What better way to get started than with Fire Emblem's favourite word, dastard, which appears in just about every game, be it officially or unofficially translated? This shot in particular is from the new (fan)translation of FE4, but it was present in the older one as well. Fans often seem to assume it's just a butchering of "bastard" (for ratings reasons) without realising that it is a real word with a real meaning.
( "Implore" is also a possible candidate, and perhaps also "adore" and "undercut" as well if you want to be thorough. )
An Emblematic starting word, indeed!
Fire Emblem's relationship with pejoratives is an interesting one, and while dastard is definitively a distinct word from bastard, I do think there is a relationship between the use of old-timey insults and the need or desire to keep things "Nintendo-friendly." It was rare to see even a damn in the first localized games, and part of the way localization circumvented this was to have the characters use epithets that sounded... well, medieval. Hence your craven!s and your cur!s and, if you're feeling extra spicy, your craven cur!s. I'm actually hard-pressed to recall a usage of dastard in at least FE7 (which was fond of blackheart in similar circumstances); maybe the ESRB thought it was a little too close to the B-word for comfort.
Of course, as the series settled comfortably into a consistent "T for Teen" rating, sensibilities surrounding language loosened up. Awakening was the first game to see characters swearing on a fairly regular basisā up to and including bastard with a B! Yet we still see dastard often enough in modern FE games, which should put to rest the notion that it's merely a euphemism for a more offensive term. They're used differently, and that boils down to both meaning and tone.
(This is where I was initially going to expound on bastard, but just as that section of the post was getting to be too long, an angel of mercy sent an Ask for that very word. So stay tuned, all you beautiful bastards.)
Kidnapping is, of course, Dastardry 101.
So, what exactly does it mean to be a dastard? Merriam-Webster gives two definitions: 1) ācoward,ā and 2) āa person who acts treacherously or underhandedly.āĀ
While people do seem to assume dastard as it appears in FE is a willful typo, Iād wager most of you have actually heard its adjectival form: dastardly! Yes, thatās an adjective, not an adverb, despite the -ly endingā same with words like friendly and unsightly.
If the context hasnāt made it clear by now, these words are practically synonymous with villainy. But weāre not just talking any old villain: the key word in the above definitions is underhanded. Dastard carries the sense of cowardice with it because itās associated with backstabbing, behind-the-scenes scheming, sneak attacks, and just generally dirty tactics. Arguably the most famous ādastard!ā in Fire Emblem is directed toward Arvis in Genealogy of the Holy War, and itās patently well-deserved. And even though Chagall in the askerās provided screenshot might be projecting juuust a little bit, he actually does well to give us some context clues, as he accuses Eldigan of getting close to his father in order to get one over on Chagallā which, if it were true, would certainly qualify as underhanded. Not as underhanded as murdering your peace-loving king and father, maybe, but whoās to say.
So while modern audiences will sooner associate this word with being a villain than with merely being a coward, itās important to note that not every villain is a dastard. Your big, strong, honest warlord typesā Walhart, for instanceā are generally not going to be very dastardly. Neither are your force-of-evil gods and monstersā¦ after all, who needs trickery and deception when you can turn your foes to stone, incinerate them with your breath, or simply eat them? And while yes, dastard and bastard are different words, one commonality you might have noticed is how male-gendered they both are in practice. Nothing whatsoever is stopping a woman from being a dastard, but itās unlikely sheāll ever be called one.Ā
As for the other words:
Implore basically means beg, though it implies a little more dignity. Rather than falling to your knees, folding your hands, and crying a lot, you need a more strategic and sophisticated approach when imploring. Eldiganās completely sincere in his desire to put a stop to Chagallās warmongering, but he doesnāt lower himself upon asking.
Adore means love, especially in a worshipful or fawning way. While it can still be used in an earnest way, it's just as often tinged with condescension, implying disdain for the adorer, the adoree, or both. Iām not sure when adorable came to be synonymous with cute, but I think thereās an intentional hyperbole in that usage that became lost as it became common. Chagall may likewise be hyperbolizing, intent as he is upon framing Eldigan asā¦ well, a manipulative dastard. Having already learned his true feelings toward his father, what's meant to communicate sympathy for the king to Eldigan rings hollow and ironic to the audience.
Undercut as used here means the same as undermine, which is to weaken or make useless via subtle or covert means. Itās all very underhandedā¦ or shall we say, dastardly. Undercut does have more of an association with direct competition or rivalry, though, which gives the sense that part of this may be personal to Chagall.
Well, I think that covers everything! Tune in next time, when we discuss dastardās edgier, PG-13 cousin. Oh yes, I was serious.
