During the Nintendo Switch presentation this past Thursday, we got a tease of Fire Emblem Warriors — the next game in Koei Tecmo’s long-running Warriors/Musou franchise and their second collaboration with Nintendo after Hyrule Warriors. While little — in fact, almost nothing — was revealed about the game, it was soon announced that this upcoming Wednesday would host a Fire Emblem Direct that would offer some further details about the title.
Certain fighters are inevitable. Chrom has already basically been confirmed given his appearance in the teaser, and, going by the cameos of their weapons in the trailer, it seems that Corrin, Ryoma, Xander and Marth are also shoo-ins. It would also be likely that Smash Bros.’s Fire Emblem characters — Ike, Robin, Lucina and Roy — will also make the cut. Who else has a shot, though? We asked members of the Nintendo Wire team for their dream fighters, and these are the 18 Emblemiers we want to see cut down the competition:
Ben’s wishlist
1. Leif
The Fire Emblem franchise is one of my absolute favorites, stretching from the Famicom all the way to today. There are legions of characters that we in the West barely even know of, so I’ll be shedding a little light on some of the older guard.
One character I’m hoping for is Leif, the protagonist of Fire Emblem: Thracia 776 and a co-star in Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War. While at a glance he appears to be another sword-wielding prince, his class in Genealogy of the Holy War — the Master Knight — has a huge range of weapons at its disposal, from lances to bows to even magic. Not to mention he could utilize some of Thracia’s unique mechanics as a part of his moveset, like capturing enemies to take their gold and weapons. I also enjoy him from a character perspective, though that probably won’t matter much in a game that’s presumably light on plot.
2. Arvis
On a more villainous note, I’d like to see Arvis, one of the main villains of Genealogy of the Holy War, as a playable character. An expert in fire magic who wields the legendary Valflame, he could also utilize spells like Meteor to become a more flame-oriented mage. He also can also wield other weapons in-game, giving him room for variety. Arvis is one of the more memorable villains in the franchise, and I’d love for him to get some appreciation and recognition.
3. Hector
I’d be remiss, however, if I didn’t mention my all-time favorite FE character: Hector from Fire Emblem: Blazing Sword (called just “Fire Emblem” in the States). Being a heavy, axe-wielding lord, he could provide more variety compared to the slew of sword-wielders that are sure to show up. He would work great as a slow, strong type who cuts down hordes on the battlefield, considering he was already crazy strong in his original game. While there are many Fire Emblem characters I would love to see in the game, Hector is the only one I’d say I need, whether he comes packed-in or eventually as DLC.
Ricky’s wishlist
4. Micaiah
Like many, I was introduced to Fire Emblem thanks to Marth and Roy in Super Smash Bros. Melee and fell in love with it thanks to the first localized entry, called Blazing Sword in Japan. I poured hours and hours into this one, and one character was always my go-to favorite: Lucius. He was the series’s first Monk character, a class of unpromoted users of Light magic who could frequently strike twice and land crits handily. Now, as much as I’d love for him to make it in, I can recognize that his chances are a little slim when looking at the series as a whole.
That’s why, in the spirit of admiration for my favorite class, I’d like to see Micaiah, protagonist of Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn, make the cut instead. As divisive a character she is to some fans, Micaiah is still a magic-wielding Lord in a sea of blue-haired swordsmen and would add variety to a Warriors game lineup. She would bring the whole spectrum of Light magic to the fray, though she wouldn’t be complete without her signature Thani tome as her cinematic special attack. It would also be a chance to paint her in a new “light,” giving her a second chance to win fans over via a hypothetical campaign appearance and some well-done gameplay. I’ve always enjoyed her design and character flaws, and even though Ike may be the undisputed face of the Tellius games, I still feel there’s room for the Dawn Brigade’s leader to be its heart.
5. Jaffar
Dipping back to Blazing Sword, it also features one of my favorite villains-turned-allies in any RPG. Jaffar exists as a killing machine of a man, dedicated only to the game’s villain, Nergal. He introduced and defined the Assassin class, and, unlike Lucius, carries a unique side plot within the game outside of Supports. Having his wounds tended to by the young mage Nino, her kindness softens Jaffar’s heart and allows him to shift his dedication to her and follow her into the ranks of playable characters. Perhaps the greatest compliment I can give Jaffar is that, even as a pre-promoted unit, he’s both viable and interesting, putting the Killing Edge to good use with frequent critical hits. His flashy animations from the GBA game could translate well to a Warriors title, allowing Jaffar to show off his Lethality skill and dart around with dual knives as a dervish of death and unrepentant coldness. Bonus points if Nino can come along for the ride, though her magic-wielding competition is a bit stiffer.
