I will explain time travel in Kingdom Hearts and how it works for those of you who don't quite understand it, or don't understand it at all. I hope this helps anyone who was confused with how it was explained in Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance.

(This is a part of my "Explained" series of posts. To view my "Heartless, Nobodies, Unversed, and Dream Eaters Explained" post, click here, to view my "The Braig/Xigbar Situation Explained" post, click here, and to view my "The Realm of Sleep Explained" post, click here.)

What is time travel in the Kingdom Hearts universe? Well, it's like time travel from any other game, movie, or show. It's where you leave your present-time and move either backwards or forwards to a different time.

How does somebody time travel in the Kingdom Hearts universe? First, you must abandon your body and become just a heart. One way to become just a heart is to extract your heart with a Keyblade. Another method would be to become a Heartless, since Heartless are technically just corrupted hearts. Once you become just a heart, then you have the ability to move through time.

Becoming just a heart also gives all versions of yourself from across time the ability to time travel. But, they're not actually able to do so without assistance from someone who actually has a time travel power. Just because you have the ability to travel through time, doesn't mean you're actually able to do so. You can only time travel if you are just a heart, or if you have the time travel ability plus assistance. I will elaborate what I mean by "assistance" later in this post.

What are the laws of time travel in the Kingdom Hearts universe? You are only able to travel through time if there is a version of yourself present at the time you want to travel to. Also, you cannot change what is destined to happen. All that really means though is that you cannot change the future, because everything is already set in stone. Once you return back to your respective time, you will forget everything that has happened during your experience time traveling. However, these memories and experiences will be etched into your heart and could influence your decisions and the paths you take.

Since you lose your memories after you get back to your respective time, there would be no point in traveling to the future to try and find out what happens.

That is what we know so far about time travel in the Kingdom Hearts universe. Now, I will explain various characters' involvements with time travel.

Terra-Xehanort Terra-Xehanort is Terra's body taken over by Master Xehanort. He apprentices under Ansem the Wise so he can further study the darkness and get access to things that could potentially help him further gain powers of the darkness. He steals Ansem's name and identity, then splits himself into a Heartless and a Nobody. His Heartless is known as the Robed Figure, and his Nobody is known as Xemnas.

Robed Figure / Ansem, Seeker of Darkness The Robed Figure is Apprentice Xehanort's Heartless, as stated above. Since he is technically just a heart since he is a Heartless, he is able to travel through time. He goes back in time to Destiny Islands, where he meets a young version of himself. Now that Xehanort is just a heart, all versions of Xehanort throughout time have the ability to move through time. Not without assistance though of course. The Robed Figure gives/shares his time travel powers that he has from being just a heart to this Young Xehanort. Now, this Young Xehanort is able to time travel without becoming just a heart and without assistance. The Robed Figure then goes back to his own time (during the first Kingdom Hearts) and places himself on Destiny Islands. He marks the time traveling Sora with the Recusant's Sigil.

The Robed Figure later possesses Riku and sort of molds/forms Riku's body into a body that's more to his likeness. Bodies are just as malleable as hearts. This amalgamate is known as Ansem, Seeker of Darkness.

Young Xehanort As explained above, Young Xehanort, and all other versions of Xehanort, now have the ability to move through time. And Young Xehanort is able to do this without assistance as if he was just a heart, because the Robed Figure shared/gave him some of his powers. He then goes through time and brings with him various versions of himself and some followers/vessels who have been loyal to him before. He gathers 5 versions of himself and brings them to the present-day. Those people are Terra-Xehanort, Ansem, Seeker of Darkness, Xemnas, Vanitas, and Riku Replica. These are all people who are deceased in the present-time.

Terra-Xehanort, Ansem, Seeker of Darkness, and Xemnas have the ability to move through time, because Xehanort became just a heart somewhere along his timeline (when he became a Heartless/the Robed Figure). They aren't actually able to do so though without assistance from someone who actually has a time travel power. Young Xehanort is their assistance, since he has an actual time travel power that he got from the Robed Figure.

If someone has never became just a heart somewhere along their timeline, then they can't move through time even with assistance.

