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Please Note: Characters Tora and Vandham have been omitted as they do not equip traditional Blades. Legendary Blades that first appear with the characters will be omitted. It’s advisable that each character’s Legendary Blade is in every three-Blade roster.
Updated on May 19, 2021, by Reyadh Rahaman: Each Blade varies from others by possessing unique stats and skills, particularly their Blade Specials, Blade Arts, Battle Skills, and Field Skills. These aspects help to determine which Blade is the right fit for a given Driver, though a player’s personal preferences are also crucial factors. In addition to combat-related traits, be sure to take note of a Blade’s non-combat ones, as they can be quite helpful while traveling and exploring.
10 Zenobia
Equip To: Rex
It’s very lucky for a player to find this rare Blade early on in a random core. Zenobia is by far one of the best Blades that can be equipped to Rex besides his Legendary Blades Pyra or Mythra. Zenobia’s an incredibly strong Attack type which suits Rex’s Fighter class perfectly. Her weapon of choice is a greataxe and her wind element won’t create any overlap with Rex’s Legendary Blade. If her character design seems a bit familiar, that’s because she was designed by Minoru Iwamoto of Tales of Vesperia.
Blade Specials
Lv. 1: Diabolic Zephyr - Gently raise the axe overhead then bring it down crashing Lv. 2: Adamantine Axe - Quickly raise the axe overhead and attack quickly Lv. 3: Ascension Blade - Fly around cutting up the enemy with powerful slash attacks Lv. 4: Twixt Heaven & Hell - Strike down on the enemy from on high with a powerful weapon
Blade Arts
Recharge Boost - Boosts Driver recharge for an auto-attack Arts Plus - Boosts the power of the next Driver Art Critical Up - Increase critical hit rate
Battle Skills
Carnage - Increases the damage dealt when battling a boss or unique enemy The Indomitable - Increases the damage dealt to higher-level enemies Greatest Warrior - Increases the damage dealt for each enemy in the battle
Field Skills
Lv. 5: Wind Mastery - Determines proficiency with the wind element Lv. 5: Superstrength - Extraordinary physical strength. Used to break things, lift them up, etc Lv. 5: Leaping - The power to jump. Used to reach high places
9 Agate
Equip To: Rex
It might seem a bit repetitive to go with another greataxe user, but that particular Blade weapon of choice is a good fit with Rex. If it’s preferable to mix it up, by all means, do so. There aren’t really any wrong choices in Xenoblade Chronicles 2, there are just some that are better than others making for a smoother experience. Agate is also a user of the Earth element, so you won’t have any overlap in a Character Party with Mythra and Zenobia.
Blade Specials
Lv. 1: Heliodor Passion - The thrown weapon spins and cuts up the enemy Lv. 2: Star Beryl Courage - Swing the weapon down with all your strength as if digging Lv. 3: Rhodochrosite Might - Attack the enemy by smashing up a crystal Lv. 4: Invincible Moldavite - Launch an attack while spinning the weapon around
Blade Arts
Critical Up - Increases critical hit rate Accuracy Up - Increases accuracy
Battle Skills
Razor-Sharp Iolite - Increases damage dealt by the party by 25% to 50% at max Affinity Tanzanite Pursuer - Increases damage dealt to toppled enemies by 50% to 150% Tiger’s Eye Wrecker - Increases damage dealt to insects by 40% to 80%
Field Skills
Lv. 3: Prospecting - Discover never-before-seen precious stones (exclusive to Agate) Lv. 3: Mineralogy - Possesses knowledge related to minerals Lv. 3: Keen Eye - The power to see things clearly. Used to notice small changes, etc
8 Roc
Equip To: Rex (or Zeke)
If a playstyle calls for a little more variety for Team Rex than three scantily clad females, look no further than Roc. Roc will not be found right away or in a random core. This Legendary Blade only becomes available at a certain spoiler-heavy portion of the main story. Since he uses the element of Wind, it’s best to sub him for Zenobia’s spot to keep your elements varied. If Roc is someone a player would like on the roster, but not with Rex, he’s a good option for Zeke as well.
Blade Specials
Lv. 1: Death Wing - Combine the Dual Scythes and throw them at the enemy Lv. 2: Crushing Twister - Take the enemy by surprise with acrobatic movements Lv. 3: Feather Typhoon - Create a giant vortex to suck up the enemy in one go Lv. 4: Crimson Storm - Roc follows up a Driver attack with an assault from the air
Blade Arts
Back Attack Up - Increases backstab damage and halves aggro Arts Plus - Boosts the power of the next Driver Art
Battle Skills
Sickle - Reduces aggro build-up from attacks by 20% to 40% Storm and Stress - Increases damage dealt by 60% to 100% for 30 seconds after the start of a battle Swoop - Increases damage dealt from the back by 20% to 100%
Field Skills
Lv. 3: Wind Mastery - Determines proficiency with the wind element Lv. 1: Miasma Dispersal - Disperse poison gas emitted by Titans (exclusive to Roc) Lv. 3: Lockpicking - The power to open various things. Works on doors, treasure troves, etc
7 Nim
Equip To: Nia
Nia has a lot of great Blade options here because all of her best Blades look so unique. Keep in mind that Nia is the main Healer and if you want to max her to Master Healer, it’s going to be imperative to make sure she’s using three Healer type Blades. Nim fills that Healer role and also brings the Earth element to the party.
