Barst

Barst (バーツ Barts) is a minor protagonist in Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light, Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem, and their respective remakes Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and Fire Emblem: New Mystery of the Emblem. Along with his brothers Bord and Cord, Barst was a member of the Talysian Mercenaries. However, his loyalty to his fellow mercenaries was offset by a desire for a more peaceful life. In Japanese, Barst is voiced by Daiki Hamano in games and in the Fire Emblem OVA. In English he is voiced by DC Douglas (who also voices Wrys and Gunter) in games and Charles C. Campbell in the OVA.
==Appearance==
Much like his brothers, Barst is a muscular man with short blue hair. He wears a headband, dark brown pants, a light brown belt with a strap to carry his axe, and matching boots. In Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light, Barst's appearance is nearly identical to that of Bord and Cord, Barst with the exception of his hair color and dark blue sleeveless shirt. For Mystery of the Emblem, the three brothers were redesigned to look more individual, with Barst gaining a narrower jaw.
==Personality==
Like his brothers, Barst is deeply loyal to Ogma due to his strong leadership and compassion for his men. So great is Barst's respect for Ogma that he agrees to any of the latter's requests with no hesitation. Barst also cares deeply for Bord and Cord. However, unlike Ogma Barst grew to dislike the chaos of battle, though after retiring he rapidly switched occupations before finding his true calling. In spite of such indecisiveness, Barst hopes that Bord and Cord would follow his example, if only so his brothers could remember more peaceful ways of living.
==Biography==
===War of Shadows===
For many years Barst served alongside Bord and Cord in the Talysian Mercenaries, led by Ogma and employed by King Mostyn of Talys. When Gra betrayed Altea to the Dolhr Empire during the War of Shadows, Altea's Prince Marth successfully fled to Talys along with his tactician Malledus and a squad of knights. As Mostyn was close friends with Marth's father, the fallen King Cornelius, he granted them refuge in the island's Eastern fortress, where they lived for two years. This exile ended when pirates who previously conquered Galder Harbor besieged Talys. Mostyn's daughter Caeda, a formidable Pegasus Knight and lover of Marth's, alerted him to retinue to the raid, and the Altean retinue in battle against the brigands. After they successfully routed the enemy, Mostyn advised Marth to finally take arms against Dolhr. Caeda promptly joined Marth in his quest; Mostyn granted her his blessing, but sent Ogma, Barst, Bord, and Cord with her as bodyguards.
Upon reaching the mainland, Barst and his fellow mercenaries assisted Marth's army in counterattacking Galder, freeing the once peaceful port town from Gomer's tyranny. As Marth began his mission to free Archanea from the clutches of Dolhr, Barst assisted Ogma him every step of the way with protecting Marth, but during the long campaign across the continent, grew increasingly weary of the ravages of war. Eventually, Marth's army stormed Dolhr itself, where Marth slew its emperor, the Earth Dragon Medeus, ending the War of Shadows. Barst retired from Ogma's mercenaries on good terms with him, Bord, and Cord. He then departed Talys to join the Holy Kingdom of Archanea's army, which was one of many parts of the battered country recovering under the eye of its new king Hardin. Barst felt no more satisfaction fighting as a soldier than he did as a mercenary, so he quickly deserted for a life of piracy. Eventually, he docked in the country of Grust, where he retired to become a woodcutter.
===War of Heroes===
For a year, Barst happily lived in a house near Grust's Olbern Keep, cutting wood. However, the newly restyled Holy Empire of Archanea occupied the country and deposed its regent General Lorenz. Grust's occupying leader General Lang established Olbern Keep as his base of operations, where stole wealth and goods from the people under him, leading Lorenz to instigate a rebellion. Unbeknownst to Barst, his former commander Ogma entered Grust to help Lorenz at Mostyn's request. He intended to bring Grust's true heirs, Prince Jubello and Princess Yuliya, to the safety of Macedon, but Lorenz was gravely wounded in his battles, and neither child wanted to leave his side. Lorenz relented, and Ogma left to avenge him, promising to aid the children in the future. Meanwhile, Hardin entreated Marth to put an end to Lorenz's uprising. As Archanea was a much stronger country than Altea, Marth could not disobey this command, so he assembled many of his best knights to settle the crisis. In Grust, Marth quickly grew to dislike of Lang's cruel nature, and upon meeting with Lorenz, learned of both the Archaean Empire's tyrannical treatment of the region, and their threat to Jubello and Yuliya. Finally succumbing to his wounds, Lorenz perished in front of Marth, his last words warning of Hardin's corruption. 
