Edelgard

"People believe Crests are blessings from the Goddess, that they are necessary to maintain order in Fódlan. But the people are wrong. Crests are to blame for this brutal, irrational world we live in."

- Edelgard speaking with Byleth

Edelgard is a playable character and one of the protagonists in Fire Emblem: Three Houses. She is the princess and the future emperor of the Adrestian Empire. She possesses a minor Crest of Seiros. In the Officers Academy, she is the leader of the Black Eagles. Edelgard is 17 at the start of the game and wields axes as her main weapon.

Early life
Born in Imperial Year 1162, Edelgard is the fourth daughter of Emperor Ionius IX, the princess and heir to the Adrestian Empire, and a student at the Officers Academy in Garreg Mach Monastery. She is also the house leader of the Black Eagles.

Edelgard had a traumatic childhood. Among the children of Ionius IX, she was the only one born with a Crest of Seiros, and a minor one at that. She and her ten siblings were forced to endure painful Crest experiments at the hands of Those Who Slither in the Dark, resulting in either madness or death for all save Edelgard. She emerged from the ordeal with the Crest of Flames implanted within her, but the strain of bearing two Crests turned her hair from brown to white.

In Imperial Year 1171, at the age of 9, she and her mother, Patricia, were taken by her uncle, Lord Volkhard von Arundel, to Fhirdiad in the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus during the Insurrection of the Seven. Volkhard was one of the key conspirators against the Edelgard's father, and with his help Duke Aegir stripped the emperor of much of his power. Though her mother eventually married King Lambert, Edelgard continued to live with her uncle. She later met and befriended Dimitri, the crown prince of Faerghus, though he did not learn that she was his step-sister until years afterward. Edelgard returned to the Empire in 1174 without her mother. These events would forever color her view of Crests, the Church of Seiros, and the caste system of Fódlan.

Academy phase
In 1180, she arrived at Garreg Mach Monastery to complete her education, and was resolved to reclaim what her father had lost.

Sometime before meeting Byleth, Edelgard took on the guise of the Flame Emperor. The suit used Agarthan technology to heavily distort her voice to protect her true identity. As the Flame Emperor she employed bandits led by Kostas to assassinate Dimitri and Claude, believing that eliminating the future leaders of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus and the Leicester Alliance would make her plans to unify Fódlan against the Church of Seiros easier. However, that failed due to Byleth's intervention. After being saved by Byleth, she came to hold interest towards them while also staying cautious. She formed an alliance of convenience with Those Who Slither in the Dark, as they both oppose the church, though she despises them for their callous attitude towards collateral damage. During the attack on Remire Village, as the Flame Emperor, she encounters Byleth and Jeralt and offers an alliance. When Byleth refuses, the Emperor had expected the reaction but warns about their decisions in the future.

Within the school year, she asks the students of the Officers Academy to hold a reunion five years later on the eve of the monastery's millenium festival. Eventually, she convinces Ionius IX to abdicate and assumes the Adrestian throne.

After being unmasked as the Flame Emperor in the Holy Tomb, Edelgard formally declares war on the Church. She launches a full-scale invasion of Garreg Mach Monastery, and the monastery is overrun and Byleth goes missing.

Crimson Flower (Edelgard)
If Byleth chooses to desert the Church to remain with Edelgard, she and Hubert are extremely grateful. Edelgard organizes her former classmates into an elite task force known as the Black Eagle Strike Force. After the Battle of Garreg Mach, Archbishop Rhea takes refuge in Fhirdiad and Edelgard spends the next five years locked in a bitter stalemate with the Kingdom and the Alliance.

Eventually, Byleth returns in Imperial Year 1185, and with their aid Edelgard is swiftly able to conquer Leicester and either kill Claude or force him into exile. After beating back an attempt by the Church to retake Garreg Mach, Edelgard begins military operations against Faerghus in earnest. She first conquers Arianrhod, a fortress on the western border between Adrestia and Faerghus. Afterwards, she begins a direct march for Fhirdiad. Dimitri and Rhea move to intercept her at the Tailtean Plains, but Rhea is driven off and Dimitri is slain in battle. The group finally arrives in Fhirdiad, and Rhea orders the city burned to the ground in order to slow them down and transforms into her ultimate form, the Immaculate One. Edelgard, Byleth, and the Black Eagle Strike Force engage her in battle. Ultimately, the Empire emerges victorious and Rhea is slain. With all of Fódlan under Adrestia's dominion, Edelgard finally begins the reforms she always wanted to bring to the nobility and the Crest system and begins a silent war against "those who slither in the dark".

Silver Snow (Rhea)
If the Church route is chosen, she accepts her defeat by Byleth's hands and asks them to grant her an honorable death. Right before Byleth's blade cuts her down her last words are of how she wishes they could’ve walked their path together.

