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“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 main protagonists in Fire Emblem: Three Houses and Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes. 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 seventeen at the start of the game and wields axes as her main weapon.

Quick Answers

What is the significance of Edelgard's Minor Crest of Seiros? toggle section
Edelgard's Minor Crest of Seiros, passed down the Hresvelg lineage, denotes her noble roots and the power she holds. This Crest, while not as powerful as a Major Crest, still carries significant power. It is linked to the Sword of Seiros, which Edelgard uses in combat. The Crest was also involved in a process aimed at creating a strong emperor, leading to Edelgard von Hresvelg.
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What is the role of Edelgard in the Officers Academy? toggle section
At the Officers Academy in Garreg Mach, Edelgard is a student honing her leadership skills. The academy, attended by numerous nobles, entrusts students with significant responsibilities like taxation and bandit control. Edelgard is recognized for her unwavering determination to dismantle corruption and establish a society free from discrimination based on status or Crests.
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What is the exact birth date of Edelgard? toggle section
Edelgard, the ninth child and fourth daughter of Emperor Ionius IX, was born on June 22, Imperial Year 1162, in Fódlan. She is the princess and heir to the Adrestian Empire.
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How does Edelgard's age affect her character development in Fire Emblem: Three Houses? toggle section
At seventeen, Edelgard is the future emperor of the Adrestian Empire in Fire Emblem: Three Houses. Her youth is pivotal in her character development, as she is given leadership roles like leading the Black Eagles at the Officers Academy. Her age also shapes her strong bond with Byleth, irrespective of the player's path. Additionally, her transformation into the Flame Emperor is swift, reflecting her youthful adaptability.
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What are the key events in the Fire Emblem Three Houses Edelgard route? toggle section
In Fire Emblem Three Houses, Edelgard transforms into the Flame Emperor in Chapters 6 and 8. Her ally, Hubert, often teleports her from the battlefield, notably in Chapter 11. The narrative commences with the Flame Emperor's minions attacking Edelgard and her companions. Edelgard has a profound connection with Byleth, and feels remorse if their paths diverge.
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Profile

Early Life

Born in Imperial Year 1162, Edelgard is the ninth child and 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.

In Imperial Year 1171, at the age of nine, she was 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 Edelgard's father, and with his help, Duke Aegir stripped the emperor of much of his power. Unbeknownst to Volkhard or Edelgard, her mother had also escaped to Faerghus under the alias Patricia and married King Lambert.

Young Dimitri and Edelgard

A young Edelgard teaches Dimitri to dance.

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. The two spent much time together, with Edelgard teaching him how to dance. Edelgard returned to the Empire in 1174 with her uncle, never learning that her mother was Dimitri's step-mother. Before she departed, Dimitri gifted her a dagger, which she has held onto since despite forgetting how she obtained it.

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Edelgard's childhood afterward was much more traumatic. Upon her return to the Empire, she, alongside her siblings, were imprisoned under the Imperial palace and subjected to torturous blood reconstruction surgeries by Those Who Slither in the Dark, who were said to be backed by many of the corrupt Adrestian nobles. Though her father vehemently objected, his reduced influence meant that he could do nothing to stop them. As a result, most of her siblings were driven mad from the experiments or died from exhaustion.

By the end of it all, only Edelgard was able to survive and retain her sanity, leaving her as the only successful subject (which was possible because of the previous experiments conducted on Lysithea). As a result, she bore a second Crest, the Crest of Flames, at the cost of her hair turning white. These events would forever color her view of Crests, the Church of Seiros, and the caste system of Fódlan.

Edelgard never learned that her presence in Faerghus was used by Cornelia to manipulate Patricia and eventually cause the Tragedy of Duscur in Imperial Year 1176.

"End of spoilers. It's a pleasure doing business with you!"

Three Houses

Academy Phase

In 1180, Edelgard arrived at Garreg Mach Monastery to complete her education and resolved to reclaim what her father had lost. Her admittance marked the first time in ages since a member of the Hresvelg family sent a member to the Officer's Academy. She would soon become the House Leader of the Black Eagles.

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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 in an effort to kill as many students as possible during a training exercise --among them Claude and Dimitri. However, this endeavor failed due to Byleth's and Jeralt'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. Should Byleth accept, the Emperor will accuse them of lying.

"End of spoilers. It's a pleasure doing business with you!"


Edelgard's coronation 1

Edelgard succeeds her father as Emperor of Adrestia.

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 millennium festival. Eventually, she convinces Ionius IX to abdicate and assumes the Adrestian throne, an event Byleth can witness if they are her professor.

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Eventually, Edelgard orders Metodey and several soldiers to infiltrate the Holy Tomb. Should Byleth teach the Black Eagles, Edelgard accompanies her fellow classmates into the Holy Tomb. After Byleth sits on the throne, Metodey and several Imperial soldiers arrive, intending to pillage the Crest Stones. When Ferdinand remarks that Metodey must be working with the Flame Emperor, Linhardt immediately deduces that the Empire must be linked to it, prompting Bernadetta to ask Edelgard if she had any knowledge of the event. Edelgard confirms her suspicions and reveals her identity as the Flame Emperor, much to her classmates' shock. She tells her friends to stand down as the Imperial Army loot the Crest Stones, ordering her soldiers to kill them should they resist.

If Byleth taught the Blue Lions or Golden Deer however, she appears with Metodey in her Flame Emperor persona, and her true identity is revealed following the battle.

Rhea then orders Byleth to kill Edelgard, seeing her as a threat to Fódlan. If Byleth taught the other Houses or did not attend her coronation, they immediately side with Rhea, but Hubert comes in and takes her to safety before they can do anything. Should Byleth have attended Edelgard's coronation, they have the option of siding with her; should they do so, Edelgard will be shocked, but grateful for their decision.

Upon returning to the Empire, Edelgard immediately declares war on the Church, organizing her forces to launch an attack on Garreg Mach, knowing that she would have the advantage if she could capture Rhea. If Byleth sided against her, the first assault fails, but a second assault results in Rhea's capture. If Byleth sided with her, the first assault is successful, though Rhea is able to escape, much to Edelgard's disappointment.

"End of spoilers. It's a pleasure doing business with you!"

Cindered Shadows

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Edelgard is the other Black Eagle besides Linhardt that explores Abyss. She becomes acquainted with Constance, having heard of the noble's disappearance beforehand.

"End of spoilers. It's a pleasure doing business with you!"

War Phase

Crimson Flower
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Edelgard organizes her former classmates into an elite task force known as the Black Eagle Strike Force. They are able to overwhelm the Church's forces, but in the aftermath of the battle, Rhea transforms into the Immaculate One and Byleth is trapped by rubble in the chaos, sending them into a coma. Despite her efforts, Edelgard and the others are unable to find Byleth, and she is wracked with guilt over their supposed death.

After the Battle of Garreg Mach, Archbishop Rhea takes refuge in Fhirdiad. Garreg Mach falls into ruin, but Edelgard and the rest of the Imperial Army soon rehabilitate the former monastery and use it as their base of operations. She and the rest of her classmates spend the next five years in conflict with both the Kingdom and Church; the Alliance remained a neutral party, having people both for and against the Empire's actions.

MByleth Edelgard reunion

Edelgard reunites with Byleth after their five year absence.

Eventually, Byleth returns in Imperial Year 1185 on the day that would have been the Millennium Festival; they encounter Edelgard upon returning to Garreg Mach, where she is surprised with their reappearance and shares a hug with them. After bringing them up to speed, she reintroduces Byleth to their former classmates, all of whom are happy with their return. With Byleth's aid, Edelgard is able to swiftly conquer Leicester, eventually defeating Claude and his forces at Derdriu. Edelgard and Byleth have the decision to spare or execute Claude. She was surprised that Claude had considered all possibilities after the battle. If Claude is spared, he decides to meet Edelgard one more time, and asks her to take care of his former classmates and bring peace to Fódlan, which she agrees to.

Following the absorption of the Alliance, the Knights of Seiros perform a sneak attack on Garreg Mach to recapture it. While Rhea and Catherine distract most of the enemy forces, an expeditionary force led by Seteth attempt to sneak in, but are discovered by Edelgard and her strike force. They are quickly repelled, and the Church retreats following their defeat. However, both Randolph and Ladislava are killed during the battle with the main army, along with numerous other casualties. Despite the losses, Edelgard continues her campaign against the Church, planning an attack on Fhirdiad, although she informs Byleth they are taking a short detour to Arianrhod first.

Edelgard defeats Dimitri

Edelgard executes Dimitri.

The reason for attacking Arianrhod is because Cornelia is actually a member of Those Who Slither in the Dark. The siege is a success, with Arianrhod captured and Cornelia killed. However, in response for killing Cornelia, her uncle sends javelins of light to flatten the city. Though Hubert is concerned they acted rashly in killing Cornelia, Edelgard reassures him, stating that they forced Those Who Slither in the Dark to reveal their secret weapon. Hubert advises her to keep the truth of the incident away from the others, which she complies with, telling her classmates that the Church was responsible for flattening Arianrhod. Edelgard stresses the war must be ended quickly, before the javelins of light can be used again.

However, news of an Almyran army at Fódlan's Throat forces Edelgard to take her strike force there and defend the fortress as no other units can be spared. She defeats Nader, the enemy commander, forcing the Almyrans to retreat. Duke Goneril entrusts Edelgard with protecting the fortress, and she stations a group of soldiers there to defend it.

Now heading to the Tailtean Plains, Dimitri intercepts the Imperial Army, while waiting for Rhea's forces to arrive as they are late due to poor weather. In the ensuing battle, Dimitri is defeated and Rhea's forces are routed. If Dedue was defeated after turning into a Demonic Beast, Dimitri curses Edelgard, accusing her of causing immense suffering, but Edelgard ignores his accusations and executes him herself. Following the aftermath of the battle, Edelgard expresses surprise with Rhea's tactical skills, and somewhat mourns Dimitri's death.

The group finally arrives in Fhirdiad. Edelgard orders the Church to surrender and be spared. The Church does not respond, prompting Hubert to state that they should attack. The group then hears a roar as Rhea transforms into the Immaculate One, and a soldier comes in informing them that fires have sprung all over the city, much to Edelgard's disgust. She assembles the Black Eagle Strike Force and tells them not to die so they could all see the future she plans to bring at war's end. Edelgard, Byleth, and the Black Eagle Strike Force engage her in battle. Ultimately, the Empire emerges victorious and Rhea is slain. Following Rhea's death, the Crest Stone inside Byleth disappears and Byleth collapses and appears to die due to heart failure, much to Edelgard's initial despair. However, Byleth's heart starts beating again by itself, to her delight.

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, which is successful in the future.

"End of spoilers. It's a pleasure doing business with you!"

Silver Snow
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Shocked by her betrayal in the Holy Tomb, Edelgard's former classmates (apart from Hubert) decide to side with the Church. On the day of the Millennium Festival, she encounters Byleth and asks them to join the Empire alongside her, but Byleth refuses. Lamenting over the fact that they are now enemies, the two briefly cross swords, with Edelgard noting that the next time they cross, it would be the end for one of them.

Following the capture of the Great Bridge of Myrddin, a Church soldier informs Byleth, Seteth and Flayn that while they were capturing the bridge, Edelgard led the Imperial Army to Gronder Field, where she also encountered Dimitri, his Kingdom forces, along with Claude and Alliance forces, much like the mock battle held five years ago. The battle turns into a brutal three-way fight, but the Imperial Army emerges victorious, although reports state that Edelgard suffered severe injuries in the battle.

After the palace is successfully captured, Edelgard 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.

"End of spoilers. It's a pleasure doing business with you!"

Azure Moon
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After Jeralt's death, the Flame Emperor is seen conversing with Thales. When The Flame Emperor teleports, a dagger is left behind, one that Dimitri recognizes. In the Holy Tomb, the revelation that Edelgard is the Flame Emperor causes Dimitri to snap, immediately slaughtering her accompanying troops with utter brutality. Though forced to retreat, with her identity now revealed, Edelgard formally ascends the throne of the Adrestian Empire and declares war on the Church of Seiros. Her first battle involves her forces attacking Garreg Mach Monastery. Though the students and Knights of Seiros are able to repel the initial wave, more soldiers arrive, now with Demonic Beasts under Empire command. As a result of this, Rhea, despite transforming into the Immaculate One, is captured and imprisoned in the Empire while Byleth goes missing.

Over five years, the Adrestian Empire gains control of the Monastery, sending most of the Knights of Seiros into hiding. Dimitri is ousted from his rightful place as heir to the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus and forced into hiding while a woman by the name of Cornelia becomes Queen and aligns with the Empire, making Faerghus a puppet country.

By 1185, Adrestia has all but conquered all of Fódlan. However, Byleth reappears after their five year disappearance and is able to find Dimitri. In Great Tree Moon 1185, the armies of the Adrestian Empire, the Faerghus rebel army accompanied by the Knights of Seiros, and the Leicester Alliance meet at Gronder Field much like the mock battle held at the Academy five years prior. Edelgard personally leads the Adrestian forces, but is eventually defeated by Byleth and Dimitri, forcing her to retreat. As she gathers her troops, especially once Dimitri reclaims Faerghus from Cornelia and after he captures Fort Merceus, she receives a message from Dimitri to meet him in private, and accepts the request on a whim. Accompanied by Hubert, she converses with Dimitri about their past. Though the prince tries to see eye to eye with her, she refuses to give up her ambitions. At an impasse, Dimitri returns the dagger she dropped five years ago, the one he had gifted her when they were children. The two depart, but acknowledge the next time they would meet would be in battle as enemies.

Dimitri ending

Dimitri offers Edelgard mercy in her defeat.

During the Verdant Rain Moon, 1185, the Kingdom of Faerghus invades the capital of Adrestia, Enbarr, killing Hubert. Left with the Adrestian Castle as her only defense, Edelgard willingly uses archaic methods to transform herself into a Hegemon Husk, which allows her to use the unbridled full power of her two crests, in a last-ditch effort to stop Byleth, Dimitri, and their army. Despite her fierce attacks, her loyal soldiers who are willing to give their lives for her, and a few agents of Those Who Slither in the Dark, she is eventually defeated by them. As her monster form dissipates off her body, Dimitri offers his hand to the weakened emperor. Edelgard refuses to accept his mercy, meeting his response with silence as she silently grabs her dagger underneath her cloak and throws it at his shoulder. Dimitri instinctively impales her heart with Areadbhar in response, killing her. With her death, Adrestia merges into the now united Fódlan under the rule of its first united ruler, King Dimitri.

"End of spoilers. It's a pleasure doing business with you!"

Verdant Wind
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If the Golden Deer's path is chosen, Edelgard is defeated by the combined forces of the Knights of Seiros, the Alliance and Almyra military. During the battle, if Edelgard takes damage but is not beaten, Claude expresses that he does not want to kill her, but Edelgard refuses his offer of mercy. Once beaten, 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.

"End of spoilers. It's a pleasure doing business with you!"

Warriors: Three Hopes

After Shez's admission, Edelgard and Hubert have a private discussion where Edelgard resolves to use the opportunity to rescue a certain someone, much to Hubert's concern. Shez and their class rescues Monica from the Agarthans who names Tomas as her kidnapper. With Monica rescued and "Tomas" driven out of the monastery, Edelgard uses the latter's treachery to convince Rhea to lend her support in ousting Lord Arundel from the Empire, revealing to Rhea that Lord Arundel underwent a similar shift in personality and is almost certainly another member of the conspiracy. Together with the Black Eagles, Monica, and Jeritza, the group makes for Enbarr. Edelgard and her loyalists besiege the palace, arrest Duke Aegir, and force Lord Arundel to drop his own disguise before fleeing.

After the battle, Hubert explains that Arundel is a member of a hostile faction seeking to conquer Fódlan from the shadows, a faction he has dubbed "Those Who Slither in the Dark". The remaining Black Eagles arrive in Enbarr, and together with Counts Bergliez and Hevring, swear fealty to Edelgard and prepare to crown her emperor. Edelgard then orders Counts Bergliez and Hevring to begin preparations for her plans in two years' time and appoints Count Varley to the post of bishop of the newly restored Southern Church. Later, If Shez is part of the Black Eagles, Edelgard convinces them to accept a post as an officer in her military.

Two years after the coup, Edelgard has reformed Adrestia's military and social structure and decides the time has come to declare war on the Central Church due to its abuses of its position for its own benefit. She and Hubert gather the former Black Eagles and explain that she intends to invade and conquer Garreg Mach Monastery in the coming days, and wants her former classmates to act as officers in her army.

Scarlet Blaze

In 1182, Edelgard launches an attack on Garreg Mach Monastery and successfully takes it, driving out the Central Church and installing the Southern Church officials. Consequently, she pushes war on two fronts; one against the Alliance, whom the Empire invaded in order to reach Garreg Mach, and the other against the Kingdom, where Rhea and the rest of the Central Church fled for asylum.

While struggling to make progress on both fronts, additional trouble rises within the Empire's borders as Ludwig, with the backing of Those Who Slither in the Dark, takes Fort Merceus as a step in an attempted coup against her. With the coup put down and Ludwig executed, Edelgard forms an agreement with Claude and the Alliance to jointly attack the Kingdom. The two forces converge at Ailell, where they confront Dimitri and the Kingdom along with some of the forces of the Church of Seiros. Depending on previous decisions, Claude can betray the Empire or stand alongside them; should the former occur, the Alliance and Empire once again declare war on each other, while if the latter occurs, he will aid the player in the chapter and after the battle chase after Dimitri to defeat him, leading to the three House Leaders and Shez being briefly trapped in Zahras by Epimenides. Using the chaos as a distraction, Rhea advances with the Knights of Seiros to reclaim Garreg Mach.

Thwarting the Kingdom's defenses, Edelgard leads the Imperial army to Garreg Mach, which is in the midst of a chaotic battle between the Knights of Seiros and Those Who Slither in the Dark. Edelgard takes this opportunity to confront both forces, defeating Thales and Rhea in battle. With Garreg Mach secure, depending on the aforementioned actions by Claude, she either leads the Empire against both the Alliance and Kingdom, or works with Claude's combined forces to advance further on the Kingdom.

Azure Gleam

When Edelgard leads her forces in an assault on Arianrhod, Dimitri and the Kingdom forces halt her advance and force her to retreat. During the retreat, she is confronted by Dimitri, but before the two can come to blows, they are interrupted by Thales. Edelgard warns Dimitri that Thales was the one responsible for the death of his father Lambert, but is then consumed by Thales' powerful magic. In the following chaos, she briefly takes a monstrous form before vanishing with Thales.

Throughout the rest of the route, Edelgard is kept under a powerful mind control by Thales, and is used as a puppet ruler. Ludwig, restored to power, rules the Empire as Regent under the pretense that Edelgard is unwell, leading corruption to seep into all corners of the Empire. Under his control, Edelgard sees Thales as her uncle, Volkhard.

After the imperial forces are beaten back by the Kingdom and Alliance at Ailell, Edelgard eventually joins Thales at Garreg Mach Monastery. Thales uses her in his own defense, ordering her to fight against Dimitri and his forces. After being knocked prone by Shez, she watches as Dimitri ends Thales's life.

Though Thales is killed, the effects of his mind control on Edelgard leave her in a defenseless, childlike state. She recognizes Dimitri and refers to him by her childhood nickname for him, "Dee", but is too overcome with trauma and stunned by the blows she took in battle to do much else.

Golden Wildfire

Initially, Edelgard and Claude oppose one another, with Claude's goal being to subdue the Empire in order to protect Leicester. However, after the defeat of Prince Shahid and the rebirth of the Alliance as the Federation, Claude and Edelgard meet at the Bridge of Myrddin to form a pact. From here on out, Edelgard and the Imperial Army work alongside Claude to bring down the Central Church.

While the Federation Army is flushing Those Who Slither in the Dark from Ordelia territory, the Imperial Army marches towards Garreg Mach, where they're quickly surrounded by the Kingdom army and the Knights of Seiros. Edelgard holds up as best she can until Claude arrives to provide backup, at which point she charges towards the front lines to confront Dimitri and Rhea.

In the final chapter, Edelgard is said to be advancing on Arianrhod to confront Dimitri again.

Personality

Edelgard holds herself with a dignified air, but is full of melancholy and solemn wistfulness. As heir of the Adrestian Empire, she is an exemplary student and a natural leader. She keeps a modest front, rarely cutting loose and maintains formality. Her colleagues express great surprise whenever she does relax. While generally a private person, she does recognize the importance of her duties and expresses confidence and faith in the abilities of her allies.

She is a capable dancer, having taught Dimitri at a young age and has a talent for drawing portraits, though she is embarrassed to show them to others.

Though she tries to keep it a secret, Edelgard is deathly afraid of rats, as they remind her of a past she is uncomfortable with. She also fears the ocean since she cannot swim. She suffers from insomnia and nightmares, often wandering around outside after dark. She may have claustrophobia, and expresses a need to see the sky after one of her nightmares.

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Edelgard is far more complex than she initially appears, as she had been scheming to take over the continent and unite all its territories under a new Adrestian Empire since before the event of Three Houses. Driven by a desire to change society, she is willing to sacrifice anything, as she believes that the only means of achieving her goals is through war and sometimes underhanded tactics. Edelgard will use whatever it takes to achieve her goals, using some of her allies begrudgingly as a means to amass power and influence.

Edelgard strongly believes that the ends will justify the means if she were to win the war, believing any sacrifices in the present will save more people in the future. In Azure Moon, she states she went to war after weighing all options and determined that it would be much faster with far fewer casualties than to continue on in the continent's current state. Although Edelgard uses deception and is secretly behind much of the events leading to the war, she does become a rallying figure for those who are legitimately discontent with the Church of Seiros and the current state of society, especially in her homeland of the Adrestian Empire. Edelgard manages to inspire loyalty among her subjects, with even some people from the other nations, like Marianne and Lysithea, admiring her and her convictions, willing to betray their homeland to support the emperor.

Dimitri has had a significant impact on her life as the two are step-siblings when her mother Anselma married King Lambert under the name "Patricia." In their childhood, neither were aware of their relationship to each other, but they were close nonetheless. Dimitri gifted her a dagger which she held well into the present, which was symbolically meant to tell her to carve out her own ideals and face the numerous hardships she had to endure. If met at the Goddess Tower event, she admits that her first love was a Faerghus noble who she cannot recall, implied to be Dimitri. Despite her past feelings towards him, it is heavily implied that Edelgard no longer remembers Dimitri nor that he gifted her the dagger, and while Dimitri realizes they are step-siblings from investigating Patricia's past, Edelgard never learns the truth.

Edelgard's personality and ambitions are a result of tragedies that painted her view of the world. The traumatic imprisonment of her siblings and herself due to the experiments of Those Who Slither in the Dark created her hatred of Crests. She also despises most nobility, especially the Adrestian Nobles, as they are partially responsible for the circumstances leading to said experiments, but also due to the fact that Crests are used as societal leverage by most nobles as a sign of their prestige. She even shows sympathy and pity to Miklan, whom she praises for becoming a leader despite being disowned, calling his death "a waste". One of her main goals is to dismantle the current nobility system and having the people earn their position by merit rather than birthright.

Edelgard bears a large distrust of Rhea and the Church of Seiros. She is suspicious of them withholding knowledge about the past, as well as disapproving of the sacred role crests play in church teachings. During Crimson Flower, she tries to learn more about the church from Manuela but does not plan on ever becoming a devout follower by any means. Edelgard's distrust of the Church has been exploited by Those Who Slither in the Dark, who plan to make use of her as a weapon for their own ends.

In Crimson Flower, Byleth sides with Edelgard, and supports her goals during the war. Edelgard admits in their support that she feared that she would have become "a harsh ruler with a heart of ice" if she had to walk her path alone. She also has several fleeting moments of peace and happiness as an ally during Crimson Flower, such as when she takes to drawing portraits of Byleth, which she is self-conscious about. In the same route, Dorothea notes that among the Black Eagles, Edelgard was the most emotionally affected by Byleth's disappearance. Edelgard's fondness for Byleth goes so far as to encourage Byleth to call her El, a nickname that only those closes to her - like her family - are allowed to use, and even let Byleth give her orders on the battlefield despite her dislike of not being in control. Besides that, Edelgard expresses fear and anxiety over the consequences of her actions, as she understands that she would be responsible for the deaths of countless lives. Dimitri's death in this route struck her to the point that she appears to cry, although she denies it.

Her interest towards Byleth is strong even if the player does not side with her. As an enemy, Edelgard will express regret that she and Byleth did not walk the same path and even find some semblance of closure falling to Byleth's sword.

"End of spoilers. It's a pleasure doing business with you!"

In-Game

Fire Emblem: Three Houses

Base Stats

As an Enemy

Rivalry of the Houses
Skill FE16 sword icon FE16 lance icon FE16 axe icon FE16 bow icon FE16 brawl icon FE16 reason icon FE16 faith icon FE16 authority icon FE16 heavy armor icon FE16 riding icon FE16 flying icon
Level E E E * E E E E E - - -
Start

* Axe weapon rank is D in the Golden Deer route.

Battle of the Eagle and Lion
Skill FE16 sword icon FE16 lance icon FE16 axe icon FE16 bow icon FE16 brawl icon FE16 reason icon FE16 faith icon FE16 authority icon FE16 heavy armor icon FE16 riding icon FE16 flying icon
Level D+ E B E E E E C - - -
Start


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Conflict in the Holy Tomb
Skill FE16 sword icon FE16 lance icon FE16 axe icon FE16 bow icon FE16 brawl icon FE16 reason icon FE16 faith icon FE16 authority icon FE16 heavy armor icon FE16 riding icon FE16 flying icon
Level E E B E E E E B - - -
Start
The Battle of Garreg Mach
Skill FE16 sword icon FE16 lance icon FE16 axe icon FE16 bow icon FE16 brawl icon FE16 reason icon FE16 faith icon FE16 authority icon FE16 heavy armor icon FE16 riding icon FE16 flying icon
Level E E B E E E E B - - -
Start
To War at Gronder
Skill FE16 sword icon FE16 lance icon FE16 axe icon FE16 bow icon FE16 brawl icon FE16 reason icon FE16 faith icon FE16 authority icon FE16 heavy armor icon FE16 riding icon FE16 flying icon
Level A C B D+ D+ B E B B - -
Start
Confrontation at the Palace
Skill FE16 sword icon FE16 lance icon FE16 axe icon FE16 bow icon FE16 brawl icon FE16 reason icon FE16 faith icon FE16 authority icon FE16 heavy armor icon FE16 riding icon FE16 flying icon
Level A C A C C B+ E A A - -
Start
Clash at the Imperial Capital
Skill FE16 sword icon FE16 lance icon FE16 axe icon FE16 bow icon FE16 brawl icon FE16 reason icon FE16 faith icon FE16 authority icon FE16 heavy armor icon FE16 riding icon FE16 flying icon
Level E E E E E E E E E - -
Start
"End of spoilers. It's a pleasure doing business with you!"

