Site News
Warning: This wiki contains spoilers. Read at your own risk!

Social media: If you would like, please join our Discord server, and/or follow us on Twitter (X) or Tumblr!

Fire Emblem: Three Houses: Difference between revisions

From Fire Emblem Wiki, your source on Fire Emblem information. By fans, for fans.
(→‎Development: Corrected some info about the theme behind Claude's route and the retrieve date for a source.)
m (Harmonization)
Line 13: Line 13:
}}
}}


'''''Fire Emblem: Three Houses''''' (Japanese: {{hl|ファイアーエムブレム 風花雪月|Faiāemuburemu fūkasetsugetsu}} ''Fire Emblem: Wind, Flower, Snow, Moon'') is a turn-based strategy role-playing game for the [[Nintendo Switch]]. It is the sixteenth main installment in the {{FES}}, the first for the Nintendo Switch console, and it was released on July 26, 2019 in all regions.
'''''Fire Emblem: Three Houses''''' (Japanese: {{hl|ファイアーエムブレム 風花雪月|Faiāemuburemu fūkasetsugetsu}} ''Fire Emblem: Wind, Flower, Snow, Moon'') is a turn-based strategy role-playing game for the [[Nintendo Switch]]. It is the sixteenth main installment in the {{FES}}, the first for the Nintendo Switch console, and it was released on July 26, 2019 in all regions.


This game is set on the continent of [[Fódlan]], which has three major powers: the [[Adrestia|Adrestian Empire]], the [[Faerghus|Holy Kingdom of Faerghus]], and the [[Leicester|Leicester Alliance]], at the center of which lies the [[Garreg Mach|Garreg Mach Monastery]], which is the headquarters of the [[Church of Seiros]], a religious organization which has a major influence in Fódlan. The player takes control of [[Byleth]], son or daughter of the renowned mercenary [[Jeralt|Jeralt Eisner]], and is assigned to work as a teacher at Garreg Mach. Byleth is given the choice of teaching one of three classes, each of which features characters from one of the three major countries. After Byleth has taught there for a year, Adrestia's newly crowned emperor [[Edelgard|Edelgard von Hresvelg]] launches a full-scale invasion of the monastery with the intent to remove the influence of the Church of Seiros, and also has the goal to conquer Faerghus and Leicester and unify the continent. Byleth's role in this war depends on what the player has chosen.
This game is set on the continent of [[Fódlan]], which has three major powers: the [[Adrestia|Adrestian Empire]], the [[Faerghus|Holy Kingdom of Faerghus]], and the [[Leicester|Leicester Alliance]], at the center of which lies the [[Garreg Mach|Garreg Mach Monastery]], which is the headquarters of the [[Church of Seiros]], a religious organization which has a major influence in Fódlan. The player takes control of [[Byleth]], son or daughter of the renowned mercenary [[Jeralt|Jeralt Eisner]], and is assigned to work as a teacher at Garreg Mach. Byleth is given the choice of teaching one of three classes, each of which features characters from one of the three major countries. After Byleth has taught there for a year, Adrestia's newly crowned emperor [[Edelgard|Edelgard von Hresvelg]] launches a full-scale invasion of the monastery with the intent to remove the influence of the Church of Seiros, and also has the goal to conquer Faerghus and Leicester and unify the continent. Byleth's role in this war depends on what the player has chosen.
Line 101: Line 101:


