Like the firstFire Emblem Warriorstitle,Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopesis expected to blend the combat and gameplay elements of both parent series. As theMusou-style combat, in which one character faces down a horde of enemies, primarily derives from theDynasty Warriorsfranchise, fans are hoping to see some nods toFire Emblemin more than just the story. The inclusion of small gameplay elements from previousFire Emblemtitles could makeFire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopesstand on its own.
One such gameplay element is personal skills, which were confirmed to be returning in arecentFamitsuarticle.Personal skills, which were first introduced in the 1996 SNES titleFire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War,are unique abilities or passive buffs that a playable character can access regardless of their class. The personal skill system was expanded in later titles, with every single character and several NPC bosses inFire Emblem FatesandFire Emblem: Three Houseshaving one. Some of the best skills fromThree Housesshould return inThree Hopes.
RELATED:Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes Will Have Branching Paths At the Start
The Power of Personal Skills
Personal skills are a way to distinguish characters from one another - an important element in a series likeFire Emblem,where there are typically fewer classes than characters. They can makecharacters feel unique in combat; for example, one mounted knight may have a personal skill that helps them dodge blows more easily while another heals allies. Other elements added to distinguish characters include Paralogues, side quests that explore their stories more deeply; as well as unique class outfits and Support dialogue among pairs who frequently fight together.
In the firstFire Emblem Warriorsgame from 2017; which primarily featured characters fromFire Emblem: Shadow Dragon, Fire Emblem Awakening,andFire Emblem Fates;personal skills were reworked to accommodate the removal ofcore gameplay elements, such as classes having different movement speeds. While each character had their own personal skill, other characters could purchase and equip that skill using rare materials called Essences, collected by fighting with and against various characters.
It is likely some personal skills from the firstWarriorstitle will be returning inThree Hopes.SeveraliconicFire Emblemskillsshould return, such as Astra - which increases the speed of the user’s attacks, or Luna - which reduces the opponent’s defense and resistance. Some skills would helpFire Emblemfans become more accustomed toWarriors-style combat. These include Trample, which increases damage dealt to foot soldiers; Armored Blow, which prevents enemies from interrupting players' attacks; and Awakening, which allows players to do more damage once their Awakening Gauge has filled.
Three Hopes Shouldn’t Be Afraid to Change Up Skills
The Famitsu article that confirmed personal skills showed off theretainer characters: Hubert, Dedue, and Hilda. Hubert can create spikes of dark magic in battle, Hilda can imbue her axe attacks with lightning magic, and Dedue can break through enemy lines with a single powerful attack. This confirms that some personal skills will be changed fromThree Houses -and that is a good thing. For example, Hubert’s former personal skill, Officer’s Duty, made him slightly more powerful when using theThree Houses-exclusive Gambit system, but it was generally considered weak because Hubert’s unique status as a Dark Magic user meant he was far more useful attacking than using Gambits. His new spikes are more indicative of both his personality and magic-based fighting style.
The three Lords - Edelgard of the Black Eagles House, Dimitri of the Blue Lions House, and Claude of the Golden Deer House - should also receive new personal skills inFire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes.TheirThree Housesskills simply allowed these characters to earn more experience, encouraging players to use them but doing little to make their fighting styles truly unique. Edelgard could have a personal skill based on hernew axe, Labraunda, while Dimitri’s could be a nod to his superhuman strength. Claude’s new personal skill could either reference his trickster personality or his Almyran heritage.
However, a few popular personal skills fromThree Housesshould return inThree Hopes. Fans would like to see Sylvain’s Philanderer and Leonie’s Rivalry, which allow them to do more damage when fighting alongside female and male allies, respectively. Yuri of theAshen Wolvesalso possesses a fan-favorite personal skill called Honorable Spirit, which allows him to do more damage when is not alongside an ally. Ashe’s Lockpick, which lets him open doors and chests on the map, is also a must-have if treasure chests are returning.
With two months to go until the release ofFire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes,fans may learn more about personal skills and how they will be implemented in this game. Hopefully, aplayable demowill be released that allows players to try out different characters' skills for themselves.
Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopeswill release on Jun 29, 2025 for the Nintendo Switch.
MORE:Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes Could Have a ‘Final Story’ Like in Sonic Games
