Updated at: 12-04-2023 - By: Leo Hall
In Fire Emblem Three Houses, which units are the most effective? This most recent Fire Emblem Three Houses ranking provides the most comprehensive overview available.

There are more than 40 playable characters in Fire Emblem Three Houses.

Understanding who is superior to whom can be difficult due to everyone having their own set of advantages and disadvantages in addition to their own unique set of skills.

We have you covered if you want to assemble the most formidable team possible. We intend for this to serve as our final unit strength ranking.

Things To Know About In The List

Take a moment to read over the factors we used to create this ranking system before diving in:

  • It was with mind-numbing difficulty that this list was compiled. Even when playing on easier settings, the rankings hold up well.
  • This list takes into account the units’ respective houses, but presupposes that you are open to recruiting members of other houses as well.
  • You’ll find Cindered Shadows downloadable content heroes and classes here as well.

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, we can begin the actual list.

Fire Emblem Three Houses Tier List : r/fireemblem

S-Tier

These are the top-tier troops available. They are essential to any Maddening playthrough, thanks to their incredible statistics and usefulness.

Unit Classes Suggested Description
Byleth women Awakened One, Falcon Squire The protagonist is, of course, number one. The Professor has high-quality stat advancements and a passive ability that allows him to share experience points with nearby allies.

The female version is superior to the male because she can choose from the game’s best class line, the Falcon Knights. If you’d like to increase her magic efficiency, you can also level her up into the Enlightened One class.

Any map can be utterly destroyed by a well-equipped Falcon Knight Byleth, regardless of difficulty. She can wipe out armies of foes with her devastating attacks, lightning quick speed, and godlike avoidance stats.

The sexy Byleth Insightful One Male Byleth excels as an Enlightened One despite being unable to use Falcon Knight. The combination of his physical strength and magical prowess makes him an unstoppable offensive force.

If you want more freedom of movement and control over the map, you can turn him into a Wyvern Lord, but then you’ll need to buy more axes.

Edelgard Wyvern Lord, Supreme Ruler With Edelgard, you have a choice between two dominant builds.

The Emperor is a powerful and resilient character class with devastating attacks and unbreakable defenses. The Wyvern Lord Edelgard is nothing more than a tidal wave that plows across the battlefield, leaving a trail of dead enemies in his wake. Wyvern Edelgard is favored in Maddening because of her exceptional command of the map and her inherent skill with axes.

Claude Barbarossa In Three Houses, bows and flyers are both highly valued. It’s no surprise that Claude, a master at using a bow against wyverns, is considered among the best.

During Playe Phase, Claude excels as a nuker due to his powerful long-ranged arsenal. Increasing his speed will allow you to perform double attacks quickly and easily against any enemy unit.

Dimitri Holy God Dimitri’s inability to be a good flying unit is a constant source of frustration for him due to his vulnerability to axes. Even so, when he reaches Great Lord level, he will be your strongest defensive anchor.

During the Enemy Phase, he becomes a deadly barrier between your army and the opposing one. Among the three house leaders, his statistics have improved the most.

Lysithea Forgetfulness, Shadow Pilot, Shadowed Knight Lysithea casts the most effective offensive spells. Make her into a Gremory and her pure offensive power will allow you to easily one-shot your opponents.

The Dark Flier and Dark Knight builds on Lysithea give you greater utility, map control, and defense. Even if you don’t use her magic attacks, she’ll still be dangerous because of her high magic attack bonus.

If you’re playing on Maddening, you should max out Lysithea’s magic stat so that she can one-shot even the strongest enemies.

A-Tier

These are top-notch units that facilitate progress considerably. Their versatility in combat and ability to join any team makes them a valuable asset.

They can both support your S-Tiers and take charge of your support units.

Unit Classes Suggested Description
Leonie Archer Knight It appears that Leonie has learned a lot from her time as Jeralt’s student. She fits in well as a Bow Knight build (in fact, it feels like her natural class). In addition, she stands out from the crowd because of her superiority at both close and far ranges (volley).

Leonie is also an A-lister because she requires little attention. Shape her into a Bow Knight and let her innate stat increase take over from there.

Petra Lord Wyvern Petra is practically begging to be turned into an assassin. Going this route, while still effective, seems pointless given her overwhelmingly powerful Wyvern Lord status.

