Ephemera Is and Is Not the Hooded Man.(Big Theory)

[The 13th Kenpachi 4,279]

This is a crazy speculation with some evidence to support it. It'd be cool if this happened. Spoilers for Unchained Chi and Chi.

 

 

In the trailer we see Ephemera expressing interest in the book of prophecy, asking Ava to tell him about it. So that tells us he's interested in the book.

 

Silver hair is a trait of both Riku and of Xehanort. Both KH1 Riku and Young Xehanort are extremely curious people, they both want to see the outside the world and learn more about what's going on around them. Rather than being stuck in one place.

 

Similarly, as Ephemera is interested in the book of prophecy we could say he wants to learn more about what's going on around him. With all this controversy surrounding the foretellers. He seeks answers.

 

As a small detail, of course we'd need to see the foretellers in that portion of the trailer otherwise it would be pointless since they are the main characters in this movie. But the only other canon characters we see are Ephemera and the hooded man. Why not also show off Skuld? I'm probably wrong about this, but it could be displaying a connection between them both.

 

People with silver hair in Kingdom Hearts are usually devious and cunning.

 

We know Ephemera is a dandelion, therefore he survives beyond the keyblade war in the realm of sleep, as well as his potential love interest or close friend-Skuld. In my theory, the Foretellers have all disappeared when he gets back to the realm of light, he can take the books for himself right?

 

Unless........... the foretellers have destroyed the copies so that no one can alter history. This explains why no one in the present timeline has spoken of the books or has one.

 

So, Ephemera goes to a different world, perhaps Destiny Islands about 5-9 years after the War, he then conducts research into a place called 'Kingdom Hearts'. He's tired of things being kept secret from him and desires to learn even more about the world.

 

He despises how the war took so many of his friends lives and tries to find a way to prevent it using the book of prophecies. Unfortunately all the books are gone..

 

One day, a mysterious man turns up and gives Ephemera the ability to time travel. Exactly how Ansem Seeker of Darkness gave Young Xehanort the power to time travel.

 

Ephemera goes back to the time that Back Cover occurred using the black cloak to disguise is identity. He leaves his pregnant wife to be-Skuld who then has a child. The child goes on to pass their genes down for years and years on destiny islands. Eventually a child named Xehanort is born (This doesn't happen for a LONG time after Eph leaves).

 

Here's the kicker

 

We know that to go back in time you've got to leave your body behind, so you're basically walking around as floating heart. But how would he be able to move his arms around when in front of the Unicornis foreteller?

 

He uses the 6th foreteller as his vessel.

 

We've seen before that Ansem Seeker of Darkness used Riku as his vessel, therefore allowing his own body to be restored again.

 

After not recieving a book of prophecy, the 6th becomes full of anger and hatred, thus an easy pawn for manipulation in Ephemera's eyes....

 

Ephemera uses him as a vessel, he begins removing the pages from the books of prophecies to make it look like there is no war or conflict between the foretellers. He thinks that this will stop the war from happening but it just places doubt in their own minds.

 

Ephemera accidentally triggered the keyblade war, he meant to alter history for the better but instead made it worse. Upon discovering that he himself is causing the Keyblade War, Ephemera feels exreme sorrow, regret and anger at himself and at the 6th foreteller who's heart he harbours.

 

'Accidentally'

We've seen in the past that when a beings made up of 2 seperate people often struggle for supremacy. Such as Ansem SOD and Riku, as well as Terra and Master Xehanort.

 

The 6th foreteller's heart within Ephemera acted as a fake ally. Since Ephemera knew that the 6th knew a lot about the foretellers and the books, he let him take control of his body at certain moments because he thinks that will help the Foretellers. The 6th Foreteller eventually takes over, since Ephemera's heart is inside the 6th's body, the 6th uses Ephemera's heart to mould his body into Ephemera's body.

 

He now goes around manipulating the Foretellers.

 

But why would the 6th cause the keyblade war?

 

1. Extreme anger towards the other foretellers.

2.Ephemera's intentions were good, but the 6th foreteller had far different intentions. He couldn't allow Ephemera's plans to suceed as they would interfere with his own.

