I know I am super late but this video perfectly incapsulates how I felt about the KH3 ending. This is why it the best Kingdom Hearts game in my opinion. Thank you for this it made my day!
When I see Xemnas and Ansem in their final scene I was really sad by the fact that Xehanort just hurt himself so much... His obsession, this feeling of loneliness. I'm pretty sure Master Xehanort was also feeling this emotion too but he just ignoring all of them because he has nothing, no more Eraqus, no more companions/friend in his side.
Indeed, I think that their endings truly showed how far he was willing to go, to the point where even the main antagonists from one and 2, his own selves felt like they were pawns and ultimately didn't seem to care when their end came. In the end, they seemed almost happy once they were defeated if only because it meant no longer having to bear the pain that they had suffered (Similar to a number of others defeated now that I think about it). Both of them also gave a sense of conclusion both to their own roles in the story as well as their impact on the protagonists. And of course, both of them directly or indirectly addressed the growth of their enemies and in the case of Ansem in particular, he seemed to encourage Riku and Sora to continue moving forward despite having used one and having dismissed the other in the past. Truly a fitting way to end all the versions of Xehanort and his time in this story.
Really great video that explains why Xehanort's conclusion was perfect for his character, I'll definitely recommend this to my friends who think his ending came out of nowhere and felt like a redemption
This video is something to behold. Not only did you perfectly encapsulate how interesting Xehanort's story and parallels to Sora are, but you also put into words why his final moments are so powerful and emotional with such clarity, that I can only hope people who didn't like his ending before, have gained a new perspective on it. Incredibly well done. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Xehanort had recently become one of my favorite characters in the series! Glad to see a video dedicated to the villain I’ve known since the beginning. I personally loved his conclusion as well. When I first played KH3, the smile he had to Eraqus in the end gave me tears (which was unexpected). Thanks for sharing such a wonderful video proving why Xehanort is such a great character 😊
Three simple words: Very well done. Thank you for making this video, I feel like this ending will never be appreciated enough. I am happy to see that someone else share the same analysis, and your video truly shows why it is actually wonderfully written and a satisfying conclusion for the characters involved.
You're welcome and thank you! Xehanort's ending was incredibly satisfying to me and after seeing differences online on what people think of it, I really thought it'd be best for me to express myself in this format.
When KH3 came out, I was quite disappointed from the finale and ending, but when thinking more and more about it and reading between the lines, it gets more and more revealed just how great executed this final act is (but they still could have given Final Xehanort some more moves...at least his Data fight delivers this properly xD) This video is another great example for that. The only remaining thing I can say: Very well done.
I could never comprehend being disappointed by KH3. Not because KH3 was good, but because I can't understand how anyone had ANY positive expectations of this game going into it.
@@phonesjuda7318 On the contrary, I LOVED KH3. I expected an absolute shit-show and got an amazing game. And, I am wiling to admit that I was very very wrong. That's very open-minded.
@@TheDisarminghinkle I guess maybe it depends on what cultural bubble one is in. Since I am not from the States I had a very personal experience following the announcements and trailers of kh3 without being tainted by the typical narrative of slanders against the franchise, I was just very happy and emotional it was going to come out, and when I finally had the game in my hands, I just cried my heart out watching the cinematic opening and I was sure I was going to have the time of my life, because I love this silly series 🤣🤣 well, have a good day!
@@phonesjuda7318 I don't really think there was much negativity toward the franchise outside of the very earned negativity toward Square Enix in general. And, all that earned negativity is specifically about how they make games. Or rather, don't make games. When KH3 was finally announced to have a release date, it was around the same time as some classic Square Enix fuckups like Final Fantasy 15 finally being released 7 years later than intended and the horrible game that turned out to be as a result of that development hell. And, who could forget when they announced they were just going to make a graphically updated version of Final Fantasy 7 that then proceeded to take 8 years to make a game that covers about 1/9th of Final Fantasy 7's plot and is definitely not in any way a graphically updated version of Final Fantasy 7? Square Enix was in the middle of a long history of taking forever to make things and then just completely failing to deliver as a result. Everything about Kingdom Hearts portrayed itself as just being another entry in that long history. And, in general, a game that was released over a decade after it was first announced (because, yes, Birth by Sleep was originally teased as Kingdom Hearts 3) never ends up working out. There is not a single game in video game history that has ever been good when it took THIS long to make. Kingdom Hearts 3 truly defied every expectation in being as good as it was. I just wish the Big Hero 6 and Pirates of the Caribbean levels were better.
This honestly deserves WAY more views. I could never put my finger on why I thought his story was well written, but this put so much in perspective for me. Great analysis!
Man this video made me cry. Me, someone who has decided he was over the KH series after the ridiculousness of the plot over the course of the games. But you summed up this arc so well that it hit me so deep. Very well done.
It's been a solid two years since this video came out and I'm just finding this channel because of a bird post but this video should have way more views as it really brought together what I realized upon seeing this cutscene for the first time!!
I'm glad you enjoyed it! Xehanort is easily one of my favourite antagonists and I really wanted ro express myself with this video essay. I'm glad you like the ending more now. :D
I loved the video, you have explained very well how you feel about Xehanort and I have enjoyed every second. I hope to see more videos of this type in the future
Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed it. This was definitely a new format I wanted to try out and I was happy with the final video, so I'm definitely excited to make more videos like this.
