Valter is a sadistic Wyvern Knight who wields his Lance with unsurpassed skill and strength. During his past career as a Grado general with Duessel and Glen, Emperor Vigarde fired him for slaughtering innocents, and he was replaced by Selena - but when the Emperor "changed" from the powers of the Dark Stone, Lyon ordered that Valter be reinstated as one of Grado's Six Generals.

According to a support conversation between Cormag and Duessel, Valter used to be only a somewhat more decent and sane man (though he was not "a gentle lamb before" as Duessel puts it) until, having had his own lance broken in battle, he took a cursed lance owned by the Obsidian, which made him into the man he is now. Cormag then points out that a weapon is only as good or evil as the man who wields it.

Valter also lusts after the beautiful and strong willed Eirika, and one of his reasons to fight is his desire to capture her and make her his puppet bride; Riev points out, as he hears about it, that Valter is like an animal, not letting the human rules stop his darkest desires.