This checklist covers optional and conditional permanent campaign recruits. Choose a game and chapter, or search a name or condition. The URL updates with valid game, chapter, and search filters, so the filtered view can be bookmarked or shared. With JavaScript disabled, every row remains in the HTML and browser Find still works.
Spoiler-Safe Use and Database Scope
The table necessarily reveals playable names, map numbers, and route conflicts. It avoids story outcomes except where survival is itself the recruitment condition. Automatic permanent joins are omitted because they require no player action. Temporary units, FE6 Trial Map bonuses, and FE8 postgame Creature Campaign unlocks are handled separately near the end.
Chapter text uses E for Eliwood Mode, H for Hector Mode, L for Lyn Mode, Eirika for her FE8 route, and Ep for Ephraim route where compact labels are necessary.
63 recruitment rows shown.
| Game | Chapter | Unit | Route / mode | Starts as | Recruiter | Exact action | Permanent lockout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FE6 | 4 | Clarine | All routes | NPC | Roy | Talk to Clarine with Roy after she enters from the north. | Missable: She can be killed before the conversation or left behind when the chapter ends. |
| FE6 | 4 | Rutger | All routes | Enemy | Clarine | Talk to Rutger with Clarine after his enemy reinforcement group appears. | Missable: Killing Rutger, losing Clarine, or clearing first permanently loses him. |
| FE6 | 6 | Sue | All routes | NPC | Roy | Open her cell and talk to Sue with Roy. | Missable: She must survive and be recruited before chapter clear. |
| FE6 | 7 | Zelot | All routes | NPC | Roy or Noah | Talk to Zelot with Roy or Noah after his group appears. | Missable: He actively fights enemies and can die before being reached. |
| FE6 | 7 | Trec | All routes | NPC | Roy or Zelot | Talk to Trec with Roy or Zelot. | Missable: He can be killed while moving among the northern enemies. |
| FE6 | 7 | Noah | All routes | NPC | Roy or Zelot | Talk to Noah with Roy or Zelot. | Missable: He can be killed before the conversation. |
| FE6 | 9 | Fir | All routes | Enemy | Noah | Talk to Fir with Noah after she appears. | Missable: She remains hostile until spoken to and can be killed. |
| FE6 | 9 | Shin | All routes | Enemy | Sue | Talk to Shin with Sue. | Missable: He remains hostile until spoken to and can be killed. |
| FE6 | 10A / 10B | Gonzalez | Western Isles; bases differ by branch | Enemy | Lilina | Talk to Gonzalez with Lilina on the branch selected after Chapter 8. | Missable: He is hostile and can be killed; the A/B version changes his starting level and stats. |
| FE6 | 10A / 11B | Geese | Western Isles branch | NPC | Roy | Talk to Geese with Roy after he appears. | Missable: He can die as an NPC before Roy reaches him. |
| FE6 | 11A / 10B | Klein | Western Isles branch | Enemy | Clarine | Talk to Klein with Clarine. His squad becomes NPC after he joins. | Missable: He and his archers can be killed; keeping the squad alive affects the chapter reward. |
| FE6 | 11A / 10B | Thea | Western Isles branch | Enemy | Shanna, then Klein | Have Shanna talk to Thea to turn her squad into NPCs, then have Klein talk to Thea. | Missable: Stopping after Shanna’s conversation does not recruit her; she or Klein can still be lost. |
| FE6 | 11A | Echidna | Larum/A route only | NPC | Larum | Talk to Echidna with Larum immediately after Echidna appears. | Missable: She arrives surrounded by enemies and can die quickly. |
| FE6 | 11B | Bartre | Elffin/B route only | NPC | Fir or Roy | Talk to Bartre with Fir or Roy after he appears. | Missable: He is unavailable on the Larum/A branch and can die as an NPC. |
| FE6 | 12 | Raigh | All routes | NPC | Lugh or Chad | Open his cell and talk to Raigh with Lugh or Chad. | Missable: He must survive and be recruited before chapter clear. |
