Today, the Fortune’s Weave Direct dropped (English version | Japanese version), revealing 20+ minutes of new information. Plus the Japanese website was renovated. Because there’s so much info, the analysis will be divided into multiple sections.
Note: Due to the author’s busy schedule, further analysis will be delayed until 10th August at the earliest.
Protagonists: Eshmel | Cai | Dietrich | Theodora | Leda
Characters with profiles: Bertrand | Talimoon | Orchel | Anatolia | Fortuna | Solel | Sothis
Characters with names: Dagda | Castor | Yu Phas | Guzran | Sofia | Benditz | Peppe | Diego | Nezha | Dante | Nydine | Goliath | Io | Anna | Seteth | Aurora | Smrynos | Mars | Noctula | Yang Jie | Kiroc | Hong Hua | Troy
Characters without names: Link here
Eshmel
Touted as the “true protagonist” of the game.
For the past two trailers, they made a big deal of Cai, Dietrich, Theodora and Leda being the protagonists. However, in the 2nd trailer, they casually revealed Eshmel. Also, the key artwork features Eshmel in the very middle.
So we kinda knew Eshmel was going to be the “main” protagonist and, with their two appearances, the game’s Avatar. However, the Direct now confirms it. Here’s their profile from the Japanese official site.
The Savior (default name: Eshmel)
VA: Yoshitsugu Matsuoka / Marina Inoue
Yoshitsugu Matsuoka / Marina Inoue
A being created in a place known as the “Forbidden Land” to bring light back to the world. Possessing a strange body unlike that of a human and immense power, this being travels back to the past alongside Fortuna, the Goddess of Fate, to gather allies to defeat Balor.
Update (5th August): Via Nintendo Today and the Japanese Twitter account, you can customise Eshmel’s detailed appearance.
Update (5th August): The official site includes a video showing Eshmel arriving at Dagda 5 years later.
The video from the official site expands on the cutscene where Eshmel defeats the giant from the Underworld. Parts of this cutscene also appeared in the Direct. There’s also a version with female Eshmel (pictured above).
Here’s the deal. 5 years after the Heroic Games, Dagda has fallen to the demon god Balor. Eshmel is summoned by Sothis, the Progenitor God, to fight Balor. The player can then choose to try and fight Balor alone. However, the odds seem heavily stacked against you.
We see Eshmel dealing 0 damage to an unnamed monster (is this Balor?) with their lance, The Nameless, and getting one-rounded by a critical hit.
Update (10th August): From the Japanese Twitter account etc., Eshmel’s lance has lost its true power and also its name, hence the Nameless.
Update (5th August): The Japanese Twitter account etc. shared a gameplay clip of Eshmel fighting the Underworld soldiers.
Eshmel is initially in the Advanced Guardian class. Also, they have the Crest of Noa.
Update (10th August): Eshmel is fighting alongside Hong Hua, the woman they saved from the Underworld giant. Soon afterwards, they’re joined by Troy. So they won’t be literally fighting alone.
Update (10th August): In the 2nd half of the Twitter video, it shows female Eshmel using her Blaze Art, Evil-breaking Flash Strike (very tentative translation). Interestingly, Eshmel’s Blaze Art gauge is different to the other characters. Here, it’s a four pointed star with a ring around it–and the gauge is a gentle blue.
The Blaze Art itself consumes 11 HP to deal slightly increased damage, to a maximum of 5 targets in a cross shape centred anywhere within 3 range. It’s also effective against undead.
When using the Blaze Art, Eshmel’s lance transforms into its “complete” form, where it looks just like the lance held by Solel’s statue. I already noted back in June that the broken lance resembled Solel’s lance. So I’m not surprised the complete lance is a perfect match.
In addition, when Anna is charging through enemies on her elephant, Solel is a guest unit and, although it’s hard to see, he seems to be wielding the same lance. Presumably the lance is unique, unless it’s a Falchion situation, where there’s multiple. If it is unique, Eshmel showing up 5 years later with Solel’s broken lance raises many questions…
Alternatively, you can borrow the powers of Fortuna, the Goddess of Fate, and travel back to the beginning of the Heroic Games to change the past and recruit the four protagonists to your team.
It seems Eshmel can assume the form of a small bird, similar to a certain Goddess from Radiant Dawn.
This same bird appears on the Pale Raven’s Perch, used for swapping between the four protagonists’ routes. By the way, on the artbook, Eshmel is listed under “Herald of the Pale Raven.”
Besides that, we see a mystical-looking space that perhaps only Eshmel and Fortuna can enter. Is this the “Forbidden Land” or is that something else?
Update (10th August): This mysterious space is called the Obelisk Chamber. The “Forbidden Land” seems to refer to the ruined Dagda or Dagsion. Which makes sense, since that’s the place where Eshmel first arrived.
Anyway, it features four obelisks, which are probably connected to the four protagonists–and they match the same obelisks mentioned when investigating the Pale Raven’s Perch.
Update (10th August): Also, other characters besides Eshmel can enter, such as Hong Hua and Troy. So the Obelisk Chamber may serve as the base of operations while Eshmel is in the ruined version of Dagsion.
