Melia

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.

"What trials await me, I wonder? I must not lose focus!"

— Melia

Melia Antiqua (Japanese: メリア　エンシェント, Meria Enshento, Melia Ancient; English dub: /ˈmɛliə ˈæntᵻkwə/) is one of the seven playable characters in Xenoblade Chronicles and is part of the High Entia race. She is a powerful mage-like character who lives in the Royal City of Alcamoth prior to the game's events. Her true age is unknown in the game, though her half-brother Kallian is 151 years old. However the art book "Xenoblade: The Secret File" reveals her age to be 88. Riki calls her "Melly", while the resident Nopon of Frontier Village call her by the term "Bird Lady". Her Arts mainly focus on summoning elemental spirits and affecting enemies with her ether staff.

Melia is the daughter of the High Entia Emperor Sorean Antiqua and his second consort. Imperial tradition states that the emperor take two consorts; one a High Entia, and the other a Homs. Melia, daughter of the Homs second consort, is of mixed High Entia and Homs heritage. Melia's mother is never seen and is only alluded to in dialogue as, due to the difference in the rate of aging between Homs and High Entia, she died of old age sometime before the events of the game. An NPC in the imperial palace however does state that Melia has grown up to resemble the second consort as a young woman.

Personality

Despite her status as the princess (later Empress) of the most advanced race on Bionis, Melia is a very humble, modest and kind person, never once looking down on Homs as inferior beings, though this may partially be because she is half-Homs herself. When Shulk, Dunban, Reyn and Sharla first meet her, Melia slaps Shulk for touching her, suggesting that she was brought up with traditional values. She instantly apologises and offers to help the Homs in exchange for saving her life.

Initially, Melia was very reluctant to accept the Homs' help to take down the Telethia who killed her comrades, insisting she was perfectly capable of doing it herself and did not need any assistance. Whether this was because of pride, grief over her friends' sacrifices or a simple desire not to get strangers involved is open to interpretation. However, she reluctantly accepted their help after Chief Dunga provided the group with Riki, having come to realise her limits. She was also very sceptical about the Monado at first, believing Shulk's ability to see the future was rubbish. Only after the group defeated the Telethia did she finally grow accepting of its power.

Being a princess and due to a fairly strict upbringing, Melia is partial to polite and formal behaviour, and one of the most serious members of the group along with Dunban. In spite of this, she retains a sense of humour and does not seem to mind Riki calling her "Melly". However, when she jokes, she normally does so with a completely straight face, so people, particularly Reyn, usually think she is being serious, as shown in a Heart-to-Heart when she jokingly demands that Colony 9 pays Alcamoth for their use of Ether Cylinders from the Ancient Wreckage, which Melia deducts to be a crashed High Entia ship.

Story

Melia is first seen fighting a large flying creature, later revealed to be the Leone Telethia, accompanied by four knights called Aizel, Hogard, Garan, and Damil. The knights are killed and Melia left unconscious and on the verge of death in Makna Forest. When Shulk and his friends find her, Sharla diagnoses that she is suffering from ether depletion. In order to save her, they have to gather pure Ether Crystals. Shulk heads to the Great Makna Falls to gather them and is attacked by Telethia spawn.

Upon Shulk's return, Sharla revives Melia by shooting the ether crystals near her body. Melia refuses to explain her reason for being in Makna Forest, but decides to accompany them temporarily and leads them to Frontier Village. When Shulk mentions his battle with the Telethia, Melia is surprised and refuses to believe in Shulk's visions. Only after defeating the Telethia and avenging her fallen allies does she come to accept his power. After returning to Frontier Village, Melia decides to officially join the group and they continue on to Eryth Sea.