Growth Rates

Class:

Default
HP Str Mag Dex Spd Lck Def Res Cha
40% 55% 45% 45% 40% 30% 35% 35% 60%
Noble
HP Str Mag Dex Spd Lck Def Res Cha
40% 55% 45% 45% 40% 30% 35% 35% 65%
Dancer
HP Str Mag Dex Spd Lck Def Res Cha
60% 50% 45% 45% 40% 30% 30% 30% 70%
Armored Lord
HP Str Mag Dex Spd Lck Def Res Cha
60% 60% 50% 45% 40% 30% 40% 40% 70%
Emperor
HP Str Mag Dex Spd Lck Def Res Cha
70% 65% 55% 45% 40% 30% 40% 40% 70%
Myrmidon
HP Str Mag Dex Spd Lck Def Res Cha
50% 55% 45% 45% 45% 30% 35% 30% 65%
Soldier
HP Str Mag Dex Spd Lck Def Res Cha
50% 55% 45% 50% 40% 30% 35% 30% 65%
Fighter
HP Str Mag Dex Spd Lck Def Res Cha
50% 60% 45% 45% 40% 30% 35% 30% 65%
Monk
HP Str Mag Dex Spd Lck Def Res Cha
45% 55% 45% 45% 40% 30% 35% 40% 65%
Lord
HP Str Mag Dex Spd Lck Def Res Cha
60% 55% 45% 55% 40% 30% 35% 35% 70%
Mercenary
HP Str Mag Dex Spd Lck Def Res Cha
60% 60% 45% 45% 45% 30% 35% 30% 65%
Thief
HP Str Mag Dex Spd Lck Def Res Cha
60% 55% 45% 55% 50% 30% 35% 35% 65%
Armored Knight
HP Str Mag Dex Spd Lck Def Res Cha
60% 55% 45% 45% 30% 30% 45% 30% 65%
Cavalier
HP Str Mag Dex Spd Lck Def Res Cha
60% 60% 45% 50% 30% 30% 40% 35% 65%
Brigand
HP Str Mag Dex Spd Lck Def Res Cha
70% 65% 45% 45% 40% 30% 35% 30% 65%
Archer
HP Str Mag Dex Spd Lck Def Res Cha
45% 55% 45% 55% 40% 35% 35% 35% 65%
Mage
HP Str Mag Dex Spd Lck Def Res Cha
50% 50% 55% 50% 40% 30% 30% 40% 65%
Preist
HP Str Mag Dex Spd Lck Def Res Cha
50% 50% 50% 50% 40% 30% 30% 45% 70%
Pegasus Knight
HP Str Mag Dex Spd Lck Def Res Cha
55% 55% 45% 45% 50% 30% 35% 40% 70%
Swordmaster
HP Str Mag Dex Spd Lck Def Res Cha
65% 65% 45% 45% 60% 30% 35% 30% 65%
Assassin
HP Str Mag Dex Spd Lck Def Res Cha
60% 55% 45% 65% 60% 30% 35% 35% 60%
Fortress Knight
HP Str Mag Dex Spd Lck Def Res Cha
70% 65% 45% 45% 30% 30% 50% 35% 65%
Paladin
HP Str Mag Dex Spd Lck Def Res Cha
70% 55% 45% 50% 30% 35% 40% 40% 65%
Wyvern Rider
HP Str Mag Dex Spd Lck Def Res Cha
70% 65% 40% 45% 40% 30% 35% 30% 65%
Warrior
HP Str Mag Dex Spd Lck Def Res Cha
80% 70% 40% 45% 40% 30% 35% 35% 65%
Sniper
HP Str Mag Dex Spd Lck Def Res Cha
50% 60% 45% 65% 40% 40% 35% 35% 65%
Warlock
HP Str Mag Dex Spd Lck Def Res Cha
50% 55% 55% 45% 40% 30% 30% 40% 65%
Bishop
HP Str Mag Dex Spd Lck Def Res Cha
50% 55% 55% 45% 40% 40% 30% 40% 70%
Trickster
HP Str Mag Dex Spd Lck Def Res Cha
60% 55% 45% 60% 60% 40% 35% 40% 60%
War Cleric
HP Str Mag Dex Spd Lck Def Res Cha
80% 65% 50% 55% 40% 30% 35% 40% 65%
Dark Flier
HP Str Mag Dex Spd Lck Def Res Cha
60% 55% 45% 45% 50% 30% 35% 45% 70%
Valkyrie
HP Str Mag Dex Spd Lck Def Res Cha
45% 55% 50% 45% 35% 35% 40% 40% 70%
Falcon Knight
HP Str Mag Dex Spd Lck Def Res Cha
70% 65% 45% 45% 60% 30% 35% 40% 70%
Wyvern Lord
HP Str Mag Dex Spd Lck Def Res Cha
70% 70% 40% 45% 50% 30% 40% 35% 65%
Mortal Savant
HP Str Mag Dex Spd Lck Def Res Cha
60% 65% 55% 45% 30% 40% 35% 35% 65%
Great Knight
HP Str Mag Dex Spd Lck Def Res Cha
70% 65% 45% 45% 30% 30% 40% 30% 65%
Bow Knight
HP Str Mag Dex Spd Lck Def Res Cha
50% 55% 45% 45% 35% 30% 35% 35% 65%
Dark Knight
HP Str Mag Dex Spd Lck Def Res Cha
50% 60% 55% 45% 35% 30% 40% 45% 65%
Holy Knight
HP Str Mag Dex Spd Lck Def Res Cha
50% 55% 55% 45% 35% 40% 40% 45% 70%
Gremory
HP Str Mag Dex Spd Lck Def Res Cha
50% 55% 55% 55% 40% 30% 35% 40% 70%

Maximum Stats

Default
HP Str Mag Dex Spd Lck Def Res Cha
81 81 72 61 57 42 61 47 85
With all saint statue bonuses activated
HP Str Mag Dex Spd Lck Def Res Cha
81 86 77 66 62 47 66 52 90

Learned Magic

Skill Level Reason Faith
D Fire Heal
D+ - Nosferatu
C Bolganone Recover
C+ - -
B Luna Λ Seraphim
B+ - -
A Hades Ω -
A+ - -

Learnt Abilities

Ability Learned at Notes
Sword Prowess Lv 1 Sword Prowess Lv 1 Innate -
Sword Prowess Lv 2 Sword Prowess Lv 2 FE16 sword icon D+ Replaces Sword Prowess Lv 2
Sword Prowess Lv 3 Sword Prowess Lv 3 FE16 sword icon C+ Replaces Sword Prowess Lv 2
Sword Prowess Lv 4 Sword Prowess Lv 4 FE16 sword icon B+ Replaces Sword Prowess Lv 3
Sword Prowess Lv 5 Sword Prowess Lv 5 FE16 sword icon A+ Replaces Sword Prowess Lv 4
Icon Combat Art FE16 Sword Wrath Strike FE16 sword icon D -
Icon Combat Art FE16 Sword Grounder FE16 sword icon C -
Icon Combat Art FE16 Sword Haze Slice FE16 sword icon C+ -
Axebreaker FE16 Axebreaker FE16 sword icon B -
Icon Combat Art FE16 Sword Hexblade FE16 sword icon A -
Sword Crit +10 FE16 Sword Crit +10 FE16 sword icon S -
Swordfaire FE16 Swordfaire FE16 sword icon S+ -
Lance Prowess Lv 1 Lance Prowess Lv 1 FE16 lance icon E+ -
Lance Prowess Lv 2 Lance Prowess Lv 2 FE16 lance icon D+ Replaces Lance Prowess Lv 1
Lance Prowess Lv 3 Lance Prowess Lv 3 FE16 lance icon C+ Replaces Lance Prowess Lv 2
Lance Prowess Lv 4 Lance Prowess Lv 4 FE16 lance icon B+ Replaces Lance Prowess Lv 3
Lance Prowess Lv 5 Lance Prowess Lv 5 FE16 lance icon A+ Replaces Lance Prowess Lv 4
Icon Combat Art FE16 Lance Tempest Lance FE16 lance icon D -
Icon Combat Art FE16 Lance Knightkneeler FE16 lance icon C -
Swordbreaker FE16 Swordbreaker FE16 lance icon B -
Lance Crit +10 FE16 Lance Crit +10 FE16 lance icon S -
Lancefaire FE16 Lancefaire FE16 lance icon S+ -
Axe Prowess Lv 1 Axe Prowess Lv 1 FE16 axe icon E+ Innate
Axe Prowess Lv 2 Axe Prowess Lv 2 FE16 axe icon D+ Replaces Axe Prowess Lv 1
Axe Prowess Lv 3 Axe Prowess Lv 3 FE16 axe icon C+ Replaces Axe Prowess Lv 2
Axe Prowess Lv 4 Axe Prowess Lv 4 FE16 axe icon B+ Replaces Axe Prowess Lv 3
Axe Prowess Lv 5 Axe Prowess Lv 5 FE16 axe icon A+ Replaces Axe Prowess Lv 4
Icon Combat Art FE16 Axe Smash Innate -
Icon Combat Art FE16 Axe Helm Splitter FE16 axe icon C -
Icon Combat Art FE16 Axe Monster Breaker FE16 axe icon C+ -
Lancebreaker FE16 Lancebreaker FE16 axe icon B -
Icon Combat Art FE16 Axe Lightning Axe FE16 axe icon A -
Axe Crit +10 FE16 Axe Crit +10 FE16 axe icon S -
Axefaire FE16 Axefaire FE16 axe icon S+ -
Bow Prowess Lv 1 FE16 Bow Prowess Lv 1 FE16 bow icon E+ -
Bow Prowess Lv 2 FE16 Bow Prowess Lv 2 FE16 bow icon D+ Replaces Bow Prowess Lv 1
Bow Prowess Lv 3 FE16 Bow Prowess Lv 3 FE16 bow icon C+ Replaces Bow Prowess Lv 2
Bow Prowess Lv 4 FE16 Bow Prowess Lv 4 FE16 bow icon B+ Replaces Bow Prowess Lv 3
Bow Prowess Lv 5 Bow Prowess Lv 5 FE16 bow icon A+ Replaces Bow Prowess Lv 4
Icon Combat Art FE16 Bow Curved Shot FE16 bow icon D -
Close Counter FE16 Close Counter FE16 bow icon C -
Bow Crit +10 FE16 Bow Crit +10 FE16 bow icon S -
Bowfaire FE16 Bowfaire FE16 bow icon S+ -
Brawling Prowess Lv 1 FE16 Brawling Prowess Lv 1 FE16 brawl icon E+ -
Brawling Prowess Lv 2 FE16 Brawling Prowess Lv 2 FE16 brawl icon D+ Replaces Brawling Prowess Lv 1
Brawling Prowess Lv 3 FE16 Brawling Prowess Lv 3 FE16 brawl icon C+ Replaces Brawling Prowess Lv 2
Brawling Prowess Lv 4 FE16 Brawling Prowess Lv 4 FE16 brawl icon B+ Replaces Brawling Prowess Lv 3
Brawling Prowess Lv 5 FE16 Brawling Prowess Lv 5 FE16 brawl icon A+ Replaces Brawling Prowess Lv 4
Icon Combat Art FE16 Brawl Fading Blow FE16 brawl icon D -
Icon Combat Art FE16 Brawl Rushing Blow FE16 brawl icon C -
Combat Art Icon FE16 Special Healing Focus FE16 brawl icon B -
Brawl Crit +10 FE16 Brawl Crit +10 FE16 brawl icon S -
Fistfaire FE16 Fistfaire FE16 brawl icon S+ -
Black Mag Crit 10 FE16 Black Magic Crit +10 FE16 reason icon FE16 hidden talent icon Unlocked after twelve tutoring sessions in Reason
Reason Lv 1 FE16 Reason Lv 1 FE16 reason icon E+ -
Reason Lv 2 FE16 Reason Lv 2 FE16 reason icon D+ Replaces Reason Lv 1
Reason Lv 3 FE16 Reason Lv 3 FE16 reason icon C+ Replaces Reason Lv 2
Reason Lv 4 FE16 Reason Lv 4 FE16 reason icon B+ Replaces Reason Lv 3
Reason Lv 5 FE16 Reason Lv 5 FE16 reason icon A+ Replaces Reason Lv 4
Dark Magic Range +1 FE16 Dark Magic Range +1 FE16 reason icon S -
Dark Tomefaire FE16 Dark Tomefaire FE16 reason icon S+ -
Faith Lv 1 Faith Lv 1 FE16 faith icon E+ -
Faith Lv 2 Faith Lv 2 FE16 faith icon D+ Replaces Faith Lv 1
Faith Lv 3 Faith Lv 3 FE16 faith icon C+ Replaces Faith Lv 2
Faith Lv 4 Faith Lv 4 FE16 faith icon B+ Replaces Faith Lv 3
Faith Lv 5 Faith Lv 5 FE16 faith icon A+ Replaces Faith Lv 4
White Magic Range +1 FE16 White Magic Range +1 FE16 faith icon S -
White Tomefaire FE16 White Tomefaire FE16 faith icon S+ -
Authority Lv 1 Authority Lv 1 Innate -
Authority Lv 2 Authority Lv 2 FE16 authority icon D+ Replaces Authority Lv 1
Authority Lv 3 Authority Lv 3 FE16 authority icon C+ Replaces Authority Lv 2
Authority Lv 4 Authority Lv 4 FE16 authority icon B+ Replaces Authority Lv 3
Authority Lv 5 Authority Lv 5 FE16 authority icon A+ Replaces Authority Lv 4
Battalion Vantage FE16 Battalion Vantage FE16 authority icon C -
Sacred Power FE16 Model Leader FE16 authority icon C+ -
Defensive Tactics FE16 Defensive Tactics FE16 authority icon B -
Battalion Renewal FE16Battalion Renewal FE16 authority icon A -
Rally Charm FE16 Rally Charm FE16 authority icon S -
Offensive Tactics FE16 Offensive Tactics FE16 authority icon S+ -
Weight -3 FE16 Weight -3 FE16 heavy armor icon C -
Combat Art Icon FE16 Special Smite FE16 heavy armor icon B -
Weight -5 FE16 Weight -5 FE16 heavy armor icon A+ Replaces Weight -3
Armored Effect Null FE16 Armored Effect Null FE16 heavy armor icon S+ -
Dexterity +4 FE16 Dexterity +4 FE16 riding icon C -
Movement +1 FE16 Movement +1 FE16 riding icon A+ -
Cavalry Effect Null FE16 Cavalry Effect Null FE16 riding icon S+ -
Alert Stance FE16 Alert Stance FE16 flying icon B -
Alert Stance+ FE16 Alert Stance+ FE16 flying icon A+ Replaces Alert Stance
Flying Effect Null FE16 Flying Effect Null FE16 flying icon S+ -

Recruitment

Edelgard is first playable in the Prologue and will stay with Byleth if they choose to teach the Black Eagles house in the next chapter. Otherwise, she is unrecruitable in the other two houses. Note that any items that Edelgard has in the prologue will be lost if another house is chosen, so it is best to trade with Byleth before the prologue ends.

