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For those who have not completed games in the Xenoblade Chronicles series, this page contains spoilers regarding the plot. Discretion is advised. |
Blades (Japanese: ブレイド, Bureido) are a race in Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and Torna ~ The Golden Country.
Overview[]
Blades are weaponized life forms linked to a Driver who creates and summons them by resonating with a Core Crystal. Blades endow their Driver with powers and a weapon. Each Blade plays a different role, owning different stats and an elemental type, such as fire for Pyra, and providing a distinct set of Blade Arts and support abilities depending on its weapon. By searching for and collecting Blades, the player chooses to attach and selects Blade companions and the kind of role desired.[1]
Drivers and Blades relationship
They are several classifications of Blades depending on the Drivers and Blades relationship and their type. Blades can be recruited into the party through different means, depending on their rarity: Common, Rare and Legendary. The uniquely named Legendary Blades, such as Pyra and Dromarch, are mainly recruited through the story progression and are linked to a unique Driver. Rare Blades, such as Boreas, are created from Common, Rare, Legendary or specific Core Crystals and can be linked to any Driver in the party. The randomized Common Blades are created from Common, Rare or Legendary Core Crystals through resonance. The Special Blades have story importance, are the signature Blades of their respective Drivers, and have a unique weapon (except for Dromarch and Aegaeon, who use Twin Rings and Chroma Katana respectively). While most of them are Legendary Blades, those of Torna members are Rare Blades. There are artificial Blades, who are not awakened from a Core Crystal like natural Blades but built using an Ether Furnace to give them Blade-like abilities; Examples include Poppi, Lila, and Ino. They are controlled by characters who are not real Drivers, but the resultant duos function very similarly to normal Blade/Driver groups. There are Flesh Eaters, Blades who have been fused with human cells, granting them unique abilities and the ability to avoid returning to their Core Crystals. Some Blades are powerful enough to function as independent enemies even in the absence of their Drivers.
While Blades are technically immortal, being able to recover from any injury, they return to their Core Crystal when their Driver dies. Furthermore, if their Core Crystal was to be fragmented, their healing capabilities would be severely reduced. If a Blade's Core Crystal is destroyed, the Blade dies.
Pyra, the Blade linked to Rex
When a Blade returns to its Core Crystal, the data contained within it, including its memories, is passed to the cores of the Trinity Processor, which processes it then returns it to the core so that it can be resonated again, resulting in continuously evolving Blades. After a Blade has returned to its Core Crystal enough times, which may span centuries, it becomes a Titan which will serve as a home for other living beings while producing new Core Crystals, thus completing the cycle.
Elements[]
Each Blade is associated with an element, and any Blade Arts they use are of that element. In battle, some enemies may exhibit a weakness to a particular element, evidenced by an icon of that element displayed in their target frame. Elements and their opposite counterparts play a key role in Blade Combos and Chain Attacks. Light is the only element that is exclusive to Legendary and Rare Blades, all other elements can also appear on random Common Blades. The eight elements, paired by opposites, are:
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Blade Roles[]
Different Blade roles enable different fighting styles. The combination of currently equipped Blades' roles determines a Driver's class.
