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Fire Emblem Fates[a] is a tactical role-playing video game for the Nintendo 3DS, developed by Intelligent Systems and Nintendo SPD and published by Nintendo. It was released in June 2015 in Japan and internationally in 2016, and was the second installment in the series to be developed for the 3DS after Fire Emblem Awakening. Unlike previous titles, Fates was released in three versions, each following a different storyline centered on the same characters: Birthright[b] and Conquest[c] as physical releases, and Revelation[d] as downloadable content.
The overarching story follows the protagonist, a customizable avatar named Corrin by default, as they are unwillingly drawn into a war between the kingdoms of Hoshido, their birthplace, and Nohr, their adopted home, and must choose which side to support. In Revelation, the Avatar rallies both sides against the true mastermind behind the war.
The following is an abridged list of characters for all three versions.
Corrin
Corrin[e] is the player avatar and main protagonist, whose name, gender and appearance can be customized by the player.[3] They are a member of the Hoshidan royal family, but were kidnapped by King Garon of Nohr as an infant.[4] In the opening battle between the two kingdoms, Corrin's two families meet, and Corrin is forced to choose between siding with Hoshido and Nohr. In the Birthright and Conquest routes, Corrin chooses either their biological or adopted family, respectively. This causes them to be denounced by the other side, and they are gradually forced to fight them.[5] If Corrin marries, they are also able to have children, including a child named Kana.[6] They wield a weapon called the Yato, and have the ability to transform into a dragon.
In other media
Both male and female Corrin appear in Fire Emblem Heroes[7] with various alternate costumes, including outfits based on young Azura's dreams, "Fallen" versions (where their primal instincts go out of control), and a "Legendary" version featuring female Corrin as a Nohr Noble. Corrin also appears in Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia as a special unit that can only be summoned via amiibo.[8] Female Corrin is a supporting character in Fire Emblem Warriors, with Male Corrin being unlockable in History Mode; they have also received additional costumes via the Fire Emblem Fates downloadable content pack.[9][10][11] The female version of Corrin is featured as an Emblem In Fire Emblem Engage.[12]
Outside the Fire Emblem series, Corrin is featured in Nintendo's Super Smash Bros. crossover fighting game series. They first appear as a playable character via paid downloadable content in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U and later returns as an unlockable character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.[13] Here, Corrin wields the Omega Yato, the Yato's strongest form,[14] and some of their attacks involve changing parts of their body into those of their dragon forms.
Azura (アクア, Aqua)
A member of the Nohrian royal family who Hoshido kidnapped as part of their efforts to rescue Corrin. She is one of the companions who join Corrin regardless of the story route. She is a songstress with magical water-based powers who is able to pacify foes by combining the song Lost in Thoughts All Alone with her pendant. Birthright and Conquest end with her disappearance after expending her power to weaken the villainous King Garon and enable Corrin to defeat him. The plot of Revelation reveals that Azura was the princess of the invisible land of Valla before the king was murdered by the mad dragon Anankos. Azura fights and defeats her mother, Queen Arete, then helps stop Anankos. Afterwards, she becomes the new royal advisor of a rebuilt Valla, but can also become its new queen if an S-rank with Corrin is achieved.
Following her appearance in Fates, Azura was added to Fire Emblem Warriors in 2017 as part of a DLC expansion pack.[15] In 2019, she was made a "Legendary Hero" in Fire Emblem Heroes with a new "Vallite Songstress" outfit.[16]
Characters specific to Birthright originate from the kingdom of Hoshido, a location styled after medieval Japan. They also appear in Revelation, in which both kingdoms unite.
Main characters
The main characters among the Hoshidan royal family include Corrin's siblings Ryoma, Takumi, Hinoka, and Sakura. Ryoma and Takumi wield the Legendary Weapons of Hoshido, the Raijinto katana and the Fujin Yumi.
Rhajat (シャラ, Syalla)
The child of Hayato, a member of the Wind Tribe, and a diviner specializing in dark arts. She is similar to the character Tharja from Fire Emblem: Awakening, with her name being an anagram of her name, but is not directly related to her. She received attention for her potential same-sex romance, should the player choose female Corrin.[17]
Characters specific to Conquest originate from the kingdom of Nohr, which is styled after medieval Europe. They also appear in Revelation, in which both kingdoms unite.
Main characters
The main characters from the Nohrian kingdom include Corrin's guardian, Gunter, and their adoptive siblings Xander, Camilla, Leo, and Elise. Xander and Leo respectively wield the Legendary Weapons of Nohr: the sword Siegfried and the tome Brynhildr.
