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“For thousands of years, we have existed underground, living on only that we might someday see our vengeance realized. Here and now, that vengeance is finally within our grasp.”
—Thales

Thales is the main antagonist of Fire Emblem: Three Houses and Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes. He is the leader of Solon and Kronya and an important figure within the group known as Those Who Slither in the Dark. In order to carry out his plan, he acts in the shadows of Fódlan.

Profile[]

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At some point, Thales assumed the guise of Volkhard von Arundel, head of a minor noble family within the Adrestian Empire. Volkhard was granted the title of lord after his sister, Anselma, became a consort of Emperor Ionius IX and gave birth to Edelgard, though shortly after she would be exiled from Enbarr. During the Insurrection of the Seven in Imperial Year 1171, in which Volkhard played a key role supporting Duke Ludwig von Aegir, Volkhard took his niece, to the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus in apparent exile. Anselma, now going by Patricia, had since married King Lambert, while Volkhard and Edelgard returned to the Empire in 1174.

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

Three Houses[]

Academy Phase[]

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A year before the events of the game, Thales sends his subordinate Solon to infiltrate Garreg Mach Monastery by posing as the librarian Tomas. Later on, Thales also sends Kronya, posing as the missing Officers Academy student Monica, to assist Solon.

Thales first appears as Volkhard in the aftermath of an attack on the Holy Mausoleum to convene with the Flame Emperor regarding the revelation of the Sword of the Creator, and requests the temporary use of the Death Knight's services.

When Jeralt, Byleth, and their class are tasked with investigating a ruined chapel, they find Kronya (still as Monica) in the ruins, who assassinates Jeralt. This forces Byleth to use Divine Pulse to rewind time and attempt to save their father. Just as they draw the Sword of the Creator to intercept Kronya, Thales teleports in and blocks the attack, leaving Jeralt's assassination an inescapable fate. Kronya is surprised to see Thales save her, though he says it is only because Kronya still has a purpose to fulfill. The two then teleport away from the scene as Byleth mourns their father.

A week later, Thales and Kronya are seen outside the monastery walls meeting up with the Flame Emperor. Thales scolds Kronya for her carelessness while praising the Flame Emperor as one of his greatest creations, and that by empowering them with the blood of "the defiled beast", the Flame Emperor will be the key to the salvation of his people. The Flame Emperor dismisses this, saying that neither he nor his people will receive the salvation they seek after his group's involvement in the Tragedy of Duscur and the Insurrection of the Seven. If Byleth is teaching the Blue Lions house, they and Dimitri overhear the conversation and learn that Thales and the Flame Emperor are somehow related to both incidents, spurring Dimitri's need for revenge. However, before the two can act, the Flame Emperor suspects someone is nearby and leaves the scene.

Near the end of the academic year, the Flame Emperor, now revealed to be Edelgard, ascends the Adrestian Empire throne as its new Emperor and declares war on the Church of Seiros, leading to a massive invasion. In all routes except Crimson Flower, the Knights of Seiros are able to resist the first wave, but a second appears more massive than before, forcing Rhea to transform into her true form. While she decimates the second wave initially, Demonic Beasts pile onto her, spurring Byleth to come to her aid. However, Thales appears and hurls a ball of magic, sending Byleth careening over a ledge into the valley below, not to be found by anyone for over five years.

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

War Phase[]

Crimson Flower[]
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Thales, remaining under the guise of Volkhard, continues to support Edelgard's efforts to take down the Church of Seiros, though Edelgard and Hubert barely mask their contempt for him. In the paralogue Darkness Beneath The Earth, he requests their aid in dealing with some of his "experiments" that have gone out of control in the Sealed Forest. Hubert hypothesizes that this is mostly an attempt by Those Who Slither in the Dark to assert their power over the Empire, but states that it has not deterred his efforts to investigate and eventually eliminate them.

When the Imperial army marches into western Faerghus, Edelgard besieges Arianrhod and kills Cornelia, knowing that she is one of Thales' subordinates. Thales, still disguised as Volkhard, asks Edelgard why she killed Cornelia without waiting for her to sabotage the Kingdom army from within, but his question is left unanswered. He then tells Edelgard that her rash decisions would negatively impact the future of the Empire, and says that it would be a shame if it were to turn into "another Arianrhod". In retaliation for Cornelia's assassination, he destroys Arianrhod with the "javelins of light", killing most of House Rowe's important members and a third of the Imperial troops stationed within in another attempt to keep her in line, though it had the opposite effect.

During the battle at the Tailtean Plains, Hubert briefly suspects Thales' involvement when a Kingdom soldier transforms into a Demonic Beast, but quickly dismisses the idea as Dedue states that he was the one who took several Lost Crest Stones from the Kingdom's castle and gave them to his soldiers.

