KHBbS Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Ultimania interviews.

Last week, the official companion book to the recently released Kingdom Hearts title, Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, was released in Japan. This book, titled Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Ultimania, contains information and artwork concerning the game, and the future of the series. Three interviews were included in the book, which can be read below, thanks to Kingdom Hearts Insider.
 

Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep

 

PLOT MYSTERIES

 

In this title, where our eyes are apt to be drawn to points that elucidate the mysteries of the past, it is by no means easy to grasp the full details of the story. As usual, we've gone after Mr. Nomura with the questions from the game that have been simmering away. (Interviewer: Yuuko Oono)

 

-- Considering the conversation between Sora and Ventus in the ending of the Last Episode, is this saying that the "just-born heart" that Ventus connects with in the opening is Sora's?

 

Nomura: Yes. At first we supposed that it could be Sora before he was born, but because of opinions from overseas that "the heart doesn't exist until after birth", we discarded that portrayal.

 

-- Ventus awakens with Sora's help, but at first his eyes are blank, and when he first meets Terra and Aqua he falls asleep under their barrage of questions.

 

Nomura: At that time, although Ventus has awakened, his heart is not fully formed. The imagery is the same as the first week after Roxas entered the organisation in "KH Days", when he was spacing out.

 

-- This time we saw a "rite of succession"* - is that a required condition for becoming a Keyblade user?

 

Nomura: That's essentially correct. In terms of the rite itself, the successee* just has to make the successor grasp their Keyblade - if this rite is performed by a Keyblade Master, and if they have suitable power, the Keyblade will choose that person as a Keyblade user, and appear before them. Terra, Ventus, all have passed this rite. Sora is the only exception.

 

-- The Keyblade succession can only be performed by a Keyblade Master, but we see Terra performing this rite with Riku - does this mean we can consider Terra a Keyblade Master?

 

Nomura: No. Terra was not awarded that title by his Master Eraqus, so no matter how Master Xehanort flatters him he is not a Keyblade Master. But that's just a matter of whether or not he's achieved the official title. Even Eraqus recognised that Terra possessed suitable power to be a Master, which is why he was able to perform the rite for Riku.

 

-- In Aqua's chapter, on the Destiny Islands, was Aqua originally intending to perform the Keyblade rite for Sora or Riku?

 

Nomura: Yes. When Aqua met Sora and Riku, she was on the point of realising that she may end up having to fight Terra. At that point she was going to perform the rite of succession for Sora, but realised that Terra had already performed the rite for Riku. Not wanting sora and Riku to end up fighting like she and Terra in the future, she didn't perform the rite for Sora. This is the meaning behind her murmurs that "One must not get too close to a chosen one," and "I must not make them walk the same path." When she tells Sora he must save Riku if he ends up walking the wrong path, she's projecting her own thoughts onto Sora.

 

-- By the time of "KHI", have Sora, Riku and Kairi forgotten about Terra and Aqua?

 

Nomura: That's right. In "KHI" Kairi herself says that she's lost all her previous memories, that she "doesn't remember anything before coming to the Destiny Islands", and it would be pretty easy for Sora to forget. After all, I think for a child of 4 or 5 years old to remember a person they met only once and exchanged just a few words with would be quite unnatural. Only Riku, who was told by Terra "Don't tell anything of today to anyone," may simply be keeping quiet.

 

-- If Terra wasn't the one who stole Aurora's heart in his chapter, who actually did steal it?

 

Nomura: It was Master Xehanort and Maleficent. In "KHI" it was shown that beings of darkness like Maleficent and the Heartless are able to steal people's hearts. The theory is that Terra, who has light residing in his heart, is not a being of darkness and therefore didn't steal Aurora's heart.

 

-- Who is the hero "similar to Terra" that Zack aspires to be like?

 

Nomura: As in the original game, it's Sephiroth. In "KHI FM" and "KHII" Sephiroth was portrayed as a being of darkness, but at the time of "KH BbS" we don't know whether or not he was a being of darkness.

 

-- What's the meaning behind the several puzzling images in Terra's chapter where we cross over into his mind?

 

Nomura: Firstly, when he hears the name of the masked boy from Master Xehanort at the mysterious wasteland, and we see an image of Aqua and Ventus defeated, that's a hint of the future. On the Destiny Islands, when he makes Riku his successor, he has a special view of him and catches a glimpse of his future. However, this isn't to say that Terra has the ability to see the future - it was a directive nuance intended to portray the future connection between Terra and Riku.

 

-- Was Master Xehanort the one who delivered the final blow to Master Eraqus?

 

Nomura: Because it was necessary to avoid showing such a cruel scene, it's difficult to tell from the presentation, but that's right. Terra saw this happen right in front of his eyes, so when he realised at the Keyblade Graveyard that Master Xehanort intends to harm Ventus and Aqua, this drives him to anger, saying, "Not only my father Eraqus..."* As an aside, although he says "my father", and we see from Eraqus' words that he thinks of Terra like a son, Terra and Eraqus are not actually father and son. Also, in his final moments Eraqus falls towards Terra - an important meaning is hidden in this scene.

 

-- In a memory scene in Ventus' chapter, we see Master Xehanort send Neoshadow Heartless after Ventus. But the Heartless only appeared in the world of light at the time Ansem Report 1 from "KHI" was written - were Ansem the Wise's student Xehanort's experiments with darkness not his first?

