Pre-Localization[]
Alright, this is a thread I'm creating in preparation for all the preferences people have for Fire Emblem: Awakening (FE13) names, many of which will be getting an official English translation for the first time. Being very familiar with both FE13 and the unique, sometimes unexpected challenges associated with localizing a foreign-made game, as well as how such things affect the ways that wikis present information, let me start out with some wishes I have for names.
- Siglud --> Sigurd
This is probably my biggest wish. Clearly the mythological basis is there, and I think fan translation was really on point with this one, Zigludo notwithstanding...
- Rackesis --> Lachesis
The Engrish are coming, the Engrish are coming...and they want your mythological references to die in a fire...sad...
- Levn --> Levin
I mean, we have Levin Sword...
- Celice
I really hope they keep this one the way it is...
- Yurius/Yuria --> Julius/Julia
I'm a bit more indifferent on this one than the previously listed names, but I think Julius/Julia makes more sense.
- Leaf --> Leif
This one is right up there with Sigurd in my view, maybe even a bit higher. Leaf makes me think of, well, a leaf. Leif fits in more with the Nordic/Irish/Northern European folklore that the Jugdral series is so keen on.
- Jugdral --> Yggdral
The way "Jugdral" is actually spoken makes "Yggral" seem much more appealing. The whole Nordic mythology discussion comes to mind, where Yggdrasil is the world tree, and Yggdral is the FE4-5 continent. But either way isn't too bad. Most people tend to mispronounce the first spelling more than the second, though.
- Lugh/Lleu
This result, at least on this wikia, was one of the hotly debated name changes back in the day. I think it makes good sense, and I hope the NA localization team agrees.
- Aless
I think I've gotten too used to this, preferring it over the other spellings I've seen.
- Perceval --> Percival
I think the first spelling was almost like it's trying to avoid being the same as the legendary Arthurian knight...
- Valhalt --> Valhart
Personally, I think going with Valhart is a good example of not letting Engrish get the best of you. It sounds more emperor-like, I don't know...
- Malice --> Maris
"Malice" means something else in English...
- Gangrel
I like this, but a better way isn't altogether unlikely, either.
- Guire --> Guile
Same reasoning as Valhart, and as for the possible Street Fighter referrence, well, there were no issues with Vega...I don't think Guile is trademarked, anyway.
- Nn --> Nene
I think it works...
- Lenha --> Renha
Same reasoning as Valhart, I suppose...
The following are preferences that have already impossible (or are close to it).
- Chrom --> Krom
Well, nobody's perfect. That's what I'm chalking this one up to. Ha!
- Sort/Sully --> Sol/Soiree
I think that since the localization team already shot themselves in the foot with "Sully", they are scrambling with what to name the other cavalier now that the "Sun" and "Evening" reference is blown.
- Plegia --> Perezia
I really got attached to Perezia for some reason. It just seemed to fit so well. Plegia isn't totally awful, though. It sounds a bit like "plague" when I say it, albeit with a suffix. No catastrophic loss...
- Ylisse --> Iris
I would've wrote some reasoning, but decided to flip the table instead. Boom. Critical hit. Damage.
Thoughts, comments, criticisms? Fire away, this is the thread to do it in.--Aivass Remurias (talk) 06:17, January 6, 2013 (UTC)
- Actually, I recall that Sigurd was a possible official name that was found from the official website for FE7 like those other names like already revealed like Alm (which its revealed from the official Second Nintendo Direct trailer from Alm's Blade), Medeus, and Altea also and plus, I think they might go with Celice as Serlis from the official site, since its officially mentioned outside of Japan and its kinda almost similar to Celica (Cellica) also.-- http://i1116.photobucket.com/albums/k576/DigiPen92/ChromLordFE13MapIconpng_zps2c4cf18b.png King Marth 64 (talk • other wikis • blogs)
06:28, January 6, 2013 (UTC)
- Right, I was aware of all that, of course. Alm was good, but they kind of destroyed the naming of the FE13 character weapons by just calling them "Character X's Blade". As long as Cellica remains Cellica and Celice remains Celice, I don't see the problem, though. As for the website, one would think that would be consistent, but "Serlis", et al makes me glad that they sometimes aren't. As for Medeus and Altea? Those have already been localized via FE11, so...--Aivass Remurias (talk) 06:39, January 6, 2013 (UTC)
- Actually, I meant like Medeus and Altea were reused and mentioned (like SSBM, official site, and SSBB also) before used again in Shadow Dragon (that was kinda an example, sorry for the confusion), actually Cellica as Celica were mentioned twice (the official website and Super Smash Bros. Brawl also) and I like Serlis better, I pretty sure that they might reused those names for Serlis, Celica, and Sigurd also for FE13 also.-- http://i1116.photobucket.com/albums/k576/DigiPen92/ChromLordFE13MapIconpng_zps2c4cf18b.png King Marth 64 (talk • other wikis • blogs) 06:45, January 6, 2013 (UTC)
- Oh, ok. Right. I don't consider the Super Smash Bros. series as the authority on FE, though (Ettard/Alondite mix up et al). Similar to Nintendo Power. Otherwise, Rutger, Dieck et al would be elsewhere, Zigludo would be Sigurd's name (yikes), and FE6 would be called The Binding Blade (...), but they aren't. Thank goodness for that.--Aivass Remurias (talk) 07:24, January 6, 2013 (UTC)
- The SSB series is inconsistent, either way. They called FE6 Sword of Seals in Meelee, if I recall.
- >.>
- Heee, I'm the only one that didn't like Iris, aren't I? ._.
- To be completley honest, the only name change I don't like it Emmeryn. It still looks like gibberish to me.
- And I don't think they would've called Sol Sol anyway, as they probably don't want skill names to be shared with characters. (Not a big issue, but I could still see it being a reason.)
- I really like the Nene idea, but I dunno. I think they may rename her something else entirely.
- -shrug-L95 (talk) 17:00, January 6, 2013 (UTC)
- Yeah, I definitely hear you on the naming of Sol. But Sort? That might be fine for Japan, but that actually means something completely different when romanized. Nene is kind of like theme naming with Nono. When the names are spoken, they both sound like denial.--Aivass Remurias (talk) 19:51, January 6, 2013 (UTC)
- Yeah, I think Melee does call FE6 Sword of Seals. I kind of think Sword of Seals > Sealed Sword (close second) > Binding Blade (distant third). Brawl calls it Binding Blade, so that's what I was referrring to.--Aivass Remurias (talk) 04:13, January 7, 2013 (UTC)
Post-Localization[]
In light of the complete NA localization, let me open the floor with a chance to discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly (and the awesome for good measure). And the meh, why not? Bear with me, I usually don't get an opportunity to post candidly like this. And while you'd think it'd go without saying, these are purely opinions, nothing more.
One of the underlying themes of the FE series was character development, what with perma-death to the Love System to support conversations, to high attention to character-driven plots, and of course, the Dual System. Not to mention that FE can have some of the most memorable personalities (at least for me) in video games, if one wishes to explore them, in contrast (but not to detract from) generic, blank-slate everymen like Mario and Link. It works for the solitary adventure premise, but not when you command an army of characters lesser than that of, say, Advance Wars.
It's fair to say many players love a good story, but characters are an important building block in attaining that.
Posting like this evokes the question "what's in a name?" to me. In FE, where characters are a bit more emphasized as individuals, the answer to that question is "quite a bit, in fact."
So fire away. I was going to make a large list, but it was too much work for an opinion piece. I will say that changing the Dark Warlords to Deadlords and changing all of their names was a not their finest decision.--Aivass Remurias (talk) 07:47, February 17, 2013 (UTC)