Dark Seeker Saga: Difference between revisions
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===Becoming a Master=== | ===Becoming a Master=== | ||
[[File:The Boy Who Sought the World 01 KHBBS.png|thumb|left|Xehanort, the boy who sought the world.]] | [[File:The Boy Who Sought the World 01 KHBBS.png|thumb|left|Xehanort, the boy who sought the world.]] | ||
Xehanort, a young man from [[Destiny Islands]], yearns for a way to leave his home for a more adventurous life. Eventually, he manages to do so, by means unknown, and comes to live in the [[Land of Departure]], where he becomes a [[Keyblade]] wielder under a Keyblade Master and befriends | Xehanort, a young man from [[Destiny Islands]], yearns for a way to leave his home for a more adventurous life. Eventually, he manages to do so, by means unknown, and comes to live in the [[Land of Departure]], where he becomes a [[Keyblade]] wielder under a Keyblade Master and befriends fellow apprentice [[Eraqus]]. Xehanort and Eraqus eventually come to see each other as brothers, but their friendship is shattered by their conflicting beliefs in the balance of Light and Darkness. While Eraqus believes darkness must be destroyed, Xehanort believes darkness can be controlled with enough training. Xehanort and Eraqus eventually pass the [[Mark of Mastery exam]] and are deemed [[Keyblade Master]]s, but Xehanort, having learned much of Keyblade lore, particularly the events surrounding the famed [[χ-blade]] and [[Kingdom Hearts]], sets out on a mission to merge with Kingdom Hearts and remake the universe in his own image, despite the lives it will cost. His first step is to find a vessel to transfer his heart into from his aged body, but his apprentice [[Ventus]] proves to be too frail for this, so he instead decides to use Ventus for the χ-blade by extracting the darkness from his heart into a separate being known as [[Vanitas]]. Though Ventus survives the ordeal, Xehanort takes him to Eraqus to be trained in light. In the process, Xehanort meets Eraqus's two students [[Terra]] and [[Aqua]] then sets his eyes on Terra as his new vessel. | ||
{{-}} | {{-}} | ||
===Quest for the χ-blade=== | ===Quest for the χ-blade=== | ||
[[File:What Darkness Can Do 01 KHBBS.png|thumb|right|Xehanort manipulates Terra into using the darkness.]] | [[File:What Darkness Can Do 01 KHBBS.png|thumb|right|Xehanort manipulates Terra into using the darkness.]] | ||
Four years later, Xehanort begins to manipulate Terra into turning against his friends and loved ones and luring him toward the | Four years later, Xehanort begins to manipulate Terra into turning against his friends and loved ones and luring him toward the darkness. First, he sabotages Terra's and Aqua's Mark of Mastery exam and then stages his own disappearance. Along the way, Xehanort comes into contact with evil fairy [[Maleficent]] and tricks her into beginning a quest to gather the Seven [[Princesses of Heart]], maidens with no darkness in their hearts. Once "found" by Terra, Xehanort "guides" Terra in the ways of the darkness, and stages his own kidnapping at the hands of lackey [[Braig]] in order to provoke Terra's anger and vulnerability to darkness. Along his way, on Xehanort's orders, Vanitas goads Ventus into chasing after Terra in order to make him stronger for the χ-blade. Through Xehanort's machinations, Eraqus almost ends Ventus but is stopped by Terra, to which master battles and is injured by apprentice, while Xehanort delivers the final blow. With his plans revealed, Terra, Ventus and Aqua meet Xehanort at the site of the Keyblade War, the [[Keyblade Graveyard]]. | ||
{{-}} | {{-}} | ||
[[File:Where the Heart Goes 02 KHBBS.png|thumb|left|Ansem the Wise finds | [[File:Where the Heart Goes 02 KHBBS.png|thumb|left|Ansem the Wise finds Terra-Xehanort.]] | ||
At the Keyblade Graveyard, after an epic battle, Xehanort finally puts his plans into action. He transfers his heart into Terra's body and becomes [[Terra-Xehanort]], but Terra's [[Keyblade Armor]] comes to life as the [[Lingering Will]] and defeats Xehanort. Vanitas succeeds in possessing Ventus and creating the χ-blade, but Aqua | At the Keyblade Graveyard, after an epic battle, Xehanort finally puts his plans into action. He transfers his heart into Terra's body and becomes [[Terra-Xehanort]], but Terra's [[Keyblade Armor]] comes to life as the [[Lingering Will]] and defeats Xehanort. Vanitas succeeds in possessing Ventus and creating the χ-blade, but Aqua and fellow Keyblade apprentice [[Mickey Mouse]] manage to defeat Vanitas and shatter the χ-blade, creating a corridor which scatters everyone present to different locations. Xehanort ends up in the [[Radiant Garden]], but with his memories slowly leaving due to Terra's heart resisting him. Aqua finds him and manages to defeat Xehanort after an intense battle, allowing Terra to gain the upper hand, but Xehanort retaliates by stabbing himself with his own Keyblade and falling into the Realm of Darkness. Aqua sacrifices herself to save Terra-Xehanort, ending up trapped in the Darkness. Xehanort, now with apparent amnesia, is found by [[Ansem the Wise]] and taken in as one of his apprentices. | ||
