The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the 3rd
Final entry of the Liberl trilogy arc with darker themes.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the 3rd is a role-playing game from 2007, developed by Nihon Falcom. It serves as the third entry in the Trails series, which is part of the larger The Legend of Heroes franchise, and concludes the Liberl trilogy arc that began with Trails in the Sky FC and continued with Trails in the Sky SC. Initially released in Japan for Windows and the PlayStation Portable, it did not receive an English version until 2017, a delay caused by the enormous amount of text requiring translation.
The gameplay retains the turn-based battle system of its predecessors, but introduces enemy affinities tied to the three higher elements: time, space, and mirage. New turn bonuses include "rush," which lets a character act twice; "guard," which negates all damage; "vanish," which removes a target from battle for several turns; and "death," which instantly kills an enemy. Throughout dungeons, players encounter doors marked with moon, star, and sun symbols. Moon doors trigger lengthy story scenes, star doors trigger shorter ones, and sun doors lead to mini-games. These scenes provide character development and hints about future events, and some include battles. Save data from the Windows, PSP, and PS3 versions of Second Chapter unlocks bonus content in the 3rd. Additionally, save data from the PSP version can be transferred to the PS3 version, allowing players to continue from their last save point.
The story takes place one year after the events of the previous game. Kevin Graham, a Dominion of the Septian Church, is called back to Liberl to examine artifacts recovered from the wreck of the Liber Ark. On his journey, he learns that his childhood friend Ries Argent has been assigned as his squire. While they are present, an artifact called the Recluse Cube activates on its own. Soon after, the two are transported to an otherworldly dimension named Phantasma. As they explore, they find that locations from across Liberl have been recreated inside, and other characters from the earlier Sky games have also been pulled in. The group works together to investigate the realm and find a way out.
Deep within Phantasma, the heroes discover a replica of the orphanage where Kevin, Ries, and Ries' older sister Rufina grew up. The ruler of Phantasma reveals herself to be Rufina, who seeks revenge against Kevin for accidentally killing her.
Quick Facts
- Title
- The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the 3rd
- Developer
- Nihon Falcom / Paon DP (PSV)
- Publisher
- Xseed GamesJP · Nihon Falcom · JP · Kadokawa Games (PSV) · JP · Broadmedia (iOS/AND)
- Director
- Toshihiro Kondo
- Producer
- Masayuki Kato
- Programmer
- Hideyuki Yamashita · Noriyuki Chiyoda
- Artist
- Haccan
- Writer
- Hisayoshi Takeiri · Shinichiro Sakamoto · Yoshihiro Konda
- Composer
- Ryo Takeshita · Hayato Sonoda · Takahiro Unisuga · Yukihiro Jindo
- Series
- Trails
- Platforms
- Windows · PlayStation Portable · PlayStation 3 · iOS · Android · PlayStation Vita
- Genre
- Role-playing
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the 3rd was initially planned as part of a single game, but the size and scope grew so much that Falcom split it into two parts, First Chapter and Second Chapter. Development later started on an epilogue, which became the 3rd. While the first two entries focused on the upbeat adventures of Estelle and Joshua, the 3rd shifted focus to a darker story following different protagonists. Gameplay is similar to its predecessors with turn-based battles, but enemies have affinities to the three higher elements of time, space and mirage. New turn bonuses include rush, guard, vanish, and death. Throughout dungeons, doors engraved with symbols of the moon, stars, and sun trigger long story scenes, short story scenes, and mini-games, which contain character development and foreshadowing for future events.
A year after the previous game, Dominion of the Septian Church Kevin Graham is summoned to Liberl to inspect artifacts from the wreck of the Liber Ark. He learns his childhood friend Ries Argent has been assigned as his squire. An artifact called the Recluse Cube activates, and the two are sent to an otherworldly dimension called Phantasma. Exploring Phantasma, they find places from Liberl replicated inside, and other characters from previous Sky games have been summoned. They work together to investigate and find an escape. Deep in Phantasma, the ruler reveals herself as Rufina, Ries' older sister, intent on revenge against Kevin for accidentally killing her. Kevin awakens a stronger version of his Stigma, realizing his Stigma activated the Recluse Cube out of unconscious desire for punishment. The party defeats the corrupted Stigma and opens a door to the outside world. Optional scenes introduce characters and concepts seen in later arcs, including a subplot involving former Ouroboros enforcer Renne.
Reader's Guide
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the 3rd serves as the epilogue and final entry of the Liberl trilogy arc, concluding the story begun in First Chapter and Second Chapter. Its significance lies in shifting narrative focus from the upbeat protagonists Estelle and Joshua to a darker story centered on Kevin Graham, a Dominion of the Septian Church. The game introduced new gameplay elements such as enemy affinities to time, space, and mirage elements, and turn bonuses like rush, guard, vanish, and death. The door system provided optional story scenes and mini-games that developed existing characters and foreshadowed future events in later arcs. The game's English release was delayed until 2017 due to the large amount of text requiring translation, with Xseed Games partnering with Carpe Fulgur to translate Second Chapter, on which the 3rd's localization hinged. Save data from Windows, PSP, and PS3 versions of Second Chapter unlock bonus content, and save data from the PSP can be transferred to the PS3 to continue progress. The game received generally favorable reviews on Metacritic and a score of 30/40 from Famitsu for its PSP version in Japan.
Did You Know?
- The game was initially planned as part of a single game that was split into First Chapter and Second Chapter, with the 3rd developed as an epilogue.
- The Recluse Cube artifact was activated by Kevin's Stigma acting on his unconscious desire for punishment.
- Save data from Second Chapter on Windows, PSP, and PS3 unlocks bonus content in the 3rd.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the 3rd?
It is a 2007 turn-based role-playing game developed by Nihon Falcom that wraps up the three-part Liberl storyline begun in Trails in the Sky FC and SC. The title functions as the concluding chapter of that arc within the broader The Legend of Heroes franchise.
Why was the English release of Trails in the Sky the 3rd so late?
The Japanese version launched in 2007 on Windows and the following year on PSP, yet the Western localization did not arrive until May 2017. The primary reason cited was the sheer volume of dialogue and text that needed to be translated.
What platforms can I play Trails in the Sky the 3rd on?
The game has been released on Windows, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, iOS, and Android. The original Japanese releases targeted Windows (2007) and PSP (2008), with later ports expanding its availability to additional systems.
How does the 3rd differ in tone and gameplay from FC and SC?
While it retains the same turn-based combat structure as its two predecessors, the 3rd shifts toward noticeably darker and more serious narrative themes. It is designed as the emotional and plot-heavy finale to the Liberl trilogy.
Do I need to play FC and SC before the 3rd?
Yes, the 3rd is structured as the direct conclusion to the story established across the first two entries, so prior knowledge of the Liberl arc is essential for following its plot and character developments.
More in Role-Playing Games of the 2000s, Part 2 1-23
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced