Ike and the Black Knight have the perfect rivalry and build up.

[IceBrand]

This not only applies to the character, Ike, but to YOU as the player. In the beginning of the game Ike is training to become a mercenary like his father,Greil. Ike fights Boyd who's somewhat of a match for him. You later fight Ike's father who without healing will defeat you. If you check his skills you learn that he was holding back. Your were barely able to handle Griel at half strength. At full power he would destroy you. Later on in the story you meet two of Daein's four riders, Petrine and The Black Knight. You later find Greil fighting the Black Knight, both men aming to kill each other. Eventually Griel falls and loses. You are catched off guard, someone stronger than Ike's father?! Ike tries to fight back but is tossed aside with little effort. Ike then quivers in defeat of losing both his father and the battle. Now both you and Ike are required to beat the man who killed his father.This seems like a impossible task but you know the time will come. And when it does, you will be prepared. In chapter 11 Ike and company are headed off to sea to set sail for Begnion. In one of the houses appears none other than the murderer himself, The Black Knight. Here you can see his stats and skills. You will soon relies that Ike is far inferior to him. You can try to fight him and your reward will be a quick and swift death. Ike meets a swordmen by the name of Stefan. He sees that Ike skills are unfinished and he would like to train him. He trains him and Ike learns Aether. After much fighting in later chapters Ike promotes to a Lord and gain to leaps in strength. But it's still not close enough to the Black Knight. After going through most of Daein you enter Crimea's border. There you fight and defeat Petrine. After defeating her you then begin you relies your potential. Ike and company defeated one of Daein's four riders. If this keeps up we will be able to defeat all of them, including The Black Knight. To your surprise the next chapter has The Black Knight himself showing up. Comparing your stats to him now, Ike is some what comparable to him. Both story and gameplay wise attacking him will do no damage, even with your stats. You find out that you need Ragnell, the weapon he gave to Ike's father to fight him with. Near the end of the game Ike finally fights The Black Knight with Rangell and stats on the same level as him. It just you and him, one on one.......well except for Mist and three Daein soilders, but you ignore that!!! You fight the monster head on. The battle seems tough, almost impossible. Even so you continue to fight. Thanks to your goal to defeat him you finally pull of the victory with an Aether. You finally avenge your father's death. Now both you and Ike can feel a sign of relief.

[Anacybele]

What about the continuation of this in RD? Ike finds out from Elincia that the Black Knight was discovered to be alive and he had not actually died from the wounds Ike gave him three years before. Ike decides to search for him again so he can take him out for sure this time, but Ranulf gets him and the mercenaries to help him first. But eventually, Ranulf figures out who the Black Knight really is and it deepens this story further. Ike finally confronts the Black Knight one last time in the tower in Part 4 and he kills him at last. He finally avenged and surpassed his father for real.

It really is a great rivalry. ^^

[Mr. Haar]

Yeah, Radiant Dawn kind of amplifies this rivalry's greatness by a crapload. You find out that BK's alive, then find out he was holding back, and in the end you learn his history and motivations. It really is one of the greatest rivalries in gaming.

[Life]

RD doesn't exist. I like to pretend that it's a completely different world with different characters.

Even by FE low standards for storytelling, RD attempts and succeeds at embarressing the franchise

[Anacybele]

RD doesn't exist. I like to pretend that it's a completely different world with different characters.

Even by FE low standards for storytelling, RD attempts and succeeds at embarressing the franchise

I disagree, though I like to pretend most of the paired endings in it don't exist. xP

RD has my favorite story in the series and I thought it was excellent. I was so hooked I couldn't put it down, especially in part 3. OMG, the Black Knight is alive?! How did he survive when Ike kicked his arse? :o Would Elincia be able to stop that jerk Ludveck and his rebellion? Would Ranulf and the other laguz be able to beat those awful Begnion troops, even with Ike's help? Would Sanaki be able to get her nation back? Valtome is creepy! Ike, you and your guys are going to give him a nice good beating and save Elincia! While Geoffrey and his men do absolutely nothing to help and let her almost get killed... Nobody treats her like that!

