Trust is a mechanic in Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and Torna ~ The Golden Country. It is used mainly for unlocking the five tiers of many Blade's Affinity Charts and accessing their Key Affinity Rewards. Trust levels can be raised by reaching max Affinity in battle, giving Blades Pouch items, completing Quests and Merc Missions, or by viewing Heart-to-Hearts (where different choices raise trust by varying amounts).
Trust is measured in levels, starting from E, reaching S when a Blade's Affinity Chart is completed, and maxing out at S+. Higher trust leads to a higher Auto-Attack stat (which increases all damage), higher chance for Blade Arts occurring, and reduced Blade Switch times, amongst other bonuses.
Trust Levels[]
Trust levels or ranks are represented by letter grades. There are a total of 16 of them. They are, from lowest to highest:
- E, D, C, B, A, S, S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6, S7, S8, S9, S+
Requirements for levels E to A depend on each unique Blade's Key Affinity conditions. These conditions will vary between Blades, however many Rare Blades require 9,800 Trust points before S rank can be reached. S rank is obtained automatically upon completing the Blade's Affinity Chart.
After this, Trust can continue to accumulate in order to reach the highest extra levels. To reach S+, 49,200 more Trust must be gained, for a total of 59,000 Trust.
| Level | Trust points required |
|---|---|
| S1 | 13,000 |
| S2 | 16,000 |
| S3 | 19,500 |
| S4 | 23,500 |
| S5 | 28,000 |
| S6 | 33,000 |
| S7 | 38,500 |
| S8 | 44,500 |
| S9 | 51,000 |
| S+ | 59,000 |
Team Trust[]
In Torna ~ The Golden Country, Drivers also have Trust levels of their own that affect their Auto-Attack stat and how long the option to Vanguard Switch is on cooldown. It is the overall Trust level of the team, and until the S rank is reached it is calculated as the minimum Trust level of the two Blades bonded with the Driver.
After the S rank is reached, the Driver will obtain S5 once one of the two Blades reaches S+, and S+ once both max out their Trust level.
Effects[]
Trust levels scale the Blade's Auto-Attack stat as follows:
| Trust Level | Multiplier |
|---|---|
| E | 90% |
| D | 95% |
| C | 100% |
| B | 105% |
| A | 110% |
| S | 120% |
| S1 | 125% |
| S2 | 130% |
| S3 | 135% |
| S4 | 140% |
| S5 | 145% |
| S6 | 150% |
| S7 | 155% |
| S8 | 160% |
| S9 | 165% |
| S+ | 180% |
Trust levels above S rank multiply the damage of Specials by the following:
| Trust Level | Multiplier |
|---|---|
| S | 100% |
| S1 | 105% |
| S2 | 110% |
| S3 | 115% |
| S4 | 120% |
| S5 | 125% |
| S6 | 130% |
| S7 | 135% |
| S8 | 140% |
| S9 | 145% |
| S+ | 160% |
Trust levels change the cooldown of Blade Switches as follows:
| Trust Level | Cooldown Time |
|---|---|
| E | +3s |
| D | +1.5s |
| C | +0s |
| B | -1.5s |
| A | -3s |
| S | -4s |
| S1 | -4.3s |
| S2 | -4.3s |
| S3 | -4.6s |
| S4 | -4.6s |
| S5 | -5s |
| S6 | -5s |
| S7 | -5.3s |
| S8 | -5.3s |
| S9 | -5.6s |
| S+ | -6s |
Trust levels improve the likelihood of Blade Arts activating by the following:
| Trust Level | Multiplier |
|---|---|
| E | 100% |
| D | 105% |
| C | 110% |
| B | 115% |
| A | 120% |
| S | 130% |
| S1 | 135% |
| S2 | 140% |
| S3 | 145% |
| S4 | 150% |
| S5 | 155% |
| S6 | 160% |
| S7 | 165% |
| S8 | 170% |
| S9 | 175% |
| S+ | 190% |
Trust levels change the cooldown of Vanguard Switches to the following:
| Trust Level | Cooldown Time |
|---|---|
| E | 15s |
| D | 14s |
| C | 13s |
| B | 12s |
| A | 11s |
| S | 10s |
| S1 | 10s |
| S2 | 10s |
| S3 | 10s |
| S4 | 9s |
| S5 | 9s |
| S6 | 9s |
| S7 | 9s |
| S8 | 9s |
| S9 | 9s |
| S+ | 8s |
Trust Gains[]
Increasing Trust points can be achieved in several different ways.
