The Forgotten Plot Device of Xenoblade Chronicles 2

[@ThadFC]

Vandham has always been one of my favorite characters and the fact his final lesson to Rex never came back to mean anything is something that has bothered me for years

[@KayJulers]

Same here. Vandham was great! I had talked with several people about this moment and read several threads expressing similar thoughts, so that's really what pushed me to make this video.

[@infern24]

@@KayJulers I personally like the way the game did the sacrifice of vandham and the overall story but also like your ideas. I'm fine with either. and don't be sorry about the ether explanation, it was needed. one of the xenoblade 2 haters on youtube that hated the game, their big excuse for the game having bad writing was "vandham shouldn't even know how to stab his chest like that" even though he was the leader of a village of driver mercenaries for years. this needed to be explained to set them straight with their nonsense, epic video as always.

[@aratabhist]

Imo they did still uses his advice till the end tho the one "that there's no inherent bad guy because everyone is living in a war of their own" as subtle as it is they still used it going forward into the story, after seeing just how different amalthus, jin, and rex's opinion regarding humanity and just how just each of them had a different action towards their problem, this alone shows that all of them have their own motives and their own war to fight, so yeah even if they don't show it explicitly but the essence of that lesson is still there even until the last fight with malos. Edit: oops sorry i just reached the part where he talks about the stabbing thingie it seems that i am misunderstood regarding the last lessons part, i honestly thought you talked about the lessons that vandham told rex after the akhos battle my bad.

[@bianks3916]

Vandham lessons and dialogues meant a lot trust me.

[@Kasaaz]

@@KayJulers I wish I had more confidence in the localizations of both this and Xenoblade 3. I wish I knew how much of what I am left wondering about is because of dropped plot points and what is because of 'accidental' foreshadowing maybe? I don't know what to call it. Maybe this is clearer in the Japanese, etc. This kept haunting me with Xenoblade 3 where I kept wondering if my unease with the story was because there was a lot of missed foreshadowing or were certain things made to seem more important than they were meant to in English. I think of XC3 Vandham's dialogue in the scenes just before his end. The line reads are so strange, like he's talking to someone else, instead of just talking to himself, etc. I wonder would I have picked up more, or had more clarity, as a native Japanese speaker from the dialogue in Japanese? I was talking with a friend a while ago about a Western developed game that people loved in Japan, even though the story wasn't great in English. I can't remember exactly which it was, but he was telling me that a lot of people in Japan just assumed it was a bad translation as that's what they were used to. They just assumed they were seeing a lesser version of the story and filled in a lot on their own about what they thought it might have originally been. It was the opposite of what I've been feeling, and yet it made me think about my love for a lot of older JRPGs back on the SNES and PS1, etc. Did I find more to the games than was really there? Were the games actually BETTER to me because of janky localization? Sorry, this just turned into a ton of me just working out my thoughts in text. I hope you don't mind.

[@LuigiLonLon]

Good way to implement it, but... You're forgetting one Teeny Tiny but very important thing. What Rex feels, Pyra and Mythra feels as well, specially pain. Vandham And Akhos makes notice of it as well. Rex being the cinnabun that he is would NEVER make anything to bring harm to them, specially if it's by his own hand. You may argue that Pyra and Mythra would not feel it, but Rex doesn't know that. Hell, he was feeling what Pyra was feeling moments after they arrived to the Ciffs of Morytha. It wouldn't fit Rex's character doing that.

[@RawkHawk2010]

This comment deserves more attention.

[@LuigiLonLon]

@@RawkHawk2010 aww thanks If anything i noticed another reason as the WHY this wouldn't work One of the main themes of the game is the symbiotic relationship drivers and blade have with each other which is hammered pretty hard al around the game. Vandhan being the mentor he is, ALSO makes Rex know that it is a two way street, right on their first encounter, where both parties are important in order to make this work. How ever, if you notice, the action Vandham does literally ignores this relation in order to bypass the ether disruption and gain a for a lack of better words, selfish boost of power but at the cost of him losing his life and Roc losing all his memories. It was done with a right cause and his death wasn't in vain, but the price was too high. If anything, i would say his last lesson was more of a cautionary one.

[@Solibrae]

That's a good point, but maybe Nia could use her fancy healing powers to stop both Rex and the Aegis from feeling any pain, while also healing the wound.

[@Cuprite1024]

Fair point. I *love* this revision, but I could see that being the reason he didn't do it.

[@jesseallen3109]

Hrm.. you're right. With that teeny tiny issue... could be fixed by the following: Instead of stabbing himself after having dropped Nia's weapon he instead tries to stab Malos. Get's it knocked out of his hand, up into the air, and then it falls down and stabs Rex through the leg, back, where ever. and THAT sends him into shock and then BAM.. dream sequence with Pyra and Mithra to then unlock the awakened version of the third sword. Course, they would have to do some major edits for it to work.. but.. it would still make much more sense AND enrich the story in so many ways.

[@krissjames7276]

Personally, I feel the Blade impalement technique worked fine for what it was, showing Vandham to be a very experienced, knowledgeable and brave Driver, and fleshing out the Driver-Blade system further by showing unorthodox ways it can work. However, your rewrite is very well thought out, and my only concern would be the audience possibly having forgotten about that particular Driver ability by the time you reach the end of Chapter 7, in which case Rex not really fighting Jin and Malos afterwards (until the Pneuma upgrade) would just make people question why on earth Rex just stabbed himself. You'd probably need to slightly alter at least some prior cut-scenes, to remind people of how Vandham used his Blade to counter Ether-manipulation and increase his fighting power. If Xenoblade 2 ever gets an anime adaptation, I could certainly see this being the kind of plot change that would work well, changing up the story a bit to keep things interesting for old fans and reviving older, abandoned plot threads, while still not fundamentally messing with the main character arcs.

[@KayJulers]

I can agree with that. That’s kind of the difficulty that comes with aiming for minimal revisions, but I think adding more content like that would only benefit the moment. It’d also give Vandham more relevance in the later chapters, which I think could only help.

[@jesseallen3109]

@@KayJulers would they really have to revise anything? Just add in a memory recall cut scene and some voice over. Reuse the previous Vandham Cutscene with a grayscale filter for the recall scene. They've already done it several times in both games.

[@nicoloenricorimoldi7425]

3:30 Ether isn't the building block for reality in Xenoblade 2 though. It was used to repair the mess that the world was left in and it surrounds matter but it isn't like in Xenoblade 1 where literally everything is made of it. Still, you did great in finding out the difference between Obrona and the prison/Spirit Crucible Elpys. I didn't notice that detail!

