—Volke, in a C support conversation with Bastian
Volke is a playable character in Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance and Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn.
Quick Answers
What is Volke's secret in Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance?
How does Volke test Ike's resourcefulness in the game?
What role does Volke play in Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn?
Why does Volke call himself a 'fireman' in the game?
Profile
Path of Radiance
Volke introduces himself as an informant throughout the events of Path of Radiance, withholding a report from Greil until he is paid 50,000 gold for it, while informing Ike that he can be reached by going to a bar and asking for a "fireman". After he is paid the amount, he reveals that while the report was a hoax and the money was a way to see how resourceful and responsible he was, he has a secret to tell that was too great to be written down: Volke was hired by Greil to kill him in case he ever went berserk again and reveal his secret to Ike when he became mature enough to hear it, as the medallion was responsible for his wife's death. He initially turned Greil down, knowing that it was impossible for him to accomplish the task, however, once he crippled himself, he took the job, as he had become someone his skill could handle. Afterwards, Ike pays him with the 50,000 to hire Volke. (In Radiant Dawn, Volke pays back 20,000 of the 50,000 upon encountering Ike.) Upon hiring Volke, if the player chooses to renew Greil's contract, Volke automatically Class changes into an assassin, as he reveals his true profession.
Radiant Dawn
Volke appears late in the events of Radiant Dawn, hired by Bastian to capture Izuka. He can be recruited with Bastian or Elincia, by paying him a certain amount of gold. Most of it can be reclaimed in his Info Conversation on the next chapter. As in the end of Path of Radiance, he is an assassin. In his battle conversation with Izuka, it is revealed Volke once worked for him. He also shows some slight modesty and humility when he flusters after Ike thanks him for his services. He is, unlike in Path of Radiance, not important to the overall plot.
Personality
An assassin who has worked for multiple people, Volke demands gold for whatever job he takes on, regardless of how large or small, though he refuses to tell his reasons for amassing so much gold, going so far as to demand an exorbitant amount of it for the answer when asked by Elincia. Willing to take any job no matter how "dirty" it is, once he takes a mission, he devotes himself to completing it, regardless of how long it would take, though he only takes one job at a time, as shown in his support conversation with Bastian and attack conversation with Izuka in Radiant Dawn. However, he does seem to hold some morals, as he seems to have a grudge against Izuka, as he openly stated his dislike to Bastian, and even charges only 3,000 Gold as a personal discount to kill Izuka.
A secretive and somewhat amoral character, and with a grand total of one support, not much is known about Volke, save that he shows no open hostility towards the Laguz. He does not seem to have many visible loyalties, seeing as he will do anything and everything for money, even if it involves switching sides immediately after a contract is completed. Through his only possible support, it is implied that Bastian is the only person Volke trusts - or at least respects enough to converse with.
However, Volke does show some modesty after Ike thanks him for working for him, although that could be just because he is not used to being thanked. He also claims to be uneasy in crowded places, preferring to be alone and in hiding, even demanding Ike to pay him when asked to show up to dinner with the group.
Beyond Bastian, Volke shows little affinity for anyone. Ike and Geoffrey are two possible exceptions, as they are the only characters that he purposefully seeks out in either game. In Part 4 of Radiant Dawn, Geoffrey comments that he has told Volke before not to sneak up on him, showing that this is not an uncommon occurrence.
In-Game
Path of Radiance
Recruitment
- Chapter 10: Agree to hire him during a base conversation.
Base Stats
| Starting Class | Affinity | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Thief |  Wind | ||||||||||
| Level | HP | Str | Mag | Skl | Spd | Lck | Def | Res | Con | Wt | Mov |
| 10 | 25 | 12 | 0 | 13 | 13 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 11 | 11 | 7 |
| Skills | Weapon | Starting Items | |||||||||
 Steal Knife Shade | - |  Knife Vulnerary | |||||||||
Growth Rates
| HP | Str | Mag | Skl | Spd | Lck | Def | Res |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 65% | 50% | 5% | 55% | 65% | 35% | 20% | 10% |
Support Conversations
- See also: Volke/Supports
Promotion Gains
Promotion event happens at the end of Chapter 19 (if the player selects to hire him)
Radiant Dawn
Recruitment
- Part 4: Chapter 5: Pay him 3,000G with Bastian or Elincia; Available in Chapter 5 and Endgame.