Dude absolutely love this video!!🤙 Xehanort is one of my absolute favorite antagonists of all time!! His obsession to kingdom hearts and the keyblade war and in the end his conclusion to his arc is quite depressing the more I think more critical about it. He’s an amazing written character!!! I hope he will be in the future games in some way
Yo fam this is 🔥🔥🔥 Your videos always make me think more about the brilliance of KH as a whole, but also the intricacies and themes and little details. This is amazing content
My friend, your video made me realize how much the relationships "Xehanort-Eraqus" and "Riku-Sora" differ! Xehanort wanted to understand darkness, while Eraqus was standing by his belief that light should be protected and rule over Darkness. Their beliefs were conflicting to the death! As for Riku and Sora, like they are, they didn't know what the Darkness and Light meant to them. They cared for each other despite the power they obtained (the Keyblade and the Darkness...). Eraqus has lost hope on Xehanort (losing their friendship in the process), which cost him his life in the end, while Sora never gave up on Riku, rewarding him a way back home together in KH2. Though I still do not like how Xehanort handled his time loop for his goals, this is a very well developed essay about his arc and closure.Thank you for sharing! 👏
This! This is why I feel xehanort conclusion is a perfect and I really don't get why people assuming it's just simple redemption but really it's way more and that and really it's not a redemption at all
Absolutely a fantastic job i cried multiple times cause life was not the easiest during the releases of bbs and dds but i regardless feel triumphant any how darkside lights use welcome who is my new enemy so they will learn balance and peace
I really enjoyed you're explanation. Really interested to check out the rest of your channel. Seen some ways this video essay could help my own kingdom hearts content 😁
@@Titan_Trainer On an unrelated note: The first callback video you made on the part where Sora needs the power of waking and Goofy said something about something will trigger it real soon. I found out on Secret Report 9 that it wasn't just foreshadowing. But... You probably know that already. "First, a vessel for each heart must be readied. Then, a spark of some sort is required to induce its waking." "Still, if alternate bodies can be secured for them, all their hearts require to be awakened is that "spark"-people they cared for and who cared for them, who can show them the way home."
This video has completely turned me around on Xehanort's turn-around at the end of KH3!! Not that I absolutely hated it, I just wished there was a bit more of a lead-up to it and less reading between the lines. (And making his motivation slightly more consistent.) I was completely caught off-guard by him just HANDING the X-Blade to Sora after DECADES of trying to forge it, but I started to understand it after thinking on it for a few days. (I also wish Sora sealing Kingdom Hearts was a little more epic, and that the Guardians didn't just A-Pose around him while he did it, but that's a battle for another day.)
Destiny is never left to chance Sora always had the potential but never had a inheritance ceremony but when the time came the kingdom key meant to seal the door to darkness recognized him as its true master over a proper inheritor like Riku at the end he surrenders the x-blade to Sora and recognizes him as an equal.
I absolutely agree with everything said in this video. There was a lot of care and dedication put into this finale for Xehanort. The first time I saw it I had to mull over my opinion on it for a bit, but I can earnestly say this video does an excellent job of capturing everything this scene does so well. It just sucks that the "someone strong to stop the weak from polluting the world with their endless darkness" line exists. It's such a complete 180 from Xehanort's current motivation of rebalancing against the tyranny of Light that it destroys the whole scene for me. Just one tiny sentence was all it took. Why did they have him say something so antithetical to what he's actually standing for? I don't understand it. If that line were just slightly changed this scene would be a million times better. But as it stands that ends up being the first thing that comes to mind. Which really is a shame, because otherwise there was a lot of very careful consideration put into this scene that deserves recognition. But I digress. This was a very welcome video, and I appreciate all the effort you put into it. It's so awesome to see your content growing and expanding like this as you try out different kinds of videos. I'm genuinely proud of you for all the work that goes into everything you do, and I cannot wait to see what comes next!
Thanks so much! I've been wanting to make a video essay for quite some time, but was definitely hesitant with it. Now that I've finally been able to do it, I'm very proud of the final product and I really appreciate your kind words as always! Regarding the Xehanort line you mentioned, it was definitely strange to me at first, but when I recently rewatched the scene, I think it makes sense in the context of his previous statements. He mentions how the world was initially devoured by the darkness. He also mentions that he was intending to return the world to when it started. So, he was stating how we would prevent the darkness consuming the world if he was planning to start over.
I completely understand. It's anxiety-inducing, taking big steps like this, but I'm glad you did, and I'm doubly glad to hear how proud you are of doing so. This was an immensely compelling video and you deserve to be proud of it. Honestly, if ever you want to make other video essays, I would absolutely be down for more from you. Of course, I'd be there regardless to support you all the way. In any case, you do make a good point regarding that line from Xehanort. Although, if he'd be reverting the World to a neutral state, I imagine he'd still be just as concerned with balance then as he is now. Rather than solely containing the "endless Darkness", would he not seek to contain both Light and Dark? After all, both Light and Dark can pollute. So while it does make a bit more sense to interpret the line this way, I still can't help but feel as though it's really unlike the old coot. It still feels like he's suddenly picking sides to me. But I digress, and I really appreciate your response. Thank you for taking the time to reply back to me.
I like to look back at that line with Dark Road in mind. Xehanort would recreate the world, and if darkness or light were to get out of hand, he would step in. There would never be another Queen of Hearts to behead people, nor would there be another Eraqus to excessively stamp out darkness anymore. He has many ways of keeping himself immortal to watch over the new world. The ironic part is this would kinda make him a tyrant but he’s already resigned himself for this. He’s willing to sacrifice his life for the sake of bringing peace to the worlds. Its just the ends justify the means in his mind
@@jackmoonward Well, my main issue with the line is that Xehanort ultimately believes in balance. Right now he perceives the Light as having tyranny over darkness. So I agree that Xehanort would never allow for another Queen of Hearts mentality, or another Eraqus mentality, but the problem for me is that this line doesn't reflect that. It only reflects his qualms with the Queen of Hearts mentality, and acts as though he doesn't give a damn about the Eraqus mentality anymore, and to me that doesn't really make much sense with his character. That being said, I will definitely admit that Dark Road has so far added a lot of nuance to both Xehanort and Eraqus's characterizations for the better, and I can't wait to see how it concludes.