==Development==
==Development==
In a Famitsu interview around the game's release, it was revealed that the game concept began development around the time {{FE14}} released; while the initial plans were to release the game as a [[3DS]] title, the development was put on hold once it was decided the next game would be a remake of {{title|Gaiden}}, which later became {{title|Echoes: Shadows of Valentia}}. Fledgling development continued alongside ''Shadows of Valentia'' while ''Three Houses'' was being moved to the Nintendo Switch, and development began in earnest once ''Shadows of Valentia'' was released. In order to release a ''Fire Emblem'' game on the switch prior to the end of 2019, another development team was deemed necessary, and Koei Tecmo was asked to be involved with the development due to already working jointly with [[Intelligent Systems]] on ''Fire Emblem Warriors''. Koei Tecmo was left mostly in charge of the game's development, as Intelligent Systems reportedly only provided a minimum staff of designers, music composers and programmer advisers. The Japanese title of the game was decided late into development; since there would be four main characters, the developers chose to use a 4 character idiom for the game's subtitle: "{{hover|風花雪月|fūkasetsugetsu}}", translated as Wind, Flower, Snow, Moon, representing the four passing seasons. It's international title of "Three Houses" came from the motif of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms being used for the composition of the titular houses, a title which wouldn't work as effectively in Japan when translated. The game also had influences from {{FE4}}, as there was interest in exploring aspects of characters studying from an Officers Academy, showcasing the passage of time, and how people would become friends and then be reunited as enemies in war. By admission of the developers, the game ended up twice as big content-wise compared to the initial projection.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://nintendoeverything.com/fire-emblem-three-houses-devs-on-the-games-origins-working-with-koei-tecmo-japanese-title-expansion-pass-more/|title=Fire Emblem: Three Houses devs on the game’s origins, working with Koei Tecmo, Japanese title, Expansion Pass, more|site=Nintendo Everything|author=Translated by Oni Dino|published=July 27, 2019|retrieved=March 4, 2020}}</ref>
In a Famitsu interview around the game's release, it was revealed that the game concept began development around the time {{FE14}} released; while the initial plans were to release the game as a [[3DS]] title, the development was put on hold once it was decided the next game would be a remake of {{title|Gaiden}}, which later became {{title|Echoes: Shadows of Valentia}}. Fledgling development continued alongside ''Shadows of Valentia'' while ''Three Houses'' was being moved to the Nintendo Switch, and development began in earnest once ''Shadows of Valentia'' was released. In order to release a ''Fire Emblem'' game on the switch prior to the end of 2019, another development team was deemed necessary, and Koei Tecmo was asked to be involved with the development due to already working jointly with [[Intelligent Systems]] on ''Fire Emblem Warriors''. Koei Tecmo was left mostly in charge of the game's development, as Intelligent Systems reportedly only provided a minimum staff of designers, music composers and programmer advisers. The Japanese title of the game was decided late into development; since there would be four main characters, the developers chose to use a 4 character idiom for the game's subtitle: "{{h|風花雪月|fūkasetsugetsu}}", translated as Wind, Flower, Snow, Moon, representing the four passing seasons. It's international title of "Three Houses" came from the motif of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms being used for the composition of the titular houses, a title which wouldn't work as effectively in Japan when translated. The game also had influences from {{FE4}}, as there was interest in exploring aspects of characters studying from an Officers Academy, showcasing the passage of time, and how people would become friends and then be reunited as enemies in war. By admission of the developers, the game ended up twice as big content-wise compared to the initial projection.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://nintendoeverything.com/fire-emblem-three-houses-devs-on-the-games-origins-working-with-koei-tecmo-japanese-title-expansion-pass-more/|title=Fire Emblem: Three Houses devs on the game’s origins, working with Koei Tecmo, Japanese title, Expansion Pass, more|site=Nintendo Everything|author=Translated by Oni Dino|published=July 27, 2019|retrieved=March 4, 2020}}</ref>


In a subsequent Famitsu interview, it was mentioned the direction each house would take character-wise was planned from the beginning of development; The Black Eagles would have more "challenging backgrounds", the Blue Lions would be more "traditional characters" and the Golden Deer would be "full of misfits". It was also decided from the start that only the Black Eagles would have a hidden story branch due to the nature of Edelgard's character opening the possibility of having two stories rather than just one.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://serenesforest.net/2020/02/23/three-houses-famitsu-dlc-interview-via-nintendo-everything-bonus-questions//|title=Three Houses: Famitsu DLC Interview via Nintendo Everything + Bonus Questions|site=Serenes Forest|published=February 23, 2020|retrieved=March 4, 2020}}</ref>
In a subsequent Famitsu interview, it was mentioned the direction each house would take character-wise was planned from the beginning of development; The Black Eagles would have more "challenging backgrounds", the Blue Lions would be more "traditional characters" and the Golden Deer would be "full of misfits". It was also decided from the start that only the Black Eagles would have a hidden story branch due to the nature of Edelgard's character opening the possibility of having two stories rather than just one.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://serenesforest.net/2020/02/23/three-houses-famitsu-dlc-interview-via-nintendo-everything-bonus-questions//|title=Three Houses: Famitsu DLC Interview via Nintendo Everything + Bonus Questions|site=Serenes Forest|published=February 23, 2020|retrieved=March 4, 2020}}</ref>
Line 131: Line 131:
|eng-fan-name=''Fire Emblem for Nintendo Switch''
|eng-fan-name=''Fire Emblem for Nintendo Switch''
|eng-fan-mean=The tentative title used at the game's initial reveal in 2017.
|eng-fan-mean=The tentative title used at the game's initial reveal in 2017.
|jap-name={{hover|ファイアーエムブレム |Faiāemuburemu}}{{ruby|{{hover|風花雪月|fūkasetsugetsu}}|フウカセツゲツ}}
|jap-name={{h|ファイアーエムブレム |Faiāemuburemu}}{{ruby|{{h|風花雪月|fūkasetsugetsu}}|フウカセツゲツ}}
|jap-mean=''Fire Emblem: {{hover|Wind|of summer}}, {{hover|Flower|of spring}}, {{hover|Snow|of winter}}, {{hover|Moon|of autumn}}''. This combination of characters is used when describing the beauty of the four seasons in a poetic fashion.<ref>{{cite web|title=Fire Emblem: Three Houses vs Fire Emblem: 風花雪月|url=https://kantopia.wordpress.com/2018/06/11/fire-emblem-three-houses-vs-fire-emblem-風花雪月/|site=kantopia|author=xkan|published=June 11, 2018|retrieved=June 12, 2018}}</ref> It is rearranged compared to the poem and adds wind as the summer aspect, which is not present in the original poem. These four words are used in the names of the four different versions of Part II.
|jap-mean=''Fire Emblem: {{h|Wind|of summer}}, {{h|Flower|of spring}}, {{h|Snow|of winter}}, {{h|Moon|of autumn}}''. This combination of characters is used when describing the beauty of the four seasons in a poetic fashion.<ref>{{cite web|title=Fire Emblem: Three Houses vs Fire Emblem: 風花雪月|url=https://kantopia.wordpress.com/2018/06/11/fire-emblem-three-houses-vs-fire-emblem-風花雪月/|site=kantopia|author=xkan|published=June 11, 2018|retrieved=June 12, 2018}}</ref> It is rearranged compared to the poem and adds wind as the summer aspect, which is not present in the original poem. These four words are used in the names of the four different versions of Part II.<br>Note: in the Switch UI, the game is referred to with "Fire Emblem" written in English instead of in katakana.
 
