What Exactly IS a Guardian of Light?

[Ruran]

Note: This isn't a topic about who you think the GoL are, it's about what defines one. I feel that I should emphasize this because I know how easily it can go in that territory and it can go on forever.

I have yet to play 3D nor watch any playthroughs of it and the cutscenes I've seen are sparse. I've learned most of the major plot points via summaries, wikis, and forums but the information I find on GoL is vapid and a solid definition as to what one is eludes me. At its most basic I understand it's a Keyblade wielder, there's a magic seven, and that they're needed for X-Blade stew but other than that the information I've seen is conflicted. Aside from the typical where I see the fandom beat each other over the head over who's a GoL and who's not, some more passionate and steadfast than others, no one can seem to agree on how to even define a GoL to begin with either.

I've heard the arguments that the GoL are the PoH (I can already figure that this isn't the case), they're the wielders we saw in 3D's opening, PoH can't be GoL because "A" "B" "C", PoH make great GoL because "A" "B" "C", to be one you have to take the MoM/be a master, you have to have a pure heart/near pure heart of light, you have to be chosen by one of the X-Blades fragments, all wielders who defend the light are GoL but only a select few will be included in X-Blade stew, who is and who isn't a GoL alternates as destiny needs them to, etc, etc, etc.

You get the picture, it's really muddled and I don't know how to sort through all the chaos. Is there even a solid definition at this point? I know that Nomura likes to wave his arms and go "It's a myyyyyyyssssssteryyyyyyyyyyy! I want you to use your:

"

and for that purpose he hasn't revealed yet who exactly the special seven are but are the criteria for what makes a GoL as elusive?

 

[Taochan]

I have yet to play 3D nor watch any playthroughs of it and the cutscenes I've seen are sparse. I've learned most of the major plot points via summaries, wikis, and forums but the information I find on GoL is vapid and a solid definition as to what one is eludes me.

There's no actual definition at this point.

At its most basic I understand it's a Keyblade wielder, there's a magic seven, and that they're needed for X-Blade stew but other than that the information I've seen is conflicted.

So, pretty much there is no limit to how many Lights there are. Sora is currently considered one but MX was trying to turn him into a Darkness, and Terra was formerly considered one but he's currently a Darkness. MX needs seven Lights but it doesn't matter who they are. I know people keep throwing out the idea that they are specifically chosen by destiny (looking at the wiki here), but this is in no way stated during the game. The fact it didn't matter which side Sora was on pretty much proves that it's not true.

[video=youtube_share;T9AccKKNN54]http://youtu.be/T9AccKKNN54?t=17m34s[/video]

Skip to 17:36

Aside from the typical where I see the fandom beat each other over the head over who's a GoL and who's not, some more passionate and steadfast than others, no one can seem to agree on how to even define a GoL to begin with either.

It's just a Keyblade wielder aligned with the Light.

I've heard the arguments that the GoL are the PoH (I can already figure that this isn't the case),

Yeah, I don't know where people are getting this concept from.

they're the wielders we saw in 3D's opening,

Technically, yeah. They are. But are they the ones that will be used to form the X-Blade? That's another story. Roxas is currently in no condition to be able to, so he's replaced with Lea. Terra is also currently out of commission so he's replaced with Kairi. (These two seem a lot harder to save than Aqua and Ven.)

PoH can't be GoL because "A" "B" "C", PoH make great GoL because "A" "B" "C",

You're talking about Princesses of Heart here, right? This part is a bit confusing. I mean, it's alluded that Kairi is going to be a Light but she's unique. The other Princesses aren't wielders.

to be one you have to take the MoM/be a master,

Unfortunately the current candidates for Lights have three wielders who have passed the MoM and three official Masters/four Master status wielders (throwing Sora a bone here), so this is already a debunked theory.

you have to have a pure heart/near pure heart of light,

I think this theory stems from Ven and Vanitas. While I can understand the confusion, MX made it very clear that he was foolish for attempting that method to create the X-blade. A heart of pure light is incredibly rare; only the Princesses of Heart and Ven have been confirmed to have them and Ven's was forcibly split/fractured.

you have to be chosen by one of the X-Blades fragments, all wielders who defend the light are GoL but only a select few will be included in X-Blade stew, who is and who isn't a GoL alternates as destiny needs them to, etc, etc, etc.

That would be a lot more interesting, but that's never even suggested in the game.

 

[Nayru's Love]

What I like about the 7 GoL/13 SoD concept is that anyone can be either or. Unlike the PoH, who are special inherently, you have to earn your place as a GoL/SoD instead of inheriting special traits. Kinda like how Sora was just a normal boy at first, yet he earned his place as a hero of light through his actions.

 

[Smithee]

A heart of pure light is incredibly rare; only the Princesses of Heart and Ven have been confirmed to have them and Ven's was forcibly split/fractured.

Why do I get the feeling we're eventually going to see anti-Darkness vigilantes doing the same to their own Hearts?

 

[AdrianXXII]

Like others have said it seems there are no chosen ones or anything, so basically they're just Seven wielders that will defend the light. I would how ever think that a heart with a lot of light in your heart would probably be also a criteria.

 

[kupo1121]

Like others have said it seems there are no chosen ones or anything, so basically they're just Seven wielders that will defend the light. I would how ever think that a heart with a lot of light in your heart would probably be also a criteria.

