—Ephraim citing his motto to Kyle and Forde before charging Renvall.
Ephraim is a playable character and a protagonist in Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones. He is the crown prince of Renais and Eirika's older twin brother. He is a headstrong and determined man whose skill with a Lance is unsurpassed by any other in his country, having been taught by Duessel. He has a semi-friendly rivalry with Prince Innes of Frelia and is also good friends with Prince Lyon of Grado. He wears the Solar Brace which is one of a pair of bracelets that together grant access to Renais' Sacred Stone.
Quick Answers
Who taught Ephraim his unparalleled skills with a Lance?
What is the significance of the Solar Brace that Ephraim wears?
Who are some of Ephraim's notable friends and rivals in Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones?
What is Ephraim's relationship with Eirika in Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones?
Is Ephraim a playable character in Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones?
Profile
Ephraim is the son of King Fado of Renais and the older twin brother of Princess Eirika. Due to strong political ties between Renais and both Frelia and Grado, Ephraim grew up with strong friendships with Innes and Lyon, the respective crown princes of those nations. Though officially the Crown Prince of Renais, Ephraim developed a desire to become a mercenary and passion for martial combat. Ephraim sought out the tutelage of the legendary Grado Knight Duessel after hearing of his skills. During his first ever sparring match, Ephraim eagerly selected Duessel as his first opponent. Though he was outmatched, Ephraim earned the respect of the veteran knight.
Much to the frustration of his father, Ephraim would often sneak away from the castle for periods of time, quelling bandits and taking up mercenary jobs alongside his appointed knights Forde, Kyle, and Orson.
Sacred Stones
Ephraim is engaged in guerrilla war against Grado in an attempt to divert Grado troops from their invasion into Renais, concurrently with his father's death. During this time, he encountered the manakete Myrrh and rescued her from Grado forces. Blaming himself for his inability to aid his father in his time of need, he wonders where his younger sister went and traveled to Renvall with his companions Forde, Kyle and Orson. Upon disposing the commander inside, Orson reveals his true colors, forcing Ephraim, Forde and Kyle to flee. Tirado later spread false news about Ephraim's capture to lure Eirika into Renvall.
Upon falling into Tirado's trap, Ephraim heard of the news and rushed to his sister's aid, joining forces with her and defeating Tirado. Upon returning to Frelia, Ephraim decided to go to Grado to get answers.
In his path, Ephraim first approaches Fort Rigwald, with its defenders attempting to hold out against a Frelian siege. After rescuing Tana whom was captured while looking for his group. Ephraim and his forces kill the commander inside, forcing the garrison to surrender. Upon interrogating one of the prisoners, he learns about Duessel's reaction to the war, and heads towards Bethroen to assist him.
Upon arriving at Bethroen, Ephraim assists Duessel in repelling the forces sent to kill him, and Duessel later joins Ephraim on his journey. Ephraim hears rumors about a phantom ship destroying anything in its path in the Grado's seas, and goes out with his group to determine if the rumors are false or not. The rumors are true, and with Dozla and L'Arachel's help, destroy its crew. Upon arriving at Taizel, Grado forces led by Caellach surround them, but Caellach is quickly recalled to the capital by Riev. Riev supplements the army there with monsters, and Ephraim is shocked that the monsters are not attacking Grado soldiers. Despite this, his group manages to push on to Za'albul Marsh, where he encounters Myrrh, who tells him not to kill Selena. He is forced to however, as she refuses to move aside due to loyalty.
After dispatching her, Ephraim finally arrives at Grado, where he besieges the castle, killing Vigarde. He later reunites with his sister in Jehanna, and takes the throne back from Orson, before heading to Rausten and finally Darkling Woods to stop Fomortiis from destroying Magvel.
After Fomortiis is destroyed, Ephraim returns to Renais and rebuilds the nation with Eirika. If he has an A-Rank support with either Tana or L'Arachel, he will marry her and uniting Renais with Frelia or Rausten respectively.
Personality
Confident and courageous, Ephraim is revered among his comrades as a brave leader having earned notoriety across Magvel for his battle prowess, gift for battle strategy, and unflinching determination. He is often strait-to-the-point during conversations and, despite his brash nature, can see the fastest, truest path towards whatever goal he has set out towards. His blunt nature however makes it difficult for him to communicate with others as he maintains a sort of distant bearing when interacting with allies, sometimes being interpreted as aloofness. While this does make him seem disinterested or even detached, Ephraim is ultimately very caring and perceptive of others, maintaining formality, but still showing concern, even if only subtly.
Despite being the crown prince of Renais, and being raised to become so one day, Ephraim desires a more free lifestyle and became a world traveler to fulfill his dream of becoming a mercenary. At times, Ephraim can be overconfident as he picks and chooses his battles most if he is sure he will win. Despite his straightforwardness towards his goals, Ephraim often fails to see the bigger picture of his actions on the path towards victory with some noting that he is far too reckless for his own good. By his own admission, he struggles with the diplomatic and academic application of knowledge unless it pertains to combat, willingly admitting that Eirika and Lyon are better suited for such things than himself.
He is the polar opposite of his sister as Eirika's gentle, refined nature clashes with Ephraim's impulsive, brash nature. Despite this, the two share a strong, everlasting sibling bond as she can rely on Ephraim's strength and valor in times of conflict while Eirika's levelheadedness and kindness keep him grounded towards the greater good of the world. While he markedly reserved, almost completely private in his thoughts and how he interfaces with his allies, those who are particularly close to him find him both remarkably open and honest. Likewise, he shows open respect for those who show great skill and prowess, not just physically but also academically. Duessel in particular was his teacher in spearcraft and, despite being nothing more than a young apprentice at the time, showed surprising zeal against him in their first encounter by immediately challenging him as his first opponent.
