Lysithea

"Aristocrats are fools—allowing their lives to be dictated by their Crests. Though...I suppose I am much the same in that regard..."

Lysithea is a playable character in Fire Emblem: Three Houses. She is a student at the Officers Academy who is from the Leicester Alliance and is a member of the Golden Deer. She possesses both a minor Crest of Charon and a major Crest of Gloucester.

Early life
Lysithea is the eldest daughter and heir to House Ordelia. When she was two years old, her family suffered retribution from the Adrestian Empire for their role in House Hrym's revolt. She is a magical prodigy whose talents developed at an early age.

In retaliation for House Ordelia answering House Hrym's call for aid, the Empire gained temporary control over the family while the Alliance turned a blind eye to avoid confrontation. The Empire killed key members of House Ordelia and replaced them with Imperial officials. Some of those officials were mages of Those Who Slither in the Dark, who then imprisoned the Ordelia children and began conducting Crest experiments on them. Lysithea's parents were powerless to stop them and could only watch in horror as their children perished one by one. Lysithea alone survived the experiments and gained two Crests: a Minor Crest of Charon and a Major Crest of Gloucester. The mages were pleased at their success, but because the procedure of implanting two Crests had dramatically shortened Lysithea's lifespan, they lost interest and departed.

Due to her truncated life and the suffering her family had endured, Lysithea resolved to bring its affairs to an end. After completing her education and ensuring that her parents could live comfortably and in peace, she planned to eschew having children and dissolve House Ordelia.

Academy phase
Lysithea enrolls in Garreg Mach Monastery Officers Academy in Imperial Year 1180, and joins the Golden Deer. At 15 years old, she is the youngest student admitted. After the end of the Academy phase, she returns to Ordelia to assist her parents with governmental affairs.

Verdant Wind
Fulfilling the promise the Golden Deer class made five years prior, Lysithea reunites with her classmates in Chapter 13, "Reunion at Dawn", arriving with Marianne and Raphael to rout bandits in the vicinity of Garreg Mach. After the battle, she commits herself to fighting the Empire alongside Byleth and Claude in retaliation for her and her house's suffering at the hands of the Empire in the aftermath of the Hrym rebellion. She also hopes that the fall of the Empire will bring about a Fódlan where her parents can finally know peace.

With the Leicester Alliance's capture of the Great Bridge of Myrddin after Chapter 16, "The Rose-Colored River", Lysithea returns briefly to Ordelia off-screen, convincing Count Ordelia, a member of the pro-Imperial faction of the Alliance, to switch to the anti-Imperial faction, thus helping to unify the full might of the Alliance against the Empire for the coming battles.

During Chapter 17, "Blood of the Eagle and Lion", Lysithea notices strange masked mages dressed in black among the ranks of the Imperial Army. The evening after the battle, she approaches Byleth and Claude to inform them of her family's history with the Empire and these mysterious mages and of the blood experiments they conducted on her and her deceased siblings, warning them to be wary of these factions' alliance and their dreadful knowledge and power moving forward.

She learns of the existence of those who slither in the dark after the events of Chapter 20, "Conclusion of the Crossing Roads", identifying them as the ones who used her for their blood experiments and surmising that Edelgard was also one of their victims. She approaches the final battles with those who slither in the dark with particular fervor, seeking to obliterate them so that they can never again do to anyone what they did to her, her deceased relatives, and Edelgard.

Crimson Flower
If Edelgard was sided with and Lysithea was recruited, she joins the Black Eagle Strike Force as House Ordelia is already pro-Empire, and because she believes in Edelgard cause and ideals. She does, however, have some misgivings about having to fight against Claude as he is a good leader and a good person and is simply trying to protect the Alliance.

If Lysithea has not previously been recruited, she can be seen in Chapter 14 "The Master Tactician" and be killed in the battle, but it is entirely possible to save her by the arrival of the Alymryan navy by defeating Claude. Byleth can still recruit her during the battle if they are the one to defeat her. Though she is badly wounded, Byleth can choose to either put her out of her misery or recruit her.

