Ever since it was announced that Female Corrin would be the default version of the Fates Avatar represented in Fire Emblem Warriors, it got me thinking about the rise in Female Corrin’s popularity. Where ever you look, from fan art to written works, it seems the fairer gender is given more of the spotlight. When I started considering her success in recent popularity polls, it also brought to my attention the lesser reception her male counterpart has received in comparison. But why is this? How is the difference so great when the two Corrins are essentially the same characters? Here’s my sort of thought dump on the factors leading to Female Corrin’s popularity that has made her the current poster child for the character.



To start, I think it’s important to note that Fire Emblem as a franchise, has always had a male-bias. It’s a widely accepted idea that boys play video games more than girls, so for a long time, FE games traditionally featured a male main protagonist to ensure a relatable viewpoint. Only recently with Awakening and Fates have players been able to specifically choose their character’s gender. This notion of male protagonists being more relatable, and therefore more popular and marketable can be seen in Super Smash Bros 4 where Robin was chosen to be represented by his male version on the character selection screen, in his character trailer, as well as the model for his Amiibo.

The decision from Nintendo to only produce Male Robin Amiibos was met with some disappointment that a Female version was lacking. When it was time for Corrin to receive an Amiibo, Nintendo notably made a point to include both genders. Now, this could have been in response to the criticisms towards the Robin Amiibo, but I think this also had to do with the fact that Female Corrin could not be left out because of her enormous popularity.

In the Awakening character popularity polls in Japan, both male and female versions of Robin were very popular. Male Robin ranked 3rd amongst the male cast, and Female Robin ranked 2nd amongst the entire female cast. It was this positive reception that would ensure that an Avatar character would return in Fates. However, when it was time for the Fates popularity polls, Male Corrin ranked a very good 5th place for males. Female Corrin, on the other hand, took 1st Place for females, beating out every other female in the game.

So what does this mean?

Well, in Awakening both Avatars were… pretty similarly liked. But in Fates, there is a clear difference between the two genders - something made Female considerably more popular. To cement this, in Fire Emblem Heroes’ Choose Your Legend popularity poll, Female Corrin nabbed 5th place for females in the ENTIRE FRANCHISE with 19,599 votes (9th Place overall). And Male Corrin? He managed a paltry 21st place for males (41st place overall), with 7,691 votes - almost a third as much as Female Corrin. Heck, even Dorcas beat out Male Corrin, and he got poisoned by Mutton.

You can see where this is going, right?

When you’re marketing a game, you put your best foot forward. For Robin, the genders were on pretty equal footing, so Male was the safe bet. It was the tradition - it was what came naturally to Nintendo and Intelligent Systems. Boys play video games, so make the rep a boy. But for Corrin, things were different. Nintendo could not afford the luxury of just trusting the Male version as the predictable safe bet. This time, there was a clear imbalance in who the fans like more, and who would be most well received if they were made the default version in Fire Emblem Warriors. From a marketing perspective, the obvious choice this time, was Female Corrin.

So what brought on such a large disparity in reception? What gave sway to the Female gender transcending the norm for what kind of protagonist is considered relatable and likable? The answers are rooted in a philosophy as old as time: sexism.

To understand what makes Female Corrin so much more popular than her Male counterpart, we need only look into the very essence of their characters. In Fates, Corrin is defined by their kind heart and naive idealism. Unlike traditional Fire Emblem lords that mainly fight against an outside force, many of Corrin’s problems revolve around struggling to stay true to their kind heart amidst a cynical war. Because many of Corrin’s conflicts are against family or otherwise good people, Corrin repeatedly shows mercy and goodwill during times when a general can ill afford to. Even when others pressure or try to dissuade them, Corrin holds onto their hope for an ideal world, and is often pained and deeply burdened by harsh reality.

The consequence that arises from this kind of personality is that there are certain gender roles that modern society has instilled deep in our psyche that prevails even now. One trope that you can see just about anywhere even today is Men Act, Women Are. This trope describes the notion that characters are most likable when they embody traits we associate with their gender, namely that men are defined by their achievements, while women are defined by their personalities and appearances.

