When Pokemon GO first rolled out, fans began waging turf wars at gyms over which of the app’s factions was the best. Fans choosing between Mystic, Valor, or Instinct was enough to spark feuds between even the closest of friends. And, when Niantic revealed art depicting the faction leaders, Pokemon GO‘s fandom went wild with fanart and fanfiction. But, amongst the chaos, a group of fans did notice the art looked familiar to some they’d seen in another game franchise, Fire Emblem.
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Well, those fans were definitely on to something. As it turns out, the artwork done for Pokemon GO‘s team leaders was created by Yลซsuke Kozaki. The veteran manga artist has done work on character designs for years now, and his most notable work can be seen in projects like No More Heroes, Puzzles & Dragons, Tekken 7, and Ace Combat. However, Kozaki’s most recognized work is found in Fire Emblem Awakening and Fire Emblem Fates. So, if Candela, Blanche, or Spark look similar to any fan-favorite characters from Fire Emblem, there’s a perfectly good reason as to why.
Kozaki also did the artwork for Pokemon GO‘s Professor Willow. As many fans reacted positively to the professor with some even developing massive crushes on the fictional character, it’s safe to say Kozaki did a great with his concept.
Currently, Fire Emblem Fates stands as the most recent game of the franchise. Debuting back in 1990, Fire Emblem has become one of Nintendo’s biggest tactical RPGs with over 15 games. The franchise’s historical/fantasy genre has thrilled fans for over a decade now, and characters from the franchise such as Marth and Roy has appeared in other games like Super Smash Bros. Melee.
Fire Emblem Fates has now birthed new characters that’ll surely become iconic to the franchise as the game follows its player’s avatar as they’re drawn into a war between Hoshido and Nohr, two kingdoms which hold a special place in the protagonist’s heart.
