Exploring Kingdom Hearts: Part 2

The Connection between Luxu and Xehanort

*Warning this may contain spoilers of several Kingdom Hearts games*

In the last part I talk about how the mobile game, Kingdom Hearts Union Cross, would contain important details about what happen after the first Keyblade Wars which could give us clues of what a new Kingdom Hearts game would focus on. For this part, I want to focus on two key figures from this game series and the connection between these two characters. The two characters I am focusing on is Xehanort and Luxu. The major problem with these characters is there are large time gaps and missing details that would make a clean connection between the two, but I will do my best to connect the dots. To start, I will begin with looking at Luxu and his role in the series.

Luxu is probably the character we know very little about for the finale of Kingdom Hearts 3. Our first introduction to him is during the Kingdom Hearts Union Cross and Kingdom Hearts X Backstory. What we know about him from the events of these games and cutscenes is he is the sixth student of the Master of Master given the task to observer the Keyblade War then past his keyblade onto another so the Master could see the world after the world. The other job Luxu had was to protect and carry a black chest that held some item that only the Master and He know about. After the scene where Luxu gets his role, the next time we see him is when Master Ava finds him and confronts him about his actions as the war approaches. Ava accuses Luxu of being the traitor the book spoke about but Luxu doesn’t confirm or deny this but states that this is all part of the Master intentions this confuses and angers Ava causing their Keyblades which caused the beginning of the Keyblade War. The last time we see Luxu was in the Keyblade Graveyard with keyblade and chest in hand and walking into the wasteland. Now this is all we know about Luxu until the Secret Reports in Kingdom Hearts 3.

As per tradition there are 13 reports and give us a little more about into the world of Kingdom Hearts. Kingdom Hearts 3 gives us the Secret Reports and reports 11 through 13 appear to be written by Luxu. Starting with report 11, which reads:

“I have seen it through; the Keyblade War exactly as written on the Lost Page. Now, the Keyblade the Master entrusted to me must be bequeathed to another. Five Union leaders have been chosen from the surviving Dandelions. I will pass the Keyblade to one of them, and then continue watching the future unfold.

Yet, it seems someone has pulled the old switcheroo. One of the Five is an imposter, someone the Master did not choose. They represent a virus in the program he so carefully wrote.

The virus has begun a strange undertaking: a reckless plot to allow the Five to escape into another worldline. Surely such a thing can’t be possible? We’re talking about the same trick that allowed the Dandelions to transfer to other worldlines after the Keyblade War. But these children are no Masters. They haven’t the means…unless, of course, a certain lady of magic summoned here from the future knows more than I do.

The whole Union leader thing was supposed to be by the books. Are these new events just another phase in the Master’s grand plan?

—Unknown”

Even though it says it is written by unknow the text shows this has to be written by Luxu as it describes his role of watching the Keyblade War and now must find someone to pass the Master’s Keyblade to. Other things to note is Luxu knows that one of the 5 new Union Leaders is not one the Master originally chosen. He describes this person as a virus that has the goal of allowing the new Union Leaders escape to another worldline. This was done before when the Dandelions were allowed to escape to a worldline that didn’t have the Keyblade War. Worldline has appears to be similar to alternate dimension or timelines. However, it appears that even in a world with no Keyblade War not all turns out well.

Looking at the 12^th report:

“Even on a worldline with no Keyblade War, peace is but a dream. In the absence of us and our Master, a “darkness” arrived—one that shall surely lead the World to yet another demise.

Amid the chaos, I bequeathed my Keyblade to one of the Union leaders, just as the Master instructed. I watched as the Five were sent to another worldline—at no small cost—ensuring the line of Keyblade wielders will live on. And now, Keybladeless, I must depart this land to fulfill my final task. This means casting my own body aside and sojourning my heart in vessel after vessel—as many as it takes.

But I will continue gazing upon each passing era, one unto the next. In time, be it years or decades, centuries or millennia, I will meet the Five once more.

Somewhere in this cyclical history of bequeathings, a chosen one will appear and reenact the Keyblade War. When this scapegoat arrives and takes my Keyblade in hand, this will be the time to take the stage and finish my role.

The Lost Masters will awaken.

—Unknown”

Here Luxu talks about even though the events of the Keyblade War do not occur, some form of darkness still appears and destroys the world. Luxu has passed his Keyblade onto one of the Union leaders and now must leave to fulfill his final task. To ensure he will be able to do this he seeks a new vessel and will move from vessel to vessel until the one who will reenact the Keyblade War is chosen to wield his Keyblade. Once that happens, he will finish his role and the Lost Masters will be awaken. Another interesting note is he says he will meet the 5 Union Leaders again. This part I find interesting but will save for another part.

Now the final report and the last clues left by Luxu:

“It seems this body, this name will be my last. The lives I have lived over the ages could fill volumes, but for now, I must focus on what matters most.

The Keyblade has been successfully passed down, generation to generation, and it seems a Keyblade Master devoted to the darkness may finally arise. Until now, I have watched over the course of events from a distance. Perhaps the time has come to intervene. I need only play the role of a fool desirous of the Keyblade’s power. I will don the mask of his ally in order to keep watch over my Keyblade from close by.

The Gazing Eye: a Keyblade forged from the eye of the Master of Masters. He passed it to me, as I have to others, and through it he can see the future—all that will ever come to pass. Spanning the ages in body after body, life after life, my task has been to keep vigil over the Eye as it passes from hand to hand. It has been a long time. Longer than I can express.

