History Characters / KingdomHeartsSquareEnixVillains

!Xehanort

* MesACrowd: Eventually has 13 different incarnations.

** Master Xehanort tries to summon Kingdom Hearts by splitting a single person into [[EnemyWithout pure good and pure evil]], and then making one consume the other.

** LetXBeTheUnknown: Uses X in his names and iconography. [[spoiler:They're also a "Recusant's Sigil" that marks the bearer as Xehanort's property and a potential vessel for his heart.]]

* CompressedHair: I mean, seriously.
* CoolHelmet

** Lampshaded by Master Xehanort
-->"He has no control over the darkness in his heart. The Keyblade is not his to bear. He's an abomination beyond hope of salvation."

* EyesOfGold[=/=]RedEyesTakeWarning: Although he has gold eyes in all of his appearances, accoridng to an interview from Nomura, Vanitas resembled a heartless-like creature with red eyes [[spoiler:before Ven joined his heart to Sora's to give Vanitas Sora's general appearance.]]
** Considering [[spoiler:the other characters with gold eyes are either partially possessed by Xehanort or Xehanort himself it's possible Xehanort partially possessed him to ensure Vanitas loyalty to him.]]

* TheFaceless
* FauxAffablyEvil: Like hell.

** [[spoiler:An alternate reason, canon to the novels, is that he wanted to rejoin with Ventus, thus not being all alone any more. However, this isn't exactly reflected in his actions; early in the story, he was perfectly willing to annihilate Ventus for being too weak, and considered Aqua a decent backup plan for forging the χ-Blade.]]
* GreenEyedMonster: [[spoiler:According to the novels, He is extremely envious of Ventus.]]

* INeedYouStronger: He's always going around telling people whom he fights to get stronger, and to show him their power...

* MeaningfulName: His name is derived from the Latin word for ''emptiness'', indicating his state of existence. Also, it sounds similar to Ventus, hinting at a connection between the two.
** It's also similar to "vanity", reflecting his smug, self-absorbed nature. And, as mentioned above, the Japanese character for emptiness can also mean sky, [[spoiler:hinting at his connection to Sora]].

* ObviouslyEvil: At no point could this guy pass for a good guy.

* RecurringBoss: Expect to fight him in ''all three stories''.

* RedHerring: At first glance, he has a lot of similarities to Riku, wearing an outfit similar to his Dark Mode ans using the same battle stance. [[spoiler:But then the mask came off.]]

* FanNickname: Repliku.
** Which is actually his name in the German version. Go figure.

* HotBlooded: Maybe [[{{Flanderization}} even moreso]] than Riku in ''KH'', and that's saying something.

* HeyItsThatVoice: It's jarring hearing [[JusticeLeague Superman]] taunt you in battle.

* GetBackHereBoss: spends alot of the battle moving to different points in the area, firing lasers.

* HoistByHisOwnPetard: and odd variation, when the Program is hit, it drops cluster orbs, which don't defeat it, but can be used to cripple its movement and make it easier to hit. The Program does this through no fault of its own, so it isn't a TacticalSuicideBoss.

* ShoutOut: probably unintentional, but the main part of its torso looks like an upside-down Death Star when the armor comes off.

** PillarOfLight: One of its attacks heavily resembles [[spoiler:Roxas's Magic Hour]].
** PlayingWithFire[=/=]AnIcePerson: In its first form, he casts Debug Blizzard with his left hand and Debug Fire with his right.

* DoppelgangerAttack

* LightIsNotGood

* CainAndAbel: He mentions several times in his writings that he considers Eraqus a brother. [[spoiler:And yet he murders Eraqus in ''Birth By Sleep''.]]

** AnIcePerson: Has a preference for ice -- he freezes Ven, tosses out Blizzard attacks in battle, and ends his Keyblade combos in a blast of ice.

** DishingOutDirt: Can raise massive pillars of earth to launch opponents into the air or separate them from their allies.

** ShockAndAwe: Calls down lightning strikes.

* OldMaster

* VisionaryVillain: After JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope decided the world was broken and that he would [[AGodIAm remake it in his own image]].

* [[BlackCloak Brown Cloak]]: Before he found a suitable host, Ansem could only appear as a hooded figure in a brown cloak with a creepy voice.

* TheChessmaster: Masterminded the entire plot of the first game.
* ChewingTheScenery: Good Lord, once he ditches his brown cloak, every scene he's in feels like it's being torn apart between his teeth, even the ones where he doesn't have a face!

* [[spoiler:CoDragons: He and Xemnas seem to be this in Master Xehanort's true organization, being his left and right hand men.]]

