#kh re: chain of memories

[nyctoheart]

(Acronyms included; I.E. "re:CoM" or just "CoM")

[qwerty-between-the-lines]

When Sora faces off against Larxene in Castle Oblivion during the events of Chain of Memories, he and Roxas are separated at the time.

Roxas is Sora's Nobody, so Larxene was being literally accurate in her taunts.

Larxene: You really are a hero. A Heartless hero!

[embraceyourdestiny]

penned between the margins // Kingdom Hearts fanfic

Rating: General

Characters: Kairi (post KH1~ around CoM)

Warnings: Dairy entry that’s present tense + first person POV, slight dereality typical with memory related issues in Kingdom Hearts, Hospitals

AO3

————————————

Something happened. I don’t know what it was, but I know something did happen.

It started a few weeks ago. This… feeling inside of me. It’s nothing like anything I’ve felt before, so I don’t know how to describe it. It’s almost… hollow? No, that doesn’t sound right. Empty? Maybe, but not quiet.

Longing. That might be the way to describe it.

I don’t know where it came from. One day I was running down the beach of the main island with Wakka and Tidus, playing games with them, giggling with Selphie and the other girls about about dumb school stuff like we always do, and the next thing I remember I somehow ended up at the play islands, standing at the empty shore like I was looking for something.

Like something was missing.

I don’t remember how I got there, I don’t even remember leaving the house that day or what compelled me to go there without telling anyone. I just… did. Or did I? If I don’t remember doing it, did it really happen?

Everything feels like a dream. That’s probably the best summary of how most things have felt since that day.

Some things are real, I know for sure. Wakka and Tidus are as rambunctious as ever, sparring up and down the shore, laughing and messing with each other like they always do. Selphie and I are practically glued at the hip like we’ve always been. These things are the same and they feel normal but… but they also feel like they’re not.

It’s weird. I don’t know how to describe it. Somehow, things don’t quite feel real.

Nothing from my life is missing or out of place; mom and dad are as great as ever, no one moved in or away (I made sure — daughter-of-the-mayor privileges come in handy every once in a while), summer was ready to end and school was about to start a few weeks away just like it was before this gnawing feeling consumed me, so, what’s wrong? Why do I feel like this? Why does it feel like I’m searching for something I can never find, even though I can almost feel it brushing against my fingertips?

Selphie was the one who found me all those weeks ago and I still feel like I have to apologize for it everyday, even though I stopped doing that about a week ago. She said we were walking down the beach, chatting away like any other day, when I just… stopped. Stopped moving, stopped talking, even stopped breathing, though I don’t know how much of that was an exaggeration on her part or entirely true. She’s always had a flair for the dramatics, after all. it’s not that I doubt her, I just… I feel like I’m always second guessing myself these days.

Anyway, she said I stopped walking and just… turned on my heel and walked towards the shoreline. She said I would’ve walked right in if she hadn’t stopped me, and that might be the scariest part of all of this. The second scariest, actually. Doing things beyond your control and not remembering it is terrifying, but knowing you’re missing something without any proof of many things missing is indescribably startling. At least there’s a reason for people doing things and not remembering doing them, what explanation is there for remembering something that didn’t happen?

That’s what I keep telling myself. It didn’t happen. It feels wrong, so wrong, because I know something did happen, but maybe it didn’t. Maybe I’m just remembering wrong. Maybe I’m imagining it. Maybe. Maybe. Maybe.

And it’s even weirder because with how Selphie describes her story… I don’t remember it like that at all.

We might’ve been on the beach together at some point, the details of memories with her are fuzzy in an entirely different way, but I don’t remember her being there. I don’t remember anyone from the islands being there. No one. I was all by myself for so long. I have no visual memory of this, no flash of images that give me at least some solace that I’m not completely losing my mind, but I know I was alone.

Or… no, I wasn’t. Not entirely, at least. There was this… warmth. This light, almost. I was scared and alone, but the light helped keep me warm and safe. I think, at least. With no proof even within my own mind, it makes what I feel seem less reliable, but I know it happened. I know. Or, I thought. I don’t know. It’s all a big jumbled mess.

All I know is that before Selphie found me on the beach that day, everything was dark. And cold. And alone. But not. Because that light was protecting me.

Maybe I am losing my mind. How can I both feel something and not feel something at the same time?

Selphie nearly gave me a heart attack when her concerned hand gently touched my elbow that day, but outwardly, I had no reaction. It was unnatural. She touched me and I barely moved. I only slightly shifted to face her but with no control of my own. Like my body was on autopilot, trying to fly to my rescue. And I was so tired. As nice as she could put it, Selphie said I looked dead in the eyes when I looked at her before collapsing in her arms, and isn’t that embarrassing?

Wakka and Tidus had luckily come to the islands that day and found us soon enough, me lying in Selphie’s arms on her lap, wordless, almost comatose, and Selphie freaking out on the inside but surprisingly calm on the outside, holding my hand and gently stroking hairs behind my ear that just wouldn’t stay.

I don’t remember much from that day, honestly. All I know for sure is besides darkness and light, I vividly recall Selphie’s soft hand in mine, the slight shake of her body as she reassured me that everything was going to be okay, and the image of her crumbling to the floor the second she thought I couldn’t see her anymore behind the hospital door. But, I did, and it’s been haunting me ever since.

She looked so… frail. Small. Like a child, wailing on the floor in the middle of the hallway. For me. Maybe that’s the real reason I still apologize to her everyday, even if it’s only in my head. Purposefully or not, I did that to her, and the guilt is almost too much to bear.

Staying in the hospital was… an experience I hardly remember. It comes back in flashes, in sensations I’d never felt before but can pinpoint exactly now, like an IV in my arm and being fed food and water because I couldn’t do it myself for days on end. Humiliation is commonplace among my confusing and busted wheelhouse of emotions now, it seems.

The weird thing was, when I was conscious and coherent, trying to tell everyone what I think happened, with their words, they told me I was wrong, that I never left the islands, that everyone is safe and here, that I have nothing to worry about. But their actions said something different. Worrying hands that seemed frantic for reasons more than me having a bad… whatever I had. Quick glances constantly thrown over my parents shoulder, like if they looked away for even a second, I’d disappear into thin air.

Sometimes, it feels like the other way around. Like instead of disappearing into thin air, I just appeared out of nowhere one day.

It’s confusing because I don’t feel this way about my entire life. I know the memories of before that day are real, that I came to this island as a little girl, that against all odds I found a family and great friends, but it still feels so, so wrong. Even though those memories shouldn’t be tainted in anyway, they still feel off. Incorrect. Like something missing. Just like Selphie’s telling of the day she found me. I don’t think she’s lying, but I know she isn’t right. And the most confusing part is I’m not lying to myself, but I know my memories aren’t right either.

It’s been a slow adjustment, coming back. I keep phrasing it that way in my head. “Coming back.” I didn’t leave, not physically. At least, I don’t think, but it feels like I came home after a long, long, taxing journey. Like when you come back after a long family trip and the tiredness of your travels finally settles in, leaving you fatigued and sluggish, but I never feel that relief that swells in you when you finally get home. That feeling of when you step through the door of your house and comfort, safety, security, home washes over you. It hasn’t happened yet. I’ve never left, and yet I don’t feel like I’m home.

‘ Try not to think of it,’ my mother tells me. ‘Focus on what it is you’re feeling,’ the therapist says. ‘I’m losing my mind,’ I think.

I don’t know which one of us is right.

At the moment I’m sitting on the balcony of my bedroom, staring out at the setting sun as it’s light sparkles over the horizon. I’ve always loved twilight. It’s the best part of the day, when the sun is nuzzling into it’s comfortable place and gives us one last glow of it’s beauty before saying farewell and making way for the night. The time between day and night has always been one of comfort for me. It’s even prettier on the play islands, but I haven’t been back since Selphie found me.

