We here at the Outerhaven have been celebrating Fire Emblem a lot this month as we prepared for the release of Shadows of Valentia. First, we did a piece about “Why Fire Emblem Matters“, and then we did a piece documenting “The Top Ten Best Fire Emblem Chapters“. But now, we’re arguably going to do the most controversial piece we can do about this series…we’re going to name the best Fire Emblem Lords.

Oh yeah, we’re going there. And to make it even MORE controversial…we’re having two of our top FE players do their own lists! *maniacal laughter*. Ok, we’re not doing it for controversy purposes, but rather, we know that our lists will be different, and we know that agreeing on one list won’t be easy, if even possible, so thus, we’re splitting them up.

For the record, as we note in the title above^^^, these are all the Lords from the FE games we’ve played. We could rank the others based on the story behind them (that we’d read through Wiki pages) but it’s just not the same. We’re ranking our Lords based on our time with them, how they play in a battle, how they act in the story, and so on. So to judge some of them based on simple text compiled by someone isn’t right. We WILL update this list when certain games come out…but until then…we have to judge by what we know.

So…let’s get started!

Todd’s List:

Honorable Mention Part 1: Alfonse and Sharena

Surprised? You shouldn’t be. The newest Lords of the Fire Emblem series deserve to be on this list. Straight from Heroes, Alfonse and Sharena are only the second brother-sister Lord duo the series has ever had. And though the story of Heroes is broken up into minute long (or so) chapters and even shorter cutscenes, we do know a lot about these characters.

Alfonse is very serious, and hates being attached to his fellow heroes because of the loss of Zacharias. This loss weighs heavily on him, and thus he can be a rather somber character. On the contrast, Sharena is very kind and upbeat, and very much counters the attitude that Alfonse has at times.

Both are true friends and warriors, and deserve respect for their never failing loyalty to their kingdom, and to the kingdom of all the Heroes. So…why an Honorable Mention? Well…though they are the main characters…their story will likely never match up to even the lowest of the Lords. This is not their fault, but rather Heroes fault for simplistic chapters that at times barely delves into the story. Plus, supports are virtually non-existent here, so it’s hard to go deeper into their characters.

Still though, they’re pretty cool in our book, and they’re pretty epic units if you raise them right. That’s enough to be on my list.

Honorable Mention Part 2 – The Japanese Lords

Oh don’t get mad! You should be honored! I could’ve easily left off all the Lords who have only been seen in Japan (fanslation doesn’t count!) and never been fully brought over to the US. But honestly, it doesn’t feel right doing that.

Again, I don’t rank them because I don’t know them that well. Yes, I know how Sigurd dies, and how Seliph never wanted to be what he became, how Roy has no love for battle (thanks for the correction guys!), and so on. They’re all great characters, it’s just that I don’t know them. But I know some people do, so I’m honoring them by placing them here.

So for you fans of Sigurd, Seliph, Roy, Leif, and yes, Alm and Celica (who may arrive later on…) know that I haven’t forgotten about that, I just can’t put them on this list without knowing them in full.

And now…onto the countdown.

12. Micaiah

I love the Tellius series in Fire Emblem. So you might be wondering how my “best Fire Emblem Lords” list starts off with one of those Lords being at the bottom. It’s easy, I hate Micaiah.

Now, I don’t hate her because of her role in the game per se. She’s totally on the right side of many of the conflicts. She SHOULD fight for her home to be free, she SHOULD want to end the tyranny that threatens her home and her friends and she SHOULD want to free the world from the wrath of the goddess Ashera…but…does she have to be such a brat doing it?

I am not afraid to say I am a little bias here, because a lot of my hate stems from the fact that she hates a person who “helped” put her in the position she is. Even though…she’s now in that position herself, and thinks she’s on the high ground. Right…

Also, she at times lacks a spine, and can let the wills of others bend her, which is stupid at points in the story. 

Now on the plus side, she is a kind-hearted soul, and she believes in equality for all, and freedom above all else. That’s beautiful, but at times…yeah, it doesn’t make up for who she is. Like when she insults Sothe (her future husband) because of his admiration for a certain other Lord, claiming that that Lord is going to be the father of Sothe’s child…NOT…COOL!!!!!

