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“I am Lord Ryoma's retainer, Saizo. Behold my mastery of explosives!”
—Saizo, Conquest Chapter 12: Bitter Intrigue

Saizo is a playable character in Fire Emblem Fates on the Birthright and Revelation routes. One of Ryoma's personal retainers and the older twin brother of Kaze, he is a Hoshidan Ninja and is the fifth to carry the Saizo family name. If Saizo achieves an S-Support, he will bear a son named Asugi with his wife; if he marries Female Corrin or Azura, he'll be the father of Kana and Shigure respectively.

Profile[]

Saizo and his younger twin brother Kaze are members of a ninja clan from Igasato that has proudly served the Hoshidan royal family for several generations, and where it is custom for firstborn sons to take on the name Saizo. Their father, Saizo the Fourth, was killed by Kotaro in an unexplained incident. At an unstated point of time, he infiltrated Mokushu believing they played a part in his father's death. Although he managed to confirm his suspicions, he failed to assassinate him and lost his eye in the process.

Similar to Kaze, Saizo is endowed with good looks that are considered attractive by women. Disliking the attention that his facial features can potentially attract, he conceals his face with a mask.

In Saizo's supports with his fellow retainer Kagero, it is revealed that the pair were once lovers at one point in the past. However, they were unable to reconcile their differences and thus chose to give up their relationship and instead dedicate themselves to serving Hoshido.

Prologue[]

Following the battle between the Nohrians and Hoshidans, Saizo appears and attempts to kill Corrin, but is stopped by Xander and the royal siblings as he and Kagero make their retreat.

Birthright[]

Following the conclusion of a battle waged between Corrin and a band of Nohrians led by Silas in Chapter 7, Saizo and Orochi enter the scene bearing dire tidings. Having sustained a number of injuries from a battle that had broken out away from Fort Jinya, they reveal that Ryoma and Takumi have both gone missing. He then learns of Corrin's decision to allow Silas to enlist in their army, to which he expresses suspicion, believing Silas to be a spy for Nohr. After much persuasion from his allies, Saizo begrudgingly approves of Silas' enlistment and joins Corrin's army.

Saizo is directly involved in the plot once more in Chapter 10 if he is deployed in the battle waged against the Mokushujin ninja. When directed to attack Kotaro, Saizo will engage him in conversation, during which Kotaro remorselessly admits to his crime before taunting him. If Saizo manages to land the killing blow on Kotaro, he will, in a state of satisfaction, consider his father's grievance avenged.

Saizo subsequently aids Corrin's effort to put an end to the age-old conflict shared between Hoshido and Nohr. He continues to serve the Hoshidan royal family from the shadows thereafter.

Conquest[]

Saizo makes his first appearance in Chapter 12, where he and Kagero accompany Ryoma to Palace Macarath to lay an ambush for Corrin's unsuspecting army. When faced by Corrin in battle, Saizo openly challenges them to a fair fight, establishing that it is destiny for him to encounter them a second time. He will also converse with Kaze when he engages him in battle, during which he blandly accuses his brother of being a traitor, before vowing to show him the error of his ways. Despite the best efforts of the Hoshidan army, they are eventually defeated and forced to retreat.

Saizo next appears in Chapter 17, where he encounters Corrin and the Nohrian army in a cavernous labyrinth. He attempts to attack Corrin, but his attack is blocked by his brother. Saizo wonders what the two are doing here, and Kaze tells him that they are here to help Kotaro, who is a Nohrian ally. Saizo is enraged that his brother is helping their father's killer and refuses to allow it. Confused by what he meant, Saizo reveals to them that Kotaro had killed their father and has captured Kagero in hopes of having the Hoshidan army surrender. Kotaro later appears and applauds Corrin for catching Saizo. Corrin later asks to search Kotaro's jail cells, not fully believing him. Kotaro reveals that he had captured Kagero, used her as bargaining chip and states that he does not really care and decides to kill the Nohrian royal family so his goals can be achieved. Saizo helps Corrin fight Mokushujin forces that had arrived. If Saizo manages to land the killing blow on Kotaro, he will, in a state of satisfaction, consider his father's grievance avenged.

At the end of the battle, Corrin finds and frees Kagero. She is surprised that Saizo would steep so low as to ally with them to free her. He responds that he allies with no one and that Corrin's army had arrived by chance. If Saizo survived the ensuing battle, Kaze will give Corrin a Speedwing that he had given him, a sign of his thanks but also a sign that their fight is not over yet.

Saizo appears one final time in Chapter 25, where he, Kagero and several other members of the Hoshidan army reinforce Ryoma's effort to halt the advance of the Nohrians in the reception hall of Castle Shirasagi. Should he be defeated in this chapter, Saizo will perish alongside a good number of his other allies. If he is spared, his whereabouts following the end of the battle are unknown.

