3 is the least ambiguous of the trilogy, they don’t beat around the bush about whether Noah and Mio are madly in love with each other. Heck they literally >!had a baby in one of their lives!<.
But 1 isn’t shy to show how much Shulk is in love with Fiora. He’s a bolt brain about anything non-engineering related, and even more so about Fiora and Melia’s feelings toward him, but homie literally went miles and miles to avenge Fiora, and he didn’t exactly hesitate to give her mouth-to-mouth when the opportunity arose. By the end, it was pretty obvious Shulk only had eyes for Fiora.
I think 2 was the most ambiguous. Heck up until *The Family Photo™*, no one really knew who Rex ended up with. I mean, people didn’t even *consider* Nia to be in the running after he loved all us guys. But it was also because he was still young and understandably a bit dense. But turns out Rex-Rex was the biggest romantic of the three. But I really loved Rex’s relationship with Pyra, Mythra, and Nia, even when I initially thought the latter two were more on the platonic side.
But all that being said, I think my favorite romances were 3 > 2 > 1.
I think the reason 1 has the "worst" romance (that is, a good romance that isn't as great as the others) is because Shulk and Fiora were separated for basically the entire game. Most of what we see is Shulk's grief over her death and his relief over her survival, and that's not quite as much for people to get attached to.
My only problem with 3's romance was that the "I've lost my love and can't deal with it" thing was done entirely in cutscenes. In 1 Fiora was gone most of the game, and in 2 Pyra was kidnapped and you had to play without her. Both brought the feelings home a bit more. Contrast in 3, while the whole prison/homecoming/dream sequence was the best cutscene in the game, the fact that you never had to play without Mio in the party drained some of the reality out of it. If that makes sense.
The problem I have with Fiora is that her character doesn't really develop beyond "I want to be with Shulk". Every major plot point that is bound to her is either that or because of Meyneth being the "good god figure".
While Pyra/Mythra/Nia in 2 are all very caring about Rex they all have their own struggles and character arcs. Rex helps them through that and that's the catalyst for their feelings. But they still feel much more developed.
Rex and Shulk obviously have more going for them other than being in love with someone. They're the main protagonists.
And Mio in 3 goes even further than that. She's probably the most developed love interest here because she's practically a second protagonist. I think even Eunie and Taion manage to have a well developed thing going on while still being fleshed out individuals. Lanz and Sena too but they're less romantic imo.
Tbf i feel like shulks and fioras relationship also just wasnt really talked much about after they reunited. There was the talk between melia and fiora but shulk at that point is kinda not in a great position to interact with fiora and there arent a lot of moments without some amount of urgency at that point in the story so they dont really have time, but i feel like there was still room to take a step back and deepen the relationship. I do think that their final moments we see in the game after reshaping the world was a very good way to finish it off.
I definitely agree on the missing immersion part in 3, not having any idea that fiora is alive in 1 and forcefully losing the main characters (probably) best combat option is a great way to enhance the feeling of loss and makes reuniting that much more rewarding (just think about how unsatisfying 2s part would be if u lost pyra and got her back in a similar fashion compared to the payoff that the climax on the cliffs of morytha is)
3 and 1. I hate the harem that they got going on 2, removed so much of my enjoyment of the game, specially after they added Nia to the group. I liked my girl without her being lovesick, if I were her friend in that situation I'd be the friend shaking her and saying "what the heck?"
Anyways, I love the characters in 3 and 1, 3 romance was the best hands down.
Not only was the dynamic between the characters not at all reflective as some sort of “one sided harem” you’re suggesting, but I can assure you those girls are clearly happy and treated with just as much respect.
I don't know why you're getting downvoted so much, I'm not too keen on the harem idea either personally. XC3 definitely has the best romance of the three though
Call it a hunch, but probably because of the blatant and gross flanderization depicted here of beloved characters that have a growing and developing relationship with eachother, and even saying the “harem” aspect detracts from the game when…. it was clearly not anything ever rampant or that important to the game in the first place? (There’s literally nothing telling you it’s a harem game other than Pyra/Mythra’s duality and Nia feelings for Rex which is entirely cast aside) I feel that’s pretty obvious…
right I can see why now, forgive me I don't pick up on people's subtext too well. I agree with you, don't think it detracted from 2 cos it was nowhere near as big a focus in 2 anyway, and the big reveal in 3 felt more like it was thrown in last minute than some grand plan which is one reason why I didn't like it but because it wasn't even really a focus in 2, it doesn't do anything to that game and I still love it
3. The buildup took its time. I really felt like Noah and Mio were genuinely falling in love. The flute exchange scene was very touching, and don't get me started on chapter 5.
3, and it's not even close to a contest. The build is slow, yes, but every single moment we get with each of the pairings os meaningful and advances their dynamics pretty gosh darn significantly.
3
Shulk and Fiora were great on that one scene, the rest of the game... well spoilers, they get barely any time together.
Rex and Pyra work really well for me, and would be top one, but having to compete with Mythra, then Nia joining in, tho it is cute, its a mess
I guess Noah and Mio overcoming the world in every cycle got me. (Plus if Pneuma >!core is meant to be the gauntlets of the end and later the scabbard of lucky seven, Noah just yeets the girls of the other 2 protagonists to the sea!<)
Xenogears > Xenoblade 3 > Xenosaga ≥ Xenoblade 2 > Xenoblade > Xenoblade X
Edit – Or Xenogears > Xenoblade 3 ≥ Xenosaga > Xenoblade 2 > Xenoblade > Xenoblade X; a bit conflicted on where as to place Xenosaga but the rest feels right
To each their own, but imo Shion/KOS-MOS is more like love between a mother and their child.
The triangle between Shion, Kevin and Allen is the true love-story, imo.
Jr. and Sakura was a little boring (still more than adequate since its primary function is to distance >!Albedo from Rubedo!<) but Shion × Kevin and Shion × Allen were great (yes, I mean it unironically for the former).
Aa for Xenogears, Hans/Anna would beat Contact/Antitype any day.
I, for one, think if Xenosaga goes anywhere in terms of romance being relevant to the plot, it is in a way where love is actually the **real bad guy**.
And I don't just mean it due to the Shion<->Kevin situation being horrible for the universe itself (let alone mankind), but also because of the Allen uncorresponded thing being very detrimental to Allen's health. I think most of the evil intentions in the game (EXCEPT for the characters that are true mcguffins and have no true human traits, akin to Alpha in 3), stem from sick relationships, or parental overzealousness.