[@KayJulers]

Ah, I had always interpreted the scene showing the particulate substance of the Cloud Sea breaking Morytha's remains into blue particles as the matter being converted to ether particles, which could be reconstructed into the various items that make up Alrest beyond what existed prior to Klaus' blunder. And thank you!

[@weberman173]

@@KayJulers my "explanation" of it to other people is usualy like this "alrest is Coverd and drenched in Ether, while the Endless Sea is made from Ether"

[@natchu96]

I wouldn't be surprised if the cloud sea did use ether-based technology; a lot of Klaus' stuff did. But I feel like he wouldn't be willing to give up matter for ether entirely if his goal was to rebuild what was lost. In contrast the XB1 universe is essentially one massive ether art generated from the phase transition experiment: a universe truly made from scratch by the Zohar's ether.

[@SuperSavajin]

Actually really love your placement for it but imo it should have some repercussions on Rexs health afterwards. It would make Vandhams sacrifice seem more real and it would give a chance for Nia to "redeem" herself by healing him here. Also my biggest problem with Vandham is not that this plot device was forgotten but that they didn't mention him at the end at all. Not even a shot of his grave.

[@KayJulers]

I could get behind that! It would not only make Vandham's legacy greater, but give further material for Rex and Nia's development in one fell swoop. Yeah, it feels strange, right? I know that XC2 isn't a story centered on the theme of moving on after the death of a comrade like other stories, but it feels cold how dirty Vandham got done lol.

[@RawkHawk2010]

For what it's worth at least Vandham appears in a flashback when Klaus is describing the Blade/Titan life cycle.

[@jesseallen3109]

mmm.. I do love this idea. but it makes Nia's Unrequetted love for Rex all the more sad. Nia's a good girl and she's already gone through so much sadness.

[@RawkHawk2010]

I always thought Fast Twitch and Wild Scythe (Vandham and Rex's respective takes on an Art that drains 10% of HP in exchange for Evasion while attacking) were a reference to the impalement mechanic since barring Torna they're the only XC2 Arts that drain your HP.

[@itouch5VideoBlog]

Sorry to comment before watching but I just wanted to say I'm really happy you got this out today on my day off! Thank you for these fantastically crafted videos KayJulers!!

[@KayJulers]

Not a problem! Thank you for watching and I hope you've had a great Labor Day so far!

[@xviinaichi3793]

Why are your xenoblade videos so godlike man I hope whatever next monolith title helps your channel blow up

[@KayJulers]

Thank you so much and here's hoping, dude!

[@jesseallen3109]

Xenoblade 3 is coming out in less than 25 days! With a character who looks like and even has the Vandham name (also is telling the heroes to seek a new world!) So. this aged WELL. as I'm sure there will be a lot of JUICY stuff. I mean.. Melia Antiqua is still alive, and the queen of a nation who's at constant war with another nation. everyone is born and dies within 10 years and is made to fight.. their reward? meet Melia and then be consumed(their ether is harvested to feed the growing chambers to birth new people) to start the cycle again. I'm SOO fucking angry at them suggesting Melia would allow this and so I'm utterly curious as to what happened to cause Melia to do the exact fucking thing that Zanza did (everything on the bionis is made TO FEED ME!) and to want an endless war when she utterly detested the Bionis/Mechonis war before she met Shulk and definitely after she met him and found out the true cause of that endless war.

[@hiimanthonysullivan2473]

Man I remember when watching Chugga's LP and the Vandham scene happened I thought about how what he did was never really brought up again. The way you implemented it sounds great and while I don't think it's necessary to the story as a whole it would have been a fantastic moment. Also 3:22 activated my fight or flight response and 5:18 reminds me of the Halo shield recharge sound.

[@KayJulers]

LOL As soon as I realized I was going to be ranting about ether for awhile, I had to do it. And you're right! That sound is the Halo shield sound.

[@moberlysquad67]

I really like your idea of the 3rd Aegis sword retaining just enough ether energy to give Rex the vision. I always had trouble thinking of a reason the sword disintegrated besides it just being old. Great video as always

[@angeldude101]

Something I noticed while playing XC:DE was the way that the Apocrypha Generator was described was almost exactly the same as how Nia described Obrona's power. It's also nice to see that the conclusions that I personally made about Obrona vs the other forms of ether restriction was pretty much spot on. One consequence of how Obrona's power is shown in that cutscene is that it only really affects Driver-Blade pairs. The Blade can't use their full power and the Driver can't do anything without the connection. It sure would've been convenient if there was a Blade capable of using their full power without that connection... Ya, so Flesh Eaters would've also been pretty much immune to the effect if they were using their own weapon. Zeke would've also been able to shrug it off if he were in the party by then because of the connection already made with Blade Eaters.

[@KayJulers]

I agree. I think if Zeke was a party member at this point, he could’ve changed the whole flow of this moment and maybe Vandham could’ve lived.

[@MaxMonado]

Another great youtuber named Miiks had a similar idea in one of his videos named 'Addams secret decendant'. It was pretty much like the spirit crucible scenario you bought up near the end actually. I just imagined Rex seeing all of his friends suffer just like what happened with Obrona, which would make him remember Vandhams actions and prompt him to do the same to save his friends, and I just could not get this idea out of my head since then. Miiks even re-wrote some of the story to make Vandhams sacrifice more relevant, definitely recommend his video.

[@PowerOf47]

YESS FINALLY SOMEONE WHO UNDERSTANDS! Also I just love how the fact that he stabs himself while fighting jin parallels how he got stabbed by jin. I could take more time to think about this but I will save it for a future English essay.

[@KayJulers]

“Xenoblade does make for good papers.” -Signed by the guy that talked about “The Birth of a Universe” for a 20 page final paper.

[@microwaveoven7201]

I don’t know if I totally agree with how you went about showing Vandham’s final lesson, but I also don’t have any better ideas. Either way, this was an incredible video like all of yours! I hope your channel starts to get way more views, the editing and ideas here deserve so much more attention!

[@KayJulers]

Yeah, I don’t think this revision is for everyone and still has links to be worked out, but it’s what jumped out to me. And thank you!

[@Cuprite1024]

I love this potential revision. Keeps everything else intact while making Vandham's sacrifice more important than it was before (Tbf, it was important, but still). It just... makes sense. :P

[@CosmicKenza]

Any additional Vandham references in XC2 are always a great thing in my book! Excellent video, you used those retro gaming graphics to explain your points on how ether works really well!

