Choosing the best party members in *Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition* can feel daunting with its extensive roster of characters, each with unique classes and abilities. Our guide highlights the top five party members you should consider for your team, explaining their strengths and how they can enhance your gameplay experience.

Elma

Elma, the first party member you can recruit, is far from weak. Her class, Full Metal Jaguar, is among the best in *Xenoblade X*, and her AI utilizes it masterfully in various scenarios. Elma's key skills, Ghostwalker and Ghost Factory, are essential; the former creates a decoy, and the latter boosts the party's evasion. Prioritize leveling these skills. She also possesses strong, position-based attacks, though they may result in some downtime as she repositions. As a hybrid tank, support, and offensive class, Elma brings a range of self-buffs, including those that enhance her critical hit rate, and can instantly gain 1,000 TP to activate powerful abilities. Her versatility makes her invaluable, especially since she's required for most story missions.

Irina

Irina stands out as the game's premier supporter. Even when compared to other support specialists like Hope, Irina's capabilities are unmatched. She excels at healing the party, removing debuffs, and boosting evasion, which complements Elma's Ghost Factory skill. Irina also generates TP for the party through skills like Energy Source and Last Stand, albeit at the cost of her own TP. While she won't be leading the charge against Tyrants, her role is crucial in keeping the party strong and efficient. Pair her with one or two powerful attackers to ensure quick and decisive battles.

Nagi

If you're not playing as a Duelist, Nagi is an essential addition to 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 a few hits. To maximize Nagi's effectiveness, pair him with a supporter like Irina or use Mastermind skills to debuff enemies, allowing him to truly shine.

Mia

Mia, a Psycorruptor with the versatility of a Drifter, is a jack-of-all-trades. She can apply debuffs, reduce debuff resistance, and deal significant damage with attacks like Beam Barrage and Myopic Screen, the latter of which can cause blackout. Her abilities are enhanced when an aura is active, and she can even topple enemies. However, Mia lacks self-defense and healing capabilities, so it's crucial to include a party member who can cover these areas to ensure her survival and effectiveness.

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, offering superior defense and the ability to draw enemy attention effectively. This is particularly useful 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, 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.