A Psychological Analysis of Shulk and Zanza - Xenoblade Chronicles

[@nostalgiastorm471]

“the Monado quite literally turns Shulk into a shell of a person” OH!!!!!!! OH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@kurenian]

I think it’s noteworthy to contrast how Egil feels deeply betrayed by Meyneth, with his hands shaking when speaking to her in Agniratha, and he talks about her as if they were good friends. Dickson is like honestly, “yeah, I don’t care.”

[@filmblast4089]

i really appreciate how you waste absolutely no time when talking about things. like everything you say feels meaningful

[@TwidthG]

I have to admit: Shulk [Kluhs] being an anagram of Klaus with an "h" instead of an "a" blew my mind more than it probably should have.

[@Sherkel]

It also means Dickson somehow had access to Ontos's memory space. Maybe every character did, though?

[@marche800]

The Monado feeding into it's user's fears of the future and that fear making the user regress makes Moebius from 3 make a lot more sense as a villain Moebius is literally the fear of the future the design to avoid it at all costs. They’re that crippling anxiety that even afflicted Zanza. Which makes perfect sense as a final antsgonist for the saga revolving around Klaus and his actions.

[@Sherkel]

"We were conceived from regret. Regret is our be-all and end-all."

[@thomasnguyen4427]

omg, I didn't ever stop to think how damaged/mentally troubled shulk was until this video, and how that plays into his interactions & relations with the cast. THank you so much!

[@Sherkel]

"Providence is defined by the agency of other beings." Brilliant! Can't stop rewatching this part. Don't call this a psychological analysis; this makes SENSE and has INSIGHT!

[@easiestcc6451]

Something else I appreciate about Shulk as a character is how accurately he represents the autism spectrum without romanticizing or demonizing autism like so many media with autistic characters tend to do. Shulk has traits that a lot of people on the spectrum tend to have, like: -being an introvert -Having an obsession of some kind (his hyperfixation being machines) -Has trouble connecting with people emotionally -Has anxiety -Struggles to separate his own feelings from others -Sometimes lies to people to avoid hurting their feelings (the sandwich scene and the scene where he sees Otharon dying and decides not to tell Reyn or Sharla) -Spends most of his time on his own -Others often have to start conversations with him instead of the other way around As someone on the spectrum, Shulk is honestly the most accurate depiction of Autism I've ever seen in media. The game doesn't glorify or undermine him in any way just because he's implied to be autistic. That combined with Fiora's death and how accurate of a depiction of autism shulk is as well as the amazing writing made this my favorite piece of media ever and to this day, I still never shut up about this game in hopes that more people will play this emotional rollercoaster of a series. This game singlehandedly cured my depression and thats part of why Shulk is honestly my favorite protagonist ever.

[@meseraphim6509]

This video made me think of Shulk completely differently and how I may have similar social issues, it reminded me that like Shulk, I need to grow.

[@EmilXOM]

Dunban saying "I just stood and laughed", at 3:21, is one of the funniest out of context things in the game.

[@dig1taltoaster]

I heard a theory that when Zanza split from the architect they split the negative and positive qualities, but I disagree. In my eyes they both stem from anxiety for the architect the anxiety that his failure would repeat again, but for Zanza, the anxiety that he would lose everything he gained. It's much similar to how Shulk struggles with the visions. But unlike shulk, Zanza never had people like Reyn who made him open up about his anxieties and therefore he never opened up to people. He left himself closed off and disillusioned to the world around him. He's such an amazing parallel to Shulk and a lesson In the dangers of isolating yourself instead of taking that first step and opening up to others despite how scary it may be.

[@phantommonarch6199]

I like to think that each half of klaus was exactly the same, but since zanza only got see the positive results of the experiment, he developed his god complex, while the architect got to face only the negatives, which made him confront his flaws and grow to be better

[@dig1taltoaster]

@@phantommonarch6199 exactly my thoughts

[@kurenian]

Justice for Fiora. I’ve seen the fanbase say she isn’t that interesting but truly she’s a goated character.

[@jairekambui7738]

She’s not. She’s a love interest that dies three seconds into the game and exists as a plot device for Shulk’s revenge quest.

[@kurenian]

@@jairekambui7738 A lot of agency in the second half of the game. Her coming to terms with her mechon body, and giving the Mechonis/Meyneth a chance is arguably what enables the cycle of violence to be broken. And in those moments she isn't passive, but shows agency there. Also she reflects quite a lot on her earlier recklessness in heart-to-hearts and stuff.

