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[SolVanderlyn]

SPOILERS FOR THE AWAKENING CHARACTERS. STOP READING AFTER MICAIAH IF YOU WISH TO AVOID THEM.

Each Fire Emblem features a central character or set of characters that, while not always the most powerful and oftentimes quite weak, serve as the centerpiece for the story and receive a unique character class in the form of Lord. Almost all of them are of royal blood. Ike, the protagonist of Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, is unique in that he is not classified as a Lord (at least not from the outset) and does not belong to royalty.

Marth:

Known as the Hero-King, Marth is the central protagonist and Lord-class character of the original game, Fire Emblem: Ankoku Ryū to Hikari no Tsurugi and Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem, as well as their respective remakes. Although Marth's Fire Emblem titles were released only in Japan at the time, he has acquired more widespread international attention through his appearance in the Nintendo brawler, Super Smash Bros. Melee. The appearance of Marth and Roy sparked a greater level of Western interest in the Fire Emblem series, and it was in part because of this that Nintendo began releasing the games internationally beginning with Fire Emblem: Rekka no Ken, the seventh title in the series.

Alm:

Alm is one of the two main characters from Fire Emblem Gaiden. Alm is a childhood friend of Celica and was raised by Mycen in the village of Ram in Zofia. He joins and eventually leads the resistance against the rebelling forces of Dozah. After the war, he marries Celica and becomes the Exalted King Alm the First of the united Kingdom of Valentia.

It is revealed in Fire Emblem: Awakening that his successor would rename the continent "Valm" and the Kingdom of Valentia the "Valmese Empire" in his honor.

Celica:

Celica is one of the main characters of Fire Emblem Gaiden. Actually Princess Anteze of Zofia, she was adopted by Mycen in order to save her from Dozah. She is the childhood friend of Alm and was raised with him by Maisen before she was left in the care of Nomah and put into hiding at the Novis Monastery. After the war she marries Alm and together they form the Kingdom of Valentia, with her kindness and wisdom aiding Alm in his rule.

Sigurd:

Sigurd is the main protagonist of part 1 of Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War. He is the first lord in the history of Fire Emblem to be mounted on a horse and possess the ability to wield lances. The son of Lord Vylon, a descendant of Baldur, one of the Twelve Crusaders, Sigurd is a prince of Chalphy Castle and a Holy Knight in the Kingdom of Grannvale, the central country on the continent of Jugdral. He initially wields the Steel Sword, followed by the Silver Sword, a weapon that is presented to him by Arvis on behalf of Prince Kurth in the Prologue chapter. Sigurd will later receive the Tyrfing, which he will wield in Chapter 5 of the game's events. Sigurd is unique among lords in the series in that he is not a teenager. His class is known as Knight Lord.

Seliph:

Full name Seliph Baldos Chalphy, he is the main protagonist of part 2 of Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War, and cameos in Fire Emblem: Thracia 776. He is the son of Sigurd and Deirdre, and was chronologically born in Agustria, between Chapters 2 and 3 in the events of Genealogy of the Holy War. He also appears as a DLC character in Awakening, wherein he was illustrated by Suzuki Rika, the illustrator of the Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones novels in Japan.

Seliph is the maternal grandson of Kurth and Cigyun, the great-grandson of Azmur, the half-nephew and stepson of Arvis, and the older half-sibling of Julius and Julia. He is known as the Prince of Light by the Isaacian citizens, a stark contrast to Julius, who is known as the Prince of Darkness. Unlike his father, he is a much more traditional lord; he does not ride horses or wield lances. His unique class is known as Junior Lord.

Leif:

Full name Leif Faris Claus, he is a playable character from Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War, and the protagonist of Fire Emblem: Thracia 776. He is the prince of Leonster, the son of Quan and Ethlyn, brother of Altena, the nephew of Sigurd, and the cousin of Seliph.

After the fall of Leonster, he managed to flee, alongside Finn and Nanna. After hiding out at several cities such as that of Alster and Tahra, Leif finally settled down in a small village known as Fiana. He inherits the iconic Light Sword from his late mother, Ethlyn, which is, incidentally, his personal weapon in the events of Thracia 776.

Leif is revealed to be 15 years of age in the events of Thracia 776, and 16 in the events of Genealogy of the Holy War.

Roy:

Roy is the protagonist of Fire Emblem: Binding Blade and the son of Eliwood, the main character of Fire Emblem: Rekka no Ken. He gained international popularity with the release of Super Smash Brothers: Melee, although he was replaced in later iterations. Incidentally, his appearance in Melee predates his appearance in his own game, functioning as promotional material for the as-yet unreleased Fire Emblem 6 in Japan.