Azure Moon
If the Blue Lions route was chosen and Lysithea was recruited during the Academy phase, then she will join Byleth and Dimitri at Garreg Mach at the beginning of Chapter 14, "The Delusional Prince". She joins the Kingdom army to remove the threat the Empire poses to her parents and to Ordelia, despite her apathy toward the Kingdom or her misgivings about fighting under the revenge-obsessed Dimitri, though she believes his obsession to be convenient for destroying the Empire as quickly as possible.

If Lysithea was not recruited during the Academy phase, she will appear alongside her allies from the Golden Deer during Chapter 17, "Blood of the Eagle and Lion" where she may be killed during the three-way onslaught between the three houses. Claude will lament on her death if that happens, saying that she "burned too brightly, and faded too fast".

Paralogue
On any route aside from Crimson Flower, Lysithea's shared paralogue with Ferdinand, "Retribution", will become available upon the capture of the Great Bridge of Myrddin. Ferdinand's father, Duke Aegir, is sighted in Hrym, and Lysithea will accompany Ferdinand to Hrym to ascertain the situation, as she is familiar with the territory and its history under the rule of Duke Aegir and Lord Arundel.

Personality
Though hailed as a prodigy, Lysithea is in truth an exceptionally hardworking student who desires to learn everyday to improve herself to the maximum of her abilities. She states her skills do not come from a natural talent, but merely determination and intense application and dislikes when people refer to her aptitude as merely a natural talent. She seeks to develop her skills as a form of independence so she no longer has to burden her parents, of whom she loves dearly.

As the youngest student at the academy at the moment, she dislikes when people treat her like a child or she feels they are doing so. She can be incredibly sharp-tongued when others annoy her or seem to be looking down on her. She is efficient with her time and is annoyed when others waste it, developing an impatience with those who even provide a minor inconvenience or hesitation.

Though she attempts to act like an adult, she is terrified of ghosts, and can be easily riled up when the subject is brought up. Lysithea is extremely fond of sweets, primarily cake, referring to it as "divine essence of the heavens". She treats it as if it was currency, as shown in a conversation with Felix where she gives some to him to buy his silence.

Lysithea's impatience is mainly attributed to the horrifying experiments she endured from Those Who Slither in the Dark who implanted a second Crest in her. While she was one of the rare survivors of the procedure, it left her with an extremely shortened lifespan and was given only a few years to live by Imperial Year 1180. Her desire for independence and separation from her parents is in reality to spare them from having to witness her horrifying fate.

Her dual crests are a closely guarded secret and few, if any, are aware of it. She displays disdain for Crests as a whole and would rather have been born without her natural Crest. She also resents her peerage and willingly gives it up in most endings. In some endings, she is able to have her second crest removed, restoring her lifespan and living a happy ending. In others, she lives out a short, but happy and peaceful life.

Growth Rates

 * 20%
 * 15%
 * 60%
 * 60%
 * 50%
 * 15%
 * 10%
 * 25%
 * 25%
 * }

Maximum Stats

 * 48
 * 30
 * 86
 * 82
 * 69
 * 40
 * 36
 * 41
 * 49
 * }

Learnt Magic

 * D
 * Miasma Δ
 * Heal
 * D+
 * Swarm Ζ
 * Nosferatu
 * C
 * Luna Λ
 * Seraphim
 * C+
 * B
 * Dark Spikes T
 * Warp
 * B+
 * A
 * Hades Ω
 * Abraxas
 * A+
 * }
 * B+
 * A
 * Hades Ω
 * Abraxas
 * A+
 * }
 * Hades Ω
 * Abraxas
 * A+
 * }
 * }
 * }
 * }

Recruitment
Lysithea requires Byleth to have 15 Magic and a Faith Proficiency B to be recruited out of the Golden Deer house.

Overall
Lysithea is the quintessential Mage glass cannon character, far outclassing her two female competitors Dorothea and Annette in terms of raw damage output thanks to having the highest Magic, Speed, and Dexterity of the three, meaning that she hits hard, is likely to double, and likely to launch Critical hits. To compensate for this, her other stats are abysmal. She possesses some of the worst HP, Defense, and Resistance growths in the game, meaning that she is likely to go down from a single hit if she is unable to finish her opponent, they are able to survive one of her attacks, or she is unable to dodge with her Speed and Dexterity. Another very grave flaw is that Lysithea is quite slow to grow, and most of the times she'll get only two growths per level, making her a probable EXP sponge (thankfully she'll often get a point in Magic or Dexterity, so even if she only gets 2 points it will usually be the ones she wants).

