Fire Emblem is a widely popular series, with many becoming aware of it around the release of Awakening. This sudden increase in profile might leave some puzzled about the series' origins; namely, its first hero, Marth.
With the series' rise in popularity, Marth and his name are more known. They are often referenced in newer entries, and continually appear in Super Smash Bros. However, some may not know about the character and how he ties into the greater series. Here's a look at him and his various relatives.
9 Marth
The Hero King
Marth was the king, and previously the prince, of Altea. He is an indirect descendant of Anri, the kingdom's founder. During the War of Shadows, the nearby country Gra betrays Altea and sides with the Kingdoms of Grust and Dohlr. Marth's parents are killed, and his sister is taken hostage. He is exiled into the Island Kingdom of Talys, until it is attacked by bandits. From here, he builds up his forces to take on the Earth Dragon, Medeus.
Unfortunately, the resulting peace didn't last. Hardin, the ruler of the Holy Kingdom of Archenea and a former ally, declares Marth a traitor after being manipulated by Gharnef, the evil sorcerer. Gharnef's machinations result in the War of Heroes, where a resurrected Medeus is once again the final enemy. After the war, Marth is declared king of the continent of Archenea.
Throughout his adventures, Marth's characterization is a man who wishes to save as many people as possible. He is the first lord and wielder of the Falchion, a sword often used for slaying main antagonists in Fire Emblem games. He is persuasive and diplomatic, and finds many allies. He believes in punishing evil, but also in redemption.
8 Elice
Marth's Elder Sister
While her brother was exiled, Elice chose to stay with the people of Altea, and became a hostage to Gharnef. Marth later frees her. However, during the War of Heroes, she volunteers as a hostage to save her sister-in-law, Caeda. She is later one of four royal women brainwashed to be sacrificed to Medeus. She is freed again, this time by Merric, an Altean noble with feelings for her. It is later established that started a magic academy in Marth's palace and wed, possibly to Merric.
Elice is a healer. She wields a legendary weapon, the Aum Staff, which can resurrect a fallen ally from the grave. She is self-sacrificing, voluntarily becoming a hostage to save a loved one. This comes from a sense of pragmatism mixed with care. She believes Marth must survive to save the continent, and will sacrifice herself if she feels it furthers that goal.
7 Caeda
Marth's Wife
Caeda was the princess of Talys, the island nation where Marth lived in exile. She enlisted Marth to help defeat pirates plaguing the Kingdom, and remained by his side throughout the war. After its conclusion, she and Marth become engaged. On the planned day of their wedding, Marth is ordered to quell a rebellion, which turns out to be a distraction to occupy his kingdom. Caeda escapes with help from Elice, and aids her fiancé in battle. She and Marth finally marry when the War of Heroes ends.
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Caeda is a Pegasus Knight. She uses her power towards noble ends, notably saving a gladiator, Ogma, after he was beaten for helping another gladiator escape. She is an adept fighter, and her skill at diplomacy arguably overshadows Marth's, as she can frequently convert foes to their cause. She is also characterized by her affection for Marth, joining his army for the sake of staying by his side.
6 Chrom
Scion of the Hero King
As time passed, the alignment of power shifted and the names of territories changed. The Haildom of Ylisse was founded by a descendant of Marth, who slayed the Fell Dragon, Grima. However, his own descendants were less revered. One unnamed descendant's dedication to the war against Plegia gave him a negative reputation due to the resulting death and poverty. He was succeeded by his daughter Emmeryn, who was received much more warmly.
After her presumed death, her younger brother, Chrom, became the Exalt in her place. He also led the Haildom's militia, the Shepherds. His travels led to him clashing with rulers of neighboring nations, eventually facing off against the Grimleal and their "god," Grima. With the help of his allies, Chrom defeated Grima and became a respected ruler.
Like Marth, Chrom is a Lord, capable of wielding the Falchion. He tries to keep a serious but frank demeanor, treating his allies as equals. However, he reacts awkwardly in casual situations. Unlike Marth, Chrom does not have a fixed partner, and can wed one of six women according to the player's choices. He is the father of Lucina, and often has another child alongside her.
5 Lissa
Chrom's Younger Sister
While lacking the royal responsibilities of her father and elder siblings, the Ylissean princess still stepped onto the field of battle as a healer for the shepherds. She is one of the first members to meet Robin, discovering them unconscious in a field alongside her older brother. She stays with the party throughout Fire Emblem Awakening and can greet Robin again after their presumed death in the fight against Grima (provided certain choices are made).
