1. Sora

In KH1 and Re:COM, Sora was referred to as the Keyblade master. He was special and unique because he wielded a Keyblade. He also commonly posed hands-behind-head. But now there are so many other Keyblade wielders and it turns out that Sora didn't earn the title of 'Keyblade Master'(I still don't get why he didn't. He sealed all the keyholes! Yen Sid!! *glares at wizard sitting on chair*) Yes, he's still special but he isn't as unique as he was before. And turns out that Ventus was the first person to pose hands-behind-head and then Eraqus after him!

2. Roxas 

Well, he was unique because he was the Organization's Keyblade wielder! He(& Xion) didn't have any memories before the Organization, which was the main part of his uniqueness. He was also one of the only Nobodies who didn't look like their original self. But then! Marluxia and Larxene's backstory came along and it turns out that Roxas wasn't the only one who was amnesiac. And he wasn't the only Organization member to have a connection to the Keyblade. Also, he looks exactly like Ventus! 

3. Xion

She is still unique but like Roxas, her amnesia isn't a unique feature anymore.

4. Apprentice Xehanort

A young man first introduced in KHII as an apprentice to Ansem the Wise. His Heartless was Ansem Seeker of Darkness and his Nobody was Xemnas. Xehanort was his name. But then came along Birth By Sleep where TWO 'Xehanorts' were introduced, Master Xehanort(an 80-ish-something-year old hunching man who has impressive combat skills for his age, and not to mention that in KHIII he is in his 90's?! which is even more decieving considering his physical power) and Terra-Xehanort, who turned out to be Apprentice Xehanort. Then in Dream Drop Distance, Young Xehanort(Master Xehanort's literal younger self) was introduced. Then it was revealed that Master Xehanort had formed an Organization...and each member vesseled a part of his heart, creating 13 Xehanorts! Now, who was the first Xehanort again?

(Can't think of anyone else, am I missing someone?)

Edited January 8, 20214 yr by Double OKP

Riku was a Dream Eater for a bit but I think that's more of a dropped plot thread than a special thing that was lessened... Maybe Namine, since she's a real person now instead of a weirdly made nobody? Can she even control memories anymore? 

Other than that despite searching my brain for five minutes I can't think of anyone else at the moment. It's a good list, and even though these character's powers and roles aren't as special, they still are special characters in our hearts for who they are, their personalities are always going to be unique to them  

1 minute ago, Moogle13 said:

Can she even control memories anymore?

Well, during the one year gap between KHIII and the Limit Cut Episode, it was revealed that Roxas's and Xion's memories were being studied. I'm assuming Naminé was the one doing that so she must still have her powers

13 minutes ago, Double OKP said:

Well, during the one year gap between KHIII and the Limit Cut Episode, it was revealed that Roxas's and Xion's memories were being studied. I'm assuming Naminé was the one doing that so she must still have her powers

Well, I hope your assumption is right and she does have her powers still. Otherwise she might be seen even less in the series, which would be really sad  

1 hour ago, Moogle13 said:

Well, I hope your assumption is right and she does have her powers still. Otherwise she might be seen even less in the series, which would be really sad  

That would definitely be really sad! But seeing as how things are now, it seems that memories are going to be very crucial to the next saga(Ven's memories for example) which could be where Naminé comes in

well roxas and xion dont so much have amnesia as didnt have any memories to being with, thats not quite the same thing. 

I was going to make a list but Double OKP nearly listed everything I was going to say. Especially in regards to Roxas, Xion, Sora, and Apprentice Xehanort. Still I will stubbornly make one anyway lol.

1: Roxas~ Roxas use to be very unique among the Organization. No memories, amnesia, Keyblade wielder. This was unheard of among Nobodies. Roxas use to be a big deal in the Organization but now? Now we have like potentially six wielders in the Organization, made worse by the fact that Xemnas knew numbers 9-12 were connected to Keyblades. I don't know if Luxord or Demyx were wielders, but Roxas's importance in the group feels lost now. Marluxia also has memory issues, just like Roxas, and use to wield a Keyblade. If Xemnas experimented on him I'm sure they could find a way for him to summon his Keyblade back. Also Xemnas now has two Keyblade wielders he's connected to and should be able to dual wield. I'm bias since Roxas is my favorite character.

2: Xion~ Xion was originally made to replace Roxas due to their Keyblade connection. She was special because of her ties to Roxas and Sora. While she's still kinda unique, a lot of it has gone away. Now that characters can use Replica bodies for whoever needs a body, Xion's Replica story almost feels secondary to how KH3 used them. I always loved how weird Xion operated, being a Replica, her hood trick, everything. But all that feels like it's not there anymore due to the new Replica lore.

