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“Disguise yourself, get close to the enemy... I am familiar with these duties.”
—Matthew talking to Legault in a support conversation

Matthew is a playable character in Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade. He first joins Lyn as an enigmatic thief, and is later revealed to be a spy for Ostia. He was in a relationship with Leila before her death at the hands of Jaffar.

Profile[]

Before The Blazing Blade[]

Matthew's life before his employment with the Lycian House Ostia is unknown. Soon after his employment, however, he began a relationship with fellow spy Leila and had a good working relationship with his lord, Hector. He also has a history with the Myrmidon Guy, having saved him from starvation once.

Lyn's Story[]

Matthew is first seen in Chapter 6, where he spies on the group's battle in a residential house in Araphen. When he is unexpectedly visited by Lyn, Matthew turns this turn of events to his advantage by offering to serve as a thief pilfering from the enemy's treasuries.

Later, if Matthew were to visit the house to the southeast in Chapter 7, he will furnish Hector with a report that Lundgren's motives are far too ambitious and could be a threat to Ostia if left unchecked.

In Chapter 8, Matthew temporarily leaves the group to gather intelligence from the surrounding villages. He returns with grim news: Lundgren has petitioned for aid to dispose Lyn and her "traitorous" group of knights. Lyn thanks Matthew for this advice and they push forward to Caelin.

After Lundgren is defeated and Lyn seizes control of Caelin, Matthew mysteriously disappears without a word.

Eliwood and Hector's Story[]

A year later, Matthew's allegiance with Ostia is no longer a secret. In Chapter 11H, he joins Hector in his attempt to slip out of Castle Ostia to rendezvous with Eliwood. As they are about to depart, they are ambushed by a group of assassins deployed by The Black Fang. Together, the pair manage to defeat the assassins, thereafter succeeding in leaving the castle.

Matthew will meet Mark again in Chapter 12, where he reveals the truth of his identity as a spy in the service of Ostia. Alongside Hector, Oswin and Serra, he then joins Eliwood on his quest to search for the missing Marquess Pherae, Lord Elbert.

Later in Chapter 15E/16H, Matthew encounters Lyn again, where he very clumsily attempts to slip past her when she recognizes him. He accidentally lets slip his identity as a spy and in an attempt to divert her attention from him, reminds her of the battle to retake Caelin at hand.

In Chapter 16E/17H, Matthew crosses paths with Leila, who had conscripted herself into the Black Fang. She passes on intelligence relating to Nergal and his morphs, as well as the status of Elbert and Darin. At this point, Matthew proposes to Leila in an impromptu fashion, and before she can respond, makes a quick departure.

When the army reaches the Dread Isle in Chapter 18E/19H, they stumble upon the mangled body of Leila. Beset by grief, Matthew, in a display of self-restraint, quietly requests leave to give her a proper burial. Against Hector's protests, Matthew later rejoins the army when they enter battle with Uhai, dedicating his continued persistence to Leila.

When Nergal and his morphs are later defeated, Matthew resumes his service as a spy of Ostia, motivated by the memory of his beloved Leila. Depending on his supports, Matthew could come to develop feelings for Serra. Though not explicitly stated, Matthew is implied to marry Serra, her presence slowly easing the pain of losing Leila.

Personality[]

Matthew's demeanor is cheerful and optimistic at best, rarely ever set back by the situations at hand, no matter how dire they may be. Carrying an air of aloofness about him, he usually tends to give sarcastic responses veiled in faux joy to most threats and conversations thrown at him, with Hector and Oswin generally being on the receiving end of his smarminess. Despite this seemingly gung-ho attitude of Matthew, he is resolutely loyal to Hector, willing to go the extra mile to help shoulder any burdens that his lord may secretly be holding.

Matthew adopts a more serious and solemn attitude following Leila's death. This extends to him developing a hatred for the Black Fang, inducing him to react with excessive outrage when Jaffar confesses to murdering Leila.

In-Game[]

The Blazing Blade[]

Description: A cheery thief. His casual demeanor belies his skill.

Base Stats[]

Starting ClassAffinity
FE8 Thief Map Sprite ThiefGBAWind Wind
LevelHPStrSklSpdLckDefResConMov
218441123076
WeaponStarting Items
Sword Sword - DIronswordIron Sword
LockpickLockpick

Growth Rates[]

HP S/M Skl Spd Lck Def Res
75% 30% 40% 70% 50% 25% 20%

Promotion Gains[]

Item Required Promoted Class
Fellcontract Fell Contract FE8 Assassin Map Sprite Assassin
1 +3 +1 +0 +0 +2 +2 +0 +0

Supports[]

See also: Matthew/Supports

Overall[]

Secret Book (Artwork)
Subjective: The following part of this article is based upon the editor's personal experiences and opinions, and therefore may not be applicable for all readers.

