

—Marth after liberating his home in Shadow Dragon. “I am a prince before I am a son or brother.”—Marth after liberating his home in Chapter 17 of

Marth (Mars in the anime) is a character from the Fire Emblem series of video games. He is the central protagonist and Lord-class character of the original game, Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light, and its sequel Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem, as well as their respective remakes.

As the first Lord character in the Fire Emblem franchise and one of the first Fire Emblem characters introduced to the west through Super Smash Bros. Melee, Marth is one of the most recognizable characters in the franchise.

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Profile Edit

Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light/Shadow Dragon Edit

Some time after his father, Cornelius, had departed with Falchion to challenge the forces of Dolhr, whose leader, Medeus had resurrected and rebuilt the empire, Marth remained behind in Altea with his mother and elder sister Elice, committing himself to his studies; with much of the Altean army out to war under Cornelius, the defense of Altea was maintained by a garrison of Gra. After Gra betrayed Altea in the middle of battle, with the King of Gra, Jiol, killing Cornelius, the garrison at Altea did the same, seizing the castle for Dolhr. While Elice stayed behind to buy Marth time, he fled the castle guided by Malledus, with a few Altean knights accompany him.

On their way out, Cain returned from the battlefields of Gra to report Cornelius' death and joins Marth's group, with Marth rescuing Gordin who was captured and gagged by Gra's forces. Gra's King Jiol then arrives with a wave of reinforcements, closing in on Marth's group. To ensure the escape of Marth and the others, Frey offered himself as a decoy, dressing as the prince and fleeing to the south, luring Jiol and the reinforcements away. Draug then arrived, having prepared a ship to facilitate the group's escape from Altea, and from there Marth reluctantly fled for the island nation of Talys, swearing he would one day return to free his homeland and seek vengeance upon Gra and Grust.

Following Altea's fall, Marth and his retinue lived in exile in Talys for the next two years, hosted in the island's eastern fortress by King Mostyn. When the pirates of Galder descended upon Talys to raid it, called into action by the arrival of his childhood friend, Caeda, Marth's forces departed the fort to combat the invasion; upon its fall, on the advice of Mostyn, Marth's retinue left Talys to commence its goal to rebel against the domination of Dolhr.

The group's first destination was Aurelis, where during their liberation of the country from Macedonian occupation, Marth swiftly befriended commander Hardin, Aurelis' prince, and Princess Nyna of Archanea — the most prominent kingdom — who gives him her country's national treasure, the Binding Shield, symbolizing his fate as the world's chosen champion against Dolhr. From there, Marth led the army to reclaim Archanea, then proceeded on to Gra in an effort to find Falchion, said by Cain to have been taken by the country from his father's corpse. Gra fell, yet Falchion was nowhere to be found, leading Marth to reluctantly decide to detour to Khadein, on Malledus's theory that it had come into Gharnef's possession, instead of pressing on to liberate Altea.

The trip to Khadein proved fruitless, as Falchion and Gharnef were nowhere to be found, and Marth turned his sights on liberating Altea. Upon Altea's fall, Marth learned of his mother's death at the hands of Morzas and that Elice had been taken hostage by Gharnef. Despite his grief at this news, and despite Nyna and Malledus suggesting he take a break, he nonetheless greeted the people of Altea, joyful at their freedom.

From there, Marth led his army in the conquest of Grust and Macedon, before being sent by Gotoh to Thabes in order to confront Gharnef. With Gharnef's death at the hands of a member of Marth's army wielding Starlight, Marth recovered Falchion and, at the top of the tower, reunited with Elice, who had been imprisoned by Gharnef for the purpose of using the Aum staff. In the closing days of the war, Marth turned his focus toward Dolhr Keep, where Medeus himself lay in wait. Engaging him in battle, wielding Falchion, Marth struck down Medeus as Anri had a century before.

At the end of the war, spurred by Nyna's urging, Marth finally confessed to Caeda his longtime affections for her, proposing to her.

Mystery of the Emblem/New Mystery of the Emblem Edit

Following the end of the event known as the War of Shadows, Marth devoted himself to the reconstruction of Altea and Caeda became his fiancee, with the two soon to be married. This is interrupted, however, by a missive from Hardin, now the Emperor of Archanea, who requests that Marth lead the Altean army to subjugate a rebellion in Grust, a command Marth could not disobey due to Archanea maintaining Suzerainty over other countries, including Altea. Leaving Cain in charge of Altea's defense, Marth took some old and newer knights with him to address the Grustian crisis.

In Grust, he meets with Lang, the general of the Archanean occupying force in the region, whose malicious attitude disgusted Marth; Lang revealed the alleged rebellion was being led by Lorenz, a former ally of Marth's, which raised Marth's suspicions about the situation. Marth soon learned that Lorenz was trying to protect the Grustian heirs, Yuliya and Jubelo, from the Empire and that the uprising was in response to the harsh Archanean domination of the region, being general Lang's doing. Lorenz died from wounds sustained in an earlier battle, after entrusting the prince and princess to Marth and warning him of Hardin's change into a tyrant.

However, despite Marth's protests, Lang arrived and took the two heirs into his custody(as defiance would result in a war with Archanea), then commanded Marth to travel to Macedon and address another rebellion there, in which a military coup had taken Marth's former ally, Princess Minerva, prisoner. Marth's army successfully subdued the coup with the aid of Catria and Palla, but failed to find Minerva as she had already been taken away by her brother, Michalis. During this battle, Marth met Julian and learned of the mysterious disappearance of Minerva's sister Maria, and of the cleric Lena. He also encountered Linde, a mage of Archanea, who entrusted Marth with the Fire Emblem again on Nyna's orders, although she remained unaware of why Nyna did so, realizing that something terrible was coming.

Lang's next order to Marth was to recapture Yuliya and Jubelo, who had been freed from captivity in his castle by Ogma and were on the run; Marth, however, opposes to follow Lang's orders any further, and his defiance is taken as an act of war by Lang, who fled upon being challenged by Jagen. Marth's army moved to rescue Ogma and the children, adopting them into his army along with a mysterious masked knight known only to him as Sirius.