During Chapter 11, if the player decides to side with Edelgard, she will remain a playable unit as normal. However, if the player instead sides with the Church of Seiros, then Edelgard will permanently leave the party and will only be encountered as an enemy. Again, any items that Edelgard is carrying beforehand will also be lost, so it will be best to return the items into the convoy before attempting this chapter.

Overall

Secret Book (Artwork)
Subjective: The following part of this article is based upon the editor's personal experiences and opinions, and therefore may not be applicable for all readers.

Edelgard serves as a slow powerhouse compared to Dimitri or Claude, having excellent synergy with various Axe-wielding classes that let her dish out an immense amount of punishment. Her Speed and Dexterity aren't bad either, and she even has a good Magic growth, though her unique classes don't allow the use of Magic (although they allow her to use magic weapons like a Bolt Axe or the Lightning Axe Combat Art effectively). She also has the highest Charm growth in the game, making her one of the most powerful Gambit users. Her defensive growths might seem average (in particular, her HP growth isn't stellar, though it's serviceable), but given that she will likely be put into Axe-based classes, she can usually become quite durable. Her only below-average growth rate is Luck, which isn't too problematic.

Edelgard can experience an unexpected dip in performance once she becomes an Armored Lord, as it raises HP, Defense, and Charm at the cost of Speed. Without any bonuses to Strength and with a Speed penalty, she may fail to double-strike or defeat enemies whereas she could have before. Unless the player wants Edelgard to have the Armored Lord mastery skill, Pomp & Circumstance, Fortress Knight may be preferred. It is considerably better than Armored Lord in direct combat, offering substantially more HP and Defense, and despite the larger Speed penalty, a higher Attack Speed because of Weight -5. However, Fortress Knight does lack a Charm bonus as well as the Charm skill, but this may not be an issue thanks to Edelgard's stellar charm growth.

Surprisingly, Edelgard is a very capable magic unit. She is one of five units who learns Dark magic, and is one of only two characters who learn a mix of both Dark and Black Magic. Her Budding Talent in Reason will give her Black Magic Critical +10. Unfortunately this only benefits Fire and Bolganone, which have no base critical chance, so unlocking may only be useful for tutoring buffs. Upon reaching S-rank in Reason, she will learn Dark Magic Range +1 and, at S+, Dark Tomefaire, which will only work for her other two spells, Luna Λ and Hades Ω. These are two of the most powerful spells in the game, with Luna Λ ignoring enemy Res and Hades Ω boasting the highest Mt of any usable Reason spell. Dark Knight would give her Tomefaire for both of her Reason magic types, but she lacks any affinity for Lances or Riding. Thanks to her strengths in Sword and Reason, she can be a very strong candidate for Mortal Savant, which has passive Black Tomefaire, so she will have faire skills for both kinds of reason magic, though the class will reduce her Speed. Like any other female magic user, Gremory is an exceptional class for her, but requires extensive training of her Faith weakness. Such an effort would be rewarded with Recover and Seraphim, giving Edelgard healing utility and effectiveness against monsters. It is worth mentioning, however, that Edelgard cannot cast magic in her personal classes, and training her solely as a magic unit may negatively skew her overall growths. Unless one wants to use her as strictly as a magic unit, it is advisable to avoid training Edelgard in magic. However, reclassing her as a War Cleric will allow her to use Axes and magic simultaneously, though this may not be an optimal choice on the whole.

Much like other physical characters, Edelgard should strive to acquire certain classes and abilities, such as Brigand for Death Blow and Fortress Knight for Pavise. Some skills that can prove highly beneficial to her include Aegis from Paladin, to give her better protection against magic, Vantage from Mercenary, to let her punish enemy attackers (especially so if she also uses Wrath from Warrior) and Darting Blow from Pegasus Knight, to try and offset any speed issues she may develop. Though she has a weakness in Bow, mastering Archer for Hit +20 would still be very helpful to address any axe-inherit accuracy issues. If going for a magical build, mastering Mage is essential for Fiendish Blow, as it will boost magical attacks. Instructing her in Flying would also be highly beneficial, as it will grant her access to Wyvern Rider and Wyvern Lord, which combine offensive prowess and excellent durability with outstanding mobility, thus making a better alternative to the slower armored classes. Canto from these classes also combine very well with her personal relic Aymr, which gives her an extra turn after using its combat art. This makes it possible for Edelgard to end a map in a single turn if the enemies are properly spaced, so that she can bounce from enemy to enemy until she reaches the boss, evoking Galeforce sweepers from previous titles (note that this will quickly burn through Aymr's durability). This strategy can be further aided with support from Rallying and Special Dancing.

Another strategy to build Edelgard up into a extremely powerful unit is to give her the Chalice of Beginnings; though this requires completing Cindered Shadows first. And then have her master Mercenary, Warrior, and Wyvern Lord; this allows her to have Vantage, Wrath, and Defiant Crit, which grants her an overall +100 Crit once her HP reaches less than 25% and also enables her to counter strike first when enemies initiate combat. The Chalice of Beginnings will also disable any effective bonus against flying units. Then otherwise she can train grind levels as a Wyvern Lord to boost her immense strength or use a Devil Axe to help get her HP low enough to make use of her skills. She can eventually become strong enough to one hit KO nearly every enemy in the game even on Maddening difficulty. Dimitri can also do this in the form of Battalion Wrath and Battalion Vantage; however, it is often more difficult to get his Battalion durability down to 3rd without his HP dropping to 0 first, and the strategy can be countered by ballistae which cannot be counter attacked and Demonic Beasts who are otherwise immune to critical hits. This is more dangerous in Dimitri's case as as soon as his battalion's endurance reaches 0, he will be unable to restore it until after the end of battle and must get it back down to 1/3rd all over again. Edelgard do not have some of these problems and as long as she lives, she may get her HP low enough to put the skills to use. But it is advised to watch out for aforementioned threats anyway, as well as the potential chance for her Crest of Flames to activate, which may heal her enough to put her out of range

Overall, Edelgard lives up to her Lord status as a powerhouse that can smash through just about anything thrown at her and come out intact. While Dimitri may have more raw damage output and physical bulk, and Claude is both faster and more accurate, neither of them have Edelgard's toughness against both physical and magical attacks. Along with being a solid tank, she can also dish out some devastating hits, and is the most suitable mage candidate of the three Lords.

Gift List

Gift Name Type of Gift Description Rank
Armored Bear Stuffy Favorite A fluffy stuffed bear wearing distinguished armor. Appreciated by those who love animals or cute things. ★★★
Owl Feather Favorite A feather from a messenger owl that can be used in a variety of ways. Appreciated by everyone. ★★★
Board Game Favorite A fun activity in which players compete using stones on a board. Appreciated by those who enjoy tactical thinking. ★★★★
Carnation Favorite Grown sometimes in Fódlan. Appreciated by those who like flowers. ★★★
Goddess Statuette Dislike A beautiful wood carving of the goddess. Appreciated by those who like art or carving, and by devout believers. ★★★
Ceremonial Sword Dislike A beautiful ceremonial sword with a mangled blade. Appreciated by weapon collectors. ★★★★

Share a Meal List

Meal Name Type of Meal Description
Saghert and Cream Favorite A baked confection coated with Noa fruit cream and a currant reduction, often enjoyed as a dessert at family gatherings.
Fish and Bean Soup Favorite A soup made by simmering white trout and chickpeas. A simple yet wholesome dish.
Vegetable Pasta Salad Favorite Pasta with a blend of fresh vegetables from various regions of Fódlan. This popular dish sells out almost instantly.
Onion Gratin Soup Favorite Onions stewed with white trout and baked with a layer of cheese on top. Will warm you up from the inside out.
Sweet Bun Trio Favorite Traditional pastries from Faerghus, known for their subtle sweetness. The dough is made with eggs and sugar.
Fish Sandwich Favorite A simple dish. Airmid pike is pickled in vinegar and served with cabbage between two slices of bread.
Peach Sorbet Favorite A sorbet made with thin slices of magically frozen peach, dusted with bean flour.
Sautéed Pheasant and Eggs Favorite Thin slices of bird meat and shredded cabbage, mixed with scrambled eggs and sautéed with spices. Invention of a certain noble.
Vegetable Stir-Fry Favorite A dish of dried tomatoes, cabbage, chickpeas, and other vegetables, stir-fried with eggs. Nutritious and very filling.
Beast Meat Teppanyaki Dislike A dish that tastes like the wilderness. Thick slices of meat covered with Noa fruit and grilled on a hotplate.
Garreg Mach Meat Pie Dislike A crispy-brown pie packed with tomatoes, cheese, and tender chunks of meat.
Pickled Rabbit Skewers Dislike Hunks of rabbit meat are pickled in bacchus, skewered, and roasted over an open flame to create this flavorful dish.
Gronder Meat Skewers Dislike Fatty hunks of Gronder fox cooked slowly on skewers. The meat is magically aged for a full flavor.
Gautier Cheese Gratin Dislike A gratin of bird meat topped with heaps of Gautier cheese, which is famous for its low fat content. It has a unique flavor.

Lost Items

Lost Item Description
Time-worn Quill Pen Writing utensil adorned with a beautiful black feather. It probably belongs to someone who often writes letters.
Eastern Porcelain A gift container said to have been made in the far east. It probably belongs to a person of high class.
White Glove A pure white glove sewn from high-quality material. It seems like something that Edelgard would own.

Tea Party Conversations

See also: Edelgard/Tea Party

Supports

See also: Edelgard/Supports

Fire Emblem Engage

Known as the Emblem of Rivals. The refined and dignified Imperial Princess of Flames.

Emblem Skills

Emblem Ring
EdelgardFE17SpriteBracelet of the Three Houses
Stat Boosts
HP Str Mag Def Res Dex Spd Lck Bld Mov
Sync Skills Engage Weapons Engage Skill Engage Attack
FE17 Friendly Rivalry IconFriendly Rivalry
FE17 Gambit IconGambit
(Flame Gambit)
FE17 Lineage IconLineage
FE17 Weapon Sync IconWeapon Sync
EdelgardAymrFE17SpriteAymr
DimitriAreadbharFE17SpriteAreadbhar
ClaudeFailnaughtFE17SpriteFailnaught
FE17 Combat Arts IconCombat Arts FE17 Houses Unite IconHouses Unite

Bond Ring

Imperial princess of the Adrestian Empire, a land in another world. Leader of the Black Eagle House at the Garreg Mach Monastery. She is a noble woman who is determined to reform the world.
Bond Ring Edelgard
FE17 C Rank Bond RingC Rank Str +1
FE17 B Rank Bond RingB Rank Str +1 Def +1
World FE17 A Rank Bond RingA Rank HP +2 Str +1 Def +1
Byleth Emblem Ring Instructor FE17 S Rank Bond RingS Rank HP +2 Str +2 Def +1
FE17 Flickering Flower IconFlickering Flower

Fire Emblem Heroes

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: ✯✯✯✯✯

Heroes Edelgard SpriteTitle
The Future
Group
Heroes Infantry Infantry
LevelHPAtkSpdDefRes
1
40
16/17/18
38/41/44
8/9/10
36/39/43
7/8/9
26/30/33
8/9/10
34/37/40
5/6/7
18/21/24
SkillsWeapon
FEH skill offense Victorious Axe
FEH skill special New Moon
FEH Axe Axe

Skills

TypeNamePrerequisiteDefaultUnlocked
FEH skill offenseIron Axe---
Steel Axe-FEH Star Rarity 3-
Silver AxeSteel AxeFEH Star Rarity 4FEH Star Rarity 3
Victorious AxeSilver Axe-FEH Star Rarity 5
FEH skill specialNew Moon-FEH Star Rarity 4FEH Star Rarity 3
LunaNew Moon-FEH Star Rarity 5
AFEH Atk Def Solo 1 Atk/Def Solo 1--
FEH Atk Def Solo 2 Atk/Def Solo 2FEH Atk Def Solo 1 Atk/Def Solo 1-
FEH Atk Def Solo 3 Atk/Def Solo 3FEH Atk Def Solo 2 Atk/Def Solo 2FEH Star Rarity 5
BFEH Dull Close 1 Dull Close 1--
FEH Dull Close 2 Dull Close 2FEH Dull Close 1 Dull Close 1-
FEH Dull Close 3 Dull Close 3FEH Dull Close 2 Dull Close 2FEH Star Rarity 5
CFEH Rouse Atk Def 1 Rouse Atk/Def 1--
FEH Rouse Atk Def 2 Rouse Atk/Def 2FEH Rouse Atk Def 1 Rouse Atk/Def 1-
FEH Rouse Atk Def 3 Rouse Atk/Def 3FEH Rouse Atk Def 2 Rouse Atk/Def 2FEH Star Rarity 5

Overall

Secret Book (Artwork)
Subjective: The following part of this article is based upon the editor's personal experiences and opinions, and therefore may not be applicable for all readers.
Base Set

Edelgard is an axe infantry unit who is far more aggressive than her base stats may suggest. She has fantastic Atk and physical bulk for dueling many direct combat units, though at the cost of middling Spd and low Res. She is a potent frontline attacker and can lead the charge against her foes, sometimes even overcoming a color disadvantage if the enemy engages her improperly.

