Fire Emblem Three House Character Design

The Class of 1180 ^note First row (L-R): Marianne, Dedue, Lorenz, Raphael, Bernadetta; Second row: Leonie, Dimitri, Ignatz, Felix; Third row: Caspar, Hilda, Female Byleth, Ingrid, Sylvain; Fourth row: Mercedes, Male Byleth, Dorothea; Fifth row: Annette, Petra, Hubert; Sixth row: Linhardt, Claude, Edelgard; Seventh row: Ashe, Lysithea, Ferdinand. Not pictured: Flayn, the Ashen Wolves.

This page details the characters of Fire Emblem: Three Houses.

Due to the Loads and Loads of Characters spread out among multiple factions among the game's various routes, this character page is split into multiple sections.

Main Characters:
- Byleth
- Edelgard
- Dimitri
- Claude
- Rhea
Houses:
- The Black Eagles ^note (Hubert, Petra, Linhardt, Dorothea, Caspar, Ferdinand, and Bernadetta)
- The Blue Lions ^note (Dedue, Sylvain, Ingrid, Felix, Mercedes, Annette, and Ashe)
- The Golden Deer ^note (Hilda, Raphael, Leonie, Ignatz, Lysithea, Marianne, and Lorenz)
Garreg Mach Factions:
- The Ashen Wolves ^note (Yuri, Balthus, Hapi, and Constance)
- The Church of Seiros ^note (Seteth, Flayn, Aelfric, Sitri, Jeralt, Catherine, Alois, Gilbert, and Shamir)
- Officers Academy Instructors and Staff ^note (Manuela, Hanneman, Jeritza, Tomas, Cyril)
Other:
- Historical Figures ^note (Nemesis, Seiros, Ten Elites (Blaiddyd, Riegan, Lamine, Goneril, Charon, Fraldarius, Gloucester, Dominic, Gautier, Daphnel), Four Saints (Cethleann, Cichol, Indech, Macuil), Four Apostles (Noa, Chevalier, Timotheos, Aubin), Wilhelm I, Loog)
- Antagonists ^note (Flame Emperor, Death Knight, Kostas, Metodey, Thales, Solon, Kronya, Myson, Chilon, Bias, Pittacus, Odesse)

The Three Houses in General

The houses of the Officers Academy are each made up of students from one of three nations in Fódlan. They are the titular protagonist groups of the game. As a teacher, the player gets to choose one of them to lead and instruct.

Animal Motifs: Each house is represented by an animal that has particular symbolic or mythological meaning to either the church or the respective nation: Eagle, Lion, and Deer. The Church of Seiros is represented by a white dragon while the Abyss is represented by a wolf via their own House.
- The Black Eagles are inspired by the twin-headed eagle that serves as their nation's coat of arms, and the black armor their soldiers wear.
- The Blue Lions owe their name to their founding king, Loog, who was known as the King of Lions and had a penchant for the color blue.
- The Golden Deer are coined from creatures of the same name that are said to have been sacred protectors of the Leicester region since ancient times.
- The Church of Seiros is represented on their banner by the white dragon known as the Immaculate One, said to have been sent by the goddess herself to assist Seiros.
- The Ashen Wolves are named for creatures said to guard the goddess' home, the star Sirius, the name specifically having been given to them by Rhea.
Aristocrat Team: Each house is primarily composed of royal and noble youths from their respective countries.
Color-Coded for Your Convenience: Each of the factions, as with the nations they represent, is associated with a color:
- Black Eagles/Adrestian Empire: Red
- Blue Lions/Holy Kingdom of Faerghus: Blue
- Golden Deer/Leicester Alliance: Yellow
- Church of Seiros/Knight of Seiros: Silver and Purple, but the leadership is associated with Green
- Resistance Army: Gray and Red
- Those who slither in the dark/Nemesis and his Liberation Army: Black
- Ashen Wolves/Abyss: Silver and Purple
Dysfunction Junction: A majority of the characters have issues which are apparent in higher Support levels. Parental Abuse, being saddled with the responsibilities expected of Crest-bearers, victim of dark experiments resulting in shortened lifespans... Some even take Undying Loyalty to disturbing extremes, like Hubert executing his own father as part of Edelgard's purge, assassinating people Edelgard spared, etc., or Catherine burning down all of Fhirdiad under Rhea's orders on the Crimson Flower route despite her own misgivings about the idea. The list goes on.
Gender-Equal Ensemble:
- All the houses have an even amount of students in both genders (with the exception of the Blue Lions, which is predominately male ^* while all three Houses have three girls, three boys, the House Leader, and the leader's retainer, Dimitri and Dedue are both male). This also includes the freely recruitable characters of the Church of Seiros ^note Gilbert and Jeritza are not freely recruitable, even if the player sides with Edelgard, as Seteth, Cyril, Catherine, and Flayn are not available on Crimson Flower.
- Freely recruitable students are also this way, with three females and three males that can be taken from their native houses into another house ^note Hilda cannot be recruited to the Black Eagles until after the player has missed or passed up on the opportunity to betray the Church, making her (and the Golden Deer by proxy) an exception.
Geodesic Cast: The three main classes are organized with a general similarity, although there are a few outliers and role overlaps.
- In terms of their roles and gameplay in general, the three houses are consisted of: a house leader, a retainer, a healer, an offensive spellcaster, a warrior, an archer, a tank, a flier, and a cavalier or two.
  - Edelgard, Dimitri, and Claude are house leaders, having major story importance and being one of the most powerful units. All three also have access to the exclusive Lord class.
  - Hubert, Dedue, and to a lesser extent Hilda are retainers, incredibly loyal to the house leader and unable to be recruited to other houses ^note Hilda can be recruited to the Azure Moon and Silver Snow routes but not Crimson Flower. They also parallel each other's roles in their scenes on their respective routes.
  - Linhardt, Mercedes, and Marianne are healers, excelling at Faith magic and having access to the long-range healing spell Physic. Their default class is the priest line.
  - Dorothea, Annette, and Lysithea are offensive spellcasters, excelling in Reason magic and have access to numerous offensive black and/or dark magic spells. Their default class is the mage line.
  - Bernadetta, Ashe, and Ignatz are archers, excelling in Bow. Their default class is the archer line. All three also tend to be socially awkward among people, fitting their roles of fighting away from the front lines.
  - Ferdinand/Petra, Sylvain/Ingrid, and Lorenz/Leonie all excel as mounted units. Ferdinand, Sylvain, Lorenz, and Leonie all default into the cavalry class line, one of Petra's default classes is Wyvern Rider, and Ingrid's default class is Pegasus Knight. The male main cavalry units—Ferdinand, Sylvain, and Lorenz—also serve as Jack-of-All-Stats outside of being mounted units; they have no exceptionally good stats but no exceptionally poor ones and many skill strengths but few—if any—weaknesses which means they can fill nearly any role in the party if need be. The female secondary mounted units—Petra, Ingrid, and Leonie—also have a similarity in that they are nimble speedsters with high dodge and speed stats, and as such all three are able to easily dodge attacks and deal double hits.
  - Petra, Ingrid, and Claude are the fliers, with strength in Flying and affinity for a flying class (or in Claude's case, an automatic promotion)
  - Edelgard/Ferdinand, Dedue, and Raphael are the tanks, having very high Defence and HP growths, and affinity for heavy armour (or in Edelgard's case, an automatic promotion).
  - Caspar, Felix, and Raphael are the infantry physical combatants, having excellent offensive stats, though their defenses and speed vary greatly between them (Felix has the best speed but the worst defenses, Raphael has the best defenses but the worst speed, and Caspar strikes a middle ground). All three also have a hobby of training their combat prowess, as well as having an affinity in Brawl, while conversely starting with a weakness in Reason ^note Felix can flip his weakness to a strength after unlocking his budding talent, allowing him to fufill the role of a Magic Knight.
- In terms of characterization:
  - Ferdinand, Felix, and Lorenz are all the sons of high-ranking nobles within their respective nations, and act as a rival to Edelgard, Dimitri, and Claude, respectively. On their respective routes, they challenge their leader to better themselves.
  - Dorothea, Sylvain, and Lorenz are the designated "flirt" of their respective houses. Dorothea and Lorenz are actively looking for a spouse for their respective goals and as a result flirt with almost everyone, while Sylvain is—as described by Dimitri— a "skirt chaser".
  - Petra, Dedue, and Claude are the outsiders. All three have distinctive appearance compared to the rest of their house members and have experienced discrimination due to it in one way or another.
  - Bernadetta and Marianne are the resident Shrinking Violets of their houses, being socially awkward and tending to avoid conversing or socializing with others if they can get away with it.
  - Dorothea, Ashe, and Leonie are students who come from poor backgrounds, pursuing an education at the Officer's Academy to better themselves and their stations in life: Dorothea, by finding someone wealthy to settle down with; Ashe, by becoming a knight; and Leonie, by following in Jeralt's footsteps as a mercenary.
  - Caspar, Felix, and Raphael are the major Blood Knights of their houses, the ones most ready to throw down and fight as a first option.
  - Linhardt, Annette, and Lysithea are the magic masters of their respective houses, the students who study magic the most and excel at it.
  - Lindhardt and Hilda are Brilliant, but Lazy: both are noted for excelling when they put their minds to their task, but often choose not to (Lindhardt prefers to sleep while Hilda suffers from an inferiority complex to her big brother).
  - Claude and Linhardt are historians, curious about the nature of things like crests and the church's history. The Blue Lions, who don't have such a character, also have the route with the least information on the setting.
Guys Smash, Girls Shoot:
- In regards to magic, the majority of spellcasters are females, with only Linhardt and Hubert being "canonical" male mages (Sylvain and Lorenz can make good magic knights, but their "canonical" class is Paladin which cannot use magic). Which kinda hurts the use of Dark Mages/Bishops in the base game, as these classes are male-only. DLC rectifies this by adding four magic wielding classes, two unisex and two female-only.
- Inverted in regards to bows- of the four "canon" archers among students, three (Claude, Ashe, and Ignatz) are boys, with Bernadetta being the only girl.
Team Title: Because of the game being known outside of Japan as Three Houses and its setting, the houses are the focus of the story and gameplay.

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The Three Nations of Fódlan

The Adrestian Empire

In General

The oldest and largest nation in all of Fódlan, encompassing the southern part of the continent. Founded 1000 years ago by Seiros and Emperor Wilhelm I during the War of Heroes, the Adrestian Empire has been ruled by the same dynasty for its entire existence. Over time, various territories seceded from the Empire, forming both the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus and the Leicester Alliance. Despite its power having waned over the millennium, the Empire still has the largest army and most land on the continent. Adrestian students at the Officers Academy are members of the Black Eagles.

Animal Motifs: The eagle as it is both the Empire's coat of arms and the name of the house for students from Adrestia.
Ambition Is Evil: At the start of the story, the Adrestian Empire is by far the most corrupt territory on the continent. The Empire's nobility are very ambitious in their desire for wealth, status and power. This will often lead them to make outright villainous decisions to get what they want, regardless of who they betray, hurt or kill.
Aristocrats Are Evil: The Prime Minister and some of the other Imperial ministers stripped the Emperor of power in a soft coup and enforced their own laws on the Adrestian Empire. Several of them are implied or outright stated to be corrupt and power-hungry, particularly Duke Aegir (who heavily abused the people of Hrym during his regency and approved the horrific Crest experiments Edelgard underwent).
An Axe to Grind: Imperial non-magic combatants are often seen wielding axes, such as Ladislava, Edelgard and Caspar.
Black Market: Adrestia's capital has one, which serves as the centerpiece for Balthus and Hapi's paralogue.
The Coup: Nine years before the story, the current Adrestian Emperor Ionius IX was a victim of one by seven noble houses after he attempted to push reforms that would consolidate all the power to his position, which came to be known as the Insurrection of the Seven. By the time the plot begins, he's nothing more than a Puppet King, leaving the de facto ruler of the nation the Prime Minister.
The Cycle of Empires: By the time of the game's plot, Adrestia sits firmly in Phase 3, having lost multiple territories over the years while also having a corrupt bureaucracy obsessed with Crests where the Emperor and their lineage have little to no actual power.
Dark Is Evil: The Empire is primarily associated with the colors black and red. Not only is it by far the most corrupt territory at the start of Part I, in all non-Crimson Flower routes, Edelgard declares war on the rest of Fódlan, making the Empire the primary antagonist faction.
Dark Is Not Evil: On the Crimson Flower route. Thanks to Byleth's influence, Edelgard tones down her more extreme actions and becomes more merciful towards her enemies, including being more accepting of those who still worship the Goddess. While she still makes morally questionable decisions, she is more willing to resolve things peacefully rather than through violence.
Decapitated Army: On non-Crimson Flower routes, Edelgard's death marks the end of the war and forces Adrestia's military to surrender towards the victorious faction.
Elective Monarchy: A variant of an Elective Monarchy is Edelgard's plan for the Empire long term should she win, planning to have the throne be for "the most well suited" individual rather than just for the Hresvelg dynasty, with Edelgard even willing to pass over her own children should they not be qualified.
The Empire: Once had dominion over the entirety of Fódlan, and still controls the southern half and at least one vassal state.
Empire with a Dark Secret: Unbeknownst to the general populace, after the Insurrection of the Seven took place and Lord Arundel came back from the Kingdom, the heirs to the imperial throne were captured and experimented upon with the stated intention of infusing them with a Major Crest (as opposed to the Minor Crests some of them already had) to create a "perfect emperor", a process which led to the deaths of almost all of them. It's heavily implied this happened as a result of those who slither in the dark capitalizing on the Insurrection to replace some of the imperial staff with their own agents to further their own goals, with one of the victims being none other than Lord Arundel himself. For them, the purpose of providing the means and resources for the experiments was not to make a perfect emperor, but to create an ultimate weapon against the Church of Seiros and the remaining Children of the Goddess. Their greatest success was Edelgard, who they used Sothis' blood (referring to her as the "defiled beast") on to make her into the second person since Nemesis to bear the Crest of Flames.
Faction Calculus: Powerhouse. The empire primarily relies on hard-hitting magic-users and armored knights to overwhelm the enemy.
Fantasy Counterpart Culture: It's a mixture of Austria and the Eastern Roman Empire.
- The German-sounding names, the black eagle and the color red of their associated house both call to mind the House of Habsburg, which ruled over the Austrian Empire. Unlike the Holy Roman Empire which was more a confederacy of states, the Adrestian Empire is an authoritarian Empire. Their political situation even sort of mirrors the later Austrian Empire at the dawn of WW1, having had many parts of it break off and becoming independent but the Empire being militaristic and inclined towards reconquering lost lands.
- Like the Eastern Roman Empire, Adrestia is an empire in decline. It once controlled most of the continent before losing many of its former territories. Despite this, it still remains a powerful nation culturally and militarily. Its architecture even resembles that of Italy and Rome and it borrows the Eastern Roman double-headed eagle as part of its heraldry.
Fatal Flaw: Arrogance and Pride. Adrestians believe themselves to be the wealthiest and most powerful nation in Fódlan, and the continent's rightful rulers. Because of their hubris, there is much discord among the ministers and they outright refuse to let go of their pride for any reason. This makes the Empire tragically easy to manipulate, and to goad into war under these pretenses against nations they don't see as legitimate. In non-Crimson Flower routes, this eventually leads to the nation losing their leadership and ending up fairly damaged as a result.
Fighter, Mage, Thief: Mage. Adrestia relies heavily on its mages in its military.
Geodesic Cast: As most of the Black Eagles ^note with the exception of Petra and Dorothea are children of prominent nobles, most of the important figures in the Empire have a counterpart in the Black Eagles class that helps inform their character and place in the empire. Duke Aegir's superseding the Emperor is a dark parallel to his son's attempt to constantly challenge Edelgard, for example.
Greed: A grave flaw of the Empire is their ruling class's insatiable desire for power and wealth. Compared to the other two nations' nobility, those of Adrestia appear to most value the status that comes with a Crest in the family over any practical uses it may have. Many Imperial nobles are only concerned about their own status and will do whatever it takes to advance themselves or gain power.
Leitmotif: "The Leader's Path" plays during scenes related to the Empire.
Meaningful Name: Adrestia was the name of a Greek goddess of revolt and equilibrium between good and evil. Edelgard revolts against both the corrupt government that stole her nation from her and later against the Church of Seiros in the hopes of creating a better world.
Pride: The Empire's Fatal Flaw. They believe they're the strongest and wealthiest of the three nations, which makes them look down on the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus and the Leicester Alliance. This can also cause problems as stated by Linhardt in his C-Support with Dorothea. He points out that his father, the Minister of Domestic Affairs, and Caspar's father, the Minister of Military Affairs, don't get along, yet they value each other greatly. However, because of Count Hevring's pride, he refuses to make amends with Count Bergliez. This leads to discord between civil ministers and military officers.
The Purge: Upon taking power, Edelgard and Hubert conduct one on the corrupt nobility and those who oppose them. The lucky ones, such as Count Varley, are simply stripped of their titles and placed under house arrest. The unlucky ones, such as Marquis Vestra, are killed outright. Some, such as Count Bergliez are allowed to join the army as generals during the timeskip.
Red Is Heroic: Red is a national color in the Adrestian Empire, shown by the Imperial banner and the red cape Edelgard wears during the Academy phase. On the Crimson Flower route, it's played straight as they re-unify the land and defeat the "false goddess" Rhea while refraining from more questionable actions.
Red Is Violent: On non-Crimson Flower routes, the Adrestian Empire often serves as the main or a major antagonist, and red is their primary color.
Resurgent Empire: On the Crimson Flower route, the empire successfully unifies Fódlan once again by conquering Faerghus and the Leicester Alliance, restoring it to its original size.
Secret Police: House Vestra's role in the Empire is described as such. Some of their tasks include protecting the imperial lineage and dealing with the Empire's "most unsavory duties" while acting from the shadows.
Unwitting Pawn: Played with in particular once Part II rolls around. While "those who slither in the dark" are manipulating the territory to accomplish their own goals, the same can be said of the Empire as they take advantage of their allies' resources and troops to further theirs. Moreover, not only does Edelgard plan to dispose of them once the war is over (and she actually does wipe them out on Crimson Flower and allows Byleth to do the same on Silver Snow and Verdant Wind), "those who slither in the dark" are also fully dependent on the Empire's support and success to achieve their agenda.
Vestigial Empire: Downplayed. While Adrestia is nowhere near the peak of its power like it once was, it's still the most powerful force on the continent. And should Byleth side with Edelgard and the Black Eagles, "vestigial" goes right out the window.

The Brigid Archipelago

An archipelago off Fódlan's west coast. They serve the Adrestian Empire as a vassal state.

Born Under the Sail: Petra mentions they have a rather strong sailing tradition, fitting for an island nation.
Fantasy Counterpart Culture: It shows aspects of various Native American cultures and the Kingdom of Hawaii, though their names and attire are distinctly Celtic.

Duke Aegir

Duke Ludwig von Aegir

Voiced by: Daisuke Endou (Japanese), Doug Stone (English)

The prime minister of the Adrestian Empire and the father of Ferdinand. He masterminded the Insurrection of the Seven and stripped Emperor Ionius IX of much of his power.

Alas, Poor Villain: The former duke is killed by the people of Hrym who blamed him for their current hardships, since he was the ruler who initially taxed them harshly. Though Lysithea, who's from House Ordelia and knows the history of Hrym and Ordelia, has reason to hate him, she remarks that it really wasn't his fault this time, as he hasn't been in charge of Hrym for several years, and feels his murder wasn't deserved.
Asshole Victim: While he can be killed because of something that wasn't his fault this time, the fact that he's a corrupt Evil Chancellor who masterminded the Crest experimentation that gave Edelgard her second Crest and killed or crippled the rest of her siblings can make it hard to feel sorry for him.
Bald of Evil: He's noticeably losing hair, and he's corrupt.
The Dog Bites Back: After the insurrection, Duke Aegir was put in charge of Hrym, and he levied brutally heavy taxes and fines on the people, more than that of his own territory. Once he was stripped of his power, Arundel took his place. A group of rogues from Hrym found Aegir traveling alone in the forest. Blaming him for their misery, they killed him and stole his belongings.
Deal with the Devil: His alliance with Lord Arundel during the backstory and Part I very much counts as this. While the deal in question is never directly stated, evidence points out Duke Aegir facilitated those who slither in the dark's infiltration into the Empire and their Crests experiments in exchange of producing a Super Soldier that could be used as a puppet emperor to take over Fódlan.
Evil Chancellor: He led a conspiracy of nobles to seize power for themselves, leaving the emperor their puppet. According to Edelgard, he also masterminded and approved the Crest experimentation that infused her with a second Crest and ended up killing/crippling the rest of her siblings, which was possible thanks to the Duke's connections with those who slither in the dark.
Fat Bastard: He has a noticeable gut, and he's counted amongst the corrupt nobility.
Fatal Flaw: Greed. Duke Aegir's greed and corrupt lust for power led him to lead the Insurrection of the Seven and becoming the de facto ruler of the Adrestian Empire. He also heavily taxed the people of Hrym territory at the start of his rule and forcing grave hardships on them. This allowed Lord Arundel to take charge of Hrym during Duke Aegir's imprisonment and forced even harder burdens on the people of Hrym in his name. Because of Duke Aegir's well-known corruption and evil, this caused the people of Hrym to blame him for pushing them to the brink and killing him.
Killed Offscreen: He dies during the timeskip if Ferdinand isn't in your party in non-Crimson Flower routes.
Know When to Fold 'Em: When Edelgard is made Emperor and places Duke Aegir under house arrest as one of her first decrees, he briefly tries to argue before backing down, realizing that he's not dealing with a feeble old man anymore but someone with every reason and ability to have him killed.
Like Father, Unlike Son: Duke Aegir is pretty much the exact kind of noble Ferdinand despises, and is likely the reason why Ferdinand tries to act as a proper noble. In fact, though Ferdinand is not happy about Edelgard deposing his father, he will still readily admit that the man was indeed greedy and arrogant.
Locked Out of the Loop: Ferdinand's comments about his father in Chapter 11 and the Duke's reaction towards Edelgard's coronation in Enbarr all but state Duke Aegir was kept in the dark about Edelgard and Hubert's movements in the Empire and their dealings with both "those who slither in the dark" and other fellow members of the Insurrection.
Minor Major Character: Despite the Duke's actions casting a huge shadow over many events of the story, it can be striking to find out he only appears onscreen in only two scenes in the whole game (with both being easily missable, and the other being exclusive to Black Eagles).
Misplaced Retribution: Played with. He did in fact harshly tax the citizens of Hrym, far more so than those of his home territory, to the point of causing droves of people to attempt to flee to Ordelia in desperation. After he lost his noble title, he's imprisoned in Enbarr for years while Lord Arundel took charge of Hrym. Arundel imposed even heavier taxes on the people, and they're conscripted for war as well (with brutal repercussions for the slightest hint of defiance) — this Arundel did in the name of Aegir, stoking the people's fury and directing it at Aegir. When the former duke finally escapes imprisonment, rioters at Hrym kill him. As Lysithea explains, he was by no means a great ruler, but he was not the villain this time.
Named by the Adaptation: He's only referred to as "Duke Aegir" or "Prime Minister" with no first name given aloud in Three Houses, but Heroes gives him the name "Ludwig".
Unwitting Pawn: Ultimately, the main beneficiary of his conspiracy was Lord Arundel/Thales, who used the opportunity to amass power and conduct experiments on the imperial family. Indeed, Arundel openly turns against him the moment Edelgard takes the throne.
Visionary Villain: If Edelgard's choice of words and comments about him are any indication, the reason Duke Aegir approved the experiment "those who slither in the dark" performed on herself and her family was because of the prospect of having a "peerless emperor" that could be used to rule Fódlan.
What Happened to the Mouse?: On the Crimson Flower route the paralogue in which he dies never occurs, because since Ferdinand remained loyal to the Empire, he assumed the leadership position of his territory rather than it being passed to Lord Arundel. What happens to Duke Aegir never gets revealed, but in many of Ferdinand's endings he officially earns the title of Prime Minister so Duke Aegir either remained imprisoned or at the very least was stripped of his titles and power.

