Kris (Fire Emblem)

Kris is one of the two deuteragonists (alongside Caeda) of the 2010 tactical video game Fire Emblem: New Mystery of the Emblem, the remake of the 1994 video game Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem. They are the first fully playable Avatar (マイユニット, My Unit) in Nintendo's Fire Emblem franchise. 
A determined and loyal individual, Kris seeks to follow in their grandfather's footsteps as a knight of Altea, and eventually becomes a royal guard to the Hero King, Marth.
Male Kris is voiced by Satoshi Hino in Japanese and Philip Reich in English. In Japanese, female Kris is voiced by Lynn, who also voices Azura. In English, female Kris is voiced by Felicia Angelle.
==Appearance==
As an Avatar, Kris' gender and appearance can be customized at the beginning of the game. As such, they can sport a variety of haircuts, and depending on the class selected, outfits. However, the default male and female appearance is used to depict Kris in official artwork and other media.
The default male Kris has blue hair and eyes, with a haircut that makes him resemble Marth. He wears a dark blue tunic with light blue pants, as well as brown boots with fur trim. The default female Kris also has blue hair and eyes, though she wears hers in a ponytail. She wears a pink tunic with cream-colored shorts.
==Personality ==
Kris is a very straightforward person. Their primary goal in life is to become a strong knight of Altea like their grandfather MacLear. Kris is also deeply loyal to their friends, particularly Marth, who they became just as devoted to serving for his sake as for MacLear's. However, Kris is also a hotheaded individual, and their devotion to Marth leads to strong grudges against the prince's enemies, such as Lang.
==Biography==
===Past===
Kris' past, like their name, gender, appearance, and class, is chosen by the player. They can be the child of nobles, Bishops, or peddlers, or else be orphaned and adopted while an infant. They could have left their castle due to family circumstances, their clerical parents could have perished, or their peddler parents could have divorced. In any case, Kris ultimately came to live with their grandfather MacLear in the small village of Sera.
A former knight of Altea, MacLear wanted his grandchild to follow in his footsteps and enforced a strict training regimen. Occasionally, MacLear tasked Kris with delivering wood to a nearby village, where they met their friend Norne. One day, while Kris was lost in the woods, they came across Norne, lost herself. While waiting for others to find them, Norne claimed that she wanted to become an Altean knight just like Kris; if Kris is male, Norne admitted this was partially to maintain contact with him. Eventually, MacLear passed on, and Kris continued to train for knighthood.
===The 7th Platoon===
One year after the end of the War of Shadows, Kris finally arrived at Altea castle, where they Kris encountered a fellow recruit named Katarina. Wishing to be an Altean strategist Katarina admitted that she had absolutely no fighting skills, and the two agreed to be partners. With their strengths, both recruits passed the first trial, and along with recruits Luke, Roderick, and Ryan, were designated members of the 7th platoon. Prince Marth proceeded to give a speech to all platoons; he explained that though peace returned to their country, it was not something they could take for granted. Marth claimed that as ruler, he must protect the peace even at risk of his life, but alone he was powerless to accomplish this task. Therefore, he was grateful that so many volunteered to help shoulder Altea's future. 
Luke nominated himself as the platoon's leader, but Katarina believed that Kris would be a better fit, leading the two to settle the debate with a mock fight. Roderick and Ryan assisted Luke and Kris, respectively, but Kris and Ryan's superior teamwork gave Kris the victory. As the trials became more difficult, veteran knight Cain gave Kris their interim report, which varied depending on how healthy they kept their allies each mock battle. Afterwards, Kris became lost in Altea castle and came across Marth's older sister, Princess Elice. Elice told Kris that despite Marth's moniker given to him by his people ("Hero-King"), he is a deeply idealistic man crushed when he loses a single comrade. Kris sadly agreed that the world is harsh, and promised Elice that should they become a knight, they would protect Marth and his dreams. Days later, Kris got the 7th Platoon lost while on march duty. They tried to direct the platoon back to the castle, but Katarina pointed out a nearby village besieged by bandits. Determined to help the townspeople, the platoon successfully routed the ruffians. Kris was concerned by a strange masked man initially present among the bandits who disappeared when the fighting began, but the matter was brushed aside when Marth himself appeared to praise the two for their selflessness, and declared that should they obtain their knighthood, he would make them his Royal Guards.
