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Marth (JP) (romanized as Mars in the anime) is an often recurring character from the Fire Emblem series. More specifically, he's the main protagonist and Lord-class character of Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light, Mystery of the Emblem, and the Nintendo DS remakes.

History (Out of Japan)[]

Although most of Marth's Fire Emblem titles were released only in Japan, he has acquired more widespread international attention through his appearance in the Nintendo GameCube game Super Smash Bros. Melee. Nintendo of Japan had originally intended to make him playable only in the game's Japanese release, but when he garnered favorable attention during the game's North American localization, Nintendo of America decided to keep both him and fellow Fire Emblem protagonist Roy in the North American and European versions.

The appearance of Marth and Roy sparked a greater level of western interest in the Fire Emblem series, and it was in part because of this that Nintendo began releasing the games internationally beginning with the seventh title in the series. Later when Super Smash Bros. Brawl came out, they kept Marth, but swapped Roy out for Ike. All three are from the Fire Emblem Series.

Marth later appeared in Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon, a remake of his original appearance, which was released outside of Japan. However, its sequel Fire Emblem: New Mystery of the Emblem, a remake of Marth's second appearance, was not released outside of Japan.

Fire Emblem series[]

Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon[]

In the Archanean year 602, Marth's father, King Cornelius left Altea, and led his army against Emperor Medeus of Dolhr, and his allies Macedon and Grust. As his father battled his enemies, Marth remained at home and trained day after day, in case he would someday have to take to the battlefield.

Unfortunately, that day came sooner than expected, as Cornelius was betrayed by his ally, King Jiol of Gra, and fell in battle. As news of the death of his father reached Marth, the Gra army appeared in Altea, ready to take the young prince hostage. 

Fortunately, the quick thinking of his tutor Malledus, Knight Commander Jagen, and his sister Elice allowed him to escape harm. As sister remained behind to buy Marth time, Marth escaped on ship heading for the small island kingdom Talys.

For two years, Marth lived and trained with the people of Talys, never forgetting the shame his nation had faced from defeat. During his time on Talys, Marth grew close to Princess Caeda, she served as a pillar of strength for the exiled youth. When the Pirates of Galder attacked Talys, Marth and his knights came out of hiding and rescued King Mostyn from his peril. With his location announced to the world, Marth, Caeda, the Altean Knights, Talys Mercenary Army, and a volunteer corp left the island for Archanea.

Galder

Galder

Their first objective was to meet with Princess Nyna of Archanea, and Duke Hardin of Aurelis who were leading an uprising against the Macedon army in Aurelis. As they traveled, they wiped out the remain Galder Pirates and liberated the village of Galder, defeated the Soothsire Bandits of the Samsooth Mountains, and rescued the Macedonian noblewoman Lena from slavery. Soon they arrived in Aurelis, and Marth reunited with his old friend Merric, a mage who was studying at Khadein, the sanctuary of sorcery. Together, the young men defeated the Macedon army in southern Aurelis, and raced to meet with Hardin and Nyna in the north.

When Marth and Hardin finally met, Hardin offered Marth the role as leader of the Archanean League, believing Marth to be just and honorable. As Marth accepted the role, Hardin remained by his side as sub-commander of the army. Together the two men captured Aurelis Castle, and forced the Macedon army out of Aurelis for good. With Aurelis liberated, Princess Nyna gave Marth the Fire Emblem, a shield which represented being the hero of Archanea whose life is dedicated to protecting mankind. With Marth recognized as the hero of Archanea, he and Hardin turned their attention to Archanea, and moved to liberate the Holy Kingdom. 

Pyrathii

Pyrathii

As the army marched, they were ambushed by the Grust army at Port Warren, and forced to flee to the isolated kingdom Pyrathii. In Pyrathii, the enraged king Mannu challenged them to battle, and he revealed himself as a member of the ancient Manakete race. After a hard fought battle, Mannu was defeated, and Marth prepared to invade Archanea. Before he could attack, the Macedonian Whitewing Catria appeared before him, and asked Marth to save the young Princess Maria. If Maria could be saved, the elder Princess Minerva would lead a rebellion against Dolhr and her brother King Michalis. 

