Iago

“King Garon's grand plans must be accomplished no matter what. I'll strike down anyone in the way, be they royal blood or common peasants. The future holds no place for any of you!”
—Iago making his last stand against Corrin and their army in Revelation: Chapter 17.

Iago is a character and the secondary antagonist in the Birthright and Conquest routes of Fire Emblem Fates and a minor antagonist in the route of Revelation.

Profile[]

Iago is Nohr's tactician and is viewed as a shadow of Garon. Always eager to get into the king's good favor, Iago sycophantically agrees with each and every one of his opinions, even if they may be morally unsound. He excels at witchcraft and employs foul play and manipulation in his schemes to bend others to his will.

Birthright[]

Iago first appears in Chapter 8, manipulating the Hoshidan army into killing several members of the Wind Tribe by using his magic to disguise them as Faceless. After the spell is lifted, Iago arrives and taunts them, knowing that he can easily plot against them and leaves before the Wind Tribe finds out that he was responsible for their deaths.

Later on, in Chapter 16, Takumi falls ill to a rare disease local to the region, and the Hoshidan army makes the decision to search for medicine at one of Garon's villas. Garon sends Iago to stop them, but he is defeated in battle. Before departing, Iago mocks Corrin, telling them that there is a "traitor" operating within their ranks, cackling with glee as he watches them struggle to identify the "traitor".

In Chapter 20, Iago appears in Fort Dragonfall, where he greets the Hoshidan army by informing them that Garon has granted him the power to revive the dragon that is a part of the fortress. After invoking the resurrection of the dragon, Iago, although aware that the army will succumb to the dragon's stomach acid, makes the sadistic decision to speed up their deaths by summoning a horde of Faceless. However, his plan is foiled as Azura's song reverses his curse and the Hoshidan army manages to break out of the fortress.

In Chapter 25, Iago encounters the Hoshidan army at the Grand Staircase leading to the throne room. He taunts Corrin for being weak and still being alive, but they are sick of Iago's games and tells him to just get it over with. He then notices Elise with the group and tells her to come to his side, to which she refuses because he was the one who made Xander and Leo fight Corrin and has attempted to kill them many times. He then seizes full control over Takumi's mind, compelling him to take Azura as a hostage.

Iago thereafter reveals Takumi to be the "traitor", as he figured out their whereabouts the whole time using him, gleefully forcing the Hoshidan royalty to decide on whether to kill him or watch Azura die. However, thanks to Corrin's attempt to reach out to Takumi, he regains temporary control of his senses, allowing Azura to sing Lost in Thoughts All Alone to purify his mind and free him from Iago's curse. Iago attempts to stop her, but Sakura manages to distract him long enough for Azura to finish her song. Takumi breaks free and shoots Iago, foiling his plans once more. Iago is shocked and angered that his plans failed yet again, as Corrin declares that peace is coming and he can't stand in their way anymore and threatens to kill him once and for all. Iago engages the Hoshidan army in one last battle.

If Corrin confronts Iago, he becomes annoyed with them for escaping his traps every time, but Corrin has had enough of Iago's constant talking and tells him they are done talking, to which he states that he will save his analogies and kill Corrin right now. If Takumi confronts Iago, he tells Takumi he chose him as his pawn because he was the weakest and warns him that he will die for coming out of his spell, but Takumi, angered by the suffering he put him through, threatens Iago by saying he will turn him into his own bulls-eye.

After he is defeated once more, Iago cowers and pathetically attempts for Corrin to spare his life, claiming that he too had been controlled by Garon. Corrin doesn't believe him for a second and Leo appears afterwards, having watched the battle. Iago begs Leo to save him, but Leo has grown sick of Iago's deceitful tactics and disgracing Nohr by unwilling to accept defeat, stating that he will kill him. Iago is shocked and begs a second time, but Leo silences him and mercilessly executes him with Brynhildr, putting an end to his schemes and tactics for good.

Conquest[]

Iago oversees Nohr's invasion of Hoshido, accompanying Garon when needed. He plays a bigger role in Conquest than Birthright.

When Corrin returns from Hoshido in Chapter 7, Garon and Iago are surprised and suspicious of them. Iago states that they could be a spy for Hoshido, and Garon promptly agrees. Garon then orders Xander to kill Corrin, but him informs Garon that they had chosen to return to Nohr out of their own free will. Garon then consults an effigy of Anankos on how best the situation should be handled. After much brooding, Garon decides that Corrin will be welcomed back into the Nohrian royal family, but only if they suppress the Ice Tribe's rebellion alone. Iago attempts to reverse Garon's decision but fails when he insists that it is the will of Anankos.