[@jairekambui7738]

@@kurenian Comes way too late and lacks substance in my opinion. It still just feels like she’s just a plot device to make things happen. She gets roped into being a cyborg, having a mechanical body, being mayneth’s vessel, and just reacts to it in predictable ways. Her whole late game character is just being pushed into situations and dealing with them in ways that conveniently progress the plot. Nothing about her is dynamic or interesting. Her reflecting about her flaws in the early part of the game in heart to hearts is just the most obvious thing to have her do considering she’s absent for the vast majority of the game. Overall her character just feels poorly handled.

[@kurenian]

@@jairekambui7738 Good point about the heart to hearts. Why do you think her reaction to being used as a Mechon is predictable? Also does that mean it's bad writing? Just curious

[@jairekambui7738]

@@kurenianWhen they introduce Fiora in the party, they introduce her with being Mayneth’s vessel. Because Shulk and crew have been the ones antagonizing the mechonis throughout the game, Fiora just has to be the counter force as the one who spent time with Mayneth for the whole game. So her entire perspective on things doesn’t really feel natural or earned, it just sort of happens for the sake of the plot because she has to play catch up with all the story presence she missed out on being absent from the story for so long. The way everything develops for her is predictable. She reflects on her past mistakes because she’s had all this time. She hates her metal body and doesn’t want to tell shulk about it, but ends up embracing it because it lets her be with everyone longer. She hates the Mechon in the beginning of the game and changes her opinion once she understands more through Mayneth. It’s all very predictable and standard. Personally I think the way they use Fiora in the game is bad writing because of how little she appears in the beginning. So I don’t care about Shulk’s revenge quest because we don’t spend enough time with Fiora to care about her. By the late game chapters, she just performs her role as the party’s connection with the machina people, Egil and Zanza through Mayneth, and reflects on what little we knew about her in the 2 chapters we knew her as well as some very boring heart to hearts about their childhoods. She’s more plot device than character.

[@wutmagna7222]

30:39 "The other main symbol that Zanza is associated with is that of a Prison." I guess you could say he's linked to the *MONADO JAIL!* I'll see myself out...

[@Missiletainn]

This video was great, I have heard many people say Shulk doesn't have a personality, but I have never been able to put into words how and why those statements felt wrong to me and this video expresses it perfectly. I love shulk as a character and I'm glad to see people analysing him to the same extent they analyse other characters in the franchise outside of "Machine boy with a voice in his head."

[@emilybeckstrand5413]

I think my favorite thing about this game is that it always finds new ways for me to interpret the themes and the characters. A playthrough might have me view Zanza as symbolic for the game's rejection of godhood and the way power is used to control others, while essays like this one give me insight into the ways Zanza represents regression and isolation compared to Shulk's growth and formed connections. I don't think I'll ever grow tired of this game, truly.

[@cheebins]

if there are only 5 people talking about shulk and zanza then I am one of them. if there's only one person talking about shulk and zanza then it is me. if there's nobody talking about shulk and zanza then I am DEAD

[@PhantomHeit]

REAALLLLLLLLLL

[@deltadragon117]

Glad to see more people talking about Zanza It saddens me that he’s generally considered the worst villain of XC1 The buildup and foreshadowing to him is nothing short of masterful in my opinion, and his character is often misunderstood.

[@Ash-oi9je]

this video highlighting the mental of shulk and zanza is well appreciated as i often don't see it talked about enough whenever discussion about xeno 1 arise. very well put together video.

[@spectralim]

Normally I just let video essays play in the background, but with yours I'm rewinding any time I miss something. Your analysis of this game makes me see it in a new, more precise light and it's so beautiful. Thank you for sharing this!!

[@PhantomHeit]

Thank you!! I’m really glad you think so

[@Hyskaris]

