Throughout the Fire Emblem series, players are able to utilize a wide range of units that each come with their own strengths and utility. Since the very first entry in the series, thieves have been a unit type that tote high speed and boast unique utility such as the abilities to steal items from enemies and open locked doors and chests.
While thieves offer distinct abilities to one’s army, their usefulness has varied quite a lot across the series history. So today, we’re going to examine the thieves of Fire Emblem and see which are the best!
10 Matthew
The first recruitable, thief in Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade, Matthew’s most notable strength comes in his availability. Notably available from the word go in Hector’s story, the player has access to Matthew throughout the entire game, allowing him to use his high speed to steal a wide range of useful items from enemies in every single chapter. While is combat potential leaves much to be desired, Matthew allows players to steal several vulneraries and other useful items for free without needing to spend any money.
9 Astolfo
One of the three thieves available to the player in Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade, while Astolfo isn’t the first thief available to the player, once he’s recruited, he’ll often be a player’s go-to thief in chapters with numerous key items to steal and locks to pick. This is because Astolfo joins as a level 10 thief in Chapter 8 with notably higher base stats than the other thieves in the game.
Due to the fact that thieves are incapable of promoting in The Binding Blade, the growth rates of the other thieves Chad and Cath matter much less, allowing his higher base stats to shine.
8 Volke
Volk in Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance has a decent amount in combat with Astolfo, having surprisingly high base stats when compared to other thieves in the series. While Volke does have the drawback of charging the player 50 gold for each lock he picks, this tax is so low that it’s a nonfactor. The main thing that distinguished Volke from Astolfo is that he is actually capable of promoting, capable of becoming the only Assassin available in Path of Radiance and by extension is the only unit in the game capable of learning the Lethality skill.
7 Gaius
The primary thief of Fire Emblem: Awakening, Gaius can be recruited in Chapter 6. Unlike many other thieve in the game that are ill-suited for combat, in addition to the staple thief utility found in other games, Gaius is surprising serviceable in combat.
While he boasts the same high speed and skill found in most thieves, he has a shockingly high HP and Strength growth for a unit of his class, with an 85% and 60% growth in those stats respectively. This means that when he’s deployed for his utility, a player won’t be losing out on a competent combative unit.
6 Niles
A member of the Outlaw class, Niles is a solid unit available in Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest and Fire Emblem Fates: Revelation. Essentially a thief that uses bows, while Niles possesses the locktouch ability and has pretty average bases for a unit of his class, he’s one of the few units with the Kidnap ability. This ability allows Niles to be used to capture certain enemy units, including some bosses. Some of these capturable bosses are deceptively useful in the hardest difficulties of Conquest, allowing Niles to fill a useful niche.
5 Dew
Appearing in Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War, while Dew has laughably poor combat, he shines in other areas and brings a lot to the table. Rather than needing to steal as an action like other thieves, Dew is capable of stealing a target’s gold simply by dealing damage to them. This allows Dew to obtain massive amounts of gold for a player’s forces. Additionally, Dew possesses the bargain skill allows him to buy all items for half price!
4 Lifis
Lifis is the first thief available in Fire Emblem: Thracia 776 and is an incredible asset to one’s forces due to how Thracia 776 is designed. While Lifis has poor combative capabilities and has quite straightforward thief utility, Thracia 776 is a game that practically requires a thief at one’s disposal. With countless chests and doors peppered throughout the game as well as a wide swath of powerful weapons that can be stolen, Lifis allows a player to more easily progress through many levels while stocking one’s inventory. Just make sure to keep him out of combat.
3 Perne
Perne is a pre-promoted thief fighter who can be recruited in Chapter 12x of Thracia 776. Once he’s recruited, Perne will often replace Lifis as a player’s go-to thief. Toting higher base stats than Lifis, the incredible King Sword, and the abilities Sol and Vantage, Perne still has access to all of the same thief utility that makes Lifis great while being much more viable in combat.
2 Sothe (Radiant Dawn)
Sothe in Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn is a very unique unit on this list, as rather than serve the traditional utility of a thief, this pre-promoted rogue functions as the game’s Jagen throughout all of Part One. Radiant Dawn is often regarded as one of the most more difficult entries in the series many of the other units available in part one are quite lacking by comparison. This makes Sothe one of the most integral combat units at a player’s disposal. All of the traditional thief utility he comes with is just icing on the cake.
1 Lara
Dancers in Fire Emblem are often regarded as some of the most useful units in the entire series. Lara joins a player’s army as a thief, but if she is used to recruit the previously mentioned Perne, her class is changed to dancer! This allows her to provide one’s units with an additional action, effectively doubling their value. As if being a dancer weren’t enough, Lara is still able to open locks like a thief, making her easily one of the best utility units in the entire franchise.
