So after watching the Final Battle Trailer, I have come to believe that there is more significance to the Sora Chess Piece being alone.
If you've been avoiding news snippets like the extra stuff that we've seen at TGS, I suggest you turn back now if you want to go into KHIII fresh.
As we have seen, there is going to be a part in Kingdom Hearts III where the Guardians of Light are going to get beaten, quite severely, at that. Now, here's the thing. I don't think they're going to die, necessarily, but I do think that they're going to be held captive, or some sort of purgatory.
The reason I believe this is because I recall Vanitas speaking in the Keyblade Graveyard: "Only when your hopes have been broken by battle upon battle can the key to Kingdom Hearts be claimed." It seems from this, they are likely going to have their captives keep fighting, as indicated by Riku fighting Replica Riku, and Lea getting slammed with Xemnas' lasers.
(Alternatively, they could all have simply been put in various states after getting beaten, like maybe out of commission, but let's assume for the sake of this topic that they're made to continue fighting. I'll explain why later.)
They all get captured. The King, Riku, Lea, Kairi, Donald, Goofy, they get taken by the 13... except for Sora. Because of Riku, he manages to escape.
He's distressed about it. As we've seen in the 30 second spot, he's only ever fought alongside his friends, but he's never had to do it alone. He feels he CAN'T do it alone. But Riku reassures him. "Sora, you don't believe that. I know you don't."
After what happens in the Graveyard goes down for the first time, Sora is left alone. He has to find a way to save everyone on his own. He probably still feels like he can't do it... until a pep talk from a certain best buddy, home skilly biscuit, home slice for life: Chirithy! (That's what I call him, haha) There's probably more to it and more people involved than that, but Chirithy does ask Sora if he knows how to bring back a heart after it's lost. Maybe he learns it there?
After that, Sora resolves to continue where they left off: find more Guardians of Light to help save his friends. How does he start? By finding a way to the Realm of Darkness to save Aqua.
There have been various cutscenes in the trailers where, oddly enough, we see Sora alone when talking to some of the Darknesses. Vanitas, Young Xehanort. I believe at this point in those times, we're playing as Sora, and he's trying to find a way into the Realm of Darkness.
And eventually he does. And as we've clearly seen in the TGS footage, Sora fights Aqua alone. Perhaps this is why? Now, granted, Aqua's scenario may indeed involve the Master's Defender, and I have no sure proof to suggest that it is after he gets the Master's Defender is when they go save Aqua. Alternatively, though, there's also no concrete proof supporting the fact that it is when he gets the Master's Defender is when he goes for Aqua.
Anyway, he restores Aqua, and then the next order of business is saving Ven. I like to believe that Vanitas probably still feels Ventus and Sora though his connection to Ventus' heart, and likely surmises what Sora's trying to do. As of the Final Battle trailer, we can see that it seems that Vanitas doesn't really care for Xehanort's plot much. He's mainly trying to merge Ventus' heart with his again. Maybe he lets Xehanort know, or decides to go on his own, and get the heart back himself.
Cue them in Castle Oblivion/Land of Departure, trying to get Ventus back, and Vanitas shows up. Aqua hold him off, while Sora dives into Ven's heart. Not sure how this portion will end, but I have a feeling it'll end with my long-awaited showdown between Sora and Vanitas, the later of whom may not survive the fight.
Perhaps one of the Darknesses takes Ven while this happens. Maybe he has his heart back, but it's taking him a while to wake up due to how long he's been a sleep. A slow reboot so to speak. They go back to the Keyblade Graveyard, and end up confronting Terra-Xehanort.
How he is there, I don't know. Is he one of the Darknesses? I do not know. What I do know is that Sora and Ventus were chained up by dark versions of the Lingering Will chain technique in the Final Battle trailer. Terra-Xehanort has them, but then they're saved by the Lingering Will, which could lead to Terra being saved.
If that is the case, he now has 4 Lights to fight the Darknesses. Him, Ven, Aqua, and Terra.
I also believe Roxas will be fighting for the Lights as well. Perhaps the whole thing with Roxas takes up a good chunk of the story in the meanwhile. He gets taken out of Simulated Twilight Town, has to get checked up on by Ansem the Wise and Ienzo, and then shows up later to save Lea. He could probably save him from Xemnas' ultimate attack, and point the Kingdom Key at him, before summoning his other Keyblade, and shifting them to Oblivion and Oathkeeper like he did at the end of 358/2 Days. He swipes at Xemnas, and then removes his hood like at the end of the TGS trailer.
I also think Sora might recruit Xion and Namine, but I have no proof nor any explanations as to how he will do so.
All I know is that if he succeeds, there will be a new group of Seven Lights.
Sora.
Aqua.
Ventus.
Terra.
Roxas.
Xion.
Namine.
To conclude, I really hope this theory turns out to be true, though I have to stress again this is all merely speculation on my part. Still, it makes for a great character development arc for Sora, that would only have him engaging in a venture worthy of a Keyblade Master.
He has always said his friends were his power, and he theirs... Now it's time for him to prove it.
