Dagesh Lene

I believe the game says that he has the ability to connect with the hearts of others and even become one with them. This is one of the reasons why the blue robed figure thinks that he is the child of destiny, because the child of destiny has this ability. I also think this is why he is able to sense the darkness in other people's hearts, whereas others don't seem to be able to notice the darkness unless it visibly manifests itself.

On 9/12/2022 at 12:59 AM, ienzo628 said:

I'm still confused.  Is Xehanort the ||SPOILER||How is the Blue Robe guy the protagonist from Union Cross?  I thought they decided to die and reincarnate into Xehanort, who happened to be a descendant of Ephemer.  We saw them die at the end of Union Cross.||/SPOILER/||

You're right, we did see the Player die at the end of Union Cross, and Chirithy told them that they could be reborn. What then followed was a series of scenes focusing an Xehanort as an infant on Scala ad Caelum and growing up on Destiny Islands. This led everyone to believe that the Player was reborn as Xehanort. However, the game never said that the Player was reborn as Xehanort. We just assumed that they were based on what those scenes focused on. What the end of Dark Road does is clarify who the Player was reborn as: the blue robed figure (aka the Player from Missing Link), who we see watching over Xehanort in all of those scenes from the end of Union Cross.

There are still some unanswered questions about the blue robed figure and Xehanort that will hopefully be revealed in the future. Nomura has said that a lot of questions will be answered in Missing Link, so we will have to wait and see if anything else is revealed during that game.

Xehanort was born in Scala ad Caelum but was raised on Destiny Islands because he was believed to be the child of destiny, a person who would be raised on Destiny Islands, eventually leave Destiny Islands and connect with many people's hearts, and prevent the foretold expiration of light during the fated clash between light and darkness. Xehanort learned all of this from his first mentor, the blue robed figure who raised him on Destiny Islands, in addition to learning that the child of destiny would also be a dark vessel.

Xehanort's heart connected with the heart of the blue robed figure, allowing him to see worlds he'd never been to and friends he'd never met in his dreams. Xehanort longed to see those worlds and meet those friends.

One day, the brown robed figure appeared (his Heartless from the future) and gave him a way to achieve these desires. First, he passed on his ability to travel through time to him and gave him the mission to assist his future self in achieving his goals. Upon returning to this time with the memories of what he just did lost, the brown robed figure opened a corridor of darkness for him, which allowed him to leave Destiny Islands and see other worlds.

In the corridor of darkness, Xehanort recognizes that darkness can be mastered as if by instinct (this instinct being the future that was etched into his heart).

Xehanort appeared at Scala ad Caelum (not knowing that this was the world on which he was born) where was raised to be a Keyblade wielder, along with 6 others, by Master Odin and formed a close friendship with Eraqus.

When Master Odin tasked Xehanort and his other friends (with the exception of Baldr) to find their missing upperclassmen, Xehanort began to realize that things weren't as black and white as they were initially taught since they discovered that darkness was at times necessary to maintaining the world order.

Xehanort and his friends discovered that some of their upperclassmen were lost to darkness and that the remaining ones were attempting to upset the world order in order to bring out seven pure lights in an attempt to summon Kingdom Hearts, which they believed would defeat true darkness (Xehanort's friend Vor left them to help the upperclassmen achieve this goal in her pursuits to become a Keyblade Master). Master Odin further tells them that it is believed that summoning Kingdom Hearts could purge the World of true darkness for good.

After Xehanort and Eraqus were the only ones of their friends to return from the Underworld, Baldr, overtaken by the darkness, attacked Scala ad Caelum and, after striking down the remaining upperclassmen and Vor, revealed that summoning Kingdom Hearts would not purge the World of true darkness but would rather cause the World to be reborn through darkness. Baldr also tells Xehanort that they are both the same: they both harbor light and darkness and are both be viewed as being overtaken by darkness when they do what is necessary to achieve their goals. Then, before Xehanort strikes Baldr down, he tells him to seek answers to the unjust ways of the world and to darkness.

Sometime during the next year, Xehanort comes to the conclusion that light and darkness must exist in balance and decides to learn to wield light and darkness in equal shares in order to be Eraqus' equal.

During his world tour (his trip to broaden his horizons in preparation for the Mark of Mastery exam), Xehanort decided to take off his armor within the corridors of darkness and embrace it, believing that he had the strength to overcome it (his mentor, the blue robed figure, had told him that he had to remain on Destiny Islands until he had the strength to overcome the darkness). However, the darkness was too much for him, and he was saved by the Master of Masters, who, after giving him one of the black coats that repels darkness, gave him the mission to use his ability to connect with the hearts of others to look into the hearts of those who lived in the worlds he would visit during his world tour.

