Incoming long and emotional comment: Hi everyone. Whether you just finished watching this video, or partially through and reading the comments... I just wanted to say thank you for simply just taking a gander at it. This year has been particularly hard for me - not just because of 'Rona. I got laid off from work in February and have honestly been struggling to figure out my next career move. Trying to sort out my real life, understandably, caused my passion like writing and videos to slow down. In saying that, thank you so much to all of my Patrons and stream donators who continue to support me while I figure out the next steps. Your financial contributions have been truly unreal, boss. I've been working on this video on and off for the past eleven months. One of the several reasons why it took so long was because Three Houses is uniquely different to write longform analysis on because hardly any scripts are transcribed. Unlike my other Support Science videos, I had to play and record much of the scenes myself and make inferences based on the scenes and not on the text. So, that was hard and time consuming. I also went through writer's block a ton of times throughout the year. It was really difficult to figure out what I actually wanted to write about. I REALLY like Dimitri's character, but there was so much to talk about so as to be overwhelming at times. I didn't just want to recite a timeline in this analysis. Just reciting facts that don't answer anything or don't try to persuade an audience to any one side is pretty lame. Something I absolutely love about analysis is the way you can create a story with narratives, themes and arguments. That's what Support Science is all about. It was tough to find out what I wanted this video to be. But hey... 12 000 words later, we got 'er done. There's so much more around Dimitri that I wanted to talk about, but I felt it would detract from the core discussion I had in mind - things like Cornelia's villainy (which could be its own video) and other support conversations Dimitri had that I decided that his other supports could already address. In the end, I'm really happy that I can FINALLY publish this video. What's next? I don't know! But I want to focus on scripted content moving forward. Which means more character analysis, whether shortform or longform. While that's happening, I've also been really having fun streaming every weekday. If you want to see more Support Sciences, or other scripted content from me, please subscribe! Clicking subscribe honestly shows me that this is the content you want. Please leave a like and comment as well. I'd love to read what you think of Dimitri also! Deuces. Subscribe: goo.gl/1xHJzR Patreon: www.patreon.com/GhastPatreon Twitter: twitter.com/ghaaast Instagram: instagram.com/keegandmeyer
Dimitri's my favorite Fire Emblem character. I've been playing this franchise for 10+ years, and he stole the top spot with ease. Thanks so much for making this! I'm especially excited to see the video from a fellow Dimitri fan!
Ghast your perserverance through this year with all that has happened is awesome! I am glad you are creating content that you enjoy and I am super excited to watch this video! I sincerely hope that you find what you are looking for in your career and continue to follow your passions! We will always be here to support you and your work!
It might have been slightly before hand but in the part of dimitri being an unreliable narrator i want to add that a headless doesn't usually say anything. Could still be possible that he "heard" his father say that before dying.
PTSD describes him way better than psychosis does... He's not a psycho he just has moments. I was going to make a long post saying that but you saved me..
I think we can all agree that Chris hackney voice acting is what really sold this character. Because good writing will only get you so far. This man takes Dimitri to whole other level. Honestly one of my favorite lords with Claude Leif and Ike for me.
That ending makes me wish there was a secret ending where the two DO walk out of the castle together. With every run I play I always have a fruitless hope that if I improved my support with an opposing lord at every opportunity (such as during the prologue, where you can say where your alliance lies, or after the Battle of the Eagle and Lion, where you can say which side fought well, on top of a tea party and counseling) that you could unlock such a secret epilogue where two sides joins together. You almost get to see this when you get the option to spare Claude on Crimson Flower. However I would have loved to see Claude and Byleth manage to talk sense into Dimitri during the three-house reunion clash. But that pails in comparison to wishing that Dimitri wasn't forced to end Edelgard in such a pathetic, anti-climatic way.
This is the scene where he starts to regain trust in Byleth and puts more trust in his fellow Lions. Honestly I can’t blame him for saying odd things like that, poor guy’s probably touch starved as hell. He needed a friendly hand.
Its a shame you never mentioned such a minor line but its still so impactful. Theres a random monk that will talk to you between the War phase and Redemption phase that mentioned he saw Dimitri care for an orphan and warn her of danger. It shows that even despite his distaste for the living during this time, he still cares for them, or at least enough to not want to see young children get hurt.
Huh I've played Azure Moon at least 4 times and I've never even seen that But I like that a lot. It really does show that despite him not having much care for people on the surface, the part of him that does care for and want to protect the defenseless and the weak was never really lost. Even at his darkest time.
I think it was weird when I heard you bring up Dimitri's mental health and people's criticisms of how its not realistic, because wether that's true or not a lot of really die-hard Dimitri fans I've seen, including myself, would say that his story actually helped them deal with their own trauma and issues. I think its because his story teaches us that our trauma and pain make our actions understandable, but its still up to us to look to the future, learn from it and grow as better versions of ourselves, and I think that's a really beautiful message.
Yeah it doesn't have to be super realistic, just enough for people to relate to. I have a character who goes through a similar arc to Dimitri and I hope she helps people the same way
@@maira7804 Yes! Two actually. The character I was referring to is called Morrigan. Due to past trauma she has an intense hatred of other girls and her arc through the story is learning to cooperate with them at least. Not getting over her trauma completely but just enough to finish the mission since she has to work with 8 other girls
Further evidence that they SHOULD NOT have made Divine Pulse a story element. The Turnwheel did it WAY better, and ties gameplay and story together perfectly. Divine Pulse is purely a gameplay mechanic, and implementing it in the story, specially so poorly, only ruined it as a story element.
Just one note-- I think you could have mentioned that it's Dedue's "death" that really helps push Dmitri down his path of madness, since he believes that his best bro sacrificed himself for Dmitri's sake (adding to the number of people he considers as having died /for/ him)
It would also mean that his one saving grace--saving Dedue--had been wasted because of Dimitri's own failures, incompetence, or general unworthiness. It's a brutal one-two punch
Eehh it certainly didn't help but it's clear that Edelgard's betrayal is what really pushes him that and the Professor, his last morality anchor, disappearing shortly after
What really pushes thing point forward is the fact that in CF, Dimitri isn’t all that gone thanks to Dedue being there. He is still a king capable of leading his people for the most part, while in other routes where Dedue is gone, he is just a man lusting for revenge.
When it comes to Dimitri’s redemption, I think Dedue says it best in Chapter 18. Dimitri isn’t back to normal. He isn’t suddenly cured of his mental health issues, that isn’t how it works. The Dimitri that longed for revenge was the Dimitri Dedue always knew, but now Dimitri is beginning to heal. I don’t think Dimitri ever truly completely heals, at least not during the course of the story. Gilbert, Felix, Byleth? They all play some part in Dimitri’s redemption, though very minor in Byleth’s case. But like Dimitri says in his A support with Dedue, Dedue is the one person that kept him going. Out of all of the retainers (Hubert, Dedue, and Hilda), I believe Dedue and Dimitri have the closest personal connection, though Hubert and Edelgard are a close second. Looking back, I wish the story of Azure Moon and by extension Dimitri’s redemption had been at least a little more different if Dedue’s paralogue had not been completed in the academy phase. Dedue is one of two people who play the largest part in Dimitri’s redemption, and it’s why I adore their dynamic and relationship, not just as liege and retainer, but as brothers and close friends, even if not biologically related.
psychosis is an incurable disorder but it can be coped with. he will always hear the voices of the dead (unless the fire emblem universe has antipsychotics) but he learned to live despite them. I too suffer from psychosis and have turned to violence. He could never be fully cured from his illness
I'd argue Byleth siding with him is the main reason he was able to come back. Gilbert/Felix/Rodrigue being on his side in other routes weren't enough to help him, only when you stay with him does he go through his redemption and not an early demise
just today, Fire Emblem Heroes dropped a new banner with time skip Edelgard, Claude, Dimitri, and Lysithea, and in a side story in a mode called Forging Bonds, we get direct confirmation that Dimitri indeed still hears the voices of the dead, even though this Dimitri has canonically killed Edelgard and established his rule.
@@da_big_chungus in Crimson Flower he never actually loses control in the first place, most likely because he was never as isolated and knew dedue never died. he never quite got pushed over the edge
And here I thought I was done crying about Dimitri. I thought that there couldn't possibly be more to cry about. And yet here I sit, proven wrong. No single character from any work of fiction has ever made me cry this much, running the whole spectrum from tears of sadness and despair to ones of joy and pride. Thank you for this epic of a video, I must now resume my most recent Blue Lions playthrough.
I will simply say this, playing the Blue Lions route in Three Houses was the most emotionally involving (and devastating) experience I've ever had in a video game. It was actually painful for me to see what was happening to Dimitri, because he was no longer the wonderful, kind hearted boy I once knew. I so desperately wanted him to let go of revenge and every time I heard one of his darker voice lines after killing an enemy or leveling up I was heartbroken. I began to dread the coming levels because I was worried Dimitri would do something horrible. And this is also why I was so happy when he finally let go of the hate and remembered the kindness that was always in his heart. Even better, he found it in himself to forgive Edelgard, to give her a chance. That final cutscene really says it all. She might not have taken his hand, but at least he held it out. And that's all you can really ask of a man.
Literally me playing through it right now,bits a bit comforting knowing I'm not completely crazy for how much this route and this crazy man is making me feel
I like how Dimitri has so much empathy and compassion that other people's regrets and suffering become his own, to the point where literally drive him insane. I think you did a great job analyzing that part of his personality. Even at his lowest, he's still fighting for the weak. From Yuri's freetime dialogue, we learn that common people in Faerghus treat him as a folk hero who fights the imperial soldiers and protects them from invasion. Even though I disagree with a few of your points (e.g. Byleth not being crucial to Dimitri's redemption arc/could be replaced by Felix/Dedue), it is always refreshing to see different interpretations of the same story and characters. Like you said, there are a lot more to him than what was included in the video, which just shows how deep and complex Dimitri is. Dimitri truly deserves his popularity! Thanks for putting so much thoughts and efforts documenting his journey in this video.
@@basilofgoodwishes4138 Yes, just look at how expensive his cipher cards are, and all the polls he's won. I'm glad he's loved by many! I think the devs really know what they were doing with his character in the game.
@@basilofgoodwishes4138 the devs actually said they were surprised by Dimitri's popularity. Given how hard they pushed Edelgard in marketing (though, she is the only woman lord), you could argue they had no clue whatsoever that Dimitri would outsell the other characters. Even more is in a recent interview they admitted to compromising Edelgard's and Claude's characters (changing Edelgard so you could side with her, making Claude less of a villain than they intended), meaning that Dimitri may have been the only lord that was nobody's pet character, which is probably why his is so good. His faults aren't either swept away/ignored (Edelgard in CF) or never really end up relevant (Claude), so he was allowed to flourish instead of getting "protected" from allowing to fall, self-reflect, and change. The part about his character being nobody's favorite in the writing team is just speculation, but it is true his is the only one they didn't twist to make more likeable, and by proxy ended up massively popular lol.
@@toriwork8891 Actually that is is bull. They said that they always knew Dimitri was going to be popular and get sad, when people say the other Character is an waste. Also they said that Claude was created with the idea of an Scheming Hero in mind, he was always going to be a good person, he ended up purer than initially intended.
Dimitris title in german is "erlöser" wich means saviour but had also implications of "messiah" and i think it fits both. A messiah sacrifieces themself to save others. Dimitri lived his life as king to protect the weak and to help them, but he also left his humanity behind to "save" the dead and was willing to die because of what he did
Dimitri and Byleth are the real Nemesis and Seiros. According to what he implies after Byleth fuses with Sothis. Which are messiah figures from there religion.
Cool how details are hidden in names. 'Blaiddyd' is a welsh name and is derived from the legendary King of the Britons Bladud and it literally means Wolf Lord. Dimitri is literally the lone wolf king post-timeskip and then finds his pack later on.
the way they portrayed dimitri's route is just... poetic in a way. I found myself replaying that ending cutscene with edelgard so many times. For a scene with no words, every action spoke volumes.
Having chosen Dimitri in my very first playthrough of the game, and having managed to fully enjoy it, avoiding spoilers... I can say one thing: BLUE LION FOREVER! That poor dolt didn't deserve the shit he endured...
BL was my 1st playthrough to, and I'm just in love with Dimitri. Now I'm on CF, and I'm so much not looking forward to when I have to face him and Dedue.
I like to believe Dimitri also learned the true meaning of mercy. Mercy for Edelgard, and for himself. Maybe it ties with the compassion for the living you highlight through out this analysis. Amazing job Faerghast! I really love Dimitri's character, and this doc does him justice. Long live the BL!!
