The 16 'Best Fire Emblem' Games, Ranked

Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon earns the distinction of being the remake of the title that started it all - the very first Fire Emblem game that launched on the Famicom in 1990. While it stayed faithful to the original's gameplay and story, its no-frills presentation and dated mechanics make it feel like a relic compared to newer entries. Despite its limitations, fans of the series' roots should appreciate revisiting Marth's heroic crusade to reclaim his kingdom in this solid, if barebones, tactical RPG. Shadow Dragon lays the groundwork, but future Fire Emblems would go on to truly refine the formula.

Making the jump to mobile, Fire Emblem Heroes delivers a streamlined version of the tactical combat the series is known for in bite-sized sessions perfect for gaming on the go, Heroes features vibrant sprite art and an enormous roster of heroes from across Fire Emblem history to collect and do battle with. The simplified gameplay strips things down to quick and accessible turn-based fights on small maps, ditching the complex maps and deeper strategy of mainline entries. Even with an overwhelming amount of monetization, Heroes still captures the satisfaction of outmaneuvering foes and leveraging strengths and weaknesses that make Fire Emblem so rewarding.

Unfortunately, the free-to-play gacha monetization means progress can be frustratingly slow without spending real money. The lack of an overarching narrative or character investment holds it back from reaching the engrossing heights of a fully featured Fire Emblem campaign. Still, for long-time Fire Emblem fans hungry for a pocket-sized dose of tactical warfare or newcomers looking for an introduction to the series, Fire Emblem Heroes hits the mark as a mobile-friendly sampling of the franchise’s incredible strategic action.

Fire Emblem Warriors represents the tactical RPG franchise's first foray into the "Musou" genre of action games pioneered by the Dynasty Warriors franchise. The game allows you to take control of heroes from across the series' history, slashing and bashing massive hordes of enemies while unleashing flashy special attacks. Though the large-scale real-time combat is a departure from Fire Emblem's turn-based roots, Warriors manages to incorporate strategic elements like issuing commands to allies and leveraging weapon triangles. While the game's action falls into repetitive combos fairly quickly, rampaging across battlefields while taking down hundreds of foes can be a satisfying power trip for Fire Emblem devotees. Although not as deep or tactical as the core entries, Warriors provides an enjoyably over-the-top spinoff for the franchise.

Set in an alternative timeline to Fire Emblem Three Houses, Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes brings the Musou formula to "Fódlan." Three Hopes lets players experience an alternative take on the Three Houses story from the perspective of Shez, a new mercenary caught in the conflict between the titular three houses. Plowing through hordes of enemies and unleashing powerful combos offers a nice power trip, even if the repetitive gameplay lacks strategic depth. While the reimagined Three Houses narrative gives fans something new, the Musou gameplay wears thin before the three branching story paths can fully culminate. But for those seeking more action-packed thrills from the characters and world they love, Three Hopes mostly delivers on that premise in an enjoyable side adventure.

Fire Emblem Fates earns its spot for offering three compelling storylines in one incredible package, allowing you to explore different sides of a complex conflict by siding with the peaceful kingdom of "Hoshido," the aggressive kingdom of "Nohr," or walking a neutral path. These are accessible in Conquest, Birthright, and Revelation, the first two of which are available as distinct physical games and the latter which is available as DLC. The different paths allow you to explore three distinct campaigns, each with its own maps, characters, storylines, and challenges.

The branching narratives and rich cast specific to each kingdom provide incredible replay value, complemented by deep strategic gameplay with inventive additions like stances altering unit attributes, "Dragon Vein" abilities, and pair-up attacks between allies. While some prologue segments drag and uneven difficulty spikes frustrate, the ambition and innovation packed into Fates' three storylines cement this game as one of Fire Emblem’s most memorable.

Despite being the fifth entry in the tactical RPG series, Fire Emblem: Thracia 776 remained exclusive to Japan for over 20 years until recent English fan translations unlocked its challenges for Western audiences. Set during the middle of Genealogy of the Holy War’s timeline, Thracia 776 is renowned for its punishing maps with unique objectives, fog of war, and significant enemy reinforcements.