{{-}} | {{-}} | ||
===A Heartless and a Nobody=== | ===A Heartless and a Nobody=== | ||
A year later, however, Xehanort slowly begins to regain his memories | A year later, however, Xehanort slowly begins to regain his memories. He and Braig successfully manipulate Ansem into experimenting with the heart in order to produce Heartless, and when Ansem refuses, they and fellow apprentices [[Dilan]], [[Even]], [[Aeleus]] and [[Ienzo]] banish him to the Realm of Nothingness as Xehanort steals Ansem's name. Eventually, Xehanort regains his memories completely and splits himself into the [[Heartless]] [[Ansem, Seeker of Darkness|Ansem]] and [[Nobody]] [[Xemnas]]. At the same time, the other apprentices become Nobodies and the founders of [[Organization XIII]] with the intention of harboring a piece of Xehanort's heart as an alternate way of creating the χ-blade. But knowing full well that Nobodies will begin to develop hearts and personalities of their own, Ansem travels back in time and contacts Xehanort as a young man to grant him the ability to travel through time and begin gathering various incarnations of himself together as a backup plan. | ||
{{-}} | {{-}} | ||
Now split into a Heartless and a Nobody, Xehanort continues his plans in two different directions. As Ansem, he leads an army of Heartless across several worlds in order to swallow as many as possible | Now split into a Heartless and a Nobody, Xehanort continues his plans in two different directions. As the Heartless Ansem, he leads an army of Heartless across several worlds in order to swallow as many as possible. While as the Nobody [[Xemnas]], he begins searching for more Nobodies to join Organization XIII. | ||
{{-}} | {{-}} | ||
[[File:Kingdom Hearts is Light 06 KH.png|thumb|left|Ansem, Seeker of Darkness is weakened by Sora, Donald, and Goofy and finished off by the light released from the Door to Darkness.]] | [[File:Kingdom Hearts is Light 06 KH.png|thumb|left|Ansem, Seeker of Darkness is weakened by Sora, Donald, and Goofy and finished off by the light released from the Door to Darkness.]] | ||
Nine years later, however, Xehanort's plans begin to fall apart due to the intervention of | Nine years later, however, Xehanort's plans begin to fall apart due to the intervention of Keyblade wielder [[Sora]]. After Sora defeats Maleficent and her council of villains, he successfully defeats Ansem at the [[End of the World]]. Meanwhile, Xemnas completes his Organization with the thirteenth member being [[Roxas]] to wield the Keyblade and use it to gather hearts for an artificial Kingdom Hearts. As a backup to ensure a Keyblade wielder loyal to their cause, Xemnas creates the Replica [[Xion]] for the purpose of absorbing Roxas and becoming an obedient clone of Sora, but this plan falls apart when Xion develops her own personality and is defeated in battle by Roxas. | ||
[[File:Kingdom Hearts' Door 02 KHII.png|thumb|right|Xemnas merges with Kingdom Hearts in order to eliminate Sora and his friends.]] | [[File:Kingdom Hearts' Door 02 KHII.png|thumb|right|Xemnas merges with Kingdom Hearts in order to eliminate Sora and his friends.]] | ||
Sora, meanwhile, eliminates the members of the Organization one by one until only Xemnas is left. Xemnas merges with Kingdom Hearts and engages Sora in a final battle, but is defeated and fades into darkness. | Sora, meanwhile, eliminates the members of the Organization one by one until only Xemnas is left. Xemnas merges with Kingdom Hearts and engages Sora in a final battle, but is defeated by Sora and [[Riku]] and fades into darkness. | ||
{{-}} | {{-}} | ||
===Return=== | ===Return=== | ||
[[File:Dream Eaters 01 KH3D.png|thumb|left|Yen Sid prepares Sora and Riku for their Mark of Mastery exam.]] | [[File:Dream Eaters 01 KH3D.png|thumb|left|Yen Sid prepares Sora and Riku for their Mark of Mastery exam.]] | ||
