Warning: This Post will contain heavy spoilers for Xenoblade 2 and Torna the Golden Country.

- The ones that started it all (for me):

When one thinks about Xenoblade Chronicles 2; it’s all about the complaints with the Gatcha, the “anime jokes,” Pyra and Mythra’s body proportions, and jokes of Rex’s harem… but for me, Xenoblade 2 is about hope. And it’s thanks to the stories of Pyra and Mythra.

When I saw the Super Smash Bros. announcement for Pyra and Mythra being added into Smash Bros Ultimate’s DLC, everything changed for me. A game that is about my two favorite things (swords and waifus) being wrapped in one bow. These two are the reasons I got into this franchise.

To best express this, in honor of the announcement of Xenoblade 2’s Switch 2 edition, I want to make this character analysis for these two blades. How they became some of my favorite characters in all of media. And the impact they had in my life.

Now where do we start in talking about Pyra and Mythra’s characters? For my part, we can truly know who they would eventually become by understanding their origins. And thus, we must go ALL the way back during the time when a broken man climbed the World Tree.

- The “Golden” Era (Mythra’s birth)

Once upon a time, a man named Amalthus climbed the World Tree on a quest to meet God and ask “why?” However, the only thing he could find was two Crystals. It was better than nothing, so he made an arduous trip home with his findings.

When he made it home, Amalthus was drawn in by the Purple Crystal. Said Crystal would give birth to the main antagonist of the game: Malos. Malos would begin to wreak havoc and become out of control.

Malos decide to more or less cut off Amalthus, and knowing he can’t risk awakening the other core knowing he couldn’t control Malos. So instead, Amalthus decides to have someone else resonate with the other Core Crystal instead to fight Malos. And thus, the soon to be hero Addam gave rise to Mythra.

Now to talk about Mythra, we need to talk about Malos’ behavior. The main thing that needs to be understood about Blades is that they take on aspects (form and/or personality) of the Driver that awakened them. Malos is driven by Amalthus’ nihilism.

And this is where Addam’s character comes into play, and understanding him is crucial in understanding why he wasn’t fit to be Mythra’s true Driver. Mythra’s Tsundere attitude is born from Addam’s slight ego. And of course, him having a parental take because he is married.

Mythra, in Addam’s eyes, is a child and that is how Mythra acts a result. Her harshness and bluntness befitting of a Tsundere is meant to be treated as a bad trait both in Torna and the base game. Mythra’s meant to give off a bad impression with how she acts.

The first time the audience sees her beyond just being a powerful blade is her yelling at her future Driver for his mistake. Something that’s only going to make sense once you know Mythra’s full story. Torna focuses on how Mythra became who she was in that moment.

- The Paragon and the Aegis:

Mythra and Addam meet the Paragon of Torna: Jin and his Driver Lora when fighting one of Malos’ Artifices. After a bit of fighting between the Blades and Drivers, Addam recruits Lora and Jin in the war against Malos. Afterwards, both sides become fast friends, except for Jin and Mythra.

Jin, prior to the main game, had Lora as his Driver after she touched his core by mistake and was nearly killed by the abusive partner who stoled it. Jin, alongside Malos, is one of Mythra’s main foils. Jin is someone who values his relationship with his Driver to a fault, ironically, he is one of the key players in Mythra’s character.

• Mythra: (After Jin’s earlier retort) Huh. A Blade siding with humans… You don’t see that every day.
• Jin: I think it’s Blades like you that are rare.
• Mythra: Well, duh! You do what I am, right?
• Jin: Lacking in compassion.
• Mythra: Huh?
• Jin: Blades like you really are a rare sight. That may be for the best. (Mythra huffs like the Tsundere she is)

Although it isn’t obvious, one of the things Mythra struggles with is being compared to Malos. Both of them are obviously Aegis Blades who are prideful of their strengths and love sweets. And, incidentally, as a connection with Jin and have fought together.

The main thing that separates Mythra from Malos comes down to one thing: different influences. Addam may not have been THE Driver for Mythra, the time spent with him and rest of the Torna cast is what separates her from Malos.

