The JRPG genre is known for having some of the most complex, emotional stories in all of gaming. For many gamers, the JRPG genre is synonymous with similar series Final Fantasy, Personaand Dragon Questand each of these franchises has a rich history of fantastic world-building and storytelling. However, Xenoblade Chronicles series has quietly risen to the top of the genre's most iconic franchises in recent years, and that success is largely due to the emotional weight of the first game's biggest plot twist.
While developers like Square Enix and Atlus are considered juggernauts in the JRPG genre, Nintendo's Monolith Soft has shown that it can hold its own against the likes of Final Fantasy and Persona. Xenoblade Chronicles” The action-packed combat system and real-time character building capabilities helped attract players who like deep combat mechanics, but its story is the game's real selling point. Despite its outdated Wii graphics, Xenoblade Chronicles shines as an example of engaging storytelling, addictive combat, and a vibrant world worth every inch of exploration, and its storytelling has not been surpassed to this day.
The following contains MASSIVE spoilers for Xenoblade Chronicles.
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Xenoblade Chronicles set the standard for JRPG narrative twists 16 years ago
The story of Xenoblade Chronicles takes place on the bodies of two titans, Bionis and Mechoni, who were frozen in eons of battle before life evolved on them. The organic lifeforms of the Bionis were under siege by the Mechons of the Mechoni in a war that had plagued the two Titans for centuries. Players take control of Shulk, a young engineer from the village of Colony 9, along with allies such as his close friends Reyn and Fiora, along with Fiora's older brother and war hero Dunban.
The central plot revolves around Shulk's use of a mysterious sword known as the Monado, which allows him to see into the future when he is in danger. After the Mechons attack Colony 9, Shulk and his allies set out on a quest to reach the Mechon source on the Mechonis, which eventually leads to some startling revelations about the world they inhabit. However, the game's biggest twist is much more grounded and personal, and will leave an emotional scar on anyone who experiences it.
The emotional stakes are set for Xenoblade Chronicles Early's story
Xenoblade ChroniclesThe first snippets of the story are fairly flat as Shulk goes about his daily life in Colony 9, exploring the nearby caves with Reyn and sharing moments of rest with Fiora. This peaceful life is interrupted by an inciting in-game incident where Colony 9 is attacked by a swarm of Mechons, including a never-before-seen Mechon with a face known as Metal Face. The climax of this chapter occurs when Metal Face uses his massive metal claws to impale Fiora, killing her and enraging Shulk, who fuels his desire for revenge.
JRPG franchises like Final Fantasy and Persona they are no strangers to killing off key characters to raise the stakes of their plot. But Xenoblade ChroniclesThe choice to kill Fiora in the first chapter of the game is one that sets up an emotionally charged quest and later in the game reveals a world-shattering revelation that few of his peers have ever been able to accomplish, let alone defeat. Although the plot slows down later in the game, the overarching quest to avenge Fiora will keep players hooked until this twist rears its head.
Xenoblade Chronicles Major Plot Twist flips these emotional pegs on their head
On their way towards Mechonis, Shulk and his friends must cross Prison Island, where they find Zanza, a giant from Bionis, imprisoned. During their encounter with this figure, who teaches Shulk how to unlock the true power of the Monad, Metal Face returns with a silver Mechon and attacks the group. After this battle, Silver Face's outer plate is broken, revealing that Fiora is inside, controlling the Mechon.
This twist completely changes both the player and Shulk's view of this world where what were thought to be machines are actually piloted by humans. Not only that, but Fiora is still alive and Shulk is washed over by a wave of emotional relief that has been washing over the party since the beginning of the game. After crushing the Mechon factory at Galahad's fortress and definitively defeating Metal Face, Fiora is rescued and returns to the party, albeit with a mechanical body.
Most Xenoblade Chronicles players would assume this is the finale of the game, as the thrust of the plot has thus far been resolved. However, this only marks the midpoint of the game, and a new, bigger threat emerges after Shulk and Fiora are reunited.
It's been 30 years and we still haven't gotten a sequel to the best and most unlikely JRPG team ever
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Xenoblade Chronicles almost didn't come out in North America
While the story of Xenoblade Chronicles and its impressive emotional twist is now firmly etched in JRPG history, the game almost completely skipped a North American release. Xenoblade Chronicles originally launched in Japan in 2010 and Europe in 2011, but wouldn't come to North America until 2012 after a fan movement known as Operation Rainfall successfully petitioned Nintendo to release it alongside Pandora's Tower and The Last Story in the region. This is unlikely without Operation Rainfall Xenoblade Chronicles would be as well-known as it did, and a large portion of its target audience would be missing out on one of the best stories in JRPG history.
Originally, Xenoblade Chronicles was sold exclusively at GameStop, making it a rare find even after it was released in North America.
The Xenoblade Chronicles series exploded due to the success of the original game
- Xenoblade Chronicles – Wii, 2010
- Xenoblade Chronicles 3D – 3DS, 2015
- Xenoblade Chronicles X – Wii U, 2015
- Xenoblade Chronicles 2 – Switch, 2017
- Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition – 2020
- Xenoblade Chronicles 3 – 2022
- Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition – 2025
Since its original release in 2010, Xenoblade Chronicles has seen several sequels, spin-offs and re-releases. This first entry was released on 3DS as Xenoblade Chronicles 3Dand on the switch like Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Editionwhich includes the Future Connected epilogue that was not available in the original version. All of these games owe it to the original Wii version Xenoblade Chronicles that captivated players with its beautiful world and compelling narrative that still reigns as the pinnacle of JRPG stories 16 years after its release.
- Released
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May 29, 2020
- ESRB
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T for minors due to blood, mild language, partial nudity, alcohol and tobacco use, violence
- Publishers
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Nintendo