Her Victorious Axe is the reason why she needs to be engaged carefully. On top of its special cooldown acceleration, it also grants her a guaranteed follow-up if, within two spaces of her, the number of enemies equal or exceed the number of her allies. Edelgard prefers to be left away from her allies to make usage of this effect and her other base kit skills compliment this. Its later refine essentially brings Raging Storm into the Axe, allowing Edelgard to perform another full turn of action if she initiates and is not adjacent to an ally. In addition, if she either initiates combat or is not adjacent to an ally, she gains +4 to her four core stats during combat and deals 10% of her Atk as non-lethal damage to her foe. It also modifies her default skill, changing the default boost activation. Edelgard starting combat with at least 25% or having more foes within two spaces of her than her allies. It also grants +4 to her four core stats under these conditions alongside the guaranteed Follow-Up.

This is due to both Attack Defense Solo and Rouse Attack Defense. The former grants her a +6 Atk/Def boost during combat if she is not adjacent to an ally while the latter gives her a visible +6 Atk/Def boost if she does not start her turn next to an ally. With both active, she reaches a fantastic neutral 67 Atk and 49 Def, making her nearly impervious to all physical assaults while decimating her opponent if she is able to attack them.

Luna is a slow charging, but powerful special that ignores 50% of enemy Def when it activates, allowing her to smash through the bulkiest of opponents. Finally Dull Close removes enemy visible buffs, forcing them to face her already high Def head on without their stat assistance.

Counters

Edelgard is more of a victim of formations, thus manipulating the opponents' units to prevent her Axe's effect from taking effect weakens her somewhat. Facing her with physical units will generally not end well for that unit, even some sword units can be killed by her. Only some of the bulkiest Reds can hope to take a hit from her safely with her skills active like the Black Knight or Laegjarn. Few choose to run Distant Counter on her and her Res is low enough that she dies from most if not all Mage attacks, making them her best counter so long as they get to her first. Dragons can counter her effectively since they can exploit her lower Res, but she in turn can smash them if they are not prepared. Idunn and Halloween Myrrh carry bulk to take her hits with their color advantage and make usage of their magic damage. Finally, staff users can also easily annihilate her so long as they carry Wrathful Staff somewhere in their kit.

Skill Inheritance

Edelgard has a workable base kit that mainly requires a support skill and she is a rarity in that Smite is a better Support option than the standard Reposition as she is better off keeping allies away from her to keep her Atk/Def boosting passive skills active. Though one can still understandably use if it they wish so.

Edelgard's Special can be replaced with the likes of Galeforce to put her offense into overdrive, Bonfire to take full advantage of her Def boost, which is especially useful to have when it is her boon, or Aether to give her solid self-healing on top her damage output. Skill B can be replaced with a host of skills like Desperation, Null Follow-Up, Hit and Run, Chill Defense, and Wrath for whatever offensive prowess boost you can give to her. Assault Troop increases Edelgard's movement and can better isolate herself from her allies to reap the full benefits of her Axe. Attack Defense Clash gives her a larger Atk/Def boost in tandem with this skill, further increasing her damage.

Meet Some of the Heroes

The Future Edelgard
Edelgard of black eagles pop01 Edelgard is the leader of the Black Eagle House, home to students from the Adrestian Empire at the Officers Academy in the continent of Fódlan.
Edelgard of black eagles pop02 She's the only heir to the empire's throne, and she's got a dignified and confident bearing that puts other princes and princesses to shame! *sigh* You can trust me on that one.
Edelgard of black eagles pop03 Edelgard studies history and the art of kingcraft with a passion, and it seems like she has some kind of goal or ambition that drives her.
Edelgard of black eagles pop04 She also has a cool, methodical personality, so whatever her plan is, she'll make sure she sees it through step-by-step. Once she's finished studying with the Black Eagles, I wonder what kind of future she'll make for herself?
Closely Associated Characters
Dimitri The Prince of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus and heir to the throne. He's known for his bravery and fidelity, but there's a shadow hanging over him. He's the leader of the Blue Lions and a rival of Edelgard.
Claude The heir of Duke Riegan, head of the Leicester Alliance. He's a hard man to get a grasp of, and employs means both fair and foul to get his way. Leader of the Golden Deer House and another of Edelgard's rivals.

Flame Emperor
Emperor of the Adrestian Empire. Destroyer of the Church of Seiros and unifier of all Fódlan. Appears in Fire Emblem: Three Houses.

Base Stats

Rarity: ✯✯✯✯✯

Edelgard Flame Emperor Heroes spriteTitle
Flame Emperor
Group
Heroes Armored Armored
LevelHPAtkSpdDefRes
1
40
18/19/20
42/45/48
11/12/13
39/42/46
3/4/5
13/17/20
12/13/14
36/39/42
7/8/9
33/36/39
SkillsWeapon
FEH skill offense Aymr
FEH skill special Glowing Ember
FEH Axe Axe

Skills

TypeNamePrerequisiteDefaultUnlocked
FEH skill offenseIron Axe---
Steel Axe-FEH Star Rarity 3-
Silver AxeSteel AxeFEH Star Rarity 4FEH Star Rarity 3
AymrSilver Axe-FEH Star Rarity 5
FEH skill specialGlowing Ember-FEH Star Rarity 5-
BonfireGlowing Ember-FEH Star Rarity 5
AFEH Atk Res Solo 1 Atk/Res Solo 1--
FEH Atk Res Solo 2 Atk/Res Solo 2FEH Atk Res Solo 1 Atk/Res Solo 1-
FEH Atk Res Solo 3 Atk/Res Solo 3FEH Atk Res Solo 2 Atk/Res Solo 2FEH Star Rarity 5
FEH Atk Res Ideal 1 Atk/Res Ideal 1--
FEH Atk Res Ideal 2 Atk/Res Ideal 2FEH Atk Res Ideal 1 Atk/Res Ideal 1-
FEH Atk Res Ideal 3 Atk/Res Ideal 3FEH Atk Res Ideal 2 Atk/Res Ideal 2-
FEH Atk Res Ideal 4 Atk/Res Ideal 4FEH Atk Res Ideal 3 Atk/Res Ideal 3FEH Star Rarity 5
BFEH Raging Storm Raging Storm-FEH Star Rarity 5
FEH Raging Storm II Raging Storm II-FEH Star Rarity 5
CFEH Armored Stride 1 Armored Stride 1--
FEH Armored Stride 2 Armored Stride 2FEH Armored Stride 1 Armored Stride 1-
FEH Armored Stride 3 Armored Stride 3FEH Armored Stride 2 Armored Stride 2FEH Star Rarity 5

Overall

Secret Book (Artwork)
Subjective: The following part of this article is based upon the editor's personal experiences and opinions, and therefore may not be applicable for all readers.
Base Set

Legendary Edelgard retains her base form's niche as a powerful offensive unit who prefers to distance herself from allies as a majority of her skills are oriented towards this. She has incredibly high stats across the board, most notably her monstrous neutral 61 Atk with her weapon equipped and scores well over 80 in terms of both physical and magical bulk. Her only weak stat is her low neutral 17 Spd, which leaves her open to doubles, but her Skills easily cover this. Legendary Edelgard is a unique Armor unit and thus should be treated with caution.

Aymr gives her an innate +3 Atk bonus to bring her to the Atk value mentioned above. If Legendary Edelgard is not adjacent to an ally during combat, she immediately inflicts a -6 Atk/Def debuff onto her opponent and also prevents them from performing a follow-up attack. The easy condition to activate the Axe's effect makes her incredibly tricky to deal with as she can become deceptively bulky and stronger than she seems in terms of raw stats.

Raging Storm is her unique Skill B with two unique abilities that require her to not be adjacent to an ally and activate under another specific condition for each individual effect. If she initiates, she can immediately perform another turn of action. Essentially, she has access to Galeforce that does not require charging, just meeting very simple conditions that align with her playstyle. In addition, if she is battling a Dragon or Beast, she also can perform a guaranteed follow-up. As a result, she can duel/check Dragons and can help deal with Beasts as there are few units currently who are tailored with skills to check them.

Her Def is naturally higher than her Res, thus Bonfire is a natural fit to make the most of a bonus 19 neutral true damage bonus to her attacks when it activates. Attack Resistance Solo boosts her Atk/Res by 6 when she is not adjacent to an ally during combat, further boosting her Atk to 67 and her Res to 42 to tank some mage hits or duel Dragons. She also introduced a new inheritable Armor Skill C, Armored Stride. As long as she is not adjacent to an ally at the start of her turn, she gains 1 additional movement. This is essentially a far superior version of Armored Boots as she does not need to maintain her health to keep its effect and makes her a far more looming threat when having to face her.

Counters

Countering Legendary Edelgard is tricky, but baiting is ill-advised as she gains far more bonuses during her turn. She is a victim of bad AI on arena defense as she may end up staying close to her allies, thus disabling nearly all of her skills, making her far easier to deal with once her many solo-oriented skills are disabled. She can take quite a bit of punishment, even from some powerful Red units as she can negate follow-ups, though infantry reds using Null Follow-Up can let them exploit her low Spd and secure a double. High damage nuking units like Lilina, Sanaki, and Lysithea are worthy considerations due to color advantage and even some other color options like Ophelia and Legendary Celica can be considered, though if she runs Distant Counter, these may be off the table. Dueling her with Reds can also prove to be effective, especially if they have bulk themselves like Zelgius. Idunn can be considered, though both of her versions activates Edelgard's Raging Storm effect so it may not be ideal. However, as an armored unit, she is also naturally weak to weapons who deal bonus damage to those units so units like Halloween Hector and Festival/Brave Micaiah can deal high damage to her with the former two having color advantage. Others like Tobin, Selena, and Hana can work similarly well, but without the raw stats of the former two, they can deal with her, if only inconsistently. Finally the standard Dazzling Staff/Wrathful Staff combo can slowly peck at her health without fearing a Distant Counter version.

Skill Inheritance

Since her mobility should rarely be in an issue once she self isolates herself, Smite is perhaps Legendary Edelgard's best Support skill just to keep her allies away from her and helps out in Aether Raids to quickly send her allies to rush the enemy. Her default special can also be swapped out for Galeforce, as it is able to stack with Raging Storm. Giving her Galeforce could thus result in Legendary Edelgard being able to take three actions in one turn, making her a very offensive threat on her own without requiring a dancer.

The rest of her skills should remain in place as it naturally syncs with her playstyle, though her Skill A could be replaced with Distant Counter if one desires as it broadens the range of enemies she can counter/check, further bolstering her as a solo threat. Attack Defense Solo is also a worthy alternative as the boost to her Def not only makes her universally bulkier against units that she will likely have to battle, but also better fuels her Bonfire special. Quick Riposte can be considered for her Seal as it guarantees a follow-up on her opponent's turn and, aside from battling Beasts/Dragons, it is her only method to double. Her monstrous Atk also makes Heavy Blade an excellent seal as she can quickly charge her aforementioned Galeforce special.

Meet Some of the Heroes

Flame Emperor Edelgard
Edelgard flame emperor pop01 The Adrestian Empire is the oldest nation on the continent of Fódlan. In Imperial Year 1181, the imperial throne was passed to Edelgard, bearer of the Crest of Flames and the minor Crest of Seiros!
Edelgard flame emperor pop02 When Edelgard assumed the throne, she brought the Empire's powerful nobles to heel, establishing direct rule by the monarchy.
Edelgard flame emperor pop03 Following this, she declared war on the Church of Seiros, which held considerable influence over all of Fódlan. She then attacked and claimed Garreg Mach Monastery, the seat of the Church.
Edelgard flame emperor pop04 Having claimed the monastery, Edelgard set her sights on the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus and the Leicester Alliance. Her battle would not end until she had unified all of Fódlan and established a new world order…
Closely Associated Characters
Hubert The Adrestian Empire's Minister of the Imperial Household and legitimate son of Marquis Vestra. Has sworn complete fealty to Edelgard.

Adrestian Emperor
After ascending as Adrestian Emperor, she defeated the Church of Seiros, solidifying her reign over all of Fódlan. Appears in Fire Emblem: Three Houses.