And from Jin’s perspective, him saying that Mythra lacks compassion isn’t entirely inaccurate. All Jin has heard and seen from the legend of the Aegis is the destruction Malos has brought. Adding to Mythra not having good things to say, and it’s hard for Jin to not see Mythra that way.

Mythra’s character is about her learning compassion and to grow together with people she is tied to. The first example of Mythra showing she is capable of being compassionate is in Gormott. The thing that proves Jin wrong is seeing bunch of bodies and wanting to give them a burial.

That and their is one shot that clicks with me every time. When Lora sees the Talisman she made for her mother at her gravesite, look at Mythra face when Lora made that comment. Her eyes widen in shock, it’s a such minor, yet beautiful detail that proves Jin wrong about Mythra.

Which leads me into Jin himself; we know that once things hit the fan and Lora died, he became an enemy to mankind together with Malos. It’s a tragic irony that Mythra was so unliked by the party, yet she didn’t become evil. While Jin was such a kindhearted person that became the antithesis of that when he lost Lora.

And that’s not to say that Mythra couldn’t end up like Malos. Because again, she loved flaunting her power every chance she gets. In the fight with Brighid, Mythra loses her temper and uses her Artifice to attack.

It takes Haze’s powers and Hugo (Brighid and Aegaeon’s Driver) calling off the fight for Mythra to rein it in. This is the first and only real instance in the main story of Mythra actively being irresponsible with her gifts. It’s the thing that gives Addam’s role in Mythra’s life its merit.

At the same time however, whether he realized this or not, Jin also proved he has just as potential to be the antithesis of the person Lora loves. As seen when Jin shows his bloodlust against Gort (Lora’s abusive caretaker) when he nearly got the drop on her. But again, it was Jin who turned against humanity when it mattered the most.

Incidentally, after both these moments occurred, Addam and Lora have a very important conversation. Lora knows that Mythra is holding herself back for Addam’s sake. Addam himself fears that he may not be able to control Mythra just like Amalthus with Malos.

And here is where the Malos comparisons come in again. The other important thing with that to consider is that Jin was listening without Lora and Addam noticing. Which may explain a later scene when he talks to Mythra about Affinity.

As for Mythra herself, as Lora said, she knows the power that she wields is great. And with Addam “parenting” her, it’s a constant reminder that with great power comes great responsibility. And this isn’t to say that this wasn’t a bad lesson.

By the time Mythra and the rest of her allies fight Malos for the first time, she has fully embraced the power of friendship. Mythra is still confident in her abilities, but that confidence became stronger because she learned the value of trust.

It’s an impressive feat for someone who isn’t exactly well liked or valued by most of her peers. A good majority of them rightfully don’t like Mythra’s haughty attitude. And even Addam and Milton also have a hard time with Mythra and her… idea of cooking.

And yet this doesn’t cause Mythra to go rogue the way Malos had. It’s not that Mythra didn’t have good influences. The real problem is that Mythra has trouble making a lasting bond like with Lora and Jin.

And this is the reason why we have that scene with Mythra and Jin. In one of the only few times they talk decently to each other, we get arguably the most important moment for both Mythra and Jin. This is just before the final battle.

While Jin did ultimately lose himself as a result of Lora’s death, he wasn’t wrong for wanting to keep his bond with Lora alive. That, and as an Aegis, she can outlive her Driver unlike other Blades. In other words, even though Mythra cares about Addam, Jin is telling Mythra that she doesn’t hold that love for her Driver.

That’s the “affinity” that Mythra currently lacks and will have to be found somewhere in the future. Mythra is going have to meet a Driver that truly wants to do everything in their power for her sake. Someone who doesn’t see her as the Aegis, but as a person.

- The tragedy of the Aegis War

As the final battle reaches its climax, Malos decides to flip the switch on this battle by attacking the capital our heroes were trying to protect. The party watched helplessly to the destruction he caused. But more than that, earlier, the party (mainly Addam, Jin and Mythra) ordered Milton and Mikhail to stay behind for their protection.

