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Possible Lore Explanation for Nowi's Outfit?


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Okay okay before I go on, I know the actual reason for Nowi being dressed up like that is because loil bait of course, and do I feel that people have every right to feel disturbed by a seemingly little girl running around in fetish/bondage/whatever that was supposed to be clothing; heck, Nowi's one of the characters (next to Camilla) who gets her outfit redrawn the most - again, kinda understandably.

But awhile ago I got reminded of a part of Nowi's backstory that may give an in-game explanation to her outfit.

Nowi was captured by humans and made into a slave.

It was said that she transformed for them as an "entertainer", which would play into the idea that they gave her that outfit to wear as either a freakshow sort of thing, or perhaps, there was more "entertaining" going on with her many slave owners than just with the transforming.

I mean...

https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/fireemblem/images/4/4e/Nowi_stomach_concept_art.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/185?cb=20160503225632

Look at that outfit.

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That's literally what I assumed as well. Nowi's reason for dressing like that could very well be because she was raised in an environment where those kinds of outfits are normal. So to her, the revealing clothes is normal.

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I'm not sure "Abusive assholes/creepy pedophiles dressed me like this, so I'm going to keep dressing like this!" is exactly the best explanation.

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Its certainly possible that Nowi was put into that outfit by the slavers but that brings up the question why she didn't change outfits the moment the was safe and sound with the Shepherds. 

Another possibility is that she's from Plegia and just has really, really big problems with the heat. 

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Do we know how long Nowi was with the slave traders? Maybe she's just gotten used to the costume by that point. Or they were low on war funds to get her proper clothes.

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10 minutes ago, VincentASM said:

Do we know how long Nowi was with the slave traders? Maybe she's just gotten used to the costume by that point. Or they were low on war funds to get her proper clothes.

When you get used to those kinds of outfits, the other outfits that actually covers you feels more uncomfortable.

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52 minutes ago, Slumber said:

I'm not sure "Abusive assholes/creepy pedophiles dressed me like this, so I'm going to keep dressing like this!" is exactly the best explanation.

Well I mean, she might not have known the implications of the outfit, per say - while she seems fairly knowledgeable and mature, some of the nuances of human culture seem to fly over her head sometimes.

50 minutes ago, Etrurian emperor said:

Its certainly possible that Nowi was put into that outfit by the slavers but that brings up the question why she didn't change outfits the moment the was safe and sound with the Shepherds. 

Another possibility is that she's from Plegia and just has really, really big problems with the heat. 

Actually Nowi said in Tharja's support that she's "from the West", and, I don't know WHERE this was mentioned, but that she was "raised in a hidden village with other dragons" for the majority of her life, and that she got captured by humans (somewhat) recently when she noticed the movements of the Grimleal - so while she's not from Plegia, I don't think she'd have the mind to change her clothes since dragons in FE never seemed too particularly attached to what they wear.

EDIT: Other than the stuff of her not being from Plegia, I have no idea what I'm talking about

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2 minutes ago, Soleater said:

Actually Nowi said in Tharja's support that she's "from the West", and, I don't know WHERE this was mentioned, but that she was "raised in a hidden village with other dragons" for the majority of her life, and that she got captured by humans (somewhat) recently when she noticed the movements of the Grimleal - so while she's not from Plegia, I don't think she'd have the mind to change her clothes since dragons in FE never seemed too particularly attached to what they wear.

First off, it was Donnel's support. Second, she didn't say west. She said "left", which Donnel assumes west. Also, she explains she was kidnapped shortly after she was born.

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2 minutes ago, omegaxis1 said:

First off, it was Donnel's support. Second, she didn't say west. She said "left", which Donnel assumes west. Also, she explains she was kidnapped shortly after she was born.

Oh yeah, you're right - for some reason I remember her saying that she said that in Tharja's support?  And after rereading some stuff, I guess it's likely she never knew any other Manaketes?  (Especially her support with Henry when he makes the illusion)

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10 minutes ago, Soleater said:

Oh yeah, you're right - for some reason I remember her saying that she said that in Tharja's support?  And after rereading some stuff, I guess it's likely she never knew any other Manaketes?  (Especially her support with Henry when he makes the illusion)

In that case, her outfit may be all she's ever known. . .and it makes her support with Tharja all the more tragic.

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1 minute ago, eclipse said:

In that case, her outfit may be all she's ever known. . .and it makes her support with Tharja all the more tragic.

If she was kidnapped not long after her birth, and her parents are no dead, yeah, she never knew them. 

Also, I feel the "entertainment" part of her being a slave is basically underlying more dark themes.

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1 minute ago, omegaxis1 said:

If she was kidnapped not long after her birth, and her parents are no dead, yeah, she never knew them. 

Also, I feel the "entertainment" part of her being a slave is basically underlying more dark themes.

Tharja's support heavily implies that they're dead.

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8 minutes ago, eclipse said:

In that case, her outfit may be all she's ever known. . .and it makes her support with Tharja all the more tragic.

Honestly it really does?  Not to mention even the most motherly and protective people in the army aren't likely to say anything about her outfit seeing as she gets really defensive about how young she looks, and with people like, well, Tharja in there, they might assume it was her choice to put on the outfit, rather than the likely scenario of her not understanding the implications and getting used to it.

It makes me wonder though if Gregor took pity on her not just because she looked like a child about to be sacrificed to the Grimleal (and generally just in trouble), but because he might have understood what the outfit meant...?  (He DID say to Chrom he killed his previous employers...)

