Xenoblade Chronicles 3 combines the best bits of the previous games, with huge variation in many different aspects, such as locales, colonies, side-quests, and exploration. One of the key places where things have changed is with combat. You can learn more about everything in general in our Xenoblade Chronicles 3 review, but read on for a detailed look at XC3 classes.
While there are many returning features, like arts and chain attacks, there’s a new element added in the form of Xenoblade Chronicles 3’s classes, a brand new aspect of Xenoblade Chronicles 3’s combat. There are six different classes that you can swap between, as well as additional classes that you can gain throughout the game thanks to Xenoblade Chronicles 3 heroes.
Once you’ve learned all about Xenoblade Chronicles 3’s classes, we’ve got lots more Xeno-guides for you. Check out the Xenoblade Chronicles 3 timeline guide to see how it all fits together or read about Xenoblade Chronicles’ Operation Rainfall for a bit of a history lesson. Then, when you’re more up to speed, head to our Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Ouroboros guide to learn about another new aspect of combat.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 classes
There are six base XC3 classes, which you can check out below, with a rough description of what they entail. They each have two master skills, the first learned at level five, the second at level 20, as well as three master arts, learned at levels one, ten, and 20, respectively. All of them upgrade as you move up the class rank system, too, so any figures below are for the base level class
Swordfighter
An attacker armed with a large sword whose refined technique balances offence and defence.
Master skills
- Cypher edge – boosts critical rate by 10%
- Covert attack – reduces aggro generated from attacks by 20%
Master arts
- Ground beat – physical attack with frontward AoE
- Shadow eye – buff which halves own aggro value
- Overclock buster – physical attack which boosts damage dealt when attacking dazed enemies
Zephyr
A defender who baffles foes with quick movement, skilled evasion, and strong counterattacks.
Master skills
- Split-second counter – deals 150% of attack damage after you evade an attack
- Stormy gale – boosts agility by 10%
Master arts
- Wide slash – physical attack which evades enemy attacks at the cost of a low crit rate
- Glow ring – physical attack with target lock
- Gemini strike – ether attack which evades attacks and boosts aggro by 70%
Medic gunner
A healer who deploys fields to heal and buff allies across a large area.
Master skills
- Ninja healer – reduces aggro generated from healing arts by 40%
- Eternal formation – increases field effect duration by 40%
Master arts
- Myopic screen – ether attack which inflicts daze
- Ether cannon – ether attack which reduces accuracy
- Healing ring – set field which regenerates health of whole party when within range of effect
Tactician
A healer, specializing in dazzling foes and offering support by using spell tags.
Master skills
- Ethereal ability – boosts damage dealt by ether arts by 40%
- Inevitable evitability – 8% chance to evade enemy attack
Master arts
- Dark banner – ether attack which inflicts sleep
- Overfall – ether attack which reduces ether defence
- Tidal wave – ether attack which heals all allies when it hits, up to a maximum of 150% of healing power
Heavy guard
A defender who protects allies with a huge weapon and arts to focus the enemies’ attention.
Master skill
- Defensive soul – boosts physical defence by 15%
- Tenacious blocker – boosts block rate by 40% when HP is at 30% or lower
Master arts
- Crash out – physical attack with frontward AoE which boosts aggro generated by 70%
- Solid stance – a stance which reduces damage taken by 25% and damage dealt by 25%
- Mad taunt – taunt with AoE around the user
Ogre
An attacker who smashes through foes’ defences with a huge hammer and unstoppable arts.
Master skills
- Fighting prowess – boosts damage dealt by physical arts by 30%
- Dynamite spirit – boosts damage dealt by 20% when HP is at 90% or higher
Master arts
- Giant swing – physical attack which inflicts knockback
- Maximum voltage – stance which makes attacks unblockable and boosts damage dealt by 20%
- Pressure drop – physical attack which inflicts launch
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 hero classes
There’s also a system where you can add a seventh party member from different characters you meet over time. Here are all the ones we’ve seen so far, as well as the hero you inherit these XC3 classes from.
Ethel – flash fencer
An attacker, pressuring foes with a dual-sword style and felling them in short, vicious bouts.
