Favorite lords?

[Ronnie]

Who are some of your favorite lords in Fire Emblem?

Mine would be Lucina because she reminds me of Future Trunks from Dragon Ball. Future child of a main character set on a mission to return to a different past to help their family and friends. It was the first and easiest connection I could make to a character in Awakening and it also helped that a lot of her scenes were very well done.

[Anacybele]

Ike, no question, because he's my favorite character period. <3 So glad he's won a number of popularity polls lately! I'm even surprised at how much people love him these days! Glad to see he's got the love he deserves. ^^ I think he's a badass and I respect his character and morals a lot. I also really really like his designs, particularly RD Ike. I could keep writing until I have paragraphs on everything I love about him, so I'll just leave it at that. :P

Ephraim is my second favorite. He's a badass too, and I love how strong a fighter he is. He also moves away from the generic blue haired sword prince thing, and his character also appeals to me. He also has one of the best crit animations I've ever seen when he's a normal Lord. So cool!

[Magical Glace]

Roy and Micaiah are tied for my second favorite character in the franchise, so them.

Roy because I like how his supports show a side of him that we don't see in the main story, and why we don't see it in the main story.  He has to keep morale up, so he can't act worried or stressed even though he specifically states that he usually is, so he hides it as best as he can.  I also like the idea of having a more brains over brawn type lord, Roy's combat talents are rarely brought up in FE6, and when they are the game sometimes even pokes fun at them (ie the scene where the group obtains Durandal).  It helps that he's generally an extremely pleasant person.

With Micaiah, I appreciate how her loyalty to her country and Pelleas causes some degree of trouble for her.  She loves Daein, and she always wants to put it first, even when she has to do horrific things for it (things that she has no desire to do).  

[maybe]

alm

[Elincia]

Alm!

He may not be the most interesting of all the lords, but my god, the things he says when interacting with random things in the world is the best XD, shows off how dorky he can be. (And I tend to like dorky characters for some reason). 

Spoiler

I also really like how he was raised as a commoner and is unaware of his royal blood for the majority of the game.

 

[Armagon]

My favorite Lords have to be Roy and Alm. Roy because, Smash Bros bias aside, i like his character. Glaceon Sage already explained some parts but i also like Roy from a design stand-point. I feel like Roy wouldn't be the same without the fire. Alm because he's honestly got one of the most likable personalities i've seen in gaming. Even though the game treats Alm like a perfect little Lord who can do no wrong, he has such a likable personality that i can overlook his perfectness.

I have to give honorable mentions to the FE7 trio.

In general, i like......actually every Lord in the series tbh. Except Sigurd but that's a different story for another day.

[BrightBow]

1 hour ago, Ronnie said:

Mine would be Lucina because she reminds me of Future Trunks from Dragon Ball. Future child of a main character set on a mission to return to a different past to help their family and friends. It was the first and easiest connection I could make to a character in Awakening and it also helped that a lot of her scenes were very well done.

The similarities with Trunks kinda stop there though, seeing how Trunks actually went back to his own time and saved his world instead of leaving it to rot like Lucina does. This is particularly notable as Trunks isn't even royalty like Lucina is, so he had no particular responsibility to do so. He just did it because unlike Lucina his kindness extends to people outside his own social circle.

Not that I can't relate to that or would it hold against her as a person. But as a supposed hero and Lord in this franchise she is kind of a disgrace, even more so considering she is cosplaying as Marth of all people. Like, Marth did not spend the rest of his life living peacefully in Talis with his waifu. He collected allies, liberated his homeland and served it as it's king. As the man said: "I am a prince before I am a son or a brother."

