Fridge / Kingdom Hearts III

WARNING: Spoilers Off applies to Fridge pages. All spoilers will be unmarked!

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Fridge Brilliance

• Xehanort's revelation that he was supposedly on the side of the Light all along seems nonsensical and an Ass Pull, but it makes a fair bit of sense if you view it as him trying to rationalize his actions. Xehanort is consistently shown to be an incredibly egotistical person, and who tries repeatedly to view himself as above the forces of Light and Darkness, someone who knew better than anyone else what the world should or shouldn't be like. It stands therefore, that after losing everything due to Sora finally defeating him, that someone like him would try so desperately to salvage his own ego, by telling everyone who'd listen that he was doing it for the sake of a greater good, rather than admit that he was just deluding himself all along.
• Related to the awesome music known as The Encounter and also meta sense plus some YMMV, the 2.5 HD version played during Olympus, against the Rock Troll Heartless. An updated version for Kingdom Hearts III was played in the world of San Fransokyo, on the bridge against the Metal Troll Heartless. In a way, Sora was still in his KHII incarnation look so the former's version played. In his KHIII look, the updated one played. Only for the prologue and the last Disney/Pixar world respectively, both against Trolls. Many players felt that it was such a waste to only have the music played twice and not included for other bosses like Davy Jones. Square-Enix could be trolling people.
• Why is Baymax a Heartless in this game? According to KH rules, once a being begins to manifest a sense of self and emotions, they gain a heart. In Big Hero 6, Baymax outright disobeys orders from Hiro after Hiro angrily forces Baymax to attack Callahan. Once he gets his chip back in, Baymax seems to be horrified and remorseful, which leads to him deciding to show Hiro the footage of Tadashi trying to build Baymax. According to KH rules, THAT would be when Baymax gets his heart! Now, that was Baymax 1.0 which was last in a place that seems suspiciously like KH1's space between worlds, though probably unintentional by the film makers. Baymax 2.0 is the one Hiro has currently. We don't know if that one has a heart, or if it's been transferred somehow.
  • The plot also plays with this. During the world Baymax 1.0 is only a combat chip, and the organization's goal is to try and recreate Baymax's heart through only the combat chip left behind in 1.0, making it clear in the process that it wasn't his full heart.
• Sora's growing powers and skills reaching their zenith in this game can be seen throughout the series, particularly how each skill set he picks up in each game.
  • Kingdom Hearts: Sora at his rawest and most inexperienced as a Keyblade-wielding hero. Through his first adventure, he managed to obtain a great amount of power and skill as a individual, even beginning to tap into the massive power of his heart through new experiences and friends, that My friends are my power.
  • Chain of Memories: Thanks to Castle Oblivion's card nature, Sora's memories, powers, and skills were seriously messed with, which also meant requiring to trust his friends more, leveling up his power of heart even more.
    • However, this and in I is where the darkness in him sprouts from becoming a heartless and would grow at a alarming rate.
  • II: His forms he gains, and access to a second keyblade with some of them, come from him combining his power with his friends. Also, with the memories of his experience restored in an older body, he's able to perform a lot better physically and learning to use the environment and even the enemies' attacks against them. His power of heart would gain in strength with Roxas, likely allowing his magic to regenerate over time automatically and become stronger as well.
    • Though with Roxas and the hearts in and connected to Sora, the darkness would gain more power as well.
  • Dream Drop Distance: A lot of his power-ups in this come from helping his dream eaters get stronger so he can coordinate attacks with them, but at the same time he's able to speed through his surroundings very easily with Flowmotion and has access to a few new abilities from his strength growing. It's in the Sleeping Worlds, that his massive hidden potential in magic and his power of heart would come closer than ever to being fully unlocked, nearly reaching the level of a True Keyblade Master. However...
    • Thanks to the nature of the Sleeping Worlds, his unchecked inner darkness was that much easier to exploit by The True Organization XIII, leading to his heart shattering at the worst possible time.
  • III: It appears that Sora will be a living case of All Your Powers Combined as seen in the Trailers:
    1. Keyblade, Drive Forms: It appears that working with the Dream Eaters has inspired Sora to work as one with his Keyblade, using keychains from the worlds with his revamped power of heart to harness their power through his new drive forms to transform his Keyblade for more power and moves.
    2. Magic: He will have access to powerful "za" level magic thanks to training with the Dream Eaters.
    3. Skills: His training will allow him to further increase his knowledge to use the environment and even the enemies' attacks against them. Along with a few new ones.
• The trailer revealing the world based on Monsters, Inc. also shows Vanitas in said world, holding one of the Scream Canisters. Those things contain Monstropolis' power supply converted from the screams of the children they scare. In other words, Vanitas, who can spawn Unversed from negative emotions, is holding a battery charged with fear.
  • That said, Monstropolis seems to have already converted to laughter based energy, as fear was getting pretty redundant, so the canister isn't one that Vanitas can make use of - so the symbolism may instead be due to Vanitas himself being redundant to Xehanort's plans, as Xehanort only created him to jumpstart the χ-Blade plan early, and Vanitas's attitude in the trailer is slightly off. While he's just as dismissive of Ventus as ever, he talks about needing his other half, and his hand is visibly shaking as he reaches for Sora. Something's up with him.
  • Speaking of which, Randall mentions that he returned thanks to someone fixing the door he got thrown into, thus allowing him to sneak back to Monstropolis. Now, how would Vanitas be able to undo the door getting reduced to sawdust? He’s never shown to have that kind of power before. In order to flawlessly fix something that has been so thoroughly destroyed like that without gluing every little piece back together, you’d have to do something impossible, like, let’s say...reverse time? Now, of course, Vanitas can’t reverse time, but Another organization member can: Young Xehanort. That’s how Vanitas helped Randall. He called upon Young Xehanort and asked him to use his time powers to rewind time and undo the door’s destruction!
  • Vanitas being (presumably) part of the True Organization explains some of the strange happenings in Dream Drop Distance. Sora having a vision of him alongside Young Xehanort as well as the Organization being able to manipulate Sora's path through the Sleeping Worlds can be chalked up to the dark half of Ven's resting heart now having part of Xehanort in it as well.
  • The story does bring up that the screams harvested by Monsters Inc is what allowed him to reform, his Unversed being drawn to the negative emotions and using it to reconstruct his shattered heart, even exploiting the door system to collect screams the way the company used to.
• In a related note, why there are only a few kinds of Unversed on this game? The answer is simple: Vanitas was recently revived and he was too busy using the Unversed to gather negative emotions in Monstropolis to reconstruct his shattered heart to focus on creating more Unversed variants.
• Riku's new Keyblade (as seen in the official render and his Play Arts Kai figure), while resembling a blank modern key, has a handle that is similar to the Kingdom Key, and the keychain is a rounded Hidden Mickey, again, like the Kingdom Key. The Kingdom Key was originally supposed to be Riku's Keyblade, so his new one, marking his progression of character development to becoming a Keyblade Master worthy of wielding a Keyblade, being a sleek modern variant of the Kingdom Key's design is highly appropriate.
  • In addition, Way to the Dawn represented Riku's journey from sympathetic villain to Anti-Hero to hero. That journey is complete. He may be in the Realm of Darkness but he's already reached his Dawn.
  • Moreover, the modern design of Riku's new Keyblade could be representative of the evolving mindset of being a Keyblade Master. Yen Sid named Riku as a Master "with a new kind of power", referring to the fact that he easily wields both darkness and light without being corruptible to the former any longer, a far cry from Eraqus' absolutist mindset. Therefore, not only is Riku a modern Master in terms of being the most recently-named, he's a Master that represents a more modern perspective on the cosmology. Thus, a modern variant of the Kingdom Key for a Master of the modern times.
  • Also, related to Riku's character development, his new outfit is the first to not feature full pants, but capri pants, meaning it doesn't cover all of his legs, a fashion aesthetic only seen on Sora and Ventus (and incidentally makes him look like a white-haired Noctis). This ties to what Riku said at the end of 0.2, when he states he's tired of trying to be the adult of the group and strives to be more like himself as Sora does, when Kairi notes he's acting more like Sora. His new design reflects that, having clothing more similar to Sora's than his previous looks.
    • Moreover, in an ironic sense, his default clothes have now gone from primarily bright color schemes, yellow, in particular, to a primarily black scheme...when he's abandoned Ansem's brand of darkness, has come to embody the Dark Is Not Evil mindset, and now freely uses darkness-based powers while being immune from their corruptible properties. The ironically bright shades of yellow he used to wear represented his dark phase, while his black color scheme represents his redeemed self.
    • In a way, Aqua falling into darkness puts her in complete parallel with Riku. Obviously, he was also a Xehanort vessel as well. But more importantly, Aqua's failure to resist the darkness after almost 12 years without any form of protection other than her light is another nail in the coffin for Eraqus' ways, which were passed onto her, and as far as we've seen, had not really been challenged. Aqua represents a failure of the old ways. Riku, on the other hand, symbolized by his apparent modernized Kingdom Key, represents a master of the newer and wiser ways. A Master that recognizes that darkness, while heavily corrupting, is not inherently evil nor should be totally shunned. Riku's immunity is proof of that. Thus, the clash between Aqua, the Master of the old ways, and Riku, the Master of the learned ways, is set.
