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Xehanort's Incarnations
In General
For tropes pertaining to them in canon, click here.
- Me's a Crowd: All of them are different versions of the same person; Xehanort.
- Unrelated in the Adaptation: Unlike in canon, Xemnas is not the Nobody of Xehanort, but Terra, thus he's a completely different person.
- Villainous Legacy: Though Master Xehanort himself is gone, his pawns continue to carry out his plan decades later.
Ansem, Seeker of Darkness
Ansem, Seeker of Darkness
Appearances: Act 1: The Antipode|The Year Between|Side Stories: A Crossing of Halves,Dark Deliberations
"Kingdom Hearts, fill me… with the power of darkness! Let the light fade from the worlds, forever lost to your fury…"
Xehanort's Heartless, who took the name of his former master. Ansem, Seeker of Darkness was responsible for goading Riku into dooming his world and is indirectly responsible for Sora retaining a stronger Heartless form. After failing to possess Riku, Ansem draws upon the darkness within Hollow Bastion to regain his humanoid form.- Adaptation Origin Connection: Inverted. Unlike in canon, Ansem did not travel to the past to guide Young Xehanort and may very well be unaware of his younger self's presence in the current era.
- Adaptation Relationship Overhaul: As this iteration of Organization XIII was not written with Dream Drop Distance's revelations in mind, Xemnas and Ansem's plans do not overlap at all. Rather than being allies with a mutual goal, both are confident in their own plans and see each other as inferior.
- Arc Villain: For Riku's arc in The Year Between.
- Back from the Dead: Returns in The Year Between as the main antagonist of Riku's side of the story.
- Big Bad Duumvirate: Alongside Maleficent in Act 1. Though the former is a more active threat throughout most of the story, Ansem is The Heavy, who lurks in the shadows for much of the story before taking central stage upon Maleficent's defeat.
- Final Boss: The final opponent Riku faces in Act 1 and The Year Between.
- The Heavy: He was responsible for manipulating Riku into opening the door to his own world's Keyhole, thus kickstarting the plot of the series.
- In the Hood: Spends the majority of Act 1 in the form of a disembodied hooded cloak.
- Manipulative Bastard: Preyed upon Riku's insecurities and fear of abandonment to coax him into opening the door to his world's heart.
- Unrelated in the Adaptation: His Guardian does not contain Terra's Heart in this continuity.
Young Xehanort
Young Xehanort
Appearances: The Year Between|Act 3: All That's Left|Side Stories: Shadows of the Past
"It's like I said: I'm here to see my destiny unfold. To view the World as it is well past my time… though, frankly, I'm a bit disappointed."
A Keywielder-in-training and Xehanort's younger self. Having traveled from the past to see his grand destiny play out, Xehanort is disappointed with the way his plan to fill thirteen vessels with his heart has been derailed.- Adaptational Backstory Change: Rather than being guided by his future self, Young Xehanort chose to Time Travel of his own accord while studying ancient and forbidden magic.
- Adaptation Origin Connection: Inverted. Due to the above backstory change, Young Xehanort did not meet his Heartless prior to time traveling.
- Badass Boast: Spouts one when confronting Nahxs. Too bad he underestimates the latter's ruthlessness.How charming, but you are clearly out of your depth. Do you even realize who you are dealing with? Do you really think you stand a chance against the greatest Keybearer in all of history?!
- The Comically Serious: In contrast to the Laughably Evil Xigbar, Xehanort takes himself very seriously, which results in quite a few amusing moments.
- Even Evil Has Standards: Played for Laughs. Even he Face Palms when he sees just how romantically inept Riku is.
- Fatal Flaw: Pride. His overconfidence and sense of self-importance leads him to greatly underestimate both the strength of his opponents and his allies' loyalty to him.
- Flat "What": When he learns that a frozen heart; a nigh-incurable condition, can be cured with a kiss.
- Foil: Like Riku, Xehanort is a cocky, arrogant silver-haired youth who left his home on Destiny Islands out of a desire to see the outside world. His overconfidence in his abilities is not unlike Riku prior to the former's Character Development.
- Groin Attack: Is on the receiving end of this from Kairi, who does so with armor on.
- It's All About Me: Believes himself entitled to a grand destiny; that he is necessary for the worlds at large.
- Lack of Empathy: Emphasized by his reaction to Riku's heart being frozen.It's a pity. Riku would make a fascinating case study…were his life more expendable.
- Sequel Hook: His presence serves as this for the next story arc.
- Smug Snake: Having discovered his future plans through Time Travel, Xehanort is extremely arrogant, believing himself to be the greatest Keybearer in all of history despite having yet to finish his training. When confronted by Nahxs, Xehanort's underestimation of the new recruit's abilities and depravity led to him nearly losing his life.
- Unrelated in the Adaptation: Unbeknownst to him, Xemnas is not his Nobody in this continuity.
- Villainous Rescue: When Riku's heart is frozen by Elsa's magic, Xehanort attempts to save his life, but is only able to slow the progression of his condition. Justified: as Riku is one of the Seven Guardians of Light, Xehanort needs him alive for his own plans.Because your destiny is too pivotal to end here…
- You Have GOT to Be Kidding Me!: Reacts this way twice when Xigbar gets bored and leaves to watch TV.Xehanort: The future of the Organization is dying on this couch, and you would rather watch TV?
