Kingdom Hearts: Ansem and Apprentices / Characters

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Characters/KingdomHeartsAnsemAndApprentices

Due to lengthy periods between releases and the prevalence of Late Arrival Spoilers, spoilers from installments before 2010 may be unmarked. Read at your own risk.

This is a listing of Ansem the Wise and his four apprentices that appear in the Kingdom Hearts series.

Beware of unmarked spoilers.

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General

The Atoner: All of the apprentices seem to regret their betrayal of Ansem except for Braig and Xehanort. Ansem the Wise himself regrets the lengths he went in his quest for revenge. From 3D onwards, they work together to aid the heroes in their quest.
Aerith and Bob: Dilan and Even are rather average names compared to how unusual the other names are.
A Pupil of Mine Until He Turned to Evil: All of Ansem's apprentices conducted covert, inhumane experiments on the heart and darkness resulting in the creation of new Heartless. Not long after Ansem ordered them to stop, Xehanort led Braig, Dilan, Even and Aeleus in banishing him to the Realm of Darkness while lying to young, impressionable Ienzo about how Ansem went mad. This was all before they lost their hearts, plunged Radiant Garden into darkness and formed Organization XIII.
Back from the Dead: All of the apprentices had their hearts forcibly removed by Xehanort creating Heartless, but they also had wills strong enough to continue on as Nobodies. When those Nobodies and Heartless were destroyed, all of the apprentices were revived as their original selves.
Face–Heel Turn: Their research was supposed to protect their city of light. Under Xehanort's influence, all the apprentices plunged the world into darkness before forming the villainous Organization XIII. Even Ansem the Wise gets hit with this to an extent as his exile to the Realm of Darkness made him obsessed with getting revenge at any cost. At the very least he plays the role of a Nominal Hero Antagonist in 358/2 Days.
Heel–Face Turn: What every member aside from Xehanort and Braig ultimately pulls from 3D onwards.
Locked Out of the Loop: Judging by their first scene in III, Ienzo and Aeleus seem to be under the impression that Sora has Roxas's memories, which was disproven all the way back in the Nobody's first appearance. Specifically, Ienzo references how Roxas and Zexion last saw each other at the Castle That Never Was while Aeleus outright refuses to speak to Sora due to his guilt regarding Lexaeus's... less than stellar teaching methods.
Parental Substitute: It's implied that the apprentices had been this to the young orphaned Ienzo though only Ansem and Even get any screentime engaging with this. Aeleus is also implied to have a rather strong bond with Ienzo due to their working relationship as Nobodies, though it's never portrayed as parental in nature.
Redemption Demotion: After recompletion into humans, the apprentices have at the very least lost the power to summon Corridors of Darkness though they're hardly the only examples in the series to lose that ability. On a similar note, Ansem the Wise lost his powers over Darkness not long after dropping his anger and hatred towards his former apprentices.

Ansem the Wise / DiZ

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ansem_the_wise_khii_8.png

"It appears we've come to a standstill. This has gone on long enough. Riku... I think you know what needs to be done."

^{Click here to see Ansem as DiZ}

Voiced by: Genzo Wakayama (Japanese), Christopher Lee (English, KHII, 358/2 Days), Corey Burton (English, all other appearances, including 358/2 Days cutscenes in HD I.5 ReMIX)

Appearances: Chain of Memories | II | 358/2 Days | Birth by Sleep | Dream Drop Distance | 0.2 Birth by Sleep -A Fragmentary Passage- | III | Melody of Memory

"I'm afraid that any world you try to create... Any world of yours... would be an empire of ignorance. That is why you and your creation are destined to fall!"

Once the kindly ruler of Radiant Garden, Ansem the Wise was cast into the Realm of Darkness by Terra-Xehanort when he turned Ansem's followers against him and took over the land. Adopting the alias DiZ ("Darkness in Zero"), Ansem eventually returned to the Realm of Light and plotted vengeance against Xemnas and Organization XIII, and intended to use Sora and those allied with him to do it.