Besides that, at the back is the clock teased in the 2nd trailer (pictured above).
Update (10th August): In front of the clock is the Altar of Causality, which is presumably linked to Fortuna.
Four Protagonists
We’ve learned a great deal about the four key players in the Heroic Games from the first two trailers and their respective showcases via social media, but there are plenty of new details.
Cai
At the Fox Obelisk, you can experience the story of Cai, Hell’s-Eye.
“Cai is a young boy, living in Ribeira with his father. They are visited by a temple knight who has come to tell Cai’s father it’s time to face punishment for crimes committed before Cai’s birth. Accompanied by his childhood friends, Cai sets off for the imperial capital of Dagsion to find answers.”
We knew that Cai was fighting to save his father and it was mentioned that Cai’s father was imprisoned. Now we know he was imprisoned for crimes that he committed more than 15 years ago. Damn, that’s rough.
Here’s Cai’s father in the flesh. His name is Castor, same as a certain swindler from the Archanea games. But only in the English version (the Castor from Archanea is called Kashim). We also learn that Cai’s mother is still alive.
The guy in gold armour on the left we saw in the 2nd trailer (pictured above). He was in the same scene as the woman who we now know is Goddess Aurora.
Also, in this shot of Ribeira village, there’s a guy standing in front of what’s presumably Cai’s house. This guy is probably the temple knight coming to arrest Cai’s father and, although it’s far away, he looks like the guy in gold armour.
Thinking of possible crimes committed before Cai was born… Surely, Cai’s father didn’t accidentally make a child with Goddess Aurora? He did tell Cai to look after his mother though, so she’s probably back at Ribeira village–and not the Goddess Aurora. Unless she’s not Cai’s birth mother. It might explain why Cai has the Crest of Aubin, which may have come from Aurora.
To be honest, I don’t really believe that happened. However, Aurora and Cai do both have golden eyes…
In any case, Cai heads to Dagsion with his childhood friends Peter and Tialla to enter the Heroic Games to wish for his father’s release.
On the official site, there’s a video showing the continuation of this scene from the debut trailer.
Cai has presumably just arrived at Dagsion–and he and his friends are trying to get a better view of Theodora’s procession. But Cai accidentally falls and stumbles into the procession. A Saraminian is about to cut him down, but then Queen Theodora comes to the rescue.
Dietrich
Update (6th August): At the Lion Obelisk, you can experience the story of Dietrich, the Ravishing Shadow.
“Dietrich, an alluring swordsman descended from one of Fodlan’s legendary 10 Elites, is shipwrecked in Dagda by a vast sea creature. With his Hero’s Relic, the fell blade Answerer, he follows his unquenchable thirst for battle to Dagsion in hopes of entering the Heroic Games.”
We knew most of Dietrich’s background already and kind of guessed his journey.
Dietrich is travelling on a ship for some reason. We saw part of this scene during the Debut trailer. Along the way, he’s attacked by a giant sea monster.
On the official site, there’s a video showing a merchant chatting to Dietrich while he’s on the ship. The merchant recognises Dietrich’s sword as a Hero’s Relic and inquires about it.
This is the same merchant from the debut trailer who was sliding down the ship until Dietrich stopped him.
Update (5th August): Anyway, once he learns of the name, he recognises it as the weapon belonging to Lamine, the beautiful magic swordswoman of the Ten Elites.
Afterwards, Dietrich washes up on the Land of Dagda, to the far south of his homeland of Fodlan.
From here, he battles bandits and beasts and eventually learns of the Heroic Games, which fuels his thirst for battle.
We see Dietrich saving Fabio from bandits and possibly defeating the sea monster that Esmeralda was going to be sacrificed to. At first, I thought it was the same sea monster from the ship. But the shape looks different to me. The one on the ship had giant fish-like flippers. But this one has hand-like flippers.
Not exactly new information, but in Dietrich and Esmeralda’s support conversation, Esmeralda mentions visiting Dietrich’s sister once he leaves Dagda. We knew that Dietrich had a younger sister. But this suggests that his sister’s back at Fodlan, so she probably won’t appear during the story, let alone be playable.
Update (5th August): Towards the end of the Direct, Dietrich seems to be fighting a monster by himself and is struggling. At this moment, Dietrich is enveloped by a dark energy. Is he allowing his crest to go berserk and become a Demonic Beast?
Theodora
Update (6th August): At the Wolf Obelisk, you can witness the story of Theodora, Breaker of Armies.
“Theodora returns to the royal capital of Megaira for the first time in years after a tour of duty at Fort Zanbar–only for an assassin to slay her father and take her right arm. Theodora searches for any path out of her hopeless situation, fearful of what will become of the throne of Saramis.”
A lot of you noticed that Theodora seemed to have a prosthetic arm. Also, we already knew that Theodora’s father was murdered.
On the official site, there’s a video showing how Theodora got her prosthetic arm.
Theodora is speaking to a figure on a golden throne, same as in the debut trailer. I originally thought it was her murdered father, with weapons impaled in him. But it’s actually Mahadu, who has the same name as Theodora’s spear.
For some reason, Mahadu breaks apart, leaving behind a single arm, which Theodora attaches to herself. Who exactly is Mahadu? Another deity? In any case, we learn that Theodora has effectively fused with part of Mahadu.
