Heartless



The Heartless are beings of darkness which manifest in two forms, "Pureblood" and "Emblem". While most Heartless are in fact manifest hearts, they behave entirely devoid of emotion, and were thus named "Heartless".

Origin
According to legend, the people of the universe once lived in harmony on one world, with their hearts full of light. Unfortunately, they began to selfishly fight over the light, and darkness grew within their hearts, covering everything and destroying the world. The light survived in the hearts of children, who were able to rebuild the broken fragments of the one world into many, smaller worlds. However, the true light was still hidden in the darkness, so the worlds remained separate.

At least a decade before the events of Kingdom Hearts, Ansem the Wise, king of Radiant Garden, took it upon himself to study the darkness within human hearts, so he and his apprentices, Xehanort, Braig, Dilan, Even, Aeleus, and Ienzo, conducted experiments on the heart beneath his castle, the Hollow Bastion. While these tests began with simple psychological tests on willing subjects like Xehanort, they quickly snowballed and eventually caused their subjects' hearts to collapse, producing the first Heartless. Unable at first to determine what they were, Xehanort named them "Heartless" due to their apparent lack of emotion. After finding that the Heartless were naturally drawn to the worlds' Keyholes, he invented a machine within the Heartless Manufactory which recreated the conditions which naturally spawned Heartless in order to create artificial Heartless. In order to differentiate the natural and artificial Heartless, Xehanort set the machine to mark its creations with the castle's emblem, and named the two types "Pureblood" and "Emblem", respectively. After a visit from King Mickey Mouse of Disney Castle, Ansem officially ceased his experiments, but they continued to be performed by his apprentices, and he was exiled to the Realm of Nothingness. To further their research into Heartless, as well as the Keyblade and the Princesses of Heart, the apprentices cast off their bodies and surrendered their hearts to darkness, giving birth to their Heartless and Nobodies. Against expectations, Xehanort's Heartless retained his human form, as did the apprentices' Nobodies. Eventually, the witch Maleficent learned of the Heartless and began using them in her quest for power, and gave the power to lead the Heartless to those who joined her in her quest. Nine years before the events of Kingdom Hearts, she sent a swarm of Heartless to conquer the Radiant Garden, causing it to be lost to darkness so completely that only the castle of Hollow Bastion remained, even in the survivor's memories.

Nature
Pureblood Heartless are natural Heartless, born when people's hearts are normally consumed by darkness. They are ink-black in color, with yellow beady eyes. They are more common in places that are close to or saturated in darkness. Upon their destruction, they simply disappear in puffs of darkness, without a heart leaving it's body.

Emblem Heartless, on the other hand, were originally created from machines that reproduce the process of a heart being consumed by darkness. Afterward, stolen hearts can become Emblems. They have more varied shapes, colors, and are branded with Xehanort's symbol to differentiate them from the Pureblood ones. They are more common on the worlds within the Realm of Light, and usually mimic the shape of creatures or objects within that world.

Heartless, Emblem or Pureblood, possess several key characteristics that define them as Heartless. All Heartless are created when the darkness that resides in a person's heart consumes him or her, thus giving the darkness shape and form (this process occasionally forms Nobodies, which are born from the body and soul left behind when the heart is lost). Being born from darkness, they are mindless and act on instinct, their only goal to find hearts, and consume them to create more Heartless. But what they desire above all are the hearts of worlds, and thus they enter worlds in search of the way into the hearts of the worlds. When they consume these colossal hearts, the remains of the world form new worlds, such as Traverse Town and the End of the World.

At the same time, Heartless seek out the users of the Keyblade, since the Keyblades are able to vanquish Heartless very effectively. In order to stop the users of the Keyblades, the Heartless use the Keyblade itself as a homing beacon, but ultimately desire to take the heart that commands it. Because of this, Keyblade wielders are under constant attack.

Heartless, being formed from darkness, have varying strengths, depending on the amount of darkness in a person's heart. The darker the heart forming a Heartless, Emblem or Pureblood, the more powerful and more monstrous the resulting being will be. An exception to this is Xehanort's Heartless, who retained his human appearance for unknown reasons. This is a direct contrast to Nobodies, which determine rank according to the strength of the heart, and whose appearance becomes more human as they increase in power.