Base Stats

Rarity: ✯✯✯✯✯

Edelgard Adrestian Emperor Heroes spriteTitle
Adrestian Emperor
Group
Heroes Armored Armored
LevelHPAtkSpdDefRes
1
40
19/20/21
43/46/49
11/12/13
41/45/48
2/3/4
12/16/19
12/13/14
40/43/47
8/9/10
32/35/38
SkillsWeapon
FEH skill offense Flower Hauteclere
FEH skill special Daylight
FEH Axe Axe

Skills

TypeNamePrerequisiteDefaultUnlocked
FEH skill offenseIron Axe---
Steel Axe-FEH Star Rarity 3-
Silver AxeSteel AxeFEH Star Rarity 4FEH Star Rarity 3
Flower HauteclereSilver Axe-FEH Star Rarity 5
FEH skill specialDaylight---
NoontimeDaylight-FEH Star Rarity 5
AFEH Distant Ward Distant Ward-FEH Star Rarity 5
BFEH Black Eagle Rule Black Eagle Rule-FEH Star Rarity 5
CFEH Spur Res 1 Spur Res 1--
FEH Drive Res 1 Drive Res 1FEH Spur Res 1 Spur Res 1FEH Star Rarity 3
FEH Drive Res 2 Drive Res 2FEH Drive Res 1 Drive Res 1FEH Star Rarity 4
FEH Joint Drive Res Joint Drive ResFEH Drive Res 2 Drive Res 2FEH Star Rarity 5

Overall

Secret Book (Artwork)
Subjective: The following part of this article is based upon the editor's personal experiences and opinions, and therefore may not be applicable for all readers.
Base Set

Winner of the Choose Your Legends Round 4 for the women's category and overall, Brave Edelgard proudly commands attention as yet again, she storms the battlefield as an Axe Armor unit. Her statline is extremely optimized for an armored unit as she has an enormous 45 Atk and a neutral 89 physical and 81 magical bulk. These huge values are offset by having a pitifully low base 16 Spd, but as one can expect of an armor unit, this is easily covered, especially by her unique Brave Skill. Due to the unique and powerful aspect of all four CYL4 units, Brave Edelgard is an excellent choice for a player's free summon and can immediately compete with the likes of even her Legendary Form.
Flower Hauteclere accelerates her special cooldowns and if her HP is at least 25% or more, she gains one additional movement. Unlike most armor movement skills, she has this good to go from Turn 1 and as long as she maintains her HP threshold, which is extremely easy, she can maintain a looming presence for her enemies as she becomes deceptively mobile and this is also pronounced with an additional effect to move adjacent to any ally within two spaces of her. Finally, under the same health threshold, at the start of combat, she inflicts -6 Atk/Def on her foe during combat, increasing her damage output and overall bulk.
Her unique brave skill is Black Eagle Rule, which, once again, requires that her health be at least 25% or more. During combat, she will make a guaranteed follow-up attack unless an opponent's skill prevent that, thus patching her abysmal Spd and securing a dangerously high damage output in both phases. Additionally, if her opponent initiated combat, she reduces any follow-up attack damage by 80%, making her extremely difficult to kill in a single round of combat.
With her Axe, Noontime becomes a 1 attack charging regeneration skill that heals her for 30% of the damage she dealt when it activates which makes her extremely hard to move out of her skill activation thresholds. Distant Ward grants her +5 Atk/Res when attacked by a tome, staff, or dragonstone opponent and allows her to counter them, regardless of range. The additional magical bulk makes it harder for opponents to engage her safely and she can outright kill many of them due to their low bulk, even Red mages. Joint Drive Res grants +4 Res to her allies within two spaces during combat and if she is within 2 spaces of an opponent, she also gains +4 Res during combat.

Counters

Staying at least 25% or more is Brave Edelgard's prime objective. She severely loses a huge portion of her strengths once she is out of this range. Staff Units become extremely valuable as a result as a Pain/Wrathful Staff/Dazzling Staff/double Savage Blow combination can inflict 24 splash damage after battle, which can quickly bring her below the HP thresholds without having to worry about counterattacking. Armorslaying units can hack through her high Def easily, though bear in mind that she can hit hard and battles of attrition can still work in Brave Edelgard's favor if they cannot slay her in a single hit. Idunn is probably the best as she deals armor effective damage, has a huge physical bulk to take her attacks, and has a color advantage. Similar other units like Halloween Hector, Tobin, and Hana can outright smash through her as well, though the outcomes are inconsistent as they can outright dispatch her in certain scenarios while others are a battle of attrition for success. Null Follow-Up is extremely hurtful to Brave Edelgard's damage output as her low Spd, which is also her recommended dump stat, leaves only a few units unable to double attack her and she loses out on her own second attack.

Skill Inheritance

Brave Edelgard has a perfect starting base kit and only a positional assist is needed. Unlike most Armors, because her only requirement is needing to stay above 25%, she can actually run Reposition as she is essentially an infantry unit with even more base stats. Otherwise Pivot and Swap work as well. Distant Counter is a better option than Distant Ward as, while the additional stats are helpful, the fact that she cannot counterattack against Bows and Daggers makes it inferior in some situations.

Meet Some of the Heroes

Adrestian Emperor Edelgard
Edelgard adrestian emperor pop01 After ascending to the throne of the Adrestian Empire, Edelgard began the difficult task of conquering all of Fódlan. Here she is in her full glory, equipped with the Flower Hauteclere!
Edelgard adrestian emperor pop02 She's clad in regalia that has been worn by generations of Adrestian emperors. It may look fancy, but it's not just for show—her foes will be hard-pressed to make even a dent in it.
Edelgard adrestian emperor pop03 The banner of the Adrestian Empire, the two-headed eagle, is emblazoned on her shield. Edelgard was the leader of the Black Eagle House back at the Officers Academy, so I suppose she has something of an affinity for eagles!
Edelgard adrestian emperor pop04 Edelgard went into battle so she could crush the corrupt establishment and build a new world where people are not discriminated against based on their status or Crests, and where they can live their lives independently and with dignity. There's nothing that can shake her conviction… I hope she can teach me how to be more steadfast and strong!
Closely Associated Characters
Byleth Child of the former captain of the Knights of Seiros, Jeralt. A stoic, capable professor at the Officers Academy. Endearingly addressed by Edelgard as "my teacher," Byleth aided her in her conquest.
Hubert The Adrestian Empire's Minister of the Imperial Household and legitimate son of Marquis Vestra. Has sworn complete fealty to Edelgard.

Hegemon Husk
Adrestian Emperor who has chosen to take on a grotesque form for the sake of pursuing her ideals. Appears in Fire Emblem: Three Houses.

Base Stats

Rarity: ✯✯✯✯✯

Edelgard Hegemon Husk Heroes spriteTitle
Hegemon Husk
Group
Heroes Armored Armored
LevelHPAtkSpdDefRes
1
40
20/21/22
42/45/48
11/12/13
39/42/46
3/4/5
11/14/18
10/11/12
40/44/48
8/9/10
36/39/43
SkillsWeapon
FEH skill offense Twin-Crest Power
FEH skill special Glowing Ember
FEH Colorless Beast Beast

Skills

TypeNamePrerequisiteDefaultUnlocked
FEH skill offenseWhelp (Armored)---
Yearling (Armored)---
Adult (Armored)---
Twin-Crest Power-FEH Star Rarity 5-
FEH skill specialGlowing Ember---
BonfireGlowing Ember--
AFEH Atk Def Ideal 1 Atk Def Ideal 1--
FEH Atk Def Ideal 2 Atk Def Ideal 2FEH Atk Def Ideal 1 Atk Def Ideal 1-
FEH Atk Def Ideal 3 Atk Def Ideal 3FEH Atk Def Ideal 2 Atk Def Ideal 2-
FEH Atk Def Ideal 4 Atk Def Ideal 4FEH Atk Def Ideal 3 Atk Def Ideal 3FEH Star Rarity 5
BFEH Armored Wall Armored Wall-FEH Star Rarity 5
CFEH Armored Stride 1 Armored Stride 1--
FEH Armored Stride 2 Armored Stride 2FEH Armored Stride 1 Armored Stride 1-
FEH Armored Stride 3 Armored Stride 3FEH Armored Stride 2 Armored Stride 2-

Overall

Secret Book (Artwork)
Subjective: The following part of this article is based upon the editor's personal experiences and opinions, and therefore may not be applicable for all readers.
Base Set

Fallen Edelgard, or Hegemon Edelgard, is a terrifying Colorless Beast Armor. As an Armor, she has absolutely oppressive stats with a powerful 42 Atk, 89 physical bulk, and 84 magical bulk. Her only downside is her low 14 Spd, but like most Armors, this is covered. With her only competition being Caineghis for her unit combination, Fallen Edelgard has incredible and destructive capabilities that leave very little room to make mistakes when facing her.
Twin-Crest Power accelerates her Special cooldown and has the standard Beast transformation effect where she gains +2 Atk and can counterattack foes regardless of range if she transforms by being next to only Beast/Dragon allies or is not adjacent to any ally. Regardless if she is transformed or not, if she starts combat over 25% HP, she inflicts -6 Atk/Def and both she and her foe loses the ability to perform follow-ups. In addition, if she is the one who initiated, Fallen Edelgard can immediately perform another action after combat. Fallen Edelgard creates a slugfest of a battle against her, making her particularly tricky to kill.
Her Skill B is unique. Armored Wall accelerates her special cooldown and slows her enemies special cooldown per attack if she begins combat at 25% HP or more. She also recovers 7 HP after combat. Finally, during the first battle involving her during the player and enemy phases, if she is transformed and has at least 25% HP at the start of combat, she reduces the damage dealt by her foe's first attack by 40%. Bonfire is fueled nicely by her 44 Def, giving her essentially 22 true damage upon activation. Attack Defense Ideal grants her +7 Atk/Def if she either is at full health at the start of combat or has a bonus on her like a visible stat buff or a positive status like from her skill C Armored Stride which allows her to move 1 additional space if she is not adjacent to an ally.

Counters

Fallen Edelgard does not have any particularly glaring weaknesses, at least for the first round of combat she is involved with as her 40% damage reduction can stop most units from landing a One-Hit KO on her before she can retaliate. Like many powerful Beasts, she is dependent on her transformation to allow her to be an unstoppable force, thus bad AI can bring her out of her transformed state and makes dealing with her easier. If she is transformed, a good way to set her up is to use a Dazzling Staff/Windsweep/Firesweep weapon to disable her damage reduction and have an armor slayer unit clean up with a full damage attack on the next action. Her low Spd can also be used as an avenue to exploit after removing the damage reduction of the first round of combat, especially for units who carry Null Follow-Up to ensure they get their double attacks against her. For actual units who hard counter her, Hapi or Legendary Male Byleth are an immediately solid check for her due to their powerful special and weapon combination. Ascended Idunn is also a solid check for counter her.

Skill Inheritance

Fallen Edelgard's only empty skill is her Assist which Pivot and Swap can be used to give her additional movement. Alternatively, Smite and Shove also work nicely to move her allies while keeping herself spaced to reap the full benefits of her transformation and Skill C. Sol or Noontime may also serve her better as she has the raw Atk to deal incredible damage and the recovery of both will ensure that she is nearly in her damage thresholds to keep her skills in full force and effect.

Meet Some of the Heroes

Hegemon Husk Edelgard
Edelgard hegemon husk pop01 Y-yikes! I didn't realize that was Edelgard at first! I think most people would have a hard time recognizing her like this, though!
Edelgard hegemon husk pop02 After ascending to the throne of the Adrestian Empire, Edelgard embarked on a conquest of Fódlan. While the Empire had the benefit of a powerful military, it still found itself ensnared in a number of fierce battles with its rivals.
Edelgard hegemon husk pop03 In one critical battle, Edelgard attempted to obtain even greater power to defeat her foes. That's how she ended up looking like this...
Edelgard hegemon husk pop04 Her desire to see her convictions through and seize victory led her to claim inhuman power. I have to say, I'm a little worried about Edelgard. I just hope she hasn't passed the point of no return!
Closely Associated Characters
Dimitri King of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus. Opposing Edelgard, he overthrew the empire and united all of Fódlan.
Hubert The Adrestian Empire's Minister of the Imperial Household and legitimate son of Marquis Vestra. Has sworn complete fealty to Edelgard.

Sun Empresses
Legendary empress of Tellius joins future emperor of Fódlan for a vacation to the tropics. They appear in Fire Emblem: Three Houses/Radiant Dawn.

Base Stats

Edelgard Sun Empresses Heroes spriteTitle
Sun Empresses
Group
Heroes Armored Armored
LevelHPAtkSpdDefRes
1
40
19/20/21
43/46/49
11/12/13
41/45/48
3/4/5
13/17/20
12/13/14
40/43/47
8/9/10
36/39/43
SkillsWeapon
FEH skill offense Regal Sunshade
FEH skill special Night Sky
FEH Sword Sword

Skills

TypeNamePrerequisiteDefaultUnlocked
FEH skill offenseIron Sword---
Steel Sword---
Silver Sword---
Regal Sunshade-FEH Star Rarity 5-
FEH skill specialNight Sky-FEH Star Rarity 4-
GlimmerNight Sky-FEH Star Rarity 4
AFEH Atk Def Ideal 1 Atk/Def Ideal 1--
FEH Atk Def Ideal 2 Atk/Def Ideal 2FEH Atk Def Ideal 1 Atk/Def Ideal 1-
FEH Atk Def Ideal 3 Atk/Def Ideal 3FEH Atk Def Ideal 2 Atk/Def Ideal 2-
FEH Atk Def Ideal 4 Atk/Def Ideal 4FEH Atk Def Ideal 3 Atk/Def Ideal 3-
BFEH Raging Storm Raging Storm-FEH Star Rarity 5
CFEH Assault Troop 1 Assault Troop 1--
FEH Assault Troop 2 Assault Troop 2FEH Assault Troop 1 Assault Troop 1-
FEH Assault Troop 3 Assault Troop 3FEH Assault Troop 2 Assault Troop 2FEH Star Rarity 4

Overall

Secret Book (Artwork)
Subjective: The following part of this article is based upon the editor's personal experiences and opinions, and therefore may not be applicable for all readers.
Base Set

Accompanied by Altina from Radiant Dawn, Summer Edelgard is a Sword Armor who, in typical Edelgard fashion, carries tremendous power that makes her incredibly oppressive and difficult to deal with if left unchecked. A mix of incredible 45 Atk and a mixed bulk of 89 physical and 85 magical makes her a mighty tank, quickly mowing down enemies foolish enough to leave her alone. Her one and only downside stat wise is her low Spd, but as with most Armors, it is her dump stat since her skills easily cover this. Given the sheer flexibility of her kit depending on how she is invested into, Summer Edelgard is an excellent choice in a taskmaster unit and one that needs to be properly prepared to see in any PVP mode.
Regal Sunshade carries a Special acceleration effect as its first effect. At the start of combat, if she has at least 25% of her HP, she gains +6 Atk for herself while her foe suffers -6 Atk and reduces damage from the first attack she receives from her foe by 40%. Finally, if there are a certain number of enemies within three rows and columns centered around her depending on the amount of foes on the enemy team, she gains a guaranteed brave attack which works in both phases. While tricky to maintain the latter effect as it does require some map awareness and enemy team manipulation, the skill alone gives her unprecedented power output and damage mitigation just from the weapon alone. Yet Summer Edelgard has much more to provide.
Her Harmonized Skill grants an additional +6 Atk and a unique【Resonance Shields】effect plus【Bonus Doubler】to any Three Houses or Radiant Dawn ally on her team. 【Resonance Shields】gives +4 Def/Res during combat and during the units first combat during either player's turn prevents that unit's foe from performing a follow-up attack.【Bonus Doubler】essentially doubles any visible buffs that unit has on them during combat.
Summer Edelgard carries her Legendary form's Raging Storm, meaning that if she initiates combat, she can refresh herself and attack again assuming she is not next to an ally during combat. In addition, if her foe is a Beast or Dragon, she gains a follow-up, which also stacks with her brave attack of her weapon, meaning she can unleash four attacks against such foes. It does require a bit of planning to maintain the effect, but it carries her tradition of constantly applying offensive pressure to her foes, especially threatening Beast and Dragon units.
Glimmer boosts her damage dealt by 50% for even more damage. Atk/Def Ideal 4 requires her to either be at 100% HP at the start of combat or have some sort of【Bonus】effect, such as through her Harmonized Skill or any visible buff, grants +7 Atk/Def during combat. If both requirements are met, she instead gains +9 Atk/Def. Summer Edelgard also introduces a new inheritable skill in Assault Troop, which if she either at full health or there is at least one foe within three columns or rows centered around herself, she gains a 3 tile movement, but must move in a cardinal direction (barring any sort of movement disruption like Obstruct). As such, she becomes a veritable avalanche barreling down on her foes if she is in a proper position and in tandem with her Raging Storm skill and either Dancer units or Galeforce, she can make incredible progress across a map to destroy foes with her great range.

