FE1/11 and FE3/12 (Archanea Games) “Choose your Legends” Poll Results Analysis

Nintendo conducted a poll for Fire Emblem Heroes urging fans to pick a favorite character of theirs that they would love to see featured. Each fan could vote once a day for 13 days for almost any character from any of the main Fire Emblem series of games.

This is part of a miniseries I am doing on analyzing the vast amount of poll data available to us and what it means for the fandom and their favorites regarding characters.

Thanks to the tireless work of Elieson over on serenesforest.net, we can take a look at the break downs by game! Today we will focus on FE1/11 (which were combined on the official poll), and FE3/12 (which too were combined). The games will be referred to as Shadow Dragon and Mystery of the Emblem for simplicity. Combined, they form the Archanea Saga of games.

There are some general things to keep in mind before we get started, however.

• This was a worldwide contest from all territories on all the games. All votes were included to one ballot. This is useful to know when it comes to character popularity.
• The “overall place” is out of 791 characters that could be voted for. Any number you see in the “overall place” category is ##/791.
• This was just one game out of the entire series that was available to be voted on. While Nintendo recorded 1.2 million votes (actually calculated to be 1,279,158), that is across all games. For the purposes of this analysis, we will only base it on the votes that went toward the game being analyzed. Even then, it is a limited format as there are plenty of factors that come to play.
  • For instance, if this was purely a poll on Shadow Dragon, then votes would have been better distributed to what characters people actually favor, as it would be characters versus each other, rather than against characters from the entire series.
  • The assumption I am running on is simply this: If the voter picked their favorite from this game against the rest of the Fire Emblem games’ casts, then surely they would pick these characters if they were only up against other characters from their own game.
    • However, the issue with this assumption is that it ignores the 13 votes each member had, who may have distributed it across other characters from other games rather than multiple favorites they may have had in one single game. (For example: A voter votes Marth and Tiki, and though they would have cast a vote to Ogma if it was just Shadow Dragon, they instead cast their votes for Hector in Blazing Blade, thus skewing the results Ogma would have had in this game alone had it been isolated) Please be aware of these limitations when seeing the data.
• Some characters were split if they appeared in multiple games (i.e. Marth in FE11 and 12 are two different votes. This is a point worth noting, as we will see.
• Male characters and female characters were polled from the same limited set of 13. This means if someone voted for a favorite male character one day, they did not get to vote a female character the same day. This is worth noting because male/female characters are not in competition with each other. So, their voter base could only vote for a character in one gender or the other, meaning there may have been more votes for female characters overall than male, even if the voter had a male they would have preferred too. There is potential to skew the results here, as would have been solved with two polls (one for each gender).
  • For the purposes of game-by-game analysis, the gender split does not matter too much as it is purely to gauge potential popularity. However, when we address the overall gender vote later on, this will be more important –much like how it was when analyzing the top 20.
• Each individual was able to vote multiple times. One person could vote 13 times over the event period (and this assumes from one device)! As such, do not treat the total amount of votes as total amount of people who voted. Those are two very different things!
• Nintendo had released midterm results on current poll standings. I consider this an important aspect in determining the final outcome to overall popularity, as I will address if relevant to the game.

Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon (FE1 + 11)

In-Game Placing	Overall Place	Character	Total Votes
1	12	Marth	15877
2	51	Caeda	5496
3	66	Tiki	4431
4	110	Minerva	2561
5	114	Navarre	2439
6	120	Wrys	2336
7	129	Ogma	2229
8	162	Merric	1639
9	181	Catria	1455
10	187	Linde	1396
11	190	Camus	1389
12	210	Cain	1172
13	216	Anna	1135
14	246	Abel	961
15	286	Jagen	724
16	288	Wolf	719
17	293	Athena	697
18	297	Xane	688
19	299	Barst	681
20	324	Draug	599
21	332	Nagi	573
22	343	Gordin	526
23	344	Palla	524
24	353	Julian	515
25	372	Etzel	452
26	391	Vyland	409
27	392	Jeorge	404
28	396	Elice	392
29	402	Lena	372
30	403	Norne	371
31	407	Michalis	354
32	408	Hardin	352
33	418	Nyna	331
34	442	Lorenz	292
35	449	Gharnef	281
36	454	Maria	278
37	462	Bantu	270
38	477	Radd	252
39	485	Castor	244
40	514	Est	217
41	524	Sedgar	201
42	527	Frey	197
43	535	Bord	180
44	537	Wendell	178
45	544	Cord	168
46	554	Jake	160
47	561	Roshea	154
48	574	Matthis	142
49	578	Astram	140
50	580	Horace	139
51	582	Arran	138
52	595	Caesar	130
53	596	Darros	130
54	615	Ymir	114
55	622	Medeus	107
56	630	Samson	102
57	632	Midia	102
58	647	Beck	97
59	652	Gotoh	94
60	666	Boah	82
61	681	Dolph	72
62	687	Tomas	68
63	690	Macellan	67
64	692	Roger	66
65	702	Rickard	63
66	749	Malledus	43

