Axel

Axel, the Flurry of Dancing Flames (おどる火の風 Odoru Hi no Kaze, lit. Dancing Flames of Wind), is Rank VIII within Organization XIII. He wields the element of flame and enchants his weapons, twin chakram, with his element to unleash powerful rapid attacks. He commands the Assassin Nobodies.

Considered a Trump card by the rest of the Organization, he acted as a double agent in Castle Oblivion, keeping track of Marluxia's plans for the other members, then betrayed the Organization for his friendship with Roxas, acting of his own accord to try and see him again once Roxas joins with Sora. Axel will appear in Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days as a playable character.

Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
A mysterious figure who stands in Sora's path.

''Hard to read, half the time Axel seems to just be messing around... but for all we know, he's done more thinking than everyone else put together.''


 * Reverse/Rebirth

No. 8 in the Organization.

He is a Nobody whose intentions and secrets are hidden from all.

''Axel has no qualms about exploiting others to suit his needs. He used Sora and Naminé to silence Marluxia and halt his plot against the Organization.''

Axel claims he and Sora have something in common, but that connection is unclear.

Kingdom Hearts II
''Organization XIII's Number VIII. He commands fire and carries a uniquely-shaped weapon.''

He has proven to be an odd duck of sorts within the Organization, lashing out against treachery, yet stirring troubles with his own betrayals all the while.

He claims he and Sora share some sort of bond, but Sora can't imagine what that might be.

Meeting Roxas
When Roxas was first born, Xemnas found him in front of the old mansion in Twilight Town and brought Roxas into Organization XIII. Not long after, Axel befriended Roxas to join Organization XIII, and later had a talk with Roxas on the clock tower, eating Sea Salt Ice Cream.

Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
In Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories while Sora and Riku wandered around in Castle Oblivion, Axel worked for the two parties of the already divided Organization in the castle. One side, Larxene and Marluxia, sought to use Sora's powers to usurp Xemnas and the rest of the Organization while using Naminé to alter Sora's memories. Those who stayed in the castle basement were Vexen, Lexaeus, and Zexion--three of the original members of Organization XIII. The three realized Marluxia's ambitions and tried to counteract by using Riku to destroy Sora. At first, Axel joined the rebel group, though his intentions at that decision point remained unclear.

Upon throwing the first battle with Sora, Axel admitted to testing the Keyblade master's strength. Axel gave up a card created from Sora's memories for him to progress further in the castle. After leaving Sora bewildered, Axel holds a serious conversation with Larxene in which he professes an interest in the fact that Sora retains his self-consciousness even after becoming a Heartless.

After Vexen nearly reveals the existence of Roxas to Sora, Axel was ordered by Marluxia to dispose of him. Axel did so effortlessly, and was at last accepted by Marluxia and Larxene into their conspiracy. Using this to his advantage, Axel allowed Naminé to escape and contact Sora. He later confronted Marluxia, allowing him to figure out that he acted as a double agent during their entire time in the castle. Citing his previous order to rid the Organization of traitors, Axel readied to attack Marluxia, even after Marluxia used Naminé as a shield, but was interrupted by Sora, whom he eventually fought for the last time. At the end of the battle, Axel pretended to be defeated and confused Sora with the words "It was worth saving you after all," and vanished.

After his battle with Sora, Axel met with Zexion in the castle basement. Zexion brought up the subject of Riku and requested data on Destiny Islands in the form of a card. Despite their previous collaboration, Axel later offered Riku Replica the honor of killing Zexion, promising the duplicate that he would gain new powers and be able to defeat the real Riku. The exact reason for Axel's betrayal is not stated, and seems self-contradictory after he had helped stop Marluxia's betrayal, though it was true that both sides of the Organization members in Castle Oblivion had their own ideas for betrayal. Axel commented that it would be more interesting to see Sora and Riku's future than to save Zexion; however, this may have had something to do with Axel's friendship with Roxas, which could have been the reason why he effortlessly destroyed Vexen--to prevent either Sora or Roxas from meeting. In Re: Chain of Memories during the scene known as "Tactician's End," Axel stated the reason for his betrayal of Zexion, saying: "You just found out way too much." What Zexion "found out" is never explained. This is all the more ambiguous as in Re:Chain of Memories Axel and Zexion were shown to be friendly with each other (e.g. in one scene it was shown that Zexion and Axel were making bets on which Organization members in the Castle would be the next to die, something that Axel wins when he accurately predicts that Marluxia will be the next to fall).

Kingdom Hearts II
Plagued with questions as to why he has a Keyblade and subconsciously seeking out Sora, Roxas leaves the Organization. Axel, who found companionship in Roxas, was distraught by this decision.

