Recruitable Characters & DLC
While your initial roster is determined by your chosen house, Fire Emblem: Three Houses offers a robust system for recruiting additional students and even some of the esteemed faculty members of Garreg Mach Monastery. Expanding your army with these diverse units can drastically alter your strategic options, providing new combat roles, unique abilities, and powerful personal skills. Furthermore, the Cindered Shadows DLC introduces a quartet of intriguing characters, each with their own distinct personalities, backstories, and combat specializations.
Recruiting Students from Other Houses & Faculty
The primary method for recruiting students from other houses and certain faculty members is through building your Support level with them. This is achieved by:
- Battling alongside them: Units who fight near each other gain Support.
- Giving them gifts: Use items from your inventory that match their likes.
- Sharing meals: Dining together in the Dining Hall provides a significant Support boost.
- Tea Parties: Successfully hosting a tea party with a character dramatically increases their Support with Byleth.
- Battling them as enemies: If you defeat a character you wish to recruit in battle and they survive, you can then recruit them.
Each potential recruit has a Skill requirement (e.g., Reason, Faith, Swords, Lances, etc.) that Byleth must meet to initiate the recruitment dialogue. Once Byleth's Support level with a character reaches Rank C, you can speak to them during the exploration phase of a month and choose to recruit them. If Byleth meets their Skill requirement, they will join your house. If not, you'll need to improve Byleth's relevant skills through training, tutoring, or by using skill-boosting items.
Key Faculty Members and Students to Recruit:
- Catherine: A skilled knight of the Church. Requires high Dexterity and Strength.
- Shamir: An archer from the Leicester Alliance. Requires high Dexterity and Bows.
- Seteth: A high-ranking official of the Church. Requires high Reason and Faith.
- Flayn: A mysterious young woman with a hidden lineage. Requires high Charm and Faith.
- Manuela: A physician and former opera singer. Requires high Reason and Faith.
- Hanneman: A researcher of crests and magic. Requires high Reason and Magic.
Important Note: Recruiting faculty members like Seteth, Flayn, Manuela, and Hanneman is crucial for accessing their unique insights and skills, and they can be invaluable assets throughout the game. Be mindful of the month you attempt recruitment, as some characters may leave the monastery after certain story events.
DLC Characters: The Ashen Wolves
The Cindered Shadows DLC, available as part of the Season Pass, introduces four new characters who are initially part of the mysterious Ashen Wolves. These characters are recruited automatically as you progress through the Cindered Shadows storyline and become available for use in the main game after completing the DLC's final chapter. They possess unique personal skills and often excel in specialized classes.
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Yuri Leclerc: A cunning and resourceful young man from the lower city. His personal skill, Creeping Dread, allows him to deal bonus damage when initiating combat from stealth or when adjacent to an ally. He excels as a Trickster or Dark Knight.
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Hapi: A seemingly carefree but deeply empathetic young woman. Her personal skill, Great Gate of Idunn, allows her to summon spectral wolves that can inflict debuffs on enemies. She is adept at magic-focused classes like Dark Mage or Gremory.
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Constance von Nuvelle: A noblewoman from a fallen house, hiding her true identity. Her personal skill, Successor of the Golden Sheen, grants her significant stat bonuses when her HP is low, making her a formidable glass cannon. She shines in magic classes, particularly as a Dark Flier or Bishop.
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Balthus: A boisterous and honorable brawler with a strong sense of justice. His personal skill, King of Grappling, grants him bonus damage and a chance to inflict a critical hit when using gauntlets. He is a natural fit for classes like Grappler or War Master.
These Ashen Wolves characters offer a fresh perspective on combat and can significantly bolster your army with their unique skill sets and combat proficiencies. Their recruitment is tied to the narrative progression of the Cindered Shadows DLC, so ensure you have purchased and installed the Season Pass to access them.
