Why Xenoblade 2’s Most Overlooked Cutscene is SO IMPORTANT

[@Sigglypuff]

I agreed with most of this but was confused what you meant by cringing at the part with Poppi. She's clearly trying to comfort him after he was slapped around a bit. Its a pretty human thing to do especially with how important Rex is to her and Tora.

[@DerajjParallax]

I should’ve specified a bit more. Her caressing his face wasn’t cringe, but her knocking on his head was a little because it confused me lol. It might be common to do that in Japanese culture but I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone knock on someone else’s head when they’re trying to comfort them. Just a strange choice in animation to me is all. But like I said, it may be that I’m just not used to seeing a gesture like that because it may be a culturally Japanese gesture. Nothing wrong with it, I just didn’t personally understand it. Definitely a sweet moment overall between the two of them though!

[@dchang8503]

@@DerajjParallax I do not know if the knocking has to do with a Japanese gesture; I think it was to subvert expectations. You have Nia, tomboyish, punching/shoving Rex, in character. You have Brighid, who's proper and pretty much part of the Ardanian royal family, slaps him. And then you have Poppi rolling in, a literal machine that can lift Pyra, winding up her fist to obliterate Rex's face. But she lands a soft punch. Much as a toddler throwing their small arms at an adult, Poppi is the youngest party member. She would never intentionally hurt anyone she cares about. She's just a child. I also think a transition from winding up a punch into caressing a face; that would look weird.

[@Zachruff]

@@dchang8503 Chang has it correct, it was a little bit of "comedy" if we could call it that by making us worry that poppi will smash rex's face in with her pure strength compared to Nia/Bridghid

[@cullenlatham2366]

@@DerajjParallax I wouldnt call it too odd. The way i read it is that she legitimately wanted to punch rex at the start of the swing, but midway through, she catches herself. It is a sign of self-awareness and restraint, only further supported with some inference about here character. She is a robot, one who, though not made to destroy, was built to survive combat and defend that which is important to her and her friends (heck, in alpha form, her weapon is a shield and regardless of form, she very much leans towards the tank gameplay style, regardless of which way you build her). As young as she appears, she has remarkable control of her emotions, and that same childhood innocence makes it even easier for her to learn the limits of her strength. It isnt hard to believe that tora the fluffball got knocked around quite a bit, and it is very likely poppi unintentionally caused a few of them when playing around off camera (good thing he is a giant flying ball of fluff known as a nopon). Poppi would never hurt a friend, to the point that her nature will never let her throw a full powered punch against one. The light boop was the follow through; the threat was clear, even to the point of concerning the group as a whole, but that much motion cant just stop suddenly. "you make me angry, but i could never hurt you" was the gesture, and with the boop now completed, it was time to comfort. Wiping away Rex's tears as he was not emotionally sound enough to do it himself, she caresses his cheek briefly then embraces him in a hug. What i dont fully agree with is the idea that poppi could have ever gone first. Outside of the general flow of the scene, i already established how she could never throw a punch to harm her friends. It takes 2 other friends being unable to get through to him before she finally snaps enough to even start the wind up. Her role is as the passive diplomatic peacemaker, and she would have stuck to simply trying to talk him down from the side if it was possible, assisting during lulls in each friend's tirade if there was evidence he was capable of listening. On some level, she knew Rex was waking up out of his pity party stupor, but it took her exact contribution to end the affair. In a close group of friends like we see of the party, it isnt unnatural for them to get so used to each other's strengths and weaknesses (including out of combat and emotions) that the flow seems almost scripted. Poppi interjected not because it was scripted, but because it was her time to shine and fate deemed it to be so. It is just another testament to the character writing that something so clearly scripted feels as natural as reality.

[@DerajjParallax]

@@cullenlatham2366 This is incredibly well thought out. I have to concede here and say I was wrong for saying it was cringe. I should’ve thought it out a little more. Also, it makes sense that Poppi wouldn’t have ever gone first as it’s not in her character. It’s times like this that make me have immense respect for the amount of time and care goes into these stories. Thanks for the comment!

[@angeldude101]

Rex struck me as not wanting to give up, but also not seeing anything else to do _but_ give up. I don't think Nia and Brighid actually did _anything_ to actually help the situation. I don't think it's unreasonable that they slapped/punched him, but them doing so read to me as being more about _them_ than _either_ Rex or Pyra. They were frustrated with Rex giving up and the huge loss they just had, and responded to it by lashing out at the closest person responsible for it. Everything they said to Rex isn't really anything Rex didn't seem to already believe. It was those very beliefs that made him resort to giving up in the first place. All they'd have actually done is reinforced said decision, proving that he really is weak and inadequate and in no way worthy of being the Driver of the Aegis. They also showed that he needs them, and that Pyra needs him, but not that the party needs him. I believe that he thinks he deserved that slap and punch. And that's because they're not really saying anything that Jin didn't already. Poppi actually said things that _countered_ Rex's mindset at the time, and is the only one to show that the party (or at least her and Tora) really _does_ need Rex. Actually _showing_ rather than _telling_ him why he can't give up. (How amusing that the words that actually got past Rex's selfishness were Poppi directly talking about herself rather than about Rex or Pyra. Ultimately, you can't truly know everything about how someone else is feeling unless they tell you, despite many people seemingly believing otherwise. Poppi only truly knows how Poppi feels, so Poppi's feelings are the ones that Poppi understands best and can most effectively communicate, rather than projecting her own feelings onto others or otherwise assuming how Rex and Pyra are feeling.) So ya, pinning all the blame on Rex left a very bad taste in my mouth, when he, Pyra, Mythra, Nia, Brighid, Poppi, and everyone else in the party were _all_ hurting. They just had different ways of expressing that, some more healthy than others. I'd personally argue Poppi's way was the only one we saw which was actually healthy, while everyone else, including Rex, either did nothing or actively made things worse.

[@DerajjParallax]

These are fair points and I can see them as possibilities for sure. While I agree Nia didn’t contribute anything significant seeing as her punch really did nothing to Rex, I do think Brighid’s words about Pyra contributed significantly. But yeah I agree everyone in the party was hurting and just dealt with it differently. I think there are multiple sides to this. The party reinforcing what Jin said is what Rex needed to hear. They didn’t need to affirm his decision to give up but he also needed that compassion that Poppi offered. Again, great viewpoints here! I think multiple meanings can be taken from this scene. Thanks for the comment!

[@IISuzakuII]

I still find it crazy that people acted like Rex wasn't 15. I totally expected a narrow minded view.

[@DerajjParallax]

You got a point. Sometimes it’s easy to forget how old these characters really are. The biggest thing for me was that in a lot of stories, regardless of the character’s age, they like to make them act older than they are. So when they start actually acting their age, it’s a bit jarring. But I think it’s a good thing that Rex acted this way and that it subverted my expectations.

[@ia7051]

I think not talking about how Rex actually got to this low point is pretty important to this cutscene as well. Although his encounters with Torna have been plenty until now, Rex has always lost something when fighting them, his life, Vandham, Fan la Norne, and now Pyra. I'm not arguing that Rex ISN'T throwing a pity party for himself or that the cutscene isn't good (it's perfect and even more than I can put into words). But Rex giving up right there was just the last straw for him. I don't think he forgot about his promise with Pyra, I think he genuinely believed that he was not good enough for Pyra when he said that she "would be better off without me" and it's great! I can go into a whole essay about Rex's character development but right now, for this part in particular, Rex was over the tipping point and no one was having any of that.