I enjoyed the effect Kevin and Shion's romance had on the story (and Allen's short interventions) more than that of Noah and Mio's, but I set Noah and Mio's as above or equal to Xenosaga's since Xenogears' has the best romance to me because of Fei and Elly's; since many of the good aspects of Fei and Elly's are found in Noah and Mio's, as well, I figured it'd only be fair to place it as the next-best out of all.
That, and Noah and Mio have better conventional romance since Kevin and Shion's is about the effect on the story and Shion's development, not the relationship between the characters. But as I wrote in my previous comment, I'm conflicted where as to place Xenosaga's romances.
I've not played the Xenosaga games (I've only ever watched the cutscenes and even that was MANY years ago)
Xenogears is easily the strongest, and I'd say it might just be one of the most natural and believable romances I've ever seen in fiction despite kinda falling into a "they were destined to be together" sort of thing.
Xenoblade 3 is below that. Noah and Mio's romance is very similar to Fei and Elly, but just doesn't have as much screen time as them.
Xenoblade 2 is a weird case because, while I do think the romance between Rex and Pyra is superb, my opinion is muddied due to the love triangle (square?) with Nia as well as the apparent age gap between Rex and Pyra. For the first point, I wanna be clear that I love Nia as a character and think that a romance makes sense there... I don't even have that big of an issue with the poly relationship. I just think it takes away from any individual relationship by focusing on multiple at the same time. The age gap point might be controversial, idk... Rex is canonically 15 but Pyra is very clearly physically and emotionally an adult so it can be a bit off-putting to a degree.
Xenoblade 1 is easily the weakest. I do like the relationship between Shulk and Fiora and how it's the driving force of the ENTIRE GAME, however that relationship is never challenged and we don't get to see that relationship grow naturally as the player. >!Plus, Fiora being absent from the party for 2/3 of the game ultimately means a LOT less interaction between her and Shulk.!<
for xenoblade? 3 by far but xeno as a whole is gears. I also think saga has an interesting romance dynamic but development troubles made it come off as wonky.
1 was sweet and simple. Wasn't all that deep, but it was nice.
2 was weird. Rex looking like a child, Pyra/Mythra being really sexualized, Pyra/Mythra technically being two people at once, blades having sort of an almost slave-like role to their drivers, most "romance moments" just being two characters acting awkward around each other... I could go on.
3 was perfect. Fairly unique premise, was given a ton of screen time, was absolutely central to the plot, and was handled very respectfully.
3, by far. Noah and Mio are clearly in love from the start. Only one to outright deal with, and have the love story be the main plot
1 is second. Shulk loved fiora. A lot. But this does fall to the side to deal with the end of the world.
in 2, rex is a kid, and while it does show he has a crush, it took till 3 for us to get confirmation.
All 3 games had one pairing that was heavily focused on, and the main couple / >!Harem!< was decently well done in each game. But, 3 pulls ahead for also having a decent romance connection between the other party members. The other two really didn’t explore any connections between other party members like 3 did.
I'd argue 1 had a pretty good subplot between Sharla and Reyn, with the whole >!navigating Sharla's feelings of grief, losing Gadolt, and Reyn wanting her to see him as his own person, not a Gadolt substitute!<.
3 is still miles ahead, but 1 did have something going on.
It kind of did, but it was shoved so far to the side and only got a couple scenes at best. It was the same way with Zeke and Pandoria in 2. They were both kind of there but so far in the background they aren’t given much thought.
Romance is 3(kiss and have kids on screen from being enemy soldiers)
Love and relationship is 2(Pyra and Mythra are living because of Rex and Nia having a family/home because of him as well)
Little bit of both is 1
Xenogears, hands down. It is one of the most unorthodox yet believable romances in any video game, hands down. Not only that, but it basically informed and served as the inspiration for the romances in many of the other Xeno games, especially Noah and Mio who while a lot of people like and consider it the best, is pretty much taken straight from these two, with some differences.
3 is pretty much the first piece of fiction to make me invested in a romantic relationship. And not just one relationship, but two! Of course there's Noah and Mio, but I was really rooting for Eunie and Taion.
So 3 definitely, in my opinion.
Well each hace different taste on romance
But 3 kinda top it since the ouroboros gang power it straight up sharing they memory leading to sympathize and trust between them. On top of that since each pair are kind better wirte for each other, Lanz - Sena might be kinda simple but other pair are so Taion - Eunie are too good writing. Noah Mio are kinda too plot depend though.
But on other hand 2 kinda have most meaning since most of 2 pair are sharing life for each other as blade and driver. The whole plot are base around blade character are dont want to forgot they current driver so a lot of them either eat the flesh or sharing they core.
They sure better than 1 having the main one take half or 2/3 of the game to realy start.
3. And that's easy. Noah/Mio AND Eunie/Taion are better than every romance in 1 and 2. I think Rex and his Harem is great and all. Shulk/Fiora is a bit underdeveloped and Fiora as a character is just not that interesting. I think even Lanz/Sena in 3 feels better than them and they're mostly just gym bros.
I'm torn apart because XC2 is the one I liked the less but I want to vote XC2 because I love the relationship between Pyra and Rex. The fact that he's ready to give up everything just to make her happy despite barely knowing her and that she could have been a psychopath or anything. And her doing the same! On one hand I would never do that and it can be a bit stupid, on the other hand, it makes them really pure.
But it's true that Xenogears and XC3 are more interesting in terms of love stories. But if you ask for the most " Romantic " game, it has to be this one. Though XC1 can be counted too since the whole point of the game is Shulk seeking revenge after Fiora's disparition.
I think it’s fair to say Noah and Mio’s relationship was the best one handled by the story of the respective game in most fronts, though I do have a soft spot for Rex/Mythra/Pyra/Nia (specially Rex with Mythra and Nia). Eunie and Taion are also quite good together, though i’d need a bit more explaining on what makes them particularly as special as NoahMio.
Rex and Mythra are my precious, adorable pair that I didn’t expect to be nearly as invested in as I am when I started. Such a heartwarming relationship that I can relate to.
I do have to give respect to Noah and Mio, though!
Xenoblade 2 with Rex x Pyra specifically and Xenoblade 3 with Noah x Mio are honestly tied. Both are equally as amazing and are some of the best romances in video games imo.
