Of all the classes in Xenoblade Chronicles 3, the Soul Hacker is by far the most unique. This versatile class can take on any role in battle, shifting between Healer, Attacker, and Defender with ease. But, like most of the best classes in Xenoblade Chronicles 3, the Soul Hacker can be a little difficult to find unless players know where to look.
Unlocking the Soul Hacker
The first step to unlocking the Soul Hacker class is progressing the story until Chapter 5, where players gain access to the Cadensia Region. After completing the questline that introduces the Lost Numbers and the City, players will gain access to a powerful ship that can take them out on the Erythia Sea. This is where they’ll find the Soul Hacker’s associated quest and Hero character.
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Meet Triton
The first stop is the quest marker at Ishan Isle, to the northeast of the entrance to the Erythia Sea. Reaching the island triggers a cutscene that reveals a large Ferronis machine walking through the ocean toward a distant island. Follow the Ferronis, but make sure to pass close by the Hargan Point Camp rest spot on the beach.
Players should then head up the ravine toward the center of this new island which will trigger another cutscene that introduces Triton, the Consul of Colony 15 and wielder of the Soul Hacker class. Triton is an unusual Consul who doesn’t believe in the machinations of Moebius. But he still enjoys good competition, so he challenges Ouroboros to a contest of strength, wit, and fortitude.
Triton’s Three Challenges
The first challenge takes players back to Ishan Isle, where they’ll need to take down four, aquatic monsters. The monsters are spread out around the island, so it’s best to use the ship to navigate between them. Once the team has defeated all four monsters, head back to Triton’s crewmate on the island to start the next challenge.
The second challenge brings the party further West to the First Pillar Remnant. Here, players will need to collect three, rare treasures scattered around the island. The tricky part? There are level 70 monsters roaming this area, making it extremely hazardous to reach one quest objective. Tread carefully and bring all three treasures back to the crewmate on the beach. He’ll then ask you to select only one as the official offering, and the following conversation will differ depending on this choice.
The final challenge is a rare monster hunt through Cascade Crossroads, a territory populated by monsters with levels in the 60s. Follow the monster tracks while avoiding the powerful beasts to reach a battle with a unique enemy. Defeat the creature to finish Triton’s challenge and return to Colony 15.
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The Fourth Challenge
Once back at the Colony, the party will claim victory over Triton, but he states there’s a secret, fourth challenge: a straight-up brawl. The battle is against Triton and three of his crewmates, but Triton doesn’t transform into a Moebius for this battle. Instead, he relies on his abilities as a Soul Hacker to pummel the party, making this a tough fight.
After he loses, Triton will congratulate the team and then ask them for one more favor: destroy his Colony’s Flame Clock. He reveals that he’s been disillusioned with being a Moebius for some time now, and he values the lives and potential of his crew too much to leave them enslaved. After the Flame Clock’s destruction, Triton offers to turn on his former comrades and aid Ouroboros in defeating Moebius.
The Soul Hacker
Triton’s defection unlocks him as a Hero character and Lanz inherits his Soul Hacker class. The Soul Hacker is one of the most unique character classes in any RPG, as it derives all of its power from defeated, unique enemies. Each unique enemy in Xenoblade Chronicles 3 offers a new skill or Art upon defeat. Players will need to backtrack for any previously defeated monsters, though, as the game doesn’t grant those abilities retroactively.
And while the Soul Hacker is billed as an Attacker class, it actually has the capacity to swap between any of the three combat roles. There are even two stat setups for each role that allow players to customize their Soul Hacker even more. With the right collection of skills and Arts, a single Soul Hacker can fill multiple battlefield roles at the same time.
Lanz has S-Rank growth with the Soul Hacker, Mio has A, Sena and Eunie have B, Noah has C, and Taion has D.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is available now for the Nintendo Switch.
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