Claude


 * For the similarly named Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War character, see Claud.

"Yet we have the strength to scale the walls between us, to reach out our hands in friendship so we can open our true hearts to one another. That's how we win!"

Claude is a playable character and one of the protagonists in Fire Emblem: Three Houses. He possesses a minor Crest of Riegan, that is named after the noble House that he is the presumptive heir. Claude is the leader of Golden Deer in Officers Academy, and wields bows as his main weapon. He is 17 years old at the start of the game.

Early life
Claude is the heir to House Riegan, the preeminent house of the Leicester Alliance, and the grandson of its leader through his mother Judith. Though he was born in Imperial Year 1162, he was not legitimated as heir until Imperial Year 1179, a year before enrolling at the Officers Academy.

Academy phase
As a student at the Officers Academy in Garreg Mach Monastery in Imperial Year 1180, Claude is the house leader of the Golden Deer.

War phase
{{Spoiler|No matter which route is chosen, Claude teams with Dimitri and the Knights of Seiros, led by Archbishop Rhea, to defend Garreg Mach against the Adrestian Empire. They are crushed by Adrestian forces, and are forced to surrender, also losing Byleth in the process during the battle.

Over the five years during which Byleth was absent, Claude becomes leader of the Alliance, but is forced to weather in-fighting between the Empire’s supporters and Alliance loyalists. Claude takes advantage of this, using the internal struggle to show neutrality in the impending war between the Empire and the rest of Fódlan. However, depending on the route, this may prove costly, or continue to play into the Alliance’s hands.

Every route and ending allows Claude to survive the war, though he leaves the continent to return to Almyra and ascend the throne as its king. Depending on his ending in the Golden Deer route, he may return to Fódlan, or even visit Brigid or Dagda for a bit before becoming King of Almyra.

Crimson Flower
If the Black Eagles route is chosen, Claude will find himself ill-prepared for the Empire to invade the Alliance first. A series of battles eventually lead to Claude being driven back to the Alliance capital, Derdriu. He and the Alliance army are soundly defeated by the Empire, but Edelgard has the option to spare or kill him. If he is spared, he entrusts the Alliance and its territory to Edelgard, believing she is capable of governing the people justly in his absence as he returns to Almyra. If he is slain, Edelgard surmises he'd accounted for his death all along, as his death would quell any further resistance by the Alliance and end the fighting between the Empire and the Alliance.

Azure Moon
If the Blue Lions route is chosen, the Alliance army follows behind Faerghus’s as they march into Imperial territory, where they are intercepted by Edelgard’s own forces. Amidst the flames of war, Claude is forced to lament the brutality of the promised class reunion, before engaging in battle with the other two nations. He has his army stay neutral and wait for the battle to unfold before making a move, unless he is attacked first; regardless of the battle’s result, Claude retreats. He later requests assistance from Dimitri when the Empire invades his territory. After the battle, he entrusts House Riegan’s Failnaught to Dimitri before placing the Alliance under the protection of Faerghus, and leaving Fódlan for Almyra.

Verdant Wind
If the Golden Deer route is chosen, Claude will be the first student with whom Byleth reunites, at a chance encounter in Garreg Mach. The Alliance, led by Claude’s tactics, deftly lets the war play out while fiercely protecting its boundaries, before eventually aiding Dimitri and Faerghus in taking down Edelgard and the Empire. Claude will then let Byleth finish off Edelgard themselves, before turning his gaze homeward and steeling his troops to take down Those Who Slither in the Dark. After the battle against the revived Nemesis is won, he returns to Almyra to become its ruler and forges an alliance with Fódlan. }}

Personality
Claude seems easygoing, but he sometimes shows a side that you cannot let your guard down around. He is a cunning strategist and not above using dirty tactics. He does so out of true care for his allies as he would rather his allies be alive through shady ploys than dead by sticking to a higher sense of morals. Following the time skip, Claude has built such a reputation for tactics that even doing nothing makes other nations’ strategists, such as Hubert, overly concerned about his next move.

However, aside from the usual casualties as a result of war, Claude does not enjoy killing people and most of his schemes involve incapacitating his foes before the battle begins rather than killing them outright.

