If the City of Daybreak is out of commission, it seems likely, doesn't it? Not to mention the Mansion has many rooms (some blocked off from access in KH2), and at least 5 chairs in the dining room.... Is it possible? Perhaps we will know soon!
Hello, ladies and gentlemen! The Uncanny Villager is back with another update for you all. Beginning today, I will start posting “Uncanny Quickies” which are observations, theories, or thoughts that are too brief to be relinquished into a full article. I will still continue to post articles that are of regular length, but in between those, we will have the occasional Quickie. ;) Thanks again for all your support!
Now that we know of Strelitzia's fate, the giant, winged guardian Marluxia uses in his final form feels a bit eerie, doesn't it? Is there a connection? We know that the name Strelitzia means "Bird of Paradise", which is the name of a flower, but if we refer back to the mythos of the Bird of Paradise or "Huma" Bird, then we'll find a very interesting factoid: Killing the great Huma Bird results in a curse for the murderer....A curse that will cause them to die within only 40 days. Is there another another death on the way in Union X? Shall dear Strelitzia have her revenge? Stay Uncanny~
After meeting Union X's Lauriam, my imagination immediately took off with a myriad of ideas concerning the remaining Organization members. Demyx, Luxord, and Larxene have always had unknown backstories, but this recent Kingdom Hearts update has renewed my interest in their true origins and names. One thing that I really like to do while theorizing about names, is focus on the etymology and how it relates to the character in question. Meaningful names have always been a recurring characteristic of the Kingdom Hearts universe and its people. For example, Sora means "sky" which is fitting, because as the Sky connects many Worlds together, Sora connects many Hearts. Aqua means Water, Vanitas means Pride....And almost every other original character has a name that somehow reflects upon their own existence. Now, the reason I'm mention all of this is that, during my most recent research session, I came across an unusual factoid that could potentially mean something important in regards to the plot of Union X.
Out of mere curiosity, I choose the character Blaine and decided to look up the meaning of his name. It took a while to find, due to many resources not recognizing it as a commonly used name, but I finally came across a few resources that did. The name Blaine claims several points of origin, but the most prominent is that of Scottish root, and as I dug further, I found that there are two meanings for this name: thin, and yellow. In some translations, it can also be considered to mean "Little Yellow One". This stumped me. Not only did I not know how "thin" could relate to Blaine, but I didn't understand how a guy dressed in mostly black could be reflective of any bright colors at all, let alone Yellow. But, the more I thought about yellow, the more it struck me: What if black isn't really this guy's style? I mean, he has a trench-like coat, his face is covered by a hat, his hair is messily tucked into that hat...Sure, this could just be an intentionally messy style, but what if it's actually a disguise?
In my last article entitled Trouble in Paradise, I questioned the idea of Lauriam being Strelitzia's killer, and speculated over the possibility of it being someone else. Strelitzia was killed in a single strike. If Blaine is her killer, but is also Master Gula in disguise, then that would explain how the attack was fatal with just one strike. Fortellers are much, much stronger than the average Keyblade wielder, and when you fight them in-game, you require an incredible amount of experience just to survive their first attack. Due to her tendency to observe rather than engage, Strelitzia may not have had enough fighting experience to survive against someone like Gula, and he probably knew that. Also, when the "e" from Blaine is dropped, it interestingly enough becomes "blain" which is an animal disease.(link) The Foretellers all represent animals, so Blaine being a corrupt alter ego of the Leopard Gula also fits rather well.
But, there lies a lingering question....Exactly why would Gula do this? Before she is killed, Strelitzia is seen questioning the rules of the Union, and desperately wants to warn the Player about the oncoming War, despite Master Ava's wishes. If Gula somehow found out about such a thing, he could have seen this as a betrayal the Master of Master's word and killed her to shut her up. Another possibility is that Gula wasn't really satisfied with his performance as a Foreteller. The Master of Masters gave him the task of finding a supposed "traitor" hidden somewhere within the World of Daybreak, but Gula was unable to find one. This failure could have been an unacceptable defeat for a skeptic like Gula, so in order to continue his search, he could have gone undercover as an ordinary citizen. Now, Master Ava specifically stated that after the War, only Union leaders will have their memories of past events spared, but the rest of the Dandelions will be forced to forget. Undercover Gula couldn't risk this happening to him, or blow his cover, so he killed Strelitzia, and assumed her place as a Union member in order to preserve his mission. This could also explain why Blaine asked so many questions upon first meeting the others. He was underplaying his knowledge of Prophecies and rules in order to seem more authentic:
He was also assessing their personalities, as well as testing their integrity. His comparing of Skuld to Ava is a prime example.
