—Athena, as she joins Marth's army in Shadow Dragon
Athena is a recruitable Myrmidon introduced in Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon.
Quick Answers
How does Athena join Marth in Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon?
What role does Athena play in rescuing the children?
Why did Athena stay in the village near Castle Archanea?
How is Athena recruited in FE Shadow Dragon?
Profile
Athena was saved from drowning by villagers of a town near Castle Archanea and in return she offered to rescue the town's children when they were captured by pirates. The village elder, worried for her safety, convinces her to stay until help arrives. When Marth arrives at the village, she requests to join Marth in saving the children. After the battle, she decides to permanently join Marth's army. After the war Athena disappeared to parts unknown, although it is rumored that she returned to the border town where she was born.
She reappears in Fire Emblem: New Mystery of the Emblem. Athena first appears in the prologue, unless the player chooses Jeorge to participate in the training instead. She will later appear in Chapter 13x, where Marth encounters her being ambushed by Clarisse.
Personality
Athena is a skilled warrior who lives by a strict code of repaying any act of kindness given to her in full. She speaks with a heavy Russian accent, notably saying "W" with "V" sounds and commonly refers to herself in the plural "we". It is not known where she hails from, but she is unfamiliar with some words used in basic speech and mishears words on occasion.
In-Game
Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon
Recruitment
Complete Chapter 6 with 15 or fewer units (in your whole army) to unlock Chapter 6x. When you arrive in Chapter 6x, visit the only village on the map and Athena will join you.
Base Stats
| Starting Class | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Myrmidon | |||||||||
| Level | HP | Str | Mag | Skl | Spd | Lck | Def | Res | Mov |
| 10 | 25 | 9 | 0 | 12 | 13 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Weapon | Starting Items | ||||||||
| Sword - C |  Iron Sword | ||||||||
Growth Rates
| HP | Str | Mag | Skl | Spd | Lck | Def | Res |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 75% | 25% | 0% | 40% | 50% | 25% | 10% | 0% |
Support Relationships
Supports
- None
Supported by
Overview
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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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Despite her average at best stat growths, Athena's bases should make up for that, with the exception of having low Defense for a level 10 Myrmidon. She has potential to be a very good natural Myrmidon. However, her chapter requires some characters being sacrificed to access it, and before then it is possible that Navarre has already outdone her statistically.
Another possibility for Athena is reclassing into a Pegasus Knight, filling the flier slot Jagen would usually occupy as a Dracoknight. While she can only use E-rank lances for quite some time, her ability to promote early on, her decent speed and strength bases and her solid offensive growth rates makes it easy for her to surpass most other options for your extra flier slot for a long time and allow her to stay viable on higher difficulties. Remember though that the base speed of the Pegasus Knight is significantly lower than the Myrmidon's, so Athena will most likely need to use a speedwing in order to double stronger enemies if you play on Hard 4 or higher.
Fire Emblem: New Mystery of the Emblem
Base Stats
| Starting Class | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Myrmidon | |||||||||
| Level | HP | Str | Mag | Skl | Spd | Lck | Def | Res | Mov |
| 10 | 25 | 9 | 0 | 12 | 13 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Weapon | Starting Items | ||||||||
 Sword - B |  Silver Sword Vulnerary | ||||||||
Growth Rates
| HP | Str | Mag | Skl | Spd | Lck | Def | Res |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 75% | 40% | 0% | 60% | 70% | 65% | 25% | 10% |
Support Relationships
Supports
- None
Supported by
Overview
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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.
|
Athena is recruitable as a level 10 Myrmidon in the prologue if you take the first option after Prologue 3. At this stage, she can be immensely useful on the harder difficulties such as Maniac and Lunatic mode. On Hard or Normal mode, she is less necessary. Sadly, that's around where Athena's utility largely ends. Athena leaves at the end of the prologue and will rejoin your army at the end of Chapter 13x, where her base stats — while incredibly useful early on with the Prologue — take a massive nosedive in quality as Athena will struggle massively against even the weakest enemies on Lunatic. Assuming you were training up Navarre or even Samuel, they would have Athena completely beat in stats; even if they were somehow disposed, there's a multitude of units who would function reclassed as a Myrmidon or even Swordmaster better than Athena. While she would indeed turn out Athena good if you put the time and effort into using her, it is not worth the effort given Athena's jointime and her once-impressive bases proving utterly pitiful at the time she rejoins the party.