Note: in the Switch UI, the game is referred to with "Fire Emblem" written in English instead of in katakana.
|span-name=Fire Emblem: Three Houses
|span-name=Fire Emblem: Three Houses
|span-mean=As above.
|span-mean=As above.
Line 143: Line 141:
|ital-name=Fire Emblem: Three Houses
|ital-name=Fire Emblem: Three Houses
|ital-mean=As above.
|ital-mean=As above.
|kor-name={{hover|파이어 엠블렘 풍화설월|Paieo Embeullem Punghwaseorwol}}
|kor-name={{h|파이어 엠블렘 풍화설월|Paieo Embeullem Punghwaseorwol}}
|kor-mean=Fire Emblem Wind, Flower, Snow, Moon; similar connotation to Japanese.
|kor-mean=Fire Emblem Wind, Flower, Snow, Moon; similar connotation to Japanese.
|ch-simp-name=Fire Emblem {{hover|风花雪月|fēnghuāxuěyuè}}
|ch-simp-name=Fire Emblem {{h|风花雪月|fēnghuāxuěyuè}}
|ch-simp-mean=Fire Emblem Wind, Flower, Snow, Moon; similar connotation to Japanese.
|ch-simp-mean=Fire Emblem Wind, Flower, Snow, Moon; similar connotation to Japanese.
|ch-trad-name=Fire Emblem {{hover|風花雪月|fēnghuāxuěyuè}}
|ch-trad-name=Fire Emblem {{h|風花雪月|fēnghuāxuěyuè}}
|ch-trad-mean=Fire Emblem Wind, Flower, Snow, Moon; similar connotation to Japanese.
|ch-trad-mean=Fire Emblem Wind, Flower, Snow, Moon; similar connotation to Japanese.
}}
}}

Revision as of 15:45, 17 September 2021

"Three Houses" redirects here. For the chapter, see Three Houses (chapter).
Fire Emblem: Three Houses

FETH logo white.png
Ba america fe16.png
North American logo and box art.

Developer(s)

Intelligent Systems
Koei Tecmo[1]

Publisher(s)

Nintendo

Designer(s)

Naoko Horie

Release date(s)

July 26, 2019[2]

Rating(s)

ACB: M
CERO: B
ESRB: T
PEGI: 12

Platform(s)

Nintendo Switch

Predecessor

Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia

Successor

None

On partnered sites

Fire Emblem: Three Houses (Japanese: ファイアーエムブレム 風花雪月 Fire Emblem: Wind, Flower, Snow, Moon) is a turn-based strategy role-playing game for the Nintendo Switch. It is the sixteenth main installment in the Fire Emblem series, the first for the Nintendo Switch console, and it was released on July 26, 2019 in all regions.

This game is set on the continent of Fódlan, which has three major powers: the Adrestian Empire, the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, and the Leicester Alliance, at the center of which lies the Garreg Mach Monastery, which is the headquarters of the Church of Seiros, a religious organization which has a major influence in Fódlan. The player takes control of Byleth, son or daughter of the renowned mercenary Jeralt Eisner, and is assigned to work as a teacher at Garreg Mach. Byleth is given the choice of teaching one of three classes, each of which features characters from one of the three major countries. After Byleth has taught there for a year, Adrestia's newly crowned emperor Edelgard von Hresvelg launches a full-scale invasion of the monastery with the intent to remove the influence of the Church of Seiros, and also has the goal to conquer Faerghus and Leicester and unify the continent. Byleth's role in this war depends on what the player has chosen.

Plot

The game features four main characters: Byleth, the playable avatar unit, and the leaders of the titular three houses, Edelgard, Dimitri, and Claude.[3] Byleth, after arriving at the Garreg Mach Monastery and given a teaching position, chooses one of the three houses to teach; this choice will have ramifications for both students and teachers down the road.