Vanitas' and Riku Replica's hearts were also taken from the past by Young Xehanort, therefore giving them the ability to move through time due to being just hearts.

Young Xehanort time travels to Destiny Islands during the first Kingdom Hearts. He is able to do this because the Robed Figure placed himself there. He follows Sora and Riku into the realm of sleep. Now that Sora is marked with the Recusant's Sigil and now that Young Xehanort is in the same time period as Sora, Young Xehanort is able to teleport to wherever Sora is and keep tabs on him.

Master Xehanort Master Xehanort is the one who took over Terra's body, as explained above. He has returned to the present-day because Xemnas and Ansem, Seeker of Darkness have been destroyed, which are his Nobody and Heartless. Once someone's Nobody and Heartless are destroyed, the original person is revived. Since he was Terra-Xehanort/Apprentice Xehanort when he split himself into a Heartless and a Nobody, he was recompleted alongside Terra.

Master Xehanort gathers with Young Xehanort, the 5 people that Young Xehanort had gathered, and the 5 other members who were turned back into being Nobodies again after being recompleted in order to be more suitable vessels (Xigbar, Saïx, Marluxia, Larxene, and Luxord.)

Ansem, Seeker of Darkness (pt.II) Sora has destroyed him. Young Xehanort brings him back to the present-day.

Xemnas Xemnas is the Nobody of Terra-Xehanort. He was destroyed by Sora. He has now been brought back to the present-day by Young Xehanort.

Vanitas Vanitas is the darkness half of Ventus' heart given humanoid form. He was destroyed by Ventus, and returned to him. He has now been brought back to the present-day by Young Xehanort.

Riku Replica / Dark Riku Riku Replica is a Replica of Riku created by Vexen from data of Riku. He was destroyed by Riku, and his broken heart and mind went to the Realm of Darkness. He has now been brought back to the present-day by Young Xehanort, but it's a version of him from shortly after he was created and before he gained any real memories and experiences of his own yet.

Xion Xion is an imperfect Replica of Roxas created by Vexen who's identity was formed out of Sora's leaked memories of Kairi. She was destroyed by Roxas and her heart was absorbed into him. She has now been brought back to the present-day by Young Xehanort, but it's a version of her from shortly after she was created and before she gained any real memories and experiences of her own yet.

Extra Info Xehanort's plan has been to gather 13 vessels that all would bear a piece of his heart inside of them. This was Xemnas' plan with Organization XIII, but a few of the members he had gathered were inadequate. This is what lead to the various new people that Young Xehanort had been gathering. He gathered 5 people and along with himself, Master Xehanort, and the 5 others from the previous Organization who had been turned back into Nobodies again after being recompleted, that makes 12 people. Their original planned 13th member was Riku, but he became immune to the darkness, so he was of no use to them, then they chose Roxas, but he became too aware of himself and returned to Sora. Now, they moved down the list to Sora. They were able to capture him, but he had been saved. And then, they ran out of time and those who were from the past had to return to their own time and those who were from the present-day teleported away.

In Kingdom Hearts III, Young Xehanort time travels once more to our present-day and gathers the same 5 members he had gathered before from across time. But, this time, their hearts are put into Replica bodies in order to stay physically in the present-time and avoid having a time limit. Young Xehanort's heart goes into a Replica this time as well.

And after doing some experimenting, they choose Xion as their 13th member.

Also, when someone from another time gets destroyed, they just get sent back to their own time.

Sora and Riku In the beginning of Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance, Sora and Riku traveled back in time to the day Destiny Islands fell to darkness. They had the ability to move through time because both of them have become just hearts at one point in the first Kingdom Hearts. Sora became just a heart/a Heartless when he stabbed himself with the Keyblade of Heart, and Riku became just a heart when his heart was sort of kicked out of his body into the Realm of Darkness when he was possessed by Ansem, Seeker of Darkness. This caused all versions of Sora and Riku from throughout time to gain the ability to time travel. But, they weren't able to do so without assistance, so Yen Sid assisted them. Yen Sid used magic to send them back in time, which is a different method of time travel than Xehanort's method. Instead of becoming just a heart and going back in time to give a version of themself the time travel power in order to assist other versions of themself through time, Yen Sid just assisted them by using time travel magic to send them back in time. Characters like Yen Sid and Merlin have time magic. But, Yen Sid's time travel magic still follows the rules of time travel that this post has been explaining. He could only send Sora and Riku back in time to a point in time where versions of them existed/were present.

