With the release of the Fell Xenologue DLC for Fire Emblem Engage, the dust seems to have settled around the latest entry in the franchise for the moment. As there is currently no additional content slated for the game, it seems like fans can finally judge this entry with a full picture of its scope and look towards where the next game could take the series. While it's still too early to know the legacy Alear will leave following Fire Emblem Engage, it's likely the series' next protagonist will have a lot to live up to after the popularity the string of recent protagonists have had.
It can be hard for characters to stand out among the Fire Emblem series' massive roster, but protagonists tend to have the best chance of doing so given how crucial they are to their respective games. While older heroes like Marth and Ike are respected in their own right, protagonists like Robin, Corrin, Byleth, and now Alear seem to have connected with players even more. Through their appearances across the series, and even in crossover games, the legacy of some of these past characters sets a high bar for future Fire Emblem protagonists to clear.
Fire Emblem Protagonists Uphold a Legacy that Will Be Hard to Top
As the Fire Emblem series has exploded in popularity over the past decade, so too have its iconic characters, and none more so than its protagonists. With the character customization options afforded by the modern entries in the franchise, Fire Emblem's avatar characters have become easier for players to identify with, likely contributing to their popularity. Despite the limited customization options for Fire Emblem: Three Houses and Fire Emblem Engage, even just being able to choose the character's gender helps them feel more personalized.
Players have also been able to get to know these characters throughout the course of their games via mechanics like support conversations, and the fantastic writing that has made these protagonists so compelling. Robin's amnesia and connection to the Fell Dragon Grima in Fire Emblem Awakening helped them to stand out as a unique new character, and Corrin's choice between their waring families in Fire Emblem Fates made for a memorable if not tragic arc. Fire Emblem: Three Houses gave Byleth an even greater opportunity for character growth depending on which house they chose to lead, and Fire Emblem Engage's Alear turned out to be much more complex than initially assumed.
Not only have these characters built a legacy for themselves in their home series, appearing across titles like Fire Emblem Heroes and as Emblems in Fire Emblem Engage, but they have made their way into other franchises as well. The Super Smash Bros. series in particular is a major contributor to these characters' popularity as the game features many popular heroes including Marth, Ike, Roy, Lucina, Chrom, Robin, Corrin, and Byleth. Players are able to grow even more attached to these characters by getting to play as them against other Nintendo icons like Link and Mario.
The pedigree these characters have as titans of the Fire Emblem franchise is evident by the way they have been represented both in and out of the series. While the next entry in the series will likely try to push its main character to similar heights, character details like Alear's status as a Divine Dragon will make them a tough act to follow. It will be interesting to see how Intelligent Systems aims to create a character as appealing as their last few heroes, but they will have their work cut out for them given the attention these past protagonists have received over the years.
Fire Emblem Engage is available now for Nintendo Switch.
