Zexion

Zexion, the Cloaked Schemer (影歩む策士 Kageayumu Sakushi, lit. Shadow-Walking Schemer), is Rank VI in Organization XIII and one of the main antagonists in Riku's storyline in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories (the others being Ansem and the Riku Replica). He wields the element of Illusion, and uses his element to create illusions and objects to fight for him. Unlike the other Organization members, Zexion's weapon was originally unknown, and his talents were used only outside of normal combat. In Re: Chain of Memories and Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix+, Zexion's weapon was revealed to be a book called a lexicon.

Zexion appeared in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories as a participant in the struggle within the Organization between the newer and veteran members. He is also central to the plot to use Riku as a puppet in Castle Oblivion. Zexion will appear in the upcoming game Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, as one of the playable characters in multiplayer mode. Tetsuya Nomura called Zexion a "mysterious character" for the game. The team is aiming for Zexion to absorb enemy attacks with his book, then use their own attacks against them.

Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
No. 6 in the Organization.

''Zexion generally avoids using his own hands when there are deeds to be done. However, with the destruction of Vexen and Lexaeus, he was forced into action.''

''Disguised as Sora, Zexion confronted Riku. But Riku no longer feared the dark, and victory was beyond Zexion's reach.''

Kingdom Hearts II
''Formerly Organization XIII's Number VI. He has been eliminated.''

Zexion disliked dirtying his own hands, and relied on his wits to dispose of any rivals--but it was one of his own schemes that wound up destroying him.

Origins
Zexion is the Nobody of Ienzo, who was the youngest of Ansem the Wise's original six apprentices. Ienzo was the apprentice who tried to persuade Ansem to go further with his own research, and helped Xehanort complete the research into the secrets of the heart once Ansem refused to continue experimenting. He, along with Xehanort and Even (the original name of Vexen), is one of only three apprentices to be mentioned by name outside of the listing in the Secret Ansem Reports.

Ienzo and the other apprentices eventually helped Xehanort rebel against Ansem and banished him to the Realm of Nothingness. They went further than Ansem ever dared in researching the Heart and eventually all turned into Heartless. Due to their strong will, their Nobodies kept their memories and general appearance. Ienzo's Nobody took the name Zexion, an anagram of his original name with an X added.

Discovering Riku
After Sora had been lured into Castle Oblivion, Zexion discovers two other scents deep in the dungeons of the castle. One of them belongs to a Maleficent formed from someone's memory, having been given life by Castle Oblivion's unique properties. Originally, he mistakes the other scent to be that of "The Superior", an (at the time) unnamed entity within the Organization. (This is possibly due to the presence of Xehanort's Heartless within him.) Eventually, however, Zexion and his cohorts determine that the scent belongs to Riku, who had appeared in the Castle by force of will after Sora arrived. Vexen hypothesizes that the darkness in Riku's heart caused Zexion to mistake him for "the Superior" (Xemnas), calling the effect "fascinating". Specifically, Riku's heart is plagued by the presence of Ansem. The relationship they share is that "Ansem" and Xemnas both originated from Xehanort; "Ansem" is Xehanort's Heartless, and Xemnas is his Nobody.

Opposition to Marluxia
Zexion, as well as Lexaeus and Vexen, come to see that Marluxia, keeper of Castle Oblivion, intends to take control of Organization XIII, with the help of Larxene, by using Sora as their puppet. Though they see that they can use Riku to counter Sora, they decide to oppose Marluxia's plot by having Vexen investigate Marluxia under the guise of offering to help using the Riku Replica he creates with combat data from the real Riku. However, Vexen is eventually killed on Marluxia's orders by Axel, whom Zexion and Lexaeus had been unsure about trusting. Axel later tells them he had performed the deed only to gain Marluxia's trust, and continues to cooperate with Zexion in tracking Sora and Riku.

