What are your favorite games?
I am a long time Fire Emblem fan, I've been playing for roughly about 16 years. My biggest favorite is probably Fire Emblem: Blazing Blade due large in part to it being my first. It has my personal favorite cast of characters and some of the most memorable supports, and despite some complaints I find its plot engaging and interesting, a good beginner's game as far as older titles go. It's got better map design and character stat distribution than Binding Blade, but it's also not as easy to cheese as Sacred Stones (though these games are also great in their own right).
However, I'm also a huge, huge fan of the Archanea games overall. Shadow Dragon I feel is honestly an underrated gem, and Marth is a very interesting lord with subtle nuance that a lot of people overlook. He's more than just a sweetie pie Disney prince, he's deeply motivated, steadfast and puts the needs of his kingdom above all else. It's intriguing watching him struggle between his childhood naivete and the reality of war. New Mystery of the Emblem in turn is a fantastic sequel and fixes many issues that Shadow Dragon had. The new support system breathes new life into classic characters, the class system is still flexible and fun, I personally like Kris as an avatar character, and Hardin is a great and sympathetic villain.
Though I really want to say, Path of Radiance is, to me personally, the best written Fire Emblem game. The world building regarding class and races is so concise and compelling, the cast of characters widely varies in motivations and their character growth is satisfying, Ike as a lord is 100% the most compelling, the battle system has a lot of interesting quirks and details to keep track of such as biorhythm and height that keep battles engaging... I can go on and on and on. Path of Radiance is a superb game and a must-play for any Fire Emblem fan, old or new. It's just such a shame that it's so hard to obtain.
Honorable mention goes to Genealogy of the Holy War. I've come to just adore Jugdral games. Genealogy is definitely flawed and its plot plays out like a soap opera, but honestly, that's part of why it's so so so great. I love it as a people drama; generation 1 is the story of well-intentioned but short sighted young adults who are being manipulated by something bigger than themselves, and generation 2 is about their children dealing with the fallout of their parents' mistakes and dismantling the Loptr Cult once and for all despite all odds. Its cast is lovable, and as the game with the first marriage system, the pair options are interesting and thoroughly thought out and deliberate (unlike modern FE and their "everyone can marry anyone" approach which... frankly waters down relationships greatly, not a fan), and it's definitely unique within the franchise. I have my gripes with how it plays, such as the massive map design (it's a love it or hate it thing) and how cavalry focused it is, but Genealogy is fascinating and also something I feel Fire Emblem fans of all spades should check out if they haven't already. Especially new fans who got into Fire Emblem through Three Houses. Three Houses was directly influenced by Genealogy of the Holy War, like an art house spiritual successor.
Who is your favorite character?
I can't possibly choose just one, I just can't. However, I'm incredibly fond of Marth, Jamke, Shannan, Legault, Linus, Oscar, Soren and recently Caspar, in particular. Every game has its stand outs.
I've written entire essays on Marth and I could honestly do the same for all of my favorites, I'm very passionate, hahah.