Lord Arundel

Lord Volkhard von Arundel

Class: Dark Knight

Voiced by: Masaki Terasoma (Japanese), Christopher Corey Smith (English; credited as Chris Smith)

Edelgard's uncle and regent of the empire. While he was initially just a noble from a small house, he rose to prominence after his sister married Emperor Ionius IX.

And There Was Much Rejoicing: On the Azure Moon route, after he meets his demise at the hands of the Kingdom army, Hubert calls it "a drop of joy amid a pool of sorrow".
Big Bad: According to Hubert, he's the leader of "those who slither in the dark" as not only have Solon and Kronya once served him, but he is also in control of the group's troops. Since it's heavily implied he's actually Thales, this makes sense.
Big Bad Duumvirate: On the Azure Moon route, he shares the role of main villain with Edelgard. While he's more malevolent and is directly responsible for most of the tragedies in both her and Dimitri's backstories, she is more prominent and personal of an antagonist, eventually becoming the Final Boss. Azure Moon is also the only route where their alliance doesn't implode one way or the other.
Character Death: While it is ultimately left ambiguous, it is noted on the Azure Moon route that Arundel was a very generous donor to the Church of Seiros up until a few years before the game started (specifically, right before he returned to the Empire with Edelgard), so it is heavily implied the real Arundel was disposed of and replaced by Thales at that point. As for the man we see during the story, he either dies during the invasion of Derdriu in the Azure Moon route, is implied to be taken down alongside those who slither in the dark in the Crimson Flower route, or dies under his true identity on the Verdant Wind and Silver Snow routes as Shambhala collapses over him.
Cool Uncle:
- Played straight in the past. Edelgard's supports with Manuela reveals he once took her to the Mittelfrank Opera Company to watch Manuela's performance, and according to Dimitri's supports with Hapi, Lord Arundel went to great lengths during the Insurrection of the Seven in order to ensure Edelgard's safety, taking her out of the Empire and even hiding her presence in the Kingdom just so she couldn't be turned into a political pawn.
- Unfortunately averted hard in the present. By the time you meet him, he's become a callous sociopath who clearly has no actual love for Edelgard and merely sees her as a tool. That's because Arundel is almost certainly long dead.
Defiant to the End: On the Azure Moon route, once he's at Dimitri's mercy and the latter demands him the truth about her stepmother's involvement with the Tragedy of Duscur, Arundel chooses to spite him and carry the secret to his grave.
Arundel: You are not qualified to look into the darkness.
Didn't Think This Through: On Crimson Flower, in response to Edelgard and the Black Eagle Strike Force killing Cornelia, he has those who slither in the dark use a "javelin of light" to destroy Arianrhod so he can Make an Example of Them. In doing so though, he instead strengthens Edelgard's hatred for him and his allies, and thanks to this, it's implied that Hubert, like he does on Silver Snow and Verdant Wind, is able to trace it back to their base. His act of petty vengeance ends up leading to the loss of their last bastion.
Dragon-in-Chief: Arundel takes a bigger role in the Imperial Army during Azure Moon after Edelgard is badly wounded at the Gronder Field bloodbath and is forced to step back during her recovery. He personally leads the attack on Deirdru, the only instance in the entire game where he can be seen on the battlefield. At least under this guise.
Early-Bird Cameo: He makes a brief appearance after the end of Chapter 4 while speaking to the Flame Emperor, revealing he was using the Western Church as pawns, before he's introduced properly later in the story on the Azure Moon and Crimson Flower routes.
Evil Uncle: He's Edelgard's uncle and Dimitri's step-uncle, who experiments on and kills the siblings of the former and tries to kill the latter. However, he is heavily implied to be a subversion since the man the player knows as Arundel is indicated to be a disguised Thales, who murdered and replaced the original Arundel.
Face Death with Dignity: On the Azure Moon route, where he finds the light he longed for in death.
Faux Affably Evil: In Hubert's Paralogue, Arundel remains polite throughout and asks for "help" in dealing with some Demonic Beasts that went out of "those who slither in the dark's" control, and even allows Hubert and Byleth to take the "Arrow of Indra" as a gift for their work in saving the mages caught up in the chaos. Hubert, however, makes it abundantly clear Arundel was using the incident as a means of demonstrating "those who slither in the dark"'s power with even the "gift" being a prototype magical lance nearly as powerful as a Hero's Relic yet capable of being wielded by anyone. Arundel is also significantly less polite if some of the mages end up dying, even saying he "expected too much" of Byleth and Hubert.
Fake King: It's implied Thales replaced Arundel just so he could abuse the regent's position in the Empire, allowing him to join the Insurrection of the Seven and thus the ability to experiment on Edelgard and her siblings. On non-Crimson Flower routes, after the timeskip he also imposes heavy taxes and brutal conscription practices on the Hrym territory under Duke Aegir's name after the latter is put in house arrest and stripped of all his titles and territories.
Fantastic Racism: On the Crimson Flower route, he is downright jubilant at the prospect of Rhea's death and humanity's supremacy.
Foreshadowing: There are various hints scattered through the game that he is not what he seems. Specifically, that the Lord Arundel seen in the present is actually Thales impersonating him:
- During his meeting with the Flame Emperor, Arundel calls Nemesis a "thief" in front of his associate, which puzzles the Flame Emperor as there are no official records of Nemesis being described as such, and the way he speaks of Nemesis' "King of Liberation" title hints at an odd sort of knowing amusement.
- In non-Crimson Flower routes, when Edelgard requests backup from her uncle, in the following cutscene Thales shows up instead of Arundel.
- In Crimson Flower, not only is he referred to as the boss of "those who slither in the dark" (as is considered as such by Hubert), he also happens to be absolutely delighted over the idea of humanity being freed from a "false beast of a goddess".
- If you're a Blue Lion, Sothis drives attention to the fact he suddenly stopped donating to the church for some time ago, suggesting that it could've been due to him perishing, which is seemingly disproven a few chapters later when he's shown talking to Dimitri in the flesh. Also, in Azure Moon proper, no javelins of light are ever deployed in the story compared to the other routes, and the path also happens to be the only one where Arundel is slain under that identity.
- Lastly, many characters mention how his personality and behavior feels off as he changed quite suddenly at some point (much as is said about Cornelia and Monica), which played a huge factor in Edelgard acquiring trust issues as he suddenly brought her back into Enbarr to experiment on her and her siblings.
Guyliner: He sports some subtle eyeliner beneath his eyes.
Interface Spoiler: Averted. Unlike Cornelia, who has Agarthan Technology as her personal skill, Arundel has the Commander skill instead. Moreover, his spell list when fought in Azure Moon ^note Hades Ω and Thoron is wildly different compared to when he's fought as Thales on the Verdant Wind and Silver Snow routes ^note Death Γ and Quake Σ .
Karmic Death: On the Azure Moon route he is killed by Dimitri's army, the man who lost his family in the Tragedy of Duscur which Arundel helped orchestrate. The kicker is that Dimitri never finds out who was responsible for it, so he avenges his family without even knowing it.
Kill and Replace:
- Implied. His shared voice actors with Thales and sudden shift in personality in Imperial Year 1174 indicate that the real Arundel was most likely murdered and subsequently replaced with the former.
- Hapi and Dimitri's support has Dimitri speculate he had no idea what was going on with his sister just as Dimitri and Lambert knew nothing about Edelgard, implying that Cornelia had a hand in killing and replacing him.
Manipulative Bastard: Instigated the Tragedy of Duscur via his underling Cornelia and Edelgard's mother.
My Name Is ???: How Lord Arundel's name is displayed during his first appearance.
Pre-Mortem One-Liner:
"Do not oppose me!"
"I control your fate!"
"Perish!"
"Time to take your leave!"
Removed Achilles' Heel: He has the Cavalry Effect Null skill, which removes the weakness his class usually has towards anti-cavalry weapons.
Speak Ill of the Dead: On the Azure Moon route, Arundel indirectly calls Cornelia an idiot once he realizes she failed to keep the Kingdom under her thumb since Dimitri and his allies have come to Claude's aid. In a similar vein, should Dimitri fight him, Arundel will claim he has become just like his father: a savage.
Sugary Malice: On the Crimson Flower route, after the battle at Arianrhod, he politely talks to Edelgard the way one would expect a lord to speak to his empress, but the underlining sentiment behind his words makes it clear he sees the death of his underling Cornelia as a betrayal and that he will exact penance. True to his word, Hubert almost immediately comes running after this declaration to reveal Arianrhod has been destroyed entirely by "those who slither in the dark"'s "javelins of light."
Turns Red: Lord Arundel's magic stat receives a huge boost once he's low on health thanks to his Defiant Magic skill.
The Unreveal: Downplayed as far his true identity is concerned. While it's never spelled out outright in-game, there are a lot of hints scattered across the four routes that the Lord Arundel we see during the story is actually Thales in disguise.
Unskilled, but Strong: Arundel's spells have low accuracy and he even lacks the Reason skill, yet the damage they can deal are nothing to scoff at.
The Usurper: According to Hubert, it was Lord Arundel who spirited Edelgard off to Faerghus as a child and later, with the aid of Prime Minister Aegir and Hubert's father rendered Ionius politically impotent.
Visionary Villain: Shows shades of this on the Crimson Flower route. Right before the Final Battle, he suggests Edelgard that once the war is over, she could try seeking a future where the Empire is in control of the whole world. Edelgard herself shoots down that idea, as she is only interested in ruling Fódlan.
Weapon for Intimidation: On the Crimson Flower route he has the fortress city of Arianrhod destroyed and a good portion of the Imperial army stationed there slain by the "javelins of light" to try and put Edelgard in her place for killing Cornelia. This only motivates Edelgard, Hubert and Byleth even further to give him and his group what's coming to them.
What Happened to the Mouse?: In the Silver Snow and Verdant Wind routes, he makes no other appearances after Chapter 4. Ultimately subverted, given it's heavily implied he still reappears in the story later, but under his true identity instead.
Wolf in Sheep's Clothing: His real identity is Thales, the leader of "those who slither in the dark," himself.
You Remind Me of X: Hubert in his B-Support with Byleth mentions that he senses something similar about them to Arundel, specifically that they have a "second self" they are in constant dialogue with. This doesn't bode well since Hubert hates Arundel.

Count Bergliez

The Minister of Military Affairs and Caspar's father.

The Dreaded: Caspar is terrified of his father, and if opposing him worries that his army can't possibly win if Count Bergliez takes the field. Justified when, before the invasion of Enbarr, Caspar reveals that over the course of the war the Empire has won every battle in which Count Bergliez was present.
A Father to His Men: On Verdant Wind and Silver Snow, after the conquest of Enbarr, he apparently gives up his life so that his men would be spared.
Four-Star Badass: At least according to Caspar.
The Ghost: He never appears onscreen.
Heroic Sacrifice: On Verdant Wind and Silver Snow, Count Bergliez sacrifices himself to save the lives of his men.
Interservice Rivalry: He and Count Hevring, the latter of whom is the Minister of Domestic Affairs, can't stand each other.
Karma Houdini Warranty: He participated in the Insurrection of the Seven, which ultimately lead to the war being started. The war that ended up with him dead years later. That said, he also always survives The Purge of corrupt nobles following Edelgard's ascension, and is granted important command positions, suggesting he earned his pardon.
The Unfought: He's never actually faced on any of the routes that feature the Empire as an enemy.

Fleche

Fleche von Bergliez

Voiced by: Yui Nakajima (Japanese), Eden Riegel (English)

The younger sister of Randolph and aunt of Caspar. She accompanies her brother as he aids the Empire.

Alas, Poor Villain: On the Azure Moon route, after Byleth mortally wounds her to prevent her from killing Dimitri, she dies crying for her already-dead brother, begging him to save her.
Anti-Villain: Just like her brother Randolph, she's technically considered a villain outside of the Crimson Flower route because she is with the Adrestian Empire, opposing the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus/Leicester Alliance/Church of Seiros. On the Azure Moon route, she tries to kill Dimitri and Rodrigue dies taking the blow, but she does it to avenge the death of her brother.
Avenging the Villain: While Randolph isn't exactly evil (though he is a sworn loyal enemy commander with, ahem, more than a few lives taken by him), she hates and tries to murder Dimitri in response to his death.
Big Brother Worship: She's shown to have quite the high opinion of Randolph. Her attempt at avenging him on the Azure Moon path most certainly came from a place of love.
Broken Bird:
- She's ordinarily a Nice Girl; however, on the Azure Moon path she can't stand how Randolph met his end and plots to kill Dimitri once he drops his guard.
- Averted on the Crimson Flower route where she handles her brother's death better. She's sad, but she doesn't wish to seek revenge, likely because she witnessed his death of battle wounds rather than believing he was tortured to death.
Death by Irony: On the Azure Moon route, she tries to kill whom she thinks murdered her beloved brother, but she gets struck down by the person who was actually responsible. Granted, Dimitri planned to torture Randolph to death, while Byleth's action was a Mercy Kill.
Irony: It's strongly implied on Azure Moon that she acts as she does based on the belief her brother was tortured before Dimitri killed him. Not only does Dimitri never get the chance, Byleth does the deed to spare him. Fleche ends up being similar to Dimitri in misplacing their target of revenge due to lacking key details.
Mum Looks Like a Sister: Well, aunt, but she visibly looks much younger than her nephew Caspar. She could easily be mistaken for Caspar's little sister, especially considering she's only encountered after the timeskip. Makes sense when you factor that she and Randolph are half-siblings to Caspar's father; their mother implicitly had a May–December Romance with the previous Count Bergliez. Adding further credence to this is Fleche and Randolph's father retiring due to poor health and their elder half-brother succeeding him, despite Fleche and Randolph being (or so their mother believed) his favoured children to inherit the Bergliez title.
Nightmare Face: She sports an absolutely deranged snarl as she attacks Dimitri and rants at him for murdering her brother.
Revenge: Attempts to avenge Randolph on the Azure Moon route, stabbing Dimitri before being struck down. Rodrigue's death and last words from her assassination attempt causes him to realize the pain he's caused and start the path of atonement.
Small Role, Big Impact: Her most prominent appearance is on Azure Moon, where her actions indirectly set the final quarter of the plot, as it were, into motion.
You Monster!: On the Azure Moon route, she snarls that Dimitri is a monster after swearing that she'll never forgive him for Randolph's death, right before she attempts to stab him in the back.

Duke Gerth

Class: Mage

The leader of House Gerth, one of the six great Houses of the empire, and a member of the Insurrection. His duties involving overseeing all Foreign Affairs. Appears in the Paralogue "The Cursed Relic".

I Owe You My Life: He gives Constance the Hero's Relic he obtained from Dagda after the war, all to honor her parents who are implied to have saved him during the war with Dagda and Brigid.
Irony: He risks his life to reclaim the Hero's Relic he got from Dagda, only to happily give it up to Constance who spoke badly of his family at the start of the Paralogue.
The Last of These Is Not Like the Others: He's the only leader of one of the Empire's great houses who does not have a child attending the academy.
Pet the Dog: Petra is grateful towards him even as an enemy for ensuring she was spared and allowed to live. Him siding with Edelgard is the only thing that makes her conflicted about opposing the Empire.
Well-Intentioned Extremist: Gerth is portrayed as a man who puts his duty and loyalty to the Empire above nearly everything, making his part in the Insurrection to be implied due to believing that Ionius' actions threatened the stability of the Empire. Notably, his House isolated itself from the others afterwards, choosing to perform his duties and not much else, and even then, in Constance and Yuri's paralogue it's shown he's willing to turn a blind eye to it if it means fulfilling a debt.

Emperor Ionius IX

Voiced by: Kouichi Souma (Japanese), Paul St. Peter (English)

Edelgard's father and the current ruler of the empire. However, his prime has long since passed, leaving him but a shadow of his former self wracked with age and illness.

Abdicate the Throne: Just before the Time Skip, he abdicates his throne in favor of Edelgard, believing that she will be a more capable monarch than he was.
Adult Fear: He confesses this regarding the experimentation done on Edelgard and her siblings. The Insurrection of the Seven, which reduced him to a mere figurehead, left him powerless to help his children, and he was horrified by what happened to them.
The Casanova: Downplayed. According to Edelgard, out of necessity and need for heirs, he had a bevy of lovers despite being married. He fathered a total of eleven children during his reign, though only Edelgard survived.
Creepy Shadowed Undereyes: They highlight his age and illness.
First Love: Also doubles as Love at First Sight. Meeting Edelgard at the Goddess Tower will reveal that her mother, Anselma (a.k.a. Patricia, Dimitri's stepmother), was this for him. Ionius was a student of the Officers Academy before becoming Emperor and when he was crowned after graduation, he married for political reasons. One day, he visited the monastery and snuck up the Goddess Tower out of nostalgia. There, he met Anselma, who had just enrolled, and the pair fell in love immediately. Immediately afterward however, Edelgard admits that's how the "story" goes, suggesting it could just be Imperial propaganda and that despite the chance it isn't the truth, she wants to believe her parents were indeed in love with each other.
Good Parents: There are plenty of signs that he truly loves Edelgard, and he expresses regret at how he could do nothing to help her when she was experimented on with the rest of her siblings and how she was taken to the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus. The fact that Edelgard bears no grudge against him further cements this, though as shown by the Cindered Shadows DLC, she does at least think he could have done more.
Incurable Cough of Death: His speech is peppered with coughs, showing just how weak he's become.
Killed Offscreen: After abdicating and passing on his throne to Edelgard, he is not seen again. Given that he was already half-dead from illness at that time, it should come as no surprise when Edelgard mentions near the end of the story that he died quite a while ago, as she reflects on all the tragic events that have shaped her life.
Edelgard: Everything that's happened... it's all just part of the ebb and flow of history. The Tragedy of Duscur, our days at the academy, Father's death, and the five years you were gone... After all of that, at long last, we're here at this point in time. I hope you'll stay by my side until the very end.
King on His Deathbed: Given his constant coughing and the weariness in his voice, it is evident that he is not long for this world.
Puppet King: What he's been reduced to as a result of his age, illness, and the machinations of the corrupt nobility, all of which have left him too weak to effectively fight policies he doesn't agree with. However, it is still he alone who has the ability to crown his successor as Emperor, which he grants Edelgard when she comes to him for it.
Small Role, Big Impact:
- The man appears in only one scene on the Black Eagles route, and an optional one at that. In spite of this, the events of this scene canonically happen in all routes, and it forever alters the entire course of the continent.
- His powermongering also resulted in the Insurrection of the Seven, which in turn led to those who slither in the dark gaining influence over the Empire, and thus being able to experiment on Edelgard. As such, the central plot of the game is partially a result of his actions.
Soap Opera Disease: He's practically on his deathbed when encountered in the Black Eagles route, though the reasons for his poor health are never disclosed.
Strong Empire, Shriveled Emperor: Adrestia may be a Vestigial Empire in the current day, but it's still the most powerful nation in Fódlan. Ionius himself, by contrast, is an old man wracked with illness and reduced to a Puppet King by several traitorous nobles, and he hates it for what his weakness cost his children and sole surviving heir Edelgard.
Well-Intentioned Extremist: Possibly downplayed. Besides gathering all the power of the other noble houses for himself, in the Japanese version of Hubert and Hanneman's C-Support, the latter mentions how Ionius also wanted to dissolve the privileges of the consort kin (as in, his multiple wives), which is suggested to have been the reason Anselma ended up exiled from the Empire despite the rumors claiming she was the one he loved the most and providing him a child with a Minor Crest of Seiros.

Ladislava

Class: Cavalier → Wyvern Rider → Wyvern Lord

Voiced by: Noriko Namiki (Japanese), Katelyn Gault (English)

A soldier of the Adrestian Empire, and leader of Edelgard's personal guard.

