Jeritza

Profile: Early life Jeritza was born Emile von Bartels in the Imperial Year 1158 as the son of Baron Bartels. He is the younger half-brother of Mercedes, as his mother was a commoner who married his father for financial security. He remained in House Bartels after his mother and sister left in 1167. In his supports with Mercedes, it is revealed that he remained behind to keep them safe, believing that his father would hunt them down and kill both of them if they fled with him. Some time afterwards, Emile learned that the Baron had discovered Mercedes and her mother's whereabouts, and since Emile's mother was past the age of bearing children, he intended to take Mercedes as his wife. Upon hearing this, Emile snapped and slew his father, along with the entirety of House Bartels; though many believed he was responsible for its destruction, none had solid proof. It's heavily implied the incident caused him to develop his homicidal split personality known as the Death Knight, a persona born as he blacked out from sheer rage and didn't remember anything save for coming to at the scene of the massacre. House Bartels and all its lands were inherited to a distant relative after the massacre.

Emile was eventually found and taken in by Edelgard, who helped him erase his past and changed his name to Jeritza. He was then taken into House Hrym as an heir and given hunting grounds to satisfy his bloodlust. Since then, Jeritza has been entirely loyal towards Edelgard and follows her every decision. Eventually, with the recommendation of Edelgard's uncle, Volkhard, Jeritza is given a position at the Officers Academy and was given a role as a fencing instructor.

He was also acquainted with Constance, whom he had met sometime before the Dagda-Brigid War.

Academy Phase Jeritza is a fencing instructor at the Officers Academy.

Jeritza is actually the true identity of the Death Knight; an imposing figure working for the Flame Emperor. As the Death Knight, he shows his bloodthirsty personality, using his scythe to fight against the Church at night.

He makes his first appearance as the Death Knight during a raid in the Holy Mausoleum. During this encounter, he remains uninterested in fighting Byleth and their party unless they approach or attack him. He then appears in a secret dungeon within the monastery during Flayn's kidnapping, eager to fight Byleth, but the Flame Emperor orders him to retreat to his dismay. Afterward, Jeritza is no longer part of the Academy staff and can not be found in the monastery. The Death Knight arrives with reinforcements to support Solon in Remire Village.

During Edelgard's invasion of Garreg Mach, the Death Knight appears as a general leading the initial attack, though his defeat is not necessary. If Byleth sided with Edelgard, he will appear later on in the battle after Flayn has been defeated and seals off church reinforcements. Byleth is shocked at his arrival, but Edelgard states that he is an ally and will explain everything after the battle; however, Rhea transforms into The Immaculate One and knocks Byleth away, causing them to go missing for five years.

Cindered Shadows Jeritza, as the Death Knight, arrives in Abyss for unknown reasons. He encounters Byleth in the process, this time driven to fight after they had acquired the Sword of the Creator in the Holy Mausoleum.

Should Edelgard battle him, she will order him to leave, an indicator that she is the Flame Emperor he had been working for, though he refuses. If Constance battles him, she suspects that he is Jeritza after seeing his stance with the scythe, but believes she is imagining things.

Crimson Flower Because the Flame Emperor is Edelgard, Jeritza is willing to lend his strength to the Adrestian Empire and is promoted to a commander in the Imperial Army. After Byleth's return, if Manuela was recruited during the Academy Phase, she tells them that she encountered the Death Knight at Garreg Mach when Byleth was gone. She explains that she learned that the Death Knight was staying at Garreg Mach, and demanding vengeance, sets forth to the monastery. However, much to her surprise, the Death Knight offers a sincere apology for stabbing her five years ago and a confrontation was avoided. In the base game, aside from this mention, Jeritza nor the Death Knight are actually seen throughout the rest of the story.

After the 1.1.0 update, Jeritza becomes a playable character, automatically joining during the War Phase. He shows sadness should Mercedes have not been recruited during the Academy Phase and he battles her at the Tailtean Plains.

Azure Moon The Death Knight is stationed at Fort Merceus as the Kingdom of Faerghus prepares to begin its assault on Adrestia. Among the forces is once again Mercedes, who desires to talk to him during the battle if possible. Despite being a fearsome opponent, he is mortally wounded and the Fort is seized by the Kingdom.

On his death throes, if his and Mercedes' Paralogue has been completed, she will comfort him in his final moments, lamenting that she was not there to take care of him. Jeritza's final words are feebly saying his older sisters nickname.

Verdant Wind Although the Death Knight is fought at Fort Merceus, upon sensing the Javelins of Light unleashed by Those Who Slither in the Dark, he begins retreating from the battlefield. On a whim, he warns Byleth and the Alliance army to evacuate or die. Because of this, they manage to escape just in time to witness Merceus be completely demolished.

The Death Knight participates in the Empire's last stand at Enbarr, assisting in its defense with Hubert and Caspar, Dorothea, Linhardt, and Petra if they weren't recruited during the Academy Phase or killed during the War Phase. He meets his end in the battle.

