Why Pyra and Mythra are Amazing Characters

[Music] at this point i think it's more than obvious as to how much i love xenoblade chronicles 2. i could go on for ages about everything i absolutely adore about this game but that would take much longer than one video so if i had to choose my favorite part of this masterpiece it would have to be the characters i've said it before and i'll say it again because i mean it xenoblade 2 offers some of the most impressive character writing i've ever seen all of their personalities interactions backstories and development make xenoblade 2 an extremely memorable game and what better example of this than the aegis girls i hope pyro and myth are in a special place in my heart because of the emotional rollercoasters they had me go on throughout xenoblade chronicles 2 and tournament the golden country it's so clear how much thought and effort was put into their stories so clear in fact that i continued to find more and more details every playthrough even on my third time experiencing the game i was constantly coming across so many new things to appreciate them for that hadn't picked up on already pyro and myth are a character writing excellence their personalities provide amazing contrast to each other while still being incredibly likable they subvert the players expectations while still feeling realistic grow and develop in believable ways and bring tears to your eyes with their role in the plot they're both such a major part of what makes this story so beautiful in this character analysis i hope to do pyro and mithra the justice they rightfully deserve i'll be going over almost every reason i could find as to why they're both so unbelievably great and yes i will be going into very heavy spoilers for both xenoblade 2 and its prequel so consider yourself warns without further ado i present to you why pyro and mithra are amazing characters i hope you enjoy [Music] in any good story nature and charisma is of utmost importance when creating a solid character not only do personalities allow for characters to diversify themselves from the rest of the cast but have the player form an emotional attachment which can later be utilized to add more weight to future sequences within the narrative it's not even a question as to whether or not pyro and mithra achieved this the aegis girls are a really unique case because well there's two of them them switching between each other isn't just a cool combat mechanic but it's also a really intriguing concept from a writing standpoint since they essentially inhabit the same body it acts as a really nice setup to present parallels you see as soon as mithra is introduced it doesn't take long for the player to realize that these gals are literally polar opposites while they share the same core values suffer from the same main issue and are both good people there's little that could make them more different personality wise in the words of sakurai pyra is the sweet one she's gentle empathetic bashful withdrawn but determined to protect those who she loves pyro falls into that role as a dependable affectionate and nurturing friend who you can always vent to she's filled with patience and is forgiving of others mistakes although she does struggle to forgive herself leaving her to being very apologetic and doubtful of her own worth she's easily the most selfless member of the party but at times finds it difficult to give that same care to herself on the other hand we have mithra who can be a bit aggressive reckless brutally honest but extremely confident and independent while pyro's kindness definitely helps their fellow companions at times mithra's lack of fear to express her thoughts can be far more effective in solving issues and getting people to understand where she's coming from there are so many great scenes throughout the game that showcase how dissimilar they really are it's so grand sure because they're trying too hard you don't have to be like that something really clever that this game does is subvert the player's expectations with their designs pyro's a fireblade meaning the primary color used for her model is red when you associate a character with fire it's usually expected that they'll be hot-headed short-tempered or contentious that's not pyra where's mithras of the light element meaning one might think she's innocent elegant angelic even but that's not mithra this elemental subversion is such a great way of making these girls less predictable pyro and mithra are both so incredibly lovable for their own respective reasons pyra comes off as super charming right off the bat and her forbearing nature is perfect for not only rex considering he's a new driver but the player as well since they're also new to the game and still getting a grasp of this new world and while it takes mithra a bit to open up and let down her guard the wait is well worth it when you finally meet the respectable courageous woman that she is this dynamic is such an efficient way of grasping the player's attention throughout the adventure the way their personalities have been crafted makes extremely unlikely that the player doesn't like and relate to at least one of them if not both having two people sharing the role results in almost always catering to the player's preference the main reason i brought up their individual qualities is so i can show the contrast their differences in character really help in keeping the story from getting stale as they bring forth diverting discussions with other people you start to realize how each of them specialize in certain situations for example it's pyra who rex brings to his parents grave because she's always cared more about his past and well-being she's the one who will always have open ears and support you in your troubles but then mithra is the reason that pyre was able to open up about her past since she essentially gave her no choice call it brutal but it's effective same goes for the heart to heart with morag called family ties morag is filled with distraught due to not being able to speak with her brother as he's always so busy with his duties as emperor both pyre and mithra send the same message but it's ultimately mithra who convinces her i also really love the lengths they went to fully realize these characters xenoblade 2 does so many little things to fully commit to their identities for example while their body proportions are equal their eyes are actually shaped differently pyros are round and welcoming whereas mithras are sharper showing her competitive nature there's even more to unpack within their idle animations first thing you'll notice is the