Azure Moon (Dimitri)
If the Blue Lions route is chosen, after Dimitri recovers from his trauma, he offers to parley with Edelgard. Accompanied by Hubert and Byleth, the two have a heartfelt conversation about the future of Fódlan, but ultimately conclude that their views of the world cannot coexist and they must settle their differences in battle. Edelgard returns to the Imperial palace in Enbarr. While Hubert stalls for time and is ultimately slain, Edelgard uses the power of her twin Crests to transform into a Demonic Beast of extreme power. Facing Dimitri's forces in this form, she is defeated and returned to human form. Dimitri makes one last attempt to reconcile with her, but Edelgard attacks him with the dagger he once gifted her. Dimitri stabs her in the heart with Areadbhar, killing her instantly.

Verdant Wind (Claude)
If the Golden Deers path is chosen, she is defeated by the combined forces of the Knights of Seiros, the Alliance military, and Almyra military. She accepts her defeat by Byleth's hands and asks them to grant her an honorable death. Right before Byleth's blade cuts her down her last words are of how she wishes they could’ve walked their path together.

Personality
Edelgard has a dignified, high-minded, solemn air about her, and she coolly evaluates her surroundings and those around her before she acts. That is not to say that she doesn't enjoy letting herself loose occasionally or acting casually, but she take such great lengths to conceal these aspects that even her colleagues express surprise whenever she does so. Though she may like to take more time for herself, she recognizes the importance of her duties and puts serving her people above herself.

There are few lines Edelgard won't cross to make her ambitions a reality, and is more than willing to use force against those who would try to oppose her. As far back as the beginning of the game, she engineers several incidents to try and get an advantage on her plans to unite Fodlan and bring an end to the Church of Seiros. The idea of surrendering upon defeat is unthinkable to her, and she would rather die for her ideals than accept mercy from anyone who would oppose those ideals.

Growth Rates

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

Maximum Stats

 * 81
 * 81
 * 72
 * 61
 * 57
 * 42
 * 61
 * 47
 * 85
 * }

Learnt Magic

 * D
 * Fire
 * Heal
 * D+
 * Nosferatu
 * C
 * Bolganone
 * Recover
 * C+
 * B
 * Luna Λ
 * Seraphim
 * B+
 * A
 * Hades Ω
 * A+
 * }
 * Luna Λ
 * Seraphim
 * B+
 * A
 * Hades Ω
 * A+
 * }
 * A
 * Hades Ω
 * A+
 * }
 * A+
 * }
 * }
 * }

Overall
Given her skill levels, Edelgard will have easy access to the Myrmidon class family (Myrmidon, Mercenary, Thief, Swordmaster, Hero, Mortal Savant), the Soldier class family (Armored Knight, Fortress Knight), the Fighter class family (Fighter, Brigand, Warrior), and the Monk class family (Monk, Mage, Warlock), as well as her exclusive Lord class family, (Lord, Armored Lord, Emperor).

Supports

 * Byleth
 * Hubert
 * Ferdinand
 * Linhardt
 * Caspar
 * Bernadetta
 * Dorothea
 * Petra
 * Lysithea
 * Hanneman
 * Manuela

Fire Emblem Heroes

 * -|Original=
 * The Future
 * Princess and heir apparent of the Adrestian Empire. Her steadfast ambition is veiled by her elegant, self-confident demeanor. Appears in Fire Emblem: Three Houses.

Base Stats
Rarity: ✯✯✯✯✯

Three Houses

 * Edelgard/Quotes

Heroes

 * Edelgard/Heroes Quotes

Three Houses
Edelgard - Flame Emperor
 * As the new Adrestian emperor, Edelgard dedicated her life to reshaping the delicate political structure of Fódlan. With tireless work and great sacrifice, she reformed the class system to ensure a free and independent society for all. In her later years, she entrusted her life's work to a worthy successor before finally vanishing from the public eye.

Edelgard and Byleth
 * Byleth and Edelgard ended the tyranny of a godlike being. Byleth was wounded and lost the power of the progenitor god, but it mattered not, as he and Edelgard had each other. To ensure lasting peace, the two fought against those who slither in the dark, and to ensure a society where people can rise and fall by their own merits, they spent their lives reforming the antiquated class system. They achieved much in their time together, and it is said that they were sometimes spotted leaving the palace to privately enjoy the world they created. How they spent those precious moments, none but the two of them will ever know.

