Thanks to the official Nintendo Twitter account, many details have been revealed about Xenoblade Chronicles 3, including seven playable characters. With the recent swap of Splatoon 3 and Xenoblade Chronicles 3 in Nintendo's release schedule, Xenoblade has gotten quite a ramp-up in marketing. Because of this, players know a lot about this game ahead of its new summer release date of July 29, 2022.
The newest game in the Xenoblade Chronicles series centers around the conflict between members of the opposing nations of Keves and Agnus, on a journey to stop a seemingly endless cycle of violence. While the first two games' stories were fairly disconnected, and players could play Xenoblade Chronicles 2 without playing the first, this doesn't seem to be the case this time around. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 will conclude the Xenoblade story and connect the first two games. Luckily, with the release of Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition, the entire main series of games is available to play on Nintendo Switch.
With all currently confirmed characters, there are seven playable characters in Xenoblade Chronicles 3. These characters fall into three main types: Attacker, Defender, and Healer. In addition to fighting as individuals, there is also a fusion mechanic called Interlinking that allows predetermined pairs of characters to form and become a mech-like form called Ouroboros. Each pair has one character from Keves and another from Agnus, reinforcing the game's themes of unity to bring together individuals from the two opposing nations.
Noah Is The Main Protagonist From Keves In Xenoblade Chronicles 3
One of the two main characters of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is Noah, an off-seer from the nation of Keves. In Xenoblade Chronicles 3, an off-seer helps fallen soldiers find their way to the afterlife, similar to a role played by Yuna in Final Fantasy X. In combat, Noah plays the role of an attacker while wielding a sword that has an undeniable resemblance to the Monado used by the protagonist in the original Xenoblade Chronicles, Shulk. For his Ouroboros form, he Interlinks with Mio.
Mio Is An Off-Seer From Agnus In Xenoblade Chronicles 3
Mio is the other main character of Xenoblade Chronicles 3. Like Noah, she serves as an off-seer for her nation of Agnus, guiding the nation's fallen soldiers in their journey to the afterlife. She also has a pair of cat ears, which has led some fans to theorize that she may have some relation to Nia, from Xenoblade Chronicles 2.
In combat, she's a defender who uses a pair of discs, making her agile and able to stay out of harm's way. Her Ouroboros form is created by Interlinking with Noah. Together, Mio and Noah form the two main playable characters in Xenoblade Chronicles 3.
Eunie Is A Childhood Friend of Noah In XBC 3
Eunie is Noah's childhood friend, similar to the relationship between Reyn and protagonist Shulk in Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition. She has a notable feature of wings sprouting from her head, though no details have been revealed about the purpose or origin of these wings. In combat, she is a healer who uses a Gunrod, a cane-shaped ranged weapon. She is best utilized in the backlines, keeping defenders and attackers in good health. She Interlinks with Taion for her Ouroboros form.
Sena Is The Pint-Sized Powerhouse In Xenoblade Chronicles 3
Sena is a short-tempered soldier from the nation of Agnus. She has a small stature but is still one of the strongest members of the main cast, dealing especially devastating amounts of damage from behind enemies. She utilizes a huge hammer in battle, using it to efficiently deal damage to large areas of enemies. To use her Ouroboros form, she Interlinks with Lanz to form a towering mech resembling those used in spin-off Xenoblade Chronicles X.
XBC 3's Lanz Serves As An Excellent Tank
Like Eunie, Lanz is a childhood friend of Noah's, growing up with him in Keves. He has a formidable figure and is a frontline soldier for the military of Keves. He is the tankiest character in Xenoblade Chronicles 3, serving as a defender using a large sword that can also double as a shield, allowing him to provoke enemies and soak damage for the party. His Ouroboros form is formed by Interlinking with Sena.
In Xenoblade Chronicles 3, Taion Uses Origami To Support The Squad
Taion is a brilliant tactician from the nation of Agnus, using his intellect and his unique origami-like creations, called Katashiro, to support his team. Outside of battle, Taion treats these creations much like pets. In battle, however, Taion's Katashiro and intellect support his teammates with both healing and stat-buffing skills. His Ouroboros is an agile form created by Interlinking with Eunie.
Riku & Manana Fight As A Team In Xenoblade Chronicles 3
Like in the Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition's Future Connected epilogue, the player will fight alongside a pair of Nopon. In a first for the series, the Nopon representatives in Xenoblade Chronicles 3 will fight as a duo. The team of Riku and Manana are allies that the main cast will be able to recruit as a seventh member of the party. No information is currently announced about how the duo will play, but the presence of a shield seems to suggest that they will be a defensive or support character. These Nopon are part of a group of allies known as Heroes that can be added to the main cast of six. The wording and addition of the term 'Heroes' from an official Nintendo Tweet seems to imply there will be other Heroes for the player to recruit throughout their journey, though no other Heroes have currently been revealed.
While the playable character count for Xenoblade Chronicles 3 currently sits at seven, the confirmation of the addition of Heroes as additional seventh party members seems to suggest that there will be more on the way, whether they are announced before launch or not. With the rate that Nintendo is putting out news on the game, though, it seems likely that more recruitable Heroes will be announced ahead of the game's launch on July 29, 2022. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is just one game in Nintendo's packed summer slate that also includes Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes and Mario Strikers: Battle League.