| Attacker Unleashes powerful Arts. |
Healer Heals allies while attacking. |
Tank Takes aggro to defend allies. |
List of Blades[]
Special and Legendary Blades[]
| Driver | Blade | Role | Stat Modifier | Given Weapon | Element |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rex | Pyra | Attacker | Strength 10% | Aegis Sword | |
| Attacker | Ether 10% | Aegis Sword
|
| ||
| Attacker | Dexterity 15% | Dual Scythes
|
| ||
| Healer | Max HP 15% | Catalyst Scimitar | | ||
| Attacker | Aegis Sword
|
| |||
| Nia | Dromarch | Healer | Ether 10% | Twin Rings | |
| Tora ※1 | Poppi α (artificial) | Tank ※2 | Max HP ※2 | Drill Shield | then various ※2 |
Poppi QT (artificial)
|
Tank ※2 | Agility ※2 | Mech Arms | then various ※2 | |
Poppi QTπ (artificial)
|
Attacker ※2 | Strength ※2 | Variable Saber | then various ※2 | |
| Vandham | Roc | Attacker | Dexterity 15% | Dual Scythes | |
| Mòrag | Brighid | Tank | Agility 15% | Whipswords | |
| Tank | Agility 15% | Chroma Katana | | ||
| Zeke | Pandoria | Attacker | Strength 10% | Big Bang Edge | |
| Niall | Aegaeon | Tank | Agility 15% | Chroma Katana | |
| Malos | Sever ※3 | Tank | Strength 15% | Sword Tonfa | |
| Akhos | Obrona ※3 | Attacker | Agility 20% | Brilliant Twinblades | |
| Patroka | Perdido ※3 | Attacker | Strength 10% | Decimation Cannon | |
| Mikhail | Cressidus ※3 | Tank | Max HP 20% | Rockrending Gauntlets | |
| Dughall | Dolmes ※4 | Spiked Hammer | |
- ※1 Tora is not a Driver but he controls Poppi α, Poppi QT, Poppi QTπ as artificial Blades.
- ※2 Poppi's element, role, and stat modifier can be changed by upgrading it via Poppiswap.
- ※3 All of these Blades are identified as Rare Blades.
- ※4 Dolmes is not obtainable nor usable.
Rare Blades[]
Some can be obtained through the main quests or by doing side quests, but most rare blades are random rewards of Common, Rare or Legendary Core Crystals.
| Blade | Role | Stat Modifier | Given Weapon | Element | Acquisition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Godfrey | Tank | Max HP 15% | Shield Hammer | |
Random |
| Wulfric | Attacker | Strength 15% | Megalance | |
Beastly Core Crystal |
| Perceval | Tank | Agility 10% | Chroma Katana | |
Random |
| Vale | Attacker | Ether 15% | Megalance | |
Random |
| Agate | Attacker | Dexterity 10% | Greataxe | |
Random |
| Gorg | Attacker | Max HP 15% | Greataxe | |
Random |
| Boreas | Healer | Max HP 15% | Bitball | |
Random |
| Dagas | Attacker | Strength 5% then 10% ※1 |
Greataxe | |
Random |
| Kasandra | Tank | Max HP 15% | Shield Hammer | |
Lucky Core Crystal |
| Praxis | Attacker | Dexterity 10% | Megalance | |
Crystal Clear |
| Theory | Tank | Agility 15% | Chroma Katana | |
Blade-Sharp Memory |
| Perun | Attacker | Dexterity 10% | Megalance | |
Random |
| Kora | Healer | Ether 10% | Knuckle Claws | |
Random |
| Azami | Attacker | Ether 15% | Ether Cannon | |
Random |
| Ursula | Healer | Agility 10% | Knuckle Claws | |
Random |
| Newt | Tank | Max HP 20% | Chroma Katana | |
Random |
| Nim | Healer | Dexterity 10% | Knuckle Claws | |
Random |
| Sheba | Attacker | Ether 15% | Ether Cannon | |
Inherited Core Crystal |
| Vess | Healer | Max HP 10% | Bitball | |
Tranquility |
| Adenine | Healer | Dexterity 15% | Knuckle Claws | |
Random |
| Electra | Tank | Max HP 15% | Shield Hammer | |
Random |
| Zenobia | Attacker | Strength 15% | Greataxe | |
Random |
| Finch | Tank | Agility 15% | Shield Hammer | |
Random |
| Floren | Healer | Ether 10% | Bitball | |
Random |
| KOS-MOS | Attacker | Ether 20% | Ether Cannon | |
Random |
| Herald | Attacker | Strength 15% | Ether Cannon | |
Sealed Core Crystal |
| Dahlia | Healer | Dexterity 10% | Bitball | |
Random |
| T-elos ※2 | Attacker | Strength 15% | Greataxe | |
Random |
| Poppibuster (artificial) ※3 | Tank | Agility 15% | Shield Hammer | |
DLC, Shiny New Power |
| Shulk ※4 | Attacker | Ether 20% | Monado | |
DLC, Challenge Battle Mode |
| Fiora ※4 | Healer | Strength 15% | Knives | |
DLC, Challenge Battle Mode |
| Crossette ※5 | Healer | Ether 20% | Bitball | |
DLC, Ebullient Core Crystal |
| Corvin ※6 | Tank | Agility 20% | Uchigatana | |
DLC, Divine Core Crystal |
| Elma ※7 | Attacker | Ether 20% | Dual Swords | |
DLC, Challenge Battle Mode |
- ※1 Dagas's Affinity Chart and stats change after his Blade quest.
