Dorothea

"Oh my, you look like a wonderful person. Is this your first time at the monastery? Shall I show you around? Ah, my name is Dorothea. Before enrolling in school, I was in an opera company at the capital."

- Dorothea introducing herself to Byleth

Dorothea is a playable character in Fire Emblem: Three Houses. At the start of the game she is 18 years old, and is the only character not of noble or royal birth among the Black Eagles.

Early life
Born as a daughter of a lady-in-waiting to Imperial nobles from the Adrestian Empire, Dorothea was orphaned at an early age and lived as a street urchin for some time. She was discovered as songstress by the Mittlefrank Opera Company in Enbarr in 1171, eventually becoming known as the "Mystical Songstress" three years later.

Academy phase
Dorothea decided to take leave of the opera house in order to enroll at the Officers Academy in 1180.

War phase
{{Spoiler|

Crimson Flower
If the Black Eagles route is chosen, in Imperial Year 1185, Dorothea is assigned to the Black Eagle Strike Force at Garreg Mach.

Silver Snow
If the Church route is chosen, she and the other students will meet Byleth and Seteth on the city nearby the Church and help them defeat the bandits who were stealing. After that, she joins the Resistance Army.}}

Personality
A natural performer, Dorothea enjoys all forms of performing arts from acting to music, but has a particular affinity for singing as she was a songstress. Manuela is her idol as she was a senior in the same opera company. She is shown to be somewhat flirtatious, and has a habit of flirting with people out of belief that she needs to find someone before her beauty fades away and cause others to be uninterested in her.

Despite being the only person of common heritage among the Black Eagles she tries to see everyone as equals. However, she can act a bit hostile towards those of nobility because of the treatment she received from them when she was younger; still, this can cause her to misjudge the nobles who don't actually abuse their situation, as seen in her supports with Ferdinand. She seems to have a history with an unnamed noble of rising status.

She likes dressing glamorously, outfitting herself with accessories and decorative ornaments. She also adores small animals. She dislikes arrogant nobles. Despite her seemingly outgoing personality, she has self esteem issues.

Growth Rates

 * 40%
 * 20%
 * 40%
 * 45%
 * 40%
 * 35%
 * 15%
 * 35%
 * 40%
 * }

Maximum Stats

 * 76
 * 30
 * 61
 * 62
 * 57
 * 49
 * 38
 * 50
 * 58
 * }

Learnt Magic

 * D
 * Thunder
 * Heal
 * D+
 * Nosferatu
 * C
 * Thoron
 * Physic
 * C+
 * B
 * Sagittae
 * B+
 * A
 * Meteor
 * A+
 * Agnea's Arrow
 * }
 * Sagittae
 * B+
 * A
 * Meteor
 * A+
 * Agnea's Arrow
 * }
 * A
 * Meteor
 * A+
 * Agnea's Arrow
 * }
 * Agnea's Arrow
 * }
 * }

Overall
Dorothea is the primary Mage of the Black Eagles, boasting middling Magic, Speed, and Dexterity for consistent damage output. Though she lacks the raw magic growths of both Annette and Lysithea and lacks a Crest, she is ultimately a middle ground Mage. She is not quite as potent in damage, but has far better overall physical and magical bulk thanks to her better HP growths. Her high Charm growth makes her excellent for Battalions. Her personal skill Songstress heals allies by 10% if they start their turn adjacent to her, giving her excellent utility.

Her magic pool revolves around Thunder magic for her basic spells including heavy hitting ranged magic such as Thoron and Meteor. She also has access to Agnea's Arrow, the strongest non-dark magic Reason spell available. Her Faith pool is rather shallow, but has Heal, Nosferatu, and Physic at her disposal, all good options for basic healing, self-recovery, and long-range healing respectively.

