Duessel

"Your Majesty, you know that I will gladly lay down my life for an honorable cause! But these orders- and all of our recent actions- they are not just! If I saw any way in which this invasion protected Grado, I would hold my tongue. But now, Renais is left ungoverned to drown in chaos, and we gain nothing! Why do you wage this war? What is it you hope to achieve? You've sent our men to fight and die for nothing! This isn't war- it's murder!"

- Duessel to Vigarde

Duessel (デュッセル Dyusseru) is a playable character in Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones.

Profile
Known as the "Obsidian", Duessel is one of Grado's Six Generals. Along with Selena and Glen, Duessel is one of the Imperial Three, the three original Generals before the invasion of Renais. He is characterized by his martial prowess, honor, and his will to fight for the greater good. He trained Ephraim at one point, and both characters are good friends. During Chapter 10 on Ephraim's path, Duessel defects to Ephraim's side; on Eirika's path, however, he appears in Scorched Sand alongside Ephraim and Knoll.

To recruit Duessel, have Ephraim talk to him in chapter 10, Turning Traitor.

Through a support conversation with Cormag, it is revealed that Duessel possesses two special lances; one, a small, beautiful lance designed by the famous armorer Gavaleus, Duessel tells Cormag he will "never dull its shine with blood or dirt. If I ever use this lance, I vow that it will be only in my own final hour." The other is "a magic weapon of dark design that's been in my family for ages." Duessel tells Cormag that a member of his family must always bear the lance but never use it; Valter once got his hands on this lance, which caused him to go insane. Duessel promises to bequeath it to Cormag since he has no son, seeing that Cormag has a "discerning eye" and no desire to use it.

It is also revealed that Duessel knows where Amelia's lost mother Melina is. Some years after the raids that deprived Amelia from both of her parents, during a patrol he and his squad fought some bandits that kept Melina as their prisoner. She had lost her memories due to trauma, therefore Duessel took her to a peaceful village where she was welcomed and given a home. Melina recovered rather steadily, but remained amnesiac for years; only a few months before the events of the game, she managed to remember that she was a widow from Silva and had a daughter. Duessel then went to Silva, but by then Amelia had already joined the army. When he met Amelia herself, he noticed the extreme physical similarity between the girl and "someone he knew", but only by the time their A support rolled in he remembered everything. Their common ending says that after the war, Duessel made sure mother and daughter were reunited, and in gratitude Amelia became his number two.

Duessel's supports with Knoll, additionally, are among the ones giving more insight into Lyon's research and experiments. Knoll is reluctant at first, but Duessel insists on knowing the truth; then Knoll explains in all detail the process leading to Lyon's seer powers, attempts to prevent the disasters that would befall Grado in the future and revival of his father, and possession by the Dark Lord.

Throughout the game, Duessel had been questioning the Emperor's actions, such as making Riev, Caellach, and Valter generals, and the war itself. This seems to indicate he has high moral values.

Base Stats
* Level 8 in Ephraim's route ** In Ephraim's route *** In Eirika's route

Growth Rates

 * 85%
 * 55%
 * 40%
 * 30%
 * 45%
 * 30%
 * 20%
 * }

Supports

 * Ephraim
 * Cormag
 * Amelia
 * Knoll

Overall
His Skill and Speed are rather low in contrast to your other units, but he makes up for that by having high HP and defense. Duessel should not be getting in that many double attacks, so using either Brave weapons, which take advantage of his high Constitution, or Killer weapons with Critical rate bonuses from supports will give him maximum benefit.

While Franz and Kyle have more accuracy and speed, Duessel can be an effective filler who can shine more with support options.

Quotes
"This... This is nothing!"

- Death Quote

Endings
Following the war, Duessel returned to Grado, where he was instrumental in its rebuilding. He spent his remaining years watching over Grado and sharing his wisdom with other nations as an expert combat instructor.
 * Duessel, Obsidian General (不滅の黒曜石 Fumetsu no kokuyōseki)

Upon their return to Grado, Duessel reunited Amelia with her mother. The two wept with joy, giving thanks to Duessel. Afterward, Amelia became the most trusted companion of the man once known as Obsidian.
 * (A Support with Amelia)

Trivia

 * Duessel is the only one of Grado's six Generals that become a player unit in the main quest (the other five join later in the Creature Campaign).

Etymology
The Düssel is a river in Germany, a tributary of the Rhine on which is located in Düsseldorf. It flows through the Neander Valley, where the first fossils of Neanderthals were found. However, if you play the game in German, his name will be switched to "Duenell", probably because it sounds similar to "Dussel", which is German for "fool".