Ultimately, the "tyranny of light" that he sought to remove was the countless lights called "people", which he'd decided were predisposed to being nothing more than engines of cancerous shadows. He sought to use the original light, Kingdom Hearts itself, to purge all these false lights, returning everything to the darkness the World began in, and create an empty worlds. His idea of "balance" was "without people". Just think to when he, as Young Xehanort, stopped a moment to take in the scenery of Symphony of Sorcery. He described it as "beautiful", but why specifically THIS scenery? That's simple... because there were no people in it. No "extra, flawed lights" to cast their out-of-control shadows upon it.
She proves that even though just like so many others that he was chosen to will the keyblade as well buy some of the other people from the past and present and he shows the mark of a knowledge that you will there but a true champion of this realm all the way to this point as well that's why people and me and myself love the protagonist Sora
I find it interesting that Xehanort is a No Heart tha is a Heartless and a Nobody. The sad thing is he did it to himself because of his fear of the false light hiding The Darkness.
A little mixed if I'm being honest. I'm not entirely against the idea, but I'd rather wait and see the rest of Dark Road before making my final thoughts on it. All I can say is that I just really hope the connection between Player and Xehanort doesn't imply that the latter's actions were motivated by the Player, such as "He did this all for Ephemer and Skuld" or something along those lines. Xehanort is such an interesting character to me and one of the main reasons being his lack of connections with others and contrasting Sora; the way he forces connections and abandons friendship. The way he desired commanding destiny, to the point where he was guided by his future self. I just don't want his motivations to suddenly be fuelled by a separate character. If it motivates, fine, but I'd rather he stay as independent as he's been thus far. Much like with the Master of Masters, I hope that it doesn't suddenly reveal that Xehanort was his or the Player's puppet. I want him to walk his own road that, while affected by others, was decided on his own.
Ansem's last words: Bro I'm sad :( Xemnas's last words: Bro I'm lonely :( Young Xehanort: Y'know what Sora ? Fu*k you >:( Jokes aside, it was the perfect ending for each one of them, even though I have my grievances with the last hours of KH3 (mostly gameplay wise) I have to admit that ALL the villains had a great departure !
Great job of your acceptance and analysis 🧐 Of xehanort character and end very will done it honestly made me almost tear for Xehanort. now iam going to be very truthful here big time first time playthrough of my experience with KH3 I was in disbelief 😳😨🤯 not in a good way ether 😤😐😑with his ending I felt he did not earn it because of not much end arc build up with him and his lack of screen time to hint at any further development to hint at his changed keep in mind this was before remind. I didn’t accept it at all I hated it to complete madness 😡after beating it and staring at the celling thinking to my self did a 18 year build up story JUST END LIKE THAT 😧😦😠😤🤬and then I thought it contradicted so much of the past same goes for his two half’s Ansem and xemnas will more towards Ansem for obvious direct connection reasons considering he’s the main essence of the man after all. Now with that said for the good here’s what made me accept the men’s ending it was what you did not mention in your analysis unfortunately 😕and that is dark road prequel to xehanort story it gave me the context I needed to accept this learning that xehanort past was a tragic one he had friends just like sora did but parallel he lost them tragically and then went on his dark road after for knowledge And while iam it dark road made me accept Ansem and xemnas changed because here is the irony they really are just repeats of young xehanort himselfs tragic past. Ansem xehanort main heart essence felt like he didn’t care just as young xehanort did and went on his dark road after he lost his friends Xemnas xehanorts phantom body the irony he lost his companions and felt loneliness just as young xehanort did when losing his friends in dark road prequel I just wanted to bring that up with dark road prequel it makes Xehanort and Ansem and xemnas ending absolutely complete of the xehanort arc. Again great 👍 video the best Xehanort analysis that made me want to tear 😢 for the men.
My only wish was that xehanort should've had a giant form like ansem and xemnas. Other then that nothing else should be changed from what we got both in the original and in remind.
There is one small thing of note - there are Keyblades of light, and Keyblades of darkness. Xehanort's reports have noted that they're identical in function, and only truly differ in the places they come from. We at least see this with Kingdom Key D, which still channels Mickey's light just as easily as Keyblades of light do. I wonder...if there's any chance that the Darknesses will ever regain their original forms? And if there's any chance that our heroes can find any coexistence with them?
You know, I don't mind Xehanort giving up because it's in his character to recognize when he was beaten. However, the final boss and main vessel of Xehanort should have been Terranort. He admits in his reports in BBS that he's about to die of old age, and he knows it's coming fast. Making Terra his vessel was a matter of survival not a numbers game like KH3 seems to imply.
One of his greatest failings is that he's far too self-centered for his own good. His idea of a "Real Organization XII" was one comprised entirely of himself at heart, after all. Therefore, it makes sense that he'd rather take his ultimate victory in his own body rather than someone else's.
