Now that the Xenoblade Chronicles trilogy is over, the series is looking to go forward. Straying away from the first 3 games plots. While the DLC Story for Xenoblade 3 is yet to release, fans have a feeling that this will contain tons of fanservice and references. Due to the main game trying to separate itself as its own identity, despite the premise being tied to both previous games. This DLC will likely contain an epilogue story that tells us more about where the series is going next. In a Ask the Developer Interview Takahashi and the other developers explain that Xenoblade 3 will set up the future of the series, however the ending of the main game does not.
So what better time to get those who loved the latest entry caught up on series than with a Xenoblade trilogy recap! You can experience the entire trilogy on Nintendo Switch right now. With Xenoblade 1 being on the Wii and 3DS as well. Due to a certain platform fighter, I got spoiled for both Xenoblade 1 and 2‘s stories but they are still my favorite RPG tales. Xenoblade 1 still hold its title as the stronger story in my book. In this first part we will cover the story and connections of Xenoblade Chronicles 1!
The Iconic Shot Of Green Grass And Blue Sky
The God Reigned World
Xenoblade Chronicles released in 2011, follows the fan-favorite protagonist Shulk, as he and his group look to find out why they must fight. The world takes place on two giant gods, Bionis, A more natural earth-like giant, and Mechonis, a metallic steampunk-styled giant. These two gods fought in an eternal battle until their swords collided into each other at the same time. Causing them to become husks. Over time life forms began to develop on both giants, which begin to continue their god’s fights.
Many years later on the Bionis some researchers find a sword called the Monado. They all end up dying mysteriously, with the exception of one small Homs (human) boy named Shulk. Shulk spends his youth living in one of the few Bionis colonies, and he starts to study the Monado. He tries to figure out ways to unlock its powers alongside Dickson the one who brought Shulk and the Monado back to the colony.
The two sides involves the Homs,High Entia and Nopon against the Mechon, they fight endlessly to protect their land and take what is theirs. A huge battle called the Battle of Sword valley breaks out and we get to see three heroes Dunban, Dickson and Mumkhar destroy tons of Mechon. Dunban, the hero of Colony 9, wields the Monado which is able to wipe straight through mechon with ease, allowing the Bionis side of the war to win this grand battle. Mumkhar tried to flee with his life like a coward but this fails as he is killed by multiple Mechon.
The Wielder Of The Divine Sword, Shulk
One day tragedy strikes, as Mechon forces attack Shulk’s colony. Mechon are metal creatures that inhabit the Mechonis. This attack is lead by a Faced Mechon named Metal Face. Metal Face and the other Mechon kill a bunch of the colony’s people including Shulk’s childhood friend and crush Fiora. During this attack, Shulk has visions of the future while he uses the Monado including foreseeing Fiora’s death. This attack and the loss of someone so close to him strikes Shulk deep enough that he and his friend Reyn set out to get revenge on Metal Face.
The two travel up the Bionis’ body and even go inside it! Along their way, they help others in their troubles and meet many new friends such as a medic gunner Homs named Sharla who lost her fiancée, and Riki a Nopon with a lot of debt. They also reunite with Fiora’s brother Dunban, who joins the party as they head for their new goal, Prison island. Shulk has been having many visions of this place so he feels he must head there.
Traveling through a beautiful forrest named Makana forest, Shulk meets this man who has been haunting his visions named Alvis. Despite Shulk being the only one able to wield the Monado Alvis is able to. A creature named a Telethia attacks, despite seeing the future it is able to predict Shulk’s movements. Alvis shows Shulk a new Monado power but afterwards vanishes.
After getting launched up out of Makna forest they reach Eryth Sea. They are able to get the aid of the Princess of the High Entia (bird people), Melia, in which they travel to the capital city of Eryth Sea, Alcamoth. There they find the floating prison they have been looking for. From the High Entia they find out that on Prison Island an ancient being named Zanza is held captive. Shulk insists that the emperor of Alcamoth to let him go there. Fortunately the emperor turns out to be Melia’s father so she manages to convince him!
Capital of Eryth Sea
Aside from the Monado’s power being unshackled by Zanza, only bad things come from the visit as not only does the emperor and Zanza get killed. Shulk sees that Fiora is alive and piloting a Faced Mechon, however, she has no memories of Shulk. This reveals that Faced Mechon are actually just Homs inside of mechs, as the Monado cannot hurt Bionis life this was a safe way to stop it from destroying the Mechonis forces. That was until Zanza powered it.
With these discoveries the party now has a new aim and that is head for Sword Valley in order to attack the Mechon base that is there. Traveling down Valak Mountain Fiora returns to try ro figure out who the party are. Metal Face cuts this reunion short. He reveals himself to be Mumkhar and tells the party he wants the Monado for himself. This big hero status Dunban always had caused him to become jealous. He gets easily beaten but a gold Faced Mechon arrives, this is the leader of the Mechon and forces both of them to retreat.
Along the Sword the party face Metal Face once more. This battle causes Shulk to finally understand what it is he wants to fight for, and that is to find out the reason why Bionis and Mechonis have to keep on fighting. Despite the party sparing him Metal face ends up accidentally killing himself. Once the party makes it to the Mechon base in Sword Valley they find the Mechon leader, Egil, there with Fiora. Luckily Fiora starts to break through to the current host of her body however Egil takes control of her Mechon body. Due to the current host of Fiora’s body being the Mechonis God Meyneth, she breaks free and attacks Egil, only to cause damage to the fortress causing it to start collapsing and fall.