Dimitri's story was loved by many people because his path was created using the "Hero's Journey" narrative template. He goes through his journey, faces tragedies & danger, loses his way then at his darkest hour meets with the "wise man" (Rodrigue & his death), reflects on his path & finally finds his way & rightful place again. Humans generally resonate with personal struggle in fiction & inspirational stories of overcoming the impossible odds. Many fans consider Blue Lions to be the best path when it comes to stroy & characters even though Blue Lions was the least chosen path (probably since most ppl chose BE the most). The developers themselves were surprised by how popular Dimitri is compared to the other 2 who were both highly popular too. There are 2 main driving forces behind Dimitri's character: empathy & justice, ironically these 2 qualities go directly against each other, that is exactly the reason for his turmoil & suffering. He feels too much for the weak, the innocent, the dead & even his enemies, but he's a soldier, in a land forged by conflict & a country that idiolizes strength, military force & vengeance, while he idiolizes peace, freedom of speech & discussion. He doesn't want vengeance but believes it is what his dead loved ones want & deserve, since it's natural to seek justice for the victims of a massacre even if it goes against his own beliefs, this is how empathy can be toxic & he learns that in his journey. He's a naive idealist who has to put these ideals to test against real war horrors. He can't rationalize or justify killing for any cause & regards all who kill no matter the reason to be monsters, even himself. He has a strong sense of justice coupled with intense empathy & that is why he demonizes criminals who kill for a "cause" because it's the only way he can bring himself to kill them, although he doesn't mind using violence himself to deal with injustice & criminals, peace through violence was his mentality in the "war phase" when we meet him after the timeskip afterall. Dimitri doesn't really change much after the timeskip from his academy days, I mean specifically "punished" Dimitri, his core motivators are still the same from before; vengeance & empathizing with the weak/innocent, he just becomes very antisocial due to years of isolation & fighting a one man hopeless guerilla war against the invading empire for 5 years. His mantra is still protecting the weak/innocent; "someone must put a stop to the cycle of the strong trampling the weak" since by logic war of aggression/conquest is the oppression of the strong over the weak. He kills the bandits who kill people for a living in chapter 13, like he did in Remire in part 1 where innocents were killed by TWSitD, yet even as punished Dimitri he still feels bad about killing enemies, you can see that after the bridge mission fighting Ladislava, just like he felt in part 1 after Lonato's death or after the rebellion suppression before the academy days when he was barely 15. He empathizes with everyone, the dead, criminals, enemies & innocents. After Rodrigue's death he never really "magically heal" he just gets over it with sheer will power, friends & people's support and soon he changes his course. Afterwards he doesn't stop hating Edelgard suddenly, he tells you how he still has much hatred for her, but he gets over it & extends a hand to her twice. He still has hatred for the people responsible for the massacre too, but this time he deals with them in a way that *he* wants & believes in not how he's expected to by his country/laws, even Gilbert was surprised that he put the convicted man in prison & not excute him, even though the confessing man was a criminal who killed/conspired against innocent people & was personally involved in killing Dimitri's loved ones, not to mention how even now he still thinks he did the right thing by participating in the massacre, but true to his words Dimitri sought discussion & peace even in the face of a hated criminal. In essence small young Dimitri before the Duscur massacre is essentially the "redeemed" Dimitri we see after chapter 17, this is who he is at his core, this is who Felix remembers him as back when they were small, the 1 he said had died in the massacre, has never really died but was burried under the weight of grief, injustice & trauma. He came a full circle from the little kid before the massacre to the academy student living only for vengeance, to the vicious war soldier, to finally the redeemed king who acts on his own ideals & beliefs through the darkest times. What I find interesting about Dimitri as well is how there are 3 different points of view about him after the timeskip in BL: the empire views him as a vicious one eyed demon, his people view him as a hero sweeping Fearghus killing off evil invaders during the war & finally how he views himself; a monster who desrves to die, his already plummeting self worth since his academy days doesn't help here either, the self depricating doesn't stop. Guilt is a huge pain when it comes to how Dimitri feels about himself, he feels guilty for anything & everything, from a small talk to killing enemies to surviving a massacre. That is why his final scene with Rodrigue is the most important scene for Dimitri's 1st few steps to heal & get his act together. Rodrigue in his dying words absolves Dimitri of his 3 biggest guilts: his guilt about surviving the tragedy of Duscur, his guilt about killing in the war & his guilt for Rodrigue's death. Rodrigue was too significant & loved to Dimitri to the point where he reevaluated all his decisions up to that point & changed the course of his life, I'd even say Rodrigue was the most important person in Dimitri's life & the only one outside of Dedue to truly understand Dimitri. He looked up to Rodrigue mainly because of how kind Rodrigue was as a person, he told Byleth how he wanted to become a man like Rodrigue one day & not even like his own father who he loves dearly. Dimitri didn't mind dying at Grondor by Fleche, but he was horrified when Rodrigue got stabbed, he cares more about rodrigue than himself. That incident was the main reason for Dimitri to break the walls he built around himself, finally break down in order to heal & did what he always wanted & believed in from that point onward. One of my favorite scenes in the game & one that portrays Dimitri's straight forward & blunt personality is his apology, he straight up apologized for his behavior, promised to do better & just... did. He didn't try to justify his behavior (which he could if he wanted), he didn't play the victim card (again he easily could), didn't scapegoat or shift the blame to anyone/group. The choice of words was good as well, he corrected himself when he said it's what he *should* do going forwad, instead he said it is what he *chooses* to do, so now we know his upcoming choices & deeds are based on his own personal ideals, beliefs & morals not anyone else, living or dead. Dimitri is a well done or a more "realistic" depiction of the usual 2 archetypes of the FE lords: Marth/seliph/Eliwood archetype & Hector/Leif/Ike archetype albeit more violent. He merges these 2 archetypes really well having the empathy & idealism of the former & the viciousness & eagerness to fight in the latter. He goes from the upright idealistic kid with PTSD issues to a vicious soldier in war 5 years later, to a human character with faults, virtues & an unforgettable past. He learned his lesson, let go of his pain, made peace with his past, chose to live in the present & became stronger. Compared to other key characters in the game such as Rhea who was mostly still tied to her past except at the very end of her S support & Edelgard who was always chained by her past in every path & let it dictate her entire life leading her to unleash her anger towards an entire continent. His final act of reaching out to Edelgard in the end even after all the war & suffering she commited is a show of true strength of character, to reach for someone you still hate & completely disagree with, try to understand her & try to co-exist even though you have the upper hand against the aggressor who started it all is truly inspirational! Dimitri at that point conquered himself, his past, the empire & became a great king! All while still suffering from all the losses & mental scars. From the start we see Dimitri suffering from self deprication, survivor's guilt, PTSD, psychosis, insomnia, headaches, violent behavior & suicidal tendencies which are all part of his character after the tragedy of Duscur. His kind heart, sensitive nature, empathetic soul & idealistic beliefs made all of that even worse than if another less sensitive person suffered through the tragedy. Sad thing is he's getting triggered again & again throughout the story, by the criminal acts in part 1 (Remire among others) & by the war in part 2. Taking all that in consideration as well as his inability to taste anything, his fear of breaking delicate objects because of his strength, all add up to make one of the most tragic heroes in a videogame & one of the best written characters in Fire Emblem. The reason why Dimitri was affected by the the tragedy of Duscur far more than Rodrigue, Felix or Ingrid is because he alone was there at the massacre & witnessed it thus the PTSD. Anyway I hope the future FE games continue to present compelling characters like Dimitri & good writing like in BL, 3 Houses in general has plenty of great characters so I hope their quality get higher in the future.
Jesus nigga give me tl:dr Also BE being the most chosen was due to marketing pushing Edelgard as the main lord despite the fact her route was an afterthought
@@emmmbern Thank you & yes the east (SK, Japan for example) liked BL/Dimitri the most in the end, while the west *chose* BE the most, but what the west liked most in the end is up in the air, ofc there's no official polls in the west.
Your comment was sincerely interesting, thank you for your analysis. I agreed with all of what you wrote. Dimitri is such a good character and it's true that his development was one of the most inspiring I have seen
@@shiroiokami5246 No problem & thanks for your nice comment. Dimitri is such an inspirational & complex character that I feel there's so much more to his writing than my comment or even the video. Hoping future FE games do the same for their lords.
additionally the way of philosophy in faergus is you are condemned for eternity if you die with regrets. In a twisted way, Dimitri's vengeance in his mind is saving the dead from eternal torment, while condemning himself to the same.
I kid you not, were Dimitri a character from some great work of literature, this could be considered a bona fide piece of literary criticism. (Whether or not video game narratives should be considered as such is an issue for another time, but I digress.) Excellent work, I enjoyed this thoroughly.
Dimitri's basically the archetypal lord that Fire Emblem's re-used time and time again. Like Marth, Seliph, and Leif, his home is invaded and he is forced into exile because of it. Like Ephraim/Eirika, he's betrayed by a good friend and that betrayal breaks him. Like Elincia (and Sigurd/Seliph really), the person who invaded their home and jumpstarted a war in order to brute-force social change on the whole continent. So basically if you want to summon Dimitri as a Fire Emblem character up in one sentence, it's "Okay, so what if you take the main lord and deconstruct them and give them PTSD?" It's a new twist on an old formula and probably why it works so well as a character drama.
That's why I love him. He's basically the perfect Lord, but if they weren't perfect. He's, Marth, but if he was not endlessly kind. He's sigurd, but without his honor. He's human, and thus fallible. And that's what makes him so great
@@kylefreeburg9353 Yeah - he's pretty unique and I was gobsmacked when I realized what was going on with him. My favorite is still Ephraim (who is all about hitting things to solve his problems until reality smacks him in the face - repeatedly - and force shim to realize otherwise) but Dimitri is just so well done and it helps that Azure Moon is pretty solid thematically too.
100% facts! Blue lord hails from a kingdom, who loses all his family/friends, his home, becomes a fugitive, betrayed by an old friend, fights the red evil empire, accompanied by a wise older man (Gilbert/Rodrigue), but this time done "realistic" by giving weight to trauma & recovery instead of writing him off as a Mary sue.
@@MaDaFaKaSsS I do take issue with this statement honestly, you cannot say that someone has suffered as much as you and thus you don’t have an excuse to feel/act the way you do. Things affect people differently and you cannot rationalise things like grief this way, it just doesn’t work that way and never will. Dimitri seeing all of his friends and family being brutally slaughtered before his eyes would be traumatic for anyone, that can’t be denied and the fact that it had such an adverse effect on his mental health while it may not have someone else’s isn’t a sign of weakness or that he should suck it up because others have suffered worse. That is an incredibly unhealthy mindset and while Dimitri’s attitude of revenge is also incredibly unhealthy, you can’t just tell someone to get over their grief because we all process it in different ways. Is Dimitri’s way morally wrong? Most probably but we see that it helped him find a reason to keep on living that he may not have found if he just decided to ‘be brave’ or ‘be like a hero’. Long story short, I don’t think it’s ever fair to say that someone doesn’t have the right to react as violently to a traumatic event as they do even if some people are just better with grief than others
I think part of the reason people empathize with Dimitri so passionately is because his route is written from a more psychological perspective with the focus being his internal struggles rather than how Claude and edelgards routes are more motivated by sociological story telling; mainly being pushed by broader social norms and their consequences so as a result I think many people never develop the same level of attachment or empathy with them as they do with dimitri. TL;DR: dimitri’s story is one of personal struggle which we as human beings have an easier time empathizing with as opposed to more abstract concepts like historical revisionism, institutional corruption as well as flaws of feudalism and the consequences it carries for the for everyone who isn’t at the top.
I'm going to be forever salty that the dimitri's talk about hearing the voices in his head going on for the rest of his life as well as his wishing to change the world in his own way is locked to his S-support with Byleth. Not everyone wants to S-support him and I feel it's such an important part of his story that it should have been more accessable. I'm also curious that you didn't bring up that once he starts recovering you can ask him if he still wants revenge, but he goes to say that revenge is something he never wanted and instead was something he felt obligated to obtain on the behalf of those that had died. But overall this was well worth taking the time to listen to, thank you for doing this ghast.
While I do agree, I also think it's important for him to mention this after the war, and there's no real way to organically do that other than the S support.
@@BlackfangDragon naw that only happen because of alternate adult alfonse was spooking Dimitri but Dimitri confirms he moved on and will no longer be what he was he a proper king now etc.
I'm not usually one to write TH-cam comments (most of the time, I assume they're not read because, y'know, that old adage about not not reading the comments and YT comment section makes that adage ring true), but watching this longform analysis, I had to take the time to jot something down because the attention to detail in this well-thought out analysis deserved it (plus writer's block is no joke). I always loved that Azure Moon never shied away from the pain it causes seeing Dimitri in his worst state post-skip (I honestly don't remember the last time a video game gave me those kinds of feels) and that even when he starts recovering it's a process like you said and he accepts that he will always hear voices but he will try his best to not let them suffocate and rule him. He is better but still changed and I also like that the game will tell you that his compassion is both his greatest asset and liability as well as the idea that you can be a nice person and a 'beast craving blood' and they're not mutually-exclusive. It's rare to see a game not deal in absolutes (then again, flawed perspectives and narratives is the whole basis for FE3H) and I think your analysis is bang-on because I agree with everything. And while I'd come to the same conclusions in my playthrough of Azure Moon, it's nice to see an argument why Byleth & Felix's approaches alone could not reach Dimitri regardless of how Dimitri seems to gravitate towards the former and agree with the latter before he shuts out everyone. Adding in Gilbert's perspective was a nice touch because I never end up getting that support chain because...well, I hate heavy armour units and not a fan of how he abandoned Annette, but that's here nor there for this particular topic. Anyway, all and all, thank you for the video! I enjoyed it a lot.
