Dimitri

Dimitri is the current King of the United Kingdom of Fódlan and an alumni of the Blue Lions house of Garreg Mach. He is arried to Byleth, the current Archbishop of the Church of Seiros, and father of Sofiya wth Edelgard from an alternate Fódlan. Dimitri possesses a Minor Crest of Blaiddyd and wields Lances as his main weapon.
==Profile==
===Early life===
Dimitri is the crown prince of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus. He was born in Imperial Year 1162 as the eldest son of King Lambert; his mother, the queen consort, perished in a plague that was later cured by Cornelia. He befriended Edelgard during her exile and she taught him how to dance. Dimitri gave her a dagger as a token of affection before she returned to the Adrestian Empire in 1174.
Dimitri was the only surviving royal of the Tragedy of Duscur in 1176. His uncle and Lambert's elder brother, Grand Duke Rufus of Itha, ruled as regent in Dimitri's stead. During the Kingdom's retaliatory subjugation of Duscur, he saved and befriended Dedue who became his vassal. He fought his maiden battle two years later, where he distinguished himself as a commander in quelling a rebellion in western Faerghus. However, a strange bloodlust overtook him during that battle, which strained his relationship with Felix from that point on.
===Early Academy Days===
In 1180, Dimitri enrolls as a student of the Officers Academy in Garreg Mach Monastery and serves as the house leader of the Blue Lions. His childhood friends Sylvain, Ingrid, and Felix are among his classmates. 
====Blue Lions====
Upon being offered a position as a Professor at Garreg Mach, Byleth chose to instruct the Blue Lions House and helped Dimitri grow into a capable leader. During the night of the Academy Ball, the Blue Lions vow to reunite in five years for the Millennium Festival. Dimitri agrees to the reunion and hopes that everyone can make it.
However, hostile encounters with the Flame Emperor and Those Who Slither in the Dark slowly drive Dimitri to become more ruthless. After the Ball, he confides to Byleth that Edelgard is his stepsister and that he gave her a dagger as a gift during their childhood. Dimitri suddenly hears voices and sees the Flame Emperor conversing with Thales. Believing that the Flame Emperor was responsible for the Tragedy of Duscur, he confronts them. However, the Flame Emperor denies involvement and vanishes, leaving behind a dagger which Dimitri recognizes.
After Byleth merges with Sothis, Rhea instructs them to descend into the Holy Tomb and claim their power from the throne. The Flame Emperor interferes, seeking to raid the tomb of its Crest Stones, which leads to a skirmish. With most of the Emperor's forces dispatched, Dimitri unmasks their leader. To his shock and dismay, his suspicion that the Flame Emperor is Edelgard is confirmed. Outraged over her perceived involvement in his family's death, Dimitri snaps and slaughters her remaining forces. She is forced to retreat, but not before Dimitri vows to make Edelgard suffer for her crimes and kill her.
Edelgard ascends the Adrestian Empire's throne, deposing Ionius IX and declaring war on the Church of Seiros. Dimitri fights beside Claude in the front lines to protect the Monastery from invasion. Although Edelgard and her vanguard are repelled, the invaders are reinforced by a larger army, forcing Rhea to enter the fray as The Immaculate One. Byleth attempts to aid her, but Thales sends them plummeting into a ravine. Garreg Mach Monastery eventually falls into Imperial control, scattering the Knights of Seiros and personnel of the Officers Academy not affiliated with the Empire.
===After the Fall of Garreg Mach===
After the fall of Garreg Mach Monastery and Byleth's disappearance, Dimitri is falsely accused of murdering Grand Duke Rufus, branded a traitor by Cornelia who declares Faerghus a vassal state of the Empire, and imprisoned for alleged regicide. He is able to escape imprisonment due to Dedue's apparent sacrifice but is presumed dead. At some point, he damages his right eye and is forced to wear an eyepatch. He lives a solitary life as a vagabond. Rumors of a sadistic warrior capable of slaying scores of soldiers begin to propagate throughout the Empire.