After three months of trials, only twenty recruits remained. Among the failures included all but one of the 9th Platoon, leading Katatina to recruit its sole holdout, Cecil, into the 7th Platoon. Katarina also had Cecil deliver new steel-grade weaponry she acquired to the platoon, which they used to overcome their tests going forward. On the day of the final trial, Kris found Katarina crying. They worried that Katarina was bullied, but she said that was not a case and would tell them the true cause later. Ultimately, the 7th Platoon passed the final test, and received their ultimate score, which varied based on their performance in each mock battle. Regardless of the exact score, Kris' platoon did well enough to graduate to full knighthood. Too excited to sleep that knight, Kris conversed with Katarina about their pasts. Katarina noted their shared desire to do things for the sake of others, and gave Kris a headband that Cecil gave to her.
On the day of the 7th Platoon's graduation, an unknown number of assailants besieged Altea castle. It was then that Katarina revealed her real name was Reese, she was an assassin sent to kill Marth, her accomplices staged the earlier village attack, and she drugged the castle guards to allow them easier access inside. Shocked, the rest of the platoon, particularly Kris, fought to defend Marth's life. They successfully injured Reese, forcing her to retreat. Despite being her target, Marth generously believed that Reese acted as she did because she was the victim of unfortunate circumstances. He again asked Kris to become a Royal Guard, as well as to help Reese should they encounter her again. Later, a heartbroken Kris and Cecil talked, and Kris may or may not have kept the headband. Either way, they ultimately promised to bring Reese back and complete the 7th Platoon once more.
===War of Heroes===
One day, Marth received a letter from his old friend Hardin, who married Princess Nyna of the Holy Kingdom of Archanea, and restructured the destitute country into the might Holy Empire of Archanea. The letter stated that a rebellion broke out in the Archanean-occupied kingdom of Grust, and requested that Marth help suppress it. As Archanea was a more powerful country than Altea, Marth was obligated to obey Hardin's order, so he left his country in Cain's hands and assembled Jagen, Arran, Gordin, Draug, and the 7th Platoon to settle the crisis. Before all set out for Grust, Marth privately explained to Kris that they would experience their first genuine combat. Kris promised that they would not be killed, assuaging Marth's worries. In Grust, Marth met with General Lang, leader of the Archanean occupational army. Marth, Kris, and the rest of his army came to loathe Lang's cruel nature, and became suspicious when Lang revealed that the rebellion's leader was General Lorenz, a former ally. Meeting with Lorenz, Marth learned that he launched the uprising because the Archaean Empire's treatment of the region tyrannical, and to stop the Empire from harming Grust's heirs, Prince Yubello and Princess Yumina. Fatally wounded from a previous battle, Lorenz perished in front of Marth, his last words warning of Hardin's corruption.
Lang took Yubello and Yumina into custody, horrifying Kris. They begged Marth to demand the childrens' release, but Jagen explained that to do so would risk war with Archanea. Meanwhile, Lang demanded that the prince address a military coup in Macedon. As Macedon's Princess Minerva was another ally of Marth's, his army fought the rebellion with the help of Macedonian Whitewings Palla and Catria; depending on Kris' performance in battle, Jagen compared their speed to the Whitewing sisters positively or negatively. While Marth's army was successful at subduing the coup, they could not find Minerva, as she was previously rescued by her brother Michalis. Marth also encountered his old Archaean ally Linde, who delivered the Fire Emblem to him once again on Nyna's orders. Returning to General Lang, Marth was next instructed to retrieve the royal heirs, who were rescued by the mercenary Ogma and on the run. Having enough of Lang, Kris angrily tells him that the prince is not his minion. Lang berates them for their poor manners, but while Marth apologizes for their words, he also declared that he would no longer follow any more of Lang's orders. Lang considered Marth's defiance an act of war, but fled when Jagen challenged him. 
