Every installment in the Fire Emblem series is filled with dozens of unique playable characters. Fire Emblem Engage has just over 35 main units, 12 characters from past games return as Emblems, and a plethora of other characters from past titles show up as Rings.
Emblem and Ring characters work very differently than the main cast of characters. This list will be focusing on 15 of the best characters from the main playable cast.
~ Spoiler alert: This list contains late-game units! ~
15 Jean
Jean is one of the earliest optional recruits in the game. He can be obtained from a Paralogues Quest that takes place at the Tea-Filled Village. Recruiting Jean simply involves talking to him before defeating all the enemies in the village.
He is the son of the local doctor and wishes to travel the world to help people. He's ambitious and kind-hearted. Jean is an excellent ally in the early game since he is capable of healing.
14 Kagetsu
Kagetsu is the retainer of Ivy, and joins the party at the same time she does. He doesn't play a big role in the story, but he is a very powerful ally. Kagetsu starts with the Swordmaster class, which means he has access to all S-tier swords that the player comes across.
Kagetsu is always looking for ways to hone his skills, is a party goer, and loves food from his home country. Despite starting off as a villain, he is quick to accept others.
13 Alfred
Alfred is the prince of Firene, and one of the earliest characters to show up in the story. He represents his nobility well by being a gentle leader with compassion for others.
Alfred fights with a lance and rides on horseback. This makes a fairly useful unit in the first half of the game before more powerful units become available.
12 Fogado
Fogado is another kingdom's prince. His sister is the crowned princess, so he isn't held down by royal duties. Fogado ventured out many times for defeat Corrupted before eventually joining up with the player's party.
He is an extrovert that enjoys nature, parties, and other people. He always goes into battle on horseback and fights at a distance with a bow.
11 Celine
Celine is a kind princess that loves tea and nature but hates war and too much positivity. Her advanced class allows her to use swords, offensive magic, and defensive magic.
She is the first character on this list that comes with an Emblem in the main storyline. She is joined by Celica. Upon fusing with Celica, she can teleport around the map to attack enemies.
10 Anna
Anna is a reoccurring character in the Fire Emblem series. An incarnation of her is always a merchant. Awakening was the first title to make her playable, and her playable status returned once again in Engage.
She is a young thief that tries to steal treasure from bandits in an optional Paralogues Quest. She will join the heroes permanently if the player talks to her after freeing her from a chest.
9 Hortensia
Hortensia is a villain for a fair stretch of Engage's story. She is a boss that uses multiple different Emblems throughout her various encounters. Eventually, her sister Ivy convinces her to change sides. Her development is brief but memorable.
She brings Emblem Byleth with her to the side of good. Hortensia adores all things cute and fights from on top of her trusted Pegasus.
8 Seadall
Dancers are a very helpful class since they're able to essentially pass their own turn to an allied unit that already used theirs. Seadall is the only character in the game who is a dancer by default.
He is first seen by the party when he's being attacked by Corrupted, but Emblem Corrin assists him in fighting them off. The map he's introduced in and multiple that follow are well-designed around Corrin's ability to create ice.
7 Yunaka
Initially, Yunaka is just a common thief that stole Emblem Micaiah from Firene. Later, she has a change of heart. Yunaka helps the party reclaim Micaiah. Micaiah allows Yunaka to use some of the most potent healing magic in the game.
She is an assassin at heart, as she loves poison, weapons, and lurking in the shadows. That doesn't, however, mean she is stone-cold. Yunaka wants to make a good impression on her new teammates.
6 Diamant
Diamant starts the game as the crown prince of Brodia, but eventually becomes its king. He is a strong-willed leader that wants to protect his homeland, and get revenge for what was taken from him.
Still, he enjoys his peace. Doing activities alone brings him more joy than being around large groups of others. Emblem Roy is introduced around the same time Diamant is. He gives Diamant the ability to set multiple tiles on fire in a single attack.
5 Ivy
One of the earliest villains to change sides is Ivy after she realized her father was just using her. She fights with magic, rides upon a wyvern's back, and comes with Emblem Lyn. Fusing with Lyn allows her to snipe enemies from a very far distance.
Ivy mostly likes keeping to herself. She hates parties, loud noises, ghost stories, and bugs. Ivy helps convince her sister and by extension multiple other characters to fight against her father.
4 Timerra
The crown princess of Solm is no pushover. She is an outgoing, free-spirited, and powerful character. She loves camping, freedom, and meat. Her dislikes include cleaning, fairy tales, and being told what she can't do.
Timmera comes with Ike, who is said to be one of the strongest Emblems in the story. She typically only fights with a lance, but Ike gives her access to a very powerful hammer, axe, and sword. Ike's Laguz Friend skill makes her take half damage from all enemies.
3 Veyle
Veyle is a very mysterious figure for most of the game. Like Alear, she is an ancient dragon. She is a very kind character, but was abused by many people around her. She gets mind-controlled multiple times, but eventually breaks free and fights back against her abusers.
Veyle's default class weapons are daggers and tomes. She has a special skill that makes nearby allies do slightly more damage, while also receiving slightly less. Her class skill also fills her Engage Meter by 1 at the start of every turn.
2 Alear / The Protagonist
Like most protagonists, Alear is at the very core of the game's storyline. They had two unique classes based on their role as the Divine Dragon. Alear's sword skills aren't particularly the best, but there are a few factors that make them an overpowered unit.
Engage+ is a mechanic that only Alear has access to. It allows them to Engage an ally along with themselves at the same time, even if their ally doesn't have a full Engage Meter.
1 Rosado
Rosado is a wyvern knight that fought alongside Hortesia before their cute-loving gang switched sides. He seems to spread joy around the world by painting art of beautiful landscapes. He is among the most passionate and lively characters in the game.
Rosado fights using both swords and axes. He was the first person to use the Sacred Stones Emblem, which is the only Emblem that hosts two spirits in the base game. This effectively gives him two Emblems in one; Erika and Ephraim. Both have very distinct skills.