An Anna-lysis of Fire Emblem's Favorite Merchant

[@4ncientGu150]

Anna's are the same sort of species as whatever a Nurse Joy is.

[@whitewolf3051]

Don't forget Officer Jenny as well.

[@glitchwarrior7270]

You forgot that 3H Anna mourns Jeralt. Like, *legitimately* mourns him without hustling people so she can sell them tissues or anything, as if he was an old friend.

[@alexisdipoalo9443]

Wait really? I've never used her in that route ironically 😅

[@glitchwarrior7270]

@@alexisdipoalo9443 What *route?* This happens in every route. You just have to interact with her during that time. I might be looking too far into this, but still...

[@cosmictraveler1146]

Ofc she’s long lived, we’ve never seen an older version of her….herded to hoping she becomes playable manakete

[@miiKOlapiz]

Interdimensional hivemind they communicate tellepatically between each other by pressing the index finger to their cheekbones

[@vinsonli302]

does that mean they can also spawn more Anna's into worlds that don't already have their own Anna too?

[@Caddance]

So Meteion from FFXIV but instead of wanting to find out about what people live for she’s trying to get their money

[@ykcamseyer]

Anna is not Anna if she doesn't hold her index finger up.

[@sarouschileuana1158]

My head cannon is that every time a new fire emblem universe is created, an Anna is spawned, by themselves, lonely, with a growing desire for something. It is then up to each Anna to make their way through their world to find it is what they seek. The final goal is to break the fourth wall, find their true calling, open up a portal and join the Anna sisterhood. Some Anna succeed whereas other Anna find purpose in their respective worlds and remain content. If they die in their world from any natural or unnatural causes, a new Anna appears and the cycle repeats. Fire emblem awakening has lots of Anna's as it's universe is the most unstable and very easy to portal into, hence why many successful Anna come across to sell their wares when the demand in their world goes down.

[@dostwood5103]

I love this theory lol

[@ultla321]

I cannot believe you didn't mention tokyo mirage sessions Anna. UNFORGIVABLE!!!

[@blankblank6214]

Agreed fellow man of culture

[@robertm5110]

Nah he’s fine haha

[@GenMars]

not a fire emblem

[@blankblank6214]

@GenMars it's fire emblem enough to get into heros

[@GenMars]

@@blankblank6214 in the gacha, sure, now lets see it's bond rings in engage, ops, wasn't there

[@GenMars]

my headcanon: anna comes from a bloodline of magedragons that created the dragongates/outrealmgates and only because the blood has thinned she doesn't have a dragon form

[@GenMars]

or she is some advanced automata like Accord (drakengard 3)

[@alexisdipoalo9443]

I mean, this isn't impossible from what we know about dragons.

[@toumabyakuya]

@@GenMars Or maybe Anna does have a Dragon form, she just doesn't have her Dragonstone with her and she wont use any stone you give her.

[@GenMars]

@@toumabyakuya lets not forget that there are MANY Annas, so thats a lot of lost dragon stones, which I wouldn't put it beyond Anna to sell it or forget it in the middle of her many gold coins

[@tirex3673]

@@alexisdipoalo9443It would also explain, why Fodlan!Anna has a crest unique to her.

[@prnce3713]

As a writer, I occasionally create a character that I can't resist putting into all of my works in some way... I bet that's the case with her. Anna is Intelligent Systems' favorite oc and that's why they try to toss her into every iteration they can, even when it doesn't make sense. Most writers don't canonize jokes like this in the final work or at least don't make them obvious, but I think it's far more fun when they do! I imagine they never bother asking themselves if Anna's inclusion makes sense, because if it doesn't make sense to us, it probably doesn't to them, either. From a crack theory/philosophical standpoint, maybe Anna is a lot like the player. We exist in great numbers across the span of multiple universes; multiple Marths, Robins, Alears, etc. all making different decisions and playing the game our own way. Maybe Annas are a mirror representation of the thousands of players who share the same "face" and walk similar paths, but are still individuals in their own right. This also works well with her fourth-wall breaking; she can choose to play along and immerse herself into the game but she can also acknowledge that she is not bound by the rules of it and step outside of those bounds to do whatever she wants (DLC, Heroes, Tutorial, etc)

[@Cash_Mambo]

6:50 Fun fact about Anna from 3H, after Jeralt dies if you speak to Anna she seems to have personally known Jeralt long before ever meeting Byleth.

