Longstanding JRPG series aren’t always the easiest things to get into. A series with a large number of games can look prohibitive, especially when there isn’t a clear place to start. The Legend of Heroes: Trails series started in 2004 and, with its most recent English release, is 12 titles long. For that reason (and as fans of the series), we are bringing you the definitive play order for The Legend of Heroes: Trails series.
The Best Order to Play The Legend of Heroes: Trails Series
There are three big arcs at this point in the series, all based on a different nation in the fictional continent of Zemuria. The series is well-known for its terrific world-building, which shows mostly in the wider cast of characters being shared between games. Therefore, it’s always best to tackle the story in an order that lets you experience the character’s growth rather than skip around and make certain events out of order.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky FC
![Trails in the Sky FC](https://twinfinite.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Trails-in-the-Sky-FC.jpg?resize=991%2C560)
- Release Date: 2004 in Japan and 2011 Worldwide
- Platforms: PC (available through Steam and works perfectly on the Steam Deck)
The first game released (and first chronologically) is Trails in the Sky. This story takes place in the kingdom of Liberl and follows siblings Joshua and Estelle Bright. This brother and sister duo set out on a quest to become Bracers (somewhere between police officers and mercenaries) like their famous father.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC
![Trails in the Sky SC](https://twinfinite.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Trails-in-the-Sky-SC.jpg?resize=991%2C557)
- Release Date: 2006 in Japan and 2015 Worldwide
- Platforms: PC (available through Steam and works perfectly on the Steam Deck)
Continuing right where the first chapter ended, the story picks up as a new threat settles over Liberl. Joshua and Estelle have split up on different adventures, but she will stop at nothing to find him. While the previous game merely hinted at it, this sequel fully delves into Joshua’s mysterious past.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the 3rd
![Trails in the Sky the 3rd](https://twinfinite.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Trails-in-the-Sky-the-3rd.jpg?resize=991%2C557)
- Release Date: 2007 in Japan and 2017 Worldwide
- Platforms: PC (available through Steam and works perfectly on the Steam Deck)
The final game of the Liberl Arc follows Kevin Graham rather than the Bright siblings. While on a mission in Liberl, Kevin is sucked into another dimension known as Phantasma. This unusual dimension seems to create facsimiles of important cities and has the power to somehow summon characters from wherever they ended up after the second game. It’s in Phantasma that Kevin comes face to face with his dark past.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero
![Trails from Zero](https://twinfinite.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Trails-from-Zero.jpg?resize=991%2C557)
- Release Date: 2010 in Japan and 2022 Worldwide
- Platforms: PC, PS4, Switch
- Our Review
Note: the Crossbell Arc games take place around the same time as the first two Erebonia Arc games and can be played concurrently or their orders swapped. However, the latter games feature a sizable jump in graphics, and it might be jarring to swap between or go backward after them.
Trails from Zero marks the start of the Crossbell Arc, and the story begins only three months after the end of Trails in the Sky the 3rd. Unlike Liberl, Crossbell has a more precarious governing system, as it serves as a buffer state between Calvard and Erebonia. Lloyd Bannings has returned to Crossbell after the death of his police detective brother Guy forced him to go live with relatives.
To combat the popularity of the Bracer Guild, the Crossbell police department has created a team called the Special Support Section (SSS), and Lloyd is asked to lead it.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure
![Trails to Azure](https://twinfinite.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Trails-to-Azure.jpg?resize=991%2C557)
- Release Date: 2011 in Japan and 2023 Worldwide
- Platforms: PC, PS4, Switch
- Our Review
Trails to Azure starts with Crossbell still trying to pick up the pieces from the previous game’s conclusion. The SSS is split up to undertake separate duties to help Crossbell recover. With the group fractured, new members join the SSS, and it seems like several threats are converging on this little state all at once. War seems to be brewing, and only the SSS’s investigation skills can try to get ahead of what is coming.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel
![Trails of Cold Steel I](https://twinfinite.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Trails-of-Cold-Steel-I.jpg?resize=991%2C557)
- Release Date: 2013 in Japan and 2015 Worldwide
- Platforms: PC, PS4, PS3, PS Vita
The series finally introduces fans to the empire of Erebonia in Trails of Cold Steel. Rean Schwarzer has been accepted into Thors Military Academy, the empire’s most prestigious school. While classes at Thors are typically separated by social class, Rean has been selected to join the newly created Class VII.
In this special class, students from all backgrounds are mixed to explore and assist citizens all over Erebonia. Tensions are rising across the land, leading to a potential civil war, and the kids won’t be able to avoid it for long.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II
![Trails of Cold Steel II](https://twinfinite.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Trails-of-Cold-Steel-II.jpg?resize=991%2C557)
- Release Date: 2014 in Japan and 2016 Worldwide
- Platforms: PC, PS4, PS3, PS Vita
The events at the end of the previous game forced Class VII to all go their separate ways as the empire broke out into conflict. Rean’s newfound partner is key in getting them all back together, but it also makes him a target. A shadowy terrorist group previously seen in the Liberl and Crossbell Arcs finally plays much more of a role in this sequel.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III
![Trails of Cold Steel III](https://twinfinite.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Trails-of-Cold-Steel-III.jpg?resize=991%2C557)
- Release Date: 2017 in Japan and 2019 Worldwide
- Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5 Switch
- Our Review
While only a year has passed between the second and third games, everything has changed. All Class VII members have graduated, and Rean Schwarzer is now a teacher at the Thors Branch Campus. He’s given a new Class VII to instruct in honor of his accomplishments and history with Thors. This Class VII is vastly different, considering it has only three students. As one of them is from Crossbell, it makes the lessons learned from exploring Erebonia more impactful on the new students.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV
![Trails of Cold Steel IV](https://twinfinite.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Trails-of-Cold-Steel-IV.jpg?resize=991%2C557)
- Release Date: 2018 in Japan and 2020 Worldwide
- Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5 Switch
Due to the events of Cold Steel III, Rean is entirely missing. Interestingly, Juna serves a similar role as he did in Cold Steel II in trying to reunite the cast to help find him. Meanwhile, tensions between Erebonia and Calvard are getting dangerously close to war.
