Fire Emblem Fates Class Guide

This in-depth guide provides you with tips to change your class, seals, progression and promotion in Fire Emblem Fates.

Fire Emblem Fates has a wide assortment of Classes to experience and upgrade. These classes all function uniquely, having distinct play styles, weapons, and even animations.

The following guide will explain everything you need to know about Fire Emblem Fates’ Class System, including its working, Class Chart, and the best classes in Fire Emblem Fates.

Understanding Fire Emblem Fates Class System

Choosing the perfect lineup of classes for your units is the path to success. While spending your precious upgrades, a proper strategy is required. To do so, it is important to understand the workings of FE: Fates’ class system.

What are Seals

In the game, after hitting your character‘s level cap, you will not accumulate any more experience unless you change your class which is where Seals come in.

There are 4 Seals in the game, which can be bought for 1 DVP from the Staff Store in My Castle, found inside Treasure Chests, and from random villagers. The 4 Seals and each one’s function are provided below:

  • Master Seal – Upgrades a class from Level 10 onwards to a higher class
  • Heart Seal – Changes a class based on personality while retaining the same level
  • Friendship Seal – Changes a class based on an A+ support partner while retaining the same level
  • Partner Seal – Changes a class based on S rank support partner while retaining the same level

Promoting a Class

Each base class in the game has one upgrade, which can be activated using the Master Seal, as mentioned earlier.

While the Master Seal can promote a class from Level 10 onwards, it is a good idea to hold off until you hit Level 20, which will enable you to unlock all ability perks available to that class, which will come in handy later in the game.

In addition to the level cap, a few more reasons behind promoting a class include increased movement range, tougher armor, and the ability to equip a wide array of weapons to tackle different situations.

Class Chart

Some classes are exclusive to the Hoshido side or Nohr side. And then there are some special classes which are only acquired using a Special Seal.

Main Classes

Nohr Prince or Nohr Princess

This class can equip Swords and Stones, promote to either Nohr Noble or Hoshido Noble, and possess skills including Nobility and Dragon Fang.

Nohr Noble

This class can equip Swords, Stones, and Tome and possess skills including Draconic Hex and Nohrian Trust.

Hoshido Noble

This class can equip Swords, Stones, and Tomes with skills including Draconic Ward and Hoshidan Unity.

Songstress

This class can equip Lances with skills including Luck, Inspiring Song, Voice of Peace, and Heathen Princess.

Nohr Classes

Adventurer

This class can equip Bows and Staffs with skills including Lucky Seven and Pass.

Berserker

This class can equip Axes and possess skills including Rally Strength and Axefaire.

Bow Knight

This class can equip Swords and Bows with skills, including Rally Skill and Kunaibreaker.

Butler

This class can equip Staff and Hidden Weapons with skills, including Live to Serve and Tomebreaker.

Cavalier

This class can equip Swords and Lances, can promote to Paladin and Great Knight, and possess skills including Elbow Room and Shelter.

Dark Knight

This class can equip Swords and Tomes with skills including Seal Magic and Lifetaker.

Dark Mage

This class can equip Tomes, can promote to Sorcerer and Dark Knight, and possess skills including Heartseeker and Malefic Aura.

Fighter

This class can equip Axes, can promote to Berserker and Hero, and possess skills including HP +5 and Gamble.

Wolfskin

This class can equip Stones, promote to Wolfssegner, and possess skills including Odd Shaped and Beastbane.

General

This class can equip Lances and Axes with skills, including Wary Fighter and Pavise.

Great Knight

This class can equip Swords, Lances, and Axes and possess skills including Luna and Armored Blow.

Hero

This class can equip Swords and Axes with skills, including Sol and Axebreaker.

Knight

This class can equip Lances, promote them to General and Great Knight, and possess skills including Defense +2 and Natural Cover.

Maid

This class can equip Staff and Hidden Weapons with skills, including Live to Serve and Tomebreaker.

Malig Knight

This class can equip Axes and Tomes with skills, including Savage Blow and Trample.

Wolfssegner

This class can equip Stones with skills, including Better Odds and Grisly Wound.