Upon the group's arrival in Alcamoth, it is revealed that Melia is High Entia royalty and the Emperor's chosen successor, with the additional support and blessing of her brother Kallian. However, the decision to declare Melia as Sorean's successor does not sit well with the first consort, Kallian's mother, who resents Melia due to her half-Homs heritage as the daughter of the second consort. It is at this point that Melia becomes the target of an assassination attempt. At the first consort's suggestion, Melia is sent to perform an ancient trial in the High Entia Tomb in order to prove herself worthy as the successor. Melia completes the trial and is deemed worthy by the forefathers to become the imperial successor in spite of her half-Homs ancestry. It is at this point that an assassin hired by the emperor's first consort attempts to kill Melia with the aid of a Telethia, but is thwarted by Shulk's group.

After Melia is declared successor in a public ceremony, Mechon attack Alcamoth and Sorean travels to Prison Island. Melia accompanies Shulk's party in giving chase, but they are unable to prevent the emperor's death. Following the events on Prison Island, Melia is due to officially ascend to the throne, but her coronation is delayed for one year, allowing her time to travel with Shulk's party to seek her own vengeance for the death of her father. In the meantime, her brother Kallian serves as regent while an impersonator of unknown identity is prepared to fill in for Melia's public appearances during her absence.

Following the events at the Mechonis Core, Zanza sinks Prison Island into Eryth Sea and floods Alcamoth with ether. The action transforms the vast majority of its citizens into Telethia. Lorithia and Dickson confront Melia and the rest of Shulk's party as they attempt to escape aboard Junks, but the party is saved when Kallian and High Entia forces fly in to combat the traitors. However, Kallian and his forces are in turn exposed to high concentrations of ether and transformed, but Melia is spared from transforming due to her Homs ancestry.

Later, Melia and the party travel to the Bionis' Interior, where they confront Lorithia, who keeps the now mindless Telethia form of Kallian under her command. After Lorithia is defeated, Kallian is released from his existence as a Telethia and is able to share tender parting words that only Melia and Riki can hear.

In battle

Melia's abilities are based upon Ether Arts, being a mage-like character with low HP and physical strength, while excelling in ether combat and defense, making her very useful against enemies with high physical defense or that specialize in ether attacks. Her main arts do not immediately damage opponents: rather, they produce an elemental summon, which float above her head with a specific spherical design, and give off an aura that increases the party's stats while they are in the vicinity of Melia. Up to three of these summons can be in play at the same time, including three of the same summons which will subsequently stack their effects, for example three Aqua summons for high health regeneration.

Her Talent Art Elemental Discharge effectively uses the elementals she has summoned to attack. This means that Melia's main form of dealing damage is to summon and then release these elements, while she can also opt to keep the elements passively active to buff her party members. Every released summon that attacks an enemy fills her Talent Gauge, allowing her to enter Element Burst state when maxed, granting her access to some powerful abilities as well as doubling damage caused. Element Burst may be completely used up upon casting an Art; the higher her tension, the more likely she can stay in Element Burst after casting an Art.

Melia starts off with several Arts, mostly summons that grant increased power for the party: they are Bolt, Flare and Aqua (which grant the buffs of Ether Up, Strength Up and Regenerate, respectively). She learns defensive Art summons later on, which include Wind, Earth and Ice (which give Agility Up, Physical Defence Up and Ether Defence Up, respectively), along with Summon Copy, an Art that summons the previously summoned element, even if the Art is on cooldown.

Similarly, she also has a few spells that cause statuses on enemies. She can inflict Sleep using a special hypnosis spell, heal a party member at the cost of her own health, launch Shadow Stitch to bind the foes' movement, and even Topple a single target by herself at close range with a sequence of Spear Break and Starlight Kick. Once she reaches Element Burst state, she can gain two single-use abilities, either Burst End art to decrease both Physical and Ether defences, or Mind Blast to seal enemy arts for a period of time, a status ailments that other party members are unable to cause themselves.