Action Survivor: It's rather impressive that he lasts as long as he does in the Realm of Darkness without any sort of combat ability whereas Aqua was absolutely dependent on her skills and magic to last as long as she did in the same world. Then again it's not like he carries around a keyblade which is stated to attract Heartless and turn them hostile towards wielders.
All for Nothing: In Kingdom Hearts II, he realizes that for all his research into the heart, he still doesn't really know anything about it at all. He even admits it was foolish of him to try and understand it in terms of data.
Ansem: "The process of encoding hearts is incalculable. The inhabitants of my Twilight Town were data created from real hearts. I was convinced that they would act and behave the way I had envisioned—but I couldn't have been more wrong. A heart is so much more than any system. I saw it when Roxas and Kairi crossed paths. I knew. But I was too stubborn to accept it. It's always the same. I try to wrap my mind around things my heart already knows, only to fail. While I was trying to bring Sora back, I had so many plans in store. But once Sora was an acting force, they fell apart. All my research amounted to nothing, compared with that one boy's heart."
And I Must Scream: Banished to the Realm of Darkness by Xehanort and the rest of his apprentices sans Ienzo, he was forced to wander that corruption and monster-infested wasteland for almost a decade with the only thing keeping him sane being his note-taking and thoughts of Anger, Hatred, and Revenge towards those that had taken everything from him. Such negative sentiments eventually grant him control over the Darkness which he uses to escape from the Realm of Darkness and set up shop in the abandoned mansion in Twilight Town.
- After the events of II he finds himself back in the Realm of Darkness again. Caught in the blast of his Encoder, he lost his powers over Darkness and having shed his ambitions of hatred and revenge, he is once again trapped with no hope of escape. Though the Black Cloak he carrys with him prevents the Corruption of Darkness from destroying him, he still slowly loses his memories until he meets up with a similarly trapped Aqua.
The Atoner: Once he realizes the evil behind his actions. One of his last deeds before the Kingdom Hearts Encoder goes up is to apologize to Roxas for what he did. In III upon getting back to the Realm of Light via Demyx he works with Ienzo to prepare a replica that Roxas can use as a new body and then in the ending he also works on giving Naminé a replica body.
Ansem: "Roxas and Naminé... If there is any reason that I still draw breath, it is to atone for what I did to them."
Badass Bookworm: Remember the library from Kingdom Hearts? That's this guy's.
- Ultimately downplayed since it's shown later that he's not much of a fighter at all, but he nonetheless braves several dangerous circumstances and makes it through alive everytime through a mix of cunning, strong will, and pure luck.
Bandaged Face: As DiZ.
Beneath the Mask: Near the end of Roxas' prologue in II, when he sees that Riku has taken on the form of Xehanort's Heartless, Ansem laughs at the sight. As he admits to Mickey later in the World That Never Was, he was actually deeply ashamed that Riku had become a victim of his lust for revenge and his laughter was a facade to hide it.
Black Cloak: As of Birth By Sleep's secret ending, he is wearing an Organization black coat to protect himself from the darkness.
Brain Uploading: Dream Drop Distance reveals that he uploaded a complete version of his mind to Sora's own mind along with his research data. Data-Ansem is actually very personable and intelligent and even jokes around with Riku, having not lost its memory like the real Ansem.
Brought Down to Normal: Unfortunately, like Riku, he lost his powers over Darkness when his Kingdom Hearts Encoder exploded, leaving him trapped in the Realm of Darkness without the ability to open a dark corridor.
Casting a Shadow: Obtained dark powers through his festering hatred when he was banished to the Realm of Darkness. They're quite convenient for creating Corridors of Darkness and magically altering his own appearance. Lost after the events of II as detailed above.
The Chessmaster: With Xemnas as his opponent. Most of his plotting occurs in Chain of Memories and II, though Dream Drop Distance reveals he left the groundwork for one more, to aid in the restoration of Roxas and Namine.
Clear My Name: An aspect of his motivation since the fall of Radiant Garden.
Cold Ham: Somewhat inverted compared to the Xehanorts. He's capable of some dramatic speeches and monologues but he's always calm and composed with subdued body language.
Cool Old Guy: Once he takes off the bandages. He's even cooler in Dream Drop Distance, where he takes up joking with Riku about Sora, and reminds him of how much he's changed from his "Riku-Ansem" phase.
Crazy-Prepared:
- Knowing that he needed to make sure that his data would be safe, he stored it within the one place he knew for a fact would be available and able to defend itself to the point where people wouldn't even know it would be there at all: Sora's heart. This extended to the point of him storing an entire data-copy of himself within said heart, along with his research data, so that when it was necessary, someone could retrieve it, even if he himself might not have survived to see that day.
- Even after being blown into the Realm of Darkness and losing his memory, he still managed to have a black coat on hand to protect him.
Cultured Badass: A remarkably polite individual, especially once he realizes how much his actions have hurt people, but if you endanger the worlds he will do everything in his power to make sure you don't succeed.
Dark Is Not Evil: He's a real jerk and a Manipulative Bastard, but, regardless of his use of Corridors of Darkness, he still refuses to submit to the darkness like Xehanort and Organization XIII's founding members and works in the interests of light, regardless of his personal reasons.
Deflector Shields: Apparently has enough control over Darkness that he's able to defend himself from Riku's attack with invisible barriers when he tries to Strike Ansem in Chain of Memories while the latter is still disguised as Ansem, Seeker of Darkness. Later on in II he's able to defend himself from Axel's chakrams with one of these though it's likely he was only able to because they were still in the virtual Twilight Town he created.