| FE6 | 6 / 8 / 12 / 16 / 20 / 22 | Cath | All routes; repeated appearances | Enemy | Roy | Roy must talk to Cath on three separate appearances; she joins on the third conversation. | Missable: Killing her or reaching the end without three conversations loses her. She leaves each map after stealing. |
| FE6 | 13 or 15 | Perceval | All routes | Enemy | Larum or Elffin | Talk with the dancer/bard obtained on your Western Isles branch. Chapter 13 gives only a short window; Chapter 15 is the fallback. | Missable: If killed, or if allowed to leave Chapter 15, he is permanently lost. |
| FE6 | 15 | Garret | All routes | Enemy | Lilina | Talk to Garret with Lilina. | Missable: He is hostile and can be killed before Lilina reaches him. |
| FE6 | 16 | Zeiss | All routes | Enemy | Melady | Open his room and talk to Zeiss with Melady. | Missable: He can be killed before the conversation. |
| FE6 | 16 | Hugh | All routes | Enemy | Roy | Talk with Roy and accept one of Hugh’s offers: 10,000, 8,000, 6,000, or 5,000 gold. Paying less lowers his base stats. | Missable: Declining the 5,000-gold final offer or killing him permanently loses him. |
| FE6 | 16 | Douglas | All routes | Enemy | No recruiter | Do not kill Douglas; clear the chapter while he is alive and he joins afterward. | Missable: He cannot be recruited by talking. Killing him also blocks Chapter 16x. |
| FE6 | 20B | Dayan | Sacae route only | NPC | Sue or Shin | Talk to Dayan with Sue or Shin. | Missable: Unavailable on Ilia; he can die before the conversation. |
| FE6 | 20A | Juno | Ilia route only | NPC | Shanna or Thea | Open her cell and talk to Juno with Shanna or Thea. | Missable: Unavailable on Sacae; she can die before the conversation. |
| FE6 | 23 | Karel | Extended ending only | Village | Fir or Bartre | Visit Karel’s village with Fir or Bartre. | Missable: Requires reaching Chapter 23 and having at least one valid visitor alive. |
| FE7 | 4L | Dorcas | Lyn Mode | Enemy | Lyn | Talk to Dorcas with Lyn. | Missable: He is hostile until recruited and can be killed. |
| FE7 | 13E / 13H | Guy | Eliwood or Hector Mode | Enemy | Matthew | Talk to Guy with Matthew while Guy is still an enemy. | Missable: Killing Guy or losing Matthew first permanently loses him. |
| FE7 | 14E / 14H | Erk | Main story; returns from Lyn Mode | NPC | Serra or Priscilla | Talk to Erk with Serra or Priscilla. | Missable: He can be killed as an NPC before the conversation. |
| FE7 | 14E / 14H | Priscilla | Eliwood or Hector Mode | Village | Any unit visits | Visit the southwest village before the enemy destroys it. | Missable: If the village is destroyed or unvisited at clear, she is lost. |
| FE7 | 16E / 17H | Raven | Eliwood/Hector numbering | Enemy | Priscilla | Open the cell area and talk to Raven with Priscilla. | Missable: Raven begins hostile and can be killed; Priscilla must be available. |
| FE7 | 16E / 17H | Lucius | Eliwood/Hector numbering | NPC | Raven | Recruit Raven, then have Raven talk to Lucius. | Missable: Lucius or Raven can die before their conversation. |
| FE7 | 16xE / 17xH | Canas | Optional port chapter | Village | Any unit visits | Unlock the x chapter by keeping a Caelin soldier alive in the preceding map, then visit Canas’s village. | Missable: Skipping the gaiden or failing to visit the village loses him. |
| FE7 | 18E / 19H | Fiora | Eliwood/Hector numbering | NPC | Florina | Talk to Fiora with Florina after Fiora’s pegasus group arrives. | Missable: She can die as an NPC before Florina reaches her. |
| FE7 | 19E / 20H | Legault | Eliwood/Hector numbering | Enemy | Eliwood, Hector, or Lyn | Intercept and talk to Legault with a lord before he escapes the map. | Missable: He opens chests and then leaves; killing him or letting him escape loses him. |
| FE7 | 21E / 22H | Heath | Eliwood/Hector numbering | Enemy | Eliwood, Hector, or Lyn | Talk to Heath with a lord. | Missable: He is hostile until spoken to and can be killed. |
| FE7 | 21E / 22H | Rath | Eliwood/Hector numbering | NPC | Lyn | Talk to Rath with Lyn. | Missable: He can die as an NPC before Lyn reaches him. |