Lysithea learns Dark Magic Reason spells (and is the only one outside of the Black Eagles who learns Dark Magic), which typically have higher Mt than Black Magic and bonus effects, but at the cost of higher weight and lower Hit. Dark Spikes T makes her especially potent against the Death Knight, often defeating him in one hit. She even has Hades Ω at her disposal, which has the highest Mt of any Reason spell in game. Her Faith spells consist of the standard Heal and Nosferatu as well as the useful Seraphim for armor breaking and damaging Monsters, and Abraxas, the strongest Light spell in the game. Moreover, Warp, in tandem with her high Magic, means she has exceptionally high range to warp other powerful units across maps to kill bosses or other dangerous foes, and she can cast Warp twice per map as a Bishop or Gremory.

Lysithea has two Crests; a Major Gloucester and Minor Charon. The former is more beneficial to her as she is able to raise her Magic Mt when casting spells, while the latter boosts her effectiveness when using combat arts. Her Gloucester Crest allows her to use Thyrsus, extending her magic range by two and granting Pavise and Aegis for free. It also allows her to use the Axe of Ukonvasara, but her low Strength serves little in using the axe and its only benefit is the increased health regeneration; ideally, Lysithea wants to avoid sustaining damage at all. Having a minor crest in Charon does not provide much for her as it boosts combat art damage, but none of which are particularly useful for her as she lacks Strength to deal significant damage with most of the Arts she learns. While she can use Thunderbrand's unique effect of potentially quad attacking enemies, the sword is best left in the hands of Catherine who is better suited.

Given her skill levels, Lysithea will make the most use of the Monk class family (Monk, Mage, Priest, Warlock, Bishop, Gremory), as they complement well with her magical prowess. Her hidden proficiency with Swords gives her an extra option in certain magical weapons, namely the Levin Sword, along with easy access to the Myrmidon class family (Myrmidon, Mercenary, Thief, Swordmaster, Mortal Savant). However, the latter option is risky, as despite Lysithea possessing Speed growths fitting for the class family, her low base Strength and weakness for handling Swords means that it will require a bit of extra work if not using a Levin Sword. Putting some effort into it unlocks Soulblade which lets her deal a magic-based attack which receives a damage boost based on her Res. It is a powerful combat art and likely the only one worth equipping to her as her immense Magic will lead to high damage and the boost from her Resistance to its damage is a small, but sometimes appreciated boost to secure a kill.

Overall, Lysithea is considered one of the most powerful characters in the game thanks to her sheer damage potential and good utility as a Warp user. When equipped with Thyrsus and the appropriate range-increasing skills, she is able to annihilate all but the most resilent of enemies from a safe distance. The only things she will need to worry about are Falcon Knights (which can quickly reach her) and enemies with Counterattack, as they are typically boss enemies whom she is unlikely to kill in a single non-critical hit attack (besides the Death Knight, who she can easily take out with a single use of Dark Spikes).

Supports

 * Byleth (S-Support with male Byleth)
 * Edelgard
 * Claude
 * Linhardt
 * Felix
 * Sylvain
 * Annette
 * Lorenz
 * Raphael
 * Ignatz
 * Marianne
 * Hilda
 * Leonie
 * Hanneman
 * Catherine
 * Cyril

Possible Endings
Lysithea - Scholar of Misfortune
 * Lysithea returned home to help her parents restore their family land. Years later, when the end to their hard work was finally in sight, she relinquished House Ordelia's claim to nobility, ceding the territory to a nearby lord. Shortly thereafter, she and her family disappeared into obscurity.

Lysithea and Byleth (Verdant Wind / Silver Snow)
 * Byleth announced his engagement to Lysithea shortly after becoming leader of the United Kingdom of Fódlan. Before they were officially wed, she returned home, helped her father to restore Ordelia territory, and offered the land up to be governed directly by the new kingdom. Once the affairs of House Ordelia were in order, Lysithea finally married and became queen. Even without her Crests, she proved more than capable in the role, applying her great insight and intelligence toward a better Fódlan. When the rebuilding effort was complete, the couple and their children enjoyed long and peaceful lives.