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Lissa is a Cleric, and much more jovial than most of her known relatives. While she lacks a sense of duty to her title, she shares a willingness to help anyone. She enjoys playing pranks on her brother, but still cares for him. She is willing to befriend anyone in the army, and can romance most of her male comrades. Each of these potential romances leads to the birth of her son, Owain.
4 Emmeryn
Chrom's Elder Sister
Emmeryn is Chrom's predecessor as Exalt, whose pacifistic policy is in stark contrast to her warmongering father. She acknowledges the necessity of conflict, but prefers to put herself in harm's way before her subjects or siblings. In Fire Emblem: Awakening, she is captured by the Mad King, Gangrel, who attempts to use her as a hostage. This is an obvious effort to defeat the Sheperds by goading them into an unwinnable war. Knowing this, Emmeryn attempts to kill herself by falling from a cliff.
Her presumed death makes Emmeryn a martyr, causing mass desertion in the Plegian army and leading to Gangrel's defeat. Emmeryn is recovered, on the run from the Grimleal, who are sacrificing young women to Grima. The former Exalt joins Chrom's unit, despite some brain damage from the fall. She has difficulty speaking and has lost most of her memories. After the war, she settles in Ferox, where she lives a life unburdened by her prior obligations.
Emmeryn is a sage, and is reminiscent of Marth's elder sister, Elice. However, her self-sacrifice is rooted in different qualities. Pacifism is one of her most steadfast beliefs, proving powerful enough for rivaling nations to revere her as a martyr. Even Gangrel, who also survived his "death," has a moment in a DLC map where he can apologize to her. While her memories fade, her warmth remains.
3 Lucina
Marth Reborn!?
Chrom's daughter is the first of the children born in Awakening, conceived shortly after the Ylisse-Plegia war. She was close with her father before he was killed by a former ally. This event became the harbinger for a greater destruction of her world by Grima, which led to Lucina traveling to the past to prevent this scenario. She enlists the fellow children of the Shepherds to aid her.
Donning a mask, Lucina travels back in time and calls herself "Marth," and introduces the idea of challenging fate to her father. She makes an effort to prevent events from coinciding with her future. After helping Chrom face Grima, she either leaves for parts unknown, marries her husband of choice, or some combination of the two.
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Lucina wields a version of the Falchion from her own timeline, the Parallel Falchion. She is reverent towards Marth, as well as her parents. This can be awkward for Chrom, who respects her yet has no direct frame of reference for his awe-inspiring manner in her timeline. Like Chrom, Lucina is a capable leader and fighter.
2 Owain
Lucina's Cousin
Owain is one of Lucina's allies from the future as well as her cousin, son of Chrom's sister Lissa. He is first encountered at the Sage's Halmet, warding off bandits. He wields a forged sword called "Missiletainn," a reference to Mystletainn in Genealogy of the Holy War. After the war, he goes on a journey to "stay his sword hand."
Owain resurfaces in Fates alongside two of his companions from Awakening, with each taking a different name. His alias is "Odin" and he serves as a retainer to the Nohrian Prince, Leo. He also changes classes from Myrmidon to Dark Mage. Due to the branching paths of Fates, Odin's fate depends in part on the actions of the player.
Like his mother, Owain does not conform to the idealized manner of how royals should behave. He expresses reverence through his theatrics and is proud to be a descendant of the Hero-King. He is the first of Marth's descendants confirmed to use dark magic, the first to serve as a retainer, and the first who can consciously serve as an enemy to the player. (Elice can also be an enemy unit, but against her consent). His ending often involves him either departing (presumably to Ylisse) after the war, or writing records about himself.
1 Ophelia
Marth's Latest Known Descendant
Ophelia is Owain/Odin's daughter, making her Lissa's granddaughter, and by extension, a distant descendant of Marth. Like the other army brats in Fates, her early years are spent in the Deeprealms. These realms are meant to keep the children safe from war, due to consensus that the castle used by the army is unsafe. Time moves differently in these realms, causing children to rapidly age into young adults. Once they are reclaimed by the army, the children can join.
Ophelia, once she is a young woman, escapes her deeprealm to visit a town known for its rare tomes. However, the town is flooded by bandits. Ophelia attempts to find a tome she read about in her father's notebook, but learns it is just an idea book for weapon names. Odin gives Ophelia a tome of her own and encourages her to name it. She instinctively calls it "Missiletain." After the war, scholars claimed that she both researched and named spells and hexes for the remainder of her life.
Ophelia is, like her father, a dark mage. Like much of her branch of the family, her mannerisms are not as reminiscent of her distant Altean ancestors. She does possess the brand, a genetic feature which Odin clarifies confirms her relation to the Ylissean royals.
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