Rex

This article is about Rex in general. For gameplay information, see Rex/Gameplay (XC2) or Rex/Gameplay (FR).
Rex () is the main protagonist of Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and a playable character in Future Redeemed. He is a salvager and the Driver of Pyra and later Mythra, the Aegis. His goal is to take them to Elysium to fulfill their dream and save Alrest from its fall.
==Appearance and personality==
Rex is a teenage boy with brown hair and yellow eyes. He wears a blue diving suit with brown and gold accents, mainly for use during his salvaging work. Not long through the game, an X-shaped segment of Pyra's Core Crystal appears on his chest. In Future Redeemed, Rex has a muscular build and his hair grew larger and now sports a small goatee. Rex wears a sleeveless vest with a collar similar to his younger year's salvaging suit, a skintight turtleneck, black pants with a tailcoat, and black boots. Rex lost his left eye in a battle and is now scarred. While on Aionios, Rex wields the Firelight Swords.
Rex is enthusiastic, but inexperienced at anything outside his line of work, and rather naïve. He strives to protect and support his friends, often blaming himself whenever they are hurt or killed. However, this desire to protect others often becomes foolhardiness, which ultimately leads to more suffering than there would have been otherwise. Rex's key character trait is his persistent optimism, which notably impacts many other characters in the story, such as Pyra, Mythra, and .
==Story arc==
===Xenoblade Chronicles 2===
The story opens with Rex salvaging out of the Cloud Sea of Alrest from aboard the small Titan Azurda, whom he calls Gramps. Rex is worried about the titans dying out, which seems to be happening more often lately, and whether the fabled Elysium of the World Tree truly exists. The two go to the Argentum Trade Guild so Rex can sell what he salvaged. While there, he is unexpectedly summoned by , Chairman of the guild. Elite salvagers from Leftheria have been requested by a picky crew, and a huge sum of money is involved. There is some dissent amongst the rest of the crew over accepting Rex - he butts heads with Nia and has to defend himself from Malos, but they board the C.S.E.V. Maelstrom and move out.
The target ship is located, Rex and the other salvagers raise it, and the search begins. decides Rex should join the search, so he does. The search crew finds doors blocked by what Jin calls "Addam's Crest", which will only open for a Leftherian, so Rex is ordered to open them. As he is therefore the first to enter, he is the first to reach the treasure inside: a woman sealed in a glass compartment in the wall. Intrigued, he sees a glowing green crystal on a sword stuck in the ground before him, and touches it despite Malos yelling at him not to. Jin instantly kills him and destroys the sword in an "act of mercy".
Rex wakes up in a grassy field, seeing the sealed woman standing beside a lone tree. Her name is Pyra, and she says they are in Elysium - or rather, a memory of it. She wishes to return to Elysium, and revives Rex using half her life force, making him her Driver. Part of the Core Crystal appears in Rex's chest, and the Aegis is recalled into his hand. He helps Pyra break free of Malos, and the two fight him off so the other salvagers can escape. Nia and her Blade Dromarch join Rex's side, and a mysterious black ship's arrival is countered by Azurda's appearance. Rex, Pyra, Nia, and Dromarch all escape on Azurda, but he is shot down and crashes on Gormott. Gramps dies not long after the crash, but manages to survive by reverting himself into a larval stage, so Rex carries him around in his helmet.
Nia guides the party to Torigoth, where Rex witnesses hopeful Drivers trying to resonate with new Blades, and learns just how unusual Pyra is compared to the normal ones. He then has a run-in with the local law military, who ding him for being an unregistered Driver and hanging with the supposed criminal Nia, but he gets away with the help of new friend Tora. Tora has been looking for a Driver friend, and while Rex thinks he's too new for that, he accepts it. They work together to finish building Tora's Artificial Blade, Poppi, so they can rescue Nia from the authorities. They successfully do so, but only because it's a trap; he has to fight through Consul Dughall to escape a battleship and then runs directly into Special Inquisitor Mòrag and her Blade Brighid. Mòrag wants to take Pyra away so her power as the Aegis can't be used to destroy entire continents again, but Rex remains determined to keep her away from anyone else. With teamwork and quick thinking, he helps the party escape.