Revelation[]

Saizo makes his first appearance in Chapter 8, where he, Orochi and Yukimura are stationed at Fort Jinya after the battle between Hoshido and Nohr in the Plains of Hoshido concludes. Corrin eventually arrives at the fort in hopes of gaining support from Hoshido, but they are instead viciously branded a traitor and attacked on sight. Despite the best efforts of the Hoshidan army, they are eventually defeated. Refusing to give up, Saizo decides to blow himself up in hopes of killing Corrin, but Kaze and Sakura intervene in the nick of time to stop him. Corrin then attempts to carefully explain the situation to Saizo, only for him to continue suspecting them due to the cryptic nature of their account. When Kaze and Sakura follow up by resolving to accompany Corrin, Saizo begrudgingly allows them to depart from Fort Jinya without any further conflict.

Saizo next appears in Chapter 11, where he sends up a smoke signal to warn any nearby allies to keep away from the forest of Mokushu. Accompanied by Orochi and Reina, Saizo, prior to the chapter's events, had embarked on a mission to rescue Kagero, who had been captured by the Mokushujin ninjas. While in the midst of their search for Kagero, the band stumble upon Corrin's army, who have entered the forest to locate Saizo. He chooses to believe in their goodwill at this point and decides to aid their cause. Much like in Birthright and Conquest, if Saizo is directed to attack Kotaro, the two will engage in conversation, during which Kotaro remorselessly admits to his crime before taunting Saizo. If Saizo manages to land the killing blow on Kotaro, he will, in a state of satisfaction, consider his father's grievance avenged.

Saizo subsequently aids Corrin's effort to put an end to Anankos' machinations. If he marries Female Corrin, he will become the king of Valla.

Paralogue[]

In Paralogue 9, as Saizo passes through the Thieves' Den to reach his son Asugi's Deeprealm, he will pause to converse with Subaki when the latter remarks on the pronounced look of surliness that he is wearing. He then reveals his heartfelt concern for Asugi's training, where he is worried that his son will not be able to live up to the name of Saizo. Their conversation is abruptly cut short when Asugi unexpectedly appears in the scene with Funke and loudly proclaims his refusal to aid the latter in a burglary and murder attempt. Saizo, enraged that Asugi had changed his name, proceeds to admonish him, whereupon Asugi retaliates by engaging in a heated argument with him. Asugi storms off shortly after refusing to take orders from Saizo, prompting Funke to turn hostile against Saizo for driving off his best underling. The ensuing battle sees Asugi attempting to flee, but his plan is eventually foiled when his father manages to stop his escape. The father and son then resume their argument, during which Asugi succeeds in convincing Saizo to accept him after he reveals his refusal to aid Funke is due to his personal sense of honor. Asugi then insists on joining Corrin's army in the hopes of improving his relationship with his father.

Personality[]

In contrast to his brother Kaze, who is very calm, Saizo is brash and temperamental. He often expects high standards when it comes to serving the kingdom, as shown in his initial support with Kagero where he tells the recruits that they must fight and die for their kingdom. This is even extended to his son, where he has him undergo a brutal training program to ensure that he would meet his expectations and carry on the Saizo name.

He also becomes very frenetic when provoked, experiencing tremendous surges of passion that compel him to behave irrationally. This fact is made particularly evident in Chapter 17 on the Conquest route, where Saizo, guided by his feelings of seething hatred towards Kotaro, blindly throws himself into the heat of battle in a bid to exact vengeance on the man responsible for his father's demise.

Saizo has also been shown to be extremely cold and unfriendly towards people whom he is unfamiliar with, a fact that extends towards his allies. This is not without a cause, however; given his occupation as both a spy and one of two personal bodyguards of Ryoma, it is thus important for him to maintain a hostile attitude as a measure of caution. Saizo's careful vigilance is made especially evident through his initial support conversations with people like Azura and Corrin, where his inability to trust anyone with a Nohrian background causes him to constantly keep a close eye on their actions under the justification that they could be plotting something sinister. However, he will acknowledge them properly if they have proven themselves to be friendly; in his supports with Azura, for one, she gains his trust by healing him while he is wounded and with Laslow when he protects Ryoma.

In contrast to Saizo's anti-social behavior is the fact that he becomes exceedingly shy to the point of becoming embarrassed and flustered when he is teased or shown affection. Through his supports with Sakura, for one, he becomes visibly agitated when she light-heartedly remarks that it is hard to imagine him purchasing candies, dropping his usual façade of cool levelheadedness as he stutters uncontrollably before hastily departing.

Saizo is also known to have a caring heart, although he goes to great lengths to disguise it. This is demonstrated in a support with Corrin where they are carrying heavy things and Saizo goes out of his way to help. He tries to mask the good deed as only having done it because of his "honor", but quickly gets embarrassed for showing his soft, caring side.

He hates sweets the most out of everyone in the army, though he does make an occasional exception.