We learn that the people of Theodora’s country, Saramis, worship the Keeper of Death and Night, the Goddess Yu Phas. She’s presumably a goddess outside the circle of Dagsion.
This makes me even more curious who Mahadu is, if the Saraminians already have a goddess.
Theodora is shown to be a competent leader. In the left screenshot, she mentions ending the conflict with Mosa. If you check the world map, it’s a country located to the far south, bordering Saramis. Unlike Arago, Brezarant and Saramis, it doesn’t seem to be ruled by the Dagdan Empire.
The right screenshot shows Theodora getting ready for a large scale battle. Although Theodora was just talking about Mosa moments ago, this might be the battle with the Aragonian forces seen in Creek’s showcase, which also appeared in the debut trailer.
Finally, here’s a cute shot of Theodora’s retainers, Tobias (left) and Bonaventure (right).
Leda
Update (6th August): Finally, at the Eagle Obelisk, you can follow the story of Leda, Siren of the Six-String.
“Leda is on a quest for revenge, seeking to kill those named in a list left by her mentor Mahdel before he died. After discovering that her father’s murderer is still alive, she enters the Heroic Games so that she may finally kill him. There’s no telling where this bloody journey may bring her.”
5 years ago, Leda lost her father to an unknown assailant. Since then, she’s been on a quest for revenge. In the debut trailer, we already saw Leda reaching out in despair (pictured right). However we now see the moment her father is struck down (pictured left).
We know from Buccar’s showcase that Leda’s father was Guillermo, a legal officer at the imperial capital.
The part about Leda’s mentor, Mahdel, confuses me a little. Did Guillermo and Mahdel both die during the same incident? Perhaps they were friends/colleagues who stumbled upon a conspiracy or something and were silenced by certain individuals–and Leda somehow finds a list left behind by Mahdel, presumably investigating these individuals.
So she ends up going around killing everyone involved. Presumably one of these individuals (pictured above) is Lechner, who Leda names in the 2nd trailer, and whose soldiers she fights. However, despite initial impressions, Lechner isn’t the main villain in Leda’s eyes.
Instead, it’s Bertrand the White-Maned Demon. The man who directly murdered her father. He’s also someone we’ve seen before…
Thus Leda journeys to Dagsion to enter the Heroic Games, where Bertrand is competing. She is initially joined by Buccar, Sirocco and Mu (from right to left).
On the official site, there’s a video showing Leda’s dance that was teased in the debut trailer.
I don’t think there’s any new information. I did try scanning the crowd for new characters, but the video quality isn’t that great. But it’s nice to see the dance animation.
Update (5th August): Towards the end of the Direct, we see Leda clashing against Bertrand. In desperation, she begins to summon ominous energy. Maybe she’s planning to summon multiple demonic beasts?
We may have seen part of this fight in the debut trailer. Notably, Bertrand’s body is mysteriously covered in red markings, with the Crest of Gautier on his chest.
New Characters with Profiles
Firstly, if you have time, please check the character pages here for characters that have already been profiled.
Bertrand
Clan: Mane of Flames
VA: Hiroki Yasumoto
A warrior known as the “White-Maned Demon of the Arena” who fights endlessly for freedom. Although many fear him for his overwhelming strength, deep down, there are glimpses of a noble and virtuous person who wishes for peace.
Let’s address the elephant in the room.
Bertrand is the guy who murdered Leda’s father (pictured left). He also briefly appeared in the debut trailer (pictured right).
Although it’s night time, you can see that Bertrand has dark hair. It’s definitely not the white hair that he has now. Three Houses fans may recognise the white hair as symptoms of crest experimentation.
Update (6th August): I was too focused on Bertrand himself, but during the flashback, Bertrand’s cape has the symbol of the Kingdom of Arago, seen in Nathan’s profile for example.
In the conversation scene, Cai is speaking to Bertrand, while they’re both inside a prison.
Bertrand mentions being impressed by Cai’s fighting skills and suspects Cai must’ve been taught by a true expert. However Cai remarks that he was only taught by his father, but his father was a Vulcan(?) at the temple. Bertrand then understands where Cai got his skills from. Presumably Vulcans are a really big deal.
I’m not too sure when this conversation occurs. Maybe after the street fight where Ultand is a green unit on the map? Or maybe once the Heroic Games have started? Since Bertrand has seen Cai fighting before and he’s probably stuck in the Heroic Games.
In any case, Bertrand seems surprisingly chill for a murderer. It’s possible that many things have happened during the 5 years, such as what led to Bertrand’s white hair. Or maybe Leda’s father isn’t as innocent as it seems? If so, Leda’s quest for revenge could’ve been doomed from the start…
Update (6th August): ZofianSaint273 pointed out that Bertrand’s axe during the Heroic Games looks very similar to Sothis’s axe. You can see Bertrand’s axe towards the end of the Direct, when he’s fighting Leda. Meanwhile Sothis wields it near the end of the June trailer and also in her artwork.