Notes:

• A total of 59,167 votes were cast across all the characters of this game.
  • That means FE1/11 characters received just 6% of the overall votes.
• Of that number, Marth has 15,877 votes, or 26% of total votes for this game. He is the highest scoring male character of the game.
  • Marth also appeared on the top 20 during the midterm results. This would have swayed voters to vote for him when they may not have otherwise.
• Caeda is in 2^nd, with 5496 She is the highest scoring female character of the game.
• Only three characters made it to the top 100. (Marth, Caeda, and Tiki).
• The top ten characters on this list already have 39,859 votes combined (77%); meaning characters 11-66 had only 23% of the votes despite making up 83% percent of the cast.
• Malledus is the lowest ranked male character in last place at 66^th place (749/791 overall) and the lowest scoring female character is Midia in 57^th (632/791).

The top scorers in this game are somewhat expected. Indeed, as Intelligent Systems has plenty of the top scorers already in Fire Emblem Heroes.

A point worth noting is this Marth made it to the top 10 male characters and 12^th overall –with Caeda as 52^nd overall right after, showing the great difference between Marth compared to other characters of the game.

This is perhaps due to his status as a “face” of the series as a whole, as well as his continued presence in the Smash Bros. series –which the rest of the characters in this game lack.

Tiki’s Awakening appearance (grown up) scored much higher than she did here, and is likely where those voting for her put their votes (considering she got more than double there), explaining her relatively lower numbers here.

Next let’s look at the sequel and how it fared.

Fire Emblem: New Mystery of the Emblem (FE3 + 12)

In-Game Placing	Overall Place	Character	Total Votes
1	33	Marth	8670
2	123	Tiki	2298
3	134	Katarina	2162
4	158	Caeda	1747
5	224	Catria	1079
6	247	Ogma	960
7	249	Navarre	935
8	260	Minerva	861
9	263	Merric	854
10	273	Jeorge	810
11	282	Sirius	742
12	284	Kris (male)	736
13	294	Palla	695
14	316	Linde	622
15	327	Sheena	590
16	357	Cain	491
17	370	Gordin	456
18	375	Camus	440
19	395	Malice	397
20	400	Kris (female)	373
21	415	Xane	344
22	416	Clarisse	335
23	417	Wrys	333
24	445	Anna	287
25	465	Vyland	266
26	469	Arlen	261
27	473	Michalis	256
28	493	Norne	236
29	500	Hardin	228
30	506	Athena	223
31	510	Draug	220
32	512	Legion	218
33	515	Etzel	214
34	518	Nagi	211
35	525	Julian	200
36	528	Phina	196
37	530	Wolf	187
38	532	Cecil	186
39	534	Jagen	183
40	539	Abel	173
41	551	Yuliya	161
42	553	Barst	160
43	566	Samuel	148
44	576	Ryan	141
45	585	Castor	136
46	588	Jubelo	135
47	589	Maria	134
48	599	Elice	127
49	600	Sedgar	127
50	602	Eremiya	126
51	606	Lena	121
52	612	Nyna	115
53	617	Marisha	110
54	633	Caesar	102
55	636	Lorenz	100
56	646	Astram	97
57	650	Lang	96
58	657	Bord	88
59	660	Roshea	86
60	664	Est	84
61	669	Dice	80
62	672	Bantu	78
63	676	Luke	75
64	679	Arran	73
65	680	Matthis	72
66	685	Roderick	69
67	686	Radd	69
68	696	Cord	65
69	697	Gharnef	65
70	698	Horace	65
71	704	Belf	62
72	705	Medeus	62
73	710	Midia	60
74	715	Samson	58
75	718	Tomas	57
76	720	Wendell	56
77	731	Frey	51
78	733	Roberto	50
79	735	Jake	49
80	738	Warren	47
81	741	Reiden	46
82	756	Rickard	39
83	760	Gotoh	38
84	761	Dolph	37
85	765	Boah	36
86	778	Frost	29
87	782	Darros	27
88	785	Ymir	25
89	786	Beck	22
90	787	Roger	22
91	788	Macellan	19

 

Notes:

