Alpha

The future doesn't belong to you! For those who have not completed games in the Xenoblade Chronicles series, this page contains spoilers regarding the plot. Discretion is advised.

"I safeguard this world, by removing what is timeworn. But it seems that you continue to contravene me. You spur these olden mortals to action."

— Alpha

Alpha (アルファ, Arufa) is a character and the antagonist of Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Future Redeemed. He was designed by Masatsugu Saito, the lead character designer of the game.

Overview

Alpha's true identity is Ontos, one of the cores of the Trinity Processor, a collective of artificial intelligences. Although he bears the appearance of Alvis, Alpha no longer has the personality, morality, and memories his past self possessed, which instead manifested as a separate being known as A. Z refers to Alpha as "[His] God".

Personality

Alpha acts like a logical computer and lacks morality, saying "conscience" is not required in the Trinity Processor. Alpha is dismissive of the "past lives" in Aionios due to their cycle of violence, and wants to leave them to rot. By contrast, he is hopeful towards the "new lives" and the future they represent. Unfortunately, his emotionless nature leaves him blind to how his own plans to bring salvation for those lives would condemn them into another destructive cycle, ultimately repeating Klaus' folly. Determined to accomplish his goal at any cost, Alpha typically resorts to violence and destruction as the simple solution, condemning the nature of Aionios, but not understanding the bigger picture of how the City inhabitants are not the only ones suffering as a result of the nature of the world, nor how he perpetrates similar destruction in the name of his promised world. Alpha also exploits others for his ambitions, latching on to Na'el and using her body to regain his energy, and attempting to possesses Matthew as well. Despite his logical mindset, Alpha is prone to rage and frustration towards his enemies, like the aftermath of his battle with Shulk, Rex, and Z. However, during his demise, Alpha gives a smile to Matthew, despite his concern towards the uncertain future.

Appearance

Alpha is mostly identical in appearance to Alvis, albeit with sharper facial features, paler skin and wings of light similar to the ones Zanza had upon his rebirth, although he would lose one of his wings after the creation of A. He also wields the Monado in its original form. His hair, whilst being the same style, is also slightly longer.

In his final battle, he transforms into a colossal statue-like machine. This form is mostly silver/white with red lines and black arms. Blue energy lines pulse throughout its armor. It also has red wings in an X shape, segmented into circles that contain energy orbs. Its face is expressionless. A spikier version of the Ontos crystal can be seen on this form's chest. Other notable features are red horns on its head and silver/white coils around its arms.

Story

Following the recreation of the world of Bionis with Zanza's demise, Alvis returned to his Core Crystal, likely due to Klaus's death. Sometime after Shulk and Melia vanquished the Fog King from Alcamoth, Shulk came across the Ontos core on the shore of Colony 9.

When the worlds of Bionis and Alrest began to merge back into the original, Melia and Nia formed a plan to save the peoples and cultures of the worlds from destruction, constructing an ark known as Origin, which would contain all of their societies' knowledge and their citizens' literal souls, allowing them to be reborn after their worlds were reconstructed and then separated back into their original states. The Ontos Core was used as the foundation of Origin. However, this would lead to Ontos being reawakened at some point, and under unknown circumstances, after Z hijacked Origin and created Aionios. As a result of Logos and Pneuma's absence, he reverted to being little more than a machine; he was able to maintain a personality solely through his absorbing of Klaus' lingering regrets, but as a result of Klaus's death, that personality was lost.

Now proclaiming himself as "Alpha", he deemed the lives of the Kevesi and Agnian people unnecessary for the future, and sought to create a new future in which no traces of the old worlds would remain. Rex, Shulk, and Z attempted to stop him, but they were effortlessly defeated in a single strike from the Monado. At some point afterwards, Alpha subjugated the Fogbeasts and turned them into his agents.

Around a decade later, Alpha's core was found on Corne Island by Na'el. To create his new future, Alpha planned to bring the City's people to a new world while annihilating Aionios in the process, using Na'el to do so. However, N's destruction of the City prevented him from carrying it out to its conclusion. Due to the powers wielded by N and Ghondor during that event, a fragment of his being composed of his memories and discarded "conscience" was unexpectedly freed and attained self-awareness, becoming A. Alpha would later possess Na'el, using her body as a vessel in the same way that Zanza once did with Shulk and seized control of Origin to turn it into his "Ark". Alpha, through Na'el, begins rounding up the scattered Citizens across the Cent-Omnia Region.

