Subaki

"I'm no good at getting help when I need it. That's the problem with seeking perfection. You always feel like you have to do everything alone."

- Subaki in a support conversation with the Avatar

Subaki (ツバキ, Tsubaki in the Japanese version) is a playable character in Fire Emblem Fates on the Birthright and Revelation routes. One of Sakura's personal retainers, Subaki seeks perfection in all that he does in order to uphold the legacy of his family. If he achieves an S support, he will bear a daughter named Caeldori with his spouse.

Subaki is voiced by Takamasa Mogi in the Japanese version.

Profile
Subaki was born into a family belonging to the upper echelons of Hoshido, one that is renowned for having served the royal family for generations. Following the footsteps of his ancestors, Subaki is thus instated as one of Princess Sakura's personal retainers.

Birthright
Subaki makes his first appearance in Fort Jinya in Chapter 7, where he, alongside his fellow retainer Hana, aids Sakura in tending to the injuries of wounded soldiers and citizens. After receiving news of a Nohrian invasion that has broken out near Fort Jinya, Subaki is engaged in a squabble with Hana, during which they argue over the superiority of their usefulness on the battlefield. Shortly after their quarrel is broken up by Sakura, Subaki accompanies his liege, Hana and the Avatar out of the fort to stage a defence.

Subaki subsequently aids the Avatar's effort to put an end to the age-old conflict shared between Hoshido and Nohr.

Conquest
Subaki only appears in Chapter 22, where he, alongside Sakura, Hana and Yukimura, stages a defence in Fort Jinya in a bid to halt the Nohrian invasion. When engaged in battle by the Avatar, Subaki will reveal that in spite of their betrayal, Sakura has continued to hold nothing but the highest opinion of them. He then quietly vows to personally defeat the Avatar in order to end his liege's sorrow. Despite the best efforts of both Subaki and the rest of the Hoshidan army, they are eventually defeated.

Revelation
Subaki first appears at the end of Chapter 8, where he and Hana pursue Sakura after the latter wordlessly departs from Fort Jinya to ally herself with the Avatar's cause. Upon catching up with her, he immediately expresses relief before proclaiming that he and Hana will always support her in all the decisions that she makes.

Subaki subsequently aids the Avatar's effort to put an end to Anankos' machinations.

Paralogue
In Paralogue 13, Subaki reunites with his daughter Caeldori after not having seen her for ages. While in the midst of catching up with her, Subaki is summoned by a Hoshidan soldier to the Riverside to aid in quelling an enemy attack. Caeldori attempts to follow her father, only to be stopped as he urges her to remain behind for the sake of her safety. She later defies Subaki's orders, entering the battlefield and leaping into the fray to aid him. Following the conclusion of the battle, Subaki fawns over his daughter's achievements, expressing praise and admiration. Upon hearing her narrate details on the post-battle activities that she has engaged in, Subaki begins to feel inferior to her, mentally resolving to push himself in order to prevent her from surpassing him.

Personality
Subaki is a self-professed perfectionist, a fact that primarily stems from the legacy of his family's traditions, ones that have conditioned him to strive towards achieving perfection in all that he does. As a result of this, Subaki is known to be very demanding and even unforgiving towards himself as he works tirelessly to meet the harsh expectations that he sets for himself. This has in turn caused him to have the tendency to engage in self-reproach whenever he commits "offences" that he feels make him appear weak and imperfect in the eyes of others. During such occurrences, Subaki is known to lapse into a state of flustered distress as he attempts to rectify his shortcomings.

In spite of the excessive nature of his hardworking spirit, Subaki never draws attention to himself, choosing instead to hide his efforts from the notice of others. As a result of the attitude and behavior that he adopts towards others, Subaki can come across as being more obnoxious and arrogant than he actually is.

He has the cleanest hands in the army. His birthday is February 7.

