The Psychology of Sylvain (Fire Emblem: Three Houses)

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Sylvain, the son of Margrave Gautier, has a lot of depth to his character hiding below the surface. While when we meet him it is easy to make a snap judgement based on many of his surface level interactions with the other students at the officer's academy, Sylvain has had to carry the weight of his entire family on his shoulders. Fire Emblem: Three Houses is a game that makes sure to provide us three dimensional characters who have their own histories and relationships that have been built and developed off-screen that culminate and are expanded upon in many of their social links and Sylvain is no different. Through his relationships with characters like Dimitri, Byleth, Mercedes, Dorothea, Felix, and so many more we learn how his relationship with his brother Miklan became so strained. We see why he resents crests. And we understand why he approaches women in the way that he does. So join me as I take a deep dive into one of the most interesting characters that Intelligent Systems have created for Fire Emblem: Three Houses on the Nintendo Switch
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[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

Use code "THOUGHTB" for your first #Sakuraco box, and get your latest box through my link: team.sakura.co/ThoughtBubbleTV or your first #TokyoTreat box through my link: team.tokyotreat.com/ThoughtBubbleTV 🎃Check their Halloween Giveaway and win Japanese goodies here: bit.ly/TT-halloween22

[@KoylTrane]

I love the noble trio: Ferdinand, Sylvain and Lorenz. All of them seem like insufferable pricks on surface but they come around when you get to know them. Would love to see more Three Houses character videos.

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

I love all of these characters dearly, but they are such hard pills to swallow but also so delightful.

[@rhettmitchell]

And they replaced him with Constance in Three Hopes lmaooooo

[@KoylTrane]

@@rhettmitchell Constance is too much of a dork to join the noble boys club

[@Knightgob]

@@KoylTraneSylvain is also loykey a bit of a dork

[@GaeaRage0798]

I wouldn't call Sylvain part of the Noble Trio, mainly because he isn't pompous and doesn't give a crap about being a true noble. In fact, Constance was definitely a better pick for being the Third Member in Warriors.

[@hanzonoskillmercymainbtw8584]

Sylvain is one of the coolest characters in the entire game. While he seems careless and hedonistic, it becomes clear quickly that he’s quite clever and mature

[@deathangel176]

I was so surprised to see you cover a Fire Emblem character. And I DEMAND MORE: specifically the whole entire Blue Lions house. This house is just filled to the brim with very interesting and good written characters that need therapy in some way. I can't wait for you to touch upon Dimitri and Felix!

[@pokefan7446]

He’s done an analysis of Felix already if you want to check that out

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

Definitely check out the video on Felix I did! I also did a Myers Briggs assessment of Mercedes!

[@cynicalducky1041]

Agreed with Dimitri, he is an interesting case of PTSD and revenge consuming an individual almost to the point of killing them.

[@tyrian522]

Sylvain became my favorite character after finishing Azure Moon. Him and Dimitri subvert two common fire emblem archetypes--the flirt and the noble prince--and I loved watching them interact with and change the world around him. Sylvain's backstory is so tragic when you really start to think about it, and I honestly think that the way (most) women treat him is just as abhorrent as the way he treats (most) women. His actions are largely learned behaviors, and his genuine care for people even if he doesn't know them makes him so unique and sympathetic. It's just so refreshing to get a character whose core concept is kindness and empathy be someone with inherent flaws and not just some innocent cut and paste personality. Sylvain is jaded and pessimistic because he's learned that being anything else leaves you open to being hurt.

[@dgc1570]

Sylvain was a character that started as someone that I did not like to one my husbandos in three houses

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

He’s so great!!

[@AnakhaSilver]

For me he's my disaster bi son.

[@Jarory1]

Besides Claude, Sylvain is my favorite character from three houses. This is such great coverage of his person. Loved it. Speaking of though I'd love to see a breakdown of Claude!

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

I have to say, I do really enjoy Claude as a character.

[@oblivion453]

I've always thought that Sylvain acting as a philanderer was him living up to the expectations of those around him, and he began to see things from other people's perspective because that's all he's ever wanted anyone to do for him. Sylvain is one of my favorite characters, and it makes me very happy to see that you've done such a wonderful analysis of him. Thank you!

[@jameswest6232]

More FE please! - Also, in regards to Sylvain allegedly hitting on Ingrid's grandmother _at age 8_ , I have heard some theories that that incident might be indicative of some frankly disturbing implications regarding Sylvain's childhood.

[@user-ff5nm3ug7v]

what implications are you referencing?

[@rufflesmyfeathersuwu1547]

​@@user-ff5nm3ug7v they basically imply that some sa stuff could have happened there, since such behavior for Kids is unnatural and could be a Trauma reaction

[@sarcastichamsandwich5413]

@@user-ff5nm3ug7v It implies that children that young who engage in flirting may be experiencing something similar to that by an adult, i.e. being abused or groomed by an adult.