Battle[]
Reaching MAX Affinity in battle (gold link between Driver and Blade) will increase Trust by 10 points for the current Blade. This reward can only be obtained once per battle for each Blade.
In Torna ~ The Golden Country, this amount can be increased by 50 points by using Addam's Replica-artifact-making and Hugo's Machine-tinkering on a Campsite to craft a Telepathic Bell and a Heart Compass. Combined, they allow up to 110 Trust to be gained each battle.
Pouch Items[]
Using a Pouch Item will give all equipped Blades a certain amount of Trust points that varies depending on the item.
- The Pouch Item with the highest Trust reward in the game is the Love Source, which gives 3000 Trust points per use and can be crafted after clearing the DLC quest Making Love Source. Some are also offered as part of the Expansion Pass "Final Item Distribution List".
- In Torna ~ The Golden Country, a similar item called Love Doughnut can be bought from a Traveling Bard in New Game+. It increases Trust by 2000 points per use
- Most Pouch Items in the main game award between 9 and 18 Trust per use, however there are 14 items that increase Trust by 21, the second highest value below Love Sources:
Pouch Item Rarity Category Location Price Noponcho 
Textiles Leftherian Archipelago 1,730 G Steel Pipe Lexos
Art Leftherian Archipelago 2,520 G Prismatic Headband 
Textiles Leftherian Archipelago 4,610 G The Flora of Alrest 
Literature Kingdom of Tantal 5,400 G Lush Moonbeam Mask
Art Leftherian Archipelago 5,840 G Smack-A-Nopon
Board Games Kingdom of Tantal 8,640 G Noponic Nails
Cosmetics Kingdom of Tantal 8,640 G Gentlemen: A Study
Literature Kingdom of Tantal 10,800 G The Blizzard Choir
Literature Kingdom of Tantal 12,600 G Musical Hair Clasp
Textiles Kingdom of Tantal 17,280 G Jeweled Billiard Balls
Board Games Kingdom of Tantal 23,040 G Steam Powder
Cosmetics Kingdom of Tantal 29,160 G Astrology Made Simple
Literature Kingdom of Tantal 31,680 G Torigoth Snowpouch
Textiles Kingdom of Tantal 43,200 G
- The full list of pouch items, including the trust they give, is found here.
- The Pouch Item that gives the least Trust in the game is Vess's Dumplings, only increasing Trust by 6 points per use. The following items award no Trust: Molten Salsa, Blazing Quoteletta, Brimstone Tartari, White-Hot Eggy Curry, Pyra's Acqua Pazza.
- With the exception of the Love Doughnut, all pouch items in Torna ~ The Golden Country award 30 Trust points per use.
Merc Missions[]
Completing Merc Missions will award all participating Blades a certain amount of Trust, depending on the mission. The amount earned is generally between 10 and 80 points, but DLC exclusive Merc Missions can give much more. These rewards aren't lowered for repeated runs.
- The highest Trust yielding repeatable Merc Missions are unlocked as rewards for DLC Quests:
- Round 2 at Merclibay (Leftheria, 290 Trust)
- Growing (Leftheria, 280 Trust)
- Showdown at Chilsain (Mor Ardain, 275 Trust)
- Seeding (Leftheria, 260 Trust)
- Arach-no-More (Tantal, 250 Trust)
- Reclamation (Leftheria, 240 Trust)
- Desserts Delivered 1/2/3/4/5 (Uraya, 220 Trust)
- The lowest yielding Merc Missions are Ursula's lesson missions, which all award 5 Trust per run.
Quests[]
Completing Quests will award all equipped Blades in the party a certain amount of Trust, depending on the quest. The amount earned is generally between 100 and 300 points. Some DLC quests can award more, and quests in Torna ~ The Golden Country typically award slightly less.
- The quests with the highest Trust rewards are Farewell, Good Friend, Bana's Revenge, Whereabouts Unknown and Fame and Family, with a reward of 300 Trust points.
- The DLC quests with the highest Trust rewards are The Lone Watchman, Beneath the Aurora, Merclibay's Mightiest and Mystery Launch Codes, with a reward of 500 Trust points.
Heart-to-Hearts[]
Heart-to-Hearts generally award between 100 and 300 Trust points to the Blades that participate or are referenced in them, depending on the event and choices taken. Heart-to-Hearts that are focused on non-story Rare Blades, however, will usually award either 900 or 1000 Trust to that specific Blade.
The Heart-to-Heart "Before the Storm" that precedes the final boss will uniquely increase Trust of all equipped Blades by 300 points.