Also can I just bring up Nowi's crown real quick?  Wasn't that something similar to what Tiki, essentially a Divine Dragon Princess, had?  Either Nowi parents were up there, or the slavers knew what she was and were mocking her linage...(or again, freakshow thing, showing it off)

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14 minutes ago, Soleater said:

Honestly it really does?  Not to mention even the most motherly and protective people in the army aren't likely to say anything about her outfit seeing as she gets really defensive about how young she looks, and with people like, well, Tharja in there, they might assume it was her choice to put on the outfit, rather than the likely scenario of her not understanding the implications and getting used to it.

It makes me wonder though if Gregor took pity on her not just because she looked like a child about to be sacrificed to the Grimleal (and generally just in trouble), but because he might have understood what the outfit meant...?  (He DID say to Chrom he killed his previous employers...)

Also can I just bring up Nowi's crown real quick?  Wasn't that something similar to what Tiki, essentially a Divine Dragon Princess, had?  Either Nowi parents were up there, or the slavers knew what she was and were mocking her linage...(or again, freakshow thing, showing it off)

. . .or maybe they thought she looked cool with it?  Tiki had one, and Xane had hair accessories.  Perhaps it's a manakete thing.

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2 minutes ago, eclipse said:

. . .or maybe they thought she looked cool with it?  Tiki had one, and Xane had hair accessories.  Perhaps it's a manakete thing.

That's true too - I guess I'm just really into the headcanon that she's secretly Divine Dragon royalty, but because her parents were killed, she doesn't know about it...

It'd be super cute though if it was just a Manakete thing - hair accessories for everyone!

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8 minutes ago, Soleater said:

That's true too - I guess I'm just really into the headcanon that she's secretly Divine Dragon royalty, but because her parents were killed, she doesn't know about it...

It'd be super cute though if it was just a Manakete thing - hair accessories for everyone!

With the timeline, it's confirmed that Tiki is the last royal Divine Dragon left. Meaning that Nowi is of a lower branch.

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Nowi is a thousand years old, if she had escaped her slavers then she would change into something better and more ... idk... comfortable? Like a robe so she could also hide her pointy dragon ears.

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17 minutes ago, Ae†her said:

Nowi is a thousand years old, if she had escaped her slavers then she would change into something better and more ... idk... comfortable? Like a robe so she could also hide her pointy dragon ears.

We aren't fully privy to her backstory. Also, depending on how long she's used to wearing the revealing clothing, the larger clothing would be the less comfortable ones.

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9 minutes ago, omegaxis1 said:

We aren't fully privy to her backstory. Also, depending on how long she's used to wearing the revealing clothing, the larger clothing would be the less comfortable ones.

its kinda like how when someone wears covering clothing for a long time, they feel uncormfortable with revealing outfits. so it makes sense it would be vice versa for nowi if she was with them for so long. (it might even explain her halloween costume from heroes if that was the case.)

Tho I question why they would give relatively nice looking clothes if they mostly just had her transform into a dragon for their amusement.

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32 minutes ago, Thany said:

its kinda like how when someone wears covering clothing for a long time, they feel uncormfortable with revealing outfits. so it makes sense it would be vice versa for nowi if she was with them for so long. (it might even explain her halloween costume from heroes if that was the case.)

Tho I question why they would give relatively nice looking clothes if they mostly just had her transform into a dragon for their amusement.

...Who said that's all they wanted her for?

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Sex trafficking is the implication. Awakening failing to address it in Nowi's romantic supports just reflects how immature Fire Emblem still is. A girl like Nowi would not be able to imagine what a healthy relationship is like after that kind of experience. Her acting like an ignorant kid could have been a defense mechanism so that she can deny what's happened to her and encourage people not to ask. But nope, her acting and dressing like a child is just a weird quirk like any other repeated character gimmick. 

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1 hour ago, omegaxis1 said:

We aren't fully privy to her backstory. Also, depending on how long she's used to wearing the revealing clothing, the larger clothing would be the less comfortable ones.

That's pure speculations, and I don't know what your reasoning is behind that, but I don't see how loose clothing could be any less comfortable than what she is wearing currently, being that her current clothing is as tight as it looks.

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17 minutes ago, Ae†her said:

That's pure speculations, and I don't know what your reasoning is behind that, but I don't see how loose clothing could be any less comfortable than what she is wearing currently, being that her current clothing is as tight as it looks.

From personal experience. If you are used to wearing a certain type of outfit for a long time, wearing something that's different is VERY uncomfortable. Loose fitting outfits that cover more might SEEM like it should be more comfortable, but if Nowi isn't used to wearing those kinds of clothes, then she won't wear them.

Also, this entire thread is on the speculation on what Nowi's gone through and why she dresses like that. So I don't get why calling this speculation is any justification on your argument.

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43 minutes ago, Glennstavos said:

Sex trafficking is the implication. Awakening failing to address it in Nowi's romantic supports just reflects how immature Fire Emblem still is. A girl like Nowi would not be able to imagine what a healthy relationship is like after that kind of experience. Her acting like an ignorant kid could have been a defense mechanism so that she can deny what's happened to her and encourage people not to ask. But nope, her acting and dressing like a child is just a weird quirk like any other repeated character gimmick. 

Have you read Nowi's supports in-depth?

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