The Heartless, being mindless, usually have no master to direct their actions and instead act on the instinct to gather more hearts. However, there are some higher beings who can command them. Heartless will obey those with an affinity for darkness and a strong will. If many people attempt to control them, the Heartless will side with whomever is most powerful. Those with hearts, such as Maleficent, endanger themselves however, as the Heartless are attracted to their hearts and if they show weakness, the Heartless will not think twice of consuming their hearts.

On the other hand, higher ranking Heartless, like Xehanort's Heartless, can fully command other Heartless without endangering themselves. Also, Organization XIII is able to command them as well with their strong wills, but are not endangered of being consumed by them for their lack of a heart.

Heartless make use of the "corridors of darkness", inter-dimensional pathways that connect the many worlds. These pathways are located in the Realm of Darkness, and thus are very dangerous to use if one is not accustomed to the darkness.

The Heartless Invasion
While the Heartless were not researched with the intent of creating a fighting force, their very nature as manifestations of the destructive force of darkness made them naturally suited for conquering and destroying the various worlds. Their natural ability to travel to various worlds through the use of Corridors of Darkness makes it virtually impossible to fully defend a world from Heartless, and the method in which they are created and exist make it practically impossible to cut them off at the source. Even fighting them once they appear is made difficult due to their immunity to standard weaponry. While sealing a world's Keyhole will save the world itself, it is still possible for the Heartless to appear on the world and hunt the people themselves. For example, even though the great Door to Darkness at The Radiant Garden was sealed by Sora in the first Kingdom Hearts, the Heartless were able to remain on that world even after the destruction of the End of the World and the restoration of the worlds, and propagated to form a gigantic siege engine of over a thousand Heartless.

The Heartless's natural danger is only increased due to the many villains who seek to harness the creatures' power for their own goals. Many of these villains, such as Pete and Organization XIII, specifically seek to create abnormally strong Heartless by forcing beings with strong hearts to succumb to darkness.

The primary weapon for destroying the Heartless is the Keyblade, as it is both specially suited for manipulating the bonds between heart, body, and soul which create Heartless, and it is the only object able to thwart the Heartless in their goal of devouring a world's heart. However, in the absence of the Keyblade there are several other options. Magic, especially light-based magic, is effective against the Heartless, as are magical weapons. In either situation, invading Heartless can be made disorganized by defeating the major Heartless which leads them, or the dark heart which attracted them to that world. While this does not by any means purge the world of its Heartless, it gives no small respite from their threat.

End of the World and Kingdom Hearts
The Heartless reside wherever darkness is abundant, especially the Realm of Darkness. However, they also reside in places such as the End of the World, a collection of the remnants of worlds that is located near the darkness. Another area that the Heartless live in is the World That Never Was, the world of the Nobodies that rests dangerously close to the darkness upon which the Heartless thrive.

Heartless, as they seek and consume hearts, also desire to return to the greatest heart, the heart of all worlds, Kingdom Hearts, that resides deep within the Realm of Darkness. And because of this, Heartless seek immense darkness, enough to completely consume the Realm of Light. The entryway into this place of great power is the Door to Darkness, the door that separates the realm of light and the realm of darkness. However, with the efforts of Sora and the King, the door is closed, which causes the worlds lost to the darkness to be restored, and preventing a massive army of Heartless from pouring into the realm of light.

The forces of the Heartless were extremely weakened after the door to Kingdom Hearts was sealed off, though there were still many left. At the end of Kingdom Hearts II, it is unknown what exactly happened to the Heartless and if they still pose a threat. It should be noted though that Yen Sid has mentioned that the only true way to destroy all Heartless is to have all people have light filled in their hearts and no darkness, leaving nothing to create a Heartless or something for them to thrive for.

