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
