Xander (Fire Emblem)

Xander (マークス Mākusu, Marks in the Japanese version) is a major playable character from Fire Emblem Fates on the Conquest and Revelation routes. The eldest of the Nohrian royal siblings, Xander is the crown prince of the country, commanding the loyalty of Laslow and Peri as his personal retainers. If Xander achieves an S support, he will bear a son named Siegbert with his spouse. Xander is voiced by Katsuyuki Konishi in the Japanese version and David Stanbra (credited as George Spelvin) in the English version.

==Profile==

Xander is the eldest child of five in the Nohrian royal family and the child of king Garon and the first queen, Katerina. When the Avatar was adopted into the family during his childhood, he acknowledged them as one of his younger siblings, personally supervising their combat training. Xander is known to have been born with no exceptional talents.

Before meeting Laslow and Peri, Xander had two different retainers prior to them; during a battle with Hoshido, Xander's forces were overwhelmed and the two sent Xander away, fending off the enemy so he could retreat; as a result, both were killed in battle. While retainer-less for some time, he eventually found two new ones. The first was Peri, whom Xander had discovered at a noble's combat tournament. Despite placing third, her character and potential had impressed Xander enough to name her as his retainer. Later, Garon assigned a mysterious mercenary to him. Initially suspicious, Xander dueled his second retainer, barely winning and was greatly impressed with his skill. Prior to the events of Fates, Xander arrested Hans for unknown charges. Even though Garon eventually released Hans for supposedly good behavior, Xander continued to remain suspicious of Hans.

==Personality==

Physically weak and adopting an introverted personality in his youth, Xander had to meticulously apply himself to his training in order to earn the right to wield the legendary Siegfried. He also reveals in his supports that he has stage fright and because of being overly pressured in making a public speech, he would pretend that he was speaking in front of a group of rabbits (carrots in the Japanese version) in order to calm himself. Xander was also known to be a shy child, a fact that he divulges to Sakura through their supports. He eventually overcame his shyness by forcing himself to talk to his father, whom he considered to be the most frightening person he had ever known. According to the supports shared between Elise and her retainer Arthur, Xander used to be a much more doting brother and happier person during her adolescence, and was even known to have enjoyed joking and playing with her. This same support also reveals that due to Garon being cold and ruthless even in his treatment of her, Xander used to act as a surrogate father figure towards her, providing her with the care and support that she needed. However, his change in personality and demeanor due to the stress of warfare have since caused her to step away from him, as she feels that it is more important for her brother to devote his fullest attention to his duties instead of indulging her.

==Prologue==

Xander makes his first formal appearance in [ (Chapter)|Chapter 1 ], where he, under the orders of King Garon, tests the Avatar's strength through a mock duel in the [ Fortress|Northern Fortress ]. During the duel, Xander urges the Avatar to attack at him with no hesitation, informing them that their reward for landing at least one blow on him is the opportunity to leave the Northern Fortress. After inflicting a substantial amount of damage on the Avatar, he unveils a [ Vein|Dragon Vein ] spot on the rooftop, ordering them to use it and recover before coming at him again. With determination, the Avatar bests Xander in battle. Happy that he has completed Garon's orders, Xander, alongside the rest of his siblings, takes the Avatar to [ Krakenburg|Castle Krakenburg ] in order to seek an audience with him. Upon reaching the throne room of Castle Krakenburg in [ of Ganglari|Chapter 2 ], Xander and his siblings look on as Garon presents the cursed blade of [ ] to the Avatar. They are then compelled to watch from the sidelines as the Avatar is pitted against a number of [ ] prisoners, comprising of [ ], [ ] and a number of other generic soldiers. After the battle, when the Avatar refuses to kill the defeated Kaze and Rinkah, Garon orders Xander to kill them instead. Although reluctant, Xander prepares to comply with his orders but is stopped by the Avatar's adamant struggle to spare the prisoners from coming under further harm. To diffuse the situation, [ ] swiftly steps in and appears to kill Kaze and Rinkah with [  ]. After Garon departs from the throne room, Leo indirectly reveals the truth of what he has done, and Xander thereafter issues orders to the nearby guards to bring the prisoners' "corpses" to his private quarters. Kaze and Rinkah are later brought outside the castle, where Xander curtly informs them that they have been spared because of the Avatar's kindness. He then orders them to make their escape before Garon is alerted to their status. When Garon later orders the Avatar to check a supposedly abandoned Hoshidan fort near the [ Canyon|Bottomless Canyon] in [Begins|Chapter 3 ], Garon offers the assistance of Hans for their mission. Xander, suspicious of Hans, warns the Avatar not to let their guard down near him. Feeling uneasy about the situation, Xander leads the rest of his siblings to follow the Avatar to the Bottomless Canyon, arriving in the nick of time to save them from being slain by [ ], a [ ] hailing from Hoshido. Ordering the Avatar to depart with [ ] first, Xander does not see them again until the onset of [ Path is Yours|Chapter 6 ], when the forces of Hoshido and Nohr clash at the [ of Hoshido|Plains of Hoshido ].

