Rath (Japanese:ラスRuth) is aSacaen nomad who appears inFire Emblem: The Blazing Blade. Though he is originally from the Kutolah tribe, he works as a mercenary.

Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade

Role

Lyn's tale

In Lyn's tale, Rath first appears when Lyn visits CastleAraphen. Lyn is attacked by assassins who set fire to the castle, but Rath, then the captain of Araphen's castle guard, saves her. Rath explains that he saved her because he had recognized her as someone from Sacae. Rath then joins Lyn in repelling the attack on Castle Araphen.

After the attack on Araphen, Lyn approaches its marquess to request aid in her efforts to retake her land,Caelin, from her uncle,Lundgren. However, in the end, she refuses to ask the marquess for help because he insults her heritage. After Lyn leaves, Rath overhears the marquess berating the Sacaean people and resigns from his job as captain of the castle guard. Following that, he leaves Araphen and joins Lyn on her quest.

Eliwood/Hector's tale

In Eliwood/Hector's tale, the two lords are besieged byEubans's mercenaries in a fortress betweenThria andOstia. Rath appears as part of Ostian reinforcements that arrive to help the lords. When Lyn speaks to him, he explains that he had been living as a mercenary in Ostia and agrees to join her once more. He then stays with Eliwood, Hector, and Lyn for the remainder of their quest.

Starting stats and growth rates

Lyn's taleEliwood/Hector's tales

Nomad Level 7 Affinity

Recruitment:Chapter 6, automatically from the start StatsGrowth Rates Max HP 25 Luck 5 Strength 8 Defense 7 Skill 9 Resistance 2 Speed 10 Constitution 8 Movement 7 Aid 17 Max HP 80% Luck 30% Strength 50% Defense 10% Skill 40% Resistance 25% Speed 50% {{{content3}}} {{{content4}}} {{{content5}}} {{{content6}}} {{{content7}}} {{{content8}}} {{{content9}}} {{{content10}}} {{{content11}}} {{{content12}}} {{{content13}}} {{{content14}}} {{{content15}}} Inventory Short Bow Vulnerary Weapon Levels -- -- -- C(+4) -- -- -- --

Nomad Level 9 Affinity

Recruitment:Chapter 21E/22H, talk to withLyn StatsGrowth Rates Max HP 27 Luck 5 Strength 9 Defense 8 Skill 10 Resistance 2 Speed 11 Constitution 7 Movement 7 Aid 18 Max HP 80% Luck 30% Strength 50% Defense 10% Skill 40% Resistance 25% Speed 50% {{{content3}}} {{{content4}}} {{{content5}}} {{{content6}}} {{{content7}}} {{{content8}}} {{{content9}}} {{{content10}}} {{{content11}}} {{{content12}}} {{{content13}}} {{{content14}}} {{{content15}}} Inventory Short Bow Longbow Light Rune Weapon Levels -- -- -- B -- -- -- --

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• Note: Eliwood's/Hector's tale stats are used if the player skips Lyn's tale, or if Rath is defeated during Lyn's tale. Rath's Con will be 7 in Eliwood's/Hector's tale even if Lyn's tale was played and Rath survived.

Promotion stat gains

Class	HP	Str	Skill	Spd	Lck	Def	Res	Con	Mov	Weapon level
Nomadic Trooper	+3	+2	+1	+1	+0	+3	+3	+1	+1	E, + 40

Analysis

Rath joins almost halfway through the game as a level 9Nomad with a B-rank in bows and good enough base stats to contribute from the moment he joins. He is one of the most unique units inThe Blazing Blade because of his class – he is the onlyNomad in this entry.

Nomads are mounted bow users with higher terrain resistance than other cavalry units. This becomes useful in chapters such as Pale Flower of Darkness (Eliwood Mode Chapter 24,Hector Mode Chapter 26), where the plentiful snow slows down most of the player's army. Nomads can also cross forests unimpeded, unlike other cavalry units. This makes Rath's mobility comparable to that of a flier, excluding the ability to move over hills and mountains.

Rath has a low constitution for a male unit, and as a male unit, he gains a +5 bonus to his aid compared to female units. This, coupled with his high mobility, makes him one of the best rescuers inThe Blazing Blade. There are few units with a constitution high enough to prevent Rath from carrying them. For example, Rath can even carryHector around.

As for combat, Rath has an excellent B-rank in bows, letting him use theBrave Bow with no investment. In Four-Fanged Offense (Eliwood Mode Chapter 23, Hector Mode Chapter 24), Rath can safely chip away at the boss from 2-range and even kill him in one round if one of the attacks is a crit.Javelins andHand Axes are not going to achieve this, so Rath giving the player that option is useful.

