Roy

Lore & Background

Roy's story begins when King Zephiel of Bern, aided by the Dark Priestess Idunn, invades neighboring nations. Due to his father Eliwood's illness, Roy returns home to defend Pherae. He is joined by allies including Princess Lilina and retainers Marcus and Merlinus. As the quest progresses, Roy discovers that Idunn was forced into her actions by Zephiel. Players can locate legendary weapons and the titular Binding Blade in optional chapters; if all are obtained, Roy defeats Idunn without killing her, freeing her from control. The narrative connects to Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade, a prequel featuring Eliwood, where Roy appears in the epilogue as his father reunites with comrade Hector and their children meet—this scene is present in both the Japanese and international versions of the game.

In Their Own Story

Roy's journey is defined by his transition from an heir presumptive of Pherae to a major military leader defending against King Zephiel. The story features optional chapters where players seek legendary weapons and the Binding Blade, culminating in a confrontation with Idunn that can end without her death if specific conditions are met. Beyond his own game, Roy appears as a playable DLC character in Fire Emblem Awakening and as an Emblem character in Fire Emblem Engage. In North American popularity polls prior to Fire Emblem Heroes' release, he ranked as the second favorite male character behind Ike. His narrative presence extends to the Fire Emblem: The Champion's Blade manga, which was published before The Binding Blade and runs concurrently with its events.

Reader's Guide

In Super Smash Bros. Melee, Roy's gameplay mirrors Marth's but is characterized by being more powerful yet slower; his sword deals more damage at the base rather than the tip, reflecting creator Masahiro Sakurai's view of him as an energetic character. Although initially absent from Super Smash Bros. Brawl, he returned as downloadable content for Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, with his inclusion reportedly leaked alongside Ryu. He is part of the base roster in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. To promote his 3DS/Wii U appearance, an exclusive amiibo figure was released at GameStop, followed by plushies in 2019. In The Binding Blade, Roy faces criticism for poor gameplay attributes and low growth rates in strength and speed, making him less effective mid-game compared to characters like Ike or Hector.

Did You Know?

• Roy was originally named 'Ike' during the development of a cancelled Nintendo 64 Fire Emblem entry before the game restarted as The Binding Blade in 2000. However, the name 'Ike' was later reused for the protagonist of F
• At 15 years old, Roy is one of the youngest protagonists in the Fire Emblem series, but he is not the youngest—that title belongs to characters like Tiki (from Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon) or other younger lords.
• Super Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai designed Roy's sword to deal more damage at the base because he mistakenly believed Roy was an internally strong character before playing The Binding Blade.
• Roy and Marth were added to Super Smash Bros. Melee despite being from a game only available in Japan, and there is no known record of Nintendo of America disputing Roy's inclusion.