She can take two hits from an axe before her opponent recovers from her natural speed boost. As a Wyvern Lord, she is more well-rounded than her Assassin counterpart thanks to her increased mobility and defense. Petra’s high speed and avoidance upgrades make her most effective when used in a dodging role. This makes her a formidable opponent in either the Player or Enemy Phase.

Felix Savant of Mortal Sin, Bow Knight Like Petra, Felix is a lightning quick, sneaky, and offensive powerhouse.

Mortal Savant is the simplest class to level him up to. He can now single out his foes with either physical or magical attacks.

In this unorthodox scenario, Felix becomes a Bow Knight. Obtaining horses and bows makes this a difficult task at first, but the payoff is great in the long run.

Linhardt Holy Knight, Bishop However, Linhardt’s healing abilities aren’t what make him the best healer in the game. His offensive prowess is unmatched, and while his heals are on par with units like Mercedes and Marianne, his prowess is far superior.

Linhardt’s ability to switch between offensive and defensive roles makes him a valuable addition to any team’s rotation. If you value mobility and survivability over the Bishop’s magical benefits, then you should make him a Holy Knight.

Dedue Adept at War While Dimitri may be the best defensive unit in the late game, Blue Lions will be able to make a strong early and midgame push with the help of Dedue.

While in the War Master class, he saw significant improvements to his Defense, Speed, and Avoidance. For the player, this makes him an unstoppable killing machine, while for the enemy, it makes him an incredible counter-tank who can dodge attacks.

Ferdinand Knight, Lord of the Wyverns If Ferdinand would just stop yelling “I am Ferdinand von Aegir!” so much, he’d be in the S-tier.

Despite his lighthearted demeanor, Ferdinand possesses formidable abilities and should have no trouble advancing to the ranks of Paladin or Wyvern Lord. Like Leonie, he requires little attention, so you won’t have to micromanage him.

B-Tier

These are excellent units that just need some tweaks to make them competitive with the best in the game.

Class Tier List | Fire Emblem: Three Houses - UPFIVEDOWN

Don’t overlook any of them because, with some stat growth luck, they could become the game-changing characters of your run.

Unit Suggested Coursework Description
Annette Flying Shadow, Pegasus Hero Annette’s Rally ability is the pinnacle of all supportive abilities. When used, it grants the user 4 speed and strength, making it ideal for buffing Blue Lion runners like Byleth, Dimitri, and Dedue.

Annette’s lackluster spellcasting is a minor handicap, but she serves a useful purpose nonetheless. Oh, and she wields axes well, making her a serviceable offensive asset.

Marianne Names: Valkyrie, Holy Knight, and Falcon Knight Take advantage of Marianne’s innate affinity for mounts by having her become a Falcon Knight, Hoy, or Valkyrie right away.

If you need a reliable support unit, she is best utilized as a Falcon or Holy Knight, both of which make greater use of her Faith abilities. Make her a Valkyrie if you want to give her more offensive power.

Catherine Sage of Mortal Sin, Falcon Champion In the beginning of the game, Catherine is an absolute monster. She can’t rise above the B tier because her late game utility plummets if you don’t manage to forge her into a Falcon Knight.
Constance Gremory the Shadowed Flyer The Cindered Shadows downloadable content’s shining star is unquestionably Constance. Her high magic stat makes Dark Flier a perfect fit for her. Her spellbook is also transferable to Gremory, where she can fill in when necessary.

Constance’s lack of flexibility is one of her drawbacks. She appears to have been destined for life as a Dark Flier. Having a connection with Faith would place her in the S-tier of usefulness.

Hilda Dragon Rider Because of her skill with axes, Hilda may tempt you to promote her to the position of Wyvern Lord.

Give it some thought; she’s got the best strength stat of anyone in the game. Making use of this, and patching up her defenses by increasing her speed and avoidance stats, a Falcon Knight build makes the most sense.

A Hilda who can fly and double-attack is a terrifying sight for any adversary.

Cyril Archer and Wyvern Lord Cyril may look like a mediocre unit at first, but he is worth investing in because of his marginally good returns.

He reminds me of a less appealing Leonie. That’s not meant as a criticism, though; he’s a reliable mid- to late-game flyer or ranged attacker.

