Vandham (XC2)

For other uses, see Vandham.

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.

Vandham
Vandham
Alias	Aquila Paronet Sol Esteriole (originally)
Species	Urayan
Gender	Male
Hair colour	Silver
Eye colour	Gray-brown
Affiliation	Garfont Mercenaries
Occupation	Leader
Voice actor (JP)	Tesshō Genda
Voice actor (EN)	Simon Thorp
Main appearances	Xenoblade Chronicles 2
Other appearances	Karaoke JOYSOUND for Nintendo Switch (video)

"What's the matter? Are you the Aegis or aren't ya?!"

— Vandham

Vandham (Japanese: ヴァンダム, Vandamu), born Aquila Paronet Sol Esteriole, is a character in Xenoblade Chronicles 2. He is the leader of the Urayan Garfont Mercenaries. He is a Driver accompanied by his special Blade, Roc, and acts as a mentor to Rex and the party. He is designed by Masatsugu Saito, the lead character designer of the game.

Vandham is a temporary party member, joining at level 20 during Chapter 3 and leaving near the end of that same chapter.

Appearance

Vandham is a very large Urayan man beyond his prime with gray-brown eyes, a silver mullet with yellow and blue streaks, pointed ears, white scales on both sides of his face, and a large X-shaped scar in the middle of his face. He is a beefy and robust man, possessing a tank-like, bulky physique and incredibly massive muscles.

Vandham's attire is a large set of strapped on green and blue armor, with silver and blue crosses all over it. He also wears matching leather fingerless gloves, and pointed, matching leather boots.

Story

Before becoming a mercenary, he was a scion of the noble Paronet family. The name "Vandham" was a nickname inspired by someone he looked up to as a child, his birth name being Aquila Paronet Sol Esteriole. He also had a son who died of causes that are never specified. He was a freelancer before he joined the Garfont Mercenaries, and he fought alongside Cole.

Vandham with Roc and Yew

Rex first meets Vandham in the Kingdom of Uraya. He and his assistants, Yew and Zuo, challenge Rex and party to a fight for the Aegis. Vandham tricks Rex into exhausting Pyra's power. Just as Vandham is about to deliver a lethal blow to Rex, he stops and reveals that he never meant them any harm; just wanted to test the capabilities of the Driver of the Aegis.

Vandham leads them back to Garfont Village, the home of his mercenary group. Over a meal, Vandham tells Rex that wars involve everybody, one way or another, and that everyone needs a reason to fight. He then joins the party to investigate a large ether energy buildup near the blowhole. Along the way, Vandham teaches Rex how to Topple an enemy using his Anchor. They find a small decaying Titan near the blowhole, but they are interrupted by an Arachno that managed to bond with the Blade Wulfric. Vandham then tells Rex the Blade life-cycle: Core Crystals are formed from dying Titans, and every time a Blade dies, they revert to their Cores with their memories wiped.

Upon making it back to Garfont, Vandham learns that Rex and Pyra share an unusual bond, resulting in both Rex and Pyra gaining each other's injuries. Akhos interrupts their conversation and Vandham tells them that Torna had killed many Drivers, including some of his friends. After Vandham and Roc help drive off Akhos, Nia tells Vandham about her past with Torna before Vandham dismisses her, telling her to focus on the present.

He then leads the party to Fonsa Myma to meet Cole, who knows how to get to Elysium. Along the way, they encounter Zeke and Pandoria for the first time. Upon reaching the Capital, they notice a large number of warships. They later fight a soldier who stole a child's rations; the child turns out to be Iona, Cole's granddaughter. They watch one of Cole's plays on the Aegis War; Cole later speaks to Vandham and the others and agrees to help them reach Elysium.

Vandham fights Malos

After Pyra and Iona are lured out to Olethro Playhouse, Vandham helps Rex and the others fight back against Akhos and Malos. When Obrona uses her power to disrupt the ether flow in the air, Vandham impales himself on Roc's scythes to continue fighting. He begs Rex to escape, but Rex refuses to leave Vandham. He tells Rex to fight his own war before being stabbed and killed by Malos. Rex tries to avenge him, leading to Mythra's reawakening.

Legacy

Vandham during a flashback in Chapter 8

After the battle with Torna, Vandham is buried in Olethro Playhouse, as it is a mercenary custom to be buried where they fell. Yew and Zuo reveal that Vandham wanted Rex to take charge of the Garfont Mercenaries. Later on, he is mentioned by Nia and Rex when telling the newly reawakened Roc about his old Driver.

During Nia's conversation with Ghondor in Xenoblade Chronicles 3, Nia talks about how the "Vandham" name, and those who bare it, have a deep meaning for her. She talks about how a man named Vandham once taught her and her companions about life. She then states that without him, there would be no her, referring to how Vandham saved them from being killed by Malos.

