Why I Love the Chrobin Supports (Yes, All of Them)
Did anyone order a 10 page Chrobin essay? No? Well, have one anyway.
Hi I’m Dawn and I really love Chrobin.
I’ve often seen it said that the real strength of Chrom and Robin’s relationship shines through in the main story of Awakening itself, not in the support conversations they have with each other. I agree with this to a certain extent, in the sense that I think if you cut out the supports entirely, you would still have a strong story centered around a well-developed relationship between two interesting characters. Chrom and Robin’s bond is central to Awakening’s narrative, and while it is up to the player to decide whether they want to play it in a romantic light or not, at the end of the day, regardless of player choice, Chrom and Robin love each other, and they don’t need their support conversations to prove it.
But some dismiss the supports altogether. I often see f!Robin’s supports with Chrom derided as being shallow, reductive, and otherwise inferior to m!Robin’s supports. The m!Robin supports are a bit more popular overall, but I’ve seen them receive some complaints too, mostly criticizing them for being bland and not showing us anything about the characters that we don’t already see elsewhere in the game. I’ve also seen some people express the sentiment that “both sets of Chrobin supports suck, but it doesn’t matter because their relationship in the rest of the game is good,” and while it’s perfectly valid not to like any or all of Chrom and Robin’s supports in the game, I personally love them all, so I thought I’d do a little analysis highlighting my favorite parts of each one. If you truly despise any of the supports, I probably won’t change your mind about them, but perhaps you might find it interesting to know someone else sees in them. If you already love everything about them like I do, then, well… Join in me as I fangirl about them <3
F!Robin C
Summary:
Chrom and Robin speak after training. Chrom suggests that she should rest a bit. They discuss how exhausting their campaign is, but Robin assures him that she does try to rest when she has a chance. “A lady needs her beauty sleep, after all.” Chrom responds with hesitance, and when pressed, tells her that he hadn’t thought she was the type to care about beauty. “”I suppose I’ve never really thought of you as a lady,” he states, to Robin’s offense. He tries to explain himself, but he struggles to get across his meaning, and when he finally ends up getting out that Robin is just so unlike the image he has in his mind of a “lady”—someone who is “so prim and proper… perfumed, and pretty…”—Robin responds by threatening to hit him over the head with a rock. Chrom attempts to say he was joking and runs away, leaving Robin to marvel to herself at “the little craven” and his bad banners. In the end, though, she reasons that “[p]erhaps it’s only fair” because “[i]t’s not like [she] think[s] of him as a gentleman, let alone some fancy noble.”
Analysis:
Okay, I have to admit, if I had to choose a least favorite Chrobin support, it would be this one. Why? Because I’m a woman myself and I see enough sexism in real life to cringe hard at the evident Otherization of femininity, the implication that women are strange creatures who behave bizarrely. And don’t even get me started on the use of “it was a joke” to deflect…
However, just because this support is clearly rooted in sexism, Idon’t believe that makes it poorly written or out of character. Indeed, this is PARTICULARLY in-character for Chrom, who has similar issues viewing Sully’s gender as important in his supports with her—including their S-Support, a situation where they’re in love with each other. While he doesn’t put his foot in his mouth quite so badly when it comes to Sully, he also never seems to truly get WHY viewing the women he’s close with as just one the guys (“gender neutral”) can be a problem. Chrom, despite his serious nature, is very laid-back and often outright uncomfortable with formality. He doesn’t care much for high society and its rules, and so in some ways it’s not surprising that his view of what it means to be a “lady” would be tied up in the parts of it that make him uncomfortable, unfortunately leading him to view women that he is able to interact comfortably and casually with, as… well, “not ladies.”
My Agender Chrom agenda aside, I think this is an interesting part of Chrom’s character that really goes towards fleshing out some of the limitations of his perspective, so I’m willing to grit my teeth through the painful lines as I try to remember that 19 year old Chrom absolutely does not have the experience necessary to realize that his awkwardness around “ladies” is a lot more about his insecurities with his own role as prince than it is about women.
