[SPOILER] KINGDOM HEARTS Union X DARK ROAD Completion Commemorative Q&A
- Details
- Published on August 27, 2022 @ 02:50 pm
- Written by Arielle
Yesterday, KINGDOM HEARTS Union X Dark Road received its Version 5.0 update which put KINGDOM HEARTS Dark Road into offline mode and finally released the long-awaited conclusion of the game's story.
Many mysteries were answered while plenty of new ones were created, leaving many fans with a ton of questions about where KINGDOM HEARTS' story is going in KINGDOM HEARTS Missing-Link and beyond.
Series Creator Tetsuya Nomura was prepared for everybody's confusion, so a Q&A was prepared in advance for fans to read after finishing the finale to Dark Road.
Goldpanner has translated the Q&A and can be viewed down below. Also, consider buying Goldpanner a ko-fi!
First of all, my apologies for the wait.
I wanted to make it bigger, and there were parts I wanted to tell in more detail, but as this size of this installment physically went over capacity, I have depicted the essentials. I hope you enjoy it - both the completion of "Dark Road," and the gameplay, which we worked on quite a bit to make the difficulty level more balanced and easier to play. Also, the plot interweaves with future developments in "Missing-Link" and "KHIV," so keep that in mind.
Below, I have created a supplementary Q&A for this installment - if you're interested, I'd love for you to read it.
*This contains heavy spoilers for the end of the story. Be warned if you have not yet finished the game.
"KINGDOM HEARTS Union X DARK ROAD" Completion Commemorative Q&A
Q1: In previous titles, we saw the Xehanort who leaves Destiny Islands as a young man. He seems a lot younger in DR.
A1: DR presents the correct version. For previous games, we used the young man model we already had as a catch-all symbolic representation of "his youth," in order to save cost modeling a young boy version. In KHIII, they were specifically split. I'd like you to interpret it as the symbolic representation becoming a rich one.
Q2: Will there be any fix patches?A2: Yes. We've discovered some bugs, such as the battle backgrounds displaying the wrong background, and there are a few lines of dialogue fixed at the last minute to be replaced - these will be addressed in an upcoming patch called version 5.0.1. I am very sorry. Also, there are scenes where an easily understood form of the Player is shown in Xehanort's final battle and final reflections, but as it could be misinterpreted in a way I didn't intend, we will be updating how it is represented sometime next month too.
Q3: You said the mystery of why Xehanort went bald would be answered, but it ended up being unexpectedly straightforward.A3: Yes, it wasn't really a very important issue, after all. It's just that people were wrongly theorizing that it fell out after many years, so I wanted to correct the record that he shaved it. It also wasn't important that the Queen of Hearts didn't remember Xehanort. That's just how she is.
O4: Several Emblem Heartless appeared in the worlds of DR. Timeline-wise, Emblem Heartless weren't first created until after KH, right?A4: The reason Emblem Heartless appear in worlds of the past is an important part of the setting of "Missing-Link," so it will be explained in the future.
Q5: Who is the blue robed figure who appears in the DR epilogue?A5: Someone who bears the heart of the Player from UX. Later the part where it talks about a "second life" will be withdrawn. And then, it will be about how after its final destruction, that heart will once again melt into the heart of another person.
Q6: Places called Scala ad Caelum appear in both DR and Missing-Link. Is it the same place?A6: It is the same place. It looks different because it is a different time period: as per the "multi-tiered city" label, the city is structured in tiers, where new districts are built on top of the old ones.
Q7: The story didn't go so far as to show when Xehanort becomes completely devoted to the darkness. What of this?A7: That's true. But, I feel I showed the circumstances that led him to the start of that dark road. I also got to do the part I wanted to show the most: the relationship between him and Eraqus. So, I think it's possible to guess what happened from there.
Q8: There were a lot of interesting characters among his classmates and upperclassmen. Can we look forward to seeing them again?A8: There were a lot of characters which I am sad to restrict to one game, and characters who made their exits without getting to do much talking, which I was disappointed about. But, as mentioned above, I wasn't able to go deeper due to issues regarding size limitations. I feel very sorry about this. I think it would be very difficult for most of the characters to appear again in a future game. But, there are some possibilities. I've also thought it could be good content to touch on in a book or something.
Q9: What did Master Odin mean at the end when he spoke of a "teacher" and a "cruel fate"?A9: Master Odin himself once had a master who taught him, naturally. His master entrusted him with a certain duty - parts of this align with that of the blue robed figure. This will be revealed in detail in Missing-Link, which depicts a later period.
O10: Xehanort's motherly figure looked a lot like Skuld. Is it her?A10: No, but she is connected to Skuld. Missing-Link is also a story about bloodlines, you see.
Q11: In this game, we learned about Xehanort's bloodline. What about Eraqus? Previously we learned he is descended from the very first master. Do the two share lineage?A11: Sorry, but this is also a Missing-Link topic. I will say they don't have the same parents.
