Fire Emblem Awakening
| Video game fandom | |
|---|---|
| Name | Fire Emblem Awakening |
| Abbreviation(s) | FE13 |
| Developer(s) | Intelligent Systems |
| Publisher(s) | Nintendo |
| Release date | April 19, 2012 (Japanese release date) |
| External link(s) | Official Site, Official Japanese Site |
 | |
| Related articles on Fanlore. | |
This article or section needs expansion. |
Fire Emblem Awakening is the 13th installment overall in the Japanese tactical RPG series Fire Emblem.
Canon
The story of Fire Emblem Awakening takes place 2000 years after the events of the original Fire Emblem and Fire Emblem Gaiden, focusing on a group of soldiers from the kingdom of Ylisse. The player controls a customizable Avatar character, (known widely by Fire Emblem fans as Robin, their default name) who suffers from amnesia. Robin is taken in by Chrom, the prince of Ylisse, and his personal army known as the "shepherds" of Ylisse. Over the course of the story, Robin aids Chrom's army in defending Ylisse from monsters dubbed the Risen, and attacks from the hostile nation of Plegia.[1]
Fandom
Fan reception
Overall Awakening was positively received and ended up being a huge entry point for many new fans to the Fire Emblem series, as well as being attributed to the revitalisation of the franchise in general. However, it was not without its critics. Some longtime Fire Emblem fans felt Awakening changed too many aspects of the game to be considered a true Fire Emblem game.[2] Fans who hold these opinions are often referred to as the "Old Guard" or "Elitist".
"Old Guard" vs. "New Blood"
As Awakening was the first US-released game to feature an Avatar, marriage-and-children mechanic, and Casual Mode (the option to turn off permanent death)[3][4], longtime fans were offended and horrified. The DLC content giving older characters new officially translated names that didn't match fan translations as well as new outfits and designs only fanned the flames, particularly Eirika from Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones as a battle bride in a frilly dress. The division within the fandom continued to grow and only increased with the release of Fire Emblem Fates, which continued to build on Awakening's mechanics.
Shipping
Due to the nature of the support system, there are no set-in-stone canon pairings in this particular game. The "pick and choose" nature of the supports leads to vast Shipping Wars, with all sides often becoming defensive of their preferred pairing and wanting to see it as the "true canon." Some popular ships include:
- Robin/Chrom (Chrobin)
- Lucina/Robin
- Robin/Frederick
- Robin/Tharja
- Robin/Sumia
- Robin/Cordelia
- Chrom/Olivia
- Chrom/Sumia
- Lissa/Lonqu
- Lissa/Maribelle
- Owain/Inigo
- Lucina/Severa
- Henry/Olivia
- Lucina/Gerome
- Severa/Inigo
Like in the SNES's Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War, optimization for the perfect child units is very common, to the point of causing arguments on forums. Added to that there's a separation between pairings that are considered good in story, and pairings that are optimal mechanically, with each factor appealing to different niches.
Fanworks
Fanfiction
- Blood for Blood by pallidiflora (Tharja character study) - The birthright of a dynasty of sorcerers.
- i'll save your bones by astrogeny - "Plegia," Tharja says immediately, "Plegia is in your skin and your blood and your bones and all the spaces in between them." "A mirror could have told me that," Robin replies.
- one life for one universe by Kairosity - Seven reasons why there never was a choice.
- sillage by astrogeny - Emm was always a good head taller than her, almost as tall as Chrom, and she filled out the Sage’s robes in a way that did not make her look like a girl playing at being a woman.
- Ties That Bind by WhenTheMoonMetTheSun - a college AU fic based on the novel Fangirl, in which the female Robin is a well-known Ike/Soren writer. Her work acts as a catalyst to her eventually falling in love with Chrom, her roommate's friend and ex-boyfriend.
Zines
- Fire Emblem: Ambrosia
- Golden - A Chrobin Zine
- A Man For Flowers
Fanart
- Listen Up Gay Wizards - Blue's fanart inspired by the meme popular in this fandom
External links and archives
- Fire Emblem: Awakening tag on AO3
- Fire Emblem Ylisse stories on fanfiction.net