posture difference pyrus stands upright giving a more refined and mature impression whereas mithra is more laid back expressing her high morale and comfort in her own skin pyro also stretch out her arms from time to time giving a feeling of imperfection and she'll toss a flame between her hands displaying her playful motherly nature you'll find mithra just sitting down out of boredom which also perfectly suits your character it's such an outstanding example of showing and not telling yet even with all these consistencies these characters aren't black and white there are quite a few points throughout the game in which they contradict their usual selves when rex's mourning phantom lenormand's death nia points out how mithra isn't consoling rex like pyro normally would but then mithra tells us that was actually pira's idea to let him be or when we see mithra crying when torah reunites with his father it shows that she has a soft side to her as well these changes in nature are a large part of what make them three-dimensional characters and it's all because it's realistic people aren't robots they aren't programmed to act the exact same way all the time humans are imperfect they can be pretty unpredictable and while pyro and mithra aren't humans the people playing the game are so for the most part the more human your characters feel the better it's really amazing how far their personalities alone go when investing the player in the game xenoblade 2 clearly familiarizes the player with each of their identities so seamlessly the developers and writers took complete advantage of all the small aspects of the game and integrated their personalities into them without telling the player directly this process is perfect because of how natural it feels when you meet someone for the first time they don't immediately start listing adjectives they'd used to describe themselves with that's weird you learn what type of person they are by putting the pieces together yourself just like with pyro and mithra fundamentally pyre and mithra are so charming because of how authentic they feel while they have distinctive lovable consistent personalities which create a unique and overall phenomenal dynamic they surprise the player with lifelike discrepancies and decisions and actions and we're just getting started [Music] while a well-ridden lovable personality can go a really long way for a character it's equally if not more crucial that they evolve as people and remain relevant to the narrative throughout the adventure giving characters proper arcs is an exceptional method of keeping the player invested in the game as well as reinforcing that emotional attachment by making them appear as if they were real people other than their attractive personalities hiring mithra's visible growth throughout xenoblade 2 has to be my favorite part of their characters but before we even consider the base game let's start at the very beginning that being the birth of mithra and the prequel torna the golden country if you haven't played the prequel it may be in your best interest to skip to the next section of the video the timestamp will be on screen it all began when a man by the name of a malthus climbed the world tree to reach elysium and meet the architect hoping to learn his true intention of creating the existing world but when he arrived he found nothing except for two core crystals which he brought back with him these crystals contain the aegis malos and mithra malthus awakens malus himself and due to his driver's frustration and hatred towards humanity it didn't take long for malice to start ravaging every form of life on the face of all rest after seeing the damage malice had done the search began to find a suitable driver for the second aegis corps to counter malos this leads us to adam orego a prince of the kingdom of torna adam was a good and fair leader but still a simple emotional man who would much rather settle down and raise a family than take on his potential role as king the reason i bring up his personality is because adam was mithra's original driver which means his desires have a rather large impact on who mithra is it's demonstrated multiple times how blades awakened for the first time tend to have traits that suit or reflect their original driver the most obvious example is a malthus and malos as malos's desire to wipe out humanity stems from her mouth as his hatred for the world it's also safe to assume zeke was pandori's first driver considering how in sync they are and then you have lauren hayes as well they look almost identical and the game doesn't hesitate to point it out next to each other like that you really do look like twins youtube it's rare for the driver's nature to appear so strongly in their blade as for adam and mithra they're a more interesting case like i mentioned before adam is the type of guy who'd like to settle down someday so it's safe to assume he'd like to be a dad eventually if we take a look at mithra during the prequel she starts off a bit selfish careless and immature when asked about her opinion on malos she doesn't even bat an eye she most definitely comes off as a bratty teenage girl and essentially acts as adam's practice child this conversation encapsulates their dynamic perfectly and malice himself his thoughts i'm especially uninterested in we've never even met please don't mistake her despite the attitude she's a good kid the hell is with that tone where do you get off acting all parental oh come on i woke you up i make sure you get enough to eat what but it's not like mithra remains this impatient adolescent throughout the entirety of torna she becomes appreciative of her companions and recognizes how they're really the closest thing she has to a family the most significant members being adam since he's her driver and milton a younger mighty boy who adam's been taken care of before he even bonded with mithra they're always teasing each other but deep down mithra absolutely cares for him we know this because of how she reacts when malice attacks oresco the city milton was staying in during their final clash of the aegis war her smug attitude and confidence is suddenly shattered when she realizes she can't do anything to protect him she loses control of her own body and becomes consumed by the thought of taking down malos no matter the cost this rage awakens the third aegis sword which even adam can't handle you see mithra losing all visible emotion in life that was in her eyes before further proving that this isn't her and she's being driven by an impulse that can't be stopped yet even in her thoughtless state you hear mithra trying