 

Nomura: As Yen Sid says in "KHII", the Heartless cannot be separated from the darkness in people's hearts, and have been around for a long time. Beings of darkness can draw out the darkness in the heart, so Master Xehanort could summon the Neoshadows with his own hands. In the same way, when Xehanort and Ansem the Wise's students begin to perform the first experiments on the darkness of the heart, artificial Heartless were created in large numbers.

 

-- In this title, the dark influence of the Heartless isn't breaking down the walls between worlds, so in this period before Gummi Ships, why are Donald and Goofy able to travel to the Mysterious Tower?

 

Nomura: You can think of it as being thanks to Yen Sid, and also because the Mysterious Tower is a loophole world in the first place, so it comes under slightly different rules than the ones that connect the other worlds. By the way, when Donald and Goofy visit the Mysterious Tower in "KHII", they say "Isn't this tower strange!" even though they know it from "KH BbS". This is because the floors are constructed differently to the previous time they visited, which is strange (laughs).

 

-- Are the Unversed of a similar nature to the Heartless?

 

Nomura: That's right. The Heartless are born from the darkness of the heart, and Unversed are born from negative emotions, so you can call them relatives (laughs). To make them fundamentally similar, we made the designs similar. However there's one difference in that the Heartless are seeking hearts, whereas the Unversed behave according to Vanitas' will, and emotionally. For example, the Flood portray feelings of irritation. 

 

-- In "KHI" when Sora stabs the "Keyblade of people's hearts" into himself to release his heart and Kairi's, Sora's Heartless and Nobody were born. When Master Xehanort and Terra:Xehanort stab themselves with the Keyblade, were his and Terra's Nobodies not created?

 

Nomura: That is not yet clear. However I will say that the fixed sentiment that remained just after Master Xehanort stabbed himself with the Keyblade was not a Heartless.

 

-- When Vanitas calls Aqua a "spare", is he talking about raw materials for making a ?-blade?

 

Nomura: Yes. She was a "spare" prepared in case Ventus did not survive the fusion process with Vanitas. Aqua was recognised by Eraqus as a legitimate Keyblade Master who viewed light as absolute, and holds a strong heart of light. So if Ventus were to fail she could have been used as material for the ?-blade.

 

-- Comparing the Organisation members when they were human to when they were in the Organisation, apart from Xehanort, only Isa and Braig have differently-shaped ears and differently-coloured eyes - why is this?

 

Nomura: It's a question of whether or not they're deeply connected to Xehanort. In Braig's case, comparing the scene where he's injured in his battle with Terra and flares up at Xehanort, his appearance afterwards changes, which hints that something happened with Xehanort in between.

 

-- Roxas, the "Sora + Ventus" Nobody, was able to use a Keyblade. In contrast Xemnas, the "Terra + Master Xehanort" Nobody, wasn't able to use a Keyblade. Why is this?

 

Nomura: I'd rather that point remain a mystery. It's possible that he intentionally wasn't using one.

 

-- In "KHI", the robed man, Ansem the Wise's apprentice Xehanort's Heartless (the body of Xehanort's Heartless before he inhabited Riku's body), appeared on the Destiny Islands. Is this because it was Master Xehanort's homeworld?

 

Nomura: That may be one reason, but if he somehow had some of Terra's memories, we can consider that it might be because he had laid eyes on Riku previously. In terms of the elements of Terra and Master Xehanort, I think the questions of how their power is related and divided, as well as who has whose memories and heart, will become a key to the story* after this one. 

 

-- Is that to say that there's a possibility that within Xehanort's Heartless, the darkness that sleeps in Riku's heart, there might remain something of Terra...?

 

Nomura: That's also a riddle connected to the next story,* so everyone please use your imagination.

�Who knows if the series will end with �KHIII�...�

 

The original plot for �KH BbS� was written directly after finishing �KHII�

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-- So how did you start development on �KH BbS�?

 

Nomura: Well I usually start by thinking about the gameplay, but for BbS I started by writing out the plot for the scenario. The scenes on Destiny Island with Terra and Riku speaking, and Aqua speaking to both Sora and Riku were ideas I had written down from the first. I wanted to make those scenes a reality so badly that I wrote out a development proposal. I had the plot in mind from way back at the end of development on KHII.

 

-- You had planned on having the climax scene of BbS be the secret movie of KHII FM+ from the start?

 

Nomura: Yes, but I hadn�t yet decided when the scene would happen during BbS. When we were created the secret movie for KHII FM+ we didn�t know how big of a game we would be able to put on the PSP, and we hadn�t yet decided how long the scenario would be. We didn�t know if we would put that scene at the end, or if we wouldn�t be able to fit it in and not add it at all, or maybe if there was space would we be able to show what happened after it.

 

-- You used parts of the secret movie in the opening of the game, right?

 

Nomura: I talked with Nomatsu (Takeshi Nomatsu: Cinematic Movie Director) about the opening movie, and we decided that we wanted the movie to show what would happen during the story. For KHII we showed what had happened in the story so far, but we couldn�t do that with BbS because nothing had happened before it.

 

-- How did you decided on the subtitle �Birth by Sleep�.

