How to Recruit Byleth

Byleth is a secret playable character available in Three Hopes. Read on to learn how to recruit Byleth, the best class for Byleth, unique abilities, expedition answers, and if Byleth is the villain in Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes (FEW3H).

How to Recruit Byleth

Pick a Section!
Scarlet Blaze	Azure Gleam	Golden Wildfire

Recruit Byleth in Chapter 10 - Scarlet Blaze Path

The most important steps to recruiting Byleth on the Black Eagles path involves keeping Baron Mateus alive, getting the Resonant Lightning strategy, choosing not to complete the Side Mission to defeat Byleth, and beating the final boss as quickly as possible.

Step	Explanation
1	At the start of the fight, get the Resonant Lightning strategy, as this will be required later on if you want to recruit Byleth. Be on the lookout for the message, Your actions in this battle will greatly impact the outcome of the story. This is your signal to save your game and make sure that you're ready to retry in case you fail to recruit Byleth successfully.
2	Once the battle begins, have your units focus on capturing the stronghold around Baron Mateus. It's important that you don't kill him and have him surrender instead, as he will be important later on.
3	Once Baron Mateus surrenders, aid all the Sorcery Engineers to activate the Resonant Lightning strategy. This will force Jeralt's mercenary to appear earlier than expected. You can then capture all the remaining strongholds left.
4	Once all the strongholds are captured, Byleth will appear alongside Yuri. Defeat Yuri and quickly head to the shoal to the east as the path will be available from there to get to Rodrigue.
5	At this point, Byleth will also head back to defend Rodrigue but will be thwarted by Baron Mateus as he destroys the bridge that connects to where Rodrigue is.
6	Rush to the Kingdom's main base and defeat Alois and Rodrigue. Once the battle is finished, Byleth and Jeralt's mercenaries will have no choice but to join you in your future battles!

Recruit Byleth in Chapter 12 - Azure Gleam Path

The most important steps to recruiting Byleth on the Blue Lions path involve using a specific Strategy for the battle, avoiding being spotted by the Mercenaries, and choosing not to complete the Side Mission to defeat Byleth.

Step	Explanation
1	Before the battle, you will need to unlock the Locate Ambushers Strategy. This will be found at a Survey Spot labeled Menja Territory on the map.
2	At the start of the battle, select the Locate Ambushers Strategy. Be on the lookout for the message, Your actions in this battle will greatly impact the outcome of the story. This is your signal to save your game and make sure that you're ready to retry in case you fail to recruit Byleth successfully.
3	When the Main Mission with the Mercenary Ambushers begins, use the Locate Ambushers Strategy.
4	This is where things get tricky. If any of your units are seen by a Mercenary, the objective will change and you won't be able to recruit Byleth. Use an All-Out Defense on the bottom-right stronghold to get them out of the way.
5	A green arrow will appear on your map which will show the way to go to avoid any Mercenaries. Follow it and defeat any Stronghold Leaders on the way to open closed gates. If you succeed, the objective will change to Defeat Fleche.
6	A new Main Mission will appear to defeat the Mercenaries and prevent them from infiltrating the Allied Base. Complete this objective, then Defeat Fleche.
7	A new Main Mission will appear to Defeat Randolph. Complete this mission before Byleth reaches Randolph. Ignore the Side Mission to Defeat Byleth. If you defeat Byleth, you will not be able to recruit them.
8	If you successfully defeat Randolph without defeating Byleth, the battle will end, and both Byleth and Jeralt will join your party!

Video Demonstration

Recruit Byleth in Chapter 10 - Golden Wildfire Path

The most important steps to recruiting Byleth on the Golden Deer path involves sticking with Claude, choosing not to complete the Side Mission to defeat Byleth, and beating the final boss as quickly as possible.

