Meet the cream of the crop

Fire Emblem: Three Houses serves up a feast of 40 playable characters. Each member of this colorful cast has a complex backstory and an intriguing secret. But, who are the cream of the crop? You're about to find out. Here are the ten best characters in Three Houses. (Spoilers ahead!)

10. Sylvain

Sylvain is a member of the Blue Lions house and the Academy's resident playboy. Introduced as a shallow and easygoing skirt-chaser, Sylvain is later revealed to be a very caring and staunchly principled guy. He's insightful, self-aware, and surprisingly sensitive.  As his story unravels, it becomes clear that who he chooses to be on the surface is vastly different from who he actually is. 

What Makes Sylvain Great

• Depth. The best thing about Sylvain is the surprising and impressive depth of character he's capable of. He is deeply self-aware and knows that a lot of people only like him for his Crest. He actively seeks out relationships, looking for someone to like him for who he is, instead of what he has.
• Interactions with other characters. Different characters react to Sylvain's antics in vastly different ways—few accept and understand him, some try to tolerate him, others attempt to lecture and change him, while a handful of characters just outright avoid him.
• Versatility as a battle unit. Sylvain starts in the Paladin class, and it's heavily hinted that he'd make a great knight. He has all the makings of a skilled physical fighter, but what sets him apart is his budding talent for Reason. You get the best of both worlds with Sylvain. With his stats and a large network of supports with other characters, he is useful in battle as a physical attack specialist or a magic expert—or both!

9. Linhardt

Linhardt is the Adrestian Empire's brightest mind and the Black Eagles' laziest member. Excessively chill and unapologetically blunt, Linhardt remains true to himself throughout the game. His upbringing is relatively simple compared to most of his peers. While an intricate and tragic backstory is always riveting, his lack of life-altering trauma and resulting level-headedness is a welcome and refreshing change of pace.

What Makes Linhardt Great

• Personality. Linhardt's personality is the best and most memorable thing about him. A lazy scholar, who generally stays out of everyone's way, makes for an endearing character with many intriguing insights to offer.
• Dialogue. Linhardt's bluntness opens the doors for a lot of sarcasm and witty banter. He's unafraid to speak his mind and call it as he sees it, which always makes for interesting interactions with other characters.
• Mage. Linhardt is one of the strongest magic-based units in Three Houses. He has the rare ability to learn the incredibly useful Warp spell, which allows him to rescue an ally unit from the thick of battle. He also gains access to Physic, a spell that allows long-distance healing, very early in the game.

8. Hilda

Hilda is the peppy, pink-haired, ax-wielding, responsibility-dodging daughter of the noble House Goneril. She is a member of the Golden Deer house, and later, becomes Claude's hesitant right hand. Like Claude himself, she's much more complex than she appears and knows more than she usually lets on. Despite her tendency towards laziness and manipulating others into doing her chores for her, Hilda is a deeply loyal friend. She is a refreshingly wholesome and simple girl, who will go to great lengths to protect the people around her.

What Makes Hilda Great

• Character Design. There is no denying that Hilda has one of the most eye-catching character designs in the game. You can see that head of pink hair from a mile away! She's cute, fun, and an absolute delight to see on screen.
• Offense! Offense! Offense! Hilda is an excellent offensive unit. Although she might take some time to train, her stats gear her towards becoming one of the best frontline attack units you can have.
• Battle Quotes. Hilda has some of the most memorable battle quotes in the game, such as "Guess I have no choice!" and "I want to go home!"

7. Dedue

Besides being one of Three Houses’ best armored units, Dedue caters to fans of the Gentle Giant archetype. He's a large and intimidating man, who is stoic, polite, kind, and fiercely loyal—especially to Dimitri. Central to the Duscur sub-plot of the game, Dedue's story exposes the more subtle intricacies of politics within Fódlan. He is a victim of the war and corruption happening between the nations and suffers discrimination because of his origins.

What Makes Dedue Great

• Storylines. Dedue's very presence in the Academy is polarizing, with many believing he's dangerous. His interactions with other characters sometimes reveal more about them than him.
• Human Shield. On the battlefield, Dedue is an almost impenetrable wall. He's excellent at both physical offense and defense and is inarguably one of the best armored units you can have.

6. Dorothea

Dorothea is one of the most versatile units Three Houses has to offer, with an impressive spell list and incredibly useful unique abilities. The only commoner from the Black Eagles house, she offers a fresh perspective on life in war-torn Fódlan. She's a multi-layered character, who is genuine in a way that many characters of noble birth can’t afford to be. She's confident, charming, and a true ride-or-die.

What Makes Dorothea Great

• Perspective. Shaped by her childhood as a street orphan, Dorothea has a unique view of the world. She's pragmatic and puts herself and her friends before anything; where others might struggle with prioritizing their family name or upholding patriotism.
• Character Design. As they say in show business, all publicity is good publicity. While her hat has caused forum-long debates among fans of Three Houses, her character design is undeniably one of the most eye-catching among the ensemble.
• Dancer. Proficient in Reason and Swords, Dorothea is an excellent choice for the Dancer class. She has immense potential for high Evasiveness, and her extremely high Charm stat gives her attacks a sure edge.

