How to Upgrade Weapons in Xenoblade Chronicles 3

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is a massive game full of secrets and quests to complete. It features six main characters, each of them possessing a unique weapon according to their class. These weapons can be upgraded to make them more powerful and defeat stronger, more difficult foes.

Upgrading weapons in Xenoblade Chronicles 3, however, requires more than just approaching a blacksmith-type character beside a forge. The ability to upgrade weapons can only be unlocked until later in the game, and only after doing certain tasks.

How to Unlock Weapon Upgrades in Xenoblade Chronicles 3

In order to unlock the weapon upgrading feature, you must have completed the main story quest called The Ultimate Vessel, which is in the final chapter. 

Once you’ve completed this quest, teleport to Sentridge Harbor Control at the Great Sword’s Base and look for the NPC named Samon. He will have a golden quest mark on him.

Samon will speak with you about a quest called Uniting the Seven Nopon. As the name implies, you need to find and speak with seven Nopon who wield Ultimate Hammers. The success of this mission determines whether you can upgrade your weapons or not.

Uniting the Seven Nopon

The seven Nopon involved in this quest are Burrburr, Panepane, Gingin, Tempapa, Fixifixi, Riku, and Samon himself. But since Samon gave you the quest, all you need to do is talk to the other six.

• Burrburr can be located in the Sage’s Garden. Enter the door to the right to find this Nopon. Then, you need to finish a quest called The Thrill of the Hunt before enlisting Burrburr.
• Panepane can be found in the Hillside Ferronis Hulk rest spot after completing the Collapsed Traderpon quest.
• Gingin can be found in his treehouse at the Low Maktha Wildwood. He’ll help you after you complete The Wildwood Life quest.
• Tempapa appears after you begin the Culinary Repertoire quest, which is triggered at the Inlet Camp rest spot at Erythia Sea. Complete the quest then speak with Tempapa on Daedal Isle.
• Fixifixi can be found at the Li Garte Prison Camp, in a cell to the right of Cell #1 rest spot. He will be there after you complete the In Search of a Home quest. He will only speak with you if Valdi is in your party.
• Riku will only speak with you about the Seven Nopon quest after you recruit the first five. He will appear at any rest spot once you succeed in speaking with the others.

Once you have recruited all seven Nopon, have Riku and Manana discuss Seven Nopon in any rest spot, then proceed to the Colony 9 Rear Gate to collect Riku’s Ultimate Hammer. This finishes the Uniting the Seven Nopon quest and unlocks weapon upgrades.

How to Upgrade Weapons in Xenoblade Chronicles 3

Now that you have unlocked weapon upgrades, all you need to do is to visit Samon at his workshop to get your weapons upgraded. Upgrading certain weapons requires a specific number of Origin shards, however.

Origin shards are those glowing collectibles that didn’t seem to have any purpose. They were called Odd shards before, but after you unlock weapons upgrading, they will be renamed Origin shards. You most likely have already seen some of these before starting the Uniting the Seven Nopon quest.

You can acquire more Origin shards in specific locations like the final dungeon, as well as by hunting down Unique Monsters. Killing Unique Monsters for the first time guarantees you get some Origin shards. Farming shards via Unique Monsters also lets you get more skills for the Soulhacker class.

Upgrading weapons will result in increased stats for associated classes. This is limited to characters that began with those classes, however. Upgraded weapons also get a different design that appears in the game.

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