Fancast Overview: https://www.comicbookmovie.com/fan_fic/flixmentallo21-presents-fire-emblem-a-netflix-original-anime-series-overview-a150690
"Final" Thoughts: https://www.comicbookmovie.com/fan_fic/flixmentallo21-presents-fire-emblem-a-netflix-original-anime-series-final-thoughts-a152513
"Archanea" Season 1: https://www.comicbookmovie.com/fan_fic/flixmentallo21-presents-fire-emblem-archanea-season-one-the-shadow-dragon-and-the-blade-of-light-a161067
Animation Studio: Studio Mir (The Legend of Korra, Voltron: Legendary Defender)
Notes:
1. Any hyperlinks appearing below character names will take you to the actor's filmography, to help familiarize you with their work.
2. Once again, all biographical info taken from, and slightly tweaked for my narrative purposes, the Fire Emblem Wiki. And sincerest apologies for the length.
Season Two: The Shadows of Valentia
Our narrator (Timothy Dalton) gives us a brief overview of Fire Emblem, a series of medieval epics said to rival the works of J.R.R. Tolkein and George R.R. Martin. He began his recounting of the tetralogy that started the series, the four-book Archanea saga, with the story of The Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light. He now turns his attention to the second book, which focuses on Archanea's neighboring continent Valentia.
"Once, the gods themselves walked these lands. The continent of Valentia was home to two of them: sibling divine dragons named Duma and Mila. The elder sibling, Duma, believed mankind must be ruled by strength, lest they become corrupt, while his sister, Mila, believed they should be free to pursue lives of pleasure and comfort. The two clashed ceaselessly. It was a long, dark age before the bitter conflict was resolved with the binding of a divine accord. Valentia would be divided in twain—with Duma ruling the north and Mila ruling the south—and in order to secure a lasting peace, each pledged never to violate the other’s dominion. For millennia, this accord was honored, and peace did indeed reign. In time, the Kingdom of Zofia, which Mila founded in the south, prospered with the goddess’s love and blessings. Hers were a happy people who knew no toil and lived free of hardship. But Mila’s gifts spoiled the Zofians, and it was only a matter of time before they sank into depravity. Meanwhile, in the north, Duma had built his own empire. Tempered by harsh lands and the even harsher teachings of their fierce god, the people of Rigel had grown strong. But in their quest for power, the Rigelians had let their hearts grow cold and numb to all kindness. Both halves of the continent were in a fragile state, and the cracks had begun to show. And now, Valentia lies on the cusp of a terrible war that could forever alter its history…"
#Voice Cast
Heroes
+Alm's Path
-Alm - Jesse McCartney
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0565366/?ref_=nv_sr_1
"Born in the year 384 in the Valentian calendar and year 590 in the Archanean calendar, Alm was raised in Ram Village by his grandfather, Mycen. Alm grew up alongside a group of other Ram Village children, Gray, Tobin, Kliff, and Faye, all of whom were trained in the art of combat by Mycen. Alm also grew up with Celica, a young girl who Mycen was taking care of, whom he was particularly close to. Alm and Celica even had a similar brand on their left and right hands respectively. Their time together was cut short when Slayde, an enforcer to Desaix, wanders into Ram Village and takes interest in Celica due to the special mark on her hand. Mycen enigmatically takes Celica away for her safety, leaving Alm heartbroken. Alm vowed to Celica as she left that they will one day meet again. Until the age of 17, Alm spent his years further honing his skills in combat and war under Mycen's tutelage. Feeling confident that he could now leave the village, he attempts to persuade Mycen, but his grandfather denies his request as he is too green to leave yet. Shortly afterward, Lukas arrives at Ram Village, seeking Mycen to aid with the Deliverance, a Zofian resistance force dedicated to overthrowing Desaix. With Mycen nowhere to be found in the village, Alm steps up and joins the Deliverance in his grandfather's stead with his childhood friends accompanying him on his journey. Alm quickly becomes a huge asset to the Deliverance, quickly gaining the trust and confidence of Lukas and Clair.
Alm is a kind-hearted yet naïve young man who has a strong sense of justice and subtly idealistic morals. He has a strong sense of obligation, wanting to leave Ram Village to help the people of Zofia when he heard about the outbreak of thieves, famine, and the aggression of the Rigelian Empire for the past few years. His sense of justice is rather black-and-white, as he is quick to blame individuals for a number of follies in situations he does not necessarily have the full context to. He has a vaguely puerile sense of humor, as he loves to make puns, and is a terrible dancer. Alm is able to acknowledge his own naïveté and unfamiliarity with the world outside of his village, and is very attentive in general to compensate for said naïveté. He wears his heart on his sleeve and is very sensitive and emotionally expressive, often verbally communicating his insecurities and not holding back tears in melancholy situations. Alm has a deep longing for a family, as he's said to have grown up lonely in said village, even getting deeply disturbed when an elder said that Mycen had no children. Thus, he ends up projecting his desire onto other party members, often idealizing them as his family by treating them as such in order to counterbalance his loneliness."
Class progression: fighter--hero
-Gray - Jeremy Shada
https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Jeremy-Shada/
"A denizen of Ram Village and one of Alm's childhood friends, Gray joined the liberation effort after Lukas explained that General Desaix had taken over Zofia Castle. He is the son of a merchant family, and never thought he would get to leave Ram Village growing up. Gray has an easygoing, chatty, and sometimes aloof personality. He comes from a merchant family and therefore is knowledgeable of the world outside of Ram. He does not have much self-awareness, however, often barging into conversations and being unconscious of how his own words come off to other people. Gray asserts himself as the tacit "leader" of the villagers and is very confident in his abilities. In battle, he adopts a gung-ho personality which is evident in his quotes and animations. Gray has also been shown to non-maliciously make fun of Alm at times. He and Tobin vie for the affections of fellow Deliverance comrade Clair, of whom Gray eventually wins over."
Class progression: villager--mercenary--myrmidon--dread fighter
*Shada's Lance from Legendary Defender is a perfect basis for portraying Gray.*
-Tobin - Jack DeSena
https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Jack-DeSena/
"Tobin is a denizen of Ram Village and one of Alm's childhood friends. He joined the Deliverance in order to travel the continent and gain money to support his large family. While Tobin possesses a stubborn, serious, and direct personality, he is rather dense, being plagued with social obliviousness, and is poor at reading other people's emotions. Being the eldest of his family, Tobin maintains an air of brotherly warmth, playfulness, and kindness which inevitably transfers to his friends, those of whom he is extremely supportive of. Tobin suffers greatly from an inferiority complex, as he is always competing with Alm and Gray to assert his superiority, the superiority of which he can never achieve. In his final base conversation, Tobin expresses his newfound understanding of his place in the world to serve a greater cause, and not to be in a position of relative ascendency. He further expresses that this understanding is not one he is content with, but rather, he is only accepting of it. Heavily valuing familial ideals, Tobin joined the Deliverance to support his family in monetary means; he constantly picks up souvenirs in his travels between battles for his many siblings back home."
Class progression: villager--archer--sniper--bow knight (mounted on horseback)
*DeSena's Sokka from Avatar: The Last Airbender is a good basis for portraying Tobin.*
-Kliff - Daryl Sabara
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0754512/?ref_=nv_sr_2
"Though the villagers of Ram Village know little about Kliff aside from the fact that he moved to the village from a town and lives with his young mother, many rumors surrounded him, such as his father being a wealthy merchant, his mother coming from a village where many sorcerers lived, and that his parents divorced soon after but still provided for the family, and so forth. Regardless, it seems they were still well to do enough to have Kliff attend school in town, but having been bullied at school growing up, and having had a self-centered and smothering mother, he longed to escape his home and broaden his perspectives.
Due to his intellect and calm personality, Kliff found difficulty fitting in with the energetic children from the village, as he'd rather read instead, having a deep interest in researching and acquiring knowledge regarding history and magic. One such case being when Tobin approached him, getting irritated by his cheerfulness, amidst other things, to the point of dismay, and choosing to ignore him instead. As a child, Kliff had a timid and sensitive personality, breaking into tears when threatened by Slayde during their encounter."
Class progression: villager--mage--sage
-Faye - Emily Eiden
https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Emily-Eiden/
"Faye is one of Alm’s childhood friends from Ram Village. Growing up alongside Alm, Tobin, Gray, Kliff, and Celica, the group were incredibly close. One day, the children saw a knight approach the village, the first one they had ever seen. These knights were led by Slayde, who attempted to kidnap Faye and Celica. Thanks to a timely rescue by Mycen the children were saved. This event caused Celica to leave the village for her safety. Over the course of the years, Faye trained under Mycen in combat. Several years later, Ram Village was visited by Lukas who was looking for Mycen to lead the Deliverance. While he could not be found, Alm volunteered to join in his stead. Alm asks his friends to come along with him on his journey, an offer Faye accepts in order to remain close to Alm.
Faye is defined by her crush on Alm, something which has been present since they were children when he saved her from being killed by Slayde. Her whole world revolves around Alm, and she is always concerned for his safety. The reason she joined the Deliverance was purely to stay close to him as long as possible, and she often remarks that she will "grow however she can" to protect him. Despite this, she knows that Alm's affections are for Celica alone, even before Alm himself knew. While she knows that her love for him will go unrequited, she still dreams of a future where she is together with him and remains as a constant supporter to Alm's ideals and goals. Despite her feelings for Alm being her main characteristic, Faye does care for other people, like her other childhood friends from Ram Village, her family that she regularly sends letters to and is a very selfless girl. However, she is a bit uncomfortable talking to people she has not known for long, as shown in her conversations with Silque. These supports depict her as standoffish initially, though she does apologize later when she realizes that she misses Silque's presence and wants to be her friend. Faye is not the type of person to hold a grudge and is genuinely happy to see Celica again for the first time in seven years; Faye is also stubborn, and hates being left behind by the village boys."
Class progression: villager--cleric--saint
*I would modify Faye's characterization so that she didn't come off as clingy and stalkerish, which one could see if playing the game for the first time.*
-Lukas - Finn Wittrock
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1587729/?ref_=nv_sr_2
"A loyal member of the Deliverance, Lukas grew up on the borderlands of Zofia. His older paternal half-brother saw him as a rival, despite being younger, and forced Lukas to enlist in the Deliverance. He eventually becomes a Soldier whose considerable merits have caused him to rise quickly up the ranks. He came to Ram Village to recruit Mycen when Desaix took over Zofia castle. However, Mycen refused his request. Alm then decides to join in place of Mycen. For the majority of the story, he acts as an older brother figure and mentor to Alm. While he can come off as strict in his professionalism, Lukas is sweet-natured and polite to everyone he meets, and although subtle, has a dry sense of humor. He has a very well-maintained calm, reliable, and professional front, however, in the rare events that he loses his temper, Lukas's feelings slip past his said front, such an example being when a duke called him a backwater buffoon, causing him to lose his temper and beat him in a duel. He often fears coming across as cold and detached in his composure, the fears of which hold heavy weight on his thoughts, as he bears guilt about his inability to genuinely put his heart into his own performance as a soldier, and it feels strange and weird to him as a consequence. This ends up being his biggest strength, as he is able to stay calm at the direst situations, even when learning disastrous news. While Lukas has the behavior of a noble, he isn't incapable of recurring to underhanded tactics, such as taking Rigelian civilians as hostages and threatening to execute them if safe passage is not granted for the Deliverance, causing even someone like Slayde to be surprised at the use of such a method."
