Fighter


 * Not to be confused with the Gaiden class

The Fighter (戦士 Senshi), also called Axe Fighter in the Jugdral Series games, TearRing Saga, as well as the Japanese version of Fire Emblem Fates, is a combat physical and typically male-only class found in every game in the series barring Gaiden. Wielding Axes as their sole weapon of choice, Fighters often appear as a duo early on in the games.

In Fates the class is a Nohrian class. Its Hoshidan counterpart is the Oni Savage. When choosing a secondary class for the Avatar, it is called Fighter (斧戦士 Ono Senshi lit. Axe Fighter in the Japanese version)

History in the Series
The Fighter class first appears in Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light. Though Fighters are described as lacking Defense in the class roll, the three playable Fighter characters and the Fighter Boss all boast high Defense. Alongside, Pirates, they are the only Axe-wielding classes appearing in this title. Like most other classes in the game, Fighters are unable to promote.

The title "Fighter" is used for class in Gaiden, but it is completely different from its predecessor. In this title, Brigands, known here as Thieves, form the only axe-wielding class.

In Mystery of the Emblem, Fighters remain non-promotable and, due to pirates being made enemy-exclusive, are the sole playable Axe-wielding class. The Fighter and Pirate classes are joined by two additional axe classes: the nigh similar Brigand and more powerful Barbarian, both of which are likewise enemy-exclusive classes. The three Fighter units are only playable in the first book, meaning no axes can be used by any playable characters in Book 2.

In Genealogy of the Holy War, the Fighter class is known as the Axe Fighter (アクスファイター Akusu faitā). The Axe Fighter class promotes into the Warrior class in this title, pioneering the possibility of Fighters promoting in the series.

The Fighter class is revamped in Thracia 776, in which it possesses similar characteristics to the Myrmidon class. The Fighter promotion in Thracia 776 is the Hero class, while the Warrior class is instead the promotion for the Brigand class.

In TearRing Saga: Utna Heroes Saga, the name Fighter is used for the Mercenary class, while the traditional Fighter is known as Axe Fighter like in the Jugdral titles. Axe Fighter is a playable class that promotes to Warrior.

Dean, the lone playable Axe Fighter in TearRing Saga: Berwick Saga, promotes into the unique Slayer class, while Warriors are a standalone enemy-exclusive class.

After Thracia 776, the class is largely reverted to mirror its Genealogy of the Holy War incarnation. The exception to this rule is the The Sacred Stones and Awakening incarnations, where the inbuilt branched promotion feature grants the class the ability to promote into the Hero class.

In Radiant Dawn, Fighter ( 戦士ファイター Faitā) promotes into Warrior and thereafter Reaver when the necessary requirements are met.

In Fates, the class is made unisex with the introduction of Charlotte. Additionally, due to the absence of Pirates and related classic axe-wielding classes like Brigand and Barbarian, Fighters now promote into the Berserker class for the first time in the series. Due to this new association with the criminal Axe classes, Fighter NPCs are thus designed to appear and behave more like crass, uncouth thugs in this instalment. They even inherit the ability to wreck villages and homes from their Brigand predecessors.

Combat
In terms of stats, Fighters are similar to other axe-wielding units such as Pirates and Brigands. They tend to have high HP and Strength, moderate Speed and poor Defense. Their somewhat low Speed often prevents them from being able to double attack, but their high Strength offsets this, as they can deal heavy damage in only one blow. In Thracia 776, Axe Fighters have higher Skill and Speed, essentially acting as Myrmidons with axes instead of swords.

Due to their weapon triangle advantage, fighters often work well for killing enemy lance-users such as Soldiers and Knights in early-game sequences. In Fire Emblem: Fates, they gain an additional weapon triangle disadvantage over magic users and advantage over Shuriken. Attacking magic users is risky thanks to not only Fighters' low resistance but also the decreased hit rate thanks to the weapon triangle disadvantage.