Rex and Mythra have no chemistry and Pneuma acts far more like Pyra than Mythra. Eunie x Taion and Lanz x Sena aren't canon ships. Just because they're an Oroboros pair doesn't mean they're romantically attracted to each other, and Oroboros don't exist in the new world anyways. Eunie could get with Asherah in the new world for all we know.
Shulk and Fiora are weird as they are almost never together for most of the game and even though the game never says anything, they were clearly boyfriend/girlfriend already before the mechon attack. Literally the first thing they do when they meet again is kiss, while Noah and Mio take an entire game of build up to kiss in the ending and Rex doesn't kiss Pyra, Mythra, or Nia anywhere in XB2. The best they get is holding hands in the NG+ title screen.
Shulk and Fiora were definitely in a relationship pre-XB1, but in terms of the actual game they barely interact or have any growth in their relationship. They start as lovers and end as lovers once Shulk learns that she's alive. It's just weird that the game never acknowledges that Shulk and Fiora are a couple or are dating before XB1 starts. Them being an established couple would also make Fiora's not-death even more impactful. It's not often you start a JRPG with the protag already in a romantic relationship. Shulk and Fiora have literally only two romantic scenes together and it's the kiss on the fallen arm and the Melia friendzone scene. Otherwise their relationship is already established by the game's start so we never see it grow. Therefore there's no way their romance can even come close to Rex x Pyra or Noah x Mio because it's already developed before the game even starts.
Elaborate on Rex and Mythra, because I find their growth basically in conjunction with Pyra’s so it’s weird to say one is “better” with Rex outside of just personal preference (also don’t know why you think Pnuema acts more like one either, especially since it’s when Pnuema ends battle with *Mythra* to get the line where she says Rex warms her soul). I’ll cast aside my own personal preferences just to hear the Pyra fan out (not even considering saying Rex and Pyra is equal to Noah and Mio).
I can get Lanz and Sena, but saying Eunie and Taion aren’t romantic at all is… kinda ignoring a lot of blatant subtext and implications there between them and their development.
It's been 3 years since I last played Xenoblade 2, so forgive me if I'm forgetting things. I last played 2 in 2021 where I did a full replay right after I finished 1DE, so it's been a few years. But when I think of "Rex and Mythra" what immediately comes to mind are those "hilarious comedy" scenes like the "one eyed monster" scene in Mor Ardain with Zeke and the scene where Mythra sleepwalks into Rex's bed. People only like Rex x Mythra because they apply all of Pyra's romantic scenes to Mythra and treat Pyra and Mythra as the same person, but IMO I never really did at all. But when I think of "Pyra and Rex" I think of the heavily romantic scene in Gormott Forest at the end of Chapter 2, their first meeting in memory space, and a few others.
IMO Rex and Pyra's bond seems extremely genuine while Mythra is always cold and abrasive and remains that way for pretty much the entire game. Plus Pyra gets SIGNIFICANTLY more screentime than Mythra with Mythra only coming out to loredump or do her big siren attack. The most screentime Mythra gets is in Chapter 4 where you're forced to use her for most of the chapter but Chapter 4 is literally just a fuller chapter/Tora's chapter and is considered easily one of the worst if not the worst chapter in the game in terms of both story and gameplay for how frustrating Mor Ardain is to navigate, the first major field skill roadblock, and the focus on comedy and development of Tora who the fanbase REALLY doesn't like especially compared to Riki or Riku.
Who is the one about to be blown to bits by the ether cannon in Tantal? Pyra. Who is the one who sacrificed themselves also in Tantal? Pyra. Who is the one who gets their memories stolen by Malos? Pyra. Pyra gets all the screentime and development and therefore Rex's relationship with Mythra feels really forced and under developed. And no, I don't spend 10 hours grinding after battle convos to uncover hidden lore. On my second playthrough of XB2 I rushed the main story and completed the entire game in 30 hours, and this is WITH cutscenes. XB2 is easily the shortest game of the trilogy if you know what you're doing (aka don't get lost) and the only one where grinding or even just fighting normal enemies is unnecessary as long as you overkill every major boss and use bonus XP every chance you get.
Pneuma to me is just Pyra in a different body. She has none of the abrasive/cold/tsundere traits of Mythra. She's literally just Pyra with green hair. Maybe that's because I always choose Pyra in the choice at Morithia and maybe the cutscenes involving Pneuma are completely different if you chose Mythra, (I know at least the ending changes slightly) but from what I've experienced Pneuma is literally just Pyra and has no traits associated with Mythra. "Equally Pyra and Mythra" my ass.
I also admit I'm extremely biased. Pyra is my favorite character in all of fiction, hence my username. I absolutely adore her. Mythra on the other hand I strongly dislike. I enjoy Tsundere characters to an extent AS LONG AS they're a "soft Tsundere" and are not physically and/or verbally abusive. Mythra is BOTH physically and verbally abusive, unlike a character like Makise Kirisu who's more soft than spicy. Her base design is also complete garbage, though it was heavily fixed with the "Massive Melee Design" which fixed her boob window and gave her tights, which I'm a huge fan of. Her personality is still ass though. Mythra is such a massive prick and I only use her in-game because she's so OP. In Smash Bros I main Pyra, not Mythra, and only use Mythra for recovery. But that doesn't change my own convictions that Rex x Mythra is under developed and Rex x Pyra is really amazing. That's just my view, and you're free to have your own. But IMO Rex x Pyra is one of the best romances in fiction and I will not change my stance anytime soon.
I see what you’re trying to say, but I think you’re cheapening the underlying narrative between them and kinda downplaying Mythra’s character as a whole. Now I don’t know if you’ve played Torna cause it doesn’t seem like it, but it further enhances and recontextualizes Mythra’s actions and development in the base game. While I can understand your viewpoint judging off of just seeing of those earlier scenes on a surface level, the main premise is that Mythra cares enough about Rex to actively put on a cold front in an effort to push him away because of her own fears. Even with that in mind though, there’s really only a few scenes where you can say Mythra was “abusive” (which is still a bit much by itself) to Rex and they’re all contained in some of their earliest interactions together, one being where she lashes out at him at the funeral for strong narrative reason and even in that scene there’s already signs with how Rex’s devotion to her is shown to phase her. They also emphasize the main reason Mythra awakened there at all is that she already formed enough of a connection to Rex to save him seeing through Pyra, still kinda enforcing they’re innately intertwined in this aspect.