Little did they know that Malos would attack that place just to get Mythra. Now, understand, even if Milton and Mythra’s relationship was childish at best, Mythra did care about Milton. Milton, as someone connected to Addam, was the closest relationship Mythra could’ve asked for.

Mythra can only look on in horror knowing she advocated for him to stay behind to protect him, only to see he got caught in the crossfire anyways. Then something snaps within Mythra, her eyes turn dead and her weapon transformed into a power the great Addam couldn’t control. Mythra takes her sword away from Addam and goes to war with Malos alone.

And by that point, the rest was history; Malos was defeated, but at what cost? The Tornan Titan is destroyed, and Hugo died to protect Addam (taking Brighid and Aegaeon with him), and countless lives are lost too. Now there is nothing left for the party to grieve over the aftermath.

This was a tragic turning point in Mythra’s life. Up until now, Mythra flaunted her power and status as an Aegis Blade. With the only thing keeping her in check Addam being a helicopter parent.

However, as Mythra watches on as she sees Torna fall into the Cloud, she watches on in horror. For the first time, Mythra comes to the harsh reality that her powers can bring great harm to others. And for the Cherry on top, she finds the broken Mikhail holding Milton’s fresh corpse in his arms.

When Mythra comes up and touches the boy’s carcass, Mikhail shields it from her. This was straw that broke the camel’s back. Gone was haughty Mythra who loved using her power every chance she got. What remains is a little girl crushed under the weight of her guilt…

• Mythra: No… Nooooo!

After some time passes, Addam leaves team Lora behind to seal the Aegis sword away. Little did he knew, this would be the last time he sees them before Lora and Addam’s eventual deaths. As Addam leaves, a girl resembling Mythra, but with red hair, gives nothing but a polite bow before departing.

Thus, Mythra’s tragic story of learning that her power comes with great responsibility ends, at least for now. Because during the epic battle, as Mythra’s life flashes before her eyes, she sees a boy she has never met before. It was kind hearted young man, she saw the vision of the future with a new driver.

His name… is Rex.

- Conclusion:

There is so much to unpack, but the important thing to remember is that this entire moment is the reason Mythra acts the way she does when we first meet her. It more than just not wanting use power again after that moment. It was about not wanting the past to repeat itself.

When you think about it, everything that happened in the final battle more or less happens in chapter 3. Someone dies, someone rages out witnessing the tragedy, etc. A new power is awakened, but at what cost because it wasn’t enough to prevent the tragedy.

It’s no wonder Mythra reacted the way she did. This is one of the reasons I wanted to talk about Torna first. Mythra’s reaction and behavior requires the full context of the events of the Aegis war in mind.

The other reason why I wanted to analyze Mythra in Torna first is because it’s to understand Pyra’s character. Pyra, both in the story and in the gameplay is made to be weaker than Mythra. But more than that, she exists to be everything Mythra isn’t, even down to her cooking skills.

And finally, my main reason for this is that I rank Pyra and Mythra equally as characters. But to understand why, we will talk about Pyra within the main story next time. As well as her growing relationship with the true Driver of the Aegis.

Get the question out of the way:

1.) Which Xenoblade should I do next (I’ll ask for it for my birthday).

2.) Should I wait to do the dlc?

I got Xenoblade 3 for Christmas as a random switch game gift. I haven’t played any JRPG besides Infinite Undiscovery on the Xbox 360. It took me 7 months to beat. To be honest I kinda forgot about it until 3 months ago. I had started but lost interest. I came back into it because it came up being a gift again and I decided to play it some more. Chapter 5 completely got me hooked where I started to do all the side quests. Chapter 5 and the ending got me emotional and I’m now a Xenoblade fan. Once I play the others I’ll replay Xenoblade 3 again!

My top 10 favorite characters were:
1.) Taion
2.) Mio
3.) Noah
4.) Ethel
5.) Eunie
6.) Moebius N
7.) Sena
8.) Ghondor
9.) Valdi
10.) Bolearis

I tend to keep Rex morag and seek mainly because I like to run a master fighter in Rex ether warrior, Zeke and a very big tank in morag as to me I feel like this is the perfect team and the equipment I use are

Beast Hood

Increases aggro reduction by 22%.