Referring to her as "kid" could allude to him feeling older or more experienced than the rest of them...which would, once again, make perfect sense if he is indeed Master Gula.
And, that concludes my latest theory! There's still more yet to come, so stay tuned, stay hyped, and most of all, Stay Uncanny! ~
Well! Unless you’re utterly aloof, or blind from staring at the Eclipse, you might have caught wind of the internet’s recent reaction to the latest Union X update. I’d prefer to jump straight to the case this time around, but for a recap: Unchained Key/ Union X is a Kingdom Hearts mobile game that details the events of the great Keyblade War and it’s aftermath. Along the way, a group of special individuals called the Dandelions are spared from participating in the War, and among their number, 5 unique young people are selected to be the designated leaders of this new movement. The first four leaders were introduced as Skuld, Ephemera, Blaine, and Ventus ( who may be recognizable from Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep), and for the final leader we were given Strelitzia, whose shy personality, frilly white dress, and peachy pigtails earned her a few thousand Waifu points within the KH community. Yes, everything was going quite well, and for the following two weeks it seemed as if the true story of the 5 leaders was about to begin....
Upon the recent update however, it’s been revealed that this little chicklet’s involvement in the story of Union X was short lived...Not only was she brutally attacked by a hidden assailant, but she succumbed to the wounds and perished alongside her assisting Chirithy. If witnessing such an unexpected turn of events wasn’t shocking enough, we were met with her “replacement”, who appeared to be none other than the Graceful Assassin himself, Marluxia, in all of his teen-hood glory. Of course, in this state, he is in possession of his Somebody name, which is revealed to be Lauriam.
Now, the internet’s reaction to this reveal can be divided into two main reesponses:
Group A:
"How the@$#%is Marluxia’s Somebody in a setting that’s supposed to take place hundreds of years before he was even born?! That’s crazy!!!! "
Group B:
"OMG, DOES THIS MEAN THAT HE MURDERED STRELITZIA?! THAT FRILLY PINK &$%@#!!"
Since we still know nothing about the “Time-Rules” of Union X, (and I’d love to avoid the countless hours of mental torment, and broken windows that would result from trying to figure out Nomura’s end game here), I’m going to stick with reaction B, and compile a list of three reasons why Lauriam is most likely NOT Strelitzia’s murderer.
(1) It’s Just Too Obvious
This one speaks for itself. Throughout the series, Nomura has implemented a considerably healthy dose of twists and turns, and continues to do so, even with the mobile game of Union X. It’s never really been in his nature to be completely “forward” with important plot points, and if there’s an intentional secrecy surrounding a certain character or event, then the truth is almost NEVER what we think it will be. He always chooses the strangest option; such as Xion being a clone of Sora, when she actually looks like Kairi. The fact that Nomura intentionally kept Strelitzia’s murderer in shadow, and then revealed Lauriam literally moments later, feels too much like a red herring. He’s banking on the fact that we’ll immediately paint him to be the killer, just because of his reputation as Marluxia. In all actuality, it’s very possible that he could have been one of Master Ava’s chosen ones. How could we really know otherwise?
(2) The Motive is so Inclusive, That It Could Literally Be Anyone
Out of all the motives for this murder, there are four possibilities that stand out the most : Before she vanished, Master Ava stated that only Union leaders will have their memories of past events spared, but the rest of the Dandelions will be forced to forget. I'm thinking that one of these "common" Dandelions found out that they were going to lose their memories, and was angered by this. They then killed Strelitzia, took her book, and pretended to be a Union member in order to be spared. A second motive concerns the Book of Prophecies. Of all the members, only one child was to be specially selected to receive the Master of Master's original copy. If Strelitzia happened to be this chosen person, then an eavesdropping Dandelion would literally have every reason in the World to kill her. Become a Union Leader, AND the boss? Who wouldn't want that? A third could be that Strelitzia was killed by an existing member so that her Book could be given to someone else. Perhaps this person was deemed a more acceptable choice in the killer's eyes, and they felt a need to resolve Ava's "error" themselves. Or, the killer was being threatened or manipulated into doing the act.