Taking the Macedonian for her word, Marth and his army reluctantly marched on the prison at Deil Castle, and there inside its walls was the tiny Princess Maria. With Maria safe, Minerva defected to the Archanean side and helped Marth liberate Archanea. After the Archanea League stormed the Archanean Palace, Marth defeated Lord Volzhin and Archanea was saved. With Archanea safe, Marth turned his attention on Gra, and avenged his father's death at the hands of King Jiol. Despite his victory against Gra, Marth felt no joy as he saw how Gra had been destroyed from the war. With a new sense of determination, he left Gra, and headed to Khadein to liberate the city from the Dark Pontifex Gharnef. 

Khadein

Khadein

When he arrived at Khadein, he discoverd that the Dark Tome Imhullu had made Gharnef invincible, and that as long as this tome existed, the land would never be safe. The wise Archsage Gotoh appeared before Marth, and told him that the only way to defeat Gharnef was by creating the Starlight tome, which could be created by bringing the Starsphere and Lightsphere from the Fane of Raman to him. Since Altea was on the way there, Marth decided to liberate Altea before finding the Orbs.

When Marth arrived in Altea, he encountered heavy resistance from the occupying Grust army, but his sheer determination overcame their might. After defeating the Manakete Morzas, Marth learned that his mother Liza had died in prison, and his sister Elice was taken away by Gharnef to his hideout in Thabes. With his homeland safe, Marth and the army moved out for the Fane of Raman. 

FaneofRaman

Fane of Raman

When Marth entered the holy temple, he discovered Tiki, the last known survivor of the Divine Dragon Tribe. The kind Manakete Bantu snapped Tiki out of her trance, and Tiki offered her support to Marth, as the Divine Dragons are bound to save humans from danger. Marth recovered the Lightsphere and Starsphere from the temple, and prepared to meet Gotoh in Macedon.  Along the way there, Marth battled Camus the Sable in Grust. Princess Nyna had fallen in love with the general and asked him to join the Archanean League, and give his support to her. While Camus did love Nyna, he was unable to betray his kingdom, and fought against Marth in a heated battle. After the battle ended, Camus disappeard, and was presumed dead. 

MacedonDragoons

King Michalis

In Macedon, Marth and Minerva fought against King Michalis, a proud knight who desired to conquer all of Archanea. After a hard and bloody battle, Michalis was defeated, and Marth met with Gotoh. Gotoh used the power of the Orbs, and created the awesome Starlight tome, the only method capable of overcoming Imhullu. With Marth's army ready to go, Gotoh used his magic power and warped the Archanean League to Thabes, for the showdown with Gharnef. 

In Thabes, Gharnef greeted Marth, and revealed that he had created two clones of himself who also weilded Imhullu. However, unlike his clones, the real Gharnef also had the Divine Falchion in his possession, and challenged Marth's army to take it. Sadly for Gharnef, he failed to realize the Gotoh had created Starlight, and Marth's awesome mage army was able to defeat the Dark Pontifex. With Gharnef defeated, Marth's sister Elice was released from her prison, and gave Marth her support against Medeus.

MarthandMedeus

Marth and Medeus

With no other enemies left, the Archanean League invaded Dohlr, and attacked Medeus's castle. Gotoh had seen how brave that Marth truly was, and he offered to help him defeat Medeus to restore peace to all of Archanea. Together Marth, Caeda, Merric, Hardin, Minerva, Maria, Elice, Gotoh, and the rest of the League battled the elite troops of Dohlr. However, Marth weilded the Falchion and fought Medeus. The Shadow Dragon and Blade of Light battled like no other, and soon Medeus was defeated. With Medeus dead, Marth returned to Altea, but not before confessing his love to Caeda, and he asked her to continue helping him even as he becomes king.

Fire Emblem Mystery of the Emblem/New Mystery of the Emblem[]

Marth returns to his role as the story's protagonist. Marth's peaceful reign over Altea is disrupted when he discovers Emperor Hardin, a former ally, comrade and friend, was conquering neighboring kingdoms by force.

Fire Emblem Awakening[]

Two thousand years after Marth's time, he is known as a legendary hero under the name of the "Hero-King" and is revered by the people of the Halidom of Ylisse, which are ruled by Marth's direct descendants. When Lucina traveled back in time she took her ancestor's name to hide her true identity. Marth also appears as a SpotPass character and a DLC character.

