Who should have betrayed their faction?

[haarhaarhaar]

(general spoiler alert)

I'm pretty completionist about games so I tend to recruit whoever I can, but replaying CF reminded me how strange it would be for some characters to stick with the Empire after everything goes south. So I wanted to know what people thought about this, because there are certainly a few cases that could swing different ways (and might be controversial).

For clarity's sake I'm gonna list the characters in each faction below - the list is based on who you fight in which route presuming Byleth was a complete potato in Part 1. The idea behind this is to attempt to remove Byleth as a factor affecting anyone's loyalty.

Adrestia: Edelgard, Hubert, Ferdinand, Dorothea, Petra, Bernadetta, Caspar, Linhardt, Jeritza, Manuela, Hanneman, Constance

Faerghus: Dimitri, Dedue, Felix, Ingrid, Sylvain, Ashe, Annette, Mercedes, Gilbert, Hapi*

Leicester: Claude, Hilda, Lorenz, Raphael, Ignatz, Leonie, Lysithea, Balthus

Church: Seteth, Flayn, Alois, Shamir, Catherine, Cyril

Unaffiliated**: Marianne, Yuri, Anna

*I don't count the Ashen Wolves as their own faction because they don't stick together in Part 2 - I don't know if Hapi actually would join Faerghus though because I'm not sure whether she would be motivated to fight for the Kingdom or anyone.

**I'm pretty sure these three characters feel little to no loyalty to any faction. I haven't included Marianne with Leicester because she only reappears in Part 2 when Byleth chooses the Golden Deer.

(I also haven't included NPCs, but am happy for people to talk about them as well - it's normally clear which faction they align to unless they're bandits)

Do people think all these characters should have sided with their country? If not, where should they have gone, and why? 

Edited May 25, 2020 by haarhaarhaar

[Hanes]

When I first played CF I was surprised that Ferdinand stuck, it seemed weird, since he was this nobility dude.

[Etrurian emperor]

For the Empire Caspar and Ferdinand von Aegir seem the obvious one. Caspar is all about justice so he wouldn't want to join an emperor out to take over the world. Caspar never seemed bothered at all by his lot in life or the system of Fodlan so he wouldn't exactly stick for Edelgard's ideals. Ferdinant has even more reason to defect. Edelgard abolished his house, his lands and his titles, pretty much all Ferdie holds dear. Out of everyone in the Black Eagles Ferdinant seems the one who would be the most loyal to fodlan's systems of governance. 

For the Kingdom Sylvain is a likely candidate to defect to the empire. He hates crests and their effects on Fodlan. Edelgard wants to do away with all that so he has strong reasons to go join her. A somewhat less likely candidate is Annette. She likely wouldn't join because she wants to but her uncle is an imperial crony and this she might end up defecting because house Dominique does. 

For the Alliance Lysithea and Lorenz seem likely candidates to defect. Lysithea is pretty close to Edelgard and she despises crests. Like Annette Lorenz belongs to a family of imperial cronies. If house Gloucester throws in its lot with the empire then so would he. Ignatz is somewhat of a vassal to house Gloucester so him joining could be possible too. 

Within the church Hanneman and Shamir seem likely Edelgard supporters. Shamir has a good deal of Eagle supports and she has no loyalty to the church. Hanneman is pretty clear on where his loyalties lie. He has all the reasons in the world to support Edelgard and in the Blue Lions he seems a very devoted Imperial general. 

[nepheknee]

IMO Hapi would fight for the Adrestian Empire, due to her burning hatred for the Church, Constance would fight for the Church due to her whole thing being about the nobility system, Yuri would fight for Faerghus purely because he's from the Blue Lions, and Balthus Leicester Allliance of course. Unless you have to fight them post timeskip if you don't recruit them and I just missed that since I never had a playthrough in which I didn't recruit them, in which case you may correct me.

Marianne isn't unaffiliated, it's somewhat implied she, well, died in the timeskip if you didn't choose her house for... reasons shown in her Byleth support. Or that might be just me stupidly theorizing and jumping to conclusions. Who knows.

