Hump Day Husbandos: Vander (Fire Emblem Engage)
The Fire Emblem series is known for many things, but the most impressive of them is the long parade of top-quality husbandos that the franchise has produced. As the standout man of Fire Emblem Engage, Vander has a lot to live up to, carrying the shockingly hot old man energy into this newest entry.
What makes Vander so hot and why can so few of the other men in Fire Emblem Engage hold a candle to him? Let’s explore these questions in this week’s Hump Day Husbando entry.
Who is Vander?
When the Divine Dragon, who looks like a toothpaste mascot come to life, wakes up from a thousand-year coma, they are greeted by three faces. Two are children fawning over them, and the other is an old man who has been watching them sleep for most of his life. This all raises more questions than it answers, but we move on because the world is in danger of being taken over by an evil dragon and also because Vander is so dedicated to helping us with our duties as the saviour of the world.
We find out that Vander is the 32nd Steward of the Divine Dragon, a line of warriors who are tasked with protecting the main character from harm while they sleep off the effects of the last time the Fell Dragon showed up. He is fast approaching retirement age, so he’s been training his replacements while tending to our every need. Just try not to think too hard about what he means by “every need” while you’ve been sleeping for a few centuries. (Hey, dragons have needs too – Ed.)
Why we love him
When it becomes clear that the Fell Dragon’s return is nigh, Vander is among the first and most stalwart supporters the Divine Dragon has. It isn’t just his strength in battle that makes him so appealing as a character. As you unlock new support levels between him and some of the other members of your army, you realise that he takes his role of teacher just as seriously as his warrior role. As stern and serious as he tends to be, there is a wonderful kindness and warmth to him that he lets out as soon as he puts his axe down.
Vander believes not just in the main character but also in those around them, and he knows that the only way for them to defeat the evil threatening their world is for everyone to reach their full potential. He quickly becomes a mentor, friend, and confidant for most of the other characters, giving them the support they need and asking very little in return. In a game that relies heavily on the interactions between characters, Vander becomes the lynchpin holding everyone together.
Why you’ll love him
There is another thing we haven’t mentioned about Vander just yet. He is unbearably hot. Dude walks around with that beard and that attitude and we’re supposed to not fall in love with him? I’ve managed to get fairly deep into Fire Emblem Engage’s story and while I still think it holds back on giving you access to some of the best characters for too long, Vander hasn’t stopped being one of my favourites in the game.
If you’re a fan of a good, old-fashioned DILF character, a trope that gets entirely too little love in the JRPG and anime genres, then you’ll love what Vander brings to the table. His interactions with some of the other characters, particularly Framme and Clanne, who he has been training to be his replacement one day, are some of the best written in the game. I can only hope I don’t let this beautiful man down. Honestly, Fire Emblem Engage is almost worth picking up just for Vander.
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