It can be difficult to know how to unlock each character and when to start looking for them in Xenoblade Chronicles 3. Players can unlock heroes as early as chapter two of the game, and from then on, many opportunities arise to gather heroes. Using our guide, you will be able to fill up your party with all of the characters you can use. You can miss some characters if you don’t get them when they’re available, while others are unlocked as the game progresses.
You can unlock most of the characters in the game by completing their hero quest, so don’t worry about not doing things correctly. It is best to complete all the hero quests in the chapter we listed because not doing so is an easy way to miss them. If you’re unsure when exactly to do so in the chapter, get to the point where you’re just about to finish the chapter and then go back and get the characters. The only exception is Ashera and Segiri, which have prerequisites you should complete before attempting to invite them to your party.
We’ve listed each character you can unlock below in alphabetical order, with the instructions for unlocking them.
| Character | Class | Chapter unlocked | How to unlock them |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alexandria | Incursor | Chapter four | Go to Eagus Wilderness, Zem’s Crossway, and head for the Dies Arch landmark. Kill the Agnia soldiers and beat Colony lota during the Her Reasons hero quest. |
| Asherea | Lone Exile | Chapter four | Before infiltrating, go to the ? marker next to the front gates and complete Wrath of Ashera hero quest. After that, they will be available |
| Cammuravi | Seraph | Chapter six | Once you complete Side Story: Mio, go to Captocorn Peak, Colony Omega. Once you’re there, go to the lab, and you’ll come across Cammuravi. Complete the A Twist of Fate hero quest. |
| Ethel | Flash Fencer | Chapter three | Return to the Colony Omega lab after recruiting Cammuravi. Ethel is temporary but then becomes permanent later in the chapter. Make sure not to keep anything important on them before they leave the party |
| Fiona | Signifier | Chapter five | Complete Transparent Dreams hero quest at Conchrock Beach, Erythia Sea. |
| Ghondor | Martial Artist | Chapter five | Unlocked by playing the story; Ghondor cannot be missed, but she is temporary. |
| Gray | Full Metal Jaguar | Chapter three | Go to Millick Meadows. Head north from there and climb the purple vines. Approach the ? icon and complete A Gray Matter hero quest. |
| Isurd | Strategos | Chapter four | After liberating Colony Lambda, talk to Isurd in his office and complete the Unwavering Resolve hero quest. |
| Juniper | Stalker | Chapter four | Unlocked by playing the story; Juniper cannot be missed. |
| Manana | Yumsmith | Chapter three | Unlocked by playing the story; Manana cannot be missed. |
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| Melia | Royal Summoner | Post-game | Beating the game, quit, and then load your completed saved file again. Go to Keves Castle, Main Castle Gate, and finish the new quest there. |
| Miyabi | Troubador | Chapter six | As you go through the main story, you’ll get a sidequest called Side Story: Mio. Comeplete it to get this character |
| Monica | Lost Vanguard | Chapter five | Complete the Vandham’s Heir hero quest after discovering the Guernica Vanham topic in the City. |
| Nia | Lifesage | Post-Game | After beating the game, quit and load your completed save file again. Go to Cloudkeep, Hall of the Serene, and go to the event marker. |
| Riku | Yumsmith | Chapter three | Unlocked by playing the story; Riku cannot be missed. |
| Segiri | Machine Assassin | Chapter five | Finish the Imminent Illusion quest in chapter four. Return to Colony 4 after chapter four and complete side quests. Keep completing side quests until a new quest pops up outside of Colony 4. The quest will be called Severed connection; complete it and head to the City. Complete Writer’s Block in the City and then head to Colony Omega. Head south from there and complete the Inhumanity hero quest. |
| Teach | Thaumaturge | Chapter three | Liberate Colony Gamma. When you’re finished, go to the green quest marker in Alfeto Valley, Gura Flava Lowlands, and complete the Going Beyond Power hero quest. |
| Triton | Soulhacker | Chapter five | A number of things need to be done to unlock this character. Look for Colony 15 on the beach at Erythia Sea. Then, complete an event at Ishan Isle. Finally, complete the Doing It My Way hero quest at Harghan Point Camp. |
| Valdi | War Medic | Chapter three | Unlocked by playing the story; Valdi cannot be missed. |
| Zeon | Guardian Commander | Chapter two | Complete Where The Heart Is hero quest in Colony 9 after finishing Colony 30. |