I think you did a terrific job breaking down Dimitri’s character. I personally love Dimitri as a character. I think he’s well-written, exceptionally well-acted, and his story is well executed in terms of mental illness. I can’t speak for everyone, but as someone familiar with many struggles involving mental illness and personal demons, I don’t see Dimitri’s character as problematic at all. I feel that his violent rage isn’t directly caused by his *presumed* psychosis, but by the circumstances of the war and, as you explained, his empathy for the dead overshadowing his concern for the living. I think that his S-support ending especially encapsulates a VERY important issue for many struggling with their mental health. He explains that the voices in his head have not just “gone away”. They’re still there, and he will likely have to suffer with this for all his life. His journey in overcoming his demons isn’t one of “fixing” his mental illness, but of learning to live with it and not let it consume him. I think that, compared to a lot of media portrayals of mental illness, Three Houses did a pretty great job of demonstrating the lifelong struggle and how you must learn to live with it and cope with it in order to find happiness.
In regards to Byleth forming the last push for Dimitri's turn, I'd like to believe that the words 'Live for what you believe in' are not only the reflection of Rodrigue, but the reflection of himself. As you've established, Dimitri gave that exact advice to Byleth when they lost Jeralt. To hear those words from Byleth may not only trigger the recent memory, but also an old one. With that comes the fact that 'living for what you believe in' is shown to already be an ideal of Dimitri long before he starts to lose his compassion for the living. So, Byleth would form the last push because they had the emotional connection over this 5 years ago. And here they return the favor, not by doing something major, but just reminding Dimitri of what was inside of him all this time.
I love Dimitri so much. Blue Lions is my favorite route, with my favorite characters and favorite plot. I thought I understood Dimitri, but I was so wrong. I never got far in the Gilbert Dimitri support, so I cried when I saw it for the first time here. Thank you for this video, Ghast. It was incredibly well written and organized.
I sure hope some of the VAs from 3H see this. Your Support Sciences might be the greatest content to come from the community, and I'd like for them to see how they inspire.
Blue Lions was my first route and I proudly concluded that Dimitri was the best lord in the game, and I still think that is true. Thank you Ghast, for making this video to show your love for one of FE's most interesting and cooler lords in the series.
You know what's the bad thing about playing Azure Moon? It made me reluctant to play any other routes where you have to fight Dimitri. Being Chosen as the new Brave Hero AND win the Voting Gauntlet in FEH, I say he deserved it all, and he deserves to be the next Legendary Hero, albeit as the King of Vengence.
He’s treated so dirty in the other 3 routes. I’m playing BL maddening and considering doing a GD maddening, just to finish a final BL maddening. Haven’t really played CF more than once either lol.
I have 4/5 of the Dimitris in FEH and they’re all maxed out and they all have their own pros and cons and they compliment each other really well imo. You could have a team of JUST Dimitri and they’re all really good at their own thing just as he is in 3H
The Azure Moon route is this game's magnum opus. All the devs that worked on this game should be proud of the story they created and the characters they gave us. Dimitri is one of the best protagonists we've ever seen in a FIre Emblem game.
@@kingsman5121 who would win in a fight Ike or Dimitri, both at their best. I would like to know since they are both amazing and canonically the strongest men alive in their universes
@@Wagonman-h1k in a fight Ike would win. Not only did Ike commit diecide he beat the black knight. That’s honestly a bigger feat that bodying a dragon or a god, since that usually comes down to the weapon. A duel boss like the black knight is a battle won with skill and technique. In that category I’d say Ike edges out all the other lords
@@kingsman5121 TBH I agree. And Ike did that without any crest magic or anything. Just him and his sword/hammer. Man I wish I could play his games without selling my soul
just finished watching this video, it was damn beautiful. all my thoughts on dimitri in one video, and explained so well that- truly- congratulations. i'm so glad to know dimitri is getting so much attention these days, he's a beautiful, well-written character, and my favorite lord so far, surpassing both hector and ike. my heart warms up to the thought of so many people understanding his character better thanks to this video. thank you, ghast, for this. and thank you all of the fellow blue lions for keeping me company in this comment section
As a writer, I adore when effort is taken to add symbolism to a story. The crests in Three Houses line up with the Tarot Arcana, and most characters that have a crest also display traits that correspond with that Arcana. Edelgard and Rhea have the High Priestess tarot, which represents mystery and hidden wisdom, but also secrets and deception. Dimitri's tarot is Justice, which of course represents justice, fairness, and equality, as displayed in his brighter moments as a classic Fire Emblem lord. But it also represents the spurning of those values. Timeskip Dimitri was so consumed with revenge for the dead that he temporarily rejected the justice of his people and ignored the needs and concerns of his comrades. Sorry for also making a Jojoke, but in Part 3, Justice is a Stand that manifests as a dark fog, able to puppet the bodies of the dead to torment and attack the living.
I think his arcana is actually Strength, given that Cichol looks like a scale and Blaiddyd gives you inhuman physical strength (and has lion as their symbol). Both would suit him though.
@@shirleyg171 Nope, Cichol is Seteth and Ferdinand. And the Strength arcana represents confidence and inner-strength but also vanity --which fits Ferdie to a T
36:28 This idea of using Dedue or Felix to be the story-relevant character that makes Dimitri get his act together is simply not possible in a game where those characters can perma-die before those scenes. I feel like the avatar-centric and lord-centric stories in Fire Emblem are direct consequences of the constraints that perma-death in gameplay imposes on storytelling.
@The Omen I agree pluss I think that the problem with Byleth lies in the fact that they cannot speak, but that doesn't erase the fact that they provided with AM outsiders perspective.
@The Omen In 3H I think that they were honestly too afraid to give Byleth a personality as it would have effected how we saw the lords. And even then it's more of an effect of these English version. As Byleth in the Japanese version has different dialogue with Dimitri.
In my dream scenario, there would be multiple versions of the "Live for what you believe in" scene based on who's alive and/or where support levels are, with some kind of preferred order to break ties. I think the most thematically appropriate character to confront Dimitri would be Felix, considering the depth of their relationship and the fact that Felix's father was the one to lay his life down for the prince. Some kind of order like Felix > Gilbert > Dedue > Byleth would be cool. It would be a lot of work though.
@@DelanHaar6 Felix, Gilbert, and Dedue wouldn't work thematically because there is no through line. The reason why there scene works with Byleth is because, "live for what you believe in" is what Dimitri told Byleth after their father died. Byleth then turns around and reminds Dimitri of the advice that he gave to them when they were at their lowest.
That would be amazing, but it’d probably be a bit more difficult since Marianne isn’t a part of as many cutscenes as Dimitri and really only has supports to go off of.
@@RandomPerson-ob6wm It also doesn't help that Marianne support mainly resolve around a single topic. Her growth is good but 95% of her character connects solely to her secret of her ancestry affecting her life.
I’ve been excitedly waiting for this, and it didn’t disappoint! I feel like the 3h fandom has a tendency to dive so deep into headcanon that people forget what the canon is, and it’s so refreshing to see a solid, well thought out analysis of canon Dimitri. He’s a truly fascinating character. Keep up the great work!
The conversation with Rodrigue at Ailell in the English version of the game differs slightly from the one in Japanese. Where Rodrigue reminds Dimitri that "There are those who take up the sword in the name of revenge, and yet along the way, lose the strength and composure to follow through" in English, the Japanese version goes "There are those who don't have the strength and resources to take up the sword in the name of revenge in this world." It is a great foreshadowing of Dimitri's choice to fight for the weak and the dispossessed, and Rodrigue's death certainly adds more weight to the message. It seems to me that the English version focuses more on Dimitri's personal revenge, while the Japanese version appeals more to his compassion. I find the difference very interesting.
I love blue lions as female byleth because the progression of S ranking him feels so natural. By the end of the story, I feel like marrying him is just a part of the route. And i LOVE that
The story really pushes Byleth to get with their lord in general so it makes sense they would seem well suited but AM probaly does it the most to the point where its a little weird when playing male 'specially during the whole warm hands bit
@@thekittykatie I haven't s supported Dimitri yet myself despite playing multiple AM playthroughs though again I pick Male and I'm also not a fan of s supporting students but I hope the Dimitri S support is good cause the other supports with Bytleth were kinda eh to me
@@thekittykatie I keep meaning to check how those supports go cause I bought Ashen Wolves and then pretty much set down the game without really trying them out
Blue Lions are the best! 10+ min in and I'm already excited. This is beautifully written and narrated. The edition flawless, the voice acting dynamic. Can't wait to watch it entirely! YOU FAERGHAST are the most passionate FE fan and we love you for it. Good Job!
This video is incredibly well executed. From its discussion of mental health, treatment of all branches of Three Houses' story, and insightful and nuanced looks into Dimitri's interpersonal relationships, it is clear that this video was created with great care and passion. Keep on doing what you're doing, Ghast. This is fantastic work.
What I have learnt about the comment section is that a lot of us relate to Dimitri due to the traumas we hold, we see him both as a goal and as a warning, a goal to learn how to manage our traumas so we can live our lives the best way we can and also to find forgiveness for us and a warning that show us how deep can we go if we don't take action and if we're not helping ourselves. This is my point of view and it's obviously not the same for everyone, but having a spiraling-down moment with anxiety the last months of 2020 and not trusting even my parents to tell them what was a I feeling and what was keeping me awake all night just showed me how easy it is to fall. I'll always find confort in Dimitri, I consider my traumas really small, and if someone who suffer so much as him can make progress, can fight those ghosts that kept him awake all night then I'm able to do the same. We just need to keep going, and if we fall, we need to recover, because healing is not a straight path, is full of downfalls and hills.
As someone with depression, and more things I see myself in him, there was a time in 2018 that I would have let me die, I felt as if my body was in auto mode, and I still struggle with guilt. This character shows that it’s an uphill battle to accept not only help, but to help yourself
I fully agree with your assessment of Academy Dimitri. He was never normal but the time he came to the academy he had vengeance on the mind and clearly has severe self loathing and PTSD.
I don’t understand why everyone says Dimitri just keeps the status quo. Dimitri is debatably the most revolutionary. You don’t solve inequality by creating a meritocracy. You solve inequality through bringing the people at the bottom up. You solve inequality by giving people at the bottom the ability to participate in government. This is what Dimitri does. Claude and edelgard fail to realize this.
Claude is more about getting rid of prejudice than uplifting the commoners, and encouraging more positive interactions with people who are not you and you've seen as "other" is actually a great way to go about that. So the best ending is truly AM where Claude lives and can work with Dimitri and both their goals can happen. Edelgard's way though is naive. Revolution is the luxury of those who have and hurts those who don't, too bad the game is too busy filling an empty echo chamber in CF than exploring anything meaningful.
@@joshuagabrielcatindig7607 It's more how her system is never really questioned or explored despite the route hinging on the system being so much better that war is worth it. No one brings up how war sends people into poverty, hamstrings Fodlan's thriving merchant class, relies on heavy taxation, decimates food supplies, will kill off a good portion of abled bodies people, etc . . . CF opted for "Rhea bad, so Edelgard good" rather than "System is improvement, so Edelgard good." I don't expect an FE game to go into too much detail, but it wouldn't have killed them to at least acknowledge how her actions is actually making everyone except her and her friends poorer and poorer and making it harder for them to do anything other than stay down when she rules. She really could've used a single scene with some kid now orphaned and destitute by her war to make it feel more complex and grounded and less "Edelgard's war parade march against Rhea."
@@toriwork8891 I still like her route overall but I think it did suffer from being more character focused rather than looking more at the big picture. That worked really well for Azure Moon but Crimson Flower needed to do a better job at justifying why you were basically playing as "the villains." It also doesn't help that they made Edelgard's route the shortest in the game when there was so much more to explore with her. I'm honestly so conflicted with her route because I like Edelgard as a character and think playing from the empire's perspective was super interesting, but it also ignored the fact that her plan really only works on paper. Since this is a fantasy anime game it does actually work out the way she wanted but the game could have handled the whole grey area regarding her story better.
1:00:44, I have been looking for this Dedue quote for the LONGEST time, even go so far as playing this route again. THANK YOU for this amazing video AND helping me find this quote!!!!!
Fun fact: Claude and Annette's B support is what Dimitri is been through on Azure Moon route. Also an honorable mention: Dimitri's support conversation with Hapi where Dimitri learns the truth about the Tragedy of Duscur
“We should always live in the present. We owe it to those who have died.” “If someone had said that to me five years ago, I would have been a different man now."
I watched this thinking I would only watch it for a minute, but I ended up watching the whole thing. Dimitri is the best written character in a video game imo, and he resonated with me on a personal and emotion level when I played my first playthrough of Three Houses. Your analysis is so great and engaging. Thank you for making this video
@@tahamohammad8842 the sins of the past, so not necessarily his, but something or someone from the past. I was essentially stating the troubles each lord faced in their respective paths and where each one ended up. For Claude, it was because the focus of his path seemed ro focus on thee past of fodlan, what with his final boss was and all.
I like Dimitri even more than I did before because of the unreal amount of writing quality in this video, its was well worth waiting for around a year for it. This absolutely well done and thank you Ghast for making it!
"most interesting FE lord in the last decade" That's not really saying a whole lot if you're comparing him to the terrible characters from Awakening and Fates. His only real competition for that title is Edelgard and Claude and even then he pales in comparison to the both of them.
