Final Techniques Function as Character Development in the Trails of Cold Steel Franchise

The Cold Steel saga of RPGs — developed by the developer Falcom during the 2010s — was an ambitious undertaking, considering the multitude of individuals and events involved. It required the studio five games to fully develop these cast members. Emma's personal character development is developed in parallel with the series' central narrative, but it's by observing the gradual evolution in her abilities that we truly grasp the extent of her inner growth.

Warning: Our discussion contains some story reveals for the main storyline of the Trails of Cold Steel games.

In The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel, the character Emma is a regular teenager, just as the rest of the students of Thors Academy's Class Seven. As the student leader, she's kind to each person and strives to avoid any disputes between her peers. Even though the character approaches her studies very earnestly, she lives a double life. She's actually a witch, a member of the Hexen Clan. Attending Thors Military Academy is one step in her true goal of guiding Rean Schwarzer, the key individual of her class, who is fated to call forth a powerful mech.

In each Trails series game, the majority of characters have at least one S-Craft, a unique skill that needs you to have a minimum amount of CP to execute. These supreme skills are intended to be your ace in all fights. S-Crafts are also a way for the game to illustrate the changes protagonists are going through. They can epitomize the development of a individual's technique, for example Rean's special ability the skill Breaking Dawn in Trails of Cold Steel IV, which he gains after earning the rank of master swordsman. In some situations, such as Emma’s, the developers utilizes special moves to express the internal transformations a character undergoes.

When the conflict in Erebonia erupts in Cold Steel, Emma’s reaction to the circumstances is the idealistic but reasonable belief that combat means attacking. The war extends to the next installment in the franchise, where the dual special abilities she possesses are Lord Albireon and Rain. Each are attack-oriented moves that affect every opponents on the arena.

Once we have the chance to see Emma again again in the third game, we see a different girl. She has completed her studies from the academy, and after training with her family, she appears to have realized an vital insight about who she is. Even though she becomes a impressive magic user, Emma understands that, most importantly, Emma is a protector. Emma is ready to give up her own safety to keep all her friends — but particularly the leader Rean — out of harm's way. Her goal to take on this role is subtly indicated by her ultimate skill, which in the third installment becomes Eregion.

When you execute the special move Emma's new skill, the character conjures four glowing pillars of magic, and barriers materialize joining them and surrounding the battlefield. The party members affected by this ability receive several instances of damage immunity, a buff that negates harm of all types. The character had not once been a combative character, so she transitions to a supportive strategy, mirroring the nurturing attitude she had consistently shown to her allies.

It’s compelling to see how Nihon Falcom utilizes a protagonist's powers to complement the game’s narrative. Role-playing games typically use storytelling or cutscenes to tell us what a persona is experiencing. But this character demonstrates that including a ability can add another layer of insight.