(3) The Other Union Leaders Lack An Alibi
Anyone can be friendly, but even the most friendly of people can kill with proper motivation. Although we’ve come to know and even appreciate Ephemera, Skuld, Blaine, and Ventus, that doesn’t mean they’re completely ruled out. Despite how they act, or what they say, we didn’t actually see everyone speak to Ava or receive the book from her, so there’s plenty of suspects.
For me personally, Blaine is at the top of the list. This boy has had bad news written all over him from the get go. When he first meets up with the others, he's shocked to learn that there's another member arriving after him, since he assumed that he was the last one. The fact that he automatically assumed that he was the last one, and breathed a heavy sigh of relief upon learning that he wasn't, almost sounds like the fear of a guilty gonzo. It comes across as the kind of relief one would have if they barely miss the school tardy-bell after sleeping in, or dodge a ticket because the cops didn't see them intentionally run that red light. If you were specifically chosen to be a member, why does it matter if you're the last to arrive? It's not like the others can take off without you. However, if Blaine is the true killer, then he has a very good reason to be worried about being too late- Keeping the others waiting for too long would have made them question exactly what he was doing that whole time. (And let's be honest, murders aren't usually the quickest or easiest things in the world to pull off) But by him arriving as the 4th leader instead of the very last, it doesn't really make his arrival all that unusual. Killing Strelitzia quickly enough to arrive as the 4th person is a tricky task in itself, but Blaine got even luckier when the 5th member turned out to be a very late Lauriam (aka Marluxia). Most players were automatically going to assume that Lauriam was the culprit, due to their familiarity with his villainous Nobody. In other words, it's the perfect cover.
My second guess is Sculd. Her amber/ goldish eye color has always struck me as suspicious, due to it being a defining character trait of most Darkness-associating people. And with her equally dark attire, I've been almost begging for something wicked to come out of her- Just to validate the blatant coincidences. I also find it weird that after all the time they've spent together, Ephemera acts like he's genuinely shocked that she's a member. He even straight up tells her that he can't believe she is one. To be her friend, that's a very weird reaction to have, and implies that he knows something about her character that we don't. Even when Blaine compared her personality to the upright nature of Master Ava, Ephemera retorted that she isn't really like her at all, which is eventually implied to be only a joke. But, I can't help but wonder...what if he really wasn't joking?
Next on the list is Ven. He claims to have spoken to Ava, but we have no proof that he was actually given a Book by her. We don't even see a flashback of that. He's also still one with Vanitas at this point, so there's definitely a Dark side of him to look out for. I do give him a teeny-tiny benefit of a doubt, though, because I’m not sure if Nomura would suddenly paint him as a bad guy after portraying him as a protagonist for this long, but it's definitely not something I’d put past him.......
Now, the the least likely of all to be the killer may be Ephemera who, surprisingly, actually does have something of an alibi, since we actually saw him being appointed by Ava in a flashback. However, this doesn’t completely exclude him from suspicious activity….There’s still an earlier time in the events of Unchained X in which Ephemera is approached by a mysterious entity, and declared as “missing” for a long time afterwards, so there’s no telling what this creepy stranger could have blackmailed or coerced him into doing. This "Shadow Person" could have tasked Ephemera with the duty of killing Strelitzia, and giving the Book to them, so that THEY could become a Union member. He could also have been requested to steal it, and give it to a specific person. The Shadow might have even approached Strelitzia, and murdered her themselves.
Another thing that never sat well with me, is that Ephemera’s hair is white. Within this series, every boy with white or silver hair has turned out to be a traitor and/ or pawn of Darkness, so this being the point in which he betrays one of his own by killing her, and giving her book to another person wouldn't surprise me. Actually, the more I reallythink about it, the more I think that he should probably be higher up on this list....
Well, those are my thoughts! I intend to keep you all updated as more and more is revealed about this murderous scandal, and of course, I will be posting more juicy theories to go along with each revelation. Stay tuned, stay hyped, and most of all, Stay Uncanny! ~
So, upon discussion of various mechanics in KH3, Nomura has let it slip that not only will our adventurous young Sora be reprising his role as our heartful hero, but an additional second character will be controllable as well! Nomura has insisted on keeping it a secret for now, but after careful contemplation, I have devised five MOST likely candidates for this mysterious other:
(It's a bizarre format, I know, but the following list is ordered from "Most Likely" to "Least Likely." =^_^=)
(1.) Young Xehanort
Apparently, this prospect seems to be a likely one for many Kingdom Hearts fans, and I can understand why. All of the Kingdom Hearts games thus far have opened in a typical fashion, with a wide eyed hero or hero(es) ready to prove themselves capable of exploring the many many Worlds lying beyond their own...But, an opening that gives us a peek into the earlier, less maniacal days of our main antagonist would not only be a nice way to introduce a tutorial or two, but it could also explain to us exactly how Young Xehanort came to possess No Name, and show us the identity of he and Eraqus's mysterious "Master".