A Hero to His Hometown: She's rather popular amongst the citizens of the empire, who see her as a war hero.
Anti-Villain: Even outside of the Crimson Flower route, Ladislava is not what you would call evil, as she's an honorable woman well-loved among the Empire's citizens as a hero, only being considered a villain because she's participating in a war of conquest.
Contractual Boss Immunity: Ladislava's personal skill is General, which grants immunity to instant death and reduces damage caused by gambits.
Dragon Rider: She's a powerful Wyvern Rider, although oddly she's a Cavalier in her Guest-Star Party Member appearance on the Crimson Flower route during the battle of Garreg Mach.
Killed Offscreen: According to Randolph, she meets her end during the Church's attempt to recapture Garreg Mach on the Crimson Flower route.
Kryptonite-Proof Suit: On routes other than Crimson Flower, she has the Aurora Shield by Part II, which nullifies any Flying weakness she might have unless it's stolen from her.
Humble Hero: Despite her abilities, she doesn't boast about them, which makes her rather relatable to citizens.
Lightning Bruiser: She's reasonably fast and is quite bulky on the physical side.
Mauve Shirt: On the Crimson Flower route, she's basically a high-ranking mook with her own face and personality.
Pre-Mortem One-Liner:
"For the Empire!"
"For Her Majesty!"
"Prepare to die!"
"I'll break you!"
Rank Up: Post-timeskip on the Crimson Flower route, she's gone from head of Edelgard's personal guard to a general in the army. Of course, this means she's no longer capable of protecting Edelgard herself and thus she entrusts that role to Byleth.
Recurring Element: Sort of. She is what happens when you take one half of the Wyvern Duo, being the red-colored wyvern rider girl that was pioneered by Minerva, except not making her recruitable at all (even when you're siding with her) like 'sympathetic female enemy generals' like Ishtar.
Red Baron: She's called the "Scarlet Warrior."
Supporting Leader: On the Crimson Flower route, she takes care of important logistical concerns in running the Adrestian army that Byleth can't (such as maintaining order in recently occupied territories).

Baron Ochs

Class: Trickster → Forlorn Beast

The father of Monica. He is the head of an Imperial noble family that has fallen on hard times since the death of the previous family head. Appears in the DLC Paralogue "Black Market Scheme".

All for Nothing: His attempts to free his daughter are meaningless since, by the time the paralogue featuring him becomes available, Byleth has already freed Monica. It's eventually revealed that the rescued "Monica" is an imposter and the real Monica is long dead, so he never had a chance of saving her to begin with.
Anti-Villain: He's simply a desperate man trying to save his daughter. He only comes into conflict with Balthus because Ochs needs the Vajra-Mushti to save his daughter.
Bonus Boss: Appears in Balthus and Hapi's paralogue, where he is attempting to sell the Vajra-Mushti in order to get his missing daughter back.
Degraded Boss: The Demonic Beast he transforms into during the second phase of his fight reappears later in the story as a normal monster enemy for specific chapters.
Dying as Yourself: After being mortally wounded as the Forlorn Beast, he spits out some last words in his human form before perishing.
I Have Your Wife: He's trying to sell the replica Heroes' Relic Vajra-Mushti to Monica's kidnappers in return for her safety.
One-Winged Angel: After being defeated, he attempts to use the Vajra-Mushti but turns into a demonic beast due to his lack of a crest. The party has no choice but to put him out of his misery.
Outliving One's Offspring: His daughter is almost certainly dead, having been murdered so that Kronya could infiltrate the Officer's Academy.
Papa Wolf: Isn't afraid to attack the freaking heir apparent of his homeland if it means that he can save his daughter.
Poor Communication Kills: He might have been able to survive the paralogue if he had just told the heroes why he needed Vajra-Mushti; Edelgard even demands he explain himself if they fight, but he just brushes her off.
Unwitting Pawn: Those who slither in the dark were manipulating him into giving them the Vajra-Mushti in return for releasing Monica, a hostage that they already killed.
You Are Too Late: His goal is to get the Vajra-Mushti to save his daughter, who's already long dead.

Randolph

Randolph von Bergliez

Class: Warrior

Voiced by: Jun Konno (Japanese), Ben Pronsky (English)

The uncle of Caspar and older brother to Fleche.

Ain't Too Proud to Beg: In the Azure Moon route when Dimitri has him dead-to-rights, Randolph drops any confidence and pride as he pleads Dimitri to be let go so he can be with his family. Dimitri isn't convinced, throwing Randolph's pleas back into his face and pointing out that he's destroyed plenty of families by acting as Edelgard's attack dog during her bloody coup and following war.
Anti-Villain: Even outside of the Crimson Flower route, Randolph is not what you would call evil, only being considered a villain because he is with the Adrestian Empire, and actively participating in a war of conquest. This is somewhat Deconstructed on the Azure Moon route, as Dimitri points out that he's still killed countless people in battle.
Big Brother Instinct: He keeps Fleche from joining him in battle, especially on the Azure Moon route, where he fears the "One-eyed man" (Dimitri), who is infamous for brutally killing soldiers.
Big Eater: Never actually seen first hand, but in the Crimson Flower route a smitten NPC you can talk to after the mission in Derdriu actually mentions that Randolph has quite the appetite.
Break the Haughty: At the receiving end of a Breaking Speech in a combination of Armor-Piercing Question, a "Not So Different" Remark, and These Hands Have Killed by Dimitri to which he tries to deny, but Dimitri refutes his responses because they're in a war while shooting down his excuses.
Contractual Boss Immunity: Randolph's personal skill is General, which grants immunity to instant death and reduces damage caused by gambits.
Deconstructed Character Archetype: On the Azure Moon route only, of the Noble Top Enforcer antagonists often seen in Fire Emblem. While he fights for sympathetic reasons, his honour-bound tendencies end up being his downfall, and Dimitri makes a solid point that trying to claim the moral high ground in war doesn't make one any less of a killer.
Randolph: This... this is war. I did what I had to; for the Empire... for my people... for my family.
Dimitri: So, you are piling up corpses for the people and your family. And I'm doing the same for the salvation of the dead. After all is said and done, we are both murderers, both stained... both monsters.
Fatal Flaw: His Hot-Blooded nature and glory seeking tendencies prove to be this, as in every route except the Crimson Flower route, during the defense of Garreg Mach from Imperial forces, one of Byleth's allies (Seteth in Silver Snow, Gilbert in Azure Moon or Claude in Verdant Wind) taunts him, intending to trick him into marching his soldiers headfirst into a fire trap. In every route where this crops up, Randolph is so incensed by the taunting that he sends his men forward, right into said trap.
Glass Cannon: His attacks carry a ton of weight but his lackluster defenses mean it won't take much to take him down.
Glory Seeker: Seeks glory for the sake of his family and little sister.
Heroic Sacrifice: On the Crimson Flower route, he dies of his wounds from defending Garreg Mach from the Church's surprise attack.
Hot-Blooded: He's not too far off from his nephew Caspar in this department. Fleche is constantly worried about him because of it.
In Spite of a Nail: No matter what route you pick, he ultimately dies in an attempt to retake Garreg Mach Monastery from Byleth and their allies. The differences are: whether he's one of the defenders (on Crimson Flower), the head of the attackers who then lives to be threatened with torture before being put out of his misery (on Azure Moon), or the head of the attackers who dies right after being defeated (on Verdant Wind and Silver Snow).
Mauve Shirt: On the Crimson Flower route, he's basically a high-ranking mook with his own face and personality.
Mercy Kill: On the Azure Moon route, after he is defeated and captured by the Blue Lions, Dimitri contemplates how he is going to torture him, either by forcing Randolph to watch his comrades be killed one by one before him or by simply gouging his eyes out. To spare him, Byleth steps in and quickly executes Randolph before Dimitri is able to do either of these things.
Moral Myopia: When he begs to be able to return to his family, Dimitri calls him on having this — noting he must have, directly or otherwise, ended the lives of many who want the same thing. Randolph's only retort is to claim that a monster like Dimitri could not understand love, which backfires as he's subjected to a vicious Breaking Speech that evidently shakes Randolph to his core.
Parental Favoritism: His father, the previous Count Bergliez and Caspar's grandfather, favored his second wife, Randolph's mother, and she hoped that Randolph would succeed him to the earldom, despite the previous count having an older son from his first marriage, Caspar's father and Randolph's half-brother. Ultimately, Caspar's father inherited the countdom after the previous count was forced to retire early on account of poor health.
Pre-Mortem One-Liner:
"I won't fail!"
"I'll show you!"
"I'll protect my family!"
"I'll do what I must!"
Sadistic Choice: Upon being captured after the battle for Garreg Mach, he's given a choice either to watch his subordinates killed one by one or to have his eyes ripped out. At that point Byleth steps in to give him a third option.
Straight for the Commander: In non-Crimson Flower routes, he'll attempt to invoke this trope at one point during his second appearance by charging right towards Byleth as a last resort.
Supporting Leader: On the Crimson Flower route, he takes care of important logistical concerns in running the Adrestian army that Byleth can't (such as keeping the monastery secure when Byleth and co. are on the front lines).
Tall, Dark, and Handsome: The same NPC that points that he's a Big Eater? Also mentions that he's quite the eye candy and it's made clear that she prefers his traditional Hunk looks to Hubert's Eerie Pale-Skinned Brunette looks.

Count Varley

The Minister of Religious Affairs and Bernadetta's father.

Abusive Parents: He treated his daughter abominably, such as tying her to a chair in order to mold her into an obedient wife, and prohibiting her from befriending commoners. Some of Bernadetta's behavior implies he may have been physically abusive.
The Ghost: He never appears onscreen. However, his house is allegedly behind the reinforcements Enbarr receives during the final stage of the Azure Moon route.
Greed: His daughter mentions his obsession with money, and he only sees her as bait for a rich husband.
Hate Sink: He's perhaps one of the most despicable characters in the game who isn't part of "those who slither in the dark".
Irony: Count Varley is the Minister of Religious Affairs (which would imply that he has some decency), yet he is by far one of the most hated characters in the game because of his severe mistreatment of Bernadetta.
Jerkass Has a Point: While keeping Bernadetta from having friends (especially if they were a commoner) is no doubt cruel, Yuri reveals to her that she was frequently a target for assassination due to the power her family's house had. If Yuri hadn't hesitated, she would've been killed by her childhood commoner friend.
Laser-Guided Karma:
- Count Varley's abuse of his daughter resulted in her becoming a reclusive shut-in. After Edelgard takes the throne, he's forced into house arrest.
- Count Varley's goal was to marry Bernadetta off to Ferdinand to improve House Varley's status. If Bernadetta ends up with Ferdinand, she renounces her claim to House Varley, meaning that Count Varley gets what he wants, but doesn't benefit in the slightest.
- The abuse he afflicted on her, causing her extreme shut-in nature, led to rumors about her (that she was a scary shut-in princess who made cursed dolls) that caused Ferdinand to beg his parents not to engage them as he was terrified of her, as revealed in their A+ support. His treatment of his daughter actually made her appear less marriageable.
- It's entirely possible to never have Bernadetta marry. If this is done, she becomes one of the Varley territory's greatest leaders, and her father doesn't get a cent.
- Even in the Crimson Flower route, no matter who Bernadetta marries, her father doesn't benefit at all, because he's under permanent house arrest. He's forced to become a shut-in like his daughter, and like the Emperor he stripped power from.
Offscreen Villainy: All of his abusive treatment of Bernadetta is confined to her backstory, and the audience never meets him in person.
Papa Wolf: Had an ambiguous moment of parental fury in Bernadetta's backstory. When Yuri was hired to kill her by other nobles, he hesitated since he valued his friendship with her. This hesitation allowed the Count to find him in her daughter's room and beat him to within an inch of his life, but not enough to kill him. It's unclear whether he was genuinely concerned for his daughter's safety or was simply "protecting the merchandise". Either way, he never explained his actions to his daughter, which permanently terrified her out of trying to be friends with other people, especially commoners like Dorothea.
Parental Neglect: According to Bernadetta, by the time she hit her teens Count Varley "calmed down" from his previous abuse and now simply ignores her existence most of the time and treats her like a disappointment the few times he does interact with her. Bernadetta considers this infinitely preferable, and it's hinted he stopped the abuse only because he now considers her a lost cause to marry off.

Marquis Vestra

Hubert's father.

Ambiguous Situation: Why exactly did he betray the Emperor despite his House's loyalty? Hubert doesn't care for the answer and despises him for it regardless of reasoning, but Hanneman states that the Marquis Vestra he knew wasn't the type who desired power for personal gain and believes he did it for Hubert's sake.
Archnemesis Dad: He is Hubert's, though it seems to be one-sided as far as the Marquis is concerned. Hubert hates him for taking part in the Insurrection of the Seven, viewing it as a betrayal of House Vestra's loyalty to the emperor, and more saliently, for personally abducting Edelgard. As such, he has no problem with having him killed as part of Edelgard's purge of the corrupt nobility following her ascension.
Bodyguard Betrayal: As House Vestra had always served as the main protectors of the imperial line, his decision to side with the Insurrection against Ionius was effectively this.
Hoist by His Own Petard: He raised Hubert to be unwaveringly loyal and protective of Edelgard; which may have been a mistake considering he was involved with the torturous experiments inflicted on her by the Agarthans. Hubert takes proxy revenge for Edelgard by having the man executed.
The Ghost: While his influence on the backstory is immense, he never makes a direct appearance.
Killed Offscreen: He is among the nobles subjected to The Purge following Edelgard's ascent to power. It's implied he could have been taken prisoner and simply put under house arrest like Varley and Aegir, but Hubert had him killed to ensure he couldn't become a problem and partly because It's Personal.
Like Father, Like Son: When Hanneman offers the possibility that Vestra's betrayal of Ionius was motivated in part by a love for Hubert, Hubert's response is that if that's the case, then his own betrayal of his father was motivated in part by his love for Edelgard and he's just following in his footsteps.

The Holy Kingdom of Faerghus

In General

Located in the northern part of Fódlan, the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus was founded by Loog I, King of Lions in Imperial Year 751 after the War of the Eagle and Lion. Due to the harsh cold of the continent's frigid north, Faerghus is a highly disciplined kingdom that values chivalry and its knights above all else. Students from Faerghus are placed in the Blue Lions.

Animal Motifs: Lions. Students at the Officers' Academy from the Kingdom are assigned to the Blue Lions and the founding king of Faerghus, King Loog, earned the nickname the "King of Lions".
Blade on a Stick: The preferred weapon of choice for most Kingdom warriors is the lance. It's reinforced by the fact that most Heroes' Relics from the Kingdom are lances, including Areadbhar, the Lance of Ruin and Lúin.
Blind Obedience: One of the Kingdom's gravest flaws is their promotion of knights blindly following their master's orders. To make it worse, some people romanticize Blind Obedience and portray it as the equivalent of being an honorable knight. Felix criticizes this heavily and is one of the major reasons why he hates chivalry and knighthood.
Blue Is Heroic: Blue is a predominant color in Faerghus due to the founding king, Loog, being known for wearing clothes of the same color. The house for Faerghus students in the Officers' Academy is the Blue Lions and Kingdom soldiers are shown to wear blue in their armor. Depending on which route you take can ultimately avert this, especially since the Kingdom has committed actions that can't be considered heroic. It's played straight in Azure Moon thanks to Dimitri regaining his sanity and changing Faerghus for the better.
Decapitated Army: On the Crimson Flower route, despite Dimitri's death, this situation is averted, as Faerghus' military and populace then rally behind Rhea and the knights of Seiros instead, due to the country's long-standing support for the church.
Deconstructed Character Archetype: Of The Good Kingdom comprised of Knights In Shining Armor. While the people of Faerghus may view themselves as a righteous and honorable people, some of their actions are far from such. This includes the Tragedy of Duscur, Lonato's rebellion, the actions of the Western Church, and some Kingdom nobles aiding in killing King Lambert. Because of their immense reverence for honor, knighthood and chivalry, most of them are often blind to when they don't act nobly. This causes them to fall into self-righteous hypocrisy, promote blind obedience and act on nothing but zealotry to destroy their enemies.
Faction Calculus: Balanced. Faerghus's knights rely less on raw power or numbers, preferring to balance out their forces.
False Flag Operation: A large portion of Faerghus' population holds prejudice toward the people of Duscur and treat them with suspicion or worse. Relations had been bad for some time already, but they completely fell apart when King Lambert and many Kingdom officials and soldiers with him were horribly slaughtered during a diplomatic mission to Duscur. This assassination was pinned on the people of Duscur and came to be known as the Tragedy of Duscur. In truth the assassination was a high level conspiracy by certain Kingdom nobles who opposed Lambert's reforms, said conspiracy also being enabled/planned by "those who slither in the dark" agents and taking advantage of the pre-existing prejudices toward Duscur to make them the scapegoats and sow instability in the Kingdom (the Tragedy inciting a series of bloody rebellions, bandit proliferation, and overall chaos that also drove a deeper wedge between the Western and Central Church). Said prejudices meant most in the Kingdom did not question that Duscur was to blame, despite the things that did not add up about it. As Sylvain notes, the people of Duscur logically lacked the power and numbers needed to so completely slaughter the king's elite forces, and it's implied they also lacked motive due to how Lambert was a reformist who sympathized with the people of Duscur, and therefore should have been the last person they would want to kill. Prince Dimitri's own testimony was ignored despite being the sole available witness and adamantly testifying that the people who attacked were not of Duscur. The resulting punishment/retaliation was the mass-killing of the Duscur population and the destruction of their land, the survivors losing all rights to govern their homeland.
Fantasy Counterpart Culture: France and England. The Kingdom's treatment of knights and chivalry parallels how real-world France and England treated theirs. The lion, which is an important animal in Faerghus, is also the symbol of England. Its Grim Up North traits and names also give it some elements to the Holy Roman Empire or Germany (particularly to Adrestia's Austria) and Russia. There's also major Celtic influences as well, shown by some of the names used.
- Faerghus (name of the Kingdom). Faerghus is a variation of the name, Fergus, an Irish, Scottish and Manx name meaning "man strength".
- Blaiddyd (surname of the Royal Family). Blaiddyd is Welsh for "Wolf Lord" and the name of a legendary Brittonic king who promoted the use of necromancy.
- Fhirdiad (Capital of Faerghus). Fhirdiad is a variation of the Irish Ferdiad, the foster brother of Cúchulainn from the Ulster Cycle.
- Arianrhod (A fortified fortress in Faerghus, also called the Silver Maiden). Arianrhod is a figure from Welsh mythology.
- Areadbhar (The Hero's Relic of House Blaiddyd). Aréadbhar was a spear in Irish mythology wielded by the hero, Lugh. It translates to "Slaughterer".
Fatal Flaw: Their Knight Templar tendencies. The people of Faerghus tend to view themselves as righteous, acting on nothing but zealotry to destroy those who disagree with them and falling straight into self-righteous hypocrisy, whether it be the Western Church, the Tragedy of Duscur, Lonato's rebellion, or the Dukedom. Notably, they are usually blind to it and don't recognize when they aren't acting nobly, unlike Dimitri who even at his worst is wracked with guilt over what he's become or on Crimson Flower, where it's the desperation of being forced into a corner, with their loved ones, nation, and king on the line, that leads to the soldiers turning themselves into demonic beasts (even knowing what Dimitri would have to do even if they defeated the empire).
Fighter, Mage, Thief: Fighter. The kingdom's military is disciplined and has a sense of chivalry instilled in them.
God-Emperor: After Dimitri is slain by Edelgard on the Crimson Flower route, Rhea seizes leadership of Faerghus and becomes this to the kingdom.
The Good Kingdom: It's a holy kingdom full of knights in shining armor. Its exact relationship with this trope varies depending on the route.
- On the Azure Moon route, it's played completely straight. After Dimitri recovers from his Sanity Slippage and the Rightful King Returns, you are cast as the heroic kingdom trying to stop a power-hungry warlord from conquering the world.
- On the Silver Snow and Verdant Wind routes, it's subverted. The Kingdom is beaten down into a puppet state, the rightful prince is utterly Ax-Crazy and gets himself killed with little fanfare, and it's ultimately up to either La Résistance or The Alliance to save the world.
- On the Crimson Flower route, it's zigzagged. The Kingdom is basically well-intentioned and is fighting against a war of conquest, making them a Hero Antagonist, but they continue to oppose you on behalf of the Church even after Rhea goes fully Ax-Crazy and burns Fhirdiad to the ground in order to kill you.
Grim Up North: Downplayed. Faerghus is able to sustain a functioning kingdom with little issues, but the cold environment forced them to adapt and made them vulnerable to sieges. This is stated by Dimitri in Crimson Flower after the fall of Arianrhod and the deaths of Rodrigue, Felix and Ingrid (if the last two aren't recruited). Dimitri says that if the Empire lays siege to Fhirdiad, then the Kingdom's defeat would be inevitable.
Honor Before Reason: The Kingdom populace values honor and chivalry above all else. Because of this, they are determined to do whatever they believe to be honorable to the point where it can lead to self-destructive obsession or self-righteous hypocrisy. Their zealotry leads to their destruction on the Silver Snow and Verdant Wind routes because they blindly follow Dimitri to Enbarr, despite the fact that he's become violently insane and only cares about killing Edelgard. Likewise, on Crimson Flower, when Dimitri falls in the Tailtean battle, the remaining Kingdom commanders join and support their other supreme authority, Rhea, even going along with her obviously insane order to torch their own capital city and last stronghold.
Hufflepuff House: On the Silver Snow and Verdant Wind routes, the Kingdom gets the least amount of focus of any of the three nations in Part II. The closest you get to visiting Faerghus is Chapter 15, which takes place on the Kingdom/Alliance border, and you only fight Kingdom forces in that chapter (against defectors to the Empire) and the Battle at Gronder on Verdant Wind, after which they are permanently removed from the war due to Dimitri's death.
Hypocrite: The Holy Kingdom of Faerghus could undoubtedly be seen as the most self-righteous and hypocritical of the three nations. They believe themselves a righteous and honorable people, yet they've used their zealotry and beliefs to justify morally reprehensible actions.
- After King Lambert's death, the people of Faerghus immediately blamed the Duscur populace (with no legitimate proof) for his death and slaughtered them to near extinction. While King Lambert's death was a tragedy, the Faerghus army slaughtered men, women, children and elderly when they destroyed Duscur. Because they did it to avenge their king, it's justice in their eyes instead of a genocidal massacre. Hardly the actions of a "chivalrous and honorable" people.
- The Western Church has been plotting to kill Rhea and take control of the Church of Seiros because they believe themselves to be the true disciples of the Goddess. However, while they accuse the Central Church of being irredeemably corrupt and wicked, they use their beliefs to justify their extremist actions. This includes attempting to assassinate Rhea on several occasions, manipulating others (most notably Lonato and Christophe) for their own agendas and raising rebellions. Though they blame the Knights of Seiros for the Tragedy of Duscur, the Western Church advocates for the extreme separation of class, race and culture. During Ashe's paralogue, the Western Bishop hypocritically claims they didn't use Lonato and instead helped him. Ashe is clearly infuriated by this and calls the Bishop out.
  Western Bishop: All we did was provide Lonato salvation from his misery!
  Ashe: Salvation!? You used him and threw him away!
- Lonato also falls under this from his rebellion. Though he was right that Christophe was executed under false circumstances, Christophe still knowingly tried to help the Western Church assassinate Rhea due to being easily swayed by their arguments. To avenge his son, he started a rebellion that involved innocent people both as militia and destroying those who opposed him. Despite the lives he endangered, Lonato believed that he was on the side of righteousness when in reality, he was acting out of rage and grief. This made it tragically easy for the Western Church to manipulate him just as they did his son.
- In Azure Moon, it's revealed that Viscount Kleiman, a noble who betrayed Faerghus and sided with Edelgard, was involved in the Tragedy of Duscur. When Dimitri, Byleth and Gilbert question Kleiman's servant, he explains that the Viscount thought King Lambert's reforms were dangerous and had to be stopped. Based on what the servant said, the Viscount believes what he did to be justice... despite his actions having led to the near extinction of the Duscur populace, the deaths of many Kingdom soldiers, knights and officials, the near collapse of Faerghus's government (and the resulting suffering of the common people due to bandit proliferations and riots) and, on a lesser note, psychologically scarring Dimitri.
Knight in Shining Armor: The Holy Kingdom has a proud tradition of knights, and chivalry is one of their most important values. Their banner is decorated with a knight atop a griffon.
Knight Templar: The Kingdom's Fatal Flaw. Because of their belief that they are righteous due to their reverence for honor and chivalry, the people of Faerghus will fall back on nothing but zealotry to destroy their enemies and justify their actions. Any action they take, whether it be the near genocide and persecution of the Duscur populace, the Western Church plotting to take power from Rhea by manipulating both Lonato and his son, Christophe, or betraying the Kingdom and siding with the Empire after war breaks out is justified in their eyes because of their zealotry. Perhaps one of the biggest examples is during Azure Moon, Dimitri discovers that Viscount Kleiman, a noble who betrayed Faerghus, was involved in the Tragedy of Duscur. When confronting the servant who revealed this, he states that he believed the Viscount to be the embodiment of justice and he did what he thought was right. Unsurprisingly, Dimitri chews him out for this in a "The Reason You Suck" Speech.
Dimitri: And so, in the name of justice, he caused massacre upon massacre out of love for his homeland. You murdered your own king, killed our soldiers and involved innocent citizens. And yet you have the gall to speak of justice!?
Laser-Guided Karma: Before the beginning of the story Faerghus massacred much of the population of Duscur, erasing it as a nation in the name of their "ideals" concerning retribution out of the belief they conspired to slaughter their king and his retinue, and some treat even the memory of Duscur as something that should be forgotten as they are seen as nothing but a bunch of evil kingslayers. By the end of the story, in three out of four routes they suffer the same fate as Duscur: being destroyed and then promptly forgotten about by the rest of the cast, in the name of Edelgard's ideals. They are then regarded as a bunch of loyalist idiots following an insane king's (or in the case of Crimson Flower an insane archbishop) "plan" which either doesn't work (Crimson Flower) or just plain old wasn't a plan to begin with and was just the most violent suicide in the history of Fódlan.
Lawful Stupid: One of their biggest flaws is their obsessive devotion to honor and chivalry. This causes problems for Kingdom citizens on both a personal level (Gilbert left his family in shambles because of his self-flagellation over the Tragedy of Duscur, and Rodrigue's views on Glenn's death permanently strained his relationship with Felix) and the whole Kingdom on a macro level (throughout Verdant Wind and the first half of Azure Moon, the Kingdom army follows Dimitri despite the fact that he's clearly violently insane and doesn't care about the Kingdom's best interests, and this outright leads to the complete collapse of Faerghus on Verdant Wind and Silver Snow (the latter route especially notable as the Church of Seiros offers to assist them in battle against the empire if they will only wait for the church's troops to recover, but Dimitri refuses to delay)).
Leitmotif: "The King of Lions" plays during scenes related to the Kingdom.
Martyrdom Culture: The Kingdom prides itself on knightly chivalry, right down to the idea that it's a knight's duty to die following their king or lord's orders. Naturally this has disastrous results on Silver Snow and Verdant Wind. Without Byleth around to give the now unhinged Dimitri pushback, the Kingdom gets driven directly to their own destruction.
Meaningful Name: Faerghus is a variation of the name, Fergus, which means "man strength". It is very fitting for a nation of Knights In Shining Armor who prioritize martial skills and personal combat.
My Master, Right or Wrong: In Faerghus, some people romanticize Blind Obedience and portray it as the equivalent of being an honorable knight. In Azure Moon, after Gwendal is killed in the Valley of Torment, Gilbert states that it's the way of knights to obey their master's orders without argument and that Gwendal was a good man. Dimitri is not convinced by this since Gwendal willingly followed his master, Lord Rowe, after betraying Faerghus and siding with the Empire.
Proud Warrior Race: A knightly and chivalrous variant, but with some Grim Up North flairs, especially as children are taught to wield a weapon before they learn to read or write.
The Remnant: On the Crimson Flower route, the last remnants of the Faerghus army (led by Annette and Ashe, if they didn't defect) comprise about a third of the enemy composition of the final battle.
Succession Crisis:
- King Lambert's assassination as a result of the Tragedy of Duscur briefly caused one of these, as while crown prince Dimitri survived he was deemed far too young and inexperienced to take the reins in a tumultuous time. The Grand Duke of Itha and Lambert's older brother, Rufus (who was passed over the line of succession originally due to his lack of a Crest), took charge of the kingdom with the intent of passing it back to Dimitri once he came of age, though his regency has had its own share of problems thanks to the Western Church stirring up trouble and Rufus proving to be a fairly inept, skirt-chasing ruler.
- Depending on the route taken, this can potentially spring up again post-timeskip. Specifically on non-Crimson Flower routes where Dimitri is framed for the assassination of Rufus and forced to go on the run, with the major conspirator and court mage Cornelia becoming Faerghus' Puppet King. It's resolved on Azure Moon where Dimitri gets his act together and rallies his people to oust the puppet state, but on Verdant Wind and Silver Snow, Dimitri's death or ambiguous disappearance without an heir left behind effectively destroys any hope of salvaging Faerghus' ruling structure and leaves them out of the rest of the war.
Tautological Templar: Comes with their Fatal Flaw of their Knight Templar tendencies. Because many people of Faerghus are so convinced of their own righteousness, they believe that any action they take is justified through their zealotry and dedication to chivalry. The Kingdom army slaughtered the Duscur populace because they blamed them for King Lambert's murder, claiming it was justice. The Western Church started numerous rebellions and manipulated Lonato as well as his son, Christophe, because they viewed Rhea as a heretic and believed themselves the true disciples of the Goddess. Viscount Kleiman and several other Kingdom nobles are revealed to have been involved in the Tragedy of Duscur in the Azure Moon route. Despite the tragedies they caused and the atrocities they committed, some of the Kingdom nobles involved believed what they did to be justice because they acted out of love for their homeland.
The Theocracy:
- It is called the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, and was founded due to mediation from the Church of Seiros to end the War of the Eagle and Lion, which Loog initiated to fight for its independence from the Adrestian Empire. That said, it is noted that the country's rulers are long-time supporters of the Church and this automatically puts them at odds with the empire when Edelgard initiates her plan to destroy the Church's grip on Fódlan.
- On the Crimson Flower route, Dimitri readily grants Rhea and the knights of Seiros asylum after the empire attacks the monastery, and fights alongside her troops in his Last Stand against Edelgard. Despite his death, the country's support of the Church also prevents it from collapsing, as its people and military then submit to Rhea's authority as archbishop.
Undying Loyalty: The people of the country respect and adore serving both their royal family and the church. On the Azure Moon route, despite his long absence, the violent acts he committed, and the fact that he had been publicly declared a traitor by Cornelia, Dimitri receives a warm reception from his subjects when he finally returns to Faerghus to assume his responsibilities as king, having even openly rebelled beforehand when he returned. On the Crimson Flower route, after Dimitri is killed in battle by Edelgard, the populace then submit to Rhea's authority as the archbishop of the church. Despite Rhea's decision to burn Faerghus' capital to slow down the empire's advancement, the kingdom's soldiers still fight alongside the Knights of Seiros out of loyalty to their fallen liege.

Christophe

Christophe Gaspard

The son of Lord Lonato, and adoptive older brother to Ashe.

Cool Big Bro: Of the adopted variety, towards Ashe. In Ashe's Support with Mercedes he favorably compares his Team Mom classmate to Christophe, stating that his older brother shared the same kind of playful and warm personality that made him very easy to get along with. Outside that, its made very clear that Ashe holds Cristophe's memory in incredibly high regard and fondness, and his death affected Ashe just as firmly as it did Lonato.
Everyone Went to School Together: He was a student at Garreg Mach around the same time Catherine (or Cassandra, as she was known at the time) was, both were members of The Blue Lions and actually became close friends during their school years.
Fatal Flaw: During Ashe and Catherine's C-Support, Catherine tells Ashe that Christophe was too trusting of others, which made him an excellent Unwitting Pawn for the Western Church. Had he not been so naïve and blindly idealistic, he would've realized that the Western Church was using him as a pawn to kill Rhea and secure their own power.
Posthumous Character: His death motivates Lord Lonato's actions, and is key to the supports between Ashe and Catherine.
Stupid Good: "Stupid" might be a far harsher word than necessary, but considering Catherine describes him as being foolish and the kind of man who did not have it in his nature to distrust others, it's tragically clear that his good nature, idealism, and genuine Nice Guy personality was ruthlessly taken advantage of and it made him a perfect Unwitting Pawn to be used.
Unwitting Pawn: Ashe's support with Catherine reveals that while he wasn't involved with Duscur, he was part of another plot by the Western Church to assassinate Rhea, and she comments he was too naïve and idealistic because he was easily swayed by their reasons. While he knew the plot was to kill Rhea, he was unaware that the Western Church was only using him for the sake of increasing their own power.

Cornelia

Cornelia Arnim

Class: Gremory

Voiced by: Akemi Okamura (Japanese), Jessica Gee-George (English)

Originally an Imperial scholar invited into the Kingdom by King Lambert, she was later appointed the high position of court mage of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, in recognition of her deeds in saving the people from an epidemic. However, in the present, she gives a very different impression.

Absolute Cleavage: She has a deep plunging neckline to compliment her enormous breasts.
Break Them by Talking: When she's defeated, she reveals to Dimitri that it was his stepmother, the woman whom he saw as his own mother, who arranged for his father's assassination at Duscur for selfish reasons. The revelation greatly shakes an already unstable Dimitri, but didn't last quite long since Dimitri has also recovered a majority of his psyche thanks to Byleth and a previous incident.
But for Me, It Was Tuesday: Played With. She readily admits she killed Dimitri's uncle and framed him for it, but also states that until Dimitri asked her she had "forgotten all about that loveliness."
Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: On the Crimson Flower route, despite the Black Eagle Strike Force aiming to kill her, Cornelia still orders her Titanus warriors to kill Kingdom soldiers if they can, despite the fact said soldiers are her only other hope of surviving.
Contractual Boss Immunity: She has the Unsealable Magic skill in all of her appearances.
Court Mage: Cornelia's position in the Kingdom, awarded for curing the plague that ravaged it.
Defiant to the End: In her last moments on Azure Moon, she readily accepts her impending death and spends her final act revealing uncomfortable truths to Dimitri to mess with him.
Death Faked for You: In non-Crimson Flower routes, after Dimitri manages to escape his execution for having allegedly killed his uncle, Cornelia publicly claims he was slain regardless for the sake of destabilizing the Kingdom. In Azure Moon, it's revealed the fact she never allowed anyone to see his body convinced Gilbert that Dimitri was most likely still alive somewhere.
Fallen Heroine: Originally an Imperial scholar, she became beloved as a saint by the Kingdom when she cured the plague that ravaged the country, though the real one was likely killed and replaced by a member of "those who slither in the dark," sometime after these heroic deeds.
False Friend: To Patricia, who was friends with the real Cornelia.
Foreshadowing: There are various hints scattered through the dialogue in the monastery over the course of the game that she is not what she seems, and that her interests do not align with either Faerghus or Adrestia. One bit of dialogue notes how her personality and behavior changed quite suddenly (much as is said about Arundel and Monica), and at one point after the timeskip a merchant wonders about why she has imposed ridiculous levels of taxation on the parts of Faerghus she rules over. He points out that it makes no sense to drain a region so completely if they intend to keep making use of it as a conquered land. However, the goals of "those who slither in the dark" are just that, the complete ruining of Fódlan.
The Ghost: On Silver Snow and Verdant Wind, she is mentioned a couple of times in dialogue and at the beginning of Part II when the narration explains the state of the world after the timeskip, but never personally encounters Byleth.
Giant Robot: On the Crimson Flower and Azure Moon routes, she commands several Titanus, giant metal warriors armed with BFSes that can fire Sword Beams. These are the very same mecha that guard Shambhala in the other two routes.
Graceful Loser: Takes her death on the Crimson Flower route well, declaring how everything is going as planned as she dies. ^note In the original Japanese text, she dies impressed with the fact that Edelgard was the one using them all along. She is similarly accepting in Azure Moon, simply remarking "so this is as far as I go."
Impossibly-Low Neckline: Her revealing dress appears to be strapless, so it looks as if it could fall off from a single motion.
Improbable Age: Idle dialogue from Sylvain in Chapter 8 reveals that she saved the Kingdom from a plague about 15-20 years ago. Datamining reveals that she's currently 30, meaning she would have had to have done this at no older than 15 and somehow become a Imperial scholar even younger than that. This is a hint that the real Cornelia was probably bumped off by an Agarthan plant who was younger than she was.
Interface Spoiler: Checking her status screen on both Crimson Flower and Azure Moon routes reveals she has Agarthan Technology as her personal skill, the same one Solon and Kronya had as enemies in Part I. This gives away that her true allegiance lies with "those who slither in the dark".
Karma Houdini: On the Silver Snow and Verdant Wind routes, she abandons her position in Faerghus when Edelgard is defeated and is never seen again. It's unknown if she was killed during the fall of Shambhala or if she was even present there at the time.
Kill and Replace: Implied. Her sudden shift in personality sometime after saving the Kingdom from the disease afflicting it and access to "those who slither in the dark"'s technology indicate that the real Cornelia was most likely murdered by the group somewhere between Imperial Year 1165-1168, and that some high-ranking Agarthan assumed her form and took her place.
Killed Off for Real: While it is ultimately left ambiguous, it is noted on the Azure Moon route that Cornelia used to be far more kind and different before the game started (to the point that by Dimitri's own admission, even her likes and dislikes changed), so it is heavily implied the real Cornelia was disposed of and replaced by a high-ranking Agarthan at that point. As for the woman we see during the story, she will always die on the Crimson Flower and Azure Moon routes as Cornelia's an obstacle for both Edelgard and Dimitri's goals.
Lady of Black Magic: A cruel and self-serving Gremory, whose true allegiance lies with "those who slither in the dark", with powerful dark magic spells at her command.
Magic Staff: On the Azure Moon route she wields the Asclepius, an ancient magic staff that restores her HP every turn.
Ms. Fanservice: Falls into the series tradition of being the designated sexy mage antagonist. She wears a very revealing dress that exposes her back and cleavage, and has an enormous bust size.
No Name Given: Unlike Tomas and Monica, who were explicitly replaced by Solon and Kronya, or even Arundel, who was implicitly replaced by Thales, it's never revealed or hinted at what the fake Cornelia's true Agarthan name is.
Older Than They Look: Pre-timeskip Sylvain speaks of her and considers how beautiful she was said to be back when she saved the kingdom. He then adds how long ago that was (over 15 years before Part I of the game) and that he expects her to be pretty old by now and wonders if she has aged like fine wine. He hasn't actually seen her at this point, but she clearly doesn't look as old as Sylvain seemed to think she was even five years later. Downplayed of course given that Manuela shows how well even normal people can age, and while datamining the game reveals Cornelia's 30 years old, we don't actually know if this refers to the Agarthan replacing her or simply to the age her disguise's meant to invoke....
Poison Is Evil: Cornelia carries the Poison Strike skill every time she's fought.
Pragmatic Villainy:
- When Dimitri's return inspires uprisings among the Kingdom citizens, Cornelia refuses to send troops to suppress them. It's not out of any sense of mercy to the people, but rather because she knows she has to confront Dimitri with every soldier she has and can't afford to send any elsewhere if she is to have any chance of winning.
- On the Verdant Wind route with the defeat of the Empire and Dimitri's death, Cornelia disappears along with her most stalwart allies in the Dukedom. Due to not appearing at Shambhala, it's implied she held out with their forces across the continent to wait until they can regroup and continue the Agarthans' battle against the new United Kingdom of Fódlan, which is mentioned in Claude and female Byleth's ending.
Pre-Mortem One-Liner:
"I'll take good care of you!"
"Don't look at me like that!"
"Muahahaha!"
"Sweet dreams!"
The Quisling: She's put in charge of the parts of Faerghus the Empire conquered, and wages war on the loyalists in the Empire's stead. This gets averted in Crimson Flower, where Rhea's retreat ensures Faerghus's stability and stops Cornelia from sabotaging it like she did in other routes. Furthermore, while she initially expects Edelgard to call for her support, Edelgard chooses to do away with her instead as part of her opening salvo against "those who slither in the dark".
Recurring Element:
- While the franchise is no stranger to the 'corrupt older politician that sold out the good kingdom and ruling like a tyrant' which was kickstarted by Jiol, Cornelia is the first female example of this type of character; other differences include a lack of cowardice and being competent at her job.
- Cornelia is also an example of the Dark Lady Archetype, being a skimpy, evil sorceress, and is heavily implied to be part of "those who slither in the dark".
Rule of Sexy: So what if her dress defies the laws of physics? It's hot!
Sadist: She revels in causing pain and suffering. Not only did she take Hapi captive and experiment on her just to discard her, Hapi makes it clear she loved tormenting her.
Screw This, I'm Outta Here!: On the Silver Snow and Verdant Wind routes, Cornelia is The Unfought, opting to abandon Faerghus after Edelgard's defeat.
Theme Song Reveal: The second clue that she is part of "those who slither in the dark"? The fact that "Those Who Sow Darkness" plays for her before the battle.
Token Evil Teammate: In the Crimson Flower route you can pick up from her dialogue that Cornelia is this to King Dimitri. Unlike the other routes, in which she openly betrays the exiled Dimitri in order to make her own power grab, Dimitri was anointed King in this route, so Cornelia is forced to publicly remain loyal. During the Black Eagle Strike Force's attack on Arianrhod, Cornelia sees it as the perfect opportunity to get rid of Lord Rodrigue and Gwendal in order to weaken the power structure around Dimitri.
The Unfought: She is fought and killed on the Crimson Flower and Azure Moon routes, but ditches the kingdom after Edelgard's death on the Verdant Wind and Silver Snow routes.
The Unreveal: Unlike Solon and Kronya, who have their identities and true forms revealed, Cornelia dies in her presumably disguised form and doesn't revert back when she dies.
Unusable Enemy Equipment: Her Asclepius cannot be wielded by any of the playable characters.
You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: On the Crimson Flower route, Edelgard opts to have her killed during the assault on Arianrhod, viewing it as a useful preemptive first strike against "those who slither in the dark".

Glenn

Glenn Fraldarius

The firstborn son of Lord Rodrigue, Felix's older brother, and fiancé of Ingrid.

The Ace: Rodrique states that at the age of 15, he was already serving the King and Dimitri as a loyal knight.
Alternative Character Interpretation: An In-Universe example. Felix, Dimitri, Ingrid, and Rodrigue have conflicting opinions on him due to the nature of his death. Rodrigue and Ingrid see him as a heroic figure who died doing what he thought was right, and that his death was noble. Dimitri sees him as a tragic and loyal knight whose death was a Senseless Sacrifice, and not heroic, a perspective Ingrid comes to share by the end of their supports. Felix sees him as being a Lawful Stupid fool who gave up his life for a pointless reason as a result of his ideals. Nobody is painted as being right or wrong for their outlook on it, and Rodrigue concedes that Felix has a point about his frustration with it but argues Glenn would have felt horrible for running away.
Always Someone Better: To Felix, as Felix tells Byleth in their A-support how he was never able to best him before he was killed.
Chronic Hero Syndrome: According to Rodrigue, Glenn wouldn't have been able to forgive himself if he survived the Tragedy of Duscur through cowardice and instead chose to die protecting Dimitri.
Cynicism Catalyst: His death was this for Felix and Ingrid, causing Felix to become cold and angry, and causing Ingrid's xenophobia towards the people of Duscur to manifest.
Heroic Sacrifice: He died protecting Dimitri during the Tragedy of Duscur.
Knight in Shining Armor: By all accounts he was this, given how everyone talks about him posthumously.
"Not So Different" Remark: While Glenn seems to be very different from the Felix of the present day, Dimitri claims that Glenn was "sarcastic and looking for a fight," just like Felix, implying that the brothers are more alike than most think.
Posthumous Character: Died in the Tragedy of Duscur.
Small Role, Big Impact: He's a Posthumous Character whose physical appearance is never revealed and has only one known truly noteworthy deed to his name, yet his Heroic Sacrifice at the Tragedy of Duscur and the fallout as a result contributes to no less than four different characters' current outlooks (Dimitri, Felix, Ingrid, and Rodrigue).

Gwendal

Class: Great Knight

Voiced by: Ryo Sugisaki (Japanese), Michael Sorich (English)

A knight in service of House Rowe within the Holy Kingdom. He is acquainted with Lord Lonato.

Alas, Poor Villain: Defied. While he's relatively sympathetic, some of the knights around the monastery say that mourning Gwendal's death would be an insult to the way he lived his life.
Blood Knight: He wishes to fight to the death in combat, and is unforgiving to his enemies even if they were kids. On the Azure Moon route, he even betrays the kingdom and fights against Dimitri's forces because he thinks they'll be a good challenge.
Contractual Boss Immunity: His personal skill is General, making Gwendal immune to instant death and resistant to gambits.
Cool Old Guy: Yuri will reveal in battle he was this to him in the past, treating him as an equal. He makes clear that it was all in the past, however, and Yuri striking against Rowe ruins the respect he once had for the youth.
A Good Way to Die: On non-Crimson Flower routes, he's happy when he meets his end, thanking Byleth's army for killing him.
Insult Backfire: When fighting Dimitri, the latter calls him a lowly beast. Gwendal responds by proudly agreeing.
Mighty Glacier: By virtue of being a Great Knight, he has high HP, defense and mobility but has a weakness in speed and resistance.
My Master, Right or Wrong: As a true knight, he and others muse that he would have been happy to fight for whatever side his master chose. Though it's also made clear he's not happy with Count Rowe siding with the Empire in most routes.
Overprotective Dad: According to both Ingrid and Sylvain, he was not happy when the latter hit on his daughter.
Pre-Mortem One-Liner:
"Choke on this!"
"The lion's fury!"
"I will not waver!"
"You're weak!"
Red Baron: Known as the Gray Lion.

