Gharnef (Japanese:ガーネフGarnef) was a powerful sorcerer known as the Dark Pontifex (Japanese:魔王Demon King) who played a crucial role in orchestrating the resurrection ofMedeus and the two resulting wars. Formerly a student of the White SageGotoh, wrath and jealousy eventually spurred him to rebel and abandon Gotoh, stealinga dark artifact which twisted him into a malevolent figure who sought to condemn the world to ruin. In theWar of Shadows, now acting as the ruler of Khadein, he allied with Medeus and hisDolhr Empire and bent many other nations to serve Dolhr, and owing tothe sinister magic at his command, he was long thought invulnerable.

Although Gharnef was ultimately defeated late in the War of Shadows, when Marth's Archanean League used theStarlight spell to pierce his dark invulnerability, his spirit was roused within a single year. He was responsible for corrupting the once honorableHardin, emperor ofArchanea, into a vicious despot, and under the cover of Hardin's lust for the conquest of the rest of Archanea he set about resurrecting Medeus for a second time in his "true and darkest form".

Biography

Origins

An unspecified amount of time before the revival of Medeus, Gharnef was once a student ofGotoh, and studied under him in the city ofKhadein. Along withMiloah, who would later be appointed a pontifex of Khadein, Gharnef was one of Gotoh's two best pupils. Despite his considerable talents, Gotoh grew wary of Gharnef's wrathful and compassion-less nature, and instead chose to appoint Miloah as his heir. Gharnef was outraged and overcome by jealousy on hearing this decision, and as an act of vengeance he stole theDarksphere from Gotoh's safe-keeping and fled Khadein. He used the power of the Darksphere to forge a new, powerful tome of his own:Imhullu. However, in the process of creating the tome, Gharnef's soul was sealed within the Darksphere itself, cementing his descent into malevolent madness.^[2]

Dark Pontifex

Gharnef eventually returned to Khadein and seized control of the city, utilizing its magical prowess before and during the War of Shadows. The mages he managed to sway suppressed many coups aiming to strip Gharnef of his power.^[3] To prevent the creation ofStarlight, which could counter Imhullu, Gharnef captured and hypnotizedTiki and placed her in theFane of Raman to guard theStarsphere andLightsphere,^[4] from which Starlight could be created.

Gharnef then revived Medeus^{[citation needed]} and allied himself with the reconstitutedDolhr Empire.^[5] Gharnef additionally broughtMacedon andGrust into alliance with Dolhr to reform the empire.^[6] In Macedon, he spread rumors that KingOsmond would dethroneMichalis as Macedon's crown prince and instead appointMinerva as his heir, forcing Michalis to kill Osmond, assume the throne, and ally with Dolhr.^[7] Gharnef blackmailed KingLudwik of Grust into serving Dolhr by abducting his childrenYuliya andJubelo and holding them in Khadein.^[8]

By A.C. 602, Dolhr marched on theHoly Kingdom of Archanea.^[9] In the battle for the Palace, Gharnef and his Khadein forces clashed with Miloah and his Palace mages, resulting in Khadein defeating Archanea's mages and Gharnef killing Miloah.^[10][11] Later that year,^[9] as Grust prepared to invadeAltea, Gharnef convinced KingJiol ofGra to ally with Dolhr by promising him the territory of Altea;^[12][13] Jiol obliged, betraying Altea when they fought Grust atMenedy River, killing KingCornelius. Both Gharnef's and Jiol's forces then conquered Altea.^[14] Amidst the invasion, Gharnef took possession ofFalchion to safeguard it from being used against Medeus,^[15] and took Altea's PrincessElice toThabes to take advantage of her ability to useAum for an unknown purpose.^[16]

After invading Gra in A.C. 604,^[17]Marth moved theArchanean League to Khadein in search of Falchion, deducing it to be in Gharnef's possession. Gharnef briefly emerged to attack them, but eventually grew bored and left. Afterwards during the League's arrival at the Fane of Raman, Gharnef appeared there to order Tiki to quell them.

Later in the closing acts of the war, after both Grust and Macedon had been defeated, Gotoh sent the League to the Tower of Thabes in order to defeat Gharnef, retrieve Falchion, and rescue Elice. With Starlight, the League was able to negate Imhullu and kill Gharnef.