[@dynaco4_homebase594]

My theory is that they are just a very big family and they were the ones that found dimensional travel and decided to use it as a way to make more money by sending goods across dimensions so they send a member and if there is money to be gained from unique wears set up shop

[@ivanzoneBR]

I always considered Anna, the Nurse Joy of Fire Emblem.

[@MrWahoo64]

I love the one who’s a merchant (Lady Anna’s my favorite cause she’s adorable

[@MercuryA2000]

I've only had Lady Anna for one game, but if anything happened to her you better hope you picked casual mode.

[@SeraSer4phic]

Brother, you forgot about the Tokyo Mirage Sessions Anna working in their version of Family Mart. Also the Shadow anna of the mirage world. XD

[@GenMars]

persona doesn't count

[@toumabyakuya]

@@GenMars Okay, we get it, you don't like TMS, care to leave those of us that do live in peace?

[@andresmarrero8666]

All Annas are an interdimensional gestalt that makes up the dragon goddess of commerce yet because commerce is dependent on individualism each dimensional Anna is fully independent. Hence they are all sisters for they are all dimensional counterparts of each other and collectively the same entity, and so they maintain an interdimensional merchant conglomerate.

[@sir_coma60]

I love Paralogue 90: Merchant's Harvest in Feh, just anna talking to anna abt making coin, then losing it all to anna. It is as unreadable as it sounds, thanks to the main anna unit being a duo of engage anna and awakening anna.

[@manaphy32184]

Great video! Love the Anna theories. FYI, Anna does not run Thracia’s secret shop, it’s a random man. She just suspends the game :)

[@NagapediaFE]

Thanks!

[@andykegs5584]

Anna true origin story: In the beginning there was but the void, then at an unknown time the universe began. The first creation was a woman with flaming hair, and she watched as the myriad of worlds were born and life and civilisations began. The flame haired woman watched this and saw one thing, Opportunity, the opportunity to become stinkin, filthy rich. However she knew she could not be in all places at once so split herself into many and created the outrealm gates and a world of her own where the many Anna’s could come together and boast over how much cash they had made. In doing so she became the keeper of the gates proffiting from each world use of them. And Lo the immortal being known as Anna spent her existence as the true original creation, helping heroes and making as much as she could. All praise Anna the one consistent truth of the Fire Emblem multiverse 🙏

[@darkadvent610]

1:52 This is just straight-up wrong. Anna exclusively appears in FE5's "Suspend Game" screen and nowhere else. The game's Secret Shop is run by the same man who runs every armory and vendor in the game.

[@Saiyan0X]

Have you heard of Marvel's "Interdimensional Council of Reeds"? An organization where different Reed Richards from different universes develop interdimensional portals and join forces to "solve everything"? What if the Annas are like that? What if they are a constant in every universe? What if they have a connection with the Dimensional Gates that allow them to activate them and then meet each other? And any new game is a new world that the Anna from that world activate the gate to meet all other Annas, and that is why in some games you meet other Annas?

[@browncow5210]

Know what would be hilarious? Have an FE game at some point in the future, and the Anna ends up time travelling back to the beginning of the series and having kids. Just have the existence of the entire Anna race be a time paradox where the latest Anna spawned the earliest Anna.

[@A350Airways]

And for some reason I believed Tellius' Anna to be a dragon laguz...

[@GoldLight73]

“Is that the one?”

[@cosmictraveler1146]

“Thanks a bunch!”

