GamePress
Analysis by UmbraCorvus
Tharja - Dark Shadow

3-4

Obtainable as a 3 - 4 only

Hero Stats

Max Avg Total Stats at Lvl 40
148
HP 39
ATK 32
SPD 34
DEF 23
RES 20

Stat Variations

Level 1 Stat Variation
5★
4★
3★
HP ATK SPD DEF RES
Low 16 7 7 5 4
Middle 17 8 8 6 5
High 18 9 9 7 6

Level 40 Stat Variations
5★
4★
3★
HP ATK SPD DEF RES
Low 35 29 31 20 17
Middle 39 32 34 23 20
High 42 35 37 26 23

IV Sets

Key stats worth increasing through nature if possible.
Complementary stats that matter, but not to the point of picking them over key stats for nature increase.
Relatively worthless stat that can safely be decreased through nature.
HPATKSPDDEFRES

Assets

  • +SPD: A Speed Asset helps Tharja to achieve follow-up attacks more consistently than before. With the combined Speed debuff from Tharja’s Hex alongside any displayed buffs to Speed, Tharja should not have many issues securing follow-ups against even some of the faster opponents.
  • +ATK: An Attack Asset is less important on a Tharja build that revolves around Desperation, but proves to be the ideal Asset to strengthen OHKO centric builds that revolve around Vantage or Special Spiral.

Neutral

  • HP: Tharja’s HP is best left at a neutral value if one is unable to acquire merges for Tharja. Tharja possesses an HP Super Flaw, which can affect her overall bulk more than a Defense or Resistance Flaw would. In the event of one being unable to obtain Flaw stats in the other defensive stats, HP Flaw will suffice as Tharja does not want to reduce her Attack or Speed.

Flaws

  • -DEF/-RES: Defense and Resistance Flaws are ideal to take as they do not reduce Tharja’s bulk as much as the HP Super Flaw does. Tharja realistically should not be taking more than one hit most of the time, making the drop in Defense or Resistance not matter too much. It is recommended though that Tharja users attempt to secure at least one merge to remove these Flaws, as Tharja’s Hex can make her more durable than she initially appears to be.

Skill Sets

You're Already Dead (Player Phase Nuker)

Build by
Recommended
Tharja's Hex (+Eff) A Fury (3 or 4)
Alternate: Swift Sparrow (2 or 3)
Reposition B Desperation 3
Glimmer
Alternate: Moonbow
C Atk/Res Oath 3
Alternate: Rouse Atk/Def 3
IVsSHeavy Blade 3
Alternate: Flashing Blade 3

Show Explanation/Analysis

Preferred IV: +SPD or +ATK / -DEF or -RES

  • A Speed Asset ensures Tharja can outright secure natural follow-up attacks with minimal effort required, while an Attack Asset can boost Tharja’s performance against foes that are easily outsped. Defense and Resistance Flaws are ideal and either can be taken as Tharja does not care much for her durability for the most part.

Weapon: Tharja’s Hex (+Eff)

  • Tharja’s Hex provides a blade effect to give Tharja an extremely high damage ceiling based around displayed bonus stacking, while the -4 Attack/Speed debuffs make Tharja have an easier time performing follow-up attacks and trading attacks with opponents.

Assist: Reposition / Player Preference

  • Reposition is a generally useful movement Assist skill in most situations, but can be traded for any Assist skill that the user may desire to run on Tharja.

Special: Glimmer / Moonbow

  • Glimmer scales very well once Tharja has access to plenty of displayed buffs, and can be frequently abused thanks to the lack of a cooldown penalty on Tharja’s Hex.

  • Moonbow can be a safer choice in the event that Tharja cannot be buffed by herself or by allies as it will help her punch through enemy Resistance somewhat.

Passive A: Fury (3 or 4) / Swift Sparrow (2 or 3) / Atk/Spd Solo / Life and Death / Flashing Blade 4 / Bonus Doubler

  • The chip damage provided from Fury will gradually push Tharja into her range of activating Desperation, alongside granting Tharja a boost to her Attack/Speed/Defense/Resistance.

