Tear Jerker / Fire Emblem Heroes

Per troping policy, all spoilers are unmarked. You Have Been Warned.

Fire Emblem Heroes may be a Lighter and Softer crossover with a relatively decent-at-best story, but this IS Fire Emblem we are talking about. Nothing will stop them from finding a way to tug the heartstrings.

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Story

• The "To Die On The Battlefield" Tempest Trial stars Hector as both the main character and the final boss. After the Tempest vanishes, Hector talks with "Marth" about this odd predicament. In contrast to his usual jolliness, Hector expresses his concern and sadness about having to fight a copy of himself, as well as the implication that, as stated in The Blazing Blade, his Armads has cursed him with the fate of dying on the battlefield. This is especially sad since this is exactly what will happen to him in The Binding Blade.
• Chapter 13 reveals more about the Mysterious Man: As expected, he is both Prince Bruno and Zacharias. He was banished from Embla because his mother was accused of being a spy. He became friends with Alfonse and Sharena, but the curse on his bloodline began to take its toll. In the last part of the chapter, he reveals that not only did he once make an attempt on Alfonse's life with Alfonse not knowing it, but he also attempted to kill himself (and his wording suggests he's done so more than once). He starts begging his friends to kill him.
• Performing Arts Shigure is so excited to find Performing Arts Azura, his mother. She faded away in his timeline, which is why he has the pendant. And then he finds out she's a different Azura from a different timeline. This Azura is the Nohr Azura, and she comments that she'll be "going to the same place his mother did." Which she does at the end of the Nohr timeline.
• Book II reveals that Fjorm also witnessed the death of her mother at the hands of Surtr. Given that Surtr specializes in using fire, Fjorm's mother almost certainly died horribly. This is extended in Chapter 7 of Book II, as Fjorm also has to witness Surtr killing her sister Gunnthrá just when the Order of Heroes had found her hiding spot. However, if you had summoned Gunnthrá beforehand, it comes as awkward.
• While both of Alfonse and Sharena’s parents may be alive and well, Book II Chapter 4 reveals that their father was among those strongly opposed to Alfonse joining the Order of Heroes, and that he still won’t see him because of it. Since Sharena is also part of the Order of Heroes, it’s possible that she’s on the receiving end of this as well.
• Book II Chapter 4, specifically in part 5, takes an extremely dark turn. As Alfonse, Fjorm, Sharena and Anna are about to pass into Nifl, they are accosted by King Surtr and his minions, Laevateinn and Loki. Surtr points out how close they are to an Askran village, and gives Alfonse an ultimatum: Give his life for a chance to save the people in the village, or let them burn. Surtr begins describing exactly how they will die, and it's terrifying to think about. Alfonse is understandably mortified by this, and it's painful to see Surtr so happy to burn people alive.

  Surtr: Let me tell you something you might not know... being burned alive is one of the most painful ways to die. [cue Slasher Smile] First the skin burns off... Then the muscles themselves begin to fall apart. In the end, they all wail. "Please... kill me! Please!"
  Alfonse: What drives your madness?!

