Watch the first episode of Kingdom Hearts Mysteries here

[Gexus]

At long last, the first episode in our Kingdom Hearts Mysteries series with GameTrailers.com has premiered, available for your viewing pleasure right here.

This first episode delves into time travel in the Kingdom Hearts series, which has become quite the headache for a lot of fans after its introduction in Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance on the Nintendo 3DS.

We first announced our collaboration back in December, where we'll be working on a number of episodes that will shed light on the deeper mysteries and plot twists of the series in order to help keep everyone on track for the upcoming release of Kingdom Hearts III on the PS4 and Xbox One.

Back in 2013, GameTrailers premiered their Kingdom Hearts Timeline video, which summarized most major plot points of the series into an hour long video. Some of us here at KHInsider had the privilege of assisting them with their script, and we felt that there was more we could have focused on, which prompted us to work together again on this new series.

Our next episode, due next month, will cover the topic of Sora's connection with others.

We hope you enjoy our first episode and look forward to more. Please tell us your thoughts on the comments here below!

Make sure to follow us on social media to keep up to date with more info on our collaboration!

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[Vanitas666]

That was really great and even cleared one or two little details up for me.

1. I didn't know how Xehanort could have known that Sora and Riku would start their exam "today", thinking about how they could have known they would do it that day in the present. One would think it would have been obvious from when I found out they went back in time to the day the islands fell to darkness but no, not for me.

2. The whole time travelling law about only being able to go in one direction and that the future don't exist.
Didn't really get that before but I still don't understand the whole "my path has been edged in my heart" part because that shouldn't change anything at all until the present day when Master Xehanort return because that journey didn't happen until then seeing how the future don't exist and the story of 3D didn't exist in KH I for example.

It also seam as if the Timeless River might be an entrance to the dream of that world which I think I theorized about once before but it's nice to realize it again.

 

[DarkGrey Heroine]

This was... AMAZING ♥ ♥ ♥ ; A ;
It's heart-warming to see such dedicated people!!

 

[OathkeeperRoxas XIII]

Get job to both staffs, it really will help others not be confused with Time Travel in KH and what Xehanort is upto. Can't wait for the connections to Sora's heart.

 

[MATGSY]

*Plays DDD*

*watches video*

 

[Picklepaige]

This was wonderful!

I know a lot of people don't like the time travel aspect that was introduced in DDD, but I ADORE it. I love how it has clearly defined rules and is internally consistent; everything makes sense and fits into the larger story, even if it was a last minute asspull. Figuring it out is so interesting, and it actually makes some things in the series less confusing to me, rather than more.

/unpopular opinion.

 

[Oracle Spockanort]

but I still don't understand the whole "my path has been edged in my heart" part because that shouldn't change anything at all until the present day when Master Xehanort return because that journey didn't happen until then seeing how the future don't exist and the story of 3D didn't exist in KH I for example.

A good way to explain it would be like how Namine edited Sora's memories and while he forgot the events of CoM, the memories were still there lingering in the darkness of his heart waiting to resurface (which they eventually did at the end of KH2FM when Sora notes that he never told Namine thanks). Young Xehanort is similar in that he has traveled to the past, has experienced things that he will not remember, but the echoes of those lost memories still exist in his heart and because of them he will continue on his fated destiny because that future is going to happen.

Also, the time conundrum is irritating. Master Xehanort talks about how the future is not yet written because he could not see it (in essence, they had reached the present of the current timeline) and yet Young Xehanort has traveled into his future and you also brought up the point that the future wouldn't have existed in KH1 until we reached KH3D. This brings in some timeless philosophical questions of: "Is everything predetermined/destined or is the future malleable?" and "Do these characters have true free will/control over their fates?"

I think another element that complicates things is the Book of Prophecy and chi itself. The fate of the World is written in that book, the cards that the players use in chi are created from the future written in the tome, so wouldn't that mean that the future has been known for a very long time now? Isn't the future known and already written/determined?

We can't answer these questions because the answers lie with KH3. (Also chi is a ball of confusion and who knows what time period it exists in considering it might actually be taking place in the RoS)

My suggestion is to view things with the first explanation. The memories are deep down in Xehanort's heart and while he doesn't remember, they subconsciously guide him.