When he decided to nab Terra, it was back when he still had no idea where some of the Princesses were and he had a grand total of one darkness, himself; in such a vast universe, there was no telling how many years, decades, centuries it would take to find or cultivate all 20 pieces he needed, which is also why he tried to rush the x-blade using Ventus-Vanitas. Xehanort by the time of Coded finally has multiple darkness and more on the way, while also having reliable information on the location of one pure lights as well as years' worth of experience and knowledge in successfully locating and tracking the rest.l, so it makes sense that he's not as worried about dying of old age before winning.
What the above posts said. Also, there's another thing that has to be considered: Terra-Xehanort is indeed very strong, and also much younger, thus extending Xehanort's life. However, there is one big problem: Terranort is, frankly and simply, too _unstable_ to be worth the trouble in the long run. Terra's presence is simply too strong and constant for Xehanort to be able to shake off permanently, despite being mostly contained within the Guardian, and even a small slip in his control will lead to Terra attempting once again to retake control of his body. This is also a big likely factor why Master Xehanort decided to keep him out of the field until the final battle, and why despite his strength and being the "true" progenitor of Ansem and Xemnas, two of the Seekers' top enforcers, he's reduced to being little more than a brute. The risk of Terra turning against him is simply too dangerous for Xehanort to see another transfer to Terranort as a practical option for himself to do, especially when he's finally reaching his endgame.
Despite everything you said which the beginning for as Riku is concerned is true and xehanort's as well but the one thing that was most disagreed with by so many people who I found what food in the lower from Kingdom Hearts itself that Sora was truly chosen to wield a keyblade after all within Destiny's outcome for him as well to be a leader in the will get the Keyblade cuz he reminds people of what true power is every step in the journey and his journey only gets farther and deeper in his power that he has shown and demonstrated that other wielders hadn't seen in decades and centuries up to this point has been remarkable Indy Papoose to show that he was truly chosen to wield the Keyblade the power passed on to Sora from vine for the proves that along with so much other stuff that proves that Sora was chosen to wield the Kingdom key within the series in the series lower in the epilogue that's I read
Is because some people's opinions about him gesture that different but based on the positive opinions of others Sora is still the best and one of the greatest willders in chosen ones in the series cuz he was worthy to not only receive it on his first journey of the awesome get it back and master his inner abilities like every other wielder of the key I believe there are more special things about them for us to learn the down the road within Kh
Personally, I'm still massively unsatisfied with the execution of KH3 and the conclusion of the Xehanort Saga. I just feel they didn't squeeze the most potential out of what was on the table. Some characters with powerful arcs, got way too sidelined.
Despite everything that you said I saw this video again and I have to yet still stick with my previous believes tilda's very day I still believe that sora is still the most special out of them all in just as chosen in Worthy upon this journey that he is on with his friends and with himself there are no accidents only things that are meant to be and it was truly meant for him to wield the blade of light based on the dreams yet had on his first journey not only the fact that his best friend gave into the darkness that he had the dreams over and over again leading him to the point with a realm of light shows him to be the kingdom Keys chosen wielder that's why he is worthy indeed it was an accident that that keyblade ended up in his hands instead it was an accident that he got it back from his best friend his best friend was Smith walk a different path to his key and he was myth walk the path of the Kingdom key to wield his and there's a lot more in store for the blessed hero indeed
Good video although I honestly pretty much disagree with most of the points made in this video. To me, it felt like the misunderstood Thanos approach Nomura had with Xehanort was just cheesy. Something that always appealed to me as a kid was how truly dark kingdom hearts felt at times, I don't believe KH3 captured this, possibly may be that I've aged since the release of KH, and although I enjoyed many playthroughs of KH3 I wish the writing/story grew with it's audience.
I don't know what game you were playing but kh3 is just as dark and emotionally grounded as other games. Sora is most doubtful of himself in this game and has more than just his friends as a personal motive. He wants to prove himself after nearly falling to darkness as a vessel. Sora the main character is the actual focus in kh3 after years of taking the backseat to everyone else which is great.
Fantastic video i only have two words for this and there are not :"Get up on the hydras back" but "Very well done!".
Thanks!
That's three words
@@NeoDeity that is indeed the joke
@@Kicksticks Plot twist: What he said is the continuation of the joke. (Seriously.)
I know I am super late but this video perfectly incapsulates how I felt about the KH3 ending. This is why it the best Kingdom Hearts game in my opinion. Thank you for this it made my day!
When I see Xemnas and Ansem in their final scene I was really sad by the fact that Xehanort just hurt himself so much... His obsession, this feeling of loneliness. I'm pretty sure Master Xehanort was also feeling this emotion too but he just ignoring all of them because he has nothing, no more Eraqus, no more companions/friend in his side.
Indeed, I think that their endings truly showed how far he was willing to go, to the point where even the main antagonists from one and 2, his own selves felt like they were pawns and ultimately didn't seem to care when their end came. In the end, they seemed almost happy once they were defeated if only because it meant no longer having to bear the pain that they had suffered (Similar to a number of others defeated now that I think about it). Both of them also gave a sense of conclusion both to their own roles in the story as well as their impact on the protagonists. And of course, both of them directly or indirectly addressed the growth of their enemies and in the case of Ansem in particular, he seemed to encourage Riku and Sora to continue moving forward despite having used one and having dismissed the other in the past. Truly a fitting way to end all the versions of Xehanort and his time in this story.
The fact that this game made feel anything for Xehanort is enough to say that it's a *very well done* conclusion
For someone who originally didn’t like the ending this actually made me thinking. I have a new appreciation for the ending thanks to you.
