Organization XIII Week: Real Somebodies and Serious Nobodies Part VI

The members of Organization 13 were not only a set of some of the most villainous characters to be found in the Kingdom Hearts series, but by far some of the most interesting. Being a set of 13 individual “nobodies” each seeking knowledge, power, and hearts in an attempt to become a whole being or, for some, the ultimate being, it was intriguing to watch these Nobodies without hearts blossom into their fake personalities. However, there were some nobodies who were just that–nobodies. And then there were some nobodies who did everything but live up to that title. Starting from 1 to 13, including that 14^th unofficial member, I’m going to analyze each Organization member’s relevance not just within the Organization, but within the Kingdom Hearts series as a whole. Also, I’ll explore the odds that we will be seeing their “somebodies” in the future.

Roxas: The Anti-Nobody

Roxas was, in large part, responsible for the events of Kingdom Hearts 2. For a character who held such significance in propelling the story forward, Nomura no doubt has plans for him.

The thirteenth member and everyone’s favorite, Roxas is unique in every way, shape and form due to his human-like emotions and his nonexistent resemblance to Sora. His personality, although at times similar, is also far different than his real self. All of this builds up to the question: Is Roxas really a Nobody?

Tetsuya Nomura revealed the answer to this question in the Kingdom Hearts Ultimania. Roxas actually did have a heart–Ventus’ heart. Ventus’ heart had been at rest within Sora for over 10 years, until Sora was turned into a Heartless to save Kairi. Sora was able to regain his body even though he never recovered his Nobody. As a result, Roxas was born and he was free to exist without anyone thinking to look for him. He had no memories of Sora and no memories of Ven. With no memory and a seemingly zombie-like personality, as some other members stated, the Organization members, mainly Axel, shaped Roxas into the character he was.

As Birth by Sleep has shown us, Roxas has a strong connection to Ventus. One has to wonder if he really belongs to Sora or if he’s just waiting for Ventus’ body to show up?

Roxas is the main reason for the formation of Kingdom Hearts, as for over a year he willingly collected hearts to help create it. However, the more time passed the more questions Roxas wanted answered, as he began to see Sora’s life and wanted to know why he could command the Keyblade. Because these flashbacks of Sora didn’t really strike a chord with Roxas–they don’t even help Roxas remember being a Somebody–it’s obvious that Ven’s heart only sits within Sora and does not have any significant influence on Sora’s life whatsoever. This could explain why Roxas could never remember his life as Sora because he truly was not really part of Sora’s life. With Ven’s body still lost somewhere in Castle Oblivion, Roxas had no other choice but to go back to his temporary home in Sora. Maybe even Xemnas knew of Roxas’ connection to Ven which is why he searched for the Chamber of Awakening and desperately wanted Roxas to be brought back.

It is very apparent that Ven’s heart is healed and is ready to go back to where it belongs, as all through Kingdom Hearts 2 he continued to try and be seen and heard while reunited with Sora. At the end of the day we will continue to see Roxas as long as he is a part of Sora. When his heart finally returns to the body of Ventus, Roxas can finally receive the answers to his questions.

Xion: The Replica

Xion was easily the most complex character of the series. Unfortunately, her existence was a brief one and she was very much forgotten in the end. Considering she never had a heart of her own, it would take an even more complex explanation for her to ever return.

Again, before I start, I must say despite her popularity, this “nobody” is my least favorite because of the deep depression she put me in. Xion was the unofficial 14^th member of the Organization, mainly because she wasn’t a Nobody at all. An interesting character for sure, Xion was the driving factor of 358/2 Days and was part of the reason we have Kingdom Hearts 2 considering she is the reason Roxas left the Organization and was subsequently captured by Riku and Ansem the Wise. Although valued within the Organization because she collected hearts, Xion wasn’t cared for or respected by many of the members. Saix, for example, never acknowledged her as a girl, but as an “it,” and Xigbar referred to her only as a “puppet.” It was never explicitly displayed how the other members perceived her, but it’s obvious they never got to know her because when they looked at her all they saw was a hooded girl. She was simply a replica. No different than the Riku Replica of Chain of Memories who thought he was something real, only to realize he could be real only if the real person he was a copy of was eliminated.

Despite the Organization’s personal feeling–or lack thereof–toward her, Xion was an important character and a fan favorite. She was the bridge between Roxas and Sora, and she had to allow herself to fall into place in order for Sora to eventually become whole again. Who would have thought that our best friend would be our worst enemy? A tragedy indeed, Xion sacrificed herself for Roxas’ sake and the worst part about it all is that nobody, not even Roxas, Axel, or Riku, remembered her in the end. How insulting that such a huge character in the end is meant to be forgotten–literally! Nomura has mentioned that although Xion was a huge hit, her character would not be returning. How could she? She never had a heart to lose, thus she also does not have one to gain.

Xion, the ultimate replica. Her appearance wasn’t as definite as Riku Replica’s was. It truly exemplifies her role as a puppet--even her appearance is controlled by those around her.

Remember how, in Riku’s story of Chain of Memories, after Riku defeats his replica for the millionth time and the Riku replica asks where his heart will go (a replica’s heart) and Riku responds by saying probably the same place as his own? The Riku replica responded with, “A replica ’til the very end,” meaning he is meant to mimic Riku forever. The same goes for Xion and Sora. She cannot coexist with Sora as she is Sora’s replica, destined to either be his shadow or to absorb him to become the real him. And unless Nomura wants to take a page out of Pinocchio and give this doll a heart (and make her a real girl!), Xion has left the building. Even though we have seen clips of her in a few secret endings, she will not be returning. If anything, you can say that Xion is really a physical representation of Sora’s memories. That in itself will guarantee she carries on forever.

There you have it! All of the members broken down from their role in the Organization, to their role within the series from every source, and an evaluated assumption on whether or not their Somebody will appear in future installments. Truth be told, Tetsuya Nomura has mentioned that the lower level members of the Organization’s stories have yet to be revealed and I’m sure he intends to tell us who they really were. And considering that the upper members were all working with Xehanort, I wouldn’t be surprised if they all made an appearance within the final Kingdom Hearts game so Ansem the Wise can finally confront them. So although all the members were taken out, we will surely see many of again. Looking forward to it!

Thanks for tuning in for our Organization special! What did you think of Cloudy’s assessment of the Organization? Are there any particular members you would like to see again or some you would not want to re-visit? Give us your thoughts and leave a comment!

A normal resident on the KHU forums, Cloudy is a big fan of Final Fantasy 7 and its related games. Incidentally, she and her identical twin sister are both authors of this article and spend quite a bit of time discussing the intricacies of Kingdom Hearts (perhaps being twins help them relate to Roxas and Ventus a little deeper…). With the bubble of ideas Cloudy and her sister has, readers can expect to see more of their work in the future.