Resistance (Japanese: 魔法防御 magic defense), abbreviated Res (Japanese: 魔防 or MDF), is a statistic belonging to units which determines their ability to resist the effects of magic. Its primary use is in reducing the hit point damage taken from incoming magical attacks fueled by the magic stat, such as with a tome or magic weapon. When attacking magically, a unit's calculated attack has their target's resistance subtracted from it to produce the damage they actually deal against this target, and vice versa. Some games also use it to determine how well protected a unit is from the effects of offensive staves. Resistance can be temporarily enhanced by taking shelter in terrain types which give defense boosts, such as forests or forts, and can also be boosted through some support bonuses.
A unit's resistance stat will not protect them against physical attacks at all. When a unit is defending against an enemy who is using a physical weapon type, their defense stat is used to reduce damage instead.
Resistance is somewhat unusual because, particularly in the earlier games of the Fire Emblem series, it was rarely gained or used by many units, so for many units it is common for resistance to be their lowest stat by far. Indeed, in the original Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light, all units - both playable and enemy - start with a resistance stat of zero and have zero resistance growth, meaning that units will never have any resistance at all without using a Talisman item to boost the stat or using Pure Water or having a Barrier staff used on them to temporarily boost the stat. While the average resistance stats and growths have slowly improved as the series progressed, it is still common for physically inclined units to have very low resistance even in the most recent games.
Members of classes which wield magic tend to have good resistance. Staff-using "healer" classes in particular, such as the Priest and Troubadour class families, are built to possess very high average resistance compared to other classes; Pegasus Knights also have high resistance. Generally speaking, high-resistance units have good speed and decent-to-high offensive power, but aside from their resistance stat, they tend to be frail and to suffer from poor maximum HP.
The resistance stat does not exist at all in Fire Emblem: Thracia 776. Instead, the offensive magic stat performs all of the same functions as resistance, being used for both magical offense and defense.
Calculations
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Items and skills affecting resistance
style="Template:Roundtl; border:none" width="100%" colspan="2"|Weapons, items and skills providing equipping bonus
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style="Template:Roundtl; border:none; background-color:#222222; color:#fff" width="1%"|
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Item
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Resistance increase
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style="Template:Roundtr; border:none; background-color:#222222; color:#fff" width="40%"|Games
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Dracoshield
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+13 when equipped.
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Gaiden, Echoes: Shadows of Valentia
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Barrier Blade
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+7 when equipped.
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Genealogy of the Holy War
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Mystletainn
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+10 when equipped.
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Genealogy of the Holy War
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Tyrfing
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+20/+5 when equipped.
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Genealogy of the Holy War, Awakening
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Helswath
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+10 when equipped.
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Genealogy of the Holy War
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Valflame
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+10 when equipped.
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Genealogy of the Holy War
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Naga
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+20/+5 when equipped.
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Genealogy of the Holy War, Awakening
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Loptous
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+5 when equipped.
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Genealogy of the Holy War
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Barrier Ring
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+5 when in inventory.
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Genealogy of the Holy War
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Binding Blade
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+5 when equipped.
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The Binding Blade
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Aureola
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+5 when equipped.
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The Binding Blade, The Blazing Blade
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Firestone
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+5/+4 when equipped.
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The Binding Blade, Shadow Dragon, New Mystery of the Emblem
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Divinestone
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+20/+11 when equipped.
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The Binding Blade, Shadow Dragon, New Mystery of the Emblem
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Magestone
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+15/+10 when equipped.
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The Binding Blade (Unused), Shadow Dragon, New Mystery of the Emblem
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Sol Katti
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+5 when equipped.
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The Blazing Blade, Awakening
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Spear (Vaida's)
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+14 when equipped.
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Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade
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Flametongue
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+10 when equipped.
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Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade
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Audhulma
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+5 when equipped.
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The Sacred Stones
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Wretched Air
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+10 when equipped.
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The Sacred Stones
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Ravager
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+10 when equipped.
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The Sacred Stones
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Demon Light
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+15 when equipped.
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The Sacred Stones
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Dragonstone
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+20/+7/+3 when equipped.
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The Sacred Stones, Awakening, Fates
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Amiti
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+3 when equipped.
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Path of Radiance, Radiant Dawn
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Urvan
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+3 when equipped.
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Path of Radiance (Unused), Radiant Dawn
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Knight Ward
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+2 while equipped.
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Path of Radiance
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Icestone
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+8 when equipped.
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New Mystery of the Emblem
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Wyvernstone
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+3 when equipped.
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New Mystery of the Emblem
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Aquarius Shard
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+1 when in inventory.
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New Mystery of the Emblem
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Pisces Shard
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+1 when in inventory.
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New Mystery of the Emblem
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Virgo Shard
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+2 when in inventory.
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New Mystery of the Emblem
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Starsphere
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+2 when in inventory.
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New Mystery of the Emblem
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Binding Shield
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+2 when in inventory.
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New Mystery of the Emblem
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Seliph's Blade
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+2 when equipped.
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Awakening
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Micaiah's Pyre
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+2 when equipped.
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Awakening
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Beaststone+
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+2 when equipped.
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Awakening
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Dragonstone+
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+9/+7 when equipped.
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Awakening, Fates
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Resistance +2
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+2 when active.
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Awakening, Fates
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Resistance +10
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+10 when active.
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Awakening
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All Stats +2
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+2 when active.
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Awakening
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Visitation Seal
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+2 when equipped.
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Fates
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Master Emblem
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+1 when equipped.