Above, I’ve outlined the shape of Bertrand’s axe and Sothis’s axe–and they seem to match perfectly. If you go back to the flashback scene, Bertrand seems to be wielding a different axe, with a wide circular guard and flatter shapes.
If he’s wielding Sothis’s axe, Bertrand may be more than he seems, although he was already a man of many mysteries. Is it possible that he’s another experiment to try and pass down the Crest of Flames? Maybe it’s related to his faction, the Mane of Flames?
Talimoon
Clan: Moon’s Lie
VA: Shin-ichiro Miki
One of Dagda’s greatest merchants, with grand ambitions. Immensely curious and loves dangerous adventures. He constantly gives off a frivolous and unreliable impression.
Ah, yes, toothpick guy who Dietrich tried to silence in the debut trailer. Sometimes seen with Ursula.
He appeared near the start of the Direct, together with Dietrich, who’s getting up from the floor.
In the conversation scene, Dietrich is questioning Talimoon. Apparently, Talimoon is causing Dietrich’s sword, The Answerer, to react. Presumably it’s something in Talimoon’s possession, although he doesn’t have any ideas. Could it be reacting to a crest that Talimoon has?
Also, I think this might be after the scene where Dietrich has his sword at Talimoon’s throat. I’m guessing Dietrich and Talimoon were surrounded by bad guys and somehow Dietrich got them out of that situation, by threatening to kill Talimoon? Since Talimoon’s a big shot merchant, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s targeted by bandits or rival merchants, etc.
Update (6th August): The Japanese Twitter account added a new video from Eshmel’s timeline. We see a corrupted Talimoon attack Eshmel’s group. Is Talimoon unique in some way? For example, is he carrying some kind of evil seed and that’s what the Answerer was reacting to? Or maybe the enemy possessed him by using his crest?
Alternatively, there could be nothing special about Talimoon–and you may end up facing other corrupted party members in the ruined version of Dagda.
Orchel
Clan: Linaria’s Morning Dew
VA: Kaede Hondo
A mysterious priest who hides her face behind a strange cat mask and harbours many secrets. Although she’s a bit clueless, she has a pure and kind nature, unable to ignore anyone who needs help.
AKA cat mask.
Orchel first appeared in the debut trailer (pictured left) and we recently learned her name during Creek’s showcase (pictured right).
In the conversation scene, Theodora (properly) meets Orchel for the first time–and they don’t exactly get off to a great start… Theodora introduces herself as the Queen of Saramis, Theodora Sergio Sabangrain. Sergio is the name of Theodora’s late father, the previous king. Not sure what Sabangrain means or how to translate it.
Orchel then gets annoyed with Theodora’s formal introduction, which causes Theodora to rebuke by questioning Orchel’s mask. I expected as much, but Orchel has a pretty important reason for wearing the mask. She’s not the only person to wear a mask. There’s also this guy who Theodora is fighting.
One thing I didn’t realise earlier, Orchel’s position is Priest, which may be different to the Priestesses (such as Ultand or Olympia) serving the temples of the gods at Dagsion.
Anatolia
Clan: Brides of the Pale Raven
VA: Arisa Ogasawara
A girl who claims to have come from the West. She’s known as the “Mysterious Bride” due to her appearance. She gives off a cool and mysterious impression, and she’s the type of person who decides everything with logic rather than emotions.
The nun with the gun who was fighting Dietrich in the debut trailer.
She appears near the beginning of the Direct, presumably in the arena.
In the past, she’s been frequently spotted together with Sofia and girl with closed eyes. It seems she forms a green pair with closed eyes girl as well.
Update (5th August): Small correction thanks to Actinion.
Early on during Cai’s story, she’s a guest unit alongside Dietrich, Fabio and closed eyes girl.
We already knew from this image, but “guns” like the one wielded by Anatolia are a type of Gauntlet. I have no idea what kind of logic that is, but sure…
Update (5th August): Salamander is of course a type of lizard, but it’s also the name of the fire dragon clan from Archanea and one of the dragon gods who appeared at Jugdral. Might just be a fun little reference.
Also, Anatolia’s background is very peculiar. She’s said to come from the West, so somewhere west from Dagda. Also, she belongs to the Brides of the Pale Raven. Eshmel belongs to (or is) the Herald of the Pale Raven. Did the developers literally create a wife for Eshmel–in other words, the player…?
Update (5th August): graywolfhawk made an interesting connection. In Dietrich’s showcase and also in the Direct, Dietrich’s group is fighting a group called the Bride’s Companions at the Heroic Games. These enemies have the same banner as Anatolia, so they’re probably her allies. This would also explains why Dietrich and Anatolia were fighting in the debut trailer.
In the conversation scene, Anatolia is performing divinations on the street. Well, I’m not sure how she arrived at Dagda, but a girl’s got to make ends meet. Theodora comes along with her retainers to predict her success at the Heroic Games. Anatolia says that Theodora will fail to win.
This is presumably Theodora’s story, so it’s kind of foreboding for Theodora to get a fortune like this. Does this suggest that Theodora won’t actually win the Heroic Games? Maybe none of the protagonists win? They did mention that 5 years later, the protagonists are all missing. But we don’t know when they went missing–maybe they all disappear/died at the end of the Heroic Games?
