- ""χ"... A most ancient letter. Some say "kye," but the meaning is the same. Death... A letter that spells endings."
- —Master Xehanort
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The χ-blade (χブレード Kīburēdo) is a legendary Keyblade introduced in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep. According to the Xehanort's Report, the χ-blade was an alternative method to opening Kingdom Hearts; instead of opening the Door to Darkness, it summons Kingdom Hearts directly to the wielder. As written in Report 7, "unlike the Keyblade, which existed to join Kingdom Hearts, the χ-blade existed alongside Kingdom Hearts." Master Xehanort believed that lust for the power gained from opening Kingdom Hearts and thus the urge to create the χ-blade to open Kingdom Hearts was the reason behind the Keyblade War.
Story
Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep
Ventus was trained by Master Xehanort so that he may use it to summon Kingdom Hearts to himself, and Xehanort created Vanitas from the darkness in Ventus's heart to achieve this goal. The χ-blade was finally created when Vanitas fused with Ventus, though both their fusion and the χ-blade were incomplete. Ventus fought off Vanitas, who was wielding the incomplete χ-blade, inside their Dive to the Heart, while Aqua and Mickey Mouse fought off Ventus-Vanitas (who wielded a completed χ-blade until Aqua destroys part of it with her Keyblade) in the Keyblade Graveyard. Thanks to the combined efforts of Ventus, Aqua and Mickey, the χ-blade was destroyed along with its wielder, Vanitas.
Before Ventus battles Vanitas, Vanitas reminds Ventus that the X-blade is made of both of their hearts, and if he destroys it, his heart will vanish forever. Ventus didn't care, saying he would do anything to save Terra and Aqua.""I've become a part of their heart, just as they've become a part of mine. My friends are my power, and I'm theirs!(And for those of you who didn't notice, Sora said "My friends are my power!" right before battling Riku in KH1.)After the battle, Ven deals a blow so hard, it knocks out Vanitas and shatters his keyblade and the X-blade. Vanitas and Ventus both vanish, the only being left is ven's heart.
Within his reports, Master Xehanort stated that the χ-blade could be created when a heart of pure light and a heart of pure darkness intersected, both of their powers being equal. With the creation of the χ-blade, Kingdom Hearts, being the heart of all worlds, would form and one would be able to use the χ-blade to open Kingdom Hearts. As a result, Master Xehanort used Ventus as a tool to create the χ-blade as he split his heart into one of pure light, Ventus, and one of pure darkness, Vanitas.
Kingdom Hearts II
It is revealed that the members of Organization XIII are named by creating an anagram of their original name, and with an additional "X". This is due to Xemnas's memories of Master Xehanort's fascination with the χ-blade.[1]
Design
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The χ-blade appears to be made up of two crossing Kingdom Keys, with the teeth facing outward. It has a filigree that slightly resembles one on the Ultima Weapon, and the blade slightly resembles the Dream Sword.
It should be noted that the incomplete χ-blade has the Ultima Weapon coloring to red-orange than bluish-yellow, and the blade is slightly covered with an aura of darkness. It also seems that the incomplete one appears to have chips in the side of the blade, and it lacks a part of the filigree on one side, and part of the Kingdom Key's hilt, what makes it look somehow broken or shattered. The Keychain's two crossed Kingdom Keys is reminiscent of the symbol of the "Keys to the Kingdom of Heaven". Although it is not seen in this incarnation, it is especially significant that the Kingdom Key has a silver blade and gold hilt, and the Kingdom Key D has a gold blade and silver hilt, matching the keys on the symbol. When the χ-blade hits a target, the released symbols are gold and dark blue stars, symbolic of light and darkness.
The Keychain is a black and red heart that is similar to the Heartless symbol, only without the fleur-de-lis bottom and jagged cross, with two Kingdom Keys crossed over it. The chain starts out as two separate chains that form into one.
The letter "χ" is the letter chi from the Greek alphabet. This is why the name of the weapon is spelled "χ-blade", but pronounced "Chi-blade", a pun on "Keyblade". In Japanese, the two are pronounced the same way. In turn, in the English version, it is pronounced "Keyblade", and Master Xehanort explains to Ventus, with a visual demonstration of the ancient letter "χ", that he is not referring to a Keyblade that Keyblade Wielders use. He also says it is sometimes pronounced "kye", but the meanings are the same.
Notes and references
- ^ Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Ultimania: "Xemnas gives Organization members names with an X in them. This has something to do with Master Xehanort’s interest in the X-Blade."