Burn down Keepsake: Iii Houses brought a new generation of fans to a respected franchise, proving that corking strategy games and great characterization truly tin can go hand-in-hand. Amid the students and staff of Garreg Mach, every type of personality and backstory feels represented. There are rags to riches stories, pompous idiots, characters struggling with identity and mental disease, lazy geniuses, and enthusiastic idiots. By default, there's leap to exist a relatable character in the bandage, no affair who's playing the game.

But not every character proves equally useful on the battlefront. Three Houses offers players the opportunity to recruit almost any graphic symbol from other houses by the game'south midpoint, but at that place are stipulations that need to be met earlier a grapheme tin can be recruited. Some require significant wooing, via gifts, teatime, dinner, or side-missions, before they'll cooperate. Given the limitations, which characters are worth the time and effort, and which don't quite brand the cut?

10 Recruit: Shamir Is A Peerless Archer

When it comes to archery, there's only no ameliorate grapheme than Shamir.  It's also possible to recruit Shamir relatively early in the game and contain her into the roster before levels get tough, and there are virtually no downsides to doing and so. Add to this her cool demeanor and lack of abrasive character traits.

With solid Dexterity and a loftier frequency of Disquisitional Hits that end almost every confrontation she engages in, she's a shoo-in. Fans might sing the praises of Bernadetta, but it takes a lot of work to get Bernadetta to her nigh efficient level. Shamir arrives already full-armed and badass.

9 Don't Carp: Catherine Is Cumbersome In Battle

Catherine talks a large game and she'south tough as nails, but unlike Shamir, she proves somewhat cumbersome on the battlefield. There are other swordsmen who prove more interesting from a support standpoint, too, as much of Catherine's identity is tied to her adoration for Lady Rhea.

Catherine wields Thunderbrand and excels in Brawling and Swordsmanship, but her lack of Reason skill makes information technology difficult to level her up to a Mortal Savant, inevitably ending her usefulness in a lower class. Solid merely arguably a bit bland, she doesn't take much room for growth, either on a narrative or strategy forepart. Then again, Catherine is 1 of the easiest characters to recruit. Most players accept her on because it'due south better to have her on the roster than face her as an enemy later.

eight Recruit: Yuri Is Unmatched In Speed Growth

Arguably the merely real reason to buy the DLC, Yuri proves worth every penny. In curt, if i can't recruit Claude, at least there'south Yuri, who fills the aforementioned void. As far as stats become, no other character tin can match him in Speed growth, and his Charm and Luck are nothing to scoff at, either.

Add together to this Yuri's ability to move twice in a turn. For actress effectiveness, Yuri should be classed equally a Dancer, which grants him the power to grant other characters motion before darting away again. Yuri besides adds another welcome element of queer representation to the game, every bit well as wonderful supports with Bernadetta and Dorothea.

7 Don't Bother: The Other Three Ashen Wolves Are Contemporary & Irritating

Oh, the Ashen Wolves. While Balthus'southward sordid backstory and Hapi's beast-summoning sigh make for some interesting moments, on the whole, these characters aren't just irritating, but also useless on the battlefield.

Well-nigh of their character traits feel like gimmicks. Constance is annoying under whatever circumstances: In darkness she is pompous, and in light she's morose. Balthus, while maybe more useful on the surface, is a lesser version of Raphael with an fifty-fifty worse haircut. Most players who recruit these 3 will get out them untouched when it comes time for battle.

six Recruit: Ferdinand von Aegir Lacks Any Major Weaknesses

Ferdinand isn't the strongest fighter and he rarely gets disquisitional hits, simply he has a tenacity few characters do, and often remains the last man standing in a boss fight. Why is this?

Early on in the game, Ferdinand feels like Sylvain Lite. His stats are slower to develop, and he takes harm quite easily. Yet as characters go, Ferdinand is remarkably even-keeled, and will eventually excel in whatsoever class autonomously from magic ones. When players accept time to develop his strengths, his relative lack of weaknesses makes him one of the almost versatile characters in the game, fifty-fifty if he has the goofy habit of declaring his ain name similar a Pokémon in every boxing.

