Emma’s S-Craft Shift in Trails of Cold Steel Reveals a Surprising Character Arc
The Trails of Cold Steel series uses gameplay to tell parts of its story, and one clear example is how characters’ S-Crafts — the games’ ultimate skills — change across titles. In Emma Millstein’s case, her S-Crafts shift from broad, offensive spells to a protective, party-wide defense, which lines up with her role and actions in later games. [Warning: This article contains minor spoilers for the main storyline of the Trails of Cold Steel series.]
- S-Crafts and characterization
- Emma in Cold Steel 1 and 2
- Emma in Cold Steel 3
- What this shows about Falcom’s writing
S-Crafts and characterization
S-Crafts are special attacks in the Trails of Cold Steel games that require a minimum number of Craft Points to activate. They function as powerful, often cinematic moves meant to turn the tide of battle. Moreover, Nihon Falcom sometimes uses S-Crafts not only for combat impact, but also to reflect a character’s growth or new role within the story.
For example, a character can gain a new S-Craft after a story event or a status change, and that new move can emphasize a changed priority — whether that is raw power, refined technique, or protection of allies. These changes are concrete: the move’s mechanics, animations, and effects are part of how the game presents a character’s development.
Emma in Cold Steel 1 and 2
In Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel, Emma Millstein is a Thors Military Academy student and the Class VII president. She is also a witch from the Hexen Clan who enrolls at Thors with the aim of guiding Rean Schwarzer, the class’s central figure and someone tied to Divine Knight lore.
During the first two games, Emma’s available S-Crafts include Lord Albireon and Zodiac Rain. Both of these S-Crafts are offensive in nature: they hit all enemies on the battlefield and serve as area-focused damage options. Therefore, in the early entries she is presented, through gameplay, as a capable magic attacker.
Emma in Cold Steel 3
By Cold Steel 3, Emma has graduated from Thors and trained with her clan. Her role shifts in the narrative, and she acquires a different S-Craft called Palace of Eregion. When used, Palace of Eregion summons four translucent magical towers and connecting walls that surround the battlefield. Characters affected receive one or two stacks of Absolute Reflect, a status that blocks incoming damage.
Thus, Emma’s S-Craft changes from wide offensive spells to a move that provides party-wide protection. This is a direct, gameplay-visible change that aligns with the story beats showing her increased focus on protecting allies — especially Rean — even as her raw magical power grows.
What this shows about Falcom’s writing
In short, Nihon Falcom uses S-Crafts as another layer of storytelling. The changes in a character’s ultimate skill are measurable: the skill’s name, effects, and animation all change and thus communicate a different facet of the character. For instance, Rean Schwarzer’s S-Craft Breaking Dawn in Cold Steel 4 becomes available after he reaches the title of Divine Blade, which ties a gameplay unlock to a clear story milestone.
Consequently, players can read mechanical changes as part of character arcs. The approach is not unique to Emma, but her progression—from offensive S-Crafts to a protective one—provides a clear, factual example of how gameplay and narrative intersect in the series.
