Marcus

"Nonsense! I may be old, but I shall not lose to the young ones yet!"

- Marcus in a support conversation with Roy in Binding Blade.

Marcus (マーカス Mākasu) is a playable character in Fire Emblem: Rekka no Ken and Fire Emblem: Binding Blade. He is a senior knight of Pherae. In both of these installments he fills the part of the Jagen type character, beginning powerful but ultimately being outclassed by other units, along with taking an early advisory role to both Roy and Eliwood in their respective titles. He can recruit Harken and support with Merlinus.

In Rekka no Ken if he loses all his HP he will stay out of further battles, instead of actually 'dying'. This is due to his appearance in Fire Emblem: Binding Blade; if he had died in Rekka no Ken, being alive later in the chronology of the Elibe saga would have made no sense.

He makes a brief cameo appearances in Chapter 17 and 18 of the Hasha no Tsurugi manga.

Growth Rates

 * 60%
 * 25%
 * 20%
 * 25%
 * 20%
 * 15%
 * 20%
 * }

Supports

 * Alen
 * Lance
 * Wolt
 * Lilina
 * Roy

Fire Emblem: Rekka no Ken
Description: ''A paladin serving House Pherae. A skilled veteran.''

Base Stats
* Eliwood's Story ** Hector's Story

Growth Rates

 * 65%
 * 30%
 * 50%
 * 25%
 * 30%
 * 15%
 * 35%
 * }

Supports

 * Eliwood
 * Lowen
 * Merlinus
 * Harken
 * Isadora

Binding Blade
Marcus is a great character, only at the beginning of the game. He can weaken down enemies, thanks to his low 9 Strength and Iron Sword in his inventory. He can also act as a shield for weaker units such as Lilina, or he can pull out his Silver Lance to defeat strong enemies. However, upon reaching the Western Isles, he becomes outclassed by the other mounted units (such as Lance, Alan, Zelots, Trec, and Noah).

Rekka no Ken
Depending on how you play, Marcus will be your most or least important unit in the beginning of the game, particularly if you play on Hard mode. If the early maps don't frustrate you, as is probably the case on Normal, he will see virtually no use, but if the early maps prove difficult, he proves his worth as the best resource you have available.

Marcus is your most powerful unit during the most difficult maps in the game, and cannot be underestimated for his relatively inferior growth potential. Allowing him to defeat a particularly large proportion of ordinary units is sub-optimal, but a few early boss kills, a Speedwing, and his natural EXP gain for all the combat he'll be exposed to (even with relatively few kills) will allow him to remain consistently among your better units through midgame, and still able to pull his weight as filler even as the game ends. It would be no hesitation to say that Marcus is the single most important unit in the game; endgame is lenient with even the most suboptimal experience-fed choices, and making the hardest part of the game significantly easier is well worth the minor opportunity cost.

As a Link Arena or endgame unit, his HP is nothing special, especially for a Paladin. His Strength is lower than Kent and Sain's, but slightly higher than Lowen's. His Skill is decent as well, which supports his generally average attack power. However, his Speed is rather low and piled on with his low Luck, this can leave him exposed to double attacks and criticals later in the game. In addition, his Resistance is a few points higher than his Defense (which is slightly below average), which does not help since you still cannot throw him up against bosses like Sonia or Limstella and expect to win.

He's not killing endgame bosses and high-end promoted enemies, but he makes everything else in the game easier. Respect the old dude on the horse.

Death Quote (FE7)
Marcus: "Urgh..no..." Eliwood: "Marcus? MARCUS!!!" After the battle, if you lost Marcus, the following scene plays: Eliwood: "Marcus, how are your wounds?" Marcus: "To be done in by such as these...It's a dishonor...If only I was ten years younger..." Eliwood: "You should rest for a while. You can still help me as my advisor..." Marcus: "I understand. I accept this new duty."

Final chapter: Light quote (FE7)
Marcus: "I'll show you the strength of a knight of Pherae."

Fire Emblem: Binding Blade
Marcus finally retired upon returning to Pherae. Although he tried to live in peace, he could never get rid of the endless stream of aspiring knights begging for his direction. He left his name in history as a great knight who fought with Roy and also as an outstanding teacher to the next generation.
 * Marcus - Loyal Paladin (忠実なる聖騎士 Chūjitsunaru Kiyoshi kishi)

Fire Emblem: Rekka no Ken
Marcus returned to Pherae with Eliwood and, as the head of the knights of Pherae, dedicated his life to training young squires. The merchant Merlinus began working for Eliwood. He and Marcus were fast friends, and when Marcus became the head of military training, Merlinus used his business acumen to deal with all matters financial.
 * Marcus - Knight of Pherae
 * Marcus and Merlinus

Trivia

 * According to a Japanese gaming news website, Marcus landed 38th place on the character popularity poll for Fire Emblem: Binding Blade.