@@shadowgarion Personally I found Edelguard incredibly boring and mishandled especially in her own route. She should have been very interesting I mean a blood thirsty Conqueror hiding behind the illusion of a revolutionary is a very interesting idea.
A few things to point out: Even in the final cutscene, Dimitri thought of returning to Edelgard's corpse. That always stuck with me, showed where his mindset was, but in the end he leaves her. To improve Byleth's part in Dimitri's change while keeping the character the same, just let them reiterate the advice Dimitri gave them. Or rather, remind Dimitri that he had an answer to his plight back when Byleth lost Jeralt.
I've looked at this one in my recommended for a month now, and finally watched it. I think I was scared of what I'd hear, but you have done Dimitri considerable justice, and you should be proud of this video. It's beautiful, and I can tell how much you care. Thank you.
I personally never interpreted dimitri as having psychosis, but rather severe ptsd... His breakdowns really only happen because of the triggers. Without the support of the professor, he falls more and more into darkness, unable to have a healthy support system.
@@xionmemoria what do you mean used to have? Ptsd is permanent it doesn't go away ever, my dad has severe ptsd you can cope with it but it never goes away.
@@PocketDong I know this is an old comment, but I wanted to say that PTSD is not always "permanent" or lifelong struggle. It can be overcome, but it takes a long time and it's hard. I know because I'm still living through my own PTSD, but I'm better off than I used to be years ago. It's different for each person. I hope your father is doing well in his recovery.
One of my favourite Dimitri's supports is his conversations with Marianne, they have such a genuine connection about viewing themselves as monsters and dangerous and watching them tell each other that they don't have to pretend like everything is ok around each other. Seriously watch their supports if you haven't
Fantastic work, Ghast! Dimitri was very popular at release, and I have no doubt that he still is overall. That said, the tone among the more active fans I've interacted with lately seems more critical, beyond what one would expect after the end of the honeymoon period. Some of it is deserved (for example, while I think the Fleche scene has great emotional payoff, the actual setup for how it plays out is admittedly a bit contrived), but there's a couple of criticisms that come up a lot that I think this video addresses nicely: 1. The idea that Dimitri's redemption arc is "loud" but shallow. That his psychosis can be summed up by "edgy" crit quotes that he just magically heals when the game needs it, while Edelgard and Claude have much more subtle depth. I think the other lords are also well-written and have their development, but I would hold that those journeys are less complex than Dimitri's. And that's okay, because their routes are less focused on the lord's development, covering things like lore or themes of choice and revolution. Dimitri's arc isn't made bad by its scale. I mean, this video is 1.5 hours long of great content, and like you said, there's still SO much about Dimitri's character that could be discussed. 2. Like I briefly mentioned before, the idea that Dimitri is "magically" healed back to normal from an irredeemable monster after one conversation with Byleth. For one, that ignores the fact that he is already clearly on the uphill at least since his reunion with Rodrigue, well before Gronder. Even at his worst, Dimitri still shows compassion for the weak (though his terrible behavior should not be glossed over). I also don't understand how anyone can hear redeemed Dimitri's battle dialogue and A Supports and somehow think this is a guy that is "healed". I think you did a great job demonstrating his continual struggle. It's best to not let the opinion of some person on the internet to negatively affect your enjoyment of a character, but I admit that it's still really nice to hear someone else who had a similar experience as I did after exposure to somewhat exhausting dialogue. Watching this brought back some of those feelings I had when first playing Azure Moon. I look forward to more quality content!
I missed your long ass character analyses so much!!!!! You always go so in depth and it's obvious you care deeply about who you speak about, and it just makes me so happy.
I am honestly so glad I chose the Blue Lions. I was grieving my own father at the time. And seeing this video game blonde boy turn into a monster, but come back into the light with the worst of it helped me motivate to keep going today. I will be always thankful for that. That’s why Dimitri is a great character to me.
Amazing work! I appreciated the disclaimer near the beginning about mental illness, but I think Dimitri's story illustrates an important point about it: As you point out, after Rodrigue's death, even though he's prepared to move forward, he doesn't just go back to "normal." Even with therapy and medication, mental illness is never cured. It's always there, and it's always going to be there, but there are ways of living and coping with it that can make the lives of those who deal with it better.
Dimitri's story is very well written, it makes me cry. I like Edelgard as a character, though I do not agree with her ways. I used to have a very very strong disliking for her, but I admit I like her much more now. Though, Blue Lions will forever be my favorite house, I love Dima and Felix too much, but I love the other houses a LOT. Honestly, Fire Emblem needs more love. It is such an amazing game, amazing storyline, even though I have only PLAYED Azure Moon, I've watched play throughs and researched the story. Aight I'ma be quiet now uwu
Edelgards end goal is right but her method is very severe and wrong. Though I don't see another way she could get there, as Rhea would never allow it and what she says goes.
@@zeke2388 thats the tricky thing and we as viewers can say its wrong (which i think it is) but after playing all the routes multiple times is there really another way for her to achieve her goal? Cause even Claude and Dimitri both only achieve their goal through the events of the war. Its a tough topic for sure
I'm crying... Dimitri has been through shit. He needs hugs. Several of them. Perhaps a fluffy blanket. I need hugs too... I wanna hug Dimitri so badly... T^T
I always thought that dimitri’s more violent lines from the academy phase, like remire, and clear examples of the bloody battlefield triggering his ptsd... like u can clearly see him reliving the events in his head
After watching the video, I disagree with the point that Byleth didn’t do a whole lot to help him. While yes, Rodrigue and Dedue certainly had more of an early impact on him, I think that Byleths help came especially in the scene where him and Byleth were talking after Rodrigues death. Byleth was there for him while he was rambling about how all these 9 years were just for revenge, which was a very integral point for his development in my opinion. In this cutscene he talks about whether or not he has the right to live for himself after being the sole survivor of the Tragedy of Duscur. Byleth was there for him during this, and is the person who ‘takes him by the hand’ and leads him to see his own humanity and his value for human life again. I personally feel like only Byleth could have been the person in this cutscene, since Felix would only continue to argue with him and Gilbert wouldn’t be as compassionate as Byleth. Byleth is also the first person from his class who finds him in the clutches of the voices in his head, at the ruins of the monestary, obviously a turning point for the story. Tl dr: Byleths help came more after other characters like Rodrigue, Felix, or Dedue, and they impacted them about as much as said characters.
This damn route made me cry so much. Ugh I fucking LOVED it. You felt the weight of the situation so well. Dimitri’s arc was amazing to me. I’ve seen others say that Dimitri is scary post time-skip and honestly to me he’s not. I always thought that there was still good inside that young man, he was just struggling badly because of past trauma. Really made me feel for him :(.
19:38 You're implying that Dimitri's sub-conscience spoke not Lambert, but I think that Lambert would have said, "You must live Dimitri." As I said, Dimitri's sub-conscience warped that memory from Dimitri's past.
@@B_A-tr Lambert's "last words" are probably imagined by Dimitri, his memories twisted by trauma and injuries. Dimitri said he saw his father's head cut off right in front of him, so I've always found that scene Lambert screaming for revenge rather weird. Gilbert said when he found an unconscious Dimitri who had suffered so many injuries that he was already on the brink of death and his discovery was seen as miraculous, so he probably hallucinated Lambert's words in his head. Besides, based on Rodrigue and everyone else's memory of Lambert, it was very ooc for him to demand vengeance when the real Lambert would probably be screaming for Dimitri to run and get to safety.
This is one of the best videos I have ever seen, and that's not hyperbole. It's clear you put a ton of time and effort into both the script and editing for this video and it really shows. Dimitri is my favorite fictional character ever, and you delved deeper into his character than I could ever hope to, and this video does him justice in every way.
![LYN: The Nostalgic Princess. [Fire Emblem: Support Science #20] Blazing Blade](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/6Sygqg6zcAI/mqdefault.jpg)
Incoming long and emotional comment:
Hi everyone. Whether you just finished watching this video, or partially through and reading the comments... I just wanted to say thank you for simply just taking a gander at it.
This year has been particularly hard for me - not just because of 'Rona. I got laid off from work in February and have honestly been struggling to figure out my next career move. Trying to sort out my real life, understandably, caused my passion like writing and videos to slow down. In saying that, thank you so much to all of my Patrons and stream donators who continue to support me while I figure out the next steps. Your financial contributions have been truly unreal, boss.
I've been working on this video on and off for the past eleven months. One of the several reasons why it took so long was because Three Houses is uniquely different to write longform analysis on because hardly any scripts are transcribed. Unlike my other Support Science videos, I had to play and record much of the scenes myself and make inferences based on the scenes and not on the text. So, that was hard and time consuming.
I also went through writer's block a ton of times throughout the year. It was really difficult to figure out what I actually wanted to write about. I REALLY like Dimitri's character, but there was so much to talk about so as to be overwhelming at times. I didn't just want to recite a timeline in this analysis. Just reciting facts that don't answer anything or don't try to persuade an audience to any one side is pretty lame. Something I absolutely love about analysis is the way you can create a story with narratives, themes and arguments. That's what Support Science is all about. It was tough to find out what I wanted this video to be. But hey... 12 000 words later, we got 'er done.
There's so much more around Dimitri that I wanted to talk about, but I felt it would detract from the core discussion I had in mind - things like Cornelia's villainy (which could be its own video) and other support conversations Dimitri had that I decided that his other supports could already address.
In the end, I'm really happy that I can FINALLY publish this video.
What's next? I don't know! But I want to focus on scripted content moving forward. Which means more character analysis, whether shortform or longform. While that's happening, I've also been really having fun streaming every weekday.
If you want to see more Support Sciences, or other scripted content from me, please subscribe! Clicking subscribe honestly shows me that this is the content you want. Please leave a like and comment as well. I'd love to read what you think of Dimitri also!
Deuces.
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Thanks Ghast very cool
Dimitri's my favorite Fire Emblem character. I've been playing this franchise for 10+ years, and he stole the top spot with ease. Thanks so much for making this! I'm especially excited to see the video from a fellow Dimitri fan!
Ghast your perserverance through this year with all that has happened is awesome! I am glad you are creating content that you enjoy and I am super excited to watch this video! I sincerely hope that you find what you are looking for in your career and continue to follow your passions! We will always be here to support you and your work!
It might have been slightly before hand but in the part of dimitri being an unreliable narrator i want to add that a headless doesn't usually say anything. Could still be possible that he "heard" his father say that before dying.
This is amazing. Incredible work on this Ghast. Also, where did you find that art at 27:01 it looks great
PTSD stands for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. It also stands for Post Time-Skip Dimitri. Both are correct.
I mean, Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder is how I would describe Post Time-Skip Dimitri in a nutshell.
It also stands for Pre Time-Skip Dimitri. That is also correct.
PTSD describes him way better than psychosis does... He's not a psycho he just has moments. I was going to make a long post saying that but you saved me..
BAHAHAHAH STOP
Fr fr
"You can never truly turn back the hands of time"
Byleth: *looks away conspicuously
*You can never truly turn back the hands of time for more than a few minutes.
In a way he's right after what happened with Jeralt.
👀
starts whistling lol
How's the old man Byleth
I think we can all agree that Chris hackney voice acting is what really sold this character. Because good writing will only get you so far. This man takes Dimitri to whole other level. Honestly one of my favorite lords with Claude Leif and Ike for me.
For sure, voice acting can really make a character memorable, I doubt I'd love Berkut as much as I do without Ian Sinclair.
Fuck yeah, Chris Hackney deserves all the praise and more. Spectacular acting.
Chris Hackney’s Dimitri and Ian Sinclair’s Berkut are the two best voice performances in the series bar none
Chris Hackney as Dimitri is the second best performance I've heard in a game after Shulk in Xenoblade.
Tuskoub Cherami Leigh‘s Rhea begs to differ
You really think i'll listen to a guy talking about Dimitri for one hour and half???
Hell yeah, sign me in.
I barely feel like watching 10 minute videos most of the time but THIS, I had to watch.
I legit would not sleep until I finished watching the video
@@vickyshinoa1270 would have done that too but that would have been 3:30 am and i didnt want to be awake for so long
I had to listen again because I was cleaning but it was SO worth it.
yeah i love his character
That ending cutscene of Dimitri offering his hand to Edelgard will never not make me cry.
I want to like but u have 69 alr
Cold Hazzard It has 79 now
@@BeeLy1011 oh well, I guess I'll be 80.
yo i lost my mind during it, bc it was my first playthrough and i was enjoying the game so much. i was SCREAMING at the quality of azure moon
That ending makes me wish there was a secret ending where the two DO walk out of the castle together.
With every run I play I always have a fruitless hope that if I improved my support with an opposing lord at every opportunity (such as during the prologue, where you can say where your alliance lies, or after the Battle of the Eagle and Lion, where you can say which side fought well, on top of a tea party and counseling) that you could unlock such a secret epilogue where two sides joins together.