During Shulk, Rex, and A's discussion by Raguel Lake, "Na'el / Alpha" arrives with the intention of getting Matthew, Na'el's brother. However, his confusion from the situation makes Alpha grow impatient, and the party fights him. However, Alpha's increased power starts to be too much for the party to handle until N shows up to finish off Alpha. However, Matthew stops him from killing Na'el, and Alpha leaves, telling everyone he will be waiting for them in Origin. After the party's fight with N on the Prison Terrace of Prison Island, "Na'el / Alpha" appears above them and sends everyone into Origin's memory stage with a large wave of light.

As Na'el is about to join the party and stop Alpha in the memory of Klaus's world, Alpha regains control of her and disappears. Alpha, appearing before the party as himself, then engages in battle with them.

During the fight against Alpha, N reappears and strikes Alpha by surprise, which frees Na'el from Alpha's clutches. Na'el fights alongside the party as Alpha unleashes his true form, that of a large humanoid figure with an empty, mask-like face. In a final effort to defeat Alpha, N grants Matthew the powers of his sword and instructs him to combine it with his Ouroboros Knuckles. Matthew's gauntlets begin to emit green energy from Pneuma's core, which grants the party the true power of Ouroboros, resulting in Alpha's demise. As Alpha starts to disintegrate he tells Matthew that his actions have made the future uncertain then asks him if he has any regrets. Matthew on the other hand says that they will move forward then tells Alpha his farewells. As Matthew walks away, Alpha smiles then vanishes.

Battles

Alpha is the final Boss of Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Future Redeemed, and is fought twice in Origin. He is first fought at level 49 and again in his transformed state at level 50. During his second phase, Na'el becomes a party member, and N becomes a guest party member.

Skills

Alpha has several innate skills.

Phase 1

• Makes duration timers of debuffs on all enemies tick down 75% slower.

Phase 2

• Makes duration timers of debuffs on all enemies tick down 50% slower.
• Extends the buff duration for all allies by 50%.

Resistances

Phase 1

Break	80%	Topple	0%
Daze	0%	Burst	0%
Launch	0%	Smash	0%
Knockback	75%	Blowdown	75%
Phys. Debuffs	50%	Ether Debuffs	Immune

Phase 2

Break	90%	Topple	0%
Daze	0%	Burst	0%
Launch	0%	Smash	0%
Knockback	Immune	Blowdown	Immune
Phys. Debuffs	75%	Ether Debuffs	Immune

Enraged

Trigger	Enemy is reduced to 50% HP.
Effects	Boosts damage dealt by 50% Boosts Arts recharge speed by 25%.

Arts

The following Arts are used in the first phase.

Name	Attribute	Targets	Hits	Power	Reactions/Statuses	Notes	Use Conditions	Cooldown
Auto-Attack 1	Physical	One Target	1	150%			Anytime	2s
Auto-Attack 2	Physical	One Target	1	150%			Anytime	2s
Dual Ray	Physical	One Target	2	550%	Ether Defense Down	Accuracy boosted by 50%.	Anytime	12s
Monado Speed	Buff	Self	-	-	Nullify Most Attacks		When reduced to 90% HP	40s
Monado Eater	Ether	Frontward AOE	1	200%	Bleed	Removes all buffs from target upon landing a hit.	Anytime	20s
Monado Cyclone	Ether	AOE around user	1	185%	Topple	Forced Topple.	When reduced to 70% HP	30s
Epuration	Physical	One Target	2	700%	Launch / Smash	Accuracy boosted by 50%. Different reaction for each hit.	When reduced to 50% HP and target is toppled	20s
Erasure Strike	Fixed Damage	AOE around user	1	50% HP	Shackle Blocking / Topple	Forced Topple. Unblockable / Undodgeable	Only used once, at the start of battle.	N/A

The following Arts are used in the second phase.

