So,why does Lea\Axel need a keyblade again?

[Dio Brando 5,810]

DISCLAIMER:This thread reflects only the opinion of it's own writer,It's not an objective critique on what you should like or dislike so if you saw me criticising something that you happened to like I hope you don't feel offended and I hope you keep on enjoying what you like regardless of what I say.And most important of all I hope we keep a decent level of respect toward each other regardless of disagreements

 

 

 

 

I've been asking myself this question since 2012 the first time I finished the game............why does LeaAxel need to get a keyblade?

 

Like ok I get that they need to fill the empty spots of the "7 Warriors of Light" but you could've picked up anyone else and let LeaAxel be his own unique thing

 

Why do we need to shove keyblades on everyone to make them relevant to the plot?LeaAxel's role in the story has already been completely fine ever since we first got introduced to Axel in Chain of Memories,he serves an important purpose and his unique fighting style with the chakrams was badass and cool enough on it's own merit..............so why do we need to give him a keyblade?Especially with someone who's supposed to be of the ASSASSIN'S class of fighters but we're giving him a blunt weapon....firetrucking whatever

 

Let's strip our other characters from what was unique to them and give them the keyblade badge of plot approval otherwise we have no use for them in the final battle even though LeaAxel proved to be more than keyblade of going one vs onemano e mano against other keyblade wielders with just his own weapon of choice

 

Even if it's for the purpose of adding things to the plot,that doesn't make it a good choice in my opinion and it further strips more magic out of the Kingdom Hearts series than what had already been stripped of it

 

It's like playing Final Fantasy I or Final Fantasy V and doing a warrior only playthrough where all your characters can only wield swords

 

And soon enough just like Lea everyone else will lose their weapons to get their keyblade,Xigbar won't have his sniper laser guns,SaixIsa won't have his claymore because Mr Baldy McFingerWiggleDarkness demands that all of his Organization XIII members have keyblades cuz 7 lights and 13 darknesses

 

Next thing SquallLeon will get his own keyblade too instead of his iconic Gunblade,yes I know the concept of the Gunblade is kinda stupid but at least it was unique to SquallLeon (I know Seifer has one in FF8 but that's not the point) or maybe Tifa will ditch her Monk fighting style of melee combat for a Keyblade and who knows maybe Cloud and Sepiroth will ditch their Buster Sword and Masamune sword so they can get their own keyblades too

 

 

KEYBLADES FOR EVERYONE

 

[JTD95 1,107]

He got a Keyblade because he's popular. He was supposed to die in CoM but came back in KH2 because he was popular among the fans. I don't agree with this though. Dude never should have gotten a Keyblade.

[Awesome Sauce 634]

Fanservice, I guess? I don't know, that could be the same as almost everyone being brought back in DDD.

 

Also, calm down, not EVERY single character- Disney, FF or otherwise is going to have a Keyblade just 'cause.

[Kalebninja 188]

Well in the war they're fighting keyblades are whats needed, if he helps them fight the seekers of darkness he needs a keyblade to be effective, say he fights ansem chakrams arent going to do any good against him. Also it's likely he's the seventh (the other six would be Aqua,Ven,Sora,Riku,Mickey and Kairi) since it's not a guarantee they will get Terra back since his body is inhabited by xehanort

[KeybladeLordCheeseCurd 1,542]

He needs a keyblade to get Roxas and Xion[even though he doesn't exactly remember her] back. Can't do that with just chakrams

[Felixx 6,646]

I don't get why this topic bothers so many people. Who cares if he has a Keyblade or not? He's still an awesome character, if he fights with his chakrams or with a Keyblade.

The only difference is that with a Keyblade he's way more important to the plot, which is a good thing considering how unique a character he is.

(And I guess Lea really wanted to have one, or he wouldn't have worked that hard to get it.)

[Dio Brando 5,810]

Fanservice, I guess? I don't know, that could be the same as almost everyone being brought back in DDD.

 

Also, calm down, not EVERY single character- Disney, FF or otherwise is going to have a Keyblade just 'cause.