He holds both fellow crown princes Innes of Frelia and Lyon of Grado in high regard. The former has a somewhat one-sided rivalry on Innes' part, but Ephraim seems to enjoy the rivalry. Lyon is perhaps his strongest bond outside of his sister as he admires Lyon's intelligence, especially helping to understand the academic side that his duties calls for. According to his Duo Hero Conversation with Lyon, he would rather be the physical force behind maintaining peace across Magvel while Lyon handled the diplomatic duties with fair and just proclamations. He also strikes up a sibling-esque bond with Myrrh, teaching her royal etiquette, offering her a place to stay in Castle Renais at the end of the war should she choose to, and willingly allows her to call him "brother", something that he admits reminds him of Eirika when they were younger.
Ephraim transforms over the course of the war, operating almost bullheadedly at the very start of the story into a more tactical, yet passionate warrior. While he would seemingly rather be rid of his prince duties at the start, his time spent fighting tempered him into an enlightened and resolute future king and wholeheartedly accepts his responsibilities. Though he has his reservations, numerous individuals, particularly Eirika and Duessel, vouch that he will become a suitable king for Renais. He also explains in his Level 40 conversation in Fire Emblem Heroes, that he is always striving to strengthen his lacking qualities, especially after losing Lyon, who he refers to as 'a good friend of his'.
In-Game
The Sacred Stones
Description: The prince of Renais. He is a man of great honor and bravery.
Base Stats
| Starting Class | Affinity | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Lord |  Fire | ||||||||
| Level | HP | Str | Skl | Spd | Lck | Def | Res | Con | Mov |
| 4 | 23 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 8 | 5 |
| Weapon | Starting Items | ||||||||
 Lance - D |  Reginleif Steel Lance Elixir | ||||||||
Growth Rates
| HP | S/M | Skl | Spd | Lck | Def | Res |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80% | 55% | 55% | 45% | 50% | 35% | 25% |
Promotion Gains
| Item Required | Promoted Class | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Solar Brace
|
 Great Lord
| |||||||
| 1 | +4 | +2 | +3 | +2 | +2 | +5 | +2 | +2 |
| Weapon Levels | ||||||||
| +40
| ||||||||
Supports
- See also: Ephraim/Supports
Overall
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Subjective: The following part of this article is based upon the editor's personal experiences and opinions, and therefore may not be applicable for all readers.
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Ephraim is one of the two Lords in the game, and he will become the main lord of the storyline if his story is taken at the route split. Unlike his sister, Eirika, who joins with very low base stats, Ephraim's primary stats are fantastic for his join time and level, and he has among the best growths in the game all around. He is also locked to a far better weapon type than Eirika, who has Swords, as Lances have higher damage, a reliable ranged attack option, and are less susceptible to weapon triangle disadvantage against the majority of enemies that use them as well.
His personal weapon, Reginleif, is also immensely powerful and light enough that he can use it without any Speed penalties. It is effective against armored and mounted enemies, but is powerful enough to use it against standard enemies to great effect as well, and its many uses allow the player to use it with impunity. When he promotes, he gains a mount to allow him to keep up with faster units, and the Sacred Twin Siegmund, a powerful Lance with which he can nearly one hit kill the majority of monsters in the game even with no stats increases of his own.
Ephraim's main weaknesses are his late promotion, lance lock, and lack of a mount until he promotes. He may fall behind any mounted units in the player's army up until that point and will require ferrying to remain on the front lines. He is also not present at all in Eirika's route until he meets back up with her in Chapter 15, leaving him with very few chapters of availability. When engaging Axe using enemies, he is at weapon triangle disadvantage unless he equips an Axereaver. He also has fairly low stat caps, though during the main campaign this does not come into play to any notable degree. These issues do not stop him from being one of the strongest Lords in the Game Boy Advance titles, and perhaps even the series, especially once he promotes.
Fire Emblem Awakening
Base Stats
| Starting Class | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Great Knight | |||||||||
| Level | HP | Str | Mag | Skl | Spd | Lck | Def | Res | Mov |
| 20 | 71 | 40 | 3 | 35 | 33 | 31 | 36 | 10 | 7 |
| Skills | Weapon | Starting Items | |||||||
 Discipline Outdoor Fighter Luna Dual Guard+ Rightful King |  Sword - C Lance - A Axe - C |  Brave Lance* Ephraim's Lance* | |||||||
Fire Emblem Engage
Emblem Skills
| Emblem Ring | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Ring of the Azure Twins
| |||||||||
| Stat Boosts | |||||||||
| HP | Str | Mag | Def | Res | Dex | Spd | Lck | Bld | Mov |
| ◎ | ◎ | ◎ | |||||||
| Sync Skills | Engage Weapons | Engage Skill | Engage Attack | ||||||
 Night and Day Solar Brace Bravery Eclipse Brace* Blue Skies*
|
 Rapier Wind Sword Sieglinde
|
 Sacred Twins
|
 Twin Strike
| ||||||
Fire Emblem Heroes
- Restoration Lord
- Prince of Renais. Eirika's twin. Cares deeply for his sister. His confidence has sometimes put him in danger. Appears in Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones.
Base Stats
 | Title | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restoration Lord | |||||
| Group | |||||
 Infantry | |||||
| Level | HP | Atk | Spd | Def | Res |
| 1 40 | 18/19/20 42/45/48 | 8/9/10 32/35/38 | 5/6/7 22/25/29 | 7/8/9 29/32/35 | 4/5/6 17/20/23 |
| Skills | Weapon | ||||
 Siegmund New Moon |  Lance | ||||
Skills
| Type | Name | Prerequisite | Default | Unlocked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Iron Lance | - | - | - |
| Steel Lance | - | - | - | |
| Heavy Spear | - | - | - | |
| Siegmund | - |  | - | |
 | New Moon | - | | - |
| Moonbow | New Moon | - | | |
| B |  Seal Def 1 | - | - | |
 Seal Def 2 | Seal Def 1 | - | ||
 Seal Def 3 | Seal Def 2 | | ||
| C |  Threaten Def 1 | - | - | |
 Threaten Def 2 | Threaten Def 1 | - | ||
 Threaten Def 3 | Threaten Def 2 | |
Overall
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Subjective: The following part of this article is based upon the editor's personal experiences and opinions, and therefore may not be applicable for all readers.