| FE7 | 22E / 23H | Hawkeye | Eliwood/Hector numbering | NPC | Eliwood, Hector, or Lyn | Talk to Hawkeye with a lord after he appears in the desert. | Missable: He can be killed before the conversation. |
| FE7 | 23B E / 24B H | Geitz | Linus/Geitz map B; lord total level 50+ | Enemy | Dart | Reach the B version by having Eliwood, Hector, and Lyn total level 50 or higher, then talk with Dart. | Missable: Mutually exclusive with Wallace for this playthrough; Geitz is hostile until recruited. |
| FE7 | 23A E / 24A H | Wallace | Lloyd/Wallace map A; lord total level 49 or lower | NPC | Lyn, Kent, Sain, Wil, or Florina | Reach the A version with a combined lord level of 49 or lower, then talk with one of his Lyn Mode companions. | Missable: Mutually exclusive with Geitz for this playthrough; he can die before being reached. |
| FE7 | 25H | Farina | Hector Mode only | NPC | Hector | Talk to Farina with Hector and pay 20,000 gold. | Missable: Unavailable in Eliwood Mode; refusing or failing to reach her loses her. |
| FE7 | 25E / 27H | Karel | Pale Flower; one of Karel/Harken | NPC | The active main lord or Lyn | By the end of turn 9, defeat at least 2 of Kenneth’s 3 counted promoted enemies, or open at least 4 doors on Jerme’s map. Karel appears on turn 10; then talk to him. | Missable: His appearance excludes Harken, and the chapter ends his recruitment window. |
| FE7 | 25E / 27H | Harken | Pale Flower; one of Karel/Harken | Enemy | Eliwood, Hector, Marcus, Lowen, Oswin, or Isadora | By the end of turn 9, defeat fewer than 2 of Kenneth’s counted promoted enemies, or open fewer than 4 doors on Jerme’s map. Harken appears on turn 10; then talk to him. | Missable: His appearance excludes Karel; he arrives hostile and can be killed. |
| FE7 | 26E / 28H | Nino | Eliwood/Hector numbering | NPC | Eliwood, Hector, or Lyn | Reach Nino and talk with Eliwood, Hector, or Lyn. | Missable: She can be killed before the conversation. |
| FE7 | 26E / 28H, then x | Jaffar | Battle Before Dawn and its gaiden | Conditional ally | Nino | Recruit Nino, have her talk to Jaffar, and finish with both alive; Jaffar joins for the unlocked 26xE/28xH. | Missable: If either dies or they never talk, Jaffar and the gaiden are lost. |
| FE7 | 27E / 29H | Vaida | Eliwood/Hector numbering | Enemy | Eliwood or Hector | Leave Vaida alive in her earlier appearance, then talk to her with the active main lord. | Missable: Killing her in Chapter 24E/26H prevents her later recruitment. |
| FE7 | 30E / 32H | Renault | Eliwood/Hector numbering | Village | Any unit visits | Visit Renault’s northeast ruins before an enemy brigand destroys them. | Missable: If the ruins are destroyed or the chapter is cleared without visiting, Renault is permanently lost. |
| FE7 | 31xH | Karla | Hector Mode only | Conditional ally | Bartre | Deploy Bartre as a level 5 or higher Warrior; have him accept Karla’s arena challenge and both must survive one combat round. | Missable: Unavailable in Eliwood Mode; an underleveled/unpromoted or dead Bartre prevents the event. |
| FE8 | 2 | Ross | Before route split | NPC | Eirika | Talk to Ross with Eirika; if not spoken to, he still joins after clear if he survives. | Missable: He is lost only if killed before becoming permanent. |
| FE8 | 2 | Garcia | Before route split | NPC | Ross | Recruit Ross, then have Ross talk to Garcia; Garcia also joins after clear if both NPCs survive. | Missable: Garcia is lost if killed; losing Ross also removes the mid-map conversation route. |
| FE8 | 3 | Colm | Before route split | NPC | Neimi | Talk to Colm with Neimi after he appears. | Missable: He can be killed or the chapter can be cleared first. |
| FE8 | 4 | Lute | Before route split | Village | Any unit visits | Visit Lute’s village. | Missable: Clearing without visiting the village loses her. |
| FE8 | 5 | Joshua | Before route split | Enemy | Natasha | Talk to Joshua with Natasha. | Missable: He remains hostile until recruited and can be killed. |