Disney Death: The ending of Birth by Sleep shows that he survived his sacrifice and now waits for Sora to free him and Aqua from the Realm of Darkness.
Domain Holder: Is The Omnipotent over his digital Twilight Town, and even highest-level Nobodies (e.g., Axel) and The Chosen One-level Keyblade-wielders (e.g., Roxas) can't fight him there. But without this Home Field Advantage, he's screwed against even lowest-level Nobodies (e.g., Dusks).
Dramatic Unmask: Near the end of Kingdom Hearts II. That said, it's only dramatic to the viewers. The only other person present (King Mickey) already knew who he was.
Easy Amnesia: He teetered on the edge of it for his entire exile to the realm of darkness by his disciples, but kept focus thanks to hatred. When he ends up there again after II, he quickly forgets almost everything but Sora, presumably because he doesn't have such hatred anymore. All he's holding on to is his memory of Sora, since he put his research data, all he has left to help him with, inside of him. His conversation with Aqua and her recognizing he's talking about Sora seems to bring it back, as by the time III rolls around he's back to normal.
Eccentric Mentor: Not nearly as much since the end of Kingdom Hearts II, but he still has a couple of quirks.
Evil Sounds Deep: Subverted. He has the world's greatest villain's voice, but he's actually on the side of good.
Emperor Scientist: As Ansem the Wise, his title was fittingly Sage-King.
Fantastic Racism: DiZ justifies his actions against the Organization XIII, no matter how cruel, by noting that they have no right to exist in the first place. Although numerous other characters (up to and including Sora himself) have this point of view in II, reasoning that Nobodies possess no real emotions and thus aren't worthy of pity or mercy, DiZ is far more malicious in his hatred of Nobodies, and he learns how wrong he is to use the "Nobodies-Don't-Exist" justification as a general rule by the end of the game, when he removes his bandages.
Freudian Excuse: Organization XIII's founders, excluding Ienzo, betrayed him, ruined his name and his city, and trapped him in Another Dimension of pure darkness filled with nothing but horrible, deadly monsters. His only choice was to use The Power of Hate to survive and escape and by then, almost a decade has passed with nothing left to his name aside from the clothes on his back and the Secret Ansem Reports he carried with him. Is it any wonder he wants Revenge?
Fun with Acronyms: Darkness in Zero. An in-universe example that he never explains personally to anyone else in universe, and is only mentioned in his Secret Reports.
Gentleman and a Scholar: Ansem the Wise has both a keen intellect and the charisma to have amassed a group of apprentices. Subverted when he's acting as DiZ who's selfishness and bitterness eventually drives his allies away though the moment he loses the mask, he starts to act more agreeable like he used to.
Gadgeteer Genius: If it's any indication, he built a machine that digitizes hearts. It did explode spectacularly, but only due to the sheer amount of hearts being digitized, not from the effort of digitization itself.
Good Is Not Nice: After being trapped in the Realm of Nothingness. He grows out of it as he enters his status as The Atoner.
Heel Realization: He finally realizes how horrid he has become by the time he storms the Castle That Never Was with his Kingdom Hearts encoder, though this began back during the beginning of the game when he saw just how far Riku was willing to go to save Sora.
He Who Fights Monsters: In his quest to bring down the schemes of the Organization XIII, he became racist and as immoral, if not more so in some extents, than some of the members of the group itself, making him into a Type IV Anti-Hero. He seems to have figured this out by the time he storms the Castle That Never Was.
In the Hood: A standard feature, and he has not taken it off.
Jerkass: Regarding Roxas, though he does apologize for it in the end, shortly before his Heroic Sacrifice.
- He's arguably worse regarding Naminé, since for the most part, despite her being a Nobody, he treats her civily and as a trusted partner...only to order Riku to kill her when she had served her purpose. Naminé's reaction to learning about this shows just how big a betrayal this was for her.
Kick the Dog: His manipulation of Roxas, ordering the execution of Naminé, seeing Riku (and pretty much everyone else) as nothing but a tool for his own vengeance, and actively sabotaging King Mickey's attempts to contact Riku.
Kidnapped Scientist: In III, Ansem SoD on behalf of the Thirteen Seekers "rescues" him from the Realm of Darkness and takes him to Twilight Town so he can learn more about Subject X. Fortunately, the real Ansem is soon rescued from Xehanort's clutches by Hayner, Pence, Olette, and Vexen.
The Leader: After the events of III he resumes his role as the sage-king of Radiant Garden.
Legacy Character: His real name is taken by so many people that he actually comes across an impersonation paradox by accident.
Man in the Iron Mask: Played with. Xehanort stole his original name and banished him to the Realm of Nothingness. When he escaped, he decided to fulfill the "disguised face" part of the trope himself, and occasionally used magic to impersonate the guy impersonating him.
Master Actor: His impersonation of of Ansem, The Seeker of Darkness during the events is pretty much spot on, perfectly capturing his mannerisms, and his fixation with darkness and trying to control others. His powers over Darkness apparently even allow him to mimic some of the Dark Seeker's combat abilities as well, at least to the extent where he can serve as a Tutorial Boss. It helps that at that point, Riku's hesitation to use the powerful Darkness in his heart was weakening him, justifying how in retrospect Riku was struggling to even harm a guy later revealed to have no combat experience.
Meaningful Name: DiZ is a corruption of the first three letters of Disney. Also In-Universe. It stands for "Darkness in Zero".
Modest Royalty: Outside of his DiZ guise he is typically seen wearing a lab coat no different from his apprentices' except for some sort of red sash draped over his shoulder. While befitting his scientific knowledge, this is pretty understated attire for a world's king.
