8. Fire Emblem Fates (3DS)

Following the 'revival' of the series, Fire Emblem Fates stepped things up a gear with a two-pronged assault. Comprised of two separate games, the Birthright campaign had you siding with your blood relatives in Hoshido while Conquest saw protagonist Corrin siding with the kingdom of Nohr.

The latter choice upped the difficulty to old-school levels and asked a little more of you, but regardless of the path you took, you were guaranteed a lengthy campaign that built on the foundation of Awakening and added a host of extras, including more varied and interactive battlefield environments, the ability to bring past heroes into the game via their amiibo figures and, very importantly, feet for the characters. After all, 3DS was all about stability.

And if two paths weren't enough for you, Nintendo kindly provided a third option, Pokémon-style, with the DLC campaign Revelation in which Corrin refused to pick sides. Best enjoyed once you've polished off the previous campaigns, it was another triumphant part of a fabulous Fire Emblem feast.

Fates was nothing if not substantial, and while the story can feel like it's dragging at times, it's tough to hold too many grudges against padding since the core loop is so polished and fun.

7. Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn (Wii)

A co-development between Intelligent Systems and Nintendo SPD, Radiant Dawn is a direct sequel to Path of Radiance and could even accept save data brought over from its predecessor which boosted character stats. It was well worth doing, too, as Radiant Dawn was noted for its high difficulty and any advantage was welcome.

This Wii entry brought back dark magic into the fold and increased the scope and number of characters in comparison to Path of Radiance, but wasn't the sales success Nintendo had hoped.

Despite being proclaimed as absolute pinnacles of the series, with many fans citing one of these two as their franchise favourites, the GameCube and Wii entries represented a low point sales-wise, which unfortunately signalled a retreat back to portable hardware only. Indeed, it would be 12 years until the series would grace a television screen once again.

6. Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia (3DS)

A remake of Fire Emblem Gaiden, the second game in the series, Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia stepped back from the triple-route complexities of its immediate predecessor, Fire Emblem Fates.

Returning to the purity of an earlier time didn't mean a simpler game, though, as the original Japan-only Gaiden incorporated dungeon crawling and free-roaming RPG elements that were ideal fodder for a remake using systems developed for the previous 3DS entries.

Indeed, it served as a sterling farewell for the series on the 3DS — a platform which kicked the series into the big-time success it so deserved in the West — although we can't help wishing more people had got to experience it through a Switch release. Still, this is a fine game; yet another to benefit from the localisation talents of 8-4.

5. Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones (GBA)

The eighth instalment to be made, The Sacred Stones was only the second to get an international release. It stars royal twins Eirika and Ephraim in a story that sees them separate to protect their homeland of Magvel from invading forces.

While it didn't add much to the established formula, it's an exceptionally solid and enjoyable entry and a fittingly impressive swansong for the series on GBA.

It was included as part of the 3DS' Ambassador Program for early adopters before its price cut, giving owners of that handheld an opportunity to catch up if they missed it on GBA back in 2005 and prepare for the franchise's 'awakening' on that system.

4. Fire Emblem (GBA)

Also known as Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade, this was the very first entry to come to the West and is actually a prequel to the Japan-only Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade which starred series stalwart Roy.

The Blazing Blade (or just plain old Fire Emblem if you prefer) follows Roy's old man Eliwood and served as a thoroughly decent introduction to the series for us Westerners, the majority of whom had been wondering about the series after seeing Roy and Marth as fighters in Super Smash Bros. Melee.

3. Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance (GCN)

The first home console Fire Emblem to be released in the West — and only the third to be localised — GameCube's Path of Radiance introduced us to Ike, leader of the Greil Mercenaries and rocker of a blue barnet.

The game was the first in the series to feature fully 3D graphics, and features (in our opinion) the strongest story of any game in the series.

Ike would go on to join the fight in Super Smash Bros. Brawl and gain notoriety there before returning in the Wii sequel to this game, Radiant Dawn. Unfortunately, this luminary pair of home-console Emblems aren't too easy to find physically these days, with both of them still exclusive to their original hardware and fetching eye-watering prices on the secondhand market.