I honestly think Sylvain and Lysithea fighting for the Empire would fit more with their ideals, though you can technically say that Lysithea does fight for the empire seeing as she can be recruited in Crimson Flower post timeskip no matter what you do, as opposed to the other post recruits needing fulfilled requirements iirc. Sylvain and Lysithea each have massive problems with the Crest system, and it makes sense they would fight on the side that's trying to destroy that rather than the side trying to keep it.

I'm not so sure about Felix, although he does loathe Dimitri I don't know if that's enough for him to switch sides to the Empire.

18 minutes ago, This boi uses Nino said:

When I first played CF I was surprised that Ferdinand stuck, it seemed weird, since he was this nobility dude.

Ferdinand says in some of his supports that it's his duty to stick with Edelgard as an advisor and to guide her when she's doing something wrong, so that's probably why, among some other reasons I'm most likely forgetting.

[Icelerate]

1 minute ago, Etrurian emperor said:

For the Kingdom Sylvain is a likely candidate to defect to the empire. He hates crests and their effects on Fodlan. Edelgard wants to do away with all that so he has strong reasons to go join her. A somewhat less likely candidate is Annette. She likely wouldn't join because she wants to but her uncle is an imperial crony and this she might end up defecting because house Dominique does. 

 

Would Edelgard being an attractive girl also be a reason for Sylvain to join the Empire? 

Edited May 25, 2020 by Icelerate

[Etrurian emperor]

Just now, Icelerate said:

Would Edelgard being an attractive girl also be a reason for Sylvain to join the Empire? 

Its Sylvain so yup. Though I imagine he might be intimidated by her and thus prevent himself from flirting with her. 

[Darkmoon6789]

13 minutes ago, Etrurian emperor said:

Its Sylvain so yup. Though I imagine he might be intimidated by her and thus prevent himself from flirting with her. 

I kind of wonder what would happen if Sylvain actually tried to fit on Edelgard. The crest babies angle would be hilariously disastrous, considering Edelgard's view crests. But if Sylvain really opened up about what he really thought of the crest system and how he hated how girls only wanted him because of his crest. I think they might actually get along. It is just that Edelgard without Byleth is incredibly close off the people and it would be difficult for her to come out of her shell. 

One character I always thought it would make sense if he joined Edelgard would be Ashe. His stepfather was executed by the churches for a crime he didn't commit, and his stepfather, Lord Lonato was killed by the church in turn. He is more than enough reasons to hate them. I always found it strange that you never did take Lonato's side or consider that he might have been in the right.

Lysithea, I think, would join Edelgard if she knew that Edelgard went through the same type of experimentation she did and that this is the reason she started the war.

I am not sure why Ferdinand sticks around, but I'm glad he did. Considering his advice is invaluable. Some dialogue seems to suggest he might have a thing for Edelgard. Especially when he is killed in verdant wind and azure moon. He essentially makes a reference to trying to prove himself to Edelgard to win her affections, but them only having eyes for Byleth.

[Etrurian emperor]

8 minutes ago, Darkmoon6789 said:

I kind of wonder what would happen if Sylvain actually tried to fit on Edelgard. The crest babies angle would be hilariously disastrous, considering Edelgard's view crests. But if Sylvain really opened up about what he really thought of the crest system and how he hated how girls only wanted him because of his crest. I think they might actually get along. It is just that Edelgard without Byleth is incredibly close off the people and it would be difficult for her to come out of her shell. 

I suspect Hubert would arrange an um....''accident'' almost immediately after the flirt happened. I also suspect Sylvain could probably guess that much. 

[Michelaar]

44 minutes ago, Evalko said:

I'm not so sure about Felix, although he does loathe Dimitri I don't know if that's enough for him to switch sides to the Empire.

I don't think he loathes him at all. He noticed Dimitri was going down a dark path earlier than anyone, and of course, had disdain for such a path, as it was a bloody battle that caused his brother's death. ''A true friend is one who can tell you when you've messed up.'' That's my take on it anyway.