Though he seeks to get Hardin's support in removing the corrupt general, Caeda arrives breathless after they rescued the two royal heirs, surprising Marth that Hardin decided to support Lang and declared him a traitor as she informs Altea was attacked by the imperial army, with Gra and Aurelis ambushing them, with the Altean forces there wiped out and the castle fallen, with only she escaping as Elice remained behind to hold them off. It was then understood that everything was a setup in order for Marth to leave with his elite soldiers so that Altea would be defenseless.

In a bid to end the Archanean abuse of the Grustians, Marth led an attack on Olbern Keep, Lang's domain and the Archanean hold on Grust. After Lang is killed, Marth found Wendell imprisoned in the fortress, who told him of his quest to collect the lost pieces of the Starsphere to prevent the world from falling into ruin.

On Wendell's advice, Marth traveled to the Fane of Raman in a bid to find some of the shards, and though the residing thieves were driven away, they found the temple ransacked and most of the items stolen away, which Jagen commented would infuriate even Naga. Their next destination was Chiasmir, seeking to cross the bridge to avoid pursuit, only to find Hardin himself arriving with his forces, who approached Marth and announced his intent to crack down on all possible dissent against him. Learning that they cannot even harm Hardin because of mysterious power he possessed, Marth had no choice but to escape Chiasmir by sea, taking a ship north to Khadein.

As Marth resolves to find a way to pierce the dark protection his army had observed surrounded Hardin, he learns that Khadein mages were mounting an offense on them, forcing the Altean army to fight back and break into the sanctuary, with Archanea's pursuit close at their rear. During the battle he and Wendell found his friend Merric fighting his former classmate Elrean, who in a jealous fit toward Merric had seized control of Khadein and directed its army to attack Marth and Merric; he was also approached by Minerva, who had been tasked by Michalis with joining up with Marth to fight Hardin.

Soon managing to succeed in defeating them and Wendell managing to convince Elrean to stop fighting, Marth was contacted through magic by Gotoh, who told him of Hardin's fall to the Darksphere and requested he travel to the Ice Dragon Temple in the north in order to collect the Lightsphere, the only means of piercing the Darksphere's protection and saving Hardin.

Now making their way through Anri's Way to meet Gotoh, a path once traversed by Anri himself a century prior He travels the route through the Marmotord desert, the Flame Barrel graveyard and the frozen wastelands of the north, fighting degenerated wild dragons, collecting the Starsphere's shards and eventually being guided by Xane, who tells him the true history of Archanea, the manaketes and the creation of Falchion and Fire Emblem. Upon reaching the Ice Dragon Temple, Gotoh uses the twelve shards to reconstitute the Starsphere, giving both it and the Lightsphere to Marth to use against Hardin. He also allowed Marth to wake Tiki and take her with him on his journey, on the condition that Marth collected all five of the Emblem's spheres to restore its true power and allow Tiki to survive.

Gotoh sent Marth's army back to Altea with his warp magic, and Marth once again fought to free Altea from Archanean conquest. At the battle's end, Gotoh contacted him again to warn him of Gharnef's return, and that Gharnef was responsible for abducting Elice, Maria and Lena for reasons unknown, and that he likely sought to abduct Nyna next. Marth resolved to lead a march on the Archanean capital itself, to stop Hardin and get to Nyna before Gharnef abducted her; unbeknownst to him, Nyna had already been given away to Gharnef by Hardin himself.

Entering Gra, they battle the forces of Archanea and Gra, though Gra's soldiers had lost their will to fight. After defeating Archanea's forces and sparing the soldiers of Gra, thus earning Sheena and Samson's trust, Marth discusses his plans to try and reach Hardin faster, as their battles were only buying Hardin more time. He is then suggested that they avoid the route where Archanea's forces are concentrated by going through Adria Pass, for despite being perilous and having the chance of an ambush, it was the fastest course of action, to which Marth accepted, considering the fact they had traveled in Anri's Way prior.

Having gotten through Adria Pass and acquired the Lifesphere from Hardin's older brother, they then learn that a coup d'etat broke out and quickly put down in the palace and the prisoners were being quickly executed by the day, making Marth's forces rush the pace.

Now in the capital of Archanea, they battle the imperial army and then made their way into the palace for the final stand against Hardin. Marth defeats Hardin, and as he died his mind returned to him and he begged Marth to save Nyna and stop Gharnef. Having collected the final sphere from Hardin, all the orbs were gathered and the Fire Emblem was completed and restored as the Binding Shield. Marth was then approached by the four missing clerics, the but the Shield's power dispelled the magic surrounding the four and revealed them to have been Gharnef's priests that had an illusion cast over them to deceive Marth. Gotoh then arrived, and realizing that Gharnef was attempting to revive Medeus once more, they continue their battle by trying to locate Medeus and Gharnef.

He then heads to Dolhr where Gharnef lurks. En route he visited a village and encountered a severely wounded Michalis, who gave Starlight to Marth for use against Gharnef once more. In the Dragon's Table, Marth's army fought Gharnef once more and killed him, allowing Marth to finally reclaim Falchion from him, and so the group makes their way to the final room where Medeus was. However, when they finally reach the next chamber, they find out that Elice, Nyna, Maria, and Lena were all hypnotized and surrounding Medeus to be consumed for his complete revival, along with him being guarded by Earth Dragons. Jagen realizes that if they cannot free them from Medeus' control, then they would have no choice but to kill them to get to Medeus, which horrifies Marth, declaring that there has to be another way.

Determined to rescue the clerics, Marth had some of his allies work to awaken them while the Binding Shield emits a power that forces the Earth Dragons to retreat. Through the efforts of Merric, Sirius, Minerva, and Julian, the princesses were all freed from Medeus' control and thus clearing the way for him to kill Medeus with the Falchion for the second and final time.

Afterwards, as most of Archanea's noble houses were left in ruins, almost all of its surviving rulers ceded sovereignty over their territories to Marth himself, and so Marth united the continent as the United Kingdom of Archanea, serving as its first king while crowned as the fifth king of Altea with Caeda as his wife, and spends his time rebuilding Archanea with her in Pales, the capital of Archanea. Under Marth's reign, the continent experienced a golden era of peace and its wounds began to heal.

