Theoretically every Nobody has a soul, since every Nobody is capable of thinking and planning, whereas Heartless are pure instinct. Saix's complete lack of morality is a consequence of his lack of heart : he feels no pity, compassion or sympathy for anything. The sense of right and wrong comes from feelings of empathy : to kill is to kill, yet killing an insect doesn't seem wrong to most people. That's because we don't feel even remotely as close to insects as we feel to other human beings, or to mammals in general. A Nobody has no heart, so he doesn't spontaneously feel close to anyone or anything : he is just naturally incapable of compassion. All of his actions are dictated by logic, never instinct. Other Nobodies develop specific personalities to make up for their lack of heart, which leaves a terrible feeling of emptiness : it makes them feel like some part of them really exists, and it also dictates their behavior, sometimes making it seem like they have a form of morality. Luxord is always looking for a fair gamble, and resents cheating : it's a form of honor, which is very close to morality. One should indeed wonder what happens to the soul of a destroyed Nobody : does it fade in darkness or does it survive ? If so, what does it do, what does it seek, and so on.
The Ansem Report says that a normal person is made of a body, a soul and a heart, and that the body and soul form the Nobody when the heart is lost to darkness, and becomes a heartless. All three elements are used, so unless there is a fourth element Ansem failed to see, there is no possibility of a third being. The option of lost memories forming a third being is still plausible, but in that case, why "Dis-Soul" ? Another thing : some time ago, we discussed about Axel's statement that Sora was the second person to keep his free will after becoming a heartless. Look at Ansem Secret Report #10 : Xehanort is the first person to do this.
Heartless + Nobody = Complete original being That's the logical outcome, since a normal being is composed of a heart, a mind and a body ; when the heart is swallowed by the darkness, it becomes a heartless, and the body and mind are cast away to form a Nobody. If Chasers are indeed beings made from another lost part of the original being, let's say memories, the equation does not change. It simply means that if a normal being loses his memories, then is turned into a heartless, then you'll need all three resulting beings to reform the original.
How can you be so sure that Sunset Horizons and Birth by Sleep take place while Sora's in Castle Oblivion ? Other than that your theory is reasonable and interesting : the yellow eyes are probably linked to darkness, and thus to the heartless, so it's possible Terra gave in to darkness and became a heartless. However, about Axel's statement...Sora became a Heartless in KH1 and retained free will, that we know, since we could still control him while he was a heartless. But we already knew, at the time, another person who was a Heartless and kept his free will : Xehanort's Heartless. He is the only heartless who seemed capable of thought and plan, the only one who retained his reason and intellect. Sora, on the other hand, seemed to act out of instinct, thanks to the strength of his heart : an instinct different from the usual heartless instinct (instead of trying to drag more hearts int darkness, he sought Kairi), but an instinct nonetheless.
The idea that chasers are keyblade-makers is very interesting, even though we've got no actual clue or information on them at this point. About Dis-souls...I've always had this problem with it : Nobodies are bound to be a body and a mind. It would imply that there's a heart, a body, a mind and a soul...If the heart governs emotions, the mind governs intellect and memories, what's left for the soul ?
I think I remember Nomura saying this "third enemy" were in fact the Disney villains (Pete, Maleficent, Jafar and co.). The question that has been going on is "Is there a third special being aside from Nobody and Heartless ?". Many people believe the Chasers would be this third type of being, and the foremost theory is that they're beings formed from memories. However, if you remember Chain of Memories, Naminé explained that memories can't be erased or lost : they are just links of a chain, that she is able to rearrange. Then again, it's true Xehanort lost his memories of the time before Radiant Garden so...we're far from any certainty.