Shortly afterward, Roxas was captured by Riku and put in Ansem the Wise's Digital Twilight Town where his memory was wiped and replaced with an artificial one, leading him to believe he was a normal teenager. Axel was sent to the simulated town to bring Roxas back to the Organization; however, his first effort failed due to DiZ's appearance and the restarting of the Twilight Town program. Roxas was dumbfounded by Axel's appearance and commented, lacking any memories of him and hence awareness of what was going on. Pressed by the threats by Xaldin and Xemnas, Axel later accepted the Organization's order to either eliminate Roxas or be destroyed himself. Axel again tried to recover Roxas without the need to kill him, though this failed when Roxas attempted to bluff with information he learned from Naminé. Roxas learned that the two had been best friends and mentioned this to Axel in an attempt to save himself, but his bluff was called when he was unable to remember "their boss' name." Before Axel can attack Roxas, DiZ intervenes and Roxas escapes for the Twilight Town mansion. The two meet again at this mansion in the computer room basement. Despite Roxas's recovery of his memories, Axel informed him that it was too late and fought Roxas and his dual Keyblades. Axel lost the fight and disappeared, choosing not to carry out his mission and rather took the risk of being branded a traitor. While Sora reawakened with Roxas inside him, Axel was entrusted by Riku to protect Naminé. Naminé's words, about those who are dear to them despite being Nobodies, strangely moved Axel before the two left Riku in a portal of darkness.

A second chance with Sora
During Sora's exploits to the different worlds, Axel appeared before Kairi on a beach across Destiny Islands, intending to kidnap her to draw Sora out. Axel's plan was simple; if Sora were to become a Heartless again, then Roxas would be reborn. However, Kairi escaped through a Corridor of Darkness created by Riku and landed in Twilight Town where she stayed for some time in wait of Sora. Axel, however, followed her to the town and stole her away again, but not long afterward she was taken captive by Saïx who was under orders to give Axel something to actually worry about.

After the invasion of the Radiant Garden by the Heartless, Sora confronted Xemnas, the leader of the Organization. Xemnas decided to take his leave and Axel later greeted Sora. Axel hinted that the Keyblade caused the hearts that composed the Heartless to flee, but refused to say what Organization XIII would do with those hearts. Sora realized that Axel is Kairi's captor, and Axel confirmed this. Though initially seeming unrepentant for his actions, he soon apologized for kidnapping Kairi, and made a hasty exit when Saïx appeared.

Death
On the way to The World That Never Was, Sora, Donald, Goofy, and King Mickey are trapped in Betwixt and Between by Nobodies, but Axel arrives to help. Sora and Axel battled the Nobodies, but seeing that the Dusk's numbers were too great, Axel decided to put every bit of his energy into one massive attack to destroy the Nobodies and save Sora, who stayed with him until the moment he faded. He sincerely apologized to Sora for getting Kairi involved. Confused, Sora asked him what he was trying to do and Axel confessed that he wanted to see Roxas, the only one who made him feel like he had a heart. Oddly enough for Axel, Sora made him feel the same way (possibly since Sora and Roxas are one in the same) and used these final words to urge Sora on to rescue Kairi. Axel opened the passageway to The World That Never Was with the last bit of strength he had in him before disappearing into darkness completely. Afterward, Xigbar and Luxord were curious about Axel doing something as foolish as turning against the Organization for the sake of his friendship with Roxas, but Xemnas revealed that Axel's disappearance served to stir Roxas from his rest, claiming Axel's disobedience not entirely meaningless and pitiful. Xemnas also stated that due to contact with Sora, Axel's own ability to feel emotions could have been affected. Naminé, however, backs up this notion in the written novel of the game in which she mentions that Axel never truly died, but rather faded into darkness where he would wander until he would find his heart. Axel made one final appearance in Roxas's flashback where he gives a final farewell to his best friend. In the English language versions, Axel's death scene was edited to remove the flames that were consuming his body.

It is also possible--like the rest of the Organization with the exception of Xemnas and Roxas--that there is a Heartless version of Axel. Whether this will be touched upon in a later game is yet to be seen.

Personality
Axel's personality is very different compared to most other members of the Organization. His attitude also changes during the series. When he is first introduced at the beginning of Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories, Axel has a mysterious, stoic, and calm demeanor on par with that of Marluxia. He seems to be a very good liar, as he earned Vexen's, Marluxia's, and even the trust of Larxene in only a short amount of time. He also seems to be very committed to the Organization, shown in a cutscene were he battles Marluxia. He seems quite distant at times during his time in Castle Oblivion, ignoring Vexen's insults and almost completely unfazed by Larxene's flirtatious behavior towards him. While he is seen as collected, intelligent, and even somewhat overconfident, cutscenes from Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories make him sound as if he is acting at times, possibly hinting at his dislike for the other members. All this is contradicted in Re:Chain of Memories as while it was originally shown that he was only friends with Roxas and Xion it was shown in the game that he also seemed to be friends with Zexion (to an extent, anyway). This is demonstrated in one cut-scene where he and Zexion are having a friendly gamble on which Organization member in the Castle will be the next to fall at Sora's hands (something that they've apparently been doing ever since Axel assassinated Vexen). Axel wins when he predicts that Marluxia will die next whilst Zexion guesses that Axel will be slain next. This does not seem to connect, however, when Axel has Zexion killed; judging by Axel's words, it seemed that Axel had done so in order to keep him quiet about Marluxia's attempted coup.