Jagen informed Marth that a source discovered the assassins who tried to kill the prince in Macedon's Northern mountains, searching for his War of Shadows allies. Quickly mobilizing, Marth's army interrupted an attempt on the cleric Wrys' life. After rescuing Wrys, Marth's army searched for Ogma, Yubello, and Yumina, finding them surrounded by bandits. After successfully fending off the bandits, Marth was interrupted by the arrival of Caeda, who claimed that the Archanean Empire launched a surprise attack on Altea, and she only escaped thanks to Elice staying behind to fend them off.
Deciding to liberate the Grustian people, Marth's army attacked Lang's headquarters, Ostern Keep. Kris asked for Marth's permission to kill the General, but Jagen told them to be cautious. He asked if they were strong enough to overcome Lang's physical defense, which varied depending on their choices in battle. Even at Kris' weakest, Jagen agreed that they should kill Lang for his insolence, merely suggesting alternate means to do so. When finally facing Lang, Kris stated that for oppressing Grust's people and insulting their liege, his only atonement is death. After the death of the General, Marth finds his old ally Bishop Wendell, who warns him that the world is in danger of falling into ruin without the Starsphere, which shattered during the creation of the Starlight tome. Wendell suggests that they search for the Starsphere's shards at the Fane of Raman in Chiasmir. Before leaving, Marth reminisces with Kris about their pasts. They also discuss the surviving members of their army; depending on how many Kris kept alive, Marth would either praise them for their actions or plead with them to protect the remainder. Jagen then informs them that they were ambushed by mercenaries. Marth's army quickly realizes that the mercenaries where hired by the masked assassin Legion, and among their member were Caesar and Radd, who were previously hired by Marth during the War of Shadows. The following battle resulted in the death of Legion (or rather one of his clones) and the recruitment of Caesar and Radd after Kris pointed out that a restored Altea would provide them lots of gold.
It became apparent that the Fane of Raman was plundered by a band of marauders. Leaving the place and crossing over a nearby bridge, Marth's army was confronted by Emperor Hardin himself, who made plain his intention to punish all dissent. Trying to attack the deranged Emperor, Kris discovered an impenetrable shield of dark magic surrounding Hardin renders him invincible, and told Marth that he and the vanguard must escape via ship. Marth refused to leave any of his soldiers behind, but Kris insisted that the rearguard would regroup with him later. Jagen insisted that Kris was more than capable, finally convincing Marth to flee Hardin.
Marth resolved to find magic that could counteract Hardin's shield in the School of Khadein. To his joy, he reunited with the rearguard; depending on Kris' luck, they were either able to escape their with a convenient sandstorm, or were plagued by the desert sands and repeatedly got lost. Khadein's school was defended by the city's magic corp, led by Wendell's pupil Ellerean. Both Marth and Wendell saw Ellerean target another of Wendell's students, and Marth's friend, Merric. The two mages were once friendly rivals, but when Wendell chose Merric to wield the Excalibur tome over Ellerean, the mage fell into a jealous rage. However, Wendell told Ellerean that his behavior was no better than the Dark Ponifex Gharnef's, and the angry pupil saw the error of his ways while Marth's forces secured the school. During this time, Jagen and Kris discuss the surviving members of their army; depending on how many still lived, Jagen would either declare Kris the army's support to Marth's core, or plead with them to protect the survivors.
Marth's army discovers that his old ally Horace is in Kadein, and threatened by Legion and a horde of his clones. In the ensuing battle the true Legion is killed, rendering the surviving clones useless. Marth and Kris learn that from birth, the Legions were raised to be assassins and subjected to brutal training, ultimately breaking their wills. Marth wonders if Reese lived in similar circumstances, while Kris could only contemplate in silence. Afterword, the White Sage Gotoh magically contacts Marth, explaining that both Hardin's protection and his fall from grace were caused by the powerful Darksphere. He requested that Marth journey to the Ice Dragon Temple where he held the Lightsphere, which was capable of countering the Darksphere's magic. Marth's army traveled to the temple through Anri's Way, a path his ancestor traveled a century ago; Marth admitted to Kris his unsureness about whether he measured up to Anri's greatness, but Kris replied that Marth was plenty strong, particularly in his kindness. Near the end of their trek, Marth's forces are caught in a raging blizzard; his ally Athena points out enemies in the flurry, sparing them an ambush by the assassin Clarisse. The attempt on Marth's life fails, Clarisse is fatally wounded, and the group arrives at the Ice Dragon Temple. Gotoh bequeaths the Lightsphere to Marth, reconstructs the Starsphere using shards gathered along Anri's way, and magically teleports everyone back to Altea, which Kris is eager to liberate.
