Editing Ventus

{{Game|KHC|RCO|BBS|FMB|DDD|DHD|AFP|UCX|KH3|3RM|DR|MOM}}
{{Suite|Ventus}}
{{Youmay|the character|[[Ventus (track)|the musical theme]]}}
{{Character
|name=Ventus
|image=[[File:Ventus KHIII.png|350x400px]]
|katakana=ヴェントゥス
|romaji=Ventusu
|alias={{nihongo|Ven|ヴェン}}
|type=Entelechy
|fr=Ventus
|de=Ven
|pt=Ventus
|charworld1=Daybreak Town
|charworld2=Land of Departure
|charworld3=Castle Oblivion
|enva=Jesse McCartney
|java=Kōki Uchiyama
|game1=Kingdom Hearts coded
|game2=Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep
|game3=Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance
|game4=Kingdom Hearts 0.2 Birth by Sleep -A fragmentary passage-
|game5=Kingdom Hearts Union χ
|game6=Kingdom Hearts III
|game7=Kingdom Hearts Dark Road
|game8=Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory
|BBSnormalname=Ventus
|BBSnormalfile=Ventus KHBBS.ogg
|s1=Vanitas
|s2=Ventus-Vanitas
|s3=Roxas
|journalBBS=One of Master Eraqus's pupils. He usually goes by "Ven" for short. He and Terra and Aqua train together, sharing both a healthy rivalry and a strong bond of friendship.<br><br>{{JBBS|ta|Since Ventus is younger, Terra and Aqua tend to be very protective of him.}}<br><br>{{JBBS|v|Haunted by the masked boy's warnings about Terra, Ven defied Master Eraqus, ran away from home, and set off for the outside world to find his friend.}}
|journalDDD=One of three Keyblade wielders who played a pivotal role in a historic clash more than a dozen years ago. His heart is sleeping, and he has been laid to rest in a secret chamber of a certain castle until someone can wake him up.
|journalUX='''Illustrated Ventus/Ventus'''<br>KINGDOM HEARTS BbS (2010)<br>An apprentice of Master Eraqus, and best friends with Terra and Aqua.<br><br>'''Terra & Ventus & Aqua'''<br>KINGDOM HEARTS BbS (2010)<br>Master Eraqus's pupils. The three are best friends, but also rivals.
|journalKH3=One of three Keyblade wielders who trained under Master Eraqus. His heart fell into slumber at the end of the battle over the χ-blade more than a decade ago. Since then, Aqua has kept his body hidden away in the Chamber of Waking.<br><br>Ventus's deep connection with Aqua was what ultimately woke him from his sleep within Sora's heart.
}} <!--When editing this article, please be aware that the possessive form of Ventus is Ventus's, NOT Ventus'.-->
{{Q|I've become a part of their heart, just as they've become a part of mine. My friends are my power... and I'm theirs!|Ventus to Vanitas before their clash at the Dive to the Heart}}
'''Ventus''', also known as '''Ven''', is one of the main protagonists in ''[[Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep]]''. He was a originally a [[Keyblade wielder]] and [[Union]] leader from age of fairytales. He was transported into the future with no [[memories]] of his original life, and apprenticed to both [[Xehanort]] and [[Eraqus]]. He is the youngest of the trio formed by himself, [[Terra]] and [[Aqua]].

Ventus's [[heart]] is severely damaged by the creation of his dark counterpart, [[Vanitas]], and then again when the [[χ-blade]] forged from their hearts is destroyed. Both times, [[Sora]]'s heart reaches out to mend Ventus's heart, and by the end of ''Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep'', Ventus's heart has gone to sleep within Sora's so that it can recover until it is fully healed and ready to rejoin his [[body]], which lies comatose but safe within the [[Chamber of Waking]]. Ventus is later woken from his slumber and returns to training with Terra and Aqua in the Land of Departure, and he is reunited with his [[Chirithy]] from the distant past.

Ventus is the host of one of the original thirteen {{c|Darkness|character}}es and the physical template of [[Roxas]].

==Story==
===Before ''Kingdom Hearts Union χ''===
The [[Master of Masters]] records the future in the [[Book of Prophecies]], and writes that [[Darkness (character)|Darkness]] will use Ventus as a vessel. Darkness reads this section of the Book.

Ventus lives as a young [[Keyblade]] wielder in [[Daybreak Town]], where he joins one of the five [[Union]]s and is given his personal [[Chirithy]]. He never tops any leaderboards and doesn't have friends.

Due to Ventus's insecurities, he desires power, and Darkness uses this to invade Ventus's heart, as was written. Darkness disguises itself as [[Ava]] and tricks Ventus into meeting at the abandoned warehouse. There, Darkness strikes down [[Strelitzia]] and tells Ventus to take her [[rulebook]], while suppressing Ventus's memory of the event. Darkness, again posing as Ava, asks Ventus to be one of the future Union leaders in the [[Dandelions]].{{storylink|Quest 730: Target: Silver Hammer Frame Pt. 2}}

=== ''Kingdom Hearts Union χ''===
[[File:The Third to Arrive 01 KHUX.png|thumb|left|Ventus meets Ephemer.]]
Once the [[Keyblade War]] is over, Ventus goes to the [[Keyblade Graveyard]] and meets the other new Union leaders: [[Ephemer]], [[Skuld]], [[Brain]], and [[Lauriam]]. Together, the Union leaders decide not to tell the other Keyblade wielders about Keyblade War, using Spirits to erase the war from their nightmares, and to keep the Unions together for the time being.

Later, the Union leaders debate whether to implement [[Shift Pride]] as the rulebook instructs. Ventus rejects the idea as he doesn't want the Keyblade wielders to fight again. Ephemer suggests having them fight data reconstructions of their comrades instead, which Ventus accepts. Lauriam arrives and explains that he's been looking for his sister, Strelitzia, who has gone missing.

[[Darklings]] begin to search for Ventus throughout Daybreak Town.

