Top Eleven Fire Emblem Characters (10)
And now, coming in at #10, the only Jugdral representative on this list...
Finn.
Yes, that's right. Out of an entire continent of tragic, star-crossed, and "dramatic" characters, I go with Cuan's little sidekick.
While the Fall of Lenster story crosses FE4/5 canon in some ways, it gives a really good idea of Finn's personality. Here is a young knight, initially shunned by the other knights of Lenster, whose value doesn't lay in fighting on the front lines. He's the one left behind, not because he's not any good, but because he's the kind of person who can be trusted with, say, guarding a newborn baby.
And he does a phenomenal job of it, doesn't he? Let's see... Finn had to flee with the infant Leaf when Lenster fell. His beloved master Lord Cuan perished in the desert along with Lady Ethlin and (so it was thought) their daughter Altenna. Finn spent the next decade-plus on the run, accompanied by Princess Lachesis and her (their?) daughter Nanna. Then Lachesis disappeared on him, too, also lost in Yied when she ignored his warnings and tried to reach her son Delmud in Tilnanogue. That left Finn alone with two young children-- wanted, hunted, hiding in city after city until they take refuge in Fiana... where the events of Thracia 776 unfold.
As Leaf tells it, Finn gives up everything for the sake of the two kids. He goes without food to make sure that Leaf eats. Through the whole crazy story, Finn sticks to the mission he was given: protect Leaf, and help Leaf fulfill Cuan's dream of a united Thracia. He manages this not only with unflagging dedication but unfailing courtesy... and in the process he raises the boy who is arguably the most appealing and likable of the Lord characters in the franchise. Finn never forgets who and what he is, and he makes sure that Leaf doesn't forget his own duties as the only person who can potentially unify Thracia. He's not harsh with Leaf... but he's certainly firm.
But he's no saint. As I said above, he apparently wasn't much popular with his peer group as an apprentice knight, though Cuan and the royal family definitely valued him. Selphina in FE5 accuses him of being "cold towards women", and yet Finn manages to get himself mixed up with Lachesis, one of the more, uh, distinctive characters in First-Gen Jugdral. I won't attempt to sort the contradictory details as to who fathered which of Lachesis's children, but things can get complicated. You can place things on a continuum from Finn/Lachesis OTP to Beowulf/Lachesis/Finn triangle to Finn nobly raising another man's child as his own daughter. YMMV.
Also, there's that weird little detail in FE4-- regardless of which lady you pair him with, Finn can have a conversation with his daughter, but not his son. He is not, apparently, Father of the Year when it comes to one of his own offspring. Better than Levin, to be sure, but something's not quite right. And if the son in question is Delmud... well... kid can use the Beo Sword in Thracia, can't he? It's complicated.
No, not a saint. Possibly mixed up in some fairly racy business. And the "cold to women" accusation has a ring of truth to it; Finn does come across as a restrained, even distant person. During First Gen, he's convincing as the kind of youngster who impresses his elders and betters (Cuan and Sigurd) as competent and trustworthy... without endearing himself to his peers.
To Sigurd:
"Sir, thank you for everything. I'm heading back to Lenster now to help Cuan assemble some reinforcement troops. I know you'll be cleared of that false accusation soon. Stay strong and persevere."
(FE4, Chapter 4)
It's the kind of attitude that makes adults go, "What a great boy!" but doesn't necessarily make friends. That said, we finally get to see what's underneath Finn's composed exterior in Chapter 9 of FE4. Confronted with Princess Altenna-- alive, adult, and the heir to her father's holy weapon-- he breaks down crying in front of her, overcome by guilt because he'd assumed her dead all these years and didn't bother to search. We find out the toddler Altenna must've had a baby-crush on Finn before they parted ways, and it all dissolves into awwwww.
Oh, one more thing. After Leaf is crowned King of Thracia (and marries Nanna) and Finn's mission is finally fulfilled, he goes missing for three years. Apparently, he's searching in the Yied Desert for... something. For Lachesis, most likely, unless the remains of Cuan and Ethlin are still out there in the sands somewhere. FE5 gives no indication that Finn ever finds what he's looking for.
Fire Emblem offers many, many, examples of the dedicated knight, from the Jagens and Marcuses of the world to the Seths and the Geoffreys, but the humble Lance Knight of Lenster turns in a performance that puts him into the Top Ten of my favorite FE characters.