Overall, there is no real reason to use Athena if you want a Myrmidon beyond her early jointime in the Prologue, as there's nothing she can do that other units can't simply do better.
Fire Emblem Awakening
SpotPass
| Starting Class | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Swordmaster | |||||||||
| Level | HP | Str | Mag | Skl | Spd | Lck | Def | Res | Mov |
| 2 | 38 | 17 | 5 | 24 | 27 | 18 | 12 | 7 | 6 |
| Skills | Weapon | Starting Items | |||||||
 Avoid +10 Vantage Pass |  Sword - B |  Silver Sword* | |||||||
*Enemy only, joins unequipped
Fire Emblem Heroes
- Borderland Sword
- A foreign warrior with a straightforward personality. Speaks with an accent. Appears in Fire Emblem: New Mystery of the Emblem.
Base Stats
Rarity: | Title | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Borderland Sword | |||||
| Group | |||||
 Infantry | |||||
| Level | HP | Atk | Spd | Def | Res |
| 1 40 | 15/16/17 30/33/36 | 5/6/7 24/27/30 | 8/9/10 31/34/37 | 6/7/8 21/24/27 | 3/4/5 18/21/24 |
| Skills | Weapon | ||||
 Steel Sword |  Sword | ||||
 | Title | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Borderland Sword | |||||
| Group | |||||
| Infantry | |||||
| Level | HP | Atk | Spd | Def | Res |
| 1 40 | 15/16/17 31/34/37 | 5/6/7 25/28/31 | 9/10/11 33/36/39 | 7/8/9 23/26/29 | 3/4/5 19/22/25 |
| Skills | Weapon | ||||
Wo Dao New Moon | Sword | ||||
 | Title | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Borderland Sword | |||||
| Group | |||||
| Infantry | |||||
| Level | HP | Atk | Spd | Def | Res |
| 1 40 | 16/17/18 33/36/40 | 6/7/8 28/31/34 | 9/10/11 35/38/41 | 7/8/9 24/27/31 | 4/5/6 21/24/28 |
| Skills | Weapon | ||||
| Wo Dao+ New Moon | Sword | ||||
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.
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Base Set
Athena is a Book I Sword Infantry Unit made around the time the earliest crystalizations of the Myrmidon standard for Heroes began to take shape. At a blistering 38 Spd at the time, she was among the fastest units at her time though her mediocre Atk of 31 sometimes prevented her from doing meaningful damage, especially as later books came out, requiring more investment out of her. She is a bit of a glass cannon as she has mediocre mixed bulk due in part to her base 36 HP making her score only 63 physical and 60 magical. While she is far from the most powerful unit of her time, especially considering Ayra would be released only a few patches later, Athena represents her unit type archetype in its fullest and does have the advantage over Ayra in that she is a low rarity unit making her easy to merge. In Book IX, she received a Resplendent Form, but remains a serviceable unit.
Wo Dao was Athena's default weapon and was her main damage tool since it gives her a guaranteed +10 damage whenever she activates her special. This was maintained when she got her preferred weapon, the Concealed Blade, which is 2 Mt stronger. When refined, she gains a Desperation effect, letting her perform her Follow-Up Attack before her foe's counterattack if her HP is at most 75% at the start of combat.
Moonbow is a fast charging special that lets her reduce enemy Def by 30% when activated on her attack. Though it does not affect the flat 10 damage from her default weapons, it simply helps get that effect off. Sturdy Blow grants Atk/Def+4 if she initiates combat. Sword Experience grants a 2x EXP boost for all allies on her team including herself, speeding up leveling.
Counters
Athena heavily relies on her Special to deal meaningful damage and Guard effects are her biggest bane in this regard. Solid walls, especially blue ones, can absorb her hits, rendering her only able to damage them because of her preferred weapons. Her flimsy mixed bulk also makes her susceptible to counterattacks who will likely damage her heavily unless she has the color advantage.