| FE8 | 9E or 9Ep; fallback 13E | Amelia | Both routes; Eirika has one fallback | Enemy | Eirika or Franz; Ephraim on his route | Talk to Amelia with a listed recruiter before she withdraws. On Eirika route, an unrecruited survivor returns in Chapter 13 for a last chance. | Missable: Killing her, or allowing the last eligible appearance to end, loses her. |
| FE8 | 10E / 15Ep | Innes | Eirika early; Ephraim after reunion | NPC | Tana or Eirika (Chapter 10E) | On Eirika route, talk with Tana or Eirika, or keep Innes alive through clear. On Ephraim route he joins automatically on turn 1 of Chapter 15. | Missable: Only death during the Eirika-route NPC appearance loses him. |
| FE8 | 10E / 13Ep | Gerik | Eirika optional; Ephraim automatic | NPC | Innes or Tethys (10E) | On Eirika route, talk with Innes or Tethys, or keep Gerik alive through clear while Tethys also survives. On Ephraim route he joins automatically at the start of Chapter 13. | Missable: On Eirika route, death or Tethys dying before the group becomes permanent loses him. |
| FE8 | 10E / 13Ep | Tethys | Eirika optional; Ephraim automatic | NPC | Gerik or Innes (10E) | On Eirika route, talk with Gerik or Innes, or keep Tethys alive through clear while Gerik also survives. On Ephraim route she joins automatically at the start of Chapter 13. | Missable: On Eirika route, death or Gerik dying before the group becomes permanent loses her. |
| FE8 | 10E / 12Ep | Marisa | Route-dependent enemy | Enemy | Gerik (10E); Ewan (12Ep) | Use Gerik on Eirika route or Ewan on Ephraim route to talk to Marisa. | Missable: She is hostile and can be killed; the correct recruiter changes with route. |
| FE8 | 11E / 11Ep | L'Arachel | Both routes | NPC | Eirika or Ephraim | Talk with the route lord, or keep L'Arachel alive through chapter clear. | Missable: She is lost only if killed before becoming permanent. |
| FE8 | 11E / 11Ep | Dozla | Both routes | NPC | L'Arachel | Have L'Arachel talk to Dozla, or keep Dozla alive through chapter clear. | Missable: He is lost only if killed before becoming permanent. |
| FE8 | 12E / 12Ep | Ewan | Route-dependent position | Village | Any unit visits (Eirika); starts available (Ephraim) | On Eirika route, visit his village for immediate use; if skipped, he joins after clear. On Ephraim route he joins at the start. | Missable: Keep him alive once he is on the field; skipping the Eirika village only delays him. |
| FE8 | 13E / 10Ep | Cormag | Much earlier on Ephraim route | Enemy | Eirika (13E); Duessel or Tana (10Ep) | Wait for Cormag to appear, then use the route-appropriate recruiter. | Missable: He is hostile; clearing early, killing him, or losing every valid recruiter loses him. |
| FE8 | 15E / 10Ep | Duessel | Automatic after reunion on Eirika; NPC on Ephraim | NPC | Ephraim (10Ep) | On Ephraim route, talk with Ephraim or keep Duessel alive through clear. On Eirika route he joins with the reunited army. | Missable: Only death during the Ephraim-route NPC appearance loses him. |
| FE8 | 14E / 14Ep | Rennac | Both routes | Enemy | L'Arachel free; Eirika/Ephraim for 9,980 gold | Talk with L'Arachel to recruit him for free, or pay his fee with the route lord before he escapes. | Missable: He loots chests and leaves; killing him or letting him escape loses him. |
| FE8 | 17 | Syrene | Routes reunited | NPC | Tana, Vanessa, or Innes | Talk with Tana, Vanessa, or Innes for immediate control, or keep Syrene alive through clear. | Missable: She is lost only if killed before becoming permanent; civilian survival controls a separate reward. |
FE6: The Binding Blade Recruitment Rules
FE6 has the densest chain recruitment. Keep likely speakers alive and deployed: Clarine is required for Rutger and Klein; Klein completes Thea’s two-step conversion; Lilina recruits Gonzalez and Garret; the Western Isles dancer or bard recruits Perceval. Douglas is the important exception to “talk to the enemy”: do not kill him, then clear Chapter 16 with him alive.