Roy's mother could be either Lyndis, Fiora, Ninian, or another unmentioned woman, depending on who Eliwood gained supports with in Rekka no Ken or if he had any supports at all. Roy is also given access to the Sword of Seals, one of the most powerful weapons in Binding Blade, and perhaps in the entire series. He is stated in the Hasha no Tsurugi manga to be 15 years old.

He makes a brief cameo in the ending to Rekka no Ken.

Lyndis:

Also known as Lyn, she is one of the three main characters of Fire Emblem: Rekka no Ken, although she is not mentioned in Fire Emblem: Binding Blade. She is 18 years old in her story (15 in the Japanese version) and 19 (16 in the Japanese version) years old in Eliwood's or Hector's story. Born in the Sacaen Plains, her parents, Hassar, chieftain of the Lorca tribe, and Madelyn, daughter of Lord Hausen of Caelin, were killed by bandits before the beginning of the game. She was named after her maternal grandmother. From her humble origins in the plains, Lyn has been noted as a deep, caring, and kind-hearted soul. She rarely thinks ill of others and, despite the circumstances, always believes on the best of things. However, due to the slaughtering of the Lorca tribe due to the bloodthirsty Taliver Bandits, she has a great hatred toward all bandits and pirates and refuses to be associated with them unless needed to.

She is one of the few female main characters in the series. Her unique class is Blade Lord.

Eliwood:

Eliwood is one of the three main characters in Fire Emblem: Rekka no Ken. Eliwood was born of the noble house of Pherae; his father was Lord Elbert and his mother was Lady Eleanora. His childhood best friend was Hector, the younger brother of the Marquess Ostia. These two attended school together and, as they grew older, their friendship grew as well. He is expected to be around the age of 16 when Lyn first meets him in chapter 7 and a year older in chapter 11 (Eliwood's story). To defeat Nergal, leader of the Black Fang, he journeys deep within the earth to retrieve Durandal, a legendary sword and the eponymous Rekka no Ken or "Blazing Sword," which was used by Roland, the founder of Lycia. Eliwood is the traditional lord of the trio, initially wielding a sword/rapier and later promoting to a mounted Knight Lord, much like Sigurd before him.

Depending on his supports, he can wed Lyndis, Ninian, or Fiora, and becomes the father of Roy.

Hector:

Hector is one of the three protagonists of Fire Emblem: Rekka no Ken. He is also a minor character in the previous game, Fire Emblem: Binding Blade. Unlike most lords, he is an axe-wielder, and the first in the series to wield, before promotion, only one weapon which is not a sword. In Rekka no Ken, Hector is a young lord and a good friend of Eliwood. Hector’s parents died of a disease and his older brother, Uther, is the current lord of Ostia. He and Eliwood have a match every 2 months since they were 12, and have had about 30, making him 17. His fighting style is rash and somewhat dangerous as a result of being self-taught in wielding an axe.

Ephraim:

Ephraim is a playable character and a protagonist in Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones. He is the crown prince of Renais and Eirika's twin brother. He is a headstrong and determined man whose skill with a Lance is unsurpassed by any other in his country. He has a semi-friendly rivalry with Prince Innes of Frelia, and is also good friends with Prince Lyon of Grado. He wears the Solar Brace which is one of a pair of bracelets that together grant access to Renais' Sacred Stone. He wields lances exclusively.

Eirika:

Eirika is a playable character and a protagonist in Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones. Her father is King Fado of Renais, and her brother is Prince Ephraim. She is the future queen of Renais (or if she has an A level support with Innes, Frelia). Eirika is a very kindhearted, forgiving, gentle, and careful person. Eirika detests violence, saying that she wishes there was a way to solve their issues without violence, while Ephraim is impulsive and likes fighting, revealed in his nostalgia in Serafew that he wants to become a mercenary. She is also very brave in the face of adversity: she will never deny help to anyone who needs it, and despite her distaste for unnecessary violence, she will fight to protect either her friends or her kingdom. She wields swords/rapiers.

Ike:

Ike is the main character of Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance and one of the two protagonists of Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn. The fearless leader of the Greil Mercenaries, Ike is the first and only main character who is not of noble birth. He is the son of Greil and Elena, and the older brother of Mist. Ike is shown to be rather humble, and seeks no reward for his actions, save for the fees he charges as a mercenary. Unlike other Lords, who have been raised as nobility, Ike is rather gruff and straightforward; however, his personality shows that he has the same righteousness as the others, albeit shown in a slightly different, more direct way.

In Fire Emblem: Awakening, Ike makes yet another appearance as a DLC character, and is illustrated by Eiji Kaneda, the artist of Fire Emblem: Binding Blade.