Now with a bigger team to help the journey, Rex determines that they should try to just go straight to the World Tree from here. Obtaining a boat from Tora's uncle Umon, he sails the group up to the Great Void, the ring of emptiness that separates the Cloud Sea from the World Tree's trunk. Before anyone can decide how to proceed, a giant metal serpent attacks, causing them to get eaten by the nearby Titan of Uraya. As they work towards getting out, they run into a man called . He connects with Rex, freely offering advice for not only his quest but being a Driver and with life in general. Rex commits once again to helping Pyra achieve her dream, despite the fact that, as Vandham notices, they share wounds and, by extension, mortality. After Pyra is lured into fighting Malos and Akhos alone, Rex and the others rush to meet her and join the fight, but are badly overmatched. Vandham sacrifices himself to buy time for everyone to escape, but Rex is too overcome by grief and anger over Vandham's death to do so, forcing Mythra to awaken in order to save him.
At and after Vandham's funeral the next day, Rex affirms separately to both Mythra and Pyra that he wants to keep them safe, and that he believes their power is the power to protect others. While preparing to board a ship to Mor Ardain, Rex muses with the others on whether he should awaken the Core Crystal of Vandham's former Blade Roc, when Roc's Core Crystal is stolen by Gormotti youth; the party chases them down and learns that they stole Roc with the hopes of awakening him and using him to take vengeance on the bandits that destroyed their village. Rex persuades the children against it and decides to awaken Roc himself in order to defeat the bandits before bringing the children to Argentum so they can become salvagers. After the party arrives in Mor Ardain, Rex forms a temporary alliance with Morag as they seek the location and intentions of Lila.
In Chapter 5, Rex guides the party (now including Morag and Brighid, as well as Fan la Norne) through Leftheria to his hometown of Fonsett Village, where he is reunited with the other young people of the village and Corinne, his "Auntie" who raised him. Rex brings Pyra to see his parents' graves and talk to them, where he once again resolves to go to Elysium with Pyra. Corinne reveals Rex's backstory in a conversation with Pyra afterwards: he was brought to Fonsett by his parents when he was about two years old; his father died shortly before arriving, and his mother died shortly afterwards. Corinne comments that she believes Rex still misses his mother, and that Pyra reminds Corinne of her; the revelations upset Pyra greatly. 
In the Indoline Praetorium, Rex is finally granted his audience with Praetor Amalthus, who agrees to help the party on their quest towards Elysium, but Rex observes that his mannerisms and speech resemble those of Malos. Rex also exhibits a seeming infatuation with Fan la Norne, which Nia teases him about. Also while in Indol, Rex asks Pyra about Addam, who says that he was a noble, brave man and that Rex reminds both her and Mythra of him; Rex becomes extremely flustered by this. When a Titan weapon begins attacking Temperantia, Rex correctly suspects that Torna is involved and agrees to go with Morag to investigate; the rest of the party (including newcomers Zeke and Pandoria) come along as well. The party shuts down the weapon and forces its operator, Jin, to retreat; however, Fan is killed by Jin in the battle, causing Rex to lament his continued inability to save those he cares about.
At Fan's funeral, Nia notes to Mythra that Rex appears unusually lost in thought, but Mythra states that it'd be best for him to be left alone. After dispatching with Chairman Bana one last time at the leaders' summit, Amalthus directs the party to Tantal to retrieve the Omega Fetter, which is necessary to open the path to the World Tree. In the Tantalese capital Theosoir, after King Eulogimenos is presented with a document from Amalthus, Pyra is captured while Rex and the other party members (save Zeke and Pandoria) are imprisoned. They manage to free themselves and rescue Pyra from Eulogimenos's attempt to destroy her using an ether cannon, but the cannon's usage inadvertently sends Tantal's titan, Genbu, tumbling towards the bottom of the Cloud Sea. Despite the king just having tried to kill Pyra (and, by extension, Rex, although Eulogimenos did not know this), Rex decides to venture towards Genbu's head to repair the Omega Fetter and save the titan. Although they are able to save Tantal, they are met by Torna and easily defeated by the true form of Jin. Jin prepares to kill Rex while preserving Pyra by removing his Core Crystal, but before he is able to, Pyra directs Siren's laser to aim on herself, threatening to destroy herself and ruin Torna's plans unless they let Rex and the others live. Jin agrees and refers to Rex as a childish fool who could not recognize Pyra's suffering before he and Torna abscond; Rex cries out for Pyra one last time before collapsing in the snow.
