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- “What’s wrong with being a bit different from other people? When I look at you, I don’t see other people. I see Ninian. I see a normal, kindhearted girl.”
- — Eliwood to Ninian, in Blazing Blade
Elnini is the het ship between Eliwood and Ninian from the Fire Emblem fandom.
Canon[]
Eliwood is one of three main lords in the 7th Fire Emblem game. Ninian is a quiet and mysterious girl traveling with her younger brother; on first glance, the two appear to be a dancer and a bard traveling the world, but the story later reveals that the main villain Nergal has been chasing them for the past few years.
Eliwood first meets Ninian when he rescues her from bandits during Lyn's story, but the two do not properly interact until the main story following the first story arc. Ninian blames herself for the tragedies the group suffered, including the death of Eliwood's father, but Eliwood reassures her that none of it was her fault. Ninian officially joins the party, becoming a playable unit after this talk.
The two are clearly attracted to one another, with Eliwood going out of his way to look after her and Ninian slowly falling in love with him. However, Ninian is a dragon taking human form, and dragons are heavily feared on Elibe. Ninian keeps her secret, but feels guilty and unworthy of Eliwood's affections for doing so. If the player pursues their support chain, Eliwood tells Ninian he loves her even if she can't tell her secret, and at the end of the game they will marry.
Children[]
Roy[]
Roy is the heir of Pherae, known as the Young Lion of Pherae. He is also a descendant of Roland through his father's side. If Ninian is his mother he's one-quarter ice dragon. When war broke through the kingdoms, he led an ever-growing army to free the oppressed commoners, villages, and territories from the crushing might of Bern and eventually saved all of Elibe. In the future, Roy rebuilts Pherae and succeds Eliwood as the next Marquess Pherae. Like Eliwood, Roy has multiple possible love interests. From all of them, Sophia is the most similar possible to Ninian.
Fanon[]
Ninian is a notable heterosexual pairing for Eliwood, partly because she has a clear crush on him, unlike Fiora and Lyn, who are not explicitly shown to feel the same way outside supports. While there has long been strong division in the fandom over the ships, her early popularity reflected fans’ interest in that unambiguous romantic attachment. With Roy’s mother left unnamed in The Binding Blade, many fans assumed Ninian died in childbirth, a theory reinforced by her frail appearance and the canon detail that her lifespan would be shortened if she remained in Elibe. Less commonly, some interpret that she survived Roy’s birth but passed away while he was still very young. Shippers love the pair’s gentle, tender dynamic. Eliwood consistently shows care for Ninian, expressing his desire to see her smile and reassuring her that her being “different” doesn’t matter to him. Sweet moments, like offering his arm in the desert, her giggling at his sighs over Lyn and Hector, and his awkward stumbles in their C support, highlight the soft, endearing chemistry fans adore.
Some fans also enjoy the angsty side of the ship, particularly romanticizing the idea of Ninian’s shortened lifespan if she remains in Elibe to marry Eliwood. Others explore scenarios where she and Eliwood never reach an A support, sometimes leaving them to spend the rest of their lives longing for one another after Ninian returns to the dragon realm with Nils. Back in the day, a great deal of fanfiction focused on Eliwood’s guilt and mourning after he accidentally killed Ninian. The pairing is often seen as the FE7 equivalent of Royphia, the the latter with a happier ending and Sophia being a more active heroine,
That said, Ninian herself is a divisive character. Some fans dislike her early role as a passive damsel in distress in most of the story, while others find her less compelling compared to Eliwood’s other potential partners. Critics also argue that her characterization reinforces regressive traits, portraying her as overly demure and even requiring her to sacrifice her own lifespan in order to be with a man. This was especially common among Elilyn and Elifiora shippers, who feel like the game is nudging them towards Ninian when they prefer Eliwood's other partners. In turn, some Eliwood/Ninian fans can get defensive of their ship, or even militant in their insistence that the pairing is the "true" canon couple despite Lyn and Fiora being just as valid options for Eliwood's brides. Fans of the ship often point to the supports between Marcus and Lilina in FE6 as evidence that Ninian is Roy’s mother, since Lilina mentions her mother loved Ilian flowers — and Ninian’s homeland is Ilia. However, the game never explicitly names Ilia in that support, and counterarguments note that Fiora is also from Ilia, while Lyn could simply have admired flowers from any mountain region.
Elnini’s most common companion ships are Hecflor and Hectorlyn. The former stems from the parallel of two close friendships, Hector with Eliwood, and Florina with Ninian, while the latter is popular because Hector and Lyn receive strong hints and interactions in the main story, especially in Hector’s route, beyond what’s shown in their supports. Other Ninian pairings are uncommon, though Florinian is fairly popular among yuri fans, and some also ship Lyn with Ninian. These groups generally stayed out of shipping conflicts, preferring to enjoy their ships quietly within their own circles.
Added to that, Some Elihec fans were occasionally dismissive of Ninian, viewing her as “in the way” of their preferred yaoi pairing. This attitude has largely faded with the rise of multishipping. Some fans imagine Hector as Eliwood’s second love after Ninian’s passing, assuming both are now widowed, while a smaller group enjoys OT3 scenarios, portraying Eliwood as capable of loving both Ninian and Hector equally.
Most paired variants in Fire Emblem Heroes[]
- Eliwood: Knight of Lycia (OG) - Ninian: Oracle of Destiny (OG)
- Eliwood: Devoted Love (Valentine) - Ninian: Bright-Eyed Bride (Bride)
- Eliwood: Blazing Knight (Legendary) - Ninian: Ice-Dragon Oracle (Legendary)
- Eliwood: Marquess Pherae (Brave) - Ninian: Bright-Eyed Bride (Bride)
- Roy: Blazing Bachelors (Groom Duo, with Eliwood) - Ninian: Bright-Eyed Bride (Bride)
- Roy: Blazing Bachelors (Groom Duo, with Eliwood) - Tiki: Harmonic Hope (Halloween Duo, with Ninian)
Fandom[]
- FAN FICTION
- Eliwood/Ninian tag on AO3
- Eliwood & Ninian tag on AO3
- Knight of Lycia and Child of Destiny Community on fanfiction.net
- FAN ART
- Eliwood/Ninian tag on Pixiv
Gallery[]