** SphereOfPower: [[spoiler: In his new battle phase in ''3D'' his Guardian becomes one.]]

* PlotHole: [[spoiler: His death in the original game no longer makes sense when ''Dream Drop Distance'' revealed he had Xehanort's memories which are very much aware of Kingdom Heart's nature being light.]]
** Unless [[spoiler:he did not get all of Xehanort's memories... While he probably knows of his folly by 3D, he may not necessarily have known it around the time of ''Kingdom Hearts'']].

* [[spoiler:TimeTravel]]

* IHaveManyNames: Xehanort, Master Xehanort, Xemnas, Ansem, No Heart, [[spoiler:Terra, Xigbar and Saix]].

* SeekerArchetype: A villainous example. All his incarnations seek to understand the true nature of their world, only to cross the MoralEventHorizon in search it.

* ThirteenIsUnlucky
* WhiteHairedPrettyBoy: The only exception is Master Xehanort, as he's bald from age.

* BigBad: Of ''Birth By Sleep'', and as the original Xehanort, the franchise itself.

*** MorphWeapon: His Keyblade can become a floating shield, body armor, and a set of wings.

* XanatosGambit: [[spoiler:If "Ansem" and Xemnas find the real Kingdom Hearts, Master Xehanort wins. If they're killed instead, Master Xehanort gets to come BackFromTheDead and finish the job himself. ]]

** GuardianEntity: The Guardian, a Heartless born from the darkness in his heart.

* LiteralSplitPersonality: Was eventually split into "Ansem" and Xemnas.

* TheSociopath: [[spoiler: After all he is Master Xehanort.]]
* StartOfDarkness: ''Birth by Sleep''.

* DemonicPossession

[[caption-width-right:230:Click [[hottip:here:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Terra-Xehanort_1343.png]] to see Xehanort as he appears in Birth By Sleep (spoiler warning)]]

* LargeHam: Every Xehanort is over the top and gives gaint, sweeping evil speeches. [[spoiler:Averted with Young Xehanort, who's compartively muted and calm.]]
-->'''Xehanort''': DARKNESS!

* LaserGuidedAmnesia: [[spoiler:With Terra FightingFromTheInside, Master Xehanort locked their hearts away to prevent losing control of his body, resulting in Xehanort losing his memories. However, in ''Dream Drop Distance'' we learn that the amnesia was either a lie or that his memories returned at some point]]. [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] by Braig.
-->"Please tell me the amnesia was just a sick joke. Boy, this is some cliché."
* LiteralSplitPersonality: [[spoiler:Ansem more strongly embodies his Master Xehanort traits while Xemnas retains more of Terra's traits. As Terra-Xehanort he was just like Master Xehanort, and it's not fully clear what type of person he was after his memories got sealed, though 3D shows it was probably still like Master Xehanort]].
* LivingShadow: [[spoiler:The Guardian.]]
* TheManBehindTheMonsters: Didn't create the Heartless, but is responsible for their escape into the Realm of Light.
* MeaningfulRename: The source of several headaches in-universe. He even started writing about himself as though he ''were'' Ansem, as seen in the reports you spent the first game collecting.
* MonsterSobStory: The ending of ''Birth By Sleep''. [[spoiler: makes his story seem like one.]] Sure, he became a mad scientist, betrayed the man who took him in, and became responsible for everything wrong in the series, but his origins are quite sad: [[spoiler:he's essentially what happened when both Terra ''and'' Master Xehanort were locked out of control of Terra's body. He wound up in Radient Garden with no memories, just a name. The lost look of confusion he gives Braig when the latter chats him up is quite saddening. However, he was either totally faking it, or got his memories back fairly quickly. ''Master'' Xehanort is completely unsympathetic, though. ]]
* MyDeathIsJustTheBeginning: Gave into darkness to become a Heartless and Nobody on purpose so he could acquire more power. As of ''Dream Drop Distance'' it's made clear that this Xehanort was just a stepping stone for Master Xehanort to launch an even larger scheme than before, and dying and coming back was AllAccordingToPlan.
* MysteriousPast: Explained in ''Birth by Sleep''.
* NeckLift: [[spoiler:On Aqua]].
* OminousLatinChanting: "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewhYdzHZ1Vo Dismiss]]", the battle theme for the second match with him in ''Birth By Sleep''.
** OminousPipeOrgan: Dismiss again.
** BossRemix: As so often happens in the series, it contains fragments of character themes.
* PointyEars: Notably lacks the EyesOfGold after a certain point in BBS [[spoiler:after both Terra and Xehanort's memories are locked away rendering neither of them capable of controlling his body]] and for most of his time [[spoiler:under Ansem the Wise's tutelage]].
* RelationshipVoiceActor: In the Japanese version, [[spoiler:Terra-]]Xehanort is voiced by AkioOhtsuka. Master Xehanort is voiced by ChikaoOhtsuka, Akio's father.

