This is a really great concise recap, but I can't believe you forgot the ardanian soldier. DON'T FORGET HIM.

“Which eligible bachelorette did Rex end up with?” *My brother in Christ he TOOK THEM ALL*

Rex wasn't lying, he really did love all of them

Turters alone got more mentions in this video than half of the party members in Xenoblade 1.

For those who are curious, Shulk forms his own Monado through his party's combined strength, yes, but it is ultimately Alvis who grants him the power. As providence incarnate, he was playing on both Zanza and Shulk's sides to determine who should become the ruler of the new world. As we see at the end of the game, he picks Shulk over Zanza. To quote the Monado Archive: "As the entity managing and granting the existence of gods such as Zanza and Meyneth, he uses the passage of fate to guide this doomed world towards a new existence. He is searching for a new god, one he can trust to liberate this stagnant world, and create a new world teeming with new forms of life." This also ties into the game's Gnostic themes, as seen in this well written excerpt I'm borrowing off of a forum post: The Monado is analogous to the idea of the Monad, a conduit to the divine with a variety of levels depending on closeness to god. These levels are represented in game by each successive Monado power and symbol you obtain. Ultimately Zanza represents the Gnostic demiurge, a physical false god who created a world of suffering who thinks himself to begod. Alvis represents the true god, who exists outside of the physical world who you can only discover within yourself. By the end of the game, Shulk has gone beyond needing to use Zanza as a conduit to be close to god and is able to draw on the power of god on his own. The true Monado. Shulk rejects the destructive impulses of the demiurge, embraces the compassionate god within, and is able to exist outside of the destructive cycle of samsara with his friends. Xenogears fans will also find him analogous to Wave Existence.

One minor critique. you mention that they survive the fall from sword valley due to landing in water and they actually reveal (in like 2 seconds of the 12 hours of cutscenes, this particular one being on the beach after the fall) that it was mayneth that saved them from the fall. That is when Shulk changes his mind about hating mayneth (although he doesn’t actually know who she is at that time)

There's a lot of these "recap" videos being done right now, but as a Xenoblade fan this one is honestly one of the best. Got all of it's facts right, and didn't inject any questionable interpretations or debated points. Cut out some of the unnecessary fluff. Was disappointed by Gamexplains honestly, got a lot of stuff wrong. That would be the recap vid I advise people to avoid.

Friendzone? Buddy, he kept good on his word when he said he loved them "All"

Potentially Important fact about how Shulk got the true monado: When shulk is dead for a bit, alvis visits him in space memory and their conversation leads to shulk putting his hand over his chest and resonating with alvis in a way uncannily similar to how drivers resonate with blades in 2. Its after this moment that shulk comes back to life, and even without zanzas monado, only using a replica, can still have visions and do monado arts. This is because alvis has bestowed a monado upon him, which he awakens physically as Monado III, and it stays with him from that point until he gives it up to wish for his new world after killing Zanza. So yeah just wanted to point out that it did have a legitimate reason and wasnt random.

Which eligible bachelorette did Rex wind up with? Rex: yes.

I find it interesting that the traits that both halves of klaus possess correspond to both halves of the human brain. The right side (emotional, artistic) stayed in the world of Alrest while the left (logical, spoken) went to become the Bionis. We hear the Architect speak many times about the guilt and emotional pain he felt as a result of his action, showing guilt and sadness of how the world had become. And his solution to restoring the world was that of an artistic nature, planting seeds and allowing the world to florish into a budding new civilization, simply watching over it and tweaking things here and there. Then there's Zanza who played in absolutes. "I created this world, therefore I am God" and squashed anyone who might oppose that view. He dealt directly with his ambitions and created calculated plans to bring about his objectives of being the almighty God of his world. His reasoning may have been flawed, but he dealt with words and reason and much less emotional or artistic means. I just thought this was super cool that the literal parts of Kalus's brain are represented in the personalities of both his halves. It may not be intentional in the first game, but it most certainly is by the second.

