Every year, Fire Emblem Heroes – the mobile hot casino version of the Nintendo tactics franchise – holds a contest where fans vote for their favorite characters. The winners are then added to the game as special versions with enhanced capabilities.
Most of the time, the victors that emerge from this democratic process are familiar faces you would expect. Last year included Dimitri and Edelgard, two of the main stars of Fire Emblem: Three Houses. But in February, the Heroes the community voted for sweet, sweet chaos.
Right now, the game is celebrating its 4th anniversary, bringing with it a new event and a subpoena. The news broadcast announcing all of this also includes the results of the aforementioned match, which features key characters such as Marth, a protagonist in previous games. You’d think he’d be a shoo-in, especially considering he’s also part of franchises like Super Smash Bros., but no. Marth lost handily – and for a character who doesn’t even have a name or a face!
The Gatekeeper, for those who haven’t played Fire Emblem: Three Houses, became a meme within the fandom shortly after its release.
Although the character cannot be recruited Three houses and doesn’t play a big role, he’s always happy to see you. Every time you speak to the Gatekeeper, he gives you updates and cheers. Fans were so taken with him that they drew him into fan art and begged Nintendo to make him recruitable.
And now, years later, that love overcame the power of a main character. The Gatekeeper becomes a playable character in Fire Emblem Heroes sometime in the summer, although it is unclear what powers it will have and how strong it will be. The Gatekeeper is joined by the fairground Marianne, who was voted the most popular female character this year. The male and female runners are also getting new playable versions, so poor Marth will still be making a show, alongside Eirika from Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones.
If you haven’t played Fire Emblem Heroes in a while now might be a good time – there’s a sign-in bonus for the game’s birthday, along with a number of other new features, such as the ability to customize the main character’s appearance.