I believe this support also offers some interesting insight into Robin’s character. Hr line about beauty sleep suggests that she is concerned to some degree about how she appears to others, and that definitely comes much more into play later on. It also shows her being quick to anger, yet quick to get over it as well. This is also further developed later, but it’s a good foundation to start with.
One other thing I like about this support is that it does fundamentally show how at ease Chrom and Robin are with each other. Neither of them see the other as someone they have to mind their manners for, and that allows them to be themselves around each other. Even though their conversation in this support took a bit of a rocky turn, at its core this support is still able to reflect Chrom and Robin’s innate chemistry with each other, and I very much appreciate it for that.
F!Robin B-A
Summary:
In the B support, Chrom goes looking for Robin because he wants to ask her about the Shepherds’ next move. Robin asks him to wait outside, but he mishears her and walks in. He notices the steam in the tent and expresses confusion, and Robin lets ut a scream. Chrom still doesn’t realize what has happened. He mentions how he can hardly see a thing with all the steam, then begins to talk about how he wanted to consult with her about the march the next day. Only then does he notice anything unusual. “Er, is there any special reason you aren’t wearing any clothing?” Robin angrily responds that instead of standing around “like a slack-jawed village idiot,” he should wait outside like she asked him to. Chrom frantically begins to apologize, until Robin cuts him off with another shout to get out. He leaves and tells her he’ll wait outside the tent. The scene transitions, and Robin emerges from the tent, still annoyed. “What sort of idiot blunders straight into the women’s bathing tent?” Chrom apologizes and assures her that he genuinely misheard her and wasn’t trying to peep. Robin sighs and accepts his apology. She asks him what he wanted to talk about, and the two discuss strategy for a bit. Chrom goes to leave, but before he does, he starts to apologize to Robin again. She waves it off, however, saying that it’s water under the bridge and that they should forget about it and move on. Chrom agrees, but still stumbles awkwardly over his words on his way out.
In the A Support, Chrom begins by lamenting how awkward and embarrassed he feels around Robin ever since he walked in on her bathing. He decides to take a bath to soothe his nerves, telling himself he’ll find Robin afterwards “for a relaxed conversation, like always.” The scene transitions to Robin, who is taking inventory. She finds what she believes to be the arms storage tent and walks in, but she is shocked to see Chrom. Chrom expresses surprise as he notices her, and she responds to him by screaming. Chrom asks her why she’s the one screaming. “If anyone should be screaming it’s me, isn’t it?” He quickly begins to yelp as Robin starts to throw things at him. Robin responds angrily that “[n]oble or not, [he] should AT LEAST wear a towel” when addressing a lady. Chrom protests that she is the one who walked in on him.The scene transitions to shortly after, and Robin apologizes to Chrom. She tells him that she doesn’t know what happened, and that “something just snapped.” Chrom tells her that there’s been no harm done, and he laughs the after off, suggesting that it was “justice, perhaps, for [his] earlier blunder.” Robin thanks him for being so good-natured about the incident and tells him she feels terrible about the soap dish she threw at him. She asks him how his ear is doing, and he assures her that while it still stings a little, it’s doing better. He tells her to look on the bright side—”we’ve seen each other naked now, right? So I guess we’ve got nothing left to hide. In a way, we’re closer than ever.” Robin notes that it’s not the most appropriate way for a man and a woman to get to know each other. “But… I suppose as long as nobody else knows…” Chrom laughs, saying it’s like they’re partners in crime sharing an unsavory past,” and assures her that anything that brings them closer will also benefit them on the battlefield. Robin responds favorably. “Partners in crime? Heh heh, I like the thought of that. Well, partner, your secret’s safe with me…”
Analysis:
Ah, the notorious Chrobin bath supports… These are probably the most maligned of all of the Chrobin supports, but I honestly love them, so I’m excited to talk about them. Once again, there’s a bit of an uncomfortable feeling due to the deeply-rooted sexism and heteronormativity involved (after all, the only reason it would be any more inappropriate for a man and woman to see each other naked than for a man and another man or a woman and another woman to do so pretty much has to boil down to societal notions of how men and women are “supposed” to behave), but I contend that it’s a feature, not a bug. Robin is a character who puts other people before herself, and so I think it’s very intentional that she’s the one really concerned with propriety here. The problem isn’t so much that CHROM has seen HER specifically, but rather that MEN aren’t supposed to see WOMEN without clothing. And when she walks in on him, what she yells at him is that he should cover up when addressing “a lady.” Her comments toward the end about how it’s not the most “appropriate” way for a “man and woman” to get to know each other, but it’s fine (and, indeed, she LIKES it) as long as “nobody knows” say a lot about her worldview here, and honestly, given the events that happen later in the game, I think it does really important work to establish Robin as someone who has ALWAYS prioritized doing the “proper” thing over her own feelings.