Puppetmaster

Despite the death of his physical body at Thabes, Gharnef's soul lived on in the Darksphere, and it was roused by hisheretic disciples.^[18] Still determined to cause the end of the world, he sought to engineer Medeus's revival for a second time, this time hatching a two-part plan involving using noble-bornClerics as sacrifices. As part of this, Gharnef encounteredEremiya, a bishop in charge of an orphanage who had lost many of her orphans to war, and cast a spell on her to turn her into his minion. Under Gharnef's influence, Eremiya started training orphans to become assassins to serve Gharnef's ends behind the scenes, including an assassination attempt on Marth one year after the end of the War of Shadows.^[19]

In order to achieve this plan, Gharnef needed to useHardin, now the emperor of Archanea. Hardin had since spiralled into a deep depression over his unrequited love for his wife Nyna, and Gharnef seized upon this opportunity and appeared before Hardin, giving him the Darksphere. Hardin's heart was instantly twisted by the Darksphere, turning him into a malevolent conqueror, and he willingly handed Nyna over to Gharnef for use as the first of the sacrifices.^[20] In the confusion of Hardin's reign upon the rest of the continent, Gharnef stole Falchion from Altea Castle during its downfall and had Eremiya's assassins capture three more clerics—Maria,Elice, andLena—for use in the rites of Medeus's revival.^[21] He also took possession of Starlight, to prevent it from being used against him ever again, but late in the conflict it was stolen back from him byMichalis.^[22]

Gharnef's actions directly caused theWar of Heroes, pitting Hardin and the Archanean Empire against Marth and the remnants of Altea, which was swiftly conquered by Hardin. Eventually, when Marth returned and slew Hardin, Gharnef and three of his heretic bishops appeared before him disguised as the four clerics. However, the light of the newly-restoredBinding Shield repelled him and revealed their true forms, and as he fled to retreat to theDragon Altar, Gharnef left him with a cryptic warning of Medeus's impending return. Soon after, Marth's army found and defeated Eremiya, and following her defeat Gharnef appeared before her and revealed how he had brainwashed her into raising assassins, delighting in her anguished screams as she died.

On Gotoh's counsel it wasn't long before Marth and his army pursued Gharnef to the Dragon Altar. In the Table's penultimate chamber, Gharnef confronted Marth and warned him that Medeus was now unstoppable and that the clerics' souls had broken to the point of being unsalvageable, engaging him in a battle to kill Marth before he reached Medeus.^[23] However, having received Starlight from Michalis, Marth's army prevailed over Gharnef and defeated him again, banishing his spirit once more. He is not known to have resurfaced ever since.

Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon & the Blade of Light

Role

Gharnef is the boss ofChapter 23. He wields Imhullu and thus can only be defeated if the player has obtainedStarlight; his defeat is necessary in order to obtainFalchion. If the player lacks Starlight, it is possible to clear the chapter by seizing the throne, since he is not posted on top of it. In addition to the real Gharnef, three false duplicates of him are present in different parts of the map, which have the same stats as the real Gharnef but lack Imhullu and are not invincible or as powerful.

Gharnef also appears inChapter 15 as an enemy, situated well away from the goal. He cannot be defeated here and must be simply fended off or avoided, and he will automatically leave of his own accord after several turns.

Stats

See also:An Oasis of Magic andDark Pontifex

Bishop Level 10 Movement 6 Experience 53

Stats Max HP 34 Speed 18 Strength 7 Luck 0 Skill 5 Defense 12 W. Level 14 Resistance 0

Inventory Drops Imhullu Falchion Weapons Sword ✗ Lance ✗ Axe ✗ Bow ✗ Tome ✓ Staff ✓ Ballista ✗ Stone ✗

Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem

Book 1

Role

Gharnef is the boss ofChapter 18. He wields Imhullu and thus can only be defeated if the player has obtainedStarlight; his defeat is necessary in order to obtainFalchion. If the player lacks Starlight, it is possible to clear the chapter by seizing the throne, since he is not posted on top of it. In addition to the real Gharnef, three false duplicates of him are present in different parts of the map, which have the same stats as the real Gharnef but lack Imhullu and are not invincible or as powerful.

Gharnef also appears inChapter 12 as an enemy, situated well away from the goal. He cannot be defeated here and must be simply fended off or avoided, and he will automatically leave of his own accord after several turns.

