Lysithea

In retaliation for House Ordelia answering House Hrym's call for aid, the Empire gained temporary control over the family while the Alliance turned a blind eye to avoid confrontation. The Empire killed key members of House Ordelia and replaced them with Imperial officials. Some of those officials were mages of Those Who Slither in the Dark, who then imprisoned the Ordelia children and began conducting Crest experiments on them. Lysithea's parents were powerless to stop them and could only watch in horror as their children perished one by one. Lysithea alone survived the experiments and gained two Crests: a Minor Crest of Charon and a Major Crest of Gloucester. The mages were pleased at their success, but because the procedure of implanting two Crests had dramatically shortened Lysithea's lifespan, they lost interest and departed.

Due to her truncated life and the suffering her family had endured, Lysithea resolved to bring its affairs to an end. After completing her education and ensuring that her parents could live comfortably and in peace, she planned to eschew having children and dissolve House Ordelia.

If Lysithea was recruited but defeated during the Academy Phase on Classic Mode, she will pass away due to her shortened lifespan.

Fulfilling the promise the Golden Deer made five years prior, Lysithea reunites with her classmates in Chapter 13, arriving with Marianne and Raphael to rout bandits in the vicinity of Garreg Mach. After the battle, she commits herself to fighting back against the Empire alongside Byleth and Claude to seek revenge for her and her family's suffering at the hands of the Empire in the aftermath of the Hrym rebellion. She also hopes that the fall of the Empire will bring about a Fódlan where her parents can finally know peace.

With the Leicester Alliance's capture of the Great Bridge of Myrddin after Chapter 16, Lysithea returns briefly to Ordelia off-screen, convincing Count Ordelia, a key member of the pro-Imperial faction of the Alliance, to turn against the Empire, thus helping to unify the full might of the Alliance against the Empire for the coming battles. Though she fears for her parents' safety should the Empire defeat the Alliance and invade Ordelia territory, she resolves to press on her chosen path.

During Chapter 17, Lysithea notices strange masked mages dressed in black among the ranks of the Imperial Army. The evening after the battle, she approaches Byleth and Claude to inform them of her family's history with the Empire and these mysterious mages and of the blood experiments they conducted on her and her deceased relatives, warning them to be wary of these factions' alliance and their dreadful knowledge and power as Alliance forces prepare to advance deep into Imperial territory.

She learns of the existence of Those Who Slither in the Dark after the events of Chapter 20, identifying them as the ones who used her for their blood experiments and surmising that Edelgard was also one of their victims. She approaches the final battles with Those Who Slither in the Dark with particular fervor, seeking to obliterate them so that they can never again do to anyone what they did to her, her deceased relatives, and Edelgard.

If Edelgard was sided with and Lysithea was recruited, she decides to remain with her classmates, supporting Edelgard's notion of abolishing the hated Crest system (believing it to be created by the Church). She is worried about having to face Claude however, as she knows he is a good man and is simply trying to protect the Alliance.

If Lysithea has not previously been recruited, she will appear as an enemy in Chapter 14 and be killed in the battle, but it is entirely possible to save her by the arrival of the Almyran navy by defeating Claude.

If she is fought and defeated by either Byleth or Balthus, there will be the option of either recruiting her or putting her out of her misery. If spared, she thanks them for giving her a second chance, though if killed, she apologizes to her parents in her dying breath.

If the Blue Lions was chosen and Lysithea was recruited during the Academy Phase, she will join Byleth and Dimitri at Garreg Mach at the beginning of Chapter 14. She joins the Kingdom army to remove the threat the Empire poses to her parents and to Ordelia, despite her apathy toward the Kingdom and misgivings about fighting under the revenge-obsessed Dimitri, though she believes his obsession with Edelgard to be convenient for destroying the Empire as quickly as possible.

If Lysithea was not recruited during the Academy phase, she will appear alongside her allies from the Golden Deer during Chapter 17, where she may be killed during the three-way onslaught between the three houses. Claude will lament on her death if that happens, saying that she "burned too brightly, and faded too fast".

On any route aside from Crimson Flower, Lysithea's shared paralogue with Ferdinand, Retribution, will become available upon the capture of the Great Bridge of Myrddin. Ferdinand's father, Duke Aegir, is sighted in Hrym, and Lysithea will accompany Ferdinand to Hrym to ascertain the situation, as she is familiar with the territory and its history under the rule of Duke Aegir and Lord Arundel.

Lysithea's impatience is mainly attributed to the horrifying experiments she endured from Those Who Slither in the Dark who implanted a second Crest in her. While she was one of the rare survivors of the procedure, it left her with an extremely shortened lifespan, her hair losing all pigment and was given only a few years to live by Imperial Year 1180. Her desire for independence and separation from her parents is in reality to spare them from having to witness her horrifying fate.