3.I said before that Ephemera used the 6th as his vessel. But in reality, things have been the other way around. Without Ephemera's body as a tool,the 6th foreteller would find it difficult to manipulate the the foretellers as they could probably sense it was him. Using Ephemera, it would be a more difficult task.

 

The 6th desires the keyblade war to occur for one reason

'Kingdom Hearts'.

In the series, we've seen that many people share similar intentions and are connected to each other. Ventus in some ways is a past version of Sora, and Terra is a past version of Riku in certain ways. They share traits and personalities.

 

Xehanort shares traits of the 6th. The 6th desired the Keyblade war to happen so that he could create the X-Blade and rewrite the course of history. He dislikes the ways of the Foretellers and how they control others using their authority.

 

So,the Keyblade War occurs but the plan to create the X-Blade fails completely due to the lack of pure light and pure darkness. The 6th foreteller banishes 4 of the foretellers to the realm of darkness whilst Unicornis escapes to Twilight Town (Thus explaining the unicorns in the mansion).

 

The rest of the war plays out whilst the 6th flees and witnesses the giant destruction of the universe that the original Keyblade War supposedly caused. The worlds separate and the 6th Foreteller travels from place to place using corridors of darkness, trying to learn more about Kingdom Hearts and all that stuff. Now that the foretellers are out of the way, he can put his plan into motion, but not before stopping at a small island called

 

 

'Destiny Islands'

where he meets a young adult named Ephemera. He gives the boy the ability to go back in time and thus triggers the events you just read about.

 

 

 

However, like I said before, the Foretellers decide to destroy the books (before the war happens) so that no one can use them. If the 6th outright took one by force before they destroyed them, he'd be killed since the Foretellers are probably more powerful than he is. If he did this, they would easily discover his plan and stop fighting each other. He'd be blowing his own 'Back Cover'

 

 

 

 

 

The 6th foreteller survives on over the years and begins moving from vessel to vessel. Fast forward and he decides it's time to put the plan in motion again. He's running out of vessels and his heart is getting weaker since it has to adjust inside all these different bodies and because it's been around for so damn long.

 

He finds 2 new students, Xehanort and Eraqus. Now, here's what links him to their 'master'

 

Eraqus says that the war is the master's favourite story.

Young Xehanort says

"On that land shall darkness prevail and light expire"

 

^Exactly what the hooded man said in the trailer. Perhaps it was a common saying he used around his student.

 

And of course, the goat/ram keyblade is a will passed down. Xehanort's actions are also a will passed down, although Xehanort is doing this out of his own accord and own interests. He is also doing to it as an ode to his master, the man who pushed him along this path. But why would the 6th foreteller want Xehanort to do this when the 6th knows that he himself won't be around to see it?

 

One of the seekers is either the 6th Foreteller that YX collected or the 6th Foreteller is using Xehanort as a vessel. The 6th would use Kingdom Hearts' power to change the universe, thus he wouldn't have to return to his own time.

 

The conflicts in Back Cover aren't present in the book because they were never meant to happen. It was only because of time travelling Ephemera that the war happened.

 

 

I'm impressed with myself, this took me like 2 hours to write . It's pure speculation but it seems pretty interesting.

Edited June 11, 2016 by Shinobi Palace

[Robbie the Wise 5,050]

Yeah too bad that Ephemera is already in the Unchained world. How can he be in two places at once.

Edited June 11, 2016 by Robbie the Wise

[The 13th Kenpachi 4,279]

Yeah too bad that Ephemera is already in the Unchained world. How can he be in two places at once.

I literally just said that after he left the Unchained world he time travelled. 

[Way2Dawn 80]

Yeah too bad that Ephemera is already in the Unchained world. How can he be in two places at once.

 

same can be said for MX and Young MX, but they've proven it to be possible

[MasterLorX 43]

it's a cool theory but it is in contradiction with the current DDD time travel rules, in fact in KH you can't change the past events (hopefully) when time-travelling

[Robbie the Wise 5,050]

I literally just said that after he left the Unchained world he time travelled. 

 We don't even know what happened to the dandelions beyond the Keyblade War. Even further once unless you have the ability to open gates to escape the Realm of Sleep, how would one even get out of the Unchained world. Also some random guy giving Ephemera the ability to time travel seems like a huge stretch. Plus only Keyblade Masters have the ability to transfer there heart into someone else's.

