#xenoblade roc

[roguetemis]

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¿Quieres? I couldn't not do Celica AND Roc

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[dexjarxenoengage]

Three Plus Two: Xenoblade 2

Spoilers for Xenoblade Chronicles 2:

Every JRPG is going to have its stories, some anime tropes, FANSERVICE, a crap ton of flaws (but when is anything perfect to begin with) and their ragtag bunch of misfits. And that is ok. We’re all going to like different things. But that’s not what I’m here to talk about concerning Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (one of my favorite JRPG games of all time).

And no, it’s not talking about the “problems” Xenoblade 2 “suffers” from, we could be here FOREVER discussing that. No, I want to talk about the party of Xenoblade 2. If you remember my post regarding the Five Man Band and how Fire Emblem Engage uses the trope https://www.tumblr.com/jaredxenoengage/753270910703828992/the-five-man-band-is-among-one-my-favorite-tropes

While Xenoblade 2 does follow the Five Man Band trope, as their are 5 party members (Rex, Nia, Tora, Mòrag and Zeke, with Vandham and ironically, Jin and Malos as guess party members). For most of the game, up until the end of Chapter 4, the team sticks with the Power Trio Rex, Nia, and Tora. This is the Three Plus Two trope (best seen in Power Rangers Dino Thunder, its predecessor Ninja Storm, Jungle Fury, and Power Rangers RPM (for the most part). It’s where a power trio in a team evolves in the typical Five Man Band.

The team would expand later with two main party members (both of whom served as Rex’s rivals throughout his journey). Mòrag, Special Inquisitor for the Empire of Mor Ardain. While Mòrag was never evil, Mòrag (like most Sixth Rangers) opposed Rex because she did what she felt was right (because she saw the Aegis, Pyra as a threat to the world, and an Artifical Blade who looked like Poppi was causing trouble). But eventually, Mòrag settles her differences with Rex and eventually becomes fully devoted to Rex’s cause.

Zeke Von Genbu. Yeah. Zeke Von Genbu. The same guy that Rex fought and became his own undoing. Zeke is very much like Mòrag. As he is also royalty of one of the Kingdoms of Alrest, as the prince of Tantal. Zeke fought Rex to test his strength and intended to join him so that he could eventually meet Amalthus, who the party were going to meet anyways at Mythra’s (Pyra’s sister/original) behest.

Mòrag and Zeke are both far more experienced than Rex is both as Drivers and as citizens of the world of Alrest. Both fought against Rex before eventually joining his party. And most of all, they both, in a way, serves as mentors to Rex. After seeing his potential and his character, they both eventually choose to trust him.

Now what dynamic do each of the party members serves?

Rex is the Leader and main protagonist of Xenoblade 2. As a Driver and someone who lives in Alrest, Rex is very inexperienced in comparison to all of his other friends (Tora included despite not being a Driver yet, cause he couldn’t be without Poppi). So Rex in a bit of a in a pickle in his leadership spot.

But what he lacks (initially) is skill, he makes up for it with his heart and strength of character. Rex serves as inspiration to others. Despite their initial backlash, during the brief time Torna was using Rex to retrieve Pyra, Nia does show a little bit kinship with him. So Rex (initially) dying at Jin’s hands and Malos threatening to dispose the Argentum Trade Guild’s Salvagers as “thanks” for helping them causes Nia to defect Torna. It’s also at Rex’s behest that convinces Nia to stay with him (and Tora) on the Journey to Elysium.

And all of this is WITHOUT talking about how much of an impact he has on Pyra and Mythra. Speaking of whom, as the Aegis of the team, Pyra (mainly Mythra) is the driving force behind the journey to Elysium. It was Mythra’s idea to take Fan La Norme (Haze)‘s invitation to meet Amalthus (they were already going to meet him anyways). And as the Aegis, Pyra and Mythra are one Alrest’s most powerful Blades.

And later in the game, Rex gets Roc (Vandham’s former blade), exclusive access to Nia as a Blade, as well as Pneuma and the Master Driver abilities (that gives Rex the ability to use the Blades of his fellow Drivers, save for Poppi). Despite Rex’s initial inexperience, by the end of the game, he has the most blades locked to him, and the ability to use every non Poppi blade).