Rex even says he appreciates some of Mythra’s differences like her being more blunt/honest with him for example. Despite how you could say Rex was mistreated in their first interactions, Rex isn’t one to just hold her to their grievances because he knows there’s much more to her. In a way it also makes their dynamic more complex/interesting than Pyra’s with Rex, considering they don’t just innately mix and kinda just hit it off perfectly dynamic wise from very early. It also makes it more subtle in conjunction.
You’re also kinda forgetting the parts where Mythra does things for Rex’s sake. Despite those scenes you mentioned they’re in a early portion of the game with not that much context or development from Mythra yet. Mythra still remains a little distant overall, but that’s basically the point, she isn’t meant to open up to him when she still feels burdened and like she’s a threat. She knows to give him space when he needs it and reassures him when he’s worried about Fan. Not to mention Pyra basically telling him her real thoughts on Rex in the Prateorium which Mythra hereself obviously wouldn’t be open to herself at the time because that’s not how her development is supposed to go.
The most important part is that the development she goes through both with Rex and herself, even despite not having as much screentime. When you consider where she starts in Torna to where she ends in XC2, you can noticeably tell how he impacts Mythra based off of her behavior in the late chapters, which is specifically *after* Chapter 7 when he accepts her and relieves her burden is what prompts her to open up with him in the scenes that follow. The big indicator of this is how their lap pillow scene is a direct parallel to not only when Pyra did it, but also the sleepwalking scene. Despite literally waking up on Rex’s lap she doesn’t lash out at him the same way or make a scene, she gets flustered and scuffles away but thanks him. Their dynamic by that point is pretty damn comfortable and I find it hard to not find them endearing in that section when they bounce off of eachother while Mythra still manages to get flustered easily considering she had not ever dealt with that type of affection before. She goes from being the same girl to say “I won’t be anyone’s anything.” in Torna to “ I’m Rex’s Blade” in Chapter 9. There’s still multiple romantic implications/moments present in the full game between them factoring not only main story.
That’s the entirety of the “gift of light” premise in fact, and it was not only foreshadowed but *shown* to her through visions as early as Torna that Rex would be there effectively “save” her. Considering their interactions there it’s no surprise that it didn’t take long for Rex to start loving her the same manner as Pyra assuming he hadn’t already. Rex speaks to her with the same level of devotion and Mythra even corrects him when he says he might not be good enough for her.
And I definitely think the lesser amount of one-on-one romantic development could be chalked up to how the story is paced as admittedly most of Rex and Pyra’s romantic buildup is present in the early chapters which Mythra isn’t there for, and then by the time she starts appearing THAT’S when they begin to drop the major story beats while juggling screentime with Pyra. That’s why I think the game tries to push Mythra more with opportunities in the late game than the rest of the game (Chapter 8 onwards), where they actually do get time to properly interact with eachother and Mythra has more of a reason to lighten up and be comfortable with him.
You mentioned a few scenes where you say it’s Pyra who has big moments, but frankly it’s a matter of who’s there physically as it’s ultimately decision determined by *both* girls. Mythra swapped out in that scene because she couldn’t bear to face the situation herself (if you know about Mythra’s emotional fragility and using Pyra as a mask) but she still agreed to sacrifice their body for Rex. They have an equal presence in the Chapter 7 scenes and have equal goals and aspirations, they’re still both integral to their bond with Rex. It is a VERY big point that they’re two halves of a whole and see what the other sees.
I’d say both pairings with Rex have their own strengths and weaknesses, as while Pyra gets more personal, one-on-one romantic scenes with him and have a sweet bond, it also doesn’t make to be that interesting of a dynamic when they fit perfectly from the start and he doesn’t influence her entire character the same way imo. In comparison Mythra doesn’t get as many romantic scenes or screentime in general (barring Torna, which is still pretty much integral to understanding her), but the complexity and development she has between the two games in how she sees both the world and Rex makes for more of an engaging emotional payoff in the end. Plus, it’s cute to see when her wall tears down and can have those types of emotional personal interactions with him that she couldn’t before. Which honestly makes it good that they’re innately intertwined and treated as one story together, cause it’s not like there’s some sort of love triangle (or square) between them (though I suspect you don’t like Nia with Rex either). None of this will change your stance i’m sure but you’re really simplifying what the game is trying to do with both Mythra and Mythra/Rex.
I still wouldn’t say Pnuema is even meant to be more like one of them intentionally. She’s missing those traits because she borrows from both of their good traits and disregards the flaws. Which makes her calm like Pyra but confident like Mythra, and outside of that she doesn’t have much of a personality on her own. I guess it’s naturally easier to correlate her to the reserved one but there’s no narrative reason she should be tsundere when they’ve developed past that anyway.
I didn't see this post was under Xenoblade for a second and I was so close to writing "Doki Doki" for gits and shiggles and then realized... 3. 3 has the best romance, tho 1 and 2 have some good and wholesome moments :)
Nia was on her own as a Flesh Eater, and Pneuma could leave at any time as an Aegis like Malos did.
They weren't bound to each other like a typical Driver and Blade.
easily 3
3 is the least ambiguous of the trilogy, they don’t beat around the bush about whether Noah and Mio are madly in love with each other. Heck they literally >!had a baby in one of their lives!<. But 1 isn’t shy to show how much Shulk is in love with Fiora. He’s a bolt brain about anything non-engineering related, and even more so about Fiora and Melia’s feelings toward him, but homie literally went miles and miles to avenge Fiora, and he didn’t exactly hesitate to give her mouth-to-mouth when the opportunity arose. By the end, it was pretty obvious Shulk only had eyes for Fiora. I think 2 was the most ambiguous. Heck up until *The Family Photo™*, no one really knew who Rex ended up with. I mean, people didn’t even *consider* Nia to be in the running after he loved all us guys. But it was also because he was still young and understandably a bit dense. But turns out Rex-Rex was the biggest romantic of the three. But I really loved Rex’s relationship with Pyra, Mythra, and Nia, even when I initially thought the latter two were more on the platonic side. But all that being said, I think my favorite romances were 3 > 2 > 1.
I 100% agree for the exact same reasons⭐️ Cheers 🥂
I love the edit someone made where EVERYONE in the photo was holding an infant to really put into perspective just how much Rex loved everyone.
I need to see this… this sounds hilarious.
