Together We Fight...

Anna is the closest thing Fire Emblem has to a series mascot, and she has made appearances in (almost) every game in the franchise. This is quite the feat when you consider that the series spans several centuries! Anna takes on various roles, but she is usually depicted as a world-travelling merchant who loves money. She also acts as a guide, and occasionally breaks the fourth wall to address players directly in menu screens and tutorials. She was finally featured as a playable character in Awakening, and she was surprisingly versatile. The elusive trickster could heal, fight, and unlock almost anything. She’d be ranked higher on this list if not for the fact that there are multiple Annas. The identical sisters share a name and wear the same sly smile, but it’s not entirely fair to count them as a single character.

Tiki comes across as a precocious young girl with an innocent outlook on life. Although she looks harmless, she’s actually an ancient member of the Divine Dragon tribe. She can take the form of a dragon, and she houses enough power to eradicate entire continents! For this reason, her mother placed her in an unending sleep to prevent her from degenerating into madness. After Tiki was unsealed and re-introduced to human civilization, she was quick to attach herself to others. It’s understandable why she didn’t want to be left alone after a 500-year slumber. Tiki had a recurring role in the first six Fire Emblem games, and resurfaced again in Awakening, set thousands of years in the future. She was more refined in this outing, and she had grown up in more ways than one. Let’s just say that the years were very nice to her.

Edelgard von Hresvelg is heir to the Adrestian throne, but this doesn’t mean that the Crown Princess had an easy upbringing. She was subjected to unethical experiments as a child, and her white hair serves as a solemn reminder of her past trauma. Edelgard carries the weight of a nation on her shoulders, and she’s willing to commit unspeakable atrocities to achieve her vision of a better world. She’ll align with monsters and sacrifice her friends in the name of her ambition, and she’s charismatic enough to convince others to follow her into the abyss. Although Edelgard is not likely to win any popularity contests, she’s one of the most complex Fire Emblem characters. She’s an intriguing, believable, and layered individual, and her actions ultimately define the second half of Fire Emblem: Three Houses.

Fire Emblem Awakening saved the series from the brink of cancellation 2012, and it would be disingenuous to pretend that twaifus like Tharja didn’t have something to do with the game’s success. Tharja is endowed with dark magic and even darker thoughts, and she develops an unhealthy obsession for the player’s avatar. She stalks them from a distance, records their actions, and even watches them sleep! Although she is said to have the nicest body in the army, she’s completely unaware of her sex appeal. Instead of relying on her feminine charms, she casts curses and hexes to get what she wants. Tharja performs her role nicely in battle, but she’s on this list because of how entertaining her support conversations are. I appreciate her sarcasm almost as much as I appreciate her see-through body stocking.

As the eldest daughter of the Nohr royal family, Camilla acts as a protective figure to her siblings. Even though she’s a beautiful princess, she can be surprisingly merciless when the situation calls for it. The statuesque stunner fights for her kingdom on the back of an undead wyvern, and she tears her enemies asunder with an assortment of giant axes. She’s an exemplary warrior with an intriguing backstory, but these attributes are overshadowed by her seductive personality. Most of her hobbies involve hot springs or bathing, and nearly every aspect of her character is informed by fanservice. It’s no accident that her armored corset leaves her panties exposed, and her heaving breasts are so in-your-face that the player’s avatar literally bounces off of them at one point. Aren’t boobs wonderful?

Marth’s appearance on this list isn’t surprising, but it’s better to be predictable than contrarian. The exiled Prince of Altea was the central protagonist in the first Fire Emblem game, and he can be viewed as the face of the franchise. He’s had guest roles in other games – including the Smash Bros. series – and other Fire Emblem characters have even cosplayed as him! Although he could have landed a spot on this countdown based on his legacy alone, he also has an intriguing story to tell. Marth is an exceptional swordfighter who’s armed with a divine blade, but his back was against the wall when his kingdom was usurped. With no other alternatives, he built an army from the ranks of his defeated enemies and was eventually able to reunite the war-torn land. For someone who hates conflict, he sure excels at it.

Hector is one of three protagonists from The Blazing Blade, and he stands out for a number of reasons. While most Fire Emblem Lords arm themselves with swords, Hector literally has an axe to grind. His massive weapons would be too heavy for a normal man to lift, but Hector fights one-handed because he’s an absolute unit. Few characters in the series can match his raw power and physical durability, and he rarely has to worry about survival. Hector is a reliable individual and a respectable leader who stands up for his friends and kingdom. He has no time for formalities, however, and his eagerness for battle is unrivaled. “A little too much” is just enough as far as he’s concerned. Brash, passionate, and loyal to a fault, Hector’s actions could be mistaken for recklessness if he wasn’t such a powerhouse.

The Blazing Blade was the first Fire Emblem released in North America, so a lot of fans have a soft spot for Lyndis. Her parents were killed prior to the events of the game, and Lyn is living a nomadic life when we meet her. She finds a new purpose after meeting a mysterious traveler, however, and her interest in swordsmanship is renewed at this point. She plans to exact revenge on the bandits that slaughtered her tribe, and the stakes keep increasing as her circle of friends expands. She eventually ends up stopping the planned usurping of the throne by a power-hungry General! Lyn is a versatile warrior who’s effective with swords and bows, and she becomes stronger and more confident as the story progresses. She was a sympathetic character from the very beginning, and her journey of personal growth is remarkable.

When we first meet Lucina in Fire Emblem Awakening, she passes herself off as Marth. She disguises her voice, wears a mask, and represses her emotions so people will accept her as the Hero-King of legend. Incidentally, Lucina actually came from a tragic future where nearly all the heroes were killed. After traveling back in time, she took Marth’s name to bolster the morale of her own army. While her swordsmanship and leadership abilities are immediately apparent, her true personality doesn’t manifest itself until her true identity is revealed. She turns out to be an emotionally complex character with a surprisingly great sense of humor. Lucina will stop at nothing to save her father and alter the dark future, and few characters on this list have more mental fortitude. Although she’s well acquainted with death, her hope will never die.

In a world where stature is determined by bloodline or birthright, Ike is a self-made man. The fearless leader of the Greil Mercenaries was the first main protagonist who was not born into nobility. Although he’s a reliable soldier who swings his greatsword with ease, he’s never eager to raise a blade. War has cost him dearly, but he wants to keep others from losing what he has lost. To that end, Ike is a complete beast on the battlefield. He’s one of the most powerful Fire Emblem Lords ever, and he can potentially complete every mission by himself! Ike is a man of few words, but his actions speak for themselves. The mannerless mercenary is a veritable one-man-army who leads a vast coalition, overthrows the Mad King, and restores a fallen nation. Rest assured, Ike has more passion that his blunt demeanor would suggest.