You almost get to see this when you get the option to spare Claude on Crimson Flower. However I would have loved to see Claude and Byleth manage to talk sense into Dimitri during the three-house reunion clash. But that pails in comparison to wishing that Dimitri wasn't forced to end Edelgard in such a pathetic, anti-climatic way.
minimitri, acadimitri, ptsdimitri, dimitrimentary
PTSD = post time skip dimitri
Zenkai Boost brUh
@@zenkaiboost165 OMG HAHAHAHA
murdermitri
Goodboimitri
When Rodrigue died for Dimitri, he said to tell him it wasn't in vain
One of redeemed Dimitri's battle quotes is "I swear it wasn't in vain"
this game has been out for three years, and I’d never noticed that before.
got me in tears 😭
“Your hands are so warm... Have they always been?” That line gets me every time. I adore it so MUCH.
This is the scene where he starts to regain trust in Byleth and puts more trust in his fellow Lions.
Honestly I can’t blame him for saying odd things like that, poor guy’s probably touch starved as hell. He needed a friendly hand.
It's the opposite of "Your hands are cold" (Pride and Prejudice) ;-) love it too
Its a shame you never mentioned such a minor line but its still so impactful. Theres a random monk that will talk to you between the War phase and Redemption phase that mentioned he saw Dimitri care for an orphan and warn her of danger. It shows that even despite his distaste for the living during this time, he still cares for them, or at least enough to not want to see young children get hurt.
Huh
I've played Azure Moon at least 4 times and I've never even seen that
But I like that a lot. It really does show that despite him not having much care for people on the surface, the part of him that does care for and want to protect the defenseless and the weak was never really lost. Even at his darkest time.
I do show that line in the video :)
For those playing at home Chapter 17 exploration is where this line is.
@@benblem147 Where is the monk? I’ve searched the monastery and haven’t found them.
@Bailey Law He's in the officer's academy (near the black eagle room i think )
“Your hands are so warm… Have they always been?”
I still remember that moment years later
Alternate title: Explaining why Dimitri is best man for an hour and a half
But we'll watch it anyway
I can finally learn why we shouldn’t eat the weeds.
I understood that xD
Please don’t eat the weeds
Wait why 😵
“I am a human, and I need you to be one, too”.
I’m just saying
Does anyone else tear up Everytime the warm hands line comes up or is it just me?
me too :( to me its very symbolic. just like how the dagger is to dimitri & edel. For Dimitri & byleth, its the warm hands
I do ;-;
Yes ;n;
I always tear up at the first time skip scene where Dimitri is sitting down with his lance
did the professional sad boy still think byleth was a ghost?
Still honestly SHOCKED Dedue’s return is optional. Seemed like the most pivotal moment in Dimitri’s recovery aside from Rodrigue.
Wait it is!?!?!
Nvm I looked it up lol
I think it was weird when I heard you bring up Dimitri's mental health and people's criticisms of how its not realistic, because wether that's true or not a lot of really die-hard Dimitri fans I've seen, including myself, would say that his story actually helped them deal with their own trauma and issues. I think its because his story teaches us that our trauma and pain make our actions understandable, but its still up to us to look to the future, learn from it and grow as better versions of ourselves, and I think that's a really beautiful message.
Kind of a shame that it's only the S-support dialogue that expands on his mental illness in a more realistic way
Yeah it doesn't have to be super realistic, just enough for people to relate to.
I have a character who goes through a similar arc to Dimitri and I hope she helps people the same way
@@librathebeautifulwarmonk1283
Wow, are you writing a book? I'd love to know more about your oc! :D
@@maira7804 Yes! Two actually. The character I was referring to is called Morrigan. Due to past trauma she has an intense hatred of other girls and her arc through the story is learning to cooperate with them at least. Not getting over her trauma completely but just enough to finish the mission since she has to work with 8 other girls
@@librathebeautifulwarmonk1283
Seems cool!
Since she's called morrigan, is she from norway or something?
You got me curious lol
There's 5,116 seconds of this video talking about Dimitri. And you know what I'm gonna do?
WATCH EVERY LAST ONE OF THEM!!!
Same here!
“You can never truly turn back the hands of time”
Sothis: 😬
Further evidence that they SHOULD NOT have made Divine Pulse a story element.
The Turnwheel did it WAY better, and ties gameplay and story together perfectly.
Divine Pulse is purely a gameplay mechanic, and implementing it in the story, specially so poorly, only ruined it as a story element.
Lol
I cannot even imagine how much time and effort you put into it. Congratulations buddy.
Well over 100 hours to complete every route
Meu Deusss.
The true waifu
ah, i see you have taste
Amen
@@Noelfriday Amen x 2
Mega waifu: Dimitri
That would be Rodrigue. ;
Just one note-- I think you could have mentioned that it's Dedue's "death" that really helps push Dmitri down his path of madness, since he believes that his best bro sacrificed himself for Dmitri's sake (adding to the number of people he considers as having died /for/ him)
It would also mean that his one saving grace--saving Dedue--had been wasted because of Dimitri's own failures, incompetence, or general unworthiness. It's a brutal one-two punch
@@MandosDestiny exactly!! thanks for putting that so aptly
Eehh it certainly didn't help but it's clear that Edelgard's betrayal is what really pushes him that and the Professor, his last morality anchor, disappearing shortly after
I also think Dedue's death had another hit in that Dimitri's only personal promise to a living person became just another promise to the dead.
What really pushes thing point forward is the fact that in CF, Dimitri isn’t all that gone thanks to Dedue being there. He is still a king capable of leading his people for the most part, while in other routes where Dedue is gone, he is just a man lusting for revenge.
When it comes to Dimitri’s redemption, I think Dedue says it best in Chapter 18. Dimitri isn’t back to normal. He isn’t suddenly cured of his mental health issues, that isn’t how it works. The Dimitri that longed for revenge was the Dimitri Dedue always knew, but now Dimitri is beginning to heal. I don’t think Dimitri ever truly completely heals, at least not during the course of the story.
Gilbert, Felix, Byleth? They all play some part in Dimitri’s redemption, though very minor in Byleth’s case. But like Dimitri says in his A support with Dedue, Dedue is the one person that kept him going. Out of all of the retainers (Hubert, Dedue, and Hilda), I believe Dedue and Dimitri have the closest personal connection, though Hubert and Edelgard are a close second. Looking back, I wish the story of Azure Moon and by extension Dimitri’s redemption had been at least a little more different if Dedue’s paralogue had not been completed in the academy phase. Dedue is one of two people who play the largest part in Dimitri’s redemption, and it’s why I adore their dynamic and relationship, not just as liege and retainer, but as brothers and close friends, even if not biologically related.
psychosis is an incurable disorder but it can be coped with. he will always hear the voices of the dead (unless the fire emblem universe has antipsychotics) but he learned to live despite them. I too suffer from psychosis and have turned to violence. He could never be fully cured from his illness
I'd argue Byleth siding with him is the main reason he was able to come back. Gilbert/Felix/Rodrigue being on his side in other routes weren't enough to help him, only when you stay with him does he go through his redemption and not an early demise
just today, Fire Emblem Heroes dropped a new banner with time skip Edelgard, Claude, Dimitri, and Lysithea, and in a side story in a mode called Forging Bonds, we get direct confirmation that Dimitri indeed still hears the voices of the dead, even though this Dimitri has canonically killed Edelgard and established his rule.
@@da_big_chungus in Crimson Flower he never actually loses control in the first place, most likely because he was never as isolated and knew dedue never died. he never quite got pushed over the edge
@@waluigihentai in dimitris s support, dimitri even says that. He will always be ill, but his friends taught him how to life with it
And here I thought I was done crying about Dimitri. I thought that there couldn't possibly be more to cry about. And yet here I sit, proven wrong. No single character from any work of fiction has ever made me cry this much, running the whole spectrum from tears of sadness and despair to ones of joy and pride.
Thank you for this epic of a video, I must now resume my most recent Blue Lions playthrough.
For real though
I know full well I'm a huge cry baby when it comes to anime and video game characters
But Dimitri was a whole nother L E V E L
I will simply say this, playing the Blue Lions route in Three Houses was the most emotionally involving (and devastating) experience I've ever had in a video game.
It was actually painful for me to see what was happening to Dimitri, because he was no longer the wonderful, kind hearted boy I once knew. I so desperately wanted him to let go of revenge and every time I heard one of his darker voice lines after killing an enemy or leveling up I was heartbroken. I began to dread the coming levels because I was worried Dimitri would do something horrible.
And this is also why I was so happy when he finally let go of the hate and remembered the kindness that was always in his heart. Even better, he found it in himself to forgive Edelgard, to give her a chance. That final cutscene really says it all. She might not have taken his hand, but at least he held it out. And that's all you can really ask of a man.
@Ariana Davis i wish i didnt play blue lions first cause i cannot let dimitri die in the other paths 😭😭😭
@@ShaneStapler if you go through the church route and arrive to the grounder chapter (not battle) it’ll break your heart
He definitely suffered from Survivors guilt and PTSD.
Literally me playing through it right now,bits a bit comforting knowing I'm not completely crazy for how much this route and this crazy man is making me feel
I like how Dimitri has so much empathy and compassion that other people's regrets and suffering become his own, to the point where literally drive him insane. I think you did a great job analyzing that part of his personality. Even at his lowest, he's still fighting for the weak. From Yuri's freetime dialogue, we learn that common people in Faerghus treat him as a folk hero who fights the imperial soldiers and protects them from invasion.
Even though I disagree with a few of your points (e.g. Byleth not being crucial to Dimitri's redemption arc/could be replaced by Felix/Dedue), it is always refreshing to see different interpretations of the same story and characters. Like you said, there are a lot more to him than what was included in the video, which just shows how deep and complex Dimitri is. Dimitri truly deserves his popularity! Thanks for putting so much thoughts and efforts documenting his journey in this video.
Even the devs knew he was going to be a hit.
@@basilofgoodwishes4138 Yes, just look at how expensive his cipher cards are, and all the polls he's won. I'm glad he's loved by many! I think the devs really know what they were doing with his character in the game.
@@basilofgoodwishes4138 the devs actually said they were surprised by Dimitri's popularity. Given how hard they pushed Edelgard in marketing (though, she is the only woman lord), you could argue they had no clue whatsoever that Dimitri would outsell the other characters. Even more is in a recent interview they admitted to compromising Edelgard's and Claude's characters (changing Edelgard so you could side with her, making Claude less of a villain than they intended), meaning that Dimitri may have been the only lord that was nobody's pet character, which is probably why his is so good. His faults aren't either swept away/ignored (Edelgard in CF) or never really end up relevant (Claude), so he was allowed to flourish instead of getting "protected" from allowing to fall, self-reflect, and change. The part about his character being nobody's favorite in the writing team is just speculation, but it is true his is the only one they didn't twist to make more likeable, and by proxy ended up massively popular lol.
@@toriwork8891 now I need to know what the original Edelgard and Claude would have been like.
@@toriwork8891 Actually that is is bull. They said that they always knew Dimitri was going to be popular and get sad, when people say the other Character is an waste.
Also they said that Claude was created with the idea of an Scheming Hero in mind, he was always going to be a good person, he ended up purer than initially intended.
7:00 super appreciate this disclaimer.
Yeah it really is good
Dimitris title in german is "erlöser" wich means saviour but had also implications of "messiah" and i think it fits both. A messiah sacrifieces themself to save others. Dimitri lived his life as king to protect the weak and to help them, but he also left his humanity behind to "save" the dead and was willing to die because of what he did
Dimitri and Byleth are the real Nemesis and Seiros. According to what he implies after Byleth fuses with Sothis. Which are messiah figures from there religion.
Cool how details are hidden in names. 'Blaiddyd' is a welsh name and is derived from the legendary King of the Britons Bladud and it literally means Wolf Lord. Dimitri is literally the lone wolf king post-timeskip and then finds his pack later on.
@@atticusv668 alexander means protector of the people and his title in heroes is protector
Dimitri: I'm not the Messaiah
Faerghus: HE IS THE MESSAIAH
@@tigress1699 omg that is so fitting
_You dropped this, King-_ 👑
the way they portrayed dimitri's route is just... poetic in a way. I found myself replaying that ending cutscene with edelgard so many times. For a scene with no words, every action spoke volumes.
It was him forgiving her. Him letting go of his pain. It’s so beautiful.
Good. You just removed me from the job of writing an essay everytime someone asks "Why Dimitri?" This work of yours is a monumental treasure, man.
Having chosen Dimitri in my very first playthrough of the game, and having managed to fully enjoy it, avoiding spoilers... I can say one thing:
BLUE LION FOREVER!
That poor dolt didn't deserve the shit he endured...
Same! I always felt dirty playing Crimson Flower and Dimitri was a god on my first playthrough. Playing Blue Lions on maddening this time.
Indeed, Blue Lions for ever!
BL was my 1st playthrough to, and I'm just in love with Dimitri. Now I'm on CF, and I'm so much not looking forward to when I have to face him and Dedue.
@@zura8879 i adored Crimson Flower but i will say that was rough having them die.
I like to believe Dimitri also learned the true meaning of mercy. Mercy for Edelgard, and for himself. Maybe it ties with the compassion for the living you highlight through out this analysis. Amazing job Faerghast! I really love Dimitri's character, and this doc does him justice. Long live the BL!!