*Plays DDD*

*watches video*

That is me. (Ignore that I helped edit the script.)

 

[Dark Wing]

still not quite clear on a few points.

so according to "reasons" you can't travel forward in time past the point of origin (present), can only travel forward with the flow of time, and you can only travel backwards to a point where another you is physically present. xehanort's heartless traveled back in time from a point in KHI before possessing Riku to transfer his time travel powers his younger self.

How does this affect YX's time travel abilities? Would his "point of origin" remain the same as his heartless since he's just using his powers, being some point during KHI? What exactly is the method that allows him to bring others with him thru time? At what point would YX have had a chance to collect Ansem Seeker of Darkness if his point of origin is set to a point where Xehanort is still a heartless?

How exactly does the Realm of Sleep affect the passage of time? We know that sora and riku were sent back to the point in time that Destiny Islands fell to darkness in order to enter the realm of sleep but then by the time we get to The World that Never Was Master Xehanort has "reassembled" so to speak, which would have to take place after both his heartless and nobody had been destroyed so where exactly does that take place on the timeline?

 

[Hakan Xatos]

Poor Sora.. he never gets picked first. Terra or the Keyblade didn't pick Sora first and then Xehanort picked Sora third as a vessel. So let me see.. the present is set in stone and I presume the past is too. Does that mean you can't travel into the future? Also if YX changes his attitude or goes against MX, this won't affect MX's personality even if he is the future version of YX right?

 

[Hakan Xatos]

Hey yeah, I'm having one of my "waitaminute" moments. So YX's present was mirrored with SoD's present when he got his time powers and now continually matches the timeline. YX can't go into the future of SoD or MX only as far as present in the normal time flow. Does this mean that YX is restricted to the Xehanort timeline? Like If all present Xehanorts are dead, YX can't travel past that point. Or does it follow normal time flow continually. Like YX can travel past all present Xehanort's deaths and follow normal time flow.


To answer my last post earlier. I guess nothing that past Xehanorts do will affect Master Xehanort. Considering that YX learned to wield a keyblade earlier in life and gain time-traveling abilities did not actually make MX an even more skilled keyblade master or have his own time-traveling abilities. Unless it changes..

The video was really great and I enjoyed it, but it seemed to bring up more questions than answers for me lol.

 

[Taochan]

Yay, we did a thing!

*Plays DDD*

*watches video*

This is so cute...

Poor Sora.. he never gets picked first. Terra or the Keyblade didn't pick Sora first and then Xehanort picked Sora third as a vessel. So let me see.. the present is set in stone and I presume the past is too. Does that mean you can't travel into the future? Also if YX changes his attitude or goes against MX, this won't affect MX's personality even if he is the future version of YX right?

Nope, you can't travel into the future, as we know it. To YX, he is in his future, but the future beyond DDD is untouchable. They can only travel to the present (which is as of now, DDD). The past is also set in stone, yeah. Nomura made sure the other games couldn't be retconned entirely with this element. Not sure how it would change MX is YX did indeed do that, but probably not. YX at this point hasn't had the experiences to make him MX.

edit: Young Xehanort, Ansem Seeker of Darkness, Xemnas, Terranort, Rikunort, Master Xehanort. These are all essentially the same person. Xehanort. So Young Xehanort can travel throughout time as long as one of these individuals, or any Xehanort incarnation we have yet to meet, is present at the destination. If all of these different incarnations are dead, then there is nothing to travel to. A form of yourself must be present at the destination. You can only travel within your own timeline.

 

[robvandam111]

Nice collaboration. Still lost about the time traveling thing. I understand how it works just that how it happened.

 

[Hakan Xatos]

edit: Young Xehanort, Ansem Seeker of Darkness, Xemnas, Terranort, Rikunort, Master Xehanort. These are all essentially the same person. Xehanort. So Young Xehanort can travel throughout time as long as one of these individuals, or any Xehanort incarnation we have yet to meet, is present at the destination. If all of these different incarnations are dead, then there is nothing to travel to. A form of yourself must be present at the destination. You can only travel within your own timeline.