I'm showing up here just a handful of months later to say, thank you for delving into how Shulk must've felt AFTER the events of Prison Island's first visit, and the Sword Valley segment. So many people tend to overlook Shulk's sudden shift from bloodlust to understanding, and right it off as "The writers did that thing where the character doesn't want to be as bad as the bad guys." But I never saw it like that. The scene with Shulk stopping Dunban's blade from killing Mumkhar was always this definitive symbol of Shulk no longer falling into his spiral for wanton death against the Mechonis. As you said, his break from the passage of fate that Zanza was guiding him down. After seeing how little he understands the conflict between the two titans, all he wants now is to figure out just why it has to be this way. Quite literally, why do Bionis and Mechonis keep on fighting? And while it wasn't the focus of the video, I always acknowledged and even *appreciated* how the scene continued after Dunban accepted Shulk's reasons for refusing to kill more Faced Mechon if they could help it. They were going to aim to stop Egil and the Mechonis, as the fear of killing innocent Homs was now present in the scenario (this includes Fiora). But even after that declaration, Mumkhar himself embodies one last act of bloodlust. And it's his *own* actions that get him killed. Shulk sees the vision of Mumkhar dying, shakes off the daze as fast as he can, and *pleads* for Mumkhar to stop. He's true to his want, to avoid further death and destruction. Taking his fate into his own hands, and trying to change course from his previously desired want for murder. The fact that the vision shown was to stop a _Mechon_ from getting killed is already indicative enough that the visions might've already slipped from Zanza's control. It's only Mumkhar's rageful actions that pushes him into his own demise.

[@flameflyer42]

"Fearing the infinite possibilities of life, the future" - ...so pretty much Aionios/Moebius from 3, but on worldwide scale for them, it seems? And i love that you talked about how Shulk had already changed considerably by the final fight with Metal Face that his "sparing" him made sense, i usually see how that section was "bad writing", or that Shulk was behaving in a cowardly manner by not finishing off such an evil figure... And lastly, somehow, you were able to ... really give humanity to Zanza, to pull depth out of what most would call shallow, so much so that i'm unsettled by how much i realize i relate, to realize that he's actually me, kind of, if i fall any further...

[@PhantomHeit]

I absolutely agree with this, it’s really interesting to me that a character like Zanza can be very relatable

[@kiera431]

This was an amazing analysis! I have to admit I never really understood why exactly Zanza was the way he was, but everything said in this video was really well put, and I now have a new appreciation for him as a character

[@PhantomHeit]

can we get a zanza render already please please please please please please please please please please

[@Sherkel]

@azhnsilver6091 might have what you need!

[@Shadiss]

I wish I'd seen a video like this years ago when I was addicted to Xenoblade 1. I feel like for so long I reveled in that game without ever really grasping the themes at play and many times actually misinterpreting them entirely or just having no clue what they meant. Shulk's dream never really made sense to me beyond it seeming like a very accurate depiction of the kinds of nightmares I personally experience.

[@marioxenobladedokifan614]

Excellent video. Shulk is the first character I really connected with. Your analysis really shows and describes why I find Shulk to be such a relatable character. Shulk to this day still remains my most favorite protagonist and male character.

[@TheAwesomepotatoes]

Phenomenal video. Providence being the will of people to stand opposed to Zanza is really interesting. Kinda makes me think of collective consciousness. Shulk even says that everyone wishes for a world without gods when he makes the wish at the end. If he is following the idea that providence is the will of everyone to oppose Zanza's vision of the future then the very fact that the party was able to prevail against Zanza would be proof to him of that wish. Or I'm overthinking it and Shulk just wanted to sound dramatic and cool in front of Alvis.

[@SlimSKim13]

Thanks for makin' this video. I've been stuck in depression, filled with terrible choice paralysis...and it's striking to see a game I love so much mirror those exact feelings. Maybe I should replay it...

[@jobsidian4219]

Finally a zanza analysis video

[@metroidprime6161]

This was a great analysis. I've always really liked Zanza as a character and villain, but seeing this video helped me appreciate him a lot more. And although he isn't my favorite character or villain in the series, that would be Malos, I still think Zanza is fantastic. Plus Zanza the Divine remains the best final boss theme in the series and is my favorite final boss theme of any game.

[@dProp.34]

Wow most of this stuff flew right over my head when I finished the game. It's why I love videos like these!

[@Snugboat]

I fucking adore this video. It brings to light so many random little concepts and questions that were bouncing around in my head but I never felt I could properly put to words. Genuinely massive thanks for making this.

[@flameflyer42]

And I'll also say that the more I think about Metal Face's possible motivations, the more I realize I relate to him as well... Now I also realize that not only is the Architect the part of Klaus that feels remorse for sundering and recreating the world, unlike Zanza, he is also the part that genuinely connected with his creation in a way that Zanza so desperately wanted to, but couldn't...

