Maria

"I’m just...sick of being helpless. I’ve burdened you long enough. How can I ever help you if you don’t give me a chance to be strong? I’m staying here and fighting! No protesting!"

- Maria to Minerva in Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon

Maria (マリア Maria) is a playable character in Fire Emblem: Ankoku Ryū to Hikari no Tsurugi, Mystery of the Emblem, Shadow Dragon, and Shin Monshō no Nazo ~Hikari to Kage no Eiyū~. She is the youngest member of the royal family of Medon and the younger sister of Michalis and Minerva. She is also a Cleric who becomes a hostage to secure Medon's allegiance with Doluna.

War of Shadows
Before the war, Maria lived in peace in Medon, which was quiet and prosperous. She adored her father and older siblings, Michalis and Minerva. As Doluna rose to power, Michalis murdered their father, King Medon. According to the designers notes, Michalis said that it was the work of an Akaneian assassin, justifying his alliance with Doluna. Maria was unaware of the true nature of her father's death at the time of Michalis' coronation, and supported him. After Michalis seized control of Medon, he approached Maria, explaining to her that Medon would have faced a crisis if Medon did not become Doluna's ally, and resolves to make Maria a hostage for Doluna. Maria agrees, trying to protect the citizens of Medon for her brother. However, Michalis lied, as his primary reason for imprisoning Maria was to keep Minerva under control.

When Minerva discovered that Maria was taken hostage, she realized that Michalis murdered their father, but is forced to fight with Medon to keep Maria alive. Maria then stays as a hostage in Castle Deil in Grust. According to the timelines, this may have been a period of six years. Minerva continues to serve Doluna and concedes to her superior generals, such as Harmein, and the general of Castle Deil, Zharov, until she decides to lead a revolt against her brother. She sends her subordinate Catria to Marth to request that he rescue Maria from Castle Deil. When Marth releases Maria from her imprisonment, she thanks him and decides that she is going to join him in battle, as she is tired of feeling helpless. After Maria is rescued, Minerva is able to join Marth as well.

When Marth's armies begin to enter Medon. If Maria enters battle with Michalis, he is shocked to see her on the battlefield. Maria then continues to assist Marth and his army until the war is over.

War of Heroes
Once the war ends, Maria travels to Khadein to study there before returning to her Medon to serve her people as a cleric. Once she returns, she helps her brother Michalis recover from the grievous injuries he sustained from battling Minerva, who could not bring herself to kill him. Despite what he has done, Maria still cares about Michalis and she stays by his bedside until he recovers. When Michalis awakes, Maria reminds him of an angel, and he has a change of heart.

Soon after, she is captured by assassins sent by Gharnef. Michalis attempts to rescue her and battles Gharnef, but Maria does not see the outcome as she is hypnotized by Gharnef before the battle ends. As she is of pure noble blood, Gharnef plans to use her life force, along with that of Elice, Lena, and Nyna to fully resurrect Medeus. If the Shield of Seals has not been obtained, Maria and the other kidnapped Bishops come to Marth after Hardin has been defeated and tell him that they have defeated Gharnef with their combined strength. They urge Marth to return to Altea and live with what time he has left. In reality, however, Maria and the other Bishops are illusions, and Maria and the Bishops are sacrificed to Medeus, who revives and takes over the world. If the Shield of Seals is restored, Marth and his army attempt to defeat Medeus, who is protected by Maria and the other hypnotized bishops. As Maria is to be sacrificed to Medeus, Marth and his army are able to intervene, during which Minerva wakes her from Gharnef's hypnosis.

After the defeat of Medeus, Maria likely learns that Michalis has died. After accepting the loss, Maria lives peacefully at Lena's monastery with Minerva and Julian, caring for orphans. In Shin Monshō no Nazo, Michalis can survive, and Maria wishes to talk with him and Minerva after the war.