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Base Set
Ephraim exists in an extremely underutilized unit type, the Lance infantry unit. He is clearly built to be a bulky duelist unit having an incredible 35 Atk and 32 Def. The latter with his 45 HP gives him a solid physical bulk score of 77, giving him great durability against the ever common sword unit. Unfortunately, Ephraim trades this for a low 25 neutral Spd and 20 neutral Res. Despite the former stat, Ephraim has his own method to ensure that he can hit hard especially during the player's turn.
Siegmund grants Ephraim a Hone Attack 2 effect, granting allies adjacent to him a visible +3 Atk boost at the start of his turn. While a good supportive weapon, with its later effect refine, the Hone Attack boost was increased to Hone Attack 3, granting +4 Atk instead and if he initiates combat with at least 90% of his HP, he is guaranteed to make a follow-up attack.
Moonbow ignores 30% of the enemy's Def when it activates. Seal Defense inflicts a -7 Def penalty on an opponent he faces in combat and Threaten Defense inflicts a -5 Def drop on enemies within two spaces of him at the start of his turn.
Counters
Ephraim will go down to just about any mage, especially green mages like Nino, Soren, and Gunnthrá. Wrathful Staff/Dazzling Staff units also fare similarly. Dragons also are particularly troublesome as they deal damage against his low Res as well. Bulky green units can take his hits and retaliate through color advantage. Units Null Follow-Up immediately negate his refine effect, removing most of his damage output.
Skill Inheritance Options
Reposition is an excellent Assist skill to give the player some positioning to pull an ally out of harm's way or place Ephraim between an enemy that he is better suited to deal with. Bonfire capitalizes on his strong Def, though Glimmer and Aether can be considered as well. Given Siegmund's effect, maximizing his player turn offense is the best course of action. Death Blow or Sturdy Impact are his best option to capitalize on his offense and either giving it the maximum amount of Atk or increasing his bulk and negating his opponent's ability to double attack. Odd Attack Wave/Even Attack Wave or Joint Hone Attack gives him the ability to self-buff his own Atk, the former two giving him the strongest offenses during certain turns or the latter for even distribution for consistency. Wrath maximizes his player turn by accelerating his special cooldown while Vantage allows Ephraim to deal with enemies during their turn if he failed to finish them, giving him the opportunity to do so.
Meet Some of the Heroes
| Restoration Lord Ephraim | |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Ephraim is the prince of Renais, a kingdom on the continent of Magvel. He's the twin brother of Eirika, the princess! | ||
|
He's a brave hero with a strong sense of justice, dedicated to honing his skills with a lance to become the best on the continent. He also cares deeply for his sister and always looks out for her. | ||
|
When Renais was invaded by the Grado Empire, Ephraim led a small force of his allies to fight back on the front lines. Afterward, he met up with Eirika to take the fight back to Grado across the continent. | ||
|
Ephraim battled on, wielding the lance Siegmund, one of the Sacred Twins of Renais. And now, this valiant Hero is here to help bring peace back to Askr, too! | ||
| Closely Associated Characters | |||
| Eirika | Princess of Renais. Ephraim's twin. Cares dearly for her brother. Her kindness has sometimes put her in danger. | ||
| Lyon | Prince of Grado; not fond of fighting. A childhood friend of Ephraim and Eirika. | ||
- Legendary Lord
- Prince of Renais. Eirika's twin. It's said he destroyed the Demon King of old and saved the world. Appears in Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones.
Base Stats
Rarity: ✯✯✯✯✯
 | Title | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legendary Lord | |||||
| Group | |||||
 Cavalry | |||||
| Level | HP | Atk | Spd | Def | Res |
| 1 40 | 18/19/20 40/43/46 | 9/10/11 33/36/39 | 4/5/6 23/27/30 | 8/9/10 30/33/36 | 2/3/4 15/18/21 |
| Skills | Weapon | ||||
| Flame Siegmund Daylight | Lance | ||||
Skills
Overall
|
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Subjective: The following part of this article is based upon the editor's personal experiences and opinions, and therefore may not be applicable for all readers.
|
Base Set
Lance Cavalry are far and many, but Legendary Ephraim outstripped the many existing before him and a handful of them after him. As a Fire Legendary unit, he gifts a +3 HP and +4 Def buff to all fire blessed Heroes during fire seasons and thanks to his skills, leads the charge as a powerful frontline unit. Much like his normal counterpart, Legendary Ephraim has great Atk at neutral 36 and physical bulk score of 76 at the cost of middling Spd and low Res. Overall, Legendary Ephraim is meant to lead his forces during a battle, containing a mixture of damage and sustainability thanks to his kit.
Flame Siegmund grants him a flat +3 Atk, bringing him to a monstrous 55 neutral Atk. Its greatest strength is the Solo effect as if the number of foes within two spaces, not including his target, are greater or equal to the number of allies within two spaces of Legendary Ephraim (excluding himself), he can make a guaranteed follow-up attack, granting him maximum damage output under the right conditions.
His unique legendary skill is Solar Brace which allows him to recover 30% of the damage he deals when his Special skill activates. On top his existing Sol skill, he can heal about 80% of the damage he deals under both effects.
Sturdy Stance grants him +4 Atk/Def when a foe initiates combat on him and Fortify Defense gives a visible Def buff of adjacent allies by 4 at the start of his turn.