Promotion
Fighters cannot class change in Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light and Mystery of the Emblem. In Thracia 776, Axe Fighter units promote into Mercenaries. In all other games, fighters promote into Warriors, gaining in the ability to use bows. In both The Sacred Stones and Awakening, they are given the option of promoting into either a Warrior or a Hero, which gives them the ability to wield bows or swords respectively. In Fire Emblem Fates, they no longer can promote into Warriors, but can now promote into the Berserker class in addition to the Hero class.

Uniform
For the most part Fighters are displayed as muscular men wearing common clothing such as leather vests, similar to the Mercenary classes. What makes them different is that they have either no armor whatsoever, or they have a tiny pauldron or two in order to fit their description as scrappers with high strength and low defence.

In the Archanea titles, Fighters are depicted in the game as clad in only animal furs, though Fighter characters may be depicted with more casual clothing.

In Genealogy of the Holy War, Fighters wear a horned executioner-esque hood in the game's battle animations, but their map animations depict them with a shirt, and a bandana instead of a hood.

In Awakening and Fates, fighters appear shirtless and have more armor than previous games. More specifically, they now have slightly bigger pauldrons as well as a blackart, gorget and shin-guards that go down to their feet.

Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light/Mystery of the Emblem/Shadow Dragon

 * Barst - A mercenary under Ogma who has a mild-mannered personality. After the War of Shadows, he left Talys and supposedly became a pirate.
 * Bord - A mercenary under Ogma who is known for his skill. After the War of Shadows, he became a woodcutter.
 * Cord - A mercenary under Ogma who is known for his speed. Like his fellow mercenary Bord, he became a woodcutter after the War of Shadows.
 * Hyman - The leader of the Soothsires, a feared group of thieves. (Brigand in Mystery of the Emblem).

Archanea Saga/New Mystery of the Emblem

 * Dice - A mercenary resembling a Viking who seeks fortune. He is Malice's father.

Genealogy of the Holy War

 * Iucharba- The youngest son of Danann, younger brother of Brian and Iuchar, half-nephew of Lex, and grandson of Lombard
 * Gerrard - A General in Verdane.
 * Dimaggio - A servant of Prince Munnir of Verdane.

Thracia 776

 * Orsin- Member of the Fiana Freeblades
 * Halvan- Member of the Fiana Freeblades

TearRing Saga: Utna Heroes Saga

 * Barts - A fighter from the village of Taurus.
 * Samson - The husband of Princess Katrina of Arial.

The Binding Blade

 * Lot - An overly cautious mercenary who is led by Dieck.
 * Wade - A reckless and confident man who also works under Dieck.
 * Damas - Leader of the Bole mountain bandits.

The Blazing Blade

 * Bartre - A brash man who appreciates strength.
 * Dorcas - A mercenary gathering money to fix his wife's injury.
 * Zagan - A member of the Black Fang who fights for pleasure.

The Sacred Stones

 * Garcia - Former soldier of Renais and the father of Ross.
 * Ross (possible promotion from Journeyman) - A young man who aspires to be strong like his father.
 * O'Neill - A common soldier in Grado's army.

Path of Radiance

 * Boyd - A member of the Greil Mercenaries, the younger brother of Oscar, and the older half-brother of Rolf.

Radiant Dawn

 * Nolan - Leader of the Dawn Brigade.
 * Pugo - An unrepentant Daein Bandit.

Awakening

 * Vaike - The brash, self-proclaimed rival of Chrom with a history of easily misplacing his possessions.

Fates

 * Arthur - A self-proclaimed Hero of Justice whose attempts at good deeds are often muddied by his abysmal luck. He is one of Elise's retainers.
 * Charlotte - The first Female fighter in the series. Though she appears like a delicate woman, she is a fierce fighter with a sharp tongue deep down.
 * Gazzak - A bandit that lurks around the border and targets small villages. (encountered as a boss; must be captured)

Trivia
Although named Fighter, Alm's class in Fire Emblem Gaiden is very different from this one, actually being a regular, sword-using class, promoting to Hero. It should be noted that no player units in Gaiden can use axes.