Symbolism in Kingdom Hearts

[hemmoheikkinen]

Many works of fiction use symbolism, metaphors and a variety of means to create depth, connections to different themes and etc... into the story. Kingdom Hearts is nearing it`s 14th birthday this year and the series has a lot of interesting symbolism in it, connecting to it`s own lore and possibly influenced but other works of fiction.

In this thread I would be happy to hear what kinda of symbolism, metaphors and etc.. you have noticed in the series, do you like it, does it bring depth or any other interesting aspects into the series. There can be a variety of examples, either looking at a song Shimomura composed on how that could possibly have a deeper connection to a character or to the situation/context it plays in. Or it can be analyzing the poem at the end of Chain of Memories, looking at the opening scenes of the games, something a character said, almost anything. The possibilities are almost endless.

To get things started, I shall provide some examples.

Speaking about possible symbolism or hidden meaning in a song, Dismiss from BBS pops immediately into my head.
[video=youtube;2CpRmHCeeIs]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CpRmHCeeIs[/video]

It plays at the end of BBS when Aqua is fighting against Terra-Xehanort(yes, we all know that). When you listen to the song you can hear parts of Terra`s theme integrated into song. I think it is really beautiful way showcase the internal struggle which Terra has against Xehanort.

A different example comes from last year`s E3 trailer, and the scene where young Eraqus and Xehanort are playing a game of something that resembles chess.

I think this scene is a beautiful combination of how it can be tied to both KH`s own lore and other things. As people here speculated last year, the chess pieces and the game itself likely represent the past and future conflicts between the Guardians of Light and Seekers of Darkness. As Xehanort and Eraqus also talk about the future and how it is already written, it gives kinda of grand feeling to the scene. Like two gods playing a game of chess that will determine the worlds fate, Eraqus in his white clothes representing the light side and Xehanort in his darker outfit the evil side.


So yeah, something like that. I know these are not really new examples and I am not the best person in this subject, but I though that creating a thread like this could possibly give inspiration to people about the possibly symbolism in the games and write about it, possibly discovering something new and exciting. Of course this does not mean that older findings cannot be discussed.

Comment and discuss below and have fun discovering things!

 

[Silverwarrior]

Dismiss also contains Destati (fairly blatantly), as well as Aqua's theme too

 

[hemmoheikkinen]

Dismiss also contains Destati (fairly blatantly), as well as Aqua's theme too

So the song integrates all 3 person struggles in that fight(Destati representing Xehaort), marvelous!

 

[FudgemintGuardian]

*waves hand*
Xs.
Xs everywhere.

-The straps on Riku's KHI outfit
-the straps on Wakka's pants
-the Heartless symbol
-Roxas' zipper
-the Nobody symbol has sort of has an X shape and appears on the weapons of Organization XIII excluding Xemnas'
-the straps around the Guardian's mouth
-Saix's scar
-Vanitas' belts
-Sora's belts on his KHII outfit and the one on his DDD outfit
-the X-Blade in BBS is two Kingdom Keys crossing
-the straps on Terra, Ven, Aqua, and Eraqus

Now for some symbolism.

Aqua and Ven have their heart emblems on their criss-crossing straps. Essentially breaking the X, while Terra uses his to highlight his crotch as a belt buckle instead, in turn making his "X" complete.
Another thing to note is Terra's buckle is GOLD (Xehanort's eyes) while Ven and Aqua's are silver (Eraqus')

Eyes.
When inverted, blue becomes yellow.
Kingdom Hearts seems to go with a "good eyes blue, yellow eyes bad" thing. Practically all the good guys have blue eyes while the original baddies the Heartless, and Xehanort have yellow. With green eyes possibly standing for neutral.

Saix eyes, originally the same shade of blue as Riku's before becoming a Nobody, are orange in the Days cinematic (I'll just presume they're orange in the original Days game too.) but are yellow in KHII
If we consider Xigbar's line of "Me? I'm already half Xehanort." to say yellow eyes mean "half nort" then we could take Saix's orange eyes to mean his nortification hasn't reached that point until KHII.