This is a great recap! Thumbs up, this makes understanding the game that much easier.

Thanks! Waiting for my copy of 3 now in the post. So excited!!

Thank you for this video, I've never played any of the xenoblade games so watching this video really help me to understand the stories of 1 and 2 and lore behind these games. These games were amazing, and I know 3 will be the best. I can't wait to play it!!

Dude, I'm less than 5 minutes into this video and I can already tell this is by far the best recap I've seen. Awesome job on this!

This is fantastic content. Thank you so much for this!

this video was very informative. I don't watch many recap videos, but I got a lot from this one

thanks for putting out this video, very helpful

Thank you for all the work. Great stuff.

This was amazing thank you!!!

Thank yo so much for making this. It's hard to rememebr so may detail having played these games over the span of a decade! Not that I could follow much of it in the first place 🤣🤣

5:55 The High Entia must have already been aware of their alter forms when they captured Zanza, whether through pure knowledge or experience. This was why Melania was destined to be the Empress, being of mixed origins and descendent of multiple generations of mixing, her DNA was deemed worthy by her ancestors to enter the High Entia Tomb to be the next ruler. They have been aware of their destiny of transformation into Telethia, that was why they have been intermixing with Homs for generations to dilute their Telethia gene.

Excellent refresher!!

I'm so glad I watched this because I had forgotten EVERYTHING from the first 2 games somehow. Thanks for the recap

Great recap! 🔥

I can't believe this video doesn't have more views! Is fantastic! Thank you

This was a superb recap. Hits on every major point a new player needs to know going in without muddling all the details (they are amazing details, go play the first two games).

This is the best story recap ever tbh It’s both easy to understand and well put together

Excellent recap!

This isn’t bad but there are few minor errors than might be worth knowing about. I think a key one for understanding the first game and it’s connection to the others is that Alvis didn’t just appear in that XC1 world when all this adventure was happening. He arrived when the souls of the two scientists were just existing, with no bodies and no real life. Alvis created for them both a Monado, which is like a security key to access the power of the Conduit/Zohar. The conduit gets its power from another dimension. Alvis can tap into that power provided by the conduit. And in this new world, Alvis is allowing Zanza and Mayneth to access some of that power through him. This is why they appear as gods but Zanza is technically a demiurge type of character, commonly used in Xeno games (e.g. Deus in Gears). Alvis is connected to everything happening in the world of XC1 and responsible for the power the two scientists were given there as gods. He didn’t just vanish from our world (XC2 world) and find himself in a world with two big titans. He is the one that bestowed the Monados upon them, giving them the ability to have Titan bodies, create life etc.

This is a nice recap for me being a new Xenoblade player since i did't play XBC 1(it could't grab me.) and now being halfway into 3 this does help to fill in some gaps.

Xenogears OG here, keep it coming with this great content! 😎🙏 🍄🌙🍩

I love the hell out of this franchise. Thanks for the refresher!

PEFECT VIDEO. Thank you so much!,

Amazing vid, ty.

Amazing video!

23:52 Xenoblade 3 Ending: "Are you sure about that?"

This was a good lore refresher. I think I actually might have understood some things for the first time.

Very well done and concise video, thanks for the summary and all your recent videos on XC3. cheers~

"Which bachelorette did rex end up with?" Haha. All of them.

Much appreciated, for this breakdown. The vastness of the lore is what was stopping me from getting part 3, having no desire to play the earlier titles.

9:06 / 9:12 the music you put here in the following scene is absolutely haunting. It's beautiful

Never cared for 2 so Barley played it but loved the hell out of the first game so thank you for this. I just hope I can get into 3. I'm hearing great things about it so it's got me excited.

Thanks for the video!! it was amazing

“Rex friendzones Nia hard.” About that… X-D

Shulk got his Monado thanks to Alvis. Zanza is a mere demiurge, Alvis is the true god of that universe.

