Zephiel

Zephiel (Japanese: ゼフィール Zefhyr), is the main antagonist of Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade. He was the King of Bern, the son of the late King Desmond and his estranged wife Hellene, and the half-brother of Princess Guinivere. As a child, his jealous father sought to assassinate him by hiring the Black Fang, then later almost killed him personally, with Zephiel surviving barely only through the care of his most loyal attendant, General Murdock. These experiences deeply embittered Zephiel, convincing him of the weakness and monstrosity inherent in humanity and the need to end humanity's grip on Elibe. This led him to unseal and awaken the Demon Dragon Idunn and, in alliance with Jahn, engage the rest of Elibe in a full-scale war, the Disturbance of Bern, with the intent of wiping out humanity and restoring Elibe to the rule of dragons.

Biography

Youth

Zephiel's great talent even in his youth embittered Desmond from the very beginning, and since becoming estranged from Hellene, Desmond sought to invalidate Zephiel's claim to the throne of Bern by any means necessary. First, he arranged for the Fire Emblem to be stolen by the Black Fang and kept hidden for ten days, as the item would be crucial to Zephiel's impending coming-of-age ceremony. At the same time he made a second request to Sonia,^[5] which was later revealed to be an assassination attempt on Zephiel himself.^[6] On the day Eliwood, Hector, and Lyn came to the Bern palace to investigate the disappearance of the Emblem, Zephiel and Murdock had also come to the palace on a visit to Guinivere, having heard she was ill, and presented her with a pet baby fox he caught on a hunt. There, he encountered his father, and attempted to be courteous and kind in the face of Desmond's thinly-veiled contempt. At Desmond's "request", Zephiel departed to return to his mother's manse.

The Emblem was retrieved from the Black Fang by Eliwood's company, but Zephiel's manse was invaded by Jaffar and Nino on the night before his coming-of-age ceremony. He gave a prayer hoping for his family to become happy and untroubled again, and shortly after was assaulted by Jaffar, who stunned him; however, moved by his prayer, Nino refused to go through with killing Zephiel, and the two fled. Zephiel woke up some time later to find the manse invaded by a larger Black Fang force intending to finish the job, with the turncoat Jaffar as his only protection. Meanwhile, Eliwood and Hector's band worked its way through the manse to come to his aid; though initially skeptical of their honesty and their refusal to identify themselves, he nonetheless trusted them with assisting him, believing that he would already be dead were they assassins.

Attempted assassination

Some time afterward, Desmond made the announcement that the heir to Bern's throne would be Guinivere's eventual husband. Zephiel didn't mind at all, but the people of Bern – hopeful in the light of Zephiel's undeniable talent and wisdom – were outraged at the news and put much pressure on Desmond. In response, he personally attempted to kill Zephiel by, at a banquet, handing him a spiked drink. This nearly killed Zephiel, saved only by the care of Murdock.

Upon recovering, Zephiel learned of Desmond's intentions to have his mother and Murdock branded as traitors and murdered, and in response Zephiel faked his own death with Murdock's assistance. A false funeral was arranged, and when Desmond came to observe his dead son, Zephiel rose from the casket and, sword in hand, slew Desmond. These events were related many years later to Roy by Guinivere, as the Etrurian army prepared to enter Bern and end the war; Guinivere commented that, though as a child she could not fully grasp was what going on beyond her father's death, she did notice a distinct shift in Zephiel himself, and that he never smiled again.^[7]

Adulthood and the Disturbance of Bern

An adult Zephiel is visited by Jahn

Fifteen years after Nergal's defeat, Zephiel travelled to the Dragon Sanctuary and used the Fire Emblem to unlock the seal, releasing Idunn. Shortly thereafter, he was visited by a projection of Jahn, who asked him why he had freed Idunn; in response, Zephiel declared his intent to give the world back to dragons.

At the onset of the Disturbance of Bern, after Narcian and Brunnya successfully subdued the leaders of the Lycian League at Araphen, Zephiel arrived and had their wounded leader, Hector, brought before him. Hector attempted to ask him why he had launched the war in light of the friendship between their nations, a notion dismissed by Zephiel as a triviality in the face of his goal to liberate the world by placing it under his sole rule. Brunnya then informed him of her intent to return to Sacae, but first questioned his work with Idunn, a figure subject to suspicion and superstition among the Bern forces; Zephiel dismissed her concerns by stating that one with her level of faith in him should follow his path without question, then expressed some amusement with his dramatic approach to her concerns after the fact.

