There are so many playable characters in Fire Emblem: Three Houses that it can be overwhelming when you are deciding on a house and choosing which characters to recruit. While not all of these characters can be recruited depending on your route, this is a comprehensive tier list of all the playable characters, Ashen Wolves DLC included.
This tier list is mostly based on their prowess in battle, but their overall character may push them up or down. The kind of person that these characters are has an impact on the game. For instance, some you might find so obnoxious that you never use them on the battlefield unless forced. I know I’ve been there!
S Tier:
These units first and foremost offer incredible movesets, deal a lot of damage, and are all around great, complex, and interesting characters. These players will make your set of units stronger and give you a very high chance of winning. Keep reading to get a more in-depth read of them, including their strengths, stat growths, and more!
Dimitri: 97/100
Edelgard: 97/100
Claude: 96/100
Felix: 96/100
Lysithea: 95/100
Yuri: 96/100
Shamir: 95/100
A Tier:
This A tier consists of a hefty amount of characters. While these are all great units and will definitely help you win all your battles, they are missing a certain punch that the S tier units have. Yet these have powerful movesets, interesting and fun characterization, and I highly consider you look into recruiting them.
Sylvain: 94/100
Ferdinand: 92/100
Catherine: 92/100
Hapi: 94/100
Constance: 94/100
Mercedes: 93/100
Petra: 93/100
Ashe: 92/100
Dedue: 92/100
Balthus: 92/100
Ingrid: 92/100
Hilda: 92/100
Hubert: 92/100
Linhardt: 91/100
Dorothea: 91/100
Annette: 91/100
Marianne: 91/100
B Tier:
These characters in the B tier are still powerful, but they are less dimensional to me. While I know every character in FE3H is unique and complex, these are just your run of the mill units.
Leonie: 89/100
Jeritza: 88/100
Raphael: 87/200
Ignatz: 87/100
Alois: 86/100
Caspar: 83/100
Bernadetta: 82/100
Manuela: 81/100
C Tier:
The units in the C tier are really nothing special, especially in terms of combat. Your team will not be any better with them, nor will you be any worse without them.
Lorenz: 78/100
Seteth: 78/100
Flayn: 76/100
Cyril: 73/100
Hanneman: 73/100
Gilbert: 70/100
Anna: 70/100
1. Dimitri
Dimitri is the strong yet very sweet leader of the Blue Lions. As prince, and later king, of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, you will see how seriously he takes chivalry. Unfortunately, that is the only route you can have him in, but he really is a great unit. All of the house leaders are, hence why they are in the S tier!
Dimitri is incredible. He is a well-rounded character with a relationship with you, your player character, that you cannot help but fall in love with him and his route. However, as kindhearted and complex as he is, Dimitri is a very powerful ally. The Blue Lions route revolves heavily around Dimitri’s character as opposed to the world of Fodlan. That gives you the opportunity to learn more about him and fall for him, whether as a lover or an ally in battle.
Character traits aside, Dimitri is easily one of the strongest characters in all of Fire Emblem: Three Houses. He has the minor crest of Blaiddyd, which causes him to cause two times the regular damage when using combat arts. He also has a strength growth rate of 60%, which allows him to do more and more damage the higher he levels up.
Character Benefits:
- When you have Dimitri, you gain access to his Heroes’ Relic, a lance named Areadbhar. Like all Heroes’ Relics, this is a powerful weapon that can easily defeat enemies.
- Dimitri’s crest makes him incredibly strong. He cannot even sew without breaking the needles! This will come in handy for battle.
- His supports show the kind of person he is that he doesn’t present to the world as a prince. He cares about his family and friends, even if they don’t care about him.
- Dimitri’s personal skill, Royal Lineage, gives him 1.2 times the experience to level up. After the timeskip, his skill develops into Royal Lineage+, where he also gets +20 avoid when at full HP.
Dimitri’s Stats:
- HP: 55%
- Strength: 60%
- Magic: 20%
- Dexterity: 50%
- Speed: 50%
- Luck: 25%
- Defense: 40%
- Resistance: 20%
- Charm: 55%
How to get Dimitri:
- In Chapter 1, choose the Blue Lions House. This is the only way to get Dimitri.
