#[ how did this happen. im sorry this is probably so incoherent i beta read this only once ]

[egittae]

The definition of rose tinted glasses

[ what do you mean I wrote a 9 page long character analysis on a dude who appears twice in one game haha. This is my insane view on this dude

anyway, spoilers for 3H/3Hopes Azure Moon and Azure Gleam below ]

---

Lambert is one of the key narrative ghosts in Fódlan’s modern history, particularly regarding the Kingdom of Faerghus. His death was said to have destabilized the Kingdom severely, and the matter of his assassination was used by kingdom nobles as an excuse to enact a massacre against Duscur.

Time and time again we hear statements about his reign and praising him as a ruler, about how he was essentially the perfect king that Faerghus needed. Kind, charismatic, caring towards the common man, a powerful warrior, a great father- and so on. Considering how we only see and hear Lambert talking as himself literally twice in the entire Azure Moon route, nearly all information we are presented about him comes from the mouths of other characters and then from a handful of optional bits of lore in the many books and records you can read in the game if you feel like it.

Meaning, we don’t actually know what Lambert was truly like- we only know what others wanted to tell us about him. And those who told us about him were all either his family, his closest friends or people who have pledged loyalty to him at some point. The portrait we have of Lambert in both 3Houses and 3Hopes is extremely biased and filtered through the thickest pair of rose tinted glasses they could get their hands on. I myself never really cared about it until I chose to muse him, which was when I stopped and thought, “wait, what am I even dealing with anyway?”. 

And boy oh boy.

First, let’s take a look at what we get in the games regarding Lambert. I’ll be splitting this section into 3Houses and 3Hopes, since we get information on both games.

Three Houses

In 3Houses the first actual solid instance we get of Lambert is through a flashback in White Clouds, when Dimitri is telling Byleth about his past and the Tragedy of Duscur. It’s during that flashback that we get to see and hear Lambert for the first time, though he’s saying his last words* which are…well, interesting. He’s not exactly telling his son a tearful goodbye or anything, but rather giving him an order- to kill whoever planned the attack. To destroy them all and avenge those who died in Duscur, which sticks to Dimitri’s head stronger than gorilla glue.

*: Some people theorize that Lambert didn’t actually say those things and that Dimitri was hallucinating it instead, but I personally do believe Lambert said it before he was decapitated. It’ll make more sense later.

But Dimitri talks about his father in such a fond way, with so much admiration, that despite those off last words we are given the impression that Lambert must have been a good father and a good man, otherwise his death wouldn’t have had such a powerful effect on Dimitri’s psyche, right? He’s one of the people Dimitri mentions the most regarding the ghosts that disturb him alongside Glenn.

Then throughout the game, we get some extra crumbs. We are told that the western nobles saw Lambert as a “tyrannical” and radical king who was making unpopular decisions while caring little for others’ opinions, and that while he was beloved by the general public many nobles were starting to harbor bitterness towards him. We are also told that he indeed was trying to create a bridge with Duscur to establish good relations and a stable merchant route between the two nations, since Duscur was stated to have particularly good soil that Faerghus was very much interested in. 

The last instance we get of Lambert is around the mid-end of Azure Moon, when Rodrigue is dying in Dimitri’s arms. We get an actual cutscene, models and all, of Lambert and Rodrigue’s final exchange before leaving for Duscur. In it one thing is clear- Rodrigue doesn’t trust the plan and is very much worried about what could happen, being particularly against the idea of Dimitri going since he was still young.

Shortening things a little, the House of Fraldarius has had linked arms with House Blaiddyd ever since Loog fought for Faerghus’ independence. Kyphon, the head of Fraldarius at the time, was hailed as the King’s shield- and so it stands. During the campaign between Faerghus and Sreng, Rodrigue himself was given the title of "Te Shield of Faerghus", and as a result House Fraldarius essentially plays a role with the royal family’s defenses, almost like a Ministry of Defense of sorts. Rodrigue therefore knows what he’s saying, and his words should be trusted, correct?

