Dream Smasher: Edelgard

Fire Emblem reps usually appear from a Warp-inspired summoning circle, but since Byleth’s has a green tint, Edelgard emerges from a red one. All the while, she flourishes her cape and draws her axe.

Edelgard idles with a wide-legged stance and her free arm angled forward. Meanwhile, her other arm holds Aymr—or the Hauteclere—behind her back.

Edelgard brings her free hand closer, then dramatically points her finger ahead. Even if her subordinates aren’t around, she maintains her bossy attitude.

Edelgard clenches her fist, holds it near her chest, and solemnly closes her eyes. Whether she’s reminiscing or sneaking a prayer is anyone’s guess.

Since she insists on fighting in heels, Edelgard’s walk speed is awful! However, she can swing that axe at a moment’s notice, so her stride is somewhat intimidating.

Edelgard picks up the pace and charges with her weapon at her back. Her initial dash greatly outspeeds her run, which helps her corner foes.

Edelgard takes a knee and holds Aymr behind herself; it looks kinda plain. Thankfully, the way her cape drapes along the floor gives me something to comment on!

When I say Edelgard fears the air, don’t take that to mean she’s as bad as Little Mac. Even so, her awkward jump and physics make aerial fights difficult.

Edelgard takes hits like you’d expect any human to, so let’s just find some random time she took damage and display it here…

Edelgard is in this weird space where she uses a shield throughout this moveset, but doesn’t wield it by default. Even so, she summons it with her free hand when guarding, which adds to her tanky feel.

It’s a good thing dodges don’t change much across fighters, since Edelgard’s would probably underperform. Propped up by uniformity, though, they only look clumsy!

Upon recovering from a fall, Edelgard pokes her heel backward and Aymr forward. And when climbing from a ledge, she raises and swings the axe with one arm.

Helm Splitter

Edelgard whacks her weapon’s handle forward, follows up with a kick, then carries the force into a diagonal cleave. Overall, this three-part jab helps with spacing, moves her a tiny bit ahead, and reaches high enough to thwart aerial approaches.

Shield Bash

To unify Edelgard’s tilts, they all rely on her shield. For her simplest, she spawns and winds it back in one motion, then swings it from side to side. It makes up for its lesser strength and reach with a brief window to tank incoming hits, which is a trait all her shield moves share!

Steady Grill

Edelgard ignites her shield and hoists it straight upward, then holds this damaging pose for a moment. Enemies directly above her are launched vertically, while those to her sides are knocked outward by the diverging flames. These hitboxes give the move two jobs: juggle falling foes and keep grounded ones from invading her space.

Abyssal Dive

From her crouched position, Edelgard calls her shield, reels it backward, then forcefully thrusts it ahead to knock foes skyward. On top of beating out enemy moves, its way of advancing her a bit forward kinda makes it a slide tilt. But it’s hardly spammable, since its awkward launch angle prevents combos or early kills.

Battering Ram

Edelgard holds her axe’s handle beneath her arm, then uses both hands to thrust the sharp end forward. She puts all the force from her stride into this; it’s a deceptively powerful launcher! Granted, it pays for that with a narrow hitbox, but its strength is worth a few whiffs.

Oath Breaker

Edelgard raises Aymr with one hand, then brings it down in dramatic fashion. It’s meant to resemble the way she finishes Dimitri in her route, but that comes at the cost of speed. Even so, its tip is undeniably strong and great for callouts.

Crimson Sky

After igniting its head and dragging it through the dirt, Edelgard sweeps her axe diagonally upward. Courtesy of the fire, this move’s opener traps foes and forces them to take the launcher. In that way, it resembles Greninja’s famous up smash!

Assembly Gambit

With surprising finesse, Edelgard extends Aymr straight forward, then powerfully reels it back. Although the initial thrust is weak, the latter half’s hitbox knocks enemies to the emperor’s back. This comes in handy when she’s pushed near the ledge, since it lets her turn the tables and steal their advantage for herself! It has its utility, but it notably lacks speed and kill power.

Searing Steel

Edelgard holds her shield toward the camera and sparks it with her variable flames. Since she doesn’t lean the slab toward any given direction, it doesn’t extend very far. Even so, its encompassing hitbox and super armor protect her during landings. The latter is active for only a few frames, though, so it’s not a free pass.

Rising Sun

You know how Pyra’s and Mythra’s back airs connect with a rising angle? Edelgard channels that by pulling Aymr upward, which powerfully yanks targets in that direction. A forward air that kills off the top is definitely weird, but the first dedicated axe user ought to feel that way!

Wyvern Assembly

Edelgard falls back on the same technique she used for her down smash, complete with long reach and inverted launch angle. Like with the original, she catches foes with a weak stab, then forcefully reels them to her other side. Getting to reposition targets is fun, but it’s rare to find a back air this bad at killing…

Handle Strike

Without looking, Edelgard thrusts the hilt of her axe diagonally upward. Specifically, she aims it slightly toward her back, which places the hitbox at an unusual spot. Since the blade doesn’t get involved, this is the fastest aerial in the kit! But it lacks kill power, so it instead juggles and plays defense.

Immaculate Cleave

Using both arms, Edelgard swings Aymr with enough force to sink like a rock. She holds the axe to her front throughout her descent, so the move extends decently far and even kicks up some debris upon landing. This stall-and-fall doesn’t reach too far beneath its user, though; she ought to fear attacks from below.

Royal Seize

Edelgard’s grab isn’t too stubby, since she keeps one arm free for moments like this. But she’s still a weapon user, so it’s laggier than what hand-to-hand characters get.