Counters

Summer Edelgard's biggest strengths comes from one of the trickiest requirements that needs to be fulfilled to actually keep her in full power. Depending on positioning, Summer Edelgard's power quickly fizzles out leaving her with some still very powerful effects, but maybe not as many. Thus careful observation and smart enough positioning can remove a large portion of her skills. The sheer flexibility of her kit and build options means that observant enough players can make counter measures to deal with them if needed. A recklessly used Summer Edelgard can quickly put herself into a spot where she falls below critical HP thresholds to maintain effects, thus losing even more of her effects. Finally as an armor unit, Summer Edelgard takes heavy damage to armor slaying weapons like Thani, Destiny's Bow, and even some common Armor slaying units depending on their build. Ascended Idunn, a common defense unit, is one of the most blatant counters to her as she carries the sheer bulk, color advantage, and armor slaying effect in one kit and her Save skill ensures that Summer Edelgard cannot try to bully Idunn's allies in her protection range either.

Skill Inheritance

Summer Edelgard's kit is already prepackaged with skills to put her to immediate work with only her Support skill being empty. Positional assists like Reposition for positioning utility or Pivot for giving her movement when Assault Troop is not active are her most solid choices. If maintaining this pure build, replacing Glimmer with Galeforce means that she can potentially move three times in a single turn by herself.
Summer Edelgard also makes for an excellent Armor Near Save unit if she takes Def/Res Near Save and loads herself with skills to fully protect allies from melee enemies. As such Swap is a better Support skill while Close Defense preferably in its fourth tier plus Crafty Fighter rounds off the build. Specials like Aether for its damage and healing on top of her faster special cooldown or Ignis for the raw damage increase based on her high Def can smash foes trying to harm her allies.
Even the cookie cutout of a Far Save build with Atk/Res Far Save and Distant Counter works well on her, though she will need either Hardy Fighter or Slick Fighter to synergize with this build. she can still run Aether or go for a full shielding tank with Aegis to mainly reduce the damage of enemy magic units trying to hit her slightly lower magical bulk.

Meet Some of the Heroes

Sun Empresses Edelgard
Edelgard sun empresses pop01 Here's Emperor Edelgard of the Adrestian Empire, famous throughout Fódlan, and Altina, one of the three heroes who saved Tellius long ago! They've crossed between worlds to fight side by side—in their stunning swimsuits!
Edelgard sun empresses pop02 Edelgard's swimsuit comes in Adrestian imperial red and features a breezy, dress-like design that brings out her regal, dignified elegance and natural charm!
Edelgard sun empresses pop03 Meanwhile, Altina's swimsuit features a more understated style with a blueish-violet color scheme, tastefully accessorized with a loose fitting skirt and a belt wrapped about her waist!
Edelgard sun empresses pop04 Summer's in full swing, and even the most beautiful seaside flowers can't hold a candle to this gorgeous duo. The beach won't know what hit it!
Closely Associated Characters
Dimitri Crown prince of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus and student at Garreg Mach Monastery. He has come to the tropics for some summer training. A rival of Edelgard's.
Claude Member of House Riegan and leader of the Leicester Alliance. The sea air makes his heart race. A rival of Edelgard's.
Micaiah Silver-haired leader of the Dawn Brigade. The winds of paradise have led her to the seaside sands. Descendant of Altina.

Snowfall Future
Princess and heir apparent of the Adrestian Empire. Advances on Askr's winter festival with the intent of ensuring its success. Appears in Fire Emblem: Three Houses.

Base Stats

Edelgard Snowfall Future Heroes spriteTitle
Snowfall Future
Group
Heroes Armored Armored
LevelHPAtkSpdDefRes
1
40
19/20/21
43/46/49
7/8/9
44/47/51
3/4/5
13/17/20
13/14/15
43/47/50
13/14/15
41/44/48
SkillsWeapon
FEH skill offense Black Yule Lance
FEH skill special Glowing Ember
FEH Lance Lance

Skills

TypeNamePrerequisiteDefaultUnlocked
FEH skill offenseIron Lance---
Steel Lance---
Silver Lance---
Black Yule Lance-FEH Star Rarity 5-
FEH skill specialGlowing Ember---
BonfireGlowing Ember--
Armored BlazeBonfire-FEH Star Rarity 5
AFEH Atk Def Prime 1 Atk Def Prime 1--
FEH Atk Def Prime 2 Atk Def Prime 2FEH Atk Def Prime 1 Atk Def Prime 1-
FEH Atk Def Prime 3 Atk Def Prime 3FEH Atk Def Prime 2 Atk Def Prime 2-
FEH Atk Def Prime 4 Atk Def Prime 4FEH Atk Def Prime 3 Atk Def Prime 3FEH Star Rarity 5
BFEH Raging Tempest Raging Tempest-FEH Star Rarity 5
CFEH Def Ploy 1 Def Ploy 1--
FEH Def Ploy 2 Def Ploy 2FEH Def Ploy 1 Def Ploy 1-
FEH Def Ploy 3 Def Ploy 3FEH Def Ploy 2 Def Ploy 2-
FEH Def Res Ploy 3 Def Res Ploy 3FEH Def Ploy 3 Def Ploy 3FEH Star Rarity 5

Overall

Secret Book (Artwork)
Subjective: The following part of this article is based upon the editor's personal experiences and opinions, and therefore may not be applicable for all readers.
Base Set

Winter Edelgard remains consistent with the general combat style that her other forms are known for, retaining the same role as an offensive Armor, this time equipped with a Lance. Her low 17 Spd is a given since she hardly needs it when she carries a massive 47 Atk and a tremendous mixed bulk of 93 physical and 90 magical. Her base kit easily makes up for her one stat shortcoming and has allowed her to immediately storm into the game with a powerful offensive presence.
Black Yule Lance has a Special cooldown acceleration effect, requiring one less attack to charge her Special. If she has at least 25% when she initiates combat, she gains 【Divine Vein (Flame)】, which creates a five space line of flame terrain, creating difficult terrain for movement, and inflicts 7 non-lethal damage if a foe starts on that tile and at the start of combat if the foe is standing in that tile. If she has at least 25% HP at the start of combat, she also inflicts an Atk/Def penalty on her foe based on the number of allies adjacent to her during combat and reduces her special cooldown based on how many spaces she has traveled from her starting position, effectively allowing her to completely charge her special immediately if she moves the full range using her base kit alone. If her foe starts on an ally sourced Divine Vein Flame tile, she automatically gets the maximum 3 charge value and reduces damage done by percentage skills up to 100 minus the number of allies adjacent to her times 30. Finally, if she has a weapon triangle advantage against her foe and they are standing on an ally controlled Divine Vein Flame tile, she gains a Miracle effect.
Raging Tempest is a unique variation of her legendary Raging Storm, as it gives her one extra space of movement if she either starts her turn at 100% health or has a foe within the four cardinal directions of her and the two adjacent columns and rows of her cardinal directions at the start of her turn as well as【Charge】to give her a three space movement if she moves purely in a cardinal direction, giving her massive movement range. If she has allies adjacent to her during combat, she inflicts -5 Atk/Def on her foe, deals 15% of her Atk as bonus damage, and if she initiated, she gains another action after combat. While she can only get the latter effect once per turn, it is treated separately from Galeforce.
Armored Blaze deals additional damage to her attacks based off of 40% of her Def. If her foe is a melee range unit and either their special is ready or triggered before or during combat, she reduces the damage of her foe's next attack by 40%. Attack Defense Prime grants an Atk/Def bonus if she has an active【Bonus】on her, such as her innate【Charge】or visible stat bonuses from allies. The bonus increases for each unique bonus on her, maximizing at +9. In she has at least 4 active bonuses, she can counterattack regardless of range. Defense Resistance Ploy inflicts its penalties if Winter Edelgard's Res is at least five points higher than her foes at the start of both phases and they are standing within the 3x3 cardinal column and rows of her. She inflicts -7 Def/Res,【Ploy】(which neutralizes certain Bonuses), and 【Exposure】(causing that unit to take an additional +10 true damage when attacked).

Counters

Winter Edelgard can be exploited through her low Spd as her natural base kit carries no Follow-up prevention and covering this up is generally pointless. Negating any【Bonus】on her also shuts down her means of countering and threatening ranged units. While she has great mixed phase potential, she struggles against Windsweep effects since she has no means of stopping said effects on her own and lacks any sort of damage reduction until her Armored Blaze activates. As an Armor, she also is vulnerable to the likes of Micaiah, especially her Brave, Legendary, and Summer forms, though she can withstand a few Armor effective melee range units.

Skill Inheritance

Winter Edelgard's only empty slot is her Special. Despite being armored, her innate kit gives her tremendous movement so she can actually use any Assist skill that helps her with positioning units like Reposition or Draw Back. She can still go for the standard Pivot or Swap if keeping her tied to her Armored roots of giving her different movement options. She can also replace her special with Galeforce, giving her up to three actions per turn on her own in tandem with Raging Tempest.

Meet Some of the Heroes

Snowfall Future Edelgard
Edelgard snowfall future pop01 Edelgard's here from the Officers Academy in the continent of Fódlan, and this time, she's making an appearance as one of Askr's official winter festival envoys!
Edelgard snowfall future pop02 This is her special outfit for the festival, complete with a big, eye-catching cape. She's also wearing a holly hairpin that looks great in her long hair!
Edelgard snowfall future pop03 And I'm sure you've noticed her adorably festive weapon: a lance in the shape of a fir tree, decorated with bells, stars, and more! When she's fighting, it almost looks like she's dancing with all those ribbons flying around!
Edelgard snowfall future pop04 With the town all lit up with winter festival decorations, the sights and sounds of the celebrations have taken Edelgard back to the picture books she read as a girl. I hope the festival becomes a wonderful winter memory for her!
Closely Associated Characters
Dimitri Crown prince of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus. Known for his chivalry, but it seems a darkness may lurk beneath the surface. Edelgard's rival.
Claude Heir to House Riegan, the leading house of the Leicester Alliance. Employs both an easygoing attitude and an effortless skill for scheming. As the leader of the Golden Deer House, he is a rival to Edelgard.

Anna fates portrait
"Just a minute! The following section contains spoilers. Viewing it will cost a lot. Are you prepared to pay for it?"

Bringer of War
A mysterious individual who instigates conflict, disturbing the peace in Fódlan. Willing to use any method to achieve their objectives. Appears in Fire Emblem: Three Houses.

Base Stats

Rarity:
✯✯✯
Flame Emperor Heroes spriteTitle
Bringer of War
Group
Heroes Armored Armored
LevelHPAtkSpdDefRes
1
40
18/19/20
43/46/49
10/11/12
33/36/39
4/5/6
19/22/25
9/10/11
30/33/36
5/6/7
20/23/26
SkillsWeapon
FEH skill offense Steel AxeFEH Axe Axe
✯✯✯✯
Flame Emperor Heroes spriteTitle
Bringer of War
Group
Heroes Armored Armored
LevelHPAtkSpdDefRes
1
40
18/19/20
44/47/51
11/12/13
35/38/41
4/5/6
20/23/26
10/11/12
32/35/38
5/6/7
21/24/27
SkillsWeapon
FEH skill offense Guard Axe
FEH skill special Glowing Ember
FEH Axe Axe
✯✯✯✯✯
Flame Emperor Heroes spriteTitle
Bringer of War
Group
Heroes Armored Armored
LevelHPAtkSpdDefRes
1
40
19/20/21
47/50/54
11/12/13
37/40/43
5/6/7
22/25/29
10/11/12
34/37/40
6/7/8
23/26/30
SkillsWeapon
FEH skill offense Guard Axe+
FEH skill special Glowing Ember
FEH Axe Axe

Skills

TypeNamePrerequisiteDefaultUnlocked
FEH skill offenseIron Axe---
Steel Axe---
Guard Axe---
Guard Axe+-FEH Star Rarity 5-
Flame Battleaxe-FEH Star Rarity 5-
FEH skill specialGlowing Ember-FEH Star Rarity 4FEH Star Rarity 3
IgnisGlowing Ember-FEH Star Rarity 4
AFEH Warding Stance 1 Warding Stance 1--
FEH Bracing Stance 1 Bracing Stance 1FEH Warding Stance 1 Warding Stance 1-
FEH Bracing Stance 2 Bracing Stance 2FEH Bracing Stance 1 Bracing Stance 1FEH Star Rarity 5
BFEH Wary Fighter 1 Wary Fighter 1--
FEH Wary Fighter 2 Wary Fighter 2FEH Wary Fighter 1 Wary Fighter 1-
FEH Wary Fighter 3 Wary Fighter 3FEH Wary Fighter 2 Wary Fighter 2FEH Star Rarity 5

Overall

Secret Book (Artwork)
Subjective: The following part of this article is based upon the editor's personal experiences and opinions, and therefore may not be applicable for all readers.
Base Set

The Flame Emperor, aka, Masked Edelgard, is a potent Grand Hero Battle Axe Armor. The virtue of being an Armor is already a large boon and her only two easily accessed competitors are Sheena and Halloween Dorcas. As with most standard Armors, her Spd is lacking, but makes up for this with astounding 87 physical bulk and an impressive 40 neutral Atk. Her magical bulk is workable enough to make her a mixed tank, but not a particularly high point in her stat spread when trying to become a true mix tank like Sheena. In terms of investments, the Flame Emperor has her perks that makes her a solid choice as she can easily acquire merges, but none of them really allow her to outshine many of the premium 5 Star exclusive units.
Guard Axe slows her enemy special charging, giving her a much-needed pseudo bulk in delaying enemy burst. As her starting axe, it is serviceable and works perfectly for a tanking role, but she can acquire other axes if looking to improve her overall offense instead.
Ignis deals 80% of her Def as extra damage to her opponent, giving her a surprisingly high 30 additional damage. Bracing Stance gives her additional mixed bulk of +4 Def/Res when an enemy initiates combat on her. Wary Fighter prevents enemies from performing follow-ups and with her low Spd, this has less consequences on her overall.