It’s also important to contrast Robin’s reaction when Chrom walks in on her to when she walks in on him. When it’s Chrom’s blunder, she’s quick to anger, but also quick to forgive—just like she was in the C support. When it’s her mistake, however, she is much more resistant to brushing it off. Chrom immediately tells her not to worry about it, but she continues to express guilt and concern over him.
I think these events lay a great foundation for Robin’s struggles with guilt and self-doubt later on in the game. Even Robin’s line about how something in her “just snapped” aligns perfectly with the fears she’ll have later regarding what she could become. If she’s afraid she’ll act out violently and hur people… Well, it wouldn’t actually be unprecedented after these supports, would it? But Chrom so easily forgives her, here and later and time and time again.That is an essential element of their dynamic.
I also like how Chrom turns the situation into something that brings them closer together, and even specifically sats that it will make them stronger on the battlefield, too—something that Robi can argue is beneficial to everyone, not just her. Not only is this a great example of how well he knows her, it also serves the overall themes of the game. Their bonds are their strength, and maybe, just maybe, the hard times don’t have to spell disaster.
It’s really the little moments like this that I believe lead to Robin being able to display so much courage later. A Robin who had only ever wallowed in shame and regret would probably find it much harder to resist the call of despair, but with Chrom at her side, she’s never really had a chance to go too far in that direction.
F!Robin S
Summary:
Robin approaches Chrom to discuss the next day’s march, but Chrom is distracted and nervous, prompting her to ask him if he’s hiding something. Chrom tries to brush her off, but his awkward fidgeting is fooling no one. Robin presses him for an explanation for why he’s been avoiding her so much lately. She asks if he dislikes her, and Chrom, shocked, assures her that “nothing could be further from the truth”. When she presses him again, he finally admits just how much he cares for her. “At first, I thought of you as an ally, then a comrade, and finally a friend. I've felt the bonds of trust grow between us, stronger and stronger. And then I realized… you were more than just a friend.” Robin asks him what he means, and as Chrom starts to further explain, Robin initially tries to stop him, cautioning him that he might say something he regrets. Chrom tells her that he doesn’t care and that he can’t keep his feelings bottled up anymore, and he’s going to tell her “even if [her] head explodes in embarrassment.” Robin, with some confusion, accepts this, and Chrom confesses (after a few lines of working himself up) that he’s in love with her. He also assures her that he isn’t trying to force her into a decision, and that he’ll abide by whatever answer she gives him. He also promises that no matter how she answers, they will always be friends. Robin apologizes and says that it’s not possible for them to be together. “The general and his chief tactician? It just… It wouldn't be right. Our first responsibility must be to the soldiers we lead, not to each other.” Chrom says he understands, but then Robin continues on, adding that the war will eventually end, and then they’ll be “free to follow their hearts.” Chrom catches on to her wording. “… OUR hearts?” he echoes, and Robin confesses that she loves him as well. Chrom laughs with joy, telling her that it’s the best day of his life, and the support ends with a CG as he delivers his famous confession line. “You are the wind at my back, and the sword at my side. Together, my love, we shall build a peaceful world, just you and me.”
