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Which route of Fire Emblem: Three Houses do you feel is the most canon? (OPEN SPOILERS)

Which route of Fire Emblem: Three Houses do you feel is the most canon?

  • Crimson Flower (Edelgard)

    Votes: 318 43.9%

  • Silver Snow (Rhea)

    Votes: 72 9.9%

  • Verdant Wind (Claude)

    Votes: 217 29.9%

  • Azure Moon (Dimitri)

    Votes: 118 16.3%
  • Total voters
    725

Deleted member 17627

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
5,364
Just finished the Crimson Flower path of Three Houses and this one really feels like it addresses so much with the game: The Church of Seiros, the issues with Fodlan from the privilege of crests to political powers, to Byleth being free of her crest, and even taking down Those Who Slither in the Dark after the war" (albeit it was just mentioned in the epilogue and felt so rushed? Given how short Crimson Flower is to begin with I feel like it would've been much more conclusive if we actually saw them get taken down).

Verdant Wind is a close second, but I feel like it's just a bit -too- much focused on TWSITD despite the overall situation being resolved. And then there's Azure Moon, but instead the Adrestian Empire, and nothing feels like it -actually- gets resolved here? (TWSITD are still the baddies, but man, did Cindered Shadows make it evident that the CoS did a ton of bad stuff too). And Silver Snow....kind of feels like it follows the same narrative steps as Crimson Flower? Except there's a giant lore dump regarding Fodlan's past, and that Edelgard dies alongside Rhea, Dimitri and TWSITD (man, Silver Snow's ending felt depressing and lonely).

So which route did y'all think was canon?
 
Ultima_5

Ultima_5

Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,673
I️ think it's the one where you side with edgelord the whole time. Though I️ only played through that route and the one with the church and just read up on the other two
 
Farrac

Farrac

Member
Nov 3, 2017
2,082
Alcalá de Henares, Spain
I guess when it comes to canon things either are or are not. This is essentially a case of multiple alternate universes which are canon, so I dunno how I would answer this question really. Perhaps you should frame the question differently.

Btw, one detail about Azure Moon. Technically you do deal with TWSITD to a degree since you eliminate Lord Arundel, who's actually Thales in disguise. Maybe that's why the nukes never go off in that route.
 
Kromeo

Kromeo

Member
Oct 27, 2017
17,872
I dislike Edelgard too much to bring myself to play that route

I'm playing Blue Lions at the moment going through Golden Deer at launch, the most used characters ranking that shows up on loading screens is the least surprising thing ever...
 
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HylianSeven

HylianSeven

Shin Megami TC - Community Resetter
Member
Oct 25, 2017
19,075
Verdant Wind because it actually addressed Nemesis, the bad dude that kept getting brought up the whole game.
 
Tochtli79

Tochtli79

Member
Jun 27, 2019
5,778
Mexico City
Ah yes it's that time of the year again.

None are canon so I'll reframe this as which route do I think has the best outcome. And that's CF. The other routes don't fundamentally change Fódlan enough.
 
Kewlmyc

Kewlmyc

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
26,727
This is basically just asking what route is everyone's favorites. Crimson Flower winning is proof of that.

None of them feel the most canon. They all have things that they overlook.
 

Deleted member 511

User requested account closure
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Oct 25, 2017
3,676
I got burnt out on the game before finishing CF (I'll go back to it eventually) but the main theme song of the game is from Edelgard's POV (its Japanese title is even called Lady of Hresvelg iirc) + CF is the only route where Byleth gets their heartbeat again and you can hear the sound of a heartbeat during a certain point of Edge of Dawn so that says a lot imo.

Faiyaz said:
I mean the other routes manage to stop a mass-murdering dictator. I think that's a big change after the fact.
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lol
 
Doggg

Doggg

▲ Legend ▲
Member
Nov 17, 2017
14,468
Not the most canonical, but I think Blue Lions had the best dramatic arc.
 
Gartooth

Gartooth

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
8,440
It's either Silver Snow or Verdant Wind since they seem to best address the history of Fodlan and the most accurate telling of providing the player with answers of what led into the game's events. Crimson Flower and Azure Moon are particularly focused on the characters of Edelgard and Dimitri.
 