Okay… not technically true. I did go back once when I could find the chance to get away between the hectic mess of discharging from the hospital and settling back in at home. And there I go talking about it like that again. “Settling back in.” I never left, so there’s nothing to settle into. I tell myself this so I feel like I at least have a little control, but once the lying starts it means that control has been lost for a long time, right?

...Right. The play islands. I went back because I thought I could… I don’t know. Find whatever it was that was missing? As if it was just some trinket I dropped near the paopu tree and if I came running back it’d be right there, waiting for me to return. It sounds as ridiculous as it felt to do. What I lost wasn’t some mere charm off a bracelet or something trivial like that, it was real and important, of course it wasn’t going to just magically appear the last place I remember seeing it.

Huh… that’s a bit of a clue, isn’t it? “The last place I remember seeing it.” The paopu tree. It keeps coming up in my thoughts and in my memories, as if I can trust those, but maybe that will be helpful down the line.

Before all of this stuff happened, I used to keep a diary. Not for any real reason, the content of it hardly mattered, honestly. Scribblings here, a random poem there, what I wrote wasn’t important, it was the fact that I was writing at all that was. It helped me keep things clear and concise in my own head, all my thoughts organized into one, easy to read space. I kept a journal with me constantly, writing down anything that seemed important and sometimes especially things that were mundane, so I wouldn’t forget it later. I eventually fell out of the habit, but the doctor suggested for me to pick it up again to help make sense of what happened to me and I’ve been trying to do it ever since.

These days, though, my thoughts and writings form into one big blob of a mess and I find myself constantly getting lost in the flow between them. Some things I thought I wrote down end up being only thoughts I had at some point and never committed to writing down, and other things I thought were only daydream imaginings end up staring right back at me on the lines of paper. I look down at the notebook in my lap now and realize I’ve been writing this whole time. It’s become second nature at this point, I wasn’t even looking at what I was writing. My penmanship has seen better days but the writing is still legible and… as coherent as I can make my thoughts be recently. It makes sense to me, at least. (And doesn’t.)

I scribble the note about the paopu tree down, even drawing a crude rendition of the tree with three paopu fruits on it in the margins, as best as I can muster. It’s not much, but drawing has also been helping me make sense of the mess of my brain recently, even though I’m not all that good at it. Maybe I need a hobby. Something to distract me. The doctor said something like that, too, I think, but, as always, I can’t remember clearly.

There are few and far moments in between when thinking about whatever it was that happened to me isn’t all-consuming and occupying every one of my thoughts, and my mind flits over to the thought of school.

God, doesn’t that sound awful.

School has never been bad, but dealing with it while also dealing with all of this sounds a bit much. Maybe I can ask if I can be homeschooled, just for a semester. Mom and dad will probably fight it, saying it’ll be good for me to be among my peers, especially after all of this, but I disagree. It might not be a good idea, but I think I just need to be alone with this stuff for a while, so I can make sense of it for myself, and then I can make it make sense to others. If it ever gets to that point. I don’t know if it will, honestly.

Well, it’s okay for now. School isn’t for at least another month so until then, I’ll just keep trying to make everything make sense.

I’m not normally a pessimist, but these thoughts and recent experiences have made me not feel like myself. I try to not let it bother me, but it does so much. I scribble another note down about needing to make a checklist of school supplies and end the note with an explanation point, dotting the bottom with a drawing of a paopu fruit.

Paopu fruit… paopu tree…

I look up from my journal and out to the glittering sea, the play islands gently hugging the darkening horizon. Maybe I should go back there soon. Something feels like it’s calling me. But maybe I’m imagining that, too.

I hear my mother call me for dinner and I sigh, closing my notebook. I stand, looking out wistfully towards the twilight horizon and the play islands one more time, before I leave the balcony and shut the sliding door tight, locking it into place.

Another thought for another day.

[keyknows]

youtube just recommended me a video that’s like “the worst kh game, birth by sleep!” and i’m here like did you play re:chain of memories?

[foxybatty]

With the Kingdom Hearts series closed and done for stream until the release of Kingdom Hearts IV (whenever that is), here's all the thumbnails I did for the series.

Thank you for this long and nostalgic journey. <3

[tapioca-puddingg]

Yo! Just went live on Twitch! Gonna be watching the chain of memories cutscenes. Stop by if you're interested!

[exposingtheidiocy]

"It's your problem you didn't play the KH spinoffs!"

Let's look at some sales. (Source is VGChartz, and the Play Store was used for Dark Road)

Kingdom Hearts - 6.3 million Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories - 1.6 million Kingdom Hearts II - 5.2 million Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories Kingdom Hearts Coded Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days - 1.7 million Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep - 1.7 million Kingdom Hearts Re: Coded Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance - 1.3 million Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix - 1.6 million Kingdom Hearts X Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix - 1.2 million Kingdom Hearts (Unchained/Union) X Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue - 1.3 million (PS4) Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 Remix - 1.8 million (PS4) Kingdom Hearts III - 6.7 million Kingdom Hearts: Dark Road - "Over 1 million"

No data on Melody of Memory, which probably means it sold below those. The other KH mobile games are no longer on the app store, so I don't have numbers for those either.

Anyway, notice something? The numbered games as originally released sold vastly more than the spinoffs. The rereleases are outliers, and yet despite this, the main games are still more relevant than the other games. Let's look at achievement percentages (PSNProfiles), highest percentages:

1.5 (KH) - 60.62% (Seal the Keyhole in Agrabah; not the actual highest one but I chose this as it's around the midway point in the game)

1.5 (RE: CoM) - 39.97% (Clear Castle Oblivion 5F; the actual highest one was "hit an enemy with an object" at 73.41% but that's not tied to completion)

1.5 (Days) - 40.16% (View Chapters 1-37, this is the highest one, though the others aren't much lower)

2.5 (KHII) - This image should speak for itself:

2.5 (Birth By Sleep) -

The actual highest is 85.46% for... completing the prologue (lol). If I were to include this, KHII would still have it beat with 87.40%.

2.5 (Re: Coded) -

This is pathetic!

The playable spinoffs did better than I thought, but still don't beat the main games. And the "movies" don't even come close, despite being some of the easiest trophies to earn in gaming.

Let's see how 2.8 fares. These are the notable trophies for the games with the worst subtitles: A Fragmentary Passage and Dream Drop Distance -

AFP is the outlier, DDD did better than I thought it would but the lowest trophy scores are still worth pointing out. Still, it's to be expected that more people play the main games than the spin-offs. It's not our problem that we mostly (or solely in some cases) engaged with the main games, it's Square Enix's.

[firestorm09890]

Secret Report Day 27

(author: Marluxia)

Organization Dog

Axel is in the way, though I don't know if he's aware of our plot. Vexen had no part in our plans - why eliminate him, assuming Axel's orders were to root out traitors to the Organization? Discerning his motives merits our full attention.

This makes very little sense, don’t you think? It’s wildly out of character and inconsistent with the actual Chain of Memories plot. Axel is not in the way (yet), and Marluxia certainly didn’t know Axel was aware of his plot- he wouldn’t be so surprised and upset later if he did know. He eliminated Vexen because MARLUXIA TOLD HIM TO. And he in his shortsightedness didn’t even realize Axel was going to turn the words “Eliminate our traitor” against him. “Discerning his motives merits our full attention”, he says, and then leaves Axel alone in a room with Naminé and stops looking. Sure. Suuuuure.

But here’s the thing. This isn’t what the Secret Report should be. Literally- it’s completely different in the Japanese version. Here’s a rough translation from Heartstation of what it should be:

Key to the Plan

In a short while, Sora will be delivered into my hands. Sora, who has had his memories re-written by Naminé, is now no more than our puppet. If we have the Keyblade Hero in our hands, we will also be able to control the replica plan. It will be easy to take over the Organization.