• Chapter 10 Book II reveals that everything you did was All for Nothing. Damn you, Surtr. (Or at least until Chapter 11 reveals otherwise.)
• While in the Feud of the Fangs Tempest Trials, the temporary team-up of the former Black Fang is successful in paying back Ursula for nearly killing Lloyd, Linus makes it clear afterwards that he hasn't forgiven Nino and the others for defecting. He refuses to even let her call him her brother. However, his conversation with Legault afterwards may have convinced him to try and patch up their relationship some day.
• The Paralogue for the "Love Abounds" banner is mostly funny and heartwarming until the end, when Lilina gives Hector the present he thought was for Roy. Then Hector drops this line.
  Hector: Where you come from, I'm already dead.
• Book II Chapter 12 reveals that Surtr burned down the slums and killed Helbindi's sister to make an example of her after he failed against the Order of Heroes. Laegjarn's delivery of the news doesn't help either, as she says it in a very straight laced manner, but the subtle look on her face shows how genuinely horrified she is.
• Book II Chapter 13. All right, Surtr is dead for good! Yay! But wait... the Rite of Frost that Fjorm undertook was still in effect. Fjorm is literally Living on Borrowed Time for a failed attempt to take down Surtr earlier. And Book II closes with a happy end turned utterly bittersweet...
  • There's also Laegjarn and Helbindi's deaths. Laegjarn is forced to use the flames of Múspell to empower herself in the place of poor Laevatein, and ends up dying shortly afterwards. In her last moments, she notes how she and Fjorm could have been friends, and begs her and the Order of Heroes to save Laevatein. Meanwhile, Helbindi decides to stay behind and face Surtr to ensure Veronica and Ylgr escape, fully knowing it will lead to his death.
  • To say nothing of poor Laevatein herself at the end. Sure, Surtr is out of the picture, and Múspell can finally begin a new reign of peace. However, this thrusts Laevatein into a position of having to rule an entire kingdom by herself, without someone like Laegjarn to guide her. Given how much of an Extreme Doormat she has been throughout her life, only time will tell how she rules Múspell as its new queen...
• The entirety of Paralogue 27 occurs because a young Azura is lured into a dream world by Loki, where she is loved and understood by her family and friends. Adult Azura recounts that she was lonely and felt trapped, and even implies she was suicidal from the isolation. Even when Azura is trying to convince her younger self not to hide away in dreams and sorrow, and to wait for better days that will come, she acknowledges that even her future life isn't guaranteed to be happier. The entire chapter just makes you want to give young Azura a hug, especially after the Askrans break the Dream heroes' contracts and they disappear:
  Young Azura: Don't go! Please... don't leave me alone.
  Azura: Oh, Azura... You aren't alone. For now, you may be wrapped in your sorrow. Worse things may yet happen to you. But someday...
  Young Azura: Shut up! You just shut up! How... How can you possibly understand?
  Azura: Of course I understand. I know exactly how you feel... because I am you. All of the pain, all of the sadness... It is mine as well as yours.
  Young Azura: *sob* Aagh! *SOB*
• Book III's intro movie, showing that it's already much more Darker and Edgier than the previous two seasons. In the climax of the movie, Eir has a vision of Hel slaying Sharena in front of Alfonse while he is helpless to save her. What we find out later is that this scene is what happens to Líf before his turn.
• As of Chapter 3, Book III, Alfonse's days are numbered—he has only nine left. Damn you, Hel...
• Similar to the Paralogue story, Ike meets with an alternate dimension Greil in the Tempest. As happy as he is to see him, Greil reveals the he is the source of the Tempest, and it's up to Ike to defeat his father to quell the Tempest. Needless to say, Ike is hesitant.
• At the end of Book III Chapter 4, Gustav's Heroic Sacrifice for his son and naming him King of Askr. Even though in the previous scenes he accepted that Alfonse will die to Hel's curse and that there is nothing they can do about it, the turnaround on the end when he realizes on the nature of the curse is so sudden that it take everyone off guard, stating that Gustav's duty of a king means that sacrifices had to made for the greater good, even his own life.
• Book III Chapter 5 twists the knife further, by having Gustav revived by Hel as a puppet leader for her armies. He asks Alfonse and Sharena to strike him down.
• Book III Chapter 6 tells us Eir's backstory. She had thousands of lives thanks to her dragon ancestry, but unfortunately, Hel exploited this by killing her over and over and over again, every single day to boost her own power, until she was at her last life. And Eir has to experience the pain of death every single time. What the fuck, Hel?! No wonder the poor girl looks so depressed...
• In a rather surprisingly display of emotion for someone who has thus far been portrayed as a Cold Ham, Lif practically begs Alfonse not to tell the rest of the Order and especially Sharena about his true identity at the end of Chapter 8.
• In Chapter 10 of Book III, we get the reveal that Thrasir is actually an alternate version of Veronica, who worked for Hel so her world can get restored at the expense of the Order of Heroes. Her last words after getting killed by Veronica and Alfonse (our versions) lament her failure for her version of Bruno.
• In Chapter 11 of Book III (based on a preview), we get what happens to be the ruins of the Askr castle - in particular, the home screen menu. That's right, we get to see that VERY screen all destroyed and ruined. It's quite sad to know that nothing in Askr was spared. Chapter 11 reveals a flashback with "Líf"/Alfonse with "Thrasir"/Veronica before the events of Chapter 10 of Book III, "Thrasir" made a promise with "Líf" to talk with each other again as friends after they accomplish their goals in reviving their realm, in which "Líf" accepts. One can hear the heartbreak that "Líf" got after "Thrasir" got Killed Off for Real at the end of Book III Chapter 10.
• Book IV Chapter 8 reveals a sorrowful origin story on Plumeria: She was once a human girl who was abandoned by her parents; her mother sent her to the bottom of a well. Chapter 9 reveals that Triandra had a similar deal: She was once a girl who had an abusive father that she's constantly told to sleep outside of her home along with her sister where it's cold and eventually couldn't take it anymore that she killed her father herself.
• Book IV Chapters 10-12 go for a triple whammy of player punches:
  • Chapter 10 ends with Freyr committing a combo Heroic Sacrifice\Suicide by Cop by having the Order of Heroes strike him down to weaken his sister Freyja’s hold on reality, with him feeling immensely guilty over what he’s done by forcing countless innocent children (including Triandra, Plumeria, Mirabillis & possibly the real Sharena) to drink dream nectar to save the dream world, while Chapter 11 has Sharena go through what can only be described as an identity crisis upon discovering that she’s likely not the real Sharena due to some changeling antics she and Peony got up to as children, to the point where she confines herself to her room for days.