Counters
Legendary Ephraim still needs to avoid mages as they can easily tear through his low res and most mages carry enough Spd to double attack him if they lack the raw explosive Atk. Dragons similarly prove problematic as they target his Res and Dazzling Staff/Wrathful Staff units can poke him out while applying the standard splash damage build onto his allies. As a Cavalry unit, he needs to be wary of units who carry weapons effective against them, such as a Horseslayer and especially the likes of Micaiah and her various forms.
Skill Inheritance Options
Reposition is an excellent Assist skill to give the player some positioning to pull an ally out of harm's way or place Legendary Ephraim between an enemy that he is better suited to deal with. Moonbow makes a decent replacement as he essentially has a quick-charging mini-Aether thanks to the 30% Def ignoring effects. He could also outright use Aether as it has a stronger 50% Def reduction and he recovers 80% of the damage dealt.
Attack Defense Solo pairs nicely with Flame Siegmund as he empowers his two strongest stats under Flame Siegmund's full effect. Attack Smoke reduces the enemy Atk to ensure that he can easily take their blows.
Meet Some of the Heroes
| Legendary Lord Ephraim | |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Ephraim is the prince of the kingdom of Renais—located on the continent of Magvel—and the twin brother of Eirika. | ||
|
Not to be outdone by his kind and dignified sister, Ephraim is a truly brave prince with an even stronger sense of justice. | ||
|
He wields the lance Siegmund, one of a pair of weapons known as the Sacred Twins that were passed down in Renais. | ||
|
Ephraim first entered the fray to defend against the invasion by the Grado Empire, which ultimately turned into a battle over the powerful Sacred Stones—and with his victory, he brought peace to the continent of Magvel! | ||
| Closely Associated Characters | |||
| Eirika | The princess of Renais and Ephraim's twin sister. A kind young lady with the dignified bearing befitting a member of the royal family. | ||
| Lyon | The gentle prince of Grado. He was childhood friends with Ephraim and Eirika, and dislikes fighting. | ||
- Sacred Twin Lord
- Prince of Renais who protects his kingdom in place of his deceased father, King Fado. He's taken to using one of the Sacred Twins relics from Grado—the black axe Garm. Appears in Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones.
Base Stats
 | Title | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sacred Twin Lord | |||||
| Group | |||||
 Armored | |||||
| Level | HP | Atk | Spd | Def | Res |
| 1 40 | 21/22/23 43/46/49 | 9/10/11 35/38/41 | 4/5/6 23/27/30 | 10/11/12 34/37/40 | 6/7/8 23/26/30 |
| Skills | Weapon | ||||
| Garm Dragon Gaze |  Axe | ||||
Skills
| Type | Name | Prerequisite | Default | Unlocked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iron Axe | - | - | - |
| Steel Axe | - | - | - | |
| Silver Axe | - | - | - | |
| Garm | - | | - | |
| Dragon Gaze | - | | - |
| Draconic Aura | Dragon Gaze | - | | |
| A |  Close Def 1 | - | - | |
 Close Def 2 | Close Def 1 | - | ||
 Close Def 3 | Close Def 2 | | ||
| B |  Special Fighter 1 | - | - | |
 Special Fighter 2 | Special Fighter 1 | - | ||
 Special Fighter 3 | Special Fighter 2 | | ||
| C |  Armor March 1 | - | - | |
 Armor March 2 | Armor March 1 | - | ||
 Armor March 3 | Armor March 2 | |
Overall
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Subjective: The following part of this article is based upon the editor's personal experiences and opinions, and therefore may not be applicable for all readers.
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Base Set
Chosen as the representative of Brave Heroes Year 2, Ephraim does not disappoint despite losing out on an exclusive skill. As an Axe Armor unit, Brave Ephraim unsurprisingly does not differ much from his two previous forms, excelling with a strong 38 Atk and a now incredible physical bulk score of 83. His Spd and Res are workable, but neither particularly help him. Still, the optimization of his stat spread makes him a formidable opponent and his kit is well equipped with tools to turn him into a potent threat.
Garm grants him a flat +3 Atk buff, bringing his neutral Atk to 57. If Brave Ephraim has any sort of visible buff on him such as a stat increase or movement buff, he is guaranteed to make a follow-up attack. Regardless of turn, so long as he has some buff on him, his Spd becomes a non-issue for combat and his incredible damage output thanks to his strong Atk makes him exceptionally dangerous if not treated with caution. With the weapon refine of September 2020, Ephraim became even more solid. Now, any sort of Bonus (including ones from skills such as Bonus Doubler of Ardent Durandal or Dominance of Bride Micaiah) gives him the follow-up attack, and nullifies attempts to prevent his follow-up attack. The special refine solidifies his set even more, as it gives him 5 points to all stats and he will heal himself by 7 points of health, as long as his HP is above 25%. This Special Refine, combined with his Special Fighter skill, turns him into a crucial unit to Røkkr Sieges.
Draconic Aura boosts his Atk by 30%, giving him a 9 point boost to his Atk while Close Defense increases his Def/Res by 6 when attacked by a close range foe. Brave Ephraim's two greatest features are his Special Fighter that he introduced and the Armor March skill. Special Fighter accelerates his Special cooldown if he starts combat over 50% and also slows down his enemy's special cooldown as well. All of this makes easier for him to dish out incredible damage while making it hard for his opponent to do the same. Armor March pairs perfectly with Garm as he can buff himself and his fellow armor allies by giving them additional movement while giving Garm its full effect.