With the destruction of both Ansem and Xemnas, it appears that | With the destruction of both Ansem and Xemnas, it appears that his/"their" madness has been destroyed forever, but it is soon revealed that this is merely the beginning, as this will inevitably lead to the revival of Xehanort himself. To counter him, retired Keyblade Master [[Yen Sid]] puts Sora and Riku through the Mark of Mastery exam in order to make them strong enough to defeat Xehanort. However, a mysterious youth hinders their journey, eventually guiding Sora back to The World That Never Was and capturing him. | ||
[[File:Seven Lights, Thirteen Darknesses 05 KH3D.png|thumb|right|200px| | [[File:Seven Lights, Thirteen Darknesses 05 KH3D.png|thumb|right|200px|Xehanort's new Organization XIII.]] | ||
Tracking Sora, Riku is confronted by the youth. The young man reveals himself to be Xehanort from the past, given the ability to travel through time in order to gather the many versions of Xehanort to attend the revival of Master Xehanort. Upon his revival, Xehanort admits that he miscalculated his previous attempt to forge the χ-blade with Ventus and Vanitas, but resolves to forge it correctly by pitting his [[thirteen Seekers of Darkness]], composed of himself and his twelve other vessels from across time and space, against the seven Guardians of Light, either the seven princesses of heart or seven Keyblade wielders protecting them. However, as Master Xehanort prepares to place a fragment of his heart inside Sora's body to complete his group, his plans are foiled by reinforcements and he is forced to retreat with his incomplete Organization, promising that they will all meet again at the predestined final battle. | |||
{{-}} | {{-}} | ||
Revision as of 08:39, 20 May 2013
The Dark Seeker Saga (ダークシーカー編 Dāku Shīkā-hen ), informally known as the "Xehanort Saga" (ゼアノート編 Zeanōto-hen ),[1][2] is the phase of the Kingdom Hearts series that details the battles between Sora and Xehanort, as well as various other heroes of the light swept up in the conflict. According to series director Tetsuya Nomura, the Dark Seeker Saga is only the first phase of the Kingdom Hearts series, which will continue afterward the Saga is complete.
Overview
Becoming a Master
Xehanort, a young man from Destiny Islands, yearns for a way to leave his home for a more adventurous life. Eventually, he manages to do so, by means unknown, and comes to live in the Land of Departure, where he becomes a Keyblade wielder under a Keyblade Master and befriends fellow apprentice Eraqus. Xehanort and Eraqus eventually come to see each other as brothers, but their friendship is shattered by their conflicting beliefs in the balance of Light and Darkness. While Eraqus believes darkness must be destroyed, Xehanort believes darkness can be controlled with enough training. Xehanort and Eraqus eventually pass the Mark of Mastery exam and are deemed Keyblade Masters, but Xehanort, having learned much of Keyblade lore, particularly the events surrounding the famed χ-blade and Kingdom Hearts, sets out on a mission to merge with Kingdom Hearts and remake the universe in his own image, despite the lives it will cost. His first step is to find a vessel to transfer his heart into from his aged body, but his apprentice Ventus proves to be too frail for this, so he instead decides to use Ventus for the χ-blade by extracting the darkness from his heart into a separate being known as Vanitas. Though Ventus survives the ordeal, Xehanort takes him to Eraqus to be trained in light. In the process, Xehanort meets Eraqus's two students Terra and Aqua then sets his eyes on Terra as his new vessel.
Quest for the χ-blade
Four years later, Xehanort begins to manipulate Terra into turning against his friends and loved ones and luring him toward the darkness. First, he sabotages Terra's and Aqua's Mark of Mastery exam and then stages his own disappearance. Along the way, Xehanort comes into contact with evil fairy Maleficent and tricks her into beginning a quest to gather the Seven Princesses of Heart, maidens with no darkness in their hearts. Once "found" by Terra, Xehanort "guides" Terra in the ways of the darkness, and stages his own kidnapping at the hands of lackey Braig in order to provoke Terra's anger and vulnerability to darkness. Along his way, on Xehanort's orders, Vanitas goads Ventus into chasing after Terra in order to make him stronger for the χ-blade. Through Xehanort's machinations, Eraqus almost ends Ventus but is stopped by Terra, to which master battles and is injured by apprentice, while Xehanort delivers the final blow. With his plans revealed, Terra, Ventus and Aqua meet Xehanort at the site of the Keyblade War, the Keyblade Graveyard.