[@ia7051]

Another small bit, I think Jin was talking about PyMy's emotional wounds rather than physical wounds (Jin being such a hypocrite when he's the one that wounded Mythra physically is utter trash) because by this point although Rex understood Pyra and Mythra and what they meant for the world at large, he didn't understand them specifically, cut to when Zeke asked who did Rex preferred and Rex said he thought of PyMy as the same person, and how all throughout the game they've been urged to have a genuine heart to heart where they lay their feelings out and that only really happens AFTER he gets slapped and told that he doesn't truly understand her- This game is so good! But yeah, me personally, believe that Jin was talking about how Pyra was shouldering all this responsibility alone and Rex had done nothing to support her emotionally by this point

[@DerajjParallax]

Those are some good points. I will admit that it does go both ways. The party could’ve been just a bit nicer and more understanding to Rex since he is dealing with so much loss. While he’s had a hard life and lost a lot (that’s definitely very important and nothing to take lightly) I think Poppi saying “Rex give up after one loss” is also important because he’s gotten to the point where he’s started to get used to winning most battles as a whole (despite the losses) as the Aegis’ driver. And this strengthens the point you made. I think him losing bad here made him realize that just because he has this power, it doesn’t mean he knows how to use it. He feels like as he said “he could do anything” and now he’s not only lost that power but feels like he lost the one thing that started to make him feel like his life has a purpose. And like you said this was the last straw for him. I think the meaning here is twofold because you’re right, I don’t think he forgot about his promise to Pyra, he thinks he can’t go on, but he’s too busy focusing on his problem that he’s sort of buried it deep down so he needed a reality check from his team. I definitely should’ve touched on some of that stuff so thanks for bringing it up! Maybe I will cover it in a later video!

[@DerajjParallax]

@@ia7051 I think you’re right here too. I also am of the opinion that this is also two fold. He’s physically wore his blade out and keeps pushing her but that emotional side of things also plays into that. This is backed up by when we get that resolve of Rex finally getting it in the cutscene when Pneuma comes into play. He says “I’ve been walking my own path while letting Pyra walk her own” or something to that effect.

[@ia7051]

@@DerajjParallax EXACTLY! You're right, it is twofold, and Rex IS being selfish by thinking that Pyra is better off without him. Because it IS him (not outright saying it) going that he's not good enough when he's the person the Aegis chose as her Driver. And everyone just laying it on him about about how Pyra/Mythra is out there feeling who knows how horrible about hurting even more people she loves. I'm sorry if I sounded like this cutscene was still about Rex, I just wanted to add that because this isn't about him, how he got to this point, ready to abandon everything, just show how even more impactful this scene is!

[@DerajjParallax]

@@ia7051 Don’t be sorry, I appreciate the input! It’s always welcome! I like new perspectives cuz it may show me something I missed. Rex is my favorite so I love analyzing his character arc. Thank you for the comments!

[@JorbitTheEarth]

This is probably my favourite cutscene in the game. It really made me realize Rex is just some guy, he's super relatable. GOAT main character

[@simongrove2369]

Exactly. He's a child who faced an impossible situation and lost everything. The fact that he became severely depressed and was not thinking straight is incredibly human. Not just some cookie cutter protag. And also it showed how important his friends are. His world closed in on him, and he needed to be reminded that its not all about him.

[@Axecon1]

This scene was so emotional for me, and Poppi’s speech moved me to tears

[@KaiSaeren]

I always thought this was quite unfair towards Rex, dont get me wrong, it makes sense and even more so in context of Golden Country, knowing what we do about Pyra and Mythra, but for fucks sake, the guy is 15 and going through all of this shit, you are the grown ups here, most of you anyway and you cant even handle your shit calmly? How do you expect anything from him, seriously... I just felt sorry for him, its never been fair towards Rex and what Jin was saying was hypocritical and simply wrong, to the max, tho of course it does make sense from his perspective, its just a screwed up perspective. How is any of this Rex's fault, its not even his journey, he never has full info as Pyra and Mythra keep it from him including their own situation and pain, he is just a kid trying his best but just a kid, how is he supposed to understand and know all of this, how is he the one at fault when he is surrounded by people older and more experienced, including obviously Pyra and Mythra, he isnt responsible for the worlds issues nor even that of his party but tries to solve it anyway, he is allowed to fail and be down AND feel sorry for himself even be selfish, his friends shouldnt rail on him like this, as if Jin was actually right (which he wasnt). What he already acomplished and goes on to acomplish is amazing and he didnt deserve this. They are just as responsible for this, if not more, he was rarely, if ever in control, as you say, he is just a regular dude, he didnt chose this, nor did he chose to have Pyra save him like this (which he would do for her as well), nor did he chose to have all the stuff kept away from him by his friends and his blade, they could have and should have been more open and helpful, but that is part of their own struggle, it simply isnt on him. And his excuses? They are not excuses, they did just get completely wrecked, completely destroyed despite him being able to use foresight and to his knowledge (again because Mythra and Pyra do not actually share with him, but thats somehow his fault) the Ageis' full strength. He asks it himself, what do you expect him to do? What more could or should he do? as an ordinary guy who was thrown into all of this, surrounded by these much more skilled, experienced and important people who instead of answers offer insults and attacks. Yes, Pyra feels lonely, she is lonely, she did her best and it just wasnt enough but at least she saved her friends, she is in the same position as Rex, they both failed and feel miserable, both at the end of their tether and out of ideas, hopeless, it isnt anyones fault (other than Jin's or more specifically just the human condition and all the messes that brings about), not really. He isnt any better off, the track covers both of their feelings. And honestly, how is he supposed to know better when nobody tells him how to do better? He is literally the newest driver among his party, EVERYONE including and mainly Pyra and Mythra could be teaching him stuff, but nobody cares to give him pointers untill Vandam and even he doesnt cover everything. These things are not on Rex, he doest know or understand this, he doesnt even know what to ask. Yes he is reckless and stubborn but its because he is trying as hard as he can to achieve what he believes everyone wants, it isnt selfish, nobody just explains why it isnt the best way to go despite them knowing better. I love Pyra and Mythra, but they are not the only victims here. And no, he doesnt have any idea how Pyra feels, not really (because she never tells him beyond the merest of hints that a dumb 15 year old has little chance to actually understand), he understands implicitely that obviously she wouldnt want to leave, nor be better off with Malos and Jin, but his point still stands, what can he actually do? He tried his best, with all the power he believed he had and failed, if not for an, as yet unknown power that he couldnt know about, he would just go to Malos and Jin and get everyone killed... Of course he would feel hesitant, he should feel hesitant, unlike Pyra and Mythra, he doesnt want to die (which is what partially brings them out of their funk) Poppy is a sweetheart and the only good part of that cutscene. I fully believe that sympathy was the way to go, fully explain what was going on and encourage him, I dont believe for a second that having his friends yell, slap and punch him after what he had gone through (more than one way to show a person what they need to understand), especially given that they were there and failed even before he went down, is the appropriate reaction for them to have. What Popi did was the way to go. I just dont understand how the game can push this sort of "you have to grow up" theme, yet at the same time have grown ups that not only make the same mistakes as the literal kid they blame shit on, but also keep not just the most vital but even regular information and support from him. They would all die for each other, support each other to the end, that much is made clear, but somehow having Rex learn his lessons the hard way takes precedence over actually taking a minute and being honest and real with him, under possibly the harshest and most demanding circumstances and teenager could realistically face, yea, great adulting there. I disagree with your take, as I disagreed with how the game handled it, I get what they were going for, but it simply isnt fair, nor is it right. I adore this game to bits but I didnt get behind this watsoever, and I absolutely despised that Jin was played off as being correct there despite him and Pyra/Mythra herself being the main reasons why she was hurting to begin with. You cant expect someone to grow to understand you, if you dont give them the chance and keep hiding. In the end, all of the onus is entirely on Rex here from everyone and for everything. Good video tho, despite my disagreement.