Stats

See also:An Oasis of Magic andDark Pontifex

Bishop Level 10 Movement 6 Experience 70

Stats Max HP 34 Luck 4 Strength 10 W. Level -- Skill 2 Defense 10 Speed 6 Resistance 8

Weapons Items Imhullu Falchion Weapons Sword ✗ Lance ✗ Axe ✗ Bow ✗ Tome ✓ Staff ✓

Book 2

Role

Gharnef is the boss ofthe second stage of Final Chapter-2, and thus is only fought in the game's true ending; his defeat is necessary in order to obtainFalchion. He wields Imhullu and thus can only be defeated if the player has obtainedStarlight.

Stats

See also:The Dark Pontifex Lives

Dark Mage Level 20 Movement 6 Experience 70

Stats Max HP 34 Luck 4 Strength 12 W. Level -- Skill 1 Defense 16 Speed 5 Resistance 10

Weapons Items Imhullu Falchion Weapons Sword ✗ Lance ✗ Axe ✗ Bow ✗ Tome ✓ Staff ✓

Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon

Role

Gharnef is the boss ofChapter 23. He wields Imhullu and thus can only be defeated if the player has obtainedStarlight; his defeat is necessary in order to obtainFalchion. If the player lacks Starlight, it is possible to clear the chapter by seizing the throne, since he is not posted on top of it. In addition to the real Gharnef, three false duplicates of him are present in different parts of the map, which have the same stats as the real Gharnef but lack Imhullu and are not invincible or as powerful.

Gharnef also appears inChapter 15 as an enemy, situated well away from the goal. He cannot be defeated here and must be simply fended off or avoided, and he will automatically leave of his own accord after several turns.

Stats

Stats with a decimal can vary randomly; the decimal represents the chance for the stat to increase to the nearest integer, or be otherwise truncated.

Enemy - Chapter 15

See also:An Oasis of Magic

NormalHard-1Hard-2Hard-3Hard-4Hard-5

Sorcerer Level 15 Movement 6

Stats Max HP 34 Speed 18 Strength 2 Luck 0 Magic 5 Defense 11 Skill 5 Resistance 10

Inventory Imhullu Weapon Levels -- -- -- -- A E

Sorcerer Level 15 Movement 6

Stats Max HP 35.2 Speed 18.9 Strength 2 Luck 0 Magic 5.9 Defense 11 Skill 5.9 Resistance 10

Inventory Imhullu Weapon Levels -- -- -- -- A C

Sorcerer Level 15 Movement 6

Stats Max HP 36.4 Speed 19.8 Strength 2 Luck 0 Magic 6.8 Defense 11 Skill 6.8 Resistance 10

Inventory Imhullu Weapon Levels -- -- -- -- A C

Sorcerer Level 15 Movement 6

Stats Max HP 37.6 Speed 20.7 Strength 2 Luck 0 Magic 7.7 Defense 11 Skill 7.7 Resistance 10

Inventory Imhullu Weapon Levels -- -- -- -- A B

Sorcerer Level 15 Movement 6

Stats Max HP 38.8 Speed 21.6 Strength 2 Luck 0 Magic 8.6 Defense 11 Skill 8.6 Resistance 10

Inventory Imhullu Weapon Levels -- -- -- -- A B

Sorcerer Level 15 Movement 6

Stats Max HP 40 Speed 22.5 Strength 2 Luck 0 Magic 9.5 Defense 11 Skill 9.5 Resistance 10

Inventory Imhullu Weapon Levels -- -- -- -- A A

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Enemy - Chapter 23

See also:Dark Pontifex

NormalHard-1Hard-2Hard-3Hard-4Hard-5

Sorcerer Level 15 Movement 6

Stats Max HP 34 Speed 18 Strength 2 Luck 0 Magic 5 Defense 11 Skill 5 Resistance 10

Inventory Imhullu Falchion Weapon Levels -- -- -- -- A E

Sorcerer Level 15 Movement 6

Stats Max HP 36 Speed 19.5 Strength 2 Luck 0 Magic 6.5 Defense 11 Skill 6.5 Resistance 10

Inventory Imhullu Falchion Weapon Levels -- -- -- -- A C

Sorcerer Level 15 Movement 6

Stats Max HP 38 Speed 21 Strength 2 Luck 0 Magic 8 Defense 11 Skill 8 Resistance 10

Inventory Imhullu Falchion Weapon Levels -- -- -- -- A C

Sorcerer Level 15 Movement 6

Stats Max HP 40 Speed 22.5 Strength 2 Luck 0 Magic 9.5 Defense 11 Skill 9.5 Resistance 10

Inventory Imhullu Falchion Weapon Levels -- -- -- -- A B

Sorcerer Level 15 Movement 6

Stats Max HP 42 Speed 24 Strength 2 Luck 0 Magic 11 Defense 11 Skill 11 Resistance 10