Part I: White Clouds White Clouds

After a vision of a battle between Nemesis and Seiros and a meeting with an amnesiac girl who eventually identifies herself as Sothis, a mercenary named Byleth and their father Jeralt rescue three nobles from an attack by bandits: Edelgard, Dimitri, and Claude. The five travel to the Officers Academy at the Garreg Mach Monastery, where Byleth is offered a position as a teacher and Jeralt resumes his former post as a high-ranking member of the Knights of Seiros. Byleth chooses one of the three lords to take charge of and spends the next year teaching them the ways of battle and going on missions for the Church of Seiros. During this time, they come to blows with forces conspiring against the Church, including "those who slither in the dark" and a masked individual calling themselves the Flame Emperor. The Flame Emperor's forces stage an attack on the Holy Mausoleum where Seiros' remains are allegedly stored, but they only manage to uncover a Relic called the Sword of the Creator. Upon learning that Byleth can wield the blade, Archbishop Rhea entrusts it to them. Byleth also eventually learns that Sothis is the name of the goddess of Fódlan. During an attack by Demonic Beasts on a chapel on monastery grounds, Jeralt is murdered by an assassin named Kronya working for "those who slither in the dark". Byleth pursues Kronya and slays her, but is trapped in a realm of darkness by her ally Solon. Sothis sacrifices herself to imbue Byleth with her full power, and Byleth escapes and kills Solon. Afterwards, Rhea takes them to the Holy Tomb to receive a divine revelation. The Flame Emperor and their troops invade the Tomb and engage Byleth in battle, and over the course of the battle they are unmasked as Edelgard. Edelgard then escapes and declares war on the Church and its allies and besieges Garreg Mach. The Adrestian forces win the battle, and Byleth vanishes and falls into a five-year coma.

Part II

Black Eagles

If Byleth is a member of the Black Eagles, witnessed Edelgard's coronation as Emperor of Adrestia, and chooses to protect her, they may defect to her side. Otherwise, they remain allied with the Church by default.

Silver Snow Silver Snow.png

If Byleth sides with the Church, they awake to discover that Rhea has vanished. Reuniting with Rhea's second-in-command Seteth and the former Black Eagles, the two form a Resistance army and vow to defeat the Empire. After receiving reinforcements from Lady Judith of Daphnel, the Resistance begins an invasion of Adrestia. At Gronder Field, Imperial forces kill Dimitri and drive Claude into hiding. Byleth continues the assault on Adrestia, and conquers Fort Merceus. However, the fort is destroyed by ballistic missiles that the Resistance refers to as "javelins of light". The Resistance storms Enbarr, kills Edelgard, and rescues Rhea. Afterwards, Edelgard's vassal Hubert posthumously informs them about the ones responsible for the destruction of Fort Merceus and much of the tragedy that has plagued Fódlan, a cult called "those who slither in the dark". The Resistance besieges their fortress, an underground city called Shambhala, and kills their leader Thales. Rhea reveals that she is one of the children of the goddess and that Byleth is the ultimate product of her millennium-long efforts to resurrect her mother Sothis. However, she suddenly has a draconic degeneration-induced mental breakdown, transforms into a colossal dragon, and goes on a rampage. The Resistance defeats Rhea in a final battle. Afterwards, Byleth unites the continent and becomes the first ruler of the United Kingdom of Fódlan.

Crimson Flower Crimson Flower.png

If Byleth sides with Edelgard, they awake to discover that Rhea has taken sanctuary in the Kingdom capital of Fhirdiad and that Adrestia is locked in a stalemate with Faerghus and Leicester. Byleth's return tips the state of the war decisively in Adrestia's favor. First, the group conquers the Alliance capital of Derdriu and either executes Claude or forces him into exile. Right before the empire begins their invasion of Faerghus, the Church attempts to retake Garreg Mach in a surprise attack which ends up foiled and with Seteth and Flayn either slain or spared in the process. Edelgard then resumes her invasion of the kingdom by seizing Arianhrod in a surprise strike, taking down the generals guarding it as well as Cornelia, an undercover agent working for "those who slither in the dark". Edelgard and her elite forces then proceed to defeat Rhea and kill Dimitri on the Tailtean Plains, forcing Rhea (revealed to be Seiros) to retreat to Fhirdiad. The Imperial forces pursue her to Fhirdiad, where she orders the city burned and transforms into a dragon in a mad attempt to kill Edelgard, but Edelgard emerges victorious and slays Rhea. Now the ruler of a united Fódlan, Edelgard begins her sweeping reforms of the nobility and the Crest system and begins a silent war against "those who slither in the dark".

Blue Lions - Azure Moon Azure Moon.png

If Byleth is a member of the Blue Lions, they awake to discover that Rhea has vanished and Dimitri has been forced into exile in the Garreg Mach region and has been driven mad by his desire for revenge against Edelgard. Reuniting with the former Blue Lions, the two form a proper Kingdom army and vow to defeat the Empire. After receiving reinforcements from Dimitri's ally Rodrigue, the Kingdom begins an invasion of Adrestia. At Gronder Field, Dimitri defeats Edelgard and forces her to retreat, but Rodrigue sacrifices himself to save Dimitri from the younger sister of an Adrestian general he killed. Reassessing his priorities and vowing to atone for his sins and become a worthy king, Dimitri doubles back to Fhirdiad and wrests it from Imperial control. He then marches to Derdriu and reinforces Claude, driving the Empire out of Leicester. Claude disbands the Alliance, places their former territories under Dimitri's governance, and departs Fódlan. Dimitri then launches a proper invasion of Adrestia and conquers the Imperial capital of Enbarr. Cornered, Edelgard transforms herself into a monstrous abomination, but is ultimately defeated by Dimitri in a final battle. Dimitri makes one last attempt to reconcile with her, but she attacks him one last time and he executes her. Afterwards, Fódlan is united under Dimitri's prosperous rule.