Fire Emblem Fates[]

In Fire Emblem Fates, Marth appears as an Amiibo character that can be challenged and eventually recruited for use in the regular game.

Tokyo Mirage Sessions ♯FE[]

In Tokyo Mirage Sessions ♯FE, Marth appears late in the game in spirit form. In the game's final battle, Marth lends his strength to Itsuki Aoi and grants him the use of the SP Skill Naga's Blessing, which prevents all damage to the player's party for one turn.

Fire Emblem Heroes[]

Marth like countless other Fire Emblem characters is featured as a summonable hero in Fire Emblem Heroes.

Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia[]

In Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia, an illusory likeness of Marth can be summoned through the connection of a Marth Amiibo with Mila's Turnwheel. He cannot be recruited unlike Fates.

Fire Emblem Warriors[]

Marth is featured as a playable character in Fire Emblem Warriors. In the main story, Marth and some members of his army join Rowan, Lianna and their allies from Ylisse, Hoshido and Nohr after they stumble in their world. The heroes then manage to defeat the evil dragon Velezark with their strenght combined.

Fire Emblem Engage[]

Marth returns in Fire Emblem Engage, as a partner to game's protagonist Alear. Along with other previous protagonists of the series, Marth is summoned as an Emblem to the realm of Elyos using an Emblem Ring and fights alongside Alear to defeat the Fell Dragon Sombron.

Fire Emblem anime[]

An anime under the title Fire Emblem was released in 1996, adapting a part of the first game's plot. Marth's name is romanized as 'Mars' and he is given the surname of 'Lowell'. The anime ended production after only two episodes were finished. Marth is featured as a card in both of the final expansion sets for the Fire Emblem Trading Card Game along with other characters from Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem, and also appears as a promotional card.

Super Smash Bros. series[]

Marth has been the Fire Emblem representative in Smash Bros. since Super Smash Bros. Melee. He was actually intended to appear in the original Super Smash Bros., but due to time constraints this never made it past the conceptual stages.[1] He has not had many significant changes since his debut in the series, barring Shield Breaker receiving an animation change in Super Smash Bros. Brawl or his range being decreased in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U. Marth returns in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate with a faster Side special and he is now voiced in English.

Attacks[]

Marth swings his sword for most of his attacks, with the tip of the sword being the most powerful part of his attacks. His specials are the following:

  • Neutral Special: Shield Breaker
  • Side Special: Dancing Blade
  • Up Special: Dolphin Slash
  • Down Special: Counter
  • Final Smash: Critical Hit

Appearance and Alternate Costumes[]

Trophy Descriptions[]

Melee Classic[]

MarthSSBMTrophyClassic
  • "The betrayed prince of the Kingdom of Altea, the blood of the hero Anri flows in Marth's veins. He was forced into exile when the kingdom of Dolua invaded Altea. Then, wielding his divine sword Falchion, he led a revolt and defeated the dark dragon Medus. Afterwards, Altea was annihilated by King Hardin of Akanea."

Melee Adventure[]

MarthSSBMTrophySmash
  • "Marth is a magnificent swordsman. While his swordplay is faster than that of Link, he lacks power, and his quickness is offset by a marginal endurance. His Shield Breaker gains power the longer it's held. The Dancing Blade combination uses both the Control Stick and the B Button to produce a series of up to four attacks."

Melee All Star[]

SSBM Marth All Star
  • "The tip of Marth's blade causes the most damage, so you should try to create adequate distance between you and your enemy to graceful strike with that point. Marth's dolphin Slash is fast and powerful, but it leaves him vulnerable upon landing. Marth uses Counter to block a foe's attack and deal a return strike. If you're fighting a Counter-happy Marth, grab him."

Brawl Classic[]

MarthSSBBTrophyClassic
  • "The prince of Altea, in whose veins the blood of heroes runs. He and a small group of stalwarts fought to free Altea after it was invaded by the kingdom of Doluna and the dark dragon, Medeus. With his divine sword, Falchion, he fought and defeated Medeus. However, Altea was then invaded by King Hardin of Akaneia and eventually destroyed."