to regain control of herself malice is ecstatic that she's giving in to the anger and using her immense power for destruction that's not her intention but she's already gone too far as siren finishes the job all she can say is i just want to save [Music] the vulnerability and sincerity in her words inform the player of how genuine her feelings are the sentence she can just barely squeak out proves her true pure intentions her perspective of the world has matured so much and she's changed as a person to now care about the well-being of the people of all rest mithra finally begins to see malus as a threat compared to before when she had no interest in his plans whatsoever she ultimately acknowledges her role as an aegis but it's too late mithra's attack defeats malos but also causes the entire torn in titan to sink to the bottom of the cloud c killing all inhabiting it but a small refugee ship our remaining party members visit said ship to support the survivors but seeing milton's corpse was a bombshell nobody was ready for already experiencing extreme trauma and guilt for her actions mithra finds milton's body being held by mikhail she stumbles forward in disbelief searching for some kind of sign of life some way to forgive herself but all she gets is mikao pulling him away afraid she'll do even more damage seeing this loss in both life and trust absolutely crushes her and suddenly mikhail isn't the only one that fears mithra she does as well in an effort to save the world from her own power mithra impulsively seals herself away and constructs another person to take her place she subconsciously tries to fix every flaw she sees in herself when creating pyra when mithra was rude pyro would be considerate when mithra was intolerant pyro would be accommodating when mithra couldn't control her power pyro wouldn't have to worry about it as she wouldn't have the same level of combat capability pyro was even made to be a talented chef due to mithra's lack of skill in the department this explanation of their differing personalities is ingenious it's not just a coincidence pyro is virtually a result of mithra's insecurities and the events beforehand give flawless reasoning for said outcome to happen this marks the end of the prequel and truly a tragic but significant journey for mithra she learned how much she really values the people in the world around her and becomes a much better and more appealing person but right as she starts to cherish those who she loves is the second they're taken away even worse it's by her own hands so she becomes consumed by the fact that they could have survived if it weren't for her her immense care for all the life's lost demonstrates how empathetic and selfless she's become and the suffering she goes through illustrates to the player how susceptible to hardship and misery she actually is this is an exceptional way of balancing her high levels of vitality on the battlefield it can be complicated to write a character with god-like powers as there's quite the inequality when being compared to the average human being but seeing her have to face mental issues which players are more familiar with gives them a chance to sympathize with their story and avoid a disconnect it just adds so much authenticity to mithra's character [Music] instead of jumping right back into character development for xenoblade 2 i want to go over how magnificent the beginning of the game is at subtly pretending to both future and past proceedings by using pyrus character and mithra's backstory saying xenoblade 2 has a slow start is one of the most common criticisms i hear about this game but pirate brings so much mysteriousness leaving you with so much to dissect if you're actually paying attention if we resume with the timeline after mithra creates pyra adam has her fall into a 500 year long slumber and is sunk in worship at the bottom of the ocean the purpose being a test of humanity to see if they're truly worthy of the aegis's power is me sleeping a part of the trial that's right it is a trial for us humans one we must overcome ourselves if we cannot do that we don't deserve to live alongside you fast forward 500 years and we learn that malos didn't die in the aegis war but his powers have been zapped in an effort to restore his strength and resume his mission he hunts down pyra who at this time is still sleeping at the bottom of the ocean to retrieve the sunken warship mallos and his new team hire a group of salvagers one of them being a boy named rex you can probably see where this is going upon the discovery of pyra rex touches the crystal on the sword bonding him as her new driver knowing they can't have rex bonded with her jyn quickly thrusts his sword through rex's heart killing him where he stands when he wakes rex finds himself in an extensive gorgeous green field and in the distance stands pyra when rex first meets her they have a very similar conversation to shulk and alvis from the first game confirming to the player how major her role in the story will be my name is pyra my name is alvis what oh right mine is um my name's it's shulk i know you you're rex right how did you know that how did you know my name rex is informed that he in fact is dead and what he sees is only a memory of elysium a supposed promised land that has enough resources to support everyone hired proposes travelling to the potential paradise which also happens to be her birthplace so in just the first hour of the game pyre's already become the catalyst for the journey to begin all the while presenting thought-provoking lore for the player to dwell on until something else comes up rex is revived by sharing half of pyro's core crystal and the game promptly ensures you know how valuable the power he's acquired really is whether it be the other character's reactions pyrus saving him multiple times or her athletic ability it's made evident how exceptional the aegis is from here on out the writers litter the narrative with so many little hints towards unexpected events or information and the only reason they're able to do this is because of pyra the first example being malice commenting on pyro's new form takes me back to 500 years ago what's the deal with that appearance i'm guessing your goal that is our dream then i have no choice but to stop you [Music] considering almost everyone plays this game before the prequel they don't know who malus or mithra is when being presented with this conversation so it gets them thinking wait malas knew her 500 years ago and she has another form i gotta see where this goes it gives just enough information to get the player absorbed in the