In-Game[]

Fire Emblem Fates[]

Base Stats[]

As an Enemy[]

Conquest Chapter 12 - Bitter Intrigue[]
  • In Guard Stance with Kagero. Guard Stance: +1 Move.
Conquest Chapter 25 - Ryoma[]
Revelation Chapter 8 - Traitor's Brand[]
Xenologue 20 - End: Lost in the Waves[]

As an NPC[]

Conquest Chapter 17: Den of Betrayal[]

Growth Rates[]

Class:

Base Class
HP Str Mag Skl Spd Lck Def Res
45% 55% 45% 80% 50% 55% 50% 25%
Master Ninja
HP Str Mag Skl Spd Lck Def Res
45% 55% 45% 80% 50% 55% 50% 30%
Mechanist
HP Str Mag Skl Spd Lck Def Res
50% 60% 45% 75% 40% 60% 50% 25%

Max Stat Modifiers[]

Str Mag Skl Spd Luk Def Res
+1 0 +3 -2 0 +1 -2

Class Sets[]

Standard Sets[]
Base Classes Promoted Classes
Friendship Sets[]

Buddy Sets
Possible Candidates Base Classes Possible Promotions
None
None
None

Buddy Sets
Possible Candidates Base Classes Possible Promotions
None
None
None

Buddy Sets
Possible Candidates Base Classes Possible Promotions

Partner Sets[]
Special Classes[]
Base Classes Promoted Classes
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

Supports[]

See also: Saizo/Supports

Romantic Supports

Other Supports

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[]

Saizo is the second ninja available for recruitment in Birthright and Revelation. Of the three ninjas, Saizo is the closest to Cain in the Cain and Abel archetype, with his brother Kaze acting most similar to Abel. When compared to the other two playable ninjas, Saizo possesses lower Speed and Resistance, a fact that is offset by him having the highest Skill, Luck and Defense. In addition to this, his HP and Strength are considered to be midway between the other two ninjas. Unlike the other ninjas, he also has a solid Magic growth, allowing him to use Flame Shurikens and Felicia's Plate without sacrificing much attack power and better evade the effects of status-inflicting staves. Saizo's good Defense also allows him to deal with evasion penalty better than the other ninjas, a fact that increases his combat reliability. His personal skill is Pyrotechnics, which lowers the HP of adjacent enemies and Saizo himself by 20% if he is under 50% HP upon ending the battle. While the effect can be useful, it carries tremendous risk to Saizo and he will need immediate healing should he activate it. As a Ninja, Saizo starts with Locktouch as one of his default skills, allowing him to unlock doors and chests without keys. He will later learn Poison Strike, a skill that lowers the HP of targeted enemies by 20%, which can prove very useful when killing bosses Saizo is unable to touch otherwise or when using the Spy's Shuriken.

Saizo has access to two immediate promotions: Master Ninja and Mechanist. As a Master Ninja, he is essentially a Ninja with higher base stats and the additional ability to wield Swords and Katana. Lethality is one of the skills he can learn, which has the potential to activate more often with his high Skill growth. Shurikenfaire is the other skill he can learn in this class, and is one that complements Saizo's natural proficiency in Shuriken by increasing his damage output with them equipped. As a Mechanist, Saizo sacrifices some Skill and Speed to boost his HP, Strength and Luck growths. Golembane is one of the skills he can learn, which has very little use to him due to the perpetual lack of Stoneborn and puppet-based enemies. Replicate is the other skill that he stands to learn, which allows Saizo to create a clone of himself in battle, effectively allowing him to be deployed in two different positions at once. Careful planning will be needed to avoid him being slain, as Pyrotechnics may cause him to lose even more HP in battles than ever before.

Secondary Class[]

Saizo's secondary class is Samurai, entailing the Swordmaster and Master of Arms promotions. As a Samurai, the first skill he can learn is Duelist's Blow, which boosts his Avoid by 30 when attacking, making it much safer to try and utilize his personal skill in situations where enemies are to be weakened. Vantage is the other skill he can learn, which lets Saizo potentially make the first move on enemy phases when his HP is below half.

As a Swordmaster, Saizo gains access to Astra, a powerful offensive skill that lets him increase his damage output significantly, alongside allowing him to be almost guaranteed to inflict stat debuffs when facing against evasive enemies. The skill also synergizes well with Saizo's high Skill, as it means he can initiate the skill roughly 20% of the time, given the fact that he has a high chance of capping this stat. Swordfaire is the other skill he can learn, but is one that mostly sees use when he is kept in a Samurai-related class.

As a Master of Arms, Saizo can learn Seal Strength, which cripples high Strength units such as Generals and Berserkers. When used in tandem with the stat debuffing Shuriken, such foes could find their Strength reduced to values that are almost negligent. Life and Death is the other skill learnt, but is a rather risky one due to it increasing the damage inflicted against Saizo just as much as it increases his own. This issue can be remedied with the usage of Spy's Shurikens, where range manipulation will let Saizo initiate combat safely and reap the benefits of the skill. He does, however, need to continue being cautious of enemies who can exploit the skill.

Buddy Class[]

Saizo has two Buddy Classes from Subaki and Laslow. Technically speaking he can also support with Kaze and Ryoma, but he won't get new classes from them.

