Ike


 * For fighter info, see Ike (SSBB) and Ike (SSBWU/3DS).

Ike (アイク) is the main playable hero in the ninth installment of the Fire Emblem series of tactical role-playing games, Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, and also appears in a main role in its sequel, Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn. Ike is one of the more "recent" Fire Emblem protagonists, and was the first one to appear in multiple Fire Emblem console games that were released outside of Japan, so he has attained more familiarity with players than most other characters in the series have. He appears in Super Smash Bros. Brawl as a playable character.

Character description
By 2005, the Fire Emblem series of tactical role-playing fantasy video games had fully been established as an internationally famous and successful franchise, thanks in no small part to the inclusion of previous Fire Emblem protagonists Marth and Roy in 2001's immensely successful Super Smash Bros. Melee as playable characters. Following Melee's release, subsequent Fire Emblem titles were released internationally, including the seventh installment for Game Boy Advance set on the same continent of Elibe as the sixth (the one starring Roy), the eighth installment on GBA (The Sacred Stones) set on a stand-alone universe/continent named Magvel, and the ninth game for GameCube (Path of Radiance) set on another new continent/universe named Tellius. PoR is the first console Fire Emblem to be released internationally, and it stars Ike as the protagonist, and the tenth installment for Wii (Radiant Dawn) is a storyline sequel set in Tellius, where a slightly older Ike plays as one of the main characters

In the story of Path of Radiance, Ike is the first, and so far only main character, to break the tradition of a Fire Emblem protagonist being a noble or prince. He is a mercenary along with several others in a group under the command of his father, Greil. Ike and the Greil Mercenaries must protect and escort the princess of the soon-to-be-besieged country of Crimea, Elincia, as the continent of Tellius, previously wrecked by conflict and animosity between humans ("Beorc") and transformable demi-humans ("Laguz"), bares witness to the uprising of another war incited by the country of Daein. During the quest, Ike becomes arch-enemies with an enigmatic Daein general known as the Black Knight for murdering Greil, and Ike and his younger sister Mist learn terrible truths about their pasts later on, even as their expanding group must attempt to heal scars and gain the trust of the various Laguz kingdoms. Eventually, Elincia formally bestows the Lord rank to Ike so that he can lead the armies of Crimea and the theocracy of Begnion into battle against Daein, and after finding the willpower to wield the sacred blade Ragnell, he takes the fight to Daein's officers in their homeland, and clashes against the Black Knight wielding the dark sword Alondite. The finale sees Ike finally battling and defeating Daein's megalomaniac wyvern-riding king, Ashnard; with this accomplished, the continent is saved from utter destruction and Beorc-Laguz relations become more positive, and Ike is content with reverting to the life of a mercenary.

Ike, for being the second Fire Emblem protagonist to star in more than one game in the series after Marth and the first to appear on two subsequent games released internationally on consoles, is one of the better-known Fire Emblem heroes.

Ragnell
Ragnell is Ike's sword. Although it is a two-handed sword, he can wield it with only one as a testament to his strength. In the Fire Emblem series, this sword was blessed by the goddess Ashera to slay the dark goddess Yune. Originally wielded by the first Apostle of Begnion, Altina, the golden sword was a treasure to the kingdom. During Path of Radiance, Empress Sanaki loaned the blade to Ike to defeat the Mad King Ashnard and liberate Crimea from him. Ike returned it after the Mad King's defeat. In Radiant Dawn, Sanaki smuggled the blade out of Begnion to give to Ike once more to liberate Begnion from the corrupt senators and stop Ashera's petrification of the world.

The sword is used in all four of Ike's Special Moves as well as most of his standard attacks.

It has the ability to release a shockwave for long range combat, but this ability does not appear to be usable in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. However, it appears to have replaced this ability with a fire element, which may be a representation of his title "The Hero of Blue Flames" which was demonstrated after receiving Yune's blessing in the final battle of Radiant Dawn. Strangely, Ike wields Ragnell despite that he is wearing in his Ranger outfit. Ike first receives the blade after promoting into a Lord.

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Ike is the first Fire Emblem character to be revealed as a playable character in the Wii edition of the Super Smash Bros. series, wearing his battle-worn Ranger-class outfit. He clearly adheres to the human-swordsman aesthetic upheld by Marth and Roy in Melee, and his sword, Ragnell, appears especially hefty and long-ranged, but Ike is strong enough to hold it with only one hand. Ike's attacks are among the longest reaching and most powerful attacks, surpassing even Bowser in terms of raw power. To counterbalance this, Ike's attacks are notorious for being among the slowest attacks in the game, both start-up and ending lag wise. Ike also comes with his trademark skill Aether as a technique, which gives him super armor at the beginning of the attack when he and his blade are separated and he is hunched down to jump. This allows him to resist the knockback, but take the damage of an attack. His appearance is based off his appearance in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U

In Super Smash Bros for Wii U/3DS
Ike has been confirmed to return in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U. He has been redesigned, in which his design is closer to Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn.

Trivia

 * In Super Smash Bros. Melee, when a name is being typed, and the "Random Name" option is selected, one of the names will be Ike. Melee was released four years before Ike's first appearance in a game, indicating that this is merely a coincidence.
 * Ragnell is very similar to a Zweihänder.
 * Ragnell's weight is not very exaggerated, as the more basic or common swords in Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn have a weight rating of somewhere around 10, while Ragnell is at a hefty 20.
 * Ragnell is usable by Ike only in his Lord Class, yet in "Super Smash Bros. Brawl", he has the appearance of the Ranger Class.
 * Of all the Fire Emblem characters that appear in the Super Smash Bros. series (besides Lyn), Ike is the only character who speaks English.