5. Edelgard

Edelgard is the iconic girl in red on the game's cover art. One of the most popular characters around, even if you haven't played Three Houses, you've surely seen her head of white hair or heard her name somewhere. She is introduced as the capable leader of the Black Eagles house, and heir to the throne of the Adrestian Empire. One of the most complex and nuanced characters in the entire game, Edelgard harbors secrets that ultimately change the world. She is central to one of the biggest plot twists in the entire story and grounded in a past so deeply tragic, it's hard to hate her even after all the... y'know, war crimes.

What Makes Edelgard Great

• Storyline. Edelgard's storyline deepens both her character and the lore of the game. Through her interactions with others, your eyes are truly opened to the dark ongoings that eventually plunge Fódlan to war.
• Ideals. Edelgard's capacity for extreme violence and tendency towards merciless cruelty is refreshing to see in a protagonist from a Fire Emblem title. 
• Character Design. Again? Yes! Everything from her white hair to her white eyes to her red cape and her red tights is iconic. Not to mention the bad-ass ax.

4. Flayn

What Flayn lacks in combat ability, she makes up for in one of the most intriguing backstories in the entire game. Flayn is first introduced as Seteth's sweet and curious sister and a young resident of Garreg Mach. She is at the center of what might be the most shocking character revelation in the entire game; even more shocking than the reveal of the Flame Emperor's true identity.

What Makes Flayn Great

• Her secret. While Flayn has many great qualities that make her an excellent character, her secret is what makes her and her story some of the most unforgettable in the entire game. The excitement of suspecting the truth about her, and eventually finding out the truth, makes for amazing gameplay.
• Her curiosity. If you're a first-time player, you'll find it easy to relate to Flayn's curiosity about the world and its lore. Just like someone dropped into an unfamiliar time and place, she wants to know why people in Fódlan do the things they do.
• Her speech. Because of who she really is, Flayn speaks in an excessively formal way. It's interesting to hear, and sometimes, even funny.

3. Dimitri

The blonde boy with the blue cape in the game's cover art is Dimitri, the leader of the Blue Lions and future ruler of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus. Dimitri has had his fair share of life-altering trauma, so, his drastic change from good boy to menacing murderer during the time skip should come as no surprise. He is one of the most emotionally complex characters in the game and spends a lot of his time struggling with grief and acceptance. Despite the sometimes cartoonish levels of anger and violence he tends to display, Dimitri is a very human character

What Makes Dimitri Great

• Character Growth. Dimitri goes through one of the most impressive character redemption arcs towards the end of the game. It's inspirational seeing him struggle through very human problems, and emerge a stronger and better person.
• Relationships. Dimitri is a great character all on his own but his relationships with his peers and the ways he relates with the world around him really elevate his character. 
• Excellent Frontliner. His stats gear him towards leading the team on the battlefield. Although lacking the versatility of some characters, Dimitri has high HP, Strength and Defense, which makes him extremely durable and able to weather attacks. (Many fans have even gone on to argue that Dimitri is one of the most overpowered units in Three Houses.)

2. Claude

Bearing his trademark bow, adorned in his iconic yellow, and wearing his signature smirk, Claude leads the Golden Deer house. He is a shrewd and cunning character, with a backstory that sheds light on the complexities of Fódlan's relationship with surrounding lands. Claude is a master tactician and expert manipulator equipped with endless charisma and a silver tongue. Claude doesn't undergo any significant change in character throughout the game. In fact, he stays mostly the same. Instead, you get to know him and his true motivations better as you progress through the main storyline

What Makes Claude Great

• Stats. Claude is an excellent marksman and flier. This opens up any map he's on to many new tactical possibilities.
• Relationships. Claude is witty and a great conversationalist, which makes his supports with other characters a delight to watch. Being the social butterfly that he is, he has so many of them, too.
• Perspective. Because of who he really is, Claude offers a fresh perspective on Fódlan—an outsider's view.

1. Lysithea

Besides her unique name and bright white hair, there is an endless list of reasons that this Golden Deer is one of the best characters in Three Houses. Lysithea's backstory is one of the most tragic ones among the ensemble. She's younger than most of the characters but detests being treated like a child; yelling at or picking a fight with anyone who insists on squishing her cheek or patting her head. The end of the game sees her a bit softer around the edges than she was at the start, and more closely connected to her peers than she was before.

What Makes Lysithea Great

• Storyline. Her backstory is one of the most intriguing ones in the game, and it greatly expands Fódlan's lore. Lysithea's past as a subject of cruel Crest experiments exposes a very dark side to the worship of the Church and Crests among Fódlan's residents and elite. 
• Character Design. Lysithea is so cute, you just want to reach into your screen and put her in your pocket. Watch that hand, though! She'll slap it away and berate you for treating her like a child.
• Magic. Inarguably the best pure-magic unit in Three Houses, Lysithea is the ideal mage. She falls short on defense and HP, but partner her up with a good defensive unit, and she'll plow through those enemies on the battlefield without breaking a sweat.

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