Mercenary

This class can equip Swords, can promote to Adventurer and Bow Knight, and possess skills including Good Fortune and Strong Riposte.

Outlaw

This class can equip Bows, can promote to Adventurer and Bow Knight, and possess skills including Locktouch and Movement +1.

Paladin

This class can equip Swords and Lances with skills including Defender and Aegis.

Sorcerer

This class can equip Tomes and possess skills including Vengeance and Bowbreaker.

Strategist

This class can equip Tomes and Staffs with skills including Rally Resistance and Inspiration.

Troubadour

This class can equip Staff, allow promotion to Strategist, Butler, and Maid, and possess skills including Resistance +2, Demoiselle, and Gentilhomme.

Wyvern Lord

This class can equip Axes and Lances with skills including Rally Defense and Swordbreaker.

Wyvern Rider

This class can equip Axes, can promote to Wyvern Lord and Malig Knight, and possess skills including Strength +2 and Lunge.

Hoshido Classes

Archer

This class can equip Bows, can promote to Kinshi Knight, Sniper, and possess skills including Skill +2 and Quickdraw.

Basara

This class can equip Lances and Tomes with skills, including Breaking Sky and Flamboyant.

Blacksmith

This class can equip Swords and Axes with skills, including Smithy Skill and Lancebreaker.

Diviner

This class can equip Tomes, promote Onmyoji and Basara, and possess skills including Magic +2 and Future Sight.

Master Ninja

This class can equip Swords and Hidden Weapons with skills, including Lethality and Kunaifaire.

Onmyoji

This class can equip Tomes and Staffs with skills including Rally Magic and Tomefaire.

Falcon Knight

This class can equip Lances and Staffs with skills including Rally Speed and Mirror Strike.

Kitsune

This class can equip Stones, promote to Nine-Tails, and possess skills including Evenhanded and Beastbane.

Merchant

This class can equip Lances and Bows and possess Easy Life and Extravagance skills.

Apothecary

This class can equip Bows, can promote to Merchant and Mechanist, and possess skills including Effective Medicine and Household Cure

Sniper

This class can equip Bows and possess skills including Certain Blow and Bowfaire.

Spear Master

This class can equip Lances and possess skills including Seal Speed and Lancefaire.

Kinshi Knight

This class can equip Lances and Bows with skills including Air Superiority and Amaterasu.

Great Master

This class can equip Lances and Staffs with skills including Renewal and Magic Counter.

Nine-Tails

This class can equip Stones with skills including Even Better and Grisly Wound.

Ninja

This class can equip Hidden Weapons, promote to Master Ninja and Mechanist, and possess skills including Locktouch and Poison Strike.

Oni Savage

This class can equip Axes, can promote to Oni Chieftain and Blacksmith, and possess skills including Seal Resistance and Shove.

Sky Knight

This class can equip Lances, promote Falcon Knight and Kinshi Knight, and possess skills including Darting Blow and Camaraderie.

Monk Shrine Maiden

This class can equip Staff, promote them to Great Master, Priestess, and Onmyoji, and possess skills including Miracle and Rally Luck.

Mechanist

This class can equip Bows and Hidden Weapons with skills, including Golembane and Copycat Puppet.

Samurai

This class can equip Swords, promote to Swordmaster, and possess skills including Master of Arms, Duelist’s Blow, and Vantage.

Oni Chieftain

This class can equip Axes and Tomes with skills, including Ogre Strike and Counter.

Spear Fighter

This class can equip Lances, can promote to Spear Master and Basara, and possess skills including Seal Defense and Swap.

Swordmaster

This class can equip Swords and possess skills including Astra and Swordfaire.

Villager

This class can equip Lances, promote to Master of Arms and Merchant, and possess skills including Aptitude and Underdog.

Priestess

This class can equip Bows and Staffs with skills including Renewal and Magic Counter.

Master of Arms

This class can equip Swords, Lances, and Axes with skills including Seal Strength and Line of Death.

Other Classes

Dark Falcon

This class can equip Lances and Tomes with skills including Speed +2, Relief, Rally Movement, and Galeforce.

