Azama

Azama (アサマ, translated Asama in the Japanese version) is a playable character in Fire Emblem Fates. Azama is an ally on the Birthright and Revelation routes. He is voiced by Kenji Hamada in the Japanese version and Matthew Mercer in the English version.

Profile
A subordinate of Hinoka and priest with a calm and well-mannered personality who can have quite a sharp tongue.

Azama is known to be the second son of a priest based in an unnamed shrine. Prior to the events of Fates, as a result of his ill behavior, he was forced to climb up various mountains, where he found penance and developed a calm, serene demeanor that was considered befitting of a priest. While meditating on a mountain one day, Azama encountered an injured Hinoka, prompting him to heal her the best he could before taking her to safety. Departing immediately after rejecting Hinoka's offer to present him with a reward, Azama left behind the impression that he was a wise, selfless priest, a fact that saw Hinoka deciding to hire him as one her direct subordinates.

Azama also has a powerful charm that he obtained from a holy deity during one of his meditations, although he cannot use it for "entirely selfish" purposes.

If he achieves an S-Support, he will have a daughter named Mitama. In his supports with her, Azama reveals his eyes have the same star pattern as hers.

Birthright
Azama first appears in Chapter 8, where he, along with Setsuna, accompanies Hinoka to the Wind Tribe, where they meet up with the Avatar and their allies.

Personality
Despite being a priest, Azama is known to make biting remarks towards everyone, including his superior Hinoka. He enjoys meditating as he found penance and does it during his free time. As a result, he often has to kill bears as he remarks to the Avatar that they always attack whenever they spot people and finds the "eat or be eaten" principle rather funny. He often does not care about the feelings of others.

Azama is usually calm and rather well-mannered. He acknowledges the fact that death comes for everyone. During a support conversation with Hinoka, he is ordered to save a fatally wounded soldier, even though he knows that because of his injuries, the soldier would not survive no matter what he did, suggesting that he should die in peace. His supports with Oboro suggest that his biting remarks are a way to communicate with other people. Due to his personality, it is sometimes hard for others to know whether Azama is being serious or not.

He is the only one out of the whole army that never cries. His birthday is September 9th.

Base Stats

 * -|Birthright Chapter 8 - Fierce Winds=


 * -|Revelation Chapter 16 - White Flames=

Conquest Chapter 11 - Rainbow Sage

 * -|Normal=


 * -|Hard=


 * -|Lunatic=

Conquest Chapter 24 - Hinoka

 * -|Normal=


 * -|Hard=


 * -|Lunatic=

Xenologue 20 - Memories of Foam 6: Unfinished Dawn

 * -|Normal=


 * -|Hard=


 * -|Lunatic=

Growth Rates

 * 55%
 * 55%
 * 30%
 * 50%
 * 60%
 * 55%
 * 40%
 * 40%
 * }
 * Note: Growth Rates are based on the character in their starting class


 * 65%
 * 65%
 * 25%
 * 45%
 * 60%
 * 55%
 * 50%
 * 30%
 * }
 * Note: Growth Rates as a Great Master


 * 55%
 * 50%
 * 40%
 * 50%
 * 60%
 * 40%
 * 40%
 * 35%
 * }
 * Note: Growth Rates as an Onmyoji

Standard Sets

 * }

Friendship Sets

 * -|Birthright/Revelation=


 * }
 * -|Revelation=


 * }

Partner Sets

 * -|All Routes=


 * }
 * -|Birthright/Revelation=


 * }
 * -|Revelation=


 * }

Special Classes

 * }

Supports
Romantic Supports Other Supports
 * The Avatar (Female)
 * Hinoka
 * Sakura
 * Hana
 * Orochi
 * Kagero
 * Oboro
 * Rinkah
 * Setsuna
 * Felicia
 * Azura
 * Mozu
 * Effie (Revelation)
 * Beruka (Revelation)
 * The Avatar (Male)
 * Hayato
 * Subaki
 * Kaden
 * Mitama
 * Kana - if Azama is his father
 * Shigure - If Azama is his father
 * Arthur (Revelation)

Overall
Azama is a strange unit in that he starts out as a magic based class, while having solid physical growths. While his magic growth isn't on par with other healers, he can still make a decent healer while also being able to handle the front lines of physical units. With the increased range from Rods, this can sometimes be avoided. While he cannot handle magic users like most healers that naturally have high resistance, Azama's defence can make him shrug off a good amount of physical damage and his Personal Skill is a free counter as long as he has no weapon equipped. With a solid Speed and Defence growth, Azama, even as a Monk, will most likely not be doubled as well as shrug off some damage. His high Strength growth can prepare him for his Great Master promotion.

