Status Effects Explained

This is a guide to the many battle status effects in Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition (XC1) for the Nintendo Switch. Learn the effects of all buffs and debuffs and find out what status effects such as spike, haste, lock-on, aura seal, and many others do.

List of All Status Effects

Arts Seal

Arts Seal will prevent a character (or enemy) from selecting and using any of their Arts if it is inflicted. Auto-attack and Talent Arts will still be usable however, so your character won't be completely defenseless. Melia can inflict this debuff onto enemies using her Mind Blast art.

Aura Seal

Aura Seal prevents an enemy from using Auras. This debuff is essential for fighting Telethia's and can be inflicted via Shulk's Monado Art: Purge. Melia's Mind Blast can end active enemy auras, although it does not inflict aura seal.

Bind

Bind is a negative status effect that prevents a character or enemy from moving, although they will still be able to attack if they are close enough to a target. Gems such as Bind Resist exist to lessen this effect on your characters. Melia and Riki can use their Shadow Stitch and Roly-Poly arts respectively to inflict this on enemies.

Blaze

Blaze is a status effect that burns a target over 20 seconds, continually depleting their HP similar to Poison or Chill. Riki and Melia can inflict Blaze through Burninate and Summon Flare respectively, and the Blaze attack gem exists to add this status effect to a character's attacks. The Blaze Defence gem will also help protect a character against this status.

Bleed

Like Poison or Blaze, Bleed causes a target to gradually take damage over a period of time (usually 10 seconds for character Arts, although sometimes this can be doubled). The Bleed attack gem exists to add this status effect to a character's attacks. The Bleed Defence gem will also help protect a character against this status.

Break

When inflicted on an enemy through an Art, that enemy can be hit with another art to be toppled. Although Break alone does not have any effect on a foe, it sets up for Topple and Daze, making it essentially in chain attacks or for defeating Mechons without mechon-effective weaponry.

Arts that can inflict break on a foe are always pink colored.

Chill

Like Poison or Blaze, Chill causes a target to gradually take damage over a period of time (10 seconds for character Arts). The Chill attack gem exists to add this status effect to a character's attacks. The Chill Defence gem will also help protect a character against this status.

Confuse

Causes a target inflicted to run around uncontrollably until the status effect ends. It can be cured by a party member Helping the inflicted party member, or by using Dunban's Peerless Art.

Daze

Daze stuns a foe (usually one already suffering topple) and removes any active auras, in addition to making them unable to dodge any attacks. The dazed foe will also be susceptible to higher damage from critical attacks.

Arts that can inflict daze on a foe are always yellow colored.

Damage Immunity

A buff that prevents a target from receiving damage that is under a certain a certain threshold. For example, if a character has a damage immunity of 2,000 cast on them, an enemy attack that deals 1,500 would do no damage to them. Granted via Sharla's Shield Bullet Art.

Debuff Immunity

A buff that temporarily prevents a target from being inflicted with any kind of debuffs while active. Sharla can grant this to teammates with Cure Bullet and Cure round, while Fiora can grant it with Shield Drones (Talent Art).

Haste

Haste is a beneficial status effect which increases the rate of a character's auto-attacks. This is especially useful for characters with hit Critical Rates or Double Attack, as it allows their auto-attacks to be much more effective. Can be granted through Dunban's Spirit Breath Art, Fiora's Speed Shift Art, or the Haste Gem.

Incapacitated

This happens when a character's HP reaches zero. They will fall unconscious and not do anything until revived by another party member. In order to revive a party member, at least one bar of the Party Gauge will need to be used. If the character you are controlling is incapacitated while in combat when you have no filled Party Gauge bars, or all three members of your party are incapacitated, you will have to go back to the last landmark you visited.

Instant Death

This status effect will immediately incapacitate a target. When a vision indicates that an enemy will inflict instant death on a party member, it can be prevented through various arts, such as Sharls'a Cure round, Cure Bullet, Shulk's Monado Shield Art, or the Unbeatable gem.

Lock-On

Lock-On is a status effect which, when used, causes all of the user's foes in battle to target them. If a character such as Reyn, Dunban, or Fiora uses it via an art, other party members can attack the foe without drawing that enemy's aggro. If an enemy uses Lock-On, you will not be able to attack other foes in combat until that foe is defeated or the effect wears off.

Paralysis

When inflicted this status effect greatly reduces the speed at which a target can use their auto-attacks, although the target can still use arts. Riki, Reyn, and Fiora all have arts that can inflict this status, and the Paralysis gem exists to add this status effect to a character's attacks. The Paralysis Resist gem will also help protect a character against this status.

Poison

Like Bleed or Blaze, causes a target to gradually take damage over a period of time (30 seconds for character Arts). The Poison attack gem exists to add this status effect to a character's attacks. The Poison Defence gem will also help protect a character against this status.

Regenerate

Gradually restores HP to a target over a period of time. Can be cast by Fiora, Melia, and Sharla, although only Melia's Summon Aqua (Discharge) can be used on allies.

Spike

Spike is when a party member takes damage or status effects from an enemy from either being within a specific range, attacking the enemy, or by attacking the enemy when toppled. Spikes are not indicated outright like other status effects, so if you notice a character's HP depleting for each attack they do, it is most likely due to an enemy with Spike. Monado Purge can be used to negate some of these, as well as the Spike Defense gem.

Sleep

Sleep renders a target unable to move or attack for a certain period of time, or until they are attacked or helped by a teammate. Several characters have arts that can inflict sleep (Sharla, Riki, Melia, and Fiora), and the Sleep Resist gem will help protect a character against this status.

Slow

Slow is a debuff that will lower a target's attack speed and movement. If your controlled character is inflicted, this will make it harder to escape battle. It can be inflicted onto a foe through Shulk's Air Slash Art and Melia's Spear Break Art. The Slow gem exists to add this status effect to a character's attacks, while the Slow Resist gem will help protect a character against this status.

Topple

Causes a target (usually one inflicted with Break or just hit with another Art that is part of a combo) to fall over and become unable to attack, in addition to making them unable to dodge any attacks. When an enemy is toppled, they also receive more damage from critical attacks.

Except for Sharla, every character has an Art that can inflict Topple (Shulk's is a Monado Art: Cyclone). The Topple Resist gem will help protect a character against this status effect from enemies.

(Stat) Up / Down

Simply raises or lowers a target's stats. For example, an enemy that has been inflicted with Ether Defence down will take more damage from Ether Attacks, or a character that gains Agility Up will be able to dodge and land more attacks in batlle.

Examples include: Agility Up, Agility Down, Strength Up, Strength Down, Ether Up, Ether Down, Ether Defence Up, Ether Defence Down, Physical Defence Up, Physical Defence Down, Strength Up, Strength Down, HP Down, etc.

Stats Explained

Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition Related Links

Beginner's Guide to Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition