Pegasus
The pegasus (Japanese: 天馬 pegasus), plural pegasi, is a winged horse-like species of animal domesticated by humans in the Fire Emblem series, first appearing in Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon & the Blade of Light and present in every game since. Pegasi are primarily used by humans as steeds to ride into battle, comprising the Pegasus Knight and its various advanced forms, and are one of the series' four flying mounts, along with wyverns, griffons, and kinshi.
Characteristics
Physical appearance
Pegasi are close relatives of horses and have a very similar physical appearance. They are covered with short fur, and feature longer manes and tails, have four hoofed feet, and so on. Unlike horses, for the most part pegasi are only found with white fur and feathers, or rarely white with a cream-colored mane and tail. The only other major color variant of pegasi appears to be black, the color of the pegasi ridden by members of the Dark Flier class.
The exact nature of the biological relationship between horses and pegasi remains unknown in-universe, with characters expressing uncertainty about which evolved from the other.[1]
Unlike horses, pegasi posses wings and the power of flight, allowing their riders even greater mobility. Apparently, they do not fly with their wings, but by kicking the air while reserving use of their wings for gliding.[2] However, this trait is not reflected in Mystery of the Emblem or games from Path of Radiance onward, as in these games, pegasi are shown to flap their wings to remain airborne.
Falicorns
Falicorn (Japanese: ファルコン Falcon[3]) is a term first appearing in Fire Emblem Fates; it is used by Subaki to refer to Pegasi from outside of Hoshido.[4]
Fire Emblem Heroes uses the term to refer to Olivia's mount, appearing to be the one used by Falcon Knights, more clearly establishing what kind of Pegasus it is actually referring to.[5] This appears to confirm that the horned breed used by advanced classes is a distinct type of Pegasus; some depictions in previous games were ambiguous if the horn was actually a part of the Pegasus or a decoration on the Pegasus's armor. Like the standard pegasus breed, Falicorns are known to come in white and black colorations.
It is unclear if falicorns are considered distinct breeds in places other than Nohr, Hoshido, or Ylisse, as the term has not appeared in the dialogue in any of those games, though the Japanese name being derived from the Falcon Knight class implies that it is.
Behavior and habitat
Pegasi are gentle creatures by nature, and unlike horses, they appear to be much more reserved with whom they allow to ride them. They almost exclusively only allow women to command them, though seem willing to cooperate with men if their rider wishes it; additionally, male Pegasus Knights are seen as enemies in Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem. Hoshidan pegasi, however, are more welcoming towards male riders. Pegasi naturally have a very strong resilience against magical attacks,[6] which is often reflected in the resistance stat of pegasus-mounted classes.
Pegasi appear to have a much smaller natural range than the horse, often only being utilized by countries where they occur naturally, like Silesse and Ilia. Judging by the countries they originate from, the species as a whole seems to prefer frigid climates. Pegasi may also have particularly long natural life spans, since Queen Elincia's pegasus partner was the same pegasus once used by her late great-grandmother.[7]
Notable pegasus mounts
- (Japanese: マーニャ Annand): Fee/Hermina's pegasus in Genealogy of the Holy War.[8] In Fee's case, the pegasus is named after her late aunt Annand.
- (Japanese: エルメス Hermes): Karin's pegasus in Thracia 776.[9]
- Huey (Japanese: ヒューイ Huey): Florina's pegasus in Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade.[10] However, the English version erroneously calls this pegasus "Makar" instead in one passage, a mistake not found in the Japanese version.[11]
- Murphy (Japanese: マーフィ Murphy): Farina's pegasus in Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade.[12]
- Achaeus (Japanese: アキオス Achaeus): Tana's pegasus in The Sacred Stones.[13]
- Titania (Japanese: ティターニア Titania): Vanessa's pegasus in The Sacred Stones.[14]
- An unnamed pegasus belonging to Queen Elincia of Crimea, and formerly her great-grandmother, in Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn.[7]
Pegasus-mounted classes
Nine classes in total have used pegasi as mounts throughout the Fire Emblem series. The following classes ride the typical hornless breed:
The following five classes ride the horned falicorn breed of pegasi:
Trivia
- In Lute's support conversation with Vanessa in Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones, Lute says that one legend of the first pegasus involves it being born from the blood a creature that would turn all who gazed upon it to stone.[15] This is referencing Greek Mythology where Pegasus was born when Medusa was slain and her blood was spilled.
- Macedon's pegasi are apparently known for the cheese produced from their milk.[16]
Etymology and other languages
Pegasus
| Names, etymology, and in other regions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Language | Name | Definition, etymology, and notes |
| English |
Pegasus |
In Greek mythology, Pegasus (a singular entity by that name, rather than a species) was a holy winged stallion. Most Fire Emblem titles pluralize the word as "pegasi" though Fire Emblem Warriors pluralizes it as "pegasuses". |
| Spanish |
Pegaso |
Pegasus |
| French |
Pégase |
Pegasus |
| German |
Pegasus |
As above. |
| Italian |
Pegaso |
Pegasus |
| Dutch |
Pegasus |
As above. |
| Portuguese |
Pégaso |
Pegasus |
| Korean |
• 천마 |
• Literally "sky horse"; typically used in dialogue, similar to Japanese 天馬. |
| Simplified Chinese |
飞马 |
Literally "sky horse"; idiomatically, "riding a horse so fast it seems to fly". |
| Traditional Chinese |
飛馬 |
Literally "sky horse"; idiomatically, "riding a horse so fast it seems to fly". |
Falicorn
This section has been marked as a stub. Please help improve the page by adding information.