No! Lambert isn’t having it. If anything Lambert stomps like a stubborn mule and tells Rodrigue he’s not budging, that he will go to Duscur no matter what and he will take Dimitri with him and no one can stop him. And then he says these pearls: 

“He’s [Dimitri] a smart boy, Rodrigue. Even if he should lose his father, I have no doubt he will grow to be a good and respectable man.” “[...] If he [Dimitri] ever starts down the wrong path and I am not here to set him straight, I am trusting you to do so in my stead. Promise me…”

‘Yo. If I die you raise my son for me ok? I bet he won’t mind”

Perhaps Lambert didn’t account for the fact that Dimitri was 13 years old and that if he were to lose his father during the trip, he’d literally witness it firsthand. That’ll never bother him, right? Rodrigue will fix it. Guess what happened!

But even then, Rodrigue speaks of him in a very positive light, and that doesn’t seem to have caused any cracks to form on the image Dimitri has of his father either. This is something that happens time and time again in both games, whenever we hear Rodrigue, Matthias or Dimitri talking about Lambert- they’ll comment things that are…odd behaviors to say the least, but their tones are so fond and nostalgic and warm that you end up disregarding what was actually said.

Because those characters too, have a skewed image of Lambert. Actually the only character I believe doesn’t have a twisted or extremely romanticized view of Lambert is probably Gustave.

Gustave enters the picture around White Clouds, and that’s when he starts to say some things that made me start to question the image of Lambert the game has been trying to present. In one moment, Gustave is scolding Dimitri for being careless with his own safety and charging in with apparently no value in his own life. This exchange then takes place:

Here’s the thing. Dimitri is a teenager, forced to grow far too quickly and made to fit into a role that, in his and the general public’s eyes, is bigger than the world- he needs to step into Lambert’s shoes and do good.

But then Gustave mentions that Lambert would say the very same thing, years before. By that time he was already king and already an adult. On top of it all he’s Lambert, who had a Crest of Blaiddyd which grants ridiculous levels of strength to its user on top of being born naturally with superhuman strength. Lambert was a bulldozer in the shape of a man, a king and a supposedly well resolved adult.

So why would he display such careless, insecure behavior to the point that Gustave, who definitely knew what Lambert could do, would worry that much for his safety?

And then the other fact: if Lambert spoke those exact words all those years ago, then it meant he saw himself as a weapon. Why would he have such a dehumanizing view of himself like that? Sure, Faerghus is a nation that values chivalry and the honor of dying in battle with many characters seeing themselves as weapons first and foremost, but apparently the way he went about it was so extreme that Gustave of all people worried for his condition.

I’ll also briefly mention here one thing that I’ve touched on before, which is Lambert’s savior complex. About how when he met Patricia it seemed to be love at first glance…when in reality it was the fact that Lambert perceived her as helpless and lost, and felt so weirdly enamored by it with the want to help and save her that he “fell in love”. Their marriage, which was already a secret and not known by the public, was pretty much in shambles from day 1 as they didn’t even sleep in the same room within the palace. If anything it felt more as if Lambert saw her as a little creature he needed to save and protect and now that he has her under his roof all’s good. I’ll expand on this complex later.

Let’s continue with the information we have.

Three Hopes

3Hopes possesses surprisingly more details on Lambert as a person thanks to Rodrigue being a playable unit with supports, and also because Matthias is there as well. There are also more books on Faerghus’ history, many of which do comment on some of Lambert’s actions such as his lead in the battle against Sreng. And of course, we do get a lot of information through Azure Gleam’s third chapter, “Crisis in Fhirdiad”.

Enter the professional wet cat man, Rufus.

Rufus was the older brother of Lambert, born without a crest and therefore pushed to the side regarding the throne’s succession, which left him feeling a level of bitterness towards his brother. On paper, very similar to what went down between Miklan and Sylvain.

Except…Rufus actually got a lot, despite not being set as the crown prince. Rufus is the Grand Duke of Itha, a territory close to Blaiddyd that’s a popular hunting ground as it possesses a number of rare monsters and animals. Hunting and mercenary work are the pillars of its economy and it does quite well. The Grand Duke title is also one of the highest titles one can get behind King/Queen and Prince/Princess, which means while Rufus wasn’t king, he was still a very important individual in Faerghus on a status level. And finally, in the camp, one NPC mentions how Rufus was naturally gifted with political sharpness and that those skills of his were greatly valued and acknowledged by the Kingdom as a whole.

