Marcus

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

- Marcus in a support conversation with Roy

Marcus（マーカス Mākasu ）is a senior knight of Pherae seen in Fire Emblem: Rekka no Ken and Fire Emblem: Fūin no Tsurugi. In both of these installments he fills the part of the Jeigan 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: Fūin no Tsurugi; if he had died in Rekka no Ken, him being alive later in the chronology of the Elibe saga would have made no sense.

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

Initial Stats

 * Class: Paladin
 * Level: 1
 * HP: 31
 * Strength: 15
 * Skill: 15
 * Speed: 11
 * Luck: 8
 * Defense: 10
 * Resistance: 8
 * Movement: 8
 * Constitution: 11
 * Aid: 14
 * Affinity: Ice

Growth Stats

 * HP: 65%
 * Strength: 30%
 * Skill: 50%
 * Speed: 25%
 * Luck: 30%
 * Defense: 15%
 * Resistance: 35%

Overall
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.

For the first ten or so chapters, he can be a useful human shield, as he borders on invincibility, and can rescue nearly any other unit. If you're careful, you can also use him to weaken enemy units so that your other characters can kill them for experience. You should avoid letting Marcus kill any units for the majority of the game, as he joins you already promoted, and as such gets much less experience than unpromoted characters.

Though many players underestimate him (not without good reason), he shouldn't be completely disregarded even after the beginning stage of the game, as despite his poor growths, he has well-rounded starting stats, and if nothing else, makes an effective filler character on larger maps, and a capable tank against magic.

His HP is nothing special, especially not for a Paladin. His Strength is inferior to Kent and Sain's but on par with Lowen's. His Skill is decent but his speed low, so from chapter 10 on he might not be able to double. His Luck and defenses are OK. He has mediocre stats and growths and a few downsides, but he is still considered to be of the Oifey Archetype.

Initial Stats

 * Class: Paladin
 * Level: 1
 * HP: 32
 * Strength: 9
 * Skill: 14
 * Speed: 11
 * Luck: 10
 * Defense: 9
 * Resistance: 8
 * Movement: 8
 * Constitution: 11
 * Aid: 14
 * Affinity: Ice

Growth Stats

 * HP: 60%
 * Strength: 25%
 * Skill: 20%
 * Speed: 25%
 * Luck: 20%
 * Defense: 15%
 * Resistance: 20%

Overall
Marcus is still a great character at the beginning of the game. He can either 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 units such as Lance, Alan and Noah.

Quotes:
Death quote: "Urgh..no..."

Eliwood: "Marcus? MARCUS!!!"

After the battle, if you lost Marcus, the following scene plays out:

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:

Marcus: I'll show you the strength of a knight of Pherae.

Fire Emblem: Fūin no Tsurugi
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　マーカス Chūjitsunaru kiyoshi kishi Mākasu)

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