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Ana Does a Character Study: Frederick


Anacybele
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So, I don't normally do stuff like this, because I just never felt like I'd be real good at it, and I see others already put out good versions that I like anyway. But this time I'll make an exception and write up my own study on a certain knight we all know I have a deep love for. :P But that's hardly the only reason I choose to do it. Frederick just never seems to be a topic in other people's character studies, such as Mangs's character spotlights, and other character study based videos I've seen before. Sure, I could request it, but it'd be more fun if I did it myself considering how much I actually know about everyone's favorite Freddy Bear here and what research I've done or will do for this. Also, I feel Frederick is rather overlooked as a character, so I'd like to bring him into the light a bit more!

I'd also make a video like the above people I mentioned would do, but I don't really have the resources to do that anymore since Microsoft shut down their Windows Essentials programs, which included Movie Maker. I've never had any other video-making program, so... Yeah. I can give you a nice banner though! :) So let's get started!

 

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Welcome to Ana's character study!  This will be about Frederick, the bear meat-hating, campfire-loving butler knight. Frederick is a veteran knight from the halidom of Ylisse, who first appears in Fire Emblem: Awakening. He is the lieutenant of the Shepherds, led by Ylisse's own prince, Chrom, and is also the personal retainer of Chrom and his sister, Lissa. He eventually also becomes the official knight captain and in charge of training and commanding new recruits to the army. If he's married, his wife may help him out here too, depending on who she is. In terms of gameplay, he is one of several characters in the Fire Emblem series that falls into the Jagen or Oifey archtypes. More specifically, he's an Oifey, a subgroup of Jagens that have better growths than usual. Most notable for Frederick is his HP growth, a whopping 110%, which means he can gain 2 HP on one level up. Unlike most Jagens and Oifeys though, he is not a Paladin, but instead is of the Great Knight class, a more physical oriented cavalier knight with low res. He can use the entire weapon triangle as a result.

Frederick also appears in Fire Emblem Heroes as a summonable character, where his best stats are his HP and defense. He's one of the few axe wielding cavaliers in the game, and likely the best of that small bunch as well, making him valuable in some horse teams. He can make use of the crazy horse buffing skills here too, making him even better. He also has a summer variation where he ditches his horse, axe, and armor for a seashell dagger, blue hoodie, and swim shorts modeled after his armor's shoulder pauldrons (he really likes his armor, I guess. lol). Here, he still focuses mainly on defense and attack, but his speed is good this time as well (particularly with buffs), and he debuffs literally every stat between his Seashell's effect and his Seal Atk/Spd skill. This Frederick is a jack of all trades, being able to offer support as well as decent killing power. His Seashell weapon can also be refined to give him even more stats.

Frederick's third playable appearance is in Fire Emblem Warriors, where he is possibly the best character in the game due to his horse and high defense and attack, both the most important stats in a Warriors game, I believe. In fact, no other character's defense is higher than this guy's and his attack is second only to Camilla's. You need a tank? Look no further than Frederick! For the first time ever, he can also promote, and his promoted class is called Guardian Knight (it looks freaking awesome too, I might add). And a horse provides extra movement speed and mobility. Just be Frederick the Wary of mages, for as always, his res is pretty bad. And any weapons that have effectiveness versus horses and armors, as both will hit him for more damage (you should only really see these on higher difficulties, but still). I don't know quite as much about Warriors games as I do FE games though, so forgive me if I've left out anything here or am mistaken on one thing or another...

Between all of these appearances though, what makes Frederick overlooked in any way? What makes him who he is as a person? Why does someone like me love him so much? I'm here to answer those questions as best as I can and dive into this guy as deeply as possible! And I'll start from the beginning, meaning his history.

Backstory

In terms of backstory, we don't get a whole lot about Frederick, but compared to other Awakening characters, as far as I can tell, we get a pretty decent amount. I find that Frederick is one of the deeper, more complex characters in the game, which contributes to why I believe him to be rather overlooked and underrated in the first place. Though that's not saying a whole lot, as I find Awakening's cast in general to be...rather lackluster. Frederick just happens to be a sort of diamond in the rough here, so to speak.

Anyway, in his support with Panne, Frederick reveals that despite that he comes off as a groomed noble, he grew up in a village somewhere in the hills. He may or may not have actually been born there, however, as he does not actually say he's a real commoner, so he could still actually be of noble birth/descent. It's also generally quite uncommon for commoners to gain knighthood like he has as well, especially of his rank. Even Sully is from a noble family. Frederick also reveals in his Harvest Scramble convo with Virion that his family has served the Ylisse royals for generations. How could they do that if they always lived in a village away from Ylisstol? And considering that Chrom's father was super war-hungry, it's very possible (and I actually headcanon this), that Frederick's family was from a noble house and fled to avoid having to be involved in the war, and that's how someone with an education level and proper nature like his ended up being raised in a village. It's one thing to have a more casual and less proper/educated attitude and still be from a noble family like Sully, but having the reverse is more unusual and less likely due to things like such a high rank and level of education being hard to obtain for a common family in an era like Awakening's (medieval-based). It's not impossible, but not likely.

