Template:SpoilerX
- "We call this planet "Mira." You won't find it on any starchart. But it's our new home."
- — Elma
Elma (Japanese: エルマ, Eruma; English dub: /ˈɛl.mə/) is one of the eight main playable characters of Xenoblade Chronicles X. She is the central protagonist of the main story.
She is a BLADE colonel and the team leader of the Reclaimers Division. In the prologue, she is tasked with retrieving the Lifepods that were ejected from the United States Ark Ship, the White Whale. She is the first party member to join Cross after waking him or her from his or her Lifepod. Prior to Earth's destruction, she served as the colonel of the Coalition Heavy Armor Training Unit, or the "Skelleton Crew". She was a subordinate to the unnamed hero who repelled the attack on the White Whale as it crashed on Mira.
Appearance
Elma has bangless, shoulder-length white hair and an olive skin tone. Her initial armor consists of red Grenada Galactic Group Light Wear with a purple, black, and white undersuit. Her eyes are light blue.
In her true form, she has pale blue skin, purple irises, and long, crystalline lavender hair that extends past her waist. On her forehead are two short purple antennas each shaped like a crystal. She also has another two purple crystal patterns embedded in her skin on the forehead in between her antennas. At the tip of her ears are sharp protrusions similar to elf ears.
She sports a skin-tight garment that is mostly black. Her outfit consists several windows that expose her skin, but also appear to be covered by special see-through fabric due to the hexagonal pattern found in them. There are two notable windows that expose her skin. One is in the middle of her chest extending all the way down to her abdomen while the other is on her buttocks.
Personality
- "Strength comes from experience. That's true on any planet."
- — Elma
Elma has a very strong sense of duty as a BLADE colonel. Other team members of the organization such as Irina idolize and respect her. She is a very calculative person who never makes reckless decisions. She tends to use cold logic to deal with things rather than letting personal feelings get in the way.
When introduced to Elma in the prologue, she shows genuine concern towards Cross after he or she wakes up from the Lifepod. Soon after discovering Cross' apparent memory loss, she acts as a guide leading them to New Los Angeles. After fighting a pack of Grexes outside the city's border, Elma expresses disappointment for the Habitat Unit having to settle near so much wildlife. She stated that she has come to learn that there is a fine line between self-defense and provoking a fight and that they have to walk that line.
Despite her former position as a colonel of the Special Operations Heavy Armor Training Unit back on Earth, she is not arrogant and thinks of herself as an equal to other BLADEs. This is evidenced during their first meeting with Irina and Gwin at the West Gate in the Industrial District. She shows signs of deep remorse for Earth's destruction when Nagi explains how everyone ended up on Mira.
Although Elma appears to be highly knowledgeable, it is not always the case as shown in Chapter 5. She is intrigued and curious about how all the xenoforms are able to communicate and understand one another's languages, therefore she logically deduces that something must be getting their intent across in another way.
Elma withholds a lot of crucial information from her teammates, such as in Chapter 7 when Vandham almost spilled the beans about her piloting the Ares during White Whale's assault. She also does not tell them about her suspicions against Lao's traitorous behaviors. Elma does however, slowly drop hints about her appearance throughout the story, suggesting that her trust in her team members grows progressively stronger. In Chapter 12, she feels relieved and a great sense of gratitude once her team saw her true form.
Gameplay
Location
If she is not in the party, Elma can be found in BLADE Barracks, close to where Story Missions are accepted. She will join the party if she is asked.
Recruitment
Elma is automatically recruited in the Prologue.
In battle
Elma is a Full Metal Jaguar, wielding Dual Swords and Dual Guns. Her two Signature Arts are Shadowstrike (Dual Swords) and Ghost Factory (Dual Guns). Her class progression is as follows:
| Class Rank | Arts | Skills |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shadowstrike Sliding Slinger |
— |
| 2 | Stream Edge | — |
| 3 | Upper Hand | — |
| 4 | Early Bird | — |
| 5 | Side Slash | — |
| 6 | Shadowrunner | — |
| 7 | Primer | Agile Gunslinger |
| 8 | Thirsty Edge | — |
| 9 | Violent Streak | Steady Hand |
| 10 | Killing Machine | — |
| 11 | Blood Sacrifice | Background Noise |
| 12 | Electric Surge | — |
| 13 | Ghost Factory | Master Edge |
| 14 | Executioner | — |
| 15 | Hundred Shells | Mortal Enemy |
| 16 | — | Hellhound |
| 17 | — | Crisis Catalyst |
| 18 | — | Phantom Counter |
Heart-to-Hearts
The following heart-to-hearts between Elma and Cross are:
| Affinity | Name | Location | When | Reqs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ♥ | The Techie | West Gate | Afternoon | — |
| ♥♥ | Petting Zoo | Water Plant | Night | Abyssinian Cat |
| ♥♥♥ | Driving Force | East Melville St. | Morning | — |
| ♥♥♥♥ | Friendship Treatise | Starboard | Evening | Chapter 5 |
| ♥♥♥♥♥ | Going Home | Barracks Interior | Night | — |
Missions
Affinity links
Story
Main story
- Main article: Xenoblade Chronicles X (plot)
Elma is first seen after disengaging Cross from a crashed lifepod. She explains that his/her lifepod was the only one nearby that landed intact—she casually introduces herself to Cross. Elma assumes that Cross is unable to remember their own name due to the stasis hangover. She then hands over a weapon to Cross for defensive purposes. Shortly after, the two walk over to a nearby lifepod that had been destroyed upon impact. Elma calls Cross one of the lucky few to survive the crash. Due to Cross' apparent memory loss, she explains the events after they took off on the White Whale after his/her homeworld was destroyed by two warring alien forces. As she understands Cross' memory loss, she says that she wishes she could forget the tragic event. The conversation is cut short as an Origin Blatta that had been following Elma attacks them both. Upon defeating it, Elma praises Cross' combat skills—she notes that he/she could find some work in the city due to knowing how to handle a weapon.
