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Anima

From Fire Emblem Wiki, your source on Fire Emblem information. By fans, for fans.
(Redirected from Anima (magic))
For the affinity, see Anima (affinity).
Nino casting Fimbulvetr, a powerful ice-based anima spell, in Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade.

Anima magic or nature magic (Japanese: reason) 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 four types of magic: fire, thunder, wind, and ice.[2][3]

The anima weapon category in and of itself exists only in the three Game Boy Advance Fire Emblem games: The Binding Blade, The Blazing Blade and The Sacred Stones. Otherwise, anima magic exists primarily as its three subcategories—fire, thunder, and wind (ice being rolled into 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 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 four 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

Weapon Available in: Notes
FE01 FE02 FE03 FE04 FE05 FE06 FE07 FE08 FE09 FE10 FE11 FE12 FE13 FE14 FE15 FE16 FE17
Fire Classified as fire, black magic, or a tome in other games.
Thunder Classified as thunder, black magic, or a tome in other games.
Fimbulvetr Classified as a tome or black magic in other games.
Elfire Classified as fire or a tome in other games.
Aircalibur Deals bonus damage to flying units.
Unused in The Sacred Stones under the name "Alacalibur".
Bolting Extended range, cannot be countered.
Classified as thunder or black magic in other games.
Forblaze +5 resistance when equipped.
Exclusive to Athos in Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade.
Giga Excalibur --
Excalibur Classified as black magic or a tome in other games.
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

  • The North American manual for Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade claimed that the anima category contains rain-related magic, which does not exist in any Fire Emblem game.[4] The equivalent Japanese text says "ice" instead of "rain", and it presumably refers to Fimbulvetr.[2] This was corrected in the manual of The Sacred Stones, which replaces "rain" with "ice".[3]

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 level, and weapon help descriptions in The Sacred Stones.
• This name is used only in help descriptions of weapons in The Blazing Blade.

Japanese

"Reason", "natural order". The Binding Blade's manual prescribes the ri reading of the kanji, while the manuals of The Blazing Blade and The Sacred Stones prescribe the kotowari reading. The Binding Blade's in-game text, however, also prescribes the kotowari reading.

Spanish

Ánima

Anima

French

Nature

As above.

German

Natur

Nature

Italian

Anima

As above.

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: The Blazing Blade
  2. 2.0 2.1 "とは、ほのおかみなりかぜこおりほうのことをします。" — Manual, page 55, Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade
    "ことわり」とは、ほのおいかずちかぜこおりほうします。" — Japanese manual, page 31, Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade
    "ことわり」とはほのおかみなりかぜこおりほうします。" — Japanese manual, page 37, Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
  3. 3.0 3.1 "Anima is made up of fire, thunder, wind, and ice." — North American manual, page 39, Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
  4. "Anima is made up of fire, thunder, wind, and rain." — North American manual, page 35, Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade

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 --