Part 4 wasn't quite as epic as parts 2 and 3, but still. I thought "I'm glad everyone was able to resolve their differences and team up to take on Ashera! Even though I still hate you, Micaiah. I felt more connected with the characters in this game than even in PoR. I really wanted to help the good guys, even the Dawn Brigade despite that I find them boring and wimpy.

Edited June 7, 2013 by Anacybele

[Mr. Haar]

RD doesn't exist. I like to pretend that it's a completely different world with different characters.

Even by FE low standards for storytelling, RD attempts and succeeds at embarressing the franchise

I disagree as well. If it were a different world with different characters, then it wouldn't make a lick of sense since it relies on Path of Radiance for character development and backstory, that's why there's not much character development in returning characters. It's also easily the most grand-scaled and epic story in the FE franchise which has generally high standards among gaming. Also, steroid-Ike is better than POR-Ike so that pretty much makes the game all by itself. Just my two cents.

Edited June 14, 2013 by Mr. Haar

[fiverandombluegiraffes]

RD doesn't exist. I like to pretend that it's a completely different world with different characters.

Even by FE low standards for storytelling, RD attempts and succeeds at embarressing the franchise

Honestly I think that RD continued the story pretty well. I know lots of people say the story wasn't all that great, but if someone hadn't said that to me in the first place I wouldn't have been apprehensive. Part 4's battles kind of confused me, but the way they continued the story and tied of most loose ends was pretty smooth in my book.

[darkkfan]

RD doesn't exist. I like to pretend that it's a completely different world with different characters.

Even by FE low standards for storytelling, RD attempts and succeeds at embarressing the franchise

Can't tell if trolling or not

Edited June 16, 2013 by Walhart

[Steampunk]

I personally enjoyed RD a great deal, and it seemed to be universally well received. Not sure why you'd say it embarrassed the franchise. Just because you didn't like it doesn't mean no one else did. The story isn't anything to write home about, but Nintendo isn't know for its Kubrickian plots. If anything, they tried to add some depth to the story by having different protagonists and swapping perspectives throughout the game. It may not have worked (that's up to each person), but at least they had a neat idea.

[Comet]

I disagree, though I like to pretend most of the paired endings in it don't exist. xP

RD has my favorite story in the series and I thought it was excellent. I was so hooked I couldn't put it down, especially in part 3. OMG, the Black Knight is alive?! How did he survive when Ike kicked his arse? :o Would Elincia be able to stop that jerk Ludveck and his rebellion? Would Ranulf and the other laguz be able to beat those awful Begnion troops, even with Ike's help? Would Sanaki be able to get her nation back? Valtome is creepy! Ike, you and your guys are going to give him a nice good beating and save Elincia! While Geoffrey and his men do absolutely nothing to help and let her almost get killed... Nobody treats her like that!

Part 4 wasn't quite as epic as parts 2 and 3, but still. I thought "I'm glad everyone was able to resolve their differences and team up to take on Ashera! Even though I still hate you, Micaiah. I felt more connected with the characters in this game than even in PoR. I really wanted to help the good guys, even the Dawn Brigade despite that I find them boring and wimpy.

That's part 2.

Anyway, I don't see anything wrong with Radiant Dawn's plot, it's one of my favorite's from any video game. I just have some minor problems with Ashera and how she doesn't seem to know about branded even though she's a powerful and all knowing goddess. Lehran could have at least told her they exist.

[Anacybele]

That's part 2.