Q12: When can we next expect news on Missing-Link?A12: CBT (Closed Beta Testing) is first, we are currently making preparations. I have to balance the time-frames of other titles, but first of all, we do plan to revive the KINGDOM HEARTS Union x Twitter account as a Missing-Link account, so please make sure to follow.
Q13: Lastly, will Xehanort appear again in a future title?A13: The Dark Seeker Saga, which hinged on Xehanort, is now over. However, this doesn't have bearing on whether he will or won't appear. At this point, it's up to whether there's a good opportunity.
—Thank you.
KINGDOM HEARTS Series Director Tetsuya Nomura
2022/08/26
COMMENTS
Goldpanner said that some of the “Q”s were written as “O” so she thinks there may be something hidden in the Q&A.
104?
104?
AHHH!
Q13: Lastly, will Xehanort appear again in a future title? A13: The Dark Seeker Saga, which hinged on Xehanort, is now over. However, this doesn't have bearing on whether he will or won't appear. At this point, it's up to whether there's a good opportunity. |
Of course, Nomura is not going to get rid of Xehanort. I'm starting to get tired of him. It doesn't help that I found Dark Road to be a rather boring story.
Q5: Who is the blue robed figure who appears in the DR epilogue? A5: Someone who bears the heart of the Player from UX. Later the part where it talks about a "second life" will be withdrawn. And then, it will be about how after its final destruction, that heart will once again melt into the heart of another person. |
Does "its final destruction" mean his death in Dark Road? If so, it looks like the Player is Sora theory gets another chance. I hope that's not the case, I'd prefer he is reborn as Riku or someone else. The blue robed figure [SPOILER]thought Xehanort was the child of destiny but it was so obvious he was talking about Sora... It would be kinda ironic if the child of destiny was the blue robed figure's next life but he mistook Sora's recurrent antagonist for someone who was actually himself[/SPOILER].
I'm pretty sure there's no need for spoiler tags in this thread but just in case.
104?
I'm not sure I understand... is it because the questions with the O are precisely the numbers 10 and 4? The 104 building will appear in KH4 but that's a very random reference here.
Of course, Nomura is not going to get rid of Xehanort. I'm starting to get tired of him. It doesn't help that I found Dark Road to be a rather boring story.
Does "its final destruction" mean his death in Dark Road? If so, it looks like the Player is Sora theory gets another chance. I hope that's not the case, I'd prefer he is reborn as Riku or someone else. The blue robed figure [SPOILER]thought Xehanort was the child of destiny but it was so obvious he was talking about Sora... It would be kinda ironic if the child of destiny was the blue robed figure's next life but he mistook Sora's recurrent antagonist for someone who was actually himself[/SPOILER].
I'm pretty sure there's no need for spoiler tags in this thread but just in case.
I think it’s just saying what the current text will be replaced with and the final destruction is referring to Player’s death in UX. Instead of the blue robed figured being a straight reincarnation of the Player, it will make it clear Player’s heart more or less joined with the blue robed figure’s. I don’t think it will imply that Player went on to join yet another heart after BRF’s death.
Goldpanner said that some of the “Q”s were written as “O” so she thinks there may be something hidden in the Q&A.
Missing Link beta will release on October 4th
I'm not sure I understand... is it because the questions with the O are precisely the numbers 10 and 4? The 104 building will appear in KH4 but that's a very random reference here.
It doesn’t necessarily have to make sense right now if it is a clue. I’m thinking it just means Xehanort is gonna be in Quadratum since the artwork has him in Miyashita Park.
I think it’s just saying what the current text will be replaced with and the final destruction is referring to Player’s death in UX. Instead of the blue robed figured being a straight reincarnation of the Player, it will make it clear Player’s heart more or less joined with the blue robed figure’s. I don’t think it will imply that Player went on to join yet another heart after BRF’s death.
but in the response he says that the heart will once again join the heart of another person it would not make sense that he says again unless its the second time
It's a still a bit strange that we got a prequel to BBS and still don't know why Xehanort became so hardened with the world and why the light-hearted Eraqus became so stoic and fanatic. Player reincarnating as another Player in Missing Link is the cruelest thing that was revealed in Dark Road.
Q5: Who is the blue robed figure who appears in the DR epilogue?
A5: Someone who bears the heart of the Player from UX. Later the part where it talks about a "second life" will be withdrawn. And then, it will be about how after its final destruction, that heart will once again melt into the heart of another person.
I may sound boring for this, but I hope that whoever the Player reincarnates into next, since they already reincarnated into the Player from Missing-Link, is like… another Player from any upcoming game that includes customizable Players.
I was one of those people that didn't like the Player-Xehanort reincarnation theory and actually preferred if they reincarnated into the Player from Missing-Link, so I'm really glad that actually turned out to be the case.