  • Subaki: Subaki provides him with Sky Knight and its promotions, Falcon Knight and Kinshi Knight. As a Sky Knight, Saizo's growths excel beyond or meet Subaki's in almost every category, with him only trailing behind minutely in HP growth. His unnaturally high Magic growth is carried into this class, too, so you can give him a Bolt Naginata to make effective use of it. The first skill he stands to learn, Darting Blow, is a great skill for him to equip, even if he's reclassed again, since his mediocre Speed growth means that enemies will double him rather often. His second skill, Camaraderie, can be made use of to keep his HP high when there are allies around; however, due to it's lackluster potency, it can be traded for a more powerful skill. Falcon Knight doesn't change Saizo's playstyle too much, allowing his skill with the Bolt Naginata to become slightly more proficient due to his boost to his Magic growth; on the other hand, Kinshi Knight offers a minor increase to his Skill growth, making it even closer to his base Ninja; as a downfall, his Strength, Luck and Resistance growths take a slight plummet. This means that his reliance on Skill-based skills becomes even more important, which is a gamble; if the player wants Saizo to be more balanced, they should choose Falcon Knight, for a more skill-oriented Saizo, choose Kinshi Knight. Falcon Knight first offers Rally Speed, creating more opportunities for him to be a support unit, but the skill itself doesn't benefit him or his Speed, so it can easily be switched for a more ideal skill; secondly, he learns Warding Blow, a decent enough skill to patch his shaky Resistance growth when he attacks, and can be brought back to other classes if you want to give him an anti-mage playstyle. From Kinshi Knight, he first learns Air Superiority, which makes him a decent anti-flying unit, especially if put in a bow-wielding class; secondly, he learns Amaterasu, a passive healing skill that isn't that useful due to Saizo's playstyle being more offensive-leaning.
  • Laslow: Laslow provides him with Mercenary and its promotions, Hero and Bow Knight. Hero allows him access to Sol and Axebreaker, the former allowing for him to somewhat reliably self-heal due to his high Skill and solid Strength. This is particularly helpful as activation of his personal skill can leave him with dangerously low levels of HP. Bow Knight gives him access to Rally Skill and Shurikenbreaker, the latter of which is helpful when facing off with another shuriken or dagger-equipped class to help him avoid damage or stat losses, especially his notably weak resistance.
Partner Class[]
  • Female Corrin: Female Corrin provides him with classes that he won't be able to access otherwise, i.e. Cavalier, Knight, Dark Mage, etc.
  • Hinoka/Azura: Both Hinoka and Azura provide him with Sky Knight, which has its benefits explained under Subaki's section above.
  • Sakura: Sakura provides her with Monk and its promotions, Great Master and Onmyoji. This can grant Saizo the opportunity to utilize his unnaturally high Magic growth, although it will likely come at the expense of a lower Speed growth. As a Monk, Saizo can learn Miracle, which can save him from being defeated too easily; given that his Luck growth rate is above average, he may wind up activating it more often as compared to other characters. Rally Luck is a support skill that is better suited to non-combat-oriented units, and should thus not be bequeathed to Saizo. As a Great Master, Saizo can learn Renewal, which allows him to replenish some of his HP at the start of each turn. Countermagic works well with Saizo's shaky Resistance, as it allows him to deflect the attacks of magic users. From Onmyoji, Saizo can learn Rally Magic, which is again another support skill that should not be wasted on him. Tomefaire only sees use if Saizo plans to stay in an offensive magic class, as it will only boost his attack strength if he wields Tomes and Scrolls in battle.
  • Rinkah: Rinkah provides him with Oni Savage and its promotions, Oni Chieftain and Blacksmith. Compared to Rinkah, Saizo will be superior in almost every way except for the fact that he will slightly less sturdy than her against physical attacks due to his lower Defense growth, meaning that he'll have to dodge more than her, which is easy due to his high Speed growth; from Oni Savage, Seal Resistance is not very noteworthy unless the player plans to use him as a magic user, but Shove is useful if there are any frail or healer units in the vicinity of an enemy attack since he can push them out of danger; out of the two promotions, he is more balanced towards an Oni Chieftain build due to his Strength and Magic growths being very similar; Death Blow is a useful skill all around, even to bring back to his base class set or secondary class set, since it makes critical hits extremely frequent (as long as he initiates the battle); Counter is also useful as a defensive skill, since it will soften up any enemies that attack Saizo and manage to hit him. From Blacksmith, Salvage Blow can be useful due to his slightly above average Luck growth, but can be abandoned for better skills as iron weapons lose usefulness later in the game, and Profiteer is a better skill to earn gold; Lancebreaker is quite useful, as if you make Saizo use swords, this can turn the tables on the weapon triangle disadvantage.