General Stats

Level	Max HP	Max Strength	Max Ether	Max Dexterity	Max Agility	Max Luck
1	776	41	37	34	22	34
99	7,755	412	369	313	204	343

Thought Cloud

These are Vandham's Idea Stats upon joining the party.

• Bravery - Lv. 4
• Truth - Lv. 4
• Compassion - Lv. 5
• Justice - Lv. 3

Default Blade

Roc is Vandham's default Blade; Roc cannot be used by any other Driver during Chapter 3, and Vandham cannot use any other Blades himself.

Name	Role	Element	Default Core Chip	Obtained
Roc	ATK		-	Default Blade when Vandham joins the party.

Arts

• Dual Scythes
  • Muscle Slash, Low HP ↑
  • Fast Twitch, HP down / Evasion
  • Muscle Uppercut, Launch
  • Mega Muscle, AOE / Flying ↑

Favorite Items

• Pouch item types: Staple Foods, Board Games
• Pouch items: Armu T-Bone Steak (Meats), The Alrestogony (Literature)

Affinity Chart

Tier	Name	Effect	SP
1	Burly Chain	Lets you use a Driver Art after canceling a Driver Art.	750
	Tough Nut	Increases maximum HP by 200.	250
	10,000 Push-Ups	Increases Strength by 20.	375
	Veteran	Adds a 10% chance of attacking again after a successful auto-attack.	625
	Muscle Accelerator I	Allows use of the Driver Art assigned to at the start of battle.	500
2	Ether Power	Increases Ether by 20.	2,500
	Elite Muscles	Boosts Strength by 10%.	1,000
	Beefcake Flurry	Adds 20% to damage ratio after canceling an auto-attack.	2,000
	Muscle Accelerator II	Allows use of the Driver Art assigned to at the start of battle.	3,000
	Guardian	Boosts maximum HP by 10%.	1,500
3	Serious Recovery	Boosts the effect of HP Potions by 20%.	3,000
	Muscle Accelerator III	Allows use of the Driver Art assigned to at the start of battle.	4,000
	Last Man Standing	50% chance to survive hit with 1 HP + 5 secs invincibility (once per battle).	6,000
	Big Strong Hands	Increases the HP restored when reviving a teammate by 15%.	2,000
	Ether Muscle	Boosts Ether by 10%	5,000

Hidden Affinity Chart

After finishing the game and installing Patch (Ver.1.3.0), the New Game Plus will be available and will allow Vandham to get a new Affinity Chart.

Tier	Name	Effect	SP
1	Power Lift	Extends Launch duration by 15%.	7,500
	Quick Muscles	Increases Agility by 20.	3,750
	Dependable Guy	Slightly fills the Party Gauge for each critical hit delivered.	2,500
	Anything for a Mate	Boosts recharge for Specials after canceling by 20%.	6,250
	Knack for Battle	Increases Dexterity by 20.	5,000
2	World's Strongest Man	Boosts Strength by 10%.	5,000
	Honed to Perfection	Boosts Dexterity by 10%.	10,000
	Recuperation	Increases HP restored to self (not using HP Potions) by 10%.	12,500
	Pumped Dodge	Boosts Agility by 10%.	7,500
	Thank the Heavens	Increases Luck by 20.	15,000
3	Buff Buff	Slightly fills the Party Gauge when an "Excellent" is scored during a Special.	15,000
	Higher Powers	Boosts Luck by 10%.	30,000
	Physical Fitness	Restores 3% HP when canceling an auto-attack with a Driver Art.	25,000
	Booming Aid	Increases Affinity by 25% after winning a Special button challenge.	10,000
	Greatest Work	Slightly fills the Party Gauge at the end of each Chain Attack.	20,000

Battle

Vandham
Vandham
Category	Boss
Type	Driver (Humanoid)
Location	Kingdom of Uraya (Jebbas Cavern)
Level	20
Time	Anytime
Respawns	Yes
Movement	Ground
Rewards
EXP	1,500
WP	39
SP	21
Stats
Element	Wind
HP	58,149
Strength	138
Ether	110
Dexterity	78
Agility	50
Luck	51
Phys. Defense	20%
Ether Defense	10%
Critical Rate	8%
Guard Rate	12%

Vandham is fought as a level 20 boss inside the Jebbas Cavern of the Kingdom of Uraya along with his Blade, Roc, and his assistants, Yew and Zuo, and their Blades.

Details

• Vandham can guard attacks from any side.