Class progression: soldier--knight--baron
-Silque - Michelle Tratchenberg
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005502/?ref_=nv_sr_1
"A sweet-tempered cleric of Mila who has never seen her father’s face, when Silque was young, she and her mother, a cleric of the Duma Faithful, went on a pilgrimage in Rigel. But suddenly one day, her mother left her in a priory in Zofia, before vanishing without a trace. While she was raised as an orphan at the priory, it was Mila that saved her; thereafter, she made it her lifelong goal to share Mila’s teachings with those suffering from loneliness.
Before the start of the story, Silque leaves Novis Island to deliver Mila's Turnwheel to Alm. However, she is attacked by brigands twice on the way to Ram Village; Jesse saves her the first time, but she falls unconscious during the second and is kidnapped by the thieves. When Alm hears of this, he immediately rushes to the Thieves' Hideout to rescue her. After defeating the bandits, she wakes up and tells the party who she is. She then hands Alm the Turnwheel and joins the party through the rest of the story. It is revealed later that she is Kliff's older half-sister, and that her mother had served Rigel's Emperor Rudolf as a wet nurse, which sets the precedence Silque serving as Alm's confidant during the war."
Class progression: cleric--saint
-Clair - Dove Cameron
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4874651/?ref_=nv_sr_1
"Clair is a Pegasus Knight of Zofia and the younger sister of Clive. Clair joined the Deliverance and fought alongside her brother. Early on, she was captured by Desaix's men and was held captive until Alm and company rescued her. Clair rejoined the Deliverance and fought alongside her brother and the group to overthrow Desaix. Throughout the story, Clair is courted by both Gray and Tobin. Ultimately, Clair chooses to wed Gray after the events of the war. A headstrong and fearless young noblewoman, Clair has an overbearing nature, which is her one big flaw, not that she pays it any mind. She is also a cheery and sociable individual who loves to interact with any and everyone. She values her impression on others and speaks in an extremely formal and often eccentric manner. In the past, she was somewhat childish and impetuous, and while she has matured since then because of the war, she misses the carefree days of the past. Though she’s close with her elder brother Clive and childhood friends with fellow knight Fernand, Clair doesn’t have much of an opportunity to interact with the more common people of Zofia. As a result, she rather desperately wants to know more about other aspects of common daily life. Despite initially opposing Mathilda's attempts to get closer to Clive, Clair respects Mathilda, admiring her skill in battle and addressing her as 'Lady Mathilda.'"
Class progression: pegasus knight--falcoknight
-Clive - Josh Keaton
https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Josh-Keaton/
"Clive, a young man of the upper aristocracy and a social knight, is the leader of the Deliverance. He was originally a captain of the Order of the Zofia, but with the coup d’etat of chancellor Desaix, he founded the Deliverance along with Fernand and Mathilda. Being harassed by Desaix's forces, Clive and the Deliverance were forced to take refuge in a cursed graveyard, making the haunted grounds a makeshift headquarters. When Alm and his group arrive at the hideout, Clive heartily greets them, grateful to them for rescuing his sister Clair. Clive was disappointed that Mycen would not join the rebellion, but decides that, with the increasing number of commoners joining the Deliverance, he should cede the Deliverance's leadership to Alm, the grandson of the legendary knight Mycen, as he believes that Mycen's story of rising above his common birth to become a knight and count of Zofia resonates with the commoners, and Mycen's grandson would be better suited to lead them. Fernand is outraged by this, and abandons the Deliverance on the spot, rather than allow himself to be led by a common villager such as Alm.
Clive is a very mellow, kind, and calm individual, however, when the situation mandates for him to be serious and imposing, he is gravely so. He sees his fiancée, Mathilda, as his idol and inspiration and does not believe that he is worthy of her. His humility defined him as a leader, as being able to understand the big picture and recognize his own weaknesses allowed him to step down as leader of the Deliverance, and appreciate the potential of the common people, like Alm. However, while he does not judge his soldiers on their nobility or blood, he stands by Zofia's feudal system and believes that there is a difference between nobles and commoners. This causes some members of the army, most notably Alm and Python, to call him out over it on the course of the story, and even though Clive becomes progressively more open-minded and aware of the mentality of Zofian nobility, he still stands by parts of it, although admitting he really can't relate to the commonfolk and that his views sometimes clash and juxtapose each other."
Class progression: cavalier--paladin--gold knight
*Keaton's Shiro from Legendary Defender is an almost dead-on match for Grant George's take on Clive in the game.*
-Forsyth - Roger Craig Smith
https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Roger-Craig-Smith/
"Born into a scholarly family with his father having made a name for himself, Forsyth initially thought in following his father's footsteps, growing up while studying diligently. However, he later decided to follow the path of a knight by joining a local lord’s army with aspirations to become a knight and, after one thing led to another, he volunteered for the Deliverance, eventually leading Python into joining the army as well. With a straight forward attitude and very passionate about fighting in the Deliverance, Forsyth sees Clive as his role model as a knight and he likes to imitate his grandiose and uncommoner-like speech. However, before his friends, he’s a simple man from a humble town. Despite sometimes resenting his childhood friend Python’s wishy-washy nature and not being able to understand his apathy, the two of them were reliable comrades on the battlefield."
Class progression: soldier--knight--baron
-Python - Michael Rosenbaum
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0742146/?ref_=nv_sr_1
"Born in a local town, Python is the son of a talented carpenter, but his alcoholism drove Python to leave his house in disgust and live a hand-to-mouth life, only to drop that lifestyle when encouraged by his childhood friend Forsyth to join the army. As a member of the Deliverance he guards the Deliverance camp headquarters, and works directly under Clive. In contrast to Forsyth, Python tends to view the world from a cynical angle and leans towards a more laid back stance on life. This often gets him in trouble with the other Deliverance members, who consider him lazy and apathetic. However, in his conversations with Clive, he explains that his attitude is due to the army needing someone like him who is approachable, as the others are far too serious and intimidating to the new recruits. He is also convinced that even if he acts out of idealism alone, it won't get him very far, and only puts in as much effort as he needs to, as he explains to Forsyth. Though with a more practical mindset, he can be surprisingly serious and performs his duties with diligence. Interestingly enough, he does get worked up over hearing about love affairs whenever he gets word of juicy gossip, leading to him getting reprimanded by Lukas on several occasions. Keenly aware of the social disparity between nobles and commoners like himself, he doesn't mince words when it comes to that topic, calling out on Clive about his ideology when he can't claim to understand what poverty is like and that he doesn't really support equality if he also supports the rigid class structure that gives one side more privilege."
Class progression: archer--sniper--bow knight (mounted on horseback)
*Rosenbaum's Flash was the definite inspiration for this casting.*
-Luthier - Jason Spisak
https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Jason-Spisak/
"Descended from a Zofian proficient in magic, Luthier is a mage who lives in a village located at the Zofian borders. When his younger sister Delthea is brainwashed by the necromancer Tatarrah and forced to help him guard the floodgates between Zofia and Rigel, Luthier begs for Alm's help when he enters the Forest Village, and offers his services in return, joining Alm's army. Fully devoted to mastering the family's traditional art of sorcery, he takes his training very seriously to the point of his younger sister's lack of interest in magic greatly frustrating Luthier as no matter how hard he trains, he will never reach the heights Delthea is capable of reaching. Such dedication causes Luthier to show narrow interest to the people of society, with Delthea often berating him for being so reclusive to the point which he admits that his only friend in his village was a cat. However, Luthier does manage to befriend Alm, his first real friend. As a result, he's inept on how to interact with others or read social cues. For example, he outright asks Alm if they are friends, and his little sister makes fun of his single-minded conversation of magic to others. He has a strained relationship with Delthea, finding it impossible to deal with his younger sister’s selfish streaks, but deep down truly cares for her and is only strict with her because he wants her to be loved."
Class progression: mage--sage
-Emma - Skyler Samuels (The Gifted)
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1321094/?ref_=nv_sr_1
"Emma is a trainee pegasus knight from the continent of Elibe [of Archanea's universe]. Emma is fairly inexperienced and ignorant. She is a very cheerful thirteen-year-old girl, but she also seems to fluster easily. She always strives to better herself and further her training, being a fledgling pegasus knight, though this makes her easily influenced. Although she is a bit of an airhead, oftentimes her keen senses can suddenly rear their head. She and her travelling companion Randal were visiting Valentia along with their friends Yuzu and Shade, when they were unexpectedly separated; Emma and Randal wound up on the western half of Zofia. Alm and company save them from a band of thugs that Randal cheated in a game of chance, which causes them to join the group."
Class: falcoknight
*In the game, Emma is originally from Hoshido (one of the two nations from the game Fire Emblem Fates), so with the presence of Yuzu in the group of four, I decided to modify her backstory a bit to try and make the quartet feel less lopsided in terms of in-game origins.*
-Randal - Wentworth Miller
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0589505/?ref_=nv_sr_2
"Randal is a rugged Cavalier from Elibe, and a friend of Emma, Shade, and Yuzu. Randal has a somewhat laid back personality, wandering from town to town and battle to battle. A man who loves gambling, he is often seen with dice on the battlefield. At first glance, he seems uncaring and sloppy in appearance, yet he possesses much experience and tact–and is actually a reliable man with exceptional skills, since as a capable knight, he skillfully uses twin swords in battle. Although he hates trouble and danger, he usually ends up in the middle of it anyway."
Class progression: paladin--gold knight
-Mathilda - Jes Macallan (DC's Legends of Tomorrow)
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2860033/?ref_=nv_sr_1
"The daughter of a soldier celebrated for his military achievements, Mathilda has been training with her father since she was a child. At some point, she was captured by Desaix and was planned to be executed, although she was saved when Alm's army arrived, reuniting her with her boyfriend and fellow Deliverance founder Clive. Mathilda is an extremely courageous, calm, and driven knight. As a result of her father's influence, she has very direct and sometimes vulgar speech mannerisms. While confident in her prowess as a knight, Mathilda sometimes worries about how socially acceptable it is to outshine her "lord husband" Clive. In spite of Clair's initial opposition to Mathilda courting Clive, Mathilda likes Clair, understanding that she is motivated by love for her brother."
Class progression: paladin--gold knight
-Delthea - Bailey Gambertoglio
https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Bailey-Gambertoglio/
"Delthea is the descendant of a powerful mage and holds great talent in magic, more so than her older brother Luthier. A Duma Faithful necromancer named Tatarrah kidnapped Delthea and brainwashed her into being his servant (it's implied that it was Slayde who gave the information to the Duma Faithful on where she lived). Luthier asks Alm and the Deliverance to help him save his sister. They encounter Tatarrah and kill him, freeing her from the necromancer's control. Confused and wondering where her brother is, she flees the battlefield into the floodgate where she reunites with Luthier and meets Alm and the Deliverance. She joins the army to end the war once and for all.
