Which house should you join in Fire Emblem: Three Houses?

Fire Emblem: Three Houses doesn't give you much time or background before you choose a house, which can make it a difficult and frustrating decision so early on. But don't worry. While each house has a very different story, there are only a few factors to consider when picking one: difficulty, romance, and story.

Below I'll touch on each of the three houses and their unique quirks, but as for the romance option, just know that the only way to romance the leader of one of the houses is to be in that house. So if you want to romance Edelgard, you must be in the Black Eagles. Dimitri and Claude similarly require you to be in either the Blue Lions or Golden Deer respectively, but in their cases, you also must be playing as female Byleth.

Every other character is romanceable regardless of house, so if that's not a concern, here are some other factors to consider for each:

The Blue Lions are by far the easiest house to play as and thus the best choice for beginners. They have a lot of heavy hitters and a decent mix of close and ranged attackers as well as some mobile units. They also project a fairly standard appearance of "Good Guys," meaning if you want a pretty standard Fire Emblem plot, this is a good way to go.

That said, their story is far from boring. It definitely takes some twists and turns, especially at the individual level with some of its main characters. Generally, if you want a solid, enjoyable, breezy experience, pick the Blue Lions first.

The Golden Deer

The Golden Deer are, like the Blue Lions, not a difficult house to play as, though they don't have as many tanky units and require a bit more caution in battle. Their leader, Claude, is a light-hearted character in a way that the Blue Lions leader, Dimitri, is not, and that leads to a much cheerier story overall (though not without heavy beats).

The Blue Lions and the Black Eagles make up the real central conflict of Fire Emblem: Three Houses, while the Golden Deer tend to tread more of a middle ground. If you want a story with a bit more political intrigue and less high emotional drama, this is a good one to pick, and also isn't a terrible choice for beginners if the Blue Lions are too high and mighty for your taste.

The Black Eagles

The Black Eagle house is effectively the "advanced" route of the game, with more challenging maps and characters that are more difficult to use. If you're on your second playthrough or are coming into Three Houses from years of Fire Emblem experience, this is the route to go.

Incidentally, the Black Eagles also isn't just one story route. It's two. Near the end of the game's first act, you'll be presented with a choice that will dramatically split off the game's story depending on which you pick. That's another reason why the Black Eagles is a good choice for a second run, as the experiences you have with the Lions and the Deer may affect how you choose.