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Fates
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Hexlock Spear
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+8 when equipped
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Fates
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Xander's Lance
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+2 when equipped.
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Fates
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Bone Axe
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+3 when equipped.
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Fates
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Camilla's Axe
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+2 when equipped.
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Fates
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Missiletainn
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+1 when equipped.
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Fates
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Thoron
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+3 when equipped.
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Fates
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Robin's Primer
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+3 when equipped.
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Fates
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Yato
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Grim and Alpha forms: +2 while in possession. Shadow and Omega forms: +4 when in inventory.
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Fates
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Guard Naginata
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+5 when equipped.
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Fates
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All naginata other than Guard Naginata, Bold Naginata, and Hinoka's Spear
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+1 when equipped.
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Fates
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Illusory Yumi
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+10 when equipped.
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Fates
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All yumi other than Illusory Yumi, Surefire Yumi, and Pursuer
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+2 when equipped.
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Fates
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Rabbit Spirit
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+1 when equipped.
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Fates
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Snake Spirit
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+1 when equipped.
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Fates
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Horse Spirit
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+3 when equipped.
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Fates
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Sheep Spirit
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+1 when equipped.
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Fates
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Monkey Spirit
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+2 when equipped.
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Fates
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Beastrune
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+5 when equipped.
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Fates
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Coral Ring
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+4 when equipped.
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Echoes: Shadows of Valentia
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Keepsake Ring
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+5 when equipped.
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Echoes: Shadows of Valentia
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style="Template:Roundtl; border:none" width="100%" colspan="2"|Items providing a permanent increase
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style="Template:Roundtl; border:none; background-color:#222222; color:#fff" width="1%"|
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Item
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Resistance increase
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style="Template:Roundtr; border:none; background-color:#222222; color:#fff" width="40%"|Games
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Talisman
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Permanent +2/+3/+7 increase when used.
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Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light, Mystery of the Emblem, The Binding Blade, The Blazing Blade, The Sacred Stones, Path of Radiance, Radiant Dawn, Shadow Dragon, New Mystery of the Emblem, Awakening, Fates, Echoes: Shadows of Valentia
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Naga's Tear
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Permanent +2 increase when used.
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Awakening
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Dragon Herbs
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Permanent +1 increase when used.
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Fates
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style="Template:Roundtl; border:none" width="100%" colspan="2"|Items and skills modifying the growth rate
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style="Template:Roundtl; border:none" width="100%" colspan="2"|Items and skills providing a temporary boost
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style="Template:Roundtl; border:none; background-color:#222222; color:#fff" width="1%"|
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Item
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Resistance increase
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style="Template:Roundtr; border:none; background-color:#222222; color:#fff" width="40%"|Games
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Parthia
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+7/+5 increase when used; effect decreases by 1 each turn
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Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light, Shadow Dragon, New Mystery of the Emblem, Awakening
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Ward
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+7 increase to one ally when used; effect decreases by 1 each turn.
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Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light, Mystery of the Emblem, The Binding Blade, The Blazing Blade, The Sacred Stones, Path of Radiance, Radiant Dawn, Shadow Dragon, New Mystery of the Emblem, Awakening
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Pure Water
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+7 increase when used; effect decreases by 1 each turn
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Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light, Mystery of the Emblem, The Binding Blade, The Blazing Blade, The Sacred Stones, Path of Radiance, Radiant Dawn, Shadow Dragon, New Mystery of the Emblem, Awakening
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Ninis's Grace
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+10 to one adjacent ally for one turn. Activated via the Dance/Play command.
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Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade
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Guardian
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+1 to all allies for the duration of the map*.
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Shadow Dragon, New Mystery of the Emblem
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Pure Sword
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+7 increase when used; effect decreases by 1 each turn
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New Mystery of the Emblem
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Resistance Bond
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+2 to a single ally's Resistance for the duration of a chapter when used.
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New Mystery of the Emblem
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Resistance Tonic
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+2 for the duration of one mission when used.
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New Mystery of the Emblem, Awakening, Fates
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Rainbow Tonic
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+2 for the duration of one mission when used.
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New Mystery of the Emblem, Fates
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Kris's Confect
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+2 for the duration of one mission when used.
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Awakening
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Tiki's Tear
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+2 for the duration of one mission when used.
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Awakening
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Defender
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+1 when Pair Up is active.
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Awakening, Fates
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Special Dance
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+2 to one adjacent ally for one turn. Activated via the Dance command.
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Awakening
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Rally Heart
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+2 to all allied units in a 3-tile radius of the user for one turn.
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Awakening
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Rally Resistance
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+4 to all allied units in a 3/2-tile radius of the user for one turn.
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Awakening, Fates
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Rally Spectrum
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+4/+2 to all allied units in a 3/4-tile radius of the user for one turn.
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Awakening, Fates
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Harp Yumi
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+4 to all allied units in a 2-tile radius of the user for one turn, if user initiates battle.
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Fates
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Calm
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+4 for one turn when choosing to wait.
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Fates
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Resistancetaker
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+2 when defeating an enemy.*
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Fates
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style="Template:Roundtl; border:none" width="100%" colspan="2"|Weapons providing a temporary decrease after use
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Trivia
- In Gaiden, its abbreviation uses the ryakuji form of 魔.
Etymology and other names
Names, etymology, and in other regions
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Language
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Name
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Definition, etymology, and notes
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English
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Resistance
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--
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Spanish
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Resistencia
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Resistance
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French
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Résistance
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Resistance
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German
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Resistenz
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Resistance
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Italian
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Resistenza
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Resistance
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Gallery
References