Analysis:
I love this S support for so many reasons…
On a basic level, I just find Chrom and Robin absolutely adorable here. Chrom’s nervous energy as he tries to spit out his feelings for Robin is one of the most endearing moments in the game for me. This support is where his iconic “coming on like a wyvern in heat” line comes from, and it’s a just a delightful dialogue all around. Robin is cute here, too, especially when Chrom getting so worked up flusters her a bit as well. If that was all there was to this support, it would still be one of my favorite things in the game.
But there’s even more to love here! Because this support really says a lot about Robin’s character, and I find it fascinating (especially when you compare it to the Ch. 11 Automarriage dialogue she gets with Chrom, which I’ll talk more about in just a bit).It continues the threads developed previously in the C-A supports and shows that Robin, even when she’s in love, still feels it’s necessary to put other people before herself and, specifically, to maintain an appearance of “propriety” in front of the public. Her concern is that it “wouldn’t be right” for her and Chrom to be together because of the roles they play as commander and tactician and the duties those roles entail. She wants to be with him, and even as she’s telling them they can't be together, in her very next breath she’s anticipating a future where the two of them can indeed follow their hearts. Obviously, she and Chrom do end up getting married after Chapter 11. But the fact remains that, at the time of these supports, Robin is holding herself back—holding both of them back, in a way, though Chrom would never find any fault with her for it—for the greater good. We see a lot of this aspect of Robin’s character throughout the rest of the game, but I love seeing it explored in the context of a romantic relationship.
F!Robin Special Dialogue (Chapter 11 Automarriage)
Summary:
After Gangrel’s defeat, Chrom approaches Robin, telling her that he owes her an apology and that this wasn’t her war to fight. Robin points out that she chose to fight it, and Chrom continues on. “All I've been thinking about is stopping Gangrel, no matter the cost. Even my own life would not have been too high a price to pay.” Robin immediately protests that it would have been too high a price for the Shepherds. “... And for me,” she adds after a moment. Chrom then tells her he’s been thinking a lot lately, in general, and also specifically about her. He says she’s “the best fighter [he’s ever known,... and also the best friend.” He calls her a special woman and asks if she thinks of him as more than her leader. She tells him that she thinks of him as “a great man, and dear to [her] heart.” Chrom says he “never wants to let [her] go” and asks if that makes him selfish. “If so, then let me be selfish, too. I would be with you, always,” Robin replies. After a moment of silence on both their parts, Chrom notes that though they met under unusual circumstances, “lives have been made from far less” and states that he is going to follow his heart as Emmeryn always did. He, after a bit of nervous preamble (though much less than in his S Support), he asks Robin to marry him, and after a short pause, she agrees. Chrom tells her she’s made him “the happiest man in all the realm” and asks her to have patience as for the near future his first duty has to be to his people in the aftermath of war. Robin assures hi that it’s alright and that she’ll figure something out as his tactician. Chrom thanks her, and Robin begins to reflect on the day they met. “Strange, isn't it, the way fate brought us together? I am a lucky woman to have met you, and luckier still now.” Chrom says that he knows the two of them can bring joy back to the royal palace together, and he promises to do everything he can to create a happy home for the two of them.
Analysis:
I love Chrom and Robin’s Automarriage dialogue just as much I love their S Support, but it puts quite a different spin on how their relationship starts, doesn’t it? The contrast between them plays SO well with the overall development of the games’ themes that I actually feel like you lose something if you never see both scenes.
At first glance, it doesn’t seem all that different from what happens in the S Support. Chrom is still a little awkward and nervous, but he’s also quite a bit more solemn, which is only natural given that he’s just killed Gangrel. It’s interesting that Chrom here is the one who brings up duty and having a role to play for his people—he isn’t as extreme as Robin is when it comes to putting aside his own desires, and indeed he ISN’T putting aside his own desires at all, but he’s still careful to consider the reality that the two of them won’t be able to just lose themselves in newlywed bliss while Chrom has to take up leadership of his entire nation in the wake of Emmeryn’s death. Robin easily understands, of course, and is prepared as she always is to stand by his side and help him. Technically, they reach the same result here that they do in the S Support—they will fulfill their duties as leader and tactician, and then they will follow their hearts.