 

 

same can be said for MX and Young MX, but they've proven it to be possible

That's pretty different there were special circumstances that allowed that to happen. They had to jump through hoops to gather all thirteen versions of Xehanort in one place, even then an Inbetween world was the only place capable of housing all thirteen at once.

[The 13th Kenpachi 4,279]

it's a cool theory but it is in contradiction with the current DDD time travel rules, in fact in KH you can't change the past events (hopefully) when time-travelling

I realised that whilst writing the theory, but Ephemera is already setting in motion what's meant to happen. But all theories are flawed and it sounds cool regardless. Nomura is mr retcon afterall.

 

We don't even know what happened to the dandelions beyond the Keyblade War. Even further once unless you have the ability to open gates to escape the Realm of Sleep, how would one even get out of the Unchained world. Also some random guy giving Ephemera the ability to time travel seems like a huge stretch. Plus only Keyblade Masters have the ability to transfer there heart into someone else's.

 

 

That's pretty different there were special circumstances that allowed that to happen. They had to jump through hoops to gather all thirteen versions of Xehanort in one place, even then an Inbetween world was the only place capable of housing all thirteen at once.

Some random guy?  I said it was the 6th foreteller... The dandelions were meant to escape the realm? They realm of sleep was just a safe spot until the war ended, so they clearly got out otherwise there would be no existing keyblade masters to pass on their wills and keyblades...................... Ava intended for them to leave once the war ended.

 

 I said that Ephemera took over the 6th foreteller as a vessel in the same way Ansem SOD did to Riku........  

[Way2Dawn 80]

 

That's pretty different there were special circumstances that allowed that to happen. They had to jump through hoops to gather all thirteen versions of Xehanort in one place, even then an Inbetween world was the only place capable of housing all thirteen at once.

 

Thats true, The World That Never Was is indeed a special world according to Nomura, but there are still many rules to time travel.  A world such as The World That Never Was may be the type of world necessary to hold so many copies of Xehanort in one place, but that could be because of the large number.  Having two in one place may be much easier in any run of the mill world, or a world that could be special such as Daybreak Town or Destiny Islands.  

Here's another example.  The Hooded Figure when he went back to pass along the power to YX.  Technically, he was just a heart, but it stands to reason that he could have used a body as a vessel as well, however this is only speculation since he didn't use a vessel, but either way, there were technically 2 Xehanorts existing in the same place

it's a cool theory but it is in contradiction with the current DDD time travel rules, in fact in KH you can't change the past events (hopefully) when time-travelling

 

I kind of got the feeling in this theory that Ephemera still isn't changing the past, just setting in motion what was already destined to happen, he only thinks hes changing the past.  Unless I missed something, which is highly possible  :biggrin:

[The 13th Kenpachi 4,279]

Thats true, The World That Never Was is indeed a special world according to Nomura, but there are still many rules to time travel.  A world such as The World That Never Was may be the type of world necessary to hold so many copies of Xehanort in one place, but that could be because of the large number.  Having two in one place may be much easier in any run of the mill world, or a world that could be special such as Daybreak Town or Destiny Islands.  

Here's another example.  The Hooded Figure when he went back to pass along the power to YX.  Technically, he was just a heart, but it stands to reason that he could have used a body as a vessel as well, however this is only speculation since he didn't use a vessel, but either way, there were technically 2 Xehanorts existing in the same place

 

I kind of got the feeling in this theory that Ephemera still isn't changing the past, just setting in motion what was already destined to happen, he only thinks hes changing the past.  Unless I missed something, which is highly possible  :biggrin:

 

Thats true, The World That Never Was is indeed a special world according to Nomura, but there are still many rules to time travel.  A world such as The World That Never Was may be the type of world necessary to hold so many copies of Xehanort in one place, but that could be because of the large number.  Having two in one place may be much easier in any run of the mill world, or a world that could be special such as Daybreak Town or Destiny Islands.  