On the eve of the final battle with the Knights of Seiros in Fhirdiad, Thales congratulates Edelgard on her victories thus far and tells her that the Empire is one step closer to ruling the world. However, as Edelgard has no intention of fulfilling his ambitions, she calmly retorts that such a future may not come to pass.

In the epilogue, Edelgard begins her silent war against Those Who Slither in the Dark.

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

Azure Moon[]
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After Edelgard assumes the throne, Ludwig flees the Empire after being placed under house arrest. Thales, under the guise of Arundel, secretly takes control of Ludwig's lands, imposing even harsher taxes and enforcing conscription on their citizens, all doing so in Ludwig's name to ensure that all of the blame would be directed towards him.

He maintains his disguise and personally leads the invasion of the Leicester Alliance, but is ultimately defeated when Byleth and the newly restored Holy Kingdom of Faerghus arrive to reinforce the Alliance in response to Claude's summons. After his defeat, Thales denies Dimitri the satisfaction of learning about his involvement in the Duscur incident and encourages him to kill Edelgard, revealing to the rest of his forces that they are family. He rejoices in the "light" with his last breaths.

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

Silver Snow / Verdant Wind[]
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During the war, Thales learns that Byleth--and by extension Sothis--has reawakened and is leading the Resistance Army/Leicester Alliance Army against the Imperial forces. He attempts to kill their forces at Fort Merceus by using javelins of light to destroy the fort; however, this attempt fails as the Death Knight warns them of the incoming barrage and encourages them to flee after the battle.

Following the victory of the Resistance/Alliance Army against Edelgard at the Imperial Palace, they discover the location of Shambhala via a posthumous letter from Hubert, who discovered the source of the "javelins of light" after they were launched on Fort Merceus. Seeing that the last opportunity for the Agarthans to achieve their long-desired vengeance against the "children of the goddess" is at hand, Thales commands his remaining generals to use every available resource at their disposal, including the Titanus and Viskam cannons, to kill the invaders, even if it means destroying Shambhala in the process. Unwilling to accept defeat, Thales activates one last barrage of javelins of light with the intent of killing his enemies along with him. Rhea intercepts most of the javelins by transforming into the Immaculate One, but a few stray shots damage Shambhala and Thales is crushed to death by the falling rubble.

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

Three Hopes[]

Scarlet Blaze[]

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Thales first appears in his Volkhard guise when he learns that Edelgard is plotting a coup against him and Ludwig to reclaim the Imperial Palace. Edelgard, with the help of Counts Leopold Bergliez and Waldemar von Hevring, and some of her Black Eagles classmates, capture Ludwig and force Thales to drop his disguise and flee from Enbarr.

Almost three years later, Thales aligns himself with Ludwig and instigates a series of riots in Empire-controlled Hrym and Ordelia territories, forcing Edelgard to divert their attack on the Kingdom to deal with the internal chaos. Ludwig captures Fort Merceus and plans to use it as a springboard for an attack on Enbarr, but the Imperial army kills him, as well as Kronya, during their attempt to reclaim the fort. Thales lays low after this attack until he learns of Rhea and the Knights of Seiros advancing on Garreg Mach Monastery to reclaim it and kill Count Grégoire Varley, using the opportunity to foment further chaos by attacking Imperial and Church forces alike.

During the final battle for control of Garreg Mach, the Imperial army fights their way past the remaining Knights of Seiros and Those Who Slither in the Dark, facing Thales in the reception hall of the cathedral. Thales is initially defeated and retreats, but reappears while Shez, Edelgard, and the Imperial army are busy fighting Rhea. After both leaders are defeated, Thales attempts to charge a powerful spell to eliminate both of his enemies, but Shez throws their sword at his leg to pin him to prevent him from escaping, causing him to aim his spell instead at a charging Rhea. The resulting explosion causes both Thales and Rhea to disappear, with Edelgard assuming both killed. Thales' apparent demise causes Those who Slither in the Dark to vanish.

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

Azure Gleam[]

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Thales allies with Ludwig, but cares less about his new allies, manipulating both him and Edelgard from the shadows as the former Empress is a shadow of herself. After Ludwig is slain by Kingdom forces, Thales retreats to Garreg Mach, using both Grégoire and the remaining Imperial forces to defend himself. In the ensuing siege, the Imperial forces are routed, leaving him with both Edelgard and a few troops under his command. After Shez knocks Edelgard out of range, Thales tries to defend himself from Dimitri by launching numerous orbs and a barrier, but he shrugs and reflects each one before breaking his barrier and impaling him with Areadbhar, killing him.