I may sound boring for this, but I hope that whoever the Player reincarnates into next, since they already reincarnated into the Player from Missing-Link, is like… another Player from any upcoming game that includes customizable Players.
I was one of those people that didn't like the Player-Xehanort reincarnation theory and actually preferred if they reincarnated into the Player from Missing-Link, so I'm really glad that actually turned out to be the case.
No, I totally agree. The only known character I'd be happy to learn is Player''s future incarnation would be Yozora, since Yozora is also technically a playable video game character.
Q1: In previous titles, we saw the Xehanort who leaves Destiny Islands as a young man. He seems a lot younger in DR. A1: DR presents the correct version. For previous games, we used the young man model we already had as a catch-all symbolic representation of "his youth," in order to save cost modeling a young boy version. In KHIII, they were specifically split. I'd like you to interpret it as the symbolic representation becoming a rich one.
I have absolutely no idea what this means. Anyone?
I have absolutely no idea what this means. Anyone?
They were able to make a proper Kid Xehanort model for KH3 as opposed to just using the existing Young Xehanort model to cover the entirety of his youth like they did in previous games, even when he should look significantly different.
It doesn’t necessarily have to make sense right now if it is a clue. I’m thinking it just means Xehanort is gonna be in Quadratum since the artwork has him in Miyashita Park.
Thanks! I didn't pay much attention to the artwork and I would have never been able to tell that's Miyashita Park, but now I see that structure in the background.
So Xehanort will continue to exist in some form and is more than likely in Quadratum now, I hope that means I can get my wish of Sora and Mini-Nort duking it out in a parking lot somewhere.
I wonder if this Youngnort in Quadratum will be the same Xehanort we've know, or an entirely different person in the sense that he has no knowledge of his other forms.
I wonder if this Youngnort in Quadratum will be the same Xehanort we've know, or an entirely different person in the sense that he has no knowledge of his other forms.
I could see him being a different person. If he is another incarnation maybe this Xehanort won't even be a antagonist to Sora this time. I could be wrong but I'm not getting any evil vibes from that picture we see of him
I could see him being a different person. If he is another incarnation maybe this Xehanort won't even be a antagonist to Sora this time. I could be wrong but I'm not getting any evil vibes from that picture we see of him
Me neither! He seems innocent and completely ignorant to whatever his other versions have done. Which begs to question what role he might have in the story. I'd wage he'll guy Sora from time to time whenever he feels lost as to where he should go next. Maybe a navigational character of sorts
Can I ask a question about Master of Masters?
[SPOILER]Judging by his surprise, there was no exam for the title of keyblade Masters in the era of fairy tales? As far as I know MoM is not the first owner of the keyblade, then how was the skill of the owners of the keyblade tested in ancient times?[/SPOILER]
Can I ask a question about Master of Masters?
[SPOILER]Judging by his surprise, there was no exam for the title of keyblade Masters in the era of fairy tales? As far as I know MoM is not the first owner of the keyblade, then how was the skill of the owners of the keyblade tested in ancient times?[/SPOILER]
MoM created the Keyblade from what we can tell. And then he gave them to his apprentices and had them give it out to the children of Daybreak Town like candy.
There was no Mark of Mastery. There were no “Masters” period. That is something that got created by the Scalans. There wasn’t any need to test the Keyblade wielders like that in the Age of Fairytales.
The reason MoM even had his apprentices do what they did was to try and stop Darkness. There was no reason to test wielders.
Edit: whoops! Forgot that MoM scene where he admits he didn’t make them. What a punk.
MoM created the Keyblade from what we can tell. And then he gave them to his apprentices and had them give it out to the children of Daybreak Town like candy.
There was no Mark of Mastery. There were no “Masters” period. That is something that got created by the Scalans. There wasn’t any need to test the Keyblade wielders like that in the Age of Fairytales.
The reason MoM even had his apprentices do what they did was to try and stop Darkness. There was no reason to test wielders.
It just seemed to me that MoM was saying that when he was a kid there was another keyblade war. Or did I misunderstand the text?
I hope no one is against it if I duplicate my thoughts from another topic. It just went unnoticed.
[SPOILER] It always seemed to me that people in the KH universe live longer than in our world. (Because of magic and other features.) I mean, look at Erakus, he's quite cheerful for 80 years and has almost no gray hair, so I wouldn't be surprised if the reincarnation of a UX player lived a very long life by the standards of ordinary people. Thus, it is quite possible that there is a long period of time between UX and Dark Road.[/SPOILER]
I hope no one is against it if I duplicate my thoughts from another topic. It just went unnoticed.
