Ferdinand

"As nobility, backing down after being insulted is to bring shame to oneself... Now, follow me!"

Ferdinand  is a playable character in Fire Emblem: Three Houses. He is a student at the Officers Academy who hails from the Adrestian Empire, and is a member of the Black Eagles. He possesses a minor crest of Saint Cichol. At the start of the game, he is 17 years old.

Early life
Ferdinand is the eldest son and heir of House Aegir, which has held the office of prime minister in the capital of Enbarr for centuries. When he was 9 years old, his father, Duke Aegir, seized power in the Insurrection of the Seven, rendering Emperor Ionius IX impotent. He is very proud of his family's status as high-class nobility, but clashes with his father about what nobility actually is.

Academy phase
Ferdinand attends Garreg Mach Monastery Officers Academy in 1180 and joins the Black Eagles.

Personality
Ferdinand is a confident and proud noble that hates losing. When it comes to Princess Edelgard, her exceptional abilities brew competitiveness in himself. He strives to be Edelgard's better, as he believes that will prove his worth as a capable Prime Minister to assist her in her rule as emperor. He does not get along with his father since he believes the Duke does not represent nobility as it should, and does not abuse or look down on commoners.

Over time, however, Ferdinand comes to accept that Edelgard is and always will be better no matter how much effort he applies. While saddened at this, he does not let it discourage him and wishes to continue improving for his own sake.

In situations where others take issue with Ferdinand's regard for his own lofty status, he is quick to assess himself and works to understand what he had done wrong, always striving to improve. This is particularly demonstrated in his support conversations with Dorothea, who due to her own past hostile experiences with the noble class is quick to judge Ferdinand as being no better. Rather than take umbrage with her scorn, he instead works hard to decipher why she is hostile toward him and to improve their understanding of each other while remaining respectful of her.

Ferdinand, as future Prime Minister, believes that the best thing he can do as one of Edelgard's advisors is to speak frank advice when he believes Edelgard could choose a better course of action and challenging her to improve herself. This bring him into conflict with Hubert, who believes that Edelgard's will is absolute and that the ends justify the means no matter how unethical. They frequently argue over this, but they do have a begrudging respect for each other.

Ferdinand likes horseback riding, tea, justice, being noble, and heights. He dislikes slothfulness, and nobles who are not noble.

Growth Rates

 * 50%
 * 45%
 * 20%
 * 40%
 * 50%
 * 40%
 * 35%
 * 20%
 * 40%
 * }

Maximum Stats

 * 93
 * 64
 * 40
 * 56
 * 70
 * 56
 * 49
 * 36
 * 57
 * }

Learnt Magic

 * D
 * Thunder
 * Heal
 * D+
 * Fire
 * Nosferatu
 * C
 * Thoron
 * Ward
 * C+
 * B
 * Bolganone
 * Restore
 * B+
 * A
 * A+
 * }
 * Bolganone
 * Restore
 * B+
 * A
 * A+
 * }
 * A
 * A+
 * }
 * A+
 * }
 * A+
 * }
 * }
 * }

Overall
Ferdinand is the main cavalry unit for the Black Eagles, akin to Sylvain and Leonie. Ferdinand is the best suited of the three to frontline melee combat thanks to his budding talent in Heavy Armor and well-rounded stats. His personal skill, however, is somewhat trickier to use due to its reliance on keeping Ferdinand at full health and how likely he is to take damage. Though his defenses are strong when he takes the appropriate classes, he's not impervious, especially against mages where his weak resistance growth will leave him vulnerable.

Ferdinand's variety of skill strengths and lack of weaknesses allow him to take on a variety of classes, though his low magic and unimpressive spell pool mean it is probably best not to promote him to any magical classes. Usually, he is best off going for the Great Knight class, as it plays to all of his strengths and should be relatively easy for him to reach, with the only downsides being that it will tend to penalize his Speed and will introduce weaknesses to anti-armor and anti-cavalry attacks (though his high defense will tend to let him survive most of those besides Dark Spikes).

Even if you plan to make Ferdinand a Great Knight, it can be worthwhile to class him temporarily as a Brigand for Death Blow, helping to improve his offensive power. Early on, one could also make him an Armored Knight for Armored Blow, though the skill will fall off in usefulness later in the game. Given his vulnerability to mages, classing him as a Paladin for Aegis is a wise choice, as he can easily acquire the ability. Desperation tends to be less useful to Ferdinand, however, as making him a Great Knight will significantly reduce his Speed.

Supports

 * Byleth (S-Support with female Byleth)
 * Edelgard
 * Hubert
 * Mercedes
 * Linhardt
 * Caspar
 * Bernadetta
 * Dorothea
 * Petra
 * Lorenz
 * Marianne
 * Hilda
 * Flayn
 * Manuela

Three Houses

 * Ferdinand/Quotes

Possible Endings
Ferdinand - Noblest of Nobles
 * After reclaiming the title of Duke Aegir, Ferdinand set about reforming his territory. He overcame numerous obstacles to help the lands of Aegir recover, and in recognition of those achievements, he was invited to take part in helping to govern all of Fódlan.