  • Swift Sparrow can provide a strong bonus to Tharja’s Attack and Speed without inflicting chip damage onto her. Swift Sparrow 3 in particular grants a massive 6 Attack and 7 Speed on initiation.

  • Atk/Spd Solo provides 6 Attack/Speed in both phases, though Tharja cannot be adjacent to an ally in order to benefit from this boost during combat.

  • Life and Death is a cheap way to give Tharja a strong 5 Attack/Speed bonus, and the -5 Defense/Resistance is not a gigantic loss thanks to Tharja’s Hex inflicting -4 Attack on the foes near her.

  • Flashing Blade 4 is a potent A Passive option and works well if one is not using the Heavy Blade Sacred Seal. It gives Tharja 5 true damage with each strike she delivers, all while accelerating her Special cooldown.

  • Bonus Doubler, being true to its name, can double the displayed bonuses that Tharja may be receiving, allowing her to reach some very strong stats to work with. However, be wary of the fact that Bonus Doubler can become extremely deadweight as a skill if Tharja is not receiving any form of displayed bonuses.

Passive B: Desperation

  • Desperation is necessary to keep a steady Player Phase presence due to the fact that Tharja’s Hex only provides Tharja with just enough bulk to take one or two hits before trading attacks with her foes becomes risky.

Passive C: Atk/Res Oath / Rouse Atk/Def / Joint Hone Atk / Joint Hone Spd / Even Atk Wave / Player Preference

  • Oath skills such as Atk/Res Oath will prove to be useful for Tharja, granting her 5 Attack/Resistance if she starts her turn next to an ally. Due to the nature of blade weapons, this results in a net gain of 15 Attack.

  • Rouse skills such as Rouse Atk/Def will allow for Tharja to be extremely self sufficient as she simply needs to start her turn not adjacent to an ally in order to receive 6 Attack/Defense. This can make Tharja a bit more difficult to support however, as non-adjacent displayed buffing methods such as Tactics will be necessary to provide Tharja with the buffs she may be missing.

  • Joint skills such as Joint Hone Atk or Joint Hone Spd provide Tharja with less of a bonus that Oath or Rouse skills provide, but in exchange they share the bonus with Tharja’s allies which can lead to her being a useful support and damage dealing hybrid.

  • Even Atk Wave is an accessible Wave skill found on Fallen Delthea and can provide Tharja with an effective 12 Attack on even turns thanks to the blade weapon effect.

Sacred Seal: Heavy Blade / Flashing Blade / Darting Blow / Sturdy Blow / Brazen Atk/Spd

  • The Heavy Blade or Flashing Blade Sacred Seal will be necessary in order to abuse Glimmer activations every turn within Desperation range, unless Tharja is receiving other methods of accelerating her Special cooldown through skills such as Infantry Rush.

  • The Darting Blow Sacred Seal can give Tharja 6 Speed on initiation. Tharja should not have many issues securing natural follow-up attacks, but the large boost from Darting Blow can outright ensure that this is the case.

  • The Sturdy Blow Sacred Seal is a surprisingly potent option that adds an additional 4 Defense on top of the effective durability that Tharja’s Hex provides, allowing for even safer physical hits to be taken.

  • The Brazen Atk/Spd Sacred Seal provides Tharja with an immense 7 Attack/Speed during combat provided she is able to reach 80% HP or lower. Once in Desperation range, this benefit to her offensive stats will always be active.

Flight of the Boingy Bits (AoE Special Spiral)

Build by
Tharja's Hex (+Eff) A Life and Death 3
Reposition B Special Spiral 3
Blazing Wind C Atk/Res Oath 3
Alternate: Rouse Atk/Def 3
IVsSHeavy Blade 3
Alternate: Flashing Blade 3

Show Explanation/Analysis

Preferred IV: +ATK / -DEF or -RES

  • As this is a build centric around dealing as much damage in a single hit, an Attack Asset is much more important than a Speed Asset this time around. Either a Defense or Resistance Flaw can be taken as either should not affect the build’s performance drastically.

Weapon: Tharja’s Hex (+Eff)

  • The blade tome benefits do not actually affect the damage of an AoE Special, but Tharja’s Hex will still ensure that her attack following the AoE activation will hit extremely hard.