Micaiah:

Also known as the Silver-Haired Maiden, Micaiah is a playable character and main protagonist of the first part of Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn. She is a wielder of Light Magic and the de facto leader of the Dawn Brigade. She has the unique skill, Sacrifice, which allows her to give up some of her HP to heal a selected unit. Micaiah is the first main character since Celica from Fire Emblem Gaiden to fight with magic, and the first main character in the series to use it almost exclusively.

Chrom:

The protagonist of Fire Emblem: Awakening, Chrom is the prince, and later Exalt, of the Halidom of Ylisse and a descendant of the Hero-King, Marth. He is also the captain of Ylisse's vigilante force, the Shepherds, and wields the legendary sword Falchion. He is the brother of Lissa and Emmeryn, the father of Lucina and the uncle of Owain, and can potentially be the father of Kjelle, Inigo, Brady, Cynthia, or Morgan. His birthday is May 27th. He leads his Shepherds' force to protect the peace when the neighboring nation of Plegia begins acting suspiciously. He has a strong sense of justice and is a crucial member of his squad. He breaks the most things during army practice.

Robin:

The Avatar, default name Robin, is a playable character and dual protagonist in Fire Emblem: Awakening; their appearance and style of fighting is crafted by the player. At the beginning of the game, the Avatar is lying unconscious on a field, when they are rescued by Chrom's Shepherds. Despite losing their memory, the Avatar has great knowledge of fighting battles and serves as the vigilantes' tactician. Leading Chrom and the Shepherds through a long campaign to protect Ylisse from the Plegia, the Avatar becomes Chrom's trusted war advisor.

Lucina:

Lucina is the daughter of Chrom, and has the mark of Naga, known as the Brand of the Exalt, on her left eye. She is a kind and determined princess with a strong sense of justice, who believes that saving the world is her mission. She loves her father dearly, and is always worrying over him. She wields the Parallel Falchion. Her birthday is April 20th. Depending upon whom Chrom marries, Lucina can be the sister of Cynthia, Kjelle, Brady, or Inigo or be an only child. She is also Owain's cousin. Depending on whom the Avatar marries, Lucina can potentially be the sister or aunt of male Morgan or the mother, cousin, or aunt of female Morgan.

 

[CSX]

Buff Ike. Soloing chapters like a true hero

 

[TUSR]

Robin is a tactician not a lord.

Chrom is useless.

Marth -> Lucina

 

[SliceSabre]

Ephraim because playing as a god is so much damn fun. By end game nothing could touch me and Ephraim's freakign gaze killed people.

 

[MrSaturn99]

Ike. Eliwood and Lyn are close.

 

[nacimento]

I like Ike. And obviously Lyn and Hector, best Lords from the best game.

 

[Sadist]

Ike because he fights for his friends.

 

[Neiteio]

Hey, Lucina is a lord. :-\

 

[Irnbru]

Lyn + Hector 4eva

 

[RE_Player]

I thought Chrom was a great Lord. Strong yet sensitive and the writing throughout the game showed him grow as a leader.

 

[Astral Dog]

Ephraim and Chrom.

 

[InsaneZero]

Sigurd comes with good stats, great growths, a great weapon and a horse from the very first chapter of the game. Best Lord of the series bar none.

 

[Cynar]

Ike is my favourite. The guy is a beast.

 

[L Thammy]

Ephraim because playing as a god is so much damn fun. By end game nothing could touch me and Ephraim's freakign gaze killed people.

If you don't want to waste EXP on Kyle, Forde, and Orson, he's like that from the beginning of the game. What's even better is that this is basically canon. His first appearance in the game is being totally surrounded by better equipped enemies and still winning somehow.

 

[SolVanderlyn]

Hey, Lucina is a lord. :-\

Semi-spoilers, man.

Well, actually. I guess Smash Bros. let that one out of the bag.

Robin is a tactician not a lord.

Technically true, but he's one of the main characters. Moreso than Lilina from FE6. I think he deserves to be included.

 

[Astral/H3X]

Jeez, it feels like the gap between Micaiha and Chrom is forever.

Also Lyn is Roy's mother, not that silly dragon.

 

[FLAguy954]

Leif is my favorite lord, especially as a Master Knight in FE4.

 

[TWILT]

We like Ike!

 

[Werewolf Jones]

In terms of appeal I've always been fond of Sigurd since way back in the day during that Japanese Brawl poll he was heavily demanded. Chrom is constantly outshined by Robin even though he's not a lord also.

 

[Hindl]

Lyn + Hector 4eva

Same. The blue haired Lord we deserve! And Lyn is just a boss I really like her backstory and everything

 

[Taruranto]

Eliwood and Hector.

 

[ShockingAlberto]

Fun note: Ike's original name was Paris, because he was concepted out "as if he were Hector's younger brother."

 

[djplaeskool]

+1 for Lyndis

 

[Sakura]

The protagonist from the best Fire Emblem, Awakening, because he is me.