Conquest Chapter 22 - Sakura

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Xenologue 20 - Heirs of Fate 6: Lost in the Waves

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Growth Rates
Class:


 * 55%
 * 40%
 * 20%
 * 60%
 * 35%
 * 45%
 * 45%
 * 25%
 * }


 * 55%
 * 40%
 * 30%
 * 60%
 * 35%
 * 45%
 * 45%
 * 25%
 * }


 * 55%
 * 35%
 * 20%
 * 55%
 * 35%
 * 40%
 * 45%
 * 20%
 * }

Max Stat Modifiers

 * -1
 * 0
 * +2
 * -2
 * -1
 * +3
 * -1
 * }

Supports
Romantic Supports
 * The Avatar (Female)
 * Azura
 * Felicia
 * Mozu

Hoshido

 * Hinoka
 * Sakura
 * Kagero
 * Setsuna
 * Oboro
 * Hana
 * Rinkah
 * Orochi

Nohr (Revelation)
Other Supports
 * Selena
 * Nyx
 * The Avatar (Male)
 * Saizo
 * Azama
 * Hinata
 * Niles (Revelation)
 * Caeldori
 * Shigure (if Subaki is his father)
 * Kana (if Subaki is his father)

Standard Sets

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Friendship Sets

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Partner Sets

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Special Classes

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Base Class Set
On the whole, Subaki is not a typical Sky Knight; unlike most Sky Knights, Subaki's Speed is below-average, a fact that is offset by his solid defenses. When he first joins, his Speed, when paired with Darting Blow, is sufficient for him to double attack and defeat most enemies. As he continues gaining levels and the game progresses to its later stages, Subaki's Speed will end up lagging immensely, a fact that will see him incapable of performing double attacks and dodging enemy attacks with ease. His Strength growth rate is also highly unstable, a fact that causes his resulting Strength to be uncertain. This is partially offset by Subaki's moderately high base Strength, which should be enough for him to perform fairly strong attacks in earlier stages.

Subaki's two promotions are the Falcon Knight and Kinshi Knight classes. As a Falcon Knight, Subaki's HP, Skill and Defense growths are superb, allowing him to sustain many physical attacks, a fact that regular Falcon Knights are normally unable to emulate. This, when paired with his decent Magic, allows him to act as an effective healer alongside being a competent combatant. The skills that he can learn in this class include Rally Speed and Warding Blow. While Rally Speed is a decent rally skill, there are other characters who are much better suited to it, as Subaki is better off being fielded as a combat unit. Warding Blow, conversely, is a skill that is useful to him, as it will allow him to shave off magical damage when attacking, possibly offsetting his poor Resistance.

As a Kinshi Knight, Subaki fares rather poorly, as the class does not play to his strengths due to its low HP and Defense caps. The Kinshi Knight class does have a higher Skill cap, but considering that this comes at the cost of heavy reductions in the cap of other stats, the class should therefore not be made his final class. The class does, however, offer the Air Superiority and Amaterasu skills, both of which are decent and can prove to be assets to Subaki. Air Superiority can stack with Subaki's personal skill, Perfectionist, and make him very evasive when in combat with flying enemies. Amaterasu, on the other hand, is a good supportive skill that allows Subaki to heal allies located in close proximity to him at the beginning of each turn.

Secondary Class Set
Through a Heart Seal Subaki gets the Samurai class set. This is highly recommended if the player wishes to use him throughout their playthrough, as his strengh and speed get fixed up. Subaki gets the Duelist's Blow skill which grants +30 Avoid upon attacking on Player Phase. He also gets Vantage which is good should he be under half his max HP as he will attack first, no matter whose turn it is.

The Swordsmaster class grants Subaki the Astra and Swordfaire skills. Astra lets him hit 5 times in one attack, can still double, and just a great skill on anyone overall. Swordfaire gives +5 damage when using a sword/katana. Swordfaire should only be equipped if the player plans on keeping subaki in a sword wielding class.

