Can You Switch Characters in Battle?

Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition for the Nintendo Switch gives you several characters to choose from. In battle, you may sometimes want to control a character other than the one you are using. Read on to learn how to switch characters and more!

How to Switch Characters

You will have a battle party of three consisting of one playable character and two AI controlled characters. You can choose which three party members you'll be battling with from your pool, alongside which one of them will be your playable character.

Best Party and Team Setup

Changing your party members can be done from the menu. Press X to access the Main Menu, then choose the Party option. Then, pick from your pool of party members on the right, press A, highlight the party member you want to replace, and press A again. Do this until you've chosen the team you want, and you're good to go!

How to Switch Playable Character

In the Party menu, highlight the party member in the first slot (with a ① symbol), and simply press A on the character you'd like to switch for.

Can You Switch Party Members In Battle?

While Xenoblade Chronicles allows you to choose from whatever character you want when the menu is available outside of combat, you cannot switch party members during combat. This means that not only can you swap out your teammates for other party members, but you cannot change the character you are controlling, and your allies will be controlled through AI.

However, there are a few things that you can do to influence your teammates' actions, and even select Arts for them to use.

Giving Commands

A few command options are present in battle, such as Focus Attacks, Engage at Will, and Come at Me. These are done by holding ZR and using the D-Pad. For the most part, Focus Attacks (ZR+D-Pad Up) is the one you will want to use, as it makes all teammates focus on a single target.

Using Chain Attacks

When you fill your party gauge and deal out a chain attack, you will have full control over which art they will use. Pairing up your party's Arts and selecting them in an order so that you can score a high multiplier and deal tons of damage is key to making use of this move.

How to Chain Attack

Warning Allies

When Shulk has a vision, this gives you an opportunity to approach any teammate and warn them with the B button. Doing so gives you the option to select one Art for them to immediately use. Just note that this will consume one bar of the party gauge!

While technically any Art can be selected by you for a teammate to use, you will usually want to use a topple/daze/sleep skill, or a corresponding Monado Art from Shulk in order to smash the vision tag. Some skills like Reyn's Last Stand are also great for warnings, since they will allow him to survive whatever hits him with 1 HP left.

Knowing beforehand which arts you will use when a vision presents itsself is key to a good party composition.

Best Arts | Which Arts Should You Level Up?

Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition Related Links

Beginner's Guide to Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition