Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance Recruitment Guide

by Scott White on 10 January, 2026

One of the most coveted and expensive Fire Emblem games, the GameCube’s Path of Radiance, has come to Nintendo’s digital library service. This beloved game saw the introduction of Ike, who would later make an appearance in the Super Smash Bros. series alongside fellow Fire Emblem alums like Marth and Roy. In typical Fire Emblem fashion, Path of Radiance is brimming with an interesting and powerful roster of characters for you to recruit and take with you into battles, but how to recruit them isn’t always easy or clear. This guide will teach you the methods so that your band of mercenaries is as strong as it can be!

Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance recruitable characters:

Ike
Titania
Oscar
Boyd
Rhys
Shinon
Gatrie
Soren
Mia
Ilyana
Mist
Rolf
Marcia
Mordecai
Lethe
Volke
Nephenee
Brom
Kieran
Zihark
Sothe
Jill
Astrid
Makalov
Tormod
Stefan
Muarim
Devdan
Ulki
Janaff
Tanith
Reyson
Calill
Tauroneo
Haar
Ranulf
Bastian
Lucia
Geoffrey
Largo
Ellincia
Nasir
Ena
Giffca
Naesala
Tibarn
Oliver
Shiharam
Petrine
Bryce
Ashnard

Ike

Starting Class: Ranger
Chapter: Prologue
Requirements: You will have access to Ike by default

Titania

Starting Class: Paladin
Chapter: 1
Requirements: You will have access to Titania as the level starts

Oscar

Starting Class: Lance Knight
Chapter: 1
Requirements: You will have access to Oscar as the level starts

Boyd

Starting Class: Fighter
Chapter: 1
Requirements: You will have access to Boyd as the level starts

Rhys

Starting Class: Priest
Chapter: 2
Requirements: You will have access to Rhys as the level starts

Shinon

Starting Class: Sniper
Chapter: 3 / 19
Requirements: In Chapter 3, you will have access to Shinon as the level starts, but events in the story cause him to leave your group for a time. In order to re-recruit him later on, you will need to speak to him with Rolf in Chapter 18 and defeat him with Ike. At which point he will join you, starting in Chapter 19.

Gatrie

Starting Class: Knight
Chapter: 3 / 13
Requirements: You will have access to Gatrie as the level starts. Due to story reasons, he will leave your party and will need to be re-recruited in Chapter 13. To do this, you will need to speak to him with Astrid (another character you can recruit in that chapter ), and he will rejoin the Greil Mercenaries.

Marcia

Starting Class: Pegasus Knight
Chapter: 9
Requirements: Found on the boat in Chapter 3, you must make sure to speak with her with Ike, causing her to flee. She will be surrounded by enemies, so your best bet will be to have Titania pick up Ike and race off to speak with her so she doesn’t get injured. She will appear again in Chapter 9, speak with her again, and she will join your forces.

Soren

Starting Class: Mage
Chapter: 4
Requirements: You will have access to Soren as the level starts

Mia

Starting Class: Myrmidon
Chapter: 7
Requirements: Mia will appear on the eastern side of the map after the first turn of the map. Speaking with her will cause her to join your party.

Ilyana

Starting Class: Mage
Chapter: 8
Requirements: Though she will present herself first as your enemy, if you speak with her with Ike, she will join your forces.

Mist

Starting Class: Cleric
Chapter: 9
Requirements: You will have access to Mist as the level starts.

Rolf

Starting Class: Archer
Chapter: 9
Requirements: You will have access to Rolf as the level starts.2

Lethe

Starting Class: Beast Tribe (Cat)
Chapter: 10
Requirements: So long as Lethe survives during Chapter 9, she will join your forces as the level starts.

Mordecai

Starting Class: Beast Tribe (Tiger)
Chapter: 10
Requirements: So long as Mordecai survives during Chapter 9, he will join your foces as the level starts.

Volke

Starting Class: Thief
Chapter: 10
Requirements: Agree to hire him at the beginning of the mission in Chapter 10.

Kieran

Starting Class: Axe Knight
Chapter: 11
Requirements: As long as his cell is opened and he survives Chapter 10, then Kieran will join your forces, and you will have access to him as Chapter 11 begins. His cell can be found in the Southeast area of Ch. 10’s map.

Brom

Starting Class: Knight
Chapter: 11
Requirements: As long as his cell is opened and he survives Chapter 10, then Brom will join your forces, and you will have access to him as Chapter 11 begins. His cell can be found in the Southeast area of Ch. 10’s map.

Nephenee

Starting Class: Soldier
Chapter: 11
Requirements: As long as her cell is opened and she survives Chapter 10, then Nephenee will join your forces, and you will have access to her as Chapter 11 begins. Her cell can be found in the Northern area of Ch. 10’s map.

Zihark

Starting Class: Myrmidon
Chapter: 11
Requirements: Found in the Northeast area of the map, Zihark will begin the stage as an enemy. Speak to him with either Lethe or Mordecai to have him join your forces.