Desperate Kneed

Doing exactly what you’d expect of this move slot, Edelgard knees her prisoner for a quick bit of damage. It’s not that quick, though; she shouldn’t get greedy.

Overture

Edelgard falls back on her Seiros heritage by leaping and kicking her victim in the face. Its damage and knockback aren’t the best, but the low angle makes recovering tough for those thrown offstage.

Revolution

Edelgard traps her foe in Aymr’s curve (the Hauteclere’s version doesn’t look as secure, but it gets the job done), then she spins them to her back and tosses them at a steep angle. Unfortunately, they’re launched too high to gimp and too casually to kill early, but it’s still a reliable way to get them off the ground.

Silver Spin

After unhanding the enemy and spinning to build momentum, Edelgard launches them upward with a rising slash from her axe. It sports the most heft of her throws, so it’s no surprise this one’s best at killing.

Divebomb

Edelgard sets all her regal aura aside to slam her shield into the target’s head. She starts by planting her axe in the floor, then wastes no time bashing her foe with both hands on the shield and a fiery expression. Consequently, they’re sent skyward and left vulnerable to some anti-air tactics.

Raging Storm

(Source)

Edelgard spins horizontally as she swings Aymr with uncommon speed, which shifts her a step forward and knocks anyone in her way. This first part is a Spin Attack-like move that’s great out of shield, but the fact it staggers foes and traps them near her front is the real draw. From there, she’s free to use the special again for a stronger spin or any smash attack of her choosing! Although they’re weaker when used right afterwards, they still do their respective jobs. And as for the second Raging Storm, consider it a spammable consolation prize that keeps her moving.

Tomahawk

Edelgard brandishes a flaming tomahawk with her free hand, then tosses it straight ahead. The weapon spins horizontally for added oomph, but flies too slowly to help with zoning. It’s as strong as a Belmont Axe, though, so its approach is bound to get a rise out of enemies! To get the most out of this, the emperor will want to follow behind it and use the pressure to open them up. However, she’s a sitting duck during the throw itself, so bear that in mind.

Shield of Seiros

Edelgard equips her shield as her glowing Crest of Seiros adorns it, then she guards her body as a plume of golden fire propels her in one of many directions. In terms of distance and available paths, think Falco’s Melee-era Fire Bird. That makes it sound exploitable, but this recovery packs more than just the usual super armor: if Edie takes or deals damage during this move’s animation, she can instantly follow it up with another up special in any direction! As much as this helps her efforts to survive gimps, her second wind’s reliance on enemy engagement means it isn’t foolproof.

Raging Flames

Edelgard strikes her Crest of Flames-branded axe against the ground like a match, causing a path of purplish flames to erupt ahead. They travel about the length of two platforms (or until they reach a cliff), then finish with a burst of high-reaching fire. This last burst is the only thing that impacts foes, and even then it’s not all that strong. But the trail along the way lingers for a few seconds and deals non-flinching damage to all enemies! In short, this fast move doubles down on zone breaking and adds a dash of stage control to the kit. Oh, and if used in the air, it’s basically a better down air.

Black Eagle Strike Force / Hegemon Husk

Fittingly, Edelgard’s Final Smash is the only part of her moveset to take her Crests into account. If Seiros’s flames are active, it begins with Hubert warping in and boasting, “I’ll carve a bloody path!” He scoops up nearby foes with a blast of dark magic, which sends them midstage for a Pair Up-style beatdown. Dorothea and Lindhart pelt them with spells, Bernadetta and Petra pin them with arrows, Ferdinand and Caspar cleave them with axes of their own, then Edie and Hubie appear up top and down them with their favored weapons. If all the summoning, baton passes, and floating sound odd, attribute them to the vassal’s magic.

(Source)

If the finisher involving Hubert is the heroic one, you already know the alternative is vile. If Flames’…flames are active, it begins with a dark cloud engulfing Edelgard and leaving the nefarious Hegemon in her place. The thing floats in place for just a moment, then forms a ball of energy in her claws. Finally, she fires it forward and offscreen, launching anyone in its way. This Psystrike-esque display of power is brief, but that and its long reach complement the previous move.

Crests of Hresvelg

Edelgard holds out her free palm and projects either the Crest of Seiros or Flames atop it. Naturally, the one she displays matches the fire her moves currently sport. Then, true to her hatred for the power she’s made to bear, she crushes it by clenching her fist.

Must You Retaliate?

Edelgard performs a few axe flourishes, then points it ahead and asks, “Must you continue to retaliate?” Calling back to such a notorious quote might have consequences, but that’s what makes it a good way to boast!

I Will Cut You Down!

Edelgard stabs her axe into the earth, then rests both hands atop the handle. As she does so, she glares forward and says, “If you stand in my way, I will cut you down!”

The screen closes up on Edelgard’s side as she gracefully swings Aymr from front to back. During this motion, the weapon leaves flame trails in its wake as its wielder remarks, “The only possible outcome.” Upon beating Byleth, however, she instead says, “I wanted to walk with you…”

As the camera circles Edelgard and Hubert, the duo stand back to back and show off their tools of the trade. Namely, the former performs a down taunt-like axe stab and the latter carries his black magic into a sinister bow. All the while, they both take this chance to proclaim, “For the Empire!”

The scene opens on Aymr’s blade hitting the floor, after which Edelgard walks into view and takes her seat on an Adrestian throne. The low camera angle makes her look intimidating, but whether or not she’s a just ruler depends on your headcanon.

I pitch new fanfares whenever I can, but there’s no chance Edelgard doesn’t borrow Byleth’s. This triumphant take on the Three Houses theme is a favorite of mine, and it’s cool when fighters with close ties share this sorta thing.