For over 30 years, theFire Emblemseries started as a unique tactical JRPG where the lives of the units are at risk as they head into battle. It would follow lords like Marth, Seliph, Roy, Ike, Lucina, and many others to witness their stories unfold as they overcome the wars they endure.
EachFire Emblemtitle takes an exciting approach in presenting its gameplay while making it stay the same throughout time. Some titles outdo others, but that is what makes them fun to play. Including spin-offs, here are thebestFire Emblemgamesof all time, according to Metacritic.
Updated July 12, 2025, by Michael Llewellyn:The Fire Emblem series remains one of the most popular Nintendo franchises thanks to its accessibility in the challenging tactical turn-based JRPG genre. Moreover, veteran players can adjust the difficulty, switch on permadeath, and increase some of the game’s replayability. Fire Emblem: Awakening helped push the series into the mainstream backed up by iconic Fire Emblem characters appearing in the Super Smash Bros series. This list is updated to include specs for each game and adjustments to the rankings.
Fire Emblem Heroesis a free-to-play mobile title launched in 2017 for Android and iOS. It follows in the same tactical role-playing game footsteps as its predecessors andincorporates charactersthat have appeared in various entries throughout the franchise.
The game features microtransactions offering a Gacha-style system to receive new characters.Fire Emblem Heroescontinues to receive additional updates, adding new features, chapters, and extra characters to keep the game fresh and inviting for all players. WhileFire Emblem Heroesfeatures significantly smaller-scaled maps than traditional entries in the series, thisfree-to-play releasecan be a solid introduction for series newcomers with little to no experience with tactical RPGs.
Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon & the Blade of Lightwas the firstFire Emblemtitle, and the protagonist was none other than the nowfan-favorite Marth. This game not only kickstarted theFire Emblemfranchise but has been credited with popularizing the tactical role-playing genre.
It was first launched in Japan for the Famicom but was later ported to Nintendo Switch for Japanese fans in 2019. Fortunately, the West can now get their hands on this groundbreaking title as well, as it was finally localized and recently released for Nintendo Switch, though for a short period only (until March 2021).
WhileShadow Dragon and the Blade of Lightis now considered one of the most bare-bones entries in the series, lacking mechanics that are now synonymous with the franchise, it got the ball rolling through its blend of RPG character progression and tactical gameplay. Additionally, it should be noted that the recent Switch port includes various quality-of-life improvements, such as the ability to fast-forward the admittedly slow speed and rewind turns. As a result, it deserves a higher spot than the free-to-playFire Emblem: Heroes.
Fire Emblem: Warriorsbrought the dream of making aDynasty Warriorsgame withFire Emblemcharacters come true. The Warriors-style gameplay offers mindless fun as the protagonist beats thousands of enemies until the timer runs out or the goal is achieved.
Fire Emblem: Warriorsdoes have the downside of only featuring characters fromShadow Dragon,Awakening, andFates, but that can lead to possibilities of another game. The Nintendo Switch version is crisper and fast-paced, thanks to its improvements in performance.
Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopesis the second title from Omega Force - the studio behind theDynasty Warriorsseries. The story is set in the same world asFire Emblem: Three Housesbut features an alternate timeline with a new lead protagonist named Shez. Similar toThree Houses,the player can choose different classes. Each class has a unique storyline and characters to interact with, giving it replayability.
Like theDynasty Warriorsgames,Three Hopesis a hack-and-slash action game. However, it includesFire Emblem-like mechanics that fans will enjoy. The tactical elements merge with the furious action, making it one of the bestWarriorstitles in years. Despite the alternate timeline,Three Housesfans will love the opportunity to interact with their favorite characters again.
Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encoreis a crossover JRPG withFire Emblemand theShin Megami Tenseiuniverses. It plays more like an Atlus game, or more specifically, aPersonatitle with elements of theFire Emblemseries like the Weapon Triangle and Mirages which represent characters from theFire Emblemseries.
Fans will also encounter villains from theFire Emblemseries as boss characters, like Gangrel from the much-lovedFire Emblem: Awakening.WhileTokyo Mirage Sessionsis available on the Wii U and the Switch, the Switch version includes extra content like the EX dungeons which rewards players with new costumes for the characters to wear in the main story.
