I'm not that surprised of the rise of Gaiden/Echoes characters due to the recent release of the remake and those outside of Japan finally got a chance to know these characters. Though I am a bit surprised that Celica is number one as I heard mixed views about her, even with her standing out as the deuteragonist of Shadows of Valentia and being included as one of the few non-Fates and Awakening characters in Fire Emblem Warriors. Hector is one I'm not surprised at all being number one in his division, considering how popular he is in the fandom.
I'm glad some of these characters (i.e., Sigurd, Reinhardt, Ninian, and Nino) found new members for their respective dedicated fanbase. What is also interesting is that there are still a decent amount of Fates characters in the poll despite how polarizing Fates is in the fanbase. Veronica placing number 5 is a bit odd considering, based on what I've read on the FE Heroes subreddit, she is not as well-received.







