View source for Gensopedia:Birth dates in Suikoden IV and Suikoden Tactics

The chronology of ''[[Suikoden IV]]'' (2004) and its companion title ''[[Suikoden Tactics]]'' (2005) has long been subject to minor contradictions between in-game dialogue, official guides, and later encyclopedic works. [[Gensopedia]] adopts a harmonized system for establishing the ages of characters in this period, privileging primary game evidence while using secondary sources to resolve inconsistencies.  

This system places the [[Island Liberation War]] in 306–307 and the [[Kooluk Empire]] coup and [[Evil Eye]] incidents in 308–309, following the framework of the ''[[Genso Suikoden Kiwami Encyclopedia]]''. Character ages are then calculated relative to these fixed dates.

===Methodology===
* '''Primary testimony:''' Dates provided by characters in-game are treated as primary testimony. These statements, however, may reflect rounding, imprecision, or in-world bias.
* '''Secondary harmonization:''' Where dialogue conflict with fixed dates, the chronology of the ''Kiwami Encyclopedia'' is given precedence, as it was produced to unify the series timeline.
* '''Strategy guide details:''' ''Suikoden IV'' and ''Suikoden Tactics'' guidebooks etc. supplements this by providing explicit ages, life events, and sequencing of character biographies.
* '''Approximation:''' When exact dates are uncertain, Gensopedia records a birth year as circa (''c.'') to acknowledge the one-year leeway created by in-world birthday timing.

===Anchor Cases===
Two characters provide the clearest anchors:  
* '''[[Flare]]''' is described as "just turned five" when the [[Rune of Punishment]] was used by the [[Queen of Obel]]. With the ''Kiwami Encyclopedia'' dating that event to ''c.''292, her birth year is set at ''c.''287. This reconciles her being 20 during the Island Liberation War and 22 during the Kooluk coup.  
* '''[[Kyril]]''' is stated to be 18 during the events of ''Suikoden Tactics''. With the coup dated to 308–309, his birth year is fixed at ''c.''291. The ''[[Rhapsodia Final Archive]]'', which notes his first journey with [[Walter]] at around age 13 and his wounding in 305, supports this calculation.  

These anchor cases establish the principle by which other characters' ages are measured against the timeline. This method of dating and Flare being described as "just turned five" also indicates that ''Suikoden IV'' and ''Suikoden Tactics'' does not follow the ''kazoedoshi'' system used in ''Suikoden I'', ''II'', and ''III''.

===Application===
All other characters appearing in ''Suikoden IV'' and ''Rhapsodia'' are assigned dates of birth relative to these event-years. Ages are cross-checked with the ''Kiwami Encyclopedia'' chronology, and discrepancies are resolved using the same circa-based system. In this way, the chronology of 306–309 serves as a stable framework for the broader cast.

===Editorial Position===
Because in-game dialogue is considered in-universe testimony rather than absolute chronology, Gensopedia uses the ''Kiwami Encyclopedia'' as the authoritative timeline while acknowledging primary dialogue as important contextual evidence. The adoption of ''c.''287 for Flare and ''c.''291 for Kyril provides a model for the ages of all characters in this era.

[[Category:Gensopedia]]