Later, Zephiel arrived at the site of a siege of a Missur castle led by Narcian and Flaer. Etruria's General Cecilia, leader of the Loyalists' rebellion against the Etrurian coup d'etat, was its occupant, resisting the Bern forces in their efforts to seize the castle and protecting Guinivere. In the face of the Bern army's failure to seize the castle, Zephiel chose to personally give Cecilia the "honor" of fighting him in a one-on-one duel, easily defeating and severely wounding her. With Cecilia's defeat, Bern's forces moved in and occupied the castle, and Guinivere was brought before Zephiel. Guinivere tried to reason with Zephiel, who in response explained his motives to free the world from the destructive nature of man and attempted to justify the slaughter of countless innocents his process entailed. Zephiel ordered Melady to escort Guinivere back to Bern and to ensure that the Fire Emblem she carried was returned to the Shrine of Seals, and after telling Narcian to send some of his forces into the Nabata Desert to find the rumored hidden dragon village, he departed.

Zephiel's final duel with Roy

Eventually, the Etrurian army under General Roy arrived at Bern Keep, and Zephiel received the news of Murdock's death. Zephiel tasked Brunnya with taking Idunn and fleeing Bern Keep, lest they lose Idunn and the entire war be rendered pointless; he also instructed Idunn to continue their work in the event of his death. Roy's army soon worked its way into the throne room, unlocked by two switches and the Fire Emblem, and Roy himself confronted Zephiel.

Zephiel again explained his motivation in full, explaining his disgust with the treachery and immorality of humanity, his intent to restore the world to dragon rule, and that the defeat of the dragons in the Scouring was a mistake he intended to correct as soon as possible. Roy rejected his claims, pointing out that the rule of dragons would differ little from the rule of mankind, and that he, with his faith in mankind, refused to give in to one with no faith in his people or in himself. The two then duelled and Zephiel was slain.

Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade

Role

Zephiel is the boss of Chapter 22, and thus the final boss of The Binding Blade in its bad ending. He also appears in Chapter 13, where he defeats Cecilia and leaves after a few turns; under normal circumstances, Zephiel cannot be fought by the player's army in this chapter.

Zephiel is also available as a bonus playable character in the Trial Map mode, unlocked by clearing the game seven times.

Stats

See also: Unattained Dream

Stats with two figures separated by a ~ are presented as a range, representing stats that vary due to random growths. The figures to the left and right of the ~ are the stat's minimum and maximum possible values respectively.^[8]

Boss, Ch. 22 Normal Boss, Ch. 22 Hard Playable, Trial Map

King Level 20

Stats Max HP 70 Luck 15 Strength 24 Defense 22 Skill 20 Resistance 24 Speed 14 Constitution 17 Movement 5 Aid 16

Inventory Eckesachs Hero Crest Weapon Levels ✓ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗

King Level 20

Stats Max HP 71~72 Luck 15 Strength 24 Defense 22 Skill 20 Resistance 24 Speed 14 Constitution 17 Movement 5 Aid 16

Inventory Eckesachs Hero Crest Weapon Levels ✓ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗

King Level 20 Affinity --

Recruitment: Clear the main game seven times. Stats Growth Rates Max HP 60 Luck 15 Strength 24 Defense 22 Skill 20 Resistance 24 Speed 14 Constitution 17 Movement 5 Aid 16 Max HP 85% Luck 30% Strength 50% Defense 10% Skill 10% Resistance 5% Speed 10% {{{content3}}} {{{content4}}} {{{content5}}} {{{content6}}} {{{content7}}} {{{content8}}} {{{content9}}} {{{content10}}} {{{content11}}} {{{content12}}} {{{content13}}} {{{content14}}} {{{content15}}} Inventory Eckesachs Weapon Levels S -- -- -- -- -- -- --

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Note: Zephiel gives no experience when fought or killed.

Analysis

Zephiel is the most unique of the Trial Map characters. He comes in the unique King class, which, for all intents and purposes, is a modified General that can only use swords and has all stats cap at 30. He boasts great stats in HP, strength, skill, defense, and resistance. His speed could be a little higher, but is still decent, and his luck is good.

He has an S in his sole weapon of swords, meaning he can use any sword in the game, including the unique weapon of Eckesachs in his inventory.

Zephiel is a fun unit to use, except that completing the game seven times is a tall order, especially if the player is not super dedicated to playing games over and over.

Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade

Role

Zephiel appears as a NPC unit in Chapter 26E/28H, wherein the objective is to protect Zephiel for 15 turns. Zephiel's death is an automatic Game Over. For the first turn of the chapter, Zephiel is collapsed and cannot move or defend himself, but he awakens and starts being able to move and defend himself from the second turn onward.

