Unused Animations

This is a sub-page of Xenoblade Chronicles.

Player Character Test AnimationsAn insightful look into the development of Xenoblade Chronicles.

General#

Playable Characters#

Casting Animations#

Every playable character - save Mumkhar and Alvis - have animations in their battle animation banks that shows them charging up an attack. These animations are internally named "cast". However, enemies are the only entities in the game with any sort of casting time for their Arts, leaving these animations unused.

If Riki's casting animation looks familiar, it's because that animation was slightly reworked for his Roly Poly animation in the final game.

(Source: Iggy)

Casting Damage Animations#

Every playable character (again, except for Mumkhar and Alvis) also has an animation for being hit while casting. While most of these are still, single frame animations, Shulk's is a little... odd, to say the least.

Shulk's got some Exorcist in his systems.

(Source: Iggy)

Riki Playing Dead#

Riki's battle animation bank contains an animation of him feigning death, which was likely intended for his Play Dead Art. In the final, he uses his regular death animation when he uses Play Dead.

(Source: Iggy)

Dickson Jumping#

Dickson's animation bank contains an animation for jumping and landing from a jump/fall. However, he cannot normally controlled by the player, and since Dickson is only available in two barrier-confined battles that restrict the player from taking Dickson to any places that would utilize these animations (such as cliffs), these go unused. These animations seem to exist just because Dickson shares his animations with Monado Dunban.

(Source: Iggy)

NPCs#

Vangarre's Punch#

While this animation is used in-game during the cutscene where Shulk first enters the Military District, the animation pauses halfway through and cuts to a scene of Shulk flinching, leaving the rest of the frames unused.

(Source: Iggy)

Homs Child Lying Down/Sleeping#

One of the Homs children NPCs has two animations for lying down and getting up, similar to two of Arda's animations. However, no Homs children in-game use these animations.

Lying Down Getting Up

(Source: Iggy)

Enemies#

Aora Telethia Topple Animations#

The Aora Telethia has animations for being toppled, but it is impossible to topple it in-game, as the Aora Telethia and all its variants are immune to topple.

(Source: Iggy)

Tokilos Topple Animations#

Similar to the Aora Telethia, the Tokilos and the orange Taos that appear on Valak Mountain have animations for being toppled, however, all Tokilos and Taos are immune to being toppled.

(Source: Iggy)

NPC Test Animations#

Defense Force Soldier Test Animation#

4206622.brres is a model of a Defense Force soldier with this unnatural test animation attached. Notice how the soldier's various body parts clip through another. A video of it in action can be seen here. 1008009473.kyp and 1008009474.kyp have this animation as well.

(Source: Robotortoise)

Alvis Test Animation#

Alvis's NPC model contains a test animation of him throwing his head back.

(Source: Iggy)

Tyrea Test Animation#

Tyrea has a variant of the above where she also opens her mouth.

(Source: Iggy)

High Entia Test Animations#

Several High Entia NPCs contain a test animation of them throwing their head back and opening their mouth. High Entia children and other High Entia have a variant of this test animation where they simply open their mouths.

(Source: Iggy)

Machina Test Animations#

Two Machina NPCs (located at 100818974.brres and 100819054.brres) contain a test animation similar to the Defense Force soldier test animation.

(Source: Iggy)

Homs Child Test Animation#

101728286.brres contains a generic Homs child NPC with this rather disturbing single frame animation attached.

(Source: Iggy)