—Orson, revealing his motivation for betraying Renais
Orson is a playable character and later antagonist from Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones. He is a paladin serving Renais who aids Ephraim in the capture of Renvall Castle.
Profile
Sometime before the events of the game, Orson was well-known among the knights for his love and devotion to his wife, Monica. After her death, his behavior greatly changed and he made a deal to betray Renais and side with the Grado Empire in exchange for Monica's resurrection.
He is first seen when he is accompanying Ephraim, Kyle, and Forde during their assault on Renvall Castle. Unbeknownst to his allies, Orson has secretly betrayed them, as shown at the end of Chapter 5x where Tirado refers to him as a "friend on the inside".
At the end of Chapter 7, Orson appears outside Castle Renvall, urging Eirika and Seth to come inside. Upon doing so, he insists to have Eirika's Lunar Brace for safekeeping, deducing that Grado would not be chasing her if he had it. However, Seth notices several flaws in his story, and he admits the truth to them. Tirado arrives and dismisses Orson, and the paladin returns to Renais to be with his wife.
In Chapter 16, is is revealed that Orson has been proclaimed as king due to the absence of the royal siblings. Orson becomes increasingly deranged, leaving Renais to rot, refusing meals, and staying in his chambers, refusing to let anyone in. He enters with a gift for his wife (believing that she is still alive, when she simply just says "Darling" over and over) after which he is interrupted by Lyon and Riev, which upsets him. When Lyon states that Ephraim and Eirika are on their way back to the castle, Orson apologizes to Monica and heads out to confront the siblings with the remnants of Grado's army. In the end, he is killed and his resurrected wife is euthanized.
In-Game
The Sacred Stones
Base Stats
Chapter 5x
| Starting Class | Affinity | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Paladin |  Dark | ||||||||
| Level | HP | Str | Skl | Spd | Lck | Def | Res | Con | Mov |
| 3 | 34 | 15 | 13 | 11 | 4 | 13 | 7 | 12 | 8 |
| Weapon | Starting Items | ||||||||
 Sword - A Lance - A |  Silver Sword Steel Lance Vulnerary | ||||||||
Boss/Creature Campaign
| Starting Class | Affinity | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paladin | Dark | ||||||||
| Level | HP | Str | Skl | Spd | Lck | Def | Res | Con | Mov |
| 13 | 48 | 18 | 15 | 14 | 6 | 14 | 11 | 12 | 8 |
| Weapon | Starting Items | ||||||||
| Sword - ALance - A |  Runesword* Silver Lance* Red Gem** Spear***Silver Sword*** | ||||||||
*Only on Ephraim's route and Creature Campaign
**Only on Creature Campaign
***Only on Eirika's route
Growth Rates
| HP | S/M | Skl | Spd | Lck | Def | Res |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80% | 55% | 45% | 40% | 25% | 45% | 30% |
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.
|
Orson has good HP, Strength, and Defense as a Paladin. Also, he's dependable when it comes to strong opponents, and he has good growth rates. Even so, he can be useful if players want to clear levels at the Tower or Ruins, and can be a good substitute for Seth in Creature Campaign. In addition, he does come in handy with the Runesword in his arsenal, since he can heal himself; even if you don't use him, the Runesword can find use with units like Colm or Marisa. Be careful though, as he has horrible luck. Luckily, you get 2 Hoplon Guards from Caellach, one from killing him as a boss and another from getting him in Creature Campaign, allowing him to avoid critical hits.
In Chapter 5x, he is a very strong unit capable of killing most, if not all enemies in the level. However, it's best to let the experience flow to the others as they won't carry over to him when he becomes playable in Creature Campaign. It's also recommended to trade his items off since they'll be lost otherwise too.
Fire Emblem Heroes
- Passion's Folly
- A former knight of Renais who defected to side with the Grado Empire in a desperate attempt to resurrect his late wife. Appears in Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones.
