Byleth (Fire Emblem)

Byleth Eisner is a fictional character in Nintendo's Fire Emblem franchise. They first appeared as the player character and main protagonist of Fire Emblem: Three Houses (2019), and have since appeared as a playable character in the crossover games Fire Emblem Heroes (2017) and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (2018), being added as DLC in 2019 and 2020 respectively, and as a recurring antagonist in Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes (2022). In each game, players can choose between a female or male version of the character. The male version of the character also appears in Fire Emblem Engage (2023) as an Emblem alongside other Fire Emblem protagonists.

Byleth is a wandering mercenary who possesses the mysterious Crest of Flames and can wield the powerful ancient weapon known as the Sword of the Creator. In Three Houses, they receive an offer to serve as a professor at the military academy of Garreg Mach Monastery, acting as the leader of one of its classes. Three Hopes is set in an alternative timeline where Byleth did not become a professor at the academy.

Byleth's first appearance in Three Houses received mixed responses from critics, with criticism directed towards a perceived lack of personality. The decision to add the character to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate was also met with heavy criticism from Western fans due to a perceived overabundance of Fire Emblem characters in Super Smash Bros. Despite this, they became one of the most successful characters in the game's competitive scene, after becoming the main character of MkLeo, the number one Ultimate player in the world.