Gordin

"I can fight, sire! If you have a bow I could use, I would be honored to fight at your side."

- Gordin to Marth, Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon

Gordin (ゴードン Gohdon, who is known as Gordon in fan translations) is a member of the Altean Knights. He is an inexperienced archer who enlisted in the military to serve Altea in Fire Emblem: Ankoku Ryū to Hikari no Tsurugi, Fire Emblem: Monshō no Nazo, Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and Fire Emblem: Shin Monshō no Nazo ~Hikari to Kage no Eiyū~. Although Gordin starts off fairly weak and unpolished in his archery, he dedicates himself to improve by practicing under the master Sniper Jeorge after the War of Darkness, eventually returning to his homeland afterward with his brother to assist Marth for the second war.

As the first playable archer in the series, Gordin is usually available from the start in nearly all of the beginning chapters of the games he has appeared in. He is credited for starting the Archetype of a low-leveled archer who joins early on in the Fire Emblem series with poor base stats and only adequate growth rates, but with the potential for improvement, especially after promotion. He is succeeded by similar archers, such as Wolt, Rebecca, and Rolf, among others in the series.

The War of Darkness
A member of the archer division in the Altean Army, Gordin was the youngest of the first generation of Altean Knights. He dreamed of becoming a full-fledged sniper despite his inexperience. During the events of Ankoku Ryū to Hikari no Tsurugi and Shadow Dragon, Altea was invaded by their long-time ally Gra in a surprise attack, and Gordin was captured by their soldiers and held in a prison near the border of the country. Upon learning that Marth and a group of his knights were sighted south of the prison, the captain of the soldiers ordered for a captive to be used as a trap for the Altean prince. Gordin was subsequently brought forth bound and gagged, and ridiculed by the soldiers who had nicknamed him, “Gaggles.” The enemy’s plot was to trick Marth into believing Gordin was an enemy (by dressing him in the uniform of a Gra soldier) and have him assume it was an enemy ambush. They believed it would be provocation to cause the surprised prince to retaliate by attacking the defenseless soldier. Then, once the archer had been killed, they thought Marth would lose favor with his people after they learned that he had cut down one of his own men. Afterward, they would open the north door and lure him out for striking down, before the main force of the Gra army arrived.

Gordin’s death can be prevented though, if Marth noticed the archer was gagged despite being a supposed enemy, and realized something was amiss. Soon after removing his gag, Marth recognized Gordin’s face and allowed the archer to fight by his side. However, rescuing Gordin caused enough delay for the main force of Gra, accompanied by the Sable Order of Knights of Grust, and led by Jiol, to catch up with Marth. Realizing that they were surrounded by the enemy with little chance of escaping or defeating their foes, the tactician Malledus suggested to Marth that they leave a knight behind, dressed to resemble Marth, as a decoy to lure the army away. Although Marth was opposed to the idea of sacrificing someone for his sake, one of the knights nonetheless left for the southern fort and caused the confused army to pursue him. Meanwhile, the disappointed captain opened the north door of the prison, assuming the true prince had run and abandoned his men. If Gordin was not chosen as the decoy, he then joined Marth in the escape to Talys after slaying the men north of the prison and then stayed for several years at the isle with the prince, protected by its people. Subsequently, he participated in the ensuing war against the Doluna Empire and its allies, Gra, Grust, and Medon after the Akaneian League was formed from an alliance between Altea, Aurelis, and Akaneia.

The War of Heroes
It is probable that Gordin became acquainted with Jeorge at some point during the war because after it ended with the Shadow Dragon Medeus’s demise, he went to the kingdom of Akaneia and squired himself to the Akaneian sniper in order to further his mastery of the bow. Under Jeorge’s guidance, he learned how to improve his archery and later returned to Altea after his tutelage was complete, accompanied by his younger brother who wanted to become an Altean knight as well. During the prologue of Shin Monshō no Nazo ~Hikari to Kage no Eiyū~, Jeorge visited Altea to teach Gordin more about archery, though he could potentially become an instructor for the seventh platoon depending on circumstances. If he did become a temporary instructor, he would be subsequently defeated by them and particularly impressed by the aptitude of a certain cadet. Being an archer-captain of Akaneia, he was unable to offer them his personal assistance and instead asked Gordin to aid them on his behalf, to which Gordin complied. Gordin assisted the seventh platoon up until they were were given recognition as fully-fledged knights, and then forced to fight their former ally Katarina, who was revealed to be an assassin sent to kill Marth under the guise of being a trainee tactician.

