#khdr spoilers ish

[ohlookitsgeorge]

Eraqus: Is 13 a lot?

Baldr: Depends.

Baldr: Medals? No.

Baldr: Murders? Yes.

[zxal]

bragi

[zxal]

It's always been sort of weird how Young Xehanort is such an unapologetic little asshole the whole time he's time traveling, mocking Sora about his inevitable demise to the last moment as he fades away (while even Xemnas and Ansem get moments of humanity before their deaths). It's notably different from how he comes off in KHDR, where he can be sassy with Eraqus sometimes but is mostly just cool and aloof—more like he's a bit withdrawn than anything else.

The scene that I think connects these different aspects of his personality is his meeting with the Master of Masters, which we see in both Re:Mind and KHDR. Xehanort is playing it cool, but he's also letting a bit of his true feelings shine through: he doesn't quite want to agree with MoM about the idea that there's two types of people—the strong and the weak. He's thinking about the world with nuance.

"And even if I was either type, it doesn't mean that I carry those dark intentions." But then MoM reminds him of his own history with darkness—"Is that what your experience tells you?" That's what MoM seems to be best at—planting a seed of doubt and letting it grow on its own.

And it does. YX goes out and sees the world and become convinced of the conclusion MoM was leading him towards. And when he returns, MoM tells him exactly what he wants to hear: that he's the one who has the power to make a difference. That he's destined for greatness. Xehanort believes, deeply and truly, that he is the child of destiny. He's the chosen one. And if that means he has the power to prevent what happened in Scala from ever happening again, wouldn't he want that?

And extrapolating, I think we can tell that Master Xehanort, his future self, uses the same tactic, appealing to his own sense of exceptionalism. He brings Young Xehanort to the future and tells him that he will fulfill his destiny, everything is set in motion, and he just needs to play his role. "That is my destiny, but it has yet to become a reality." Young Xehanort sees the future and wants to believe so badly that it's the destiny he wants. And how could it not be? It's him.

In KH3, the YX moment that sticks out to me the most is this incredibly odd exchange in the iconic Toy Box scene. YX is his usual villainous self, mocking and monologuing, and then Sora rushes at him and he says this:

And it doesn't sound sinister. It's not a taunt or jeer. He says it hushed and almost hurried, as if afraid someone is listening.

Which could be true. Young Xehanort, weirdly, holds a piece of Master Xehanort's heart in him, doesn't he? I think it got buried in interviews, but recall the YX boss fight at the end of DDD. The reason Mickey reacts the way he does to YX moving during stopped time is because he recognizes that isn't Young Xehanort— it's Master Xehanort, briefly inhabiting YX as a vessel.

He's become a puppet of his future self, an extremely literal self-fulfilling prophecy. It leaves Woody calling Xehanort "hollower than any toy" in the earlier scene ring incredibly different. Did he want any of this? Did he even have a choice?

We still don't know exactly when YX time travels from, but it's got to be fresh off of the events of KHDR. Especially since his dialogue with MoM, which happens one year post-KHDR, seems to imply it's happened already at that point. I wonder if his old classmate rubbed off on him in some way—the theatrics, the boasting and posturing. But that's what it is—he's playing a role. It's the hand he's been dealt. It's all he has. (Which leads me back to thinking about Xehanort & Xion parallels, Xion as the 14th organization member, Xehanort saying "no, wait—fourteen lives", Xion saying "this puppet will have to play her part"...and, interestingly, YX and Xion being next to each other in the Real Organization's hierarchy: YX as no. 12, Xion as no. 13. The lowest among their ranks. The least worthy of respect.)