Why were his eyes orange until II?

Axel.

To poorly explain (my head's fuzzy now) Axel and Saix have a sun and moon theme respectively.

Axel's got the fire, and his chakrams make for a good sun shape, while Saix has the lunacy, and his claymore...actually the claymore isn't very moon-shaped...or claymore-shaped, but Isa does have a moon symbol in his jacket, for a more blatant connection.
However, the claymore seems to copy the chakram's shape at the end, which...I'm rambling so I'll just get to the point.

The moon does not shine on it's own. The moon's light is a reflection from the sun's.
No sun. No light. And this is why the nortification accelerated.
During Days, Axel and Saix's relationship was already deteriorating, along with Axel gravitating towards Roxas and Xion and Saix' jealousy of that creating a greater rift between the two, eventually breaking what little friendship the two had left.
Because of the bond now broken, without Lea's light to shine on Isa's heart, this allowed the Xehanort seed to encroach further and envelop Isa's heart.

 

[Audo]

​

 

[hemmoheikkinen]

*waves hand*
Xs.
Xs everywhere.

Hmm, the X has a huge connection to Xehanort, but could it also represent the whole series in way. Light, darkness and the in between are the core elements of the series. So if take the X, we can view the opposite lines as light and the darkness and the point in which they cross the in-between area. It also probably symbolizes the perfect crossing of Light and Darkness, since X-Blade is(or should it be called pseudo X-blade?) takes that form.

Aqua and Ven have their heart emblems on their criss-crossing straps. Essentially breaking the X, while Terra uses his to highlight his crotch as a belt buckle instead, in turn making his "X" complete.
Another thing to note is Terra's buckle is GOLD (Xehanort's eyes) while Ven and Aqua's are silver (Eraqus')

Holy heck, how did I miss that? o_o

The moon does not shine on it's own. The moon's light is a reflection from the sun's.
No sun. No light. And this is why the nortification accelerated.

Man, this is brilliant. In the end the moon was swallowed by the darkness since it did not have the light of the sun to help it.
This is probably me stretching and idea, but moon`s surface is full of craters, most caused by the impact of meteors. Saix`s face has the X shaped scar, and when he unleashes his berserk side, the scar gets even worse. Maybe the scars can be viewed as craters in the moon caused by meteor. The meteor`s came outside of the moon, symbolizing outside forces are at play, and that outside force in Saix`s case would be Xehanort. As Terranort, Xheanort uses a few Meteor based attacks.

Also going by the moon sun theme, could you say that the possible light Axel and Saix shine is different. Since Axel has the sun theme and his element is fire, his light is warm. This also connects to his personality, how he has read hair ans etc... all signs of warmth. Saix and the moon in the other hand, shine this cold and pale light. Saix is very cold and collected, and the flames he summons are blue(all thou Sephiroth reminded me, that in reality blue flames are actually hotter). So they have this yin and yang theme going on.

Ooh this is interesting. So if I understood correctly, that line could be taken as metaphor for Axel/Lea`s journey and character growth?

 

[Rosebudx]

I posted this once already in a post about music, but I'll reiterate here:

Eternal Moments versus At Dusk, I'll Think of You

These are two arrangements of the same song, namely Lea/Axel's leitmotif. Chronologically, we first hear this song for a brief moment on Radiant Garden in BBS, when Ventus is hanging out with a young Lea and Isa. The song is so bright, cheerful, and hopeful, much like Lea himself, but it also feels somewhat...incomplete. It's not as fleshed out as it could be, especially compared to some of the other music on that OST.

It pops up again in Days, where it is featured when that game's trio is hanging out on the Clocktower. Its key has been changed, and the result is a lower, somewhat bitter version...yet one that still sounds hopeful and, more importantly, complete. It's full of character and "body", and despite not being as chipper as its BBS counterpart still has some level of contentment and spirit about it.