Besides wielding guns, Anatolia seems to command powerful magic(?). Seen towards the end of the Direct. Judging by the background, this seems to occur when she’s teaming up with Cai and Dietrich.
The crystal magic appears to head towards a frightened Tialla. However, I don’t think Anatolia is trying to hit Tialla specifically. This appears to be the same scene where Cai and the others are surrounded. So maybe Anatolia is trying to help them? That said, with how serious the Heroic Games are, betrayal is never off the cards.
Fortuna
VA: Tomoyo Kurosawa
A goddess of fate and member of the Dagdan Pantheon. Has a whimsical and laidback personality. She has the power to control fate to a certain extent and guides the protagonist in order to save the world on the brink of destruction.
After Eshmel is defeated by Balor’s forces, Fortuna is watching and presumably steps in to save Eshmel. She has the power to send Eshmel back to the past, but her power is limited. Perhaps that’s why Eshmel can only travel back to 5 years ago.
Update (6th August): The Japanese Twitter account added a new video showing Fortuna appearing before Eshmel’s group.
Eshmel’s group are about to hit by falling rubble, when Fortuna stops time to save them. She claims that she has the power to control time, which she received from the progenitor god.
This is very intriguing. We already knew that Fortuna’s powers were similar to Sothis, but it seems she literally got her powers from Sothis. Also, you may have noticed she shares the same voice actor with Sothis in English and Japanese.
Is she another facet of Sothis? Or maybe a descendant of Sothis? However, in Dagda, it’s believed that the gods are descended from Dagda the Great. Unlike Dagda himself was also a descendant of Sothis.
In the mysterious space with the four obelisks and giant clock, Fortuna is present. This may be a space created by Fortuna and/or a space that only Eshmel and Fortuna can enter.
Also, here’s a screenshot from the Japanese website. Fortuna explains the purpose of the mysterious space, which is to allow Eshmel to travel to each warrior’s past via the obelisks.
Update (6th August): Nintendo Today added some videos related to Fortuna. The mysterious space is called the Obelisk Chamber and it exists underneath the Fortuna Temple at Dagsion.
Since the chamber is in such a pristine state, despite the rest of Dagsion being in ruins, it’s possible that it exists in a different dimension. Whatever the case, it’s very well protected from the Underworld.
Update (5th August): Small correction thanks to modirufa6317. The small bird sitting on Eshmel’s shoulder may be Fortuna. If so, it’s funny how both of them can transform into small birds.
Update (5th August): Fortuna is also the one who grants the ability to rewind time during battle. In place of Sothis’s Divine Pulse.
Additionally, Fortuna is capable of granting a blessing like the other Dagdan gods. Does that mean she has a temple at Dagsion? Also, her assigned crest is Goneril.
Update (6th August): Nintendo Today added some videos related to Fortuna. As explained further up, Fortuna has a temple at Dagsion like the other pantheon members. Unlike the other members, it seems her blessing cannot be upgraded. It’s stuck at no Level.
Since the June trailer, fans have noticed that the Pagan Altar in the Abyss (screenshot via TheGamer) vaguely resembles Eshmel. In Three Hopes, Shamir tells Hapi that the statue is of a Dagdan God of Fate. Now that we know Fortuna is a goddess of fate, this is now even more suspicious.
There’s a good chance that over the course of history, Eshmel and Fortuna became conflated into one being, which is represented by the statue. It’s even possible that Fortuna could fuse with Eshmel, like how Sothis fused with Byleth.
Also, this suggests that the developers already had a vague idea of Eshmel (and Fortune’s Weave) while they were developing the Three Houses DLC. There have been examples of loose ends reappearing in future games, like Claude’s real name and Holtz–which were only referenced in Three Houses–later appearing in Three Hopes.
Solel
VA: Kazutaka Ishii
Member of the Dagdan Pantheon, the god of the sun. Wise and rational, with the qualities needed to be a good ruler. He rules the Land of Dagda, home to many gods and nations, on behalf of Dagda the Great.
You’re probably very familiar with him by now. He’s the Divine Sovereign, who currently rules the Dagdan Empire and the one who announces the Heroic Games. However he’s also a god of the Dagdan Pantheon, like Fortuna.
Besides that, there’s a quest where Solel approaches Theodora and Anna (we’ll discuss her later) in disguise.
Later, when showing the Advanced classes, Solel is briefly visible on the map, when Anna is charging with her elephant. Unfortunately, he’s only visible when the screen is fading in.
However, via the magic of image editing software, ta-da! Solel is a lance wielder, possibly wielding the same lance from his statue. Also, it’s hard to tell, but he seems to be a green guest unit. Well, it’s unlikely for him to permanently join you this easily…
Although Anna’s present here as you might expect, they’re with Cai’s group rather than Theodora. But that probably means it’s a quest that anyone can accept. Which makes sense if it’s important to the plot.
Sothis
VA: Tomoyo Kurosawa
A powerful being known as The Beginning. With the world on the brink of destruction, she awakens “you”, the Savior, to defeat Balor, the demon god of the Underworld.
Pretty much everyone guessed from the start, but yes, this is indeed Sothis the progenitor god. Seemingly in her adult form.