The Keyblade is like the saiyans in DBZ,where unless you're one,you do not matter to the plot

 

That's why you never see FF characters being as involved as they were in KH1 and 2 and nowadays only Moogles are here

 

Well in the war they're fighting keyblades are whats needed, if he helps them fight the seekers of darkness he needs a keyblade to be effective, say he fights ansem chakrams arent going to do any good against him. Also it's likely he's the seventh (the other six would be Aqua,Ven,Sora,Riku,Mickey and Kairi) since it's not a guarantee they will get Terra back since his body is inhabited by xehanort

He never really needed one before and giving him one now won't help cuz we know that Sora is destined to save the dormant souls like Roxas,Xion.....etc

 

I don't get why this topic bothers so many people. Who cares if he has a Keyblade or not? He's still an awesome character, if he fights with his chakrams or with a Keyblade.The only difference is that with a Keyblade he's way more important to the plot, which is a good thing considering how unique a character he is.(And I guess Lea really wanted to have one, or he wouldn't have worked that hard to get it.)

He was unique before he got one in fact giving him one made him less unique cuz now he'll fight the same exact way as any other keyblade wielder

 

Why do a character need to have a keyblade to be important?He can be important by doing his own thing not be copying what everyone does and that can be done with careful competent writing

[Tails 6,690]

*Waits for Flaming Lea to comment due to the fact that this thread talks about her favorite character*

Edited July 18, 2016 by Tails

[Aqua7KH 5,395]

I don't get why this topic bothers so many people. Who cares if he has a Keyblade or not? He's still an awesome character, if he fights with his chakrams or with a Keyblade. The only difference is that with a Keyblade he's way more important to the plot, which is a good thing considering how unique a character he is.(And I guess Lea really wanted to have one, or he wouldn't have worked that hard to get it.)

I think the point is that Axel having a Keyblade is unnecessary. He really doesn't need one. The chakrams are his signature weapon. He's so badass, he doesn't need a Keyblade.It's like taking away Ash's Pikachu and giving him an Eevee

[Felixx 6,646]

The Keyblade is like the saiyans in DBZ,where unless you're one,you do not matter to the plot That's why you never see FF characters being as involved as they were in KH1 and 2 and nowadays only Moogles are here He never really needed one before and giving him one now won't help cuz we know that Sora is destined to save the dormant souls like Roxas,Xion.....etc He was unique before he got one in fact giving him one made him less unique cuz now he'll fight the same exact way as any other keyblade wielder Why do a character need to have a keyblade to be important?He can be important by doing his own thing not be copying what everyone does and that can be done with careful competent writing

I never said he became unique by getting a Keyblade. I said he became more important. And it's not true that every Keyblade Wielder has the same fighting style, they're all different.And KH3 is about the Keyblade War, or Xehanorts plan to create a new one. Having a Keyblade makes you automatically important then. Not saying you need one to be, but let's be honest: the most important characters are all Keyblade Wielders.

[Isamu Kuno 2,512]

From and intervierview with Nomura

• Lea (Axel) ended up playing an unexpected role. I was wondering what was running through your mind when you thought to make him a Keyblade wielder.

I figured since he had returned to being human, he wouldn’t have much luck bringing back the people he wanted without some sort of power. Throwing his chakrams doesn’t really count. (Laughs)

That and they're kind of low on GoL so Lea needs to fill in for Terra until they get him back.

Edited July 18, 2016 by Isamu_Kuno

[Isaix 924]

Remember when Riku said in KH1 that there could only be one Keyblade master,a lot has change since then in Nomura's head I guess . I'm pretty much indifferent to all this,I don't mind to see him with a keyblade but I also liked the chakrams,its a very unique weapon that you don't see very often,I don't believe I've seen one outside of Kingdom Hearts so it was cool to see in action.

[Robbie the Wise 5,050]

I think there are more reasons why he needs one then reasons why he doesn't. People are just hung up on the idea that the Keyblade is some super rare weapon that only few people can have but this has never been the case. It's always been explained that there has been many wielders. By the end of the first game we already had 2 main wielders.

[VisitJoan 2,713]

He needed to travel between worlds and couldn't risk using the Cordors of Darkness any more. Plain and simple. It was either that or a gumi ship.

[Dave 5,715]

I honestly feel he deserves to have one over the TAV trio. Axel/Lea's character arc of becoming a better person lets us see that he has developed a strong heart, with a satisfying and well developed growth from becoming a purely selfish person to someone almost totally selfless, willing to lose it all if it means helping out someone. As far as meeting the qualifications laid out, he certainly meets it. 