Counters
Brave Ephraim's magical bulk is low enough to be exploited by most mages, especially red ones like Tharja, Katarina, and Celica. If running Distant Counter on him, this weakness is slightly reduced as many lack the bulk to take the two hits from Garm. Dazzling Staff/Wrathful Staff units can bypass any form of Ephraim and simply win through splash damage. Armor effective weapon units like Tobin, Hana, and especially Micaiah and her various forms, namely her New Years form, can shred through his defenses with their effective damage. Finally, inflicting debuffs onto him to override his Garm effect significantly reduces his threat.
Skill Inheritance Options
Pivot or Swap are standard Armor unit skills to give Brave Ephraim some additional pseudo-movement. While he naturally runs Armor March, giving him the Armored Boots seal will immediately give him some self sustainability. If running him as a solo frontline unit, Armored Stride removes the seal HP threshold and opens that up for other options. Aether, Bonfire, or Ignis gives him a better, more consistent damage output than Draconic Aura. Death Blow maximizes his player turn damage output while Distant Counter makes it difficult to attack from range without pure color advantage or the ability to negate his ability to counterattack.
Meet Some of the Heroes
| Sacred Twin Lord Ephraim | |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Ephraim, the prince of Renais, is here to join the battle, having donned the armor of his father, Fado! | ||
|
A valorous and gallant ruler, Fado was known as the Warrior King. Now, Ephraim is following in his footsteps by wearing the same armor his father once wore, and he exudes sheer determination. | ||
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Normally, you'll see Ephraim using a lance, but not for this appearance. He's carrying Garm, the black axe—one of the Sacred Twins of Grado, the kingdom of Ephraim's friend Lyon! | ||
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Ephraim takes inspiration from both his great father and his irreplaceable friend as he stands up to help fight for peace in Askr. That's just the kind of person I like to see in the Order of Heroes! | ||
| Closely Associated Characters | |||
| Eirika | Princess of Renais. Ephraim's twin. Cares dearly for her brother. Her kindness has sometimes put her in danger. | ||
| Lyon | Prince of Grado; not fond of fighting. A childhood friend of Ephraim and Eirika. | ||
- Sparkling Gallantly
- The gallant prince of Renais. His chivalrous nature enlivens the winter festival. Appears in Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones.
Base Stats
Rarity: ✯✯✯✯✯
 | Title | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sparkling Gallantly | |||||
| Group | |||||
| Armored | |||||
| Level | HP | Atk | Spd | Def | Res |
| 1 40 | 20/21/22 42/45/48 | 10/11/12 38/41/45 | 5/6/7 20/23/26 | 9/10/11 33/36/39 | 6/7/8 25/29/32 |
| Skills | Weapon | ||||
| Festive Siegmund Dragon Gaze | Lance | ||||
Skills
| Type | Name | Prerequisite | Default | Unlocked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iron Lance | - | - | - |
| Steel Lance | - | - | - | |
| Silver Lance | - | - | - | |
| Festive Siegmund | - | | - | |
| Dragon Gaze | - | | - |
| Dragon Fang | Dragon Gaze | - | | |
| A |  Atk/Def Solo 1 | - | - | |
 Atk/Def Solo 2 | Atk/Def Solo 1 | - | ||
 Atk/Def Solo 3 | Atk/Def Solo 2 | | ||
| B |  Bold Fighter 1 | - | - | |
 Bold Fighter 2 | Bold Fighter 1 | - | ||
 Bold Fighter 3 | Bold Fighter 2 | | ||
| C |  Close Guard 1 | - | - | |
 Close Guard 2 | Close Guard 1 | - | ||
 Close Guard 3 | Close Guard 2 | |
Overall
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Subjective: The following part of this article is based upon the editor's personal experiences and opinions, and therefore may not be applicable for all readers.
|
Base Set
For the third time, Ephraim appears as a Lance user using a form of Siegmund, though this time, he is an Armored unit. Winter Ephraim, unsurprisingly, sports a monstrous 41 Atk and is incredibly bulky thanks to a physical bulk score of 81. His Res is decent enough to make him a great mixed bulk tank. His Spd is low as a trade-off but the virtue of being an armor unit easily makes up for this because of his base kit. While he may not excel and is a seasonal unit, therefore having difficulty obtaining merges, even a single copy of Winter Ephraim can perform admirably. His kit as a whole wants him to stay separated from his allies as much as possible to reap the full benefits of his skills.
Festive Siegmund not only accelerates his Special cooldown, but if Winter Ephraim is not adjacent to any ally, he gains +4 to his core stats in-combat. Not only is this a huge boost, but he can still take full advantage of Armor buffs and become a huge pile of stats that not only hits hard, but takes very little damage in return.
Dragon Fang boosts his Atk by 50%, heavily wounding any unit he encounters. Attack Defense Solo Gives him an additional +6 Atk/Def during combat as long as he is not adjacent to an ally, giving him +10 Atk/Def as a result, further increasing his two strongest stats. Bold Fighter not only accelerates his special cooldown further, but it also alleviates his Spd issue by guaranteeing a follow-up attack when he initiates combat. Close Guard grants allies within two spaces of him a Close Defense effect, giving them a +4 Def/Res in-combat buff when attacked by a close-quarter enemy.
Counters
Because Winter Ephraim needs to stay separated from his allies, manipulating the AI of an enemy PVP team can lead to him sticking close to his allies, thus losing both his weapon and Skill A buffs. Green units are his best counters given the color advantage, though those with middling to low physical bulk may lose to him if he is able to attack them first or if he runs Distant Counter, so caution is still emphasized. Armor effective weapon users, namely Bartre and Frederick carry bulk, color advantage, and armor effective weapons. Micaiah, especially her Brave form, targets his much lower Res and can possibly nuke him in a single turn. Dazzling Staff/Wrathful Staff users can poke him out slowly and Pain users can still deal massive splash damage to him.