Inventory Imhullu Falchion Weapon Levels -- -- -- -- A B

Sorcerer Level 15 Movement 6

Stats Max HP 44 Speed 25 Strength 2 Luck 0 Magic 12.5 Defense 11 Skill 12.5 Resistance 10

Inventory Imhullu Falchion Weapon Levels -- -- -- -- A A

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Fire Emblem: New Mystery of the Emblem

Role

Gharnef is the boss ofChapter 23, and thus is only fought in the game's true ending. He wields Imhullu and thus can only be defeated if the player has obtainedStarlight; his defeat is necessary in order to obtainFalchion.

Gharnef is also playable in the bonus chapterThree Assassins.

Stats

Boss - Chapter 23

See also:The Dark Pontifex Lives

Stats with a decimal can vary randomly; the decimal represents the chance for the stat to increase to the nearest integer, or otherwise be truncated.

NormalHardManiacLunatic

Sorcerer Level 20 Movement 6

Stats Max HP 38 Speed 15 Strength 2 Luck 0 Magic 12 Defense 13 Skill 16 Resistance 17

Inventory Imhullu Falchion Weapon Levels -- -- -- -- A E

Sorcerer Level 20 Movement 6

Stats Max HP 46.8 Speed 20.2 Strength 2 Luck 0 Magic 19.2 Defense 15.8 Skill 21.6 Resistance 20.2

Inventory Imhullu Falchion Weapon Levels -- -- -- -- A C

Sorcerer Level 20 Movement 6

Stats Max HP 55.6 Speed 25 Strength 2 Luck 0 Magic 26.4 Defense 18.6 Skill 27.2 Resistance 23.4

Inventory Imhullu Falchion Weapon Levels -- -- -- -- A B

Sorcerer Level 20 Movement 6

Stats Max HP 60 Speed 25 Strength 2 Luck 0 Magic 30 Defense 20 Skill 28 Resistance 25

Inventory Imhullu Falchion Weapon Levels -- -- -- -- A A

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Playable - extra chapters

Sorcerer Level 20 Movement 6

Recruitment:Three Assassins, automatically one turn after reinforcements have been triggered StatsGrowth Rates Max HP 38 Speed 15 Strength 2 Luck 9 Magic 12 Defense 13 Skill 16 Resistance 17 Max HP 20% Speed 20% Strength 0% Luck 0% Magic 20% Defense 0% Skill 20% Resistance 20% {{{content3}}} {{{content4}}} {{{content5}}} {{{content6}}} {{{content7}}} {{{content8}}} {{{content9}}} {{{content10}}} {{{content11}}} {{{content12}}} {{{content13}}} {{{content14}}} {{{content15}}} Inventory Imhullu Weapon Levels -- -- -- -- A C

Fire Emblem Awakening

Role

Gharnef is playable as a bonusSpotPass character, as part of theShadow Dragon character set. He also appears as an enemy unit in theDLC chaptersLost Bloodlines 2 and3, andRogues & Redeemers 1 and3; as well as an ally unit in the DLC chapterRogues & Redeemers 2.

Starting stats and growth rates

Sorcerer Level 20 Movement 6

Recruitment:SpotPass, hire him for 19,000G or defeat him in askirmish StatsGrowth RatesCap Modifiers Max HP 60 Speed 31 Strength 18 Luck 14 Magic 35 Defense 29 Skill 34 Resistance 33 Max HP 85% Speed 55% Strength 35% Luck 45% Magic 65% Defense 40% Skill 50% Resistance 35% Speed +2 Strength −1 Luck −3 Magic +3 Defense ±0 Skill ±0 Resistance +2 {{{content4}}} {{{content5}}} {{{content6}}} {{{content7}}} {{{content8}}} {{{content9}}} {{{content10}}} {{{content11}}} {{{content12}}} {{{content13}}} {{{content14}}} {{{content15}}} Inventory Skills Goetia* Hex Anathema Vengeance Tomebreaker Lifetaker Weapon Levels -- -- -- -- A --

Reclassing options

Gharnef Base classes:* Dark Mage Sorcerer Dark Knight Reclass options: This unit can reclass to any male class available through reclassing.