In New Mystery of the Emblem, the war also tells the tale of a beloved ally Kris who assisted Marth. After the battle, Marth vows to have their contributions know. Kris, not wanting the attention, tells Marth that it would be better for all of Archanea to believe that they were saved by one powerful warrior. Marth respects their decision to remain unknown, but vows to keep them close as a trusted ally for the rest of his life.

Awakening Edit

Two thousand years later in the era of Fire Emblem Awakening, Marth's tale has passed into legend and he is revered as the "Hero-King" and a legendary ruler. Chrom, member of the royal family of the Halidom of Ylisse, one of several post-unified Archanean nations, is said to be his distant descendant according to Tiki.

They continue to wield both Falchion and the Fire Emblem; however, they have disassembled the Binding Shield and now keep it apart, contrary to Marth's wishes. Much of Marth's history appears to have been forgotten, in favor of the First Exalt, an unknown figure who also wielded the Falchion and met Tiki, battling a figure called the fell dragon Grima.

When Marth's descendant Lucina traveled back in time, she cloaked her true identity as Chrom's daughter by adopting the name of Marth as her own.

Personality Edit

Marth is a kindhearted, talented, yet incredibly idealistic leader who takes up the sword in the name of his fallen brethren and fellow conquered Archaneans. More than capable as a ruler, he holds himself to an immense sense of duty; willing to push aside his own grief to comfort his Altean people upon their first liberation in the War of Shadows. In sallying forth to aid Princess Nyna, he also honors the historic ties between his country and House Archanea as inducted by his ancestor Anri. Marth's idealism stems mostly from the powerful desire to keep all, if not at least many, of his allies alive throughout his two wars. This is a natural result of Marth's sorrowful experiences with his elder sister and vassal sacrificing their safety to ensure his escape. Said idealism takes a toll on him, however, as he melancholically visits the graves of those whom have been killed as seen in New Mystery of the Emblem. While Marth would prefer avoiding a fight, he is more than willing to lay down his life alongside his comrades.

He has been shown to be overly trusting at times as he has been betrayed and almost killed by two comrades. Regardless, his faith in his people do have its benefits, as recruitment of an assortment of people from different backgrounds directly contributed to his success in both wars. Many find assurance placing their care in his leadership often after exchanging a few words.

Outside of his duties, Marth can be aloof and rather shy when it comes to personal relationships; after defeating Medeus in Shadow Dragon, Marth had trouble professing his love to Caeda, only doing so in the first place after some encouragement by Princess Nyna. And even after their engagement, Marth tends to be oblivious to the feelings that other girls have for him, such as Catria, Marisha, and so forth.

While Marth shares a passionate bond with Caeda that blossoms over the course of his story, the two often fret over each other's safety, even quarreling over the latter's involvement in the war. Could Marth have it his way, he would much prefer for Caeda to return home and await his return than risk losing her to the war. Nonetheless, he relents at her desire to remain close to his side and finds comfort with her presence.

Marth has also been shown to be extremely humble as reflected in his supports, to the point he gets somewhat bashful when complimented by his descendants. In addition, Marth often seeks consistent reassurance in his decisions, of which can be seen as both a flaw and a strength, as while it may hinder him at times, but reflects a open-mindedness to others opinions. Once resolved to a cause, he becomes a beacon of inspiration to those who fight alongside him.

Base Stats Edit

Starting Class Lord Level HP Str Skl Spd Lck Def Res Wlv Mov 1 18 5 3 7 7 7 0 5 7 Weapon Starting Items Sword Rapier

Growth Rates Edit

Overall Edit

Subjective: The following part of this article is based upon the editor's personal experiences and opinions, and therefore may not be applicable for all readers.

In the original Shadow Dragon, Marth is easily one of the game's best units. While his base stats are unassuming, they are more than sufficient to carry him early on against early axe-users (barring some bosses), and when he begins fighting armored units and cavalry, the Rapier comes into play. When wielding it, Marth deals effective damage to them, with a total might exceeding a Silver Lance, making him one of the player's best attackers against the most common enemy types, including many of the game's bosses. Marth has little need to conserve the weapon, as unlike many Lord weapons, Rapiers can be bought fairly cheaply and in bulk by Chapter 13. Marth's high growths means that once he has begun regularly killing enemies on his own, he tends to snowball fast.

Marth's status as a Lord is another factor in his favor, as it means he is the best choice for killing bosses. Warp comes into play very early, and since Marth can kill a boss and seize on the next turn on his own, it means that warping Marth is the most efficient option, as it saves precious Warp uses compared to warping a second unit to kill the boss. Marth gains the use of the Fire Emblem, essentially an unlimited Chest Key, meaning he can fill in for a Thief if need be, and his high Movement of 7 is fast enough to keep up with your cavalry. While Marth cannot promote, the presence of extremely powerful statboosting items will patch whatever weak points in his stats exist, and as mentioned, he tends to have first pick, given his importance to the army. A quirk of the AI also gives Marth some hidden utility; it is programmed to prioritize targeting Marth over any other unit, which means he can save wounded or weak allies by moving inside the range of enemies about to kill them.

In the late game, Marth obtains two vital personal weapons. The first is Mercurius, the most powerful sword in the game, which will make Marth one of your best attackers. It also buffs his growth rates, though this will have little effect on him, as he is likely to be capped out. The second is Falchion, which, though only usable in the final map, is the only weapon Marth will need from that point on; it makes him invincible to non-dragon enemies, deals effective damage to dragon enemies, and is unbreakable. Its effective damage and high Might means that with his Strength capped, Marth will deal 15 damage to Medeus, enough to kill him in three hits, or one hit if Marth can critical.

In all, the original Marth is an excellent unit who should be made use of in any playthrough. His only significant weakness is his need to visit villages, which can sometimes keep the player from using him as much as they would like.

Base Stats Edit

Starting Class Lord Level HP Str Skl Spd Lck Def Res Wlv Mov 1 18 5 6 7 7 7 0 5 7 Weapon Starting Items Sword Rapier Starting Class Lord Level HP Str Skl Spd Lck Def Res Wlv Mov 3 22 6 8 9 8 7 0 7 7 Weapon Starting Items Sword Rapier

Growth Rates Edit

Overall Edit

Subjective: The following part of this article is based upon the editor's personal experiences and opinions, and therefore may not be applicable for all readers.

