Motifs in Three Houses (*Spoilers*)

[FoxyGrandpa]

In my two playthroughs of the game, I've noticed several interesting motifs shared among several characters. Here are some I found.

Familial Complications and Fulfilling Expectations: Whether it be minor or major, many characters in the game have complications between them and their family. Several characters have either different perspectives from their relatives, have lost a relative or both. Because of tensions among their family, many characters express their need to fulfill obligations or to ignore them entirely.

Characters who fill this role:

Spoiler

Loss of Family: Byleth, Edelgard, Ferdinand, Dimitri, Dedue, Felix, Ashe, Sylvain, Mercedes, Rapheal, Marianne, Catherine, Shamir, Rhea

Conflicted About Fulfilling Expectations: Bernadetta, Dimitri, Dedue (debatable), Mercedes, Ingrid, Ignatz, Seteth, Gilbert

Refusal to Fulfill Expectations: Ferdinand, Felix, Sylvain, Hilda, Marianne

Father-Daughter Complications: Seteth and Flayn, Annette and Gilbert

 

Discovery and Creation: Several characters in the game are also related to discovery in some way, whether it is to learning more about the world, or suppress elements of its existence. A handful of characters also desire to foster the creation of something new.

Characters who fill this role:

Spoiler

Research: Linhardt, Hanneman, Lysithea

Victims of Experimentation: Edelgard, Lysithea

Suppression and Manipulation of Records: Seteth, Rhea, TWSITD, Catherine

Creators of a New World and System: Claude, Edelgard, Byleth (debatable)

Troubled Love Lives: Love outside of S-rank supports is surprisingly common in three houses, and more than a handful of characters have some trouble with love. Some characters have to deal with one relationship, others have to deal with many.

Characters who fill this role:

Spoiler

Severed Relationships: Dimitri and Edelgard, Seteth, Gilbert

Improve or maintain status: Dorothea, Lorenz

Love to Benefit Family: Sylvain, Bernadetta, Ingrid

Philanderers: Sylvain, Dorothea, Manuela

Are there any motifs you found interesting in three houses? 

Edited September 4, 2019 by FoxyGrandpa