a Branded, the Black Knight is Sephiran's right hand man. He also guides Ike to become stronger so he may have the match with him he never got to have with Ike's father Greil, the Black Knight's own mentor. After Daein's fall, he manipulates both Beginon's armies and all others to Sephiran's plan, intending on facing Ike in one final duel and even being honored as Ike's final teacher once the battle is done.
- Micaiah, "Maiden of the Dawn", is treated as the heroic savior of Daein and leader of the Dawn Brigade who helps to liberate Daein with her cleverness and drive. Crafting numerous strategies against Begnion, Micaiah dismantles the nation's Blood Pact while also being prepared to do whatever she must in order to liberate Daein regardless of the brutality or cruelty involved. Overcoming the fates themselves along with her beloved Sothe, Micaiah ends up leading the Dawn Brigade to avert the apocalypse itself.
- Walhart The Conqueror was born in the small country of Valm. Through sheer determination, single-minded will, and his own natural power, Walhart cultivated the fealty of people after people under his cause of uniting the world through force. Seen as a god among men because of his charisma, Walhart spent the timeskip gathering his army and resources. He makes his first appearance singlehandedly decimating the northern forces of the alliance against the Valmese Empire before seemingly killing Khan Basilio. When confronted by Chrom and the Shepherds, Walhart shows no desire to listen to lesser men and readily attempts to have them squashed. Yet, in defeat, he congratulates Chrom. Later revealed to have survived and leading an army of Risen in "Irreconcilable Paths", he is once again defeated by Chrom, but his strength impresses the conqueror enough to ultimately join Chrom for the final battle against Grima, and after all is said and done, begins to look for new places to conquer, and reputedly found a continent to subjugate and rule.
- Yen'fay, the Dynast of Chon'sin, was a former swordsman who after his defeat made the ultimate sacrifice to protect his kingdom and sister. The past king of Chon'sin, Yen'fay fought valiantly against Walhart, but after his kingdom fell, and Excellus blackmailed him with Say'ri's life, Yen'fay was force into Walhart's army, becoming one of his generals. Scheming against his captors, Yen'fay set-up a plan, adding his people to his army, and waiting for a force who can take him down. Seeing the Ylisse army's effort, Yen'fay saw them capable of defeating Walhart, and as such has himself killed in a battle against them to keep his deal with Excellus to protect Say'ri, before unleashing his trap by using his death to influence the Chon'sin soldiers to defect during a critical battle, striking a major blow and giving Ylisse the chance to take down Walhart and Excellus beyond the grave.
- The ruthless yet exceptionally honorable Leo is the genius second prince of Nohr, painstakingly formulating tactics to ensure the fewest casualties in his country's invasion of Hoshido. The sharpest of the royal siblings, he makes his introduction sparing Corrin from Garon's wrath by pretending to kill Hoshidan prisoners Rinkah and Kaze, allowing Corrin to spare their lives. In Birthright, he swears to punish Corrin for their betrayal of Nohr. He ambushes them in the Woods of the Forlorn, whose Hoshidan-repellent swamps cripple most of their army, and attempts to draw on his resentment and envy of Corrin to try and kill them. Realizing he still loves them, however, he concedes after his defeat, making amends with them and warning them of the threat Xander poses. Succeeding the Nohrian throne after Xander's demise, he establishes peaceful connections with Hoshido. In Conquest, he moves behind Garon's back, sending Niles and Odin to help Corrin quash the Ice Tribe rebellion, and later shares valuable advice with Corrin about subverting their father's orders indirectly. In Revelation, despite not being an ally to Corrin, he saves Sakura from Zola and guides Corrin to where Takumi and Izana are being held. After investigating Corrin's claims about Garon's true nature, he eventually comes around, vowing to avenge his father's honor. Slaying the reprehensible Zola and Iago in every route where he has the opportunity, Leo shows his shrewd nature even when casually interacting with his allies, helping mend their shortcomings and acting as a source of wisdom to all.