 

Nomura: Honestly? I just wanted to use the word �by� in the title (laugh). Game subtitles always have �of� or �is� in them, but I started to think about how �by� just wasn�t used very much. The localization staff told me that it isn�t used in titles very often, but our producer who is good at English said there was no problem with it, so I didn�t think it would be that odd to use it. Also, I thought it would be interesting to use another �internet� word like in COM and Coded, and I wanted to make it be shortened as BBS (electronic bulletin board) which �connects� people. And I wanted to put the word �sleep� in the title as well, so it became �Birth by Sleep�.

 

-- So how was it decided that the Osaka team would be working on development?

 

Nomura: When I had written out the development proposal the usual KH team had already been decided on to work on �FF Versus XIII� and so we started thinking about leaving it to another team. That�s when the Osaka team came up to us and said �We�ll be able to make a better game than any of the other teams, so please let us work on it.� Then they made a test version for us with Sora, Donald and Goofy running smoothly, so we thought we�d leave it to them. At the time we had just started development on �Crisis Core�, and the team was having some trouble working on the PSP. We showed them the work the Osaka team had done on the test version, and said �Look at how much you can do on the PSP.�

 

-- The gameplay this time specializes in Commands. Was this your idea?

 

Nomura: Yes it was. The Deck Command was in the development plans from the first. We thought if we simplified the deck system that we used in COM we could make it a lot more exciting. We also took the Command charging system from �The World Ends With You� (Game made for the NDS in 2007) so that you�d have to wait after using a Command before using it again. We wanted to put these two systems together and evolve them even more. While the manual charging system from COM has a bit of freedom to it, with the automatic charging system we wanted to make you sweat. You thought it would be fun to have you run around trying to escape the enemy while waiting for Curaga to charge thinking �Hurry hurry hurry...�

 

-- The �Command Board� was also another one of your ideas, wasn�t it?

 

Nomura: I�ve always loved board games. When I was little my father would make dice games for me, and I would copy him and make my own. Because of that I�ve always wanted to make a board game part of the gameplay system. In the FF series they have the Sphere Grid, which is a board game like system for growth. But I wanted to take it even further and make a dice game that could be played by itself, and that�s how I thought up the �Command Board�.

 

-- You also added the Dimension Link system into the mix.

 

Nomura: In both KH and KHII, Donald and Goofy fought alongside you. But with the PSP it would have been difficult to have lots of characters moving at once. So instead of having your friends alongside you, we decided that you could just borrow their power from distance, which created the Dimension Link.

 

-- It�s fun that you can even link to other players through wireless.

 

Nomura: The Osaka team came up with the idea of linking through wireless. It was the last thing we decided on for the Dimension Link system. The theme of the story is �connections�, so we felt it would be proper to allow you to �connect� to other players via Dimension Link. It was also the idea of the Osaka team to have Ventus Link to Vanitas. I really liked that they managed to incorporate part of the game system into the story line. I thought they did an excellent job.

 

The concept for the story was �There is no coincidence in fate�.

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-- Did you think about the three main characters having different scenarios from the beginning of development?

 

Nomura: Yes we did. When we were first writing out the plot, we had decided on using the three main characters in separate stories. We wrote their stories starting first with Terra, then Ventus and then Aqua. And in the story you can see that first Terra leaves, then Ventus follows him, and Aqua leaves last. The overall concept is, though it seems like a catch phrase, �There is no coincidence in fate�. The reason why Riku was chosen to wield the keyblade, or why Kairi met Sora and Riku. These things that seemed like they were just coincidence were actually meant to be.

 

-- Had you planned on there being a Last Episode after the first three scenarios were complete?

 

Nomura: No, it wasn�t in the original scenario that we wrote. The scene at the end where Aqua is walking through the dark realm was the original ending to Aqua�s scenario. The scene after that with Sora and Riku talking on the beach wasn�t there at all. But because that would mean all of their scenarios ended on a dark note, we included Last Episode and the scene with Sora and Riku talking.

 

-- How did you decide on the names for Terra, Ventus and Aqua?

 

Nomura: When we were deciding on the names for Sora, Riku and Kairi in the original KH, we wanted to have their names reflect three things that made up the world. But with these three we wanted to make there names out of the larger ideas of earth, wind and water. But that doesn�t necessarily mean that Aqua and Kairi correspond with one another.

 

-- How did you think of Vanitas� name?

 

Nomura: I wanted to give him a name that meant �empty�, and so I looked for something that would be appropriate. When I was searching I found a word that meant �emptiness� in Latin, �Vanitas�. It looked a lot like Ventus� name, and in Japanese it has the kanji for �sora� in it, so I thought it was perfect. Of course in Vanitas� case it doesn�t mean �sora [sky]� but �kara [empty]� [These two words are written with the same kanji, but are said differently and have different meanings.]

 

-- Master Eraqus� name is an anagram of �Square� right?

 

Nomura: Yes, but I didn�t really think very hard on that name. Actually I gave him that name while writing the original plot, but when I read through it later I couldn�t remember what it was supposed to mean. I asked around, but no one knew. Finally the producer realized that it was supposed to be an anagram for Square and I thought �Oh yeah!� (laugh).

 

 

I wasn�t sure who to make Ventus look like, but...

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-- Was it easy to decide on the design for the three main characters?

