FE8 Beta

Characters - Chapters - Animations Beta Character Info

Many characters had different classes, portraits and joining times.

Ephraim's squad looked far different. Forde was a Ranger while Kyle was a level 10 Cavalier, meant in the tutorial to introduce promotions. Ephraim is also lacking a PRF Weapon.


Innes was originaly a Monk. This could mean that Frelia was originally planned to have Vidofnir and Ivaldi (or some other light tome). In the finalized version Hayden is referenced as the "Sage King" however his class in-game is a Ranger. This line is probably just a tidbit left over from the prototype versions that leaked through the cracks. It would make since that Hayden would be a magic using class if this were the case.

Amelia's role in the beta story is drasticly different than that of the final version. Amelia is the Princess of Frelia! She is a trainee flier (dubbed "Pegasus Rider") that could promote into Either Pegasus Knight or Wyvern Rider. Tana's character was originally a General (assumed to be Frelian).

In the beta versions L'Arachel is sporting a Tana-ish look and Tethys looks like the finalized Neimi (who doesn't have a portrait in this beta).


Joshua started as a pre-promote Swordmaster while Cormag started out as a Mercenary. A character named Nate was meant to be the game's playable Wyvern Rider instead.

Beta Chapter Ideas

Some chapters went through some radical changes from this beta to the final version.

One thing to notice is that Chapter 11 (Phantom Ship and Creeping Darkness) from the final version are not featured in this prototype.

Many chapters had their maps change from the beat to the final version.
The entire concept of Chapter 6 was scrapped. In the beta Chapter 6 Eirika and her companions traveled to an abandoned fortress and met a Sage named Saleh who quickly left their company. Novala and his forces came and attacked, they pulled out 3 hostages and demanded Eirika's bracelet. Eirika complied and the Grado soldiers killed the hostages regardless. The chapter was a survival mission, after 6 turns Saleh would return and finish off Novala if you did not (defeating Novala was another way to achieve victory). After Eirika and company leave the fort Ephraim, Forde and Kyle arrive in search of her.

Chapter 7 was planned to be a Fog of War map.

The boss of Chapter 8 was named Dyude Rubarth, one of Grado's seven generals (also known as "Blackstone").

Eirika automatically promoted at the start of Chapter 17.

Beta Animations

Eirika's original battle animation is far different from the final product. The style of the animation is notably different compared to the refined animations of FE7. The animation's shading feels more cartoony and the pose and attack feel unrealistic (in my opinion). The picture is of Eirika fighting against an enemy Eirika which has a silhouette for it's battle palette (there was no "Shadow Eirika" beta plot). Watch the full animation!


The Ranger class originally used the FE7 Nomadic Trooper animations. Whether this was actually intended or just the fact that they hadn't inserted/developed the new animations is unknown.


The monster animations also went through some decent changes from the beta to the final version. Like Eirika's Beta Animation the monsters share in that cartoony shading style and unrealistic attack styles (a dead guy can stretch like that? C'mon!). Watch the full animations!