 

Anyway, in my case it would probably be Ephraim. Part of the recipe for a good drama is to put a character into a situation that they cannot deal with their natural inhibitions and this is something that Sacred Stones really nails. Ephraim is an utter ace on the battlefield, a fantastic soldier and great commander... but not really a good prince or king. Usually Fire Emblem protagonists live up to the responsibilities of their social status rather easily. Ephraim... does not. He would rather just dump the country onto his sister's feet and travel the world to hone his combat skills. He is still very likeable since he isn't irresponsible at all. He fully understands and cares about his responsibilities. He is just not happy having to shoulder that burden, which is very understandable and relatable. Eirika and Lyon make him probably feel rather inadequate in that regard too, since so many things just come easier to them.

And of course his conflict with Lyon goes really under my skin. Ephraim admires Lyon for his compassion, commitment and sense of responsibility, qualities that he no doubt believes are necessary for a good ruler, qualities that he himself is somewhat lacking. So for him to find himself having to actually fight him... well, it's not a surprise that the revelation that Lyon was not actually controlled by the Demon King ended up breaking him. This is probably the hardest situation a Fire Emblem protagonist ever faced and it's just so tragic for the relationship between two people who greatly admire each other to end up at that point.

 

Edited July 8, 2017 by BrightBow

[The Baroness of Blainswal]

I would say Elincia, but considering the fact she's only main lord for a brief amount of time I don't think she counts. So i suppose I'll go with Hector instead. I rather like his character design and being a really good unit doesn't hurt either of course.

Edited July 8, 2017 by The Baroness of Blainswal
typo

[Ronnie]

54 minutes ago, BrightBow said:

The similarities with Trunks kinda stop there though, seeing how Trunks actually went back to his own time and saved his world instead of leaving it to rot like Lucina does. This is particularly notable as Trunks isn't even royalty like Lucina is, so he had no particular responsibility to do so. He just did it because unlike Lucina his kindness extends to people outside his own social circle.

Not that I can't relate to that or would it hold against her as a person. But as a supposed hero and Lord in this franchise she is kind of a disgrace, even more so considering she is cosplaying as Marth of all people. Like, Marth did not spend the rest of his life living peacefully in Talis with his waifu. He collected allies, liberated his homeland and served it as it's king. As the man said: "I am a prince before I am a son or a brother."

 

If you want to be technical, Trunks is royalty too since Vegeta is the "prince" of all Saiyans (all 6 of them). And yeah that's another loophole that's plagued with time travelling but even Lucina mentioned that she might not be able to return to her own time. In her ending when she's single it states: "Lucina disappeared after whispering these words to her infant self: "Yours will be a happy future." Did she journey to another land or back to her own time? ...No one knows for certain." so it's still ambiguous whether or not she really left her future to rot.

[BrightBow]

34 minutes ago, Ronnie said:

If you want to be technical, Trunks is royalty too since Vegeta is the "prince" of all Saiyans (all 6 of them). And yeah that's another loophole that's plagued with time travelling but even Lucina mentioned that she might not be able to return to her own time. In her ending when she's single it states: "Lucina disappeared after whispering these words to her infant self: "Yours will be a happy future." Did she journey to another land or back to her own time? ...No one knows for certain." so it's still ambiguous whether or not she really left her future to rot.

I didn't bring that up because Trunks is the last remaining Saiyan alive. There is no Saiyan race left that he could serve so his status as a prince has absolutely zero responsibility attached to it.

The thing with Lucina's single ending is that it's the only ending which she has that allows for the mere possibility of her returning to her own time. (Well, besides her Owain pairing but that one puts emphasis on her accompanying Owain on his "quest to stain his sword hand" instead of anything related to saving their people. Besides, these days we know that Prince Owain ended up in Fates and not in his own world.) Her other endings basically confirm that she did no such thing, merely settling down in the past with her husband or traveling the world with them. Considering this, I find it immensely hard to imagine that the Lucina from her single ending would actually return back to her world when so many other versions of herself could not be bothered. So all this ending really does is to confirm that Lucina's future still exists and that she has a country to return to.