General stats

Max Level	Max HP	Max Strength	Max Ether	Max Agility
99	3,752	311	559	101

※ These stats are raw and do not include the bonuses from the skill lines.

each element discharge adds 10% to her talent gauge
can buff battle members with the summoned elements
can debuff and inflict high ether damage to enemies by discharging summoned elements or using ether arts
can double ether damage during elemental burst
can use talent arts during chain attacks that will guarantee a successive chain attack multiplier on the next turn
most effective ranged fighter other than Sharla; can keep enemies at a distance with Shadow Stitch and Hypnotise
possesses instant topple combo in Spear Break and Starlight Kick
one of two characters who can remove Auras, the other being Shulk

Arts

Many of Melia's arts provide a buff when summoned and do damage when released. This is noted thus in the list below: (group buff when summoned | damage when released)

Elemental Discharge [Talent Art] (attack with a summoned elemental)
Summon Bolt (grants Ether Up | causes electric damage)
Summon Flare (grants Strength Up | causes blaze damage to all enemies around the target)
Spear Break (throws back and slows an enemy, close range)
Hypnotise (puts an enemy to sleep)
Burst End (reduces physical and Ether defence of enemies in range, only available during Element Burst)
Shadow Stitch (Binds enemies in a circle around Melia)
Summon Aqua (grants Regenerate | drains HP from one enemy)
Healing Gift (sacrifices HP to heal a party member)
Summon Copy (resummon the last summoned elemental)
Summon Wind (grants Agility Up | inflicts area damage around the target)
Starlight Kick (forces Topple when used after Spear Break)
Summon Earth (reduces physical damage | inflicts poison)
Reflection (reflects enemy attacks except Talent Arts)
Power Effect [Aura] (doubles range of elemental auras)
Summon Ice (reduces Ether damage | causes chill damage to all enemies around Melia)
Mind Blast (removes enemy auras and inflicts Arts Seal, only available during Element Burst)

Skill trees

Melia has the following Skill Trees:

Serenity is one of Melia's initial three skill trees, and the first skill is unlocked when she joins the party.

Prioritizing Serenity gives Melia an Agility bonus based on the number of skills that have been unlocked in this tree:

Skills Unlocked	1	2	3	4	5
Agility Increase	5	8	10	12	15

Skills

Skill	Effect	SP Cost	Link Cost
Amplified Healing	Increases HP restored by healing arts by 15%	0	3
Serenity of Water	Increases HP absorbed from water arts by 25%	700	--
Mining Master	Increases chances of finding rare crystals from ether deposits by 5%	1000	18
Glistening Ice	Increases Chill duration by 6 seconds.	2000	--
Ultimate Ether	Increases Ether by 50	3500	18

Honesty is one of Melia's initial three skill trees.

Prioritizing Honesty improves Melia's Critical Hit rate based on the number of skills that have been unlocked in this tree:

Skills Unlocked	0	1	2	3	4	5
Critical Hit Rate Increase	2%	4%	6%	8%	10%	15%

Skills

Skill	Effect	SP Cost	Link Cost
High Speed	Increases Agility by 15.	300	20
Whisper of the Wind	Increases wind arts damage by 25%.	700	--
Amplified Ether	25% chance to increase Ether by 25% for 30 seconds at the start of a battle.	1000	5
Electric Shock	Increases electric arts damage by 25%.	2000	--
Enlightenment	Increases the accuracy of ether attacks.	3500	25

Reliability is one of Melia's initial three skill trees.

Prioritizing Reliability improves Melia's Physical Defence based on the number of skills that have been unlocked in this tree:

Skills Unlocked	0	1	2	3	4	5
Physical Defence Increase	5	10	20	30	40	50

Skills

Skill	Effect	SP Cost	Link Cost
Ether Awareness	Increases Ether by 25	300	6
Playing with Poison	Increases Poison duration by 15 seconds.	700	--
Power of the Moon	Increases Strength by 15% at night	1000	12
Unyielding Heart	Prevents accuracy loss due to low tension.	2000	18
Ether Guard	Grants immunity to Ether Down.	3500	20

Reticence is Melia's fourth skill tree. It can be unlocked by completing Trouble at the Lighthouse.

