Vanitas never says the word “darkness” in BBS. Let’s talk about why.
Up until Ventus and Vanitas’ final conversation in Kingdom Hearts 3, Vanitas never mentions darkness once. Surprising, right? He never mocks Ventus for not using darkness, he never goes on monologues about how the darkness is great and how you shouldn’t fear it…
This makes Vanitas unique among KH villains. If anything, Vanitas might be one of the few characters who knows that the idea of power can be separated from darkness. This is because he needs Ventus, pure light-hearted Ventus, to get stronger without using darkness in order to forge the x-blade.
(Well, he is using darkness, but it’s Vanitas supplying it—pushing Ventus further with the Unversed…)
Vanitas only talks about darkness when other characters bring up the subject. Xehanort mentions Darkness in Dark Road and Vanitas is all dismissive, saying "Hmph. It has nothing to do with me" and "Who knows?”.
When Xehanort suggests Vanitas fearing the light, Vanitas’ mind goes to Ventus. Not the essence of light. Ventus. To him, the idea of light is inextricably linked to his other half, perhaps inseparable.
The only reason Vanitas talks about darkness in Kingdom Hearts 3 is because Sora brings it up:
Sora: "Then why won't you stand by our side? Instead of with darkness?"
Sora’s thinking of the big picture: the heroes of light versus the villains of darkness. He doesn’t realize just how deeply personal Vanitas is driven.
Vanitas has always thought of himself in relation to other people, never just to pure darkness. In Dark Road,
Xehanort: "Darkness was once whole. And though fractured since, their minds were once connected. You must know where the others are.”
Vanitas: “I'm my own being.”
Xehanort: "That was once part of a whole?”
Vanitas remains silent. It's almost as if he’s too annoyed to answer, as Xehanort somewhat dials back the pressure in his next question.
However, in Kingdom Hearts 3, Vanitas says,
"I'm the piece of Ventus that was taken away. And you're the piece Ventus needed to be whole again… You define me, Sora, the same way that Ventus does. We are brothers who, together, make a greater whole.”
He chooses to identify himself through Sora and Ventus instead of Darkness. They are whom he feels a sense of wholeness with.
So, yeah, when Vanitas says “I AM darkness”, it’s hard for me to believe he’s actively cheering on the forces of darkness in the same way Xehanort does. Perhaps, Vanitas sees darkness and light as a set pair. If his concept of light is tied to Ventus, his own self might be tied to darkness in the same way.
Ever since I discovered Kingdom Hearts back in 2019, one of the mysteries I always find myself thinking about is the identity of none other than Subject χ. Over the years, I’ve seen so many videos and discussions about who she might be and I’m personally convinced that she’s Skuld after the events of Khux. However, when it was revealed at the end of Khdr, that Xehanort was not only a descendant of Ephemer, but a relative to Skuld, it made me question somethings.
Now, it’s definitely plausible that Skuld could have a sibling or cousin who eventually got with a descendant of Ephemer which eventually led to Xehanort and his mother. Especially with how Missing Link (rest in peace) was going to focus on bloodlines. Yet, I feel like something else could be going on. Xehanort’s mother and Skuld are extremely similar to one another.
Pictures for comparison:
It’s no surprise some people thought that Skuld became Xehanort’s mother due to the striking similarities the two of them share. They’re almost identical if not for the eye color.
With that said, I think I’ve stalled enough, so I’m going to tell you my theory:
I think that when Skuld was sent to the future, she became Subject χ, but after Xigbar, a.k.a. Luxu rescued her, she was sent back into the past.
My reasoning behind this is that we saw that Maleficent was able to travel from the future (Kh1) to the past (Khux) because a version of herself existed in that time, even if it was digital. Additionally, she was able to return to the future, which is technically the present, because she had a medium and memories from people who remembered her.
Who’s to say that the opposite isn’t possible for Skuld?