Also, I'd tap that. Just sayin'.
Finn.
Yes, that's right. Out of an entire continent of tragic, star-crossed, and "dramatic" characters, I go with Cuan's little sidekick.
While the Fall of Lenster story crosses FE4/5 canon in some ways, it gives a really good idea of Finn's personality. Here is a young knight, initially shunned by the other knights of Lenster, whose value doesn't lay in fighting on the front lines. He's the one left behind, not because he's not any good, but because he's the kind of person who can be trusted with, say, guarding a newborn baby.
And he does a phenomenal job of it, doesn't he? Let's see... Finn had to flee with the infant Leaf when Lenster fell. His beloved master Lord Cuan perished in the desert along with Lady Ethlin and (so it was thought) their daughter Altenna. Finn spent the next decade-plus on the run, accompanied by Princess Lachesis and her (their?) daughter Nanna. Then Lachesis disappeared on him, too, also lost in Yied when she ignored his warnings and tried to reach her son Delmud in Tilnanogue. That left Finn alone with two young children-- wanted, hunted, hiding in city after city until they take refuge in Fiana... where the events of Thracia 776 unfold.
As Leaf tells it, Finn gives up everything for the sake of the two kids. He goes without food to make sure that Leaf eats. Through the whole crazy story, Finn sticks to the mission he was given: protect Leaf, and help Leaf fulfill Cuan's dream of a united Thracia. He manages this not only with unflagging dedication but unfailing courtesy... and in the process he raises the boy who is arguably the most appealing and likable of the Lord characters in the franchise. Finn never forgets who and what he is, and he makes sure that Leaf doesn't forget his own duties as the only person who can potentially unify Thracia. He's not harsh with Leaf... but he's certainly firm.
But he's no saint. As I said above, he apparently wasn't much popular with his peer group as an apprentice knight, though Cuan and the royal family definitely valued him. Selphina in FE5 accuses him of being "cold towards women", and yet Finn manages to get himself mixed up with Lachesis, one of the more, uh, distinctive characters in First-Gen Jugdral. I won't attempt to sort the contradictory details as to who fathered which of Lachesis's children, but things can get complicated. You can place things on a continuum from Finn/Lachesis OTP to Beowulf/Lachesis/Finn triangle to Finn nobly raising another man's child as his own daughter. YMMV.
Also, there's that weird little detail in FE4-- regardless of which lady you pair him with, Finn can have a conversation with his daughter, but not his son. He is not, apparently, Father of the Year when it comes to one of his own offspring. Better than Levin, to be sure, but something's not quite right. And if the son in question is Delmud... well... kid can use the Beo Sword in Thracia, can't he? It's complicated.
No, not a saint. Possibly mixed up in some fairly racy business. And the "cold to women" accusation has a ring of truth to it; Finn does come across as a restrained, even distant person. During First Gen, he's convincing as the kind of youngster who impresses his elders and betters (Cuan and Sigurd) as competent and trustworthy... without endearing himself to his peers.
To Sigurd:
"Sir, thank you for everything. I'm heading back to Lenster now to help Cuan assemble some reinforcement troops. I know you'll be cleared of that false accusation soon. Stay strong and persevere."
(FE4, Chapter 4)
It's the kind of attitude that makes adults go, "What a great boy!" but doesn't necessarily make friends. That said, we finally get to see what's underneath Finn's composed exterior in Chapter 9 of FE4. Confronted with Princess Altenna-- alive, adult, and the heir to her father's holy weapon-- he breaks down crying in front of her, overcome by guilt because he'd assumed her dead all these years and didn't bother to search. We find out the toddler Altenna must've had a baby-crush on Finn before they parted ways, and it all dissolves into awwwww.
Oh, one more thing. After Leaf is crowned King of Thracia (and marries Nanna) and Finn's mission is finally fulfilled, he goes missing for three years. Apparently, he's searching in the Yied Desert for... something. For Lachesis, most likely, unless the remains of Cuan and Ethlin are still out there in the sands somewhere. FE5 gives no indication that Finn ever finds what he's looking for.
Fire Emblem offers many, many, examples of the dedicated knight, from the Jagens and Marcuses of the world to the Seths and the Geoffreys, but the humble Lance Knight of Lenster turns in a performance that puts him into the Top Ten of my favorite FE characters.
Also, I'd tap that. Just sayin'.