Pureblood Heartless

 * AntiSora - Kingdom Hearts
 * Bit Sniper - Kingdom Hearts
 * Darkball - Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
 * Darkside - Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Dark Follower - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Gigas Shadow - Kingdom Hearts Final Mix, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Invisible - Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Massive Possessor - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Mega-Shadow - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Neoshadow - Kingdom Hearts Final Mix, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, Kingdom Hearts II, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Novashadow - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Orcus - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Possessor - Kingdom Hearts II, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Gargoyle Knight - Kingdom Hearts II
 * Gargoyle Warrior - Kingdom Hearts II
 * Thresholder - Kingdom Hearts II
 * Sora's Heartless - Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts Final Mix, Kingdom Hearts coded
 * Shadow - Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, Kingdom Hearts II, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Shadow Sora - Kingdom Hearts
 * Shadow Stalker - Kingdom Hearts II
 * Dark Thorn - Kingdom Hearts II

Emblem Heartless

 * Aerial Champ - Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix
 * Aerial Knocker - Kingdom Hearts II
 * Aerial Master - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Aeroplane - Kingdom Hearts II
 * Air Battler - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Air Pirate - Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, Kingdom Hearts II
 * Air Soldier - Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
 * Air Viking - Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix
 * Angel Star - Kingdom Hearts
 * Antlion - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Aquatank - Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
 * Arch Behemoth - Kingdom Hearts Final Mix
 * Armored Knight - Kingdom Hearts II
 * Assault Rider - Kingdom Hearts II
 * Avalanche - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Bandit - Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
 * Barrel Spider - Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
 * Barrier Master - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Battleship - Kingdom Hearts
 * Behemoth - Kingdom Hearts
 * Black Ballade - Kingdom Hearts Final Mix
 * Black Fungus - Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
 * Blitz Spear - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Blizzard Lord - Kingdom Hearts II
 * Blizzard Plant - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Blue Rhapsody - Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
 * Bolt Tower - Kingdom Hearts II
 * Bookmaster - Kingdom Hearts II
 * Bouncywild - Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
 * Bubble Beat - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Bulky Vendor - Kingdom Hearts II, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Bully Dog - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Cannon Gun - Kingdom Hearts II, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Carrier Ghost - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Chill Ripper - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Chimaera - Kingdom Hearts Final Mix
 * Clay Armor - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Commander - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Creepworm - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Creeper Plant - Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, Kingdom Hearts II
 * Crescendo - Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, Kingdom Hearts II, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Crimson Jazz - Kingdom Hearts II
 * Crimson Prankster - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Cymbal Monkey - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Defender - Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
 * Deserter - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Destroyed Behemoth - Kingdom Hearts Final Mix
 * Destroyer - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Detonator - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Devastator - Kingdom Hearts II
 * Dire Plant - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Driller Mole - Kingdom Hearts II
 * Dual Blade - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Dustflier - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Emerald Blues - Kingdom Hearts II
 * Emerald Serenade - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Fat Bandit - Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, Kingdom Hearts II
 * Fiery Globe - Kingdom Hearts II, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Fire Plant - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Flare Note - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Fortuneteller - Kingdom Hearts II
 * Gargoyle - Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
 * Grand Ghost - Kingdom Hearts Final Mix
 * Graveyard - Kingdom Hearts II
 * Grey Caprice - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Green Requiem - Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
 * Grim Reaper - Kingdom Hearts II
 * Groundshaker - Kingdom Hearts II
 * Guard Armor - Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Opposite Armor - Kingdom Hearts
 * Guardian - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Hammer Frame - Kingdom Hearts II
 * Heat Saber - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Hook Bat - Kingdom Hearts II
 * Hot Rod - Kingdom Hearts II
 * Hover Ghost - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Ice Cannon - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Icy Cube - Kingdom Hearts II, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Illuminator - Kingdom Hearts II
 * Infernal Engine - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Iron Hammer - Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix
 * Jet Balloon - Kingdom Hearts Final Mix
 * Jumbo Cannon - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Kurt Zisa - Kingdom Hearts
 * Lance Soldier - Kingdom Hearts II
 * Lance Warrior - Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix
 * Large Armor - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Large Body - Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, Kingdom Hearts II
 * Land Armor - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Leechgrave - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Living Bone - Kingdom Hearts II
 * Living Pod - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Luna Bandit - Kingdom Hearts II