By modern standards, Path of Radiance is lacking somewhat when it comes to presentation, but how we'd love to be able to play it anew without having to crack out the 'Cube! Good news that it'll soon be easily accessible on Switch 2, then. We like Ike.

2. Fire Emblem: Awakening (3DS)

Fire Emblem has always enjoyed the adulation of a passionate fanbase, but it wasn’t until Fire Emblem: Awakening with fan-favourite characters Chrom and Robin that its popularity went mainstream. Beyond series-best mechanics, subtle use of stereoscopic 3D made the battlefields even more readable and wonderful writing made a large roster of characters truly memorable.

The relationships and bonds we created on and off the battlefield here stick in our minds to this day (ah, Sully). The contribution made by 8-4's fantastic localisation can't be overstated, and the characters became far more than mere units to level up; you really invested emotionally in the fates of Chrom, Cordelia, Lon'qu, Tharja, Gregor, Donnel, and company.

Without Awakening, it's quite possible that the series would be languishing in the doldrums of dormant Nintendo franchises. This game rejuvenated the series, catapulting it into the top tier of Nintendo IPs on the international stage in a way Intelligent Systems hadn't achieved previously. You can’t really go wrong with any entries in the Fire Emblem series, but the first 3DS game left a particularly strong impression.

1. Fire Emblem: Three Houses (Switch)

As soon as Switch launched it seemed like the perfect console for Fire Emblem. Portability and strategy games are a marriage made in heaven, but being able to throw the battle on the big screen in HD gives Three Houses a scope that wasn't possible on the diminutive 3DS.

Three Houses added new strings to the series' bow, with the Garegg Mach Monastery providing a Hogwarts-style academy to explore as you build those ever-important relationships with the Black Eagles, Blue Lions, and Golden Deer. It's clearer than ever before that the key to the franchise is its ability to evoke feelings for your units through canny writing and charismatic characters; Three Houses created the perfect environment to foster and develop the students in your chosen house.

Indeed, the huge number of options open to you, not to mention the alternatives closed off with each choice you make, makes Three Houses a daunting prospect, but it excels in forging a vital and worthwhile experience whichever house you pick or route you take. And, thankfully, you don't need to buy another game to go back and travel the road not taken. Take that, Fates!

And if that's still not enough for you, there's always DLC. Did somebody say four houses?

Best Fire Emblem Games FAQ

Before we wrap up, let's answer a few Qs about Fire Emblem and the list above.

What Fire Emblem games are playable on Switch?

Here's every FE game on Switch (and Switch 2)

  • Fire Emblem Engage
  • Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon & the Blade of Light (Note: This was delisted from the Switch eShop on 31st March 2021 and is no longer downloadable unless you already own the game. However, it is available in Japan to Nintendo Switch Online subscribers)
  • Fire Emblem: Three Houses
  • Fire Emblem Warriors
  • Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes

The following games are available to play with a Nintendo Switch Online (+ Expansion Pack) subscription:

Nintendo has announced that the GameCube's Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance will be playable on Switch 2 in the future.

Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave is scheduled to launch on Switch 2 in "2026".

Hang on, where's [insert Fire Emblem game here]?

As we mentioned, we've included every Fire Emblem game released in the West, which means it doesn't include Japan-only Fire Emblem games that never left their homeland in an official capacity.

So, you won't find the Super Famicom trio Mystery of the Emblem (in its original or 'New' form), nor Genealogy of the Holy War, Thracia 776, The Binding Blade on GBA, nor the ephemeral BS Fire Emblem for the Satellaview. We've got our fingers crossed for re-releases/remakes of those Japan-only treasures, but in the meantime, we'll have to 'make do' with the little lot above.

We have included the Warriors spin-offs and mobile games, though, as well as Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE (Encore) - even though it's really a Shin Megami Tensei game with Fire Emblem cameos. What's that? You don't approve of their inclusion? Simply pluck them mentally from the list and you're good to go — such is the beauty of this User Rating-led system. Hurrah!

How can I change the ranking in this article?

Disagree with the order above? This ranking is not set in stone! The list order is created from NL User Ratings and is therefore subject to change, even after publication.

If you've previously rated these games in our database, thank you! If not, you can add your score to the game at any time, present or future, and it will still count and potentially influence the order.

Let us know below how this list differs from your personal one!