You'll see why this is in the Days spoiler section momentarily. I'd like to say beforehand that, by the time you're done reading this, you'll know what the Unbirths are, what state of being MX is in, and why Roxas looks like Ven, among other things which I may add later. Some of this is rehashed/revised from what I've previously said
So to start, let's check on enemy symbolism. Yes, I already know there are literally three or so other topics on this currently in the FoKH section but, to be honest, that's where my inspiration came from. I decided to examine the enemy symbols (more or less for shits and giggles at first), but ended up discovering something.
1. Heartless
The heart portion of the symbol is very obvious to decipher. It represents a heart shackled in darkness. But look at the bottom. How it branched off. Why? Why wouldn't it just be a shackled heart?
Well, I for one was immediately reminded of a fleur de lis:
Now, a fleur de lis is often indicative of some sort of trinity. This is not the first time we've come across such a thing in the KH series:
The three "prongs" on the Heartless symbol definitely aren't referring to the Heartless, Nobody, and whole being though, that's a given.
With that in mind, what could this triumvirate represent? I don't think I even need to say.
The trinity of the being. Heart, body, and soul.
2. Nobodies
Something should have struck you as odd with the Nobody symbol. It's clearly got a heart in there rather than, say, a symbol for the soul and/or body. This may reveal the nature of the three symbols; that, instead of the symbol just showing what the enemy is, it shows the enemies connection to the heart. The Heartless symbol is a full, generic heart (aside from the three prongs), so one could say it has a direct connection to the heart.
When we look at the Nobody symbol, we first notice how it's rotated 180 degrees, which reflects the whole "another you" spiel.
Flipping it right-side up for demonstration purposes:
You might be able to spot a similarity in common with the Heartless symbol. It has a main "Heart" symbol connected at what would be the apex with three prongs. Now we're on a roll.
Nomura described the symbol as a "splintered Heart," and that's exactly how the connection goes. Notice the circular pieces missing between the prongs. The connection between them (the body, soul, and heart) has diminished and, therefore, the body and soul suffer (they become non-existent). On the Heartless symbol, the prongs are still in-tact because the Heartless does not suffer this incapacity since the heart is the source of all power. It's just shedding extra weight. You should note that while the connection to the heart is faint for Nobodies, it's still there.
Filling in the holes:
(Did this quickly, don't care)
We can see how close it is to the Heartless symbol. The main difference is the proportion between the prongs and the heart. The heart is going to be smaller since the connection is diminished and the prongs are going to be larger since Nobodies are only bodies and souls.
And finally...
3. Unbirths
Something's not right here. Seriously not right.
Is there a heart in this symbol? You might think so, but there is not. Rather, the symbol structure gives the impression that there is a heart in that negative space. And we know what symbol is making the impression of the heart:
That symbol represents memories. Memories (or fractured memories, considering how the symbol is snapped and bent over) create the impression of a Heart. Sound familiar? Well, hey, that's what Nobodies do! But am I suggesting that the Unbirths are just some sort of... precursor to the Nobodies? Of course not, there's much more to it than that.
We've examined the "Heart" piece of the Unbirth symbol, but what about the prongs? They don't seem to appear in this symbol. Or maybe they do...
It's just that there's only two prongs. The middle is mysteriously absent. Given the fact that the Heart is not actually there, I would say that the missing middle prong was supposed to be the Heart.
So what does this say about the Unbirth? First, as I said, they have no heart (technically; I'll get back to that). But unlike the Nobodies, they have zero connection to a heart. Suffice it to say that these beings never had a heart.
Do we know of a being that is similar to a Nobody already? Actually, we do.
The replicas.
Hold up, GA, the replicas have hearts!
... Do they?
Let me ask you two questions: Why would Vexen call the replicas "special Nobodies" if they were technically complete beings? Since when did Organization XIII learn how to create hearts?
While the exact process of cloning is unknown, we know the start of it. The Organization has used memories to create the replicas. If they could use memories to create hearts, why wouldn't they simply make replicas of their own hearts using their memories?
That's because they can't. When making replicas, they do the next best thing.
Heart... no form, memories... form heart. Memories can act as a surrogate for a true heart. They can be made into an artificial heart.
That's what the replicas have. No hearts just bodies, souls, and memories to act as a heart.
And that's what the Unbirths are. Bodies and souls infused with fragments of replicated memory.
Where do the bodies and souls come from? Well, before the Heartless, when the heart is swallowed by darkness, the body and soul do not disappear because there are no Nobodies. Xehanort stores these bodies and souls in the castle basement. We could probably infer that they would be similar to the state Kairi was in (she was, after all, branded as a puppet [like a "doll"]). Without a heart, someone loses their identity, their "proof of life." So if they were instilled with memories and those memories took the shape of a heart, then their being would reflect that identity.
Still, you gotta wonder, where did the body and soul for Repliku and Xion come from? My guess would be that they still have left over bodies down in the basement. The question is... did they use generic dolls from the no one particularly important... or perhaps someone we know?
Can these replicas feel? I'm sure they can since they do have a "heart," though, as even Repliku has said, there's an overwhelming sense of feeling "empty."