Master skills
- Critical strike – increases critical hit damage bonus by 30 percentage points
- Capable hands – fill talent art recharge gauge by 60% at the start of battle
Master arts
- Hidden thorn – physical attack which inflicts bleed
- Cross impact – physical attack which buffs self with power charge when art hits
- Saber strike – physical attack which inflicts smash
Valdi – war medic
An invaluable healer who ensures the party’s continued survival with healing and buffs.
Master skills
- Healing license – boosts amount of HP healed from using healing arts by 20%
- Antibody system – shortens duration of debuffs on self by 30%
Master arts
- Multi blast – ether attack which heals nearby allies when art hits, to max of 100% healing power
- Advanced cooldown – set field which increases defence to any of the party within the field range of effect
- Technical heal – healing for all allies
Zeon – guardian commander
A defender whose skills shine even brighter in the face of adversity. A ray of hope on the field of battle.
Master skills
- Protector’s pride – boosts recharge speed by 30% when non-defenders are targeted
- Mind for guarding – increases damage reduction rate when blocking by ten percentage points
Master arts
- Noble taunt – taunt which affects one target
- Shield bash – physical attack which inflicts topple
- Deflector field – defence buff called awakening which makes you stronger for a time and absorbs attacks taken while art is active
Teach – thaumaturge
A healer with a belligerent bent. Batter enemies with powerful combos while soothing ailing allies.
Master skills
- Ultimate Qigong – ignores 30% of enemy’s physical defence when landing a hit
- Life-saving fists – Heals self when auto-attack hits, to a maximum of 100% of healing power
Master arts
- Violent flurry – physical attack which has a 30% chance to ignore defence
- Spearpoint thrust – physical attack which inflicts bind
- Demise thrust – physical attack which inflicts burst
Riku & Manana – yumsmith
Protean attacker class that exploits enemy weak points and uses debuffs to alter the tide of battle.
Master skills
- Sappy-sappy drain! – increases success rate of debuff effects by 15 percentage points
- Slicey-dicey! – boosts field damage dealt by 100%
Master arts
- Energy grenade – ether attack which inflicts blaze AoE
- Flashback – physical attack which inflicts break when attack from side
- Sword of valor – physical attack which causes damage link
Gray – full metal jaguar
Attacks foes in a wide area with twin guns and drones, the shots growing deadlier with each hit.
Master skills
- Positioning pro – increases the number of positional arts that can be set to the arts palette by one
- Shock shot – boosts damage against enemies performing arts by 80%
Master arts
- Demolition – ether attack which has a 30% chance to ignore defence
- Quickdraw – ether attack which boosts damage dealt when attack from the front
- Violent streak
Isurd – strategos
An adroit, tactical healer who uses special guns to aid allies in various ways, as well as weakening foes.
Master skills
- Strengthening gambit – extends duration of buff effects issued by self by 30%
- Preemption gambit – 60% chance to grant all allies attack up on a preemptive attack
Master arts
- No love lost – ether attack which reduces physical defence
- Hornet – ether attack which heals nearby allies when art hits to a maximum of 100% of healing power
- Soulfire – ether attack which heals all allies when art hits, to a maximum of 150% of healing power
Juniper – stalker
An attacker who excels at sniping foes with arrows and hunting them from the safety of stealth.
Master skills
- Evasion expertise – 30% chance to evade ranged attacks
- Swift death – deals 50% more damage against enemies who are at 30% HP or less
Master arts
- Staying power – set field for art-follow up
- Night hunt – stance which boosts back attack damage by 30% and reduces aggro drawn when attacking
- Refreshing rain – ether attack which deals 50% more damage against enemies who are at 30% HP or less
Ashera – lone exile
An aggressive defender whose swift, deadly slash strikes draw foes in, only to mow them down.
Master skills
- Natural selection – reduces damage taken by 20% when HP is at 30% or lower
- Maniac – boosts damage dealt when attacking higher-level enemies by 30%
Master arts
- Gale slash – physical attack which boosts damage dealt when attacking enemies targeting you by 50%
- Soaring tempest – physical attack which inflicts launch
- Blossom dance – physical attack which deals damage that ignores defence, also boosts aggro generated when using the art by 50%
Alexandria – incursor
An elegant attacker, whose exquisite sword grows even keener with critical hits.
