As a Christian, I’m wired to view things through the lens of the Gospel. Every book I read, every movie I watch, whatever content I engage with, I’m looking for the redemptive qualities—the Gospel Truths I believe—reflected in media. So it’s only natural that I do the same with video games, including one of my favorite series: Xenoblade Chronicles.

I talked a few weeks ago about how Xenoblade Chronicles 3 deeply affected my writing in ways I never thought a video game could do. Today, I want to flex some analytical, thematical breakdown of the game, just to share some of the Gospel messaging that its story contains. Now, as a caveat, Xenoblade Chronicles as a series is not intentionally Christian, and in fact there are a few elements that would undermine an attempt to paint it as such. The other disclaimer: this post will have spoilers for Xenoblade Chronicles, Xenoblade Chronicles 2, and especially Xenoblade Chronicles 3, which I’m going to mostly focus on, because I think these themes are most clearly illustrated in that game specifically. Without further ado, let’s dive in.

One of the interesting aspects of Xenoblade Chronicles is the series’ emphasis on the fallibility of humanity. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 shows this most clearly, as a lot of the story’s primary conflict addresses the question of whether or not humanity is getting better or worse, as well as providing a redemption arc for a couple of characters. Xenoblade 2 lands on a theme of humanity becoming inherently better, but also includes a lot of examples of inherent evilness, too, particularly through Malos’s character. Xenoblade 1 also has a striking example of humanity’s fallenness through the character of Zanza, who is so selfish and arrogant that he destroys the lives of others to keep himself alive. This premise of humanity’s weakness and evil is also a major part of Xenoblade 3, as much of the plot is built upon the premise that all human beings are capable of both good and evil. The big twist of Xenoblade 3 is that the main antagonistic force, Moebius, is present in every person. Moebius, the embodiment of the human desire to avoid change and never grow, is inherently evil, too; it is the force responsible for creating a world of constant warfare, delighting in human suffering, and showing little regard for life. Not only do the characters discover that everyone has a bit of Moebius in them, but the game goes as far as to show that anyone is capable of becoming a major part of Moebius. Noah, the hero of Xenoblade 3, became “N” in a past life. “N” is Noah’s Moebius counterpart who gave into his own selfishness and has since committed so many atrocities. Noah’s not the only heroic figure who becomes Moebius: Mio, Joran, and Crys also have Moebius counterparts. While a few Moebius—including “N”—do get redeemed, Moebius as a whole is evil, antagonistic, and far from good.

Building off of humanity’s inherent fallibility, Xenoblade 3 also can be read as an analogy for our battle with sin and our need for redemption, i.e. the Gospel story. Specifically, Paul’s words on being once enslaved to sin and set free in Christ from Romans 6 come to mind. In Xenoblade 3, everyone except the villains are held captive by the Flame Clock, which requires constant killing in order to fill it and sustain their own lives. In other words, they are slaves to their own sin: killing, selfishness, prejudice against the other side, etc., and they have no choice in the matter. This is the world they are born into and held captive to, just as we are born into a sinful world and held captive to our own sinful natures. The Flame Clock’s hold is first broken when Noah and the rest of the main party find freedom through the Ouroboros power. With this new power, they no longer have to kill in order to live. They are set free from that sinful pattern, their sinful nature, and now able to embrace the fullness of life, just as Christ frees us from sin in order that we may choose to embrace God’s law and all the blessings that yields: “But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life” (Romans 6:22). Noah and the gang are also then able to use this power to destroy other Flame Clocks and free others from its hold, spreading hope and allowing people to choose a different, better way of life.

Another message that the Ouroboros power conveys is the need for community and union across differences, which is a major part of Christian doctrine. Christ unites us into one Body, the Church, which is necessary for growing and flourishing as a Christian (Ephesians 4). The way Ouroboros works in Xenoblade 3 is that two people from opposing enemy nations come together, uniting in an ultra-powerful form they jointly control to take down the real villains, Moebius. In this way, Ouroboros mimics the church coming together as One, despite our differences and because of our newfound freedom in Christ.

Now, to close, the necessary caveat is that Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is not a perfect metaphor for the Gospel. There are some themes of self-reliance, as one example, that undermines some of the analogy analyzed here. However, I think taking the time to recognize redemptive qualities in secular stories is worthwhile. It helps me think from a Gospel-centered lens about the media I consume, plus reflecting on these messages also encourages me in my Christian walk. Just like I’m grateful for the way the Lord used Xenoblade 3 in my life to break me out of my writing rut, I’m also thankful for the ways He’s reminded me of His truth through it as well.