 * Lurk Lizard - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Mad Bumper - Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix
 * Magic Phantom - Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix
 * Magnum Loader - Kingdom Hearts II
 * Minute Bomb - Kingdom Hearts II, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Missilediver - Kingdom Hearts Final Mix
 * Morning Star - Kingdom Hearts II, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Mushroom XIII
 * No. 1 - Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix
 * No. 2 - Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix
 * No. 3 - Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix
 * No. 4 - Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix
 * No. 5 - Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix
 * No. 6 - Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix
 * No. 7 - Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix
 * No. 8 - Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix
 * No. 9 - Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix
 * No. 10 - Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix
 * No. 11 - Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix
 * No. 12 - Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix
 * No. 13 - Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix
 * Necromancer - Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix
 * Nightwalker - Kingdom Hearts II
 * Parasite Cage - Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
 * Perplex - Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix
 * Phantom - Kingdom Hearts
 * Phantomtail - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Pink Agaricus - Kingdom Hearts Final Mix
 * Pink Concerto - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Pirate - Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
 * Poison Plant - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Pot Centipede - Kingdom Hearts
 * Pot Scorpion - Kingdom Hearts Final Mix
 * Pot Spider - Kingdom Hearts
 * Powered Armor - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Powerwild - Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
 * Prison Keeper - Kingdom Hearts II
 * Rabid Dog - Kingdom Hearts II, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Rapid Thruster - Kingdom Hearts II
 * Rare Truffle - Kingdom Hearts
 * Rare Vendor - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Reckless - Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix
 * Red Armor - Kingdom Hearts
 * Red Nocturne - Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
 * Ruler of the Sky - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Runemaster - Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix
 * Sapphire Elegy - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Scarlet Tango - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Scorching Sphere - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Screwdiver - Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
 * Sea Neon - Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
 * Search Ghost - Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
 * Sergeant - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Shaman - Kingdom Hearts II
 * Sheltering Zone - Kingdom Hearts
 * Silent Launcher - Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix
 * Silver Rock - Kingdom Hearts II
 * Skater Bomb - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Sky Grappler - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Snapper Dog - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Sneak Army - Kingdom Hearts Final Mix
 * Sniperwild - Kingdom Hearts Final Mix
 * Snowy Crystal - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Soldier - Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, Kingdom Hearts II, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Solid Armor - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Spiked Crawler - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Spring Metal - Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix
 * Stealth Sneak - Kingdom Hearts
 * Stealth Soldier - Kingdom Hearts Final Mix
 * Storm Bomb - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Storm Rider - Kingdom Hearts II
 * Strafer - Kingdom Hearts II
 * Stalwart Blade - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Striped Aria - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Surveillance Robot - Kingdom Hearts II, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Switch Launcher - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Tailbunker - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Tentaclaw - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Tornado Step - Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, Kingdom Hearts II
 * Toy Soldier - Kingdom Hearts II
 * Trick Ghost - Kingdom Hearts II
 * Tricky Monkey - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Trickmaster - Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
 * Turquoise March - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Veil Lizard - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Volcanic Lord - Kingdom Hearts II
 * Wavecrest - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * White Mushroom - Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
 * Wight Knight - Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, Kingdom Hearts II
 * Windstorm - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Wizard - Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
 * Wyvern - Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
 * Yellow Opera - Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
 * Zip Slasher - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

Other
Note: See Trivia.
 * Ansem - Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
 * World of Chaos - Kingdom Hearts
 * Artillery (Large) - Kingdom Hearts
 * Artillery (Small) - Kingdom Hearts
 * Face - Kingdom Hearts
 * Main Core - Kingdom Hearts
 * Room Core - Kingdom Hearts

Trivia

 * Xehanort's Heartless appears to have characteristics of both Emblem and Pureblood Heartless, in both his human and world forms. In both forms, he carries the Heartless emblem on his chest, though in human form it could possibly be an article of clothing. Notably, though, the similar outfit worn by Master Xehanort does not possess the emblem. Furthermore, the shadowy symbiote attached to him in both forms possesses the "hollow heart" shared by many other Pureblood Heartless. Though it is uncertain what the situation of this Heartless is, it is possible that this makes him both an Emblem and Pureblood Heartless.


 * The Shadow and the Soldier are the only types of Heartless which have appeared in every released game, excluding Birth by Sleep, which does not feature Heartless. If the Final Mix games are treated as versions of their original games, then the Neoshadow has appeared in every game as well.