story but not enough to ruin the upcoming surprise the writers are using the incredible backstory and character they've already prepared to enhance future events the next instance of this is the big big emphasis on the color of pyrus core crystal that being emeralds green no other blades have this color except for the aegis who infamously sank three titans 500 years ago when morag calls pyro out for the destruction of torna you see the guilt on her face but since pyre is written to be especially innocent you're not going to associate her with those actions right away rex certainly isn't instead you're going to pass it off as some random line coming from a boss trying to provoke you they've skillfully dropped some seriously critical information alluding towards mithra by presenting red herrings to throw you off in this case it's pyro's personality the same brilliant method of foreshadowing happens on the battlefield as well being the legendary aegis pyra has a reputation of being the strongest blade in all rest but she's clearly outmatched by brigid of course it's actually mithra who earned this reputation but before you have the chance to consider the possibility of a second form you're hit with lines like this this is getting tiresome the power of the aegis is formidable but the driver's skill betrays her so you blame it all on rex it's still very clear that pira is hiding something we just don't know what that could be at this point the game captivates you because of all the unanswered questions first presented through pyra uraya is fairly similar as the world's desire for the aegis is only further reinforced via vandam and akos's attacks continuing to highlight how inexperienced rex is but then we get this really meaningful scene after defeating an elder arachno vandam explains how blade will return to its core crystal once his driver dies but completely forget about its past life rex's and most likely the player's initial reaction to this information is wow that's really rough living an entire life and then having to completely disremember who you once were that's brutal but pyra being an aegis who lives forever and retains all her memories thinks differently yeah [Music] that's pretty rough to have all your past wiped out like that [Music] but memories can be painful as well they can be a terrible burden and a blade can live forever as long as the crystal exists it's just as well eternity is a long time to collect bad memories pyra [Music] i'm sorry i was just thinking sometimes being able to forget is a blessing hearing this completely different perspective is pretty staggering at first but the more you think about it the more it makes sense and when you hear how much pira's pass seems to have affected her you want to see the full picture each of pirates scenes build off each other and are perfectly paced to fill the player with curiosity and then introduce even more mind-blowing information at just the right time they followed this up with the play at fontamaimo which is literally a reenactment of the aegis war so at this point the players had plenty of foreshadowing and hints to the point where mithra's reveal will sit in that perfect spot of surprising but not out of place so they bring back malice and akkos and mithra is referenced one more time to get you hyped up for the boss fight and tighten that knot for good measure just give it up girl think you can do it alone handle that power i won't use that power and i won't let you use it either ultimately pyro and the gang are no match there have been plenty of fights in which our party has struggled but they've always found a way out whether that be azerta the water tower or vandam but when mala strikes him down for the first time you feel a sense of hopelessness and with that all the conditions have been met to create the perfect situation for mithra's introduction the player has just enough insight and our protagonists are in dire need of saving so right before malice has a chance to end rex pirate transforms and the difference is made so obvious immediately the transition from the tragic notes of desolation to the upbeat intro of counter-attack impeccably encapsulates the sudden change in tone and power in a snap of the fingers suddenly that confidence that previously resided in malas and akkas has faded you can hear the sheer panic and worrying their voices as mithra attacks them by merely standing still they end up retreating but it's no reason to celebrate because of rex's impulsive actions vandam nearly died for nothing and mithra had to break her seal she expresses her frustration shortly after why huh why did you wake me up huh what i didn't want to wake up i didn't want to come back i left everything to her so i'd never have to use that power again but then you woke me up woke you up if you hadn't been so useless none of this would have happened i wouldn't have had to use this power didn't you listen to that vandam guy he told you to hold back he told you to run but you just had to push yourself idiot look where it's got us now you you're really messed up you don't have to tell me that i know all right i knew i was being an idiot rex i just i couldn't hand you over to them i wanted to keep you safe what when rex tells her he just wanted to keep her safe mithra is left speechless if you think about it she probably didn't get that same affection from adam while he's a nice guy at the end of the day the only goal was to stop malice i know i mentioned earlier how mithra was like his practice child but that doesn't mean he gave her the same care that he would to his actual daughter it was closer to a preparation and a warning as to how teenagers could behave rather than an actual adoption point is she's been alone all this time with nobody caring much about her well-being while she did talk to pirate a lot during their 500 year slumber it's still extremely jarring for her to hear this from her driver so she switches to pyro to think it over this is the first time we see this incomparable technique of displaying piranha's relationship with each other it's pretty challenging to showcase their connection as they share the same body but the writers still make it work before we go any further i want to go over another really clever design choice now that mithra has been added back into the mix you'll notice on both pirates chess piece and tassels that she has a green cross on the left and just one stroke on the right whereas mithras has matching crosses in the same areas but mimicking a flash of light referencing her element the main difference here is the symmetry or lack of it in pyrus