Fire Emblem: Three Houses has it all: intense battles, game strategy, a gripping story, and a cast of characters to meet and fall in love with. If you haven’t had the chance to try this popular RPG, you may not be familiar with the premise of the game, in which you play as a young mercenary named Byleth becomes a professor at the Garreg Mach Monastery and has to choose one of three houses (get it?) to teach. Byleth is required to make this decision fairly early in the game; and even though the game’s main storyline remains the same no matter what house you pick, that decision will determine yours and other characters’ fates as you continue on.

Choosing which house to teach is no easy decision. Each house has eight characters, all with unique battle proficiencies and personalities. So, with over 30 unique characters all with varying skills and talents, which characters are the ones that really leave an impression? Here are the Top 10 Fire Emblem: Three Houses Characters, based on personality, battle skills, and overall storyline:

10. Mercedes (Blue Lions)

Student Mercedes von Martrtiz

Why she’s great:

She’s the epitome of that “soft girl” aesthetic, with beautiful light blonde hair, a love for sweets and cats, and a fondness for tea time dates. She has a voice that’s so soft it evokes the image of cotton candy and fluffy clouds, and she never says a mean thing ever. Also, she’s a bisexual queen.

Out of all of the healers in the game, her starting HP of 25 is the highest, making her the best one to bring into a long and dangerous fight. And with a little extra practice, her magic skills aren’t too shabby either.

She truly just wants to help people. From the moment she stepped into Garreg Mach all she wanted was to join the church so she could spread that philanthropic spirit to all. How can you not support those selfless goals?

9. Raphael (Golden Deer)

Student Raphael Kirsten

Why he’s great:

At first glance, his large stature and huge muscles may come off as intimidating, but spend just five minutes with him and you’ll realize he’s a big cinnamon roll, who just wants to have a good time and eat a lot of food.

His starting HP and strength level are a whopping 30 and 12 respectively, meaning that he’ll decimate those low-level enemies. Level him up as a Brawler, and he can easily become strong enough to take down enemies unarmed. Say goodbye to all those costly weapon repairs!

The way he talks about his little sister - and how everything he’s doing is for her benefit - is the cutest and sweetest thing ever.

8. Bernadetta (Black Eagles)

Student Bernadetta von Varley

Why she’s great:

She’s basically a smol bean that you will instantly want to protect. Also, she’s hella relatable – who can’t relate to always wanting to stay indoors all day?

With great starting stats and growth rates, she’s easily the BEST archer in the game. Also, her commentary during battle is the most entertaining thing. (Bernadetta: *kills an enemy*. Also Bernadetta: “Can I go home now?”)

She has an utterly tragic and traumatic backstory that will surely make you cry when you hit her “A” support level. But she’s coping incredibly despite that, which is immensely admirable.

7. Ferdinand (Black Eagles)

Student Ferdinand von Aegir

Why he’s great:

His obsession with nobility is incredibly entertaining. He’s easily the funniest character in the game. Also, every time you move him to attack he reminds you of his long and noble name, which can honestly be helpful especially if you have Sylvain on your team and you’re constantly getting the two redheads mixed up.

He has no weaknesses, and his strengths lie in nearly all physical capabilities. It’s super easy to level him up as a knight and get him on a horse in no time.

His post-timeskip transformation (both physically and emotionally) is probably one of the most intense ones in the game. But his character really does a 180 when reality hits him hard. And it’s amazing to watch.

6. Sylvain (Blue Lions)

Student Sylvain Jose Gautier

Why he’s great:

He’s a little bit of a jerk, but he’s completely self-aware and makes fun of it, which is admirable. Also, despite the corny pick-up lines, his flirting skills are not half bad. (If nothing else, they’ll make you laugh.) *Bonus: If you play as female Byleth and don’t choose the Blue Lions, he’ll join your house immediately if you ask him.

His beginning lance skills are deadly; and if you level him up correctly, he makes an amazing Dark Knight which is incredibly useful in the harder battles post-time-skip.

