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, 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~
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...
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?
The month of Junehas officially become the real MVP. And by that, I mean there's finally some juicy good news for us ever-so-patient, ever-so-vigilant, and thankfully-not-dead-yet, Kingdom Hearts fans! E3 2017 has swiftly concluded, and in its wake remains the buzzing hype and anticipation of the new, not-so new, and...delightfully strange. (Admit it, you totally can't wait to explore the world as a freaking Tyrannosaurus Mario. ) Nevertheless, it's evident that one of the biggest surprises of all may have actually come just a couple of days before the Expo even kicked off, when the Kingdom Hearts Orchestra World Tour dropped an unprecedented trailer for the long and anticipated Kingdom Hearts 3:
I must admit that my own heart skipped a beat upon hearing this news, especially as it’s no secret that a new trailer regarding the game has been looooooong overdue. Even with the promise of another trailer and more information just around the corner (more specifically, at the D23 Expo on July 15th) both fans and spectators alike are still a-buzz with their own hopes and predictions for the new trailer and the game itself. Being no stranger to the hype train, I have decided to compose my own list of hopes and expectations for the title, and sincerely hope that I can share them without being perceived as a complete lunatic.
The First Fantasy: A New Theme by Utada
Every Kingdom Hearts fan knows that the series isn’t quite the same without the melodic (and rather catchy) themes “Sanctuary” and “Simple and Clean”. They have both been used interchangeably throughout various moments in the series, and have served as the opening themes for each game. To add variation, they are often remixed; however, the overall nostalgia of each song is never truly lost regardless of any added beat, tempo, or drop. Now, as much as I praise these two songs, in the same breath, I can’t help but wonder if the final installment of the saga warrants JUST another remix. The Kingdom Hearts series is over 15 years old now, and with that comes a new kind of respect and expectation. A new....presence, if you will. Both Sora and the gang have done quite a bit of maturing since the Kingdom Hearts 1 days, therefore, it seems only fair to celebrate their final confrontation with an equally epic, and matured theme.
The Second Fantasy: Some Garsh Darn CIVILIZATION!
Despite how fun this series is, and how many good vibes come with seeing various Disney Worlds from our childhoods all over again, you can’t help but notice just how vast and EMPTY some of these locations are. I know that in some worlds (such as The Land of Departure) a dense population isn’t probable, because the existence of such a World is supposed to be secret, and exclusive to Keyblade wielders only. However, places such as Traverse Town, Castle of Dreams, La Cite’ des Cloches, Prankster’s Paradise, and Olympus Coliseum are SEVERELY lacking in civilians, and it sometimes sucks the wonder out of the Worlds. Festivals with no festival-attendees, royal balls with no royals, amusements parks with no naughty little boys...Winning against a Titan doesn’t feel so great when the arena echoes with disembodied cheers. Are we just supposed to believe that Phil keeps an audience track on standby?
LONELYYY~
I AM SO LONELYYY~
I HAVE NO BODYYYYY~
TO CALL MY OOOOOWN~
Even cities like Twilight Town (arguably one of the largest original cities in the game) is only inhabited by a sprinkle of people in specific locations. There are buildings everywhere: shops, platforms, even a train system, shouldn’t this be a more bustling city?? Of course, I’m not saying that every World needs a crap load of people, but I truly believe that just a little more effort and realism can be put into some of these environments.
The Third Fantasy: Fewer Familiar Worlds
Gosh, I can’t even think about this one with rolling my eyes. I suppose I’m a minority on this, but even though Hercules' World looks well constructed, and absolutely gorgeous in the new Kingdom Hearts 3 trailer, I really, REALLY hope that this is the last time we see this place. Repeated Worlds have become quite the trope for this series, and while I understand that some revisiting is necessary in order to conclude certain story elements and so forth, there’s a difference between revisiting, and milking a World to DEATH. At least in The Coliseum’s and Traverse Town’s defense, they're both significantly expanded upon as the series progresses. For example, Olympus Coliseum includes "A Town Near Thebes" in Birth by Sleep, and the Underworld in Kingdom Hearts 2; while Traverse Town reveals an underground mailing system, new districts, and some additional alleyways in Dream Drop Distance. However, never-changing, tedious, and down-right irritating Worlds like Monstro have officially reached the height of repetitiveness and MUST go.