[SPOILER] It always seemed to me that people in the KH universe live longer than in our world. (Because of magic and other features.) I mean, look at Erakus, he's quite cheerful for 80 years and has almost no gray hair, so I wouldn't be surprised if the reincarnation of a UX player lived a very long life by the standards of ordinary people. Thus, it is quite possible that there is a long period of time between UX and Dark Road.[/SPOILER]
Well why wouldn’t they live longer when if are magical spells like Cure? :D jk hahah
But considering your point, I really wonder how diseases and injuries work in the KH universe? I mean, you break your leg and all you have to do is cast a cure spell
Well why wouldn’t they live longer when if are magical spells like Cure? :D jk hahah
But considering your point, I really wonder how diseases and injuries work in the KH universe? I mean, you break your leg and all you have to do is cast a cure spell
serious in some worlds health care must be amazing. Get sick or break a leg, see your local white mage.
MoM created the Keyblade from what we can tell.
This is established to be a lie in UX when he admits to Luxu that there were other Keyblade wielders.
To me this is one of the key points of his character but it seems that everyone just forgets that scene every time.
This is established to be a lie in UX when he admits to Luxu that there were other Keyblade wielders.
To me this is one of the key points of his character but it seems that everyone just forgets that scene every time.
Damn I totally forgot xD but I also really rolled my eyes every time MoM spoke.
It just seemed to me that MoM was saying that when he was a kid there was another keyblade war. Or did I misunderstand the text?
No you are right! I just forgot that stupid scene because MoM is a character I usually just ignore because every time he speaks it is some bs haha
But still, I don’t think there were “masters” like how they are in the present. MoM gave his apprentices Keyblades and then after they learned all that he was gonna teach them, they were “masters”. And his main concern along with theirs was to defeat Darkness, so I don’t think he really gave a damn about hierarchy and titles. Maybe if he had known it would sew more discord and draw in Darkness, I’m sure he would have cared.
Also it is clear even with MoM’s “gazing eye” that he only pays attention to what matters to him for his own goals.
How come KHInsider hasn't uploaded the video yet? Also, does anybody know when the update will reach NA?
How come KHInsider hasn't uploaded the video yet? Also, does anybody know when the update will reach NA?
It takes time to record and edit.
The update is already out? Or you mean the patch mentioned in the Q&A? They haven’t even released it in Japan.
How come KHInsider hasn't uploaded the video yet? Also, does anybody know when the update will reach NA?
Oh, I thought everyone had already played or watched the video elsewhere so I didn't bother linking them lol
They were able to make a proper Kid Xehanort model for KH3 as opposed to just using the existing Young Xehanort model to cover the entirety of his youth like they did in previous games, even when he should look significantly different.
But then why didn't they just create that model for DDD instead of the one they did?
This interview feels like PR for Kingdom Hearts Missing Link, I'm not surprised by that seeing as the game's barely talked about.
Q8: There were a lot of interesting characters among his classmates and upperclassmen. Can we look forward to seeing them again?
A8: There were a lot of characters which I am sad to restrict to one game, and characters who made their exits without getting to do much talking, which I was disappointed about. But, as mentioned above, I wasn't able to go deeper due to issues regarding size limitations. I feel very sorry about this. I think it would be very difficult for most of the characters to appear again in a future game. But, there are some possibilities. I've also thought it could be good content to touch on in a book or something.
I'm confident they're in Quadratum. If Strelitzia can come back then everyone else who is "deceased" in reality is likely in unreality.
O10: Xehanort's motherly figure looked a lot like Skuld. Is it her?
A10: No, but she is connected to Skuld. Missing-Link is also a story about bloodlines, you see.
I think Xehanort's mother may be Verdandi. We already have Skuld and Urd so Verdandi would complete the Norns trio.
It takes time to record and edit.
The update is already out? Or you mean the patch mentioned in the Q&A? They haven’t even released it in Japan.
My account (for whatever reason) hasn't updated, so I'm a little confused.
Oh, I thought everyone had already played or watched the video elsewhere so I didn't bother linking them lol
Thank you :)
But then why didn't they just create that model for DDD instead of the one they did?
They already had an older-looking model from BBS, and it was easier to just stick the DDD Young Xehanort head on it and call it a day since it was already modeled, textured, and rigged, and this model would only be used for a few seconds.
My account (for whatever reason) hasn't updated, so I'm a little confused.
Thank you :)
Did you update the app manually? Once 5.0 is installed via the App Store, you should be able to access KHDR again in offline mode.
What I thought after watching these videos in DR:
[SPOILER][ATTACH type="full"]15643[/ATTACH][ATTACH type="full"]15644[/ATTACH][ATTACH type="full"]15645[/ATTACH][ATTACH type="full"]15646[/ATTACH]Maybe this post won't be taken seriously, but that's why I think RAX trio has a chance to develop in the future. These three heroes are associated with twilight, which means they do not belong to the darkness or light. All of them suffered from both sides to one degree or another. It would be cool if similar questions were also used through them in future games, which were demonstrated in DR.
The RAX trio could become a kind of "Grey Jedi" in the KH universe, something like Ahsoka Tano in SW.