Ferdinand and Byleth (Crimson Flower)
 * Byleth and Ferdinand celebrated their marriage with a lavish wedding, but almost immediately afterward, the battle with those who slither in the dark began in earnest. After being named Duke Aegir, Ferdinand overcame a slew of obstacles to help House Hrym and his family's territory recover. At the same time, he fought alongside his spouse for a true, lasting peace in Fódlan. History books extol Ferdinand's success as a lord of his territories, but they do not make mention of the hard-fought battles he endured alongside his wife. Thus, half of his life's work is lost to time.

Ferdinand and Byleth (Azure Moon)
 * After taking her place as the new archbishop of the Church of Serios, Byleth announced her marriage to Ferdinand, who had assumed his place as Duke Aegir. The archbishop's husband overcame a slew of obstacles to reform his family's territory and Hyrm but took no official position with the church, providing only guidance and support in his capacity as a loving spouse. History books extol Ferdinand's success as a lord of his territories, but they make no mention of his marriage to the archbishop. Thus, half of his life's work is lost to time.

Ferdinand and Dorothea
 * 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 commonfolk 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 their children filled their loving household with beautiful music ever after.

Ferdinand and Bernadetta (Crimson Flower)
 * After the war, Bernadetta renounced her claim to House Varley. She married Ferdinand, the new Duke Aegir, and the two contributed to relief efforts by instituting reforms across their Dukedom. Due to the success of those policies, Ferdinand was offered the position of Prime Minister by the emperor. He accepted, leaving the management of Aegir territory to his wife, while he worked to apply their ideas to the Empire at large. Since Bernadetta did not like to leave home, Ferdinand's life involved a lot of travel to and from the capital, but it is said he always embarked on his return home with a smile on his face.

Ferdinand and Edelgard
 * As the Adrestian emperor, Edelgard appointed Ferdinand as her prime minister, and the two devoted themselves to ruling Fódlan. Their sharply contrasting views made for frequent and lively debate, but with each enhancing the perspective of the other, Fódlan was better for it. As they worked tirelessly to create a better future, they were soon bound together by marriage as well. Their children, born to those who had torn down the old social hierarchy, were encouraged to choose their own paths.

Ferdinand and Hubert
 * Hubert and Ferdinand became the left and right hands of Emperor Edelgard, competing constantly with each other to see who could be the more helpful. They were opposites - The Minister of the Imperial Household, melancholy and merciless, and the prime minister, bright and compassionate. Still, they brought out the best in each other.As the empire became orderly and prosperous, the two came to be known as the nation's "Two Jewels," and were remembered fondly for generations to come. Some say their fame made even Emperor Edelgard jealous.

Ferdinand and Mercedes (Azure Moon route)
 * After the war, Mercedes traveled to Fhirdiad to pay a visit to her adoptive father. Though she introduced Ferdinand, she left out the small detail that they were engaged to be wed. Married in secret, Ferdinand and Mercedes worked together to reform the new Duke Aegir's territory, and the effort was so successful that he was called upon to work as a leader in the central government. It was a busy life for him indeed, but as he was known to say to his government colleagues, coming home to a smiling family made all the hard work worth it.

Ferdinand and Marianne (Verdant Wind)
 * Ferdinand announced his marriage to Marianne just after becoming the new Duke Aegir. With the support of Margrave Edmund, they set to work restoring Aegir territory. The support of Marianne's adoptive father was essential, but not sufficient, for the relief effort. As more difficulties arose, Marianne herself took on an increasing amount of responsibility. She proved quite capable and dedicated, and the Dukedom progressed through a steady recovery under the couple's collective efforts. It is said that Ferdinand commissioned a bronze statue of his wife to honor her achievements, but Marianne ordered it to be hidden away in storage for eternity.

Ferdinand and Flayn (Silver Snow)
 * Ferdinand married Flayn just after becoming the new Duke Aegir, and the pair wasted no time getting to work on the rebuilding effort. While Ferdinand handled administrative matters, Flayn walked more directly among the people, seeing to their needs. Their teamwork and complementary skills led to rapid recovery and growth for the region, but it is said that what inspired the people most of all was the genuine intimacy and affection between the ruling couple.

Ferdinand and Manuela (Crimson Flower)
 * Almost immediately after becoming the new Duke Aegir, Ferdinand married Manuela, and the two dedicated themselves to reformation efforts. Manuela lent her considerable talent and experience, using personal connections she'd gained in her time as a songstress and teacher to assemble a team of talented people. Between her personal skills and her ability as a physician, she became so essential that the emperor saw fit to make her the new prime minister. As she spent more time in the capital, bringing the reforms that helped Aegir territory to the Empire at large, Ferdinand stayed behind, minding his own lands and looking after their child.

Etymology
Ferdinand means "bold to attain peace," and "brave traveler." The Germanic name is composed by the junction of the elements fridu, meaning "peace", or alternatively fardi, meaning "travel"; and "Nand", which means "bold, courageous". Ferdinand was also the surname of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand who was assassinated by a Serbian named Gavrilo Princip. Aegir is Old Norse for "sea," and refers to a frost giant known for his friendship with the gods and hosting elaborate parties on their behalf.

Trivia

 * Ferdinand stands at 175cm (or about 5’9”), growing to 180cm (or about 5’11”) after the time skip.