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Xehanort: Difference between revisions
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Master Xehanort first appeared in the teaser for ''Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep'' as the antagonist battling Terra, Aqua, and Ventus alongside Vanitas. Despite being the true main antagonist of the "Dark Seeker Saga," Master Xehanort did not appear until ''Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep'', the series's sixth installment, and he did not meet Sora face to face until ''Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance'', the seventh. After ''Kingdom Hearts II'', it was believed that Terra-Xehanort, then simply known as "Xehanort" and the original persona of Ansem, Seeker of Darkness and Xemnas, was the true Xehanort and the series's antagonist, until ''Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep'' revealed that the character was simply Terra possessed by the elderly Master Xehanort, the villain's original incarnation. Master Xehanort's origins and connection to Terra-Xehanort were hinted when it was revealed that he would be voiced by Chikao Ōtsuka, the father of Akio Ōtsuka, who voiced Terra-Xehanort and Ansem. On January 15, 2015, Ōtsuka died of ischemic heart failure,<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20150116183704/http://www.aoni.co.jp/ '''''AONI Production''', What's New'': "2015.01.16—Chikao Ohtsuka, an actor attached to our company, passed away January 15, 2015, in part due to ischemic heart disease."]</ref> and was replaced by Akio for ''Kingdom Hearts III''. | Master Xehanort first appeared in the teaser for ''Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep'' as the antagonist battling Terra, Aqua, and Ventus alongside Vanitas. Despite being the true main antagonist of the "Dark Seeker Saga," Master Xehanort did not appear until ''Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep'', the series's sixth installment, and he did not meet Sora face to face until ''Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance'', the seventh. After ''Kingdom Hearts II'', it was believed that Terra-Xehanort, then simply known as "Xehanort" and the original persona of Ansem, Seeker of Darkness and Xemnas, was the true Xehanort and the series's antagonist, until ''Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep'' revealed that the character was simply Terra possessed by the elderly Master Xehanort, the villain's original incarnation. Master Xehanort's origins and connection to Terra-Xehanort were hinted when it was revealed that he would be voiced by Chikao Ōtsuka, the father of Akio Ōtsuka, who voiced Terra-Xehanort and Ansem. On January 15, 2015, Ōtsuka died of ischemic heart failure,<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20150116183704/http://www.aoni.co.jp/ '''''AONI Production''', What's New'': "2015.01.16—Chikao Ohtsuka, an actor attached to our company, passed away January 15, 2015, in part due to ischemic heart disease."]</ref> and was replaced by Akio for ''Kingdom Hearts III''. | ||
In the English version of the series, Master Xehanort is voiced by Leonard Nimoy. Nimoy was chosen specifically by Tetsuya Nomura because of his role as Mr. Spock from ''Star Trek'' and because Nomura himself is a huge fan of both ''Star Trek'' and ''Star Wars'', two franchises he intended to pit against each other by additionally casting Mark Hamill as Master Eraqus, Xehanort's enemy. ''Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep'' was originally intended to be Nimoy's final performance before his retirement in 2010, but he came out of retirement and briefly reprised the role of Master Xehanort in ''Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance''. On February 27, 2015, Nimoy died of chronic lung disease,<ref>[http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-31662024 '''''BBC News''''', "Leonard Nimoy, Star Trek's Mr Spock, dies at 83"]</ref> and was replaced by Dutch actor Rutger Hauer for ''Kingdom Hearts III''. Hauer died on July 19, 2019, of a short illness, making ''Kingdom Hearts III'' one of his final performances, and was replaced for ''Kingdom Hearts III Re Mind'' by veteran actor Christopher Lloyd, who also appeared in the ''Star Trek'' franchise in the role of Commander Kruge in ''Star Trek III: The Search for Spock''; Lloyd was suggested for the role by Nimoy, who directed the film and was close friends with Lloyd. | In the English version of the series, Master Xehanort is voiced by Leonard Nimoy. Nimoy was chosen specifically by Tetsuya Nomura because of his role as Mr. Spock from ''Star Trek'' and because Nomura himself is a huge fan of both ''Star Trek'' and ''Star Wars'', two franchises he intended to pit against each other by additionally casting Mark Hamill as Master Eraqus, Xehanort's enemy. ''Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep'' was originally intended to be Nimoy's final performance before his retirement in 2010, but he came out of retirement and briefly reprised the role of Master Xehanort in ''Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance''. On February 27, 2015, Nimoy died of chronic lung disease,<ref>[http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-31662024 '''''BBC News''''', "Leonard Nimoy, Star Trek's Mr Spock, dies at 83"]</ref> and was replaced by Dutch actor Rutger Hauer for ''Kingdom Hearts III''. Hauer died on July 19, 2019, of a short illness, making ''Kingdom Hearts III'' one of his final performances, and was replaced for ''Kingdom Hearts III Re Mind'' by veteran actor Christopher Lloyd, who also appeared in the ''Star Trek'' franchise in the role of Commander Kruge in ''Star Trek III: The Search for Spock''; Lloyd was suggested for the role by Nimoy, who directed the film and was close friends with Lloyd. Lloyd and Nimoy also co-starred in 1994's ''The Pagemaster''. | ||
Xehanort's younger incarnation, from ''Dream Drop Distance'' onward, has been voiced by Takanori Okuda in Japanese, and Benjamin Diskin in English. Prior to this, Young Xehanort had a single line of dialogue in the opening scenes of ''Birth by Sleep'', where he was voiced Mamoru Miyano in Japanese and David Gallagher in English (who both play [[Riku]] in their respective languages). | Xehanort's younger incarnation, from ''Dream Drop Distance'' onward, has been voiced by Takanori Okuda in Japanese, and Benjamin Diskin in English. Prior to this, Young Xehanort had a single line of dialogue in the opening scenes of ''Birth by Sleep'', where he was voiced Mamoru Miyano in Japanese and David Gallagher in English (who both play [[Riku]] in their respective languages). | ||