My theories on DDD, all summed up.

[Revolution]

So, my theories have been scattered throughout the forums in different threads so I decided to start a threat with them. Yeah, it's long and a bunch of different crap. So go to the bottom for the Tl;dr version.

Sora, Vanitas, Ven

Going into the Mastery Exam, Yen Sid spoke of a so called "Keyhole of Sleep." Now from the first game, Keyholes are used to unlock or lock the heart of a world. In DDD, I'd imagine that the Keyhole of Sleep may possibly play a similar role, except with memories.

Sora has fragments of Ven, memories of Aqua, as well as whatever remains of Xion and Roxas inside of him. Ven's memories are stored deep within Sora's heart where even Namine can't look at them due to the deep amount of pain within them.

Now, let us assume that Vanitas is a part of the memories stored within Sora. Namine's tampering of the memories during the Chain of Memories story line could have slowly awakened him. Now in the Dream World, Sora will encounter Vanitas who shall continue to taunt him, in a way similar to Scar's Ghost did in KH2. Muttering lines of pain, referencing Kairi and Riku, simply toying with Sora who is being watched with Yen Sid.

Slowly and continually tortured by Vanitas, Sora begins to lose his cool. This could eventually jeopardize his title of Master by Yen Sid as Sora finally realizes he is careless and can't see that the line between light and dark is not as straight as he once thought. This could also be shown by the BBSv2 trailer, where it shows Sora disappearing, followed by Ven.

Memories of others. Finding the truth

The Keyholes of Sleep could also reference the memories of those that have been connected to Sora and possibly Riku. Each time one is found, it would be similar to how ReCoded was, showing little snippets of information that wasn't known before.

Something like this: In Traverse Town, Sora finds the Keyhole of Sleep for that world in the cafe in District One. After finding it, he is transported back to a memory of Xion and Roxas fighting the Darkside in Twilight Town, followed by Ice Cream.

For Riku, it could show portions of Xehanort's time in Radiant Garden. Him talking to Ienzo about persuading Ansem, Xehanort creating the Room of Repose or him releasing the heartless into the Realm of Light.

Not only would it be a creative way for clip scenes, it would also help tie everything back together prior to Kingdom Heart's 3. Brings TAV, SRK, RAXN and everyone together.



Anyways, Tl;DR

Vanitas is inside Sora's heart in Ven's tormented memories. He taunts Sora through the MoM exam, causing Sora to lose the title.

When finding the Keyholes of Sleep, Sora and Riku get memories of those connected to him.



I'll edit this if there are corrections needed or if I get a new theory.

 

[Radar]

I like this theory, I would be suprised to see how sora is towards vanitas. And the incorporating cutscenes part also makes sense because Sora needs to remember xion.

 

[Jadentheman]

I like it creates internal conflict in a series that lacks character development.

 

[Mite]

I like how you reintroduce Vanitas into the series as a living memory. It could work since we don't know the final fate of Vanitas, and I think he would be the perfect antagonist to push Sora over the edge and make him realize his mistakes. I'm also of the opinion that the scene in the TGS trailer from Xehanort's perspective takes place in the past so your way of showing the memories from various characters also works out great.

 

[Revolution]

Thanks to the comments guy.

And yeah, I thought about a way to bring Vanitas back. I didn't want him back entirely because Ven did defeat him, so I'd imagine that a good majority of his power is now gone. Hence the semi-ghastly state.

 

[Sephiroth0812]

Interesting theory, yet I do see some flaws in it.
Like first off, why would Naminé's messing with Sora's memories out of all people awake Vanitas? Naminé only messed around with Sora's memories and just found the memories of others connected to Sora when she attempted to fix them together again.

Furthermore, Ventus defeated Vanitas and even if he somehow "survived" he should have sustained the same horrible injuries from the destruction of the x-blade as Ven has.
At the end of BBS Ven was the dominant force, so, when we go further with the assumption made above, why would Naminé's messing only awake Vanitas and not Ven?
Maybe you can enlighten me on the logic of that.

Going to comment on the other parts a bit later.

 

[Master Vantius]

I think that the Keyhole of Sleep isn't memories but the gate to a dream realm where the MoM occurs. Since Yen Sid said that those who return form that place would be considered master.

 

[Fractured_Heart628]

Great theory, I wonder if we'll get to see any memories from Axel's perspective. Maybe, we might even find out what happened to Isa to get his Nobody, Saix the way he was. Perhaps, Lea trying to save Isa from turning into a Heartless, but only to find himself being confronted by Ansem SOD.

 

[Revolution]

Interesting theory, yet I do see some flaws in it.
Like first off, why would Naminé's messing with Sora's memories out of all people awake Vanitas? Naminé only messed around with Sora's memories and just found the memories of others connected to Sora when she attempted to fix them together again.

Furthermore, Ventus defeated Vanitas and even if he somehow "survived" he should have sustained the same horrible injuries from the destruction of the x-blade as Ven has.
At the end of BBS Ven was the dominant force, so, when we go further with the assumption made above, why would Naminé's messing only awake Vanitas and not Ven?
Maybe you can enlighten me on the logic of that.

Going to comment on the other parts a bit later.