The Master of Arms class lets Subaki take control of the weapon triangle, and is probably his best class in the samurai class set, if not all of his non-DLC reclassing options. He gets the Seal Strength and Life and Death skills. Seal Strengh reduces the enemy's strengh by 6 after an attack but recovers 1 Strengh per turn. This is more effective against enemies that are lacking in strengh because on enemy phase, it might save some frailer units. Life and death grants +10 damage dealt but +10 damage taken. If the player likes being risky, they might love this skill. But to the cautious player, they will steer clear of this skill. However the skill is taken, it is a mixed bag when put in practice.

Friendship Classes

 * Saizo - Saizo gives Subaki the Ninja class set. The base class of the ninja class set most notably grants Subaki the Poison Strike skill. If Subaki has problems dealing damage, this class is a clutch for him, as after each battle when he land a hit, he takes off 20% of the enemy's Max HP after battle. The Master Ninja class gives Subaki the Lethality and Shurikenfaire skills. Lethality is the preferred skill in this class as Shurikens/daggers aren't a big part of Subaki's class options. Mechanist bestows the Golembane and Replicate skills. Golembane is highly situational as its only use is for other Mechanists and castle battles. Replicate on the other hand, is leagues above because the replica carries the same stats the replicator had.


 * Azama - Azama gives Subaki the Monk class set. From the base class he can get the Miracle and Rally Luck skills. Miracle let's Subaki survive a lethal attack if he has more than 1 HP. Rally Luck gives extra luck which is useful when nearby enemies have high crit weapons. The Great Master skill gives the Renewal and Countermagic skills. Renewal recovers 30% of max HP which can save the use of a staff. Countermagic makes enemy magic users think twice about launching a fire spell on Subaki. The Onmyoji class bestows the Rally Magic and Tomefaire skills. The onmyoji skills are the least useful from the Monk class set, as Subaki doesn't have too big of a talent in magic.


 * Niles - Niles gives Subaki access to the Outlaw class set. The Outlaw class gives, most notably, the movement +1 skill, which is always useful. The Adventurer class gives the Lucky Seven and Pass skills. Lucky Seven boosts Subaki's Hit and Avoid by 20 on the first 7 turns. Pairing that with Perfectionist makes it hard for attacks to land against Subaki. Pass let's him bypass enemy placement, allowing him to reach a guarded area with less effort. The other promotion, the Bow Knight grants the Rally Skill and Shurikenbreaker skills. Rallies are useful for support, but Subaki is better suited for combat. Shurikenbreaker makes it hellish for ninjas to hit him.

Marriage Classes

 * Female Avatar - Female Avatar gives Subaki whatever class she gets from a Heart Seal


 * Azura/Felicia - Both Azura and Felicia give Subaki access to the Troubadour class.


 * Mozu/Setsuna - Both Mozu and Setsuna gives Subaki the Archer class set. The Archer class gives Skill +2 and Quick Draw. Skill +2 is a good pick up if Subaki is struggling slightly with hitting opponents and Quick draw adds 4 damage when initiating combat. The Sniper class gives the Certain Blow and Bowfaire skills. Certain Blow grants hit rate +40 upon initiating an attack. Pair this with quick draw to make Subaki's clubs devestating. Bowfaire is only useful when Subaki is in a bow wielding class, which he probably won't be.


 * Hinoka/Oboro - Both Hinoka and Oboro give Subaki access to the Spear Fighter class set. The base class has the Seal Defense and Swap skills. Seal defense lowers the enemy's defense by 6, recovering 1 per turn. Swap lets Subaki switch placement with an ally. The Basara class offers the Rend Heaven and Quixotic skills. Rend Heaven is a great skill that works best against hard hitters. Quixotic is a risk vs reward skill which will drive away the cautious players but bring in risk loving players. The Spear Master class offers the Seal Speed and Lancefaire skills. Seal Speed lowees the speed of an Enemy by 6, recovering 1 per turn, which helps if a unit has trouble doubling. Lancefaire gives +5 when attacking with a lance/Naginata. This works when Subaki is in a class that can use lances.