[@codename618]

It's funny. You mentioned that you'd explain Zanza more in depth, but not only did you deepen my understanding of Zanza, but Shulk as well. Thank you. 😁 Also, I'm realizing that there are a lot of parallels between Shulk vs Zanza and Noah vs N.

[@ninjapotatolorf6237]

Abshdhxuduebhsduxuu!!!! This!! This video ROCKS!! Now I know why I relate so hard to Shulk and Xenoblade Chronicles 1. (Spoiler: it's definitely ASD)

[@PhantomHeit]

same LOL

[@solposting2648]

Hi there! I'm one of the five people you mentioned at the start that have been talking about Zanza (since 2012). Wanted to leave a comment when this video initially came out, but got super busy. I've always found it so disappointing how uncharitable and dismissive the opinions on his character have been in the decade+ that Xenoblade has been out, so I can't describe enough how refreshing it is to see someone else go into such detail to talk about him and his dynamic with Shulk. A lot of people tend to assume villains *need* tragic backstories or a ton of sympathetic traits in order to be resonant, which I think really narrows the opportunity and scope for compelling characters. As you mentioned in the end, sometimes all a villain really needs is to face the consequences of their actions and demonstrate a refusal to grow. In a way, there's a more sobering sadness in that than there is in the "hero gone awry" archetype. There's like fifty other points I think you hit the nail on the head with in the video that I want to address, but I don't have the time and the capacity to do so. What I'll say is that I think the Xenoblade community is starved of content like this, as I can count on one, maybe two hands the amount of actual quality thematic analyses of the series there are on KZbin. Huge fan! Keep up the great work.

[@EmilXOM]

On the real, I'm really glad I discovered your videos recently. It's super interesting to get some character analysis, through the lens of someone who's studied psychology. I legit hope the bigger Xeno-tubers check out of your stuff.

[@MarkusVeller]

This has given me a whole new level ofappreciation for XC1 and especially for Zanza. Thank you!

[@fenix0seraph]

I never realized til now just how intimately the whole of Shulk's character arc and by extension the plot of the game itself is tied to his autism, rather than it just being an incidental trait of his to inject some flavor. Which actually makes a lot of sense, since the other Xeno franchise games do something similar with Fei/Pythra's DID and Shion's PTSD, where their character development is tied to them learning to accept their mental disorder or the supernatural equivalent of it while not letting it define and confine them. Obviously I'm not trying to say that autism is a mental disorder, of course, but rather to focus on the storytelling parallels. Granted, they don't explicitly say Shulk is autistic, but they also didn't say Shion has PTSD either, when it's pretty obvious she does. While some could argue that having this kind of arc could stigmatize autism as something that leads to harm, I actually find it uplifting. Because to me the message is that a lot of the negative stereotypes commonly associated with autism are the kinds of things one can potentially work their way out of, and through the guidance of people who are supportive and understanding, not cruel and judgmental. Overall Shulk's autism is shown to be harmless or even a net good, not something that needs to be cured or pathologized, and FR is pretty clear about that too with how it depicts older Shulk and Nikol. Also, for a game whose major theme is about forming connections with others to have its protagonist be autistic (a neurodivergent condition with an unfair reputation for not being able to form those connections, one the writers are aware is patently untrue based on their handling of Sakura Mizrahi in Xenosaga) creates some unique conflicts on that front, but in ways that helps highlight those themes further. In Fei, Pythra, and Shion's case they have mental disorders brought on trauma, whereas H2Hs establish that Shulk is aware his brain works a little differently but has mostly accepted that part of himself. Thus the story of his self-actualization ends up focusing almost entirely on the growth aspects and about not letting his autism confine him, rather than reconciling with the dark parts of himself that he locked away, to account for the fact that autism isn't traumagenic, so that standard Xeno conflict is reconfigured into being caused by an external doppelganger... sort of. Regarding the host-parasite relationship between Shulk and Zanza, in light of the above I've also viewed it as a metaphor for maladaptive intrusive thoughts. Zanza is a different person from Shulk, and while he represents the kind of person Shulk could've become if he walked a different path refused to grow, IMO he doesn't put evil thoughts into Shulk's brain so much as amplify tiny impulsive voices that already existed in Shulk's head, Shulk's id if you will, to the point he has to put active effort into pushing them away. This is probably the part of Shulk's arc that most closely resembles the acceptance/reconciliation aspects of Gears, Saga, and Blade 2.