- ※2 T-elos can be obtained in version 1.4.0 or later after clearing the game's main story. If a new regular or New Game Plus playthrough is started over a cleared save file, she can be obtained without needing to finish the game again. She is obtained randomly from Core Crystals, but the rate of awakening her is much higher than any other rare Blade.
- ※3 Poppibuster can be obtained in version 1.4.0 or later after completing the Blade Quest Shiny New Power.
- ※4 Shulk and Fiora are introduced in Challenge Battle Mode in version 1.5.0. They are initially restricted to the Land of Challenge but can be taken into Alrest once the Alrest Linkring is obtained after completing the Challenge Battle Dino Drama.
- ※5 Crossette can be obtained in version 1.5.1 or later with New Rare Blade Pack 2 from the Expansion Pass. Collecting A Firecracker of a Gal unlocks the ability to get the Ebullient Core Crystal.
- ※6 Corvin can be obtained in version 1.5.2 or later with New Rare Blade Pack 3 from the Expansion Pass. Collecting A Boy of Two Swords unlocks the ability to get the Divine Core Crystal.
- ※7 Elma is introduced in Challenge Battle Mode in version 1.5.2. In order to obtain her, the Challenge Battle Otherworldly Fighter must be completed. She is initially restricted to the Land of Challenge but can be taken into Alrest once the Alrest Link Relay is obtained after completing the Challenge Battle Elma: Redux.
New Game Plus[]
After finishing the game in version 1.3.0 or later, New Game Plus will be available. This mode unlocks seven Blades, all of which are members of Torna in the main story.
| Blade | Role | Stat Modifier | Given Weapon | Element | Acquisition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Akhos | Healer | Ether 15% | Calamity Scythe | |
Random |
| Patroka | Attacker | Strength 15% | Cobra Bardiche | |
Random |
| Mikhail | Tank | Agility 15% | Infinity Fans | |
Talk at Megaflote Base in Land of Morytha after he falls out of battle in Chapter 9 |
| Obrona | Attacker | Agility 20% | Brilliant Twinblades | |
Random |
| Sever | Tank | Strength 15% | Sword Tonfa | |
Random |
| Perdido | Attacker | Strength 10% | Decimation Cannon | |
Random |
| Cressidus | Tank | Max HP 20% | Rockrending Gauntlets | |
Random |
Common Blades[]
Rex selecting a Common Blade named Kirim
Common Blades are created from Core Crystals. Their name, weapon and element, except Light, are determined randomly. Stats are determined semi-randomly, with the base auto-attack, guard rate, and critical rate determined purely from the Blade's weapon and appearance (see below). Their preferred Pouch Items are also chosen at random, and may consist of one category, two categories, or two categories and a specific item. Common Blades also have certain exclusive abilities that Rare Blades cannot obtain, such as "Orb Master", Luck modifiers, modifiers reaching between 21% and 24%, and certain Field Skills.
The Unnamed Core Crystal received from Gramps is a special case: it is guaranteed to produce a common Blade with Knuckle Claws and Wind element. In New Game Plus, when Gramps gives the Unnamed Core Crystal to the player again, the same blade is "awakened" (and it will even mention that it's happy to aid the player again upon awakening). The blade will have the same stats, affinity level, skills and abilities from the previous playthrough.