[@DerajjParallax]

Thank you for your take and for respectfully disagreeing. You make good points such as Rex only being 15. It’s easy to forget that yeah, a lot of this could be hard on a 15 yo. You also make a good point about Brighid, Zeke and Morag being grown ups and not acting like it. And yes, Rex should be allowed to feel sorry for himself but imo that doesn’t change the fact that it’s still annoying to others such as Nia who I would assume is around the same age as him (could be wrong on that) when people make that apparent. Plus everyone else (besides Poppi) is human too so them not reacting perfectly makes sense. They definitely could’ve been a bit nicer, I’ll give you that. As for Rex not choosing any of this, he did choose it. He chose to go on the expedition with a crew he never met which got him killed. While at that point he really only had the choice to help Pyra or stay dead, he also made that decision whether he realized the weight of it. I agree that Pyra was wrong to keep everything from him, but a lot of that came from her self doubt and flaws in general. He wanted to help the world become a better place and took that responsibility upon himself. No, he shouldn’t be completely responsible but if he didn’t want any of the responsibility, he shouldn’t have agreed to it. Again, his only other choice was to stay dead but had he chosen that path, I’m sure Pyra would’ve still revived him and went on to the world tree and transferred her complete life essence to Rex when she died. I get what you mean when you say what he says aren’t excuses but even if they’re true, an excuse directs the blame at something else. Rex does have the right to blame quite a bit other than himself, but my biggest issue was in the fact that he didn’t want to admit he was being reckless with his blade. Of course the counter argument here like you said is that the party could’ve told him what he was doing wrong and seeing as he struggled as much as he did, it is kind of odd that they didn’t so I’ll give you that. However, like I mentioned, they probably wanted him to learn for himself which he eventually did. He admitted that he was stupid for walking his own path when Pyra was walking her own. Realistically, the older ones should’ve chimed in before fighting Jin because he almost got himself and everyone killed so they were in the wrong there but I think Pyra stepping in and attempting to sacrifice herself was more or less the point where she realized she was wrong and needs to try to fix things. I see this scene as Rex’s turn to do the same. The team probably wouldn’t have responded so strongly if she was still with them and didn’t plan to sacrifice herself at all. Also, I agree that Jin is a hypocrite because it’s his fault that Pyra and Mythra are hurting in the first place and he drove Rex to try (and fail initially) to become a driver, but imo it doesn’t change the fact that Rex still messed up and what Jin said was true. Again, not entirely Rex’s fault, but he did pretty much ignore the little advice he was given by Vandham. Don’t get me wrong, I also feel for Rex and he didn’t deserve to have his parents die at a young age or have all the loss he experienced, and he did need that sympathy from Poppi, but my opinion was that he also needed a reality check and he got that from Nia and especially Brighid when she told him how Pyra was feeling. Overall you make a very well thought out and valid argument. You changed my perspective on certain things such as the fact that Rex is indeed only 15 and the older ones hid things from him that they shouldn’t. The way the game handled it is indeed not fair, but that’s also part of life. Like you also said, that doesn’t make it right that they handled it that way and this stuff does change the narrative a bit for sure. I was also a bit too harsh on Rex and some of the blame needs to be put on the others, but Rex should still be blamed quite a bit. As for some of the other stuff I think it’s totally fine that we disagree! Again thank you for being respectful about it!

[@champansara]

I definitely agree that the blame that Jin put on Rex was unfair. What was he supposed to do differently? Not fight? Then Torna would have taken her anyway and killed them all. Even if he was an adult, that wouldn't be a reasonable accusation of selfishness. But considering Rex's age and inexperience, it was utterly unreasonable. Rex was in a depth of despair and depression in the moment. I do think that he needed to be shocked out of his mental cycle of self-pity. Nia punching him, and Brighid slapping him, was probably the only way to shock him out of it. But Poppi's sympathy was equally necessary. Otherwise, what Nia and Brighid did might just have reinforced Rex's feelings of inadequacy.

[@williamwheaton8117]

Thank you!! I think and feel very much the same way. Rex had no knowledge of this deus ex kind of power so why should he be be delusional enough to think “well we just need to try harder.” Up to this point we (and Rex) think that we have seen the full extent of the Aegis powers in driver vs driver combat. So if Rex and the party minus Pyra and Mythra go fight Jin again they would certainly lose. PLUS with Nia’s flesheater blade powers they STILL got their asses kicked by Jin. Only after the Pneuma powers did things turn around in fighting Jin, but not one second before that. Is it a healthy response to give up in the face of adversity? No, not at all. Yet why was Rex supposed to be blindly optimistic?

[@infinitezion2029]

My issue with this scene is Brighid who has no plan outside of storming back into that den of wolves and fighting them again off pure emotion, for Nia that makes sense but Brighid? It's insanely cringe when during the entire fight no one but Rex could really hold their own and even with the Aegis it was just barely, especially when Jin started teleporting yet they got somethin to say when its time to talk about why they lost. Comes off as needlessly beating Rex when he's already down and terrified of Jin. It's frustrating since right after things literally only work out cuz a semi miracle occurs which gives Rex enough strength to save his wives. Without this power up nothing would have changed because what Brighid and Nia didnt understand is without Rex and his wives their teams firepower is 0 in the face of Jin even without Malos and the others. Brighid breaking the more supportive character role to lash out at Rex for reasons that only make sense to her cuz of things with Adam from Torna, while emotionally on point with the frustration of the crew just rubs me the wrong way. She's literally the only one in the group who can truly understand both Rex and the Aegis as she was there for the events of Torna, yet she chose to lash out at Rex the 15 year old for not being able to understand something Adam the adult couldn't and wouldn't. Pyra and Mythra keeping quiet also didnt help of course as Rex had no way of truly understanding them outside of their very vague hints that really only could be picked up by us readers because we're able to access inner monologs and dialogue that isn't for everyone else. But at least they had a reason, Brighid just sat back all game keeping quiet as her temper slowly boiled over at the sight of Rex not knowing something he was never meant to know. What bothers me isn't that they got violent with him though it sucks cuz its literally just lashing out but instead whats tilting about it is who that violence came from. Nia makes sense as she's a bit younger mentally (though she's like older than Zeke by at least 10+ years going off an npc in Torigoth) and more bullheaded than the rest of the group, but Brighid rage once again only makes sense with Torna/Aegis knowledge and without it just comes off as her agreeing with Jin further pushing Rex into the hole he's been beat into. Jin makes valid points but says them for the wrong reason, if Rex truly took his advice from being pushed into it cuz of Brighid and Nia he would have not developed into who he is later in the game and would ultimately fail. The thing that brought the scene out of the mud for me was everything Poppi did. She wasnt violent and didnt talk down to him cuz hes scared of a blade thats so busted it takes 5 mins to list all his abilities, but instead genuinely wanted to comfort her hero. No "tough love" no venting just trust, kindness, and understanding, which is what Rex really needed as its a key factor in waking Pnuema and truly becoming the Aegis driver. If he had gone back to fight Jin in that negative state only because he was pressured by his team, his story along with Pyra and Mythras would have ended.

[@DerajjParallax]

You make some great points here and this is a great angle to look at it from. I’m not arguing when I say this but part of me wonders if Brighid sees Rex start to repeat what Adam does and she gets frustrated and let’s it out on him instead of taking the time to think about the fact that this is a different person completely she’s dealing with. As for everything else, I understand where you’re coming from. It can be frustrating when characters seem to act out of character, but I also think it helps make them more human and relatable. Again, great stuff here and great angle to look at it from! Thanks for the comment!

[@infinitezion2029]

@@DerajjParallax I can honestly believe that she truly did see Adams mistakes in the defeated Rex and I do agree that she felt more human in this scene as it showed how deeply she cared for her friend. Nothing wrong with her getting emotional it just sucks imo that though she was the only one who could truly help Rex understand his situation since Pyra and Mythra decided to keep silent, she kept quiet until it all came out in an angry outburst much later. Imo her out of character moment would have felt a lot more rewarding if she was a bit closer to Rex throught the story and tried helping him better understand the Aegis and his role. in Nias case he's given her confidence throughout the story so I can see why she'd react so negatively to him losing his own. In Brighids case however it really just boils down to feeling a bit unfair as its again Torna knowledge that almost no one aside from long lived blades know. Still love her character but this was just an all around bad moment for her imo since despite having some really good points to make the way she made them wouldn't have helped Rex. great video btw

[@DerajjParallax]

@@infinitezion2029 For sure, I get that. I also hate that she didn’t help out more when she could’ve. And thanks! That means a lot!