Master skills
- Vigilance – boosts critical rate of auto-attacks by 50%
- Eye for weak points – each successful attack boosts critical rate by 1% of initial value (up to a maximum of 100%)
Master arts
- Aerial slash – physical attack which grants a high critical rate; also evades enemy attacks while art is active
- Glitter stream – physical attack which inflicts break when attacking from the side
- Supreme sword – physical attack which boosts damage dealt when attacking launched enemies by 100%
Monica – Lost vanguard
A stout defender guarding allies all around with shield and arts, while crushing foes with a mace.
Master skills
- Now that’s tactics! – at start of chain attack, increases TP by 5
- Come an’ get me! – when blocking, deals 100% of attack damage to enemy, drawing aggro
Master arts
- Shield wall – while performing guard arts, periodically recover 3% of HP
- Mighty beat – boosts aggro generated when using art by 50%
- Thunder steel – boosts damage dealt to machines by 70%
Fiona – signifer
A special healer excelling at support, using buffs to inspirit allies with courage and strength.
Master skills
- All about support – increases the number of field arts that can be set to the arts palette by one
- We can do better – restores 3% of HP when a buff is applied
Master arts
- Aureole – grants own buff to all allies
- Resonant flag – applies one random buff to self
- Cry of faith – applies two random buffs to allies
Triton – Soulhacker
A special class enabling a variety of fighting styles using skills and arts stolen from enemies.
Master skills
- Soul hack – when defeating a unique monster, gain a skill or art
Master arts
- Final countdown – boosts damage dealt for each soulhacker art or skill learned
Ghondor – martial artist
A martial artist attacker who pounds foes into dust with a ceaseless torrent of blows.
Master skills
- Feline righting reflex – ignore blowdown and launch by somersaulting. Also has 60% chance to grant attack up
- Frenzied combo – on critical hit, recharge art used by 20%
Master arts
- Impulse wave – physical attack which boosts damage by 20% for every enemy in battle up to a maximum of 200%
- Jackal claw – physical attack which grants a high critical rate; also evades enemy attacks while art is active
- Raging force – physical attack which depletes art recharge; also boosts damage relative to number of arts used up
Miyabi – troubadour
A special healer, raising allies’ attack frequency and strengthening them greatly with flute-playing.
Master skills
- Dance of barrages – 10% chance to keep recharge when using art
- Swiftsong – boosts all allies’ accuracy and evasion by 10%. Does not stack.
Master arts
- Way home – ether attack which inflicts burst
- Ring o’ roses – set field which fast recharges ally arts when in field range of effect
- Glittering melody – buff which recharges arts for all allies able to fight by 50% (does not affect self)
Cammuravi – Seraph
A bold attacker, trading wounds for augmentation of an already formidable offensive power.
Master skills
- Greatest warrior – boosts damage by 25% for every enemy in battle (max. 200%)
- Universal annihilation – boosts damage dealt to toppled and launched targets by 50%
Master arts
- Flamerlord – boosts damage dealt when attacking from the front by 50%
- Crimson lance – inflicts topple on enemy when attacking from side
- Empyrean salvo – boosts damage dealt by 50% when awakened
No.7 Segiri – Machine assassin
An attacker who hounds foes with debuffs, then fells them at their most vulnerable with dual axes.
Master skills
- Cursed edge – boosts damage dealt by 50% when attacking a debuffed enemy
- Anti-erosion system – grants 30% resistance to all debuffs
Master arts
- Tyrant cross – physical attack which applies one random debuff
- Fatal bite – physical attack which boosts damage dealt from the side
- Viral vector – AoE physical which inflicts one randomly chosen debuff
Of course, we’re very much in love with the game, so we’ve written loads about it beyond the XC3 classes. We’ve got guides to Xenoblade Chronicles 3’s Noah, Xenoblade Chronicles 3’s Mio, and Xenoblade Chronicles 3 characters in general, too. Get ‘em read.