Golden Deer - Verdant Wind Verdant Wind.png

If Byleth is a member of the Golden Deer, they awake to discover that Rhea has vanished. Reuniting with Claude and the former Golden Deer, the two form a proper Alliance army and vow to defeat the Empire. After receiving reinforcements from Lady Judith of Daphnel, the Alliance begins an invasion of Adrestia. At Gronder Field, Claude defeats both Edelgard and a deranged and vengeful Dimitri; Dimitri is killed by Imperial troops afterwards in an attempt to pursue Edelgard. Claude continues the assault on Adrestia, and conquers Fort Merceus. However, the fort is destroyed by ballistic missiles that the Alliance refers to as "javelins of light". The Alliance storms Enbarr, kills Edelgard, and rescues Rhea. Afterwards, Edelgard's vassal Hubert posthumously informs them about the ones responsible for the destruction of Fort Merceus and much of the tragedy that has plagued Fódlan, a cult called "those who slither in the dark". The Alliance besieges their fortress, an underground city called Shambhala, and kills their leader Thales. In a last-ditch effort to destroy Fódlan, the cult resurrects Nemesis; Rhea reveals that she is one of the Nabateans, a race of dragons, and that Nemesis was a common bandit who massacred them, created the Heroes' Relics from their bones and hearts, and drank their blood to gain the original Crests. The Alliance defeats Nemesis in a final battle. Afterwards, Claude founds the United Kingdom of Fódlan to unite the continent under Byleth's rule.

Gameplay

Unit attributes

Crests

Byleth's crest activates during battle.
Main article: Crests

Crests are a new unit attribute introduced in the game, akin to Holy Blood from Genealogy of the Holy War. Several characters in the game, descended from historic heroes, possess crests that grant them particular abilities during combat such as increased damage or ability to nullify counterattacks.

Stats

Characters possess the standard set of stats the Fire Emblem series is known for. There is also a new stat called "Charm" (Japanese: 魅力 charm), which controls the unit's capability with Gambits.

Classes

Many characters start in the mechanically identical Commoner or Noble classes and may change classes upon reaching level 5; doing so does not reset the character's level. In order to take an examination, the character must spend an exam pass; passing is based on a percentage chance, which can be increased through their abilities. Characters can freely reclass between any class they have unlocked. Any class can use any weapon, but certain classes specialize in certain weapons. Characters have affinity towards and against certain classes.

Batallions

Main article: Battalion

New to the series, units are now able to equip battalions, groups of generic characters, to accompany them in battle. Different battalions give different benefits and also allow access to new abilities.

Garreg Mach Monastery

Byleth at the monastery.
Main article: Garreg Mach Monastery

The Garreg Mach Monastery serves as the game's "hub" throughout most of the game. It, on the surface, can be likened to My Castle in Fire Emblem Fates, however it is far larger and has more features.

The Officers Academy, housed within Garreg Mach, allows the player to set up teaching schedules and goals for their chosen house. During the weekends, when the player is not teaching, the player may freely walk around the grounds to speak with students, give advice, plan meals, or partake in battles.

Calendar

Viewing available activities in the calendar.
Main article: Calendar

The calendar is a system used to visualize the course of a single chapter in the game. During weekdays the player spends time teaching their students; on weekends, the player can, as mentioned above, wander the grounds or begin battles. On the last weekend of every month there is a mandatory battle serving as the ending of the chapter and progression to the next.

Returning features

The game brings back the durability attribute of weapons after its absence from Fire Emblem Fates and Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia. Additionally, when weapons break they stay in the unit's inventory in their broken state instead of vanishing. Broken weapons can be taken to the blacksmith to be repaired at the cost of crafting materials.

Dismount

Main article: Dismount

Dismount marks its return to the Fire Emblem series with this game. It is a feature that hasn't been seen in a Fire Emblem game since Fire Emblem: Thracia 776, twenty years prior. Unlike previous games, it is not required in indoor maps. Dismounting can be used to alter a unit's stats or avoid effective weaponry and inimical terrain.

World map

Main article: World map

Once again a form of the world map returns as a feature, however it is closer to Fire Emblem Fates's version of the world map, where it instead serves as a background for the game's chapter select. The world map is not directly explorable like the ones in Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones, Fire Emblem Awakening, or Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia.

Divine Pulse

Main article: Divine Pulse

Divine Pulse is an old feature with a new name; similar to Mila's Turnwheel, it allows the player to rewind their actions during battle. It is an ability granted from Sothis to Byleth.

Combat arts

Main article: Combat art

Combat arts make their return from Echoes: Shadows of Valentia, however they are slightly different. Unlike their first appearance, they no longer cost HP and instead consume multiple points of durability of the weapon used to perform the art. Additionally, combat arts are learned as the unit becomes more proficient with certain weapon types, instead of being learned from and connected to specific individual weapons.

Characters

Main article: List of characters in Fire Emblem: Three Houses

Between all four routes, there is a total of 35 playable units, one of which was added for free with the Wave 3 DLC. 29 of these units are fully available in Silver Snow, 32 are available in Azure Moon, 30 are available in Verdant Wind, and 28 are fully available in Crimson Flower. Outside of the initial 35 units, Anna, Yuri, Balthus, Constance and Hapi can be recruited in all routes via the Season Pass DLC.