It brings light to the condition of the Nobodies as well.
As Nomura has said, "In order to assume a new existence, information about their own personal circumstances must first be gathered. A Nobody's main characteristic is that without a heart they use memories to form the parts of a personality and emotions. For them, memories have become an essential element."
He has recently brought up the question of whether or not all Nobodies (not just Roxas) have hearts in the Days Ultimania. I think we have our answer. They don't. None of them do. But the memories can act as a "heart," like with the replicas. The stronger their ties are with the chain of memories, the stronger they can feel. Rather than feigning emotion on a superficial level based on memory or trying to reject those feelings altogether, some Nobodies, when having a bond with their heart through memories that tie the two together, can experience emotion. It explains Axel. And Namine. And Roxas.
Roxas. Ven's Heart? No. Ven's memories? Yes. When Ven was erased, his heart didn't go inside Sora. His memories did. And then Roxas was born. A body and soul imbibed with the memories of another. And he looks just like Ven. Sounds like an Unbirth. But no, Roxas is a Nobody (he is, after all, born from nothingness as the remnant of a lost heart). A very, very special Nobody. Born under the conditions of a Nobody, but definably an Unbirth.
I should stop for a moment and emphasize the two ways in which we've seen memories used by these beings. They act like a heart and can connect to other hearts.
Let's use Roxas as an example.
He starts of without memories of Sora, but contains a "Memory Heart" from Ven. Since the chain of memories in this "heart" are not connected to anyone else, they are isolated. Moreover, he cannot remember Ven because these memories act as a heart rather than normal memories (you'll notice how Repliku initially didn't have Riku's memories, but later was forced to have them). Roxas cannot experience emotion despite having a Memory Heart (I'll just call it that for now on). Gradually, the chains create bonds with Axel (and Xion), allowing him to feel. One memory heart can connect to another memory heart. And his memory heart can obviously connect to a real heart as well, whether it's Sora or Kairi.
So, some Organization members choose not to make new bonds to strengthen their emotion (meaning their memory heart becomes stagnant), others do.
Now that we know just exactly how special Roxas is as a Nobody, what about Xemnas? Nomura has suggested he's special too. And here's my explanation:
MX is an Unbirth. I would guess that whoever is the original is going around, taking out people's hearts, and shoving in replicated fragments of his dark memories to create Unbirths (so Unbirth that look the same are based on the same memory). Or maybe MX himself is doing it, being the most superior replica. Either way, it's two birds with one stone. You get a heart and make an Unbirth.
Well I think that's enough for now. I have more to say, so I'll probably go back and edited this within the next few days or so (concerning things such as dual wielding, more on Xehanort, etc).
So to start, let's check on enemy symbolism. Yes, I already know there are literally three or so other topics on this currently in the FoKH section but, to be honest, that's where my inspiration came from. I decided to examine the enemy symbols (more or less for shits and giggles at first), but ended up discovering something.
1. Heartless
The heart portion of the symbol is very obvious to decipher. It represents a heart shackled in darkness. But look at the bottom. How it branched off. Why? Why wouldn't it just be a shackled heart?
Well, I for one was immediately reminded of a fleur de lis:
Now, a fleur de lis is often indicative of some sort of trinity. This is not the first time we've come across such a thing in the KH series:
The three "prongs" on the Heartless symbol definitely aren't referring to the Heartless, Nobody, and whole being though, that's a given.
With that in mind, what could this triumvirate represent? I don't think I even need to say.
The trinity of the being. Heart, body, and soul.
2. Nobodies
Something should have struck you as odd with the Nobody symbol. It's clearly got a heart in there rather than, say, a symbol for the soul and/or body. This may reveal the nature of the three symbols; that, instead of the symbol just showing what the enemy is, it shows the enemies connection to the heart. The Heartless symbol is a full, generic heart (aside from the three prongs), so one could say it has a direct connection to the heart.
When we look at the Nobody symbol, we first notice how it's rotated 180 degrees, which reflects the whole "another you" spiel.
Flipping it right-side up for demonstration purposes:
You might be able to spot a similarity in common with the Heartless symbol. It has a main "Heart" symbol connected at what would be the apex with three prongs. Now we're on a roll.
Nomura described the symbol as a "splintered Heart," and that's exactly how the connection goes. Notice the circular pieces missing between the prongs. The connection between them (the body, soul, and heart) has diminished and, therefore, the body and soul suffer (they become non-existent). On the Heartless symbol, the prongs are still in-tact because the Heartless does not suffer this incapacity since the heart is the source of all power. It's just shedding extra weight. You should note that while the connection to the heart is faint for Nobodies, it's still there.
Filling in the holes:
(Did this quickly, don't care)
We can see how close it is to the Heartless symbol. The main difference is the proportion between the prongs and the heart. The heart is going to be smaller since the connection is diminished and the prongs are going to be larger since Nobodies are only bodies and souls.
And finally...
3. Unbirths
Something's not right here. Seriously not right.