Rex spends the next three days recovering and nursing his wounds in a Theosoir inn. After finally waking up, he declares to the rest of the party that he plans to abandon his quest for Elysium and return to being a salvager in Argentum, reasoning that he was never worthy of being the Aegis's driver and that Pyra will be better off without him, as their journey has largely caused her pain. Nia, Brighid, and Poppi each make impassioned pleas for Rex to continue his journey, as he has been a strong motivation to each of them and Pyra cared for him enough to be willing to sacrifice herself for him. After hearing them and being told of the existence of a third Aegis sword which will allow them to defeat Jin, Rex agrees to attempt to rescue Pyra and Mythra. Rex and the party journey through the Spirit Crucible Elpys, where Rex notably grows closer to Nia, and reach the third sword, which is guarded by an army of Phantasms of Addam. With Rex struggling, Nia awakens to her Blade form in order to save him and confesses her love for him; Rex awkwardly responds that he loves her "and all you guys", and the party defeats the Phantasms thanks to Rex driving Nia.
Rex is then transported to the vision of Elysium where he first met Pyra, where Addam talks to him about Rex's true desires; he tells Addam that his desire is for the power to protect those he cares about, most importantly Pyra and Mythra. Addam reminds Rex that one man cannot protect everything, and tells him that he needs to carry the weight of the fear Pyra and Mythra carry in order to become their true Driver. 
===Torna ~ The Golden Country===
Rex appears twice during the game. Firstly, as Mythra goes berserk aboard her Siren while battling Malos at The Soaring Rostrum, a flash-forward plays that shows Rex a few times: resonating with Pyra in Dreamworld Elysium, with Mythra after her awakening at Olethro Playhouse, at Gotrock Oracle Ruins, and finally reaching his hands out in Aion's Hangar before Pneuma's awakening. He later appears during the game's ending - as Pyra is shown resting on the Ancient Ship, a door opens with Rex behind it, referencing the scene in the beginning of the main game.
===Xenoblade Chronicles 3===
While not present within the narrative of Xenoblade Chronicles 3, a statue in his honor can be found in Memorial Hall in the City, representing House Cassini alongside the other five Founders. 
A picture of Rex is later seen in the game's ending, where he stands over Pyra, Mythra, and Nia. All three women are seen holding babies, with him standing over them; it is heavily implied that he married all three of them, and that the babies are all his.
===Future Redeemed===
Rex, alongside Shulk, and Z are first seen confronting Alpha, telling Shulk that nothing will get through to Alpha as to him, he's a heartless machine. Alpha then unleashes a powerful attack, costing Rex his left eye.
Over a decade later, Rex shields Nikol from a Ferronis laser, much like Shulk saved Glimmer. After W's defeat, he inquires about who fed Moebius their location, Panacea points out Glimmer. Rex then scolds her for such irresponsible behavior. Shortly after, however, he expresses regret to Linka, who recognized Glimmer as well, and notes that Shulk faces a similar dilemma with Nikol, much to Rex's surprise.
Alongside Shulk, the other Liberator leader, he would guide the young squad of adventurers to , their home base.
==Lore==
* Rex was brought to Leftheria as a young child, his parents presumably fleeing a war or the death of their Titan. His mother would die shortly after delivering Rex to Fonsett safely, and his father would be found dead not far from the village. While this implies he is not from Leftheria proper, he has Leftherian traits and can open doors in the Ancient Ship and Spirit Crucible that are said to be accessible only to Leftherians. This means that either he is from a close enough region to still be considered ethnically Leftherian, or his family/ancestors were originally from Leftheria and moved elsewhere only recently.The game represents Rex's parents with Tantalese NPC models. Presumably this is just for stylistic reasons, as if interpreted literally it would make no sense.
** Rex's father died at the Ansel Hatchery, provided the location was not simply a reused asset for the scene.
** Furthermore, it is implied that Rex may be a descendant of Addam, being a native Leftherian, Mythra's second Driver, and similarities of the two both in appearance and demeanor. However, there is little to guarantee this.