Compared to Edelgard, Lysithea is more open about her tragic childhood, revealing it to others in a majority of her supports. Due to this, she is also able to identify Edelgard as a victim of the same mages, despite Edelgard not telling her about her childhood.

Lysithea has accepted her horrific fate, believing that she would have no place in the world. In the supports which lead to an ending that restores her lifespan, she realizes that her future is not set in stone, and resolves to fight on no matter what.

Her dual crests are a closely guarded secret and few, if any, are aware of it. She displays disdain for Crests as a whole and would rather have been born without her natural Crest. She also resents her peerage and willingly gives it up in most endings. In some endings, she is able to have her second crest removed, restoring her lifespan and living a happy ending. In others, she lives out a short, but happy and peaceful life.

Lysithea (if defeated before the timeskip in Classic Mode)

Returned to her territory after the battle of Garreg Mach, but lived a shortened life. She was unable to make the promised meeting.

Lysithea - Scholar of Misfortune

Lysithea returned home to help her parents restore their family land. Years later, when the end to their hard work was finally in sight, she relinquished House Ordelia's claim to nobility, ceding the territory to a nearby lord. Shortly thereafter, she and her family disappeared into obscurity.

Lysithea and Byleth (Verdant Wind/Silver Snow)

Byleth announced his engagement to Lysithea shortly after becoming leader of the United Kingdom of Fódlan. Before they were officially wed, she returned home, helped her father to restore Ordelia territory, and offered the land up to be governed directly by the new kingdom. Once the affairs of House Ordelia were in order, Lysithea finally married and became queen. Even without her Crests, she proved more than capable in the role, applying her great insight and intelligence toward a better Fódlan. When the rebuilding effort was complete, the couple and their children enjoyed long and peaceful lives.

Lysithea and Byleth (Crimson Flower)

Almost immediately after Byleth and Lysithea had celebrated their engagement, the struggle against those who slither in the dark began in earnest. Together they fought tirelessly to bring the war to an end so that Fódlan could have lasting peace. Afterward, they left the Imperial army for Ordelia territory, where they were officially wed. After restoring their war-torn land, the couple vanished from the public eye, along with Count Ordelia and his wife. No records remain of their lives after that, but it is rumored that they retired to a peaceful life in Derdriu, making sweets.

Lysithea and Byleth (Azure Moon)

Byleth announced his engagement to Lysithea shortly after being named archbishop of the Church of Seiros. Before they were officially wed, she returned home, helped her father to restore Ordelia territory, and offered the land up to be governed by neighboring lords. Once her parents had retired and withdrawn, Lysithea finally became the archbishop's wife. Even without her Crests, she proved more than capable of assisting him in his role, applying her great insight and intelligence toward a renewed church. When the rebuilding effort was complete, the couple and their two children enjoyed long and peaceful lives in the lively household they built together.

Lysithea and Edelgard

After the war, Edelgard and Lysithea threw themselves into the fight against those who slither in the dark. The struggle was long and arduous, but not without its benefits. With careful analysis of ancient techniques, they discovered ways to recover the years of life that had been stolen from them. Afterwards, the new Adrestian emperor and Lysithea, her trusted officer, devoted the rest of their lives to Fódlan's rule. For her counsel in instituting class reforms and ensuring the independence of the people, Lysithea came to be known as the Wisdom of the Empire. The pair of talented women ushered Fódlan into a new age of innovation and prosperity.

Lysithea and Claude

Entrusting the future of Fódlan to his friends, Claude left for Almyra to reclaim his place as heir to the throne. When he became king, he asked Lysithea to be his queen with a heart full of love, and with the hope of fostering friendly diplomatic relations with Fódlan. Due to her shortened lifespan, Lysithea declined. Claude, unable to abandon his love for her, gave up the throne to go on a quest for a means to save her. Years later, he appeared suddenly before her, claiming to have found a cure. With her trust and love to guide him, he whisked her away, across the sea. It is unknown where they went.

Lysithea and Linhardt

Though Linhardt researched vigorously for a method by which to remove the Crests from Lysithea and save her life, the war ended before he could reach any conclusions. Lysithea, deciding that she should return home to her parents, thanked Linhardt and took her leave of Garreg Mach. Not to be deterred, Linhardt set his affairs in order, renounced his noble title, and followed Lysithea to Ordelia territory to continue his research. Years later, his efforts bore fruit, and Lysithea's Crests were successfully removed. With a new future ahead of her, Lysithea, too, renounced her noble claim, and the couple married as commoners. It is said they raised a very happy family.