As with all Thieves and Assassins, Matthew will easily cap Speed and also possesses slightly subpar Skill but good Luck, but his Luck and Skill bases are rather low. Still, his potential in Speed and Luck is usually good enough that he is rarely put in danger from attacks, direct or otherwise. The biggest problem Matthew suffers from, like most units of this class, is Strength and, as he himself states in a support with Serra, he "does not get into brawls." He also promotes very late, as the Fell Contract is not available until Chapter 26xE/28xH.

Generally, Matthew should be used primarily for stealing and finding treasure, so his growths are mostly irrelevant, though it doesn't hurt to have him pick off a kill here and there.

Fire Emblem Awakening[]

SpotPass[]

Starting Class
FE13 NPC Generic Thief (M) Map SpriteThief
LevelHPStrMagSklSpdLckDefResMov
173013211219826+1
SkillsWeaponStarting Items
Picklock (FE13)Locktouch
Movement +1Movement +1
Wrath (FE13)Wrath
SwordIconFE13Sword - CSteel Sword FE13 IconSteel Sword*

*Enemy only, joins unequipped

Fire Emblem Engage[]

Bond Ring[]

Hero from beyond Elyos who served House Ostia as a spy. Forms connections easily with his cheerful and open demeanor. Though he seems scatterbrained, he always sees his missions through.
Bond Ring Matthew
FE17 C Rank Bond RingC Rank Spd +1
FE17 B Rank Bond RingB Rank Spd +1 Lck +1
World FE17 A Rank Bond RingA Rank HP +2 Spd +1 Lck +1
Lyn Emblem Ring Lady of the Plains FE17 S Rank Bond RingS Rank HP +2 Spd +2 Lck +1

Fire Emblem Heroes[]

Faithful Spy
Happy-go-lucky spy who's actually quite sly. Serves Hector, brother of the Marquess of Ostia. Appears in Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade.

Base Stats[]

Rarity:
✯✯
Heroes Matthew Sprite (2*)Title
Faithful Spy
Group
Heroes Infantry Infantry
LevelHPAtkSpdDefRes
1
40
15
34
5
20
9
28
4
23
3
13
SkillsWeapon
FEH skill offense Iron DaggerFEH Dagger Dagger
✯✯✯
Heroes Matthew Sprite (3*)Title
Faithful Spy
Group
Heroes Infantry Infantry
LevelHPAtkSpdDefRes
1
40
15/16/17
34/37/40
4/5/6
19/22/25
8/9/10
27/30/33
4/5/6
23/26/29
3/4/5
12/15/18
SkillsWeapon
FEH skill offense Steel DaggerFEH Dagger Dagger
✯✯✯✯
Heroes Matthew Sprite (4*)Title
Faithful Spy
Group
Heroes Infantry Infantry
LevelHPAtkSpdDefRes
1
40
15/16/17
35/38/41
5/6/7
21/24/27
9/10/11
29/32/35
4/5/6
24/27/30
3/4/5
13/16/19
SkillsWeapon
FEH skill offense Rogue Dagger
FEH skill support Reciprocal Aid
FEH Dagger Dagger
✯✯✯✯✯
Heroes Matthew Sprite (5*)Title
Faithful Spy
Group
Heroes Infantry Infantry
LevelHPAtkSpdDefRes
1
40
16/17/18
38/41/44
5/6/7
22/25/29
9/10/11
31/34/37
5/6/7
27/30/33
4/5/6
14/18/21
SkillsWeapon
FEH skill offense Rogue Dagger
FEH skill support Reciprocal Aid
FEH Dagger Dagger
Resplendent ✯✯✯✯✯
Resplendent Matthew Heroes spriteTitle
Faithful Spy
Group
Heroes Infantry Infantry
LevelHPAtkSpdDefRes
1
40
18/19/20
40/43/46
7/8/9
24/27/31
11/12/13
33/36/39
7/8/9
29/32/35
6/7/8
16/20/23
SkillsWeapon
FEH skill offense Rogue Dagger
FEH skill support Reciprocal Aid
FEH Dagger Dagger

Skills[]