Wow! That makes a lot more sense, doesn’t it? A lot more in-line with Marluxia’s demeanor, too. So how the FUCK did the translation get screwed up so bad? The original doesn’t even mention Vexen and Axel, and the translation has no word of Sora or Naminé…

I can’t remember if this is a point someone else made and I absorbed it into my brain and forgot someone else suggested it first, or if this really is an original thought, but my theory is that it was an astronomically poor slip-up and they accidentally translated Day 26 twice; the differences come from the same material being written by two different authors. Here’s Day 26 for reference (author is Zexion):

Axel’s Actions

Simple deduction suggests Axel’s outwardly inscrutable actions are the result of some directive from Saïx. Why else eliminate Vexen? He simply wanted to do research. Did we not all stand to gain from the fruits of his Program? What is Axel thinking?

Look at that, same general idea. “Axel’s causing problems, it makes no sense why he’d eliminate Vexen.” Day 27′s report ended up so different that this actually seems more plausible than the localization team taking liberties and changing a few things.

In conclusion the kh localization sucks sometimes. Tell all your friends how bad the kh localization is

[scare-ard--sleigh]

my dad gave me a shit ton of ps3 games that i will be Bad at so i'm doing a poll about what i should play after i beat kh (but it will be concurrent with re: chain of memories.) my Recent video game experience has been soul calibur (passibly okay at it), bioshock infinite (moderately bad at it), and gta 5 (VERY bad at it, hence its place on the poll)

[doberbutts]

Yesterday an article popped up about how Kingdom Hearts 3 sold more copies than any individual game within the series combined and how that was actually bad for future of the Kingdom Hearts series and it just seemed like a lot of pessimistic nonsense and it made me realize that’s what bothers me about so much journalistic interaction with entertainment media nowadays.

It was saying how Kingdom Hearts 3 was overburdened with tying all the loose ends together rather than it being its own plot (agreed) and as a result was completely inaccessible to new fans due to the overly convoluted nature of the plot. Which like. Did we play the same game? I’m not saying the KH series isn’t bloated with enough tangential plotlines to make me wonder if the creators have some serious commitment issues, but KH3 introduced the cutscene theater and continuously referenced past games and story beats over and over and over again starting with the intro and continuing throughout the game to the point I thought it was a little masturbatory. Maybe it’s because I played every game in the series that I could easily identify each callout to something from a different game they were tying in but there were so many “oh you wouldn’t remember, let me remind you” and “don’t you remember?” and “ah yeah that was a while ago well let me explain” points that I felt the game was more “interactive cutscene” than “actual videogame” by the ending.

It then followed up by saying that KH3 outsold all of its predecessors so much that the success was actually a failure to draw new fans to the older games of the series and thus they wouldn’t understand the plot. But, KH3 wasn’t resold or returned at high rates to match the high sales costs, which implies that most people did play and enjoy and engage with it even if they hadn’t bought the previous games. That... kind of implies they either did understand the plot, or they watched any of the “Kingdom Hearts Movie” cutscene compilations on YouTube to catch up on things they weren’t getting, or they accessed the earlier games in ways that gaming stores’ reporting sales don’t track (piracy, private resellers, streamers, etc).

And thus, due to KH3 absolutely killing it with the sales, the future of the KH series is bleak because it’ll be bloated with new fans who have no idea what’s going on. Even though KH3 finished the currently overcomplicated story and we’re supposed to be getting a brand new story arc with the new set of games.

And it finished with saying that Kingdom Hearts is overall a weak sell (despite it being stupidly popular and having fantastic sales for many of its games) because the complicated plot doesn’t re-explain itself for new fans jumping in halfway through. Which at that point I’m just a little curious if the author of this article understands what a series is and how series work.

Like. I’m not saying I disagree with the heart of the statement “each entry in a series should stand on its own and not need outside explanation”- but I think if you are relying on established events that happened in a prior entry to the series, you’ll slow the plot down by rehashing what people who’ve experienced the series in the correct order already know. I started my KH journey with Chain of Memories, you know, the gameboy advance game. Did I understand every story beat? Nope. But it was enjoyable enough on its own that I knew I liked Kingdom Hearts as a concept and I’d be looking for other entries to the series. I played 2, and then backtracked to the first one while waiting for everything that came after. Then I played in what was more or less the correct order. I started as a new fan midway- admittedly, at the second entry to the franchise rather than all the way at the end- and realized that I really liked this series.

The article also complained quite a lot about the inaccessible nature of the rest of the KH series and how it’s a bajillion games spread across a bajillion consoles and I also had the same complaint once upon a time, but in a world post-KH3 where you can get literally the entire series to-date on two discs (I guess 4 technically- with 2.8 and also 3 itself) all for the same console, that’s a weak argument to be making. As long as you have a PS4 and roughly 300 hours of time spread between multiple games, the entirety of the series is readily accessible for under $100. Less, if you know how to emulate.

It just seemed very odd to me. This game sold so well and that’s bad because it means its inaccessible to new fans and dooms the series to fail in the future. How does that even work?

[ultraericthered]

KH Canon OCs - How I See Them

Any followers of mine I have on this hellsite are likely aware that I am and remain a Kingdom Hearts fan who personally considers only the core narratives of Birth By Sleep, Kingdom Hearts (1), Chain of Memories, and Kingdom Hearts II (plus some Appendix content from the UX fairy tale, BBS 0.2 and 358/2 Days), all chronologically, to be the canonical narrative of the true and pure Kingdom Hearts, the epic Disney saga before it was all remade in the image of director Tetsuya Nomura’s demented shonen mangaka brain. Or to put it differently, only the first decade of the franchise (the 2002 release of KH1 up to right before the 2012 release of KH3D) matters to me on any deep level (though the second decade up to Sora joining Smash in 2021 has some shining gems of merit to take from even while the rest of it is all hot flaming garbage that’s being doubled down on and continuing going forward and I want absolutely no part of it, bye.)

As such, the KH original characters I would consider canonical to any worthwhile work of Kingdom Hearts are all those introduced in that first decade, with one exception I’ll bring up at the very end. And these characters, like many franchise characters, have been written and portrayed in differing ways between different entries, whether they be games, manga, novels, web original/fanon material, or even just the basic rough draft concepts. So...where does that leave me and how I view these characters? I thought it’d be fun to not only answer that, but to compare with actual officially liscenced depictions of the characters and see which ones best match what I consider the ideal for the “baseline”/”template” these characters ought to follow.

Sora

Sora is a free-spirited, mostly easygoing and cheerful young boy from Destiny Islands who finds himself the chosen wielder of the Keyblade one fateful night when the Heartless invade his home. He’s best friends with Riku and Kairi, and also with Donald and Goofy, his travel companions across the worlds. Generally positive, upbeat, bold to the point of cockiness, and with a steadfast belief in the heart and in his friends that are his power, Sora can also be very deeply contemplative, surprisingly considerate, and prone to becoming moody and melancholic whenever something really gets him down. Despite this his agility, abilities, and willpower are exceedingly strong.

The Sora who best matches this characterization would be...

Somewhere right between both games in the Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix+ package - Re: Chain of Memories and KHII. As great as KH1 Sora is, his character arc, growth and maturity through the course of that game’s story sort of ends at a narrative wall, as it was clearly developed like a standalone with the continuation of the storyline afterwards being uncertain. So Sora’s whole ordeal in Castle Oblivion was designed to break him down and the following story of KHII was likewise designed to build him back up again ‘til he reached Peak Sora, slicing through skyscrapers with his Key and everything. In between these portrayals, if we took the best of Sora from Re:CoM and added it to the best of Sora from KHII, we’d have my Sora.