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

Personality[]

As the leader of Those Who Slither in the Dark, Thales is calculating and cruel. He aligns himself with the Adrestian Empire in hopes of manipulating them into starting a war that would ultimately destroy society as many knew it, empowering Edelgard's crusade against the Church of Seiros as a means to this end, but fully willing to dispose of her if necessary. While some of his subordinates, such as Solon and Myson, hold him in high regard, Thales sees many of them as little more than expendable pawns. He states that the only reason he went out of his way to defend Kronya from Byleth was because he needed her alive in order to maintain their disguises.

While arrogant and willing to use extremely immoral actions to advance his plans, Thales is also cautious. He realizes that a major drawback of the "javelins of light" is that a skilled sorcerer would be able to trace them back to his hideout when fired, which meant that he could only use them when he was certain he could wipe out his intended targets. During the events of Crimson Flower, he realizes that Edelgard knows his true identity and is plotting against him as well as the church, so he concocts his schemes in such a way that he can quietly exert his power over her.

Thales, like the rest of his people, harbors an immense hatred of Sothis and her worshippers. His hatred of Sothis and the church ultimately made him a martyr who sacrificed himself in hopes of bringing his enemies down with him.

In-Game[]

Base Stats[]

Stand Strong at Shambhala[]

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 B E E - - -
Start

Quotes[]

Battle Quote[]

“You're nothing but animals performing tricks in the hopes of pleasing the goddess. You will never see the sunlight again!”
—Thales' battle quote

Vs. Byleth[]

“So you have shown yourself, Fell Star. Or, should I say... Sothis? I will spill every drop of blood in your body to fulfill the longstanding goal of the Agarthans!”
—Thales' battle quote against Byleth

Vs. Seteth/Flayn[]

“Your eyes, hair, ears, and blood...We remember it all. We remember how you ruined us. How you stole our light and condemned us to eternal darkness! Now, suffer the wrath of the Agarthans!”
—Thales' battle quote against Seteth/Flayn

Vs. Claude[]

  • Thales: Ha. It is laughable that base animals such as you would bare fangs at the likes of us.
  • Claude: I may be a base animal, but I have strong allies. Do you think you can beat Teach and the Sword of the Creator?
  • Thales: The Sword of the Creator... The blade given to Nemesis. Who do you really think is superior?
  • Claude: There's a big difference between the living and the dead. The fate of the future lies in the hands of the living!

Critical[]

Gambit[]

Gambit Boost[]

Triangle Attack[]

Ally Assist/Rally[]

Miss/No Damage[]

Attack[]

Damage Taken[]

Warriors: Three Hopes[]

  • "Do what you will. It will not bring you victory."
  • "How is it that we are the ones forced to retreat?!"
  • "Now is the time to endure!"
  • "I'll lend you my aid."
  • "I require no directives."
  • "I shall assist."
  • "We continue forth."
  • "Insects!"
  • "Cretins!"
  • "It is pointless to resist."
  • "Our plan requires even greater destruction!"
  • "You will learn the futility of your resistance!"
  • "The beasts must be hunted!"
  • "No matter how many I butcher, I shall never quell my heart's thirst for revenge!"
  • "This stronghold is key to our victory!"
  • "I will purify this land!"
  • "You have brought us one step closer to our paradise."
  • "The beasts infest this land. Purify it all!"
  • "Unsightly beasts. Kill as many as you please!"
  • "I shall cull these swarming insects."
  • "This is my power!"
  • "Nothing shall remain when I am through."
  • "Provide protection."
  • "You know what to do."
  • "Go and defend."
  • "You ignorant fools dare stand against me?"
  • "This victory brings us forward!"
  • "Those vulgar beasts could never hope to catch up with us."
  • "We have endured for thousands of years. Defeat was never an option."

Choose Your Legends Placement History[]

Round Placement Character Version Votes

CYL1 - CYL3 N/A
CYL4 371 CYL Thales Portrait
Three Houses
277
CYL5 358
↑13
CYL Thales Portrait
Three Houses
159
↓118
CYL6 337
↑21
CYL Thales Portrait
Three Houses
199
↑40

CYL7 301
↑36
CYL Thales Portrait
Three Houses
133
↓66

Etymology[]

Thales is a Greek name meaning "to bloom". Thales of Miletus was an ancient Greek philosopher who was known as a pioneer in scientific philosophy breaking away from using mythology to explain the world.

Trivia[]

  • Thales shares his voice actor Chris Smith with Awakening's Yarne and one of the voice options for Robin, Echoes' Slayde, as well as Legion, Reinhardt, and Seth in Heroes.
  • Thales is one of the few main antagonists to not be fought in the final chapter of their game. He is instead the boss of the penultimate chapter of Three Houses.
    • However, he's the final boss in several routes of Three Hopes.
  • Thales is the only male final boss in Three Hopes.

Gallery[]

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"Just a minute! The following section contains spoilers. Viewing it will cost a lot. Are you prepared to pay for it?"
"End of spoilers. It's a pleasure doing business with you!"

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