[@punmaster1059]

I would have loved if vandham’s sacrifice was implemented in your way. Your ideas are so thorough and well thought out. Seeing your though process was also extremely informing and interesting

[@KayJulers]

Thank you!

[@Yaboimitchell]

Wow, I never thought there would be this much thought behind that move. Great video!

[@irtehmrepic]

My ideal scenario where the idea could be explored again is in the Spirit Crucible. I know it's not the same as Obrona's ether disruption, but given how dire things look, I feel like Rex could try to sacrifice himself in a last-ditch effort to succeed Addam's trial. At that moment, impaling himself with the same weapons Vandham had, Rex confronts the shadows, ready to die to save his friends. Cut to Nia, eyes wide, realizing this is the same move that lost Vandham. But this time, she makes her choice, and sheds her fear to reveal her true self. Her healing allows Rex to survive the technique, and their bond allows them to win the fight. It's not as flashy as your idea, truthfully, but it does Nia's character arc a lot of justice, seeing as she was afraid to save Vandham.

[@jackferring6790]

I think I like your idea better than what is suggested in the video

[@NuiYabuko]

That makes no sense, since he went there to get the sword. What good would those actions bring, especially not knowing that Nia is a Blade?

[@thevioletbee5879]

@@NuiYabuko Saving everyone else.

[@ilavain]

@@NuiYabuko rex has never been a rational actor, he was always ready to sacrifice everything to help one person and arguably only Addam's words changed that. I doubt he'd even consider that Aegis would feel that pain too, the guy doesn't really think much before springing into action

[@BlanKMellow]

Fantastic analysis as always! audibly laughed a bit at 3:25, that pannenkoek joke was great. Also, man the editing/presentation of these videos have been noticeably getting better and better. The diagrams and little details really helps in your explanation of complex stuff and that stuff ain't easy to pull off.

[@KayJulers]

Thank you so much! Glad to hear the diagrams helped since I thought I was going crazy trying to explain all things ether lol

[@Niaisbae]

this was actually genius and i wouldve hoped it was exactly implemented as you described

[@BlazingBoltAeris]

Personally I was satisfied with his final lesson and I feel like it didn't need to be brought back, and the fact that it would have to be Rex to do it makes it seem impossible to happen. Rex knows his life life is linked to Pyra/Mythra, and I can't imagine him doing something that would harm both him and them, he wants power to protect (all his friends and family, but especially them) and doing this would only harm or kill them. He tells Malos in chapter 7 "I'm alive, she's alive" to put his life at risk by his own hands so soon after this goes pretty much directly against this and I can't imagine him doing it, knowing he's putting Pyra and Mythra at risk as well, even if he considers it do or die, in early chapter 8, he tells Azurda that he's living for Pyra and Mythra, and he most likely had this mindset soon after he got the third sword, so again, him killing himself with this seems like one of the last things he'd do, even if it would be done after the core crystal is removed, it wouldn't work anywhere in the story after that. Despite all that, it was an interesting scenario and a well made video, like all of the ones on this channel, even if I can't say I agree with it.

[@jesseallen3109]

would you say then that to have Nia's blade wrenched from his hands and then him trying to use the old and almost powerless 3rd Aegis weapon against Malos would be better? But instead of being able to actually harm Malos, it gets deflected and thrown into the air.. Rex falls on his ass and Malos steps back to gloat over his victory. Sword falls down and stabs Rex (ala the home screen from XBC1). The shock then sends him into the dream state where he talks with Mythra/Pyra and awakens Nyra.. or whatever her true form was. and then we cut back to reality where.. still impaled, Rex stands up, holds the now crumbling sword in his hand incorrectly so that when he's fully standing his hand is grasping the sword's crystal. Malos notices it's getting brighter and says his line (What?! How!?) and then the Rex opens his hand as the crystal floats up and we notice the wound healing being mostly covered by the shining light forming the reawakened 3rd Aegis weapon.

[@hockeyfreak896890]

Dude this video was beautifully edited. Holy shit nice work. Tremendous work!

[@jellycore1316]

9:46 I love the Megaman thingy here XD This video is great, thanks for it! ^^ It's really interesting! AHHH And XC3 hypeee! XD

[@Zachruff]

god I love your editing so much, the pannenkoek reference and the skype noises made my day

[@DeadToTheWorld92]

A great video! This and Vandham in general was quite forgotten in the main story after his sacrifice.

[@KayJulers]

Which is really unfortunate because he’s a dope character!

[@alexgilkison39]

I feel like this is an example of a breaking of the Chekhov’s gun narrative device. They showed the ability being used in the beginning and it wasn’t used by the end

[@JustJulyo]

I've miss these kinds of random Xenoblade Chronicles 2 uploads!

[@sunnycideup4725]

Also besides everything else, can we just talk about how this video is REALLY WELL MADE?

[@milnuit9376]

Honestly,Vandam's death didn't do much to me,the reason is that I saw that his skills couldn't be improved,so I pretty much assumed that he'd die soon.

[@KayJulers]

LOL I didn’t even notice that on my play-through, but yeah that’ll do it

[@Solibrae]

That's a pretty good rewrite, it would definitely strengthen the interwoven connectivity between certain scenes in the storyline. I especially like the parallel between Jin stabbing Rex, forcing Pyra to save Rex and inadvertently starting his life as a Driver, and Rex stabbing himself to save Pyra & Mythra, which also awakens the Master Driver power within himself.

[@graysonw3076]

In a way, your proposed revision would actually provide a nice bit of irony and symbolism (or whatever plot device you can call it). In the beginning of the game, Jin stabs through Rex’s heart which causes his conversation with Pyra in the dream to occur. He wakes up, with half of Pyra’s core crystal and summons her sword In your scenario later on in the game, instead of Jin stabbing him through the heart again, this time it’s Rex, filled with a strong sense of determination and longing to shoulder Pyra/Mythra’s existential pain. Echoing how he enters a dream and wakes up summoning a sword shortly after being stabbed would be a poetic callback to the beginning of the game, this time highlighting how much Rex and Pyra/Mythra have grown as people, and the sword being summoned coming from Pyra and Mythra who are filled with hope for the future

[@milktoast9140]

Very good video! I especially enjoyed your proposed locations for the return of this plot device. I liked the chapter 7 placement a good deal, but I think I ultimately liked the placement at the ending more. I feel like it would bring more weight to Pneuma's sacrifice at the end of the game, and it further ties into their sacrifice in terms of its greater meaning in the story. I always thought it was neat the Pyra and Mythra wanted to go to Elysium to die, only for them to end up completing that mission with an entirely new motivation. Rex did everything for them to get them there, and they got to use their lives as a weapon to give back to everyone. With the proposed plot device revision, after Rex follows in Vandham's footsteps and seppukus himself for the cause, Pneuma's reason to sacrifice is a little less obtuse. Now does this all still get somewhat undercut with them coming back to life... big time imo, but I don't think we need to open that can of worms lmao Either way, I especially loved the breakdown regarding the ether and how the whole process works, I never really considered the differences between Tantal's prison and Obrona's powers. I think you did a good job at discussing one of 2's many wonky plot devices and helped me appreciate everything a little bit more.