Edelgard and Hubert
 * As the new Adrestian emperor, Edelgard gave all she had to breathe new life into the government of Fódlan. With tireless work, great sacrifice, and her devoted servant Hubert by her side, she instituted new class reforms and helped to ensure the people's independence. Hubert was always close at hand, ready to dispose of unsavory burdens by any means necessary. In their later years, they passed the fruits of her labor on to Edelgard's successor and vanished from the public eye. Though it is said they spent the rest of their lives together, it is unlikely they ever gave voice to the true depth of their affections.

Edelgard and Ferdinand
 * 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.

Edelgard and Linhardt
 * As the new Adrestian emperor, Edelgard gave all she had to breathe new life into the government of Fódlan. With tireless work and great sacrifice, she instituted new class reforms to ensure that people could rise on their own merits. During those years, however, there was a period of time in which she simply disappeared. It is said that she went to the research facility of the foremost authority in Crests, Linhardt, who had relinquished his rank and title to live a life of study. There, after confirming the results of Linhardt's experiments, Edelgard was able to enjoy a rare break from her busy life. The respite was brief, but they cherished that time for the rest of their lives.

Edelgard and Caspar
 * Edelgard, the new Adrestian emperor, appointed Caspar as her Minister of Military Affairs, and the two devoted themselves to ruling Fódlan. Caspar quickly developed a reputation for recklessness in his duty, but he compensated for it with successes in the field and was given leeway by the emperor as a result. Privately, the couple's relationship as husband and wife was more tempestuous. Their spats were frequent, but it is said that Edelgard took pleasure in her ability to influence Caspar, and Caspar enjoyed reining the emperor in from time to time. It was a strange but happy union.

Edelgard and Bernadetta
 * When Bernadetta inherited House Varley from her father, she tried to withdraw from politics and remain within the bounds of her territory, but Edelgard, the new Adrestian emperor, would not allow it. Instead, she demanded that Bernadetta counsel her in governing Fódlan. It is said that the emperor made this choice to keep herself from being too detached, and that Bernadetta was all too happy to provide a more emotional perspective now and again. The people of Enbarr could always tell when the two were meeting by the sound of Bernadetta's panicked voice ringing out from the palace.

Edelgard and Dorothea
 * As Edelgard's reign as the Adrestian emperor began, Enbarr was restored, and with it, a certain opera house. Soon the Mittelfrank Opera Company put together a war drama depicting the journey and sacrifice of the emperor and her companions, and the starring role went to none other than Dorothea. Edelgard initially forbade the company from staging it, but was eventually persuaded by Dorothea's passionate performance to rescind that decree. It is said that the emperor always set aside time to enjoy the opera thereafter.

Edelgard and Hanneman
 * As the new Adrestian emperor, Edelgard gave all she had to breathe new life into the government of Fódlan. To that end, Hanneman's research proved invaluable. Seeking to determine the nature of Crests, and to do away with the inequality caused by them, the Father of Crestology produced magical tools that could be used even without the aid of Crests. These were put to eager use by Edelgard, who saw both of their dreams realized. It is not hard to imagine that a pair with such similar ideologies and plans for the future would eventually settle into an affectionate and fulfilling relationship.

Edelgard and Manuela
 * As the new Adrestian emperor, Edelgard gave all she had to breathe new life into the government of Fódlan. Her first objective was to institute new class reforms and ensure the people's independence. For that reason, she sought the counsel of Manuela, whose vast array of contacts, talents, and experience proved invaluable. She became essential to Edelgard, and her skill as a physician kept the emperor in good health for many years. Both remained unmarried, and it is said that the two became extremely close over the years.

Edelgard and Lysithea
 * 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.

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

Etymology
Edelgarde is a female German name meaning Noble Protector.

Hræsvelgr is a figure from Norse mythology who is a giant that takes the form of an eagle.

Trivia

 * Edelgard shares her English voice actress, Tara Platt, with Awakening's Miriel and Flavia.
 * She shares her Japanese voice actress, Ai Kakuma, with Flora from Fates.
 * Edelgard was voiced by Cristina Vee in the original E3 2018 trailer for Three Houses, whom she shares with Tatiana from Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia, as well as the Fire Emblem Heroes appearances of Lachesis and Athena.
 * Edelgard's pre-timeskip artwork depicts her wielding a Steel Axe while her post timeskip artwork depicts her wielding Aymr.
 * Aymr bears the Crest of the Beast, which Marianne possesses, but Edelgard does not.
 * Edelgard is the only house leader to not be strong in her kingdom's specialty weapon.
 * She does have a budding talent for Reason magic, however.
 * Edelgard is one of the characters who can have S-Supports with both Male and Female Byleth. The others are: Rhea, Dorothea, Mercedes, Sothis, Linhardt, Alois (platonic) and Gilbert (platonic as well).
 * Edelgard is the only character to learn Black Magic and Dark Magic by leveling up Reason.
 * Edelgard stands at 158cm (or about 5’2”).