2. Edelgard
As the Imperial Princess and later on Emperor of the Adrestian Empire, it is no surprise that Edelgard is worthy of the S tier. While many people have mixed feelings on whether she is a good or a bad person (though are any characters, or us for that matter, all good or all bad?), there is no denying that she is a powerful unit with an incredible backstory that serves her motives.
Edelgard’s backstory is haunting and I do recommend that you play her Crimson Flower route to fully understand it. Unfortunately, that is the only route you can use her! Edelgard is always scheming and does not plan to stop with her ideals. That mindset alone makes her a valuable ally! You want someone who is determined to see all of their battles through and will sacrifice everything to get her way. Edelgard becomes deeply attached to you, her professor, and tells you things very few people, if any, know.
Edelgard is an axe user when you first get her, but she translates well in many roles. She can learn some powerful magic spells with a decent magic and charm growth rate. Regardless of what you class her as, she will learn plenty of powerful and strong moves. While her special class does not allow the use of magic, a few of her combat arts can.
Aside from the damage she can cause, Edelgard has a high defense against physical and magical attacks. While she is mandatory for some battles when playing with the Black Eagles, she should always be used. She is in the S tier for all these reasons, after all.
Edelgard’s Benefits:
- Edelgard gets access to the weapon Aymr. While it is not a Heroes’ Relic, it has the same kind of power because it was made with a crest stone for Edelgard to fight with. Since the weapon is specifically tailored to her, she can cause a lot of damage with it which will help you plow through the battles.
- Playing with Edelgard in Crimson Flower gives you a unique perspective of the story. While it is sad you can’t play with her on other routes, learning about this and her mindset is riveting and is necessary for a full understanding of the game.
- Like Dimitri, Edelgard’s personal skill, Imperial Lineage, she earns 1.2 times the experience in battle, so she will level up quicker. After the timeskip, Imperial Lineage+ will also have her gaining 4 resistance for one turn if she does nothing but wait.
Edelgard’s Stats:
- HP: 40%
- Strength: 55%
- Magic: 45%
- Dexterity: 45%
- Speed: 40%
- Luck: 30%
- Defense: 35%
- Resistance: 35%
- Charm: 60%
How to get Edelgard:
- In Chapter 1, select the Black Eagles house. This is the only way to work with Edelgard.
3. Claude
Claude is the leader of the Golden Deer as head of House Reigan in the Leicester Alliance. He is easily one of the most interesting characters in the game. Who isn’t immediately drawn in by his charm? He knows what he’s doing and how to answer questions without really answering them.
As the lord of one of the Three Houses, Claude is again easily one of the best units in the game. He is a bow user and his special class has him on a wyvern, shooting down his enemies like it’s nothing! He has a very high speed and dexterity, with growth rates of 55% and 60% respectively. This allows him to get multiple hits in and a very high chance of critical hits. If Claude hits the crit on almost every turn, he’ll undoubtedly finish off all of his enemies. Given that he also has a high movement on his wyvern, he can hit enemies all over the map.
Unfortunately, he is more susceptible to taking damage since his defense isn’t as high, especially compared to Edelgard and Dimitri as the other lords.
Claude’s Benefits:
- He gets the Heroes’ Relic Failnaught which has the ability Fallen Star, which causes hefty damage against wyvern units and keeps him from harm on the next turn. While the attack itself is amazing, the ability to completely avoid attacks is great if you think he might be in harm’s way.
- Claude is the kind of guy who is always questioning everything. He doesn’t take lessons as the word of the goddess, and instead wants to find out the answers about everything. This is interesting to have as a partner in the game, because he helps you uncover the mysteries of the world.
- His high growth rates outpower his lower ones, so that he is still a very well-rounded unit.
- Claude has a personal skill, Leicester Lineage, that gives him 1.2 times the experience, but post-timeskip, Leicester Lineage+ lets him pass through spaces occupied by foes.
- Just look at him! Do I need to say more?
Claude’s Stats:
- HP: 35%
- Strength: 40%
- Magic: 25%
- Dexterity: 60%
- Speed: 55%
- Luck: 45%
- Defense: 30%
- Resistance: 25%
- Charm: 55%
How to get Claude:
- In Chapter 1, select the Golden Deer. This is the only way to get Claude.