[@Subjecttochannel]

7:03 He tried to warn us not to forget him, he was helping us from the very start

[@novaspacewitch9963]

Jshhsnfh the pannenkoek joke and the SM64 music really got me.

[@NintendoSegaGuys]

5:23 Haven't heard that gen 4 stat lowering sfx in while.

[@infern24]

I personally like the way the game did the sacrifice of vandham and the overall story and also like your ideas. I'm fine with either. and don't be sorry about the ether explanation, it was needed. one of the xenoblade 2 haters on youtube that hated the game, their big excuse for the game having bad writing was "vandham shouldn't even know how to stab his chest like that" even though he was the leader of a village of driver mercenaries for years. this needed to be explained to set them straight with their nonsense, epic video as always.

[@genius11433]

I didn't think that the story as we have it was a letdown, but you made a good case. I think that the alterations you suggested would work.

[@NuiYabuko]

From what I remember Rex grabs the sword and it disappears leaving everyone shocked, but Rex is at peace. He knew what he had to do. That same Rex, who grew a lot in the span of the game, using Vandham's technique just seems weird and goes against the things that were established by that point. Also, they were in a dire situation, that's why Vandham did that. It didn't feel like he wanted to necessarily teach something, perhaps the overall lore concerning Blades and Ether, but not the technique itself.

[@lunarcat4278]

While I certainly don't mind the rewrite (I think it would certainly work as you intended and be touching as hell) but I always found the main takeaway from Vandham's final lesson were the lines "Rex! Don't go dyin' on me here! You gotta make it... ...live! Live for her! You gotta make it to Elysium!" And of course, "Remember to fight your war!" Sure the technique is cool and all but the meat of the lesson for Rex is that he can't just blindly throw himself into danger. He needs to keep himself alive to protect Pyra (and later Mythra) and see her off to Elysium. That Rex must always keep fighting his own conflict for her. And with it being wrapped up in Vandham pleading for Rex to run. And what does Rex do? Oh sure he runs all right, right at Malos. Forcing Mythra out. Another instance is when Obrona dies and Malos has to convince Akhos to leave or they will be no scoped by an Artifice, much like with Vandham to Rex. And when they finish Vandham's funeral it is all bookended by Mythra slapping Rex and calling him an idiot for not taking Vandham's advice. Sure it was her not wanting to reawaken but still the narrative repetition at the end of Chapter 3 is hard to ignore. And it comes up again in Chapter 7 where Rex has to remember even when all hope seems lost to keep moving. And that's Rex alone. Nevermind other characters. "Fight your war" really is a good overarching quote for Xenoblade 2.

[@NuiYabuko]

It also felt like Vandham knew it was a last resort. The situation seemed dire, so he wanted to buy time.

[@jesseallen3109]

......I love this. I wish they had done something similar or exactly as what you stated. It would be so much more impactful, and make Vandham more meaningfull in the overall story. It always bothered me how quick he befriended Rex and then how quick he died. It was.. it made the relationship seem very artificial, and empty even more so when nothing Vandham said was recalled to later. They did an injustice to him I feel. All because they wanted another reason for Rex to want vengence and defeat Malos. It.. it feels like a crappy version of Shulk wanting to kill Metal Face for Fiora's death. with an empty lesson that never came back to the narrative ever.

[@Hoovinoyse]

Small note, I’m pretty sure a Blade also channels ether straight TO the driver, but it’s stronger if they can also channel it to their weapon as well. That’s how drivers were able to do arts in Torna.

[@Flomen01]

9:40 Lol I lost it at "committing sudoku".

[@theladymeyneth6775]

The way I always saw it was some kind of primitive Blade Eater-type thing, to show how powerful a fusion of the two was. Not necessarily something that needed to come back, just a way to show both Vandham's knowledge and strength and a way to show how strong a Driver and Blade together are.

[@tenshi7751]

Vandhams sacrifice was my favorite moment in the game and I was waiting the whole game for the callback to it. Personally I think the callback could have been during pneumas sacrifice, rex could have done it and used the ability to fly to get over the gap, and while they could have been good if played right, maybe with some line about not letting how he said he was going with her, I'm glad it didn't happen because it would ruin what we did get

[@tylercoon1791]

One idea I had was Rex using it when saving Pyra from the Omega Fetter in Tantal. Instead of Poppi just barely being able to move the beam, Rex is able to damage it enough that it stops working.

[@misspurdy27288]

I love the idea that Vandham was basically a crude BladeEater.

[@WeTheWounded]

Ether, in the Xeno games, almost always comes exclusively from the Zohar/Conduit. Pneuma's power is so great because she was the processor tasked with directly interfacing with the Conduit and using it's power. That's how Rex is able to move so fast, and they're able to create literal rifts in space. It's also why everything in XBC1 is made of ether... the whole universe they're in was created by the Conduit. In Klaus' time, the power of the Conduit is basically used as a giant battery for everything. That is why the whole planet is shrouded in ether energy. The blades absorb the ether directly, because they are basically organic machines originally designed in Klaus' time, and thus ran off ether. A blade's weapon is basically a construct of the blade itself, created from the blade's core crystal. We know this because of how broken blade weapons work in the story, basically endlessly renewable as long as the blade is alive. So, you don't have to stop a 'link' between a blade and their weapon, you just have to stop the blade from emitting ether. If you notice, in the cutscene, they don't just pass their weapons back to the blades to do a blade art, probably because the blade isn't able to emit ether at all, not just send it to the weapon. You'll also notice that Malos and Akhos both can still use their arts. And while you can argue it's because they are blades themselves, but both still use their blade's arts and weapons. This suggests that Obrona isn't simply dumping out a blanket field to disrupt the ether emissions, but rather choosing who to do it to. This ether limitation only ever comes into effect when Mythra is no longer with the party. Yes, I say Mythra, because Pyra is affected by Obrona, but when Mythra awakens, she is not, evidenced by her ability to power and change the sword, and still communicate with Siren. This is most definitely done on purpose, probably foreshadowing Mythra's (and ultimately Pneuma's) direct connection to the Conduit. This would also be my guess as to why drawing ether from the Driver to do things wasn't ever considered. Before Mythra's awakening it wasn't needed, and after it would create a plot hole because it wouldn't be needed. Besides, if it was a common practice, or a well known tech, not only would Akhos and Malos not be surprised by it, there certainly have been counter measure's put in place for it in places like the jail, or elsewhere. What bothers me is having it done at all. It suggests that people have ether inside their bodies, but don't actually need it for anything? And how do they get the ether? Do they also absorb it but don't expend it? Do they get it from eating, breathing, drinking? All of these ether blocking devices and methods, but people are never adversely affected, yet they have ether in their bodies? Strange.