Despite being naturally gifted with magic, Delthea is not interested in training her abilities, using it in Alm's group because she likes helping him, only to seal it after the war. She is bright and cheerful, though a bit of a selfish young girl. Constantly making fun of Luthier, her conversations make it clear that she does love him and would like to be friends deep down, quick to defend him when Clair does the same."
Class progression: mage--priestess
-Tatiana - Genesis Rodriguez
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1270009/?ref_=nv_sr_1
"Tatiana is a Rigelian saint who was orphaned at a young age. Raised in an orphanage run by the Church of Rigel, Tatiana joined the clergy in order to repay the church for raising her. Tatiana discovered the unconscious body of a man washed ashore. Having suffered grievous wounds and lost most of his memories, Tatiana nursed him back to health, and during this time, the two fell in love. The man eventually draws the attention of Emperor Rudolf who admires his combat prowess, quickly ascending the ranks of the Rigelian army and becoming close to the Emperor himself. Rudolf named the man Ezekiel, Zeke for short. However, when the war between Rigel and Zofia starts, Zeke opposes it. To make matters worse, Zeke is stationed with Jerome, a man who leads his personal platoon to constantly raid nearby villages. While Zeke cannot stand his actions, the witch Nuibaba kidnapped Tatiana and holds her hostage in her villa on Fear Mountain and threatens to sacrifice her if Zeke does not comply. Eventually, Alm's army hears of Nuibaba's abode and heads to Fear Mountain where the witch is ultimately slain. In her villa, Alm finds Tatiana and frees her from her cell. Grateful for their rescue, she asks to join the army so Zeke will stop fighting for Jerome. As the Deliverance nears Rigel Village, they encounter Jerome and Zeke's forces. Upon seeing Tatiana in Alm's forces safe and sound, Zeke immediately turns on Jerome and assists Alm in killing him.
Tatiana is a good-natured, amiable, and selfless person, as shown by her caring for an absolute stranger near death and constant volunteering for duties at her monastery. However, she is also very clumsy and scatter-brained, which on more than one occasion has interfered with various tasks, such as cooking or applying a salve. She fears the possibility of Zeke regaining his memories, believing it might cause him to leave her; at one point in the story, she tells Alm that she feels horrible and selfish for feeling that way, and adds that if Zeke truly wanted to return to any lover he had before, she would allow him to."
-Zeke - Ben Barnes
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1602660/?ref_=nv_sr_1
"Thought to have perished during the War of Shadows (as seen in The Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light) it is revealed that Camus survived the battle and was washed ashore to Rigel in Valentia two years before the game's events. Without any memories of his past life, he was nursed back to health by Tatiana, a Rigelian saint whom he would later fall in love with. He was named "Ezekiel", Zeke for short by King Rudolf, and forged a common trust with the King and rose to become a high ranking general in the Rigelian army due to his sheer strength in battle. Before the war started, Rudolf told Zeke to look for a boy with a mark on his hand. He ordered Zeke to follow this boy as the boy would be destined to save all of Valentia. He opposed the war with Zofia but nevertheless followed orders. When fellow Rigelian commander, Jerome, disobeyed the King's orders by committing raids against villages, such as Rigel Village, Zeke attempted to stop him. However, this led to Tatiana being captured by Jerome's fellow traitor, Nuibaba, in order to force him to fight for them. When Alm's army kill Nuibaba, Tatiana is rescued and brought into his forces. Upon seeing Tatiana among Alm's forces, Camus immediately turns on Jerome's army. Zeke thanks Alm for saving his beloved, but states that he refuses to fight against Rudolf, whom he owes a great debt to. However, when Zeke noticed a mark on Alm's left hand, he leaves the Rigel army and joins Alm's army, at the behest of those orders he received from Rudolf. After the war, Zeke lived a happy life with Tatiana. He recovered all of his memories as Camus, but he chose to keep this revelation to himself and vowed never to tell her of his own dark past."
Class: gold knight
*Barnes returns as the amnesiac Camus from Fire Emblem Archanea, season one.*
-Mycen - Larry Kenney
https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Larry-Kenney/
"Mycen is a reputable former soldier known throughout Valentia. Originally a Rigelian early in life, he later became a high ranking Zofian general when he later moved into the southern country. In his famed military career, he became an exemplary knight whom many have admired as the finest soldier to have ever existed. In his older years, Mycen settled down in Ram Village, raising his grandson Alm. One day, the Villa of the Zofian royal family was set ablaze by Desaix in a coup of the Zofian throne. Mycen entered the burning villa and managed to rescue the young princess, Anthiese. Concerned for her half-brother, she asked if Mycen found Conrad. To her disappointment, Mycen informed her that she was the only person he could find, leaving her the sole survivor of the fire. Believed to be dead by the Zofian people, Mycen brought Anthiese to Ram Village and adopted her, renaming her Celica for her safety. For a while, he raised Alm and Celica and taught them alongside the Ram Village children, Tobin, Gray, Kliff, and Faye the art of combat. Shortly after, Desaix's crony, Slayde stumbled upon Ram Village and discovered Anthiese's survival through her brand on her hand. Though he was repelled by Mycen, Mycen was forced to send Celica away for her safety once more, bringing her to Novis Priory to further prevent anyone from ever encountering her again. During the ten years after this event, Mycen spent the years training Alm and the Ram Village children. Feeling that he was ready and properly trained, Alm asked Mycen if he could leave the village, which Mycen declined, saying that he was too green. Lukas came soon after seeking Mycen to help the Deliverance, a Zofian force dedicated with overthrowing Desaix. However, Mycen was nowhere to be found. In his stead, Alm volunteered and joined the Deliverance.
A knight of great fame both in Rigel and Zofia, Mycen is a dutiful knight and often revered by the masses of both nations due to his might and chivalrous nature. He is an extremely respected individual, earning the admiration of the members of the Deliverance and the Ram Village children. Even in his much older age, his prowess in battle has never dwindled and is noted by Alm and the Ram Village children to be a particularly harsh instructor, but an effective one. Kind and caring, Mycen is greatly beloved by Alm and Celica who both affectionately treat like a grandfather. Even after the truth of their relationship is revealed, both still continue to refer to him as Grandpa. He was also close to Emperor Rudolf as he was the sole individual in the entire kingdom and the world who knew of his son's existence. Rudolf placed great trust in Mycen to not only be aware of his grand plans for his son, but also send him away with Mycen to raise and train to carry out his plans."
Class: gold knight
*Who better to voice the legendary veteran knight than the man behind the legendary voice of Lion-O in the original Thundercats? I'd suggest that he'd draw upon a bit of his King Claudus from the 2011 reboot, while throwing in a little bit of Sam Elliot (who Mycen resembles a bit).*
+Celica's Path
-Celica - Candice Patton (The Flash)
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2765384/?ref_=nv_sr_1
"In the year 385 in the Valentian calendar and year 590 in the Archanean calendar, Celica was born as Princess Anthiese of Zofia, daughter of Lima IV and Liprica. Anthiese bore a great resemblance to her mother, but her mother died while she was very young. Anthiese bore a special mark on the palm of her right hand, one that would tie her to a great destiny alongside another individual who bore a similar mark. In her brief childhood in the royal villa, she became close to one of her half-siblings, Conrad. 10 years prior to the game events, the villa housing Lima IV's numerous wives and children was set ablaze by Desaix as a means to instigate a coup against the king. Mycen, a legendary Zofian knight, managed to locate Anthiese in the blaze and rescued her. She had hoped that Mycen could find Conrad, but Mycen informed him that he could not find him, leaving Anthiese as the sole survivor of the fire. To most of Zofia, however, it was believed that there were no survivors. Mycen brought Anthiese to Ram Village for her safety and she was given the name Celica, her new name that she would go by for many years, Living with Mycen for some time, she became particularly close to Mycen's grandson, Alm. The two were practically inseparable, fortified by the fact the the two bore a special birthmark on their opposite hands. Her time in Ram Village was also filled with happiness with her friends in the village Tobin, Gray, Kliff, and Faye. She was taught swordplay by Mycen alongside the other Ram Village children in order to protect herself. Unfortunately, her happiness was cut short when one of Desaix's cronies, Slayde, came to Ram Village and discovered Celica's heritage thanks to a special Brand on her right hand. Though he was repelled from the village thanks to Mycen, Celica was forced to leave the village. As she departed, Alm vowed to one day reunite with her, a sentiment she shared. She was brought to the Priory on Novis where she was raised by Nomah. She would spend the rest of her adolescence training in the teachings of Mila and became skilled in magic. She became close to three students at the priory: Mae, Boey, and Genny.
After having a dream of Alm's death, Celica, along with Mae, Boey, and Genny, leaves the monastery to investigate the cause of the crop failures occurring the consecutive years prior, believing Mila is somehow related to it. At the Novis Harbor, she hires a mercenary, Saber, to protect her and the group during the journey to Mila's Temple, picking up more allies along the way. During a detour in Zofia, she learns of the country's liberation by the Deliverance and reunites with its current leader, Alm. Though the reunion is joyful at first, the two argue over a resolution to the war and part on bittersweet terms. The two are further separated once a landslide separates both halves of Zofia, leading Celica and her party to continue east to the temple of Mila.
Celica is a kind and polite person, who is often bold yet refined, but she holds herself back emotionally to an extent after a series of traumatic events and familial loss; as a result, she can come off as cold and stoic, and normally maintain a aura of polite distance, as shown her body language in cutscenes and sprites, which is subtly guarded and closed-off. She usually regrets showing her raw emotions, especially in the rare moments that she lashes out in anger, bitterness, or even sentiment. Celica feels the need that she has to set aside her emotional candor in order to fulfill her responsibilities as royalty. She is a firm believer in bringing peace without fighting, believing that conflict begets further conflicts. While she prefers solving matters peacefully, she is more than willing to put her life on the line and fight with her comrades for the sake of protecting them. She will also willingly fight to save others if asked, but will rarely act out in vengeance. She also has been shown to be clumsy, possibly a trait rubbed off on her by Nomah, and enjoys studying and reading. Often hurt by the fact that she must keep her role secret, even from those she loves, Celica feels that she is solely responsible for shouldering her responsibilities. She often feels very lonely, but believes that her loneliness is selfish when she only ever puts those she cares about at risk. As a result, though she does not outwardly express it, she greatly lacks self-worth and confidence. This also makes her extremely naive and turns her natural kindness into a crucial flaw, as she will willingly sacrifice herself to the enemy the second her friends are threatened, even when knowing that they cannot be trusted or not even knowing if they would honor their promise in exchange for her compliance. Her deep connection to Alm is a result of his impact on her life during their time together, as while Celica's introspective accounts on the outside world gave Alm a greater desire to find his place in it, Alm's warmness allowed Celica to avoid self-isolation and open up to others more easily, which is reflected on her first reunion with him after seven years. This does not prevent from seeking to impose her will over his, however, as she initially acted brashly over his decisions acting opposite hers, regardless of the logic behind them. She eventually rekindles her trust in Alm and becomes more accepting of his views, knowing that she can rely on him to help bring peace to both nations."