  • And in Chapter 11, Plumeria mounts her final attack all while constantly stating that it's only in this dream world that she could be useful, if it's the real world, she'd have to face her abusive mother all the time, being called 'useless' endlessly. And she died while screaming for her mother, begging her to save her. And just to twist the knife further, afterwards, we get to see a flashback that all Plumeria wanted is to become a hero that could make her mother proud and finally accept her. Even if she's an antagonist, the poor girl...
  • Chapter 12 gets even worse when Alfonse and the alfr are attacked by the Summoner, who fights using Alfonse's weapon, Folkvangr. Curious as to what the Summoner looks like after they defeat them, they take off their hood to reveal the Summoner is Alfonse. Peony is confused as to why there are two Alfonses, as the conscious Alfonse explains he is not really Alfonse, but instead, the Summoner, dreaming as him. Freyja then comes in to add salt to the wound, as she explains to the Summoner that the real Alfonse is dead, having been killed by Alfaðör after he had killed Hel. They dreamt up a world where Alfonse was still alive, safe with his friends and family, unable to cope with their loss. Thankfully, it looks like she was lying.
• Tempest Trials: Ice & Flame 1. Take a moment to scroll up and read the entry about Book 2, Chapter 13. You know how Fjorm was Living on Borrowed Time at the end? Well, the opening of this Tempest Trials outright states that her time is finally coming. And this Tempest Trials has completely different music and colors to indicate that this is very much a serious thing. Fortunately by the end of the series, Fjorm not only gets to live free of the rite's curse, but with a revived Laegjarn by her side as a friend.
• Book V, Chapter 10 reveals the truth about Fáfnir: He was just a man forcibly summoned from another world by Eitri's false copy of Breidablik, and would be brainwashed into doing her bidding. The headaches he experiences are him trying to recall his memory, and once he remembers, he furiously confronts Eitri and Ótr, not wanting to commit any more atrocities on other realms, and wanting to go back to his own world. Unfortunately, Eitri and Ótr have no intention of ever letting him go, and he ends up becoming the Draconic Abomination in "The False Monarch" movie. For all the atrocities he's committed, Fáfnir becomes a very sympathetic character when all he wants to do is go home.
  Fáfnir: (while being forcibly transformed) No! Stop! I... don't want to fight anymore! I don't want to kill!
• Ótr’s backstory as revealed in Book V, Chapter 11: His father was a commoner who was chosen to live with the royal family solely based on his good looks, and when Ótr was young, he was asked by some visitors his parents let into the castle to guide them to the king. Those visitors turned out to be part of the coup against the royal family, and Ótr ended up witnessing the ensuing slaughter (barely saving a baby Reginn). He was made a scapegoat for it and was chased out of the castle, forced to rummage through trash in the slums of Niovallir to survive until Fáfnir found him and took him and Reginn in. Ótr despised Reginn because in his eyes, she ruined every chance he had at a happy life, first with his parents and then with Fáfnir, whom he looked up to for saving them. Reginn and the Order of Heroes pity Ótr and spare him after confiscating Gramr... only for a barely-sentient Fáfnir to unceremoniously run him through shortly afterwards as Ótr tries to embrace him. He was a horrible piece of work and his death was karma for the insane lengths he went through to keep his idol from leaving him, but it’s not hard to see why he became such a person…
• Book V Chapter 12 has not one, but two deaths- Nótt and Fáfnir.
  • Nótt dies Taking the Bullet for Dagr, and despite the feuding between the sisters, Dagr's devastated by her sister's death. So, too, is Reginn, who blames herself for Nótt's death.
  • Fáfnir, after being defeated, regains the memories of his old life and his other family. Reginn wants to send him back to his family, but is told that isn't possible, and Fáfnir says he doesn't deserve to see his family again after everything he's done. He dies saying that Reginn and Ótr were also his family.
    • And you know what makes Fáfnir’s death even worse? His wife and daughter likely have no idea what really happened. For all they know, their beloved husband and father who had done so much to provide them with a stable and happy life just vanished into thin air, never to be seen again.
• Book VI has Veronica put through the wringer. She loses control of herself to Embla's curse, forcing her to attack the Askr royals. She learns that she's been accused of murder, treason and stealing a forbidden tome, and the one responsible for it is Letizia, who has always despised her. She throws herself off a cliff to escape Letizia and nearly dies in the process. At the end of Chapter 4, she's forced to turn herself over to Letizia, who intends to have her executed, in the hopes of stopping Letizia's attacks on Askr.
  • Bruno doesn't get off much easier as the plan to stop Embla ends up failing and Alfonse is forced to end his life. Alfonse and Sharena are both in tears about the permanent loss of their dear friend.
• Child Heroes are typically treated in a light-hearted manner, and that's true for most of the "Unlikely Friends" banner... except child Soren, who comes straight from his traumatic backstory detailed in optional dialogue in Radiant Dawn: dressed in rags and unable to speak. It hits especially hard to players knowing the full context behind why he's like that.
• Book VII, Chapter 9 is just as horrifying as it is heartbreaking. Seiðr is forced to Mercy Kill Heiðr due to her curse getting worse, and if their sad conversation after the battle didn't herald a bad omen, the ensuing moments have everything go straight to hell.
  • The conversation itself is by far one of the saddest moments within the book:
    Seiðr: Heiðr! I'm...sorry... I thought we could find a way to stop the curse—some way we could make it through this together... As much as I wanted it to be some other way, I was still the one forced to...to...
    Heiðr: Seið... It's not your fault... All I ask is...you remember me... Remember...I love you, Seiðr.
    Seiðr: Heiðr... (sob)
• Book VII, Chapter 12 doesn't pull any punches. It's one thing to hear from Nerþuz in the prior chapter that Kvasir and Gullveig are unsavable and have to die, It's another thing entirely when this chapter involves killing one of them. Who's the unlucky person who gets killed in this chapter? Kvasir. During the first stage, Kvasir understands that she has to die in order to break the curse, but what she says next makes at least a few summoners tear up...