 

Nomura: No, it was actually pretty difficult. Especially since all three of them would change into armor, when I began to work on their design I had decided that they would hit a round device to change into the armor. But how I could incorporate that device into their clothing was pretty difficult to decide. Also, since one of the secret keywords in the story is �X�, I decided that I had to put that somewhere in the design of their clothes.

 

-- How did you decide on the design for their faces?

 

Nomura: Well Terra�s look was already a decided thing, we just had to make him look a bit younger. I knew that Ventus should look either like Sora or Roxas, and I wasn�t sure which one to go with, but I thought Vanitas looking like Sora would have a bigger impact so I had Ventus look like Roxas instead. And there is a reason that Vanitas looks like Sora. As Sora filled in Ventus� fractured heart, the fractured part (Vanitas) was effected by Sora and ended up with Sora�s face. So if it had been Riku who had filled in Ventus� heart, Vanitas would have looked like Riku.

 

-- And what about the lone woman of the group?

 

Nomura: Since she has no base to work with, unlike Terra and Ventus, I drew her as an entirely new character. Since I had made Terra with somewhat Japanese styled clothing, I had that in mind when I designed the belt around her hips and gave her belled sleeves.

 

-- It seems Aqua is pretty popular.

 

Nomura: I had no idea that was going to happen actually. When I was drawing her I kept worrying that since she has no connection to existing characters that no one would care about her. I made Xion from Days a �short-lived and pure girl�, but I wanted Aqua to be a strong girl. But, instead of making her a �strong girl who can beat the guys� I wanted to make her �feminine and strong�. I didn�t know how people would take her, but I think it�s all thanks to Megumi Toyoguchi. When she did the voice for Paine in FFX-2, it was lower than her normal voice. But this time she performed closer to normal voice. I think she was able to express the strength that I wanted Aqua to have.

 

-- What was your reasoning for choosing Ryotaro Okiayu as Terra?

 

Nomura: Chikao Otsuka, who plays Master Xehanort, has a dry sort of voice. The actor for Terra-Xehanort, Akio Otsuka, has a deep resonating sort of voice. We wanted something that would have elements of both in it, and ended up choosing him. Of course we chose Chikao Otsuka for Xehanort as he is the real father of Akio Otsuka.

 

-- Of course the reason you chose Miyu Irino for Vanitas� voice is because they have the same face?

 

Nomura: Of course. Except he doesn�t sound anything like Sora, does he? Irino has kept saying from long before that he wanted to play an evil guy, so he got sort of carried away with it (laugh).

 

 

Why Zack is the only FF character

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-- How did you choose which worlds they would visit?

 

Nomura: The first worlds we decided on were the three worlds that the princesses were on. The princesses themselves appeared in the first KH, but their worlds didn�t, and I wanted to show them at some point. And it was perfect since we would also be able to show how Maleficent started going after the seven princesses. The other worlds were chosen by how fun they looked when we drew them out.

 

-- There are a few worlds that we have seen before.

 

Nomura: Olympus Coliseum has been in every game so far, but since this time we would be able to talk about their past we really wanted to have it in. In the original movie there are scenes that show young Hercules growing up, and we really wanted to show that, so we had them go to Olympus Coliseum.

 

-- Zack appears at the Coliseum, but was there a reason why he is the only FF character this time around?

 

Nomura: We wanted to have Cid and the gang in Radiant Garden, but that would have made the story go too far off track. The main story of BbS is complicated enough as it is, so instead of making a lot of side roads, we concentrated on the main story. Which resulted in having no other FF character but Zack make an appearance. The reason we chose him was, as this is a story set in the past of the first game, we wanted to have a character from the past of an FF game. As Zack was a character from the past in FFVII, he fit the role just perfectly. There were other characters we wanted to show, but since they�ll be appearing in a different game we didn�t put them in this one. As it isn�t a game we�ve announced yet, I can�t tell you who it is (laugh).

 

-- There was a new enemy this time called the Unversed, how did you think them up?

 

Nomura: Since they couldn�t be around during KH, we needed to have an enemy that could no longer exist during that time. So we connected them to Vanitas, so that when he disappeared they will have disappeared as well. Their design concept was �emotions�, so we see them with smiling faces, angry faces, crying faces... they were designed with many different expressions. The Unversed mark is also meant to be a heart that expresses emotions.

 

-- Speaking of enemies, the hidden boss that is Vanitas� sentiment was quite strong.

 

Nomura: Everyone liked Lingering Sentiment, the hidden boss from KHII FM, so we wanted to make him equal to that. The thing fans wanted most in a hidden boss was �demonic strength�. So if our debuggers could find a way to beat him, we tossed that idea, and that�s how he became as strong as he is. While they were making it I went to Osaka and fought him myself. But I couldn�t beat him (laugh). If I can beat him, he can�t be that strong, so having him so strong that I can�t beat him is ideal.

 

 

The secrets of the secret event

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-- The KH series always has a secret movie at the end, but this time there was a secret event called �Blank Points�. Does the name express the empty parts of the story?

 

Nomura: It does have that meaning, but usually I give the secret movie a title that reflects the meaning of the movie. For example, the KH secret movie was �Another side, Another story�, and that was about Roxas. An of course the KHII FM secret movie was �Birth by Sleep�. But this time, �Blank Points� isn�t necessarily the title. Even though the meaning fits.