Stats

See also: Battle before Dawn

Prince Level 11 Affinity --

Stats Max HP 20 Luck 5 Strength 7 Defense 8 Skill 7 Resistance 13 Speed 8 Constitution 7 Movement 5 Aid 6

Inventory Silver Sword Elixir Weapon Levels A -- -- -- -- -- -- --

Fire Emblem Awakening

Role

Zephiel is playable as a SpotPass character, released in the The Binding Blade character set. He also appears as an enemy in four downloadable content chapters and as an NPC in a further two DLC chapters.

Starting stats and growth rates

Playable

General Level 20 Movement 5

Recruitment: SpotPass, hire him for 15,400 G or defeat him in a skirmish Stats Growth Rates Cap Modifiers Max HP 75 Speed 34 Strength 41 Luck 23 Magic 12 Defense 41+2 Skill 34 Resistance 33 Max HP 90% Speed 45% Strength 60% Luck 50% Magic 30% Defense 60% Skill 50% Resistance 35% Speed ±0 Strength −1 Luck −1 Magic −1 Defense +4 Skill ±0 Resistance +2 {{{content4}}} {{{content5}}} {{{content6}}} {{{content7}}} {{{content8}}} {{{content9}}} {{{content10}}} {{{content11}}} {{{content12}}} {{{content13}}} {{{content14}}} {{{content15}}} Inventory Skills Spear* Defense +2 Indoor Fighter Rally Defense Pavise Conquest Weapon Levels -- A B -- -- --

Neutral - Smash Brethren 1

See also: Smash Brethren 1

Normal Hard Lunatic

General Level 10 Movement 5

Stats Max HP 57 Speed 24 Strength 35 Luck 18 Magic 8 Defense 35+2 Skill 27 Resistance 22

Inventory Skills Spear Defense +2 Pavise Conquest Weapon Levels -- B E -- -- --

General Level 10 Movement 5

Stats Max HP 66 Speed 26 Strength 44 Luck 22 Magic 8 Defense 38+2 Skill 30 Resistance 24

Inventory Skills Spear Defense +2 Pavise Conquest Weapon Levels -- B C -- -- --

General Level 10 Movement 5

Stats Max HP 79 Speed 30 Strength 46 Luck 27 Magic 8 Defense 43+2 Skill 35 Resistance 27

Inventory Skills Spear Defense +2 Pavise Conquest Weapon Levels -- A A -- -- --

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Enemy - Smash Brethren 2 and 3

See also: Smash Brethren 2 and Smash Brethren 3

Normal Hard Lunatic

General Level 10 Movement 5

Stats Max HP 57 Speed 24 Strength 35 Luck 18 Magic 8 Defense 35+2 Skill 27 Resistance 22

Inventory Skills Spear Defense +2 Pavise Conquest Weapon Levels -- B E -- -- --

General Level 10 Movement 5

Stats Max HP 66 Speed 26 Strength 40 Luck 22 Magic 8 Defense 38+2 Skill 30 Resistance 24

Inventory Skills Spear Defense +2 Pavise Conquest Weapon Levels -- B C -- -- --

General Level 10 Movement 5

Stats Max HP 79 Speed 30 Strength 46 Luck 27 Magic 8 Defense 43+2 Skill 35 Resistance 27

Inventory Skills Spear* Defense +2 Pavise Conquest Weapon Levels -- A A -- -- --

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Enemy - Rogues & Redeemers 1 and 3

See also: Rogues & Redeemers 1 and Rogues & Redeemers 3

Normal Hard Lunatic

General Level 20 Movement 5

Stats Max HP 75 Speed 35 Strength 41 Luck 23 Magic 12 Defense 41+2 Skill 34 Resistance 19

Inventory Skills Spear Defense +2 Rally Defense Swordbreaker Pavise Conquest Weapon Levels -- B E -- -- --

General Level 20 Movement 5

Stats Max HP 80 Speed 35 Strength 46 Luck 27 Magic 12 Defense 45+2 Skill 38 Resistance 21

Inventory Skills Spear Defense +2 Rally Defense Swordbreaker Pavise Conquest Weapon Levels -- B C -- -- --

General Level 20 Movement 5

Stats Max HP 80 Speed 35 Strength 49 Luck 33 Magic 12 Defense 50+2 Skill 41 Resistance 24

Inventory Skills Spear* Defense +2 Rally Defense Swordbreaker Pavise Conquest Weapon Levels -- A A -- -- --