11. Eliwood

I’m going to be honest here…Eliwood gets a bad rap. Now, I can understand part of it, it’s because in the game, his stats aren’t anywhere close to Lyn or Hector, even with the Blazing Blade that his game is named after, and he’s arguably more famous for being the father of Roy than anything else. But…that doesn’t mean he’s not a good character. And he’s honestly this low on my list not because of being bad, but because I like my other picks more. There’s a big difference.

Anyway, Eliwood may have the more straightforward of Lord stories, as he’s just trying to save his father, but there’s a lot of complexity and hurt that goes with that story. Such as how he accidentally kills Ninian, who is a potential future wife of his, and the pain he feels is very real. And by the end, he knows that he’s hurt people he loves, but in their honor, and in their name, he refuses to fail, and doesn’t, he succeeds, and because of that (and whoever you put him with), Roy is born.

We sometimes put characters above others for good reasons, but that doesn’t mean that being a decent Lord is a bad thing. I’d rather have him over Micaiah any day of the week! I’m just saying…

10. Lucina

*gets pelted by rocks*

Ow, ow, OW!!! SERIOUSLY?!?!?! Come on!!! It’s my opinion piece!!!! Where was I?

Ah, right, Lucina, again, this is a case that’s not about her bad, but rather the other Lords (TO ME!!!) are better than her. But that’s not to say she doesn’t merit, because she has a heck of a lot! Her entrance in Fire Emblem Awakening is still one of the coolest things ever, and I was one of the many who didn’t know she was a girl, or was from the future, and so on. Lucina is pretty freaking epic in a lot of ways.

Plus, she also has one of the most painful stories in all of Fire Emblem. She’s from a future where Grima lives, and everyone else is basically dead, so she came from the future to the past to save Chrom (her father) and save the future. That’s deep.

Plus, though she is a hardened warrior, she’s still very much a child. She’s afraid of bugs, has no fashion sense, and can be a funny girl overall. There’s nothing wrong with that.

But, to me, outside of that story, and those quirks, she doesn’t hold up to the others on the list. Maybe it was because I rarely used her in battle, that may be it, but to me, she’s good, but she’s not great.

*gets pelted by rocks again* OH COME ON!!!

09. Corrin

Fire Emblem Fates had a unique job in front of them with their main character Corrin. Because they had to basically tell this character three different ways. Those ways being: Birthright, Conquest, and Revelation. Don’t get me wrong, at their core, Corrin is the same, but the lengths they’re willing to go, and the decisions they’re willing to make varies from game to game. So it honestly makes you wonder…who’s the real Corrin?

That’s part of the reason that Corrin is so low on the list. The other is that at times, they’re totally overshadowed by their siblings, no matter what side they’re on. Should we call this the “Lucina effect”? Where a family member is more popular than you in some ways? I’m just saying.

I’ll always respect Corrin though for being willing to do what needed to be done. Conquest and Revelation especially showed this, as they were willing to let the wrong side win in Conquest in order to ensure the throne of Nohr was not wielded by Garnon. And then in Revelation, they were willing to shun both families to try and find a better path. That’s guts.

Again, good characters, and ones I’m happy to have played.

08. Robin

With each bump up the list, it gets harder and harder to judge these Fire Emblem Lords. And it’s almost painful to put Robin this low. But, I have to.

Robin can be argued that he’s not a Lord, and I can understand that, but to me and Tyler, he/she is. They’re of royal blood, it’s just that the blood is evil…that’s not his/her fault. Plus, Robin is another character that has a very deep backstory routed in pain. In this case, he has visions about killing his best friend Chrom, and once he finds out he’s a part of Grima, he feels that he’s going to end the world.

To that end, they’re even willing to let themselves die by Lucina’s hands just to ensure that the world doesn’t fall to him/her. That’s pretty cool. And yeah, Robin has some of the best lines in the Fire Emblem series, with “Now that’s strategy”, “It’s time to tip the scales!” and more being already storied lines.

So why so low? Or low-ish? Again, it’s context. I LOVE Robin, I do, they totally deserve to be in Smash Bros., they’re a part of the FE lore forever for the best reasons, I just love the other Lords more.

7. Chrom

…don’t look at me like that.

Chrom is another case of me hating to put him so low, but again, context is everything. Yes, he’s a great unit in Fire Emblem Awakening, and in the end his friendship with Robin was one of the coolest and most noble friendships in the Fire Emblem series. But that doesn’t mean he’s a top Lord. But that doesn’t almost mean that this ranking means I think he sucks.