Really great video that explains why Xehanort's conclusion was perfect for his character, I'll definitely recommend this to my friends who think his ending came out of nowhere and felt like a redemption
Thanks for watching! I'm glad you enjoyed it! Maybe this video will change your friends' minds. XD
This straight-up deserves more views
Without any context, "Follow the darkness. It'll show you the way to your friends" sounds like something a Sith Lord would say!
I'm impressed, you got me to reconsider how i see KH3
Very well done indeed
This video is something to behold.
Not only did you perfectly encapsulate how interesting Xehanort's story and parallels to Sora are, but you also put into words why his final moments are so powerful and emotional with such clarity, that I can only hope people who didn't like his ending before, have gained a new perspective on it.
Incredibly well done. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Thank you! I appreciate your kind words. I hope this would help change perspectives for some too.
Xehanort had recently become one of my favorite characters in the series! Glad to see a video dedicated to the villain I’ve known since the beginning. I personally loved his conclusion as well. When I first played KH3, the smile he had to Eraqus in the end gave me tears (which was unexpected). Thanks for sharing such a wonderful video proving why Xehanort is such a great character 😊
Just realized you made a mistake, you said KH4 instead of KH3 lol, just wanna tell you
@@stuntmanorigins9 WHOOPS!! 😂 I fixed it now! Thank you for telling me! XD Guess I accidentally time traveled or something LOL
@@MNSprime21 No problem lol, mistakes happen
Three simple words: Very well done.
Thank you for making this video, I feel like this ending will never be appreciated enough. I am happy to see that someone else share the same analysis, and your video truly shows why it is actually wonderfully written and a satisfying conclusion for the characters involved.
You're welcome and thank you! Xehanort's ending was incredibly satisfying to me and after seeing differences online on what people think of it, I really thought it'd be best for me to express myself in this format.
When KH3 came out, I was quite disappointed from the finale and ending, but when thinking more and more about it and reading between the lines, it gets more and more revealed just how great executed this final act is (but they still could have given Final Xehanort some more moves...at least his Data fight delivers this properly xD)
This video is another great example for that. The only remaining thing I can say: Very well done.
I could never comprehend being disappointed by KH3.
Not because KH3 was good, but because I can't understand how anyone had ANY positive expectations of this game going into it.
@@TheDisarminghinkle the you are one of a very closed mind
@@phonesjuda7318 On the contrary, I LOVED KH3. I expected an absolute shit-show and got an amazing game. And, I am wiling to admit that I was very very wrong. That's very open-minded.
@@TheDisarminghinkle I guess maybe it depends on what cultural bubble one is in. Since I am not from the States I had a very personal experience following the announcements and trailers of kh3 without being tainted by the typical narrative of slanders against the franchise, I was just very happy and emotional it was going to come out, and when I finally had the game in my hands, I just cried my heart out watching the cinematic opening and I was sure I was going to have the time of my life, because I love this silly series 🤣🤣 well, have a good day!
@@phonesjuda7318 I don't really think there was much negativity toward the franchise outside of the very earned negativity toward Square Enix in general. And, all that earned negativity is specifically about how they make games. Or rather, don't make games.
When KH3 was finally announced to have a release date, it was around the same time as some classic Square Enix fuckups like Final Fantasy 15 finally being released 7 years later than intended and the horrible game that turned out to be as a result of that development hell. And, who could forget when they announced they were just going to make a graphically updated version of Final Fantasy 7 that then proceeded to take 8 years to make a game that covers about 1/9th of Final Fantasy 7's plot and is definitely not in any way a graphically updated version of Final Fantasy 7?
Square Enix was in the middle of a long history of taking forever to make things and then just completely failing to deliver as a result. Everything about Kingdom Hearts portrayed itself as just being another entry in that long history. And, in general, a game that was released over a decade after it was first announced (because, yes, Birth by Sleep was originally teased as Kingdom Hearts 3) never ends up working out. There is not a single game in video game history that has ever been good when it took THIS long to make. Kingdom Hearts 3 truly defied every expectation in being as good as it was.
I just wish the Big Hero 6 and Pirates of the Caribbean levels were better.
This honestly deserves WAY more views. I could never put my finger on why I thought his story was well written, but this put so much in perspective for me. Great analysis!
and then Union X ending happened and this scene hits even harder.....
And then came Dark Road which hit EVEN harder
You did an amazing job putting all this into words, I even got kinda emotional at the end. Thank you
You're welcome and thank you! I really appreciate these kinds of comments!
Amazing Video! Your Video made me love Xehanorts character and the ending of KH3 even more!
I couldn't agree more, best ending I could have hoped for, and with more context from Re:Mind it makes it even better
Man this video made me cry. Me, someone who has decided he was over the KH series after the ridiculousness of the plot over the course of the games. But you summed up this arc so well that it hit me so deep. Very well done.
It's been a solid two years since this video came out and I'm just finding this channel because of a bird post but this video should have way more views as it really brought together what I realized upon seeing this cutscene for the first time!!
Amazing video, xehanort is my favorite character in the series and I couldn't be more happier with his conclusion in kh3
Thank you!
I love the ending of kh3, it’s so perfect and pulls at my heart strings, I beat it a 2nd time and almost cried again
This video was amazing! I definitely appreciate KH3's ending more. I never really took the time to realize it but wow, this character is so awesome.
I'm glad you enjoyed it! Xehanort is easily one of my favourite antagonists and I really wanted ro express myself with this video essay. I'm glad you like the ending more now. :D
I loved this a lot. Very well done.
I loved the video, you have explained very well how you feel about Xehanort and I have enjoyed every second. I hope to see more videos of this type in the future
Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed it. This was definitely a new format I wanted to try out and I was happy with the final video, so I'm definitely excited to make more videos like this.