3: Sora~ I feel like Sora being a Keyblade wielder is no longer this unique thing. It's not that I don't like that there are other Keyblade wielders. I love me some Keyblades. But I feel they downgrade Sora to prop up the master title and it shows in the games following BBS. Sora didn't get passed down the power, he earned it. He is literally one of the few characters who truly earned a Keyblade. But they have been backpedaling that point. Now he feels like a random wild card rather then a hero to be respected.

4: Apprentice Xehanort~ Basically this guy isn't a character anymore. Ever since we got old man Xehanort and Terranort, this version has just become non-existent. Even with Melody of Memory when they try to give him a role, now he feels like a character completely separate from the Xehanort line period. His story with Ansem the Wise use to be something worth exploring. Now it feels like a waste of time, because I know who this guy really is is far above Ansem the Wise.

5: Ansem and Xemnas~ Once DDD revealed they were doing old man Xehanort's bidding to some degree, these two major villains of KH1 and KH2/Days felt like pawns and lackeys. Now whenever I look at their plans I wonder if it's there's or the old mans? 

6: Ansem the Wise~ Remember when this guy was Xemnas's arch enemy? Remember the story of him losing his name, kingdom, and everything to Apprentice Xehanort? This all feels unimportant now to the stuff that has been going on. Yensid replaced him as a reliable source of knowledge for Mickey. A relic of the past

7:  Riku~ I'm putting him here because now we have a lot of characters that use to be bad but are now good whether they were under possession or not. Isa, Axel, Terra, almost every Organization member. Just remember Riku was the original bad boy turned good.

8: Mickey~ Shocking choice huh? Mickey use to be a voice of wisdom and a leader. But like Ansem the Wise, Yensid has replaced him as the wisest character in the series. Mickey also use to be really powerful back in the day. Now he feels like everyone else, not special at all.

 

4 hours ago, SweetYetSalty said:

Now that characters can use Replica bodies for whoever needs a body, Xion's Replica story almost feels secondary to how KH3 used them. I always loved how weird Xion operated, being a Replica, her hood trick, everything. But all that feels like it's not there anymore due to the new Replica lore.

I was thinking about putting this in but forgot haha. She doesn't feel unique in this case anymore. Like, her, Roxas, Naminé, and half the Organization were/are using Replicas. 

 

4 hours ago, SweetYetSalty said:

Now whenever I look at their plans I wonder if it's there's or the old mans?

For Ansem SOD that was his own 'heart's' desire but for Xemnas? I'm not sure anymore lol

I still just don't understand why Sora's not a Keyblade Master. He saved the worlds TWICE. He sealed all the sleeping Keyholes in the Mark of Mastery exam and Riku didn't even seal the real ones. And he was almost made into Xehanort's vessel because MASTER YEN SID DECIDED TO PUT THEM INTO THE SLEEPING REALM WHICH THEY AREN'T FAMILIAR WITH!! He also was aware that Master Xehanort was going to inevitably return; he should have known that Sora and Riku were going to be targeted. Like, C'MON YEN SID!! You're supposed to be a wise sorcerer so make some wise choices! Riku earned his Mark but Sora's a real deal too! I'll be forever angry with you Yen Sid, you who is always sitting on that stupid chair!!

Quote

I still just don't understand why Sora's not a Keyblade Master. He saved the worlds TWICE. He sealed all the sleeping Keyholes in the Mark of Mastery exam and Riku didn't even seal the real ones. And he was almost made into Xehanort's vessel because MASTER YEN SID DECIDED TO PUT THEM INTO THE SLEEPING REALM WHICH THEY AREN'T FAMILIAR WITH!! He also was aware that Master Xehanort was going to inevitably return; he should have known that Sora and Riku were going to be targeted. Like, C'MON YEN SID!! You're supposed to be a wise sorcerer so make some wise choices! Riku earned his Mark but Sora's a real deal too! I'll be forever angry with you Yen Sid, you who is always sitting on that stupid chair!!

In my opinion, there really can't be a great reason for Sora to not be recognized as a true Keyblade Master, but I also can't really blame Yen Sid for not making Sora a master at that exact moment either, considering he had failed the exam and lost most of his power, even despite how many times he proved himself master-worthy. The real reason, though, is that Nomura wants Sora to remain relatable and "not special," meaning no official title for him. At least Sora himself actually doesn't care about the title, the fans are the only ones who do. lol now when are Ven and Terra gonna get recognized???? it's the trio's dream, dang it

Everything already been stated but here’s some minor things I thought of:

This one is debatable since it depends whether you view Riku as the final boss of Days but I’m including this one because I view Xion as the final boss of Days not Riku. 