Out of all his promotions for Monk, Great Master befits him better due to allowing Azama to wield a physical weapon: Naginatas. With Renewal, Azama can become a healing bruiser: shrug off damage and deal as much damage while healing a good amount using Renewal. With Countermagic, he can return magic damage to the caster, even if they're at a range. While his Resistance is low, his HP could take the hit. With his physically offensive growths being amped up, Azama can use his physical potential to its fullest while remaining a decent healer. By the time he promotes, he's a formidable fighter and will double most of his enemies.

Onmyoji is for a more magic focused Azama. While his magic growth is slightly increased, he won't be dealing much damage compared to other healers. Nonetheless, he'll most likely have a solid Speed stat, allowing him to double most opponents at an early level. Out of all the healers, he'll have a better time dealing with physical units due to his defensive growths, but won't fare too well against magic users due to his subpar Resistance (compared to Sakura or Elise). Tomefaire will increase his tome damage which can help the mostly physical Azama to deal more damage with tomes. With a slightly increased magic growth, his healing potential increases.

Secondary Class
His Secondary Class is Apothecary. Reclassing him into Apothecary allows him to use his physical power to its fullest early at the cost of not being able to use staves. Azama becomes more durable, but he will have lower speed, so he'll double less often. Despite the latter, he'll likely have max or nearly maxed speed, but is not enough to double most foes. While he can deal a good amount of damage, his biggest weakness are swift swordsmen like Swordmasters or Ninjas. Skills gained are mostly utility to himself. Both skills involve consumables like Vulneraries and Tonics. Quick Salve can be utilized to ensure Azama to be healthy before battle, or healing or buffing himself before healing others.

Promoting to a Merchant makes him much more tanky and powerful, but still retaining a low speed. His decent luck growth can allow him to activate Profiteer sometimes, which makes activating Spendthrift quite likely. With Spendthrift, his damage and defence increase while attacking, promoting his already physical focus.

Quotes
Refer to Azama/Quotes.

Possible Endings

 * Azama - Calm Philosopher
 * After the war, Hinoka assigned Azama to a remote post on the very fringe of the kingdom. Despite initially clashing with the locals, he gained a cult following--and ultimately founded a new religion.


 * Azama and Effie
 * Azama decided to use his talents to inspire and heal the people of Hoshido—rather than taunt them. Effie retired after getting married, but she and Elise remained best friends for the rest of their lives.


 * Azama and Orochi
 * Azama decided to use his talents to inspire and heal the people of Hoshido—rather than taunt them. His wife, Orochi, was completely indispensable, both through her intelligence and her future sight.

Etymology
The origin of the Japanese name Asama is uncertain, but it seems to be linked to mountains and volcanoes. As a matter of fact in Japan there are over one thousand Shinto shrines nearby Mount Fuji called "Asama shrines", where it is possible to worship the divinity of the mountain.

It is also the name of: a volcano between the Nagano and Gunma Prefectures, a Japanese cruiser used since World War I, and a type of Shinkansen train.

Trivia

 * Azama shares his English voice actor, Matthew Mercer, with Ryoma, Shigure and Chrom from Awakening.
 * He also shares his Japanese voice actor, Kenji Hamada, with Nichol, Gregor, and Yen'fay.
 * Azama, Laura, Elise, and Sakura are the only named characters who are staff-locked and can't be recruited in chapters they appear as enemies.
 * Azama is the only Monk in Fire Emblem Fates,including every soliders among the characters the the game.
 * Azama's portrait depicts him with a Bloom Festal
 * Azama was voted as the 20th most popular male character in Nintendo's official Fates character poll.