Hello everyone! After explaining the pairings I made in Fire Emblem Awakening (https://www.reddit.com/r/fireemblem/comments/1rdavv4/awakening_secondgeneration_pairings_based_on_love/), I'm now sharing my vision for Three Houses. So many hours of work deserve to be shared with the whole world! ;)

First of all, here's my logic: I only want explicit romantic endings. I only pair characters who seem to me to have the most believable and happy relationships possible, and/or whose relationship involves an interesting story element.

I'm playing the Blue Lions, I have 75 hours in the game, and I'm currently on Chapter 14, The Prince of Misfortune. I've recruited every character so I won't have to fight them later.

Dimitri x Byleth (F)

At first, I wanted my character (female Byleth) to remain single, or to end up with Seteth so he wouldn't be alone. I don't really consider my avatar a character in her own right. She doesn't even have a voice!

However, I have to admit that Dimitri seems to have feelings for her. "I was... No, we were worried about you." There are quite a few hints and little remarks suggesting that his feelings go beyond the respect he has for his professor.

Byleth helps him overcome his trauma, and there's something interesting about their relationship in that regard: she starts the story with her own emotions practically numbed. She's never even cried in her life! But as the story progresses, she gradually bonds with her students, the people at the monastery, and the world around her. They both change through their relationship, and I find that really compelling.

Dedue x Mercedes

They're both fundamentally kind people. They're gentle souls who want to build something that will help others. Mercedes takes an interest in Dedue's culture and helps him understand that his people will never truly disappear as long as their memory and traditions are passed on.

I like the idea of them building something together that goes beyond their own happiness. Their relationship feels peaceful and sincere, and I think they would bring out the best in each other.

Felix x Flayn

Felix has a soft spot for cute girls, and Flayn could give him a purpose beyond the war. Felix knows how to fight, and that's pretty much all he can imagine himself doing with his life. He's so focused on his sword that he struggles to picture a future beyond combat.

Flayn, with her curiosity and her appreciation for the little things in life, could help him discover that there's more to living than fighting. I like the idea of someone who's spent so much time surrounded by death finding a reason to enjoy life again.

Ashe x Annette

Ashe has so many great support options that Annette wasn't my first choice, but I had to pair everyone up somehow!

I'd say Annette supports Ashe in his dream of becoming a knight. They're both hardworking, earnest people with big dreams, and physically, they look really cute together.

Plus, Gilbert would become Ashe's father-in-law! He's a source of wisdom, but at the same time, he's a man who's lost his way by spending his entire life punishing himself for something he could never have changed. That creates a really interesting mentor-student dynamic. Ashe could learn a lot from him, but perhaps Gilbert could also learn something from Ashe's ability to keep looking forward instead of letting the past define him.

Sylvain x Ingrid

Ingrid doesn't fall for men easily, and that's her greatest strength. Sylvain would never have to wonder whether she's interested in him because of his Emblem or his status.

I also love the childhood-friends trope, especially when it's the notorious flirt who eventually ends up with the girl who's always telling him off. You know, like Ryo Saeba and Kaori in City Hunter I find it funny and satisfying that the guy who flirts with every woman around him could end up with the one woman who refuses to play along with his usual nonsense.

And because Ingrid knows him so well, she can see through his act.

Seteth x Manuela

Now THIS was an unexpected gem!

The slightly nymphomaniac woman with the deeply principled man of faith. I love the trope of a couple where one person is virtuous, reserved, and rather uptight, while the other is outgoing, uninhibited, and a little wild.

Manuela could shake him up a little and help him heal from a century of grief. She's almost the opposite of him, but that's precisely what makes the pairing interesting. Seteth has spent so long being serious and carrying the weight of the past that Manuela could remind him that he's allowed to enjoy life, too.

The only downside is that she won't live nearly as long as he will. She's already in her forties. But perhaps that's also part of what makes their relationship meaningful: she could teach him to appreciate the present instead of constantly worrying about the future. What's the point of living if you don't actually live and have some fun?

And there's something bittersweet about the idea that, after losing his wife, Seteth could find love again with someone who reminds him of her in certain ways, yet is still very much her own person.

Caspar x Petra

His father killed hers. We're talking Greek tragedy here, except this one gets a happy ending!