These brutal challenges force careful positioning and resource management, especially due to inventive mechanics like unit fatigue impacting combat capability and the ability to capture weakened foes. Though light on cutscenes and somewhat hindered by the SNES, Thracia 776 shines in its map variety, challenge, and the introduction of compelling mechanics that add strategic depth. It’s a trial by fire reserved only for devoted Fire Emblem masters, but one that rewards patience, meticulous tactics, and careful resource management in every victory.

Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War stands out for its ambitious, multi-generational story spanning two decades and like its midquel, Thrafic 776, requires a fan translation to play. The epic tale follows the fates of two friends, Sigurd and Quan, whose bonds are tested by love, betrayal, and the ravages of war across the continents of "Grannvale" and "Jugdral." The sweeping narrative is complemented by expansive maps far larger than previous Fire Emblem games, requiring more strategic positioning and team coordination.

Unique mechanics like "Holy Weapons" pass down through generations and the ability to repair weapons adds strategic depth. While Genealogy's antiquated mechanics and tremendous maps make for a slow-paced experience, the memorable story and innovations in character growth and world-building cement its legacy. Forging bonds across generations and guiding heirs to victory remains an unmatched Fire Emblem experience and the game's bold storytelling laid the groundwork for the ambition and scope of later entries.

Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade kicks off the handheld era of Fire Emblem as the first entry on Game Boy Advance. While only released on GBA in Japan, its legacy lives on abroad through its prequel, Fire Emblem: Blazing Blade, and starring hero Roy's appearance in Super Smash Bros Melee. As Roy's origin story, it established hallmarks like support conversations that boosted characterization and optional objectives on maps. The robust cast and political narrative set in Elibe unfold steadily rather than focusing on overt twists, with room left for character growth. Map design shows variety but can prove punishingly difficult, making thoughtful leveling and strategy essential. Binding Blade lacks Blazing Blade's accessibility and polished presentation, but its innovations and rewarding difficulty solidified the GBA as a fitting home for the series.

Fire Emblem Engage had big shoes to fill following the stellar Three Houses but opted to take a purposeful step back from relationship building in favor of a tightened focus on tactical combat true to Fire Emblem's roots. The shift away from time management and teaching may disappoint those seeking Three Houses' emotional immersion, but for fans craving a riveting turn-based strategy gameplay loop, Engage delivers.

Though it may not reach Three Houses’ narrative heights, Engage succeeds on its own terms as a tribute to the series’ strategic roots. By focusing on Fire Emblem’s strengths like challenging maps, quality-of-life improvements, and callbacks to the past, Engage stands tall even if it doesn’t surpass Three Houses’ synthesis of story and systems. As a celebration of franchise history with a tightened tactical focus, Engage proves itself a worthy and enjoyable chapter.

Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones stands as a fan favorite for perfecting the classic Fire Emblem gameplay formula. As a direct follow-up to The Blazing Blade, it refines familiar mechanics like the weapon triangle and support systems while introducing innovations like branching class promotion. The twin storylines following Eirika and Ephraim's quests to save their homeland allow for customization of campaign order and unit recruitment.  While the story and characters don't quite measure up to other entries, the polished combat and class progression provide one of the most complete and rewarding tactical experiences. For players seeking the quintessential embodiment of core Fire Emblem gameplay, The Sacred Stones delivers an excellent experience.

Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia shines as an exemplary remake that modernizes the 1992 Japan-exclusive Famicom title Fire Emblem Gaiden with brilliant presentation while remaining loyal to the tactical gameplay and adventurous spirit that made the original so memorable.  resurrected with beautiful high-definition visuals, excellent voice acting that brings characters to life, and a sweeping orchestral score that punctuates key dramatic moments.
Incredible additions like high-definition visuals, excellent voice acting, an orchestral score, and dungeon-crawling interludes spice up the game, while the convenient Mila's Turnwheel reduces frustration by letting players rewind mistakes.