The latest entry,Fire Emblem Engage,launched in 2023. It divided fans because it focused more on gameplay than the lengthy dialogue and romance featured inFire Emblem: Three Houses.Fans of its predecessor were left disappointed that many of the key selling points ofThree Houseswere missing, and fans ofEngageembraced the return to tactical gameplay over drama and dating mechanics. Visually, the series has never looked better, with stunning character models and colorful designs.
Engage’s story resembles a Saturday morning cartoon show from the 80s and 90s. Yet it is still - for the lack of a better term - engaging with a likable cast of characters and outstanding tactical gameplay. The expansion,Fell Xenologue,takes fans to an alternate reality with more characters and battles to participate in.
Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentiais the perfect definition of a love letter to the game it is based on. Director Kenta Nakanishi playedGaidenmany times and cherished the memories of his father playing with him before he would eventually pass away. It was clear fromShadows of Valentia’s presentation that plenty of heart and soul was put into it. Ranging from beautiful visuals, breathtaking music, andfleshed-out characters, Nakanishi’s father would be proud of his son for remaking a cherished game.
While the faithful map design ofShadows of Valentiacan sometimes work against the game, featuring a somewhat lackluster map design compared to other releases in the series, this entry did introduce the revolutionary Mila’s Turnwheel. This allows players to redo turns, potentially fixing mistakes without requiring an entire chapter to be replayed.
Remaking what is also somewhat of a remake was a farfetched idea, butFire Emblem: Shadow Dragonmanaged to land well on Metacritic. The West was finally introduced to Marth, and while it is not dialogue-heavy and only rudimentary, at best,Shadow Dragonfeatures many difficulties and encourages replayability.
The graphics are dated and not the best for the Nintendo DS, but for a traditionalFire Emblemexperience,Shadow Dragonis a must-try if someone can get their hands on a used copy. WhileShadow Dragonwas the first entry in the series to omit a support system since the release of the Japan-exclusiveThracia 776, the game broke new ground by offering fully realized multiplayer for the first time in the series, greatly expanding on what was previously possible inFire Emblem: The Blazing Blade.
10Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
Metascore 85
Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stonesis a spiritual successor toFire Emblem Gaiden, featuring two branching paths and giving players access to grind at free will. Considered by many players to be one of the most accessible games in the series, the eighth entry is very welcoming and gives a different kind of gameplay.The Sacred Stonesis very popular for speed and LTC runs and has even been the base for manyFire EmblemROM hacks. It was first launched for the Game Boy Advance and was ported to 3DS and Wii U.
While many other entries in the series are connected to at least one otherFire Emblemgame in some capacity,The Sacred Stonesis a standalone experience set in an alternate timeline. In addition to featuring two distinct routes that provide the game with an additional layer of replayability,The Sacred Stoneshas a branching promotion system that was later revisited in several entries, such asAwakeningandFates.
Fire Emblem: Path of Radiancewould have been fine without a sequel, butRadiant Dawn’srelease for the Wii was still greatly appreciated. The Western version suffers from a mistranslation concerning the difficulty options, leading to bad early reviews. Instead of Normal, Hard, and Lunatic, the localized version has Easy, Normal, and Hard. But if someone is a fan familiar withFire Emblem, thenRadiant Dawnwill show them how brutal it can get as they switch from different teams.
A direct sequel toPath of Radiance,Radiant Dawnfeatures a data transfer system that allows players to directly import information from its predecessor if they have completed it. Rather than utilizing a traditional narrative structure,Radiant Dawnuniquely shifts the perspectives throughout the campaign, allowing one to control characters of the various sides of a single conflict.
With a massive roster of units, through the flexible and customizable item forging and skill systems and creating strategies that cater to their playstyles. Due to its significantly above-average difficulty,Radiant Dawnis an excellent choice for veterans looking to test their skills. It placed higher than its Metascore here becauseRadiant Dawnis a fan favorite with significantly better mechanics than theWarriors-style games and several GBA titles that preceded it. Furthermore, its story is among the best in the series when played withFire Emblem: Path of Radiance.