But is it EXACTLY the same result? Because in this version, Chrom asks Robin if he’s being selfish, which prompts her to respond that if it does, then she would be selfish too, because she wants to be with him always, too. Awakening’s themes really center around the self, and often plays with the concepts of selfishness and selflessness. Usually, it’s Robin who pushes more for the greater good no matter the cost to herself (even though Robin’s theme is called Id, the part of the self that seeks to fulfill its desires), but here, Chrom’s the one talking like that, and Robin’s the one who swears that Chrom’s life would be too high a price to pay.
Given the choice Robin has to make at the end of the game, I find the contrast between the S Support and the Special Dialogue to actually be really important. I often see people say that they think the Sacrifice Ending is the most in-character choice for Robin, with many even thinking that the Chrom Ending falls flat, but… A Robin who has been through the Special Dialogue has a LOT of reason to let Chrom land the final blow doesn’t she? Between admitting her own wish to be selfish and hearing him talk so casually about paying for peace with his life, it becomes a lot clearer why self-sacrifice wouldn’t be the only option in Robin’s mind.
Another line that I find extremely interesting in the Special Dialogue is the one about how fate brought them together. Now, you might be thinking that this sounds incredibly out of character for Robin, who is well known for giving a whole speech in Chapter about how they are NOT pawns of some scripted fate, but… That’s chapter 14, right AFTER Lucina joins the Shepherds and tells them about her fight to change the future. To my knowledge, this line in the Special Dialogue is the ONLY time we ever get to see what Robin’s views on fate were before meeting Lucina, and that’s what gets me so excited about this line… This one little line proves that Lucina really did change things! Of course Robin’s relationships with Chrom and the rest of the Shepherds have taught her te strength of bonds, but it seems that it really is seeing Lucina’s strength in coming to the past that lets Robin fully cast off the draw the idea of “fate” has over her. I know a lot of people enjoy Chrobin because of the additional weight it gives to Robin’s relationship with Lucina in the game, but I feel like this line is a very easily overlooked aspect to it that yes, in my opinion, actively makes Awakening’s story stronger.
M!Robin C - A
Summary:
In the C Support, Robin approaches Chrom to ask him why he took Robin in after finding him collapsed with no memory. Chrom tells him it was because Robin was collapsed with no memory, and Robin follows up by asking if pity was his only reason. Chrom thinks that this should be enough, so Robin asks if he ever considered that it could have been a trap. Chrom laughs and says that’s what he has Frederick for, and when Robin tries to further question him, he cuts him off. “Robin, if I see someone hurt or in need, I'm going to help them. That's just who I am, and there's no changing it. Or would you rather I'd left you there, face down in the muck?” Robin says he’s grateful for what Chrom has done for him, but he still worries for Chrom’s safety and gives Chrom advice to be more careful. Chrom rejects the advice, saying that he’d do the same thing if it happened again. “I have heard your counsel, and I know you mean well. But as I said, this is who I am. I can't change that, nor would I want to.” Robin accepts this answer and backs down, but asks Chrom to try to be careful for the sake of Robin’s peace of mind. Chrom promises that he will.
In the B Support, Robin comes to Chrom in alarm, as he’s heard that Chrom was attacked. Cho laughs and explains that someone approached him with a dagger, but ran away when he drew his own weapon. Robin does not take the matter as lightly as Chrom, and though Chrom tries to downplay the incident as being less of a fight and more of caring off, Robin still cries out in horror and begs Chrom not to take any more foolish risks. Chrom points out that they’re ay war and just going out on the battlefield is a risk, but Robin claims that his fear isn’t that Chrom will lose a direct fight, but that he will be stabbed in the back. Chrom asks if he really thinks some random petty criminal would get the better of him, and Robin reminds him that plenty of heroes say that before getting into trouble. He angrily points out that Chrom is the commander of the army. “You are no longer simply your own man. You stand for all of us.” Chrom concedes that Robin is right and agrees to be more careful.