Now this is where things get interesting. Let’s say that this is true, what would her medium be and who has the memories? I’m going to pose several possibilities I've been thinking of, but first I’d like to say that I believe she didn't have a medium which is why she can’t remember anything.
From what we've seen throughout the series, a medium is something personal that belonged to the time traveller and is what keeps their memories intact. Maleficent, Brain, and the MoM are examples of characters who have known mediums and their memories even after traveling through time. On the flipside, characters like Ventus, Lauriam, Elrena, and one could argue the Player character, all lack memories because they didn't have a medium to help them remember. They only had people who had memories of them in the future.
Okay, so back to what I was saying. Here are the possibilities I’ve considered:
Ephemer: He and Skuld share a strong bond with one another and since he was given the Book of Prophcies at the end of Khux, it’s very possible that he anticipated her arrival. The two could've possiblely started a family together, making both of them Xehanort’s great-great grandparents.
Brain: Similar reasons for Ephemer but I don't think the two would end up together. I want to also bring light to the fact that the Scala we see in the cutscene featuring baby Xehanort and his mother, looks more visually similar to the Scale we see in Missling Link. This means if Skuld hypothetically arrived around this time, Skuld herself could've gotten with a descendant of Ephemer and eventually become Xehanort’s mothers mom or grandma depending on how old Brain was when she arrived.
Luxu: He’s been observing the Union Leaders from the shadows so he would also have memories of Skuld and due to him body hopping, he would obviously exist in the past which would allow Skuld to arrive there. Again, he is the one who saved and hid her. What’s a better place to hide someone than in the past where no one from the present can find them? It would be perfect and could also explain why Isa and Lea couldn’t figure out anything about her whereabouts. She’s no longer in the same time as them. Furthermore, she doesn’t have to get with a descendant of Ephemer since it’s also possible that one of her descendants did.
At the end of the day, this is just a theory I’ve had in my head for several months. I’m curious to know what you guys think of it.
TL;DR: With no medium but memories of those who remember her, Skuld is Subject χ who was sent back into time after being recused by Luxu.
I noticed a few things when I wrote a summary of Riku's story in KH1.
Riku was the most invested in leaving the island. Kairi and Sora were into the raft plan, but they seemed to enjoy it more as a fun building activity. They're happy to dreamily speculate about travelling, but don't seem to think it will actually happen. Riku’s the only one who’s itching to leave for the sake of getting to be somewhere else. He’s also the only one to mention that they’ll be abandoning their families, the other two don’t really think about it.
Riku falls for Maleficent as a surrogate mother figure and gets possessed by Ansem (Xehanort) as a result. Riku redeems himself by holding Ansem back at a key moment, and helping Sora close the door to Kingdom Hearts. He is rewarded with Mickey Mouse as his new parent surrogate.
Riku (A) was the only one who really wanted to leave the island, (B) he jumped at the first surrogate mother he could, then (C) jumped at the first surrogate father figure he could
The Castle Oblivion experience was a microcosm of the memory manipulation and manipulation in general that Xehanort has conducted on Sora.
Making it so that Naminé was seen as Sora’s most precious person but then revealing its Kairi is a red herring within a red herring. Naminé was a red herring for Kairi but Kairi was a red herring for Riku. Not only did this experience distract Sora from realizing who his most precious person is, it gave Kairi being his most precious person a false sense of reliability.
It would have also allowed Xehanort to test out if Sora could be manipulated into thinking his most precious person was someone else, especially someone who could be used as a pawn (like Naminé or Kairi) seeing that Riku was already in some ways on his “road to Dawn” and could not be so easily manipulated to manipulate Sora.
In short, the Castle Oblivion experience was a test of whether Xehanort’s plans for Sora in 3 could actually work. The experience answered the following question: Could Sora be manipulated into following a false light, leading him straight to ruin? Unfortunately, the answer was yes.
