Musou-style fighting gameFire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopesintroduces players to new protagonist Shez, a mysterious mercenary who teams up with the students of Garreg Mach Officer’s Academy. Shez is accompanied by Arval, a strange figure that lives inside their head.
Intriguingly, fans playing the free demo ofFire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopeswere quick to notice a potential connection between Shez and the hidden civilization Agartha, which played an antagonistic role inFire Emblem: Three Houses.It is definitely possible that Shez might have ties to this group, which has nefarious plans for Fodlan.
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Shez’s Past is Kept Mysterious
While previous protagonist Byleth had secrets in their past, notably their connection to the goddess Sothis, Shez is even more mysterious and leaves players asking even more questions. Pretty much all players know about Shez is that they are a mercenary, they are from theLeicester Alliance, and they were raised by an adoptive mother who is now dead. Compared to Byleth, who had familial connections and history through their father Jeralt, Shez immediately leaves players sifting through their minimal backstory for hidden truths.
This has left fans to wonder what happened to Shez’s birth parents, who this adoptive mother is that Shez loves but can barely remember anything about (including her name), what happened to her, and what caused Shez to become host toArval, a bizarre, powerful, and snarky force within their mind. Hopefully, the answers to these questions will be revealed in the full game. For now, fans can only theorize - some think that Shez’s adoptive mother will turn out to be Patricia, the long-lost mother of Edelgard and stepmother of Dimitri, while others think she is an exiled noble from one of the three factions or even Saint Seiros in disguise.
Arval Looks Very Agarthan
WhileSothis’s nature was kept mysterious throughout much ofFire Emblem: Three Houses,fans quickly and correctly theorized that she was connected to Seiros and the other Saints due to sharing their green hair and otherworldly appearance. Similarly, fans have begun to potentially connect Arval to Agartha, an underground society seeking to control Fodlan from the shadows. The Agarthans possess dark magic and technology far beyond that of Fodlan’s factions, even the Church of Seiros, so it is not far-fetched to think they could implant an Agarthan person or creation into Shez’s head.
Arval’s Agarthan look comes from their white hair, red eyes, and the general “scale” motif of their outfit. The Agarthans have pale skin and dark eyes due to spending so much time underground without the sun. They tend to wear white and black clothing, to contrast the bright red, blue, and yellow of the Black Eagles, Blue Lions, and Golden Deer respectively. They also wear outfits featuring a scale motif to represent theDemonic Beaststhey control and create. Although Arval claims to have no memory of the underground civilization or its people, their distinctive appearance and strange powers - including helping Shez repeatedly cheat death - definitely seem to imply otherwise.
Shez Feels a Connection to Those Who Slither
“Those who slither in the dark” is the name used for a specific group of Agarthans who have infiltrated Fodlan’s society in disguise. In the demo ofFire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes,Shez and Arval encounter four members of the group: Kronya, who attempts to kidnap Adrestian nobleMonica von Ochs, Solon, who disguises himself as Garreg Mach’s kindly librarian Tomas, Thales, who secretly rules the Empire as Lord Volkhard von Arundel, and Cleobulus, who influences the Kingdom of Faerghus’s policies as the advisor Cornelia.
Each time a member of “those who slither in the dark” is encountered in the demo, Shez notes to Arval that they have never met the person before - and yet, they seem oddly familiar. Arval agrees, stating that they feel a similar familiarity, but also insist that they have never encountered theAgarthansor anyone like them before. Ultimately, in each route, one of the major reasons Shez chooses to stay with Edelgard, Dimitri, or Claude rather than returning to the mercenary life is the hope that they will be able to learn more about “those who slither in the dark.” As Kronya, Solon, Thales, and Cleobulus all escape alive following the maps in the demo where they are fought, it is likely that they will appear again in the full game to potentially shed some light on this mystery.
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Shez’s Powers Resemble Agarthan Shapeshifting
The “Awakening” mechanic from the previousFire Emblem Warriorsgame returns, allowing characters to temporarily enter a super-powered state mid-battle. While in Awakening mode, characters' stats are increased. Shez’s version of Awakening provides a twist on the previous formula: they visibly change when in this mode, gaining glowing red hair and facial markings. Throughout the demo, several characters comment on the similarity between Shez’s Awakening ability and the shapeshifting of the Agarthans. Some even outright propose this potential connection to Shez’s face. Again, the demo leaves the source of Shez’s powers a mystery, encouraging fans to purchase and play the full game.
Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopeswill release on July 31, 2025 for the Nintendo Switch.
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