Dimitri's story was loved by many people because his path was created using the "Hero's Journey" narrative template. He goes through his journey, faces tragedies & danger, loses his way then at his darkest hour meets with the "wise man" (Rodrigue & his death), reflects on his path & finally finds his way & rightful place again. Humans generally resonate with personal struggle in fiction & inspirational stories of overcoming the impossible odds. Many fans consider Blue Lions to be the best path when it comes to stroy & characters even though Blue Lions was the least chosen path (probably since most ppl chose BE the most). The developers themselves were surprised by how popular Dimitri is compared to the other 2 who were both highly popular too.
There are 2 main driving forces behind Dimitri's character: empathy & justice, ironically these 2 qualities go directly against each other, that is exactly the reason for his turmoil & suffering. He feels too much for the weak, the innocent, the dead & even his enemies, but he's a soldier, in a land forged by conflict & a country that idiolizes strength, military force & vengeance, while he idiolizes peace, freedom of speech & discussion. He doesn't want vengeance but believes it is what his dead loved ones want & deserve, since it's natural to seek justice for the victims of a massacre even if it goes against his own beliefs, this is how empathy can be toxic & he learns that in his journey. He's a naive idealist who has to put these ideals to test against real war horrors. He can't rationalize or justify killing for any cause & regards all who kill no matter the reason to be monsters, even himself. He has a strong sense of justice coupled with intense empathy & that is why he demonizes criminals who kill for a "cause" because it's the only way he can bring himself to kill them, although he doesn't mind using violence himself to deal with injustice & criminals, peace through violence was his mentality in the "war phase" when we meet him after the timeskip afterall.
Dimitri doesn't really change much after the timeskip from his academy days, I mean specifically "punished" Dimitri, his core motivators are still the same from before; vengeance & empathizing with the weak/innocent, he just becomes very antisocial due to years of isolation & fighting a one man hopeless guerilla war against the invading empire for 5 years. His mantra is still protecting the weak/innocent; "someone must put a stop to the cycle of the strong trampling the weak" since by logic war of aggression/conquest is the oppression of the strong over the weak. He kills the bandits who kill people for a living in chapter 13, like he did in Remire in part 1 where innocents were killed by TWSitD, yet even as punished Dimitri he still feels bad about killing enemies, you can see that after the bridge mission fighting Ladislava, just like he felt in part 1 after Lonato's death or after the rebellion suppression before the academy days when he was barely 15. He empathizes with everyone, the dead, criminals, enemies & innocents. After Rodrigue's death he never really "magically heal" he just gets over it with sheer will power, friends & people's support and soon he changes his course. Afterwards he doesn't stop hating Edelgard suddenly, he tells you how he still has much hatred for her, but he gets over it & extends a hand to her twice. He still has hatred for the people responsible for the massacre too, but this time he deals with them in a way that *he* wants & believes in not how he's expected to by his country/laws, even Gilbert was surprised that he put the convicted man in prison & not excute him, even though the confessing man was a criminal who killed/conspired against innocent people & was personally involved in killing Dimitri's loved ones, not to mention how even now he still thinks he did the right thing by participating in the massacre, but true to his words Dimitri sought discussion & peace even in the face of a hated criminal. In essence small young Dimitri before the Duscur massacre is essentially the "redeemed" Dimitri we see after chapter 17, this is who he is at his core, this is who Felix remembers him as back when they were small, the 1 he said had died in the massacre, has never really died but was burried under the weight of grief, injustice & trauma. He came a full circle from the little kid before the massacre to the academy student living only for vengeance, to the vicious war soldier, to finally the redeemed king who acts on his own ideals & beliefs through the darkest times.
What I find interesting about Dimitri as well is how there are 3 different points of view about him after the timeskip in BL: the empire views him as a vicious one eyed demon, his people view him as a hero sweeping Fearghus killing off evil invaders during the war & finally how he views himself; a monster who desrves to die, his already plummeting self worth since his academy days doesn't help here either, the self depricating doesn't stop. Guilt is a huge pain when it comes to how Dimitri feels about himself, he feels guilty for anything & everything, from a small talk to killing enemies to surviving a massacre. That is why his final scene with Rodrigue is the most important scene for Dimitri's 1st few steps to heal & get his act together. Rodrigue in his dying words absolves Dimitri of his 3 biggest guilts: his guilt about surviving the tragedy of Duscur, his guilt about killing in the war & his guilt for Rodrigue's death. Rodrigue was too significant & loved to Dimitri to the point where he reevaluated all his decisions up to that point & changed the course of his life, I'd even say Rodrigue was the most important person in Dimitri's life & the only one outside of Dedue to truly understand Dimitri. He looked up to Rodrigue mainly because of how kind Rodrigue was as a person, he told Byleth how he wanted to become a man like Rodrigue one day & not even like his own father who he loves dearly. Dimitri didn't mind dying at Grondor by Fleche, but he was horrified when Rodrigue got stabbed, he cares more about rodrigue than himself. That incident was the main reason for Dimitri to break the walls he built around himself, finally break down in order to heal & did what he always wanted & believed in from that point onward. One of my favorite scenes in the game & one that portrays Dimitri's straight forward & blunt personality is his apology, he straight up apologized for his behavior, promised to do better & just... did. He didn't try to justify his behavior (which he could if he wanted), he didn't play the victim card (again he easily could), didn't scapegoat or shift the blame to anyone/group. The choice of words was good as well, he corrected himself when he said it's what he *should* do going forwad, instead he said it is what he *chooses* to do, so now we know his upcoming choices & deeds are based on his own personal ideals, beliefs & morals not anyone else, living or dead.
Dimitri is a well done or a more "realistic" depiction of the usual 2 archetypes of the FE lords: Marth/seliph/Eliwood archetype & Hector/Leif/Ike archetype albeit more violent. He merges these 2 archetypes really well having the empathy & idealism of the former & the viciousness & eagerness to fight in the latter. He goes from the upright idealistic kid with PTSD issues to a vicious soldier in war 5 years later, to a human character with faults, virtues & an unforgettable past. He learned his lesson, let go of his pain, made peace with his past, chose to live in the present & became stronger. Compared to other key characters in the game such as Rhea who was mostly still tied to her past except at the very end of her S support & Edelgard who was always chained by her past in every path & let it dictate her entire life leading her to unleash her anger towards an entire continent. His final act of reaching out to Edelgard in the end even after all the war & suffering she commited is a show of true strength of character, to reach for someone you still hate & completely disagree with, try to understand her & try to co-exist even though you have the upper hand against the aggressor who started it all is truly inspirational! Dimitri at that point conquered himself, his past, the empire & became a great king! All while still suffering from all the losses & mental scars. From the start we see Dimitri suffering from self deprication, survivor's guilt, PTSD, psychosis, insomnia, headaches, violent behavior & suicidal tendencies which are all part of his character after the tragedy of Duscur. His kind heart, sensitive nature, empathetic soul & idealistic beliefs made all of that even worse than if another less sensitive person suffered through the tragedy. Sad thing is he's getting triggered again & again throughout the story, by the criminal acts in part 1 (Remire among others) & by the war in part 2. Taking all that in consideration as well as his inability to taste anything, his fear of breaking delicate objects because of his strength, all add up to make one of the most tragic heroes in a videogame & one of the best written characters in Fire Emblem.
The reason why Dimitri was affected by the the tragedy of Duscur far more than Rodrigue, Felix or Ingrid is because he alone was there at the massacre & witnessed it thus the PTSD. Anyway I hope the future FE games continue to present compelling characters like Dimitri & good writing like in BL, 3 Houses in general has plenty of great characters so I hope their quality get higher in the future.
Jesus nigga give me tl:dr
Also BE being the most chosen was due to marketing pushing Edelgard as the main lord despite the fact her route was an afterthought
Really nice analysis! Yeah BE was extremely popular in the west but Dimitris route was the most popular in Japan (based on the Famitsu polls)
@@emmmbern Thank you & yes the east (SK, Japan for example) liked BL/Dimitri the most in the end, while the west *chose* BE the most, but what the west liked most in the end is up in the air, ofc there's no official polls in the west.
Your comment was sincerely interesting, thank you for your analysis. I agreed with all of what you wrote. Dimitri is such a good character and it's true that his development was one of the most inspiring I have seen
@@shiroiokami5246 No problem & thanks for your nice comment. Dimitri is such an inspirational & complex character that I feel there's so much more to his writing than my comment or even the video. Hoping future FE games do the same for their lords.
additionally the way of philosophy in faergus is you are condemned for eternity if you die with regrets. In a twisted way, Dimitri's vengeance in his mind is saving the dead from eternal torment, while condemning himself to the same.
Where was that said?
@@B_A-tr It's mentioned in the B support between Claude and Annette.
I kid you not, were Dimitri a character from some great work of literature, this could be considered a bona fide piece of literary criticism. (Whether or not video game narratives should be considered as such is an issue for another time, but I digress.) Excellent work, I enjoyed this thoroughly.
I feel like you can still count this as one, due to games still being considered a literary work
If it's a game that places emphasis on character and story and thematic meaning (and this is) then I think it's worthwhile to judge them accordingly
Any work of fiction be it a game movie anime book etc can all be judged like that
Finally. Your magnum opus has arrived. I'm so excited to watch. *Pops popcorn*
Nay, just another step up in mastering the craft of sharing the stories within fire emblem
Dimitri's basically the archetypal lord that Fire Emblem's re-used time and time again.
Like Marth, Seliph, and Leif, his home is invaded and he is forced into exile because of it.
Like Ephraim/Eirika, he's betrayed by a good friend and that betrayal breaks him.
Like Elincia (and Sigurd/Seliph really), the person who invaded their home and jumpstarted a war in order to brute-force social change on the whole continent.
So basically if you want to summon Dimitri as a Fire Emblem character up in one sentence, it's "Okay, so what if you take the main lord and deconstruct them and give them PTSD?"
It's a new twist on an old formula and probably why it works so well as a character drama.
That's why I love him. He's basically the perfect Lord, but if they weren't perfect. He's, Marth, but if he was not endlessly kind. He's sigurd, but without his honor. He's human, and thus fallible. And that's what makes him so great
@@kylefreeburg9353 Yeah - he's pretty unique and I was gobsmacked when I realized what was going on with him. My favorite is still Ephraim (who is all about hitting things to solve his problems until reality smacks him in the face - repeatedly - and force shim to realize otherwise) but Dimitri is just so well done and it helps that Azure Moon is pretty solid thematically too.
100% facts! Blue lord hails from a kingdom, who loses all his family/friends, his home, becomes a fugitive, betrayed by an old friend, fights the red evil empire, accompanied by a wise older man (Gilbert/Rodrigue), but this time done "realistic" by giving weight to trauma & recovery instead of writing him off as a Mary sue.
You hit the nail on the head on why Dimitri is such an interesting character.
@@MaDaFaKaSsS I do take issue with this statement honestly, you cannot say that someone has suffered as much as you and thus you don’t have an excuse to feel/act the way you do. Things affect people differently and you cannot rationalise things like grief this way, it just doesn’t work that way and never will. Dimitri seeing all of his friends and family being brutally slaughtered before his eyes would be traumatic for anyone, that can’t be denied and the fact that it had such an adverse effect on his mental health while it may not have someone else’s isn’t a sign of weakness or that he should suck it up because others have suffered worse. That is an incredibly unhealthy mindset and while Dimitri’s attitude of revenge is also incredibly unhealthy, you can’t just tell someone to get over their grief because we all process it in different ways. Is Dimitri’s way morally wrong? Most probably but we see that it helped him find a reason to keep on living that he may not have found if he just decided to ‘be brave’ or ‘be like a hero’. Long story short, I don’t think it’s ever fair to say that someone doesn’t have the right to react as violently to a traumatic event as they do even if some people are just better with grief than others
Don't mind me, just commenting to help this masterpiece survive the algorithm
I think part of the reason people empathize with Dimitri so passionately is because his route is written from a more psychological perspective with the focus being his internal struggles rather than how Claude and edelgards routes are more motivated by sociological story telling; mainly being pushed by broader social norms and their consequences so as a result I think many people never develop the same level of attachment or empathy with them as they do with dimitri.
TL;DR: dimitri’s story is one of personal struggle which we as human beings have an easier time empathizing with as opposed to more abstract concepts like historical revisionism, institutional corruption as well as flaws of feudalism and the consequences it carries for the for everyone who isn’t at the top.
If I had to choose a "canon", it'd definitely be the Blue Lions path - Dimitri was my favourite lord and his arc was incredible.
Awesome video!
I'm going to be forever salty that the dimitri's talk about hearing the voices in his head going on for the rest of his life as well as his wishing to change the world in his own way is locked to his S-support with Byleth. Not everyone wants to S-support him and I feel it's such an important part of his story that it should have been more accessable.
I'm also curious that you didn't bring up that once he starts recovering you can ask him if he still wants revenge, but he goes to say that revenge is something he never wanted and instead was something he felt obligated to obtain on the behalf of those that had died. But overall this was well worth taking the time to listen to, thank you for doing this ghast.
They should all marry him, he's best boy.
While I do agree, I also think it's important for him to mention this after the war, and there's no real way to organically do that other than the S support.
@@lanalewis6982 I mean I play male byleth so even if I wanted to I don't get the choice
@@lancejburns How about having him talk with Byleth after the truce with Edelgard but before the group moves into Enbarr
@@BlackfangDragon naw that only happen because of alternate adult alfonse was spooking Dimitri but Dimitri confirms he moved on and will no longer be what he was he a proper king now etc.
