Xenoblade Chronicles 3 promised to bring together the worlds from the previous two games (sorry Xenoblade X), but fans may not have realised just how literal of a statement that was. As always the game is filled with incredible twists and turns, naturally coming to quite the grand climax that is as mindblowing as it is heartbreaking.
As great as the complex and layered story is, if you miss even a single detail, it can lead to many crucial moments going right over your head. If you were confused about any part of Xenoblade 3’s ending then never fear as we’re here to explain every intricate detail.
If you’re still polishing off the last few things in the game, then you might want to check out our Xenoblade 3 CP farming guide, or how to unlock every Ascension quest.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 ending explained
So first, a quick overview of what happens before we dig into the “why” of everything.
The whole world of Aionios centres on the idea of “the endless now”, where everything is in a never-ending cycle of birth and death, and nothing ever truly changes. After becoming Ouroboros and learning about how the world and life should really be, Noah and the gang infiltrate Origin to defeat Moebius and set the world on track towards the future.
They’re successful in doing so, and the result is the two worlds that collided to create Aionios begin to separate again. Our heroes then say goodbye to each other as the worlds pull away; cue floods of tears. In the post-credit scene, we’re greeted by the Kevesian half of the party as children in their original – now reset – world. Noah hears Mio’s off-seer song, wanders towards the sound and seemingly disappears in the crowd as Noah’s half of the melody joins in. Cue even more tears.
The two worlds - Xenoblade Chronicles 3
Most of the explaining for this portion of the narrative happens in Xenoblade 2, but if you haven’t played that game, or played it quite a while ago, here’s how the two worlds came to exist.
A scientist called Klaus, on what is assumed to be our version of Earth, ran an experiment on an artefact of near-infinite power known as the Conduit. If you want to know more about that, then you’ve got to play Xenogears, which is a rabbit hole we don’t have the time or energy for right now. Very long story short, this experiment caused the world to be “cleft in twain” as Nia so eloquently puts it.
One world is that of the Bionis and Mechonis, which Shulk and his friends free during the events of the original Xenoblade Chronicles. The other is Alrest, which Rex and the gang save with Klaus’ help in Xenoblade 2. However, through whatever forces of the universe are at play, the two worlds eventually began to pull back together and become whole again.
The two worlds colliding would’ve spelt the end of everything for those living on them, so Melia and Nia worked together with their friends to create Origin, which they hoped would bring their two worlds together in harmony. Unfortunately, when the moment finally came, Origin was seized by Moebius and “the endless now” of Aionios was created.
What is the true nature of Moebius? - Xenoblade Chronicles 3
Like every good complex story, there’s more than one answer to that question depending on the context.
In terms of what they do in Aionios, Moebius are beings with theoretically infinite lifespans that fuel the war between Agnus and Keves to keep themselves alive and maintain “the endless now”. Some became Moebius when Z took control of Origin, others were made into Moebius by Z after they died for a variety of reasons, the summary of which is: Z thought it’d be entertaining.
That brings us to Z himself and the true nature of Moebius. It is the distillation of the pure desire of all the people of the world. Fearing change and their destruction, the people of both worlds wished desperately to be able to continue as they were, never changing, never moving forward. That is what “the endless now” means, and that is how Origin birthed Moebius.
This naive and childish desire is what eventually leads Noah and the party to despise the world Moebius created and seek to move towards the future once more.
The consequences of Moebius’ defeat - Xenoblade Chronicles 3
Once our heroes defeat Moebius, the party are momentarily transported to a still place in the universe where Noah is given a choice. Either become the new Moebius and maintain “the endless now”, or move forward and let the two worlds separate once more. Both worlds will reset and no one will consciously retain their memories of Aionios
Noah heroically chooses to move forwards and everyone says their goodbyes as the worlds begin to pull apart. Noah and Mio kiss and they vow to reunite one day. Everything goes back to the way it was in both worlds without either knowing the other exists.
Will Noah and Mio ever reunite? - Xenoblade Chronicles 3
Much like the question of whether Pyra and Mythra remember Rex when they’re reborn at the end of Xenoblade 2, the question of whether Noah and Mio truly reunite is left open to interpretation. Ultimately, the Xenoblade series is an optimistic one, and as Nia’s photo during the ending cutscene – and Poppi’s adorable appearance – shows, it never shies away from giving its characters the happy ending we all want for them.
Although we never see them meet once more, Nia’s words assure us the worlds will eventually try to come back together and then they can “walk hand-in-hand once more”. Even the song that plays over the final cutscene states that “this goodbye is not the end”, so it seems fair to assume that Noah and Mio eventually get their happily-ever-after.
Plus, there’s the post-credit scene in which Noah hears Mio’s song and seemingly joins her somehow. Although they may not consciously remember their time together, it’s clear that their spirits, souls, or whatever you want to call them, retain their experiences.
What does the Xenoblade Chronicles series do next?
Before anything else, there is the matter of the DLC for Xenoblade 3 which will include new story content. Exactly what shape this content will take is currently unclear.
It may go down the Future Connected route and provide a follow-up story that feels like an extended epilogue. Perhaps it will chronicle the events of the worlds coming together once more and Noah and Mio getting to see each other again. Alternatively, it may go down the Torna – The Golden Country route and give us a prequel story. This could feature heavy fan-service elements like Shulk and Rex fighting side by side as the first Ouroboros team against Moebius.
Whatever form that takes the series director, Tetsuya Takahashi, has stated intentions for the Xenoblade series to continue, although he views Xenoblade 3 as a “stopping point”. He says that the “title depicts the conclusion of the Xenoblade story that began with Klaus’s experiment.”
This could mean that it’ll be a while before we see Xenoblade 4, but it will probably happen eventually. However, when it does it will most likely be the start of a brand new story arc, much like what Kingdom Hearts 4 seems to be doing in its announcement trailer, meaning the stories of Shulk, Rex, and Noah will truly be at an end.
Written by Ryan Woodrow on behalf of GLHF.