Mr. Exposition: Provides lots and lots of plot exposition almost every time he appears.
Nice Guy: By the end of II and Birth by Sleep, Ansem seems to have reverted to his selfless ways and willingly sacrifices himself to stop Xemnas from succeeding with his artificial Kingdom Hearts. He apologizes to Roxas via Sora, and expresses to Aqua his remorse for everything he put Sora, Roxas, and Riku through while they are in the Dark Margin, openly hoping that Sora will ultimately open the Door to Light and right all of his own wrongdoings during his quest for revenge.
Nominal Hero: DiZ in KHII, Chain of Memories, and 358/2 Days is technically allied with the main protagonists against Xehanort and the Organization but is by far the least heroic of them all. DiZ's reasons for wanting to thwart the Organization's scheme and destroy its members is initially not so much to protect the worlds as much as to exact revenge on Xehanort and his other former apprentices, despite his claims to Roxas about serving the worlds. DiZ himself repeatedly uses and glorifies the power of hate and darkness, only differentiating himself from Xehanort by his refusal to succumb to darkness and ostensible alignment with the heroes' goals, and he is perfectly willing to ruthlessly destroy and manipulate innocent lives, especially Nobodies like Roxas, to get what he wants. This characterization shifts into that of a Classical Anti-Hero once he realizes his mistakes.
Non-Action Guy: Has no martial abilities to speak of and is overwhelmed by a group of low-tier Nobodies.
Not Quite Dead: Though he seemed to perish during the climax of II, the secret ending of Birth by Sleep reveals that he survived and was cast into the Realm of Darkness.
Parental Substitute: Took young Ienzo under his wing after his parents passed away though the Character Files implied that he was often too busy to really take care of him. Still, he fondly recalls those moments of kindness when Ansem The Wise would treat him to ice cream whenever Ienzo was scolded by Even for making mistakes in his studies. When the two reunite in III, it's clear how much Ienzo looked up to the man and how much he regrets working together with those who had betrayed him. On Ansem's side, he apologizes to Ienzo for allowing himself to be consumed by hatred and fail him in his obligations toward his young ward.
Pet the Dog: When Roxas was not able to go on a trip to the beach in the simulated Twilight Town, he allows him to see the "ghost train" as means to make up for it, even though it had nothing to do with completing his plans. Lampshaded by Riku.
Riku: That's almost kind of you.
Pointy Ears: His ears have slight points to them. Given they weren't present in his depictions in the past, it's probably a side-effect of the darkness.
Politically Incorrect Hero: As detailed under Fantastic Racism, DiZ treats all Nobodies like garbage, even the more benevolent ones like Naminé and Roxas but he's still working together with the heroes. Drops this behavior after he removes his mask.
The Power of Hate: His rage towards his treacherous apprentices is what kept him sane in the Realm of Darkness and gave him the darkness based powers to escape it. This is what makes his Character Development backfire on him when he's thrown back into the Realm of Darkness. With no anger left he is not only stuck there but loses his memories as well.
Revenge: Another major motivation, especially with what he does to Roxas, who had nothing to do with the above. The power of Sora's and Riku's strong hearts cause him to think differently.
Mickey: I can't help you with revenge.
Ansem: I know. Riku's told me a thousand times.
Royals Who Actually Do Something: He personally storms the Castle That Never Was in an effort to stop Xemnas himself.
Redemption Earns Life: As of Birth By Sleep's secret ending, he's revealed to have survived the explosion of the Kingdom Hearts encoder.
Reverse Arm-Fold: Prone to this and all official artwork and renders of him depict him in such a pose. It seems to emphasize his deep-thinking personality.
Sanity Slippage: His reports suggest that he was slowly losing his Heart and overall sanity to the Darkness while exiled to the Realm of Darkness and that only The Power of Hate was keeping him from losing it all mentally. This goes a long way in explaining why he seems so different after he became DiZ.
Science Hero: What he does to help the heroes is typically through the use of his inventions, and not in up front combat.
Shut Up, Hannibal!: The above quote is a response to Xemnas's motive rant.
The Smart Guy: They don't call him wise for nothing.
Stealth Mentor: To Riku in Reverse/Rebirth. Considering his true selfish motivations at the time, he may also qualify as an Evil Mentor variant.
The Stoic: Downplayed. He's no Nobody, but he has a calm, composed manner of speaking and doesn't emote a whole lot in terms of body language or facial expressions, though Christopher Lee's performance is generally more expressive.
Sophisticated as Hell: Subtle, but when Roxas confronts him at the end of the prologue right before Sora awakens, DiZ calls him a tool, using just enough metaphorical language so it's not immediately obvious.
Supernatural Gold Eyes: Due to his use of darkness.
Thinking Up Portals: The mechanics of Corridors of Darkness revolve around this.
Too Many Belts: There are quite a few belt-like straps on his pant-robes but those two belts wrapped around his head, apparently keeping his red face bandages secured are a very odd example of this.
Took a Level in Kindness: He's actually a lot nicer after he takes off the bandages on his head, and even acknowledges that anything can grow a heart in 3D, apologizing to Roxas some time before.
Trademark Favorite Food: Sea-salt ice cream. He apparently loves it so much that he has it as the password to his computer.
Voluntary Shapeshifting: He can change his appearance with the power of darkness.
You're Insane!: In III, Ansem SoD confronts him about the disappearance of Subject X, still convinced that Ansem the Wise arranged it because of some secret she knew. Ansem snaps back, "You are completely deluded, Xehanort." Indeed, the Secret Reports all but confirm that Braig was responsible for moving her.
You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: Orders Riku to kill Naminé after Roxas rejoins Sora for explicitly this reason. He doesn't go through with it.

