Hinata

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

• Attack and Defense will be this build's preferred Assets to improve Hinata's non-Special damage output per hit or overall raw bulk, respectively. For those with no preference, Attack is slightly preferred as it is entirely possible for Hinata to "overkill" in the Defense department, depending on certain skills used.

• As this build is almost entirely Enemy Phase-exclusive and Hinata will be focused on tanking physical hits exclusively rather than magic, taking his Speed or Resistance as Flaws will not hurt its performance.

Weapon: Hinata's Kanata (+Def) / Slaying Edge (+Def)

• Hinata's unique namesake weapon boosts his Attack and Defense both by 4 when the foe initiates combat. This is Hinata's best weapon from a stats perspective as it improves his otherwise rather run-of-the-mill damage output while further bolstering his physical tankiness.

• Slaying Edge should be considered for its permanent cooldown reduction effect as that can lead to a number of new and handy Steady Breath setups. In particular, Aether is more likely to activate regardless of whether Hinata performs a follow-up attack, while Bonfire can be activated two turns in a single round. 

• Both weapons should be Defense refined for a direct beefy bonus of 5 HP and 4 Defense. The Fury effect refine of Hinata's Katana can interfere with Guard or Quick Riposte's HP thresholds and thus isn't recommended. 

Assist: Reposition / Any Rally skill / Flexible

• Reposition is a golden standard among recommended assists as it helps Hinata rescue himself and his teammates back out of enemy range easily. 

• Any Rally skill is effective in combination with a Ruse skill, allowing Hinata to inflict Ruse's effects upon the enemy in substitution of using Guard himself. 

• Otherwise, the Assist slot is entirely up to player resources and preferences.

Special: Aether / Ignis / Bonfire

• Longer-winded matches against multiple foes call for Aether's sustain effect and reasonable burst damage. Due to its long cooldown of 5, it should be supported by Steady Breath or similar outsourced skills such as Brave Lucina's Geirskogul.

• For hard and solid damage, Hinata's highly-invested Defense scales extremely well with Ignis and Bonfire. Assuming a Breath skill is in effect, Ignis's higher potential damage should be chosen for non-Slaying setups, whereas Bonfire can activate in a single opponent hit (and thus twice  in a single turn) assuming Slaying Edge is used. Either can be used without Breath setups depending on your desired timing and burst damage output.

Passive A: Steady Breath / Fierce Breath / Steady Stance (3 or 4) / Atk/Def Bond / Sturdy Stance / Fort. Def/Res 

• Steady Breath is the best choice in this slot due to its handy cooldown acceleration in enemy phase, allowing Hinata to dish out powerful Specials quickly and efficiently. The additional Defense boost also directly contributes to Hinata's physical bulk as well as Bonfire and Ignis's burst damage. Fierce Breath is similarly effective, given it is the Attack-oriented equivalent of Steady Breath.

• The third and fourth-tier versions of Steady Stance are both great choices for their large Defense boosts in enemy phase. Steady Stance 3 is easily accessible from any low rarity Silas, whereas Steady Stance 4 offers a slightly larger Defense increase accompanied by a Guard effect—with no HP reliance to boot. 

• Hinata has the option of choosing an A-slot skill that also benefits his Attack. Atk/Def Bond and Sturdy Stance are thus Hinata's best and most accessible options as they increase both his Attack and Defense. Both can be inherited from Heroes summoned via Heroic Grails. The former offers slightly better boosts with the easily typical condition of being adjacent to a teammate, while the latter allows Hinata be more independent of positioning. 

• Fort. Def/Res is a specialty option that also increases Hinata's bare Resistance at the cost of two Attack. The Resistance boost, in particular, goes a long way in increasing Hinata's magical resilience to acceptable levels, though this is only worth considering for high-investment builds, or when combined with additional Resistance fortification.

Passive B: Guard / Quick Riposte / Atk/Spd Ruse / Lull Atk/Def

• Guard offers Hinata protection against enemies that are reliant on their Specials to break past his otherwise superb Defense, and otherwise stalls those with some form of Special acceleration (such as Flashing Blade) better. It works only if Hinata's HP is above 80%, however, meaning sustain from Aether is required in long-winded matches.