case symmetry symbolizes a kind of balance and truth which makes sense for mithra considering she's the original form meanwhile pyro is created afterwards and by accident her asymmetry exposes her imperfection or flaws on the battlegrounds this is also drawn into their sword designs in which pirus has a hilt and a blade on one side but mithras is equal all rounds the first section of xenoblade 2 is just all about immaculate pretending through pyra there are countless clues alluding to forthcoming incidents so the player always feels in the loop and the narrative avoids becoming cryptic and convoluted the result being a superb bolt from the blue at the end of chapter 3 with a spectacular balance of setup and shock value by using pirates at times enigmatic and ambiguous nature [Music] so now that we have mithra what happens now the exposition of the game is hint after hint after hint preparing the player for pirates true power and it appears as if now we've reached the climax so how do the writers maintain the player's interest in the campaign well here's where the ingenuity of two characters and one comes in if pira's true power was just an enhanced pyro it would be a bit difficult to keep the story captivating afterwards because the player might feel as if they've seen all there is to see but when her true form is a brand new character there is so much more to sink your teeth into especially when you see how much colder mithra is at first and that brings me to the biggest complaint i always hear about mithra she's a tsundere for those unfamiliar asundere is a character archetype commonly used in japanese media referring to characters that start off unpleasant and temperamental but over time gradually show a warmer side many find this trope to be overused and tiring but let me ask you this how many cinderellas voluntarily seal themselves away from the world because they're terrified of their own power after unintentionally killing thousands of innocent lives and then have to break that seal just because a kid wouldn't listen and turn back it's not like mithra is just grumpy for no reason she's depressed and has so many levels of depth in the form of tragic backstory that clarify why she possesses such a sour first impression mithra doesn't trust herself in the slightest and wanted to eliminate any chance of doing more damage but now she's left to live in fear it would not make sense for her to act any other way so at this point the writers have gotten the player to develop a fondness and level of care for pyra and the same will be done with mithra while she's a bit irritable to begin with the game makes sure to throw in innumerable situations in which she's forced to remember her past this ranges from meeting hayes again to questioning a malthus and finding out jyn is now a flesh eater so when the player learns all that she has bottled up inside they can't help but forgive her for the initial bitter attitude and start to appreciate and understand mithra as a whole additionally her every appearance in fights almost always increases her overall appeal when you finally see mithra working together with rex and pyro in these high definition fight scenes the coolness factor alone goes a really long way in getting the player to treasure and value this new dynamic [Music] rex after this foresight i'll switch to pyra understood [Music] impossible he dodged it now it's my turn lady moira look at the aegis so you can change this the quality of scenes continue to improve content-wise as well we're shown another really enthralling contrast between pyro and mithra that being how their memories affect them although mithra is the one who experienced the events firsthand present day she seems to have gotten past a lot of what happens a great example is when jyn calls her out for sinking the torn in titan 500 years ago yet she remains unfazed despite being reminded of a past blunder but whenever the writers do want to emphasize the consequences of mithra's actions they use pira instead when bridget is speaking of her journal she uses to retain her memories of past lives it's pirate her presence then you're reminded of the scene after the elder arachno fight back in chapter 3 and how she doesn't want to remember now that you've spent plenty of time with her the game is getting you to become more and more sympathetic at the appropriate time thus increasing how much you value pyra in the story and as a character and now that you've formed a certain devotion to these characters especially pyra that adoration is taken advantage of to keep you engrossed the first exemplification of this is in tanto when we first arrive at theosoir as soon as the king sees pyrrha he captures her without hesitation and due to the lack of ether flow there is nothing our party can do to fight back having frequent losses like these gives the player a greater desire for improvement and recovery and of course rescuing pira because of that soft spot they now have for her if we fast forward towards the end of chapter 6 we have a similar situation except it's turned up to 11. just as we retrieve the omega fetter torna shows up to stop us akos patroka and mikhail go down pretty easily but jin is the real issue the sheer velocity and power of his movements make him absolutely insurmountable even with mithra's foresight seeing into the future doesn't help them avoid their inevitable doom as they simply can't catch up even a strike from mithra's artifice leaves him unaffected seeing one of their strongest possible attacks just absorbed like nothing leaves mithra rex and the player feeling truly demoralized with nothing to stop him jin strikes down the defenseless rex and mithra leaving them severely injured and despite our party members efforts they find themselves under the clutches of several artificial blades rex makes an attempt to keep fighting but jyn's foot to his skull is all it takes to bring his efforts to a screeching halt seeing how much pain he's in pira speaks up put the sword away jin [Music] if not i'll you'll do what exactly i will annihilate myself hearing these words isn't pleasant for anyone there not rex not jin and especially not the player malos being the arrogant aegis he is doesn't believe her but is sorely mistaken but how would you make good on that threat you don't have that kind of are you so sure about that this is a shock the combination of pirates confidence and comfort in the situation as she draws the red beam from the artifice is more than terrifying knowing that at any moment she so chooses she can be completely erased from the world there is no way you're not sitting