Xehanort's Ears

[Korai]

Throughout the series, one of the telltale signs of someone being or containing a part of Xehanort is that they have pointed ears. Here is a gallery of each of them which shows their ears:

Master Xehanort

Terranort

Braig

Xigbar

Saix

Ansem (not as pointed as the others, but still a bit.)

Xemnas

This is every incarnation of Xehanort except one. And this one Xehanort brings up a question:

Young Xehanort. He is the only one (besides Ansem, arguably) with round ears. I think something must have happened to his heart that causes whatever body it occupies to have pointed ears. I think this could possibly be one of the plot points if this happens to him in KH3. Why do you think every other Xehanort has pointed ears, but he doesn't?

 

[FudgemintGuardian]

I've never noticed this before. Interesting.
I have no idea if there's any meaning behind it, but... Well, I haven't re-watched the cutscenes lately but I remember having the feeling that Young Xehanort isn't exactly evil per say, but just going through the motions. And while it's hard for me to describe, in Dream Drop Distance Ansem seemed less evil to me. I should look up his scenes later so I can hopefully point out what I mean.

 

[The_Echo]

Young Xehanort is him before leaving Destiny Islands and being trained as a Keyblade wielder.

At this point Xehanort hasn't pondered the state of balance between Light and Dark, and hasn't yet forgone his Keyblade Armor and traveled the Lanes Between without protection.

It's possible the pointed ears may be indicative Darkness corrupting or overtaking a heart, rather than just Xehanort's presence within one.

 

[billyzanesucks]

Don't forget Xaldin.

I think the various combinations of eye color, skin color, and ear shape is seriously one of the most complicated issues in the series.

 

[Light]

I don't think it is particularly complicated. It's just a sign: if this guy has round ears, he's probably not occupied by Xehanort. If he has yellow eyes, then the chance is that he's got a hunk of MX inside of him.

 

[billyzanesucks]

I don't think it is particularly complicated. It's just a sign: if this guy has round ears, he's probably not occupied by Xehanort. If he has yellow eyes, then the chance is that he's got a hunk of MX inside of him.

I'm thinking more in absolute terms. First we have YX with gold eyes, round ears and somewhat tanned skin. Then there's MX with pointed ears instead. Then AX has brown eyes. Then Ansem SoD and Xemnas have amber eyes like Ansem the Wise, and Ansem has darker skin and somewhat rounded ears. DiZ also has dark skin. Braig/Xigbar and Saix have gold eyes and pointed ears. Xaldin just has pointed ears. Skin color might be chalked up to darkness, but the way ears and eye color change is definitely odd.

 

[Samhain]

XH's appearance was definitely retconned to look lighter and more like the skin color of the Xehanort's..if you didn't notice in the newer HD games

The only thing that does have me fooled is Young MX's ears. Why are they not pointed? They HAVE to be a sign of darkness because Master Xehanort IS Young MX.

 

[Korai]

XH's appearance was definitely retconned to look lighter and more like the skin color of the Xehanort's..if you didn't notice in the newer HD games

The only thing that does have me fooled is Young MX's ears. Why are they not pointed? They HAVE to be a sign of darkness because Master Xehanort IS Young MX.

who's XH? is that Xehanorts Heartless?
the ear shape could be due to something not yet seen in the series, perhaps YX will be imbued with some sort of evil power which points his ears. A power which has been dormant so far in the series.
Also, im not entirely sure that Xaldins ears are that shape for the same reason, cuz he's reappeared in radiant garden with the others. It might just be a coincidence.

 

[SRKTAVRXAYGDM]

Maybe he's the newest, and ears point over time. Or maybe he's still got some free will in him to be independant of his older self, hence less pointed ears.
By free will, I mean can control his body.

 

[Dreaded_Desire62]

Maybe he's the newest, and ears point over time. Or maybe he's still got some free will in him to be independant of his older self, hence less pointed ears.
By free will, I mean can control his body.

Also, I know this might be unrelated. But, has anybody ever noticed that Xehanort's Heartless and Roxas have similar schemes, but on different parts of their character design? I also think that Sora and Xehanort's Heartless have similar colors, but in 'reverse'. I am not saying that might be the right word. But, Disney has a way with getting their message through color schemes. Look at Scar from the Lion King for example. Sora has brown hair, all of the Xehanort's have dark skin.

