New Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Trailer Introduces Protagonists Noah and Mio

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 introduces two new protagonists, Noah and Mio, in the latest Nintendo Direct trailer.

After roughly 4 years since the release of Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Monolith Soft has finally announced the release of the third installment of the series. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 introduces a brand new story that’ll tie in the plotlines of both the previous games and feature a host of brand new characters.

Two of the characters introduced in yesterday’s Nintendo Direct are Noah and Mio, Xenoblade Chronicles 3‘s protagonists. Each aided by their own small team of fighters, Noah and Mio represent two sides in the game’s main conflict. So, here’s what we know about Noah and Mio, and what their roles might be in the overarching story!

XENOBLADE CHRONICLES 3: NOAH AND MIO

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 throws players into a fierce battle on the world Aionios, home to the hostile nations of Keves and Agnus. Now embroiled in what seems to be a massive war, Keves and Agnus have enlisted soldiers to help them turn the tide in battle.

According to Nintendo, Keves is a mechanically-focused nation. Building their armies out of highly advanced combat vehicles, Keves presents an intimidating front of mechanized soldiers. Agnus, on the other hand, relies on magical ether technology. Their forces are built on specialized units and smaller autonomous ether tech weapons.

And, in the center of it all, stand Noah and Mio, soldiers who respectively hail from Keves and Agnus.

As a soldier from Keves, Noah relies on a mechanical Monado-esque sword. Giant and shining blue, it’s a dark and intimidating weapon that reflects the grittiness of the battlefield. Aside from fighting, Noah is also an “off-seer” who mourns for his fellow fallen soldiers. Additionally, Mio plays a similar role for the nation Agnus.

Following that, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 seems to place players in the shoes of both sides of this major conflict, perhaps to ultimately bring them together against a greater evil. With “life” as a major central theme to the game, both characters are uniquely positioned to relate to each other’s understanding of life’s preciousness.

Executive Director Tetsuya Takahasi stated, “The key visual features a broken great sword of Mechonis and the body of the Urayan Titan with a big gaping hole... What is this visual hinting at? I can’t reveal that yet.” Perhaps this is a hint to the major overall conflict that will bring Noah and Mio together!

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 will launch for Nintendo Switch in September 2022.