The Trails / Kiseki series could easily hold the title as one of the biggest RPG franchises around right now, particularly in terms of size and scope.
This ongoing JRPG saga unfolds on the continent of Zemuria and follows various interlinking arcs, characters, and stories. Everything is intricately interconnected, with events influencing other storylines and characters frequently reappearing in future games. With a staggering 12 mainline games to follow — and a 13th set to release in Japan later this year — its reputation is legendary.
Although the series has been steadily arriving on Switch since 2020, pinpointing the best one can be challenging. Thus, we have decided to rely on you, the lovely readers, to rank each of the games. Many of the games are already available, and with The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak — the 11th game in the franchise and the 7th title to release on the console in the West — coming out this summer, now is the perfect time to embark on this journey.
Worry not, because this list isn’t set in Cold Steel — you can click on the star next to the game title below and give the game a rating out of 10, potentially influencing the order. So if you’re not happy with the number one pick, then you might be able to change that. It’s all in your hands.
With that, let’s have a look at the best Trails / Kiseki games on Nintendo Switch:
Publisher:
NIS America / Developer: Nihon Falcom
Trails of Cold Steel IV delivers on its promise as the end of a saga while setting up future plotlines that are sure to affect the lore in all kinds of fascinating ways. This concluding chapter to an ongoing saga is a spectacular RPG experience that no fan of the genre will want to miss out on.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many games are there in the Trails / Kiseki series?
At the time of writing this, there are 12 mainline games in the Trails / Kiseki series and three spin-offs. Of the main series in the West, five games are on Switch, plus one spin-off. The next Switch title to launch in the West will be the 11th entry, Trails through Daybreak, which arrives in Summer 2024.
The direct sequel, titled Kuro no Kiseki II in Japan, does not have a Western release date, but launched in Japan on PS4 and PS5 in 2022. A 13th game, Kai no Kiseki – Farewell, O Zemuria, was announced later 2023 and is coming out in Japan in 2024.
What is the best Trails / Kiseki game to start with?
There’s no easy way of saying this, but the best place to start really is the beginning of the franchise, so The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky is the ideal place to start.
Of course, that’s not available on Switch, so the next best thing is to start at the beginning of an arc. That means if the Switch is your only means of playing the games, then the best place to start is The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero.
Cold Steel III isn’t the worst place to start, but it casually name-drops and spoils essential events from both the Liberl and Crossbell arcs and plenty of characters from each arc drop in and out of the story. So if you start there, prepare to be confused. Just… maybe don’t start with Azure, Cold Steel IV, or Reverie.
If you’re into action RPGs, though, then The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails is largely unrelated to the mainline series, so that’s also a perfectly fine entry point.
Can you play the Trails / Kiseki games in any order?
It’s not recommended, but you definitely can — you just might have a few gaps. The series is known for having a long, interconnected story, and characters and events pop up in multiple games in the series. But only part of the series is available on Switch, so if that’s your only method of playing the series, then you’ll have a few gaps.
Ideally, you at least want to play the respective arcs before moving on to another arc. These are also listed in Japanese release date order:
- Liberl Arc – Trails in the Sky, Trails in the Sky SC, Trails in the Sky the 3rd (PSP/PC only)
- Crossbell Arc – Trails from Zero, Trails to Azure (Available on Switch)
- Erebonia Arc – Trails of Cold Steel, Trails of Cold Steel II, Trails of Cold Steel III, Trails of Cold Steel IV, Trails into Reverie (Cold Steel III, IV, and Reverie available on Switch)
- Calvard Arc – Trails through Daybreak, Trails through Daybreak II, Kai no Kiseki (Trails through Daybreak out Summer 2024 in West on Switch).
Is The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky coming to Switch?
Nothing has been confirmed at the moment, but Nihon Falcom president Toshiro Kondo has spoken multiple times about porting Falcom’s back catalogue to other consoles, including the Switch.
So maybe one day we’ll be able to experience Estelle Bright’s adventures in Liberl on the Nintendo Switch. However, the Sky games and first two Cold Steel games were localised by a different publisher to NIS America — XSEED — so there’s no guarantee those will make it to the West if that happens.
What is The Legend of Heroes?
Created by Nihon Falcom, The Legend of Heroes series started as a spin-off to the action RPG series, Dragon Slayer. After Song of the Ocean, Nihon Falcom developed a new title in The Legend of Heroes series which would become the start of another subseries — The Legend of Heroes VI: Trails in the Sky, which would later be known as simply The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky. This is where Trails starts.
Do you need to play The Legend of Heroes games before Trails?
The first five games in The Legend of Heroes series are not really connected to the games set in Zemuria — that’s from Trails in the Sky to Kuro no Kiseki II. Both Dragon Slayer: The Legend of Heroes and its direct sequel tell a separate story from the Gagharv trilogy. And the Gagharv games aren’t connected to the Trails / Kiseki games, either.
There are fan theories, of course, and little nods to those previous games — just keep an eye out for fun references if you have played those older games. But otherwise, you’re perfectly safe to play just the Trails games. Phew…
That’s it for now, but if you’re a series fan, then you know we’ll be back adding more games to this in the future — and hopefully, the entire series will reach the Switch one day.
Let us know what your favourite game in the Trails / Kiseki series is in the comments.