Pictured above is Sothis in her younger/weakened form from Three Houses.
Sothis is the goddess of Fodlan and the mother of the Nabateans (dragon gods) there. However, she and her children were slain by Nemesis and the Ten Elites. Eventually, she survived in a weakened form in Byleth’s mind.
Now that Sothis is in her adult form, this raises more than a few questions. But mainly, where in the timeline does Fortune’s Weave occur? However, I feel like that’d be a whole article on its own (and this article is already very long), so I’ll leave it your imagination.
Via the Japanese Twitter account etc., we see Sothis when she first meets you.
This is probably the same scene from the end of the debut trailer (pictured above). It seems only Sothis and you are present–and Sothis has a gentler tone.
The dialogue is very meta. She’s probably speaking to Eshmel, but she could also be speaking to you, the player. So when she says if you remember her or not, she could be referring to the time you were Byleth in Three Houses.
Otherwise, perhaps Sothis knows Eshmel from the past. Well, she must have known about them to drag their soul all the way here and give them such an important task as saving the world!
In the June trailer (pictured above), there seem to be many people in the room and Sothis has a fiercer tone. This is when she wields her axe against the camera. We still don’t know who she was trying to attack. She simply referred to them as “the darkest dark”.
Given the similar perspective, it’s possible that this is also Eshmel, but during a different point. Perhaps earlier in the timeline, when they did something to anger Sothis? Maybe in the present day, Sothis awakened Eshmel so they can redeem themselves? Just a random idea.
Update: CeladonMori pointed out that in the English version of the video where you first meet Sothis, she says “I woke you up this this once so you can make amends.” So Eshmel probably did do something wrong in the past. If Eshmel was “the darkest dark” that Sothis speaks of… suddenly, I’m getting Alear vibes for some reason.
Besides all of that… Since Sothis has an axe, the odds of her appearing as a unit are slightly higher. She was playable in Three Hopes in her younger/weakened form, but as a guest character and wielding magic. However it depends if Sothis physically exists or not.
Characters with Names
At the time of writing, there are profiles for 20 characters. Plus we’ve seen a bunch of other characters. However, the Direct revealed even more!
Dagda
Possibly not a character in the traditional sense. Dagda is the first king and founder of the Dagdan Empire. We knew about Dagda already from the Japanese Twitter account. But we haven’t properly seen his face. He’s mentioned on the English website as Dagda the Great.
On the Japanese website, they say this about Dagda.
The people of Dagda worship Dagda the Great, who this land is named after, and his descendants as gods. Dagda the Great is currently in a deep slumber and Solel rules the throne in his place.
Two things. Firstly, you can already tell by the pointy ears on the statue, but Dagda the Great was probably a Nabatean. Also, are all the Dagdan gods, like Solel, Fortuna, Aurora etc. descended from Dagda the Great? If so, this is a very similar situation to Sothis.
Also, at the base of his statue, visible during the debut trailer, is the Crest of Fraldarius.
Secondly, Dagda the Great is said to be sleeping. So he could still be alive–and thus it’s possible he could actually appear.
Castor
Already mentioned earlier, but when Cai’s story is introduced, we see Cai’s father Castor. He shares his name with a Hunter from the Archanea games, but only in the English version.
Castor is taken into custody by a temple knight for crimes he committed before Cai was born. When Cai is talking to Bertrand, we learn that Castor worked at a temple before as a Vulcan(?). I’m unsure what a Vulcan is, but it’s implied that they’re skilled at fighting.
Yu Phas
Also not a traditional character. Yu Phas is a goddess, the Keeper of Death and Night worshipped by Saramis. However, gods openly roam Dagsion, so it’s not impossible that Yu Phas could actually appear.
In the tapestry, Yu Phas vaguely resembles the progenitor god Sothis. However, I’m skeptical they’re the same person. There have been cases of gods having different names, especially between different cultures–and Saramis is quite far away from Fodlan where Sothis came from. But I think that would needlessly complicate things. So Yu Phas could just be another Nabatean like Sothis.
Guzran
Guzran is the guy with orange streaks in his hair seen in multiple groups, as far back as the debut trailer. In the Heroic Games explanation, he’s in Cai’s party.
Later on, during the Inn explanation, he’s in Dietrich’s party.
Sofia
The brown haired female magic user. Likewise, she’s appeared in multiple parties, as far back as the debut trailer.
Later on, she’s in Theodora’s party when cleaning the temples and Dietrich’s party when visiting the inn.
In the Japanese Direct, Sofia comments when cleaning the temple. She mentions that dinner is tastier after doing hard work.
Benditz
When explaining the Heroic Games, Benditz is the opponent when Cai, Dietrich and Anatolia team up. Benditz is a Charioteer who fights among the Thundercloud Knights. It seems his wish is to become a general. I’m assuming he’s a one-off boss that can’t be recruited.
Nevermind, later on when explaining the classes, Benditz is shown as a playable Charioteer, fighting in Leda’s party.
Peppe
Appears when showcasing the various weapon types. Wielding a Levin Sword against a Mosa Soldier.
Bears a striking resemblance to Petra (Three Hopes version pictured above), plus both their names begin with “Pe”. So there’s a good chance they’re related.
