Maleficent and Pete Never Should've Been a Partnership

[darknessofheart]

This is a random thread, but to this day it still doesn't make sense to me that, out of all the right-hand people Maleficent could've recruited, she settled on Pete, whose main motivation at that point was to get more votes in Disney Town by dressing up in costumes. Yet, she believed he had the power to help her "rule all worlds." Why? Will this too need a few spinoff games to make sense via overcomplicated plot points and retcons? Does Pete have the heart of an ancient keyblade wielder of darkness that traveled from the past? (that was a joke...hopefully).

What makes this even funnier is that in KH3, Pete seemed to have more sense than Maleficent in that he realized that taking a tip from a stranger and using that as an incentive to search world after world for a box might not be the most effective plan. Normura is a pretty bad writer, but these two are truly indicative of him not knowing what to do with certain characters. For three games now, they have done nothing. If they were meant to be built up, job horribly done then because as far I'm concerned, the more we see them, the more moronic they seem.

 

[AR829038]

This is a random thread, but to this day it still doesn't make sense to me that, out of all the right-hand people Maleficent could've recruited, she settled on Pete, who's main motivation at that point was to get more votes in Disney Town by dressing up in costumes. Yet, she believed he had the power to help her "rule all worlds." Why? Will this too need a few spinoff games to make sense via overcomplicated plot points and retcons?

What makes this even funnier is that in KH3, Pete seemed to have more sense than Maleficent in that he realized that taking a tip from a stranger and using that as an incentive to search world after world for a box might not be the most effective plan. Normura is a pretty bad writer, but these two are truly indicative of him not knowing what to do with certain characters. For three games now, they have done nothing. If they were meant to be built up, job horribly done then because as far I'm concerned, the more we see them, the more moronic they seem.

I'm sure they just keep them around out of obligation at this point, to be honest. It is clear that they have no long-term plan for them, and they're probably just stuck with using them because they're the only Disney villains that matter worth a damn in this series.
I mean, her role was clear in KH1, but after that, she just started falling further and further downhill. I mean, what was her main goal in KH2 even? To find a new castle? Yawn. And where did Pete even come from when he was totally absent the first game?
I mean, she was at least the main antagonist again in Coded, but all she was doing was trying to take over data-worlds that were of very little consequence to the real world, and in DDD, she had almost nothing at all to do. She tried to take over Disney Castle at one point, and that's it. Now, after completely bungling her in KH3, where she is literally aimlessly wandering around the story trying to figure out what the heck she's supposed to do, they're trying to finally revive some of her relevance by shoehorning her into KHUX, and while I'm really glad and surprised that we're actually getting a decades-delayed explanation for her resurrection in KH2, it's been made clear by these recent developments that even now, and even with Xehanort out of the picture, Maleficent is still just being used by someone else, namely Darkness (most likely Ava).
And yeah, Pete is completely useless, and he detracts entirely from Maleficent's evil presentation. I don't understand why they couldn't have Maleficent at least work on gathering her old recruits and try to salvage what's left of the Disney villain league from KH1, or maybe even recruit some new members. The idea that Pete is somehow of such use to her as to be basically her partner and sole henchman is ludicrous. And yeah, the reasons for her busting him out of dimensional prison in BBS are laughable and ill-thought out.
I really pray that Nomura finds something important and cool for her to do in the coming games. Otherwise, he might as well just get rid of her and find a new Disney villain to bring along for the ride.

 

[SweetYetSalty]

Does Pete have the heart of an ancient keyblade wielder of darkness that traveled from the past? (that was a joke...hopefully).

I'm not going to lie this part here made me laugh so hard. Pete is MoM's cat from a alternate timeline. I'm calling it now.

As for his partnership with Maleficent? I'm kinda torn. I love Pete as a comical villain, I think he still works and I hope they use him more. Maleficent on the other hand is really starting to wear out her welcome. She doesn't feel interesting or threatening as she did in KH1. I was okayish with her in BBS but KH2 and other games... couldn't those schemes have just been Pete alone? I hate saying that because I enjoy Maleficent as a villain in general, but if they legit have no plans for her then are we really losing anything?

 

[darknessofheart]

I'm not going to lie this part here made me laugh so hard. Pete is MoM's cat from a alternate timeline. I'm calling it now.