While battling the Archanean Occupiers, Marth despairs over the innocents hurt and questions his ability to lead. Kris reminds him of the speech he gave when they were a mere recruit, and admits that since that moment, they had wanted to be Marth's sword and share his burdens, touching Marth. Upon reaching Altea castle, Kris reminisces about their first days as a knight in training, and Jagen remarks on their growth or lack thereof depending on how they developed. After successfully reclaiming the castle, Marth reminds Kris about their friendship with Reese. Kris promptly senses the presence of enemies, which turn out to be a band of assassins led by Reese herself. As she attacks Marth's army, Reese tells Kris she once had a wonderful dream where the two were Royal Guards who helped and were loved by the populace. For their part, Kris refused to attack Reese, despite the latter insisting she would kill them. Kris noted Reese's tears, and asked that if everything between them was a lie, then why was she crying? They claimed that Reese belonged to them and Marth, and that they could still atone for their sins. Overwhelmed, Reese finally stopped fighting, defected to Marth's side, and adopted the name Katarina for good. Marth "punished" her by ordering her to find a path in life and thereby atone.
After Marth successfully reclaimed his homeland, Gotoh contacted him again to reveal that Gharnef had returned. The Dark Ponitfex abducted Princesses Elice and Maria, as well as the cleric Lena, and was likely planning to kidnap Nyna as well. Marth's army marched upon Archanea with to defeat Hardin and prevent Nyna's capture, only to learn from the Emperor himself that he personally gave her away to Gharnef. After a gruelling campaign, Hardin finally fell, and in his last moments was freed from the Darksphere's influence. With his dying breath he regretted all he had done and begged Marth to save Nyna. Recovering the Darksphere, Marth restored the Fire Emblem to its original state: the Binding Shield. Gotoh magically warped to Marth and revealed that Gharnef brainwashed the four maidens before taking them to the Dragon's Table to assist in the resurrection of the tyrannical Medeus. Marth and Kris also learned that the assassins' base of operations was an orphanage in the Archanean mountains. Kris vows to destroy the assassins for good, while Katarina tells them of a shortcut to reach the place. Inside the orphanage, Katarina explains her terrible upbringing at the hands of Eremiya, including confinement in darkness, but now that she has Kris, she finally has a mind of her own. Together, Marth's forces mortally defeat Eremiya, thus preventing the victimization of any more orphans like Katarina.
Inside The Dragon's Table, Marth's army felled Gharnef with the Starlight tome, provided to them by a wounded Michalis. The revived Medeus, now a powerful Shadow Dragon, awaited them in the next room with the four maidens, who he intended to sacrifice should he be slain by Falchion. However, the were released from their trances by their loved ones, allowing Marth to kill him for a second time, ending the War of Heroes. Marth promises Kris that the world will know of their role in saving it, but Kris refuses this glory, believing that a sole hero would better heal Archanea and dissolve any remaining hostilities. Marth honored Kris' request, but stated that Kris would always be his shadow. Marth was heralded as the Hero-King once more, while Kris was ignored by history, but those who were acquainted with Kris remembered them as Altea's finest knight.
==Other Media==
===Fire Emblem Heroes===
On July 20, 2020, both male and female Kris were made available to summon. Each design was based on their default appearances in New Mystery of the Emblem.
==Quotes==
== Trivia ==
* Unlike Mark from Fire Emblem: Blazing Blade, Kris is the first playable Avater in the Fire Emblem series, which would make Mark the first avatar and Kris second.
==External Links==
*Kris on the Fire Emblem Wiki
==Navigation==
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