  Kvsair: ...I want to live...Even if I must die, I still...want to live.

  • By the time you reach the final stage "To My Future Self", Kvasir is Killed Off for Real following the battle. She only wants to enjoy life and find a way to be happy, and she has to be killed in order for the curse to be broken once and for all. Even if it was required to eradicate the Seer's Curse, it's still heartwrenching to put her down, especially because she hadn't done anything wrong yet to warrant it.
    Kvasir: This is how...I die. I see...
    Seiðr: ...
    Kvasir: I have known...no joy or pleasure in this life. No friends or anyone to call dear... I have no one... I am not like you... It is better that you live on.
    Seiðr: Kvasir... That isn't true... The memories you made in your time with Kiran...There is someone dear to you!
    Kvasir: Those are not memories I have. But...it is for the best. Please, live on... Do it...for me... Live the joys I can't...

Characters

• Matthew wondering if he can see Leila again in this world. He had to wait three years—starting on day one—for her to be summonable.
• Both Ephraim and Eirika's lv 40 lines basically are talking about their failure to save Lyon because of their weakness.
• One of Maria's idle lines is how she wishes her siblings Minerva and Michalis could be together again. Considering Heroes Michalis is still an ass that willingly helps Veronica, you know it's less likely. Exacerbated even further by both Minerva's and Michalis' idle lines stating that they can never be siblings again.
• Julia's level 40 dialogue has her talking about her fate, written by her bloodline, the Demonic Possession her brother Julius suffered, and the possibility of that happening to her too.
• In one of her lines, Nino mentions how important family is to her and how she wishes she could have twins someday. Anyone familiar with the character knows that she has her twins, but isn't able to dote on them for long.
• Another line from Nino has her crying after Lloyd and Linus, and in her "bad level up" quote, she screams she "doesn't want to be useless forever". Even in a crossover, the poor girl can't catch a break...
• Some of the characters' voiced lines can get pretty sad. For example, one of Takumi's lines is him telling the player that he suffers from horrible nightmares every night (a nod to his character bio from his home games, which claimed the exact same thing). He also asks if you think he's stronger than his siblings. Seems like Takumi still has self-esteem problems...
• Eldigan and Lachesis get especially tear-jerky, partially because their example explains how the summoning works for characters who die midway through their own games — it seems to snatch Heroes soon before they meet their death, so Eldigan is from just before either riding out to fight Sigurd or just before his confrontation with Chagall (it's a bit ambiguous, as depending on player actions, he can die in one of two ways). So he doesn't know what awaits him, and is just grateful to have a sensible lord to follow for once. Meanwhile, Lachesis is from after he died, since he dies midway through generation one, and she never really recovered from losing him. She begs you to be more careful than Eldigan was, because she can't possibly take any more loss. Even having Eldigan in the Order isn't much of a balm, because there's no way to prevent his doomed fate and their reunion is only fleeting.
• Ryoma and Elise's respective quotes when they are defeated in battle. Anyone who has played Fates will recognize their quotes from the cutscenes in Birthright and Conquest where Elise and Ryoma, respectively, are Killed Off for Real in those specific pathways.
  Ryoma: I'm counting on you...
  Elise: Be at peace...
• Zephiel's speech upon reaching Level 40 is this. He mentions that you gave him hope and made him slightly less cynical about the world and humanity... But then he tells you a little about the immense shitfest his youth was and how he had to end the life of his own father and gives a thoughtful warning, almost a threat, that you should never betray his trust. Given what he's gone through in the games you meet him, feeling anything but sympathy for Zephiel is hard.
• In terms of Level 40 speeches, there's also Legion. Legion comments that they know they're mentally unstable, and wonders why you'd ever put up with them. In addition, he seems to believe the theory that you don't hate him is entirely outlandish and far-fetched, showing how he believes that nobody who knows him could ever not hate him. Knowing that in his game, Legion worked in a mercenary group with no one who cared for him but his other selves and was murdered for failing, likely never even meeting anyone who he could even imagine didn't hate him for his insanity... well, it paints a side of him that hasn't been seen before.
• Speaking of the assassins, Clarisse takes this not just on her Level 40 speech, but every one of her quotes. All of her quotes are about hoping that she proves herself to be the best: she has to, otherwise she will be discarded by even the player. The bitchy attitude turns out to be a mask to cover her own insecurities. It makes her look like a more obvious Jerkass Woobie and a tsundere and knowing her fate in the original game (failing her job to assassinate Marth, and then left to die by the one she looked up to), it makes her look far more tragic and like Legion, paints a very different side of her.
• Katarina seems to be more well-adjusted than the other two, but take all of her lines into account; it's clear she's just as broken as them and is simply going about it in a different way. A lot of her lines are about her desperation to be useful, and her guilt over her betrayals. If she gets a good level up, she says she hopes you're proud of her. If she gets a bad level up, she pleads with you to not be angry, which says a lot about how she was raised.
• Linde might look like a determined Plucky Girl, but then if you get her to Level 40 5-star, while expressing how grateful she is to you, she starts slipping off memories of her past on how she looked up to her father Miloah until he was murdered by Gharnef. The mere mention of that makes Linde's plucky attitude crack that she briefly tears up. So, even if she looked cheery, looks like she couldn't forever hide the fact that deep down she really misses her dad...
• Damaged portraits tend to be either intense, funny, or veering into fanservice territory. Subaki's damaged portrait◊, however, ends up outright depressing to look at. This is not helped by some of his home game's support conversations revealing that he has a fear of not being able to live up to the high standards that his parents had pressured into him.
• Listening to Berkut thinking lovingly about Rinea is rather difficult when you know he will ultimately sacrifice her to Duma in his blind lust for power and revenge.
• Amelia's level 40 speech has her mention why she wanted to become a soldier: she tells a short story of how bandits attacked her village and killed her mother, and there was nothing she could do back then. It's possibly worse if you've seen her supports with Duessel in Sacred Stones and know her mother is still alive, but this Amelia hasn't found out yet.
• While delivered with perfect stoicism, many of Jaffar's lines hammer home the fact that he was deprived of anything resembling a childhood, raised from infancy to become a mindless killing machine.
• Queen Hilda's Level 40 Confession, which is the one humanizing moment for her, with her otherwise being an unrepentent, cruel Hate Sink just like in her source game.
  Hilda: You again? You should know better than to bother someone who is drowning their sorrows. Your needs do not concern me. I am but a widow wishing to grieve in peace at the bottom of her bottle. My husband, Bloom, and my son, Ishtore, both slain by the resistance... Ulster stolen. How much must I bear? All that remains of House Friege are myself and Ishtar...and it's all the fault of that insipid brat Seliph! Does my tortured soul please you? I am not here to be your entertainment. Begone before I lose my temper...
• As expected of the first generation of Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War, there's a lot of sadness in the characters, whether because of Dramatic Irony or them knowing what's to come.