As for his partnership with Maleficent? I'm kinda torn. I love Pete as a comical villain, I think he still works and I hope they use him more. Maleficent on the other hand is really starting to wear out her welcome. She doesn't feel interesting or threatening as she did in KH1. I was okayish with her in BBS but KH2 and other games... couldn't those schemes have just been Pete alone? I hate saying that because I enjoy Maleficent as a villain in general, but if they legit have no plans for her then are we really losing anything?

I think you hit on it perfectly. Both, by themselves, are fine characters. It's the fact that they are joined together since KH2 that is one of the problems. It's not only because neither has done anything really substantial, but also because Maleficent being "the Mistress of All Evil" and Pete being more a bully with a hidden heart of gold just doesn't mesh well. I think Pete's story arc could've be one of redemption, but more along the lines of Maleficent's "bottom of the barrel" minions that ascended to her right hand after she lost everyone else and he would slowly become disenchanted because he was never that bad of a guy to begin with. But then BBS established he was the first one to be recruited.

 

[Zettaflare]

I'm not going to lie this part here made me laugh so hard. Pete is MoM's cat from a alternate timeline. I'm calling it now.

As for his partnership with Maleficent? I'm kinda torn. I love Pete as a comical villain, I think he still works and I hope they use him more. Maleficent on the other hand is really starting to wear out her welcome. She doesn't feel interesting or threatening as she did in KH1. I was okayish with her in BBS but KH2 and other games... couldn't those schemes have just been Pete alone? I hate saying that because I enjoy Maleficent as a villain in general, but if they legit have no plans for her then are we really losing anything?

Exactly

If you kept Maleficent dead after KH1 literally nothing would have changed. Pete could have been the antagonist for the first half of KH2 all by himself.

KH3 really hammered in how worthless Maleficent is in the grand scheme of things post KH1.

 

[Noivern]

Ehh, I have mixed feelings. I think their dynamic is interesting in how Pete is usually the one who knowsh is own place while Maleficent is loosing herself more and more to her pride and greediness, but I don't really like what they did to her character after KH1 either.

Having replayed both games back to back in the past two weeks, it's ridiculous how she goes from an actual threatening figure in KH1 to a pushover and eventually comic relief in KH2 (I'm sure I'm not the only one who found it funny to see Saix putting her in her place after the Battle of the 1000 Heartless, or when she tried to take over the Organization's castle? even funnier when you already know that there's no castle left for her to control lmao)

BBS put even more salt in the wound showing that her manipulation in the hands of Xehanort went way back. It's ridiculous to imagine her being the cause of the fall of Radiant Garden nowadays (even though a good chunk of that is attribuited to Ansem and Xehanort, technically).

That being said, It barely made sense for Pete to have control over darkness when he's just a goofus most of the time. I'm assuming it was mostly thanks to Maleficent and he would have never been able to do it on his own otherwise.

 

[Squood!]

Do Disney themselves even care about Classic Maleficent at this point?

No, really. Do they? I legit don't know.

 

[disney233]

KH3 has proven how worthless both the Disney aspect and the Final Fantasy aspect is. It began in BBS, where characters like Tramaine & Evil Queen had the potential of being utilized throughout the series. Hell, why abandon the Magic Mirror? The literal mirror that knows just about everything? In the end, big bad characters like those were one and done just like MANY Disney characters.

I like Pete, but even I have to agree that he's the one taking the show more than Maleficent. I...never liked the idea that the 'Mistress of all Evil' is a puppet to LITERALLY EVERYONE. Like, bruh. It's also hilarious how she just....allows dusks to just go on her, lol. 'Threatening' ever since the Xehanorts & the Organization came in, Maleficent has become nothing more than a joke character and a disgrace.

Honestly, that being said, it's kinda insulting how the Disney characters, especially the villains are just shoved away in favor of the original. What's the point of using Disney characters if literally 7 out of probably thousands have importance? And after KH3, even 7 is a bit too generous

Fairy Godmother better have a damn good reason to be in Re:Mind.

 

[Sonofjafar]

KH3 has proven how worthless both the Disney aspect and the Final Fantasy aspect is. It began in BBS, where characters like Tramaine & Evil Queen had the potential of being utilized throughout the series. Hell, why abandon the Magic Mirror? The literal mirror that knows just about everything? In the end, big bad characters like those were one and done just like MANY Disney characters.