From a story perspective, the narrative benefits from Corrin being female. Corrin embodies traits that are most stereotypically associated with female characters in the FE franchise - namely compassion and naivety. You can see these traits in other forefront characters like Celica, Mist and Micaiah. As modern day players, we are conditioned to admire and respect female characters who are able to pursue just ideals and embody values of peace and optimism. A female character who weeps for the loss of life and falters when a cruel act is needed is seen as loving and sympathetic. On the other hand, a male character that cries openly and hesitates during critical moments is seen as weak and unreliable. A female character who trusts easily is often seen as pure and innocent, but a male who does the same can come across as naive or foolish. On the other end of the spectrum, female characters who suppress their emotions are seen as stone-hearted and world-weary, while males who do the same appear cool-headed and mature. Basically, for the common media consumer, Corrin embodies traits that are more easily associated with femininity, and the story comes together better as a result because we are less likely to second guess a female behaving the way Corrin does. We see what we want to see.

There’s also the detail that Corrin is often “babied” and deeply cared for by their siblings. Xander constantly worries for Corrin’s safety, Camilla smothers them like a child, and the younger sisters stick to them like glue. In my personal experience, I found the story slightly more appealing when it was a Female Avatar receiving such affection because how less conventional it felt compared to the more common Male protagonist who’s the center of attention. I was able to believe young girls like Elise and Sakura would be more comfortable around and able to admire an older sister rather than a brother. A story of an innocent maiden finding her place in the world surrounded by loving family is more appealing to me than a naive young man smothered by his siblings. In traditional anime and games, women are often the ones with strong familial connections, while men are typically associated with independence. It’s a shallow sentiment, but I do believe this detail affects to some degree how some players perceive and appreciate the character of Corrin.

The next big reason is a purely aesthetic choice: Female Corrin is pretty. It’s a fact of life that visual appeal contributes to popularity with consumers. Female Corrin has a very attractive design, invoking regal feminine elegance, but also obvious warrior power. Boys are clearly meant to like her a lot. In comparison, the Male Corrin looks… pretty typical, and even a bit bland. His armor is jagged in some areas while Female’s is sleek and smooth. His shoulder sleeves look tight and restrictive while Female’s is puffy and elegant. His leggings are… leggings. Female has thighs. (＾＾)ｂ

And perhaps it’s due to generations of Fire Emblem only having female dragons, but I feel I’m conditioned to think pointed ears just look better on Female Corrin than it does on Male. I’m not sure if that’s just me. Regardless, a powerful, sexy dragon girl naturally should fair better in popularity polls than an average anime male protagonist. Boys want her and girls want to be her, such is the intention and role of the Avatar character. There’s also the fact that the Fates Avatar kind of has a more feminine fighting style, don’t you think? Graceful twirls and cartwheels are more often seen as a feminine combat style, again, better suiting the Female Corrin. Just a minor note of mine.

So what’s the main take aways from all this? What makes Female Corrin more popular than Male Corrin?

To put simply: she’s just better. From a story perspective, her gender more easily meshes with her game’s themes, plot points and interactions with other characters. Her design is more attractive, and from a superficial stand point, Female just is more likable for these reasons.

Now, does this mean Female is the “canon” gender of her games? Not at all. The Avatar is meant to be whatever the player chooses them to be, and it’s up to the player’s preference on which gender betters the story more. While both do have their merits, in my eyes, Female adds more to the story with her as the protagonist, which is enough to give her favor.

In the end, it is the numbers that speak louder than words, and with Female Corrin holding nearly three times as many votes as Male, it’s obvious who would be made the representing gender of the character in Warriors. Considering Nintendo’s track record as of late, I do believe we will be getting both Female and Male versions of Corrin in Warriors, with Female acting as the main face in the character selection screen.

While it may not seem like a big deal, there are implications to Female Corrin receiving the spotlight this time. Due to the fanbase’s appreciation for a female protagonist, this may influence the protagonist of Fire Emblem Switch to also be female, or at least encourage Intelligent Systems to continue making the protagonist’s gender selectable. We are experiencing a shift in the FE franchise in what gender best suits a protagonist is now less defined. I look forward to Female Corrin in Warriors (if it wasn’t clear by now, I like her more), and I’m excited to see how this small but important choice in Warriors may affect the franchise moving forward.

Not everything is so cut and dry and so easily labeled, however. I would like to hear your thoughts on which Corrin you appreciate more in their game and outside of it. Who do you like more?

I hope you enjoyed reading!