Plot summary of Xenoblade Chronicles 2

This page describes a plot summary of Xenoblade Chronicles 2. It is not a full description nor a complete novelization, but simply an overview of major events.

 Contents Chapter 1: Encounters🇧🇬Chapter 2: Aptitude🇧🇬Chapter 3: Our Own War🇧🇬Chapter 4: Aegis🇧🇬Chapter 5: Masters and Slaves🇧🇬Chapter 6: Wounds🇧🇬Chapter 7: The Fear She Carries🇧🇬Chapter 8: World Tree🇧🇬Chapter 9: Rain🇧🇬Chapter 10: And thus, boy met girl.

Chapter 1: Encounters
A small Titan rests upon the Cloud Sea, as his only inhabitant, a young salvager, fishes up an old crate from the depths. The two of them, Rex and "Gramps", banter over Rex's salvaging trade as Rex provides exposition. In the middle of the Cloud Sea of Alrest sits the World Tree. According to legend, people once lived with the Architect atop the tree, in a place called Elysium. But everyone was cast out, and are now forced to live on the Titans scattered across the clouds. And now, the Titans are slowly dying off. Rex is worried that eventually there'll be nowhere left for anyone to live.

Gramps takes Rex to the Argentum Trade Guild to sell his recent haul. He gets a paltry sale, but as usual sends a portion back home to Corinne in Fonsett Village. He then gets an unexpected summons from Chairman, who has an extremely lucrative job offer for him. Rex accepts immediately because he's a bit of a naïve dunce. Bana brings in the rest of the team to meet him, most of which are Drivers and Blades, which impresses Rex. Jin seems to be the leader, who tells Rex the job is to salvage something that's a long way down, and they need someone from Leftheria to do it (which Rex is). Malos questions whether Rex is a good pick because he's a child, so he attacks, and when Rex holds his own he relents. Nia (a Gormotti) seems to have the lowest rank, and gets snippy enough with Rex that her Blade Dromarch steps in. Malos also has a Blade, Sever, but he simply watches.

After Rex spends his advance payment to prepare for the job (and gets Gramps upset for running off on a job he knows nothing about), he boards the C.S.E.V. Maelstrom and they set out. While on watch, Rex spots a black ship possibly following them, but then gets into a conversation with Nia, explaining how he hopes to one day use his salvaging skills to find a way up onto the World Tree so people wouldn't have to fight for dwindling land and resources. Nia thinks this is a bit silly, but identifies with him having no parents, and decides he's alright. A storm brews as the ship reaches the salvage point, and Rex joins the crew in raising a huge Ancient Ship from the depths. Jin orders Rex to join the Driver team in searching the ship. They fight through a bunch of monsters and eventually reach the bottom deck. Jin orders Rex to open doors with "Addam's crest" on them, since he is supposedly one of the few who can. As a result, Rex gets ahead of the others and is the first to see a red sword in a pedestal, with what looks like a sleeping red-haired young lady trapped in the wall behind it. Jin and Malos recognize "the Aegis", while Nia does not. Rex is compelled to touch the green crystal in the sword, but the moment he does, Jin teleports behind him and fatally stabs him. Malos is disappointed but doesn't care, while Nia is greatly upset.

Rex finds himself is a grassy plain. He finds the lady there, who calls herself Pyra and says that he was killed, and is now in a memory of Elysium. But if he promises to take her to the real Elysium, she can revive him, which will make him her Driver. Rex agrees, and he reappears in the ship, with a new copy of the sword. Malos is carrying Pyra's body out of the ship when she awakens and causes chaos, and Rex arrives to help fight him. Malos is angered that Rex has become the Driver of the Aegis, but mostly blames himself for not noticing Rex's eyes, and reveals he's known Pyra for about five hundred years. In the battle, Nia and Dromarch switch sides to help Rex, as the following black ship arrives and opens fire. Gramps then also arrives, who Jin recognizes by his real name Azurda, and manages to rescue Rex, Pyra, Nia, and Dromarch as he gets shot. Jin decides this is fine for the moment, and to send Akhos after them.

Chapter 2: Aptitude
Bana hears from his spy that Rex got away with the Aegis. Worse, Malos failed to sink the Maelstrom and kill everyone, so he's out a huge chunk of insurance money. He predicts that they went to Gormott, so he calls partner-in-crime Consul Dughall to let him know.

Rex and Pyra wake up in the forest on an unknown Titan. They quickly find Gramps, who appears to die, but actually regenerates into a larval form that Rex carries in his helmet. They find Nia and Dromarch not long after and make camp. Gramps and Pyra speak with familiarity, about how Jin and Malos must be stopped, and whether Rex needs to be involved. The next morning, Nia says they're in Gormott and guides them to the capital Torigoth. When they arrive, they see a Driver recruitment event for the Mor Ardain military, with one native failing to awaken a Blade while another succeeds; it's explained that only some people are capable of turning Core Crystals into Blades and bonding with them. Rex is confused because that isn't how Pyra worked, which is apparently because "the Aegis" is some sort of special legendary Blade and so doesn't play by the normal rules.