Caspar is a good guy: straightforward, honorable, and the kind of person who charges ahead because he believes in what he's doing. He's not particularly subtle, but his heart is in the right place.

I think Petra is a great match for him because she's just as determined and courageous, but in a very different way. She's a princess who has had to adapt to a foreign country, learn its language, and navigate its customs while carrying the weight of her people's future on her shoulders. Caspar, on the other hand, is much more instinctive and uncomplicated. He acts first because he trusts his convictions.

And the family history makes it all the more powerful. Their relationship could become a way of moving beyond the hatred and violence inherited from the previous generation.

Ignatz x Marianne

I love the idea of two gentle, quiet people finding comfort in each other. Ignatz helps Marianne lift her eyes and see the beauty of the world around her.

He literally shows her a sunset! How romantic is that?

Ignatz is an artist who notices beauty in things other people might overlook, while Marianne often struggles to see anything good in herself or her future. I like the idea that he could help her discover beauty not just in nature, but in life itself. And Marianne, in turn, could become someone who genuinely appreciates and supports his artistic soul.

Raphael x Bernadetta

The classic pairing of the shy little girl and the big, goofy guy who never takes things personally. He's basically a giant, lovable teddy bear, and he's also incredibly protective of his little sister.

Raphael has the patience to help Bernadetta come out of her shell without making her feel bad about herself. He doesn't seem like the kind of person who would get offended by her running away or freaking out, and that could make him a very reassuring presence in her life.

And yes, Bernadetta can be an absolutely exhausting character sometimes! But I like the idea that Raphael's uncomplicated kindness could help her feel safe enough to open up to people. He doesn't need to understand every single one of her fears to care about her.

Ferdinand x Dorothea

Ahhh, the handsome, slightly naive Prince Charming and the damsel in distress who has plenty of attitude of her own.

This is a perfect pairing. I have nothing to complain about!

Dorothea hates the hypocrisy of the nobility, but then she meets THE nobleman who takes his role and the example he should set extremely seriously. Ferdinand genuinely believes that nobles have a responsibility to others, and he wants to become someone worthy of that responsibility.

And Dorothea is exactly the kind of person who can challenge him and make him examine what nobility actually means. She doesn't want to be valued simply because she's beautiful or talented; she wants someone who respects her as an equal.

I love that Ferdinand could be the kind of nobleman who makes her reconsider her opinion of the entire aristocracy, while Dorothea could help him understand the world beyond his privileged upbringing. It's a classic romance trope, but it works beautifully here.

Leonie x Lorenz

Another classic trope: the commoner and the self-important nobleman!

Lorenz falls for Leonie despite her social status and her strong personality. She's not impressed by his title, his manners, or his grand ideas about nobility, and I love that she isn't afraid to tell him exactly what she thinks of him.

They're a bit like a bickering couple, constantly getting on each other's nerves. I find that whole enemies-to-lovers, "why do I even like this person?" dynamic really fun.

Lysithea x Linhardt

Well, for starters, he saves her life. That's a pretty good reason to ship two characters!

Linhardt is often portrayed as lazy and obsessed with doing as little work as possible. But he's also fascinated by mysteries and loves finding solutions to problems. When something genuinely interests him, he's capable of being remarkably perceptive and persistent.

He figures out Lysithea's secret with astonishing ease. She spends so much of her life trying to hide her condition and prove that she's capable, that I can imagine it being a relief to meet someone who sees through her without judging her.

I think Lysithea could be drawn to the fact that Linhardt doesn't treat her like a fragile child, despite knowing how serious her condition is. He sees a problem that needs solving, and he has the ability to help her. Meanwhile, she could give him a reason to put his intelligence to work on something that truly matters.

Hilda x Cyril

And here we have another classic: cultural differences!

At first, Hilda is quite critical of Almyrans, but she gradually comes to appreciate Cyril. He's not impressed by her usual tricks and sees through her attempts to get other people to do her work for her.

I think it's good for Hilda to have a man who stands up to her a little. She's used to getting her way by being charming and acting helpless, but Cyril doesn't fall for it. He knows what hard work looks like, and he's not going to let her manipulate him into doing everything for her.

At the same time, I like the idea that Hilda gradually learns to see Cyril as an individual rather than judging him based on his origins.

It's a fun dynamic, and I like that their differences are actually part of the story rather than just a superficial contrast.