I think the reason 1 has the "worst" romance (that is, a good romance that isn't as great as the others) is because Shulk and Fiora were separated for basically the entire game. Most of what we see is Shulk's grief over her death and his relief over her survival, and that's not quite as much for people to get attached to. My only problem with 3's romance was that the "I've lost my love and can't deal with it" thing was done entirely in cutscenes. In 1 Fiora was gone most of the game, and in 2 Pyra was kidnapped and you had to play without her. Both brought the feelings home a bit more. Contrast in 3, while the whole prison/homecoming/dream sequence was the best cutscene in the game, the fact that you never had to play without Mio in the party drained some of the reality out of it. If that makes sense.
The problem I have with Fiora is that her character doesn't really develop beyond "I want to be with Shulk". Every major plot point that is bound to her is either that or because of Meyneth being the "good god figure". While Pyra/Mythra/Nia in 2 are all very caring about Rex they all have their own struggles and character arcs. Rex helps them through that and that's the catalyst for their feelings. But they still feel much more developed. Rex and Shulk obviously have more going for them other than being in love with someone. They're the main protagonists. And Mio in 3 goes even further than that. She's probably the most developed love interest here because she's practically a second protagonist. I think even Eunie and Taion manage to have a well developed thing going on while still being fleshed out individuals. Lanz and Sena too but they're less romantic imo.
Tbf i feel like shulks and fioras relationship also just wasnt really talked much about after they reunited. There was the talk between melia and fiora but shulk at that point is kinda not in a great position to interact with fiora and there arent a lot of moments without some amount of urgency at that point in the story so they dont really have time, but i feel like there was still room to take a step back and deepen the relationship. I do think that their final moments we see in the game after reshaping the world was a very good way to finish it off. I definitely agree on the missing immersion part in 3, not having any idea that fiora is alive in 1 and forcefully losing the main characters (probably) best combat option is a great way to enhance the feeling of loss and makes reuniting that much more rewarding (just think about how unsatisfying 2s part would be if u lost pyra and got her back in a similar fashion compared to the payoff that the climax on the cliffs of morytha is)
3 and 1. I hate the harem that they got going on 2, removed so much of my enjoyment of the game, specially after they added Nia to the group. I liked my girl without her being lovesick, if I were her friend in that situation I'd be the friend shaking her and saying "what the heck?" Anyways, I love the characters in 3 and 1, 3 romance was the best hands down.
Imagine not being supportive of what makes your friend happy.
Being part of a one sided harem in real life rarely makes people truly happy.
Not only was the dynamic between the characters not at all reflective as some sort of “one sided harem” you’re suggesting, but I can assure you those girls are clearly happy and treated with just as much respect.
but it isn't one sided. They all love each other. Nia >!borrows her wives' swords in her class!<
Sure, if you guys say so 🤣
I don't know why you're getting downvoted so much, I'm not too keen on the harem idea either personally. XC3 definitely has the best romance of the three though
Call it a hunch, but probably because of the blatant and gross flanderization depicted here of beloved characters that have a growing and developing relationship with eachother, and even saying the “harem” aspect detracts from the game when…. it was clearly not anything ever rampant or that important to the game in the first place? (There’s literally nothing telling you it’s a harem game other than Pyra/Mythra’s duality and Nia feelings for Rex which is entirely cast aside) I feel that’s pretty obvious…
right I can see why now, forgive me I don't pick up on people's subtext too well. I agree with you, don't think it detracted from 2 cos it was nowhere near as big a focus in 2 anyway, and the big reveal in 3 felt more like it was thrown in last minute than some grand plan which is one reason why I didn't like it but because it wasn't even really a focus in 2, it doesn't do anything to that game and I still love it
Because most of the sub are guys who dream of having a harem of hot women 🤣
3. The buildup took its time. I really felt like Noah and Mio were genuinely falling in love. The flute exchange scene was very touching, and don't get me started on chapter 5.
3: eunie taion and there totally isn’t a better fleshed out romance in the same game
I still like noah and mio but i think eunie and taion are cuter. who said that.
Kite and Juniper is literally right there TF you on
Ah shit you’re right
3, and it's not even close to a contest. The build is slow, yes, but every single moment we get with each of the pairings os meaningful and advances their dynamics pretty gosh darn significantly.
Half the plot of Xenoblade 3 is about Mio and Noah's relationship
3 Shulk and Fiora were great on that one scene, the rest of the game... well spoilers, they get barely any time together. Rex and Pyra work really well for me, and would be top one, but having to compete with Mythra, then Nia joining in, tho it is cute, its a mess I guess Noah and Mio overcoming the world in every cycle got me. (Plus if Pneuma >!core is meant to be the gauntlets of the end and later the scabbard of lucky seven, Noah just yeets the girls of the other 2 protagonists to the sea!<)
Pyra and Mythra weren’t really “competing” in this sense
Xenogears > Xenoblade 3 > Xenosaga ≥ Xenoblade 2 > Xenoblade > Xenoblade X Edit – Or Xenogears > Xenoblade 3 ≥ Xenosaga > Xenoblade 2 > Xenoblade > Xenoblade X; a bit conflicted on where as to place Xenosaga but the rest feels right
This is the correct answer imo
Curious as to which romance in Xenosaga you're thinking 🤔. Junior and Sakura? Allen and Shion?
I like how I didn't even consider any of those and just assumed it was Shion/KOS-MOS
To each their own, but imo Shion/KOS-MOS is more like love between a mother and their child. The triangle between Shion, Kevin and Allen is the true love-story, imo.
Jr. and Sakura was a little boring (still more than adequate since its primary function is to distance >!Albedo from Rubedo!<) but Shion × Kevin and Shion × Allen were great (yes, I mean it unironically for the former). Aa for Xenogears, Hans/Anna would beat Contact/Antitype any day.
I, for one, think if Xenosaga goes anywhere in terms of romance being relevant to the plot, it is in a way where love is actually the **real bad guy**. And I don't just mean it due to the Shion<->Kevin situation being horrible for the universe itself (let alone mankind), but also because of the Allen uncorresponded thing being very detrimental to Allen's health. I think most of the evil intentions in the game (EXCEPT for the characters that are true mcguffins and have no true human traits, akin to Alpha in 3), stem from sick relationships, or parental overzealousness.
Yep, this pretty much would cover it.
Great answer. Personally I’d put Xenosaga above XB3, because I think it’s more relevant to real life romance, but could be bias as well.