  • Arden makes a brief mention of wanting a family of his own, but he's not considered particularly attractive. His confession also talks about his fear of being left behind by his comrades.
  • Tailtiu talks about her fear of disappointing her father. In hindsight, not only that this would come true, that is, her father attempting to kill her just to clear their family name, this makes her eventual downward spiral harsher: Somewhere, she knew that her family would later abuse her for staining their name and then it extended to her daughter, and she partially blames herself for it.
  • Arvis talks a lot about the sort of world he wants to achieve — one free of discrimination, unaware of just how badly he's going to fail. He makes brief mention of Sigurd, calling him a usurper who needed to die, but it feels somewhat hollow, almost as though he's trying to justify it to himself rather than anyone else. His death quote is the names of his wife and daughter, just like in canon.
    Arvis: Deirdre... Julia...
  • Deirdre's lost her memories and is afraid that she's never going to see you again, just like with Sigurd. Making this sadder is that she frequently seems to feel as though she's a burden to the group, which could hardly be further from the truth, yet because of everything that's happened to her, it's not hard to see why she'd feel that way. She's both afraid to lose both you and Sigurd, yet is also afraid that she's The Load to you... Several of Deirdre's lines of dialogue mention her feeling afraid of "something inside of her", or outright mention how afraid her own blood makes her. Considering just what happens to all of her children because of their blood, it's outright tragic, in a What If the Baby Is Like Me sort of way. Especially when considering what happens to Julius.
  • In the "World of Holy War" Paralogue's third chapter, Veronica asks why Bruno is looking for a cure for them, since they're not sick, prompting Deirdre to make a "Not So Different" Remark that underscores how tragic their situation is.
    Deirdre: Oh, princess... You're not unlike me, are you?
    Veronica: In what way?
    Deirdre: Bound by the blood you were born with... And deprived of your own thoughts... You cannot be with the ones you love. I understand this anguish...
  • Sigurd, meanwhile, has a castle quote where he states that he intends to return to Seliph as he promised^note Roughly halfway through Chapter 5 of Genealogy, Sigurd has the infant Seliph taken to Isaach with his cousin Oifey and Ayra's nephew, Shannan in order to keep them safe, implying that he's from before his death at Belhalla... But then you reach his confession, which reveals that he's actually well-aware of just how badly things are going to go. Not only does he lament how badly things turn out with Eldigan, he knows what sorts of burdens Seliph is forced to carry.
    • Also, if you prepare to send him in battle, he has another quote in which he sadly thinks about his son, asking him to one day forgive him for not being there for him and wanting him to grow into a strong young man. He never saw his son grow into this, and the fact that he died really was a big deal for him, as he regrets the mistakes that lead to his death, leaving him orphaned at less than two years old.
    Sigurd: Seliph... I hope that you can forgive me one day. Please... grow into a strong man, one people look up to.
• The state of which Ishtar was summoned. In Regular Ishtar's case, it was implied in her 5★ level 40 confesssion that she was summoned moments after she died in the climatic battle. Her Ascendant variant drops all the pretense and her dialogue from This Life's Light Forging Bonds outright confirms this.
  Regular Ishtar (5★ level 40 Confession): Not long ago, I fought for one I loved deeply. I fought even though I knew this path was wrong, both as a warrior and as a woman. There may be a time when you must choose your path, as I did... Promise me one thing. When that time comes, do not make a choice that you will live to regret.
  Ascended Ishtar (This Life's Light): Yes… I feel as if it’s deeply etched into my memory. The rebel army, led by Princes Seliph… No, I suppose from your perspective it was the liberation army. My life was extinguished when I fought with you in that battle. I suppose that was my fate…
• It's implied from some of Sakura's dialogue in her Trick or Defeat! persona that she's from after the war in Fates, most likely Revelation. And one of her Castle Quotes has her mention that legends say nekomatas have the ability to bring people back from the dead. She tries to say what she'd do if she had that power, but gets too choked up to continue, no doubt with tears in her eyes and thinking about Mikoto... Long after the war and she's still pained by her death...
• One of Joshua's lines has him mention an intent to return to his mother in Jehenna. Anyone who's played Sacred Stones knows that the mother-son reunion won't go well. Dialogue from The Dorcas Gambit implies that this Joshua was summoned after the siege of Jehanna. Not only has he witnessed the death of his mother, but also the death of her killer — a man who used to be a dear friend.
• Regular Lyon's portrayal is heartbreaking for those who have played Sacred Stones. His voice, which sounds bitterly regretful, and confession, where he confesses while he is amnesiac about his past deeds but knows he has done terrible things to the people who cared about him, is a reminder of his position in his game as a Tragic Villain. What's even more depressing is that as of Peaceful Ends Forging Bonds, Regular Lyon is confirmed to be summoned after his tragic death at the end of Sacred Stones. Many of his voiced quotes and castle quotes hint at this:
  Regular Lyon: I tripped just a moment ago. My leg still hurts, but it hasn't ruined my mood in the slightest. It's strange. Being alive is wonderful, isn't it?
  Regular Lyon: I have no right to be alive... But I shall remain here for as long as you wish.
  Regular Lyon (Peaceful Ends, to Fallen Lyon): It seems that both you and your host have mistaken me for someone else. I am not the Prince Lyon struggling to resist the Demon King's insidious offer of power. I have already failed that test. Already committed every sin imaginable. I have already confronted Ephraim and Eirika in battle. And I have already fallen. You thought you were my future. You were wrong. It is the other way around.
• New Year Corrin's summary includes this gem: "His kimono was prepared by Mikoto while she was still alive."
• While the Fallen Heroes banner is mostly terrifying, it's also rather sad to see heroic figures like Robin, Celica and Hardin under Demonic Possession.
  • One of Hardin's lines in this state talks about how he "Loved her^note Nyna until the very end".
  • Robin's possession by Grima is particularly gut-punching because he is a green dragon unit - both of which would give Falchion wielders like Chrom and Lucina the best chance of finishing him. His lack of memories is also something of a sore spot. He even offers to spare your life if you can help him get them back. Yes, the Fell Dragon who despises humans is willing to let one live if they're able to help him get his memories back.
    • There's more: do you remember what unit color Grima was in the Future Past when Robin hijacked his body back to let Lucina deal the final blow? Green. Even in this state, the fact that Robin is still definitely awake there just makes this whole thing all the more tragic.
    • His level 40 confession has him venting his hatred of humanity at the player, insisting that the world wants him to be evil before lashing out at you when you apparently tell him you need him there.
    • Some of possessed Robin's lines make you wonder whether Grima truly is an evil dragon hellbent on the destruction of the world, or someone who is deeply hurt by a betrayal that once happened to him and became the Fell Dragon because that position was forced on him.
  • Despite how far they're fallen, all of the Fallen Heroes still have some shred of the people they once were. Celica in particular can recall her time in Ram and is lucid enough to beg for death at Alm's hand. Unlike the other Fallen Heroes, Celica is still trying desperately to regain her body, all while seeming perfectly aware of what's going on around her.

