The Top 5 Keyblade Weilders Who Are Most Likely to Be KH3's "Secret" Playable Character

Who could it be this time?

       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!

Stay Uncanny~

New D23 Trailer and Brief Analysis!! Pixar?? The Best Reaction?? A Master of Masters Conspiracy??

 

        

        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!!

Stay uncanny~

My Top 10 D23 Trailer Predicitons!

      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~

Mysteries of the Heart 2: Yen's Unexplained Vanishing Act

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~

Mysteries of the Heart: Much "Ado" About Coats

       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...

 

          Stay Uncanny~

What's In An Eye?

       Have you ever wondered why Ansem and Xemnas, despite being Xehanort's Heartless and Nobody, don't share his eye color? Everyone who's possessed by Master Xehanort seems to have the eyes of a distinct bright yellow: Saix, Xigbar, Terra after his body was taken, etc. But for whatever reason, Xemnas and Ansem's eyes are a complete, deep orange. In fact, they match Ansem the Wise's eyes more. But why? Is it just a coincidence? Is there even such thing as coincidences in this series? For my second inquiry, exactly WHY did Terranort's eyes turn brown? I know that many believe it's caused by memory loss,  but why default to brown? Terra's eyes weren't even that color before possession, they were blue....I also question the idea that Xehanort somehow possesses the ability to hide his eye color. Even if that were true, why did he need to? It's not like he was on a watchlist or anything, so why go through the trouble of hiding his eyes? Is it really possible that Xehanort's eyes were once brown, and that they're current yellow hue is only a symptom of the Darkness? Further  proof of this could be the fact that most creatures of Darkness possess the same eyes of bright yellow, such as various Heartless, and even Vanitas, who was created from the Darkness in Ventus's Heart. With this evidence, it it truly safe to say that Yellow Eyes are just a trait of Darkness?

        It's certainly something to speculate...but in truth, it still doesn't really answer why Xemnas and Ansem SoD have eyes that resemble Ansem the Wise, and not Xehanort. Could this be the reason why we've yet to see a flashback of Terra-Xehanort attacking the apprentices in anything other than a first-person perspective? What is Nomura REALLY hiding from us?  

That's not my name. I'm not..."Xehanort."

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