In 1185, Byleth returns after a five year absence and finds Dimitri, now a shell of his former self, alone in the ruins of the Monastery surrounded by fresh corpses of Imperial soldiers. He mistakes them for a ghost but realizes that they are alive. A bandit gang raiding a nearby village spurs the two into combat. During the skirmish, they reunite with other members of the Blue Lions, fulfilling the promise they made as students. Determined to overthrow Cornelia and kill Edelgard, the Blue Lions reclaim the Monastery as their stronghold.
With the Blue Lions reunited, Dimitri immediately plans on killing Edelgard by mobilizing his allies. The Monastery is suddenly attacked by Imperial forces in response to the Knights of Seiros returning to it. The Imperials are defeated and its leader Randolph is captured. Dimitri taunts Randolph, mocking his motivations as a general as well as concluding that they are both murderers. While Dimitri intends on slowly torturing the captive general, Byleth interferes and mercy kills Randolph.
Acting on Byleth and Gilbert's counsel, Dimitri gathers more allies and support from the rebelling Kingdom nobles still loyal to him as the rightful King of Faerghus. In response to Rodrigue's pledge of support, they go to Ailell to link up with soldiers of House Fraldarius. However, they are intercepted by the forces of House Rowe led by Gwendal. After vanquishing the enemy, Rodrigue bestows Areadbhar to Dimitri and joins his crusade. Seeking to secure the Great Bridge of Myrddin, Dimitri faces off against the Empire. If Dedue's Paralogue was completed in the Academy phase, he survives after helping Dimitri escape imprisonment. With the bridge under his control, Dimitri confronts Dedue and is relieved that he survived thanks to the aid of the same Duscur men he saved years prior. Dedue renews his pledge of loyalty to his liege, but Dimitri makes him promise not to throw his life away again.
Dimitri commands his forces to march into Adrestian territory, leading them to Gronder Field where the Blue Lions previously emerged victorious in their mock battle five years ago. For the first time since the war began, the three nations meet on the battlefield. The three-way battle is fierce and though Faerghus forces Edelgard to retreat, it is uitimately a Pyrrhic victory. Dimitri is outraged that she has escaped his grasp once more, but he is fatigued from the battle and urged by his allies to not pursue Edelgard due to Imperial reinforcements.
Suddenly, Fleche, a young maiden they encountered on the Great Bridge of Myrddin, appears on the battlefield and manages to wound Dimitri with her sword. Before she can land the final blow, Rodrigue shields Dimitri, which allows Byleth to kill her. Rodrigue's sacrifice finally reawakens Dimitri's conscience, and he realizes that his lust for vengeance has not only consumed himself, but affected others as well. Rodrigue absolves him of any responsibility for his death and tells Dimitri that he should live for his ideals rather than stay shackled by ghosts of the past. With his dying breath, Rodrigue remarks that Dimitri resembles his late father Lambert. As a heavy downpour begins to fall, Byleth offers their hand to Dimitri and promises that they will continue to guide him. The other Blue Lions also vow to continue fighting alongside him.
 Afterwards, Dimitri apologizes to his allies for his foolishness. While not giving up on his quest to kill Edelgard, he declares his intent to liberate and reunite the Kingdom. Marching to Fhirdiad for the first time since his exile, Dimitri marshals his forces into the capital. Dimitri and his allies are able to overrun Cornelia's fortifications and retake the city. When Dimitri confronts Cornelia, she reveals that his stepmother Patricia instigated the Tragedy of Duscur in order to be reunited with Edelgard. Dimitri is shocked by this claim but returns to the task at hand after she dies. With Cornelia ousted, Dimitri reluctantly walks out onto the castle balcony to find the people of Faerghus cheering his return. Dimitri takes his rightful place as King of Faerghus and continues his campaign against Edelgard.
A messenger from the Leicester Alliance arrives in Faerghus with dire news that Volkhard is spearheading an Imperial invasion of Alliance territory. Dimitri and Byleth heed Claude's plea for assistance. They arrive in Derdriu with the assault already underway, but the Alliance has fortified the city and stalled the Empire's advance with skirmishes. The Kingdom's pincer attack turns the tide of battle and Volkhard's forces are defeated. Volkhard is mortally wounded, he evades Dimitri's questions concerning The Tragedy of Duscur and instead goads him to kill Edelgard before dying. Claude confesses that he gambled the Alliance's survival on Dimitri before he even retook Fhirdiad. He then hands Dimitri Failnaught and announces that he is abdicating as leader of the Alliance since the lords of the roundtable conference unanimously voted to accede into the Kingdom. After informing them of Rhea's imprisonment in Enbarr, Claude departs Fódlan on a personal mission.
