“They forced me to enlist- you know I hate warfare, but it was into the army or onto the chopping block.”
—Matthis in Shadow Dragon.
Matthis (マチス Machisu, Matis in the Japanese version) is a playable character from the Archanea Series of Fire Emblem. The older brother of Lena, Matthis is a character who initially enlists in the Macedonian army against his will, later defecting to Marth's army on his sister's urging.
Profile
Edit
BackgroundEdit
After Lena bluntly rejected the marriage proposal of Prince Michalis of Macedon and departed from the country, Matthis, her older brother, was left to face the wrath of Michalis in the wake of his humiliation. Michalis, in a spate of vindictive hatred, then forced Matthis to enlist in the ranks of the Macedonian army against his will or risk being executed.
War of ShadowsEdit
Matthis makes his first formal appearance in Chapter 4 of Shadow Dragon, where he initially takes up arms against Marth's army. He quickly defects after his sister Lena chastises him for his poor choice, however, eager to escape the oppressiveness of Michalis' merciless command. He then aids Marth in bringing the War of Shadows to an end. Thereafter, Matthis leaves the army in order to lead a life of mundane, boring serenity.
War of HeroesEdit
Matthis reappears in Chapter 3 of Book 2 of Mystery of the Emblem, shortly after Lena is abducted by Gharnef. Once again, he has enlisted in the ranks of the Macedonian army and taken up arms against Marth's army, but will defect when spoken to by Julian, with the intention of saving Lena with him. Matthis then helps Marth to end the War of Heroes, before returning to his former life of idleness.
PersonalityEdit
Like a majority of the cast appearing in Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light and Mystery of the Emblem, Matthis' personality is not very well developed, owing to the minor role that he plays in both games. Based on the few interactions that he engages in, however, one can still determine defining traits that form his character.
Matthis is portrayed as an individual who has an acute distaste for war and violence, preferring to lead a life of idle tranquility. His stints with the Macedonian army are entirely the result of his having been threatened with death should he not comply, and through this, one can determine that he is a rather cowardly and timid person, preferring to preserve his own personal safety and well-being over fighting for the honour of his country. His cowardice is further explicated in his conversation with Marth following his recruitment in Shadow Dragon, where he expresses a rather shameful display of fear of Marth, stuttering in his request for him to withdraw his rapier. Matthis' cowardice in this context is not without a good cause, however, as he reveals that Michalis has this sadistic tendency to deploy the most terrified-looking soldiers onto the front lines and kill those who defy him, leading him to believe that all members of royalty are just as, if not more, cruel.
Despite his flaws, Matthis is redeemed by his devotion to Lena as her older brother, where he constantly expresses concern over her welfare, to the point where he may come across as being rather obsessive at times. Through his base conversations with the Avatar in New Mystery of the Emblem, for one, he expresses frenzied agitation in his worry for Lena's safety, fearing that her abductors are planning "something wicked" for her. Although he comes to resolve to strengthen himself through physical training for her sake, he give up midway through, the result of his inclination to be lazy and half-hearted in the tasks that are either assigned or self-imposed.
In GameEdit
Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of LightEdit
RecruitmentEdit
| Name | Class | Chapter | Affiliation | Recruit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matthis | Cavalier | 4 | Macedon | Starts out as an enemy unit; talk with Lena. |
Base StatsEdit
| Starting Class | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Cavalier
| |||||||||
| Level | HP | Str | Skl | Spd | Lck | Def | Res | Wlv | Mov |
| 2 | 16 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 8 | 9 |
| Weapon | Starting Items | ||||||||
Growth RatesEdit
| HP | Str | Skl | Spd | Lck | Wlv | Def | Res |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 20% | 70% | 20% | 0% |
Promotion GainsEdit
| Item Required | Promoted Class | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knight Crest |  Paladin
| ||||||
| Level | Str | Skl | Spd | Def | Res | Wlv | Mov |
| 1 | +2 | +3 | +3 | +2 | +6 | +0 | +1 |
Fire Emblem: Mystery of the EmblemEdit
RecruitmentEdit
Base StatsEdit
Growth RatesEdit
| HP | Str | Skl | Spd | Lck | Wlv | Def | Res |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 20% | 70% | 20% | 3% |
Promotion GainsEdit
| Item Required | Promoted Class | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Knight Crest
|  Paladin
| ||||||
| Level | Str | Skl | Spd | Def | Res | Wlv | Mov |
| 1 | +2 | +3 | +3 | +2 | +6 | +0 | +1 |
Fire Emblem: Shadow DragonEdit
RecruitmentEdit
| Name | Class | Chapter | Affiliation | Recruit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matthis | Cavalier | 4 | Macedon | Enemy, talk with Lena. |
Base StatsEdit
| Starting Class | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Cavalier
| |||||||||
| Level | HP | Str | Mag | Skl | Spd | Lck | Def | Res | Mov |
| 2 | 20 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 9 |
| Weapon | Starting Items | ||||||||
Growth RatesEdit
| HP | Str | Mag | Skl | Spd | Lck | Def | Res |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 90% | 40% | 0% | 30% | 20% | 30% | 30% | 0% |
Promotion GainsEdit
| Item Required | Promoted Class | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Master Seal
|  Paladin
| |||||||
| Level | HP | Str | Mag | Skl | Spd | Def | Res | Mov |
