Art by suzuki rika

Piercing Dusk

Crown Prince of Nohr
Xander

Art by haru (toyst)

No Justice

The eldest child of King Garon of Nohr, born to his first wife Katerina. The only child born through marriage, Xander had been raised since birth with the responsibility of his future reign on his shoulders. He was incredibly timid and frail as a young child, in stark contrast to his loud and foreboding father. Even in the days when the King was still good natured, Xander considered him the most intimidating man alive. Thus, he worked himself to the bone to become strong enough to earn his admiration, and gain the confidence to speak with him. Once his son had come out of his shell, the young boy came to resemble his father's youth far more, rambunctious and proud, but reliable.Garon's decision to keep every woman he'd fallen for as a concubine proved deadly for both them and their offspring, as the women by their own hands or through assassins slowly picked each other off. Katerina was no exception, having her throat slit in the night by a rogue hired by a concubine. Xander escaped the bloodshed and survived, along with Camilla, Leo, and the infant Elise. In the end, Garon's dozen sired children had dwindled to four.The deaths of his lovers and many of his children spiraled Garon into a deep depression, one Xander took note of. His previous fire and humor had died with them, and their rousing games of chess became silent and uncomfortable. There was no longer a caring father, just a man crushed by grief. When Court Mage Iago entered the picture, it did once again spark a new passion in the King, but not as a steadfast and benevolent man. He became cruel and power hungry, an inversion of the man Xander grew to love and respect. The lessons from father to son became cold lectures. The orders he had to follow became increasingly distasteful and malicious, making Xander border on mania at times. He devoted himself to protecting his siblings, pushing himself further and further to be the sole object of Garon's obsessions and expectations.Xander had not been privy to the finer details of his father's second marriage, short it may be. Queen consort Arete and her daughter Azura met a cold reception from the people of Nohr, who would not soon forget Katarina's radiance. The nursemaids kept the royal children away from the mother and daughter, though she was not there for long. Arete vanished without a word or a trace one night, leaving the children of Garon at five. Soon, another joined their family. The king returned from his meeting in Cheve with a child, that of Hoshido's king. The king he had slaughtered. He never spoke the truth directly, but Xander knew it. He was the only one who knew the ugly reality. His siblings accepted the child as part of their family without questioning their father or the child's origins. Xander had to bear the weight alone. Shortly afterwards, a thief entered the castle in the night, stealing away Azura rather than Corrin. Had they mistaken the child's identity, or did they merely want revenge? He couldn't say for sure.The pile on of pressure was slow, but the cracks eventually began to show. Xander could no longer outwardly show his compassion to his family, leaving the doting to Camilla. He had to be strong. His two retainers perished in a border skirmish, boiling his blood even further. He needed to be stronger. He couldn't lose any more of his family. He couldn't fail to meet his father's expectations, and let his cold demands fall on his siblings.Corrin's abduction and return to Hoshido did his collapsing mental state no favors.

Embrace the Dark
_{(Conquest)
(Heirs of Fate)}

Should Corrin return to Nohr and side with them, Xander leads the army's vanguard until reuniting with his siblings. They conquer Hoshido, unveil the true form of the creature that has taken Garon's place, and the war ends in Nohr's victory. Xander is crowned as King, and tries to repair the damage caused by his father.When the forces of Anankos invade, Xander is slain along with his comrades. Their children unite with the children of their foes from another world, and in defeating Anankos bring their worlds back to the way they should be.

Thorn in You
_{(Birthright)
(Heroes)}

Should Corrin decide to side with Hoshido in the War, Xander snaps. Losing yet another member of his family makes him manic, obsessed with getting them back.He spends the war trying to have Corrin captured, until resolving himself to slay them when they reach Castle Krakenburg. When Elise takes a fatal strike for them, he loses his will to live and battles in a suicidal duel. As the life fades from him and he gains clarity, he urges the Hoshidans to defeat Garon.But that was not the end for Xander. He was summoned to Embla by a contract fron Princess Veronica, subjugated to her will. Once the forces of Askr defeated him in battle, she could no longer bind him to her service. He was free to return to his world, and seek peace in the death he desired... But he persisted. He stayed at Veronica's side, taking this new lease on life as a second chance to protect someone. To attone for his failures. He serves as Veronica's retainer, and attempts to protect her from Surtr when their alliance falls through. The King of Múspell crushed and burned his arm, leaving him without the ability to fight. He continues to serve as a non-combatant, and assists Bruno in ending the curse of Embla.

True form of Evil
_{(Revelations)}

When Corrin chooses to side with neither Nohr or Hoshido, it still cuts deep, but is not as destructive to his psyche as the outright betrayal that was possible. He clashes with Hoshido on multiple occassions, and slowly becomes aware of the third party involved in the war, and his father's true allegiance to them.Xander joins with Corrin's army in descending into Valla, and learns the truth of his father's death and possession by Anankos.After the war, Xander becomes something of a radical in his reforms as King. It upsets some of the population who cling to the old ways, but it is ultimately in service of Nohr's future.

Art by kuroba k

A Dark Fall

[Trivia about my portrayal of Xander]• Xander has some kind of borderline personality disorder due to the horrors of his upbringing. It's the only way to explain the stark contradictions between his actions in the campaign and his sentiments in supports without wholly rewriting one or the other. It's possible he's afflicted with the same sort of curse that befell Garon and drove him mad, or the trauma has simply caused his irrationality and clouded decision making. He seems delusional at times, denying reality and things he knows to be true. Either way, Xander is not well and needs more professional help than even Corrin.
• Heroes Xander is supposed to be from early-game Conquest in Canon, but I made him Birthright Xander for several reasons. Conquest Xander has too many responsibilities to abandon in service of Veronica, with his own family to return to and care for. Birthright Xander provides a far more compelling dynamic, so I'll happily handwave the official dialogue that's long since been forgotten.
• Heroes Xander's arm never recovered from the damage done by Surtr, hence why he is never a combatant in the story after Book II. When fighting for Askr as one of the deployed heroes, Briedablik temporarily restores his ability to fight. When simply walking around the Order's HQ, his arm hangs at his side. This does not apply to Xanders summoned from other worlds, such as his Seasonal and Legendary forms. Only Pirate Xander is concretely a version of the one in Veronica's service.
• Xander's canon maid fetish (see: Siegbert's support with Felicia) is the reason Flora and Felicia became maids after being taken as political prisoners. It's a step up from slaves but. Still not great.