Skill Inheritance Options
Winter Ephraim's base kit is practically optimized for maximum combat efficiency and only requires an Assist skill, namely Swap or Pivot as standard Armor support skill movement options. Distant Counter makes a great Skill A replacement though as the ability to counterattack at range makes it far more dangerous to attack him recklessly. While he can run Armored Boots for his Seal, he can also utilize Armored Stride give him the movement buff without having to worry about damage thresholds. This also frees up his Seal for skills like Heavy Blade for special acceleration and Quick Riposte to cover his enemy turn offense by granting him a follow-up attack.
Meet Some of the Heroes
| Sparkling Gallantly Ephraim | |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Ephraim is the prince of Renais, a kingdom on the continent of Magvel, and he's here to join the fun at the winter festival! | ||
|
In true winter-festival style, Ephraim has donned bright-red apparel. And by combining it with armor, he's put a truly gallant spin on the look. | ||
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Oh, and that impressive lance he's carrying is none other than Festive Siegmund! It seems Ephraim's come fully prepared for the tournament due to take place at the festival. | ||
|
Ephraim's glad to get the chance to see his sister, Eirika, enjoying herself. I hope the two siblings have lots of fun together at this year's festival! | ||
| Closely Associated Characters | |||
| Eirika | Princess of Renais. Ephraim's twin. Cares dearly for her brother. Her kindness has sometimes put her in danger. | ||
| Lyon | Prince of Grado; not fond of fighting. A childhood friend of Ephraim and Eirika. | ||
- Dynastic Duo
- The princes of Renais and Grado. As heirs to allied kingdoms, they were raised with a strong bond with one another. They appear in Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones.
Base Stats
Rarity: ✯✯✯✯✯
 | Title | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dynastic Duo | |||||
| Group | |||||
| Infantry | |||||
| Level | HP | Atk | Spd | Def | Res |
| 1 40 | 18/19/20 37/41/44 | 8/9/10 36/39/43 | 7/8/9 26/30/33 | 8/9/10 34/37/40 | 5/6/7 22/25/29 |
| Skills | Weapon | ||||
| Reginleif Dragon Gaze | Lance | ||||
Skills
Duo Skill
| Duo Skill | Standard Effect |
|---|---|
| Infantry and armored allies within 2 spaces of unit (including unit) can move 1 extra space. (That turn only. Does not stack.)
(Duo Skills can be used once per map by tapping the Duo button. Duo Skills cannot be used by units deployed using Pair Up.) |
If unit is 5★ and level 40 and unit's stats total less than 185, treats unit's stats as 185 in modes like Arena. (Higher-scoring opponents will appear. Stat total calculation excludes any values added by merges and skills.) |
Overall
|
|
Subjective: The following part of this article is based upon the editor's personal experiences and opinions, and therefore may not be applicable for all readers.
|
Base Set
Ephraim is joined by Lyon, making a Duo Hero. As the only non-seasonal Duo Hero, Duo Ephraim is much easier to obtain as a pity break all year round. At 39 neutral Atk, Duo Ephraim can unleash some extremely powerful attacks, dealing significant damage even from a single attack. His physical bulk scores a 78, giving him incredible durability against physical units. His middling Spd does mean that he is doubled by a decent number of Heroes and his middling 25 Res leaves him vulnerable to Mages and dragons. Their Duo skill grants Infantry and Armored allies within two spaces, and himself, an additional movement space, essentially turning the former into cavalry units and giving the latter Armor March effects. Base stats alone, Duo Ephraim should not be underestimated in combat and his ability to support his allies makes him a valuable asset.
Reginleif gives Ephraim a flat +3 Atk boost and is effective against armor and cavalry units, giving him already an impressive power spike. Where the weapon truly shines is through the ability to grant him a guaranteed follow up attack if either his Atk is higher than his opponent or if he has a movement buff such as through his Duo Skill or a unit like Annette and Legendary Azura. This turns Ephraim into almost a pseudo armor unit with the ability to double attack so long as he meets the easy activation threshold, regardless of the turn controller.
Duo Ephraim's remaining kit focuses on pushing his damage output such as Draconic Aura, which boosts his Atk by 30%. Heavy Blade 4 accelerates his special cooldown per attack so long as his Atk is higher than his foes and deals a bonus 5 true damage per attack, which only further destroys most foes. Lull Attack Defense negates any Atk/Def buffs on the enemies and then further inflicts Atk/Def-3 during combat. Finally Odd Attack Wave increases his adjacent allies Atk and his own Atk by 6 at the start of odd-numbered turns.
Counters
As a Duo Hero, Duo Ephraim loses his Duo Skill as an enemy, so players should not have to worry about enemies barreling down on them. The main way to counter Duo Ephraim is through his middling Res which can lead to him dying from most mages especially green ones like Nino, Legendary Celica, and Yune. Dazzling Staff/Wrathful Staff units also easily dispatch him with little effort and chip at his allies as well.
Skill Inheritance Options
Reposition is an excellent Assist skill to give the player some positioning and is really the only skill Duo Ephraim absolutely needs to inherit to complete his kit to make him a powerful asset. Every other skill inherited are merely to suit the player's specific needs, especially for PVP modes. Bonfire can be used to make great usage of his raw Def. Galeforce is incredibly strong on him as he can easily charge it up in a single round of combat, making him a particularly useful Aether Raids unit. Wings of Mercy can be run for the Galeforce Aether Raids built to teleport him around the map to dispatch problematic foes.