Nia is the Lancer of the team. The Lancer the one who serves as the Leader/Hero’s second in command and/or foil. Nia is more of the pessimist compared to Rex’s optimist. Nia is the first to question Pyra’s quest to reach Elysium (which she was right about, for the most part). And (ironically) when Rex was going to give up the journey after Pyra and Mythra are kidnapped at the end of Chapter 6, at the start of Chapter 7, Nia is the very first person to give Rex a piece of her mind.

As far as being foils in their powers, Nia’s Blade is Dromarch, a Water Blade that serves as a parental substitute for Nia. Dromarch is more of the Advisor, and is one of (if not) the most knowledgeable party member. Making him more of the smart guy in terms of his role when talking about the Blades.

Not many Lancer type characters are healers (which would be more of The Heart’s role), but where Nia shines in being the Lancer to Rex AND the Aegis girls is that she is a Flesh Eater. Making their dynamic similar to Jin and Malos, a fellow Flesh Eater and Aegis Blade respectively.

Tora is more of a “smart guy” than what most make think. Say what you will about his perverse behavior towards Poppi, but Tora would have to be intelligent enough about Drivers and the tools need to make Poppi to be able to make her at all. In fact, Poppi’s role in Team Aegis as a whole is very crucial to success of Rex’s team.

For example, Tora teaches Rex about the elemental powers of the Blades. Helped him and Pyra escape from Brighid and form a plan to save Nia after she was captured in the aforementioned battle. Tora (albeit with Mòrag’s advice) was able to use Poppi to escape from a prison in Tantal that negates Blade arts in Chapter 6. In the trip down Spirit Crucible Elpys, Poppi being an Artificial Blade allows her to use Arts perfectly fine. And finally, Poppi is a key player in stopping Amalthus’s control over the Titans.

Poppi’s gameplay as a whole serves similarly to the smart guy because she is more customizable than any other Blade in the game. Her versatility gives her a use in battle no one else has. This is especially true in Chapter 7.

Poppi’s overall character is that of the Heart though. It’s Poppi who manages to succeed in reaching out to Rex when he was going to quit his journey to Elysium after the Aegis is taken away from him. Nia and Brighid were unable to cut deep into him, but Poppi succeeded. Poppi also convinces Jin to hear out Brighid’s request to learn about herself in Chapter 8, and she has the most emotional moments on the whole.

Now normally, Vandham’s role would be the Big Guy. His seize notwithstanding, Vandham is very much a Mighty Glacier that hits hard with his Wind Blade Roc. All of Vandham’s stats (save for agility) are really good in the brief time he’s at your side. Unfortunately, the Big Guy suffers from a Fatality Syndrome. And in the case of Vandham, it couldn’t be cured.

Vandham’s role in chapter 3 is to be the mentor. Vandham teaches Rex how to Topple with his Anchor Shot. Vandham teaches Rex about the world of Alrest through the harsh realities of the Blade System. And Vandham, above all else, taught Rex to fight his own war. A lesson that would stick with Rex for a long time.

The reason why this JRPG team is a Three plus two dynamic is because of Vandham’s death. Once he died, it was back to the Power Trio of Rex, Nia and Tora.

This is where Mòrag would fill the role Vandham left behind. Mòrag is every bit of the experience Driver as Vandham was despite being a mercenary in the grand scheme of things. If you don’t consider Tora to be the smart guy of the team, then consider Mòrag in chapter 6. Her knowledge over the events in Alrest leads her to be the one to question Amalthus’s role in the plot. In the same chapter, she was the first to realize that the King of Tantal may had different plans for them (her fears were proven right).

Mòrag’s experience and battle prowess makes her a Genius Bruiser. As the Flamebringer and with one of the twin jewels of Mor Ardain: Brighid, her prowess as a Driver and experience as Special Inquisitor of the Empire makes her an invaluable member of the team once she finally accepts her role as Rex’s ally.

In fact, Mòrag is the only Driver of the team (Vandham excluded) to not have some unique aspect about her as a Driver. Rex is the Driver the Aegis, Nia is a Flesh Eater, Tora is a Driver with an Artificial Blade, and Zeke is a Blade Eater. And even if Mòrag gains access to Aegaeon later on, awakening him is optional. So Mòrag is simply a powerful and effective Driver all on her own.

And then there is Zeke. While I say he is the heart overall as far as the Drivers are concerned (which is best exemplified late game), Zeke also has some Big Guy traits, as well as Sixth Ranger traits.

