Affinity (Japanese: キズナ, Kizuna) is a game mechanic in Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and Torna ~ The Golden Country. It is the measure of the strength of the bond between Driver and Blade. When a Driver resonates with a Blade, a special Affinity bond is shared between the duo. The level of this bond has an incidence in combat, strengthening the Driver as a battle progresses.
Affinity Bond in battle[]
 Affinity Bond between Pyra and Rex. |
 Maxed Affinity between Finch and Rex. |
During combat the level of Affinity is represented by a blue line of Ether connecting the Blade to the Driver. As Affinity increases in battle, this line becomes brighter and starts to flow more aggressively, until it eventually turns golden once affinity becomes maxed.
If the affinity becomes too low, the link between Driver and Blade can be severed, temporarily preventing Blade Arts and Specials from being used.
Each consecutive level of affinity grants increasing benefits or penalties to movement and art recharge speed, as well as Blade Special damage and Critical Hit rate.
At MAX Affinity, the Driver unlocks the ability to charge Level IV Specials. Additionally, maxed out affinity also allows the Driver to use higher level arts than the ones currently unlocked through Weapon Points. This is the only way to access level 6 Battle Arts and Blade Specials, by using a level 5 art or special while sharing a gold link with a Blade.
There are various ways to affect battle affinity. Most noteworthy actions inside of combat can generate it, however using Blade Specials, performing well on Button Challenges and contributing to Blade and Driver Combos will increase the Affinity for the entire party. Standing close to a Blade passively increases their affinity, so Drivers are recommended to stick closely to their Blades in order to draw out their full potential.
Affinity functions similarly to Tension in Xenoblade Chronicles, as a volatile resource in combat with multiple tiers that determines the efficiency of a character in battle based on a measure of morale. Button Challenges are comparable to Burst Affinity, representing Drivers cheering for their Blades during Specials, while the focus in combo progress replaces the gains of breaking Vision tags.
States of Affinity and Effects[]
- MAX Affinity (1000) – Gold affinity line
- Level III Specials can be charged to Level IV (after 3 seconds without using Arts).
- Arts and Specials are temporarily upgraded to the next level (Lv.6 can be reached).
- Critical Hit Rate +30%
- Art Recharge Rate +25%
- Blade Special (Ⅰ–Ⅲ) Damage +25%
- Movement Speed +30%
- Blade Art Activation Probability +20%
- Very High Affinity (800 – 999)
- Critical Hit Rate +20%
- Art Recharge Rate +15%
- Blade Special (Ⅰ–Ⅲ) Damage +15%
- Movement Speed +20%
- Blade Art Activation Probability +10%
- Maintains MAX state.
- High Affinity (600 – 799)
- Critical Hit Rate +10%
- Art Recharge Rate +10%
- Blade Special (Ⅰ–Ⅲ) Damage +10%
- Movement Speed +10%
- Blade Art Activation Probability +5%
- Medium Affinity (400 – 599)
- No status change.
- Default state most Blades start with. Base affinity varies for each Blade.
- Low Affinity (200 – 399)
- Critical Hit Rate -10%
- Blade Special (Ⅰ–Ⅲ) Damage -10%
- Movement Speed -10%
- Blade Art Activation Probability -5%
- Very Low Affinity (1 – 199)
- Critical Hit Rate -20%
- Blade Special (Ⅰ–Ⅲ) Damage -20%
- Movement Speed -20%
- Blade Art Activation Probability -10%
- Maintains MIN state.
- MIN Affinity (0) – Affinity line disappears
- Blade Special gauge becomes empty. Cannot recharge or use Specials.
- Blade cannot activate Blade Arts.
- Take 50% more damage and halves damage dealt.
- Cannot inflict critical hits.
- Cannot guard attacks.
- Art Recharge Rate -10%
- Blade Special (Ⅰ–Ⅲ) Damage -25%
- Movement Speed -20%
Affinity Levels[]
0
|
1 – 199
|
200 – 399
|
400 – 599
|
600 – 799
|
800 – 999
|
1000
|
| MIN | Very Low | Low | Medium | High | Very High | MAX |
Affinity in combat is calculated as a value between 0 and 1000 that is increased or decreased depending on certain events or actions that can happen during a battle. There are seven main levels or tiers of Affinity: MIN, Very Low, Low, Medium, High, Very High and MAX. Starting base affinity can vary depending on the Blade, however most start at the Medium tier.
Once affinity reaches a value within a specific threshold, the level of the bond will update alongside the appearance of the affinity link and the corresponding bonuses or penalties. Each time a change in level occurs, a sound effect is played and the Driver and Blade will briefly comment on the strength of their teamwork.