Brain reveals that they are still headed for destruction despite avoiding the Keyblade War. While Ventus and Skuld discuss this, a glitch occurs and they see projections of Ava and the Master of Masters. Ventus looks for Brain in the Clock Tower and is attacked by [[Flappy Bug]]s, but he is saved by Ephemer, who introduces him to [[Player]]. Darklings attack them, but they fend them off.

Brain explains that the Daybreak Town they are in is made of data and has been cut off from the real world. They suspect that the glitches they are experiencing are being caused by the Darklings. Brain promises to find a way to escape the data world.

Brain's Chirithy brings Ventus and Skuld to a meeting with Brain and Ephemer. Brain questions them about how they were told they were Union leaders, and Ventus's story is inconsistent with the others'. Brain explains that he was given a list of Union leaders, and this list has Strelitzia's name rather than Ventus's. As Ventus attempts to recall what really happened when he was chosen as a Union leader, he is overcome with pain and ends up passing out. As he dreams, he remembers Strelitzia's death and Darkness's presence.

After he wakes up, Ventus joins the other Union leaders in the Control Room and admits to Lauriam that he is responsible for Strelitzia's disappearance. Lauriam is furious and attacks him, though he is stopped by Ephemer. Ventus once again passes out from the strain of the memories. Darkness emerges from Ventus and reveals the true events, claiming that Strelitzia's death was Ventus's will. The other Union leaders, along with Player, fight Darkness to no avail due to its formless nature. Darklings appear and surround Ventus. Ventus wakes up and, reasoning that pure darkness leaving him makes him pure light, uses light to destroy the Darklings, then faces Darkness. He reshapes Darkness and takes it back into him, and then passes out and is returned to his bed.

The other Union leaders decide to use the [[lifeboat]]s to escape the crumbling Daybreak Town. Lauriam carries the unconscious Ventus to the lifeboats and loads him inside, and his heart is sent many years into the future, where his body is reconstructed in the Keyblade Graveyard. Ventus's Chirithy goes to [[The Final World]] and waits for him there.

===Between ''Kingdom Hearts Union χ'' and ''Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep''===
[[File:Flashback Vanitas's Making 01 KHBBS.png|thumb|left|Xehanort extracts the darkness in Ventus's heart and creates Vanitas.]]
Xehanort is led to Ventus by the [[Magic Mirror]], and decides to take him on as an apprentice. Xehanort plans to use Ventus as a vessel for his heart, but when Ventus proves too frail, Xehanort decides to use him to forge the [[χ-blade]] instead. After training Ventus for about a year, Xehanort takes him to the Keyblade Graveyard and attempts to force him use his darkness to fight off a group of [[Neoshadow]]s, but Ventus refuses and is knocked unconscious. Xehanort uses his Keyblade to extract the darkness from Ventus's heart, which forms into a being of pure darkness whom Xehanort names "Vanitas".

Ventus's heart is left damaged and incomplete, and Xehanort takes Ventus to the [[Destiny Islands]] to fade away peacefully. There, Ventus [[Dive to the Heart|connects with the heart]] of a newborn Sora, which stabilizes Ventus's heart. Ventus, still unconscious, summons his Keyblade and shoots a ray of light into the sky. Seeing this, Xehanort decides Ventus can still be used to forge the χ-blade through a clash with Vanitas.

[[File:Flashback The Wooden Keyblade 01 KHBBS.png|thumb|Ventus, Terra, and Aqua take a break from their training.]]
As Vanitas's presence is dangerous to Ventus, Xehanort takes Ventus to Eraqus so his light can be nurtured. Xehanort tells Eraqus that Ventus may be the [[child of destiny]].<!--insert storylink-->

Ventus is initially frail and collapses in agony when questioned about his past, after which he sleeps for a long time. Eventually, he recovers his strength and resumes training as a Keyblade wielder under Eraqus. He grows close to Terra and Aqua, and comes to see Terra as a brother after Terra gifts him his old [[Wooden Keyblade|wooden practice Keyblade]] in a mock [[Bequeathing]] ceremony.
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===''Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep''===
[[File:The Masked Boy 02 KHBBS.png|thumb|left|Vanitas taunts Ventus about Terra.]]
Four years later, Aqua gives Ventus and Terra [[Wayfinder]]s representing their bonds on the eve of Terra and Aqua's [[Mark of Mastery exam]]. The next day, Xehanort interferes with the exam, eventually resulting in Terra's darkness flaring and him failing the exam.

In order to lure Ventus away from home, Vanitas spreads Unversed to many other worlds, which Eraqus sends Terra and Aqua to deal with. Vanitas appears in Ventus's room to taunt him about Terra changing and leaving him behind. Ventus finds Terra and tries to speak, but Terra brushes him off and leaves through the [[lanes between]] on his [[Keyblade Glider]]. Ventus summons his own Keyblade Glider and follows Terra.

Ventus visits various other worlds as he searches for Terra. In the [[Dwarf Woodlands]], the [[Seven Dwarfs|dwarfs]] suggest Terra unleashed [[Unversed]] on Snow White, and the [[Evil Queen]], disguised as an old woman, tells Ventus that Terra threatened her with his Keyblade, though Ventus refuses to believe this. In [[Enchanted Dominion]], after Ventus frees [[Aurora]]'s heart, [[Maleficent]] claims that Terra was the one who stole it. Aqua arrives to bring Ventus home, but he refuses and runs off.

[[File:Another Keyblade Wielder 01 KHBBS.png|thumb|Ventus teams up with Mickey to defeat Vanitas.]]
Ventus sees Vanitas in the lanes between and follows him to the Keyblade Graveyard. Ventus and Vanitas fight, but Vanitas easily outmatches Ventus and nearly kills him. [[Mickey Mouse]] arrives in time to save Ventus and assists him in his battle against Vanitas. Defeated, Vanitas flees, leaving Ventus and Mickey alone. Mickey explains that he's been traveling via the [[Star Shard]], which activates seemingly randomly. The Star Shard activates and sends them to [[Radiant Garden]].