Seeing that Vexen's efforts to derail Marluxia's plan had failed, Zexion sends Lexaeus to sway Riku into joining them, but Riku refuses to allow darkness to control him and defeats Lexaeus in combat. With the last of his strength, Lexaeus manages to knock Riku unconscious, rendering him helpless. However, before he can finish the job, Xehanort's Heartless takes control of Riku's body and finishes Lexaeus with the power of darkness. Riku is then enveloped in his own personal darkness, where "Ansem" tries to corrupt him - however, he is saved by King Mickey and continues ascending Castle Oblivion.

Confronting Riku
After Lexaeus dies in his failed attempt to subvert Riku's resistance to darkness, Zexion discusses the Organization's fate with Axel and learns that Larxene has been killed as well, bringing the number of Organization members eliminated to three. Axel tells him that he himself was defeated by Sora as well, and that Marluxia is almost certainly the next to go. Zexion decides that with the possibility of Marluxia dying soon, Riku is no longer needed, and heads off to intercept him.

Zexion appears before Riku while he is between floors of the castle, shortly after the death of Marluxia. As the force of Marluxia's death shakes the castle, Riku halts with surprise and comments how a very strong scent in the air has died. Zexion materializes in front of him and tells him that Sora has just defeated Marluxia. Riku is surprised to learn that Sora is also in the castle, but Zexion tells him he would never be able to face him after having such darkness in his heart.

He gives Riku a World Card to Destiny Islands, and Riku winds up facing a Darkside Heartless. After he defeats it, Zexion reappears, and continues to play on his guilt, telling him Sora will always oppose him as a host of the dark. Sora then appears himself, brandishing his Keyblade and accusing Riku of being corrupt. He envelops Riku in light, rendering him unable to do anything. Instead of drowning Riku into helplessness, however, the predicament causes Naminé to come to his aid, in the guise of Kairi, telling him that he should stop rejecting the darkness within his heart, and instead tells him to draw on that power to free himself of the oppressing light and strike out at Sora. He wounds Sora, whose disguise falters to reveal Zexion, who had been using his powers of illusion to deceive Riku. Zexion is astounded by Riku's ability to control the darkness, and is also enraged at his perseverance. He decides to engage Riku in combat himself, albeit wounded, but still puts up a rather difficult fight. However, Riku eventually overcomes and defeats Zexion.

Death


After escaping from Riku, Zexion appears in a room, where Axel and a companion are waiting. In a panic, Zexion thinks Axel's companion is Riku himself, but then realizes it's only the replica. Axel and the replica then approach Zexion, and Axel directs the replica's attention to his lack of wholeness. He tells him that if he can find strength that the real Riku doesn't have, he can become a whole person of his own, rather than a mere puppet or whole copy of Riku. Axel then suggests that he should start by eliminating Zexion. Zexion is horrified by Axel's suggestion, and Axel says that it would be far more entertaining to watch Riku and Sora than to aid Zexion any longer. The replica grabs Zexion by the collar of his cloak and drains him of his lifeforce, leaving Axel as the only survivor of Castle Oblivion among the Organization. Zexion was the last Organization XIII member to die in the Chain of Memories storyline.

CoM Manga
In the manga adaption of Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, Zexion does not escape from Riku after being defeated in battle on the virtual Destiny Islands. Instead, Zexion appears to Riku and taunts him about being weaker than Sora because he rejects the Darkness. He transforms into Sora and rebukes him for embracing it, tricking Riku into thinking it is actually Sora accusing him instead of Zexion. Later, after changing back into himself, he further influences him by saying Sora would never want to see him again because he ran away from the light, but the Organization would welcome him with open arms. He consumes Riku in light, making him unable to do anything and attempts to show the pain of the light, but Riku, enraged, instead turns on Zexion and kills him with a slash of his Soul Eater. Zexion never fights with Riku Replica. Re: Chain of Memories incorporates this into the game story somewhat, by having Riku fight and weaken Zexion before is killed by Riku Replica.

In the manga, Zexion visits the floor where Lexaeus was killed, and he never makes an alliance with Axel.

