Why Ike is my favorite character in Fire Emblem

                   Where do I begin when it comes to Ike? Ike is the first character inside of a Fire Emblem game that I actually got to see / know. (Notice how I said "inside of a Fire Emblem game"? Obviously I knew about Marth and Roy from Super Smash Bros. Melee before I knew about Ike which is why I included the phrase "inside of a Fire Emblem game")

                   Path of Radiance was the first Fire Emblem game I ever played so naturally I get a lot of nostalgia from this game and it holds a special place in my heart (besides the fact that it is an incredibly awesome game in and of itself). I was a year younger than Ike when I first started playing Path of Radiance. I remember feeling a connection to the character because I felt like I was learning and growing alongside Ike. As Ike learned the ropes of how to be a mercenary I was learning the ropes of this cool, yet awesome game that I had played nothing like before. When Greil died I wanted to get revenge on the Black Knight alongside Ike.

               (See this link for an awesome Ike photo. For some weird reason my blog won't let me upload it)

          Out of all the main characters in the series Ike in my opinion has the best character development. Correction: His Path of Radiance counterpart has the best development. Ike in Radiant Dawn didn't get a whole lot of development, but then again most of the cast didn't get a whole lot of development either so it's a moot point. In Path of Radiance we see Ike start out as a humble mercenary, but throughout the course of the game he grows and develops into a strong leader, a powerful warrior and an overall crazy-awesome hero. I loved this development because it felt gradual and you can see how Ike grew into the powerhouse that he is and I felt like I was growing with him (in a really weird way). Every time I play Path of Radiance I feel like I went on an adventure with Ike and that I accomplished something big and grand alongside him.

           
                     I like how blunt and straightforward Ike is. He yells at Sanaki in PoR, he yanks Sothe by the ear and nearly breaks Sothe's face (according to Nasir anyway) and his interactions with Aimee are pretty funny. Ike is also portrayed as pretty humble, which is a big deal considering that this guy has an impressive resume. In fact, I actually think that Ike has the most impressive resume of all the main characters in the Fire Emblem series. Ike has:

• Slain a goddess (Alm is the only other lord that I can think of who can be credited with defeating a straight up god. Medeus isn't a god so Marth doesn't get credit. If Grima's considered a god then I guess Chrom and Robin can make that claim)

• Defeated the Black Knight, one of the greatest villains in the entire series, in one-on-one combat TWICE!  

• Was also one of the few warriors in Tellius who could go toe - to - toe with Ashnard. (Ike doesn't get credit for killing Ashnard, since in PoR he's not the only one who can kill him. That being said, being able to take on Ashnard is an impressive feat all on it's own)

•   Liberated Crimea, defeating Daein in the process.

•  Helped bridge the gap between beorc and laguz

• Thwarted Oliver and helped Sanaki expose the underground laguz slave trade.  

                    Impressive right?  Also, Ike is a beast on the battlefield. Ike's Radiant Dawn version is one of the Top 5 most powerful lords in the series. In fact, Radiant Dawn Ike is the only lord in the Top 5 to come from an internationally released Fire Emblem game. That's pretty darn impressive if you ask me. His Path of Radiance version isn't as good as his Radiant Dawn self but Path of Radiance Ike is still an above average lord who's more impressive game-play wise than the majority of other lords in the series.

                 Feel free to read my other blog posts about how good I think Ike is in battle, although I will add that my favorite combat animation in the series is Ike's Aether animation. Gosh dang! It is so freaking awesome that it never gets old. Ever.

So there you have it. That's why Ike is my favorite character in the Fire Emblem series.