[vanguard333]

34 minutes ago, Darkmoon6789 said:

I kind of wonder what would happen if Sylvain actually tried to fit on Edelgard. The crest babies angle would be hilariously disastrous, considering Edelgard's view crests. But if Sylvain really opened up about what he really thought of the crest system and how he hated how girls only wanted him because of his crest. I think they might actually get along. It is just that Edelgard without Byleth is incredibly close off the people and it would be difficult for her to come out of her shell. 

I suspect that Edelgard would very bluntly shoot him down, and Hubert would come along, glare at Sylvain, and ask Edelgard, "Lady Edelgard; there you are. Is there anything troubling you; anything you might need me to take care of?" and Sylvain would back away slowly as if he were trying to get away from an angry bear. 

I think Sylvain probably wouldn't use the Crest Babies angle; he'd probably find out about how previous emperors had lots of lovers out of a need for heirs and suggest that Edelgard do the same. It would fall flat for a number of reasons; one of them being that Edelgard has no intention of ever selecting an heir from among any children she may have in the future. 

 

Anyway, Leonie could side either way; if she first finds out about Jeralt's Journal, then she'd likely side with Edelgard. However, if she first found out about Edelgard working with TWSITD, then she'd side against Edelgard. 

[Sir Gerwald of Vallora]

Without Byleth, I'm not sure if Bernadetta would even bother siding with anyone. She would probably just run away and hide during the conflict, similar to how Marriane vanishes. 

Spoiler

Yes, I understand that she appears as an enemy if she was not recruited prior. This is hypothetical.

 

[Vitezen]

Sylvain might agree with Edelgard's goal, but I don't think he'd be willing to betray his friends to do it. All of the Blue Lions seem close-knit, and I actually can't see them leaving, except maybe Mercedes joining Jeritza. Characters like Marianne or Lysithea can defect because they don't have strong relationships with others. Sylvain has plenty of friends that he'd have to be okay with fighting against, and I don't believe he would do it.

[Darkmoon6789]

1 hour ago, vanguard333 said:

I suspect that Edelgard would very bluntly shoot him down, and Hubert would come along, glare at Sylvain, and ask Edelgard, "Lady Edelgard; there you are. Is there anything troubling you; anything you might need me to take care of?" and Sylvain would back away slowly as if he were trying to get away from an angry bear. 

I think Sylvain probably wouldn't use the Crest Babies angle; he'd probably find out about how previous emperors had lots of lovers out of a need for heirs and suggest that Edelgard do the same. It would fall flat for a number of reasons; one of them being that Edelgard has no intention of ever selecting an heir from among any children she may have in the future. 

 

Anyway, Leonie could side either way; if she first finds out about Jeralt's Journal, then she'd likely side with Edelgard. However, if she first found out about Edelgard working with TWSITD, then she'd side against Edelgard. 

Hubert would be a hazzle when trying to flirt with Edelgard. 

Yet, I would consider the risks worth it. Edelgard is a girl like no other. I think the best way to her heart would be to simply be there for her in her time of need. Try to be a person she feels she can confide in. Listening is more effective than any lame pick up line in getting someone to like you

[haarhaarhaar]

I mean the fact that Edelgard and Sylvain have no support (and the only other girl amongst the students Sylvain doesn't support with is Petra) might suggest that Sylvain isn't interested - Edelgard is one of the only women in the game actually above him in station, so wouldn't be the type of person his faux-misogyny is directed at.

[vanguard333]

6 minutes ago, haarhaarhaar said:

I mean the fact that Edelgard and Sylvain have no support (and the only other girl amongst the students Sylvain doesn't support with is Petra) might suggest that Sylvain isn't interested - Edelgard is one of the only women in the game actually above him in station, so wouldn't be the type of person his faux-misogyny is directed at.

That's a good point. That said; why does he also have no support with Petra? She isn't in a position above him after all (please don't take that sentence out of context!) Now I'm imagining what Sylvain trying to flirt with Petra would look like; probably him using a lot of lines and innuendoes that Petra naturally doesn't understand at all. 

 

13 minutes ago, Darkmoon6789 said:

Hubert would be a hassle when trying to flirt with Edelgard. 