Appearance
In Fire Emblem: The Complete, Maria wears a blue garb with a short skirt and wristbands, unlike her later appearances where she dons a white dress. Maria is a short girl who wears a golden tiara, but in Shadow Dragon and Shin Monshō no Nazo it appears as a headband. Maria has red hair and eyes like her siblings, but her hair is shorter than theirs.

Personality
Maria has a cheerful and optimistic personality. She loves her siblings, and even willingly becomes a hostage for Michalis. Maria is new to the battlefield, and it is apparent through both Minerva's concern for her and Michalis' shock at entering combat with Maria. Her determination is shown when she states that she wants to become stronger so she will not be a burden, as she strives to be helpful. Maria also desires to heal others and is quite eager to once she is freed and joins the army.

She does all she can to assist her sister and Marth's army in the war, and even participates in encouraging Jake to join them with several other females. This prompts Minerva to say that she is naive, telling her that war is not like the stories of princes and damsels that Maria enjoys, which is supported by Maria calling Marth dashing. Maria counters Minerva by saying that she is sick of being helpless, and she will not leave the battlefield because she wants to stay with her. Additionally, Maria may have something of a crush on Marth.

Maria's benevolent and selfless nature is shown as well when she later nurses her brother back to health, holding no ill will against him, despite his killing of their father and keeping her in jeopardy during the first war. Maria's love for her brother is so great that she does not leave his bedside, desperately praying over him until she cries. Her empathy serves as the biggest catalyst for Michalis’s subsequent change of heart, which makes her indirectly responsible for Minerva's rescue by his hands and his assist in the defeat of Gharnef in the second war. Maria's love for her sister is equally great, as Maria is eager to share with Minerva that she has become a soldier, and Minerva is able to wake her from Gharnef's hypnosis. Maria reveals to Minerva that she genuinely cares about her and Michalis and she just wants her and her siblings to be a happy family again. Despite her incredible benevolence, Maria is, however, still young. She is also honest and outspoken, and her catchphrase is "No protesting!"

Recruitment



 * }
 * Details: Maria is locked in the central room of Castle Deil, so a Door Key or a Thief should be brought to free her.
 * Note: Maria must be recruited to recruit Minerva.

Recruitment

 * Book 1


 * }
 * Details: Maria is locked in the central room of Castle Deil, so a Door Key or a Thief should be brought to free her.
 * Note: Maria must be recruited to recruit Minerva. If she is killed as an enemy, Minerva will begin to attack the player units.


 * Book 2


 * }
 * Details: Maria is adjacent to Medeus's right side.
 * Note: If Medeus is killed while Maria is still an enemy, Medeus may devour her and recover Health Points.

Base Stats

 * -|Book 1=
 * -|Book 2=

Growth Rates

 * -|Book 1=


 * -|Book 2=

Support Relationships

 * }


 * }

Recruitment



 * }

* Maria is the only member of House Medon
 * Details: Maria locked inside a cell in the castle, so a Door Key or a Thief should be brought to free her.
 * Note: As she is only a hostage, Maria is not an active enemy unit - she will not move, talk to Marth on her own accord, or heal wounded enemy units, even if they are adjacent to her. Maria must be recruited to recruit Minerva, and if she is killed as an enemy, Minerva will attack the player units in her range.

Growth Rates

 * -|Cleric=


 * -|Bishop=

Reclassing Options

 * -|Pegasus Knight/Falcon Knight=


 * -|Dracoknight=


 * -|Archer/Sniper=


 * -|Myrmidon/Swordmaster=


 * -|Mage=


 * -|Sage=


 * -|Paladin=

Support Relationships

 * Supports


 * }


 * Supported by


 * }

Recruitment



 * }
 * Details: Maria is adjacent to Medeus's right side.
 * Note: As an enemy Bishop, Maria may heal the dragons in the chapter with her Physic staff, but she will not move or attack. If Medeus is killed while Maria is still an enemy, he may devour her to replenish his Health Points.