[@TheBrotherSyne]

Poppi made you cringe??? That was the moment I started crying. This come to Jesus meeting is one of my favorite scenes in the entire story

[@DerajjParallax]

Initially I was only referring to the part where she knocked on his head because I thought it was strange. However, I have since retracted that statement after others have made solid points against it. It was a sweet moment overall

[@dirkbechtold2320]

I get the strong feeling that you're one of the lucky ones who never had to deal with a major depression, either in yourself or in a someone close to you. Both the behaviour of Rex, as of Nia and Brighid are typical for this situation. Rex felt completely devastated ad powerless, he tried everything he could and was still completely destroyed, making him fall into the darkness of a depression. Those close to Rex and Pyra/Mythra also can't deal with the situation since they are to involved in it to act accordingly to it. Only Poppy, who is slowly becoming more and more human is able to analyse the situation and solve it.

[@DerajjParallax]

I actually did deal with clinical depression and anxiety as a kid and also have had many in my immediate family deal with it too believe it or not. It may not sound like it since I was so harsh on Rex. However, there’s a big difference in being diagnosed with clinical depression and being depressed because you hit rock bottom. Clinical depression has to do with your brain not functioning as intended. It’s why some people are able to grow out of it as their brain develops and it’s why they can take medication for it. Rex may be depressed because of this one situation but seeing as how he snaps out of in the next scene so quickly when he’s given a solution shows me it’s not clinical. That said, depression in general is serious and I’m not trying to downplay that. But what I’ve learned over the years is that aside from clinical depression that a real doctor has diagnosed, someone being depressed one time is usually 99% a mindset and it’s something that needs to be talked through. Our brains are extremely powerful and it’s why the placebo effect is even a thing. Rex didn’t do a whole lot of talking with Poppi even though she was the only sympathetic one. What Rex needed was a change in his mindset. He got that from Brighid when he took a second to realized how Pyra was feeling. Could the party have been nicer to Rex? Sure, but that’s life sometimes. Everyone else is human just like Rex and they aren’t perfect so we lash out in anger sometimes and as you said their behavior makes sense. I also agree that poppi contributed as well and Rex needed that sympathy, I just think Brighid and Nia deserve a bit more credit. Thanks for the response!

[@anthonyguerrero4612]

Wow excellent writing in Xenoblade 2. They have a good understanding of emotions and intimate relationships.

[@jeremiahbullfrog226]

When Rex said, "You know, I..." and got cut off, I think he was going to say, "You know, I don't want to give up, but I don't know what else to do." I think he was going to more directly ask for anything to actually give him hope that he could continue fighting, because as far as he could tell, not only did he feel like a failure, but even at his best, it seemed like an impossible fight now. There was just zero chance he could fight Jin after finally understanding just how outmatched he was. Zeke's dad and Gramps gave him that hope by telling him about a way to dramatically increase his power, and even without assurance that even this will be enough to make the difference, he latched onto it. And down in Elpys, he didn't even get that power. He only gained insight on how to gain that power, and he demonstrated it be becoming the man he needed to be in order to carry the fears that are burdening Pyra and Mythra. By being "The Monado Boy" (tm), he was able to unlock their true power and beat the bad guys.

[@DerajjParallax]

Rex saying that is definitely a possibility. Based on his tone, I personally tend to think that might not be the case, but the reality is, we'll never know. Don't take that as me saying you're wrong because you make a valid argument and you could definitely be right! I do agree that Gramps and Zeke's dad helped in giving him hope along with Poppi. Of course, imo the others contributed other things to Rex such as a sense of realization. Thanks for the comment!

[@twohooks3533]

Perfect video! Anyone who says Rex has no character arc or is a gary stu clearly did not play the game cause otherwise they'd have to witness this scene. Maybe gigachad Rex in XC3 will force them to actually think for once if they're still wondering how Rex to THAT. Plus it did wonders for Brighid and even continued with showing Poppi becoming more human.

[@DerajjParallax]

Exactly! Rex didn’t just become the ultimate gigachad overnight lol. He had so many struggles along the way and had to work to become the man he was in FR. Thank you for the kind words!

[@Tracks2008]

Honestly the only one that actually helped out here was the robot. You DO NOT beat up or visibly berate someone because they just got their ass reamed a new one by an opponent with vastly greater speed, far better skill and greater power. Of course villains like the Decepticons beat up and berate each other over failures and Megatron rules through fear. Also losing a fight of such a magnitude may or may not warrant a beat down from Megatron. Instead of taking the Decepticon path to things you should take the same path that Optimus Prime does which is to inspire and encourage your friends or troops (whichever it may be in any circumstance). But no for all the talk of them being allies to poor little Rex the moment he decides that he cannot possibly face such a powerful foe they resort to beating him around and yelling at him just like a villain would. So much for being the heroes. At least the robot had more empathy and humanity then the other two did.

[@drewhaynes1874]

Rex was awake the entire time diring those two days... He was thinking about everything that happened and revaluating what happened for those two days.... It wasnt because he was in pain it was a depression spell... His friends where all outside waiting on him but giving him time to be alone before they plan their next step then things got emotional

[@DerajjParallax]

That’s definitely a possibility. I will say, imo though that I think he was asleep the whole time based on the dialogue we are given, but I could be wrong! Interesting perspective. Thanks for the comment!

[@notisma5956]

Really cool analysis, some points are really good food for thought ! And for the Loneliness part, I was thinking that maybe it's not about Pyra. Because she doesn't know anything that happened to the party, including Rex, and she probably expects them to come try something, at least a little, knowing Rex's courage/idiocy. I was thinking it's more about the other party members (especially Nia), because if they did wait for 2 days standing around just to see their friend behave like that... it would feel bad. Not only that but Rex is the one who ties most of these characters together in a way, so everyone would probably lose way more than just Rex, but most of the others as well. (i said especially Nia because not only her feelings towards Rex are stronger than anyone else present, but from her point of view, she would be completely left alone and without a purpose again)

[@DerajjParallax]

I could definitely see this as a possibility. Rex was really the reason Nia turned against Jin and Malos and started fighting them in the first place.

[@potatofarmergyro1720]

The reason Nia came on this journey in the first place was because of Rex's optimism, Rex was the one who made her believe in elysium even when she thought that it was just a fairy tale at first. So when she sees his optimism broken and not present she understandably gets very upset and lashes out. Rex regaining his optimism and fighting with everything he's got in the vault of heroes is what ultimately inspires her to reveal her true self and confess her feelings that she's been hiding all this time.

[@sunwukong825]

Alternate Ending: Poppi gives him a concussion. That'll get his senses back.

[@DandDgamer]

I agree mostly, great video. Important to me though is the context that Rex is a child. Teens will give up on their future with endeavors that are quite feasible because they are moody, blame hormones. Let alone an enemy that is lightspeed and scales to continental attack potency if you wanna upscale. So because of his age I think his actions here are fine. Even Adam, an adult hailed as a hero, faced with a similar situation, boxed up Pyra to be someone else's problem. He couldn't actually see it through. I think what speaks very well of Rex is it only takes half the cutscene for him to fully see that he's wrong, quiet down, listen, and reconsider. Most adults won't do so, not readily, when emotions are so high. But also his friends knocking some sense into him is what Adam lacked, because everyone had him on a pedestal and didnt challenge his actions.