Most of Marth's advantages in Mystery of the Emblem remain intact, but he suffers somewhat from a few factors: the loss of early Warp in Book 2 robs him of his biggest mobility tool, the nerf to statboosters means his stats can be a bit worse, buyable Rapiers are less common, Mercurius is no longer a personal weapon, the AI is no longer programmed to target him, and certain other characters, like Palla, have been hugely buffed. That said, Marth also has gained some new advantages, namely the Binding Shield, which allows him to ably deal with Earth dragons, and the presence of dismounting, which means Marth has an edge over mounted characters when indoors. While he has lost some of his power in the transition, he remains a strong fighter and should be made use of in both campaigns.

Base Stats Edit

Growth Rates Edit

Overall

Subjective: The following part of this article is based upon the editor's personal experiences and opinions, and therefore may not be applicable for all readers.

Marth's appearance in the remake of Shadow Dragon is very poor, owing to the heavily changed game design not favoring him. His bases, which were once acceptable, have declined significantly on higher difficulties, to the point that he will struggle quite a bit when fighting even the enemies in Chapter 1. While he does have above-average growth rates, his lack of promotion means he cannot gain a vital stat boost. Marth is locked to using swords, which are the worst weapon type in Shadow Dragon due to the addition of weapon triangle and the vast proliferation of lance-wielding enemies, meaning his accuracy and damage against them ends up being quite shaky. This more or less cancels out his theoretical edge against the overwhelmingly lance-focused cavalry and armored enemies, as he struggles to do much with them when wielding his Rapier. Marth cannot reclass, meaning the base limitations of his Lord class will always haunt him, and as enemies grow exponentially stronger, Marth's need to be off on his own visiting villages or unlocking chests almost ensures he will be underleveled. In theory, one could forge his Rapier to enable him to fight cavalry and armor more effectively, but weapon triangle and the Rapier's low base Might makes this a poor investment; the Wing Spear, Ridersbane, or Hammer will always be superior options, as the Rapier needs to be forged simply to catch up to their base performances.

Perhaps Marth's most humiliating weakness is his performance against Medeus. Even with capped Speed and Strength, something Marth is unlikely to have even at his maximum level without heavy statbooster investment, he still falls short of being able to kill Medeus with the Falchion outside of Normal Mode; to the contrary, on higher difficulties, Medeus is very likely to return the favor, as even Marth's cap of 25 Speed does not prevent him from being doubled by Medeus's 30. This means that it is overwhelmingly more preferable to use Tiki or Nagi for that job, as their deaths will not cause a Game Over.

Growth Rates Edit

Overall Edit

Subjective: The following part of this article is based upon the editor's personal experiences and opinions, and therefore may not be applicable for all readers.

Marth has received a significant boost in New Mystery of the Emblem, with slightly higher bases and significantly buffed growths, making him more usable throughout the game. More varied enemy composition makes his swordlock less of an issue, and he will be a viable combat unit essentially to the endgame. While he still cannot promote, the Binding Shield gives him an additional +2 points to all stats (If he has maxed out any of them, these bonuses will also stack), which can handily fill in for a promotion bonus and let him remain decent. Marth is still held back by his inability to reclass, and he is far from the best unit in the game, but he will likely never be a liability for the player. With capped Speed, Falchion, and his shield, Marth is one of the best characters for taking on Medeus, as he avoids being doubled by the dark dragon and deals effective damage in return, though he will need some healing support.

Base Stats Edit

Growth Rates Edit

Prince Marth (SpotPass & DLC)

For the Aptitude skill, add +20% to all growth rates

Lodestar HP Str Mag Skl Spd Lck Def Res 60% 65% 40% 55% 55% 70% 35% 20% Tactician/Grandmaster HP Str Mag Skl Spd Lck Def Res 60% 60% 55% 50% 50% 70% 35% 25% Cavalier HP Str Mag Skl Spd Lck Def Res 65% 65% 40% 55% 55% 70% 35% 20% Paladin HP Str Mag Skl Spd Lck Def Res 65% 65% 40% 55% 55% 70% 35% 25% Great Knight HP Str Mag Skl Spd Lck Def Res 70% 70% 40% 50% 50% 70% 40% 20% Knight HP Str Mag Skl Spd Lck Def Res 70% 70% 40% 50% 45% 70% 40% 20% General HP Str Mag Skl Spd Lck Def Res 70% 70% 40% 50% 45% 70% 40% 25% Myrmidon HP Str Mag Skl Spd Lck Def Res 60% 65% 40% 60% 60% 70% 30% 20% Swordmaster HP Str Mag Skl Spd Lck Def Res 60% 65% 40% 60% 60% 70% 30% 25% Mercenary / Hero HP Str Mag Skl Spd Lck Def Res 65% 65% 40% 60% 55% 70% 35% 20% Fighter / Warrior HP Str Mag Skl Spd Lck Def Res 65% 70% 40% 55% 50% 70% 35% 20% Barbarian / Berserker HP Str Mag Skl Spd Lck Def Res 70% 70% 40% 50% 55% 70% 30% 20% Archer HP Str Mag Skl Spd Lck Def Res 65% 60% 40% 65% 50% 70% 35% 20% Sniper HP Str Mag Skl Spd Lck Def Res 65% 60% 40% 65% 50% 70% 40% 20% Bow Knight HP Str Mag Skl Spd Lck Def Res 70% 65% 40% 60% 55% 70% 30% 20% Thief HP Str Mag Skl Spd Lck Def Res 55% 60% 45% 60% 60% 70% 30% 20% Assassin HP Str Mag Skl Spd Lck Def Res 60% 65% 40% 65% 60% 70% 30% 20% Trickster HP Str Mag Skl Spd Lck Def Res 55% 55% 55% 60% 55% 70% 30% 25% Wyvern Rider / Wyvern Lord HP Str Mag Skl Spd Lck Def Res 65% 75% 40% 50% 50% 70% 35% 20% Griffon Rider HP Str Mag Skl Spd Lck Def Res 65% 70% 40% 55% 55% 70% 30% 20% Mage / Sage HP Str Mag Skl Spd Lck Def Res 55% 45% 60% 55% 55% 70% 30% 25% Dark Mage HP Str Mag Skl Spd Lck Def Res 70% 50% 55% 50% 50% 70% 35% 25% Sorcerer HP Str Mag Skl Spd Lck Def Res 65% 45% 60% 50% 50% 70% 35% 25% Dark Knight HP Str Mag Skl Spd Lck Def Res 70% 60% 55% 50% 50% 70% 35% 20% Priest HP Str Mag Skl Spd Lck Def Res 55% 50% 55% 50% 50% 70% 30% 20% War Monk HP Str Mag Skl Spd Lck Def Res 65% 60% 55% 45% 50% 70% 35% 25% Dread Fighter HP Str Mag Skl Spd Lck Def Res 60% 65% 50% 55% 55% 70% 35% 25%