But now at last the Keyblade War has begun, and Kingdom Hearts will open—a true and complete Kingdom Hearts, born of the clash between darkness and light. I will soon be reunited with my old companions, and in that moment my long vigil will reach its end. He will return…

—Unknown”

Here he describes that the time to play his role has finally come and his final vessel can be assumed to be Braig or Xigbar. Luxu also describes that he has spent years watching the Keyblade be handed down from wielder to wielder and how he now will be an “ally” to this dark Keyblade master and marked the return of the Lost Master’s and ‘He’. The part of “He will return…” I will assume it talks about the return of the Master of Masters. Other than more questions what do these 3 reports give us? It gives us several connections between Luxu and Xehanort not just by passing down of Keyblades but also being foretold that there would be a dark Keyblade Master that would attempt another Keyblade War. Let’s take a look a Xehanort right quick before connecting all the dots.

Similar to Luxu there is still good portions of info we don’t know about Xehanort. What we do know is Xehanort was born on Destiny Island like Sora and Riku, but escaped that world and found his way to Scala ad Caelum. Scala ad Caelum was the current home of Keyblade Wielders and Masters. During his time here he meant his friend Eraqus and the master that would give him Luxu’s Keyblade at some point. While training to be a Keyblade Master, Xehanort learned about the tales of the Keyblade War and the Lost Masters and became obsess with them. Our first true introduction to Master Xehanort was in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep. This was his first attempt to start a keyblade war to summon the X-blade which would also summon Kingdom Hearts. To do this he attempted to uses the darkness within Ventus but Ventus fought back on using the darkness within him. Xehanort they released the darkness and created Vanitas. His plan now was to get Ventus and Vanitas to fight and summon the X-blade. Another part of his plan was to make Terra his new vessel to ensure that he would see the aftermath of this “Keyblade War”. However, Xehanort’s plan is stopped but not without a price. After the events of Birth by Sleep Xehanort was found in the town square of Radiant Garden with no memory of who he was. He was found by Braig who I believe at this time had been became the vessel of Luxu. There he become a student of Ansem the Wise who has done research on hearts and the heartless as well.

Xehanort also research this which leads to Kingdom Hearts and this must spark some memories of who he was and releases the hearts of the first members of Organization 13. Some time around here Xehanort heart and body separate to give us Ansem, the Seeker of Darkness and Xenmas, Leader of Organization 13. Both Ansem and Xenmas are defeated by Sora and crew, which then forces the return of Master Xehanort. During Dream Drop Distance it is revealed that Xehanort was planning to make an Organization 13 made up of versions of himself and those that had part of his part to ensure that there would be 13 pieces of darkness for the Keyblade. However, Xehanort is stopped by Sora and crew and the world is safe for now.

Let’s start making some connections to Luxu and Xehanort. First and for most, we know for sure that Luxu was going to give his Keyblade to someone which would start the tradition of it being handed down from generation to generation. We also know that he gave his Keyblade to either: Ephemer, Skuld, Ventus and Brain, but one of them is the one who cut down Strelitizia and took her spot. Though we don’t know who Luxu gave it to, we know that he stayed close enough to the Keyblade to watch it be handed down from Master to Master until the fateful day it was given to the “Dark Keyblade Master” appeared. So not only is the Luxu’s Keyblade a connection between the two but it appears that it was foretold that one of the people that would receive Luxu’s Keyblade would be one that would be consumed by the darkness and attempt to start another Keyblade War. Now what is crazy is not only did the Master of Master predicted that the another Keyblade War would be attempted but based on how Luxu talked about it, it almost feels that this is the means to another end. He says that “When this scapegoat arrives and takes my Keyblade in hand, this will be the time to take the stage and finish my role”, This to me says that no matter if Xehanort fails or succeeds, that the end goal would be bringing back the original Foretellers and the Master of Masters.

To be honest this was to solely focus on the connection between Xehanort and Luxu, which it did but only in two ways. We know that Xehanort inherits Luxu’s Keyblade but we don’t know from who and that it was predicted that one of the people that would get Luxu’s Keyblade would start another Keyblade War. However, we don’t know when Xehanort received Luxu’s Keyblade. Based on Young Xehanort in Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance and Kingdom Hearts 3 it hasn’t received it yet, so maybe during the “Adult Xehanort” years is when he gets it and that increases his need to find out more about the Keyblade Wars and the X-Blade. Also, the way Luxu talked about this next Keyblade War, that the war itself is just a means of the return of the original Foretellers and the Master of Master. For me, this just raised more questions about the history of the Keyblade wielders and the history of the worlds.  We still don’t know about all the events that happen between the Keyblade Wars and the events of Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, but we do learn through Luxu’s reports that the world the Dandelions were set to is also destroy and that Keyblade Wielders escape to a new worldline.  Worldlines themselves raises question as Luxu didn’t say it wasn’t impossible but it would take a Keyblade wielder of Master level to do it. Also, do the events of KH: Birth by Sleep to Kingdom 3 happen in this 3^rd Worldline that was created or have several worldlines have been created and that may explain why there so few Keyblade Wielders by the start of Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep. That is a theory for another time.

Hopefully this was somewhat fun to read and made some sense. The next part I am planning to tackle several smaller theories I would like to iron out before moving on to the grand finale of the series. Again, huge shout out to khwiki.com for being a great source of info to help double check the info while writing this piece. Have a good morning, day or night and I will see you next time.