This is only speculation, but it also brings me to another, real part of his past. His support with Panne also reveals that when he was still a child, Frederick wandered into some woods and was attacked and nearly killed by a wolf. His injuries were so bad that the villagers didn't think he would survive. Of course, somehow he did (thankfully!), and he grew up to become the knight that he is.

Which again, brings me to something else, a probably lesser known detail about Frederick's history since I doubt many people actually grab the particular support it shows up in. He mentions his mother in his conversations with Nowi. Only briefly, but it's actually enough to see some possibilities for why Frederick is who he is. Frederick says that Nowi's cheering and supporting him reminds him of his mother. This implies that his mother was very loving and supportive of him, which could explain why he's pretty doting and loyal himself. Unfortunately, we don't ever see any mention of Frederick's father, but since I mentioned above that his family served the Ylisse royals for generations, his father was most probably a knight himself who may have disagreed with the war-filled desires of Chrom's father.

And now, we get to Frederick's personality. This might be the longest section.

Personality

Oh, the details of this man's character! This part is where most of my research comes in to possibly shed more light on Frederick's character. We all know that Frederick is pretty obsessed with his duties, and is very loyal and devoted to his liege, to the point where he sometimes embarrasses the hell out of Chrom (the naked posters, anyone? LOL). He always puts safety first as well and exercises a lot. He's very proper too, even down to the way he dresses since he wears a suit under his armor. He also acts pretty butler-like in the fact that he'll clean, cook, and do various other tasks for the royals. He even carries a hand-knit muffler should Chrom sneeze! And of course, there's his infamous habit of clearing away pebbles! This is part of how he does anything to ensure safety. Like ANYTHING. He's very wary and doesn't trust anyone quickly either, obviously for safety reasons (Chrom doesn't call him Frederick the Wary for nothing). And he even enjoys doing what he does to the point where he calls it his form of fun, as he says in his Harvest Scramble convo with Henry. He also hates gamey meat and surprisingly, he hates training! He says this to Henry in their A support. And then he gives Henry a big bear hug and starts crying happily, showing that behind Frederick's serious, rather cold exterior, he has a big soft side! Must be why female Robin calls him "Freddy Bear" in their A support, as well as in Warriors, heh heh.

But why is Frederick like this? Well, I believe Frederick possibly suffers from a few different mental/behavioral disorders that could explain why he is who he is. There is pretty strong evidence for these disorders too. He might not actually have all three, or he might have none, but he does show some signs that it's very possible. Let's go through them.

Firstly, there is one very likely reason Frederick emphasizes safety so much. Remember his wolf attack? He's traumatized from it. In his support with Panne, that trauma resurfaces and he gets frightened when she transforms. He reveals that he has a fear of basically any wild animal due to having almost been killed by one. Therefore, Frederick likely has some degree of PTSD, or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. This is a disorder that tends to develop in people after they have experienced a scary, traumatic event like Frederick has. Here are the common symptoms, and in bold are the ones Frederick seems to exhibit. Source

Spoiler
  • At least one re-experiencing symptom (Panne support)
  • At least one avoidance symptom (Frederick's hatred of gamey meat could be considered this)
  • At least two arousal and reactivity symptoms (Panne support, this occurs twice)
  • At least two cognition and mood symptoms
  • Flashbacks—reliving the trauma over and over, including physical symptoms like a racing heart or sweating (again, the Panne support)
  • Bad dreams (I wouldn't be surprised if this was the case and Frederick is just hiding it though)
  • Frightening thoughts
  • Staying away from places, events, or objects that are reminders of the traumatic experience (again, the gamey meat hatred)
  • Avoiding thoughts or feelings related to the traumatic event (by extension due to already avoiding the gamey meat, so this one would naturally be there)
  • Being easily startled
  • Feeling tense or “on edge” (Frederick is so like this sometimes, I'm certain)
  • Having difficulty sleeping
  • Having angry outbursts (he sounds angry as well as scared when Panne frightens him, and he suddenly yells at Maribelle in their support too, as well as Vaike, sorta, in their Summer Scramble convo)
  • Trouble remembering key features of the traumatic event
  • Negative thoughts about oneself or the world
  • Distorted feelings like guilt or blame (Frederick calls himself a failure if something goes wrong in his presence, from what I recall, and he repeatedly blames himself for things in his Summer Scramble convo with Libra)
  • Loss of interest in enjoyable activities (this could be considered one of Frederick's symptoms too, but it's a bit hard to call since what he considers enjoyable and what others around him consider enjoyable are definitely not the same)

That's quite a few. Frederick may not have serious PTSD, but he could have it to a lesser degree, at least, due to showing some classic signs. And it makes it understandable why he focuses on safety so heavily. He focuses on a lot of his duties, but Heroes implies that safety is the biggest one since he says that's his "first task."

