Compared to the other two houses, the Golden Deer has a mixture of commoners and nobles, presenting more diversity than the others. Fire Emblem: Three Houses feature tough choices for what house you want to go for. Unlike the Black Eagles and Blue Lions, all of the Golden Deer students can be recruited (with one minor exception), so there is really nothing to lose when getting to know the characters and unique support conversations.
The Golden Deer does feature some very popular characters like the leader himself Claude, the young prodigy Lysithea, and the fashionista heiress Hilda. What else is in store for them and the others? Here’s a look at 10 secrets you probably don’t know about the Golden Deer characters.
10 Claude Was Inspired By Unexpected Characters
These days, it’s hard to be completely original but with the right inspiration and a well-conceived concept, any character can stick out for the better. Claude had so many influences in his creation and they are derived from unlikely sources.
One of the directors, Toshiyuki Kusakihara, stated that Claude (center) was inspired by The Heroic Legend of Arslan’s Rajendra (left) and Legend of the Galactic Heroes’ Yang Wen-li (right). That works in Claude’s favor as he is of mixed blood and deals with Fodlan and Almyra’s conflicts.
9 Raphael Knows His Way Around The Kitchen
Raphael may not have the most interesting character arc in the game, but he is still a lovable and sweet guy who dedicates himself to training and eating. Sometimes, he’d rather talk about those activities than partake in studies. His love for food is evident, but scattered in a couple of his paired endings, he surprisingly becomes an outstanding chef.
In his solo ending, he returns back home to become a knight, and then retired to own the inn his grandfather and sister built while he was away and gains a reputation for being a great cook.
8 Leonie Carries Jeralt’s Legacy
Leonie is a highly motivated girl who hopes to pay back her village for giving her the opportunity to go to Garreg Mach and become a mercenary to earn money herself. She greatly looks up to Byleth’s father Jeralt due to being his apprentice. There might be times where she talks about him too much, but overall her respect for him is endearing.
After he passes away, Leonie mourns greatly, but quickly turns around and pays tribute to him by mentioning him and wearing clothes similar to his style.
7 Claude Is Based On Persian Culture
The character designers for Fire Emblem: Three Houses went out of their way to make each character diverse and stand out, which explains Claude’s unique appearance. Ever since his reveal, Claude had a distinct look that made him look foreign but familiar when he stood next to everyone else in the cast.
He borrows his designs from Persian culture for both the academy and war phase. His battalion, Immortal Corps, happens to be a reference to the Persian Immortals famously seen in Zack Snyder’s movie 300. Then there are rituals and meditations he partakes in, as referenced in his supports with Annette and Ingrid.
6 Ignatz Is Scared Of Lightning
Ignatz can be overshadowed by Claude as they both canonically use bows, but he has great potential thanks to his personal skill and other useful utilities. What makes Ignatz different in a compelling way is his passion for art and just being an overall kind person.
He also has a relatable phobia called astrapophobia (aka the fear of lightning) as it is listed in his dislikes. That would definitely help him relate to dogs, as they are also known for their fear of thunder and lightning.
5 Lorenz Could Have Turned Against The Alliance
Lorenz is either loved or hated by Fire Emblem fans, and he certainly can come off as an arrogant guy. His relationship with Claude is also complicated as he expresses disdain for him being the future leader for the Leicester Alliance.
This fits his character perfectly, especially given that he could have been turned into an enemy during Verdant Wind. Similar to Azure Moon and Silver Snow, he would have sided with the Empire.
4 Make Sure Lysithea Gets A Paired Ending
Lysithea wants to be seen as an adult and due to what she went through, it’s hard not to sympathize with her. If you recruit Lysithea in other routes or stick with her original house, she should never, at all costs, have an ending alone. The reason? If she has her own ending, she will not survive long after the war.
Due to being experimented on, she gained two crests, which gives her enhanced abilities at the cost of a shortened lifespan. If you pair her up with someone like Linhardt, he will be able to save her from this terrible fate.
3 Recruiting Hilda Was Supposed To Be Possible
One of the weirdest occurrences for the Black Eagles route is that Hilda can be recruited, but only during the Lone Moon, which is the last month before the time skip and if the player sides with Rhea.
There apparently was unused data revolving around the paired ending between her and male Byleth, meaning she was originally going to be recruitable. For currently unknown reasons, this option was ultimately cut in the final version of the game.
2 Marianne’s Horrifying Implications
Every Fire Emblem player knows that Marianne is a poor sweet soul that honestly deserves a hug. She carries the burden that her crest carries and avoids people so that she doesn’t give them any trouble. When you pick the Golden Deer house, she will eventually grow more confident, but if she is not recruited in any other route, she does not make an appearance in the war phase.
Due to her depression, fans speculate that she ends her life due to her crest causing distress to those close to her. There is another theory that she is with her adoptive father, but players can change her fate to help her survive.
1 Claude Uses A Fake Name
We love Claude for his scheming nature and willingness to make Fodlan equal for everyone. But then news broke out that we have been tricked by Claude this whole time. How did he do this? Simple: he was using a fake name this whole time.
His real name is not Claude, but actually Khalid, as confirmed in an interview done by Nintendo Dream. Director Kusakihara has mentioned that Nader, a supporting character in Verdant Wind, was supposed to call him by that name, but it got cut. Perhaps Claude will mention this in his Brave or Legendary variant in Heroes?