Claude dislikes blind faith in gods, reliance on chance, being bound by common sense. On the other hand, he enjoys archery, long rides, subjects of curiosity, poetry, scheming and organizing feasts.

Growth Rates

 * 35%
 * 40%
 * 25%
 * 60%
 * 55%
 * 45%
 * 30%
 * 25%
 * 55%
 * }

Maximum Stats

 * 71
 * 61
 * 40
 * 89
 * 76
 * 63
 * 50
 * 42
 * 76
 * }

Learnt Magic

 * D
 * Wind
 * Heal
 * D+
 * Nosferatu
 * C
 * Sagittae
 * Recover
 * C+
 * B
 * Cutting Gale
 * B+
 * A
 * Excalibur
 * Silence
 * A+
 * }
 * Cutting Gale
 * B+
 * A
 * Excalibur
 * Silence
 * A+
 * }
 * A
 * Excalibur
 * Silence
 * A+
 * }
 * }
 * }
 * }

Overall
Given his skill levels, Claude will have easy access to the Myrmidon class family (Myrmidon, Mercenary, Thief, Swordmaster, Hero, Assassin), and the Fighter class family (Fighter, Brigand, Archer, Warrior, Wyvern Rider, Sniper), as well as his exclusive Lord class family, (Lord, Wyvern Master, Barbarossa).

Supports

 * Byleth (S-Support with female Byleth)
 * Petra
 * Annette
 * Ingrid
 * Lorenz
 * Raphael
 * Ignatz
 * Lysithea
 * Marianne
 * Hilda
 * Leonie
 * Flayn
 * Shamir
 * Cyril

Three Houses

 * Claude/Quotes

Heroes

 * Claude/Heroes Quotes

Possible Endings
Claude - King of Unification
 * Claude returned to his homeland of Almyra and assumed the role of a politically active prince. After inheriting the throne, he worked to improve relations with Fódlan. In addition to establishing new trade routes, he fostered trust by sending reinforcements into Fódlan to help quell revolts by the remnants of the Imperial loyalists. Under his guidance, the peoples of Fódlan and Almyra were finally able to set aside age-old prejudices, and over time, the fallacies of old were all but forgotten.

Claude and Byleth
 * After ascending the throne as the first leader of the United Kingdom of Fódlan, Byleth sought to rebuild the war-torn towns and villages and to help guide the reformation of the Church of Seiros. After a few months of peace, remnants of the Imperial Army joined with those who slither in the dark and marched upon the capital city of Derdriu. The new kingdom lacked the power to repel the invaders, but when defeat seemed imminent, a battle cry rang out from the east. Claude, the newly-crowned King of Almyra, led a mighty army that broke through the rebel forces with ease. This show of solidarity forever altered the course of history, heralding a new age of unity.

Claude and Annette
 * Entrusting the future of Fódlan to his friends, Claude left for Almyra with Annette, whom he intended to marry. He announced this fact to his father, the king of Almyra, who approved of Claude's growth and Annette's wisdom and resolved to entrust the monarchy to them. Once he became king, Claude established a school of sorcery with the intent to use it as a bridge between Almyra and Fódlan. Annette took on a role as headmaster, supporting Claude's dream by opening the doors to students from every corner of the world. Relations between Almyra and Fódlan improved drastically as a result.

Claude and Ingrid
 * Entrusting the future of Fódlan to his friends, Claude left for Almyra with Ingrid, whom he intended to marry. He announced this fact to his father, the king of Almyra, who approved of Claude's strength and Ingrid's virtue and resolved to entrust the monarchy to them. Even after they ascended the throne, Claude and Ingrid argued frequently. But while the queen chasing the fleeing king through the palace was a common occurrence, the couple must have loved one another deeply, for they happily raised many children together.

Claude and Petra
 * Claude left Fódlan, entrusting its future to his friends. He intended to travel to his homeland of Almyra, but his love for Petra instead drew him west, to Brigid. He won her affection, and after receiving the blessing of her grandfather, the king of Brigid, the two were wed. Some years later, each inherited their respective thrones. As the monarchs of Brigid and Almyra, Petra and Claude fostered friendly diplomatic relations between the two regions and Fódlan.