Diego
First spotted in Buccar’s showcase, off screen, then later appearing in Nathan and Creek’s showcases as a guest in Dietrich’s party. In both cases, he was partnered with Orchel.
Here, he’s a Myrmidon fighting alongside Theodora against the Ribeira faction.
Nezha
When showcasing the Beginner classes, Nezha is shown as a Gladiator, I think fighting a Sister of Bragança. It seems he’s fighting on Leda’s side.
Ne Zha is a very well know deity in Chinese folklore and Nezha wears Eastern-style garb.
Dante
Dante is shown as a Diviner. She’s fighting a Thief in the jungle ruins. Here, she’s fighting alongside Dietrich.
Nydine
Her name is cut off, but it also appears later on. She’s the new ornius rider recently spotted in Lysander and Lilian’s showcases. Here, she’s fighting alongside Dietrich’s forces.
Here she is, in Dietrich’s forces again, as an Armored Ornius Rider.
Goliath
When explaining the Specialty classes, Goliath is shown as an Armoured Knight, fighting a Thief in the desert.
During the basic gameplay showcase, Cai is fighting Goliath’s men in the streets of Dagsion. It’s incredibly blurry, but the commander on the map could be Goliath. The colour scheme and features matche and he’s also wielding an axe. Plus you can see his shield.
Also, minor detail, but Goliath is standing behind the Divine Sovereign’s statue when Dietrich is heading to take a certification exam.
Io
Finally, when showing the Advanced classes, Io is shown as a Cataphract.
Io looks very similar to Shamir. Since Shamir comes from Dagda, it wouldn’t be surprising for her relatives/ancestors/descendants to be there.
Also, Io has been spotted in multiple parties, which shouldn’t be surprising considering the recruitment system. Besides being in Cai’s party, Io can be found in Leda and Theodora’s parties too.
Anna
Anna, the recurring character is back. Although we knew from the Japanese Twitter account using her portrait as their profile image. But now we know she’s playable and also… wow, she’s riding an elephant. We saw those as enemies in the June trailer.
Currently, she’s aligned with a faction that has the Crest of Fraldarius on their banner.
When they’re explaining quests, Anna is with Theodora when Solel arrives incognito. On the map, for a very brief moment, Solel is visible along the top. So it’s possible that Anna is working together with Solel.
In the debut trailer, the Crest of Fraldarius was on the pedestal of a statue–and now we know that statue is of Dagda the Great. So maybe the banner with the Crest of Fraldarius is for Solel’s faction?
Seteth
Ahahahaha, it’s actually him. When showcasing the Dragoon, we see Seteth. The same Seteth from Three Houses. Who’s currently fighting alongside Cai for reasons I’d like to know.
During the June trailer, a few fans already noticed a character who looked suspiciously like a disguised Seteth. The resemblance was uncanny–and the more I compared the two, the more I was convinced. But I never would’ve imagined it’s actually Seteth.
Similar to Sothis, this poses a lot of questions regarding the timeline placement. Which I’m not going to explore in great detail. For what it’s worth, I think Seteth clearly looks younger in Fortune’s Weave. Even if he shaved his beard in Three Houses, his overall appearance in Fortune’s Weave just seems younger.
In any case, I’m sure we’ll find out once the game comes out. Or maybe if they show his profile?
Besides that, I’m very curious why Seteth is here at Dagda. I’m guessing it’s not a freak accident like what happened with Dietrich, although I wouldn’t completely rule that out. There are a lot of gods in Dagda, who are presumably fellow Nabateans, so maybe the reason’s in there somewhere?
We also have Fabio from the Church of Seiros who came to Dagda. So it’s not super strange for people from Fodlan to visit Dagda.
Aurora
Member of the Dagdan Pantheon alongside Fortuna and the others.
We already saw Aurora during the June trailer. Afterwards, we learned that Ultand serves at the Aurora Temple. Now we see Theodora and Sofia cleaning a temple and receiving Aurora’s blessing–and that temple is the same one from the June trailer. So yeah, Cai and his friends were definitely at the Aurora Temple.
Aurora’s designated crest is Aubin, which you could guess from the banners at the temple. Cai also has the Crest of Aubin, which may not be a coincidence.
Smrynos
Another member of the Dagdan Pantheon. His designated crest is Macuil.
Mars
Another member of the Dagdan Pantheon. His designated crest is Daphnel.
Here’s a screenshot of Mars from the Japanese website. There’s nothing too important here. He just mentions that you requested to see him.
Noctula
One of the characters shown during the recruitment showcase. Cai recruits her to his party.
Previously, she often appeared in Cai’s party, wielding Gauntlets.
Yang Jie
The guy with the amazing moustache and beard. Frequently seen in Dietrich’s group, but also appears in other groups (see screenshot below). Near the bottom of the list in the screenshot above.
He has a distinctively Chinese name, similar to Nezha. Likewise, he wears Eastern garb (pictured above, to the right of the campfire).
In the Japanese version, his name is Yōkai, which is ghostly spirit in Japanese folklore. Well, he does look like he’s seen a ghost… Wait, that’d better not be his gimmick!