Dorothea is proficient in Swords and Reason Magic with a weakness to Faith, Riding, and Flying. She can turn her Faith into a proficiency since it is a Budding Talent, learning White Magic Avoid +20 once mastered, thus giving her extra avoid when using Faith. Magic oriented classes play to her strengths and she is a natural fit for the Monk lines, primarily focused on the Mage line (Mage, Warlock, Gremory) but if given attention to her Faith, she can also take up the Priest and Bishop classes as well to some effectiveness. Theoretically, she can also grow decently in the Myrmidon line because of her Sword proficiency, but her low Strength growths severely limit her potential in the class when a better sword option lies in Byleth and either Petra for the Black Eagles or Felix from the Blue Lions. She can invest some effort into her swords to give her the Combat Art Hexblade which allows her to deal magic damage with her sword or at least getting her Sword to Rank C so that she can wield the Levin Sword which gives her another 3-ranged attack when forged. Dorothea also makes an excellent candidate for the Dancer class as her high Charm growth will likely win her the class when available. As she is a natural in Swords and Magic, she can become an excellent utility character as a Dancer, being able to refresh an ally, attack with Reason, or heal with Faith.

Supports

 * Byleth (S-Support regardless of gender)
 * Edelgard
 * Hubert
 * Ferdinand
 * Linhardt
 * Caspar
 * Bernadetta
 * Felix
 * Sylvain
 * Ingrid
 * Petra
 * Lorenz
 * Hanneman
 * Manuela

Quotes
Dorothea/Quotes

Possible Endings
Dorothea - Mystical Songstress
 * Dorothea returned to the Mittelfrank Opera as soon as the war was over. Thanks to her talent, the company enjoyed a resurgence in popularity that lasted well beyond the end of her own career. Once she gave up her position as a songstress, she settled down to a private life of peace and quiet. It is said that she was very happily married.

Dorothea and Byleth
 * Almost immediately after the modest wedding between Byleth and Dorothea was over, the battle against those who slither in the dark began in earnest. Dorothea chose not to take the field of battle with a weapon but rather to tend the household in her spouse's absence and provide emotional support to his/her effort to bring peace to Fódlan. Many years after the war had ended, Dorothea's diary was uncovered, revealing the full extent of the happy life the couple had shared. The love poems that they wrote to one another were published as a collection.

Dorothea and Byleth (Azure Moon)
 * After taking on the role of archbishop of the Church of Seiros, Byleth announced his/her marriage to Dorothea. The former songstress resolved to stay out of the public eye, keeping to herself and her family, but as the archbishop worked tirelessly to restore Fódlan and the church, she did privately offer advice from time to time. It is said that her experience growing up as a commoner provided a useful perspective. Many years later, her diary was uncovered, revealing the full extent of the happy life the couple shared. The love poems that they wrote to one another were published as a collection.

Dorothea and Felix
 * Even after the war's end, skirmishes continued to break out across Fódlan. Learning that there were still places where he could fight, Felix abandoned his noble title and chose to make a living with his sword. He traveled the land, and some years later found himself in Enbarr. There he encountered Dorothea, who had just resumed her career as a songstress in the opera. From that time on, no matter how far Felix traveled, he always found himself drawn back to the opera house. It is said that, when Dorothea saw his face in the crowd, she sang only for him.

Dorothea and Ferdinand (Crimson Flower)
 * After officially becoming the new Duke Aegir, Ferdinand set about reforming his territory. Thanks to the wisdom of his wife, Dorothea, Ferdinand's policies were of massive benefit to the common folk and brought about a swift recovery. In recognition of this achievement, he was called upon by Emperor Edelgard to introduce these reforms to the Empire at large as the new prime minister. Though the work kept him very busy, he always managed to find time for Dorothea. It is said that their children filled their loving household with beautiful music ever after.

Dorothea and Ferdinand (Silver Snow)
 * After officially becoming the new Duke Aegir, Ferdinand set about reforming his territory. Thanks to the wisdom of his wife, Dorothea, Ferdinand's policies were of massive benefit to the common folk and brought about a swift recovery. In recognition of this achievement, he was called upon to help to govern Fódlan at large. Though the work of reforming the entire nation kept him very busy, he always managed to find time for Dorothea. It is said that their children filled their loving household with beautiful music ever after.

