Your First Fire Emblem Game Was Almost Your Last: How Awakening Challenged Its Fate

A deep dive into Fire Emblem: Awakening, the 3DS's killer app that ushered Fire Emblem into a renaissance period over 10 years ago. Kick back and reminisce with me!
As this is a long video, I've broken it up into chapters for easier viewing.
Intro- 00:00
Chapter 1- Shine On, Emblem of Beginnings 1:37
Chapter 2- The Smash Effect 5:03
Chapter 3- Development: On the Verge of History 7:56
Chapter 4- Story: Invisible Ties 11:14
Chapter 5- Robin, Chrom, and the Shepherds- The Heart of the Emblem 13:01
Chapter 6- Gameplay: To Tip the Scales 17:24
Chapter 7- Supports: Fight For Your Friends 21:10
Chapter 8- SPOILERS!! One Sword & a World of Troubles 23:15
Chapter 9: Legacy 30:42
Chapter 10: Conclusion- Treasured Memories 35:20
Chapter 11: Special Thanks 37:15
Music Used: (In Order)
Omen- Main Theme (FE: Awakening)
Enemy Phase (FE1)
Shadow Dragon Medley (SSB: Brawl)
Birth of the Holy Knight (FE4)
Player Phase (FE1)
Story 2: Beginning of Each Map (FE1)
Fire Emblem (SSB: Melee)
Companions (FE Premium Arrange)
Id~Beginnings
We'd Best Prepare For Combat, Just To Be Safe (FE: Awakening)
Prelude (FE: Awakening)
The Eastern Kingdom of Mikado (SMT:IV)
Chaos (FE: Awakening)
Duty (FE: Awakening)
Dating Start! (Undertale)
Rival (FE: Awakening)
Dogsong (Undertale)
Id~Serenity (FE: Awakening)
Reincarnation (Instrumental) (Tokyo Mirage Sessions # FE)
Conquest (Calm, Ablaze)
Tables Turn (The Wonderful 101)
Friendly Conversation (VA-11 Hall-A)
Resolve (Dark) (FE: Fates)
Don't Speak Her Name! (FE: Awakening)
Destiny (FE: Awakening)
Press On Our Way (Lost Judgment)
Conquest (Flames) (Fire Emblem: Warriors)
Dry Your Tears Love, This Isn't Goodbye (FE: Awakening)
Id~Return (FE: Awakening)
Id~Purpose (SSB: Ultimate)
Trial of Awakening (Calm, Reignite Us) (FE: Engage)
Old Battlefield (FE: Awakening)
Wanna keep up with me? Come say hi at:
Twitter: @dragonhustled
Twitch: / dragonhustled
Thumbnail composition: Firestia
@firestiart on Twitter
firestia.carrd...
Thumbnail artwork: Polus
@Poluslus on twitter
poluslus.carrd...
Additional Artwork:
Zedora
@ZedoraArt on Twitter
zedoraart.carr...
Sources:
Nintendo Power August 96’ (87)- archive.org/de...
Nintendo Power 174 (Blazing Sword)
archive.org/de...
FE11 English Patch: Heroes of Shadow
www.heroesofsha...
"Fire Emblem Awakening sells more than 180K in first month, one-third of those digitally" by By Michael McWhertor, Polygon
www.polygon.co...
"Fire Emblem: Awakening sold 1.79 million copies as of December 2014"
by Brian, Nintendo Everything
nintendoeveryt...
"Fire Emblem Fates has series' biggest stateside debut ever" By Allegra Frank, Polygon
www.polygon.co...
Steamed Hams- Mr Bruh • Steamed Hams
Legend of Zelda NES Commercial 1- Zelda Dungeon • Legend of Zelda NES Co...
A First for Fire Emblem Fans! - ??? Announcement Trailer- Nintendo
• A First for Fire Emble...
Final Fantasy VII intro- StanfordFunk
• Final Fantasy VII intro
Nintendo Power Commercial- Doorhenge
• Nintendo Power Commercial
FEA Official Developer Interview (o~8), RPG Site
www.rpgsite.ne...
Iwata Asks- Awakening
iwataasks.nint...
Iwata Asks- Shadow Dragon (Archive)
tanasmanor.net...
The Art of Fire Emblem Awakening, Internet Archive
archive.org/de...
Three Houses Sales
/ cesa_2022_fire_emblem_...

[@AJGames1220]

This was an amazing video to watch! Really reminded me of why I love the game series. You should definitely do more stuff like this even with other games you have a great talent for it!

[@groovitronico]

honey wake up new dragon hustle banger just dropped

[@HyperXCITE]

A video on the criminally underrated TMS#FE, who was (understandably) overlooked for not meeting the crossover expectations created by its initial teaser, and instead turned out to be more of a Persona game with some Fire Emblem inspirations? Yes, please!
Not to undermine this video, it was great! I totally understand the Olivia obsession, as I do the same with Tharja despite liking a great many of the rest of the cast, like Flavia and Owain.

[@TheBloodline1600]

Excellent content, love your style and narration

[@Skasaha_]

8:10 This sales expectations thing is very overblown. The only FE game that had ever failed to meet the figure they were told to reach was Thracia 776, and you could do a whole video on that games' troubled development and bungled marketing. The game would have had to bomb, and bomb REALLY hard to fail. Also they're a third party dev at the end of the day, at most they'd have been forced into doing a new Paper Mario or something before they either go elsewhere or Nintendo lets them make their own games again.

[@EinSilverRose]

I still think the focus on the Avatar character really diluted the range of playable characters the games can have now.
In FE6 for example we have characters of all age ranges. Young, teenagers, young adults, middle age adults, middle aged adults, and elderly adults.
For that reason I think FE6 may have the best cast in the series in terms of variety because there are many different perspectives from each character. Each of Yodel and Niime's supports are my personal faves. The Yodel and Niime support in particular is my favorite of the entire series.
Nowadays the cast of FE games are mostly young adults. Sometimes there are a few older adults but that's a bout it. The variety of characters and support themes have definitely suffered thanks to the Avatar having to be able to marry literally EVERY playable character. Even the imaginary dragon goddess that lives inside your head. So.... Am I the only one who thinks Sothis just kind of existed and had very little impact in the game other than reviving Byleth? Probably not but I like hyperbole.
Also Tharja is best Awakening girl. Tharja is surprisingly adorable and I get sad every time she isn't depicted accurate to her Awakening personality. And kind of like how you fell for Olivia at first sight the same happened to me. Tharja is a genuinely beautiful woman and I wish people would keep her canon personality in mind more.
god Why does FEH keep messing that up and make her a glass cannon holy crap she has actual defense stat.