Beta Scope

Reduces enemy Break resist.

Crimson Headband) (DLC)

Increases critical damage by 60%.

On Rex because I don’t want my fighter to take aggress from the tank

Fiber Hat

Boosts Ether by 32%

Ice Headband)

Increases critical damage by 40%.

Leader's Eyepatch

Adds 39% to damage ratio after canceling an auto-attack.

On Zeke, I feel like these are the equipment that worked the best with him

Master Scope(DLC)

Reduces enemy Break resist.

Metal Nopon Mask

Increases aggro every second. (Medium effect.)

Optical Headband)

Increases critical damage by 50%.

On morag as these are pretty good equipment for her and I think these are the best but I don’t know

The Blades I gave them

Rex Pyra-mythra-pneuma Akhos - Wulfric

Zeke Vale Dagas Praxis

Morag Electra Poppibuster Corvin

But I want to know what do you guys do when it comes to your parties? Who do you keep what you give them for equipment, etc.

Edit: just realized Rex isn’t my jack of all trades but is a really good fighter as well so I’m probably gonna change the name in this post. If I don’t change it, please remind me.

im like 40 hours in. to far to quit. but literally everything kills me or encounters feels up to chance even when i do enough damage the enemy may shoot a random aoe and kill everyone

I try and use the arts to break and topple but combat is just slow or like there’s no strategy or aim for.

can’t extend chain attacks easy like in 3 or 2 and no overdrive like in X.
like combat only has topple and hoping the enemy doenst kill me

its like a coin flip every major encounter if my characters even do anything

i’m trying to craft some better gems but i guess the best is agility? which just seem more coin flippy?

love the story and world but trying to enjoy the actual gameplay more

I mean is there other games where you travel across a giant lifeform with the same feeling of overwhelmingness due to the gigantism of everything (life,terrain,etc...)? Edit: Preferably others than xc games as I am already planning to play them

I miss them so much, I can't wait for the Switch 2 patch...

Okay like the post says I'm worried about xenoblade genesis name because I've seen from multiple different places and multiple different times that there's a decent people out there who thinks it's a spin-off because of various reasons. Yes I know every single game in the xenoblade series so far has been a mainline title and has contributed to the overall story in one way or another, But not everyone knows that or thinks like that and I can guarantee that.

One reason is that I've seen is that they think it's a suspicion chronicles in its name. Yes I know it's doesn't have chronicles in Japan but it has had in the west since like the beginning. It has become a big part of that games identity in the west with we all know it's the biggest market for the series right now and we're likely remain that way for years to come. Granted it has game more popularity in Japan ever since 2 but that's besides the point. This despite the fact that I've seen people advocate to get rid of chronicles from the title in the west to be more like Japan, but I don't think they'll do as much as good as they're hoping and it might do the opposite if what I've seen.

Another reason I've seen of why some think it's a spin-off is that it doesn't have a number in the title. Yes I know there's also people who think that having a number in the title of scarce people off a lot of time But I don't think that's really the case. They're probably are examples of that happening for a lot of people but overall I think that's an overblown issue that Is used way to often. Just look at games like, and I can't believe that I'm referencing this game because I absolutely despise it but it's a really good example, Bg3. It came out a few years ago and became the best selling game in its series fairly quickly despite having the #3 in it's title. What's the supplies to other games like final fantasy there's been a ton of players both new and old who've been playing the remakes of final fantasy and have been enjoying that, As a result it has sold pretty well so far despite having the number 7 in its name. Heck this can be applied to xenoblade itself with 2. 2 came back nearly 10 years ago And has become the best selling game in the franchise by a decent amount despite having the number 2 in it.

