Berserker

The Berserker (バーサーカー Bāsākā) is a combat physical class that recurrently appears across the Fire Emblem Series, beginning from Fire Emblem: Thracia 776. The promoted form of the Brigand, Barbarian, Pirate and Fighter classes, the Berserker class wields Axes as their sole weapon of choice, that usually promote from Brigands, Pirates, and Barbarians. They have high HP and Strength, but low Skill and resistance. Also, they possess a special characteristic: they have 15% extra Critical Hit ratings, just like Swordmasters and Snipers. Although the class has traditionally been male-only, in Fates the class became unisex with female berserkers.

History in the Series
The term "Berserker" is originally used to refer to the unrelated class in Mystery of the Emblem. This version of the Berserker class is considered a variation of the Hero class.

Beginning from Thracia 776, Berserkers are instated as a class that is, much like the Brigands and Barbarians of old, intrinsically linked to thievery and pillaging. This iteration of the class is enemy-exclusive, possessing Wrath as a class skill and the ability to walk across mountainous and water-based tiles.

With the onset of Binding Blade, the Berserker class is established as the staple promoted form of both Pirates and Brigands alike, both of whom require Hero Crests in order to trigger the promotion. This iteration of the class also wields Axes as its sole weapon of choice.

In Rekka no Ken and The Sacred Stones, the Berserker class is again the promoted form of both Pirates and Brigands. In these two titles, Ocean Seals are used in place of Hero Crests in order for the Pirate class to access the Berserker class. Although Brigands are non-playable in both titles, in-game data reveals that usage of Master Seals allows them to access the Berserker class.

In Path of Radiance, the Berserker class is the promoted form of the enemy-only Bandit class. Largo acts as the only playable Berserker in the game, and no other character has access to the class.

Although Bandits are present in Radiant Dawn, Berserkers are strangely absent.

In Awakening, owing to the fact that Brigands and Bandits have been replaced by the Barbarian class, the Berserker class thus acts as the promoted form of this class instead.

In Fates, the Berserker class is made unisex for the first time in the series and is treated as a Nohrian class. This iteration of the class acts as the promoted form of the Fighter class for the first time in the series as well.

In the spinoff Genei Ibun Roku ♯FE, Berserkers are retooled as Armored Axe users, being an alternate class change option for the Armor Knight Mirage Draug.

Combat
Berserkers fight in much the same way as Pirates and Brigands do. Their increased critical hit rate and ability to cross terrain imbued with Movement penalties (such as Peaks and Water) makes them valuable attacking units.

Berserkers are purely offensive units, complete with Strength that is practically unrivalled by most other classes. The fact that they solely wield Axes, a weapon type renowned for its supple Might, further enhances the deadliness of the blows that they are able to inflict. All of these strengths do, however, come at very significant costs; their defensive capabilities, for one, are subpar, making them unsuited to sustaining vast amounts of damage, a vulnerability that even their high HP is unable to effectively offset. In addition to this, Axes are also known to be very inaccurate weapons, and this, coupled with the Berserker class's low Skill, severely dampens the efficacy of their strikes.

In Awakening, the two skills Berserkers can learn are Wrath and Axefaire. Wrath, for one, boosts its user's Critical Rate by 20 when at least half of their HP has been depleted. This skill can be combined with Vantage to swiftly defeat enemy units before the user sustains any damage. In addition, stacking the former two skills with Gamble and Zeal (from the Fighter class), alongside outfitting the Berserker in question with a Killer Axe allows for them to transform into an effective massacre machine. Axefaire boosts its user's Strength by 5 when an Axe is equipped, and is best utilised to further bolster their already-humongous Strength.

Binding Blade

 * Garret - An honorable bandit making a living from the war.
 * Scott - A pirate who plagues the Western isles.
 * Gelero - An echoing Bandit seeking Armads.
 * Maggie - showy bandit seeking the treasure of Arcadia with Rose.
 * Rose - flashy bandit seeking the treasure of Arcadia with Maggie.
 * Possible Promotion for: Geese and Gonzales

Rekka no Ken

 * Hawkeye - The protector of the Nabata Desert.
 * Fargus - Leader of the pirate group, Fargus's Corsairs.
 * Georg - Spirit guardian of the Blazing Sword Durandal.
 * Promotion for: Dart

The Sacred Stones

 * Dozla - A bodyguard of L'Arachel
 * Possible promotion for: Ross, if first promoted into a Pirate.

Path of Radiance

 * Gashilama - A laguz slave trader.
 * Largo- The husband of Calill, a self-proclaimed world class Berserker.

Shadow Dragon

 * Possible Promotion for: Darros

Shin Monshō no Nazo

 * Legion - An assassin working for Eremiya.
 * Darros - A pirate who fought in the War of Shadows.

Awakening

 * Victor - The brother of Vincent.
 * Vincent - The brother of Victor.
 * Mustafa - A Plegian general.
 * Algol - A Plegian member of the Grimleal.
 * Morristan - A Ruffian wyvern hunter.
 * Zanth - The Southron Sea King.

Fates

 * Lloyd - The ostentatious brother of Llewelyn. (encountered as a boss; can be captured)
 * Llewelyn - The flamboyant brother of Lloyd. (encountered as a boss; can be captured)
 * Hans - A soldier and criminal from Nohr who is willing to do whatever it takes for success and power.
 * Tarba - A bandit leader in the secluded desert realms. (encountered as a boss; can be captured)
 * Possible promotion for: Arthur and Charlotte.

Trivia

 * In Rekka no Ken, the map sprite and battle model for the Berserker class is different from that which is featured in the other two GBA titles. This iteration of the class is specifically designed to match Hawkeye's design, who acts as the only playable Berserker in this title.
 * In Awakening, the NPC and Enemy Berserkers are more muscular as compared to the skinny model used by most playable units. The only playable character to use the larger model is Basilio. In the case of Vaike, he strangely utilises the skinny model, despite being featured with muscular models for all his other classes.
 * If the generic enemy Berserkers are made playable through cheating devices, they will also switch to the generic player model.
 * The Berserker class consistently surpasses, or ties with the General class for the highest Strength cap in any appearance, boss classes excluded.
 * In Awakening, the Berserker class is the only playable promoted class that cannot be reached by any playable character without the use of a Second Seal.
 * This is due to the fact that the Barbarian class is the only class that is capable of promoting to the Berserker class normally. No playable character in Awakening starts off as a Barbarian.