Commanding Officers of Advance Wars

Advance Wars has 11 Commanding Officers (COs), only three of which the player can control throughout the Campaign section of the game, with the exclusion of The Final Battle!, where the player is able to control 3 of 8 COs depending on how the campaign is completed.

Commanding Officers

Orange Star

• Nell is the first CO the player controls, during the Field Training section of the game. The player, who acts as the Advisor throughout Advance Wars, was taught the basics by Nell in the initial Orange Star versus Blue Moon skirmishes.
• Andy is the first CO controlled in the main Campaign mode, and with no strengths or weaknesses, is ideal as a starting CO.
• Max is the direct-attack specialist, who first appears in Mission 4–Max Strikes!.
• Sami, the Infantry specialist, is the last Orange Star CO to appear in the story, and she is introduced in Mission 8–Sami's Debut!.

Blue Moon

• Olaf is first introduced during Field Training, as Nell's opposite number.
• Grit, the indirect unit specialist, is the final of just two Blue Moon COs. He is introduced in Mission 2–Gunfighter!

Yellow Comet

• Kanbei, the emperor of Yellow Comet, benefits from all units being significantly stronger as standard, however each unit costs 20% more to produce. He is introduced in mission 9, Kanbei Arrives!
• Kanbei's daughter, Sonja, finalizes the roster for Yellow Comet, and while seemingly young, she's a very intelligent, logical CO. She is introduced in Mission 10–Mighty Kanbei!, though is first fought in Mission 12–Divide and Conquer!

Green Earth

• Eagle, the head of the Air Force, first appears in Mission 3–Air Ace!.
• Drake, a naval specialist, appears in Mission 15–Captain Drake!.

Black Hole

• Sturm is the sole Black Hole CO in Advance Wars, finally arriving in Mission 20, Enigma!.