Fletcher

At some point before the White Lions arrive in Burga, Fletcher disappears from the Lambent Arrow and is presumed dead. In reality, Fletcher deserted the company and joined the Burgan army after seeing what he considered a better opportunity. He quickly takes a liking to the comforts his new position provides, particularly the thermal hot springs, regular meals, and mountain scenery, and shows little desire to return to his former life with the Lambent Arrow. 

Saoirse eventually discovers Fletcher alive during Chapter 15C: Rising Ember and is furious to learn that he abandoned Lambent Arrow after swearing an oath to the company. Fletcher attempts to soften his desertion by describing himself as "opportunistic" rather than a deserter and tries to convince Saoirse to simply look the other way. Instead, Saoirse gives him an ultimatum: rejoin her or die for breaking his oath. After unsuccessfully trying to argue his way out of both options, Fletcher reluctantly agrees to accompany her and joins the White Lions. 

Recruitment

To recruit Fletcher, Saoirse must survive Chapter 14 and the player must choose “Take the mountain trail” as the route into Burga. This unlocks Route C. 

Fletcher appears on Turn 6 in Chapter 15C. Saoirse must speak to Fletcher to recruit him. Fletcher is missable if he is not recruited before the chapter ends or if he is defeated in battle. 

If Route C is not taken, Fletcher may instead appear in Chapter 18x: Two for the Road. If he appears, Fletcher is trapped inside a room and can be recruited by stepping on the button that frees him. See the Chapter 18x guide for details on the conditions required for Fletcher to appear. 

Unit Data

Unit Analysis

Fletcher is a growth-oriented Lance Knight who requires some investment before his strengths become apparent. He joins at Level 6 with fairly modest Power and Speed, leaving him unlikely to double many enemies or deal particularly impressive damage when first recruited. His bases are still sufficient to avoid being doubled by most enemies around his recruitment, while his Optic Lance provides a useful way to secure kills as he develops. When recruited in Chapter 15C, Fletcher has enough time to overcome his modest start and develop into a considerably stronger unit; however, his alternate recruitment in Chapter 18x makes that investment much more difficult to justify. 

Fletcher's growths are unusual for a physical cavalry unit. His excellent Speed allows him to become much faster as he gains levels, while his Power and Dexterity develop well enough to support his offense. His most distinctive attribute is Resistance, which is an exceptional 50% growth that makes him unusually comfortable confronting enemy magic. Conversely, Fletcher's poor Defense and mediocre HP prevent him from becoming a conventional physical tank. As a result, he eventually becomes much better at confronting magical threats than absorbing sustained physical damage.

Fletcher can promote into either Silver Knight or Bolt Knight, with Bolt Knight generally offering the greater long-term payoff. Silver Knight provides bows and improves his physical capabilities, but Bolt Knight better capitalizes on Fletcher's unusual stat distribution by adding Thunder magic to his toolkit. The biggest drawback is that Fletcher begins with only a D rank in Thunder, which requires additional investment after promotion before he can access stronger tomes. Bolt Knight also introduces a weakness to Wind magic, which complicates his otherwise excellent matchup against enemy mages. 

Fletcher's investment pays off particularly well toward the endgame. A properly developed Bolt Knight Fletcher can become one of the game's strongest Thunder users, with the potential to wield powerful late-game tomes such as Thoron and Rexbolt. Fletcher consequently scales much better than his modest initial performance might suggest and can remain a strong offensive contributor through the final chapters.

Overall, Fletcher is a high-investment, high-ceiling unit whose unimpressive beginning can be misleading. His poor physical durability and slow start prevent him from being an effortless addition to the army, but Bolt Knight gives him a combination of magical offense, physical weapon access, and mounted mobility that few characters can replicate. Once fully developed, Fletcher can attack whichever defensive stat is more favorable and remains well equipped for the game's endgame. He takes time to reach that point, but Fletcher rewards players willing to put more effort into him than he would ever willingly put into himself.