Sora and Riku are younger in Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance simply because of Yen Sid's magic as well. He used his magic to make them younger again in order to sort of help with the whole starting over from scratch for the Mark of Mastery exam thing. They didn't inhabit their younger bodies contrary to popular belief. They didn't need to become just hearts in order to time travel, because they had the time travel ability plus assistance. Them becoming just hearts would've been a big mess as well. They would've turned into Heartless/Nobodies.

Timeless River Merlin used his time magic to take Sora, Donald, and Goofy back to Timeless River. It's different from Xehanort's method of time travel and it's even different from Yen Sid's magical method of time travel. It bypasses all time travel laws.

I hope this helped anybody and I hope it cleared up confusion that any of you had. 

Edited March 21, 20205 yr by Elfdemon_

Why Master Xehanort bothers himself with getting multiple versions of himself across time if, after a certain period, these versions come back to their own time (as seen in KH3D climax)?

You should link the GameTrailers game explain video on this too for visual help

Why Master Xehanort bothers himself with getting multiple versions of himself across time if, after a certain period, these versions come back to their own time (as seen in KH3D climax)?

 

What are you talking about? There is absolutely no possible way for Xemnas, Ansem Seeker of Darkness, and Young Xehanort to come back to the present day, apart from time travel.

Edited February 23, 20169 yr by Elfdemon_

What are you talking about? There is absolutely no possible way for Xemnas, Ansem Seeker of Darkness, and Young Xehanort to come back to the present day, apart from time travel.

Didn't his versions from different periods all appear in KH3D? Why Xehanort even bothers himself with this plan if they'll all go back to their time sometime?

Didn't his versions from different periods all appear in KH3D? Why Xehanort even bothers himself with this plan if they'll all go back to their time sometime?

 

Still not quite sure what you're talking about. Young Xehanort traveled through time to bring many different versions of Xehanort to the present time and use them to form the true Organization 13. Together, they're trying to take the 7 Princesses of Heart. The 7 Guardians of Light are then formed to protect the 7 Princesses. After Xehanort achieves his evil goals, then the 13 seekers of darkness will all go back to their original times.

Still not quite sure what you're talking about. Young Xehanort traveled through time to bring many different versions of Xehanort to the present time and use them to form the true Organization 13. Together, they're trying to take the 7 Princesses of Heart. The 7 Guardians of Light are then formed to protect the 7 Princesses. After Xehanort achieves his evil goals, then the 13 seekers of darkness will all go back to their original times.

So that means there will only be (Master) Xehanort when everything is done?

If you can't change the events that are destined to happen, then what's the point of time travel? Unless he was destined to travel through time. Yes, it's already been written. Darkness will prevail and light shall expire.

If you can't change the events that are destined to happen, then what's the point of time travel? Unless he was destined to travel through time. Yes, it's already been written. Darkness will prevail and light shall expire.

 

"But who's to say I can't change it? And maybe light will prevail. There's more to light that meets the eye. You might be surprised."

I'm guessing we'll have to wait for KH3 to know the answer to these things.

So that means there will only be (Master) Xehanort when everything is done?

 

In KH3, we have to stop Master Xehanort and the other Seekers of Darkness, so hopefully, his plan does not succeed. Hopefully not a single Seeker of Darkness will be left when everything is done. Hopefully we defeat them all.

"But who's to say I can't change it? And maybe light will prevail. There's more to light that meets the eye. You might be surprised."

I'm guessing we'll have to wait for KH3 to know the answer to these things.

 

In KH3, we have to stop Master Xehanort and the other Seekers of Darkness, so hopefully, his plan does not succeed. Hopefully not a single Seeker of Darkness will be left when everything is done. Hopefully we defeat them all.