At MAX Affinity the Blade executes a special power up animation, at which point any equipment or skill effects that require max affinity will activate. Upon reaching this state, the golden link and the corresponding affinity effects will be kept for as long as the affinity does not drop below the Very High tier (800+).
At MIN Affinity, the link between Driver and Blade is shattered causing both to flinch. Similarly to the MAX state, if MIN Affinity is reached and the line breaks, it will remain severed until the affinity increases back up past the Very Low tier (200+). While the link is gone, staying close to the Blade will still provide passive affinity gains, allowing the duo to recover before long.
Changes in Affinity[]
There are multiple ways for Affinity to increase or decrease in battle. Gains and losses are directly influenced by the Trust level of the Blade, as well as their personality and the effects of certain equipment and skills.
Events that increase Affinity[]
| Event | Target | Affinity gains per Trust Rank | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E | D | C | B | A | S | ||
| Land a critical hit | Driver | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Every second while linked to Blade | Driver | 10 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 |
| Use art with enemy's elemental weakness | Driver | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 |
| Block an enemy attack | Driver | 8 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 |
| Dodge an enemy attack | Driver | 8 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 |
| Use a Driver Art | Driver | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 |
| Use a Blade Special | Party | 24 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 26 |
| Successful QTE (Good) | Party | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 |
| Successful QTE (Cool) | Party | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
| Successful QTE (Excellent) | Party | 28 | 30 | 32 | 34 | 36 | 38 |
| Perform a Blade Combo Finisher | Party | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 |
| Perform a Driver Combo Finisher | Party | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 |
| Defeat an enemy | Party | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 |
| Event | Target | Affinity gains per Trust Rank | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S1 | S2 | S3 | S4 | S5 | |||||||
| Land a critical hit | Driver | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | |||||
| Every second while linked to Blade | Driver | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | |||||
| Use art with enemy's elemental weakness | Driver | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | |||||
| Block an enemy attack | Driver | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | |||||
| Dodge an enemy attack | Driver | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | |||||
| Use a Driver Art | Driver | 19 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 20 | |||||
| Use a Blade Special | Party | 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 28 | |||||
| Successful QTE (Good) | Party | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | |||||
| Successful QTE (Cool) | Party | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | |||||
| Successful QTE (Excellent) | Party | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | |||||
| Perform a Blade Combo Finisher | Party | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 | |||||
| Perform a Driver Combo Finisher | Party | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 | |||||
| Defeat an enemy | Party | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 | |||||
| Event | Target | Affinity gains per Trust Rank | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S6 | S7 | S8 | S9 | S+ | |||||||
| Land a critical hit | Driver | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | |||||
| Every second while linked to Blade | Driver | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | |||||
| Use art with enemy's elemental weakness | Driver | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 15 | |||||
| Block an enemy attack | Driver | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | |||||
| Dodge an enemy attack | Driver | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | |||||
| Use a Driver Art | Driver | 20 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 23 | |||||
| Use a Blade Special | Party | 28 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 31 | |||||
| Successful QTE (Good) | Party | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | |||||
| Successful QTE (Cool) | Party | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | |||||
| Successful QTE (Excellent) | Party | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | |||||
| Perform a Blade Combo Finisher | Party | 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55 | |||||
| Perform a Driver Combo Finisher | Party | 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55 | |||||
| Defeat an enemy | Party | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 | |||||
- Passive affinity gains from being linked to a Blade don't vary with distance. As long as the player is in range for the Affinity Link to manifest itself, they will gain a certain amount of affinity every second.
- Affinity is only earned if the Driver dodges an attack rather than evading it, so effects that refer to evasion will not contribute to affinity gain.
Events that decrease Affinity[]
| Event | Target | Affinity losses per Trust Rank | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E | D | C | B | A | S | S1 – S+ | ||
| Enemy lands critical hit | Driver | -10 | -9 | -8 | -7 | -6 | -5 | -5 |
| Every second while not linked to Blade | Driver | -30 | -29 | -28 | -27 | -26 | -25 | -20 |
| Enemy attacks with your elemental weakness | Driver | -10 | -9 | -8 | -7 | -6 | -5 | -5 |
| Attack blocked by enemy | Driver | -10 | -9 | -8 | -7 | -6 | -5 | -5 |
| Attack misses enemy | Driver | -1 | -1 | -1 | -1 | -1 | -1 | -1 |
| Enemy inflicts a reaction | Party | -25 | -23 | -21 | -19 | -17 | -15 | -15 |
| Enemy inflicts a Blade Combo | Party | -40 | -38 | -36 | -34 | -32 | -30 | -30 |
| Driver incapacitated | Driver | -400 | -400 | -400 | -400 | -400 | -400 | -400 |
| Affinity Down debuff | Party | -400 | -400 | -400 | -400 | -400 | -400 | -400 |
- Driver incapacitation will never drop affinity below 1.
Other factors that affect Affinity[]
- Various Pouch Items influence Affinity. Most noticeably.
- Some accessories can affect Affinity:
- Cheer Treat - Increases Affinity by 50 – 60% after winning a Special button challenge.
- Memory Locket - Prevents Affinity loss when a teammate (or the party leader) falls in battle.
- Red Thread, Love Thread and Passion Thread - Extends the range of Driver-Blade Affinity (Link) by 100 – 220cm.
- Some Aux Cores will increase Affinity at start of battle:
- Hunter's Chemistry - Increases (Party) Affinity by 150 – 250 when starting a battle with the initiative. Takes effect even if the Blade is not active on the battle field.
- Shoulder to Shoulder - Increases (Party) Affinity by 150 – 250 when the enemy starts with the initiative. Takes effect even if the Blade is not active on the battle field.
- Some Poppi Parts affect Poppi's affinity:
- AB Affinity Boost (Specials Enhancing RAM) - Increases Affinity by 60 – 100 when using a Special.
- Encourage (Skill RAM) - Increases Affinity by 10 – 20 when a fellow Driver misses an attack.
- Natural Guard (Skill RAM) - Increases Affinity by 5 – 10 when a fellow Driver takes damage.
- Hunter's Chemistry (Skill RAM) - Increases (Party) Affinity by 150 – 250 when starting a battle with the initiative. Takes effect even if the Poppi form is not active on the battle field.
- Shoulder to Shoulder (Skill RAM) - Increases (Party) Affinity by 150 – 250 when the enemy starts with the initiative. Takes effect even if the Poppi form is not active on the battle field.
- Some Blades have Specials that increase their Affinity:
- Finch - Blast of Fresh Air (Level Ⅰ) - Increases Affinity by 60 – 100 when using a Special.
- Gorg - Innocent Teardrop (Level Ⅰ) - Increases Affinity by 60 – 100 when using a Special.
- Common Blade (Female, Megalance) - Multi-Edge (Level Ⅰ) - Increases Affinity by 60 – 100 when using a Special.
- Some Blades have skills that generate Affinity in uncommon ways:
- Vess - Sympathy - Increases Affinity by 10 – 14 when a fellow Driver misses an attack.
- Azami - Pain of Longing - Increases Affinity by 15 – 30 when a fellow Driver takes damage.
- Common Blade (Any class) - Encourage - Increases Affinity by 10 – 14 when a fellow Driver misses an attack.
- Common Blade (Tank) - Natural Guard - Increases Affinity by 5 – 10 when a fellow Driver takes damage.
- Each Driver has a skill in their New Game Plus exclusive Hidden Affinity Chart that boosts Affinity gained from Button Challenges by 25%.
- Rex - Cheer Up (2,500 SP)
- Nia - Cheer Leader (12,500 SP)
- Tora - Team Mascot (5,000 SP)
- Vandham - Booming Aid (10,000 SP)
- Mòrag - Cheer Master (15,000 SP)
- Zeke - Raucous Cheer (10,000 SP)
- Lora - For One and All (1,250 SP)
- Addam - Battle Affinity (5,000 SP)
- Hugo - Royal Attributes (7,500 SP)
- Besides Affinity Down, some other enemy debuffs can also indirectly affect Affinity.
- Shackle Blade temporarily breaks the Affinity Link. Because of this, during its duration Affinity is passively lost similarly to what happens if the Driver is too far away from the Blade.
- Stench makes the Blade move further away from the Driver. If it moves away from the range of the affinity link, Affinity can also be lost.
Base Affinity and Personality Values[]
Base affinity is the starting value of affinity that a Blade has when a battle starts. Each Blade has their own unique personality that determines their baseline affinity and how susceptible they are to gains or losses of Affinity by default.