==Conquest==

If the Avatar chooses to side with Nohr, Ryoma, horrified at their decision, demands to know the rationale behind their decision. After a brief exchange of words where Xander is alerted to the explosion of Ganglari in Hoshido, Ryoma attempts to attack the Avatar, only to have his blows deflected by Xander. The Hoshidan army is eventually defeated by the Avatar and their siblings, and they are thereafter forced to make their retreat. After the battle, Xander and his siblings head to the throne room of Castle Krakenburg in Chapter 7, where Garon praises Xander for his battle exploits. A brief discourse between Garon and the Nohrian siblings sees him ordering Xander to kill the Avatar after they question him on the explosion of Ganglari. Garon only reconsiders when the Avatar offers to kill themselves by their own hand before conducting a seance with an effigy of Anankos on the ceiling. He then makes the decision to allow the Avatar to return to Nohr, but only on the condition that they suppress a rebellion in the Ice Tribe. Xander, relieved at these new tidings, immediately offer to aid the Avatar with his best troops, only for Garon to order the Avatar to complete the task alone. After the rest of the Nohrian siblings vacate the throne room, Xander remains in front of the closed doors, where he overhears Garon monologuing his malicious intent to subject the Avatar to true despair. This prompts Xander to send[Elis], her retainers and the Avatar's childhood friend, Silas, to reinforce the Avatar. Shortly after the Avatar's return to Castle Krakenburg in Chapter 12, Iago sends them to Palace Macarath under the guise of allowing them to relax, when he, in actuality, intends for them to be ambushed by Ryoma's forces. Xander's retainers, Laslow and Peri, appear before the ensuing battle, revealing that they had refused orders from their liege to bolster the Avatar's forces. Xander does not appear again until Chapter 16, where he attacks the Avatar to test their reflexes just before they board a ship that is en route to Hoshido. Reunited with his siblings and the rest of the Avatar's army, Xander proceeds to board the ship with them. Shortly after the Nohrian army boards the ship, a Nohrian soldier informs them that hostiles have boarded the ship, and Xander deduces them to be Hoshidan ninja due to the complexity of their heist. Upon discovering the leader of the supposed ninjas, Xander is surprised and slightly shocked that a Nohrian was using Hoshidan tactics. After the battle, the leader introduces himself as Shura and states that he was the one who kidnapped Azura from the castle when she was young, having been hired by Yukimura. Camilla and Leo try to convince the Avatar to execute him, but Xander silences them, stating that it is their decision to decide Shura's fate. If spared, Xander is slightly surprised with their decision but promises to keep this incident a secret from Garon. If killed, Xander is pleased with their decision and sends a messenger to inform Garon of it. When Xander and his siblings enter Izumo in Chapter 18 with the intention of relaxing from the chaos of warfare, they stumble upon the Hoshidan siblings. Xander immediately launches into a heated exchange of hostilities with Ryoma, and both crown princes then attempt to engage in a duel, only to be stopped by Izana, the duke of Izumo. Izana then proceeds to confiscate the weapons of both parties, and Ryoma later seeks an audience with the Avatar while they are in the midst of speaking with Xander. Before Ryoma is able to properly start a conversation, Izana emerges with two soldiers and proceeds to apprehend him. Izana then unveils himself to be but a guise used by the deceptive Zola to kidnap the Hoshidan royals. Xander, not wanting to fight a dishonest war, decides to free the Hoshidan royals with the Avatar and their army assisting him. Following the end of the ensuing battle, Xander and his siblings join the Hoshidans in a feast. Despite the fact that they are still at war, they uphold Izumo's pact of neutrality. Later in Chapter 22, after the Nohrian army succeeds in breaking through the defence of Fort Jinya staged by Sakura , they take the surviving Hoshidans prisoner, with Xander personally promising to keep them safe. However, Hans and Iago enter the scene at this point, whereupon Hans embarks on a killing spree. Xander, enraged by their insolence, orders for them to desist, only for Garon to enter the scene and overwrite his order, curtly stating that he will kill him if he dares disobey. With much reluctance, Xander is forced to comply with Garon's order. Following the capture of Castle Shirasagi in Chapter 25, Xander and his siblings are left waiting outside the throne room with Hans and Iago after Garon marches inside in a wave of triumph in Chapter 26. While Xander is in the midst of conversing with his siblings, Iago makes a failed attempt to assassinate the Avatar. Much to Iago's horror, Xander steps before the Avatar and chooses to take their side before challenging him to a duel, asserting his displeasure with his cruel ways. He is quickly joined by the rest of his siblings, and together, they manage to defeat both Hans and Iago, with Leo personally executing the treacherous sorcerer. Following the conclusion of the battle, the Avatar, much to Xander's incredulity and disbelief, reveals that the war is not yet over, as Garon still has yet to be slain. Later in Chapter 27, the Avatar leads Xander and the rest of their siblings into the throne room, where they manage to prove the truth of their words when Garon, seated upon the throne of truth, is revealed to be a slimy monstrosity in actuality. Initially stunned into inaction, Xander and his siblings are prompted to aid the Avatar in slaying Garon when he attempts to behead them. During the course of the ensuing battle, Xander's Siegfried reacts with the Avatar's Grim Yato, causing it to transform into the Shadow Yato , granting them additional leverage against the fight against Garon. Shortly after Garon is killed, the Nohrian siblings have barely any time to process their grief and shock before they are caught off guard by a sudden attack launched by Takumi. As the Avatar walks towards Takumi with the intent of letting him kill them, they are struck when their Grim Yato fails to deflect an attack launched by a single arrow shot with Skadi, causing them to slip into a state of unconsciousness. As Xander and the rest of his siblings struggle to fight against Takumi in the Endgame, the Avatar regains consciousness and aids them in ending Takumi's rampage once and for all. With the defeat of both Hoshido and Garon, Xander is, shortly after the final battle, coronated as the new king of Nohr.

