358/2 Days Countdown: XIV

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Published on September 16, 2009 @ 03:01 pm

Written by Raz

Hey, everybody! :D

We have a very special treat for you all. During the next two weeks we'll be posting small editorials on each member of Organization XIII. It will serve as a sort of countdown until the release date of Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days.

First up is one the the main characters in this upcoming installment, who we ironically know very little about. Introducing number 14--Xion.

What We Know So Far:

Xion is the mysterious fourteenth member of Organization XIII. We know next to nothing about her--having far more question than answers. Why wasn't the Organization's name changed from XIII to XIV? Is she even a Nobody at all? How can she wield the Keyblade, and is it even real? Where was she during the events of Kingdom Hearts II? What connection does she have with Sora's memories? And, perhaps most importantly, why does she be bear such close resemblance to Kairi? It seems Xion is just one giant question mark!

Her Role in Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days:

Nomura interviews and trailers have given us this much: Xion will play a central role in Roxas' Story--particularly when it comes to his betrayal of the Organization. Her journey seems to be a tale of self discovery--following her struggle to find out exactly what she is. In true SE fashion, her final fate is promised to tug at the heartstrings. She appears to be a concern to Axel and Saix ("Which would you rather suffer the loss of?"), as well as DiZ, Naminè, and Riku ("Surely she can't endure it..."). Just where does she fit?

"You have poured so many memories into me, given me so much, that I feel like I'm about to overflow. Look at me, Roxas. Who do you see?"

What the Fans Think:

Ever since we first saw Xemnas introduce the hooded "14th" member in trailers, the Kingdom Hearts community has been ablaze with all sorts of discussions and ideas.

Some find her extraneous, unneeded, and slightly pointless to a game that was meant to flesh out the remaining 13 members we already know and love. Is she merely an insignificant, Mary-Sue plot device?

Other fans have automatically fallen in love with the blue eyed, raven haired girl. Far from finding her "just another Kairi copy", fans of Xion are interested in what her story has to offer. Whether you have "Xion-love" or "Xion-hate", one thing's for sure: she's just plain adorable!

Fans around the world find themsevles intrigued by the cloaked girl, but none as much so as forum member Smile, owner and founder of the Xion Fanclub. Here's what she had to say:

To start off, I want to see if she lives up to the image presented in the trailers. She looked like a mixture of everything I loved about Namine, adorable-ness wise, while at the same time capable of standing her grounds as seen when she fights Axel. I'd like to see a female character in KH that to start off, is a warrior, and then we get to 'drill down' into her personality. Also, a tragic character with a tragic ending that isn't Nojima written is always a good thing :D

Then we have RAX. The game's residing trio who emerged from the eternal duo of Axel and Roxas. Needless to say, I want to know why neither showed signs of even once having ran into anyone like Xion in KH2, and to see how come Roxas was the only one Axel liked despite seemingly liking Xion in Days, but it goes a lot deeper than that. Both Axel and Roxas were portrayed as 'hard to approach' characters, despite Axel's flamboyance. To have someone who not only managed to get close, but close enough to upset them with her actions... and they certainly aren't helping any with the eerie comparisons to Sora, Riku and Kairi.

More so than her interaction with Roxas and Axel, however, I'd like to see how she relates to Namine, and much more so - Riku. The plot for those two in between CoM and KH2 intrigued me even before they settled as 'omfg fav characters' for me, and I'd like to see both how Xion affects it, as well as how it falls apart to leave us with the no-impact impression we have in KH2 those two share with Roxas and Axel :\

And of course, the inevitable BBS implications I'm sure Xion has, what with all three new games being related. Xion, being the new element, has to have ties to the past.

In Conclusion:

Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days comes out on September 29th in the USA, and on October 9th in Europe. All the mysteries surrounding the enigmatic Xion will soon be solved. Please look forward to our other reports on Organization XIII.

Dicuss this over on our forums! Submit your opinion about an Organization member and it might make the front page!