[@PhantomHeit]

I fully agree! The focus on mental health is a huge part of why I like this series so much, will definitely be talking about the neurodivergent aspect more directly in the future. It’s really cool to see a game centralize it so much

[@sandwichcinema223]

This video outlines a lot of things about these characters that I didn't notice when I played this game. Something I noticed while watching this video is that isn't stated is that a parallel can be found in how Shulk becomes independent of Zanza with how he begins to see visions without the Monado and how the life of the Bionis has a history of abandoning its god.

[@atepasta2712]

zanza is so fine

[@Synthpopper]

Damn, I didn't realize Shulk was literally me

[@zeenasty]

Love me a good Xenoblade essay, fantastic analysis! I've always felt that Zanza's role in Xenoblade 1 was really underappreciated, and this articulated my thoughts on him way better than I ever could.

[@ChompsOnTheLoose]

Your videos are so incredible to the point that a like a comment don’t do them justice. As others have said, everything you bring up has so much intent and makes me rewind if I get even a tiny bit distracted. You’re able to shine light on pieces of the story that we could feel were there, but couldn’t see. I’ve once again finished one of your video with tears welling up and renewed appreciation of the beauty in this game. Thank you so much!!

[@PhantomHeit]

I really appreciate all of your comments!! :) I’m really glad you like them so much

[@xiraho1]

This analysis really helped me as a person. So thanks.

[@drakath5727]

16:40 Speaking of this, there was a slight detail in the japanese voice acting that I'm not sure was intentional or not - Zanza at prison island at one point changes between the usual echo to a more muffled one. I interpreted this as the distinction between everyone being able to hear Zanza and only Shulk being able to hear Zanza, where every time Zanza is talking directly to Shulk he's speaking in his mind. While I'm still going through a watching of the sub's cutscenes and haven't reached the Mechonis Core scene, I absolutely adore this change in voice effect on a narrative level, and I wish that the localization kept this detail.

[@_jumney_1088]

Shulk was already one of my favourite xenoblade characters and I'm really glad to see someone do an analysis on both him and Zanza, I'm really enjoying your xenoblade videos btw 👍👍

[@antbrow8957]

Great video. Nicely organized with each topic flowing logically into the next. XC1 was fun for really subverting my expectations of what I thought it would be (in a good way). The game initially seemed like it was going for a standard revenge plot but gradually gets recontextualized into actually just being an elaborate story of one man trying to get over himself. Shulk and Zanza are two aspects of the greater whole that is Klaus (which is why Alvis plays both sides in the story as a therapist). Zanza is using Shulk as a vessel...yet the Bionis that the party travels through is also Zanza's primordial shell. So in effect he is overcoming himself as Shulk by venturing into the chaotic unknown of his own being. It's less about the standard "breaking the cycle of vengeance" and more about examining Shulk/Zanza's (Klaus') attempt at reconciling with the machines (progress). Zanza attempts to cull humanity and keep it from advancing too far...because he himself has already lived a parallel of the future that Shulk's world would inevitably trend towards as Klaus and he was the one personally responsible for its ruin by fiddling around with technology (chaos) he didn't fully comprehend. In turn, he seeks to control humanity rather than let it proliferate less they repeat his mistakes. This is why Zanza is missing for an alarming amount of the story's runtime; the story is examining how humanity can perform in absence of any higher (divine) order to control it and posing the question of whether or not the people of this world even deserve to advance into the future (with people like Mumkhar and Egil being big counterpoints). Wild

[@fourthstrongest]

i usually hold xc1 in the lower regards of xeno because i feel like it's quite obvious/heavy handed and such but this video added a whole new layer to this dynamic that i kind of knew was there but never looked into further. fantastic video, absolutely love it! also so nice hearing about shulk and zanza rather than shulk and egil tbh

[@notisma5956]

Waouh, that was so interesting ! I love psychology but have never really studied it, so a lot of Shulk's actions and lines threw me off a bit, but I never really could analyse why as you just did. Also since he's the protagonist, there's this halo of goodness around him that made it hard for me to question his way of manipulating others, even if it was soft and not on purpose.

[@RSanchez111]

This video really highlights the contrasts between Zanza and Klaus, the deliberate contrasts. Takahashi intentionally made Zanza's shortcomings into Klaus's strength, and vice-versa. Zanza wanted to obsessively control everything and everyone, and Klaus let everyone and everything develop and unfold as they may. Zanza acted on his desires and impulses, and Klaus became apathetic. These contrasts were intentional to make it clear that the two worlds are two parts of a formerly unified whole, and that separation makes both halves deficient. Takahashi makes it really obvious when he makes the union of opposites the main gimmick in Xenoblade Chronicles 3.

