Destiny Islands Trio (Sora | Riku | Kairi) | Disney Castle Trio | Clock Tower Trio (Roxas | Axel | Xion) | Wayfinder Trio (Terra | Aqua | Ventus) | Party Members and Summons | Xehanort's Incarnations (Master Xehanort) | Organization XIII (Xigbar | Saïx | Vanitas) | Disney Villains (Maleficent's Council and Allies | Other Disney Villains) | Independent Villains | Enemy Creatures (Heartless) | Ansem and his Apprentices | Kingdom Hearts χ[chi] Characters | Supporting Original Characters | Supporting Square Enix Characters | Supporting Disney Characters
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.
The best of friends, Axel, Roxas, and Xion were Organization XIII's number VIII, XIII, and XIV respectively. Roxas and Xion, who are amnesiac and curious about the world, would rather hang around Twilight Town and eat sea-salt ice cream than worry about the Organization's plans; Axel, though knowing about said plans, nonetheless treats the two as his friends, rather than as the Organization's tools. Things start to fall apart when Xion and Roxas begin to attempt to learn more about their pasts, while Axel tries to balance lies and the truth to keep them together.
- Appropriated Appellation: In Re Mind they take the Recusant's Sigil that Xemnas branded them with and redefine it as a symbol of their friendship, since it was the first thing they all had in common.
- Blonde, Brunette, Redhead: Roxas is blond, Xion is brunette, and Axel is redhead.
- Breakout Character: They've all received considerable attention and focus since their more humble debuts. Downplayed with Xion since she was introduced as a major character but the way she continues to have significant character focus outside of 358/2 Days which was initially implied to be the extent of her relevance means she still qualifies.
- Combination Attack: The three of them have one in Re:Mind called Thinking of You where Roxas and Xion will do the classic X-Slash on the target repeatedly while Axel bombards them with flaming chakrams.
- Cry into Chest: Roxas and Xion emotionally break down sobbing into Lea's chest in III. After many months of being separated and nearly losing their friendship, it's hard to blame them for this reaction.
- Dark Is Not Evil: Through the course of the story, they steadily develop into the least antagonistic members of the original Organization XIII and have become outright heroes by the time of III despite still wearing those black coats associated with the other antagonists of the story. By the time of the ending sequence, they've all switched to casual clothing and while Roxas' clothing is equal-parts black and white, Lea and Xion's clothes are predominantly black.
- Earn Your Happy Ending: A trio of Nobodies, literally heartless abominations whose very existences were an affront to the laws of nature yet they nonetheless became tight friends and fought an uphill battle together against reality itself simply to regain their humanity. In roughly a year, the schemes of their leaders ripped their friendship apart and the trio perished trying to salvage it. While Axel was able to regain his humanity as Lea in 3D, it took a significant effort on the heroes' end before they could all finally tearfully reunite in III.
- Elopement: Platonically, the three of them discuss secretly running away from the organization to live together, before everything goes south in Days. The idea is given even more serious consideration in the manga.
- Fighting Your Friend: In all directions. Axel is forced to beat Xion unconscious so he can take her back to the Organization twice. Roxas is later goaded by Xion to kill her. Finally, Roxas beats Axel when the latter attempts to take him back to the Organization.
- Intergenerational Friendship: Downplayed. Axel is possibly in his mid to late twenties, while Roxas and Xion are in their teens (at least, they look that way). This is remarkable when compared to the Destiny Islands or the Wayfinder trios, who are much closer in age.
- I Just Want to Be Normal: While most of the Organization members want their hearts back, the trio specifically want to regain their humanity so they can stop doing missions and just hang out together as friends. It's most evident with Roxas as detailed below.
- Jack of All Stats: In 358/2 Days Roxas and Xion have identical average stats across the board and are generally the most versatile members of the Organization. Axel has similar stats, though he tends to hit faster and harder at the cost of having slightly worse Defense.
- Magic Knight: They're all exceptional at both their weapons and their element of magic with Axel/Lea specializing in fire and Roxas and Xion in light.
- Poor Communication Kills: The biggest offender is Axel, who deliberately withholds information about the Organization's plans from his friends, even though they pertain to them, out of a misguided attempt to shield them from the Awful Truth. Xion later starts to hide things of her own as well, declining to share her experiences and findings until it is too late. Naturally, these feed doubts into Roxas, who becomes frustrated of being locked out of the loop and has a hard time sorting out what are the lies and what are the truths.
- Spotlight-Stealing Squad: Since their individual introductions, all three have gotten a substantial amount of focus and screentime compared to the rest of Organization XIII. Especially true in 358/2 Days. Despite featuring every member of the Organization, it's ultimately these three that the game's over-arching plot is actually about.
- Still Wearing the Old Colors: Despite defecting from Organization XIII, all three continue to wear the black cloaks associated with the group. It takes until the ending of III to show them wearing anything else after they've quit.
- Tears of Joy: The three of them hug and break down crying and smiling in III, after finally being reunited.
- Throwing Your Sword Always Works: All of them at some point in the series though Axel/Lea is the only consistent example in his appearances.
- Token Good Teammate: The three are probably the least evil Organization XIII members. Roxas and Xion don't know any better and don't do anything actively malicious during their time with the group. Axel is a downplayed variant in that he starts off just as vicious and evil as the rest of them, but eventually softens up (thanks to Roxas and Xion's influence) to become a nicer, more heroic figure. Eventually, all three pull a Heel–Face Turn and abandon Organization XIII outright.
- Triumphant Reprise: In III "Hearts as One" serves as one for both Roxas and Xion, given that it plays during Roxas' Big Damn Heroes moment against Saïx, and incorporates both "The Other Promise" (for Roxas) and "Vector to the Heavens" (for Xion), both of which were notable for being Sad Battle Music.
- Two Guys and a Girl: Roxas is The Hero (possessing power over light and eventually turning against Organization XIII when he discovers their true goal), Axel as The Lancer (Roxas' snarker friend who eventually becomes his enemy) and Xion as The Heart (her inclusion helping solidify Roxas and Axel's friendship) and The Lost Lenore (her death causing it to dissolve).
- Villainous Friendship: They have the distinction of being the only one of the series's main trios to have all been friends while technically antagonists. All three joined the nefarious Organization XIII and Days shows them bonding by eating ice cream and watching the sunset together after finishing the day's missions the Organization set them on. Downplayed because Roxas and Xion just barely qualify as villains at all, being kids who honestly don't know any better, and even Axel benefits from his Days screentime focusing more on his interactions with Roxas and Xion as a Cool Big Bro than on his role in the Organization as a Manipulative Bastard and assassin. Ultimately, Xion pulls a Heel–Face Turn, with Roxas and eventually Axel following her example. By the time they finally reunite in III, all three are good guys fighting on the same side as the heroes and their friendship is stronger than ever.
