Fire Emblem Fortune’s Weave: Best story protagonist to choose first, ranked

If you’re just starting Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave, you might be wondering which of the four story protagonists (also known as Flame Lords) you should start with. It’s a tough decision.

Each of the four protagonists changes the story in Part 1 dramatically and will show you plot reveals that are a mystery to the characters you’re not playing as. Fully understanding the story unfolding in Dagsion ahead of Part 2 requires playing through each of the four stories individually.

But the question is, which character story gives you the best first-time experience? They’re all lovable characters with interesting stories, and in this guide, we’re ranking the best characters to play through Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave with first, from best to worst.

Cai, the best starting protagonist – FEFW

Cai is a young boy who feels like a traditional JRPG protagonist. He’s never met his mother, and early on his peaceful village gets into trouble that sees his father thrown into the capital’s dungeon to be executed. Cai joins Dagsion’s tournament in order to save his father.

Cai’s ties to Dagsion and its gods do a lot to explain how Dagda’s Pantheon works, and his father’s ties to Centurio show you more of how the laws of the land work. It’s a great introduction to the game’s setting, even if the stakes do feel relatively low early on in his story. If you’re looking for a classic JRPG vibe, Cai is perfect to start with.

Theodora, a great starting protagonist – FEFW

Theodora is the Queen of Saramis, a neighbouring nation. Her presence is quite unlike the other characters in the game as she commands every scene she’s in, and her allies Bonaventure and Tobias are some of the most memorable supporting characters in the game.

Despite that, the main reason you should play as Theodora is that she essentially acts as the primary protagonist of Part 2 of the game. Part 2 is all about Theodora, so it’s best to fully understand her story and motivations before progressing to Part 2 with any other character. That’s what makes her a great choice to start the game with.

Dietrich, a decent starting protagonist – FEFW

Dietrich is the character for fans of Three Houses. He descends from Lamine, one of the Ten Elites mentioned in the legends of Three Houses, and comes from Fódlan. He even wields one of the Heroes’ Relics, the sword Answerer.

Dietrich’s connections to Three Houses make him a natural choice for big fans of that game, but he also meets some important characters and sees some reveals that other characters simply never see until after Part 2 has concluded. If you’re a big fan of Three Houses or you’re looking for a few important story reveals, Dietrich is a solid choice.

Leda, a reasonable starting protagonist – FEFW

Leda is the last surviving member of the noble House Cohendia, and she lives for her revenge against those who destroyed her family home and killed her father. She’s surprisingly brutal and conniving, to the point that not even her closest allies can trust her every move.

Leda’s story is relatively self-contained compared to many. Yes, she sees some story scenes others will miss, but her story is character-driven and mostly self-contained. The reveals you do see in Leda’s story are still footnotes in the grander scheme. Despite that, her story is still great and shouldn’t be ignored, it just might not be the best to start with.