[@moonsilvershow]

absolutely based shulk, zanza, and dazai enjoyer lollll. in seriousness, amazing video, I'm so glad someone finally put this out there, and you did an amazing job of it!!

[@PhantomHeit]

dazai mentioned 👀👀👀 thank you!!!!!!

[@sprigtherecluse6741]

this video really shines a light on what i loved abt shulk and zanza even in just my initial playthrough of xc1. i think i will always love rex more as a protagonist (im currently playing through xc3 so we’ll see if that changes), but the fact both characters are still so beloved is a real testament to how good these games are.

[@jaxsonfanta5420]

Sooooo I have beaten this game a few times and did not come to several of these insights and conclusions. I have to say, you have an incredible talent of breaking down story into its art form, and an even greater talent in explaining it. Thank you very much, you made a game I already loved, and expanded it in an even greater way.

[@Sherkel]

The character everyone else owes their depth to! I especially liked the color segment. I generally considered the gold on Zanza as an eternal "what now?", a goal pursued for its value but only good to be traded for something else. Yellow as you described it is much more telling, though. Just saw the description; thanks for the sources on color theory!

[@colinmunro3158]

I like how the video ended with the theme Riki's Kindness. I't one of my favourite pieces of music in the whole Xenoblade franchise and fits the tone of the video's conclusion to a tee.

[@Damfotografia]

Always a pleasure to view a xc1 vid! It has philosophy and character analysis too? I was never sad xD Xc1 deserves so much love, than it actually gets in the full trilogy!

[@JohnSmithJane]

You made me realize I didnt understand one of my favourite video game stories of all time, and thats almost depressing. But its made better by having a newfound appreciating for one of the best video game stories of all time

[@thoughtfuljanitor6627]

You understand this story and these characters to such an amazing degree. There were a number of lines and scenes, such as Shulk's lines about Meyneth on the beach, that I hadn't ever really understood before. Xenoblade 1 has truly incredible writing, expansive in scope yet wholly coherent, and you highlight that expertly. It's a shame that you aren't more well known. I admire your work. Thank you P.S. Somehow the Prison Island scene is even deeper in meaning than I thought. I'm starting to think you could write a 100 page book analysing it and it wouldn't need filler.

[@PhantomHeit]

Thank you so much!! I agree lol that prison island scene alone could be a whole textbook

[@mr.boatload1296]

This was so great! I've thought about this game a lot and while I think I've picked up on a lot of the pieces, the way you put everything together so it all fit was amazing to watch, and recontextualized a lot for me. Would love to see more in the future

[@teaandbrandy]

I do have one minor (and I mean minor) nitpick. I don’t like describing anyone as “lacking” theory of mind because it’s not really an accurate description. It’s not a matter of ability but rather making the effort to consciously apply it, like you said. But pretty much everyone is *capable* of it, and the idea that certain groups are not is the result of a very badly done study, that has been blindly repeated, and contributes immensely to the dehumanization and ostracism of said groups.

[@joeystreit58]

Your videos are so good! I wish I had the ability to articulate my my analysis of thing like you. A lot of what you say about “living authentically” is what I have tried to express as “rising above one’s circumstances.” Zanza and Shulk in the beginning make all of their bad choices in response to their poor circumstances and let that control them. By the end, Shulk is making good choices in SPITE of his poor circumstances, rather than because of them. So yeah, fantastic video and I hope more people find your channel because your videos are definitely worth their time.

[@Zachruff]

Ty for this, wish I was smart enough to read into this stuff on my own but your videos really help me appreciate this game more

[@nathanthatoneguy]

You can't help but smile when you see a friend's video essay come up in your own recommended feed. You know we could nerd out for hours, I'm just a text away :)

[@rikibdgd4764]

next xenoblade analysis vid just dropped

[@omo4941]

You're doing the Lords work with these analysis videos. Hopefully more people can see XC1 story for how beautiful its intricacies are

[@redbirdtribe]

YESSSS SHES BACK WITH ANOTHER. AFTER YOUR LAST VIDEO YOU HAVE BECOME ONE OF THE CHANNELS I CANT WAIT FOR VIDEOS FROM KEEP IT UP LOVE YOUR STUFF YOU HAVE SUCH A UNIQUE TAKE ON THINGS YOU'RE FANTASTIC. Also, thank you for doing some analysis on zanza and shulk because I feel like there's not enough. Talk about zanza

[@Agefonduge]

Only a month between this video and the last one? And the video is a banger? We eating good

[@may83195]

Great video!! It’s kind of besides the point, but I love and appreciate how clear the narration is

[@ccpog737]

Really amazing analysis!! I like the psichology analysis of shulk, so many details to which I can relate.. I think that is why i like the game so much 😊

[@cheesecake2889]

This is a beautiful video and you explain things so well. Thank you so much. I truly have a new found appreciation for Zanza and Shulk! You have my sub and I hope to see more Xenoblade content!!