Assist: Reposition / Player Preference

Special: Blazing Wind / Blazing Special

  • A Blazing AoE Special such as Blazing Wind is the ideal Special to take on this build as Blazing AoE Specials cause the opponent to take damage equal to 1.5x unit’s Attack minus the foe’s Resistance. Growing AoE Specials lack this 1.5x multiplier in exchange for a larger blast radius, so they are less ideal for this build focused on OHKOs.

Passive A: Life and Death

  • Life and Death should be taken on this build due to the nature of AoE Specials relying on displayed Attack stat as opposed to bonuses within combat such as through Swift Sparrow.

Passive B: Special Spiral

  • Special Spiral is the glue that holds this set together. Thanks to the fact that Tharja’s Hex does not suffer a cooldown penalty to her Special, once paired with the Heavy Blade or the Flashing Blade Sacred Seal Tharja will be able to continuously activate her AoE Special after nearly every round of combat. Guard effects that occur independently from HP conditions such as Steady Stance 4 are something to watch out for, as Tharja will not be able to fully charge her Special after combat with such an opponent.

Passive C: Atk/Res Oath / Rouse Atk/Def / Joint Hone Atk / Joint Hone Spd / Even Atk Wave / Savage Blow

  • An Oath Skill such as Atk/Res Oath will give Tharja 5 Attack/Resistance at the start of a turn when adjacent to an ally, easily being utilized for blade tome Attack stacking.

  • A Rouse skill like Rouse Atk/Def achieves similar benefits alongside self sufficiency at the cost of making Tharja somewhat harder to support.

  • Joint skills such as Joint Hone Atk or Joint Hone Spd provide Tharja with a displayed buff alongside her ally, allowing for semi-support capability.

  • Even Atk Wave is not only accessible but also provides self sufficient buffing at the cost of only being active every other turn.

Sacred Seal: Heavy Blade / Flashing Blade

  • The Heavy Blade or the Flashing Blade Sacred Seal are crucial to this build’s performance as the extra cooldown charge is necessary to facilitate Tharja’s continuous Special activations.

What the Hex just Happened!? (Aether Raids Vantage)

Build by
Tharja's Hex (+Eff) A Close Counter
Reposition B Vantage 3
Glimmer
Alternate: Miracle
C Pulse Smoke 3
Alternate: Atk Smoke 3
IVsSBrazen Atk/Def 3
Alternate: Brazen Atk/Res 3

Show Explanation/Analysis

Preferred IV: +ATK / -DEF or -RES

  • Vantage builds are built around dealing a single powerful attack before the foe has a chance to strike, so an Attack Asset is chosen to ensure Tharja can deal the most damage she can in one hit. A Defense or Resistance Flaw is ideal to take if one cannot merge Tharja, but as this is a more Enemy Phase focused build this makes at least one merge to remove her Flaw recommended as an insurance policy to increase Tharja’s survivability.

Weapon: Tharja’s Hex (+Eff)

  • Tharja’s Hex can grant Tharja the Attack boost needed to justify Vantage OHKOs, provided she is able to maintain displayed bonuses on herself. The debuffs that Tharja inflicts on her foes will also allow her to drop into the Vantage HP range with relative safety.

Assist: Reposition / Player Preference

Special: Glimmer / Miracle

  • Glimmer is the Special of choice for ensuring a frequently activating Special. Glimmer scales extremely well once Tharja is fully buffed, and a Glimmer activation will occasionally push Tharja to secure a OHKO that she may not have been able to naturally reach on her own.

  • Miracle has some useful applications as an insurance policy tool. Tharja can already deliver powerful single hits thanks to her blade tome weapon, meaning that a damage dealing Special activation may not always be necessary. Miracle can serve as a last resort survival tool should Tharja fail to defeat her foe with a Vantage strike, as it will save her with 1 HP remaining and she can attempt to possibly finish off her attacker with a second strike. It is recommended to run the Heavy Blade Seal if utilizing Miracle so that it can be charged faster.

Passive A: Close Counter

  • Close Counter is crucial to the build as Tharja will be expected to face not only ranged opponents, but melee opponents as well within an Aether Raids setting. Being able to handle more than just activating Vantage on ranged units will allow Tharja to be much more flexible with what she may take on.