Class progression: priestess--princess
-Mae - Olivia Holt
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3127051/?ref_=nv_sr_2
"An adept mage who is well aware of her talent, Mae is constantly in pursuit of self-improvement and is a prime example of a "type A" personality. Such traits causes an intense rivalry with Boey, whom she frequently tries to outdo at everything while teasing about his insecurities. Yet, Mae values Boey's presence and cares about him despite all of their clashing. Often seeking approval from others, Mae desires to be viewed as a highly dependable person. She is often very enthusiastic, generally speaking in an exuberant, confident, and even arrogant manner. Such demeanor manages to be contagious, as Celica states that Mae has always cheered her up when she was sad or lonely. Despite her constant cheerfulness and bombastic mannerisms, Mae is subtly self-conscious of her level of maturity, appearance and deportment wise, especially when compared to her retainer partner, Boey, and the ever reserved and mature Celica. She longs for a carefree lifestyle after the war and has a fondness of the ocean. She and Celica are extremely close to the extent that she is profusely attached to her. As a result of this, she is very concerned for Celica's emotional well-being and survival to the point of verbally rebuking enemies that threaten her safety, even if it places her life in harm's way."
Class progression: mage--priestess
-Boey - Zeno Robinson
https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Zeno-Robinson/
"Boey is the son of a fisherman and an eager apprentice Mage who is devoted to Celica's protection. He is like a younger brother to his childhood friend Mae, who constantly teases him. He joins Mae and Celica out of concern for the two of them. Boey, growing up in an impoverished household, is very insecure of himself, but because he values his impression on others, he tends to talk in formal speech mannerisms and highly of himself to overcompensate his image. However, he is more bark than bite, and is terrified easily. As a result of said cowardice, Boey does not actively enjoy engaging in battles. He speaks in a very calm, refined, yet often condescending manner, however, he has been shown to act rather moody. Due to his efforts being focused into said overcompensation of abilities in his speech mannerisms, he is not adept at confronting his own feelings while hiding behind his serious and mature front. Mae, being a close childhood friend and rival of his, recognizes these flaws and pokes at his insecurities and cowardice, often mocking him or telling him to "grow a spine." In turn, he often hurls minor insults at her and plays along with their bickering. At the end of the day, however, Boey appreciates Mae's company and greatly values her."
Class progression: mage--sage
-Genny - Merit Leighton
https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Merit-Leighton/
"Serving at the priory on Novis, Genny's mother was born there, but she hated the life on the island and departed for the royal capital for several years before returning with her as a newborn, and while her father was never known, it seems he was a nobleman with a wife and children. Afterwards, her mother left her behind at the priory and disappeared, with Genny carrying only a pendant that her mother received from her father. She would spend several years in the Priory, becoming acquainted with fellow children Celica, Boey, and Mae. When Celica decides to go on a journey to the Temple of Mila to see why Zofia has lost its influence from Mila, Genny requests to join Celica, pledging her healing skills to her cause.
Genny is a soft-spoken and meek girl that Celica and the others consider an adorable little sister. Lacking self-confidence, as shown by her claim that she can only fix minor injuries, despite her great healing powers, she feels nervous and uncomfortable around people who remind her of her mother such as Sonya, whom she dislikes for abandoning her. In a conversation with Celica, Genny reveals her preference for an older partner, explaining that she wishes to feel taken care of. She also mentions that a relationship with someone around her age would not work for her as a result. Genny enjoys writing her own stories; one of them being about a plucky princess who eventually reunites with her long-lost father. She mentions at one point that although she was hesitant about leaving on a journey, as she is the kind of person who would rather stay at home than go on adventures, she decided to accompany her friends thinking that being left out would feel worse."
Class progression: cleric--saint
-Saber - Kirk Acevedo (Arrow)
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0009716/?ref_=nv_sr_1
"In the past, Saber was an ace soldier within the Rigelian army, but he fell into a trap devised by noblemen who scorned his common upbringing, and he lost one of his eyes. Betrayed by an ally who he considered a friend, he challenged them to a duel and emerged victorious. However, his opponent died and because private duels carry the death penalty in the Rigelian army, he was forced to flee to Zofia and become a mercenary. While he was drinking at a tavern around Novis Greatport, he accepts Celica's request to protect her group during their seaborne journey to Mila Temple after she offers her Golden Dagger as payment. Ever since his employment, Saber more or less acts as Celica's advisor, albeit an unconventional one. Arriving at Zofia Castle, he points out that she does not seem as impressed as Mae and Boey. After Celica accepts her heritage, Saber swears fealty to her and becomes just as loyal as Mae and Boey. When Celica announces her intention to invade Rigel to retrieve Mila, Saber assures her that he has her back. At Duma's temple, he leads Celica's army in an attempt to rescue her.
A coarse seaman with a dry sense of humor, Saber frequently debates at Celica's orders and often calls her out on her idealistic nature, aware of the necessity of violence. Despite this, Saber shows loyalty to whoever employs him and although jaded in his views in contrast to Celica, Saber pledges his loyalty to her after the reveal of her identity, showing his willingness and desire to fight for her cause. Due to his occupation as a sellsword, said honor is often cast aside, as he usually works for whoever pays him well enough, well known for having just as easily done shady services in the past with the right coin. With a reputation for drinking and chasing skirts that even Jesse claims Saber is known for being a heartbreaker, he is far more insightful than most members of her party, as he catches on the quickest that Celica is not just any priestess, and understands her intentions better than most."
Class progression: mercenary--myrmidon--dread fighter
-Valbar - Thomas F. Wilson
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001855/?ref_=nv_sr_1
"Valbar lived in a small village on the coast with his parents, his sister, his brother, and his wife and son. He became a Zofian knight in order to support his family financially. However, while he was serving his duty elsewhere, the pirates of Barth attacked the village, killing his entire family. With his fellow soldier Leon and Kamui the mercenary, he sought out and fought against Barth. While he was waiting for his chance, Celica's party landed in the middle of their fight and began fighting them as well, so they joined forces to beat Barth. When the battle ends, Valbar felt a debt of gratitude towards Celica for having helped him fulfill his revenge, and sets out on her journey with her, with his group following along.
With his big heart and carefree demeanor, Valbar believes in repaying his debts, and believes in living his life without regrets. He’s good at taking care of others, but is also headstrong and tries to do so with no regards of the consequences. Valbar is close friends with Leon, a former Zofian soldier who was able to enjoy life again thanks to Valbar. Leon has romantic feelings for Valbar, but Valbar appears to be oblivious to them."
Class progression: knight--baron
-Leon - James Arnold Taylor
https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/James-Arnold-Taylor/
"Leon was comfortably raised by both parents in a calm village. Because of his effeminate looks, he was often bullied, and became stronger through challenging such people to duels to prove himself. A former soldier, Leon reluctantly joined the Rigelian army when an unnamed man, whom Leon had long held a love for, enlisted. Said man died in battle, and Leon entered a state of depression. However, due to his companion Valbar's encouragement and kind words, he got back on his feet and has been attached to him ever since. After Barth is defeated, he joins Celica's party.
Leon has a pretty boy personality and sharp tongue, but he is an honest man that tells no lies. Leon has a very close relationship to Valbar, describing him as his sworn brother and saying he will go wherever Valbar goes. Additionally, Leon is a very idealistic and generous man who makes a point of protecting and saving those who need help. He believes in the goodness of humanity and deeply wants people to be happy and safe."
Class progression: archer--sniper--bow knight (mounted on horseback)
*Taylor's Green Arrow from Batman: The Brave and the Bold reminded me a bit of Lucien Dodge's portrayal of Leon in the Valentia game.*
-Kamui - Steven Yeun
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3081796/?ref_=nv_sr_1
"A mercenary from a distant nation hired by Valbar, Kamui used to live a nomadic life with his family and worked with grazing animals. However, they got into a scuffle with another tribe and lost, which led them to settle in a town. Unable to adjust to this lifestyle, Kamui set out on a journey, with his swordsmanship being honed due to his wanderings. After Barth is defeated, he joins Celica's party.
With a placid and easygoing personality, Kamui is a freedom-loving drifter who hates commitments. Although he mentioned possibly giving up the blade partway through the journey, it seems the wanderlust in his blood wouldn’t settle for that. It is shown that he has a deep fear of Necrodragons. He also indicates that he likes money, and works as a mercenary to get it."
Class progression: mercenary--myrmidon--dread fighter
-Palla - Melissa Disney
https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Melissa-Disney/
"Two years following the end of the War of Shadows, Palla and Catria journey to Valentia in search of their kidnapped sister Est, eventually joining Celica's group to both rescue Est and aid them on their journey. As the elder sister of the three Whitewings from Archanea, Palla is mild-mannered and down to earth, always caring about her sisters. However, she also has a stubborn side and absolutely will not budge after a decision is made."
Class progression: pegasus knight--falcoknight
*Disney returns as Palla from from Fire Emblem Archanea, season one.*
-Catria - Kari Wahlgren
https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Kari-Wahlgren/
"Two years following the end of the War of Shadows, Palla and Catria journey to Valentia in search of their kidnapped sister Est, eventually joining Celica's group to both rescue Est and aid them on their journey. As the middle sister of the three Whitewings of Archanea, Catria often acts as the buffer between her two sisters and rarely pushes her own thoughts on the matter. This, according to her, is because whenever she has something to say, one of her sisters will always say it first, and assumes its common for middle children such as herself. Though she has a cool and serious personality, she's not entirely unfeeling, with her stating that people tend to assume she's completely stoic because she's more reserved than either Palla or Est."
Class progression: pegasus knight--falcoknight
*Wahlgren returns as Catria from from Fire Emblem Archanea, season one.*
-Atlas - Blair Redford (The Gifted)
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1532807/?ref_=nv_sr_1
"A villager who dwells in a mountain village in Zofia, Atlas lived as a lumberjack, but after his little brothers were kidnapped by Grieth, he joined Celica to oust the thieves, and expresses deep gratitude towards Celica for helping him out, aiding her for the rest of her journey. While he can seem gruff and unfriendly, Atlas is extremely passionate, being proud of living on the mountain that he inherited from his ancestors and feeling was regretful of allowing thieves to intrude the village while he was away serving the army, causing his brothers to suffer. Not only that, the animals exhibit less caution towards him and they seem to like him a lot."