Axel's personality changes drastically in between the two games, possibly due to his friendship with Roxas. In Kingdom Hearts II, he has a very laid-back, "go with the flow" outlook on many things, including missions and battles. But he also is shown to have a very kind, heartful side, ironic because he is a Nobody and has no heart. His friendship with Roxas and Xion and his moving final words are examples of this. He also stated that Roxas made him feel "like he had a heart".

In both games Axel has been shown to have a very typical "Nobody" side to his personality as well, being cold, unforgiving, and merciless. In Chain of Memories, he interrupts Vexen's cries for mercy with a cocky "Goodbye" before incinerating him without any hesitation. He also seemed to be amused by the deaths of his comrades as shown in the scene where he is making bets with Zexion. This cruel attitude also occurs when Marluxia uses Naminé as a human shield against him--Axel confidently declared he would kill Naminé to get to Marluxia. Also in Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix+ he appeared indifferent to angering Xaldin.

In both Re:Chain of Memories and Kingdom Hearts II, Axel displays emotion, which is unusual given that Nobodies cannot feel anything. He himself notes this in Re:Chain of Memories when he begins laughing, but catches himself and stops. He even mocks his ability to feel towards his death. Whether he, Roxas, Naminé, and Xion all seem have something unusual in common regarding the heart, is unknown.

Out of the whole Organization, Axel is probably the most difficult to read. One never knows what he is thinking (as Lexaeus implied) or whose side he is really on. Most of the time he seems to be just messing around, but he may have done more thinking than everyone else combined, as stated in Jiminey's Journal.

Fighting Style and Abilities
As the Flurry of Dancing Flames, Axel uses two uniquely shaped weapons called chakrams, and specializes in Fire manipulation. He can summon pillars of flame at will and strike with rapid combos using his chakrams. He can also surround his chakrams in flame and throw them like boomeranges, spinning and looping them to hit opponents multiple times. In his one on one battle with Roxas in Kingdom Hearts II, Axel also summons a circle of fire to surround them and leaps into the flames to hide, emerging to strike with rapid attacks, and then leaping back to keep his opponents off their guard.

Quotes
''"Did you really think after that introduction, I would give up oh so easily?" ''"Now that we're getting to know each other better...don't you go off and die on me now!" ''"Whatever. You can do what you want. But you know, I think testing Sora is just a cover for testing your valet." ''"Anyway...since you came all this way, you’re gonna need this. A humble gift to my elder. I hope you use it to put on a very good show for us." ''"But don't waste your time. We Nobodies can never hope to be Somebodies." ''"I came to stop you from talking too much...by eliminating your existence." ''"Hey, wait... I'm enjoying this. You guys really are something else!" ''"Bingo. The name's Axel. Got it memorized?" ''"This town is his creation, right? Which means we don't have time for a Q and A. You're coming with me, conscious or not." ''"You really do remember me this time... I'm SO FLATTERED! But you're TOO LATE!!"

Trivia

 * It has been noted that Axel bears many similarities to Reno from Final Fantasy VII. Tetsuya Nomura commented on the connection between Axel and Reno, stating that he wanted to experiment by placing a familiar character in a new environment and role. Nomura clearly stated in an interview that the two are "different people, but subconsciously alike."


 * Axel is often considered a popular member of the Organization and from the series by fans. In fact, he was also a popular member of the Kingdom Hearts staff and though he was initially supposed to die at the end of Roxas' Prologue, his popularity caused him to be continued into the main game of Kingdom Hearts II.


 * In both Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories and Kingdom Hearts II, Axel is shown to display emotions, which is unusual given that Nobodies can't feel anything. Whether he, Naminé, Roxas, and Xion have something in common regarding the heart is unknown.


 * There was some controversy about Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories when Axel was the only character in the entire series to curse. During the scene where he lets Naminé go his original line when he feels joy and emotion coming over him he yells, "So you're making me feel this? Well keep it going because it's about time you gave me one Hell of a show!" The line was changed to Axel saying, "Wait I'm actually enjoying this. You guys really are something else."


 * Marcus Damon, the main character of Digimon Data Squad (who is also voiced by Quinton Flynn) makes an allusion to Axel in one episode when he says: "I got it memorized, all right here" while pointing to his head.


 * Axel is the first member whose face was revealed. He is also the first member to be fought.