Kairi

Kairi is the seventh Princess of Heart, a pure-hearted girl who comes from the world of the Radiant Garden Hollow Bastion but now lives on Destiny Islands due to being sent there by Xehanort when she was very young and small. Though appearing scrawny and fragile, Kairi is a spunky, cheeky, outgoing and good-natured tomboy with an endless supply of willpower and inner strength in addition to her athleticism. Unlike her best friend Sora, though, Kairi isn’t exactly carefree and is prone to anxiety and fear of change beyond her control due to her traumatic childhood experiences, and is also very impatient and fidgety, but tries to conceal all this beneath a sunny disposition. But put her in a situation of action and danger, and she will go fucking feral. Over the course of the saga, Kairi matures and grows braver, stronger, more proactive, more aware of all that’s around her, and more accepting of great changes, even temporary separation from her friends. Oh, and she and Sora might be in love.

The Kairi who best matches this characterization would be...

Yeah, you all saw this coming. Shiro Amano’s Kairi from his manga. Admittedly, his KH1 Kairi was not very good in the KH1 manga - the scripting for Kairi’s character in KH1 the game remains superior. Everything else, though, he nails for Kairi. We see more of her 14 year old self in flashbacks, we get her KHII character expanded upon so that her personality and dvelopment arc is better fleshed out and she gets more badass achievements to her name, and even the currently running KHIII manga improved her content. She’s perfect.

Riku

Riku is Sora and Kairi’s best friend from Destiny Islands and was to be the Keyblade’s chosen wielder. Cool, cocky, competitive, a bit aloof and tough on others, and prone to snark and joking around, Riku was also very inquisitive and yearned to explore bigger and better places outside his small backwater home, which paralleled his desire to be mature and regarded like a strong and capable adult. These qualities made him susceptible to giving into the darkness in his heart and calling the Heartless to invade his world, which lost him his claim on the Keyblade. His stint with Disney villains and turn to exploiting the powers of darkness for his purposes set his future course, as even when he realizes his errors and repents, he’s stuck with dark powers and a natural pull towards the Dark Realm. From here, Riku becomes first and foremost the “Good Disney Bad Guy” who uses what he gained from villainy towards the cause of good, to help others rather than himself, and to ultimately turn his Darkness into Light. This is symbolized in how he hangs around with Mickey Mouse, the epitome of a Good Guy. Ultimately Riku matures for real and becomes a watchful guardian with his own “twilight” power.

The Riku who best matches this characterization would be...

Like Sora, the ideal depiction of Riku lies somewhere between two games - his KH1 character and the parts of his story mode in CoM that worked and pushed him towards a unique and special path of redemption and heroism that wouldn’t require he wholly sacrifice his Disney Villain-ish aesthetic and edge that he makes work so well. He should never have become the Vegeta of KH, not when he could’ve been the Piccolo of KH, a role his character fits far more naturally.

Xehanort/Ansem, Seeker of Darkness

Xehanort (yeah I know *officially* he’s “Terra-Xehanort”, but that’s not spoken aloud in canon, so he’ll always be “Xehanort” to me) was an amnesiac young man heavily implied to have been a Keyblade wielder who was taken in by Ansem the Wise and made his chief apprentice. Growing envious, arrogant, and apathetic to ethics and emotion, spurred by feelings of inadequacy and his desire to know all that there is to know, Xehanort betrayed his master, banishing him to oblivion and stealing his research, his other followers, and even his name. Allowing the Heartless to overrun his world and sending Kairi adrift in his search for the Keyblade Master, Xehanort became a Heartless himself and masterminded a widespread invasion of the worlds for the purpose of cultivating the Heart Of All Worlds so that he may claim the power of Kingdom Hearts and blanket the universe in everlasting Darkness, which his research had concluded was the true essence of the heart and the stabilizing force of everything. 

The Xehanort/Ansem who best matches this characterization is...

There was never any realistic chance than any other depiction of this character was going to top Billy Zanenort in the original KH game + its Final Mix. Everything about him there was so perfectly realized.

Xemnas

Xemnas is the Nobody of Xehanort who was born after Xehanort became a Heartless, who formed Organization XIII and leads it as its Superior. Devoid of feelings and with a vast emptiness where his sense of self once was due to lacking a heart, and now recognizing how pitiful his old self truly was, Xemnas refuses to sink back into Darkness and be rendered nothing of significance, so he desires to enhance and assert his own non-existence by not only gaining a heart of his own through his own Kingdom Hearts, but by claiming its power for himself, tainting the hearts of all life in the universe with his Nothingness so that everything is reduced to nothing and all hearts be enslaved in the thrall of his own, as the deified ruler of the worlds. Completely cold, calculating, philosophical, utterly ruthless, devoid of pity or mercy and with a grandiose sense of self-importance, Xemnas schemed to make the power of the Keyblade serve his own uses.

The Xemnas who best matches this characterization is...

Much like his Heartless counterpart, Xemnas was never better than he was in his debut game, but particularly KHII:FM, which added so much to his on-screen appearances and role as the overarching villain at the head of the Organization, fully selling how complex, tragic, and frightening a character he is. He was great in the other special edition games (KH1:FM and Re:CoM), but those were simply teases at him. Character-wise, KHII:FM remains his definitive outing.

Namine

The special Nobody of Kairi, born when Kairi’s heart departed the body of someone who was not her (Sora). Due to being a product of the connection between Sora and Kairi’s hearts, Namine posesses mystical powers and abilities to look into the hearts of others and tamper with the chains of their memories, which can create certain effects on their minds. At first Namine was a captive of Organization XIII and exploited in Marluxia’s conspiracy at Castle Oblivion, which she let happen due to her loneliness, fear of being left alone and abandoned, and desire to matter in the hearts of Sora and his pals. Initially timid and withdrawn, Namine grew to be more assertive and proactive thanks to her experience with Sora, which allows her to act with more confidence and let her more rebellious and mischievous sides show more openly. She forms a special bond with Roxas, Sora’s Nobody, and eventually with her own other half, Kairi, who she re-assimilates into so that now she has a home inside her heart.

The Namine who best matches this characterization is...

Yes, technically Namine had her strongest showing in terms of character development and story relevance in CoM/Re:CoM, but as a personality with longer lasting value to the series, KHII, the initial game, the FM edition, and also Shiro Amano’s manga adaptation, had Namine at her most appealing by far. She’s sweet, intelligent, helpful, lively, and as strange and awkward as you’d expect someone of her conditions to be, but I think it’s really all brought together in just that sly grin and pose she does in both that game image above and in her official character model art, and how she now fully embraces herself as a “witch” despite that having been just what others called her to start with. The girl’s a naughty little troll and she knows it.

Marluxia

Number 11 in Organization XIII. Marluxia was made lord of Castle Oblivion and from within it concocted a very diabolical and ellaborate scheme to brainwash Sora and bend him to his will so that he could turn the Keyblade against Xemnas, which would allow Marluxia and his co-conspirators to take over the Organization. While seeming elegant and refined, Marluxia is very authoritarian, cruel and without scruples when looking to claim the power he craves. In combat, Marluxia’s a graceful assassin who fights with a sickle and flowers.

The Marluxia who best matches this characterization is...

For reals, Marluxia’s never been gotten quite perfect in anything to feature him, but he was indisputedly at his best in the Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix+ package, containing Re:CoM and KHII:FM. Re:CoM made his character a lot cooler and more intimidating than he was in the original GBA game (his confrontation with Axel and the fights with him alone prove as much), and his fight in KHII just really runs with the whole “reaper” aesthetic, making you truly fear him.