There is still Riku, but he is still on the side of light, he is rather a Mace Windu in the KH universe who can use his inner darkness as a weapon of light.[/SPOILER]
If Strelitzia can come back then everyone else who is "deceased" in reality is likely in unreality.
I'm preeeetty sure she's back because Luxu made a copy of her to save her.
SHIbuya is a "world of the dead" but I don't think it's literally just functioning as the afterlife. It's more like it's serving the role of the afterlife to these people like Sora and Strelitzia who are there under special circumstances.
They already had an older-looking model from BBS, and it was easier to just stick the DDD Young Xehanort head on it and call it a day since it was already modeled, textured, and rigged, and this model would only be used for a few seconds.
Does all that mean YX in DDD was really DR Xehanort all along?
Did you update the app manually? Once 5.0 is installed via the App Store, you should be able to access KHDR again in offline mode.
For crying out loud! I knew it was "offline" but I didn't think it was so cut off from the internet that I had manually updated it.
Does all that mean YX in DDD was really DR Xehanort all along?
Uhhh, let me clarify:
The YX we see meeting with Ansem SoD in the flashback should look like DR Xehanort. It's this teenage Xehanort that the dev team couldn't justify making a brand new model for since he is only shown briefly in this one scene.
The YX running around in the black coat for the entire game looks like he should since he was plucked from a time when he is several years older.
Uhhh, let me clarify:
The YX we see meeting with Ansem SoD in the flashback should look like DR Xehanort. It's this teenage Xehanort that the dev team couldn't justify making a brand new model for since he is only shown briefly in this one scene.
The YX running around in the black coat for the entire game looks like he should since he was plucked from a time when he is several years older.
But did YX not go on his first time travel trip right after meeting Ansem? I don't recall DDD or KH3 ever implying he waited a few years. Is that stated in DR? I've only just started making my way through the vids now.
But did YX not go on his first time travel trip right after meeting Ansem? I don't recall DDD or KH3 ever implying he waited a few years. Is that stated in DR? I've only just started making my way through the vids now.
Yes, that is the whole thing. The Xehanort that meets Ansem on Destiny Islands should look like Kid Xehanort in DR. He leaves DI immediately after that encounter, as shown in this game's intro.
The Young Xehanort causing mayhem in DDD and so on is not supposed to look like Kid Xehanort, as he is several years older.
Nomura's statement in the Q&A is that we should have seen Kid Xehanort in those brief glimpses in BBS and DDD, but they could not make a new model for him at the time and just threw together a placeholder with existing assets. After designing a proper Kid Xehanort in KH3, they were able to use it in DR and accurately depict what he should look like during these events.
Yes, that is the whole thing. The Xehanort that meets Ansem on Destiny Islands should look like Kid Xehanort in DR. He leaves DI immediately after that encounter, as shown in this game's intro.
The Young Xehanort causing mayhem in DDD and so on is not supposed to look like Kid Xehanort, as he is several years older.
Nomura's statement in the Q&A is that we should have seen Kid Xehanort in those brief glimpses in BBS and DDD, but they could not make a new model for him at the time and just threw together a placeholder with existing assets. After designing a proper Kid Xehanort in KH3, they were able to use it in DR and accurately depict what he should look like during these events.
Yes I get that but it still doesn't make sense to me if DR is saying he went on his trip (his time trip, not his Scala trip) a few years after meeting Ansem. DDD implied it happened immediately. Met Ansem, hopped forward into BBS and DDD, returned back to the islands like we see in the post credits of DDD, with his "this world is much too small" line. I would've thought that when Ansem sends him to the outside world, in the DR intro, it's after all that. Because in addition, in BBS and DDD he doesn't even have his own keyblade yet, which would imply the sleeping worlds journey began before he even went to Scala. All of these factors taken together don't seem to fit logically.
Yes I get that but it still doesn't make sense to me if DR is saying he went on his trip (his time trip, not his Scala trip) a few years after meeting Ansem. DDD implied it happened immediately. Met Ansem, hopped forward into BBS and DDD, returned back to the islands like we see in the post credits of DDD, with his "this world is much too small" line. I would've thought that when Ansem sends him to the outside world, in the DR intro, it's after all that. Because in addition, in BBS and DDD he doesn't even have his own keyblade yet, which would imply the sleeping worlds journey began before he even went to Scala. All of these factors taken together don't seem to fit logically.
Nothing abour kh is logical
Yes I get that but it still doesn't make sense to me if DR is saying he went on his trip (his time trip, not his Scala trip) a few years after meeting Ansem. DDD implied it happened immediately. Met Ansem, hopped forward into BBS and DDD, returned back to the islands like we see in the post credits of DDD, with his "this world is much too small" line. I would've thought that when Ansem sends him to the outside world, in the DR intro, it's after all that. Because in addition, in BBS and DDD he doesn't even have his own keyblade yet, which would imply the sleeping worlds journey began before he even went to Scala. All of these factors taken together don't seem to fit logically.