In the events of Monshō no Nazo, Marth was ordered by Hardin, who had become the emperor of Akaneia when he married Princess Nyna, to send the Altean army to Grust and quell an uprising rebellion. Gordin was one of the knights Marth brought with him on the expedition, along with the rest of the Seventh Platoon. Subsequently, Gordin fought alongside Marth in the future battles against their new enemies, the kingdoms of Akaneia, Aurelis, Khadein, and Gra. In Chapter 8, when the Altean army was escaping from the pursuing Akaneian forces en route to Khadein for temporary refuge, Gordin could potentially encounter his former mentor again as an enemy on the battlefield, where he was guarding a fortress north of the Cashmere bridge. Not wanting to fight nor kill his teacher in a duel, Gordin pleaded for the Akaneian sniper to join their side instead. After mulling it over, Jeorge agreed and decided to lend his power to fight against his country, which he felt had grown corrupt, in order to restore it to its prior glory. Gordin continued to aid Marth in the expedition against Akaneia, and later, the Shadow Dragon Medeus who was being revived by Gharnef. When the era of darkness was finally brought to an end with both Medeus and Gharnef slain, Gordin left Altea for some reason and went to Pales, the capital of Akaneia. He later joined the Akaneian free knights, perhaps because he wanted to help Jeorge, who had formed the group to defend civilians from bandits and thieves.

Appearance and personality
Gordin appears to be the youngest of the Altean knights in the first war, and the closest to Marth in age. His age is stated to be 20 in Book 2 of Monshō no Nazo in Takayashiki Hideo’s novel adaptation, although this is not his stated age in the games, and is depicted to be much younger than Marth in the anime. He has green hair, green eyes, and wears green-styled armor, similar to how the Altean cavaliers Cain, Abel, and Frey wear armor that matches their respective hair colors. In the Fire Emblem Trading Card Game artwork, he is depicted with green armor while as an archer, but as a sniper, he is shown wearing armor that is primarily white with green hems. He is noted to have an especially youthful appearance for his age which occasionally causes others to mistake him as younger than he really is.

In the earlier games, Gordin’s personality was left vague due to his limited lines and minimal role in the storyline. Nonetheless, it can be inferred he is a patriotic character, loyal to both his country and prince as he dutifully fought alongside Marth for the duration of the two wars. He seems to be characterized by a determined attitude as well, which is evident when he followed Jeorge to Akaneia after the first war in order to become more skilled in archery. In Shin Monshō no Nazo ~Hikari to Kage no Eiyū~, Gordin’s characterization was fleshed out in his support conversations with Chris (My Unit), his brother, and Jeorge. In these conversations, Gordin is shown to be a humble, slightly timid, and gentle young man who has little self confidence.

Particularly, during his conversations with Chris, he expresses a longing to carry a dignified and authoritative presence like Jagen, although his attempts to enliven his personality end badly. Gordin explains his desire to change his personality came about because he felt his face seemed too childish, and so others didn't see him as a senior knight of Altea and in fact, assumed he was younger than them. Eventually, he learns to accept himself as who he is, which Chris encourages him to continue to be.

Relationships with other characters
Gordin is shown to have camaraderie with several other characters in the games. He is loyal to Prince Marth and remains so for the duration of the two wars, also being grateful to the prince for saving his life at the start of the War of Darkness. He has a cordial acquaintanceship with Chris, whom he talks to about his self-consciousness and later endeavors to appear dignified in front of.