LinkStrikesBack

LinkStrikesBack

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 27, 2017
16,368
Any one that doesn't have you side with the insane person who demands she gets to be sole dictator instead of the previous dictator, whom steps aside in all other routes, I would presume.
 
LordHuffnPuff

LordHuffnPuff

Doctor Videogames at Allfather Productions
Verified
Oct 25, 2017
2,321
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There's no "most canon" route very obviously, but regardless of which house you choose, this is Edelgard's game. She is the prime mover of this narrative, whether you end up with or against her.
 
Nickgia

Nickgia

Member
Dec 30, 2017
2,265
Golden Deer is cannon since it deals with TWSITD, but you have to hang out with those lameos in Golden Deer.

Blue Lions is the best route.
 

Deleted member 511

User requested account closure
Banned
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Tochtli79 said:
Rhea isn't stopped in the other routes tho (and SS still has Byleth continuing her legacy)
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I like Rhea but it's wild to me how much hate Edelgard gets when Rhea murders people who 'oppose' the church and has someone on her own side (Seteth) that actively opposes what she's doing but doesn't do shit about it in the end. Also she fucking experimented on people because she has mommy issues.

Nickgia said:
Golden Deer is cannon since it deals with TWSITD, but you have to hang out with those lameos in Golden Deer.

Blue Lions is the best route.
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tenor.gif
 
Gambit

Gambit

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,177
I honestly think Edelgard's a stronger character when you don't side with her. It does not feel canon to me at all that Byleth would side with Edelgard.

The story to me is Edelgard vs Church, and Byleth leading his own force. So that leaves Dimitri and Claude as my "most canon" routes.

Of those I think Dimitri has a stronger connection to Edelgard than aloof Claude so I'll go Blue Lions.
 
Parshias

Parshias

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,600
The game's main vocal theme is from Edelgard's perspective, so there's a hint for you.
 
WestEgg

WestEgg

One Winged Slayer
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Oct 25, 2017
14,047
I'll Stan Edelgard all day, though I think Golden Deer has the most "Full Circle" plot of the 4.
 
NioA

NioA

Member
Dec 16, 2019
3,640
Verdant Wind, easily. You face everyone, the conclusion is logical and doesn't feel rushed, you face the real enemy and gives closure about all that stuff about Seiros and Nemesis. Not my favourite route, but I loved it.
 
Homura

Homura

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Aug 20, 2019
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yunbuns said:
I like Rhea but it's wild to me how much hate Edelgard gets when Rhea murders people who 'oppose' the church and has someone on her own side (Seteth) that actively opposes what she's doing but doesn't do shit about it in the end. Also she fucking experimented on people because she has mommy issues.



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There is a difference between opposing the church and literally plan a way to murder the Pope. Rhea's personal bodyguard is atheist.
Also she has NEVER experimented on people. She creates her clones and let them live their life if the experiment doesn't work.
 
Tochtli79

Tochtli79

Member
Jun 27, 2019
5,778
Mexico City
Another way to answer the OP's question is which route would a sequel most likely follow, and I'd say VW because it's the only one I think could work while leaving things ambiguous as to which route is canon. Claude is the only lord to live in all routes and his ending is the same in all of them too. It would probably be set outside Fódlan and only mention the situation there in vague terms.

yunbuns said:
I like Rhea but it's wild to me how much hate Edelgard gets when Rhea murders people who 'oppose' the church and has someone on her own side (Seteth) that actively opposes what she's doing but doesn't do shit about it in the end. Also she fucking experimented on people because she has mommy issues.
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Rhea and Edelgard are some of my favourite FE characters in the series, they're both amazingly written.
 
PlanetSmasher

PlanetSmasher

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Oct 25, 2017
115,824
yunbuns said:
I like Rhea but it's wild to me how much hate Edelgard gets when Rhea murders people who 'oppose' the church and has someone on her own side (Seteth) that actively opposes what she's doing but doesn't do shit about it in the end. Also she fucking experimented on people because she has mommy issues.
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This is why it's better to not like either of them. White Nazi and Red Nazi are both bad.
 
Tathanen

Tathanen

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Oct 25, 2017
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It's got to depend on the order you play the routes, I played edelgard first so that colored my impression of her in the other routes, I imagine if she's the villain for two or three playthroughs before you play her route you would have a very different opinion of her.

I know this doesn't actually answer the thread title at all but OP definitely knew that was going to happen.
 