Yet, I would consider the risks worth it. Edelgard is a girl like no other. I think the best way to her heart would be to simply be there for her in her time of need. Try to be a person she feels she can confide in. Listening is more effective than any lame pick up line in getting someone to like you

"Hassle" would probably be an understatement. That said, it's implied in Crimson Flower that, post-timeskip, he sort-of ships Byleth and Edelgard (likely for reasons involving emotional support), so it's not a guaranteed death sentence so long as the flirter does exactly what you're suggesting. 

 

Anyway, back to the topic, Linhardt hates fighting and blood, so, while I don't see him defecting, I can see him leaving the battlefield entirely, with only something like wanting to protect Caspar being reason to come back. 

[Darkmoon6789]

52 minutes ago, vanguard333 said:

That's a good point. That said; why does he also have no support with Petra? She isn't in a position above him after all (please don't take that sentence out of context!) Now I'm imagining what Sylvain trying to flirt with Petra would look like; probably him using a lot of lines and innuendoes that Petra naturally doesn't understand at all. 

 

"Hassle" would probably be an understatement. That said, it's implied in Crimson Flower that, post-timeskip, he sort-of ships Byleth and Edelgard (likely for reasons involving emotional support), so it's not a guaranteed death sentence so long as the flirter does exactly what you're suggesting. 

 

Anyway, back to the topic, Linhardt hates fighting and blood, so, while I don't see him defecting, I can see him leaving the battlefield entirely, with only something like wanting to protect Caspar being reason to come back. 

I think because Petra is also royalty and therefore above his station

[eclipse]

2 minutes ago, Darkmoon6789 said:

I think because Petra is also royalty and therefore above his station

90% sure that Petra would tell Sylvain to get lost.

[Darkmoon6789]

2 minutes ago, eclipse said:

90% sure that Petra would tell Sylvain to get lost.

Like 90 percent of all girls he tries to flirt with. To my understanding he is only ever succesful winning the heart of either Ingrid or Mercedes. Both who are  his friends in addition to being a girl.  Shows the importance of respecting women as people.

[vanguard333]

18 minutes ago, Darkmoon6789 said:

Like 90 percent of all girls he tries to flirt with. To my understanding he is only ever succesful winning the heart of either Ingrid or Mercedes. Both who are  his friends in addition to being a girl.  Shows the importance of respecting women as people.

I believe the full list is Ingrid, Mercedes and Dorothea. The thing that they have in common is that they see through his BS and get him to open up about his issues. 

[haarhaarhaar]

@Darkmoon6789 might be referring to his Lorenz supports, where it's suggested (more as a dig in fairness) that Sylvain tends to strike out, and is seen doing so at least twice.

In Petra's case, I think it might just be that she isn't from Fodlan. Not calling Sylvain a racist, but she probably doesn't appreciate the culture around Crests, or the dating game, in the same way as Fodlan women. Similarly a lot of her eventual romantic supports start out with her learning about some cultural difference, and aren't particularly flirtatious until A-rank. From Sylvain's perspective, he has no reason to interact with Petra because (like Edelgard) she falls outside the demographic of women that he feels the need to perform for. That's my take anyway.

[Dark Holy Elf]

Going by faction:

Eagles: Maybe Ferdinand. Honestly I find him credible either way: he knows of his father's crimes, so it's entirely possible he would forgive Edelgard and seek to guide her, but it's also possible he wouldn't be able to forgive her given his views on nobility.

I think anyone who says Caspar does not understand Caspar's views on justice. His view of justice is absolutely not an anti-war or anti-violence one (see his Ashe support) and he wholeheartedly believes that Edelgard's war against the church is just.

Lions: Maybe Ashe. He pretends to forgive the church for their treatment of Lonato (because really, what choice does he have?) but you can see if he's recruited on Crimson Flower that this is a lie. And of course on VW/SS, his default behaviour is to serve the anti-Lions faction of Faerghus under Rowe.

Sylvain would make a bit of sense given his ideology but unlike Ashe I just think he's too tight with the rest of his Lions friends to betray them (and he's rather visibly not happy on CF if recruited there).

Deer: Lorenz, seeing as he does so unless Byleth is present. He sees a chance for his family to become the dominant power in the Alliance by opposing Riegan.