In the A Support, Robin confronts Chrom about going on patrol. “You know what I’m going to say, don’t you?” “That it's too risky, and I need to be more careful. Yes, thank you, mother,” Chrom responds. When Robin questions why he keeps doing this despite knowing that it’s risky, Chrom argues that there could be people who need his help. “There's a war going on, and people are suffering. I can't ignore them. I won't.” When Robin asks why he can’t just send someone else out to find those people, Chrom tells him that it’s because of him—if Frederick alone had found Robin, he and Robin probably wouldn’t have met. He explains that it’s not just Robin, either, and that he’s willing to take the risk of heading in to danger in order to forge bonds with other people. “Such bonds are the true strength of this army. Without them, we're lost. Others may disagree, but that's one benefit of leadership: I make the final call.” Robin admits it’s hard to argue when he’s the example, but he asks Chrom to at least let him come with him. Chrom asks if it’s so Robin can watch his back, and while Robin agrees that’s part of it, he also explains that he wants to be there when they “find the next [him]” and help Chrom forge new bonds.
Analysis:
In some ways, I think the M!Chrobin supports are similar in the insights they offer to their characters. Chrom is a little obtuse, but always earnest. Robin constantly worries about others, but always comes around to Chrom’s words about their bonds leading to strength for the entire army. But there are a few things about M!Robin’s supports in particular that I do want to bring up.
One thing that stands out tome is how afraid Robin is of Chrom specifically getting stabbed in the back. Given his premonition at the beginning of the game, I have to wonder if his vision of Chrom falling to that Thoron starts to torture hi long before he realizes what it signifies, and if that is part of the reason he so persistently fears that Chrom will be blindsided by some foe. After all, their future selves had thought that the battle was over when Validar suddenly took control of Robin.
In any case, it’s certainly ironic, and so I also feel like this support chain actually ends up telling us something about the original Robin (or at least allows us to infer it). Because these supports couldn’t have gone down exactly the same way in the original timeline—that Robin was not found collapsed in a fiel with no memory. But it’s likely that the original timeline Robin’s fears were no different, and that he too worried that Chrom would one day get taken by surprise and lose his life. Then… In the end, when HE was forced to be the one to do that, the one to take his other half by surprise and end his life… Well, that just adds a whole other layer of angst to an already angsty situation, doesn’t it? Especially when you consider that there may have been no equivalent to the resolution in the A support, that without being able to look at their meeting as an example, Robin might never have truly understood why Chrom always acted as he did…
Another thing I really like is that they show Chrom’s strong sense of identity. Helping the people is of utmost importance to him, and he is unwavering in his resolve. That’s just who he is, an he can’t and wouldn’t want to change that. Even when he concedes to Robin that he needs to be more careful, he is always clear that he won’t stop outright. This is one area that he really excels at compared to Robin—Chrom may struggle from time to time with his role as a leader, but he knows who he is as a person. Robin has a much harder time grappling with who they are, who they were, and who they could be—that’s why Chrom’s “you are yourself” line to Robin in Chapter 13 is so important. So, just like the F!Chrobin supports, I think these conversations aff a nice layer of extra development to what we get to see in the main game.
Final Thoughts
I won’t get into Chrom and Robin’s interactions in other games (even though Warriors, FEH, and Engage all have some great moments), as I want this essay to be about Awakening itself, but suffice it to say that Chrobin is one of the most enduring ships in the franchise. This is no surprise, considering their relationship is so well-developed and central to both characters’ very beings. While their supports in Awakening are technically optional—you can complete the game many times over without ever having to read even one of them, if you truly don’t want to—they are far from superfluous in my opinion; they actively serve the overall narrative and masterfully flesh out the relationship that ends up being the key to saving the characters’ entire world.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this look into their supports. There s plenty more to be said about them, I’m sure, but I just wanted to highlight some of my favorite parts and what I personally find most interesting about them. All of these conversations factor heavily into how I write Robin in my own fics, so it was fun to break down where so much of that characterization comes from.