I'm not usually one to write TH-cam comments (most of the time, I assume they're not read because, y'know, that old adage about not not reading the comments and YT comment section makes that adage ring true), but watching this longform analysis, I had to take the time to jot something down because the attention to detail in this well-thought out analysis deserved it (plus writer's block is no joke).
I always loved that Azure Moon never shied away from the pain it causes seeing Dimitri in his worst state post-skip (I honestly don't remember the last time a video game gave me those kinds of feels) and that even when he starts recovering it's a process like you said and he accepts that he will always hear voices but he will try his best to not let them suffocate and rule him. He is better but still changed and I also like that the game will tell you that his compassion is both his greatest asset and liability as well as the idea that you can be a nice person and a 'beast craving blood' and they're not mutually-exclusive. It's rare to see a game not deal in absolutes (then again, flawed perspectives and narratives is the whole basis for FE3H) and I think your analysis is bang-on because I agree with everything.
And while I'd come to the same conclusions in my playthrough of Azure Moon, it's nice to see an argument why Byleth & Felix's approaches alone could not reach Dimitri regardless of how Dimitri seems to gravitate towards the former and agree with the latter before he shuts out everyone. Adding in Gilbert's perspective was a nice touch because I never end up getting that support chain because...well, I hate heavy armour units and not a fan of how he abandoned Annette, but that's here nor there for this particular topic.
Anyway, all and all, thank you for the video! I enjoyed it a lot.
Dimitri's supports with Marianne are some of my favourites by far.
Definitely. Also Mercedes x Jeritza, they had me tearing up in their A support
I think you did a terrific job breaking down Dimitri’s character. I personally love Dimitri as a character. I think he’s well-written, exceptionally well-acted, and his story is well executed in terms of mental illness. I can’t speak for everyone, but as someone familiar with many struggles involving mental illness and personal demons, I don’t see Dimitri’s character as problematic at all. I feel that his violent rage isn’t directly caused by his *presumed* psychosis, but by the circumstances of the war and, as you explained, his empathy for the dead overshadowing his concern for the living. I think that his S-support ending especially encapsulates a VERY important issue for many struggling with their mental health. He explains that the voices in his head have not just “gone away”. They’re still there, and he will likely have to suffer with this for all his life. His journey in overcoming his demons isn’t one of “fixing” his mental illness, but of learning to live with it and not let it consume him. I think that, compared to a lot of media portrayals of mental illness, Three Houses did a pretty great job of demonstrating the lifelong struggle and how you must learn to live with it and cope with it in order to find happiness.
In regards to Byleth forming the last push for Dimitri's turn, I'd like to believe that the words 'Live for what you believe in' are not only the reflection of Rodrigue, but the reflection of himself. As you've established, Dimitri gave that exact advice to Byleth when they lost Jeralt. To hear those words from Byleth may not only trigger the recent memory, but also an old one. With that comes the fact that 'living for what you believe in' is shown to already be an ideal of Dimitri long before he starts to lose his compassion for the living. So, Byleth would form the last push because they had the emotional connection over this 5 years ago. And here they return the favor, not by doing something major, but just reminding Dimitri of what was inside of him all this time.
Made my senior quote “is this some kind of twisted joke” dedicated to the king himself
I love Dimitri so much. Blue Lions is my favorite route, with my favorite characters and favorite plot. I thought I understood Dimitri, but I was so wrong. I never got far in the Gilbert Dimitri support, so I cried when I saw it for the first time here. Thank you for this video, Ghast. It was incredibly well written and organized.
I did the Gilbert S support which on its own is very tragic
I sure hope some of the VAs from 3H see this. Your Support Sciences might be the greatest content to come from the community, and I'd like for them to see how they inspire.
It’s been 10,000 years and we’ve finally got it
Blue Lions was my first route and I proudly concluded that Dimitri was the best lord in the game, and I still think that is true. Thank you Ghast, for making this video to show your love for one of FE's most interesting and cooler lords in the series.
Byleth’s “Here is something to believe in!” Gonna hit different now
You know what's the bad thing about playing Azure Moon? It made me reluctant to play any other routes where you have to fight Dimitri.
Being Chosen as the new Brave Hero AND win the Voting Gauntlet in FEH, I say he deserved it all, and he deserves to be the next Legendary Hero, albeit as the King of Vengence.
Nope. He’s the savior king. Which works better.
I feel you there. I got the game at launch and Azure Moon was my first route. I still haven’t been able to bring myself to play any other route.
He’s treated so dirty in the other 3 routes. I’m playing BL maddening and considering doing a GD maddening, just to finish a final BL maddening. Haven’t really played CF more than once either lol.
I have 4/5 of the Dimitris in FEH and they’re all maxed out and they all have their own pros and cons and they compliment each other really well imo. You could have a team of JUST Dimitri and they’re all really good at their own thing just as he is in 3H
The Azure Moon route is this game's magnum opus. All the devs that worked on this game should be proud of the story they created and the characters they gave us.
Dimitri is one of the best protagonists we've ever seen in a FIre Emblem game.
Yep up there with Ike
@@kingsman5121 who would win in a fight Ike or Dimitri, both at their best. I would like to know since they are both amazing and canonically the strongest men alive in their universes
@@Wagonman-h1k in a fight Ike would win. Not only did Ike commit diecide he beat the black knight. That’s honestly a bigger feat that bodying a dragon or a god, since that usually comes down to the weapon. A duel boss like the black knight is a battle won with skill and technique. In that category I’d say Ike edges out all the other lords
@@kingsman5121 TBH I agree. And Ike did that without any crest magic or anything. Just him and his sword/hammer. Man I wish I could play his games without selling my soul
@@Wagonman-h1ksell your soul? What?
Just get dolphin and iso file, both for free from net.
just finished watching this video, it was damn beautiful. all my thoughts on dimitri in one video, and explained so well that- truly- congratulations.
i'm so glad to know dimitri is getting so much attention these days, he's a beautiful, well-written character, and my favorite lord so far, surpassing both hector and ike.
my heart warms up to the thought of so many people understanding his character better thanks to this video. thank you, ghast, for this.
and thank you all of the fellow blue lions for keeping me company in this comment section
Azure Moon is definitely the most well put together route in this game, no contest
As a writer, I adore when effort is taken to add symbolism to a story. The crests in Three Houses line up with the Tarot Arcana, and most characters that have a crest also display traits that correspond with that Arcana. Edelgard and Rhea have the High Priestess tarot, which represents mystery and hidden wisdom, but also secrets and deception. Dimitri's tarot is Justice, which of course represents justice, fairness, and equality, as displayed in his brighter moments as a classic Fire Emblem lord. But it also represents the spurning of those values. Timeskip Dimitri was so consumed with revenge for the dead that he temporarily rejected the justice of his people and ignored the needs and concerns of his comrades.
Sorry for also making a Jojoke, but in Part 3, Justice is a Stand that manifests as a dark fog, able to puppet the bodies of the dead to torment and attack the living.
Is dimitri a fucking a jojo reference?
The JoJo reference is legitimately relevant here, no worries.
I only forgive you because you apologized
I think his arcana is actually Strength, given that Cichol looks like a scale and Blaiddyd gives you inhuman physical strength (and has lion as their symbol).
Both would suit him though.
@@shirleyg171 Nope, Cichol is Seteth and Ferdinand. And the Strength arcana represents confidence and inner-strength but also vanity --which fits Ferdie to a T
36:28 This idea of using Dedue or Felix to be the story-relevant character that makes Dimitri get his act together is simply not possible in a game where those characters can perma-die before those scenes. I feel like the avatar-centric and lord-centric stories in Fire Emblem are direct consequences of the constraints that perma-death in gameplay imposes on storytelling.
Make them plot-armored. Problem solved.
@The Omen I agree pluss I think that the problem with Byleth lies in the fact that they cannot speak, but that doesn't erase the fact that they provided with AM outsiders perspective.
@The Omen In 3H I think that they were honestly too afraid to give Byleth a personality as it would have effected how we saw the lords.
And even then it's more of an effect of these English version. As Byleth in the Japanese version has different dialogue with Dimitri.
In my dream scenario, there would be multiple versions of the "Live for what you believe in" scene based on who's alive and/or where support levels are, with some kind of preferred order to break ties. I think the most thematically appropriate character to confront Dimitri would be Felix, considering the depth of their relationship and the fact that Felix's father was the one to lay his life down for the prince.
Some kind of order like Felix > Gilbert > Dedue > Byleth would be cool. It would be a lot of work though.
@@DelanHaar6 Felix, Gilbert, and Dedue wouldn't work thematically because there is no through line. The reason why there scene works with Byleth is because, "live for what you believe in" is what Dimitri told Byleth after their father died. Byleth then turns around and reminds Dimitri of the advice that he gave to them when they were at their lowest.
God I hope Marianne’s support science is even as half as detailed as this. This is insane!
That would be amazing, but it’d probably be a bit more difficult since Marianne isn’t a part of as many cutscenes as Dimitri and really only has supports to go off of.
I’d like this too
I'd like to see it
@@RandomPerson-ob6wm
It also doesn't help that Marianne support mainly resolve around a single topic. Her growth is good but 95% of her character connects solely to her secret of her ancestry affecting her life.
@@RandomPerson-ob6wm she did get a paralogue at least
One of my favorite Fire Emblem characters of all time. Can't wait to watch this video!
One of the best in gaming, period.
I’ve been excitedly waiting for this, and it didn’t disappoint! I feel like the 3h fandom has a tendency to dive so deep into headcanon that people forget what the canon is, and it’s so refreshing to see a solid, well thought out analysis of canon Dimitri. He’s a truly fascinating character. Keep up the great work!
The conversation with Rodrigue at Ailell in the English version of the game differs slightly from the one in Japanese. Where Rodrigue reminds Dimitri that "There are those who take up the sword in the name of revenge, and yet along the way, lose the strength and composure to follow through" in English, the Japanese version goes "There are those who don't have the strength and resources to take up the sword in the name of revenge in this world." It is a great foreshadowing of Dimitri's choice to fight for the weak and the dispossessed, and Rodrigue's death certainly adds more weight to the message. It seems to me that the English version focuses more on Dimitri's personal revenge, while the Japanese version appeals more to his compassion. I find the difference very interesting.
That's actually very interesting, I also like that both those lines still make sense both in context of the moment and to Dimitri's redemption.
I love blue lions as female byleth because the progression of S ranking him feels so natural. By the end of the story, I feel like marrying him is just a part of the route. And i LOVE that
Same, they really should have just made him bisexual
@@GoldenRose116 All the lords really should have been bi imo
Byleth has seen his journey and helped him get pulled out of dark hole he was in
Oh yeah the pairing hits makes sense in the story
For real! I’m replaying BL right now and it feels weird that I’m not going to be marrying Dimitri this time
byleth and dimitri are very well suited romance wise but I also wish byleth had more of a personality
The story really pushes Byleth to get with their lord in general so it makes sense they would seem well suited but AM probaly does it the most to the point where its a little weird when playing male 'specially during the whole warm hands bit
@@Moniker8858 yeah Dimi is honestly my fav to s support other than felix, dorothea, and ferdie
@@thekittykatie I haven't s supported Dimitri yet myself despite playing multiple AM playthroughs though again I pick Male and I'm also not a fan of s supporting students but I hope the Dimitri S support is good cause the other supports with Bytleth were kinda eh to me
@@Moniker8858 if u have ashen wolves yuri is a good option for male byleth imo
@@thekittykatie I keep meaning to check how those supports go cause I bought Ashen Wolves and then pretty much set down the game without really trying them out
Blue Lions are the best! 10+ min in and I'm already excited. This is beautifully written and narrated. The edition flawless, the voice acting dynamic. Can't wait to watch it entirely! YOU FAERGHAST are the most passionate FE fan and we love you for it. Good Job!
This video is incredibly well executed. From its discussion of mental health, treatment of all branches of Three Houses' story, and insightful and nuanced looks into Dimitri's interpersonal relationships, it is clear that this video was created with great care and passion. Keep on doing what you're doing, Ghast. This is fantastic work.
What I have learnt about the comment section is that a lot of us relate to Dimitri due to the traumas we hold, we see him both as a goal and as a warning, a goal to learn how to manage our traumas so we can live our lives the best way we can and also to find forgiveness for us and a warning that show us how deep can we go if we don't take action and if we're not helping ourselves.
This is my point of view and it's obviously not the same for everyone, but having a spiraling-down moment with anxiety the last months of 2020 and not trusting even my parents to tell them what was a I feeling and what was keeping me awake all night just showed me how easy it is to fall.
I'll always find confort in Dimitri, I consider my traumas really small, and if someone who suffer so much as him can make progress, can fight those ghosts that kept him awake all night then I'm able to do the same.
We just need to keep going, and if we fall, we need to recover, because healing is not a straight path, is full of downfalls and hills.
As someone with depression, and more things I see myself in him, there was a time in 2018 that I would have let me die, I felt as if my body was in auto mode, and I still struggle with guilt. This character shows that it’s an uphill battle to accept not only help, but to help yourself
I fully agree with your assessment of Academy Dimitri. He was never normal but the time he came to the academy he had vengeance on the mind and clearly has severe self loathing and PTSD.