Marluxia -  Since Marluxia was the final boss of Chain of Memories it meant up until KH3 he was the only humanoid final  boss that wasn’t connected to Sora’s heart in some way or was another version of Xehanort we had fought in the series. However given the fact that he had a piece of Xehanort heart inside in KH3 this isn’t the case anymore.

Marluxia, Larxene - Where the traitors of Organization XIII however as the series went on the list grew and by the the end of KH3 if you think about it the only original Organization XIII member who didn’t betray Xemnas/ Xehanort, worked/ secretly worked for the other side was Luxord and maybe Xigbar (which is debatable because he was working for MoM the whole time)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 7, 20214 yr by Vulpes XIII

5 hours ago, DestinysUnion said:

In my opinion, there really can't be a great reason for Sora to not be recognized as a true Keyblade Master, but I also can't really blame Yen Sid for not making Sora a master at that exact moment either, considering he had failed the exam and lost most of his power, even despite how many times he proved himself master-worthy. The real reason, though, is that Nomura wants Sora to remain relatable and "not special," meaning no official title for him. At least Sora himself actually doesn't care about the title, the fans are the only ones who do. lol now when are Ven and Terra gonna get recognized???? it's the trio's dream, dang it

Wait...when did Sora fail the exam? He sealed all the keyholes which was the primary objective.

Yes, Terra and Ven need to get the Mark! But I have a feeling if/when Ven gets his memories back he'll feel like he isn't worthy of that title.

Quote

Wait...when did Sora fail the exam? He sealed all the keyholes which was the primary objective.

The whole point of the journey was to obtain the power of waking, though, which he didn't manage until during KH3. At least, I'm pretty sure they said that. lol

31 minutes ago, DestinysUnion said:

The whole point of the journey was to obtain the power of waking, though, which he didn't manage until during KH3. At least, I'm pretty sure they said that. lol

Oh yeah right! Can't believe I forgot about that. But he wasn't able to obtain it because his power was drained, right? And that wasn't really his fault.

5 hours ago, Double OKP said:

Oh yeah right! Can't believe I forgot about that. But he wasn't able to obtain it because his power was drained, right? And that wasn't really his fault.

well yes and no. sure the organization tricked him but its still kind of on him for following them deeper into the nightmare even when he could hear riku telling him not to

9 hours ago, ocean's rage said:

well yes and no. sure the organization tricked him but its still kind of on him for following them deeper into the nightmare even when he could hear riku telling him not to

Ah I guess

Sora and Riku are often used as the origin for many staples of the series that then get used for other characters which leads to them no longer feeling unique for those things. For example Sora goes from "The Keyblade Master" to one of three prospective Keyblade Masters in the very first game thanks to Riku and Mickey. Sora (and Xehanort) also both feel less special the more they introduce new versions of them. By the time they introduced Ventus and Young Xehanort the whole idea of a new Sora or Xehanort felt stale and it was easy to just stop caring about their newest versions.

Kairi especially suffered from that thanks to Namine and Xion, but she never felt special to begin with creating the opposite problem (just because the devs insist on calling you special doesn't mean you are they need to do something with her that makes it clear she's special for her to feel special) in that Namine and Xion felt special and unique while Kairi still felt like someone "special because the devs say so" instead of because she had actually done something to construe her as actually special. Apologies to those who like Kairi I'm just telling it like it is.

Riku has his whole Warrior of the Dawn arc going on which would be a lot more special if Terra hadn't come along in Birth By Sleep (though it's partially alleviated in that they're different enough that they still feel special in other ways). The Recusant Sigil can also be traced back to first displayed on Riku before it was ever a thing within series lore. Also it could have been one off artistic design choice, but I always wondered about Riku having wings never really coming to fruition in KH1. Merging with a winged dream eater in DDD felt like they took an opportunity to resurrect a long dropped idea of winged Riku.

Then there's the matter of Xion evolving from a special replica to a nobody to a somebody which made her progressively less unique and special although in that case it's what most of the fans wanted for her. Same applies to Roxas having to merge back with Sora. As perfect an execution of a tragic tale as Roxas having to merge back with Sora was none of the fans wanted that to be his end, but Roxas becoming his own somebody instead of Sora being his somebody took what actually made Roxas a unique nobody away. All the others are their own somebodies rather than someone else's. To quote SuperButterBuns from her DDD for Beginners "Axel who is not Axel, but low-key is still very much Axel."

Edited January 7, 20214 yr by FadedSparkle

5 hours ago, FadedSparkle said:

Kairi especially suffered from that thanks to Namine and Xion, but she never felt special to begin with creating the opposite problem (just because the devs insist on calling you special doesn't mean you are they need to do something with her that makes it clear she's special for her to feel special) in that Namine and Xion felt special and unique while Kairi still felt like someone "special because the devs say so" instead of because she had actually done something to construe her as actually special. Apologies to those who like Kairi I'm just telling it like it is.

