What Does *Trails in the Sky the 3rd* Reaching No. 1 Say About the Trails Popularity Rankings?

At Falcom’s 45th anniversary milestone, the interim results of the Trails series popularity poll are, in some ways, even more worth watching than the buzz around new releases. It does not directly reflect sales, but it does present a fairly clear picture of how longtime players truly rank each entry in the series. Dengeki Online recently released this interim ranking and also confirmed that the voting deadline has been extended to April 19, with the final results expected to be announced in May.

Starting with the most important information: as of now, The Legend of Heroes VI: The 3rd of Trails in the Sky is in first place, followed by The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV, The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie, and The Legend of Heroes VII: Trails from Zero. After that come The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel, The Legend of Heroes VI: Trails in the Sky FC, The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II, Trails in the Sky the 1st, The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure, and The Legend of Heroes: Kuro no Kiseki. This ranking is quite interesting. It does not resemble a new-release chart so much as an inventory check of the series’ assets—at a glance, you can tell which titles have the strongest “retention” in players’ hearts.

Objectively speaking, the fact that Trails in the Sky the 3rd can outrank many later entries suggests that, for Trails players, “content density” and “emotional resolution” may carry more weight than novelty alone. Within the series, it has always felt like an enhanced version built after the second-generation product line had matured. It may not necessarily be the best entry point for newcomers, but within the evaluation system of veteran players, it is actually more likely to score highly. By comparison, Trails of Cold Steel IV and Trails into Reverie taking second and third also shows that major culmination titles and character-payoff-driven works still hold a stable advantage among the fanbase.

What deserves even more attention is that Trails in the Sky the 1st is currently only in eighth place. The original text directly states: “In the current voting, The Legend of Heroes VI: The 3rd of Trails in the Sky has firmly claimed the top spot; meanwhile, Trails in the Sky the 1st, which was released last year and has enjoyed considerable popularity, is only ranked eighth.” This is not actually surprising. High popularity often means high discussion volume and strong exposure efficiency; but a voting scenario is more like a repurchase review, where players are more likely to cast their vote for older titles that accompanied them longer, feel more complete, and left deeper memories. The former is like a traffic spike during a release window, while the latter is closer to an annual report on the series’ reputation. The two are not calculated by the same formula.

From a design perspective, this interim ranking also reflects a trend: the center of gravity of the Trails series’ popularity still clearly leans toward the “worldbuilding phase” and the “phase-conclusion phase.” Trails from Zero is ranked fourth, and Trails in the Sky FC is sixth—both are foundational titles with very clear roles within the series. Meanwhile, Kuro no Kiseki is currently tenth, indicating that while the new arc has drawn attention, it still needs more time to build long-term recognition. This is close to the pattern seen in many long-running JRPG series: the first entry establishes the framework, the concluding entry delivers on promises, and the middle installments depend more heavily on the execution of character development and system iteration.

If you are a newcomer planning to catch up on the series, this ranking can be used as a reference, but it is not advisable to buy strictly according to the order. The most cost-effective approach is still to start with titles that have clear entry-point status, such as Trails in the Sky FC or Trails from Zero, and then decide based on your reception whether to continue into the 3rd or later arcs. Jumping directly into the highest-voted titles may not deliver the same experience. As for Trails in the Sky the 1st, being eighth in the interim ranking does not mean the product has low value; it only shows that it has not yet completed the transition from “new-release buzz” to “series classic.” Once voting closes on April 19 and the official final ranking is released in May, whether this trend widens is the part that will be more worth watching.