The story of Awakening told a tale of many different versions of Chrom when you think of it. There’s the Shepherd Chrom, who is a protector of the realm, the King who must take over after the loss of his sister Emmeryn and fights to keep his kingdom free of oppression, AND, there’s father Chrom, who is put into an interesting position where he has to look over and protect his daughter who has come from the future. Seeing them together is a beautiful thing, and something that will be remembered.

Chrom is a favorite of a certain other person who’s going to be making a list, and Chrom is a big reason for Awakening’s success. I have nothing but praise for him, but, he still has to settle for 7. Sorry.

6. Marth

You thought you were salty BEFORE huh?

Look, Marth is a special Fire Emblem Lord, and totally deserves to be in the top half based on importance alone. He’s the ORIGINAL Fire Emblem Lord. The one that set the tone, who started a franchise, and showed just how deep a character arc could be. This is a prince who is forced into exile, finds out his father was betrayed and killed, then has to rally allies wherever he can just so he can have his life and sister back. All to find out that can’t be the case. Then, in the sequel (which I do know about!), Marth has to fight another betrayal, being labeled a traitor, and having his kingdom taken from him!

See? That’s a lot for a few games. But Marth did it, he never gave up, and he relied on his friends and loved ones to get him through the dark times. That’s dedication, that’s strength and perservence, and that’s the bar that all Lords in the series are held up to. His reward for such strength? The true defeat of Medeus, he finally gets to take Caeda as his wife, and he’s declared Emperor of a continent. That’s pretty epic for the Lord of the game.

Now true, Shadow Dragon may not be the best Fire Emblem game, but it’s hard to deny that Marth is a freaking epic Lord.

5. Lyn

Ah, the girl from the plains, how epic you are.

If you recall, during the Fire Emblem Heroes “choose your legends” event, Lyn won outright. Even counting the male lords. Lyn won, period. And for good reason. Because for many, she was the first Fire Emblem Lord we ever met. Recall, Marth may have been in Smash Bros., but that doesn’t mean we knew who he was. But Lyn? She was in the first Fire Emblem game brought over to America and the rest of the world, and let’s just say, she made an impression.

From humble beginnings, we watched Lyn go from a simple swordsgirl on the plains to the princess of Caelin, to one of the heroes who freed the world from the evil of Nergal and the dragons he managed to summon.

But for many, it was her personality that won a lot of hearts (and yes, I know stat wise she’s epic too, I played the game!). She’s very kind, but when her switch is flipped, you better look out! Plus, she’s a very special kind of character because she “doesn’t lie”, no seriously, she doesn’t. So she ALWAYS lets you know what’s on her mind. That’s freaking awesome. I’d marry her.

Unlike Eliwood and Hector, she didn’t appear in Binding Blade, but that’s ok, it’d be hard to top her performance in Blazing Sword.

Never change oh girl of the plains.

4. Eirika

Ok…I might be biased here because I have a thing for blue-haired girls, but truly, I love Eirika, and she is my favorite female Lord in Fire Emblem.

Why? Well, it’s an odd thing really. Despite her being a Lord, and very much the opposite of Lyndis…Eirika doesn’t want to fight. In fact, she only learns to wield her rapier because she has to, not because she wants to, and that mentality persists through the game. Even at the end, when she is forced to confront Lyon, she still believes there is good in him, and wants desperately to free him from the Demon King, even giving him a Sacred Stone to try and break that curse.

She’ll never raise a sword unless she knows there’s no other option, and even then, she’ll keep pushing for peace. That’s…beautiful to me. Eirika may just be the most kindhearted person in Fire Emblem (I know some Elincia fans would disagree, I love her too!). That’s nothing to be ashamed of. 

Even in Fire Emblem Heroes you see that personality shine through, where in her critical attacks she’ll cry out, “If this is war then so be it!”

And when all was said and done? She put down her sword, and lived either a happy life supporting her brother, or as a wife to another character. She deserves a happy ending.

3. Ephraim

This one was close, I could’ve EASILY put Ephraim as my number 2 Lord, but I’m fine with him being next to Eirika, and 3 is my lucky number! Double bonus!