As a student under Jeorge, the two share a friendly and affectionate relationship and he is frequently teased by the sniper during their support conversations, although Jeorge later tells Gordin that his lack of confidence affects his marksmanship when he hesitates a moment before shooting. His advice inspires Gordin enough to become more confident in himself, which culminates in him finally being able to beat Jeorge in a practice shooting, impressing his mentor in the process. Evidently, Gordin admires Jeorge deeply since he says he still feels inexperienced, and asks for the sniper’s continued support and guidance. Amused, Jeorge compliments Gordin for remaining so pure-hearted even after gaining self-confidence.

Gordin seems to have a particularly tight bond with his brother Raian, which is indicated in Monshō no Nazo by their mutual support as well as in their respective death quotes where they say the other’s name before dying. In their support conversations, he praises the younger boy for becoming stronger compared to when they were at home and encourages him to be less timid around others, although Gordin admits that he is also rather timid himself. He often gives advice to Raian, and watches over him during battles and sometimes while training. When Gordin acknowledges that Raian became more skilled from his experience on the battlefield, Raian tells him that he was inspired to become an Altean knight because of watching Gordin all this time, and he is very glad to hear that from him. His earnestness causes Gordin to become somewhat embarrassed though.

He shares mutual supports with Draug and Norne in Shadow Dragon and Shin Monshō no Nazo ~Hikari to Kage no Eiyū~, suggesting that he has some familiarity with both of these Altean characters, although they neither speak to nor mention each other at all. However, in an illustration of the characters in Monshō no Nazo, Gordin is seen in Draug’s company, and Draug’s hand is on his shoulder, likely meaning the two are, at the very least, good friends. This friendship is evident in the anime as well, as the two are seen together in a scene of episode 1.

If, in Shin Monshō no Nazo ~Hikari to Kage no Eiyū~, My Unit is female, then Gordin can be one of her five potential love interests, along with Wolf, Jeorge, Warren, and Horace.

Base stats
|Archer |1 |16 |5 |1 |4 |4 |5 |6 |0 |5 |Bow |Bowgun Steel Bow

Growth rates

 * 40%
 * 30%
 * 30%
 * 30%
 * 40%
 * 50%
 * 10%
 * 0%

Recruitment

 * Book 1


 * Book 2

Base stats
|Archer |1 |18 |5 |5 |4 |4 |5 |6 |0 |5 |Bow |Iron Bow Steel Bow
 * Book 1

|Archer |5 |21 |7 |7 |6 |5 |7 |8 |0 |5 |Bow |Steel Bow
 * Book 2

Growth rates

 * Book 1


 * 40%
 * 30%
 * 30%
 * 30%
 * 40%
 * 50%
 * 10%
 * 3%


 * Book 2


 * 40%
 * 30%
 * 30%
 * 30%
 * 40%
 * 60%
 * 10%
 * 3%

Recruitment
You can recruit Gordin with Marth in Chapter 1, after unlocking the door. He is weaponless, therefore, before recruiting him, the only way to kill him would have been to attack him first.
 * Normal Mode


 * Hard Mode

Base stats
|Archer |1 |18 |5 |0 |3 |4 |4 |6 |0 |5 |Bow - D |Iron Bow* Steel Bow* * Only in Hard Mode

Growth rates

 * Archer/Sniper


 * 60%
 * 20%
 * 0%
 * 40%
 * 35%
 * 40%
 * 30%
 * 0%

Reclassing options

 * Cavalier/Paladin


 * 60%
 * 25%
 * 0%
 * 45%
 * 15%
 * 40%
 * 35%
 * 0%


 * Dracoknight


 * 50%
 * 20%
 * 0%
 * 40%
 * 30%
 * 40%
 * 30%
 * 5%


 * Myrmidon/Swordmaster


 * 70%
 * 20%
 * 0%
 * 40%
 * 30%
 * 40%
 * 25%
 * 0%


 * Mage


 * 40%
 * 0%
 * 30%
 * 40%
 * 20%
 * 40%
 * 5%
 * 15%


 * Curate


 * 40%
 * 0%
 * 10%
 * 35%
 * 25%
 * 40%
 * 10%
 * 35%


 * Sage/Bishop


 * 40%
 * 0%
 * 20%
 * 40%
 * 25%
 * 40%
 * 5%
 * 35%

Support bonus

 * Supports


 * Supported by

Recruitment

 * Optional recruitment


 * Default recruitment

Base stats
|Archer |5 |21 |9 |0 |7 |6 |5 |8 |0 |5 |Bow - D |Iron Bow* Steel Bow** * Only if he was recruited in the prologue