Appearance[]
They have a similar global appearance, dark gray skin with blue glowing eyes and lines on the body, and a round core crystal on the chest (or head, if the blade is of the animal kind). Common Blades come in one of four basic models: "male humanoid", "female humanoid", "brute" and "animal". Each basic model has several head variations, differing in the type of horns or ears; humanoid and brute models each have four head variants, while animal models have only two.
Competences[]
The Specials of a Common Blade depend on their model and weapon type. Each Common Blade has 1-3 skills chosen at random. Each Common Blade has the Element Mastery skill related to their own element, as well as 0-2 random gathering or Merc Group skills.
Releasing Blades[]
The player can release most of the Blades in their party (although it is not possible to release Special Blades, and several other Blades, like the first random Blade Rex bonds with). Releasing yields certain resources to the player, usually boosters corresponding to the Blade's element. The quantity and type of items received upon release is determined by the Strength of Blade. If player releases a Rare Blade, it is possible to get this Blade again randomly from a Core Crystal, even if said Blade was initially obtained through a unique Core Crystal (e.g. Vess or Wulfric). If a Rare Blade is released and then obtained again through a Core Crystal, their Affinity Chart will still be as it was before they were released.
| Blade Affinity Chart | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Key Tier 1 Unlocked |
Key Tier 2 Unlocked |
Key Tier 3 Unlocked |
Key Tier 4 Unlocked |
Key Tier 5 Unlocked |
100% Complete | |
|
1◆ | 1◆ and 1❖ | 1◆ and 1❖ | 2◆ and 1❖ | 2◆ and 1❖ | 3◆ and 2❖ |
|
1◆ and 1❖ | 2◆ and 1❖ | 2◆ and 2❖ | 3◆ and 2❖ | 3◆ and 3❖ | 4◆ and 3❖ |
|
2◆ and 1❖ | 2◆ and 2❖ | 3◆ and 2❖ | 3◆ and 3❖ | 4◆ and 4❖ | 5◆ and 5❖ |
|
2◆ and 2❖ | 3◆ and 2❖ | 3◆ and 3❖ | 4◆ and 4❖ | 5◆ and 5❖ | Overdrive Protocol |
|
3◆ and 2❖ | 3◆ and 3❖ | 4◆ and 3❖ | 5◆ and 4❖ | 6◆ and 6❖ | 8◆ and 7❖ |
- ◆ = Number of Boosters received. The Booster corresponds to the Element of the released Blade.
- ❖ = Number of Boosters received. The Booster received is random.
Aside of items, releasing can also be used as a way to free unused or weak Blades, as there is a limit to how many the party can bond with in total. This capacity can be increased through increasing the Merc Level and completing the game.
| Common Blade Slot Capacity | |
|---|---|
| Number | Requirements |
| 24 | Capacity at start of game. |
| +24 | Merc Level 1 achieved. |
| +24 | Merc Level 2 achieved. |
| +24 | Merc Level 3 achieved. |
| +24 | Merc Level 4 achieved. |
| +24 | Merc Level 5 achieved. |
| +48 | Game completed. |
| Total = 192 | |
Button Challenge[]
When a Blade draws a special move, the "Button Challenge" (Japanese: ボタンチャレンジ, Botan charenji) will be displayed on the screen. By pressing the button with good timing, the damage will rise. If it succeeds, a narrator (actor: Kentarō Tone) will compliment the player.
Poppiswap[]
- Main article: Poppiswap
Poppiswap
Poppi is an Artificial Blade and has her own mechanics related to her Poppiswap ability. As such, she has customizable features including adjusting her elemental affinity, role, and skills.