Lysithea and Byleth (Crimson Flower)
 * Almost immediately after Byleth and Lysithea had celebrated their engagement, the struggle against those who slither in the dark began in earnest. Together they fought tirelessly to bring the war to an end so that Fódlan could have lasting peace. Afterward, they left the Imperial army for Ordelia territory, where they were officially wed. After restoring their war-torn land, the couple vanished from the public eye, along with Count Ordelia and his wife. No records remain of their lives after that, but it is rumored that they retired to a peaceful life in Derdriu, making sweets.

Lysithea and Byleth (Azure Moon)
 * Byleth announced his engagement to Lysithea shortly after being named archbishop of the Church of Seiros. Before they were officially wed, she returned home, helped her father to restore Ordelia territory, and offered the land up to be governed by neighboring lords. Once her parents had retired and withdrawn, Lysithea finally became the archbishop's wife. Even without her Crests, she proved more than capable of assisting him in his role, applying her great insight and intelligence toward a renewed church. When the rebuilding effort was complete, the couple and their two children enjoyed long and peaceful lives in the lively household they built together.

Lysithea and Edelgard
 * After the war, Edelgard and Lysithea threw themselves into the fight against those who slither in the dark. The struggle was long and arduous, but not without its benefits. With careful analysis of ancient techniques, they discovered ways to recover the years of life that had been stolen from them. Afterwards, the new Adrestian emperor and Lysithea, her trusted officer, devoted the rest of their lives to Fódlan's rule. For her counsel in instituting class reforms and ensuring the independence of the people, Lysithea came to be known as the Wisdom of the Empire. The pair of talented women ushered Fódlan into a new age of innovation and prosperity.

Lysithea and Claude
 * 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.

Lysithea and Linhardt
 * Though Linhardt researched vigorously for a method by which to remove the Crests from Lysithea and save her life, the war ended before he could reach any conclusions. Lysithea, deciding that she should return home to her parents, thanked Linhardt and took her leave of Garreg Mach. Not to be deterred, Linhardt set his affairs in order, renounced his noble title, and followed Lysithea to Ordelia territory to continue his research. Years later, his efforts bore fruit, and Lysithea's Crests were successfully removed. With a new future ahead of her, Lysithea, too, renounced her noble claim, and the couple married as commoners. It is said they raised a very happy family.

Lysithea and Felix (Azure Moon)
 * After becoming Duke Fraldarius, Felix married Lysithea, who assisted his efforts to restore both his territory and the Kingdom at large with countless insights. She became known for walking among the people, sharing with them her wisdom. After her death, Felix received a visit from a local artisan, who brought to him a cake and claimed that Lysithea had given him the recipe. Felix adored the flavor, enjoying that style of cake for the rest of his days. The people acquired a taste for it too, and Lysithea's treat became traditional in the north of Faerghus.

Lysithea and Felix (Other routes)
 * After the war, Felix abandoned his noble title and chose to make a living with his sword. He traveled the land, seeking battle as if he had a death wish, but his violent path came to an end when he happened upon Lysithea, who had been living in a small house in the middle of nowhere with her parents. Seeing her—condemned to live a shortened life, but smiling and making the most of every day with her family—convinced Felix that life was precious. He gave up his sword to join her, and the two spent their lives baking sweets. Lysithea's recipe became known far and wide, and the treat became a tradition for the people of that region.

Lysithea and Lorenz
 * As the new head of House Gloucester, Lorenz first worked to restore his own territory, and then expanded his vision to include reforms for all Fódlan. At the height of his storied political career, he announced his marriage to Lysithea. Though the only daughter of the former Count Ordelia had already renounced all claim to nobility, the people happily accepted their union. She rarely appeared in public, due to health concerns, but it is said that a great many policies credited to Lorenz were actually her ideas.

Lysithea and Raphael
 * Raphael returned to his hometown to serve his liege lord as a knight, and spent his spare time helping out at the inn that his family had opened during his time away. Due to his grandfather's age, he was compelled before long to give up knighthood and manage the inn full-time. Soon after that, the inn began to be frequented by Lysithea and her family, who has renounced all claim to nobility and begun a life as commoners. Lysithea found a kindred spirit in Raphael's sister, Maya, and before long, found herself helping around the place too. Eventually she was put in charge of the kitchen, where it is said she spend the rest of her days happily baking.

