Waifu Wednesday: Brighid (Xenoblade 2)

It’s waifu time once more, and today I want to talk about one of my favourite Blades from Xenoblade 2: Brighid — or Kagutsuchi for the weebs.

In case you missed the news last week, Nintendo hosted another Direct in which they ended on the trailer for the much anticipated Xenoblade 3, which is set to release in September of 2022. The Xenoblade Definitive Edition was a fantastic game and Xenoblade 2 is quite frankly one of my favorite RPGs of all time; suffice to say I’m very excited for more from the world of Xenoblade.

So what better way to celebrate the announcement of a new Xenoblade than to celebrate one of my favourite characters from the series? And as always, if you want more of our favourite characters, please check out our ever-growing library of waifu and husbando articles here on Rice Digital!

Who is Brighid?

Within the world of Xenoblade 2, there are people of numerous races, and Blades. These “Blades” can vary greatly in their appearance, but they are beings whose existence becomes one with their awakener or “Driver”. Originally Blades begin as a dormant core crystal, a small artifact which, after coming into contact with a person, can awaken and assume its proper form. 

Brighid is one of these Blades. However, she is not only a unique, legendary blade, she is even considered special among some of the rarest Blades throughout the world — she’s nicknamed the “Jewel of Mor Ardain” and is known as the most powerful Blade in the Empire. 

Despite her very mature and gentle appearance, Brighid is actually a tank-type Blade who specializes in drawing the aggro away from her allies and onto herself — not only is she beautiful, but she’s a bit of a badass too. Finally, she uses a very distinctive weapon in the form of her whip-swords — dual-wield blades that can extend and cover large areas to attack.

Why we love Brighid

First things first, I absolutely adore Brighid’s design. The blades in Xenoblade 2 were all illustrated by different artists, so this means there are many different, varied, and unique designs you’ll find throughout the game. This is one of my favourite things about the Blades, as it really allowed for creativity from the artists themselves — and there’s some big names involved, too. You’ll even see names like Final Fantasy’s Tetsuya Nomura pop up as the illustrator for one of the antagonist Blades. 

I love the calm and collected nature of Brighid and the way her appearance slightly juxtaposes her abilities and raw strength as a legendary blade. I also love the way that fire is incorporated into her design as well — on the top of her hair buns, her arms, and her legs, which all help to accentuate the fact that she is an extremely powerful fire Blade. 

The thing that really draws me to Brighid though, is her character and the humanity she brings when it comes to acknowledging her lost memories. When a Blade’s Driver dies, the Blade returns to its core crystal form until it is reawoken by a future Driver. During her life before the events of Xenoblade 2, Brighid kept a diary of her life and it puts a very interesting perspective on things — then, of course, there’s Brighid’s current feelings on the matter to further complicate matters. 

Why you’ll love Brighid

While Brighid on her own is a fantastic character, she is truly one part of a two-piece combo alongside Mòrag, her Driver. Mòrag is a high-ranking special inquisitor within the Empire’s army, and she is also a character that becomes a powerful and reliable ally to the main protagonist on his journey to the mystical land of Elysium.

Brighid adds a lot to the main party in the form of a more dutiful and wise perspective on the events that unfold through the story. There is a specific part of Xenoblade 2 in which the main character loses his way, and it’s Brighid who literally slaps some sense back into him and forces him to stop acting so selfishly.

She is a fantastic character who brings forth some of the more tragic parts about being a Blade into the story, while also remaining happy and proud of the person that she is currently. She shares a fun rivalry with Mythra as she is one of the strongest Blades in the world, and she is all-around a great character to be added to the cast — I hope we see someone like her in Xenoblade 3!

^{Disclosure: Some links in this article may be affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking on them. This is at no additional cost to you and helps support Rice Digital!}