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Neutral - Rogues & Redeemers 2

See also: Rogues & Redeemers 2

Normal Hard Lunatic

General Level 20 Movement 5

Stats Max HP 75 Speed 35 Strength 41 Luck 23 Magic 12 Defense 41+2 Skill 34 Resistance 19

Inventory Skills Spear Defense +2 Rally Defense Swordbreaker Pavise Conquest Weapon Levels -- B E -- -- --

General Level 20 Movement 5

Stats Max HP 80 Speed 35 Strength 44 Luck 25 Magic 12 Defense 43+2 Skill 36 Resistance 20

Inventory Skills Spear Defense +2 Rally Defense Swordbreaker Pavise Conquest Weapon Levels -- B C -- -- --

General Level 20 Movement 5

Stats Max HP 80 Speed 35 Strength 47 Luck 28 Magic 12 Defense 46+2 Skill 39 Resistance 22

Inventory Skills Spear Defense +2 Rally Defense Swordbreaker Pavise Conquest Weapon Levels -- A A -- -- --

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Reclassing options

Zephiel Base classes:* Knight General Great Knight Reclass options: This unit can reclass to any male class available through reclassing.

Growth rates when reclassed

Promotion stat gains

Archer Barbarian Cavalier Dark Mage Wyvern Rider Fighter Knight Mage Mercenary Myrmidon Priest Tactician Thief

Class	HP	Str	Mag	Skill	Spd	Lck	Def	Res	Mov	Weapon level
Sniper	+4	+2	+1	+4	+3	+0	+5	+3	+1	--
Bow Knight	+8	+3	+0	+2	+4	+0	+1	+2	+3	E

Class	HP	Str	Mag	Skill	Spd	Lck	Def	Res	Mov	Weapon level
Berserker	+8	+5	+0	+2	+3	+0	+2	+1	+1	--
Warrior	+6	+4	+0	+5	+1	+0	+4	+3	+1	E

Class	HP	Str	Mag	Skill	Spd	Lck	Def	Res	Mov	Weapon level
Paladin	+7	+3	+1	+2	+2	+0	+3	+6	+1	--
Great Knight	+8	+5	+0	+1	+1	+0	+7	+1	+0	E

Class	HP	Str	Mag	Skill	Spd	Lck	Def	Res	Mov	Weapon level
Sorcerer	+5	+1	+3	+2	+1	+0	+3	+3	+1	--
Dark Knight	+7	+3	+2	+4	+2	+0	+5	+1	+3	E

Class	HP	Str	Mag	Skill	Spd	Lck	Def	Res	Mov	Weapon level
Wyvern Lord	+5	+4	+0	+2	+2	+0	+3	+3	+1	E
Griffon Rider	+3	+2	+0	+4	+4	+0	+0	+3	+1	--

Class	HP	Str	Mag	Skill	Spd	Lck	Def	Res	Mov	Weapon level
Warrior	+8	+4	+0	+3	+2	+0	+3	+3	+1	E
Hero	+2	+0	+1	+6	+5	+0	+4	+3	+1	E

Class	HP	Str	Mag	Skill	Spd	Lck	Def	Res	Mov	Weapon level
General	+10	+4	+0	+3	+2	+0	+4	+3	+1	E
Great Knight	+8	+3	+0	+2	+3	+0	+3	+1	+3	E E

Class	HP	Str	Mag	Skill	Spd	Lck	Def	Res	Mov	Weapon level
Sage	+4	+1	+3	+2	+3	+0	+2	+2	+1	E
Dark Knight	+9	+4	+1	+3	+1	+0	+7	+2	+3	E

Class	HP	Str	Mag	Skill	Spd	Lck	Def	Res	Mov	Weapon level
Hero	+6	+3	+1	+3	+3	+0	+3	+3	+1	E
Bow Knight	+8	+3	+0	+2	+3	+0	+1	+2	+3	E

Class	HP	Str	Mag	Skill	Spd	Lck	Def	Res	Mov	Weapon level
Swordmaster	+4	+3	+1	+2	+3	+0	+2	+3	+1	--
Assassin	+5	+4	−1	+4	+2	+0	+1	+0	+1	E

Class	HP	Str	Mag	Skill	Spd	Lck	Def	Res	Mov	Weapon level
War Monk	+8	+5	+2	+2	+2	+0	+5	+0	+1	E
Sage	+4	+1	+4	+3	+3	+0	+3	−1	+1	E

Class	HP	Str	Mag	Skill	Spd	Lck	Def	Res	Mov	Weapon level
Grandmaster	+4	+3	+3	+2	+2	+0	+2	+2	+1	--

Class	HP	Str	Mag	Skill	Spd	Lck	Def	Res	Mov	Weapon level
Assassin	+5	+5	+0	+7	+4	+0	+3	+1	+1	E
Trickster	+3	+1	+4	+4	+3	+0	+1	+5	+1	E

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Skill set

Like all male bonus units in Awakening, Zephiel has access to all base class and advanced class skills available to standard male units.

