Waifu Wednesday: Edelgard von Hresvelg (Fire Emblem: Three Houses)
Sometimes the illusion of choice is just as effective as having the choices themselves. For example, I’m free to pick any head faction during a playthrough of Fire Emblem: Three Houses, but I will always choose the Black Eagles. Why? Because Edelgard asks me to, and that is reason enough for me. She is the empress of rash decisions and I respect her for it.
This week’s Waifu Wednesday is the dangerous yet irresistible Edelgard von Hresvelg of Fire Emblem: Three Houses, and what a waifu she is.
Who is Edelgard von Hresvelg?
Fire Emblem: Three Houses is filled with choices that impact the way the story plays out, but none are more important than the choice you make at the very start of the game. You’re presented with a choice of three academic houses to teach at. Except it isn’t really a choice. No disrespect to Claude of the Golden Deer or Dimitri of the Blue Lions, but they are not Edelgard and are thus at a severe disadvantage.
Edelgard is the scion of the Adestrian Empire, one of the major factions within the world of Fire Emblem: Three Houses. As such, she is one of the most prominent figures in the setting and carries the crushing weight of responsibility with her. Not just the responsibility to lead her people one day but the burden of being the one who will change the world no matter the cost.
Why we love her
Edelgard is, like many of the women I have written about in the past, extremely dangerous. Not only is she a skilled combatant and tactical leader, but she has the drive and ambition to uproot the fabric of society if it means setting things right. In the world of Fire Emblem: Three Houses, power is derived from Crests. Powerful crests are often hoarded by the nobility and used to subjugate the masses. Edelgard, despite having the lineage needed to join the ranks of the ruling class, sees a different way.
Instead of seeking to perpetuate the way of life that saw her take the throne, Edelgard wants to dismantle it — by destroying not only the Church of Seiros, one of the central pillars of life on the continent, but also the noble class that has used the power of Crests to keep the people under their thumb. This would be a massive upheaval of society, something that she knows comes with great risk, but Edelgard is committed to seeing it through. Sure, she occasionally orchestrates the deaths of her fellow students to clear the way for her conquest, but what is a little murder on the way to peace?
Why you’ll love her
Fire Emblem: Three Houses is a veritable buffet of waifus and husbandos to choose from. This is a game that includes Goth Teacher, Paladin Teacher, and MILF Priestess archtypes, and yet Edelgard always rises to the top for me. Dangerous and capable, but still with kindness and justice in her heart. There is so much depth to the character that I feel the need to side with the Black Eagles every time. She is destined to bring an entire continent to heel and uproot the very foundations of society, and yet she still needs someone to comfort her from time to time. It’s a feeling we can all relate to sometimes.
If you haven’t played Fire Emblem: Three Houses, don’t worry. I haven’t actually spoiled any of the more wild and more outrageous moments in the game. There is still time to check out one of the best entries in the Fire Emblem series. You can pick it up for the Nintendo Switch.
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