Ventus attempts to enter the castle, but is intercepted by [[Aeleus]] and [[Dilan]]. Ventus sees an Unversed and chases after it. He eventually confronts the [[Trinity Armor]] in the Central Square, and is reunited with Terra and Aqua. After they defeat the Trinity Armor together, Aqua and Terra attempt to convince Ventus to go home, but Aqua and Terra quarrel over Terra's darkness, and Terra storms off. Ventus rebukes Aqua and leaves to find Terra.

[[File:An Eerie Farewell 01 KHBBS.png|thumb|left|Terra tells Ventus that he knows he can count on Ventus when he's needed.]]
Ventus finds [[Ienzo]] surrounded by Unversed and defeats them. [[Even]] arrives and thanks Ventus, and suggests Terra may be in the Outer Gardens. Ventus finds Terra, but Terra refuses to let him come along due to the danger, but says he knows Ventus will be there when Terra needs him. Aqua finds Ventus, but she also refuses to let Ventus come along, and tells him to go home.

Ventus remains in Radiant Garden and reminisces about their friendship. [[Lea]] and [[Isa]] find him, and Lea challenges him to a duel. Ventus wins, and they resolve to be friends before going their separate ways.

[[File:Keepsakes 01 KHBBS.png|thumb|Ventus decides to part with the wooden Keyblade Terra once gave him.]]
Ventus continues his travels to other worlds, attempting to make new friends along the way. Eventually, Ventus finds Mickey's Star Shard in [[Neverland]], only to have it stolen, along with [[Tinker Bell]], by [[Captain Hook]]. He teams up with [[Peter Pan]] and the Lost Boys to defeat Captain Hook. Afterwards, Ventus decides to leave behind his wooden Keyblade in a treasure chest, believing he'll continue to make good memories with Terra and Aqua.

Ventus retrieves the Star Shard and is whisked away to the [[Mysterious Tower]]. Upon his arrival, [[Donald Duck]] and [[Goofy]] take him to speak with [[Yen Sid]], who informs him that Mickey has gone missing. When Yen Sid uses his magic to find Mickey, they discover that Mickey is in danger in the Keyblade Graveyard, and Ventus leaves to find him.

[[File:Former Master 01 KHBBS.png|200px|thumb|left|Xehanort reveals his plans for Ventus.]]
At the Keyblade Graveyard, Ventus finds Mickey unconscious, but is confronted by Xehanort, triggering a memory of his past and overwhelming him. Xehanort reveals Ventus's ability to forge the [[χ-blade]] and tells Ventus that Eraqus never allowed Ventus to leave the Land of Departure because he feared this power and didn't trust Ventus. Xehanort conjures a vortex that sends Ventus into the lanes between, and from there Ventus returns to the Land of Departure.

Ventus reunites with Eraqus and confronts him about what Xehanort told him. Eraqus, realizing that Xehanort still intends to summon Kingdom Hearts, decides he must destroy Ventus to stop Xehanort. As he readies his attack, Terra arrives to defend Ventus. Despite Ventus's protests, Terra throws Ventus into a portal to the Destiny Islands. There, he encounters Vanitas again, who tells Ventus to fight him and forge the χ-blade, but Ventus refuses. Ventus suddenly remembers Vanitas's creation. Vanitas tells Ventus to come to the Keyblade Graveyard and threatens to kill Terra and Aqua.

[[File:Kingdom Hearts 01 KHBBS.png|thumb|200px|Ventus frozen by Xehanort.]]
At the Keyblade Graveyard, Ventus is reunited with Terra and Aqua, and asks them to destroy him to prevent the χ-blade from being forged. However, they are interrupted by the arrival of Xehanort and Vanitas. Xehanort declares his intention to create the χ-blade, and a fight ensues. Xehanort freezes Ventus and throws him off a cliff, but Aqua manages to catch him. [[Braig]] appears and fights Aqua to stall her while Terra faces Xehanort alone.

Braig withdraws, and Vanitas appears and knocks Aqua out. As Vanitas prepares to finish her off, Ventus manages to thaw out of his frozen state, and attacks Vanitas. The resulting fight damages Vanitas's body, allowing Vanitas to merge with Ventus. He restrains Ventus with [[Flood]]s, revealing that he is the originator of the Unversed, then merges with Ventus and takes over his body, forging the χ-blade. Due to Ventus resisting Vanitas's will, the χ-blade is incomplete. While Aqua and Mickey fight [[Ventus-Vanitas]] on the outside, Ventus fights Vanitas. Ventus manages to destroy Vanitas and the χ-blade, returning Ventus's darkness to him and completing his heart once more, though doing so also damages Ventus's heart and causes it to leave his body, leaving him in comatose.

[[File:The Chamber of Waking 01 KHBBS.png|200px|thumb|left|Ventus sleeping in the Chamber of Waking.]]
On the outside, the destruction of the χ-blade causes a massive explosion of power, sweeping Ventus, Aqua, and Mickey into the lanes between. Ventus unconsciously dons his [[Keyblade Armor]] to protect himself. Mickey brings the unconscious Ventus and Aqua to the Mysterious Tower. Aqua wakes and takes Ventus's comatose body with her. He unconsciously uses his Keyblade to create a portal to the Land of Departure, and Aqua takes him there. Aqua places his body on the throne and transforms the room into the [[Chamber of Waking]] as she transforms the Land of Departure into [[Castle Oblivion]].

