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Xenoblade Chronicles 3 ascension quest guide: How to reach class rank 20

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Xenoblade Chronicles 3 ascension quests: Noah faces a group of enemies as a Swordfighter
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Guide by Josh Broadwell Contributor
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Ascension quests in Xenoblade Chronicles 3 are your way to hit class rank 20 and finally move past the initial barrier of class rank 10. They start unlocking fairly late in the story, starting in chapter five and six, and some have a rather confusing set of requirements to meet first. We've listed every ascension quest in Xenoblade Chronicles 3 below except the two New Game Plus classes (which we'll update with shortly).

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How do you increase class rank in Xenoblade Chronicles 3?

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 ascension quests: Noah and Eunie train at a campsite

Once you hit rank 10 in a class, that’s as far as you can go until you find and complete that class’ awakening quest. Despite having a separate name, awakening quests are basically Hero quests that bring that Hero’s story to a close. However, actually unlocking them is more involved than the initial Hero quest and usually involves completing a chain of related side quests, stumbling on the right bit of overheard information, and then discussing it at a rest spot.

A set of very basic requirements shows up under the "System" and "Hero Roster" menu after the class inheritor reaches rank 10 in a class. They only tell you the absolute minium though, such as completing a specific mission or progressing the main story.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 ascension quests for each class

These are all the ascension quests we've completed so far. We're still working on the later-game classes and will update with the rest soon!

Swordfighter ascension quest

Complete Side Story: Noah, which becomes available as part of the story during chapter 7.

Zephyr ascension quest

Complete Side Story: Mio. This quest triggers automatically in chapter 6 during your time in Colony Gamma and also leads to a separate Hero quest that unlocks an important late-game healer.

Medic Gunner ascension quest

This one’s a bit more involved. When you’re going to collect ether cylinders in Swordmarch, you should run across a few children discussing fortune clovers. Listen to them, then with Riku and Manana in your party, travel to the City campsite, and choose the “Fortune Clovers” option. This unlocks Side Story: Eunie and provides some closure to Eunie’s revelation about her previous incarnations.

It’s one of the earliest awakening quests you can take on and opens as early as chapter 5

Tactician ascension quest

Complete Side Story: Taion. This one also unlocks in chapter 6, but it takes a bit of effort first. You need to complete quests around Colony Lamda, and then the next step is a littly murky.

The information you need comes from the Ascension Grounds area of Agnus Castle. Some players report seeing a question mark show up there once you’ve completed the necessary quests around Colony Lambda. I didn’t see one, though, and it’s not really clear which quests or how many you need to do before the conversation becomes available.

The conversation you need to overhear is in front of the Death’s Door resting spot. If you don’t see it, try completing a few more quests around Lambda first. Travel to the Inlet Camp rest spot once you overhear the discussion, and discuss “The Sea” with Riku and Manana in your party.

Heavy Guard ascension quest

Complete Side Story: Lanz. After starting “The Castle Beckons” quest, fast travel to the Fuller Elevator in Cadensia, the elevator that takes you into Swordmarch. Move toward the wire fence, and you start overhearing a short monlogue from a City dweller who’s distressed about his training. With Riku and Manana in the party as usual, discuss the topic at a rest spot.

Ogre ascension quest

Complete Side Story: Sena. Similar to Side Story: Taion, there’s a bit of confusion about when this one actually appears. Some players said it happened in chapter 6, but it didn’t show up until chapter 7 for me. Either way, make sure to put Ghondor in your party, then travel to Michiba Canteen in Swordmarch. Exit to the right and head down the steps. There should be a conversation about supplies and Ghondor you can listen to, and then you can discuss “Ghondor’s Grumblings” at a rest spot to progress.

Flash Fencer ascension quest

Note that significant spoilers are involved in this quest, so consider skipping ahead if you haven’t reached chapter 6 yet.

The Flash Fencer ascension quest unlocks in chapter 6, but you need Camuravi in your party and a character with the Seraph class at rank 10. Travel to Colony Omega, and complete the quest “Raise Ethel.”

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 ascension quests: The party rests at a campsite

The next set of quests follows a fairly standard pattern for the most part, where you complete quests and certain quest chains in a colony to unlock a new phase of the class Hero’s own questline. As far as we can tell, you can complete these fairly early in the game, even though ascension isn’t possible until chapter 6.

War Medic ascension quest

Complete all five phases of Dorrick's development quest, the material gathering quest that pops as soon as you liberate Colony 30. A question mark quest indicator should appear near the colony’s canteen, and when it does, go investigate it with Valid in your party. Discuss “Yuzut’s Reputation” at a rest spot, and the Hero quest “I Am a Mechanic” begins afterward.

Thaumaturge ascension quest

Complete all the “Teach’s Teachers” quests, and then after picking up the "Extracurricular Lesson" quest, discuss "Tutor: Mio" at a rest site and complete the quest. These unlock over time, so make sure to check back at the colony’s bulletin board in each chapter to pick them all up.

Guardian Commander ascension quest

Complete quests in Colony 9 that show up after the first phase of Zeon’s Hero quest, including:

  • Lean Times
  • Forgotten Supplies
  • A Difficult Transition
  • For Colony 9
After "For Colony 9," a quest marker pops up near the colony’s canteen. Speak with Kite there to start the “Reason to Evolve” quest.

This one involves waiting for rain to water Zeon’s vegetable patch. You can tinker with the in-game clock to change days and wait for the rain, or you can head east of the patch and pay 10,000 gold to the Nopon SplishSplash to make it rain immediately.

Yumsmith ascension quest

Getting the Yumsmith quest takes a bit of work. You need to visit the Inlet camp in the northwest part of Erythia Sea, north of Corne Island, to pick up the Culinary Repertoire quest. Follow it to the Daedal Island and rescue Tempapa, then travel back to Michiba Canteen in the City.

