The 13th vessel for Master Xehanort

[Sephiroth0812]

Ven's heart reacts, but Vanitas' presence was arguably explained more as the effect than the cause, the cause more likely being YX's manipulation.

You're missing Nomura's other quote which talks about what LightAndOblivion stated.

— What about Vanitas?
Nomura: Vanitas is different than Xemnas and Ansem; he doesn’t necessarily have a physical form. He reacted to Ventus within Sora, so that’s how he was visible.

Vanitas reacted to Ventus inside Sora, if he was inside Sora too he would have reacted more than just this one time since Ven's heart started to stir more than once over the course of DDD.

So taking both quotes together it is implied that Ventus and Vanitas both reacted off each other.

Thus it is indeed NOT safe to assume that Vanitas' actual essence and his heart is within Ventus again.
The whole point of Ventus' final battle in BBS was to undo their merger. Ventus himself even states that he doesn't just want to destroy the X-blade, but Vanitas himself and their forced fusion as well.

 

[Nayru's Love]

Ah, I thought I'd miss something. Taken that into account, I can understand and agree with where LightAndOblivion is coming from, regarding them reacting to each other. Granted, I think it's important to consider how Vanitas was compared to the likes of Xemnas and Ansem, as if that was him time-traveling rather than being there in the present already.

I'd say I'm more convinced of the idea that he may exist outside of Ven's heart (and fittingly with Xehanort's), but I still wouldn't rule out Ven's heart.

 

[LightAndOblivion]

Yeah Sephiroth0812 had the quote I was referring too.

And I don't think Vanitas is time travelling. If he were, then why wouldn't Trollanort just pick him up from when he had a body like Ansem and Xemnas? He could have just picked him up from before the final battle in BBS.

 

[Squood!]

So Vanitas is still around or something?

 

[Sephiroth0812]

Ah, I thought I'd miss something. Taken that into account, I can understand and agree with where LightAndOblivion is coming from, regarding them reacting to each other. Granted, I think it's important to consider how Vanitas was compared to the likes of Xemnas and Ansem, as if that was him time-traveling rather than being there in the present already.

I'd say I'm more convinced of the idea that he may exist outside of Ven's heart (and fittingly with Xehanort's), but I still wouldn't rule out Ven's heart.

There are so many interviews by now which have some important bits in them that it is easy to overlook one or two. ^__^
Pointing out Vanitas being different compared to Ansem and Xemnas is indeed an important point to keep in mind, but I am not too sure yet in which way because even Ansem and Xemnas are a little murky since Nomura also said regarding them that they may possibly come from a place entirely outside of time.

We cannot rule out any of these possibilities yet, although I personally hold the one of him being in Ventus' heart as being less probable.

And I don't think Vanitas is time travelling. If he were, then why wouldn't Trollanort just pick him up from when he had a body like Ansem and Xemnas? He could have just picked him up from before the final battle in BBS.

Correct, what further points into this direction is that Nomura explicitly pointed out that Vanitas is "different" from Ansem and Xemnas.

So Vanitas is still around or something?

His essence, aka his heart quite possibly is.
Keep in mind the following two things:
1. Ventus' heart survived the final battle of BBS, albeit badly injured, so it is not impossible that Vanitas' heart survived as well. Furthermore when one considers that memories are a key ingredient that builds a heart and that those are immortal, as stated already in CoM, it makes even more sense.

2. The golden eyes strongly hint towards Vanitas having a direct connection with Xehanort's heart or even more likely one of his "heart-seeds" inside him, so that would allow his essence to endure due to this connection.

 

[Xblade13]

I always thought that Vanitas' heart would have found a dark refuge to hide in. Like Ventus did with Sora, that somebody could be Terranort.

That would explain Ansem SoD and KHI Riku using a weapon with similar design to Vanitas' Keyblade...

Another option is that, because he became just a heart, he did the same thing Ansem did. He had a bit of Xehanort in him too (yellow eyes) so anything Xehanort Time should be open to him. He goes back to when YX was training and not using Keyblade Armor. Then he stays with YX all his life as the evil darkness inside him.

Aka the "hearts of darkness" that Xehanort puts in his vessels are actually fragments of Vanitas pure dark heart. Lol.

I don't think Vanitas will be the Thirteenth because I assumed that he was among the hooded figures that weren't confirmed.

 

[VoidGear.]

Considering that Nomura quote about Vanitas being different...
Did he have no body at all before Ventus' heart connected to Sora? And is it proven that he did afterwards or did he only have a face then? I'm a little confused now.

