Edelgard, Dimitri, and Claude - the leaders of the titular houses - were confirmed to be summonable as a single Emblem via DLC, rather than three separate characters. It has not yet been confirmed how social interactions with this Emblem will work, ideally all three characters can have distinct conversations with Engage’s protagonist, as their personalities and backstories are all different. This potentially opens up an opportunity for character development for Edelgard, who has an antagonistic relationship with Divine Dragons in her home game and could instead learn to bond with Alear during her time as an Emblem.
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Edelgard Opposes The Divine Dragons
In Fire Emblem: Three Houses, the player must choose one of the titular houses to teach. If the Black Eagle house is chosen, the player learns that Edelgard, the house’s leader, is plotting rebellion against the Church of Seiros. As heir to the Adrestian Empire, Edelgard possesses secret knowledge that the leaders of the church - including Saint Seiros herself - are actually powerful, nigh-immortal dragons who have been involved in ruling the land of Fodlan for centuries. If the player chooses to side with Edelgard and oppose the church, they will fight against and ultimately take down Fodlan’s draconic leadership. The Immaculate One, the Divine Dragon form of Saint Seiros, serves as the route’s final boss in a tricky and memorable battle.
While Edelgard’s revelation about the Saints’ draconic identities is true, she is not portrayed as completely right to oppose them. Three Houses portrays most of its characters as morally gray; all three houses and the Church have valid points and noble goals, but are willing to go to extremes - including starting a war - to reach them. Edelgard’s inflexibility and unwillingness to accept that the Divine Dragons might not be universally evil is portrayed as one of her greatest flaws. Ultimately, the player is given the choice to support her rebellion or side with the Church against her. In all the game’s routes except her own, Edelgard serves as an antagonistic figure whose hatred of the Church of Seiros and the draconic Saints does not allow her to see or accept other points of view.
Will Edelgard Have an Antagonistic Relationship With Alear?
Alear, the primary player character of Fire Emblem Engage, is openly a Divine Dragon; they do not hide their nature like Saint Seiros does. In the world of Engage, Divine Dragons are revered and seen as legendary heroes. Alear even has priests and guards who are responsible for tending to them and watching over them. This is very different from Fodlan, where the dragons are forced to hide their nature.
It is possible that Edelgard will struggle to adapt to a land where Divine Dragons are so openly honored, and to accept that Alear is a genuine hero who wants the best for the kingdom. Through conversations with Alear, it is possible that she could learn to overcome her prejudices and accept that not all Divine Dragons are villainous figures controlling the world from the shadows. Edelgard’s appearance in Engage, if handled well, could lead to character development and a more open worldview for the future Fodlan emperor.
It remains to be seen how Edelgard’s character and anti-Divine Dragon opinions will be handled in Fire Emblem Engage, especially as she will be sharing a single Emblem slot with Dimitri and Claude. Players will be able to find out if they purchase the first set of Fire Emblem Engage DLC. Ironically, the other character appearing in the DLC alongside the Three Houses leaders is Tiki, herself a Divine Dragon from the very first game in the series, Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light. Tiki, an adorable, friendly child, is another excellent choice for Edelgard to interact with and potentially develop a more positive opinion regarding dragons.
Fire Emblem Engage will release on January 20, 2023 for the Nintendo Switch.
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