Dilan

Voiced by: Yosuke Akimoto (Japanese), David Dayan Fisher (English)

Appearances: Birth by Sleep | coded | Dream Drop Distance | III

"Radiant Garden shall not fall under the likes of you."

Dilan is the complete being of Xaldin. Dilan was one of Ansem's six apprentices who betrayed him by researching the Heartless.

A Pupil of Mine Until He Turned to Evil: Surprisingly enough, in Birth by Sleep Dilan shows no signs of his eventual betrayal of his master and general douchebaggery. Instead, he is presented as both extremely loyal to his master and genuinely concerned for Ven's well-being.
- Dream Drop Distance implies that none of the apprentices (save Terra-Xehanort and Braig) willingly gave themselves over to the darkness.
Back from the Dead: In 3D, but recovered in III and undergone a Heel–Face Turn.
Big Ol' Eyebrows: Very much so.
Dreadlock Warrior: Unlike Xaldin, he keeps his dreads tied up in a low ponytail giving him a cleaner, less wild appearance than his Nobody.
Genius Bruiser: Strong enough to serve as a guard, smart enough to do research under Ansem. His journal entry in Birth by Sleep suggests that he was a shrewd manipulator even before becoming Xaldin.
Heel–Face Turn: Upon his return, like the rest of the apprentices.
Hot Blooded Sideburns: A trademark specialty, it seems. It carried over even when he was Xaldin, too.
Inconsistent Spelling: The North American release of KHII mistranslated his real name as Dilin; the PAL release and all subsequent games rectified this.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: In Birth by Sleep he's initially dismissive of Ventus, but worries for his safety once the latter runs off to chase after an Unversed. This is initially his default mode before he became Xaldin.
Manipulative Bastard: Stated to be skilled at manipulating others in his journal entry. While his Nobody, Xaldin is a particularly sinister example, Dilan himself never demonstrates such a trait in his debut game.
Satellite Character: To a greater extent than Aeleus and in sharp contrast to his Nobody counterpart, Dilan lacks any known personality besides being Ansem's apprentice. In 3D, he is still unconscious and he doesn't speak at all in III.
Those Two Guys: Always paired up with Aeleus in his scenes. Unlike their Nobody selves, who have extremely different roles in the story, more fleshed out characters (albeit still minimal compared to other Organization members), unique powers and abilities, and dying very far apart in the timeline, Dilan and Aeleus are so similar and share their spotlight to such a degree that they may as well be the same character. This is the case in both Birth by Sleep and III, and was only not the case in Dream Drop Distance because Dilan spent that entire game unconscious.
The Voiceless: Doesn't speak at all in III.

Even

Voiced by: Nachi Nozawa (Japanese, Birth by Sleep) Shigeru Chiba (Japanese, Melody of Memory), Derek Stephen Prince (English)

Appearances: Birth by Sleep | coded | Dream Drop Distance | III | Melody of Memory

"Well, let's say I have a feeling we are destined to cross paths again."

Even is the complete being of Vexen. He is one of the six apprentices of Ansem the Wise who betrayed him by researching the Heartless and destroying Radiant Garden.