So, why Ephraim? Well, some people are just made epic, and these Fire Emblem Lords from 3 above definitely have that quality. Ephraim is one of the standard bearers for being an epic Lord. Great stats, great personality, great story, he’s got it all.

How epic is he? When his friends are worried about losing a fight, he turned to them and goes, “Trust Me. I don’t pick fights I can’t win.” How epic is he? His loyalty to his friends and family drove him to try and stop a war almost singlehandedly. How epic is he? When faced down his former friend and now foe Prince Lyon, and was told that he was the weaker of the two at last, he went, “No, you’re still no match for me Lyon.”

You know how much of a freaking boss you are when you can say that, believe it, and back it up?!?!!?

I’m just saying, Ephraim deserves a top spot, and as if that’s not enough, when all was said and done, he led his nation to prosperity. That’s cool.

2. Hector

Let’s be honest here…who doesn’t love Hector? He’s a brute, but a loveable brute. He’s brash, yet backs it up. His loyalty to his friends is unquestionable, even if his chats with them aren’t always the most friendly of chats. Like with Lyn, who chat with Hector in such a way that Eliwood wonders if they’re actually fighting, or becoming closer as friends. The latter was true.

Plus, he’s one of the most stacked Lords out there. He’s got great HP, Strength, and Defense. He’s a literal tank, and that’s so cool.

But for me, what will always separate Hector from other Lords (including my No.1) is that when given the choice to wield the legendary axe Armads and told he will die in battle or not take it and possibly live peacefully…he takes it. Because he knows he’ll need all the power he can get to help Eliwood, and that’s exactly what he did.

That’s not to say he didn’t live a good life before his death. He had four potential wives in the game, one of which was Lyn! And they had Lillina, who was a key part of Binding Blade.

So for being a good warrior, a good friend, a good father, and a great Lord, Hector deserves my No.2 spot.

No.1 Ike

Him. Yeah. Him. I’m sorry if this makes you mad, I honestly don’t care how you feel about this one. Ike is the greatest of the Fire Emblem Lords. Period. Bar none.

Why? Because he’s truly unlike any other Lord on this list. Yes, he’s as blunt as Hector and Lyn, is as confident as Ephraim, and as loyal as Robin, but that’s just pieces of who he is. The rest is just as awesome.

Unlike every single Lord on this list, Ike isn’t of royal blood (remember, Micaiah is the princess of Begnion and Robin is royalty too technically). He’s the son of a mercenary. He was raised to be his fathers successor in the mercenary group he ran. But when Daein invaded Crimea, he became so much more.

He became the personal bodyguard of Princess Elincia, he became the man who helped unite the Laguz tribes, and one of the ONLY humans all the tribes truly trusted. He brought down kingdoms, killed goddesses, dragons, and more! And that’s STILL not why he’s the most epic Lord.

What makes Ike, well, Ike, is that he is steadfast in what he is. Yes, that may sound like Eirika, but Ike takes it to a whole new level. He treats everyone equally, even foes in battle. He treated Princess Ellincia in such a familiar and friendly way that it made her happy whenver he was around because he was one of the few that didn’t see her as Princess, but as a person. When he made an accidental slight against a Laguz (by calling them sub-humans) he immediately apologized, and even took a strike from them to stop a fight from happening because of it. He even challenged Apostle Sanaki (who totally deserved it!) and demanded that she apologize to Ellincia for a “game” she played.

Still not enough? He HATED the idea of being a noble, he didn’t want it. And only took it when it was demanded of him…twice! That’s right, he became a noble, resigned after Path of Radiance, was forced into promotion once again, and you know what he said? “Not again…” he didn’t want to be royalty! Or a noble, he wanted to be Ike, a warrior, a protector, a man of the people.

Ike is the only Lord (to my knowledge!) that cannot be married. Not that he can’t wed, he has people he could totally marry! But, that wasn’t his path. The end of Radiant Dawn tells that he left Tellius behind, and in doing so, became a legend that everyone knew. 

That’s how epic Ike is. And you know I mean that, because I haven’t even talked about his battle skill and strength. That speaks for itself. Know what? Scratch that, Ike’s so strong and powerful that even Fire Emblem Heroes acknowledged that he’s the strongest of all the Lords! Take. That.

So, that’s my list of Fire Emblem Lords. Go to Page 2 to read Tyler’s list! (click the button below!)