Skill Inheritance Options
Reposition is Athena's best Assist skill to position allies out of danger or to move them closer to initiate. Wrath syncs well with her innate weapons, dealing another 10 damage when her special triggers and adds a special acceleration to boot. Her Skill C is obviously only useful for training so replacing it with utility skills and debuffs benefit her greatly. Skills like Speed Smoke and Defense Smoke help to improve her damage output by ensuring more Follow-Ups and potentially giving a few extra damage on some potential foes.
With a bit more premium skills avaialble, Athena wants Atk/Spd Skill A like Attack Speed Solo, Attack Speed Push, or Swift Sparrow. Null Follow-Up lets her guarantee her Follow-Up Attack so she can unleash her Special reliably at least once per combat. Spurn makes great usage of her Spd to reduce damage taken and gives 5 damage when her special triggers to boot. Joint Drive Attack is great for giving allies an Atk boost while improving her own during combat.
Meet Some of the Heroes
| Borderland Sword Athena | |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Here's Athena! She's a swordswoman who fought on the continent of Archanea, but I hear that she comes from somewhere else entirely. | ||
|
She was found adrift in the sea near a small village, having been swept all the way to Archanea. Grateful for the villagers' aid, she fought to defend them from pirates. | ||
|
It was during the battle with the pirates that she was helped by Marth, prince of Altea. Athena's code of honor demanded that she repay this debt, and so she joined his army. | ||
|
Marth counted on Athena's combat prowess, and eventually, she was training members of Altea's royal guard. I guess she's still paying that favor back! | ||
| Closely Associated Characters | |||
| Marth | Prince of Altea who fights for his homeland and deeply values his friends. Saved Athena's life. | ||
| Kris | Hails from the Altean village of Sera. Leader of the 7th Platoon, a group of newly appointed knights. Serves Marth as a royal guard. Fights alongside Athena. | ||
Quotes
Shadow Dragon
Recruit Conversation
- Athena: Vell, vell... You, must be the help. Ve vish to fight vith you.
- Marth: Ah, splendid. How many of you? Gather your men, and we'll be on our way at once.
- Athena: Men? Ve are a voman. Vun voman! Are you blind, stupid manchild?
- Marth: Vat? ...Ahem, what? Oh. Right, pardon me. I, uh, I am Marth, prince of Altea. I heard pirates took the village children, so I brought my army straight away.
- Athena: ...If you say so. Ve are called Athena. The vee vuns have been visked away to a castle south of here. Come. Ve have a fair bit of skill vith a sword; hopefully the same can be said of you, Marth of Altea.
Athena and Male Kris base conversation 1
- Kris: So here you were, Miss Athena. It's almost time for the war council. We'd like you to attend as well.
- Athena: Varcounsel...? Vat is a Varcounsel? Is it round and sweet?
- Kris: N-no, that's not it. A war council isn't something you eat. You see, a war council is a discussion with everyone, held before the next battle.
- Athena: In that case, ve understand. Ve are in your debt. Ve are from foreign country, ve came riding the sea. The vords here, ve find difficult.
- Kris: I see. Well, it can't be helped if you don't understand... Oh! I could teach you all sorts of things, if you wish?
- Athena: All sorts of things? You mean indecent things?
- Kris: N-no, that's not it. Where on earth did you get that idea...? Anyway, if there's any word you don't understand, feel free to ask me anytime.
- Athena: Ve are grateful. And glad because you are not indecent.
- Kris: Thanks. Oh and "thanks" means...
- Athena: Ve know that much. Stupid manchild.
- Kris: I-I'm sorry.
Athena and Male Kris base conversation 2
- Kris: And so... Reconnaissance is checking on the enemy's conditions before the battle begins. I suppose that's about it. Did you understand, Miss Athena?
- Athena: Yes. Ve are indebted to you. Ve learned a lot. It is all thanks to you, Kris.
- Kris: No, I'm happy to be of service to you, Miss Athena.
- Athena: But, not just the vords. This country's customs, the vay people live... They are very complicated. Ve are often very surprised.
- Kris: Is life in your country that different from ours, Miss Athena?
- Athena: Yes. Completely different. But ve came to this country. So, as a sign of respect, ve must get used to the vay of life of this country.
- Kris: I see... I think that's admirable.