    Celica: Aagh, Alm...! Do it now... Kill me!

  • Then there's Takumi, who seems to cycle between confusion and bloodthirst. One half of him wants to kill, but he can't remember who, while another side of him still hears Azura's song as he gasps out her and Corrin's names in pain, wishing only to spend time with his family. It's just sad.
  • All the Fallen Heroes have a voice line where they show the humanity they once had.
    Robin: If I were human, and were able to live among you...then perhaps...
    Hardin: I...loved her. Until the very end...
    Celica: You are warm... Like a light that pierces the darkness...
    Takumi: I just want to spend time with my family!
• One of male Morgan's random quotes seems to confirm the popular fan theory that the Morgans are from a Future Past timeline where they worked with Grima to kill the other future children, with the possibility that some of the others are their siblings.
  Morgan: Huh. How'd I wind up with two copies of this strategy book?
• Gerome comes off as detached about the possibility of reuniting with his deceased parents, but as one of his voice lines reminds us, it's not without good reason.
  Gerome: I wanted parents — instead I got heroic martyrs.
• The new heroes in the World of Thracia aren't any more cheerful than the ones from Genealogy.
  • Leif is suffering from Survivor's Guilt and recalls the day Leonster fell, how he witnessed it in Finn's arms.
  • Finn still feels guilty over the death of Quan and Ethlyn, but seems numb by it. He repeatedly says that everything will be fine as long as Leif is alive - no matter what it takes. He's doubtlessly ready to throw his own life away to keep Leif safe.
• The second Genealogy banner isn't quite as solemn as the first, but there are still some moments.
  • Lene talks about how difficult her life is as a dancer, and the reason she keeps doing it: she's hoping to find her mother (Silvia) one day. Another voice line has her say she doesn't want to be alone and begging you to stay with her.
  • Ares's wonder at the possibility of seeing his father drives home the fact that Eldigan was taken from him far too soon. He talks about how he grew up seeing Sigurd as an enemy until recently. His confession even has him admit that he's raised his sword toward friends.
  • Ishtar is clearly doubting the path she's chosen, and her confession warns you not to make the same mistakes she has.
  • Julius seems entirely unrepentant, but one voice line has him groaning about his head hurting. That suggests, like the Fallen Heroes, deep down the real Julius is aware of what's going on and trying to fight off Loptous's possession/influence.
• Takumi's title in the German version^note Der Ewige Zweite translates to 'The Eternal Second Place'.
• A number of Canas's lines discuss the possibility that he'll end up like his brothers. He seems more concerned rather than afraid. The really tragic part is that anyone familiar with the Elibe saga knows that he won't end up like his brothers - he and his wife will die trying to stop a snowstorm, leaving their son Hugh to be raised by Canas's mother, Niime.
• As exciting as the Brave versions of Celica, Hector, Ephraim and Veronica are, there is still some solemness in their forms. Celica's confession reveals that she still feels guilty for her argument with Alm during their reunion, after years of being apart. Ephraim talks about his father, who dies in the first chapter of The Sacred Stones. Hector talks about how he wanted to stand at the side of his brother, who dies offscreen of illness in The Blazing Blade. Veronica, meanwhile, is afraid that her brother has started to hate her.
• Quan, much like Sigurd, doesn't appear to be aware of his ultimate fate until you reach his confession, where he reveals that he is. Ethlyn likewise seems oblivious, expressing a hope that Sigurd and Deirdre will live a happy life together, but one of her combat critical lines has her screaming a desperate "I'll protect you!" (This particular line can even be heard at times before battle when she's part of your team). Players familiar with her fate know that she made such a declaration towards her daughter, Altena, right before she and Quan were slain by Travant and Altena abducted.
• Helbindi's summoning quote. He also calls Askr "heaven," comparing it to his former "filth pile" home, and then goes on to say that "filth pile" is where he belongs.
  "This is a joke, right? The only place I'm heading is hell."
• Legendary Tiki's dialogue is laced with her fear of being left alone. Especially heartbreaking considering how young and childlike she is at this point.
  "I heard someone say I’m going to live much, much longer than everyone else...How much longer, do you think?"
• Everything about Young Azura is utterly heartbreaking. She comes from a time where she was treated horribly by the Nohrian court, with no one to come to her aid and ease her suffering. Her critical quotes are basically her screaming at the enemy to get out of her face and leave her alone. All in all, her entire character just makes you want to give her a big hug and protect her from any harm. It becomes even WORSE if you're aware of her fate at the end of Birthright and Conquest...
• Hríd, in one of his castle lines, expresses great regret in failing to protect his country's people and his sisters, believing it will haunt him for the rest of his life.
• When you max out either Grima to Level 40, their dialogue paints a rather depressing outlook on their beliefs and reason for being.
  Grima (Female): Come to butter me up some more? How very irksome. I've nothing to chat about with a human. Humans spout their ideals, but it's nothing but lip service. Let's all join together and hold hands, you'll say. We can overcome our differences despite being different species, despite our differing core ideologies. The truth is what you see daily in this place. Day after day, night after night, all you have is never-ending war. One person's satisfaction means another must suffer. That is the truth of all worlds. But my power of destruction is the one true equalizer. If you think there's someone out there capable of leading the world with such high-minded ideas of love and bonds... I'd love to meet them. Hmph. After all that, you still talk your big talk? Very well. I'll watch over you... Right until your bitter end.
  Grima (Male): You are a curious one... You willingly come to chat with me? The fell dragon? Alone? You know full well how I detest humans. They have no qualms asking for divine assistance when it meets their fickle needs... But how quick they are to shun their benefactors once they get what they desire. They become arrogant and make the same mistakes repeatedly, incapable of learning the folly of their ways. They claim their actions are for the good of others, but that's merely a show of self-indulgence. Humans are selfish. And the ugliness of mankind has turned me repulsive. It's the world that wants me to be evil. And yet you claim to need me here? Enough of your lies, worm. How dare you look at me with such a gaze. Do not dare pity me!
• One of Valentine Soren's quotes has him comment about the festival and how he never got the chance to experience it when he was young. If you're familiar with his background, this counts double.
• Really, everything about Greil. He has a Tempest and a Paralogue Chapter devoted to him, yes, but here's the catch: Greil comes from after Chapter 8 of Path of Radiance. Which means he's already had his duel with Black Knight. And he knows it. The Paralogue can be best summed up as "Ike, Mist, Titania and Soren get one more day with Greil" while a couple of Greil's voice lines drive the entire point home in force:
  Greil: The name's Greil. I was the commander of a mercenary company, but...Well, I retired.
  Greil: I told Ike to forget about revenge, but...
  Greil: I didn't want anybody dying on me. I ordered it. And then...Oh, Mist, I'm sorry.
• The Darkness Within banner makes all of the featured characters tragic foes.
  • Mareeta has fallen prey to the corruption of the Shadow Sword, but even in her controlled state, she can only express her desire to not hurt her mother; a few quotes show her visibly trying to fight or otherwise showing cracks, and her death quote in particular has her apologizing to her father. Her Confession has her coldly noting the war and the purposes of a sword in her 'usual' manner...before, in a moment of lucidity, quickly realizing what she just said, backtracking and saying that her sword was to protect; only, she can't remember anything. As she calls out for her parents, she also calls out for you.
  • Berkut has gone full Ax-Crazy, but one of his quotes has him in a panicked tone asking where Rinea is. The implication is that at that moment, Berkut was so unhinged he genuinely couldn't understand what he just did to Rinea. The Japanese delivery of the line makes this even worse, however; normally Berkut has Duma's voice speaking alongside his to indicate his Demonic Possession, but when he asks about Rinea, it's just his voice, implying that in a moment of lucidity, he has no idea what he just did.
  • Corrin's voice lines are pained and she is trying to do her best to warn people to stay away from her. Even her critical quotes sound less like a Pre-Mortem One-Liner, and more like a warning.
  • Young Tiki sounds robotic and her voice is filled with Dull Surprise in a way that makes it clear how feral she is compared to her normal forms.
  • Delthea likewise sounds robotic and focused solely on killing Tatarrah's enemies. At five stars, she admits that if you find yourself as one of them, killing you would give her pause, but she'd still do it. In one of Delthea's status page quotes at five stars, she briefly regains control, and says how she actually feels about her situation.