Growth rates when reclassed

Promotion stat gains

ArcherBarbarianCavalierDark MageWyvern RiderFighterKnightMageMercenaryMyrmidonPriestTacticianThief

Class	HP	Str	Mag	Skill	Spd	Lck	Def	Res	Mov	Weapon level
Sniper	+4	+2	+1	+4	+3	+0	+5	+3	+1	--
Bow Knight	+8	+3	+0	+2	+4	+0	+1	+2	+3	E

Class	HP	Str	Mag	Skill	Spd	Lck	Def	Res	Mov	Weapon level
Berserker	+8	+5	+0	+2	+3	+0	+2	+1	+1	--
Warrior	+6	+4	+0	+5	−1	+0	+4	+3	+1	E

Class	HP	Str	Mag	Skill	Spd	Lck	Def	Res	Mov	Weapon level
Paladin	+7	+3	+1	+2	+2	+0	+3	+6	+1	--
Great Knight	+8	+5	+0	+1	−1	+0	+7	+1	+0	E

Class	HP	Str	Mag	Skill	Spd	Lck	Def	Res	Mov	Weapon level
Sorcerer	+5	+1	+3	+2	+1	+0	+3	+3	+1	--
Dark Knight	+7	+3	+2	+4	+2	+0	+5	+1	+3	E

Class	HP	Str	Mag	Skill	Spd	Lck	Def	Res	Mov	Weapon level
Wyvern Lord	+5	+4	+0	+2	+2	+0	+3	+3	+1	E
Griffon Rider	+3	+2	+0	+4	+4	+0	+0	+3	+1	--

Class	HP	Str	Mag	Skill	Spd	Lck	Def	Res	Mov	Weapon level
Warrior	+8	+4	+0	+3	+2	+0	+3	+3	+1	E
Hero	+2	+0	+1	+6	+5	+0	+4	+3	+1	E

Class	HP	Str	Mag	Skill	Spd	Lck	Def	Res	Mov	Weapon level
General	+10	+4	+0	+3	+2	+0	+4	+3	+1	E
Great Knight	+8	+3	+0	+2	+3	+0	+3	+1	+3	E E

Class	HP	Str	Mag	Skill	Spd	Lck	Def	Res	Mov	Weapon level
Sage	+4	+1	+3	+2	+3	+0	+2	+2	+1	E
Dark Knight	+9	+4	+1	+3	+1	+0	+7	+2	+3	E

Class	HP	Str	Mag	Skill	Spd	Lck	Def	Res	Mov	Weapon level
Hero	+6	+3	+1	+3	+3	+0	+3	+3	+1	E
Bow Knight	+8	+3	+0	+2	+3	+0	+1	+2	+3	E

Class	HP	Str	Mag	Skill	Spd	Lck	Def	Res	Mov	Weapon level
Swordmaster	+4	+3	+1	+2	+3	+0	+2	+3	+1	--
Assassin	+5	+4	−1	+4	+2	+0	+1	+0	+1	E

Class	HP	Str	Mag	Skill	Spd	Lck	Def	Res	Mov	Weapon level
War Monk	+8	+5	+2	+2	+2	+0	+5	+0	+1	E
Sage	+4	+1	+4	+3	+3	+0	+3	−1	+1	E

Class	HP	Str	Mag	Skill	Spd	Lck	Def	Res	Mov	Weapon level
Grandmaster	+4	+3	+3	+2	+2	+0	+2	+2	+1	--

Class	HP	Str	Mag	Skill	Spd	Lck	Def	Res	Mov	Weapon level
Assassin	+5	+5	+0	+7	+4	+0	+3	+1	+1	E
Trickster	+3	+1	+4	+4	+3	+0	+1	+5	+1	E

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Skill set

Like all male bonus units inAwakening, Gharnef has access to all base class and advanced class skills available to standard male units.

Fire Emblem Heroes

Role

Gharnef is one of the characters added to the game in theWhispers of Death update, and was made available to players in the twenty-sixthGrand Hero Battle, which initially ran from November 23, 2018 through December 3, 2018. Only one variation of Gharnef is currently available inHeroes, based on hisMystery of the Emblem incarnation.

Gharnef: Dark Pontifex

"Gharnef: Dark Pontifex" redirects here. For the Grand Hero Battle map, seeGrand Hero Battle/Battle data (page 3) § Gharnef: Dark Pontifex.

