History Characters / XenobladeChronicles3TheFounders

** For all intents and purposes, averted compared to the other child characters. A all but explicitly says he's an incarnation of Shulk's son, while other dialogue makes it unambiguous that Fiora is Nikol's mother, explaining his hair and eye color. [[spoiler:One Affinity Scene has Rex be confused over if Dunban was Shulk's ''mentor'' or his ''brother-in-law'', and Shulk becoming flustered but not refuting it, confirming that he and Fiora got married after the events of ''1''. Lastly, one Affinity Scene between Shulk and Nikol at Outlook Park has him explaining to Nikol that it's thanks to Fiora's support of Shulk that "[he's] here today at all...and that goes for you, too", which is pretty much outright confirmation that Nikol is Shulk and Fiora's child without saying it directly.]]

* AmbiguouslyRelated: Her overall design and Japanese voice actress indicate a relation to Sharla, whether as her daughter or her niece via Juju. Shulk being her mentor could also point to her possibly being the daughter of his best friend Reyn as well. [[spoiler:Made incredibly less ambiguous when Shulk refers to her parents in a sidequest as being caring to a fault and beloved by many people; Sharla was a medic and emotional cornerstone of her colony, Reyn was single-mindedly focused on protecting Shulk and keeping the party's morale up, and Juju dedicated himself to helping rebuild Colony 6 and at least one Nopon NPC expressed a major infatuation with him]].

* ExperiencedProtagonist: Even more so than the main cast, which was already comprised of experienced soldiers. Matthew and A are introduced as having already defeated Moebius on several occasions; when a confrontation with Moebius actually happens, it’s revealed the two have gained a reputation as "Moebius Hunters", a reputation they live up to by defeating and killing two Moebius with ease. A also effortlessly destroys two Flame Clocks in an instant. Likewise, Shulk and Rex have become highly skilled veterans after saving their respective worlds; furthermore, in Aionios they've been co-leading the Liberators for an unspecified amount of time. Notably, the most inexperienced party members are Glimmer and Nikol, who are treated as children -- despite being equivalent in experience to the main cast at the beginning of the main game (and even then, they are nearing the end of their lifespan, meaning they have been training/fighting for most of the last ten years).

* AmbiguouslyRelated: She is confirmed to be an incarnation of Rex’s daughter, and it’s heavily implied that Pyra is her mother.[[note]]While the topic of her mother is only indirectly brought up in game (where Linka states she figured out Glimmer's relation to Rex because she "looks just like" a certain someone), from the three children shown in Nia's family photo, Pyra's child is the only one with the same hair color as Glimmer.[[/note]] Likewise, given that it's heavily implied that Mio is Nia's daughter, and that Rex was likely her father, that would make Glimmer Mio's half-sister (and Matthew her great-grandnephew, via his descent from Mio).

* AmbiguouslyRelated: Her Japanese voice actress, Japanese name (Rinka), green hair, Core Crystal shape and color (rectangular and green), and even her black-and-purple color scheme and her wearing glasses imply she is related to Pandoria (whose Japanese name is Saika). Rex being her mentor could also point to her being the daughter of Zeke (a mentor of sorts of his in ''2'') with Pandoria. Her ears even look like a cross between Pandoria's long, pointed ears and a human's. [[spoiler:Made incredibly less ambiguous in a sidequest where Linka reminds Rex about her father's penchant for over-exaggeration.]]

** [[spoiler:Glimmer is confirmed to be an incarnation of Rex’s daughter, and it's heavily implied that Pyra is her mother.]]

* NobleMaleRoguishMale: Shulk became a polite intellectual and LongHairedPrettyboy who resembles the dashing Dunban in his old age, and settled down with his lifelong childhood sweetheart Fiora. Meanwhile Rex is an oafish but good-natured {{Hunk}}, as reflected by his title of "Stoutheart", and is heavily implied to have also married and had children with Mythra and Nia in addition to his primary love interest Pyra.

* AmbiguousGender: A has a feminine-leaning androgynous appearance and voice, and is assigned the gender value of 1 (female) in the game's code, unlike the explicitly-nonbinary Juniper and Roc, who receive unique gender designations. However, A is never once referred to with gendered pronouns whether by A's self or anyone else (including in promotional materials; at most, A is occasionally referred to as a "person"), other characters go out of their way to refer to A with non-gendered language compared to the rest of the cast in such a way that implies A is conspicuously neither male nor female in-universe, and in Japanese A uses the masculine-leaning first-person pronoun "boku" just as Alvis did. Rex also states that the reason for A's current appearance is that the gender of Ontos is between male and female, and at the end of the game [[spoiler:A is directly referred to as "Alvis"]].

