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“Fight and get stronger, he says... Guess it can't hurt to try. I sure hope I don't get in the way! Gosh, that would be just awful...”
—-Donnel

Donnel, given the full name Donnel Tinhead in the localization, is a playable character in Fire Emblem Awakening.

Profile[]

Donnel is a villager from Ylisse, and is a common young man who likes plowing fields. Due to the fact that before his recruitment into the Shepherds, Donnel had never left his village, he is interested in many things. Donnel appears as a kid in makeshift armor wielding a Lance on foot. He lives with his mother before leaving to join Chrom's army. His father was killed by Roddick trying to protect his wife and son. Upon meeting Chrom he introduces himself as Donny before quickly correcting himself with his real name. Nevertheless, some members of the Shepherds refer to him as Donny, such as Lissa and Chrom themselves. Donnel is a bit younger than Lissa. Donnel wears a pot over his head in order to hide his messy hair.

One day, Donnel's village is attacked by bandits, but he is able to escape. Donnel encounters Chrom and asks him to save the kidnapped villagers. He leads them to the bandit's hideout and Chrom asks him to fight with them. Though he tells Chrom he's just a regular villager, after some encouraging words from Chrom, he musters enough courage to fight with them. After defeating the bandits and Donnel gets a bit stronger, he joins Chrom's army. Alternatively, if Donnel does not get stronger after defeating the bandits, he will remain in his village and cannot be recruited.

In the epilogue, Donnel returns back home to his village and lives a quiet life with his mother and wife if he got married. He never returned to battle after this.

Personality[]

Donnel is a typical village boy "from the sticks" and is unaccustomed to life outside of his village. Though he was hesitant to ever enter battle, Donnel musters enough courage to stand up for himself and eventually join Chrom's army. His speech is vastly different compared to the rest of the army, speaking with a southern-farmer accent, saying phrases such as "git 'r done!".

In his support with Nowi, it is revealed Donnel's father was an avid rock collector until he was killed, making him carry his father's favorite stone ever since, with his supports with Lissa, revealing that his dream is to travel the world looking for the secrets to his father's stone.

Donnel is well versed in survival and practical skills including animal trapping, fishing, and cooking, as shown in his supports with Panne and both Robins, with his supports with Kellam even saying he grows food for the army as well. Many people in the army note of his incredible aptitude in learning due to his eagerness to improve himself and find his true potential, with perhaps the most extreme example being when he completely memorizes a legal tome, lent to him by Maribelle, which even she herself hasn't fully done so yet.

In-Game[]

Awakening[]

Base Stats[]

Starting Class
FE13 Donnel Villager Map SpriteVillager
LevelHPStrMagSklSpdLckDefResMov
116402311305
SkillsWeaponStarting Items
FE13 Good Growths IconAptitudeLanceIconFE13Lance - EBronze Lance FE13Bronze Lance
Vulnerary FE13 IconVulnerary

Growth Rates[]

Without Aptitude[]
HP Str Mag Skl Spd Lck Def Res
85% 55% 15% 45% 50% 80% 45% 20%

For Aptitude, add +20% to all growth rates.

Max Stat Modifiers[]

Str Mag Skl Spd Luk Def Res
+1   -1   -1   -1   +3  +1  -1 

Support[]

See also: Donnel/Supports

Romantic Supports

Other Supports

Class Sets[]

Base Classes Promoted Classes
-
-
-
-

Inheritance[]

Donnel has two Male-only classes: Villager and Fighter. If his wife has a daughter, then his daughter will inherit the following classes instead.

Overall[]

Secret Book (Artwork)
Subjective: The following part of this article is based upon the editor's personal experiences and opinions, and therefore may not be applicable for all readers.
Base Class[]

Donnel is the archetypical Kliff of Awakening and as such, he starts off with some of the lowest stats in the game and can be well behind the current characters in the roster. What he lacks in his start, he makes up for with incredible long term potential in a short period of time due to his strong growths in nearly all stats save his Magic and Resistance growths. As a Villager, Donnel is mostly stuck in this temporarily in order to farm enough Level Ups so he can Reclass as soon as possible. As the sole starting Villager of the game, he is the only unit that starts off with Aptitude, which gives all of his stats a 20% growth rate boost, solidifying his exponentially strong ascent. In the long term, the Villager class is mostly a small foothold for him to get going before eventually Reclassing into his secondary classes, which have higher stat caps and better long term potential for him.