 

-- In the secret event Xehanort says �The heart that resides within Terra�s heart.� Who�s heart is it?

 

Nomura: I can�t say just yet, but I�ve set it so that you�ll know who it is. Listen to Xehanort�s words closely, and read his reports carefully. I think you�ll know who it is then.

 

-- Ansem the Wise says to Aqua �Everything is born from sleep.� What does this mean?

 

Nomura: In that scene the ones who are calling for �Sora� are the ones who have already disappeared from the world. But in the world of KH there is no concept of death, that for example they are just sleeping within Sora�s heart. If you can just wake them up, they�ll be able to return to the world, they would be �born from sleep�. That there would be a possibility of this, is what Ansem the Wise is saying. Even Aqua, who isn�t in the realm of light, would be born from sleep.

 

-- In that case, do the characters we see in that scene have a chance of returning?

 

Nomura: Yes. The data that Ansem has hidden within Sora is the secret to that revival. When Ansem had become DiZ, and studied the heart and emotions, the results he found he hid within Sora. There are a lot of people who thought that Coded was about finding those results, but that�s not true. The ending of Coded was about finding out that DiZ had done something to Sora, as Namine said, finding out about the data that Ansem hid. What that data is will be revealed in the next game.

 

Two more games aside from KHIII are in the works

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-- So how do you feel about Days, Coded and BbS having all been released?

 

Nomura: It was hard work, but fun. I got to try a lot of different things, and found things I�d like to keep on using. I�ve learned about what sort of gameplay can be used with each system. For example, the PSP can have a game that plays similarly to the original KH games, so I was able to make them exciting to play. Or the DS has no analog stick, so we went more for customization. We also used cell phones, which are not really a game console. It was a challenge to see how much we could make it a KH game with only simple controls. Based on this experience I think I�ve gained a lot that I will be able to use in the future.

 

-- We hear that the international release of BbS is coming along, how will it differ from the domestic version?

 

Nomura: The scenario hasn�t changed much, but we�ve put in extra things. We�ve added Critical Mode, an extra difficult about Proud, a few extra scenes that I had wanted to put in but couldn�t, and added a few more songs for �Rhythmic Ice�. There are also more keyblade and enemy types as well. The battles are balanced better, and we�ve tweaked some of the things that bothered us.

 

-- Are you going to release the international version in Japan as you have with KH and KHII?

 

Nomura: Well, if I say �we don�t plan on it yet�, people will take that as �no�, so I can�t really say anything. Since the voice acting is done so well it wouldn�t be so bad releasing a Final Mix... but people only got so excited about KHII FM+ because it was sold with Re:COM. We�re not going to put that much into it a second time (laugh).

 

-- Now that BbS is finished, we can�t help but think about the next game in the KH series...

 

Nomura: For now while FF Versus XIII is still being worked on, there isn�t much I can do on KHIII, but we�ve already begun work on the next game in the series. There is one that we are hoping to be able to release within this year. Then the next year there is one more game we are planning on releasing. I think it will probably make the main character[s?] more complicated. Also, the end of �Blank Points� with Sora leaving on a new adventure connects to KHIII.

 

-- KHIII will be the continuation of the story we�ve seen up until now, right?

 

Nomura: Yes that�s right. Though fans probably think that the series will end with KHIII, the KH series we are developing right now, including KHIII, is just the first part of a bigger series. The main character of the KH series is Sora, but right now the first part could be considered �The Xehanort Chronicles�, since after all the enemy has always been Xehanort right from the first game.

 

-- I see, so KHIII will complete The Xehanort Chronicles?

 

Nomura: Yes, that�s sort of how we�re thinking. So even if Xehanort�s story ends, Sora will still have other adventures to go on.

 

-- So it�s not �Once Sora�s story is finished, another hero�s story will begin�, the hero is always Sora.

 

Nomura: Yes. One of the concepts behind the KH series is that the main character Sora isn�t special, he�s just a normal boy. Yes he does have connections with Ventus� heart, among others, but he hasn�t inherited anything from them. He�s just a normal boy you could find anywhere. I wanted to make Sora a character that the player could take onto themselves and feel that you don�t have to be special. But connect to many people and you will realize your secret potential. With BbS I want to make fans excited to see Sora�s return. The secret event is a symbol of that, so I hope everyone will get to see it and wait for Sora�s next adventure.

 

 

Mysteries concerning Sora (Roxas), Riku and Kairi

 

Q1: Why do Roxas and Ventus look alike?

A: Because inside Sora, which is Roxas� body, is Ventus� heart.

 

As was shown in the opening to BbS and the ending to Last Episode, Sora and Ventus� heart are linked (P.646). And so Roxas, who is a part of Sora, was affected by that and looks just like Ventus.

 

[picture: Little Sora and Ventus� heart]

Ven: �Can I become one with your heart again?�

 

When he was born into the world, he linked with Ventus filling his fractured heart. Many years later, when Ventus was on the verge of disappearing after his fight with Vanitas, Sora took him into his own heart.

 

 

Q2: Why did Roxas faint in Castle Oblivion on Day 297?

A: Because he had gotten to close to both Sora and Ventus, his �real self�.

 

Before Day 297 in Days Sora had been to Castle Oblivion, as well as the fact that Ventus is asleep somewhere in the Room of Awakening. Both Sora and Ventus can be called Roxas� �real selves�, and when he felt their presence it made him faint.