(2.) Young Eraqus
I think that he's a likely candidate for pretty much the same reasons Young Xehanort is. A spar match between the two "brothers" would be a great way to introduce a combat tutorial, and we could still gain answers to the questions I mentioned previously.
(3.) Kairi
It's high time this Princess of Light proves that she's just as capable of holding her own as the boys are. Also, this would be another way to introduce a combat tutorial at the beginning of the game. The tutorial could start off with her and Lea sparring together, as they learn the ways of the Keyblade.
(4.) Lea
This one I could imagine going a variety of ways. One way, is as a tutorial set up as a match between him and Kairi; another way is as a similarly constructed tutorial, showing the happier days between him and Isa. This could also give us insight into exactly how they became Nobodies.
(5.) Ventus
Now, this one seems like a stretch. Not an impossible stretch, but a stretch nevertheless. I could totally see Nomura surprising us, and having Ventus mysteriously awaken somehow. We could start playing as him while trying to figure out what's going on, what's happened to the World, etc. It's not super likely, but it would be an interesting surprise!
(5.) Xion
To be honest, I really, really hope Nomura doesn't go this route, but I could see it happening. Xion would find herself in a strange place, and arrive at the conclusion that she must somehow "fight" her way back into existence, and back into the memories and Hearts of her beloved. It's a bizarre idea, but perhaps, one that makes perfect sense to a certain abstract mind...
Well, there are my five guesses for the secret character! The reason I did not include choices such as Riku and Roxas, is because honestly, I don't want to see them as playable characters again. I feel like we've played as them enough, and it's time to have a few more creative options. However, speculations are always just speculations, and I'm still looking forward to seeing who the real choice will be!
Well ladies and gents, the new Kingdom Hearts 3 trailer has officially dropped!! And as expected, Tetsuya Nomura has brought the goods. Not only was the new World revealed to be Pixar's Toy Story, a World that was previously assumed to be impossible due to property rights, but we also have been given an official release window for the release of the game! We still don't have a precise date, but we now have confirmation that 2018 is officially the big year! Also, in celebration of this surprising new world, Bring Arts has confirmed that official "Toy Story World" figures will be available soon in the Square Enix Merchandise Store, and also the mobile game KHX has announced a medal in the image of KH3's Sora!!
My personal thoughts on this trailer are positives ones. I grew up absolutely adoring Toy Story (who didn't?) So my excitement truly escalated upon seeing Sora all decked out in full action-figure articulation and polish. I think it was an excellent idea having the team from the actual films help work on this World, because not only is the design, animation, and environment AS good as the movies themselves, but some would even argue that it might even be better. The game play is also nearly flawless with an array of various combos and weapon transformations, and we can also see that Sora will now have up to 4 partners assisting him in his adventures throughout the game.
Of course, it wouldn't be a true reveal if it didn't have epic reactions from the fans. There were many contenders within the folds of Youtube, but the trophy goes to none other than Skywardwing, a beloved herald of the KH fandom. Just listen to that raw energy!
Unfortunately, with praise must also come some criticism. While everything else in this trailer was stellar to the core, one thing that really didn't sit well with me is the current design update for Young Xehanort. Now, I'm well aware that this might not be the final draft regarding his appearance, but right now, he's looking rather....how do I say it? Caricature-ish.
I'm becoming a little more comfortable the more I look at the picture, but it's the obvious over-scale of the eyes and non-existent eyebrows that constantly turns me back off. His DDD model is indisputably handsome, and I think it's quite unfortunate that this new engine has downplayed his features. Again, this is something that can be easily tweaked, and with KH3 still in the works until 2018, we might get our Handsome Young Intellectual looking more like himself.
Alright! Now on to the good stuff. Many things have been noted and discussed after this trailer's drop, but perhaps the most interesting of these is the mysterious new Zipper that has appeared on Young Xehanort's coat. For those who don't know, despite all looking very similar, technically speaking, there are two kinds of Organization Coats. The kind seen worn by KH2's Organization 13, that have round Zippers, and the kind seen worn by the Masters of Masters and Luxu that have a more complex Zipper. Before the Orchestra and D23 trailer, it was believed that only Luxu and MoM bore these "special Zippers" on their coats, but now we see that the Xehanorts are wearing them as well.
