2019 title Fire Emblem: Three Houses first introduced players to Garreg Mach Officer’s Academy and its titular three houses: the Black Eagles, the Blue Lions, and the Golden Deer. The Black Eagles hail from the Adrestian Empire and are led by Edelgard von Hresvelg. The Blue Lions are from the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus and are led by Dimitri Alexander Blaiddyd. The Golden Deer features students from the Leicester Alliance, led by the future Duke, Claude von Riegan. In musou-style spinoff Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes, those three factions appear again, each with their own playable story route: Scarlet Blaze, Azure Gleam, and Golden Wildfire.
Again similarly to Three Houses, each route features a different set of playable characters. In addition to the students from each house, some students and unaffiliated characters can be recruited to join your side. Most of these recruitment efforts involve utilizing a strategy called “Persuade [character name]” on maps where the desired character appears as an enemy commander. Some other recruitable characters have additional, more specific requirements which must be fulfilled before they can join your team. Still, others cannot be recruited, and will never turn against their house or faction.
Below is a chapter-by-chapter list of every character able to be recruited on the Azure Gleam route, where Dimitri and the members of the former Blue Lions house both take a stand against the Empire’s path of conquest and hunt down a sinister organization controlling Fodlan from the shadows.
Chapter 1
Shez, the game’s protagonist, is automatically available to play on all routes beginning with the prologue. Dimitri Alexander Blaiddyd becomes playable in Chapter 1, before the player chooses a house. Some students, including Dedue Molinaro, will appear as NPCs in early chapters, as well Jeritza von Hrym, also known as the Death Knight.
Chapter 3
Dedue Molinaro, Ashe Ubert, Felix Hugo Fraldarius, Sylvain Jose Gautier, Ingrid Brandl Galatea, and Mercedes von Martritz are available to play at the beginning of Chapter 3 of the Azure Gleam route.
Chapter 4
Annette Fantine Dominic and Rodrigue Achille Fraldarius are automatically unlocked as playable characters at the beginning of this chapter. Seteth and Flayn from the Church of Seiros will join automatically just before the final battle of the chapter.
Hapi of the Ashen Wolves and Petra Macneary of the Black Eagles can be recruited during the final battle. The player must use the “Persuade Hapi” and “Persuade Petra” strategies respectively.
Chapter 5
Dorothea of the Black Eagles appears as an enemy commander on the final map of this chapter and can be recruited if the “Persuade Dorothea” strategy is successfully implemented during the final battle.
Chapter 6
For the third chapter in a row, a member of the former Black Eagles house appears as an enemy on the battlefield and must be persuaded to join your side. In this case, it is Bernadetta von Varley, who can be recruited by using the “Persuade Bernadetta” strategy.
Chapter 9
Catherine Rubens Charon, a former Knight of the Church of Seiros, will automatically join your party as a playable character at the end of Chapter 9. No special strategy is required to recruit Catherine.
Yuri Leclerc of the Ashen Wolves can be recruited during Chapter 9 by successfully using the “Persuade Yuri” strategy. Shamir Nevrand, a mercenary who is also previously associated with the Church of Seiros, can be recruited during the Chapter 9 final battle. Unlike other recruitable characters, you will need to use the “Protect Shamir” strategy to successfully recruit her, rather than “Persuade.” It is possible that she will not be recruited successfully if she does not survive the battle.
Chapter 10
At the beginning of Chapter 10, Claude von Riegan, leader of the Leicester Alliance, will offer a deal to Dimitri and his allies. If the player has Dimitri accept the deal, then four characters from the former Golden Deer house will become immediately available as playable characters. These four individuals are Ignatz Victor, Raphael Kirsten, Marianne von Edmund, and Lorenz Hellman Gloucester. Unfortunately, although Claude is willing to work with Dimitri as an ally, he will not join as a playable character himself.
Balthus von Albrecht of the Ashen Wolves can be recruited in battle as usual by successfully implementing the “Persuade Balthus” strategy.
Chapter 11
Constance von Nuvelle of the Ashen Wolves and Linhardt von Hevring of the Black Eagles can be recruited during the final battle of Chapter 11 by utilizing the “Persuade Constance” and “Persuade Linhardt” strategies respectively. Constance and Linhardt are the last student characters who can be recruited, with the other members of the Golden Deer and the Black Eagles not able to be recruited on the Azure Gleam route.
Chapter 12
Byleth Eisner, a mercenary referred to as the “Ashen Demon,” serves as a recurring rival to protagonist Shez throughout the game. However, although Byleth and Shez’s relationship starts out antagonistic, Byleth can ultimately be recruited on the Azure Gleam route if a specific set of actions are successfully carried out in Chapter 12. First, you must implement the “Locate Ambushers” strategy, which will successfully reveal the locations of Byleth and the other mercenaries as well as an invading force led by Fleche and Randolph from the Adrestian Empire. Once the strategy has been put in place, you must reach and defeat Fleche and Randolph while avoiding the mercenaries in the way.
You must also be careful not to defeat Byleth, as, if Byleth falls in battle, they will not be able to be recruited to your side. However, if Byleth is successfully recruited, Jeralt Reus Eisner, their father and the leader of Jeralt’s Mercenaries, will also join up as a playable character at the same time as their child. Keep in mind that choosing to spare Byleth and Jeralt (and thus recruit them) will result in a different ending than the one achieved by defeating Byleth in battle, so players may wish to save and play Chapter 12 and other later chapters multiple times to see both endings.
Chapter 13
The Death Knight, also known as Jeritza von Hrym, may appear as a fearsome enemy, but he can be recruited as an ally on the Azure Gleam route when the proper conditions are met. You must use the “Persuade Death Knight” strategy in battle. However, this strategy will ONLY work if Mercedes von Martritz is an active member of your battle party. Mercedes will utilize her unique connection with the Death Knight to convince him to fight for the Holy Kingdom.
This is every playable character available on the Azure Gleam route in Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes. The characters who cannot be recruited on this route include the majority of the Black Eagles house: Edelgard von Hresvelg, Hubert von Vestra, Ferdinand von Aegir, Monica von Ochs, and Caspar von Bergliez as well as their teacher Manuela Casagranda. From the Golden Deer house, Claude von Riegan, Hilda Valentine Goneril, Holst Sigiswald Goneril, Lysithea von Ordelia, and Leonie Pinelli cannot be recruited.
Who is your favorite character that is playable on the Azure Gleam route of Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes? Who did you let fall, and who did you successfully recruit into your party? Which units did you use the most frequently in battle? Comment below and let us know!