But, ummm, is it possible to defeat (kill) someone from a different time period?

But, ummm, is it possible to defeat (kill) someone from a different time period?

 

I'm guessing that if you defeat someone from a different time period, they fade away back to their original time. If not, then things would get very confusing and create a paradox.

Damn I thought this was going to be about real life time travel. Oh well.

All of it makes sense. Still a little twisted but it makes sense. It still makes me wonder of the 13th new member, let alone the other 6 new members we don't know of. 

 

There are a lot of things I wonder about right now. 

the time travel in KH makes it sound like a self-fulfilling prophecy. you can't change time, but then you go back and experience things that would lead to the inevitable outcome, then when you go back to your present time you forget everything but still retain the memories in your heart which influence your choices, leading to the same inevitable outcome. is that how it works?

because if so then it makes it sound completely pointless to time travel unless you had the specific intention of collection 13 versions of yourself to create some kind of super weapon to gain access to a vaguely described entity. 

 

unless i'm just still not understanding the finer points of how time travel works in KH, it sounds like Nomura wrote time travel to fit the exact needs of Xehanort's plans and then didn't consider the fact that time travel is now an actual concept in this universe, meaning it needs rules that hold up in all situations. 

 

whatever the case, i hope he doesn't bring time travel back in KH3.

the time travel in KH makes it sound like a self-fulfilling prophecy. you can't change time, but then you go back and experience things that would lead to the inevitable outcome, then when you go back to your present time you forget everything but still retain the memories in your heart which influence your choices, leading to the same inevitable outcome. is that how it works?

because if so then it makes it sound completely pointless to time travel unless you had the specific intention of collection 13 versions of yourself to create some kind of super weapon to gain access to a vaguely described entity. 

 

unless i'm just still not understanding the finer points of how time travel works in KH, it sounds like Nomura wrote time travel to fit the exact needs of Xehanort's plans and then didn't consider the fact that time travel is now an actual concept in this universe, meaning it needs rules that hold up in all situations. 

 

whatever the case, i hope he doesn't bring time travel back in KH3.

 

Yeah, you're right about all of that. I think that's why a lot of people don't like the plot and story of Dream Drop Distance. They feel like the entire thing was just plot convenience. I, personally, think that we don't quite have enough information at the current moment to judge on that though. I'm guessing we will learn a lot more about time travel in KH3 (hopefully at least).

still NO ONE seems to be able to explain the real LOGIC behind time travel in KH (if there's one )

this explanation is incomplete, first of all we need to know how should we see TIME in the KH universe (and if it is completely unchangeable then time travel is pointless and KH3D plot only happened in an alternative time line, just saying)

still NO ONE seems to be able to explain the real LOGIC behind time travel in KH (if there's one )this explanation is incomplete, first of all we need to know how should we see TIME in the KH universe (and if it is completely unchangeable then time travel is pointless and KH3D plot only happened in an alternative time line, just saying)

 

We still don't know that much about it to judge. Dream Drop Distance is the most recent KH game (other than Unchained X), so it is too early to judge. Every KH game introduces some sort of concept or new thing in the plot and then relies on the game/games after it to explain it further and to go more in-depth. DDD introduced the concept of time travel, so it's safe to say that what we have been told in DDD is just scratching the surface of time travel and we will most likely have it explained further in KH3 and future KH games. So, I'd hold my judgement until then. 

We still don't know that much about it to judge. Dream Drop Distance is the most recent KH game (other than Unchained X), so it is too early to judge. Every KH game introduces some sort of concept or new thing in the plot and then relies on the game/games after it to explain it further and to go more in-depth. DDD introduced the concept of time travel, so it's safe to say that what we have been told in DDD is just scratching the surface of time travel and we will most likely have it explained further in KH3 and future KH games. So, I'd hold my judgement until then.

Hope you're right, it's just whatever point of view I try to analize KH time-travel, I end up with a contradictory situationthe only thing that can save time-travel is our hypotetic lack of information