While deep sea diving in the web archive I stumbled upon some neat bits of Kingdom Hearts fandom history, like this— what may be the first ever “Riku is Gay” essay (in English).
The first snapshot of the page is from 26th November 2002, just after the international release of KH. Soriku really been out here since day 1…
The purple prose dates it a lot but I didn’t notice any blatant Kairi bashing, which is impressive. It’s interesting that Riku’s complicated feelings for Sora have been documented even as early as 2002, pointing to the same subtext fans discuss even 20 years later.
Here’s a link to the essay: Dissertation on Riku x Sora by Ruaki
“In the end, Riku fell into the 'as long as he's happy' mentality. A much needed noble gesture on his part, but who can say what the future holds for him?“
"A weapon that draws forth its wielder's personality."
Here's my attempt at analyzing the Mystery Gear of Organization XIII! Some are much more interesting than others but I tried my best.
Xemnas - Absolute
Most of Xemnas's weapons have overpowering titles like this one. The negative space heart is a nice touch, considering his entire identity revolves around not having one. You know what's fucked up about this one? Black with a purple aura brings to mind Maleficent, and its shape looks kind of like if Riku's Soul Eater was mirrored on itself.
This probably doesn't actually mean anything regarding Riku but it does make it more clear that Absolute is meant to resemble the wings of a demon or dragon. They look very different from the wings of Dragon Xemnas, however. So, potentially meaning Xemnas is not as lifeless as he behaves...?
Xigbar - Trumpet
No-nonsense title. The arrowguns tend to either be named after Final Fantasy things or gun terms. One of the less serious Mystery Gears but there's still something. Khwiki says it probably represents how he tends to "toot his own horn" which is funny and true, HOWEVER, I think it also represents the military use of a trumpet to relay signals. In kh2, he's the first of the Organization to make conversation with Sora, and there's the Luxu of it all, naturally.
Xaldin - Wyvern
I must confess, this one I have a hard time with. Xaldin's weapons tend to be named obscure and poetic terms for weather or mythological beings. Compared to most of his other lances, this one's shading makes it look very two-dimensional, which is where someone less cool would make a joke about how he's boring.
It shares a similar design philosophy to Xemnas's Absolute (there are a handful of design patterns Org XIII weapons like to follow, though it doesn't really apply to the Mystery Gear). The dragon's maw is on the opposite end of the lance as the one in Lindworm, Xaldin's main weapon. It is the only one of Xaldin's lances (except for casual gear which doesn't count) to lack the colored bands in the middle- here's another to show what I mean
So, overall, I guess it could mean that Xaldin's desires aren't too complicated and lofty, despite the way he acts? He was spurned by love. Maybe, while he tends to be backhanded, like the lindworm, he wishes he could simply move without thinking and be upfront, like the wyvern...
Vexen - Snowman
khwiki says "design represents Vexen's cold and heartless personality" which is so funny. look at this thing. what the hell are you talking about
His weapons are named for either science or cold things, mostly glaciers. This one is the only shield of Vexen's to resemble a snowflake in symmetry, and the snowman plastered on top (leaving it unprotected; potentially throwing out its arms to protect what's behind? or unable to lower them, because that's where the person building the snowman stuck them?) ruins that symmetry. It seems concerned. Snowmen are made for recreational reasons, serving no practical purpose. This could be interpreted as Vexen having a fun side (building a snowman parallel to making a replica), but personally, I think this whole thing represents insecurity. He feels out of place, like he must look ridiculous, like he was given a job he's utterly unprepared to do. Oh, yes. That's Vexen.
Lexaeus - Monolith
Lexaeus's weapon names are really varied; some refer to literature, poetry, or philosophy, and others refer to trees or rocks or other nature things.
On a joke level, Moai are Final Fantasy easter eggs that mean nothing, but we're not here for that. To be honest, now that I'm looking at them side by side, it doesn't look too much like a Moai.