In addition, Zephiel can also receive the following as a personal skill:

Skill
	Conquest

Fire Emblem Heroes

Role

There are two different variations of Zephiel available to Heroes. The normal variation of Zephiel, based on his The Binding Blade incarnation, is one of the characters who first appeared in the game as an NPC at launch, and was made available to players in the sixth Grand Hero Battle, which initially ran from April 20, 2017 through April 24, 2017. A winter variation of Zephiel, based on his The Blazing Blade incarnation, was made available between the period of December 16, 2019 through January 16, 2020 part of the summoning event surrounding the launch of the Glorious Gifts update.

Zephiel: The Liberator

"Zephiel: The Liberator" redirects here. For the Grand Hero Battle map, see Grand Hero Battle/Battle data (page 1) § Zephiel: The Liberator.

Starting stats

★★★ ★★★★ ★★★★★

Rarity ★★★ Weapon type Movement type

Initial Stats Level 40 Stats Maximum HP 23/24/25 Attack 7/8/9 Speed 1/2/3 Defense 10/11/12 Resistance 3/4/5 Maximum HP 48/51/54 Attack 28/31/34 Speed 10/13/16 Defense 31/34/37 Resistance 18/21/24 {{{content3}}} {{{content4}}} {{{content5}}} {{{content6}}} {{{content7}}} {{{content8}}} {{{content9}}} {{{content10}}} {{{content11}}} {{{content12}}} {{{content13}}} {{{content14}}} {{{content15}}} Note: This unit requires the usage of Trait Fruit to access any flaws and assets.

Skills Steel Sword* -- --

Rarity ★★★★ Weapon type Movement type

Initial Stats Level 40 Stats Maximum HP 23/24/25 Attack 8/9/10 Speed 1/2/3 Defense 11/12/13 Resistance 3/4/5 Maximum HP 49/52/56 Attack 30/33/36 Speed 11/14/17 Defense 33/36/39 Resistance 19/22/25 {{{content3}}} {{{content4}}} {{{content5}}} {{{content6}}} {{{content7}}} {{{content8}}} {{{content9}}} {{{content10}}} {{{content11}}} {{{content12}}} {{{content13}}} {{{content14}}} {{{content15}}} Note: This unit requires the usage of Trait Fruit to access any flaws and assets.

Skills Silver Sword* -- Retribution

Rarity ★★★★★ Weapon type Movement type

Initial Stats Level 40 Stats Maximum HP 24/25/26 Attack 8/9/10 Speed 2/3/4 Defense 11/12/13 Resistance 4/5/6 Maximum HP 52/55/59 Attack 32/35/38 Speed 12/16/19 Defense 35/38/41 Resistance 21/24/28 {{{content3}}} {{{content4}}} {{{content5}}} {{{content6}}} {{{content7}}} {{{content8}}} {{{content9}}} {{{content10}}} {{{content11}}} {{{content12}}} {{{content13}}} {{{content14}}} {{{content15}}} Note: This unit requires the usage of Trait Fruit to access any flaws and assets.

Skills Silver Sword* -- Retribution

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Skill set

Skill set
Skill		Unlock	Auto-unlock	SP cost
	Iron Sword	★★★	★★★	50
	Steel Sword	★★★	★★★	100
	Silver Sword	★★★	★★★★	200
	Eckesachs	★★★★★	★★★★★	400
	Retribution	★★★	★★★★	100
	Reprisal	★★★★	—	200
A	Life and Death 1	★★★	—	50
A	Life and Death 2	★★★★	—	100
A	Life and Death 3	★★★★★	—	200
B	Wary Fighter 1	★★★	—	60
B	Wary Fighter 2	★★★	—	120
B	Wary Fighter 3	★★★★	—	240

Zephiel: Winter's Crown

Starting stats

Zephiel: Winter's Crown is only available at 5★ rarity.