[Shimmy 458]

Fanservice + Isa vs Lea keyblade showdown + A start of a character arc that can lead to more development. Also his development that has already happened fits within the keyblade lore that people with strong hearts get keyblades. Lea has become a better person and it's nice to have physical representation of his growth via the keyblade. 

 

I think the main reason for the keyblade is because it has a /dramatic flair/ to it and Lea has become a major character by now so he's pretty much confirmed to take part of the Keyblade War™. Personally I think people get too caught up in the value of a keyblade and should just enjoy the video game characters fighting each other with the giant keys lol

[The Transcendent Key 12,109]

I wasn't bothered by the fact that Lea became a Keyblade Wielder, but I was wondering what would happen to his chakrams!  But with Keyblade Transformations, that's something that resolves it, since he can make flashy combos where he starts slashing with his Keyblade and then transforms them into his signature chakrams and then deals an awesome blast of infernal fire to add flair to his already stylish attacks, ya know?

 

But storywise, I think Lea's got more than enough reason to have a Keyblade, since he's proven he has a strong heart, and he cares deeply for his friends enough to get himself into the thick of trouble to save them, ya know?  I'm looking forward to seeing how his character develops now that he has a Keyblade!

 

I think there are more reasons why he needs one then reasons why he doesn't. People are just hung up on the idea that the Keyblade is some super rare weapon that only few people can have but this has never been the case. It's always been explained that there has been many wielders. By the end of the first game we already had 2 main wielders.

 

Also, this!  If there's something we can take away from the series, mainly Birth By Sleep, it's the fact that there were thousands, if not millions of Keyblade Wielders in the age of Fairy Tales, so having just 9 or 10 wielders in the present day shouldn't be too big of a deal, am I right?

Edited July 18, 2016 by The Transcendent Key

[Dio Brando 5,810]

I never said he became unique by getting a Keyblade. I said he became more important. And it's not true that every Keyblade Wielder has the same fighting style, they're all different.And KH3 is about the Keyblade War, or Xehanorts plan to create a new one. Having a Keyblade makes you automatically important then. Not saying you need one to be, but let's be honest: the most important characters are all Keyblade Wielders.

But then again,why he in particular needed a Keyblade?

 

Evene if it's the keyblade war you already have enough big of a roster to pick up a wielder from instead of taking someone who had a unique fighting style and make him into a keyblade wielder

 

It's why I said Keyblade is like the saiyans,no one is important unless they're one but why does that need to be the case

 

A character can be important in their own unique way,AxelLea can do a lot more than just swinging a blunt weapon around and even without a keyblade he can be a ton of help

 

So really the only reason he got a keyblade is purely for fanservice because he's a fan favorite,pure and simple

 

I honestly feel he deserves to have one over the TAV trio. Axel/Lea's character arc of becoming a better person lets us see that he has developed a strong heart, with a satisfying and well developed growth from becoming a purely selfish person to someone almost totally selfless, willing to lose it all if it means helping out someone. As far as meeting the qualifications laid out, he certainly meets it. 

But for the most part AxelLea's character arc is complete save for his ties with SaixIsa,he doesn't need a keyblade to settles this specific ordeal

 

We witnessed his development from Chain of Memories all the way up to the endgame of KH2,why does he need a keyblade as a sign of "Heeeey I got character development"

 

And tbh,the only keyblade wielder that has any legit character development is Riku,in my opinion everyone else was hugely underdeveloped especially the TAV trio where I had a hard time buying into their friendship in BBS 

I wasn't bothered by the fact that Lea became a Keyblade Wielder, but I was wondering what would happen to his chakrams!  But with Keyblade Transformations, that's something that resolves it, since he can make flashy combos where he starts slashing with his Keyblade and then transforms them into his signature chakrams and then deals an awesome blast of infernal fire to add flair to his already stylish attacks, ya know?

 

But storywise, I think Lea's got more than enough reason to have a Keyblade, since he's proven he has a strong heart, and he cares deeply for his friends enough to get himself into the thick of trouble to save them, ya know?  I'm looking forward to seeing how his character develops now that he has a Keyblade!

 

 

Also, this!  If there's something we can take away from the series, mainly Birth By Sleep, it's the fact that there were thousands, if not millions of Keyblade Wielders in the age of Fairy Tales, so having just 9 or 10 wielders in the present day shouldn't be too big of a deal, am I right?