* WellIntentionedExtremist: Originally believed the universe ought to have a balance of light and darkness. However, after becoming DrunkOnTheDarkSide, he became more interested in turning himself into [[PhysicalGod a god]] and remaking the universe [[InTheirOwnImage in his own image]].
* WorthyOpponent: [[spoiler:As of ''Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance'', MickeyMouse seems to be the only character he actually respects, and doesn't just see as another tool to be used.]]
* WouldHitAGirl: More like [[spoiler:Would Choke A Girl While Possessing Her Best Friend's Body]].
* XanatosGambit: [[spoiler:"Ansem" and Xemnas were to absorb the two versions of Kingdom Hearts to gain great power. Sora killed both of them before they could, but that wasn't a problem--now Master Xehanort could just come BackFromTheDead and pick up where they left off, this time with valuable intelligence concerning the enemy]].

[[caption-width-right:230: "I will guide you to the depths of darkness!"]]

-->Voiced by: AkioOhtsuka (Japanese), RichardEpcar (English)

* {{Badass}}
** BadassArmfold: [[spoiler:As with Ansem, his pose when commanding the Guardian.]]
** BadassBaritone: Same goes for his Heartless and Nobody.
* BigBad: Averted, actually. Compared to Xehanort's other alter-egos, this one is a relatively minor character and is never the primary villain of any of the games. He was set up to be the Big Bad of the entire series in ''II'', then ''Birth By Sleep'' passed that distinction on to Master Xehanort. [[spoiler:As of ''3D'', it's obvious this is more or less deliberate on Master Xehanort's part, since this incarnation was just a stepping stone to a much larger scheme involving Ansem and Xemnas]].

** {{BFG}}: [[spoiler: He can use Terra's Ultima Cannon attack.]]
** {{BFS}}: [[spoiler:Retains Master Xehanort's Keyblade.]]

** DualBoss: Sort of. [[spoiler:While Ansem relied exclusively on the Guardian, Xehanort will still whip out his Keyblade and knock you around with it. One of his attacks even has the Guardian hold Aqua still while Xehanort closes in and uses a combo]].
** GetBackHereBoss: The main difficulty in the battles with him is that he'll dash around the arena and become immune to damage when you use a special attack like magic or a shotlock, and the only way to guarantee a special attack will hit is to hit him while he's in the middle of an attack. This is the main difficulty in facing him with [[spoiler:Aqua, since most of her best attacks are spells]].
** GuardianEntity: [[spoiler:The Guardian belonged to Xehanort originally, making its first appearance in the universe's chronology after he possessed Terra]].
** LightningBruiser: Makes perfect sense, since [[spoiler:he has [[MightyGlacier Terra's]] power and vitality combined with [[OldMaster Master Xehanort's]] experience and training. Terra's Ars Solum, one of his best attacks, is Xehanort's ''standard'' combo.]]

** MirrorBoss: [[spoiler:Most of his attacks are actually usable by Terra as a playable character, such as Block-Counter Hammer, Ars Arcanum, Dark Volley, and Ultima Cannon. The only attack that isn't taken from Terra is a variant of Meteor that creates a series of homing meteors, which still counts because Terra ''can'' use Meteor, just a different version of it]]

* DeceptiveDisciple: He took the name of Ansem from his former teacher and stole his research for evil purposes.
* EvilutionaryBiologist: His experiments on the TheHeartless helped turn them into the army of darkness they are today.
* EvilSoundsDeep: In ''Birth By Sleep'', at least. In his short scene in ''Kingdom Hearts II'', he's much more subdued.
* FanNickname: [[spoiler:Terranort]]. Apprentice Xehanort (or Apprenticenort), Xehanort the Apprentice, and Ansem Seeker of Darkness are all accurate and useful when trying not to confuse him with anyone else. The latter, however, will cause very many headaches since his Heartless didn't bother to change his name.

* LargeHam: By the time of ''Birth By Sleep's'' final battle it's been established as a requirement if you're an incarnation of Xehanort.
-->"ENOUGH!" \\
"You have lost!" \\
"Sink into darkness!"

* WouldHitAGirl

* LargeHam: Enough to get his picture on top of the Video Games section of this trope. Billy Zane's performance as him is pretty much legendary.
-->'''Ansem:''' "SUBMIT!"

* LargeHam: Hoo boy, it seems ChikaoOhtsuka[[hottip:*:Master Xehanort's seiyuu.]], [[spoiler:MiyuIrino[[hottip:*:Vanitas's seiyuu. Same as Sora's.]]]], and [[spoiler:AkioOhtsuka[[hottip:*:Xehanort's seiyuu.]]]] decided to have a contest to see who can ham it up more. Ditto for their English counterparts. You can definitely tell [[spoiler:Haley]] was enjoying himself on this one.