Nothing about KH makes sense anymore. Think of this this way. Everything you thought you knew? Nomura is done with that. He is recontextualizing everything.
[SPOILER]By the way, if the black-haired girl is connected with Skuld, then Subject X is not her?[/SPOILER]
[SPOILER]By the way, if the black-haired girl is connected with Skuld, then Subject X is not her?[/SPOILER]
We don’t know.
Nothing about KH makes sense anymore. Think of this this way. Everything you thought you knew? Nomura is done with that. He is recontextualizing everything.
Sigh, I know, I was trying to be generous here ? Recontextualizing, that's a polite way of putting it lol, rather than retconning/ignoring the basic events and tenets of the story you've already established.
Sigh, I know, I was trying to be generous here ? Recontextualizing, that's a polite way of putting it lol, rather than retconning/ignoring the basic events and tenets of the story you've already established.
I didn’t want to be too extreme (but yeah he’s definitely retconning a lot of stuff xD)
Okay, wow. I have SO many thoughts on all of this. Warning: This is gonna be a long post:
1) They lied to us. The devs said multiple times that the final update would be cutscene only, yet there was plenty of gameplay. Glad I decided to play through the update just for the hell of it, cause I always prefer playing a game to the end rather than watching it on youtube if I have a choice. So I'm glad for that, but damn, I don't know why they had to be so blatantly dishonest about the nature of the update.
2) I really like the way they incorporated a lot of the Disney worlds in this game. I wasn't expecting Dark Road of all titles to have the most narrative impact per Disney world of any KH entry, but bravo. The characters actually USED elements of each world, like the mirror and the rose and the lamp to achieve their ultimate goals, and apparently Maleficent was a mass murderer before the main line of games even happens! Also, really like how dark they went with all the body count and stuff.
3) I'm kind of annoyed that Bragi did in fact turn out to be Luxu. This was a fan theory for a while, but it felt so stupid that someone with a name almost identical to Braig would turn out to be another vessel for Luxu. It was way too on-the-nose, so I was sure it was just a coincidence or a red herring. Kind of disappointed it was real. I am starting to believe that Nomura actually does peruse the message boards of sites like this to get ideas for twists, because the running tab of fan theories becoming true is starting to get a little too heavy for comfort. Not to mention, what was the point of it? We learned nothing interesting from Bragi being Luxu at the end. It didn't change anything about the story. It felt just thrown in there because they had to mention Luxu or something.
4) The whole thing with the different time flows in each world is a MASSIVE problem in the narrative. I know it was just used as an excuse for the characters to be able to come across the same Disney characters that Sora does later on, but I'm sorry, this is probably the most nonsensical and problematic plot device that's EVER been introduced in the KH series, and that's saying something! So, you're telling me that the timelines are so different from world to world, that Xehanort as a child can run into Jafar and Maleficent apparently right in the middle of the same plans they're involved in during the main games, and literally 70 years can pass for Xehanort and Eraqus but all these other characters aren't a day older?!?!?!
I'm sorry, but the implications of this are insane!! If the timelines really are that disproportionate, than that means that while days are passing for someone in Agrabah, DECADES are passing for people in Scala or the Destiny Islands or wherever else. That means, while Sora was out galavanting in the Disney worlds in KH1, then Kairi and Riku and other characters should have aged into old people by the time he left! Every trip to a Disney world is basically like the plot of Interstellar at that point! And yes, I know it's a retcon and that I shouldn't take it too seriously, but come on, you KNOW Nomura is going to use this mechanic at some point in the future, so of course it's relevant (they even mention a version of this mechanic in DDD with the different Sleeping Worlds running on different times).
I'm just blown away at this. This isn't just a plothole, this is a gaping plot chasm, and it involves the entire franchise! And we all know there's no way they're going to stick to it, because that would create chronological chaos trying to keep all the different world timelines on the same track. Very bad move on the writers' part, I think. This is going to bite them in the ass. Or else, it'll just make this one game's story uniquely nonsensical.
5) I REALLY don't feel right about that secret ending. It felt like a massive bait and switch. Granted, I wasn't crazy about the idea of Player being reincarnated as Xehanort. I thought that was a cheesy, contrived way of further connecting Xehanort, a character who already has WAY too much centrality in this series, to even more characters and making him artificially even more important. So I didn't like that twist in the first place. But now, to find out that not only was that not true, but that the old man himself was somehow a reincarnation of the Player (and presumably the Player character in Missing-Link), and that all of Xehanort's deeply ingrained childhood dreams and visions were just a result of his proximity to the old man, just makes it feel so much more cheap and meaningless. Like, it's so obvious that the old man's speech at the end is referring to Sora as the child of destiny. Am I supposed to gather from this that Xehanort's entire destiny was supposed to be someone else's? That everything Xehanort did and became was simply the result of a stupid screw-up? That the main thing that propelled him on his journey, the dreams of the friends of some mysterious other life, was just him picking up signals from someone else's heart like some weird emotional TV antenna? I honestly don't know which I dislike worse—Xehanort being the reincarnated Player, or Xehanort just being some kid who's entire existence was the result of a serious of silly accidents and misunderstandings. I would honestly have preferred if they'd just left Xehanort as just a kid who yearned to see the outside world, and whose curiosity led him down a dark path, and leave it at that. This whole attempt to relate him back to some ancient purpose and bloodline and prophecy is just too much.
