Luxord

Luxord, the Gambler of Fate (運命を賭す者), is Rank X within Organization XIII. He possesses the power of time manipulation, and uses his ability to force his opponents to play timed games, with unfortunate consequences if they can't learn the rules and lose. He commands the Gambler Nobodies.

He harassed Sora and his friends in Port Royal, playing a game with them involving the cursed Aztec treasure there. He later battles Sora alone in the World That Never Was, and is the third-to-last member of the Organization to fall.

Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days features Luxord as a playable character.

Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
No. X LUXORD

Life, to him, is just a game to be won...and he has all the time in the world to do it.

Weapon: Cards

Kingdom Hearts II

 * First Entry

Organization XIII's Number X, a master of rhetoric whose words left Sora and his companions quite perplexed.

Luxord was using the cursed medallions to conduct experiments on behalf of the Organization.


 * Second Entry

Organization XIII's Number X, a gambler who can manipulate time.

Having shaken Sora and his companions with wily words, Luxord entertained himself by drawing them into a game-like battle.

In Port Royal, Luxord used Heartless and the cursed medallions to conduct experiments on the Organization's behalf and collect hearts.


 * Organization XIII

Organization XIII's Number X.

''The Organization has hinted that not only do they know about the Keyblade, but they may know things about Sora himself. Are they playing mind games, or is there truth to their words?''

Kingdom Hearts novels
At a table, Luxord was beating Axel at a game of cards. Embarrassed, Axel challenged him for another game. At Axel’s words, Luxord started shuffling the cards, laughing, as Xigbar arrived. Luxord asked him for a game, but he refused. The trio started to talk about Xemnas going out of the castle because it's an important time for the Organization.

When Axel asked what, Xigbar replied that the world is moving, though, both Axel and Luxord were confused. But Xigbar refused to tell more, leaving them puzzled. Luxord commented about the original six members having been companions since before Organization XIII was formed and that he doesn't understand what they're planning. Grinning, Axel dropped the subject and the pair started to play cards again.

Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
Roxas and Luxord often team up in Wonderland. This association with this world is more than likely thanks to the Queen of Hearts' card army. Luxord joins Roxas on several missions and stays in the Grey Area as well.

Hollow Bastion
Luxord appears with all of the other Organization members and stands behind and to the left of Saïx. He makes no contact with Sora. In fact, he isn't even seen again until Port Royal the second time through.

Port Royal
Upon making second rounds to the worlds in search of the Organization's stronghold, Sora once again allies with Jack Sparrow in Port Royal, where he learns that Will Turner has gone missing while investigating the theft of cursed pirate gold by a man in a black hood. They seek out Will on the Black Pearl and find him on the Interceptor.

Luxord appears on the Black Pearl after they have recovered Will, with the cursed gold beside him, greeting Jack Sparrow. He reveals that he is at Port Royal to assess the value of the cursed gold to the Organization and calls up Grim Reaper, a Heartless. After the Heartless is thrown overboard, Luxord invokes the right of parley before Jack can get off a shot with his pistol. He agrees to hand over the chest, but takes four medallions from it when he does so, sending them off to his Gambler Nobodies, who escape with them. This has the effect of returning the curse on Jack and tying his curse to Grim Reaper, who becomes cursed, as well. The Grim Reaper then knocks Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Jack onto the Interceptor, and has the cannons of the Black Pearl destroy the ship. Sora and the others survive, and track down the medallions, and defeated the Grim Reaper back at Port Royal, lifting the curse on Jack. Even with Luxord's experiments having failed, he manages to bring the heart that the Grim Reaper was holding to Kingdom Hearts, and promptly flees.

Where Nothing Gathers
During several additional scenes in Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix, Luxord is featured with a prominent speaking role. Immediately after taunting Sora, the Organization returns to their meeting chamber. In response to talk about making plans, Luxord says that he'll "Pass out some cards.", meaning he intends to dabble around here and there, stirring things up to see what he can do. This inadvertently instigates a small argument between Xigbar and Demyx, and after Xaldin breaks it up, Luxord disappointedly remarks "There goes my entertainment."

He is again seen just before Sora enters The World That Never Was, discussing Axel with the remaining members. He notes that Axel may have gained something by putting his life on the line to help Sora. When Xigbar reacts that, as Nobodies, they have no life to put on the line, Luxord replies: "Yes, Axel gambled with something he didn't have - and he probably won." He then adds with a smile: "Obviously a cheater."

The World that Never Was
Luxord appears once more in the game, in the Organization's fortress in The World that Never Was. When Sora, Kairi, Riku, Donald and Goofy enter the area where Luxord waits, Sora walks ahead of the rest. Materializing between Sora and his friends, Luxord uses his cards to remove Sora's allies from the area, and challenges Sora to a game involving time. Luxord fights against Sora, using a variety of tricks and games of luck with his playing cards, but in the end, Sora is able to wear Luxord's time down and defeat him. As Sora readies a finishing blow, Luxord raises his cards to shield himself, but Sora slices through the cards and finishes Luxord off. Before fading into darkness, Luxord utters in disbelief of his loss, and like many other Organization members, calls Sora by the name Roxas.

Appearance
Luxord wears the usual all-black attire of Organization members, but his cloak is somewhat different than normal, sporting slightly pointed shouders and very loose sleeves. Luxord's platinum blond (almost white) hair is very short and he has blue eyes. He is also the only member of Organization XIII to have a beard or mustache his being rather thin and the same blond color as his hair. Luxord wears five silver piercings on his ears; four helix piercings in the form of two hoops on each ear and one piercing shaped like the Nobody symbol dangling from his right earlobe.