While Corrin navigates through the Woods of the Forlorn, Iago summons a group of Faceless in an attempt to make them suffer. His plan fails as Xander had sent Silas, Elise and her retainers Arthur and Effie, to help them with their task. Iago is upset with the results, but declares that he has more tricks for Corrin when they leave the forest; however, he does not actually do anything else to hinder them for a while.

After Corrin stops the rebellion, Garon is initially pleased with their efforts, but Iago, having watched them on their journey, states that they received help, enraging Garon. However, Xander and Elise intervene, stating that they had sent them aid. Garon is unwilling to turn on his children and states that the rebellion was put down anyways, allowing the incident to pass, much to Iago's anger.

In Chapter 11, after Corrin defeats Hinoka and the Hoshidans and gets power from the Rainbow Sage, Iago uses an illusion to communicate with Corrin, ordering them to kill the Rainbow Sage to prevent the Hoshidans from obtaining his power. Corrin relents, so the Rainbow Sage proceeds to kill himself to save them the suffering. Iago is upset that Corrin refused to obey orders, but is content enough with the sage's death.

In Chapter 12, Garon tasks Iago with making Corrin suffer greatly but not kill them; something he does not fully comprehend, but gladly complies with regardless. On his first attempt at following Garon's orders, Iago sends the group to Palace Macarath to relax for a while, although it is later revealed that he had alerted Ryoma and the Hoshidan army to ambush them there beforehand. This plan of his is foiled as Xander sends his retainers, Laslow and Peri to foil Ryoma's ambush and the Nohrian army manages to stage a solid fight and flee from the vicinity.

In Chapter 13, Iago has a short discussion with Corrin about a rebellion in Cheve before Corrin goes to meet with Garon; after Corrin leaves, Iago states that his plans for Macarath weren't severe enough and that his next plan will be more difficult to slither out of.

In Chapter 14, Iago heads to Cyrkensia and watches a performance along with Garon and his children. During the performance, a mysterious songstress uses her song to curse Garon, causing him extreme discomfort. Iago immediately orders his men to capture the songstress. Before the songstress could be captured, Kumagera and a band of Hoshidan soldiers arrive to assassinate Garon, allowing her to escape. After the Hoshidans are defeated and Garon recovers, he orders Corrin to kill all the singers in Nestra. When Corrin protests, Leo manages to drag them out of the situation by stating that they were tired, while Iago and Hans leave to begin their killing spree.

In Chapter 16, when Corrin finds Azura acting mysteriously and returns after their brief stay in Valla, Iago asks the two where they went, as he saw them depart at night. Corrin states that they had been rattled by the Cyrkensia massacre, so Azura suggested to take a stroll. While taking their stroll, they were attacked by mysterious enemies and killed them, even showing him their blood-stained armor as proof. Iago is surprised, but does not question them further.

Iago isn't seen again until Chapter 21. Frustrated over Corrin's perpetual lack of difficulty in their progress, he summons a large horde of Faceless and Stoneborn to ambush them at the Eternal Stairway. The horde wipes out a group of Hoshidans stationed there, but Corrin's army realize that the horde is endless and make for the exit. While the army manages to escape, Corrin is nearly waylaid by a Faceless that ambushes them, but Lilith arrives and saves them at the cost of her own life. Iago, having watched the fiasco, is upset at the intervention, but is content with her death.

Iago reemerges following the conclusion of the fierce defense put up by Yukimura in Chapter 22, where he and Hans kill all of the Hoshidan prisoners of war who surrendered with, but not including, Sakura, Subaki and Hana. Although Xander and the others try to stop them from killing any more prisoners, they are halted by Garon, who threatens to execute them for treason if they continue in their protests.

In Chapter 23, when the Nohrian army reaches the Great Wall of Suzanoh, Iago leads his forces to attack the Hoshidan defenses along the wall, tasking Corrin and their group to defeat their core legion, led by Takumi. Iago orders Corrin to kill Takumi since they have Sakura hostage, and states that he knows Corrin would rather spare Takumi, but doubts that Garon would agree, to which they reluctantly agree with him and state that they will prepare for battle. When out of sight, Iago continues to talk behind their back and states that he'll enjoy watching Corrin suffer even further. Corrin defeats Takumi, but he becomes possessed and stumbles off the wall in a trance, though Iago does not appear to be aware of this development.

In Chapter 24, when they break through and enter the Hoshidan capital, Iago, along with Hans, kills several Hoshidan civilians who insult Corrin for being a traitor and causing Mikoto's death, claiming to protect them from the street rats. Upon arriving at Castle Shirasagi, Iago leads his forces to surround the castle, while tasking Corrin and their forces with barging through the center. As expected, Hinoka arrives to defend the castle, and Iago orders her demise too, believing that Hoshido remains a threat as long as a capable royal is leading them. In the ensuing battle, Corrin defeats Hinoka and her forces, before urging her to flee and taking her bloodied naginata as proof of her demise.

In Chapter 25, inside the castle, Corrin gives Iago the naginata as proof they killed Hinoka. Iago, stating that it is not proof, much less a trophy, is not completely convinced and suspiciously asks if they spared her, only to be stopped by Garon. The Nohrians confront Ryoma, who had been anticipating them. Iago throws Hinoka's naginata in the room, and states that Corrin killed her. Corrin is forced to keep up with the lie, confirming Iago's statement. Enraged, Ryoma engages Corrin in a one-on-one duel. Despite a grueling duel, Corrin barely emerges victorious. Garon then goads Corrin to kill him, but Ryoma intervenes and tells Corrin that he understands and will end the war his way and commits seppuku. Iago attempts to have Corrin executed for not complying with Garon's orders, but Garon does not care anymore and allows it to pass as they have conquered Hoshido.

In Chapter 26 Iago, angered that Corrin is still alive and knowing they spared Hinoka, had sent out a group to search for her while they were fighting Ryoma. When Garon tells everyone to wait outside the throne room, Iago attacks Corrin, finding out that they had indeed spared Hinoka, and with Garon's loyalists, attempts to kill them for "treason". However, they are stopped by Xander and their Nohrian siblings, who have grown sick of Iago for his schemes and selfishness towards Corrin and swear to kill him and Hans for disgracing Nohr's honor and Garon is not here to protect him anymore. Corrin then stands up to Iago and Hans, threatening them stating that they may be from Nohr, but they will punish them all the same. With Garon occupied in the Hoshidan Throne Room, no longer there to protect him, Iago is forced to fight against Corrin and the Nohrian siblings alongside the other loyalists.

If Corrin confronts Iago, he reveals his "parting gift" to the former before the latter attempts to kill him; he was behind the Faceless swarm that got Lilith killed. He also reveals that he suggested to Garon have them forced to kill Ryoma, as well as informing the former about the trip to Palace Macarath. He taunts the Prince/Princess about his parting gift, only for the latter to be enraged for all of the things he had done and swears that they will never forgive him and he must die, only for Iago to mock them having "grown up" and declares he can no longer comply with Garon's orders to make them suffer and must kill Corrin for Garon to rule the world.

Despite their efforts, the loyalists and Hans are killed, while Iago is backed into a corner. He disgracefully attempts to save his skin by accusing Garon of forcing him to fight and that he is "innocent" and does not deserve to die. Leo silences Iago's pitiful attempt to receive mercy, citing his numerous atrocities, especially causing great suffering towards Corrin and warns him he has no mercy to spare him. Iago helplessly watches as he is executed by Leo once and for all, dying in vain as Corrin foiled his schemes to kill them, as well as failing to make them suffer. His death also provides retribution to the innumerable lives lost at the hands of Iago's schemes as well as ending their reign of tyranny over the innocent.

Revelation[]

In this route, Iago plays a much smaller role compared to the other two. He first appears in Chapter 9, once again leading Corrin's army into a trap against the Wind Tribe. After Corrin discovers that the Faceless that they had fought are actually Wind Tribe members, he quietly chuckles and then teleports out of the vicinity (compared to Birthright where he taunted them), pleased with his progress.

In Chapter 14, Iago welcomes Xander back to Castle Krakenburg after his return from Cyrkensia. Xander seeks an audience with Garon, and Iago wonders if Corrin was a bad influence on him. Hans joins Iago, asserting the impossibility of Xander being convinced to join Corrin's cause, to which Iago disagrees. He brings up how Camilla had joined Corrin's army to support his disagreement, resolutely maintaining a stance of suspicion against Xander. They are unaware that Elise was eavesdropping on them, who escapes to join Corrin.

