In Fire Emblem: Three Houses, the player character, Byleth, can choose to teach either the Golden Deer, the Blue Lions, or the Black Eagles. Teaching one of these three classes automatically locks the player in to certain routes. Joining the Golden Deer, for example, means that the player continues on the Verdant Wind route.
Players enjoyed Claude's expert archery and the shenanigans of his fellow classmates but found themselves in need of extra hands-on fighters and mages to round things out in battle. Many also ended up recruiting more characters not just on the merits of their abilities, but to help them survive the events of the timeskip.
10 Felix's Swordsmanship Helps On The Battlefield
Felix is a great boon to the Golden Deer if recruited. Since he's great with swordsmanship, he's a solid fighter to recruit for extra face-to-face combat. It's easy to hone his abilities in more sword-focused classes or in speedy ones like the Thief or Mercenary classes. He can additionally be an extra archer if his stats are built up enough over time. His support conversations with Golden Deer classmates such as Leonie and Lysithea are fun to watch as well.
9 Ferdinand's Cavalry Capabilities Grant Excellent Mobility
Ferdinand makes for a great extra cavalry unit. His mobility helps close the distance between the class and their enemies and take the opposition out quickly. He's one of the hardest students to recruit, since his B-support conversation doesn't happen until after the timeskip, so it'll take the player some time both to befriend him and to reach the required stats to recruit him. However, all the effort is worth it in the end considering his excellent skills. His support conversations with Golden Deer classmates Marianne, Lorenz, and Hilda are also amusing.
8 Bernadetta Makes For Another Great Archer
If the player can't grab Shamir in time, Bernadetta proves to be a handy archer for the battlefield. Her riding skills can be leveled up enough for her to qualify as a Bow Knight later in the game, giving her extra mobility to reach more enemies faster.
Her support conversations with fellow Golden Deer such as Raphael and Leonie are both entertaining and sweet to watch. Many players also just recruited her for the sake of not killing her after the timeskip, skills aside.
7 Seteth's Wyvern Riding Makes Him A Mobile Powerhouse
Seteth automatically joins the player in Chapter 12 of the Verdant Wind route, and as a Wyvern Rider, he proves to be an incredibly powerful and mobile ally. His innate power makes it easy to reach enemies and take them out quickly. Due to him being so skilled, players often use him in battles whenever they can. Seteth's support conversations with Hilda and Leonie are also funny and heartwarming overall. He's definitely good as a flying unit, especially if players cannot recruit units like Petra or Ingrid to use as flyers before the timeskip.
6 Mercedes' Healing Abilities Will Keep Everyone Alive
Mercedes' magical abilities make her a great healer and therefore a perfect addition to the Golden Deer. Her healing magic is sure to keep everyone standing, no matter how hard the battle gets. Her support conversations with Lorenz, Ignatz, and Hilda are endearing as well, and many players recruited her for her likability as much as her magical talent. Recruiting the gentle, kind Mercedes also ensures Byleth doesn't have to kill her after the timeskip.
5 Caspar Is A Handy Brawler Ready For Action
Caspar of the Black Eagles has brute strength that rivals Raphael. He's always ready for action and eager to take down enemies, but he's fairly friendly off the battlefield too.
He gets along swimmingly with Raphael in their support conversations, and his own support conversation with Hilda is fun to watch. Players recruited him for the sake of extra muscle, with the added bonus of preventing his death post-timeskip
4 Petra Can Be A Great Brawler Or A Flyer
Petra, also from the Black Eagles, is a great hand-to-hand fighter in battle, especially if players can't lock in characters like Caspar before the timeskip. She has a history of hunting back in Brigid, which translates well to her stats in any physical attacks, and she's especially proficient with axes. Some players even managed to level up her flying skills so she could ride a Wyvern and cover more ground. Support conversations with characters such as Claude and Ignatz make Petra particularly endearing.
3 Annette Can Be Versatile In Battle
Depending on what type of classes players require, Annette is a great magic user or axe user, due to her base stats translating to talent in both areas. If the player recruits her late in the game, she'll be better suited for magic-using purposes. However, if she's recruited early on, the player can guide her into being an axe-user instead.
In addition to her versatility, fans enjoyed her support conversations with Golden Deer classmates Claude, Lysithea, and Hilda.
2 Sylvain Can Be A Well-Rounded Soldier, Given Time And Patience
Sylvain can grow into a rather adept fighter. He's best suited for being a cavalier or sword-oriented class since his stats focus on a variety of weapons, including lances and axes, in addition to his skill with riding. He's one of the weaker units in the beginning but can blossom into a well-rounded ally if the player trains him enough over time.
Additionally, he's one of the easiest characters to recruit for a female Byleth since he'll ask to join automatically when the player tries recruiting him. Players who recruited him early found out that the effort was worth it in time, despite initial struggles.
1 Ingrid Is An Amazing Flyer On The Battlefield
Ingrid is an amazing choice for a flying unit in battle. Her already higher than average stats in both riding and flying means that she can either become a cavalry unit or a flying unit in the long run. Most players use her as a flying unit, and these flying skills paired with her adeptness with spears mean she can easily become a powerhouse capable of mowing down any enemies in her path. Her support conversations with Claude, Raphael, and Ignatz are fairly amusing to watch for those who recruited her in the Verdant Wind route.