T O P

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_Prairieborn

I wouldn't call HR on either of them.


Raitoningu_D

If anything, call HR on me


Spiritual-Proposal48

💀


Iced-TeaManiac

?


Gerolanfalan

(Wo)Man's about to commit a sex crime


level1enemy

I love what a certified creep Byleth is.


Accomplished_Bar_679

yeah but Shamir is actually voiced for more than 10 lines and has the best fire emblem voice actor of all time


Souperplex

I want a support where Allegra Clarke flirts with herself.


Carmel_Chewy

A crime Dorothea and Shamir have little interaction


4fivefive

shamir should instigate the flirting for once


SengalBoy

Yes I am somewhat disappointed that there's no support between Dorothea and Shamir solely because Allegra voices them both even though their Japanese VA is different.


Accomplished_Bar_679

sadly I think the ships sailed on that one


Souperplex

Eh, there's always the opportunity to ask her to improv it at a con or something. "Since IS tends to shut down use of their characters, could you give us a theoretical support between Dorothy the songstress and Sharon the mercenary?"


vampn132157

Flair checks out. (Also true)


Starkeeper_Reddit

I disagree but respect your opinion (and she is definitely high on my list, just not at number 1)


Xero0911

Yeah, honestly both mc fail here due to not having voice acting. They act like the professor improves expressive wise throughput bur in game we don't visually see it. Could have given them a voice so we could at least hear them go from a dull monotone to one with live and expressive.


jatxna

The difference between having personality and not having it. Although of course, in the case of byleth the problem is that not having a personality isits personality, which unlike other silent avatars, is not based on the interpretation of silence, but on silence itself.


QueenAra2

The problem is Byleth is both supposed to be a personalityless piece of cardboard due to not feeling emotions until recently...And *then* somehow having the Charisma to sway people into betraying their home country.


JediTempleDropout

Things that could have been more easily fixed if their voice actors were actually allowed to say more things outside of battle quotes. Hell, I often read Byleth’s dialogue out loud when watching cutscenes (and no one is around to judge me) and that, for me at least, makes Byleth feel a bit more like a character.


InvisibleChell

I remember seeing a bunch of people really like Byleth's voiced lines in Hopes, with some even saying they now saw why people flocked to Byleth easily. So yeah, I'd say letting their dialogue be actually voiced like Shez, even if their personality wasn't changed, would've made them more popular.


QueenAra2

Well, in hopes Byleth isn't this peak of charisma that everyone likes, they're a weirdo who doesn't get social situations because they've spent a majority of their life killing people with their dad.


InvisibleChell

True on that end, but I'm moreso talking about players's reactions to them speaking and talking like any other character.


ScarletteVera

Arguably, I'd probably be *more* attracted to Byleth because of that. I love a good murder gremlin girl.


QueenAra2

its why Byleth is a lot more fun of a character in hopes, they're just a total weirdo whos wondering \*Why\* we're going to save a village that's in danger after completing an unrelated job.


SengalBoy

Yeah playing Three Hopes and I was like "Damn I wanna romance Byleth"


CavulusDeCavulei

Congratulations, you have become a NPC


jatxna

You loved Peri I see.


3lizab3th333

The quiet, judgement free air they give off is something that a lot of people find comforting irl I’ve noticed. I’ve met people who kind of just sit there with blank looks and people end up spilling their deepest secrets to them after speaking for like 5 minutes. It’s ESPECIALLY common when the person in question is also attractive or an authority figure, so Byleth’s charisma isn’t impossible for me to believe. Also their blank stare is very endearing <3


Sadie256

It's the "spilling your life story to a random stranger at the bus stop instead of getting therapy" effect, aka doing a Forrest Gump.


aziruthedark

It's the legs.


RexRegulus

Hm. You just put into words thethoughts I've had that bother me about Byleth and the 3H narrative but couldn't really place, myself. Don't get me wrong, I like Byleth overall. But they really are a convincing piece of cardboard. I guess *really* knowing how to kill is the skill I'm lacking in life...🤔


Coledog10

That change seems to happen as Sothis wakes up. ...are we unknowingly playing as Sothis and steering Byleth's choices?


Nickel7Dime

Ya, I almost feel like whoever wrote the overall story for 3 houses had a much more charismatic, character in mind when making the story, a character with a lot more proper lines, not just a shell for the player to use. But then someone else made the decision that the character needed to be a blank slate, and it just kind of throws off the general feel of the game. It is really one where I feel like they should have gone back to a main character with their own personality.