Starting stats

★★★★★★★★★★★★

Rarity ★★★ Weapon type Movement type

Initial StatsLevel 40 Stats Maximum HP 14/15/16 Attack 6/7/8 Speed 8/9/10 Defense 3/4/5 Resistance 4/5/6 Maximum HP 31/34/37 Attack 23/26/29 Speed 27/30/33 Defense 20/23/26 Resistance 17/20/23 {{{content3}}} {{{content4}}} {{{content5}}} {{{content6}}} {{{content7}}} {{{content8}}} {{{content9}}} {{{content10}}} {{{content11}}} {{{content12}}} {{{content13}}} {{{content14}}} {{{content15}}} Note: This unit requires the usage ofTrait Fruit to access any flaws and assets.

Skills Ruin -- --

Rarity ★★★★ Weapon type Movement type

Initial StatsLevel 40 Stats Maximum HP 14/15/16 Attack 7/8/9 Speed 9/10/11 Defense 3/4/5 Resistance 4/5/6 Maximum HP 32/35/38 Attack 25/28/31 Speed 29/32/35 Defense 21/24/27 Resistance 18/21/24 {{{content3}}} {{{content4}}} {{{content5}}} {{{content6}}} {{{content7}}} {{{content8}}} {{{content9}}} {{{content10}}} {{{content11}}} {{{content12}}} {{{content13}}} {{{content14}}} {{{content15}}} Note: This unit requires the usage ofTrait Fruit to access any flaws and assets.

Skills Fenrir -- Glowing Ember

Rarity ★★★★★ Weapon type Movement type

Initial StatsLevel 40 Stats Maximum HP 15/16/17 Attack 7/8/9 Speed 9/10/11 Defense 4/5/6 Resistance 5/6/7 Maximum HP 34/38/41 Attack 26/30/33 Speed 31/34/37 Defense 23/27/30 Resistance 20/23/26 {{{content3}}} {{{content4}}} {{{content5}}} {{{content6}}} {{{content7}}} {{{content8}}} {{{content9}}} {{{content10}}} {{{content11}}} {{{content12}}} {{{content13}}} {{{content14}}} {{{content15}}} Note: This unit requires the usage ofTrait Fruit to access any flaws and assets.

Skills Imhullu -- Glowing Ember

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Skill set

Skill set
Skill		Unlock	Auto-unlock	SP cost
	Flux	★★★	★★★	50
	Ruin	★★★	★★★	100
	Fenrir	★★★	★★★★	200
	Imhullu	★★★★★	★★★★★	400
	Glowing Ember	★★★	★★★★	100
	Ignis	★★★★	—	200
A	Warding Stance 1	★★★	—	50
A	Mirror Stance 1	★★★	—	120
A	Mirror Stance 2	★★★★	—	240
B	Chill Atk 1	★★★	—	60
B	Chill Atk 2	★★★★	—	120
B	Chill Atk 3	★★★★★	—	240

Fire Emblem Warriors

Role

InWarriors, Gharnef appears as an unplayable enemy character fairly late in the main story. His most prominent role is as the boss ofChapter 15. Like when he is fought inShadow Dragon & the Blade of Light andShadow Dragon, Gharnef makes shadow replicas of himself appear to cause confusion. The specific reasons behind him attacking the player's forces, aside from having a grudge againstMarth, are unclear. He appears to be aligned with the game's primary antagonists,Oskar ofGristonne andVelezark.

Gharnef also serves as the primary antagonist inThe Dark Pontifex, theHistory Mode map modeled after the chapter of the same name,Dark Pontifex, inShadow Dragon & the Blade of Light andShadow Dragon.

Stats

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Personality

Originally Gharnef was thoroughly a man of justice and good intentions, despite lacking compassion and love, and was a highly competent student of Gotoh. However, this changed when Gotoh decided to designateMiloah as the successor of Khadein and theAura tome, owing to his lack of compassion: Gharnef was twisted by jealousy and rage, which prompted him to steal the Darksphere. The creation of the Imhullu tome sealed his soul in the Darksphere, corrupting him even further into the Dark Pontifex.^[2]

From then on, Gharnef was characterised by an almost fanatical devotion to despair and vengeance upon humanity, seeking their end through the revival of Medeus. His preferred method of operation was to remain in the shadows while manipulating other people into his service, such asJiol,Ludwik,Michalis andEremiya; in the latter case he even threw it in her face as she died and was released from his control.^[19] He delighted in the suffering of others, regardless of who they were, and rumours abounded that he had no intention of remaining subservient to Medeus in the long run, plotting instead to slay and usurp him.