Axel

Number 8 within Organization XIII. Axel is quite the complicated character, being primarily an assassin with a mercenary sense of values and who does the work of others within the Organization only when he can be sure that it’ll benefit himself to do so. Despite acting like a snide, aggressive and largely blase punk, Axel is not only charming but very perceptive and good at reading a room, making deeply thought cost-benefit analyses of any situation and having a knack for manipulation of both people and events so that things go his preferred way. Selfish and scheming as he is, Axel also harbors deep vulnerability that only his oldest friend and senior member Saix has seen, and when he comes to value something or someone, he is unwilling to let go no matter what he has to do to keep them around. In combat, Axel is very flexible, and fights with chakrams and fire.

The Axel who best matches this characterization is...

It’s Shiro Amano for the win once again! The one constant for Axel is that his debut showing in CoM, whether on GBA, the PS2 specially remade edition, the novels, or even the manga (he’s literally the sole positive in that entire manga adaptation!), goes great for him. It’s everything that follows that I had to consider when weighing them against each other. Then it became no contest - not only is Axel’s portrayal in the 358/2 Days manga stronger, better written and better handled than the game version, but in the KHII manga I am actually very glad he survived past the prologue and can see the value in his role the whole way through. I have never been able to say that regarding KHII the game and especially the novels, but the manga actually got it right. So Amano’s Axel is the best, got it memorized?

Larxene

Number 12 within Organization XIII. Larxene moreso than other Nobodies is particularly agitated by the emptiness within her, so she seeks to fill the void by amusing herself and has found no better way to do so than to cruelly bring others down and toy with them even to a breaking point without any mercy or misgivings. A prideful sadist who cares little for others, Larxene became Marluxia’s co-conspirator in the Castle Oblivion plot to brainwash/recruit Sora so that they may overthrow Xemnas and take over the Organization, and she got an affinity for teasing both her colleagues and Namine. While normally easygoing, playful and snarky, in combat Larxene shows why she’s called a “savage nymph”, fighting with kunai knives and electricity.

The Larxene who best matches this characterization is...

In both versions of CoM, Larxene is a standout. Re:CoM removed a handful of her dialogue for some reason, but otherwise got to portray her personality in even greater detail, with her sauntering movement, skeevy flirtiness, and irritated gestures adding a lot to how enjoyable she is, her facial animation and voice acting emphasizing her malicious sadism, and even her death feeling sadder than just an abrupt tantrum fadeout. What both versions share in common is how uncompromisingly brutal she is to fight. “Savage Nymph” indeed!

Vexen

Number 4 within Organization XIII. As his human self Even was, Vexen is a very dedicated scientist, looking at everything as an opportunity for research and turning any exploitable situation into an experiment to conduct. Feeling like science lends itself not to heartfelt emotion or compassion, he is ice cold and even cruel in how he pursues his agenda. Vexen is also incredibly pompous and elitist, believing in the seniority that numbers within the Organization give and looking his nose down at those of “limited signifigance”. His claim to fame is the creation of Replicas, beings that duplicate the bodies of others but, much like Nobodies, are incomplete due to having fabricated hearts and minds. In combat, Vexen is meticulous, and fights with a shield and ice powers to match his personality.

The Vexen who best matches this characterization is...

As great as Vexen always was in CoM, Re:CoM made him just a teensy bit even better. Part of it is due to the voice acting, which is spot on in both languages. Part of it is due to him coming off as less of a dirty coward than before, thus easier to feel for. And finally, a big part of it is how he dies, a death far more grisly than in the original!

Lexaeus

Number 5 within Organization XIII. The Nobody of Alaeus, one of Ansem’s royal guards and scientific assistants, Lexaeus is the brute force within the Organization who doubles as one of the deepest thinkers of the bunch. Well composed, taciturn, and with a sense of honor, Lexaeus channels his mind through his muscle and is a force to be reckoned with as a result. In Castle Oblivion, he worked in the basement level along with Zexion and Vexen. In combat Lexaeus fights with a tomahawk and earth powers, and can also raise his chi so that he becomes a nigh-unstoppable rampaging monstrosity!

The Lexaeus who best matches this characterization is...

In CoM/Re:CoM he was a bland, forgettable, ultimately throwaway character who is laughably easy to beat despite his professed strength, and in KHII:FM, he’s is much less a character than he is a boss fight (though at least a really strong and difficult opponent now!). 358/2 Days got him down just right, with him being calm, gracious, and intelligent while also being brutal (poor Roxas!) and one of the strongest characters to play as. The only thing missing is his fondness for mind games and puzzles, I think Shiro Amano actually did that really well and it added to his character, but oh well.

Zexion/Ienzo

Number 6 within Organization XIII. The Nobody of Ienzo, youngest of Ansem’s apprentices, Zexion is an analyst and a tactician by nature, always observing, always thinking, and always deciding to act on what he believes to be the best recourse for disadvantaging his foes. Very deadpan, smug and assertive with others, Zexion owes the Organization a great deal and wishes to succeed Xemnas as its leader one day. But as he’s still young and impetuous, he’s not the successful schemer he’d like to be and cracks under pressure. In Castle Oblivion, he worked in the basement level along with Vexen and Lexaeus. In combat Zexion’s not the best physical fighter, so he prefers to cast illusions and mental tricks using a magic spellbook.

The Zexion who best matches this characterization is...

Re:CoM is the best Zexion is going to get in terms of character and combat, and I quite like Ienzo whenever he appears in later games. He’s the only counterpart to an Organization member other than Xehanort and Braig who feels like he warrants the expansion.

Riku Replica (Repliku)

A replica of Riku created by Vexen in Castle Oblivion, designed to reflect Riku’s full dark potential. Was brainwashed by Namine into being obsessed with protecting her and fighting off Sora, but he eventually regained knowledge of what he really was and it got him grappling with his sense of identity all the way to his tragic demise.

The Repliku who best matches that characterization is...

I mean, he’s pretty much the same in Re:CoM as he is in CoM, but with two added benefits: voice acting to actually sell his comically inflated intensity, and not being so ridiculously too difficult to fight.

Ansem the Wise/DiZ

The ruler of the Radiant Garden with an affinity for science and the aquisition of knowledge and wisdom. In trying to better understand the heart, Ansem ended up drawing beings born of the heart’s darkness to his world, and his efforts to keep them at bay were thwarted when his apprentice Xehanort betrayed him and banished him to the Realm of Nothingness. Consumed by dark thoughts, negative emotions and a desire for vengeance, Ansem went by the identity of “DiZ” (Darkness in Zero) as he sought a way to strike back at the Heartless and the Nobodies, the latter whom he particularly despised due to their very non-being serving as a reminder of his failures and the traumatic tragedy he’d been made to endure. While proud, callous, disdainful and patronizing to others, sometimes even downright cruel, Ansem has a wry sense of humor, enjoys peculiar interests such as computer games and ice cream, and can be civil when need be. He recognizes deep in his heart what’s right and wrong, but stubbornly refuses to heed his heart in favor of his mind. Suffice to say, this man’s story doesn’t have a very happy ending.

The Ansem/DiZ who best fits this characterization is...

When you get down to it, Ansem is really not that terribly interesting or invaluable a character in anything other than KHII. It’s the story with the role he was literally made to play, and in it we don’t only get his Ansem Reports and legendarily great voice acting by the late Sir Christopher Lee, but Final Mix even adds the one scene from 358/2 Days featuring him that was best fit to be shown in this story.

