Liberl arc (Trails in the Sky)
The first arc of the series, Trails in the Sky, consists of three games. They are set within the Liberl Kingdom and primarily follow Estelle Bright and her adopted brother Joshua, members of the Bracer's Guild, a civilian peacekeeping and monster-hunting organization.[1] The first game, Trails in the Sky, was released in Japan in 2004 for Windows and for the PlayStation Portable (PSP) in 2006.[16] The second game, Trails in the Sky SC, continues the plot of the first and was released in Japan for Windows in 2006 and the PSP the following year.[16] The third game, Trails in the Sky the 3rd, follows Septian Church agent Kevin Graham, who is sent to an otherworldly dimension known as Phantasma alongside many characters from the previous two games. Sky the 3rd also features vignettes exploring character backstories as well as foreshadowing plot elements explored in later arcs.[17] It was released in Japan in 2007 for Windows and the PSP in 2008.[16] A 3D remake of the first game, Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter, released worldwide for Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and Windows in 2025.[18] A remake of the sequel, Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter, will be released for the same platforms in 2026.[19]
In 2010, Xseed Games acquired the rights to localize and publish the trilogy in English.[20] Despite the first game being finished in 2011, SC and the 3rd were not released until the mid-2010s due to several challenges during the localization process, such as slow communication with Falcom and occupational burnout due to the size of their scripts, with the first game alone having over 1.5 million Japanese characters.[21][22][23]
Crossbell arc (Trails from Zero / Trails to Azure)
The Crossbell arc consists of two games. They are set in Crossbell, a city-state located between the great powers of Erebonia and Calvard. It follows rookie police investigator Lloyd Bannings and the Special Support Section, consisting of himself, Elie McDowell, Randy Orlando, and Tio Plato, as they protect the city from criminal activity and the geopolitical situation that looms over it. The first game, Trails from Zero, was released in Japan for the PSP in 2010.[24] The second, Trails to Azure, was released in Japan for the PSP in 2011.[24]
The duology did not see official English release for over a decade until NIS America took over rights to the series' English localization in 2019. They released Trails from Zero in 2022 and Trails to Azure in 2023 for PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Windows. Unlike other English language releases in the Trails series, the Crossbell arc lacks English audio and only includes English subtitles with Japanese audio.[25][26]
Erebonia arc (Trails of Cold Steel / Trails into Reverie)
The Trails of Cold Steel arc follows Rean Schwarzer and Class VII, a specialized group of students attending Thors Military Academy in the Erebonian Empire. The first game, Trails of Cold Steel was released for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita in Japan in 2013. Trails of Cold Steel II is a direct continuation of the first game and was released for the PlayStation 3 and Vita in 2014.
The third and fourth games, Trails of Cold Steel III and IV, follow Rean in his new role as an instructor of a new Class VII at a branch campus of Thors. Cold Steel III was released for the PlayStation 4 (PS4) in Japan in 2017, while Cold Steel IV was released in the following year. A fifth game, Trails into Reverie, was released in 2020 and acts as an epilogue to both the Crossbell and Erebonia arcs and follows Rean, Lloyd, and a masked character known as C.[27]
English versions of Cold Steel and Cold Steel II were released by Xseed Games in 2015 and 2016, respectively. NIS America released Cold Steel III in 2019, IV in 2020, and Trails into Reverie in 2023. A box set containing all five games was released in Japan for the PS4 in July 2022.[28]
Calvard arc (Trails Through Daybreak / Trails Beyond the Horizon)
Trails Through Daybreak follows Van Arkride, a mix of a detective and bounty hunter known as a Spriggan, and high schooler Agnes Claudel, who hires Van to search for eight artifacts that hold the key to solving an apocalyptic mystery. The arc is set in Calvard and is considered the start of the second half of the series. The first game, Trails Through Daybreak, was released in Japan for the PlayStation 4 in 2021. It features an action-based battle system as well as updates to the traditional turn-based system.[15][29] An English version was released by NIS America in July 2024 in addition to a Nintendo Switch version.[30]
A sequel, Trails Through Daybreak II, was released in Japan for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 in September 2022 and for the Switch in July 2024.[31]