Meet Some of the Heroes
| Dynastic Duo Ephraim | |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Ephraim, Prince of Renais, is well known for his bravery and valor. Meanwhile, Lyon is the Prince of Grado, who is known for his kindness and intellect. The two of them are firm friends! | ||
|
Ephraim's the fighter, skilled with a lance and constantly honing his craft. Lyon, on the other hand, is the brains of this duo, and he spends his time looking for a way to use the Sacred Stones of Grado to benefit his people. In some ways, you could say they're complete opposites. | ||
|
But they complement each other wonderfully, and both of them have grown with each other's support. Together with Eirika, Ephraim's sister, they would have been the future leaders of the continent of Magvel. | ||
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Little did they know, however, that there were dark clouds on the horizon... Well, I hope Ephraim and Lyon can stay close friends in Askr, and fight together to overcome any misfortune that comes their way! | ||
| Closely Associated Characters | |||
| Eirika | Princess of Renais. Ephraim's twin. Cares dearly for her brother. Her kindness has sometimes put her in danger. Friend of Lyon, Prince of Grado. | ||
- Sunshine Valiant
- Prince of Renais looking for any excuse to train during his vacation at the ocean. Appears in Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones.
Base Stats
Rarity: ✯✯✯✯✯
 | Title | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunshine Valiant | |||||
| Group | |||||
| Cavalry | |||||
| Level | HP | Atk | Spd | Def | Res |
| 1 40 | 16/17/18 38/41/44 | 16/17/18 44/47/51 | 2/3/4 12/16/19 | 8/9/10 41/44/47 | 4/5/6 28/31/34 |
| Skills | Weapon | ||||
| Seafoam Splitter Glowing Ember | Axe | ||||
Skills
Overall
|
|
Subjective: The following part of this article is based upon the editor's personal experiences and opinions, and therefore may not be applicable for all readers.
|
Base Set
Counters
Skill Inheritance Options
Meet Some of the Heroes
| Sunshine Valiant Ephraim | |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Ephraim's the prince of Renais who made his way as a warrior. Now, he's making his way to vacation in a heroic swimsuit! | ||
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The standout feature is that sash he's got casually slung around his waist. It's a simple design, but it suits him perfectly! | ||
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He's also carrying a seashell-themed axe for this outing! Check out the weapon's handle—it's decorated with all kinds of sea-themed designs, like coral, anemones, and tropical fish! | ||
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Ephraim's impressive appearance on the beach leaves just as much impact as the waves crashing on the shore. I guess his heroic energy is just as strong when he's on vacation! | ||
| Closely Associated Characters | |||
| Eirika | A kind princess who has come from Renais to a tropical island in order to rest and recover her strength. Ephraim's younger sister. | ||
| Lyon | Prince of Grado who has made his way to the tropics after receiving an invite from his old friend, Eirika. Ephraim's close friend. | ||
- Ardent Prince
- Prince of Renais in search of a present for his twin sister, Eirika, who has gone off on her own to seek elsewhere. Appears in Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones.
Base Stats
Rarity: ✯✯✯✯✯
 | Title | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ardent Prince | |||||
| Group | |||||
| Armored | |||||
| Level | HP | Atk | Spd | Def | Res |
| 1 40 | 20/22/22 44/47/50 | 8/9/10 45/48/52 | 3/4/5 13/17/20 | 14/15/16 44/48/51 | 10/11/12 38/41/45 |
| Skills | Weapon | ||||
| Righteous Lance Glowing Ember | Lance | ||||
Skills
| Type | Name | Prerequisite | Default | Unlocked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iron Lance | - | - | - |
| Steel Lance | - | - | - | |
| Silver Lance | - | - | - | |
| Righteous Lance | - | - | | |
| Glowing Ember | - | - | - |
| Bonfire | Glowing Ember | - | - | |
| Armored Blaze | Bonfire | - | - | |
| A |  Earth Boost 1 | - | - | |
 Earth Boost 2 | Earth Boost 1 | - | ||
 Earth Boost 3 | Earth Boost 2 | - | ||
 Earthfire Boost 3 | Earth Boost 3 | | ||
| B |  Sunlight Bangle D | - | | |
| C |  A D Near Save 1 | - | - | |
 A D Near Save 2 | A D Near Save 1 | - | ||
 A D Near Save 3 | A D Near Save 2 | - |
Overall
|
|
Subjective: The following part of this article is based upon the editor's personal experiences and opinions, and therefore may not be applicable for all readers.
|
Base Set
Counters
Skill Inheritance
Meet Some of the Heroes
| Ardent Prince Ephraim | |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Ephraim is the prince of Renais, and he's come all the way from the continent of Magvel to join us for the Day of Devotion festivities! | ||
|
His festival outfit features embroidery and eye-catching floral decorations. When it comes to clothes, Ephraim tends to stick with practical wear, but I think this look still suits him! | ||
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His weapon of choice for the festival is this special lance. As you can see, it features some more floral decorations to go with the rest of his festival outfit! | ||
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Still, it seems like Ephraim isn't sure what kind of gift he should bring for the festival. Well, I'm sure that whatever he comes up with, the lucky recipient will be delighted! | ||
| Closely Associated Characters | |||
| Eirika | Princess of Renais. Ephraim's twin. Cares dearly for her brother. Her kindness has sometimes put her in danger. | ||
| Lyon | Prince of Grado; not fond of fighting. A childhood friend of Ephraim and Eirika. | ||
Quotes
The Sacred Stones
Death Quote
—Ephraim's death/game over quote in The Sacred Stones.
Final Chapter Quote
—Ephraim's quote from Final Chapter in The Sacred Stones.
Heroes
Possible Endings
- Ephraim, Restoration King (碧空の勇王, Hekikū no Yūō lit. Brave King of the Azure Sky)
- Busy days awaited him upon his return to Renais. He oversaw the rebuilding not only of his country but also of the entire continent of Magvel. His work was difficult, but his success made him a legend.
- Ephraim and Tana
- Once Renais was stable again, Ephraim and Tana were wed. Innes protested vocally, but when he saw how happy Tana was, he gave the marriage his blessings. Renais and Frelia are now bound by blood as well as friendship.
- Ephraim and Eirika
- Busy days awaited Eirika and Ephraim as they struggled to rebuild Renais. Their work gave new hope to those ravaged by the war, and with Eirika's constant help, Ephraim grew to be a trusted and honorable king.