Zeke is undoubtedly the tallest member of Rex’s team. Zeke is also the most boisterous in terms of personality. And if it’s not Rex getting hit the butt monkey moments, or Tora and Nia in some cases, then it’s definitely Zeke. Unlike Vandham, some of the other tropes you find in the muscle characters (besides the fatality syndrome) are found in Zeke.

Now where does Zeke fit in terms of being the heart? IMO, Zeke has some of the most heartfelt moments and scenes in the game when he isn’t just being played for comedy. Zeke willing opening up about his Blade Eater status and backstory serves as the moment Nia finally comes clean with Rex about her own backstory (and her Flesh Eater form later). Zeke is one of the most caring members of the team and his relationship with Pandoria is really heartwarming and tragic with his backstory in mind.

And as for the Sixth Ranger trope, he would have played this straighter if Vandham was still alive. Even if his Eye of Shining Justice ability is NG+ only, Sixth Rangers often get some the cooler powers and abilities if the Red Ranger doesn’t have them, and this is no exception.

Now when we look at the Organization of Torna, they follow a similar team structure to Rex and his party members. Once it all comes together, you begin to see who serves as a counterpart to who. https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ThePsychoRangers

Jin to Rex: True, Malos is the Aegis, thus making him the evil counterpart to Pyra and Mythra. But in terms of roles in the team and their story, Jin is meant to be the foil to Rex. Jin represents the person Rex could have become if he was driven to despair.

Jin’s former Driver and love interest Lora died at the hands of Amalthus. On top of losing some of other friends in the Aegis war, and problems with the Blade system leads him to hate the world and wish to see it burn.

Because Jin is a Flesh Eater, he has some foils towards Nia as well. But again, Jin is more meant to be Rex’s counterpart. And their interactions throughout the story makes this clear.

Nia to Malos: Nia inadvertently became Rex’s second in command after their meeting and her eventually break up with Torna. Much like, or not, how Malos follows Jin’s lead, Nia is the one who always questions Rex’s every move. Whereas Malos tainted Jin with his despairing influence that also consumed Amalthus, Rex’s influence was slowly changing Nia for the better.

In chapter 7, Nia’s Flesh Eater healing powers serve as a direct counter Malos’s destructive capabilities when his Aegis powers are restored. She can act as Rex’s Blade together with Pyra and Mythra as well.

Malos is an Aegis who follows the lead of the Flesh Eater Jin, while the Flesh Eater Nia has to back the Driver of the Aegis: Rex up.

Akhos to Tora: Akhos and Tora don’t any interaction, but I’d say their roles are similar enough to warrant the comparison. Tora isn’t a master strategist guy like Akhos is,but he’s knowledgeable enough to allow Poppi to even exist and be a key player in Rex’s journey. Akhos serves as the eye in the sky for Torna and does it effectively.

Patroka to Mòrag: Both Patroka and Mòrag are both the female powerhouses. But Mòrag is more levelheaded and skilled, while Patroka is more brash and quick to lose her temper.

And Mikhail to Zeke: finally, both Mikhail and Zeke are the regular butt Monkeys of their respective groups. The two of them have more depth than their silly butt of jokes give them credit for. Lastly, but by far the most important part, they are both Blade Eaters with conflicts towards Amalthus. This becomes apparent in Chapter 9.

And that is my take on the team dynamic of Xenoblade 2.

[do-you-know-this-queer-character]

Do you know this queer character?

Roc is Nonbinary and uses he/him pronouns!

[hatdude5236]

Crack ship married Roc x Aegaeon with like 5 kids in Xenoblade Chronicles 4

[many-interests-life]

To those of you who still love the first three Xenoblade Chronicles games like me...

If Xenoblade 2 was made into a TV show, I think that Rex would have 2 Blade teams.

Top team being...

Pyra, Blade Nia, and Roc

All three of these Blades hold a very important piece to Rex's life in very different ways.

His second team being...

Pyra, Praxis, and Theory

I get that a lot of you would think these two eyepatch Blades shouldn't go on Rex, but let's be honest, if the game was also a show, Rex would have these two Blades. Praxis would be a go-to Blade for Rex, as she's the only other person besides him who loves salvaging! And Rex would have to take Theory as well, so that the whole problem that happens between these two in the game gets avoided from happening again.

Anyway, I think these two Blade teams are good for Rex. If you have similar or opposite opinions about where you would put Praxis and Theory, you can tell me, but please be nice about it.