I never said it wasn't. I know it is. xP

[sunshineYON]

The first time I played PoR, I ran away from the Black Knight. I had never felt more personal about a boss in a game before. PoR excelled at giving you a villain you truly despised. Unfortunately, I lent my game to my cousin for Twilight Princess in exchange before I could give another run a shot and kill BK. He lived in another state, and the chances of me seeing the game grew fainter and fainter. Years pass, and I was finally able to buy PoR again for cheap at a Gamestop during college. Fortunately this time, Ike didn't get RNG screwed and I was able to Aether the Black Knight's ass to death. I felt that I had resolved something that day that had been with me forever. I think despite its sackyness, the fight with the BK is my all time favorite boss fight ever because of this. I agree with you on their whole rivalry bit, and was really bummed out they decided to ruin the whole thing with RD. I felt nothing when I mauled the BK with a Hammer the second time around in the Tower of Guidance

[Ikorus]

Using the hammer is kinda cheap and meta anyhow if you ask me. You should use Ragnll or perhaps even Urvan (if you wanna make it hard on yourself with WTD). Makes more sense plotwise. More satisfying. Also curse aether's crazy low activation rate!

[Tryhard]

Also, steroid-Ike is better than POR-Ike so that pretty much makes the game all by itself.

what

no, what

It's also easily the most grand-scaled and epic story in the FE franchise which has generally high standards among gaming.

I'm not sure about this, either.

Edited August 14, 2013 by Kelsper

[Anacybele]

Using the hammer is kinda cheap and meta anyhow if you ask me. You should use Ragnll or perhaps even Urvan (if you wanna make it hard on yourself with WTD). Makes more sense plotwise. More satisfying. Also curse aether's crazy low activation rate!

Low activation rate? Ike always Aethered like crazy for me, and I've played both PoR and RD to death. o.O

[Shotguner159]

Low activation rate? Ike always Aethered like crazy for me, and I've played both PoR and RD to death. o.O

According to this site, Aether's activation rate is Skill/2 in RD, and Skill in PoR. 27% in PoR and 20% in RD. Not exactly the highest of activation rates.

[Baldrick]

20% isn't as bad as it looks, especially if you're fighting several enemies in the one EP. You're likely to see it once every other round. Apart from those Generals who tend to have just enough durability, it's not like he needs the offense boost.

But in 4-E-2, it's activation rate is 0 because BK has Nihil

[Ikorus]

Ive played only RD, and only made it to endgame once (habitually resetting entire game). ike basically solo'd his maps with rediculous stats and dodging EVERYTHING. Only scored aether Once. And BK's nihil is unfair! he still gets to Eclipse unless you run like hell or have nihil yourself >|

[Baldrick]

Ike does get a free Nihil upon promotion, so you have to go out of your way to render him unable to use it. I liked the fact that neither could activate their mastery, it made it a proper swordsmanship-based duel rather than somebody winning due to a lucky skill activation.

[Constable Reggie]

20% isn't as bad as it looks, especially if you're fighting several enemies in the one EP. You're likely to see it once every other round. Apart from those Generals who tend to have just enough durability, it's not like he needs the offense boost.

But in 4-E-2, it's activation rate is 0 because BK has Nihil

It doesn't do both parts if the first hit kills the enemy, which is extremely lame

[Phoenix Wright]

~snip~

It's just a little bit clichéd, but I agree, it was pretty powerful. Clichés done right can still seem to be fresh, which is what PoR did.

I still hold my opinion that Greil could have defeated the Knight in Matte Armor if he were able to use his dominant hand.

The first time I played PoR, I ran away from the Black Knight. I had never felt more personal about a boss in a game before. PoR excelled at giving you a villain you truly despised. Unfortunately, I lent my game to my cousin for Twilight Princess in exchange before I could give another run a shot and kill BK. He lived in another state, and the chances of me seeing the game grew fainter and fainter. Years pass, and I was finally able to buy PoR again for cheap at a Gamestop during college. Fortunately this time, Ike didn't get RNG screwed and I was able to Aether the Black Knight's ass to death. I felt that I had resolved something that day that had been with me forever. I think despite its sackyness, the fight with the BK is my all time favorite boss fight ever because of this. I agree with you on their whole rivalry bit, and was really bummed out they decided to ruin the whole thing with RD. I felt nothing when I mauled the BK with a Hammer the second time around in the Tower of Guidance

I found him harder in RD, as I exclusively use Ragnell. The build-up wasn't as cool as PoR's, but I really did like the way they closed it up.