[@LeilaBunny27]

loved the pannenkoek2012 reference at 3:25

[@LeilaBunny27]

Also Mikhail was a blade eater too 😔😔

[@drantino]

one of the biggest issues i see the full extent of this is the entire fact that rex him self has part of the aegis core in him giving the fact there could be a case of him being able to absorb ether him self. how ever considering its part of his life force, you could make a scene of him trying to use his life force to save them

[@emilyantiqua]

Wow this would be so much better! I love your videos

[@KayJulers]

Thank you for the very kind words, Emily!

[@pokemigas6049]

Great video as usual

[@KayJulers]

Thank you, fren!

[@pokemigas6049]

@@KayJulers :)

[@tuvillo]

Captain Padraig is always the key to everything in life.

[@KayJulers]

Truly a light in the dark world that is Alrest.

[@CodeNameX001]

I'd felt that stabbing himself with the broken hilt of the Aegis could have worked thematically (even if it doesn't make complete sense :P) It could have been the moment where Rex took his first step towards finding his own Monado. By this point in the story, Rex realized that he had been blind to all the pain that P/M had been going through. He'd been constantly pushing them forward, demanding more and more from them, single-mindedly. This was the moment that they could forge a path together. He stabs himself with the jagged edge of the hilt, the crystal in the broken sword glowing with the crystal in his chest, and he's massively filled with the kind of ether that only a connection to the Conduit can provide. He makes his big speech while fighting back just as Vandham did, but as the light in his eyes and core crystal begin to fade, we get the scene of him talking with P/M in front of Aion. This time, they're going to do this, together. Suddenly, both his and Pyra's crystals flare and he pulls the hilt from his chest. And from the hilt forms an entirely new sword; Somewhere between Monado and Aegis.

[@phantomsanic3604]

I cried when Vandham died. I got spoiled that it was coming and yet, when it happened I felt like I got hit by a bus.

[@dipshitsiclethemighty3054]

These videos just make me so embarrassingly giddy. Your revision sounded amazing, and I love the possibility that could stem from it. Rex stabbing himself could be seen in a more manipulative way however, if he kills himself to make Pyra and Mythra act and save his life as well as theirs. Also I just don’t think the reason Vandham did that lines up with the proposed way Rex does it. Vandham did it to cheat the ether system and power himself up directly because the blade/driver connection had been thwarted, so why would Rex do that if the blade weapon belonging to the blade that isn’t with him anymore (only calling Pyra/Mythra that bc of Nia) has hardly any energy left in it? It does sound cool as hell thought regardless, and he could even do it in response to Jin besting him in that duel when Pyra and Mythra are talking to Rex and drop the whole suicide bomb on him, where Jin catches him off guard (now that I think about it why is he holding back against Rex this much lol) and stabs him, ringing back to him doing the same thing in chapter 1 and even saying something like “I told you….it was mercy” with Rex’s agonised and despair-ridden face in view. But one way I think it could actually work really well in is if he used the Pneuma sword or hell even Roc’s scythes to perform Vandham’s technique, basically making himself as strong as the blade but Nia continuously heals him so it has no consequence. Idk I just love these videos so much, keep doing what you’re doing you magnificent man.

[@kcsupersonic1]

I think there is actually a better way that Vandham's sacrifice and final lesson could be used in the narrative that doesn't involve Pyra and Mythra, but still shows Rex taking the sacrifice to heart. After their first awakening by Rex, Roc really just becomes another blade instead of their rightful role as Rex's secondary partner. I think it would be amazing if after the Aegis is captured, Roc could re-enter the narrative, being the one to remind Rex that he is not acting like the person their former driver believed in all this time. Roc could recall all the stories Rex told Roc about Vandham as well as the story of his death and sacrifice to protect those that mattered to him. This would be powerful specifically because Rex would know that he is the one who taught/told Roc all about Vandham. It would be in this moment when everyone's words eventually get through to him and Rex resolves to rescue Pyra and Mythra. Skipping ahead to Spirit Crucible Elpys, you would have Zeke's revelation of being a Blade Eater, Nia having her internal struggle about accepting herself fully for who she is, and the crew heading deeper into the core of the Titan. Rex and Co would eventually make it to the Addam Phantasms and eventually due to effects of the Crucible sapping the strength of their arts, the team slowly starts to get overwhelmed. Knowing they need more power and being reminded of Zeke's Blade Eater status as well as Vandham's lesson, Rex steps up to protect his friends. He takes Roc's Blade Weapons and stabs them into his stomach, before using the strong connection to the ether in the weapons to launch wind attacks just like Vandham. Unfortunately, similarly to his mentor the power depletes quickly and Rex doubles over in pain. In this moment, Nia has her, "I won't run away," moment recalling her fear that stopped her from trying to save Vandham, and then resolving that she will not stand by in fear when there are people she has the ability to help. Nia then reveals her true form and regenerative abilities in order to protect and heal the injured Rex. The rest of the scene would play out pretty much as is with Rex now wielding Nia's catalyst scimitar to fight the Phantasms eventually leading to the vision. I think this would have been a great way of using Roc and Vandham's connection to Rex to further first Rex's and then later Nia's character arcs. It would also give Roc back some late game relevance in the story by having them remind Rex of lessons Rex already knew but had just forgotten.

[@Thinepickles]

I have no idea what to say except “Great video!” Sometimes the simple answer is the best

[@KayJulers]

I agree, and I appreciate it!