| Names, etymology, and in other regions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Language | Name | Definition, etymology, and notes |
| English |
Falicorn |
Likely derived from "falcon" and "unicorn" (or simply "corn", from the Latin cornu, meaning horn). It was initially a term created in the localization of Fire Emblem Fates to distinguish the Pegasi of Hoshido and Nohr, specifically referring to the Nohrian breed, which is presumably that of the Dark Falcon class. Olivia's Sky-High Dancer variant in Fire Emblem Heroes uses the term in reference to her horned Falcon Knight mount, and the Falicorn Horn refers to Annand's mount. |
| French |
Falcorne |
Falicorn; used in Heroes by Olivia, and in the Falicorn Horn accessory. |
| German |
Falkero |
Falicorn; used in Heroes by Olivia, and in the Falicorn Horn accessory. |
| Italian |
Pegaso falco |
Used in Heroes to refer to the Falicorn Horn accessory; Olivia uses pegaso, the same term used to refer to standard pegasi. |
| Portuguese |
-- |
In Heroes, both Olivia and the Falicorn Horn use pégaso, the same term used to refer to standard pegasi. |
| Traditional Chinese |
聖飛馬 |
Holy pegasus (lit. "holy sky horse"); used in Heroes by Olivia, and in the Falicorn Horn accessory. |
Gallery
Clair, a Pegasus Knight, riding her pegasus in Gaiden.
Front to back: Palla, Catria, and Est, all Pegasus Knights, riding their pegasi in Gaiden.
Thea, a Pegasus Knight, with her pegasus, in Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade.
Florina, a Pegasus Knight, with her pegasus, Huey, in Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade.
Marcia, a Pegasus Knight, with her pegasus in Path of Radiance.
Princess Elincia, with her cream-colored pegasus in Path of Radiance.
Sigrun, a Falcon Knight, riding her pegasus in Radiant Dawn.
Shigure, a Falcon Knight, in Fire Emblem Cipher.
Concept artwork of a Falcon Knight and their horned steed from Genealogy of the Holy War.
Concept artwork the Pegasus mount from The Binding Blade.
References
- ↑ "Sully: Huh. When you put 'em side by side, there's hardly any difference at all... If not for the wings, pegasi and horses would look exactly the same.
Sumia: They even eat the same food! Maybe they're cousins of one sort or another.
Sully: It's just odd. How the hell did pegasi end up with wings?
Sumia: I've always wondered how the horses lost theirs.
Sully: Har! I never thought of it that way! In either case, they're strange animals. Although I guess you can say that about almost anything." — Sully and Sumia, Fire Emblem Awakening - ↑ "And did you know that pegasi fly by kicking the air, not by flapping their wings. It’s a common misconception, but wings are mainly used for gliding." — Lute, on pegasi, Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
- ↑ "白夜の天馬や暗夜のファルコンなんかは 男を嫌わないから、" — Subaki, Fire Emblem Fates
- ↑ "They're similar, but they are different breeds entirely. The pegasi of Hoshido and falicorns of Nohr don't mind men." — Subaki, Fire Emblem Fates
- ↑ "My name is Olivia, and from atop my falicorn I'll—Eek! W-wait, don't take off so suddenly! Please land!" — Olivia, Fire Emblem Heroes
- ↑ "It’s common knowledge that pegasi have strong resistance to magic." — Lute, Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Ike: Is that a pegasus?! Where did you get that?
Elincia: He belonged to my great-grandmother. I'm a bit nervous about riding him, but I'm going to try nevertheless." — Ike and Elincia, Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance - ↑ "Heh heh… You call your pegasus Annand?" — Arthur, to Fee, Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War
- ↑ "Then I’ll carry you one at a time on Hermes." — Karin, offering use of her pegasus to aid Leif in his escape, Fire Emblem: Thracia 776
- ↑ "No–! Don’t hurt Huey! Please… If you must punish someone, punish me!" — Florina, to Hector, after Hector was bitten by Huey., Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade
- ↑ bookofholsety and Amielleon, OKAY SO i was poking through the elibe tag here..., Fire Emblem (according to Japan), Published: 2015-02-14, Retrieved: 2015-04-09
- ↑ "Farina: Well, that just about does it... We really showed them a good fight today! Eh, Murphy?
Kent: Ah!!!
Farina: Oh! Forgive me! I didn’t think anyone was there! Murphy, stop flapping your wings!
Kent: I'm... I'm fine." — Farina mentioning Murphy's name after the pegasus startled Kent in a support conversation, Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade - ↑ "Would you like to touch him? Pet his head. Achaeus likes that." — Tana to Marisa, Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
- ↑ "I’m Vanessa. I’m captain of Frelia’s pegasus knights. And this here is Titania. We’re both pleased to meet you, Lute" — Vanessa, to Lute, Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
- ↑ "Different cultures have different stories about the creation of the pegasus. In one legend, there was a monster who could turn anyone into stone. When the monster died, its blood seeped into the ground. There, a pegasus was born." — Lute to Vanessa, Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
- ↑ "Is this... Can it truly be?! From the southern edge of Macedon, a vast ocean away... A cheese crafted from the milk suckled from the sweet, flappy teat of a pegasus!" — Zofian Cheese Lover, Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia
See also
| Races and animals of the Fire Emblem series | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