Class progression: villager--archer--sniper--bow knight (mounted on horseback)
-Jesse - Scott Whyte
https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Scott-Whyte/
"A free spirit who hates the strict rules of the household where he was constantly told what to do and not do, Jesse's father was a high-ranking Zofian nobleman, and he was in fact friends with Clive and other nobles around his age. There were high expectations for him due to his skill with the sword, but trouble arose with the birth of his younger half-brother, as Jesse himself was born to a low-ranking concubine rather than a proper wife. Most of their vassals hoped Jesse would succeed his father, but Jesse decided instead to abandon his family name and run away for the sake of his sickly brother's future. At some point in time, Jesse encountered Silque being kidnapped by bandits. Realizing her plight, he rescued her and then accompanied her during her travels for a distance, parting at Zofia Harbor. Later on, Jesse attempted to save Est from Grieth, but was captured and imprisoned at the bandit's desert stronghold. When Celica's party frees him he then joins them on their journey.
Jesse is a individual who enjoys life without restrictions, leading to his ambition of creating a kingdom that could not be tied down by anyone. Being very flirtatious and often smooth talking women in Celica's army, and even Celica herself, he is also quite a dreamer as shown in his conversations with Saber."
Class progression: mercenary--myrmidon--dread fighter
-Yuzu - Karen Fukuhara
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7232332/?ref_=nv_sr_1
"A shy young swordfighter from the nation of Hoshido [of Archanea's universe], Yuzu has trained in the arts of combat from an early age and she is always keen to prove her skills against formidable opponents. And while she has a serious and unpretending personality, she can be a little socially awkward. Like many girls her age, she has a fondness of cute things. She and her travelling companion Shade were visiting Valentia along with their friends Emma and Randal, when they were unexpectedly separated; Yuzu and Shade wound up on the eastern half of Zofia. Celica's group came upon the duo when Shade was temporarily enthralled by a member of the Duma Faithful, commanding a group of monstrous terrors in a graveyard. After helping to free Shade, Yuzu pledges to aid Celica and company on their journey alongside Shade."
Class: priestess
-Shade - Zehra Fazal
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3469812/?ref_=nv_sr_2
"Shade is an experienced magic user from the kingdom of Nohr [of Archanea's universe; the other of the two nations from Fire Emblem Fates]. A woman who is adept with magic and possesses great wisdom and knowledge, Shade is shown to be knowledgeable and calm (unless someone were to inadvertently poke fun at her), akin to a mature older sister, as she teaches various things to her puzzled colleagues like Emma. Although she generally behaves in a very mature fashion, she tends to react poorly to unforeseen circumstances, especially when it happens to people she knows, causing her to go into a talkative panic of frustration and concern."
Class: saint
-Sonya - Elena Satine
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2180812/?ref_=nv_sr_2
"As a child, she lived in a monastery peacefully with her older sisters Marla and Hestia, as they were abandoned by their father Jedah at a priory when they were young. Although they found their new home constricting, the three got along well and helped each other get by. However, at some point in time, Jedah offered Sonya's sisters as live sacrifices to Duma in exchange for his trust. Escaping such fate with her sisters’ help, Sonya decided upon revenge and waited on her chance. Later on, Sonya serves as a subordinate of Grieth alongside Deen, who keeps her in check and vice versa. Although she is aware of Grieth's cruelty, and hates him, she and Deen stand in Celica’s path, preventing her from crossing the desert. Celica and company manage to defeat both, who then retreat into Grieth's Citadel. After Grieth's death, she joins Celica's army, revealing that she thought that Grieth would get his just rewards eventually.
Apparently burdened with an awful past that she hates to talk about, Sonya gives off a cool and unyielding personality and oozes womanly charm. However, internally, the feelings of hatred she hides are violent and tumultuous, and at the time when she faced off with Jedah, she fought against him as though venting her anger and fury. Sonya develops a friendship with Genny, where they bond over being left at a priory as children by their parents, and Sonya reminding Genny of her mother."
Class progression: mage--priestess
-Deen - Khary Payton
https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Khary-Payton/
"Born in a provincial city in Zofia to a long line of soldiers, Deen has undergone his father's rigorous training since youth, joining the Zofian Army when he came of age. Becoming engaged to a feudal lord's daughter, he was set to inherit the lord's peerage. However, while he was away for a mission, the mansion was attacked. As he rushed back upon hearing the news, he himself was attacked and lost his left eye. Reaching the mansion, he found his wife, whose form had completely changed into a witch. To kill his beloved fiancee and enact revenge on the man who took his eye, he took the lord's heirloom, the Brave Sword. Like Sonya, Deen eventually works for Grieth as a member of the Grieth Pirates, despite hating him due to his evil deeds. When both are defeated by Celica and her party, they retreat into Grieth's Citadel. After Grieth's death, he and Sonya join Celica's army, noting that he knew that Grieth would have gotten what he deserved eventually.
Outright stating in his first base conversation that he doesn't do small talk, Deen only starts stating his own opinions on things after others persist on the matter. When he does so however, he is shown to have a smart and savvy side to him."
Class progression: myrmidon--dread fighter
-Est - Willa Holland
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1473267/?ref_=nv_sr_1
"Est had left the Whitewings the day after the War of Shadows, wanting to open up a shop with her new husband Abel and live a normal life. Unfortunately, Est ends up getting captured by Grieth, and her sisters follow the pirate ship to rescue her, but they lose sight of it near Zofia Harbor. Jesse tries to save Est, but gets captured. After Celica's party rescues Jesse, they travel to Grieth's fort, defeat Grieth, and save Est, who takes up the lance once more to help them on Celica's journey.
As the youngest of the three Whitewing sisters from Archanea, Est is pure and innocent and often gets told off by her sisters. One such example is in her conversations with Catria, as she keeps showing junk that she seems to genuinely believe is special."
Class progression: pegasus knight--falcoknight
*Holland returns as Est from from Fire Emblem Archanea, season one.*
-Nomah - Peter Cullen
https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Peter-Cullen/
"Nomah is the wise sage who trained and raised Celica after Mycen sent her to the Novis priory to keep her safe. He initially briefs her on the dangers of the journey she is about to undertake. Later on, he appears after she and her group have retaken the temple of Mila, joining them as they progress into Rigel to find the missing divine dragon."
Class: sage
*Who better to voice the sagely mentor to the story's heroine than the man behind the legendary voice of Optimus Prime?*
-Conrad - Crawford Wilson
https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Crawford-Wilson/
"Conrad is a Zofian prince whose mother was a Rigelian noble forced to marry Lima IV in order to secure food for her homeland. Because of his Rigelian heritage, he was despised by the Zofian queen and much of his half-siblings. Conrad was very attached to Anthiese and her mother Liprica, his only two family members who treated him with kindness during their time in the royal villa. Tragedy soon struck the Villa when a great fire erupted killing many of the Zofian royal family. Mycen, a great knight, was unable to find Conrad amidst the chaos. Anthiese was presumed to be the sole survivor of the fire. In reality, Conrad escaped with his mother's handmaiden through an underground passage and was told that Anthiese died. Conrad, stricken with grief, cried uncontrollably. Eventually, they crossed the border and escaped into the Sage's Hamlet where Conrad was taken in by Halcyon, becoming his servant and student in exchange for housing. During his time in the hamlet, he also honed his swordsmanship.Years later, Conrad was informed by Halcyon that Anthiese was very much alive. Under her new name Celica, she was embarking on a journey to Mila's Temple and Halcyon tasked Conrad with protecting her, but was strictly told not to have his face be seen; thus, he took the guise of a masked knight that acted as Celica's mysterious protector. Later, as Celica and her forces battle the Duma cantor Dolth and defeat him, Dolth nearly convinces Celica to sacrifice her soul to Duma to save the Zofian people. Unable to contain himself any longer upon seeing Celica nearly follow through with the Cantor's lies, Conrad steps in and kills him. Conrad finally removes his mask, revealing to his beloved half-sister that he is very much alive. Celica is overjoyed to have her brother join her forces and Conrad follows Celica for the rest of her journey.
Conrad is a very sensitive and gentle person, a trait he has had since his childhood due to being despised heavily by most of his family. Anthiese, Liprica, and his mother remain the only family he has ever had that he remembers fondly, thus being the main motivation for him to fight for her cause. Even after 10 years of separation, Conrad dearly loves his sister and her safety remains his top priority before and after joining her army. Under his Masked Knight persona, he is much more confident and mysterious, maintaining his promise to Halcyon that he would keep his identity hidden while he assists his sister. However, after joining Celica's army, Celica feels that he is cooler and more dashing in his mask persona, causing him to wear it as a means to impress her."
Class progression: paladin--gold knight
+Ally Characters
-Mila - Christine Adams (Black Lightning)
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0010837/?ref_=nv_sr_1
"Thousands of years ago, Mila was from the Divine Dragon tribe in Archanea. She served Naga, the ruler of the Dragon tribes and strongest of the Divine Dragons, blessing the lands to allow prosperity for the dragons, earning the title of Kingsgrail. Her brother would meanwhile protect her with his military might, earning the title of Kingshield along with Naga's favor. When Duma clashed against Naga in a ferocious battle for Naga's harsh judgment on him for the destruction of Thabes, Mila sided with him. Though the two fought valiantly, even injuring Naga and casing some of her fangs to splinter and scatter across the realm, Duma and Mila were no match for Naga and her forces and surrendered after nine days of battle that caused extensive damage across the land. For their transgressions, Duma and Mila were exiled from the land. Afterward, Duma and Mila traversed the ocean for seven days before they finally reached the continent of Valentia, which they would claim as their new home. There, they would become patron deities in the land.
Despite settling in Valentia, Duma's lust for battle, along with his beliefs over humanity led him to clash with Mila. While Duma believed that hardship creates hardy, strong humans, Mila believed that humans should live without strife, creating peaceful people. Mila clashed with her brother for many seasons until they were both exhausted their power. This eventually caused the siblings to reach an accord: they would divide the land of Valentia into two, where Duma would rule the north and Mila the south, and the two would never intervene in the other's territory. After the establishment of the Divine Accord, Mila would have a religion surrounding her, known as the Mila Faithful, with temples constructed as central places of worship, spreading the religion. Later on, Sage Matthaus, an astronomer, proposed a calendar to Mila, which she accepted, which would then be known throughout the continent as the first year on the Valentia Calendar. Mila's Turnwheel would be created around this time. As time passed on, both Mila and Duma's strength waned, right as a pirate nation was formed and grew in power, threatening the Valentian mainland, as well as Archanea’s western coast. To combat these pirates in their weakened state, Duma and Mila selected two individuals for their brilliant exploits: Rigel and Zofia respectively. The Divine Dragons performed a blood pact with them, with Mila granting Zofia the spell, Ragnarok. Once Rigel and Zofia defeated the pirate nation, Zofia would establish the Kingdom of Zofia. Mila would provide blessings of a good harvest for the people to spare them from suffering. However, eventually, Mila began to lose her reasoning from the madness due to the degeneration. Though Mila was younger than Duma, and thus did not degenerate as fast, her loss of reason prevented her from seeing the corruption of her own people. Due to her ideals being taken to the extreme, the Zofians became lazy and hedonistic, who began to view Mila less as a goddess, and more of a means to provide resources.
