Information about Hero Relics in Fire Emblem Three Hopes, including what are Hero Relics, how to obtain each Hero Relic, and how to unleash a Hero Relic’s true powers.

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(1 of 2) Some characters have Crests,

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Some characters have Crests, (left), and specific Crests are required to fully utilize the effects of Hero Relics and Sacred Weapons. (right)

What Are Hero Relics in Fire Emblem Three Hopes?¶

Hero Relics are a powerful class of weapons and accessories that are ominously tied to specific [Crests], which are borne by prestigious individuals throughout Fodlan. In fact, the ruling caste of Fodlan derives their power and legitimacy from the Hero Relics that are often the heirlooms of noble houses, and being born with a Crest - and hence the ability to wield Hero Relics - is virtually a requirement to inherit prominent positions in the social and political hierarchy of Fodlan.

A Hero Relic can be spotted by the golden icon it bears in the menu screens, and the gameplay differences between Hero Relics and normal equipment isn’t relegated to icon colors. In the case of weapons, Hero Relics bear your standard Might and Durability values, as well as the Increase Might and Increase Durability properties. Hero Relics can also bear up to two modifiers. Unlike normal weapons, however, Hero Relics initially have stagnant stats, typically possessing 40 Might and 70 Durability by default - strong enough to be impressive during the first few Chapters, but once you start getting Monsters to drop Steel-grade weapons, Hero Relics will start losing their appeal… albeit temporarily. Unlike normal weapons, Hero Relics cannot initially be Forged (upgraded) or Reforged (increase the weapon’s upgrade potential); you’ll have to unlock the “Research Crest-Based Smithing Technique” upgrade for the Blacksmith before these weapons can unleash their true potential… see below for more details.

Other than the odd starting stats and delayed progression, Hero Relics always count as E-rank weapons, making them incredibly useful for training up new characters, and anybody can wield them regardless of what their weapon proficiencies are. Well… anybody with a Crest, anyways. Any character can equip a Hero Relic, but characters with the wrong Crest will not obtain the weapon’s full benefits. The effects of this deficiency vary by Hero Relic, characters bearing the wrong Crest will likely merely be barred from using a Crest-and-weapon specific Combat Art or Magic, or they’ll recover fewer HP from the Hero Relic’s “Divine Glow” modifier, or they may not gain an accessory’s ability to “nullify damage”. A loss, but using a Hero Relic with the wrong Crest still leaves you with a powerful weapon with low requirements - still well worth using, in some circumstances. On the other hand, characters who do not possess a Crest at all will sustain damage as long as they wield the Hero Relic, in addition to not receiving its Crest-specific benefits, making the use of Hero Relics much more difficult to recommend.

Some characters simply do not possess Crests, and aside from obtaining and equipping [Crest Signs], there’s no way around this handicap. This is an unfortunate limitation for some characters, especially for lower level characters who could otherwise benefit from access to an over-powered E-rank weapon. In the long run, however, a normal A-rank weapon with two good modifiers is competitive enough with Hero Relics, so these characters aren’t diminished in terms of high-level play.

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(1 of 4) Unlock the “Research Crest-Based Smithing Technique” upgrade,

How to Unleash Hero Relics¶

While solid enough at the start of the game in their initial forms, a Hero Relic’s 40 Might and 70 Durability will quickly fall behind even midtier weapons… especially ones dropped by Monsters. To bring this weapons back to relevance, you’ll need to unlock the “Research Crest-Based Smithing Technique” upgrade for the Blacksmith, which will require high-tier building materials. This will likely take you until Chapter 10 or later, as these building materials cannot be obtained by any means earlier.

Once you’ve unlocked this upgrade, talk to the Blacksmith in the Base Camp and pick the “Unleash” option. Unleashing the hidden powers of a Hero Relic will cost you 10x Umbral Steel and a hefty bit of Gold. but will roughly triple the weapon’s Might and double its Durability, as well as unlocking any potential modifiers the Hero Relic may possess. In addition, Hero Relic weapons will be able to be Forged up to an enhancement of +10 (5 Increase Might, 5 Increase Durability), and once thus enhanced they can be Reforged to boost their potential Increase Might/Increase Durability limits by 5 each per Reforge. Like normal weapons, Hero Relics can ultimately be improved to an enhancement of +100, which will generally put their max Might and Durability around 500~.

Where to Find Every Hero Relic in Fire Emblem Three Hopes¶

Since Hero Relics are heirlooms of great power that confer status and legitimacy upon the wielder, you’ll typically acquire them when you recruit or defeat the individuals who possess said Hero Relics. Less commonly they’ll be obtained for completing or achieving an S-Rank in specific Main Quest battles or Paralogue battles.