Namine told Data Sora that when she was fixing the memories, she found the tortured memories and tried to view them, however was unsuccessful. Because this was the only set of memories she couldn't see, even with the others, she had tried to view them which awakened whatever of Vanitas was left in those tormented memories.

Why Vanitas and not Ven? Cause we don't know if Vanitas' heart was entirely destroyed. Ven's shattered heart left him and went to Sora, pretty much leaving Ven as a lifeless body until his heart is returned.

 

[Fractured_Heart628]

Namine told Data Sora that when she was fixing the memories, she found the tortured memories and tried to view them, however was unsuccessful. Because this was the only set of memories she couldn't see, even with the others, she had tried to view them which awakened whatever of Vanitas was left in those tormented memories.

Why Vanitas and not Ven? Cause we don't know if Vanitas' heart was entirely destroyed. Ven's shattered heart left him and went to Sora, pretty much leaving Ven as a lifeless body until his heart is returned.

I wonder what role will Vanitas' memories have on Riku. I mean, they have a lot in common, the same battle stance and battle armor.

 

[Vanitas666]

I really like the Sora-Vanitas idea

 

[Revolution]

I wonder what role will Vanitas' memories have on Riku. I mean, they have a lot in common, the same battle stance and battle armor.

I honestly they don't think they have much in common. I'd assume the suit is just equivalent to people who use darkness. The battle stance, meh.

 

[Sephiroth0812]

Namine told Data Sora that when she was fixing the memories, she found the tortured memories and tried to view them, however was unsuccessful. Because this was the only set of memories she couldn't see, even with the others, she had tried to view them which awakened whatever of Vanitas was left in those tormented memories.

Why Vanitas and not Ven? Cause we don't know if Vanitas' heart was entirely destroyed. Ven's shattered heart left him and went to Sora, pretty much leaving Ven as a lifeless body until his heart is returned.

Exactly, that was what I pointed out earlier, Naminé only found the tormented memories of the others when she was fixing Sora's memories back together and could not risk to "look" at them because the suffering was too great and would potentially damage Sora's heart.
I suppose with "others" you mean the tormented memories of Terra, Aqua, Xion, Roxas and Naminé herself, but trying to access those
should not have any effect on Vanitas at all.
That does however still not explain why Naminé's attempt to gain access to Ven's tormented memories (and in the process to his injured heart) would only awaken Vanitas and not Ven.

Sorry, but the last part doesn't make sense. Ven's heart was also not completely destroyed but "only" gravely injured. But of his heart we know that it is within Sora, we never see/heard that Sora also harbors Vanitas's heart, which, as said by himself before the final fight should be in a just as worse state than Ven's since both of their hearts are tied to the x-blade.

If Ventus re-absorbed Vanitas however and Naminé trying to access the injured heart has any effect it should be Ven who awakes from it first, as it is his heart inside Sora. Despite being horribly injured, Ventus is the dominant force inside that heart IF Vanitas got re-absorbed.

I wonder what role will Vanitas' memories have on Riku. I mean, they have a lot in common, the same battle stance and battle armor.

There is in fact a popular theory that if Vanitas did not got completely destroyed and also not re-absorbed by Ven that his injured dark heart could have sought out refuge in Riku's heart because he made a connection with young Riku while on Destiny Islands.
Unlike Ven, who politely asks if he can stay, Vanitas most likely would simply have intruded, maybe even without Riku really noticing.
---

As for the second part/theory this makes much more sense. Sora and Riku getting to know he whole picture up to KH III, we players get updated on the current status of everyone of the tormented ones and Ansem's data delivers us the way how they can be finally rescued in KH III itself.

 

[Fractured_Heart628]

I honestly they don't think they have much in common. I'd assume the suit is just equivalent to people who use darkness. The battle stance, meh.

Perhaps, you're right, but only time will tell.

 

[billyzanesucks]

I think that the Keyhole of Sleep isn't memories but the gate to a dream realm where the MoM occurs. Since Yen Sid said that those who return form that place would be considered master.

He said they're supposed to find the key and unlock the door. It sounds like the MoM spans the whole adventure. And it would be just too weird for them to be young in the RoL.

 

[Odysseus]

Could Vanitas be brought back through memories? I always figured if he were to come back, it'd be when Ven got his heart back, thus stirring the darkness that once was there (Vanitas).

 

[Lonbilly]

Could Vanitas be brought back through memories? I always figured if he were to come back, it'd be when Ven got his heart back, thus stirring the darkness that once was there (Vanitas).

It's possible he's "asleep" like all the others, and DDD is in the Realm of Sleep.

Also, in CoM we saw people through memories, it's just this would be different because it would actually be Vanitas, not an emulation. Hell, he may even come back as Vanitas' Sentiment, if that's cannon - but in the Realm of Sleep.

 

[Odysseus]

Very true.

Hell, he may even come back as Vanitas' Sentiment, if that's cannon - but in the Realm of Sleep.

I'm not sure it is, considering his existence implies he's the remainder of Vanitas's defeated self, and he was defeated simultaneously with Ven, and you can fight him as Ven, creating a

[video=youtube;APH1LIJaq7A]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APH1LIJaq7A[/video]