Prioritizing Reticence improves Melia's Ether Defence based on the number of skills that have been unlocked in this tree:

Skills Unlocked	0	1	2	3	4	5
Ether Defence Increase	5	10	20	30	40	50

Skills

Skill	Effect	SP Cost	Link Cost
Palace Guard	Increases Block rate by 15%	200	7
Heavyweight Expert	Increases Ether Defence by 30 for each heavy armour that is equipped.	500	45
Unadorned Beauty	Strength, Ether, Agility and max HP are increased by 20% if no gems are equipped.	800	12
Mental Barrier	Area Ether goes down by 25%	1000	75
Arcane Aura	Aggro goes down with an aura by 30%	1500	18

Passion is Melia's fifth Skill Tree. It is obtained by completing Ancient High Entia Mystery.

Prioritizing Passion improves Melia's Ether based on the number of skills that have been unlocked in this tree:

Skills Unlocked	0	1	2	3	4	5
Ether Increase	10	30	40	50	70	100

Skills

Skill	Effect	SP Cost	Link Cost
Nonchalant Heart	Tension lost from a failed attack is reduced by 5.	200	7
Awakening Strike	Increases damage by 50% against enemies suffering sleep.	500	10
Telethia Killer	When an aura is active, increases damage dealt to Telethia by 50%.	800	48
Passion of Flame	Extends Blaze duration by 20 seconds when dealt to an enemy.	1000	--
Rejection of Evil	Reduces Spike Damage by 50%.	1500	50

Legend

	Blue skills are always active.
	Yellow skills are active only when the character is in the battle party.
	Affects the party member with the skill.
	Affects the battle party members.
	Affects the whole party.
	Skills with a diamond shape cannot be linked. Skills with other shapes can be linked to a frame of the same shape.

Gem Crafting

Melia owns unique Shooter and Engineer abilities for Gem Crafting, they are:

Shooter

Medium Bonus: Qualities grow stronger with a medium flame.

Engineer

Strong Flame: Poor
Medium Flame: Great
Gentle Flame: Poor

Presents

Special scene

The Reticence Of Melia — Melia's words to unconscious Shulk

A missable special scene can occur just after the events of the Mechonis Core when the party first returns to Colony 6 and Shulk is unconscious in Linada's lab aboard the Junks. When Linada is not around (this can only take place at midnight), Melia can repeatedly speak to the unconscious Shulk for some dialogue regarding her feelings towards him, and also receive a big heart's worth of affinity (probably 300 affinity points like the big heart granting at the end of the Heart-to-Hearts). It appears that Melia was going to do something to the unconscious Shulk, perhaps a kiss, but she would later be ashamed had she not stopped herself.

In the Super Smash Bros. Series

Melia makes appearances in the Super Smash Bros. series, first as a trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, and later as a Spirit in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Her Spirit is a Primary Spirit that is found in the World of Light and on the Spirit Board.

Quotes

"Star searing flames of absolution!
"Summon FLARE!"
"Water! The source of all life!"
"Manifest yourself!"
"Summon BOLT!"
"Summon AQUA!"
"Feel darkness blacker than midnight!"
"I feel the Ether flowing through me!"
"BURST END!"
"Witness my true power!"
"Aha! A weak spot!"
"I see your strength is the genuine article!"
"Oppose me and your destruction is inevitable!"
"My thanks."
"Is this all you're capable of?!"
"Hm...A rather advantageous position!"
"Now, healing aqua!"
"Now! STARLIGHT KICK!"
"None can oppose us."
"Bravo, oh, bravo."
"Accept this gift of healing"
"By my flesh and blood, be healed!"
"My strength is fading..."
"How rude!"
"But we cannot be reckless!"
"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Apparently."
"Your fighting spirit is mine!"
"SPEAR BREAK, hah!"
"En garde!"
"Prepare yourself... MIND BLAST!"
"Succumb to the power of earth!"
"Poison EARTH!"
"Summon COPY!"
"REFLECTION manifest"
"Good night..."
"Summon WIND!"
"Summon ICE!"
"Follow my lead!"
"Acknowledged."
"Quick! Tend to the wounded!"