Here's another example.  The Hooded Figure when he went back to pass along the power to YX.  Technically, he was just a heart, but it stands to reason that he could have used a body as a vessel as well, however this is only speculation since he didn't use a vessel, but either way, there were technically 2 Xehanorts existing in the same place

 

I kind of got the feeling in this theory that Ephemera still isn't changing the past, just setting in motion what was already destined to happen, he only thinks hes changing the past.  Unless I missed something, which is highly possible  :biggrin:

Yep spot on.

[Robbie the Wise 5,050]

I realised that whilst writing the theory, I couldn't think of a way out of that one . But all theories are flawed and it sounds cool regardless. Nomura is mr retcon afterall.

 

Some random guy? If you read the OP I said it was the 6th foreteller... The dandelions were meant to escape the realm? They realm of sleep was just a safe spot until the war ended, so they clearly got out otherwise there would be no existing keyblade masters to pass on their wills and keyblades...................... Ava intended for them to leave once the war ended.

 

What are you talking about? I said that Ephemera took over the 6th foreteller as a vessel in the same way Ansem SOD did to Riku........  You clearly read half the post and then started typing instead of reading it through properly.

 I missed the part about the guy being the sixth apprentice, so I apologize for that part. But that still seems like a huge stretch considering it doesn't look like any of the participating parties survived and were lost to darkness. At the very least Xehanort and Eraqus have stated that the masters that participated and started the war were lost. We also have very little information on him(We've only seen him once in Chi), it doesn't seem like enough to get a feel for his motivations and actions.

 

As for the Dandelions I still have some reservations, a lot of them were not even Keyblade Masters when they were chosen by Ava. Ephemera wasn't, Skuld wasn't, and the Player certainly wasn't. The only thing that differentiated them was their strong light that was resistant to darkness. Considering the aftermath of the Keyblade War was complete darkness, it makes more sense the Dandelions remade the world from the Realm of Sleep. After all that was why Ava sent them there in the first place. It was their light that was used to remake the world, so if the new structure was made in their image, there still could be a next generation of wielders. Plus we don't even know if by using their light to remake the world, that the dandelions themselves were lost. Especially because after the world was remade the Princesses of Hearts became the only source of light in the world.

 

 

Ansem was a self aware Heartless. We know from Sora and Xehanort, Heartless only retain their self awareness when they willingly turn themselves into Heartless. I don't think it works if someone else were to do it as you're implying. So I still find flaw in this method considering Ephemera's heart would have just become a regular Heartless had it been released. 

Edited June 11, 2016 by Robbie the Wise

[The 13th Kenpachi 4,279]

 I missed the part about the guy being the sixth apprentice, so I apologize for that part. But that still seems like a huge stretch considering it doesn't look like any of the participating parties survived and were lost to darkness. At the very least Xehanort and Eraqus that the masters that participated and started the war were lost. We also have very little information on him(We've only seen him once in Chi), it doesn't seem like enough to get a feel for his motivations and actions.

 

As for the Dandelions I still have some reservations, a lot of them were not even Keyblade Masters when they were chosen by Ava. Ephemera wasn't, Skuld wasn't, and the Player certainly wasn't. The only thing that differentiated them was their strong light that was resistant to darkness. Considering the aftermath of the Keyblade War was complete darkness, it makes more sense the Dandelions remade the world from the Realm of Sleep. After all that was why Ava sent them there in the first place. It was their light that was used to remake the world, so if the new structure was made in their image, there still could be a next generation of wielders. Plus we don't even know if by using their light to remake the world, that the dandelions themselves were lost. Especially because after the world was remade the Princesses of Hearts became the only source of light in the world.

 

 

Ansem was a self aware Heartless. We know from Sora and Xehanort, Heartless only retain their self awareness when they willingly turn themselves into Heartless. I don't think it works if someone else were to do it as you're implying. So I still find flaw in this method considering Ephemera's heart would have just become a regular Heartless had it been released. 

It's okay . Ephemera couldn't become a heartless since he didn't lose his heart to darkness.