6) Also, really bummed that Vor didn't turn out to be Kairi's grandmother. I was actually really certain of that. She looks exactly like how a young Kairi's grandmother would look. Kinda surprised they went with the stupid twist (Bragi) and not the one that actually had real merit to it.
The whole thing with the different time flows in each world is a MASSIVE problem in the narrative. I know it was just used as an excuse for the characters to be able to come across the same Disney characters that Sora does later on, but I'm sorry, this is probably the most nonsensical and problematic plot device that's EVER been introduced in the KH series, and that's saying something! So, you're telling me that the timelines are so different from world to world, that Xehanort as a child can run into Jafar and Maleficent apparently right in the middle of the same plans they're involved in during the main games, and literally 70 years can pass for Xehanort and Eraqus but all these other characters aren't a day older?!?!?!
I'm sorry, but the implications of this are insane!! If the timelines really are that disproportionate, than that means that while days are passing for someone in Agrabah, DECADES are passing for people in Scala or the Destiny Islands or wherever else. That means, while Sora was out galavanting in the Disney worlds in KH1, then Kairi and Riku and other characters should have aged into old people by the time he left! Every trip to a Disney world is basically like the plot of Interstellar at that point! And yes, I know it's a retcon and that I shouldn't take it too seriously, but come on, you KNOW Nomura is going to use this mechanic at some point in the future, so of course it's relevant (they even mention a version of this mechanic in DDD with the different Sleeping Worlds running on different times).
I'm just blown away at this. This isn't just a plothole, this is a gaping plot chasm, and it involves the entire franchise! And we all know there's no way they're going to stick to it, because that would create chronological chaos trying to keep all the different world timelines on the same track. Very bad move on the writers' part, I think. This is going to bite them in the ass. Or else, it'll just make this one game's story uniquely nonsensical.
I think it's one of the smarter Disney world implementations. The narratives of the Disney world's are designed in such a way that they're all direct prequels to the adventures that Sora, Donald and Goofy and/or Terra, Ventus and Aqua experience. Besides, the Kingdom Hearts characters are aware of the world order so it's not as if they're permanent residents in these Disney world's.
As usual, with "retcons" I feel the need to point out that growing up I was always taught a retcon was actually changing continuity that already existed; i.e. the stuff you saw on-screen before is no longer valid or "authentic" because it was retconned. These verifiable facts have been established to be wrong by later stuff.
However, everything we've seen in KH actually happened (other than stuff like the YX model thing I guess). You can still go play KH1 and everything that happens on screen is what happened. I do not consider "characters were wrong about things when relating them secondhand" to be a retcon. So we might have newly-created context that changes how we might choose to see KH1, but KH1 itself has not changed.
The usual response to this is "but Nomura didn't plan it, therefore it's a retcon" but whether anything in a work is "intentional" or not is shaky, non-quantifiable territory, especially with improvised longform storytelling, and I don't think it's useful or possible to attempt to nail down. Either way the work itself exists as it does regardless of one's behind-the-scenes speculation.
1) They lied to us. The devs said multiple times that the final update would be cutscene only, yet there was plenty of gameplay. Glad I decided to play through the update just for the hell of it, cause I always prefer playing a game to the end rather than watching it on youtube if I have a choice. So I'm glad for that, but damn, I don't know why they had to be so blatantly dishonest about the nature of the update.
They never once said this. Every single notice since the announcement of the game being taken down last year made it very clear that the game would remain fully playable, and thus would require you to work for the remaining scenes.
" Q6: Places called Scala ad Caelum appear in both DR and Missing-Link. Is it the same place?
A6: It is the same place. It looks different because it is a different time period: as per the "multi-tiered city" label, the city is structured in tiers, where new districts are built on top of the old ones. "
Hmmm...Baby Xehanort was shown in the misty dark gray Scala, while the city became its white "mountain"-like appearance when he came back as a teen.
Perhaps Scala's time axis flows much faster than Destiny Island's which is why the development seemed to happen fast.
Two more days (Japan time) until we find out if the hidden message was referring to a date (10/4).
Oh right, I completely forgot about that.