As Nia is directing the group to an inn, Captain Padraig of the military finds them, which is trouble because Nia is part of the terrorist organization and Rex is an unregistered Driver. They resist arrest until Brighid, the strongest Blade in the empire, shows up. She buys the troops enough time to catch Nia and Dromarch in ether nets, and surrounds Rex and Pyra with a fire wall. She is then distracted when something from outside the fight explodes a water pipe and douses her, giving Rex and Pyra the chance to retaliate and escape. Brighid realizes that Pyra is the Aegis from being able to still use fire in the mess of all the water. While running from the troops, Rex and Pyra are approached by a Nopon, who hides them in his house so the troops lose them. Padraig reports what happened to Dughall, who is incensed that the dunderhead let Pyra get away, since his orders were to get the Blade with the green Core Crystal. He is then informed that Special Inquisitor Mòrag is on the way, which he is not pleased about.

The Nopon,, says he's the one that caused the water pipe to burst (by accident). He was trying to save Rex because he wants to have a Driver friend. Rex wants to get after saving Nia right away, but he's convinced to eat first. Pyra makes food for them with her fire skills, but starts to get antsy when Tora asks about how she could still use fire with all the water previously, so Rex shuts him up. They change the subject to Nia, and ask around town for more information on what might have happened. They find that Nia is set to be executed soon, so they create a plan to sneak into Mòrag's Titan Battleship. Tora then reveals that since he cannot become a Driver properly, he's building an artificial Blade, and needs help (financially) to complete it. After some running around, he successfully completes Poppi, and the group begins their rescue attempt.

Infiltrating the Titan Battleship turns out to be fairly simple, and Poppi uses her Blade senses to find Dromarch. As Nia's Blade, he knows where she is, so they go get her with ease. Nia is busy recalling how Jin got her out of a similar predicament once when they reach her, and she is surprised and confused that this time it's Rex instead. They then move to escape the ship, but run into Dughall and his Blade Dolmes. Dughall tries to use Dolmes as a "meat"shield because of how Blades can regenerate with ease, but they still get the better of him. They are on the cusp of getting away when both Mòrag and Brighid block their way, revealing that the rumour of executing Nia was a bait to get them to show up. Mòrag says that she must take Pyra to ensure she can't go and sink three major Titans again like she did five hundred years ago. Rex doesn't buy it, and assumes she just wants Pyra as a weapon, so they fight. Mòrag is evidently the stronger side, but the party manage to bring down a water tower, which gives them an opening to escape again. She decides to let them go for the moment.

The group rests out in the wilderness. Nia tries to ditch them, but Rex talks about how he hopes to prove Elysium exists to try and stop the inevitable war for shrinking land, and needs people like her to help him. She is convinced to stay.

Chapter 3: Our Own War
The black ship that helped Malos and Jin, the, arrives at an unknown base. The aforementioned two exit it to see Akhos and his Blade Obrona. He says that two other accomplices, Mikhail and his "sister", are away at the moment. Obrona uses a long-range ether mapping ability to inform the group's plans; Jin will handle a shipment of Core Crystals heading to Indol, while the others will go for the group of Pyra, Dromarch, presumably Nia, and whoever else is with them.

Rex determines that since Gormott is currently the closest country to the World Tree, all they need is a ship to get there. Tora suggests "Unclepon" Umon, a shipbuilder (and old friend of his grampypon) that lives at Gormott's rear. They find him without trouble, and Tora manages to convince him to lend them a small Titan ship. They successfully reach the base of the World Tree, but find that the Cloud Sea seems to fall off a cliff surrounding it, forming a moat of emptiness. They are also attacked by a giant robotic snake that Pyra recognzies as Ophion, and she partly expects it to recognize her back. It stops attacking once Rex turns the boat around, but this leads them directly into the mouth of the Urayan Titan, and they get swallowed.

The group works to find a way out. Instead, they find, his Blade Roc, and two of his lackeys. Vandham recognizes Pyra as the Aegis, so he fights them, and defeats them due to Rex's inexperience with rationing a Blade's power. But this was only a test; he takes a shine to Rex and invites them to the nearby Garfont, a village of mercenaries and orphans. Vandham tries to impress upon Rex that being the Driver of the Aegis is no small thing, and that people less nice than he is will be after him. He then invites Rex on a job with him to check out something up near the Titan's blowhole, using Roc to clear out an ether miasma along the way, and teaching Rex how to improve his skill with the Anchor Shot. They find a dead Titan and are attacked by a large Arachno with a Blade of its own, and by killing it cause the Blade to vanish. Vandham explains that killing a Driver causes the Blade to revert to a dark Core Crystal, and will eventually glow again to be reborn with no memories of its past life. He then takes a fresh new crystal out of the dead Titan, saying that's where they come from. Pyra muses about how being able to forget everything would be great, while Rex wonders if Pyra having a body when they found her means her old Driver might still be alive somewhere.