Character yells

Shulk

"Shulk..... it can't be!"
"Shulk, you cannot fall here."
"Do not hesitate, Shulk."
"I admire your courage, Shulk!"
"Yes! I feel it too, Shulk!"
"Let us exhibit our strength, Shulk!"
"I have been blessed with good friends! Thank you, Shulk."
"Shulk, you're next!"
"Shulk! I'll leave that one to you!"
"Excellent, Shulk!"
"We need you, Shulk!"

Reyn

"By the Bionis, Reyn!"
"Reyn! Get ahold of yourself."
"Reyn, I suggest you keep your cool."
"I wish I could share your ferocity, Reyn!"
"That's right."
"Foolhardy and reckless as usual, Reyn!"
"Reyn! Concine the enemy into oblivion!"
"Reyn, charge!"
"Forward, Reyn!"
"Was that the handy work of Reyn?"
"Reyn, where is your fighting spirit?"

Fiora

"Fiora! No!"
"Fiora, we are not done here yet."
"Your actions impress me, Fiora."
"That you could, Fiora!"
"I agree!"
"Your words ring true, Fiora!"
"That sent shivers down my spine, Fiora!"
"Fiora! Your turn!"
"Fiora! Can you help?"
"You have fearsome power, Fiora."
"Remember why we fight, Fiora!"

Dunban

"That one such as Dunban could fall so easily....."
"Dunban! This is not like you!"
"As if returning to your former glory, Dunban."
"The return of the great hero, Dunban!"
"I'm looking forward to the results!"
"I feel it, Dunban!"
"Understood, Dunban!"
"Dunban! Finish it!"
"It is up to you, Dunban!"
"Your reputation is deserved, Dunban."
"This is not becoming of the mighty Dunban!"

Sharla

"Sharla..... stay with us!"
"Sharla, on your feet!"
"May your aim be true, Sharla."
"Let us end this in one go, Sharla."
"We must nurture this unity!"
"Indeed Sharla, this pleases me."
"This sensation.... it is truly amazing, Sharla!"
"Sharla! Your turn!"
"Sharla, is your line of fire clear?"
"Sharla! Beautiful shot!"
"We require your medical skills, Sharla."

Riki

"Riki! Get up, please!"
"Riki! You're the Heropon, remember?"
"(giggles) You always keep me calm, Riki!"
"I feel excited too, Riki!"
"Heha! The heropon Riki!"
"Heehee! Without a doubt your Rikiness!"
"I am with you, Riki!"
"Now, Riki!"
"Let us witness the might of the Heropon!"
"Riki! Well done!"
"We can eat afterwards, Riki!"

Vision Warnings

"Reyn, this may be somewhat troublesome."
"Sharla, what should we do?"
"Dunban! We must act!"
"Riki, do something!"
"Fiora, can you handle it?"
"You saw another vision?" [Warning Shulk]

