Karel

Saint of Swords
Karel
Species	Human
Class	Swordmaster
Hair color	Brown
Eye color	Yellow
Age	40's (as of FE6)
Relatives	Karla (sister) Bartre (brother-in-law) Fir (niece)
Debut	Fire Emblem: Fuuin no Tsurugi

Karel is a playable unit in both Fire Emblem and Fire Emblem: Fuuin no Tsurugi. Originally he was vicious and traveled in search of skilled fighters to kill for his own pleasure. But later in his life he repented, becoming the Saint of Swords instead of the Sword Demon.

Background

Karel was born in the Sacae Plains. He and his sister Karla were apparently close during their youth, but Karel could not recall this as time went by. In his family, the sword was everything and central to their lives, to the point where they were blinded from their own human nature. In order to wield the family's sword, he eventually killed both his parents and his brother. But he spared Karla, because he didn't see her as a threat. He was consumed by bloodlust and aimlessly wandered throughout Elibe in search of many powerful fighters. One by one he slew them all to fulfill his sword's appetite. Legends were told of him, and he was called Karel the Sword Demon.

In Fire Emblem, he found his way to the compound of the Black Fang in order to battle the powerful fighters there during Eliwood's attack on the same fortress in "Pale Flower of Darkness" (Eliwood Chapter 25, Hector Chapter 27). However, he only appears in the chapter if four or more doors are unlocked (in the Jerme version of the chapter) or if three or more promoted enemies are defeated (in Kenneth's version) by the tenth turn (otherwise, Harken appears instead). Karel stayed with Eliwood's group for the remainder of his journey.

Karel briefly visited Karla after she fell sick, and met her husband Bartre for the first time (even though they had fought in the same army in Fire Emblem). He left without saying a word. Sometime afterwards, Karel underwent an epiphany and reinvented himself. He repented his previous self and became the Saint of Swords. It is unknown exactly what caused this epiphany, although hints of possible reformation could be found in most of Karel's A-Rank Support conversations from Fire Emblem. In order to put his life of warfare behind him and hone his sword skills in peace, he retired to a small village near the Dragon Temple in Bern. At one point he also met his niece Fir.

In Fuuin no Tsurugi, Karel appeared in "Chapter 23: The Ghost of Bern". Battle broke out near the village, and Karel reluctantly wielded his sword again to defend the village. If Bartre, Fir or Roy visited the village, Karel would agree to join up with Roy's army. He also learned that Karla had succumbed to her illness and became sad that he was not there for her when she needed him the most. Karel was only around for the last few battles of Roy's army. After the was ended, Karen retired to a small village in Bern mountains (presumably the same village he was residing in before), once more intent on living in peace. Many young swordfighters came in search of direction. Karel refused to train them directly, but the swordfighters said they were able to find their paths simply by training at his side.

Support Conversation Summaries

Fire Emblem

Karel is capable of having Support conversations with five other characters.

• Dart- Karel confronts Dart and seeing that he is a sailor, asks him who he thinks is the strongest fighter in Elibe and gives him some money in exchange. Dart begins naming powerful fighters he heard about in port towns recently, but Karel constantly corrects him by telling him that they are already dead. In the second conversation, Dart returns to name more fighters he remembered in order to earn the money Karel had given him. Dart tells Karel about a sword princess (Karla) and a fourth Wyvern General of Bern (possibly Vaida), and Karel actually finds this information interesting. Dart then asks Karel if he heard about the pirate king's treasure, and Karel replies with a simple no. In the final conversation, Dart talks about another fighter he heard about, the legendary sword demon Karel, and begins talking about his ruthlessness. Karel then tells Dart that he is the very same Karel he speaks of. Dart then asks Karel if he has the thousand swords from the men he had slain, at which point Karel humorously realizes the rumors about him must embellished the truth.
• Geitz- In the first conversation, Geitz approaches Karel, having been assigned to fight alongside him, but Karel insults his ability and tells him to stay out of his way. In the second conversation, Karel asks Geitz to show him his style so they can fight, but Karel is not impressed and leaves Geitz. In the final conversation, Geitz makes Karel admit that he had been following Geitz, and Geitz notes that Karel was giving him the goosebumps. Karel tells Geitz that he is making progress and his sword arm is getting stronger. Geitz is confused and asks Karel if he's trying to ambush him, but Karel's reply is a simple "Pfah".
• Guy- In the first conversation, Guy recognizes Karel as the Sword Demon and asks Karel to train him in the way of the sword. Karel simply tells Guy to be grateful for his inexperience, because if Guy was stronger, Karel would cut him down automatically. In the second conversation, Guy finally convinces Karel to train him by saying that he will be his opponent and battle Karel in one year's time. In the third Support conversation, Karel abruptly ends Guy's training, telling that if he got any stronger, Karel would kill him immediately and that he was already struggling to hold himself back from attacking Guy. Karel asks Guy to leave and not to challenge him in a year, but Guy stands his original promise, telling him that he will grow stronger and defeat Karel in one year's time.
• Karla- Karla is finally reunited with Karel and tells him how she had searched for him. Karel then tells her how he had killed their family, and because Karla's swordsmanship had improved, he becomes urged to kill her as well. He tells Karla that in the end only her or she would remain to wield the sword, to Karla's dismay. In the second conversation, Karel approaches Karla in order to engage her in a duel. But instead of fighting, Karla tries to remind him of the closeness they shared as children. Karel claims he does not remember. Karla says she hated the sword, but only learned how to use it because it was the only way she could get closer to Karel. Karel remains silent, and Karla says that he seems distracted so they will meet at another time for their duel. In the final conversation, Karel again confronts Karel to initiate a duel. Karla will not fight him and tells him to do what he wishes, saying she will die without regrets. But Karel then remembers the past and realizes it was he, not Karel, who changed. Karel tells Karla to go where she will, and he will not fight her, although he still seems intent on killing others. Karla says that she won't stop you, but he won't resist the destiny of their blood for long, so she will wait on the scarlet plain for her brother to come home.
• Lucius- Karel talks about blood and foresees blood falling like rain, although Lucius says that's what they're trying to prevent. Karel tells Lucius that his hands are stained with blood too and the more he saw his own impurity, the closer he would be to Karel, and Karel would not have to kill him. Karel later asks Lucius if he is disgusted and wants to give up his faith, but Lucius says that his beliefs give strength to his will. Karel tells Lucius that because he lives by the sword, he cannot live without the taste of blood. He calls Lucius weak and says he does not want his blood. In the final Support conversation, Karel tells Lucius that he is comfortable around the monk simply because he is weak, and Karel is not urged to kill him. Lucius then convinces Karel to rest.

