Grégoire, also known as Count Varley, is a mentioned character in Fire Emblem: Three Houses and a non-playable character in Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes. He is the Minister of Religious Affairs in the Adrestian Empire, the head of House Varley, and the abusive father to Bernadetta.
Profile[]
Like many Crest-bearing nobles, Grégoire's only Crest bearing child, Bernadetta, was merely a political tool to be used to increase his power and influence within the Adrestian Empire. In order to make her more desirable as a wife, Grégoire subjected Bernadetta to years of psychological torture in order to groom her into a "good wife". Such acts included tying her to a chair, so as to force her to pay attention as he "taught" her.
Due to his classist views, he also forbade Bernadetta from socializing with any commoner; one commoner in particular that had befriended Bernadetta was soon found to have been nearly beaten to death by Grégoire's goons in order to further isolate his daughter from "the common filth."
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This commoner turned out to be Yuri, who had been tasked with assassinating her. Grégoire caught him just as he hesitated. This leads to Yuri telling Bernadetta that her father's attempt on his life was (at least partially) to save hers.
Three Houses[]
After Edelgard's coup against Ludwig, Grégoire attempts to oppose Edelgard after she ascended the Adrestian throne, but is placed under house arrest and stripped of his title, remaining in this situation during Crimson Flower. In Verdant Wind and Silver Snow, Grégoire is released after Edelgard's death and resumes control of House Varley, though if Byleth talks to Bernadetta, they are given the option to either restore his house arrest or exile him.
Three Hopes[]
After Edelgard ousts Volkhard, Grégoire feigns ignorance regarding Ludwig's corruption upon hearing the news. Edelgard then asks him to handle her coronation ceremony, while assigning him control of the Southern Church once it's properly built. This makes him a target of censure and assassination from the Central Church. His new duties as Bishop of the Southern Church also consequently require him to frequently be away from home, much to Bernadetta's relief. Following the imperial conquest of Garreg Mach Monastery, Grégoire is relocated to the monastery, where he continues to live and perform his duties throughout the course of the war while remaining subject to the Central Church's attempts at his assassination.
In the final stretch of Golden Wildfire and Scarlet Blaze, he is the subject of a defense mission, but his survival is never at any point actually needed, so he can be abandoned to die by the player. In Scarlet Blaze in particular, several Falcon Knights spawn after his death.
In Azure Gleam, Grégoire is a target that needs to be eliminated so that the forces lead by Dimitri can enter Garreg Mach to retake the monastery from Thales. Bernadetta and Yuri have unique lines when engaging Grégoire.
In Bernadetta's C Support with Edelgard, she informs Edelgard that, according to a letter from her mother, Grégoire has become so terrified of being assassinated that, in ironic fashion, he has shut himself away to a degree mirroring his daughter's own reclusiveness.
Personality[]
Grégoire is described by Bernadetta as a cold and cruel man that subjected her to years of psychological torture. He is one of the many nobles that embody the worst of the Crest-bearing nobility of Fódlan; ambitious, classist, and cruel. In fact, he could be seen as one of the most extreme examples as he was willing to sacrifice his own daughter's life, desires, and happiness merely to gain more influence in the realm without the slightest hesitation, seeing her as nothing more than a useful pawn in his ambitions. His abuse of Bernadetta was so extensive that his daughter became a recluse suffering from deep-seated paranoia, making the prospects of an arranged marriage more difficult if not impossible, and despite his daughter's state being his own fault, he has used this as a means to further denigrate her as 'unmarriageable'.
Three Hopes also reveals that Grégoire is quite cowardly and self-absorbed, shown in his demands to be rescued when appearing as an ally in battle while holding an inflated view of himself as an asset to the Empire. Ironically, it is due to his "prestige" making him a huge target for enemy forces that leads to an understandable fear of assassination, fleeing under the slightest threat towards his safety.
Choose Your Legends Placement History[]
| Round | Placement | Character Version | Votes |
|---|
| CYL1-CYL6 | N/A | ||||
| CYL7 | 398 |  Warriors: Three Hopes |
34 | ||
| CYL8 | 426 ↓28 |
Warriors: Three Hopes |
16 ↓18 |
Trivia[]
- Uniquely, despite being a subject in need of protection as a mission requirement in A Path Forward and A Symbol of the Past in Three Hopes, the player can instead let Grégoire die without getting a Game Over.
- Concept art of Grégoire includes a design for an unused papal hat bearing the Crest of Indech. Both he and Bernadetta share this Crest through their bloodline.
Gallery[]
- See main article: Grégoire/Gallery.