Fire Emblem Three Houses: 10 Biggest Mysteries Left Unsolved

It has been two years since the release of Fire Emblem: Three Houses, and fans of the game still can’t get enough of its rich worldbuilding. From the hallowed halls of Garreg Mach to the seedy Abyss, the land of Fódlan is one with immense culture and lore. Fans have returned to Three Houses on multiple occasions to play its four different routes — Silver Snow, Azure Moon, Crimson Flower, and Verdant Wind — and experience the story from multiple points of view.

Some mysteries in Fódlan, however, remain unsolved even past the end of the game. From the absence of certain important figures to the mysteries of the world beyond, Three Houses has plenty of secrets left for fans to speculate over.

10 All Routes: Lord Arundel’s Motives

Lord Arundel already cuts a suspicious figure as Edelgard’s overbearing uncle, but he cements himself as downright villainous when he is revealed to be Thales, leader of Those Who Slither In The Dark. Many of the game’s events – the Tragedy of Duscur, the experiments performed on Edelgard and her siblings, the murder of Jeralt – are orchestrated by him, but his motivations seem unclear.

Those Who Slither claim to be descendants of Agarthans, who were punished by the Goddess for their disloyalty by being banished underground and have since sworn revenge on the people above. Many of Thales’ plans seem personally motivated, and fans wonder just how far his motives go. Is he simply a descendant or perhaps, one of the original Agarthans from thousands of years ago?

9 All Routes: The World Outside Fódlan

The majority of Fire Emblem: Three Houses takes place on the continent of Fódlan, with little to no exploration of the continents outside. Characters such as Shamir, Dedue, Petra, and Claude are said to either have ancestry or originate from the outside world, but there are no opportunities to ever visit those countries.

The Shadow Library in Abyss reveals that the Church of Seiros has blocked certain advancements in technology from binoculars to the printing press, hinting that the lands beyond may be further along technologically speaking. Fans hope to learn more about nations such as Dagda, Brigid, and Almyra in future Fire Emblem entries.

8 All Routes: Vessels Of The Goddess

Through the story of Fire Emblem: Three Houses, the player learns that Byleth isn’t any ordinary human. Rather, they and their mother Sitri were created by Rhea to be living vessels through which her mother, the Goddess Sothis, could live again. Byleth in particular is noted to not have a heartbeat, only being able to survive thanks to the Crest of Flames being implanted in their heart.

Sitri and Byleth are not Rhea’s first attempts at resurrecting her mother, and it is implied that she has attempted to create other vessels beforehand. Just how Rhea discovered she could create human life and what happened to the previous vessels, however, remains a mystery.

7 All Routes: The Western Church’s Revolt

Early on in Three Houses, Byleth and their students are sent to quell an uprising by the western branch of the Church of Seiros. Players on the Blue Lions route can learn that Lord Lonato, the face of the rebellion, is Ashe’s adoptive father who was driven to despair after his oldest son was wrongfully executed.

The Western Church and the schism that broke it from the main Church of Seiros, however, never get exploration or explanation on just how its religious views differ. The player barely gets time to comprehend it, as Archbishop Rhea executes the Western Church’s leaders after the failed rebellion.

6 Silver Snow: The Nabateans

The Nabateans are an ancient race of draconic beings claiming to be children of the Goddess. Among them is the mythical hero Saint Seiros, whom the player comes to meet under the guise of Rhea, a mysterious archbishop. Aside from Seiros and the four saints worshipped in the game, the Nabateans have been all but wiped out by humanity.

Three Houses does not offer any glimpses into the Nabateans, their culture, or their relationship to Sothis. Fans have been left to speculate on just who they are and how they are connected to Fire Emblem‘s other Divine Dragons.

5 Verdant Wind: Holst Goneril’s Absence

Hilda’s older brother, Holst Goneril, is a high-ranking general of the Leicester Alliance and a pivotal player in the Verdant Wind route. He is also one of few lore-important characters to not make any physical appearance whatsoever in Three Houses. Even when he theoretically could show up on a mission, he’s conveniently out of the way for whatever reason.

Holst is so much of a non-entity that he doesn’t even seem to have a canonical design. In response, fans have come up with their own takes on him, many sporting a brawny physique and pink hair like his sister.

4 Verdant Wind: Claude’s Mother And Almyra

Claude von Riegan, house leader of the Golden Deers, is known for harboring a few secrets of his own. Through character supports and foreshadowing, players can learn that his mother, Lady Tiana of the Leicester Alliance, married the king of Almyra. As Almyra’s crown prince, Claude seeks to open the borders and end the prejudice directed towards his kingdom.

Other than mentioning his heritage, Three Houses provides very few details on Claude’s heritage and upbringing. The developers have provided even fewer clues to players, aside from the reveal of his real name: Khalid.

3 Azure Moon: The Hegemon Husk

In the final map of the game’s Azure Moon route, players find themselves facing off against a version of Edelgard warped by the power of her twin crests. This “Hegemon Husk” as dubbed by Three Houses, is one of the game’s hardest bosses. But just where did this form come from?

As somebody bearing two crests, Edelgard does not fit the criteria of the usual Demonic Beast’s former selves: a crestless individual misusing a Heroes’ Relic. Her conversation with Hubert before the heroes storm Enbarr implies that she has full control over her Hegemon self’s emergence, but she never elaborates on how she discovered this power, nor is any mention made in her own route.

2 Crimson Flower/Azure Moon: Patricia’s Fate

Edelgard and Dimitri’s respective routes, Crimson Flower and Azure Moon, reveal the sad story of Patricia von Arundel. After giving birth to Edelgard, Patricia was forced to flee to the kingdom next door during a period of political turmoil, where she became the stepmother to Prince Dimitri. Years later, a terrible event called the Tragedy of Duscur resulted in Dimitri’s father’s death and her disappearance.

Much of Azure Moon is spent on the revelation that Patricia may have been more than just a victim of the Tragedy, but potentially a perpetrator motivated by her love for Edelgard. Her present-day whereabouts and well-being, however, remain shrouded in mystery. Without her, fans may never know what really happened.

1 Crimson Flower: Defeating Those Who Slither

Crimson Flower is, by far, the shortest route in Three Houses, ending abruptly after Edelgard, Byleth, and the Black Eagle Strike Force kill Rhea. Fans remain disappointed that they never get to experience the subsequent campaign taken to finally eradicate Those Who Slither In The Dark, which Edelgard and Hubert establish as being their next move.

While Jeritza’s S-Support with Byleth provides a glimpse of the Black Eagles storming Those Who Slither’s base, little else is known about how the Black Eagles achieved victory. Not only that, but it wastes a potential highlight for Edelgard: a final confrontation with her treacherous uncle.

About The Author

Emma Benten
(36 Articles Published)

Emma Benten is a New York City-based writer with a deep love of all things media. In 2020, she graduated from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts with a BFA in Dramatic Writing. Having interned at production companies before, Emma is aware of the business and creative factors that go into a good movie or television show. She grew up on a healthy diet of Sailor Moon and Pokémon and considers herself a walking dictionary on The Powerpuff Girls. When she isn’t contributing to ScreenRant, Emma can be found working on her own original writing or catching up on Bravo’s Top Chef.

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