Ventus's heart drifts between light and darkness. Due to their previous encounter, Sora is able to sense Ventus's pain and opens his heart to Ventus's. Ventus's heart speaks to Sora's and asks to stay within Sora, which Sora accepts. Ventus's heart sleeps within Sora and slowly begins to recover.
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===Between ''Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep'' and ''Kingdom Hearts''===
After [[Terra-Xehanort]] casts [[Ansem the Wise]] into the Realm of Darkness, he builds the Chamber of Repose in the underground lab in Radiant Garden as a mirror of the Chamber of Waking, and spends a large amount of time there contemplating Ventus's location.<ref>'''''Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix,'' Xigbar:''' "The Chamber of Repose. If you recall, that's where we spent our time researching the darkness that resides within people's hearts. It's a graveyard that was sealed by order of Ansem the Wise. The first thing Xemnas did once he got rid of him was to undo the seal and build a room in the back. Ever since then, he holes himself up in that room when he can, and he talks to someone. But who? For all I know, he's the only one in that room."</ref>

===''Kingdom Hearts 0.2 Birth by Sleep -A fragmentary passage-''===
[[File:Reflection 01 KH0.2.png|thumb|Aqua encounters a vision of Ventus sleeping in Snow White's glass coffin.]]
In the [[Realm of Darkness]], Aqua encounters a vision of Ventus sleeping in Snow White's glass coffin, but he soon disappears.

Later, Aqua encounters phantoms of Terra and Ventus in the [[Forest of Thorns]]. Terra speaks to Aqua, but Terra-Xehanort takes over and attempts to learn if Ventus is hidden in the Chamber of Waking.
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===''Kingdom Hearts''===
Ten years after Ventus's heart takes refuge in Sora's, when Sora learns that [[Kairi]]'s heart has taken refuge within his own heart, he uses the [[Keyblade of heart]] to free hers, which also releases his and creates his [[Nobody]], [[Roxas]]. For unknown reasons, Ventus's heart remained in Sora's body,<ref>'''''[[Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Ultimania]]'', Interviewer:''' "Is it possible that Roxas has a heart?" / '''Tetsuya Nomura:''' "It is thought that it could be Ventus's heart... As was said in Q1, he has taken a lot of himself from Ventus. But perhaps when Sora and Roxas were separated, Ventus' heart stayed in Roxas?" [https://www.khinsider.com/news/BBS-Ultimania-20-Mysteries-Solved-2546 Translation via Lissar].</ref> causing Roxas to take on Ventus's appearance instead of Sora's.<ref>'''''Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Ultimania'', Interviewer:''' "Why do Roxas and Ventus look alike?" / '''Tetsuya Nomura:''' "Sora and Ventus's heart are linked... And so Roxas, who is a part of Sora, was affected by that and looks just like Ventus." [https://www.khinsider.com/news/BBS-Ultimania-20-Mysteries-Solved-2546 Translation via Lissar].</ref>

===''Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days''===
[[File:Resolve 01 KHD.png|left|thumb|Xion takes on Ventus's appearance through Xigbar's eyes.]]
When Lea's Nobody, [[Axel]], meets Roxas, he remembers meeting Ventus, but doesn't tell Roxas about their similarity out of fear that Roxas might vanish too.<ref>'''''Kingdom Hearts III,'' Lea:''' "Way back when I was a kid, I met this other weird kid. Somehow we became fast friends. Never saw him again—nearly forgot about him, too. Then, I met Roxas. Couldn't believe it. The two of 'em were identical. Oh, I didn't tell Roxas. Didn't want ''him'' to go vanishing on me, too. The kid's name was Ventus."</ref>

[[Xemnas]], having learned that Ventus is a Keyblade wielder of old,<ref>'''''[[Kingdom Hearts III Ultimania]]'', Tetsuya Nomura:''' "By the way, Xemnas was also looking for the Chamber of Awakening in ''Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days'' because Ventus, who was sleeping there, was a Keyblade wielder of old." [https://www.khinsider.com/news/Kingdom-Hearts-3-Ultimania-Scenario-Mysteries-Interview-Translated-14746 Translation via Goldpanner].</ref> sends the members of [[Organization XIII]] to Castle Oblivion to search for him and the Chamber of Waking, but they are unable to find it.

Roxas visits Castle Oblivion on a mission. As soon as he enters, Ventus's heart within him reacts to the close proximity to Ventus's body. This, along with the proximity to Sora, causes Roxas to suddenly become weak and fall unconscious.<ref>'''''[[Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Ultimania]]'', Interviewer:''' "Why did Roxas faint in Castle Oblivion on Day 297?" / '''Tetsuya Nomura:''' "Because he had gotten to close to both Sora and Ventus, his 'real self'." [https://www.khinsider.com/news/BBS-Ultimania-20-Mysteries-Solved-2546 Translation via Lissar].</ref>

[[Xigbar]] sees [[Xion]] as Ventus, as her visible form is variable due to her being an imperfect [[replica]] of Sora, and comments that Xion looks at him the same way Ventus did.

After Xion fades away, Roxas awakens the ability to wield Ventus's Keyblade simultaneously with Sora's.<ref>'''''[[Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Ultimania]]''''', p. 617; '''Interviewer:''' "Why can Roxas dual-wield?" / '''Tetsuya Nomura:''' "Sora can wield two Keyblades at once because he has Ventus's as well as his own. As Roxas is a part of Sora, he also can use two. In ''Days'', Roxas awakened his ability to dual wield after fighting Xion. In ''KHII'', once Sora absorbs him, he can also dual-wield." [https://www.khinsider.com/news/BBS-Ultimania-20-Mysteries-Solved-2546 Translation via Lissar].</ref>
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===''Kingdom Hearts II''===
{{Q|That's right! He used to give me that same exact look!|Xigbar speaks to Sora, referring to Ventus}}
While analyzing Sora's heart and memories, Ansem the Wise finds three "boxes" within him that contain the hearts of other people, one of whom is Ventus. Ansem hides data pertaining to this within Sora.

When Sora is first accosted by Organization XIII at [[Hollow Bastion]], Xigbar stays behind to taunt him, at one point comparing his glare to the one Ventus once showed him as Braig. When Sora runs into Xigbar at [[The World That Never Was]], he remarks that Sora doesn't look like "half the hero" that Terra, Ventus, and Aqua were.

===''Kingdom Hearts coded''===
[[Data-Naminé]] tells Mickey and [[Data-Sora]] that Ventus is one of the ones connected to Sora's heart that must be saved. Later on, Mickey tells Yen Sid that they may be close to finding Ventus's heart.