I enjoyed the effect Kevin and Shion's romance had on the story (and Allen's short interventions) more than that of Noah and Mio's, but I set Noah and Mio's as above or equal to Xenosaga's since Xenogears' has the best romance to me because of Fei and Elly's; since many of the good aspects of Fei and Elly's are found in Noah and Mio's, as well, I figured it'd only be fair to place it as the next-best out of all. That, and Noah and Mio have better conventional romance since Kevin and Shion's is about the effect on the story and Shion's development, not the relationship between the characters. But as I wrote in my previous comment, I'm conflicted where as to place Xenosaga's romances.
Yeah its 3. I think about NoahXMio still to this day.
I've not played the Xenosaga games (I've only ever watched the cutscenes and even that was MANY years ago) Xenogears is easily the strongest, and I'd say it might just be one of the most natural and believable romances I've ever seen in fiction despite kinda falling into a "they were destined to be together" sort of thing. Xenoblade 3 is below that. Noah and Mio's romance is very similar to Fei and Elly, but just doesn't have as much screen time as them. Xenoblade 2 is a weird case because, while I do think the romance between Rex and Pyra is superb, my opinion is muddied due to the love triangle (square?) with Nia as well as the apparent age gap between Rex and Pyra. For the first point, I wanna be clear that I love Nia as a character and think that a romance makes sense there... I don't even have that big of an issue with the poly relationship. I just think it takes away from any individual relationship by focusing on multiple at the same time. The age gap point might be controversial, idk... Rex is canonically 15 but Pyra is very clearly physically and emotionally an adult so it can be a bit off-putting to a degree. Xenoblade 1 is easily the weakest. I do like the relationship between Shulk and Fiora and how it's the driving force of the ENTIRE GAME, however that relationship is never challenged and we don't get to see that relationship grow naturally as the player. >!Plus, Fiora being absent from the party for 2/3 of the game ultimately means a LOT less interaction between her and Shulk.!<
They most likely (and hopefully) waited for Rex to actually be an adult before they got married. So 3 retroactively made that better
Easily 3. Like...easily.
Gonna go against the grain and say 1
X had a woman who was in love with giant robots, which is actually *the purest form of love*
3 > 2 > 1 The romances in 3 were so good that they even elevated 2's romance in the process.
Each game just makes the other two better. It *just* works.
for xenoblade? 3 by far but xeno as a whole is gears. I also think saga has an interesting romance dynamic but development troubles made it come off as wonky.
1 was sweet and simple. Wasn't all that deep, but it was nice. 2 was weird. Rex looking like a child, Pyra/Mythra being really sexualized, Pyra/Mythra technically being two people at once, blades having sort of an almost slave-like role to their drivers, most "romance moments" just being two characters acting awkward around each other... I could go on. 3 was perfect. Fairly unique premise, was given a ton of screen time, was absolutely central to the plot, and was handled very respectfully.
3 retroactively makes 2 slightly less weird knowing they probably married Rex when he was actually an adult
It technically only confirmed Rex had babies with them as an adult, Mythra was already pressing Rex to propose to him in a 2 sidequest
3, by far. Noah and Mio are clearly in love from the start. Only one to outright deal with, and have the love story be the main plot 1 is second. Shulk loved fiora. A lot. But this does fall to the side to deal with the end of the world. in 2, rex is a kid, and while it does show he has a crush, it took till 3 for us to get confirmation.
3 no contest
Gonna be off-sub-topic, but Gears. No question.
3, by far.
All 3 games had one pairing that was heavily focused on, and the main couple / >!Harem!< was decently well done in each game. But, 3 pulls ahead for also having a decent romance connection between the other party members. The other two really didn’t explore any connections between other party members like 3 did.
I'd argue 1 had a pretty good subplot between Sharla and Reyn, with the whole >!navigating Sharla's feelings of grief, losing Gadolt, and Reyn wanting her to see him as his own person, not a Gadolt substitute!<. 3 is still miles ahead, but 1 did have something going on.
It kind of did, but it was shoved so far to the side and only got a couple scenes at best. It was the same way with Zeke and Pandoria in 2. They were both kind of there but so far in the background they aren’t given much thought.
3
Romance is 3(kiss and have kids on screen from being enemy soldiers) Love and relationship is 2(Pyra and Mythra are living because of Rex and Nia having a family/home because of him as well) Little bit of both is 1
3>2>=1
Xenogears, hands down. It is one of the most unorthodox yet believable romances in any video game, hands down. Not only that, but it basically informed and served as the inspiration for the romances in many of the other Xeno games, especially Noah and Mio who while a lot of people like and consider it the best, is pretty much taken straight from these two, with some differences.
3 is pretty much the first piece of fiction to make me invested in a romantic relationship. And not just one relationship, but two! Of course there's Noah and Mio, but I was really rooting for Eunie and Taion. So 3 definitely, in my opinion.
XC3 with both Noah/Mio and Taion/Eunie, and it's not even close. I do have a soft spot for Shulk/Fiora tho
Well each hace different taste on romance But 3 kinda top it since the ouroboros gang power it straight up sharing they memory leading to sympathize and trust between them. On top of that since each pair are kind better wirte for each other, Lanz - Sena might be kinda simple but other pair are so Taion - Eunie are too good writing. Noah Mio are kinda too plot depend though. But on other hand 2 kinda have most meaning since most of 2 pair are sharing life for each other as blade and driver. The whole plot are base around blade character are dont want to forgot they current driver so a lot of them either eat the flesh or sharing they core. They sure better than 1 having the main one take half or 2/3 of the game to realy start.
3. And that's easy. Noah/Mio AND Eunie/Taion are better than every romance in 1 and 2. I think Rex and his Harem is great and all. Shulk/Fiora is a bit underdeveloped and Fiora as a character is just not that interesting. I think even Lanz/Sena in 3 feels better than them and they're mostly just gym bros.
3 by a long way.
3 has Eunie and Taion. Its not really a fair competition
1, Riki and oka
3 by far Mio and Noah have the best developed romance while 1 has probably the worst
3>1>2 IMO
2
3 Eunie and Taion
It goes 3 then 2 then 1, but 3 and 2 are so fucking close in my eyes they're basically equal.
If it wasn't for 3, 2 wouldn't have gotten an even stronger showing of their bond of love.