Fantastic video, I've always kinda felt the same, but never really knew how to put it into words, and think video does an excellent job of that.
Thanks so much!
Couldn’t have said it better.
Thanks so much! :D
After union x and dark road this video hits different
Dude absolutely love this video!!🤙 Xehanort is one of my absolute favorite antagonists of all time!! His obsession to kingdom hearts and the keyblade war and in the end his conclusion to his arc is quite depressing the more I think more critical about it. He’s an amazing written character!!! I hope he will be in the future games in some way
Yo fam this is 🔥🔥🔥 Your videos always make me think more about the brilliance of KH as a whole, but also the intricacies and themes and little details. This is amazing content
Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed it!
My friend, your video made me realize how much the relationships "Xehanort-Eraqus" and "Riku-Sora" differ! Xehanort wanted to understand darkness, while Eraqus was standing by his belief that light should be protected and rule over Darkness. Their beliefs were conflicting to the death!
As for Riku and Sora, like they are, they didn't know what the Darkness and Light meant to them. They cared for each other despite the power they obtained (the Keyblade and the Darkness...). Eraqus has lost hope on Xehanort (losing their friendship in the process), which cost him his life in the end, while Sora never gave up on Riku, rewarding him a way back home together in KH2.
Though I still do not like how Xehanort handled his time loop for his goals, this is a very well developed essay about his arc and closure.Thank you for sharing! 👏
This! This is why I feel xehanort conclusion is a perfect and I really don't get why people assuming it's just simple redemption but really it's way more and that and really it's not a redemption at all
Exactly he just knows when he's defeated, he's done
Absolutely a fantastic job i cried multiple times cause life was not the easiest during the releases of bbs and dds but i regardless feel triumphant any how darkside lights use welcome who is my new enemy so they will learn balance and peace
thank you so much for this!!
You're welcome and thank you! :D
I really enjoyed you're explanation. Really interested to check out the rest of your channel. Seen some ways this video essay could help my own kingdom hearts content 😁
Thanks! I hope this helps with your content!
AMAZING video ❤️
We will miss xehanort ❤️🥺
Yes
Only 2.8k views and 248 likes? Here have a like. This was wonderfully put-together.
I would've liked it if xehanort declared sora a master
Bro, who do you think you are flooding my house by spitting out these facts.
I gotta learn to say it, not spray it. XD
@@Titan_Trainer On an unrelated note: The first callback video you made on the part where Sora needs the power of waking and Goofy said something about something will trigger it real soon. I found out on Secret Report 9 that it wasn't just foreshadowing. But... You probably know that already.
"First, a vessel for each heart must be readied. Then, a spark of some sort is required to induce its waking."
"Still, if alternate bodies can be secured for them, all their hearts require to be awakened is that "spark"-people they cared for and who cared for them, who can show them the way home."
This video has completely turned me around on Xehanort's turn-around at the end of KH3!! Not that I absolutely hated it, I just wished there was a bit more of a lead-up to it and less reading between the lines. (And making his motivation slightly more consistent.) I was completely caught off-guard by him just HANDING the X-Blade to Sora after DECADES of trying to forge it, but I started to understand it after thinking on it for a few days.
(I also wish Sora sealing Kingdom Hearts was a little more epic, and that the Guardians didn't just A-Pose around him while he did it, but that's a battle for another day.)
The question is why I love Xehanort?...
Destiny is never left to chance Sora always had the potential but never had a inheritance ceremony but when the time came the kingdom key meant to seal the door to darkness recognized him as its true master over a proper inheritor like Riku at the end he surrenders the x-blade to Sora and recognizes him as an equal.
I absolutely agree with everything said in this video. There was a lot of care and dedication put into this finale for Xehanort. The first time I saw it I had to mull over my opinion on it for a bit, but I can earnestly say this video does an excellent job of capturing everything this scene does so well. It just sucks that the "someone strong to stop the weak from polluting the world with their endless darkness" line exists. It's such a complete 180 from Xehanort's current motivation of rebalancing against the tyranny of Light that it destroys the whole scene for me. Just one tiny sentence was all it took.
Why did they have him say something so antithetical to what he's actually standing for? I don't understand it. If that line were just slightly changed this scene would be a million times better. But as it stands that ends up being the first thing that comes to mind. Which really is a shame, because otherwise there was a lot of very careful consideration put into this scene that deserves recognition. But I digress. This was a very welcome video, and I appreciate all the effort you put into it. It's so awesome to see your content growing and expanding like this as you try out different kinds of videos. I'm genuinely proud of you for all the work that goes into everything you do, and I cannot wait to see what comes next!
Thanks so much! I've been wanting to make a video essay for quite some time, but was definitely hesitant with it. Now that I've finally been able to do it, I'm very proud of the final product and I really appreciate your kind words as always!
Regarding the Xehanort line you mentioned, it was definitely strange to me at first, but when I recently rewatched the scene, I think it makes sense in the context of his previous statements.
He mentions how the world was initially devoured by the darkness. He also mentions that he was intending to return the world to when it started. So, he was stating how we would prevent the darkness consuming the world if he was planning to start over.
I completely understand. It's anxiety-inducing, taking big steps like this, but I'm glad you did, and I'm doubly glad to hear how proud you are of doing so. This was an immensely compelling video and you deserve to be proud of it. Honestly, if ever you want to make other video essays, I would absolutely be down for more from you. Of course, I'd be there regardless to support you all the way.