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Notice that Earth hasn’t shown up in Rex’s Blade roster. This is most definitely by design; it’s best to keep the element types as varied as possible.
Blade Specials
Lv. 1: Fierce Healer - Shoot out your own ether as a shockwave Lv. 2: Wild Grappler - Rush in wielding a weapon of concentrated ether Lv. 3: Organic Automata - Kit and Sunny emit a laser beam Lv. 4: Earth Priestess - After a series of attacks, hit the enemy with a high-power laser shot
Blade Arts
Accuracy Up - Increases Accuracy Back Attack Up - Increases backstab damage and halves aggro
Battle Skills
Restorative Fusion - Restores party’s HP on starting Fusion Combo with the effect improving on higher difficulty Synthesis Lore - Boosts Fusion Combo effect by 50% Wild Familiars - Increase the damage dealt to beasts by 80%
Field Skills
Lv. 3: Earth Mastery - Determines proficiency with the earth element Lv. 3: Ichthyology - Possesses knowledge related to fish Lv. 3: Phonex Linguistics - The power to speak with Phonexes (exclusive to Nim)
6 Ursula
Equip To: Nia
As stated, it’s best to keep Elemental types as varied as possible, so equipping Nia with this Ice-type Healer is a great idea. Earlier it was mentioned that Nia will have a pretty unique-looking party. Nim looks like a human and deer hybrid, and Ursula comes to the party with her very own polar bear familiar that will make a seasoned JRPG player think back to Ni No Kuni, but more importantly, it makes for a rather dynamic Character Menu screen!
Blade Specials
Lv. 1: Beary Strong - Beary swipes his ice claws and mows down the enemy Lv. 2: Beary Helpful - Beary attacks the enemy with an ice shockwave Lv. 3: Beary-Go-Round - Beary spins round and overwhelms all enemies in range Lv. 4: Ursine Phantasm - Attack with an uppercut while Beary rushes the enemy
Blade Arts
Debuff Cancel - Cancels debuffs on allies
Battle Skills
Snow Charm - When Affinity reaches max, grants the party a damage barrier Beary Healing - Heals party’s HP upon performing a Blade Switch Hide and Seek - Reduces aggro drawn from Specials and Driver Arts
Field Skills
Lv. 5: Harmony - Have fun playing beautiful music (exclusive to Ursula) Lv. 3: Ichthyology - Possesses knowledge related to fish Lv. 3: Fortitude - The power to endure hardships. It even helps with boring jobs
5 Boreas
Equip To: Nia
Nim, Ursula, and Dromarch are Nia’s ideal roster. Unfortunately, most Blades are found randomly in Xenoblade Chronicles 2 by opening cores. There’s never a guarantee any of these Blades will actually be found unless what might amount to hundreds of hours are sunk into the game. Boreas, a gigantic ball with the head of a rabbit, is a Wind type.
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It might require some moving around with other characters if you decide to put him on your roster and keep elemental abilities varied.
Blade Specials
Lv. 1: Open Wide! - Cover your whole body with wind ether and charge Lv. 2: Snack On This! - Chew a Bitball and shoot out balls of energy Lv. 3: Gobble ’em Up! - Shoot out a laser while in the air and eradicate your enemies Lv. 4: Gobble Gobble! - Jump after a spinning attack to fire a hail of bullets
Blade Arts
Accuracy Up - Increases Accuracy Recharge Boost - Boosts Driver recharge for an auto-attack
Battle Skills
Tasty Snack - Heals party for 40% to 60% of max HP when defeating an enemy Look Out! - Increases evasion rate by 13% to 45% when Affinity is at max Twang! - Adds a 30% to 50% chance of Knockback when attacked by an enemy
Field Skills
Lv. 3: Nopon Wisdom - Knowledge related to Nopon. Decode writing, speak Nopon, etc Lv. 3: Salvaging Mastery - Possesses knowledge related to salvaging Lv. 3: Fleet of Foot - Move faster than the eye can see (exclusive to Boreas)
4 Electra
Equip To: Morag
Morag is the second option for the team’s Defender. It’s best to stick with Tora and Poppi for that role but it’s a bad idea to totally neglect any character. Part of the strategy involved with Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is swapping Drivers and Blades in and out of the party line-up for certain battles. Electra only has one Aux Core, but her Electricity element is unused at this point and she’s a very powerful Tank type Blade.
