Aqua's Definition of Darkness and Xehanort

[Veritas7340]

Aqua tells Terra: "What else is darkness but hate and rage?"

Yet we see Xehanort, the master wielder of darkness, as considerably calm and composed.

I cannot even recall if he got angry (at least before he was Terranort)

Obviously, there is more to KH darkness than just rage (made a topic about that actually)

Regardless, do you think Xehanort has harnessed rage so effectively and internally that he doesn't even appear angry anymore? That for him, to be angry is to be happy?

Or do you think there is something more to Xehanort's power than just mere anger?

 

[FangirlfromHell]

I think that Xehanort is calm because he knows the value of control. Rage can be channeled and contained. What anger and hate actually do, is beckon the darkness. Fear is the same way. Terra's fear of losing during the Mark of Mastery is what caused his darkness to fluctuate in part, it wasn't purely Xehanort's fault like many people believe, since we get the implication it isn't the first time by the way Eraqus speaks to Terra afterwards.

Xehanort's rage is what made him lose control and lash out at Eraqus when they were younger I think. In order to have total control, you must first confront what it is that you are trying to control. I think Xehanort spent time looking for a balance between emotions and power. By learning thoroughly how the heart (soul is the actual meaning as stated by the Japanese usage)works , he learned how to easily manipulate others. This gave him the experience he would later need while keeping up appearances despite playing the naive Terra.

When I say naive, I mean Terra's inability to realize he is being lied to by people deemed older than him. I think that growing in an environment where you learn discipline and respect, you instinctively think that age is wisdom that should be listened to. Terra believed Hook's fib rather easily, as pointed out by Peter Pan. This is not to say that Terra is dumb or gullible (that'd be dissing my favorite character too much), but he is shown to act without thinking it through thoroughly. This made him an easy target once Xehanort saw all the insecurities he was riddled with.

So, in conclusion I think darkness is beckoned by fear, rage, and hatred. As for what darkness is, I think that it is actually needed in the worlds if only to keep the balance. After all, Light and Darkness are opposite sides of the same coin. I think that 'Nothingness' is actually the results of them canceling each other out.

I'd like to apologize for the length of this response. I hope it was interesting at least.

 

[Ruran]

Eraqus', and by extention Aqua's definition of darkness is something I wouldn't take to heart as they're both extremely biased. They pretty much treat it like a disease everyone is born with and has to be managed for a person's whole natural life if not you're doomed.

Before the start of BbS I don't think Aqua had much experience with Darkness, it was just this aweful thing that she knew existed but didn't understand. It's not until the end of BbS that Aqua has a solid definition of what she thinks darkness is, only after she had several run ins with Vanitas and other villains that were ruled by jealously and such.

If I had to sum up darkness as one thing it would be "negativity". Aqua isn't entirely wrong about darkness being "hate and rage" but that's an over simplification. Negative emotions are the potential on set for darkness and that's how Aqua knows it best.

As for Xehanort, he isn't constantly angry well because...darkness isn't "hate and rage". That's just Aqua's misguided interpretation. Darkness is just a negative force of energy and it be whatever he person wielding it desires.

 

[Veritas7340]

I think that Xehanort is calm because he knows the value of control. Rage can be channeled and contained. What anger and hate actually do, is beckon the darkness. Fear is the same way. Terra's fear of losing during the Mark of Mastery is what caused his darkness to fluctuate in part, it wasn't purely Xehanort's fault like many people believe, since we get the implication it isn't the first time by the way Eraqus speaks to Terra afterwards.

Xehanort's rage is what made him lose control and lash out at Eraqus when they were younger I think. In order to have total control, you must first confront what it is that you are trying to control. I think Xehanort spent time looking for a balance between emotions and power. By learning thoroughly how the heart (soul is the actual meaning as stated by the Japanese usage)works , he learned how to easily manipulate others. This gave him the experience he would later need while keeping up appearances despite playing the naive Terra.

When I say naive, I mean Terra's inability to realize he is being lied to by people deemed older than him. I think that growing in an environment where you learn discipline and respect, you instinctively think that age is wisdom that should be listened to. Terra believed Hook's fib rather easily, as pointed out by Peter Pan. This is not to say that Terra is dumb or gullible (that'd be dissing my favorite character too much), but he is shown to act without thinking it through thoroughly. This made him an easy target once Xehanort saw all the insecurities he was riddled with.

So, in conclusion I think darkness is beckoned by fear, rage, and hatred. As for what darkness is, I think that it is actually needed in the worlds if only to keep the balance. After all, Light and Darkness are opposite sides of the same coin. I think that 'Nothingness' is actually the results of them canceling each other out.

I'd like to apologize for the length of this response. I hope it was interesting at least.

No need to apologize because it was considerably interesting. From what I saw from your post, Xehanort has channeled it so effectively that he can unleash it in potent bursts and conceal it behind false appearances.

 

[Gram]

Ruran and Fangirlfromhell explained it rather well. As mentioned in this thread: http://forums.khinsider.com/future-kingdom-hearts/197727-light-dark-kingdom-hearts.html#post6203648 darkness isn't as simple as hate and rage.
We see that with Cinderella and Ventus who both lack darkness yet express negative emotions that draw unversed such as anger or depression.

Although darkness definitely feeds on negativity. It's that aspect of darkness that Xehanort was able to use to get Terra to open up to it, his hatred.
Aqua was raised by a biased Master who didn't fully see the delicate balance that is light & dark and thus those flawed reasoning's were passed on to her.

Light & Dark are forces of universal scale like gravity or space, it's just that they can feed on and be empowered by the heart and it's emotions.

 

[Elysium]

Well, the first game definitely follows Aqua and Eraqus' definition of darkness, but looking at subsequent games, darkness-wielders seem to be more emotion-based or obsessed with having control over the world around them (because of fear, a desire for revenge, or a thirst for power). I'm not sure if they've ever gone into what it takes to wield light before though--the PoH, Minnie, and Mickey seem to use it spontaneously without much effort which only implies it's related to goodness/righteousness (sort of how evil people primarily being darkness-wielders implies darkness is evil), but they seem to be deviating from that outlook so I have no idea how light is wielded in comparison to how darkness is wielded.