Cath is cumulative. Roy must talk to her on three separate appearances, and she joins on the third. The late route recruit is exclusive: Juno is on Ilia, Dayan is on Sacae. Karel additionally requires the extended-ending Chapter 23 and a visit by Fir or Bartre.
FE7: The Blazing Blade Recruitment Rules
The same FE7 map often has two chapter numbers. For example, Raven is on Chapter 16 in Eliwood Mode and Chapter 17 in Hector Mode; Legault is 19E/20H. The filter accepts either number recorded on a shared-map row.
Two choices need more than a speaker. Geitz appears on the Linus version of Four-Fanged Offense when Eliwood, Hector, and Lyn’s total level is 50 or higher; Wallace appears on the Lloyd version at 49 or lower. For Karel versus Harken, the end-of-turn-9 check counts specific promoted enemies on Kenneth’s map (2+ for Karel, fewer than 2 for Harken) but opened doors on Jerme’s (4+ for Karel, fewer than 4 for Harken). Farina and Karla exist only in Hector Mode.
FE8: The Sacred Stones Recruitment Rules
The route split changes both timing and valid speakers. Cormag is Chapter 13 with Eirika on her route, but Chapter 10 with Duessel or Tana on Ephraim’s. Marisa requires Gerik on Eirika route and Ewan on Ephraim route. Amelia has an Eirika-route fallback appearance if she survives the first encounter without joining.
Rennac can be recruited for free by L’Arachel or for 9,980 gold by the active route lord. Because he opens chests and escapes, “I will recruit him after collecting the treasure” is unsafe. Syrene’s Chapter 17 group is exposed; move a valid speaker toward her while also protecting the civilians.
Mode Numbering and Route Conflicts
FE7 labels in this database show Eliwood first and Hector second: 16E / 17H. Lyn Mode uses L. FE6’s A/B letters denote route variants, but older guides and patches do not always use the same A/B convention for the Western Isles; verify the map name and featured dancer/bard when a translation differs. The late FE6 labels here use 20A for Ilia and 20B for Sacae.
FE8 shares chapter numbers across its two routes even though maps and recruit circumstances differ. A plain Chapter 11 search therefore returns both versions. Read the route/mode cell rather than relying on the numeral alone.
Permanent Lockouts to Check First
The most common irreversible failures are killing a hostile recruit, letting an NPC die, clearing before a conversation, skipping a required gaiden, losing the only valid speaker, or taking the mutually exclusive route. A retreating unit such as Cath, Perceval, Legault, Amelia, or Rennac may have a later chance only when the row explicitly says so.
Saving at chapter start gives a clean recovery point, but this guide does not assume rewinds, save states, or emulator tools. In an ironman run, treat NPC survival and conversation movement as primary objectives.
Trial Maps, Temporary Units, and Postgame Unlocks
major spoilersReveal non-campaign and postgame playable-character exclusions
FE6 unlocks boss and story characters for Trial Maps after repeated clears; they never join Roy’s campaign army. FE8 Creature Campaign can unlock characters after game completion and dungeon clears; those rewards are not chapter recruits. FE7’s tactician is not a combat unit. FE8’s Orson is controllable temporarily in Chapter 5x but does not become a permanent campaign recruit.
Planning a Full-Recruitment Run
Before deploying, filter to the current game and chapter, note every required speaker, and compare their starting positions. Carry door keys when a recruit begins in a cell, leave deployment space for required speakers, and do not send counterattack-heavy units into a hostile recruit’s range. For route gates and optional chapters that precede recruitment, consult the secrets guide.
After recruitment, the character hub gives neutral roster context and the best-characters analysis explains its separate editorial methodology.
Verification and Source Notes
Conditions were normalized from the local English character and growth archives and cross-checked against the FE7 guide and community references below. The database records the action that makes the unit permanent, not merely their first appearance. Translation patches can change FE6 spellings and A/B labels, but not the named speaker or map event described in each row.