Reclassing[]

Donnel's reclassing options are Mercenary and Fighter, both of which are a step above his Villager days. It is also worth mentioning that Donnel will be reverted back to E rank in whatever class he reclasses into, forcing you to use Bronze Weapons or expend Arms Scrolls on him to allow him access to stronger weaponry.

After grabbing Underdog, it is highly recommended to go straight to Mercenary, since his immediate acquisition of Armsthrift combined with his high Luck makes him extremely good at extending the lifespan of rarer weapons. The class also balances out Donnel's stats with good speed, skill, and strength and good defense. In addition to the stat compliments, the Mercenary class will offer Donnel the Patience skill, which will increase his Hit and Avoid during the enemy turn. His Hero promotion from this class yields Sol, allowing him to heal himself during battle, and with his fairly high Skill, Sol should activate often. Hero is Donnel's most well-balanced class in terms of stats, abilities, and weapons and is recommended as his end class. Reclassing into Bow Knight will offer Donnel access to Bowbreaker, a useful skill to complement Counter from the Warrior class, which will not activate against ranged attacks from weapons such as bows.

Fighter boosts Donnel's offensive capabilities as much as possible while slightly dropping his defenses. This class emphasizes axes letting him wield Hand Axes for range until he promotes into either Hero or Warrior. Zeal and HP + are good skills for Donnel to use even outside of this class. However, over time, these skills may begin to lose relevance as Donnel begins to reclass multiple times, leading to them being swapped for more versatile skills such as Sol. Warrior adds higher Strength caps, Bows, and Counter to his repertoire, the latter of which is especially useful in conjunction with Sol from the Hero class. Unfortunately, due to the overlap of Mercenary and Fighter both promoting to Hero, Donnel has access to only three upgraded classes total. This gives him a rather limited, but useful, skill pool.

Overall, Donnel has to be reclassed to be a unit worth using, as Villager is useless in the long run. Despite his somewhat shallow range of abilities, Donnel can still be a very capable unit with skill combos like Sol and Counter, with Bowbreaker alleviating the combo's range weakness to an extent and Patience further extending his survival during the enemy turn. Armsthrift will allow Donnel to wield expensive and forged weaponry for longer periods of time, making him a prime candidate for holding fabled weapons like Helswath. Ultimately, Donnel's biggest strengths lie in his fast growths and Luck stat. His growths and the benefits of Aptitude allow him to cap out faster than nearly all other units, making him a very strong mid- to-lategame unit with some early-game investment and decent training. 

Inheritance[]

Donnel can be a great father due to his unique classing situation. Donnel's Aptitude skill is great to pass down to aid in stat building, though it becomes a useless ability once they are capped. Underdog is also worth passing down, since children characters are recruited in a lower tier and at a lower level than other units. Both of these skills are especially good to pass down to his daughters since they are unable to become Villagers themselves. If not, Counter works well as another pass down to his daughters. Because of Donnel's male-exclusive classes, he will pass down different classes to any daughters he may have. Daughters will gain the ability to turn into Pegasus Knights, making Donnel an excellent father for Noire, Nah, and Kjelle, as he gives them access to Galeforce. The addition of the Troubadour class can allow his potential daughters to gain more supportive skills from Valkyrie or gain Renewal from War Cleric. In addition, thanks to having the Mercenary line, the valuable Armsthrift helps save money and preserve powerful weapons. Overall, Donnel is a great father for most of the female children due to having arguably two of the best classes in terms of skills to learn, save for Severa who already has access to both the Pegasus Knight and Mercenary lines automatically from Cordelia. As a father for the male children, he is best given to characters that lack Mercenary to give Armsthrift and ideally ones that already have a mother with Galeforce, making him particularly well suited for Owain and Brady.