 

[Firemind]

Marth and Roy.

OP lords are boring.

 

[LonelyGreyWolf]

I haven't played much Fire Emblem so I just have to ask what is this, why is this and how is this? Not sure if alien or human. Creepy.

Also, I like Ike.

 

[Griss]

Hector and Ike. The only mark against Ike is that I don't particularly enjoy playing as him in Smash Bros. That's it. And that's hardly fair. In all other respects he is awesome. Hector had a fun attitude for a lord, and was simply beastly every time I played FE7, which for a long time was my favourite. I liked Ephraim but he never turned out to be the total god others described in my games, whereas Hector always did.

Marth is my least favourite, and Chrom was bland as hell.

 

[Cedric]

Ike is the G.O.A.T.

(I only beat Sacred Stones, PoR and RD)

 

[Shahadan]

I fight for my friends.

 

[Ludist210]

Ike, followed closely by Lyn and Hector.

Not sure why so many people like Marth...probably because of Smash Bros. I thought he was a poor Lord unit in general.

 

[Poodlestrike]

Either Hector or Lyndis. Fire Emblem for GBA was my first experience with the series, and they stuck with me.

EDIT:

Lyn + Hector 4eva

Hell to the yes.

 

[Aostia]

Ike, for me. I absolutely loved his games.

 

[Irnbru]

Same. The blue haired Lord we deserve! And Lyn is just a boss I really like her backstory and everything

Pretty much all of this plus nostalgia, just hector is too good with his axe.

 

[Enduin]

Ike, loved his progression over PoR and then again in RD.

 

[Wiz]

Ike. By the end of Path of radiance he was rekking people like no one's business.

 

[theprodigy]

Micaiah is great

 

[emb]

Marth > Hector > Micaiah > Lyn > Robin = Ike > Ephraim

The rest are either 'meh' to me, or I haven't played their games.

 

[MoogleWizard]

Marth because he's pretty, wears a tiara and is a great swordsman.

 

[Gruco]

I loved Axe Lord Hector tanking everything, but I think the fond memories of Ike's games give him the edge over all.

 

[Volotaire]

I can't choose between Eliwood, Eprahim and Hector. I would probably choose hector out of all those 3. Lyn is close as well.

 

[Reuenthal]

I have played 3 fire emblem games only (FF7, path of radiance and radiant dawn) but Ike is my favorite by far. Has the best of everything, story, character, and most importantly I made him such a powerful boss.

 

[Silky]

I haven't played a Fire Emblem game since the GCN one.

As in that's the only Fire Emblem game I've played.

But Lucina is a babe and I would let her step on my back, so Lucina.

 

[D_prOdigy]

Gotta be Lyndis. GOAT character from GOAT game.

Chrom could take some lessons from Eliwood on how to not be an incessant moaner all of the fucking time.

 

[Jezan]

Lyn for the win!

Lyndis will forever be my favorite lord ever forever. BTW I always though Seliph was a girl.

 

[Nocturnowl]

Ike by a sizeable margin, I can't vouch for the Japan only characters but having at least played all the Western released FE titles I've always liked how Ike isn't some member of royalty in line to the throne who gets pulled into the continent conflict and instead is just a mercenary who then of course gets embroiled in the inevitable conflict yet manages to end up with the lord title because he's just that damn good.
His different background also gives his character a different feel to the rest as well as a ragged cape (the most important thing!), while he's still a pretty stock main character when it comes down to it I think the general plotline of the Tellius games gives him that much more of a boost compared to other FE leads, also as the OP descriptor says he's more blunt and direct as a hero compared to his other regal lord counterparts.

Plus he's awesome in Smash Bros waving around Ragnell as a clunking great whomper of a sword, contrasts styles nicely with Marth, to the point he managed to overcome the odds of being cut where Lucas and Wolf got axed, the mark of a true radiant hero right there.

 

[Lulubop]

Hector da god.

Dat Armads crit animation.

 

[Glass Rebel]

Ephraim, closely followed by Lyndis and Hector. Ephraim is beast mode and he has a lance.

 

[SpaceCadetKeon]

Lyn is my favorite. Love her design, love the way her normal attack goes with the start of the battle theme, she has my favorite criticals, and I like her as a character. I was crushed when she was revealed to be an assist trophy in Brawl.

And neither here nor there, but apparently she was going to be able to use the Durandal at one point in development.

 

[Wyndstryker]

Hmm....tough choices.

Even though I enjoyed Lyn and Ike as lords, Celica being a sword + magic user has always left a mark when I played gaiden. So I'll go with Celica. And I'll not take the abomination of her in FE: Awakening. She's got a sword as a weapon!

 

[J-Tier]

Lyndis is my favorite. Followed by Hector.