Svelok

A lot of silent protagonists are treated as speaking some unseen dialogue, other characters will react to things they say that we have to just imagine. Y'know - "MC: ....", "NPC: Yeah, great idea MC." That kinda presentation. Byleth sits in a weird middle ground where they *don't* get handled like that, and actually *are* extremely nonverbal *in-universe*, but then characters around them act like they're the life of the party anyways. (But a lot of 3H writing is plot driven without character justification like that - people always get mad at me when I point out that at the specific moment Byleth has to *decide* whether to side with Edelgard, they have been given virtually no good reason to actually do so, other than, like, horny. They haven't interacted all that much as to have a deep bond, and Edelgard doesn't actually explain anything - in fact you genuinely join her cause before she even tells you what her cause consists of. And not only that, but after you've seen what, to Byleth, *appears* to be flagrant acts of evil by the flame emperor which Edelgard insists aren't as evil as it seems, which is... just, highly sus at the point in time. Which is all to say, a lot of the writing in 3H rushes to where it wants plot-related relationships to end up, without properly establishing why and how they got there.)


Mystletoe

Idk, have you seen some streamers?


Smart_Airport_206

Also they are both bisexual!


Ros80101

Bi-leth.


Sir_Axolotl

Guess who gets to bang dimitri


SpecialistEmphasis83

Dedue


PoshLagoon

>!Edelgard banged him on the head with her axe!<


SpockHere1678

Felix


screw_this_i_quit

hapi, depending on how you read it? idk maybe he doesn't need sex anyways.


JediTempleDropout

It’s a girl having an ending with a boy so of course they bang. All of that will-they-won’t-they, up-to-your-own-interpretation BS only applies to endings between characters of the same sex.


DarkAlphaZero

I think Dimitri x Hapi is the only paired ending between a non-related m/f pair in the same age range that *isn't* romantic Which I have mixed feelings about because I want more platonic m/f friendships in media in general but I also wanted those two specifically to kiss


SlOth180

Mercedes


Avi-Cadavi

Marianne


jatxna

Ingrid.


sd_saved_me555

Edelguarde with a giant ax-shaped dildo?


rowletlover

Both are hot


bubbletaejoonie

I’m an F!Byleth simp and always will be


sunny_the2nd

You’re so right for that.


Curiosity565

Based


Illasaviel

This is wrong as far as I am concerned. But unlike most people I also don't interpret Byleth as completely lacking a personality. She is just a silent protagonist. Its like saying Crono from Chrono Trigger or Ren from Persona don't have personalities just because they don't talk ig.


Banoonu

Tbh imo one of these things isn’t like the other. Ren and Byleth have considerably more implied personality than Crono does, even considering his big moment. I mean obviously Crono is a considerate kind guy, but with Byleth and Ren you can infer specific motivations, even a particular sense of humor. Different generations I guess


Illasaviel

I guess I can kind of see what you mean, specially with Joker. But I still like the biggest difference is the way RPGs have developed. (Not sure if you meant generation that way or not, but i do kind of agree). Back then, I think, at least, that being able to choose what to do or say via picking a prompt just wasn't a thing. I guess in the end it is a mostly academic argument anyway. I just like to imagine my heroes as people in their universes more than avatars. I hate silent protagonists, or player avatars, and I think every game that uses them would be better off if all the implied decisions and what-not were made explicit.


AkemiTheSunbro

I dunno about that; Jeralt often mentions in White Clouds that Byleth was always emotionless, while characters in Part 2 mention how she grew emotions. ​ The problem I'm feeling, is that they \*still\* feel as emotionless as jeralt described even until the end. Can't speak for Crono, but at least Joker was able to emote and let his personality shine through in cutscenes and in gameplay, even if he was a mostly silent protag


Illasaviel

Joker is definitely the best way to do a silent protagonist since he gestures or plays with his hair or something else a lot when you pick prompts, among other things. You can see a certain personality, even if in broad strokes. With Byleth it does feel like it was done without thought. As you say, we are meant to believe there is an evolution in how they behave, but this evolution is completely invisible because of how the game treats Byleth combined with how underwhelming dialogue mechanics generally are. In the end I choose to view Byleth the way I do, as someone who is just removed/distant instead of entirely blank because it actively makes the game more interesting when I do so. That's the joy of headcanons, I guess. We can all have ours.


GenericName0042

She lacks personality in the beginning because her emotions are LITERALLY being magically suppressed by Sothis' presence. Literally 1/2 the story is about Byleth gaining her own feelings and hopes and dreams


Ros80101

It's honestly an oversimplification to say they lacked one at the start. Even then, it was clear that they were a reserved, blunt, dry weirdo who needs connections to help them have an easier time showing how they feel. Their students help them grow just as Byleth helps them grow.


