Starting the new era of Fire Emblem, Awakening took the world by storm when sales reached high numbers compared to the Japanese exclusive New Mystery of the Emblem. The 13th entry features many game mechanics new and old, while bringing back classic classes as well as introducing entirely new ones to the series.
As you level up your units, they can learn useful skills that will help them out in any battle. Some are decent at best, while others can be completely broken if used to the player’s advantage. Here is every class ranked from worst to best for Fire Emblem: Awakening.
30 Lodestar
Locked to DLC, the Lodestar class, being exclusive to Marth, ranks as the worst due to a couple of factors. Firstly, the class is sword-locked, and lastly, there are no skills obtained whatsoever. It may allow Marth to use rapiers, but there’s another class that is superior in every way possible.
29 Villager
The Villager class could have easily been the worst exclusive class if not for the skill Aptitude. Donnel’s class does have abysmal stats, but the skill gives him so much potential to grow into a powerful unit if the player chooses to do so. Whenever he hits level 10, he will immediately want to change into a more reliable class.
28 Griffon Rider
As a reclass option for the Wyvern Rider, Griffon Rider might look like an improvement for increasing weapon rank, being a flying unit, and getting Lancebreaker, but it is not the best option as a permanent class. Wyvern Lord is the better class as it can use both axes and lances. Griffon Rider also has the unfortunate flaw of being weak against three types of weapons: magic, beast killers, and bows.
27 Sniper
Snipers offer an amazing skill stat and access to Bowfaire and Hit +20, but since they cannot counter-attack unless the enemy is two spaces away, the upgraded archers will be sitting ducks having to try to tank hits. Brave Bows are among the best weapons to use, but other classes that use bows are better since they also have the option to use other weapons.
26 Taguel
Taguels are Ylisse’s answer for the Tellius’s beast units, but pale in comparison to the Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn variations. Awakening’s beast units do not have a gauge to worry about, but that’s what makes the Tellius beast units balanced. If there is one redeeming quality for the giant bunny, it’s that they have decent speed and can be a playable beast killer. However, it’s worth considering that they’re nearly extinct for a reason.
25 Bow Knight
Bow Knights have the advantage of being able to use swords just in case physical units are nearby, but they’re also able to escape easily. If you are tired of Virion or Noire being stuck to archers, this class will help them out. Awakening may not feature its best incarnation, but getting Bowbreaker out of it is never a bad idea.
24 General
Starting out as Knights, Generals have good and bad qualities. The good is that the class will learn Pavise, one of the best skills for protection against physical attacks, and their attack and defense are sky-high. But in contrast to that, their speed, movement, and resistance make them easy targets for magic users.
23 Great Knight
At the beginning of the game, Frederick’s Great Knight class will be a great help, though it has the weaknesses of a General and Paladin combined. It is a good promotion for Cavaliers to get Luna and the ability to use swords, axes, and lances, but they are weak to Armorslayers, Rapiers, and Beast Killers.
22 Warrior
Warriors have a downside with bows as a part of their inventory, but the usage of axes and great skills for those that started with the Fighter class are benefits. Rally Strength can only be obtained by male units, but it can be passed down if they’re married to make them a viable rally bot. Then there’s the Counter skill, where it will inflict full damage on the opponent if it isn’t a fatal blow.
21 Dark Knight
This class focuses on physical and magic weapons with swords and tomes. As an option for Mages or Dark Mages, it has Lifetaker, which makes up for the lack of being able to use dark magic by gaining health back after taking out an opponent.
As a horse unit, it has great movement but is weak against beast-type weapons.
20 Assassin
In exchange for their bulk, Myrmidons can become Assassins, which offer the strength and speed needed to rely on doubles and dealing damage. The skill stat, while not as important for other classes, is very important for making sure the skill Lethality procs for an instant kill.
19 War Cleric/War Monk
Despite name differences, the War Cleric and War Monk are essentially one and the same once they move on from being the Cleric or Priest. They value both strength and magic to make sure they can hit hard but also heal a lot of hit points. For skills, they come with Rally Luck and Renewal, with the latter being a nice skill to pick up for those that need to tank hits.
18 Berserker
Sometimes having only one weapon can be a good thing for certain classes. One of the first of these is Berserker, the promotion for Fighters. In Awakening, it is a male-only class, but that does not discredit the immense strength they offer. Along with the Wrath and Axefaire skills, the Killer Axe and Brave Axe will be the Berserker’s best friends.
17 Sorcerer
Sorcerers have more access to tomes thanks to their predecessor class Dark Mage, and their skills Tomebreaker and Vengeance help them out in avoiding both magic and dealing more damage if they were to get hit. Their luck and skill are terrible compared to other magic classes, so for a tanky but reliable Sorcerer, farm for some Secret Books and Goddess Icons.
16 Manakete
As the other transforming unit, Manaketes are superior to Taguels in just about every way. They will have a weakness for dragon effective weapons, but they have balanced stats across the board. Its skills are not up to par, but if you plan to field Tiki or Nah, having more skills can help them offensively and defensively.
15 Wyvern Lord
Flying units tend to be very vulnerable, but Wyvern Lords turn that around thanks to their great defense stat and growths. In exchange, they would be lucky to survive one magical hit. Fittingly, they get Swordbreaker to benefit their usage of axes and having a better chance at avoiding Wrymslayers or Falchions.
14 Sage
Sages can heal and attack with magic, so depending on the player’s choice, they can use them as helpful healers or as magic tanks while fighting back to cover for those who have lower resistance. Rally Magic is not always needed, but Tomefaire will amp up its magical hits.
13 Swordmaster
Awakening can make any unit good with a lot of grinding. Swordmasters can be good or bad depending on the Fire Emblem title, but Swordmasters are absolutely deadly in this game. Astra and Swordfaire will help ensure a kill, and if the unit happens to have a forged Brave Sword or Eirika’s Blade, then the enemies will be in for a very bad time.
12 Bride
The DLC class for female units, Brides offer a bit of fanservice while also supporting those that are near them with their bows, lances, and staves. Rally Heart is a weaker version of Rally Spectrum, but gives the units rallied up an additional one movement to get them to safety or attack an enemy that is too far away. Then there’s the Bond skill, which heals 10 HP within three spaces.
11 Hero
A Hero never backs down from a fight, and they just so happen to be one of the best classes in the game. Sol and Axebreaker are nice skills to pick up for sustainability and avoiding axe users with high critical hit rates. Also accompanying the class are balanced stats to ensure the chances of surviving any attack regardless of range.