5:06 I think Zanza wanted to kill the Machina because they were sharing their technological advancements with the people of Bionis. They were a big factor to why the species were worshipping him less and living longer lives (thus hindering the cycle of returning to the Bionis)

Well done!

I noticed Gael'gar, the High Entia villain from Future Connected, was completely left out of this recap. I'm guessing that means he's not gonna be returning or even referenced in 3. Either that or the mere mention of him is preview NDA.

Well this explains some of the world and lore of XC3-like the great sword… *Nice job man!* I’ve played XC2 & 3. Eventually I’ll grab and go through 1. Here’s hoping for a X port-played that one too-and sequel one day…

"Which girl did Rex end up with?" (When you learn the spoilers) *Cuts to Yami Yugi screaming 'NO! IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ME! NOT HIM! IT'S NOT FAIRRRR!'*

Wait so we don't need a complete understanding of Xenogears lore, perfect works, gnosticism and psychoanalysis?

16:50 Shulk "creates" his monado thanks to Alvis, remember HE is the real monado and he is a core of the trinity processor wich in turn is an aegis blade in the original universe (Side note thats why Malos´ weapon is a monado too) So basicly Alvis and Shulk "resonates" as blade and driver to take control away from Zanza; thats why Alvis thech Shulk how to use some abilities of the monado and at the end he ask Shulk about the kind of world he whises to create.

Great recap!

27:53 Who did Rex end up with? Spoiler: Yes

If anybody watching this video, having not played XC1 and XC2, and thinking ‘hot damn diddly these cutscenes are incredible.’ Trust me, the cutscenes are better in-game, after hours of gameplay and becoming intensely familiar with the world and the characters.

Bravo, John

In fairness, connection between XB 1 and two have already happen. Don’t need the 3rd game and yes you could say that the Xeno series has a common theme. The conduit is in every Xeno game

Using the final cutscene song from xenoblade 2 for the ending of this video... "That below belt" :_(

27:39 I’m pretty sure Xenoblade 2 ends in the Xenoblade 1 universe with Pnuema transporting everyone to it. The Titans connect together with the remains of Bionis and Mechonis, pretty obvious by how areas from both games are fused together in Xenoblade 3. Also pyra and Mythra probably appear separate because of shulks wish for a world without gods, meaning that pyra and Mythra can still exist but not Pneuma

Aaaaaas we know now, nia might have also had some fun with rex. (Ending of XB3) :D

Hi so I've had XC1 and 2 on my backlog for YEARS. I've put a few hours in to both but nothing substantial enough to get more than a basis for their stories. However, Im SO hyped for 3 because I've always really wanted to love these games. I know that they're all connected, I just don't know how. Would I massively lose out on the experience of 3 if i started with it and then beat 1 and 2 later?

For those in the know, Rex definitely didn't friendzoned Nia.

Wait, Klaus/the architect designed the trinity processors? I thought the organization on earth (before Klaus activated the conduit) did that.

Incredible work, John.

Best recap.

Pretty nice recap!

I made it to the last boss of XBC1, and I made it far in XBC2, but didnt get to the juicy last bits. Thanks for this recap of the thick essentials so I can play XBC3 with clear vision!

I find quite interesting why Dickson name wasn't changed at all.

The monado is a tool that brings it's user's will to reality, (I know Xenoblade has tons of gnostic themes, but it also reminds me of how the tetragrammaton can be understood as meaning, "Causes to become" which is very much what the Monado does) Shulk attaining his own could be easily handwaved as some mixture of Shulk's will being stronger than Zanza's(Shulk's will affecting reality can be seen when he manages to damage faced mechon before the monado II upgrade, he's overpowering the restriction Zanza placed on it even if just a little). Or him using the monado for so long it's powers rubbed off on him, any mixture of that and a few other things are all alluded to much more than just power of friendship asspull.