[theawezomeone]

Roc at your service! day 115

[blucariothe448th]

roll for gender

4!

[theykilledmydadtournament]

They killed my dad tournament - Round 1 - Poll 34

Vote in the other polls here

Cause of death - spoiler warning

Ned Stark: Got his head chopped off by the order of a petty child king

beheaded

executed by Joffrey

Vandham: short answer: self-sacrifice / long answer: In a desperation move when the villains use a power to block everyone's Blades from transferring ether for their attacks, Vandham lodges his Blade Roc's scythes directly into himself to get around said block. Gives him crazy wind powers for a bit before the grievous injury takes him out.

[anxious-lorf]

This video makes me sad for a number of reasons.

1. The transphobes come out in full force in the comments section

2. The video itself is sloppy and doesn't do nearly enough to paint the full picture of Nintendo's history with queer and trans representation. There's a lot of characters left off the video.

Most notably, Birdo, who was Nintendo's first (and most problematic) trans woman, who wasn't even so much as properly gendered in her original appearance. A few other noteworthy mentions are Juniper (Xenoblade 3) and Roc (Xenoblade 2), who are both nonbinary, and Tony (Earthbound/Mother 2), who is gay and has a crush on Jeff, a major party member of the game. And don't even get me started of the Magypsies from Mother 3.

Guess what I'm trying to say is that Nintendo has had a long and storied history of queer representation both good and bad. There was a real opportunity to do a huge video essay on the topic had GameXplain decided it was worth the effort. Needless to say, I'm saddened that they didn't think it was worth the effort.

[cantheykillmacbeth]

could Malos from Xenoblade Chronicles 2 kill Macbeth? what about other male Blades? (such as Aegaeon or Jin)

(not worrying about female Blades or Roc since the gender clause would apply)

Yes, Malos (and all other Blades) from Xenoblade Chronicles 2 could kill Macbeth!

All Blades come from a Driver resonating with a Core Crystal (quote form the wiki: "Drivers can resonate with Core Crystals by touching them to create and awaken Blades"), which applies them for the Unconventional Birth Clause, and possibly Birth Parent Clause depending on the identity of the Driver. Also, Roc and any female Blades (i.e. Pyra and Mythra) apply for the Gender Clause.

Now, I could have... COMPLETELY misinterpreted this, and please let me know if I did. I found the wiki pretty difficult to understand and navigate, and I think this is what it's trying to say, but I've never played or seen the game and so my insight here is very limited. So, again, please let me know if this judgement is inaccurate or requires more nuance.

Thank you for your submission!

[limesherbertt]

WAIT

REMINDER

In Xenoblade 2, Roc's gender in the code is "4"

[liminalitycarb]

Xenoblade 2 - Final Chapter (Part 4) - And thus, boy met girl.

So first we were in an airport.. and now we're heading into a metro station...

And I'm getting the same veritgo from this STUPIDLY LONG ESCALATOR just like I have had in REAL LIFE....

And after a quick comment on how everything on this part of Elysium is just like the rest of the World Tree and the security checkpoint, it seems like everyone decided to ditch Rex Batman style.

Oh hey! Nia's back and.. in sepia tone... and apparently very angry at Rex right now..

No Nia! It's not Rex's fault. He just promised Pyra he'd bring her to a place he's never seen, doesn't actually know if it exists, and didn't actually consider the consequences of going to what was basically touted as "the land of the gods."

Oh... wait you're mad at him also for being Pyra obsessed and not noticing you. To be fair... I don't think Rex really sees ANYONE in any form of romantic capacity.

APPARENTLY WE HAD TO FIGHT NIA!? Which... It's weird that Rex has the Aegis sword on him in these cutscenes... and even pulled it out right before combat... but then I was forced to use Roc and his Dual Scythes instead...

But Nia wants answers Rex! Why did you lie? ...HEY! DON'T RUN AWAY REX!

Oh hey... it looks like somehow Rex ran away from Gormott and Nia right into Mor Ardain and Morag.

So... is this just the Mani Mani statue playing on Rex's fears here? Are we actually in Moonside? Will we say Hello, and goodbye?

Okay.. yeah.. this is either Rex's self doubt and fears manifesting.. or this is everyone ELSE'S dark thoughts manifesting in Rex's brain space.

And after another fight and a few more choice words, Rex decides the best choice of action is to RUN AWAY!!!