Rufus wasn't a man abandoned on the streets left with crumbs and rags while his brother rose to a pedestal of luxury. Rufus was pretty damn well off himself, with the highest noble rank he could ask for considering his condition, his own territory that has a rather stable economy, and his skills were appreciated and valued on a national scale. And yet, he was still bitter about Lambert.

Another NPC also mentions how there were rumors of “discord” between the two brothers, meaning that their strained relationship was very neutral at best and publicly rocky at worst. The very fact that Houses Fraldarius, Gautier and Galatea- the three main noble houses that back up the royal family, didn’t want to even associate with Rufus was also very telling of what his behavior towards Lambert, and by extension Dimitri, most likely was even before the Tragedy of Duscur.

But right before the mission in Fhirdiad, there’s a cutscene between Rufus and Cornelia. Rufus basically gives a more explicit view on how he sees Dimitri, as well as his apprehension towards the prince. He talks about how Dimitri’s eyes are monstrous, that he’s a vile and deceptive creature- and that he’s the lion’s cub. A lion nonetheless, but a cub.

Then he mentions how ever since the assassination took place, Rufus has had constant nightmares of a lion ripping his throat out.

The entire dialogue makes it seem Rufus was more afraid of Dimitri than anything, but in my eyes? Rufus was afraid of Lambert. Lambert was the one he viewed as a lion, and when Rufus began having nightmares Dimitri was far too young and also too injured to even pose as a threat, but Rufus has lived with Lambert for decades. He definitely knows what Lambert can do, and most likely how Lambert behaves when he’s angry.

And he says it, how he has nightmares about a lion brutally murdering him in his sleep as an act of revenge. And considering how many characters acknowledge that Dimitri and Lambert have the same eyes- the same look, it’s not too far fetched to point out that Rufus is afraid of Dimitri because the prince has the same “monstrous” and “vile” eyes of his late father. 

Rufus most likely saw what Lambert turned into when taken by anger and revenge, and now that he was involved with his death, Rufus sees the ghost of that wrathful Lambert on Dimitri’s face. The fact that he most likely also got to see how Dimitri behaves under the same circumstances most likely only made it harder for him to separate them in his view. 

One might think that Rufus was perhaps exaggerating his view of Lambert, that it’s just his fear and bitterness talking and making him use adjectives such as “monstrous” to refer to his brother. And while it is partly true, honestly there’s proof in the game that Rufus has full right to be horrified. Because in 3Hopes, in one of the many books that you can find at the base, you find reports on Faerghus’ continued war against Sreng- the book is called “Military History of Partholon”. Most of it talks about the old past of the conflict and about the Gautier warrior Laetitia, but in its last entry there’s information on the campaign Lambert conducted against the srengi leader Oleg.

“Horsebow Moon, Year 1169  The Kingdom Army is progressing northwest through  the peninsula, but while engaging the Sreng chief Oleg  and his forces, a gigantic beast suddenly enters the fray.  It lays waste to both sides. Lambert sustains grave  injuries, and Oleg disappears into a ravine.”

Their battle was cut short by the appearance of a “gigantic beast” that shows up and crushes both sides. Lambert is gravely injured but survives without being too scarred or debilitated in any way. Now, Sreng is known for having some crazy monsters roaming around- it’s one of the reasons why it is so dangerous, and in 3Houses you do fight against Giant Crawlers. But there’s also the fact that Mr. Macuil is an inhabitant of Sreng, who’s stupidly strong as he is one of Sothis’ original children, and he holds a particularly bitter grudge against humans. 

For one single creature to promptly crush both armies by itself, it makes me believe Macuil must have had a hand in it. Regardless, Lambert managed to survive an attack either by a Giant Crawler or Macuil himself, without losing any limbs or being debilitated or visibly scarred. Rodrigue and Matthias, while they were there fighting alongside Lambert, weren’t reported as injured or even affected, which means Lambert most likely stepped in and faced the creature either on his own or mostly by himself.