The Fourth Fantasy: Decent Pacing
After recently going back and replaying some of the Kingdom Hearts games, I can't help but notice that at times, the pacing can be rather.....strange. Some sequences go on a bit longer than they probably should, some dialogue is a bit drawn out, there are a surprising number of awkward silences. Even much of Dream Drop Distance feels as if it's just Sora and Riku literally trying to stay awake while various Xehanorts elaborate on how f*ked their situation is. While explanation and subtext is good, (I mean, who doesn’t like knowing what's going on?) there’s always such a thing as too much talking and not enough doing. Even the opposite can easily happen. There should be an adequate balance of both.
The Fifth Fantasy: A plot that isn’t completely reliant on the events of Kingdom Hearts Chi/Unchained Key/Union X
From watching the trailer above, it's apparent that the Master of Master’s mysterious Black Box is already a major plot point in this game. Which I don't mind, since I too, am curious of what it contains. However, I think that it would be a massive disappointment if the entire plot of KH3 was dependent upon the events of Back Cover, Unchained Key, and Union X. Despite how canon the story within these games and cinematics may be, there are quite a few other plots and issues that desperately need to be resolved before we attempt to tackle the many mysteries of those games. We still haven’t rescued Aqua, Terra is still a hostage of Xehanort, Xion is still forgotten, Roxas’s fate is still unknown, the 13 Darknesses still have to be revealed AND stopped, and (oh my garsh!) we still have no idea who the confirmed Guardians of Light are, do we? The point is, there is still very much to resolve already, therefore, saving some of these new mysteries for the next saga would be way better than trying to cram ALL of them into a single game.
The Sixth Fantasy: A Plot That Isn’t TOO Complicated.
We don’t need anymore time travel. We don’t need the birth of anymore Nobodies. We don’t need anymore replicas with an identity crisis, and we CERTAINLY don’t need anymore “dreams within dreams”. A couple of these elements have become their own tropes within the series, and they need to be forgotten. Let KH3 be a story that tackles the current mysteries and issues, without rehashing any of these other scenarios, or bringing anything else into the plot that will distort things further, and leave more holes.
The Seventh Fantasy: An Ending That Isn't A Bullsh*t Villain Cliche
“Oh, Xehanort wasn’t the bad guy! It was just a bigger, badder dude up there in the sky controlling him!” No. No. Don’t do that crap. Please don’t. This is his Saga, it’s almost over, the least you can do is let the man go out with a bit more dignity than that. Even if he is redeemed in some way, let it be in a way that is a little more than just: “Oh poor old man, he’s just a poor puppet! Oopsie!”
The Eighth Fantasy: An Actual Ending
Non-conclusive endings aren’t so bad if you’re only on the first installment of a franchise, and want to stir up excitement for sequels, but when you have over 6 titles, and are just now releasing the actual conclusion to those games, I think the fans deserve an ending that's worthy of being called a- well, ending.
The Ninth Fantasy: Enthused Voice Acting
I think this speaks for itself!
The Tenth Fantasy: A Unanimous Release Date
I don’t know how much control Tetsuya Nomura even has over this, but guessing from the other releases probably not much. Regardless, these unmatched release dates must stop. Yes, we know that Japan is Square’s favorite son, but releasing it there first, and subjecting everyone else to weeks of dodging spoilers online is just totally cruel, man. Totally. Can't we all bask in the glory of KH3 together?
The Eleventh Fantasy: At Least one Good Plot Twist.
I know this may seem contradictory to Fantasy #6, but believe it or not, it IS possible to have at least one good surprise without it being too over the top. Besides, whats an adventure without a few surprises? (“Good” surprises that is.)