[@milktoast9140]

A bit of a tangent, but this whole concept also reminded me of another of XC2's many story quirks. Was it ever explained why Azurda is, (A) The only titan in the entire game who can speak, or (B) Somehow capable of reversing his age and returning to a baby at will? I think it's a weird instance of the game just presenting something that you have to take at face value, and I cannot remember if any extra material ever elaborated on it.

[@abbymems]

While they don't extrapolate on his blade form, (though since blades evolve into titans, it's possible Titans figured out a way to devolve if needed) Azurda definitely isn't the only one who can communicate. He's just the only one we see verbally speak, because he's small enough to talk to humans. Pandoria controls and communicates with Genbu, but most people just live on the Titans and iirc, there is a conversation in either 2 or Torna where Azurda says most Titans don't actually mind that people live atop them and pad them with armor and equipment. So the implication is that they can all talk, they just don't.

[@jesseallen3109]

@@abbymems well.. running theory.. Say they did talk.. Gormott's is fucking huge.. think about how bellowing and loud it's voice would be. for this reason knowing it could do damage to humans it didn't talk? Then you got where Vandham died.. THEY LIVE INSIDE THE TITAN... So the titan talking could possibly jettison everyone out with the amount of air intake and release to be able to talk. So instead just opted to stay silent. Same goes for Genbu (where Zeke and Pandoria hail from) Indol's is also rather huge, but is also the only one we see who is actually flying in the air (minus the ones we see in where the 3rd aegis blade is stored). so maybe it talking would cause too many vibrations and throw off the buildings and those living in and amongst them to the eryth sea. so it chooses to stay silent.. Then again that asshole Praetor has it under his control and so may have learned to talk is a bad idea now. and this was probably always the case which leaves the whole Indolian race as the most horrific of them all. Mor Ardain's was ancient, maybe it forgot how to talk? or it hurt too much to talk even around the time that Torna was destroyed and why you don't hear anything about it then so it just stayed silent? But there does mean that since Grampy Azurda could talk and mention what the other titans feel (or maybe it's just his own take and he's attributing it to all the others? Remember in Torna Country they mention there was an uninhabited (by people) titan) there is a chance maybe the Titan's have telepathy.. This idea is strengthened by the aforementioned Pandoria Speaking with Genbu comment.

[@Civmonopolis]

The problem with this idea of self-sacrifice is that Rex and Pneuma are linked. Rex would have it in his mind that shoving the third sword int his chest could kill her, so it's not a self-sacrifice, but a sacrifice. Perhaps the Aegis would instinctively sever their link and restore Pneuma's full core, but that would undermine their bond. Your positioning of the moment, however, does seem the best to me.

[@KayJulers]

Since Pyra at this point is practically a husk, I figured they wouldn’t be able to feel any pain unless their projections to Rex somehow did. That does leave the problem of a super lethal, gaping hole in their chest, but I think it might make sense that Rex would think Nia could heal that (considering she practically brought Niall back to life) even if he’s out of the picture. You could even include a line in a casual cutscene later or in a heart to heart where Rex admits that he honestly was hoping Nia could heal him/Pyra after that. It certainly could use refinement, but I think there are ideas that could make it work.

[@pathway_xii4545]

@@KayJulers Didn't Jin already use Zero Zone to prevent Nia from using her regenerative powers?

[@NuiYabuko]

@@KayJulers That's just not good. And I think the other comment is right, Nia wasn't able to use her powers, since what does low temperature do to water? Freeze it.

[@marngamarx5787]

That’s actually a really good idea I never thought about it like that! Also is that a Zack and wiki reference at 13:29? My hat goes off to you good sir-

[@Wlightning25]

I always thought that Vandham was underutilized in the game. He appears in chapter 3, is briefly mentioned later after awakening Roc, and then is never mentioned ever again. I think your idea could give him more significance to the later story. The sound effects in this video were great by the way lol.

[@KayJulers]

Thanks! I had to mix in some Halo and Pokémon Emerald since they have top tier sound design.

[@person16106]

Vandham's sacrifice never being brought up again never bothered me that much, but I completely understand how you feel about it since I feel the exact same way about Haze and what I thought was going to be her arc of finding out who she used to be. The original scene in chapter 7 was one of my favorite moments in the game, but your changes were very well thought out and it would have been a nice touch to show Rex's character growth.

[@someguycalledgoober155]

I hate to be a Negative Nancy, but we don't know how Rex and Pyra/Mythra's relationship affects the 'stab yourself to gain superpower' move. For one: Rex could be causing the pair pain by stabbing himself, sort of defeating the message of "Hey keep in mind how this affects your blade." So if we do use it it'd have to be an agreement between them to make sure everyone's on board. And two: We don't know how the energy transfer between them would work. Seeing that the Aegis is taking everything that hurts Rex and applying it to itself, it may also take every boost in power through ether and apply it to itself as well. Basically: If you use the Aegis for this power boost, you could be giving Pyra/Mythra massive feedback that could do more damage in the long run. Especially if we use the third sword for this. Granted that could also be used to explain how the pair unlocks Coffee and Milk... But that seems a bit cheep and silly. Like Pyra and Mythra just needed to be jumpstarted like a car instead of getting over their differences, and accepting themselves. Knowing they are in fact loved. Possible three: we also don't really know how it works for Blade Eaters and Flesh Eaters. On what we got in canon, I think that Vandham's final lesson could not just be what'd lead up to Blade Eaters, but Flesh Eaters as well. Cole reveals himself to be one after Vandham's death, and goes to explain a bit how they work. And that topic is expanded upon a ton with not only the rest of the game, but the prequel as well. Three out of the five main Torna members are a Flesh Eater and one of the party members is one, so it's got to count for something. So I think the lesson to the audience is that Vandham's sacrifice was just scratching the surface, an appetizer if you well of the full extent of Blade/Driver/Ether relationship. Like we may not get it the first time watching it through, but when you look back at all the pieces and just go "Oh so Vandham made himself a Blade Eater for a bit." -Which I'll coin a term 'Blade Nibbler'- It's either, though admittedly it's a bit hard to find. Though if this were to return in the main campaign, I'd want to see Morag stab herself with Brighid's knife. That little thing bothered me more than anything else, because Morag could have distracted the enemy doing cool flippy whippy stuff and Brighid could sneak behind and backstab them. Seriously, that thing gets no uses at all. Is it a third weapon she made? Is it just a military piece? Can you conduct Ether through that? If so why isn't she also using it for offense thus getting the best of both worlds of the Torna fighting style and the Main game fighting style. So just seeing that used at all, and Morag's hands being set a blaze all the while using a maneuver invited by the country Mor Ardain is at hi tensions with. Just, beautiful.