Step	Explanation
1	After helping Claude reach his destination, you'll be given the objective of escorting him back safely while avoiding Byleth. You simply have to follow this objective to recruit them.
2	Ignore the Side Mission to defeat Byleth. Just continue sticking with Claude or else you will not be able to recruit Byleth.
3	While protecting Claude, send some units to the top left corner of the map. This is so that you can easily switch to them once Fleche, the final boss of the mission, appears there.
4	After successfully escorting Claude, Fleche will appear and Byleth will start rushing back to protect her.
5	Switch to the units you previously sent to the boss area and defeat Fleche before Byleth returns.
6	Accomplishing this lets you recruit both Byleth and Jeralt.

Should You Recruit Byleth?

Required to Recruit Arval

Upon completing the game, players will be able to unlock Arval by spending 60 Renown in Your Quarters, only if they have recruited Byleth. For this reason, players who fail to recruit Byleth will actually miss out on two characters, so be sure to recruit Byleth if you want Arval!

Unlocks Secret Chapters

Recruiting Byleth will also unlock two secret chapters that wraps up the story between Shez and Arval. Should you not recruit Byleth, secret Chapters 15 and 16 will not be available and players will be sent to the Final Chapter coming from Chapter 14.

Secret Chapters: Byleth Exclusive Chapters

A Powerful and Missable Character

Byleth is one of the strongest units available and will be a powerful asset during the following missions. In addition, Byleth is missable, so failing to recruit them here will lock the player out of recruiting Byleth for the remainder of the run. In short, get Byleth!

Byleth Best Class and Gifts

Byleth Overview

Byleth		Starting Class	Silverheart
		Starting Weapon	Silver Sword
Playable Character?	Yes	Crests	Holy Kingdom of Faerghus
Affiliation	Ashen Demon

Byleth Best Class

How to Change Classes

Byleth Innate Abilities

Byleth has to master the Holy Knight class to get the Exhalted Breath innate ability.

Innate Abilities are secret abilities not listed among the acquired abilities, and can only be attained by branching out of a unit's recommended class.

How to Get Innate Abilities for Each Character

Byleth Likes and Dislikes

Best Gifts for Byleth

Best Gifts to Give Each Character

Expedition Answers with Byleth

Byleth's Expedition Answers Guide

Question / Prompt	Best Response
Prompt: I've had an immense appetite since I was small, but can also go days without eating a thing.	Say you feel the same way.
Prompt: I've always had strange dreams. You?	Reveal that you do too.
Prompt: I took naturally to the sword from the first moment I held one.	Share your own first sword memory.
Prompt: I hope all our allies survive this war.	Say you'll all pull through.
Prompt: You're easy to fight for. Your commands are intuitive.	Say Byleth is better.
Prompt: Jeralt's reputation took a big hit after you defeated us.	Suggest building it up again.
Prompt: We live in an age of war—but I feel like that's what I'm suited to.	Express your doubt about that.
Question: Ask about any personal news. Prompt: If you're asking how well Jeralt's band is fitting in, I'd say things are...getting better.	Be relieved.
Question: Ask about any personal news. Prompt: I can still wield a blade, so I must be fine.	Extend a challenge.
Question: Ask about dreams for the future. Prompt: I honestly have no idea. I'm not even sure if I'll take over the mercenaries or not.	Offer encouragement.
Question: Ask about memories of the past. Prompt: I remember all of our fights - you're probably the only person I've ever feared on the battlefield.	Sympathize.
Question: Ask about their dislikes. Prompt: You know, I'm not sure-though I suppose if someone were to harm my father, I could never forgive them.	End things there.
Question: Ask about their friends. Prompt: You have a different aura from my mercenary companions. It was hard to get used to at first.	Acknowledge it.
Question: Ask about their home. Prompt: I have no hometown. As far back as I can remember, I've been traveling with the mercenaries.	Be impressed.
Question: Ask about their likes. Prompt: I don't know if "like" is the right word, but I find myself helping people almost reflexively.	Commend that.
Question: Ask about their preferred fighting style. Prompt: Swordwork, as well as the sort of guerilla warfare I learned from my father.	Get competitive over it.
Question: Ask about their worries. Prompt: None of my worries would be helped by talking them out.	Be relieved.
Question: Ask what they think of you Prompt: You swore to surpass me one day, but I've not been standing still in the meantime.	Nod emphatically.
Question: Ask what they think of you Prompt: I feel that you and I are very much alike.	Agree.