Kiroc
The dark skinned guy with face markings, usually wielding a bow.
Occasionally seen in Dietrich’s group, but he also appeared in Leda’s group (pictured above, currently greyed out).
Hong Hua
Towards the end of the Direct, we see the girl wearing red being saved by Eshmel again.
On the Japanese site, you can see more of her in Eshmel’s character video. Including parts from the June trailer.
Update (5th August): Later on, the Japanese Twitter account etc. posted an Eshmel gameplay video where she appears on the map alongside them. She is a magic user.
Update (6th August): In a new video showing the Obelisk Chamber, it’s revealed that her name is Kouka. This is the Japanese spelling for safflower.
Update (10th August): Per Nintendo Today, her English name is Hong Hua. Which is the Chinese spelling of Kouka. So similar situation to Yang Jie.
Her profile mentions that she’s fighting to atone for grave sin(s) committed in the past, even at the cost of her own life. This could be why she’s recklessly fighting the giant Underworld monster before Eshmel rescues her.
Also, Hong Hua is the person who guides Eshmel to the ruins of Dagsion. Along the way, they presumably meet Troy and at the end, they’re rescued by Fortuna and taken to the Obelisk Chamber.
Combat-wise, she’s a Level 40 Ovate, an Advanced magic class. Her personal skill, Crimson Magic, boosts her hit rate when attacking with magic.
Troy
Doesn’t appear in the Direct itself, but on the Japanese website. Judging by the scary-looking red background, she could be from the ruined Dagda like Eshmel and the girl he rescues.
Update (6th August): Nintendo Today added a video showing Eshmel’s party inside Fortuna’s Obelisk Chamber. We learn that the woman’s name is Troy and she’s indeed from Eshmel’s timeline.
Also, when Fortuna makes her debut, we see that Troy is a gun (Gauntlet) user.
Characters without Names
This will only cover potential playable characters or at least those with significance.
Near the beginning, we get our first proper look at the woman holding the baby while surrounded by the Underworld army. She appeared in the June trailer, but from afar and when up close, we only saw her side/back.
It was already apparent earlier, but she has pointy ears and also green hair, so she’s likely a Nabatean. Is the baby hers or obtained via other means? Could the baby be the demon god Balor or Balor’s host? If so, perhaps Balor is a Nabatean?
While Castor is taken into custody at Dagsion (pictured left), we see the guy in gold armour again. From the available context, he seems to be the temple knight who apprehended Castor. You can see him standing at the doorstep in front of Cai’s home.
Update (6th August): In the June trailer, he was standing behind Cai and his friends (pictured right). Now we know the woman is Goddess Aurora and the location is the Aurora Temple. So there’s a good chance he serves at Aurora Temple. Also, since he’s appeared more than once, he could be a playable character.
Near the end of the four protagonists section, we see the protagonists inside the Arena, facing off against their next opponents. Dietrich’s opponents are Bertrand, the White-Maned Demon, plus a blonde man we’ve not seen before.
Technically not a new character, but when the player is selecting units for the Heroic Games, there’s a better look at the girl with closed eyes, to the left of Tialla. She also appeared in the debut trailer, also among Cai’s party. In fact, it looks like the same map.
When showcasing Blaze Arts, there’s a pale blue haired woman who’s almost hit by Theodora’s Blaze Art.
This same woman appeared when the Twitter account was explaining attack ranges. So she is playable.
Also, in the same battle, another unit appears very briefly near the top-right corner.
Interestingly, this is also another character from the attack range explanation. So they’re both playable and possibly from the same faction.
Later on, she appears in Dietrich’s party when they’re gathered around the campfire.
Not a new character per se, but another look at them.
This is the male masked character character that Theodora was fighting in the June trailer (pictured left). He may be the same character who’s a commander in Bonaventure’s showcase, when unmasked. This man is surrounded by dark energy and leads soldiers from the Underworld–and his name may be Bahr Vahn.
Actually, we can see the back of the masked man’s head–and his white face/head markings are even more prominent. So I’m fairly confident that’s him.
Also, this was visible in the June trailer, but the masked man has a very evil-looking left hand. Considering Theodora received a mysterious prosthetic arm, could this hand be related? Or is it related to the dark Underworld energy surrounding him while he’s unmasked?
When introducing the seven temples of the Dagdan Pantheon, they show this statue that’s potentially one of the gods. His temple has green coloured drapes.
Together with Fortuna, Mars, Smyrnos, Aurora and Kalla (the Goddess that Olympia serves), that’s six of the seven temples accounted for. Assuming Fortuna has a temple, since she seems like a special case.
Update (6th August): Explained in Fortuna’s section, but Fortuna does have a temple at Dagsion.
Again, not a new character. But here’s blonde ponytail knight dining with Cai and Ninae (pictured left). She also appears in multiple parties when they’re gathered around the campfire, like Leda’s party (pictured right).
Here’s our best look at her portrait.
A bearded man with a scar on his left eye (his POV). Appears with Theodora’s group in a high tech area, towards the end of the Direct. I don’t think I’ve seen him before.
Conclusion
That’s everything I was able to gather so far. If you think I missed something or noticed a mistake, do let me know in the comments!