One important fact about Rath is thatLyn Mode is a detriment to him, unlike other Lyn Mode units. Lyn Mode Rath has a base level of 7 instead of 9 and a C-rank in bows instead of a B-rank. Rath may still gain Lyn Mode levels, but since his level is much higher than the level of other units there, he will gain experience slower. He will also not reach B-rank bows in Lyn Mode unless the player gives him incredible favoritism. Fortunately, if he is defeated in Lyn mode his stats and weapon ranks will reset to their Eliwood and Hector mode bases.

Assuming the player has not played Lyn Mode, Rath will join both Eliwood and Hector Mode at level 9, one level away from promotion. Rath's promotion toNomad Trooper is quite good. It gives him significant statistical bonuses, especially in defensive stats – he gains +3 defense, +3 resistance, and +3 HP. He also gains a point of movement, a point of constitution, and 40 weapon experience in bows, bringing him to A-rank. This lets Rath use theSilver Bow, light enough for him to wield without a speed penalty, unlike the Brave Bow. He also gets closer to wielding theRienfleche in the endgame if the player wants to deploy Rath there. The promotion also gives Rath a way to fight at 1-range by granting him E-rank swords. Swords are the worst melee weapon type inThe Blazing Blade because of the high number of enemy lance users and the lack of good 2-range options, but they are still a 1-range option, something unpromoted Rath does not have. He will still perform better with bows, but if attacking from 1-range would be preferable (for example, when attacking a 2-range enemy), Rath will be able to do it.

Rath can also use theLongbow to attack enemies without getting countered – by hitting them from 3-range. While he is unlikely to double with it at first, considering it weighs him down, it is still useful. This is especially helpful in Genesis (Eliwood Mode's Chapter 22x, Hector Mode's Chapter 23x). The chapter is notoriously difficult, but Rath makes it easier in several ways. He can chip away at enemies by using a Longbow without getting counterattacked, and he can also rapidly destroy walls by attacking them with a Brave Bow.

Rath's major flaw is a lack of access to 1-2 range. He has 2-range before promotion and 1-range after promotion, but never both at the same time. Being a good combat unit inThe Blazing Blade requires 1-2 range access, and Rath never having it relegates him to a support role.

That said, Rath can boast of several unique traits and niches few other units have. He is arguably the best bow user in the game, thanks to being mounted. Rath becomes available before a string of chapters where he is especially useful, including Genesis, Four-Fanged Offense, and Pale Flower of Darkness. Considering all this, Rath is a solid unit. While he is not amazing at combat, he offers several unique contributions to compensate.

Fire Emblem Heroes

Role

Rath is one of the characters added to the game in theOn Dark Wings update, and became available for summoning by players on February 17, 2020. Only one variation of Rath is currently available inHeroes, based on hisThe Blazing Blade incarnation.

Rath: Wolf of Sacae

Starting stats

★★★★★★★★★★★★

Rarity ★★★ Weapon type Movement type

Initial StatsLevel 40 Stats Maximum HP 15/16/17 Attack 5/6/7 Speed 5/6/7 Defense 6/7/8 Resistance 3/4/5 Maximum HP 34/37/40 Attack 26/29/32 Speed 28/31/34 Defense 17/20/23 Resistance 18/21/24 {{{content3}}} {{{content4}}} {{{content5}}} {{{content6}}} {{{content7}}} {{{content8}}} {{{content9}}} {{{content10}}} {{{content11}}} {{{content12}}} {{{content13}}} {{{content14}}} {{{content15}}}

Skills Steel Bow -- --

Rarity ★★★★ Weapon type Movement type

Initial StatsLevel 40 Stats Maximum HP 16/17/18 Attack 6/7/8 Speed 5/6/7 Defense 7/8/9 Resistance 3/4/5 Maximum HP 36/39/42 Attack 28/31/34 Speed 29/32/35 Defense 19/22/25 Resistance 19/22/25 {{{content3}}} {{{content4}}} {{{content5}}} {{{content6}}} {{{content7}}} {{{content8}}} {{{content9}}} {{{content10}}} {{{content11}}} {{{content12}}} {{{content13}}} {{{content14}}} {{{content15}}}

Skills Slaying Bow -- Night Sky

Rarity ★★★★★ Weapon type Movement type

Initial StatsLevel 40 Stats Maximum HP 16/17/18 Attack 6/7/8 Speed 6/7/8 Defense 7/8/9 Resistance 4/5/6 Maximum HP 38/41/44 Attack 30/33/36 Speed 32/35/38 Defense 20/23/26 Resistance 21/24/28 {{{content3}}} {{{content4}}} {{{content5}}} {{{content6}}} {{{content7}}} {{{content8}}} {{{content9}}} {{{content10}}} {{{content11}}} {{{content12}}} {{{content13}}} {{{content14}}} {{{content15}}}