We don't know how the Corridor of Darkness works, but since it's a teleportation effect it probably functions like all similar effects. I can think of three ways to teleport : - the Seth Brundle way : destructurate yourself down to a microscopic level, move yourself to the desired location and restructurate yourself there, just like in The Fly. Very unlikely for the Corridors, because it wouldn't allow transdimensional travel (and the Organization members are able to travel between the Light and Dark Realm). - the quantum physics/Phantom Lady way : to collapse the distance between to points in space and then restore it once the teleportation is completed. Very unlikely because it's too damn complex. - the D&D way : to open a door to another dimension (in D&D the Astral Plane) and go in. Once you're there, open a door to the dimension you just came from ; this door leads to the desired location. It's obvious the third way is the most probable : a Corridor of Darkness is probably a pathway into the Dark Realm then back to the Light Realm. That's why it is dangerous to use it, since it means frequent exposure to the darkness.
Ok, let's put together a good answer to X's Avenger's points : 1) Like iwantedtoexplode said, the fact that Ven doesn't appear in the game, doesn't mean he is Xehanort. I'd say you're jumping to conclusions. Plus, if you look at "The New Headquarters" Final Mix cutscene, you'll hear Xigbar (who according to Nomura already met or saw the 3 knights) say that there is a "friend" in the Room of Sleep, to who Xemnas speaks often, and another "friend" in the Room of Awakening. We can safely assume the friend in the Room of Sleep is Aqua, and that the barren wasteland in which you fight Terra is not the Room of Awakening. Therefore, to answer your question, Ven is probably locked in the Room of Awakening, the location of which is apparently still a mystery. 2) I'm afraid I can't prove to you that Terra and Xehanort share the same body. However, here are the facts : -Xehanort (and therefore his Nobody and Heartless) looks a lot like Terra. And he doesn't look much like Ven. -Xehanort gave birth to a Heartless and a Nobody, so unless you can prove otherwise, he had a body, a mind and a heart. -We have met Xehanort's Nobody, his Heartless, and we have also met Terra's armor. For all we know, it could be empty, just like Aqua's : if Xemnas talks to it, maybe her spirit (her memories or her heart) still inhabits it and is able to communicate. Maybe Terra's spirit (his memories or his heart) haunts his armor and is able to move it. -It's true, there's not much supporting the theory that Xehanort was originally Terra, apart from the physical appearance. But there's even less facts supporting the theory that Xehanort was originally Ven. 3) I don't think Terra is Xehanort. He can't be, since Nomura stated all the characters in Birth by Sleep are new characters. None of those characters can be Xehanort. However I believe Xehanort is Terra's body and mind, but without his memories. Along with the memories go all previous experiences, all those things that formed his personality. Therefore when he was found in Radiant Garden, his life started anew : he was another man. The Lingering Sentiment (the Terra Sora and the party encountered) can be seen as a ghost, wandering in the world of the living until he is ready to really die. Xehanort is not the same person as he was, he's even a completely different man : after all, he gave in to darkness and became the main antagonist. It would seem normal for Terra to hate the man who used his body for evil. 4) That's true, and since the keyblade war ended something like 10 or 20 years before KH1, it's possible that Ven, after becoming Xehanort, grew up and therefore looked different. But how do you explain the similarities between Terra and Xehanort ? 5) "Most likely"...you have a keyblade to support this : the Way to the Dawn represents the balance between light and darkness, and Ven wasn't even seen with it in Birth by Sleep. You make an honest point with the "history repeating itself" theme, but like iwantedtoexplode said, it was Terra's eyes that turned yellow. This color is a synonym for the taint of darkness. Ansem the Wise stated in his reports that the use of the Corridors of Darkness was dangerous, that it would expose the individual to darkness. The color of his eyes changed after his exile ; Xigbar, Saïx, Xemnas and Xehanort's Heartless also had yellow eyes. And this color is probably the reason Riku blindfolded himself : to hide the fact he was tainted. If Terra's eyes turn yellow, it means either he's being corrupted, or that he's about to use darkness as a weapon of last resort in this desperate fight. If some part of him indeed became Xehanort, this taint would explain why he became so evil. About the left-handed thing...Terra is right-handed, Ven seems to be left-handed. Since Xemnas uses two weapons, we can't say if he is left or right-handed.