 

[picture: Axel and Roxas]

 

When Roxas went to Castle Oblivion the memories of his �real selves� made him confused.

 

[picture: Ventus asleep]

 

Ventus asleep in a room in the castle.

 

 

Q3: Is it possible that Roxas has a heart?

A: It is thought that it could be Ventus� heart.

 

In KHII FM there were clues to him having a heart, and in Days we saw Roxas crying--proof that he could have a heart. As was said in Q1, he has taken a lot of himself from Ventus. But perhaps when Sora and Roxas were separated, Ventus� heart stayed in Roxas?

 

[picture: Roxas crying]

 

On Day 357, Roxas cries after losing his friend Xion.

 

[picture: Little Sora and Ventus� heart]

 

Sora links with Ventus to help heal him.

 

 

Q4: Why can Roxas dual-wield?

A: Because he can use both Sora�s and Ventus� keyblades.

 

Sora can wield two keyblades at once because he has Ventus� as well as his own. As Roxas is a part of Sora, he also can use two. In Days Roxas awakened his ability to dual wield after fighting Xion. In KHII once Sora absorbs him, he can also dual-wield.

 

[picture: Roxas and Riku fighting]

 

Roxas awakens his ability to dual-wield with his will to not forget Xion who also wielded a keyblade.

 

 

Q5: Why was Riku chosen as the original wielder of the keyblade?

A: Because he was chosen by Terra to inherit.

 

To use a keyblade you must have been chosen to inherit as well as been chosen by the keyblade itself. In BbS you could see that Terra performed the ceremony with Riku, and that is why Riku was able to take the keyblade that Sora used.

 

[picture: Little Riku and Terra]

 

Terra looks at Riku as he performs the inheritance ceremony.

 

[picture: Little Riku looks at a door with a keyhole.]

 

Because he has been chosen to inherit, Riku can see the keyholes of the world.

 

 

Q6: Why did Kairi end up with Sora and Riku?

A: It has to do with Aqua�s �magic�.

 

Nine years before KH, Kairi was thrust into the outside world, and found herself on Sora and Riku�s world. Ansem Seeker of Darkness thought that she had been able to search for a keyblade wielder, but what actually saved her was the magic spell Aqua had put on her.

 

[picture: Little Kairi]

Aqua: �Someday your light will lead you to a light that will protect you from the darkness.�

 

The magic Aqua puts on Kairi saves her once year later.

 

[picture: Ansem Report]

 

Ansem Seeker of Darkness felt a special power within Kairi and tried to use her to find the keyblade.

 

 

Q7: Why can Kairi use a keyblade?

A: Because she was touched by Aqua�s keyblade.

 

The keyblade inheritance ceremony is performed with a keyblade master touches someone using a keyblade. When Kairi was running away from the Unversed in BbS she grabbed Aqua�s keyblade, which performed the ceremony. That is why she is able to use a keyblade in KHII to help Sora.

 

[picture: Little Kairi and Aqua]

 

Kairi touching Aqua�s keyblade.

 

[pictures: Kairi with keyblade, Aqua with keyblade]

 

The keyblade Kairi uses is the same with Aqua receives after talking to Kairi: Destiny Place.

 

Mysteries concerning �Xehanort� and Organization XIII

 

Q8: Who is Apprentice Xehanort really?

A: Master Xehanort commandeering Terra�s body

 

Master Xehanort wishes to bring back the Keyblade War and see what happens afterward with his own eyes, but once he found a way to accomplish this he was already an old man with only a few years left to him. Wishing to become young again, he finds Terra, and defeats him with darkness so he can take his body. That is the Xehanort that Ansem the Wise picks up, and makes his number one apprentice.

 

[picture: Terranort and Aqua]

 

Master Xehanort has taken over Terra�s body, but Aqua tries to get Terra�s heart and self to return to it.

 

[picture: Ansem picking up Xehanort]

 

Afterwards he loses his memory and is picked up by Ansem the Wise.

 

[picture: Apprentice Xehanort]

 

Calling himself Xehanort, he becomes Ansem the Wise�s apprentice and goes into the study of darkness.

 

[pictures: Ansem Seeker of Darkness, Xemnas]

 

Xehanort�s Heartless calls himself Ansem Seeker of Darkness, and his Nobody calls himself Xemnas.

 

 

Q9: Where did the Organization�s coat and mark come from?

A: Xemnas remembering his human years.

 

One year after BbS, Xehanort as well as five other apprentices toss aside their hearts. Then the Nobody Xemnas was born, and the Organization which he creates take a lot of things from his memories as a human. But as Xemnas had two people who he was, Terra and Master Xehanort, he takes from both of their memories.

 

[picture: Master Xehanort in dark coat]

 

The coat used by the Organization was something that Master Xehanort originally wore.

 

[pictures: Terra�s mark, Nobody�s mark]

 

The Nobody mark used by the Organization is a similar shape to the mark Terra used.

 

[pictures: Roxas receiving his name, Vanitas and the X-Blade]

 

Xemnas gives Organization members names with an X in them. This has something to do with Master Xehanort�s interest in the X-Blade.

 

 

Q9: What is the origin of Castle Oblivion?

A: It is the transformed version of Land of Departure after it was sealed.

