Xenoblade Chronicles 3 details its new heroes and the heartbreaking reason they play the flute

gamesradar.com:

Nintendo has released a handful of updates introducing some of Xenoblade Chronicles 3's new protagonists, and there's a surprisingly sad reason they're always playing the flute.

In case you missed it, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 was revealed in a stunning trailer during last week's Nintendo Direct. The trailer shows off beautiful, diverse environments, a few key characters, and lots of pretty haunting flute tunes. Over the last few days, Nintendo has been sharing information about Xenoblade Chronicles 3's heroes, including the dual protagonists Noah and Mio.

Noah is a Keves soldier who wields a bright red blade in combat, while Mio is a soldier of Agnus who uses her impressive speed to dodge attacks and fight back with her ring-shaped weapons. Tragically, Noah and Mio are what developer Monolith Soft calls "off-seers," which are people who mourn for lives lost on the battlefield.

"'Fighting to live…and living to fight' is the harsh reality of Xenoblade Chronicles 3's world," reads a tweet from Nintendo. "As 'off-seers', both Noah and Mio have mourned for the loss of many lives, a burden that can be felt from the music played on their flutes."

This is Noah, one of the protagonists from #XenobladeChronicles3. As a Keves soldier, he wields a bright red blade in combat. He is also an “off-seer”, someone who mourns for those who’ve lost their lives on the battlefield. pic.twitter.com/3i2Mkd34SoFebruary 14, 2022

Meet Mio, the other protagonist of #XenobladeChronicles3 & a soldier of Agnus (who sports some rather distinctive ears!). Her speed on the battlefield allows her to easily evade attacks while dealing damage with her ring-shaped weapons. Much like Noah, Mio is also an “off-seer”. pic.twitter.com/g8gZxx6D21February 14, 2022

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