A Pupil of Mine Until He Turned to Evil: In Birth by Sleep, Even seems to be genuinely kind and helpful instead of the Insufferable Genius he later becomes after betraying his master.
The Atoner: While he initially appears to be part of the Thirteen Seekers of Darkness/Real Organization in III, it's eventually revealed that he was only pretending to work with Master Xehanort. In truth, he felt horrible for what his experiments had led to and was using the XIII Seekers as a way to develop new replicas that Roxas, Xion, and Naminé could use as new bodies.
Back from the Dead: In 3D as Even. He secretly performed a Heel–Face Turn prior to becoming a Nobody again in Kingdom Hearts III, but ultimately returns to his original form at the end of the game.
Deadpan Snarker: Very much so, especially as it carried over to his time as Vexen in CoM and Re:CoM.
Foreshadowing: Tells Ventus that he has a feeling that they'll meet again in the future. While that has yet to actually happen, he did meet Roxas as Vexen.
Hidden Heart of Gold: A relatively proud, friendly and rather decent guy overall. However, it should be noted Ienzo easily suspected Even might have betrayed them again after being restored, describing him as a "devious" man. He turns out to be unapologetically good, though.
Parental Substitute: According to the Character Files, he was the one who personally looked after Ienzo the most as Ansem was often too busy. Ienzo recalls him being very stern and prone to reprimanding him for going on walks by himself or making mistakes in his calculations, but he believed that these harsher moments came from a place of love. Evidentally, the two becoming Nobodies put a stop to this with Vexen becoming crueler and more self-absorbed and Zexion no longer showing the man any sort of respect whatsoever. Even after recompletion, Ienzo warns Sora to watch out for Even/Vexen, believing them to be untrustworthy. That said, Vexen is revealed to have pulled a Heel–Face Turn and by the end, Ienzo and the recompleted Even are back to working together under Ansem so it can be surmised that the two have reconciled with one another.
Resurrection Sickness: When he finally awakens after recompletion, he notes that he was unconcious longer than the others and surmises that the circumstances around his Nobody's destruction may have contributed to this. In any case, his isolation from the others allowed him to covertly rejoin the Real Organization as part of a plot to atone for past misdeeds.

Aeleus

Voiced by: Fumihiko Tachiki (Japanese), Dave Boat (English)

Appearances: Birth by Sleep | coded | Dream Drop Distance | III | Melody of Memory

"The castle is presently closed."

Aeleus is the complete being of Lexaeus. He was one of Ansem's treacherous apprentices.

A Pupil of Mine Until He Turned to Evil: Birth by Sleep shows Aeleus to have been a loyal and honorable man, before his betrayal of Ansem the Wise.
Back from the Dead: In 3D and has undergone a Heel–Face Turn.
Call-Back: Lexaeus's unique way of teaching Roxas about Limit Breaks (ie: hitting Roxas in the face so hard that his health goes into the red and then having Roxas use his Limit Break on a Heartless) is referenced in III, as he feels so bad about the incident that he refuses to even talk to Sora upon meeting him.
Elemental Hair Colors: Like his Nobody, he has auburn brown hair.
Genius Bruiser: Mostly known for his exceptional strength, he's also intelligent enough to serve as one of Ansem's apprentices.
Heel–Face Turn: Since his return, still sticks as of III.
Heterosexual Life-Partners: With Ienzo, likely a carryover from their times as Nobodies.
Inconsistent Spelling: The North American release of II misspelled his real name as Elaeus; the PAL release and all subsequent games rectified this.
Lantern Jaw of Justice: That chin of his could cut through diamonds.
The Quiet One: Always a man of few words, in the third game he doesn't even speak at all.
Redemption Demotion: Ienzo mentions that his powers, including control of the Dark Corridors, have been lost.
Satellite Character: More so than his Nobody. He doesn't even speak in III.
Those Two Guys: Always paired up with Dilan in his scenes. Unlike their Nobody selves, who have extremely different roles in the story, more fleshed out characters (albeit still minimal compared to other Organization members), unique powers and abilities, and dying very far apart in the timeline, Dilan and Aeleus are so similar and share their spotlight to such a degree that they may as well be the same character. This is the case in both Birth by Sleep and III, and was only not the case in Dream Drop Distance because Dilan spent that entire game unconscious.
The Voiceless: Doesn't speak at all in III.

Ienzo

^{Click here to see young Ienzo}

Voiced by: Akira Ishida (Japanese), Vince Corazza (English)

Appearances: Birth by Sleep | coded | Dream Drop Distance | III | Melody of Memory

Ienzo is the complete being of Zexion. Ienzo was an orphan adopted by Ansem the Wise, and the youngest of his apprentices.