Xigbar: Yep.
Terra-Xehanort - Unmarked Spoilers
Terra-Xehanort
Appearances: Act 3: All That's Left (Flashbacks)
"Hey! Terra, what happened to you? You're supposed to be a hero! Terra! Hey! C'mon, don't do this..."
Ten years prior to the events of the series, a young Keyblade wielder named Terra was possessed by Master Xehanort. After being defeated and subsequently rescued by Aqua, the young man was found unconscious and in an amnesiac state by Ansem the Wise, who took him on as an apprentice.— Zack Fair
- Identity Amnesia: As a result of Terra and Xehanort's hearts fighting for control, Terra-Xehanort was in an amnesiac state.
- "I Know You're in There Somewhere" Fight: Is heavily implied to have fought Zack during the Fall of Radiant Garden, who was able to help Terra free himself from Xehanort's influence, though at a great cost.
- Point of Divergence: One of the continuity's biggest divergences from canon revolves around him. During the Fall of Radiant Garden, Zack fought Terra-Xehanort in hopes of helping him remember the hero he once was. Thanks to his friend's kind words, Terra managed to break free from Xehanort's control long enough to stab himself with his Keyblade once again, this time expelling both his heart and Xehanort's from his body. This resulted in Xemnas forming as Terra's Nobody instead of Xehanort's.
- Posthumous Character: Is long gone by the events of the story.
- Tested on Humans: Conducted numerous inhumane experiments on live humans, children included.
- Would Hurt a Child: On top of using children as test subjects, he even carved the Recusant's Sigil into a young Isa's forehead, thereby possessing the child with a seed of Xehanort's heart.
Independent Antagonists
Sköll
Sköll
Appearances: Act 3: All That's Left
Hans: “The legends are true… Sköll…”
Soldier: “The god who became a Heartless…”
A gargantuan wolf-like Heartless which prowls the mountains around Arendelle. According to legend, it was once a god who turned into a Heartless.- Adaptational Early Appearance: Is fought early on in the Arendelle arc rather than at the end. Even when it returns as a Nobody during the climax, it isn't the Final Boss.
- Adaptational Relationship Change: With Hans.In Kingdom Hearts III, Sköll is an alternate form of him, which he transforms into prior to battling the heroes. In this continuity, Hans fights Sköll alongside the heroes as a Guest-Star Party Member prior to them discovering his true nature.
- Casting a Shadow: During its encounter in the forest, Sköll's howls actually cause the sky to darken. It also retains its Desperation Attack from canon, summoning an enourmous dark sun that descends upon its opponents.
- Decomposite Character: Sköll exists independently from Hans instead of being an One-Winged Angel transformation for him.
- Eye Scream: It has an arrow/crossbolt embedded in one eye.
- Religious and Mythological Theme Naming: Takes its name from a monstrous, sun-chasing wolf in Norse mythology.
- The Soulless: Returns as a Nobody during the climax of the Arendelle arc.
- Unrelated in the Adaptation: Sköll is not Hans' Heartless in this continuity. Justified out-of-universe due to Hans willingly casting away his heart and becoming a Nobody prior to the events of the story.
The Specter - Unmarked Spoilers
The Specter / Strelitzia
Appearances: Act 3: All That's Left
“I needed you to remember me. That’s all we are in this castle. Memories. But yours are still corrupted. So…I am, too.”
The Specter to Marluxia
A projection of Lauriam's sister Strelitzia which appears when Marluxia recalls memories of his past life in Castle Oblivion. Marluxia absorbs her during his confrontation with Xemnas, Aqua and Xiruk, where she takes a more familiar form.- Adaptational Late Appearance: Rather than appearing in Act 2: Fragmented Truths (the time period where Chain of Memories would have taken place), the Specter appears over a year later in Act 3: All That's Left; the AU's equivalent of Kingdom Hearts II.
- Attack of the 50-Foot Whatever: She transforms into a massive winged Grim Reaper after being absorbed by Marluxia.
- Climax Boss: Serves as this for Act 3: All That's Left.
- Composite Character: Of the eponymous Final Boss of Re:Chain of Memories and Data-Strelitzia from Union χ [Cross] .
- The Cutie: Was an Endearingly Dorky Nice Girl during her lifetime. Xion lampshades this.
- Decomposite Character: Is the embodiment of Marluxia's lost memories and repressed powers from his past life.
- Grim Reaper: Takes on the appearance of one during her battle.
- Living Memory: A projection of Strelitzia that appears from Marluxia's incomplete memories when the latter vists Castle Oblivion.
- Luminescent Blush: Gets incredibly flustered when Lauriam teases her over her crush on the Kingdom Hearts χ protagonist in Marluxia's memories.
- Punch-Clock Villain: Shows visible disappointment when Marluxia attacks the heroes (and Xemnas) in an attempt to kill Ventus. Yet she herself ends up battling them after being forcefully absorbed by Marluxia.
- Sinister Scythe: Wields an enormous one during her fight, which gets chopped to pieces by Aqua.
- You Are Not Ready: When Marluxia learnt that his sister Strelitzia was killed by Ventus (not knowing that the latter was possessed by Darkness at the time), the Specter urged him not to act hastily until he knew the full truth. Marluxia ignored this advice, resulting in him attempting to kill a revived Ventus out of revenge.