• It's interesting Vanitas would be seen in a world based on Monsters, Inc.. Upon further analysis, it makes sense. Vanitas looks human but is a Humanoid Abomination by extention. Sora looks like a monster in this world and is The Hero.
  • Additionally, Vanitas and the Unversed have a theme of emotions, the very thing that Monsters Inc. farms to use as power source to fuel Monstropolis.
• Marluxia is met in the Kingdom of Corona. Though Sora doesn't remember him, the audience does- a manipulative villain who cowtoes a broken female into following him while keeping her captive within his stronghold. Now, who we know in the Kingdom of Corona who's like Marluxia and is still alive at the time this game takes place? In other words, Marluxia's placement in the story has more thought put into it than at first glance- his presence in the Kingdom is also likely to tie into Tangled's story more.
  • There's also the fact that His Somebody, Lauriam, has apparently been alive since the time of the Keyblade War. Fans are scratching their heads over how he's still alive and when exactly he became a Nobody, but regardless of the latter, his ability to apparently stay alive for so long suddenly make sense when you consider that 1) Rapunzel's hair can reverse aging. 2) The original source of that healing power was a flower. 3) Marluxia's elemental powers are all centered around flowers.
• Why is Buzz so vocal about his Arbitrary Skepticism towards Sora claiming that all this Kingdom Hearts lore is real? He's preparing Sora for when he realizes he's just a toy and that his video game isn't real (apparently, Sora and his friends' toy forms are from a video game from the Toy Story world), and doesn't want him to take it as badly as he did in the first Toy Story.
  • It also makes sense why he's the one suffering from Arbitrary Skepticism whereas Woody's the one that is pretty open-minded: this is a Buzz that's already been knocked high off of his pedestal and is fairly down-to-earth, thinking more on reality as it was harshly drilled into his head about what he is. Woody on the other hand is the one that more directly got wrapped up in stranger and stranger plots in the films, going from an ordinary toy to having to drive across town to keep up with Andy, being kidnapped by Big Al, and other such issues. He's led genuine adventures that go beyond all expectations, so he embraces the split worlds and Heartless ideas liberally.
• Of all the potential members for Xehanort to pick, why Larxene? Certainly not for her fighting prowess upon examining her track record (read: losing to Sora when he wasn't at his best and on the verge of going crazy), but rather her sadism. Something very much lampshaded in the E3 2018 trailer.
• Luxord being one of Xehanort's vessels makes sense for two reasons. One, his element is time, which, regardless of how downplayed his power is compared to someone like Young Xehanort, would be an excellent ability to exploit if only to infuriate Sora (and players) with time-limited segments. Second, Luxord was last shown to be depressed about his place as the lowest ranking member of the original Organization but eventually resigns himself to his fate and chooses to serve them as best as he can. Assuming he still has that same mindset, it would make sense for him to serve them because he believes there's nothing else he can do about it.
• Ariel appearing as seafoam instead of physically showing up is more than just a Mythology Gag; she would be pregnant with Melody during the events of the game. And also because the last time Sora saw her, she was still a mermaid. Her connections with Sora is strong enough, that he was able to grant her wish to see worlds in a temporary body based on when he saw her, similar to the summons of the first game.
  • Double so since in the original novel's downer ending, Ariel transforms into seafoam when she fails to win her love.
• From the Classic Kingdom trailer it looks like the Twilight Town trio are the ones that introduce Sora to the LED games. If you remember Pence's camera from Kingdom Hearts II it looks similar to Polaroid cameras from the eighties, plus with Pence being the only one that was computer-literate it makes sense that Twilight Town would have LED games if it's at a mid-eighties tech level.
• The design of the characters new clothes both have a utility function and tie into one of Kingdom Hearts' main themes: balance. All the clothes are stated to protect them from darkness, similar to the black cloaks they previously wore. What is interesting is that the plaid style mixes color with black. For Riku/Mickey its white and black; Sora red and black; Kairi pink and black. Each color represents the character and also represents they come from the Realm of Light. The light parts are woven together with the black (darkness) to balance each other out. This ties to the theme of balance that all darkness or all light is not good and the balance between light and dark is important. The balance between light and dark is literally shown on the clothes they wear.
• The first Keyblade Sora gets after the Kingdom Key is Hero's Origin, which can turn into a shield in Form Change. The second Keyblade he gets is Shooting Star, which turns into a pair of arrowguns for their Form Change. This could be hinting that the only other character to use arrowguns in the series is connected to the Keyblade in some way. In fact, just like how Shooting Star is the second Keyblade after Hero's Origin, Xigbar is the second member of the original Organization XIII, after Xemnas - whose original self is a Keyblade wielder.
• Sora's unfamiliarity with phones seems almost like Square-Enix trying to be more relevant - since thirteen years have passed since Kingdom Hearts II. Except only a full in-game year has passed between II and this game, so while thirteen years have passed in our world, Sora's probably still in around 2004-2005. If you took a smart phone back in time there, they'd be just as confused.
  • Well, that perhaps, but also the fact that Sora is kind of an Idiot Hero whose exposure to technology has usually been to mash buttons or hit it with his Keyblade. Other characters even point out in this game that technology and science are not his strong suit at all.
    • Which also makes sense given that he's not even gone to school for the past year and a half.
• So why bother using a cell phone instead of a journal? Oh, of course - because Jiminy's Journal got corrupted. Data can be manipulated, yes, but can also be backed up in case someone screws with their memory after this.
• Of course the gap between Kingdom Hearts II and Kingdom Hearts III would be thirteen years.
• Sora's noticably weaker at the beginning of the game, with Master Yen Sid reasoning that Xehanort's attempt at possession had cost Sora all of his combat experience from ''Dream Drop Distance'' and ''Kingdom Hearts II''. While it makes sense for Sora to be weak, one can't help but wonder why Donald and Goofy seem to be just as weak, considering we get a short playable section for Riku and his health and magic are maxed, and all of his spells are -aga spells, implying that if Riku hasn't lost his experience, then it shouldn't apply for anyone but Sora. But consider one idea: Donald and Goofy are both well aware that it's a sore point for Sora having lost his power and failing the Mark of Mastery Exam, so it's possible that they're just being Willfully Weak to not make Sora feel worse about his own condition.
  • Or and this often glossed over, it is possible they just aren't that powerful in comparison to keyblade wielders sure they can handle the little guys just fine but put them alone against anything bigger than that and they lose.
    • It's mentioned in one of the loading social media screens that Donald and Goofy have actually also lost a fair amount of power. But why did this happen? Because while Sora's friends are his power, the same is true in reverse. Ergo, when Sora lost his power as a result of DDD, Donald and Goofy also felt the effect, just at a less noticeable degree due to their own inherent abilities.
• The Heartless that come from the Disney Villains are actually rather symbolic of who they were, or how their darkness took form.
  • The Grim Guardianess, Gothel's Heartless, reflects how she maintained her pseudo-immortality as well as her possessiveness over Rapunzel. The first feature that appears is the tail, which could be miscontrued as long hair akin to Rapunzel's. She has four, large hands that seem to make grabbing motions as it attacks, showing Gothel's desire to keep Rapunzel at all costs and never let her go. Finally, the Guardianess's face and hair resembles a tree trunk with branches growing out the top, showcasing how Gothel is long lived like a tree and how she relied on the flower to keep herself alive. The factor that the Guardianess's branches appears like Gothel's hairstyle is also symbolic of how Gothel wanted to keep up her own appearance no matter what, showing how she tries to keep it as a heartless.
  • Sköll, Hans' Heartless, reflects his all consuming desire for a kingdom of his own and his ruthless ambition to fulfill that want. He appears as a wolf made of ice and darkness, showcasing how Hans' true nature is an icy exterior that reflects light, making him look good, but underneath that bright facade is his true dark nature, as well as the factor that he is A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing. His wolves that he summons showcases his manipulative nature, such as getting soldiers against Elsa believing that her capture or death would end the blizzard. The fact that it appears as a wolf can represent Hans' savage and solitary nature, how he sees himself as a lone wolf when it comes to his own family and place in the world. Finally, the name of the heartless is the name of a wolf in Norse Mythology that endlessly chases the sun across the sky, until it finally devours it in Ragnarok, and the name means "Treachery" in old norse. Hans is certainly treacherous, with his infamous "If only there was someone out there who loved you" line, and it also reflects how Hans tries to "devour" Anna and Elsa, not only purging their light from the world in game, but also to take the throne of Arendelle for himself.
  • The Guardian, who we learn is holding Terra's heart, reflects many things about Terra. First off, it's a Heartless that is impervious to all damage, and who attacks on the behalf of Terranort/Ansem, Seeker of Darkness. This reflects not only his will to protect Aqua and Ven, but also how he's been used as a meat shield by Xehanort when he pulled a Grand Theft Me on Terra and is underneath his control. The muscular visage and odd hair-like antennae are also pieces of Morphic Resonance to Terra's own appearance and hairstyle. Finally, it's mouth is bound shut, which reflects not only how tightly he's kept under control by Xehanort, but also how he kept quiet about Xehanort's nature to others before it was too late. Finally, there's the factor that the Guardian is a sentient Heartless, much like Ansem So D is, but they differ by what made them into Heartless. Xehanort's Darkness was driven by a need for answers and science, but also born by stealing names (Ansem the Wise) and bodies (Terra) to keep himself going, hence how he's "Ansem, Seeker of Darkness". The Guardian was born from Terra's Darkness which, while it was fueled by anger and hatred of Xehanort, was also created because he wanted to protect Aqua and Ventus no matter what, and yet he's so dehumanized that he doesn't even have his own body anymore, hence why he's just "The Guardian" who doesn't have his own Heartless entry.
