Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Ouroboro guide: How the system works and all partner combinations

What is the Ouroboros system in Xenoblade Chronicles 3? (Image via Xenoblade Chronicles 3)
What is the Ouroboros system in Xenoblade Chronicles 3? (Image via Xenoblade Chronicles 3)

Compared to previous franchise entries, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 brings a lot of new features to the table, including quality-of-life upgrades that make the title significantly more enjoyable.

One such system introduced by the most recent JRPG was the Ouroboros mechanic, which is an integral part of combat in Xenoblade Chronicles 3. Unlike previous titles, combat in the latest entry happens in real time, where certain key features and mechanics like the Fusion Arts and the Ouroboros system play a key role.

The Ouroboros transformation mechanic is more than just a strong move that players pull out of their inventory to use against powerful enemies. It is directly tied to the core narrative of the game’s plot. It allows the player to wield powerful forms that can indeed change the tides of battle.

There is more than one Ouroboros form in Xenoblade Chronicles 3. Thus, the system can feel a bit complicated for those new to the game. Therefore, today’s guide will go over some of the core features of the system and all partner combinations that adventurers can opt into.


What is the Ouroboros system in Xenoblade Chronicles 3?

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In Xenoblade Chronicles 3, Ouroboros is a system that allows players to fuse two party members and create a single unit. This is done through the Ouroboros interlink. The resulting combination will vary in abilities, strengths, and weaknesses, based on the type of combination one is going for.

Unfortunately, the Ouroboros system will not be available to players early in the game. While there are some forms that one will receive access to, the second half of the fusion mechanic comes much later into the narrative.


How to use the Ouroboros system in Xenoblade Chronicles 3?

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Though they are a powerful tool in the player's arsenal, the Ouroboros forms are hard to master, especially because the form lasts for a short duration. Adventurers will have to keep a constant eye out for the symbol that appears on the bottom left of the screen every time the form is activated.

Using Arts during this state will drain the Ouroboros meter faster. Hence, when the entire bar is depleted, the ability will go into a short cooldown before players are able to use it again.

However, the cooldown can be reduced by manually canceling the ability before the meter completely dies out.

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There are multiple ways through which players will be able to make the most of the Ouroboros system in Xenoblade Chronicles 3:

  • The transformation process of the Ouroboros interlink can be used quite strategically. As the character will be in a temporary state of invincibility, it can be used amazingly well as a counter-attack strategy if players are on the receiving end of a powerful boss attack.
  • In the Orobos state, players will have access to special Talent Arts that they can combo into regular Arts by attack canceling. As the Ouroboros skills can be spammed without having to worry much about a cooldown, it is one of the most powerful tools to use against some of the more difficult encounters in the game.
  • During the Aurobors fusion, players should also be careful about the characters that they choose to fuse. It will not be wise to fuse the only healer and the only tank in the party, leaving the rest of the members to fend for themselves without support. Characters with the highest DPS stats should be the ones players should prefer for the fusion.

Upgrading the Ouroboros forms in Xenoblade Chronicles 3

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Players should also spend some time and resources to upgrade the Ouroboros forms in the JRPG, as it is going to make the resulting fusion significantly stronger.

Leveling Ouroboros forms requires the use of Soul Points, which one can earn by completing quests. After collecting enough Soul Points, players will need to make their way to the Soul Tree and upgrade the form in the following ways:


1) Learn Skill

This will teach the Ouroboros form new skills, which is something that players will be required to focus on first. When the system is first unlocked, the forms will not automatically have any additional skills to use.


2) Heat Control

This reduces the depletion rate of the Ouroboros gauge and increases the time by which players will be able to pilot the form.


3) Enhance Art

This is a damage buff that increases the amount of damage that the Ouroboros forms will do with all its basic attacks and Arts.


All Ouroboros partner combinations in Xenoblade Chronicles 3

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There are six characters in Xenoblade Chronicles 3 who can pair up with one other character to make an Ouroboros form along with two possible permutations of each form:


1) Noah and Mio

If Noah is the character during the fusion, then the resulting Ouroboros will have the properties of a tank with high damage and a very high critical hit chance.

However, if Mio is the main character, then the form will have a bit less DPS but will have higher agility, a higher block rate, and slightly more crit chance,


2) Eunie and Taion

If Eunie is the main half of the form, then the Ouroboros will be an incredibly powerful healer who will also offer a lot of buffs to party members. If Taion is the main one, then instead of offering buffs to the team, the fusion will instead focus on debuffing the enemy.

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3) Lanz and Sena

With Lanz as the main character in the fusion, players will get a chance to gain an Ouroboros that deals a lot of damage along with having a very high block rate. This will make it a great option for some of the more difficult encounters in the game.

If Sena is the main half, then the resulting Ouroboros will have one of the highest damage outputs out of all the forms, along with great agility. However, the high DPS will come at the cost of block rate.