Lang took the two heirs into his custody and ordered Marth to stop a coup in Macedon. As Marth's army journeyed to rescue Princess Minerva from the usurper Lykke, Marth encountered both Bord and Cord, who took their brother's words about living a peaceful life to heart and left Ogma to become woodcutters themselves. However, both immediately volunteered to join Marth out of respect for Caeda. Meanwhile Ogma seized his opportunity and attacked Olstern Keep, successfully rescuing Yubello and Juliya. On the way to Macedon, the three were attacked by pirates; though initially outnumbered, Ogma and Grust's heirs were saved by a mysterious knight calling himself Sirius as well as Marth, the latter having had enough of Lang's insolence. Together they routed all pirates, but were immediately intercepted by Caeda, who stated that the Archanean Empire launched a surprise attack on Altea, beginning the War of Heroes. Deciding to liberate the Grustian people, Marth's army marched on Ostern Keep. Along the way, either Ogma, Bord, or Cord encountered Barst. Grateful for all the times Ogma saved him during past missions, Barst accepted Ogma's request to assist Marth. Alternatively, Barst told his brothers that he left the battlefield, but changed his mind when Bord or Cord warned that he would be a disgrace to the Talysian Mercenaries for refusing. After assisting Marth with Lang's defeat, Barst followed Marth through the rest of the War of Heroes, which concluded when Marth slew a resurrected Medeus. What became of Barst is disputed by history; some records claim that he returned to Grust and his woodcutting, while others claim that he took to the sea and returned to a life of piracy. 
==Other Media==
===Fire Emblem Heroes===
Barst is a playable character who was available to summon on the game's official launch. His appearance is based on his design from Shadow Dragon and New Mystery of the Emblem.
===Super Smash Bros.===
Barst, Bord, and Cord appear together as a Novice Attack-type Spirit using artwork from their Fire Emblem: Trading Card Game cards. When equipped to a fighter, Barst, Bord, and Cord grant three extra spirit support slots. To obtain the Barst, Bord, and Cord Spirit, they must be defeated in a Spirit battle against three Simon Belmonts on Wuhu Island's Swaying Bridge. These Simons favor using their Axes when attacking.
===Fire Emblem OVA===
An unnamed Barst appears briefly in the first episode of the Fire Emblem OVA, which adapts the first three chapters and some backstory of Mystery of the Emblem. Along with Bord and Cord, Barst followed Ogma and helped him rescued Marth and Caeda from Gazzak as the Galder Pirates raided Talys. Gazzak attempted to retreat, but the three brothers cornered him, allowing Ogma to slay him once and for all.
==Quotes==
==Gallery==
Barst FE1.png|Barst's portrait in Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light.
Barst FE3.png|Barst's portrait in Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem.
Barst FE11.png|Barst's portrait in Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon.
Barst FE12.png|Barst's portrait in Fire Emblem: New Mystery of the Emblem.
BarstNeutral FEH.png|Barst's neutral portrait in Fire Emblem Heroes.
BarstAttack FEH.png|Barst's battle portrait in Fire Emblem Heroes.
BarstSpecial FEH.png|Barst's portrait when executing a Special attack in Fire Emblem Heroes.
BarstInjured FEH.png|Barst's injured portrait in Fire Emblem Heroes.
BarstSprite FEH.png|Barst's sprite in Fire Emblem Heroes.
BarstBordCord FE1.png|Official artwork of Barst, Bord and Cord for Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light.
BarstBordCord OVA.jpg|Barst, Bord, and Cord confronting Gazzak in the Fire Emblem OVA.
Barst TCG.png|Artwork of Barst for a Fire Emblem: Trading Card Game card.
BarstBordCord FE0.png|Combined artwork of Barst, Bord and Cord for Fire Emblem 0 trading cards of all three characters.
==Trivia==
*In addition to Barst, Wrys, and Gunter, DC Douglas provides the English voice of Fire Emblem villain Llewelyn, as well as Gharnef in games.
*In addition to dubbing Barst in the Fire Emblem OVA, Charles C. Campbell also provides the English voice of Gharnef in the same OVA.
==External Links==
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