 

[BlackOsprey]

I always thought that Vanitas' heart would have found a dark refuge to hide in. Like Ventus did with Sora, that somebody could be Terranort.

That would explain Ansem SoD and KHI Riku using a weapon with similar design to Vanitas' Keyblade...

I'm not so sure about the Keyblade design, but that would be a good, tidy explanation on why Dark Mode Riku and Vanitas share similar costumes. Although I'm not sure if I want yet another entity stuffed into the awkward amalgamation that is Terranort...

... Then again, maybe not, since Riku got his Dark Mode look before he was completely hijacked by Ansem SoD...

 

[Chuman]

I'm not so sure about the Keyblade design, but that would be a good, tidy explanation on why Dark Mode Riku and Vanitas share similar costumes. Although I'm not sure if I want yet another entity stuffed into the awkward amalgamation that is Terranort...

... Then again, maybe not, since Riku got his Dark Mode look before he was completely hijacked by Ansem SoD...

are you positive? i don't remember him wearing it until he was possesed

 

[VoidGear.]

are you positive? i don't remember him wearing it until he was possesed

Maleficient gave him the power first. He lost it after losing to Sora I think? Then Ansem gave him the power to use the Dark Mode freely. Correct me if I'm wrong tho, but I think thas how it was.

 

[Sephiroth0812]

Considering that Nomura quote about Vanitas being different...
Did he have no body at all before Ventus' heart connected to Sora? And is it proven that he did afterwards or did he only have a face then? I'm a little confused now.

Nomura is speaking about Vanitas' current status, not the time period during or before BBS.

After Ventus defeats him in the first part of the final battle in his story Vanitas clearly states that his "body" is about to perish so it is safe to assume that Vanitas somehow did have a physical presence. (And I mean, ax crazy or not, I'd think that Vanitas would be able to recognize if he has a physical presence or not, lol).
Sora did gain one as well despite his old "original" body running around being piloted by Roxas.

The only thing that changed when Ventus first connected to Sora's newborn heart in the BBS prologue in regards to Vanitas was that he gained Sora's face and hairstyle. That was explained by Nomura in the BBS Ultimania due to despite being a newborn heart made out of Ven's darkness, Vanitas was still connected to Ven's heart and thus got indirectly influenced.
Nomura also gave the example that if it would have been Riku who helped Ven, Vanitas would have looked like Riku.

It is not known/confirmed by any canon source how Vanitas looked like before this.

 

[Chuman]

Maleficient gave him the power first. He lost it after losing to Sora I think? Then Ansem gave him the power to use the Dark Mode freely. Correct me if I'm wrong tho, but I think thas how it was.

i remember him having the powers to an extent but he never explicitly wore the suit and went balls out with his powers until the possession.

 

[VoidGear.]

The only thing that changed when Ventus first connected to Sora's newborn heart in the BBS prologue in regards to Vanitas was that he gained Sora's face and hairstyle. That was explained by Nomura in the BBS Ultimania due to despite being a newborn heart made out of Ven's darkness, Vanitas was still connected to Ven's heart and thus got indirectly influenced.
Nomura also gave the example that if it would have been Riku who helped Ven, Vanitas would have looked like Riku.

Ah yeh, that's the part I remembered. :X If nothings confirmed regarding his body before BBS, k. xD

 

[Chuman]

Ah yeh, that's the part I remembered. :X If nothings confirmed regarding his body before BBS, k. xD

imagine an older dark haired riku. the fangirling would be unbelievable.

 

[VoidGear.]

imagine an older dark haired riku. the fangirling would be unbelievable.

Short-haired then please, tho. Not KH2-style. I suppose it would be. oô

 

[Chuman]

Short-haired then please, tho. Not KH2-style. I suppose it would be. oô

what have i done. the fanart will soon follow.

 

[VoidGear.]

what have i done. the fanart will soon follow.

I can't draw, sadly. Hello anyone out there, we really need someone to draw this!!

Maybe we should go back to the topic. Vessels and shit.

 

[Squood!]

It is not known/confirmed by any canon source how Vanitas looked like before this.

He probably had an infinite amount of masks before having a face lol

 

[VoidGear.]

He probably had an infinite amount of masks before having a face lol

Like a damn shitload of russian dolls. Oh damn it, THAT needs some fanart.
Seriously though, I'd imagine his head would've been close to a heartless' one, maybe.

 

[Chuman]

it probably looked identical to ven, but his heart was so damaged it took the appearence of his savior.