Personality
Zexion is distinguished from the other members of Organization XIII by his approach to dealing with his enemies; namely, he does not fight them outright, but uses schemes and illusions to bring them down. He wields the element of "illusion" but originally did not show his weapon in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories. His weapon panel in the Proof of Existence (an area of the Castle that Never Was displaying the Organization members' weapons and titles) is shattered in Kingdom Hearts II, but it is revealed in Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories that his weapon is, in fact, a lexicon, which attacks through a flurry of pages and trapping people within it. Like Riku, Zexion has the ability to identify the "scents" of others, with great accuracy and at great distances. The "scent" he smells may be based off other things than mere odor, and is affected by presence of darkness in the heart, an entity's power in the castle, and other factors.

Zexion stands out in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories as the mastermind behind the actions of those members who are actually loyal to the Organization. He is aware of the Organization's decline, calling it "deplorable". Zexion also takes his missions seriously (In contrast to Demyx or Xigbar, who do not take their missions seriously.) Zexion is fond of politeness and proper greetings, which is shown when Zexion was on one of the lower floors of the Castle Oblivion basement. Lexaeus then appears, not saying a word to Zexion; upon Lexaeus' arrival, Zexion says, "Don't I even warrant a hello, Lexaeus?" and when Vexen appears next, he says, "Nice to see you too, Vexen," after receiving no greeting. Despite this, when confronting Riku later in the game, he doesn't introduce himself as the other Organization members in the castle do, but merely taunts him and goads him into his trap on Destiny Islands.

Of the three senior members (the other two being Lexaeus and Vexen) with the lowest thrones in their meeting chamber, named "Where Nothing Gathers", he seems to have the highest, while Vexen's is the lowest, indicating he is the most competent of the three. That is certainly not untrue, as he is the mastermind for the plot chronicled in the Reverse/Rebirth storyline, which only failed through Axel's betrayal of both sides; Axel's betrayal of Marluxia, by releasing Naminé, caused a chain reaction, as it was Naminé, in the guise of Kairi, who assisted Riku in breaking free of Zexion's trap in the Destiny Islands, which caught Zexion off-guard. Immediately after, Axel himself appeared and had the Riku Replica kill Zexion.

The fact that he acts as the mastermind behind Lexaeus and Vexen shows that his rank in the organization may in fact be higher than his number would lead one to believe. This is further reinforced by an additional scene in Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix+ where he is seen to have a conversation with Xigbar. He reprimands Xigbar's habit of eavesdropping, and even talks down to him, stating that he should get back to work. When Xigbar informs him that he was hoping to just have a "friendly chat" with him, Zexion tells him he has more work to attend to, and finishes the conversation by telling Xigbar that if he is through working, then it would be in his best interest to get rest.

It is speculated that Xemnas may have known about the rebellious thoughts harbored by Marluxia, and as a result placed Zexion in command of the lower regions of Castle Oblivion in order to weed out the traitor. This would seem plausible based on Zexion's apparent rank and level of competence, though nothing official has been stated in regards to it.

Zexion to some appears to be emotionally distant and anti-social, but this is not completely true. This is observed in his death. Upon Axel's dialogue with the Riku replica, Zexion's horrified reaction shows that he clearly does not want to die. He has an undying sense of duty to the Organization, which is certainly not untrue as he is the most competent of the basement members and goes to any length to ensure the success of his missions. At times, he can also be humorous and jest with other members when the moment shows itself. A good example of this is in Re:Chain of Memories where it's shown that he and Axel are having a friendly gamble at which Organization member in the castle will be the next to die (something they've been apparently doing ever since Vexen got killed by Axel). Axel proves to win that particular round when he accurately predicts that Marluxia will be the next to die.

Fighting Style
Initially, Zexion was never seen in combat, and his weapon and elemental attribute were a mystery. In an effort to keep Zexion's weapon unknown, his gravestone in the The World That Never Was laid destroyed, as all the gravestones depicted the member's weapon of choice. Re: Chain of Memories and Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix+ revealed his weapon as the Lexicon. Zexion can use his Lexicon to mimic the attacks of his enemies in 358/2 Days and in Re: Chain of Memories. This ability follows a trend where the Organization members bear abilities and skills mirroring those of Final Fantasy jobs (ex. Xaldin = Dragoon, Luxord = Gambler, etc.). In Zexion's case, his abilities mirror those of a Blue Mage, who can learn and mimic enemy attacks.

In Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories, he has a unique fighting style; he steals and hoards his foe's cards until he has enough to use it in his own deck. He has copies of his lexicon float around and attack the opponent. His standard attack steals Riku's attack cards, and his standard sleight creates a tornado of dark energy that drags Riku in, and then damages him while stealing his cards. When Zexion hoards enough cards, he copies the Soul Eater and clones himself, gaining the uses of two new sleights. In one, Zexion's clones vanish while Zexion grabs Riku and drains his HP. Zexion's other new sleight is a sleight in which he and his clones vanish and then reappear near the perimeter of the island and each fire an energy beam. The beams meet and slowly forms a ball of energy as Zexion and his clones rotate around the island before the energy ball explodes over the entire island. His standard attack now becomes a combo with each of the clones slashing once in turn. Meanwhile, the lexicons are spreads out through the island encased in a blue flames. Each of those lexicons support and act as the health of a clone. Destroying a lexicon causes a clone to disappear, and the destruction of the last clone frees all the stolen cards, and Zexion reverts to attacking with his lexicons until he hoards enough cards again. However, even if Riku manages to steal his cards back, Zexion occasionally prepares a countermeasure of sorts by planting a dummy Soul Eater card amongst the scattered pile for Riku to collect. The card is distinguished by "wing" of the blade's design being orange instead of red. If the card is collected then used, it damages and stuns Riku momentarily, giving Zexion an opening to steal cards again.

In Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix+, Zexion returns as an optional boss. Zexion's fighting style is totally different however; in the islands, his Absent Silhouette's only attack it to ensnare his prey in his lexicon. However, once they have been captured, Zexion transports them to another dimension where lexicon's float around, being conducted by Zexion, who can hide as a lexicon himself. Only the reaction command, Dispel, used on Zexion after depleting his fake HP frees them from the dimension. Meanwhile, they are either bombarded by lexicon copies and explosions, ensnared in life-draining lexicons, or have their commands mixed up. However, if the right commands are selected, HP, MP, Munny balls, or experience points can appear, while another command temporarily removes all the decoy lexicons. His greatest attack involves transporting his quarry into yet another dimension, one which is pitch black save for three spotlights, one of which will be blue. The blue light will rotate between the three lights thirteen times until it comes to a complete stop, after which the entire area will be bombarded by meteors, with Zexion's laughing heard. However, the spotlight where the blue light stops on will be protected by a barrier. Zexion is also forced into the barricaded area, leaving him vulnerable to attack.

In both instances, he is shown to be a particularly powerful opponent, noted by many to be more difficult than Xehanort's Heartless in Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories' Reverse/Rebirth.

Quotes

 * "I picked up two scents in the castle's lowest basement. One of them was Maleficent"
 * "The world of darkness and Ansem's shadow still nest within your heart."
 * "I have identified the scent. It is...Riku."
 * "When did that happen? You were always terrified of the dark before-"
 * "It's such a shame. The Organization used to be the rope that bound us together."
 * "The lord of this castle, Marluxia, has just been felled by the Keyblade Master."
 * "Want to see him? But can you face him?"
 * "Tell me, did you obtain the data on Sora's home?"

Trivia

 * Zooming in on Zexion's lexicon reveals that it is titled Another Side below the line The World Within . Furthermore, the inside of the book contains a picture on the left and a new chapter starting with a T on the right.


 * Zexion is the only Organization member in Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix+ that gives experience in mid-battle; in Final Mix, a reaction command causes experience to appear, and in Re:Chain of Memories, his lexicons give out experience when destroyed.


 * Zexion is the only Organization member in "KH:ReCoM" that has a deck only made up of magic cards (not including Riku's attack cards).


 * Zexion is one of only four members of the Organization not killed by a Keyblade master, as his life force was sucked up by Riku Replica. The others are Axel, Vexen, and Lexaeus. Interestingly, they each bear a resemblance to a character in the Final Fantasy VII series. In that case, Zexion resembles Kadaj.


 * He and Lexaeus were also the only two members that never physically met Sora.

Zexion