King Lambert

King Lambert Egitte Blaiddyd

Voiced by: Shinobu Matsumoto (Japanese), Patrick Seitz (English)

Dimitri's father, and the King of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus until Imperial Year 1176.

Base-Breaking Character: Zigzagged In-Universe example. While Lambert was beloved by the Faerghus smallfolk, it is noted by Catherine that he was also a controversial figure with the nobility, due to him pushing for a major political reform at the time. Which is why some of the nobles chose to dispose him once the ideal situation presented itself.
Childhood Friends: Much like their sons Dimitri and Felix, Lambert and Rodrigue grew up together and attended the Officers Academy alongside each other.
Former Teen Rebel: According to Rodrigue, he and Lambert used to sneak out of lectures during their days at the Academy. Evidently, though, both men grew up into heroic and noble figures.
The Good King: By all means he was one, even attempting a major political reform that would benefit the people of Duscur.
Love at First Sight: He was apparently taken with Patricia the moment he saw her, according to Dimitri.
Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Assuming Dimitri's memory of events is correct, then Lambert's last words to his son was a plea to avenge their deaths. Boy, did he take that to heart.
Off with His Head!: How he died, according to Dimitri. This is the reason Dimitri is so focused on beheading the Flame Emperor, once he believes they had a hand in the Tragedy of Duscur.
Posthumous Character: Assassinated during the Tragedy of Duscur.
Recurring Element: Serves as the "long-dead father of the Lord character" archetype started with Cornelius for Dimitri, who's the closest to Marth among the three Lords.
Strong Family Resemblance: If he grew a beard and kept his hair neater, post-timeskip Dimitri would look exactly like his father.
Youngest Child Wins: Like Sylvain, he is the second son of his family who became heir because he had a Crest. His older brother, Rufus, was passed over in the line of succession for Faerghus' throne because he lacked a Crest, and was instead given the title of Grand Duke of Itha.

Lord Lonato

Lord Lonato Gildas Gaspard

Class: Paladin

Voiced by: Kazuhiro Anzai (Japanese), Dave B. Mitchell (English; credited as Raymond K. Essel)

The lord of Gaspard in the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, and the adopted father of Ashe. He raises an army of troops in rebellion against the Church of Seiros, an act that bewilders his adopted son.

Anti-Villain: Most people who know Lonato say he's a good man, and he's rebelling because he believes his son was wrongfully executed by the Church of Seiros. He even expresses remorse over fighting Dimitri.
Fatal Flaw: Grieving too much for his son Christophe, to the extent that everything else he loves becomes secondary, and he even becomes willing to strike down Ashe if he (thinks he) has to. This likewise allows the Western Church, the very people who manipulated his son, to manipulate him into a futile rebellion. Spelled out in Ashe's supports with Gilbert.
Gilbert: Lord Lonato took up his sword for his son. Even if that meant turning his back on the goddess... As a father, I cannot condemn Lord Lonato for raising an army. ... Yet, perhaps he too lost sight of what should be protected. Just as I did.
Ashe: I don't understand what you mean. What should Lonato have protected?
Gilbert: You, Ashe. Because you are also his son.
Fog of War: Intentionally causes this in his battle, with a Gaspard Commander creating the fog via magic.
Genius Bruiser: Aside from being a skilled warrior, talking with Ashe reveals Lonato taught him all about various herbs, such as identifying them and how to make medicines out of them.
Good Parents: Lonato loved Ashe as if he were his own blood, teaching him to read and offering him all the benefits of nobility despite Ashe's lowly birth. This is after he caught a young Ashe snooping around his mansion looking for valuables to steal. Thus his actions against the Church of Seiros shock the poor boy.
Pre-Mortem One-Liner:
"Clear the way!"
"Filthy servant of Rhea!"
"Impudent brat!"
"I will not fall!"
Revenge: Desires revenge against the Central Church for executing his oldest son Christophe for the Tragedy of Duscur. Specifically Catherine herself, who is the one who detained his boy.
Revenge Before Reason: Lonato got so caught up in anger against the Central Church and Catherine he allowed himself to be set up by the Western Church, the ones truly responsible for the incident Christophe got involved in and was executed for.
Undying Loyalty: His men have this towards him, with many generics declaring their loyalty to him.
Unwitting Pawn: The Western Church uses his grief over his eldest's death to make him attack the Central Church. Making it even more tragic because they were responsible for why Christophe got executed having swayed him into assisting in a different plot to assassinate Rhea.
Villain Has a Point: For as many lives as he ends and jeopardizes to get back at the Central Church, he's correct to believe they executed Christophe under false pretenses. In truth, he was killed for assisting in an assassination attempt on Rhea, and not for any involvement in the Tragedy of Duscur.
Well-Intentioned Extremist: Raises a rebellion against the Central Church because he rightly believes it lied about the reasons for his son's execution, thus in his mind making the entity hopelessly corrupt. Catherine argues it was necessary to avoid further public panic and disorder in the wake of the king's murder, that the people didn't need to know Rhea herself was now being targeted.

Patricia

Patricia / Anselma von Arundel

The younger sister of Volkhard von Arundel. At different times in her life, she served as the empress of the Adrestian Empire, during which time she gave birth to Edelgard, and Queen Consort of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, becoming Dimitri's stepmother.

Ambiguous Situation: Given that her brother Arundel was killed and replaced by one of those who slither in the dark it's entirely possible she could have been too. On the other hand, she still has a plausible motive for being involved in the Tragedy of Duscur even if this weren't the case, and the story offers no clear evidence for either.
Deal with the Devil: According to some, after being forced into exile in Faerghus, Queen Patricia wanted so badly to see her own daughter again, that she sacrificed the King (Dimitri's father) by conspiring with Cornelia to cause the Tragedy of Duscur to make it happen.
The Exile: She was exiled from the Empire just a few years after giving birth to Edelgard. According to Dimitri, this was a result of finding herself caught in a "political strife" of sorts that also forced her to adopt a completely new identity in the Kingdom.
First Love: Doubles as Love at First Sight, but Ionius IX was this for her. However, by the time they met, he was already in a political marriage, which resulted in her being one of his paramours instead of his wife. Despite that and her exile from the capital, Edelgard believes they truly did love one another.
Good Stepmother: According to those who knew her, she seemed to be this to Dimitri, and apparently cared for him dearly, despite not being his biological mother. However, on the Azure Moon route, after being defeated, Cornelia claims that Patricia never loved Dimitri at all and instead conspired with "those who slither in the dark" to orchestrate the Tragedy of Duscur, just so she could return to the Adrestian Empire and reunite with Edelgard. Also, Dimitri's support conversation with Hapi reveals that while she may have cared for Dimitri, she also believed that Lambert was keeping her away from Edelgard during the time she was exiled from the empire, or so Cornelia told her.
Love at First Sight: According to Edelgard and Dimitri, their respective fathers both fell for Patricia the moment they saw her.
Never Found the Body: There was no evidence that her carriage was attacked, and her corpse was never found. While Gilbert ultimately confirms she was in on the Tragedy, the player never finds out what her final fate was.
One Degree of Separation: It's revealed in Dimitri and Hapi's support conversation that Patricia had met Hapi herself and become acquainted with her, helping Hapi however she could throughout her captivity.
Poor Communication Kills: In his support with Hapi, Dimitri reveals that despite them being wed Patricia and his father were not actually allowed to be truly alone together, and that Cornelia made a point of getting between them when they tried to become closer. It's implied this was on purpose, to keep Patricia from asking Lambert about Edelgard, and thus learning that he was not trying to keep them apart but was doing what was required of him to protect exiled royalty in hiding.
Posthumous Character: Died during the Tragedy of Duscur. Or so it seems...
Unwitting Pawn: Cornelia used her and made sure to keep her from getting close to Lambert and talking with him to sort out any problems they had. All to make her a willing accomplice to the Tragedy of Duscur.
What Happened to the Mouse?: She's widely believed to have died at Duscur when her carriage was attacked. On the Azure Moon route, it's revealed she helped Cornelia start the massacre in Duscur. Someone involved in the events at Duscur confirms that they had strict orders to avoid her carriage. Furthermore, as Thales impersonated her brother, it raises further questions as to what became of her.
Woman Scorned: She was led to believe that Lambert was keeping Edelgard from her by Cornelia, leading her to become involved in the Tragedy of Duscur.

Lord Rodrigue

Lord Rodrigue Achille Fraldarius

Voiced by: Taira Kikumoto (Japanese), Jake Eberle (English)

Class: Holy Knight

Crest: Fraldarius (Minor)

Head of House Fraldarius of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus and the father of Felix. He has a strained relationship with his son due to their differing opinions over his eldest son's/Felix's older brother Glenn's death during the Tragedy of Duscur.

Adult Fear: Ye Goddess, he's suffered from this:
- The Tragedy of Duscur had him suffering the worst possible form of this with the deaths of both his own son Glenn and his best friend and liege King Lambert, while his best friend's son who he practically raised as another child was left traumatized with permanent psychological scars.
- His relationship with his remaining son Felix has been strained greatly following Glenn's death after he claimed that Glenn died as a true knight, which seemed to have been his way to cope and rationalize with it. Depending on the route and the player's actions, it's possible they aren't able to reconcile and their relationship deteriorates From Bad to Worse. The worst-case scenario is if Felix is recruited on the Crimson Flower route, leading to him allying with the people trying to conquer his home kingdom. Father and son end up on opposite sides of the war, and the possibilities are unpleasantly obvious.
- On the Azure Moon route, he suffers from his crown prince and ward Dimitri, who is also the sole remnant of his dead best friend and former king Lambert, being framed for treason and sentenced to death. While Dimitri does escape, Rodrigue is unaware of this and is left worrying for five years, all while his kingdom falls into chaos as a result of Cornelia's actions and the Empire's war. When he finally finds Dimitri again, he sees his crown prince has been driven into a feral and self-destructive warrior hellbent on revenge.
Archnemesis Dad: On the Crimson Flower route, if Felix is recruited, the two end up on opposite sides of a war.
Childhood Friends: Much like their sons Felix and Dimitri, Rodrigue grew up alongside Lambert and attended the Officers Academy with him.
Combat Medic: As a Holy Knight, he's got access to the area-of-effect heal Fortify spell and the offensive Faith magic spell Aura. In his appearance as an allied, but uncontrollable unit on the Azure Moon route at Ailell, he's there to fight the forces of House Rowe and keep Dimitri healed up as well.
Contractual Boss Immunity: His personal skill is Commander, making Rodrigue immune to a multitude of effects other than just instant death and granting him resistance to gambits.
Early-Bird Cameo: On all the routes, he makes a brief appearance during Part I in the monastery (specifically, he was to be the one originally tasked with retrieving the Lance of Ruin after it was stolen by Miklan, only to accept the Church intends to have the students and Knights retrieve it) before making his reappearance on Part II as either a major player on the Azure Moon route or a major enemy on the Crimson Flower route.
Foreshadowing: Twofold in Azure Moon:
- Despite joining your party during the story, he never becomes a playable unit. This hints he won't be around for too long.
- His warning to Dimitri about how some people who fight in the name of revenge can end up losing their resolve along the way becomes this for the crown prince's fate as a whole. Not only does this hint that Dimitri in Azure Moon will eventually abandon his personal vendetta in favor of redeeming himself by following his duty, it also heavily suggests his fate in the Golden Deer and Church routes comes to pass partly due to self-sabotage on Dimitri's part.
Former Teen Rebel: According to Rodrigue, he and Lambert used to sneak out of lectures during their days at the Academy. Evidently, though, both men grew up into heroic and noble figures.
Heroic Sacrifice: He intercepts a fatal knife blow from Fleche in her attempt to kill Dimitri on the Azure Moon route. His death and the entire event becomes a huge wake-up call for Dimitri.
Heroic Self-Deprecation: Rodrigue doesn't think too highly of himself at times; in a conversation with Byleth on the Azure Moon route, he calls himself a "failure of a man," and laments his own mistake of turning Felix against him by speaking carelessly about Glenn's death.
Innocently Insensitive: The root of why he and Felix have a strained relationship. When Glenn died, Rodrigue, despite his grief, was at least able to feel peace that his son died doing what he believed was right. However, his attempt to explain this to Felix came across as him saying that he was glad Glenn died as a knight, causing Felix to resent him and the concept of chivalry. Rodrigue himself acknowledges that Felix has a point about how it came across, he just felt that Glenn would have been angry at himself if he didn't stand up for what he believed in.
Killed Off for Real: On the Crimson Flower route, he has to be killed to progress in the story. He also bites it during Azure Moon, where he sacrifices himself against a fatal blow meant for Dimitri, and in Silver Snow, he dies off-screen at Gronder Field.
Killed Offscreen: On the Silver Snow route, he is counted among the dead at Gronder Field by Dimitri (or his ghost).
Knight in Shining Armor: He does his best to live by this ideal.
Light 'em Up: He's no slouch when it comes to faith magic, his Aura can deal an immense amount of damage to his foes.
Like Father, Unlike Son: While Glenn is suggested to be cut from the same cloth, Felix is an anti-social swordsman with reason magic potential, while Rodrigue is a personable Knight in Shining Armor that uses faith magic.
Nice Guy: Unlike his son, who's significantly rougher around the edges, Rodrigue is generally a polite and friendly individual, as shown in his interactions with Dimitri, Byleth and their allies.
Offing the Offspring: If Felix is recruited in Crimson Flower and made to face him in battle, he expresses regret that his son has strayed and as a parent it is his duty to clean up after his child's mistakes, before declaring that Felix "must die here and now!"
Older Than They Look: He looks more like Felix's older brother than father.
Outliving One's Offspring: He's already outlived his older son, Glenn. If Felix isn't recruited on Crimson Flower, he can also outlive his younger son, although it's downplayed as Rodrigue will also be killed on the same map.
The Paladin: Although his class itself is Holy Knight, he fits the role as a Knight in Shining Armor with powerful light magic.
Parental Substitute: To Dimitri, whom he calls a second father, and has a much better relationship with than his own son.
Parents as People: He tries to be a good parent, but his relationship is strained with Felix over Glenn's death, and he even admits he shouldn't have said that Glenn died like a true knight as it wasn't comforting in the slightest. He even appreciates Byleth understanding him. However, when he dies on the Azure Moon route, Felix is devastated and demands that Dimitri not let the death be in vain.
Precision F-Strike: If his health drops below half in "True Chivalry," he curses that he was "Outmatched by a damn bandit..."
Pre-Mortem One-Liner:
"Prepare yourself!"
"I will not allow it!"
"On my family's honor!"
"For the king!"
Red Baron: He's known as the "Shield of Faerghus."
Removed Achilles' Heel: On the Crimson Flower route, he has the Cavalry Effect Null skill, which removes the weakness his class usually has towards anti-cavalry weapons.
Skewed Priorities: Felix accuses Rodrigue of caring more about honoring Lambert's memory by protecting a village important to the late king than about saving the lives of his people.
Strong Family Resemblance: If Felix let his hair down and grew a small beard, he'd look like Rodrigue with a different eye color.
Tsurime Eyes: Like his son, his eyes slant upwards.
Unwitting Pawn: On the Crimson Flower route, Rodrigue dies at Arianrhod defending both the city and Cornelia from the Black Eagle Strike Force never learning that Cornelia was a plant for "those who slither in the dark" and has been for years.
What Happened to the Mouse?: On the Verdant Wind route, once the timeskip occurs, he is never mentioned again or appears. As the Kingdom is nearly steamrolled by the Empire in all routes but the Crimson Flower route, he likely died in battle. This is implied by Felix should you have him recruited in the route, mentioning that he hasn't heard a word from his father and the silence is worrisome.
What the Hell, Hero?: Should Felix join the Black Eagles and confront his father on the Crimson Flower route, the latter will not mince his words about his son's decision and declares his intent to kill him. By the end of the route, it's made clear Felix agrees with him.
You Gotta Have Blue Hair: Like his son, he's got dark blue hair.

Baron Dominic

Class: Paladin

Annette's uncle and Gilbert/Gustave's brother, and the head of House Dominic.

Cain and Abel: The Cain to Gilbert's Abel. The two come to blows when Kingdom forces try to claim the Crusher.
Evil Uncle: Downplayed. He's not voluntarily evil, but the threat of Imperial invasion forces him to oppose his niece Annette.
The Faceless: He gets a generic knight portrait, with a helmet covering his face.
Heel–Face Turn: After being defeated, he surrenders, hands over his Heroes' Relic to his niece and swears to protect his sister-in-law.
Punch-Clock Villain: He's not a bad person, but the threat of the Empire annexing his lands forces him to not only refuse to hand over his Hero's Relic to his niece, but also try to take her and Gilbert hostage.
Tough Love: According to Annette, he would scold her rather harshly for making mistakes.

The Leicester Alliance

In General

The youngest and smallest of the three nations. The Alliance is a loose confederation of noble houses who refuse to bow to any king or emperor, located to the east of Fódlan. However, they allow one family to lead them: House Riegan. Each house's territory is technically an autonomous region, though they all swear allegiances of loyalty to each other. Leicester students are assigned into the Golden Deer.

The Alliance: A loose coalition of territories united under a single banner. It's deconstructed in that the nobles ruling the Alliance are far more concerned with their own personal advancement than the welfare of the nation as a whole; two of the three Part I paralogues involving the Golden Deer have you put down an ambitious and unscrupulous noble's attempts to gain more power, and in Part II the country falls apart when Adrestia declares war on everyone.
Ambition Is Evil: The Alliance is nowhere near as corrupt as the Empire at the start of the story, but they undoubtedly have morally unscrupulous lords. Many Alliance lords are mostly loyal to themselves and put the welfare of the Alliance aside. The most prominent example is Count Gloucester as in every route, after war breaks out, he defects to the Empire and is the leader of the Alliance lords who align themselves with Edelgard.
Animal Motifs: Deer. The Alliance views deer as the protectors of their lands and Leicester students are assigned to the Golden Deer House in Garreg Mach.
The Archer: The Alliance is known for having highly skilled archers.
Aristocrats Are Evil: Several Alliance Lords are shown to be very opportunistic and more concerned about their own houses and agenda rather than the nation. Prominent examples are Count Gloucester, who openly opposes House Riegan to the point of causing division, is implied to be abusive towards Lorenz, possibly had Raphael's parents killed, and betrays the Alliance when Edelgard declares war, and Acheron, who launches an attack on Gloucester lands out of a desire for power and betrays the Alliance when Edelgard declares war (unless Byleth sides with her).
Blue Blood: Unlike their neighbors, the Adrestian Empire and Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, they lack royalty and are governed by a coalition of nobility who refuse to swear fealty to any royal.
Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: While the nobles of the other nations have shades of this, it is most pronounced in the Leicester Alliance. Despite the vows of loyalty its nobles swore to each other, they are ultimately portrayed as opportunistic and more invested in furthering the interests of their own houses rather than the country as a whole.
Deconstructed Character Archetype: Of The Alliance. Though it is a land free from the rule of kings and emperors, it is a pit of vipers among the nobility. Many Alliance Lords are very opportunistic, self-serving and more loyal to themselves rather than to the nation as a whole. In all routes, after Edelgard declares war, several Alliance Lords, led by Count Gloucester, join the Empire and go to war with the Alliance faction loyal to House Riegan.
Divided We Fall: The Alliance's Fatal Flaw. The Alliance lords are more concerned about their own ambitions and welfare rather than the nation. Because of their conflicting ideals, loyalty to themselves rather than the Alliance as a whole, and opportunism, the Alliance is barely kept together by its leaders. In all routes, because Alliance lords side with the Adrestian Empire when Edelgard declares war, Claude is forced to pit the Alliance against itself to make it appear as a unified front. Depending on which route Byleth takes, this could backfire and lead to the Alliance's destruction.
Faction Calculus: Subversive. Leicester's military is looser than that of the other two nations, consisting of more peasant levies.
Fantasy Counterpart Culture:
- The various Merchant Republics of Italy, and the Kingdom of England. Their refusal to be led by a king and a quarter of the playable Golden Deer characters being the children of merchants draws this parallel. Additionally, a lot of the place names are taken straight from England, the Alliance being known for the use of the bow, and the presence of a fortified wall along the border add to the real-life comparison with England. In addition, many of the well known characters from the alliance are named after a Shakespearean play, King Lear.
- The country's governing system, comprised of autonomous states with their own hereditary rulers, and all of the rulers participating in a forum to decide on the governance of the country as a whole, calls to mind federal monarchies such as Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates.
- As they were once part of the Empire, and are an Alliance/Confederacy, they also have some aspects of the Old Swiss Confederacy, and is even quite mountainous. The history of independence from a Holy Roman-esque empire and being a Hereditary Republic also reminds us of the Dutch Republic, though unlike that one, the Alliance is significantly less united.
Fatal Flaw: Their disunity. The Kingdom and the Empire both have their share of infighting among the leaders, but it's nowhere near as bad as the Alliance. Because of their Chronic Backstabbing Disorder tendencies and their status as A House Divided, the Leicester Alliance suffers from a grave lack of unity due to their leaders barely keeping it together. Though the ruling lords swear loyalty to each other, the majority of them are ultimately very opportunistic and are quick to turn on each other when it benefits them. In all routes, Edelgard takes advantage of this and manages to rally several Alliance lords to her side, led by Count Gloucester. Depending on which route the player takes, it could lead to the complete annihilation of the Leicester Alliance and Claude's death or disappearance.
Fighter, Mage, Thief: Thief. A lot of their military are hunters proficient with bows.
Hereditary Republic: Despite it being explicitly stated that the country is not a monarchy, its governing positions are nonetheless generally hereditary, such as membership of the governing Roundtable, which includes the country's overall leader. However, a noble house in the Roundtable can lose its position through loss of standing among its peers.
A House Divided:
- Post-timeskip, due to the Chronic Backstabbing Disorder that the country's nobles suffer from, half of them are quick to support the Adrestian Empire when it declares war on the church, which basically fractures the Leicester Alliance from within. Claude is forced to effectively pit the two sides (one for the Empire, the other for the Holy Kingdom) against each other in order to maintain their neutrality.
- While the other two nations have their infighting amongst the leaders, it's notoriously bad for the Alliance. In every route except for Verdant Wind, the Alliance ultimately ends up falling apart after the Battle of Gronder Field because they were never able to fully unify. In the Azure Moon route Claude reads the tea leaves and realizes it's best to put all of his hopes in Dimitri being able to win the war and lead a unified Fódlan. Claude does the same in Crimson Flower, arranging things so that no matter what happens, the Empire and Alliance will join together with minimal bloodshed. In Silver Snow, Claude goes completely MIA after the Battle and the Alliance collapses shortly after, with the lords becoming loyal to Byleth in the aftermath.
I Fight for the Strongest Side!:
- This is the main reason half of the country's noble houses sided with the Adrestian Empire in the face of the possibility that the empire may attack. They reasoned that their country cannot capably fight back and thus viewed capitulation to the empire as the only way to survive.
- Even in the Verdant Wind route, Claude is only able to fully unify the Alliance by getting them behind Byleth's status symbol as Seiros' chosen.
Keystone Army: The coalition of noble houses that comprise the country is so fragile that without a unifying figure to lead them, they will instantly fall apart due to infighting. On the Crimson Flower route, Claude's death or desertion leads to the entire country being too weak and disunified to resist the Adrestian Empire's forces.
Leitmotif: "Golden Deer and Crescent Moon" plays during scenes related to the Alliance.
Meaningful Name: "Leicester" derives from Leicestershire, the name of a town in England that was built on the site of a Roman settlement. The Leicester Alliance specializes in the bow, just like England, and was formerly Kingdom territory before breaking off and becoming its own nation.
Succession Crisis: One occurs for the leading House Riegan in the Imperial Year 1179, a year before the events of the game, when Godfrey, Claude's uncle and the family's heir, passes away unexpectedly, and his sister is unaccounted for. This is resolved when Godfrey's father, Duke Riegan, legitimizes his heretofore absent grandson Claude. Prior to this, Holst Goneril was viewed by many as the favorite to succeed Duke Riegan.
Thicker Than Water: This is the reason for the country's general disunity and lack of ability to put up any efficient resistance to outside aggression. Despite agreeing to mutually defend each other, the noble houses that comprise the Leicester Alliance are more loyal to their own interests than to the country's welfare as a whole.
We ARE Struggling Together: Despite the fact that aggression from the Adrestian Empire threatens the country's existence, it is difficult to get its nobles to mount a unified resistance when half of them think that it's better off to capitulate to Edelgard rather than fight. The best that Claude can accomplish is to try and keep the country from fracturing at the seams while giving off the impression of neutrality.