Core Crystal state[]
Blades come either lying in a dormant state inside a Core Crystal or awakened in their personified form. By holding a Core Crystal, it resonates with the person and tries to take shape. If this person has a certain aptitude, the Blade awakens and makes the person a Driver. Those who do not have the aptitude are simply knocked unconscious and are incapable of forming a Blade, with the possibility of death in some cases. Drivers for the most part are bound to one Blade for their entire life, however it is possible for Drivers to awaken more than one Blade at a time. Blades fight alongside their Drivers and lends their weapon for them to use in battle. Blades can be attacked, but any injury they sustain are healed quickly.
They are dependent on their Driver to retain their form. If their Driver dies under any circumstance, the Blades instantly revert back into their Core Crystal in a dormant state, shown by the Core taking on a dull black color rather than the normal blue glow. After some time, the Core will glow again and can be reawakened. Upon reawakening the Blade loses all memories of their past lives but retains their personality. Additionally, their Core Crystal, which appears normally on their chest, are another vulnerable point. If they are attacked there and their core crystal shatters, they permanently die and cannot be reawakened. However, a Driver of a Blade that has been killed is not affected.
List of Blade enemies[]
- Main article: Blade (enemy)
Xenoblade Chronicles 3[]
In Xenoblade Chronicles 3, many Agnians have many Blade-like qualities like Sena. Additionally, Nia reappears as the Queen of Agnus. At some point, the Artificial Blade Ino was created, and appears in the Expansion Pass.
Trivia[]
- Rex, Tora, and Mòrag are the only playable Drivers that have more than one special Blade: Rex having Pyra, Mythra, Roc, and Nia in Blade form; Tora having Poppi α, Poppi QT, and Poppi QTπ; Mòrag having Brighid and Aegaeon.
- In the English localization of Xenoblade Chronicles 2, nearly all Blades speak with North American accents. By contrast, most of the game's non-Blade cultures (the Indoline and Urayans being noticeable exceptions) speak with accents of English native to the British Isles. This is slightly ironic given that Skye Bennett, the English actress for Pyra and Mythra, speaks in an American accent for both despite being British herself. There are some exceptions to this - Dromarch and Nia are voiced with English and Welsh accents - while Mikhail, who is a human Blade Eater, has a North American accent.
- In an interview with Tetsuya Takahashi, director of Xenoblade Chronicles 2, it was stated that Blades were originally going to look like Ultraman, but they were shrunk because it would not be possible to show something forty meters tall on screen.[2] [3]
Gallery[]
Xenoblade Chronicles 2[]
Rare Blades[]
Common Blades[]
Torna ~ The Golden Country[]
Xenoblade Chronicles 3[]
Videos[]
| Characters in Xenoblade Chronicles 2 | |
|---|---|
| Playable Characters | Rex · Nia · Tora · Vandham · Mòrag · Zeke |
| Legendary Blades | Pyra · Mythra · Pneuma · Dromarch · Poppi α, QT, QTπ · Roc · Brighid · Pandoria · Aegaeon |
| Supporting Characters | Addam · Amalthus · Architect · Azurda · Bana · Cole · Corinne · Eulogimenos · Fan la Norne · Lila · Niall · Niranira · Tatazo · Turters |
| Torna | Jin · Malos · Sever · Akhos · Obrona · Mikhail · Cressidus · Patroka · Perdido |
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Dagas · Newt · Crossette |
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Gorg · Praxis · Sheba |
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Godfrey · Theory · Ursula · Perun · Dahlia |
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Adenine · Boreas · Finch · Zenobia · Fiora |
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Wulfric · Agate · Floren · Nim |
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Electra · Kora · Herald · Vess |
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KOS-MOS · Poppibuster · Corvin · Shulk |
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Azami · Vale · Perceval · Kasandra · T-elos · Elma |
References[]
- ↑ 2017-06-13, Tetsuya Takahashi about Xenoblade Chronicles 2. IGN, accessed on 2017-06-13
- ↑ 2017-11-30, Tetsuya Takahashi about development, inspiration, setting, etc. of Xenoblade Chronicles 2. 4gamer, accessed on 2021-04-06
- ↑ 2017-12-30, 4gamer's interview relayed in English. Nintendo Everything, accessed on 2021-04-06