I cannot wait to see how this song is approached in III, because its two variations as of now are indicative of Lea's character development. As a child, he was carefree and happy to just hang out with Isa, but he had not yet fully come into himself; he was incomplete. Ten years down the road, he had become embittered towards his old friend Saix, but had gained experiences and life lessons and people who actually completed him instead of just putting up with him.

tl;dr: Lea's leitmotif changes with his character development, and I want to see another version of it in III.

 

[gosoxtim]

If you want to talk of symbolism let talk about sora silver crown I think it repents how sora is the one to connect everybody together

 

[FudgemintGuardian]

Had Xs on the brain again.

The X[chi] logo contains two Xs overlapping. Firstly, this makes me believe another chi game was planned from the start or at the very least there being two worlds overlapping. (My knowledge of chi is fuzzy so I can't remember if the two worlds thing was confirmed or simply a theory.)

The second, the "Kingdom Hearts" in the PC version of X[chi]'s logo is white fading to black in the middle, while Unchained's logo does the opposite.
Dream Drop Distance's tagline immediately came to mind.
"Darkness becomes light, light falls into darkness."

 

[hemmoheikkinen]

Eternal Moments versus At Dusk, I'll Think of You

These are two arrangements of the same song, namely Lea/Axel's leitmotif. Chronologically, we first hear this song for a brief moment on Radiant Garden in BBS, when Ventus is hanging out with a young Lea and Isa. The song is so bright, cheerful, and hopeful, much like Lea himself, but it also feels somewhat...incomplete. It's not as fleshed out as it could be, especially compared to some of the other music on that OST.

It pops up again in Days, where it is featured when that game's trio is hanging out on the Clocktower. Its key has been changed, and the result is a lower, somewhat bitter version...yet one that still sounds hopeful and, more importantly, complete. It's full of character and "body", and despite not being as chipper as its BBS counterpart still has some level of contentment and spirit about it.

I cannot wait to see how this song is approached in III, because its two variations as of now are indicative of Lea's character development. As a child, he was carefree and happy to just hang out with Isa, but he had not yet fully come into himself; he was incomplete. Ten years down the road, he had become embittered towards his old friend Saix, but had gained experiences and life lessons and people who actually completed him instead of just putting up with him.

tl;dr: Lea's leitmotif changes with his character development, and I want to see another version of it in III.

Wait these two are arrangements of one song? *Rushes to YouTube to listen to the songs* Whoa, they do have a lot of similarities. It is especially interesting since Days WAS released before BBS.
Hmm, so how do you imagine the songs tone and etc... to be like in KHIII?

If you want to talk of symbolism let talk about sora silver crown I think it repents how sora is the one to connect everybody together

Hmm, I have heard a couple thing related to this. Could you explain your thoughts about the matter a bit further.

The X[chi] logo contains two Xs overlapping. Firstly, this makes me believe another chi game was planned from the start or at the very least there being two worlds overlapping. (My knowledge of chi is fuzzy so I can't remember if the two worlds thing was confirmed or simply a theory.)

The second, the "Kingdom Hearts" in the PC version of X[chi]'s logo is white fading to black in the middle, while Unchained's logo does the opposite.
Dream Drop Distance's tagline immediately came to mind.
"Darkness becomes light, light falls into darkness."

Man, did not even notice the different coloring on the logo´s. A very interesting find. Nomura said that there are some differences with these two versions:

Nomura: “The basic story-line between Kingdom Hearts Chi and Unchained Chi are, for the most part, similar. But there is a bit of a gimmick, per say, between the two versions, so that there is a bit of a differentiation between the browser game and the smartphone version. You’ll find out the two different Chis as the story unveils. And a certain secret will be revealed as you’re going through the story-line.
Read more at Tetsuya Nomura and Tai Yasue talk Kingdom Hearts III and Unchained Chi at E3 - Gematsu

I am not sure if I remember this correctly, but one theory I remember reading is that Ephemera is hopping between X(Chi) and Unchained.