Lysithea and Ignatz
 * Lysithea returned home to help her parents restore their family land. Years later, when the end to their hard work was finally in sight, she relinquished House Ordelia's claim to nobility, and the family retreated from the public eye. In her new life as a commoner, she had a chance reunion with Ignatz, who had persuaded his family to allow him to travel the world as an artist. Lysithea became enchanted by his determination, and by the landscapes and portraits he painted of all he had seen in his travels. She offered the remainder of her short life in support of his work. It is said that Ignatz's most famous piece, Portrait of a Goddess, used Lysithea's face as a reference.

Lysithea and Hanneman
 * After the war, Lysithea returned to her parents in Ordelia territory. She was joined by Hanneman, and together the two worked to research a method by which to extend her lifespan. Some years later, their efforts bore fruit, and they devised a procedure to remove her Crests. Afterward, Lysithea renounced her noble claim and continued to assist Hanneman with his research. When he passed, she took up his mantle, and by the great discoveries she made, came to be called the Golden Child of Crestology.

Lysithea and Cyril
 * Lysithea returned home to help her parents restore their family land. Years later, when their work was at an end, she journeyed to Garreg Mach to inform the church of her decision to relinquish House Ordelia's claim to nobility. There she encountered Cyril, who had since graduated from the Officers Academy and joined the Knights of Seiros. During their reunion, Cyril confessed his love to Lysithea and asked her to marry him. She declined, at first, due to her shortened lifespan, but in the face of Cyril's insistence, she chose to spend what days she had remaining together with him. Where they went is unknown, but it is said that, for however long it lasted, they were happy.

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

Etymology
In Greek mythology, Lysithea was the daughter of Evenus and mother of Helenus by Zeus. Lysithea is also the name of one of Jupiter's moons.

Cordelia is a feminine given name, popularly associated with Latin word "cordis", meaning "heart". It was born by the tragic heroine of Shakespeare's King Lear. In the play, the character is initially unwilling to profess her love to her father, stating "Love, and be silent". Her two sisters who do – Goneril and Regan – are the basis of Hilda's and Claude's surnames.

Trivia

 * Lysithea possesses two Crests: a minor Crest of Charon, and a major Crest of Gloucester.
 * Catherine also possesses a Crest of Charon, while Lorenz also possesses a minor Crest of Gloucester.
 * Despite being from the Leicester Alliance, Lysithea's Crest of Charon shares its name with a location in the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus. This is the inverse of Ingrid.
 * Lysithea shares traits with Ricken and Hayato from Awakening and Fates. All three are magic users who look like children but dislike being treated as children; yet still display childish traits such as being afraid of ghosts Additionally, they all feature blue as a color in one of their portraits, though Lysithea only features it after the time-skip.
 * Lysithea has a unique post-timeskip battle model as a Mage and Warlock.
 * Lysithea and Linhardt are the only characters in Three Houses who can learn ten spells.
 * Lysithea stands at 148cm (or about 4’10”), growing to 160cm (or about 5’3”) after the time skip.
 * This makes Lysithea the shortest student during the Academy Phase.
 * Lysithea is the only student outside of the Black Eagles that can form a support with Edelgard.
 * Lysithea, Bernadetta and Mercedes have the most Subjects Weaknesses, with a number of four.
 * However, Lysithea loses her weakness in Sword if she gains the Budding Talent, thus removing her from this category.
 * Lysithea shares her Paralogue with Ferdinand but, differently from the other characters with a shared Paralogue, the two cannot support. The same goes for Leonie and Linhardt, and also Caspar and Mercedes.
 * Lysithea's A support with Byleth is the last to unlock during the Verdant Wind route, being unavailable until the beginning of Chapter 18.
 * In a survey conducted by Nintendo DREAM Magazine, Lysithea placed 5th with 15.9% of the vote overall and ranked 3rd with 17.8% among those who completed the game in the character popularity poll for Fire Emblem: Three Houses. The male-female vote ratio was 1:2.
 * In a survey conducted by Famitsu Magazine, Lysithea placed 2nd for females and 5th overall with 1,008 votes in the character popularity poll for Fire Emblem: Three Houses. She also placed 5th among S-Supports chosen in the first playthrough with 220 votes.