Chapters

Main article: List of chapters in Fire Emblem: Three Houses

In Three Houses each standard chapter consists of one calendar month in the game. Additionally, the game is divided into two parts; Part I possesses 12 chapters, including the prologue, while Part II possesses 9 chapters on the Silver Snow route, 10 chapters on the Azure Moon and Verdant Wind routes, and 6 chapters on the Crimson Flower route. There are also 26 paralogues available; Part I possesses 15 paralogues, while Part II possesses 13 paralogues. Lastly, the Cindered Shadows side-story possesses 7 chapters.

Development

In a Famitsu interview around the game's release, it was revealed that the game concept began development around the time Fire Emblem Fates released; while the initial plans were to release the game as a 3DS title, the development was put on hold once it was decided the next game would be a remake of Gaiden, which later became Echoes: Shadows of Valentia. Fledgling development continued alongside Shadows of Valentia while Three Houses was being moved to the Nintendo Switch, and development began in earnest once Shadows of Valentia was released. In order to release a Fire Emblem game on the switch prior to the end of 2019, another development team was deemed necessary, and Koei Tecmo was asked to be involved with the development due to already working jointly with Intelligent Systems on Fire Emblem Warriors. Koei Tecmo was left mostly in charge of the game's development, as Intelligent Systems reportedly only provided a minimum staff of designers, music composers and programmer advisers. The Japanese title of the game was decided late into development; since there would be four main characters, the developers chose to use a 4 character idiom for the game's subtitle: "風花雪月", translated as Wind, Flower, Snow, Moon, representing the four passing seasons. It's international title of "Three Houses" came from the motif of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms being used for the composition of the titular houses, a title which wouldn't work as effectively in Japan when translated. The game also had influences from Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War, as there was interest in exploring aspects of characters studying from an Officers Academy, showcasing the passage of time, and how people would become friends and then be reunited as enemies in war. By admission of the developers, the game ended up twice as big content-wise compared to the initial projection.[4]

In a subsequent Famitsu interview, it was mentioned the direction each house would take character-wise was planned from the beginning of development; The Black Eagles would have more "challenging backgrounds", the Blue Lions would be more "traditional characters" and the Golden Deer would be "full of misfits". It was also decided from the start that only the Black Eagles would have a hidden story branch due to the nature of Edelgard's character opening the possibility of having two stories rather than just one.[5]

In another interview with Nintendo Dream, it was revealed that Part I: White Clouds and the Silver Snow route were created first with the intention both would serve as the basis for worldbuilding, with Koei Tecmo's scenario team opening up later the subsequent routes and lords' stories. The main basis for the Silver Snow route was chosen to be about Byleth having to fight against Edelgard as their former house leader; during its development however, staff from Koei Tecmo voiced their desire to join Edelgard instead, which resulted in the requirements for accessing the Crimson Flower route becoming easier to grasp, as there weren't any clues hinting an exploration event could lead to a route split initially.[6] The theme of the Crimson Flower route was chosen to be "military rule", achieving your own beliefs and values at the expense of the well-being of whoever stands on your way, even if they once used to be cherished. The theme of the Azure Moon route, by contrast, had the notion of being the "righteous" route where, after some unfortunate circumstances, Dimitri would eventually awaken and realize what is true "righteousness"; that way, the Crimson Flower and Azure Moon routes would work as the antithesis of each other, creating a paradoxical conflict between them.[7] Lastly, the Verdant Wind route started with the notion of Claude learning how to oppose xenophobic worldviews for the benefit of his homeland.[8]

Pre-release

Main article: Fire Emblem: Three Houses pre-release information

The game was initially announced early in 2017 on January 18th in the Fire Emblem Nintendo Direct. At the time it was announced without subtitle and was only presented with the broad release date of "2018". Nothing of the game was shown during its initial announcing except for a generic Fire Emblem logo. No further details were given on the game for over a year until a reveal trailer aired at Nintendo's 2018 E3 showing on June 12th. During the reveal trailer they revealed that the game would release in Spring 2019, marking a delay from its initial 2018 release window.

After another lengthy absence the game resurfaced again in February 2019 during Nintendo's Nintendo Direct presentation and received a story trailer and confirmed release date of July 26, 2019, marking another, though much smaller, delay, from spring 2019 to early summer 2019.

Game credits

Main article: Staff of Fire Emblem: Three Houses

Reception


This section has been marked as a stub. Please help improve the page by adding information.


Sales

As of June 2020, Three Houses has sold 3.02 million copies worldwide[9], with 580,000 copies sold domestically by March 2020.[10]

Trivia

  • Three Houses is the first mainline Fire Emblem game to have a single, worldwide release date.
  • The name of the Seasons of Warfare limited edition of the game appears to be in reference to the game's Japanese title. See the etymology and other languages section below for details. The "Seasons of Warfare" name was also used as a translation of the Japanese subtitle in the name of the main theme, The Edge of Dawn (Seasons of Warfare), and in the name of the opening movie.

Etymology and other languages

Names, etymology, and in other regions
Language Name Definition, etymology, and notes
English

Fire Emblem: Three Houses

Three Houses appears to refer to the three houses that students of the Officers Academy at the Garreg Mach Monastery are sorted into: the Black Eagles, Blue Lions, and Golden Deer.

