The Best Plot Twist in JRPG History Has Yet to Be Topped 16 Years Later (And It’s Not from Final Fantasy or Persona)
The JRPG genre is known for containing some of the most complex, emotional narratives in all gaming. For many gamers, the JRPG genre is synonymous with series like Final Fantasy, Persona, and Dragon Quest, and each of these franchises has a storied history of fantastic world-building and storytelling. However, the Xenoblade Chronicles series has quietly risen to the top of the genre’s most iconic franchises in recent years, and this success is largely due to the emotional weight of the first game’s biggest plot twist.
Although developers like Square Enix and Atlus are considered the juggernauts of the JRPG genre, Nintendo’s Monolith Soft has shown that it can go toe-to-toe with the likes of Final Fantasy and Persona. Xenoblade Chronicles‘ real-time action-based combat system and character build possibilities helped to engross players who enjoy deep combat mechanics, but its story is the real selling point of the game. Despite its dated Wii graphics, Xenoblade Chronicles shines as an example of gripping storytelling, addictive combat, and a vibrant world worth exploring every inch of, and its narrative hasn’t been topped to this day.
The following contains MASSIVE spoilers for Xenoblade Chronicles.
The 90 OpenCritic JRPG Remake That Proves Choice Still Matters Over Cinematics and Spectacle (& It’s Not Final Fantasy Rebirth)
A beloved classic RPG recently got a hefty remake, serving as a reminder that blockbuster cinematics aren’t the end-all, be-all for game storytelling.
Xenoblade Chronicles Set the Standard for JRPG Narrative Twists 16 Years Ago
The story of Xenoblade Chronicles is set on the bodies of two titans, the Bionis and the Mechonis, who were frozen in battle eons before life developed on them. The organic lifeforms of the Bionis have been under siege from the Mechons of Mechonis in a war that has plagued the two titans for centuries. Players take control of Shulk, a young engineer from the village of Colony 9, along with allies like 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 the mysterious sword known as the Monado, which gives him glimpses of the future when he’s in danger. After a Mechon attack on Colony 9, Shulk and his allies set out on a quest to reach the source of the Mechon on Mechonis, ultimately leading to some jaw-dropping revelations about the world they live in. However, the biggest twist in the game is far more grounded and personal, leaving an emotional scar on anyone who experiences it.
The Emotional Stakes Are Set for Xenoblade Chronicles’ Story Early
Xenoblade Chronicles‘ early story beats are fairly uneventful as Shulk goes about his daily life in Colony 9, exploring nearby caves with Reyn and sharing a relaxing moment with Fiora. This peaceful life is interrupted by the inciting incident of the game, where Colony 9 is attacked by a swarm of Mechon, 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 sending Shulk into a rage that sparks his quest for revenge.
JRPG franchises like Final Fantasy and Persona are no strangers to killing off key characters to elevate the stakes of their plots. But Xenoblade Chronicles‘ choice to kill off Fiora in the first chapter of the game is a choice that sets up an emotionally charged quest and world-shattering reveal later on in the game that few of its peers have ever been able to accomplish, let alone beat. Even when the plot slows down later in the game, the overarching drive to avenge Fiora keeps players hooked until this twist rears its head.
Xenoblade Chronicles Major Plot Twist Flips These Emotional Stakes on Their Head
On their journey toward Mechonis, Shulk and his friends end up having to cross Prison Island, where they find Zanza, a giant from Bionis, imprisoned. During their encounter with this character, who teaches Shulk how to unlock the true power of the Monado, Metal Face returns with a silver-faced Mechon and attacks the party. After this battle, Silver Face’s outer plating is broken, revealing that Fiora is inside piloting the Mechon.
This twist completely changes both the player’s and Shulk’s perspective of this world, where what were believed to be machines are actually being piloted by humans. Not only that, but Fiora is still alive, and Shulk is flushed with a wave of emotional relief that has been weighing on the party since the beginning of the game. After crushing the Mechon Factory at Galahad Fortress and defeating Metal Face for good, Fiora is saved and returns to the party, albeit with a mechanical body.
Most Xenoblade Chronicles players would assume this is the finale of the game, since the driving force behind the plot thus far has been resolved. However, this only marks the midpoint of the game, and a new, greater threat emerges after Shulk and Fiora are reunited.
It’s Been 30 Years And We Still Never Got A Sequel To The Best And Most Unlikely JRPG Team-Up Of All Time
There have been tons of great JRPGs over the years, but this beloved gem from 1996 is 30 years overdue the sequel it desperately deserves.
Xenoblade Chronicles Almost Didn’t Release in North America
While the story of Xenoblade Chronicles and its impressive emotional twist is now firmly etched in JRPG history, the game almost skipped a North American release entirely. Xenoblade Chronicles originally launched in Japan in 2010 and Europe in 2011, but wouldn’t make its way to North America until 2012 after the fan movement known as Operation Rainfall successfully petitioned Nintendo to release it along with the games Pandora’s Tower and The Last Story in the region. Without Operation Rainfall, it’s unlikely Xenoblade Chronicles would be as renowned as it has become, and a large portion of its target audience would have missed out on one of JRPG history’s best narratives.
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 Has Exploded Thanks to the Original Game’s Success
- 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 multiple sequels, spin-offs, and re-releases. This first entry has been released on the 3DS as Xenoblade Chronicles 3D, and on the Switch as Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition, which includes the Future Connected epilogue that wasn’t available on the original release. These games all owe it to the original Wii version of Xenoblade Chronicles that gripped players with its beautiful world and compelling narrative that still reigns as the pinnacle of JRPG stories 16 years after it was released.
- Released
-
May 29, 2020
- ESRB
-
T For Teen Due To Blood, Mild Language, Partial Nudity, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco, Violence
- Publisher(s)
-
Nintendo