Max Stat Modifiers Edit

Str Mag Skl Spd Luk Def Res +1 +1 0 0 +3 -1 -1

Base Stats Edit

Growth Rates Edit

Max Stat Modifiers Edit

Str Mag Skl Spd Luk Def Res -1 0 +1 +1 +1 0 -1

As Lodestar

An illusory likeness of Marth can be summoned through the connection of a Marth amiibo with Mila's Turnwheel.

Base Stats Edit

Base Stats Edit

Supports Edit

Non-Canon Appearances Edit

Fire Emblem OVA Edit

Originally, in the English localization of the original video animation (OVA), Marth was referred to as "Mars", but following with the release of Super Smash Bros. Melee, Nintendo of America officially localized his name as "Marth". However, in Melee's debug menu, which was written and programmed by the game's Japanese developer, his name is listed as "Mars". In contrast with the games, he is given the surname 'Lowell' in the anime.

The anime was based on Mystery of the Emblem; production ended after only two episodes were finished. The anime follows the events of the game, recounting Marth's journey to liberate Akanea and kill Medeus.

Super Smash Bros. series Edit

Marth, alongside Roy, were the first Fire Emblem characters to appear to a western audience due their appearance as playable characters in Super Smash Bros. Melee. Alongside the commercial success of Advance Wars, their favorable appearance in Melee contributed to the initial interest in the Fire Emblem franchise, leading to a international release of the seventh game, Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade, simply known as Fire Emblem.

Marth is among a very few selection of characters in Smash that lacks projectiles, focusing on fast swordplay at close range. All incarnations of Marth in Smash has him wielding Falchion as his main weapon. It has a special property where attacking an enemy with the tip of Falchion deals greater damage than any other part of his sword. Throughout the franchise, Marth has been considered a powerful close range fighter who has a high skill cap, but is incredibly potent when mastered. While the validity of tier lists of the power and skill range of smash characters are hotly contested in all Smash games, Marth has consistently been considered one of the strongest characters in all of his appearances and has been competitively viable in most eSports competitions.

Super Smash Bros. Edit

While Marth or any Fire Emblem content didn't make an appearance in the original Super Smash Bros., according to an interview from Making of Fire Emblem: 25 Years In Development, series creator Masahiro Sakurai stated that he wanted Marth to appear as a playable character, but was unable to due to time constraints.[1]

Melee Edit

Marth is unlocked in Melee by clearing or failing Classic mode with the 14 starting characters or participating in 400 Vs. matches, or by using each of the 14 starting characters at least once in Vs. matches (not including CPU players). His appearance is designed after his Mystery of the Emblem artwork. As such, his gloves are different and he wears pants for the first time in a Game.

Brawl Edit

Marth returns in Super Smash Bros. Brawl as an unlockable character. Similar to Melee Marth can be unlocked if the player participates in 10 Vs matches, clears Classic mode once on any difficulty, or by recruiting him in the Subspace Emissary. Marth retains his Melee design but with much more detail and a few tweaks to his moveset (most notably, his Neutral special move, Shield Breaker).

For 3DS and Wii U Edit

“The Hero-King”

—Marth's Aliases on Punch-Out stage.

Marth returns in Super Smash Bros. For 3DS and Wii U. Marth's appearance has been changed to be near identical to his design in Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and Fire Emblem: New Mystery of the Emblem. However, the Falchion retains its original design rather than the DS remake model of the sword. Also, what appears to be the insignia of Naga is embroidered onto his cape. For the first time, Marth is a starter character in both versions.



Ultimate Edit

Marth returns in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Marth retains his Smash 4 design but has been given subtle design changes to make him appear closer to his appearance in recent FE games such as Warriors and Heroes, such as his color scheme, crown, gauntlets, armor, cape, and boots. He is noted to have received several increases in speed to his moveset, most notably his Dancing Blade special, but in exchange has more difficulty landing his powerful tipper sweetspot. For the first time in the Smash franchise, Marth now speaks in English, voiced by Yuri Lowenthal who had voiced him in Fates, Heroes, Warriors, and in Code Name S.T.E.A.M., much like his fellow Archanea Series characters from the Awakening timeline.



Special Moveset Edit

(Note: All custom special move variations are exclusive to Smash 4.)

Neutral Special - Shield Breaker : Marth's standard special move. In Melee , this was performed as an downward-arcing vertical slash. In Brawl , it was changed into Marth's standard thrust move from his battle animations in the Fire Emblem universe. The move can be charged in place and will initiate once the player lets go of the special attack button. The longer the move is charged, it will do more damage and has a higher chance of breaking a shield if the opponent is shielding, leaving them stunned for a short period of time. Unlike most charge moves, Marth's Shield Breaker cannot be stored for later use. Custom Neutral Special 1 - Storm Thrust: Marth's thrusting animation gains a small whirlwind in front of him, giving the attack a strong push effect in exchange for severely reduced damage. Custom Neutral Special 2 - Dashing Assault/Assault Dash: Marth gains a lunging property to his thrust, but the attack has reduced damage including to shields. The attack itself deals slightly more damage if used in the air.