- Ephraim and L'Arachel
- Ephraim and L'Arachel each returned home after the war, but L'Arachel visited Renais often. Over time, the two were wed. Their marriage threw Rausten into turmoil, but L'Arachel's self-centeredness carried the day.
- Ephraim and Myrrh
- After the war, Ephraim returned to Renais and Myrrh to Darkling Woods. They both turned their attention to their respective duties but never forgot one another. Though Myrrh never again left Darkling Woods, Ephraim often visited her.
Non-Canon Appearances
Super Smash Bros. Series
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
- Sticker Info
| Name | Image | Artwork from | Effect in The Subspace Emissary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ephraim
|
|
Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones | [Slash] - Attack +23 |
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
- Spirit Info
| No. | Name | Image | Type | Class | Slots | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 654 | Ephraim | 
|
Primary (Attack) | ★★★☆ (Ace) | 2 | None |
Fire Emblem 0 (Cipher)
Ephraim is illustrated in the trading card game Fire Emblem Cipher with the following cards:
Choose Your Legends Placement History
| Round | Placement | Character Version | Votes |
|---|
| CYL1 | 13 |  The Sacred Stones |
14,908 |
| CYL2 | Winner 3 ↑10 |
The Sacred Stones |
31,027 ↑16,199 |
| CYL3 onward | Ineligible | ||||
Etymology
According to the Bible, Ephraim is the second son of Joseph (son of Jacob and Rachel). Joseph's eleven brothers sold him into slavery in Egypt out of jealousy, but he was released from prison when he won the Pharaoh's favor through his gift for prophecy, and the Pharaoh gave him as his wife Asenath, daughter of the priest Potiphera. Genesis 41:52 says of Ephraim's birth, "[Joseph] said, 'God has given me children in the land of my trouble,' so he named his second son Ephraim.'"
The name Ephram is the Hebrew word for 'give children,' alternatively translated as 'fruitful.'
He and his sister Eirika both have names similar to common English names with an added "i" (Erika and Ephram)
Trivia
- Ephraim came in 7th place for males and 13th overall in the Fire Emblem Heroes Choose Your Legends popularity poll. He had 14,908 votes.
- In the Choose Your Legends Round 2, Ephraim came in 2nd place for males and 3rd overall. This time, he had 31,027 votes.
- Anytime Ephraim is attacked from at least a space away, no matter what weapon he is holding, his sprite will show that of a ranged lance-type weapon (Javelin, Short Spear, or Spear.) A similar oversight happens with the Great Knight class.
- When he becomes a Great Lord, his max stats are almost identical to Eliwood's.
- In the prototype version, Ephraim is constantly referred to as Irzark.
- Ephraim shows up in two DLC maps in Awakening as an enemy Soldier. The Playable DLC version of Ephraim is a Great Knight with the unique skill Conquest.
- His Awakening artwork depicts him wielding Ephraim's Lance.
- In Awakening, Ephraim's SpotPass Team consists of himself alongside 5 Griffon Riders and 4 Valkyries. This could be an allusion to the troops he led in Eirika's Route when the party joined her, as Kyle mentions that he would be riding with "Frelia's finest" at his back.
- In the Paralogue "Unbreakable Bond" in Heroes, Ephraim references a common fan theory that his relationship with Eirika is incestuous, citing the rumor as "disgusting."
- This comment is not included in the Japanese release of the game. In the Japanese script, in the Paralogue 1-3 "Sacred Bond" (original Japanese title: "Siblings' Love Once Again") Ephraim talks a lot about "brother and sister love" and mentions that the depth of their bond resulted in some people "making strange rumors about them." Ephraim's dialogue indicates no negative emotions about said rumors but honest confusion. Eirika interrupts him, embarrassed, clearly more aware what those strange rumors are about.
- Eirika also interrupts him during Paralogue 1-1 "Family Bond" (original Japanese title: "Siblings of the Holiness and Evil"). Ephraim proclaims that Alfonse and Sharena are their "competition" since they are also a pair of siblings. He says that they won't lose as far as the depth of their "brother and sister love" goes. Eirika cuts him off by saying "Please stop saying things that would make people take it the wrong way!" before she clears her throat, introducing herself to Alfonse and Sharena.
- In Heroes, Ephraim is the first character whose exclusive weapon is not preceded by a Silver weapon, as it is instead preceded by a Heavy Spear. The only other characters that share this trait are Eldigan, Tana, Joshua, Mia, and Ares.
- The Brave version of Ephraim is the winner of the 15th Voting Gauntlet (The Chosen Ones), and the 51st Voting Gauntlet (Chosen Family) in Fire Emblem Heroes.
- Ephraim is the first Hero to be featured in more than one Duo/Harmonic Hero as well as the first character to be both the lead and support character for a Duo/Harmonic character.
- Ephraim is one of two Lord in the series that cannot equip swords, even after promotion. The other is Micaiah.
- In Chapter 19: Last Hope of Ephraim's Route, there is a scene wherein Tana consoles Ephraim. However, if Tana has been killed by that point, an alternate scene will occur wherein L'Arachel speaks to Ephraim instead.
- In this scene, L'Arachel points out how she and Ephraim are very similar in terms of personality, which is clearly accurate as both were away from their countries at the beginning of the game, battling with less than a handful of men at their sides.
- Furthermore, Ephraim tells L'Arachel he does not intend to tell Eirika what happened (referring to learning that Lyon was not fully possessed, and was acting of his own accord.) This seems to imply that, throughout Ephraim's Route, Eirika never learns the truth about Lyon, and continued to believe he was fully under the control of Fomortiis the entire time, as was the case in Eirika's Route.
Gallery
- See main article: Ephraim/Gallery.