Fire Emblem Heroes[]

Village Hero
A farm boy from a country village in the Halidom of Ylisse. Handy and hardy. Appears in Fire Emblem Awakening.

Base Stats[]

Rarity:
Heroes Donnel Sprite (1* & 2*)Title
Village Hero
Group
Heroes Infantry Infantry
LevelHPAtkSpdDefRes
1
40
15
34
5
26
3
21
4
23
2
16
SkillsWeapon
FEH skill offense Iron LanceFEH Lance Lance
✯✯
Heroes Donnel Sprite (1* & 2*)Title
Village Hero
Group
Heroes Infantry Infantry
LevelHPAtkSpdDefRes
1
40
15
36
6
29
3
22
5
26
2
17
SkillsWeapon
FEH skill offense Iron LanceFEH Lance Lance
✯✯✯
Heroes Donnel Sprite (3* & 4*)Title
Village Hero
Group
Heroes Infantry Infantry
LevelHPAtkSpdDefRes
1
40
15/16/17
36/39/42
5/6/7
28/31/34
3/4/5
22/25/28
4/5/6
25/28/31
2/3/4
17/20/23
SkillsWeapon
FEH skill offense Steel LanceFEH Lance Lance
✯✯✯✯
Heroes Donnel Sprite (5*)Title
Village Hero
Group
Heroes Infantry Infantry
LevelHPAtkSpdDefRes
1
40
15/16/17
37/40/43
6/7/8
30/33/36
3/4/5
23/26/29
5/6/7
27/30/33
2/3/4
18/21/24
SkillsWeapon
FEH skill offense Brave Lance
FEH skill support Reciprocal Aid
FEH Lance Lance
✯✯✯✯✯
Heroes Donnel Sprite (5*)Title
Village Hero
Group
Heroes Infantry Infantry
LevelHPAtkSpdDefRes
1
40
16/17/18
40/43/46
6/7/8
32/35/38
4/5/6
26/29/32
5/6/7
29/32/35
3/4/5
20/23/27
SkillsWeapon
FEH skill offense Brave Lance+
FEH skill support Reciprocal Aid
FEH Lance Lance
Weapon[]
TypeNamePrerequisiteDefaultUnlocked
FEH skill offenseIron Lance-FEH Star Rarity 1-
Steel LanceIron LanceFEH Star Rarity 3FEH Star Rarity 2
Brave LanceSteel LanceFEH Star Rarity 4FEH Star Rarity 3
Brave Lance+Brave LanceFEH Star Rarity 5FEH Star Rarity 5
Hewn Lance--FEH Star Rarity 5
FEH skill supportReciprocal Aid-FEH Star Rarity 4FEH Star Rarity 3
AFEH HP +3 HP +3-FEH Star Rarity 1
FEH HP +4 HP +4FEH HP +3 HP +3FEH Star Rarity 2
FEH HP +5 HP +5FEH HP +4 HP +4FEH Star Rarity 4
BFEH Drag Back Drag Back-FEH Star Rarity 3

Overall[]

Secret Book (Artwork)
Subjective: The following part of this article is based upon the editor's personal experiences and opinions, and therefore may not be applicable for all readers.
Base Set[]
Counters[]
Skill Inheritance Options[]

Meet Some of the Heroes[]

Village Hero Donnel
Donnel village hero pop01 I'd recognize that tin pot anywhere! Here's Donnel, a young Hero from a small village in Ylisse. He's an expert at working the land and hunting, and he spent most of his life in the countryside.
Donnel village hero pop02 One day, when the village came under attack by bandits, Donnel asked the Shepherds for help. Desperate to become stronger, he formally joined the Shepherds after the battle!
Donnel village hero pop03 Donnel had already learned a lot about working the land and hunting game during his time at the village, but from that point onward, his appetite for knowledge really took off. I hear he even memorized a hefty old tome about law from cover to cover!
Donnel village hero pop04 If there's a challenge on the horizon, you can be sure Donnel will slap on his tin pot helmet and charge headlong at it. With his enthusiasm and sheer potential, I can see him doing great things for the Order of Heroes!
Closely Associated Characters
Chrom A prince of Ylisse and descendant of the Hero-King. Leads the Shepherds. He invites Donnel into the group.