* AngerBornOfWorry: When he reunites with his daughter, Glimmer (albeit with her not knowing he is her father, let alone what a parent even is), his first instinct to admonish her for being so careless in trying to return to Agnus, nothing that she nearly got herself killed and endangered the rest of the Liberators. The fact that she lashes out at them for interrupting her chance at reaching Homecoming probably doesn't help as it's not unlike her own mother's wish for her own death like it was a good thing, which Rex had to snap her and her aunt out of.

* BattleCouple: In the Archsage's Gauntlet mode of the main game, he can fight alongside Queen Nia, one of his wives, if both are unlocked. However, being a non-canon mode focused on gameplay, they don't have any special interactions with each other. Funnily enough, if playing as Mio in her default Zephyr class, the three of them form a BadassFamily DamagerHealerTank trio.

* BraggingRightsReward: [[spoiler:He and Rex can be recruited as Heroes via the Challenge Battle mode only after the base game and ''Future Redeemed'' are beaten. However, their classes can't be used by the main cast, and there are no story scenes with them.]]

* BraggingRightsReward: [[spoiler:He and Shulk can be recruited as Heroes via the Challenge Battle mode only after the base game and ''Future Redeemed'' are beaten. However, their classes can't be used by the main cast, and there are no story scenes with them.]]

* TheSmurfettePrinciple: While Linka and Panacea are part of the Liberators, Glimmer is the only girl that's playable. [[spoiler:During the battle against Alpha and post-game, Na'el [[TwoGirlsToATeam joins the party]].]]

* BadassAdorable: She has the appearance of a cute, delicate older teen girl similar to her implied mother, and is also a highly potent CombatMedic.

* CallBack: He's wielding Pyra and Mythra's blades, but dual wielding like Mòrag and Vandham did. He's missing an eye, and his weapons are referred to as great swords, while he rocks a longcoat look and a Launch Art; Zeke used a great sword and wore an eyepatch and a longcoat, and Pandoria gave him a Launch Art that wasn't position-based. Current Rex is basically a giant nod to his party in his game.

** A all but explicitly says he's an incarnation of Shulk's son. [[spoiler:Likewise, dialogue where Rex is confused over if Dunban was Shulk's ''mentor'' or his ''brother-in-law'', and Shulk becoming flustered but not refuting it, implies that Nikol's mother was likely Fiora -- explaining his hair and eye color. Lastly, one Affinity Scene between Shulk and Nikol at Outlook Park has him explaining to Nikol that it's thanks to Fiora's support of Shulk that "[he's] here today at all...and that goes for you, too", which is pretty much outright confirmation that Nikol is Shulk and Fiora's child without saying it directly.]]
** Nikol being Fiora's son makes him Dunban's nephew, and thus this trope comes into play in a more straightforward sense between him and Ashera, who could potentially be his cousin depending on whether the vague hints at her being related to Dunban are true or not.

* OlderThanTheyLook: Looks to be a young man in his twenties, but refers to Glimmer and Nikol (who are 19) as "kids" and speaks of a battle with Moebius 15 years ago in a way that implies he and his sister were combatants, implying the two of them are in or around their 30s.

* LongHairedPrettyBoy: {{Downplayed}}; Shulk's face shows signs of visible aging and stress that make him look more "rugged" than "pretty", but he still has his good looks -- and the flowing long blond hair down his back certainly adds to that.

* {{Retirony}}: {{Inverted}}. She was apparently very close to her Homecoming... but then Matthew got involved in her fight with Nikol, breaking her connection to the Flame Clock and making her an unwilling enemy of the Consuls.

* TheDeterminator: Pretty much nothing can get Matthew to the point of a HeroicBSOD. Even after finding out Na'el was being used as Alpha's host, he's still dead-set on freeing her from Alpha's control and is willing to punch his way through just about anyone and anything in order to do so.

* OlderThanHeLooks: Looks to be a young man in his twenties, but refers to Glimmer and Nikol (who are 19) as "kids" and speaks of a battle with Moebius 15 years ago in a way that implies he and his sister were combatants, implying the two of them are in or around their 30s.