Adaptation Dye-Job: His hair is much darker in the manga.
Adorably Precocious Child: In his child form, he's shorter than Ven and his lab coat can't even fit him right.
The Atoner: Upon being recompleted, he seeks to make amends for his past misdeeds by helping resurrect Roxas.
Ascended Extra: He goes from having small cameos in two games to being the Mission Control of III. Even if we count Zexion's appearances, Ienzo was never a very prominent member of Organization XIII.
Back from the Dead: In 3D and had undergone a Heel–Face Turn.
Corruption by a Minor: Ienzo is the one that convinced Ansem the Wise to build the secret lab where they could experiment on people's hearts.
Creepy Child: Ienzo's role in Birth by Sleep seems to be staring, and just silently staring at you, even after you just saved him from being attacked by the Unversed which could have killed him. Now stop and think about the fact he was still a child when he became a Nobody.
Dark and Troubled Past: Between losing his parents at a young age, being lied to that his adoptive caretaker went mad and abandoned him, having his heart forcibly removed while still being a child, and being forced to live the next decade as a literally heartless abomination working tirelessly to regain his heart only to have that existence mercilessly ended as part of a cruel betrayal, he hasn't exactly lived the happiest of lives. That said, since recompletion, he doesn't seem to be too distressed by the misfortunes of his past though he definitely regrets his past actions as Zexion.
Death of a Child: His Nobody is the first time you meet him, but he is a case where you do actually see his body with the other apprentices after Xehanort attacked them and later see it was indeed when he initially died by seeing the reformed Ienzo in the same position when Lea wakes up.
Early-Bird Cameo: He's the first apprentice we ever learned about as an individual as Ansem's notes you collect address him by name in Kingdom Hearts 2.
Enfant Terrible: He was the one who convinced Ansem to start experimentation with the powers of darkness which escalated into forcing people to turn into Heartless.
Evil Sounds Deep: One of the few differences between Zexion and the recently revived Ienzo is that his voice is noticeably lighter in pitch.
Face–Heel Turn: In his backstory, giving Ansem the Wise the idea for the experimentation on the heart.
Good Hair, Evil Hair: A very mild example but Ienzo's hair is a bit neater and less messy compared to Zexion's.
Heel–Face Turn: He is the first notable one to do so, along with the rest of the apprentices.
Heterosexual Life-Partners: With Aeleus, as a likely hold over from their time as Nobodies.
Hiding Behind Your Bangs: As Zexion, his eye-obscuring bangs represented his secretive, scheming nature.
Horrible Judge of Character: According to his testimony in III, Xehanort claimed Ansem the Wise had gone mad, which Ienzo believed long enough to get his heart yanked out. In fairness to him, he was a kid at the time.
Magic Pants: A downplayed case but when Ienzo is reformed he's wearing essentially the same outfit he was when he died like the others, despite being the only one who aged so his clothing couldn't fit anymore. Downplayed in that with the coat itself at least as it was originally seen to be too big on the child sized Ienzo as you can see above and is later seen to have at least added a purple cravat to match the lab outfits Even and Xehanort are normally seen wearing.
Mission Control: Serves this role in III. He keeps Sora, Donald, and Goofy up-to-speed from Radiant Garden with the Gummiphone, and analyzes Ansem the Wise's research data to help restore those who have been lost to darkness.
Modest Royalty: Being Ansem the Wise's ward, Ienzo is effectively the prince of Radiant Garden. He's also a chatty Nice Guy who doesn't wear anything to denote his royal status while Ansem at least wears a red sash on top of his labcoat.
Motor Mouth: While Zexion wasn't exactly The Quiet One, Ienzo is notably far more chatty than he was. A little bit ironic since he was stone silent as a kid.
Nice Guy: The revived Ienzo is shown to be nothing but friendly, helpful and accommodating.
Occult Blue Eyes: While not to a supernatural degree his cold blue eyes didn't exactly make him any less creepy when all he'd do as a kid is stare at you after saving him from the Unversed, and he turned out to be a powerful magic user as Zexion later on.
Parental Abandonment: Ienzo became Ansem's ward after the death of his parents.
A Pupil of Mine Until He Turned to Evil: For Ansem, thanks to some manipulating from Terra-Xehanort. Fortunately, they manage to patch things up quickly in III.
The Quiet One: As a child he didn't say a word, but when the other apprentices come back after the defeat of their nobodies he's a lot more chatty.
Quizzical Tilt: He gives one after Lea cuts him off when he sounds like he's going to start acting as Mr. Exposition to answer his question after most of Organization XIII were revived where they originally lost their hearts.
Redemption Demotion: He mentions that he and the other recompleted Apprentices have lost their powers, including access to the Dark Corridors.
Shorter Means Smarter: Compared to the other apprentices his intelligence isn't too clear but he is easily the youngest and smallest of them by far (even with his post revival growth spurt) and in the role of a scientist like Even and Xehanort both were.
Spanner in the Works: Xemnas learns of his involvement with restoring Roxas after the fact, as without his help in restoring both Roxas and Naminé things would've gone south really quick. The fact that Ansem the Wise helped alongside him and getting covert assistance from Demyx and Vexen certainly evened the playing field, as well.
Teen Genius: Something that shows that he did technically age during his time as a nobody, as the reformed Ienzo is still Zexion's age, and he quickly jumps on the chance to start explaining and theorizing out loud when trying to figure out what not all of the Radiant Garden centered Organization members revived at the same place.
Took a Level in Cheerfulness: Didn't say a word in his appearances as a child and was prone to rather offputting staring. As an older Nobody, Zexion was polite but still a rather cold and stern person. Since being recompleted and regaining his heart as Ienzo, he's been far more upbeat and very earnest about trying to work together with the heroes. It's rather refreshing to see him give legitimate warm smiles to Sora and Aeleus considering how Zexion was more of a Smug Smiler at best.
Took a Level in Kindness: He's also noticeably nicer after being recompleted, along with Ansem the Wise returning to him and the apprentices, as well.
Troubling Unchildlike Behavior: Experimenting on the darkness in people's hearts? Check. Creating Heartless? Check. Helping destroy his home by accident? CHECK. While he did urge Ansem to take his experiments to the next level, he ultimately had no idea of the other machinations happening around him. III reveals that the others lied to him about Ansem, claiming that Ansem went mad and exiled himself to pursue his research. While he knows that he was just a kid at the time and was naive, Ienzo is still noticeably torn up for ever believing it for so long.
Turn the Other Cheek: Ienzo surprisingly doesn't seem to begrudge Lea for causing his incredibly painful demise when they were Zexion and Axel respectively, instead being cordial to him and answering his questions. Given that his murder directly resulted in Ienzo being recompleted, which is something he is very clearly happy with, perhaps he just decided to bury the hatchet.
Used to Be a Sweet Kid: He only gets a couple of scenes in Birth by Sleep, primarily being saved from some Unversed with Even showing up to get him and an ending scene of him and Ansem the Wise having some sea salt ice cream together, but this is the general impression.
Used to Be More Social: Inverted. In stark contrast to his stoic child self, and his scheming Nobody self, the adult Ienzo is an adorably chatty nerd.
Wise Beyond Their Years: Hard to believe he's only a few years older than the protagonists, and still younger than Lea.
You Are in Command Now: After the restoration of the original Organization members and Ansem the Wise being MIA, Ienzo takes charge of the group in Radiant Garden until Ansem returns.