Here is the thing,those thousands you mentioned............are dead,and only very few remained

 

Just because thousands used to have it in the past doesn't mean we have to shove it onto everyone

 

It'll be a matter of time before they hand those like candies to the likes of SquallLeon,Cloud......etc especially since those are pretty popular

[Official Bowtie Artist 90]

Didn't Lea approach Yen Sid on his own terms? From the scene, I mean. I get you're talking about "Nomura vs. Characters", but from the character's perspective, Lea himself seemed to want to get a Keyblade. It wasn't forced on him by the other characters, it wasn't just to fill a hole in a list of Yen Sid's or King Mickey's, he chose that role. 

[Robbie the Wise 5,050]

I wasn't bothered by the fact that Lea became a Keyblade Wielder, but I was wondering what would happen to his chakrams!  But with Keyblade Transformations, that's something that resolves it, since he can make flashy combos where he starts slashing with his Keyblade and then transforms them into his signature chakrams and then deals an awesome blast of infernal fire to add flair to his already stylish attacks, ya know? 6But storywise, I think Lea's got more than enough reason to have a Keyblade, since he's proven he has a strong heart, and he cares deeply for his friends enough to get himself into the thick of trouble to save them, ya know?  I'm looking forward to seeing how his character develops now that he has a Keyblade!   Also, this!  If there's something we can take away from the series, mainly Birth By Sleep, it's the fact that there were thousands, if not millions of Keyblade Wielders in the age of Fairy Tales, so having just 9 or 10 wielders in the present day shouldn't be too big of a deal, am I right?

Even before the BBS plotline it has always been presented the the Keyblade has been used many times by different wielders. The original lore around the Keyblade stated that one wielder used it's power to save the world and another used it to destroy the world. That in of itself implies that there was always going to be multiple wielders, and that there had been previously. Even the denizens of the Disney world's that knew of the Keyblade spoke of multiple wielders.

[Hero of Light XIV 2,381]

I think what the plot was indicating was that Lea might have his own motives for needing a Keyblade, aside from just helping his friends. They haven't quite made that clear yet, but I'm willing to bet that he's on a mission to somehow liberate his friends from whatever grim fates they have. Or he's looking to thwart whatever schemes Xehanort and Xigbar have, or something. I kept getting the impression that he was looking for Isa/Saix, but his dream with Roxas before he woke up kind of hinted that he might ultimately be trying to get Roxas back from the brink as well, however that would work. To that end, he probably figured that he would need the power of a Keyblade wielder to make that happen. And while it's even less directly stated, I have a hunch that he plans on saving Xion too, whether he remembers her or not. It's just speculation, but the fact that Roxas said "US" when reminding Lea/Axel of his promise leads me to believe that while he can't put a face or name to Xion, some fraction of her presence might still be present in his memories, more so now that he's regained his heart. Unfortunately he does not present enough screen time or lines to really give any indication as to what his motives might be, but that's kind of always been his character anyways, questionable wildcard to all save for his friends. In any case, even if his motives aren't clear, his intentions are, he wants to help out and any enemy of Xehanort's is a friend of his. Plus Sora has become a friend to him in his own right so it also makes sense for him to help out. As soon as we see more of Axel and learn what his stake in all of this is, his reasons for getting a Keyblade will be made all the more clear, aside from aiding in the prophesy.

[Robbie the Wise 5,050]

But then again,why he in particular needed a Keyblade?Evene if it's the keyblade war you already have enough big of a roster to pick up a wielder from instead of taking someone who had a unique fighting style and make him into a keyblade wielderIt's why I said Keyblade is like the saiyans,no one is important unless they're one but why does that need to be the caseA character can be important in their own unique way,AxelLea can do a lot more than just swinging a blunt weapon around and even without a keyblade he can be a ton of helpSo really the only reason he got a keyblade is purely for fanservice because he's a fan favorite,pure and simpleBut for the most part AxelLea's character arc is complete save for his ties with SaixIsa,he doesn't need a keyblade to settles this specific ordealWe witnessed his development from Chain of Memories all the way up to the endgame of KH2,why does he need a keyblade as a sign of "Heeeey I got character development"And tbh,the only keyblade wielder that has any legit character development is Riku,in my opinion everyone else was hugely underdeveloped especially the TAV trio where I had a hard time buying into their friendship in BBS Here is the thing,those thousands you mentioned............are dead,and only very few remainedJust because thousands used to have it in the past doesn't mean we have to shove it onto everyoneIt'll be a matter of time before they hand those like candies to the likes of SquallLeon,Cloud......etc especially since those are pretty popular

