Leviathan



The Leviathan (リヴァイアサン) is a form of a Keyblade which appears in Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. It is available to Roxas and Xion by equipping Nimble Gear and it can be upgraded to the Leviathan+.

Design
The Leviathan has a black handle with an elegant, curved, light blue guard. The two halves of the guard do not connect to the top of the handle, similar to the Rain Fall. The shaft is blue and it has slightly concave edges. The head and teeth are comprised of a large, circular hook that nearly forms a complete circle. This hook is divided into alternating, black and blue segments, and its outer edge is lined by spikes. The keychain token resembles a completely blue version of the head of the blade.

The name and the shape are a reference of the water elemental Summon in Final Fantasy video game series. Coincidentally enough, by also equipping Nimble Gear, Axel can also gain a weapon which is named after another well known Summon, the Ifrit.

During Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days's development, this Keyblade was to take an aerial attack-oriented form known as the "Wind Maker" (ウィンドメイカー) when the Wing Gear (ウィングギア) was equipped. Both the Keyblade and Gear were ultimately cut and the Wind Maker's appearance given to Leviathan.

Gameplay
The aerial combo of this weapon nets Roxas/Xion a lot of horizontal distance, allowing them to reach some locations (and chests) at the beginning of the game otherwise unreachable without high leveled Air Slides or High Jumps. A prime example is in the central area of Agrabah; one can use the combos to travel amongst the high ledges. Abyssal Tide's aerial combo is highly similar and slightly inferior at doing this. The Combo Plus of the Leviathan+ adds even more horizontal coverage. The Leviathan can be a great weapon for combos, as all of its abilities add to combos on the ground as well as in midair.