on the edge of your seat one signal from me and my body will be scoured from this world faster than you can blink [Music] so jim how one expected that you and aegis would say something like that so you'll do it open the gates to elysium for us yes if that is your wish don't hira they'll just gin seeing rex's struggle and pirate amplifying the power gets your heart doing backflips out of your chest when the game presents a situation in which almost every outcome results in you losing one of if not your most beloved character it brings all the emotions out of you knowing they can't have pirate killed jyn steps back and for the first time you see this defeated look on his face but the truth is they've won our party has most definitely lost a fight and more importantly our most valuable member to rub some salt in the wounds the writers use pyro's bond with the other characters to make it all the more crushing through their reactions safe for me no no way i don't agree to this at this point almost every player is in the same headspace there is no time for side quests affinity charts farming core crystals or any other game for that matter getting pirate mithra back becomes your number one priority because you care you're not just going to the next objective because that's what the game is telling you to do you're doing it because you actually want to so you take that indignation gin invoked in you and use it until you feel that pirate shaped hole in your heart after a nearly fruitless expedition to the spirit crucible elpis rex uses his half of pyromother's core crystal to track them down to the cliffs of martha it's right here where the writers really start twisting your heart by taking advantage of your love for pyro and mithra that they've been building up the whole game with some of the most brutal and heart-wrenching cutscenes your first introduction to the place is seeing mala suck the life force out of pirate to regain his aegis powers the combination of the purple ether lines and the blank lifeless look on her face is more than excruciating to watch the fact that its pyron said position is what makes it so much more intolerable and that's just the visual side of things i know i couldn't make this video without giving a massive shout out to pyren mithra's english voice actress skye bennett especially in the scene her performance feels so authentic that i get chills every time the sheer terror and sincerity in her voice only increases your sense of urgency to the point where it's overwhelming stop stop stealing my memories when rex finally reaches pyra jin and malos it only gets worse hearing malas mock pyro's final words and throw her to the ground like garbage it's violently disheartening she tried so pathetically hard to hold on to her memories of you but in the end i got them all she put up a brave little fight please don't steal my memories cute stuff like that sorry boy you came to this desolate place for nothing do you really want this useless husk go ahead and take it determined as always rex stands his ground and you're presented with the toughest fight in the game by far something i love about video games is how they can tell their stories through gameplay this is the biggest obstacle for our heroes yet and you understand that uphill battle because you're actively participating video games are able to achieve a whole other level of viewer involvement that other forms of storytelling will never accomplish the reason i bring this up is because of what happens next while you were just fighting the absolute best you could eyes darting around the screen looking for blade combos and arts available all the while desperately trying to get your heels off to keep your party alive you see that adversity translated into the form of a cutscene having just spent ages to only take away a fraction of their health bars the addition of rex and the party's visible pain and hardship really gives the impression that there is no hope left and even in your darkest hour just when you thought things couldn't get worse you hear a familiar voice in the background saying enough give up rex forget about us at first you almost feel betrayed you've been fighting through each arduous task to get pirate back and now it seems as if she doesn't care for your efforts but everything changes with the next lines rex please listen to what we have to say our power has done nothing but bring you pain it would be better if such a power didn't exist we told you we wanted to go to elysium but the reason why we wanted to go there was to beg our father to let us die so forget us rex for the sake of the world abandon us when you hear these words there is nothing to stop the tears from falling all of the pieces of the puzzle start falling together you remember pirate talking to corinne in fonsec and saying maybe rex is better off without me after hearing how tough he's had it and realizing the burden she will be and has been to him or pira's disturbing willingness to sacrifice herself at the end of chapter 6. these moments guide you to empathize with pyra and they hurt because of the admiration you've built for her realizing that she had no will to live in the first place is infinitely more agonizing because it was right in front of you the entire time and you did nothing about it even though you couldn't have done anything that guilt still lingers because of your attachment to her and fathoming that mithra feels the same way just doubles the grief but that's where rex comes in he's the shining light in an infinite sea of darkness and flawlessly puts the player's thoughts into words abandon you when you are injured i feel your pain when you feel pain i feel the sorrow in your heart what the hell has he finally cracked you really think i can just stand by like this and watch someone i love supper you can make it to elysium you can make it with or without us so please what would be the point of that listen i swore to you we're going to elysium together that's a promise thanks i'm going to elysium for you i'm doing all of this for you we'll do it together we'll find out together we'll find your place in this world find out where we're headed and see what our future holds so believe me i won't let the world burn a second time so piramitra join me this is by far my favorite cutscene in the entire game you start off heartbroken after hearing pyro and mithras please to move on without them and learning of their suicidal intentions is petrifying but then rex gives them the strength to move forward he lets them know how much they're loved and cherished by both in-game characters and those playing