With the combined might of Faerghus and the former Alliance now at his disposal, Dimitri launches a proper invasion into the Empire. His army routs the garrison of Fort Merceus, slaying the Death Knight and securing a foothold in Imperial territory. A messenger from Margrave Gautier informs them that Faerghus has been pacified and will join forces with the Alliance army marching south. Dimitri briefly returns to Garreg Mach Monastery to interrogate a prisoner, who confesses that House Kleiman was a conspirator in the Tragedy of Duscur. Although disturbed by the revelation, he promptly returns to the front lines. As his forces approach Enbarr, Dimitri attempts to parley with Edelgard to learn her motivations for starting the war. She accepts on a whim and remembers her childhood in Faerghus after Dimitri returns her dagger, but the two are unable to compromise their world views.
Dimitri besieges Enbarr and defeats a transformed Edelgard in battle. He attempts to reconcile with her, but she throws her dagger into his shoulder and he instinctively pierces her heart with Areadbhar, killing her. Forlorn, Dimitri is led away from the throne room by Byleth. In the aftermath, he is crowned the ruler of a united Fódlan. He spends the rest of his life reforming the continent; particularly alleviating poverty, improving foreign relations, and introducing a participatory form of government. With the assistance of Byleth, the new Archbishop of the Church of Seiros, Dimitri ushers Fódlan into a new golden age.
==Personality==
A sincere young man who seems like the embodiment of chivalry, Dimitri has a shade of darkness lying beneath his cheerful demeanor. Despite being a royal, he dislikes formality and pretentiousness, preferring his allies to be frank.
Dimitri has a strange sense of humor, which is evident by his fondness for Alois's corny jokes. By his own admission, he finds them humorous precisely because they are terrible. According to Hapi, there is an uncanny resemblance to his stepmother Patricia in terms of personality, such as the way they interact with people and show anger. He enjoys combat training, weapon repair, and long rides, but dislikes fragile objects and delicate work, as he is unable to control his prodigious strength. Despite this, he is agile and became a capable dancer under Edelgard's tutelage. Like Edelgard, he is uncomfortable with scorching heat.
Dimitri suffers from ageusia and survivor's guilt as a result of the slaughter in the Tragedy of Duscur. The former leaves him as the only person able to stomach Flayn's food and the latter causes him to see and hear apparitions of the dead. He is close to Dedue and admits that being able to save someone gave him a reason to live. In regards to the Crest System, Dimitri holds somewhat of a mixed stance towards it. While he believes that the system can be cruel for those like Miklan where it overlooks his own merits in favor of those with Crests, he maintains the stance that discarding such beliefs would cause greater problems. He overall believes that the two sides must reach an understanding with one another.
Near the end of his academic year in the Blue Lions route, Dimitri develops an obsessive hatred of Edelgard after discovering she is the Flame Emperor and is determined to kill her personally. The series of tragedies that follow Edelgard's revelation and declaration of war takes a heavy toll on his psyche. By the time he reunites with Byleth, Dimitri has already lost any semblance of happiness and composure he had as a student, becoming brooding, cynical, and ruthless. When reunited with his former classmates, he is brusque and coldly dismisses them as mere tools to exact his revenge. Dimitri's five years of isolation have also exacerbated his survivor's guilt. He openly converses with apparitions of his deceased parents and Glenn, promising to appease them with Edelgard's death. His indignation blinds him to the needs of others and he demonstrates a reckless disregard for his own well-being. Despite this, he still shows empathy to those orphaned by war.
Dimitri is unable to justify killing for one's ideals, and so he rejects the notion of taking up arms for a higher cause as sophistry. Thus, he dehumanizes all killers as monsters and is not above maiming and torturing his captive foes. This disdain extends to himself, as shown by his willingness to be wounded and disfigured by his enemies. However, he is oddly sympathetic to those who are also motivated by revenge, and was willing to die by Fleche's hands as atonement for her brother's death.