It is later discovered by Celica that Mila was sealed within the sword Falchion by Rudolf, who she had fought when he and his forces invaded her temple, as part of a ploy to release humanity from the corrupting influence of their gods. It is later revealed by Halcyon, the former high priest of the Duma Faithful, that both Mila's body and the Falchion, which contains her soul, are sealed beneath Duma Tower. Before Jedah, the new high priest of the Duma Faithful, sacrifices Celica's soul to Duma, he reveals to Celica that Mila sealed the Falchion, which had been impaled into her head, preventing anyone from using it. He then destroys Mila's body, with only her head remaining, then teleports both Mila's head and the brainwashed Celica to the treasure vault. Later on, when Celica is forced by Jedah to fight Alm, Mila calls out to Alm, telling him to grasp the Falchion in his hand and to trust in the sword. After Alm impales and kills Celica with the Falchion, Mila uses the last of her powers to revive Celica. Afterwards, when Alm asks Celica how she is alive, she says that she heard Mila's voice, telling her to have faith in the Falchion. Mila's soul then proceeds to speak with Alm and Celica, telling them the Falchion had taken away her powers. She reveals that the Falchion was created from one of Naga's fangs and bestowed upon Duma for the sole purpose of allowing mankind to kill her and Duma should either of them succumb to madness and that she had foolishly sealed the Falchion away in order to protect Duma. She then thanks Alm and Celica for showing her the strength that mankind possesses. Before fading away, she asks them to use the Falchion to stop Duma and free him from the depths of his pain."
-Irma - Jodi Benson
https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Jodi-Benson/
"Irma is a Cleric in service of the Earth Mother Mila at Mila Temple. After defeating Grieth, Irma is freed from a jail cell by Celica and is revealed to have known her mother, Liprica, the late queen of Zofia. She further expounds that Liprica was forced into marriage with Lima IV and later suffered from illness in which she died after giving birth to Celica. Celica starts tearing up while Irma attempts to comfort her, then laments about the circlet belonging to Liprica being missing. When Mila Temple is liberated, Irma will mention Liprica's circlet once more. Afterwards the Masked Knight will reveal the aforementioned circlet in his possession and bestow it onto Celica, promoting her to princess."
-Halcyon - Rick May
https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Rick-May/
"Originally the high priest of the Duma Faithful, Halcyon lost his position to Jedah after they had a dispute and escaped to Sage Hamlet in defeat. Known as the Great Sage of Duma, he lived at the edge of the village. During the story, he reveals to Celica that Mila is actually sealed within the Falchion, which is located beneath Duma Tower. Celica asks Halcyon if he can possibly help Alm. Halcyon then, from a distance, unlocks Alm's potential, allowing him to promote to the hero class whenever he wished from that point onward."
*A very personal casting for me, as May was my instructor for a series of voiceover classes I took this year.*
-Massena - J.K. Simmons
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0799777/?ref_=nv_sr_1
"Massena is the captain of Emperor Rudolf's personal guard and had been in his service for years. Prior to the Deliverance's assault on Rigel Castle, Rudolf informed Massena of his 17 year plan including the plan for Rudolf's own son, Alm to kill him. Under Rudolf's final order to him, Massena and the rest of the Rigelian army peacefully surrender after the fall of their emperor. Inside Rigel Castle, Massenna greets Prince Alm and confirms his heritage alongside Mycen. In additional to final order to surrender, Rudolf instructed Massena to lead Alm to the deepest floor of the Castle to an underground entrance to Duma Tower."
-Marth - Freddie Highmore
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0383603/?ref_=nv_sr_1
"Prince Marth of Altea appears in the two-part epilogue of the story, where he meets with Alm, Celica and their companions as part of a delegation from the kingdoms of Archanea to greet the new rulers of the One Kingdom of Valentia. During their meeting at Furia Harbor on the coast of Archanea, the parties learn of a number of citizens having gone missing in the mysterious ruins of Thabes, and set out to recover them. Together, the two small armies venture into the labyrinth where they face the dreaded creature living in the center of the ruins: the Fell Dragon Grima, a monster created by the mad alchemist Forneus. Marth and Alm's respective versions of the Falchion sword ultimately drive Grima away into the void, but each knows that deep down, the creature will return at some point; the two then form a pact that should Grima rise again, their two kingdoms will meet its challenge and defeat it once and for all."
*This plot is derived from the last chapter of the Shadows of Valentia game, where one can journey to the Thabes Labyrinth and fight against the main antagonist from 2012's Fire Emblem: Awakening. More on that in Fire Emblem Archanea, season four.*
Antagonists
+Zofian Traitors
-Slayde - C. Thomas Howell
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001367/?ref_=nv_sr_1
"Many years prior to the events of Shadows of Valentia, Slayde was a minor soldier in the Zofian army of noble descent. One day, he was summoned to a discreet location by Desaix who tasked him to kill the royal children of Lima IV in order to further his downfall from grace. Slayde agreed to the task and burned down the Villa that housed them. To the public, there were no survivors of the Villa fire, though rumors had spread that princess Anthiese may still be alive. Nevertheless, the tragedy he orchestrated him boosted him in rank in Desaix's guard, becoming captain. While on patrol near the southern end of Zofia, Slayde and a few cronies stumbled upon Ram Village where he encountered several children playing in the forest nearby. After threatening the children to bring him and his men food and lodging or else have their village destroyed, Slayde notices that one of the girls, Celica, bore a striking resemblance to princess Anthiese. Before he is able to abduct her, Mycen makes a timely appearance and repels Slayde. Unfortunately, the discovery of Anthiese location forces Mycen to take her to Novis Priory for her safety. Years later and after King Lima IV's death, Zofia not only was dealing with the impending invasion of the northern nation of Rigel, but also insurrection within its army, splintering into two separate factions; one lead by Desaix who aspires to keep his current seat of power over Zofia and a small band of former knights of Zofia who wish to wrest control from Desaix. The group called themselves the Deliverance. Slayde continues to serve as Desaix's captain and reencounters the Ram Village children, minus Celica, now fully grown and members of the Deliverance. At Zofia Castle, Slayde is among the many soldiers stationed there to defend the castle. During the battle, Slayde helps to set up a double so Desaix can escape the castle when the battle swings in the Deliverance's favor. After the battle and shamed for the loss, Slayde encounters some Duma Faithful near the castle grounds. The Duma Faithful take Slayde to Rigel where he seizes the opportunity to join the Rigelian empire, providing valuable information of Zofia to Rigel. For his information, he is assigned as the captain of the Final Bastion of Rigel Castle. After a long grueling war, the Deliverance make it to the Final Bastion where they encounter Slayde. Prior to the battle, Slayde personally greets the Deliverance and explains his rise to power in Rigel. Clive chastises him for being nothing more than an opportunistic coward, even selling out his homeland for power. Slayde in a huff orders his forces to attack the Deliverance. Ultimately, his forces are overpowered and Slayde is killed.
Slayde is shown to be a corrupted and greedy knight who cares only for himself and power. He is also willing to kill children just to bring Celica to Desaix. He is also shown to be arrogant, believing in his rank makes better than anyone. He also will betray any groups he is associated with if it suits him. However, it is shown through a flashback that Slayde was initially hesitant to follow the orders given by Desaix to murder children, but showed fake enthusiasm towards it when Desaix questioned his loyalty. This shows that Slayde still has/had a touch of humanity left in him, and was at least partially coerced into following Desaix's orders possibly out of fear for his own life."
Class progression: cavalier--paladin--gold knight
-Desaix - Fred Tatasciore
https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Fred-Tatasciore/
"Years before the events of the story, Desaix was willingly killing the children of the Zofian royal family, with General Mycen attempting to stop him, only for Desaix to charge him with the crime and having him banished. He eventually ordered Slayde to kill both princess Anthiese and prince Conrad during the king and the royal guard's absence, as well as killing everyone else in the royal villa in order to avoid witnesses. While the prince was presumed dead, Mycen managed to take the princess with him before Desaix could have her killed. Sixteen years later, Desaix began his rebellion, conquering the Zofian castle and killing the king. In response to this, a resistance led by Clive was formed in order to oppose Desaix, though he manages to capture the Zofian knight Mathilda in order to use her as leverage to force his surrender. Eventually, Alm took control of the resistance and reclaimed Zofia Castle. What seemed to be Desaix, however, turned out to be no more than an imposter (which is revealed when Alm seemingly kills Desaix prior to facing Slayde). After the battle, his foothold in the Zofian capital was no more. Leaving some of his men behind, his remaining forces retreated back to his fortress in Northern Zofia, while he took the royal sword with him for unknown reasons. When Alm's army arrives in time to save Mathilda, he orders for her to be executed slowly with arrows. Having foreseen their army's approach, Desaix had requested aid from Rigel in order to finally thwart the Deliverance. Despite the aid, however, Alm's forces attacked the fortress and Desaix is killed, with Desaix cursing Mycen for giving the Kingdom to 'Rudolf's pup', having discovered his identity earlier."
Class: baron
-Fernand - A.J. Locasio
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3629001/?ref_=nv_sr_1
"The son of a Zofian noble family, Fernand's and Clive's families knew each other for a long time, leading him to grow up with Clive and Clair like siblings. Fernand had an elder sister as well as two younger siblings. The latter were a result of his father's second marriage, but he was nonetheless very close to them both. Seeing the injustices lead by Desaix, Fernand, Clive, Clair, and Mathilda established the Deliverance, an organization dedicated to protecting Zofia and eventually, overthrowing Desaix. While Fernand was a dedicated knight who believed in protecting the masses, a massive drought had plagued Zofia for the past few years. Many of the commoners felt that the nobles were hording resources to protect themselves while ignoring the masses. This lead to a large rebellion in which Fernand's family estate was caught in, resulting in their death. This left a large fissure in his heart as, while he still continued to oppose Desaix, he grew to despise the common masses.
When Alm and his friends arrive to meet the Deliverance proper, Fernand is frustrated that Lukas would have allowed common villagers to join the Deliverance, but is convinced to accept them by Clair, who reminds him of Clive's belief that a soldier's worth should not determined by their birth. He is further outraged when Clive appoints Alm as the new leader of the group, and abandons the Deliverance on the spot, rather than allow himself to be led by a common villager such as Alm. Fernand then defects to at first Desaix's forces, and then pledges fealty to Berkut, the imperial prince of Rigel, seeing as they share similar ideals. Fernand's presence as part of the Rigel forces, disheartens Alm and the rest of the Deliverance, and he sows a bit of further discord by telling Clive that Alm may not actually be Mycen's grandson, planting a small seed of doubt within the former Deliverance leader. After the death of Emperor Rudolf and the revelation that Alm is the Emperor's one and only son, Fernand goes into the Duma Temple where he finds Berkut desperate for power to defeat Alm and claim what should have been rightfully his. He witnesses as Berkut sacrifices Rinea, turning her into a witch, as payment to Duma for power. Blinded by his new power, Berkut makes Rinea attack Fernand and mortally wounds him. Just as he nearly makes it to the entrance, he encounters Alm's group, who had entered Duma Temple to stop Duma himself. Fernand, on his death throes, pleads to Alm and Clive to stop Berkut and finally rids himself of all of the rage and hatred he held towards the common masses, realizing that he was blinded. Before Clive can do anything to save him, Fernand dies in his friend's arms."