[@VerkatosEnsei]

20:13 - "Rex isn't someone that could physically stand toe to toe with Malos and probably Jin" Not YET, at least

[@linkalot7415]

There should have been a mechanic where, if you accumulate enough ether during battle or something (it will gradually accumulate as you execute specials, blade combos, etc) you can temporarily merge with your blade and deal massive damage. During this state, there's no real skill required - you just run at the enemy and spam, dealing immense damage. But I think that's fine, acting as a super powerful and effortless reward for playing the battle so cleverly. This blade-driver merge idea was inspired by astral chain btw

[@novaspacewitch9963]

Honestly the Obrona scene really brings up the question of whether Blades could use their own arts in place of their drivers during that situation. If Nia choose that moment to pull out the Catalyst Scimitar (tho obviously she wouldn't at this point), could she just fight on her own, similar to a Blade in the Torna campaign? Could Dromarch bust out a special move, or Poppi just use her super strength to power through it? A Blade without the connection to its driver isn't as powerful, sure, but I imagine they could still fight

[@veryexciteddog963]

underrated video

[@WhyFi59]

While your suggested alteration would be an interesting addition for emotional/narrative purposes, I think that, mechanically, it wouldn't work as well. What Jin is doing is fundamentally different from Obrona's power. Jin's power, as described by Malos, is to bring particles to absolute zero. From a physics standpoint, that means particles have zero vibration, meaning they can produce no useful work, which is why blade powers such as Nia's regeneration also stop working when he uses that power (both in the cutscene and in gameplay when he uses Zero Zone, the name of the art that corresponds to that particular power). Creating a channel through the human body wouldn't really work in that scenario since the ether particles would still be de-energized as they left the weapon. An additional, unrelated tidbit is that an NPC in Torna: The Golden Country mentions that Urayan combat rituals involve self-inflicted wounds, which might explain why Vandham used that technique in particular during the Chapter 3 fight. AFAIK it isn't elaborated further than that, though, so the purpose of these "self-inflicted wounds" in combat is left unclear. It may have a similar function as what Vandham did, perhaps to boost the power of blade attacks, or it might be purely ritualistic in nature.

[@SuperSavajin]

Love the parallel universes easter egg

[@KayJulers]

Dude, it's one of the best videos on the platform. I had to do it LOL

[@BartholomewMahershalalhashbaz]

Love the Pannekoek reference

[@idiotnumbnuts8486]

I looked back at some cutscenes after finishing xc2, and I was so torn to see that Vandham's final lesson never got any use. I think that is the #1 thing I would change about the game.

[@monadoninja]

I'm not gonna lie, I'm insanely pissed that nobody at Monolith thought about this, or implemented it if it was suggested! Like the rest of the comments on the video said, it's such an amazing callback to Rex's initial obtainment of Pyra's power. Not to mention it's an absolutely amazing implementation of the concept in general, and it calls back to such an important scene in the game, both emotionally and gameplay-wise.

[@irtehmrepic]

Just finished the introduction, but I still wholeheartedly agree. Rex in particular had very high potential to do the self-impaling technique with the Catalyst Scimitar, since Nia could make sure Rex didn't die from it. Maybe having it be a gameplay thing, where you sacrifice your blade specials for a time to increase your arts and normal attack damage, with the additional cost of self-damage.

[@nicoloenricorimoldi7425]

“If Malos’ Monado can separate blade from human... then what about the Third Aegis Sword?”

[@frog8779]

Vandam is one of my favorite characters in all of media

[@ninjapotatolorf6237]

The entire sequence of Vandham's sacrifice is everything I love and hate about Xenoblade 2 rolled up into one delicious scene, and for pretty much all the reasons you pointed out in this video: (Tying together worldbuilding with an awesome powerup, but said powerup and enemy abilities having about as much significance as one of Goku's many many skills that never comes up again, etc.) Despite my complaining about XC2 from a purely writing perspective, the game is still really good. The narrative doesn't need a massive overhaul to fix my issues with it, just some tweaks to flesh out underdeveloped ideas, tighten up parts that could be explained better, and remove or adjust the excessive the game's anime tropes that aren't adding anything substantial to the story. Speaking of which, I absolutely love your idea for putting the third Aegis Sword to good use. Not only does it better convey Rex's character growth and keep Vandham relevant long after his death, but it could also make the following scene (Rex appearing with Pyra and Mythra in front of Aion and reviving their memories) make way more sense. As awesome of a moment as it is, there's no concrete reason as to why it happens. By all accounts, Pyra shouldn't be able to talk to Rex, much less get her memory back and show him Aion. But the old Aegis Sword could be the reason for all of this. It just makes too much sense! (Mind if I borrow the idea to use in a potential future fanfic?)

[@zackarycarr8457]

I think Rex stabbing himself with Pneuma's sword at the end of the game would've made more sense because Rex likes to help people and him using Pneuma's sword to beat Malos at the cost of his own life would be the perfect way to complete his character. If the collapse of the world tree still was going to happen but after Rex had died Pneuma would tell them she's going to sacrifice herself to use Aion to destroy the world tree to save Alrest. Pneuma would tell the group where the escape pods are, gives Azurda the ability to transform back into a titan, Pneuma gives her core crystal to the group and they leave the world tree to the new world.

[@Kasaaz]

When I originally saw this scene, I thought they were implying that Vandham was like Rex. That he was as scarred and whatnot because his life was saved by having a piece of Roc's core crystal embedded inside him. That by stabbing himself, he was tapping the energy directly from that fragment of Roc inside of him. This would mean the reason he said what he did to Rex was like, "Hey, here's something you can do too." I wonder if that was ever the actual plan or not. The problem is, even if they dropped that plot point, the whole Mythra reveal still kind of hinged on the trauma of the death, so he still had to die.

[@alexskocy9948]

I noticed just one problem in this video. It mentions that arts require ether from the blade to use but Rex is shown to use arts before having a blade meaning that arts aren't tied to either. This can be seen in battles where party members don't always have the string due to debuffs like stench. So arts are tied to skills but specials and healing are tied to ether

[@Check_5_]

1 min in in already telling myself “oh shit truuuu” I know I’m in for a good one

[@MachinaZer0999]

Interesting, I figured ether was in all living things, like in XC1. I had assumed that the sudoku move worked by using his own life force as the battery to use arts, which is why the longer he fought, the weaker he got both in ether and his physical state. So if he didn’t die to blood loss, he would’ve died by consuming all of life force.