Base Stats
*0 as an enemy unit **Dropped if killed.

Growth Rates
Bishop

Reclassing Options (Unused)

 * Note: As Maria is recruited in the Final Chapter, she cannot be reclassed while she still has the opportunity to Level Up. She can be reclassed after the game's conclusion in various modes, and she will receive the bonuses and deductions appropriate for the class, but as she cannot Level in those modes, so her growth rates in these classes are unused. The only way to permanently reclass her is to hack the game
 * -|Paladin=


 * -|Dracoknight=


 * -|Sniper=


 * -|General=


 * -|Swordmaster=


 * -|Sage=

Support Relationships

 * Supports


 * }


 * Supported by


 * }

Overview
In Ankoku Ryū to Hikari no Tsurugi, Maria is comparable to Lena, the earlier Priest, since both characters have nonexistent growth rates for HP, Magic, Skill, and Defense. Maria has marginally better starting stats in HP, Magic, and Defense though, while Lena bests her in Skill, Speed, and Luck. Since Maria joins later than both Lena and Wrys and is rather under-leveled, players may often bypass her. While being more defensive than Lena, Maria is nearly identical to Lena in terms of utility, except for being unable to use Hammerne. However, Maria is noted for having a high growth rate for Weapon Level, which gives her somewhat of an advantage over Lena, as she can gain faster levels for wielding stronger staves; this is all useless however, if Lena already has a high weapon level before Maria joins.

In Mystery of the Emblem Book 1, Maria's growth rates have been slightly raised, possibly to improve her low base stats. Earlier healers are still available, however, and Lena has better base stats. Statistically, Maria has worse Magic, Skill, Luck, and Defense compared to Lena, but superior growth rates for Speed and Weapon Level. Despite her relative weaknesses, Maria can support her sister Minerva whenever she is in range, which can be useful if the player is using Minerva. In Book 2, Maria will most likely be bypassed due to her joining during the last part of the last chapter with poor base stats, although like the other Bishops, she does possess some limited staff utility with her Recover Staff. However, she must be moved to safety or she risks being easily killed by the dragons in the chapter.

In Shadow Dragon, Maria’s growth rates are the best of all the initial healing units that join Marth’s party, with the exception of Elice. However, Maria's base stats are very low, and her weapon level has been lowered from the original two games, so she will end up very comparable to Lena, but with slightly higher Defense, Resistance, and health points, but overall lower combat stats. Her resistance and luck are easily her highest stats, allowing her to take most magical attacks without damage, possibly making her a good candidate for Starlight when promoted, and she will be able to use Aura if her weapon level is high enough. Her Reclassing options are fairly limited though, as Maria's base stats are too weak for offensive combat. Reclassing her can improve her health and defense, but her strength growth will be very low regardless of her class. Maria and Minerva can also support each other. Maria also gains a one-sided support bonus from her rescuer Marth, and gives a one-sided support bonus to Jake. Maria is one of few candidates to use the Aum Staff as she is a Princess, if she has an A in staves. Elice holds this distinction with her, as well as Shiida and Minerva, if they have been reclassed.

In Shin Monshō no Nazo, Maria's base stats have been raised slightly and her growth rates have been raised significantly. However, she is only available in the very last chapter with very low base stats, but she is still a useful healer due to her Physic Staff, which allows her to heal from safety. Recruiting Maria may be useful due to her having an automatic A rank support with both Minerva and Michalis, if they are to be used in the Final chapter and in other modes. Regardless of whether she is going to be developed as a unit, she must immediately be moved to safety, as she is in danger of being killed by the powerful enemies in the chapter, especially in the harder modes.

Recruitment in Mystery of the Emblem Book 1
"Oh, you are Lord Marth? (Hee, he’s so handsome.) Thank you for rescuing me. Please tell my sister that I’m safe. She will definitely be very happy. Also… I would like to aid you, Lord Marth, by your side. Can I?"

