Fire Emblem has been around for a long time, and over its many entries, it has told a variety of epic tales that have gripped fans of the series. Its epic fantasy setting, combined with its unforgettable (sometimes underrated) characters and iconic gameplay style, has allowed Fire Emblem to become one of Nintendo's biggest franchises.
However, the series' storytelling is not without its flaws. Add to this the attempts to tie multiple games together, and you can't help but occasionally notice that some things just don't add up. They may not all be major mistakes, but there are a few things in Fire Emblem's lore that seem to have been glossed over.
10 Falchion's Appearance In Awakening
Fire Emblem: Awakening is one of the best games in the series, and one of its plot hooks is that it takes place thousands of years after Marth's games, with the Falchion of that game being the same as the one in Awakening. However, a simple glance at both swords would be enough to tell you that both swords look very different.
While it's explained that the hilt and guard have had to be reforged over the centuries, the blade is supposed to be invulnerable and timeless, yet it's very clear that the blade's appearance has changed as well. While it's a very small inconsistency, it's still a little mystifying.
9 The Location Of Jugdral's Continent
While many games in the Fire Emblem series don't necessarily exist within the same universe, there are plenty of exceptions. One lesser known example is that the fairly unknown Jugdral games take place some thousand years before the Archanea games, loosely connecting them within the same timeline. This isn't specifically stated in the games, but it is noted in supplemental material and implied by the existence of the god Naga in both continents.
However, if that's the case, why is there no mention of Jugdral in the Archanea timeline? It's never brought up once, and even in Awakening, which shows both the former continents of Archanea and Valentia on one world map, Jugdral is missing. It's never explained what happened to this legendary continent, and it's unknown whether it'll ever come up again.
8 The Deadlords In Awakening
The Deadlords are a group of mighty undead warriors that initially appeared in Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War. Initially established as a group created and controlled by the Loptr Church, the Deadlords reappeared in Fire Emblem: Awakening under the command of the Grimleal. The question is, how did the Grimleal get their hands on the Deadlords in the first place? Creating Deadlords is considered high-level magic, and only high level members of the Loptr Church could do it.
Considering that the Loptr Church was annihilated thousands of years ago on a continent very far removed from Ylisse, it's very strange that the Grimleal would be able to retrieve the necessary knowledge to create Deadlords (not to mention the number of holy weapons that the Deadlords wield in Awakening).
7 The Absence Of The Valentian Falchion
Marth's legendary Falchion isn't the only one to exist. Alm also possesses a Falchion that was created and used in a similar fashion. Despite this, Valm shows no sign of having a Falchion of any kind in Awakening.
This is odd because the Valentian Falchion is a weapon with a legacy that is at least on par with Marth's, yet even when embarking on an ambitious war, Emperor Walhart prefers to use his personal axe. Considering that the Valentian Falchion should be as strong as it was when it was created, it's strange that Valm's leaders don't attempt to make use of it.
6 The State Of The War Post-Timeskip
In most Fire Emblem: Three Houses routes, the Adrestian Empire has nearly conquered all of Fodlan by the time Byleth reawakes after five years of sleeping. The Kingdom of Faerghus is nearly defeated and Rhea has gone missing.
However, things change if Byleth chooses to join Edelgard's side. In that case, when they reawake, the Empire will not be anywhere close to victory, and the Kingdom and the Church will form a united front. Considering that the only thing that really changes is Byleth's allegience, it's odd that the situation would become so different.
5 The Whereabouts Of Lyn
Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade was intended to be a prequel to Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade, but it was also meant to be an introduction to the series for Western audiences (as the first Fire Emblem to go overseas). As such, it introduces Lyn and uses her story to teach newcomers how to play the game. Eventually, she joins Eliwood and Hector in their quest and becomes their close friend. Lyn's role in one of the first localized Fire Emblem games makes her one of the series' most iconic characters.
However, in The Binding Blade, Lyn goes completely unmentioned, even by Eliwood and Hector. While the out-of-game reason is obvious (Lyn hadn't been created yet), in-game, it's a little odd that these two wouldn't mention their old friend.
4 The Fate Of Those Who Slither In The Dark
Fire Emblem: Three Houses features the nefarious group known as Those Who Slither in the Dark. Their aim is to manipulate Fodlan secretly from beneath the surface. Their leader, Thales, is one of the most well-written characters in the game, being a ruthless villain who orchestrated many dark deeds below the surface.
Despite this, in the Azure Moon route, the actions of Those Who Slither in the Dark are mostly ignored. While Thales is defeated in one of the chapters leading up to the finale (albeit in a disguise), it's odd that the remnants of the group did not band together to continue their malevolent plans.
3 Awakening Characters Appearing In Fates
Fire Emblem: Awakening and Fire Emblem Fates supposedly take place in different universes. Despite this, Severa, Inigo, and Owain appear in Nohr under assumed identities, with no real explanation as to how they got there.
That could be explained away by some sort of interdimensional travel, but what about Hoshido characters Rhajat, Caeldori, and Asugi, who look exactly like Awakening characters Tharja, Cordelia, and Gaius without any sort of connection to them, blood or otherwise? Obviously, this is an easter egg for fans of Awakening, but in-universe, there's no explanation for this uncanny resemblance.
2 Claude's Actions During The Battle Of Gronder
The Battle of Gronder is a very important chapter in Fire Emblem: Three Houses, as it is a three-pronged battle between the major factions of the game. What's odd is that the Kingdom of Faerghus and the Leicester Alliance fight each other, despite the fact that both of them are opposed to the Adrestian Empire.
That makes sense when playing on Claude's route, because Dimitri refuses to listen to reason. However, when on Dimitri's route, Claude uncharacteristically chooses not to respond to Dimitri's request to join forces, despite being more than willing in his own route. It's such a strange decision for Claude to make, especially as one of the most cunning and intelligent Fire Emblem protagonists.
1 Priam's Bizarre Backstory
Tellius is not connected to Archanea or Ylisse in any way. Regardless of that fact, Priam shows up in Fire Emblem: Awakening claiming to be the descendant of Ike while wielding the sword Ragnell. Awakening plays fast and loose with the various Fire Emblem worlds every now and then, but Priam opens up a can of worms all by himself.
The questions of whether Priam is really Ike's descendant or if he's even a canon character are as intriguing as ever, even years after Awakening's release. Whatever fans might think about the character himself, it's clear that Priam's very existence is one of the biggest inconsistencies in Fire Emblem lore.