His obsession with his duties brings me to the next disorder and this one is practically all but confirmed if you ask me: OCD, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. People can joke that they are "OCD" about something, but having true OCD is different. What OCD really is:

Quote

People with OCD may have symptoms of obsessions, compulsions, or both. These symptoms can interfere with all aspects of life, such as work, school, and personal relationships.

And the symptoms are also in this article. Source

Spoiler
  • Fear of germs or contamination
  • Unwanted forbidden or taboo thoughts involving sex, religion, and harm
  • Aggressive thoughts towards others or self
  • Having things symmetrical or in a perfect order
  • Excessive cleaning and/or handwashing
  • Ordering and arranging things in a particular, precise way
  • Repeatedly checking on things, such as repeatedly checking to see if the door is locked or that the oven is off
  • Compulsive counting
  • Can't control his or her thoughts or behaviors, even when those thoughts or behaviors are recognized as excessive
  • Spends at least 1 hour a day on these thoughts or behaviors
  • Doesn’t get pleasure when performing the behaviors or rituals, but may feel brief relief from the anxiety the thoughts cause
  • Experiences significant problems in their daily life due to these thoughts or behaviors

Frederick has exhibited nearly all of these, if not all. MAYBE not the "Unwanted and forbidden taboo thoughts" part and "aggressive thoughts towards others or self" but the rest is pretty clear or very likely. Fear of germs and contamination? Why would he NOT have that? (well, in his case, it'd be more like fearing diseases and illness since I doubt any FE characters know what germs are) xP Frederick always demands a lot of effort for tasks and wants things to be done in specific and precise ways for sure. And he definitely has compulsive counting if we take his hilarious conversation with Leo from Warriors into account. He counted Leo's collar being inside out 36 times, holy moly. He definitely repeatedly checks on things, and he definitely can't control himself as shown by his support with Chrom. He can't stand to not be doing his usual work for him, even if it's excessive sometimes. Hell, he can't even relax, nor does he know how to as shown by his support with Lissa. He may find his work generally fun, but there are things he does a lot that he doesn't find pleasure in, like training. Significant problems in his daily life... Just look at the whole Summer Scramble conversation with Libra! Libra even describes it as a condition and talks about possible treatments. And after he advises Frederick to spend time away from Chrom and Lissa, Frederick fails to acknowledge him at first and Libra has to slap him silly to get his attention. There's also still the Chrom support and Olivia support where Frederick fudges things up to some degree.

But the most classic and obvious sign for Frederick here is the Chrom support, where he shows that he always has to be doing some form of the duties that he's used to and it literally pains him not to. Which is why Chrom gives in and just lets Freddy be Freddy. It might seem selfish for Frederick to say that he'd rather risk Chrom getting embarrassed than forsake his duty, but it's honestly OCD speaking and the fact that Frederick just cares a lot about doing his job and carrying on his family's long tradition of serving House Ylisse.

And I say again, go look at the whole Summer Scramble convo with Libra. If that's not a big indication of OCD, I dunno what is.

Why and how did Frederick end up being OCD? I'd say the most likely according to the article I linked is brain structure and functioning. And the trauma he suffered also makes one more likely to develop it. The part of brain structure and functioning also brings me to the third disorder he might have.

The evidence isn't QUITE as strong for this one as it is for PTSD and OCD, it is there to a pretty good degree. And truth be told, I'm not sure IS actually intended for Frederick to have this particular disorder. He just happened to come off that way pretty well. This one is Asperger's Syndrome, a part of the autism spectrum. Why do I think he could have this? Well, being an Aspie myself, I definitely know what this is like and can see if someone else likely has it if I get to know them well enough. But I've also done research into what Asperger's is due to having it, and I can post some details on that as well. Asperger's is a form of high-functioning autism, so people with it can generally lead normal lives, but it doesn't come without difficulty and its own characteristics and symptoms. People with it basically have brains that are wired differently than others. It wasn't even generally widely accepted to be a thing until the mid 90s, and even today, people with it are often misdiagnosed with ADHD.

Yeah, I've had people tell me that Miriel and Laurent highly resemble Aspies too. And they do. But I feel they're more an exaggerated form of it, and purposely written that way maybe for amusement. They remind me a lot of Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory show and he's definitely exaggerated Asperger's, and it's meant for comedy, really (because honestly, I have to admit, Sheldon is hilarious). Frederick's case, however, feels more realistic, passive, and not so in-your-face. Here are the main symptoms, and again, in bold are the ones Frederick seems to exhibit. Source