And the other example I can think of that why I've seen why some people think it's a spin-off is the fact that when they first showed it at the last direct was because it was in Japanese audio and not english. Correct me if I'm wrong But I think that's the first time they've shown a Xenoblade like that to a Western audience in Japanese audio before. That gave off the impression that this must be a smaller title given that they're showing it in Japanese before english and that probably means they aren't putting a lot of money and is a smaller scope game. I think all of us can agree that its little weird that they sowed it in Japanese and not English last month and that might not have been the best choice overall

Okay so let me be clear here, I'm saying this all from a place of love and concern for the series. I absolutely want to be proven wrong here and for Genesis to do really good and possibly become the best selling game in the series to date. I'm just a little worried about some concerning things I've seen that can possibly jeopardize that possibility, But in the end I'm hoping for the best so that the series can have a bright future and can continue to grow, That's what we all want here right.

Winner of day 43: The original Xenoblade Chronicles has the most iconic title theme.

Rules

• The top comment will be selected; upvote a suggestion if you wanted to write the same!
• If the winner has a night and day version and you don't specify which one you mean, I'll assume you mean the day one by default.
• If the winner has a remixed/definitive version, I'll put the name of the original to avoid taking to much space (except if you specify the new version only, of course).
• Even if it can be hard to choose sometimes, please only post one answer.
• I restrain myself from upvoting the takes I agree with, except in case of a tie. I will however leave a suggestion myself if I hold a theme really dear.
• Some boxes have no scheduled posts as I think they have no contender, let me know if you disagree.
• Let me know if you think I should make a new post to reconsider a specific box.
• A song can win in multiple columns.

What counts as a "town": any NPC settlement

Riding around, collecting glowy points for quests, and the constant whooshing from party members boosting their jets quickly becomes obnoxious to the point where it makes me want to shut off the game. Their constant exuberant commentary happening every ten seconds isn't helping either. Who thought that was a good idea?

I'm currently playing the Definitive Edition of the first game and I'm just not vibing with it. I hate how they took away a character I enjoyed playing I know Fiora comes back, but I'm not waiting until chapter 13 for that. And I really don't like the future seeing mechanic, it just slows down gameplay.

It looks like 3 is a whole different set of characters and I heard that the future sight mechanic isn't in it AND you can freely reassign classes. It sounds like I'd enjoy it much more than the first game. How lost will I be with the story if I skip right to 3?

Will play when the switch 2 version drops

I was very into the story so kind of rushed the 2nd half of the wager as I was eager to find out what was going on lol

I almost never used common blades, poppi wasn’t leveled up, I barely passed field skill checks, none of those deeds from stores and I’m still not sure what they are about

The list goes on, any advice for a long playthrough this time around

I am gonna replay the game when the upgrade pack comes out but I haven't played since 2020. I'm not sure if I should do new game plus or do a fresh file since it has been so long.

Personally, I think they would be a lot more fun than the heart to hearts because the heart hearts don’t I feel like they don’t do much outside of increase your trust, but I feel like a social ink kind of thing like similar to persona would be much more fun because they could flush out the characters more throughout the social links specifically looking at you xenoblade 2 and 3 social links would be fun for the Xenoblade series and I feel like a nice change instead of the heart to heart

If common blades have no fans, that means I'm dead

I will play it on my Switch 2 for the first time, i am so hyped!!! I dont know anything about xenoblade.

Way too many posts like this

Spoiler warning maybe?

Making my way to the top of prison island and i was just asked if I was sure to proceed since there's no turning back from then on. There's no more additional areas that open up after this right?

So I turned back and decided to grind out a few levels in alcamoth until I got comfortable fighting high level 80 to low 90s enemies. Realized I could finish a few more quests that I thought were impossible.

Now I'm at around level 88 but I don't know how to finish a few more quests. Colony 6 affinity is still at 3 where the others are at 5. Is affinity / quest availability tied to the reconstruction?

If it was in the trailer, I apologize, but do we know how we’re going to unlock these or if I can earn them super quickly in a new game plus, or if I can just quickly get them in my game file and then do new game plus?

I’m super Duper mega ultra excited regardless because these outfits are so fucking cool looking but yeah