It has clearly pronounced cheekbones, the brow isn't right, and it has no ears. I feel like if they were actually going for Moai it wouldn't have that many differences. I mean, 🗿it's very iconic.
If the Mystery Gears draw forth their wielders' personalities, it would naturally follow that what it draws forth isn't the most obvious thing, right? We know Lexaeus is stone-faced already. So, because it carries more meaning, let's assume it is meant to be Moai, or Moyai (fun fact, this guy 🗿 is a Moyai, not a Moai).
Most Moai are made of tuff, a relatively soft rock, and Moyai are made of pumice, which is light and porous; neither are as ponderous as the sort of rock one might think of when considering someone with a stony exterior. Moai, the original, were sacred and thought to be depictions of ancestors that watched over the living, while Moyai, the statues made in Nijima based on Moai, are partially named for the dialectical term 催合い, to cooperate.
Softer/lighter than they appear, placing value on working together. Yet it's named monolith- a single stone. Many can become one, for a cause...
Zexion - Dear Diary
I've already talked about this one but I can talk about it even more. Every single one of his Lexicons (excluding midnight snack because casual gear does not count) follows the naming convention of "[evil and scary adjective] [noun for a written work]", which is very straightforward next to Lexaeus and even the supposedly calculating guy Vexen, which is an observation I'm definitely putting away for later because wow you can do a lot with that analytically. I'm normal. This goes in the zexienzo autism evidence folder. Anyway, this one breaks the pattern. Even without the connotation of "dear diary" making one think of someone young and sentimental spilling their secrets to a notebook, the denotation still implies a personification of the journal. In 358/2 Days, Roxas's journal entries are called diary entries, while everyone else's entries that serve the same purpose are called "secret reports", but Vexen's the only one who refers to his as something else: the clinical "Research Entry 326". All this is relevant because 358/2 Days introduces Zexion as "an intellectual with no room for feelings". In a group dedicated to saying they don't have feelings, this should mean he doesn't care for sentimentality in the slightest. And yet.
The wallpaper is eyesearing red that leaves afterimages. Not only is the symbol of Nobodies and the Organization the only thing decorating the outside, he's the only one with a Mystery Gear weapon to feature any part of it at all.
Saïx is using the Organization for his own gain. Xemnas, despite only existing as a Nobody, has Xehanort's plans. Roxas and Xion, similarly only knowing the Organization, don't want this. Compared to them, only half of Zexion's life was the Organization, it was also 10 years instead of just one, and it's all he is. "Zexion talks of the bond we share as an Organization, but how could such a thing exist?" (Lexaeus, Day 25 "Hollow Ties") Zexion is the only one who really, actually believes in its meaning.
And then the red wallpaper, concealed in a cold silver frame. It could be anger. It could be something else. But he feels, violently, and doesn't want anyone else to see. (see also: his multiplayer days defeat animation where he glances around to make sure no one else is looking before swiftly and sharply expressing his rage)
He's fine
Saïx - Bunnymoon
His weapons are named for the moon and space. This one's a real easy one. Khwiki says the rocket part is probably for his lofty ideals, trying to rise through the ranks, but it's more than that. This is one of the extremely few Organization XIII 358/2 Days weapons to have no sharp edges. This one says that his association with the moon is less akin to a werewolf (though that is still part of it; he literally has a weapon named Werewolf), and more akin to the rabbit pounding mochi on the moon. He's a prey animal playing at being a predator. His true disposition isn't thorny. Perhaps also notable that you can't see the rabbit unless he's berserking. Okay I lied I don't know what the rocket means aside from the thing mentioned above
Axel - Conformers
My apologies to all Axel fans for this one. His weapons are mostly fire-related but a few are also references to him being depressed. "Conformer" comes from Yuffie Final Fantasy's ultimate weapon, which is strange, considering how much emphasis he puts on people remembering him, and not anyone else. Their original title, Fuuma Shuriken, might also be references to final fantasy ninjas, but could also be unrelated since it is its own thing. unfortunate he doesn't have wind powers.