Elma guides Cross from the narrow valley to the side of a cliff. After he/she witnesses the open plains of Primordia, she warns him/her of the indigenous creatures. As they gaze into the distance, Elma informs Cross that their new home is Mira, an uncharted planet not found on any star chart. She points out the large habitat unit in the distance and claims that it is where they are headed. As Cross moves closer to the edge of the cliff, she informs him/her that while the cliff is high, they could handle the fall if they decide to jump off. Elma cautions that jumping down the cliff would lead to more aggressive indigens—she states that the high road would be the safest way to go but ultimately leaves it up to Cross to choose whichever they want to go.
As the two arrive just outside of the West Gate, they are ambushed by a horde of Grexes. After taking them down, Elma explains that some species are not hostile and some are not friendly. She says that she has come to learn that there is a fine line between self-defense and provoking a fight—they need to walk that line. The two head into the city through a freight elevator. Elma leads Cross into the city for the first time—she welcomes him/her to New Los Angeles as their new permanent home, citing it as a model of a city from Earth. Elma and Cross gaze over the city's skyline. Elma suggests a quick tour of the facilities to refresh his/her memories, starting with the living quarters.
As they both ride down the elevator to the lower level, Elma questions Maurice Chausson's proclamation as a "director general." A pair of BLADEs walks over to Elma, a female confirms that Maurice had been appointed just a couple days ago while the male BLADE mocks his sudden rank changes. Elma introduces them as Irina Akulov and Gwin Evans, her former subordinates in the Special Operations Heavy Armor Training Unit. She was a colonel while Irina was a lieutenant and Gwin was a more recent recruit. Elma chastises Irina and Gwin for addressing her as "colonel" since they no longer work under her. Irina argues that it is not about chain of command—she has a lot of respect for her and believes that Elma earns it. As Irina and Gwin departs, both Elma and Cross take off in another direction.
Elma and Cross run after the Skell that had crashed somewhere in the Industrial District. They arrive at the scene with a young girl named Lin investigating the crash site. After Lin introduces herself, Elma points out that despite her young age, she is one of BLADE's top talents. Lin joins both of them—she gives Cross a tour of the city on the transport. After landing in the Administrative District, Elma suggested going over to the barracks where she will file her report on finding him/her.
The group head over outside of the barracks where they meet Secretary Nagi—he applauds Elma for finding another survivor. They all head inside the barracks to discuss some details. Nagi formally introduces himself to Cross, Elma confirms that he is her superior officer and suggested that he would be an excellent person to talk about registering for BLADE. Elma wants to give Cross more details about the BLADE organization so that he/she can make a more informed decision before registering. Elma explains to Nagi about his/her memory loss—making note that he/she could barely remember their own name and nothing about what happened on Earth or the White Whale. Nagi gives a brief lecture about what happened to Earth—Elma alludes that the Earth's destruction could have been avoided if she "had not been there." Nagi reassures her that no one could possibly know if there was a possibility for a different outcome—he implies that Project Exodus would not have been formed and that no one would have made their escape without the help of Elma. Elma explains to Cross that while they escaped via the White Whale, they set a mission of finding a habitable planet which took them two years. The opposing alien forces caused massive damage to the ship—thus they channeled all the ship's power to soft-land the habitat unit. After the city had crashed, Elma said they began to search for survivors, established BLADE, and installed the provisional government. On the topic of the Lifehold, Elma explains that this structure was designed to house a large number of passengers held in stasis—she said that the Lifehold had broke off from the ship and is lost somewhere on the planet. She states that it is BLADE's top priority to recover the Lifehold. Elma, Lin, and Cross all exit out to the Administrative District for another tour.