In any case, you do make a good point regarding that line from Xehanort. Although, if he'd be reverting the World to a neutral state, I imagine he'd still be just as concerned with balance then as he is now. Rather than solely containing the "endless Darkness", would he not seek to contain both Light and Dark? After all, both Light and Dark can pollute. So while it does make a bit more sense to interpret the line this way, I still can't help but feel as though it's really unlike the old coot. It still feels like he's suddenly picking sides to me.
But I digress, and I really appreciate your response. Thank you for taking the time to reply back to me.
I like to look back at that line with Dark Road in mind. Xehanort would recreate the world, and if darkness or light were to get out of hand, he would step in. There would never be another Queen of Hearts to behead people, nor would there be another Eraqus to excessively stamp out darkness anymore. He has many ways of keeping himself immortal to watch over the new world. The ironic part is this would kinda make him a tyrant but he’s already resigned himself for this. He’s willing to sacrifice his life for the sake of bringing peace to the worlds. Its just the ends justify the means in his mind
@@jackmoonward
Well, my main issue with the line is that Xehanort ultimately believes in balance. Right now he perceives the Light as having tyranny over darkness. So I agree that Xehanort would never allow for another Queen of Hearts mentality, or another Eraqus mentality, but the problem for me is that this line doesn't reflect that. It only reflects his qualms with the Queen of Hearts mentality, and acts as though he doesn't give a damn about the Eraqus mentality anymore, and to me that doesn't really make much sense with his character. That being said, I will definitely admit that Dark Road has so far added a lot of nuance to both Xehanort and Eraqus's characterizations for the better, and I can't wait to see how it concludes.
Ultimately, the "tyranny of light" that he sought to remove was the countless lights called "people", which he'd decided were predisposed to being nothing more than engines of cancerous shadows. He sought to use the original light, Kingdom Hearts itself, to purge all these false lights, returning everything to the darkness the World began in, and create an empty worlds. His idea of "balance" was "without people".
Just think to when he, as Young Xehanort, stopped a moment to take in the scenery of Symphony of Sorcery. He described it as "beautiful", but why specifically THIS scenery? That's simple... because there were no people in it. No "extra, flawed lights" to cast their out-of-control shadows upon it.
She proves that even though just like so many others that he was chosen to will the keyblade as well buy some of the other people from the past and present and he shows the mark of a knowledge that you will there but a true champion of this realm all the way to this point as well that's why people and me and myself love the protagonist Sora
To this day I still don't know who were the "others" Ansem mentioned.
The members of orgXII that turned against xehanort by helping xion and roxas return. Ansem refers to Vexen, Saíx and Demyx
Very good video
So did Xehanort give Sora the Rite of Succession with the freaking X-Blade?!
Very well done video 😉
so can i ask what's is your opinion about dark road ending?
I find it interesting that Xehanort is a No Heart tha is a Heartless and a Nobody. The sad thing is he did it to himself because of his fear of the false light hiding The Darkness.
What are your thoughts with the end of Union X?
A little mixed if I'm being honest. I'm not entirely against the idea, but I'd rather wait and see the rest of Dark Road before making my final thoughts on it.
All I can say is that I just really hope the connection between Player and Xehanort doesn't imply that the latter's actions were motivated by the Player, such as "He did this all for Ephemer and Skuld" or something along those lines.
Xehanort is such an interesting character to me and one of the main reasons being his lack of connections with others and contrasting Sora; the way he forces connections and abandons friendship. The way he desired commanding destiny, to the point where he was guided by his future self. I just don't want his motivations to suddenly be fuelled by a separate character. If it motivates, fine, but I'd rather he stay as independent as he's been thus far.
Much like with the Master of Masters, I hope that it doesn't suddenly reveal that Xehanort was his or the Player's puppet. I want him to walk his own road that, while affected by others, was decided on his own.
@@Titan_Trainer so now that we know player aint xehanort what do you think
Great video.
Thanks!
Ansem's last words: Bro I'm sad :(
Xemnas's last words: Bro I'm lonely :(
Young Xehanort: Y'know what Sora ? Fu*k you >:(
Jokes aside, it was the perfect ending for each one of them, even though I have my grievances with the last hours of KH3 (mostly gameplay wise) I have to admit that ALL the villains had a great departure !
Great job of your acceptance and analysis 🧐
Of xehanort character and end very will done it honestly made me almost tear for Xehanort.
now iam going to be very truthful here big time first time playthrough of my experience with KH3 I was in disbelief 😳😨🤯 not in a good way ether 😤😐😑with his ending I felt he did not earn it because of not much end arc build up with him and his lack of screen time to hint at any further development to hint at his changed keep in mind this was before remind. I didn’t accept it at all I hated it to complete madness 😡after beating it and staring at the celling thinking to my self did a 18 year build up story JUST END LIKE THAT 😧😦😠😤🤬and then I thought it contradicted so much of the past same goes for his two half’s Ansem and xemnas will more towards Ansem for obvious direct connection reasons considering he’s the main essence of the man after all.
Now with that said for the good here’s what made me accept the men’s ending it was what you did not mention in your analysis unfortunately 😕and that is dark road prequel to xehanort story it gave me the context I needed to accept this learning that xehanort past was a tragic one he had friends just like sora did but parallel he lost them tragically and then went on his dark road after for knowledge
And while iam it dark road made me accept Ansem and xemnas changed because here is the irony they really are just repeats of young xehanort himselfs tragic past.
Ansem xehanort main heart essence felt like he didn’t care just as young xehanort did and went on his dark road after he lost his friends
Xemnas xehanorts phantom body the irony he lost his companions and felt loneliness just as young xehanort did when losing his friends in dark road prequel
I just wanted to bring that up with dark road prequel it makes Xehanort and Ansem and xemnas ending absolutely complete of the xehanort arc.