TypeNamePrerequisiteDefaultUnlocked
FEH skill offenseIron Dagger-FEH Star Rarity 2-
Steel DaggerIron DaggerFEH Star Rarity 3FEH Star Rarity 2
Rogue DaggerSteel DaggerFEH Star Rarity 4FEH Star Rarity 3
Rogue Dagger+Rogue DaggerFEH Star Rarity 5FEH Star Rarity 5
Spy's Dagger-FEH Star Rarity 5-
FEH skill supportReciprocal Aid-FEH Star Rarity 4FEH Star Rarity 3
BFEH Poison Strike 1 Poison Strike 1-FEH Star Rarity 3
FEH Poison Strike 2 Poison Strike 2FEH Poison Strike 1 Poison Strike 1FEH Star Rarity 4
FEH Poison Strike 3 Poison Strike 3FEH Poison Strike 2 Poison Strike 2FEH Star Rarity 5
CFEH Hone Spd 1 Hone Spd 1--
FEH Hone Spd 2 Hone Spd 2FEH Hone Spd 1 Hone Spd 1FEH Star Rarity 2
FEH Hone Spd 3 Hone Spd 3FEH Hone Spd 2 Hone Spd 2FEH Star Rarity 4

Overall[]

Secret Book (Artwork)
Subjective: The following part of this article is based upon the editor's personal experiences and opinions, and therefore may not be applicable for all readers.
Base Set[]

Matthew is a Book I launch character, thus is among the first Colorless Dagger Infantry units in the game. Unfortunately, this also means that he suffers from the early introduction stat allocations that would eventually carve out niches to the many successive units of his combinations. Matthew's solid stats include a respectable 34 Spd and a decent physical bulk score of 71. Unfortunately, he trades this off for a pitiful 59 magical bulk score and a low 25 Atk, meaning that he lacks a lot of offensive punch. As a result, Matthew is subpar at best at face value and though he can get some much needed help from Dragonflowers and later his Resplendent Form. Matthew is a high investment unit that can offer some things in return when done so, but hardly stacks up to many other, much more powerful units out of the gate.
Rogue Dagger inflicts a visible Def/Res-5 debuff on the foe he attacks and also gives him Def/Res+5 in return, giving him a little more bulk. Its main downside was the low 7 additional Mt, bringing his neutral total to only 34 Atk. Spy's Dagger is Matthew's new unique Dagger, giving him an additional 7 Mt, for a new total of 41 neutral. The debuff and boost effect is increased to Def/Res-6 and Def/Res+6 respectively. The debuff also targets foes within two spaces of Matthew's foe after combat and Matthew's own allies also receive his Def/Res boost as well if they are within two spaces of himself. When refined, Matthew gains Atk equal to the penalties on his foe during combat. Matthew himself can easily achieve +12 on his own and with a dancer unit. The more debuffs he can get, the better his overall performance is.
Reciprocal Aid allows Matthew to swap HP with an ally, both useful to heal an ally or himself in a pinch or use it to activate skills if needed. When Matthew initiates combat, Poison Strike inflicts 10 non-lethal damage after combat on his foe. Hone Speed grants Spd+4 to adjacent allies at the start of his turn

Counters[]

Matthew's abysmal Atk allows any unit with good Def to shrug off most of his attacks. Raventome users like both Robins, Sophia, and Lyon wall him off easily as they also have color advantage over him. Matthew also needs debuffs on his foes to reap the full benefits of his dagger, thus skills like Harsh Command can depower him even if he or his allies are able to inflict a penalty on his foes. Finally, Matthew is rather vulnerable on his own as he needs a lot of outside help, even if it is just a dancer unit to self-sustain himself.

Skill Inheritance[]

Matthew requires a near overhaul of his entire kit and as many skills to fuel his dagger. Most positional skills work well on him, though Draw Back or Reposition are two of the best skills to use. Moonbow helps solve most of his low Atk problems by ignoring 30% of their Def when it activates. Speed Smoke or Attack Smoke as a Skill C gives Matthew the means to inflict more debuffs onto his foes himself to power up the dagger himself. Attack Speed Menace also works great if accessible due to the increase to his own Atk/Spd as a visible buff. From here, Matthew's options change depending on the final build.
If looking to maximize his offensive power, any skill that boosts his Atk/Spd such as Attack Speed Solo, Attack Speed Push, or Attack Speed Ideal gives him solid boosts depending on their conditions. Speed Defense Tempo, Null Follow-Up, and Desperation gives him the best increases to his raw offensive capabilities, with the first one in particular giving him more debuffs in combat.
Matthew can also try to become more of a defensive wall by adding Close Foil to allow him to counterattack physical melee range units and Vantage can allow him to sneak a kill if his foe tries to attack him when he is under 70% HP.

