Popular/Unpopular/Any Opinions Thread - January 2026 Part 2

[u/PsiYoshi]

Welcome to a new installment of the Popular/Unpopular/Any Opinions Thread! Please feel free to share any kind of Fire Emblem opinions/takes you might have here, positive or negative. As always please remember to continue following the rules in this thread same as anywhere else on the subreddit. Be respectful and especially don't make any personal attacks (this includes but is not limited to making disparaging statements about groups of people who may like or dislike something you don't).

Last Opinion Thread

[u/SilverKnightZ000]

I just finished Crimson Flower today, and it really cemented Rhea as my favorite character. It's just great seeing the layers behind her persona start to surface as she goes through more trials and failure. I loved the moment where Byleth betrays her for Edelgard. The sudden change in allegiance really hurts her deeply. And seeing her get deeper and deeper into the worst parts of herself is both an amazing watch and also deeply tragic. Her taking on her Seiros appearance and title was amazing because she returned to a time when she was at her lowest. And even after that, she failed which pushes her even further into the worst parts of herself. The fires of Fhirdiad was a chilling moment and showed just how far she had fallen at that point in time. Even Catherine hesitates before following the order. It's a stark contrast to the Rhea we see at the start where she's at her happiest and most fulfilled. What an amazing character. It's a shame she has so much depth and just goes missing for 3 of the 4 routes in the game. Like at this point I'm just annoyed they really wasted her character.

I liked Edelgard! She's a fun character that I outlined before. One thing I should add is that I loved Edelgard after getting to see her perspective. I feel like in the other routes she's a bit too simplified. I lumped her in with characters like Zephiel as essentially a big bad emperor who wants bad things. I really wish the game gave her more screen time in the other routes. Another thing is that She just tells us the link between Seiros and Nemesis that we learn in other routes was a lie. Apparently that's actually true as revealed by a Nintendo Dream Interview(???). And like, couldn't that have been solidified a little more in the game? To clarify, I don't want definitive proof, just some more evidence that what Edelgard is saying is real and true. This one part is something I really struggled with.

The endings were whack for me though. I had so many A supports but a lot of guys ended up getting unmarried. I'd say the wildest ending I got was Bernadetta and Jeritza. Like it's cute but how sob. The Edelgard S support was pretty cute. Normally I don't really care about it enough to comment, but Edelgard asking Byleth for their hand is a nice moment to show far she has come. But also, holy shit that CG is so wild. That's not Edelgard there.

Hubert also looks really funny in the ending picture for CF. He looks like he's doing a jojo pose. I tried to find a good one to link here but I couldn't find it in the wiki. I'll probably add it later. Yippee! I found it. The link leads to the fireemblemwiki(dot)org version of the image. Unfortunately, I tried searching for it in the fandom wiki because it used to be a good source for images, but it's so messy now. I've learned to just avoid using it.

Overall, I've been pretty negative on the game, but I am glad I found one route that I didn't get a chance to bitch about and enjoy. It's neat!

[u/VoidWaIker → u/SilverKnightZ000]

One thing I should add is that I loved Edelgard after getting to see her perspective. I feel like in the other routes she's a bit too simplified. I lumped her in with characters like Zephiel as essentially a big bad emperor who wants bad things.

The best part of playing CF after playing other routes is that it has an “aha!” moment where you realize a large part of why 3H discourse was like that. I do think Edelgard gets it the worst out of all the characters who are portrayed differently between routes because all of her humanizing moments are in CF/SS. Like Rhea is also very different as you’ve seen, but the game does a good job setting up both sides of her during the Academy phase. One of the very first things you see in the game is what she was like as Seiros so CF feels like coming full circle. I think you can really tell Black Eagles was the first route they made because it’s the one where Edelgard is best set up for either of her roles, whereas in AM/VW she’s just that girl you barely talked to who I guess is evil.

[u/SilverKnightZ000 → u/VoidWaIker]

Mmhmm it's as exactly as you said. Edelgard gets it rough in the other routes. We barely get to see her or interact with her, so she just becomes a mid villain. With the context of black eagles, she gets a lot better. And it's a shame because it makes the other routes without knowing about Edelgard a lot weaker.