Rarity ★★★★★ Weapon type Movement type

Initial Stats Level 40 Stats Maximum HP 21/22/23 Attack 9/10/11 Speed 3/4/5 Defense 7/8/9 Resistance 11/12/13 Maximum HP 45/48/51 Attack 35/38/41 Speed 16/19/22 Defense 35/38/42 Resistance 33/36/39 {{{content3}}} {{{content4}}} {{{content5}}} {{{content6}}} {{{content7}}} {{{content8}}} {{{content9}}} {{{content10}}} {{{content11}}} {{{content12}}} {{{content13}}} {{{content14}}} {{{content15}}}

Skills Bellringer+ -- Chilling Wind

Skill set

Skill set
Skill		Unlock	Auto-unlock	SP cost
	Iron Sword	★★★★★	★★★★★	50
	Steel Sword	★★★★★	★★★★★	100
	Bellringer	★★★★★	★★★★★	200
	Bellringer+	★★★★★	★★★★★	300
	Chilling Wind	★★★★★	★★★★★	100
	Glacies	★★★★★	—	200
B	Vengeful Fighter 1	★★★★★	—	60
B	Vengeful Fighter 2	★★★★★	—	120
B	Vengeful Fighter 3	★★★★★	—	240
C	Def/Res Gap 1	★★★★★	—	50
C	Def/Res Gap 2	★★★★★	—	100
C	Def/Res Gap 3	★★★★★	—	200

Personality

In his youth, Zephiel was a kind and wise individual. He was devoted to his younger half-sister, and of all the trials Desmond placed before him it was only the difficulty seeing her which frustrated him; he didn't even mind upon Desmond's denial of his succession of the throne in favour of Guinivere's hypothetical future husband.^[9] In the face of the turmoil facing his family, his sole wish was for his family to overcome the bitterness and hatred, and come together to live in happiness.^[10] He was highly talented, excelling at all pursuits to which he tried his hand, as a warrior, a politician and a scholar.^[11] As a result, he quickly won over the love of the people of Bern; many figures of Bern's army also came to deeply trust him and see him as Bern's sole hope for the future, including Murdock, Brunnya^[12] and Vaida.^[13][14] It was these talents which embittered and evoked jealousy in the rather average Desmond, spurring him to hire the Black Fang to murder his own son^[15], and yet ironically, Zephiel was determined to try harder to attempt to meet what he perceived to be the lofty expectations of his father.^[16]

However, ultimately his dealings with his envious and bitter father would come to shape Zephiel's personality for the worse, sparked by his father's second attempt on his life. Following his killing of his father, he quickly descended into a state of grimness, never smiling again.^[17] He developed a strong misanthropic worldview, influenced by his father's attitude, believing that humans were inherently evil and devoted to causing misery in others, and that the world would only continue to suffer under the control of mankind.^[18] He also developed the belief that the loss of the dragons in the Scouring was bad for the world because of mankind's flaws,^[19] and that a world under dragon rule would be a better world.^[20] To this end, he initiated the Disturbance of Bern to free the world from humans, during which he expressed no interest in the endless torrent of lives taken in his war effort, including those of prisoners and the innocent, citing them all as necessary sacrifices to the greater good^[21] and claiming that because of human greed there is no such thing as an "innocent" person.^[22]

Quotes

Battle quotes

Death quotes

Heroes quotes

Main article: Zephiel/Quotes (Heroes)

Other appearances

Fire Emblem: Hasha no Tsurugi

Role

This section has been marked as a stub. Please help improve the page by adding information.

Zephiel, wielding both the Eckesachs and Binding Blade.

The final confrontation with Zephiel varies somewhat compared to the source material: in the battle, Zephiel instead wielded both Eckesachs and Binding Blade, both of the weapons of his ancestor Hartmut. Using the Binding Blade, he re-sealed Al, which functioned as enough of a distraction to allow Roy to seize the Binding Blade and use it against Zephiel himself, killing him.

Stats

Stats given in: Chapter 21 King Level 20 Affinity Stats Max HP 70 Luck 15 Strength 25 Defense 22 Skill 20 Resistance 24 Speed 14 Constitution 17 Movement 6 Aid --

Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance

Zephiel's official artwork from The Binding Blade and The Blazing Blade, the latter of which depicting him with Guinivere, can be viewed in Path of Radiance's extras menu if a copy of The Binding Blade or The Blazing Blade is connected to a copy of Path of Radiance, respectively. Zephiel's The Binding Blade illustration, along with all other The Binding Blade-related artwork, is inaccessible in the international versions of the game, owing to the fact that The Binding Blade was not released in those regions.

Fire Emblem Cipher

Zephiel is featured on four cards in Fire Emblem Cipher.