I like Pete, but even I have to agree that he's the one taking the show more than Maleficent. I...never liked the idea that the 'Mistress of all Evil' is a puppet to LITERALLY EVERYONE. Like, bruh. It's also hilarious how she just....allows dusks to just go on her, lol. 'Threatening' ever since the Xehanorts & the Organization came in, Maleficent has become nothing more than a joke character and a disgrace.

Honestly, that being said, it's kinda insulting how the Disney characters, especially the villains are just shoved away in favor of the original. What's the point of using Disney characters if literally 7 out of probably thousands have importance? And after KH3, even 7 is a bit too generous

Fairy Godmother better have a damn good reason to be in Re:Mind.

My hypothesis: Nomura is trying to make the Disney characters pointless so that he can remove them altogether and take control of the entire franchise.

Edit: if Square/Nomura actually pulls this crap, I’m gonna boycott the series

 

[disney233]

My hypothesis: Nomura is trying to make the Disney characters pointless so that he can remove them altogether and take control of the entire franchise.

Edit: if Square/Nomura actually pulls this crap, I’m gonna boycott the series

......Yeah, that seems very far-fetched because DISNEY owns the game. And I don't think Nomura or Square...or really anyone would want to go to court against DISNEY for characters owned by DISNEY.

 

[Sonofjafar]

......Yeah, that seems very far-fetched because DISNEY owns the game. And I don't think Nomura or Square...or really anyone would want to go to court against DISNEY for characters owned by DISNEY.

So it’s not like Roger Rabbit where they have joint ownership over the characters that aren’t from Disney movies

 

[SweetYetSalty]

This is a old thread but I want to add to it anyway. I stand by what I said in 2019 on this subject of Maleficent and Pete. I still feel like Pete could have done all his schemes in KH2, Coded, and even DDD by himself without Maleficent. A alternate partnership Pete could have had other the Maleficent is with the beagle boys like how he had them in DDD.

Or how about Pete forming a partnership with Mortimer Mouse rather then Maleficent? Both Pete and Mortimer are rivals to Mickey Mouse, and they could have had a antagonistic relationship with each other, always trying to one up the other. I think this could have been better then what we have now with Pete and Maleficent. They would bicker but be equals and Pete could come up with his own schemes every now and again. And I think Mortimer would worked better in the post KH1 stuff with Pete better then Maleficent who should be viewed as a more serious antagonist second only to Xehanort.

 

[disney233]

So it’s not like Roger Rabbit where they have joint ownership over the characters that aren’t from Disney movies

Unless they're characters EXCLUSIVELY are from Square (The FF characters) No. The worlds, the ocs, they're all owned by Disney. Same with Roger Rabbit, any character existing Toon that isn't Warner Bros, Tex Avery, etc, they're all Disney characters. Which makes Roger, Jessica, all the orignal Toons made for the movie, they are indeed Disney characters.

 

[Absent]

So it’s not like Roger Rabbit where they have joint ownership over the characters that aren’t from Disney movies

Nomura is playing with toys that don’t belong to him. Case and point: V Cast.

Disney would never compromise themselves into a position where they can be leveraged against. Disney has the power in this joint venture, no matter what either company representative says.

 

[Face My Fears]

I like Maleficent and Pete's chemistry. I always felt like Maleficent's goal in KH2 was to get revenge on Ansem/Xehanort for manipulating her in KH1, but she masked that with the "search for a new castle" story. I also think that because she went to the distant past before the events of KH2, she was searching for the black box all during KH2 - she just didn't mention it.

People may take Maleficent and Pete's inaction in KH3 as them being demoted to crap, but I think there's a purpose behind that. If you notice, Maleficent and Pete stopped their search when they realized that the Keyblade War was actually going to happen. Then at the end of the game, they're watching the Foretellers and Luxu WITH THE BLACK BOX. This says that Maleficent figured out where the box would ultimately be - and stayed out of the fight - so that she could fight another day.

I liked that they were more observers in KH3 than participants. Maleficent should gather up a round of DISNEY villains to help her fight the Foretellers. It would be amazing to see the Foretellers fight Maleficent, Hades, Jafar, and Ursula.