Shamir Hunter, Archer, or Bowman In Three Houses, we praised bows, right? Shamir is a living example of that, after all.

As a Sniper, she has incredible raw power. During Player Phase, Shamir can become a Lysithea-like nuker with the right amount of stat growth and Hunter’s Volley.

Mercedes Holy Knight, Bishop Mercedes is a competent healer, but she doesn’t unlock her powerful Reason spells until she’s at the A-rank.

Mercedes can be put to good use early in the midgame with the right preparation, especially as a Holy Knight. Then it’s just a matter of putting together a formidable offensive force to take advantage of her.

Dorothea Gremory Dorothea is incredibly sluggish at the beginning of the game but gains strength as the game progresses.

Make good use of her potential in the field by encouraging her growth as a practitioner of Faith.

Ingrid Dragon Rider Her meager initial damage makes her feel like Dorothea at first.

That’s the only major flaw I can see in her character, so that’s good. This means you can begin shaping her into a Falcon Knight by increasing her speed and avoidance and strengthening her attack. After that, you can expect to see her consistently and effectively killing enemy units.

C-Tier

To keep up with the top tier, these units require careful investment and some luck with stat growths.

Unit Class Recommendation Description
Jeritza Knight of Death Jeritza is a very simple creature. He’s agile, powerful, and able to cast spells. The catch is that you can’t use him until the second half, which could throw off your entire lineup.
Seteth Lord Wyvern Seteth is an excellent pilot thanks to his rapid level ups and practical abilities.

However, unlike Jeritza, you can’t recruit him until the middle of the game, so you won’t be able to modify his stats to suit your needs until then.

Flayn Inky Pilot Flayn, with her Rescue and Fortify abilities, is a reliable support unit. While her spells of reason aren’t particularly powerful, they are reliable.

If Flayn had a reliable heal spell, she’d be higher on this list.

Hapi Valkyrie Hapi has one of the best spell lists in the game, which is easily her best quality. Unfortunately, her lackluster conviction and weak authority hold her back.

Due to her own skill, she is effective against monsters, earning her a special place in certain rotations.

Yuri Trickster Because of his poor performance with mounted weapons, lances, and axes, Yuri can only function as a Trickster. His utility is above average due to the abilities of Recover and Foul Play, but his combat prowess is below average.
Sylvain Lord Paladin Wyvern Sylvain has a lot of ups and downs. You need to carefully invest in him and hope for favorable stat growths for him to be of any use to your team in the late game.

If you give him the right construction, he can serve as an Enemy Phase equivalent to Ferdinand, only with more muscle.

Hubert Knight in Black After the first act is over, Hubert’s performance drastically declines. It’s a shame, because he has a high magic stat and casts potent spells. He needed more flexibility, but alas…

D-Tier

Unless you carefully construct these units, you will likely find them to be a detriment in Maddening difficulty.

Unit Suggested Courses Description
Caspar In command of battle Caspar’s primary objective is to strengthen your attack. You can use him to deal significant damage or to eliminate a foe who is critically injured. There is no other benefit to having him around.

A lot of luck is needed, but there is a chance that you can mold him into a powerful unit like Dedue.

Ignatz Sniper Ignatz is reasonably useful due to his high levels of both personal skill and authority.

The loss of Hunter’s Volley’s damage means you can’t make him into a Bow Knight, which is a shame because Ignatz’s damage will never be on par with that of other bow users.

Ashe Lord Sniper of the Wyverns Ashe is Ignatz as a Sniper, except with less talent.

Being a Wyvern Lord does give him a specific use for this talent, though. Now that he can move quickly, he can help you find treasure by opening chests all over the map. This isn’t the most glamorous of jobs, but someone’s got to do it.

Bernadetta Sniper Bernie could be a master of the flying bow like Claude if she had a talent for axes. But since she doesn’t, her best class options are Bow Knight, Paladin, or Sniper.
Balthus War Monk Balthus could benefit from more utility, but his offensive and supportive capabilities could be useful on some maps. He’s armed with a Relic of his own design.
Alois Combat Expert, Heroic Knight Alois’s average stat improvements aren’t enough to handle the game’s late-game challenges. You’d be better off using him as an adjutant to your casters if you reclassed him to Armor Knight.