 * Orochi - Orochi gives out the Diviner class set, which Subaki gets the promotions from other buddy/partner classes. Nothing to write home about.


 * Rinkah - Rinkah gives Subaki the Oni Savage class set. The oni savage class gives Subaki the Seal Resistance and Shove skills. Seal Resistance isn't particularly useful for Subaki since he fares bether in physical classes. Shove can save a ally from being killed from a mistake. The Oni Chieftain class gives the Death Blow and Counter skills. Death Blow grants crit +20 upon initiating combat. Pairing that skill with high crit weapons can result in incredible kills. Counter works off of physical damage, but considering Subaki is more of an offensive unit, it isn't so optimal. The Blacksmith class, outside of possibly picking up random weapons, gives Lancebreaker. Mono lance users can find it impossible to hit Subaki.

Quotes
Refer to Subaki/Quotes.

Possible Endings

 * Subaki - Mr. Perfect
 * After Ryoma assumed the crown, he named Subaki chief of the pegasus knights. As expected, Subaki served with a perfect record, and always kept a close eye on Lady Sakura.


 * Subaki and Avatar (Birthright)
 * Subaki was appointed chief of the pegasus knights and served with a perfect record. Avatar was hailed as a hero, working alongside her spouse to spread peace worldwide.


 * Subaki and Avatar (Revelation)
 * The two spent the rest of their lives together. Avatar ruling as the wise Queen of Valla. Subaki adapted quickly to royal leadership and became a great source of support for his wife.


 * Subaki and Azura
 * Subaki was appointed chief of the pegasus knights and served with a perfect record. There are few records of Azura beyond her marriage. She remains a historical mystery.


 * Subaki and Felicia
 * Subaki was appointed chief of the pegasus knights and served with a perfect record. Felicia gave up her career in the service industry for the military, ultimately becoming a commander.


 * Subaki and Hana
 * Subaki was appointed chief of the pegasus knights and served with a perfect record. His wife, Hana, continued to serve Sakura, brightening all of their lives with her infectious optimism.


 * Subaki and Hinoka
 * Subaki was appointed chief of the pegasus knights and served with a perfect record. His wife, Hinoka, became general of the Hoshidan royal army, and the two remained together always.


 * Subaki and Oboro
 * Subaki was appointed chief of the pegasus knights and served with a perfect record. His wife, Oboro, worked hard and eventually was able to reopen her late parents' tailor shop.


 * Subaki and Rinkah
 * Subaki was appointed chief of the pegasus knights and served with a perfect record. Rinkah's fiery personality ensured her husband's life was not boring, and they loved one another well.


 * Subaki and Sakura
 * Subaki was appointed chief of the pegasus knights and served with a perfect record. His wife, Sakura, dedicated herself to helping the underprivileged, and the two worked happily together.


 * Subaki and Selena
 * Subaki was appointed chief of the pegasus knights and served with a perfect record. After marrying, he and his wife, Selena, disappeared from records. They likely lived happily ever after.

Etymology
Tsubaki is the Japanese word for Camellia. Depending on the language, this can have different meanings:
 * In the Victorian Language of Flowers, White Camellia carry the meaning of 'Perfection' and 'Loveliness', which Subaki's personality and good looks could be based on.
 * In the Japanese Language of Flowers, known as Hanakotoba, Red Camellias mean "in love" and "perishing with grace", probable allusions to his kind yet proud personality. In contrast, Yellow Camellia mean "longing", a possible nod to Subaki's desire for perfection.
 * In the Edo Period, samurai would disallow Camellia from being planted in their homes due to the Ochitsubaki, or "fallen Camellia." The fallen Camellia flower represented the samurai's duty of beheading outlaws; this may be represented through Subaki's secondary class tree being Samurai.

Trivia

 * Subaki is noted to be the first playable male Pegasus Knight in the Fire Emblem series.
 * Subaki was voted the 16th most popular male in Nintendo's official Fates character poll.