6. Tharja
Last but not least from me is a girl that I think has a pretty dang good shot of making the Fire Emblem Warriors roster. Fire Emblem Awakening brought these games to a much wider audience and within its cast lies a darkness that lurks behind you at all times, biding its time ’til it can say and consume you. I speak, of course, of my chosen wife, Tharja.
Her creepy personality mixed well with the likes of Henry and Lon’qu in Supports, but for better or worse, Tharja is defined by her stalker-like devotion to you, the avatar. She’s one of the most popular characters in Awakening and, while she may rub some the wrong way, there’s no denying that her Dark magic could bring some fantastic visual flair to Warriors. To have a character that derives some measure of glee from using Dark magic rather than possessing a more stoic, academic stance that many other practitioners in the series have would be great, though I can see others filling that role as well. However, having already made a crossover appearance in a way thanks to Tokyo Mirage Sessions, I think Tharja would be sorely missed if her appearance there ruined her chances of getting into Fire Emblem Warriors.
Daniel’s wishlist
7. Owain
I, admittedly, came to the Fire Emblem party a little late. While I had been aware of Marth, Ike and Roy since the days of Super Smash Bros. Melee and Brawl, the series never really piqued my interest. Even after the announcement of Corrin and Lucina for Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Nintendo 3DS, I didn’t feel any need to play the games until my roommate convinced me otherwise. That being said, Fire Emblem Awakening was my first, and thus holds a very special place in my heart, having also become one of my favorite 3DS titles.
My first pick needs no introduction — and no aid. I’m talking, of course, about Owain — son of Lissa, nephew of Prince Chrom and resident dork of Ylisse. His ridiculous, over-the-top catchphrases and Support conversations made me fall in love with him and contributed majorly to the game’s overall character. A Fire Emblem Warriors game without him shouting about his sword hand while in the midst of battle or seeing his hilarious lines of dialogue within the game’s story mode just wouldn’t feel complete.
While his inclusion would add yet another swordfighter to the Fire Emblem Warriors roster (’cause, let’s be real: there’s gonna be a ton of ’em), I imagine him also having access to an alternate costume and weapon pulled from his appearance in Fire Emblem Fates. As Odin (Dark), he would be able to use tomes and magic as well as his ludicrous, fan-servicey Fates outfit — shredded abs and all. Let’s just hope that as Odin, he isn’t nearly as terrible of a unit as he was in Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest. Cough…
8. Kiragi
One of my favorite units from Fire Emblem Fates was Kiragi, the royal son of Prince Takumi. Constantly chipper and optimistic even in the face of relentless danger, Kiragi’s addition to Fire Emblem Warriors, however unlikely, would bring some definite color to the game. His Support conversations with his father, as well as other child units like Midori and Rhajat, were among my favorites in Fates. Additionally, given his Archer starting class, his inclusion would allow for a bow-and-arrow weapon — something never quite fully realized in Hyrule Warriors.
9. Itsuki
My last pick for Fire Emblem Warriors has to be Itsuki Aoi, the main protagonist of Tokyo Mirage Sessions, the Fire Emblem/Shin Megami Tensei crossover game released in the West last year. But Daniel, he isn’t really even a Fire Embl — Yeah, yeah, I know, but this is a wishlist, so if you don’t like it, then, I dunno… cover these three paragraphs with your palm and scroll down to the next character or something.
After the idea was jokingly floated by Nintendo Wire contributor Logan Plant, I realized what an absolutely fantastic addition he’d be to the Fire Emblem Warriors roster — y’know, as a sort of joke character like Tingle in Hyrule Warriors, but with a microphone and J-pop. He’d have an array of costumes, including his street clothes, Carnage Form outfit and Marth outfit, as well as a variety of swords and Thunder magic weapons. Just imagine how completely hilarious and out of place he’d be, cutting down enemies in a whirlwind of lights and colors before finishing with a Duo Art duet that wipes out 100 enemies with one beautifully bubblegummy musical number.
If Itsuki has any chance at all (and he doesn’t), it’ll be as an add-on character in a DLC pack, which there’ll probably be tons of if Hyrule Warriors is any indication.
Jaxson’s wishlist
10. Ephraim and/or Erika
Like Ricky, Super Smash Bros. Melee was my first experience with Fire Emblem characters. I frequently played Roy while always wondering which game he was actually from. Once I found out that it was Fire Emblem, I was constantly on the lookout for these titles here in the States. My first Fire Emblem game was Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones, which featured the twin Lords of Renais, Eirika and Ephraim, who wield a Rapier and a Lance, respectively. I quickly became devoted to the series as a whole thanks to these wonderful characters, and I would love to see them return in Fire Emblem Warriors, whether it’s just one (My vote would be Ephraim) or both of them.