[@DerajjParallax]

Yeah I will say I should’ve taken into account Rex’s age. Good point to bring up!

[@hallonkatt]

I disagree with pretty much everything in this video, and I am delighted at how differently two people can read the same cutscene. :D Proof of good writing that a scene can be seen in whatever way relates most strongly to the person watching it. First off, Jin is so disgusting with what he is saying to Rex - like, are you kidding me dude? *You* are literally the one putting them through the wringer, Rex has to push himself and Mythra beyond the brink to even *survive* and then you go off on the child you tried to murder for a second time about how *he* is in any way responsible for the fallout? It was disgusting enough that not even Torna managed to make me like him (though it did manage to make me pity him). Whether Nia is or isn't a child is a little unclear to me, but she has been acting like one through the entire game, so I read her character as a child and as such I am pretty forgiving of her transgressions. Brighid on the other hand I am deeply disappointed in. I enjoyed her character up to this scene, and after it my entire perspective of her shifted to something quite negative that I have never quite managed to shake. She *knew* that Pyra wasn't communicating with Rex about *very important stuff* that would be *very good for him to know about,* and yet she goes off on *Rex* about not knowing Pyra's feelings? Like, lady, wth are you on about? What is your *problem?* Mòrag is also deeply disappointing in that she allows it to happen, and even stops Dromarch from interfering and de-escalate the situation. Clearly, Dromarch is the only adult in the room. Too bad he doesn't have a spine. Zeke didn't seem too inclined to do anything to interfere either, even before Mòrag said anything, so he doesn't exactly earn any brownie points either. Poppi - another *child,* might I add - is literally the only one with any kind of emotional intelligence in this group? Anything Brighid and Nia yelled at him wasn't anything that Rex hadn't already been telling himself, thus why it did nothing to change his mind. All it did was reconfirm to him that he really was stupid, and useless, and brought Pyra and Mythra nothing but pain. What Poppi did was show him compassion, let him know that he wasn't abandoned for (what he perceives as) his failure and plead that he in turn don't abandon them. *That* is what changed his mind. In my reading of this scene. :) I like your analysis even if I fundamentally disagree with you on absolutely everything. +1 sub

[@DerajjParallax]

Thanks for respectfully disagreeing and for sharing your view! I agree that the ability to have multiple interpretations makes for really good writing. I also definitely see your point of view on a lot of these. For instance, I really like the idea that Poppi was the only one able to tap into emotions because of how ironic it makes things. I admit I was probably too harsh on Rex. Your analysis definitely gives me food for thought. I like considering other points of view. Also, thanks for the sub and the support in general!

[@ThePoisonSteel]

You've just earned yourself an easy sub. Great editing, visuals that match your points, overall cohesive nature and script structure, well done. I honestly think there's other aspects of this scene that are really important to think about: the entire game, Rex is seen as an overly happy optimist (which gets called out in Chapter 5 Leftheria and Chapter 6 Tantal) which is slowly diminished with each person lost (Vandham, Haze, now Pyra/Mythra). However, in that journey, he was able to instill a sense of hope and optimism into a group of people that themselves lacked either one or both in some way. So isn't it poetry that those same people that Rex instilled his optimism into are the ones that try to and eventually succeed in pulling him out of his pessimism? They wouldn't have achieved this if he didn't make an impact on them in this specific way. And having seen how he's affected these characters makes the scene all the harder to watch. Or how about the fact that "it's not about Rex" is what informs his conclusion later on that he tried to walk the same path as Pyra/Mythra, in his mind making it about him when it never was? Or that making it about himself is informed by his ruthless pragmatism, which is later slightly squashed by his meeting with Addam where he says that there's only so much one man can do? Or that Nia is the first one to intervene with Rex not only because she's known him longest (besides Gramps), but also because it reflects her story about not being a bystander and letting things happen (like she did with Vandham) so she'd rather jump to action immediately? All I'm gonna say otherwise is this: I don't think the other games could have pulled off a cutscene like this.

[@DerajjParallax]

Thanks for the sub and the kind words! It really means more than you know. Believe it or not, I had a section in my original script that talked a bit about Rex’s positivity and how that’s contrasted with this scene. Nothing on the levels of what you’ve mentioned (all of which would’ve been stellar additions to the video btw) but I unfortunately cut it because I felt it slowed the pacing of the video a bit too much. But that doesn’t change the fact that there is definitely much more beneath the surface here so thanks for bringing those things up! For instance, I didn’t even think about the fact that Rex was the one who instilled optimism into the entire party. Should’ve been something I added. I love Rex as a character so I definitely want to make more videos on him in the future so I may cover some of that stuff eventually. Thanks for the comment!

[@champansara]

The reason i dont like Jin as a person, although i love him as a character, is his utter hypocrisy. He flings the blame for Pyra's injuries at Rex when he himself actually inflicted those injuries on her. Rex and gang were literally fighting to defend their lives. Rex wasn't to blame for Pyra's state. And considering what Malos had planned for Pyra once they had their hands on her, Jin is a big fat hypocrite of the highest order.

[@SturmAH]

I don’t agree with anything from your interpretation. Jin is a liar, on many occasions. He is taunting an humiliating Rex because he is frustrated over Pyra’s plan. Rex even ask Mythra if she is okay earlier in the scene, so no he isn’t thinking about her, that lesson was learned way back in Uraya. Rex is the rock that everyone supports them self on, but now the rock has broken. He was the dreamer where everyone* else was realistic, but now Rex is being realistic about their chances. Everyone almost died because he wasn’t strong enough and out of fear that everyone dies like Vandham, he justifies the outcome to keep everyone safe. Now everyone else shows that they do believe in him and his dream, in each of their own way. The perfect bridge between the 2nd and 3rd act of the story. We are at our lowest point and now we see the team come together stronger than before. That is why this scene is so strong and powerful.

[@thecapsfan5323]

lol. Poppi coming in to punch & then caress him doesn’t make me cringe, it makes me cry every time i see it. It just shows how god damn sweet Poppi is.

[@DerajjParallax]

Yeah I’ve retracted my statement on that lol

[@thecapsfan5323]

@@DerajjParallax fair enough lol. I get what you were going for, it is an awkward scene at first for sure (which also plays into her character) but then really opens up into something sweet. Makes you think about how even if you’re just a regular guy, someone out there looks up to you & wants to see you succeed. Overall a fantastic video!!

[@DerajjParallax]

@@thecapsfan5323 For sure! Thank you for the kind words!

[@Adam_Zielinski]

While I agree that this cutscene is very important, and Suspecting that Morag and Zeke knew of the third sword is an interesting idea for sure too but I think I disagree with your points once we get to Rex entering the room. Why did he announce himself leaving? He has too. But more importantly, the "pity party" isn't about him wanting a solution. It's about his feelings of self hatred and failure being validated. And he isn't just whining. Everything he said is right, even going as far as saying that She'd be better off with Jin. In a way, Jin is exactly what Pyra wants and also Jin is a cruel reminder to rex of his failures. A Part of Jin is still the Paragon of Torna, the empathetic man who knows the real meaning of bonds, and it was him who was supporting Pyra by the end of the fight, not rex. As for my biggest disagreement is What it took to get to Rex. What Nia and Brighid did is EXACTLY what he wanted. Punish him for his failures. None of that would work because it's beating a dead horse. Poppi is the key to this scene. She doesn't excuse Rex, but she reminds him of his true self. Rex has always been a role model to the orphans of fonnset, sacrificing his comfort for their wellbeing. In the same way he's a role model to Tora & Poppi. She showed him compassion when all he wanted was for everyone to hate him and gave him a more meaningful role to live up to.