• While the mystery of Subject X feels out of nowhere considering she was never mentioned before, it makes sense why Ansem and Isa would suddenly start talking about her now: all of the "chosen" members of the New Organization have to die at the hands of the Guardians of Light in order for Master Xehanort to forge the X-Blade, something that Ansem Seeker of Darkness was aware of and had made peace with, and Isa likely at least suspected. It makes sense then, that after years of not thinking about her, they would want some form of closure before they met their ends.
  • While Subject X has never been mentioned before, the Apprentices' experiments being, in part, related to manipulating the mind, the memory, and the very sense of self is actually alluded to in Dream Drop Distance by Xemnas long before it was made clear that this wasn't just referring to making Emblem Heartless.
  • The only possible tie-in to Subject X prior to III is at the end of Birth By Sleep when Lea and Isa are shown getting kicked out of the castle after trying to break in some time after Terranort is taken in as an apprentice. While this scene was likely originally written as childhood mischief, it becomes much Harsher in Hindsight with the revelation of their real motive in III. Although, the Secret Ansem Reports in II already suggested Xehanort's experiments had begun by that point, so it's possible that scene had intentionally darker connotations all along.
• How Xion returned: Ienzo states that a person could be restored to life by placing their data and their heart in a replica body. Even provided the body through the Replica Program. The Organization's plots in Toy Box and San Fransokyo were about gathering the necessary data and testing to make sure their intended method would work. This brought her to life with enough memories to be useful in the final battle. And Sora acknowledging her in the Keyblade Graveyard finally returned her heart.
• Each Disney world has an Organization member that acts as the main threat and cause for the problems. Each one makes perfect sense with their character and the world they visits.
  • Marluxia in the Kingdom of Corona. Marluxia is there primarily to ensure that Rapunzel remains within her tower, protected in case they need another Light for the creation of the X-Blade. However, Rapunzel's protection comes at the cost of her happiness and freedom, and left in the care of an abusive caretaker in the form of Mother Gothel who abuses her power. If one recalls the evens of Chain of Memories, one can draw parallels between Gothel and Rapunzel's relationship to Marluxia and Namine's. Both Marluxia and Gothel are abusive caretakers who abuse the power of their helpless female who's in their custody to achieve their goals. And both of their plans completely fall apart when a male (Sora/Flynn) steps into the picture, ruins their plans and leads to their respective deaths. There is also the fact that both abusers manipulate the person they are "protecting" by hiding memories and their past from them, thus robbing them of the truth of their person.
  • Young Xehanort in Toy Box. Young Xehanort wants to see how if beings like toys can become corrupted by the Darkness, even though they are inanimate objects. The irony is that Young Xehanort acts with Dull Surprise because none of the events of the game will truly faze him; he'll still return to his time and go through the same events anyway. In effect, Young Xehanort is a toy for Master Xehanort, so he shows little care because it doesn't matter. When Woody calls him hollower then any toy, he's right.
    • It's also a Stealth Pun. Young Xehanort. Younger self. And of course, what do people do when they're younger? Play with toys. Har har.
  • Larxene is in Arendelle. Larxene is fulfilling a similar role to Marluxia, namely keeping Elsa isolated in case they need another Light. Unlike Marluxia, Larxene is perfectly fine with the idea of Elsa falling to Darkness and is more interested in seeing the outcome of the struggle. One can easily draw parallels to how she treats Elsa to how she treats Namine, keeping them isolated with no one to save them, and abusing them with sadistic glee. Furthermore, one could also draw parallels of Larxene to Hans and how he uses everyone in order to achieve his goals and cannot comprehend the power of love, even up to the point you could replace Hans with Larxene when Anna tells him he's got a "frozen heart", and there'd barely be any difference. This could also be a small sign of how in Union X, Elrena tried looking for Strelitzia, Lauriam's sister, in order to help him. Larxene is doing a similar thing here, looking for Anna's sister, but to help Xehanort instead.
  • Vanitas in Monstropolis. As a being made of emotions, Vanitas naturally would go to the world where emotions like fear and laughter are capable of creating power in order to power himself up. The irony is that Vanitas looks like a normal person aside from his helmet, but is one of the series biggest Eldritch Abomination. Sulley and Mike, who are literally monsters, are both good people in spite of that and want to make things better without fear. Vanitas is essentially the real monster scaring people, not Mike or Sulley.
  • Dark Riku in San Fransokyo. When one thinks about it, Dark Riku's backstory could easily fit inside a superhero movie as he is an evil replica of the hero's best friend. Also, much of the conflict surrounding the world revolves around fighting the Heartless version of the original Baymax making both of the "bad guys" in the world "evil" versions of another hero character. In addition to that, from a meta standpoint, Big Hero 6 was the most recent film out of the eight Disney films to have worlds while Dark Riku is the only Organization member to be introduced in this game. His appearance being that of Riku's Kingdom Hearts 1 appearance also calls to mind the handful of games which use those designs post-KH 1. Like for instance, Re:Coded, the Data Cubes from which Dark Riku is commanding.
  • Luxord in The Caribbean. It makes sense as a Call-Back to II where Luxord also served as the Organization member infiltrating Port Royal, and thus knows how to deal with pirates the best. He's also there strictly on business, trying to get at Davy Jone's Heart like the other characters in the movies and presumably trying to give it to Xehanort due to his character being loyal to the organization to the point his own fate is ignored. Though not appearing in game, one could draw comparisons to Admiral Norrington in the movies, who is similarly obsessed with duty and who delivers the box containing the heart to Beckett, who could be seen as "Xehanort" in this allusion.
• While Master Xehanort's complicated Mental Time Travel shenanigans might not seem to make any sense, they actually have some precedent in the world of Kingdom Hearts. It's shown time and time again that the bonds between hearts can transcend time and space, such as how Sora is able to get through to Rinzler in Dream Drop Distance, even though Rinzler is a completely different version of Tron than the Tron Sora knows. Xehanort and his incarnations, meanwhile, are able to travel through time via the bonds they created with their subordinates and vessels. Or to put it another way, Master Xehanort has weaponized The Power of Friendship.
• While it seems that Master Xehanort's goals conflict with his actions in previous games, it's possible he saw his and his incarnations' actions as means to an end because he was going to reset the universe anyway. It's possible he saw his and his incarnations' desire for darkness as examples for why he needs to bring balance to the universe.
  • Its also possible he was going to use "cover the world"/"hasten the world's demise into" "darkness" as a backup to the backup to the backup (how many backup plans did this guy have again?) to the plan. As he said, everything began in darkness and then the light of Kingdom Hearts happened. So even if he doesn't actually summon Kingdom Hearts, as long as everything else is darkness, it will probably still do its thing to recreate everything. He just wouldn't be there to guide the next world like he would like.
  • His actual motivations aren't inconsistent with his previous characterization is one considers his villainous behavior mostly an act to antagonize the heroes. To open Kingdom Hearts and restart the world, thirteen darknesses is requires to clash with seven lights, something Xehanort figured nobody on the side of light would agree to. So Xehanort needed to create an end of the world situation to force the seven lights gather and to clash with the thirteen darknesses. This is consistent with not only his behavior in past games but also those of his direct incarnations like Xemnas and Ansem because many of their actions were rarely done out of personal enmity towards the heroes, but to push them to help them progress their agenda.
• The monsters harvest emotions from children all over the worlds. This should mean that they are well aware of the existence of multiple human worlds, but they apparently are not. Why not? Their extreme aversion to humans and anything related to humans (and the fact that scarers never leave their targets' bedrooms) prevents them from learning anything about the other worlds.
• It seems a bit odd that Lea would insist that Kairi call him Axel after correcting everyone in Dream, Drop, Distance. But he explains to her that he’s keeping the coat on to make himself easier to remember, the implication being that he’s making it easier for Roxas to remember him. With that in mind, it makes sense why he dosn't take grevance with being called Axel this time. Roxas and Xion never learned what Axel’s real name was.
• Where the people's hearts end up after the initial Total Party Kill also makes a good amount of sense in terms of story.
  • Riku in Olympus Colosseum. His story matches up pretty well with Hercules. Both are figures who had a great destiny (Keyblade Master/Godhood) that they lost and have fallen from grace. In order to reclaim their birthrights, they had to prove they were worthy of it, even up to the point they would sacrifice themselves for others and were tempted by agents of darkness (Hades/Maleficent). They manage to be triumphant in the end of their stories and achieve a happy ending from their trauma conga lines.
  • Aqua in The Caribbean. Her story actually matches up well with that of Davy Jones. Both of them were reknowned for their skills (Keyblade Mastery and devotion to the Light/sailing his ship and love of the sea) and are motivated by the love for someone they're devoted to (Terra and Ven/Calypso). However, they are both broken by 10 years of trials (roaming the Realm of Darkness/ferrying the souls of dead sailors) and upon the completion of those 10 years being abandoned by those they cared about (Mickey/Calypso). This ends up breaking their hearts and turning them into monsters.