[@GigiBranconi]

Was it an English translation thing btw? Because it does sound like the typical tasteless stuff that english translations do as a joke, without thinking about the implications at all

[@cordifox]

My friend linked me this video. Sylvain is my personal favorite Character in the game. He such a good Character. I'm about to s support him for like the 13th time. 😳. You covered him well. I would like to see either Edelgard, Dorothea, or Yuri next.

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

All of those are definitely really interesting characters!! I’ll never say never!

[@katharsis101-]

I just wanted to comment how much I appreciate your content. It's so hard to find quality analysis of characters in fiction, and when you find one on a... non extremely massive franchise (such as Fire Emblem) it's incredibly gratifying. Even if that means less views, it's incredibly valuable for us fans who recognize the depth of these characters but have no way of coming in contact with it outside ramblings in our mind. And in general, it's just fantastic to think about the crafting of these characters and the way they portray real life. Sylvain is a legend and I love him and his unique and subversive portrayal of the "flirty guy" stereotype, and I thank you for bringing a new perspective to me regarding his character.

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

Thank you so much! This truly means a lot to me! I really enjoy the content that I make and I'm glad to get the chance to look more in depth into characters like Sylvain because these videos really help me to develop a greater appreciation for these games even as I'm making them!

[@inukaiya1509]

I would love more of these, I love the characters from three houses.

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

The characters of Three Houses are so interesting and well written!!

[@Siplick]

Watching this made me want to replay Three Houses. I absolutely loved its support conversations because of how well they fleshed out all the characters, and Sylvain is definitely one of my favourites, especially coming from the Mercedes supports. I would LOVE to see more FE content from you if you ever feel like exploring other characters! Amazing job :)

[@proteincurry]

Great video! I think you'd really like this interesting tidbit I found while researching that explains his behavior towards women more clearly. In the original Japanese A support with Mercedes, it's implied he might have been abused by a woman when he was younger. Mercedes: "Because of your crest, you attract a lot of women...I won't exactly ask what happened. But...I understand that deep inside your heart, you hate women and fear them." Sylvain: "Um...about that...I would appreciate it if you didn't mention that to my friends. Or other women." This commentary I pulled from tumblr also speaks to me on several levels: "...as he speaks of women as ants who surround him or how he fears and hates them. All this tells that his flirty demeanor is but a defense mechanism and a self-destructive one at that. It reflects real life of how it’s common for those sexually abused to become hypersexual as a result to try to cope with their trauma’s lack of consent..." - SummonerRuoste Summonerruoste has several translations on their tumblr. It's definitely worth checking out since Sylvain's english translation was so skewed it changes his dynamic. As Sylvain is one of, if not my favorite, character in the series knowing his original dialogue actually made me like him more, as it adds to his layers. Do Claude or Hubert next if you haven't already!

[@iantaakalla8180]

In that sense, I enjoy how even though they really almost removed that line and the meaning of it, it feels like Sylvain was hypersexual because of sa anyways.

[@liteguy7267]

I just came across this video and it's really interesting to hear about sylvain's psychological analysis. There are some characters that might be interesting to analyse like Dimitri or Felix. Claude could also be interesting to analyze since he seems to be one of the characters who doesn't seem unstable compared to all the other characters. You definitely earned a subscriber!

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

I’m glad you enjoyed it! I actually already made a video on Felix! Check it out!

[@jewelboyd3646]

Three Houses was my first ever Fire Emblem game, and I really, really enjoyed all of the different characters and their various relationships with everyone else. It's probably my favorite aspect of that game, to be honest. I noticed Sylvain because of his vibrant red hair, but discovering all the various layers to his character made him one of my favorites. I'm so glad you covered him! Do you think you can do videos for the rest of the Blue Lions eventually?

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

While I don't have definitive plans at this moment, I wouldn't be surprised if I revisited the Blue Lions in the future, especially if people really resonate with this video!

[@jewelboyd3646]

@@ThoughtBubbleYT I'm glad! Your videos are always interesting and informative to watch, especially since I enjoy learning about psychology and all the things involved with it. If you ever get the time, there were a couple of characters I think could be interesting to cover: Eren Yeager from the Attack on Titan anime series and the twins Dante and Vergil from the Devil May Cry video games. Only if you ever want to: no pressure. But thank you again for all the wonderful videos you've made!

[@XellossBoi]

More 3H please! Your insights are so valuable, and there are so many psychologies to explore.

[@KikiBethSays]

Yay more Fire Emblem! Sylvain is one of my favorite characters in Three Houses, he's definitely more complex than he seems at first. As someone who plays as the female protagonist I made sure to recruit him right away in every playthrough. Great video Thoughtbubble!

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

Thank you so much! I typically play as the male Byleth and so it takes some time to get him, but I always make sure to get Sylvain in every playthrough as well!

[@deepseablu91]

This was wonderful! ❤ I love Sylvain.

[@mirrormarvel5751]

yes please cover more fire emblem three houses

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

Noted!!