- Maria’s recruitment quote in Mystery of the Emblem Book 1

No protesting!
"Oh! You must be Prince Marth! (My, he’s so dashing!) ...Thank you for rescuing me. Please be sure to tell my sister I am free. She’ll be grateful for the news. Now then. Shall we be off? I’m coming with you, of course. ...No protesting! I wish to help!"

- Maria's recruitment quote in Shadow Dragon

Maria Steps Up
Maria: Sister!
 * Talk with Minerva in Shadow Dragon

Minerva: Maria... Are you all right?

Maria: Fine. Have you heard? Marth made me one of his soldiers! Well... I made him make me one.

Minerva: ...What am I going to do with you? Listen to me, Maria... You cannot stay here. It’s too dangerous. Real war is nothing like your stories of princes and damsels.

Maria: I’m not going anywhere! I want to stay with you!

Minerva: Maria, you’re being selfish-

Maria: I am not! I’m just...sick of being helpless. I’ve burdened you long enough. How can I ever help you if you don’t give me a chance to be strong? I’m staying here and fighting! No protesting!

Minerva: ...Ha ha. Somehow I knew you would say that. All right, Maria. If you feel that strongly about it, who am I to stop you? All I ask is that you be careful. If you need help, you come find me. Understood?

Maria: Of course! Thank you, Sister!

Maria vs Michalis
"M-Maria? What are you doing here?"

- Michalis, if Maria faces him before any other playable character does in Shadow Dragon

Maria Illusion
"The world is safe now. Your highness, please hurry back to Altea."

- The Maria illusion convincing Marth in Mystery of the Emblem Book 2

As an Enemy in Mystery of the Emblem Book 2
"All THOSE... WHO OPPOSE... LORD MEDEUS... MUST DIE..."

- Maria, hypnotized by Gharnef and fought as an Enemy in Mystery of the Emblem Book 2

Recruitment in Mystery of the Emblem Book 2
Minerva: Maria! Please open your eyes. It’s me, Minerva! Be strong!

Maria: Uh... Oh... Minerva, sister... Ahh, Medeus, he...

Minerva: Everything’s alright now, relax. I’m sorry, Maria, for letting you experience all this...

Maria: Sister... I'm scared... so scared. Oh! How is brother? He fought with Gharnef to rescue me.

Minerva: Michalis, he... He’s alright, Maria, don't worry.

Maria: Really? Then, when we return home, will we be like one big family again? That’s great, sister. Oh, I really want to see brother again.

Minerva: Maria...

Regarding Maria
"Later, when I found consciousness, in front of me I saw a crying Maria, praying to the deities. She saved me, by selflessly and tirelessly taking care of me, even though her face was completely in tears. I don’t believe in deities, but at that time she truly looked like an angel. The way I treated Maria, and yet she still cried for me..."

- Michalis, in Chapter 9 of Mystery of the Emblem Book 2

"Michalis’ life was saved by Maria. Maria is a gentle child, unlike me... Even a man like him could be moved by Maria’s gentle heart."

- Minerva, in Chapter 9 of Mystery of the Emblem Book 2

Death Quotes
"Ah... Minerva, sister..."

- Maria’s death quote in Mystery of the Emblem

"Ahh! Sister..."

- Maria’s death quote in Shadow Dragon

Book 1
Minerva's sister Maria

She studied at Khadein and then returned to Medon. As a sister she served her citizens.

Book 2
Minerva’s sister Maria

At Lena’s monastery she cared for the orphans who had lost their parents.

Shadow Dragon
Petit Princess

After studying in Khadein for a spell, Maria returned to Medon to serve her people as a cleric.