I think this is the only RPG franchise i truly feel like i'm playing a shonen anime, with all the power scaling and shit

"This planet. There is something about this planet" biggest cliffhanger I am still waiting tk be resolved. but if i can wait almost 20 years for a story after Metroid Fusion, I can wait for what happens after XBX....hopefully.

Just recently started Xenoblade 1 on switch, I'm worried it'll be years before I'm up to playing 3 😅

*Me: pre ordering Xenoblade 3 because the direct made me fall in love with the presumable good vibes the party will eventually have. As well as cool robots fusions and an overall beautiful looking world and intriguing story *Also me: checking online to see if the stories are connected from Xeno 1 and Xeno 2. Watching this entire video (twice) and still being confused lol I really hope Xeno 3 is gonna be ok for people who haven't played the other games

23:50, 26:28, & 27:51I think we all underestimated how much of a CHAD Rex is...

To become a queen u need to be friend zoned But at least Nia manage to nailed rex

"Everyone is happy except for Nia"

17:00 isn’t Alvis the third Monado?

The core of ontos left during the Experiment, and was never made an aegis

That cutscene where Rex loves all his friends,not just exclusively Nia will never not be funny. At the moment, sad. But after beating the game it is just the funniest friend zone I have ever seen

Thanks very much for the summary! Is the thing about Alvis being Ontos confirmed? That really sounds like a Fan-theory to me...

Malos wants to destroy the humans. because he is imprinted by Amalthus hate, and wants to talk and then destroy the architect because he wants to know if he has any degree of free will. Jin wants to destroy humans because he saw what they do, for instance people like Amalthus do, take blades as slaves, controls their destiny, their culture, hence it goes beyond what happened to Lora. He wants to kill the architect because he is the responsible for creating this system, which is oppressive for blades (Jin does not know the details of why the architect created all things the way they are, so that is the only conclusion he could get). Amalthus wants to use his power to create a world he seems fit, and he came to hate the current world because him himself came to see the worst in it froma very young age.

I love how zanza set up this whole big infinite cycle of self sustainning genocide just for him to get his shit rocked by some goofballs the litteral first fucking time.

let's not forget that the cycle zanza wished to perpetuate is known as ouroboros

Maybe 3 will take concept similiar to Nier, with heavy emphasis on nihilism and stuff. When they exist in a world with no gods, some people will create fake purpose for it's inhabitants or something

0:56 Yeahhh… about that…

8:56 Wasn’t Addam 4th in line to the Torna throne?

24:15 There is Post Battle Dialogue where Rex does follow up on that confession. If you want to hear it, I suggest checking out the XC2 Bonus Video from Chuggaaconroy

Can you save the game anywhere? Or do you have to find save points?

This video really helps, I’m already well into Xenoblade Chronicles 3 but this video is a great recap of everything that came before that’s linked to it and with having put in well over 200 hours into XC2 if the story was more or less like this recap I probably would have been just as invested in its overall plot (but believe me, I like the characters of XC2 just not the story, and yes, I do believe that’s possible)

Correction. Addam was fourth in line to the Tornan throne

can anyone please share the music name from 3:37? I tried finding it for ages

Which eligible bachelorette did Rex end up with? Yes

what if i want too add xenoblade chronicles x what time line does it come after xenoblade 1 i like too play the spin off the other games xenosaga i played as a kid on the ps2 and beaten them all . but i want too play xenoblade and chronicles x

My name proves which game I like the most rn lol. but great recap! Alvis is one of my favorite characters as well, just had to throw that in lol

Whoa! Nia becomes queen in xb3 😮😮

Im about to start the Torna expac. Do I need lore from there? I want to know if I can watch this video without spoiling my Torna experience.

23:53 He didn't friend zone her, and he sure wasn't lying.

Great video!

Quick note, the Architect doesn't say that Shulk is killing him. he just knows that his other half is probably going to die soon, and when it does, the conduit will be gone.