[@MilkenGamer42]

Rex stabbing himself for the final form reminds me of Devil May Cry V with Dante's SDT form, except Dante casually stabs himself instead of dramatically lol

[@jhon1406]

19:04 "my favorite line in the game" *inaudible due to music volume + no subtitles* sorry, the irony made me crack up lol

[@plufim]

My take on vandhams sacrifice was the ether flowed directly from vandham himself into the weapon, which is why it's a short effect only, biological beings only have limited ether within them

[@darkstorm2579]

That’s how I interpreted it too. Also it’s possible that the human body can’t handle the ether flow from the weapon.

[@monadoninja]

But that wouldn't make any sense. It's Vandham who uses the energy, and through his own hands, not the weapons. And it's clearly stated in the Tantal scene, among other scenes, that Blade weapons hold some amount of power in reserve. The short lifetime of the effect is because using Arts, or Vandham's "Arts", drains the energy with nothing to restore it back.

[@richardsargent4444]

Mind blown 🤯

[@FatedTim]

Honestly I wish vandam and roc got more time in the the story, especially when Rex didn’t have pyra or mythra in the party. You could have Rex have organic moments of dialogue, where he tells roc what his old driver was like. With the refugees in indol, to moments where rex feels weak; roc could have been used to highlight Rex’s naive nature-since Roc is literally being born again-a newcomer to the world. Instead both kinda just get forgotten, and Rex’s characterization suffers from it. All in all, I think it would have been interesting to see how someone ignorant of the world (that being Rex) becomes aware of all of its sides: triumphing in the end. But it’s kind of hard to have that growth, when mythra literally is designed-in and out of universe-to possess all of the knowledge and answers of the world. In chapter 6, Rex has to deal with a stronger version of Obrona’s interference: that being Jin’s absolute zero. In this instance, nothing works. Rex can’t do anything, mythra can’t do anything. Mythra however figures out a solution. I do think Rex’s reaction to this in the story is very apt, and well done. But Rex never made a choice, he never thought about his actions. People act and die around him, and if these parts of the story where built up by him learning about his flaws in a drawn out way, it would have been even better. Like vandams memory and sacrifice being used, not only as tools for Rex as a last resort battle tactic, but him failing to lead. He could be shown as flustered, instead of instantly going back to normal after they leave tantal. He could break down at Roc, for not only failing to live up to vandam (since Rex met him while failing to protect pyra) but also trying to carry on the memory of a man he knew for a few days. Burdens may break people down. But those trials lead to growth. And knowing that rex is not strong enough to save anyone, or himself, would add greater context for Addam’s words to him. Which could lead to rex trying to save everyone around him, through the means that vandam did several moons before: a tale he recounted to Roc several times. But yeah. Vandam is cool, I like his character and I just wish the writers plugged it in the story more often. The video was really good though! I just thought about that when watching, but this is a comment for the video, so I should probably talk about it a bit. Lol. I do enjoy the long form xenoblade content, especially from someone who makes consistently good content!

[@roisin2004]

I was kinda really surprised that vandhams line “find your war” never came back because when I first played it I just immediately assumed that would come back,,, it didn’t,, vandhams is brought up so much (kinda too much probably to make up to him never being mentioned again) in side quests ,, idk I just think it’s so weird

[@ponspectorstillwedie4579]

I love this whole idea, Vandham deserved better. The guy was only around for like, 2 hours of the game and he became one of my favourite characters. I also have a couple of other suggestions. Roc should have been a mandatory blade for all of the Garfont mercenary sidequests, and each one you did could have taught you little bits of new information about Vandham by having some of the veteran members reminisce about their time with him. The final quest should have been voiced and could've served as Roc's 'blade quest'. Also, something I've heard other people suggest is that while Klaus was showing the party all 'the fears they harbor', there could have been a Vandham segment where 'Vandham' would blame Rex for his death. I really love the idea of that, though maybe the Architect didn't want to break the illusion completely by throwing a dead guy into the mix. But even then it could have been Yew and Zuo blaming Rex for Vandhams death instead. Basically, I just wish that the game did a bit more with Vandham after his death. Definitely my biggest peeve with the game as a whole.

[@Lulink013]

Before you get into the meat of the video I'll take a guess and say it's about that one moment at the end of chapter three when Vandham uses his blade's weapons in an unusual way, in which case it would be a fake Chekov's gun.

[@KayJulers]

You might be on to something there lol

[@zeke547]

just wait for xenoblade 2-2

[@Cardbattler]

Seeing this being discussed and having Xenoblade 3 on the mind made me think... what if they revisit this in Xeno3? The Agnus weapons are ether based. Granted, out of all the Agnus part members we have, they don't really have the weapons necessary for stabbing one's self. Though, it would be cool to have that callback if they do it.

[@nightmareeevee3565]

since supposedly 2 and 3 were in development together, could Vandham's sacrifice connect him to that special crystal/metal/thing that connects to everything, that being the reason we see him in 3 (presumably since i doubt the voice and design are an accident.) It would makes sense in a weird and convoluted way.

[@miimiiandco]

Iona, the Juju of Xenoblade 2

[@CaravanNoobs]

>Ending with one of my favorites lines in the game >Said line gets drowned out by the background music It's so accurate it hurts! No matter what I did in the settings their voices are always drowned out by the music.

[@KayJulers]

Xenoblade audio balancing will forever be the death of me LOL

[@faustogiglioli6310]

Forgotten plot device? *Sweats in "don't forget me!*

[@Nerdinyan]

Vandham was basically my Aeris, and it really pissed me off he was not brought up past chapter 4. So before I even watch this video, I'm alreadt giving it a like.

[@PJDAltamirus0425]

This sort of brings up something. Why was the instinct to create Blade eaters was to remove half of the Blade's heart (core crystal) instead of the crystal in the blade weapon (arm)?

[@TheJaredPunch]

It’s like Dante stabbing himself with the Rebellion sword, fusing with Sparda’s Sword to achieve Sin Devil Trigger.

[@2yoyoyo1Unplugged]

I don't know. I think Vandham's sacrifice was a fantastic one, and what he did was extremely cool, but it was also obviously a desperation move. Why would anyone do that to themselves if they had literally any other option? The party wasn't put in a position where they needed to bypass Obrona once Mythra awakened; Obrona ceased to be a problem. Plus, I do NOT think Vandham's lesson was that Rex needed to sacrifice himself; I think it was that Rex needed to find his purpose and commit to it, which he absolutely does.