In general, this is definitely the least unified faction ideologically, so a number of characters are at least possible, with only Hilda feeling absolutely wrong as a "betrayer". Edmund is flexible in which faction he supports and Marianne has personal admiration for Edelgard, Leonie admits to having no attachment to the Alliance, and Lysithea is happy to ally with anyone who will take down the slitherers, making her a canon supporter of either side depending on route (VW vs CF).

For the church/staff characters, all except Hanneman/Manuela definitely feel like they should side with the church, while those two feel like they would side with Edelgard, particularly Hanneman.

I haven't yet read all the wolves supports yet so I'll abstain there.

[Slyfox]

I'd argue that Ashe is an equally valid option for routes other than CF, if not more so.

Yes, Christophe was killed under a false pretense. Yes, Lonato was put down. Ashe absolutely loves his family. So joining CF because the Church can't be trusted and because they took away his family can make sense.

On the other hand, Christophe did participate in an assassination plot. Lonato brought civilians/militia into his hopeless rebellion (everyone says it's hopeless), and that's something Ashe is not okay with. The Church takes care of his two siblings after the rebellion is over. The Western Church (and by unknown extension, TWSITD), are the ones who instigated the events involving Christophe and Lonato, and the Central Church promptly deals with the corrupt members.

I don't know enough about the Ashen Wolves to know if they'd join or not (still slowly working through their supports). I think that their DLC was competent at best and the resources spent on it could have been used to flesh out other parts of Fodlan and better characters.

 

Which brings me to another point. One of the worst parts for me in Three Houses is that any of the playable characters joining Edelgard and Hubert for the Empire offensive simply isn't believable. While decent points can be made as to why, it's just not what I got out of their dialogue, supports and story presence. No one struck me as willing to plunge the entire continent into war, besides the aforementioned two.

That said, who joins who (or Byleth, specifically) in Part Two is poorly done anyway. It just further confirms what the developers said in that recent interview, they originally didn't have plans for CF. I think most of the characters must of had their personalities and whatnot set in stone at that point. I truly think CF got shafted hard in the writing and plausibility department, and that's a huge shame.

 

To those of you who love CF, I mean no offence. I'm not bothered by it's existence, I'm bothered that it could have been so much more... which is also an argument you can direct at the other routes. We really needed another year of development for this game.

Edited May 26, 2020 by Slyfox

[Mylady]

Leave Black Eagles:

Ferdinand because of his rivalry with Edelgard

Petra because she is a political hostage

Maybe Dorothea. She is neutral but would easily change sides of she is in love with someone of other house and because she  hates war, that Edelgard started. 

 

Leave Blue lions.

Sylvain, for female Byleth. Mostly played like a joke but it's canon

Mercedes for her brother in Black Eagles

Felix because of his rivalry with Dimitri 

 

Leave Golden Deer:

Lorenz because of his rivalry with Claude

Leonie to side with Byleth to honour Jeralt

Lysithea if the "winning" side is doing researches that can save her life

 

Leave church:

Shamir 

 

All characters can leave their own lords under the certain circumstances, but those are more likely to leave. 

Edited May 26, 2020 by Mylady

[Darkmoon6789]

32 minutes ago, Slyfox said:

I'd argue that Ashe is an equally valid option for routes other than CF, if not more so.

Yes, Christophe was killed under a false pretense. Yes, Lonato was put down. Ashe absolutely loves his family. So joining CF because the Church can't be trusted and because they took away his family can make sense.

On the other hand, Christophe did participate in an assassination plot. Lonato brought civilians/militia into his hopeless rebellion (everyone says it's hopeless), and that's something Ashe is not okay with. The Church takes care of his two siblings after the rebellion is over. The Western Church (and by unknown extension, TWSITD), are the ones who instigated the events involving Christophe and Lonato, and the Central Church promptly deals with the corrupt members.

I don't know enough about the Ashen Wolves to know if they'd join or not (still slowly working through their supports). I think that their DLC was competent at best, though the resources spent on it could have been used to flesh out other parts of Fodlan and better characters.