Count Gloucester

The head of House Gloucester and Lorenz's father. He has the second-highest voice in the Alliance Roundtable, often clashing with House Riegan.

Abusive Parents: A minor example. Lorenz is shown to not question his father about anything even if it goes against his beliefs. He's also scared of failing his father as shown if he loses the Heron Cup and believes he will be disowned. While two of the four routes have him throw his son into battle knowing that it will get him killed and one route where he excommunicates his son for siding with Claude, Lorenz is able to get back in his father's good graces should he stand up and speak to him.
Dirty Coward: Zigzagged repeatedly, as he's put in situations where one could really argue that trying to fight would be suicide.
- In the interim between Parts I and II, he leads the faction of the Alliance that supports cowing to the Empire. However, Lorenz provides a more nuanced view of his actions, noting that the Gloucester people would be the first to die if open war with the Empire broke out.
- At the end of the Verdant Wind route, he takes his men and flees from Nemesis. Given that Nemesis was able to defeat Holst, described as the biggest badass in the Alliance, it may have been a tactical retreat.
The Ghost: He never appears onscreen.
Hidden Depths: Despite his less than savory traits, Count Gloucester apparently works to develop new foods himself, suggesting he is somewhat of a chef.
Humble Pie: At the end of Verdant Wind Lorenz states how his father fled from Nemesis and his army instead of staying to fight. While it was a smart move given how someone like Holst couldn't stop Nemesis, Lorenz states that this retreat will make his father go down in history as a coward.
It's All About Me: In Verdant Wind, Lorenz comments at one point his father's number one priority is the position his house and himself have in the Alliance.
Karma Houdini: He is responsible for the deaths of Claude's uncle and Raphael's parents, as well as the murder of innocent traders in order to advance his own political power, but is not punished for his crimes. The only thing that happens is the Humble Pie given at the end of Verdant Wind, but that isn't enough for him to lose everything that he has gained.
Make It Look Like an Accident: It's heavily implied he was involved in the death of Claude's uncle and Raphael's parents. He set it up to make it seem like an incidental attack by monsters, but it's implied they were monsters trained by bandits he hired. For what little it is worth, Godfrey (Claude's uncle) was the target and Raphael's parents simply got caught up in the attack as they had been hired by the count. Raphael chooses to treat it as a rumor, but the appearance of monsters controlled by bandits set on interfering with trade to House Riegan in a paralogue supports said rumor.
Pet the Dog: Mixed with Pragmatic Villainy, his only good deed is hiring Jeralt to take care of the poachers that were harassing Leonie's village. Lorenz notes that it was simply duty, as Leonie's village had the rights to hunting in the area. His hiring of Jeralt directly led to his meeting Leonie.
The Quisling: In every route, Gloucester sides with the Empire. He will only switch to the Kingdom/Alliance/Resistance side if the Great Bridge of Myrddin is recaptured and he has nothing to fear.
The Unfought: The player never engages in combat with him even though he's sided with the Empire. In the Azure Moon and Silver Snow route, he sends his son to fight instead.

Acheron

Class: Mage → Cavalier/Warlock

Voiced by: Ryou Nishitani (Japanese), Doug Erholtz (English)

The head of the smallest noble house in the Leicester Alliance, known as "The Weathervane" for his political opportunism.

Ain't Too Proud to Beg: When defeated in Lorenz's paralogue, he unceremoniously begs to be spared.
Butt-Monkey: He's treated as a joke by the Golden Deer students before the timeskip; combined with his arrogance, they end up making a fool of him every time. When Claude faces him and Acheron is at his most haughty, Claude reveals they've set his castle on fire, and turns his taunt about the Alliance collapsing back at him.
Cavalry Refusal: On the Crimson Flower route, he's sent to reinforce Judith at Myrddin, but the moment he sees his fellow reinforcements fall he decides to cut tail and run for his life, resulting in Judith being forced to retreat and ultimately be cut down.
Contractual Boss Immunity: He has the Unsealable Magic skill in Land of the Golden Deer and in Part 2 of non-Crimson Flower routes.
Dirty Coward: On the Crimson Flower route, he runs away and leaves Judith to die if Leonie/the generic Paladin who replaces her is killed.
Discard and Draw: On the Crimson Flower route, he drops his magical abilities in Part I for a horse in Part II.
Embarrassing Nickname: He's nicknamed "The Weathervane" for his political opportunism.
Fair Weather Friend: "Friend" is pushing it, but all the other Leicester nobles are still nominally allied to him despite his infamous opportunism. Count Gloucester opts to spare him after he incites a violent conquest of his territory, considering it too inconvenient just to kill him. Claude, however, isn't so restrained.
The Friend Nobody Likes: In a country characterized by its nobles suffering from Chronic Backstabbing Disorder, he stands out in particular for his political opportunism, which garners him the distaste of practically every other noble house in the nation. It is particularly notable on the Verdant Wind route, where Claude doesn't even attempt to convince him to join the other noble houses in a united offensive against the Adrestian Empire. Instead, Claude simply remarks that he is "nothing but a nuisance" and should be shown no mercy for siding with the empire.
I Fight for the Strongest Side!: He is noted for being one to gravitate towards power, and either sides with the Adrestian Empire on the Azure Moon/Verdant Wind/Silver Snow routes, or flees from its forces on the Crimson Flower route.
Irony: Despite his infamous opportunism, he invariably ends up siding with the losing team in every route and will likely be unceremoniously cut down for it.
Karma Houdini Warranty: In Lorenz's paralogue, he gets away with launching an armed insurrection against Count Gloucester with nothing more than a slap on the wrist. He isn't so lucky in Part II; he will end up dead if you aren't Empire-aligned, and if you are, Edelgard's views on so-called "nobles" like him do not bode well for him remaining in a position of power even if he does survive.
Lame Comeback: If Claude fights him in Lorenz's paralogue, Acheron will respond to being called a "good-for-nothing" by pulling a No, You on Claude. Claude then remarks that Acheron not recognizing the future leader of the Alliance doesn't speak well of him.
Meaningful Name: Acheron, in Greek mythology, is one of the rivers of the Underworld and is called the "river of woe" — fitting for someone whose power comes from controlling a major river crossing.
Poison Is Evil: In spades. Not only his personal skill is Poison Strike, he also has access to the Poison skill, which has a chance to inflict the poison ailment to any target he hits.
Pre-Mortem One-Liner:
"Unsightly, aren't you?"
"Scum!"
"I've got ya!"
"Just die already!"
The Quisling: In all non-Crimson Flower routes, he sides with the Empire and ambushes the resistance army while they are battling Ladislava.
Recurring Element: Acheron is the "corrupt noble that backstabs their faction for selfish gain" like Jiol, especially for the Golden Deer (and he'll also betray them when seen in other routes). He's a more classical example than fellow Jiol Cornelia, given that he is motivated by cowardice while she was either an Agarthan plant from the beginning or was murdered and replaced with said Agarthan plant.
Screw This, I'm Outta Here!: On the Crimson Flower route, he resents having to obey Claude's orders, and if the other general defending the Great Bridge of Myrddin dies, he flees with his units.
Skippable Boss: Acheron is one of the few bosses in the game who can be avoided entirely during all of his appearances.
- In "Land of the Golden Deer", even though the mission is wrapped up as soon Acheron falls, it's also possible to win by simply protecting the marked tile in the map during 10 turns.
- In the missions located on the Great Bridge of Myrddin (Chapter 13 in Crimson Flower and 16 in other routes), by abusing the game's mechanics, it's perfectly viable to prevent Acheron from ever spawning by defeating the boss(es) already present on the map. ^note In Chapter 16's case, defeating Ferdinand/his Imperial General replacement will also make Lorenz/his Alliance General replacement spawn as well, and they need to be swiftly defeated so Acheron can't get the chance to do so.
Tempting Fate: Brags about his fair-weather nature when engaged in combat, before quickly worrying if he's in for a beating. Given his lackluster stats, he is.
Too Dumb to Live: In Part II, he spawns in the middle of the battlefield. In the middle of your units who are likely stronger than him, and is likely to get one-shotted by any of them with no effort. ^note As added insult to injury, Acheron is one of the very few enemies to still adhere to Hard mode reinforcement mechanics on Maddening, meaning even on the highest difficulty he is likely to be casually cast aside.
What Happened to the Mouse?: On the Crimson Flower route should he either run off or be spared, he never makes another appearance.

Holst

Holst Goneril

The head of House Goneril, and older brother of Hilda. Charged with defending the Leicester Alliance from the neighboring kingdom of Almyra, he earned a reputation as the Alliance's greatest general.

The Ace: Hilda describes her brother as perfect at everything, and he's considered the Leicester Alliance's greatest general. Her supports with Byleth also deconstruct this by Hilda explaining that he was more or less forced to become one, as the expectations of their parents were intense and stressful. He's still good at what he does, but he had to work towards it, and its made Hilda very self-conscious as a result.
Always Someone Better: Toward Hilda. Hilda describes him as such. It's also deconstructed in that Hilda is letting herself be seen as worse to avoid responsibilities.
"I have a very impressive big brother. I'm not just saying that. He's strong, smart, nice. He's basically perfect."
An Axe to Grind: Implied; he commands a battalion of axe wielders that you can fight in the arena, and considering his sister also uses an axe, it's very likely he wields one too.
Big Brother Instinct: Hilda describes her brother as clingy and overprotective, and he is constantly sending her letters worrying about her life.
Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling: The Responsible sibling to Hilda's Foolish, being a highly accomplished commander.
The Ghost: While Hilda, Claude, Lorenz, and Balthus mention him quite frequently, he never makes a personal appearance.
Heterosexual Life-Partners: Is a close friend of Balthus. They can potentially end up as Best Friends-in-Law.
Knight Templar Big Brother: According to Balthus, Holst would not only murder him if something happened to Hilda but would beat the tar out of him if he even laid a finger on her. Naturally, he's scared at the idea of pissing off Holst.
Balthus: Holst would have my head if he knew I raised a hand against you.
Hilda: As if he'd stop with your head!
Likes Older Women: According to Balthus in his support with Claude, it's implied that he once had a crush on Claude's mother, Tiana von Riegan, and cried when he found out that she was gone.
My Sister Is Off-Limits!: In Balthus' paired ending with Hilda, he has to win a duel against Holst to get Hilda's hand in marriage.
Nice Guy: According to Hilda, he's always kind and hates to disappoint people.
Tall, Dark, and Handsome: According to Hilda.
The Worf Effect: At the end of the Verdant Wind route, he is easily defeated by Nemesis. While he survives, the fact how the characters put him as a high profile warrior shows how dangerous Nemesis is despite just being brought back from the dead.
Worf Had the Flu: In Hilda's paralogue and Edelgard's post-timeskip after the fall of the Leicester Alliance, they're forced to take command of his position because he's suffering from severe food poisoning. Hubert describes it as him being incredibly pale and smelling bad.

Judith

Judith von Daphnel

Class: Lord

Voiced by: Yoko Soumi (Japanese), Rachel Robinson (English)

The head of House Daphnel in the Leicester Alliance, who are considered amongst the elite defenders of their lands. During part II, she becomes one of Claude's most consistent and loyal allies.

Abdicate the Throne: Before the events of the game, she willingly gave up her seat as one of the five ruling lords of the Alliance.
Anti-Armor: Her rapier allows her to deal extra damage to armored units.
Anti-Cavalry: Her rapier also allows her to deal extra damage to horseback units.
Contractual Boss Immunity: Her personal skill is General, making Judith immune to instant death and resistant to gambits.
Deadpan Snarker: She has quite the sharp tongue and shows no qualms about chewing up both Claude and Lorenz in the Verdant Wind route.
Early-Bird Cameo: On the Verdant Wind route, she makes a brief appearance during part I in the monastery before becoming an important player in the story.
Famed in Story: She's a very renowned hero in the Alliance and the rest of Fódlan, to the point multiple characters in Garreg Mach, the Kingdom and Alliance have heard of her exploits.
Fragile Speedster: Judith's good at dishing out damage and avoiding enemy attacks, but she falls short when it comes to receiving multiple hits.
Gameplay and Story Segregation: Despite joining your party during the story in the Verdant Wind route, she never becomes a playable unit. In a perplexing example, she remains that way during the story despite not sharing Rodrigue's fate.
Killed Off for Real: On the Crimson Flower route, she has to be killed to progress in the story.
Lady of War: A celebrated, dignified female commander who wields a rapier and leads a battalion of duelists in battle.
Lady Drunk: Downplayed. One of Catherine's comments implies she can be quite a heavy drinker.
Ms. Fanservice: Judith's unique lord wardrobe showcases her cleavage and accentuates her hips.
No Hero to His Valet: Judith has no shame calling out the Alliance's new leader their sloppy job.
Pre-Mortem One-Liner:
"Past my prime? Never!"
"And now you've made me mad!"
"How invigorating!"
"Here's how it's done!"
Red Baron: Hailed as the "Hero of Daphnel."
Screw This, I'm Outta Here!:
- On the Crimson Flower path, she will make a hasty retreat if the battle is turning south for her. It's to no avail however as the map requires that she be killed before she can escape.
- Claude tells this to her again on the Verdant Wind route. Unlike on the Crimson Flower route, she never has to resort to running away.
Sorry That I'm Dying: When she's killed on Crimson Flower, Judith sends her apologies to Claude as she draws her last breath.
Surveillance as the Plot Demands: An unusual heroic version. Judith has a wide web of spies across all of Fódlan. On non-Crimson Flower routes, this proves to be quite handy as it lets her know Rhea was captured during Adrestia's invasion of Garreg Mach. On Silver Snow and Verdant Wind, she reveals this information to her allies as soon she provides them reinforcements, while in Azure Moon, Claude delivers it in her stead.
Underestimating Badassery: On the Crimson Flower route, she notes she was told to run by "the boy" (Claude) if she was in danger but disregards it, believing she can certainly hold out until reinforcements arrive. The Black Eagle Strike Force proves her wrong, prompting her Screw This, I'm Out of Here! moment.
Unique Enemy: Notable for being the only NPC in the fire Emblem series thus far to be of the Lord class.
What Happened to the Mouse?: On the Silver Snow route, after Chapter 15 she is never mentioned again or makes another appearance.

Tiana

Tiana von Riegan

The daughter of Duke Oswald von Riegan, and Claude's mother.

The Dreaded: In Almyra, she is referred to as the "Demon Queen".
The Ghost: Has not made a physical appearance at all and is only mentioned.
Hair-Trigger Temper: Some of Claude's supports imply that she has a temper often resorting to violence. She earned the nickname "Demon Queen" for a reason.
The Runaway: She left Fódlan to marry the love of her life, the King of Almyra.
Stacy's Mom: Balthus and Holst found her hot in her youth. Even if she has aged according to Claude, Balthus still thinks she's beautiful.

Other Characters

Sothis

Height: 135 cm

Voiced by: Tomoyo Kurosawa (Japanese), Cassandra Lee Morris (English)

^{Click here to see Sothis in Fire Emblem Heroes}

"Your will and mine are now as one. Both sides of time are revealed to you...and you alone. You know I am the Beginning. What will you do?"

A mysterious girl with no memory of herself or her past who saves Byleth during a fateful night. She does not physically appear, appearing only inside their mind, so nobody except Byleth knows of her existence.