[@blankblank6214]

Well anna is just a multiversal construct also have you ever noticed how similar warriors annas outfit is to engage anna

[@dostwood5103]

Okay hear me out because I got some weird ass theory for anyone reading: All the Annas are a subspecies of humans that have dominant gene traits. However, they are trying to expand their gene pool. Whenever they reproduce with another person, their children will ALWAYS be female and have red but won’t look identical to their mother or anything. The red hair and eyes are the only dominant trait. Annas are incapable of giving birth to boys and only give birth to girls, not unlike the Asari from the Mass Effect series. You heard it here, folks. The Annas are actually secretly an alien species with an affinity for money so they can grow their everlasting empire of Annas.

[@BlakeTheDrake]

Gotta give the KZbin Algorithm props for randomly recommending me this rather random, yet informative video! I was just playing through Engage and wondering if that was the only game in which Anna appeared to be a radically different age...

[@chackle5002]

The fates ending in engage isn't the same one from fates because that anna doesn't have 6 fingers.

[@nathanmcclung3564]

Anna is quite literally the Nurse joy/officer jenny of the fire emblem world.

[@pedrodomingos3438]

My personal sort of crack theory is connected to the "Tellius as first game in the timeline" theories, where the Annas would have been created by Ashunera to watch over the many worlds and what comes out of them. Heroes has probably actively denied this through Edward's Forging Bonds showing he met an Anna back in RD, but oh well. I still like it in its non canonicity

[@Something_Maybe]

The Annas mitosis to create more Annas

[@mauricesteel4995]

"Annas reproduce by mitosis, once they accumulate enough wealth, Anna will split, which then will repeat the process, the reason the Anna in Engage is so small its because she is a recent split. Which also means she is flat out broke.

[@flameingdaethfearies]

2:50 this mans just sailed into the ocean and never returned ☠️

[@Galeshades]

Great minds think alike!

[@aliastheabnormal]

Yet she still can't find the universe made of money.

[@catriamflockentanz]

Anna is a good tutorial in Radiant Dawn. She guided me and my little brother (who wanted the game for birthday because Smash) as total Newcomers well. And more games should take RD's Tutorial approach. No new mechanic is introduced for quite some time? Then I won't be around for quite a while. Also something worth mentioning is her dialogue concerning your concurrent commanding officer. She acts as if Ike is a coward, Micaiah arrogant and selfish etc. Actually a good part of added humor for repeat playthroughs.

[@seangood111]

ana is the true final villian of fire emblem shes been watching us the whole time on all of our adventure shes the true master of both the fell and divine dragons

[@seangood111]

shes the original being that started the fire emblem world and we are all just pawns in it

[@luthierisbestboy8177]

My favorite version of Anna is Valentian Anna 😊

[@beththomas6111]

This might have already been mentioned in the comments, so apologies for any repeats, but I like in the Engage dlc in the Veronica battle, if you have Anna attack her, Veronica will recognise her and comment on it

[@TheGamersState]

If I had to guess; I'd say the Anna's we see at the end of Fire Emblem Engage aren't literally the ones from their original games but rather is just a neat little reference they decided to include.

[@shaginus]

Well to easy answer Anna is just there because "Maybe we should have our own Nurse Joy" They will never get explain to deep because the devs never think about it at all to be a bit serious I say that is how multiverse works a some kind of rules where every world will always got one Anna and this phenomenal is so bizarre one of Multiverse Traveling Anna have to write a manuscripts for many Anna across Multiverse

[@Kracarod]

One headcanon i have is tha little anna from engage is the younger sister of awakening anna and both are daughters of fates anna, another headcanon i have is that engage anna grows into aphoteosis anna

[@Marlin-]

Truly an Annanomaly.