** Only if he was not recruited in the prologue

Growth rates

 * Archer/Sniper


 * 70%
 * 40%
 * 0%
 * 40%
 * 40%
 * 50%
 * 30%
 * 0%

Reclassing options

 * Default classes
 * Cavalier/Paladin


 * 70%
 * 45%
 * 0%
 * 45%
 * 20%
 * 50%
 * 35%
 * 5%


 * Dracoknight


 * 60%
 * 40%
 * 0%
 * 40%
 * 35%
 * 50%
 * 30%
 * 10%


 * Myrmidon/Swordmaster


 * 70%
 * 40%
 * 0%
 * 40%
 * 40%
 * 50%
 * 25%
 * 5%


 * Mage


 * 50%
 * 20%
 * 30%
 * 40%
 * 25%
 * 50%
 * 5%
 * 20%


 * Sage/Bishop


 * 50%
 * 20%
 * 20%
 * 40%
 * 30%
 * 50%
 * 5%
 * 30%


 * Curate


 * 50%
 * 15%
 * 10%
 * 35%
 * 30%
 * 50%
 * 10%
 * 40%

Note: Only accessible after beating the game on Hard mode or above
 * Alternate classes


 * Knight/General


 * 90%
 * 45%
 * 0%
 * 40%
 * 10%
 * 50%
 * 50%
 * 0%


 * Mercenary/Hero


 * 80%
 * 50%
 * 0%
 * 45%
 * 30%
 * 50%
 * 30%
 * 0%


 * Fighter/Warrior


 * 100%
 * 70%
 * 0%
 * 45%
 * 20%
 * 50%
 * 25%
 * 0%


 * Hunter/Horseman


 * 70%
 * 50%
 * 0%
 * 35%
 * 35%
 * 50%
 * 25%
 * 0%


 * Pirate/Berserker


 * 100%
 * 60%
 * 0%
 * 35%
 * 40%
 * 50%
 * 20%
 * 0%


 * Dark Mage/Sorcerer


 * 50%
 * 15%
 * 20%
 * 40%
 * 30%
 * 50%
 * 5%
 * 30%

Support bonus

 * Supports


 * Supported by

Overview
Gordin is the first playable archer in Ankoku Ryū to Hikari no Tsurugi, Monshō no Nazo and Shadow Dragon. He has the best availability of all archers in these games, but because of his poor base stats and low growth rates, he is commonly considered a mediocre combatant, and not very worthwhile for investing time and effort to train. His starting class is criticized too, because it is viewed as inferior to the Hunter class due to its lower movement and worse starting stats. Nevertheless, Gordin's early availability and free deployment slot in the starting chapters can be beneficial as he can contribute to the team by doing chip damage, even if the player is not planning to use him as a long-term member of their team. Being a ranged unit, he can attack enemies from afar with the Steel Bow equipped, allowing other units to defeat the weakened enemies without taking as much damage themselves. His utility is considerably more useful in the harder modes of Shadow Dragon where most melee units cannot take more than two hits from the buffed enemies at the start.

Statistically, Gordin has fairly good chances of procuring Weapon Level and Luck in Ankoku Ryū to Hikari no Tsurugi and Monshō no Nazo but his other stats will increase less often by contrast. If the player persists in using him however, he will eventually turn out competent after promoting to the powerful Sniper class and gaining its impressive promotional bonuses and improved movement. He can wield the Parthia in the earlier games much sooner than in the remakes due to the ease in gaining Weapon Levels, which may help him with his offensive parameters if the player is fielding him to use. Regardless, many players may pass him up for Castor in Ankoku Ryū to Hikari no Tsurugi and Monshō no Nazo whose better class and stronger growth rates make him a superior ranged unit to Gordin in the long run. His younger brother Raian also has better growths than him in Book 2 of Monshō no Nazo despite having lower base stats, and will eventually surpass Gordin if he is given enough level ups.

