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“...... Have you mistaken me for someone? I am Elffin...a simple bard.”
—Elffin

Elffin is a playable character in Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade. He is a bard who fights for the rebellion in the Western Islands. He joins Roy's army when they save the villagers from the corrupt Etrurians and their hired bandits.

In the army, he can play the role of a fortune teller or of a Bard depending on the route.

Profile[]

Before Binding Blade[]

In reality, Elffin is Myrddin, the crown Prince of Etruria and only son of king Mordred. When he was a child, Klein used to visit the royal palace frequently, accompanying his father Pent and the two quickly became close friends. Myrddin was a bit older and naïvely wanted Klein to be his brother, so he ordered his friend to live in the royal palace, but Klein refused, for he had wanted to be his knight.

Years later, Myrddin was said to have died by falling from horseback. However, the prince did not actually die. He was hit by a poisonous arrow in an attempted coup, but he survived with the help of some villagers. Living as a civilian, he adopted the name Elffin, and started to work as a bard. The poison blinded him for months and eventually still causes him to lose his vision for moments.

In his life in the Western Islands, he experienced the suffering of the common folk under corrupt Etrurian nobles, and so joined the rebel forces. Fighting alongside the villagers made him question his previous role as a prince, making him reluctant to return to Etruria and succeed the throne.

The Binding Blade[]

Elffin first meets Roy while they both save villagers in the Western Islands from Etrurian bandits and thereafter joins his army. Originally, he hides his true identity from Roy, instead posing as a simple bard. His father, King Mordred, still grieves the death of his son and is not aware of his survival. Despite this, he refuses to contact his father, as he doesn't see any reason to reveal his true identity until the war is over.

He only reveals who he really is to a few people, including general Douglas and his best friend Klein. General Cecilia recognizes him, but he denies that he is the prince. Eventually, he is forced to admit his true identity to her because she is aware of a scar on his right shoulder.

if Larum is chosen as the refresher of the army instead, he plays the minor role of a fortune teller.

Once the war was won, the prince announces that he is alive, and returns to his kingdom of birth after promising to support Roy as the new leader of Elibe.

Personality[]

Elffin is dignified, calm, and courteous. A talented harpist, his songs are noted to be extremely beautiful. Elffin is also both androgynous and dainty, with the combination of his hair and scent confusing Fae, who believed he was a girl since he was too 'pretty.'

He is very cultured and has a vast knowledge of history and politics, as a result of his royal upbringing. He is also very secretive of his identity, being invested in keeping his disguise to the point of avoiding contacting his grieving father; and asking for the few ones aware of who he really is to drop honorifics and treat him as a simple bard.

Being raised as crown prince, his royal status made him considerably alienated from the suffering of the common people. During the years he was disguised as a bard, Elffin was able to witness the misery that the civilians endured under the oppression of the landlords of Etruria. The time he spent with the rebels provided him a better understanding of his people and contributed to his desire to become a fair ruler.  

Elffin is not prideful and does not seek any recognition for his deeds, as he is prone to stay out of the spotlight and recognizes his own limitations. As the war unfolds, Elffin realizes that Roy eventually surpassed him in political and warfare matters. This made him realize that the youngster would be a better leader than himself, resulting in him affirming that he would support Roy, who should be the one to be the leader of Elibe once the war is over.  

In-Game[]

Description: A mysterious bard who supports the resistance on the Western Isles.

Recruitment[]

In Chapter 9: The Misty Isles, there are two villages in the north; if you go to the one on the west or neither of them, then you go to chapter 10A. If you go to the village to the east, then you go to chapter 10B. If you go to Chapter 10A, then Larum will join you and Elffin serves as your fortune teller. If you go to chapter 10B, then Elffin will join you in chapter 11B as a Bard.

Base Stats[]

Starting ClassAffinity
FE6 Bard Map Sprite BardGBALight Light
LevelHPStrSklSpdLckDefResConMov
1151310114165
WeaponStarting Items
-VulneraryVulnerary
AngelicrobeAngelic Robe
BluegemBlue Gem

Growth Rates[]

HP S/M Skl Spd Lck Def Res
80% 5% 5% 65% 65% 25% 55%

Supports[]

See also: Elffin/Supports

Overall[]

Secret Book (Artwork)
Subjective: The following part of this article is based upon the editor's personal experiences and opinions, and therefore may not be applicable for all readers.

Elffin's purpose is the same as Larum, to refresh units so they can move again. While he doesn't possess high stats, he shouldn't see any combat anyway, since you can Rescue-drop him out of range to keep him unharmed. He does have respectable defensive growths (mainly in Speed and Luck), however, which will offer him serviceable protection later in the game.

A Bard can enable many interesting strategies, like having an extra Warp use, having a unit attack with a long-range tome and use a status staff in the same turn, move further, and many more things, making Elffin one of the most useful units in the game. That doesn't even touch on how you need him to recruit Perceval, or to access The Axe of Thunder.

If your choice of route from The Misty Isles onwards hinges entirely on the choice between Elffin and Larum, know that Elffin will almost always have better bulk, while Larum will generally turn out better at dodging attacks. On the other hand, Larum has more characters who can Rescue her, and losing Elffin before Chapter 13 locks you out of the true ending.

Ending[]

Elffin - Seer of Truth (真実を見る者, Shinjitsu wo miru mono)
After the war, Elffin disappeared without a word. Several months later, an official announcement was made in Etruria that Prince Myrddin was alive. The prince that hid his identity to help General Roy in the war... That story is now a favorite among bards and writers.

Non-Canon Appearances[]

Manga[]

Hasha no Tsurugi[]

He makes a cameo appearance in chapter 18 of the Hasha no Tsurugi manga.

Fire Emblem 0 (Cipher)[]

Elffin is illustrated in the trading card game Fire Emblem Cipher with the following cards:

Choose Your Legends Placement History[]

Round Placement Character Version Votes

CYL1 665 CYL Elffin Portrait
The Binding Blade
83
CYL2 592
↑73
CYL Elffin Portrait
The Binding Blade
140
↑57
CYL3 471
↑121
CYL Elffin Portrait
The Binding Blade
170
↑30
CYL4 417
↑54
CYL Elffin Portrait
The Binding Blade
204
↑34
CYL5 347
↑70
CYL Elffin Portrait
The Binding Blade
171
↓33
CYL6 357
↓10
CYL Elffin Portrait
The Binding Blade
173
↑2

CYL7 262
↑95
CYL Elffin Portrait
The Binding Blade
180
↑7

Etymology[]

Template:Wi was a poet from Welsh mythology.

Myrddin is a prophet from Welsh legend who is considered the most important prototype for the modern image of Merlin.

Trivia[]

  • According to a Japanese gaming news website, Elffin landed 44th place out of 80 in the character popularity poll for The Binding Blade.
  • Interestingly, whichever route you choose from Chapter 9 will determine whether Elffin or Echidna is the leader of the Resistance Forces. It could be that Elffin is the brains behind the Resistance in both paths, however, while Echidna is a figurehead.

Gallery[]

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