And... third verse, same as the first two. But this time we get a two-for-one special on the Rex existential crisis express!

Poppi just wants to be a real blade Rex! WHY WON'T YOU LET POPPI BE A REAL BLADE REX!? ... why is Rex getting flack for Poppi not being a real blade...?

And as expected, this existential crisis does have a hint of truth to it. Rex did just constantly rush head-first into everything in this game without really thinking of the consequences of his actions. Which is probably why this crisis is working on him.

Oh, and even gramps (BACK IN BOAT FORM!) is here to make Rex question himself. And to ask how he'd like it if he had to experience what blades and titans go through.

Oh, we left sepia tone world as Rex got to Leftheria. And he's receiving a warm welcome from... Pyra... AND MYTHRA!? HOW ARE THEY IN THE SAME... WHA... HOW... WHAT SHENANIGANS IS THIS!?

And on this iteration of existential horror... we have the domestic life where no one is trying to shame you for anything you did, and instead it seems everyone is just trying to be nice.

THE WORST HORROR IMAGINABLE!

And after a little bit of dinner, and a small argument on why Mythra isn't allowed to cook for Rex, it seems Rex just can't take anymore of what has been happening. Honestly, I'm surprised he lasted this long from this whiplash before finally breaking down. Poor kid...

Oh Rex... yes, you did go wrong somewhere but not in the way you think you did.

And it seems Pyra thinks Rex has had enough and asks the Architect to end this. I hope you all enjoyed today's trip on the existential crisis express!

[dexjarxenoengage]

Chapter 3 ending

The last two cutscenes of Chapter 3 of XC2 are easily my favorite cutscenes in the game. From Vandham’s Sacrifice to Mythra’s awakening and Rex’s mourning (mainly because this one of his voice actor’s only good moments). I could go on a whole article about this. And I will, but there was so much to talk about.

I always when our protagonists are put into desperate moments like these. I feel that this moment adds to the problem I had with KH3 where Sora and his friends were “fighting” Xehanort, I feel like they were not trying hard enough to fight there way out. Here, on the other hand, we see the Driver and Blades fighting their hardest to survive and it still wasn’t enough.

This Chapter was the debut of Akhos (the evil genius of Torna), he and his blade Obrona disrupting the ether is what made this battle difficult for our heroes (and I should know, I lost this fight twice, the latter being because I forgot to put Tora back in the party). The result is both him and Malos opening a can of whoop@$$ on Rex and the others. Dromarch takes a hit for Nia and Poppi is badly damaged.

During the fight, Akhos mentioned Jin and Malos’s goal of destroying mankind much to Nia’s shock. Remember back when Nia was not only against Jin for killing Rex after coming into contact with Pyra and then threatened to kill the other salvagers when they were of no use to him? This is what convinced Nia to turn against Torna. So imagine if she had learned of this world destroying plan sooner and Rex, Pyra and Azurda weren’t there to save her? Yeah…

Akhos and Malos briefly go on their villain rants about humans being trash and whatnot and Pyra basically tells him to shove it. All of this with what little physical and mental strength she has left. Malos asking why were they (he and Pyra/Mythra) were created. He believes that bringing about destruction is his (and by extension, Aegises as a whole) purpose is to destroy. Considering all that happened in Torna, he was goading Mythra into using more of her power. And that’s what lead to the world burning down the first time and Mythra’s suicidal desires.

And then…Hoo boy, everything regarding Vandham here. Vandham sacrifice to fight off Malos and Akhos not only it was it awesome and tragic, but I feel that, compared to Fiora in 1, we were given enough time with Vandham’s character to make this sacrifice work. Vandham pierced himself with Roc’s scythe the draw energy into his body so that Obrona can’t stop the Ether flow. As much of a one time deal this was, I feel it was good foreshadowing to Flesh and Blade Eaters as a whole.

As Vandham is taking his last stand, we see Nia watching on as all of her friends are currently down and out, we see her try to run and help, but her fear stops her. The foreshadowing in this moment was spectacular. It also shows that Rex is not the only one who felt powerless in the moment. If Nia had used this power sooner, Malos and Akhos wouldn’t have stood a chance. Malos doesn’t even have his Monado yet, so imagine how not only how she could have easily changed the tide of battle, but save Vandham’s life as well. All of this in mind makes her using this power in Chapter 7 all the more impactful.

