Pyra and Mythra, known in Japan as Homura (Japanese: ホムラ, lit. 'flame') and Hikari (Japanese: ヒカリ, lit. 'light'), are characters from 2017's action role-playing game Xenoblade Chronicles 2, developed by Monolith Soft and published by Nintendo. In the game, Pyra and Mythra are described as two forms of the Aegis Blade sharing one body. The characters were designed by Masatsugu Saito and voiced by actresses Skye Bennett in English and Shino Shimoji in Japanese. Pyra and Mythra were later featured in 2018's crossover fighting game Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as a joint playable fighter, able to be switched with each other during battles, with Pyra specializing in slower, high-damage fire-based attacks and Mythra in faster, combo-oriented light-based abilities. For the game, their designs were revised to be less sexual under the direction of game director Masahiro Sakurai. Critical opinions on Pyra and Mythra have been diverse, with some critics appreciating them for their narrative role and gameplay mechanics, and others disliking their character designs.
Appearances Pyra and Mythra are introduced as the deuteragonists of Xenoblade Chronicles 2. They are two forms of the Aegis, a special and particularly powerful type of Blade - autonomous beings summoned from Core Crystals, with those who wield their power being known as Drivers. Five hundred years after Pyra was sealed away, Rex, the game's main character, is a salvager who first encounters her after being hired to join an expedition to retrieve her from a sunken ship brought up from underwater. When Rex attempts to examine the container Pyra is in, he is stabbed and mortally wounded by fellow expedition member Jin. Pyra reaches out to Rex and bonds with him, implanting part of her Core Crystal in his chest; he subsequently becomes her Driver. Mythra is introduced later in the story, awakening from within Pyra during a battle with Jin's allies Malos and Akhos. Pyra and Mythra exist as two personalities sharing one body; Mythra is the original persona, while Pyra was created later as an alternative to limit Mythra's power. The division is not permanent, and the two switch control of the body at different points in the narrative. Temperamentally, Pyra is calm and gentle, while Mythra is more impulsive and outspoken. At the end of Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Pyra and Mythra are resurrected in separate bodies after sacrificing themselves to prevent the World Tree, a space station, from destroying the world of Alrest as it collapses. Monolith Soft executive producer Tetsuya Takahashi stated that Pyra and Mythra were originally not supposed to return, with the game ending on an ambiguous note with Rex's Core Crystal glowing. Instead, the two were brought back to give the game a more conclusive ending. Pyra and Mythra appear in a photograph near the end of Xenoblade Chronicles 3, where they (as well as their teammate Nia) are shown to have each had a child with Rex: in the expansion pack Future Redeemed, the name of Pyra's daughter was revealed to be Glimmer, while the identity of Mythra's child is unknown. In March 2021, Pyra and Mythra were added to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as playable fighters via downloadable content, following continued fan demand for additional representatives of the Xenoblade Chronicles series. Their inclusion drew some attention, as Rex was expected to be chosen instead. Because Xenoblade Chronicles 2 had a higher age rating in Japan, partly due to the characters' sexualized nature, adjustments were made for their appearance in Ultimate, which targets a larger audience. In the original game, their designs emphasize exposed skin and stylized proportions. For Ultimate, Pyra was given black leggings that reduced how much of her thighs are visible, while Mythra's design was altered more significantly, including additional covering around the chest and legs. Game director Masahiro Sakurai said these changes were necessary to align with the game's all-ages rating. Gameplay-wise, Pyra's moveset emphasizes powerful fire-based attacks, while Mythra's focuses on quick light-based abilities.
Development Character designer Masatsugu Saito described Pyra as a "protective presence" for Rex, with her design drawing on the image of a flame with a burning core. Her design also mirrors a sense of incompleteness, suggesting her connection to Mythra. This is conveyed through intentional asymmetrical details, including uneven glowing elements and parts of her outfit, particularly the back, left partially uncovered. Throughout the games, Pyra and Mythra are voiced in English by Skye Bennett and in Japanese by Shino Shimoji. In Japan, Pyra is named Homura (meaning "flame" or "blaze"), and Mythra is named Hikari (meaning "light"), with their respective red and white color schemes reflecting these meanings. For the English localization of Xenoblade Chronicles 2, their names were adapted to retain these associations: Homura was rendered as Pyra, derived from "pyre" to evoke fire, while Hikari was rendered as Mythra, referencing Mithra, a light-associated figure in ancient Indo-Iranian mythology. Sakurai explained that, early on in the development of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Rex and Pyra were considered for inclusion as playable characters, with the idea of both appearing simultaneously on screen, but this approach was quickly deemed difficult due to technical and processing limitations. He said that, unlike the Ice Climbers, playable characters who shared identical models and actions, Rex and Pyra would have required distinct behaviors and data, exceeding system constraints. An alternative concept, in which Rex functioned as the primary fighter while Pyra assisted him, was also considered too complex to implement effectively. As a result, the development team instead pursued a design centered on switching between Pyra and Mythra, allowing both characters from Xenoblade Chronicles 2 to be represented within technical constraints.
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