• A total of 34,672 votes were cast across all the characters of this game.
  • That means FE3/12 characters received just 7% of the overall votes..
• Of that number, Marth has 8670 votes, or 25% of total votes for this game. He is the highest scoring male character of the game.
  • This is significantly less than his Shadow Dragon appearance which also placed higher overall.
  • Marth is the only character from this game who made the top 100.
• This time, Tiki is in 2^nd, with 2298 She is the highest scoring female character of the game, rising from 3^rd place in the previous game.
  • A character unique to this game, Katarina, placed 3^rd with 2162
  • Caeda, in 2^nd place on the Shadow Dragon poll, dropped to 4^th here, with 1747
• The player avatar character (Kris) placed 12^th (male) and 20^th (female).
  • The remake (FE12) was the first game with customizable active avatars (compared to FE7’s passive one), but there was no marriage mechanic, which may be worth noting.
• The top ten characters on this list already have 20,376 votes combined (59%); meaning characters 11-91 had only 41% of the votes despite making up 88% percent of the cast.
• Macellan is the lowest ranked male character in last place at 91^st place, and 4^th last place (788/791) overall with just 19
• Midia is (once again) lowest ranked female character in 73^rd (705/791). She was also lowest ranked in Shadow Dragon.

Mystery of the Emblem gives interesting results compared to Shadow Dragon. Here we see less overall votes, Tiki boosted to second, and Caeda dropped to fourth.

An easy explanation for this is simply the fact neither rendition of Mystery of the Emblem saw release in the west. The games have remained Japan only, so would likely have a minority of votes from western players who had played it. As such, perhaps it leans on Japanese tastes more, explaining Tiki’s boost and Caeda’s drop, as well as low overall votes.

Shadow Dragon conversely saw more votes for its characters as the remake (FE11) was released worldwide, so players would likely vote for Shadow Dragon despite the characters in both games being more of the same.

Lastly, we take a look at combined numbers between the two games!

Rank	Character	Total Votes
1	Marth	24547
2	Caeda	7243
3	Tiki	6729
4	Minerva	3422
5	Navarre	3374
6	Ogma	3189
7	Wrys	2669
8	Catria	2534
9	Merric	2493
10	Katarina	2162
11	Linde	2018
12	Camus	1829
13	Cain	1663
14	Anna	1422
15	Palla	1219
16	Jeorge	1214
17	Abel	1134
18	Xane	1032
19	Gordin	982
20	Athena	920
21	Jagen	907
22	Wolf	906
23	Barst	841
24	Draug	819
25	Nagi	784
26	Sirius	742
27	Kris (male)	736
28	Julian	715
29	Vyland	675
30	Etzel	666
31	Michalis	610
32	Norne	607
33	Sheena	590
34	Hardin	580
35	Elice	519
36	Lena	493
37	Nyna	446
38	Maria	412
39	Malice	397
40	Lorenz	392
41	Castor	380
42	Kris (female)	373
43	Bantu	348
44	Gharnef	346
45	Clarisse	335
46	Sedgar	328
47	Radd	321
48	Est	301
49	Bord	268
50	Arlen	261
51	Frey	248
52	Roshea	240
53	Astram	237
54	Wendell	234
55	Cord	233
56	Caesar	232
57	Legion	218
58	Matthis	214
59	Arran	211
60	Jake	209
61	Horace	204
62	Phina	196
63	Cecil	186
64	Medeus	169
65	Midia	162
66	Yuliya	161
67	Samson	160
68	Darros	157
69	Samuel	148
70	Ryan	141
71	Ymir	139
72	Jubelo	135
73	Gotoh	132
74	Eremiya	126
75	Tomas	125
76	Beck	119
77	Boah	118
78	Marisha	110
79	Dolph	109
80	Rickard	102
81	Lang	96
82	Roger	88
83	Macellan	86
84	Dice	80
85	Luke	75
86	Roderick	69
87	Belf	62
88	Roberto	50
89	Warren	47
90	Reiden	46
91	Frost	29

Notes:

• Combined total votes is: 93,796. (7.3% of overall votes).
• The above shows how numbers would be if characters were combined from both games (assuming they appeared in both).
  • This will skew the characters that only appear in one game (such as Katarina) who may have had more votes had this poll only been about Mystery of the Emblem rather than the series as a whole.
• There are too many factors to put this back against the overall poll results, and so “overall rank” (with new numbers) has been excluded.

The combined numbers obviously skew things back in Shadow Dragon characters’ favor. Caeda for instance comes out on top of Tiki here once again thanks to the bolstered numbers. Mystery/New Mystery of the Emblem characters take a hit as they only have one set of numbers to support them.

As usual, these combined numbers are just for reference and curiosity sake, as there are many factors that come into play here!

Conclusion:

Shadow Dragon and its characters outperformed the sequel’s cast in almost every way when it came to votes. A major reason is simply the fact the former had a worldwide release while the latter was Japan only.

Marth was the most significant, considering that in overall ranks, the second place in both games was much farther down the list. This is likely thanks to his “series’ face” status as well as Smash Bros. presence.

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That covers those two games! Tomorrow we take a look at the lowest scoring Gaiden! Stay tuned!