Shin Monshō no Nazo ~Hikari to Kage no Eiyū~
Minerva's Sister

Maria cared after war orphans at a convent. The children loved her as a big sister

Ankoku Ryū to Hikari no Tsurugi Manga
In the Ankoku Ryū to Hikari no Tsurugi manga, Maria's role is identical to that of Ankoku Ryū to Hikari no Tsurugi; she is held hostage to force Minerva into servitude, and is rescued by Marth, which allows Minerva to join him. After which, Maria assists with healing along with the army's other clerics for the remainder of Marth's quest.

While being held hostage, Maria responds only to Marth. When she sees a soldier foreign to her enter her cell, she hides behinds the door and waits for him to enter, jumping out from behind the door and hitting him over the head with her staff, knocking him to the floor. This may be a reference to her being an Enemy Unit before being approached by Marth, as she does not know who to trust. Maria also ignores Shiida, as she does not know her, and Marth has to introduce himself before Maria realizes that she is being rescued, which is may be a reference to how Maria is recruited. Maria then, almost immediately, asks Marth if he has a girlfriend; a question he is saved from answering by Minerva's appearance, as Maria runs up to Minerva and hugs her. Maria later assists Lena in healing Cain, but is slightly unnerved by Abel, as his demeanor reminds her of Michalis. Nevertheless, Maria is extremely energetic, and insists on knowing if Marth has a girlfriend, much to Shiida's discomfort.

When Marth and party enter a town, she dons a red dress as a "disguise", but nearly gives away the party's cover with her enthusiasm, which Gordin scolds her for. Ultimately, Gordin and Draug are unable to hold her, and she approaches Shiida, who she addresses as "Big Sister" in hopes of playing with her, catching Shiida offguard with her friendliness. On the whole, in the manga she assists with healing, and is seen the most with Minerva.

Fire Emblem Trading Card Game
Maria appears as a Unit card in Sets 5 and 6 of the Fire Emblem Trading Card Game. She appears as Card 35 in Set 5 as a Cleric and has no stars in rarity, meaning she is a faily common card. In Set 6 Maria is card 70 and appears as a Bishop but only with a staff as her starting weapon, and 1 star in rarity. Her staff looks most like the Trading Card Game version of the Fortify staff, but it holds a striking resemblance to the Aum Staff in its in-game depiction, but Maria can not use the Aum Staff in this appearance.

Trivia

 * In the Event Recap of Shadow Dragon, Maria's recruitment is shown to take place outdoors, a possible mistake by the developers.
 * Maria, along with Lena and Elice, has been both a Priest and a Cleric. While they are essentially the same class, Priests are usually male.
 * In Shin Monshō no Nazo, Maria drops her Physic staff if killed as an enemy, a reference to her only having a Recover staff in Monshō no Nazo.
 * Strangely, in Shin Monshō no Nazo, Maria can only be recruited by Minerva, even if Michalis was recruited, even though he spends the majority of the war searching for her and only wanted Minerva to rescue Maria in his place.
 * In Takayashiki Hideo's novel adaptation of Monshō no Nazo, Michalis is at least 25 years old in Book 2. While Minerva is younger than him, their similar statures suggests that they are not very far apart, but Maria appears much younger, in stature and in facial features, than both of them. Book 2 is only 2 to 3 years after Book 1, where Maria is referred to as a child, and in Book 2 Maria still has a childlike disposition and appearance. Thus, according to the novel, Maria may be at at a very large age difference from her siblings.

Etymology
Maria is an alternate spelling of the name Mary from the New Testament of the Bible, and is the usual form of Mary in many European languages. Its meaning is unknown, but its Egyptian origins suggest loved or beloved, while other theories suggest sea of bitterness, rebelliousness, and wished for child.

Mary is a name held by many people in the New Testament, most importantly the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ. This caused the name to become almost too holy for use before becoming a very widely used feminine name, even appearing as a masculine middle name.

Maria, its namesake, and its alternate spelling Marie, has been a name held by of many Queens in many European countries, including England, Scotland, France, Portugal, Romania, Hungary, Yugoslavia, and Sicily.