"Graveyard" and "Unknown" (Or how Nomura is trying to tie up some old loose ends)
I'm not talking about the Keyblade Graveyard, but rather another "graveyard" that was first revealed in Kingdom Hearts 2 Final Mix.
There are multiple aspects of this footage I wish to touch on, but first I think it would be best to paint a better picture of what the "graveyard" is.
As we know, Ansem ends his research into the heart very early on while Xehanort and his other Apprentices ignore his order and continue their experiments in secret. They house their subjects underneath the castle in a series of cages operated by a keypad. Across the doors are two chains in the shape of an "X". The assumption we all had in the past was that housed inside of these cages were humans who were experimented on and turned into Heartless.
Ansem discovers the Apprentices' experiments and orders that they cease all experimentation on all human subjects, let go of all of the subjects that remained, and that the entire area be closed off. This leads to the coup by the Apprentices and their subsequent actions lead them to becoming Nobodies.
Xigbar calls the room filled with cages a "graveyard", likely due to the nature of the experiments that were conducted on the subjects led to horrifying or fatal results.
13 years after it was first introduced to the series with no true resolution or insight into what happened within those harrowing halls, the "graveyard" has been brought up again in Kingdom Hearts 3 through the Secret Reports collected after beating each Battle Portal post-game.
Saix speaks of how the muffled sound of "human wails" could be heard from the castle, an observation that caught my eye. On its own, this really serves as nothing more but a truly horrifying backdrop for how inhumane the experiments the Apprentices were conducting really were.
When you pair it with the rest of Saix's record of his and Lea's first exploration of the hidden hallway, though, it becomes a bit more enlightening. He speaks of how they could sense a presence in the black of the cages, but the darkness of the hall made it impossible to tell if there were actually any inhabitants. That makes me believe that there really were inhabitants, specially those of a dark nature.
So I guess I'm kinda theorizing that the Apprentices were not just making Heartless, but rather also probably stumbled upon creating Darklings?
Darklings are creatures born from Keyblade wielders who have succumb to the darkness within their hearts. They seem to become driven by the single-minded desire to gather light (Lux in KHUX) and are but are still intelligent enough to speak unlike any other Heartless and can open pathways to other worlds.
Now, we know that it is mathematically impossible that the people the Apprentices kidnapped and experimented on were Keyblade wielders. Besides Aqua and Xehanort (Terra-Xehanort), they knew of no other wielders. We also know that Keyblade wielders have become a rarity by time the events of Radiant Garden take place. I think that it is more likely that the Apprentices used people with strong hearts as subjects of their experiments and because of this, they were more likely to become Darklings because given the chance they could have become wielders. It is important to remember that as a world that served as the Capital of Light, it would be likely be a world filled with people who are drawn to the light and may be more likely to have strong hearts.
It doesn't 100% fit with what we know about Darklings, but I think this series has proven that Nomura is willing to play fast and loose with its lore to fit into the context of what it wants it to. I don't think Darklings will remain Keyblade wielder-exclusive beings but will eventually also be a new breed of Heartless that can be born of those with strong enough hearts.
It would also explain the "human wails". Of course, the people who were kidnapped would scream due to the experiments being conducted, but I think there is too much coincidence behind the X chains and the X shaped marks on the Darklings to just be coincidence.
So LOL Nomura is going to make the X chains represent X[chi]
Speaking of X marks, X's name is X because Nomura thinks he's this genius guy when X just is meant to again represent the X[chi] era. That isn't why I brought up X, though.
X is a "new" character who has been introduced into the series as a mysterious 15 year old girl who appeared at dawn with no memories of her past. She can only remember two things about herself: she has four friends and a Key. She also remembers the phrase "May your heart be your guiding key". She is either Ava or Skuld. That's all we know for now.
I brought this up because of this report:
A man with an eyepatch took her from the cell. Most people think it is Xigbar AKA Luxu aka the other Unknown in the reports. This is the next pretty obvious way of how Nomura is making that scene more relevant to UX and the future of Kingdom Hearts. The one after that is just the fact that Marluxia is mentioned in the cutscene, thus tying this back to UX again bc oh boy all of these UX characters gotta be relevant somehow.
Overall, this isn't so much a theory discussion but just making note that Nomura is doing that thing where he uses an old concept he forgot about for years and makes it relevant again by revealing some big truth about it, and it is all 100% tied to that one cutscene at the start of the thread.
And I'm done.
TL;DR Nomura's up to his regular shit, fam.
I'm not talking about the Keyblade Graveyard, but rather another "graveyard" that was first revealed in Kingdom Hearts 2 Final Mix.
Spoiler Show[video=youtube;ae2fb4PPnOo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ae2fb4PPnOo&frags=pl%2Cwn[/video]
Spoiler Show
There are multiple aspects of this footage I wish to touch on, but first I think it would be best to paint a better picture of what the "graveyard" is.
THE GRAVEYARD
[video=youtube;TXDs6KBdM1s]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXDs6KBdM1s[/video]
[video=youtube;TXDs6KBdM1s]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXDs6KBdM1s[/video]
As we know, Ansem ends his research into the heart very early on while Xehanort and his other Apprentices ignore his order and continue their experiments in secret. They house their subjects underneath the castle in a series of cages operated by a keypad. Across the doors are two chains in the shape of an "X". The assumption we all had in the past was that housed inside of these cages were humans who were experimented on and turned into Heartless.