Base Stats
Rarity: | Title | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passion's Folly | |||||
| Group | |||||
 Cavalry | |||||
| Level | HP | Atk | Spd | Def | Res |
| 1 40 | 17/18/19 36/39/42 | 8/9/10 31/34/37 | 4/5/6 21/24/27 | 8/9/10 29/32/35 | 2/3/4 17/20/23 |
| Skills | Weapon | ||||
 Steel Lance |  Lance | ||||
| Title | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passion's Folly | |||||
| Group | |||||
| Cavalry | |||||
| Level | HP | Atk | Spd | Def | Res |
| 1 40 | 17/18/19 37/40/43 | 9/10/11 33/36/39 | 4/5/6 22/25/28 | 9/10/11 31/34/37 | 2/3/4 18/21/24 |
| Skills | Weapon | ||||
Silver Lance Glowing Ember | Lance | ||||
Skills
| Type | Name | Prerequisite | Default | Unlocked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Iron Lance | - | - | - |
| Steel Lance | - | - | - | |
| Silver Lance | - |  |  | |
| Bereft Lance | - |  | | |
 | Glowing Ember | - | | |
| Ignis | Glowing Ember | - | | |
| B |  Vantage 1 | - | - | |
 Vantage 2 | Vantage 1 | - | ||
 Vantage 3 | Vantage 2 | | ||
| C |  Rouse Atk Def 1 | - | | |
 Rouse Atk Def 2 | Rouse Atk Def 1 | | ||
 Rouse Atk Def 3 | Rouse Atk Def 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 Options
Meet Some of the Heroes
| Passion's Folly Orson | |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Orson is a knight of Renais who is respected for his loyalty and trusted by his fellow knights. Or rather, he was...but as you can see, something terrible has befallen the once proud knight. | ||
|
Shortly before the war broke out, Orson's wife, Monica, passed away. He became a shadow of his former self, forever a changed man. | ||
|
And then, somehow, Monica was reanimated by dark magic...but she wasn't really alive in the traditional sense. She was more of a puppet, but this reminder of his lost wife was still enough to bring Orson a fleeting sense of happiness. | ||
|
And so Orson became her misguided protector, eliminating anyone and anything that came between him and his wife. It seems his love for her was so great that he lost sight of everything else... | ||
| Closely Associated Characters | |||
| Ephraim | Prince of Renais. Eirika's twin. Cares deeply for his sister. His confidence has sometimes put him in danger. Fought alongside Orson and his men when Renais was invaded by Grado. | ||
Quotes
—Orson's battle quote in Chapter 16.
Battle Conversations
Vs. Forde
- Forde: Sir Orson...Why did you have to betray us? Your departed wife is weeping in shame.
- Orson: You're wrong, Forde. My wife is happy. We are so very happy.
Vs. Kyle
- Kyle: Sir Orson! You betrayed your master, Prince Ephraim, to Grado. Have you forgotten what it means to be a knight?!
- Orson: Kyle...You know nothing...I am happy now.
Vs. Seth
- Orson: Seth...So you've come, have you?
- Seth: Sir Orson.
- Orson: You're an impressive knight, Seth. You would sacrifice your life for king and country. Not even a moment's pause. It's a pitiful, unrewarding life, through and through.
- Seth: It is my charge. It is my hope. Sir Orson...Prepare yourself.
Vs. Eirika
- Eirika: Orson...Why would you betray us?
- Orson: Princess Eirika... If anyone could understand my feelings, it might be you. For the one I love...I betrayed everything. My country, my lord and master...Everything...
Vs. Ephraim
- Orson: Prince Ephraim... You never did know when to quit. Renais is already lost. It's too late...
- Ephraim: Orson... You will move from that place. That is my father's seat. It is his throne... You've no right to sit there.
Retreat/Death Quotes
—Orson's retreat quote as an ally in Chapter 5x
—Orson's death quote as an enemy in Chapter 16
Heroes
Choose Your Legends Placement History
| Round | Placement | Character Version | Votes |
|---|
| CYL1 | 475 |  The Sacred Stones |
255 |
| CYL2 | 506 ↓31 |
The Sacred Stones |
234 ↓21 |
| CYL3 | 440 ↑66 |
The Sacred Stones |
236 ↑2 |
| CYL4 | 427 ↑13 |
The Sacred Stones |
192 ↓44 |
| CYL5 | 337 ↑90 |
The Sacred Stones |
184 ↓8 |
| CYL6 | 461 ↓124 |
The Sacred Stones |
56 ↓128 |
| CYL7 | 380 ↑81 |
The Sacred Stones |
52 ↓4 |
| CYL8 | 401 ↓21 |
The Sacred Stones |
41 ↓11 |
| CYL9 | 367 ↑34 |
The Sacred Stones |
32 ↓9 |
Etymology
Orson is an anglicization of the French word 'ours,' meaning 'bear,' itself derived from the Latin word 'ursinus.' The name has origins in the historical tale of the knights Valentine and Orson.
Trivia
- In the Japanese version of The Sacred Stones, Orson carries a Silver Lance and a Runesword on Eirika's route, and a Silver Sword and a Spear on Ephraim's route. This was swapped in the Western version. Also in the Japanese version, Orson wields the Silver Sword or Silver Lance by default rather than the Spear or Runesword.
- Orson's status as a temporary character is foreshadowed in that he cannot be selected as a link arena character.
- Orson is the first playable character (Not including those who die in the Battle of Belhalla) in the series who permanently leaves an army and has no circumstances to avoid it.
- Orson has two portraits in-game. As a playable character, he looks normal, but in Chapter 16, he has hollow eyes, paler skin and looks sicklier, probably to emphasize his decaying sanity.
- Though in Fire Emblem Heroes, he is depicted with red eyes instead of hollow eyes, most likely to show his delve into darkness upon Monica's reanimation.
- In the Official Nintendo Power Guidebook for The Sacred Stones, Orson's base stats are mistakenly listed as those from the Japanese version of the game instead of the Western version.
Gallery
- See main article: Orson/Gallery.