11. The Black Knight
Another Fire Emblem game that is bound to get recognition in Fire Emblem Warriors is Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance. Now, that game’s Lord, Ike, is practically a shoo-in after his appearances in the Super Smash Bros. series, but another incredible addition would be one of the game’s mysterious antagonists and Ike’s rival, the Black Knight. Nothing would be better than seeing this fearsome and gigantic warrior stomp around the battlefield, felling enemies left and right with his sword, Alondite. With his blessed armor, impervious to all weapons that have not been blessed by the goddess, the Black Knight would be unstoppable.
12. Anna
Last but not least is everyone’s favorite red-headed merchant, Anna. She is bound to make an appearance, since she appears in almost every entry in the series, but is traditionally not playable. Recent games, such as Awakening and Fates, have had an increased role for her, and featured her as a recruitable character. She is a quick and formidable fighter and has been seen as a member of many different classes throughout the series, so there’s no telling exactly what she could do.
Matthew’s wishlist
13. Sylvia, 14. Lara, 15. Olivia
For a series rife with serious political conflict and deep strategic gameplay mechanics, surprisingly few Fire Emblem fanatics give deserved recognition to the elegant, useful and ever reliable dancer class. Sure, I understand that support characters are not necessarily known for their combative prowess, perhaps serving the last class most would consider viable for the hack-’n-slash nature of a Warriors-themed title. Yet I wholeheartedly believe support-heavy characters like Sylvia, Lara or Olivia could easily flesh out the oversaturated cast of weapon-wielding warriors and Valflame-casting mages dominating this wishlist.
Imagine performing beautifully choreographed attacks that replenish another player’s Special during cooperative multiplayer, or blessing an ally’s attacks with additional stat bonuses in a flurry of fluid, seductive dances. Personally, these are the types of unique twists and turns I’d love to see incorporated in the occasionally tedious and relatively stagnant Musou genre, all while simultaneously showcasing great admiration and respect for the series’ source material.
George’s wishlist
16. Emmeryn
Now I’ll admit, I don’t have as much experience with the Fire Emblem series as some of the other writers here, but that doesn’t bar my love for it in the slightest. Because of this, my picks are from the newer entries in the franchise, and a lot of this has to do with the fact that I have a lot more connection to these characters — the first of which is Emmeryn, from Awakening.
Emmeryn wasn’t originally a playable character in Awakening, and just in case you still haven’t played it I won’t spoil what happens with her, however she was added later into the game via SpotPass. Despite her original non-playability, Emmeryn was a character I immediately took to, and I think many can agree with me in saying that she was one of the greatest characters to be introduced, especially so quickly, in the game. As Chrom’s sister, and someone who prides herself on her pacifist nature, I think it’d be fascinating to see her in a Warriors setting. If I really had my way, I’d love to see both Chrom’s sisters included in the game, but between Lissa and Emmeryn, I think Emmeryn would stand out beautifully in a roster full of swordfighters.
17. Camilla or Elise
From Fire Emblem Fates, I think Camilla or Elise would make fantastic additions to the roster. Both fan favorites, I love the idea of having mounted characters to play as. We know it’s possible — one of Link’s weapons in Hyrule Warriors was his horse — but especially when it comes to Camilla, having a flying mount would be an extremely individualistic and exciting way to play. In Elise’s defense, though, playing as a child support could be just as unique and extremely fun as well, so I think there’s potential here for either one. Plus, their personalities are more than entertaining, which I’d love to see incorporated into whatever story Koei Tecmo develops.
18. Panne
Lastly, I’d love to see the introduction of Panne from Awakening. While she’s one of the more minor characters from the game, she was the first character to use the then-new Beaststone as her weapon, and I’d love to see Koei Tecmo translate that into a Warriors game. Playing as a character that has the ability to change form at will (into a large rabbit-beast, no less) would prove to be something we haven’t seen yet. One of Fire Emblem’s greatest traits in my opinion is the inclusion of so many different classes. The Taguel is a great example of this, and to have Koei Tecmo make a Fire Emblem-based game without finding a way to implement the diversity of its classes would be a huge missed opportunity, if you ask me.
Fire Emblem is a massive franchise, spanning 14 entries and hundreds of characters. It seems well-equipped for the Warriors series with its huge array of potential fighters and deep history. However, many questions will have to be answered — will KT focus on representation of the various games’ main characters or on variety of classes? Will they put more emphasis on modern Fie Emblem titles, or try to spread the love to older, lesser-known titles? The question has yet to be answered, though it seems it will soon enough.
What about you? Who are your hopefuls for Fire Emblem Warriors? Share your wishlist in the comments below!
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Written by Amelia Fruzzetti
A writer and Nintendo fan based in Seattle, Washington. When not working for NinWire, she can be found eating pasta, writing stories, and wondering about when Mother 3 is finally going to get an official localization.