In Shadow Dragon, while Gordin’s statistical growths were raised for the most part, his growth rate for strength was strangely reduced, weakening his capacity to inflict sufficient damage. Moreover, Gordin retains the same problems he has from the earlier games, suffering from weak bases and growth rates prior to promotion, as well as losing the ability to potentially wield the Parthia early. He can be reclassed to any other male class in set A if the player desires, but his low base growths tend to limit his versatility. Interestingly, his defense growth was vastly increased than in earlier games, giving him the best physical durability out of all the default archers and comparable to that of a melee unit. Unfortunately, with the advent of the reclassing system, Gordin is now outdone by many other units that are reclassed to the Archer/Sniper class(es), such as the Altean cavaliers Cain, Abel or Frey, the Aurelian cavalier Hardin or any of the members of the Whitewings.

When compared to the optional archer Norne, Gordin has higher base stats, and his growth rates are either equal or best hers in every area except speed and strength. He is viewed as a better archer than Tomas in most games because of his earlier availability and their fairly similar growth rates, giving him an advantage over the Akaneian archer in terms of stats and level, especially since Tomas joins underleveled in Chapter 12. Furthermore, Gordin will usually end up with better stats than Pre-Promoted units such as Jeorge or the two Aurelian horsemen Wolf and Sedgar, although in Shadow Dragon this became obsolete because of Wolf and Sedgar’s boosted growth rates.

In the new remake Shin Monshō no Nazo ~Hikari to Kage no Eiyū~, Gordin’s growth rates and base stats were improved even further than in previous games, giving him a decent chance to be viable and procure better level ups over a continuous duration. He can be optionally recruited during the prologue to gain more experience than if he joins in Chapter 1, although with the other option being Athena, who joins in a better class and with stronger stats, he may be disregarded for her. Additionally, his brother Raian has superior growth rates and earlier availability than him (despite having worse base stats), meaning players may prefer to use him over Gordin instead. Statistically, Gordin’s low base growth for Speed causes it to lag in most classes, although he has sufficient growths in Hit Points, Strength, Skill, and Defense. He has supports with Raian, Jeorge, Draug, and Norne, which may be useful if the player is fielding any of these characters simultaneously.

Archetype
Gordin started the trend of a low-leveled playable archer joining the army early on with weak base stats, but with the potential to improve as a result of having balanced growth rates. These characters tend to have a relationship with a Pre-Promoted sniper and admire them for their prowess, as Gordin does with Jeorge. Similarly, some of the archers that succeed Gordin have green hair as well. Other Gordins include:


 * Paison (FE2, Cellica's Route)
 * Leo (FE2, Alm's Route)
 * Raian (FE3/12)
 * Tanya (FE5)
 * Ronan (FE5)
 * Wolt (FE6)
 * Wil (FE7)
 * Rebecca (FE7)
 * Neimi (FE8)
 * Rolf (FE9)
 * Leonardo (FE10)
 * Ruka (TRS)

Death quotes
"Lord Marth, good luck…"

- Gordin’s death quote in Monshō no Nazo Book 1

"Ryan, forgive me…"

- Gordin’s death quote in Monshō no Nazo Book 2

"Grrrmph…"

- Gordin’s death quote, as an enemy, in the prologue of Shadow Dragon

"Prince Marth… It was…an honor…"

- Gordin’s death quote in Shadow Dragon

Gordin Gagged
Ruffian: You! Inside! Gordin: Grrrmph… Ruffian: Heh. I thought Altea was the great ’ero Anri’s kingdom! Didn’t take more’n a couple of days to break you, now did it, Gaggles? Gordin: Mmph! Arrumph! Ruffian: What’s the matter, Gaggles? Can’t talk cause you’re gagged, Gaggles? Ba ha ha! I’ll letcha in on a little secret. Altea’s little princeling is on ’is way ’ere right this moment. Gordin: ……! Ruffian: Ooh, but sad for you, you look awful dangerous in the uniform… MISTER GRA SOLDIER! Ha! Soon as the prince sees you, ’e’ll say, “Yow! It’s an enemy ambush!”-and that’ll be the end of you. Gordin: Gugrrrmph! Ruffian: Once the prince sticks you like a pig, we get to call him Marth the Tyrant, coz ’e kills ’is own countrymen. Won’t that be an ’oot! Gordin: Rrrmph. Ruffian: So long, Gaggles! Better start prayin’ to your ’igher deity of choice!