[@lovelornlovergirl]

hi i LOVED this video, you really do an amazing job explaining aspects of sylvain's character a lot of people overlook!!! if you have the time i'm interested to hear your take on claude, especially since i think him and sylvain are incredibly similar in their whole putting up facades/personas thing. keep up the great work and have a great day!!!

[@mysticalkeyblade759]

You got me back into fire emblem and I thank you for that. Also your videos are amazing

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

Of course! I'm glad I could get you back into it! And thank you so much!

[@pringelsthegamefreak]

Very informative and interesting character analysis!! Sylvain is a fascinating character to me and he really grew on me playing Three Houses, especially the Blue Lions route. And the psychological examples you use are educational. I look forward to seeing more videos! And btw, your voice kinda reminds me of Ashe, which is cool!

[@user-yg2jm8zw2d]

Great video, though I do have one correction to note, Miklan was disinherited after an attempt on Sylvain’s life, prior to that he was just not the successor. It is the same as a younger son trying to kill his elder brother for the inheritance, then getting fully booted.

[@ABalloonInNeed]

This is an excellent video and maybe I’m PMSing because I definitely cried

[@resolutedreamer]

Absolutely would love to see more from Fire Emblem

[@resolutedreamer]

Also, why didn't you want to dive into Sylvain in Three Hopes?

[@thecomradewarda]

Sylvain is very much like kid flash in young justice very much of a flirt but when he gets into a relationship he become very much loyal and good husband as they both grew on me one of them having an early grave which has made me cry every time I rewatch the show .

[@stevencampbell9087]

I would really love fire emblem mbti stuff.

[@user-nn1mf8lr2w]

I love your content, and you always expose me to the english dubs for the first time, which whilst a bit off to me, are still interesting to see

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

Thank you so much! I’m really glad that you enjoy the videos. Think the English VAs do a really great job in this game!

[@dgc1570]

Yes, please do.

[@sarcastichamsandwich5413]

I impulsively pulled up Sylvain videos since I'm playing through my Blue Lions route for the first time and stumbled over this video. I must say that I adore your breakdown of Sylvain's character, and you gave me a larger perspective on Sylvain as a whole. I knew that he despised his crest and that anger bled into his interaction with women to be a shallow skirt chaser, but I hadn't ever thought it was because he was yearning for a sincere relationship. I just finished Sylvain and Mercedes' A-support conversation and Sylvain brought to tears over Mercedes' love and sincerity really moved me. I also felt that, at some points, he was passively suicidal in the way that he would put his life on the line for others to protect him with little regard for his own safety---something that may be motivated by his hatred of his crest. I don't think he does it on purpose, per his A-support with Felix, but I do think he subconsciously puts little stake on his self-worth, or rather tries to counteract the importance his family has placed on him, by being recklessly heroic.

[@Novarcharesk]

I got a tattoo of the Crest of Gautier. Sylvain is just an amazing character. Perceived as so many things, but really so different. I was so surprised at just how deep and intelligent he is. Totally would marry. Also, a breakdown of what you think of the Big 5 Personality Traits Sylvain has would be interesting :) I think it would be: Openness-Mid Conscientiousness-Low on the surface, but actually very astute and probably more around Mid to High Extraversion-Mid/High Agreeableness-Mid/High Neuroticism-Mid

[@jethiliusavalar6449]

Dammit, this video makes me wanna play 3h but I'm currently playing Octopath and I have the most *aggressive* drift ever

[@sesshyandenvyfreak]

Can you do a video on Dimitri?

[@xander22777]

I think an interesting character to compare him with is dorthiana because she's on the opposite side of the coin from him. They both flirt with a lot of people but for the absolute opposite reasons. And I think we can also use dorthiana as a perfect example of why he does it. Well. She may not be after the Crest she's after money . But I still think the point stands. She is a perfect example of why he does it. She's a commoner who has the looks to attract nobles and I think it actually confirms his opinion a little bit. Actively attracted both knights and nobles she is an example of a commoner trying to marry up just for the money

[@GameOnShanny]

Hey can you do Marianne?

[@user-bp5nm7tv2j]

Fire Emblem Yes Love

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

Thank you!!

[@felman87]

And here I thought Sylvain was rather vain

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

I see what you did there.

[@mysterroniouscherry326]

Crest needs to go! Let’s go start a revolution, El!😂

[@thesmilyguyguy9799]

= D

[@AnakhaSilver]

Felix and Sylvain, "just friends."

[@jerry3115]

There's a lot of great characters in Three Houses, I just wish the good stuff wasn't muddled with a ton of filler support convos and three whole routes.

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

I dunno, I felt a lot of the support conversations while they may not all be the most important, definitely add to their characters in some way.

[@jerry3115]

@@ThoughtBubbleYT even if that is the case, it's really hard to get the whole picture in the format it's given

[@Novarcharesk]

Filler? The supports are basically the point of the game. That’s how you learn about the characters. What a weird perspective to have.

[@jerry3115]

@@Novarcharesk not all support convos are filler, but a high number of them are. I'm talking about all the same-y convos, like the ones where bernadetta gets scared by someone and then opens up a little in the exact same pattern every time.