So after watching the Final Battle Trailer, I have come to believe that there is more significance to the Sora Chess Piece being alone.
If you've been avoiding news snippets like the extra stuff that we've seen at TGS, I suggest you turn back now if you want to go into KHIII fresh.
As we have seen, there is going to be a part in Kingdom Hearts III where the Guardians of Light are going to get beaten, quite severely, at that. Now, here's the thing. I don't think they're going to die, necessarily, but I do think that they're going to be held captive, or some sort of purgatory.
The reason I believe this is because I recall Vanitas speaking in the Keyblade Graveyard: "Only when your hopes have been broken by battle upon battle can the key to Kingdom Hearts be claimed." It seems from this, they are likely going to have their captives keep fighting, as indicated by Riku fighting Replica Riku, and Lea getting slammed with Xemnas' lasers.
(Alternatively, they could all have simply been put in various states after getting beaten, like maybe out of commission, but let's assume for the sake of this topic that they're made to continue fighting. I'll explain why later.)
They all get captured. The King, Riku, Lea, Kairi, Donald, Goofy, they get taken by the 13... except for Sora. Because of Riku, he manages to escape.
He's distressed about it. As we've seen in the 30 second spot, he's only ever fought alongside his friends, but he's never had to do it alone. He feels he CAN'T do it alone. But Riku reassures him. "Sora, you don't believe that. I know you don't."
After what happens in the Graveyard goes down for the first time, Sora is left alone. He has to find a way to save everyone on his own. He probably still feels like he can't do it... until a pep talk from a certain best buddy, home skilly biscuit, home slice for life: Chirithy! (That's what I call him, haha) There's probably more to it and more people involved than that, but Chirithy does ask Sora if he knows how to bring back a heart after it's lost. Maybe he learns it there?
After that, Sora resolves to continue where they left off: find more Guardians of Light to help save his friends. How does he start? By finding a way to the Realm of Darkness to save Aqua.
There have been various cutscenes in the trailers where, oddly enough, we see Sora alone when talking to some of the Darknesses. Vanitas, Young Xehanort. I believe at this point in those times, we're playing as Sora, and he's trying to find a way into the Realm of Darkness.
And eventually he does. And as we've clearly seen in the TGS footage, Sora fights Aqua alone. Perhaps this is why? Now, granted, Aqua's scenario may indeed involve the Master's Defender, and I have no sure proof to suggest that it is after he gets the Master's Defender is when they go save Aqua. Alternatively, though, there's also no concrete proof supporting the fact that it is when he gets the Master's Defender is when he goes for Aqua.
Anyway, he restores Aqua, and then the next order of business is saving Ven. I like to believe that Vanitas probably still feels Ventus and Sora though his connection to Ventus' heart, and likely surmises what Sora's trying to do. As of the Final Battle trailer, we can see that it seems that Vanitas doesn't really care for Xehanort's plot much. He's mainly trying to merge Ventus' heart with his again. Maybe he lets Xehanort know, or decides to go on his own, and get the heart back himself.
Cue them in Castle Oblivion/Land of Departure, trying to get Ventus back, and Vanitas shows up. Aqua hold him off, while Sora dives into Ven's heart. Not sure how this portion will end, but I have a feeling it'll end with my long-awaited showdown between Sora and Vanitas, the later of whom may not survive the fight.
Perhaps one of the Darknesses takes Ven while this happens. Maybe he has his heart back, but it's taking him a while to wake up due to how long he's been a sleep. A slow reboot so to speak. They go back to the Keyblade Graveyard, and end up confronting Terra-Xehanort.
How he is there, I don't know. Is he one of the Darknesses? I do not know. What I do know is that Sora and Ventus were chained up by dark versions of the Lingering Will chain technique in the Final Battle trailer. Terra-Xehanort has them, but then they're saved by the Lingering Will, which could lead to Terra being saved.
If that is the case, he now has 4 Lights to fight the Darknesses. Him, Ven, Aqua, and Terra.
I also believe Roxas will be fighting for the Lights as well. Perhaps the whole thing with Roxas takes up a good chunk of the story in the meanwhile. He gets taken out of Simulated Twilight Town, has to get checked up on by Ansem the Wise and Ienzo, and then shows up later to save Lea. He could probably save him from Xemnas' ultimate attack, and point the Kingdom Key at him, before summoning his other Keyblade, and shifting them to Oblivion and Oathkeeper like he did at the end of 358/2 Days. He swipes at Xemnas, and then removes his hood like at the end of the TGS trailer.
I also think Sora might recruit Xion and Namine, but I have no proof nor any explanations as to how he will do so.
All I know is that if he succeeds, there will be a new group of Seven Lights.
Sora.
Aqua.
Ventus.
Terra.
Roxas.
Xion.
Namine.
To conclude, I really hope this theory turns out to be true, though I have to stress again this is all merely speculation on my part. Still, it makes for a great character development arc for Sora, that would only have him engaging in a venture worthy of a Keyblade Master.
He has always said his friends were his power, and he theirs... Now it's time for him to prove it.