Passive B: Vantage

  • Vantage is another key component to the build as Tharja’s bulk still finds itself to be only passable at best. Defeating her opponent before they can have a chance is easily achieved with the help of Attack stacking from a blade tome such as Tharja’s Hex. Tharja’s Hex will also help Tharja reach the HP threshold to use Vantage in a relatively safe manner thanks to the debuffs.

Passive C: Pulse Smoke / Atk Smoke / Savage Blow

  • Pulse Smoke will inflict Special cooldown +1 on her target and more importantly any foes that were near her target during combat. This will ensure that Tharja will not have to fear the opponent’s Special activations as much as before. Pulse teams are a commonly utilized tactic within Aether Raids Defense teams, and Pulse Smoke will often shut down said teams with flying colors.

  • Atk Smoke is a cheaper alternative to Pulse Smoke that will inflict -7 Attack on foes near her target after combat. This can allow Tharja to take a hit with more effective bulk should she be forced to do so.

  • Savage Blow can also work in the C Passive as a cheap alternative, as Tharja can initiate combat and inflict 7 chip damage to foes near her attacked target. Her weakened targets can easily become more susceptible to a OHKO.

Sacred Seal: Brazen Atk/Def / Brazen Atk/Res / Atk Smoke / Heavy Blade

  • The Brazen Atk/Def and the Brazen Atk/Res Sacred Seals not only grant Tharja with an extra Attack buff during combat which will be active when Tharja is already in her HP range to use Vantage, but they will also grant either a 7 Defense or Resistance boost during combat that can potentially save Tharja should she be forced to take a hit.

  • Atk Smoke if not run in the C Passive can also be utilized in the Sacred Seal for the same purposes.

  • The Heavy Blade Sacred Seal can result in more frequent Glimmer activations, but it can also be used alongside Miracle. Miracle being available to use sooner will ensure Tharja becomes very safe should she be forced to take an attack that would normally defeat her.

Introduction

Eager as ever to make sure nobody comes between her and her precious Robin, Tharja proves to be an extremely potent red mage that possesses a strong offensive capability while also providing her with surprising durability despite what her poor defensive stats may suggest. Tharja has been in the game since its launch and she has found herself improving over time until she would reach where she finds herself now, that being among one of the strongest red mages in the game.

Tharja’s Hex is Tharja’s key to success, as it is a unique blade tome weapon that does not suffer a cooldown penalty which is a trait shared by weapons such as Iris’s Tome and Thunderhead. This allows Tharja to deliver Special activations at a frequency that normal blade tomes cannot achieve due to their cooldown count +1 penalty. Tharja also takes a page out of Fire Emblem Awakening’s rendition of a Dark Mage skill called Anathema, even down to her weapon icon once refined. While there are no avoid or critical avoid stats to reduce within Fire Emblem Heroes, Tharja’s Hex mirrors the effect by inflicting -4 Attack/Speed to any foe that comes within two spaces or less away from Tharja during combat. This debilitating effect not only helps Tharja’s natural Speed end up being stronger than before, but it even helps Tharja trade physical and magical hits somewhat safer than before. As an added benefit this debuff does not just apply to Tharja’s combat, so long as she is near wherever combat is taking place even her allies can make use of the -4 Attack/Speed during combat.

While Tharja’s sheer firepower of a blade tome weapon combined with her good 32 Attack and 34 Speed is excellent, her natural defensive stats still leave something to be desired. Sporting 39 HP, 23 Defense, and 20 Resistance, her natural bulk is certainly not awful as they cap out at 62 physical bulk and 59 magical bulk respectively. Even with Tharja’s Hex turning those into 66 physical bulk and 63 magical bulk, Tharja still does not want to take too many hits as she can gradually be worn down. Much like anything reliant on displayed bonuses, Tharja must also be wary of the Panic status as reversing her bonuses will severely cripple her performance in battle.

Tharja’s high damage ceiling, ability to weaken opponents that so much as think to approach her, and her wonderful availability being found in the 3 and 4 star summoning pool make her an excellent red mage to invest in. If one is willing to worm their way into this cold Dark Mage’s heart, they will find that she will be able to curse nearly any poor and unfortunate soul that comes her way. Just know that you’ll always be second to Robin in her eyes.

