Shania Reid

“ What's so natural about the life you want? A life you only get one shot at? At any point, someone could come along and tell you 'Ok, that's it, time to go!' [...] I know more than you! It's madness wanting a world like that! The best world for us... is a world that at least gives us another go! We fail, we try again! We might even do better next time round! [...] Either way, we're still fighting for survival, aren't we?! Am I crazy? Am I saying something strange? 'Cause I don't think so. I genuinely don't! „ ~ Shania to Sena and Ghondor in Chapter 5.

**Shania Reid**, later known as **S**, is a major antagonist in *Xenoblade Chronicles 3*. Formerly a member of the Lost Numbers and one of Monica Vandham's assistants, her envy of Monica's daughter Ghondor and self-pity makes her turn against the City and join the Cónsules.

She was voiced by Haruka Terui in Japanese and Louise Stewart in English.

## Personality

In her first appearance, Shania comes off as aloof and even somewhat impassive yet is helpful in assisting the main characters by guiding them to The City. She starts off as being soft-spoken and expresses very little in emotions in her introduction, with her face either having an indifferent or sullen expression.

Before heading to Li Garte Prison Camp, Shania approaches Sena in a conversation and comments that the two are the "same" in wanting to work hard for the approval of others. The conversation leaves Sena feeling unsettled. In a flashback involving Ghondor, the latter comments on a dejected Shania's failure in the Ouroboros selection test. In this flashback, Shania is timid, sensitive and even emotionally fragile as Ghondor's harsh and brash advice to be herself was taken as a slight. Ghondor's explicit annoyance of Shania looking up to her and copying her pushed the latter into resentment.

After revealing that she was the one to betray the group and thwart the prison escape plan, Shania's personality shows a shift into a more abrasive, callous, wrathful and maniacal one, contrasting starkly from how she previously conducted herself. Her voice becomes more aggressive and dramatic and she laughs maniacally while gloating when she believes she has the upper hand against Ghondor and the heroes. Additionally, she reveals that she thinks little of the people from The City, calling them "pawns," and even going so far as betraying the entire City in a move that almost certainly would have destroyed her homeland and cause genocide to her people.

Shania harbors intense jealousy and spite towards Ghondor, despite being friends since early childhood. This jealously pushed her into an obsession of wanting to prove superiority over Ghondor. In addition, she curses her life for the unfairness of it and not being able to have more than "one chance," aspiring the opportunity of being reborn and serving the Moebius. After the plan to destroy The City fails, Shania breaks down once cornered. She sounds off her insecurities and despair before tearfully claiming her own life.

During Sena's ascension quest, Shania's past is further explored. She was once happier and higher spirited, but is faced with the crushing weight of having to live up to her household name and dealing with her mother's overly high expectations, particularly in a world where war and combat are pivotal and hobbies she enjoyed, such as painting, are viewed as "useless." Shania's tragic backstory stems heavily from her father's death, being one of the only few people who wanted her pursuing activities that made her happy rather than engaging in war, something she wasn't meant for in the first place. She is sorely unappreciated by her mother, even when she came in eighth place out of 100 candidates in the Ouroboros selection test. The constant comparison she faces against Ghondor and her deceased family members leaves Shania incensed, giving up on her passion for painting.

As a Moebius, Shania's obsession to surpass Ghondor grows even further, hoping that she can now destroy her former friend. Even as a Moebius, Shania still retains her insecurities and fragile ego, which Ghondor takes advantage of. As Shania dies in Ghondor's arms, she realizes the mistakes she makes and the two friends make amends.

## Biography

Shania was born as a Lost Number, a person who escaped from the endless war between Keves and Agnus and managed to live an entire lifespan instead of ten terms. She was also childhood friends with Ghondor. While wanting to live up to her father and become a painter, she was forced to live up to House Reid's military expectations following her father and sister Titania's deaths. She ranked eighth on the Ouroboros exam, resulting in her overly expecting mother to separate from her. Trying to find approval for others, she resorted to using Ghondor's tactics. Ghondor disapproved of this and convinced Shania to be herself rather than act like someone else. Shania saw Ghondor's suggestion as a personal slight and became determined to outperform her.

Later, Shania met a Moebius (later revealed to be X

During the heroes' quest, Shania pretends to be on their side and aids them with liberating Li Garte Prison below the Agnus Castle so they could free Ghondor. But on the third day when the heroes made their escape, they are ambushed by N and M as Shania revealed their escape plan. Only Ghondor was able to escape, with Shania yelling at her that their feud wasn't over. While the Ouroboros were trapped in their prison cell, Shania comes by to mock them, revealing that a Flame Clock was installed within her iris and declares her intention to die so she would be reborn as a Moebius.

After a month passes with the heroes in prison, Shania joins the other Consuls to watch Mio's Homecoming ceremony. After the party is able to fight back as M and Mio swapped bodies beforehand, the Consuls revealed the castle's Annihilator, which they pointed directly at Swordmarch, the hidden place of the City as Shania exposed its whereabouts. This causes Shania to laugh, caring nothing about her former allies. After celebrating her seemingly victory once the blast leaves nothing but a cavity, Ghondor arrives and reveals the Ferronis carrying the City was moved underground for they were warned by M (Mio), meaning the Annihilator struct nothing. Surrounded, Shania refuses to surrender alive and shoots herself with her gun.

Shania would eventually wake up in a pool of water, reborn as Consul S. X appears and welcomes her to Moebius. She then points at Shania's reflection in the pool which turns into Ghondor, and convinces her to get revenge on the "faker". Shania then arrives at the City and attacks it, petrifying the citizens by freezing them in time, describing its aftermath as a "work of art". She then tries to freeze the heroes and Ghondor when they come to stop her until Noah activates his sword to cancel its effect. Sena tells her that if she really hated the world, she could just change herself rather than destroy it completely. Shania refused, claiming they were nothing alike. Ghondor challenges Shania to a battle, or call her out for not living up to House Vandham. Shania angrily screams and transforms into her Moebius form.

The party bests Shania, morphing her back into a human out of exhaustion. Declaring that failing this task meant she had no place left in the world, Shania makes one last lunge at Ghondor, only for Ghondor to dodge her attack and strike Shania in the chest, smashing her core. As Shania dies, Ghondor comforts her, telling her that she always admired her artwork, shocking Shania for she always saw her artwork as a useless talent and thanks her. Her death also undoes the petrification on the townsfolk. Shania's name was then added to the City gravestones.

## Trivia

* Shania wears her eyepatch on her right-eye, implying she is of Keves origin.