  • Orochi/Kagero: Both Orochi and Kagero provide him with Diviner and its promotions, Onmyoji and Basara. Saizo's Magic growth is high, which allows him to perform well offensively with magical attacks. However, he will likely be somewhat stunted in this class line, due to Diviner and Onmyoji being completely unable to make use of his high Strength growth. From Diviner, he can access Magic +2, which can benefit him if given a tome/scroll, but loses usefulness later on, and Future Sight, which can help with grinding levels to boost his stats; from the promotions, he works well as a Basara, due to high growths in both Strength and Magic; Rend Heaven is a great attacking skill, since it will trigger frequently due to his extremely high Skill growth, but Quixotic is a dangerous skill to equip on him; while the boost of Hit Rate and skill activation is extremely useful, it also benefits the enemy, and due to his lackluster Resistance and average Defense, it can turn the tables on him; also, due to his high Skill, his Hit Rate and skill activation shouldn't need to be boosted. The benefits to Onmyoji are explained above under an S rank with Sakura.
  • Setsuna/Mozu: Both Setsuna and Mozu provide him with Archer and its promotions, Sniper and Kinshi Knight. Saizo's Speed and Skill growths make him able to stay in this class without too much trouble, with the exception of a shaky HP, Defense and Resistance growth; from Archer, Skill +2 is not too useful due to it already having an extremely high growth, but Quick Draw can be useful to benefit his average Strength growth (when he initiates). From the two promotions, he can benefit from either one; from Sniper, Certain Blow can help if he's given a less accurate weapon like the Spy's Yumi, and Bowfaire can be useful if the player decides to keep him in a bow-wielding class like Mechanist. Kinshi Knight also benefits his high Skill nicely, but he needs to stay away from Beast Killer-wielding enemies and bow users; Air Superiority can be useful for dealing with other Kinshi Knights, and Amaterasu can turn Saizo into a semi-efficient support unit, healing a minor amount of health to the people nearby.
  • Oboro: Oboro provides him with Spear Fighter and its promotions, Basara and Spear Master.
  • Felicia: Felicia provides him with Troubadour and its promotions, Strategist and Butler. While Saizo has enough Magic to effectively use Staves and Rods, he still relies on the growth rates from his base class set to keep his Speed growth from falling too much. However, as a frontline unit, the skills from the class set can be of use. As a Troubadour, he can learn Resistance +2, which will prove a boon to Saizo's poor Resistance, although it will very likely fall out in favor once he gains additional skills. Gentilhomme also sees some use, as he is often on the frontlines and can thus support his female allies by reducing the damage that they sustain. As a Strategist, Saizo is given the opportunity to continue utilizing his Magic offensively, although the innate Speed growth of the class is still very risky for him to gain levels in. Butler is considered to be more viable, as it retains Saizo's Shuriken ranks and allows him to channel his Magic towards the usage of Staves and Rod. While the class' Speed is not very ideal, it may take some time before Saizo can build his Magic sufficiently to be an effective healer, and if an additional healer is required, the player can consider reclassing him into a Butler at an earlier level. Live to Serve is one of the skills he can learn as a Butler, and should only be considered if he remains in a staff-using class. Tomebreaker, conversely, is useful regardless of the class he assumes, as his low Resistance will definitely benefit from the upper edge that this skill gives him when facing against magic users.
  • Charlotte: Charlotte him with Fighter and its promotions, Hero and Berserker.
  • Beruka: Beruka provides him with Wyvern Rider and its promotions, Wyvern Lord and Malig Knight. The 1st skill Saizo gets in this set, Strength +2, is quite debatable on its usefulness, and almost always end up being replaced later on. Lunge is, however, a skill that can be, depending on the skills Saizo have, rather annoying to face, as it allows Saizo to keep on the move, even if trapped, and walls won't stop him from doing so. Wyvern Lord doesn't grant anything useful, other than Swordbreaker, as Rally Defense isn't a skill Saizo should have equipped in the first place (nor any other "Rally" skills, for that matter). Malig Knight, however, gives both Savage Blow and Trample. Trample is just like a second Shurikenfaire/Swordfaire and stacks additively with both, as well as with Life and Death, granting Saizo up to +20 damage vs non-mounted units (and using either a shuriken/dagger or a sword/katana). Savage Blow is like Saizo's own passive Pyrotechnics, however, it doesn't requires him to be below 50% HP, nor does it hurts him when it activates. It does however stack with both Pyrotechnics (if below 50% HP) and with Poison Strike, meaning that for 20% of Saizo's current HP, he can deal up to 60% HP damage to his primary target (unless using a Spy's Shuriken), and (even if is primary target dies) up to 40% HP damage to units in two squares of Saizo if those units don't have received damage before. On a final note, if Saizo has Lunge and both/either Pyrotechnics and Savage Blow, the damaged units will be the ones around Saizo "starting" position, even if his new position would have more units to be damaged this way.