Brawl Critical Hit[]

MarthSSBBTrophyCriticalHit
  • "Marth's Final Smash. He thrusts his sword skyward, then rushes to meet his targeted enemy with furious speed. The blow he strikes is so powerful that his foe is instantly launched off the screen. As in Fire Emblem, a window appears that shows the character's hit points dropping rapidly to zero--but this is just for effect. Smash Bros. does not use a hit-point system."

3DS/Wii U Classic[]

MarthTrophyWiiU
  • NA: "The first hero from the Fire Emblem series, Marth is the prince of Altea and descendant of the hero Anri. In Smash Bros., he's known as an exceptional swordfighter, swinging his blade with grace. Striking with the tip will maximize the damage dealt. Teach aggressive foes a lesson with his strong Counter move."
  • EU: "Marth, the prince of Altea, is the hero of the first ever Fire Emblem game and its remake, Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon. In this game, his graceful sword skills are what set him apart. Strike with the tip of his blade to deal extra damage, and use his Counter skill to defend yourself, no matter which directions you're being attacked from."

3DS/Wii U Alt[]

MarthAltTrophyWiiU
  • NA: "Marth's side special Dancing Blade is a four-stage attack. Aim and time your strikes carefully! The tip of his sword does the most damage. For his up smash, Justice Sword, he thrusts his blade into the air. You can use it to block attacks from above and launch nearby foes."
  • EU: "Marth's side special, Dancing Blade, is a four-stage attack. Aim and time your strikes carefully! As usual, the tip of his sword does the most damage. For his up smash, Justice Sword, he thrusts his blade into the air. You can use it to block attacks from above, and even to launch nearby enemies off the ground."

Wii U Critical Hit[]

CriticalHitMarthTrophyWiiU
  • NA: "Marth raises his Exalted Falchion to the sky and then rushes forward to deal an incredibly powerful blow, almost certainly KO'ing anyone and everyone who gets hit! When it's used in the air, he'll fly forward a certain distance. On the ground, however, he'll only dash to the edge of the platform he's standing on."
  • EU: "Marth raises his Exalted Falchion to the sky, then rushes forwards to deal an incredibly powerful blow, almost certainly KOing anyone and everyone who gets hit! When used in the air, he'll fly forwards a set distance, but on the ground, he'll only dash up to the edge of the platform he's standing on."

Other Appearances[]

Code Name: S.T.E.A.M.[]

Marth can appear as an optional unit in Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. that can be summoned by using the Marth Amiibo. In this game, Marth weild both the Falchion as a regular weapon and a Rapier to hit weak points more efficiently. The game was the first video game to debut Marth's current English voice actor, Yuri Lowenthal, who has since reprised his role in all future English-speaking appearances.

Super Mario Maker[]

Marth is featured as a potential costume usable by Mario via the Mystery Mushroom. Marth's costume can randomly be obtained by completing 100 Mario Challenge runs on the normal difficulty or higher or by using a Marth Amiibo.

Monster Hunter Generations[]

A special hunter costume based on Marth appears in Monster Hunter Generations. Marth's versions of the Falchion and the Binding Shield also appear as a Sword & Shield weapon set.

Dragalia Lost[]

Marth was added as a special unit in Dragalia Lost on April 25 2019 alongside Fjorm and Veronica from Fire emblem Heroes as part of a collaboration.

Official Description[]

The popular and kind prince of Altea, who cares deeply for his friends. He has the blood of the hero Anri in his veins, and wields the divine sword Falchion. Despite having saved his entire country, he's personable and down-to-earth.

Adventurer Stories[]

Adventurer Stories

Support Conversations[]

Fire Emblem: New Mystery of the Emblem[]

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Avatar (M) x Marth
FE12_Marth_x_Avatar_(M)_supports_(Fan_Translation)
C - 5 B - 11 A - 18
Strength Bond

|

Avatar (F) x Marth


Video Needed
C - 5 B - 11 A - 18
Strength Bond

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Caeda x Marth


Video Needed
C - 3 B - 6 A - 10
Defence Bond


Trivia[]

  • Discounting remakes, Marth is the only character in the history of the Fire Emblem series to star as the central character in more than one Fire Emblem game.

Gallery[]

  Main article: Marth/gallery

External Links[]

References[]

Navigation[]

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