Roy

A cool and charismatic heir who leads the charge against darkness in The Binding Blade and beyond.

Roy is a central character from Nintendo and Intelligent Systems' Fire Emblem series, first appearing globally in the 2001 crossover fighting game Super Smash Bros. Melee alongside Marth. He serves as the lead protagonist of Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade, where he is depicted as the son of Eliwood and heir presumptive of Pherae who grows into a major military leader. Designed by Sachiko Wada, Roy was intended to be a cool and charismatic character appealing to younger players, contrasting with earlier series protagonists. His inclusion in Melee is often noted as a factor that helped raise awareness of the Fire Emblem series internationally, and the international popularity of Marth and Roy from Super Smash Bros. Melee prompted the localization of Fire Emblem.

Quick Facts

Series: Fire Emblem
First game: Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade (2002)
Designer: Eiji Kaneda
Voice: EN: Ray Chase; JP: Jun Fukuyama

Lore & Background

Roy's story begins when King Zephiel of Bern, aided by the Dark Priestess Idunn, invades neighboring nations. Due to his father Eliwood's illness, Roy returns home to defend Pherae. He is joined by allies including Princess Lilina and retainers Marcus and Merlinus. As the quest progresses, Roy discovers that Idunn was forced into her actions by Zephiel. Players can locate legendary weapons and the titular Binding Blade in optional chapters; if all are obtained, Roy defeats Idunn without killing her, freeing her from control. The narrative connects to Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade, a prequel featuring Eliwood, where Roy appears in the epilogue as his father reunites with comrade Hector and their children meet—this scene is present in both the Japanese and international versions of the game.

Reader's Guide

In Super Smash Bros. Melee, Roy's gameplay mirrors Marth's but is characterized by being more powerful yet slower; his sword deals more damage at the base rather than the tip, reflecting creator Masahiro Sakurai's view of him as an energetic character. Although initially absent from Super Smash Bros. Brawl, he returned as downloadable content for Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, with his inclusion reportedly leaked alongside Ryu. He is part of the base roster in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. To promote his 3DS/Wii U appearance, an exclusive amiibo figure was released at GameStop, followed by plushies in 2019. In The Binding Blade, Roy faces criticism for poor gameplay attributes and low growth rates in strength and speed, making him less effective mid-game compared to characters like Ike or Hector.

Did You Know?

Roy was originally named 'Ike' during the development of a cancelled Nintendo 64 Fire Emblem entry before the game restarted as The Binding Blade in 2000.
Roy and Marth were added to Super Smash Bros. Melee despite being from a game only available in Japan.