Fire Emblem Engage is set to come to Switch on 23rd January, 2023, bringing the series to the new world of Elyos. As we have come to expect from the franchise, Engage will introduce us to a new team of heroes but, as confirmed by Nintendo, there are also set to be cameos from few recognisable faces of entries past.
Summoned via magical rings, these legacy heroes — ‘Emblems’ — will be able to be called upon in battle to bolster your strength or to use their abilities alongside your own.
From trailers and promotional material to character profiles published on Twitter, we have been able to see a number of these heroes in action already. Below, we have assembled a list of every confirmed playable character to be appearing in Fire Emblem Engage as well as all information on the benefits they can grant you in battle.
Read on to start prepping your ultimate roster!
Fire Emblem Engage New Characters
Information on many of the following characters has been shared on Twitter via the game’s official account, @FireEmblemJP. We would like to thank @SerenesForest for providing translations of each character update.
Alear
Alear is the lead protagonist of Fire Emblem Engage. First revealed in September’s Nintendo Direct Showcase 2022, the hero has been asleep for 1,000 years since the war against the Fell Dragon, and wakes up again to prevent its resurrection.
The character will be playable in two different forms – determined by the player – each rocking the colourful VTuber-inspired hairstyle which caused quite a stir following the Direct.
Vander
The first character profile to be officially introduced was that of Vander, an axe-wielding knight who rides around the battlefield on horseback.
For an idea of what Vander looks like in battle, check out the video from @FireEmblemJP below:
Cramme
While Cramme has been confirmed as a character in the game, his name is not yet certain. This was one of the two characters that were introduced back-to-back and the oldest of the twins who are new to the series.
Cramme’s starting type is Mage, making him good for ranged attacks and striking heavily-armoured enemies.
An idea of the character’s magical attacks can be seen in the battle video below:
Framme
The twin sister of Cramme, Framme’s starting class is Monk, making her useful for healing allies during battle.
Alfred
Much like Vander, Alfred is a new character to Fire Emblem Engage who travels the battlefield on horseback.
The character’s starting class is Noble and he wields a lance in combat, as seen in the following in-game footage:
Céline
Céline is Alfred’s younger sister and possesses the same starting class of Noble.
Unlike Alfred’s character introduction, which focussed on his lance abilities and manoeuvrability in battle, Céline’s profile highlights her ability to use both magic and swords for either distanced or close-range combat.
Both of these abilities are showcased in her battle video below:
Louis
Louis’ starting class is Heavy Lance Armour, granting him high defence stats and a powerful hit in close combat.
As the following battle video demonstrates, Louis’ defences are strong against standard attacks, though the character will still take damage from magic.
Chloé
Chloé has the starting class of Lance Pegasus. Similar to Louis’ weaponry, Chloé is an airborne fighter who deals out damage from above.
Such a combination of wielding a lance while flying above the battlefield, Chloé is a good match-up against magical attacks, though she will be hit by arrows.
For an idea of Chloé’s battle animation, check out the following video:
Etie
First seen in the September Direct trailer, Etie is an archer who uses a bow and arrows to take down enemies.
This weapon class makes Etie a prime candidate for tackling arial and grounded opponents alike, though her attacks work best in close-range combat.
The following video provides an example of what these bow-based attacks look like in battle.
Boucheron
Much like Cramme, Boucheron’s name is not yet confirmed and may have changed by the time that the final game is released.
Their starting class is an Axe Fighter which means that Boucheron is all about the big hits. A fighter like this is prime for the front lines on the offensive end, though their lacking defensive abilities will be a problem against the opposition’s moves.
A look at Boucheron’s attacks in battle can be found in the following video:
Diamant
Diamant’s starting class is a Lord. He is a swordsman who specialises in close-range combat.
As demonstrated in the following video, Diamant can deal heavy damage to nearby enemies, be they foot soldiers or mounted foes.
Alcryst
The younger brother of Diamant, Alcryst has the same starting class as a Lord. However, rather than wielding a sword, Alcryst instead uses a bow.
Much like Etie, the range granted by an archer character allows Alcryst to attack enemies from afar while the rest of the battle continues at close range.