Edited July 9, 2017 by BrightBow

[Slumber]

Probably my obvious bias speaking here, but I like Leif. I like a flawed lord, and Leif is so riddled with insecurities, anger, and hatred, that it's completely unique. Plus, he's the only lord who consistently makes mistakes, and not one who makes one GIANT mistake that causes the ending of their story to happen(IE Sigurd, Eirika, Micaiah, Celica, arguably Eliwood) or multiple giant mistakes that cause the ending of their story to happen(Corrin). Instead, Leif makes a bunch of mistakes as a reason for his character to grow and become a better leader gradually throughout the story, and don't ultimately change how his story would end.

Edited July 9, 2017 by Slumber

[Ronnie]

@BrightBow

Fair enough. Even Tiki criticized her for using Marth's name but eh, when the story takes place thousands of years after Marth and she was trying to avoid revealing herself to Chrom I can let it slide. And it's true it can be insinuated that Lucina stays behind but since no ending is confirmed canon, it can be left unknown. I totally understand the points you're trying to make and can see why you wouldn't favor Lucina as a hero/lord. I still have respect for her for the hell she was put through so to each their own lol.

Edited July 9, 2017 by Ronnie

[Shadow Mir]

Hector, mainly, but I like most all of them except Roy, Eirika, and ESPECIALLY Sigurd.

Edited July 9, 2017 by Levant Mir Celestia

[Interdimensional Observer]

All lords I generally divide into three categories: male warrior, softer male, and female. The first two tend towards too much perfectionism (Chrom by the way blends these two categories), the third is generally more flawed, but prone to those undying female stereotypes in entertainment media.

With this touch of cynicism and pessimism out of the way, let's look on the bright side of things:

Spoiler

Sigurd (whose game I actually haven't played) and Ephraim come off as educated professional warriors, if they're badass, so be it because they have had the formal training to deserve it. They're traditional princes of war par excellence. This doesn't excuse total perfection though- Ephraim could benefit from having to learn a little, even the greats get owned at least once or have some form of failure. Sigurd gets a point for being a little older (looking at least) than other lords.

Eliwood isn't overly perfect, owing to the canonical presence of Mark guiding the battlefield. That said, I do like how they tried a little to develop him as a prince of politics and diplomacy- something we don't see a lot of given the solution to most problems in FE is a few body bagging contests.

Hector vs. Chrom, I prefer Hector. Both have regality and bellicosity and emotionality, but Hector just does it better. He is more openly a lover of battle, his understanding of custom and politics better displayed, and his emotions better portrayed (including how others interact with them). And it isn't like Hector is always wild either- he can be fairly calm and reasonable.

Micaiah- While the end Part 3 (C11 on) is like walking into a fragmentation grenade factory gone amuck plot-wise, I do commend Micaiah. She's stuck in one terrible situation, her own soldiers it is expressly said she has to keep together by "sheer force of will". Special powers in Parts 1 and 4 appear only at the very last moment in P3, and for the rest, she's an ordinary girl with a giant reputation and nothing more. As one should expect, she struggles, and it's pitiable.

Of the other lords, I don't have much to say. Ike and Marth are fairly benign to me, with me liking the former a bit more than the latter. I don't really consider Lucy a lord, nor 'lincia, though I'm neutral on the former, and like the latter's little character arc in RD.

 

My single favorite? Unfortunately I don't have an answer to that question.

[Florete]

4 hours ago, BrightBow said:

The similarities with Trunks kinda stop there though, seeing how Trunks actually went back to his own time and saved his world instead of leaving it to rot like Lucina does. This is particularly notable as Trunks isn't even royalty like Lucina is, so he had no particular responsibility to do so. He just did it because unlike Lucina his kindness extends to people outside his own social circle.

Not that I can't relate to that or would it hold against her as a person. But as a supposed hero and Lord in this franchise she is kind of a disgrace, even more so considering she is cosplaying as Marth of all people. Like, Marth did not spend the rest of his life living peacefully in Talis with his waifu. He collected allies, liberated his homeland and served it as it's king. As the man said: "I am a prince before I am a son or a brother."