Unfortunately, the rest of the scene is as follows. Vandham tries to buy time for the others to escape but fails. Vandham makes his speech on living for Pyra to fight his war. Compared to him telling Rex to abandon her in the first moments of the Chapter that staying with her wasn’t a good idea adds more impact to Chapter 7. Vandham’s VA was also incredible during this whole cutscenes.

Malos kills Vandham and Roc returns to his Core Crystal. Rex is enraged goes into his “I’ll kill you” phase, but unlike most examples, it fails. Rex and the others barely have enough strength and Malos is but moments away from killing Rex too. Nia and Tora can only weakly call out to Rex who barely trying to fight back. As Malos proceed to deliver the final blow on Rex, Pyra calls out to Rex as she’s surrounded by bright light.

I truly love this part. You know those moments where the protagonist gets a boost in power after being enraged (kinda like Shulk after Fiora was killed). Not here, Rex is immediately knocked on his @$$. Nia and Tora can only watch and say his name as the friend they just made a few days ago is about to be killed. And Pyra screaming to his name as Mythra awakens. Major props to Skye Bennet here for making that scream count. What makes more powerful is that if Pyra really wanted to die, she and Mythra could have just let Rex die here and there. So the fact she did this to save him shows that Mythra is not as selfish as she made herself come off as.

As Siren awakens and Pyra transforms into Mythra, Counterattack begins to play. I feel like this ENTIRE cutscene truly embodies what Counterattack is. This song playing shows our heroes turning the tables against their enemies. And all of the foreshadowing from Chapter 2 and 3 bore fruit in this moment. Mythra’s powers are turn the tide against Obrona’s annoying abilities. I love how Counterattack stops briefly for Mythra to demonstrate her Foresight ability before it plays again after Rex intercepts Malos and Akhos’ assault.

During the next cutscene Rex and. Mythra uses Sacred Arrow to completely wreck their opponents. The result is Obrona being killed. With her Core Crystal broke. Unlike Roc, she’s gone for good (until NG+) leaving Akhos heartbroken, a far cry from his cocky attitude earlier. He and Malos makes their escape. Love how this moment is their to show that he isn’t a generic doomsday villain.

With the dust settled, our heroes (Rex especially) are left to mourn over the death of their friend and mentor, Nia cradling the unconscious Pyra, Dromarch grieving alone and Tora checking on Poppi’s injuries. All the while, Rex’s crying echoes as the chapter ends. Despite his poor screaming performance in Chapter 1, Al Weaver deserves my respect for his grieving of Vandham. Al Weaver gets so much hate as a result of the poor voice direction, but I truly believed he wanted to do the best he could voicing Rex. But more importantly, Hiro Shimono as Rex is incredible, top notch, and he deserved to voice Rex more than anyone else.

[shayminlucario07]

For a tangible example of this- this is why video games have their Main Story quests, as well as their Character Specific side quests, and their more "generic" side quests- to use the Xenoblade games as an example, since they're really good at this:

In each Xenoblade game, the Main Story Quests are exactly that: The quests that push the main story forward. Very self-explanatory. In Xenoblade X, the Character-Specific side quests are Affinity Missions- Gwin and Lao's Affinity Missions are even required for the main story. The only Affinity Mission that doesn't include at least one party member is the one about Ga Jiarg and the Wriothians, which is often used as evidence for a theory that he was supposed to be a party member but got cut for time, and is also a direct echo of Melancholy Tyrea in XC1, which was the only side quest in the game to have voiced cutscenes. In Xenoblade 2, the Character-Specific side quests are Blade Quests, of which each Rare Blade (Except the New Game Plus exclusive ones) have one- and even some Legendary Blades have "Unofficial" Blade Quests in the form of Common Quests for which they're required, like Aegeaon and Roc. And in 3, the Character-Specific quests are Hero/Ascension Quests- Hero Quests, which unlock Hero party members, several of which are required for story progression, and Ascension Quests, which increase the max rank of each class, of which two are required- for Mio and Noah- and the only party members to not have an official "Ascension Quest" are Ethel and Cammuravi. And, finally, in XC1, while the least clearly defined, each character has two quests that unlock their fourth and fifth Skill Branches, which require that they be in the lead to accept. And, of course, I would be remiss to not also bring Melancholy Tyrea up here, too.