Examples
- Edelgard von Hresvelg is the leader of the Black Eagle house and heiress to the Adrestian Empire, as the sole surviving heir and successor to her father Ionius IX. Edelgard kickstarts the plot by acting as the Flame Emperor to have the heirs apparent of the other nations, Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd of Faerghus and Claude von Riegan of Leicester, assassinated by bandits. Edelgard's goal is to dismantle the Church of Seiros, which she views as corrupt and after preparing behind the scenes for a year, she declares war on the church, forcing everyone's hand, as she marches towards her grand ambitions. On the Crimson Flower route, Edelgard sways the reincarnation of the goddess Sothis, Byleth Eisner, to her cause, executes or exiles Claude, slays Dimitri, kills Rhea, Archbishop of the Church and daughter of the goddess, and conquers the entire continent of Fódlan. On the other routes, after being bested, Edelgard demands to be executed so that the war can end. Despite Edelgard's cold and calculating demeanor and seeming perfectionist attitude, those who have earned her respect, such as Byleth, are treated to a much warmer side of her. In the end, Edelgard succeeds or almost succeeds in bringing Fódlan to its knees, her actions pave the way for the societal reforms she dreamed of, and she removes the corrupt influence of "those who slither in the dark".
- Hubert von Vestra is the brilliant right hand of Edelgard, serving out of genuine love and loyalty toward her. Cloaking his intelligence in an Obviously Evil persona, Hubert proves a vital asset to the Adrestian Empire in their war against the Church of Seiros. Often opting for assassination and usually handling the dirty work of Edelgard's schemes, Hubert secures her rule by ordering the deaths of every noble in the Adrestian Empire when she rises to power and is even willing to stray from her orders to ensure her goals are achieved, no matter what he must do. Taking to the field often to face foes of the Empire, Hubert proves himself an excellent and analytical tactician who can deduce enemy plans and dispense valuable advice. If the Empire is successful, Hubert proves an effective advisor to Edelgard for years to come. If they fail, he valiantly engages in a final stand against the Empire's enemies. If given the opportunity, Hubert has a posthumous letter sent to the victors to ensure the defeat of "those who slither in the dark".
- Cindered Shadows: Yuri Leclerc is the leader of the Ashen Wolves and a hero to the underground refuge of Abyss, always hiding his true wit behind a sharp tongue and a cynical demeanor. Yuri repeatedly proves himself a brilliant leader and tactician despite his nature as a criminal and a runaway. Yuri initially attacks the visiting students led by Byleth, only to quickly ally with them to defeat Abyss's external foes. Yuri later secretly notifies Byleth to pursue him to the Holy Mausoleum, proceeding to betray the Ashen Wolves and prepare them to be bled out and sacrificed in a ritual organized by the evil Cardinal Aelfric. Upon Byleth's arrival, Yuri derides Aelfric for being impaired by his conscience to the point of being completely outwitted, ultimately aiding Byleth in Aelfric's defeat and saving his teammates. Yuri ends Cindered Shadows having manipulated everyone around him, friend and foe alike, to eliminate all of Abyss's enemies and protect the people he loves.
- Warriors: Three Hopes:
- Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd is the Crown Prince of Faerghus. After fighting off his uncle's rebellion and executing him to take the throne, Dimitri becomes a wise and fair king to his people, defeating all rebels and rivals, no matter the collateral damage. After choosing to harbor Rhea and the Church of Seiros to secure his kingship and repay old debts, Dimitri begins fighting off the Adrestian Empire with unique tactics such as trapping dangerous foes rather than fighting them, pointing out flaws in his allies' plans and forming makeshift alliances, even willing to ally with Edelgard herself to fight their foes behind the scenes. Opportunistic with a tendency for escaping by the skin of his teeth and hiding a surprisingly dark side, Dimitri will do anything to keep his kingdom and defend his beloved subjects. Should the need arise, Dimitri even proves willing to sacrifice Rhea and the Church of Seiros to their enemies to simultaneously rid his kingdom from their influence and withdraw his people from the war.
- Claude von Riegan is the duplicitous head of the Leicester Alliance, and secretly the Crown Prince of Almyra. Enacting schemes and constantly plotting to undermine his enemies psychologically, politically, and strategically, Claude proves his mettle as a leader by repeatedly fooling his enemies in the Empire and foiling an invasion by his Almyran brother Shahid by recruiting one of Shahid's generals under the table and hiding it for months, before personally killing Shahid. Claude then joins whoever would benefit his people most, whether they be the Empire or Kingdom, to continue his goals of strengthening his nation. Claude displays his sheer pragmatism, whether it means abandoning his supposed allies to save his own troops, plotting to assassinate Rhea and dismantle the Church of Seiros to eliminate their regressive ideals, or destroying Leicester's ideals by getting rid of its democracy to take over himself. Rarely hesitant to trade lives yet eternally relaxed and charming, not to mention earnest at heart, Claude proves willing to betray anyone to save the things he loves.