 

Which brings me to another point. One of the worst parts for me in Three Houses is that any of the playable characters joining Edelgard and Hubert for the Empire offensive simply isn't believable. While decent points can be made as to why, it's just not what I got out of their dialogue, supports and story presence. No one struck me as willing to plunge the entire continent into war, besides the aforementioned two.

That said, who joins who (or Byleth, specifically) in Part Two is poorly done anyway. It just further confirms what the developers said in that recent interview, they originally didn't have plans for CF. I think most of the characters must of had their personalities and whatnot set in stone at that point. I truly think CF got shafted hard in the writing and plausibility department, and that's a huge shame.

 

To those of you who love CF, I mean no offence. I'm not bothered by it's existence, I'm bothered that it could have been so much more... which is also an argument you can direct at the other routes. We really needed another year of development for this game.

I would respecfully disagree, as I think more than a few individuals have been significantly wronged by the crest system enough for them to support Edelgard's actions once they are clear about why she is doing what she's doing. In fact, for some people, I see very little reason not to. 

Most students of the Black Eagle house are loyal to the Empire. First and foremost, and therefore they follow its Emperor. Dorothea has a legitimate personal investment in Edelgard's cause being a commoner, Caspar's focus on justice could just as easily apply to getting justice against the church. Most of the rest are there because they are bound to be Empire in one way or another. Petra especially has been shown to be extremely loyal to Edelgard to the point that she frequently is the last person standing in the Imperial Palace guarding her throne room. I think this is because despite Brigid being a vassal state of the Empire, she is loyal to Edelgard because she has promised to make her nation independent in return for her service.

The reason most of the students would side with their respective house leaders is mostly out of loyalty to their country. But there are some cases where siding with Edelgard would actually better serve their interest in the main reason they don't is that they don't know what she is fighting for. Ultimately, I believe that Ashe would be misguided in fighting against her as it is against his own best interest and the wishes of his stepfather. No one forced Lonato to do anything and he rebelled of his own free will and those who followed him did so often their free will.  Edelgard says as much during the Lonato mission and we should know she has more insider information than anyone. There are reasons why Ashe wouldn't, but there are also reasons why he would.

Felix chose downright in disdain towards the knightly code of Faerghus as he thinks it is hypocritical due to the death of his brother. I can definitely see him create a new and different society. Plus his hatred of Dimitri makes joining Edelgard even more likely, especially once Dimitri goes off the deep end.

Lysithea shares a lot of Edelgard's experiences as she went through similar experiments. And if she knew her goal was to end such things once and for all. I believe she would be all for it. Her primary reason for opposing Edelgard is because of the Empire's connection to the people who experimented on her. She's usually unaware Edelgard is also one of their victims. 

Mercedes is one of very few people I legitimately wonder what the heck she is doing on the side of the Empire in crimson flower. The only legitimate reason I can think of is Jeritza. Faith means a lot to Mercedes, which makes her usually more likely to side with the church, I guess it depends how strong her ties is to her family. 

It is also kind of funny that the two most classic nobles in the entire game, Ferdinand and Lorenz also side with Edelgard on default. Count Gloucester sides with the Empire in a power play against house Riegan. his son coming with him due to his loyalty to his family. Ferdinand actually seemed to be one of the most loyal to Edelgard in my opinion, I guess he sees himself as a natural counterweight to Edelgard and considers his presence invaluable (which it is). 

Edited May 26, 2020 by Darkmoon6789

[Slyfox]

1 hour ago, Darkmoon6789 said:

I would respecfully disagree, as I think more than a few individuals have been significantly wronged by the crest system enough for them to support Edelgard's actions once they are clear about why she is doing what she's doing. In fact, for some people, I see very little reason not to. 

Most students of the Black Eagle house are loyal to the Empire. First and foremost, and therefore they follow its Emperor. Dorothea has a legitimate personal investment in Edelgard's cause being a commoner, Caspar's focus on justice could just as easily apply to getting justice against the church. Most of the rest are there because they are bound to be Empire in one way or another. Petra especially has been shown to be extremely loyal to Edelgard to the point that she frequently is the last person standing in the Imperial Palace guarding her throne room. I think this is because despite Brigid being a vassal state of the Empire, she is loyal to Edelgard because she has promised to make her nation independent in return for her service.