----

* IWasQuiteTheLooker: Despite being a WhiteHairedPrettyBoy and TallDarkAndHandsome most of his life, he ends up a [[DirtyOldMan creepy]] old [[BaldOfEvil bald]] man.
* KickTheDog: [[spoiler:Kills Eraqus and destroys the Land of Departure, then [[EvilGloating gloats]] about it to Terra]].

* {{Leitmotif}}: Titled "Xehanort", it really contributes to how ObviouslyEvil he is.

* NinjaPirateZombieRobot: No Heart, the Artificial Fallen Angel Kung-Fu Magic Knight.

** [[spoiler:He also took Ven to Destiny Islands after the creation of Vanitas to let him live out his final days peacefully before falling into an eternal coma]]
* PowerGivesYouWings: As [[BonusBoss No Heart]].

* RuleOfSymbolism: His Keyblade Armor is bright white with some feather motifs, and his Keyblade Glider is a set of wings. Alluding not just to him being a FallenHero, but in a way, a FallenAngel like {{Satan}}.
* SignificantAnagram: "No Heart", "Another", or "No Earth" through the same system as the Organization's anagrams. "No Heart" serves as the name of a BonusBoss in ''Birth By Sleep: Final Mix'' that is his animated Keyblade Armor, and Another is the password used to access the chamber of awakening. "No Earth" naturally refers to [[spoiler:his possession of Terra]], but if you take "earth" as referring to worlds or planets, it's also what his plans would result in, ie the destruction of all worlds.

* [[spoiler:ThanatosGambit]]: [[spoiler:Terra battering him into submission is his final SecretTestOfCharacter to the effect that Terra is now strong enough to be a worthy vessel.]]
-->"Only now, have I truly won..."
* TheSociopath: He began a WellIntentionedExtremist as described below, but suffered in-universe MotiveDecay and is now only interested in power, no matter what he has to do to achieve it.

* TheUnfought: Though he's the antagonist of the entire series he was never seen before ''Birth By Sleep'' and was only fought in that game by Terra. He and Sora have never met directly [[spoiler:until ''3D'']], and aside from Terra no one has actually faced him in battle.
* VisionaryVillain: Became one after JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope. See WellIntentionedExtremist.
* WellIntentionedExtremist: He started out this way, believing the universe ought to have a balance of light and darkness, and decides a flood of darkness to push it to the bring of destruction was the only way to bring about this re-balancing. However, the darkness he delved into took its toll and whatever benevolent goals he once had have long been forgotten in favor of acquiring power and knowledge even at the cost of existence. Now he still technically wants to create that World of Balance, but it's in order to become TheOmniscient and remake the universe [[InTheirOwnImage in his own image]].

** His reports show he was a far cry from an evil mastermind even a few years before the events of ''BBS'', and even seriously considered just quietly live out his final years in peace.

* [[spoiler:MesACrowd]]: In ''Dream Drop Distance'' and beyond, this has apparently been his plan all along, at least post-''Birth By Sleep''.

* OmnicidalManiac: While it's not his actual goal, Xehanort's goals to create the χ-blade, take control of Kingdom Hearts and start a Keyblade War, would more than likely cause widespread destruction across the entire Realm of Light, possibly even destroying the realm itself.
* OneSteveLimit: A rather complicated aversion, there are several "Xehanorts" throughout the series, but in various ways they're all different incarnations of this Xehanort, the original (so far).
* PetTheDog: The Xehanort Reports. The 10th one reveals [[spoiler:he took Ven to Destiny Islands after the creation of Vanitas to let him live out his final days peacefully before falling into an eternal coma]], and the rest follow most of his life and show that while he wasn't warmhearted, he was a far cry from being an evil mastermind. At one point he laments that in spite of all he's accomplished, he's getting too old to continue his research on subjects that fascinate him, and he wonders if quietly living out his final years is all that's left for him. Then the reports go on and you can see him changing for the worse.
-->'''Report VIII:''' "Ordinarily, Keyblade Masters take pupils under their wings, malleable minds in which to impress the precepts of the Keyblade wielder and keep our profession alive for generations to come. Was my time drawing to an end, then, after all I had accomplished since casting away the place of my birth? Surely waiting for a quiet death would not do, not when there was still so much I needed to see for myself. Powers help me, I thought, my body is so old..."

* BodySurf: [[spoiler:Xehanort has transfered pieces of his heart into over a dozen different bodies, including Terra, all the member of the True Organization XIII, and temporarily Riku]].