Spoiler
  • limited or inappropriate social interactions (Robin, Chrom, and Olivia supports, and his hugging Henry might be something that others would find inappropriate should Frederick do the same to them)
  • "robotic" or repetitive speech (he uses words like "shall" and sophisticated terms a lot)
  • challenges with nonverbal communication (gestures, facial expression, etc.) coupled with average to above average verbal skills (mainly the above average verbal skills part given what I said above)
  • tendency to discuss self rather than others
  • inability to understand social/emotional issues or nonliteral phrases (going back to the Robin support, he didn't notice that saying she "ate bear meat like a savage" was rather offensive, for example, and while I can't list others off the top of my head, I know I've felt that he seemed confused by things others have said to him too)
  • lack of eye contact or reciprocal conversation
  • obsession with specific, often unusual, topics (pebbles? duties? exercise? other stuff? The fact that he knits and is good at it could count here too, as not many guys are into that)
  • one-sided conversations
  • awkward movements and/or mannerisms (more so the mannerisms, really, and this again comes in the form of some of the duties he performs. And he never relaxes, which is awkward, because he doesn't know how, as shown in his support with Lissa)

Frederick also seems to just not have very good social skills in general, and yet is very wise/intelligent, another classic characteristic of an Aspie. Again, this may not be as clear cut as PTSD or OCD in him, but to me, it's there enough to say that being an Aspie is definitely pretty possible, even if it wasn't intended.

Yet, despite all this, I find him absolutely lovable, endearing, and adorable (and scenes such as the Chrom support, Panne support, Henry support, and Robin support utterly hilarious). He may have some mental/behavioral issues, but he has some great qualities too. He has various hobbies, like the knitting I mentioned in the spoiler above. He also sews, as he mentions that he stitches things too. And as I said there, not many guys, especially knights, do this! In times like medieval ages, knitting and sewing were things only women did. Cooking and cleaning too, which Frederick also does. Even in FE itself, there are more female characters that do things like this than male. This makes Frederick rather unique as someone of his type of character. Another one of his hobbies is collecting rare mushrooms. He says this in the barracks in Awakening. And in his Harvest Scramble convo with Virion, he turns out to be a good connoisseur of tea. He is also a very good swimmer as noted by his summer self in Heroes.

He's also self-conscious about his appearance, it turns out. Summer Freddy in Heroes more than once notes that he's showing a lot of skin and that he's not very comfortable with it (though he really doesn't need to worry, look at those abs! lol). This could explain why he exercises so much. Well, this and the fact that he's a knight who's highly dedicated to protecting his liege, of course. And he definitely works out a good bit too, because those abs. And he has to be strong to lug around that armor and his weapon AND do all the stuff he does. I imagine he also trains his stamina as well for his reason. I admire him a lot for this, as it shows that this man works his ass off as hard as diamond.

Also, despite his mental issues, Frederick still cares a lot about the people around him. In his Harvest Scramble conversation with Henry, he says he prides himself in making sure everyone is safe and has fun. What he does is not even just for Chrom and Lissa, it's more or less for everyone around him! He's really so full of care and concern and compassion. Also, when he's not acting a bit cold, he's very polite and gentlemanly all the time, and very patient. His patience is shown in the story and in his support with Sumia. And in Warriors, when you win a mission with him, he takes a bow for you. And in Heroes, his title is even "Polite Knight." His Robin confession scene in Awakening has him kneeling to kiss her hand. He's the only one that kisses Robin in any way, in fact. He may have social issues, but when you get to know him, he's such a lovely gentleman, it's crazy.

I also believe he'd make a fantastic, though rather overprotective, father if he has children. Seriously, Frederick is the kind of man that would play dress up with his little daughter and let her put bows and stuff in his hair! It's just in his loyal and dedicated nature. And he'd go to no end to take care of his wife and keep her happy too. It would just be in his character and nature to do so. He might wind up with some bumps and bruises in doing so, both literal and metaphorical, and sometimes embarrass either his wife or kids or both, but when you truly love someone, you appreciate both their great points and their flaws and just look past the latter. Take a look at his father support with Severa. I believe this one best exhibits Frederick as a father within the game. He buys her things, but then tells her she has to earn anything else she gets by working for it. Classic Frederick right there.

Gameplay

Now, we get to some more gameplay aspects. I explained most of this in the intro, but not quite all. Frederick, as I said, is an Oifey, a subgroup of Jagen archtype characters in the FE series. This is actually mainly why he's overlooked. I often see people say they ignored him because they don't like or want to use Jagens or Oifeys. Which is their choice. But it does hurt him a bit, because if you don't use him, you don't see his supports or anything, and much of his characterization and depth is found there.

Also, being an Oifey, he's actually a very good unit when you put work into him. He's got great HP, strength, and defense growths. Though his res is pretty poor, and his speed is average. So far, I've found that he's best in the DLC Dreadfighter class. It gives him everything he needs: speed and res. And without hurting his other stats much. Hell, at one point, my Frederick had more res than def! And both were still high. Sure, this was Normal mode, but I'm not talking about any enemy stats, just Frederick's. Not to mention that he stops gaining exp super slow when you put him in this class. As soon as I did, he gained levels like crazy. Also, imo, he looks pretty great as a Dreadfighter.

He's also a pretty good father for certain child characters due to passing down the cavalier line and Luna skill, as well as the wyvern rider line which also offers decent skills.