Upon returning to Garfont, Vandham notices that Rex and Pyra have matching wounds from earlier, which baffles him since Blades are supposed to heal quickly and easily. This suggests that if either of them dies, so will the other. Akhos and Obrona then appear, who are swiftly fought off and leave, but they beat down Pyra badly enough that she needs bed rest. Nia wants to talk with Vandham about her past with Torna, but he shrugs her off and says he has no problem with whatever her history or motivations are. He also says he's got a mate in the capital of Uraya, Fonsa Myma, who might know a way across the void around the World Tree.

In the meantime, Jin is aboard a Titan ship, effortlessly slaughtering everyone aboard. He reaches a storage room full of Core Crystals. The ship is then shown collapsing into the sea.

On the way to Fonsa Myma, the party encounters Zeke von Genbu, known as the Bringer of Chaos, also known as The Zekenator, and possibly the Most Evil Driver in Alrest, accompanied by his Blade Pandoria and his mascot Turters. He demands to fight them for control of Pyra, which winds up unresolved due to his comedic incompetence, and he disappears. The party gets to the capital without further incident. Vandham remarks that the military presence is much larger lately, and many think war with Mor Ardain is soon. They come upon a girl being bullied by a soldier for scant rations. Pyra steps in, they beat him up, and he realizes it's the Aegis and runs away. Vandham knows the girl, Iona, as the granddaughter of who he's looking for, Cole. He brings them to the theater he works at, currently playing The Heroic Adventures of Addam. They see the ending, where Addam asks the Architect for power and receives the Aegis, saving the world. Nia elbows Rex into trying to make it less awkward for Pyra, which he utterly fails at.

Cole is in a backstage room, and greets Vandham warmly. Vandham asks about the World Tree, and Cole recognizes Pyra. He says he knows someone who successfully got to the Tree and met the Architect, so he's the one they're looking for. He asks to speak with Pyra privately; he apologizes for the play upsetting her, saying he needs people to know of that time, and is worried about her possibly using the Titan-sinking power again. Pyra also calls him Minoth, a name he'd almost forgotten. He is about to tell the group how to proceed but gets stuck coughing because he's old, so Vandham says to hold it off for today, and they head to an inn. Cole is then visited by Malos and Akhos, the former whom he also knows from ago. Akhos offers to heal him in exchange for presumably where Pyra is, and Cole declines. But Iona is caught watching, and is persuaded to help. Malos appears in Pyra's dream of Elysium, and says to save Iona she needs to meet him alone at the place of her awakening. The rest of the party wakes up to find Iona and Pyra missing. Cole says what happened and that they're probably at Olethro Ruins, so they hurry over.

Malos, Sever, Akhos, Obrona, and Pyra are at the ruins; Iona is there and unconscious.Pyra wonders about Jin, who Malos says he's on the same side of. He then starts to attack her, and she can't really do anything about it, but Rex and the others arrive to make it a fairly even fight. After some time, Obrona then activates an anti-ether field that cuts off the connection between Blades and Drivers, which gives Malos and Akhos a significant advantage over the others. Akhos says Jin wants to use the Aegis's power to wipe all humans from the world. Malos and Pyra disagree over whether "Father" agrees about this being their purpose, and Malos starts to show a greater shadowy power than just what Sever can do. Vandham decides to do a last resort of stabbing himself with Roc's weapons, letting him use the elemental power with his own hands despite the anti-ether field, and fights Malos while yelling at Rex to escape. He is killed, and Roc turns back into his Core Crystal.

Rex angrily rushes at Malos and is easily overcome. In desperation, Pyra seemingly turns into someone else, now yellow and white with long hair and the ability to rain giant lasers from above. Malos refers to her as Mythra and is pleased that he's finally gotten this to happen. Mythra appears to be able to circumvent the anti-ether field, and also grants Rex some Foresight of upcoming enemy movements. In the end, she unleashes a barrage that shatters the cores of Sever and Obrona, killing them. Malos and Akhos bail, and Mythra turns back into Pyra. Rex cries for Vandham.

Chapter 4: Aegis
A flashback plays where dark and light energy rain upon a city and landscape, devastating it to the horror of onlookers. In the distance, there is an unidentified mech and Mythra, both with the same colour and shape of Core Crystal.

