Avatar

Avatar (known as My Unit in the Japanese versions) is a gameplay feature introduced in Japan via Fire Emblem: Shin Monshō no Nazo ~Hikari to Kage no Eiyū~ and via Fire Emblem: Awakening for international audiences, and returns in Fire Emblem: Fates

The Avatar system allows the player to create a personalized version of one unit. The player can customize the avatar's appearance, gender, base stats, growths, personal data, class (by default in Shin Monshō no Nazo; through reclassing in Awakening) and voice (in Awakening only).

Shin Monshō no Nazo
The player creates their own Avatar whose default name is Kris (クリス, Chris in the Japanese version). The Avatar is the protagonist during the prologue and the deuteragonist for the rest of the game. (He/she was not originally present in Mystery of the Emblem) The player can customize their Avatar with numerous face and hair style and colors. Players also choose what kind of past, present and future their Avatar has to determine their stat growths. The Avatar's starting class determines the kind of clothing their conversation sprite will wear, but like everyone else, they can be reclassed at any time. At the end of certain chapters, the Avatar will have a choice to adopt a new hairstyle, gain a new headwear, or even a mask. These become permanent changes until the player's next customize option is given.

The Avatar's starting class is up to the player themselves from the beginning, though the classes available is dependent on the Avatar's gender. Males can be a Mercenary, Fighter, or Knight while females can be a Pegasus Knight or a Myrmidon. Both can be a Mage, Archer, or Cavalier. They also are able to build supports with all characters in the game, allowing them to support all playable characters.

Awakening
Like Shin Monshō no Nazo, the player creates their own Avatar whose default name is Robin (ルフレ, Reflet in the Japanese version). While the customization has been expanded to different body styles (3 per gender) and more hair colors (20 total), there are a smaller number of customizable faces and hairstyles per body type (5 for each body type for both face and hairstyle). The player can set the Avatar's birthday and can choose what stat will be their asset (quickest growth) and the flaw (slowest growth) which affects their stat growths and maximum stat caps. The Avatar's in-game 2D portrait's can never be changed and will always appear in their Tactician clothes regardless of their current class. However, their 3D model and over-world sprite will correspond to their current class.

The Avatar's starting class is the Tactician class. The Avatar has the distinction of being able to reclass into all classes that their gender permits given that they have a Second Seal to do so. They will also pass down this trait to their children as well. The Avatar also has the unique ability to build supports with all playable characters and can even marry any opposite gender person, even children characters (except Morgan, who is always their child).

The Avatar is the deuteragonist once more, however their role is far greater than in Shin Monshō no Nazo, as the Avatar plays a central role in the plot.

Fates
The player will create their own Avatar whose default name is Corrin (カムイ, Kamui in the Japanese version). The customization options have expanded off of Awakening's, boasting more options for hair color and faces than Awakening. There is also a separate category for hair accessories; specifically for female Avatars. Special facial features like bandages, which were fixed onto one particular face in Awakening are now able to be freely added. Unlike Awakening which had three body sizes, Fates is limited to two.

Unlike previous games, the Avatar serves the role of the main protagonist, rather than a secondary character in Shin Monsho no Nazo or Awakening. Their starting class is the Nohr Prince/Princess class.

Trivia

 * In the English version of Fire Emblem: Awakening the silent option was removed. The overall number of voice options was also reduced from four (five, if the silent option is counted as a voice option) to three.