Lysithea and Felix (Azure Moon)

After becoming Duke Fraldarius, Felix married Lysithea, who assisted his efforts to restore both his territory and the Kingdom at large with countless insights. She became known for walking among the people, sharing with them her wisdom. After her death, Felix received a visit from a local artisan, who brought to him a cake and claimed that Lysithea had given him the recipe. Felix adored the flavor, enjoying that style of cake for the rest of his days. The people acquired a taste for it too, and Lysithea's treat became traditional in the north of Faerghus.

Lysithea and Felix (Other routes)

After the war, Felix abandoned his noble title and chose to make a living with his sword. He traveled the land, seeking battle as if he had a death wish, but his violent path came to an end when he happened upon Lysithea, who had been living in a small house in the middle of nowhere with her parents. Seeing her—condemned to live a shortened life, but smiling and making the most of every day with her family—convinced Felix that life was precious. He gave up his sword to join her, and the two spent their lives baking sweets. Lysithea's recipe became known far and wide, and the treat became a tradition for the people of that region.

Lysithea and Lorenz

As the new head of House Gloucester, Lorenz first worked to restore his own territory, and then expanded his vision to include reforms for all Fódlan. At the height of his storied political career, he announced his marriage to Lysithea. Though the only daughter of the former Count Ordelia had already renounced all claim to nobility, the people happily accepted their union. She rarely appeared in public, due to health concerns, but it is said that a great many policies credited to Lorenz were actually her ideas.

Lysithea and Raphael

Raphael returned to his hometown to serve his liege lord as a knight, and spent his spare time helping out at the inn that his family had opened during his time away. Due to his grandfather's age, he was compelled before long to give up knighthood and manage the inn full-time. Soon after that, the inn began to be frequented by Lysithea and her family, who has renounced all claim to nobility and begun a life as commoners. Lysithea found a kindred spirit in Raphael's sister, Maya, and before long, found herself helping around the place too. Eventually she was put in charge of the kitchen, where it is said she spend the rest of her days happily baking.

Lysithea and Ignatz

Lysithea returned home to help her parents restore their family land. Years later, when the end to their hard work was finally in sight, she relinquished House Ordelia's claim to nobility, and the family retreated from the public eye. In her new life as a commoner, she had a chance reunion with Ignatz, who had persuaded his family to allow him to travel the world as an artist. Lysithea became enchanted by his determination, and by the landscapes and portraits he painted of all he had seen in his travels. She offered the remainder of her short life in support of his work. It is said that Ignatz's most famous piece, Portrait of a Goddess, used Lysithea's face as a reference.

Lysithea and Hanneman

After the war, Lysithea returned to her parents in Ordelia territory. She was joined by Hanneman, and together the two worked to research a method by which to extend her lifespan. Some years later, their efforts bore fruit, and they devised a procedure to remove her Crests. Afterward, Lysithea renounced her noble claim and continued to assist Hanneman with his research. When he passed, she took up his mantle, and by the great discoveries she made, came to be called the Golden Child of Crestology.

Lysithea and Cyril

Lysithea returned home to help her parents restore their family land. Years later, when their work was at an end, she journeyed to Garreg Mach to inform the church of her decision to relinquish House Ordelia's claim to nobility. There she encountered Cyril, who had since graduated from the Officers Academy and joined the Knights of Seiros. During their reunion, Cyril confessed his love to Lysithea and asked her to marry him. She declined, at first, due to her shortened lifespan, but in the face of Cyril's insistence, she chose to spend what days she had remaining together with him. Where they went is unknown, but it is said that, for however long it lasted, they were happy.

Lysithea and Balthus

Balthus accompanied Lysithea home to help her parents restore their family land, securing the aid of his younger brother, who happened to be lord of a nearby domain. Years later, when the end to their hard work was finally in sight, Lysithea relinquished House Ordelia's claim to nobility, ceding the territory to a nearby lord. Shortly thereafter, Balthus brought her and her family to Kupala, in Fódlan's Throat. There, they fell in love and lived peaceful, happy lives blending in with the mountain folk.

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Three Houses

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Etymology[]

In Greek mythology, Lysithea was the daughter of Evenus and mother of Helenus by Zeus. Lysithea is also the name of one of Jupiter's moons. The name comes from the Greek words "lysis" ("loosening, unbinding") and "theos" ("god").

Cordelia is a feminine given name, popularly associated with the Latin word "cordis", meaning "heart". It was born by the tragic heroine of Shakespeare's King Lear. In the play, the character is initially unwilling to profess her love to her father, stating "Love, and be silent". Her two sisters who do – Goneril and Regan – are the basis of Hilda's and Claude's surnames.