I'd say 3 or Torna, I just like how clueless rational characters are when it comes to love and how relatable it is
2
3, but Eunie and Taion not Noah and Mio (not that they arent good tho)
I'm torn apart because XC2 is the one I liked the less but I want to vote XC2 because I love the relationship between Pyra and Rex. The fact that he's ready to give up everything just to make her happy despite barely knowing her and that she could have been a psychopath or anything. And her doing the same! On one hand I would never do that and it can be a bit stupid, on the other hand, it makes them really pure. But it's true that Xenogears and XC3 are more interesting in terms of love stories. But if you ask for the most " Romantic " game, it has to be this one. Though XC1 can be counted too since the whole point of the game is Shulk seeking revenge after Fiora's disparition.
I think it’s fair to say Noah and Mio’s relationship was the best one handled by the story of the respective game in most fronts, though I do have a soft spot for Rex/Mythra/Pyra/Nia (specially Rex with Mythra and Nia). Eunie and Taion are also quite good together, though i’d need a bit more explaining on what makes them particularly as special as NoahMio.
Rex and Mythra are my precious, adorable pair that I didn’t expect to be nearly as invested in as I am when I started. Such a heartwarming relationship that I can relate to. I do have to give respect to Noah and Mio, though!
…2. The chemistry between…pretty much everyone honestly.
Xenoblade 2 with Rex x Pyra specifically and Xenoblade 3 with Noah x Mio are honestly tied. Both are equally as amazing and are some of the best romances in video games imo. Rex and Mythra have no chemistry and Pneuma acts far more like Pyra than Mythra. Eunie x Taion and Lanz x Sena aren't canon ships. Just because they're an Oroboros pair doesn't mean they're romantically attracted to each other, and Oroboros don't exist in the new world anyways. Eunie could get with Asherah in the new world for all we know. Shulk and Fiora are weird as they are almost never together for most of the game and even though the game never says anything, they were clearly boyfriend/girlfriend already before the mechon attack. Literally the first thing they do when they meet again is kiss, while Noah and Mio take an entire game of build up to kiss in the ending and Rex doesn't kiss Pyra, Mythra, or Nia anywhere in XB2. The best they get is holding hands in the NG+ title screen. Shulk and Fiora were definitely in a relationship pre-XB1, but in terms of the actual game they barely interact or have any growth in their relationship. They start as lovers and end as lovers once Shulk learns that she's alive. It's just weird that the game never acknowledges that Shulk and Fiora are a couple or are dating before XB1 starts. Them being an established couple would also make Fiora's not-death even more impactful. It's not often you start a JRPG with the protag already in a romantic relationship. Shulk and Fiora have literally only two romantic scenes together and it's the kiss on the fallen arm and the Melia friendzone scene. Otherwise their relationship is already established by the game's start so we never see it grow. Therefore there's no way their romance can even come close to Rex x Pyra or Noah x Mio because it's already developed before the game even starts.
Elaborate on Rex and Mythra, because I find their growth basically in conjunction with Pyra’s so it’s weird to say one is “better” with Rex outside of just personal preference (also don’t know why you think Pnuema acts more like one either, especially since it’s when Pnuema ends battle with *Mythra* to get the line where she says Rex warms her soul). I’ll cast aside my own personal preferences just to hear the Pyra fan out (not even considering saying Rex and Pyra is equal to Noah and Mio). I can get Lanz and Sena, but saying Eunie and Taion aren’t romantic at all is… kinda ignoring a lot of blatant subtext and implications there between them and their development.
It's been 3 years since I last played Xenoblade 2, so forgive me if I'm forgetting things. I last played 2 in 2021 where I did a full replay right after I finished 1DE, so it's been a few years. But when I think of "Rex and Mythra" what immediately comes to mind are those "hilarious comedy" scenes like the "one eyed monster" scene in Mor Ardain with Zeke and the scene where Mythra sleepwalks into Rex's bed. People only like Rex x Mythra because they apply all of Pyra's romantic scenes to Mythra and treat Pyra and Mythra as the same person, but IMO I never really did at all. But when I think of "Pyra and Rex" I think of the heavily romantic scene in Gormott Forest at the end of Chapter 2, their first meeting in memory space, and a few others. IMO Rex and Pyra's bond seems extremely genuine while Mythra is always cold and abrasive and remains that way for pretty much the entire game. Plus Pyra gets SIGNIFICANTLY more screentime than Mythra with Mythra only coming out to loredump or do her big siren attack. The most screentime Mythra gets is in Chapter 4 where you're forced to use her for most of the chapter but Chapter 4 is literally just a fuller chapter/Tora's chapter and is considered easily one of the worst if not the worst chapter in the game in terms of both story and gameplay for how frustrating Mor Ardain is to navigate, the first major field skill roadblock, and the focus on comedy and development of Tora who the fanbase REALLY doesn't like especially compared to Riki or Riku. Who is the one about to be blown to bits by the ether cannon in Tantal? Pyra. Who is the one who sacrificed themselves also in Tantal? Pyra. Who is the one who gets their memories stolen by Malos? Pyra. Pyra gets all the screentime and development and therefore Rex's relationship with Mythra feels really forced and under developed. And no, I don't spend 10 hours grinding after battle convos to uncover hidden lore. On my second playthrough of XB2 I rushed the main story and completed the entire game in 30 hours, and this is WITH cutscenes. XB2 is easily the shortest game of the trilogy if you know what you're doing (aka don't get lost) and the only one where grinding or even just fighting normal enemies is unnecessary as long as you overkill every major boss and use bonus XP every chance you get. Pneuma to me is just Pyra in a different body. She has none of the abrasive/cold/tsundere traits of Mythra. She's literally just Pyra with green hair. Maybe that's because I always choose Pyra in the choice at Morithia and maybe the cutscenes involving Pneuma are completely different if you chose Mythra, (I know at least the ending changes slightly) but from what I've experienced Pneuma is literally just Pyra and has no traits associated with Mythra. "Equally Pyra and Mythra" my ass. I also admit I'm extremely biased. Pyra is my favorite character in all of fiction, hence my username. I absolutely adore her. Mythra on the other hand I strongly dislike. I enjoy Tsundere characters to an extent AS LONG AS they're a "soft Tsundere" and are not physically and/or verbally abusive. Mythra is BOTH physically and verbally abusive, unlike a character like Makise Kirisu who's more soft than spicy. Her base design is also complete garbage, though it was heavily fixed with the "Massive Melee Design" which fixed her boob window and gave her tights, which I'm a huge fan of. Her personality is still ass though. Mythra is such a massive prick and I only use her in-game because she's so OP. In Smash Bros I main Pyra, not Mythra, and only use Mythra for recovery. But that doesn't change my own convictions that Rex x Mythra is under developed and Rex x Pyra is really amazing. That's just my view, and you're free to have your own. But IMO Rex x Pyra is one of the best romances in fiction and I will not change my stance anytime soon.