Blade Specials
Lv. 1: Bang-Bang Bound - Hit the ground while cheerfully jumping and bounding Lv. 2: Shocking Assault - Charge forward after charging up electric ether Lv. 3: Rolling Thunder - Create thunder clouds and attack enemies in range with lightning strikes Lv. 4: Electrifying Show - Electra hits her weapon like a drum to trigger a shockwave
Blade Arts
Absorb Damage - Erects a barrier that absorbs a fixed amount of damage Draw Aggro - Draw aggro from enemies in battle
Battle Skills
Sparky Girl - Counters attacks with ether damage Zappy Girl - Increases aggro every second Clangy Girl - Increases block rate
Field Skills
Lv. 5: Electric Mastery - Determines proficiency with the electricity element Lv. 3: Focus - The power to focus on one thing. Also used to control one’s power Lv. 5: Mastery of Thunder - The power to control electricity (exclusive to Electra)
3 Kasandra
Equip To: Morag
Since regular Blades can’t be equipped to the go-to Defender (Tora), there’s no reason not to stick this tremendously powerful Tank type Blade with Morag. Kasandra has a superhero-like alter-ego that comes forth when performing specials, adding a bit of fun to any battle she’s a part of.
Blade Specials
Lv. 1: Sentimental Burst - Condense dark ether until it explodes Lv. 2: Hidden Emotion - Hit the shield while in the air, and emit a large amount of healing Lv. 3: Secret Desire - Enter unconscious state with the mask and draw out your true power Lv. 4: Melancholic Break - Offer prayers to your shield, then release a large number of bandages
Blade Arts
Draw Aggro - Draw aggro from enemies in battle Arts Plus - Boosts the power of the next Driver Art
Battle Skills
Calamity - Slightly raises aggro every second and increases all attack aggro Fortune - Absorbs critical damage dealt as HP Stability - Increases damage dealt from the front
Field Skills
Lv. 3: Nopon Wisdom - Knowledge related to Nopon. Decode writing, speak Nopon, etc Lv. 3: Agronomy - Possesses knowledge related to vegetables Lv. 3: One Lucky Gal - Chase luck, but find only misfortune (exclusive to Kasandra)
2 Vale
Equip To: Zeke
It’s unlikely that Zeke is going to see much use. He doesn’t become playable until late game and fills the Fighter role that it’s best to keep Rex in. Since it’s still advisable to make sure Zeke is useful in a pinch, definitely give him Vale if she’s found in a core. She’s a powerful Attack type that uses the rather uncommon element of Darkness.
Blade Specials
Lv. 1: Blood Altar - Slap the enemy with the side of your weapon, then go on the attack Lv. 2: Tainted Palace - Seal enemy movements and pierce with the lance as far as possible Lv. 3: Accursed Prison - Throw your weapon twice, then hit the enemy with a drop attack Lv. 4: Dark Drama - Lose control completely and batter the enemy with the lance
Blade Arts
Back Attack Up - Increases backstab damage and halves aggro Critical Up - Increase critical hit rate Arts Plus - Boosts the power of the next Driver Art
Battle Skills
Violence Machine - Increases damage dealt each time a Special is used Void Lance - Increases damage dealt from the side Overture of Blood - Increases damage dealt to launched enemies
Field Skills
Lv. 3: Dark Mastery - Determines proficiency with the darkness element Lv. 3: Weaving - Use looms to weave gorgeous fabrics (exclusive to Vale) Lv. 3: Girl’s Talk - Talk openly, girl-to-girl
1 KOS-MOS
Equip To: Zeke
KOS-MOS is very powerful and it might be tempting to stick her with Rex. It may also be tempting to experiment with other Drivers whose class she doesn’t directly compliment. Keep in mind there are other Blades already well-suited for Rex, but KOS-MOS is so powerful. Get her into the roster by equipping her to Zeke. Having her Light element available to round out the party’s elements is a good boon.
Blade Specials
Lvl. 1: R-Blade - Charges energy inside the cannon and unleashes it by cutting the enemy down Lvl. 2: H-Effect R - Develops the Hilbert Effect and changes the course of battle Lvl. 3: F-G-Shot - After charging energy, shoots out scattered laser beams Lvl. 4: X-Buster - Fires powerful concentrated laser beams, but only when energy reserves are full
Blade Arts
Recharge Boost - Boosts Driver recharge for an auto-attack Arts Plus - Boosts the power of the next Driver Art Critical Up - Increases critical hit rate
Battle Skills
Phase Transition Tech - Annuls enemy defense and increases Special damage dealt by 60% to 100% Hyperclock - Deal 60% to 100% more damage and takes 10% to 30% less damage at max Affinity Encephalon - Reduces aggro build-up from attacks by 20% to 40%
Field Skills
Lv. 3: Light - Determines proficiency with the light element Lv. 3: Lockpicking - The power to open various things. Works on doors, treasure troves, etc Lv. 3: Mental Arithmetic - Perform complex calculations at speed (exclusive to KOS-MOS)
All of these options are not set in stone. It’s possible these Blades won’t be found on a first play-through. Like any good JRPG, the system is rather intricate and will take some experimenting.
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