Quotes

Battle quotes

Shadow Dragon & the Blade of Light

Mystery of the Emblem

Shadow Dragon

New Mystery of the Emblem

Awakening

Death quote

Shadow Dragon & the Blade of Light

Mystery of the Emblem

Shadow Dragon

New Mystery of the Emblem

Awakening

Heroes quotes

Main article:Gharnef/Quotes (Heroes)

Other appearances

Mystery of the Emblem anime

Gharnef appears in a flashback in the first episode, "Prince of Aritia". FollowingGra's betrayal ofAltea at Fort Menedy and the decimation of its army by both Gra andGrust, Gharnef appeared before KingCornelius and offered him the safety of the Altean people (albeit in slavery) in exchange for Cornelius's surrender. Cornelius refused and attempted to attack Gharnef usingFalchion, but was easily killed by a single blast of Gharnef'sImhullu.

Fire Emblem Cipher

Gharnef is featured on one card inFire Emblem Cipher.

Fire Emblem Cipher data for Gharnef
	Lord of Shadow, Gharnef
		"Cower before the might of the magic Imhullu: once forbidden, now unleashed!"
		Attack: 60	Support: 0	Range: 1-2	Deploy Cost: 5
		Class: Sorcerer		Tier:Advanced	Class Change Cost: 4
		Dark Magic: Imhullu:[Always] If this unit is in the Back Line, enemies with less than 100 attack cannot attack this unit. Lord of Shadow:[Special] You may deploy this card even if you have an allied "Gharnef", and you may have 2 or more "Gharnefs". Pontifex's Phantom:[Always] While you have 1 or more other allied "Gharnefs", this unit loses "Dark Magic: Imhullu" and cannot re-acquire it.
	Card #B13-083HN • Artist:Setsu
Some card information translation provided by Serenes Forest. For more detailed strategic information on these cards, seetheir TCG wiki article on Gharnef .

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Gharnef appears as a support spirit.

	#636 Fire Emblem Series Gharnef
	Rank: ★
	Cost: ⬣
	Trait: Fire & Explosion Attack ↑ Slightly increases the power of explosion and fire attacks.

Flavor text

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Meet some of the Heroes entries

Gharnef: Dark Pontifex
This is Gharnef—the Dark Pontifex who resurrected Medeus, the Shadow Dragon, and plunged the continent of Archanea into war!	Gharnef was once a pious disciple of the sage Gotoh, but he was driven to evil by his rage and envy when his master refused to grant him the tome Aura.	Taking command of the dark magic Imhullu, Gharnef schemed with Medeus to seize the continent of Archanea. Thanks to Marth's efforts, though, their plot was foiled!	Gharnef was once a talented bishop, and it's a shame to see how twisted he became… I hope that one day, he'll find his way back to the honest path he started on and reconcile with the people he wronged!
Closely Associated Characters
Medeus Hardin Eremiya {{{Related_name4}}} {{{Related_name5}}} King of the Earth Dragons, previously defeated by the hero Anri. Resurrected by Gharnef, he seeks domination. Emperor of the Holy Empire of Archanea. Known as the Dark Emperor due to his bloody reign. Succumbs to the darkness after receiving the Darksphere from Gharnef. A bishop in service of Gharnef, and leader of a group of assassins. Formerly a kind-hearted caretaker of war orphans. Her mind is controlled by Gharnef. {{{Related_blurb4}}} {{{Related_blurb5}}}

Choose Your Legends placement history

Round	Placement	Character	Votes

CYL 1 (2017)	449	Gharnef Shadow Dragon & the Blade of Light /Shadow Dragon	281
	697	Gharnef Mystery of the Emblem /New Mystery of the Emblem	65

CYL 2 (2018)	414 (−35)	Gharnef Shadow Dragon & the Blade of Light /Shadow Dragon	419
	588 (−109)	Gharnef Mystery of the Emblem /New Mystery of the Emblem	141

CYL 3 (2019)

471 (+140)

Gharnef Shadow Dragon & the Blade of Light /Shadow Dragon Mystery of the Emblem /New Mystery of the Emblem

255 (−307)

CYL 4 (2020)

575 (+47)

Gharnef Mystery of the Emblem /New Mystery of the Emblem Shadow Dragon & the Blade of Light /Shadow Dragon

128 (−127)

CYL 5 (2021)

656 (+81)

Gharnef Shadow Dragon & the Blade of Light /Shadow Dragon Mystery of the Emblem /New Mystery of the Emblem

59 (−69)

CYL 6 (2022)

654 (−4)