Sothe

Starting Class: 12
Chapter: Thief
Requirements: Before the mission begins, go into the Info Menu prior to starting the stage in Chapter 12 and read his conversation to have in join your forces.

Jill

Starting Class: Wyvern Rider
Chapter: 12
Requirements: Jill arrives during the second turn of Chapter 12’s stage from the Southeast-most corner of the map. Speak to her with Ike to have her join your mercenaries.

Astrid

Starting Class: Bow Knight
Chapter: 13
Requirements: Found on the middle boat, hurry and speak to her with Ike, and she will join you.

Makalov

Starting Class: Sword Knight
Chapter: 14
Requirements: Found in the Northwest corner of Chapter 14’s map, while he starts as an enemy, send Marcia over to speak with him, recruiting her brother to your forces.

Tormod

Starting Class: Mage
Chapter: 15
Requirements: Tormod will join your forces after completing Chapter 15.

Muarim

Starting Class: Beast Tribe (Tiger)
Chapter: 15
Requirements: Muarim will join your forces after completing Chapter 15.

Stefan

Starting Class: Swordmaster
Chapter: 15
Requirements: Stefan has perhaps the most specific recruitment method in all of the Path of Radiance. You must send either Mordecai or Lethe to a certain spot in the Northeast-most corner of the map. The spot is 1 down and 3 to the left of the very tip of the northeast corner. This is also where you will find the Vague Katti weapon.

Devdan

Starting Class: Halberdier
Chapter: 16
Requirements: Devdan begins Chapter 16’s mission as an enemy found in the Northwest area of the map. Speak to him with Tormod, Mist, Rolf, Sothe, or Soren to have him join you.

Tanith

Starting Class: Falcon Knight
Chapter: 18
Requirements: You will have access to Tanith as the level starts.

Reyson

Starting Class: Bird Tribe (Heron)
Chapter: 18
Requirements: Agree to Reyson’s request to join your forces at the beginning of Chapter 18.

Janaff

Starting Class: Bird Tribe (Hawk)
Chapter: 18
Requirements: Will join along with Reyson.

Ulki

Starting Class: Bird Tribe (Hawk)
Chapter: 18
Requirements: Will join along with Reyson.

Calill

Starting Class: Sage
Chapter: 20
Requirements: Similar to Sothe, before Chapter 20’s mission starts, hire her as a mercenary from the Info Menu.

Tauroneo

Starting Class: General
Chapter: 21
Requirements: Beginning Chapter 21 as an enemy, Tauroneo can be found in the Southwest area just outside the area with the stage’s boss. Talking to him with Ike will get him to join you.

Haar

Starting Class: Wyvern Lord
Chapter: 23
Requirements: As you progress through Chapter 23, Haar will appear on the east side of the map. Speak to him with Jill, and the Wyvern Lord will join your forces.

Ranulf

Starting Class: Beast Tribe (Cat)
Chapter: 23
Requirements: You will have access to Ranulf as the level starts.

Bastian

Starting Class: Sage
Chapter: 24
Requirements: Bastian will automatically join you starting on turn 2, along with Lucia.

Lucia

Starting Class: Swordmaster
Chapter: 24
Requirements: Lucia will join your troops when she appears, starting on turn 2 of Chapter 24, alongside Bastian.

Geoffrey

Starting Class: Paladin
Chapter: 25
Requirements: As long as Geoffrey survives Chapter 24, he will be available to use from the start in Chapter 25.

Largo

Starting Class: Berserker
Chapter: 25
Requirements: Requires you to have previously recruited Calill and kept her alive, but before Chapter 25’s stage, head into the Info Menu to watch the conversation.

Elincia

Starting Class: Crimea Princess
Chapter: 26
Requirements: You will have access to Elincia as the level starts.

Nasir

Starting Class: Dragon Tribe (White)
Chapter: 28
Requirements: Nasir will join you if you defeat the Dark Knight quickly in Chapter 27 and will gain access to him at the start of Chapter 28.

Ena

Starting Class: Dragon Tribe (Red)
Chapter: 28
Requirements: If you aren’t able to defeat the Black Knight in Chapter 27 and Nasir gets trapped and can’t escape, Ena will instead join your forces at the start of Chapter 28.

Tibarn

Starting Class: Bird Tribe (Hawk)
Chapter: Final Chapter
Requirements: Pick Tibarn to bring in as reinforcements in the final chapter.

Naesala

Starting Class: Bird Tribe (Raven)
Chapter: Final Chapter
Requirements: Pick Naesala to bring in as reinforcements in the final chapter.

Giffca

Starting Class: Beast Tribe (Lion)
Chapter: Final Chapter
Requirements: Pick Giffca to bring in as reinforcements in the final chapter.

Trial Mode Specific Characters

After completing Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance for the first time, you will unlock a special set of challenging Trial Maps. There are a few special characters that will only be available to use in this special mode, and they include:

Oliver
Shiharam
Petrine
Bryce
Ashnard