 

Castle Oblivion's original form was Land of Departure, where they were in training. It is a special place between the realms of darkness and light, and has been protected for generations so that it is not used for evil. A device was set in place just in case of such an event, and after Master Eraqus was killed and Aqua closed the keyhole of the world, it put this device in action. It turned it into a castle which would draw anyone who goes there into oblivion.

 

[picture: Aqua in front of Castle Oblivion]

 

Castle Oblivion, which was born from Aqua sealing away Land of Departure. Afterwards the Organization, under Xemnas� orders use this place for research.

 

 

Q11: Why is Aqua�s armor in The Chamber of Repose?

A: Because Aqua tried to save Terra.

 

When she tried to retrieve Terra�s heart from Terra-Xehanort, they both fell into the realm of darkness, and she gave him both her armor and keyblade which allowed him to escape. Because of this when Ansem the Wise picked up Xehanort, he still had the armor and keyblade, which Xemnas then put in The Chamber of Repose.

 

[picture: Aqua and Terranort in darkness]

 

Aqua gives up herself in order to save Terra.

 

[picture: Xemnas in The Chamber of Repose]

 

Xemnas creates The Chamber of Repose, and puts Aqua�s armor there which he calls �friend�.

 

 

Q12: Why is Xemnas searching for The Chamber of Awakening?

A: To find Ventus.

 

The Chamber of Awakening is the room where Aqua leaves Ventus sleeping in Last Episode, and is a part of Castle Oblivion. As you can see from Xemnas calling Aqua�s armor �friend�, it seems Xemnas has Terra�s memories and so is searching for Ventus, and is making the other Organization members look for The Chamber of Awakening.

 

[picture: Aqua with Ventus]

 

Aqua leaves the sleeping Ventus in The Chamber of Awakening.

 

[picture: Xemnas and Saix]

 

The only one who can solve the mysteries of Castle Oblivion is Aqua, so the Organization was never able to find it.

 

 

Q13: What is the true form of Lingering Sentiment?

A: After Terra lost his body, his thoughts gathered into his armor.

 

At the end of Terra�s scenario, Master Xehanort had commandeered his body, so his thoughts took control of his armor. Afterward, the armor stayed in the keyblade graveyard, until KHII FM where �Lingering Sentiment� went against Sora. Because he saw that it was not his chosen one Riku using a keyblade, but Sora, he grew suspicious and thought he had something to do with Master Xehanort and attacked him.

 

[picture: LS and Sora]

 

After fighting him, LS says this because he feels Ventus inside of Sora.

 

 

Q14: Did something happen in Xigbar�s past?

A: He was Master Xehanort's accomplice.

 

The number two member in the Organization Xigbar conspired with Master Xehanort when he was a human named Braig. Because of this, he knows more about Xemnas, who is the Nobody of Xehanort, than anyone else. That is why he often says strange things, and can speak up against Xemnas.

 

[picture: Braig and Master Xehanort}

 

Braig was involved with Xehanort's plans, but as you can see they have some sort unknown promise between them.

 

-Where he got his eye patch and scar-

 

As Master Xehanort was trying to get Terra�s body as a vessel for himself, Braig tried to lure Terra into the darkness by fighting him. But the power of darkness that Terra released was stronger than he would have imagined, and he ended up losing his right eye and getting a wound along his cheek. Afterwards Braig�s ears become sharper, and his brown eyes change to gold. This is because he was influenced by Xehanort who he was working with.

 

-Things Xigbar has said in the past-

 

�Why are you always looking at me like that?�

(Days, Day 353: When he sees Xion as Ventus.)

�Oh yeah, he looked at me like that too!�

(KHII: Facing off against Sora in Hollow Bastion.)

 

At the end of Ventus and Aqua�s scenarios, they went against him in the Keyblade Graveyard, and Ventus glared at him while frozen. This is Xigbar remembering that scene.

 

�How many years ago was that.... when those guys with the key shaped swords appeared here and fought. After they disappeared, a man who lost his memories fell.�

(KHII FM Xigbar talked with Zexion about Xemnas� secrets.)

 

This is pointing to when Aqua fought Terra-Xehanort in Last Episode.

 

�So you are one who has been chosen by the keyblade. Though you�re nothing compared to the ones I�ve seen before.�

(KHII: Facing against Sora.)

 

�The ones I�ve seen before� is referring to Terra and Aqua, who he has fought against before, as well as Ventus, Master Xehanort and Vanitas.

 

 

Q15: What sort of people were Organization members 3-8 as humans?

A: We know now that they had ordinary lives in Radiant Garden.

 

In BbS we�ve seen one part of Xigbar�s past, as well as members 3-8. 3-6 were apprentices under Ansem the Wise and did things like act as guardsmen, but Axel and Saix were just young boys who were friends.

 

[picture: Organization members and their original forms]

 

1-6 were the original members of the Organization, and during the time of BbS were Ansem the Wise�s apprentices.

 

[picture: Axel and Saix]

 

Axel and Saix were old friends, as we can see from their conversation.

 

[picture: Lea and Isa]

 

Lea and Isa were friends. It seems during BbS they wanted to get into the castle of Ansem the Wise.

 

[picture: Zexion and Vexen]

 

Is the reason Zexion speaks so politely to Vexen because he was under Vexen's care when they were humans?