Is there a heart in this symbol? You might think so, but there is not. Rather, the symbol structure gives the impression that there is a heart in that negative space. And we know what symbol is making the impression of the heart:
That symbol represents memories. Memories (or fractured memories, considering how the symbol is snapped and bent over) create the impression of a Heart. Sound familiar? Well, hey, that's what Nobodies do! But am I suggesting that the Unbirths are just some sort of... precursor to the Nobodies? Of course not, there's much more to it than that.
We've examined the "Heart" piece of the Unbirth symbol, but what about the prongs? They don't seem to appear in this symbol. Or maybe they do...
It's just that there's only two prongs. The middle is mysteriously absent. Given the fact that the Heart is not actually there, I would say that the missing middle prong was supposed to be the Heart.
So what does this say about the Unbirth? First, as I said, they have no heart (technically; I'll get back to that). But unlike the Nobodies, they have zero connection to a heart. Suffice it to say that these beings never had a heart.
Do we know of a being that is similar to a Nobody already? Actually, we do.
Day 23 Secret Report: Research Log 326 (Vexen) said:
The replicas.
Hold up, GA, the replicas have hearts!
... Do they?
Let me ask you two questions: Why would Vexen call the replicas "special Nobodies" if they were technically complete beings? Since when did Organization XIII learn how to create hearts?
While the exact process of cloning is unknown, we know the start of it. The Organization has used memories to create the replicas. If they could use memories to create hearts, why wouldn't they simply make replicas of their own hearts using their memories?
That's because they can't. When making replicas, they do the next best thing.
Nomura said:
Heart... no form, memories... form heart. Memories can act as a surrogate for a true heart. They can be made into an artificial heart.
That's what the replicas have. No hearts just bodies, souls, and memories to act as a heart.
And that's what the Unbirths are. Bodies and souls infused with fragments of replicated memory.
Where do the bodies and souls come from? Well, before the Heartless, when the heart is swallowed by darkness, the body and soul do not disappear because there are no Nobodies. Xehanort stores these bodies and souls in the castle basement. We could probably infer that they would be similar to the state Kairi was in (she was, after all, branded as a puppet [like a "doll"]). Without a heart, someone loses their identity, their "proof of life." So if they were instilled with memories and those memories took the shape of a heart, then their being would reflect that identity.
Still, you gotta wonder, where did the body and soul for Repliku and Xion come from? My guess would be that they still have left over bodies down in the basement. The question is... did they use generic dolls from the no one particularly important... or perhaps someone we know?
Can these replicas feel? I'm sure they can since they do have a "heart," though, as even Repliku has said, there's an overwhelming sense of feeling "empty."
It brings light to the condition of the Nobodies as well.
As Nomura has said, "In order to assume a new existence, information about their own personal circumstances must first be gathered. A Nobody's main characteristic is that without a heart they use memories to form the parts of a personality and emotions. For them, memories have become an essential element."
He has recently brought up the question of whether or not all Nobodies (not just Roxas) have hearts in the Days Ultimania. I think we have our answer. They don't. None of them do. But the memories can act as a "heart," like with the replicas. The stronger their ties are with the chain of memories, the stronger they can feel. Rather than feigning emotion on a superficial level based on memory or trying to reject those feelings altogether, some Nobodies, when having a bond with their heart through memories that tie the two together, can experience emotion. It explains Axel. And Namine. And Roxas.
Roxas. Ven's Heart? No. Ven's memories? Yes. When Ven was erased, his heart didn't go inside Sora. His memories did. And then Roxas was born. A body and soul imbibed with the memories of another. And he looks just like Ven. Sounds like an Unbirth. But no, Roxas is a Nobody (he is, after all, born from nothingness as the remnant of a lost heart). A very, very special Nobody. Born under the conditions of a Nobody, but definably an Unbirth.
I should stop for a moment and emphasize the two ways in which we've seen memories used by these beings. They act like a heart and can connect to other hearts.
Let's use Roxas as an example.
He starts of without memories of Sora, but contains a "Memory Heart" from Ven. Since the chain of memories in this "heart" are not connected to anyone else, they are isolated. Moreover, he cannot remember Ven because these memories act as a heart rather than normal memories (you'll notice how Repliku initially didn't have Riku's memories, but later was forced to have them). Roxas cannot experience emotion despite having a Memory Heart (I'll just call it that for now on). Gradually, the chains create bonds with Axel (and Xion), allowing him to feel. One memory heart can connect to another memory heart. And his memory heart can obviously connect to a real heart as well, whether it's Sora or Kairi.
So, some Organization members choose not to make new bonds to strengthen their emotion (meaning their memory heart becomes stagnant), others do.
Now that we know just exactly how special Roxas is as a Nobody, what about Xemnas? Nomura has suggested he's special too. And here's my explanation:
MX is an Unbirth. I would guess that whoever is the original is going around, taking out people's hearts, and shoving in replicated fragments of his dark memories to create Unbirths (so Unbirth that look the same are based on the same memory). Or maybe MX himself is doing it, being the most superior replica. Either way, it's two birds with one stone. You get a heart and make an Unbirth.
Well I think that's enough for now. I have more to say, so I'll probably go back and edited this within the next few days or so (concerning things such as dual wielding, more on Xehanort, etc).
