Editing Rex

|caption        = [[File:XenobladeSymbol.svg|50px|class=invert-dark]]

|lastappearance = ''{{iw|xenoserieswiki|Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Future Redeemed}}'' (2023)

Rex is a 15-year-old salvager from {{s|xsw|Letheria}} who lives on a {{s|xsw|Titan}} named [[Azurda]], who he refers to as "Gramps". He unwisely takes on a high-paying mission to help a group of mysterious individuals looking for specifically Leftherian help with searching for a great treasure. They succeed in dredging up an {{iw|xsw|Ancient Ship}}, aboard which is their target, a legendary {{iw|xsw|Blade|XC2}} caled the {{iw|xsw|Aegis}}. Rex foolishly touches the red sword, so the group's leader {{iw|xsw|Jin}} immediately kills him, and the group's muscle {{iw|xsw|Malos}} prepares to kill the rest of the salvagers to cover their tracks. Rex then finds himself in a dream of {{iw|xsw|Elysium}}, the fabled paradise atop the {{iw|xsw|World Tree}} he and many others want to visit, and meets with [[Pyra]], the personification of the Aegis. She says they've been bonded, and she can revive him as her {{iw|xsw|Driver}} and thus wielder of the legendary sword, so she can return to the real Elysium. Rex agrees, and together with the defecting [[Nia]] and {{iw|xsw|Dromarch}}, escape the now-villainous group. In the process, Azurda is wounded, and manages to regenrate himself into a larval form that tags along inside Rex's helmet. Rex makes it his goal to bring Pyra to Elysium at any cost.

As the party travels, Rex encounters Jin and Malos several times, as they try to capture Pyra for their own reasons. This results in revealing [[Mythra]], the original form of the Aegis, who created the alternate personality of Pyra in shame for her actions in the war five hundred years ago. Eventually, Rex connects with both Pyra and Mythra well enough that their trust produces a third form, {{iw|xsw|Pneuma}}, who is able to bestow Rex with additional "Master Driver" powers over Blades and the world at large.

In the course of his adventure, Rex becomes the figurehead of his party of paradise-seekers, each with their own reasons for following him and his optimistic goal. He starts out fairly naïve and all too confident in himself to solve every problem, but eventually learns that he can't do everything and must leave something up to others.

In {{iw|xsw|Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Future Redeemed}}, Rex, alongside {{iw|xsw|Shulk}} leads the {{iw|xsw|Liberators}} against {{iw|xsw|Moebius}} on {{iw|xsw|Aionios}}. In the intro, he, Shulk and {{iw|xsw|Z}} attempted to stop {{iw|xsw|Alpha}} from destroying the world, but loses, resulting him in losing his left eye. He and Shulk later aids {{iw|xsw|Matthew}} in saving his sister {{iw|xsw|Na'el}} from Alpha's clutches and manages to defeat him within {{iw|xsw|Origin}} and became its avatars, alongside Shulk and {{iw|xsw|A}}.

According to Sakurai, the development team considered having Rex fighting alongside Pyra and Mythra, but this was decided against due to the difficulty the team had with the {{SSBU|Ice Climbers}} in contexts such as [[8-Player Smash]]. Sakurai specifically cited the far more complicated design and abilities of Pyra and Mythra compared to the relatively simple appearance and moveset of the Ice Climbers.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeDBCgDSiB4</ref> Another issue was getting both characters to move at the same time which the development team found was impossible to do; similarly, it was deemed too difficult to implement Rex as the main fighter with Pyra behind him. This ultimately led to Rex being reduced to a smaller supportive role and Mythra being included along with Pyra with the two being able to [[swap]] instead.<ref>https://www.nintendoenthusiast.com/sakurai-considered-rex-and-pyra-as-a-duo-character-for-super-smash-bros-ultimate/</ref>

Rex was considered for the initial roster alongside other prospective characters like a character from {{uv|ARMS}}, and {{uv|Pokémon}}'s {{pkmn|Decidueye}}; however, he could not be added due to ''Xenoblade Chronicles 2'' being announced after character planning finished in 2016. As an offered alternative, Rex appears as a costume for the {{SSBU|Mii Swordfighter}}. [[Azurda]] (otherwise known as Gramps) in his miniature companion form appears in the set's outfit. The costume comes as a free bonus with purchase of the [[Fighters Pass]] Vol. 1.

Rex also appears as two different [[primary spirit]]s.

 

In [[Adventure Mode: World of Light]], Rex is presumably one of the countless spirits captured by [[Galeem]] during his takeover of the universe. After Galeem's defeat, [[Dharkon]] takes control of Galeem's spirits, including Rex. Rex's spirit is located in the [[Sacred Land]] sub-dungeon of [[The Dark Realm]].

 

Rex uses a {{SSBU|Shulk}} puppet fighter and is fought on the [[Kongo Falls]] stage's [[Ω form]]. If the player has already purchased the Pyra/Mythra Challenger Pack, Rex is fought on the [[Cloud Sea of Alrest]] stage's Ω form instead. He is also fought along a {{SSBU|Lucina}} puppet fighter representing Pyra. During the battle, Shulk starts off with a [[Fire Bar]] and the floor is lava, referencing how Pyra is a Fire Blade with the ability to engulf the battlefield in flames. If the player has already purchased the Pyra/Mythra Challenger Pack then the Lava Floor hazard is not applicable.

 

Originally, the Rex spirit had no additional effects. However, with the release of update version {{h2|List of updates (SSBU)|11.0.0}}, Rex's spirit can be [[Enhanceable spirit|enhanced]] at level 99 into his Master Driver form from later chapters of ''Xenoblade Chronicles 2''. This is the first time a spirit in the base game was given the ability to enhance, or had their ability changed in the game's postlaunch.