Ventus

Unreleased

Ventus (also known as Ven) is a character who will appear in the upcoming game Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep. From the view of the story, it is revealed he is the Keyblade Wielder before Sora and may have the strongest bond to him. He first appeared in the secret ending of Kingdom Hearts II titled The Gathering. The video was continued in the secret ending of Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix, titled Birth by Sleep. In the video Ven was shown fighting against Master Xehanort and his apprentice with companions Aqua and Terra. On an interesting note, Ven strongly resembles Roxas.

"Birth by sleep"
Ven's most memorable role in the video is his capture by Master Xehanort, who teleports behind him and grabs him by the back of his head when Ven attempts to attack him from behind. Ven struggles against Master Xehanort's grip, but to no avail; Master Xehanort squeezes his head hard enough to crack his helmet, then freezes his entire body solid before letting him drop from the cliff. Ven's body is caught by Aqua after hitting the cliff wall, shattering his Keyblade and most of what remained of his helmet. When his face is fully revealed, apparently still alive (as his eyes are moving and trying to focus on Aqua), it is shown that he is identical to Roxas. The connection between the two is not explained or even confirmed as an existent connection, leading to many theories among fans.

Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep
Ventus has a very large role in Birth by Sleep, serving as one of three playable characters, plus having his own scenario and storyline. It is unknown exactly what role he will play and how his scenario will connect to Terra and Aqua's as Nomura said it would, but rest assured it will be unforgettable.

Ventus finds himself in the Castle of Dreams. Having been shrunk down to the size of a mouse, he meets Cinderella's mouse friend, Jaq. Together, they collect items for Cinderella's ball gown, but not before getting attacked by and having to fight off the devious feline Lucifer. Ven is also seen at normal size, standing in front of Prince Charming's castle, staring up at it in awe while Cinderella walks into the castle in the background.

When Ven travels to Enchanted Dominion, he encounters the dark fairy Maleficent. She reveals to him a horrible truth, that friend Terra has turned to the side of darkness. Ven refuses to believe her, yet later connects the dots and falls into a state of deep depression, wondering why his mentor would betray both himself and Aqua. When Aqua herself comes to the world, she tries to reconvince him of Terra's alligience to the light.

Ven stands at Olympus Coliseum, meeting up with Master Xehanort. The elderly man speaks to Ven of the darkness, hinting towards his plans. He later vanishes, telling the young Keyblade wielder they will meet again.

When Ven comes to Deep Space, he finds the troublesome Experiment 626 and demonstrates his inner wild side as he helps the alien escape a prison Spaceship. He and the extraterrestrial run from the evil Captain Gantu and the guards he summons, also teaching 626 some minor human speech. The little, blue creature seems to understand, mimicing Ven's name, but adding an "izuma" suffix.

He visits Dwarf Woodlands and is seen talking to Snow White and comforting her. He is also seen taking the poison apple from The Queen and fighting the Seven Dwarfs because they think he is a jewel thief.

When Ventus travels to Neverland, he comes before Tinker Bell. He is awed by the pixie, noticing she has found an item that one of his friends is missing. He then requests politely that she hand it over to him.

Ventus also finds himself on the Destiny Islands. Standing on the beach, he mentions a friend and asks the friend to erase him. This angers the other, unknown figure, who refuses.

Towards the end of Ven's journey, he finds himself knocked unconscious at the Radiant Garden. He is rescued by Terra, the elder warrior protecting Ven with his life. When the young Ventus awakens, Terra reconfirms their friendship, thanking Ven for being his friend through their rough journey.

It eventually came down to a battle with Master Xehanort's Apprentice at the Gathering Place. Ventus fought to his best ability, using all he had learned on his quest to become a Keyblade master. He fails, however, knocked down whilst the Apprentice draws in. The results of this climatic battle are unknown.

Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
While Ven does not make a physical appearance in the game, Xigbar sees Xion as Ven for a memorable moment before Xion strikes him down and leaves. Xigbar and Xemnas are the only ones who see Xion as Ven, and Xigbar is heavily implied to have met the real Ven sometime before, possibly before his transformation into a Nobody.

Battle Style
Ven is the fastest of the trio, using swift combo attacks with quick movements. Unlike most Keyblade wielders, Ven wields his Keyblade in a reverse grip. Aside from his impressive speed, Ven also utilizes a variety of magic, including new and unique spells such as the Zero Gravity. He also seems to have access to some of Sora's very own techniques, such as the Strike Raid. His known Mode Changes are:
 * Speed Rave: Ven's personal fighting style that puts a large emphasis on overwhelming enemies with wide-ranged, speed-based combos.
 * Cyclone: After meeting certain requirements, Speed Rave morphs into much more powerful Cyclone stylee, attacking surrounding enemies with spin attacks.
 * Thunder Bolt: A swift mode change that unleashes powerful lightning upon attacks.
 * Fire Blazer: A ranged and versatile mode change that focuses the Keyblade to erupt flames while attacking.

Trivia

 * Because Sora's Nobody, Roxas, bears an uncanny resemblance to Ven, it appears that he has some kind of connection with Sora. However, it is currently still unconfirmed what that connection might be.


 * Ven's swordsmanship seems to be very odd for several reasons. First, he holds his Keyblade so that the teeth of the key are facing the opponent (all other Keyblade Wielders strike with the flat end). He also holds it backwards so that it is behind him.


 * Ven is apparently ambidextrous, as he is seen using his Keyblade in both his left and right hands, which has another connection to Roxas because Roxas uses both hands for his two Keyblades Oathkeeper & Oblivion.


 * His full name 'Ventus' in Latin means 'wind'.
 * Ven's clothes resemble a hybrid of Roxas and Sora's clothes in Kingdom Hearts II.


 * The yellow part of Ven's Keyblade resembles the Kingdom Key, while the teeth of Ven's Keyblade resemble those of Two Become One which in turn also represent Sora and Roxas.


 * The badge on Ven's chest slightly resembles the symbol of the Nobodies turned upside down. The same badge is on Aqua's chest and Terra's belt (except Terra's is yellow).


 * In Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, Xigbar is about to fight Xion in Wonderland, when he sees Xion as Ven and is distracted. The reason for this is unknown, but it may indicate a connection between Ven and Sora (and so Xion, who is partly produced from Sora's memory), and the possibility that Braig may have met Ven.


 * He is the only member of the trio not to have a voice actor who previously portrayed a Final Fantasy character from Kingdom Hearts II, as Terra's and Aqua's portrayed Setzer and Paine, respectively.
 * As Ven and Roxas have the same Japanese voice actor Koki Uchiyama, it is very likely that he will be voiced by Jesse McCartney in the English version of Birth by Sleep

Ven