Meet Some of the Heroes[]

Faithful Spy Matthew
Matthew faithful spy pop01 House Ostia proudly leads the Lycian League. And supporting them from the shadows is their ever-loyal spy, Matthew!
Matthew faithful spy pop02 Matthew first served Uther, the Marquess of Ostia. But when Uther's younger brother, Hector, abruptly left home to go on a journey, Matthew followed him.
Matthew faithful spy pop03 During their travels, Hector and Matthew became entangled in a plot by a group of assassins known as the Black Fang. Things took a much darker turn when Matthew's lover, a fellow spy by the name of Leila, was killed by the assassins…
Matthew faithful spy pop04 Though shocked by what had become of Leila, Matthew remained dedicated to fighting for justice. I'm sure that, somewhere, Leila is watching him with a smile on her face.
Closely Associated Characters
Hector Eliwood's friend and the brother of the Marquess of Ostia. Prefers action to court formality. Matthew's lord.
Jaffar An emotionless member of the Black Fang assassins. Known as the Angel of Death. He is the one who killed Matthew's lover Leila.

Quotes[]

The Blazing Blade[]

Final Chapter: Light quote[]

“Let me handle this! There is much I can do.”
—Matthew

Battle History Quote

“Your tactician skills have won me over.”
—Matthew -B or C tactician ranking

Defeat quote in Lyn's story[]

  • Matthew: Ooh! That's it!
  • Lyn: Matthew!
  • Matthew: Lady Lyndis! Avatar! I don't want to slow you down. I'll pull back for now. Look for me later!

(End of chapter)

  • Matthew: Hey! Over here! You two looking for something?
  • Lyn: Stop fooling around, Matthew. How are your injuries? Avatar and I were worried about you.
  • Matthew: My injuries? Well…that's where we have a problem.
  • Lyn: What? What is it?
  • Matthew: It's my hand. It's been injured pretty badly. I don't think I'll be of much use…
  • Lyn: Really… It's that bad?
  • Matthew: Unfortunately, yes. That's my only wound, though. But a thief who can't use his hands? I'm fired, right?
  • Lyn: What do you want to do?
  • Matthew: I'd like to continue traveling with you. I can be pretty useful off the battlefield, you know?
  • Lyn: As I thought… You are an odd one.
  • Matthew: Odd?
  • Lyn: You can come with us. "Useful off the battlefield," hm? You've piqued my interest.
  • Matthew: I'll not give you cause to regret your decision! Aha! Good times ahead!

Death Quote in Eliwood's/Hector's story[]

“Leila...”
—Matthew's death quote in The Blazing Blade.

Before chapter "The Dread Isle"[]

  • Matthew: I'm back, my lord!
  • Hector: Matthew! Are you sure? You don't have to…
  • Matthew: What are you talking about? Look at this eerie place, this thick fog… This is exactly why you brought me with you.
  • Hector: Yet…
  • Matthew: If Leila… If Leila knew I was shirking my duties, she would never have forgiven me. I'm fine. I will work twice as hard for Ostia in her honor.
  • Hector: I understand… I'm counting on you!
  • Matthew: As well you should, my lord! Tell me, Leila… This is what you'd want, right? You wouldn't want me to give up. I'll mourn for you when our battle is won. I must fulfill my duty. So rest… I promise I will take care of everything.

Heroes[]

Matthew/Heroes Quotes

Possible Endings[]

Lyn's Story[]

Matthew - The Enigmatic Thief
Matthew vanishes after the final battle and his whereabouts remain a mystery.

Eliwood's/Hector's Story[]

Matthew - Thief and Spy
Matthew continued his service as a spy for House Ostia. The memory of his beloved Leila lingers on in his heart.
Matthew and Serra
Matthew returned to Ostia, where he led the network of spies for the new marquess. During this hectic time, his thoughts turned to Serra. Thanks to her, the pain of losing Leila slowly became more bearable.

Non-Canon Appearances[]

Fire Emblem 0 (Cipher)[]

Matthew is illustrated in the trading card game Fire Emblem Cipher with the following cards:

Choose Your Legends Placement History[]

Round Placement Character Version Votes

CYL1 81 CYL Matthew Portrait
The Blazing Blade
3,565
CYL2 256
↓175
CYL Matthew Portrait
The Blazing Blade
912
↓2,653
CYL3 242
↑14
CYL Matthew Portrait
The Blazing Blade
914
↑2
CYL4 258
↓16
CYL Matthew Portrait
The Blazing Blade
530
↓384
CYL5 233
↑25
CYL Matthew Portrait
The Blazing Blade
376
↓154
CYL6 222
↑11
CYL Matthew Portrait
The Blazing Blade
421
↑45

CYL7 198
↑24
CYL Matthew Portrait
The Blazing Blade
287
↓134

Etymology[]

Matthew is derived from the Hebrew name "Mattityahu", meaning "Gift of Yahweh". Saint Matthew, who was originally called Levi, was one of Jesus' twelve apostles. He was a tax collector, and supposedly the author of the first Gospel in the New Testament.

Gallery[]

See main article: Matthew/Gallery.
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