Oh also, I did not remember to write this, but if you guys notice any interesting symbolism or etc.. in the novels and in the manga, feel free to write about that as well.

 

[BlackOsprey]

I'm getting English class flashbacks. Who knew that sort of thing could be done for fun...

If you want to talk of symbolism let talk about sora silver crown I think it repents how sora is the one to connect everybody together

Ok.
Care to explain why you think that? What about a crown equals connection? And no, just because it's an emblem that a character wears doesn't mean that it automatically embodies everything that a character stands for.

 

[gosoxtim]

Ok.
Care to explain why you think that? What about a crown equals connection? And no, just because it's an emblem that a character wears doesn't mean that it automatically embodies everything that a character stands for.

sure a crown symbol usally repents power, legitimacy, victory, triumph, honor, and glory, as well as immortality, righteousness, and resurrection and he not one of those but then there another reason why he the crown symbol and that he the person that can save and connect everbody togehther like ansem the wise said

"The heart has always been quick to grow. Each exposure to light, to the natural world, to other people, shapes this most malleable part inside of us. Nobodies are not different from us in that manner. Sora was the only one able to return to his human form without destroying his Nobody. That is a statement to the love in his heart for other people, and the bonds that tie them together. Perhaps... he has the power to bring back the hearts and existences of those connected to him- to recreate people we thought were lost to us forever. Our most precious treasures- even an empty puppet- the trees of the forest, and the petals on the wind- there are hearts around us everywhere we look. And it does not take superhuman powers to see them. Surely we remember as children the way our hearts made everything seem so shiny, and perfect. Sora has a heart like that- uncorrupted, willing to see the good before the bad. When he sees the heart in something, it then becomes real. When a connection seems broken, he may have the power to mend it. He has touched countless hearts, he has accepted them, and he has saved them. And some of those hearts have never left him- whether they fell into darkness or were trapped there- whether they sleep in the darkness of Sora's heart, or were welcomed into its warmth- they can be saved. All Sora needs to do is be himself and follow wherever it is that his heart takes him. It is the best and the only way."

 

[FudgemintGuardian]

Man, did not even notice the different coloring on the logo´s. A very interesting find. Nomura said that there are some differences with these two versions:

I didn't notice it myself until yesterday.

That quote brings to mind a noticeable difference between the X[chi]s: how Guilt is acquired. In X[chi] it's gained by slaying Heartless (fighting the Darkness) while in Unchained it comes from strengthening your Medals (extending one's own power.)
Taking the logos into account would this put X[chi] and Unchained as a "Light Version" and "Dark Version" respectively? And if so could DDD's tagline also be hinting at how both X's end?

 

[hemmoheikkinen]

I didn't notice it myself until yesterday.

That quote brings to mind a noticeable difference between the X[chi]s: how Guilt is acquired. In X[chi] it's gained by slaying Heartless (fighting the Darkness) while in Unchained it comes from strengthening your Medals (extending one's own power.)
Taking the logos into account would this put X[chi] and Unchained as a "Light Version" and "Dark Version" respectively? And if so could DDD's tagline also be hinting at how both X's end?

So the other one is doomed to be swallowed by the darkness and the other one could rise into the light? Hmm, interesting. Since we know that the Keyblade War happened and you can not alter things, aren`t both scenarios basically doomed? There is some interesting points risen by faemarch and The_Echo in the X thread about sketchiness about the scenario. Man, I need to remember to read the X walktrough section more often.