  • Ventus in Toy Box. Like Woody in the original Toy Story with Andy, Ventus is driven by the fear of being left behind or losing someone he cares about (Terra). They both go to great lengths to try and strengthen their bond (Woody by getting rid of Buzz, Ventus by following Terra no matter the dangers). They both also suffer at the hands of a monstrous kid willing to destroy them (Sid/Vanitas), but in the end manage to reunite with their loved ones.
  • Mickey in the Kingdom of Corona. His story matches up well with Rapunzel. Both of them are estranged nobles who've been away from their true homes due to outside circumstances (Mickey because the Heartless were acting up, Rapunzel because she was kidnapped by Gothel). But with the help of a rougish male who is also a criminal (Eugene/Riku), they're able to reclaim their homes and also aid in elevating that male with them.
  • Goofy in Arendelle. His story matches up with Anna's. Both of them are people who are trying to get into contact with someone who refuses to do so due to circumstances (Mickey because he's missing, Elsa because she doesn't want to hurt Anna). They're both also enamored with trying to follow their destiny (finding the Keyblade Master/her one true love), but when that destiny leads them into someone unpleasant (Hans/Riku), they end up managing to go with the actual person they want to be with who is a better person at heart (Kristoff/Sora).
  • Donald in Monstropolis. Monstropolis is known for not wanting to contact with the human world they visit out, namely out of fear of humans. This mimicks well how Donald is the most prone to mentioning the World Order, namely not to interfere with other world's politics and whatnot.
    • Donald also mirrors how the Monsters attempted a distant relationship with a human (Boo/Sora) for professional reasons, and they eventually grow to care for them. In KH 1, Donald was the first between he and Goofy to leave Sora in favor of following the keyblade, and the last to return to Sora. However, he clearly cares for Sora as a true friend and companion, and is often the first to refuse to be separated in later installments.
  • Axel in San Fransokyo. His story matches up well with Hiro's. Both of them have lost someone very dear to them (Roxas and Xion/Tadashi) and a good majority of their stories deal with how they deal with the grieving process of losing them. Like Axel's desperation to keep them together and getting Roxas back at any cost, while Hiro seeks out vengeance for the loss of his brother. Not to mention San Fransokyo's tall buildings and modern aesthetics can bring both Twilight Town and The World That Never Was to mind, the main hangout place for RAX and the Organization's HQ respectively.
• Xion calling out to Sora before the final battle to inform him that she believes that Kairi is still o.k. despite her apparent death at Xehanort’s hands seems like a simple heartwarming moment at first, but actually makes sense in context when you remember how Xion was created herself. Born from Soras memories, particularly those of Kairi due to those being his strongest ones at the time of her birth, Xion of all people would probably understand just how strong the bond between the two of them is and that they would always find their way back to each other no matter how far apart they end up.
• Of course Rex likes the game "Verum Rex". It literally has his name in the title!
• There are several parallels between the story of Sora and Riku and the story of Lea/Axel and Isa/Saix. In BBS, we find out that young Lea was the impulsive and competitive boy who would happily make friends with some random person that he just met while Isa was the calmer and rational one who would still mess with his friend some. Just like Sora and Riku at the start of KH 1. Eventually, circumstances toss the pair far from home (Destiny Islands being destroyed/being turned into Nobodies), but they are determined to find a girl who is important to them (Kairi/Subject X). Sora/Axel makes a pair of new friends (Donald and Goofy/Roxas and Xion), which leads to Riku/Saix growing jealous. Not to mention Riku/Saix believing that Sora/Axel replaced him and forgot all about the girl they are supposed to be looking for. This causes the former friends to drift further and further apart. And finally, both Riku and Saix end up possessed/half-possessed by Ansem SOD/Xemnas.
• While it seems like Xemnas' statement about most of the original Organization XIII being inadequate while most of the members of the real Organization XIII are made up of the original may seem like a retcon, especially because two of them, Larxene and Marluxia fit under weakness of trust while Demyx and Luxord could fit under weakness of body or will. However, what Xemnas says may not be a retcon if he is referring to the half of Ansem The Wise' apprentices that weren't made into vessels. Xaldin, Lexeaus and Zexion could fall under weakness of body because Dilan, Aeleus and Ienzo turn on Xehanort immediately when they regain their original bodies could fall under weakness of trust. Roxas himself fits under weakness of trust. Because Larxene, Marluxia, Luxord are ancient Keyblade Wielders, they fit under strength of body. Also, the Organization member could be considered adequate if they had one of the three qualities because while Xion had weakness of will and trust, she had the strength of body by being a Keyblade Wielder. Demyx and Vexen are both benched and only serve as spares possibly because of their perceived weakness of body or will.
• Because specific nobodies like the Reapers and the Ninjas likely existed before and because many of them use weapons and powers similar to their "commanding" Nobodies like Marluxia and Larxene, the Organization Nobodies' weapons and powers are likely just stronger versions of the lesser Nobodies.
  • It also makes sense the Reapers and Ninjas never appeared before, such as in KH 2, is because their commanding Nobodies were dead at the time. As for why they did not appear in Co M, it is most likely because of the way Castle Oblivion operates, as most of the enemies were ones Sora previously encountered. No Nobodies, other than the Organization, appeared as enemies during CoM. This means that there might be other Nobody types, Vexen's and Zexion's for example, that existed but were never seen.
• Because Luxu passed down the No Name Keyblade to Xehanort as his Master, Luxu played both Master and Apprentice/underling to Xehanort.
  • Amusingly, that means Luxu already had an X in his name before Xehanort was rearranging each Organization members' name with an X, which can symbolize that he was involved in the Keyblade War way before Xehanort was.
• Why is Goofy the only one who heard Yen Sid mumble "May your heart be your guiding key."? Because dogs have good hearing.
• It seems the events that occurred in Pirates of the Caribbean foreshadowed the ending of KH3. Specifically, it foreshadowed and paralleled the love interests being separated at the end. It also prepared Sora and co, seeing what Elizabeth and Will go through, to help unknowingly prepare them for what Kairi and Sora go through at the end and give them the strength to get through the situation. In both case, one love interest (Sora/Will) is seemingly permanently separated from their love interest (Kairi/Elizabeth) , in both cases dealing with a sacrifice on one side (Sora overusing his power/Will becoming the Flying Dutchman's new captain). Even the scenes where Sora and Will are separated from Kairi and Elizabeth are similar with both events happening at sunset and on an island.
  • This also feeds into why Sora loves the PotC world so much because he loves adventure and being a pirate allows him to indulge in childhood fantasies he never got to experience, such as how in KH1 the trio were preparing a raft to go explore with those plans never coming to fruition. Now, Sora gets to finally explore on a raft and later a pirate ship.
• There have been some complaints how the final battle with Master Xehanort did not feel like a True Final Boss battle, but consider the following: before encountering Master Xehanort, Sora and co fight through the True Organization XIII, who are already part of Xehanort. Some of these were previous final bosses, for example Ansem So D, Marluxia, and Xemnas, and involved going through many forms including a One-Winged Angel form. None of the rematches here involve any transformations. When Sora fights Master Xehanort, there are only 3 main parts of the final battle with no big transformations, such as no World of Darkness or gigantic dragon, just am additional suit of armor. The reason for this is because the previous rematches were the fight against the other "forms", literally, of the final boss, like the ones that are usually fought before the final boss uses all of their power. All were technically a form of the final boss (Master Xehanort) with the final Master Xehanort fight being the culmination of all the previous fights. The final fight with Master Xehanort is the usual True Final Boss fight since Master Xehanort was at full power in the end.
  • Also, it makes sense that Xehanort doesn't transform into a big form as either his old self or his young self because he's a Keyblade Master first and foremost and his ego won't allow him to take on any other form.
• Flowmotion getting a nerf from Dream Drop Distance was obviously out of universe for the sake of balancing what many saw as a Game-Breaker, but in universe it also makes a degree of sense: Dream Drop Distance was set in a dream. Of course the mechanic exclusive to the Sleeping Worlds would be weaker in the real world.
• Dark Riku, Xigbar, and Ansem SOD teaming up seems random, but those three have something in common: they are not what everyone thought they are. Dark Riku is just another Riku Replica, Xigbar is Luxu, and Ansem SOD is Apprentice Xehanort’s Heartless.
• One reason why Terra-Xehanort is placed among the lower ranked members of the real Organization below Xemnas, Ansem, and Young Xehanort is because Master Xehanort knows from experience that Terra-Xehanort is less stable and can be taken over by Terra. Xemnas, Ansem and Young Xehanort are Master Xehanort's Dragons because they are the most loyal or least likely to rebel members of the real Organization.
• Why is Sora able to use magic while using the Leviathan and why is the Leviathan strengthened by collecting white crabs? Because the Leviathan is made of Calypso's magic and made of the white crabs.
• The significance of Axel and Saix's elements as well as their dynamics and how it relates to them as friends, perhaps deconstructing bits and pieces of how Saix was Unintentionally Unsympathetic considering all that he's done, become more prevalent in this game.
  • First, it's noted how Axel has not only fire themes, but also sun themes. He talks about how the color red goes the farthest in the color spectrum from sunlight, his chakrams appear like they could be depictions of the sun, and fire is seen as a symbol of life and light. Saix's element is Moon, which in this case plays on the ideas of the moon serving as a symbol of madness and monstrosity.