This isn’t about the humans, either. Valimar and the other Divine Knights are fated to fulfill their final purpose. This finale to the Erebonia Arc gathers just about every major character from the previous eight games in one grand adventure.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie
![Trails into Reverie](https://twinfinite.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Trails-into-Reverie.jpg?resize=991%2C557)
- Release Date: 2020 in Japan and 2023 Worldwide
- Platforms: PC, PS5, PS4, Switch
After years of invasions and other terrorist mishaps, the leaders of Crossbell are finally ready to declare their independence formally. However, the unlucky state comes under siege yet again, this time led by a man who is supposed to be locked in prison after the events of Cold Steel IV. A strange alternate dimension also gathers everyone but keeps their memories upon exiting. For the first time in the series, Trails into Reverie splits into three concurrent storylines that follow Rean, Lloyd, and the enigmatic masked C.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak
![The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak](https://twinfinite.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Trails-Through-Daybreak-First-Grendel-Transformation.jpg?resize=991%2C557)
- Release Date: 2021 in Japan and 2024 Worldwide
- Platforms: PC, PS5, PS4, Switch
- Our Review
It’s been a year since the events of Trails into Reverie, and the world has somewhat settled for the moment. Ouroboros has been largely quiet, but in this lull, it seems a new shadowy mafia has risen with their own goals. The Calvard arc opener introduces Van Arkride, a ‘Spriggan’ who will take on almost any job, regardless of legality. His first job comes from a girl trying to hunt down mysterious devices left behind by her famous great-grandfather, who suggests in his notes that they could bring about the end of everything.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak II
![Trails Through Daybreak II Van Arkride](https://twinfinite.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Trails-Through-Daybreak-2-Van-Arkride.jpg?resize=991%2C557)
- Release Date: 2022 in Japan and 2025 Worldwide
- Platforms: PC, PS5, PS4, Switch
It’s only been a few months since Van Arkride bid farewell to his temporary employees. In that time, a mysterious Crimson Grendel has surfaced in Edith, and it appears to have part of the eighth Genesis. Van’s new journey will take him to previously unseen parts of Calvard to help his former employees and track down new threats. Van also gets access to a virtual dimension called the Märchen Garten, which is being hacked by an unknown intruder, interfering with Marduk’s goals for the technology.
Remakes
Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter
![Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter](https://twinfinite.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Trails-in-the-Sky-1st-Chapter.jpg?resize=991%2C557)
Release Date: 2025 Worldwide
Platforms: PC, PS5, Switch
As you can likely tell, this is a full remake of Trails in the Sky FC. The new graphical style is quite vibrant, though it’s a mystery why it doesn’t look like the typical mainline releases. Presumably, it will follow the same story path as the original. However, it could also include worldbuilding from later games that Falcom obviously wouldn’t have known when FC was made. The most notable aspect is that 1st Chapter will get a worldwide release, a first for the Trails series.
Spin-Offs
The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails
![The Legend of Nayuta](https://twinfinite.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/The-Legend-of-Nayuta.jpg?resize=991%2C557)
- Release Date: 2012 in Japan and 2023 Worldwide
- Platforms: PC, PS4, Switch
Unlike the other Trails games, Nayuta is an action-RPG. The story follows Nayuta Herschel (no known links to Towa from the mainline games), who has just returned to his home of Remnant Isle after a trip away. The island has been seeing an increase in shooting stars, with one of them making landfall, leading to Nayuta meeting the fairy Noi, who is desperate to return to her world and stop the evil Zechst. Eager to help, Nayuta and his friend Cygna journey through a mysterious portal that she opens.
Ys vs. Trails in the Sky: Alternative Saga
![Ys vs. Trails in the Sky: Alternative Saga](https://twinfinite.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Ys-vs-Trails.jpg?resize=991%2C557)
- Release Date: 2010 in Japan and 2025 Worldwide
- Platforms: PC, PS5, PS4, Switch
This spin-off is completely different compared to anything else in the Trails series. It’s a crossover fighting game with developer Falcom’s other big franchise, Ys. All the biggest names from the two series go head-to-head in battles that utilize the graphics and perspective of Ys SEVEN. If you’ve ever wanted to see how Loewe would stack up against Adol Christin, this is the game to play. The re-release will also include full English voice acting as a treat for fans.
What Comes After Trails Through Daybreak II?
The next game in the Calvard arc has already been released in Japan, back in September 2024. Its full title is The Legend of Heroes: Kai no Kiseki -Farewell, O Zemuria-, and it’s unclear if it will follow the Daybreak title line. Considering the unexpectedly short release window between the English releases of Daybreak 1 and 2, Kai no Kiseki may be out in early 2026.
Trails of Cold Steel Anime Timeline Placement
The Trails of Cold Steel—Northern War anime takes place between Cold Steel 2 and 3 but doesn’t follow any of the main cast. Instead, the anime takes series fans to North Ambria for the first time. Here, a group of soldiers is tasked with extensive reconnaissance on Rean Schwarzer. His status as the Ashen Chevalier is considered a threat, so the higher-ups want to look into him. The anime adds a fun bit of story flavor but isn’t a mandatory watch.
With all of that in mind, you now have all the information needed to enjoy the Trails series in the proper order for maximum impact.
Published: Feb 14, 2025 5:35 PM UTC