Edited June 11, 2016 by Shinobi Palace

[MasterLorX 43]

 

I kind of got the feeling in this theory that Ephemera still isn't changing the past, just setting in motion what was already destined to happen, he only thinks hes changing the past.  Unless I missed something, which is highly possible  :biggrin:

going back in the past to change it is not something destined to happen, the KH time travel works like this: let's imagine I go back in the 1930s and manage to prevent WW2 from happening, when I return to the present every action I made is ereased and I find out WW2 actually happened, in the same way it did before my time-travel

 

basically in KH you can't change the past because your actions in the past are temporary and get ereased when you're back in the present

[The 13th Kenpachi 4,279]

going back in the past to change it is not something destined to happen, the KH time travel works like this: let's imagine I go back in the 1930s and manage to prevent WW2 from happening, when I return to the present every action I made is ereased and I find out WW2 actually happened, in the same way it did before my time-travel

 

basically in KH you can't change the past because your actions in the past are temporary and get ereased when you're back in the present

With my theory, I believe that Ephemera was destined to do what he did. Exactly like how Ansem SOD was destined to discard his body, go back in time to destiny islands and give YX the ability to time travel.

[Robbie the Wise 5,050]

It's okay . Ephemera couldn't become a heartless since he didn't lose his heart to darkness.

Yeah but if his heart was released by the sixth apprentice it would. Xehanort did the same thing to the apprentices and they all turned to Heartless. Sora did the same thing to himself and became a Heartless. Sure Ephemera has a strong resistant to darkness,but he still has darkness just like everyone else. Once his heart is released nature takes it's course and that heart would become a Heartless. Hell, I think it would make more sense for the sixth apprentice to cut out the middle man and just travel back himself.

[MasterLorX 43]

With my theory, I believe that Ephemera was destined to do what he did. Exactly like how Ansem SOD was destined to discard his body, go back in time to destiny islands and give YX the ability to time travel.

there's a big difference: Ansem plan was to gather 13 darknesses by the time of DDD , he didn't change the past in fact from YX point of view he(YX) never time-travelled but remained on the island and some time later met Eraqus

[Robbie the Wise 5,050]

With my theory, I believe that Ephemera was destined to do what he did. Exactly like how Ansem SOD was destined to discard his body, go back in time to destiny islands and give YX the ability to time travel.

That's more manufactured then destiny,not to mention it's a huge plot hole. Ansem's actions were a contingency in case their other plans didn't work out. Xehanort in one form or another has made many attempts to obtain Kingdom Hearts. The current events were not always the original plan. The only reason it works out that way because MX manufactured a causality loop. Is that really destiny. If anything thing fate keeps resisting Xehanort's efforts considering how many unexpected events keep thwarting his plans, Sora at the top of that list.

[Way2Dawn 80]

going back in the past to change it is not something destined to happen, the KH time travel works like this: let's imagine I go back in the 1930s and manage to prevent WW2 from happening, when I return to the present every action I made is ereased and I find out WW2 actually happened, in the same way it did before my time-travel

 

basically in KH you can't change the past because your actions in the past are temporary and get ereased when you're back in the present

 

I dont think that your actions get erased when you make your way back to your present, its only your memory of the events that erased, because then there would be no point in time travel.  When its said, in this theory in particular, that Ephemera is destined to go back in time to rip the last pages out of the book of prophecies, it was what was meant to happen all along and nothing is actually changing.  Ephemera himself thinks he is changing the past but in reality he isnt changing anything, because everything that has happened is in some way fated to happen.  If you go back in time to try and to prevent WWII, any effort you took would fail and WWII would happen regardless.  You would think you are changing or making an effort to change past events but arriving at that time always fell along that timeline.

Sorry if this sounds confusing.  Even I had to read it a few times to make sure it made sense myself haha

[MasterLorX 43]

I dont think that your actions get erased when you make your way back to your present, its only your memory of the events that erased, because then there would be no point in time travel. When its said, in this theory in particular, that Ephemera is destined to go back in time to rip the last pages out of the book of prophecies, it was what was meant to happen all along and nothing is actually changing. Ephemera himself thinks he is changing the past but in reality he isnt changing anything, because everything that has happened is in some way fated to happen. If you go back in time to try and to prevent WWII, any effort you took would fail and WWII would happen regardless. You would think you are changing or making an effort to change past events but arriving at that time always fell along that timeline.Sorry if this sounds confusing. Even I had to read it a few times to make sure it made sense myself haha