• Quick Riposte is a great alternative option as the B slot skill, as this allows for the usage of other skills in the Sacred Slot seal on top of offering follow-up attacks above 70% HP. 

• A Ruse skill of your choice can be a potential luxury substitution for Guard: it specifically inflicts the Guard effect on cardinal enemies relative to Hinata and his Rally beneficiary, on top of its respective stat penalties. This also increases Hinata's support utility on the team if otherwise relevant targets are absent from the battlefield.

• Lull Atk/Def is another high-investment option that stops physical threats dead in their tracks. Specifically, it nullifies current Attack and Defense bonuses in addition to inflicting an in-combat penalty of 3 upon those stats. 

Passive C: Infantry Pulse / Panic Ploy / Time's Pulse / Flexible

• Due to Hinata's relatively high HP as a result of weapon refinery in addition his natural base value, he is perfectly suited for supporting fellow infantry mages (especially Tailtiu, Ishtar, and Sonya) and other units that value precharge with Infantry Pulse.

• Panic Ploy is also a great support option with good potency as a result of high HP, potentially turning the tables on bonus-reliant enemies in Hinata's cardinal directions. 

• Time's Pulse is another high-investment option that is specifically handy for Steady Breath setups not using Slaying Edge. At the start of each turn, it can decrease the normally too-long maximum cooldown of Aether from 5 to 4, allowing for more convenient timings in Aether activations. It is, however, a luxury option at best as Hinata is likely to activate Aether on particularly fast enemies in one round anyway.

• The player should otherwise not be too concerned about getting specific skills in this slot and should use whatever is reasonable for their team and budget.

Sacred Seal: Quick Riposte / Atk/Def Bond / Def/Res Bond / Fierce Stance / Steady Stance / Close Def / Flexible

• If not used in the B slot, Quick Riposte should most definitely be considered as the Sacred Seal. Thanks to the follow-up effect in enemy phase, Hinata can close matches more quickly. This also results in less delays and less vulnerability to factors such as Specials or dangerous enemies with Wings of Mercy.

• Outside of Quick Riposte, there are almost too many viable Sacred Seals to consider, making it ultimately flexible. Atk/Def Bond, for instance, further fortifies Hinata's Defense while also fleshing out his Attack when adjacent to a teammate. Def/Res Bond performs similarly and is particularly effective when combined with Fort. Def/Res in the A-slot.

• Fierce Stance and Steady Stance offers independent sweet spot improvement in either Hinata's Attack or Defense, respectively.

• Close Def offers similar boosts to Steady Stance while also slightly improving Hinata's matchups against dragonstone users.

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

• To decrease the number of accidental kills Hinata may take from your bonus unit in Arena, HP and Defense are considered over Attack. Defense increases Hinata's raw bulk and directly debilitates stray physical hits aimed at him, whereas HP increases the index of targets Panic Ploy and Sudden Panic hits.

• This build is meant to be used as a high-investment, long-term project, meaning the Flaw you choose will disappear by merging anyway.

Weapon: Hinata's Kanata (+Def) 

• Hinata's Katana is a unique personal weapon, meaning it has a higher SP cost than other weapons and thus gives Hinata higher scoring potential. Its Sturdy Stance effect in combination with Defense refinery also means Hinata will be no slouch in duking it out when he has to. 

Assist: Rally Atk/Def+ / Any high-scoring Assist skill

• R Duel Infantry is the main option of use on this build, meaning the current native user of this skill, Summer Helbindi, can also give away Rally Atk/Def+ as a helpful and high-scoring Assist option.

• Hinata can otherwise use any high-scoring Assist, such as Harsh Command+ or Rally Up Atk+, according to your preferences and budget.

Special: Blue Flame / Aether

• For a mix of a high SP cost and acceptable competitive performance, Blue Flame is preferred for its low cooldown and nice conditional burst damage. 

• To prevent Hinata from KOing a target too soon with a Special (as kills are typically reserved for bonus units), however, Aether's long cooldown of 5 is typically enough to delay a deadly Special activation. It is also more accessible compared to Blue Flame, as it is obtainable from any promoted Chrom.

Passive A: R Duel Infantry

• R Duel Infantry increases Hinata's scoring bin by two, making him score approximately as high as red units with both unique weapons and high base stat totals of 170+. Though this is typical of armored units, Hinata has the advantage of regular infantry movement and more accessible merges.