Okay that's cool then. I think you explained the going to the future part very well, thanks! Kind of makes me wonder about the past now. If the past is set in stone, how could YX (from the past) get time-traveling powers and collect different versions of Xehanort without messing with the set in stone idea? I have a slight theory. Maybe the YX we see is not the real one and instead is a replica. Why does MX seem unaffected from YX's actions? Because he's just a replica and the real YX is still in the past following the life that's set in stone. How does YX take versions of MX's past selves with him to the present? He makes replicas of them since he can't alter the past. Why was the Organization (mostly Vexen) obsessed with replica making (Riku Replica, Vexen Replicas, Xion)? Perhaps to complete new Org 13 with willing subjects that has Xehanort's memories? It could be possible.

 

[rokudamia2]

Good video. Great work from both parties.


Damn this series is pretentious. I love it though.

 

[Oracle Spockanort]

Damn this series is pretentious.

I SAID THE SAME THING. It's hard to take all of it seriously when this is also the same game series where we got to train a bunch of cutesy dream creatures.

I love it, though. Thanks for watching the video!

 

[Taochan]

Okay that's cool then. I think you explained the going to the future part very well, thanks!

No problem!

Kind of makes me wonder about the past now. If the past is set in stone, how could YX (from the past) get time-traveling powers and collect different versions of Xehanort without messing with the set in stone idea?

So, only a person without a body can initially time travel. Cloaked Ansem, the Heartless Ansem before he took Riku's body, traveled back in time after shedding his body, to YX on a one way ticket. He then passed his time travel powers to YX.

I have a slight theory. Maybe the YX we see is not the real one and instead is a replica. Why does MX seem unaffected from YX's actions? Because he's just a replica and the real YX is still in the past following the life that's set in stone.

Anything is possible. I would prefer your theory to the actual time travel plot that we've been presented with. xD But, MX is unaffected because MX is part of the present timeline. He's the restored Somebody now that his Nobody and Heartless have been destroyed.

How does YX take versions of MX's past selves with him to the present? He makes replicas of them since he can't alter the past.

Here's part of the trickiness that allows them to get away with the time travel. When they're done with their time travel shenanigans in the future, they all go back to the exact point in time where YX plucked them from, totally unaware of what they were a part of. So they're really never gone from the timeline and they have no memory of what they've done to alter their actions.

Why was the Organization (mostly Vexen) obsessed with replica making (Riku Replica, Vexen Replicas, Xion)? Perhaps to complete new Org 13 with willing subjects that has Xehanort's memories? It could be possible.

I wish they had done more with the replica program. You make me think of all the possibilities that plot had.

 

[ShardofTruth]

Uh oh, someone said "Somebody" in the video. How long until the mob with the torches and pitchforks arrives to tell us that this isn't an official term coined by Nomura or his close relatives?:wink:

The video was very complicated, because it talked about so many different things so fast. For example in the beginning it tells us that Sora and Riku don't travel through time while visiting the Sleeping Worlds (meaning they don't travel in the past of the worlds) while they actually do travel through time (said much later in the video) because their journey begins on Destiny Islands in the past and ends in The World that Never Was in the present.

I understood most of it although I can't say it's very logical. Obviously Nomura likes concepts more than coherent storytelling, at least to me it seems that he has an idea (memories, replicas, datascape, bugs, dreams, time travel) and buillds a game around it. There is nothing wrong with this I guess, at least it still makes more sense than the backstory of The Legend of Zelda.

 

[ajmrowland]

I'm a little more confused now. And some.of this sounds.more.like theorizing than anything else.

 

[Riku-KH]

Sweet! Thanks! I'll watch it now. I'll tell you what I thought about it later.

 

[Some guy]

The only part that was new for me is the "present=DDD" thing being true for everyone and everything, which explains why YX could travel beyond his own "present" (which is actually already the past, even for him ... does that make any sense?).

But here is my question: If XH could do the same as YX with his time travelling powers, then why did he bother giving them away? Is it because YX has more time on his hands to plan and stuff? Not that it matters since time "stops" for the time traveleler ... Or is it so YX could grab some vessels from BBS and before? (as you can only go in one direction, if XH decided to go to the "present" himself, those time periods would be out of his reach). That actually made sense! =3