Why does everyone think Master Xehanort will be in Quadratum? The memory version of himself in MoM seemed to know where Sora was, but it didn't sound like he even knew how to get there. Also, Ansem SoD threw Kairi nto space trying to find a way to Quadratum, so I really don't think Xehanort will just be in Quadratum... unless it's a Quadratum equivalent to him - which I hope does NOT happen. It would suck if Quadratum is just filled with alternate versions of the main universe characters.
Why does everyone think Master Xehanort will be in Quadratum? The memory version of himself in MoM seemed to know where Sora was, but it didn't sound like he even knew how to get there. Also, Ansem SoD threw Kairi nto space trying to find a way to Quadratum, so I really don't think Xehanort will just be in Quadratum... unless it's a Quadratum equivalent to him - which I hope does NOT happen. It would suck if Quadratum is just filled with alternate versions of the main universe characters.
Xehanort in Dark Road wished for 14 lifetimes, 13 to open Kingdom Hearts and purge the world and a 14th to see what lies beyond.
Nomura's art of Xehanort in the OP also shows a tiny bit of Shibuya in the artwork, which eagle eyed fans noticed matched Miyashita Park, which is just off of the Scramble Crossing in Shibuya.
That all combined with Apprentice Nort's search for meaning of the other side of reality hints that Xehanort can still pop up.
Why does everyone think Master Xehanort will be in Quadratum? The memory version of himself in MoM seemed to know where Sora was, but it didn't sound like he even knew how to get there. Also, Ansem SoD threw Kairi nto space trying to find a way to Quadratum, so I really don't think Xehanort will just be in Quadratum... unless it's a Quadratum equivalent to him - which I hope does NOT happen. It would suck if Quadratum is just filled with alternate versions of the main universe characters.
He doesn’t need to know how to get there. The idea is that he got there more or less the same way that Strelitzia did: dying in the main KH universe.
I honestly don't think that's actually how Strelitzia got there (since many people die in the main KH universe - and even Quadratum!? - and go to the final world instead), it's just thematically a 'world of the dead' for people like her and Sora who end up there after some kind of "death". But this doesn't really contradict anything, so I just wait warmly.
Xehanort in Dark Road wished for 14 lifetimes, 13 to open Kingdom Hearts and purge the world and a 14th to see what lies beyond.
Nomura's art of Xehanort in the OP also shows a tiny bit of Shibuya in the artwork, which eagle eyed fans noticed matched Miyashita Park, which is just off of the Scramble Crossing in Shibuya.
That all combined with Apprentice Nort's search for meaning of the other side of reality hints that Xehanort can still pop up.
He doesn’t need to know how to get there. The idea is that he got there more or less the same way that Strelitzia did: dying in the main KH universe.
UGH. So the "real" death we saw of Master Xehanort and Eraqus in KH3 equates to them just being transferred over to Quadratum? Honestly, it will really suck if people that "really die" in the main universe just get placed into Quadratum. Nomura already had so many problems with people not actually dying and coming back (see Axel), that he really need to implement "actual death" in KH. I thought the whole point of KH3 was to emphasize "real death", so that Sora's sacrifice at the end wasn't some dramatic, but otherwise harmless, sacrifice.
(...) So it’s possible for Xehanort and Eraqus to be there living an afterlife as well.
I’d like it if there was just a quick scene of Sora seeing someone walking among a crowd of people on a rainy day with an umbrella hiding their identity. The person looks back briefly and we see it is Young Xehanort, recreating the scene from the artwork. He smiles and nods to Sora, turns back around, and keeps walking, disappearing into the crowd. And that’s the last we ever see of him.
Just to show us he is living in peace in his afterlife.
Like this?
[URL unfurl="true"]https://archiveofourown.org/works/41471130[/URL]
Personally I'd like Xehanort to suffer a little bit in this afterlife. Like he can't fully enjoy it because Eraqus dumps him. The only closure I want for him is for him to witness Sora learning who the MoM is. But it would serve him right if he still didn't get that answer.
Xehanort and Eraqus turn back to their childhood selves at the end too, so I don't think they just went right to Quadratum from there, I think they went to play chess in heaven...
If we do see Xehanort I think the circumstances will be not so simple as "he died".
Xehanort in Dark Road wished for 14 lifetimes, 13 to open Kingdom Hearts and purge the world and a 14th to see what lies beyond.
Nomura's art of Xehanort in the OP also shows a tiny bit of Shibuya in the artwork, which eagle eyed fans noticed matched Miyashita Park, which is just off of the Scramble Crossing in Shibuya.
That all combined with Apprentice Nort's search for meaning of the other side of reality hints that Xehanort can still pop up.
After thinking about it more, I actually think this could be the reason for the O4 and O10. (Spock already alluded to this early in thread.) 4 and 10 add up to 14. There’s 13 questions in the Q&A and the 14th item is the artwork of Xehanort depicting his 14th life.
Oracle Spockanort
August 27, 2022 @ 04:09 pmOffline