Lao

The future doesn't belong to you!
For those who have not completed games in the Xenoblade Chronicles series, this page contains spoilers regarding the plot. Discretion is advised.

"Yeah...I lost it all. Good-bye."

— Lao

Lao Huang (Japanese: ラオ, Rao; English dub: /ˈlaʊ ˈhwæŋ/) is one of the eight main playable characters in Xenoblade Chronicles X. He is the leader of the Pathfinder Team Belisarda (English dub: /ˌbɛl.ᵻˈsɑː(r).də/) of the private military organization BLADE. Lao has been Doug's comrade-in-arms since their days in the United States Army. He has a mutual deep relationship with Lin, who shares a similar past.

Appearance[]

Lao is a male human with a somewhat slim but muscular figure. He has shoulder-length long black hair that he wears loose, a light beard, and grey eyes. He is of average height

Personality[]

Lao's combat ability and sense of judgment are said to be well-noticed by Elma. Despite his cold appearance and speech, he has a sensitive side, and is very passionate and keen, as evidenced by his relationship with Lin. He cares for his squad but keeps himself distant often due to grief and resentment about the losses occurred when humanity left Earth, which also make him dismissive of interpersonal relationships between humans whilst in their Mimeosomes.

Gameplay[]

Location[]

When not in the party, Lao can be found on Division Drive in the Administrative District of New Los Angeles, where he can be recruited by the party.

Recruitment[]

During Chapter 4, Lao is found at Green Threshold in Primordia where he can be recruited.

Due to story progression, Lao cannot be recruited after accepting Chapter 9. After completing Chapter 12, his whereabouts are unknown. Upon completing Doug's 5th heart-to-heart, all of Lao's equipment that was still on him is returned to the character.

In battle[]

Lao's Class is Partisan Eagle. When he is first recruited, he is level 15 and rank 3. He wields a Javelin and a Sniper Rifle. His two Signature Arts are Balance Breaker (Javelin) and Afterburner (Sniper Rifle). He has three Skill slots. His class progression is as follows:

Class Rank	Arts	Skills
1	Balance Breaker Shrapnel	—
2	First Down	—
3	Arcing Horn	—
4	Eagle Eye	—
5	Raijin	—
6	Spiral Horn	—
7	Sidewinder	Killshot
8	Overwhelm	—
9	Hawkeye	Electric Boost
10	Speed Demon	—
11	Trident Buster	Knock 'n' Shock
12	Intercept	—
13	Hair Trigger	Piscinoid Slayer
14	Afterburner	—
15	Ghost Sniper	Long Shot
16	—	Quick Reload
17	—	Conductive Strike
18	—	TP Overdrive

Heart-to-Hearts[]

The following heart-to-hearts between Lao and Cross are:

Affinity	Name	Location	When	Reqs
♥	Every Dog Has Its Day	Deliverance Park	Early morning	Dog
♥♥	Training Troubles	Outfitters Test Hangar	Night	A Friend in Need
♥♥♥	The Fan Club	Starboard	Anytime	—
♥♥♥♥	Teamwork	Water Purification Plant	Morning	Chapter 6
♥♥♥♥♥	The Winds of Change	BLADE Tower	Anytime	—

Missions[]

Prohibited
Chapter 9	Close Comrades	A Friend in Need	The Matchmaker

Affinity links[]

Story[]

Before Earth was destroyed, Lao lived with his wife and daughter. Lao joined Project Exodus in order to save his family but ended up being the only one on the White Whale. The rest of his family burned up with the Earth, making him have an intense hatred for the rich and powerful who got aboard without having any useful skills.

Lao is first seen at the Green Threshold directing a Skell in Data Probe installation during Chapter 4, when Elma, Lin, Tatsu, and Cross arrive. They announce that they are going to be retrieving a piece of the Lifehold in Noctilum, and request his help.

Lao later accompanies the party on their quest to retrieve an alien Skell detected in Noctilum. They are able to contact BLADE, who deploy aircraft to tow the Skell to New Los Angeles. Immediately afterwards, Lao and the party are attacked by hostile beasts. While initially successful at defeating several of these monsters, the party begins to become overwhelmed, but are saved by a vicious flying creature.

Later, during the Ganglion invasion of New Los Angeles, Lao is chosen to guard the alien Skell from the Ganglion. However, he convinces his team to abandon the Skell, as guarding it would do no good if the Ganglion successfully occupy the city. However, the Ganglion ultimately retrieve the Skell, causing the invasion force to suddenly retreat.