English
(unofficial)

Fire Emblem for Nintendo Switch

The tentative title used at the game's initial reveal in 2017.

Spanish

Fire Emblem: Three Houses

As above.

French

Fire Emblem: Three Houses

As above.

German

Fire Emblem: Three Houses

As above.

Italian

Fire Emblem: Three Houses

As above.

Korean

파이어 엠블렘 풍화설월

Fire Emblem Wind, Flower, Snow, Moon; similar connotation to Japanese.

Simplified Chinese

Fire Emblem 风花雪月

Fire Emblem Wind, Flower, Snow, Moon; similar connotation to Japanese.

Traditional Chinese

Fire Emblem 風花雪月

Fire Emblem Wind, Flower, Snow, Moon; similar connotation to Japanese.

Gallery

Screenshots

References

  1. File:FETH seasons of warfare edition.jpg
  2. Nintendo, Nintendo Direct 2.13.2019, YouTube, Published: February 13, 2019, Retrieved: February 13, 2019
  3. "Your protagonist meets three main characters—Edelgard, Dimitri, and Claude—who play important roles in the story." — Adam Vitale, Fire Emblem: Three Houses revealed for Nintendo Switch, rpgsite.net, Published: June 12, 2018, Retrieved: June 12, 2018
  4. Translated by Oni Dino, Fire Emblem: Three Houses devs on the game’s origins, working with Koei Tecmo, Japanese title, Expansion Pass, more, Nintendo Everything, Published: July 27, 2019, Retrieved: March 4, 2020
  5. Three Houses: Famitsu DLC Interview via Nintendo Everything + Bonus Questions, Serenes Forest, Published: February 23, 2020, Retrieved: March 4, 2020
  6. Three Houses: Nintendo Dream Interview Reveals the Very First Route, Claude’s Real Name & More!, Serenes Forest, Published: March 24, 2020, Retrieved: April 14, 2020
  7. Translated by Oni Dino, Fire Emblem: Three Houses devs on Cindered Shadows, user feedback, increased save slots, new outfits, Nintendo’s requests, creating houses and students, more, Nintendo Everything, Published: March 21, 2020, Retrieved: April 11, 2020
  8. Translated by Oni Dino, Fire Emblem: Three Houses devs on inspirations, world-building, approach to Byleth, Dimitri’s eyepatch, more, Nintendo Everything, Published: March 21, 2020, Retrieved: August 22, 2021
  9. Nintendo, Nintendo software and hardware sales data from 1983 to present, Resetera, Published: November 6, 2020, Retrieved: November 6, 2020
  10. Nintendo, Fiscal Year Ended March 2020. Financial Results Explanatory Material (PDF), Nintendo.co.jp, Published: May 7, 2020, Retrieved: May 7, 2020