* Rex is a very outgoing and independent individual, shown to be capable of supporting himself as a salvager, but also supporting his adoptive family in Fonsett Village.
** While he is 15 during the events of Xenoblade Chronicles 2, he states that he has been working as a salvager for several years prior to Bana contracting him for a salvage operation at Torna's behest.
* A photo can be seen at the end of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 depicting Rex noticeably older than he was in Xenoblade 2, standing behind Pyra, Mythra, and Nia, all of whom are holding babies. The implication is then that he is the father of all three children.
** Given that he directly identifies Glimmer as his daughter to Shulk and A in Future Redeemed, almost certainly this makes Pyra Glimmer's mother, as well would make him Mio's father by extension.
*** This would mean that three of the City's six Houses are descended from Rex; Vandham and Doyle being descendants of Mio, and Glimmer directly being the founder of House Rhodes.
* Rex and Shulk would found the Liberators, a group dedicated to fighting Moebius and restoring their worlds back to order; the precursor to the Lost Numbers.
** While Rex lost his eye against Alpha, historical records would attribute this injury to Moebius.
* While in Aionios, Rex would care for Linka like a child of his own, between Rex being close to her parents, and both being among the few people to not be assimilated by Origin when the worlds Intersected.
==As a boss==
* Stoutheart Rex (FR)
* Stoutheart Rex (XC3)
==As a party member==
===Xenoblade Chronicles 2===
As the main character of the game, Rex is the Driver playable for the longest time. He is the only Driver who can wield the Aegis Sword (not including in Torna ~ The Golden Country) and the Catalyst Scimitar. In chapter 7, can be called exclusively by Rex, making him especially strong in s. He also becomes the in chapter 8, allowing him to use any Blade (except for any of 's Blades).
===Xenoblade Chronicles 3===
Rex is a Hero that can be added to the party after completing the mission The Two Saviors.
===Future Redeemed===
Rex is a playable character in Future Redeemed. His class is , an Attacker class focusing on critical hits.
==In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate==
Rex appears in as a if the Fighter's Pass Vol. 1 is purchased. He also appears in and 's taunts as well as their es. Rex also appears as a and as of Ver. 11.0.0, can be upgraded into his 's appearance.
As a primary Spirit, Rex has the Shield type and the Ace class, and comes with three support slots with a power of 2934 at base level and 8825 at max level. He can be enhanced at Level 99 to Rex (Master Driver) with the skill "Critical-Health Stats ↑". This version has the Shield type and the Legend class, with a power of 4752 at base level and 11881 at max level.
Rex is obtainable through the Spirit Board and through Adventure mode, where he is represented by in his fifth costume (referencing Rex's hair and clothing colors).
If Challenger Pack 9 (containing and ) has not been purchased, this fight will take place on the Final Destination version of and the floor will be lava. Shulk (holding a ) fights alongside in her fourth costume (representing Pyra), and they both hava lava immunity. The player will start with 120 HP, while Shulk and Lucina start at 90 HP.
If Challenger Pack 9 has been purchased, this fight will take place on the Final Destination version of with the BGM . Shulk (holding a ) fights alongside in her fourth costume (representing Pyra). The player will start with 120 HP, while Shulk and Lucina both start at 90 HP.
==Trivia==
* In Xenoblade Chronicles 3, Rex, Ino, Masha, and Shulk, are the only Heroes who will not assist the party in the final battle against Z, as they are all part of the Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Expansion Pass.
* Rex is the only protagonist of the Xenoblade Chronicles series to change English voice actors between entries. In Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Al Weaver voices him. In Future Redeemed, he is voiced by Fergus O'Donnell.
==In other languages==
==Gallery==
Rex (no Core Crystal).png|Rex without the portion of Pyra's Core Crystal
Rex 2.png|Rex as the Master Driver
Rex illust.jpg|Illustration of Rex by Masatsugu Saito from his Twitter for the release of Xenoblade Chronicles 2
Rex concept art 1.jpg
Rex concept art 2.jpg
Xenoblade 10th anniversary.jpg|Rex in artwork celebrating the 10th anniversary of Xenoblade Chronicles
==Notes==
==References==
Category:Characters (XC2)
Category:Characters (FR)
Category:Drivers (XC2)
Category:Characters (XC3)
Category:Leftherians
it:Rex