Alcryst’s battle animation can be seen in the video below.
Anna
Anna is one of the latest characters joining the franchise in Fire Emblem Engage.
Perfect for close-range attacks, her starting class is an Axe Fighter making her strong at dealing damage but susceptible to taking it in return with her weak defences.
An example of Anna’s battle animations can be found below.
Ivy
A princess of Elusia, Ivy is yet another royal character joining the fray.
Ivy’s starting class is Wing Tamer. Much like the other mounted characters, they travel the battleground on a beast, though Ivy is able to use magic attacks and therefore has a slightly extended range.
One of the character’s attack animations can be found in the following video:
Timerra
Teased in earlier promotional material, Timerra has now been officially confirmed for Fire Emblem Engage.
The hero’s starting class is a Sentinel who uses a lance as her main weapon type. Timerra’s high speed will make her a strong candidate for close-range combat.
For an idea of Timerra’s skills in battle, check out the following video which showcases one of her attack animations.
Fire Emblem Engage Returning Characters (Emblems)
Marth
Having long served as the figurehead of the Fire Emblem series, Marth was the first of the returning Emblem characters to be introduced.
The hero first appeared in the franchise’s first entry and has since been a mainstay of the games, appearing in some form (be that as a playable character or through DLC/amiibo) across many titles.
In Fire Emblem Engage, Marth can be equipped via his Emblem Ring, which will grant the user some of the character’s sword-wielding abilities and make them more likely to avoid enemy attacks.
A video of Marth’s Emblem appearance can be found below:
Celica
Celica is the second returning hero to be confirmed for Fire Emblem Engage after previously appearing in Fire Emblem Gaiden and its 3DS remake Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia.
Using the Celica Emblem Ring will boost the magic stats of that character in the process, as seen in the following battle video:
Sigurd
After extensive teasing in the trailer, we now have an official character profile for the next returning Emblem, Sigurd – aka ‘The Emblem of the Holy War’.
First appearing in Fire Emblem: Geneology of the Holy War, the returning hero uses the Ridersbane weapon and grants bonuses to the user’s horse riding abilities. This increased mobility will allow the Emblem summoner to move further in one turn and also enact post-attack manoeuvres.
An idea of Sigurd’s mobility bonuses can be found in the following video:
Byleth
After making their franchise debut in Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Byleth – ‘The Emblem of the Academy’ – has now been confirmed to appear in Engage as an Emblem support.
Using Emblem Byleth alongside a warrior has a number of bonuses. The character possesses skills to prevent attacks missing their target, weapons which adjust to the fighter’s class, the ability to increase the stats of nearby allies, and a move which grants up to four allies the chance to move again.
Many of these abilities are demonstrated in the following tutorial video which shows Byleth in action.
Corrin
The main protagonist in Fire Emblem Fates, Corrin returns to the battle in Engage as the ‘Emblem of Fates’.
Much like the other Emblems, calling on Corrin in battle grants a series of extra abilities to the user. These include the chance to add special effects to the battlefield, manipulate the weapon triangle, prevent enemies from moving for a single turn and the chance to attack multiple enemies in a line.
The above skills are shown in more detail by the following tutorial video.
Teased Emblems
The Fire Emblem Engage trailer shows a tapestry map of Elyos, around which can be found images of a number of heroes from previous games. Given the fact that we know of the role that these prior characters will play in Engage – and that the confirmed heroes (Marth, Celica, Sigurd, Byleth, Corrin) appear in the circle – we imagine that this ring of 12 characters will be all of the heroes who are set to return.
Looking at the above image, a Serens Forest blog post has identified each of the characters shown in the outer circle, beginning with the three confirmed Emblems and then (moving clockwise) including Leif, Roy, Lyn, Eirika, Ike, Micaiah and Lucina – representing all previous eras of the franchise.
If this is the case, then we can expect further character profiles to be appearing in the next few months.
At the time of writing, these are all of the characters that we know (or, that we confidently assume) are coming to Fire Emblem Engage. We will continue to update this guide as more hero profiles are revealed over the coming months.
Which character are you the most excited to play with? Let us know your dream lineup in the comments below!
