Summary
- The Fire Emblem series has a diverse range of villains with different motivations, from world destruction to complex personal beliefs.
- Edelgard from Fire Emblem: Three Houses is a well-fleshed-out character with realistic motivations, making her a great villain and ally.
- Arvis from Fire Emblem: Genealogy Of The Holy War is considered one of the greatest villains in the series due to his shocking twist and success in destroying the player's army.
- Several more villains have made their way as some of the best the series has to offer, we list the best of the best at being evil.
While the Fire Emblem series is often spoken about in high regard by fans of tactics games, the villains of the series don’t get enough love. Across the many games, there is a whole host of unique villains with different motivations coming as simply as world destruction, though others are much more complex.
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PostsThanks to all the unique swings that the Fire Emblem series has taken over the years, their villains have managed to stand out quite a bit from one another. Rather than just having a standard super-powered bad guy, the series can delve into situations in which a villain believes what they’re doing is for the good of the whole world.
10 Edelgard - Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Director(s):
Toshiyuki Kusakihara, Genki Yokota
Writer(s):
Yuki Ikeno, Ryohei Hayashi, Mari Okamoto
Release:
July 26, 2019
Whether a hero of the Black Eagles or a villain, you probably love Fire Emblem: Three Houses’ Edelgard. Being a well-fleshed-out character with clear motivations, Edelgard is easy to root for but tricky to face when it comes down to taking out her and her army.
Her character arc ends in tragedy when she is your enemy, but thanks to how good all the different routes of Three Houses are, it has to be seen at some point. She may not be as over-the-top villainous as others on the list, but her realistic motivations make her a great villain, even if she is a better ally.
9 Gharnef - Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon And The Blade Of Light
Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon And The Blade Of Light
Director(s):
Keisuke Terasaki
Writer(s):
Shouzou Kaga
Release:
April 20, 1990
As one of the original great evils of the Fire Emblem series, Gharnef deserves some recognition. Laying the groundwork for every villain that would follow, Gharnef is a twisted sorcerer bent on ruling the lands with his dark dragon.
Being such a great threat that only the series' greatest hero, Marth, could stand against him, Gharnef is clearly a great evil. His motivations aren’t as complex as many others in the series, but he was the first major villain and came from a much simpler era of gaming.
8 Zephiel - Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade
Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade
Director(s):
Tōru Narihiro, Masayuki Horikawa
Writer(s):
Masayuki Horikawa, Kouhei Maeda
Release:
March 29, 2002
While it is really easy for a lot of people to have never even experienced the villainy of Zephiel, he truly does stand out as one of the most interesting villains in the game. Appearing as a villain in the Japan-only The Binding Blade, Zephiel can be seen in the first Fire Emblem game that came to North America on the Game Boy Advance.
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PostsAfter murdering his own father, the seemingly innocent Zephiel became a force of great evil, despising all of mankind. It falls on Roy and his allies to take out the twisted Zephiel before he can unleash chaos across the world in the form of dragons.
7 Nergal - Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade
Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade
Director(s):
Taeko Kaneda, Kentarou Nishimura
Writer(s):
Ken Yokoyama, Kouhei Maeda
Release:
April 25, 2003
Those who played the first Fire Emblem game to come to North America, The Blazing Blade, will no doubt know of the villainy of Nergal. The twisted druid sought to use the dragon gate to become one of the most powerful beings in existence, with only a few to stand against him.
It would ultimately be Roy’s father, Eliwood, and his companions, made up of the likes of Hector and Lyndis, that would put a stop to Nergal’s plan. Realistically, Nergal does somewhat succeed in his plot, unleashing dragons into the world, though what do make it through are swiftly dealt with by Eliwood.
6 Prince Lyon - Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
Director(s):
Sachiko Wada, Taiki Ubukata, Kentaro Nishimura
Writer(s):
Kouhei Maeda
Release:
October 7, 2004
Prince Lyon is often named one of the most interesting and best-written Fire Emblem villains out there. Appearing in The Sacred Stones, Lyon is at odds with Erika and Ephraim despite being childhood friends with both of them.
Lyon’s life takes a tragic path, and depending on the route you take in the story, it can get even worse. It’s sad that he needs his childhood friends to truly stop him once things have gone too far. As far as Fire Emblem villains go, Prince Lyon is one that you should experience for yourself if you haven’t already.
5 Ashnard - Fire Emblem: Path Of Radiance
Fire Emblem: Path Of Radiance
Director(s):
Masayuki Horikawa
Writer(s):
Ken Yokoyama
Release:
April 20, 2005
Ashnard is far from one of the most complex villains out there, but that should go to show just how great he is while still being simple. The thing that makes him so great is that he’s just a violent man out for as much power as possible.
Also known as the Mad King, Ashnard wages war across the lands, with only Ike and his friends being capable of standing up to his wrath. If you love characters who are just so undeniably dripping with evil that they could have only ever ended up as a villain, you’ll love Ashnard.
4 Arvis - Fire Emblem: Genealogy Of The Holy War
Fire Emblem: Genealogy Of The Holy War
Director(s):
Shouzou Kaga
Writer(s):
Shouzou Kaga
Release:
May 14, 1996
Arvis absolutely has to make a list like this because he is arguably the most successful of any villain in Fire Emblem history. You’ll be adventuring through Genealogy Of The Holy War, taking down enemies and maps, until one fateful encounter.
You’ll be in a seemingly hopeless situation, but that’s nothing new. The difference here is that Arvis succeeds in destroying your army, forcing you to take up arms against him years later. It’s a shocking twist that has never been equaled in the series and solidified Arvis as one of the greatest villains out there.
3 The Black Knight - Fire Emblem: Path Of Radiance
Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance
Director(s):
Masayuki Horikawa
Writer(s):
Ken Yokoyama
Release:
April 20, 2005
The Black Knight is a great villain for many reasons, making him one of the most talked about characters in the series. Bulky, powerful, and capable of absolutely obliterating any of your units he comes across, The Black Knight is a terror in Path Of Radiance.
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PostsThe character is interesting both as an enigmatic knight and as General Zelgius. He serves as a unique villain for Ike to take on, even if there are often bigger threats out there. Despite his limited appearances, The Black Knight has become a legend of the series.
2 Grima - Fire Emblem Awakening
Fire Emblem Awakening
Director(s):
Kouhei Maeda, Genki Yokota
Writer(s):
Kouhei Maeda, Nami Komuro, Masayuki Horikawa, Yuichi Kitaoka, Sou Mayumi, Shuntaro Ashida
Release:
April 19, 2012
While Grima from Fire Emblem Awakening may not have the same complex character moments and motivations as others, sometimes all you need is a massive animalistic enemy. Grima was so powerful that the only way to stop the beast was literal time travel.
Being a massive Fell Dragon, Grima is one of the most powerful creatures in existence, with only a few warriors and weapons that could hope to harm it. The combined might of Robin and Chrom and their massive forces are the only things capable of defeating the beast.
1 Seiros/Rhea - Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes
Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes
Director(s):
Hayato Iwata
Writer(s):
Yuki Ikeno, Mari Okamoto, Ryohei Hayashi, Yuki Harao
Release:
June 24, 2022
It’s tricky to determine exactly why so many seem to love Three Houses’ Seiros (AKA Rhea) as a villain, but it might be due to her fun backstory. It’s also possible that her massive form as The Immaculate One makes people big fans of her.
Being able to combine a rich backstory that connects not only to the world of the game but also to various characters makes for a compelling villain in the eyes of many. She may be an optional villain in Three Houses, but she's a ton of fun to take on in Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes.
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