Camilla (カミラ, Kamira)
A member of Nohrian royalty and Corrin's adoptive sister after they were kidnapped from Hoshido. She received critical and fan attention for her unusually provocative personality and character design. Patricia Hernandez of Kotaku noted that both her personality and appearance were "sexualized", while Gita Jackson of the same publication described her clothes as making her resemble a dominatrix, saying that "every time you think it’s going to do something sensible, it defies expectations".[18]
Following her appearance in Fates, Camilla was featured as one of the DLC Emblems for Fire Emblem Engage, specializing in anti-lance skills and those that boost characters' Speed and Resistance.[19]
Soleil (ソレイユ, Soreiyu)
A mercenary who is the daughter of Laslow, the alternate identity of Inigo from Fire Emblem: Awakening, and the grandchild of Olivia from Awakening. She is cheerful and energetic and, like her father, enjoys being flirtatious towards women. The Western localization presents her as unambiguously lesbian, but her sexuality is more ambiguous in the Japanese version, and she is unable to marry other women. Her character faced significant controversy due to a purported "gay conversion" support conversation in which male Corrin gives her a spiked drink containing a magic powder that makes her perceive people as the opposite gender. This results in her falling in love with Corrin even after the magic wears off, combined with her lack of female S-Supports.[20] This conversation was completely altered in English despite the fact that Soleil willingly continued using the powder and the possibility she was simply bi-curious.[21]
Niles (ゼロ, Zero)
An outlaw who has the personal skill to capture enemy units and recruit them into the player's army. He, along with Rhajat, possess a same-sex romantic option with the Corrin of that gender. Fans feared that these relationships would be censored in the game's Western release due to Nintendo's stance on Tomodachi Life, which did not include such relationships. However, Nintendo ultimately retained the option in the localized game,[22] but pursuing this option prevents the player from recruiting Nina, his future child.[17]
The characters of Fire Emblem Fates were generally well received. Martin Robinson of Eurogamer praised the game's My Castle mechanic, in which Corrin could bond with the game's characters, stating that he preferred the "awesome" characters of Conquest over those of Birthright.[23] Melanie Zawodniak of Nintendo World Report commended the developers for making Corrin the protagonist, saying that, as the customizable avatar of the player, Corrin added more "personal stakes" to the player's relationship with both their allies and enemies, calling them a "conduit for the player to identify with the consequences of their choice."[24]
However, criticism was leveled at Corrin's role in the story, with Zawodniak calling them poorly written and a "disaster of a character".[24] Marianne Penn of TheGamer described them as "way too naive", stating that they are "liked by almost everyone they meet" in an unbelievable manner.[25] While Fates was the first game in the series to introduce same-sex romantic support conversations, an aspect that was called "groundbreaking",[17] its depiction of bisexuality was also criticized. Said romanceable characters are "playersexual" - only able to do so with Corrin. Additionally, both characters, Niles and Rhajat, are shown as morally ambiguous, exhibiting sadistic and stalker-like behavior, respectively, reinforcing the negative stereotype that those attracted to multiple genders are "depraved". From a gameplay perspective, same-sex marriage permanently locks off the player from obtaining Corrin's future child, Kana, as well as Niles' child, Nina, if he is the one being married, making it detrimental to do so.[26]
The game's Western localization, done by Nintendo Treehouse rather than 8-4, as with the previous game, caused controversy due to significant changes made to the personalities and supports of many of the characters, causing the game to take a more comedic and lighthearted tone. For example, the knight character Effie,[f] a "kindhearted gentle giant", was changed to being "macho" and "narcissist" with a bodybuilding fixation, while child character Hisame, formerly a serious character, was given an overt obsession with pickles. "Silly" dialog was added to several characters - Corrin's child, Kana, was made to "speak dragon" by roaring even while in human form, referencing an Internet meme, and talks in a more childish manner. In some cases, the characters' dialog and behavior were also censored - an entire conversation between two ninja, Saizo and Beruka, about assassination was replaced with ellipsis.[21]
A "petting" minigame in which Corrin could increase their bonds with other members of the army by inviting them to their quarters and touching them via the touchscreen was made inaccessible by players for the Western release, although Nintendo stated they did not consider it inappropriate within Japan.[27] Its removal was described as "awkward" and "slightly clumsy", resulting in a "vestigial moment" as characters visit and leave "before anything actually happens".[23] An unrelated minigame in which Corrin could wake up their spouse remained unmodified.[27] 60% of the game's voiced lines were also removed.[20]
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