User:MomoQca/Pyra and Mythra

Pyra (ホムラ) and Mythra (ヒカリ) are fictional characters and the main protagonists of Xenoblade Chronicles 2, part of the Xenoblade Chronicles series of action role-playing games. Mythra appears as a playable character in the prequel downloadable content story Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna – The Golden Country while Pyra has a brief cameo appearance. Pyra and Mythra also make a special appearance in Xenoblade Chronicles 3.

Pyra and Mythra appear as a set of playable characters in Nintendo's Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

Conception and creation
Pyra is polite, kind, and humble. She views herself as a burden to Rex and her teammates, but despite that, she is strongly determined to protect them at all costs. Mythra, on the other hand, is brash and confident. She is not of afraid of anything and will jump into battles without hesitation. Mythra has been described as rude and abrasive towards her friends.

When designing Pyra, main character designer Masatsugu Saito "wanted her to have a protective presence" for the main character Rex. The design team "envisioned her as a flame with a passionately core," while also designing "her to evoke a certain sense of incompleteness as a way of reflecting the existence of Pyra's other form: Mythra." Saito further explains that it is why "the glowing areas on her body are not horizontally symmetrical," and why they "partially removed the back of her outfit and cloak."

In Xenoblade Chronicles
Players were first introduced to Pyra and Mythra in Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna – The Golden Country, both released for the Nintendo Switch in 2017 and 2018 respectively. In the world of Alrest, they are commonly referred to as the Aegis. The name Aegis also symbolizes the legendary blade that they and their Driver wield. Pyra is first introduced in Xenoblade Chronicles 2 when main character Rex accidentally taps into the Aegis sword. Rex is fatally stabbed by a Tornan crew member upon touching the coveted Aegis blade. Moments later, he is then revived by Pyra through her core crystal. After his revival, Rex promises to accompany Pyra on a quest to travel to Elysium, a fabled paradise atop the World Tree. At a later point on their journey, Pyra transforms into Mythra during a fight against the Torna faction. Mythra reveals to Rex that she constructed Pyra as a subdued version of herself.

Mythra's backstory is further shown in Torna – The Golden Country which takes place 500 years prior to the main game. Aiming to protect the titan of Torna and its citizens, she engages in a battle against another powerful foe named Malos. As a result of their destructive powers, she inadvertently helped Malos to destroy Torna. After witnessing the tragic end of Torna, Mythra felt directly responsible and thus became fearful of her own power. Unable to cope with her grief, Mythra transforms herself to a lesser form, Pyra.

Both Pyra and Mythra make a special reappearance in Xenoblade Chronicles 3, released for the Nintendo Switch in 2022.

In other media
In 2021, both Pyra and Mythra were revealed and released as DLC playable characters in Nintendo's Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, released for the Nintendo Switch in 2018.

Merchandise
Good Smile Company released separate Figmas for Pyra and Mythra, released in 2018 and 2019 respectively. Additionally, Kotobukiya released a model kit for Siren, the mecha which was controlled by Mythra.

Reception
Pyra and Mythra have received generally positive reception as the main heroines of Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and its story expansion. According to series creator Tetsuya Takahashi, Pyra was the most popular character from the base game in Japan. The story expansion was commended for Mythra’s character development. Pyra and Mythra are praised for being strong female characters among other female leads created by Nintendo including Rosalina, Princess Zelda, Samus Aran, and more.

The character designs of Pyra and Mythra have been heavily criticized. Much of the criticisms went towards to the sexualization of their designs, with some outlets feeling uncomfortable and embarrassed by the sexual pandering surrounding the characters. Others have made complaints about the intentional framing and panning of cutscenes centered around the chests of both characters.