The ninja association is interesting, especially considering the ninja final fantasy class later went to Larxene. Apparently Assassin and Ninja are the same class in some games? I don't know, I've never played a ff game. Axel is good at the mercenary part, less so the stealth part (hey, don't need to be stealthy when your enemies are dead, right?), but fuuma shuriken are impractically big and showy for someone who's supposed to be stealthy and that is very Axel.
I don't know. A lot of these have a depth to them as a regular person, not the powerful Nobody they are on the outside, while this... the conclusion it makes me arrive to is that the shady backstabbing thing isn't just bravado, it's who he truly is. Which I feel is wrong. Someone else might have to do this one properly.
Demyx - After School
Okay so this is a broom. I think it's notable that the two Mystery Gears that can most easily be mistaken for Casual Gears are Xigbar and Demyx, the two with shoulder pads. Just kidding it's notable because they're both very flippant.
The sitars are all named after music terms, but I don't think the names of the others are really relevant here. khwiki suggests it has to do with his tendency to sweep things under the rug, which is clever, but... ehh. If everyone has to stay after school to clean up, then that means he's actually doing his job for once, but it could also be that he's being made to clean up after school as punishment for slacking off.
Personally, this weapon for Demyx makes me think of his character file: "I'm not cut out for fighting... I don't really wanna do anything that's tough or painful, you know? Well, sometimes you gotta do stuff like that to stay alive... I never thought Vexen of all people would ask me to do something, and I hate doing stuff that's a pain, but it seemed like it would be more of a pain not to do it. In that case, aren't I more cut out for lugging stuff around? Oh yeah, what is it that person used to say all the time? Something about a guiding key? Come to think of it, wasn't something guiding me?"
That last bit is in there because it's a really strange jump from one thought to the next, implying that maybe whoever Demyx was before the Organization did a lot more things akin to staying after class to clean.
Luxord - High Roller's Secret
The lack of knowledge about anything Luxord harms me. All of his weapons except the weird ones are named after tarot cards. I don't know? The title indicates that the winning gambler has a secret, but the shape of the cards being a four-leaf clover implies that the secret is literally just good luck. "Luxord believes in the heart of the cards" cannot be it when I was able to pull so much from almost all the others... curse you Luxord you enigma
Marluxia - Dainty Bellflowers
All of Marluxia's weapons are [adjective] [flower]. This makes his naming convention similar to Zexion's. I don't know what this means. The Mystery Gear perfectly fitting that convention, however, is less common. I think someone (me probably) should overhaul some of these weapon descriptions bro what do you mean 'dainty' refers to marluxia's feminine appearance
These are lily-of-the-valley flowers. They represent purity and a return to happiness. They're also poisonous as hell.
A delicate, beautiful poison. This being so obvious about Marluxia makes Axel's seem more plausible but we can start thinking about Strelitzia instead. Do you think it's possible to return to those naïve and pure days of happiness, Marluxia? Do you think you can get there by hurting others? Would she accept you then?
Larxene - Ampoule
All of Larxene's weapons are named in French which means I can only conclude that she is French. Anyway, this is a lightbulb.
Lightbulbs are sooooo easy to shatter and if that happens they're so easy to injure yourself on. If you're throwing lightbulbs at people you are inflicting so much pain with shrapnel. And then if the lightbulb is lit, you can't even touch it without hurting yourself. The glass means when unlit, the insides can be seen with ease, so they must always be shining so brilliantly that no one can even bear to look. No one can touch.
Larxene doesn't want anyone to know she's anything more than a violent asshole. Her skin isn't actually that thick at all so she doesn't let anyone get close enough to notice.
Roxas and Xion - Aubade
To be honest, I think this is the only one khwiki gets more than I could. Like. Come on
It's a good thing too, because I'm only capable of analyzing people who suck so bad. Thank you for reading
As funny as this next part may sound: I think Selphie's got a bit of heteronormativity to blame for this misconception.
