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Xenoblade Chronicles 3: How to scan Amiibo to get the Monado and other rewards

by Alex Donaldson on 06 August, 2022

As a first party Nintendo title, it isn't perhaps all that surprising that Amiibo have a small role to play in Xenoblade Chronicles 3. Particularly exciting is that, in Xenoblade 3, you can unlock the Monado, the iconic weapon wielded by Shulk in the first game in this now hugely successful series. There's a bunch of other Amiibo Rewards, too.

In order to get the Monado and many other useful benefits, you'll need to have access to any of the Amiibo figurines and cards that can be scanned on your Switch console to unlock in-game benefits. On this page we explain the Amiibo system in full:

How to use Amiibo in Xenoblade 3 - and Rewards they unlock

To scan Amiibo, you just need to open up the main menu and navigate to this amiibo button.

Using Amiibo in Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is nice and easy, and unlike in some other titles there's no gating that locks away this feature early on. In fact, you can access Amiibo scanning from the moment that you can first open the Xenoblade 3 main menu, which happens pretty much right away in Chapter 1 once the game gets properly underway.

Once you have access to that menu, to use Amiibo:

  • Press X to open up the Main Menu
  • Hit the System Option
  • Press Amiibo
  • When prompted, hold your Amiibo figure or card to the indicated NFC point on your Switch controller
  • At this point, your goodies will unlock!

You can scan up to four Amiibo per real day in Xenoblade 3, meaning you can repeatedly scan amiibo day after day to gain a variety of decent rewards. The limit resets each real-world day - so keep that in mind.

Scanning any non-Xenoblade figure or card will net you a range of random rewards.
Scanning any non-Xenoblade figure or card will net you a range of random rewards.

What are the Amiibo Rewards in Xenoblade 3?

Every Amiibo ever released is compatible with Xenoblade 3 - anything and everything that you scan will give you a reward. Rewards come in a few different shapes and sizes, including bundles of EXP to help level up your characters, and 'Collectible Sets' of items which include a bunch of items of varying rarity.

What you get is relatively random. The items you get spawn on the ground in front of you after you exit the menu - don't forget to pick them up!

The amiibo-scanning limit each day means that you can't exactly use hundreds of Amiibo to grind out items and EXP all at once, but if you commit to scanning four Amiibo a day, you can definitely give yourself a slight edge through the bonus items you'll receive. 

There's even some rare drop items included in the Amiibo unlock table - the sorts of things that you might otherwise get only by completing the many XC3 side quests, or by farming Unique Monsters. So, it's handy to regularly scan Amiibo. And there is one item you can only get via these little figurines...

How to get and equip the Monado weapon skin

The Monado, a classic weapon from the first Xenoblade, unlocks via Amiibo.

The single most impressive Amiibo unlock in Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is the Monado, the legendary sword used by Shulk in the first Xenoblade game back on Wii, and recently remastered for Switch. This is a one-time unlock, meaning you only need to scan the corresponding Amiibo once - then it's yours forever.

In order to unlock the Monado, you just need to scan the Amiibo of Shulk. This makes sense, really - it is his sword, after all! Shulk got an Amiibo as part of the Super Smash Bros. range of figures, as he's in those games representing the Xenoblade series.

Alternatively, if you don't have access to a Shulk Amiibo, the Monado skin also unlocks after you finish Xenoblade 3 for the first time.

In Xenoblade 3, the Monado isn't actually a weapon you equip, but rather is a cosmetic skin that can be applied to the party member that's a Swordfighter - no other character classes can use it.

To equip the Monado weapon skin, open up the Main Menu, then hit the Characters sub-menu, and then Clothing. In there, you can equip the Monado as an 'attachment', which augments the look of your character without impacting your stats. 

Will Pyra and Mythra unlock anything?

Pyra and Mythra are also set to receive Amiibo, also.

Right now, the only official Xenoblade series amiibo on sale is Shulk, who as mentioned got one via being a Smash Bros. Character. Shulk isn't the only Xeno series representative playable in Smash, however - as Pyra and Mythra from Xenoblade Chronicles 2 also appeared in Smash Ultimate as DLC fighters.

Because they were DLC, their amiibo hasn't yet arrived - but when it does, there is every chance that Pyra and Mythra will also unlock exclusive content - perhaps in the form of some sort of Xenoblade 2 throwback item, much like the Monado. We'll update this page if that comes to pass. Watch this space...