Fire Emblem Engage is the 17th mainstream title of the long-running tactics game franchise. The new gimmick being introduced in Fire Emblem Engage is Emblem Rings–powerful items that allow new characters to summon and fuse with heroes from past Fire Emblem titles. This allows Fire Emblem Engage to feature fan-favorite characters from its history as characters all their own.

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It seems Anna is making a return to Fire Emblem Engage as well, though not as an Emblem Ring summon. The merchant extraordinaire returns as a flesh-and-blood playable character in Fire Emblem Engage. However, it seems this incarnation of Anna is much younger. A burgeoning merchant, Fire Emblem Engage’s Anna is an Axe Fighter who wanders the nations seeking expensive treasures to sell. According to the teaser, Anna hopes to capitalize on Alear’s nature as the Divine Dragon to make even more money.

Fans of the Fire Emblem franchise are more than familiar with Anna. The red-haired merchant has appeared in every Fire Emblem game, including both the main titles and side games like Fire Emblem Warriors. She even plays a major role in the story of the mobile title Fire Emblem Heroes. Though usually an NPC merchant or tutorial figurehead, Anna made her debut as a playable character in Fire Emblem Awakening and has been playable in nearly every Fire Emblem title since.

Many players are excited to see this new iteration of Anna in Fire Emblem Engage. Anna is a staple for the franchise, and most fans think one can’t truly have a Fire Emblem game without her. She has become a fan favorite over the years, and players can’t wait to see what this younger version of Anna is like once Fire Emblem Engage releases.

Some players are less enthusiastic about Anna’s redesign in Fire Emblem Engage, however. Many of these players think making Anna a child is an awkward choice, especially since some players had romanced her in past games. Others are angry Karen Strassman seems to have been replaced as Anna’s voice actor, though recent controversy around her political beliefs and support of NFTs likely pushed Nintendo to do so to avoid bad press. Players won’t have to wait long to see what Fire Emblem Engage does with the iconic character once the game launches in a few weeks.

Fire Emblem Engage will release on January 20, 2023, for the Nintendo Switch.

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