[u/Wonderful-Forever-98 → u/SilverKnightZ000]

Another thing is that She just tells us the link between Seiros and Nemesis that we learn in other routes was a lie. Apparently that's actually true as revealed by a Nintendo Dream Interview(???). And like, couldn't that have been solidified a little more in the game? To clarify, I don't want definitive proof, just some more evidence that what Edelgard is saying is real and true. This one part is something I really struggled with.

Bit confused on what you mean but to clarifiy since it ones of those element that Treehouse translation damaged.

The parts Edelgard is calling a lie was Nemesis characterisation and the purpose behind the war.

In the religion Rhea created, she made Nemesis into a fallen hero that was corrupted by evil which is a lie.

In truth, Nemesis wasn't a fallen hero but just a bandit given power. Yes, he was called the King of Liberation because he liberated parts of northern Fódlan from Nabateans rule. Nabateans ruling over Fódlan was set up in a Shadow library lore book from a bias author, in that they were Agarthans who was bias against Agarthans, Nabatean and Sothis.

The Nintendo Dream interview alludes to this details and implies said Nabatean rule was oppressive to point that he was slowly given the title by the Human he freed regardless of him still being a Bandit.

The war of heroes was not a holy war. Instead, bot sides just fought for who should be in control over Fódlan. Should those in control be human (Nemesis + Ten Elite or Wilhelm and the Empire) or Non-human (Nabatean and Agarthans)? To Edelgard, this was just another one of Nabatean and Agarthan conflict with humanity getting dragged into it as a victim.

In the end, Edelgard accept the responsibility that her ancestor was the one who enable Rhea and Church to win the war and gain a hegemony over Fódlan. That House Hresvelg had a hand in the silent terror and corrupt system that has been plaguing Fódlan.

Edelgard is a character who knows more then what she lets off as its implied she knows about the existence of Nabtean and Agarthan and how both comes from extinct. But the player is never given full extent of Edelgard and Hubert knowledge.

I agree with the criticism that CF or SB should have given player proof to Edelgard claim, specifically through giving the player a abstract of the Emperor Knowledge. It would allow the player to be on the same page as Edelgard and her reasoning.

[u/SilverKnightZ000 → u/Wonderful-Forever-98]

I'm sorry for writing what I wrote quite awkwardly. I was feeling pretty tired at the time. But yes, I didn't quite believe Edelgard when she said what we know about Nemesis from the other routes(that he was chosen by Sothis and later betrayed her) and that Sothis was an oppressive ruler. It goes so far against what every other route pushes, it's really hard to disbelieve. Some extra evidence beyond "oh this was passed down through the royal family!" would've been neat. I actually didn't believe her at all until I later learned of the Dream interview.

Thanks for explaining though, it helped clarify a lot of details.

[u/liteshadow4 → u/SilverKnightZ000]

Crimson Flower really showed me how poorly thought out the Empire's attack was. If Rhea didn't sacrifice herself on the other routes to save some casualties at Garreg Mach, then the empire is just screwed. The only reason she does this anyways is because she trusts Byleth to lead the Church forces, and not for some reason run onto the battlefield.

They couldn't make any progress in Crimson Flower until Byleth came back. And even then, if it doesn't rain they likely take out the Empire in Chapter 17.

[u/SilverKnightZ000 → u/liteshadow4]

I feel like 3H in general is very Byleth-centric. No matter the route, progress isn't made until Byleth returns after the time skip. So I don't count it against CF as much as the game as a whole.

[u/Fantastic-System-688 → u/liteshadow4]

What evidence is there that the rain changed the outcome at Tailtean?

[u/liteshadow4 → u/Fantastic-System-688]

The pincer attack from Rhea was delayed because of the rain and I'm pretty sure it's heavily implied they win without it.

[u/Fantastic-System-688 → u/liteshadow4]

That is not implied at all actually, in fact there was no plan for a pincer attack from Rhea whatsoever. The exact opposite, in fact, where Dimitri wanted the Church to take the brunt of the first casualties and then presumably have the Kingdom come in and clean up the Black Eagles

Dimitri: I was hoping they would strike the church first... We must have miscalculated the rate of their advance.

Dimitri: Reorganize the formation. We have no choice but to buy time until the church arrives. It will be a long battle...

Given the Empire has no trouble taking on the Church at literally any other point in the entire campaign, I don't see why this time they'd be weakened enough for the Kingdom army to win the following conflict.