The reason most of the students would side with their respective house leaders is mostly out of loyalty to their country. But there are some cases where siding with Edelgard would actually better serve their interest in the main reason they don't is that they don't know what she is fighting for. Ultimately, I believe that Ashe would be misguided in fighting against her as it is against his own best interest and the wishes of his stepfather. No one forced Lonato to do anything and he rebelled of his own free will and those who followed him did so often their free will.  Edelgard says as much during the Lonato mission and we should know she has more insider information than anyone. There are reasons why Ashe wouldn't, but there are also reasons why he would.

Felix chose downright in disdain towards the knightly code of Faerghus as he thinks it is hypocritical due to the death of his brother. I can definitely see him create a new and different society. Plus his hatred of Dimitri makes joining Edelgard even more likely, especially once Dimitri goes off the deep end.

Lysithea shares a lot of Edelgard's experiences as she went through similar experiments. And if she knew her goal was to end such things once and for all. I believe she would be all for it. Her primary reason for opposing Edelgard is because of the Empire's connection to the people who experimented on her. She's usually unaware Edelgard is also one of their victims. 

Mercedes is one of very few people I legitimately wonder what the heck she is doing on the side of the Empire in crimson flower. The only legitimate reason I can think of is Jeritza. Faith means a lot to Mercedes, which makes her usually more likely to side with the church, I guess it depends how strong her ties is to her family. 

It is also kind of funny that the two most classic nobles in the entire game, Ferdinand and Lorenz also side with Edelgard on default. Count Gloucester sides with the Empire in a power play against house Riegan. his son coming with him due to his loyalty to his family. Ferdinand actually seemed to be one of the most loyal to Edelgard in my opinion, I guess he sees himself as a natural counterweight to Edelgard and considers his presence invaluable (which it is). 

All these are decent points.

However, take Silver Snow, which shows the Black Eagles as all horrified by Edelgard's actions, or at least worried. None of them wanted war. It's a huge disconnect from them being on the Crimson Flower side of things.

Petra is looking out for her own people, she's kind of in the same position Lorenz is in. So it's not necessarily sharing a vision and more about self preservation.

Again, Lonato was explicitly incited by the Western Church to go through with his rebellion (you could even argue manipulated). His people rallied behind him because they loved him, but no matter how noble the cause, his rebellion was futile. If he had known of Edelgard's plans, it would have been smarter to join her then. Instead he gets a bunch of his own people killed. Ashe is wise for his age and thinks before he acts, he never considered revenge in any of the routes (unless you recruit him to CF). He has good reason for joining the Empire, but I don't think that's what his character would have done without player input, based on how he handles the Lonato/Church stuff in White Clouds.

Felix is miserable in Crimson Flower. No matter how much the end result lines up with his ideals, it's certainly not the way he would have chosen.

While I don't think Lysithea is the one to want war, her reasons for joining Edelgard have a bit more weight to them than most other characters, I'll give her that.

Ferdinand is more about being noble of spirit, and less of being noble of station. I can't see him condoning warfare either.

Lorenz would join, though not by choice. Whether or not because it's simply what his father wanted, Gloucester territory is ill placed should they suffer the Empire's wrath.

Some characters would have to be rewritten to justify their inclusion, or better yet, we could have focused on some other characters instead of just the students and faculty/church. People like Ladislava or Randolph would have been prime candidates. It kinda of boils down to the fact that most people that can join CF are different versions of Claude. They want change and have similar ideals, but aren't willing to go about it to the extent that Edelgard does.

Long story short, while Edelgard is one of my favorite characters in the game, I just can't see most other playable characters joining her as natural.

 

I'm not saying you are wrong, I just think the developers did not do enough work fleshing out their characters enough to join Crimson Flower. Regardless, it's all a moot point because we can do whatever we want and believe whatever we want. They allow for that in the game. I just think it could have been done better.

Edited May 26, 2020 by Slyfox