My question still hasn't been answered : if Xehanort was a Nobody in the first place, how can he have produced a Heartless ? What is Xehanort's Heartless, if it's not a heart drowned in darkness ? And come on...Ven being Xehanort ? How can you possibly back that up ? Terra looks a lot more like Xehanort than Ven does, and he apparently was also a friend of Aqua's. This whole modification of the name seems too complicated : can you really imagine a dialogue explaining that in the game ?
About this cutscene : -after checking the scene, I believe the password is "Another" ; his name indeed suggests that there's something funny about Xehanort, but how could he have split into a Nobody and a Heartless if he was already one of those ? -the chains would rather suggest that this room is a prison, at least that's my opinion. -the fact that Xemnas greets Aqua's armor by calling it "old friend" probably means he has retrieved some of his memories, but I don't think he's regained all of them. If he had, I don't think he would have said to Sora that he doesn't remember anything but anger and hate : if he calls Aqua a friend, it means he was once close to her, when he was not a "bad guy". If he had retrieved all his memories, he would have remembered that time as well. And about the voice, I still believe it could be Terra : yes he doesn't know Sora, but it's possible he had him confused for Riku (it's very possible Riku didn't go to the Station of Serenity before he obtained Way to the Dawn), or that he didn't even bother to examine the chosen one. Try talking through a keyblade, maybe you won't be able to get to know your chose one...besides, maybe he isn't directly talking : maybe the voice is a message engraved in the keyblade, instructions for the successor. If it isn't Terra, it's got to be someone linked to the keyblade, or the keyblade itself. I don't think it could be Mickey : if he knew who was the keyblade master, he wouldn't have bothered sending Goofy and Donald on a quest to find him. I don't think it could be DiZ either : his methods of manipulation are not likely to involve the Station of Serenity and its mystical importance (after all it's also where you fight Roxas, inside Sora's heart). And I don't think it could be Aqua or Ven either, since the Light Realm Kingdom Chain doesn't seem to be as linked to them as it is to Terra. It's true it could be Kingdom Hearts itself...
Riku's dark keyblade in KH1 was a fake keyblade, made from the hearts of the Seven Princesses : since he made it himself, it probably only has the appearance of a keyblade, not its powers, nature or origin. The reason the keyblade went from Riku to Sora was not exactly because Riku opened his heart to darkness : it was because doing that weakened it. Darkness itself is a powerful but dangerous tool, since the emotions it exacerbates and unleashes are fierce, but can overwhelm your heart and blind it. Riku opened himself to darkness out of fear of stagnation (that's why he wanted to leave the island and go on adventures) and fear of the unknown : the reason he wen to darkness was because he thought it would make him stronger, when it only enslaved him. In CoM he learned to use the darkness in a different way, by harnessing and mastering it. When you're careless using the darkness, it will end up blinding you, overwhelming and enslaving you, making you a heartless. And a heartless cannot use a keyblade, since its heart has no willpower, only dumb instinct. And keyblades only go to strong hearts : in Hollow Bastion, Riku was able to take it from Sora because he was its original master. But when Sora confronted Riku, his light-filled heart was stronger than Riku's, who was already relying too much on darkness, he took it back. A keyblade can be used by a heart strong enough, no matter if its master uses it for good or evil. The only thing that matters is the strength of the heart, which can be diminished by the enslaving power of darkness. Riku was afraid, deep down in his heart, and Jack Sparrow is not dedicated enough to use it. On the other hand, Kairi is a Princess of the Heart, so she can use a keyblade, and Sora's such a care-free, brave, and stupid hero, with a heart incapable of despair, that he's a perfect keyblade master.