Fire Emblem Heroes[]

Angry Ninja
A severe ninja of Hoshido. Has a twin brother named Kaze. One of Ryoma's retainers. Appears in Fire Emblem Fates.

Base Stats[]

Rarity:
✯✯✯
Heroes Saizo Sprite (3*)Title
Angry Ninja
Group
Heroes Infantry Infantry
LevelHPAtkSpdDefRes
1
40
15/16/17
30/33/36
5/6/7
22/25/28
6/7/8
27/30/33
7/8/9
26/29/32
1/2/3
10/13/16
SkillsWeapon
FEH skill offense Steel DaggerFEH Dagger Dagger
✯✯✯✯
Heroes Saizo Sprite (4* & 5*)Title
Angry Ninja
Group
Heroes Infantry Infantry
LevelHPAtkSpdDefRes
1
40
15/16/17
31/34/37
5/6/7
23/26/29
7/8/9
29/32/35
8/9/10
28/31/34
1/2/3
30/33/36
SkillsWeapon
FEH skill offense Smoke Dagger
FEH skill support Harsh Command
FEH Dagger Dagger
✯✯✯✯✯
Heroes Saizo Sprite (5*)Title
Angry Ninja
Group
Heroes Infantry Infantry
LevelHPAtkSpdDefRes
1
40
16/17/18
33/36/40
6/7/8
25/29/32
7/8/9
31/34/37
8/9/10
30/33/36
2/3/4
12/16/19
SkillsWeapon
FEH skill offense Smoke Dagger
FEH skill support Harsh Command
FEH Dagger Dagger

Skills[]

TypeNamePrerequisiteDefaultUnlocked
FEH skill offenseIron Dagger---
Steel Dagger-FEH Star Rarity 3-
Smoke DaggerSteel DaggerFEH Star Rarity 4FEH Star Rarity 3
Smoke Dagger+Smoke Dagger-FEH Star Rarity 5
Saizo's Star--FEH Star Rarity 5
FEH skill supportHarsh Command-FEH Star Rarity 4FEH Star Rarity 3
AFEH Poison Strike 1 Poison Strike 1--
FEH Poison Strike 2 Poison Strike 2FEH Poison Strike 1 Poison Strike 1FEH Star Rarity 3
FEH Poison Strike 3 Poison Strike 3FEH Poison Strike 2 Poison Strike 2FEH Star Rarity 4
CFEH Spur Spd 1 Spur Spd 1-FEH Star Rarity 3
FEH Spur Spd 2 Spur Spd 2FEH Spur Spd 1 Spur Spd 1FEH Star Rarity 4
FEH Spur Spd 3 Spur Spd 3FEH Spur Spd 2 Spur Spd 2FEH 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 Set[]

Saizo was among the first Dagger units released with Heroes. He has a decent stat spread that is mainly focused on his physical bulk and Spd. He trades this for low magical bulk and a middling Atk, which is not helped by the naturally low Mt of daggers without refines. Nevertheless, Saizo has proven to be an excellent Archer/Dagger check thanks to his high physical bulk and his Spd allows him to prevent follow-ups from several fast units. Saizo is fairly underwhelming but like most early Dagger units, his strength comes from debuffing.

Smoke Dagger is his native inheritable weapon which applies a -6 debuff onto foes within two spaces of his target, landing a huge penalty that can reduce the offensive impact of several units or open the door for the player's allies to follow-up and dispatch enemies. The low Mt of the weapon made the weapon useful solely in applying the debuff, however the Weapon Refinery gave it a lot more might, even on a non-Atk refine, bringing its 9 Mt to a better 12. Saizo later obtained a preferred weapon, Saizo's Star. It is essentially an enhanced Smoke Dagger, now applying the -6 debuff to all four core stats of enemies within two spaces of his target plus having a 13 base Mt. This debuff becomes important as the refined Saizo's Star gives him a buff to each of his four core stats independently based on the enemy's current stat penalties. With his weapon, he is able to gain a massive +24 difference in stats as a result though any other unit who applies stronger penalties to said target will result in even higher totals.

Saizo has Harsh Command, which inverts ally Penalties into Buffs that he interacts with. Poison Strike inflicts 10 damage to a target he initiates on after he battles them, weakening them for him to finish off the next turn or set up for an ally to dispatch in tandem with either of his native daggers. Spur Speed increases ally Spd by 4 when they are adjacent to Saizo during combat.

Counters[]

Saizo's low magical bulk leaves him extremely vulnerable to mages of all sorts such as Nino, Tharja, and Linde. Enemies who can score doubles, even physical ones, can easily take him down, especially if they are attacking from close range and he is not running Close Counter. Dragons fall under this category as well as they can not only attack up close, but also target his lower res. Saizo will also struggle in particular against these units if they have a Distant Counter effect such as through the common Lightning Breath.

Skill Inheritance[]

Daggers are among the most flexible weapon type in the game due to the sheer range of special effects each carries. Most of Saizo's skills remain consistent regardless of his taken dagger and choice is up to the player on which dagger is preferred from his two innate dagger or Barb Shuriken for example. Reposition, Swap, or Draw Back are solid options for him to use as his supportive skill for the variety of ally placement manipulation and each are situationally useful. Bonfire takes full advantage of his good Def for some decent damage in return. In tandem with his refined Dagger, he can be at a decent 39 Def on an enemy he has previously debuffed.