Common Knowledge

Common Knowledge

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Parshias said:
The game's main vocal theme is from Edelgard's perspective, so there's a hint for you.
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The game being centered on Edelgard's motivations doesn't necessarily mean her route is the "canon" one. FWIW the developers have suggested that Silver Snow is the "main" route with CF being a "what-if?" split.
 
GuEiMiRrIRoW

GuEiMiRrIRoW

Banned
Oct 28, 2017
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King of Dreamland said:
Just finished the Crimson Flower path of Three Houses and this one really feels like it addresses so much with the game: The Church of Seiros, the issues with Fodlan from the privilege of crests to political powers, to Byleth being free of her crest, and even taking down Those Who Slither in the Dark after the war" (albeit it was just mentioned in the epilogue and felt so rushed? Given how short Crimson Flower is to begin with I feel like it would've been much more conclusive if we actually saw them get taken down).

Verdant Wind is a close second, but I feel like it's just a bit -too- much focused on TWSITD despite the overall situation being resolved. And then there's Azure Moon, but instead the Adrestian Empire, and nothing feels like it -actually- gets resolved here? (TWSITD are still the baddies, but man, did Cindered Shadows make it evident that the CoS did a ton of bad stuff too). And Silver Snow....kind of feels like it follows the same narrative steps as Crimson Flower? Except there's a giant lore dump regarding Fodlan's past, and that Edelgard dies alongside Rhea, Dimitri and TWSITD (man, Silver Snow's ending felt depressing and lonely).

So which route did y'all think was canon?
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the canonized one would be eldegard plus the silver snow epilogue content. It feels this was the true scenario, but they decided to cut it in two stories so blue and yellow would not feel so dumb.
 
Morlas

Morlas

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Oct 25, 2017
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There is no most canon route. Edelgard for life though.
 
Asbsand

Asbsand

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I will never understand the obsession with "canon".

You have a game that offers 3 (4) seperate storylines with legitimate character arcs and entertainment, but you want only one of them to be "the real one", for reason I really can't understand, and that goes for fans for any franchise. What does it add to your enjoyment if only one version of possible multiple versions "counts"??

I thought we ditched the whole Zelda Timeline enthusiasm part of humanity when Breath of the Wild came out.
 
PlanetSmasher

PlanetSmasher

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Asbsand said:
I will never understand the obsession with "canon".

You have a game that offers 3 (4) seperate storylines with legitimate character arcs and entertainment, but you want only one of them to be "the real one", for reason I really can't understand, and that goes for fans for any franchise. What does it add to your enjoyment if only one version of possible multiple versions "counts"??
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People like to feel like the path they picked is "right", basically.
 
Viale

Viale

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Oct 25, 2017
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Verdant wind(and likely silver snow since they're similar) isn't my favorite but it distinctly felt the most canon of the bunch. Those who say edelgard crack me up. Those who slither in the dark is an epilogue foot note in that arc when they're clearly portrayed as big bad tier. I like it but there's no way that's the most canon one.
 
Asbsand

Asbsand

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PlanetSmasher said:
People like to feel like the path they picked is "right", basically.
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Which is just stupid. It's completely counter to the intent of having multiple versions. There is no fun in picking a camp and saying "Only my camp matters!" the entire point to me is that you compare with your friends and ask "Oh what happened in your playthrough? Really? Omg, that character died in my story!"

Obsession with singular canon is the most unimaginative disappointing reaction I know of when it comes to discussing a series.
 
Ramsay

Ramsay

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Azure Moon or Verdant Wind are probably the closest routes to being canon, though even then, no route feels definitively canon.

Though Edelgard is arguably the main character of Three Houses, she being the main character and the main antagonist isn't necessarily mutually exclusive.

It also helps that both routes feel complete in a way that the other routes do not.

PlanetSmasher said:
This is why it's better to not like either of them. White Nazi and Red Nazi are both bad.
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Eh, Edelgard's more akin to Robespierre or Napoleon than Hitler or the Nazis (comparatively left-leaning, believes in meritocracy and implements some good reforms, highly authoritarian, massive body count).

I'd also argue that Rhea's akin to Louis XVI in a sense (decent on a personal level, but unwilling, for one reason or another, to undertake the necessary reforms to avert a catastrophe).
 
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