[@SolracDude]

I always just assumed that the awakening Anna’s (descendants of the original Anna) discovered the outrealm gates, simply traveled to other worlds for sake of more profits. This would also be why they don’t appear in Valentia, as that game took place during original Anna’s life and in the same world, so nobody would/could travel there. As for the crest of Ernest, yeah I got nothing

[@FantasmagoríaSubjetiva]

The answer you are looking for is that Ana is the fire emblem

[@WonderOfU70]

If you have a child with her in awakening Morgan couldve been Morganna but Robin had it cut short xD. It could be nice to see Morgan or Kana that have mother's who are Anna make an appearance and have them the personality of Anna. Anna is the best, her best is in Engage

[@luxarcanae]

Ok, you have to look into the meaning of crests. They can be matched with Tarot cards. And once you see that you can't unsee the recontextualization of every character and characterarcs in 3houses. Annas crest of Ernest would be the Fool aka the most powerful card, because it can be anything. The way Anna works in most games is as a filler unit you can use as almost anything, especially in 3h. I also believe in Annas beeing the most powerful beeings.

[@CatsLilaSalem]

My first game was GBA and there she also appears when suspending, in games that do that it is likely you see her in the menu before the shop, or just miss the shop everytime and finding later out about it. I did start with FE7 and i think i saw an secret shop in FE8 for the first time even 😅

[@not_joshua_f8050]

also fates anna has 6 fingers

[@cardboardtubeknight]

Let Anna into Smash Bros!

[@richardolson3956]

Gods can do the minor. In ST:DS9 we see Commander Sisko go to an Asylum run by the Bajoran Gods to recover from Wolf 359. In the books Vaugen goes to the same asylum.

[@MildlyAggressiveOni]

I kind of hope Jake reappears in the franchise someday. It really feels like Anna's personality has been boiled down to "somewhat shady merchant with an uncountable number of identical siblings," which I have nothing wrong with, but got stale rather quickly. Maybe they could reintroduce him as a member of the Askr army who has trained under Commander Anna in Heroes or something, if not have him reappear in a mainline title.

[@CasualFehPlayer-rf6sl]

One of the series most quirky and loveable characters ever easily one of my favourites with her signature pose.🥰 Karen Strassmen IS Anna at this point she just does such a good job the voice, I was a little annoyed that she didn’t voice her in engage but I understand they were going for a younger voice. I’m just not a big fan of Monica Rial anymore. I hope if the first Anna gets some more gameplay and screen time because between Awakening and Engage it felt like they didn’t do too much with her.

[@luqdude]

I wasn't expecting a theory on Anna of all characters, but I completely forgot about her having a crest seeing as I never used her in combat. The realistic theory is just the devs enjoy adding her as a nod to the previous games, but I really like the idea that Anna is the goddess of capitalism.

[@usvidragonslayer3091]

Cool

[@spookyahu]

Anna could be something like, something every world just gets? The Anna's are clearly aware of this, and Fates anna says that younger Anna's are taught stories of older/past Anna's. So as more/new worlds are born, they get a Anna. Maybe the "avatar" theory could be more like, a God creates another Anna to watch over a world and support the right side/ MC Lord from preventing the world from completely being destroyed by selling them stuff? The reason Fe2/SoV dont have Anna is because she isnt needed/required to watch over and sell that nation their nation saving DLC weapons yet ??? (also there was clearly some Huge improvement to Alm's nation since it becomes a threat to Chrom's party, so maybe somewhere in that History did some Anna stop by?)

[@aliastheabnormal]

My guess is that Anna is like Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny. They all look the same and have the same job and you shouldn't think too hard about it.

[@andresmarrero8666]

​@@aliastheabnormal and they are all part of the same family, sisters upon sisters, cousins upon cousins.

[@joenutjoe]

This video is too formal. You should've addressed her by her more casual nickname, Lady Anna.

[@tenderquirkydragon8643]

Who's Anna? Anna is Anna :p

[@BlueMageWithSoulEdge]

