Why does Vanitas look like Sora?

[Nana Marfo 42]

Can someone please tell me why? This is the only thing that baffles me about this series at this point.

[Elfdemon_ 695]

After Xehanort extracted the darkness half of Ventus' heart to create Vanitas, Ventus' heart was fractured, so Xehanort left Ventus on Xehanort's boyhood home, Destiny Islands, to spend his last moments. But, Sora, a newborn baby at this point, unknowingly connected hearts with Ventus and helped mend Ventus' fractured heart. This connection caused Vanitas to take on the appearance of Sora. Since Vanitas is a part of Ventus and Ventus made that connection with Sora, Vanitas took on the appearance of Sora. When Vanitas was created, he was a faceless being. He grew a face due to the connection with Sora.

[corfidbizna 53]

Elfdemon_'s statement is accurate in terms of why it happened, but if you're also curious of how:

 

There are three components to a person: heart, mind / will, and body. You need any two to exist, since the two would be able to kinda compensate for the third.

 

When Xehanort split Ventus into Ventus & Vanitas, Ven kept the body and the light half of the heart, and Vanitas kept the will and the dark half of the heart. Since 1.5 < 2, neither of them were able to adequately hold on to existence and were fading away. Enter Sora, who connected his heart to Ven's and consequently Vanitas' also.

 

Ventus, who was missing a 'will,' got a template for a will from Sora, which is why he acts like Sora. If you consider Ven a four-year-old in a teenager's body (since that's effectively what he is), some of his behavior makes more sense. Vanitas, who was missing a 'body' (according to the novel he looked like a Neoshadow with red eyes until this point), got a template for a body from Sora, which is why he looks like Sora. However, his body is still made of Darkness like how a Heartless' is.

 

An implication of this is that Vanitas' personality is likely closer to the original Ventus' than the current Ven (albeit perhaps a little more darkness-centric).

[The Transcendent Key 12,109]

Basically how these two fellow members explained it. The reason for Vanitas looking like Sora is because of Ven's connection to Sora's heart. The fact that Sora has influence over Ven's heart is what allows Vanitas to look just like Sora! The heart shapes the vessel, and in this case, with Sora's template, Vanitas was able to form his body in due accordance!

Edited January 10, 2018 by The Transcendent Key

[Connected 978]

After Xehanort extracted the darkness half of Ventus' heart to create Vanitas, Ventus' heart was fractured, so Xehanort left Ventus on Xehanort's boyhood home, Destiny Islands, to spend his last moments. But, Sora, a newborn baby at this point, unknowingly connected hearts with Ventus and helped mend Ventus' fractured heart. This connection caused Vanitas to take on the appearance of Sora. Since Vanitas is a part of Ventus and Ventus made that connection with Sora, Vanitas took on the appearance of Sora. When Vanitas was created, he was a faceless being. He grew a face due to the connection with Sora.

So Vanitas was created after Ven and Sora's heart melted?

[Elfdemon_ 695]

So Vanitas was created after Ven and Sora's heart melted?

No, he was created when Xehanort ripped out the darkness half of Ventus' heart. Vanitas is the darkness half of Ven's heart and Ven is the light half. Vanitas grew a face when Ven and Sora's hearts connected.

[Ventus_ 396]

So Vanitas was created after Ven and Sora's heart melted?

 

No Vanitas came into being as soon as the darkness in Ven's heart was extracted.

 

Basically, what the above posters are saying is that because Vanitas is still connected to Ven's heart (illustrated by the fact that Ven had destroyed himself in destroying Vanitas), he as well was affected by Sora's interception much the same as Roxas. 

Edited January 16, 2018 by Ventus_

[Connected 978]

No Vanitas came into being as soon as the darkness in Ven's heart was extracted.

 

Basically, what the above posters are saying is that because Vanitas is still connected to Ven's heart (illustrated by the fact that Ven had destroyed himself in destroying Vanitas), he as well was affected by Sora's interception much the same as Roxas. 

So he was faceless when he was born? Just the mask?

[Master Keeper 687]

Can someone please tell me why? This is the only thing that baffles me about this series at this point.

 

 

So he was faceless when he was born? Just the mask?

 

 

Simple timeline steps: 

 

​In Keyblade Graveyard

- Master Xehanort wanted a pure heart of darkness

​- He extracted the dark part of Ventus's heart, which was Vanitas

- Vanitas got separated from Ventus

​- Masked Vanitas had no face by that time, thus the mask obviously "duh :p" 

 

In Destiny Islands

​- Master Xehanort took Ventus to the island

- Ventus's heart was broken and damaged

- Sora was born

- Sora's heart touched Ventus's

​- Sora's heart completed Ventus's heart

​- Ventus recovered and became connected to Sora

- Since Ventus is connected to Vanitas

- Then the futuristic shape of Sora formed Vanitas under the mask

- Vanitas looked like Sora by time

 

​(Something similar to how Xion was faceless until she took a similar look of Kairi)