    Fallen Delthea: Save me, brother... I'm... I'm scared... I want to see our village again... I want to go home!

  • Muarim also became available, but in his "fallen" alt, which comes from the cutscene in Radiant Dawn where Izuka force-feeds him the Feral Ones drug. Because of the drug, he's suffering and constantly tense as he tries to stay in control, and when you talk to him, he often warns you to not stay too close to him in the case he loses control or he might hurt you, even mentioning Tormod a few times. One voice clip in particular has Muarim in a full panic, scared that he might hurt him too. Keep this in mind, Tormod was an orphan, and Muarim raised him as his adoptive son. Judging by how heavily he breathes as he hyperventilates and how panicked and scared he is, it almost sounds like he's having a nightmare.

    Muarim: Agh! My body can't... No, no! Little one... get away!

• Most of Ylgr's quotes highlight her desire to go out on an adventure... save one, where she sounds like she's on the verge of crying and barely spurts out "I'm...so sorry."
• Summer Helbindi has two quotes expressing a hope that his sister, Menja, will show up. One of them even has him about to ask the Summoner to try, only to change his mind and tell them to "forget it".
• Summer Helbindi's conversation with Loki at the end of the Tempest Trial "A Promise or Joy" has him seeing through her manipulations. She promised him the chance to see his sister again, but he feels that he doesn't belong where she is. After all of the things he's done, he believes that he belongs in hell.
• Dimitri brings up how it is evil to kill, which even if you don't know what happens in Three Houses, is upsetting if you see the trailer during E3 and seeing how Dimitri shouts "KILL EVERY LAST ONE OF THEM!" in the Time Skip.
• Halloween Hector and Lilina are cute at first glance... Until you get to their conversation, where they end up discussing about the future... in case 'something bad' happened to Hector. Lilina starts crying in fear of what would happen, and while Hector managed to calm her down, it may be the only time he realized he was too brash back then when he took up the curse of Armads. At that point, he knew what kind of grief he would leave to his daughter when the curse came to fruition and there's no turning back. The end of "A Child's Wish" only rubs salt into the wound when L'Arachel, who also lost her father, urges Hector not to die for Lilina's sake. Hector promises to stay alive, but anyone aware of how things play out in The Binding Blade knows it's a promise Hector can't keep.
• The arrival of a non-corrupted Mareeta alongside her mother Eyvel is heartwarming at first, but Eyvel still notes that there are certain things about her life that she can't remember (namely, her time with Sigurd's army, her twin sister Edain AND her two biological children Patty and Febail).
• Shannan still holds a lot of guilt over Deirdre's disappearance, but there's also the fact that his aunt, Ayra, left behind his cousins Larcei and Ulster.
• The Forging Bonds side-stories for Nils and Leila are heart-wrenching for anyone who has played through Blazing Sword, dealing with the fact that Nils and Matthew come from points in time after Ninian and Leila died. In Nils' case, Ninian understands exactly what's going on and calmly tells Nils that she doesn't regret her decision, which he eventually accepts. Matthew, on the other hand, doesn't get such closure; he has a damn-near mental breakdown trying and failing to steer Leila off her course because he cannot bring himself to tell her how she dies, resulting in an unsatisfactory ending where Leila tells him off for acting so weird and stays ignorant of the truth.
• Brigid’s confession has her talking about how proud she is to be the leader of the Orgahil Pirates, who only take from scoundrels and give to the needy. Fans familiar with her story will know that the rest of her crew doesn’t feel that way, and it won’t be long before they drive her out.
• The Forging Bonds event "A New Future" has a couple of these implied due to the fact that all four characters are summoned after their respective wars:
  • It starts bad already due to the tense air between Edelgard and Dimitri as both had slain the other in their timelines. Even after everything has ended, seeing what's essentially a ghost of their enemy reminds them of the battles they had gone through.
  • Once rumors of the post war Edelgard, Dimitri, Claude and Lysithia start floating about, the students summoned into Askr start speculating about their respective futures. But what they don't know is that the three lords were summoned from different timelines, Lysithea coming from Verdant Wind, and thus they don't know the horrors of war that would fall upon them, or if they made it out alive from any of their paths.
  • Dimitri is still haunted by the voices in his head, then Líf appears before him. Due to their similar histories, Líf tells Dimitri that they are monsters that should not be here, something Dimitri seems to agree upon.
• Clicking Plumeria a few times in her status screen might end up having her recall one of those dark times of hers, namely the moments before her mortal death, abandoned to die in a well.
  ... S-so dark... Someone... please... Help me...
• One of Hegemon Husk Edelgard's lines has her address the Summoner by stating that facing them makes her feel weak. While the line itself is already sad, the fact that her Voice of the Legion effect is gone during it, indicates that she values the Summoner's aid enough that it makes her turn away from using those dark powers.
• Several of Fernand's quotes, including his max level speech, have him wistfully reminiscing about his time in Deliverance and his genuine bond with Clive and Mathilda. He initially tried to blame his Face–Heel Turn on Clive refusing to listen, but eventually begins to wonder if it was his own fault. Now remember that in his home game, he didn't have this self-reflection until he was already dying.
• Should you summon Sigurd's legendary version, his summon line is rather heartbreaking.
  "I am Sigurd of Chalphy. My father, my dear friends, and all those under me risked everything...Now, all I am left with are my regrets."
• One of Wolf's lines has him wishing he had died in the Coyote's Men's battle with Marth at Adria Pass, rather than living to see how far Hardin would fall and then to play a role in his death.
• Immaculate One Rhea's level 40 conversation is heart-rending. The worst part is that her request can never be granted. Even if the Summoner has summoned Sothis, even if they support Sothis and Rhea together, the game will not acknowledge it in any meaningful way and Rhea's pained dialogue does not change.
  Immaculate One Rhea: My only desire is to see my mother one last time. I have carried on for so long, allowing that ache to guide me... But now, I have drifted... I am so far from Fódlan... from home... I have drifted to another world. It is strange though... Even in this land, I sense a familiar presence. Her presence. If I continue to fight for you, will you let me see her? Please... May I... may I hear Mother's voice one last time?
• Fallen Gustav's lines are rife with sadness. In some of said lines, he laments his situation as a revenant, while in others, he speaks wistfully about the wife and kids he left behind in death, or undeath. Two of these lines, however, stick out most. In his quote for when five or six of his stats increase in a level up, he asks the Summoner when they will let him die and how much more he has to kill. Then there's his friend greeting quote, in which even there, he is unable to shake his profound sorrow of getting killed while being disallowed true death. He essentially says how Hel has not claimed the life of whoever he is representing, unlike his own.
• Fallen Chrom comes from the future where Grima won, having been killed by him as in the premonition at the beginning of Fire Emblem: Awakening. He still bears the bolt of lightning magic that killed him in his side, and his right sleeve is torn to expose the Brand of the Exalt on his shoulder in contrast to Grima's mark on his right hand. Seeing just what happened to Chrom after his death is equal parts this and Nightmare Fuel, but it's much heavier in wrenching hearts at just how nihilistic he's become. Instead of his belief that anything can change, he bluntly states that fate cannot be changed and to simply accept it. His voice even sounds as though he's in constant pain, barely able to speak in his now undead state; one line in particular has him calling out to those he's lost.