 

[Sonofjafar]

I like Maleficent and Pete's chemistry. I always felt like Maleficent's goal in KH2 was to get revenge on Ansem/Xehanort for manipulating her in KH1, but she masked that with the "search for a new castle" story. I also think that because she went to the distant past before the events of KH2, she was searching for the black box all during KH2 - she just didn't mention it.

People may take Maleficent and Pete's inaction in KH3 as them being demoted to crap, but I think there's a purpose behind that. If you notice, Maleficent and Pete stopped their search when they realized that the Keyblade War was actually going to happen. Then at the end of the game, they're watching the Foretellers and Luxu WITH THE BLACK BOX. This says that Maleficent figured out where the box would ultimately be - and stayed out of the fight - so that she could fight another day.

I liked that they were more observers in KH3 than participants. Maleficent should gather up a round of DISNEY villains to help her fight the Foretellers. It would be amazing to see the Foretellers fight Maleficent, Hades, Jafar, and Ursula.

Are the Foretellers even truly the good guys in that scenario. Both sides have caused a LOT of death and misery

 

[Face My Fears]

Are the Foretellers even truly the good guys in that scenario. Both sides have caused a LOT of death and misery

I didn't say they were. I was thinking of Maleficent and the DISNEY villains being a faction of their own. So it'd be Sora and co. vs. Foretellers vs. DISNEY Villains.

It would be great to see the DISNEY Villains interact more with the main plot. Seeing Maleficent actually fight again (in modern graphics) would be great.

 

[Soldier]

Thing is, I think they function pretty well together, for multiple reasons. If you look at it from a different angle, Maleficent and Pete work because they're two old Disney villains trying to edge in on territories they have no business even trying to encroach on. Pete is the oldest Disney character, surpassing even Oswald in terms of age and is still largely relevant to this day. He works because he's an 'everyday villain", he doesn't need magic powers or a Keyblade to be a good antagonist, in most Mickey shorts he's an irate neighbor, a boss or a ticked off customer. He's someone you CAN encounter in your daily life, and thus seeing the heroes put up with his antics is very relatable.

Maleficent on the other hand, is your "stereotypical villain" plotting evil schemes and casting spells. As she orginated from Sleeping Beauty in 1959, she's still a major part of what the Disney villains would be synonymous with and out of the three that Susanna Blakeslee voices in BBS (the other two being Lady Tremaine and the Evil Queen), the one with the most power. Given that her abilities include transforming into a galaxy to get around and shapeshifting into a dragon on top of firing meteors through a void in space, she's clearly stronger than the other two and most other Disney villains thus far. But in a franchise where young teenagers can cleave through skyscrapers with key-shaped swords and defy the laws of gravity, that only gets her so far. Plus, her original minions simply weren't going to cut it as reoccurring subordinates, you saw them in BBS they sleep on the job!

Both of these two on their own don't fare much of a chance with the way the series is going, all Xehanort had to do was just Thanos-snap them out of existence at the Keyblade Graveyard if they tried to interfere anyways, so it's probably best to send them on a treasure hunt. And I'd argue that the treasure hunt for the black box was easily some of the best we've gotten out of them in the long term hiatus it took for us to get to III, them digging up Pandora's box in Olympus and calling the trio weak, only for Maleficent to disregard a box that while not the Black Box, contains unspeakable misery and evil beyond comprehension. As fears put it, they found where the box is by finding the foretellers and Luxu with it in their possession, mission accomplished. Now they just need to swoop in and get it during the fight with the foretellers.

I didn't say they were. I was thinking of Maleficent and the DISNEY villains being a faction of their own. So it'd be Sora and co. vs. Foretellers vs. DISNEY Villains.

It would be great to see the DISNEY Villains interact more with the main plot. Seeing Maleficent actually fight again (in modern graphics) would be great.

Thus begins the plot for Kingdom Hearts Warriors, developed by Omega force with Square Enix and the Disney company, coming soon to PS4 and Nintendo Switch this holiday season!

 

[Launchpad]

Leave it to the KHi haters to want to break up a king and his bad bitch. They're happy, why can't you be?

 

[Sonofjafar]

Leave it to the KHi haters to want to break up a king and his bad bitch. They're happy, why can't you be?

i think you might have Pete and Maleficent's roles switched there