Expeditions Guide: All Expedition Answers

How to Use Byleth

Tips on Using Byleth

Pros	The Divine Pulse Action Ability stops time over a wide range, rendering all enemies including commanders immobile for several seconds. The Ashen Demon Support Ability pairs well with the Awakening-boosting Abilities available to the Silverheart and Enlightened One Classes.
Cons	Comparable to Shez playstyle-wise, but lacks the ZR-dash of the Shadowflash Ability, making it harder to traverse the map. Similarity to Shez limits their potential to provide versatility.

Byleth Combos and Unique Abilities

Byleth Unique Abilities

Enlightened One Class Action

	Slams the ground in a fiery blast, then imbues your weapon with the Fire element.

Press X to deplete the Class Gauge and imbue your weapon with fire magic. The Class Gauge will fill over time.

Enlightened One Combo List

	Slices horizontally, then slams down with a Light blast.
	Slices up, then releases a Thunder explosion.
	Slices up, then creates a ring of fire ending with a burst.
	Slices up, then creates a column of Light.
	Slices down, then creates three columns of Thunder.
	Slices down, then creates a tornado of fire that carries enemies and hits them repeatedly.
Spam	Finishes the preceding slashes with a sweeping circular slash.

Is Byleth the Villain?

Byleth is Not the True Antagonist

Spoilers about the events of the game below!

Although Byleth as the Ashen Demon does kill Shez's Mercenary crew at the start of the game, Shez is easily swayed to participate in the larger plot of the war between the three kingdoms, which soon comes to dominate the plot.

If the player chooses to recruit Byleth, they will actually become an ally with surprisingly little fuss, as like Shez, Byleth is just a mercenary who needs a job. After Byleth's employment prospects are thwarted by Shez and their allies, they're happy to come along as long as it means a solid paycheck.

Story Walkthrough

Who is the Ashen Demon?

Byleth is Sothis's Vessel

The Ashen Demon, Byleth, was first introduced in Fire Emblem: Three Houses. In the game, they serve as a professor in Garreg Mach and lead one of the three houses in the monastery.

As a child, Byleth rarely shows emotions. Even after entering Garreg Mach, the professor kept a stoic face. During their mercenary days with their dad, Jeralt, they gained the epithet "Ashen Demon" because of how they kill their enemies emotionlessly.

Byleth possesses the Crest of Flames and can wield the Sword of the Creator. They are the vessel of the Goddess Sothis - a figure who talks to Byleth in their head. Byleth can use Sothis' powers to rewind time as seen in the Awakened Rivals trailer where they teleport to specific places before striking down Shez.

Fire Emblem: Three Houses Walkthrough

Is Byleth Customizable?

Choose Byleth's Gender

Players can choose on starting a New Game whether they'll go against the male or female version of Byleth. The results of this choice cannot be changed after starting the game, but it seems to have no significant effects on the story, so feel free to choose whichever you prefer.

How to Change Character Appearance

Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes Related Guides

List of All Characters

Main Characters

Protagonist	House Leaders
Shez	Edelgard	Dimitri	Claude

Characters by House

Black Eagles
Hubert	Ferdinand	Linhardt	Caspar
Bernadetta	Dorothea	Petra	Monica
Blue Lions
Dedue	Felix	Ashe	Sylvain
Mercedes	Annette	Ingrid	Rodrigue
Golden Deer
Hilda	Lorenz	Raphael	Ignatz
Lysithea	Marianne	Leonie	Holst
Ashen Wolves
Yuri	Balthus	Constance	Hapi

Other Characters

List of Characters
Seteth	Flayn	Manuela	Jeritza
Catherine	Shamir	Byleth	Jeralt

Secret Characters

All Secret Characters
Arval	Sothis	Rhea	Gatekeeper