Again great 👍 video the best Xehanort analysis that made me want to tear 😢 for the men.
My only wish was that xehanort should've had a giant form like ansem and xemnas. Other then that nothing else should be changed from what we got both in the original and in remind.
There is one small thing of note - there are Keyblades of light, and Keyblades of darkness. Xehanort's reports have noted that they're identical in function, and only truly differ in the places they come from. We at least see this with Kingdom Key D, which still channels Mickey's light just as easily as Keyblades of light do.
I wonder...if there's any chance that the Darknesses will ever regain their original forms? And if there's any chance that our heroes can find any coexistence with them?
WAIT A MINUTE! Does that me when Riku finds Sora and Yozora, he'll have to tell himself to move on too?!?
You know, I don't mind Xehanort giving up because it's in his character to recognize when he was beaten. However, the final boss and main vessel of Xehanort should have been Terranort. He admits in his reports in BBS that he's about to die of old age, and he knows it's coming fast. Making Terra his vessel was a matter of survival not a numbers game like KH3 seems to imply.
One of his greatest failings is that he's far too self-centered for his own good. His idea of a "Real Organization XII" was one comprised entirely of himself at heart, after all. Therefore, it makes sense that he'd rather take his ultimate victory in his own body rather than someone else's.
When he decided to nab Terra, it was back when he still had no idea where some of the Princesses were and he had a grand total of one darkness, himself; in such a vast universe, there was no telling how many years, decades, centuries it would take to find or cultivate all 20 pieces he needed, which is also why he tried to rush the x-blade using Ventus-Vanitas. Xehanort by the time of Coded finally has multiple darkness and more on the way, while also having reliable information on the location of one pure lights as well as years' worth of experience and knowledge in successfully locating and tracking the rest.l, so it makes sense that he's not as worried about dying of old age before winning.
What the above posts said. Also, there's another thing that has to be considered: Terra-Xehanort is indeed very strong, and also much younger, thus extending Xehanort's life. However, there is one big problem: Terranort is, frankly and simply, too _unstable_ to be worth the trouble in the long run. Terra's presence is simply too strong and constant for Xehanort to be able to shake off permanently, despite being mostly contained within the Guardian, and even a small slip in his control will lead to Terra attempting once again to retake control of his body. This is also a big likely factor why Master Xehanort decided to keep him out of the field until the final battle, and why despite his strength and being the "true" progenitor of Ansem and Xemnas, two of the Seekers' top enforcers, he's reduced to being little more than a brute. The risk of Terra turning against him is simply too dangerous for Xehanort to see another transfer to Terranort as a practical option for himself to do, especially when he's finally reaching his endgame.
Despite everything you said which the beginning for as Riku is concerned is true and xehanort's as well but the one thing that was most disagreed with by so many people who I found what food in the lower from Kingdom Hearts itself that Sora was truly chosen to wield a keyblade after all within Destiny's outcome for him as well to be a leader in the will get the Keyblade cuz he reminds people of what true power is every step in the journey and his journey only gets farther and deeper in his power that he has shown and demonstrated that other wielders hadn't seen in decades and centuries up to this point has been remarkable Indy Papoose to show that he was truly chosen to wield the Keyblade the power passed on to Sora from vine for the proves that along with so much other stuff that proves that Sora was chosen to wield the Kingdom key within the series in the series lower in the epilogue that's I read
Is because some people's opinions about him gesture that different but based on the positive opinions of others Sora is still the best and one of the greatest willders in chosen ones in the series cuz he was worthy to not only receive it on his first journey of the awesome get it back and master his inner abilities like every other wielder of the key I believe there are more special things about them for us to learn the down the road within Kh
Personally, I'm still massively unsatisfied with the execution of
KH3 and the conclusion of the Xehanort Saga. I just feel they didn't squeeze the most
potential out of what was on the table. Some characters with powerful arcs, got way too sidelined.
Despite everything that you said I saw this video again and I have to yet still stick with my previous believes tilda's very day I still believe that sora is still the most special out of them all in just as chosen in Worthy upon this journey that he is on with his friends and with himself there are no accidents only things that are meant to be and it was truly meant for him to wield the blade of light based on the dreams yet had on his first journey not only the fact that his best friend gave into the darkness that he had the dreams over and over again leading him to the point with a realm of light shows him to be the kingdom Keys chosen wielder that's why he is worthy indeed it was an accident that that keyblade ended up in his hands instead it was an accident that he got it back from his best friend his best friend was Smith walk a different path to his key and he was myth walk the path of the Kingdom key to wield his and there's a lot more in store for the blessed hero indeed
Good video although I honestly pretty much disagree with most of the points made in this video. To me, it felt like the misunderstood Thanos approach Nomura had with Xehanort was just cheesy. Something that always appealed to me as a kid was how truly dark kingdom hearts felt at times, I don't believe KH3 captured this, possibly may be that I've aged since the release of KH, and although I enjoyed many playthroughs of KH3 I wish the writing/story grew with it's audience.
I don't know what game you were playing but kh3 is just as dark and emotionally grounded as other games. Sora is most doubtful of himself in this game and has more than just his friends as a personal motive. He wants to prove himself after nearly falling to darkness as a vessel.
Sora the main character is the actual focus in kh3 after years of taking the backseat to everyone else which is great.
Xehanort's conclusion was the worst writing of the whole franchise
I disagree. I think his final scene was one of his best moments and an incredibly satisfying conclusion for the character.