Zihark

Zihark is a playable character who appears in the games Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance and Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn. He is a mercenary swordsman who joins Ike and the Greil Mercenaries to fight in the Mad King's War, and later fights with his home country of Daein to free it from its oppressors.
He is voiced by Jun Ōsuka in the Japanese version, and by Zeno Robinson in the English version.
==Personality==
Zihark, in contrast to other Fire Emblem characters in his archetype (the Navarre), is sociable, friendly, and kind. His interactions with others shows that deeply values friendship, as seen by his knack for remembering names and faces, as well as his frequent invitations of his friends to meals. He is highly honorable in combat, asking for a 
peaceful solution prior to fighting as well as flat out refusing to ever fight his close friends. In his freetime, Zihark has a hobby of sword and equipment maintenance, a skill he picked up due to the frugal lifestyle of a mercenary.
When it comes to his ideal of harmony between laguz and beorc, Zihark has strong convictions toward it, and is willing to sacrifice nearly anything to fight for it. Despite being one to avoid conflict when possible, he was willing to cut down every vigilante in the anti-laguz group he infiltrated in order to convince the laguz Lethe that he wished to help her. After joining the Greil Mercenaries, Zihark found a likeminded individual in Ike, and expressed how he felt he was finally able to do the good he longed to do. His ideal is entirely driven by his past relationship with his ex-girlfriend, as he wished for nobody else to experience the prejudice and hate that he and his girlfriend experienced.
In spite of Zihark's disapproval of his country's attitude towards the laguz, Zihark still feels attachment towards his country of birth. He returned to Daein after the Mad King's War because he hoped that he could change the country to become less prejudiced towards laguz. His plans were put on hold when Begnion tightened its grip over the defeated Daein, but his efforts to free his country strengthened his attachment with his country and with the people he fought together with. After its freedom, Daein became a pawn to Begnion and began its attack on the Laguz Alliance, forcing Zihark into a dilemma. Zihark knew in his heart that Micaiah and King Pelleas were good people, but continuing to fight with Daein would go against everything he stood for. Ultimately, what would allow Zihark to betray his country would be the words of his friends, reminding him of what he fought for back when he joined the Greil Mercenaries three years ago.
==Biography==
===Past===
Zihark was born in the country of Daein, and was formerly in a relationship with a laguz (animal-person race) of the beast tribe, despite Daein's prejudice towards the laguz. Their relationship ended due to the stress of being in a forbidden relationship being too much for his girlfriend. Zihark then became a travelling mercenary aiding other laguz in order to honor her memory. He eventually travelled to the country of Crimea upon hearing about its efforts to establish ties with the laguz nation of Gallia.
===Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance===
Before he met Ike, Zihark infiltrated a group of anti-laguz vigilantes in Crimea so that he could help any laguz escape before the vigilantes could get to them. Zihark then met the laguz Lethe and Mordecai, who were travelling with Ike and the Greil Mercenaries, and pledged to join them and aid their cause. Afterwards, Zihark would travel with the Greil Mercenaries and fight in the Mad King's War.
===Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn===
Three years after the Mad King's War, Zihark returned to his home country Daein. The country was being subjugated by the Begnion Empire, so Zihark joined with his former comrades Jill and Tauroneo in leading a liberation army to free Daein. They would then meet Micaiah and the Dawn Brigade, and all worked together to free Daein from the grasps of Begnion.
After freeing Daein, the country's young king, Pelleas, would become a pawn to the Begnion senate, and was forced to fight against the Laguz Alliance led by Zihark's former comrade Ike. Zihark would be forced to make a choice between staying loyal to Micaiah and his country in Daein, or betraying it to return to his former comrades and fight for his ideals. Depending on the player's choice, Zihark will either be in denial and stay loyal to his country, or realize his error and return to his friends in the Laguz Alliance.
After the events of Radiant Dawn, Zihark would travel the continent and solve disputes between beorc (humans) and laguz, eventually settling in the country of the beast laguz, Gallia.
==Other Media==
===Fire Emblem Awakening===
Zihark is available as a downloadable bonus unit through SpotPass in Fire Emblem Awakening. He is also an enemy unit in the first and third Smash Brethren DLC xenologues and a ally in the second one.
===Fire Emblem Heroes===
Zihark is an playable character in the gacha mobile game, Fire Emblem Heroes. He first appeared in his ninja variation who was added on November 6, 2020, under the "In the Moment" banner.
==Gallery==
===Images===
Zihark portrait PoR.png|Zihark's portrait in Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance.
Zihark portrait RD.png|Zihark's portrait in Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn.
ZiharkPortrait FE13.png|Zihark's portrait in Fire Emblem Awakening.
Zihark PoR.png|Zihark's artwork from Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance.
NinjaZiharkNeutral FEH.png|Zihark's Ninja Blademaster design.
NinjaZiharkAttack FEH.png
NinjaZiharkSpecial FEH.png
NinjaZiharkInjured FEH.png
NinjaZiharkSprite FEH.png|Ninja Zihark's sprite from Fire Emblem Heroes.
==Trivia==
*Zihark is one of three characters in the Fire Emblem series who can leave the player's team under the right conditions, the others being Jill Fizzart and Kaze.
*Zihark refuses to fight a total of twelve characters, the most of any character in the Fire Emblem series.
==External links==
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==Navigation==
Category:Male
Category:Fire Emblem Heroes
Category:Video Game Heroes
Category:Fantasy Heroes
Category:Warriors
Category:Mercenaries
Category:Defectors
Category:Egalitarian
Category:Freedom Fighters
Category:Harmonizers
Category:Traitor
Category:Honorable
Category:Neutral Good
Category:Lethal
Category:Patriots
Category:Bond Creators