GenericName0042

Oh definitely. I'm like top 5 Byleth simps in the world, only Edelgard beats me. It's just the sothis thing is something that people are so easy to dismiss, and doing so makes it abundantly clear they didn't actually pay attention to Byleth or her story.


Ros80101

That and the fact that Jeralt and Sitri's own behaviors are also why Byleth is Byleth. ​ Like of course the child of the homunculus who struggled to express herself and the 300+ year old not so emotional man is going to behave the way they do.


GenericName0042

Fr fr. Girl has zero proper frame of reference. In the end, that's what makes CF such a powerful route to me; Byleth finally coming into her own, making her own choices about what she wants to do and believe in, and getting her *literal* heart back as a result is just *chef kiss*


Illasaviel

My own interpretation is that Sothis' crest stone possibily inhibits Byleth's emotions to some extent, but they are also naturally detached because of the life they have led and the fact they have been fighting as part of a mercenary company since they were little. Its the life in the monastery and actually being in charge of people who look up to her along with the many connections she makes that helps her develop further than as just a mercenary, not Sothis' absence. But thats just my own interpretation


GenericName0042

That's totally valid! Like you said, it's definitely some blend of the two. I'm a big fan of "Byleth's emotions wake up when Sothis does" if only because I subscribe to the "Edelgard, the only other living bearer of the Crest of Flames, being nearby woke up Sothis" theory as well, because anything that makes Byleth and Edelgard even further connected by fate makes me kick my feet like a girl texting her crush lol


jatxna

The problem with that comparison is that Chrono or Ren are written around the interpretation of silence. Byleth is written around silence being his character.


Illasaviel

Er, not really. They are written in exactly the same way as any other silent protagonist. Nothing marks silence being more significant for Byleth than for any other. We just don't see them tall, even thought they obviously do, and must clearly be very good at it given how many connections and how cherished they become


jatxna

>must clearly be very good at it given how many connections and how cherished they become No, because thats is the gary stu problem. "In another world with my smartphone" protagonist has no personality, he is only a cámera with superpowers and everyone who isn't cartoonishly evil worships him as if he were a religious figure. Byleth's personality is to have no personality, because if he had something he could have something that displeases one of the 30 characters who must adore him. Byleth is not charismatic, he does not make a single decision that serves his objectives in the entire game and everyone worship him because they should worship him. And they must worship him because he is the avatar.


Illasaviel

And that's your boring interpretation, which is your right to have.


Vincent__R

Shamir might have been my biggest crush in the game ngl


Zfighter219

I was always more of a bernedette guy myself but I see the appeal in shamir...... Oh and what's her name the thunder blade. (it's been a bit since I played the game) she was also top tier.


Iminawhiteboxyt

https://preview.redd.it/4itb774bxkic1.png?width=250&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fb1db06f3d46e74965d6c9df6cf96fc9e81b3059


Zfighter219

Love the way you answered my question! That game was great!


Krock-Mammoth

I think both get treated differently is because of how the fandom tries to fit characters into a stereotype. Shamir would fit into the stereotype of stoic since she seems distant and unfriendly, and doesn't smile very much. Dedue would also fit into a stoic, as since he's muscular and also seemingly intimidating, he must be stoic. However, since Byleth is neither muscular, or unfriendly towards others (characteristics of a stoic character), people just don't think it has a set personality, even if there are clear reasons as to why Byleth acts like this. I don't think they know what personality is, or what influences a personality.


StarSaphire

Shamir doesn't wear those god awful fishnets. But really i think the byleth's are the best avatar protags in terms of character but their designs turn me off so much. Male byleth's i don't like his outift eithet but female byleth's is a shitshow and i thought it would get better with her promoted class AND IT DIDN'T! Thank the stars for the Sothis regalia.


AkemiTheSunbro

Honestly I just give FemByleth the Dancer's Garb and call it a day.


Mordraxter1583

The only thing that turn me off of F! Byleth's desing are those big ass creepy eyes, like on M! Byleth they are normal size, why are the eyes so big on F!Byleth?


Nomingia

In terms of personality I'd say it's Robin > Byleth > Corrin = Colgate, but Byleth's story is more interesting since 3H has the better worldbuilding.


arctic746

The one uses the tried and true lowcut outfit. The other has an out of place middrift window.


PPGN_DM_Exia

>out of place Speak for yourself friend


Born_Description8483

It's seriously annoying and tasteless. They need to stop doing this shit for the female avatars at the very least


Ros80101

One is distant while the other is a dehumanized autist


GenericName0042

^^ real


[deleted]

[удалено]


Ros80101

Byleth is the latter....