: Marth's standard special move. In , this was performed as an downward-arcing vertical slash. In , it was changed into Marth's standard thrust move from his battle animations in the universe. The move can be charged in place and will initiate once the player lets go of the special attack button. The longer the move is charged, it will do more damage and has a higher chance of breaking a shield if the opponent is shielding, leaving them stunned for a short period of time. Unlike most charge moves, Marth's Shield Breaker cannot be stored for later use. Side Special - Dancing Blade : Marth's side special move. Marth performs a series of different slashes depending on the button input by the player. After performing the standard Side Special input, the player can press the special button while pressing up, down, or forward, up to 4 attacks. With all the different move variations, Marth can perform 18 different versions of the Dancing Blade move. High variations are outlined with blue streaks, middle variations are outlined with red streaks, and low variations are outlined with green streaks. Custom Side Special 1 - Effortless Blade/Easy Combination: Marth's combo is executed much quicker. However, it has low damage output and low knockback, and he cannot execute high or low variations, meaning only the neutral combination strikes are available. Custom Side Special 2 - Heavy Blade/Heavy Combination: Marth's combo is executed much slower but has higher damage and knockback. Due to the higher knockback, all four strikes link together poorly.

: Marth's side special move. Marth performs a series of different slashes depending on the button input by the player. After performing the standard Side Special input, the player can press the special button while pressing up, down, or forward, up to 4 attacks. With all the different move variations, Marth can perform 18 different versions of the Dancing Blade move. High variations are outlined with blue streaks, middle variations are outlined with red streaks, and low variations are outlined with green streaks. Up Special - Dolphin Slash : Marth's stage recovery move. Marth performs an extremely quick, leaping vertical slash that launches him almost straight up. However it has little horizontal movement making it difficult to recover from the sides of the screen. Custom Up Special 1 - Crescent Slash: Marth propels himself with a curving diagonal trajectory, and deals more damage late into the move rather than earlier. In exchange, he has lower vertical distance and more landing lag. Custom Up Special 2 - Dolphin Jump/Dolphin High Jump: Marth propels himself much higher than its base form, however he can only ascend directly upward, and the move does not deal any damage.

: Marth's stage recovery move. Marth performs an extremely quick, leaping vertical slash that launches him almost straight up. However it has little horizontal movement making it difficult to recover from the sides of the screen. Down Special - Counter : Marth's down special move. Marth takes a defensive stance and his body flashes for a few seconds. If any character attacks him with a non-projectile move up close, Marth will reflect the damage. In Melee Marth's counter will deal at least 1% to a maximum of 7% in reflect damage depending on the strength of the move the Marth is countering. In Brawl , Marth's counter will deal x1.1 of the damage he would have received with a minimum 8% should the counter deal less than 8%. In Smash 4 and Ultimate , the counter's damage multiplier is x1.2. Marth can counter/negate items thrown at him using this move, however projectiles with explosive properties cannot be reflected and will detonate on him if he tries to reflect these. Custom Down Special 1 - Easy Counter: Marth's counter lasts significantly longer but has a lowered damage multiplier (x0.7) and low knockback. Custom Down Special 2 - Iai Counter: Marth's counter lasts for a shorter amount of time and has a slightly longer recovery period. However, it starts up almost instantly, has a higher damage multiplier (x1.3), and much higher knockback. Upon a successful counter, Marth will move past his target in a single stroke, sending them in the opposite direction.

: Marth's down special move. Marth takes a defensive stance and his body flashes for a few seconds. If any character attacks him with a non-projectile move up close, Marth will reflect the damage. In Marth's counter will deal at least 1% to a maximum of 7% in reflect damage depending on the strength of the move the Marth is countering. In , Marth's counter will deal x1.1 of the damage he would have received with a minimum 8% should the counter deal less than 8%. In and , the counter's damage multiplier is x1.2. Marth can counter/negate items thrown at him using this move, however projectiles with explosive properties cannot be reflected and will detonate on him if he tries to reflect these. Final Smash - Critical Hit: Critical Hit is an extremely fast and powerful Final Smash. After raising his sword, Marth quickly rushes forward, instantly blowing away all enemies he comes in contact with off screen. A Health Meter appears, which rapidly decreases to zero, though this is purely an aesthetic. Arguably the most powerful Final Smash, not just for the 60% damage if it connects, but for the knockback effect, able to offscreen KO Bowser, the heaviest character in the game, even when he is at 0% from the opposite edge of a medium sized stage. It can also be launched in the air and he will still propel him straight forward. However, Marth risks flying offscreen using this move and self-destructing. The move can be cancelled by pressing the special attack again to interrupt his dash.

Trophy Profile Edit

Melee Info Edit

Type Image Description Classic The betrayed prince of the Kingdom of Altea, the blood of the hero Anri flows in Marth's veins. He was forced into exile when the kingdom of Dolua invaded Altea. Then, wielding his divine sword Falchion, he led a revolt and defeated the dark dragon Medus. Afterwards, Altea was annihilated by King Hardin of Akanea. Adventure Marth is a magnificent swordsman. While his swordplay is faster than that of Link, he lacks power, and his quickness is offset by a marginal endurance. His Shield Breaker gains power the longer it's held. The Dancing Blade combination uses both the Control Stick and the B Button to produce a series of up to four attacks. All-Star The tip of Marth's blade causes the most damage, so you should try to create adequate distance between you and your enemy to graceful strike with that point. Marth's dolphin Slash is fast and powerful, but it leaves him vulnerable upon landing. Marth uses Counter to block a foe's attack and deal a return strike. If you're fighting a Counter-happy Marth, grab him.

Brawl Info Edit

Type Image Description Classic The prince of Altea, in whose veins the blood of heroes runs. He and a small group of stalwarts fought to free Altea after it was invaded by the kingdom of Dolhr and the dark dragon, Medeus. With his divine sword, Falchion, he fought and defeated Medeus. However, Altea was then invaded by King Hardin of Archanea and eventually destroyed. Critical Hit Marth's Final Smash. He thrusts his sword skyward, then rushes to meet his targeted enemy with furious speed. The blow he strikes is so powerful that his foe is instantly launched off the screen. As in Fire Emblem, a window appears that shows the character's hit points dropping rapidly to zero--but this is just for effect. Smash Bros. does not use a hit-point system.