Byleth's influence determines Dimitri's fate. In the routes where Byleth does not instruct him, Dimitri will die consumed by vengeance or peacefully in the Crimson Flower route, but solely if Dedue is defeated before he transforms into a demonic beast. If he is Byleth's chosen house leader, his obsession with appeasing the dead finally fades after Rodrigue sacrifices himself to thwart Fleche's assassination attempt. This event restores Dimitri's sanity and he resolves to fight for his beliefs together with his allies, unburdened by the ghosts of his past. Reflecting on his exile, Dimitri would later confess to Byleth that experiencing poverty during his life in the slums deeply affected him; the plight of the poor inspired him to change Fódlan from the ground up. Though unsure of his fitness to be king, the people's support upon liberating Fhirdiad bolsters his desire to serve them. After the war, Dimitri becomes a benevolent king beloved by the masses for his societal reforms and participatory form of government.
His Three Hopes counterpart retains his sanity but still has survivor's guilt. He hesitates with certain tasks like killing his uncle and accepting Areadbhar. He will do anything to keep his people and friends safe, including surrendering to Cornelia or fighting a possessed Shez.
====Gift List====
Gift Name 	Type of Gift	Description 	Rank
Whetstone 	Favorite 	A stone used to sharpen the blades of swords or lances. Appreciated by those who enjoy weapon maintenance. 	★★
Owl Feather 	Favorite 	A feather from a messenger owl that can be used in a variety of ways. Appreciated by everyone. 	★★★
Riding Boots 	Favorite 	Boots specially made for mastering the equestrian arts. Appreciated by those who enjoy horseback riding. 	★★★
Training Weight 	Favorite 	A weight that you can strap to your back to build muscle. Appreciated by those who enjoy weight training. 	★★★
Ceremonial Sword 	Favorite 	A beautiful ceremonial sword with a mangled blade. Appreciated by weapon collectors. 	★★★★
Book of Sheet Music	Dislike 	An old collection of sheet music filled with hymns and pastoral songs. Appreciated by those who enjoy music.	★★★
Armored Bear Stuffy	Dislike 	A fluffy stuffed bear wearing distinguished armor. Appreciated by those who love animals or cute things. 	★★★
Gemstone Beads 	Dislike 	Small, sparkling beads for sewing into fabric. Appreciated by fans of embroidery and handicraft. 	★
====Share a Meal List====
Meal Name 	Type of Meal	Description
Saghert and Cream 	Favorite 	A baked confection coated with Noa fruit cream and a currant reduction, often enjoyed as a dessert at family gatherings.
Sautéed Jerky 	Favorite 	Jerky aged in the monastery and sautéed for a delightfully salty flavor. A perfect snack to go with your favorite drink.
Onion Gratin Soup 	Favorite 	Onions stewed with white trout and baked with a layer of cheese on top. Will warm you up from the inside out.
Sweet Bun Trio 	Favorite 	Traditional pastries from Faerghus, known for their subtle sweetness. The dough is made with eggs and sugar.
Cheesy Verona Stew 	Favorite 	A rich dish consisting of verona and sautéed Teutates loach. These ingredients are boiled and served with two kinds of melted cheese.
Gautier Cheese Gratin	Favorite 	A gratin of bird meat topped with heaps of Gautier cheese, which is famous for its low fat content. It has a unique flavor.
Peach Sorbet 	Dislike 	A sorbet made with thin slices of magically frozen peach, dusted with bean flour.
==Etymology==
Dimitri is a male given name. It is the French, Italian, Dutch, Finnish, and Church Slavic variant of the Greek name Demetrios ("devoted to Demeter," the goddess of fertility, agriculture, and sacred law). Alexandre is the French, Portuguese, Catalan, and Galician form of Alexander, meaning "defender of the people" in Greek. Blaiddyd is the moniker of a legendary Brittonic king who encouraged the practice of necromancy, the name means "Wolf-lord" in Welsh.