* TheChessmaster: Plays everyone in ''Birth By Sleep''. [[spoiler:Everything Ansem and Xemnas did was also part of his plan to create 13 avatars and start a second [[Gotterdammerung Keyblade War]]]].

* DemonicPossession: [[spoiler:Of Terra and every member of his True Organization XIII.]]

* GambitRoulette: [[spoiler:Everything Ansem and Xemnas did was entirely planned out in advance by him, and to various degrees Maleficent, Sora, Riku and most of Organization XIII were {{Unwitting Pawn}}s to help it all along]] And it's been working out perfectly so far, one way or another.
* [[spoiler:GracefulLoser: He is remarkably calm in ''Dream Drop Distance'' as he discusses his failures of ''Birth By Sleep'', admitting he was "rash" in trying them and expecting them to work so easily. When Lea and later Donald and Goofy intervene to stop Xehanort from turning Sora into one of his vessels, Master Xehanort simply sighs that the time afforded to him for this attempt is up, but not to worry, eventually the pieces he needs will surfaces and he can try again in time.]]
* GrandTheftMe: Pulls this on [[spoiler:Terra, resulting in the present-day Xehanort.]]
** [[spoiler:And is the real reason he created Organization XIII!]]
* INeedYouStronger: Tempts Terra to darkness and encourages him to continue his training in order to [[spoiler:make sure the guy's body is powerful enough for his purposes when he commits GrandTheftMe on him. It's also implied that an abundance of Darkness is necessary for the process to work at all]].
** HoistByHisOwnPetard: [[spoiler:What he didn't count on was that Terra would fall so far into darkness and/or that he'd pissed Terra off so much that he was able to use ThePowerOfHate to return to life as his armor and keep fighting him afterwards]].
* IWasQuiteTheLooker: Xehanort was a picture perfect {{Bishonen}} in his youth.
* KickTheDog: At the end of ''Birth By Sleep'' he liberally does this and then enjoys some EvilGloating about it to keep driving Terra's hatred and anger deeper. The crowner is when he [[spoiler:kills Eraqus and destroys the Land of Departure]].
* LackOfEmpathy: He feels no remorse for all the evil actions he's done. But he is not above [[PetTheDog petting the dog]] as seen below.
* LegacyCharacter: All subsequent incarnations of Xehanort bear similarities to this one in appearance, personality and/or goals. Of course, that's chronologically -- with the games being told out of order, design-wise ''he's'' a LegacyCharacter to ''them''.

* TheFaceless: His face is always hidden behind a hood or a turned back the first time you see him, with the exception of the original Master Xehanot.

* PoweredByAForsakenChild: Every Xehanort's plan to get [[MacGuffin Kingdom Hearts]] revolves around doing sacrificing others in horrible ways.

* CrazyPrepared: Managed to plan for his various incarnations defeats in every single game of the series.
* DemonicPossession: [[spoiler:On Terra. He is also capable of doing this to every member of his True Organization XIII at will, since the laws of TimeTravel mean he needs to "have a version of himself there".]]
* TheDeterminator: He will do ''anything'' to obtain the X-Blade and gain the power and knowledge of Kingdom Hearts.

* EvilMakesYouMonstrous: Though not directly confirmed, there's a few hints that perhaps [[spoiler:the Guardian is actually the true form of Master Xehanort's heart, as it appears alongside Terra in the BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind instead of Xehanort, and was passed on to "Ansem", who as his Heartless is the embodiment of his heart and relies exclusively on the Guardian to fight and protect him]].

* EvilPlan: Whether its seeking The knowledge of the True Darkness or obtaining a heart everything relates back to controlling Kingdom Hearts.
* TheFaceless: PlayedWith. His face is seen multiple times throughout BirthBySleep, but he is always shown from his back during the flashbacks to his teenage days at Destiny Islands. ''Dream Drop Distance'' [[spoiler:reveals his teenage self's face, but]] the scene with him on Destiny Islands still show him from the back mostly. [[spoiler:Then the secret ending for ''Dream Drop Distance'' averts this completely and repeats the Destiny Islands scene from ''Birth By Sleep'', giving players a full look of his face at last.]]