I don't know if it is that vague lol, because there have been a bunch of wielders who defended the light (Eraqus) but I wouldn't say he would ever be considered a GoL. IDK, I'm pretty sure we don't know the full story yet and more criteria will be revealed, but as it stands, I feel like they are definitely inherently special somehow, but there are a bunch of people who are inherently special and thus are all candidates...hope I'm not confusing anyone >_<

 

[Nayru's Love]

I don't know if it is that vague lol, because there have been a bunch of wielders who defended the light (Eraqus) but I wouldn't say he would ever be considered a GoL. IDK, I'm pretty sure we don't know the full story yet and more criteria will be revealed, but as it stands, I feel like they are definitely inherently special somehow, but there are a bunch of people who are inherently special and thus are all candidates...hope I'm not confusing anyone >_<

Saying that the GoL are inherently special is the same as saying that there's a key similarity that they all share regarding their births/creations (ex. the seven PoH being born with hearts of pure light). Or, that they had their anatomies altered by the same external factors (ex. having another heart enter your body). That would already eliminate Aqua and Mickey as potential candidates, since there's nothing inherently special about them.

 

[Ruran]

Thanks a bunch for clearing this up guys, I was confused for a while.

 

[Taochan]

I don't know if it is that vague lol, because there have been a bunch of wielders who defended the light (Eraqus) but I wouldn't say he would ever be considered a GoL. IDK, I'm pretty sure we don't know the full story yet and more criteria will be revealed, but as it stands, I feel like they are definitely inherently special somehow, but there are a bunch of people who are inherently special and thus are all candidates...hope I'm not confusing anyone >_<

We'll probably get a legitimate definition for a Light in KH3 but right now all we know for certain is that they're a wielder aligned with Light.

 

[kupo1121]

That would already eliminate Aqua and Mickey as potential candidates, since there's nothing inherently special about them.

We don't know if there is something inherently special about them, but it is entirely possible that they both do have something that hasn't been revealed yet.

 

[Nayru's Love]

Possible? Yes. Plausible? No.

 

[Sephiroth0812]

There have already been hints at something special for them though. I remember Nomura stating in an older interview in the Director's Secret Report XIII that darkness cannot really swallow Mickey and that he's similar to Riku in this regard as they share "secret similarities".
Aqua on the other hand was identified as suitable raw X-blade material already in BBS.

 

[Nayru's Love]

Can't really say much about Mickey, but I don't think there's much room for speculation as to why Aqua would have been an X-Blade component. Given that her strength is at least equivalent to that of a Keyblade Master, I'd go so far as to say that she'd easily survive having her heart fractured like that. With that in mind, I wouldn't consider Aqua's strength to be that "special" compared to the perks of other characters in the series.

 

[AdrianXXII]

Can't really say much about Mickey, but I don't think there's much room for speculation as to why Aqua would have been an X-Blade component. Given that her strength is at least equivalent to that of a Keyblade Master, I'd go so far as to say that she'd easily survive having her heart fractured like that. With that in mind, I wouldn't consider Aqua's strength to be that "special" compared to the perks of other characters in the series.

Wasn't the reason why Aqua was considered a potential component the fact that her heart had a very strong light and very little darkness. After all she was considered, when the plan to create the X-Blade was still for Vanitas' pure dark heart to merge with Ventus' heart of pure light.

 

[Nayru's Love]

Wasn't the reason why Aqua was considered a potential component the fact that her heart had a very strong light and very little darkness. After all she was considered, when the plan to create the X-Blade was still for Vanitas' pure dark heart to merge with Ventus' heart of pure light.

Kinda what I was implying, although "strong light" may actually be the more appropriate term. Point still stands, though.

 

[Zettaflare]

There have already been hints at something special for them though. I remember Nomura stating in an older interview in the Director's Secret Report XIII that darkness cannot really swallow Mickey and that he's similar to Riku in this regard as they share "secret similarities".
Aqua on the other hand was identified as suitable raw X-blade material already in BBS.

Sephiroth your stating riku and mickey have similarities gives me the impression that mickey has used the power of darkness before. What do you think?

 

[Taochan]

Sephiroth your stating riku and mickey have similarities gives me the impression that mickey has used the power of darkness before. What do you think?

We've never seen any indication of that in the series.

 

[rac7d]

We've never seen any indication of that in the series.

What about his keyblade?
And wasnt it nomura who said mickey and riku have an unreavealed similarity.
I had guessed it was sealing thier hearts from dark corruption, somthing aqua has also apprently achieved. Additionally they are all our current masters, is that a coincidence?

 

[Ruran]

What about his keyblade?
And wasnt it nomura who said mickey and riku have an unreavealed similarity.
I had guessed it was sealing thier hearts from dark corruption, somthing aqua has also apprently achieved. Additionally they are all our current masters, is that a coincidence?

Regardless of where a Keyblade hails it has no particular alliance with the light, darkness, etc. It goes to whom ever it deems worthy.

I don't recall reading about Nomura hinting at a particular similarity between Riku and Mickey but that's more ignorance on my part though. Sauce plez?

 

[Nayru's Love]

As for the Nobodies who have no heart and the King and Riku, using these paths many times doesn't concern them. Why doesn't the darkness progressively swallow them you ask? There are secret similarities between the two that are talked about in the game.

I'd imagine it's in relevance to Mickey's ability to wield the Kingdom Key D, which he gained literally right after meeting with Riku in the RoD.