Oh, one thing about the manga version of Days and the game. I like how the two use Riku`s Ansem SoD little differently. In the manga Riku uses it more often, and we get a hint of it when he crushes Axel with that power. It is kinda cool how the manga foreshadows this, and when Riku`s is in tricky situation he is ready take off the blindfold and release the power. Also, the way Amano drew his eyes when he faces Roxas was done really well:

Spoiler Show

That look tells everything. Brilliant.
In the actual game, Riku dosen`t use that power often and I think that fitting. As we really get to see it the first time when he is facing Roxas, it but more emphasis on how bad of a situation he is in, and that he is ready to sacrifice himself to save his friend.

 

[FudgemintGuardian]

So the other one is doomed to be swallowed by the darkness and the other one could rise into the light? Hmm, interesting. Since we know that the Keyblade War happened and you can not alter things, aren`t both scenarios basically doomed? There is some interesting points risen by faemarch and The_Echo in the X thread about sketchiness about the scenario. Man, I need to remember to read the X walktrough section more often.

In a way. While we know both scenarios are doomed because of the Keyblade War, the games might choose to give different sides on the matter.
I read those comments by fae and Echo after making my comment and yeah I also need to remember read the X section more often. XD

 

[KeybladeLordSora]

In a way. While we know both scenarios are doomed because of the Keyblade War, the games might choose to give different sides on the matter.
I read those comments by fae and Echo after making my comment and yeah I also need to remember read the X section more often. XD

The business with X is VERRRY fishy....also what's Guilt in X?

 

[faemarch]

The business with X is VERRRY fishy....also what's Guilt in X?

The Guilt System in PC chi entails gathering the "sins of the heartless" to strengthen your own power (the initial attack in battle in gameplay) by defeating a certain number of target heartless, which change with the event period. In Unchained, it involves further strengthening a medal's ability beyond its normal capability for additional power.
It's unlocked upon reaching LV20 in PC chi, (theater mode places it before the scene in the clocktower with the Foretellers and the cloaked man), and in Unchained it's unlocked after defeating Hades (around quest 350) iirc.

 

[LightUpTheSky452]

For all those interested, Everglow on YouTube has actually translated the entire story of Chi thus far into videos (I think... though the anniversary events aren't in there at all). It's... a bit tedious watching all of them (because each video is very long, and you have to watch all the deck editing, fighting, etc., because you never know when a story segment might pop up unexpectedly), but once you get caught up on it--and can just watch the new videos as they come out--it's very worth it to me.

It's nice to actually be able to see the full story that the KHI staff has been kind enough to write up on here, and have posted some videos of themselves

And because of these videos (that even contain the Disney segments), Kingdom Hearts Chi's probably become my favorite thing ever, but anyway...

 

[faemarch]

For all those interested, Everglow on YouTube has actually translated the entire story of Chi thus far into videos (I think... though the anniversary events aren't in there at all). It's... a bit tedious watching all of them (because each video is very long, and you have to watch all the deck editing, fighting, etc., because you never know when a story segment might pop up unexpectedly), but once you get caught up on it--and can just watch the new videos as they come out--it's very worth it to me.

It's nice to actually be able to see the full story that the KHI staff has been kind enough to write up on here, and have posted some videos of themselves

And because of these videos (that even contain the Disney segments), Kingdom Hearts Chi's probably become my favorite thing ever, but anyway...

Just out of curiosity, regarding this line,

Spoiler Show

Chirithy: Are your eyes really that different?
(Chirithy takes a step back and studies you.)
Huh, I wouldn't know.

Everglow has a different translation of it:

Spoiler Show

Spoiler Show

Is it really a significant difference?
Chirithy implying that the player's eyes changed color after the Underworld portion of the story would strike me as an odd detail.

edit: spoiler tags for those avoiding chi spoilers

 

[KeybladeLordSora]

Just out of curiosity, regarding this line,

Everglow has a different translation of it:

Spoiler Show

Spoiler Show

Is it really a significant difference?
Chirithy implying that the player's eyes changed color after the Underworld portion of the story would strike me as an odd detail.

The implication of the player's eyes changing color really is odd.