Of course, this has also caused people to initially not care too much about using him in Heroes and Warriors too. But he's pretty great in Heroes as well, and one of the best in Warriors, if not the best. Hopefully, this has helped him gain some more fans. I've seen people praise how awesomely brutal he is in Warriors in particular.

Conclusion

Frederick has some deep and very interesting flaws, even some endearing ones in my opinion, and his great points are truly great if you ask me. For me, since I'm an Aspie and find Frederick to be similar enough to one to be one himself, I also find him someone I and other Aspies can relate to and look up to. He strives for his goals despite his flaws and that's something I could learn from, honestly. Even if I wasn't an Aspie though, I still find him to be very likeable and well written among a cast I find rather meh overall. I actually didn't start noticing the Aspie characteristics until I got more of Frederick's supports than just Robin's and Chrom's, and by that point, I was already in love with him! The fact that I found things I could really relate to him with just made him that much more likeable and lovable to me too. That, and even before the game released, I liked him because I found his design appealing (and my god is he hot in his swimwear! Like I said, those abs... Hell, he's pretty hot in his armor and suit too, honestly!). So there was just so much for me to like, it's crazy. Frederick won't appeal to everyone, as no character will, but hopefully this study here helps people look at him a bit differently in general and merely shows why he is likeable to at least some.

The support conversations I was referring to can be found on SF's main site, by the way, in the Awakening section.

Edited by Anacybele
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Wow. Being me, I came on here with intention to make a joke about how did I guess this would be your character study of choice, but you actually did a really good job, not bad! Mind if I share some of my own thoughts on our Beary good not-Butler?

First off, Warriors. While stats are major, ease of use is important too, as there are many players out there who won't use someone who's difficult to play(Demyx in KH 358/2 Days springs to mind), and I at least found Frederick lacking in that department - he's the second lowest level out of all the characters because I still can't figure out his magic combo that you just spam to obliterate everyone and his moveset has a rather frustrating habit of moving him too far for me to control him easily, an issue neither of the other two Axes have(with Camilla I spam Y-Y-X and Lissa I use Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-X and they mostly stay in the same place while still moving just far enough to cover a good area). While he does have increased mobility, so does Camilla, who fulfills his Axe role, and Xander, who fulfills his Physical Tank role, and both of those two characters are easier to control, though I'll admit they aren't by much and could easily be harder for someone to use than Frederick. Another issue is that Frederick's personal Skill is rather lackluster as the idea is you aren't letting anyone hit you, nullifying the effectiveness of Pavise. Overall, Frederick has the issue of what appears to be a relatively high skill floor in Warriors compared to some of the others, but you are right in that he hits like…well, like a man in full plate armor atop a horse similarly attired carrying a battleaxe. Who'd have guessed, right?

Second, you also forgot his Fates cameo. His conversation with Jakob, in addition to being hilarious, may also provide another piece of evidence in favor of the Aspergers diagnosis as he's intelligent and inventive enough to - in a world based on modern opinion of medieval times, in other words technologically backwards - create a device that operates every day at a fixed time without his instruction or direct input in order to both make Chrom's life better and to maximize his own efficiency as he doesn't have to worry about the task the device performs and can focus his personal efforts on such things as ensuring his lord's slippers are warm when Chrom awakens so that his feet don't get cold or other such things. His conversation with Corrin also provides some evidence, such as his remarkably specific requirement that at least 10 spear lengths be kept between Corrin and both Chrom and Lissa at all times. Obviously, most people don't try to stick that on someone in the middle of battle, but this can reasonably be construed as the inability to understand social issues and thus supports your argument in favor of Frederick having Aspergers. I never thought of him having Aspergers, but now that you mention it, it does make sense and I see quite a few similarities between him and myself, who was also diagnosed with it some time back.

Lastly, I would like to point out that all of Severa's father supports are the same - while the circumstances and basic plot behind the supports may fit Frederick better than most(indeed, when I'm not fulfilling my own fantasies about Cordelia he's generally my next choice for her in part because of this), it doesn't necessarily mean it can be used as a point specifically in his favor as Henry, Gaius, Lon'qu, etc., all showcase this same personality in Frederick's place during the same situation, albeit with their own personalities mixed in.

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7 hours ago, SoulWeaver said:

Wow. Being me, I came on here with intention to make a joke about how did I guess this would be your character study of choice, but you actually did a really good job, not bad! Mind if I share some of my own thoughts on our Beary good not-Butler?

Oh, not at all! It'd probably be helpful, in fact. :) And thanks!