When you look at the throne of knowledge incident, Dimitri finally found out his suspicions of the Flame emperor were true. He broke and laughed. He was fully prepared to kill and slaughter Edelgard's troops. However, Byleth knew about his trauma before chapter 11 and what he's been dealing with. And clearly they know the past mental breaks Dimitri had like in remire village or in the "Forest of death." as Kronya calls it. Now you could argue, yes Dimitri is a crest powered human with massive strength and power and he did push byleth away. However all Byleth did was put a hand on his shoulder and then just watched. Now as a professor, I feel like as a professor, Byleth could have done more to protect Dimitri's wellbeing and mental wellbeing by stepping into his path or continuing to stop him.

And the thing is, you can't blame byleth much because they were born like this. So it took a lot of time in the story to full learn emotions and connect with their students and i'm not saying byleth is a bad character, the flaws make them great, you have to know that.

And then Chapter 11, Byleth ofc has limited dialogue choices like "Don't lose control out there." and "Don't act rashly. We're in this together." Now to someone who is on the verge of literal insanity, Byleth obviously could have said something lot better but due to this being the academy phase, they don't understand much about emotion too much.

Its sad to see how a student was hurt by this and their professor couldn't do much.

however... Azure moon Byleth had a chance to fix things because they fully realized what this trauma was doing to their student i commend that for byleth's writing.

He was right. We aren't nearly as beautiful as Yuri.

This is going to be a semi-vent post, semi-appreciation post, because I need to get some thoughts off my chest about this game and the discussion surrounding it in english-speaking communities.

The "not a true Fire Emblem" discourse has existed since... probably even before Awakening, I dunno. I haven't been around that long, but what I will say is that I have seen the most of this kind of talk since Fortune's Weave released, and it bothers me a lot. This game is already very special to me in a way almost no other Fire Emblem game is, and it's all in the little details that no one seems to be talking about.

In a famous interview featuring both series creater Shouzou Kaga and Final Fantasy series creator Hironobu Sakaguchi, Kaga went on record saying the following: "When Fire Emblem first came out on the Famicom, the early reviews were really harsh. Every game magazine gave it pretty bad scores. There weren’t really many games back then that combined the RPG and strategy / simulation genres, you see." This quote really resonates with me, because it is precisely those simulation elements he mentions that I am appreciating most about this game. It's all in the little details, as illustrated by the attached photo. Understated little intricacies that aren't immediately evident. Characters come and go from Dagsion according to the calendar date, and you can bump into them on the world map. Certain events and activities are only available at certain places and at certain times of day. Character age updates are reflected in their profiles on their canonical in-game birthdays. Don't even get me started on crests/diadems. No other series of JRPGs was doing this blend of tactics and simulation back when Fire Emblem was new, and I would argue no other series is doing it quite like Fire Emblem even today.

All the "chore emblem" and "persona emblem" rhetoric is becoming incredibly tiresome as well. The games these turn-based strategy elitists hold in so high regard feature these elements as well, (FE4 and Tellius base preparations come to mind), though admittedly with not as much focus. I actually very much enjoy FE4's inventory and preparation systems, but I would much rather spend time in Dagsion and Dagda's world map than run through the arena with every character for an hour in Jugdral.

And on that note, being called a "tourist," a "fake fan," or even a "colonizer" (yes, I'm serious) because I thoroughly enjoy the latest game in a series I have invested time and money into for over a decade is incredibly disheartening and disappointing. My favorite games in this series prior to Fortune's Weave were Thracia 776, Path of Radiance, and Radiant Dawn. Please don't call me a "colonizer" because I like the direction the series is headed... You're just wrong.

All of this is to say, I think many long-time fans are missing a very special game because all they want is the old chapter-to-chapter-to-chapter formula back. I, on the other hand, appreciate Fire Emblem leaning more into the simulation elements that have always been present, and in fact, hope they lean into them MORE. I love this game, so much.

Source: https://x.com/kaswooshle/status/2111986456277270577

Source: https://x.com/krembeni/status/2112193733311795339

Cleobulus looks GORGEOUS in this game, even prittier than his Cornelia form/body in my opinion. Either way, he has amazing taste!

I used to think Fortuna's name was Nocturna so much to when I learned the actual name I've stuck with Nocturna.