You're being a little unreasonably harsh on someone for not going back alone to re-attempt to save a world that was so far gone that she and her friends were forced to travel to the past just so that they could hope to create a future for humanity. I don't see how being royalty gives her any responsibility to do this and if not doing it makes her a disgrace you must have ridiculously high standards.

I know you hate Awakening but maybe you could stand to loosen up a bit.

[Lau]

Marth is my all time favourite lord and character. A lot of people criticise him for being bland, but I don't see it. I think he's quite realistic, really, very human. He was just a sheltered kid who was forced into exile to save himself, his father was killed by his trusted ally, and he didn't know what would happen to his mother or sister. Years later, he's thrown into a war to reclaim his country, and he has to make his army from scratch. He is so goddamn realistic, he wants revenge, he doesn't hide this fact, yet when he speaks to a villager in the enemy country and realises that even they don't want to fight, he doesn't know what - how - to feel. Eventually the war ends, but at what cost? It clearly has had an impact on his psyche, and this is hinted at in New Mystery. Marth is then betrayed by his close friend and ally, very much like his father was, and thrown into another war. Again, he wins, but at what cost? This man canonically leads the largest army in the series, showing that he is a strong and charismatic leader. I just love him so much, and IS should give his games the Echoes treatment, but obviously after FE 4-6. Marth is also my main in Smash, and he was the first nendoroid I ever bought...after a bit of a mishap.

Roy is my second favourite, albeit very close to Marth. Roy has been shown to be a brains over brawn lord and really? I think the series needs more of it. Roy, like Marth, is criticised for being very bland, but again, I don't see it. What I see is a child who was essentially forced to fight in place of his ailing father, when he would much rather be spending his time learning. I don't see many characters being eager to learn from books. Heroes highlights this trait, with him saying that he enjoys learning about the history of different worlds and whatnot. Roy is also unique in that, like Lucina, we don't know who his canon mother is, yet, also like Lucina, there are hints. Ninian was Eliwood's most pushed love-interest, and also my OTP for Blazing Blade, meaning that Roy could potentially be a 1/4 manakete, and that is amazing. I really wish that we could get a Binding Blade remake, so Roy can really get some depth, because this boy has potential. ...and maybe they could confirm that his name is actually Elroy. Please, IS, please!

Robin is technically my third favourite, but a lot of people don't consider him to be a lord, so I'll give this spot to Alm and Celica. Can't have one without the other, no?

[Etrurian emperor]

There's Roy of course for the reasons Glaceon and Lautsu already stated.

To my great surprise Alm is shaping up to be one of my favorites lords. He's just such a pleasant character to have on screen. Always nice, very dorky and funny. It all works to make Alm very endearing. His humor is also of the more subtle kind. He makes sarcastic or dorky remarks from time to time but knows when its time to act serious.
I can understand the criticism of Alm not really working well with the theme of the story and I agree....I just don't mind when Alm is this likable. 

And Hector of course. As one of the rare lords and nobles in general who wields an axe Hector stands out in a good way. I also like how they handle his violent lout reputation. Its true to some extend but its also clear that Hector is growing and that he's more suited for nobility then other and he himself give him credit for. Its usually Hector and not Eliwood who explains politics to the player. 

[NinjaMonkey]

ike, seeing as he's an ordinary man, not some prince or other kind of nobility who already has it made and finds themselves inconvenienced by the enemy, and who I find to be completely unrelatable.

[Azz]

Leif for literally the same reasons Slumber stated. I also happen to like Leif's simple yet royal design. It also helps he is literally the only lord with a natural hair colour (I guess you could argue so does Miccy, but her hair is more silver/white rather than grey) which I think separates him from the crowd.