- Athena: In our country, ve have a saying. "If you enter snow country, it becomes snow country."
- Kris: ...Is that saying really like that?
- Athena: Ve don't know. Ve tried our best to translate into this country's language.
Athena and Male Kris base conversation 3
- Athena: Kris, thanks to you, ve understood all sorts of things. Ve must thank you for everything. Ve are very grateful.
- Kris: I'm glad for having spent time with you, Miss Athena.
- Athena: Ve vant to show our feelings to Kris. Ve vill apologize with our life.
- Kris: Excuse me? No, no, you used the wrong word again. Didn't you mean "thank", instead of "apologize"?
- Athena: Yes. "Thank".
- Kris: Oh.
- Athena: As thanks, ve vill become your bride.
- Kris: Wha...!? M-Miss Athena... It seems you used the wrong word again.
- Athena: Vat? Ve are mistaken? Then... Ve vill become Kris's voman?
- Kris: That's even wronger! Er... I don't know what kind of thanks you had in mind. But it's fine. I've already received enough.
- Athena: Ven? Ve don't remember giving any.
- Kris: Be it in the battlefield or outside of it, we've always been together. You're a precious comrade to me. The bond that was born between us... cannot be replaced.
- Athena: Kris... Ve feel the same. Even if the vords are different, and the lifestyles are different, bonds between people are the same... Ve feel a bond with you as well, Kris...
- Kris: I see. Miss Athena knows the word "bond".
- Athena: ...Ve know that much. Stupid Kris.
- Kris: I-I'm sorry.
Death Quote
—Athena's death quote in Shadow Dragon
Heroes
Endings
Shadow Dragon
- Vun Voman
- Vere she vent, nobody knows... One theory is that Athena returned to the border village where she was born.
New Mystery of the Emblem
- Vun Voman
- Athena set sail in a rowboat one day. Vere she went, nobody knows. Perhaps she returned to her distant homeland or washed up elsewhere.
Non-Canon Appearances
Fire Emblem 0 (Cipher)
Athena is illustrated in the trading card game with the following card:
Choose Your Legends Placement History
| Round | Placement | Character Version | Votes |
|---|
| CYL1 | 293 |  Shadow Dragon |
697 |
| 506 |  New Mystery of the Emblem |
223 | |
| CYL2 | 395 ↓103 |
Shadow Dragon |
458 ↓239 |
| 542 ↓36 |
New Mystery of the Emblem |
197 ↓26 | |
| CYL3 | 273 ↑122 (From highest) |
Shadow Dragon New Mystery of the Emblem |
785 ↑130 (From combined) |
| CYL4 | 333 ↓60 |
Shadow Dragon New Mystery of the Emblem |
352 ↓433 |
| CYL5 | 308 ↑25 |
Shadow Dragon New Mystery of the Emblem |
221 ↓131 |
| CYL6 | 325 ↓17 |
Shadow Dragon New Mystery of the Emblem |
214 ↓7 |
| CYL7 | 276 ↑49 |
Shadow Dragon New Mystery of the Emblem |
161 ↓53 |
| CYL8 | 325 ↓49 |
Shadow Dragon New Mystery of the Emblem |
118 ↓43 |
| CYL9 | 263 ↑62 |
Shadow Dragon New Mystery of the Emblem |
140 ↑22 |
Etymology
Athena is the daughter of Zeus and the Greek goddess of wisdom and war. Her Roman counterpart is Minerva.
Trivia
- In her friend greeting in Fire Emblem Heroes, the phrase Athena is likely trying to say is a Japanese idiom, "青は藍より出でて藍より青し," which translates to "Although blue dye comes from the indigo plant, it is bluer than indigo." It means that the student has surpassed their teacher.
- In Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon, Athena's accent is localized so that any word she speaks beginning with 'w' is pronounced with a 'v' (So, weapon = veapon, etc). In Fire Emblem Heroes, this was dropped, though she still speaks of herself in the royal 'we' and with a lack of fluency in her speech.
- Athena shares her English voice actress, Cristina Vee, with Tatiana from Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia as well as Edelgard in her appearance in the E3 2018 trailer for Fire Emblem: Three Houses.
Gallery
- See main article: Athena/Gallery.