Choosing the best party members for *Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition* can feel daunting with the game's extensive roster of characters and seemingly similar classes. To help you navigate this complex RPG, our guide highlights the top five party members and explains why they stand out.

Elma

Elma, the first party member you can recruit, is far from the weakest. Her class, Full Metal Jaguar, is one of the best in *Xenoblade X*, and her AI excels in utilizing it across various scenarios. Key skills like Ghostwalker, which creates a decoy, and Ghost Factory, which enhances party evasion, should be prioritized for leveling. Elma also boasts a range of strong, position-based attacks. While she may experience downtime as she repositions, her hybrid role as a tank, support, and offensive unit is invaluable. With numerous self-buffs that boost her critical hit rate and the ability to instantly gain 1,000 TP for powerful skills, Elma is a crucial asset, especially since she's required for most story missions.

Irina

Irina stands out as the game's premier supporter, even surpassing other support specialists like Hope. She excels at healing, removing debuffs, and boosting party evasion, making her an essential ally if Elma's Ghost Factory is unavailable. Irina also generates TP for the party, albeit at the cost of her own, through skills like Energy Source and Last Stand. While not suited for solo combat or taking down Tyrants, Irina's role is to enhance the effectiveness of your team's attackers, ensuring battles don't drag on unnecessarily.

Nagi

If you're not playing as a Duelist, Nagi is a must-have for your team. As one of the few Duelists in *Xenoblade X*, he's a formidable damage dealer capable of handling enemies at close and long range, with access to area-of-effect abilities. His signature move, Blossom Dance, is exceptionally powerful, ignoring enemy resistances and capable of defeating even the toughest foes in one or two hits. To maximize Nagi's potential, pair him with a supporter like Irina or use Mastermind skills to debuff enemies.

Mia

Despite being a Psycorruptor, Mia embodies the versatility of a Drifter. She can debuff enemies, reduce their debuff resistance, and deal significant damage with attacks like Beam Barrage and Myopic Screen, the latter of which can cause blackout. Mia's attacks are enhanced by active auras, and she can even topple enemies. However, she lacks self-defense and healing capabilities, so ensure she's teamed with members who can cover these weaknesses.

H.B.

H.B. serves as an excellent substitute for Lin when you need enhanced defense. As a Shield Trooper+, he surpasses Lin in every aspect, excelling in drawing enemy attention, which is particularly beneficial if you're playing an aggressive class or have members like Elma or Nagi in your party. H.B. can generate TP with his taunt attack, increase debuff resistance, boost ranged attack power, topple enemies, inflict debuffs, and create a sturdy shield. If you're struggling to survive outside the main storyline, completing H.B.'s affinity mission to recruit him is highly recommended.