Post-battle dialogue

Party Members	Dialogue
Shulk, Reyn, Melia	Shulk - Melia, are you tired? Melia - No, I am fine. Reyn, however... I'm not so sure about. Shulk: Reyn, wake up! Reyn! Reyn: Yawns Sorry, sorry. Didn't get enough sleep. Why don't we grab some shut-eye?
Shulk, Sharla, Melia	Melia - Sharla, your skill is truly unrivalled. Shulk - It's true. You're really good, Sharla! Sharla - Wow, thanks. I don't know what to say.
Shulk, Dunban, Melia	Shulk - Melia, it'd be great if you taught me how to use ether! Dunban - So that's how it is. Giving up the sword already? Shulk - No, no! That's not it at all! Melia - I'm speechless.
Shulk, Melia, Riki	Riki - Melly, Riki try really hard! You see it? Melia - Of course, you sweet thing. Who's a brave boy? Shulk - Um, Melia? Are you feeling okay?
Shulk, Melia and Fiora	Shulk - Wow, when did you two get so tough? Fiora - What? Just because we're girls we're supposed to be wimps? How rude! Melia - Quite. I'm afraid you have much to learn about the fairer sex, Shulk. Shulk - Groan Why do I get the feeling that mastering the Monado is going to be easier? Fiora - Laugh Melia - Laugh
Reyn, Sharla, Melia	Reyn - Just goes to show, brawn is better than brains. Sharla - Oh no, I can't let that one slip by. Melia - The head! Shoot him in the head! Reyn - Wha? What did I say?
Reyn, Dunban, Melia	Reyn - You can't have a rainbow without Reyn, baby! Melia - Dunban, I think you need to have a talk with Reyn. Dunban - No. Let's pretend it didn't happen.
Reyn, Melia, Riki	Melia - Here, Riki Riki Riki. May I stroke your fur, please? Riki - Melly always welcome! Reyn - Me too! Me too! Riki - Reyn give one biscuit for every stroke! Reyn - Hey! Why am I the only one who has to give you stuff?
Reyn, Melia and Fiora	Reyn - Is everyone all right? Fiora - Reyn, you're asking if we're all right? But... do you feel okay? Melia - Indeed. We ought to build a monument to mark such a rare occurrence Reyn - Charming. I don't know why I bother.
Sharla, Dunban, Melia	Sharla - Isn't it quiet without Reyn or Riki around? Dunban - Agreed. Let's continue with this team. Melia - Laughs Hero of the Homs, you have a mean streak.
Sharla, Melia, Riki	Riki - Riki wish Melly was real big sister! Melia - Aww. But what about Sharla? Riki - Sharla more like mama. One mama enough. Sharla - Now you wait just a minute!
Sharla, Melia and Fiora	No dialogue found.
Dunban, Melia and Riki	Melia - He's so cuddly, I could almost cuddle him to death! Dunban - Riki may well be the softest of all Nopon. Riki - Riki suddenly feel afraid!
Dunban, Melia and Fiora	Melia - Fighting besides Homs and Mechon. I never imagined this day would come. Dunban - And as one, we will always be victorious! Fiora - I fight with pride and all my strength.
Melia, Riki and Fiora	Melia - How can you be so small and have so much energy, Riki? Riki - Melly and Fiora, have no scary! For mighty Heropon here! Fiora - Oh, my hero!

Dialogue

G-gotcha...friendio! Leave it to us...m-mate! Is that correct, Sharla?

Trivia

Melia is also the name of a species family of plants that the Chinaberry Tree belongs to.
Her last name, Antiqua, means old/ancient in Latin. Melia is the only player-character in the game with a known surname.
Jenna Coleman, who voiced Melia, went on to play the role of Clara Oswald in the Doctor Who series.
According to the Heart-to-Heart "A Breathtaking Sight", Melia explains to Reyn that when she was young, she fell off the Sky Terrace of Alcamoth's Imperial Palace and survived, but has no memory of how. Reyn is left astonished.
Melia has the highest accuracy and ether out of all the playable characters in the game. She also has the lowest HP out of the characters.
Melia appears as a trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U.

Characters in Xenoblade Chronicles
Playable Characters	Shulk · Reyn · Fiora · Sharla · Dunban · Melia · Riki
^(FC)	Melia · Shulk · Kino · Nene
Homs	Alvis · Dickson · Gadolt · Juju · Mumkhar · Otharon · Vangarre
Nopon	Chief Dunga · Oka
Ponspectors ^(FC)	Dekadeka · Drydry · Evelen · Faifa · Fofora · Hekasa Nonona · Setset · Tei-Tei · Tentoo · Tutu · Wunwun
High Entia	Kallian · Lorithia · Sorean · Tyrea · Yumea
^(FC)	Gael'gar · Helmaline · Maxis · Teelan · Tyrea
Machina	Egil · Linada · Miqol · Vanea
^(FC)	Radzam
Gods	Meyneth · Zanza

Melia

Contents

Personality

Story

In battle

General stats

Arts

Skill trees