Are you playing Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave? Do you like Three Houses lore? What about computerized ghost elephants? Likable characters with homicidal tendencies? Fabio? If you answered yes to any of these questions, playing Dietrich’s path next may be right for you.
Perhaps it’s just the circles I move in, but almost everyone I know started Fortune’s Weave with Leda’s path. Not that I blame them. The only thing better than a good vengeance story with an unhinged protagonist is if that protagonist has a loveable band of weirdos behind them, and Leda’s path’s got both. As a certified Dietrich enjoyer, though, it makes me a bit sad to think folks might not play a second route — and potentially miss out on one of the game’s strongest strands of storytelling.
For starters, Dietrich’s path is where a lot of the Three Houses connections live. There’s plenty of those little ties in Part 2 and Part 3, but it’s more big picture, progenitor god-themed stuff. If you, like me, played the Golden Deer path in Three Houses and thought the Agarthans — and that mention of Sothis coming from space — seemed a bit out-of-left-field, a bit “why are you telling me this now at the end of the game with no chance for further discussion!?” Well, that’s what Dietrich’s path is for. There’s a whole fresh perspective on the ancient war between the Nabateans and humans and a truckload of background about the Agarthans too. (That’s “Those Who Slither in the Dark” if you only played the Black Eagle or Blue Lions routes.)
It’s all done tastefully, like with the rest of Fortune’s Weave. There’s no Leo-pointing-at-the-screen “I get it” moments. Fabio doesn’t stare into the camera and say the quiet parts out loud just to make sure you understand. And it’s not superfluous, either, nor does it require encyclopedic knowledge of Three Houses. This side of Dietrich’s path can stand on its own just fine, and all the Three Houses connections have important functions in Fortune’s Weave‘s broader story, including what’s up with Anatolia and a darker chapter in the history of the Dagdan empire.
This route also touches on what’s up behind the scenes in the Dagdan empire right now. Dietrich’s path is the only one where you see the three primary antagonists together, scheming, arguing, and manipulating the fates of nations. It’s the shadowy back half of Cai’s (somewhat) rosier look at the Dagdan pantheon, and it takes a more personal approach to your standard “let’s revive an evil god” storyline.
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Plus, Dietrich is just a really good character, even if he does seem a bit one-note at first. His personal arc plays with found family tropes, but (thankfully) ignores the common pattern in those tropes where the family you find is just so nice and wonderful. This is not a normal family. Everyone’s pretty screwed up. (Okay, well that actually is pretty normal for families.) But the point is seeing the best in the people you live with and deciding to love them despite the worst. It’s quite beautifully arranged. It’s also the queerest route and unapologetic about it, which is quite a step forward for a series that’s only ever dabbled in innuendo and offensive stereotypes over the years, before embracing inclusion reluctantly in the last decade or so.
“What about the computerized ghost elephant?” Good question. You should go play Dietrich’s path and find out.