Claude and Lorenz
 * Claude disappeared from Fódlan after the war, leaving the new head of House Gloucester, Lorenz, to support the new United Kingdom of Fódlan in his stead. He proposed revolutionary policies to restore the war-torn region at a rapid rate. When the rebuilding effort was complete, Lorenz turned his eye toward diplomacy, seeking to establish treaties of friendship with foreign nations. Almyra was no exception, and when the two parties met for a summit at Fódlan's Locket, it was none other than Claude, the new king of Almyra, who arrived to negotiate. Some speculated that this meeting had been Claude's scheme all along, but Lorenz and Claude both denied it.

Claude and Lysithea
 * Entrusting the future of Fódlan to his friends, Claude left for Almyra to reclaim his place as heir to the throne. When he became king, he asked Lysithea to be his queen with a heart full of love, and with the hope of fostering friendly diplomatic relations with Fódlan. Due to her shortened lifespan, Lysithea declined. Claude, unable to abandon his love for her, gave up the throne to go on a quest for a means to save her. Years later, he appeared suddenly before her, claiming to have found a cure. With her trust and love to guide him, he whisked her away, across the sea. It is unknown where they went.

Claude and Marianne
 * Entrusting the future of Fódlan to his friends, Claude left for Almyra to reclaim his place as heir to the throne. Several years later, when he became king, he took initial steps to open trade routes with Fódlan, and entered into negotiations with Margrave Edmund. During this time, he was reunited with Marianne, who had grown under her adoptive father's guidance into a wise and talented woman. She offered him her aid, and as they worked together to secure friendly relations between their respective nations, they fell deeply in love.

Claude and Hilda
 * Entrusting the future of Fódlan to his friends, Claude left for Almyra to take his place as heir to the throne. His family saw that he had grown strong and allowed him to claim his birthright. When he became king several years later, he made the surprise announcement that he would make Hilda his queen. Having studied with her brother to prepare for this moment, Hilda demonstrated an uncanny talent for diplomacy, and greatly contributed to establishing friendly relations between Fódlan and Almyra. The presence of a Fódlan-born queen for two consecutive generations did much to alter Almyran values.

Claude and Leonie
 * Leonie returned to Sauin Village to repay her debts and mysteriously vanished afterwards. Some years later, when trade between Fódlan and Almyra began in earnest, the village received notice that the Almyran king would be passing through on his way to Garreg Mach. The village rushed to prepare themselves. When the anticipated day arrived, they were shocked to find Leonie at the king's side. She had gone to visit Claude in Almyra, and had ended up staying to become his queen. Faced with the sight of Leonie in the resplendent clothing of a monarch, her father and the other villagers could do nothing but stand in mute amazement.

Claude and Flayn
 * Entrusting the future of Fódlan to his friends, Claude left for Almyra to reclaim his place as heir to the throne. Several years later, when he became king, he took initial steps to open diplomatic relations with Fódlan, and asked Garreg Mach for aid. During this time, he was reunited with Flayn, who had been helping Seteth run the church. She agreed to help, and as they worked together to secure friendly relations between their respective regions, they fell deeply in love. It is said that Seteth never learned of their relationship.

Claude and Shamir
 * After the war, Claude returned home to Almyra and took his place in the royal family. Some years later he became king, and during his reign, promoted policies to improve relations with Fódlan and protect children who had been orphaned by the war. After he achieved his goals, he left the throne to a family member and left Almyra. During his travels, he encountered Shamir, who had been wandering the world as a mercenary. It is known that they traveled together from that day forward, but where they journeyed to remains a mystery.

Fire Emblem 0 (Cipher)
Claude is illustrated in the trading card game Fire Emblem Cipher with the following cards:

Etymology
Claude is a French given name derived from the Roman emperor Claudius. In view of the evident reference to Shakespearean King Lear of a majority of the Golden Deer, his name may have derived from King Claudius in Hamlet, the primary antagonist of the tragedy. It may also be a reference to Claudio Ranieri, former manager of Leicester City F.C. during a famous underdog English Premiership win. Regan is a name likely derived from ancient Gaelic and means "little king."

Trivia

 * Claude is one of the few Lords in the Fire Emblem series to not feature the color blue either in his hair or his clothes along with Celica from Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia/Fire Emblem Gaiden.
 * Due to House Riegan being a cadet branch of the Blaiddyd royal family, Claude is distantly related to Dimitri.