Skills Slaying Bow+ -- Night Sky

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Skill set

Skill set
Skill		Unlock	Auto-unlock	SP cost
	Iron Bow	★★★	★★★	50
	Steel Bow	★★★	★★★	100
	Slaying Bow	★★★	★★★★	200
	Slaying Bow+	★★★★★	★★★★★	300
	Sacaen-Wolf Bow	★★★★★	—	400
	Night Sky	★★★	★★★★	100
	Glimmer	★★★★	—	200
A	Spd/Res Form 1	★★★	—	60
A	Spd/Res Form 2	★★★	—	120
A	Spd/Res Form 3	★★★★	—	240
C	Def Smoke 1	★★★	—	60
C	Def Smoke 2	★★★★	—	120
C	Def Smoke 3	★★★★★	—	240

Personality

Rath is a highly reserved man of few words. His insular nature is due to his upbringing; at the age of three he was cast out of his tribe and became a wandering laughingstock.^[2] Rath does not understand much of his home tribe, the Kutolah, due to this.^[4] He was cast out due to an omen seen by the tribe's diviner that said the chieftain's son must leave to prevent a disastrous dark flame from consuming everything.^[5] Rath makes a point to not express weakness to others, and is surprised thatWil so openly tells of his shortcomings.^[6] Despite his mistreatment and isolation from the people ofSacae he is still a proud Sacaen and respects other Sacaens.^[7][8]

Rath apparently holds no hard feelings towards his tribe and returns to them after the death ofNergal and the summonedFire Dragons. It is possible that Nergal's plans were what the diviner saw in the stars.

Supports

Main article:Rath/Supports

Rath Nomad Lyn Lord Initial: 15 Per turn:4 Guy Myrmidon Initial: 0 Per turn:4 [[{{{support5}}}]] [[]] [[File:Is gba {{{affin5}}}affin.png|link={{{affin5}}} (affinity)]] Initial: {{{initialpoints5}}} Per turn:+ [[{{{support7}}}]] [[]] [[File:Is gba {{{affin7}}}affin.png|link={{{affin7}}} (affinity)]] Initial: {{{initialpoints7}}} Per turn:+ [[{{{support9}}}]] [[]] [[File:Is gba {{{affin9}}}affin.png|link={{{affin9}}} (affinity)]] Initial: {{{initialpoints9}}} Per turn:+ Wil Archer Initial: 0 Per turn:2 [[{{{support4}}}]] [[]] [[File:Is gba {{{affin4}}}affin.png|link={{{affin4}}} (affinity)]] Initial: {{{initialpoints4}}} Per turn:+ [[{{{support6}}}]] [[]] [[File:Is gba {{{affin6}}}affin.png|link={{{affin6}}} (affinity)]] Initial: {{{initialpoints6}}} Per turn:+ [[{{{support8}}}]] [[]] [[File:Is gba {{{affin8}}}affin.png|link={{{affin8}}} (affinity)]] Initial: {{{initialpoints8}}} Per turn:+ [[{{{support10}}}]] [[]] [[File:Is gba {{{affin10}}}affin.png|link={{{affin10}}} (affinity)]] Initial: {{{initialpoints10}}} Per turn:+

Endings

Lyn's tale

Rath, The Sacaen Nomad
In the celebration following Lyn's return to Caelin, Rath slips out unseen. Whether he has returned to Sacae or has continued to work as a mercenary, no one knows.

Rath, The Sacaen Nomad (if Rath was defeated)
He suffers an injury in battle and departs from the company.

Eliwood/Hector's tale

Rath, Wolf of Sacae
Rath returned to his tribe in Sacae. His deeds earned him warm greetings from his father, the famed Silver Wolf.

Rath and Lyn
When her grandfather died, Lyn asked that Caelin be taken under Ostian protection. She set out for Sacae, where she was reunited with Rath of the Kutolah. They had a daughter and lived happily in the plains.

Quotes

Death quote

Battle quotes

Heroes quotes

Main article:Rath/Quotes (Heroes)

Other appearances

Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance

Rath's official artwork fromThe Blazing Blade can be viewed inPath of Radiance's extras menu if a copy ofThe Blazing Blade is connected to a copy ofPath of Radiance.

Fire Emblem Cipher

Rath is featured on two cards inFire Emblem Cipher.

