358/2 Days Countdown: V

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Published on September 25, 2009 @ 03:01 pm

Written by Ordeith

Hello there, everyone.

With only four days remaining until the North American release of Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, we reach number five in our countdown: the stoic fighter Lexaeus, the Silent Hero.

What We Know So Far:

Introduced to players in the shadowed basements of Castle Oblivion, as an exclusive addition to Riku's "Reverse/Rebirth" story in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, Lexaeus proved to be an enigma and a half in terms of his full intentions; he definately lives up to his title quite well, rarely saying any more than a few abrupt sentences when spoken to. Even still, though, the wiry-haired warrior undoubtedly left a lasting impression on gamers and fans through the sheer power he brought to the battlefield with his massive tomahawk, Torn Heaven, and command over the element of earth. But, his remarkable savvy in combat aside, just who is Lexaeus underneath his locked and stony exterior? Obviously one who disdains wasting his breath, Lexaeus primarily keeps his internal thoughts internal, and speaks only when it is necessary for him to. Yet those inner machinations are far more complex than what most would believe; in fact, during the few scenes during which he speaks more than a few meager sentences, his thoughts can be considered quite philosophical, adding a subtle depth to his character.

In the bridge-between-titles, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, Lexaeus was the second among a trio formed of the original Organization members stationed at Castle Oblivion, by Xemnas' orders and under Marluxia's command. Kept under constant surveillance by the rosy-haired lord of the castle, the small alliance generally conducted their business in the dim basements of the stronghold, conspiring together against Marluxia's rebellious regime. Between Vexen's self-inflated ramblings and Zexion's deep and convoluted scheming, the imposing number five had very little leeway to speak himself, yet truthfully, he had no desire to. To Lexaeus, the battle-hardened veteran, the most effective method was to allow his cohorts' plan's to take shape, and involve himself if things didn't follow as planned.

However, as Riku progressed further up through the basements of the castle, and as multiple members of the Organization met their deaths, Lexaeus found it necessary to intervene before things progressed too far out of hand. Taking matters into his own hands, he confronted Riku in the third basement hallway of the castle. Before the battle began, though, Lexaeus set aside his motives for a moment and interrogated Riku, pondering aloud why it is he would deny himself the vast power of darkness within his heart. Upon receiving the same stubborn reply as the Organization members before him, Lexaeus wasted no further time in speaking to "an infantile coward," and rushed forward into combat. Throughout Riku's clash with Lexaeus, the hero of darkness is stunned at the sheer power at number five's disposal; Lexaeus strikes him down with bone-crushing blows and violent avalanches, all in a vehement attempt to break the young hero of darknes. In the very end, however, Riku proves the greater of the two in combat, giving Lexaeus a run for his money. His opponent reeling from exhaustion, Riku lunges in for the kill, shouting, "You're finished!" Not the smartest move, per se, when dealing with a fighter who lives by pride and honor.

Mustering up a sudden surge of Herculean strength, Lexaeus retaliates with a crippling midair blow, sending Riku crashing into the ceiling and onto the floor, unconscious. In one fell swoop, he wrested the upper hand from the boy, and then proceeded to finish the fight altogether. Yet in the end, though, it wasn't Lexaeus who won the day--yet neither was it Riku. With Riku floating in a state of unconsciousness, Xehanort's Heartless seized full control of his body, and, catching the hardened battle veteran off-guard, impaled Lexaeus directly through the chest. Neither screaming nor protesting his fate, Lexaeus faded away into nothingness.

His Role in 358/2 Days:

From what we've gathered through gameplay videos circling the internet, Lexaeus plays a direct role in the neophyte Roxas' training in the Organization. Similar to the martial arts masters of old, he mentors Roxas in the difficult technique of low-HP combat and limit breaks; a bit more challenging than "wax on, wax off." That aside, though, we cannot say for certain whether he'll be involved in the storyline in any other ways.

In multiplayer and mission replay combat, Lexaeus fights in a style very much like his boss fight in Re: COM. All of his attacks are incredibly slow-moving, yet cripplingly powerful, some eliminating Heartless in a single hit. Be looking for him when the game is released in North America; it will definately be worth your while!

What the Fans Think:

Predictably, due to his lack of screen time and dialogue, very few fans of the franchise have a good opinion of--or any opinion of at all, for that matter--Lexaeus. Along with Luxord and Xaldin, he is counted among the lesser-known members of Organization XIII. His reserved and laconic demeanor, which to some might seem to hold something deeper, reeks of poor character development to others. Those few who do appreciate Lexaeus' character, however, definitely have something to say; here's what local Lexaeus fan and forum member madammina has to say about the Silent Hero:

"Let it go, Vexen" And Vexen, the chatterbox, elitist scientist, shuts up. And with that, Lexaeus establishes himself as being one of the most forceful personalities in the game, despite the fact he only appears in three to four scenes in the Reverse/Rebirth mode of Chain of Memories.

He doesn't mince his words, and spends more of his time thinking. But what he says may sound like common sense, but he is just moving the ideas along.

When his time comes to a close, and he becomes more verbose, and with that we receive a bit more of an idea on WHO he was. He has a quest for balance, and points out that unless Riku accepts his darkness, he might as well not exist. Not because of power, but because he is denying part of himself.

At the end of the fight, he doesn't go down immediately. It requires Ansem possessing Riku fully and boosting Riku's abilities to kill him, and even THEN it is slow going. Lexaeus gets out two sentences before he goes, Quite a feat among the Organization, Axel is the only other one who comes to mind that doesn't go out with a death scream.

Here's probably where I should note that I never really got to know Lexaeus until recently. Despite the fact CoM was a family Christmas gift, (GBA) my brother was the one who usually played it. In fact, the bits I remember have nothing to do with Lexaeus. The first (and one of my biggest KH memories) is Axel swearing, the other is Repliku killing Zexion. In fact, even when I'm finally playing it by myself, I have yet to get to Reverse/Rebirth. So, I did what any sensible person would do and looked it Lexaeus scenes on Youtube. And that is where I realized just how understated a character he is. Between his ability to shut down the annoying Vexen, planning to restore the organization, knocking out Riku and messing up Riku's internal organs in the process, and needing the ultimate villain of Kingdom Hearts to finish him off marks him as someone who needs more fans.

With 358/2 coming around, I don't think we will find out more. He's not the type to flap at the mouth, unless dispensing advice, and I have a feeling this will continue. But that's a pity, he seems to hold quite a few answers to the questions plaguing players.

I only got into Lexaeus recently. But reviewing the game made me realize how much he is unappreciated. He is a good mix of prodigious strength and endurance (face it, after Riku fights Lexaeus, he is only winded. And he STILL has enough power to whack him into the ceiling and knock Riku out) but it is tempered with a wiseman's outlook on life.

But, Lexaeus doesn't get his due. And he should. His first line enforced what a powerful person he was.

Conclusion:

In short, Lexaeus is by far one of the most underappreciated characters in the Kingdom Hearts franchise, yet understandably so. His terse, pensive demeanor might prove to be a giant turn-off to players, yet some, who examine him more closely, can see the diamond in the rough. Hopefully, the North American and European releases of Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days (Sept. 29th and Oct. 9th, respectively) will provide fans with a closer look at the Silent Hero.

Until then, however, you can discuss the game on our forums! Perhaps you might be one of the lucky few whose opinions are featured on the front page.