Ansem discovers the Apprentices' experiments and orders that they cease all experimentation on all human subjects, let go of all of the subjects that remained, and that the entire area be closed off. This leads to the coup by the Apprentices and their subsequent actions lead them to becoming Nobodies.
Xigbar calls the room filled with cages a "graveyard", likely due to the nature of the experiments that were conducted on the subjects led to horrifying or fatal results.
13 years after it was first introduced to the series with no true resolution or insight into what happened within those harrowing halls, the "graveyard" has been brought up again in Kingdom Hearts 3 through the Secret Reports collected after beating each Battle Portal post-game.
Spoiler ShowSecret Report 5
Memoirs, Excerpt 1—
That castle was a wonderland to us children. Within its walls, Ansem the Wise conducted his research, and the fruits it bore allowed everyone outside to live in peace and happiness. That alone was enough to stoke our interest, thought not all of the rumors that escaped its walls were so benevolent. By night, the muffled sounds of human wails emerged. There was talk of dangerous human experimentation. Lea and I couldn't help but hatch a plot to steal inside and sate our curiosity.
The two who stood guard at the gates were researchers themselves, though you wouldn't think it to see them, massive and barrel-chested as they were. And slipping past that duo was only the first hurdle. It proved one not easily cleared; we were found and tossed out on our ears, time and again.
On the day we finally secured our entry, we descended the long spiral stair at the heart of the castle to find a dark space below it, lined with cages. There wasn't light enough to see if they were inhabited, and we were in no position to call out to any occupants within. Yet we could feel it. A definite presence, there in the black. Terror washed over us, and we immediately regretted coming. But just as we turned to flee, we heard the faintest of voices. The urge to run was nigh overpowering, but someone or something beckoned us on.
There, framed by a tenuous sliver of light, we found her.
—Saix
Saix speaks of how the muffled sound of "human wails" could be heard from the castle, an observation that caught my eye. On its own, this really serves as nothing more but a truly horrifying backdrop for how inhumane the experiments the Apprentices were conducting really were.
When you pair it with the rest of Saix's record of his and Lea's first exploration of the hidden hallway, though, it becomes a bit more enlightening. He speaks of how they could sense a presence in the black of the cages, but the darkness of the hall made it impossible to tell if there were actually any inhabitants. That makes me believe that there really were inhabitants, specially those of a dark nature.
So I guess I'm kinda theorizing that the Apprentices were not just making Heartless, but rather also probably stumbled upon creating Darklings?
DARKLINGS
Darklings are creatures born from Keyblade wielders who have succumb to the darkness within their hearts. They seem to become driven by the single-minded desire to gather light (Lux in KHUX) and are but are still intelligent enough to speak unlike any other Heartless and can open pathways to other worlds.
Now, we know that it is mathematically impossible that the people the Apprentices kidnapped and experimented on were Keyblade wielders. Besides Aqua and Xehanort (Terra-Xehanort), they knew of no other wielders. We also know that Keyblade wielders have become a rarity by time the events of Radiant Garden take place. I think that it is more likely that the Apprentices used people with strong hearts as subjects of their experiments and because of this, they were more likely to become Darklings because given the chance they could have become wielders. It is important to remember that as a world that served as the Capital of Light, it would be likely be a world filled with people who are drawn to the light and may be more likely to have strong hearts.
It doesn't 100% fit with what we know about Darklings, but I think this series has proven that Nomura is willing to play fast and loose with its lore to fit into the context of what it wants it to. I don't think Darklings will remain Keyblade wielder-exclusive beings but will eventually also be a new breed of Heartless that can be born of those with strong enough hearts.
It would also explain the "human wails". Of course, the people who were kidnapped would scream due to the experiments being conducted, but I think there is too much coincidence behind the X chains and the X shaped marks on the Darklings to just be coincidence.
So LOL Nomura is going to make the X chains represent X[chi]
X
Speaking of X marks, X's name is X because Nomura thinks he's this genius guy when X just is meant to again represent the X[chi] era. That isn't why I brought up X, though.
X is a "new" character who has been introduced into the series as a mysterious 15 year old girl who appeared at dawn with no memories of her past. She can only remember two things about herself: she has four friends and a Key. She also remembers the phrase "May your heart be your guiding key". She is either Ava or Skuld. That's all we know for now.
I brought this up because of this report:
Spoiler ShowSecret Report 1
Recollections—
Am I alive?
I awoke in a cell, alone until the researchers came with their tests and their prodding to uncover my identity.
I had no answer to offer them. Four friends, and a key...that is the sum total of my memory. I could not even recall my name. I was simply called "X" there. My only solace was the time I spent talking with the two boys who would visit from time to time.
One day, a man came to take me from the prison. I could not see him for the darkness, save that he wore an eyepatch. Even now, years on, I feel no closer to understanding who or what I am.
May my heart be my guiding key.
—Unknown
A man with an eyepatch took her from the cell. Most people think it is Xigbar AKA Luxu aka the other Unknown in the reports. This is the next pretty obvious way of how Nomura is making that scene more relevant to UX and the future of Kingdom Hearts. The one after that is just the fact that Marluxia is mentioned in the cutscene, thus tying this back to UX again bc oh boy all of these UX characters gotta be relevant somehow.
Overall, this isn't so much a theory discussion but just making note that Nomura is doing that thing where he uses an old concept he forgot about for years and makes it relevant again by revealing some big truth about it, and it is all 100% tied to that one cutscene at the start of the thread.
And I'm done.
TL;DR Nomura's up to his regular shit, fam.