Dorothea and Manuela
 * The Mittelfrank Opera Company was on the brink of collapse until two of its star songstresses, Manuela and Dorothea, returned to the stage and brought the troupe new life and prominence. They toured all around Fódlan, sometimes even visiting troops on the front lines, soothing hearts with their beautiful songs wherever they want, and donating their profits to the relief and rebuilding effort. When the damage from the war had finally healed, the pair once again retreated from the stage, this time retiring to a private life together. It is said that their relationship was full of light and love.

Dorothea and Hanneman
 * Though Fódlan had changed, Hanneman’s goal remained unwavering to determine the workings of the Crests, and to do away with the inequality caused by them. To that end, his research resulted in magical tools which could be used even without the aid of Crests. This proved to be yet another worthwhile discovery by the Father of Crestology. Hanneman also became a father in a more literal sense, by raising many children with his wife, Dorothea. Their marriage was not publicly known, however, as the songstress elected to keep it secret for the sake of both their careers.

Dorothea and Petra
 * Petra returned to her homeland of Brigid, and inherited the throne from her grandfather. As ruler, she declared independence from Fódlan, and renegotiated Brigid's diplomatic ties to that nation on more equal terms. At every step along the way, she was accompanied by Dorothea, who had left Fódlan behind to support her. Dorothea used the connections she had made in her time at the opera to her benefit, and even worked reluctantly with the Fódlan nobility for Petra's sake. The people of Brigid were skeptical of her at first, but warmed up to her over time. It is said that she became the person whom Petra loved the most.

Dorothea and Sylvain
 * After more than 10 proposals, Dorothea finally relented and agreed to marry Sylvain. Together they inherited Gautier territory. With the support of his wife's counsel, the new Margrave Gautier was able to improve relations with the Sreng people, and thereby convince the local nobles that Relics and Crests were no longer an absolute requirement for survival. Due to their efforts, they went down in history as an extraordinary lord and lady. It is said that what finally convinced Dorothea to marry Sylvain was his promise that they would grow old happily together, and that he was true to his word.

Dorothea and Hubert
 * After the war, the Mittlefrank Opera Company made a resurgence, in no small part thanks to the patronage of Emperor Edelgard's confidant, Hubert. Dorothea made a comeback as a songstress in the troupe, which traveled all over Fódlan, putting a large share of its profits towards relief efforts. The opera company was warmly welcomed by the war-weary people as a source of solace, and became even more famous than before. It was not discovered until many years later that the troupe's tour had been a covert operation, coordinated by Hubert and Dorothea, to gather intelligence for the Empire.

Dorothea and Linhardt
 * After the war, Linhardt decided to inherit his title. He spent several years studying his territory, learning to manage its affairs, and when he was ready to become the new Count Hevring, he announced his marriage to Dorothea. Somehow, despite all this activity, Linhardt actually managed to keep up with his Crest studies. Though his results were dubious at times, his new wife helped him alter them so that they would be of use to people. Their relationship was unlike anything the nobility had ever witnessed. When faced with this accusation, Linhardt and Dorothea could only laugh and note that the past was of no significance to them.

Etymology
Dorothea is a feminine form of the greek name Dorotheos, meaning "gift of god".

Arnault is a surname of Olde German and Anglo-Saxon origins comprised of the words Arn meaning eagle and Wald meaning ruler or power, giving a small connection to her house, the Black Eagles.

Trivia

 * Dorothea shares her English VA, Allegra Clark, with Shamir, as well as Ethlyn (from Genealogy of the Holy War) and Karla (from The Blazing Blade) in their appearances in Fire Emblem Heroes.
 * Dorothea is one of the characters who can have S-Supports with both a male and a female Byleth. The others are: Rhea, Mercedes, Edelgard, Sothis, Linhardt, Alois (platonic) and Gilbert (platonic as well)
 * Dorothea has a unique post-timeskip battle model as a Dancer, Mage and Warlock