Fire Emblem: Three Houses is probably the Nintendo Switch‘s biggest fantasy game, boasting a massive cast of well-developed characters and one of the series‘ best-realized worlds. However, what many fans may not know is that the setting of Fódlan is strongly inspired by reality. Several heroes take inspiration from mythological figures, and many locations are directly influenced by European territories, sometimes to the point of sharing their names.
Even though the game has been out for almost two years, its lore and world-building are so rich that fans are still finding new things to talk about. In the spirit of such discussions, it’s time to examine the game’s real-world influences, understand the context behind them and determine what their inclusion contributes to the epic narrative. There’s a lot to find for those willing to look, but the most interesting details concern the titular three houses themselves.
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Of all the game’s nations, the Leicester Alliance is the most obviously inspired by reality. The region is named after one of England’s oldest cities, and its settlements predate even the Roman occupation. It’s possible that the real Leicester’s association with ancient history is why the Three Houses version is closely-connected to the Agarthans, a mighty civilization that existed before modern Fódlan.
Speaking of England, Leicester’s name isn’t the only thing it takes from the region. In centuries past, the kingdom’s abundance of skilled archers was what allowed her to stand up to the military might of larger nations like France. Fittingly, the bow is also the Alliance’s weapon of choice. They have the greatest number of potential archers among the monastery’s students and the ruling family wields a bow named Failnaught, just like Sir Tristan of King Arthur’s legendary Round Table.
Fascinatingly, Tristan may not be as British as he seems. It’s been suggested that his romance with Princess Iseult, the story for which he is best-known, could have been inspired by the Persian tale of Vis and Ramin. While the question is still debated by academics, the possibility makes it an incredibly appropriate inspiration for the Alliance’s hero, Claude. After all, a big part of his story is breaking down the barriers between Fódlan and the Persia-like Almyra.
In contrast to Leicester’s English trappings, the influences for the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus are less obvious. Despite an almost-French aesthetic, given its penchant for blue and chivalry, its lore takes more cues from Ireland. The name “Faerghus” is likely derived from the mythical king of Ulster Fergus mac Róich, a man undermined by trickery and his own sexual escapades. Considering how Faerghus’ people are often undone by deception and relationship drama, it’s a darkly-appropriate name for their nation.
Faerghus’ locales are less realistically-named than the Alliance’s, often referencing mythic characters such as Ferdiad, Arianrhod and Blaiddyd. This makes sense considering the nation’s abundance of legendary relics, and the tragic lives that characters in both stories lead. Ferdiad is killed by his closest friend, the Irish hero Cú Chulainn, and Arianrhod’s life is beset with trickery and humiliation. Similarly, many of Faerghus’ students struggle with feelings of betrayal and isolation.
Blaidydd is different, being a legendary British king whose son Leir supposedly founded Leicester; providing a mythic justification for the Kingdom and Alliance’s shared history. These same legends also claim he encouraged necromancy, though historical evidence for the man’s existence is lacking. Either way, considering how much Faerghus’ hero Dimitri suffers from hallucinations of the dead, a phantom necromancer makes for another fittingly morbid namesake.
As befits the most complex nation, the Adrestian Empire is the hardest to pin down. Its characters have Germanic-sounding names, like Hubert and Edelgard, but the region is likely named for Adrasteia; a nymph or goddess charged by the titan Rhea to protect Zeus. Curiously, the name “Adrasteia” has also been conflated with Nemesis, the goddess of vengeance. These ambiguities are reflected in Three Houses through the Empire having a complicated relationship with Archbishop Rhea, and its Emperor being a rare defender of Fódlan’s Nemesis.
Adrestia’s eagle iconography and abundance of red and gold is reminiscent of ancient Rome, an empire whose collapse laid the earliest foundations for modern Europe. Similarly, Fódlan’s other nations broke away from the Empire as its power waned. However, Adrestia’s history has more in common with those other regions than it does Rome. Events such as the Insurrection of the Seven bring to mind the First Barons War, where English nobles opposed their king, and Edelgard’s revolt has parallels to rebellions such as the English Civil War and French Revolution.
Interestingly, and perhaps fittingly for a nation with so many different influences, Adrestia’s territories have no consistent naming conventions. Some have no mythic namesake at all, and those that do have, at best, contestable commonalities with their influences. Considering the Empire’s secular nature, this may have been an intentional design decision: allowing its people to be defined by their own actions instead of drawing parallels with gods and heroes from various belief systems. If so, this would make the Empire quite a unique addition to the oft-mythologized Fire Emblem world.
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