Nintendo’s Japanese Fortune’s Weave Twitter account has been dropping character bios ahead of the game’s release, and one of the latest reveals has fans talking. The isekai’d Juggalo named Jester has a bio that reads like a romance pitch straight out of a horror movie.
“opponents whose faces contort in terror”
That line alone is enough to make most players run the other way. But not everyone is running.
Jester’s Bio
Jester wields a sword and has an ability that lets him deal increased damage after a dodge. His bio also mentions that he likes opponents whose faces contort in terror. That’s the kind of detail that normally sends a player in the opposite direction.
Fire Emblem has a long history of letting players build bonds between characters through support conversations. Reach a high enough support rank and you unlock an S-rank cutscene, sometimes platonic, sometimes romantic. Jester, with his terrifying charm, fits that pattern.
Playing Against Type
The writer admits this is a departure from their usual taste. They describe themselves as a fan of “good, wholesome boys.” Way back in Fire Emblem Fates, they had a family with the sweet and loyal Jakob. In Three Houses, they ignored the war criminal Edelgard and the edgelord Dimitri for the relatively sunnier Claude.
But Jester speaks to a different part of them. Not the part that thinks, “I can fix him,” but a smaller one whispering, “We can be worse together.”
A Cast With Color
Beyond Jester, there is plenty of reason to pay attention to Fortune’s Weave’s roster. The game features a cast with a far greater variety of characters of color than typical AAA titles tend to offer. Those games often include only a token or two for players to latch onto. Fortune’s Weave changes that.
For the first time in their video gaming life, there are so many cool-ass women of color that they are spoiled for choice.
Seteth Returns
Seteth, who appeared in Three Houses, is back. Fans are still debating whether Fortune’s Weave is a prequel or a sequel to Three Houses, and Seteth’s presence doesn’t really settle the question. But the writer is excited to hear what he has to say, and what clues he can reveal about where the game sits in the Fire Emblem timeline.
There is also Diego, Bertrand, and Talimun, each with their own distinct bios and abilities. The Japanese Fortune’s Weave Twitter account has posted individual bios for each of these characters, and the writer follows along with each reveal.
The writer’s final question is open-ended. If Jester somehow rubs them the wrong way, Seteth might replace him. Or Diego. Or Bertrand. Or Talimun.
What It Means
The writer’s position is honest and oddly compelling. They are playing against their own video game type, and the reason why is not some grand strategy argument. It is the character himself, with his sword and his terror-inducing presence, that draws them in.
The fact that this is even a question says something about the design of Fortune’s Weave. A game that offers a Jester as a potential love interest is doing something different from the norm.
The writer’s closing thought is that Jester just speaks to them. Not the part that thinks they can fix him, but a smaller part that whispers, “We can be worse together.” That is the kind of character design that turns a joke into a real choice.
Fortune’s Weave releases soon, and the question of whether Jester will actually be romanceable remains open. The writer has made their case. Now the game has to deliver.
See the video the story is built around at Kotaku.
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