The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure

Lore & Background

The game is set a few months after Trails from Zero. The protagonists—Lloyd, Elie, Tio, Randy, and their adoptive daughter KeA—are joined by new recruits Noel Seeker and Wazy Hemisphere. They investigate the Red Constellation mercenary corps, whose leader Sigmund is Randy's uncle. The SSS provides security at a trade conference that is disrupted by terrorists, leading to the deaths of leaders from Erebonia and Calvard. Crossbell's mayor Dieter Crois uses the incident to push for independence, holding a referendum that succeeds, after which Crois declares Crossbell an independent state.

Reader's Guide

Trails to Azure is significant as the concluding chapter of the Crossbell arc, a storyline integral to understanding later games in the Trails series. Despite lacking an official English localization for over a decade, the game maintained a dedicated following through fan translations, notably the Geofront team's 2021 release, which later became the basis for NIS America's official 2023 localization. The game received 'generally favorable' reviews on Metacritic and was highlighted at the 2011 Tokyo Game Show as one of the best upcoming games. Its plot and characters are essential for comprehending the overarching narrative of the Trails series, as noted by Comic Book Resources. The game's delayed English release and reliance on fan translations underscore the challenges of localizing niche Japanese RPGs.

Did You Know?

• The English release was based on a fan translation by the Geofront team.
• The game was originally released in Japan for the PlayStation Portable in 2011.
• KeA is an artificial human created centuries prior to embody the Sept-Terrion of Mirage.
• In Trails to Azure, it is revealed that KeA used her powers to rewrite reality, preventing the SSS's deaths during the events of Trails from Zero.