[@DerajjParallax]

I can definitely see what you’re saying here and some of them are definitely possibilities as well as simply different ways of looking at it but I have to disagree with Jin being the person Pyra wanted. At least until maybe the end of the story. I think Jin’s biggest problem is he actually didn’t understand the importance of bonds between humans and blades. He was even against the other members of Torna using blades in the first place and it’s why he didn’t want to use a blade. Rex has to show Jin why the bond between human and blade are worth fighting for. Jin only valued his relationship with Lora. There’s nothing wrong with that but he became obsessed with her and his inability to let go of her drove him to do terrible things that he knew she would’ve hated. As for the other stuff you mentioned, those are valid ways to look at things. I admit I was harsh on Rex and he deserves more credit than I gave him in some areas but I wanted to provide a different way of looking at things.

[@Adam_Zielinski]

@@DerajjParallax Hey appreciate the continued discussion , and I'll clarify I don't think Pyra herself thought of Jin as a better partner, and agree with you on that. What I meant would be More so Rex being made aware that Jin at that point in time understand the nature of driver and Blade for more. But yet again I'll disagree on the interpretation of Jin. Unlike Rex, who's a driver of multiple blades , Jin is a blade which means his dynamic would obviously be a bit more focused towards Lora. Yet I think that Torna and the base game go exceptionally far out of its way to demonstrate that Jin Was at that peak and became disillusioned by the sense of duty he held to keep her memory Alive. It's clear with his dialogue with Nia, or advising the Tornan members to not bond with blades, is that he's trying to shelter them from pain while also knowing the joys of that bond. I think this is Reinforced by the role he plays in Torna as a guide for Mythra and the basis for Pyra. Although maybe our disagreement on that comes from what we mean by "bond". I'm referring to the individuals, how Jin and Lora pioneered the personal connection and synergy as driver and Blade , rather then Kalus' Ambitious plan of having Blades as some sort of Guardian angels for the world to keep it on the right track

[@DerajjParallax]

Torna does do a lot to explain Jin and his motives. It’s been awhile since I’ve played Torna so I need to rewatch it soon. At any rate, I’ll give you that Jin and Lora pioneered the personal connection between driver and blade which is why he struggled to let go of her. But yeah I think we mean different things when talking about bonds. I was referring to when Rex explains to Jin what he thinks Klaus’ reasoning for their bonds are at the end of XC2. Maybe I should have worded that better.

[@lemmyxpro]

The reason Rex WAS so hopeless and sad was probably mostly because he thinks he literally has NO chance against fully powered-up Malos and ESSENTIALLY Jin. Rex didn't know about Pneuma and her power, so he genuinely must've thought there was no chance that she could be brought back at all, and so he gave up all hope. Great video!!

[@pokemon18ish]

Tbh, I never liked the approach Nia and Brighid took toward Rex. Sure, it makes sense that they're frustrated with him. Knowing Nia, I get why her approach is punching him despite showing concern for him when he walked into the room. Brighid made it seem like Rex didn't care about Pyra and Mythra. Both were so focused on saving Pyra and Mythra that they were ignoring Rex's pain. Rex wasn't giving up just because he thought he wasn't good enough. He was doing it out of love for Pyra and Mythra. He loves them too much to put them in any more danger. Thinking about it, this wasn't even the first time Nia ignored Rex's pain. During Haze's funeral when Mythra wanted to comfort him, she teases Mythra about her clinginess toward him and gets upset with Nia. Because she was genuinely concerned about him. It felt like, at that moment, she and Brighid were taking him for granted. Since Rex has always been there for everyone else. But I will say it was a learning experience for them. Nia needed to understand how to be considerate of people's feelings and be there for them with love and compassion. Brighid needed to understand how much Rex cared about Pyra and Mythra. Cause how could they even hope to save Pyra and Mythra if they couldn't even help Rex when he needed them most.

[@natsuoken8900]

Blessed with xc2 in my recommendation’s 🎉🎉🎉

[@DerajjParallax]

XC2 will forever remain a masterpiece. Thanks for watching!

[@zankudragon]

Why are you saying this scene is overlooked? It definitely isn't. Is it just a baity title for clicks?

[@DerajjParallax]

No because clickbait isn’t really even a thing anymore. Nowadays, if someone clicks on your video and they don’t watch it because it’s not what the title and thumbnail says it is, it won’t get recommended as much. The reason this is the title is twofold. 1. I’ve never heard anyone talk about this scene and to my knowledge there isn’t a video on KZbin about it. 2. Because I viewed this scene from the wrong perspective which makes it seem less important than it really is, I assume many others probably did as well.

[@Bylethisop]

Glad to see a new Xenoblade 2 video. It's my favorite Xenoblade game and even my favorite game on the switch. I hope one day we get some sort of Xenoblade 2 definitive edition that fixes many of the issues the game has (even the voice acting) so people can finally appreciate it as a good game. I'd like to think this game as a great game but with flaws.

[@DerajjParallax]

A complete remaster eventually would be awesome!

[@KudaGeatsune3821]

this scene was intense but indeed entirely necessary for Rex and for the story

[@Magic0YT]

I love xc2 game so much. Changed my life

[@BurstFlare]

Tbh, the fact that Rex's name was called out *before* he stopped walking made me think that he stopped because they caught his attention and he didn't want to ignore them, not that he was intentionally trying to get pity from them. 4:56~5:06 Not really? Rex was contemplating where he'll go, *not* how he'll get there. It kinda seemed like he was just gonna figure something out as he went. As for everything else, yeah, I think you're right (except you cringing at Poppi, but that was already discussed in Sigglypuff's comment chain). I just kinda wish I realized this myself.

[@DerajjParallax]

Him stopping after his name is called is a good catch. Honestly, I didn’t even notice that so that’s definitely a possibility. Regardless I think he knew they were going to stop him. As for Rex contemplating where he’s going, sure that’s a possibility and I’m not saying you’re wrong, but at least to me, it just sounds like he’s looking for pity. I think both can be possible at the same time. Even though I crapped on Rex all throughout the video, he’s still my favorite character. And I think what he does in this scene makes him better.

[@sunshrymario8563]

Good video, I liked your perspective, however on my repeat playthroughs I kinda felt like Rex had a point there. If the third sword/Pneuma didn't exist, then how would they defeat Jin. He was basically a god at that point who could fight at the speed of light. If he coudn't beat him with Pyra and Mythra, how would he win without her. Going to fight Jin in Moritha was going to be a failure even with the third sword existing if Rex didn't manage to convince her in time or if she wasn't even capable of telepathically speaking with Rex, since Malos suposedly extracted the memories from her and she was in a comatose state. But I also understand that dying by fighting Jin is better than giving up and letting the world be destroyed by Malos.

[@DerajjParallax]

Yeah he did have a point. They would lose without the third sword. But the biggest thing for me is that him giving up means he wasn’t willing to sacrifice himself just like Pyra was. Later when he fights Jin and Malos again he still didn’t have the third sword yet but he faced them again anyway. It was only at that point of laying down his selfishness and admitting he was wrong that he got the true third sword. And that’s one of the reasons I love his character so much. He’s eventually willing to admit when he’s wrong and do something about it. Thank you for the comment!

[@sunshrymario8563]

@@DerajjParallax Yeah that makes sense, Rex gave up without even trying to find a solution. In a way, they were lucky that there was one, but Rex would have given up without even trying by being selfish. It was a big loss for the party and they were all hurting which is why each of them dealt with it in different ways. About the sacrifice, it also makes sense to argue against Rex because Rex would have wasted Pyra's sacrifice by just giving up inmediately without even looking for a way to save her. On a separate topic, this scene reminds me of a scene in Persona 5, I will try to keep it vague to avoid spoiling if you or anyone reading haven't played it yet. After the Okumura arc, the Phamtom thieves become wanted criminals and they have a scene were they argue with each other about not being careful enough and caring too much about their popularity. They also consider giving up, but after Joker cheers them up they agree to fight to improve their situation even if they don't have an inmediate solution at the moment and may even fail. It's an interesting similarity between the two games when the characters suffer a big loss.