Axel/Lea's development is infinitely more satisfying then Riku's cliche arc of overcoming the darkness. Riku's character has been long overstretched into this repetitive cycle of proving he can resist the darkness. He has almost literally had the same story arc in every game after KH1. At least every time Lea gets development it isn't necessary for him to regress and develop all over again. As far as why Lea needs one, it's pretty clear. Pretty much every function that a Keyblade is capable of, is necessary to save his friends, and are things his chakrams just aren't capable of. He needs to be be able to travel between worlds, an ability the Keyblade freely supplies. He needs to help stop the growing forces of darkness, the Keyblade is a ready made weapon, built for the job. He'll eventually need to free Isa's heart from Xehanort's clutches, a Keyblade is the only weapon capable of such a feat. Comparatively the chakrams are not going to get the job done. So Lea made a decision to go through the process, and obtain the weapon that would. Edited July 18, 2016 by Robbie the Wise

[ShadowKeyblade 219]

And tbh,the only keyblade wielder that has any legit character development is Riku,in my opinion everyone else was hugely underdeveloped especially the TAV trio where I had a hard time buying into their friendship in BBS 

 

You have found my trigger. I get TAV, but come on, Roxas and Xion totally have development. And before you use the excuse that Xion was a Mary Sue (by definition this is inaccurate) and Roxas only changed at the end, consider the fact that they were blank slates in the beginning. Their development was a slow burn, but it was definitely there. Sora also developed a lot in the first game. Sorta in CoM, too, but we all know how that turned out.

 

Sorry, really had to put my 2 cents there. I've seen opinions like that before, and I can never take them fully seriously.

[Kingdomhe 1,362]

It doesn't really bother me one way or another, but what really does is his keyblade. The only thing I like about it is the tip of the sword, if you going to keep his chakrams then give him the official Bond of Flame, but if you're going to make the blade different then don't slap one of his old weapon on there, it looks lazy! The only thing that could make it slightly better is if the blade glows in KH3.

[Aqua7KH 5,395]

You have found my trigger. I get TAV, but come on, Roxas and Xion totally have development. And before you use the excuse that Xion was a Mary Sue (by definition this is inaccurate) and Roxas only changed at the end, consider the fact that they were blank slates in the beginning. Their development was a slow burn, but it was definitely there. Sora also developed a lot in the first game. Sorta in CoM, too, but we all know how that turned out.Sorry, really had to put my 2 cents there. I've seen opinions like that before, and I can never take them fully seriously.

Id like to reinforce what you said especially in regards to Roxas.Roxas is my favorite character for multiple reasons (fav character of all time actually) because of his character and Journey. One might argue that he didn't go through character development in Days, but honestly, this 'zero character development' is the sole purpose of Roxas' character in the first place during days.What do I mean by that? Let's think of Roxas during the beginning. Time and time again he is compared to as a 'zombie' because that was what Roxas literally was. He had no being, he was just there. Barely existing. He had no character, because what character could he have? A newborn with no memories to refer to or to act upon. This also shoots into the theme of Days in general; just the fact that life is out of your control and how easily it is to be a puppet of it. During Roxas' time in the Org, he was molded by everything around him and manipulated in every way. Between his times with the other members and on missions. He was literally a lost abandoned puppy just going along. But it wasn't until Xion and later on when Roxas actually started to gain an identity- something other than just a newborn who was just going along with everything. He was also innocent, rightfully so as well as he just thinks that he could eat ice cream everyday with his friends forever. Now as this puppy, he almost fell into the organizations trap to use Roxas as a slave. Roxas always obeyed every order and he served the organization blindly throughout the game with no nerve to dare disobey nor do what he truly wants to. We only get little hints when he sticks up for Xion. Now the ending is when all of bat crumbles down; he realizes that everyone is bullshitting him, and for the first time in his life he decides to fight what HE wants to do. Now what others choose for him and use him for. He does this until the very end- which sadly we know that doesn't end well. Honestly Roxas' story is a true heroic tragedy with his strong will being his greatest power and his hubris.Sorry, when Roxas' character is mentioned I go in like this is English class or some shit