F-Tier

These are the game’s worst units. Especially on the Maddening difficulty, they don’t contribute much to any run.

Unit Suggested Coursework Description
Anna Trickster Anna is completely useless. Unfortunately, she has a weakness to authority, which could have been her savior.
Hanneman Knight in Black Towards the end of your playthrough, Hanneman joins you, bringing with him only offensive magic to aid you. You’ll have far superior offensive options available to you by then.
Manuela Reminiscence, Primate, and Trickster Manuela is flexible enough to be reclassified, yes. However, she joins your party rather late and contributes little beyond her offensive spells, so you shouldn’t waste your time with her.
Lorenz Paladin Frozen Even in the second half, Lorenz’s record can’t be improved upon with the help of Lance. His improvments in measurables are as bad as his new hairstyle. If you’re going the Golden Deer route, you might want to try to enlist Ferdinand or Sylvain instead.
Raphael Adept at War The Golden Deer certainly have a tough life. Raphael’s utility exceeds that of Lorenz despite his lackluster stat growth and terrible skill set, thanks to his ability to soak damage and boost his allies’ power.
Gilbert Hero in Armor Gilbert has all of Alois’s flaws but none of his strengths. Put him in charge of the guards and then forget about him.

Characters Overview – House Comparisons for Fire Emblem: Three Houses

  • The Black Eagles appear to have the greatest number of mage classes but fewer mounted units.
  • The Blue Lions have a large number of riders, but fewer characters with ranged combat expertise.
  • The Golden Deer are short on dedicated unit types but have a large number of units with high potential as archers and high trainability.
Eight students (including the young lord who acts as House Leader and who will one day lead their respective nation) are spread across the three houses. In Part One, you’ll meet a lot of characters who are open to joining your house, but there will also be some who won’t budge.
Edelgard von Hresvelg is the house leader of the Black Eagles, a group of Adrestian Empire students. They have more units with a penchant for magic than any other faction, with Hubert being one of the few starting mages to have experience with dark arts. However, they also have the fewest dedicated physically defensive and mounted units of any house, and the fewest Crests. Petra can quickly become a wyvern rider, and Ferdinand can switch between a cavalry unit and being an armored knight with the right training.
Let's Make a Fire Emblem 3 Houses Tier List! (In 15 minutes) - YouTube
Dorothea’s Songstress ability is worth mentioning because it can heal up to four adjacent units per turn. Similarly, Lindhart’s Catnap allows him to heal on his own by waiting.
To make up for the Black Eagles’ weaknesses, you could try recruiting tougher units from other houses like Sylvain, Raphael, Leonie, or Ingrid.
Character Edelgard Hubert Bernadetta Caspar Dorothea Ferdinand Linhardt Petra
Needs in Recruitment Totally Unhireable Impossible to Recruit Power, Recurve Power, brawl Discretion and Power Heavy Armor, and Dexterity Magic and Logic Expertise in Riding and Dexterity
Crest Minor Seiros Family Crest None Insignificant Indech Crest None None None Minor Cethleann’s Crest None
Competence Advantages Weapons, Power, and Protection Respect, Logic, and Power Axe, Bow Sword Fight Reason, Sword Arms and Transportation Logic and Trust Axe, Bow, Sword, and Arrow
Emerging Abilities Reason Lance Riding None Faith Bold Plates None None
Normative Class Objectives Lord of Armor Bishop/Warlock in the Dark Sniper Combatant, Wrestler Warlock Paladin Bishop Wyvern Rider / Assassin
Students from the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus make up Prince Dimitri Blaiddyd’s Blue Lions house. This country has some of the most formidable mounted units and toughest characters among the kingdoms because of its emphasis on chivalry and honor. They can only have two wizards and one archer by nature in their ranks. As a result, they might have trouble dealing with ranged dangers, and having so many mounted units can make you easy prey for archers or those who specialize in killing horses. Felix and Sylvain’s potential as magicians is only limited by the amount of time and effort put into developing their skills.
Dedue’s Staunch Shield makes him the ideal defensive unit, giving him 4 Defense while waiting, and Ashe’s Lockpick eliminates the need to certify thieves or purchase keys.
Dorothea, Lysithea, and Linhardt all have members who are adept with magic that could help fill in the gaps.
Character Dimitri Dedue Annette Ashe Felix Ingrid Mercedes Sylvain
Needs in Recruitment Totally Unhireable Cannot be recruited Spells, Belief Lance, Charming Rapidity, Blade Agile Flight Ability Spells, Bow Appealing Arguments (Male)
Crest Minor Blaiddyd Family Crest None Dominican Crest, Minor None Fraldarius’s Family Crest Daphnel’s Minor Crest Lamine’s Minor Crown Little Gautier’s Crest
Competence Advantages Power, Sword, and Lance Heavy armor, lances, axes, and brawls Blade, Witchcraft, and Power Axe, Bow Blade, arrow, and fist Blade, Lance, Horseback, Wings Logic and Trust Riding, Axe, and Lance
Emerging Abilities Riding None None Lance Reason None Bow Reason
Inherent Class Objectives High Lord Fort-Knight’s Defense Warlock Sniper Swordmaster Caste: Pegasus Knight/Paladin Bishop Paladin
Claude von Reigan is the head of the Golden Deer house, which is made up of students from the Leicster Alliance. They have some of the best long range characters because they are the most populous commoner house. Lysithea is a bit of an outlier because she has two separate Crests. They have a more diversified set of skills and can fill a variety of roles, but they don’t stand out as a unit in any one area. Hilda and Raphael can train to become Armored Knights, while Lorenz and Ignatz can excel as magicians if necessary.
When attacking with male units, Hilda’s Advocate and Leonie’s Rivalry are particularly effective, dealing 3 more damage and granting Leonie 2 more damage, respectively, while taking 2 less damage.
Any dedicated students from competing houses could make excellent recruits, depending on how you mold your own students.
Character Claude Hilda Ignatz Leonie Lorenz Marianne Lysithea Raphael
Requirements for Recruiting Totally Unhireable Appeal, Axe (Cannot Join Black Eagles) Dex, Power Force, Lance Appeal, Logic Faerie, Horseback Spells, Belief Power, Bulky Armor
Crest Riegan’s Minor Family Crest Goneril’s Minor Family Crest None None Small Gloucester’s Shield Hidden Insignia Minor Charonian Crest, Gloucester crest None
Powers of Expertise Blade, Bow, Power, Horseback, Wings Sword, Lance Sword, Arrow, and Power Arrow, Rifle, and Horse Aiming, Thinking, and Riding a Lance Flying, Swords, Riding, and Faith Logic, Religion, and Power Battleaxe, Brawl, and Big Plates
Emerging Abilities Axe Bold Plates Reason None None Lance Sword None
Assumed Learning Outcomes Wyvern Leader Warrior Sniper Paladin Paladin Faith Warlock Grappler