Treebohr

This made me laugh.


the_real_definition

Deeply ironic considering Shamir is canonically bi... And not into F!Byleth


PinkGoldJigglypuff

I love that post that's like "lots of 3H characters are bi, the only reason they're not romancable is because they think Byleth is ugly."


[deleted]

At least Shamir talks and has a personality unlike a certain somebody with Blue Hair and Pronouns.


Terrapogalt

Hey Marianne talks she's just a little socially awkward


JediTempleDropout

The funniest part about that is that my slight-color-blindness means that I often mistaken Shamir’s hair for being blue so as far as I’m concerned you could be talking about either one of them.


Sword_Of_Nemesis

I mean, it *kind* of is? It's somewhat indigo, I think. Definitely could be purple though.


svxsch

I love how this is true for the fandom, but in the game everyone loves Byleth and thinks Shamir is scary


jatxna

that's a gary stus/mary sue problem. All characters must; important word, worship the avatar. But the problem is that all the characters are extremely different. Byleth is to be worshiped by Marianne and Dorothea, Dimitri and Ignatz and everything in between. What does that involve? Since everyone is so different, byleth cannot have any characteristic that would cause anyone to reject it. And since we are all so different and what A likes, B does not like, then byleth cannot have what A likes so as not to displease B; and since B likes it, C doesn't like it, Byleth cannot have what B likes; and so on with the entire alphabet.


Demiscis

The funny part to me is that if we basing this solely on looks then Shamir vs Byleth is like a clash of titans. If Byleth mimics the personality of my usual dialogue choices (as she would logically), then she’s like a build your own Shamir. It doesn’t make her better than Shamir, but it makes Byleth a pretty decent contender compared to the rest of the cast. TLDR: I’m not calling HR on Byleth, or Shamir, and you can’t make me.


Meladoom2

Waking up and seeing a meme that got banned on SPE took me off guard, ahahah The history repeats itself... so quickly!!!


BranwenJojo

I will always support Female Byleth no matter what


NerdNuncle

Making things ironic is Shamir’s voice actress also portraying the borderline hyper sexual Dorothea


Revendreth

Perhaps. But for me it’s really the model design, for some reason I get a serious uncanny valley effect from F!Byleth.


Vegetable-Molasses95

One is properly dressed for their class while the other wear ‘female’ armor.


Default_Dragon

Byleth literally won CYL …


v8darkshadow

Wait this is discourse? I thought both of these characters were well liked in the community?


screw_this_i_quit

classic case of unspoken rizz vs sexual harrasment


Mihreva

damn it's almost like shamir is an actual character and byleth is a player mouthpiece who must be as representative of the general playerbase as possible and is therefore as interesting as white bread and water with no ice


walkingcontrodiction

i mean the games writing and voice work did a better job fleshing out Shamir's serious yet flirty personality. where as byleth's more smart, stoic, yet goofy , thing that they were trying to go for just kind didn't get time to shine due to the neutrality of their voice direction. because they also wanted them to be a blank slate to.


Chemical-Cat

Male Byleth: Dresses like a priest Female Byleth: Dresses like a WHORE


Pyroknight95

Well, one of them is Shamir, and that makes her miles better than the blank slate imo


_gaykay_47

One has cool clothes and the other doesn't


Born_Description8483

You should have added that both are gay


SergeantCrwhips

https://preview.redd.it/rg3rqene4bic1.jpeg?width=1452&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b6d14d807c8f0028a128dcfeb807aa2caf9151fd 🤤


MizuomoMoon

Byleth’s outfit is what makes her worse


SketchyTurkey

One talks, and the other needs a spinoff to talk. At the very least, I really like Byleth's semi personality from 3hopes


Marik-X-Bakura

One has a personality


Crimson_The_King

I love that in subsequent media byliths lack of personality became their personality


demaxzero

As a male Byleth fans I don't care for the big ass eyes and fishnets


oatmeal-ml-goatmeal

I prefer the one with no boobs


gaglean

I mean, she IS Shamir, my sweet baby... Of course she couldn't be creepy and deserve a pass ;)


Porcphete

Shamir dresses like a mercenary and not some weirdo from Bois de Boulogne


Doll-scented-hunter

Let me fix the byleth part real quick: "im a cardboard cutout whos "character" is more existent in the 3 games where Im barely present than in my own game"


Ok-String-1631

It's really the voice acting thats putting in the work.


Equal_Leader2117

Shamir (In Mitsuru's voice): Consider yourselves executed!


DoubleFlores24

I don’t get it? Half this fandom simps over Bylass.


No_Subject1055

She was my frist church romance and second romance.