The inclusion of legacy characters as Emblems in Fire Emblem Engage has been a great way to introduce players to a variety of the series' past characters. While well-known characters like Marth and Celica are showcased early in the game, another Emblem with early significance that Fire Emblem Engage players might not be as familiar with is Sigurd. Originating from the Japan-exclusive title Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War, Sigurd is an odd choice to play such a prominent role so early on unless there is a remake of his original game coming in the near future.
While some players may have gotten to know Fire Emblem's Sigurd through the mobile title Fire Emblem Heroes, his character is a lot less impactful without knowing the story of his original game. Sigurd is a mounted Knight Lord in his home game, but appears as the Emblem of the Holy War that is awakened from the Ring of the Holy Knight in Fire Emblem Engage. He has a unique and tragic backstory told through Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War that would be worth playing to better understand his character's chivalry should it ever see a release outside of Japan.
Fire Emblem Engage Places an Odd Emphasis on Sigurd
As the second Emblem that players are given access to after Marth, Sigurd carries a lot of narrative weight for a character many players will be unfamiliar with. He serves as a boss alongside Queen Lumera, who wields his Ring of the Holy Knight in Chapter 2 of Fire Emblem Engage as a tutorial on fighting enemies wielding Emblem Heroes. While more recognizable characters like Lucina, Corrin, or Byleth could have been chosen for this battle, the fact that Sigurd was chosen instead suggests there may be deliberate reason.
This reason could be a simple as Sigurd being a great Emblem to pair with the Noble Prince Alfred, a mounted unit who joins the party in the following chapter. Following the events of Fire Emblem Engage's Chapter 3, players will be given Sigurd's ring for their own use, conveniently timed with the acquisition of Alfred. While it's clear the game intends players to equip Alfred with Sigurd's ring given the bonuses it provides for a mounted unit, Sigurd also comments on the parallels between his and Lumera's positions with their children, Seliph and Alear.
Sigurd's Role in Fire Emblem Engage Could Signify a Remake
Recent rumors suggest that Intelligent Systems could be working on a remake of the original Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War, similarly to how Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia brought back Fire Emblem Gaiden. If this is the case, Sigurd's prominence in Fire Emblem Engage makes a lot more sense, as they would likely want to give players a chance to get to know the character before advertising his main adventure. With players outside of Japan unable to play official versions of the original game, a remake may finally be their shot at experiencing this unique entry in the Fire Emblem saga.
Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War follows two generations of soldiers in their fight against the dark archbishop Manfroy and the evil Emperor Arvis. Sigurd is the protagonist of the first generation of soldiers, with Seliph leading the second. The game features a similar marriage mechanic to Fire Emblem Awakening and Fire Emblem Fates, where two units can produce offspring that make up the second generation of soldiers. With Fire Emblem Engage's return to the style of older entries, a call-back to this mechanic via a remake seems like a logical next step for the series.
Fire Emblem Engage is available now for Nintendo Switch.