• The additional bonus of +5 HP also stacks on Hinata's already-high HP (thanks to merges, refinery, and seasonal blessings), helping him inflict the Panic status on a larger variety of foes.

Passive B: Sudden Panic / Atk/Spd Ruse / Chill Def / Chill Atk

• Hinata is one of the best users of Sudden Panic due to his high potential HP after investment. As foes tend to stick together and use Rally on free turns, many are easily susceptible to the passive Panic effect of this skill.

• Atk/Spd Ruse inflicts Guard and harsh offensive debuffs on enemies in cardinal directions of both Hinata and his Rally beneficiary, giving Hinata extra passive utility as a rallybot. The Def/Res version of the skill is also worth considering.

• A Chill skill of your choosing allows Hinata to debuff an opposing superunit specializing in the Chill's respective stat. 

Passive C: Infantry Pulse / Panic Ploy / Any specialty infantry skills / Flexible

• Since Panic Ploy is available as a Sacred Seal, Hinata has the option of taking other C skills normally not available in said capacity. Infantry Pulse, for instance, takes advantage of Hinata's high, initially undamaged HP by lowering the cooldown of other infantry teammates (with lower HP values) by one, leading to some potent precharge setups.

• Other specialty infantry skills can be considered, especially when supporting any one of the Askr trio (who are regularly available in a bonus rotation). One top recommendation is Infantry Breath, which takes away the burden of needing to inherit a Breath skill for adjacent infantry teammates who otherwise enjoy having said skill.  

• Panic Ploy can be taken in this slot if you would like another option in particular as a Sacred Seal.

• The C slot is otherwise open for other team-preferred options.

Sacred Seal: Panic Ploy / Atk Feint / Quick Riposte / Any HP skill / Flexible

• Panic Ploy induces its namesake status condition on those with less HP than Hinata in cardinal directions. While this seems redundant with Sudden Panic, Ploy helps Hinata catch enemies who are separated from their own teammates.

• Atk Feint is another Rally-based support skill that inflicts Atk-7 on targets cardinal to Hinata. It is generally less useful than Atk/Spd Ruse, but can be used in the absence of said skill. 

• Quick Riposte gives Hinata some offensive presence by offering a follow-up Attack in enemy phase if Hinata's HP is above 80%. This helps Hinata chip away at particularly tough targets if needed, though users should be wary of rare but potential non-bonus KOes.

• Any HP-based Sacred Seal, such as HP +5 or HP/Atk 2, can be used to increase the potency of Hinata's Panic skills at the cost of another support skill.

• The entire library of Sacred Seals is otherwise open to player preferences. Notable mentions include additional Chills, dual Spur skills, etc.

Preferred IV: +ATK or +SPD / -RES

• Hinata's Assets and Flaws are more particular in this build. Instead of taking Speed as a Flaw, it is viable as a superasset (meaning an increase of 4 instead of 3) to increase the number of follow-up attacks Hinata can perform and avoid. Attack can be used instead for better one-shot damage output, especially with Wrath.

• Resistance is unimportant to this build's intended functions and can be safely decreased as a Flaw.

Weapon: Hinata's Kanata (+Eff) 

• In addition to the base Sturdy Stance effect of Hinata's Katana that fortifies his performance in enemy phase, the Effect refinery option adds Fury 3 on top of this. Not only does this refine provide much-needed direct increases to Hinata's statline all-around, but the recoil effect also aids in safely activating Wrath and Brazen skills.

Assist: Reposition / Flexible

Special: Bonfire / Blue Flame / Moonbow / Ruptured Sky

• Thanks to Hinata's ever-high natural and invested Defense, Bonfire can deal upwards of 19 additional burst damage under regular conditions. 

• Blue Flame rewards adjacent play by dealing 25 damage under said condition. For tanky one-shot builds, adjacent positioning is a typical scenario. Even if said condition isn't fulfilled, Blue Flame's normal damage boost of 10 can be sufficient enough to tilt a few KOes in Hinata's favor, and can be further improved with Wrath.

• Moonbow is a nice alternative to the above options thanks to its low cooldown. Though its damage leaves a bit to be desired, Wrath's additional +10 damage can improve it.