| 1 | +4 | +2 | +1 | +3 | +1 | +1 | +6 | +1 |
| Weapon Ranks | ||||||||
 Lance +30
| ||||||||
Support RelationshipsEdit
- Supports
| Character | Initial points | Total points for | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | B | A | ||
| Lena | 0 | 5 | 9 | 14 |
Supported by
| Character | Initial points | Total points for | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | B | A | ||
| Lena | 0 | 5 | 9 | 14 |
- To increase support levels, characters must participate in chapters together
- One support point is gained for each chapter they both participate in
- Support levels that require 35 chapters cannot be reached normally
- Characters must be within a three tile radius of each other to receive support bonuses
Bonuses per level:
Fire Emblem: New Mystery of the EmblemEdit
RecruitmentEdit
| Name | Class | Chapter | Affiliation | Recruit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matthis | Cavalier | 3 | Macedon | Starts out as an enemy unit; talk with Julian. |
Base StatsEdit
| Starting Class | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Cavalier
| |||||||||
| Level | HP | Str | Mag | Skl | Spd | Lck | Def | Res | Mov |
| 4 | 21 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| Weapon | Starting Items | ||||||||
Growth RatesEdit
| HP | Str | Mag | Skl | Spd | Lck | Def | Res |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100% | 50% | 0% | 40% | 30% | 30% | 30% | 5% |
Promotion GainsEdit
| Item Required | Promoted Class | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Master Seal
|  Paladin
| |||||||
| Level | HP | Str | Mag | Skl | Spd | Def | Res | Mov |
| 1 | +4 | +2 | +1 | +3 | +1 | +1 | +6 | +1 |
| Weapon Ranks | ||||||||
| Lance +30
| ||||||||
Support RelationshipsEdit
- Supports
| Character | Conversations | Total points for | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | B | A | ||
| Lena | None | 0 | - | - |
- Supported by
| Character | Conversations | Total points for | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | B | A | ||
| The Avatar | 1, 2, 3 | 5 | 11 | 18 |
| Julian | None | 5 | 11 | 18 |
| Lena | None | 0 | - | - |
- To increase support levels, characters must participate in chapters together
- One support point is gained for each chapter they both participate in
- A hyphen (-) indicates the support level cannot be reached
- Characters must be within a three tile radius of each other to receive support bonuses
Bonuses per level:
Support ConversationsEdit
| Number | Importance | Name | Chapters Needed | Reward |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 118 | * | Matthis and the Avatar 1 | 3 | - |
| 119 | * | Matthis and the Avatar 2 | 6 | - |
| 120 | * | Matthis and the Avatar 3 | 10 |  Strength Bond
|
- To obtain the conversations, characters must participate in chapters together
- The requirements for unlocking support conversations are separate from the support bonus system
OverallEdit
Matthis is a character who is easy to overlook, but he can turn out to be a passable unit. He is moulded after an armoured knight instead of a Paladin, as his strongest stats consist of HP, Strength, and Defence. On the contrary, his Skill and Speed can fall behind quite a bit, and must be compensated for with the aid of a Secret Book and a Speed Ring. Classes of interest for reclassing include the Archer and the Dracoknight; Archer trades some Strength and Skill for more Speed; while the Dracoknight's growths are a little lower by contrast, Matthis can put his Lance mastery level to good use. All in all, Matthis is not the best unit available for use, but he does have several merits worth considering.
EndingEdit
Fire Emblem: Mystery of the EmblemEdit
Book 1Edit
Macedonian Noble
"He retired from the army and, in Macedon, casually passed his days."
Book 2Edit
Foolish Brother
"He continued passing his days casually working in Macedon."
Fire Emblem: Shadow DragonEdit
Dashing Noble
"Matthis left the army in favor of a dull and predictable life in Macedon: to him, bliss."
Fire Emblem: New Mystery of the EmblemEdit
Wayward Brother
"Matthis continued to while away his life in Macedon-his idyllic life."
QuotesEdit
Recruit conversationEdit
Lena: Matthis! Is that you, Brother? It's me, Lena.
Matthis: Lena?! What are you doing on a battlefield?
Lena: I was attacked by bandits in the Teeth while tending to the sick there, and these people saved me. The real question is, what are YOU doing on battlefield-least of all this one!
Matthis: I'm not here by choice, sister of mine. Since you left, Macedon has only gotten worse and worse. They forced me to enlist- you know I hate warfare, but it was into the army or onto the chopping block.
Lena: Shame on you, Matthis. If you're going to fight, then at least fight for something you believe in. Macedon has done terrible things: marrying their might to Doluna, helping them torment people... Brother, it's not too late. You could join Altea's forces. They're good people, you know. Prince Marth would welcome you. They all would.
Matthis: All right, then. If I'm going to die, I'd rather die as one of the dashing than one of the dastardly. You know, Lena, you always were the reliable one. And now you're all grown up... I thought for sure you'd have already settle down with your one true love.
Lena: T-true love? I've...I've met not such man, Matthis.
Matthis: Hmm, is that so? I'll bet you haven't... Well, you just be careful. There are plenty of thieves out there who would steal a girl's heart.
Battle quote as an enemyEdit
“Lena...Where are you? What I would give to hear your voice just once before I die...”
—Matthis battle quote as an enemy
Death QuoteEdit
“Lena, forgive your fool of a brother...”
—Matthis's death quote in Shadow Dragon.
TriviaEdit
- In the manga adaptation of the first game, Matthis is an expert tactician.
- Matthis shares his portrait with Vyland in the first game.
GalleryEdit
.png "Matthis (Artwork).png (213 KB)")