===''Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance''===
[[File:Ansem the Wise's Legacy 03 KH3D.png|thumb|A vision of Ventus appears within Sora's heart.]]
Sora undergoes his Mark of Mastery exam to obtain the [[power of waking]] so he can wake Ventus's heart and restore him.

When Sora arrives at The World That Never Was, he is caught by the Organization and placed within a nightmare where he sees phantoms of Terra and Aqua. Sora takes on Ventus's appearance while speaking to them. Xigbar and Xemnas appear to taunt Sora, but he proclaims that he is proud to be there for his friends, and a vision of the people Sora is connected to, including Ventus, appears.

Following Sora's descent into the darkness of the nightmare, Ventus's heart envelops Sora in Ventus's Keyblade Armor in order to protect him. The Keyblade Armor is temporarily corrupted by [[Armored Ventus Nightmare|a Nightmare]] until [[Riku]] defeats it to save Sora.

Ventus later appears inside the projection of Destiny Islands within Sora's heart, but Riku, having never met Ventus before, initially mistakes him for Roxas.

Physically, Ventus's body continues to sleep within Castle Oblivion. When Sora reunites with his [[Dream Eater]] friends, Ventus's body reacts to Sora's happiness and smiles.

===''Kingdom Hearts III''===
When Sora hears that Aqua is trapped in the Realm of Darkness, Ventus's heart reacts within him and causes Sora to assert that he'll save her.

After defeating [[Randall]] in [[Monstropolis]], Sora and his friends are confronted by Vanitas, whose heart has been brought forward in time by [[Young Xehanort]]. Vanitas reveals Ventus's heart is within Sora and attempts to forcibly remove it, but is repelled by [[Sulley]] and [[Mike Wazowski]]. Later, Ienzo contacts Sora and reveals that Sora has three hearts within his, essentially confirming Vanitas's claim.

[[File:An End to Slumber 01 KHIII.png|thumb|left|Ventus reunites with Aqua after awakening from his comatose state.]]
After her return to the realm of light, Aqua goes to Castle Oblivion to retrieve Ventus, accompanied by Sora, Donald, and Goofy. Aqua restores the world to the Land of Departure, and finds Ventus's body, which is still lacking his heart. Vanitas appears to again attempt to take Ventus's heart. Aqua fights him alone, but gets injured. Ventus's heart reacts within Sora and helps Sora use the power of waking to return his heart to his body. Ventus repels Vanitas from Aqua, and Vanitas flees. When Ventus sees Sora's face, he is shocked to see that Sora resembles Vanitas.

They regroup at the Mysterious Tower along with Yen Sid and the other [[Guardians of Light]]: Mickey, Riku, Kairi, and Lea. Despite having not yet found Terra, they prepare to face Xehanort's thirteen seekers of darkness at the Keyblade Graveyard. To Lea's surprise, Ventus still remembers him and considers them friends. Later, Ventus and Aqua discuss the time they've been apart, and Ventus reveals he's had dreams of Sora's adventures.

The next day, Ventus and the other Guardians of Light arrive at the Keyblade Graveyard, where they are immediately confronted by Xehanort and his various incarnations. Ventus sees Terra in the middle of the wasteland, but Aqua immediately realizes that it is not Terra. Terra's appearance changes to that of Terra-Xehanort, and he strikes Ventus down. Though Donald destroys Terra-Xehanort with [[Zettaflare]], a [[Demon Tide]] soon eliminates everyone, including Ventus.

Sora is able to use the power of waking to restore his friends' hearts and rewrite reality, returning them to the beginning of their encounter with Terra-Xehanort. This time, when Terra-Xehanort attempts to attack Ventus, Terra's [[Lingering Will]] intervenes, and the two fly off while fighting. Aided by the light of the past, Sora is able to take down the Demon Tide, and Yen Sid arrives to hold back the Heartless and allow the Guardians of Light to proceed.

[[File:From Chains to Bonds 05 KHIII.png|thumb|right|200px|Ventus shares a tearful reunion with Terra and Aqua.]]
The guardians of light are subsequently separated by Xehanort when he creates [[The Skein of Severance]] between them. Ventus and Aqua are drawn into battle against Terra-Xehanort and Vanitas. With Sora's help, they are able to destroy Vanitas. However, when they attempt to reach out to Terra within Terra-Xehanort, Terra-Xehanort creates chains from their bonds and imprisons them, then attempts to execute them with a brutal impact. As Ventus and Aqua fall, Terra's heart takes control of the [[Dark Figure]] and catches them. Then, with Sora's help, Terra's heart returns to his body and expels Xehanort. Ventus, Terra, and Aqua share in a tearful reunion.

When Sora moves on, Ventus attempts to go with him, but is forced to rest and recover his strength. After Xehanort successfully summons the χ-blade and unlocks Kingdom Hearts, Ventus, Terra, and Aqua regroup with the others, where Ventus sees Roxas for the first time. While Sora goes on to face Xehanort, Ventus and the other Guardians of Light work together to close Kingdom Hearts. Following Xehanort's defeat, Ventus follows his heart to Sora, along with the other Guardians. Eraqus's spirit emerges from Terra's heart and convinces Xehanort to admit defeat, and then Eraqus reunites with his former pupils and apologizes for the pain he put them through, before he and Xehanort fade away into light. With the other Guardians' support, Sora uses the χ-blade to bring them all back to the realm of light.

[[File:Ending 12 KHIII.png|thumb|left|200px|Ventus, Terra, and Aqua visit Eraqus's memorial.]]
Ventus, Terra, and Aqua create a memorial for Eraqus at the Summit at the Land of Departure, and leave their Wayfinders there. Ventus's Chirithy watches them, having returned from The Final World, and when Ventus notices it, he calls to it, and it jumps into his arms. Afterwards, Ventus joins the other Guardians of Light and their friends on the Destiny Islands to play, and watches Sora fade away.