Lao later found out the truth behind their bodies causing him to snap. He announces his identity as a Ganglion spy in front of multiple prominent BLADE members before stealing the Prog Ares and heads to the Ganglion Weapons Hangar in Cauldros. He also takes the data terminal needed to find the Lifehold Core. This prompts the party to confront him at the Ganglion base. He reveals that his bitterness towards BLADE and New Los Angeles developed from when he discovered that his family had not been among the elite chosen to board the White Whale. After he is defeated, he acknowledges his mistakes, hands Lin the data terminal needed to find the Core, and asks the party to leave him and head back to New Los Angeles.

Later, when BLADE travels to the Core, they are confronted by Luxaar using the Vita, who manages to destroy part of the structure after defeat, activating internal defensive measures. However, Lao suddenly appears and stabs Luxaar in the back, revealing his defection back to the humans. The two then sink into the pool of protoplasmic fluids. This causes Lao to fuse with Luxaar, transforming them into a Chimera. The Chimera then emerges and immediately begins to attack the Lifehold Core. Despite Lin's initial objections, the party battles and defeats the Chimera, causing it to dissolve.

After the credits, a following scene reveals Lao being approached by an unidentified character. His eyes open and the text "This story never truly ends..." appears on the screen.

Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition[]

Lao is set to appear in new story content in Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition.

In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[]

In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Lao appears as a Spirit Battle on the Spirit Board. He is a Novice (1 star) spirit. He is represented by Snake in his second outfit, the black suit. The battle takes place on the Battlefield form of DK Jungle. The conditions are that he starts with a Staff, and his shooting attacks have increased power.

General Stats: Primary (grab), 1 slot, no personal ability.
Level 1 stats: 582 attack, 422 defense
Level 99 stats: 2914 attack, 2110 defense

Spirit[]

General information
#	Name	Image	Type	Slots	Class	Strength / effect(s)	How to obtain
963	Lao		Grab	1	Novice	None	Spirit Board
Spirit battle
Opponent(s)		Battle conditions			Stage		Song
Snake		* The enemy's shooting items have increased power The enemy starts the battle with a Staff			Kongo Jungle (Battlefield form)		Xenoblade Chronicles Medley

Quotes[]

Battle dialogue[]

Status effects
Stagger	"Son of a-"
Topple	"Hey, that hurts!
Flinch	"What the-"
Knockback	"Enough with the full court press."
Launch	[Yell]
Stun	"Dammit, I can't move!"
Sleep	"So damn sleepy..."
Control	"Keep your distance, this isn't me!"

Trigger
An enemy notices the party	"I don't think they'll let us walk away." "Not what I was hoping to run into."
A large enemy notices the party	"Your size is about to become a liability."
Very low HP	"I'm at my breaking point here."
Becoming incapacitated	"Looks like I'm checking out...first."
Reviving an ally	"Get up, it's not nap time yet."
Thanking	"Thanks." "I'll make it up to ya." "Appreciated." "I owe you one."
Accumulating 3000 TP	"Now I'm getting somewhere!"
Activating Overdrive (Ground gear)	"You're finished!"
Activating Overdrive (Skell)	"It's now or never, Overdrive!"
Overdrive counter hits 50	"I can't stop now!"
Overdrive counter hits 100	"They'll need a mop to clean you up!"
Entering skell	"Time for my skell!"
Exiting skell	"Switching to ground gear."
Skell's fuel runs low	"Fuels low, it was reckless."
Skell runs out of fuel	"Out of gas. Right when it was getting good."
An enemy joins the battle	"Here comes some more idiots."
Responding to battle commands	"Got it!" "I'm on it!"
Leveling up	"I wish I was this strong when I needed to be."
Winning a battle	"OK then, lets go." "Too easy." "We'll talk about this later." "I hope the're doing okay. Got to have to drop by later and see." "Girls I missed you." "Do you have any idea how ridiculous that sounds."