As soon as you get past the outward appearance of a philandering young man, it’s clear that he’s really just a sweet boy who’s faced a lot of hardship in his life and is looking to make a sincere connection with someone. And as long as you play your support levels right, he can!

5. Petra (Black Eagles)

Student Petra Macneary

Why she’s great:

She’s a literal princess and completely fearless despite being in a foreign country. Plus she rocks a braid like no one else.

She’s strong and has a bunch of different physical strengths (sword, axe, AND bow). You could really take her any class route you want; but the general opinion is that she makes a strong Wyvern Rider or Lord with her ever-growing speed stat, which will help her completely avoid a wyvern’s “weakness” to arrows.

If you decide not to pursue an “S” Level romance with her, it’s completely fine because she is honestly shippable with any of the other male characters in the game, making for the cutest epilogue stories between her and her partner.

4. Hilda (Golden Deer)

Student Hilda Valentine Goneril

Why she’s great:

Like our gal Bernie, Hilda is also incredibly relatable. She doesn’t really give a sh*t about anything, and nearly every character (including herself) comments on her laziness. But she’s amazingly clever and smart, as evidenced by her support scenes with the other characters, where she effortlessly manipulates each of them into doing her chores for her.

Though she claims to hate fighting, her starting HP is 29 and starting strength skill is 10, easily making her the strongest female character. Make her one of your main players and grind a bit with auxiliary and quest battles, and watch those numbers only continue to grow.

If you stick around with Hilda long enough, you’ll discover her laziness stems from something a lot deeper and sadder. Plus, she has a handful of moments that illustrate her genuine kindness and love for the people she considers her friends. And when it all comes down to it, who are we (as video gamers) to judge a gal for being a little lazy?

3. Dorothea (Black Eagles)

Student Dorothea Arnault

Why she’s great:

She’s effortlessly gorgeous, has a beautiful singing voice, and doesn’t apologize for her romantic endeavors. We stan.

She’s both physically and magically strong, and once you level her up you get the best magic skill of all, “Meteor”, which makes it possible to instantly kill enemies who are on the other side of the battlefield. Also, she’s the best candidate for the “Dancer” class, as her strengths include sword-fighting and magic. Plus she looks amazing in her dancer costume.

She is outwardly confident but she has a vulnerable side too. She just wants to find love so she’ll never have to end up on the streets again - how can you not support her goals? Also, you can marry her regardless of the gender of your avatar!

2. Dedue (Blue Lions)

Student Dedue Molinaro

Why he’s great:

Each of the three house leaders has a best friend; and of all the three, Dedue is the best. He’s completely loyal to Dimitri (unlike Hilda, who will ditch the Golden Deer if Byleth plays their cards right) and is thankful for Byleth’s protection (unlike Hubert, who threatens Byleth when he feels they’re getting too close to Edelgard).

His starting physical strength is a hefty 12, and like Raphael as soon as you level him up you can make him a Brawler who can easily defeat enemies with his bare hands, meaning you can save even more on weapon repairs.

From the beginning of the game, Dedue is deemed a villain by the majority of his classmates because of his ethnicity. Despite the racism, he continues to be kind to everyone and chooses not to let the talking get to him.

1. Claude (Golden Deer)

Student house leader Claude von Riegan

Why he’s great:

He’s a great house leader, with a charismatic and reliable attitude. He’s someone who will fearlessly charge into battle, but also isn’t afraid to kick back and relax every now and then.

His strengths include sword and bow skills, flying and horseback riding, and authority - making it clear why he’s a strong leader. Plus, post-timeskip he immediately becomes a Wyvern Master - the only unique class with the ability to fly.

He puts his friends and allies’ needs above everything else. True, sometimes his morals are a little questionable, but it comes from a place of genuine selflessness and concern for the people around him. Also (*spoiler!*) HE’S THE ONLY HOUSE LEADER WHO DOESN’T THREATEN TO KILL YOU AT SOME POINT.

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