we have different interpretations of time-travelling, however I admit yours is overall good BUT I don't like the fact that you accept the possibility of time loop-Paradox: if you say Ephemera is destined to go in the past, this means that when he was a kid there was another Ephemera (coming from a parallel future?) that had travelled back in time, and when this 2nd Ephemera was a kid there was a 3rd Ephemera from the future and so on, personally I don't like this type of time travellinginstead in my opinion time travelling should avoid this situation and shouldn't allow to change anything of the past (to me even the simple presence of someone in the past is changing it)that's why I think it is better to assume your actions in the past get ereased. BUT I'm not saying time-travelling is useless, you can go in the past and even if after your return in the present your actions get ereased your memories does not(but only if you go in the past, if you go in the future then you'll remember nothing) and furthermore you are allowed to bring people from the past in the present (Ansem and Xemnas in DDD are proof of this). As if this isn't strange enough I also think that a time-traveller can only go in the past and not in the future (since the future doesn't exist yet), BUT if you are a person in the past and someone from the future gives you time travel powers (YX case) you are allowed to go in the future but only until the point in time when the other person time travelled backwards to meet you (basically you're not going in the future but in the other guy's present)I know this sounds reeeally confusing but I still think it's the only way to prevent Paradoxes and time loops Edited June 11, 2016 by MasterLorX

[Way2Dawn 80]

we have different interpretations of time-travelling, however I admit yours is overall good BUT I don't like the fact that you accept the possibility of time loop-Paradox: if you say Ephemera is destined to go in the past, this means that when he was a kid there was another Ephemera (coming from a parallel future?) that had travelled back in time, and when this 2nd Ephemera was a kid there was a 3rd Ephemera from the future and so on, personally I don't like this type of time travellinginstead in my opinion time travelling should avoid this situation and shouldn't allow to change anything of the past (to me even the simple presence of someone in the past is changing it)that's why I think it is better to assume your actions in the past get ereased. BUT I'm not saying time-travelling is useless, you can go in the past and even if after your return in the present your actions get ereased your memories does not(but only if you went in the past, if you go in the future then you'll remember nothing) and furthermore you are allowed to bring people from the past in the present (Ansem and Xemnas in DDD are proof of this). As if this isn't strange enough I also think that a time-traveller can only go in the past and not in the future (since the future doesn't exist yet), BUT if you are a person in the past and someone from the future gives you time travel powers (YX case) you are allowed to go in the future but only until the point in time when the other person time travelled backwards to meet you (basically you're not going in the future but in the other guy's present)I know this sounds reeeally confusing but I still think it's the only way to prevent Paradoxes and time loops

 

I totally understand your point, its important to not create a paradox or some sort of infinite loop, but the only thing I'm not quite following is the fact that the events are erased when you report back to your own time.  Wouldn't that mean that Young Xehanort would have never been given time travel powers since that event would be erased once Xehanorts heart returned back to its original time?  

 

Or I may be way off base with this and for that I apologize, I just like to understand all perspectives.

[MasterLorX 43]

I totally understand your point, its important to not create a paradox or some sort of infinite loop, but the only thing I'm not quite following is the fact that the events are erased when you report back to your own time.  Wouldn't that mean that Young Xehanort would have never been given time travel powers since that event would be erased once Xehanorts heart returned back to its original time?   Or I may be way off base with this and for that I apologize, I just like to understand all perspectives.

ahaha I were sure you'd ask about thisIn my opinion when the events get ereased it only happens from the perspective of the past, this means of course that from YX point of view he never met Ansem SoD (and this is good since I don't like changing in the past), but from the perspective of the present the actions don't get ereased, this means that from Ansem point of view he met YX, and from the point of view of ,let's say, Sora or Riku YX was in the present (at the time of DDD).If you really wanna get to the core of this, actually there's no way to prefer this explanation rather than your objection (about Ansem SoD never giving powers to YX because that action got erased)but as the creator of this interpretation I like to think that time travel works the way I said, at least I proved what I said it is at least possible...

[Ventus-Skuld-Ephemera4Ever 3]

Unless........... the foretellers have destroyed the copies so that no one can alter history. This explains why no one in the present timeline has spoken of the books or has one.

 

Nope! Maleficent speak about the book in the secret ending of Re:Coded  !