Sunny Villager
A farm boy from the countryside of Ylisse out enjoying the ocean with his beloved pot. Appears in Fire Emblem Awakening.

Base Stats[]

Rarity: ✯✯✯✯✯

Donnel Sunny Villager Heroes spriteTitle
Sunny Villager
Group
Heroes Infantry Infantry
LevelHPAtkSpdDefRes
1
40
15/16/17
43/46/50
9/10/11
42/45/48
4/5/6
28/31/34
9/10/11
37/40/44
5/6/7
27/30/33
SkillsWeapon
FEH skill offense Wooden Tackle+
FEH skill support Reciprocal Aid
FEH Axe Axe

Skills[]

TypeNamePrerequisiteDefaultUnlocked
FEH skill offenseIron Axe---
Steel Axe---
Wooden Tackle---
Wooden Tackle+-FEH Star Rarity 5-
FEH skill supportReciprocal Aid---
AFEH Atk Def Form 1 Atk Def Form 1--
FEH Atk Def Form 2 Atk Def Form 2FEH Atk Def Form 1 Atk Def Form 1-
FEH Atk Def Form 3 Atk Def Form 3FEH Atk Def Form 2 Atk Def Form 2-
BFEH Chill Def 1 Chill Def 1--
FEH Chill Def Res 1 Chill Def Res 1FEH Chill Def 1 Chill Def 1-
FEH Chill Def Res 2 Chill Def Res 2FEH Chill Def Res 1 Chill Def Res 1FEH Star Rarity 5

Overall[]

Secret Book (Artwork)
Subjective: The following part of this article is based upon the editor's personal experiences and opinions, and therefore may not be applicable for all readers.
Base Kit[]
Counters[]
Skill Inheritance[]

Meet Some of the Heroes[]

Sunny Villager Donnel
Donnel sunny villager pop01 We've got a very special visitor joining our tropical-island holiday: it's Donnel, the villager from Ylisse! Donnel grew up on an island, so he's already made himself right at home.
Donnel sunny villager pop02 Donnel's swapped his usual pot-helmet for a straw hat. He's also got some very fashionable sandals!
Donnel sunny villager pop03 That's a lot of fish he's got hanging from that pole—did he catch all those himself? I didn't realize he was as good at fishing as he is at farming!
Donnel sunny villager pop04 Farming and helping out the Shepherds must keep Donnel very busy. I hope he takes plenty of time to unwind at the beach!
Closely Associated Characters
Chrom A prince of Ylisse and descendant of the Hero-King. Leads the Shepherds. He invites Donnel into the group.

Quotes[]

Awakening[]

Donnel/Awakening Quotes

Heroes[]

Donnel/Heroes Quotes

Possible Endings[]

