Light Brand

Light Brand Artwork of the Light Brand from the Fire Emblem Trading Card Game. Magic-based attack.

Type Sword Wielder(s) Leif First game Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War

The Light Brand (Japanese: ひかりの剣 Light Sword) is a magic sword which was introduced in Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War. It is capable of attacking both at close range and over a distance, and lets its user cast light magic to strike at range. In Fire Emblem: Thracia 776, the Light Brand is Leif's personal weapon which he possesses at the start of the game. Leif's iteration of the weapon works mostly the same as the light brand of the previous game, though it has the additional effect of being able to consume a use in exchange for fully restoring Leif's HP. The sword also gives light weapon experience when attacking at 2 range, though this is irrelevant since Leif cannot use light magic. However, this also means it does not give sword weapon experience at range.

When used to attack at melee range, the Light Brand acts like a normal sword, but when attacking from a distance it casts the Lightning spell to inflict magical damage on the foe, targeting the foe's resistance stat instead of their defense. In Genealogy and Thracia 776 it uses the wielder's magic stat instead of their strength to calculate damage. Conversely, as the Game Boy Advance games do not have strength and magic as separate stats, these games instead calculate the sword's damage using strength, but only with half strength at range, and also doing magic damage at all ranges. Additionally, when attacking at range, the Light Brand is not affected by the weapon triangle for physical weapons and is neutral to lances and axes; in the Game Boy Advance games, it is instead affected by the Trinity of Magic, having an advantage over dark magic and a disadvantage to anima magic.

Stats

In the main Fire Emblem series

Game	Icon	Level	Might	Weight	Hit	Crit	Range	Uses	Worth	WEXP	Other effects and notes
Genealogy of the Holy War		C	12	5	70	--	1–2	50	12,000	--	At 2 range, works as magical damage, counts as light magic, has a might of 14, and has a hit rate of 90.
Thracia 776		Prf*	12	10	80	0	1–2	60	Cannot be sold	1	+10 luck when equipped. At 2 range, works as magical damage and counts as light magic. Can be used as an item to fully restore the user's HP. Gives light weapon experience at range.
The Binding Blade		C	9	9	70	0	1–2	25	1,250	1	At 2 range, deals a fixed 10 damage, becomes incapable of delivering critical hits and counts as light magic under the Trinity of Magic.
The Blazing Blade		C	9	9	70	0	1–2	25	1,250	1	Targets the foe's resistance. At 2 range, reduces the user's strength by 50%, becomes incapable of delivering critical hits and counts as light magic under the Trinity of Magic, and gives no weapon experience.
The Sacred Stones		C	9	9	70	0	1–2	25	1,250	1	Targets the foe's resistance. At 2 range, reduces the user's strength by 50%, becomes incapable of delivering critical hits and counts as light magic under the Trinity of Magic, and gives no weapon experience.
Engage		D	15	6	75	20	1–2	--	100	--	+10 luck when equipped. Works as magical damage.
Engage (Fell Xenologue 6 variant)		D	19	6	85	20	1–2	--	100	--	+10 luck when equipped. Works as magical damage.

In other Fire Emblem series titles

Game	Icon	Type	Might	Range	SP cost	Refine cost	Prerequisites	Unusable by	Inheritable	Other effects and notes
Heroes (refine: Unrefined)			16	1	400	--	Silver Sword	--	✗	Grants +3 defense. If foe's defense ≥ (foe's resistance + 5), user deals +7 damage.
Heroes (refine: +Effect)			16	1	400	500 200	--	--	✗	Grants +3 defense. If foe's defense ≥ (foe's resistance + 5), user deals +7 damage. Grants +3 HP. Grants −1 special cooldown count. If foe's HP = 100% at start of combat, grants +4 each to speed and defense to user during combat.
Heroes (refine: +Atk)			18	1	400	500 200	--	--	✗	Grants +3 defense. If foe's defense ≥ (foe's resistance + 5), user deals +7 damage. Grants +5 HP.
Heroes (refine: +Spd)			16	1	400	500 200	--	--	✗	Grants +3 defense. If foe's defense ≥ (foe's resistance + 5), user deals +7 damage. Grants +5 HP and +3 speed.
Heroes (refine: +Def)			16	1	400	500 200	--	--	✗	Grants +3 defense. If foe's defense ≥ (foe's resistance + 5), user deals +7 damage. Grants +5 HP and +4 defense.
Heroes (refine: +Res)			16	1	400	500 200	--	--	✗	Grants +3 defense. If foe's defense ≥ (foe's resistance + 5), user deals +7 damage. Grants +5 HP and +4 resistance.