Well, Kairi is a Princess of Heart which is what made her special in the first place.

3 hours ago, Double OKP said:

Well, Kairi is a Princess of Heart which is what made her special in the first place.

  
Two issues with that is that the Princesses of Heart are just there to be plot devices and as one of a group of seven Kairi doesn't feel special. Made all the worse by the fact that the others who originally filled the remaining six slots and whoever the incoming six replacements for them turn out to be, are all iconic characters in media who you would love no matter what label was placed on them (on the front of the old six Kairi was grouped with) and modern beloved ones which most people already love and will continue to love no matter what label is placed on them (on the front of the incoming new six).

By stark contrast to their established and rich history (especially in regards to the OGs, but their replacements are likely not to fall too far behind on that front) not a lot of time was invested in why we should love (or really bottom line even care for) Kairi. The most special thing about Kairi regarding this status is that she never passed on her power which doesn't exactly amount to much tangibly as far as feeling special or unique. "Oh she did something off screen and things are now good." is weak writing.

And of course externally we all know why she's a princess of heart and never passed on her power thus staying one. Disney's classic formula of a princess and a prince (even if one or both in the couple are not royals at all). She's not a princess because there's anything princess title worthy about her she's a princess because our boy hero with a crown necklace he never takes off needs a princess for a love interest because a commoner just won't do.

Edited January 8, 20214 yr by FadedSparkle

The χ-blade was split into seven pieces of light and thirteen pieces of darkness, the Princesses of Heart being the seven lights. I don't like to think they are just plot devices. They are actually important.

1 hour ago, FadedSparkle said:

She's not a princess because there's anything princess title worthy about her she's a princess because our boy hero with a crown necklace he never takes off needs a princess for a love interest because a commoner just won't do.

This is totally not the reason. Sora and Kairi do not have a romantic relationship; they are just best friends who care about each other a lot, maybe more than average, but that's not weird at all. Not to mention that they've been friends ever since they were what, four/five years old? Kairi's disappearance was the start of Sora's journey; he even said that himself. She's just a very important person to him. He would sacrifice himself even if it wasn't Kairi but someone else because that's just who he is.

Kairi never got her moment because there was nowhere to put her. She was never a fighter, she was just living the life of an ordinary girl, so she couldn't be put anywhere(that would be a very honestly stupid move) 'cause she wouldn't stand a chance. She never had the time to learn self-defense nor offense. She started her training in KH3 not to mention she just started. She was a total beginner! And she didn't even finish her training. That little time of training and that little segment in KH2(that doesn't really even count she literally was just swiping that Keyblade) was the only experience she had. No one can really blame her. There's nothing really especially unique about her now because she has little character development compared to the rest of the crew. 

Edited January 8, 20214 yr by Double OKP

On 1/6/2021 at 5:14 PM, Double OKP said:

I was thinking about putting this in but forgot haha. She doesn't feel unique in this case anymore. Like, her, Roxas, Naminé, and half the Organization were/are using Replicas. 

 

 

To further this, Xion use to be viewed as a very unusual and unique character in the series. She was weird! There use to be a big deal on what you saw when you looked at her, and only those close to her saw the identity she selected for herself. Compare how people react to meeting her in Days compared to KH3. Back then having Kairi's face and Sora's Keyblade was shocking. In KH3 I don't think a single person was surprised to see a third Kairi pop out of nowhere, not even Kairi herself. Sora doesn't even question it despite never meeting her, and her having a copy of his Keyblade, though Axel and Kairi do comment on that. Remember when Saix only saw a faceless puppet doll when seeing Xion, what was his reaction to seeing the real thing? I guess it's just not important anymore.

I also want to address the Roxas/Xion as regular somebodies/human talk going on in here too. I agree with it. I was so split on if Roxas and Xion should return. On one hand I would love to see them continue in other games if they are well written (and that's a topic for another thread) but on the other hand their stories captivated me so much that I didn't want it undone. I liked that they were not human, that despite being a Nobody and a Replica they still managed to form bonds, feel emotions, care for one another and become a weird family with Axel. They didn't need Organization XIII's fake Kingdom Hearts to give them hearts of their own. They already achieved their own versions of hearts by simply being friends together. By making the new Replicas basically like somebodies, yes it does feel like a reward for them, but it also strips away the powerful message of anything in the KH universe can grow a heart.

4 hours ago, SweetYetSalty said:

 In KH3 I don't think a single person was surprised to see a third Kairi pop out of nowhere, not even Kairi herself.

at this point im not anything should surprise them