Silver Snow Although the Death Knight is fought at Fort Merceus, upon sensing the Javelins of Light unleashed by Those Who Slither in the Dark, he begins retreating from the battlefield. On a whim, he warns Byleth and the Resistance Army to evacuate or die. Because of this, they manage to escape just in time to witness Merceus be completely demolished.

The Death Knight participates in the Empire's last stand at Enbarr, assisting in its defense with Hubert. He meets his end in the battle.

Paralogue Jeritza appears as the Death Knight in the paralogue The Face Beneath, which is unlocked if Mercedes and Caspar are in the player's army and the player is not playing Crimson Flower. By that point, Mercedes has realized his true identity, her younger half-brother Emile, who was raised in House Bartels while she and their mother left to live in a church in eastern Faerghus. His life in House Bartels was an unpleasant one, transforming him into a heartless man who lives for battle and slaughter, and at some point, he was adopted into House Hrym.

At the end of the paralogue, he warns Mercedes to leave the monastery or face death. When she insists on staying in the monastery, he gives her the Rafail Gem before leaving, warning her, Caspar, and Byleth that the next time they meet, he would kill them. If Caspar managed to land the final blow, Jeritza will give him the Scythe of Sariel as a sign of respect.

Personality: Jeritza is notorious within the Officer's Academy as a blunt, if not outright cold individual who carries out his duties efficiently. He is not one for mingling with others including his fellow staff members and the students and hardly cares for small talk. Many who have tried to socialize with him often find themselves immediately rejected, sometimes harshly. No one knows what goes on in his personal life or where he comes from. However, his reputation as a formidable, perceptive warrior has earned him the respect of coworkers and students alike.

Jeritza suffers from dissociative identity disorder due to his isolation from Mercedes and his mother, switching between his normal and Death Knight persona.

Like Bernadetta, Jeritza prefers to be alone and lets others decide what they think of him. However, he is considerably more calm and collected, not breaking into a panic when confronted by others. Jeritza's reason for isolation is due to his Death Knight persona, fearing that he cannot keep it under wraps, and that should he snap, fears that he would kill those he cares for, and would be unable to cope with it. In his paired endings however, he appears to be successful in suppressing the Death Knight.

The Death Knight cares only for killing, finding himself captivated by Byleth and seeking to either slay them or be cut down by Byleth. His lust for blood and dislike of authority leads him to dismiss and disregard others, whether it is Hubert telling him to retreat, obeying Edelgard's allies, or even getting angry at her when she interferes when he has Flayn captive or joins Remire to have fun. Not even Mercedes is safe from him, forcing Jeritza to come to the surface and falter when forced to fight his sister to stall the Death Knight from killing her.

Much like Felix, Jertiza enjoys the thrill of battle and appreciates a good combatant, but his isolation has turned him into a hardened man who cares little for the well-being of others. In the non-Crimson Flower routes, he informs Byleth of the incoming "javelins of light" so they could escape and fight another day, indicating that he respects them. In his supports with Byleth, he respects their swordsmanship, fantasizing of a legendary fight if he was ever given the chance to battle them, even in their S-Support.

Despite appearing cold and distant, Jeritza cares for the well-being of his mother and Mercedes. His supports with his sister reveals that he stayed with Baron Bartels because if he had gone with them, Bartels would have relentlessly searched for his heir and likely have both his mother and Mercedes killed. When he overheard that his father wanted to take Mercedes as his wife, Jeritza immediately slew him to keep her safe. He also expresses hope that his mother is doing well. When Mercedes tells him to send their mother a letter, he actually considers the thought. In Mercedes' Paralogue, he decides to spare her, but only once. In Crimson Flower, Jeritza keeps a distance from Mercedes partially to spare her from having to deal with the Death Knight, but her stubborn insistence eventually wins him over. Even after accidentally attacking her, Jeritza is shocked that Mercedes still loves him and would find peace in being killed by him. As such, Mercedes becomes one of the few individuals that he fights deliberately for and treasures her stubborn insistence on making up for lost time.

He enjoys ice cream and other sweets, his mother's desserts being something he loved growing up, and only smiles in the presence of a select few. He dislikes his original name and sharply rebuffs anyone who tries to refer to him by that name such as Constance. Most of that is because it reminds him of his painful past regarding the separation from his mother and sister. The sole person he allows to refer to him by his birth name is Mercedes.

Gender: Male

Skin Tone: Fair

Hair Color: Dirty blond

Hairstyle: Medium length, slicked back neatly; straight and tidy

Eyes: Gray

Build: Average height, lean but sturdy

Outfit: Cream-colored tunic with red trim, Red shoulder cape draped over one side, Single metal shoulder pauldron (left side), Black belt tied at the waist, Dark leggings with red accents at the knees, White socks and dark shoes.

Armor & Equipment: Light plate armor on one shoulder, Simple straight sword held in hand, Practical, no-frills gear.

Color Palette: Cream and red primary, Black and gray accents, Steel armor tones.

Medieval Fantasy Setting.