And that? Is scary as hell. If that guy can face a srengi creature/Macuil and not only survive but manage to get away badly injured but whole then Rufus has full right to be afraid of him.

After the Fhirdiad chapter, the other information we get comes primarily from Rodrigue, his support with Dimitri, and his dialogue with Matthias during the Sreng mission- and they all focus primarily on their past, when all three were in their academy days.

In the Sreng chapter, right around the end, Matthias and Rodrigue reminisce about the time they were at the Academy’s Ethereal Ball with Lambert, and how after they grew bored of partying all three left for the training grounds at night. There, Rodrigue mentions how it had been the first and last time they actually talked about their dreams and views for the future with each other, and how Lambert expressed a deep wish to establish good relations with Sreng and Duscur- which Matthias called him naive for.

Then, on the support chain between Rodrigue and Dimitri, he talks a little more about their time as students. Of how in one mission Rodrigue made a mistake which resulted in his unit falling behind and getting in a very delicate and vulnerable position and that they required immediate aid. Lambert and Matthias however, started to argue with one another about which plan was better for rescuing Rodrigue…and ended up getting into a fistfight just because. Granted in the end they managed to somehow work together, but Rodrigue implies that at some point Lambert just booked it carelessly in front of Matthias, got himself all sorts of injured and screwed up, all so he could reach Rodrigue faster.

And then comes the sad detail that Dimitri seems to realize that he didn’t actually know his father at all. He expresses shock at hearing how Lambert was a feisty and violent man in his youth, and then essentially admits to Rodrigue that he doesn’t actually know Lambert that well. Dimitri was most likely raised seeing a mask of his father, not his father.

In the camp, Rodrigue at some point also casually mentions how in the academy, Lambert didn’t actually enjoy following rules and skipped classes every now and then to just hang out. He was rebellious and feisty, loved to get into physical fights with Matthias only for either Rodrigue or Gunther (Ingrid’s father) to try to separate them, and was quite the party guy- but who quickly grew bored of festivities and ran straight back to training.

And this, around six or seven pages of content, completes the amount of actual information we get on Lambert’s character throughout both games. What about it?

Well, time to grab all this stuff, twist and squeeze it, until we get a glimpse of who Lambert actually was.

Lambert was born as the younger crested sibling of the royal Blaiddyd family, and most definitely he was only conceived because his parents needed a crested heir. While Rufus was still given many boons despite being passed over regarding the throne, I don’t doubt that Lambert received preferential treatment. He was, after all, the crested baby prince they all needed. His relationship with his brother is, as a result, strained. All because of something he had no control over- his own blood.

Faerghus didn't have basic sanitary systems at the time, and Fhirdiad in particular was said to be a true pigsty- riddled with disease. As a result, it wouldn't be too extreme to say that Lambert was most likely raised in a very sheltered environment, trapped within the palace's walls in an attempt to avoid him getting a disease and dying from it- he was the only crested heir, far too valuable. Not that the palace was the perfect hygienic haven, but it definitely seemed to fare better than the city itself. And yet, Lambert still showed curiosity for the lives of the common man and wished to aid them.

His rebellious behavior in the academy feels like a cry for help on his part- that he most likely lived a very strict life in Fhirdiad and had to keep up appearances, unable to do what he wanted to do and make the choices he wanted to make. Lambert was molded into a king as soon as he was born and they needed him to stay within that mold. The moment he managed to get some freedom for himself, he rebelled because he most likely knew that would be his last chance at being able to live freely. And then as soon as he graduated, he went back to his mold. His chance was over.

He was feisty, prone to violent outbursts, at times ungovernable and aloof. Full of pent up energy, liking parties but getting bored once they don’t reach the level of excitement he wanted out of them. Curious about the common man and wanting to hang out around them rather than attending class. Apparently horrifyingly scary when angered or when powered by vengeance, to the point his own brother saw him as a monstrous beast- and then echoed that into Dimitri.

He had a savior complex that was most definitely enabled by everyone around him, as it fit well into the image of a king that cares for and aids his people. Growing up with the idea that he needs to protect the weak and that everyone is weaker than him resulted in him equating a complex to love, with no one around him to confront him about it.