Soul Voices[]

"Let's get up close and personal!"
"Gimme some cover fire!"
"Hey, I need some heals here!"
"Bam! Keeping shooting!"
"Who cares how big they are? Concentrate your fire!"
"I'm all prepped. Get us buffed up!"
"This damn weather. Somebody fix this!"
"Oh, uh, thanks. Give yourself a boost while you're at it."
"Let's wake them up with some gunfire!"
"I can't get a break here!"
"If I could just get...one more shot in..."
"Gotcha! Now topple 'em!"
"Got 'em! Lay down some cover fire!"
"I'll use Overdrive! You break out an aura!"
"Easy breezy. Help me out with a buff!"
"Bull's-eye! Keep shooting!"

Post-battle dialogue[]

Party member
Male Cross (Heroic)	Cross - "Fate dealt us these cards, so we have to play them!" Lao - "Don't overthink it, you'll live longer."
Male Cross (Joker)	Cross - "Everybody okay? Don't make me haul my butt home solo." Lao - "Are YOU okay? You took a pretty nasty spill."
Male Cross (Rebel)	Cross - "GOD! What is WITH this planet?" Lao - "Quiet! You trying to give our position away?"
Male Cross (Rookie)	Cross - "Keep moving! We can reflect on our battles later." Lao - "Yeah gotta focus on what's next."
Male Cross (Studious)	Cross - "Well... I apologize for losing my cool just then." Lao - "Not at all, it was a sound strategy."
Male Cross (Classic)	Cross - "I know we're fighting for humanity, but this all feels so futile." Lao - "Then you need to find some kind of purpose inside you."
Male Cross (Warrior)	Cross - "Men are like stones, smoothed by the tides of battle." Lao - "Great philosophy, just what we need."
Female Cross (Heroic)	Cross - "Another dawn to dusk work day? Sounds like fun to me!" Lao - "Well you did give me a little worked up."
Female Cross (Joker)	Cross - "Meh, I'm BUSHED! Did I do all the work or what?" Lao - "You only feel that way because your team had your back. Be thankful."
Female Cross (Independent)	Cross - "C'mon, there's no time to lose. We've got a mountain of things to do!" Lao - "Oh come on, can we take five?"
Female Cross (Mature)	Cross - "[sigh] These Miran winds are not very compatible with my hair." Lao - "Then cut it off. This is no place to be worrying about your do."
Female Cross (Peppy)	Cross - "One small step for BLADE, one giant leap for humankind." Lao - "Step by step, slowly but surely."
Female Cross (Classic)	Cross - "Is it over? I haven't even finished rolling up my sleeves." Lao - "Riiight, that's why you missed with that art."
Female Cross (Soldier)	Cross - "I'm torn; do I master hand-to-hand combat, or focus on ranged attacks?" Lao - "Yeah it's a tough road either way, there are no shortcuts."
Lin	Lao - "So, Lin, what do you say? Do we feast on the talking potato tonight?" Lin - "I say we fatten him up another 500 grams or so."
Murderess	Lao - "So Murderess, what's with Irina? She seemed pissed." Murderess - "Guess she didn't like the 90-10 split I proposed for the rewards. So selfish."
Doug	Doug - "Lao, you and me need to catch up. I found this awesome restaurant." Lao - "Maybe next time man. Why don't you take that girl along instead?"
Phog	Phog - "Remembering all this fighting keeps me up at night. What do you do, Lao?" Lao - "I don't sleep well is what I do."
H.B.	Lao - "You know you'll never get tapped for the old tank's job unless you start winning people over." H.B. - "I believe in meritocracy. You'll back me up once you see what I'm made."
Celica	Celica - "Lao, Rock tells me he enjoyed watching you at target practice." Lao - "Really? I'm nothing special, but he's welcome to swing by again."

Adding-to-party dialogue[]

Instance	Greeting	Accept	Refuse
Default	"Say, you're that one from Elma's team, right? Cross, was it? How are things going? If you have any interesting missions on your plate, maybe throw me into the mix? I can spare a moment from my grueling schedule of thumb twiddling."	"Couldn't ask for a better way to kill some time. Lead the way, boss."	"Seriously? Well, if you don't need me, I'm not going to twist your arm. Stay safe out there."
Chapter 4	"Come on, you gotta take me with you. I have to see the Lifehold with my own eyes."	"I knew I could count on you. You can count on me, too--I won't slow you down."	"Come on, don't be like that. Reconsider, will you?"
Chapter 5	"The enemy of our enemy is our friend, right? Hopefully it'll be just that simple. But when you're dealing with unknown xenos, it's best to watch your back all the same. So maybe you'll take me along to do just that?"	"Great. Leave this to me. Whatever needs doing, I'm your man."	"Whatever you say, boss. You change your mind, I'll still be here doing jack squat."
Chapter 7	"I just heard Irina's team got hit by the Ganglion. Dammit. Well, all we can do is get our butts down to Oblivia and try to save theirs. You'll take me along, right?"	"You bet your butt I'll tag along! Whatever needs doing, I'm your man."	"All right then. If you decide you could use a hand, just let me know."