  • The Sun is known for giving light and life, which is necessary for life on earth. But the Moon is basically a satellite around Earth. While it doesn't benefit it's growth beyond affecting the tides, and it's glow comes from reflecting the Sun's light. Without the sun's light, it'd look like it was the New Moon every night (basically a dark object floating around the earth).
    • Taking all of this into account, the symbolism of their elements fits their relationship quite well. They were both friends, but with time they eventually drifted apart, with Axel being able to make new friends and live on his own while Saix felt he was abandoned, which only made his drift to the darkness a whole lot easier. This can be seen as how, without the sun giving it a way to shine (via reflecting light), the moon is a dark object. Without Axel and his brightness, Saix fell into Darkness. It also helps explain why Saix was jealous over Axel, he's aware of the fact that his downfall was caused by envy. The moon has no light without the sun to give it.
• The reason why Ven would remember Lea is because he was sleeping for most of the series and in sleep, people don't make new memories, with the only new memories Ven would experience being Sora's through vivid dreams and explains why Ven doesn't realize Sora looks like Vanitas until he's woken. Also, Ven would remember the Dream Eaters (the strange animals) the most because Sora met them in the Dreaming Worlds. For Lea, it's been years since he's seen Ven while for Ven, it's been days.
• Why would a fanatic for the darkness like Xehanort want to steal and use another's light during the final battle besides wanting to corrupt him with the darkness? Because he's actually a fanatic for the light.
• Xehanort's outfit is foreshadowing for his real goal. He wears black over white representing how he uses darkness as a means to bring back the light.
• The series has long established that connections with friends and loved ones is one of the foundations hearts are built on. In II, Saix dies asking where his heart is. In III, he dies in Lea's arms, with Lea's name being the last thing he says. He found his heart, which was there all along, he was just too blinded by jealously to see it.
• If one interprets the power of waking as a power to find and travel to someone, the Door to Light from II might be a form of it because Sora was able to use his connection to Kairi to return to the realm of light and Destiny Islands like how he was able to use connections with the others to find them, although using the power to find them to prevent their death was a miuse of the power and what costed him his life. The power of waking was probably what was needed to find Aqua in the realm of darkness.
• The Light of the Past Eraqus mentions not only foreshadows the Union Cross helping Sora but also how Xehanort will be redeemed. By remembering the good parts of his past, Xehanort redeems himself and forgoes his plans.
• Sora's statement that a true leader knows that destiny is beyond his control he is proven through his own character. Despite his year long machinations and calculations, Xehanort is defeated because destiny chose a random kid to defeat him.
• In 3D, when the Xehanorts assemble, it looks like they have all but their 13th vessel but in 3, it's revealed the 13 Darknesses were not fully assembled at that point. In 3, Vexen and Demyx are only kept as members as spares and are benched when the rest of the 13 are filled and their spots are filled by Dark Riku, Xion and Terra-Xehanort. That means in 3D, Vexen and Demyx were seat warming when the 13 Xehanorts were assembled on their thrones.
  • Or maybe not, because of time travel and because of the Realm of Sleep, almost all prospective members of the real Organization could be there without replicas, including Vanitas, who didn't reform his heart until III. Riku Replica and Vanitas could be there through time travel and the other members who aren't time travelling hearts could be there. The Real Organization only needed Sora or Xion to complete their ranks.
  • It's possible that the twelve people seen were Xehanort, his three dragons (Young Xehanort, Ansem, Xemnas), Xigbar and Saïx (Confirmed), Marluxia, Larxene, Luxord, Terranort, possibly Vanitas (Albeit not fully formed). But who was the twelfth? Demyx. Vexen doesn't "join" until the beginning of III.
• When Xigbar says he wanted to be bequeathed Xehanort's Keyblade, Sora and Riku say he's not worthy. By the end of the game, Master Xehanort bequeaths "a" Keyblade, the X-Blade to Sora because he's worthy while Xigbar gets Xehanort's Keyblade, but not because he was bequeathed or because he was worthy but because he was the owner.
• It is fitting that Verum Rex takes place in Shinjuku because it, like Verum Rex's influence, "Final Fantasy Versus XIII" has been erased.
• In his boss battle, Xigbar turns his arrowguns into a giant bow. It seems odd that he would use a bow for his desperation attack because compared to his arrowguns and his sniper rifle, the bow is archaic. This is another hint that Xigbar is Luxu.
• The addition of Water magic isn't just to include the Water element into the game and a method of defeating fire element foes, it relates to the water that makes the Final World.
• The tutorial level, Olympus, and Hades by extension, mirror and foreshadow the events of KH 3 and Xehanort’s actions. I only noticed this on my replay of KH 3
  • After beating Olympus, Hades starts ranting, during his Villainous Breakdown, that he had spent 18 years devising to defeat Zeus, Hercules and take over Olympus/the cosmos. The opening narration also mentions how to tried using several pawns and proxies years earlier to advance his goals, using Zack, Cloud and Auron to do so, only for each part of that plan to fail. Only when he was close to victory did he almost succeed except he still lost in the end. Sora comments that no how many times he plots, they (Hercules, Sora and co) will always be there to stop him over and over again. Hades admits defeat and runs off.
  • Xehanort also spent years planning and scheming. Since BBS started 10 years before Kingdom Hearts and he had been training Ventus for a while before that, probably close to the same 18 years Hades was plotting. Xehanort also used proxies and earlier schemes to advance his goals. For example, in BBS using Ventus/Vanitas to forge the x-blade and using Terra as a backup. In later games using his incarnations to advance his goals. But each time they fail and it is only at the end, when OG Xehanort finally comes back does the planning come together. He comes close to victory only to be defeated again. Much like Hades, despite all the planning and scheming, the group (Sora and co.) defeat him each time. In the end, Xehanort also finally admits defeat and fades away.
  • So not only in the tutorial level was the entire plot of KH 3 foreshadowed, the last Disney villain from the original games, Hades, paralleled Xehanort, the main villain of all the games, in his plotting and scheming and eventual defeat.
• The Olympus tutorial level opening narration brought up an interesting point. The Narrator says the 18 year planetary alignment brought the darkness down which allowed Hades to free the Titans. Why at that specific time is the conjunction happening and everything lining up? Because Xehanort et al. is also planning his own scheme to cover the land in darkness. Xehanort is spreading darkness through the worlds it is the same darkness that allows Hades to enact his plans as well!
• Saïx is the easiest boss fight in the entire game if not the entire series. Sora can simply sit back and let Roxas and Xion kick his ass. But it actually makes sense he'd be so easy: after he's defeated, he says he's sacrificed everything to try and track her (Subject X) down and was envious of Lea (as Axel) finding other friends, feeling replaced. (Sound like someone we know?) This made him weaker - because during the scenes before and during, we see that Xehanort is clearly exerting his will over him if not flat out subjugating him. He's Fighting from the Inside - and you're basically giving him a Mercy Kill at that point.
  • Adding onto that, Vexen implies that Saïx wishes to atone for his crimes too. Which is confirmed by the Ultimania.
  • Additionally, this sheds light into Vexen's actions in The Caribbean. Note how of the members sent out to worlds to find potential lights, he's the only one who doesn't directly take any actions against Sora, at best only observing. Fake foreshadowing? Not necessarily... he was likely sent there as a test of loyalty. Aint No Rule that says he can't just observe and ride off of Luxord's coattails. Considering his role in the Organization prior to Days, this is completely in character for him. Of course this is also why he got benched.
    • Another possibility is that he DELIBERATELY underperformed in The Caribbean, because he was TRYING to get himself benched. He needed to be close to Organization XIII, but not close enough that he'd be under observation. What better way than playing to his past tendencies so that he would seem loyal enough to be in, but unmotivated enough that he'd be put on the bench, outside of the watch of the Organization proper.
  • The cutscene with him and Demyx and the ultimania reveal that Saïx have been helping him... Which adds to some Fridge Horror - how much of Saïx is his own actions and how much are Xehanort's mind control?
    • Before the fight theme changes to a remix of The Other Promise, note how A Fight to the Death actually plays. The same theme that played during the first fight with Xemnas. This shows that Saïx is being flat out subjugated.
    • This could also be a Gameplay and Story Integration momentt. Saix is powered by the moon. In KH 2 he is fought under a full moon. He is at his most powerful and is a tough fight, and also displays moments of his "lunacy". Here, he is fought during the day. He would be at his weakest and most "rational", lending credence to his Fighting from the Inside, as he has the mentality to resist Xehanort.
• Xigbar's Vocal Evolution noticeably downplays his Surfer Dude accent for a more serious voice. As the Secret Reports reveal, Luxu's Braig persona was supposed to be that of a fool to lower Xehanort's suspicions; such an accent would clearly help in that regard. In III, Xehanort finally enters his endgame; at this point, he has no reason to question the man who has supported his goals since the beginning. Luxu knew this, so he decided to prepare for when he no longer needed the Braig/Xigbar persona, most notably by dropping the ridiculous accent.
• Because Xehanort gains such a massive power boost by absorbing his heart fragments from his other selves, it makes sense why he does not fight the Guardians by himself besides Orcuson His Throne and video game conventions or why he is not as powerful when he fights Terra in "Birth By Sleep", he's not at full power. In "Birth By Sleep", he's shared his heart fragment with Vanitas and Braig and in "III", he's shared his heart fragments with most of his organization.