I've just spotted a very interesting thing, during the cutscene fight between Sora and Roxas : our dear number XIII says, just before he lunges at Sora "Tell me...Tell me why he picked you". Notice the "he". When I first saw this cutscene, I didn't pay attention to it and assumed Roxas was talking about the keyblade, since it chooses its master. But then I noticed Roxas didn't way "why it picked you", but "why HE picked you". Now who could he be talking about ? Let's just look at what Terra says right before you fight him in Final Mix. I don't remember exactly, but I seem to recall him mentioning you are not the one he chose. Though his speech doesn't make much sense, it seems that he first confuses you with someone he chose and met before, but then realizes it's not you. Could Roxas have been talking about Terra when he said "he" ? We don't know much about Roxas' time with the Organization, but it's possible that during his quest for more knowledge about his origins he got interested in the keyblade. Maybe he stumbled on information about the keyblade, and about Terra, Aqua and Ven, the keyblade war and so on. An information he may have discovered is that keyblades don't actually choose their masters : they are bestowed upon them by the former members, like passed on as a legacy. It would explain this whole idea that Terra picked someone. We also know that Riku was first chosen by the Light Realm keyblade, who then picked Sora when Riku opened his heart to darkness. This is also consistent with a problem : in Sunset Horizons, Terra picks up the Light Realm Kingdom Chain, even though his name links him to Riku, who posesses Way to the Dawn. Could it be that Terra was the Light Realm keyblade's original master ? That he originally bestowed it upon Riku ? It would explain why he seems to confuse Sora with the one he chose, since Sora's carrying a keyblade that was originally not meant for him. Most of those are information and theory that have already been discussed and developed, but Roxas' line supports this theory of Terra being the one behind the keyblade's choice. The keyblade's nature was never explained, and it's very possible that there is an intelligent mind behind its power and behavior. It would also explain the voices Sora hears when he is on the Station of Serenity. I think it's time we consider this theory more seriously. What do you think of it, and do you have further information to support or criticize it ?
A Heartless is not only made from the heart's darkness, it is the heart, enslaved by darkness ; the heart produces emotions and such. It's because they lack hearts that Nobodies do not experience emotion. A Nobody is the body and mind left behind : the mind means the memories, the intellect and thus the personality. The only Nobody we have seen who lacks memories is Xemnas, and yet he had a personality and a very developed intellect (since he designed the Organization's plan). Yes he lost his memories and his personality before he was found in Radiant Garden, but between that time and KH2, he had a new life, new memories and was able to build a new personality for himself. The emotions are with the heartless, it's just that the heart, corrupted by darkness, only experiences negative feelings and instincts. The personality remains with the mind and memories, but it is altered by its new existence : some Nobodies become cold and cruel (such as Saïx), others are cynical and manipulative (such as Xigbar) and others build themselves a more cheerful personality, in order to replace their hearts (such as Demyx). Members of the Organization all have a strong personality, because otherwise they would be plain, hollow husks like the other Nobodies. It is what makes up for their lack of heart, at least partially. If Chasers indeed are beings made of memories, then they have a personality of their own, made from those memories, just like a normal person builds his personality from his experience and emotions. Well as far as I know, when Riku defeated him, the Replica seemed to fae away in a pool of darkness. Maybe he was destroyed, maybe he simply faded away : that's a very practical death, scenaristically-speaking, since it allows the author to bring him back. The bottom line is we don't know what happened to the Riku Replica exactly, but it seems he was destroyed.
Actually, if you look at the last news on the KH project, there's a hint that the protagonist will be either Sora, Roxas or Terra.
There's a big catch about Aqua using darkness : she does pick up the Dark Realm Kingdom Chain in Sunset Horizons, but she doesn't use it in Birth by Sleep. In fact none of the knights use those keyblades they picked up. And besides, Mickey used the keyblade from the Dark Realm without using darkness : the keyblade is supposed to be a weapon, a source of power for good of evil. It really depends on the user, and I doubt its origin has anything to do with it ; but it's also possible the Dark Realm corrupted to keyblade's essence somehow (although we would have seen it with Mickey).
