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Anima

From Fire Emblem Wiki, your source on Fire Emblem information. By fans, for fans.
Revision as of 22:05, 25 August 2016 by PikaSamus (talk | contribs) (Undo revision 95278 by PikaSamus (talk))
Nino casting Fimbulvetr, a powerful wind-based anima spell, in Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade.

Anima magic or nature magic (Japanese: 理魔法 elemental magic) is a weapon category in the Fire Emblem series and one of its three primary types of offensive magic. This magical discipline is centered around communion with and mastery of the forces of nature itself, is chiefly associated with Mages and Sages, and its structure and approach to spell-casting is described by Canas as being elegant and refined with a sense of freedom to it.[1] Anima magic can be further divided into three types of magic: fire, thunder and wind (which in turn includes ice-based magic such as Rexcalibur).

The anima weapon category in and of itself exists only in the three Game Boy Advance Fire Emblem games: The Binding Blade, Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade and The Sacred Stones. Otherwise, anima magic exists primarily as its three subcategories - fire, thunder and wind - in Genealogy of the Holy War, Thracia 776, Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn. In the Game Boy Advance games, the anima hierarchy is comprised of a selection of tomes from all three of its subcategories, and statistically are differentiated from the rival schools of light and dark magic by the average stats of each anima tome: anima tomes are balanced in their might, weight and hit and thus are fairly simple and straightforward to use, in this regard being something of a magical counterpart to lances.

Both as its own weapon category and in the form of its three separate subcatagories, anima magic is affected by the trinity of magic determining weapon type superiority. In the Game Boy Advance games and Radiant Dawn, all anima spells share the same Trinity relationship with light and dark magic: anima spells have an advantage over light spells, but are disadvantaged against dark spells. Additionally, the three subcategories are governed by their own trinity structure in Genealogy, Thracia 776, Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn: wind beats thunder, thunder beats fire, and fire beats wind. In Radiant Dawn, both Trinities of Magic come into play simultaneously for anima magic.

Anima magic in the Fire Emblem series

Note: This table lists all appearances of the weapons in question. They are only classified solely as anima magic in The Binding Blade, Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade, and The Sacred Stones; only their special properties relevant to their appearances solely as anima are listed, and their classifications in other games are noted.


Weapon Available in: Notes
FE01 FE02 FE03 FE04 FE05 FE06 FE07 FE08 FE09 FE10 FE11 FE12 FE13 FE14 FE15 FE16 FE17
Aircalibur --
Bolting --
Elfire --
Excalibur --
Fimbulvetr --
Fire --
Forblaze --
Thunder --
A means that the weapon is available in that game, while a indicates the contrary.

Classes capable of using anima magic

There are 8 different classes which have been able to wield anima magic as a distinct weapon type at any point in the series.


Class Wields anima magic in: Notes
FE01 FE02 FE03 FE04 FE05 FE06 FE07 FE08 FE09 FE10 FE11 FE12 FE13 FE14 FE15 FE16 FE17
Mage --
Sage --
Valkyrie --
Archsage --
Dark Druid --
Pupil --
Mage Knight --
Druid --
A means that the class wields anima magic in that game, while a indicates the contrary.

Trivia

  • Although it is actually comprised only of fire, thunder and wind spells in the games themselves, the North American manual for Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade claimed that the anima category also contains rain-related magic, which doesn't exist in any Fire Emblem game.[2]

Etymology and other languages

Names, etymology, and in other regions
Language Name Definition, etymology, and notes
English

• Anima
• Nature

• Latin: life. This name is used in dialogue, the help description of the weapon rank, and weapon help descriptions in The Sacred Stones.
• This name is used only in help descriptions of weapons in Fire Emblem.

Spanish

Ánima

Anima

French

Anima

Anima

German

Natur

Nature

Italian

Anima

Anima

References

  1. "Canas: ...Ahh, anima magic is quite wondrous... Its polished magic system and refined theory are quite elegant...
    Nino: Oh yeah?
    Canas: My wife and I are magic users like yourself. When I look at one of my wife's tomes, it truly lightens my heart... Anima is the magic of nature... This communion with the spirit of all things unleashes the heart. This magic makes us feel free...
    " — Canas and Nino, Fire Emblem: Blazing Sword
  2. "Anima is made up of fire, thunder, wind, and rain." Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade North American manual, page 35. (Page 39 of the The Sacred Stones manual has a similar note, but with ice (considered part of wind magic) replacing the non-existing rain one.)

See also

Weapon types
Physical weapons ArtAxeBow (Ballista)CannonballGauntletsDaggerLanceSword
Magical weapons Anima (FireThunderWind)Black magicDarkLightStaffTome (Blue tomeColorless tomeGreen tomeRed tome)White magic
Other weapons BreathCrest StoneSpecialStoneStrike, beast, and monster weapons
Anima magic
Fire magic Thunder magic Wind magic Unclassified tomes
Basic tomes ArcfireBolganoneElfireFire ArcthunderElthunderThoronThunder ArcwindElwindTornadoWind ElfireFimbulvetrFireThunder
Long-range tomes Meteor Bolting Blizzard Bolting
Regalia and personal tomes CymbelineRexflameValflame Dire ThunderMjölnirRexbolt ForsetiGrafcaliburRexcalibur ExcaliburForblazeGiga Excalibur
Tomes with secondary effects -- -- -- Aircalibur
Others Fire Tail Thunder Tail VortexWind Tail --