* BoisterousBruiser: While not the BigGuy of the team, he has many of the familiar characteristics from his hotblooded nature and his larger than life personality.

* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: While the kingdom doesn't exist in Aionios her father was the crown prince of Tantal, making her at least descended from royalty or even a princess in her own right. Nevertheless, she stands right beside Rex as he goes into battle to support him against Alpha or Moebius.

* MeaningfulName: "A" is a homophone for the Japanese word 睿, which means "wisdom" and "farsightedness", and which is a good description of A's literal PrescienceByAnalysis powers. It's also a hint [[spoiler:to A's true name, since "Alvis" also has the same meaning of "all-knowing"]].

** Since A has a OneLetterName, one might think that they're the long lost Moebius A. [[spoiler:In truth, A is completely unaffiliated with Moebius, although it's something of a DoubleSubversion borne of EnemyMine where A chooses to side with Moebius against Alpha's [[EvilVsOblivion threat of complete oblivion]], and does so by becoming part of the new Trinity Processor maintaining Aionios's continued existence.]]

** Founder Cassini's mentor Rex has a missing eye, stocky build, and cape-like outfit which reference Zeke von Genbu from ''2'', while his wielding of two weapons at once recalls Vandham and Morag.

** Her reckless hotheadedness and naivety similarly reflects how her father behaved early in his journey, endangering those around her for no good reason, though in her case, it's more about Moebius rather than Morag Ladair or shady characters like Chairman Bana. Appropriately, Rex himself calls this out.

* EleventhHourRanger: [[spoiler:She ultimately joins the party in the final phase of the FinalBoss fight against Alpha, and is available as a Hero in the postgame.]]

* FreudianExcuse: Less one for her, [[InTheBlood but more for her successors]]. House Doyle's staunchly conservative stance in the present can be traced back to her not wanting to risk the City's survival picking a fight with Moebius, [[FriendToAllChildren especially that of the children]]. This is in part due to [[spoiler:an incident where a City camp, including a child Nae'el was close to, were wiped out by Kevasi soldiers, causing her to [[TookALevelInCynic Take a Level in Cynic.]]]]

* BigThinShortTrio: Rex is the tallest and by far the brawniest of the three. Shulk is the thin one, relatively speaking, as he's a lot taller than he was in the first game and leaner than Rex, as well as the most prominent leader figure among the Liberators. A is the short member of the trio, being the smallest of the three and the most intellectual, being a humanoid AI.

* FoolishHusbandResponsibleWife: Shulk and Rex's dynamic can take on similar elements. Rex is a big goofball who can come off as a bit of a BumblingDad in his interactions with Glimmer and Linka, whereas Shulk tends to be the mature and responsible voice of reason who gives Rex advice on parenting.

* CynicIdealistDuo: Downplayed. Shulk is the more melancholy and cautious of the two, fighting out of a desire to stop the evil forces that abolish the people's free will, whereas Rex is a bombastic risk-taker who fights to create a world where people are happy.

* PhysicalMysticalTechnological: Rex's abilities emphasize his {{Hunk}}y physical might, A wields a mystical sword with divine properties and can cast Ether-based spells, and Shulk fights with an advanced technological weapon he created himself to mimic said divine sword.

* SensitiveGuyAndManlyMan: Downplayed. Shulk and Rex both grew up to become very muscular and masculine-looking, but Shulk is comparatively of the Sensitive Guy, being a mild-mannered and still slightly-awkward geek with [[LongHairIsFeminine long hair]] who was described as "delicate" in youth, and his role is as an evasion tank (a role that emphasizes finesse) who provides a more outwardly supportive and affectionate approach to parenting the younger members of the party. Meanwhile, Rex is the Manly Man of the duo, being a strong and muscular BoisterousBruiser who is a lot more open with his emotions and favors a more strict and disciplinary style of parenting.

* AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence: [[spoiler:Essentially. When Alpha is defeated, Origin need someone to become the Trinity Processor or Aionios will collapse. Shulk, alongside A and Rex, became the new avatar of Origin, but makes it clear they will come back once Origin reset.]]

* BashBrothers: Has become this with Rex, as a result of both of them being the two leaders of the Liberators.

* CoolOldGuy: Shulk is somewhere in his 40s to 50s, and is the biologically oldest playable party member of ''3'' who leads a heroic revolution against Moebius, who are the embodiment of EvilOldFolks.