Fire Emblem Cipher data for Rath
	Wolf of Sacae, Rath
		"For those whose reasoning is bent. I will straighten it with my bow."
		Attack: 60	Support: 20	Range: 2	Deploy Cost: 4
		Class: Nomadic Trooper		Tier:Advanced	Class Change Cost: 3
		Wrath of the Fatherly Skies:[Activate] [Send a card with the affinity from your hand to the Retreat Area] Until the end of the turn, this unit's attacks cannot be evaded by non-lord enemies. Anti-Fliers:[Always] If this unit is attacking a unit, this unit gains +30 attack. Wolf's Eye:[Support] Non-lord enemies cannot evade until the end of this battle.
	Card #B07-019HN • Artist:Tomohide Takaya
	Son of the Kutolah Tribe, Rath
		"It sounds like you're involved somehow… Let's go."
		Attack: 40	Support: 20	Range: 2	Deploy Cost: 2
		Class: Nomad		Tier:Base	Class Change Cost: --
		Anti-Fliers:[Always] If this unit is attacking a unit, this unit gains +30 attack. Winds of the Plains:[Support] You may move one of your allies.
	Card #B07-020N • Artist:Tomohide Takaya
Some card information translation provided by Serenes Forest. For more detailed strategic information on these cards, seetheir TCG wiki article on Rath .

Flavor text

Meet some of the Heroes entries

Rath: Wolf of Sacae
Standing out with his cool, dispassionate looks, Rath hails from Sacae on the continent of Elibe. He's the son of the leader of the Kutolah, one of the three great tribes of the plains.	When Rath was only an infant, the diviner of the tribe foresaw an ill omen in his future—a dark flame that threatened to burn everything to ash. Rath was banished from the village, and from then on he traveled alone, looking for a way to avert the catastrophe.	Over the course of his travels, Rath grew into a strong young man. And then, one day, he encountered Lyn, a fellow nomad of Sacae, and was plunged into a battle against the darkness that threatened his world!	Rath doesn't talk much, and that's putting it lightly, but he's driven by a strong sense of conviction. And when it comes to fighting, he's like a powerful gale racing across the battlefield!
Closely Associated Characters
Lyn Sue {{{Related_name3}}} {{{Related_name4}}} {{{Related_name5}}} A noble of Caelin whose full name is Lyndis. She hopes that her gifts express all of the feelings she normally doesn't put into words. Rath's ally and fellow Sacaen. Granddaughter of Dayan, the Silver Wolf, leader of the Kutolah tribe. She hears the voices of the sky and earth and lives in harmony with nature. Rath's daughter. {{{Related_blurb3}}} {{{Related_blurb4}}} {{{Related_blurb5}}}

Choose Your Legends placement history

Round	Placement	Character	Votes

CYL 1 (2017)

174

Rath The Blazing Blade

1,544

CYL 2 (2018)

105 (−69)

Rath The Blazing Blade

2,370

CYL 3 (2019)

90 (−21)

Rath The Blazing Blade

3,091 (+721)

CYL 4 (2020)

134 (+39)

Rath The Blazing Blade

1,204 (−1,887)

CYL 5 (2021)

488 (+354)

Rath The Blazing Blade

143 (−1,061)

CYL 6 (2022)

500 (+10)

Rath The Blazing Blade

136 (−7)

CYL 7 (2023)

533 (+33)

Rath The Blazing Blade

84 (−52)

CYL 8 (2024)

544 (+11)

Rath The Blazing Blade

81 (−3)

CYL 9 (2025)

460 (−84)

Rath The Blazing Blade

90 (+9)

CYL 10 (2026)

457 (−3)

Rath The Blazing Blade

66 (−24)

Total results		This character has 10 entries across all Choose Your Legends polls.	8,809

Etymology and other languages

Gallery

Sprite Gallery
Nomad Nomadic Trooper Bow Bow Sword

Official artwork

• 
  Artwork of Rath fromThe Blazing Blade.

CG images

• 
  CG image ofLyn meeting Rath inThe Blazing Blade.

Heroes artwork

Character artwork

• 
  Artwork of Rath: Wolf of Sacae.
• 
  Artwork of Rath: Wolf of Sacae.
• 
  Artwork of Rath: Wolf of Sacae.
• 
  Artwork of Rath: Wolf of Sacae.

Meet some of the Heroes artwork

• 
  Artwork of Rath: Wolf of Sacae.
• 
  Artwork of Rath: Wolf of Sacae.
• 
  Artwork of Rath: Wolf of Sacae.
• 
  Artwork of Rath: Wolf of Sacae.

Cipher artwork

• 
  Artwork of Rath.
• 
  Artwork of Rath.

References

This article is part ofProject Characters, a project focused on writing articles for every character present in theFire Emblem series.