Base Stats
| Starting Class | Affinity | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Assassin |  Wind | ||||||||||
| Level | HP | Str | Mag | Skl | Spd | Lck | Def | Res | Con | Wt | Mov |
| 13 | 52 | 30 | 5 | 36 | 35 | 19 | 26 | 22 | 11 | 11 | 7 |
| Skills | Weapon | Starting Items | |||||||||
 Stillness Critical +25 Shove Lethality |  Knife - SS |  Peshkatz Stiletto Silver Knife | |||||||||
Growth Rates
| HP | Str | Mag | Skl | Spd | Lck | Def | Res |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50% | 50% | 5% | 60% | 65% | 20% | 45% | 15% |
Biorhythm
Overall
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Subjective: The following part of this article is based upon the editor's personal experiences and opinions, and therefore may not be applicable for all readers.
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In Path of Radiance, Volke charges 50 gold per pick (which isn't bad as gold is abundant in this game). His combat is decent at best even when trained as knives are very weak so he should rarely see combat. He joins earlier than your other possible thief, Sothe, has higher base stats and can promote, while bonus experience makes it easy for him to stay fast enough to steal most important items (especially physic staffs, which can make some later hard mode chapters a lot easier) from enemies, without seeing much combat. Thus, he usually is considered as the more viable thief in the game.
In Radiant Dawn, Volke joins near the endgame with many different buffs to enjoy. Knives were buffed from the previous game, and with the introduction of Baselard, Volke now has a great weapon to utilize. Furthermore, he has great base stats and two good skills in Critical +25 and Lethality which make him able to consistently kill enemies in one round.
All in all, while many units are competing for a spot in the endgame, Volke is there to fulfill his contract if the player wishes to do so as a filler combat unit.
Fire Emblem Heroes
- Man of Mysteries
- A man who makes his living as part of the criminal underworld, answering to no one. Also occasionally referred to as "fireman." Appears in Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance.
Base Stats
Rarity: ✯✯✯✯✯
 | Title | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Man of Mysteries | |||||
| Group | |||||
 Infantry | |||||
| Level | HP | Atk | Spd | Def | Res |
| 1 40 | 17/18/19 36/40/43 | 10/11/12 38/41/45 | 12/13/14 40/43/47 | 5/6/7 24/28/31 | 2/3/4 21/25/28 |
| Skills | Weapon | ||||
 Fireman's Hook New Moon |  Sword | ||||
Skills
| Type | Name | Prerequisite | Default | Unlocked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Iron Dagger | - | - | - |
| Steel Dagger | - | - | - | |
| Silver Dagger | - | - | - | |
| Fireman's Hook | - |  | - | |
 | New Moon | - | - | - |
| Luna | - | - | - | |
| Lethality | - | - | - | |
| A |  Death Blow 1 | - | - | |
 Sturdy Blow 1 | Death Blow 1 | - | ||
 Sturdy Blow 2 | Sturdy Blow 1 | - | ||
 Sturdy Impact | Sturdy Blow 2 | | ||
| B |  Null Follow-Up 1 | - | - | |
 Null Follow-Up 2 | Null Follow-Up 1 | - | ||
 Null Follow-Up 3 | Null Follow-Up 2 | - | ||
| C |  Time's Pulse 1 | - | - | |
 Time's Pulse 2 | Time's Pulse 1 | - | ||
 Time's Pulse 3 | Time's Pulse 2 | |
Overall
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|
Subjective: The following part of this article is based upon the editor's personal experiences and opinions, and therefore may not be applicable for all readers.
|
Base Set
Counters
Skill Inheritance
Meet Some of the Heroes
| Man of Mysteries Volke | |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Volke's a professional when it comes to working in the shadows—assassinations and espionage are his stock-in-trade, and he's got a reputation for his ability to solve difficult problems through not-entirely-legal means. In fact, he's put out so many fires, they call him "the Fireman"! | ||
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Cool and calculating, Volke handles his missions with consummate skill. Greil, the leader of the Greil Mercenaries, valued him highly both for his acumen and character. | ||
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In fact, Greil entrusted Volke with two vital requests. The first was that, should he die, Volke would watch over Ike's growth in his stead. And the second? Good question... | ||
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Ask for a "fireman" at a certain bar, and Volke will appear from the shadows. There's no doubt he can get the job done—just don't forget that his services come at a premium! | ||
| Closely Associated Characters | |||
| Greil | The first leader of the Greil Mercenaries. Father of Ike and Mist. Before his death, he made a contract with Volke. | ||
| Ike | A kindhearted but stoic young man who has taken command of his father's mercenary band. He forms a contract with Volke to succeed the contract Greil once made. | ||
Quotes
Path of Radiance
—Volke's death quote from Chapter 19 and before
—Volke's death quote from Chapter 20 and after
Radiant Dawn
Recruit Conversations
- Bastian: Ah, my partner in crime. How shall I convince you to move those leaden feet of yours into action? How much "convincing" will it cost?