the game it is so beautiful how all of this unfolds hiron mithra first embarked on this quest for elysium to erase themselves from the world but now they found reasons to love the world the people around them and more importantly themselves they've gone from being lost unwilling to keep going and feeling as if they were nothing but an inconvenience to rex to hopeful optimistic perseverant and ultimately happy because they found the motive to live this character development is so gratifying because of how much you've resonated with them in the past it's hard not to be completely consumed by joy as a result of their newfound faith pyre and mithra unlocked their final form that being numa numa is as mithra describes it both of them at once which is a good thing if numa was a completely different character with her own personality and thoughts it would feel so unnatural coming out of such a pivotal moment for both pyro and mithra thankfully she acts more as a reward in the symbol of growth this is actually displayed through a really clever artistic decision while the revealing clothing may seem insignificant and meaningless to the unseen eye it actually gives off a feeling of vulnerability and incompleteness if we take a look at numa she's almost completely covered reflecting her unrivaled strength and role as the aegis ultimate and complete form her color scheme is also done perfectly as it mimics the green of the core crystal both pyro and myth or share so it feels like the perfect middle ground if we move on to chapter 8 we start seeing so many terrific moments exhibiting how pyro and mithra have matured if their character arc happened too late we wouldn't have any time to appreciate how they've developed fortunately that isn't the case we have three whole chapters to fall in love with them even more than we have already take mithra's conversation with rex in the land of mortha for example mithra discloses that she's chosen to no longer live in fear if we compare this so when she left everything to pyra never planning to return the development is clear as day mithra's learned that she needs to trust herself of course she's aware of how difficult that task will be but she knows she can't be afraid to fail as it's the only way she'll improve on top of that you have her promise with poppy after seeing how technological advancements left moritha in total ruin it scares poppy that she might do the same the fear of destroying the world is a feeling mithra knows all too well and now she acts as a role model and mentor to give poppy reassurance even the way she interacts with her makes mithra come across as a much more dependable person pyra gets some time in the spotlight as well during our climb up to elysium nia stops us to ask a question to all the blades present tell the truth have you ever wanted to extend your life everyone gives about the same answer as living with the driver is really the only thing that matters to them but it's not like pyro has a choice when rex passes away she'll still be around tyra what do you think about it really hey [Music] sometimes i wondered why i have to keep on living forever just on and on no end in sight but it's different now i'm glad i've stayed alive all this time parting is always sad but it's just part of the deal of being me though maybe maybe one day i'd be happy to close my eyes forever with someone special there by my side i am willing to bet that if this was the pirate from the beginning of the game she wouldn't even be able to answer the question back in chapter 2 when merely being asked about where her power comes from she had no words but since then she's accepted her identity and the rules that come with being her it's still really tough for her to think about but now pyro's willing to make the most of her life instead of dwelling on the past there's another great instance of this when we're speaking with the architect klaus apologizes for having burdened her for so long but she forgives him numa no i should call you pira and mithra what is it i want to apologize for having burdened you with all this don't worry we're actually grateful thanks to you father we got to meet rex and everyone else those are cherished memories this is completely different from the pirate we knew during the exposition of the journey in which he wanted nothing but to forget these words are almost like a sequel to her previous speech fleshing it out just a bit more for good measure it's so fulfilling to view distinct specific examples in which you can clearly see the alterations in pyrin mithras characters compared to the beginning of the game these scenes make their arcs feel so much more meaningful and you really get a proper grasp on how they've changed for the better with all that out of the way it's time for the final act after a ruthless battle with artifice ion we finally take down malos thanks to the power of numa but just as we split ion in two both klaus and the conduit disappear destabilizing elysium and putting all rest in grave danger as the beanstalk begins to fall however numa tells us there is one way to prevent it that being going into the control room and accelerating the boosters beyond escape velocity without thinking twice our party rushes down those five stories as quickly as possible but numa stays back upon reaching the supposed control room we find that it's actually a port full of escape vessels instantly putting the pieces together rex runs back to see numa standing on the other side of the bridge this was the first lie i ever told you pyra the only way to stop the world tree's collapse is to use the last of ion's power and annihilate the world tree i'm sorry it is the only way [Music] you all need to use one of those escape vessels and get as far away as possible what the last of ions pyro what are you doing it'll it'll be fine right you'll deal with the world tree then come back right rex tries every way he can to get over to pneuma but that's just not a possibility at this point we've gone through some of the most tear-jerking scenes with pyromithra and most of the time it stems from the idea of losing them now that we're at the climax the player is more attached to them than ever as they've been through all their endeavors and progression and although pirates sacrificed herself for the sake of her friends before it hits so much harder this time because now she values her life having to make this decision hurts her tremendously more because of how much she now loves the world and her existence in her final scene numa transfers the entirety of her quarter rex letting him live on while giving her