| Blade | Base Affinity | Affinity Gain | Affinity Loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pyra | 500 | +0% | +0% |
| Mythra | 500 | +10% | +20% |
| Dromarch | 450 | +0% | +0% |
| Poppi α | 450 | -10% | -10% |
| Poppi QT | 450 | +5% | +10% |
| Poppi QTπ | 550 | +0% | +0% |
| Roc | 400 | +5% | +0% |
| Brighid | 450 | +0% | -10% |
| Pandoria | 500 | +5% | +10% |
| 500 | +5% | -5% | |
| Aegaeon | 400 | +0% | -10% |
| Godfrey | 500 | +0% | +0% |
| Wulfric | 400 | -10% | -20% |
| Perceval | 400 | -10% | -10% |
| Gorg | 450 | +0% | +0% |
| Dagas | 500 | +0% | +10% |
| Boreas | 400 | +5% | -5% |
| Floren | 450 | +0% | +0% |
| Kasandra | 400 | +5% | +0% |
| Praxis | 500 | +0% | +0% |
| Theory | 400 | -10% | -20% |
| Perun | 450 | +5% | -5% |
| Kora | 400 | +12% | +24% |
| Azami | 550 | +12% | -12% |
| Ursula | 400 | +0% | +5% |
| Newt | 400 | +10% | +0% |
| Nim | 400 | +0% | +0% |
| Sheba | 500 | +5% | +0% |
| Vess | 400 | +0% | -10% |
| Adenine | 500 | +0% | +0% |
| Electra | 400 | +10% | +20% |
| Zenobia | 450 | +8% | -10% |
| Finch | 400 | +0% | -10% |
| KOS-MOS | 600 | +5% | -10% |
| Herald | 400 | +0% | -20% |
| Dahlia | 500 | +5% | +0% |
| Vale | 400 | +10% | +20% |
| Agate | 450 | +0% | +0% |
| Sever | 400 | +0% | -10% |
| Akhos | 400 | +0% | +0% |
| Patroka | 400 | +0% | -20% |
| Mikhail | 400 | +10% | -10% |
| Obrona | 400 | +5% | +10% |
| Perdido | 400 | -10% | -10% |
| Cressidus | 400 | +10% | +20% |
| T-elos | 500 | +0% | -15% |
| Poppibuster | 550 | +5% | -5% |
| Shulk | 500 | +0% | -10% |
| Fiora | 600 | +5% | +10% |
| Corvin | 500 | +0% | -20% |
| Crossette | 600 | +10% | +20% |
| Elma | 550 | +5% | -10% |
The personalities of Common Blades are randomized within a group of predefined sets. Each is directly tied to a specific voice that matches the personality, and can therefore be identified by listening to their dialog.
| Type | Base Affinity | Affinity Gain | Affinity Loss | Engage Voice Line |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male | 350 | +0% | +0% | "Ready to roll!" |
| Male | 350 | +10% | +20% | "What would you do without me?" |
| Male | 400 | +0% | +0% | "That's very kind of you." (Serious) |
| Male | 500 | +0% | +0% | "That's very kind of you." (Cheerful) |
| Male | 450 | +5% | +10% | "Rock on!" |
| Male | 450 | -10% | -10% | "You can count on me." |
| Male | 450 | +0% | -10% | "Hey, you're the boss." |
| Female | 450 | +0% | +0% | "Looking forward to working with you again!" |
| Female | 450 | +0% | +0% | "I'll work my ass off to meet your expectations!" |
| Female | 450 | +0% | -10% | "I'm sure it'll work out great!" |
| Female | 450 | +10% | +20% | "I made the A team. Score!" |
| Female | 500 | +0% | +0% | "Looking forward to it!" |
| Female | 450 | +5% | +10% | "Hey!" |
| Brute | 550 | +0% | +0% | "Finally, it's my turn." |
| Brute | 450 | +5% | -10% | "I'll shine on the front line too!" |
| Beast | 500 | +0% | +0% | "Let's prove our new powers." |
| Beast | 450 | +10% | +20% | "OK, let's get the party started!" (Cheerful) |
| Beast | 550 | -10% | -10% | "OK, let's get the party started!" (Serious) |
In Torna ~ The Golden Country, Drivers can also have personality parameters associated with Affinity, which apply when they are in the Rear Guard position. Driver and Blade Affinity increases at the same time.
| Character | Base Affinity | Affinity Gain | Affinity Loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lora | 600 | +10% | -10% |
| Addam | 550 | +5% | -5% |
| Hugo | 500 | +0% | +0% |
| Jin | 450 | +0% | -20% |
| Haze | 500 | +5% | +10% |
| Mythra | 500 | +10% | +20% |
| Minoth | 450 | -10% | -10% |
| Brighid | 450 | +0% | -10% |
| Aegaeon | 400 | +0% | -10% |
- KOS-MOS, Lora, Crossette and Fiora are the only characters in the game that start battles with High Affinity by default.
- Some Male Common Blades can start battles with Low Affinity.
- In the special case of characters that are controlled without Blades, such as Rex in Chapter 1 or Jin in Chapter 8, their Affinity is locked at 500.
- The ascended state of the Aegis is locked at MAX Affinity during use.