Upon returning from his world tour, Xehanort told the Master of Masters that, by looking into the hearts of others, he realized that they were ruled by darkness while believing that they were ruled by light (a "false light"). After coming to this realization, Xehanort came to conclusion that it was his destiny to act.

Three years later, Xehanort makes the decision to finally do as Baldr told him to do and seek answers to the unjust ways of the world and to darkness. He did this while still being trained by Master Odin along with Eraqus. It was most likely during this time that Xehanort decided to become the seeker of darkness. 

After he found the answers he sought and recalling that the blue robed figure told him it was his destiny to save the light, Xehanort came to the conclusion that purging the World by summoning Kingdom Hearts was the only way to bring an end to the tyranny of light (the "false light") and wanted to rebuild the World in such a way so that light and darkness would be in perfect balance and so that he could dictate the destines of the people living in the New World. He also came to the conclusion that he was going to need more than one lifetime to achieve his goals (he figured that he would need thirteen lifetimes to rebuild the World and one more lifetime to explore it).

Two years later, Xehanort and Eraqus were made Keyblade Masters. Eraqus was made Master Odin's successor, and Xehanort inherited the No Name Keyblade (or the Gazing Eye).

One year later, Xehanort revealed his intentions to summon Kingdom Hearts to Eraqus, and they clashed. The outcome of this clash is unknown, but we do know that Xehanort shaved his head to show his dedication to his goal.

During the many years that followed, Xehanort sought answers that would help him achieve his goal. During this time, he uncovered the secrets of the χ-Blade and that one could forge it by having a heart of light clash with a heart of darkness (this would be a faster way to summon Kingdom Hearts than with the clash between light and darkness that the blue robed figure told him about). He also clashes with Eraqus again, this time leaving him scarred, and afterward discovered from the Magic Mirror in Dwarf Woodlands where one of the friends from his dreams was and went to find him, that person being Ventus. He decided to use Ventus in his plans, first to be his vessel, and then, after coming to the conclusion that Ventus does not have the fortitude for such a task, to separate the darkness from his heart and have Ventus' light side and dark side clash to forge the χ-Blade, which brings us to Birth by Sleep.

Even with this explanation of Xehanort's timeline, I feel that there are still some questions that need answering. How much did what the blue robed figure reveal to Xehanort about his future lead him down his path? How much did knowing that the child of destiny was a dark vessel lead Xehanort to embrace the darkness and how much did his research into the truth about darkness lead him to embrace the darkness? Maybe some more of our questions will be answered at future times or maybe they will forever remain mysteries. However, as of right now, I think this is what most makes sense. What do you think?

Overall, I thought Dark Road was really good. Much better than I was expecting it to be. The story was relatively straightforward, there didn't seem to be much story filler, and the finale was quite good.

The only complaint that I have is that the majority of the story didn't seem to add much to Xehanort's motivations to forge the X-Blade and summon Kingdom Hearts. We would keep getting glimpses of his future travels throughout the game, but as far as the main story is concerned, he didn't really change at all or start down his dark path until many years after the story ended. Additionally, the death of his friends didn't seem to add to his motivations at all, which I thought was strange. However, that's my only issue. Other than that, I enjoyed the game quite a bit.

That's my theory. True, they don't look exactly the same, but Yozora did tell Sora, "This isn't what I really look like." Also, even though I theorized that it was Ephemer that gave Brain the mission to save Sora, it could have been the Master of Masters too since, after looking back at the Secret Episode, what Yozora says to Sora implies that he wasn't given the mission to save Sora until he was already in unreality. But I still think that Brain entering unreality happens at Scala ad Caelum.

In Kingdom Hearts III, Luxu writes about the Foretellers, also known as the Lost Masters, returning. In Secret Report 12, he writes, “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.” And in Secret Report 13, he writes, “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...”

We don't know for sure what happened to the Foretellers, but since Luxu writes that he will not be reunited with them until after Xehanort reenacts the Keyblade War, this might mean that they entered Kingdom Hearts, and by the true Kingdom Hearts being opened, the Foretellers were able to be summoned back by Luxu. He would have had to do it before Sora closed Kingdom Hearts though, so this might be a bit of a stretch, but I think that it could still be a possibility.

The darkness wants to expand and find bodies to occupy so that it can regain a physical form and therefore retain its will. There were two parts to its plan: “To spread throughout the data world using its signals,” and “to accompany the chosen one into the future, so [it] can lay claim to worlds not yet created.”

The chosen one is Maleficent. In fact, the darkness even told Maleficent that it was helping her to obtain a waypoint, which is needed in order to travel through time. However, Luxu appears to have fought the darkness that planned to travel into the future. We did not see what the outcome was, but, whatever the outcome was, I bet that the darkness will succeed in using Maleficent as a waypoint.

