Starsphere

Starsphere
Official artwork of the Star Orb from the TCG.
First Seen	Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light
Item Type	Sphere
Effect	Varies
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“Raises all stats by 2 when held.”
—In-game description, Shin Monshō

Starsphere (星のオーブ Hoshi no ōbu, lit. Star Orb) is a special item that debuts in Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light. One of five spheres possessed by the Divine Dragon clan, the Starsphere is integral to assembling the complete Binding Shield, and is positioned in the top-right alcove of the shield. The Starsphere is, alongside the Lightsphere, also one of two items necessary to craft the sacred tome, Starlight.

In Awakening, the Starsphere assumes a new name, Azure (蒼炎 Souen, lit. Blue Flame).

In Mystery of the Emblem and its remake, it is revealed that the Starsphere shatters into twelve shards after the Starlight tome is forged during the War of Shadows. These shards, known as the Starsphere Shards, each represent a different zodiac constellation and are gathered by Marth during the War of Heroes.

In all games but the DS remakes (in which it and the Geosphere's colors were switched), the Starsphere has been consistently coloured blue. In the artwork portrayal of the Shield in Awakening, Azure's place on the Binding Shield is accompanied by the inscription "blue frame orb starry heavens," poorly transliterated text that is certainly intended to be "Blue Flame Orb, Starry Heavens."

Background

In Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light and its remake, the Starsphere is first mentioned at the end of Chapter 15. After succeeding in fighting his way into the city of Khadein, Marth meets the apparition of Gotoh, who urges him to locate both the Lightsphere and the Starsphere in order for him to be able to craft the Starlight tome. Marth eventually succeeds in retrieving the Starsphere from a Chest in the Fane of Raman in Chapter 19, alongside the Lightsphere and the Geosphere. Later in Chapter 22, the Starsphere, along with the Lightsphere, is presented to Gotoh in a Village, allowing for the Starlight tome to be forged. The tome is then employed to nullify the negating effect of Gharnef's Imhullu tome and thereafter defeat him in Chapter 23.

The Starsphere is later mentioned at the end of Chapter 6 of Mystery of the Emblem and its remake, where Wendell informs Marth that the Starsphere had shattered into twelve shards, the result of it not being able to withstand the strain exerted on it when it was used to craft the Starlight tome. Entrusted with the task of recovering the shards, Wendell initially succeeded in locating some of the shards, but lost possession of them when he was captured by Archanea's forces and had his collection ransacked thereafter. He then urges Marth to aid him in locating all the missing shards in order to restore the Starsphere, highlighting the catastrophe that could ensue from the loss of even one of the five arcane spheres of yore. Should Marth succeed in gathering all the missing shards hidden across the chapters leading up to Chapter 14, Gotoh will then restore the Starsphere in the Ice Dragon Temple. With the Starsphere on hand, Marth is permitted to reunite with Tiki, thereafter enlisting her into his army. Alongside its other sphere counterparts, the Starsphere is later slotted into its allotted alcove on the Binding Shield following Hardin's fall in Chapter 20. With the assembled Binding Shield on hand, Marth will charge towards the dominion of Medeus to rescue the four kidnapped princesses and put an end to the War of Heroes.

In Awakening, the Starsphere is observed to have taken on a new name, Azure. Originally kept by Tiki in the canopy of the Mila Tree, she entrusts it to Chrom in Chapter 16. It is then fitted into its corresponding alcove on the Shield, alongside Argent, Gules and Vert. The Shield is later stolen by Validar at the end of Chapter 21, who telepathically manipulates Robin into wrenching it from Chrom and handing it to him. The entire set is later recovered following the events of Chapter 23.

Item Information

Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light

Name	Uses	Worth	Effect(s) / Note(s)
Star Orb	-	-	Prevents its holder's weapons from wearing out.

Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem

Name	Uses	Worth	Effect(s) / Note(s)
Star Orb	-	-	Prevents its holder's weapons from wearing out; boosts all their growth rates by 30%.

Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon

“Needed to create a blast of Starlight. Carrying it prevents the depletion of magic and weapons.”
—In-game description, Shadow Dragon

Name	Uses	Worth	Effect(s) / Note(s)
Starsphere	-	-	Prevents its holder's weapons from wearing out.

Fire Emblem: New Mystery of the Emblem

Name	Uses	Worth	Effect(s) / Note(s)
Starsphere	-	-	Grants its holder statistical bonuses of +2 Str, Mag, Skl, Spd, Luk, Def, and Res.

Trivia

• The DLC Skill, All Stats +2, seems to have exactly the same effect as the Starsphere in New Mystery, while Armsthrift and Aptitude have, to an obviously lesser extent, taken over its effects from previous games before New Mystery.

Gallery

The Star Orb, as it appears in the promotional series of the TCG.

Some of the star shards that make up the Starsphere

The Starsphere (bottom right), alongside the Darksphere, Lightsphere, Lifesphere, and Geosphere, in New Mystery of the Emblem.