  "Emmeryn...Lissa... Robin...!"

  • His non-voiced lines aren't much better, lamenting his fate. From almost wistful thoughts about having more strength when learning skills, to mourning that he can never feel the joy of hearing Robin's voice again, Fallen Chrom is utterly broken, little more than Grima's weapon.
  • And then there's his Forging Bonds storyline. Oh god, his Forging Bonds storyline. It's basically an extended sequence of Grima mentally tormenting a freshly-Risen Chrom with a dream of him, Robin and the Shepherds defeating Grima before ripping it away from him and telling him in no short terms that Robin is gone, all the Shepherds are dead, and Chrom will lead the Risen in an attack on Ylisse. And then, just before Chrom is summoned to Askr, Robin manages to briefly wrest control away from Grima and practically begs Chrom to warn them of the threat posed by the Fell Dragon before succumbing, seemingly for good, as Chrom calls out to him.
• While Fallen Byleth is mostly haughty and spiteful, there's an air of melancholy about her. It's clear that the close bond between Sothis and Byleth seen in Three Houses is nowhere to be found here due to Byleth never being summoned to Garreg Mach, with Sothis considering Byleth little more than a low-quality vessel and speaking of her (and humans in general, if her Special lines are any indication) with contempt. Then there's how Sothis came to take over Byleth's body: They come from the Three Hopes routes where Shez killed Jeralt, and Byleth, overwhelmed with grief at losing pretty much the only person she had in her life, willingly let Sothis take control so she could get revenge. In her level 40 speech, Byleth actually manages to briefly wrest control away from Sothis and apologises for how she's acted towards the Summoner, promising to continue fighting for them.

Others

• From the official manga: Masked Lucina◊ is musing about her mission to protect the future, only to come across Spring Chrom hanging out with Spring Lucina...the sight of which brings her to tears. (An alternate reading of the manga's title is "A Successfully Saved Future...It Exists!")
• The 1/30/2018 Feh Channel has poor Feh spend so much time talking about the upcoming anniversary events that she doesn't notice Alfonse, Sharena, Anna, Fjorm, and Effie gobble up her birthday cake before she can get a single bite in.
  Feh: Aww...the cake is all gone...everybody got to have some ex...cept for me...
• At the end of the November 7th, 2018 Feh Channel, Sharena, in a stark contrast to her character, is shown reaching towards the viewer with tears streaming down her face. Such a sight surely made many summoners' hearts sink. Even worse is when we see why in the trailer for Book 3...
  • The Book III ending movie gives us a case of Bookends to the opening movie, showing our version of Sharena again at Hel's mercy. Unlike the opening movie, the entire scene is voice acted, allowing us to hear Alfonse screaming Sharena's name when he realizes what's about to happen, and in the Japanese dub, Sharena does the same while attempting a Futile Hand Reach.
• From the "Kindred Ties" crossover event in Dragalia Lost, all the Heroes characters are put through the wringer, made even more chilling by the emotive Japanese voice acting, since Heroes itself doesn't include dubbing for story interactions outside of the cinematics.
  • The entire plot kicks off when Alfonse is kidnapped by Thórr and is corrupted with black mana, amplifying the Askran power to open portals to a world-destroying degree. He begs Sharena to leave him, despite her repeated attempts to rescue him, and ultimately tries to kill her, all the while screaming in pain the entire time.
  • Sharena attempts to talk him out of it, reassuring Euden (who's Forced to Watch by Thórr and his sister who is possessed by a demon called the Other) that she's fought changed versions of her brother before, but after dodging Alfonse's attack, she pauses and wonders why she's crying. The Japanese dub and script really sells it, with Sharena speaking confidently at first, then gradually faltering while remarking how it's funny that she's crying in the middle of battle, before completely breaking down into tears and screaming for her brother. This moves Zethia to fight against her own possession by the Other long enough to free Alfonse from the black mana.
  • Peony is also corrupted by black mana, putting everyone around her into a dream state, but gives adults nightmares because she believes they steal the innocence of children. She snaps out of it once Sharena recounts their meeting in Book IV, saying she would hate it if Peony forgot about her.
  • Tiki goes on a rampage after Dyrenell soldiers attack a horde of dragons, being reminded of how her own kind were wiped out. The entire time she's begging not to be left alone again, and is only calmed by Mym transforming into her dragon form herself, and reassuring Tiki she won't be abandoned.
  • Chrom is transported to a Bad Future, where Alfonse was freed from Thorr, but whose corrupted portal opening powers could not be suppressed but by the Other, who does so after Euden takes on its power. He befriends Zethia, but Thórr continues to wreak havoc on Alberia and ultimately kills Zethia. Zethia uses the last of her strength to send Chrom back in time to stop the party from freeing Alfonse from Thórr’s prison.