==Birthright==

If the Avatar chooses to side with Hoshido, Xander desperately attempts to change their mind to no avail. When the Avatar accuses Garon of being evil, Xander changes his stance and turns hostile, striking them mercilessly with his blade. As he is about to perform the finishing blow, Ryoma intervenes by deflecting his blow, threatening to cut him down if he continues attempting to attack the Avatar. The Nohrian army is defeated shortly after this, and they are thereafter forced to make their retreat. Xander makes his next appearance again in Chapter 12, where he appears at the Opera House in Cyrkensia. Seeing the Avatar daring to point their blade at Garon, he coldly brands them a traitor and, alongside Laslow and Peri, closes in on them with the intention of slaying them. Xander fails to succeed in this attempt as the Avatar, with Azura 's timely assistance, manages to flee the Opera House through a secret passageway. Xander next appears in front of the doors leading into the throne room of Castle Krakenburg in Chapter 21, where he spots Elise eavesdropping on Garon's monologue. Initially warning her that she could be executed for treason if she is caught, Xander softens his stance when she begins to cry, lamenting over the fact that the war is ruining her beloved family. He then promises to end the war and bring them back together. Xander appears in the training grounds of Castle Krakenburg in Chapter 26, where he, prior to the entry of the Avatar's army, urges Laslow and Peri to flee, as he bears no wish for them to be killed in battle. He then departs and enters the main combat hall, where he meets up with the Avatar and challenges them to a one-on-one duel. Despite Elise's objections, Xander proceeds with the attack. As he prepares to deliver the finishing blow to slay the Avatar, Elise runs in and intercepts it, taking the full brunt of the blow. Seized with shock and grief, Xander rushes to cradle his sister in his arms, whereupon she, in her death throes, pleads with him to end the war not just through his strength, but also his own kindness and love. Elise perishes shortly after. In spite of her death, Xander demands the Avatar to continue their duel, much to their incredulous outrage. At this point, Laslow and Peri enter the training grounds, and upon seeing Elise's corpse, they immediately attribute her death to the Avatar and promptly summon Nohrian troops to attack the Hoshidan army. Although Xander objects to their interference, the two choose to defy him, asserting that they would rather fight instead of watching him die without doing taking any action. Xander's duel with the Avatar eventually concludes with the Avatar emerging victorious. As he lays dying, he reveals that he had not fought at his full strength and that he had done what he did simply because of his position as the crown prince of Nohr. After lamenting over the possibility of fighting alongside the Avatar in an alternate world, Xander succumbs to his wounds. Xander appears one final time in the Endgame, where he, alongside Elise, Lilith and Flora , manifests in the Avatar's dream and provides them with warm encouragement and support to aid them in their struggle against the draconic Garon.