As for the other part of the plan, it appears that the Player trapped the four remaining darknesses in the portal cable, so they may be trapped there forever, but could they find a way out?

The Master of Masters said that the Dandelions would be sown into the future, and while some of them were by using the lifeboats, the rest appear to have turned into Dream Eaters. If the darkness succeeds in expanding, and its numbers are great, could the Dream Eaters be summoned from the Realm of Sleep and be restored as Keyblade wielders to help defeat the darkness?

The Master of Masters said that the seven pods, or lifeboats, were for the seven lights, who would travel into the future, like he would. The seven who entered the lifeboats were:

1. Ephemer
2. Skuld
3. Ventus
4. Lauriam (Marluxia)
5. Elrena (Larxene)
6. The Person in the White Robe (possibly Strelitzia)
7. Maleficent

This would not only mean that Marluxia and Larxene are two of the seven lights, but it would also mean that Maleficent is one of the seven lights. Does this mean that these three will ally with our heroes to defeat the darkness?

Brain is not included as one of the seven who entered the lifeboats, and he appears to become a vessel for Luxu.

In Secret Report 12, Luxu wrote, “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.”

He says he passed the Gazing Eye to one of the Five and became Keybladeless, but we see in the Union χ finale that he appears to have turned Brain into his vessel and continued using Gazing Eye after that. How does this match up with what Luxu wrote? Maybe he didn’t become Keybladeless until after his time in Brain’s body was over.

Luxu also writes in Secret Report 12, “In time, be it years or decades, centuries or millennia, I will meet the Five once more.”

Since Brain is one of the Five, does this mean that, even though he is probably not one of the seven lights and appears to have become a vessel by Luxu, we will see him again?

Even though Brain appears to have become a vessel for Luxu, we also see him appear in Scala ad Caelum. I’m not sure why, but it does seem like it was planned.

Since Luxu wrote that he would meat the Five once more, this probably means that we will see Ephemer again, even though he is the one that appears to have been sent forward in time the shortest distance. My theory is that Ephemer is still alive, because of one reason or another, when Brain awakens in Scala ad Caelum at the end of the Union χ finale, and that it is Ephemer that called him there for a special reason: to save Sora.

I think that Sora getting trapped in unreality was written in the Book of Prophecies. We at least know that unreality is mentioned in the Book, as the Master of Masters says, and Luxu, as Xigbar, implies to Sora that he knows what his fate will be, meaning that he was probably either informed of it by the Master of Masters or by Xehanort (Xehanort seems to have at least read some of the Book of Prophecies, since there are times when he comments about what has and hasn’t been written).

Brain was probably sent to unreality by Ephemer to save Sora, but something went wrong, and he doesn’t remember much, other than that he has to save Sora. He even goes by a different name now: Yozora.

For all the reveals that we have gotten about the Master of Masters plan, the less sense it seems to make to me. Here's what we know (if I miss anything, feel free to let me know):

1. The Master of Masters and his six apprentices are vessels for the seven strongest darknesses.
2. The roles of the Foretellers and the revelation of a traitor were meant to cause the Foretellers to distrust each other and become at odds with each other, which would cause the darknesses to enter them.
3. The Dandelions were meant to be the ones to restore the World with the light they collected.
4. The new Union Leaders are vessels for five of the six remaining darknesses.
5. The final darkness is to be trapped in the data Daybreak Town.
6. The Master of Masters disappeared to unreality, but will be able to return using Luxu and the Gazing Eye.

However, some things have seemed to go wrong:

1. Ava seemed to go rouge, giving the Book of Prophecies to Brain instead of Ephemer.
2. Four of the five Union Leaders did not become vessels for the darkness; only Ventus did (and he isn't even technically a Union Leader).
3. Five of the darknesses are trapped in the data Daybreak Town instead of just one.
4. Luxu also seems to be acting on his own a bit, but the Master of Masters also seems to be expecting this, calling him the traitor.

To me, it seems the Master of Masters' ultimate goal is to trap the darknesses within vessels and then destroy the vessels, but if that's all he wants, why go through all this, and why have the Foretellers return at all? Also, the Master of Masters is one of the vessels, so what is he planning to do about that? He also seems to have anticipated the betrayals of Ava and Luxu (if they are betrayals), and seems to have worked them into his plan, since he said to himself that he was counting on "Luxu the traitor", and since Luxu said in KH3's epilogue that Ava carried out her role, even though she appears to have gone rouge. What exactly is the Master of Masters planning? It can't be as simple as destroying the darkness. If it is, it seems there were much easier and quicker ways to do so, ways that did not need all of this (eveything from UX to KH3) to happen.