[@vilotarian]

This is a great video, I hope you keep making videos!

[@uroy8371]

I enjoyed the analysis thanks, the effort put into it is well appreciated.

[@FeliXtreme]

Ayo, is that voice a real person? It's a freakin lullaby dang

[@crazydoc0812]

Thank you so much for this analysis. The Xenoblade franchise stands as one of my favorite of all time, yet I didn’t see these themes/issues in Shulk and Zanza off the bat. In some ways, I feel as if I relate to Shulk’s flaws and struggles when thinking about these things…trying to take steps to improve in these areas. Subscribed.

[@HibiTeamQueso]

I've just come across your channel by luck but i've been following you on twitter for a loong time. I had to check cause that pfp seemed too familiar 😆 It's always nice watching more people talk about Xenoblade. Please keep doing it 😂

[@Ontos99]

What a sensational analysis. The parallels I could draw with Zanza and Moebius are immense as evident by 'He wished for a world in perpetual cycle of destruction and recreation', not unlike Z and the Moebius. No wonder in the both narratives, Zanza and Z represents the tyrannical will of Logos in which Fiora in both narratives stands in stark opposition. In the former, as Meyneth's vessel and the latter as Lucky 7 wielded by Noah, the next gen of Ouroborous. The Pneuma's will. I'm very excited to release my Moebius analysis in a few days, I hope you tune in and let me know your thoughts, Phantomheit. Really happy to see people like you deep dive into these games and show a side to them that can be hard on a psychological level to analyze with subtler themes.

[@SassyYariKu]

Thanks to this video my attention has been brought to aspects I never paid attention towards, nice! Also a fellow Dazai fan, let's go :D

[@PhantomHeit]

omg i was waiting for a Dazai fan to find this, you have good taste

[@SassyYariKu]

@@PhantomHeit You too! BSD is one of my favourite anime :D

[@glorbojibbins2485]

Damn bro, good video.

[@VisaCardholder]

I admittedly have not watched the video yet. I am like a minute in. But I am already so excited. I feel like NO ONE talks about Zanza. But I think he is a very interesting character. Spoilers ahead. But I feel like the future installments kind of turn him into the "Bad part" of another greater being is super regressive. I think it very much reinforces peoples opinion that Zanza is a shallow character. But I don't believe he is. In particular I think the line "All that I am... is fading." is super powerful.

[@abdieljove2011]

Him being the "evil part of Klaus" is a stupid misunderstanding by the fanbase to begin with. Not to sound mean…but it is. Zansa and The Architect aren’t the "good and evil" parts of Klaus. Just two halves of him. One ended up in the new world as a god, the other one remained in the destroyed world to see the devastation he caused.Zansa went mad with divinity and the contradiction of wanting companionship but feeding on life and fearing his creations, while The Architect was a depressed, remorseful deity who wanted to fix his mistake but felt he wasn’t worthy of meddling too much once life restarted. They’re diferent because of psychological circumstances,not because one is the good half and the other the evil half. The entire Klaus story is also deeply symbolic based on Gnosticism, an ancient Christian heretical belief that combined many elements of Jewish occultism and even Buddhism. In its creation story, Pistis Sophia (literally Arrogant Wisdom) , a higher being called an Aeon, created the physical world on her own, withoutGod/The Monad. As a result it was a mess and Yaldabaoth/the Demiurge, a lesser false god was created. Insane and ignorant, Yaldabaoth thought he was the one true God and made his world a prison of suffering for mortals. Meanwhile, the Platonic interpretation of the Demiurge is more benevolent. He’s kind, but imperfect, and thus can only create imperfect things. Klaus is Sophia, and the two worlds he creates are ruled by both interpretations of the Demiurge. Zansa is the insane Yaldabaoth, The Architect is the Platonic Demiurge.