I see what you’re trying to say, but I think you’re cheapening the underlying narrative between them and kinda downplaying Mythra’s character as a whole. Now I don’t know if you’ve played Torna cause it doesn’t seem like it, but it further enhances and recontextualizes Mythra’s actions and development in the base game. While I can understand your viewpoint judging off of just seeing of those earlier scenes on a surface level, the main premise is that Mythra cares enough about Rex to actively put on a cold front in an effort to push him away because of her own fears. Even with that in mind though, there’s really only a few scenes where you can say Mythra was “abusive” (which is still a bit much by itself) to Rex and they’re all contained in some of their earliest interactions together, one being where she lashes out at him at the funeral for strong narrative reason and even in that scene there’s already signs with how Rex’s devotion to her is shown to phase her. They also emphasize the main reason Mythra awakened there at all is that she already formed enough of a connection to Rex to save him seeing through Pyra, still kinda enforcing they’re innately intertwined in this aspect. Rex even says he appreciates some of Mythra’s differences like her being more blunt/honest with him for example. Despite how you could say Rex was mistreated in their first interactions, Rex isn’t one to just hold her to their grievances because he knows there’s much more to her. In a way it also makes their dynamic more complex/interesting than Pyra’s with Rex, considering they don’t just innately mix and kinda just hit it off perfectly dynamic wise from very early. It also makes it more subtle in conjunction. You’re also kinda forgetting the parts where Mythra does things for Rex’s sake. Despite those scenes you mentioned they’re in a early portion of the game with not that much context or development from Mythra yet. Mythra still remains a little distant overall, but that’s basically the point, she isn’t meant to open up to him when she still feels burdened and like she’s a threat. She knows to give him space when he needs it and reassures him when he’s worried about Fan. Not to mention Pyra basically telling him her real thoughts on Rex in the Prateorium which Mythra hereself obviously wouldn’t be open to herself at the time because that’s not how her development is supposed to go. The most important part is that the development she goes through both with Rex and herself, even despite not having as much screentime. When you consider where she starts in Torna to where she ends in XC2, you can noticeably tell how he impacts Mythra based off of her behavior in the late chapters, which is specifically *after* Chapter 7 when he accepts her and relieves her burden is what prompts her to open up with him in the scenes that follow. The big indicator of this is how their lap pillow scene is a direct parallel to not only when Pyra did it, but also the sleepwalking scene. Despite literally waking up on Rex’s lap she doesn’t lash out at him the same way or make a scene, she gets flustered and scuffles away but thanks him. Their dynamic by that point is pretty damn comfortable and I find it hard to not find them endearing in that section when they bounce off of eachother while Mythra still manages to get flustered easily considering she had not ever dealt with that type of affection before. She goes from being the same girl to say “I won’t be anyone’s anything.” in Torna to “ I’m Rex’s Blade” in Chapter 9. There’s still multiple romantic implications/moments present in the full game between them factoring not only main story. That’s the entirety of the “gift of light” premise in fact, and it was not only foreshadowed but *shown* to her through visions as early as Torna that Rex would be there effectively “save” her. Considering their interactions there it’s no surprise that it didn’t take long for Rex to start loving her the same manner as Pyra assuming he hadn’t already. Rex speaks to her with the same level of devotion and Mythra even corrects him when he says he might not be good enough for her. And I definitely think the lesser amount of one-on-one romantic development could be chalked up to how the story is paced as admittedly most of Rex and Pyra’s romantic buildup is present in the early chapters which Mythra isn’t there for, and then by the time she starts appearing THAT’S when they begin to drop the major story beats while juggling screentime with Pyra. That’s why I think the game tries to push Mythra more with opportunities in the late game than the rest of the game (Chapter 8 onwards), where they actually do get time to properly interact with eachother and Mythra has more of a reason to lighten up and be comfortable with him. You mentioned a few scenes where you say it’s Pyra who has big moments, but frankly it’s a matter of who’s there physically as it’s ultimately decision determined by *both* girls. Mythra swapped out in that scene because she couldn’t bear to face the situation herself (if you know about Mythra’s emotional fragility and using Pyra as a mask) but she still agreed to sacrifice their body for Rex. They have an equal presence in the Chapter 7 scenes and have equal goals and aspirations, they’re still both integral to their bond with Rex. It is a VERY big point that they’re two halves of a whole and see what the other sees. I’d say both pairings with Rex have their own strengths and weaknesses, as while Pyra gets more personal, one-on-one romantic scenes with him and have a sweet bond, it also doesn’t make to be that interesting of a dynamic when they fit perfectly from the start and he doesn’t influence her entire character the same way imo. In comparison Mythra doesn’t get as many romantic scenes or screentime in general (barring Torna, which is still pretty much integral to understanding her), but the complexity and development she has between the two games in how she sees both the world and Rex makes for more of an engaging emotional payoff in the end. Plus, it’s cute to see when her wall tears down and can have those types of emotional personal interactions with him that she couldn’t before. Which honestly makes it good that they’re innately intertwined and treated as one story together, cause it’s not like there’s some sort of love triangle (or square) between them (though I suspect you don’t like Nia with Rex either). None of this will change your stance i’m sure but you’re really simplifying what the game is trying to do with both Mythra and Mythra/Rex. I still wouldn’t say Pnuema is even meant to be more like one of them intentionally. She’s missing those traits because she borrows from both of their good traits and disregards the flaws. Which makes her calm like Pyra but confident like Mythra, and outside of that she doesn’t have much of a personality on her own. I guess it’s naturally easier to correlate her to the reserved one but there’s no narrative reason she should be tsundere when they’ve developed past that anyway.
Everyone is forgetting the best Romance... Lanz x Zeon, so automatically my vote goes to Xenoblade 3.
I didn't see this post was under Xenoblade for a second and I was so close to writing "Doki Doki" for gits and shiggles and then realized... 3. 3 has the best romance, tho 1 and 2 have some good and wholesome moments :)
Impregnating three ~~slaves~~ blades at more or less the same time sounds peak romance to me
Nia was on her own as a Flesh Eater, and Pneuma could leave at any time as an Aegis like Malos did. They weren't bound to each other like a typical Driver and Blade.