"Hey, Sora, have you heard about the legendary power of the paopu fruit? They say if you share it with someone you really care for... it binds you together forever and ever through eternity! Its so romantic. I gotta try it sometime."
But, when Riku describes it,
"If two people share one, their destinies become intertwined. They'll remain a part of each other's lives no matter what. C'mon, I know you want to try it."
It sounds a lot less romantic.. Selphie's biased description makes it sound more like marriage, sure, especially when she adds that she finds it romantic. But Riku's description, it makes it sound less like they're forced together permanently, and more like just.. making the choice to promise you won't drift from each other, that you'll always be there for each other. That doesn't sound exclusive to romance to me.
I think what convinced me the most was re-reading Aqua's words when she gives Terra and Ven their Wayfinders.
"Somewhere out there, there's this tree with star-shaped fruit. And the fruit represents an unbreakable connection. So as long as you and your friends carry good luck charms shaped like it, nothing can ever drive you apart. You will always find your way back to each other. An unbreakable connection."
Even though their good luck charms are only like it, she still describes it having the same ability, just bringing people closer, and ensuring circumstances won't tear them apart. Obviously, with the context of the wayfinders, it's described as entirely platonic. No romance hinted to it at all.
So why do people always seem to treat sharing the fruit as ship confirmation? If you've seen my blog- You know I've got bias on ships, I find the story of Kingdom Hearts to be a lot stronger and more meaningful if we actually acknowledge Riku and Sora's feelings. Whether they end up romantically together or just committed to each other platonically, it's hard to deny they'd end up best as partners. Though I'm definitely biased in saying I think a queerplatonic ending for them would be pretty cool, though I doubt that'd happen canonically.
My point being- I don't say this because of Kairi's scene in KH3, many people have already clarified and debunked that; 1. In the original translation, and with paralells to Winnie the Pooh, it's kinda cleared that it was more of a platonic gesture to a friend Sora's drifting from. And 2. Even if it's not, the idea was they'd be bonded if two people shared one fruit. Not one fruit each person. So it seems more symbolic. I'm obviously not the first person to say this, but still.
I think the fandom kinda needs to stop treating the fruit as inherently romantic to be honest.. it's mostly only used in ship art, used as a confirmation to a ship or an analogy for marriage.. and I get where that perspective comes from, but, I dunno.
I think more people should acknowledge the possibility of paopu fruits being shared platonically, in the way Aqua describes. Friends making a promise not to let circumstances drive them apart, to stay by each others' side no matter what. I think with Aqua's description and the way I interpret it, I can't be the only one who'd want to make that same kind of promise with my friends if it were real.
the longer you avoid your own feelings, the bigger the monster you're running from will get. reminds me of the Darkside from the first game, the one that I'm pretty sure is canonically connected to Sora (either as his Heartless or simply a representation of his latent darkness)
and I don't think it's a coincidence that the first time Anti Sora appears is in the same game that starts putting more focus on just how many hearts Sora prioritizes over his own. it's not just the hearts around him that he focuses on saving all the time anymore- it's also the hearts literally overlapping his, hearts he feels responsible for taking care of because he's once again been chosen to be a hero and goddammit he is not going to fail these heart roommates. he did a great job sheltering Kairi's heart even without knowing she was in there; obviously he can pull it off again, no problem!
but I wonder what Sora will do when there are no more hearts to focus on besides his own. when everything slows down enough for others to not need his help anymore, when those extra hearts he carries aren't occupying the space in him anymore. he's spent so much time listening to everyone else, so much of his life becoming the exact type of hero people needed him to be. how long has it been since Sora listened to his own heart's voice? would he even recognize the emotions in it? and when his heart is the only one left to be the hero for, would he know what to do to save himself?
there is only so much you can do to fight the darkness in your heart when you barely know who you're trying to save.
