Series guide
All Fire Emblem games in order
Fire Emblem is Nintendo and Intelligent Systems’ tactics series: you move an army across a grid, every character has a name and a story, and whoever falls is gone — the permadeath that gives the series its tension. Below are all seventeen mainline games in release order, with a column for which of them actually reached Europe, then the spin-offs and what to check second-hand.
The short answer
Seventeen mainline games (1990–2023), but the first six were Japan-only; for Europe the series starts in 2004 with Fire Emblem on the Game Boy Advance. No order is required — almost every entry is its own world. If you want one today: Three Houses (Switch). If you want classic: the two GBA games.
Every mainline game in order
Years are the first (Japanese) release; the last column says when Europe got its turn.
| # | Game | Platform | Year | In Europe |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light | Famicom | 1990 | no — a brief digital Switch release in 2020 |
| 2 | Fire Emblem Gaiden | Famicom | 1992 | no — remade as Echoes (2017) |
| 3 | Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem | Super Famicom | 1994 | no |
| 4 | Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War | Super Famicom | 1996 | no |
| 5 | Fire Emblem: Thracia 776 | Super Famicom | 1999 | no |
| 6 | Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade | Game Boy Advance | 2002 | no |
| 7 | Fire Emblem (The Blazing Blade) | Game Boy Advance | 2003 | yes, 2004 — the first one here |
| 8 | Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones | Game Boy Advance | 2004 | yes, 2005 |
| 9 | Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance | GameCube | 2005 | yes, 2005 |
| 10 | Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn | Wii | 2007 | yes, 2008 |
| 11 | Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon | Nintendo DS | 2008 | yes, 2008 — remake of the first game |
| 12 | Fire Emblem: New Mystery of the Emblem | Nintendo DS | 2010 | no |
| 13 | Fire Emblem Awakening | Nintendo 3DS | 2012 | yes, 2013 |
| 14 | Fire Emblem Fates (Birthright / Conquest / Revelation) | Nintendo 3DS | 2015 | yes, 2016 |
| 15 | Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia | Nintendo 3DS | 2017 | yes — remake of Gaiden |
| 16 | Fire Emblem: Three Houses | Nintendo Switch | 2019 | yes |
| 17 | Fire Emblem Engage | Nintendo Switch | 2023 | yes |
Why 2004? Marth and Roy in Super Smash Bros. Melee (2001) made Western players curious, and Nintendo answered by bringing the GBA game that follows Roy’s father west — as simply "Fire Emblem".
The spin-offs
- Fire Emblem Warriors (2017) — Switch and New 3DS — the musou action spin-off, no tactics.
- Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes (2022) — Switch — the same recipe in the world of Three Houses.
- Tokyo Mirage Sessions ♯FE (2015) — Wii U, then Encore on Switch in 2020 — a role-playing game with Fire Emblem characters, made with Atlus.
- Fire Emblem Heroes (2017) — Mobile — free to play, nothing for a shelf.
Do you have to play them in order?
No. Most entries are set in their own world with their own cast. A few belong together: Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn tell one story in two parts, the GBA Fire Emblem is a prequel to the Japan-only Binding Blade, and Shadow Dragon and Echoes are remakes of the two Famicom games. Everything else you simply start on its own.
Which Fire Emblem should you buy now?
- Today: Three Houses (Switch) — the biggest entry, with the academy phase and three storylines; also for people who have never played a tactics game.
- The classic formula, handheld: Awakening (3DS) — the game that saved the series, with the Casual mode that switches permadeath off.
- Classic and compact: the GBA games Fire Emblem and The Sacred Stones — short, sharp and playable anywhere.
- For the collector: Path of Radiance (GameCube) and Radiant Dawn (Wii) — the two games that form one story.
- Fast and modern: Engage (Switch) — a lighter story, the sharpest battles in the series.
Buying Fire Emblem second-hand
The GBA pair saves without a battery — but check the cartridge is real
Fire Emblem and The Sacred Stones keep your progress in the cartridge itself, so there is no save battery to die. GBA cartridges are widely counterfeited: look at the label and the Nintendo logo moulded into the back, and have the save tested. We do exactly that on every copy.
Fates is two cartridges, not one
Birthright and Conquest were sold separately, share the opening chapters and then follow opposite sides of the conflict. Revelation was an expansion; only the Special Edition put all three on one cartridge. A listing should say which you are looking at — ours do.
Region: the DS game is free, the 3DS games are locked
Shadow Dragon on DS plays on any DS, 3DS or 2DS. Awakening, Fates and Echoes are region-locked: a European 3DS only plays European cartridges. Radiant Dawn also runs on a Wii U in Wii mode.
Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn are one story
The GameCube game and its Wii sequel tell a single tale in two parts and are the collector target in this series. Everything else stands alone.
Every copy tested before it is listed
Booting, saving, reloading, label, disc surface — checked on real hardware. We have been doing this since 2019, with 1400+ verified reviews at 5.0★, and we ship tracked to all 27 EU countries. Originals only; if something ever turns out not to be genuine, you get your money back.
Browse tested Fire Emblem gamesQuestions we get asked
Do I need to play the Fire Emblem games in order?
No. Most entries are set in their own world with their own cast. Only Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn form one continuous story; the GBA Fire Emblem is a prequel to the Japan-only Binding Blade, and Shadow Dragon and Echoes remake the two Famicom games. Everything else you can start cold.
Which Fire Emblem game should I start with?
Three Houses on Switch: the biggest and most accessible entry, even if you have never played a tactics game. On 3DS, Awakening is the classic entry point, with a Casual mode that switches permadeath off.
Why did Fire Emblem only reach Europe in 2004?
The first six games were released in Japan only. After Marth and Roy appeared in Super Smash Bros. Melee, Nintendo brought the 2003 GBA game west as simply "Fire Emblem"; Europe got it in 2004.
What is the difference between Fire Emblem Fates Birthright and Conquest?
Two separate cartridges with the same opening chapters and then a different side of the conflict: Birthright is the more forgiving route, Conquest the harder one. Revelation was an expansion; only the Special Edition contained all three.
Is permadeath mandatory in Fire Emblem?
Since Awakening (2012) every entry has a Casual mode in which fallen characters return after the battle. The older games — GBA, GameCube, Wii and DS — do not have it.
Is Fire Emblem suitable for children?
The recent entries carry PEGI 12: it is war, and characters can die. For teenagers who like chess-like games, Three Houses or Awakening is an excellent start.
Do you ship outside the Netherlands?
We ship to all 27 EU countries with track & trace. Parcels leave from the Netherlands, there are no customs charges within the EU, and your country’s exact rate appears at checkout before you pay.
Years given are the first (Japanese) release; the European dates are in the table. Deze gids in het Nederlands.