Roxas

Roxas is the Nobody of Sora, born when Sora’s heart left his body and he became a Heartless. Made the 13th member of Organization XIII, the solemn, moody and ill-tempered Roxas grew dissatisfied and at odds with himself, beginning to question his purpose and his very identity, which led to him leaving the Organization. He was then captured and mind-wiped by DiZ, who placed him in a simulation of Twilight Town where Roxas developed another identity, a bright, kind, considerate, humble and skeptical “boy scout” type who hung out with Hayner, Pence, and Olette. During this time his memories were scanned and extracted by Namine, and one identity crisis and fight to the death with his former friend Axel later, Roxas was made to re-assimilate back into Sora’s heart, where over the course of Sora’s next journey Roxas made peace with himself and his new home.

The Roxas who best fits this characterization is...

For a third time, Shiro Amano pulls through on not just doing justice to but actually perfecting a character from the games. While his Organization XIII persona in 358/2 Days still isn’t quite what I’d imagined, Amano’s writing for Roxas makes him so engaging the whole time that I barely care, and in the KHII manga he steals the show from Sora in a way Roxas in the game never could. I really like him - he’s way better than the black-coated turd of the later entries.

Hayner, Pence, and Olette

Three friends who live in Twilight Town and who were Roxas’ best friends in the simulation. Hayner is brash and energetic with a take charge attitude. Pence is chipper, laid back and good humored, and has an interest in stuff like machinery and truth-seeking. And Olette is sociable, willful, a bit bossy and snarky, and a shopaholic.

The Hayner, Pence, and Olette who best fit this characterization is...

Yeah, they’re pretty much the same in every single work they appear in, making it impossible to choose (though in Olette’s case I have to give her manga incarnation as shout out for the spiked baseball bat!)

Xaldin

Number 3 within Organization XIII. The Nobody of Dilan, one of Ansem’s guards and scholars, Xaldin is a naturally gifted warrior in the fields of both strength and strategic thinking. Viewing himself and his fellow Nobodies as abominations devoid of feelings, Xaldin views the Beast of Beast’s Castle with contempt and jealousy over him being a literal monster who possesses a heart, feelings, and humanity to reclaim, so Xaldin makes it his priorty to gradually take the Beast’s life apart and utterly break him in both body and spirit so that he may become a Heartless and create a Nobody that Xaldin may then enslave. Moreso than his colleagues, Xaldin is spiteful, malicious, verbally abusive to others, and devoid of any civility or decency, as it’s “not in his nature to hold back.” In combat, Xaldin is relentless, wielding six deadly lances and the power of wind.

The Xaldin who best fits this characterization is...

You really can’t do Xaldin any better than KHII:FM.

Demyx

Number 9 within Organization XIII. Demyx is a lazy, undisciplined, largely apathetic wastrel and a coward who prefers not to fight or apply himself to any tough situations. He likes lounging around, playing music, gaming with his colleagues, and generally taking advantage of others. Though he seems scatter-brained, silly, and even quite friendly at times, Demyx’s empty self makes him insecure about his place in the World, and when that button is pushed, he will throw caution and the pretense of feeling anything to the wind as he becomes a ferocious assailant, fighting with water and his sitar.

The Demyx who best fits this characterization is...

Again, KHII:FM got Demyx down the best. While 358/2 Days and even its manga adaptation fleshed him out a bit more, it lacks the spectacle of his boss fight that has made Demyx such a legend.

Luxord

Number 10 within Organization XIII. Luxord is a gentleman first, a gambler second, and an Organization agent last, so he’s not always the most effective when on a mission. However, he is also shrewd of mind, nefarious in means, and utterly fearless in face of a challenge. He generally gets along with his colleagues, respects a worthy opponent, relishes a good game, and prides himself on being keen and seeing through to the end anything he takes on, and he gets rather frustrated when things fail to match up with his perceptions and risk/reward analysis. In combat, Luxord fights with cards and dice, the gambler’s arsenal, and utilizes the power of time itself.

The Luxord who best fits this characterization is...

Fourth hit for Shiro Amano. While Luxord as an Organization operative in the Caribbean is enjoyable in KHII and even KHIII, Luxord as a character was better realized in the manga, which made him so much fun and notably goofier, meaning he has a much better chance to avoid the utterly asinine bullshit Nomura is now set on.

Saix

Number 7 within Organization XIII. Saix is a Nobody who both fully embraces being a Nobody and curses his fate as a Nobody, yearning for a heart of his own. He is so cold, so efficient, so faithful to the cause, and so uncompromising in his cruelty that he got himself the role of Xemnas’ second-in-command. Normally very deadpan and detached from any semblence of emotion, Saix always hides an undercurrent of intense rage, displeasure, venom and instability that only comes out when a full moon drives him into utter lunacy. He’s been friends with Axel since the start, as their human counterparts were friends too, but lately the two have drifted apart. In combat, Saix wields a broadsword and powers of moon, stars, and space.

The Saix who best fits this characterization is...

358/2 Days just gives Saix all the character focus, meaty role in the plot, and truly villainous deeds that you could ask for. He’s great in Shiro Amano’s manga adaptation too, but his darker presence and actual fighting in the game gives that portrayal of him the edge here.

Xigbar/Braig

Number 2 within Organization XIII, and the Nobody of Braig, one of Ansem’s guards and apprentices who always had a greed for higher status and power that could elevate his self worth. Wanting to wield a Keyblade of his own, Braig gladly accepted Master Xehanort’s offer to collude with him in his scheme to set off a new Keyblade War, and ended up exploiting Xehanort’s trajectory when he became Ansem’s apprentice. Becoming the founding member of Organization XIII along with Xemnas, Xigbar retains Braig’s laid back, gruff, rude and talkative personality and seemingly flighty and unserious attitude, but actually knows many secrets and holds many cards close to his chest, always thinking opportunistically about what can gain him the best advantages and put him several more steps ahead of others he disdains. In combat, Xigbar fights with sniper rfiles and gravity power.

The Xigbar/Braig who best fits this characterization is...

To put it plainly, Xigbar was initially one of the weakest characters in the Organization, and everything about his character in KHII:FM and 358/2 Days only works with the context given with Braig in BBS. (Also, he’s not Luxu. If Luxu were to exist, he’d not be this character.)

Xion

The suddenly added Number 14 of Organization XIII and the centerpiece of much of what happened in the time gap between CoM and KHII. She turns out to be an imperfect Sora replica made by Vexen who absorbed the memories of Sora that Roxas could not recall, leading to the puppet taking on an appearance and personality reminiscent of Kairi. But wheareas Kairi is sweet (albeit sassy and teasing), light-hearted and acts like she’s got her shit together, Xion has no such chill - she’s manic, edgy, feisty, stubborn to a fault, quite prone to angst or anxiety-inducing emotional turmoil, and very open about her insecurities. Despite this, she is fiercely dedicated to being a hard worker and applying herself on missions, giving it her all to earn her keep and putting on her best brave face for her friends  ‘cause she loves them so deeply. Even when her screws come more loose and she has her very identity and continued existence in question, her desire to do right and look out for what’s best for her friends wins through. Due to her connection to Sora and Roxas, Xion too can wield the Keyblade. Was ultimately wiped from all memory.

The Xion who best fits this characterization is....

To the surprise of no one, Xion from Shiro Amano’s 358/2 Days manga adaptation IS the character for me and many others - in fact, she’s probably Amano’s crowning achievement, fully realizing the potential in such a bizarre and fanficcy character concept that was thought up by Tomoco Kanemaki and screwed with by Nomura.

Terra

The young Keyblade wielder who, years ago, fell prey to the darkness in his own heart and from Master Xehanort, becoming Xehanort’s vessel and a crucial component of who Xehaort was as Ansem’s apprentice. Having a soured relationship with his mentor and father figure, Master Eraqus, Terra’s heart burned with the desire to prove himself strong and to be a hero to others in need. While rather overconfident, willful, dense, brooding, short-sighted and with a fixation on power, Terra was also good natured, compassionate and vulnerable, wanting to see the best in others and so convicted to ideals of heroism and moral values that his will to do good and protect what mattered most to him outlived him and his own failings.