Skill A varies, but are geared towards general defensiveness. Close Counter to employ his debuffs onto a wider range of characters by becoming an enemy phase physical tank. Steady Breath further increases his bulk and accelerates his cooldown so he can proc it faster. Fury is a general budget option that gives him a flat stat increases across the board. Saizo can easily punish Bow users with Bowbreaker attached, denying follow-ups of many of the most powerful bow units in the game while guaranteeing his own follow-ups. Quick Riposte is similarly useful as general coverage or one could run that as a Seal and take Guard to slow down enemy special cooldowns. Saizo's Skill C is by far the most flexible as he has tons of options to choose from like Hone, Fortify, Spur, Wave, Threaten, and Smoke skills to choose from. He should use whatever either suits his needs or better benefits his team as whole.

Meet Some of the Heroes[]

Angry Ninja Saizo
Saizo angry ninja pop01 Here's Saizo, a master ninja from Hoshido who's known for his fiery technique! He's a loyal retainer to Ryoma who supports his master from the shadows.
Saizo angry ninja pop02 Saizo belongs to a bloodline of elite ninja. In fact, he's the fifth to bear the family name.
Saizo angry ninja pop03 Saizo also has a twin brother, Kaze. The two are rather different from each other, though. Saizo is hot-tempered and can be rather severe, while Kaze keeps a cool head.
Saizo angry ninja pop04 Working alongside his fellow ninja Kagero, Saizo serves at Ryoma's beck and call. I'm sure he'll be a great aid to us in Askr too—he seems like the type who might deal with threats to the kingdom before we even know about them!
Closely Associated Characters
Ryoma The eldest prince of Hoshido, who wields the legendary blade Raijinto. He relies on his trustworthy retainers, Saizo and Kagero.
Kagero A ninja of Hoshido who is ready to lay down her life for her liege. One of Ryoma's retainers. She was once in love with Saizo.
Kaze A serious and disciplined ninja from Hoshido. Has a twin brother, Saizo. Popular with women.

Hoshido's Flame
A ninja who serves Ryoma of Hoshido. Determined not to lose to mere novices in the craft he's mastered. Appears in Fire Emblem Fates.

Base Stats[]

Rarity: ✯✯✯✯✯

Saizo Hoshido's Flame Heroes spriteTitle
Hoshido's Flame
Group
Heroes Infantry Infantry
LevelHPAtkSpdDefRes
1
40
14/15/16
33/37/40
10/11/12
38/41/45
11/12/13
41/45/48
11/12/13
41/45/48
5/6/7
22/25/29
SkillsWeapon
FEH skill offense Kumo Naginata+
FEH skill special Rising Flame
FEH Lance Lance

Skills[]

TypeNamePrerequisiteDefaultUnlocked
FEH skill offenseIron Lance---
Steel Lance---
Kumo Naginata---
Kumo Naginata+-FEH Star Rarity 5-
FEH skill specialRising Flame---
Growing Flame---
AFEH Atk Def Solo 1 Atk Def Solo 1--
FEH Atk Def Solo 2 Atk Def Solo 2FEH Atk Def Solo 1 Atk Def Solo 1-
FEH Atk Def Solo 3 Atk Def Solo 3FEH Atk Def Solo 2 Atk Def Solo 2FEH Star Rarity 5
CFEH Def Smoke 1 Def Smoke 1--
FEH Def Smoke 2 Def Smoke 2FEH Def Smoke 1 Def Smoke 1-
FEH Def Smoke 3 Def Smoke 3FEH Def Smoke 2 Def Smoke 2-

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[]

Meet Some of the Heroes[]

Hoshido’s Flame Saizo
Saizo hoshidos flame pop01 We’ve got a very special shinobi making an appearance at the ninja festival—Saizo’s here from Hoshido to show us all how it’s done!
Saizo hoshidos flame pop02 Saizo normally dresses in stealthy attire, but he’s going all out with his festival fashion. Check out the fluffy tail and fox-themed shoulder guard he’s wearing!
Saizo hoshidos flame pop03 Here he is wielding a naginata with a special smoke design for the festival. It’s also accessorized with a traditional Hoshidan lantern!
Saizo hoshidos flame pop04 Now that we’ve got a real ninja in attendance, this party’s ready to get started! Let’s give Saizo a big ninja-festival welcome by showing him our best shinobi moves!
Closely Associated Characters
Ryoma The eldest prince of Hoshido, who wields the legendary blade Raijinto. He relies on his trustworthy retainers, Saizo and Kagero.
Kaze A serious and disciplined ninja from Hoshido. Saizo’s twin brother. Popular with women.
Kagero A ninja of Hoshido who is ready to lay down her life for her liege. One of Ryoma’s retainers. She was once in love with Saizo.