just enough life to destroy the world tree before passing away as our protagonists run to the escape vessels you hear numa's last lines along with the song the tomorrow with you creating such a sentimental moment i'm so glad to have met you our time together was short a fraction long longer years but it's been warmer and brighter than any time i can remember before [Music] you shine a light on my melancholy path you showed me the way as our party departs from the world tree their escape pod breaks but thankfully we're saved by azerta as we saw across all rest at first glance it seems as if everything and everyone is gone but we ultimately find the titans merging with a massive land creating the true elysium they were searching for from there we cut to credits and it leaves the player in a really tough spot while we did find elysium we lost our favorite characters in the process it's so bittersweet and you really don't know how to feel in this situation but as you're watching the credits a song starts to play along with the memory of pyra the game starts showing you all the most important moments you've spent with pyromithra throughout your journey and it leaves you a mess reminiscing about all the great times you've shared with them while knowing they're gone is devastating and the song titled one last you just builds upon those feelings i adore the gorgeous strings and melodies within this composition but the lyrics are really what make it so effective in this moment it's undoubtedly written from pyrin mithra's perspective giving the player one more chance to hear their thoughts the majority of the words are most likely about rex the verses tell us how they've accepted their fate but will never forget how magical their time with him was with lines like i will trace back all my memories with you that's the only wish i have the chorus has a similar message except it's a bit more specific as the words hone in on their final day alive and when it's paired with numa's last breath one of the sweetest moments with pyra and then transitioning to the present it all meshes together so beautifully [Music] quiet just like in slow motion [Music] is is [Music] in this scene the camera shows each of our main characters along with their primary blade by their side zeke with pandoria morag with bridget torre with poppy and neo with dromark but then it switches over to rex who's all alone the intentional order of these shots reinforces pyron mithra's absence giving just a little extra sting by now we start transitioning to the bridge of the song which is just filled with gratitude it's essentially pyrin mithra saying thank you and wishing they could give something back in return as these words are sung you and rex notice the flashing light coming from their core crystal perfectly lining up with the lyrics [Music] despite all of this [Music] is [Music] i [Music] wouldn't care [Music] for you i want you to know [Music] i love this ending so much throughout the entire game pirate mithra are being taken away from you time and time again each instance worse than the last the final cutscene truly feels like the perfect climax when looking back and seeing them return at the ends overwhelms you with pure happiness having a story conclude on a happy note lets the players walk away with a good taste in their mouth remembering their experience with xenoblade chronicles 2 in a positive light at the end of the day most of if not all the happiness heartbreak tragedy triumph and love you felt within this adventure are thanks to pyran mithra [Music] seeing pyramid again to smash ultimate was probably the most happy i've ever been during a video game presentation and considering you made it to the end of this video you probably felt the same way but unfortunately with every smash reveal comes the ungrateful toxic community it was really frustrating seeing all these baseless claims about pyre and mithra coming from people who had no evidence to back it up me and so many other xenoblade fans have been defending them for ages trying to get people to open their minds i've always had so much to say so i decided to make this video to organize my thoughts i'm so sick of fans getting shamed for liking these characters because the truth is they love them for the same reasons i do out of all the pyro and mithra fans who've actually completed xenoblade 2 there are very few people who only like them on the visual side we love them for their painful but motivating backstory the exceptional foreshadowing they bring to the narrative how relatable they are due to their personalities and growth and how memorable they make this game after you beat xenoblade 2 it's so easy to see how massively pyro and mithra have benefited the main story in retrospect when you think back to all the best moments of the narrative most of them stem from pyramid's presence xenoblade chronicles 2 would not be the same game without them and if you're somehow watching this and haven't played the game please do the storytelling is just so much more effective when you're the one holding the controller listening to a summary or watching the scenes off youtube just isn't the same before i go i want to give a massive thank you for making it to the end i know this video is really long and i probably repeated myself a bit but i'm so grateful that people care enough to sit through me talking for this long i've been working on this project since may and i'm so thrilled to finally get it out pyro and mithra are just so amazing and i really wanted to give them a video they deserved i poured my heart and soul into the script and i really hope my passion bled through i'm always looking to improve the quality of these videos so i would really appreciate any constructive criticism so i can do better next time round once again thank you so so so much i hope you have a fantastic day [Music] you

Channel: Xander's Cut

Views: 135,765

Keywords: GiantPokeSpyro, Why Pyra and Mythra are Amazing Characters, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Character Analysis, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Character Study, Pyra Character Analysis, Mythra Character Analysis, Pyra Character Study, Mythra Character Study, Pyra Character Writing, Mythra Character Writing, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Character Writing, Xenoblade 2 Video Essay, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Story, Are Pyra and Mythra Good Characters, Is Xenoblade 2 Story Good, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Critique

Id: lKth1ZiCg-s

Length: 53min 38sec (3218 seconds)

Published: Mon Sep 20 2021