Trivia[]

• Lysithea possesses two Crests: a Minor Crest of Charon, and a Major Crest of Gloucester.
  • Catherine also possesses a Major Crest of Charon, and Lorenz also possesses a Minor Crest of Gloucester.
  • Dialogues in Three Houses imply that the Crest of Gloucester was implanted in Lysithea through blood reconstruction surgery, but this is not explicitly stated.
  • Because they each share the Crest of Charon through apparent bloodline descent, it is possible that Lysithea and Catherine are distant relatives.
• Excluding Byleth, Lysithea is tied with Sylvain and Bernadetta for the highest number of support chains with 17 total.
  • However, in Lysithea and Bernadetta's case, this requires the player to purchase the Cindered Shadows DLC.
• Lysithea shares traits with Ricken and Hayato from Awakening and Fates. All three are magic users who look like children but dislike being treated as children; yet still display childish traits such as being afraid of ghosts. Additionally, they all feature blue as a color in one of their portraits, though Lysithea only features it after the time-skip.
• Lysithea uses a white color palette for her classes.
• At only 148cm (or about 4'10"), Lysithea is the shortest student during the Academy Phase.
• Excluding Byleth, Lysithea is the only non-imperial character that can form a support with Edelgard in Three Houses.
  • Edelgard is also the only female character, excluding female Byleth, that Lysithea can form an A level support with in Three Houses.
• Lysithea, Bernadetta, Mercedes, and Yuri have the most Subjects Weaknesses, with a number of four.
  • However, Lysithea loses her weakness in Sword if she gains the Budding Talent, thus removing her from this category.
• Lysithea shares her Paralogue in Three Houses with Ferdinand, but, differently from the other characters with a shared Paralogue, the two cannot support in this game. The same goes for Linhardt and Leonie, Caspar and Mercedes, and Anna and Jeritza.
  • Lysithea does share a support with Ferdinand in Three Hopes, but they do not share a Paralogue.
• Lysithea's A support with Byleth is the last to unlock during Verdant Wind, being unavailable until the beginning of Chapter 18.
• In the base versions of the game, Lysithea incorrectly states to Byleth and Claude during the event "Mysterious Figures" in Verdant Wind route and to Byleth during their A support conversation on the other routes that the Hrym Rebellion happened 13 years before the events of Part 2. In Update 1.2.0, this dialogue was corrected to indicate that the Hrym Rebellion happened 18 years before the events of Part 2.
• Lysithea is one of the few characters to have a canonical Master Class when encountered as an enemy, that being the Gremory. She shares this distinction with Caspar, Sylvain, Ingrid, Seteth and Cyril.
• Lysithea has the most disliked dishes in Three Houses, with a total of 20.
• In her S-Support CG artwork, Lysithea is missing two beads in her hair. It was later fixed in the 1.1 update.
• Lysithea is one of a select few units in Three Houses who lacks hidden critical lines in the academy phase but has a set for the war phase, the others being Catherine, Shamir, and Cyril.
• In a survey conducted by Nintendo DREAM Magazine, Lysithea placed 5th with 15.9% of the vote overall and ranked 3rd with 17.8% among those who completed the game in the character popularity poll for Three Houses. The male-female vote ratio was 1:2.
• In the second survey conducted by Nintendo DREAM Magazine, Lysithea placed 9th in the character popularity poll for Three Houses. The male-female vote ratio was 1:3. She ranked 9th among those who completed the game with 131 points.
• In a survey conducted by Famitsu Magazine, Lysithea placed 2nd for females and 5th overall with 1,008 votes in the character popularity poll for Three Houses. She also placed 5th among S-Supports chosen in the first playthrough with 220 votes.
• In the third survey conducted by Nintendo DREAM Magazine, Lysithea placed 14th in the character popularity poll for Three Houses. The male-female vote ratio was 1:3. She ranked 14th among those who completed the game with 91 points.
• In the fourth survey conducted by Nintendo DREAM Magazine, Lysithea placed 13th in the character popularity poll for Three Houses. The male-female vote ratio was 1:4. She ranked 13th among those who completed the game with 46 points.
• In the fifth survey conducted by Nintendo DREAM Magazine, Lysithea placed 10th in the character popularity poll for Three Houses. The male-female vote ratio was 1:4. She ranked 10th among those who completed the game with 9.1% of the vote.
• At the end of the February 1st, 2020 Feh Channel, a beta chibi sprite of Lysithea made a cameo appearance. This happened 1 month and 4 days before she got added into Heroes.
• Lysithea became the first non-Lord Golden Deer to win a Choose Your Legends ballot, coming in second among female characters and fifth overall in 2020.
  • Her appearance as a Brave Hero was based on the Gremory class. Lysithea does not have a unique battle model as a Gremory in Three Houses, and so her outfit was instead based on her appearance in Fire Emblem 0 (Cipher) with a few alterations.

Gallery[]

See main article: Lysithea/Gallery.