I'm not the one who nicknamed me "Theory Guru"... Aqua most likely came from the road to darkness, since she picked up the Dark Realm Kingdom Chain, and Ven came from the road to twilight, since he took Way to the Dawn. That is also what I think, except that only Baldy's heart and mind were switched : his memories were probably lost in the process. I was only making that remark about the idea that Chasers are made only of memories. Yeah, that's even more interesting considering I never did say that Sora was Ven's armor...The idea that Ven's heart was put in Sora's body isn't mine, it's from ラクシーヌ's theory. My theory was that Terra, Aqua and maybe Ven were only hearts that were able exist on their own, because they had reached the Awakening, their heart's full potential, through the keyblades : that's how I explained that Aqua's armor was empty, and still Xemnas was talking to it. The characters in Birth by Sleep are new characters, that has been stated and repeated by Nomura himself. That said, it's very possible he's playing on words : he hinted to a link between Ven and Roxas, and it's obvious that Terra and Xehanort are linked. However, even if Xehanort is Terra's body (and if the possession theory is correct), he would also be Baldy's mind and heart, so he would be a different person altogether. Twilight Town is supposedly in the Light Realm, but just on the border with the Dark Realm, which explains you can pass from it to the World That Never Was. Another consequence is that many if not all Nobodies are born there (as said in Ansem the Wise's reports). Funny, some people say I have the same problem...
As I said, there's an explanation for Roxas having emotions and being a Nobody : the fact that his former heart is not trapped in darkness. Sora's heart is intact and still has emotions, and its link with Roxas allows him to use a keyblade. If we think the Lingering Sentiment is Xehanort's "Chaser", his memories, then it's impossible he could use a keyblade, since his heart remained a Heartless and was never freed.
Well if that merging happened, there would probably be a conflict between his bad guy personality and his good guy memories. However, there's another problement with this idea of chasers being made of memories : how could they weild keyblades if they don't have hearts ?
Roxas is atypical, that much is certain ; even though he's supposed to be a Nobody, he shows some degree of emotion. That, however, can be explained by the fact that Sora's heart is not trapped in darkness : since it did not remain a heartless, his emotions are intact, and the link between Sora and his Nobody could explain the feelings Roxas experiences. The discussion between him and Axel suggests he could more atypical than we thought, because it makes it possible that Roxas has a heart, and therefore is not a Nobody, but a complete being in his own right. Your theory could explain this, and is consistent with another theory : the idea that Ven's heart was put in Sora's body, so he could keep existing even after his death at Baldy's hands. This theory explains also that when Sora stabbed himself with the keyblade, he released his own heart, which became a heartless, Kairi's heart which returned to her body, and Ven's heart, which quite logically returned to its haven, Sora's body, which had become Roxas' body. However, there's a big problem with your theory : if Roxas isn't a Nobody, how could he have merged with Sora ?
The crossroads is a very important symbol, in many tales and legends : it usually represents a difficult choice, where none of them seems really a good one. A Russian legend says a knight came at the crossroads, and saw a engraving on stone, that said : "If you take the left road, you will lose your horse. If you take the right road, you will lose your head." In KH, Sora and Riku were offered choices when at the crossroads : Marluxia offered Sora a chance to retrieve lost memories (and lied and manipulated him), and DiZ offered Riku the choice between light and darkness. It can also be assumed the crossroads are the only way to find one's way in this dimension that contains Castle Oblivion. Stemming from what DiZ said, it can be assumed the four paths lead to four worlds : one to the world of light, one to the world of darkness, one to the world on twilight and the last that leads back into this endless dimension (maybe it's the world of nothingness to which DiZ was banished). That the three knights in Sunset Horizons would come from three different roads, plus the keyblades they pick up, supports this theory : the two Kingdom Chains correspond to light and darkness, and Way to the Dawn is a keyblade for twilight. Then one should still wonder what the fourth road leads to or comes from, since Baldy arrives taking that road. About the keyblade war, I'd say it was a war between keyblade masters for the "light" (it could mean Kingdom Hearts), since I don't think the tale told by Kairi's grandmother will be dismissed and not used. After all, the secret ending evokes a "new tale", which means the one told by Kairi's grandmother could be the "old tale". After that, maybe Baldy manipulated the keyblade masters into fighting each other, so he could have the light for himself, and his only real opponents were the three knights, the only ones who wanted to defeat him, not to have the power for themselves.