Fuuin no Tsurugi

Karel is capable of having Support conversations with five other characters.

• 

  Karel in Fuuin no Tsurugi
  Bartre- Bartre apologizes for not being able to save Karla, but Karel admits his sister's health was always in bad condition, and he was glad she lasted as long as she did. He is concerned that Fir lost her mother at such a young age, and when Bartre says Fir traveled around the continent training to be a great swordmaster, Karel seemed interested. In the second conversation, Bartre reminisces about his first meeting with Karla, and Karel tells him about the culture of his family and their obsession with the sword. Bartre mentions her smiling at him during one of their early encounters, and Karel said Karla rarely smiled so she must have really liked him. Then in the third conversation, they talk about Karla's time she spent bedridden prior to her death and Karel's brief visit. Bartre told Karel he had reminded her of Karla when he first met her - dangerous yet forbidding. Karel thinks Bartre thought of him as a terrible brother after their first meeting, but Bartre says it was not so because in her last days, Karla spoke of her childhood with Karel over and over again with a smile on her face.
• Fir- In the first conversation, Fir greets her uncle and asks him to train her. She begins ranting about Karel's power and calls hi the strongest member of the army, but Karel stops her, saying that it is pointless to marvel over one's power and that is not the power he seeks. In the second conversation, Fir asks Karel how she could learn the way of the sword and become powerful like him. But Karel says the way of the sword cannot be taught, the sword is just a weapon for killing, and that true strength is not the power of a weapon (for his sword never gained power during his years of battle), but the power within. In the final conversation, Fir asks Karel how she could find this power. Karel tells Fir she had always followed her mother, and after she died she tried to follow him, but Fir was neither of them and had to become her own person. He said it cannot be taught, but Fir must discover it for herself. Fir eagerly agrees with this and thanks Karel.
• Noah- In the first conversation, Noah ponders about this mysterious area of Bern that he had never been to. Karel begins talking with Noah and says he once traveled around a lot when he lived by the way of the sword, and when Noah asks he said he had been to Ilia once. In the second conversation, Noah asks Karel about the Saint of Swords, but Karel claims nit to have heard of him. Noah tells him of a time that the Saint of Swords saved his village from bandits, but Karel tells Noah he is wrong. In the final conversation, Karel admits he is the Saint of Swords. He tells Noah that he did not intend to protect his village, but only to kill. He says he is not worthy of being called Saint of Swords and Noah has no reason to thank him. Noah is amazed at the change that had gone on in Karel. Karel tells him cryptically that some things are not realized until you lose something else, and by the time his foolishness left him, it was already too late.
• Rutgar- In the first conversation, Rutgar talks with Karel and seems honored by the Saint of Sword's presence. But Karel believes that his skills have grown rusty, so the younger generation could probably surpass him. In the second conversation, Karel asks Rutgar to spar with him, but Rutgar refuses because Karel is not using his sword to kill and thus is not agreeing with Rutgar's path. But Karel tells Rutgar that all paths of the sword lead to one place. In the final conversation, Rutgar admires Karel's might and asks how he can blend in with the air like Karel does. Karel tells Rutgar it is because he is born in the Sacae and he has his Father the Sky and his Mother the Earth in the Sacae. Rutgar admits he isn't a pure Sacaen, but Karel says that he should have sensed the sky and earth once, and probably could again when the war was over. He assures Rutgar that the wind blowing through the plains doesn't forget the one it loves.
• Zeiss- In the first conversation, Zeiss recognizes Karel as the Sword Saint and mentions how he fought Bern soldiers at one point. Karel tells him the names of countries are useless to him, and he only lives for his family. Zeiss wishes he could think the same with Bern's recent defeat. In the second conversation, Zeiss talks about how he had battled his own brother, Gale, and apologizes for boring Karel. However, Karel tells him that a life story can never be boring. In the third conversation, Zeiss admits he told Karel the story because he was seeking guidance. Karel says he has no advice, and Zeiss must pick his own path. Zeiss realizes he already had picked his path and was only seeking confirmation that he was taking the right path. He decides he won't regret his decision to betray his country.

Other Appearances

Video Games

• In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, he appears as an Advanced-rank Support Spirit (using his appearance from Fire Emblem), with the effect of strengthening weapon attacks. When fought in a Spirit battle, Karel's Spirit would possess Chrom in a battle with enhanced attack power.

Trivia

• The character of Karel was originally conceived for the planned Fire Emblem game for the Nintendo 64, Fire Emblem: Anokoku no Miko. After that plan was canceled, and some of the ideas were salvaged for Fuuin no Tsurugi, Karel is the only character who was carried over to the new game.