Locations

Genealogy of the Holy War

Event	First Generation: Chapter 2, Ethlyn talks to Deirdre
Armory	Second Generation: Chapter 6 (if the first-generation Light Brand was not inherited by anyone)

Thracia 776

Inventory

Leif

The Binding Blade

Inventory	Galle (Trial Map mode only)
Treasure	Chapter 8, chest
Armory	Chapter 23

The Blazing Blade

Dropped by	Eliwood's Tale: Chapter 25 (Jerme version), enemy Jerme Hector's Tale: Chapter 27 (Jerme version), enemy Jerme
Treasure	Eliwood's Tale: Chapter 22, hidden treasure Hector's Tale: Chapter 23, hidden treasure

The Sacred Stones

Event

Chapter 19, end of chapter if 4 or more NPC soldiers survived.

Engage

Emblem Rings

Leif, when engaged (obtained at bond level 15)

Heroes

Method	Data
Unit (★★★★★)	Leif: Prince of Leonster

Other appearances

Fire Emblem Cipher

The Light Brand is present as two slightly different skills on two cards in Fire Emblem Cipher:

• Ethlyn's Light Brand skill (B06-010R Resolute Knightess) is a manual-activation skill which, for a cost of flipping 1 bond card face-down, modifies her weapon type from sword to tome, gives her a +10 attack increase, and increases her range to 1–2. The skill wears off at the end of the turn. It is a Class Change Skill, meaning that it can only be used if Ethlyn has changed class from a base-class card instead of being deployed as this advanced-class card.
• Leif (B10-002R Leader of Leonster's Army) possesses Prince's Light Brand, a manual-activation skill which, for a cost of flipping 2 bond cards face-down, modifies his weapon type from sword to tome and increases his range to 1–2. The skill wears off at the end of the turn. Although it is weaker and costlier than Ethlyn's version, destroying an enemy unit while it is active triggers Leif's other skill, "The Strength to Restore the Fatherland", allowing the player to flip three face-down bond cards of their choosing face-up.

Flavor text

Game	Text (English)	Text (Japanese)
Genealogy of the Holy War	Casts Light.*	＋ライトニング
Thracia 776	Leif, Attack with magic at range Increases Lck Use to heal all HP*	リーフ専用 使うとＨＰを回復
The Binding Blade	Imbued with magic.*	間接攻撃も可能な光魔法の剣
The Blazing Blade	Suffused with light magic.	間接攻撃も可能な光魔法の剣
The Sacred Stones	Suffused with light magic.	間接攻撃も可能な光魔法の剣
Engage	Magical sword wielded by Emblem Leif. Grants Lck+10. Can strike close or at range.	紋章士リーフの持つ魔法剣 幸運＋10/魔法の光で離れた敵にも攻撃可能
Heroes	Grants Def+3. If foe's Def ≥ foe's Res+5, deals +7 damage.	守備＋３ 敵の魔防が敵の守備より５以上低い時、 ダメージ＋７
Heroes (Refined: +effect)	Accelerates Special trigger (cooldown count-1). At start of combat, if foe's HP = 100%, grants Spd/Def+4 to unit during combat.	奥義が発動しやすい（発動カウント－１） 敵のＨＰが１００％で戦闘開始時、 戦闘中の自分の速さ、守備＋４

Etymology and other languages

Names, etymology, and in other regions
Language	Name	Definition, etymology, and notes
English	Light Brand	"Brand" here is an archaic term meaning "sword".
Japanese	ひかりの剣	Light Sword. Written as 光の剣 in Heroes.
Spanish	Espada luminosa	Luminous sword
French	• Fer léger • Épée-lumière	• Light sword. This is a mistranslation, since the word léger means "light" as in "not heavy". Used in The Blazing Blade. • Light sword. Used in all titles except The Blazing Blade.
German	Lichtklinge	Lightblade
Italian	Spada di luce	Sword of light
Portuguese	Espada luminosa	Luminous sword
Korean	빛의 검	Light sword
Simplified Chinese	光之剑	Light sword
Traditional Chinese	• 光劍 • 光之劍	• Light sword. Used in Heroes. • Light sword. Used in Engage.

Gallery

• 

  Artwork of the Light Brand from the Fire Emblem Trading Card Game.

• 

  Light Brand in Heroes.

• 

  Ethlyn attacking at range with the Light Brand in Genealogy of the Holy War.

• 

  Fir attacking at range with the Light Brand in The Binding Blade.

• 

  Citrinne wielding the Light Brand in Engage.

See also

• Lands Sword
• Levin Sword
• Runesword
• Shining Bow