[@DerajjParallax]

@@sunshrymario8563 I’ve been thinking about trying persona out eventually because I’ve heard it’s good but I want to play the Xenosaga games too. Too many games, too little time lol. If I do end up playing them, which one should I start with?

[@sunshrymario8563]

@@DerajjParallax I recommend to start with persona 5 because it is the most accesible one and it has a lot of cuality of life improvements over the other games. I first played persona 5 on 2020 and played persona 4 and persona 3 portable after they were ported to switch. So persona 5 royal is the best to start with, get ready for a lot of dialog lol.

[@DerajjParallax]

@@sunshrymario8563 Okay thanks!

[@cibbo1235]

I didn't even think about the scene that way where the gang knew about the third sword before Rex new about it. I did find it weird that after talking about it with Zeke's dad, that gramps just said "alright let's go, I know where it is" and NOONE said anything about that 😂. Makes a lot more sense. Great vid

[@LylatCruise]

Very good video, enhanced my opinion on this scene and Rex's character in general

[@DerajjParallax]

Thank you! Rex is my favorite so I had to show him some love

[@RaidenKaiser]

I still think hair and art is better in xc2 than xc3

[@DerajjParallax]

I think I’d have to agree for the most part! XC3’s style has definitely grown on me but I largely prefer XC2’s style

[@RaidenKaiser]

@@DerajjParallax I mean not saying XC3 is bad i think it looks fine but I prefer a more stylized look with anime like games than dark and gritty which XC2 accels at. I personally also think XC2 has a better combat system for the most part just unbalanced. If we got another XC game i hope they bring back the element combo reactions and stuck with auto attacks charging artes dont mix it and mess with the pacing of the combat like XC3 does thats my issue with XC3's combat it tries to mix wait for artes to charge and auto attacks to charge but it does so in a way that it basically feels off with the pacing and the lack of elemental reactions kinda made combos feel lackluster until you unlock Noah's best weapon combining it with flach fencer's instant big arte charge and then it goes from being boring due to bad pacing to straight up not even playing a game anymore unless youre fighting something higher than your level + super bosses.

[@RaidenKaiser]

again not bad ofc xc3 mobius encounters do help make up for the pacing by introducing new revenge mechanics so you can't just spam the same combo loop at least it has that but it still isnt as fun as XC2 with its combo system all XC2 needed was to nerf the launch stun time + damage while launched, remove insta death , and make enemies resist elements its not weak to more. Like Neither are perfect combat systems but I think XC2 had a better direction to evolve in over XC3.

[@DerajjParallax]

@@RaidenKaiser I get that for sure! While I still prefer many aspects of XC3’s updates to combat there are also many things about XC2/Torna’s combat such as stacking orbs that I wish were brought back. I think a combination of Torna and XC3’s combat would be my preferred combat combination for the next game. But yeah they seemed to drop a bit too much from XC2’s combat in XC3

[@texben123]

Rex and and everyone else we’re fighting with everything they had and he was still fighting, pretty much not giving up, and was hyped up on bunch of adrenaline, that he was a bit distracted, getting the crap kicked out of him so it’s hard for him to actually focus on his Blade’s damage. That and his body was just ignoring the pain from the adrenaline rush.

[@DerajjParallax]

Yep, probably so

[@cabrondemente1]

This scene is anything but overlooked, it's a core part of the hero's journey: The fifth stage on the Hero's Journey is the Abyss, or disaster. In this stage the character goes through some major loss. This may be nearly dying, *failing to save others,* being imprisoned, *dishonored, seriously injured, robbed of their Supernatural Aid,* or on occasion all of the above. The Abyss is the major turning point in the story when the hero is broken down to an all-time-low.

[@SheruMuko]

My guess is that Poppi didn’t want to hurt Rex in that moment.

[@FirstLast-mn4re]

It kind of annoys me that people call Rex a "Garry stu". While he does fall into some of the tropes of a typical Garry Stu, like being "the chosen one" as the Aegis' driver, he actually does have character flaws that he overcomes throughout the story, and get his shit kicked in quite a bit throughout the story, despite being the "chosen one". I'm still not the biggest fan Rex as a character, but I don't think he's as badly written in Xenoblade 2 as a lot of people say he is and its because of scenes like this, actually addressing some of his character flaws.

[@derpfluidvariant0916]

Especially when those same people also call him weak for losing fights against Torna. Either he's a Gary Stu who had everything he needed on a silver platter, or he's a weakling who can't beat up the people he's trying his hardest to beat.

[@RyuseiiTheCrimsonKing]

I don't think what Rex did was out of selfishness, not even for a second. For the most part he's always been an optimist but still a grounded person, this is the first fight he utterly got destroyed, even more so than the fight where Vandham died. This is really just the lowest point of a boy who lost so much at such a young age and he doesn't know what to do, he didn't know the pain and suffering Pyra and Mythra were going through and hated himself for it. Considering their Power Gap in skill, Rex likely realized that it was something that he could never close on his own, and that's understandably so, Rex couldn't ever get a single hit in on Jin in that state as he was, likely no matter how much he trained. I think this also piles up with the stress of Rex losing his mentor in Vandham, as well as Haze and he hasnt really had a means of letting that out, its just so much weight piled on a 15 year old. Actually that's why I respect Rex so much, because he's tolerated so much more crap than most people would at that age, and even at its lowest point when he thought he could do nothing for Pyra he would atleast find work in Argentum to help his village in fonsett. I don't blame Nia for punching him because that's just how she is, it's harsh sure, but she knows Rex really well and loves him at this point, that's her way of trying to snap him out of it even if it probably wasn't the best way to go about it, she's got a tougher way of showing her emotions than Pyra does. But I think Poppi's softness was what got through to Rex in the end, the softness that reminded him of Pyra, which makes sense considering Poppi looks up to her and Mythra. Her way of doing it didnt feel weird to me, Poppi is naturally a kindhearted girl.

[@DerajjParallax]

I definitely agree with you on Rex being a boss for dealing with all this crap at only 15. I didn’t take that into account in my video and I should have. I personally still think he was acting out of selfishness, but I can see things from your point of view too. You make some great points. Thank you for the respectful comment!

[@seedofwonder]

I think the bandage on Rex's arm plays a different role than suggested here. Yes, it reminds him of the earlier scene with Pyra, but he would be aware of two things: 1) his wounds under the bandage, and 2) one of his friends must have bandaged him because she isn't there to do it. I also wonder about some of the other details. Rex seems to feel like he owes the party an explanation; they have been through enough that it is not a courtesy but a duty. To me it would only be selfish to leave if he struggles with the _difficulty_ of winning, but he seems to think of it more as an impossibility. Ironically, he's finally learned from the incident with Vandham. When you simply can't win, there's no glory in running to your death. Where the party is right is that Rex has lost sight of his priorities. Just as Vandham was willing to sacrifice himself for the right person, so must Rex be. And Adam says this to Rex later when they meet in the memory of Elysium: you can't save everybody. But even beyond all that, I do wonder if Rex was conscious of something that is not really called to mind but an ever-present reality for him. Until we learn that Mythra can transfer the rest of her core to him, he believes he has lost the option of living independently. If Pyra and Mythra die, so does he. I think his awareness of this explains why he had no answer prepared for Nia's question about what he would do now. He seems to come up with it on the spot. But as far as he is concerned, Malos could fulfil his plan and he could collapse any moment. Overall, I think the scene has the extended effect of highlighting the mutual lack of trust between Rex and his primary blade. Think about it, one theme that runs through all the comments from Nia, Brighid, and Poppi is that they had a real bond with their partners, which is what made Rex's behavior so offensive to them. But in Rex's defense, he didn't know about Pyra/Mythra's death wish and had yet to fully be vulnerable with them. This is the scene that forced the issue.

