Jump to content

Fire Emblem Three Houses: The most neurodivergent FE yet?


Corrobin
 Share

Recommended Posts

Definitely agreed with TC; there are lots of neurodivergent characters in this game. And in a rare case for this sort of game/anime media, they're typically well-handled. I've encountered a trauma survivor who strongly relates to Edelgard's characterization, an individual who went through phases of not wanting to be alive due to guilt strongly empathizing with Dimitri, someone with crippling social anxiety resonate with Bernadetta, among others. One of the many things I respect this game for.

To add a character not yet listed, Sylvain definitely suffers from depression.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 9/27/2019 at 4:44 AM, DefyingFates said:

No, it is explicitly his sense of taste that he's lost. He says so quite clearly.

Too true! And while it's played for laughs, ProZD did a skit based on this recently:

 

My bad. I figured it could've been appetite because that's a symptom of depression. 

And that video is spot-on!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 hours ago, Scoot said:

My bad. I figured it could've been appetite because that's a symptom of depression.

No harm done, glad I could help!

On 9/28/2019 at 2:57 PM, Dark Holy Elf said:

To add a character not yet listed, Sylvain definitely suffers from depression.

Can you explain this one please? I know he resents his upbringing, but I don't see how depression translates to hiding his real talents and his pseudo-misogyny.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 9/28/2019 at 12:44 AM, Sentinel07 said:

To respond to another post here, I wouldn't consider Bernadetta's actions being out of autism either as we already know her social anxiety stems from abuse more than anything else and she views stuff like reading, writing, and painting and such as safer ways of self expression since she's afraid of others (again from abuse).

I’m certainly not saying Bernie’s 100% autistic (I only have it, I’m not a psychologist and can’t diagnose these things) but I do want to point out that autism and anxiety do come together for a lot of people. Additionally, people with anxiety and autism also suffer from abuse. That said, it’s just my opinion. This is a head canon thread anyway.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I’m autistic and Linhardt is the character I identify with. He is consumed by an intellectual goal (Crest research) and can be unaware of how people react to his questions. He’s simple and honest in his conversations. His A level support conversation with Lysithea is exactly like something I would do. I won’t spoil it but he takes something personal and emotional, then translates it to an abstract concept because that’s how he relates to the world.

If you’ve got Linhardt and Lysithea, it’s worth doing the choir practice every time with them. They both benefit from faith and their conversations are great.

I don’t see it with Felix. He goes out of his way to be cruel and condescending. It’s not just a byproduct of not understanding people.

Edited by Dillthepill
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I figure Felix is so disgusted with the ideals of chivalry and knighthood after Glenn's death and the birth of the boar that he wants to drive all of it away. Or maybe he's just afraid of losing people he cares about, so doesn't let anyone in. There's still genuine kindness in him (he goes so well with Annette).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 hours ago, DefyingFates said:

Can you explain this one please? I know he resents his upbringing, but I don't see how depression translates to hiding his real talents and his pseudo-misogyny.

There's a number of things that make me come to that conclusion.

One is that pretty much all the happiness he displays in the game is fake, which he admits to in varying degrees in a few of his supports. He's deeply unhappy but he only rarely shows it, e.g. in his support with Mercedes:

"Here's the short version-I hate Crests. Even though having one is supposed to be such a great blessing, mine has ruined everything. Miklan was heir to our house. Then I was born, and I became the heir because I had a Crest. That made my older brother jealous enough to want to kill me. And every woman in Fódlan wants to have my little Crest baby so they can join the nobility. Yeah... There you go. That's what it's like to have a Crest." (Pure text doesn't do justice to the hurt his voice conveys here. Note also that Mercedes shortly follows this up with "I feel like I'm finally seeing the real you.")

But aside from outbursts like this, the Sylvain we see most of the time is wearing a mask, cracking jokes and flirting with women as if he doesn't have a care in the world. When Dimitri (and possibly most of his friends/family) dies at Gronder on Verdant Winds/Silver Snow, what's his reaction in the monastery the month after? To make a sex joke about penetrating Fort Merceus.  It's not a healthy way to process what he's going through, and we get enough glimpses of the darkness underneath to know that it's definitely not just him not caring.

Hiding his talents is definitely an aspect of depression; he doesn't care about his life so he feels little reason to try. He's not stupid and he knows that not trying is a bad idea ("Guys like me who hate hard work and sorta get by on our wits? It all falls apart eventually. I'm smart enough to know that."), but he doesn't care.

And finally, there's his monastery line right before the final battle in Verdant Winds: "I'll still fight like I want to die because that's worked so far, and why change at this late date, right?"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, Dark Holy Elf said:

(snip)

Those are all good points and reminded me why I was sympathetic towards him for a time. I still think his hatred/ fear of women is a bit extreme, but I know that's just my personal take on it and that yes, he has been through a lot. Thanks!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 9/29/2019 at 10:35 PM, Dark Holy Elf said:

"Guys like me who hate hard work and sorta get by on our wits? It all falls apart eventually. I'm smart enough to know that."

...that hit me pretty hard. I feel that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 11 months later...

I’ve absolutely had these thoughts about especially Felix and Annette. As someone with ADHD I immediately identified with Annette. She works really hard but keeps making small little mistakes and she doesn’t know why so she works harder and harder but it keeps happening. Boom. Frustration. Another part of ADHD is rejection sensitive dysphoria. She is very aware of perceived criticism and takes things very personally very quickly. This is simply because of how her brain works. It’s really interesting to see this manifested in her supports with Felix. Since Felix very well could have Asperger’s he says exactly what he means. Annette takes this as teasing or criticism and immediately gets defensive which completely confuses Felix. I love the interactions with these characters and how they’re drawn to each other’s differences and by the end seek understanding in each’s own thought processes and communication styles. A true neurodiverse love story for the books. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...