• Why do several of the real Organization like Terra-Xehanort, Vanitas, Dark Riku and Ansem revert to their original outfits when battling Sora besides iconic factor? Because their main element and power is darkness and the Black Coat wards off darkness. The other members like Marluxia and Luxord wear the Black Coat because they rely on their Nobody powers and Young Xehanort relies on his Keyblade prowess.
• Demyx's first scene in the game has some minor examples of this:
  • He mocks Larxene's suggestion of staging another coup, telling them that they "need to play it smart, like me." Later on, he ends up betraying the organization, using the fact that he's been completely ignored to get away with it.
  • He states that he can be extremely imposing when he wants to be. Anyone who knows of Demyx's status as That One Boss in Kingdom Hearts II knows this is definitely true.
• Subject X and her connection to Isa and Lea/Saix and Axel has been accused of being an Ass Pull. But if you go back to Birth By Sleep, where their younger selves make a cameo, they meet Ventus on the way somewhere with Isa reminding Lea (who is intent on cheering up the obviously down Ventus, making an impression on him in the process) they don't have time. Last we see them before Ven leaves the world is of them looking up with determination at the castle. With the introduction of Subject X, we now know why they were "short on time" and heading to the castle!
• During one of the ending cinematics credits, Riku was given a type of scene with Namine. It makes sense when one remembers Riku Replica and Namine's supposed relationship back in Chain of Memories.
• The original game was released January 29th, 2019 in the West. The DLC is set to be released January 23rd, 2020 — about 358 days later.
• A nice case of show, don't tell. In "3D", Sora wonders why he has to restart his Keyblade training from step one when he's already had many accomplishments. In "3", Sora will have an easier time against foes using his new Keyblade Transformations and Form Changes than if he uses Second Form, all his power and techniques from "2", because his new training allows him to tap into the greater power of the Keyblade. However, Sora can still beat his foes using Second Form by bridging the gap using his skill. This adds another level of brilliance because Sora can beat his foes using his old skills but just by being more skilled with them. This is even supported by the battle system, which is a mix of "2"'s and "Birth By Sleep" and "3D"'s. Sora has learned new skills, but he's still fighting in the way he's most familiar with and the way he's been fighting before in "1" and "2". The battle system is a mix of all the games, especially "1" and "2"'s because it's an amalgamation of everything Sora's learned and how Sora fights the best.
• Besides how both are not really well liked, there are pragmatic reasons why both Vexen and Demyx are benched as back ups:
  • Vexen is the one responsible for the Replica programs and making sure the ones who are displaced in time still have their bodies. If he was made into a full member, then Xehanort will lose the ability to create more Replicas either by his death or being fully turned into a clone of Xehanort so he doesn't want to sacrifice the best person to create Replicas until he can afford to.
  • As Xemnas reveals, Demyx comes from the Nobody of an ancient Keyblade wielder. While he doesn't fully remember, it is still possible for him to eventually remember and since he's already considered the most useless of the rest of the original Organization, this makes him the prime choice to gather information about the Keyblade War while the other three more combated Nobodies can be benched in his place in case he dies.
• Like Aqua, Ven was revealed to have not aged a day since Birth By Sleep. In Aqua's case, it was explained that time flowed differently inside the Realm of Darkness, so to her her disappearance had been much shorter than the decade it was in the Realm of Light. But Ven's body was in the Realm of Light all that time, so why hadn't he grown up to be the same age as his contemporaries, Isa or Lea?
  • For one, his body was missing its heart all that time. His heart had been full of light like Kairi's, so like her in the first game, his body was merely comatose like hers and didn't itself become a Nobody. Nomura stated here in 2009 that Nobodies don't age and although Ven wasn't technically a Nobody at the time, he was an Empty Shell without a heart like them so the same rules almost certainly apply.^note True, we do see Nobodies who DO seem to have aged, but Roxas is all but stated to have Ven's heart, Xehanort was actively planting copies of his heart in the rest of the Organization including Saïx and presumably Axel and Zexion, and the Sea-Salt Trio soon develops a friendship that could've enabled the start of their own hearts for all three of them anyway. With his body asleep all those years, he never woke up to get the chance to develop a new heart, so his body didn't start aging again until the old one returned in III.
  • Another reason is that if Ven's body was actively aging without his heart, then logically speaking he would need to be actively ingesting food and water too to survive and grow. When Aqua set off to find Terra at the end of BBS, she didn't expect to leave Ven alone for twelve years, but given how long the journey she'd already been on to find Terra and Ven had taken, she knew there was no guaranteeing when she'd be able to get back and Ven would be alone all that time, sleeping without being able to wake up to eat or drink water. Of course she'd use magic to keep Ven's body suspended in time — otherwise he'd die of dehydration in three days if she couldn't come back! (And since she was gone for twelve years, thank goodness she did, or Ven would've needed a fresh Replica body too...)
• Why does Dark Riku (who is actually another Riku Replica) pretend to be the real Riku from when Ansem, Seeker of Darkness possessed him up until his defeat? His last words as he's fading away into darkness provide the answer: He's not pretending. He really believes that he's the real one and that Riku is the fake one, and he wants to prove it.
• One of the Guardian's new attacks is a slam that creates a large rock fracture in the ground. Fractures a lot like Terra's Quake and Geo Impact moves from Birth By Sleep.
• Although the real Organization's ranks don't matter, they are still ordered partially by plot importance. Master Xehanort is I because of his role as the leader and being the Big Bad of III but also because he's the Big Bad of the, chronologically, first numbered game in the series, Birth By Sleep, Ansem is II because he is the Big Bad of the second numbered game, I and Xemnas is III because he is the Big Bad of the third numbered game, II. Next, Xigbar and Luxord are after them on the list because they are now the next "mysterious" characters in the series, Xigbar being Luxu and Luxord being not only an ancient Keyblade wielder but also possibly Yozora's driver. Similarly, Larxene and Marluxia are next on the list because of their roles as ancient Keyblade wielders, which will be explored next. Saix and Terra-Xehanort come after them because of their roles as being supporting villains and being more of The Brute for the real Organization. Dark Riku and Vanitas come after and are near the end of the list because they are "sidekicks" to Ansem and Master Xehanort respectively. Young Xehanort and Xion are last on the list because of their smaller, but important roles in the game. Xion is also XIII because she was meant to absorb and replace Roxas and become the real number XIII in the original Organization.
• Why does Data Dark Riku not have a second phase or change up much of his moves? Because he's already in his second phase. All of his moves are based on moves from his or rather Riku-Ansem's second phase from I, from the ground fissures to the sword beams. This is supported by the dark orb of energy in Data Dark Riku's hand throughout the fight, which Riku-Ansem had during his second phase and how he can use Dark Aura every few minutes as he did in the aforementioned boss fight.
• Saix in this game is weak to Ice magic when he is charging his Berserk meter. It could be a reference to how fire elemental, his energy attacks resembling, foes are weak to Ice magic in II and could also be because he needs to chill.
• Having Terra-Xehanort in his ranks probably made it easier for Xehanort to recruit and corrupt the past Riku Replica because he could pose as Terra and convince Riku Replica to succumb to Darkness.
• One may wonder why Sora can't just return to the present after learning that Master Xehanort didn't kill Kairi but crystallized her and scattered her fragments. It's because the Scala Ad Caelum Sora fights Master Xehanort in is a dream world which is proven by how Master Xehanort's portal is a Sleeping World portal, so Scala Ad Caelum would be hard to locate without his portal. Also, because Sora has to get two of her Kairi's fragments by defeating Xehanort's replicas, who knows what happened to the fragments in a timeline where Sora didn't travel back in time. Also, it's a good thing Sora didn't return to the present because without his intervention, the other Guardians of Light would have most likely died to Xehanort's replicas.
• The very first world you play through in the game is based on Ancient Greece. Likewise, the last world you encounter, Scala Ad Caelum, has its design clearly inspired by parts of Greece as well, such as Cyclades.
  • In a similar vein, "Scala Ad Caelum" literally means "Stairway to heaven". In Olympus, you start at the ground and climb the titular mountain to enter the celestial heavens above.
• Larxene stated that both Elsa and Anna become Princesses of Heart after Elsa learned to control her powers and thaw the world from her endless winter. Frozen II confirms that both sisters are the Fifth Spirit.
• If you think about it, this game has gameplay elements from almost every past game in the series, which makes sense for a Grand Finale:
  • It uses the MP and Magic system from II, while Formchanges have obvious elements of Drive Forms. Limit-like attacks also appear.
  • Formchanges also function like Command Styles in Birth by Sleep and Shotlocks make a return.
  • Situation Commands and Grand Magic return from 0.2.
  • The Formchanges all give Sora various weapons with different combo attacks, much like the different playable characters and their unique combos in Days. Status effects also function like in that game and coded.
  • Flowmotion returns from Dream Drop Distance as well the behavior of certain spells.
• As mentioned in his own film's Fridge page, Hiro's MO is taking people's skills and interests and helping improve on them. (His brother's healthcare companion, Honey's love of chemistry, Fred's superhero obsession, etc.) He does the same thing here with Sora by designing simulations for him. And then the team as a whole does it when Sora inspires them to upgrade their own tech.
• Why are the CDA completely unphazed by Boo being next to Sulley and Mike? There may be a few reasons...
  • The spin-off show indicates that human children not being toxic has become known to the public, as it's in the news. Given their job, the CDA would be the first know this.
