Arthur

Overview

A playable character appearing in Fire Emblem Fates. Arthur serves as a loyal retainer to Princess Elise of the Kingdom of Nohr alongside his colleague Effie. Dedicated to defeating evil and aiding the weak, he considers himself a true hero of justice. Despite being plagued by extraordinarily severe bad luck, he maintains an unwavering commitment to his righteous ideals and acts as an exceptionally virtuous figure within the army. He also appears as a playable hero in Fire Emblem Heroes.

Appearance

Arthur is a male character who possesses blonde hair and blue eyes. Although he is officially recognized as a young man within the army's roster, he features a notably aged and mature facial countenance. His most distinctive visual attribute is a prominent cleft chin, which gives his face a memorable and bold structure.

Personality

Guided by his parents' advice to constantly question his own heart about what constitutes justice, Arthur is a deeply sincere and moral individual. He lives to protect the weak and uphold public order. Despite suffering from absurd, relentless misfortune—such as being struck by lightning, chased by bee swarms, or tripping on suddenly appearing banana peels—he remains unfailingly optimistic. Remarkably, his personal bad luck often turns into unexpected good fortune for those around him. He treats royalty with utmost respect while addressing peers and fellow retainers with warm familiarity.

Abilities

Arthur begins as an Axe Fighter who uses axes, with the option to reclass into a Social Knight via a Parallel Seal. He features strong growth in HP, Strength, Skill, and Defense, balanced by an exceptionally low Luck stat. His personal skill, Misfortunate, reduces critical evasion for both himself and enemies within a two-space radius. He is effective when utilizing high critical rates as a Berserker with a Killer Axe, or when supporting allies in an Attack Stance. His exclusive weapon, Arthur's Axe, increases Defense. In Fire Emblem Heroes, he operates as a green axe infantry unit equipped with skills like Emerald Axe and Lancebreaker.

Background

Hailing from the royal capital's underground district in Nohr, Arthur began training his physical body and martial skills at a young age under his parents' guidance, acting as a local town hero. During his youth, he protected a young Azura from guards when she fled the castle. He eventually earned an appointment as a formal retainer to Princess Elise, serving alongside Effie. In the Birthright storyline, he attacks the Hoshidan forces due to a misunderstanding, but after being persuaded by Corrin, he temporarily joins as a non-playable ally. He is also a father to Percy, whom he presented with a dragon companion named Michel and who admires Arthur as his heroic role model.

Relationships

Elise: The Nohrian princess whom Arthur loyally serves as a retainer. Effie: His fellow retainer who also serves Princess Elise. Azura: A princess Arthur protected from guards in their childhood, earning her enduring gratitude. Percy: Arthur's son, who possesses incredible good luck in stark contrast to his father and aspires to become a hero of justice just like him. Corrin: The Nohrian royal protagonist, whom Arthur addresses with formal reverence. Camilla: The eldest Nohrian princess, to whom Arthur reports during the Birthright path after misinterpreting Elise's situation.

Trivia

In the Birthright campaign, when he joins the battlefield as a temporary non-playable ally, his stats are purposefully set very low to reflect his terrible luck, making him prone to defeat even by standard Nohrian soldiers. The critical evasion penalty from his personal skill can be fully neutralized when pairing him in battle with his son, Percy. In Fire Emblem Heroes, because the game mechanics omit the Luck stat entirely, Arthur is able to battle without experiencing any stat penalties derived from his legendary bad luck.