* DrunkOnTheDarkSide

* DrunkOnTheDarkSide: Though he is calm and collected [[spoiler:in his own body, when possessing people such as Terra, Saix, and his younger form, he is far more prone to fits of rage and furious attacks.]]
* EvilCounterpart: What we learn about Xehanort's past in ''Birth By Sleep'' has effectively turned him into an Evil Counterpart to Sora -- [[spoiler:both are Keyblade wielders, both were born on Destiny Islands, and both wanted to explore other worlds. While Master Xehanort's heart {{Body Surf}}s through Terra and Riku, Sora opens his heart to protect the hearts of Ventus and Kairi. ''Re:coded'' centers on Sora willingly taking on the pain and suffering of others, while ''Dream Drop Distance'' reveals Xehanort has been infecting others with his evil]]. While Xehanort and his incarnations betray their allies when they [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness are of no further use]], Sora relies on ThePowerOfFriendship. Not to mention that both of them have multiple alter-egos, which have themselves clashed across the series. According to WordOfGod as of ''Dream Drop Distance'', Master Xehanort also has the ability to attach different Keychains to his Keyblade to change its form, too, as he does when he [[spoiler:imposes a VillainOverride on Young Xehanort]].

* [[spoiler: BackFromTheDead: Is reborn as a human in ''Dream Drop Distance'', after the destruction of his Heartless and Nobody.]]

* BatmanGambit: [[spoiler:Most of his plans regarding Terra involve doing various things to piss him off and tempt him further into darkness, which will allow him to steal his body.]]

* BigBad: Of ''Birth By Sleep'', and as the original Xehanort, the rest of the franchise through his incarnations.
* [[spoiler:CainAndAbel]]: He mentions several times in his writings that he considers Eraqus a brother. [[spoiler:Now remember how Cain and Abel turned out, and guess which one Xehanort turns out to be.]]
* TheChessmaster: Not only in ''Birth By Sleep'', but according to ''Dream Drop Distance'', [[spoiler:everything Ansem and Xemnas have done was in line with his plans and was just build-up for something even bigger, and despite the interference of the various heroes he's ''still'' prepared to make it all work]]. Master Xehanort is clearly playing GambitRoulette with a rigged wheel.

** AnIcePerson: Shows a preference for ice -- he freezes Ven, tosses out Blizzard attacks in battle, and ends his Keyblade combos in a blast of ice.
** {{BFS}}: His [[http://www.khwiki.net/images/f/ff/Master_Xehanort%27s_Keyblade_KHBBS.png Keyblade]], though not as large as some others, is still pretty big.
*** AnAxeToGrind: It also carries with it a distinctive battle-axe flavor.
*** EvilWeapon: While Keyblades can't actually be ''evil'' themselves, his Keyblade nonetheless fits with how ObviouslyEvil he is.
*** MorphWeapon: During the No Heart fight, his Keyblade becomes a floating shield, body armour, and a set of wings.
** DishingOutDirt: Raises pillars of earth to launch you into the air in ''Birth By Sleep'', as well as the massive pillar on which he fights [[spoiler:Terra]].
** FlashStep: Not only does he TeleportSpam like his other incarnations enjoy, but as his health wears down he'll teleport in the middle of his combos to attack from multiple directions.
** KungFuWizard: As [[BonusBoss No Heart]], whose fighting style is implied to be Master Xehanort's in his younger days, Xehanort was both a potent spellcaster and a first-class LightningBruiser in his youth, demonstrating not only advanced magic and swordplay but also transforming his Keyblade to enhance his punches and kicks to devastating effect. No wonder he still has SuperStrength as an old man.

** SquishyWizard: Being that he's much older than the other incarnations of him out there, he's rather slow and prefers to assault you with magic from afar while [[VillainTeleportation teleporting to avoid you]]. His basic Keyblade combo, in contrast to his SpamAttack in other forms, is a weak four-hit blitz.
** StormOfBlades: He frequently launches barrages of keyblades at you as No Heart and his normal form.
** SuperStrength: Despite being a SquishyWizard, he's strong enough to hold Ven in the air by his helmet, cracking it for good measure, and can hold off [[MightyGlacier Terra's]] Keyblade strikes with one hand.
* CrazyPrepared: See TheChessmaster above.

* EvilSorceror[=/=]MadScientist: Regularly uses both [[{{Magitek}} machines and magic]] to experiment on and learn to control people's hearts.

* PoweredByAForsakenChild: Every Xehanort's plan to get [[MacGuffin Kingdom Hearts]] revolves around this.
** Ansem's uses the pure hearts seven young women to open the Door to Darkness.
** Xemnas's makes a fake Kingdom Hearts by combining the hearts from thousands of Heartless.
** Master Xehanort's plan to [[spoiler:create the χ-blade involved having a young boy's EnemyWithout possess his body]].
* PowersViaPossession: [[spoiler:Master Xehanort can take direct control of any of his Seekers allowing them to wield his keyblade in the process, albeit with different Keychains.]]

* SeekerArchetype: With a vicious villainous spin, this is shown with his various incarnations' shared title the ''Seeker of Darkness''.

* WhiteHairedPrettyBoy: The only exception is Master Xehanort, and that's only because he's bald from age.