I don’t understand why everyone says Dimitri just keeps the status quo. Dimitri is debatably the most revolutionary. You don’t solve inequality by creating a meritocracy. You solve inequality through bringing the people at the bottom up. You solve inequality by giving people at the bottom the ability to participate in government. This is what Dimitri does. Claude and edelgard fail to realize this.
Claude is more about getting rid of prejudice than uplifting the commoners, and encouraging more positive interactions with people who are not you and you've seen as "other" is actually a great way to go about that. So the best ending is truly AM where Claude lives and can work with Dimitri and both their goals can happen. Edelgard's way though is naive. Revolution is the luxury of those who have and hurts those who don't, too bad the game is too busy filling an empty echo chamber in CF than exploring anything meaningful.
@@toriwork8891 CF, an echo chamber...is it because of all the anti-Church material?
@@joshuagabrielcatindig7607 It's more how her system is never really questioned or explored despite the route hinging on the system being so much better that war is worth it. No one brings up how war sends people into poverty, hamstrings Fodlan's thriving merchant class, relies on heavy taxation, decimates food supplies, will kill off a good portion of abled bodies people, etc . . . CF opted for "Rhea bad, so Edelgard good" rather than "System is improvement, so Edelgard good." I don't expect an FE game to go into too much detail, but it wouldn't have killed them to at least acknowledge how her actions is actually making everyone except her and her friends poorer and poorer and making it harder for them to do anything other than stay down when she rules. She really could've used a single scene with some kid now orphaned and destitute by her war to make it feel more complex and grounded and less "Edelgard's war parade march against Rhea."
@@toriwork8891 thanks for the explanation. Maybe this explains why my friend hates her so much.
@@toriwork8891 I still like her route overall but I think it did suffer from being more character focused rather than looking more at the big picture. That worked really well for Azure Moon but Crimson Flower needed to do a better job at justifying why you were basically playing as "the villains." It also doesn't help that they made Edelgard's route the shortest in the game when there was so much more to explore with her. I'm honestly so conflicted with her route because I like Edelgard as a character and think playing from the empire's perspective was super interesting, but it also ignored the fact that her plan really only works on paper. Since this is a fantasy anime game it does actually work out the way she wanted but the game could have handled the whole grey area regarding her story better.
I feel like Dimitri's Fodlan is the best outcome of all three routes
The worst ending is Silver Snow, for the others, we can argue.
Highly disagree, but hey, we all have different opinions ;)
@@colorbenja6163 which do you think?
@@PocketDong Hot take in comming: for me is between CF and VW
The worst is crimson flower bruh like the bad guy wins
1:00:44, I have been looking for this Dedue quote for the LONGEST time, even go so far as playing this route again. THANK YOU for this amazing video AND helping me find this quote!!!!!
Fun fact: Claude and Annette's B support is what Dimitri is been through on Azure Moon route.
Also an honorable mention: Dimitri's support conversation with Hapi where Dimitri learns the truth about the Tragedy of Duscur
“We should always live in the present. We owe it to those who have died.”
“If someone had said that to me five years ago, I would have been a different man now."
This one long support science if it’s this long and a lot of hard work was put into this.
Dimitri is a great character overall.
I watched this thinking I would only watch it for a minute, but I ended up watching the whole thing. Dimitri is the best written character in a video game imo, and he resonated with me on a personal and emotion level when I played my first playthrough of Three Houses. Your analysis is so great and engaging. Thank you for making this video
Dimitri's hidden chapter 8 quote is just... mwah
I love how the three lords and their paths are this, building a better FUTURE, living for the living in the PRESENT, and facing the sins of the PAST.
What sins is Claude facing?
@@tahamohammad8842 the sins of the past, so not necessarily his, but something or someone from the past. I was essentially stating the troubles each lord faced in their respective paths and where each one ended up. For Claude, it was because the focus of his path seemed ro focus on thee past of fodlan, what with his final boss was and all.
I like Dimitri even more than I did before because of the unreal amount of writing quality in this video, its was well worth waiting for around a year for it. This absolutely well done and thank you Ghast for making it!
So glad I played BL first, felt like Dimitri was the most interesting FE lord in the last decade
Glad I saved it for last. A great conclusion of 160 hours.
Dimitri has competition then.
The moment I discovered this boy I played Blue Lions first
"most interesting FE lord in the last decade" That's not really saying a whole lot if you're comparing him to the terrible characters from Awakening and Fates. His only real competition for that title is Edelgard and Claude and even then he pales in comparison to the both of them.
@@shadowgarion Personally I found Edelguard incredibly boring and mishandled especially in her own route.
She should have been very interesting I mean a blood thirsty Conqueror hiding behind the illusion of a revolutionary is a very interesting idea.
A few things to point out: Even in the final cutscene, Dimitri thought of returning to Edelgard's corpse. That always stuck with me, showed where his mindset was, but in the end he leaves her.
To improve Byleth's part in Dimitri's change while keeping the character the same, just let them reiterate the advice Dimitri gave them. Or rather, remind Dimitri that he had an answer to his plight back when Byleth lost Jeralt.
I've looked at this one in my recommended for a month now, and finally watched it. I think I was scared of what I'd hear, but you have done Dimitri considerable justice, and you should be proud of this video. It's beautiful, and I can tell how much you care. Thank you.
I personally never interpreted dimitri as having psychosis, but rather severe ptsd... His breakdowns really only happen because of the triggers. Without the support of the professor, he falls more and more into darkness, unable to have a healthy support system.
@@xionmemoria what do you mean used to have? Ptsd is permanent it doesn't go away ever, my dad has severe ptsd you can cope with it but it never goes away.
Psychosis can be a severe symptom of ptsd or extreme mental stress. Hearing voices and having delusions of the dead is indeed psychosis.
personally i think dimitri has schizoaffective disorder and ptsd
@@PocketDong I know this is an old comment, but I wanted to say that PTSD is not always "permanent" or lifelong struggle. It can be overcome, but it takes a long time and it's hard. I know because I'm still living through my own PTSD, but I'm better off than I used to be years ago. It's different for each person.
I hope your father is doing well in his recovery.
One of my favourite Dimitri's supports is his conversations with Marianne, they have such a genuine connection about viewing themselves as monsters and dangerous and watching them tell each other that they don't have to pretend like everything is ok around each other. Seriously watch their supports if you haven't
This was a really well put together video. I’ve always found Dimitri to be the most interesting of the lords because of his character arc.
Fantastic work, Ghast!
Dimitri was very popular at release, and I have no doubt that he still is overall. That said, the tone among the more active fans I've interacted with lately seems more critical, beyond what one would expect after the end of the honeymoon period. Some of it is deserved (for example, while I think the Fleche scene has great emotional payoff, the actual setup for how it plays out is admittedly a bit contrived), but there's a couple of criticisms that come up a lot that I think this video addresses nicely:
1. The idea that Dimitri's redemption arc is "loud" but shallow. That his psychosis can be summed up by "edgy" crit quotes that he just magically heals when the game needs it, while Edelgard and Claude have much more subtle depth. I think the other lords are also well-written and have their development, but I would hold that those journeys are less complex than Dimitri's. And that's okay, because their routes are less focused on the lord's development, covering things like lore or themes of choice and revolution. Dimitri's arc isn't made bad by its scale. I mean, this video is 1.5 hours long of great content, and like you said, there's still SO much about Dimitri's character that could be discussed.
2. Like I briefly mentioned before, the idea that Dimitri is "magically" healed back to normal from an irredeemable monster after one conversation with Byleth. For one, that ignores the fact that he is already clearly on the uphill at least since his reunion with Rodrigue, well before Gronder. Even at his worst, Dimitri still shows compassion for the weak (though his terrible behavior should not be glossed over). I also don't understand how anyone can hear redeemed Dimitri's battle dialogue and A Supports and somehow think this is a guy that is "healed". I think you did a great job demonstrating his continual struggle.
It's best to not let the opinion of some person on the internet to negatively affect your enjoyment of a character, but I admit that it's still really nice to hear someone else who had a similar experience as I did after exposure to somewhat exhausting dialogue. Watching this brought back some of those feelings I had when first playing Azure Moon. I look forward to more quality content!
I missed your long ass character analyses so much!!!!! You always go so in depth and it's obvious you care deeply about who you speak about, and it just makes me so happy.
So happy to see someone so passionate about Dimitri do such a good analysis. He's easily my favorite lord, favorite character, in the whole series.
I am honestly so glad I chose the Blue Lions. I was grieving my own father at the time. And seeing this video game blonde boy turn into a monster, but come back into the light with the worst of it helped me motivate to keep going today. I will be always thankful for that. That’s why Dimitri is a great character to me.
Amazing work! I appreciated the disclaimer near the beginning about mental illness, but I think Dimitri's story illustrates an important point about it: As you point out, after Rodrigue's death, even though he's prepared to move forward, he doesn't just go back to "normal." Even with therapy and medication, mental illness is never cured. It's always there, and it's always going to be there, but there are ways of living and coping with it that can make the lives of those who deal with it better.
Who thought it was ok to make me cry like this
I live Dimitri so much..
Wow, I never really thought I would like Dimitri even more than do now lol.
Dimitri's story is very well written, it makes me cry.
I like Edelgard as a character, though I do not agree with her ways. I used to have a very very strong disliking for her, but I admit I like her much more now. Though, Blue Lions will forever be my favorite house, I love Dima and Felix too much, but I love the other houses a LOT. Honestly, Fire Emblem needs more love. It is such an amazing game, amazing storyline, even though I have only PLAYED Azure Moon, I've watched play throughs and researched the story. Aight I'ma be quiet now uwu
Edelgards end goal is right but her method is very severe and wrong. Though I don't see another way she could get there, as Rhea would never allow it and what she says goes.
@@zeke2388 thats the tricky thing and we as viewers can say its wrong (which i think it is) but after playing all the routes multiple times is there really another way for her to achieve her goal? Cause even Claude and Dimitri both only achieve their goal through the events of the war. Its a tough topic for sure
This was truly beautiful and encapsulates well why I love this game -and especially Dimitris story- so much. Thank you very much for this
I'm crying... Dimitri has been through shit. He needs hugs. Several of them. Perhaps a fluffy blanket. I need hugs too... I wanna hug Dimitri so badly... T^T
Honestly Mercedes could easily fill Byleth's role as his therapist with how sweet she is
hell she can be my therapist
I always thought that dimitri’s more violent lines from the academy phase, like remire, and clear examples of the bloody battlefield triggering his ptsd... like u can clearly see him reliving the events in his head
Dimitri is one of the best characters in the game in my opinion, his story is so well told and his relationship with Edelgard is interesting to
After watching the video, I disagree with the point that Byleth didn’t do a whole lot to help him. While yes, Rodrigue and Dedue certainly had more of an early impact on him, I think that Byleths help came especially in the scene where him and Byleth were talking after Rodrigues death. Byleth was there for him while he was rambling about how all these 9 years were just for revenge, which was a very integral point for his development in my opinion. In this cutscene he talks about whether or not he has the right to live for himself after being the sole survivor of the Tragedy of Duscur. Byleth was there for him during this, and is the person who ‘takes him by the hand’ and leads him to see his own humanity and his value for human life again. I personally feel like only Byleth could have been the person in this cutscene, since Felix would only continue to argue with him and Gilbert wouldn’t be as compassionate as Byleth. Byleth is also the first person from his class who finds him in the clutches of the voices in his head, at the ruins of the monestary, obviously a turning point for the story.
Tl dr: Byleths help came more after other characters like Rodrigue, Felix, or Dedue, and they impacted them about as much as said characters.
This damn route made me cry so much. Ugh I fucking LOVED it. You felt the weight of the situation so well. Dimitri’s arc was amazing to me. I’ve seen others say that Dimitri is scary post time-skip and honestly to me he’s not. I always thought that there was still good inside that young man, he was just struggling badly because of past trauma. Really made me feel for him :(.
19:38 You're implying that Dimitri's sub-conscience spoke not Lambert, but I think that Lambert would have said, "You must live Dimitri." As I said, Dimitri's sub-conscience warped that memory from Dimitri's past.
Lambert told dimitri as he laid dying that he should avenge him. However his memeory might be affected by his trauma
We know Lambert couldn't of said this though, as all other accounts of Lambert's death is decapitation.
@@B_A-tr Lambert's "last words" are probably imagined by Dimitri, his memories twisted by trauma and injuries. Dimitri said he saw his father's head cut off right in front of him, so I've always found that scene Lambert screaming for revenge rather weird.
Gilbert said when he found an unconscious Dimitri who had suffered so many injuries that he was already on the brink of death and his discovery was seen as miraculous, so he probably hallucinated Lambert's words in his head. Besides, based on Rodrigue and everyone else's memory of Lambert, it was very ooc for him to demand vengeance when the real Lambert would probably be screaming for Dimitri to run and get to safety.
This is one of the best videos I have ever seen, and that's not hyperbole. It's clear you put a ton of time and effort into both the script and editing for this video and it really shows. Dimitri is my favorite fictional character ever, and you delved deeper into his character than I could ever hope to, and this video does him justice in every way.