4. Felix
Felix’s character can cause mixed feelings. He is a jerk, to put it simply, but at the same time, he is the Shield of Faerghus. As Ashe claims in their supports together, he cares about his friends under that rude exterior. Plus, you see he has a softer side in his supports with Annette and Bernadetta.
Not only that, but Felix is easily one of the strongest units in the entire game. He can be recruited to any route, so this makes him a necessity!
Felix has high strength, speed, and dexterity, which leads to powerful hits and a high chance of critical ones. This is only further enhanced if he uses a Killing Edge, but he doesn’t need it! Felix is best as a sword unit, so I would strongly recommend you keep him there.
With his weakness in Authority, it makes it a little difficult to get higher level battalions. However, his personal skill Lone Wolf gives him extra damage if he does not have a battalion equipped, so Felix is balancing his own weaknesses. He really is a lone wolf, huh?
When you use Felix, he will one-shot enemies a lot, depending on the difficulty mode you play, and he is always easy to get a finishing kill in. He is strong, easy to level up, and has a complexity with him. He has good character development that you see throughout his supports, so don’t write him off as an annoying asshole just yet. At least use him for his sword!
Felix’s Benefits:
- Felix has the Heroes’ Relic, Aegis Shield, which boosts his defense and resistance. Not that you must complete his paralogue to receive this relic.
- His crest of Fraldarius has the ability to increase his weapons movement and attack every now and then. This will be a boost of 5, unless he hits a critical which multiples the damage times 3.
- Felix has unique endings depending on which route he is in, making it interesting to see how he has changed. His endings will not be the same if he is in Blue Lions versus another route.
Felix’s Stats:
- HP: 45%
- Strength: 55%
- Magic: 30%
- Dexterity: 45%
- Speed: 55%
- Luck: 40%
- Defense: 30%
- Resistance: 20%
- Charm: 30%
How to get Felix:
- If you select the Blue Lions in Chapter 1, you will automatically get Felix.
- If you do not, you need to have high enough speed and sword. If you increase your support with him, the amount required is less.
- You can best increase your sword by getting training from Rhea, Seteth, Manuela, and Catherine.
5. Lysithea
Lysithea is incredible. It is possible for her to completely one-shot kill the Death Knight, who is not an easy enemy! She is very easily one of the strongest magic units in the entire game. Coming from House Ordelia and as part of the Golden Deer, Lysithea can be recruited to both the Black Eagles and the Blue Lions. That gives her extra points for sure!
Out of all the mages in the game, Lysithea’s damage surpasses everyone else and learns very powerful Dark Magic spells. She has high magic, speed, and dexterity, meaning that when she hits, she hits multiple times, hard, and has a high chance of critical. Lysithea even has one of the best crit quotes in my opinion… “You’re irrelevant!”
However, she does have low HP and cannot easily avoid attacks coming her way. Luckily, she should be able to one-shot most of her enemies… But be on the lookout!
Lysithea may be young, but she already has had a horrible past that is fascinating to learn. It’s not a coincidence that both she and Edelgard have white hair! If you know about Edelgard’s story, you might want to look into Lysithea as well. They even have supports together. Plus, Lysithea is just fun! She’s sassy, loves sweets, will be one of your best units.
Lysithea’s Benefits:
- Lysithea’s personal skill, Mastermind, causes her to earn double the experience in battle. This means she will level up very fast and increase her magic stat.
- Her magic growth is a whopping 60%! This is what she causes damage with when fighting when she uses magic. Her strength stat isn’t very high, so she shouldn’t be put into a different class.
- Lysithea has two crests, Major Crest of Gloucester and Minor Crest of Charon. These both help her out and strengthen her greatly. With the former, she can also use Lorenz’s Heroes’ Relic, Thyrsus. This allows her to use magic from extra spaces away, therefore increasing her range of damage.
Lysithea’s Stats:
- HP: 20%
- Strength: 15%
- Magic: 60%
- Dexterity: 60%
- Speed: 50%
- Luck: 15%
- Defense: 10%
- Resistance: 25%
- Charm: 25%
How to get Lysithea:
- If you choose Golden Deer in Chapter 1, you will automatically have Lysithea.