Though, I really like all the lords with the exception of Corrin and Ike in RD (PoR Ike is fine).

Edited July 9, 2017 by Azz

[Sasori]

My favourite lord is probably Roy. His intelectual nature makes him good at the lord part of the job. He seems to know how the political stuff works in his world with him making an alliance with Etruria in advance and he thinks quick on his feet during several moments in the game's story. I also like that they keep Roy's smart guy status and accomplishments pretty low key. He doesn't conquer an entire castle with only three man or always beat impossible odds and he's not some omnipotent chessmaster either. He simply calmly looks at a situation and comes with simple and practical solutions. 

Marth is probably my second pick. He's mostly known for his nice guy traits and his charismatic nature now, but I also liked other aspect about his character. I thought the scene where he decided to celebrate with his people right after he found out his mom had been murdered was one of the better lord scenes in the series. It shows he serious he takes his job and how he's able to set personal feelings aside  to do what his people want of him.

[Book Bro]

Ike: I like his down to earth personality and his unique perspective among FE lords. His relationships with his family/friends are endearing and I especially like his relationship with Soren. As far as gameplay he's a beast.

Lyn: I find her story to be really good, for touching on themes of racism and nobility and I find her to be one of the stronger characters for fighting as a non-white woman. She has a tragic story all things considered but it's touching that she gets some peace of mind in the end. 

Micaiah: I find her to be one of the more complex lords which many people dislike her for, since she has more moments of self-doubt, bad decisions, and mistakes than other lords. The only part of her character I'm not fond of is how everything is revealed about her at the end all in one go, I think it could have been handled better. 

Ephraim: He's a bit like Hector in that he much prefers fighting and travelling than being a ruler. But his relationships with Eirika and Lyon make him a bit more interesting to me. I also loved having a lance lord.

Roy: Like others have said, he's a kid who would rather be studying than leading an army, and he puts on a brave face despite him being so young. I think it's interesting to have such a young MC, and while he may be mature for his age at times, it really shows just how naive he still is. It's something I hope gets developed a bit more in a potential remake. 

Celica: I find her to be unique in that she's the only female lord that really sets out on her own accord. She has a clear purpose of her own, without being forced or dragged along. She also has personal struggles and moments of doubt throughout her story which for me makes an interesting character. Haven't quite finished SoV but as of act 4 she's gained a spot among my favourites. 

If Elincia counts, she too would be a favourite for her arc from sheltered princess to determined leader.

Edited July 9, 2017 by Book Bro

[JZW2004]

I think alm is alright for a famicom era lord, and Eli wood is quite unique in being one of the two mounted lords (the other being epharim.)  Do the fates royals count as lords? If so, i would say takumi is definitely my favourite.

[Strawman]

Ephraim > Alm > Celica > Micaiah > Eirika > Hector > Ike   Everyone else is meh. 

Ephraim being my favorite is mostly nostalgia based. When I was a kid I just thought he was so cool and I still do. 

[DarkLordIvy]

I think Ike is probably my current favorite lord. I like his personality, and I think he is a pretty effective paragon archetype character. 

Chrom will also always be a favorite for nostalgia factor alone of being the lord of the first FE game I actually played. 

Roy gets a special mention even though I have yet to play his game for being my original introduction to the series as a kid via Smash. He was my absolute favorite character to play as, and is the reason I finally picked up Awakening when I got the chance. 

[Xanaxian]

Sigurd, Lyn, and Ike are all up there for me. 

Sigurd's impulsive, but I like his strength and admire his resolve. He's fit to be a leader despite his shortcomings.

Lyn remains humble and kind despite the inexplicable hardship she faces. Not many lords can say the same.

Finally, Ike is a favorite of mine because he eschews the stiffness of nobility and prefers to seek out valor on his own terms. His loyalty seems more out of gratitude rather than obligation, and his sense of independence is strongly palpable. His common upbringing also enables him to know the value of hard work.