- Edelgard von Hresvelg is the brilliant emperor of the Adrestian Empire and an unfettered societal reformist. Beginning her plans to overthrow the corrupt Church of Seiros by seizing an opportunity to turn on her genocidal benefactors, Edelgard manages to plan and command a successful war of conquest on multiple fronts through improvised schemes and alliances, using her charisma and tactical acumen to turn the war to her favor and dispose of her enemies. Showing no compunction about allying with rivals like Claude von Riegan or even her mortal enemy Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd, Edelgard's actions ensure the defeat of "Those Who Slither In The Dark," and can potentially see all of her enemies either set to lose the war or turned into her allies.
- Hubert von Vestra remains the same brilliant right hand he was in the original game. Always loyally serving Edelgard and suspicious of any newcomers, he shows no hesitation in resorting to amoral tactics yet proves excellent at providing support, saving the life of Ferdinand von Aegir through his inference of the noble's actions and intentionally being rid of nobles who don't suit his goals, whether they be through direct purging or putting them in a position to die at enemy hands. Saving Edelgard's life by using a contingency to get her out, he is even capable of coercing her would-be assassin into serving his own side in the middle of battle. Consistently loyal and with genuine soft spots yet outwardly cruel and ruthless enough to try to kill his own allies should it be convenient, Hubert is among the key players of Edelgard's conquest.
Examples
- Princess Laegjarn is a general of the Kingdom of Múspell and serves as a recurring threat for the Order of Heroes to face. Realizing her physical weaknesses, she decides to make a name for herself by becoming a strategist to watch over her little sister, Laevateinn. During her introduction, she sharply notices the fake footprints that the Order has left to throw her off their trail and when captured by the Order of Heroes, Laegjarn manages to escape by exploiting the distracted Fjorm's grief over her sister Gunnthrá's death. Upon learning of Helbindi's Doomed Hometown caused by his failure, Laegjarn politely relieves him of his duty by lying to Surtr, saying he died. When Surtr orders the death of Laevateinn for her failure to kill the Order, Laegjarn chooses to die instead, requesting Fjorm save Laevateinn from an unnecessary death. Fjorm mourns her death, saying the two of them could've been friends under different circumstances. Later resurrected by the god Múspell himself to finally end his nemesis Nifl for good by having Laegjarn duel Fjorm to the death, Laegjarn takes advantage of a Prophecy Twist that ensures she defeats Fjorm, but resurrects her by giving Fjorm a Flame Gem, allowing both of them to defeat Múspell and free Fjorm from the Rite of Frost, allowing both of them to live as friends.
- Líf is an alternate version of Alfonse and a general in the Realm of the Dead. Having lost his little sister Sharena and his entire kingdom of Askr, Líf joined forces with Thrasir, an alternate version of Veronica who has also lost her country and family. Together, they serve Hel in hopes of restoring their people, vowing to remain close friends should they win the war. Líf retains his strategic mind from when he was idealistic, as shown when he creates a trap to crush the Askrian forces by predicting that they would show up where he was expected to be. Upon being defeated later, Líf regrets the situation he was forced into, requesting Alfonse to not become like him and to not let his Askr fall to ruin.
- Triandra the Nightmare is the dökkálfr in charge of nightmares and a loyal servant of Freyja. Once a mortal girl forced to kill her father to protect her sister, Triandra accepted Freyja's offer to escape their miserable lives and become her servant. Following her master's plans, Triandra valiantly engaged the Order of Heroes numerous times, remaining a constant threat with her nightmarish schemes, using them to resurrect old foes and other Heroes. She continued to serve Freyja despite remembering her past, using her abilities to the fullest until her final battle. Ultimately resurrected by Freyja as one last act of kindness, Triandra along with Plumeria watch over Dökkálfheimr to keep Freyja's will alive until they could bring her back.
- Eitri is a scientist in Niðavellir and the main villain of Book V. After being taken in by the first king of Niðavellir, she gained the ability to send her mind into different bodies, serving the kingdom for generations. Initially posing as an ally to the Order of Heroes, she helps them fend off Fáfnir's assault for the purpose of protecting Reginn, the true heir of Niðavellir. In reality, she was the one who caused Fáfnir's descent into insanity by inventing the Crown of the Dvergar that empowered him. Eitri's real plan was to ensure the glory of Niðavellir by securing Reginn's rightful claim to the throne, not caring about her own safety when all is said and done. Before her last stand against the Order, Eitri records a video explaining her wishes to the summoner, saying she got what she wanted, regardless of her fate.