The Terra who best fits this description is...

Say what you will about Terra in BBS, good and bad, but he was easily the most fully realized character with the fullest realized story arc out of the leads in the game, plus his combat style holds up best.

Aqua

The young Keyblade wielder who, years ago, played a key (pun intended) part in saving the worlds from a plot by Master Xehanort to lay waste to everything, even sacrificing her physical existence to the Darkness in order to give her two friends, Terra and Ventus, their best shot at survival. Aqua was kind-hearted, keen and insightful, strong-willed, stubborn, and hyper-focused on her tasks due to the seriousness of her position and the ideals of peacekeeping and justice that Master Eraqus instilled in her. Having shown the Mark of Mastery, she was also a bit showy, standoffish, and judgmental, wanting to believe she knew best and that her heart wouldn’t lead her astray only to constantly second-guess herself and expose her more awkward side. She cherishes light and is constantly pushing back against the darkness in others and in herself. Above all else, Aqua values her friends as family and will do anything to help them.

The Aqua who most fits this characterization is...

The reason I hold a deep appreciation for what we got in BBS:FM’s bonus episode and in BBS 0.2 even when I don’t like either of those as products is that their contents helped really define who Aqua is and needs to be as not merely a strong heroine, but as a character who stands on her own apart from her two male friends. Shiro Amano’s recent adapting of the material did it one better by restoring Aqua’s adorkable side from BBS to give us bits of levity here and there. Plus, she’s just beautiful and such a damn badass in Keyblade combat, making Nomura’s ever sexist treatment of her in KHIII afterwards a legit crime of bad writing and character assasination.

Ventus

The young Keyblade wielder who, years ago, played a key (pun intended) part in saving the worlds from a plot by Master Xehanort to lay waste to everything, even sacrificing his very heart to vanquish the threat of the Unversed. Initially brought into the secret Keyblade Master order by Master Xehanort, while not of age to become a Master, Ven trained hard and looked up to his older friends/surrogate siblings, Terra and Aqua. A positive, confident, good natured, helpful and spirited youth, but one prone to uncertainty, melancholy, and impertinence when faced with conflict he found himself ill equipped to deal with. While not too strong or magically gifted, he was very agile.

The Ventus who most fits this characterization is...

Yes, just the basic concept of Ventus. He was never too well realized in any officially liscened work, and was most effective when asleep.

Master Eraqus

The old master of Terra, Aqua, and Ven, who in his own younger days was a colleague of Yen Sid and Xehanort in their Keyblade training. He meant well, but was overly strict with his surrogate children and zealous about safeguarding the light by stamping out darkness whereever, whenever, believing in absolutes such as the need to ultimately erase darkness from all hearts in existence and guide the worlds to a new age of prosperity in secret. He was struck down by Xehanort, the man he’d looked to as an elder brother.

The Eraqus who most fits this characterization is....

Once again, a character is never executed too well beyond his rough draft concept and design. And what a cool concept and design, too!

Vanitas

A being of pure darkness who spawned the Unversed years ago and who may have had some influence in the darklings’ evolution into Heartless. Vanitas trained under Master Xehanort as his secret apprentice and wielded his own dark Keyblade. He relished being cruel and channeling the pain of his own negative emotions into the pleasure of hurting others, and he was also very arrogant, viewing himself as the most supreme warrior who could even usurp and outlive Xehanort himself. While seemingly destroyed by Ventus, Vanitas never fully went away - we see traces of him in Riku’s dark mode and soul-eater, and in Sora’s own positivty turning to negativity and obsessive desire during his trek through Castle Oblivion. So long as darkness holds great power, Vanitas will linger as its embodiment.

The Vanitas who most fits this characterization is...

This was bar none the biggest shock to me. I didn’t think KHIII would get anywhere here beyond a shout out to Ienzo, but Vanitas in that game is honestly even better than in BBS, and for mainly one reason - he redefined what I thought of the character and his potential.  ‘Cause beforehand I wasn’t sure I even wanted to see Vanitas again since he seemed to have no lasting value beyond that dumb ying-yang X-Blade plot with Ventus. KHIII showed he didn’t need to be just that. He could be his own brand of menace, the “Darkness” he chose to be. He didn’t even need to go around looking or sounding much like Sora - he could have far stronger “repeatedly comes back taking on a different shape and form” potential than Xehanort! And naturally, I don’t care one bit about whatever Nomura might have in mind for Vanitas and tying him to 12 other “Darknesses”, that’s BS. Leave me with my proud, gleefully evil solitary Darkness Incarnate!

Master Xehanort

The old Keyblade Master who set in motion the events that led to the story of Kingdom Hearts and whose heart became the canvas for the creation of the story’s overarching villain, Terra-Xehanort. Hailing from a small, constraining world before being chosen by the Keyblade, Xehanort finally got to explore the larger World only to, like Ego from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, find it so... disappointing. Being a naturally born sociopath with an inquisitive soul who always sought knowledge and yearned for the answers to all his heart’s most burning questions, Xehanort researched deeply into the old Keyblade War legends all while arrogantly intaking and exploiting Darkness in hopes of chanelling it as power. His ambition became to initiate another Keyblade War-sparked apocalypse where Darkness would ravage the World and he could then set foot inside Kingdom Hearts to harness its light and recreate the World anew in his own image, partially out of sheer curiosity to see the results such a grand cosmic experiement would yield and partly out of a desire to trascend his own humanity and play God. By the time he got around to it, Master Xehanort was little more than a self-interested, callous, maniacal old crackpot who did evil for evil’s sake and shamelessly reveled in it. Even after he, from inside Terra’s body, got amnesia and faded from consciousness, his dark legacy lived on in Terranort and his Nobody.

The Master Xehanort who most fits this characterization is...

OBVIOUSLY. In both Birth By Sleep the secret ending FMV and Birth By Sleep the game story, Master Xehanort was easily the most interesting, enjoyable, and best realized character, particularly when his on-screen portrayal firmly followed the Watanabe vision for him. A fantastic villain even with a dumb plan and incoherent motivations; were only those issues fixed, we’d have the ideal Master Xehanort who’d be by leaps and bounds superior to Nomura’s pet Villain Sue.

And last, and unfortunately least, we have....

Strelitzia & the Chirithy

Strelitiza is a girl who lived in the same world and village as Lauriam and Elrena, to whom she was a blood-related sister and surrogate sister respectively. The three of them belonged to a guild inspired by folk legends of the Keyblade, though they were not wielders of the fabled blade themselves. She was a rather quiet and shy girl who looked to others to give her courage and resolve, holding the highest opinion of her brother and best friend while undervaluing herself. Met with an unknown tragic fate, which effected Lauriam and Elrena deeply. The Chirithy, meanwhile, were local critters who were said to have been around since ancient times and could gague a hearts connection to the Keyblade. Chirithy also exists in the Final World.

The Strelitzia & Chirithy who most fit this characterization is....

As with Ventus and Eraqus, the basic concept and design outdoes the actual implementation of the character we got in the series. Don’t care to see these characters anywhere outside of my headcanon.

[happybunnykat]

hi so um. if i were hypothetically interested in kingdom hearts due to some frequent posting from a beloved mutual whereeeeee should i start and are there perhaps any games i should skip a la the ace attorney duology

Unfortunately, Kingdom Hearts is not the type of series where you can skip games. Even the mobile games have extremely important lore and story elements, as well as introducing a bunch of important characters.

Best I can say is play/watch cutscenes of the games in release order. And also if you can watch or actual play through of 358/2 Days. The cutscenes release doesn't have the same impact. I'm pretty sure there are some good roms out there though.