[@DerajjParallax]

Rex believing he’s lost the option of living independently is a really good point that I didn’t even consider. No doubt that plays a role in his behavior. Great thoughts all around, thanks for the comment!

[@denysvision]

Keep im mind that rex is overall a human, and wha do you mean by selfish? He was in the right mind to leave because even if pyra sacrifice for rex he was still raped up in all of this, and the guy was in the verge of despair and no one even tell him about pyra and mythra sacrifice, this is where he was down since the guy was ridiculed this entied game and been double as just a fool and a kid who hust got a powerfull driver, nia punch was uncalled for even if it was for the right reason, i get that is in her character but COME ON!, same with the slap from Brighad, what he supoes to know all about that lady? You cannot talking with rex like that despite the fact of him been an 15 YEARS OLD! As for poppy she is the only right minded person who GENIUENLY confilorts rex

[@DerajjParallax]

I’ll give you that I was a bit harsh considering Rex is only 15 years old and I should’ve included in my video. However, that doesn’t change the fact that he wasn’t thinking of everyone else when making his decision. Sure his age gives him a bit of an excuse but it doesn’t change much. I think this makes him a BETTER character though since it’s a flaw that we all deal with. I also agree Nia and Brighid were a bit out of line too but Rex didn’t need anyone to tell him Pyra would sacrifice herself. As far as Rex knew, she was literally going to sacrifice herself in the scene prior. My analysis has some holes in it and you make great points so I’m not knocking you for that. But it’s possible you misunderstood what I was trying to communicate here. All this stuff I said about Rex came from a positive standpoint. He’s my favorite character and these flaws make him better. Thank you for your response and for those corrections for me to take into consideration!

[@sephatu6521]

This was one if not the most important step to his evolution into Gigachad. Ngl this scene had me in tears since getting up from an emotional slump takes alot and you eventually see you're hurting people around you by pitying yourself.

[@DerajjParallax]

My boy GIGACHAAAAAAAAD!!!

[@nvxvHa]

I’ll be honest I accidentally skipped this entire cutscene my first play though and didn’t care enough to go back and watch it cuz I didn’t think it would have been too important

[@DerajjParallax]

Rip lol I hate when I accidentally skip cutscenes

[@icecreamorc]

Love this moment in the game, it really reminds you that Rex is just some teenager and his seemlessly boundless optimism has it's limits and he is capable of being selfish. We see him being immature and greedy at times before this but this is the first time he REALLY seems frankly childish and it rounds out his generally good nature when you see him at a low point and you consider how he isn't always naturally good natured.

[@MisteRRYouTuby]

This was an 18 minute video over the trope of “The Pep Talk.” That’s why this scene is overlooked…

[@DerajjParallax]

Probably so. Many people seemed to enjoy it though

[@MisteRRYouTuby]

@@DerajjParallax Fair point! While I do have issues with your stance, others enjoyed it, so it balances out.

[@DerajjParallax]

@@MisteRRYouTuby And I get that. I do have a bit of a strong opinion on it

[@MisteRRYouTuby]

@@DerajjParallax More like a stretch. You mean to tell me that Rex, Mr. “Salvager’s Code” himself, is SMART ENOUGH TO USE REVERSE PSYCHOLOGY DURING A PEPTALK?!?! The dude can’t even take a hint much less take THAT level of subtlety…

[@DerajjParallax]

@@MisteRRYouTuby lol you got a point

[@RuralSquirrelJuror]

The Poppi part made you cringe but it made me cry

[@regionfuego6]

Hey, I'm just glad someone is covering this gem of a game. EDIT: It has been years and the english dub just still doesn't sound right for me EDIT POST VIDEO: I don't think they knew about the third sword, I think they were just allowing Rex to be beaten down so he can understand that yes, he lost, but losing is fine. They are the older ones, they know how much losing can teach someone and if you don't lose you just don't grow. They knew that Rex had a lot of burdens as a 15 year old kid, so the best they can do as his friends is to bring him down so he can rise even higher. And what Hana did, I think the knocking on his head was just "the punch" the punch to caress was just that, he already had been beaten up a lot, so now it was time for comfort.

[@DerajjParallax]

I could definitely see how none of them knew about the third sword. I personally think that at least Gramps knew about it judging by how he knew where it was (or at least he knew something was supposed to be there) but I can see the argument that none of the rest of them did. And the English dub does sound a bit off with the character movements sometimes I will admit. Thanks for the comment!

[@princeofpeace6432]

Yea I fully agree about only Gramps knowing about the sword. I saw morag stopping zeke as a nod to there different styles of handling him. Zeke wanted to be more direct and help him out and morag wanted to be more distant.

[@Minarreal]

You call it overlooked, I call it my favorite cutscene in the whole game, only behind Mythra and Poppi's chat in Chapter 8. I laughed my ass off when Rex picked up his baggie, but it was still a very heartfelt scene thanks to Brighid and Poppi.

[@DerajjParallax]

Oh it’s up there as one of my favs too. I just feel like it’s not talked about enough. Could just be me though. That scene between Mythra and Poppi is sooo good too. Probably the most heartbreaking scene.

[@kyurei4478]

For some unknown reason, seeing Brighid slap Rex in the face will never stop being so satisfying.

[@DerajjParallax]

I agree! As much as I love Rex he really needed it. I think it’s satisfying because the animation for the slap was done very well. It felt very natural, fluid, and meaningful from her. Like you could tell how mad she was. Never thought I’d analyze a slap scene like that lol. Thanks for the comment!

[@kyurei4478]

I even feel bad for Rex but it's just I think it's as you said, the animation is great. It feels like a real mom slapping a child in real life. It's so realistic the scene is almost embarassing. Also Brighid is so sweet and calm you know if she's mad it's for a good reason.

[@DerajjParallax]

@@kyurei4478 For sure! I can’t remember another time Brighid ever really got this mad. It might’ve happened but the point is, if I can’t remember another time she got mad, it probably wasn’t as noteworthy as this.

[@kyurei4478]

​@@DerajjParallax I think you're right now that I think about it. She probablly got very mad about the water tower off screen but I guess we'll never know. There probably wasn't a moment as noteworthy as this indeed.

[@CaffeinatedWolfe]

I get what you're saying here, but I think you're off base. Needing those around him to talk or knock sense into him in a low period doesn't diminish Rex's role in the story and I think you're severely underselling Rex as a character. Yes, he is just a regular guy--that's the whole point. Of all the franchise protagonists, Rex is the most out of his depth (ironic) and normal guy of all of them. But there's value in being an otherwise unremarkable person thrust into extraordinary circumstances and having to just figure it out and make it work. Klaus' words weren't an admonishment or lack of impress with Rex by way of omission. He needed to see what humanity had to offer beyond just one boy, and the party is representative of that, but Pyra/Mythra could not have reawakened or made it there without him. Having a human moment in a time of a major defeat is to be human. When I got to the end of this video, it felt like much to do about nothing. There's no secret revealed here. Great editing work though.

[@cedricdavis6009]

Thank you

[@BlueLegion]

Isn't all of this pretty obvious? I don't know of another way to interpret this cutscene.

[@DerajjParallax]

You’d be surprised. I’ve had many disagree with me on the way I interpreted it

[@josephbienkowski1560]

Bro is yappin 😂

[@toastofc6570]

who overlooks this cutscene?

[@DerajjParallax]

I feel like a lot of people do as I’ve personally never heard anyone bring up this scene. At least on KZbin I couldn’t find a single video on it (one could still exist, just not that I could find). I think that’s due to the fact that it’s kinda glossed over as just another average cutscene where Rex gets his pep talk when in reality there’s a lot at stake here.

[@AnythingGoesJoJo]

He cant get it up...and disappointed Mythra and Pyra...thats why he is crying 🤔

[@DerajjParallax]

💀

[@MikeDaddyMCS]

Best cutscene in the series, had me emotionally wrecked