  • After the incident with Waternoose, it's possible the CDA questioned Mike and Sulley and asked if Boo touched them, which she did. (I.E. riding on Sulley's back or sneezing on Mike) There's also the more obvious fact that she touched a few monsters back at Harryhausen's, and as far as we know, none of them are dead.
  • The more obvious reason, they have bigger problems to worry about like the Unversed. It's also possible they recognize Boo and understand that she's currently in good hands.
• All the Summon Gems are found in worlds that match their characters. To specify...
  • Meow Wow is found in Twilight Town, because both are original to Kingdom Hearts. It's also eerily prescient considering Dream Eaters also originated from a town centered around a specific time of day with a prominent clock tower. Daybreak Town.
  • Ralph shows up in the Toy Box, specifically in a video game Sora is thrown into, for obvious reasons. He also shares a similar issue with certain Toy Story characters like Jessie, Stinky Pete, Lotso, and Forky did, as in he started to resent his title as a kid's plaything because he felt unloved.
  • Simba shows up in Monstropolis because he and Sulley were both banished, though Simba's was self-exile. They both have respected titles, king of the Pridelands and the number one Scarer respectively, and both begin having issues with these titles, Simba thinking he'll never live up to Mufasa while Sulley has a Heel Realization that scaring children is wrong. Also, they both roar.
  • Stitch is found in San Fransokyo because he, like Baymax, was created artificially, but is a genetic experiment rather than a robot. Stitch was made to destroy but was redeemed, Baymax was made to heal but got upgraded to fight evil. What's more, their close friends, Lilo and Hiro, both have lost relatives (Lilo's parents and Hiro's brother) that lead into Stitch and Baymax helping mend their families.
  • Ariel appears in the Carribean, because both films are based around the ocean. Jack Sparrow sails above the ocean while Ariel swims below it. Pirates exist as a threat in Ariel's world (They killed her mother, didn't they?) and Sirens Are Mermaids in Jack's world. They both also center around freedom. Ariel wanted to be free to explore the above world, while Jack believes pirates should be free, and freed Cutler's slaves.
• When I first beat the game I was a bit surprised Xehanort didn't have a One-Winged Angel form. Post Re;Mind I realized there were two reasons. One, Xehanort is smart, and had "planned for every eventuality". Yet seeing Sora, the other Keyblade wielders, Donald, Goofy and Eraqus all facing him down, he couldn't come up with another plan and folded. In other words, checkmate. The second reason? Sora-B, Kairi and the other keyblade wielders had just taken out the Xehanort Replica, which was the combination of the 12 copies Xehanort had poured darkness into over the course of the series. Most of the real Xehanort's darkness is mostly dealt with by the time Sora-A deals the final blow and the others arrive, allowing him to give up his ambition at last.
• Surprisingly, the worlds are in fact relevant to the "main plot" in III rather than just distractions - they're all part of the Organization's plan(s) for whatever reason:
  • Olympus: Obviously? Sora's going there. It's technically part of the prequel so the Organization doesn't care as much... but Larxene does mention that "Box" - Pandora's box. Apparently it's important to Xigbar, but of course
  • Twilight Town: Because the Organization had used it as an entrance to the World that Never Was.
  • Toy Box: An experiment, as spelled out by Young Xehanort, after that they know "A heart can be placed into the vessel of our choosing". This also leads to what the Organization's goal in San Fransokyo is: Another experiment to see if a Heart could be placed into the vessel of their choosing. Specifically? Dark Riku is testing out if they could create a Heart... then place it into a vessel of their choosing: Baymax.
  • Corona and Arrendelle: Rapunzel could be one of their Lights, Elsa can be either.
  • The Caribbean: not just Vexen's curiosity, but also because Davy Jones might potentially be a vessel.
  • Monstropolis: Bring back Vanitas.
• Kairi didn't realise that she actually helped Xion (re)learn who she really is. She said "A girl?" upon hearing Xion's voice, which helped remind her that she is a girl - just like at the end of 358/2 days!
• Why does Terra-Xehanort not use any of Terra’s magic in this game? Because Master Xehanort has more experience using Terra’s body. He realized that Terra is abysmal with magic and is more powerful with his physical strength and pure Darkness attacks. As such, Terra-Xehanort in story is a much more powerful threat despite Aqua having experience fighting him. He is also limited by the abilities of his vessels, which is why he has to stick to what they are good at.
  • On a similar note, why does Master Xehanort not use his own move set when possessing his younger self? Because his younger self’s body doesn’t have the same experience.
  • It's also because his boss fight in this game is based on his second phase from his fight with Aqua. On that same note, this means that Terra-Xehanort like Data Dark Riku is already in his second phase, especially in his Data fight, because like Data Dark Riku, he uses his Desperation Attack a few minutes into the fight rather than when he reaches a certain amount of HP.
• Why is Young Xehanort one of the easiest Organization members to defeat in both the story and his Data fight when he was That One Boss in his canon story fight in DDD? Not only is he not the final boss like in DDD, where he was the True Final Boss and his power would have to be scaled up as such, he is also not possessed by his older, more experienced self.
• Why is Armored Xehanort’s Desperation Attack in Re:Mind almost the same as Terra-Xehanort’s Desperation Attack in BBS but much stronger? That is because it is Xehanort’s own technique and Xehanort used a version of it as Terra-Xehanort because Terra happens to have an affinity for Earth magic and meteor like Xehanort does because he is powerful with all magic, so he fell back on his own fighting style when the battle gets tough and because Terra is abysmal with magic, it is a lot weaker. It also explains why that technique is the only technique that Terra-Xehanort has that isn’t from Terra’s arsenal in anyway. Terra-Xehanort doesn’t use it along with his magic again because Xehanort realized that Terra’s body isn’t suited for magic.
• The Demon Tide is surprisingly similar to Master Xehanort and Vanitas’ ability to command a wave of the Keyblade Graveyard Keyblades. Vanitas’ new Desperation Attack, circling the wave of Keyblades around him to create a dome and then sending waves from that is similar to the form the dome form the Demon Tide takes after the boss fight with it, often dubbed the “Demon Storm” by fans. It’s only fitting that his desperation attacks are similar to the Demon Tide and “Demon Storm” because he like the Heartless is pure Darkness. It’s possible that both Master Xehanort and Vanitas fashioned this attack after the Demon Tide which fits Master Xehanort’s obsession with Darkness and fits Vanitas again, because he is Darkness and it’s more fitting thay Vanitas uses an attack like the Demon Storm’s because he is a being of Darkness.
• Prince Hans has been accused of being shoehorned into the Frozen world for the sake of there being an antagonist...which also happened in the film itself (being accused of shoehorned in for the purpose of a villain).
• Whether it was intentional on the developers part or not, that fact that Wreck-It Ralph can be used to pull all kinds of out of bounds glitches is all kinds of fitting. Ralph Breaks the Internet? More like Ralph Breaks the Game!
• People complain that Maleficent's alliance with Pete seems... beneath her, since he is more of a comical character that clashes with the fairy's more regal and elegant menace. That said, there's another reason for their alliance: Maleficent is a fairy who wields dark magic, and Pete, being a cat, is her Familiar. Cats in folklore are associated with witches and dark arts practitioners, so it makes a bit of sense for them to be seen together.

Fridge Horror

• Ariel appears as a summon as seafoam. Considering the ultimate fate of merfolk in the original Hans Christian Anderson tale, that suggests that we probably won't be seeing The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea in any subsequent installment of this series.
  • Alternatively, Ariel appearing as seafoam is just a Mythology Gag and is more like turning her into living Hard Light or some friendly magical heart-y colony organism instead of the horrifying version of dissolving her.
• The first time Ansem the Wise was sent to the realm of darkness, he found out he could escape using a dark corridor. Aqua was also in the realm of darkness during the entirety of Ansem's visit there, and long after. If only the two had happened to meet the first time around, Aqua could have been freed a lot sooner.
• Back in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, it's been noted that Larxene has some dissonance about her eye color. Nomura's drawings have them be blue, yet in game, they're green. We know that becoming a vessel for Xehanort turns your eyes yellow, and that Terranort had brown eyes when not fully possessed and fighting on the inside. What is the color produced by blue and yellow? Green. Larxene might've been a Xehanort vessel LONG before now and is barely fighting it! Furthermore, it makes it suddenly disturbing as to how Xemnas knew that Marluxia was planning to betray him, because who also collaborated with Marluxia? Larxene. Marluxia barely had a chance to enact his plan because he already had a mole that wasn't Axel! It also calls into question how much of Larxene's actions were her own, and what were compelled by Xehanort.
  • It might also makes her already questionably interactions with Naminé a lot worse...
• In Monstropolis, Randall reveals his plan to harvest energy from children by using their negative emotions, especially sadness, stating that if you do something to break their hearts early, they'll be sad for the rest of their lives. Makes you wonder what exactly Randall was having those Unversed do to those children, or maybe even their families.
• When you're first going to Ardenelle, one may notice how the outer space outside of the world is covered with spires of ice, and when you enter the world proper, Elsa has just run off because of her Power Incontinence starting to act up. Imagine it: Elsa's Power Incontinence is so great it extends outside of her own world! Think of what would happen if it kept going with no forseeable end in sight.
  • Heat death of the universe!