Iago is among the Nohrian forces attempting to stop Corrin from meeting with their siblings at the Hoshido-Nohr border. Following the defeat of Hans, Iago leads a small force to defeat Corrin's troops in Chapter 17. However, thanks to Xander and Leo's decision to join Corrin's cause, Iago is swiftly killed.

Personality[]

Dishonorable and manipulative, Iago is a schemer at his core and enjoys his position in the Nohrian forces. Sadistic and cruel to all who stand in the way of his goals, he is not above any manner of dirty tactics and enjoys inflicting suffrage on the battlefield, showing a profound lack of morals. He has an inflated ego as well as he believes his intelligence to be unrivaled and revels whenever a plan falls into place.

In truth, Iago is nothing more than a disposable pawn to Garon and his ambitions. He is still valuable to Garon, which gives Iago protection and authority that he indulges in at every opportunity. Unlike Garon, the Nohrian royal siblings show utter disdain for his actions and all would execute him for his atrocities at the first opportunity. Nonetheless, until the opportunity arises, they are forced to tolerate his abhorrent actions.

Ultimately, Iago is nothing without Garon's protection and in all three routes, he immediately dies once his usefulness is at an end. In his final moments, Iago is left as nothing more than a sniveling coward who immediately tries to bargain for his life. No matter what scenario he is left in, his pleas fall on deaf ears and finally earns the comeuppance he rightfully deserves.

In-Game[]

Fire Emblem Fates[]

Birthright Chapter 16 - Pleasure Palace[]

Birthright Chapter 25 - Traitor Revealed[]

Conquest Chapter 26 - Treason[]

Note: Iago will use his staves from the highest to lowest in his inventory on all difficulties

Revelation Chapter 17 - Black Flames[]

Fire Emblem Heroes[]

Quotes[]

Fates[]

Help Description[]

General of the Nohrian army and a skilled illusionist. Enjoys making devious plans.

Defeat Line[]

• "You think... you've won..."

Chapter 16 (Birthright)[]

Battle Quote[]

“Pfft. What do you think you're doing, minion? Bring on Corrin!”
—Iago's battle quote.

Vs. Corrin[]

• Iago: And here we are, at last. I've been waiting for you.
• Corrin: I'm done talking. It's time to finish this.
• Iago: Oh, I agree. HAH!

Retreat Quote[]

“This is nothing... compared to what King Garon will do...”
—Iago's retreat quote.

Chapter 25 (Birthright)[]

Battle Quote[]

“You poor fool. Doing Corrin's dirty work for him/her...”
—Iago's battle quote.

Vs. Corrin[]

• Iago: You're like a rather pesky cockroach, you know that? Just when I think I've got you under my foot, you scamper away.
• Corrin: Sure. Just keep talking. It's what you do best. I'm through talking.
• Iago: Well, then! I'll save the rest of my clever analogies for another time... And kill you right now. HAAH!

Vs. Takumi[]

• Takumi: Yes! I was hoping I'd get a chance to kill you myself. This is for everything you've put me through!
• Iago: *yawn* You know I chose you because you were the weakest, right? You should never have come out of that spell—now you're going to suffer!
• Takumi: Wrong! Now that my head is clear, my aim is truer than ever. I'm going to turn your face into my own personal bull's-eye.

Defeat Quote[]

“Save me... King Garon...”
—Iago's defeat quote.

Chapter 26 (Conquest)[]

Battle Quote[]

“You impertinent traitor! Your ragtag group is no match for my army! Let your death serve as an example to all those who dare oppose King Garon!”
—Iago's battle quote.

Vs. Corrin[]

• Iago: Are you ready to pay for your betrayal, Lord/Lady Corrin?
• Corrin: No, Iago, I am ready to kill you.
• Iago: Oh my, how very frightening. I'm trembling! I am the highest-ranking general in the Nohrian army, you fool. Do you really think I'll be so easy to kill? But before you die, I have something to tell you. A parting gift, if you will. It was I who sent the Faceless who killed that flying rat, Lilith.
• Corrin: What!?
• Iago: Oh, and that's not all. It was I who suggested to King Garon that you be forced to kill Prince Ryoma. And I who told the enemy about your journey to Macarath. Did you enjoy my little gifts of sorrow? I put ever so much thought into them!
• Corrin: I will never forgive you for all that, Iago. Prepare to die!
• Iago: Ha! So the imprisoned little prince/princess fancies himself/herself all grown up. The king ordered me to make you suffer without killing you... But I can no longer comply. In order to see my plans to fruition, you must die! Say your prayers, Lord/Lady Corrin!