Strengths

Good Base Offenses

Tharja sits at a reasonable 32 Attack and 34 Speed. With Tharja’s Hex taken into account, her Speed can hit 38 before Speed Asset, helping Tharja to follow-up fairly consistently alongside hitting quite hard.

Tharja’s Hex

There are many good things to praise Tharja’s Hex for but the most noteworthy to mention is the fact that it is a blade tome weapon that does not possess the cooldown count +1 penalty that plagues inheritable blade tomes. This can result in Tharja achieving much more consistent damage than those with cooldown penalties, as she can run skills such as Heavy Blade or Special Spiral with flying colors. Tharja’s Hex also possesses an Attack/Speed debuff of -4 to any opponent near Tharja during combat. This not only helps Tharja’s own performance, but if she is near the enemy when her ally is fighting she can prove to be a useful support unit as the debuffs will activate for her ally’s combat instance as well.

Great Availability

Tharja is found within the 3 and 4 star summoning pools, making it take not much effort to summon additional copies of her to merge. While a red mage such as Celica can also give Tharja competition, Tharja’s accessibility will prove useful as she is less costly to merge than her 5 star exclusive alternatives.

Weaknesses

Durability is only “Good Enough”

Even with Tharja’s Hex debuffing the opponent’s Attack during combat, Tharja’s low end base Defense and Resistance make Tharja only durable enough for so many hits unless extra precautions are taken into account.

Panic is Crippling

The Panic status hurts blade tome users of all kinds, and Tharja is no exception. With Tharja’s damage ceiling being reliant on stacking displayed bonuses onto her, the reversal of these bonuses into demerits will find Tharja’s performance greatly hampered.

Weapon Skills

Weapons SP Rng. Mt.
Flux
Red Tome Users Only
50 2 4
Ruin
Learns by default at 3 ★
Red Tome Users Only
100 2 6
Rauðrblade

Slows Special trigger (cooldown count+1).

Grants bonus to unit’s Atk = total bonuses on unit during combat.

Learns by default at 4 ★
Unlocks at 3 ★
Red Tome Users Only
200 2 9
Rauðrblade+

Slows Special trigger (cooldown count+1).

Grants bonus to unit’s Atk = total bonuses on unit during combat.

Learns by default at 5 ★
Unlocks at 5 ★
Red Tome Users Only
300 2 13
Tharja's Hex

Grants bonus to unit’s Atk = total bonuses on unit during combat.

Learns by default at 5 ★
Unlocks at 5 ★
Non-Inheritable skill.
400 2 14
Weapon Evolution
Weapon Upgrades
Weapon Upgrades

Special Skills

Special Skills SP Turns
Retribution

Boosts damage dealt to foe by 30% of damage dealt to unit.

Learns by default at 4 ★
Unlocks at 3 ★
Non-inheritable by Staff-wielding units.
100 3
Vengeance

Boosts damage dealt to foe by 50% of damage dealt to unit.

Unlocks at 4 ★
Non-inheritable by Staff-wielding units.
200 3

Passive Skills

Passive Skills SP Slot
Darting Blow 1

If unit initiates combat, grants Spd+2 during combat.

Non-inheritable by Staff-wielding units.
50
A
Darting Blow 2

If unit initiates combat, grants Spd+4 during combat.

Non-inheritable by Staff-wielding units.
Unlocks at 3 ★
100
A
Darting Blow 3

If unit initiates combat, grants Spd+6 during combat.

Non-inheritable by Staff-wielding units.
Unlocks at 4 ★
200
A
Spur Res 1

Grants Res+2 to adjacent allies during combat.

Inheritable by all units.
Unlocks at 3 ★
50
C
Spur Res 2

Grants Res+3 to adjacent allies during combat.

Inheritable by all units.
Unlocks at 4 ★
100
C
Spur Res 3

Grants Res+4 to adjacent allies during combat.

Inheritable by all units.
Unlocks at 5 ★
200
C

Other Info

Origin
Fire Emblem: Awakening

Banners Featured In

Official Hero Artwork