7 hours ago, SoulWeaver said:

First off, Warriors. While stats are major, ease of use is important too, as there are many players out there who won't use someone who's difficult to play(Demyx in KH 358/2 Days springs to mind), and I at least found Frederick lacking in that department - he's the second lowest level out of all the characters because I still can't figure out his magic combo that you just spam to obliterate everyone and his moveset has a rather frustrating habit of moving him too far for me to control him easily, an issue neither of the other two Axes have(with Camilla I spam Y-Y-X and Lissa I use Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-X and they mostly stay in the same place while still moving just far enough to cover a good area). While he does have increased mobility, so does Camilla, who fulfills his Axe role, and Xander, who fulfills his Physical Tank role, and both of those two characters are easier to control, though I'll admit they aren't by much and could easily be harder for someone to use than Frederick. Another issue is that Frederick's personal Skill is rather lackluster as the idea is you aren't letting anyone hit you, nullifying the effectiveness of Pavise. Overall, Frederick has the issue of what appears to be a relatively high skill floor in Warriors compared to some of the others, but you are right in that he hits like…well, like a man in full plate armor atop a horse similarly attired carrying a battleaxe. Who'd have guessed, right?

Huh, I see... Well, I think whether or not Frederick is easy to use is subjective though, as I never had any problem with him. It took me a minute to get his crazy dragging-people-across-the-ground move down well, but I was never good at Warriors games to begin with, so yeah. lol But I guess I can see why some others would. Pavise is rather lackluster, and I'm surprised this is his personal skill rather than Luna, honestly. And I never meant that Frederick didn't have issues in Warriors, btw, I know he's not perfect. No character should be, honestly. I just felt like the niches he does fill are pretty big ones. And if you're someone that doesn't like Camilla, such as me, well, Frederick is a great alternative for mobility and axes. I don't care for Xander either, so Frederick also fills the tank role for me better. He does what both of them do in one character rather than two.

7 hours ago, SoulWeaver said:

Second, you also forgot his Fates cameo. His conversation with Jakob, in addition to being hilarious, may also provide another piece of evidence in favor of the Aspergers diagnosis as he's intelligent and inventive enough to - in a world based on modern opinion of medieval times, in other words technologically backwards - create a device that operates every day at a fixed time without his instruction or direct input in order to both make Chrom's life better and to maximize his own efficiency as he doesn't have to worry about the task the device performs and can focus his personal efforts on such things as ensuring his lord's slippers are warm when Chrom awakens so that his feet don't get cold or other such things. His conversation with Corrin also provides some evidence, such as his remarkably specific requirement that at least 10 spear lengths be kept between Corrin and both Chrom and Lissa at all times. Obviously, most people don't try to stick that on someone in the middle of battle, but this can reasonably be construed as the inability to understand social issues and thus supports your argument in favor of Frederick having Aspergers. I never thought of him having Aspergers, but now that you mention it, it does make sense and I see quite a few similarities between him and myself, who was also diagnosed with it some time back.

I thought about the Fates cameo, but I wasn't sure if it was a real indicator or not. But the way you put it, I think you're right! Thanks for telling me. lol I also didn't know he had a conversation with Corrin there as well, so also thanks for pointing that one out.

7 hours ago, SoulWeaver said:

Lastly, I would like to point out that all of Severa's father supports are the same - while the circumstances and basic plot behind the supports may fit Frederick better than most(indeed, when I'm not fulfilling my own fantasies about Cordelia he's generally my next choice for her in part because of this), it doesn't necessarily mean it can be used as a point specifically in his favor as Henry, Gaius, Lon'qu, etc., all showcase this same personality in Frederick's place during the same situation, albeit with their own personalities mixed in.

I'm aware, I just meant that I thought this particular father conversation fit Frederick best out of what was there. My bad for not being clear on that.

Edited by Anacybele
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50 minutes ago, Icelerate said:

Do an analysis on Ike. 

I would, but that's already been done a bunch of times. Mangs did two videos and I remember seeing a third from someone else get shared right here on SF and I re-shared it a couple times. xP

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On January 4, 2018 at 7:39 AM, Anacybele said:

Huh, I see... Well, I think whether or not Frederick is easy to use is subjective though, as I never had any problem with him. It took me a minute to get his crazy dragging-people-across-the-ground move down well, but I was never good at Warriors games to begin with, so yeah. lol But I guess I can see why some others would. Pavise is rather lackluster, and I'm surprised this is his personal skill rather than Luna, honestly. And I never meant that Frederick didn't have issues in Warriors, btw, I know he's not perfect. No character should be, honestly. I just felt like the niches he does fill are pretty big ones. And if you're someone that doesn't like Camilla, such as me, well, Frederick is a great alternative for mobility and axes. I don't care for Xander either, so Frederick also fills the tank role for me better. He does what both of them do in one character rather than two.

It's more that all the Mounted Units are slightly trickier to get the hang of than the Infantry Units, nothing personally against Frederick, and as I mentioned people may find him easier to use than Xander or Camilla, so yeah, definitely subjective. Frederick should have had Luna, yes, but they can't just give Chrom Aether because that has to be Ike's exclusive skill when he gets introduced or people will(rightfully) riot, and I'm not certain how they'd implement Rightful King without it being complete trash on its own and Chrom doesn't get any other noteworthy Skills, so…that's problematic. He does fill two very useful niches, but technically Camilla fills both as well unless you specifically want a non-Flier Mounted, so barring maps that restrict to characters from a specific game it's more a matter of personal preference or playstyle - if you happen to like bulky tanks or there are lots of Archers and you're not sure you can just dodge them all, go Frederick for your Axe, while if you prefer access to Flight Routes or need a more Attack-focused Axe, Camilla's your girl. Personally I prefer Lissa as my Axe because I've always prioritized Healing over Mobility and her moveset is surprisingly fun once you get the hang of it, plus with Topsy-Turvy she has a pretty mean swing.