• If inheriting other skills (such as Fury 4 or Wrath) from Female Byleth, Ruptured Sky is a decent low-cooldown, high-cost Special (meaning higher Arena scoring potential) that's dependant on the opponent's Attack instead. Generally speaking, it is not much better than using Moonbow as it does typically does similar damage on targets within the 50-60 Attack range.

Passive A: Fury (3 or 4) / Brazen Atk Def / Brazen Atk/Spd (3 or 4)

• On top of the Fury effect refinement of Hinata's Katana, Hinata's signature A slot skill grants a nice array of additional visible stats all-around, not counting additional augments from his Sacred Seal. Although the resulting recoil seems painful, one round of combat is usually enough to put Hinata in range of Wrath and a Brazen skill (in Sacred Seal form), keeping in mind that this build is not built around dedicated tanking. 

• Brazen Atk/Def is a nice and cheap alternative that offers the largest potential boost in Attack and Defense when Hinata hits below 80% HP. Though this requires some setup, said setup is quite easy thanks to Fury recoil from Hinata's Katana, as well as Hinata's own ability to withstand physical punishment.

• For Speed-based builds, Brazen Atk/Spd will offer the highest potential boosts in its respective stats with the same setup as Brazen Atk/Def. At +0 with a Speed Asset and Brazen Atk/Spd 3 also in the Sacred Seal slot as well, Hinata can reach upwards of 45 Speed and 65 Attack, which is quite formidable for this current level of investment. The fourth tier version of the skill can be used for even higher offensive boosts as well as slightly improved Arena scoring.

Passive B: Wrath / Null Follow-Up / Desperation / Lull Atk/Def / Swordbreaker / Axebreaker

• Wrath works well due to this build's frequent tendency to put Hinata at low health and fits the build overall by adding a flat +10 damage to Hinata's Special activations. Outside of battle, it also passively lowers his Special cooldown by 1 at the start of each turn (assuming HP conditions are correct). Thus, Wrath gives Hinata a safe means of having his Special ready for the right target if he sustains too much damage for another clean match. 

• Null Follow-Up interferes with artificial follow-up attack manipulation, including those from Fighter skills, some unique weapons, and Quick Riposte. It is advised to utilize this with Speed investment as Null Follow-Up turns most matches into contests of Speed.

• Due to Hinata's great potential Speed and Attack (assuming he is running the proper skills) after slight setup, he can take further advantage of his heightened player phase stats by using the tried-and-true Desperation, which allows him to make follow-up attacks before the opponent can retaliate.  

• Lull Atk/Def shuts down attempts at tanking or overcoming Hinata's high Defense by nullifying current bonuses to the foe's Attack and Defense, and further punishing said stats by -3 in-combat. Lull Spd/Def can also be used for similar purposes, except with the benefit of creating new follow-up opportunities.

• On a budget, Swordbreaker and Axebreaker help Hinata take on conventional matchups against opposing sword and axe units more comfortably, turning him into a cheap but good Arena Assault pick.

Passive C: Time's Pulse / Infantry Pulse / Flexible 

• Time's Pulse decreases the cooldown of Hinata's chosen Special at the start of every turn if said Special is current at its maximum. This significantly benefits pretty much any Special Hinata runs, and can reach extreme effectiveness when run with B-slot skills such as Wrath or Desperation. It also largely makes up for the lack of Blade or Breath skills, which are not used in favor of stat augmentation. It is a grossly extraneous and expensive skill to acquire, however, and not essential to this build's success by any measure.

• Unless you have a selfish Attack or Speed bonus skill (such as Even/Odd Waves or Joint Hones) on hand for self-sufficiently improving Hinata's offenses, the C slot isn't strictly relevant to this build's intended purpose. Keep in mind that these same bonuses can be provided by teammates.

• Regardless, skills such as Infantry Pulse allow Hinata to provide support even with the absence of relevant targets. 

Sacred Seal: Brazen Atk/Spd / Brazen Atk/Def

• A Brazen Atk skill of choice stacks on top of Hinata's existing stat boosts through his weapon and A slot, further building his damage and/or tanking potential. In particular, it's recommended to run Brazen Atk/Spd with A slot skill also boosting Speed (i.e. Fury and Brazen Atk/Spd), whereas Brazen Atk/Def can be doubly run with itself in A slot form for a more tanky setup.