Manana needs to prepare Cerise-Caprice Acqua Pazza, and for that, you need a few ingredients sources from the Cadensia region. Refreshing Piranhax Meat comes from the sea, and the fish in question are marked with a quest marker. You can buy the last two ingredients from the Nopon merchant in Swordmarch, and the tomato and Bizarrenacle come from the area of Cadensia before you get to Swordmarch.

Follow Tempapa back to their home, where they ask you to pick up several more items. The first two are standard Cadensia ingredients again. The third comes from Quarmon in the Erythia Sea, also marked by quest markers, and for the last one, you just need to speak with Samon in the City's tech quarter.

At the end of all this, you complete the Yumsmith ascension quest and remove the rank cap.

Strategos ascension quest

Complete quests around Colony Lambda, including New Developments. Once you reach chapter 6, put Isurd in your party, and travel back to Lambda. A cutscene should trigger where the party tries helping Isurd tend to his wounds and take a break for his mental health. The quest "Effervescent Heart" starts after this, and at the end, the Strategos rank cap lifts.

Full Metal Jaguar ascension quest

Gray's quest also has a few Gray-centric prerequisites to complete first. After finishing his initial hero quest, you'll have to wait until chapter 6 and the raid on Swordmarch. Head to the residential quarters and overhear a conversation there. Discuss "Grey's Autonomy" at a rest site, and pick up the "Lovebirds" quest from the residential quarters.

After completing that, travel to the park near the Remembrance Stones, and "Payback for Treason," Gray's new Hero quest, will automatically start. Finish this to release the Full Metal Jaguar rank cap.

Stalker ascension quest

The Stalker ascension quest is "Survivors," but getting it to unlock takes some effort. "Learning from Lambda" in Colony Tau is the prerequisite quest. It becomes available in chapter 6, but there's some confusion over its own prerequisite quests. What seems like the required chain of events is this:

  • Complete "Tau-Tirkin Alliance"
  • Speak with Geum at Colony Tau watchtower and discuss the new knowledge gained
  • Complete "The Harvest"
  • Overhear information about Korresia, and complete "Korresia Finds Her Calling." You can just buy Armrings from Colony 9's commissary to meet the requirements for this one.
  • During or after chapter 5, travel to Colony Tau with Juniper in your party

This should let Learning from Lamdba trigger, and then after that, you can pick up "Survivors." There's another Consul fight, and then the Stalker rank cap is unlocked.

Lone Exile ascension quest

Ashera's Ascension quest is rather more straightforward. After finishing her first Hero quest, you need to complete "The Three Ravens at War". This is a set of three subquests where you have to meet, and fight, Ashera's lieutenants.

After that, you're stuck waiting until chapter 7. Once that chapter rolls around, put Ashera in your party and head to the Kana Battlefield in Fornis, where Eunie had her past-life revelation earlier, and the quest "A Deep Seated Scar" will trigger. This one also ends in a Consul battle, so be ready for that. Finish the quest to release the Lone Exile rank cap.

If you're not sure how best to use these classes, check out our Xenoblad Chronicles 3 build guide for some extra tips.

Lost Vanguard ascension quest

This one is refreshingly straightforward. After chapter 5, put Monica in your party and travel to the City near the Monument Stones. A scene should trigger just outside the room dedicated to the Founders that leads to Monica's new Hero quest "Promise to the Future." Head to Corne Island, and after you defeat the boss there, the Lost Vanguard rank cap lifts.

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Signifier ascension quest

After you clear Fiona's Hero quest "Transparent Dreams," take a walk around Colony Mu and look for the yellow exclamation mark signifying extra quests. Complete "Unease" and "To Face Forward," and then after chapter five, you should see a question mark on the Colony Mu map. Head there, and Fiona's second Hero quest "A Farewell Reset" will begin. Complete this to lift the Signifier rank cap.

Martial Artist ascension quest

You need to progress the story a bit for this one. After completing Side Story: Noah in chapter six, which is mandatory despite being labeled a side story, put Ghondor in your party and travel to the Ascension Grounds in Agnus Castle. The quest should trigger on the upper levels and tasks you with traveling back to the desert in Fornis to fight some monsters and deal with a serious Tirkin issue.

The items the Tirkin asks you to collect are, as ever with quest items, marked with a quest icon. The Martial Artist rank cap lifts after the cutscene plays

Soulhacker ascension quest

Like the class itself, this ascension quest works a bit differently. Add Triton to your party and cook Battle Soup at any campsite. This is the default recipe you learn in chapter two, so there's nothing special you need to do to get it. You gain a new conversation topic to discuss, Manana's Cooking, so discuss that and follow the markers to raise the rank cap.

Troubadour ascension quest

Put Miyabi in the party and travel to Michiba Canteen in Swordmarch. It seems like this is automatic after Mio reaches level 10 in the Troubadour class and doesn't depend on completing other quests. Speak to the necessary people to advance the quest, pick either Miyabi or Manana - the choice doesn't matter - and then at the end of the contest, the Troubadour rank cap lifts.

Seraph ascension quest

The Seraph rank cap lifts alongside the Flash Fencer cap once you complete "Raise Ethel," so you don't have to do anything extra here.

Machine Assassin ascension quest

Visit Li Garte Prison in chapter seven and overhear the conversation to pick up "Acknowledging Feelings." Complete the quest, have Sena reach rank 10 in Machine Assassin, and take Segiri back to the prison. Talk to No. 6, and follow the quest prompts. This is a lengthy quest that takes you to Colony Lambda and Fornis, with a few powerful enemies to face along the way. At the end, the Machine Assassin rank cap lifts.

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