** LetXBeTheUnknown: [[spoiler:When it's associated with Xehanort, it is the "Recusant's Sigil", which marks the bearer as Xehanort's property, and a potential vessel for his heart.]]

-->Voiced by: ChikaoOhtsuka (Japanese), LeonardNimoy (English)

* [[spoiler: BackFromTheDead: As of ''Dream Drop Distance'', his Heartless and Nobody have reformed and the original being is back.]]
* {{Badass}}: Think of how badass all the other incarnations of Xehanort are. Then think, one way or another, it all started with him. [[spoiler:[[StableTimeLoop Even Young Xehanort.]]]]
** BadassGrandpa

* LargeHam: Every Xehanort is over the top and gives gaint, sweeping evil speaches. [[spoiler:Averted with Young Xehanort, who's compartively muted and calm.]]

* LargeHam: All of them provide a variety of sumptuous flavors. [[spoiler:Averted with Young Xehanort, however.]]

* MagicKnight: Generally very skilled with both melee combat and magic. Ansem may be an exception as far as melee combat goes, though he can still summon his [[TheBrute Guardian]] at will.

* MilkingTheGiantCow: Every time you speak to Xehanort in one form or another, he can never just ''keep his hands still''.
* ObviouslyEvil: Between the silver hair, black and red clothing, hand gestures and hamminess, at no point could any of his incarnations pass as good guys.
* OneSteveLimit: Played with to the point of MindScrew. There's almost half a dozen Xehanorts out there, but most of them are the same Xehanort in a different form, and the rest are just using "Xehanort" as an alias.
* PointyEars: [[spoiler:Likely due to corruption by darkness, as with the EyesOfGold. Only Young Xehanort does not have this, being from before his time as a Keyblade Master, and thus before he was corrupted in the Ways Between.]]
* PoweredByAForsakenChild: ALL of the various Xehanorts' plans run on this. Ansem's plan to open the door to darkness involved rendering seven young women comatose and forging a Keyblade from their hearts. Xemnas's plan to create Kingdom Hearts involved turning innocents into Heartless, [[spoiler:while his ''actual'' plan involved using said Kingdom Hearts to implant twelve existentially angsty sort-of-people with Master Xehanort's consciousness]]. Master Xehanort's plan to [[spoiler:create the χ-blade involved having a young boy's EnemyWithout possess his body]]. His plan in ''Dream Drop Distance'' involved [[spoiler:mind raping another young boy to a degree where his heart collapsed and Xehanort could use him as a dark vessel]]. And his ultimate plan to [[spoiler:recreate the χ-blade the "right way" involves getting seven human avatars of light and thirteen of darkness to duke it out in a battle that probably won't end well for most of the participants.]]

* GreenEyedMonster: [[Spoiler:According to the novels, He is extremely envious of Ventus.]]

* EldritchAbomination: He is a being of pure darkness whose existence unbalances the worlds, and he is [[spoiler:the source of all Unversed.

** Lamshaded by Master Xehanort

* VillainousBreakdown: [[spoiler:After being defeated for the final time by Ventus, he's reduced to panicking and attempts to grab the floating Keyblade before dying]]. It almost makes you feel sorry for him.

* EldritchAbomination: He is a being of pure darkness whose existance unbalances the worlds.
** HumanoidAbomination: Turns out he's [[spoiler:the source of all Unversed]].

* HumanoidAbomination: Turns out he's [[spoiler:the source of all Unversed]].

* BlackKnight

* LaughingMad: In Japanese ''and'' English. Not all the time, granted, but he does have his moments, such as after his battle with Aqua in Neverland.

* HadesShaded: His skin gr

* HadesShaded

* LightningBruiser: Aside from Ansem who relies on the Guardian to fight, all the Xehanorts are swift, agile, master combatants in both magic and melee. Master Xehanort is a SquishyWizard, but [[spoiler:in his prime as Young Xehanort, and when he gets a younger body as Terra-Xehanort]], it's clear the only thing holding him back is his ageing body.

* BigBad: Of the series, and nearly every game

* EyesOfGold: [[spoiler:Master Xehanort and Young Xehanort shows that this was likely his natural eye color. It is used as a sign to show someone being influenced or possessed by Xehanort.]]
* TheFatalist: All of his incarnations seem to feel this way regarding [[spoiler:''[=3D=]''[='s=] plot]]; it's perhaps a reasonable conclusion when [[spoiler:TimeTravel and YouCantFightFate]] are both in effect. Neither [[spoiler:Young Xehanort]] nor Master Xehanort seem very emotionally invested because they're [[spoiler:playing out roles in a plan that, according to them, is preordained to be successful]].
* FlashStep: Xehanort loves him some TeleportSpam. Interestingly, they all teleport in different ways -- Master Xehanort just vanishes in a quick flash, Ansem lets the Guardian teleport through portals of darkness, Xemnas engulfs himself in a dark orb that moves to the destination point where he reforms, and [[spoiler:Young Xehanort]] leaves multiple images of himself similar to Vanitas.
* ForScience: Everything Xehanort and his incarnations do is in the name of furthering their knowledge of hearts and darkness, even knowing it could cause TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt.

