Ike is a fictional character from the Fire Emblem series of video games. He is the central protagonist and Lord-class character of the ninth game in the series, ' and one of the central characters in '. Ike's premiere game, Path of Radiance, was the first console Fire Emblem game released internationally, was the first console Fire Emblem game released since the Super Famicom game, , and was the first to have three-dimensional, cel-shaded graphics. His raw personality and blue hair are derived from Hector, the protagonist of the first Fire Emblem released to Europe and North America, when Ike's creators discovered that he was one of the most popular characters in the series.
Appearances
Ike is the primary protagonist of ', the plot of which centers around his efforts to repel an invasion and avenge the murder of his father. He also serves as one of the two main protagonists of ', where he battles the forces of a corrupt goddess. He is also featured as a bonus character in Fire Emblem Fates and Code Name S.T.E.A.M., both of which make him playable upon the player linking their Amiibo with the game. He is also a playable character in Fire Emblem Heroes, being available in three variations based on his appearances in Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn. Outside of the Fire Emblem series, Ike was also included in a number of other Nintendo related games, including the Super SmashBros. series. Ike was a playable character in Nintendo's 2008 cross-over fighting gameSuper Smash Bros. Brawl as part of the game's core fighting cast. One of his special moves in the game is "Aether", which is a unique skill in Path of Radiance that only he can learn. He uses the weapon Ragnell, a two handed-sword which he wields with one hand. He later appeared in the follow up title, 2014's Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U. Coinciding with the game's release, Ike received an amiibo figure. He once again appeared in 2018's Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, where players can choose between his appearances from Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn.
Reception
Ike has generally been a well-received character, and is known as one of the more popular Fire Emblem characters. In Nintendo's character polls for Fire Emblem Heroes, Ike was voted most popular male character, beating the second most popular character, Roy, by a margin of over 22,000 votes, and placing third behind Lyn and Lucina as the most popular character of all. Polygon noted that Ike was one of the most famousFire Emblem characters, something they cited as being due to his inclusion in the Smash Bros games. Series producer Toru Narihiro attributed an increase in reputation for both Ike and fellow Fire Emblem character Marth to their appearances in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, adding that their reputations grew beyond the staff's expectations. As a fighter in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and WiiU specifically, his inclusion was generally well-received, although Kotaku reported that Japanese fans mocked and criticized his more muscular redesign, with people noting that he looked more gorilla-like than before.