Defeat Quote[]

“GAAAAH!! This can't...be happening! How could I lose?! King Garon, please...save...me...”
—Iago's defeat quote.

Chapter 17 (Revelation)[]

Battle Quote[]

“I must congratulate you for making it as far as you have. However, it is now your time to die. With you out of the way, the world will be King Garon's for the taking. Enjoy reflecting on all your mistakes...in the afterlife!”
—Iago's battle quote.

Death Quote[]

“This...this can't be happening... My plan...was perfect... I... King Garon... H-help...me...”
—Iago's death quote.

Fire Emblem Warriors[]

“The time has come to shuffle off your mortal coil... Tremble now at the sight of my power. That of Nohr's greatest tactician. The dread mage Iago!”
—Iago's battle quote.

Heroes[]

Iago/Heroes Quotes

Non-Canon Appearances[]

Fire Emblem if: Niberungu no Hokan[]

Fire Emblem 0 (Cipher)[]

Iago is illustrated in the trading card game Fire Emblem Cipher with the following cards:

[]

Etymology[]

Iago is the villain of a tragic Shakespearian play, Othello, in which he masterminds the downfall of the capable and powerful Othello out of jealousy.

Macbeth is the titular character of another tragic Shakespearian play, Macbeth. In this play, Macbeth and his wife devise a plan to assassinate the king and claim the throne, marking their ruin.

Trivia[]

• Iago shares his Japanese voice actor, Akinori Egoshi, with Ignatius.
  • In Fire Emblem Warriors, he shares his English voice actor, Kirk Thornton, with Awakening's Yen'fay and Echoes' Nomah.
• Iago's localized name was revealed in the Fates Treehouse event at the Electronic Entertainment Expo before his Japanese name, Macbeth, had been disclosed.
• Iago's outfit appears to be an enhanced and more complete version of the generic Sorcerer outfit. This, coupled with his unique trait of being able to use Staves despite his class's usual restriction to Tomes, indicates he may have more proficiency and a higher "tier" than other Sorcerers in the game.
  • Interestingly, this contrasts Zola's scenario, wherein he is depicted to be wearing a standard, if somewhat shabby version, of the Dark Mage's outfit, even as a Sorcerer.
  • Iago also retains the same critical animations of a Sorcerer, whereas, Zola, even in his Sorcerer class, uses the critical animation of a Dark Mage.
• Like Zola, Mikoto, Hans and Garon, Iago has unused blushing portraits within the game's code.
• Iago's outfit in Warriors possesses black and crimson pants whereas his Fates model possesses grey and black pants.
• Revelation is the only path where Iago is not killed by Leo. Instead, he is killed by the combined might of Hoshido and Nohr. It is also the only one where he does not have a battle quote against Corrin.
• Iago was the only major antagonist not revealed in any Warriors trailers or promotional materials.
• If Iago's battle model is stripped, he will lose his mask, exposing the covered side of his face.
  • It also reveals that he has a secondary strand of hair draped down his face and that his hair toward the back of his head is cropped to be a shorter length than at the front.
  • Interestingly enough, Iago's Fire Emblem Cipher card depicts him with long hair at the back.
• Iago is the fourth non-playable character from Fates to be playable in Heroes with the first being Garon, the second being Mikoto, and the third being Lilith.
• Iago possesses a complete set of head map sprites, including mounted head sprites, despite never appearing in a mounted class (sharing this trait with Mikoto, Sumeragi, Arete, and Anthony), though strangely, his mounted head sprites exclude his mask.
• Iago's mask might be inspired by Erik's from "The Phantom of the Opera".
• One of his voiced lines "I have you now!" also serves as his critical quote, which normally goes unheard in normal gameplay. He will say it if he is hacked into the player's army and given crit-dealing weapons (such as Mjölnir or Excalibur).
  • If Iago is forcibly reclassed via hacking, he will keep both his Sorcerer outfit and his ability to use staves regardless of class.

Gallery[]

See main article: Iago/Gallery.