At the Keyblade Graveyard, after an epic battle, Xehanort finally puts his plans into action. He transfers his heart into Terra's body and becomes Terra-Xehanort, but Terra's Keyblade Armor comes to life as the Lingering Will and defeats Xehanort. Vanitas succeeds in possessing Ventus and creating the χ-blade, but Aqua and fellow Keyblade apprentice Mickey Mouse manage to defeat Vanitas and shatter the χ-blade, creating a corridor which scatters everyone present to different locations. Xehanort ends up in the Radiant Garden, but with his memories slowly leaving due to Terra's heart resisting him. Aqua finds him and manages to defeat Xehanort after an intense battle, allowing Terra to gain the upper hand, but Xehanort retaliates by stabbing himself with his own Keyblade and falling into the Realm of Darkness. Aqua sacrifices herself to save Terra-Xehanort, ending up trapped in the Darkness. Xehanort, now with apparent amnesia, is found by Ansem the Wise and taken in as one of his apprentices.
A Heartless and a Nobody
A year later, however, Xehanort slowly begins to regain his memories. He and Braig successfully manipulate Ansem into experimenting with the heart in order to produce Heartless, and when Ansem refuses, they and fellow apprentices Dilan, Even, Aeleus and Ienzo banish him to the Realm of Nothingness as Xehanort steals Ansem's name. Eventually, Xehanort regains his memories completely and splits himself into the Heartless Ansem and Nobody Xemnas. At the same time, the other apprentices become Nobodies and the founders of Organization XIII with the intention of harboring a piece of Xehanort's heart as an alternate way of creating the χ-blade. But knowing full well that Nobodies will begin to develop hearts and personalities of their own, Ansem travels back in time and contacts Xehanort as a young man to grant him the ability to travel through time and begin gathering various incarnations of himself together as a backup plan.
Now split into a Heartless and a Nobody, Xehanort continues his plans in two different directions. As the Heartless Ansem, he leads an army of Heartless across several worlds in order to swallow as many as possible. While as the Nobody Xemnas, he begins searching for more Nobodies to join Organization XIII.
Nine years later, however, Xehanort's plans begin to fall apart due to the intervention of Keyblade wielder Sora. After Sora defeats Maleficent and her council of villains, he successfully defeats Ansem at the End of the World. Meanwhile, Xemnas completes his Organization with the thirteenth member being Roxas to wield the Keyblade and use it to gather hearts for an artificial Kingdom Hearts. As a backup to ensure a Keyblade wielder loyal to their cause, Xemnas creates the Replica Xion for the purpose of absorbing Roxas and becoming an obedient clone of Sora, but this plan falls apart when Xion develops her own personality and is defeated in battle by Roxas.
Sora, meanwhile, eliminates the members of the Organization one by one until only Xemnas is left. Xemnas merges with Kingdom Hearts and engages Sora in a final battle, but is defeated by Sora and Riku and fades into darkness.
Return
With the destruction of both Ansem and Xemnas, it appears that his/"their" madness has been destroyed forever, but it is soon revealed that this is merely the beginning, as this will inevitably lead to the revival of Xehanort himself. To counter him, retired Keyblade Master Yen Sid puts Sora and Riku through the Mark of Mastery exam in order to make them strong enough to defeat Xehanort. However, a mysterious youth hinders their journey, eventually guiding Sora back to The World That Never Was and capturing him.
Tracking Sora, Riku is confronted by the youth. The young man reveals himself to be Xehanort from the past, given the ability to travel through time in order to gather the many versions of Xehanort to attend the revival of Master Xehanort. Upon his revival, Xehanort admits that he miscalculated his previous attempt to forge the χ-blade with Ventus and Vanitas, but resolves to forge it correctly by pitting his thirteen Seekers of Darkness, composed of himself and his twelve other vessels from across time and space, against the seven Guardians of Light, either the seven princesses of heart or seven Keyblade wielders protecting them. However, as Master Xehanort prepares to place a fragment of his heart inside Sora's body to complete his group, his plans are foiled by reinforcements and he is forced to retreat with his incomplete Organization, promising that they will all meet again at the predestined final battle.
Games featured
Main characters
Protagonists
- King Mickey KHREC.png
- Namine KHII.png
Antagonists
Notes and references
- ^ Famitsu Weekly Oct. 4 2012, "KINGDOM HEARTS 358/2 Days" p.135
- ^ Dengeki Online, "An interview with "Kingdom Hearts" Series Director Tetsuya Nomura! We're finally at the climax to the "Dark Seeker Saga", where Xehanort is the enemy"