 

[picture: Dilan and Eleaus]

 

We can see that they were guardsmen of the castle in Radiant Garden.

 

 

Q16: What happened to Ansem the Wise?

A: He is wandering in the realm of darkness.

 

Ansem the Wise, who banished to the realm of nothingness by his six apprentices. In KHII, he wanted to release the Kingdom Hearts made from people�s hearts that the Nobodies of his apprentices had created. The machine that he used for that end exploded, taking him with it. It looked as though he disappeared, but we know from the secret event in BbS that he was sent into the realm of darkness.

 

[picture: Ansem]

 

Ansem used Sora and Riku to get his revenge against his apprentices.

 

[picture: Ansem and Mickey with machine]

 

Ansem tried to test the heart�s data form with his machine, but it didn�t go as planned and the machine went berserk.

 

[picture: The realm of darkness.]

 

Ansem the Wise was thrust into the realm of darkness, forgetting all of his memories except those concerning Sora.

 

Other mysteries

 

 

Q17: What made Maleficent want to take over the world?

A: Because of what she learned from Master Xehanort.

 

In KH Maleficent tried to steal the hearts of the princesses of light by using Heartless soldiers. The reason she decided to do this was because Master Xehanort had told her �If you gather the hearts of the princesses you will be able to control the world.�

 

 

Q18: Why was Pete put in prison?

A: It was a punishment for stepping on the hearts of others.

 

In KHII Pete tells us he was saved from prison by Maleficent. The reason he was put there was because during the Dream Festival he said things that showed he cared little for the hearts of others.

 

 

Q19: Why did Merlin have Winnie the Pooh�s book?

A: Terra picked it up and gave it to him.

 

In KH he tells us that it�s not really his book, it had just been in his bag. In BbS we see that it had fallen there as if drawn to him, and Terra had picked it up and given it to him.

 

 

Q20: Why was Scrooge so interested in ice cream?

A: He�s always been interested in ice cream.

 

In Ventus� scenario we find out that the ice cream machine that Huey and the boys were using was original Scrooges machine. As he has always been interesting in making ice cream, that is why he was so interested in it in KHII.

 

Continuing mysteries

--------------------------

 

(?) Did Apprentice Xehanort really lose his memories?

 

Master Xehanort commandeered Terra�s body, and became Ansem the Wise�s apprentice. According to Secret Ansem Report 1 From KHII, the young man asked to become a test subject for Ansem�s research so he could get his memories back, After that they began the study of darkness, but did he really lose his memories? And are those memories Terra�s or Master Xehanort�s?

 

[picture: Xehanort and Braig]

As seen here, Braig thought that his memory loss was nothing but an act.

 

 

(?) Where is Master Xehanort�s keyblade?

 

As was stated in Secret Ansem Report 13 in KHII, while studying darkness the young Xehanort opened the door to the heart of Radiant Garden. This would have been possible if he had a keyblade, but according to the Ansem Reports 4-8 in KH, he did not yet know about the keyblade at the time. In Last Episode Master Xehanort used his keyblade up until going to the world of darkness, but what happened to it after that...?

 

[picture: Terranort sticking himself in the chest with a keyblade]

 

In Last Episode Terra-Xehanort stabbed himself in the chest with his keyblade, but afterward that keyblade has disappeared.

 

 

(?) What are the �seeds� that Xehanort has planted?

 

In the secret event, Master Xehanort tells Terra that he has already laid many plans, and that the seeds have been sown. Telling Braig and Maleficent about the �Kingdom Hearts� was one part of his plans, but what other plans have Braig and Master Xehanort laid? What other measures have been taken?

 

[picture: Master Xehanort and Braig]

 

If pushing Maleficent into trying to take over the world was one of his �seeds�, then what things has he been saying to Braig?

 

 

(?) What are the details of Ansem�s apprentices fall into darkness?

 

Most of what had happened with Ansem�s apprentices before their fall into darkness is unknown, aside from what was touched upon in Secret Ansem Reports. And the mystery of �the plan that was decided on after Axel and Saix entered the Organization� that was talked about in the Secret Reports in Days still remains. According to Nomura there is still much about the Organization�s humans that has yet to be said.

 

[picture: Dilan and Eleaus guarding the castle door]

 

During BbS the apprentices seem like kind people, so was it Xehanort�s influence that led them into the darkness?

 

 

(?) What happened to his heart and memories after separation?

 

One year after BbS, Apprentice Xehanort was separated into his Heartless (Ansem Seeker of Darkness) and his Nobody (Xemnas). The former took actions that were more like Master Xehanort, while the latter has said things that seem more like Terra, so how were Terra and Master Xehanort�s hearts and wills separated, and what sort of influences do they have over each?

 

[picture: Organization member (don�t remember who said this, Xigbar?)]

 

It is also a mystery that he would know about the room where Ventus sleeps, which should only be known to Aqua.

 

 

(?) Did they meet in the realm of darkness?

 

In the secret event we see Aqua and Ansem the Wise talking in the realm of darkness after the events of KHII. Over one year before Mickey traveled to the realm of darkness to search for the keyblade, but during that time did they really not see each other? If they did, then how does that relate to the story afterward?

 

[picture: Aqua in the realm of darkness]

 

Aqua wanders through the realm of darkness, holding Eraqus� keyblade.