Personal story
In Then and Now, Elma asks Cross, Lin, and Tatsu to meet at Fallshorn Isle in Primordia at sunset on a clear day. She reveals that this particular location was where she first touched the ground after the White Whale crashed, also noting that that day had a beautiful sunset. Shortly after, a Demise Ictus attacks the group in the middle of Elma's monologue. Elma begins to act reckless and commands her team to escape so that she could battle it on her own. After its defeat, Elma confesses that the same monster they killed had slaughtered former team members Danny and Boris.
Trivia
- Elma's character design seems similar to T-elos from the Xenosaga series.
- Elma's true form design seems similar to KOS-MOS from Xenosaga series, though with her being a biological humanoid form as opposed to an android.
Quotes
Battle dialogue
| Drawing weapon | Elma in lead | Elma in party |
|---|---|---|
| Against an enemy | "Engaging!" | "Lets see what you got." |
| Against a large enemy | "Come on!"
"Lets do this!" |
"Be ready for anything."
"How big is that thing?" |
| Against a tyrant | "Lets see what you got." | "I'm good to go." |
| Status effects | |
|---|---|
| Stagger | "I'm off balance." |
| Topple | "Ugh... So it's like that, huh?" |
| Flinch | "What?!" |
| Knockback | "This force!" |
| Launch | [Yell] |
| Stun | "I can't move." |
| Sleep | "Why am I... so sleepy?" |
| Control | "My body... I can't control it!" |
| Trigger | |
|---|---|
| an Enemy notices the party | "It didn't have to be like this."
"Looks like we got no choice." |
| a Large enemy notices the party | "We've been spotted and it's big." |
| Very low HP | "This is wearing me down, I'm not gonna make it." |
| Becoming incapacitated | "Ngh!... I'm sorry." |
| Reviving an ally | "Get up and lets turn this thing around." |
| Thanking | "Thanks!"
"Thank you." |
| Accumulating 3000 TP | "Okay it's time to attack." |
| Activating Overdrive (Ground gear) | "I'm putting an end to this!" |
| Activating Overdrive (Skell) | "Engaging Overdrive!" |
| Overdrive counter hits 50 | "It's not over yet!" |
| Overdrive counter hits 100 | "You had your chance." |
| Entering skell | "I'm better off in a skell." |
| Exiting skell | "This isn't working, switching to ground gear." |
| Skell's fuel runs low | "Fuel is running low, I have to be smart." |
| Skell runs out of fuel | "Out of fuel. I'll finish this on the ground." |
| An enemy joins the fight | "Reinforcements, watch out!" |
| Responding to battle commands | "Roger!"
"Got it!" |
| Leveling up | "Strength comes from experience, that's true on any planet." |
| Winning a battle | "Nice work!"
"We got 'em, lets move." |
Soul Voices
- "They're off guard. Stagger them with a melee attack!"
- "Get in close and land a blow!"
- "I'm in trouble. Heal me!"
- "Now! Melee attacks!"
- "We're up against a big target. Buff up now!"
- "Use an aura! Get control of the battle!"
- "Hostile neutralized. Switch to close-range combat!"
- "That put a dent in 'em. Move in and keep the rhythm going!"
- "Engaging! Lay down some fire for me!"
- "They're tough. Patch me up!"
- "Just...one more..."
- "Appendage destroyed! Move in and strike!"
- "Nice! Move in and strike!"
- "Follow me! Overdrive!"
- "Now that's how to evade. You can do it!"
- "I have to stay in this. Help me!"
Post-battle dialogue
| Party member | |
|---|---|
| Male Cross (Heroic) | Cross - "Fate dealt us these cards, so we have to play them!"
Elma - "That's right, remember that strength." |
| Male Cross (Joker) | Cross- "Everybody okay? Don't make me haul my butt home solo."
Elma - "We're all fine, thanks to you." |
| Male Cross (Rebel) | Cross - "GOD! What is WITH this planet?"
Elma - "Well there's no shortage of thrills, that's for sure." |
| Male Cross (Rookie) | Cross - "Keep moving! We can reflect on our battles later"
Elma - "That's the spirit, a good attitude for the long road ahead." |
| Male Cross (Studious) | Cross - "Well... I apologize for losing my cool just then."
Elma - "Oh? You seem as calm as always to me." |
| Male Cross (Classic) | Cross - "I know we're fighting for humanity, but this all feels so futile."
Elma - "If you need someone to talk to I'm here." |
| Male Cross (Warrior) | Cross - "Men are like stones, smoothed by the tides of battle."
Elma - "A nice thought and one to live by." |
| Female Cross (Heroic) | Cross - "Another dawn to dusk work day? Sounds like fun to me!"
Elma - "I think everyone wants to look good for you." |
| Female Cross (Joker) | Cross - "Meh, I'm BUSHED! Did I do all the work or what?"