After falling down to the Mechonis’ Fallen Arm, and a quick bonding session between Shulk and Fiora, the group are able to start heading up the Mechonis to reach Egil. Once they reach Egil he reactivates the Mechonis and starts to use it to destroy the Bionis to exact his revenge. Shulk manages to get through to him only for things to go from peaceful to dreadful as Dickson shoots Shulk. Killing him in a instant.
Zanza’s Future
The Gods Ascend
Turns out that the entire time Shulk has been dead and was just a vessel for Zanza, the god of Bionis. He is reborn thanks to his disciple Dickson guiding Shulk along to this future fate. Zanza begins to retreat to the Bionis to reactivate it. He plans to destroy the Mechonis and restart the world again. Meyneth finally exits Fiora’s body in order to fight Zanza using her Monado, she unfortunately loses but not before asking the party to make a world with no need for gods.
After returning to the Fallen arm everyone now rallies up both on Mechonis and Bionis to fight against Zanza and prove their wills. Zanza releases a high-energy wave that turns all of the pure blood High Entia’s into these creatures he can control called Telethia and begins striking the Mechonis. Egil tries to fight back. Unfortunately, he cannot last long as the Mechonis falls to one mighty strike.
Shulk is able to reawaken due to his own will to change the future. Together they head to Prison Island where Zanza is controlling the Bionis. Zanza now wielding both Monados tries to use his ability to see into the future. However, he cannot see past a certain point as it is no longer pre-determined. Shulk is able to use the groups power to forge their own future. He is able to call upon the true Monado and cuts down Zanza, ending his reign. Alvis turns out to be an AI who was behind the entire world. He is also supposedly the Monado, he tells Shulk he is the world’s new god. Shulk does not want this and throws away his Monado to create a world without gods.
Klaus’s Experiment
Spoiler Warning – The Experiment
A scientist named Klaus created this world. Due to their actions, Klaus lost hope in humanity and decided to use the power of a mysterious artifact, the Conduit. The Conduit is an energy source that is able to connect between dimensions and change reality to its will. Klaus activated the Conduit causing it to split the world in two. A bunch of portals opened up taking the world and its inhabitants through. All that was left of the world was, Klaus with half of his body, the space station Rhadamanthus the place the Conduit is kept in, and a city later known as the Land of Morytha. The experiment itself is explored more and detailed by Klaus himself in Xenoblade 2 including an explorable Morytha. Zanza acts like his hatred for the human race personified.
The Conduit had 3 cores named Ontos,Logos and Pneuma. While not confirmed, Alvis is hinted to be Ontos. Klaus says Ontos caused a space-time transition event, the creation of this world.
In one world Klaus’s other half became the god Zanza, along Galea. Another scientist who tried to convince Klaus to stop the experiment to no avail. Galea in this world became the god Meyneth. The two each create the Bionis (Zanza) and Mechonis (Meyneth) to settle their dispute. After Zanza’s defeat, it is possible that Shulk uses the Conduit’s power to create this new world.
The Future Is Now
Future Connected
In the remake released in 2020 added an epilogue story. This epilogue gave us a glimpse into the future of the Xenoblade series. Specifically, what could be in Xenoblade Chronicles 3. Melia and Shulk find that a rift (Assumingly connected to the Xenoblade 2 world) opens up. This rift is causing mysterious Fogbeasts to come spewing out and attack the residents of the city of Alcamoth.
By exploring the new area of the Bionis, its shoulder, along with their friend Riki’s children, Kino and Nene they look to find a way to stop this chaos. While also educating and helping the troubled residents get along. It’s only by upgrading his newly made Monado Replica EX can Shulk and the gang defeat the Fog king and close the rift… For now.
The Fogbeasts have been pointed out by fans as they look like the Gnosis from the Xenosaga games. These entries in the “Xeno” IP have have already been referenced and connected to within Xenoblade 1. The rift also could symbolise how the space-time transition event that Alvis presumably caused to create this world is starting to collapse and have other worlds collide with it including the Xenosaga one. Some of the Fogbeasts even seem to reuse models or look similar to enemies from Xenoblade 2. Further strengthening the hints to the eventual climax of the series.
The heavy focus on Melia as a character was important as she has a big role in Xenoblade 3. The story in the base game often overlooked her over Shulk and Fiora. The ties to Melia and her becoming the crown princess of Alcamoth where expanded upon here. Having Alcamoth a key area is also important as it acts as the Keves castle in 3.
The Forgotten Entry
The Missing Link, Xenoblade Chronicles X?
Being a hidden gem in the series, it’s lucky it has no impact on the timeline. Xenoblade Chronicles X does not currently have any direct links to the main trilogy. It slots between Xenoblade 1 and 2 release wise yet it has no connections to either. Aside from a few of 1‘s voice actors providing their voices for the customisable avatar protagonist.
It is very distinctively different from any other entry with it being a online Open world JRPG. It is seeming Monolith Soft’s experiment for how they could do a open world game. As shortly after they began work on The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
Elma (X‘s main focus character) does appear in Xenoblade 2‘s DLC as a Blade however this is non-canon. Monolith Soft could very easily link X into the future of the series somehow. Alas for now, it remains as an alternate universe entry just using the mechanics of the series. The plot involves a lot of sci-fi elements so they could very easily link in within the series timeline. It could even take place before the experiment ordeal. Especially with how both have links to intergalactic threats.
What are your thoughts on Xenoblade Chronicles 1‘s story? Let us know down below what some of your favourite moments are! Make sure to check out the other parts of this Xenoblade trilogy recap!
