Character Skill Guide for Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition

In Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition, the choice and customization of each character's skills play a key role in successfully progressing through the game. This guide will help you select the best abilities for the heroes, maximize their potential, improve combat efficiency, and avoid wasting resources on less useful skills.

1. Don’t forget to check and purchase skill upgrade books from merchants and periodically review your equipment, as this can significantly increase skill effectiveness, survivability, and auto-attack damage.
2. Keep in mind that some monsters or bosses require a special approach (e.g., disabling auras). After several defeats, the game may offer to lower the difficulty or provide temporary buffs.
3. For many monsters and bosses, the pattern Break → Topple → Daze works effectively. Try to ensure your team can execute this combo.
4. Since characters regenerate after each battle, it’s not always necessary to build a team consisting of a damage dealer, support, and tank. Often, you can finish battles quickly using buffs, crowd control, and rapid damage output.

Shulk

Damage Dealer, Support

Shulk has a unique mechanic — only eight regular skills and additional abilities from the Monado blade (Monado Arts). Because of this, there’s no need for a specific build for this character. Monado Arts unlock through the story and enhance his team support and strategic capabilities.

Reyn

Tank, Aggro Control

1. Guard Shift (Level 9) — Significantly reduces incoming damage, useful for tanking (but disables movement and auto-attacks while active).
2. Hammer Beat (Level 1) — An area attack that increases aggro and keeps enemies focused on Reyn.
3. Sword Drive (Level 16) — A very powerful single-target attack with high damage.
4. Magnum Charge (Level 35) — Boosts the next attack, ideally used before Sword Drive.
   Temporary Replacement: Engage (Level 11) — An aura that effectively increases aggro.
5. Wild Down (Level 1) — Topples an enemy, opening them up for further attacks.
6. Lariat (Level 43) — An area attack useful for handling groups of enemies.
   Temporary Replacement: War Swing (Level 7) — Another area attack, effective against multiple targets.
7. Bone Upper (Level 1) — A quick attack that helps maintain aggro.
8. Last Stand (Level 23) — Restores health upon death, extending Reyn’s time in battle.

Sharla

Healer, Support

1. Heal Bullet (Level 1) — The primary skill for healing a single ally.
2. Heal Round (Level 18) — AoE healing for the entire team.
3. Heat Bullet (Level 22) — Reduces tension, allowing for more frequent attacks and healing.
4. Cure Round (Level 46) — Removes debuffs from allies.
   Temporary Replacement: Cure Bullet (Level 1) — Removes debuffs from a single ally.
5. Head Shot (Level 42) — A powerful shot with a chance to instantly kill a toppled enemy.
   Temporary Replacement: Metal Blast (Level 16) — Inflicts Break status, effective against flying enemies.
6. Shield Bullet (Level 1) — Provides a protective barrier to a single ally.
7. Tranquilizer (Level 12) — Puts an enemy to sleep, temporarily removing them from combat.
8. Thunder Bullet (Level 1) — Deals Ether damage, hitting for double damage.

Dunban

Physical Damage Dealer, Evasion

1. Gale Slash (Level 1) — Initiates combo attacks, inflicting bleeding.
2. Electric Gutbuster (Level 1) — Deals damage and applies Break if used after Gale Slash.
3. Soaring Tempest (Level 44) — Hits all nearby enemies, useful for groups.
   Temporary Replacement: Serene Heart (Level 28) — An aura that increases hit rate and evasion.
4. Spirit Breath (Level 22) — Increases Haste for faster auto-attacks and removes debuffs from Dunban.
5. Heat Haze (Level 36) — Reduces Dunban’s aggro and increases critical hit chance.
   Temporary Replacement: Peerless (Level 1) — Increases physical attack for the whole team and removes confusion effects.
6. Demon Slayer (Level 56) — A strong attack that can topple enemies in an area.
   Temporary Replacement: Worldly Slash (Level 1) — Reduces the enemy’s defense and further lowers strength if used after Gale Slash.
7. Steel Strike (Level 1) — Topples an enemy with Break status.
8. Tempest Kick (Level 32) — Removes auras from enemies after Gale Slash.

Melia

Magic Damage Dealer, Crowd Control

Melia can stack up to three elements, and their effects will accumulate. Each element charge can be activated using her primary ability Elemental Discharge (ED).

1. Summon Bolt (Level 1) — Increases Ether for Melia and nearby allies. When discharged via ED, it deals heavy damage to a single enemy.
2. Summon Flare (Level 1) — Provides a buff to increase strength and boosts attack. When discharged via ED, it deals Ether damage to multiple enemies and applies a Blaze debuff.
3. Summon Aqua (Level 32) — Provides a buff for the entire team that periodically restores HP. When discharged via ED, it deals damage and absorbs the enemy’s HP.
4. Summon Copy (Level 38) — Copies the last summoned element, even if it was already discharged.
5. Mind Blast (unlocked before the story fight with Leone Telethia) — Removes auras from enemies and prevents their reuse.
6. Burst End (Level 1) — Lowers physical and Ether defense for all nearby enemies.
7. Reflection (Level 50) — Reflects enemy attacks and debuffs back at them.
   Optional: Power Effect (Level 53) — Increases the range of effects from summoned elements.
8. Hypnotize (Level 1) — Puts an enemy to sleep, useful for controlling or temporarily removing them from combat.

Riki

Support, Status Effects

1. You Can Do It (Level 27) — Heals allies in an area; healing power can be boosted based on the number of debuffs on allies.
2. Bitey Bitey (Level 1) — Inflicts Bleed on the enemy.
3. Burninate (Level 43) — Deals AoE damage and applies Blaze for fire-based DoT.
   Temporary Replacement: Hero Time (Level 1) — Boosts Riki’s attributes and may grant buffs to allies.
4. Freezinate (Level 31) — Deals direct and periodic ice damage.
   Temporary Replacement: Lurgy (Level 1) — Applies Poison for DoT, though less potent than ice.
5. Play Dead (Level 1) — Riki pretends to die, dropping aggro and increasing the power of his next ability.
6. Happy Happy (Level 1) — Fills the party gauge, speeding up chain attack usage.
7. Roly Poly (Level 1) — Can topple an enemy, putting them into the Topple state.
8. Sneaky (Level 1) — Deals high damage when attacking from behind, great for maximizing Riki’s damage output.

Fiora

Damage Dealer, Attack Speed Specialist

1. Double Blade (Level 1) — Deals significant damage from behind.
2. Double Wind (Level 42) — Hits enemies in a frontal radius.
3. Speed Shift (Level 61) — Dramatically increases Fiora’s attack speed.
4. Cross Impact (Level 1) — Deals damage and inflicts Daze if the enemy is Toppled.
5. Spear Blade (Level 1) — A strike whose power triples if the enemy is Toppled.
6. Mag Storm (Level 49) — AoE attack that inflicts Daze on all Toppled Mechon.
7. Final Cross (Unlocked after defeating Gadolt) — A powerful AoE attack that can also Topple enemies.
   Temporary Replacement: Air Fang (Level 1) — Deals damage and applies Break.
8. Lock-On (Level 46) — Forces enemies to focus on Fiora while significantly boosting her critical rate and talent gauge buildup.

IMHO. That’s it — the rest is up to you!