The Masters Trio in Kingdom Hearts: Analyzing Master Yen Sid’s relationship to Master Xehanort.
Kingdom Hearts series always had trios of friends: Sora, Riku, and Kairi; Mickey, Donald, and Goofy; Terra, Ventus, and Aqua; Roxas, Xion, and Axel. For this blog, I would like to focus more on a trio which really does not get much attention: Yen Sid, Eraqus, and Xehanort, which I would like to call the “Masters Trio.” But for this blog about the Masters Trio, more on Master Yen Sid’s relationship with the other two masters.
We all know that Master Eraqus and Master Xehanort were best friends as evident with the opening scenes of Kingdom Hearts III and in numerous interactions in Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep. We also do know that Master Eraqus and Master Yen Sid are very good friends based on the interactions they had in BBS, such as Master Yen Sid informing Master Eraqus about the Unversed, and Master Eraqus telling Master Yen Sid about Ventus leaving his home. It shows that Master Eraqus and Master Yen Sid’s interactions go beyond than just acquaintances.
Whether Yen Sid trained under the same master as Eraqus and Xehanort or not is still unknown, but we do know for a fact that these three Keyblade Masters were a trio like Terra, Ventus, Aqua and Sora, Riku, Kairi and spent a lot of time together based on this dialogue from Master Yen Sid when interacting with him in Terra’s scenario in BBS.
And since the end of Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep, Master Yen Sid is the Keyblade Master leading the younger generation in the war against Master Xehanort.
I would like to analyze more about the relationship of Master Yen Sid and Master Xehanort. While at first glance, Master Yen Sid was helping the Seven Guardians clash against Master Xehanort, and the former just looked like he was fighting another guy, however, details in BBS shows that the relationship of the great wizard and the dark seeker were much more than what most people know.
Evident in BBS shows the nature of the relationship of Master Yen Sid to Master Xehanort in this cutscene in Terra’s scenario after meeting the great wizard Keyblade Master when Master Yen Sid utters, ” I had hoped, Xehanort, your heart would no longer lead you astray.”
The way he said these lines in this scene, he was very heartbroken and disappointed as if he was hoping that a friend would not fall to the dark side, not because he feared of the possible chaos that Master Xehanort would bring to the worlds and the balance of light and darkness. These words from Master Yen Sid showed more of concern over Master Xehanort well being rather than the dangers he would bring, something that a friend would do. Consider the fact that Master Yen Sid rarely shows emotion, so being heartbroken over Master Xehanort being over-ambitious to the darkness to the recreation of another Keyblade War and the X-blade shows that Master Yen Sid and Master Xehanort were also close friends, otherwise Master Yen Sid would not say these words with such emotion.
To Sora, Riku, Mickey, and everyone else, Master Xehanort is just another bad guy to stop from taking over the universe, but to Master Yen Sid, he was not just having a war against another bad guy trying to cause chaos in the balance of light and dark, but he was preparing for a war against a friend who had lost himself to darkness for years, so imagine what Master Yen Sid had been feeling and thinking behind the scenes about this war against a close friend, but had to remain strong for his apprentices for the war ahead. He surely felt disappointed and sad like Master Eraqus finding out about Master Xehanort’s curiosity about the Keyblade War and the X-blade.
Because of this, I was disappointed that there was no interaction between Master Yen Sid and Master Eraqus and Master Xehanort in Kingdom Hearts III. Even just a simple scene of Master Eraqus thanking Master Yen Sid for taking care of Ventus and Aqua, and Master Xehanort giving friendly banter to Master Yen Sid when the latter arrives in the Keyblade Graveyard to fend of the Heartless or after the final battle for gathering the right guardians would be enough. Any interaction actually that would show the relationship of this trio would have been nice.