Lambert truly did model himself into the ideal king, and the positive points of his personality amplified it. Kind, charismatic, understanding, strong. He ruled for his country and for its people, and so the people loved him for it.

But he seemed to have been raised and forced into an image he didn’t feel confident in assuming. He was king, he was an adult, but he was insecure of himself and his own capabilities- and yet, he knew he didn’t have an option on the matter. Insecure or not he had to make it work, so he felt the need to bruteforce things when they didn’t go his way immediately. 

He was genuinely careless with his own life, impulsively throwing himself at situations that could get him injured and running to the frontlines without thinking. While often it was made as a valiant effort to protect those he loved, even when they weren’t around he still went and did it. All to the point Gustave began to worry about his own condition.

Lambert viewed himself as a weapon, a war machine. Born with ridiculous strength and a crest, in a nation such as Faerghus that puts so much value on strength, knighthood and he status of a warrior, I have no doubts that he was most likely raised with the idea of being a weapon of Faerghus, its king- and its blade, and to disregard completely how dehumanizing that must have felt for him.

All to the point he flat out ignored Rodrigue, “The Shield of Faerghus”, and continued with his plans for Duscur.

Stubborn and almost irresponsible, to his own detriment as well as others’. Extremely prone to giving himself tunnel vision, and that the moment he decides he'll do something- he does it, regardless if others like it or not, bringing a reason as to why so many nobles saw him as tyrannical and radical. Lambert had already decided what he wanted to do, and he didn’t want their input. He’d simply do it.

World’s Most Alright Father. I have no doubts that Lambert loved Dimitri, after all he raised the boy as a solo parent for a while until Patricia entered the picture. Lambert has also already showcased how he’s willing to do whatever it takes to protect his friends and family and he’d definitely extend that to his only child, but his parenting has many odd quirks. He allowed Gustave to subject Dimitri to excruciating training sessions that would’ve surely killed a normal human- even more a child, without stepping in or showing any form of protest. Most likely because Lambert was raised the same way, so in his eyes it seemed “normal”. 

Him suddenly showing a level of disregard to the possibility of Dimitri losing his father and thinking he’ll “be fine” because he’s a “strong and smart boy” and that Rodrigue will take care of it, also makes me wonder if he was raised to think that way as well. That even as a child, he was made to believe he was strong and independent and should be able to fare on his own without his parents as a child- only to echo that on Dimitri later.

But I do think he meant well as a father. Because in the end, Dimitri didn’t quite grow into the same person Lambert was. Dimitri, while uptight, formal and very much nursing the image of a good prince, didn’t seem to have gone through excessively strict parenting. I feel like that was one of Lambert’s own ways of showing how much he loved his son- as well as how conscious he was of his own upbringing. His parenting was far from perfect, but in the end he tried to raise Dimitri to not end up like him. To not go through what he did.

And for his final words? Honestly, I think he was just desperate. Having lived his entire life being acknowledged as this strong, nearly ideal ruler, getting through countless battles while impulsively pushing through frontlines, only to be proved that his plan that he stubbornly believed in was extremely wrong and be defeated and crushed as a result. Lambert probably saw everything that he was falling apart on that one moment, and so when he spoke to Dimitri he was just reduced to the bare minimum. Enraged and vengeful for having been brought down like that, but without the strength to even protect himself let alone his child. All he had left was his own voice, so he chose to just express to Dimitri what he felt. A decision that ended up causing more pain than good, but in the end one that came from the mouth of a defeated man minutes before he was decapitated.

I think he was really trying to make things work. To make Faerghus a good place, to be a good father, to be a good king. But he could only do it behind layers of varnish, relying on the absurdly perfect image his own people and friends created for himself because the actual Lambert was insecure, most likely unhappy with his condition, prone to seeing himself in dehumanizing ways and throwing himself into dangerous situations because he doesn’t value his life personally. The Lambert that lived and died and was remembered isn’t Lambert, it’s the King of Faerghus. 

Lambert, the man born in House Blaiddyd as its youngest son at the time, just died and vanished. The mask however stayed since it had never been organic to begin with. It can’t rot and disappear like the person behind it.