5 Don't Bother: Hilda Is Expert For The Plot Simply Superfluous Otherwise

Hilda's across amazing if yous're a Golden Deer from the beginning, but by the time she can be recruited players are likely to take others who fill up her office. Strong with an ax simply extremely stubborn, Hilda refuses to leave Claude'south side until the first one-half of the game is virtually over.

While she's worth having around on a storytelling front end and deserves her status as a fan-favorite personality, often she'due south already backside by the time she tin be recruited. Other barbarians or ax-wielders have taken the place of what she might have been. Hilda'due south magnificence is somewhat macerated by her unattainability.

4 Recruit: Lysithea Has Devastating Range

At first, Lysithea is and so week a grapheme that she seems a nuisance, and her defense force and HP are always lower than her comrades. Buy Lysithea demonstrates extraordinary exponential growth as a character trait, and before long her magic can decimate opponents, given someone nearby to defend her.

Additionally, her backstory is tragic and well-written, and her characterization proves gratifying. It takes work to get Lysithea to where she needs to be, simply once she reaches her full potential and becomes equipped with Thyrsus or a similarly powerful Staff, her depression defense doesn't matter because her range is devastating.

3 Don't Bother: Cyril Is Also Ane-Annotation, Both On & Off The Battleground

For the nigh role, nearThree Houses characters, while initially shallow, soon reveal subconscious depths. Upon meeting Cyril, information technology seems obvious to players that the servant boy will fit this bill. This is especially true for players who choose the Gold Deer route. Like Claude, Cyril is of Almyran descent, and it seems likely the two will have some amazing supports by the end. Instead, Cyril remains resolutely annoying, a character fixated on Lady Rhea and little else.

Cyril is about as one-note on the battleground. While he can ride exist trained upward significantly and get a skilled Wyvern Passenger past the end, there's too much wasted potential here, and the story doesn't benefit in whatever fashion from his presence.

2 Recruit: Felix Is A Powerhouse Swordsman Who Borders On Overpowered

In any version of the game apart from the Maddening setting, Felix is a definite boon to any firm. He'southward extremely over-powered every bit a swordsman and excels once he's been attacked. And while some players adore his grumpy personality and others are less than keen, his attitude plays perfectly into what makes him such a powerhouse on the battlefield.

Felix takes crap from no one, and at times the frequency of his Critical Hits borders on ridiculous. One time he becomes a Mortal Savant, gaining magic as well? Felix feels as strong as a house leader, which exactly what he's ever wanted: to put the Boar in his place.

1 Don't Bother: Lorenz Is An Annoying Grapheme & Unremarkable Fighter

Lorenz is oft cited every bit the most obnoxious Three Houses character, and it'southward not just considering of his atrocious haircut. Lorenz is pompous, delusional, and harasses girls like a true incel. All of this would be, if not forgivable, at least ignorable if he made up for his massive shortcomings on the battleground.

But Lorenz offers little that can't be plant elsewhere. As a knight, he's skilful, and has a predilection for magic, but so do Sylvain and Ferdinand, given a fleck of coaching. In a sense, Lorenz'due south strengths and pitfalls are evenly matched, and while he can be a fearsome tool, he can just easily fail. Honestly, in that location's little reason to recommend this purple-haired buffoon.

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Leah Thomas (138 Manufactures Published)

Leah Thomas is a immature adult author currently living in Las Vegas, Nevada. Her books take received disquisitional acclamation; her outset book, Because You'll Never Meet Me, was a Morris Award finalist, and her fourth novel, Wild and Kleptomaniacal, was nominated for an Edgar Award. Leah has likewise been a guest at San Diego Comic Con and, as an gorging cosplayer, loves nothing more than geek culture. Discover her on Instagram (@fellowhermit).

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