Name	Attribute	Targets	Hits	Power	Reactions/Statuses	Notes	Use Conditions	Cooldown
Auto-Attack 1	Physical	Single Target	1	180%			Anytime	2s
Auto-Attack 2	Physical	Single Target	1	180%			Anytime	2s
Penetrating Judgement	Physical	Single Target	1	550%	Bleed / Bind	Boosts damage from Bleed by 200%. Critical rate boosted by 50%.	Anytime	12s
Monado Wedge	Ether	AOE around user	5	1000%	Slow Recharge	Remove all buffs from target upon landing a hit. Each hit targets a different party member.	Anytime	18s
Cleanse the Dregs	Ether	AOE around user	3	200%	Knockback	Removes all buffs from target upon landing a hit	Below 70% HP and above 30% HP	30s
				220%			Below 30% HP	1s
Monado Cyclone	Ether	AOE around user	1	190%	Topple	Forced Topple. Accuracy boosted by 50%.	Above 30% HP	25s
				145%		Forced Topple. Accuracy boosted by 50%. Extends Topple Duration by 100%	Below 30% HP	30s
Monado Combo	Physical	Single Target	8	2300%	Break	Forced Break. Accuracy boosted by 50%.	Between 85% and 70% HP	10s.
							Between 70% and 30% HP	25s.
New World Quickening	Buff	Self	-	-	Attack Up	Extends the duration of buffs issued to self by 100%	Above 30% HP with 0% initial recharge	60s
					Attack Up / Fast Recharge		Below 30% HP with 50% initial recharge
Requiem for the Olden Ones	Fixed Damage	AOE around user	4	65% HP	Blowdown	Removes all buffs from target upon hit. Seals Chain Attack Gauge. Unblockable / Undodgeable / Ignore Vision Has unique cutscene animation.	Only used once, when reduced to 50% HP.	N/A
Vision Mode	Buff	Self	-	-	Nullify Most Attacks	Will always be followed by Flawed Monado Buster or Perfect Monado Buster The only safe time that A can use Vision is when Alpha is in Vision Mode, and can be used to dodge Perfected Monado Buster.	Below 70% HP	200s
Flawed Monado Buster	Physical	AOE around user	1	80%		Accuracy boosted by 100%	After Vision Mode is used, and 110,000 damage is dealt to Alpha	1s
Perfected Monado Buster	Physical	AOE around user	1	1500%	Blowdown	Unblockable. Accuracy boosted by 100%	After Vision Mode is used, and 110,000 damage is not dealt to Alpha	1s
Monado Purge	Ether	AOE around user	2	200%	Knockback	First hit removes Vision. 2nd does damage, knockback, and removes all buffs upon hitting target.	After A uses Vision.	20s

Notes

• It is revealed in Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Future Redeemed that Ontos carries both male and female traits, as he serves as the halfway point between Pneuma and Logos - the female and male aspects of the Trinity Processor respectively. However, as he and his derivative personas still identify him as a man, he is therefore listed as such.

Quotes

• "Let us away... Towards a new world... Out with the old. And in once more with the new..."
• "...What a farce. Your rhetoric is rife with falsehoods. I cannot stand such drivel."
• "I safeguard this world, by removing what is timeworn. But it seems that you continue to contravene me. You spur these olden mortals to action."
• "Conscience"? Ahah...There is no place for it in the Trinity Processor."
• "And he failed to realize that his *conscience* led him astray. An atavistic delusion. It is common among the old. Wholly unnecessary for all subsequent life."
• "You could not comprehend it, Matthew."
• "Discard the past. Let it all go, Matthew."
• "What harm did your kind do? You have done nothing wrong. You simply strode forth towards the future. But the olden humans... They did not find value in it. You must have realized? This is not where you belong. Why make a martyr of yourself? Why be a stepping stone? For as long as the old is not excised... mankind has no future!"
• "Regrettable, Matthew. I'd hoped that we could celebrate the day of departure together. But very well... It seems that I must forsake you. The olden ones, olden life... Your olden notions!"
• "Matthew... Your actions have made the future uncertain. Have you no regrets? Given a choice of this magnitude... Surely... there is doubt."

Trivia

• Alpha's final form parallels Deus from Xenogears, in that they are both white, slender bio-mechanical mechs, born from artificial intelligences linked to an object of infinite power. The Monado-like rings seen in Alpha's wing design also mirror the eye motif found on Deus and later Ω Metempsychosis.
• Alpha and A's single wing designs pay homage to imagery seen in the Nisan Orthodoxy and later Deus' core in Xenogears (a single winged male and female). Fittingly, it was first used to conceptualise Anima and Animus, which appear overtly in Xenogears and Xenosaga. Comparably, Alpha is characterized by traits like logic and acts as a destructive force, while A highlights traits like emotion and compassion and acts as a stabilizing force.

Gallery

Characters in Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Future Redeemed
Playable Characters	Matthew · A · Nikol · Glimmer · Shulk · Rex
City	Na'el · Ghondor · Chyra
Liberators	Panacea · Linka · Riku · Dillon
Consuls	N · Q · R · W · Z
Antagonists	Alpha