Fire Emblem Cipher data for Zephiel
	King of Bern, Zephiel
		"Only when the rule of mankind is ended, and this world is returned to the selfless dragons, will this land know true peace!"
		Attack: 70	Support: 10	Range: 1	Deploy Cost: 4
		Class: King		Tier: Advanced	Class Change Cost: 3
		King's Whirlwind: [Trigger] [] When this unit attacks, you may pay the cost, and if you do: Until the end of this battle, this unit gains the following skill: "[Always] Your opponent must discard 2 cards with the same name instead of 1 to evade this unit's attack." Liberate the World: [Trigger] When this unit's attack destroys an enemy, if this unit has used "King's Whirlwind" this turn, the opponent must choose a card in their hand and discard it.
	Card #B09-073SR • Artist: Kotaro Yamada
	Prince of Bern, Zephiel
		"Please, let the day come when Guinevere and I... when all of us can live together happily in the castle."
		Attack: 40	Support: 20	Range: 1	Deploy Cost: 1
		Class: Prince		Tier: Base	Class Change Cost: --
		Compassionate Prince: [Always] During your opponent's turn, if the unit's support has a Deployment Cost of 1, this unit gains +10 attack. Fate Emblem: [Support] If the attacking unit is , draw a card, then choose a card from your hand and place it on top of your deck.
	Card #B09-074N • Artist: Sachiko Wada
	He Who Wishes To Liberate the World, Zephiel
		"You shall not bar my path!"
		Attack: 80	Support: 10	Range: 1	Deploy Cost: 5
		Class: King		Tier: Advanced	Class Change Cost: 4
		Eckesachs, the Legendary Weapon: [Activate] [] Choose 1 ally. Until the end of the turn, this unit and the chosen ally gain +10 attack. Hartmut's Almighty Blade: [Activate] [Once per turn] Choose 1 card from your opponent's hand without looking at its face, and send it to the Retreat Area. Choose 1 enemy with the same unit name as that card, and destroy them. This skill may only be used if Eckesachs, the Legendary Weapon has already been used 2 or more times in this turn.
	Card #B17-078SR • Artist: Kotaro Yamada
	Despair Awakened Within, Zephiel
		"Our father handed Zephiel a goblet of poisoned drink at a banquet. Later, when he leant to view Zephiel's body, Zephiel sprung from the coffin and...sword in hand..."
		Attack: 40	Support: 10	Range: 1	Deploy Cost: 1
		Class: Prince		Tier: Base	Class Change Cost: --
		Sword of Farewells: [Always] During your turn, if there are no other allies in the same area as this unit, this unit gains +10 attack. Attack Emblem: [Support] Until the end of this combat, your attacking unit gains +20 attack.
	Card #B17-079HN • Artist: Setsu
Some card information translation provided by Serenes Forest. For more detailed strategic information on these cards, see their TCG wiki article on Zephiel .

Flavor text

Meet some of the Heroes entries

The Liberator Winter's Crown

Zephiel: The Liberator
Bern, the eastern kingdom of Elibe, is a mighty military nation with a great many wyvern knights under its command. Standing at the peak of power and prestige in Bern is none other than its king: Zephiel!	Zephiel was born the heir to the previous king, Desmond. He was shrewd and clever from an early age, and he was a kind big brother to his sister, Guinivere.	However, once Zephiel took the throne, he seemed to transform into someone completely different. Taking the royal sword Eckesachs in hand, he used strange draconic powers to invade Bern's neighboring countries!	I don't know why Zephiel changed the way that he did, but I suspect that he'd been keeping this ambition of his a secret for a long time. Do you think maybe one day he'll go back to being the kind soul he used to be?
Closely Associated Characters
Idunn Guinivere {{{Related_name3}}} {{{Related_name4}}} {{{Related_name5}}} Transformed into a Demon Dragon and sealed during the Scouring. She was awoken by Zephiel and serves him so he may realize his ambition. Princess of Bern and Zephiel's younger sister. When her brother suddenly changed, she took the Fire Emblem, another of the royal treasures, and fled the kingdom, hoping to find a way to stop him. {{{Related_blurb3}}} {{{Related_blurb4}}} {{{Related_blurb5}}}

