So, what's the deal with Genealogy?

[Agent_Chieftain]

I haven't played Genealogy, but it seems like any time the issue of incest in Fire Emblem comes up, there's usually a joke at it's expense. What exactly happens in Genealogy that gives it this reputation?

[Agro]

it's a little bit spoilery, but one of the main villains comes into existence by way of two half-siblings getting married and having kids (they didn't know it at the time).

[Enaluxeme]

And there's some implication another half siblings couple has an affair near the start of the game.

Not only that: depending on the player's choices, you can have cousins marry, and a girl that is the love interest of a pair of brothers can be their cousine too if her mother was paired with their uncle.

[majora_787]

There's also Raquesis. Basically, while people joke about how much optional incest is in Awakening or Fates, Genealogy has a lot of guaranteed incest both relevant and irrelevant to the core plot. It's... special.

[Enaluxeme]

There's also Raquesis. Basically, while people joke about how much optional incest is in Awakening or Fates, Genealogy has a lot of guaranteed incest both relevant and irrelevant to the core plot. It's... special.

Actually the only guaranteed incest is between Diadora and Alvis.

Raquesis is only rumored to have a relationship with Eltshan, and both of them have children with someone else. AiraXHolyn and ClaudeXSylvia are only distantly related, and real life nobles had weddings with much closer relatives.

Really, the only strange thing is pairing Aira with Lex, but you aren't forced to pair her daughter with one of her cousins anyway.

[Water Mage]

Another interesting fact is that apparently, Ares was going to be Raquesis's child, so RaquesisxEltshan was going to be cannon.

[Jave]

Another thing is that Shanan x Larcei, Faval x Lana, and Lester x Patty all have lover conversations in the final map.

It's like they wanted you to pair the cousins at least once.

[Acacia Sgt]

Another thing is that Shanan x Larcei, Faval x Lana, and Lester x Patty all have lover conversations in the final map.

It's like they wanted you to pair the cousins at least once.

Well, isn't cousin marriage legal in Japan? That and considering the medieval period, they probably thought it wasn't that big a deal.

Really, the only strange thing is pairing Aira with Lex, but you aren't forced to pair her daughter with one of her cousins anyway.

Well, to be fair, Lex and Dannan are half-brothers, so Dannan's sons would only be half-cousins to Lex's kids.

[Nobody]

The apparent love interest of the second generation's protagonist is also his half sister. You can't naturally pair them to each other, but there are glitches that allow you to do it.

There's a forced marriage between half siblings that is central to the plot. This one is very, very important and pretty much grants that the game won't ever get a western release/remake, since there's no way it could be removed from the plot.

There are plenty of optional incestuos pairings between cousins, and one that is implied to be between lost siblings (though later IS released an official book that put them as cousins)

Edited March 14, 2016 by Nobody