Class progression: cavalier--paladin
*LoCasio's Lotor from Legendary Defender was the prime inspiration for this casting.*
+Mercenary Foes
-Grieth - Greg Eagles
https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Greg-Eagles/
"Grieth is the leader of a band of pirates and bandits that operate throughout Zofia, operating out of a stronghold in the eastern desert of Zofia. He allys himself with Desaix before later deciding to ply his services to Rigel after encountering Celica. He is responsible for the abduction of, among other people, the Archanean pegasus knight Est. Sonya and Deen acted as his lieutenants until his defeat. Grieth is an opportunistic individual who will seize at whatever power is available to him, showcased by his ease with betraying Desaix by his attempts to deliver Celica to Rigel. Prior, he wasted no time ascending to become the "brigand king" as Zofia's royalty (likely the ruling king Lima IV) did nothing to stop him. He is also shown to be fearless and defiant though impatient, easily upset, and prone to shouting. He demonstrates these traits by impatiently ordering a brigand under him to spit out the bad news and nearly threatened said subordinate to spill the identity of his lieutenant Wolff's killer. After Deen and Sonya betray him upon their defeat, he furiously charges at Celica's group himself. Curiously, he does not belittle the strength of his men upon their defeat among other things; at Wolff's demise he immediately assumed that said sniper and his men were taken down by the considerably powerful Deliverance who had recently freed Zofia Castle from Desaix's control, and upon hearing otherwise (that it was a "ragtag group of kid mages and a mercenary" at that) he demanded info on the group in disbelief that children were somehow powerful enough to kill Wolff's entire group. He is also not so overconfident in his own victory despite his considerable power, aware of the fact that all of his power could vanish. Ultimately, he is still a defiant individual as he swore to drag Celica and her group down with him after realizing that perhaps he's in over his head, and even in death he does not lose this edge, claiming that another person like him would always be around as he dies."
Class: dread fighter
+The Rigel Empire
-Rudolf - Kevin Conroy
https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Kevin-Conroy/
"The fourth Emperor of Rigel, as well as a renowned general who stood on the battlefield from a young age, with numerous victories to his name, Rudolf was chosen as the successor of Rigel III despite being only an indirect descendant due to his ability to wield the Falchion and bearing the brand of Duma. Having had a strong relationship with Mycen in their adolescence, both were thoughtful yet hot-blooded men, who would stay up all night to debate Rigel’s future and current state. Following his ascension, a young Rudolf met with the War Father at Duma Temple. During this time, Rudolf sensed Duma’s disturbing descent into madness. Nevertheless, he pledged dominion of Valentia to Duma. However, he did not specify the time of invasion; instead, he ruled while promising to prepare for war. Thereafter, in order to convince Duma of his intent to conquer Zofia, he bolstered the Rigelian army’s armaments. Seeking guidance, Rudolf met with Halcyon, the High Priest of the Duma Faithful. It was then that he received a prophecy foretelling Valentia’s spiral into destruction, with only two with special Brands, one born in Zofia and another in Rigel, held the power to free the Valentian continent from the gods’ control–the “Children of Fate”. About 17 years prior to the start of the story, Rudolf was blessed with a son who bore a special brand of Duma on his left hand. Upon seeing this mark as well as receiving a report that a Zofian princess with a Brand was born around the same time, Rudolf realized that Halcyon’s prophecy was in motion, and secretly met with Mycen, where he entrusted his son to him to raise into a great warrior. Through the years, Rudolf enacted a plan to spur the Valentian people into conflict in order to end the rule of Duma and Mila on the Rigelian and Zofian people respectively, both whom he viewed as a danger to humans as a whole. During said preparations, a man was washed ashore in Rigel and discovered by a Rigelian priestess, who showed great skill as a knight; the two became close. Naming him Ezekiel, or Zeke for short, Rudolf tasked him to follow a man who bore a mark on his left hand should he ever meet him in battle. Zeke would later uphold this promise, following Alm in his cause.
As such, when the poor harvests persisted to the point when the Empire’s food stockpiles ran out, Rudolf made the decision to invade Zofia, starting the war. By becoming a conqueror, seemingly set on unifying the continent of Valentia under a single rule, Rudolf began his real plan, requesting the Falchion from Duma in order to seal Mila, and aiding Desaix in his rebellion in order to provoke the true heroes to come out and stop him or unite the continent by military might. Over the years, Rudolf became acquainted with his nephew, Berkut, who desired to become heir to the Empire by becoming a great knight worthy of Rudolf. Rudolf often humored Berkut's ambitions and grandeur, but when he constantly failed him during the conflict against the Zofian force, the Deliverance, Rudolf sidelines him to prevent further shame upon the empire.
Alm, now leader of the Deliverance, eventually reaches Rigel Castle. At the dawn of the battle, Rudolf praises his knights for their loyalty and orders them to surrender peacefully should he fall in battle. Eventually, Alm meets Rudolf atop the castle and the two clash weapons. Rudolf willingly allows Alm to mortally wound him without fighting back. Alm is confused by Rudolf's lack of resistance, but Rudolf hushes him so he can give him his final words. Rudolf reveals that Alm is his long lost son, Albein Alm Rudolf II, whom he sent away with Mycen to become a great hero. With his dying breath, Rudolf expresses pride in his son and knows that he will be able to be the hero who will slay the oppressive gods of Valentia and lead the people to a prosperous future without their influence. In his death, the truth of Alm's heritage is revealed to the Valentian people. Before the battle, his trusted personal guard Massena was fully informed of Rudolf's 17 year long plan who in turn puts all his effort in seeing Rudolf's ambition come to fruition. Though Rudolf did not live to see his plans succeed, Alm eventually fulfilled his father's vision by slaying Duma and laying both Divine Dragons to rest."
Class: gold knight
-Berkut - Sam Witwer
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1022429/?ref_=nv_sr_1
"A noble general of Rigel, Berkut's father, who was Emperor Rudolf’s younger brother, died young. Being so timid as a child that even riding a horse would make him cry, his mother raised him strictly so that he would not be teased for being fatherless, and to become a man worthy of becoming the next emperor, until she also passed away before he reached adulthood. Viewing Emperor Rudolf as a surrogate father figure, he developed an interest in devoting himself to the military, in order to seize recognition for his deeds. He guided the coup d’etat in Zofia by luring Desaix into betraying his homeland. Berkut also convinces Fernand to join the Rigelian army after leaving the Deliverance. He is vying to be the next emperor and commands the invasion of Zofia to prove his military prowess. He is also engaged to Rinea, who cares for him during the ongoing war. According to Lukas, he is around the same age that Alm is. Despite Berkut's abilities, he falls in defeat before Alm on two occasions, one of which even with the last resort of a cursed mirror provided to him by Duma Faithful witch Nuibaba. Later, as the Deliverance finishes its campaign through Rigel and arrives at the castle's doorstep, Berkut pleads to Rudolf for one more chance to face Alm. Disappointed by his failures, Rudolf denies Berkut's request and he is forced to watch as the battle unfolds.
In the aftermath of the battle, resulting in the death of Emperor Rudolf, comes the revelation that Alm is Rudolf's son and heir to the Rigelian empire, thus rendering Berkut's sucession of the throne invalid. This discovery causes him to wallow in despair in the basement of the Tower of Duma, where the god himself offers to give Berkut the power he desires. Worried for Berkut, Rinea follows him into the Tower and tells Berkut that she does not care whether or not he is emperor, as she never wanted to be empress and only desired to spend the rest of her days with him. Berkut perceives it as a slight of her admitting she was in on Rudolf's secret. Driven over the edge, Berkut then willingly gives himself to Duma, offering whatever Duma desires in exchange for power. Duma demands Rinea's soul as his price, and Berkut complies, turning her into a Witch. Blinded by his new power, Berkut makes Rinea attack and mortally wound Fernand, who came to check on him. Later, as Alm heads down Duma Temple to claim the Falchion, Berkut stands in his way. Despite Alm attempting to ask Berkut to work together to restore peace to Rigel and Valentia, Berkut refuses and is overcome by Duma's blessing. After the battle, Berkut begs Alm to kill him and end his suffering. Suddenly, Rinea appears in spirit, back in her normal appearance. Rinea continues to tell Berkut that regardless if he is emperor or not, she still loves him for the noble man he truly is deep down. Berkut, having regained his sanity, accepts her offer to look for his "empire" together, so long as he accepts her as his "empress". As Berkut is on his death throes, he hands Alm a ring, a memento of his mother, and trusting Alm to restore Valentia and make it a land led by men, rather than gods. Berkut departs into the afterlife with his beloved Rinea next to him for their new journey."
Class: gold knight
*Looking at Witwer's current portrayal of Agent Liberty on Supergirl (minus the xenophobia in the character), I knew he'd be perfect for the TV interpretation of Berkut.*
-Rinea - Hynden Walch
https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Hynden-Walch/
"Rinea is a noblewoman from an impoverished Rigelian house and is engaged to Berkut. Even within the Empire, she is renowned for her beauty, and the one person whom Berkut trusts without reserve. Rinea met Berkut at a royal ball. Despite the lesser nature of her noble house, Berkut was charmed by her beauty and offered to dance with her, thus beginning their romance. Throughout the war, Rinea shows no interest in battle as she detests violence. While uncomfortable around most strangers, Rinea still tries to put up a pleasant and polite front. She seems to feel a lot of pressure to be an "acceptable" fiancee to Berkut, even though she dislikes public life. She often frets a lot about her choice of words and being what is considered appropriate in her department. Being the daughter of a minor Rigelian noble family that is not well-off, financially or in social standing, her discomfort with court life is exacerbated. She does, however, love to dance, and also enjoys nature and being outdoors. While typically fairly soft-spoken, if Rinea has an opportunity to talk about something she likes, she will become much more animated and verbose, a trait she is rather ashamed of.
In his throes of madness, Berkut sacrifices her life to Duma in exchange for great power, turning her into a Witch and forcing her to obey the newly-empowered Berkut's commands. She is freed from her torment when she and Berkut are defeated by Alm and his friends, allowing them both to pass on in peace."
+The Duma Faithful
-Jedah - John Noble
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0633604/?ref_=nv_sr_1
"Jedah is a priest of the Duma Faithful who got into a dispute with the High Priest Halcyon and banished him, gaining control over the church. He is the father of Marla, Hestia and Sonya until he used them (except for Sonya) as sacrifices to Duma to turn them into witches. He also serves as adviser to Emperor Rudolf. As his unearthly appearance suggests, he wields immensely powerful magic. He is the one responsible for placing the sealed Mila in Duma Tower, and convinces Celica to offer her soul to Duma in order to end all the suffering plaguing Valentia. Celica desperately accepts, and later on, after granting her a final chance to bid Alm farewell, is turned into a sword-wielding witch. To Jedah's shock, Mila's spirit allows Alm to unseal the Falchion sword and use it to free Celica from her transformation, causing Jedah to flee. Jedah makes a last stand (along with his witch-turned daughters Marla and Hestia) to protect Duma, but falls before Alm and Celica's combined forces, with Celica herself and Sonya dealing the death blow.