Elma - "You did enough but you can do more next time." |
| Female Cross (Independent) | Cross - "C'mon, there's no time to lose. We've got a mountain of things to do!"
Elma - "That's the spirit! Just don't wear yourself out." |
| Female Cross (Mature) | Cross - "[sigh] These Miran winds are not very compatible with my hair."
Elma - "I know a good treatment, hit me up once we're back in the city." |
| Female Cross (Peppy) | Cross - "One small step for BLADE, one giant leap for humankind."
Elma - "And every step counts." |
| Female Cross (Classic) | Cross - "Is it over? I haven't even finished rolling up my sleeves."
Elma - "Really? You look a little shaken up." |
| Female Cross (Soldier) | Cross - "I'm torn; do I master hand-to-hand combat, or focus on ranged attacks?"
Elma - "Let me know if you need a training partner." |
| Lin | Elma - "So, have you picked out today's menu Lin?"
Lin - "Not yet. Depends if Tatsu can make it or not... if you know what I mean." |
| L | Elma - "That wasn't so bad, was it L?"
L -"We won that with our hands down." |
| Yelv | Elma - "Yelv, have you forgotten everything I've taught you?"
Yelv - "What, NO! I-I... maybe... sorry ma'am." |
| Irina | Irina - "Hey colonel, wanna go shopping when we get back?"
Elma - "Sure, I heard Mall Cruz is having a sale." |
| Nagi | Nagi - "If only he were here..."
Elma - "Remember what we said about those who are no longer with us?" |
| Hope | Hope - "Elma, thank you for the nice cup of tea the other day."
Elma - "Anytime! I'm experimenting with a new blend if you wanna try it." |
Dialogue
- "Hey there. Looks like you're all in one piece."
- "Good thing I found you. My name's Elma. You wanna tell me yours?"
- "Well? Here we are. Not too shabby, huh? For a giant beached spaceship, anyway. But...like it or not, this place is our home now. We took the name from the city it was modeled after back on Earth. We call it New Los Angeles. Welcome to NLA."
- "I still wonder if I hadn't been there...if maybe all of this could have somehow been avoided..."
- "Those of us who escaped on the White Whale spent over two years wandering in space. Two hard years. But we clung to our mission: find a habitable planet, and settle there. We had no idea how long it would take... Or...that the decision would eventually be made for us."
- "Well, that wasn't obvious at all. Heh. Look at you two. I swear, you're like two children excited about a new toy."
- "They're...all...dead. You killed them all...in cold blood..."
- "Humanity is here in peace—what gives you the right to destroy the Lifehold?"
- "Well, what if it IS some kind of new phenomenon? Aren't you curious to learn more?"
- "We're all like this—every single crew member that escaped on the White Whale."
- "Heh—that was a lifetime ago. That's quite a memory you have."
- "That's enough—you Samaarian witch! Enough of your talk... Enough of the pain you've caused the universe. The only agony...would be suffering you any longer."
- "Of course. Bravery isn't about never being afraid. Bravery is being afraid and moving forward anyway. Let's move out."
- "Heh, well it's just a title. He can call himself Colonel Square-tache for all I care."
- "Looks like you underestimated your enemy. You two are the only ones left."
- "The Ganglion have committed unspeakable acts all across this planet. Surely, you must know that. They kill without cause or mercy. Why would you serve such scoundrels? Why sink so low?"
- "I had my suspicions. But I didn't want to believe it."
- "Breach team, let's go!"
- "What are you so afraid of? Destroying the Earth wasn't enough. You had to chase down the survivors and destroy them too... What's their threat?"
- "It's all a fragile illusion."
- "I'll have to live with my decision. But I GET to live with my decision. What about you?"
- "Everyone, wait. There's one more thing I need to talk to you about."
- "It's this planet. It's something about this planet..."
Gallery
Screenshots
![]]](/wiki/File:Elma_showing_Cross_the_Commerical_District.jpg "Elma showing Cross the Commerical District.jpg (86 KB)")
![]]](/wiki/File:Elma_and_Superior_Telethia.JPG "Elma and Superior Telethia.JPG (85 KB)")
Official art
Concept art
Miscellaneous
![]]](/wiki/File:ELma_infobox.JPG "ELma infobox.JPG (32 KB)")
Screenshots
Official art
Concept art
| Characters in Xenoblade Chronicles X | |
|---|---|
| Playable Characters | Cross · Doug · Elma · Gwin · Irina · L · Lao · Lin |
| Recruitable Characters | Alexa · Bozé · Celica · Frye · H.B. · Hope · Mia · Murderess · Nagi · Phog · Yelv |
| Supporting Characters | Maurice · Rock · Tatsu · Vandham |
| Antagonists | Dagahn · Ga Buidhe · Ga Jiarg · Goetia · Luxaar · Ryyz |