An Artist’s Perspective On The Xigbar Reveal (Spoilers)

An artist’s perspective on the Xigbar reveal (Spoilers)

Now, I know the fandom likes to joke that Nomura writes by the seat of his pants but given that Birth by Sleep was in the works when Kingdom Hearts II came out, I’m convinced that the Xigbar is Luxu reveal was planned all along. There is one simple reason why I believe that whatever else was improvised or not, Xigbar’s immortality was planned: the design of his Keyblade. I’m studying animation in college, and character design is a prerequisite course to graduate. One of the things I was taught is that every prop designed for a specific character needs to have a connection to their role in the story.

Looking at back at Birth by Sleep, there’s a common theme in all the character designs: for every Keyblade Wielder we see in the game, the color palette of their Keyblade matches the color palette of their outfit. Aqua. Ventus. Terra. Eraqus. Even Vanitas’ Keyblade both in-story and in his Remnant bonus boss form matches the color scheme of his outfit. Out of seven Keyblade Wielders in BBS, the only two that don’t fit this pattern are Master Xehanort and Mickey Mouse.

Mickey is easy to explain. Even if all the details in the story didn’t straight-up imply it, the design of the Star Seeker is blatantly evocative of the iconic pointed cap worn by Yen Sid in the games and that pop culture associates with Mickey’s Fantasia outfit. So even if it doesn’t directly match the color palette of any of his outfits, it never clashes with them because its design creates the impression that he’s wielding his most iconic headgear in Keyblade form.

Xehanort on the other hand, has no such exceptions. While he certainly made the effort to dress all in black, the fact that he had white and red underneath his coat meant that in theory, his Keyblade should have had been designed with those two colors worked into the concept art somewhere. Instead of black with silver accents, there should have been more of a blanace between black and white with some red mixed into the design. But those colors were never worked into the design of the blade, because it wasn’t originally his to begin with. Even before the added cutscenes of the HD 2.5 Remix confirmed it, the character designs of Birth by Sleep were telegraphing that No Name wasn’t the Keyblade that Xehanort had started out with.

In a game where almost every other Keyblade matched the color palette of its owner’s wardrobe, and the only exception was a Disney character whose Keyblade complemented their outfit colors by calling back to their most iconic attire from Disney media, the clash between the designs of Xehanort’s outfit and his Keyblade sticks out.

But Xigbar is another story. Seeing him with the No Name in his hand at the epilogue of Kingdom Hearts III struck a chord in me as an artist. Something that fundamentally shouted into the void for anyone with the artistic or design sense to see that the creative team behind Kingdom Hearts has specifically made this weapon with Xigbar in mind. Popular fanfics and fan art of Xigbar/Braig with a Keyblade have depicted one matching the color palette of his guns, but when you compare the silver-gray highlights on the No Name with the similar streaks in Xigbar’s hair, and the way the black coat of the Organization meshes with the black of the No Name, it’s clear that this Keyblade was intentionally designed to be Xigbar’s Keyblade from the start.

VANITAS IS AMNESIAC DARKNESS

I think Vanitas is amnesiac Darkness that created a new identity based on his connection to Ven and Sora. His situation would be similar to Apprentice Xehanort, a person who was also amnesiac with two hearts (Xehanort and Terra) that developed new memories until he realized who he was in the end. Marluxia could be another example, other than Apprentice Xehanort.

KHux Spoilers And Theory Time About The Recent Update.

In the character files, Vanitas said “What do you think I am, to you? Just what the hell do you think I am? I am darkness. And that means you all can be the light. Isn’t that right? And then at the same time, I’m both you and not you”

In his mind, he said that to Sora and Ven.

But also, in the KH3 novel, Vanitas said “I wonder what kind of person the real me. Even that is beyond my comprehension.” —> “However, I do have some memories left within me. Memories from long, long ago. Really, truly, ancient memories. Why do I have these memories?” ——> “Whose memories did that knowledge come from? Was it me? Or Ventus? Perhaps it was a fragment of somebody else's memories.” —> “I don’t know. All I know now is that I must bring my other half back to me. Just who am I? I am half of Ventus. I am...”

Vanitas discovered that he possessed vague ancient memories from X era and he can’t tell if it’s his own, Ventus, or someone else. He was also confused with existence.

Then Re:mind came out. Ventus told Vanitas that they were the same person. A sudden turn happened. Vanitas mocked Ventus for believing that they were the same and said “This may shock you, but we're not the same like you think. I was just hidden deep inside of you, for a real long time. All Xehanort did... was tear me right out of you!”

Even in the Japanese version, Vanitas said that he and Ventus were originally separated existences that was hidden until Xehanort extracted him out.

Me: I wanted to doubt at first until I realized that Ventus had a little amount of darkness inside of him yet was able to produce a new “human” being (Vanitas) that can act like a human but also harbor a power to create species from their negative emotions (the unversed) is sorta weird and fishy. Compared to Sora, who also have little amount of darkness but he only managed to produce a shadow lol

There was no reason for this extra addition detail to added if it wasn’t important and it coincidentally lines up to what MoM said about darkness changing their forms and hiding inside of people. But also, the camera purposely focusing on the eyeball on Vanitas’ Keyblade as he says this.

Me: Now why would Vanitas change or shift his stance about him and Ventus being the same person so sudden? Vanitas used to taunt and call Ventus “his better half” or referred himself as Ven’s “other half” So what happened now? And if I had to guess why his stance change: Because his memories as Darkness resurfaced.

Me: If Vanitas realized who he truly was towards the end like Apprentice Xehanort or Marluxia did, then Vanitas choosing to stay as his “real self” aka darkness but also acknowledging that Ventus and Sora shaped out or defined his existence despite the circumstances, perfectly lines up.

That’s my theory.

If Vanitas comes back, I do not think it’s going to be the same “Vanitas” as we may think. Either way, I am excited if Vanitas comes back!

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sakurarozen

4 years ago

Last one!!

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sakurarozen

5 years ago

Art by Vladimir Motsar

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sakurarozen

6 years ago

– Donato Giancola

Archer of the Rose

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sakurarozen

5 years ago

“I Have Twenty-three Tiny Wishes, But You Probably Won’t Remember Them All, So I Put Them All Together

“I have twenty-three tiny wishes, but you probably won’t remember them all, so I put them all together into one…

…I’d like to spend more time with you.”

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sakurarozen

2 years ago

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sakurarozen

1 year ago