3DS Info Edit

Type Image Description Marth The first hero from the Fire Emblem series, Marth is the prince of Altea and descendant of the hero Anri. In Smash Bros., he's known as an exceptional swordfighter, swinging his blade with grace. Striking with the tip will maximize the damage dealt. Teach aggressive foes a lesson with his strong Counter move. Marth (Alt.) Marth's side special Dancing Blade is a four-stage attack. Aim and time your strikes carefully! The tip of his sword does the most damage. For his up smash, Justice Sword, he thrusts his blade into the air. You can use it to block attacks from above and launch nearby foes.

Wii U Info Edit

Type Image Description Marth The first hero from the Fire Emblem series, Marth is the prince of Altea and descendant of the hero Anri. In Smash Bros., he's known as an exceptional swordfighter, swinging his blade with grace. Striking with the tip will maximize the damage dealt. Teach aggressive foes a lesson with his strong Counter move. Marth (Alt.) Marth's side special Dancing Blade is a four-stage attack. Aim and time your strikes carefully! The tip of his sword does the most damage. For his up smash, Justice Sword, he thrusts his blade into the air. You can use it to block attacks from above and launch nearby foes. Critical Hit Marth raises his Exalted Falchion to the sky and then rushes forward to deal an incredibly powerful blow, almost certainly KO'ing anyone and everyone who gets hit! When it's used in the air, he'll fly forward a certain distance. One the ground, however, he'll only dash to the edge of the platform he's standing on.

Sticker Info Edit

Snake's conversation About Marth Edit

A fellow Super Smash Bros. Brawl character, Snake, can call one of his trusted partners for information on any character he fights. This is what is discussed about Marth:

Mei Ling: Snake, have you heard the saying "Politics makes strange bedfellows"?

Snake: Don't tell me that's a Chinese proverb.

Mei Ling: Err, no... It means that when the going gets tough, you might need unexpected partnerships in order to succeed. Marth was a prince whose kingdom was usurped. He didn't even have an army to fight with him. But as he battled his way forward, he found new allies to fight at his side, and in the end, he was able to reunite the war-torn land of Altea.

Snake: So he built his army from the ranks of his defeated enemies.

Mei Ling: Marth did his share of fighting, too. Even when he had an army, he was always alongside his men in the thick of battle. Then he was betrayed by one of his most trusted friends. I can't imagine how that feels...

Snake: ...I can.

Palutena's Guidance Edit

Palutena's Guidance is featured in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and is similar to Snake's Codec in Brawl. Pit holds a special conversation with Palutena and Viridi to comment on one of Pit's opponents, giving him helpful tips about their strengths and weaknesses. This feature is based on the numerous chapter dialogue in Kid Icarus: Uprising.

Pit: Get a load of Mr. Fancy Pants here.

Viridi: Is that jealousy I detect in your voice, Pit?

Pit: Why would I be jealous of Marth?

Viridi: Well, he's a prince, for starters. A handsome prince. And you're just—

Palutena: Anyway, Prince Marth's most dangerous attack comes from the tip of his sword. Avoid his blade at midrange.

Pit: So I should either attack from a distance or get up close and personal.

Palutena: He's got a counter as well, so be on guard when you go hand to hand. If you're attacking from afar, use items to improve your chances.



Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. Edit

Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. is compatible with the Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U amiibo of Fire Emblem characters. When scanned, a S.T.E.A.M. version of Marth will appear in game. Marth wields the Falchion which deals heavy damage to single targets near him. He also wields a Rapier to strike weak spots much more easily. Marth's special ability in game is Lodestar which heals a substantial amount of health to his nearby allies. He is voiced by Yuri Lowenthal.

Library Marth This extraordinary young man claims to be a king and renowned swordsman from another world. The former claim is impossible to verify-the later I will devoutly attest to. Milton on Marth Marth seems to have stepped directly from the pages of one of the Grimm brothers' household tales. While out of place in our modern world, his regalia is undeniably stylish. If only there were a place where similarly clothed people could convene and play in such costumes...

Super Mario Maker Edit

Marth appears in the Wii U version of Super Mario Maker as a special Mystery Mushroom costume. He is unlocked either by completing a 100-Mario Challenge or scanning a Marth amiibo.

Monster Hunter Generations Edit

A special hunter costume based on Marth has been confirmed for Monster Hunter Generations. Marth's versions of the Falchion and Binding Shield also appear as a Sword & Shield weapon set.

Marth appears late in the game in spirit form. In the game's final battle, Marth lends his strength to Itsuki Aoi and grants him the use of the SP Skill Naga's Blessing, which prevents all damage to the player's party for one turn.

Awakening Edit

Marth appears as an Einherjar, phantom warriors of ancient heroes created by magical cards. Old Hubba summons Prince Marth, alongside Ike and Alm, to help Chrom take care of a group of out of control Einherjar. After Chrom's success, Old Hubba asks for further assistance in the future, since there were still more out of control Einherjar, and, to thank him, sends Prince Marth to join Chrom's party. While talking with Chrom's tactician, Marth mentions one day showing them his homeland, apparently not realizing his true nature. In spite of being referenced as Prince Marth, he shows knowledge of a certain warrior from the War of Heroes and acknowledges his Hero-King title.

Other versions of Marth Edit

An aggressive Prince Marth, who had a different appearance from the first one, as noted by Chrom, is an enemy in later battles in Hubba's Outrealm. Another Prince Marth is a member of the Archanean army fighting in an Outrealm that resembles Grannvale. When he is about to be sealed away, he notices the justice in Chrom's actions. A third Prince Marth appears in an Outrealm that resembles an abandoned fortress in Tellius as a member of the united forces of light under Sigurd.

King Marth, leading the Archanean army, waged an endless war against Seliph, King of Jugdral, in an Outrealm that resembled Grannvale. Convinced that Chrom's party was summoned to help Archanea's troops, King Marth chooses to trust them. With their help, the Archanean army defeats Jugdral's forces. However, Chrom's army soon returns under the guise of summoned troops once again, but this time fighting against the united Archanean and Valentian Army leading to their defeat. However, in the third battle, where Chrom's group finally would be able to seal the Einherjar, King Marth makes an alliance with Jugdral's forces. They considered the troops from outside of that Outrealm a bigger menace to peace. In spite of that, they're all eventually defeated and sealed forever.