Ordinary Coats:
Special Coats:
Now at first in DDD, the Xehnort's did NOT have this special Coat, but were wearing ordinary ones as seen here:
But now with these new trailers dropping, we see that they do in fact, possess the special Zipper now:
What could this mean for the plot of KH3? Will ALL of the members have them? Does it point back to the Master of Masters or/and Luxu's involvement with Xehanort and his plans? Nomura has said that the MoM won't appear in KH3, but could be mentioned...is this further proof?
Also, as we have seen Xehanorts in each trailer so far, does that mean that there shall be trailers featuring ALL of the known Xehanorts? Will we even be shown some new members within the coming trailers? Will the final game have 13 Worlds for each member?
Well, I shall leave you all with this! Keep your Keyblades sharp, your hype high, and May Our Hearts Lead to Another Trailer Soon!!
Well, today is July 15th, and the reveal of the new KH3 trailer at the D23 Expo will happen in less that six hours!!! Kingdom Hearts fans everywhere are super stoked for this new trailer and world reveal, and while we all wait, I thought it would only be fitting to go ahead and give my predictions for the trailer. Nomura has already assured us that this coming trailer will be the longest one yet, so here are the possible scenarios I'm looking towards: (1.) A scene that confirms the return of some (or all) of Organization members 9-12. And if not the members, then their "Somebody" equivalents. (2.) A scene that depicts Ventus waking up, or someone finally finding him. (3.) A scene that shows the progress of Lea and Kairi's Keyblade training. (4.) A scene that shows exactly when and how young Xehanort received the Keyblade "No Name." (5.) A scene that shows Terra-Xehanort/ False Ansem taking the Hearts of his apprentices in anything other than a first-person perspective. (6.) A scene that shows how Lea and Isa became Nobodies. (7.) A scene showing Braig going through with the "other plans" he mentions in the Re-Coded cutscene. (8.) A scene featuring the Lost Masters. (9.) A scene featuring the hearts of Eraqus and Terra communicating with one another. (10.) A scene that shows how Xehanort left the Islands, or how young Kairi landed on the Islands. Well, there are my predictions! Here's to hoping that whatever we get is ripe with mystery and wonder, and keeps us hyped for the eventual release of KH3! Stay Uncanny~
Aaaaand the award for worst quality gif goes to...
Yeah, so um...exactly where did Yen Sid go again? The bizarre moment in question transpires within the events of Kingdom Hearts 2, while Sora and the gang visit the Mysterious Tower for the first time. The kid runs in, gets new clothes, is offered a few bits of wizardly advice, and then.... *POOF!* the Wizard vanishes faster than a puff of hot cannabis. And as far as I know, this is the only time this happens in the series....so why is it so important? Why is it focused on for so long? Will we ever know? Stay Uncanny~
In the game Birth by Sleep, there is a Secret Episode that can be unlocked upon completion of certain specifications. Within this Secret Episode, we witness intricate dialogue between both Aqua and Ansem the Wise; and it is through this conversation that we learn that Ansem W. is indeed responsible for creating the infamous Organization 13 coats. However, we also see very similar Black Coats being worn by the Master of Masters and Luxu maaaaaany years before in the timeline of Kingdom Hearts: Chi/ Unchained Key. Therefore I ask: How and Where did Ansem the Wise get the information to replicate these coats? If he stumbled across the information while studying Darkness, then how is it he knows about the Coats, but not about the men who originally wore them, and any other Chi/ Unchained Key related lore? What are the chances of someone from back then even passing down such instructions? Did they know that it would be relevant to the present time?
Is it possible that Ansem knew more than he let on?
I have the same question regarding Master Xehanort’s Coat. At the beginning of Birth by Sleep, we see him wearing his own Black Coat while carrying Ventus to Destiny Islands. If he supposedly hadn’t met Ansem the Wise yet, where did HE get a coat? Luxu was told to ensure that the Keyblade No Name was continuously passed down, but did he also pass down information regarding Coat creation? Or, if Xehanort learned just from studying the Darkness like Ansem, how is it that he couldn’t make the coats for Organization 13 himself? Why make Ansem do it? Is it because of the memory loss?
Shall we ever know? Perhaps some answers lie within that "secret data" Ansem left Sora...