==Revelation==

Due to having formed a deep emotional attachment with both families, the Avatar refuses to pick a side to align themselves with. Despite the Avatar's desperate protests, Xander and Ryoma cross blades with each other in an attempt to sway them into choosing a side. In a bid to prevent both armies from battling each other and retreat from the Plains of Hoshido, the Avatar takes down their frontline commanders, resulting in both sides labeling the Avatar as a traitor. Xander returns later in Chapter 13, where he and the Nohrian army arrive in the ruined streets of Cyrkensia , accusing the Hoshidans of invading and destroying the neutral nation. Like Ryoma and the Hoshidan army, he is unaware that invisible soldiers from Valla are responsible for destroying the town. After the battle, Xander and Ryoma continue to maintain their exchange of hostile blows. Azura intervenes by singing a melody to calm their enraged minds. As Xander prepares to leave the scene thereafter, he is stopped by the Avatar, who urges him to go to the suspension bridge above the Bottomless Canyon on the day that the skies above Nohr and Hoshido change, promising to reveal the truth of their cause to him. He responds by brushing their words off as nothing more than those of a traitor before leaving. Xander later appears in Chapter 14, where he is greeted by Iago at the grand staircase of Castle Krakenburg. Commenting that Iago's greeting is uncommon, he then heads to the throne room, where he is joined by Leo. Here, Leo attempts to inform him that Garon's crazed condition has gotten worse, only for him to attempt to attribute this to the stress of warfare. When Leo directs his attention to the throne and he witnesses Garon gleefully contemplating the destruction of both Hoshido and Nohr, Xander is forced to admit that something is wrong with his father. As Leo presses on to divulge his suspicion that their father is being controlled by the "true enemy" that the Avatar has talked about, Xander cuts him off before indicating his intention to ready his best troops to meet the Avatar at the Bottomless Canyon. Xander next appears in Chapter 17, where he and Leo enter the vicinity of the Bottomless Canyon to reinforce the Avatar's army with their retainers just as they are preparing to fend against a battalion of Nohrian forces led by Iago after they had just defeated Hans and his forces. He apologizes to the Avatar for having taken so long to realize the truth, and battles the immediately enemy in front of them. After Anankos is killed, Xander and Ryoma create a new bond between their countries and forge new ties with the newly-reinstated kingdom of Valla led by the Avatar. Xander also becomes the new king of Nohr.

===Paralogue===

In Paralogue 15, Xander, accompanied by Leo, heads to a swamp in the Deeprealms to reunite with his son Siegbert. Upon meeting with Siegbert, Xander immediately engages him in conversation, during which his son excitedly updates him on the diligence he has practiced in applying himself to various fields of study. Midway through their conversation, they are interrupted when a pair of invisible enemies manifest in the vicinity, signalling the arrival of an enemy invasion. This prompts Siegbert to get up and engage the enemy in a hurry. Xander then leads the Avatar's army in a battle to purge the surrounding forests of Siegbert's Deeprealm of the invading invisible troops. Following the conclusion of the battle, Xander, out of concern for Siegbert, demands to know why his son had chosen not to inform him of the frequent invasions of the invisible soldiers. Upon learning that this is entirely due to Siegbert desiring to live up to his father's title by shouldering some of his burdens, Xander commends him for his courage. He then apologizes to Siegbert for not having executed his duties of a father well, prompting his son to request to join him on his travels. Although he initially tries to dissuade Siegbert, Xander eventually agrees to allow him to join the Avatar's army and fight alongside him.