Resistances

Break	60%	Smash	0%
Topple	0%	Blowdown	60%
Launch	0%	Knockback	60%

Arts

Art	Type	Element	Hits	Range	Damage Ratio	Reaction	Effect
Muscle Slash	Physical	-	2	One target	150	-	Increases damage dealt by 100% when HP is 30% or less.
Fast Twitch	Physical	-	1	One target	300	-	The user is Evasive while using this art.
Muscle Uppercut	Physical	-	1	One target	200	Launch	-

Roc

During battle Vandham fights alongside Roc, who increases his dexterity by 15% and is able to use Arts Plus.

Stats

Element	Weapon	Auto-attack	Stability	Critical Rate	Block Rate
Wind	Dual Scythes	90	11	36%	5%

Blade Specials

Art	Type	Element	Hits	Range	Damage Ratio	Reaction	Effect
Death Wing	Physical	Wind	4	One target	300 - 340	-	-
Crushing Twister	Physical	Wind	8	One target	400 - 440	-	Increases damage dealt by 100% - 110% when HP is 30% or less.
Feather Typhoon	Ether	Wind	4	Ahead	500 - 540	Blowdown	-

In Karaoke JOYSOUND for Nintendo Switch

In Karaoke JOYSOUND for Nintendo Switch, Vandham appears in footage from Xenoblade Chronicles 2 that plays randomly in the background during a song.

Trivia

• Vangarre, the Colonel of Colony 9's Defence Force in Xenoblade Chronicles, shares Vandham's Japanese name. Both Vangarre and Vandham were in turn based on Vanderkam from Xenosaga, especially their drill sergeant-like personality and a tendency to call their subordinates "slackers." Vanderkam was in turn based on a character of the same name from Xenogears.
• He also shares his name with Commander Vandham from Xenoblade Chronicles X and Guernica Vandham from Xenoblade Chronicles 3; all of them are voiced by the same Japanese actor, Tesshō Genda. He and Guernica Vandham also share the same English voice actor, Simon Thorp. Tesshō Genda also voiced Xord in the Japanese dialogue of Xenoblade Chronicles.
• One of Vandham's hobbies is growing trees.
• It is unknown if Mòrag or Brighid learned who Vandham was.
• Vandham is the only party member in Xenoblade Chronicles 2 to not appear in any way in Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Future Redeemed or Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
• Vandham is the only temporary party member in Xenoblade Chronicles 2 who can use accessories and pouch items and level up Driver Arts.

Quotes

Post-Battle Dialogue

• Main Cast

Main Cast

• Team Rex
• Team Nia
• Team Tora
• Team Vandham
• Multiple

Team Rex

Vandham	"Rex mate, you just ain't got enough power. Give me three thousand squats!"
Rex	"I think that's a bit much."

Rex	"We did alright out there."
Vandham	"Reckon I earned my beer today."

Azurda	"Vandham, you think highly of Rex, do you not?"
Vandham	"Ah, that little shrimp reminds me of my boy. I'm alright! Honest!"

Vandham	"Pyra, you don't muck about! You ain't just a pretty face, are ya?"
Pyra	"I-I don't know what to say!"

Team Nia

Vandham	"You killed it out there, Nia! You're a smooth operator."
Nia	"Hello? I'm a girl!"

Vandham	"So, Dromarch. What d'you look for in a Driver?"
Dromarch	"Small enough to ride on my back, adorable features... and a little impertinent."

Team Tora

Vandham	"Tora, you're a hell of a Driver! Don't you forget it."
Tora	"Meh meh, Tora is blinded by tears!"

Vandham	"Poppi, you're like real flesh and blood. You remind me of my lad who passed on."
Poppi α	"Poppi is shaped like girl, but if Vandham happy, then Poppi is happy."

Team Vandham

Vandham	"You flapped up a storm there, Roc mate! Keep it up!"
Roc	"You deserve part of the credit, isn't that right, mate?"

Roc	"Say Vandham, why don't you try to come up with a new technique?"
Vandham	"Just so long as it ain't got a funny name, like Ultimate Lightning Cross Slash."

Multiple

Rex	"The key was to synchronize our breathing!"
Tora	"Rex-Rex and Tora are a-meh-meh-meh-meh-mazing combo!"
Vandham	"Good work, but we gotta fix the world so we don't need to fight, y'hear?"

Azurda	"I feel Rex is in good hands with you, Vandham."
Vandham	"Yeah, I'll start with his guns, and move on to his treps!"
Pyra	"I think Rex might be better off as he is."

Vandham	"Ha! I never thought a bird and a dog'd be such good mates."
Dromarch	"I admire the sentiment, but must point out that I am not a dog."
Roc	"Better a bird and a dog than a cat and a mouse, certainly."

Gallery

Vandham artwork

Official Artwork of Vandham alongside all the main characters of Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and Torna ~ The Golden Country

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 5th Anniversary Celebration Wallpaper

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 5th Anniversary Celebration Wallpaper

Vandham and Roc

Vandham and Roc in the party

Vandham

Vandham

Vandham