Characters / Kingdom Hearts: Ansem and Apprentices

Due to lengthy periods between releases and the prevalence of Late Arrival Spoilers, spoilers from installments before 2010 may be unmarked. Read at your own risk.

Ansem the Wise / DiZ

Voiced by: Genzo Wakayama (Japanese), Christopher Lee (English, KHII, 358/2 Days), Corey Burton (English, all other appearances, including 358/2 Days cutscenes in HD I.5 ReMIX)

Appearances: Chain of Memories | II | 358/2 Days | Birth by Sleep | Dream Drop Distance | 0.2 Birth by Sleep -A Fragmentary Passage- | III | Melody of Memory

Dilan

Voiced by: Yosuke Akimoto (Japanese), David Dayan Fisher (English)

Appearances: Birth by Sleep | coded | Dream Drop Distance | III

Even

Voiced by: Nachi Nozawa (Japanese, Birth by Sleep) Shigeru Chiba (Japanese, Melody of Memory), Derek Stephen Prince (English)

Appearances: Birth by Sleep | coded | Dream Drop Distance | III | Melody of Memory

Aeleus

Voiced by: Fumihiko Tachiki (Japanese), Dave Boat (English)

Appearances: Birth by Sleep | coded | Dream Drop Distance | III | Melody of Memory

Ienzo

Voiced by: Akira Ishida (Japanese), Vince Corazza (English)

Appearances: Birth by Sleep | coded | Dream Drop Distance | III | Melody of Memory

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Characters / Kingdom Hearts: Ansem and Apprentices

Edit Locked

Due to lengthy periods between releases and the prevalence of Late Arrival Spoilers, spoilers from installments before 2010 may be unmarked. Read at your own risk.

Ansem the Wise / DiZ

Voiced by: Genzo Wakayama (Japanese), Christopher Lee (English, KHII, 358/2 Days), Corey Burton (English, all other appearances, including 358/2 Days cutscenes in HD I.5 ReMIX)

Appearances: Chain of Memories | II | 358/2 Days | Birth by Sleep | Dream Drop Distance | 0.2 Birth by Sleep -A Fragmentary Passage- | III | Melody of Memory

Dilan

Voiced by: Yosuke Akimoto (Japanese), David Dayan Fisher (English)

Appearances: Birth by Sleep | coded | Dream Drop Distance | III

Even

Voiced by: Nachi Nozawa (Japanese, Birth by Sleep) Shigeru Chiba (Japanese, Melody of Memory), Derek Stephen Prince (English)

Appearances: Birth by Sleep | coded | Dream Drop Distance | III | Melody of Memory

Aeleus

Voiced by: Fumihiko Tachiki (Japanese), Dave Boat (English)

Appearances: Birth by Sleep | coded | Dream Drop Distance | III | Melody of Memory

Ienzo

Voiced by: Akira Ishida (Japanese), Vince Corazza (English)

Appearances: Birth by Sleep | coded | Dream Drop Distance | III | Melody of Memory

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