Fates Edit

Marth traveled through a world where people fought for the excitation of combat and to better themselves, rather than for conquest. He heard a voice calling for him, suddenly finding himself in a Castle in the Astral Realm. He was helped by the people there and afterwards introduced himself and thanked the lord of the castle before departing curious to see that new world. Later, Marth returns to the castle and shows interest in the lord's abilities, expressing his wish to face and bond with Corrin in combat.

Unit Type Rarity Attack Weapon Max HP 754 Element Max Strength 505

Skills Flickering Flames Deals flame damage to enemies directly ahead, and gradually recovers the user's HP for 15 seconds. Fire Emblem Deals flame damage to enemies in a line, and activates "Skill Shift" if the attack connects. Phase I increases the user's strength by 10% for 10 seconds. Phase II increases the entire team's strength by 10% for 10 seconds. Phase III increases the entire team's strength by 10% and their attack rate by 30% for 10 seconds. Co-abilities Dragon Haste Increases dragon gauge fill rate by 15%. Benefits your whole team. Abilities Last Boost Fills 100% of the entire team's skill gauges when the user's HP drops to 30% (once per quest). This does not fill the skill gauges of dragons. Stun Res Reduces susceptibility to stun by 100%. Flurry Devastation Increases critical rate by 13% when the combo count is 15 or higher.

Marth is illustrated in the trading card game with the following cards:

Uses Edit

Red cards benefit from playing many Low Cost Units, generally 2 or lower, and the Hero King is no exception. His Series 1 SR has a more powerful Rally when compared to other characters' Rally skills, as Marth's continues into the opponent's turn, and as such is a great defensive tool in case your Rallied Units couldn't kill the opposing Main Character. His Series 4 SR, meanwhile, gives the Marth player a choice to add any Cost 2 or lower Unit that successfully Supports him to your hand on your turn, meaning you can potentially gain more Critical Hit/Evade cards that may save you later on. His Starter Deck exclusive allows you to pull enemy Rearguard Units to the Vanguard whenever a Cost 2 or lower Unit is deployed, giving you an easy way to stop your opponent from hiding all their supportive cards - or even their Main Character - behind cannon fodder. While slightly less powerful, his low Cost cards still bring strength to the table as well. His Cost 2 card gains 10 ATK while you have two or more Red Units Deployed, and his sister Elice's card gives him an additional 10 ATK while she's on the Field, meaning it can be very easy to get a low Cost 70 ATK Unit on the Field when playing a Red Deck. His Series 1 HN card is somewhat lackluster in comparison, but has the ability to move one enemy Unit per turn while he is Deployed to the Vanguard in addition to the Double Orb Breaker Hero's Emblem. His Series 4 N card, meanwhile, has the Emblem of Destiny, allowing you to draw a card and then place a card from your hand on top of your deck, meaning you can avoid self-Supports in battle. It also has an ability allowing you to look at one of your Orb cards, letting you know what to take should your Main Character take a hit in battle. As for his Promo cards, both have the Rapier Skill, giving them an extra 10 ATK when attacking an Armored or Mounted Unit. His Cost 2 Promo allows you to move a Cost 2 or lower Enemy Unit when he is Deployed, while his 3/2 Promo allows you to move any Enemy Unit at the cost of 2 Bonds, making him a useful disruption tool. Overall, Marth, like many Red cards, will benefit greatly from a deck using many Low Cost Units, such as Elice or the Cost 1 Maria Card.

Miitomo Edit

Marth appears on a t-shirt called Marth tee as part of the Miitomo x Fire Emblem collaboration event. The artwork featured on the shirt is from Fire Emblem Heroes.

Quotes Edit

Mystery of the Emblem Edit

“General Lang, I will not follow your orders. We’re going back to our own country.”

—Marth standing up to Lang in Chapter 3

Shadow Dragon Edit

“If Elice has news of our father, I pray it's good news...”

—Marth in Prologue I

“Forgive me...my friends...”

—Marth's death/game over quote

Death Quotes Edit

If Caeda is alive (Shadow Dragon and New Mystery of the Emblem only):

Marth : "Forgive me...my friends..."

: Caeda: "Ah! Marth, don't leave me!"

Fates Edit

Heroes Edit

Warriors Edit

Possible Endings Edit

Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light Edit

"He's busy restoring his country."

Mystery of the Emblem Edit

Book 1 Edit

Altea's prince

"He returned to the war-devastated Altea and worked to restore his homeland. Recently he has been making preparations to succeed the throne."

Book 2 Edit

Altea’s prince

"He became the 5th King of Altea and, as the leader of the unified Kingdom of Archanea, worked tirelessly to restore the devastated nations."

Shadow Dragon Edit

Altean Prince "Marth returned to war-torn Altea and devoted all his energy to restoring the kingdom to its former glory. He was later crowned king."

New Mystery of the Emblem Edit

Altean Prince (True Ending) "Marth was crowned the fifth king of Altea. As the leader of the United Kingdom of Archanea, He worked tirelessly to help rebuild the ruined kingdom."

Altean Prince (Bad Ending)

"Marth ascended as the fifth king of Altea. He worked tirelessly to reconstruct the ruined land, but soon had to fight another war against the revived shadow dragon..."

Etymology Edit

'Marth' is a corruption of 'Mars,' the Roman god of war, by which name he is called in the anime. However, this choice of name is ironic, as their personalities are not similar. The god Mars was described as uncontrollable and violent, whereas Marth's character is more suited to to romanticized perceptions of medieval nobility. The official romanization of 'Marth' comes from the fact that the Japanese language uses the same phonetic to represent "th" and "s" sounds. Marth is also a surname of French/German origin, derived from St. Martinus.

His anime-exclusive last name, "Lowell," means "Little Wolf."

Trivia Edit

Gallery Edit

See main article: Marth/Gallery.