Counters

The virtue of being an Armor comes with the woes of falling to many common armor slayer weapons from the likes of Tobin, Hana, and especially Micaiah. Most units who run Null Follow-Up also can outright stop the Flame Emperor with Wary Fighter and other general Fighter skills, which severely hampers her bulk and damage output respectively, many of which are run on some very threatening sword units. Sword units in general also prove problematic as she loses some of her damage to the color disadvantage against them while Reds can poke her out from a distance, and unless running Distant Counter, prevents her from hurting them as the can easily be pulled away by their allies with positioning skills.

Skill Inheritance

The Flame Emperor's options boil down to the inherited axes she can get and if she is built for pure offense, pure defense, or mixed phases. In all sets, Pivot or Swap are key positioning Assist Skills that armors use to give them more pseudo movement. Distant Counter is generally recommended if possible to give her a threatening presence in both phases though maintaining her Bracing Stance is good for those on a budget. The Slaying Axe and its special charging acceleration gets her damage output going. Access to Special Fighter, Bold Fighter, or Vengeful Fighter grants her the ability to not only patch her Spd but also give her even quicker special charges. Skill C can be a host of skills from Smokes skills or Armor skills, especially Armor March to fix her low mobility and assist her fellow Armors with their movement as well.

Meet Some of the Heroes

Bringer of War Flame Emperor
Flameemperor bringer of war pop01 Well, this is tricky. I was supposed to introduce you to the Flame Emperor, but I have a lot more questions about this Hero than I have answers. So, um, who's the Flame Emperor?
Flameemperor bringer of war pop02 One thing I do know is that the Flame Emperor is an outstanding warrior—one who talks about reforging the world. Can't say I know what exactly that means though…
Flameemperor bringer of war pop03 The Flame Emperor, served by the Death Knight, seems to have been involved in a lot of the incidents that have been happening around Garreg Mach Monastery. What do you think they're after?
Flameemperor bringer of war pop04 It's true that the Flame Emperor has been operating in the shadows, but strangely, I don't get the feeling that they're a bad person. There must be some great cause that's dear to them—do you think we'll ever learn what it is?
Closely Associated Characters
Death Knight The Flame Emperor's subordinate, a knight who desires only to fight the strong. Given his name due to his scythe and dark steed.

"End of spoilers. It's a pleasure doing business with you!"

Warriors: Three Hopes

Base Stats

Starting ClassCrest
FEW3H Fighter Edelgard IconFighterMinor Crest of Seiros
LevelHPStrMagDexSpdLckDefResCha
12700121010989911
MagicCombat ArtsAbilitiesStarting Items
-Icon Combat Art FE16 AxeSwinging Fury
Icon Combat Art FE16 AxeReturning Axe
Solar ProminenceSolar Prominence Lv 1
Imperial BloodlineEmperor's Prestige Lv 1
AmbitionAmbition Lv 1
Lance Buster Lv 1Lance Buster Lv 1
FE16 Axe Weapon IconIron Axe

Supports

See also: Edelgard/Warriors: Three Hopes Supports

Recruitment (Warriors)

Edelgard will automatically be recruited if Shez chooses to join the Black Eagles house in chapter 2, thus starting Scarlet Blaze. If Shez chose to join any other house, Edelgard cannot be recruited whatsoever.

Edelgard will only be playable during Azure Gleam and Golden Wildfire through the Record Keeper during a New Game+ file, as long as that file has completed Scarlet Blaze data.

Quotes

Three Houses

Edelgard/Quotes

Engage

Edelgard/Engage Quotes

Heroes

Edelgard/Heroes Quotes

Warriors: Three Hopes

Edelgard/Warriors: Three Hopes Quotes

Possible Endings

Three Houses

Anna fates portrait
"Just a minute! The following section contains spoilers. Viewing it will cost a lot. Are you prepared to pay for it?"
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 s/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 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.
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 Constance
For her service in the war and her innovations in magic, Constance von Nuvelle was among the first to receive peerage from Emperor Edelgard. Though her noble house was given no guarantee of power on a hereditary basis, Constance made certain that House Nuvelle would be relied upon in helping to achieve Edelgard's vision of a new social order. The emperor kept Constance close at hand and routinely recognized her counsel as valuable, which helped to bolster Constance's own sense of worth. It is rumored that the two were also dear personal friends and that they would slip away from duties of governance to traipse through the capital together.
"End of spoilers. It's a pleasure doing business with you!"

Non-Canon Appearances

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Byleth SSBU Edelgard Alt

Render of Byleth's Edelgard costume

Edelgard appears in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as a background character at Garreg Mach Monastery. She also appears as a spirit in her Academy and War phase appearances and Byleth's fourth alternate palette is based off of Edelgard (though Byleth retains her knee-high boots instead of taking on Edelgard's ankle-high ones).

Spirit Info
No. Name Image Type Class Slots Effect
1,382 Edelgard Artwork Edelgard Primary (Attack) ★★☆☆ (Advanced) 1 Can Be Enhanced at Lv. 99
1,383 Edelgard - Five Years Later Edelgard Artwork 5Years Primary (Attack) ★★★☆ (Ace) 1 Armor Knight
Spirit Battle
Spirit Enemy Fighter(s) Type Power/Class Stage Rules Conditions Music
Artwork Edelgard
No. 1,382
Edelgard
•Byleth Attack 5,000 / ★★☆☆ (Advanced) Castle Siege (Battlefield) •Hazard: Lava Floor •The floor is lava
•The enemy has super armor and is hard to make launch or flinch
"The Apex of the World"

WarioWare: Get It Together!

Edelgard appears in WarioWare: Get It Together! as a background character in the Nintendo Classics microgame "Fire Emblem: Three Houses". The player engages in a Tea Party session with either Edelgard, Dimitri or Claude and must successfully choose the correct prompt. Edelgard's three prompts are always "I'm jealous." but the incorrect prompts include typos.

Fire Emblem 0 (Cipher)

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


Choose Your Legends Placement History

Round Placement Character Version Votes

CYL1 - CYL3 N/A

CYL4 Winner
1
CYL Edelgard War Portrait
Three Houses
74,617
200 CYL Flame Emperor Portrait
Three Houses
759

CYL5 Ineligible Edelgard
Three Houses
-
152
↑48
CYL Flame Emperor Portrait
Three Houses
622
↓137
CYL6 onward Ineligible

The inclusion of the Flame Emperor in Choose Your Legends: Round 5 was an oversight, as pre-established ballot rules noted that all variants of prior ballot winners would be pulled from future ballots. Though the Flame Emperor was included the Round 5 ballot, she was left off of the Round 6 ballot per these rules.

Etymology

Edelgard means "Noble Protector" in German.

Her nickname, El, is the name of the head of the old Canaanite pantheon of gods, who was the father of the gods and creator in Canaanite mythology. El is also one of the many names of the Abrahamic God, who has ties to Canaanite and Semitic myth.

Edelgard's surname, Hresvelg, comes from a Norse mythological creature called Hræsvelgr (Old Norse "Corpse Swallower"), a giant who 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 Echoes, as well as the Heroes appearances of Lachesis and Athena.
  • Edelgard's pre-timeskip artwork depicts her wielding a Killer Axe while her post-timeskip artwork depicts her wielding Aymr.
  • Edelgard is one of the few Lords in the Fire Emblem series to not feature the color blue either in her hair or her clothes, a distinction she shares with both Celica from Gaiden and its remake, as well as fellow Three Houses lord Claude.
  • Edelgard uses red colors for her battle models.
  • Edelgard is one of the characters who can have S-Supports with both Male and Female Byleth. The others are Linhardt, Dorothea, Mercedes, Gilbert (platonic), Alois (platonic), Rhea, Sothis, Jeritza and Yuri.
    • She is also the first house leader able to do so, the other being Yuri.
  • Edelgard and Jeritza are the only characters in Three Houses able to learn both Black and Dark Magic by leveling up Reason.
  • Edelgard appears to be ambidextrous: In her artwork, she is seen wielding her axe with either her left or right hand, although her battle model only depicts her wielding it with her right hand.
  • Edelgard is the first female character to be of the Rudolf Archetype.
  • Edelgard is the first Lord to canonically wield axes since Ike and the first to be an armored unit since Hector.
  • Edelgard has placed high in several character polls done in magazines for Three Houses. These include:
    • The first survey conducted by Nintendo DREAM Magazine, Edelgard placed 4th with 17% of the vote overall and ranked 7th with 13.6% among those who completed the game. The male-female vote ratio was 1:2.
    • The second survey conducted by Nintendo DREAM Magazine, Edelgard placed 6th among those who completed the game with 143 points. The male-female vote ratio was 1:3.
    • The third survey conducted by Nintendo DREAM Magazine, Edelgard placed 6th among those who completed the game with 147 points. The male-female vote ratio was 1:3.
    • The fourth survey conducted by Nintendo DREAM Magazine, Edelgard placed 6th among those who completed the game with 78 points. The male-female vote ratio was 1:4.
    • The fifth survey conducted by Nintendo DREAM Magazine, Edelgard placed 4th among those who completed the game with 19.9% of the vote. The male-female vote ratio was 1:4.
    • A survey conducted by Famitsu Magazine, Edelgard placed 4th for females and 7th overall with 916 votes. She also placed 2nd among S-Supports chosen in the first playthrough with 499 votes.
  • In the fourth Heroes: Choose Your Legends popularity poll, Edelgard won 1st place for females with 74,617 votes.
    • This makes Edelgard the most voted character to date in any Choose Your Legends event.
  • Edelgard was the first character from Three Houses to appear in Heroes in her War Phase appearance.
  • The red gem in Legendary Edelgard's crown resembles a reversed heart. However, in Three Houses, such resemblance is absent.
  • Due to the player not receiving the ability to host Tea Parties until the month after her birthday pre-timeskip, and the only route she is available in ending before the month of her birthday post-timeskip, it is impossible to celebrate Edelgard's birthday with a tea party in Three Houses, and by extension hold a tea party with her that doesn't cost an activity point. Like everyone else, however, the player can buy her flowers.
Anna fates portrait
"Just a minute! The following section contains spoilers. Viewing it will cost a lot. Are you prepared to pay for it?"
  • When fought in the Black Eagles route of Chapter 11, Edelgard uses her unmasked model of the Flame Emperor class that is normally seen during the Siege of Garreg Mach, due to her already revealing that she was the Flame Emperor before the fight.
  • The tapestry depicting her at the end of Crimson Flower heavily involves Divine Right of Kings imagery, including Frances Hand of Justice and imagery used for Roman Emperors in the Imperial Cult such as the angel beside her heavily implied to be a reference of goddess Victoria (Nike), whom often depicted carrying a palm branch and laurel crown. The eagle merged with said crown as the angel goes to crown her.
  • Although Edelgard possesses a Major Crest of Flames she cannot use the Sword of the Creator at 2 range or use Ruptured Heaven.
    • This is due to how the Crest Stone is within Byleth's heart, and a Relic cannot function without a Crest Stone.
  • Game director Toshiyuki Kusakihara stated in an interview that Edelgard has the same Crest as Byleth because she was originally intended to be a rival to the protagonist.
    • This even included a scenario where Edelgard was able to interrupt the use of Divine Pulse.
  • If her variations as the Flame Emperor and Hegemon Edelgard are counted, Edelgard would have the highest amount of critical lines of any unit in the series with a total of 24 lines, 4 in the academy phase, 4 when facing a named enemy in the academy phase, 4 as the Flame Emperor, 4 in the war phase, 4 when facing an named enemy in the war phase, and 4 as Hegemon Edelgard.
  • There are certain elements that foreshadow that Edelgard is the Flame Emperor. For example, both Edelgard and the Flame Emperor wear red, and Edelgard holds the title of the future Emperor of the Adrestian Empire. Edelgard is also absent when Byleth faces the Flame Emperor face to face, and appears once more as soon as the confrontation is over. In addition, Edelgard is skilled in using axes, and her axe used in Fire Emblem Heroes is the same axe used by the Flame Emperor. Additionally, if Edelgard is chosen to fight the Death Knight in any map he is in, the dialogue shows them questioning each other regarding their being there in a manner that heavily implies that they know each other.
"End of spoilers. It's a pleasure doing business with you!"

Gallery

See main article: Edelgard/Gallery.