Gharnef Shadow Dragon & the Blade of Light /Shadow Dragon Mystery of the Emblem /New Mystery of the Emblem

61 (+2)

CYL 7 (2023)

715 (+61)

Gharnef Shadow Dragon & the Blade of Light /Shadow Dragon Mystery of the Emblem /New Mystery of the Emblem

34 (−27)

CYL 8 (2024)

797 (+82)

Gharnef Shadow Dragon & the Blade of Light /Shadow Dragon Mystery of the Emblem /New Mystery of the Emblem

21 (−13)

CYL 9 (2025)

762 (−35)

Gharnef Shadow Dragon & the Blade of Light /Shadow Dragon Mystery of the Emblem /New Mystery of the Emblem

24 (+3)

CYL 10 (2026)

713 (−49)

Gharnef Shadow Dragon & the Blade of Light /Shadow Dragon Mystery of the Emblem /New Mystery of the Emblem

22 (−2)

Total results		This character has 12 entries across all Choose Your Legends polls.	1,510

Trivia

• InShadow Dragon & the Blade of Light, Gharnef's portrait is a recolor and edit ofBantu's (or vice-versa).
• Gharnef in hisMystery of the Emblem incarnation is a very rare boss in the series who guards aseize point yet will move off the seize point to pursue the player's army. The only other boss of this type isLumel, from earlier in the game, andTashoria inFire Emblem: Radiant Dawn. In Gharnef's case the throne must be accessible without defeating him as it is possible for the player to miss Starlight, rending the chapter unwinnable if Gharnef remained stationary.
• In APE's official guide forMystery of the Emblem, Gharnef's section inChapter 12 of Book 1 features an entirely different and unused portrait, presumably from a beta build. His portrait in his section inMap 2 of Book 2's endgame is the same as in-game.

Etymology and other languages

Gallery

Sprite Gallery
Shadow Dragon & the Blade of Light Bishop Tome
Mystery of the Emblem Bishop Dark Mage Tome Tome
Shadow Dragon Sorcerer Tome
New Mystery of the Emblem Sorcerer Tome,Staff

Official artwork

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  Artwork of Gharnef fromShadow Dragon & the Blade of Light.
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  Artwork of Gharnef with other characters fromShadow Dragon & the Blade of Light.
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  Artwork of Gharnef fromMystery of the Emblem.
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  Artwork of Gharnef with other characters fromMystery of the Emblem.
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  Artwork of Gharnef andMedeus fromAll of Fire Emblem.
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  Artwork of Gharnef from theTrading Card Game.
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  Artwork of Gharnef from theTrading Card Game.
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  Artwork of Gharnef fromShadow Dragon.
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  Artwork of Gharnef andHardin fromNew Mystery of the Emblem.
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  Artwork of Gharnef,Marth andCaeda fromNew Mystery of the Emblem.

CG images

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  CG image of Gharnef inShadow Dragon.
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  CG image of Gharnef with other characters inShadow Dragon.
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  CG image of Gharnef andTiki inShadow Dragon.
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  CG image of Gharnef inShadow Dragon.
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  The "Fight of the Hero-King" illustration fromWarriors, featuring Gharnef,Marth,Caeda, and Tiki.
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  The "Within the Heart" illustration fromWarriors, featuring Gharnef and several other characters.

Portraits

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  Portrait of Gharnef inWarriors.
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  Portrait of a shadow imitation of Gharnef inWarriors.

Heroes artwork

Character artwork

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  Artwork of Gharnef: Dark Pontifex.
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  Artwork of Gharnef: Dark Pontifex.
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  Artwork of Gharnef: Dark Pontifex.
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  Artwork of Gharnef: Dark Pontifex.

Meet some of the Heroes artwork

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  Artwork of Gharnef: Dark Pontifex.
• 
  Artwork of Gharnef: Dark Pontifex.
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  Artwork of Gharnef: Dark Pontifex.
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  Artwork of Gharnef: Dark Pontifex.
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  Gharnef in artwork ofMichalis: Ambitious King.
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  Gharnef in artwork ofTiki: Torpid Dragon.
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  Gharnef in artwork ofGotoh: White Sage.
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  Gharnef in artwork of Gotoh: White Sage.

Cipher artwork

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  Artwork of Gharnef.

Other appearances

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  Gharnef, as depicted inthe OVA.
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  Artwork of Gharnef fromOne Hundred Songs of Heroes.

References

This article is part ofProject Characters, a project focused on writing articles for every character present in theFire Emblem series.