It is good to have discussions because it leads to deep thought and possible new understanding and appreciation of the works, but there are times when the discussion is kinda bunk. Your theory is okay, but the problem with it is that you have to ignore large chunks of the games you used, and twist around the little information given. There are very few things that are introduced to us about the mythos and world of F.E. [yes, world because the main line is connected.] and the few new details we get shouldn't be tossed away to fit convenance. Anna stated at least in two main games and one side game that they are all sisters. There is no twisting that-- there is no "sisterhood". Sisterhoods don't have family gatherings. They are sisters that's just it. I.S. has gave us an explanation twice. In Awakening, as you pointed out, there's an Anna (or Annas) overseeing the Dragon-gate. The Dragon-gate can take you to different worlds, or (as displayed in Fates which explains the tutorials of the Radiance games) different parts of time. This also explains Anna "secret shops". Her shops are most likely entrances to or around Dragon-gates, perhaps Anna (the original) lived in one of the "Otherworlds" and would come to FE main line to sell wares. From there she meet and fell in love with Jake, he followed her there to the Otherworld and they had children. And if she is the over seer of the Dragon-gate (as the game implies), then her children will also take up that mantle when the time comes. That's only for the oldest. As the games state Anna had a lot of children. This is given to us at least three or four times; you can't just ignore this and makeup something. The thing you can be on to something is the Crest. Is Anna a goddess? No. Could she be a Dragon? If I.S. deems so in the future and 3Houses Anna set it up for just that. The Crest system isn't new to Main line FE. That in of itself is a broader look from T776, and that is a reuse of Gaiden, which is an explanation of Marth's uniqueness in FE1. 3Houses tells us that the Crests are from those who've taken Dragon's blood and/or physical features [bones and marrow] onto or within themselves. By doing so they are granted abilities beyond human, one of which is an extra-long life span. That is interesting because it is directly linking Anna with Dragons which explains why she and her sisters can use the Dragon-gate. About Ernest, there is evidence that we have possibly meet him but didn't know it. You are forgetting about another detail about both 3houses and a game before it [Fates]-- In 3houses there was a ritual Reha did that the game treated as bad, but never expounded on why. They reacted as it being a bad thing even though Reha was doing it to herself and only herself. Well, those who played Fates know why because her ritual was a broaden view of the Dragons' "first sin". Before you wave it away, remember that 3houses main lit. device and system is nothing but a broaden view of a narrative device first used to explain Marth all the way back in Gaiden. We are told that it broke some rule/law, and whomever the Dragons work for considers that a big no-no. There were three dragons in Fate: Akanos, a referenced Grima, and an unnamed dragon that only went by a title-- the "Rainbow Sage". Ernest maybe the Rainbow Sage or is hinted to be the Rainbow Sage. Finally, you are aware that Engage isn't a main line game. It is just a celebration of the series. The ring warriors are explained in awakening-- they are the enjihars Old Hubby tells you about. In the "5 Anna Panic" that you reference, there is a "little Anna" that is lost and chased as well. I.S. is hinting that "little Anna" is from that mission and that what was happening to her during the time of that mission and after. That's a plot point that transcended to a whole other game 12 or so years later. If I.S. didn't mean for us to take them literally and see them as a sorority, then that reference (which directly leads to familial bonds) wouldn't be there. To warp up, discussion is good and all but when you ignore what is given and start twisting around things, that is usually a sign of reconsideration is needed. The substance is your questioning of Anna, and her Crest is indeed a thing within FE.

[@youngecujoh855]

Hardly a mascot

[@HeyImWilla]

I like 3H Anna best. It's kinda unfair that she's locked behind dlc and (this is my opinion) her hair isn't red... but she's an outstanding unit (for me at least) and this me probably being biased but my favorite game is 3H game and that's helped her become my favorite. Also, in Engage I HATE how she's a child that ruined it for me

[@HeyImWilla]

Also... CONGRATS ON 1K YAYYYYYYY!!! I hope you continue to grow as my favorite fe youtuber ❤️

[@waddledottz]

Lol this is the dumbest opinion

[@NagapediaFE]

Thanks so much! Couldn’t have done it without you and all 999 others! 🙌

[@adriahrin3284]

as someone who also loves three houses, how is three houses anna your favourite when it's the playable anna with the least amount of text and characterization?

[@HeyImWilla]

@adrianrin3284 honestly I value gameplay over dialogue. If that doesn't convince you, i just have that feeling where she's my favorite but I give a crappy argument lol. I'm pretty sure you know that feeling it's one of those "that persons my favorite why? Because they are"