Jedah is a fanatic who wholeheartedly believes in causing war. Jedah possesses a manipulative streak, offering to spare Alm if Celica offered herself as a sacrifice to Duma, even admitting to Celica that he lied about his promises of sparing Alm and undoing Mila's petrification. He also believes that Duma valued causing human suffering and it was something his worshippers should strive for. Despite his questionable actions, he genuinely believes that Duma's teachings -- and only his teachings -- would benefit Valentia as a whole, making them stronger through the harsh teachings of Duma, at the expense of not knowing compassion and kindness. He also has something of an unwillingness to accept change, as he believes Valentia could not survive without either Divine Dragon, especially Duma, so he stubbornly refused to believe Alm and Celica, who claimed that the nation can survive without the assistance of gods."
Class: cantor
*Noble's experiences with both The Lord of the Rings and Legends of Tomorrow would come in handy for a portrayal of Jedah.*
-Nuibaba - Vicki Lewis
https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Vicki-Lewis/
"A high-level arcanist and occasional ally for the Duma Faithful, in the past Nuibaba was once a pretty young girl who lived happily with the man she loved. However, one night she was attacked by bandits who left a hideous wound on her face, causing the man to start avoiding Nuibaba in favor of her younger sister. Growing tired of her presence, the man and the younger sister lured Nuibaba deep into the woods and pushed her off a cliff. As Nuibaba lay dying, Medusa appeared before her as a ghastly apparition, attracted to the scent of death. With the promise to restore her and extend her lifespan, Nuibaba agreed to form a contract with Medusa. Upon being revived, Nuibaba took revenge on her former lover and sister for backstabbing her. After secluding herself to the woods, she became obsessed with power and beauty, eventually becoming a witch, and began kidnapping numerous beautiful Rigelian women for several years, sacrificing them to keep her longevity and youthful beauty. The Rigelian priestess Tatiana was one such victim, and would have been the next sacrifice if not for the intervention of Alm and the Deliverance, who stormed Fear Mountain to kill Nuibaba and free her captives."
-Tatarrah - Rhys Darby
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1055302/?ref_=nv_sr_1
"A high-ranking member of the Duma Faithful, he is tasked with guarding the western sluice gate on the border between Zofia and Rigel. He is the one who abducted Delthea and put her under his thrall, using her against the Deliverance when they stormed the sluice gate. His fate is sealed, however, when Alm and Delthea's brother Luthier manage to kill him, freeing Delthea in the process."
-Marla and Hestia - Kirsten Potter
https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Kirsten-Potter/
"The twin older sisters of Sonya, Marla and Hestia were sacrificed by their own father Jedah to Duma, turning them into witches in the process. Before their transformations, Marla was stern but very kind, while Hestia was smart and mature and marched to her own beat. Marla is first seen guarding Fear Mountain alongside Nuibaba's forces, while Hestia appears at Rigel falls. Both are repelled by the Deliverance and reappear alongside their father Jedah in the final battle against Duma, where Sonya has a hand in freeing them from their suffering."
+The Mad Dragon
-Duma - Tony Todd
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0865302/?ref_=nv_sr_1
"Thousands of years ago, Duma was from the Divine Dragon tribe in Archanea. He served Naga, the ruler of the Dragon tribes and strongest of the Divine Dragons, protecting her with his military might, earning the title of Kingshield along with her favor. His sister would meanwhile bless the lands to allow prosperity for the dragons, earning the title of King's Grail. When humans began to exist in the land, the dragons offered them much knowledge, allowing them to prosper and advance, eventually creating an extravagant city known as Thabes. However, Duma grew wary of the humans and feared that they had grown too powerful. He sent his soldiers to Thabes and had it destroyed in three days, leaving the remaining survivors to scatter across the continent. This would result in Naga becoming furious over Duma's actions and exacted harsh judgment on him, causing Duma to clash against Naga in a ferocious battle. Though his sister sided with him, they were no match for Naga and her forces, and surrendered after nine days of battle that caused extensive damage across the land. The battle had scarred Duma and also hurt Naga and made her fangs splinter and scatter across the realm. For their transgressions, Duma and Mila were exiled from the land. Before he departed, Naga bestowed one of her fangs that was carved into a blade that would be named Falchion to him. This weapon was intended to be used against him and Mila by humans should the need arise where they degenerate into madness and need to be put down. Afterwards, Duma and Mila traversed the ocean for seven days before they finally reached the continent of Valentia, which they would claim as their new home. There, they would become patron deities in the land.
Despite settling in Valentia, Duma was still filled with resentment and bitterness towards Naga for his exile and desires vengeance against her. He ordered his people to erect a large tower to face the continent of Archanea from atop a mountain, that was approved by his sister as well. However, Duma's lust for battle, along with his beliefs over humanity led him to clash with Mila. While Duma believed that hardship creates hardy, strong humans, Mila believed that humans should live without strife, creating peaceful people. Though they clashed for many seasons until both had exhausted themselves of strength, Duma never once turned Falchion against her. Eventually, Duma and Mila reached an accord: they would divide the land of Valentia into two, where Duma would rule the north which would become later known as Rigel, and Mila the south that would become Zofia, and neither was allowed to intervene with the other and cross into their nations.
Ruling through his new civilization, Duma soon had his own religion that followed him as their god, known as the Duma Faithful. As time passed on, Duma's strength began to wane, and during this period of time, a pirate nation began to emerge that posed a threat to the Valentian mainland, along with Archanea's west coast. To combat the pirate nation, Duma and Mila performed a blood pact with a human from their respective nation. Duma performed his blood pact with the fighter Rigel, and through that blood pact, Rigel became able to wield Falchion, which Duma bestowed upon him. After the pirate nation had been defeated, Rigel returned Falchion to Duma at the Duma Temple. From this, the nation of Rigel Empire was founded with Rigel I being the first emperor. Duma also established a rule on the Rigelian Empire that strong Brand-bearers that could wield Falchion would get priority over the throne in Rigel, which led to Rudolf becoming the emperor of Rigel later on despite him being only a distant relative of Emperor Rigel III. However, over a century later, Duma's madness would finally begin to take over as he degenerated, leading him to vanquish Mila's scions and beginning to urge Rudolf to conquer Zofia. Rudolf in turn promised to fulfill such desire, bolstering the imperial army's armaments. This also led to Duma favoring ambitious people that put their own desires above all else, such as Dolth, Nuibaba, and Jedah, warping the Duma Faithful into a group of fanatics, particularly Jedah, who would also offer his daughters, Marla and Hestia, to Duma as offerings, earning Duma's trust.
Several years later after Duma's degeneration began to overwhelm him, Duma's body began to slowly rot along with his decaying mind, with him manifesting as a giant eyeball apart from his main body, making Rudolf finally starting to set his plan to put an end to the reign of gods into motion, as Duma bestowed Falchion to Rudolf to seal Mila away. During the war, Jedah tries to discover what ailed Duma, leading him to conclude that Duma desired the soul of a Brand bearer to ease Duma's pain, causing him to target Celica. As Berkut began to descend into despair and rage over his loss over Alm, Duma began to communicate with the Rigelian royal through telepathy, offering Berkut power. This seems to continue until Berkut approaches an alter in Duma's Temple, where Berkut succumbs to his despair and madness upon discovery of Alm's true heritage to the throne of Rigel and the belief that even his fiancée Rinea looked down on him. This leads Berkut to willingly offer Rinea to Duma for power, causing Duma to kill Rinea and possess Berkut, granting him immense power. Alongside that, Jedah successfully had goaded Celica to follow him by tricking her into believing that he can free Mila from her petrification sealing. After trapping her, Jedah offers Celica to Duma. Duma seemingly takes Celica's soul and has her turned into a witch to obey him, but this is soon thwarted later when Alm uses Falchion to stop Celica and Mila uses the last of her powers to restore Celica's life and soul. When Alm and Celica's army unites together, they face off against the remaining Duma Faithful and Duma himself, as Duma's giant eyeball form merges with his dragon body's forehead. After a fierce clash, Alm defeats Duma once and for all by plunging Falchion into the Duma's eye. With his last breath, Duma regains his sense of self once more, and entrusts Valentia to Celica and Alm, while he falls into a deep slumber with his sister, and warns the two Brand-bearers to never wake them."
+The Fell Creation
-Grima - ****
"Grima originally had no name and was just referred to as the Creation. Created by a mad alchemist named Forneus, he had gathered many materials, including the blood of a Divine Dragon, something that Forneus had taken a great risk to achieve, to create the perfect lifeform. With it, Forneus mixed the blood with human fluids, certain herbs, and nectar, and sealed the concoction inside a vial for 40 days. This mixture resulted in the birth of the Creation. At first, the Creation was tiny, merely the size of a thumbnail, and resembled a human fetus. Keeping the Creation under a temperature of a horse's womb, each day, Forneus gave the Creation his blood. On the 80th day, the Creation began to undergo a transformation. It began to resemble less like a human, sprouting eyes, extending its neck, and even growing a tail. Slowly, it began to take the appearance of an unusual dragon, not like that of a Divine Dragon that it was created from. The Creation had six eyes that stared at Forneus through the vial, seeming to smile, indicating that it seemed to have developed a consciousness and was possibly smiling at Forneus. Eventually, the Creation grew to the size of a puppy, but it was said to have a terrifying power and seemed to have moments of rampage that Forneus attempted to control before the Creation reached full maturity. The Creation's voice began to connect with Forneus, where both were able to see inside one another, and Forneus began to sense the dark and violent thoughts within the Creation, enough to make his heart tremble, while the Creation stared at Forneus trembling and smiled at him reassuringly. Eventually, it reached a point when Forneus realized that his creation was too powerful to ever be controlled, and he sought to destroy it. It is unclear exactly what happened afterward, but it is presumed that the Creation killed Forneus in retaliation for his treachery.
The Creation would not encounter another human presence until years later, when Alm, Celica, and Marth's forces journeyed into the depths of the Thabes Labyrinth in search of humans abducted from Furia Harbor. Grima fought these intruders, until it was eventually defeated and driven away into a void by the combined powers of Marth and Alm's Falchions. Despite that, it is mentioned that the malevolent presence that filled the place with a sense of dread never faded, implying that the Creation's spirit lived on..."
Next time: a return to Archanea, three years after the end of the War of Shadows, as an old ally of Marth becomes a fearsome enemy guided by a returned menace. Marth and his friends must take up arms once more in order to defeat this evil and bring peace back to the land, in "Fire Emblem: Archanea" Season Three: "The Mystery of the Emblem".
Happy holidays, CBM!
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