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The Trails of Cold Steel collection of role-playing games — developed by Nihon Falcom across the last decade — was an ambitious undertaking, considering the multitude of characters and plot points involved. It took the developer several games to fully develop these characters. Emma Millstein's story arc is unfolded in parallel with the series' main story, but it's through the gradual evolution in her abilities that we truly grasp the depth of her inner growth.

Warning: The following content features some story reveals for the central plot of the Trails of Cold Steel games.

In Legend of Heroes: Cold Steel, Emma is a typical young woman, like the rest of the students of the academy's Class VII. As the student leader, she's friendly to each person and aims to prevent any conflicts between her peers. Although the character treats her academy duties really seriously, she leads two separate lives. In truth, she is a witch, a member of the magical Hexen family. Joining the academy is a component of her true goal of guiding Rean Schwarzer, the leader figure of her class, who is meant to awaken a ancient guardian.

In every Trails series title, most party members have at least one ultimate ability, a special attack that requires you to have a minimum amount of Craft Points to use. These ultimate abilities are intended to be your key advantage in every encounter. These ultimate skills are also a way for the game to illustrate the evolution the cast are undergoing. They can symbolize the refinement of a character’s combat prowess, such as the protagonist's S-Craft his new technique in the fourth game, which he unlocks after attaining the rank of Divine Blade. In some situations, like Emma’s, Nihon Falcom uses ultimate abilities to communicate the internal transformations a character undergoes.

When the conflict in the nation of Erebonia erupts in Trails of Cold Steel I, Emma Millstein's approach to the events is the idealistic but logical notion that combat means engaging offensively. The struggle spills over to the sequel in the series, where the pair of ultimate skills she wields are Lord Albireon and her second S-Craft. These two are attack-oriented moves that target all enemies on the field.

When we have the chance to meet Emma again in Trails of Cold Steel III, we witness a changed character. She has moved on from Thors, and after training with her family, she seems to have realized an important truth about who she is. Although she evolves into a formidable spellcaster, Emma understands that, primarily, she’s a defender. She’s willing to sacrifice herself to keep the group — but particularly the leader Rean — secure. Her goal to take on this responsibility is subtly indicated by her special ability, which in Cold Steel 3 transforms into Palace of Eregion.

When you activate the special move Emma's new skill, the character conjures a quartet of translucent arcane structures, and magical walls appear joining them and surrounding the combat area. The party members benefiting from this ability receive a few charges of total reflection, a buff that negates damage of all types. She had at no point been a belligerent individual, so she transitions to a supportive strategy, reflecting the protective demeanor she had invariably shown to her companions.

It’s intriguing to observe how Nihon Falcom uses a persona's skill set to enrich the series' story. RPGs often rely on dialogue or visuals to tell us what a character is feeling. But this character proves that including a spell can add an extra dimension of significance.