Fire Emblem: Monsho no Nazo (ファイアーエムブレム 紋章の謎, Faiā Emuburemu: Monshō no Nazo, Lit. "Mystery of the Emblem"/"Secret of the Crest") is the third installment of the Fire Emblem game series developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo.
It takes place on the fictional continent of Akaneia. It stars Marth, a character who previously appeared in the original title Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragons and the Blade of Light of which this game is a remake/sequel, and again later in another sequel/remake Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon. The Falchion weapon from this game acts as the Fire Emblem franchise's symbol in the Super Smash Bros. series.
Plot
Monsho no Nazo's story is comprised of the two "books" (parts). The first is a retelling of the plot from Shadow Dragons and the Blade of Light. The second is a new continuation.
Book One
The story surrounds Marth, the upstanding and noble prince of the kingdom of Altea on the continent of Archanea, and direct descendant of the legendary warrior Anri who slew the dark dragon Medeus in the past. However, the neighboring kingdom of Dolhr invades Altea under the direction of the evil priest Gharnef, and Marth's father the king is killed in battle while Marth's sister is taken hostage. Marth is forced to become an exile in another neighboring nation named Talis. From there, he sets out on a quest to revolt against Gharnef by finding the sacred sword Falchion and the "Fire Emblem" shield that will allow him to wield the blade. With the help of the Altean knight Jeigan, the Talisian princess Shiida, among others, Marth must complete his quest by finding the divine equipment, and use it in a final battle against Gharnef and his resurrection of Medeus.
Book Two
Five years have passes since Marth returned the Falchion and Fire Emblem from whence they came. Marth is now engaged to Shiida and the two are in the process of reconstructing the kingdoms. But then Marth's former ally Hardin begins to conquer the various countries in Archanea with the help of the Manaketes. Marth must leave his rule to regain his equipment and confront Hardin, reuniting with his allies from before in the process. Hardin's forces conquer Altea during his absence, but Marth returns to drive them back. He takes the fight to Hardin's forces in the latter's fortress in the kingdom of Gra, and discovers that Hardin was in fact possessed by Gharnef, who has now finished Hardin off. Marth returns to Dolhr where Gharnef lurks and slays the latter for good using Starlight dust, but Medeus has been resurrected again, so Marth defeats Medeus once and for all with his Falchion. Order restored, Marth then marries Shiida and returns to Altea with the intention of rebuilding all of Archanea, and that is likely where he lives peacefully for the rest of his life.
In Super Smash Bros. Melee
Playable Fighter
Marth was included as an unlockable playable character. His inclusion, along with Roy's, gave the series the worldwide exposure that led to the decision to release future Fire Emblem installments globally.
In Super Smash Bros. Brawl
As a Masterpiece 
In the Japanese release, a playable demo of the Virtual Console release of Fire Emblem: Monsho no Nazo is included. It is absent from North American and PAL releases of Brawl.
Playable Fighter
Marth, returns as an unlockable character. In this game he now has a Final Smash called Critical Hit, based on a move from the game that defeated enemies with one hit.
Stickers
Appearing stickers from Fire Emblem: Monsho no Nazo consist of:
- Marth
- Shiida
- Nabaaru
Trivia
- Monsho no Nazo is the only Japan-exclusive Fire Emblem title listed in the North American release of Brawl not to receive an English translation. Nintendo's policy of preserving as many original Japanese aspects as possible for their "Import" Virtual Console releases has led some to speculate the title's lack of translation may be signs of intent for an upcoming release abroad.
See Also
- Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragons and the Blade of Light
- Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade
- Fire Emblem (game)
- Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance
- Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn
External Links
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