Ambiguous Situation: Sothis's S-Support implies that she fell in love with Byleth during the course of the game. She has no other Relationship Values, and the player can choose to S-Support her without any prior effort. If Byleth reciprocates, Sothis wonders if her own feelings somehow influenced theirs. No other ending is able to confirm or deny this, as Sothis never reappears.
Amnesiac Hero: She's lost all of her memories except her own name, but regains bits and pieces over the course of the game.
Ancient Astronauts: She arrived in Fódlan before the beginning of recorded history, long before the War of Heroes, from... somewhere else.
Anguished Declaration of Love: When Byleth overhears Sothis wonder if her own feelings subtly influenced Byleth, a flustered Sothis decides to come clean and confess her love.
"Oh, fine! I shall admit... I do. I love you deeply! Overwhelmingly! Passionately! Ours is a love without an end!"
Antiquated Linguistics: Despite looking like a young girl, her speech patterns are somewhat archaic.
Ascend to a Higher Plane of Existence: Implied to be what happens to her when she fuses with Byleth, as well as something of an innate/special nature of how her soul works. In Cindered Shadows Rhea explains that Sothis' soul is "omnipresent" (implied to mean she is present in both the material and nonmaterial world, but not all-knowing and literally everywhere at once) which is why it is at all possible to revive her (normal souls pass on completely to the afterlife and no known method can return them). We see this displayed by how even after seemingly leaving Byleth as a independent mind, she remains aware of the overall state of events in Fódlan and through Byleth can continue to influence the material world. She also is able to speak with Rhea when Rhea has a near death experience. Likewise, near the start of the game when she first reverses time, the magic circle she summons has the phrase "the goddess always lives in heaven and Fódlan." If S-ranked she can reverse this state and return to a more limited existence in Byleth's soul.
Beware the Nice Ones: Sothis appears to have made it her mission in life to teach and aid entire civilizations. Push her hard enough and you'll be reminded that the kindly serial uplifter is a dragon goddess of time and perfectly capable of wiping highly advanced civilizations off the map if given enough reason to do so.
Big Damn Heroes: Despite having already merged with Byleth and giving up most of her individual personality, it's ultimately Sothis that wakes Byleth from their five year long coma.
Bizarre Alien Biology:
- She has a rock for a heart (a trait shared by her children) and can asexually reproduce with her own blood, though the children produced seemingly cannot reproduce this way and are never as powerful, lacking many of her other abilities. She can also shapeshift at will (her appearance as a young girl is stated to be the result of her changing her form to resemble a human) and has enough scientific knowledge to assist in building a futuristic Magitek society capable of making robots and ICBMs. Justified, as Rhea's explanation that Sothis came to the continent from "somewhere far away and descended upon [Fódlan]" implies that Sothis is an alien, though it's impossible to know for sure, as Sothis seemingly never spoke about where she came from and doesn't remember her past life anymore to confirm it.
- Related to the above, a text found in the Abyss library that may have been written by an Agarthan refers to Sothis (or "the False God" as they call her) as having a "looming, heteromorphic vessel" suggesting that Sothis used a monstrous transformation in battle, or that they were at least aware she had more than one form.
Bratty Half-Pint: Downplayed. Sothis has a penchant for condescension and sarcasm, but she wants what's best for Byleth and sometimes has to be a little harsh with them.
Dark Is Not Evil: In Heroes, Sothis is a Mythic Hero of Dark, but in reality she is actually a good person underneath her rough exterior.
Deconstructed Character Archetype: Once you learn her backstory, she is basically a divine dragon champion for humanity in the vein of Naga, Mila, and pre-degeneration Duma and Anankos gone horribly wrong. Like previous such characters, she is a powerful dragon who is worshipped by humanity and can empower humans with blood-bonding. However, Nemesis murdered her in order to take that kind of power for himself and his followers, and in the present Rhea deliberately cultivates her reputation as an omnipotent creator goddess to justify several actions that are morally dubious at best and flat-out tyrannical at worst.
Deuteragonist: She is the secondary main character of Part I, and a significant part of the story is devoted to finding out who she is and why she's hitching a ride in your skull.
Divine Date: Due to both her status as the Goddess of the Church of Seiros as well as her status as one of Byleth's romance options.
Do Not Taunt Cthulhu: The Agarthans, in their arrogance, attempted to kill Sothis with all of the technology they had. Sothis responded by destroying the Agarthans and wiping their civilization off the map. That said, the surviving Agarthans were able to eventually kill Sothis after she went to sleep after reforming the land, but the civilization that they had built was already long gone.
Does Not Like Shoes: She's barefoot, only wearing a pair of very large gold anklets with sapphire stones. She does get a pair for her winter variation in Heroes and another pair for her Harvest variation in said game.
Dragons Are Divine: While not explicitly confirmed as a dragon in her home game, the fact that all her children are various kinds of dragons and she herself is definitely an otherworldly existence at minimum bordering on the divine (and certainly worshiped as such) makes her this.
Fusion Dance: To save Byleth and herself from being in a Fate Worse than Death inflicted by Solon, she merges her powers and most of her being with Byleth. This awakens the Sword of the Creator into the Sublime Sword of the Creator, gives Byleth the Enlightened One Class, and causes their hair and eyes to turn almost the same shades of green as Rhea's. She vanishes for a good portion of the game after, but makes a few comments to indicate she has a presence still.
The Gadfly: In addition to her snarky attitude, Sothis has a tendency to be this and The Tease.
Gaia's Lament: In the distant past, after she was forced to annihilate the ancient Agarthans, Sothis spent much of her energy restoring the earth back to a livable state. Unfortunately, the now-drained Sothis had to rest, and the machinations of those who slither in the dark resulted in her getting slain in her sleep and things getting worse from there.
Gaia's Vengeance: In the distant past, the ancient civilization of Agartha dared to strike against her in their hubris. Sothis' vengeance stomped them so hard that they were forced to go underground and become those who slither in the dark. A text in the Abyss library refers to her as enacting cruel retribution upon "the children of men who spilled too much of the blood of life" by flooding the land with despair (it's unclear just what this flood really is).
Gameplay and Story Integration: Zig-zagged. In New Game+, once she disappears, the Byleth of the opposite gender takes her place in the Holy Tomb. However she still comes out to activate "Sothis Shield" when you use it.
God is Dead: Played With. She was murdered by Nemesis a thousand years ago so he could use her corpse as materials to make the Sword of the Creator. That said, her soul still lives on, she is still able to affect the world with Divine Pulse, and even her Fusion Dance with Byleth doesn't actually destroy her as an individual.
God Is Good: The Goddess worshiped by the Church of Seiros is Sothis. She is as benign as the Church proclaims her to be, even if others believe it to be a lie. The Church and Seiros, on the other hand, are not necessarily as good.
Good Is Not Soft: Despite her kind nature, even as an amnesiac, Sothis sometimes displays a quite merciless view on justice that is, perhaps not surprisingly, similar to that of her daughter Rhea. Particularly when it comes to certain affronts to what her people regard as very important/sacred. She feels grateful to Byleth for them killing off the bandits who trespassed in Zanado, and in the DLC this is slightly expanded on: in Abyss, Byleth can encounter a survivor from Kostas' gang, who begs that Byleth not report their presence as he is quite certain he will be executed by the Knights of Seiros for his crimes. Byleth can let them go after making them swear to never harm another person again, but should they turn the bandit in Sothis will be pleased (shown by her support rank rising). That said, she never pushes for Byleth to take any particular action when it comes to mercy or justice in the story, wanting them to make their own decisions.
Hidden Depths: One of the memories she regains is that she once wrote a song, which Rhea is heard singing on the night of the ball.
Historical Badass Upgrade: She's by no means a weakling, having the ability to block orbital bombardments and heal a ravaged continent through nothing but sheer personal power. However, the texts of Seiros portray her as an omnipotent, omniscient capital-G Goddess, a level of power she isn't quite capable of.
It's All My Fault: Downplayed. She comes to the conclusion that Byleth's stoic behavior from infancy is because she was sleeping within them for most of their life. She is remorseful about it, but isn't given the chance to dwell on it too much, as she and Byleth combine souls soon after.
"It" Is Dehumanizing: An Abyss text written by one who slithers in the dark only refers to Sothis as an "it."
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Sothis is very sharp-tongued, and much of her early dialogue is scolding Byleth. But every decision she makes is to Byleth's benefit, from saving their life when they almost took a blow for Edelgard at the beginning, to giving them the Divine Pulse ability to turn back time, to sacrificing her individuality to fuse with Byleth so Byleth can escape Solon's trap.
Little Miss Almighty: She appears as a little girl, and was the single most powerful entity in Fódlan. A text in Abyss, likely written by an Agarthan, describes how in their war with her they used their weapons to the point that several nations/lands were destroyed by them, only for Sothis to remain standing. Averted though in the form the Agarthans knew her as, which is the adult woman briefly seen near the start of the game looking down from her throne.
Little Miss Snarker: The little girl in Byleth's head is quite sharp-tongued. She retains this trait during Byleth's Smash Bros. reveal trailer; some things never change.
Living Memory: She's the ghostly impression of the dead goddess of the Church of Seiros, remaining fully sapient, though she's lost her memories of her life. Only Byleth can see or hear her when she manifests in the physical world, and she exists only within Byleth's mind and soul, communicating with them through their dreams.
Luminescent Blush: While all characters have this to varying degrees, Sothis' blush covers about half her face.
The Maker: She's the goddess of the Church of Seiros, and she created the dragons, who naturally are known as the "Children of the Goddess," out of her own blood. The blade created from her bones is fittingly called the Sword of the Creator. How much of the rest of creation she is responsible for is ambiguous, however. When she first summons the magic circle to turn back time, among the sentences that swirl about it are phrases such as referring to the goddess as the "mother of all." These phrases are presumably true things about her given they are independent of any doctored lore, though how literal they are is still ambiguous. In Heroes she implies she's had at least some role in the creation of multiple worlds (pondering if the world of Heroes is one of the worlds she made), though it's not clear if that included the formation of life in those worlds or if she still had the power to do such things after she started living in Fódlan (her being exhausted just by restoring Fódlan implies she does not).
Meaningful Name: Sothis is the Greek pronunciation of Sopdet, an Egyptian goddess who is the personification of the star Sirius. In Egypt, Sirius was a very positive star, as its reappearance marked the flooding of the Nile and the return of fertility to the land. In Greece, Sirius was negative, appearing during the long, hot summer. And indeed, she is the Goddess who is called the "Fell Star" by those who slither in the dark, all of whom have Greek names and, interestingly, were originally banished from the surface by a flood Sothis called forth.
Mysterious Waif: Just what she is remains a mystery even to her for most of the game, though her appearance suggests that she may be a Manakete like Tiki or Nowi. This is given a lot of weight with the reveal of Rhea being a Sky Dragon, and her appearance in Heroes confirms that Sothis is a Divine Dragon (though curiously, she doesn't transform in battle). Even when her identity is revealed, her origin remains mysterious. That mythology refers to her as having arrived on a star, and those who slither in the dark even calling her "Fell Star" could imply that she actually came from another world entirely. Furthermore, while the Children of the Goddess like Seiros and Cichol are referred to as her children, it's stated she "made" them, not that she birthed them, and she made them by somehow using her own blood. As such, it just adds even more mystery to what exactly she is.
Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Uplifting the people that would become those who slither in the dark with technology resulted in them using weapons of mass destruction left and right, eventually trying to kill her with an orbital bombardment. It ends up being a Curb-Stomp Battle in Sothis' favor, but she still had to sleep for a long time after fixing the entire continent, which allowed Nemesis to get the drop on her and kill her, then desecrate her corpse to make the Sword of the Creator.
Not Quite Dead: Her physical body was killed by Nemesis to create the Relic weapons, but being an immortal goddess of time, that doesn't completely finish her off, and she remains alive in spirit form. Later, she says she'll vanish when she and Byleth perform their Fusion Dance. However, it's her voice that wakes Byleth from their coma. This is the most we hear from her after the Fusion Dance...unless Byleth S-Supports her. She implies she likely could have popped back up at any time if she chose to. That is rather than having truly vanished when her powers and spirit fused with Byleth, her mind is actually quite intact but in another world, as she states in the S support that she came back to "this world" because Byleth was lonely. She likewise will speak with Rhea, presumably from this other world, as Rhea mentions talking with her during her near death experience in her own S support with Byleth.
Older Than They Look: While she looks like a young girl, Sothis claims she is actually much older and is described as talking like an old lady. While datamining reveals her current body (as least as Byleth sees her) is biologically 9 years old, her actual age is unknown and she lost her original body over a thousand years ago, but before that she had already been in Fódlan for over a thousand years (albeit an unknown amount of that time was spent in dormancy). Artwork depicting a Church of Seiros fresco of the goddess is implied to be Sothis' original appearance in life, as is a figure briefly seen near the start of the game, both confirmed in an interview to be the humanoid form Sothis had in life.
Person of Mass Destruction: At her full power, Sothis is far and away the most powerful being in Fódlan. The nation of Agartha possessed magitech equivalents to modern weapons and beyond, including ballistic missiles and mechs. When they attacked Sothis... they were utterly destroyed in the war that ensued (Sothis built the Holy Tomb to protect her children from Agarthan weapons, but there is no sign she herself needed protection). Those who slither in the dark are their remnants. This didn't even tire her — fixing the damage to the continent over a immense period of time did.
Physical Goddess: When she was alive, she easily qualified as this. She was able to single-handedly take on a nation that had technology equal to or greater than modern-day Earth, including orbital bombardment, and heal all the damage afterwards, albeit at the cost of needing to go into a coma-like sleep afterwards to heal.
Pointy Ears: Like her children, she sports these.
Pre-Asskicking One-Liner: Sothis has one of these, but because she is only an NPC, it cannot be heard in normal gameplay.
"Leave all to me."
Rapunzel Hair: As she reclines on her throne, her hair is long enough to spill over the arms of the chair and nearly reach the ground. It appears to be even longer than she is tall.
Recurring Element: She takes after Naga and her successors, i.e. a divine dragon who continues to watch over and influence the material world well after they lose their body and become spirits. Of course there are notable differences in the path they take to becoming like this, and even to their own natures (i.e. Naga stating she is not a god while Sothis states she is one).
Red Baron: When she properly introduces herself to Byleth, Sothis says that she's also known as "The Beginning." Those who slither in the dark refer to her (and by extension Byleth) as "the Fell Star." At one point, Thales also calls her "the defiled beast," though this may be a term of contempt rather than renown.
Reincarnation: Rhea's ultimate plan was to create a vessel for Sothis to reincarnate into, something Byleth inadvertently became. However, Sothis is quite content with just existing alongside Byleth's mind, though it's never made clear how she felt about the idea of reincarnating via them.
Romantic Fusion: Later in the game, if Byleth chooses Sothis as the partner they wish to marry, Sothis will reveal that she is in love with Byleth no matter the gender and they will be married in mind, body and soul, to the degree that Sothis says that Byleth wearing one ring for the both of them is sufficient.
Screw Yourself: Played With and joked about if Byleth S-Supports her. After joining their souls together permanently, Sothis and Byleth become nearly one and the same, to the point that when Byleth asks how they can possibly give their new wife their ring, Sothis just says to wear it themselves.
Sheep in Sheep's Clothing: As you play through the routes, you gradually learn that the Church of Seiros is, while not really evil, at least keeping some major secrets from you (Rhea in particular is keeping a lot of secrets), so the player might suspect that Sothis, the goddess worshiped by the church, is also shady. As it turns out, while she can be sharp-tongued, Sothis really is the benevolent goddess she's worshiped as; she even sacrifices her individuality to fuse with Byleth to help them escape Solon's trap Granted, one of the books of dubious validity in the Abyss library paints Sothis as a false goddess who floods the world with "Despair" when mankind commits too many atrocities.
She's Got Legs: Her artwork puts a lot of emphasis on them, at least.
Slain in Their Sleep: Sothis was killed by Nemesis while she was in her coma-like sleep.
Sleep-Mode Size: Played With. Sothis is weaker within Byleth's mind than she was in life (unable to use her true power directly as she lacks a body), but her form is not due to weakness specifically so much as remembering so little about herself, including what she looks like. Thus, according to a interview she adopted a form that was "halfway" to her original humanoid form, in both shape and size. This original form is seen briefly near the start of the game.
Spanner in the Works: She ends up being this to Seiros', aka Rhea's, entire plan when she merges with Byleth. Rhea wanted nothing more than to bring back Sothis via Byleth, but never expected Sothis to not be interested .
Stripperiffic: Sothis's dress is cut in such a way that would easily make her a Ms. Fanservice if she wasn't so youthful looking.
Symbiotic Possession: For the first half of the game various characters (such as Indech and Seteth) believe Sothis has in a sense reincarnated/incarnated in Byleth, her mind/memories being treated as something like a suppressed side of Byleth. In fact, they are truly different spirits, so they share the body and regard themselves as separate individuals. Put another way, Rhea thought Byleth's body had inadvertently become a vessel for Sothis's soul to escape from its Soul Jar, but Byleth had their own soul and it ended up a mix of this trope and Sharing a Body, with Byleth having control over the body. Whether or not Rhea accepts that they are not and cannot become Sothis depends on the route.
Time Abyss: While it's never discussed much in-game, Sothis is easily older than recorded history in Fódlan. She's also older than the recorded history of the previous civilization on Fódlan, Agartha. And going by her dialogue in Heroes... she's older than recorded history for at least one other world too. Sothis is very likely the absolute oldest character in the entire franchise. A developer interview noted that if one includes everything referenced in the game's lore of Fódlan's history, then it covers as much as 10,000 years of time, and Sothis arrived at the start of that known history. And then it's implied in Heroes that she's been helping create and uplift life on numerous other worlds even before she came to Fódlan.
Time Master: Her ability to manipulate time allows her to outright change the past, as shown when she uses it on Byleth to save them in the intro. She gives this ability to Byleth as well. This manifests in gameplay as the limited ability to undo moves, much like Mila's Turnwheel.
Together in Death: In her S-Support epilogue, she promises that when Byleth inevitably dies, she will follow them to whatever afterlife awaits.
Truly Single Parent: There's no mention of her ever having a mate, and the Children of the Goddess are stated to have been born from her blood.
Tsundere: She constantly scalds and berates Byleth, calling them an idiot for any mistake or slight...but generally cares about them, even beyond her own self-preservation. Taken Up to Eleven if she is S-Supported, where she shows up because Byleth was lonely, only to berate them again. When she is finally confronted about her feelings, she loudly gushes that she is passionately, overwhelmingly in love with them.
Walking Spoiler: The truth behind her mysterious nature is crucial to several plot developments.
War God: Dedue reveals through his supports that Sothis was incorporated into the Duscur pantheon. She was viewed as a God of War prayed to before battle.
What the Hell, Hero?: Dishes these out like candy on Halloween.
- She gives one to Rhea for blindly letting a sociopathic madman work as her librarian.
- She gives one to Byleth for falling right into Solon's trap despite Rhea telling them to their face that they were likely being baited and nearly getting the both of them killed.
- A more humorous example occurs when she attempts to wake Byleth from their 5 year coma; if you choose the dialogue option asking who is speaking, she berates you for forgetting so easily. If you instead comment that you're still sleepy, she berates you for not wanting to wake up when there is a literal war going on outside. Either way, she calls you childish and more or less drags you from your slumber to kick off the second half of the plot.

Anna

Class: Commoner → Myrmidon → Thief → Assassin/Trickster

Age: 25 (6/9)

Crest: Ernest (Major)

Voiced by: Saori Seto (Japanese), Karen Strassman (English)

^{Trickster Outfit}

Traveling Merchant

"For true merchants, the customer's trust is more valuable than gold. Squander that trust, and you'll be out of business before you can say 'profits'!"

The recurring shopkeeper of the Fire Emblem series. At some point in Three Houses, Anna sets up a secret shop in the market that is outside of the monastery grounds. She can be recruited with the third wave of paid DLC.

Her personal ability, Business Prosperity, grants her an increase in Luck. She bears the Major Crest of Ernest, which will occasionally stop enemy counterattacks when using a weapon.

Born Lucky: Her personal ability, Business Prosperity, gives her a flat +5 to her Luck stat, and she has one of the highest maximum luck stats in the game, only being surpassed by Ignatz and Shamir.
Chest Insignia: Has the Crest of Ernest, a "lost crest" on her clothing. It's not just for show either; she actually bears the Major Crest of Ernest as well.
Curtains Match the Windows: Her red eyes match her hair. Unlike the other Annas, hers are a unique fuchsia tone.
Demoted to Extra: Unlike in Awakening and Fates (albeit as DLC for the latter), Anna returns to being a simple merchant, although she does show up in some support conversations. Even after being released as Downloadable Content, she still has no support conversations of her own, so she is something of a "lesser" party member in that respect.
Disc-One Nuke: Downplayed as her level and class level are to be expected for when she's recruited but she can be recruited instantly and serve as a trainer for Byleth bolstering your ranks and growth.
Downloadable Content: She can only be recruited with DLC wave 3.
Everyone Has Standards: She finds merchants who scam others to be atrocious individuals, and believes they should always be honest and not trick clients.
Hidden Depths: In Chapter 10, she compares Byleth's different appearance to how lots of things around the monastery seem different lately. She then asks if Byleth's noticed that too. This foreshadows the imminent Imperial attack on the Holy Tomb.
Horse Archer: Has bows as a specialty and a budding talent in Riding so she's a decent candidate for the Bow Knight class.
Magic Knight: Has a specialty in Faith that makes it completely possible to take up the Holy Knight class. Not to mention, her canon advanced/underground class is Trickster, which specializes in both swords and magic.
Memetic Hand Gesture: Wouldn't be an Anna without her finger on her cheek. She'll even do it during a critical cut-in or when using a Gambit.
Money Fetish: As usual, Anna's obsessed with money and charges her wares with rather high prices, something that is lampshaded by Petra early in her Support with Ashe. Unfortunately for Anna, the latter happens to be an excellent haggler and has her give them a 20% discount.
Mysterious Past: Anna, like her sisters, is a bundle of oddities. Not only does she somehow have a Major Crest with no indication of being a noble, but apparently she also knew Jeralt long before she met Byleth.
Mythology Gag: The skills she has strong growths in can be seen as a reference to the weapon skills used by the main/primary classes of her previous playable incarnations: Swords for Awakening (Trickster) and Fates (Bow Knight), Axes for Heroes, Bows for Fates (Outlaw and Adventurer or Bow Knight) and Warriors, and Faith (substituting Staffs) for Awakening (Trickster) and Fates (Adventurer). Her budding talent in Riding refers to the various mounted class options they had access to, primary or alternative. She even has a custom goal set called 'Business as Usual' focusing on Faith and Sword Play.
New Job as the Plot Demands: She works as everything from an apothecary, a bookseller, to even a bartender given how she shows up in multiple supports. Granted, considering the precedent set by Fire Emblem Awakening, they may not all be the same Anna.
No True Scotsman: She holds Pallardó in contempt and believes he is not a true merchant due to his ruthlessness and backstabbing nature.
Older Than They Look: She looks about the same age as the students, but she's 25 pre-timeskip and 31 after it.
OOC Is Serious Business: After Jeralt dies at the end of Chapter 9, Anna has no sales pitches or metatext for Byleth when talking in the monastery; just mourning the loss and consoling Byleth for it.
Pre-Asskicking One-Liner:
"Aye aye!"
Pre-Mortem One-Liner:
"Business is booming!"
"You will pay!"
"Cha-ching!"
"I sell first-aid kits!"
Promoted to Playable: She is made playable as paid DLC in wave 3.
Secret Shop: She runs one outside the monastery, which the player can gain access to by completing a sidequest in Part II.
Tarot Motifs: Through her Crest of Ernest, Anna represents The Fool, which is typically a wild card. Anna seems to be nothing more than a mere merchant, but she has a lot more potential than she lets on. The Fool is sometimes designated as Card 0 in the Major Arcana, and Anna is the only playable unit that cannot bond with other units.
Walking the Earth: In her ending, she uses her business savvy to help in reconstruction of Garreg Mach and then vanishes, but stories claim she continues to peddle her wares despite centuries having passed.

Miklan

Miklan Anschutz Gautier

Class: Armored Knight → Black Beast

Voiced by: Daisuke Endou (Japanese), Armen Taylor (English)

^{White Clouds spoilers}

Eldest child of the Margraviate of Gautier. Due to Miklan lacking a Crest, his younger brother Sylvain became heir to House Gautier in his stead. He has turned to banditry and desires one of the legendary weapons.

