| “ | You must survive. Merely because there is still a role that I require you to fulfil. | „ |
| ~ Thales. |
| “ | For thousands of years, we have existed underground, living on only that we might someday see our vengeance realized. Here and now, that vengeance is finally within our grasp. | „ |
| ~ Thales' most famous quote |
Thales (also known by his alias, Volkhard von Arundel) is the main antagonist within the Fódlan Saga of Nintendo's Fire Emblem franchise.
He is the main antagonist of the 2019 tactical video game Fire Emblem: Three Houses and one of the two main antagonists (alongside Seiros) of its 2022 spin-off sequel Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes.
He is the leader of Those Who Slither in the Dark (also known as the Agarthans), the master of Solon, Kronya, and Cleobulus/Cornelia, as well as being the employer of the Flame Emperor. He is behind most of the actions throughout the game, including the Tragedy of Duscur. Due to his actions, he is the arch-enemy of Byleth, Edelgard, and Dimitri, as well as the second arch-enemy of Seiros and Sothis.
He was voiced by Masaki Terasoma in Japanese and by Christopher Corey Smith in English, with the latter additionally playing Makoto Kibune in Bleach and Hantengu in Demon Slayer.
What Makes Him a Hate Sink?[]
Background/In General[]
- As the leader of TWSITD, he is ultimately responsible for all of the atrocities that the slithers commit throughout the entire saga.
- He is ultimately responsible for causing numerous massacres and wars across the land of Fódlan, causing countless lives to be lost as a result.
- During the War of the Heroes, he assisted Nemesis and the Ten Elites in the fight against Seiros and her armies, claiming many lives as a result.
- He supported Duke Ludwig von Aegir's Insurrection of the Seven, allowing the seven houses (including his) to shift the power of authority from the emperor to the cabal houses.
- He is responsible for experimenting on numerous people, with many of them either dying as a result or left extremely traumatized. These victims even included:
- Edelgard von Hresvelg, as she and her ten siblings were experimented to gain a second crest. While her siblings died as a result (or were driven to madness before dying later on), Edelgard survived and gained a second crest, but she was left severely traumatized, and her lifespan was shortened. This led to her becoming a ruthless extremist as a result, making Thales indirectly responsible for her crimes.
- He was the mastermind behind the Tragedy of Duscar, which led to numerous deaths and destruction as a result, which even included the majority of House Blaiddyd, with the only survivors being Dimitri (who was left traumatized and led to having mental problems) and Rufus (who was part of Thales' conspiracy).
- The tragedy also claimed the life of Glenn Fraldarius, son of Rodriuge, older brother of Felix, fiancé of Ingrid, and one of Dimitri's friends. His death caused Felix to become cynical and cold towards others, hate chivalry, as well as break the family bond between him and his father.
- This also led to Dimitri's trauma and mental problems putting a serious strain on his friendship with Felix, who was disgusted upon witnessing the former consumed by bloodlust during the suppression of a rebellion in the western parts of the Kingdom two years before the start of the game, lost all respect for him, began badmouthing him, calling him a "boar" and other insults after the incident, and even goes so far as to use the "it" pronoun in reference to him after the timeskip. This also resulted in Felix having a bad relationship with Dimitri's retainer Dedue, calling him a "dog" and other insults for what Felix perceives as blind obedience to Dimitri.
- He also framed the Duscur people for killing King Lambert and the people who were tragically murdered, which led to hate and discrimination towards them. This also led to the Kingdom nearly exterminating them all and their land falling under House Kleiman's control.
- Even Ingrid, who is known for her kind nature, was among the people who blamed Duscur and thought they got what they deserve, mainly for the death of her fiance, Glenn. This also resulted in her having a one-sided hostile relationship with Dedue.
- This would also lead to the surviving Duscur people to rise up in a rebellion against Kingdom, with intentions to kill Dimitri, blaming him and several nobles for the discrimination they were put through.
- The tragedy also claimed the life of Glenn Fraldarius, son of Rodriuge, older brother of Felix, fiancé of Ingrid, and one of Dimitri's friends. His death caused Felix to become cynical and cold towards others, hate chivalry, as well as break the family bond between him and his father.
- Despite his claims of wanting to gain revenge for what happened to his people, he actually doesn't care about them at all, as he would gladly sacrifice them if he doesn't need them anymore and only save or avenge them when he can manipulate them and/or use them for his own purposes.
- This is made worse because the Agarthans are neither sympathetic or tragic individuals, as they brought upon their own downfall due to their racism, hubris, and misanthropy towards humanity, something Thales had ininherited from. This proves that Thales' so-called revenge is just an excuse for him to take over the world and eradicate Sothis and her kin.
Fire Emblem Three Houses[]
TBA
Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes[]
TBA
External Links[]
- Thales on the Villains Wiki
- Thales on the Fire Emblem Wiki
- Thales on the Pure Evil Wiki
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 Hate Sinks
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