Dialogue[]

"Hey hey, look who it is."
"And...what's up with this onion-thing? You using it for rations or something?"
"Oh, give me a break, Elma. The rest of my crew can handle the paperwork."
"I see... So they gave you a spot on the White Whale to say thanks—thanks to your parents for all their hard work."
"Looks like somebody else wants a hot meal."
"Well, I think I could've taken it..."
"There's no excuse. This wouldn't have happened if I didn't order my men to leave their posts."
"Look at us, the chosen few. All those people we left on Earth... They never had a chance. But us? We can be reborn. We get as many damn chances as we want."
"Doug...? Is this...the Lifehold?"
"Of course I do—it means an end to this giant lie. I've been waiting a long time for this."
"You should've let me die that day, Elma. You knew the truth—that I was a Ganglion spy."
"Yeah...I lost it all. Good-bye."
"Wrong. We're already dead, Lin. Our flesh and blood burned away with the Earth."
"No, not insignificant. Not to humans. But really, how could you understand, Elma? Sorry, but I won't let those bastards purge what made us human. I'll kill us all first."
"Go ahead, Elma. Go ahead and shoot—if you're so sure of yourself. Just don't hit the terminal. So what's it gonna be? The chest? Or the head?! You've got a 50/50 chance. The fate of all humanity hanging in the balance... Gotta love those odds! So...what are you waiting for?"
"Not allowed to die... Of course I'm not... Even if I killed myself, I'd just wake up in a new mim anyway... Charmaine, Chenshi... I'm so sorry, girls. Seems like Papa can't come to be with you just yet... Dammit... I'm sorry... You watch over each other...until I get there..."
"Who the hell are you callin' hideous?"
"Principles? You deal with a traitor, you really shouldn't be surprised...when you get stabbed in the BACK!"
"Oh, I remember all right. My family'd still be here if you hadn't brought your damned war to our doorstep! Because of you, there's only 20 million of us left... That leaves 9.98 billion reasons for me to want you dead. You who took my wife and daughter away from me...Luxaar!"
"I... thought Exodus was a lie. One we all accepted because the truth was too painful... that humanity was meant to die off along with our home... along with earth. But something happened here on Mira, I realized I was wrong. These Mimeosomes, they aren't just ghosts or shadows... they're people... seeds of new life that are struggling to take root... I finally see that now..."
"DON'T LET IT END LIKE THIS. COME AND DESTROY ME!"
"CHARMAINE, CHENSHI, WHERE ARE YOU?!"
"I UNDERSTAND NOW. SO THAT'S WHO HE IS... LUXAAR!"
"You did the right thing... All is as it should be... We've achieved our goal. Humanity...has a future... Soon, any threat from the Ganglion will be gone... Once we have our bodies... Once we are...whole...again..."

Trivia[]

Lao is one of only two characters (the other being Gwin) whose two signature Arts must both be learned by Cross before the main story can be finished. This is likely because of the events after Chapter 9 that render Lao unrecruitable, which would otherwise permanently lock the player from completing the two affinity missions in question.
Lao shares the same text for a few Soul Voices with Lin.
During Chapters 9 through 12, Lao is shown wearing his default equipment, even if they were no longer equipped by him.
Lao and Celica have dialogue in the game's code, even though Lao becomes permanently unavailable before Celica becomes a playable character.

Gallery[]

Xenoblade Chronicles X[]

Artwork[]

Screenshots[]

Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition[]

Official art[]

Screenshots[]

Characters in Xenoblade Chronicles X
Playable Characters	Cross · Doug · Elma · Gwin · Irina · L · Lao · Lin
Recruitable Characters	Alexa · Bozé · Celica · Frye · H.B. · Hope · Mia · Murderess · Nagi · Phog · Yelv
^(DE)	Liesel · Neilnail
Supporting Characters	Maurice · Rock · Tatsu · Vandham
Antagonists	Dagahn · Ga Buidhe · Ga Jiarg · Goetia · Luxaar · Ryyz