- If you chose Black Eagles or Blue Lions, you need to have a high enough magic stat and faith rank to recruit her. Earning supports with her will lower the threshold.
- You can increase your faith by learning from Rhea and Manuela.
- Lastly, if you are on the Crimson Flower route and did not recruit Lysithea pre-timeskip, you can do so in Chapter 14. Simply spare her from a morbid fate and she will join your team.
6. Yuri
Yuri is the gorgeous, smart, and flirty leader of the Ashen Wolves. Oh, you didn’t know there was actually a fourth house in the game titled Fire Emblem: Three Houses? That’s right! Yuri, along with the other Ashen Wolves, are a part of the paid DLC for this game. Honestly, getting to know Yuri might be worth the price. Naturally, there’s a lot more to it than just him, but he is a great unit and a mighty character.
Yuri has great stats, which allow him to be one of the best units in the Fire Emblem: Three Houses. He has a very high speed, so he can easily dodge attacks and hit twice. He also has powerful physical and magical attacks. If you put him in his special class, the Trickster, he gets to put both of these to work. This is a class you’ll receive in the DLC specifically for Yuri and has a great combat art, Foul Play. He is almost an overpowered unit and will do you well on any map.
Yuri also comes with the Heroes’ Relic, Fetters of Dromi, which allows him to move again after he has already fought. While he has high strength, it can be helpful to get him out of the way with his lower HP growth.
Yuri’s Benefits:
- Yuri’s personal skill, Honorable Spirit, increases his attack when he fights with a foe one space away, but only when he isn’t near his allies. This is helpful to send Yuri off on one side of the battlefield to take care of foes by himself. He doesn’t always need the help of his teammates!
- The Fetters of Dromi relic can only be received if you play through Yuri’s paralogue, so you must have recruited him or Constance to play it.
- Yuri’s speed growth is the highest in the entire game at 65%.
Yuri’s Stats:
- HP: 30%
- Strength: 40%
- Magic: 35%
- Dexterity: 40%
- Speed: 60%
- Luck: 45%
- Defense: 30%
- Resistance: 35%
- Charm: 50%
How to get Yuri:
- You must purchase the Fire Emblem: Three Houses Expansion Pass.
- You must complete Chapter 6 in the side story, Cindered Shadows, which comes with the DLC.
- After you do this, you can recruit Yuri from Abyss anytime after Chapter 2 in the main story.
7. Shamir
Shamir is a strong member of the Knights of Seiros, though she originally comes from Dagda.
Aside from Claude, Shamir is the best bow unit in the game. She is stronger than Bernadetta, Ignatz, and Ashe, paired with high dexterity growth. She hits a lot of crits, and with her strength, they all deal a lot of damage. Critical hits always hit three times the expected damage, so it’s three times an already higher number. She has great Combat Arts, so combined with her strength, she can kill enemies in one shot.
While Shamir is a member of the Knights of Seiros, she will actually stay with you even if you go on the Crimson Flower route. She isn’t as committed to the Church of Seiros like all of the other knights. This is something that pushes her into the S tier since you can have her regardless.
Shamir’s Benefits:
- When you recruit Shamir, she is already classed up as a Sniper, which is a powerful bow-user. This saves you the time of having to level her up to the Sniper and saves you some seals!
- Her moves focus on defeating enemies around her rather than immobilizing them, so she is a powerful unit who can easily defeat enemies with high-power moves.
- Shamir used to be a mercenary, so she understands our player character on another level. She is a very straightforward character, so it’s pretty easy to know what she is thinking. She’s worth learning more about!
Shamir’s Stats:
- HP: 35%
- Strength: 40%
- Magic: 20%
- Dexterity: 55%
- Speed: 40%
- Luck: 55%
- Defense: 20%
- Resistance: 15%
- Charm: 30%
How to get Shamir:
- Once you get to Chapter 6, you can recruit Shamir if you are at level 15 or higher. The higher support you have with her, the lower your level has to be.
- She will automatically be recruited in Chapter 11 if you go onto the Silver Snow route.