Sometime after this, Sora's friends split up their efforts to find him, with Ventus, Terra, and Aqua searching for Sora in the Realm of Darkness.
{{-}}

==Other appearances==
===''The Gathering''===
An armored Ventus approaches the crosswalk in the Keyblade Graveyard and meets up with Aqua and Terra. Ventus grabs the [[Way to the Dawn]] before the trio notices an unknown figure in the distance.

===''Birth by Sleep''===
{{main|Birth by Sleep (video)}}
===''Blank Points''===
[[File:Blank Points 09 KHBBS.png|left|thumb|Ventus and Terra say Sora's name.]]
Ventus sleeps on a bench outside in the Land of Departure before Terra wakes him by approaching him. They both smile and look up to the sky while uttering Sora's name with a sense of renewed hope. The significance of this scene has yet to be revealed, since Terra is trapped inside Terra-Xehanort, Ventus is inside Castle Oblivion and the Land of Departure is itself Castle Oblivion.{{storylink|Blank Points}}
{{-}}
===''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate''===
In ''{{ssb|Super Smash Bros. Ultimate}}'', Ventus appears in the 8 o'clock and alternative 7 o'clock Stations in the [[Dive to the Heart]] sections of the {{ssb|Hollow Bastion}} stage, as an obtainable {{ssb|spirit}} in Sora's {{ssb|DLC Spirits (mode)|Spirit Board}}, and is represented by {{ssb|Sora (SSBU)|Sora}} in {{ssb|Spirit#Spirit Battles|Spirit Battle}}.

==Design==
[[File:Keyblade Armor (Ventus) KHBBS.png|thumb|180px|Ventus in his Keyblade Armor.]]
According to [[Tetsuya Nomura]], he is approximately 16 years old.<ref>[https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2018-09-22/tetsuya-nomura-kingdom-hearts-will-not-end-with-kingdom-hearts-iii/.137160 Tokyo Game Show 2018]</ref>

Ventus has spiky blond hair and blue eyes, and appears physically identical to Roxas due to his heart residing in Sora at the time of Roxas's creation. While the differences are slight, his character model is slightly shorter, with a rounder face and wider eyes, in flashbacks to before his memory loss during ''Birth by Sleep''.

Ventus's outfit is strikingly similar to Roxas's [[Twilight Town]] outfit. He wears a short-sleeve jacket with a pleated red collar and white line patterns, with the right half of the jacket being white with black edges like Roxas's jacket and the left half being black with white edges like Sora's jacket in ''Kingdom Hearts II''. Underneath this, he wears a grey-and-white vest with angular striping and a single button, over a black high-necked shirt. Over his jacket, two black straps criss-cross over his chest and back, with a silver [[Terra's Mark]] emblem at the front intersection. The armor on his midsection resembles Eraqus's in shape, with a green-gold layered middle plate and curved dark silver plates on either side.

Ventus's pants are also similar Roxas's, with a dark grey base at the top covered by a lighter grey pattern midway down his thighs, though Ventus's also balloon outward slightly near the bottom and end above his boots, similar to Sora's pants, with thick white and black stripes at the bottom. An armor piece is strapped to his left shoulder, with a silver-circled blue button on an ornate green-gold crest, to which green-gold and and dark silver segments are attached and follow down his arm. He has a checkerboard wristband like Roxas, but with white edges instead of black.  He has armored dark grey and silver boots with red detailing, which resemble street shoes. His boot cuffs are green-gold with a triangular cut-out in the front.

In his younger appearance in ''Kingdom Hearts Union χ'', Ventus's hair is shorter and much less spiky, and he lacks the armor on his shoulder, abdomen, and shoes, and the black straps and emblem on his chest.

Ventus can don his [[Keyblade Armor]] by touching the blue button on his left shoulder. The armor has a black main body with decorative red lines, and a mainly gold chestplate with a silver top plate. His pauldrons are dark metallic grey with gold trim. He has flared silver gauntlets on his wrists with silver trim, and brown gloves. There are thin strips of silver plating on his hips and leading down his thighs, which are bridges by a gold plate on his abdomen. The armor on his knees is gold and bears a sharp, upward-pointing hook on the outer side. His helmet is primarily silver and has a wider, flatter top compared to Terra's and Aqua's. The helmet has a black front and brown-tinted visor, and a gold chin guard. His helmet also has two curved silver prongs on either side of his head which point backwards and angle diagonally upward, vaguely resembling wings.

In the secret ending ''{{c|Birth by Sleep|video}}'', Ventus also has a grey-blue cape which was absent from the game due to technical limitations, though it returns in the ''Kingdom Hearts III ReMind'' design.

Like Terra's and Aqua's names are related to Riku's and Kairi's, respectively, Ventus's name is related to Sora's; "ventus" means "wind" in Latin, while Sora's name is Japanese for "sky". The official Japanese website refers to Ventus as the {{nihongo|"Swift Wind Returning to Bonds"|絆巡る疾風|Kizuna Meguru Shippū}}<!--cite to japanese bbs website-->.

==Personality==
As a Union leader, Ventus is very friendly, though somewhat shy, which makes it difficult for him to make friends. He dislikes the idea of Keyblade wielders fighting against each other. After learning the truth of his part in Strelitzia's demise, Ventus feels guilty that he was unable to save her when Darkness has possessed him. According to the Darkness, he had hidden a desire for wanting power, which is why Darkness possessed him into killing Strelitzia. After traveling to the future, it appears he lost his memories of the past.

During his apprenticeship with Master Xehanort, Ventus appears to be a very timid boy who did not particularly have the courage to wield a Keyblade, leading Xehanort to create Vanitas. After waking up from the coma caused by Vanitas's creation, Ventus becomes far more fragile, becoming wrought with anguish just by being talked to. However, the time he spends with Aqua and Terra, as well as his amnesia, causes him to change.