On January 4, 2018 at 7:39 AM, Anacybele said:

I thought about the Fates cameo, but I wasn't sure if it was a real indicator or not. But the way you put it, I think you're right! Thanks for telling me. lol I also didn't know he had a conversation with Corrin there as well, so also thanks for pointing that one out.

Corrin can talk to all three. I don't know that Frederick can talk to anyone else besides Jakob(maybe test it for the rest of us?), but I know Lazlow, Selena, and Caeldori can talk to Chrom and Odin and Ophelia can speak with Lissa.

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On 1/4/2018 at 2:04 PM, Anacybele said:

I would, but that's already been done a bunch of times. Mangs did two videos and I remember seeing a third from someone else get shared right here on SF and I re-shared it a couple times. xP

Not enough detail though. I'm doing one on Micaiah and there's still a lot to cover. 

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On 1/6/2018 at 1:41 AM, SoulWeaver said:

It's more that all the Mounted Units are slightly trickier to get the hang of than the Infantry Units, nothing personally against Frederick, and as I mentioned people may find him easier to use than Xander or Camilla, so yeah, definitely subjective. Frederick should have had Luna, yes, but they can't just give Chrom Aether because that has to be Ike's exclusive skill when he gets introduced or people will(rightfully) riot, and I'm not certain how they'd implement Rightful King without it being complete trash on its own and Chrom doesn't get any other noteworthy Skills, so…that's problematic. He does fill two very useful niches, but technically Camilla fills both as well unless you specifically want a non-Flier Mounted, so barring maps that restrict to characters from a specific game it's more a matter of personal preference or playstyle - if you happen to like bulky tanks or there are lots of Archers and you're not sure you can just dodge them all, go Frederick for your Axe, while if you prefer access to Flight Routes or need a more Attack-focused Axe, Camilla's your girl. Personally I prefer Lissa as my Axe because I've always prioritized Healing over Mobility and her moveset is surprisingly fun once you get the hang of it, plus with Topsy-Turvy she has a pretty mean swing.

Ah, I see. Yeah, it's just different for different players. I have no problem playing Frederick, but I struggle badly with Takumi. Yet I don't really see anyone else say they have trouble using Takumi. I don't like Lissa in Warriors though. But it's more because I just think she looks weird swinging an axe around the way she does. I just don't care for that. I get why she uses an axe though, because she can promote to an axe-wielding class in Awakening and the game would be pretty low on axe wielders otherwise. I just find her awkward here.

On 1/6/2018 at 1:41 AM, SoulWeaver said:

Corrin can talk to all three. I don't know that Frederick can talk to anyone else besides Jakob(maybe test it for the rest of us?), but I know Lazlow, Selena, and Caeldori can talk to Chrom and Odin and Ophelia can speak with Lissa.

Ah, I see. I'm not sure either, I'll have to look up who Frederick can talk to if Jakob isn't the only one.

On 1/6/2018 at 2:34 AM, Icelerate said:

Not enough detail though. I'm doing one on Micaiah and there's still a lot to cover. 

Well, I'm not sure what I'd add that isn't already in those other videos, honestly...

I hope more people are reading and enjoying this! I'm a bit disappointed I got so few comments after spending a couple hours writing this study, but whatcha gonna do, I guess. :P

EDIT: Also, after considering some of a friend's criticism, I reworded a few sentences to sound less like Frederick definitely has three mental/behavioral disorders and more that he MAY have them. My friend said these three together could be a bit overkill.

Edited by Anacybele
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On 1/3/2018 at 11:29 PM, Anacybele said:

because those abs.

 

On 1/3/2018 at 11:29 PM, Anacybele said:

look at those abs! lol

 

On 1/3/2018 at 11:29 PM, Anacybele said:

Like I said, those abs

 

Just wanted to make sure you mentioned the abs

Seems you did well

 

I havent played Awakening, but my brother has and he says Fred is absolutely amazing and hilarious lol After reading this I think I'll probably end up playing Awakening before the other 3DS games. Fred sounds cool~

Spoiler

CHROM WANTS YOU

 

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1 minute ago, Arcanite said:

Just wanted to make sure you mentioned the abs

Seems you did well

 

I havent played Awakening, but my brother has and he says Fred is absolutely amazing and hilarious lol After reading this I think I'll probably end up playing Awakening before the other 3DS games. Fred sounds cool~

  Hide contents

CHROM WANTS YOU

 

You know I could never write something so big about Freddy without mentioning those gorgeous abs. lol

Yes, Frederick is absolutely hilarious and amazing! I'm glad your bro likes him. ^^ He needs to see the Summer Scramble convo with Libra. Turns out naked posters aren't the only hilarious thing Freddy did for Chrom. LOL

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I love character analyses and this was a great one!

