Fire Emblem: Awakening acted as a new beginning for the Fire Emblem franchise, and many fans hold it in high regard since it was their first exposure to those games. Despite this, it certainly wasn’t without its flaws, and some of the plot points were a bit confusing even for veterans. One thing that gets discussed frequently is Lucina’s introduction, namely why she pretended to be Marth. When Chrom and the Shepherds first meet her, she is dressed like Marth from Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light, and even wears a mask to conceal her identity.
Though it’s briefly touched upon, Fire Emblem: Awakening doesn’t do much to explain why Lucina would have done this. Even more, though Lucina does have a direct connection to Marth, this doesn’t really come up as an important plot point during the story. For many, the whole thing felt contrived and confusing, but others are still trying to figure out if Lucina had a reason for choosing Marth as her disguise. There are a few reasons in-game why Lucina might have chosen Marth as her alias, and also some compelling reasons out of the game why Nintendo may have decided to go this route.
Getting the obvious one out of the way, the primary reason why Lucina pretended to be Marth was to hide her identity. As a visitor from the future, she couldn’t risk having Chrom and the Shepherds figure out who she actually was without potentially altering time and destroying her own future. Hiding her identity was especially important because she is Chrom’s daughter, and it likely would have been very easy for him to figure that out had she not pretended to be a man and wore a mask during all of their initial encounters.
Though her true gender is revealed on accident beforehand, Lucina eventually reveals her identity, but only after she is born in the present. Given that her goal was to change the future all along, she understandably wanted to do so while preserving her own existence. Since she bears the Mark of the Exalt just like Chrom and other members of the royal family do in her eye, a mask was necessary to ensure that no one would know who she was. While this all makes sense, it doesn’t explain why she chose the name Marth as her secret identity in particular.
If the blue hair wasn’t enough of a giveaway, many of the protagonists in Fire Emblem are actually all part of the same royal family. As it happens, Marth is technically Chrom’s great grandfather, and by extension, he is Lucina’s great great grandfather. This personal connection is probably what drew her to using his name as an alias during her time travel, but there’s also something to be said for his reputation. In Fire Emblem: Awakening, characters frequently refer to him as the Hero King Marth, showing that his legacy has lived on through generations.
It’s hinted at that Lucina chose the name Marth because it helped her to feel more confident, essentially he was her icon. In her future, she was forced to grow up extremely quickly and lead her people against Grima, so it makes sense that she would have to find a way to cope with this. Aside from emboldening her, the name Marth also helped to rally her followers, as he too once slew a dragon. Unfortunately, her use of another member of the royal family’s name and the Falchion weapon probably made it clear that she was some kind of royalty.
In terms of lore, the previous points are reason enough for Lucina to masquerade as the Hero King Marth, but many fans have alternate theories that go beyond that. It’s been well documented that Fire Emblem: Awakening was a sort of last-ditch effort to save the franchise, and it was intended to be the final Fire Emblem game before the series would retire. Despite this, Fire Emblem: Awakening sold incredibly well both in the west and east, prompting Nintendo to keep things going and create more games.
Essentially, if Fire Emblem: Awakening didn’t do well, players would likely never have had the chance to play other titles like Fire Emblem Fates or Fire Emblem: Three Houses. Because of this, much of Awakening was really a love letter to fans, including references to old games and such as a final hurrah. Some feel as though Lucina only chose the name Marth because of the name recognition that comes with it. While this may be true, Nintendo did a good job of at least making her choice of name seem logical, but the argument that she could have picked any other name does hold up.
The primary argument against Lucina assuming the identity of Marth is that it doesn’t ever come up again in the story. Nintendo could have made this decision relevant to the plot, but ultimately the story would have played out the same way if she went back in time and said her name was Hector instead. While this is true, not everything has to serve the overarching story, and it’s actually a good thing to have elements that serve a character’s arc instead. The story of Fire Emblem: Awakening is often criticized, but Lucina’s arc is interesting nonetheless.
As a young girl with so much responsibility thrust onto her, Lucina needed a way to be strong. When she finally casts off her mask and reveals her true identity, she is also casting off the mantle of Marth. Instead of fighting as the Hero King of old, she’s fighting as herself, drawing strength from within and from those around her that she cares about. This is a major character development point for Lucina, so even if the use of Marth’s name felt contrived to some, it does serve her character arc well.
Fire Emblem Awakening is available now on Nintendo 3DS.
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