Donnel - Village Hero (村人, Murabito lit. Villager)
Donnel returned to his tiny village and lived a quiet life with his mother. He never took up arms again—a blessing for which he thanked the exalt daily.
Donnel and Robin
Many wrote of Robin's legendary exploits, but accounts of her origins and character varied. Scholars, poets, and bards agreed on one thing alone--she loved her husband, Donnel, above all else.
Donnel and Cherche
Donnel returned to his tiny village and built a happy life with his mother and his wife, Cherche. The latter's easy laugh and many skills quickly earned the love and respect of her new family.
Donnel and Cordelia
Donnel returned to his tiny village and built a happy life with his mother and his wife, Cordelia. The latter, however, continued to train hard as a knight and often answered the exalt's call.
Donnel and Lissa
Donnel returned to his tiny village and built a happy life with his mother and Lissa. Still, the latter insisted on breaking the monotony, and the couple often traveled to far-flung markets.
Donnel and Maribelle
Donnel returned to his tiny village and built a happy life with his mother and Maribelle. Still, he was careful not to pester his new bride about working in the fields, lest she lift a scythe for other reasons.
Donnel and Miriel
Donnel returned to his tiny village and built a happy life with his mother and his wife, Miriel. The latter directed her studies on the local flora; Donny was shocked that trees could have ten-syllable names.
Donnel and Nowi
Donnel returned to his tiny village and built a happy life with his mother and his wife, Nowi. She loved her new home and scampered through the fields and mountains with the fervor of a village cat.
Donnel and Olivia
Donnel returned to his tiny village and built a happy life with his mother and his wife, Olivia. Their forgotten hamlet glowed during festivals, when Olivia's dancing warmed more than any fire.
Donnel and Panne
Donnel returned to his tiny village and built a happy life with his mother and his wife, Panne. This new "warren" had more than enough nature to please any taguel, and her heart found a home at last.
Donnel and Sully
Donnel returned to his tiny village and built a happy life with his mother and his wife, Sully. The latter established a militia much like the Shepherds to arm the villagers against the threat of brigands.
Donnel and Tharja
Donnel returned to his tiny village and built a happy life with his mother and his wife, Tharja. The latter never warmed to the villagers, but she was said to smile around her family.

Non-Canon Appearances[]

Fire Emblem 0 (Cipher)[]

Donnel is illustrated in the trading card game Fire Emblem Cipher with the following cards:

Choose Your Legends Placement History[]

Round Placement Character Version Votes

CYL1 23 CYL Donnel Portrait
Awakening
10,479
CYL2 137
↓114
CYL Donnel Portrait
Awakening
1,876
↓8,603
CYL3 144
↓7
CYL Donnel Portrait
Awakening
1,835
↓41
CYL4 185
↓41
CYL Donnel Portrait
Awakening
824
↓1,011
CYL5 206
↓21
CYL Donnel Portrait
Awakening
439
↓385
CYL6 157
↑49
CYL Donnel Portrait
Awakening
635
↑196

CYL7 140
↑17
CYL Donnel Portrait
Awakening
429
↓206

Etymology[]

Donnel is an Irish name meaning "brave" or "dark-haired one". The latter probably refers to his dark purple hair color, and the former possibly refers to his Villager class.

Trivia[]

  • Donnel came in 13th place for males in the Fire Emblem Heroes Choose Your Legends popularity poll. He had 10,479 votes.
  • Donnel shares his English voice actor, Sam Riegel, with Stahl.
    • Donnel shares his Japanese voice actor, Ichiki Mitsuhiro, with Hinata and Hisame.
  • Donnel's portrait always shows him wielding a Lance, even though none of his other classes besides Villager uses it.
  • Donnel will sometimes say "let's get-r-done!" when Dual Supporting. This is probably a reference to the famous catch phrase used by American comedian Larry the Cable Guy.
  • Donnel has the smallest class set out of the entire cast of Awakening having only 6 different classes (7 including Dread Fighter).
    • Donnel's base reclassing options (Mercenary and Fighter) are referenced in his C Support Conversation with Stahl, where Stahl recommends that Donnel learn from their fighting styles.
  • In Donnel's localized A-rank Support conversation with Cherche, he mentions that his last name is Tinhead. This is a reference to his Villager class, where he and all the others like him wear giant pots on their heads.
    • In all of Donnel's reclassing options, he wears a tin pot on his head.
    • Before Fire Emblem: Three Houses featured full names for most of its cast, Donnel was one of just 9 Fire Emblem characters with known last names. This also applies to Jill, Elincia, Sanaki, Sigurd, SeliphLeif, Alm, and anime-exclusive Marth.
    • Donnel is the only character with a last name in the English but not in the original Japanese version.
  • A set of map sprites featuring Donnel as a Swordmaster exists within the game data, although they are unused in the main game itself.

Gallery[]

See main article: Donnel/Gallery.
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