Personality
Luxord is a man of games and luck; his challenge to Sora and Jack to find the medallions has a game quality to it, and the Heartless he summons cannot be attacked unless all the coins are in the chest, giving a side-objective to the battle. He also uses games of chance in his own battle with Sora. However, his enjoyment for games can backfire on him, both in and out of battle. His enjoyment of The Game is further portrayed in his additional scenes in the Final Mix version of the game, which show him in an almost uncaring light - he seems to not be bothered as long as he can continue to gamble and see interesting things. In Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, much of Luxord's dialogue makes references to cards, games, and luck.

Luxord is also portrayed as a master of rhetoric, with an advanced vocabulary (for example, describing the Grim Reaper Heartless as "a veritable maelstrom of avarice", meaning endlessly greedy, using it to taunt his opponents). He also possesses a notably British accent, giving him an air of sophistication. Another interesting note is that, unlike most other members of the Organization, who banter with Sora in some fashion before fighting, when Luxord appears to him he calmly smiles and says "I'd rather we just skip the formalities", and begins the battle right away. This somewhat contrasts his appearance in 358/2 Days, where he talks a good deal to Roxas on their missions.

Fighting Style
Luxord uses his attribute, time, in unorthodox methods when compared to other Organization members. One might not even see his element as time at first glance. He shortens the odds originally by dispatching of Sora's companions before attacking Sora himself. Luxord does not have a HP bar; during the battle, Luxord and Sora each have a "time" bar that depletes over time and when they are damaged. The first to have theirs depleted loses the battle. This means that the player must watch Sora's HP and time gauges to make sure neither are emptied.

Weapon
Luxord's weapons are very flexible, both literally and figuratively. The gambler uses cards, called Fair Game, of varying sizes, some reaching likely more than ten feet in the air when stood on end. The back of each card has five Nobody symbols on it, while the opposite side resembles a clock (referencing Luxord's element of time) that has Nobody symbols as the minute and hour hands, and the Roman numerals for 1-12 for the clock numbers (the numeral for 13 is in the center, just under the clock hands). Luxord uses these cards the way that most members of the Organization use their element. He can turn himself into a giant card and hide among similar cards, turn his enemies into cards, throw flurries of razor-sharp cards at an enemy, and create defensive barriers. The Reaction Command "Flip" causes the cards to vanish, but some of them have a booby trap (represented by a symbol on the one side of the card) that "Flip" triggers. He can also use them as sleight of hand cover, or to disorient his enemies.

Oddly, most of the cards (that lack booby traps) Luxord uses in battle are blank on one side, while the ones he uses to "trap" Sora's companions bear the aforementioned clock design.

Gambler Nobodies also use cards as their weapons, and have the ability to turn an enemy into a card after winning a "game". They also use dice, and have a similar ability to turn an enemy into a die.

Playing as Luxord
In Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, Luxord uses his playing cards for a strict crowd-control game, attacking multiple surrounding enemies. Via the Gear System Luxord can be customized along with all other playable characters, using wide-ranged combos that spread enemies apart. During Jackpot, Luxord's Limit Break, he summons a card in front of him. While it is summoned, the card alternates between a cross and a flashing symbol similar to Roxas's pendant. Selecting the cross results in the card merely exploding, and Luxord will visibly flinch, whereas selecting the flashing symbol will create a few powerful energy blasts that follow a trail between Luxord and the target. During Luxord’s Final Limit, Luxord summons two cards in front of him instead of one. The player now has three alternating symbols to choose from: double crosses, the flashing symbol and an additional red symbol or two large red symbols. The crosses cause the cards to explode as before, the flashing symbol and the red symbol create the exact same energy blasts as summoned by one card. When the two large red symbols are selected, Luxord will create more energy blasts than with one card, with the final blast being much bigger and more powerful.

Quotes
"I surrender the chest with my humblest apologies."

"The Darkness in men's hearts, drawn to these cursed medallions; and this Heartless, a veritable maelstrom of avarice: I wonder, are they worthy to serve Organization XIII?"

"Just a few souvenirs... for the memories."

"I'd rather we just skip the formalities."

"You've played the game quite well."

"How could you... Roxas..."

"Do you know the rules?"

"How I love a game!"

"Let's even up the deck."

Trivia

 * All but four of Luxord's decks are named after the Major Arcana of tarot, and he is missing only "Wheel of Fortune" and "Judgment". They are replaced with "The Joker" and "Fair Game", terms from normal playing cards with the same basic symbolism.


 * According to the Kingdom Hearts Character Report Volume 2, Luxord is Tetsuya Nomura's favorite member of Organization XIII.


 * It is interesting to note that Luxord, a master of cards, was not named the Lord of Castle Oblivion. The irony is that the actions taken within Castle Oblivion are determined by the use of cards. The next member, Marluxia, was instead named Lord of Castle Oblivion. It is unknown why this is so. One possible explanation is Xemnas was aware of Marluxia's traitorous nature, and wanted to prove it, while Luxord is loyal to his cause.


 * Though it may be coincidental, Luxord partially shares a name with the real-world Luxor casino. This may draw some inspiration for the gambler theme.


 * Interestingly, Luxord's name is never actually spoken in Kingdom Hearts II. He shares this odd trait with Xigbar and, until Final Mix, Demyx.


 * Luxord is one of only three bosses in Kingdom Hearts II to use the theme "The 13th Struggle," the others being Axel in Twilight Town and Riku in the Land of Dragons. The theme also plays while fighting alongside Axel in Betwixt and Between. "The 13th Struggle" only plays against Organization bosses that Sora/Roxas battles alone, excluding the Roxas and Xemnas boss battles.


 * Luxord's cards highly resemble the Map Card Random Joker. This is probably a high reference to Luxord as it only appears in Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories which was released after Luxord's appearance in the series.