• Master Xehanort previously expressed interest in forging the χ-Blade again but needs seven hearts of pure lights and thirteen hearts of darkness. It was stated by Vanitas to Ventus in Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep that if the χ-Blade were to be destroyed, the hearts that forged the χ-Blade will suffer. What grim fate will meet those 20 individuals if the χ-Blade were to be forged and destroyed again?
  Vanitas: "The χ-Blade is made of your heart, too, idiot. If you destroyed it, your heart will vanish forever."
  • Which is why Master Xehanort hands the Guardians of Light the χ-Blade for safekeeping after his defeat. As a Keyblade Master, he recognizes that its destruction would spell trouble for the Guardians who took part in its creation.
• As we know from Kingdom Hearts χ, the spell that Ansem casts on Aqua would probably turn her into a Darkling someday. Let's be thankful that Sora manages to bring her back to light before it's too late...
• If you think about it, it's really quite tragic that Sora, at sixteen years old, doesn't really understand the concept of death - so much that he's unfamiliar with the very word - until he's on the brink of it himself.
• Terra was freed from Master Xehanort's possession at the second to last fight at the Keyblade Graveyard. The horror comes in when you realize that this Terra was borrowed from between when he was found by Ansem the Wise and when Xehanort's experiments turned him and Ansem's other apprentices into Heartless and Nobodies. Since the act of freeing Terra didn't Retcon the scenario of the game into unrecognizability, that means that should his replica fail, he'll be stuck back in the past, as Xehanort's puppet again.
  • This Terra is apparently not from the past, as he didn't have to return to his place in time, averting the horror. It can be inferred that once Ansem and Xemnas were defeated, Master Xehanort and Terra each returned to their original selves (plus Eraqus' heart still in Terra), and Master Xehanort found some way to either continue to corrupt Terra with his darkenss, or else resumed his hold over Terra - perhaps by using Xemnas' unaccounted-for heart, which should have gone to either Master Xehanort or Terra.
    • Terra Heartless Guardian was never destroyed, as Riku in Ansem form called him. Same for his soul, as Lingering Will - His mind and soul were still in the armor. When Terra's body reformed, he returned without his heart or soul. an Empty Shell - an easy target for Xehanort to hold again.
    • The Kingdom Hearts III Ultimania confirms this.
• Many of the members in the Real Organization seem just ever-so-slightly off compared to their behavior in Chain of Memories, Days or Kingdom Hearts 2. They still have their own personality, sure, but they're not quite how they used to be. Why? Well, before, only Saix and Xigbar were controlled by Xehanort; now, all of them are.
  • Fridge Brilliance being that this is how Joshua maybe returning the favors. Joshua has his own rules he must abide by and we don't know how bad of shape Sora really was in at the end of the game. Forcing him into the reapers game however allows Joshua to give Sora a chance at reincarnation.
  • Fridge Horror again when you remember where Riku ended up - in Shinjuku. The Final Mix of TWEWY reveals that Shinjuku has been erased.
• Part Fridge Horror, part Fridge Humour. Just where did all those doors Sully threw Vanitas and the other doors into lead? Imagine sleeping in your bed at night, but then your closet door opens and out comes a door. The Fridge Horror kicks in when you realise Sully threw Vanitas into somebody's bedroom - Better hope that room is empty or Vanitas doesn't have any intentions of staying long!
  • As the Awesome page points out, the first door that Vanitas was chucked into leads to Arendelle, of which may be before or after you visited it. If you finished it first, chances are he'd leave due to the cold or find a currently less than sane Elsa who has been shown to be willing to use her magic against threats to her. If you finished it second, it's basically the same scenario, but this time if he causes mischief, he'd have to face Elsa with complete control of her powers.
• In the underwater segment of Scala ad Caelum, you can swim and interact with the giant rock formation behind you. Only it's not a rock formation. It's the upside down ruins of the Daybreak Town clock tower...
• Sora's Mom, possibly the most unfortunate mother in video games. Before, she just had a disappeared son, and then after everyone's memories of Sora had been erased, the fridge horror du jour was Sora's Mom waking up one morning with a room in her house, furnished for and decorated by and obviously used by a little boy, including a bed that had been very obviously slept in, but as far as she knew, she never had a child. Well, now that everyone is back, including Namine, Roxas, and Xion, and Sora's memories are as intact as they'll ever be, everything that was suppressing the memories of Sora's existence has been lifted and Sora's still gone.
  • Sora did return for a year after the events of II, but it's still unfortunate that his mother has to lose her son AGAIN.
• Whenever Ansem yelled "Submit!" in Kingdom Hearts 1, he wasn't talking to Sora. He was talking to his Guardian, Terra.
• What happened to the hearts of the people Luxu possessed while body hopping. Did they suddenly awaken before their deaths with no memory of the decades that have passed? Or were their hearts completely subsumed into Luxu's?
• One thing that's more horror in hindsight... there's one line in Kingdom Hearts II where Axel talks about "getting turned into a Dusk". The revelation in Dream Drop Distance is that the original Organization was full of people meant to be the Seekers. III reveals that every member was chosen for a specific reason - one through six because they were Ansem's apprentices. Seven and Eight because of their hearts. Nine through thirteen because they were ancient Keyblade wielders. We learn from II that only the most powerful Nobodies retain their original face... uh oh. Now we know what happen to other people with strong hearts under normal circumstances.
• The use of the Kingdom Key in the Keyblade Graveyard's introduction in KH 3 foretells the fate of its main wielder — Sora losing his life and ending up in a place that resembles (Underground) Shibuya.
• It's revealed that Isa and Lea became apprentices in an attempt to find information on Subject X's whereabouts. That means they were willingly and knowingly working for over a decade among the researchers who had tortured their friend and many other subjects. That gives a new perspective on Axel's brutal execution of Vexen, who was already working with Xehanort at the time of Subject X's disappearance.
• There's something about Data Xion in Re:Mind that makes you think she may be more than just a playable recording or extrapolation of her original like the other Data bosses. She says "Ready, Sora?" when she's about to use her Desperation Attack, implying that she actually recognizes who she's fighting. And considering the Sora we play as in the data fights is also a Data form (whose sentience by now is almost taken for granted), is it right to just leave her there as a glorified training dummy?
• So what would have happened if Sora&Co decided to just simply do nothing? Xehanort needs seven lights to battle his thirteen darknesses - and enough of them to fall so he can create the x-blade - so the obvious solution is to just sit back and smile because Xehanort can't complete his evil plan now. Right? Wrong - every wrold actually is part of the Organization's plans in some way - some of them are testing (San Fransoyko and Toybox), others are for reviving certain members (Monstropolis), and some are for scouting other potential Lights and Darknesses (Corona, Arrendelle, possibly even The Caribbean). So if Sora and Company did sit back? Xehanort probably wouldn't have compiled his list from people like Repliku, Marluxia, or Vanitas - but he would have picked a bunch of other people instead (Such as Rapunzel or Elsa) and just made them fight each other without even knowing what it's for. To the death.
• III gives us a rather horrifying look at how Disney villains can be corrupted into Heartless. We already saw that with Scar, but he kept his usual form (which is concerning for different reasons), but when you look at Sköll and Grim Guardianess, the respective Heartless of Hans and Gothel, it brings up some upsetting implications...
  • For starters, they didn't keep their usual appearances, so Scar, who murdered his older brother to steal the throne, gaslight his young nephew into self-exile, and tried to caniblize another boy for trespassing, is more evil than a guy who hates his family, left a woman who loved him to freeze to death, and tried to kill said girl's emotionally broken sister for her throne, along with a woman who kidnapped a baby, kept her isolated for years, and manipulated her just to use her magic hair. Let that sink in for a moment. This is actually a particularly disconcerting bit of Fridge Brilliance when you remember who exactly Scar is in his debut film, and it becomes frighteningly clear why he's so much more evil than them.
  • Hans also had his backstory explained in A Frozen Heart. His father and twelve older brothers berated him for being the White Sheep, and wanted to "toughen" him up, leading to Hans taking on jobs that involve oppression against the Southern Island's subjects if it means getting approval from his father. Imagine the horror from the Southern Islands' royal family when they realize that their cruelty drove the youngest prince into become a Savage Wolf Demon of Human Origin. Sure, Sora destroys Sköll before Armageddon is triggered, but the aftermath is not going to be kind on the Southern Islands, since they face wars from various religions for Hans' assumed heresy.
  • That's assuming anyone saw that happen. As far as everyone outside the four who fought him know, Hans struck a frozen woman, got knocked out, and disappeared. That might be its own can of Fridge Horror, as one has to wonder how the Southern Islands are going to react to Hans' sudden disappearance, what they're gonna think if they go there and are told what he did before vanishing, and if Sora and the gang would even be able to tell them what happened, and how they'd take that news, assuming they believe it.
  • Given this is a world involving a woman with ice powers, living snowmen, and (as shown in the sequel) a tundra where all memory is stored, there would be little doubt the Southern Islands would believe the story of their youngest prince becoming a demon. And even if the main trio cannot give out the details (likely because of the world order), Marshmallow could. And maybe Kristoff if he witnessed Hans falling to darkness. Again, this could lead to religious wars if the news of Skoll gets out...
• Given that the game utilizes the "rats can't talk to people" from Ratatouille, we'll never find out why Remy is in Twilight Town, nor what happened to his world or anyone else from it...

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