The next day, Vandham is buried where he fell. The party pressures Pyra into telling them what happened. Instead, she turns back into Mythra, who chews out Rex for being a dummy and forcing her to wake up to save him. She then reverts to Pyra again to make her explain things, with some extra context from Gramps. Apparently, Malos is also an Aegis, both with enough power to destroy the world. Long ago, a man climbed the World Tree hoping to reach Elysium, and found it empty. To prove his journey, he brought back two Core Crystals, and later awakened Malos from one. This caused a lot of problems, so Mythra was awakened by Addam, hero of the Kingdom of Torna, to try and stop Malos's rampage. They eventually won, but three Titans were destroyed in the crossfire. Mythra then sealed herself as Pyra in a sunken ship to ensure that her destructive power could no longer be used. The two - Pyra and Mythra - would talk in their dreams while sealed, and decided to return to Elysium if ever woken up. Pyra later goes to Rex, and tries to make him feel better by saying Mythra didn't mean to be so angry, given she chose to unseal herself to save him. Rex chooses to instead agree that he was being a dummy, but then turns around to compliment her strength and how she isn't being so closed-in anymore. He wants to protect her in the same way she protected him. Gramps notes this reminds him of Addam, which upsets Pyra.

The party prepares to leave Uraya. Cole gives Rex a dagger and says to take it to Indol, as its owner will reveal how to get to Elysium. He then reveals that he himself is a Blade, real name Minoth, and the dagger is his own weapon, with the subject owner being his Driver. However, he is a Flesh Eater, a Blade having undergone an experimental injection of human cells. Some Flesh Eaters have unique powers, but he is a failure like most, so rather than being ageless he is slowly dying. He wants to see how far Rex gets on his quest, while in exchange Rex asks him to make a play about Vandham.

Somewhere in Indol, a person kneels alone in prayer to the World Tree.

After a detour to Garfont, where Rex is given leadership of the mercenaries at the request of Vandham's last message, the party plans their route to Indol: via Argentum and Mor Ardain. Rex's salvager status lets him travel on Guild ships for free, so they get to Argentum easily, and he gets a discount on the next leg. The party stays at the local inn for the night. Rex wakes up to Mythra in his bed; apparently she sleepwalks, and doesn't take too well to discovering it's happened again. He sees Pyra in the morning, who apologizes. Meanwhile, Mòrag and Brighid have returned to Mor Ardain to meet with the young Emperor Niall and his Blade Aegaeon. Niall wishes to meet with the young salvager and the Aegis, but also informs them of the Core Crystal shipment that Jin intercepted. As a result, the Senate has restarted excavating Judicium, headed by the pro-war faction of Senator Roderich. They may have to deal with that later.

The party is about to embark for Mor Ardain when Rex notices Roc's Core Crystal has started to glow again, and becomes conflicted over whether he should "take" Vandham's partner. He is then victim of a drive-by by some Gormotti kid, who steals the crystal and a whole ship, so they have to take a massive detour to Gormott to chase him down. They find a gang of kids and trained birds using Umon's hangar as a hideout, stealing stuff to get revenge on bandits that destroyed their village. They then hear that since Dughall is gone, the bandits plan to attack Torigoth. Rex gets the kids to tell the city guard for backup, and the party goes to get the bandits. On the way, Roc is summoned to dispel an ether miasma, and he shows curiosity about his previous Driver. They find the bandits and stomp them as the city guard arrives. Rex takes the kids back to Argentum and recommends they work off what they stole, which is accepted.

Everyone finally gets to Mor Ardain, and to the capital of Alba Cavanich. They quickly run into, who was once assistant to Tora's grampypon Soosoo. Tora asks if he knows where his dad Tatazo went, which he doesn't. He does however get them a via-friend discount at an inn. At the hot springs, with Nia, Poppi, and surprisingly Mythra, who insisted to Pyra that she wanted a bath. Mythra spots something unusual about Nia, who asks it remain a secret. Afterward, there are explosions outside, so the party checks it out. Mythra also feels like staying out for a bit, and it's mentioned that she and Pyra share memories. They find that the explosions are being caused by what looks like a robot maid that has taken out military troops - Tora recognizes her as Lila, the Blade his dadapon and grampypon were making. They have a scuffle, but she gets away. Tora decides that, since Lila was not finished when grampypon was shot and dadapon sent him away from the attackers, Tatazo must be somewhere nearby. The military then catches up with them, including Mòrag and Brighid, who mistake Poppi for Lila and so try to subjugate them. Rex uses both Mythra and Pyra in the fight, both of whom hold back, and Mòrag is not thrilled about it. The fight is interrupted by, an intelligence officer who sets the record straight. Mòrag apologizes and suggests they work together to find Lila and whoever is using her.