In the present day, Ventus has many similarities with Sora: he is sweet, cheerful, curious, and gets excited at anything new or interesting. As the youngest of the three Keyblade warriors, Ventus is often protected by Terra and Aqua, and thus feels disappointed whenever they refuse to allow him to join them on their missions because they do not want to put him in danger. As a result, Ventus shows a rebellious side when he constantly refuses Aqua's suggestions, later orders, to return home. When he gives them their passes to Disney Town, he grudgingly mentions that Scrooge McDuck told him to "take two grown-ups," but he doesn't seem to dislike his status as the youngest of the three.

He also makes new friends easily in different worlds and cares deeply about Terra and Aqua. Ventus is very much unable to cope with Terra turning and subsiding to the darkness in his heart. Some of his traits and personality might have passed on to Sora when his heart joined him. Along with his kind personality, he also shows a lot of bravery, especially evident when he battles Vanitas for the final time, where he promises to fight for his friends no matter what, knowing the fact that he would lose his heart as a result.

Though Ventus can come off as innocent and naive, he has shown that he isn't easily fooled, similar to Sora. He saw through Pete's charade as "Captain Justice" with little effort during his trip to Disney Town. In addition, during his adventure in Olympus, he understood that Phil wasn't really going to train another rookie other than a young Hercules. Ventus understood that Hercules just needed the right incentive and motivation. 

Ventus's mannerisms are also echoed by Sora and Roxas; in particular, when standing around he often places his hands behind his head, in the same stance that Sora uses. Another example is in the opening video; Ventus is shown falling through a Station of the [[Dive to the Heart]] due to the [[Kingdom Key]] and [[Soul Eater]] shattering the pillar, in a similar way to how Sora and Roxas fall from shattered Stations at the beginning of their games. At the beginning of his episode at the Land of Departure, Ventus falls asleep outside after watching a shooting star, and a little while later, he yawns, and then is startled to find Aqua standing over him, who giggles upon his reaction and teases him affectionately, mirroring how [[Kairi]] startled Sora awake in the original ''Kingdom Hearts''.

In ''Kingdom Hearts III'', during his final confrontation with Vanitas and due to their separation, Ventus seems to have gained a new perspective about darkness and light, believing it is each individual person's choice to decide what they are and not pick just from one side or the other. When he heard Vanitas's choice about being darkness, Ventus did not protest, understanding that his dark counterpart's mind was made up.

==Abilities==
===''Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep''===
Out of the main protagonists of ''Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep'', Ventus is the most balanced fighter in the game. He’s also fastest and most agile, which reflects in his primary fighting style of dodging, quick movements and swift combo attacks. Ventus has an affinity for the wind and [[Light]] elements and mixes both into several of his techniques and magic attacks. Unlike most Keyblade wielders, Ventus wields his Keyblade, [[Wayward Wind]], in a reverse grip. Ventus's primary battle style consists of very fast, wide backhanded strikes with his Keyblade in quick succession to deal damage. His single strikes aren't as powerful as Sora's two-handed strikes or Terra's powerful blows, but his ability to attack quickly makes up for his lower attack power.

In addition to his swift standard attacks, Ventus has access to a variety of exclusive {{c|attack command|KHBBS}}s in ''Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep''. Ventus can use his natural affinity for acrobatics to unleash an extended version of the [[Ars Arcanum]]-combo and exhibits advanced [[Strike Raid]] abilities like [[Wind Raid]], [[Spark Raid]] and [[Treasure Raid]]. Using his wind affinity, Ventus can use [[Tornado Strike]] to sweep his opponents away. Another exclusive, ultimate attack, [[Salvation]], enables Ventus to use his light affinity to its fullest. Ventus also makes heavy use of his wind powers in his personal finishing commands, the [[Air Flair]] series and his ultimate finisher, [[Stratosphere]]. Lastly, Ventus has another "Finish" Command exclusive to him, which is called [[Celebration]].

Although not as skilled in magic as his classmate, Aqua, Ventus has access to a broad variety of magic spells as well as two spells exclusive to him in ''Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep''. These two spells are [[Tornado]] and [[Faith]]. Tornado creates a powerful gust of wind that absorbs enemies, while Faith creates a powerful burst of light around Ventus.

Beside a variety of these abilities usable by all three or two of the protagonists in ''Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep'', Ventus has access to three unique Command Styles and two exclusive Shotlocks. His first personal Command Style, [[Fever Pitch]], which is gained near the beginning of the game, lets Ventus use his speedy combat style to its fullest. The second exclusive Command Style, [[Cyclone]], is a powerful 2nd level Command Style which has Ventus use his wind powers to attack with wide-ranged spinning slashes in all directions. Ventus's third exclusive Command Style is called [[Wingblade]]. By activating this second level Command Style, Ventus discards his Keyblade in exchange for six silver-white glowing swords of light which float behind him like six glowing wings, reminiscent of the picture of a Seraph, a six-winged Angel. Along with Aqua, he can harness the power of the wind to activate [[Sky Climber]], which lifts the user off of the ground as they ride on a powerful wind current. Attacking with Sky Climber lets the user hover along the ground while rushing enemies with speedy, dashing attacks which knock enemies into the air.

Ventus also has access to two unique Shotlocks, as well as a third just for storyline purposes. The two freely usable Shotlocks are the light [[Pulse Bomb]] and [[Multivortex]]. The third exclusive Shotlock is [[Dark Link]], which can only be used when in [[D-Link]] with Vanitas in Ventus's final battle. 

Small and spry, Ventus has access to the already well-known [[Dodge Roll]] technique, as well as an offensive variant named [[Thunder Roll]]. Furthermore, he can use the [[Glide]] and [[Superglide]] abilities as well as another offensive version called [[Fire Glide]]. The [[Reversal]] command allows Ventus to quickly dodge an enemies attack and rush behind it, similar to the [[Reaction Command]] in ''Kingdom Hearts II'' used against the [[Dusk]] Nobodies. He can use quick {{c|Reprisal command|KHBBS}}s, such as [[Counter Rush]], which  unleashes a flurry of blows after a successful block, [[Reversal Slash]], which unleashes an aerial attack after a successful [[Reversal]], and [[Payback Raid]], a counterattack using Strike Raid after being knocked into the air.