External links

Fire Emblem series
Main series Shadow Dragon & the Blade of LightGaidenMystery of the EmblemGenealogy of the Holy WarThracia 776The Binding BladeThe Blazing BladeThe Sacred StonesPath of RadianceRadiant DawnShadow DragonNew Mystery of the EmblemAwakeningFatesEchoes: Shadows of ValentiaThree HousesEngage
Spin-offs Archanea SagaTokyo Mirage Sessions ♯FEHeroesWarriorsWarriors: Three Hopes
Crossover games Super Smash Bros. (MeleeBrawlfor Nintendo 3DS and Wii UUltimate) • Club Nintendo Picross+Code Name: S.T.E.A.M.Project X Zone 2WarioWareDragalia Lost
Unreleased games and prototypes Fire Emblem 64The Blazing Blade pre-release build 0206The Blazing Blade pre-release build 0219The Sacred Stones prototypeFire Emblem Wii
TearRing Saga series Yutona Heroes War ChroniclesBerwick Saga
Vestaria Saga series War of the ScionsThe Sacred Sword of SilvanisterLucca GaidenChronicles of the Norden Civil War
Related titles Mario Kart: Double Dash!! bonus discLINENintendo Badge Arcade
Versions and releases List of version differencesLocalization of the Fire Emblem seriesVirtual Console
Other References in other mediaReferences to other media
Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Playable characters Black Eagles BernadettaCasparDorotheaEdelgardFerdinandHubertLinhardtPetra
Blue Lions AnnetteAsheDedueDimitriFelixIngridMercedesSylvain
Golden Deer ClaudeHildaIgnatzLeonieLorenzLysitheaMarianneRaphael
Other AloisAnnaDLCBylethCatherineCyrilFlaynGilbertHannemanJeritzaManuelaSetethShamir
Ashen WolvesDLC BalthusConstanceHapiYuri
Non-playable characters AbysskeeperDLCDuke AegirFlecheGatekeeperDuke GerthIonius IXJeraltJudithLadislavaNaderRandolphRheaRodrigueSothis
Bosses AcheronAelfricDLCAloisLord ArundelBiasBlaiddydCasparCatherineCharonChilonClaudeCorneliaDaphnelDedueDeath KnightDimitriDominicBaron DominicEdelgardFelixFerdinandFlame EmperorFlaynFraldariusGautierGloucesterGonerilGwendalHubertIngridThe Immaculate OneThe ImmovableJudithKostasKronyaLadislavaLamineLinhardtLonatoLorenzMercedesMetodeyMiklanMysonNaderNemesisBaron OchsDLCOdessePallardóPittacusRandolphRheaRieganRodrigueSetethShamirSolonSylvainThalesWandering BeastThe Wind Caller
Background characters Lord ArundelCount BergliezCorneliaMargrave GautierGlennCount GloucesterCount HevringHolstLambertMonicaPatriciaRufusSeirosSitriTomasTianaCount Varley
Personal weapons and regalia Aegis ShieldAreadbharAsclepiusAthameAxe of UkonvasaraAymrBlutgangCaduceus StaffCirce StaffCrusherFailnaughtFetters of DromiFreikugelThe InexhaustibleLance of RuinLúinOchain ShieldRafail GemScythe of SarielSeiros ShieldSpear of AssalSword of BegaltaSword of MoraltaSword of SeirosSword of the CreatorTathlum BowThunderbrandThyrsusVajra-Mushti
Chapters Part I
White Clouds
P: An Inevitable Encounter • 1: Three Houses • 2: Familiar Scenery • 3: Mutiny in the Mist • 4: The Goddess's Rite of Rebirth • 5: Tower of Black Winds • 6: Rumors of a Reaper • 7: Field of the Eagle and Lion • 8: The Flame in the Darkness • 9: The Cause of Sorrow • 10: Where the Goddess Dwells • 11: Throne of Knowledge • 12: To War Black Eagles, if Byleth sides against EdelgardBlue LionsGolden Deer / Outset of a Power Struggle Black Eagles, if Byleth sides with Edelgard
Part II Silver Snow
Silver Snow
13: Reunion at Dawn • 14: A King Without a Kingdom • 15: Valley of Torment • 16: The Rose-Colored River • 17: The Impregnable Fortress • 18: The Chaos of War • 19: Conclusion of the Crossing Roads • 20: The City Without Light • 21: Following a Dream
Azure Moon
Azure Moon
13: Reunion at Dawn • 14: The Delusional Prince • 15: Valley of Torment • 16: The Rose-Colored River • 17: Blood of the Eagle and Lion • 18: The King's Triumphant Return • 19: The Golden Deer's Plea • 20: The Impregnable Fortress • 21: Our Chosen Paths • 22: Oath of the Dagger
Verdant Wind
Verdant Wind
13: Reunion at Dawn • 14: The Alliance Leader's Ambitions • 15: Valley of Torment • 16: The Rose-Colored River • 17: Blood of the Eagle and Lion • 18: The Golden Scheme • 19: The Chaos of War • 20: Conclusion of the Crossing Roads • 21: The City Without Light • 22: Fódlan's New Dawn
Crimson Flower
Crimson Flower
13: Beyond Escape • 14: The Master Tactician • 15: Tempest of Swords and Shields • 16: Lady of Deceit • 17: Field of Revenge • 18: To the End of a Dream
Paralogues Paralogues Part I Black Market SchemeDLCA Cursed RelicDLCDeath TollDividing the World Black Eagles, if Byleth sides against EdelgardBlue LionsGolden DeerFalling Short of HeavenThe ForgottenLand of the Golden DeerAn Ocean ViewOil and WaterRumored NuptialsThe Secret MerchantDLC Blue LionsGolden DeerSword and Shield of SeirosTales of the Red CanyonTrue ChivalryWar for the Weak Blue Lions
Part II Darkness Beneath the Earth Crimson FlowerDividing the World Silver SnowAzure MoonVerdant WindEternal Guardian Silver SnowAzure MoonVerdant WindThe Face Beneath Silver SnowAzure MoonVerdant WindForeign Land and SkyForgotten HeroInsurmountable Crimson FlowerLegend of the LakeRetribution Silver SnowAzure MoonVerdant WindThe Secret MerchantDLC Crimson FlowerThe Silver Maiden Azure MoonThe Sleeping Sand Legend Verdant WindWeathervanes of Fódlan Azure Moon
Cindered Shadows
Cindered Shadows
1: The Fourth House • 2: What Lies Beneath • 3: The Rite of Rising • 4: Danger in the Dark • 5: Betrayal • 6: Return to Me • 7: Wolf Pack
Locations FódlanAdrestiaFaerghusGarreg Mach Monastery (Abyss) • LeicesterAlmyraBrigidDagdaSrengZahras
Groups, objects and concepts 10 ElitesAshen WolvesBlack Eagles (Black Eagle Strike Force) • Blue LionsChildren of the GoddessChurch of Seiros (Knights of Seiros) • Crests (Crest Stone) • Divine PulseGolden DeerHeroes' RelicsInsurrection of the SevenMonstersThose who slither in the darkTragedy of DuscurWar of Heroes
Lists AbilitiesChaptersCharactersClasses (Class change) • Hidden treasureItems (Monastery items) • QuestsScriptsSupportsWeapons
Related topics Music LibraryName chart • Other games (Warriors: Three Hopes) • Pre-release informationUnused contentDownloadable contentClass mastery