Jagen

Overview

Jagen is a character archetype common to the Fire Emblem series. It takes its name from Jagen, a character that first appeared in Fire Emblem: Ankoku Ryu to Hikari no Tsurugi. In the game, Jagen, a paladin, is the first character under the player's control that begins as an upper-tier class. His stats are well above the average compared to the player's other starting units. Strategically, it is ideal to use Jagen as a buffer unit, protecting the weaker characters until they've had a chance to gain levels and become stronger.

Compared to other units in the original Fire Emblem game, Jagen's stat growth is limited largely due to the fact that he cannot promote to another class and thus his growth potential is hampered. Because of this, his usefulness in battle wanes to the point that he becomes largely unnecessary as the game progresses.

Oifayes

In more recent Fire Emblem games, Jagens have fallen out of use in favor of Oifayes. Named after Oifaye of Seisen no Keifu, generally speaking, they are Jagen units who retain their usefulness throughout the game. Such examples include Seth from Sacred Stones and Titania from Path of Radiance.