Despite some drawbacks like small maps and imbalanced growth, Shadows of Valentia honors its roots while demonstrating how far the series has evolved. Both brimming with nostalgia for longtime fans and the perfect entry point for new Fire Emblem recruits, Shadows of Valentia exemplifies what a thoughtful remake can do — reimagining the past for today while retaining the spirit of the original.

Released internationally simply as Fire Emblem, Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade expertly introduced the tactical RPG franchise to new audiences worldwide. Its memorable tutorial campaign eased newcomers into core mechanics, while the engrossing main story of intrigue around a missing royal heir provided an accessible yet challenging medieval tale. Memorable characters like Hector, Eliwood, and Lyn established archetypes that drove future entries.

Though its story was more straightforward compared to later entries, Blazing Blade struck an ideal balance between accessibility and depth thanks to additional objectives, unlockable bonus content, and the series’ first support conversations. As the first Fire Emblem outside Japan, Blazing Blade’s brilliant balancing act made it the perfect ambassador. It emerged not just as a stellar tactics game, but a masterclass in thoughtful design that opened the gates for the franchise’s surging international popularity moving forward.

Serving as a direct sequel to Path of Radiance, Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn continued the epic saga across Tellius, following fan-favorite hero Ike as well as new protagonist Micaiah and her Dawn Brigade. The core mechanics stayed familiar, with Laguz-transforming units and the signature weapon triangle returning. However, Radiant Dawn shook things up by dividing the quest into four distinct acts seen from varying perspectives. These disparate parts allowed players to see the sprawling war unfold from multiple angles, though the frequently shifting viewpoints resulted in a somewhat fragmented narrative.

Despite this, the monumental endgame battles truly stood out in delivering an epic sense of scale and stakes. Leading armies into these tense, multi-part conflicts provided some of the most gripping and cinematic warfare in Fire Emblem’s history and it is among the most tactically and narratively dense Fire Emblem games outside of Geneology of the Holy War.

Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance ushered the beloved tactics series into 3D on the GameCube with confidence. The cinematic visuals and orchestral score finally gave the medieval fantasy epic the grandiose presentation it deserved and Path of Radiance's story delivered one of Fire Emblem’s most grounded and impactful narratives by tackling racism and discrimination. Ike made for a memorable and noble protagonist supported by compelling companions like Titania and Soren. Standout mechanics included the innovative bonus experience system and the ability to transform Laguz units between human and beast forms to gain tactical advantages. While certain maps dragged a bit, Path of Radiance proved Fire Emblem could make the leap to more advanced hardware successfully.

With sales flagging and the series on the brink, Fire Emblem: Awakening boldly transformed Fire Emblem into a commercial juggernaut and the modern template for the franchise. By introducing creative innovations like the marriage system to spur attachments between units, and implementing accessibility options like Casual Mode, Awakening opened the formerly hardcore tactics gameplay to a wider audience.

The game's time-traveling story centered on Prince Chrom and excellently merged intimate character bonds with an apocalyptic fate to avert, though maps focused more on combat than complex objectives. While not quite as revolutionary as some other Fire Emblem games, Awakening's risks made it the crowd-pleasing savior that resuscitated Fire Emblem and brought the series into the modern mainstream by achieving a perfect balance between accessibility and depth.

Fire Emblem: Three Houses ingeniously blends the medieval political intrigue of Game of Thrones with the magical academic setting of Harry Potter, masterfully synthesizing superb strategic systems with emotional storytelling. The inventive academy phase allows deep bonds to form with students of three rival houses, including the standout Edelgard, whose complexity evokes Daenerys Targaryen. This raises the stakes when war breaks out and former friends become enemies.

Complex maps emphasize positioning, gambits shake up battles, and the teaching system enables vast customization. The time spent cultivating relationships pays off in hard choices down the line. With three story routes offering distinct perspectives on the conflict, Three Houses delivers incredible replay value. Though the monastery drags at times, the peerless harmony of story, characters, and strategy cement this as a masterpiece exemplifying Fire Emblem's design heights.