The Twelfth Fantasy: An Actual Outfit Change for Lea. Seriously.
I'm all for Goth... I really am. But that ass-squeezing leather has got to smell like fresh brimstone and Yaoi angst by now. Lea's hanging with the good kids now, can’t he at least run home and find some decent clothes? Surely, he’s proven himself worthy of a few hundred zippers and a hoodie.
The Thirteenth, and Final Fantasy: Good Dialogue.
Not decent. Not passable. GOOD. No more awkward silences between lines, cringey sentiments you’d find on a fortune cookie, and no, absolutely NO forced laughter. Oh my Moogly-Goof, the forced laughter! Stop that. It’s not cute! Not even in fictional characters! KH3 will be good, I have no doubt about that, but even if it's not perfect, adhering to the golden rule of appropriate laughter would make this game and it's cut-scenes that much more amazing, and would instantly atone for a million sins.
Well! There’s my list. Even as I create this, I can think of a few more expectations, but these 13 are the most imperative to me. Of course, all of these are based solely on my own opinion and experiences, and I have no desire to impose these ideas upon anyone else. All in all, this has been another thought for the blog, and I can't wait to see what's in store for the future!
Well! As you can see, Our beloved Nomura has revealed some savvy new art to commemorate the international release of 1.5+2.5 for the PS4! As per usual, the art is gorgeous, however, there are some rather interesting things to note about this new picture:
The first, and most obvious observation, is the reference to previous pictures of our beloved Sora on a throne. His posture has remained similar throughout the years, featuring Sora with his legs crossed, his right hand supporting his cheek in a carefree manner, and a crown placed on his head. The only major differences seem to be that Sora is now in his KH3 outfit, rather than his KH1 clothes, and his smile is slightly more mischievous. I guess you could say that it's a subtle combination of his....*ahem* rather pissed disposition in picture one, and a more content expression in picture two.
But of course, I wouldn't have made this post if I didn't have some speculations about this seemingly innocent art. What kind of speculations, you ask? Well, it's no secret that the creative Nomura will sometimes give his works bits of "extra" detail to baffle the observer, or give a hint of things to come, such as in the Unchained Key: 1st Anniversary sketch, in which he hinted at future involvement from BBS's Ventus. He strategically placed Ventus next to Ephemera and Skuld, but to tease the fans even more, he very loosely sketched two other individuals, whom he later stated will have relevance in Unchained Key's/ Union X's story.
He's done the same in another Unchained-related drawing, in which he featured old Kingdom Hearts characters along with Ephemera and Skuld. Two of the characters, Riku and Kairi, were drawn with outfits unseen in the currently released games, which were later confirmed to be their upcoming KH3 garments. Its not quite as subtle as other hints, but the rest of their outfits (from the waist down) have yet too be seen, due to being cut off by the picture's small size. This was, without a doubt, also intentional.
Now, lets take a look at the newest work once more:
I think it's safe to say that this just may be Nomura's most baffling sketch yet. There's little bits of mystery woven all throughout this picture, starting with Sora's lap. If you look closely, you can see that there is an animal of some kind in his lap, the face of the animal is hidden by the giant "15th" but the pointed ears would suggest that it is a canine of some sort. Possibly a fox. If this is true, then it is most likely a reference to Vulpes, the animal of Foreteller Ava from KH Chi. If that weren't all, there is the background. If you look at the other throne pictures of the past , backgrounds or objects surrounding the thrones were very easy to make out and see, but in this picture, everything has been intentionally blurred, not by pencil, but by a program after the picture was drawn. It's as if Nomura intentionally wanted to obscure the images...but why? Upon zooming in, the only images that can be slightly made out are the top left, which features the portrait of a person, and the bottom right, which features some kind of musical note. I can only guess that this drawing as a whole is somehow connecting Unchained Key/ Union X to KH3, but unless Nomura reveals the entire picture, I'm afraid it's just guesswork for now.