Dread Fighter

This class can equip Swords, Axes, and Hidden Weapons and possess skills including Hollowness, Spirit Unity, Clear Mind, and Aggressor.

Ballistician

This class can equip Bows with skills including Surveillance, Automatic Ballista, Barrel Modification, and All-Terrain.

Witch

This class can equip Tomes with skills including Shadowgift, Witch’s Cauldron, Warp, and Witch’s Poison.

Fire Emblem Fates Best Classes

In FE: Fates determining the optimum class for each character depends on a high variability system. So, there isn’t a “best” class for a specific character; however, the most suitable class may be determined by figuring out what you value in a class.

With that said, while choosing a class, you must keep a few things in mind. Classes should be chosen based on your unit’s weapon to maximize their effectiveness.

For example, Master Ninja is best suited for hidden weapon users, while Wyvern Lord is best for Axe and Lance wielders. Then the classes that fly have a staff or a horse are also preferred.

You should also consider Pair-up bonuses, combat range, and synergizing class caps with a unit’s growth rates, modifiers, and skill set while determining ideal pairings.

Best Starting Class

While choosing your starting class, remember to choose one that isn’t readily available on the route you play. Classes can be passed on to your spouse, and one skill can also be passed on to your children.

Basara on Conquest and Malig Knight on Birthright are some options. Choosing sword-wielding classes at the start is recommended so you can utilize Yato.

The 10 Best Classes

  • Kinshi Knight
  • Wolfssegner
  • Falcon Knight
  • Nohr Nobles
  • Master Ninja
  • Sniper
  • Paladin
  • Sword Master
  • Songstress
  • Witch

Now let’s check out the best Classes for each character in Fire Emblem Fates. These were determined while considering the points discussed above.

All routes

Best Class for Corrin

Choose a mounted Class, either of Wyvern Lord, Paladin, or Malig Knight

Best Class for Jakob

Paladin

Best Class for Felicia

Strategist

Best Class for Azura

Songstress

Best Class for Kaze

Master Ninja

Best Class for Silas

Paladin

Best Class for Mozu

Sniper or Kinshi Knight

Hoshido

Best Class for Rinkah

Oni Chieftain

Best Class for Sakura

Use Onmyoji for combat or Falcon Knight for Staffing

Best Class for Hana

Swordmaster

Best Class for Subaki

Falcon Knight

Best Class for Saizo

Master Ninja

Best Class for Orochi

Onmyoji

Best Class for Hinoka

Falcon Knight

 Best Class for Azama

Choose either Great Master or Mechanist

Best Class for Setsuna

Sniper

Best Class for Hayato

Choose either Basara or Oni Chieftain

Best Class for Oboro

Spear Master

Best Class for Hinata

Swordmaster

Best Class for Takumi

Choose either Sniper or Kinshi Knight

Best Class for Kagero

Choose either Master Ninja or Mechanist

Best Class for Kaden

Nine-Tails

Best Class for Ryoma

Swordmaster

Nohr

Best Class for Elise

Choose Either Strategist or Malig Knight

Best Class for Arthur

Choose either Berserker, Hero, or Paladin

Best Class for Effie

Great Knight

Best Class for Odin

Choose either Dark Knight, Sorcerer, or Swordmaster

Best Class for Niles

Choose either Bow Knight or Adventurer

Best Class for Nyx

Dark Knight

Best Class for Camilla

Choose either Malig Knight or Wyvern Lord

Best Class for Selena

Choose either Hero, Bow Knight, or Falcon Knight

Best Class for Beruka

Wyvern Lord

Best Class for Laslow

Choose either Hero, Bow Knight, or Master Ninja

Best Class for Peri

Paladin

Best Class for Benny

Choose either Great Knight, General, or Berserker

Best Class for Charlotte

Choose either Hero or Berserker

Best Class for Leo

Dark Knight

Best Class for Keaton

Wolfssegner

Best Class for Xander

Paladin

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Ali is a passionate RPG gamer. He believes that western RPGs still have a lot to learn from JRPGs. He is editor-in-chief at SegmentNext.com but that doesn't stop him from writing about his favorite video ...