- Volke: Three thousand.
- Bastian: I thought I was the jester. Considering your usual schedule of services, three thousand is negligible!
- Volke: I don't like that guy. Call it a personal discount. Do you want it or not?
- Bastian: Of course I shall take your discount! Do as you wish when you see him. Now get to work.
- Volke: Understood.
- Bastian: I almost pity old Izuka...
- Elincia: Excuse me... Volke?
- Volke: ...
- Elincia: Um... Sir Fireman?
- Volke: ...What is it?
- Elincia: You seem to have some time on your hands... Would you mind helping us?
- Volke: Three thousand.
- Elincia: Three thousand?
- Volke: ...That's what the job will cost you in gold.
- Elincia: Fine. I shall pay you that amount after the battle.
- Volke: Agreed. I await your order.
- Elincia: Thank you. And, if I may ask...
- Volke: What?
- Elincia: Why do you need so much money?
- Volke: One hundred thousand.
- Elincia: Excuse me?
- Volke: That's what it will cost you for me to answer that question. Are you prepared to pay?
- Elincia: ...No.
- Volke: Then let's get to work. What shall I do first?
Death Quote
—Volke's death quote
Heroes
Ending
- Man of Many Mysteries
- After finishing his contract, Volke went back to the shadows he knew so well. He was a man of mystery to the end.
Non-Canon Appearances
Fire Emblem Ø (Cipher)
Volke is illustrated in the trading card game Fire Emblem Cipher with the following cards:
Choose Your Legends Placement History
| Round | Placement | Character Version | Votes |
|---|
| CYL1 | 217 |  Radiant Dawn |
1,131 |
| 354 |  Path of Radiance |
501 | |
| CYL2 | 223 ↓6 |
Radiant Dawn |
1,094 ↓37 |
| 394 ↓40 |
Path of Radiance |
460 ↓41 | |
| CYL3 | 155 ↑68 (From highest) |
Path of Radiance Radiant Dawn |
1,677 ↑123 (From combined) |
| CYL4 | 145 ↑10 |
Radiant Dawn Path of Radiance |
1,079 ↓598 |
| CYL5 | 98 ↑47 |
Radiant Dawn Path of Radiance |
978 ↓101 |
| CYL6 | 285 ↓187 |
Radiant Dawn Path of Radiance |
289 ↓688 |
| CYL7 | 289 ↓4 |
Radiant Dawn Path of Radiance |
146 ↓143 |
| CYL8 | 283 ↑6 |
Radiant Dawn Path of Radiance |
167 ↑21 |
| CYL9 | 284 ↓1 |
Radiant Dawn Path of Radiance |
118 ↓49 |
Etymology
'Volke' is a mis-Romanization of his Japanese name 'Volker', which is a German name meaning 'Defender of the people' or 'The peoples guard'. It consists of the two German words 'Volk' meaning 'people', and 'Her' meaning 'army'. The name is most likely a reference to the deal he has with Greil, and later Ike, essentially protecting the people from the two should one of them go berserk because of Lehran's Medallion. Incidentally Volke keeps his Japanese name in the German versions of Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn.
Trivia
- Volke is the only character in Path of Radiance who can only support one other character (Bastian).
- Volke is one of the few units whose status screen portrait changes at some point of the game, a trait he shares with Marth, Alm, Celica, Ike, Sothe, Micaiah, Kris and Lucina. His change happens when he promotes at the end of Chapter 19 in Path of Radiance.
- Although Volke no longer has access to the Steal skill in Radiant Dawn, he still retains the ability to open chests and (presumably) doors without the usage of keys from Path of Radiance.
- Although it is not mentioned within Radiant Dawn, Volke still retains his unique trait of deducting 50 gold from the player's funds when performing any thieving action, much like in Path of Radiance. If the player has less than 50 gold when attempting to open a lock as Volke, an incomplete help text would appear in the English version, displayed as "dummy", rather than the "You need 50G to open the chest" text from Path of Radiance. This can be observed with the chest containing Matrona, the only chest that appears after Volke's join chapter.
- In Radiant Dawn, while Volke has no country affiliation given in the glossary, he himself is from Daein.
Gallery
- See main article: Volke/Gallery.