Lord Comparisons – Hero’s Relics and Bonuses in Fire Emblem: Three Houses

The Lords of the various houses have their own quirks and tendencies, and while they may all appear similar at first, they can develop into very different people over time.
Edelgard is different from the other Lords in a crucial way: she quickly reveals that she possesses the power of two Crests, the Minor Crest of Seiros and the Crest of Flames, allowing her to increase damage using Combat Arts while also restoring health when attacking and stopping counterattacks in some cases. By Act 2, she will have achieved her default class goals and become an Armored Lord, giving her a formidable defense and an effective offense. However, she can be trained in the use of magic as well, so she can be reclassed if necessary. If she waits until Act 2, her Personal Ability will shift to Imperial Lineage , giving her 4 Res and making her immune to magic attacks while armored.
Dimitri is a dangerous opponent even when well protected, thanks to the fact that his Minor Crest of Blaiddyd grants him the ability to temporarily increase his attack and weapon usage rates during Combat Arts by a factor of two. By Act 2, l, he will have attained the rank of High Lord and will be able to improve upon his already impressive strength and dexterity, but his low defense and resistance will necessitate that he be guarded. When he reaches full health, his Personal Ability will also increase to Royal Lineage , giving him an additional 20 Avoid. He can also use his developing skills to become a swift Paladin, allowing him to keep up with the rest of the Blue Lions’ cavalry.
Combined with his bow skills, Claude is a potent unit for hit-and-run attacks thanks to the healing effects of the Minor Crest of Riegan. Despite becoming a Wyvern Master in Act 2 to improve his range and sniping skills, he may be the weakest of the Lords individually in terms of physical prowess. As his personal ability increases to Leicester Lineage , he will be able to sneak past enemy units and launch attacks from behind enemy lines, solidifying his role as a sniper who can quickly pick off high-risk targets and escape. His developing skill with Axes won’t interfere with his standard class upgrades like it would for other Lords.
Like Byleth, the other Lords will come into possession of a sacred Hero’s Relic; however, unlike the Sword of the Creator, each of these weapons will have a different set of abilities. Despite having only 20 durability and being more expensive to repair than other items, they are unrivaled in battle thanks to their unique Combat Arts.
Relic of a Great Hero Controlled By Mt Hit Crit Striking Methodology Only Seen Here
The axe-like Aymr. Edelgard 24 60 20 Raging Storm — If an attack hits, the unit gains 14 Strength and 10 Hit, and it can move again.
Lance Areadbhar Dimitri 19 75 10 Atrocity — Increases Defense by 15 and Attack by 20 and can be used against any type of enemy.
Don’t bother (Bow) Claude 18 75 20 In the next battle, you will be able to avoid enemy attacks thanks to Fallen Star’s 10 Mt, 10 Crit, and 30 Hit bonuses.