Ventus briefly assists Terra and Aqua on two occasions.
{{AllyBBS
|ev1='''Terra/Aqua:''' Fighting the Orbs of Light in the Land of Departure|hp1=35|str1=5|def1=2|ask1=0%
|ev2='''Terra/Aqua:''' Fighting the Trinity Armor in Radiant Garden|hp2=100|str2=14<!--Ultimania says 4, but probably a typo since both Terra and Aqua have 14-->|def2=6{{note|receives half damage}}
|atk1={{nihongo|'''Ground Combo'''|地上コンボ|<br>Chijō Konbo}}|el1=Physical|pow1=0.5 + 1.0 + 1.5
|atk2={{nihongo|'''Aerial Combo'''|空中コンボ|<br>Kūchū Konbo}}|el2=Physical|pow2=0.5 + 1.0 + 1.5
|atk3={{nihongo|'''Anti-Air Combo'''|対空コンボ|<br>Taikū Konbo}}|el3=Physical|pow3=0.5 + 1.0 + 1.5
}}

====D-Link====
Ventus becomes a [[D-Link]] for Terra and Aqua after leaving the Land of Departure. While in link with Ventus, they can unleash quick attacks and Aero magic.

{{D-Link|char=Ventus
|sprite1=Ventus Sprite
|sprite2=Ventus (Armor) Sprite
|deck0={{AT|att}} [[Quick Blitz]]<br>{{AT|att}} [[Strike Raid]]<br>{{AT|mag}} [[Aero]]
|deck1={{AT|att}} [[Quick Blitz]]<br>{{AT|att}} [[Strike Raid]]<br>{{AT|att}} [[Sliding Dash]]<br>{{AT|mag}} [[Aero]]
|deck2={{AT|att}} [[Blitz]]<br>{{AT|att}} [[Strike Raid]]<br>{{AT|att}} [[Sliding Dash]]<br>{{AT|att}} [[Blitz]]<br>{{AT|att}} [[Freeze Raid]]<br>{{AT|att}} [[Sliding Dash]]<br>{{AT|mag}} [[Aerora]]<br>{{AT|mag}} [[Cura]]
|fin1={{c|Finish|Ventus}}
|fin2=[[Air Dive]]
|abi1=Haste
|abi2=Auto-Counter
|em0=10%|em1=7%|em2=5%
|atk=x0.25
|bon=Use Attack or an Attack Command
|bonrate=10%
}}

===''Kingdom Hearts III''===
Ventus appears as a party member in the Keyblade Graveyard fight against Vanitas and Terra-Xehanort. As enemies tend to focus their attacks on him, he frequently Dodge Rolls to evade their attacks. He fights with swift Keyblade combos and uses Wind Raid to strike enemies from afar.

In ''[[Kingdom Hearts III Re Mind]]'', Ventus can team up with Aqua to perform the [[Icy Slider]] [[Team Attack]].

Ventus's base stats are 220 [[HP]], 100 [[MP]], 44 Strength, 45 Magic, and 42 Defense.
{|border=1 cellpadding=2 cellspacing=0 style="text-align:center; font-size:90%" align="center" width=700px
!style="{{style|kh3|a}}; font-size:12px" colspan="6"|Actions
|-style="{{style|kh3|b}}; font-size:11px"
!colspan="2"|Ability
!Total Power Modifier
!Attribute
!Status Effect
!Description
|-
|colspan="2"|{{nihongo|'''Attack (Combo)'''|たたかう (コンボ)|<br>Tatakau (Konbo)}}
|4.5 [ground], 3.5 [air]
|Physical
|—
|Swings weapon repeatedly.
|-
|colspan="2"|'''[[Wind Raid]]'''
|7.5
|Aero
|—
|Throws weapon; it hits an enemy, then turns around and strikes four more times. MP Cost: 10
|-
!style="{{style|kh3|a}}; font-size:12px" colspan="6"|Support Abilities
|-style="{{style|kh3|b}}; font-size:12px"
!Ability
!AP
!colspan="4"|Description
|-
|'''[[Double Team]]'''
|—
|colspan="4"|Deal extra damage when attacking the same target as the player character.
|-
|'''[[Damage Control]]'''
|4
|colspan="4"|Halve the damage you take when your HP is at 25% or below. Stack the ability to increase the effect.
|}

===Weapons===
Ventus's Keyblades are primarily balanced in terms of attack and magic power. His versions of common Keyblades are shorter in length compared to Terra and Aqua's; this helps him better wield them in his signature backhand style. In the age of fairy tales Ventus used the Keyblade Missing Ache in its third form. By the time he became Master Xehanort's apprentice he was using Wayward Wind. Ventus has three exclusive Keyblades; his default Keyblade, Wayward Wind, along with Frolic Flame and Lost Memory. Frolic Flame is obtained after Ventus meets Lea and Isa, and Lost Memory is received when Ventus remembers his past on Destiny Islands. Ventus is also seen playing with a wooden sword and Terra's wooden Keyblade, however he is never seen wielding either of them in combat.
<center><gallery widths="120">
File:Wooden Sword KHBBS.png|Wooden Sword
File:Wooden Keyblade KHBBS.png|Terra's Wooden Keyblade, passed down to Ventus.
File:Wayward Wind KHBBS.png|[[Wayward Wind]]
File:Frolic Flame KHBBS.png|[[Frolic Flame]]
File:Lost Memory KHBBS.png|[[Lost Memory]]
File:Missing Ache (Upgrade 4) KHX.png|[[Missing Ache]]
</gallery></center>

==Notes and references==
{{reflist}}

{{Party}}
{{KeybladeV}}
{{BBS}}
{{358}}
{{Coded}}
{{DDD}}
{{AFP}}
{{UCX}}
{{KH3}}
{{KHDR}}
{{MOM}}
[[Category:Keyblade Wielders]]
[[Category:Allies]]