Zephiel: Winter's Crown
The Kingdom of Bern occupies a vast stretch of the continent of Elibe. One day, it will be ruled by Prince Zephiel—but today, he's here to celebrate the winter festival in style!	Zephiel is truly gifted, both as a warrior and a scholar, but that's not the only reason why he has such strong support. He's wise and kind, and he cares about others.	For the winter festival, he's donning a brilliant red outfit and personally delivering presents to everyone. I bet that toy fox he's carrying is a special present for his sister, Guinivere!	Prince Zephiel keeps working to better himself so that he can be a good and just leader for his people. With someone as kindhearted as him on the throne, I'm sure a bright future awaits Bern!
Closely Associated Characters
Guinivere {{{Related_name2}}} {{{Related_name3}}} {{{Related_name4}}} {{{Related_name5}}} Princess of Bern. Adores Zephiel, her doting stepbrother. {{{Related_blurb2}}} {{{Related_blurb3}}} {{{Related_blurb4}}} {{{Related_blurb5}}}

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Choose Your Legends placement history

Round	Placement	Character	Votes

CYL 1 (2017)	274	Zephiel The Binding Blade	808
	627	Zephiel The Blazing Blade	104

CYL 2 (2018)	303 (+29)	Zephiel The Binding Blade	704 (−104)
	512 (−115)	Zephiel The Blazing Blade	231 (+127)

CYL 3 (2019)	302 (+8)	Zephiel The Binding Blade	711 (+7)
	485 (+191)	Zephiel The Blazing Blade	236 (−468)

CYL 4 (2020)	355 (+22)	Zephiel The Binding Blade	393 (−318)
	615 (+203)	Zephiel The Blazing Blade	99 (−612)

CYL 5 (2021)	336 (−19)	Zephiel The Binding Blade	257 (−136)
	733 (+118)	Zephiel The Blazing Blade	33 (−66)

CYL 6 (2022)	340 (+2)	Zephiel The Binding Blade	258 (+1)
	708 (−27)	Zephiel The Blazing Blade	43 (+10)

CYL 7 (2023)	326 (−14)	Zephiel The Binding Blade	180 (−78)
	742 (+34)	Zephiel The Blazing Blade	24 (−19)

CYL 8 (2024)	356 (+30)	Zephiel The Binding Blade	164 (−16)
	782 (+40)	Zephiel The Blazing Blade	23 (−1)

CYL 9 (2025)	363 (+7)	Zephiel The Binding Blade	130 (−34)
	876 (+94)	Zephiel The Blazing Blade	7 (−16)

Total results		This character has 18 entries across all Choose Your Legends polls.	4,405

Trivia

• In The Binding Blade, Zephiel's battle sprite was designed only with Eckesachs in mind, so if he fights using any other weapon in the Trial Map mode, it will always play the full transforming Eckesachs animation. Similarly, he will always hold the staff form of Eckesachs, even if he has no weapon equipped.
• Zephiel's growth rates go unused in The Binding Blade due to units not being able to gain experience in Trial Maps.

Etymology and other languages

Gallery

Sprite Gallery
The Binding Blade King Sword
The Blazing Blade Prince

Official artwork

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  Artwork of Zephiel from The Binding Blade.

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  Artwork of Zephiel and Guinivere in their childhood from The Blazing Blade.

Portraits

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  Portrait of Zephiel in Awakening.

Heroes artwork

Character artwork

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  Artwork of Zephiel: The Liberator.

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  Artwork of Zephiel: The Liberator.

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  Artwork of Zephiel: The Liberator.

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  Artwork of Zephiel: The Liberator.

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  Artwork of Zephiel: Winter's Crown.

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  Artwork of Zephiel: Winter's Crown.

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  Artwork of Zephiel: Winter's Crown.

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  Artwork of Zephiel: Winter's Crown.

Meet some of the Heroes artwork

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  Artwork of Zephiel: The Liberator.

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  Artwork of Zephiel: The Liberator.

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  Artwork of Zephiel: The Liberator.

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  Artwork of Zephiel: The Liberator.

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  Artwork of Zephiel: Winter's Crown.

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  Artwork of Zephiel: Winter's Crown.

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  Artwork of Zephiel: Winter's Crown.

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  Zephiel in artwork of Cecilia: Etrurian General.

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  Zephiel in artwork of Murdock: Loyal General.

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  Zephiel in artwork of Brunnya: Devoted General.

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  Zephiel in artwork of Guinivere: Princess of Bern.

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  Zephiel in artwork of Guinivere: Queen of Bern.

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  Zephiel in artwork of Idunn: Dark Priestess.

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  Zephiel in artwork of Vaida: Dracofang General.

Other artwork

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  Wallpaper of Zephiel: The Liberator from the A Hero Rises 2018 event.

Cipher artwork

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  Artwork of Zephiel.

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  Artwork of Zephiel.

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  Artwork of Zephiel with Guinivere.

References

This article is part of Project Characters, a project focused on writing articles for every character present in the Fire Emblem series.