Romance Comparisons and Exclusives in Fire Emblem: Three Houses

Byleth is free to pursue an S-Rank romance with any member of the Three Houses, but some members of the Three Houses can only be romanced within their own house, making recruitment difficult, while other members of the Three Houses can be recruited more easily.
Only members of the Black Eagles House can recruit the characters in Bold. All red characters are in favor of a bisexual female romance, while all blue characters are in favor of a bisexual male romance.
Love Flow Diagram for Black Eagles
Romance Amongst Byleth Men Romance amongst Byleth women
Edelgard Edelgard
Lindhart Lindhart
Dorothea Dorothea
Bernadetta Hubert
Petra Caspar
Ferdinand
Love Flow Diagram with Blue Lions
Romance Amongst Byleth Men The Romance of a Byleth Woman
Mercedes Mercedes
Annette Dimitri
Ingrid Dedue
Felix
Ashe
Sylvain
Chart of Romantic Golden Doe
Byleth Male Romance Dating a Byleth Girl
Hilda Claude
Leonie Ignatz
Lysithea Lorenz
Marianne Raphael

Story Comparisons – Objectives and Enemies (SPOILERS)

Each house will have its own story in Part Two, and may face different enemies or have different objectives in the war, so be warned that the following section contains very brief information on where each of the paths will lead. There will be a lack of specifics, so proceed with caution.
The Adrestian Empire will go to war with the Church of Seiros and, by extension, anyone who stands in the way of Edelgard’s plans if he chooses the Black Eagles Path. Because of this, any members of the Church or the Knights of Seiros that you may have recruited will leave your cause. To reunify the land by force, one of the main goals will be to wage war on the Kingdom of Faerghus led by Dimitri. In order to complete this route, you must have a C Support with Edelgard and speak with her in the Monastery during Chapter 11. With only 6 Chapters and Missions in the second half, it is the shortest route.
The goal of the Blue Lions Path is to prevent Edelgard and the Adrestian Empire from conquering all of Fodlan. The defeat of Edelgard will be a primary objective of the war because Dimitri will want it for his own reasons. In Part Two, the Azure Moon’s journey spans a total of 10 Chapters and Missions.
The Golden Deer path will be entangled in the conflict between the Adrestian Empire and its enemies, but its primary focus will be on combating the ones who Slither in the Dark, a shadowy organization with nefarious plans to use the conflict to advance its own agenda at the expense of the Church of Seiros. The Verdant Wind’s journey in Part Two also consists of 10 Missions and Chapters, like that of the Blue Lions.

The Fourth Path

The Three Houses are not the only route available; there is another, less obvious one. The Black Eagles are your only option for taking this road. Part One of the game ends with a warning about a crucial decision you’ll have to make to help Edelgard.
If you say no when asked, you’ll have to defend the Church of Seiros against the Adrestian Empire, which means you’ll have to do without Edelgard and Hubert. Your true mission during the war is to expose the forces operating in the shadows, the Slitherers in Dark, and their plots against the Church of Seiros. Part Two of Silver Snow only consists of 9 Chapters and Missions, making it shorter than Edelgard’s path.