At the beginning of Fire Emblem: Three Houses, the player must decide whether the game's hero Byleth will be male or female. Initially, this doesn’t seem like a big decision and, other than recruiting, it really doesn't have much bearing for most of the game. There are some differences between the two that result in certain classes being more beneficial if Byleth is male, however.

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Although just about any class can work with male Byleth, there are some that do a much better job of utilizing his innate abilities than others. Given his proficiency with a sword, magic focused classes aren't always ideal at the beginning of the game, nor are classes that have him wielding lances or axes. As players approach the end of the game, however, a lot more options begin to open up.

Updated June 19, 2021, by Tom Bowen: When it comes to tactical RPGs on the Nintendo Switch, few are better than Fire Emblem: Three Houses. It may be long, but those looking for a game that's full to the brim with content really can't go wrong. The base version of the game clocks in at around eighty hours, but the additional content provided by the expansion pass can easily push a playthrough past the hundred hour mark. The pass also adds several new classes, one of which is incredibly effective when paired with male Byleth.

7 Mercenary

Certification Requirements: Sword C

Class Abilities: N/A

Class Mastery Unlock: Vantage Ability

Admittedly this isn’t the strongest of classes, but the synergy between this the Mercenary class' focus and Byleth’s abilities is too strong to ignore. Mercenaries utilize strength and speed to wedge a sword in their opponents, with Byleth’s affinity for strength and sword fighting therefore making him well suited to the class.

Mercenary shouldn’t be a destination class, but one that the player adopts while pursuing something stronger, because there aren’t any master abilities. During the game's early stages, though, it should be more than enough to deal with all but the very strongest of enemies that players come up against.

6 Assassin

Certification Requirements: Sword B & Bow C

Class Abilities: Swordfaire, Locktouch & Stealth

Class Mastery Unlock: Lethality Ability & Assassinate Combat Art

It's a little strange to think that the hero of the game would be so well-suited to becoming an Assassin, but Byleth has all of the attributes needed to make the class shine. Male Byleth’s strength and skill with a sword is further enhanced by Swordfaire, which improves attack by +5 when using a sword.

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The ability to open doors and chests through skill alone is also a nice ability to have in every battle and Assassinate can be invaluable later on in the game. The class also has the nice perk of improving Byleth's speed stat, which is a little lower than that of his female counterpart.

5 Swordmaster

Certification Requirements: Sword A

Class Abilities: Swordfaire & Sword Crit +10

Class Mastery Unlock: Astra Combat Art

Thanks in large to his proficiency with swords, male Byleth makes for a brilliant Swordmaster. The class comes with a lot of perks, the most notable being +5 attack and +10 critical when wielding a sword, which most players will likely be doing when playing with Male Byleth.

The best perk provided by the Swordmaster class, however, is the Combat Art, Astra. Astra delivers a series of five devastating attacks at 30% might. This means that Byleth will dish out an incredible 150% damage on top of other bonuses if the weapon he's using is a sword.

4 Hero

Certification Requirements: Sword B & Axe C

Class Abilities: Swordfaire & Vantage

Class Mastery Unlock: Defiant Strength Ability

It’s only fitting the hero of the story would be well suited for the Hero class. In fact, the Hero class seems to have been designed entirely around male Byleth’s core strengths and abilities. With boosts to strength, defense and swordplay, it’s almost the perfect class for male Byleth.

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There isn’t a mastery ability or a combat art, unfortunately, but the +5 bonus to sword damage with Swordfaire is handy in a lot of situations. Hero is also a great class for transitioning into one or two of the strongest endgame classes for Byleth, meaning that time spent using it never goes to waste.

3 Enlightened One

Certification Requirements: Unlocked In Chapter 11

Class Abilities: Swordfaire & Terrain Resistance

Class Mastery Unlock: Sacred Power Ability

Considering the Enlightened One class is reserved exclusively for Byleth, it shouldn't come as too much of a surprise that it is one of his most powerful classes. He'll gain access to it a short way into the game's main story and is immediately given access to some incredibly cool abilities.

The Enlightened One comes with a +5 attack bonus for swords and nullifies any damage received from the terrain. The real beauty of the class, though, is the mastery ability Sacred Power. Sacred Power grants any allies near Byleth extra damage and a damage reduction, which can be incredibly useful in some of the game's tougher battles.

2 Wyvern Lord

wyvern lord seteth fire emblem three houses

Certification Requirements: Lance C, Axe A & Flying A

Class Abilities: Canto, Axefaire & Avo +10

Class Mastery Unlock: Defiant Crit Ability

Wyvern Lords are airborne units that rely on axes and lances to deal heavy damage to opponents from above. The class may therefore seem like a poor fit for the sword wielding hero, but the strengths of the class far outweigh its weapon limitations. Also, Byleth looks incredibly cool while riding atop a Wyvern.

Though it's a bit more difficult for male Byleth to progress to Wyvern Lord than his female counterpart, it's definitely worth the effort. Some may instead opt to jump to Falcon Knight after Wyvern Rider, but the abilities, growth and stats provided by the Wyvern Lord class just about give it the edge for endgame content.

1 War Master

Certification Requirements: Axe A & Brawl A

Class Abilities: Fistfaire, Axefaire & Crit +20

Class Mastery Unlock: Quick Riposte Ability & War Master's Strike Combat Art

The War Master class was added into the game as part of the expansion pass and is built around brawling and attacking with an axe. The certification requirements are quite high when compared to other master classes, but when it comes to dishing out raw damage with male Byleth, there's arguably no better class.

When combined with the Fistfaire and Axefaire abilities, the huge +20 crit bonus allows Byleth to shred through enemies. He may be a bit more vulnerable to damage than he would be were he to use one of the mounted classes, but provided players keep an eye on his HP, this shouldn't be too much of an issue against all but the toughest of enemies; even in Maddening Mode.

NEXT: Fire Emblem Three Houses: The Best Classes For Female Byleth