And, as for Generic Quests, which would be the closest video games have to "Filler episodes", even these give valuable insights. (Most of my examples for this will be from XC1, since that's the game I know the best, but these are present in all of the games) For (basically) every named Side Quest in XC1, one party member will have a unique comment during the acceptance dialogue if they are present in the party. Probably the most iconic/memorable example of this is in Getting To Know Dorothy, which contains the "Well excuse me, princess!" meme reference directed at Melia, but all of these comments give excellent insight into the party members- and, some quests, such as Out Like a Light? have moments/objectives where each character has unique dialogue, giving insight into their character. These are brilliant examples of how to flesh out characters, even more so than the Heart-to-Hearts, I'd argue, since you HAVE to go out of your way to do those, whereas you can just stumble upon unique comments.

Without these moments of character development, big and small, the characters in these stories would be far less compelling, and the overall story would be FAR less impactful. You care about the Telethia because you care about Melia. You care about the Colony 9 Mechon attack because you care about Shulk, Reyn, Fiora, and Dunban. You care about Colony 6 because you care about Sharla. Without caring about those characters, you wouldn't care about their conflicts and plot threads- and if you didn't care about those, you wouldn't care about the story as a whole. Obviously, this is just one example, but it illustrates, on a grander scale, why character is ESSENTIAL to storytelling- there's a reason your English teachers taught you that it's the most important element of a story, even more so than setting and plot. And that's why. A game with a bad story can be saved by good characters- just look at Kingdom Hearts 3. But a good story is not enough to make up for bad characters, which is why so many other stories fail.

[many-interests-life]

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Headcanons

These headcanons take place after the game of Xenoblade Chronicles 2.

After the Titans converge to create the real Elysium, the gang arrives at Uraya to check on the Blades they left at Garfont when they weren't being used by the team.

Between the 4 Drivers who can resonate with a Core Crystal, here's who they brought to Fonsett, Rex's hometown.

Rex: Pyra and Mythra (now seperated), Roc, Wulfric, Praxis, Theory, Godfrey, Azami, and Kora, as well as Crossette and Corvin

Nia: Dromarch, Boreas, Ursula, Floren, Vess, and Electra

Mórag: Brighid, Aegaeon, Kasandra, Perceval, Perun, Vale, and Finch

Zeke: Pandoria, Gorg, Nim, and Dahlia

Even after Pneuma died, Pyra and Mythra still had some of her power left. Using that power, they revived the 6 Tornan Blades. Those 6 being Akhos, Patroka, Sever, Obrona, Perdido, and Cressidus. As for Mikhail, Rex and Nia found him to be still alive at the base of the World Tree, even after the massive explosion that sunk Indol and blew up his warship. When they found him alive, Mikhail agreed to working with Rex's crew and abandoning his evil ways from the past.

For 5 years, Rex's entire group lived in Fonsett peacefully. After 3 if those years, Rex marries Pyra, Mythra, and even Nia at the age of 18.

Even after marrying two Aegises and a Flesh Eater, Rex and Praxis still had feelings for each other, because of their bond as Salvaging Buddies. With some approval from Praxis's younger sister, Theory, and a little help, Rex also secretly marries Praxis.

Being the bubbly and needy girl she is, Praxis wanted to deepen her relationship with Theory. So, to make sure their love could never be crushed, Praxis also ends up marrying her own sister, as well as Rex. Now this marriage was nowhere near a secret; They needed all the help they could get for a perfect wedding.

That's all for now. I'll post another set tomorrow. This was pretty fun! Let me know what you think in the comments. If you don't know the whole franchise of Xenoblade Chronicles, then please look it up, because this autistic guy is bad at explaining stuff properly.

[loveandmad]

Thinking about Blades as therapeutic partners

Rex brushing Pyra and Mythra’s hair and Nia petting Dromarch and Vandham grooming Roc as a method of self-soothing

Poppi having Tora give her a maintenance check even though they just did one a few days ago because he just heard something that sounds like gunfire and she knows he needs to take his mind off things (and Lila doing the same for Tatazo)

Brighid giving Morag heated massages after long training sessions

Pandoria helping Zeke during his recovery via electrical muscle stimulation

Jin giving Lora little ice cubes to suck on to help ward off a panic attack

Minoth reading his latest manuscript out loud to help ground Amalthus after a flashback

Haze/Fan helping her Driver control their breathing after a nightmare

Blades as therapeutic partners