* GeniusBruiser: Strong enough to usually be a game's final boss, and smart enough to be a [[TheChessmaster chessmaster]]. They also tend to have scholarly knowledge regarding the cosmology of the universe, and curiosity for ''more knowledge'' is their primary motivation (see ForScience above).
* AGodAmI: Master Xehanort planned to use the χ-Blade to control Kingdom Hearts, and use its power and knowledge to remake the universe in his idea of perfect balance. His incarnations have similar aspirations [[spoiler:and are revealed to have been working towards helping the original achieve his goal in an alternate method]].

* IHaveManyNames: Take your pick, (Master) Xehanort, Xemnas, Ansem, [[spoiler:Terra, No Heart]]...As of ''Dream Drop Distance'' you can add [[spoiler:Xigbar and Saix to the list]].
* JustBetweenYouAndMe: Don't worry if you're ever confused about the game's plot, at any given chance the Xehanorts ''love'' to give an {{Infodump}} to the heroes, especially the original. Has lately become intentional on their part, as their plans increasingly involve [[MindRape Mind Raping]] and taunting the heroes.
* KnightOfCerebus: In-universe, the ''Kingdom Hearts'' universe was a nice happy multiverse of Disney characters living in peace until Master Xehanort showed up. For the series, the current game is pretty much assured to get a lot darker if a Xehanort is on the scene. He even manages to be this to himself, Master Xehanort demonstrating in ''Birth By Sleep'' that Ansem and Xemnas were just trying to live up to the standard the original set...and then ''Dream Drop Distance'' came along and he outdid himself (no pun intended).

* OnlyOneName: To a man, every Xehanort revealed thus far has only one name. "Master" is just a title, "Seeker of Darkness" is simply TheMagnificent [[spoiler:at first]], [[spoiler:Terra-Xehanort could technically be considered one coherent name, and isn't even outright stated in the canon]], and [[spoiler:"Young" is just a designation to separate that one from the rest]]. Even [[spoiler:Riku, who was taking on the name of Ansem, Seeker of Darkness for approximately a few weeks, still has OnlyOneName himself]].

* {{Badass}}: In whatever incarnation he appears, Xehanort is always a badass.
** BadassBaritone: All his incarnations have very deep voices, with the justifiable exception of his teenage self in the Japanese games.
** BadassLongcoat[=/=]BadassLongrobe: Always one or the other.
* BigBad: Xehanort and his incarnations are almost always the major villains of the game.
** [[HijackedByGanon Hijacked By Xehanort]]: Aside from Marluxia and [[spoiler:Sora's Heartless]], every central villain of the franchise is either one of Xehanort's incarnations, is working for one of them, or is one of their {{Unwitting Pawn}}s, and his connection to the villains of the latest game is usually TheReveal. And while Marluxia's EvilScheme had nothing to do with Xehanort, he very likely owes his existence to him.
** [[spoiler:BigBadDuumvirate: As of ''Dream Drop Distance''. No, really. He's one [[SendInTheClones all by]] [[GrandTheftMe himself]].]]
* BlackMagic[=/=]CastingAShadow: Darkness is his whole shtick. However, its use depends on the incarnation. Ansem [=SoD=] and the Guardian uses it for pretty much everything when they're not doing physical attacks, Master Xehanort uses it sparingly, while [[spoiler:Terra-Xehanort]] and [[spoiler:Young Xehanort]] are a bit more liberal with it, but not to the extend that Ansem [=SoD=] is.
* BodySurf: [[spoiler:Master Xehanort's heart transferred to Terra, then after becoming "Ansem" transferred to Riku. According to WordOfGod on ''Dream Drop Distance'', Master Xehanort also has the power to transfer his consciousness to his alternate incarnations in his Organization and assume direct control of them]].

* EvilSorceror: Typically a MixAndMatch of this and a MadScientist, as the series's focus on {{Magitek}} heavily blurs the line between science and magic. For example, Master Xehanort uses his Keyblade and the powers tied to it for his schemes, while his incarnations have various machines such as the ones in Hollow Bastion and World That Never Was labs, but both methods let them manipulate and experiment on hearts.

This is a listing of the villians created by SquareEnix that appear in the ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'' series. Visit [[Characters/KingdomHearts the index]] for other characters who appear in the series.

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