Quotes[]

Fates[]

Saizo/Fates Quotes

Heroes[]

Saizo/Heroes Quotes

Possible Endings[]

Saizo - Angry Ninja (爆炎使い, Bakuen Tsukai lit. Explosive Flame User)
While no official records of Saizo the Fifth exist from after the war, later scholars agreed that he most likely stayed in Hoshido, working covertly for the Hoshidan royal family. What else would he do?
Saizo and Corrin (Birthright)
Corrin was hailed as a hero, working alongside her spouse to spread peace worldwide. Saizo disappeared from official records after the war, but no doubt he served the royal family forever.
Saizo and Corrin (Revelation)
The two spent the rest of their lives together, Corrin ruling as the wise Queen of Valla. Her husband, Saizo, was never comfortable working in public, but he supported the kingdom.
Saizo and Azura
Saizo disappeared from official records after the war, but no doubt he served the royal family forever. There are few records of Azura beyond her marriage. She remains a historical mystery.
Saizo and Beruka
Saizo disappeared from official records after the war, but no doubt he served the royal family forever. Beruka was torn about leaving Camilla but enjoyed having enough emotions for them to conflict.
Saizo and Charlotte
Saizo disappeared from official records after the war, but no doubt he served the royal family forever. Records show his wife, Charlotte, was a caring wife and mother, and they had a happy family life.
Saizo and Felicia
Saizo disappeared from official records after the war, but no doubt he served the royal family forever. Felicia gave up her career in the service industry for the military, ultimately becoming a commander.
Saizo and Hana
Saizo disappeared from official records after the war, but no doubt he served the royal family forever. His wife, Hana, continued to serve Sakura, brightening all of their lives with her infectious optimism.
Saizo and Hinoka
Saizo disappeared from official records after the war, but no doubt he served the royal family forever. His wife, Hinoka, became general of the Hoshidan royal army, and the two remained together always.
Saizo and Kagero
Saizo disappeared from official records after the war, but no doubt he served the royal family forever. Kagero remained a ninja. It is said that the couple got along, but didn't have much time together.
Saizo and Mozu
Saizo disappeared from official records after the war, but no doubt he served the royal family forever. His wife, Mozu, meanwhile, was a constant source of support and a humanitarian in her own right.
Saizo and Oboro
Saizo disappeared from official records after the war, but no doubt he served the royal family forever. His wife, Oboro, worked hard and eventually was able to reopen her late parents' tailor shop.
Saizo and Orochi
Saizo disappeared from official records after the war, but no doubt he served the royal family forever. His wife, Orochi, was completely indispensable, both through her intelligence and her future sight.
Saizo and Rinkah
Saizo disappeared from official records after the war, but no doubt he served the royal family forever. Rinkah's fiery personality ensured her husband's life was not boring, and they loved one another well.
Saizo and Sakura
Saizo disappeared from official records after the war, but no doubt he served the royal family forever. His wife, Sakura, dedicated herself to helping the underprivileged, and the two worked happily together.
Saizo and Setsuna
Saizo disappeared from official records after the war, but no doubt he served the royal family forever. Records show his wife, Setsuna, stayed by his side and was a great source of support and joy.

Non-Canon Appearances[]

Fire Emblem 0 (Cipher)[]

Saizo is illustrated in the trading card game with the following cards:

Choose Your Legends Placement History[]

Round Placement Character Version Votes

CYL1 130 CYL Saizo Portrait
Fates
2,221
CYL2 345
↓215
CYL Saizo Portrait
Fates
560
↓1,961
CYL3 310
↑35
CYL Saizo Portrait
Fates
654
↑94
CYL4 345
↓35
CYL Saizo Portrait
Fates
330
↓324
CYL5 241
↑104
CYL Saizo Portrait
Fates
362
↑32
CYL6 245
↓4
CYL Saizo Portrait
Fates
367
↑5

CYL7 195
↑50
CYL Saizo Portrait
Fates
294
↓73

Etymology[]

Saizo possibly shares his name with a member of the legendary Ten Braves, Kirigakure Saizō.

In the Japanese version, his A-support conversation with his son, Gurei/Gray (or Asugi in the English version), reveals his name can potentially be 彩造 (彩, "color"; 造 "make"), not 才蔵, like the legendary Kirigakure Saizō. In their conversation, Saizo asked him why he named himself "Gurei", while he said that choose "Gurei" as a way to both differentiate himself, and alluded himself to the Saizo name.

Trivia[]

  • Saizo shares his English voice actor, Benjamin Diskin, with Jakob and Hayato, as well as Three Houses' Caspar and Lorenz.
  • Kaze and Saizo are the first members of the Cain/Abel archetype whose base classes are not Cavalier-based.
  • Saizo placed 15th for males in the official character popularity poll.
  • In the NA version of Saizo and Oboro's C Support, there is a typo where Saizo says "I'm a solder" instead of "soldier".
  • Saizo's artwork from the 4koma Book depicts him wielding a Barb Shuriken.
  • According to himself, his only weakness is being very ticklish.

Gallery[]

See main article: Saizo/Gallery.
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