I must admit that I'm not a huge Frederick fan but you've managed to endear me to him a little more. I've also learned some new things about his past (perhaps time to replay Awakening?).

He definitely would be a good father, can you imagine the type of dresses he might make for his kids?!

 

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41 minutes ago, Res said:

I love character analyses and this was a great one!

I must admit that I'm not a huge Frederick fan but you've managed to endear me to him a little more. I've also learned some new things about his past (perhaps time to replay Awakening?).

He definitely would be a good father, can you imagine the type of dresses he might make for his kids?!

 

Thank you! :) I'm glad I could make someone like him a bit more!

Yeah, totally! In fact, I already have written him in fanfic stories to knit clothes for them, since he so would. He already offers to make his kid a jacket on one of his barracks conversations. This is a reason I think he's adorable. XD

Edited by Anacybele
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  • 8 months later...

I know I'm coming a little bit late here, but I just discovered your analysis and I wanted to thank you so much for your work. I'm a Frederick fan myself and it upsets me how much he is overlooked as a character, or often being straight up ignored. Your analysis really does him some justice! The guy totally has a complex side hidden behind his fierce and cool exterior, but most of the people see him as a comic relief character and focuses only on the memes (the Chrom poster and the pebbles, to name the most popular two) instead on giving him some credit. I'm glad to have found someone else who is willing to see not only his complexities but also his soft side which most of the times is just overlooked.

Anyhow! I agree with mostly all of your analysis, but I just wanted to share my two cents with a fellow Freddy fan like me, and to ear your opinion about it.
I kinda have the feeling that the whole obsession with serving others and making himself useful may come not only from the whole PTSD stuff, but also from a place of insecurity and low self esteem: it is mentioned in both Chrom when he has the mini break down due to feeling useless, and in Libra's where he can't help but getting worried of their masters coming to spite him because of his over doting nature, and after trying to stay away from them being moping aroung since he can't be of no use for Chrom or Lissa. Also, the way he is so quick to debase and sacrifice himself in order to be of some use for the others or for the cause he is fighin for also speaks volumes to me about his level of self esteem. Plus, I can't remember in which support this takes place, but I recall he straight up saying that he is just destined to be forgotten by the history books, and many other istances where he just minimize his role in Chrom's army (despite him being clearly a pivotal figure in organizing and keeping stuff togheter). Idk, these and a whole lot of other little things kinda feels to me like the kind of behaviour that a very insecure person may have: trying his hardest at all times to find a use for himself in the world, because otherwise there would be none.
Maybe I'm overlooking stuff, but I'm really curious to hear your opinion about it!

Edited by intojh
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5 hours ago, intojh said:

I know I'm coming a little bit late here, but I just discovered your analysis and I wanted to thank you so much for your work. I'm a Frederick fan myself and it upsets me how much he is overlooked as a character, or often being straight up ignored. Your analysis really does him some justice! The guy totally has a complex side hidden behind his fierce and cool exterior, but most of the people see him as a comic relief character and focuses only on the memes (the Chrom poster and the pebbles, to name the most popular two) instead on giving him some credit. I'm glad to have found someone else who is willing to see not only his complexities but also his soft side which most of the times is just overlooked.

Anyhow! I agree with mostly all of your analysis, but I just wanted to share my two cents with a fellow Freddy fan like me, and to ear your opinion about it.
I kinda have the feeling that the whole obsession with serving others and making himself useful may come not only from the whole PTSD stuff, but also from a place of insecurity and low self esteem: it is mentioned in both Chrom when he has the mini break down due to feeling useless, and in Libra's where he can't help but getting worried of their masters coming to spite him because of his over doting nature, and after trying to stay away from them being moping aroung since he can't be of no use for Chrom or Lissa. Also, the way he is so quick to debase and sacrifice himself in order to be of some use for the others or for the cause he is fighin for also speaks volumes to me about his level of self esteem. Plus, I can't remember in which support this takes place, but I recall he straight up saying that he is just destined to be forgotten by the history books, and many other istances where he just minimize his role in Chrom's army (despite him being clearly a pivotal figure in organizing and keeping stuff togheter). Idk, these and a whole lot of other little things kinda feels to me like the kind of behaviour that a very insecure person may have: trying his hardest at all times to find a use for himself in the world, because otherwise there would be none.
Maybe I'm overlooking stuff, but I'm really curious to hear your opinion about it!

Oh, thank you! I'm always glad to meet more Freddy fans. :) I feel like some people just don't take the time to see his supports and such because as I'd said, they brush him off for being a Jagen an dall.

Yeah, Frederick does seem to have low self-esteem at times, doesn't he? Poor guy, I wonder why. :(

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