Asshole Victim: His transformation into a beast was something unexpected and a horrible way to go, but given how he's a violent thief who tormented Sylvain for much of his life, it's hard to feel sorry for him. The revelation that his villainy goes further than being a murderous bully certainly didn't help his case, either.
Big Brother Bully: His resentment toward Sylvain resulted in him bullying him growing up. One of the worst instances was pushing Sylvain down a well and then leaving him there. It's also stated that he made multiple attempts on Sylvain's life, in the latter's supports with Mercedes and Byleth.
Cain and Abel: Has a murderous grudge against his younger brother Sylvain.
Evil Redhead: His hair is a faded shade of red, and his horrible abuse of Sylvain and savage behavior as a bandit leader show that he's quite the nasty piece of work.
For the Evulz: His gang of thieves raids several villages, apparently for fun, and taking so much that the villagers will have difficulty surviving the winter. While Dimitri can understand stealing in order to survive, even if he disapproves of it, he considers this unforgivable. Yuri also states that he's infamous for terrorizing towns in Margrave Gautier's territory, stealing food and abducting women.
Freudian Excuse: He was denied his inheritance as a first-born just because he wasn't born with a Crest, something he had absolutely no control over. This prompted the murderous resentment that eventually led to him being disowned and then becoming a bandit.
Freudian Excuse Is No Excuse: Although he has justified reasons for being bitter about the Crest system and being passed over because of it, several characters (Sylvain and Claude most notably) point out how ultimately that doesn't justify any of the things he does. If Sylvain's supports are to go by, Miklan was a terrible person before he was disowned, even trying to drown Sylvain once by pushing him in a well. It's very likely that this is what led to his family outright disowning him, and not merely being born without a Crest. If Sylvain fights Miklan, he yells at him about how he's sick and tired of Miklan blaming him for everything bad that happened to him, even though Sylvain isn't responsible for it.
Good Scars, Evil Scars: He's the leader of a gang of bandits that steal a Hero Relic to aid in their plundering of villages. Unlike his smooth-skinned younger brother, Miklan has a large nasty-looking scar running down his face and a smaller one on his chin.
Green-Eyed Monster: Envied Sylvain all his life, blaming every problem on him due to his brother bearing a Crest in his stead.
I Just Want to Be Special: Wanted the power of the Crests or their weapons for himself after being denied it by his birth.
Karmic Transformation: Wanted to be special, and so ended up transforming into the Black Beast, a special form of monstrosity, from misusing a Relic weapon without a Crest.
Lone Wolf Boss: He's the only enemy in Part I who isn't connected in some way to the Flame Emperor or "those who slither in the dark".
Never My Fault: He blames Sylvain for all of his problems in life, ignoring the fact that he was the one who chose to become a murderous, pillaging bandit. If Sylvain confronts him, Sylvain calls him out on how he's always blamed him for his problems despite it being something he had no control over.
Pre-Mortem One-Liner:
"You can't stop me!"
"You brat!"
"The relic's power is mine!"
"Out of my way!"
Psychopathic Manchild: Miklan's personality can be accurately summed up as that of an overgrown teenager throwing a particularly violent temper tantrum, with his constant attacks on his father's territory and stealing the family Hero's Relic coming off as a childish, if dangerous way of acting out.
Rape Is a Special Kind of Evil: While it's never blatantly mentioned, Yuri's disgust towards Miklan is strongly indicated to be due to this, with him citing his frequent abductions of women as a vile sort of line he'd never cross.
Rape, Pillage, and Burn: What his gang of bandits does.
Sympathy for the Devil: His Freudian Excuse of being disowned for not having a Crest causes some characters such as Edelgard and Dimitri to pity him.
Tarot Motifs: Death, which signifies change. He certainly changes alright, and his transformation into a Black Beast leads to his own death. Interestingly, his Beast form has a marking on the face that has 'DEATH XIII' and the Gautier Crest on it, implying that it was completely intentional.
Tsurime Eyes: In contrast to his younger brother, he has these to signify that he is dangerous.
The Unfavorite: Margrave Gautier desired only a child with a Crest to be his heir (as had been the custom for the family for ages, as being able to wield their Relic weapon was essential for defending their land). Miklan being born without it already made him a disappointment, but Sylvain being born with it just cemented Miklan's status as the eternal unfavorite.
Wake-Up Call Boss: He's the first boss type enemy that you have to actually be smart about fighting (not counting the Death Knight who is optional). He wields the Lance of Ruin and is an armored unit, requiring the player to carefully plan how they will approach him. In addition, due to how the map is setup you need to fight through a gauntlet of enemies to reach him, meaning you need to plan for fighting him, and dealing with his goons. His second form is a brutal wake-up, introducing monster enemies and their tactics. He's almost certain to plaster Gilbert, and is likely to take out one or two of your own students if you're not careful. Essentially he acts as a test of a players ability to properly make sure they know how to equip their characters.
Would Hit a Girl: Or would abduct a girl, according to Yuri. What he does with the girls he abducts is left up in the air.
You Could Have Used Your Powers for Good!: Edelgard notes that despite not possessing a Crest, Miklan managed to make something of himself by becoming the leader of a successful group of bandits, demonstrating that he had fine leadership and strategic skills and charisma. She scorns the prevailing idea among nobility that Crests are the be-all, end-all of potential, and wonders what he could have done as a noble with proper training.

Monica

Monica von Ochs

Class: Assassin

Voiced by: Marika Kouno (Japanese), Colleen O'Shaughnessey (English)

Heir to House Ochs and a member of last year's Black Eagles, who vanished for reasons unknown. Discovered in the hands of the Death Knight, she rejoins the Officer's Academy.

Angst? What Angst?: Discussed In-Universe; a few characters like the Gatekeeper and Hilda notice that she acts too cheerful for someone who went missing for a year and was found kidnapped and unconscious underground, and they wonder if she's just trying to hide her trauma with an overly cheerful façade. This is because she wasn't kidnapped in the first place, as she is Kronya, who took on her identity to infiltrate the Officer's Academy.
Dead All Along: It's heavily suggested and outright stated by Edelgard herself in Balthus and Hapi's paralogue if it was done after Chapter 10 that the real Monica von Ochs likely died long before you "discovered her" in Chapter 6.
Foreshadowing: After her rescue, Monica can often be found spending a great deal of time in Edelgard's company. The reveal that she's actually Kronya, a member of "those who slither in the dark," is a big hint towards Edelgard working with them. Unlike Flayn, she will always rejoin the Black Eagles, and on a Black Eagles playthrough, will decline to participate in assignments, supposedly so as not to take opportunities from younger students.
Kill and Replace: Implied to have been the victim of this, like Tomas was. It's noted that her personality before disappearing the year before was different.
Non-Standard Character Design: Her portrait is angled and colored differently compared to the other characters, foreshadowing she's not who she claims to be.
Non-Uniform Uniform: She has red ribbons on her chest, and her tights are red instead of the standard blue.
The Pollyanna: She's quite cheerful for someone who was kidnapped and went missing for a whole year. That's because the woman you're interacting with was never kidnapped in the first place.
Wolf in Sheep's Clothing: Kronya takes her identity in order to infiltrate the Officers Academy.

Nader

Nader the Undefeated

Class: Wyvern Lord

Voiced by: Ryo Sugisaki (Japanese), Brad Venable (English; credited as D. Roy Bradley)

A warrior general of Almyra who despite his jovial nature has no issues leading his people in raids against Fódlan. He is also Claude's former combat instructor and occasionally does him favors while posing as a retainer named "Nardel".

Action Dad: Implied. Claude and Balthus's ending in Verdant Wind says that the latter goes on to become Nader's son-in-law, suggesting that Balthus married Nader's child.
An Axe to Grind: His main weapon.
Big Damn Heroes:
- On the Verdant Wind route, he joins forces with the Alliance to attack the Empire during the siege of Fort Merceus.
- He tries to do this on the Crimson Flower route to support Claude against the Black Eagle Strike Force, during their invasion of Derdriu, but his forces and himself are overpowered.
Big Fun: He has a gut, but he's very jovial even to his enemies.
Boisterous Bruiser: He goes into battle with laughter and a smile.
Contractual Boss Immunity: He has General as his personal skill.
Dragon Rider: His class is Wyvern Lord, and when he appears as a boss he's always accompanied by ever-spawning numbers of wyvern riders.
Friendly Enemy: In Edelgard's paralogue, he sincerely compliments the player characters on having the courage to face him, and maintains a jovial, amicable tone throughout the battle.
Improbable Aiming Skills: As Alliance forces infiltrate Fort Merceus, Nader enters with forces of his own. He and Claude meet in a test of skill and draw their bows toward each other, and the arrows collide mid-air.
Kryptonite-Proof Suit: Always carries an Aurora Shield on his inventory, which allows him to remove his class' weakness to bows.
Lightning Bruiser: He's quite fast and resilient in battle.
Out of Focus: Unlike many other significant NPCs, he doesn't appear at all on the Silver Snow and Azure Moon routes.
Pre-Mortem One-Liner:
"Accept the inevitable!"
"I am undefeated!"
"My skill is unmatched!"
"A thrill of battle!"
Red Baron:
- He is referred to as "The Undefeatable." However, Judith snarks about how the name came from him running away from battle before he could be defeated.
- On the Crimson Flower route, after the fall of the Leicester Alliance, facing him in an unlockable paralogue with Edelgard will have the two amusingly comment they'll have to call him "The Once Defeated" after his defeat at Derdriu now and that it doesn't have the same ring to it.
Sue Donym: He poses as a retainer named "Nardel" whenever Claude needs him to do a favor within Fódlan.
Turns Red: He has access to the Desperation and Defiant Avoid skills.
What Happened to the Mouse?: On the Verdant Wind route, he makes no other appearances after Chapter 18.

Pallardó

Class: Thief

Voiced by: Tasuku Kida (Japanese), Joe J. Thomas (English)

A bandit leader that takes refuge in the ruins of Garreg Mach monastery during the time skip.

Alas, Poor Villain: Subverted. After he's killed during Reunion at Dawn, Seteth remarks that Pallardó used to be a merchant in the Garreg Mach region, but after the monastery's defeat at the hands of the Empire, he was among the people who fell on hard times and turned to banditry to get by. Anna's Paralogue, however, reveals he was always a thug exploiting people for a profit.
Body Double: The first Pallardó you face down during Reunion at Dawn is one of these; after his defeat, the real one comes out of hiding. Incidentally, this makes him and his double a close approximation of the recurring "bandit twins" archetype seen throughout the rest of the franchise.
Bonus Boss: Is the boss of Anna and Jeritza's DLC Paralogue.
"Get Back Here!" Boss: After you defeat his body double in Reunion at Dawn, the real Pallardó comes out of hiding and tries to flee the battlefield; you're then tasked with defeating him before he escapes.
Karma Houdini Warranty: On the Azure Moon and Verdant Wind routes, you can fight him in Anna's paralogue in Part I, but he gets away with trying to screw Anna out of her profits and kill her and her friends. He isn't so lucky when you fight him in Chapter 13.
Killed Offscreen: His fate in the Crimson Flower version of Anna's DLC Paralogue, where he's disposed of by Jeritza.
Lone Wolf Boss: He's the first boss of the second part of the game in three routes out of four, but he has no ties with any of the major factions battling each other.
Mugging the Monster: In Anna's DLC Paralogue, he is confident that his mercenaries are capable of double-crossing Anna, but he is unaware that she has connections to some of the strongest warriors in the Church of Seiros. It's even worse on the Crimson Flower route, where he fails to realize that Anna has the Death Knight on her side, and he pays for this mistake with his life.
Pre-Mortem One-Liner:
"My, my!"
"I'll take your money and your life!"
"What did you expect out of a bandit?"
"Empty your pockets!"
Starter Villain: He's the first enemy fought during Part II for all routes save Crimson Flower, as on that route Garreg Mach has become a base of operations for the Empire. Instead, he becomes a Bonus Boss on the Crimson Flower route through Anna's Paralogue.

The Gatekeeper

Class: Soldier (Cipher), Green Mage (Heroes)

Voiced by: Shinobu Matsumoto (Japanese), Kyle McCarley (English)

^{Click here to see the Gatekeeper in Fire Emblem Heroes}

"Greetings, Professor! Nothing to report!"

The unnamed watchman who guards the monastery's main gates. He will often discuss the current goings-on with Byleth.

Backup Twin: Played with; among the Church's army there is a grunt who is actually the Gatekeeper's sibling, and according to the Gatekeeper he's quite faithful.
Blow That Horn: As a playable unit in Heroes, his personal weapon (and that's putting it loosely) is the Charging Horn, which he uses to summon a stampede of the other cast members.
Breakout Character: He's nothing but a Mauve Shirt, but his unexpected popularity due to his kind demeanor and catchy catchphrase led to him getting cameos in Cipher and Super Smash Bros. and winning Choose Your Legends 5 with more votes than either of the top two most voted heroines combined.
The Cameo: He makes an appearance in the Garreg Mach Monastery stage in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, watching the fight along with Dimitri, Dedue, and Ingrid in the marketplace.
Catchphrase: "Greetings, Professor! Nothing to report!" Which is always followed by a discussion of current events.
Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep": He's still refered to as the Gatekeeper even in Heroes. It's more apparent in the Forging Bonds event when fellow Three Houses representative Marianne calls out to him using his title when Thòrr is close to breaking him.
Manly Tears: He can barely hold himself together talking to Byleth after Jeralt's death.
Nice Guy: He's never anything but cheerful and polite in his conversations.
No Name Given: Despite being a recurring character, he's only ever called Gatekeeper.
Pre-Mortem One-Liner: In Heroes:
"Stop right there!"
"The way is shut!"
"No one gets through!"
"You're suspicious!"
Promoted to Playable: He won the 5th Choose Your Legends contest, earning himself a spot as a playable unit in Fire Emblem Heroes.
Subverted Catchphrase:
- In Chapter 6, when Flayn is abducted, he drops his usual greeting in favor of "Greetings, Professor! Today...there is quite a bit to report!"
- In Chapter 12 on all routes other than Crimson Flower, he states, "Greetings, Professor! Something to report!" That something is the Imperial army coming down on all of your heads.
Undying Loyalty: To protecting the gate; it's pretty much a gag with him considering it's how he finds familiarity when summoned in Heroes.
You Shall Not Pass!: His fighting style in Heroes in a nutshell. He has a jacked-up personal version of Obstruct as his B skill, and he gets stronger if there are allies or destroyable structures nearby.
Zerg Rush: His Heroes attack animation has him summon various characters from Three Houses to trample the enemy, including that game's incarnations of generic Myrmidons, Soldiers, and Fighters, and cameos from Cyril, Alois, Hanneman, Manuela, Aelfric, and base versions of Sylvain, Lorenz, and Rhea.

The Abysskeeper

Voiced by: Vernon Dew (English)

"Hey, you. Listen up. I've got something to report."

The Abyss's watchman and The Gatekeeper's underground counterpart. He will often discuss the current goings-on of the Abyss and his life with Byleth.

Catchphrase: "Hey, you. Listen up. I've got something to report."
Downloadable Content: He can only be seen by purchasing the game's DLC pass.
For Want of a Nail: Downplayed overall, but The Abysskeeper goes through slightly different events during Part II depending on the route.
Odd Friendship: Forms one with a Knight of Seiros assigned to provide extra security, whom he calls "Mr. Backup". Despite initially being quite passive-aggressive and against having to associate with a knight, the two bond and the Abysskeeper is quite sad when he goes back to work on the surface. Sadly, the knight is killed when the monastery falls to the Empire.

Divine Beasts

Lord of the Desert

Macuil, The Wind Caller

Class: Lord of the Desert

Crest: Macuil (Major)

A massive avian dragon who can sometimes be seen in the Sreng Desert.

Actually, I Am Him: He's the Macuil of the Four Saints.
The Aloner: Prefers living isolated from society, even losing track of how long he's been alone over the ages.
Blow You Away: Has innate power over wind as a wind dragon.
Bonus Boss: He's the boss of Claude's Paralogue, so he can only be encountered on Verdant Wind.
Cool Uncle: He has a soft spot for his niece Cethleann, a.k.a. Flayn.
Feathered Dragons: A quadrupedal dragon with avian wings and talons, a feathered tail and a birdlike head and beak.
Humans Are the Real Monsters: He doesn't have a particularly good view of humanity. Even when Seteth asks for his aid in rescuing Rhea, he rebukes him, detesting human civilization in general and wanting nothing to do with even his fellow Children of the Goddess. That said, he does warn your regular units to leave rather than simply fight to kill from the start.
Wind Caller: You have had your fun. If you are going to flee, now is your chance. If you are not going to flee... I shall take your life as payment!
Jerkass: Unlike the Immovable, the Wind Caller is noticeably bitter and hates humans to the point that not only will he kill them on sight if they don't heed his warnings, especially if they bear the blood of the Ten Elites, but he refuses Seteth (his own brother) when he pleads with him to help them save Seiros (one of his few living relatives) simply because it would involve fighting alongside humans in a human war. Even his progenitor Sothis is not exempt from his vitriol, as even though he does respect her power, he remarks Byleth has her "stench" on them.
Morality Pet: He's much nicer to Flayn in their conversation than he is with Seteth, Byleth, or Claude.
Our Dragons Are Different: He's a large feathery bird that is also a dragon.
Pre-Mortem One-Liner:
"You must prove yourself!"
"Tremble before me!"
"Wretched children!"
"Your spirit is weak!"
Semi-Divine: Being one of the Children of the Goddess, The Wind Caller is this by default. Flayn calls him "uncle".
Sins of the Father: In his conversation with Claude, he notes that he smells the blood of one of the 10 Elites on him, and then declares that he cannot allow anyone who bears their blood to live. Clearly, Macuil isn't over the slaughter of the Children of the Goddess even after all these centuries, and given the Abyssal Library reveals Seiros deliberately defied this trope by sparing the descendants of the Ten Elites and letting them join the Empire, it also explains why Macuil chose to vanish from Fódlan shortly after Nemesis's defeat.
Spanner in the Works: Seteth and Flayn have been keeping their identities as Cichol and Cethleann a secret, and if Flayn interacts with The Wind Caller during battle, he unknowingly (nearly) spoils it by speaking fondly to her and addressing her as "Ceth-", causing Flayn to hurriedly interrupt and ask him to keep quiet.
Sleepyhead: The battle against him ends when he decides to, of all things, fall asleep during the battle. Justified by the fact that Children of the Goddess do sleep to recover from injuries.
Sliding Scale of Gameplay and Story Integration: The Wind Caller is the only character in the game with the Crest of Macuil. No other character has this crest, playable or otherwise. Macuil is the Saint with the least trust in humans after the battle at Zanado, so there is no way he would ever willingly share his blood with humans.
Tarot Motifs: Through his Crest of Macuil, he represents the Magician, which when upright, represents resourcefulness, but when reversed, represents confusion and ill-intentions. The Wind Caller is very distrustful of humans and makes it very clear he will kill them if they don't leave him alone.

Lord of the Lake

Indech, The Immovable

Class: Lord of the Lake

Crest: Indech (Major)

A massive black turtle dragon who resides in Lake Teutates.

Actually, I Am Him: The guardian of Indech's legendary bow is Indech himself. Doesn't help that he's bad at hiding it and even says the bow was his own when defeated.
Blood Knight: He enjoys a good fight and is more than willing to reward those who best him in combat.
Bonus Boss: He appears in a Secret Paralogue only if Leonie and Linhardt are recruited into the same house. On the Crimson Flower route, he's also only accessible as long as you don't kill Seteth and Flayn in Chapter 15.
Dented Iron: Whether it be from old injuries or simply age is unclear, but if he speaks with Seteth (who notes the turtle dragon is holding back in the fight), he admits his power is not what it used to be and the best he can do is "have fun meddling with humans who wander in here". As such, it's decided it'd be best for him not to help with the search for Rhea, as it might be too much for him.
Humans Are the Real Monsters: Averted. Unlike the Wind Caller, The Immovable carries no grudge against humans and indeed admits he enjoys testing and rewarding them. He gives those who find him chances to run and lets them come to him if they wish to fight (though his phantom soldiers and he himself will not hesitate to strike down those who do), and upon being defeated, he gives up Indech's weapon without complaint. However, given that his Paralogue becomes inaccessible if Seteth and Flayn (his brother and niece, respectively) die during Chapter 15 of Crimson Flower regardless if Leonie is recruited, he may hold a grudge against humans who have killed both his fellow Saints and last remaining family.
Just Toying with Them: Linhardt notes that The Immovable's movements during the fight are not those of someone fighting seriously. The Immovable acknowledges this, but as he said at the beginning of the fight, this is a test, not a true battle.
Making a Splash: He is a water dragon and uses water-based attacks.
Our Dragons Are Different: He's a turtle dragon!
Pre-Mortem One-Liner:
"Your ashes are for the wind!"
"You must prove yourself!"
"Insignificant creature!"
"I see right through you!"
Semi-Divine: He is one of the Children of the Goddess. And, like The Wind Caller, Flayn calls him "uncle".
Socially Awkward Hero: He shows himself as being incredibly friendly when fighting the heroes, even enjoying just how much enthusiasm Leonie has about facing him while declaring she has no crest, but actual social interaction is incredibly difficult for Indech, and so he retreated away from the world.
Spanner in the Works: Seteth and Flayn have been keeping their identities as Cichol and Cethleann a secret, and if Flayn interacts with The Immovable during battle, he unknowingly (nearly) spoils it by speaking fondly to her and addressing her as "Ceth-", causing Flayn to hurriedly interrupt and ask him to keep quiet.
Tarot Motifs: Through his Crest of Indech, he represents Temperance, which represents moderation. The Immovable restrains himself to test those who challenge him.
Threshold Guardian: He acknowledges that he is mostly there to provide a challenge for heroes to acquire a special weapon.
Turtle Power: He's a massive turtle with a spiky shell.
Worthy Opponent: When he believes Byleth is Sothis' incarnation, he wants to face them and see such power for himself. He also acknowledges Leonie as worthy of the Inexhaustible bow upon being defeated.

Wandering Beast

Maurice, The Wandering Beast

Class: Wandering Beast

Crest: "The Beast" Maurice (Major)

A sapient Demonic Beast that has terrorized the forests south of Garreg Mach for many years.

Actually, I Am Him: He is Maurice, the progenitor of the Crest that Marianne bears.
Bonus Boss: Only faced in Marianne's Paralogue.
The Cameo: In Fire Emblem Heroes, he appears in Brave Marianne's Phantasm Tome animation as well as her Special attack artwork.
Death Seeker: Not immediately obvious due to his love of killing and eating, but Maurice secretly wants to die. Seeing the Sword of the Creator is enough for him to get his hopes up and pray that Byleth could finally kill him in battle.
Deadly Euphemism: Should Byleth confront the Wandering Beast, he will beg for his death by asking Byleth to "liberate" him. Considering Maurice precedes this request by noting Byleth is using the "sword of the king" and that he used to be one of the Ten (or rather, at least Eleven) Elites, this also serves as Foreshadowing for Nemesis' true nature and the origin of his moniker as the "King of Liberation".
Dying as Yourself: He regains his lucidity in his final moments, and congratulates Marianne for killing him.
Fog of War: His paralogue features this, which conceals the fact that many demonic beasts lurk around the map.
Graceful Loser: He congratulates Marianne and her retinue in defeating him, also thanking them for freeing him from his unenviable state.
Horror Hunger: Despite having retained his sapience, Maurice has been left a monster hungry for flesh and blood with a heavy amount of Bloodlust to keep him from trying to fight it.
Laser-Guided Karma: His current state is a result of being an ally of Nemesis, the man who caused the murder of Sothis and the genocide of the Children of the Goddess, since his sword made of their bodies is what caused him to transform into a monster. It's hard to say he didn't deserve it.
Living Distant Ancestor: As Maurice, he is this to Marianne.
Mercy Kill: Your goal during the fight with him is to put him out of his misery.
Pre-Mortem One-Liner:
"Die!"
"I cannot be stopped!"
Take Up My Sword: Upon his death, he bequeaths to Marianne his Hero Relic Blutgang, trusting that she will be able to wield it better.
Tarot Motifs: Through his Crest of the Beast, he represents the Devil, which is associated with temptation, materialism and enslavement when placed upright. Maurice, being the unacknowledged eleventh member of the Ten Elites, wielded a weapon created from the massacre of the Children of the Goddess in a war of conquest and turned into a monster that is now defined by his craving for flesh and blood. When reversed, the Devil represents freedom, and Maurice earns his freedom in death.
Unperson: Maurice originally fought alongside the other legendary heroes of yore, but turned into a Demonic Beast during a battle, leading to his name purged from most records and his descendants treated with scorn (if not outright executed).

Fire Emblem Three House Character Design

Source: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Characters/FireEmblemThreeHouses