If you want to start somewhere, start with kh 1 and then Chain of Memories (or Re: Chain of Memories, that's the rerelease, same story but with 3d models and some voice acted cutscenes) and see how you feel about the story so far. It's really a beast to get into, but like. It's very fun and keeps you invested.

[friskibitz]

re: kh poll

im not completely familiar but i THINK it's the clone one, only because i feel like there should be some reason for vexen cloning riku

the others are:

sora's sacrifice kh1

ventus fighting cinderella's stepmother's cat

goofy dies in kh3 (he's knocked out in 2)

riku smelling darkness in chain of memories

dreameaters are keykids

destiny islands being destroyed in kh1

sully monsters inc throws vanitas

axel's joke weapon in 358/2 days

[antibioware]

how would you rate the kh games?if you played them that is

You have no idea how sad it makes me to be asked this. Has it been so long since I last live logged KH? Is age finally catching up to me

Anyway:

Kingdom Hearts 2 — this is THE game for me. It's the best of the KH console games (no offense to KH1, full offense to KH3). This game introduces both a lot of incredibly interesting concepts and a lot of interesting elements re: the main characters that were ultimately ignored in KH3. LIKE KAIRI FIGHTING FOR HERSELF. 10/10 it's Riku Riku is here fucks me up

Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 days — I'm not saying anything new or surprising when I say this is the best in terms of plot and character development. This game is fucked up. I cried so much playing the end that I gave myself an headache. It gives you brain worms that make you love Xion like your own daughter. 9/10 it took me a while to get used to the inventory system

Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep — old fans will forgive me for putting it third, but while I do know this is THE KH sadgame, the game has these spikes in difficulty sometimes that genuinely made it hard for me to continue playing it. It's fucking great tho. Aqua Terra and Ventus own my heart. 8/10 the camera movement sucks

Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance — now, is this game just blatant gaybaiting with some poor plot choices? Yes. But the game is FUN. It's flashy, flowmotion and dream eaters just suck you in and you can't put them game down until the very end. It's the only KH games that I still replay every now and then exactly because I love fighting in the game so much it doesn't get as tedious as it does in other games, and I love gay Riku. 8/10 I see a sad old man with a dark heart

Kingdom Hearts — I'm sorry for putting it so low, but it's the game that gave me the hardest time and the only one I never finished due to my PC eating the savefiles. It's good! It's a good linear story, it still holds up so many years afterwards, I just like the other games more. 7/10

Kingdom Hearts Re:Coded — I WILL DEFEND THIS GAME TO THE END OF THE WORLD IT'S SO MUCH FUN AND I LOVE DATA SORA DEARLY. It's still y know barely a game but I LOVED it. 7/10

Kingdom Hearts 3 — I own this one I have yet to play it but I saw my girlfriend play it and so many elements of the plot get on my nerves it's insane. Rip Kairi you had so much potential but no you just exist to be Sora's shitty beard. It has its moments and many of them made me cry, but you know. Also I will never forgive what they did to flowmotion. 6/10

Honorable mention: Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories. I'm not gonna rate it because sadly it's the only game I've never played and I don't wanna judge it based only on watching the plot on YouTube or the way the manga portrays the story. I know it's terrible gameplay with great plot but I don't wanna judge anything I haven't played.

[super-kristuff]

I started playing Kingdom Hearts III recently, and I wanted to throw down a bunch of my thoughts so far. For some context, I replayed kh1 not too long ago, but I haven't played kh2 since middle school. I've played 358/2 and a bit of chain of memories and birth by sleep, but I haven't touched re-coded. Tbh, I thought re-coded was just a way from them to retcon the old games to make the plot more consistent.

Anyway, I've just finished the second world based on Toy Story, and like, the homoerotic tension between Buzz and Woody is crazy. Like, it is clearly an unintentional consequence of placing characters with a leitmotif of "You've got a friend in me" in a world built around the power of friendship. There are so many scenes where Buzz and Woody talk about their feelings and how much they trust each other to have their back. Its a major plot point that Xehanort steals Buzz, and Woody rescues him. Woody tells Xehanort off, and I quote, "Whatever you're talking about, I don't care. -- My guess is no one has ever loved you before."

Like, I can also go on about how Buzz, from the beginning, is like, we should just go home and wait it out. So in many of the feeling sessions, Buzz begs Woody to just go home with him. And how home is clearly a symbol of safety, normalcy, and comfort. And how Buzz wants Woody to be there. And in the rescue scene, Woody is the one talking about bringing Buzz home.

It's the second world in the game, but honestly it felt like a complete game in and of itself. God, the game has so much whimsy. There was a fight in a ball pit. There were toy mechs that you could pilot. One of the treasures was in a thumb-war mini-game. At one point, you're teleported into the video-game that the mechs are from, but they're real mechs instead of toy mechs with different abilities to match. One of the bosses is a creepy possessed anime girl figurine.

It's such a good game. And like, I could write pages on how the gameplay feels. Obviously, I've seen the kh4 trailer, and I had my doubts about how the parkcore floaty gameplay would feel. But playing kh3, it honestly seems like a natural extension to the current gameplay? LIke, the gameplay does have its weaknesses. I feel there are just too many options in combat. They game absolutely should have split the combat mechanics into unlocks that are worlds apart. Like, the game starts with form-changes, team-attacks, AND attraction attacks? And each of these will completely change how your controls interface with the environment. Most absurdly, is the shift from classic third-person kh controls to first-person microsoft flight simulator controls.

Which, like, isn't to say any of these are bad additions per-say. I just feel it gives the game a completely avoidable steep learning curve. Which in that vein, I also wish some of the combat mechanics could be turned off. It's just too much to keep track of.

But also, the game is amazing. Like, as long as you never press triangle, none of the above things happen, and you can enjoy a classic kh experience. Which, the game nails. I'm definitely thinking about trying to 100% it. Or at least playing through it a second time at higher difficulty.

Replaying kh1 made me realize how absurdly deep the game was. I found 4 secret bosses? And in preparing for them, I learned how the mushroom guys worked and how to properly farm for synthesis items. And I think it would be sick if kh3 had those mechanics as well. Obviously, I'll have to see, but here's hoping.

I'll try to post any more absurd details, but the Woody/Xehanort confrontation was too good to not write about.

[yandere-daze]

This isnt related to any fandom you post about, & I dont know if you really play Kingdom Hearts but I'm ugly crying right now because I've been reminded of how much I ADORE Naminè 😭

She's such a good character; she's tragic but without being kind of too dramatic like the series is guilty of. Part of it is because, yeah she was in some unfortunate circumstances, but part of her trajedy was her own mistake, falling into her own weaknesses. She has flaws & they aren't superficial flaws that exist but never impact the story, or are used to make her more sympathetic. Her flaws & mistakes actually negatively affected a ton of people and her whole arc is about her running in the background to try and fix everything she did, but even then her path to redemption isn't without strife. Her actions had a small ripple affect so she had to make hard decisions even while fixing her mistake. And that's something that's really rare, especially with female character, having both flaws & a narrative that holds her accountable to them. It made her a very fleshed out character to me and I just love her so much 😭 Her debut game was Chain of Memories & the game is criticized for it's gameplay but I think it had the best story of all the KH games so far & her arc/friendship with Sora felt so real & bittersweet except SquareEnix still hasnt paid off on their promise in my opinion

Anyway, just fan-spamming because Naminè is one of the most important characters of my childhood wjdnwjdjej

- 🐶

I know absolutely nothing about kingdom hearts except that you go into disney worlds and that there´s like a bajillion games and that the story apparently is confusing so I don´t really have anything noteworthy to contribute to this.

I still think it´s really sweet that there is a character in the games that you love and appreciate so much! I think it´s always nice to see people talk about the things that they´re passionate about, even if you yourself might not have any experience with it ^^