Recruiting Gordin
Marth: Yow! It’s an enemy ambush! Gordin: Rrrgmph mrph! Marth: Huh? You’ve been gagged? Here, I’ll get that… Wait, I know you! You’re one of our archers, er… Gordin: Gordin, sire! My name is Gordin. The enemy captured me and left me in this mortifying state. Marth: I see. Well, I’m glad you’re unharmed. But I’m afraid we cannot stay here a moment longer. Stay behind me and- Gordin: I can fight, sire! If you have a bow I could use, I would be honored to fight at your side.

Farewell (Gordin)
"I was dead anyway till you came, sire… If I’m to die again, at least let me die for you. Fortune protect you, sire…"

- Gordin’s farewell quote if chosen as the decoy in Prologue IV of Shadow Dragon

Recruiting Jeorge in Monshō no Nazo
Gordin: Mister Jeorge! Please wait a second! Jeorge: Huh? …Gordin? Long time no see. You appear stronger, but has your archery improved? Gordin: Yes, right now… I am recognised as the finest archer of Altea. It was all thanks to you, Mister Jeorge, that I could become this strong. Jeorge: So? Did you come all the way here so that you could duel with me? Gordin: Wh-what? Of course not! This might sound silly but… Can you come along with us again? Jeorge: …… Gordin: Please! Mister Jeorge!! Jeorge: I already swore an oath to Nyna, but I can’t stand Hardin. He used his might to threaten other countries, and executed anybody who opposed him without question. Akaneia’s army right now is just a bunch of paid savages, with no dignity of a knight. I will draw my bow against my own country, to bring back the Kingdom of Akaneia of old. Gordin, I hope you can pass on my thoughts to Prince Marth. Gordin: Thank you, Mister Jeorge!!

Book 1
He became the pupil of an Akaneian bow knight, and later returned to the Altean Knights, along with his younger brother.
 * Altean archer

Book 2
For some reason he left the Altean knights for Pales. Later he joined Akaneia’s free knights.
 * Altean archer

Shadow Dragon
The Ungagged

Gordin squired himself to an Akaneian knight, to further his mastery of the bow. Later, he returned to Altea with his brother.

Etymology
Gordin is an uncommon spelling of the name Gordon, which was derived from a place name meaning “great hill” or “round hill” from an Old English word. The name is usually associated with Scotland and was commonly used as a surname. Its use as a given name originally began in honor of the British general Charles George Gordon, who died defending the city of Khartoum in Sudan.

Trivia

 * Gordin and Abel are the only original members of the Altean Knights who leave the country of their own accord at the end of Monshō no Nazo and its remake. The rest of the other knights (barring Ruke who resigns, and Draug who is asked to become the leader of Grust's army by Marth) continue to reside in their homeland and serve in the military.
 * Gordin’s bond support with Raian is one of the few support bonuses in Monshō no Nazo that is familial in nature, the others being Maria’s one-way support with Minerva, Yumina and Yubello’s mutual support, and probably Tiki’s support with Bantu as well.
 * In his Trading Card Game artwork, Gordin appears to be holding a Steel Bow as both an archer and a sniper.
 * Gordin has a unique bow named after himself in Shin Monshō no Nazo ~Hikari to Kage no Eiyū~, as does his brother Raian. Both of these bows can be potentially obtained from the clock function on the battle preparations menu. Gordin’s bow has better might than Raian’s, but less hit and usage, although both share the same critical rate of 10.

Gallery
Gordin