* ForceAndFinesse: The finesse to Rex's force. While both are equal in terms of power, Shulk has a more tactical mind with a fighting style that revolves around understanding the enemy and reacting accordingly.

* GentleTouchVsFirmHand: The gentle touch in contrast to Rex's firm hand. As a mentor, he's very delicate and diplomatic. Best exemplified with his interactions with Nikol, where he helps the boy to come out of his shell by encouraging his interest in engineering.

* OlderThanTheyLook: Looks somewhat younger than Rex, despite being the older of the two by 3 years. Likewise, although he's noticeably older-looking than he was in ''Future Connected'', he looks closer to his late 30s, especially in his concept art, despite contextual clues from [=NPCs=] indicating that he is in his mid-to-late 40s or even 50s.

* PrecursorHeroes: He is one from Keves' "old world", as he united and liberated the people of the Bionis and the Mechonis in his original world and fought to free it of Zanza's control.

* AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence: [[spoiler:Zigzag. After Alpha is defeated, Origin needed someone to become the Trinity Processor or Aionios will cease to exist. Rex, alongside Shulk and A, became the new avatar of Origin, but makes it clear they will come back once Origin reset.]]

* BashBrothers: Has become this with Shulk, as a result of both of them being the two leaders of the Liberators.

* CoolOldGuy: Rex is in his 40s and biologically the second-oldest playable character in ''3''. While he's become a bit stodgier with time, he's also physically a lot stronger, and he's one of the co-leaders of the fight against the EvilOldFolks of Moebius.

* ForceAndFinesse: The force to Shulk's finesse. While both are equal in terms of power, in battle Rex is an absolute beast that prioritizes raw damage over everything else allowing him to tear through enemies with ease. However, this also means he's a glass cannon that needs someone to cover him in order to maximize effectiveness.

* GentleTouchVsFirmHand: The firm hand in contrast to Shulk's gentle touch. While he's still a big softy, as a mentor to the Founders, Rex has no reservations being honest or scolding someone when they make a mistake. This is particularly shown with Glimmer, who he calls out for her reckless behavior, matching her stubbornness when needed to ensure she doesn't get herself or others hurt.

* PrecursorHeroes: He is one from Agnus' "old world", as he climbed the World Tree to find Elysium and defeated both the Aegis Malos and Praetor Amalthus to stop their nihilistic desires to destroy the world, ultimately leading everyone to a renewed Alrest.

* MultinationalTeam: The playable party is quite diverse, featuring one member each from every major setting in the series: Matthew (the City), A ([[spoiler:Klaus' world]]), Nikol (Keves), Glimmer (Agnus), Shulk (Bionis), and Rex (Alrest).
* MythologyGag: Some of the Founders share a resemblance with characters from the previous games:

** Founder Reid's mentor was a composed but fierce warrior who used a bright red sword in the battle against Moebius, and continued to fight even after losing his right arm. He resembles an older Shulk, with longer hair similar to Zanza, and a cape worn over his prosthetic arm similar to Dunban.
** Founder Cassini's statue also shows a mentor, one who used two swords at once. The collar and hairstyle, and the rough but passionate attitude described, marks the statue as an older Rex; it matches Rex's older appearance in Nia's photo at the end of the game. The "loss of one eye" could also be a reference to Zeke von Genbu from ''2'', who fought with an eyepatch (albeit despite not having lost his eye).

* NoNameGiven: Despite Founders Reid and Cassini choosing to honor their mentors by erecting statues in Memorial Hall, the names of their mentors are not explicitly addressed.

* SensitiveGuyAndManlyMan: Shulk is the Sensitive Guy, being a mild-mannered and still slightly-awkward geek with [[LongHairIsFeminine long hair]], as well as an evasion tank (a role that emphasizes finesse) who provides a more outwardly supportive and affectionate approach to parenting the younger members of the party. Meanwhile Rex is the Manly Man of the duo, being a strong and muscular BoisterousBruiser who is a lot more open with his emotions and favors a more strict and disciplinary style of parenting.

* ForceAndFinesse: The force to Shulk's finesse. While both are equal in terms of power, in battle Rex is an absolute beast that prioritises raw damage over everything else allowing him to tear through enemies with ease. However, this also means he's a glass canon that needs someone to cover him in oder to maximise effectiveness.

->''"Alright, I'll make it quick and painful!"''

->''"If through my fighting, someone out there gets to smile...that's the kind of world I wanna help create."''\\\