[@aleks7517]

LOVE this video. Such an intriguing, informed and, honestly, super cool look into how Zanza came to be through Shulk and Klaus. It really makes me think on how all this can disperse into xeno 2 & 3, with Klaus' overarching actions & own psychology. + The colour theory was a really nice touch. I studied animation at university and this is akin to what we did, so it got me really interested! Keep up the good work, can't wait to check out your other vids. PS: What is the theme playing from 25:45 - 27:40 pls, thank you!

[@PhantomHeit]

Thank you very much!!! its cool to hear a perspective from someone in animation the song is Jade Chimes from Genshin

[@aleks7517]

@@PhantomHeit Big love ^^ thank u!

[@jairekambui7738]

I will always have gripes with this game and it’s narrative and characters compared to the sequels, but I do like Zanza conceptually.

[@PoPo-qp8zq]

Amazing video!

[@Neutra77]

Fascinating video. Really opened my eyes to things about my favourite game I never knew or could put into words. Don't suppose there will ever be a video comparing these two complicated boys to Zanza's other half? I would find it really interesting to hear how Klaus factors into all this.

[@snowbean7178]

Amazing analysis!

[@yxnilI]

Very cool video!

[@moonshjfgd47]

im not crying im not crying im not crying

[@tiny_tamsz]

A Xenoblade Analysis feat. both ‘Twilight Princess’ AND ‘Fire Emblem Echoes’ music⁉️ At least take me out for coffee first, jeez~ ❤️‍🔥

[@PhantomHeit]

you have good taste!!

[@nishquikpops]

I can't believe I missed that Shulk backwards almost spells out Klaus..... :O

[@jatniel771]

Xenoblade Chronicles is my favorite franchise and shulk is my favorite protagonist thank you for this amazing video

[@ChompsOnTheLoose]

Wake up babe new PhantonHeit video!!!!!

[@questionmarkquestionmarkques]

great video

[@idowhatiwant3557]

Great video.

[@chaosenforcer328]

Hey phantom if you ever get the chance can you do a video on N & M I feel it would be something you would do really well.

[@PhantomHeit]

this actually is a topic i have a lot of thoughts about, im sure ill get around to it eventually!

[@Immadeus]

Shulk just like me fr

[@teaandbrandy]

*sigh* … unzips switch case Time to play Xenoblade again. But for real I’ve had this game since the day it came out in the US and I’ve probably played it 4 or 5 times and watched the major cutscenes many more. But I never consciously noticed like 90% of this.

[@MeliariMelody]

as for shulk: in other words… ✨ autism ‼️ ✨ genuinely adore how you describe everything, better than probably anyone i know could, because it further proves why i related to shulk so so heavily throughout my life as someone with autism. i feel like not only does this video help people understand these characters and the game more, but potentially even people like me more, who cling to characters such as shulk. thank you for the hard work

[@PhantomHeit]

Thank you sm again!! I absolutely agree with you about Shulk ✨✨

[@MikeThePsykat]

Typically, I tend to not like saying that I feel as if a character *X* coded, but in Shulk's case he does strike me as possibly being autistic, or, rather he seems to have traits that align with what was once known as Asperger's Syndrome (I say this as someone who was once diagnosed with Asperger's). I do wonder though, if that was the way Klaus was, and if so, Shulk ended up like that due to Zana's influence from a young age. Speaking of, it's also rather strange that Shulk ended up looking & sounding like Klaus, I've always wondered if that was also Zana's doing, maybe not directly. However, since Shulk had Zana's spirit in him from such a you age, could that have perhaps caused his physical body to grow into more of a *Klaus* shape perchance? This is all speculation at this point. One last thing, I wish this video talked about Future Connected and Future Redeemed just a bit to touch on Shulk's growth and how different he ended up then where he started.

[@PhantomHeit]

I absolutely think that he is too! And yeah it’s interesting to think about how that ties to Klaus. If I get around to making a video more directly about Shulk’s neurodivergent coding, I would definitely cover all canon appearances

[@softnoobgirl73]

​@@PhantomHeitmake that video please I Am begging you

[@a-zfan3229]

Klaus is Shulk spelt backwards (sort of!)

[@renren47618]

You should make a video like this about Noah from Xenoblade Chronicles 3.

[@williamwheaton8117]

Any thoughts on the themes of Xenoblade 2?

[@PhantomHeit]

yeah, ill definitely get around to talking about them sometime !