 

[Roxie1563]

XH's appearance was definitely retconned to look lighter and more like the skin color of the Xehanort's..if you didn't notice in the newer HD games

The only thing that does have me fooled is Young MX's ears. Why are they not pointed? They HAVE to be a sign of darkness because Master Xehanort IS Young MX.

Stop saying retcon, would you? They updated it, all right?

*Sigh* Young Xehanort is from the past, meaning he didn't have the pointy ears and hasn't got off his home world to be an Key-blade Master. Got it?

 

[Gram]

I just figured that Young Xehanorts ears was cause he was young. Meaning that Xehanorts ears began to point as he reached old age (like how he went bald or started to hunch over).

Since all the other Xehanorts are ones formed in some fashion from the older Master Xehanort it'd make since they all have his pointed old man ears while the youngest version doesn't.

 

[SRKTAVRXAYGDM]

Maybe Xehanort is part elf and by coincedence all his vessles are also part elf. But the ears of these elves only start to point when you get to be around 25.

 

[Korai]

when BBS came out, i thought it was just a spock refrence since MX voice actor played spock in star trek. (hence Master Spockanorts username, lol). and before that i thought it was just to look cool on xemnas and the others, but when terra and braigs ears pointed, I realized it must be because of xehanorts presence in them. but YX is the anomaly and i dont get it...

 

[Ruran]

The pointed ears are somewhat of a mystery at this point. We know they relate to Xehanort but why? Pointed ears aren't common (though neither are golden eyes) but the strange things is that YMX didn't have them is what throws the whole things off. I wanna say it's something as simple as just giving the 'Norts a distinctive feature for the sake of giving them a distinctive feature and for simplifying things. Much like how MX is the only person in existence with yellow/gold eyes (his seeds/counterparts excluded) for the sake if the plot. But YMX not having pointed ears is weird.

Don't forget Xaldin.

I think the various combinations of eye color, skin color, and ear shape is seriously one of the most complicated issues in the series.

He also has violet eyes. You know what that means? He's really Kairi's father! 8D

All things considering in this case I think they're just meant to show that while pointed ears aren't common among "humans" in the KH universe they're not exclusive to Xehanort. They have a droopy look making them distinguishable from Xehanort's and his counterparts which up right. But then again, YMX doesn't have them for whatever reasons so *shugs* iunno.

who's XH? is that Xehanorts Heartless?
the ear shape could be due to something not yet seen in the series, perhaps YX will be imbued with some sort of evil power which points his ears. A power which has been dormant so far in the series.
Also, im not entirely sure that Xaldins ears are that shape for the same reason, cuz he's reappeared in radiant garden with the others. It might just be a coincidence.

Yes, XH is Xehanort's Heartless~

Stop saying retcon, would you? They updated it, all right?

*Sigh* Young Xehanort is from the past, meaning he didn't have the pointy ears and hasn't got off his home world to be an Key-blade Master. Got it?

Eehhh, it's both, it's an update with a retcon included. Since Ansem SoD was the first Xehanort villain introduced in the series, way before Xehanort was even conceived, he's the one doomed to undergo the most changes to accommodate the expanding plot. Otherwise, there'd be no reason to give him an apparent bleaching.

The question is: what made Xehanort's ears pointy in the first place. Clearly they didn't become that way until at least he left the island, but why?

I just figured that Young Xehanorts ears was cause he was young. Meaning that Xehanorts ears began to point as he reached old age (like how he went bald or started to hunch over).

Since all the other Xehanorts are ones formed in some fashion from the older Master Xehanort it'd make since they all have his pointed old man ears while the youngest version doesn't.

I think that's a little iffy not not entirely out of the question.

 

[Changer]

Did Braig or Isa have the ears pre-possesion?

 

[The_Echo]

Did Braig or Isa have the ears pre-possesion?

Isa's were round.

Braig's ears were already kind of pointed, but they became more sharply pointed later.

 

[Samhain]

Stop saying retcon, would you? They updated it, all right?

*Sigh* Young Xehanort is from the past, meaning he didn't have the pointy ears and hasn't got off his home world to be an Key-blade Master. Got it?

Wtf? Hell to the no you just did not give me attitude
"Updating" IS a retcon if you didn't notice

And that doesn't make sense. I thought 'pointy ears' were a sign connected to Xehanort. That's wrong then because YX did NOT have pointy ears, and yet he had yellow eyes. Pointy ears probably appoint to darkness or something. Yellow eyes is influence from Xehanort. YX had yellow eyes before he ever got off DI

 

[Roxie1563]

Wtf? Hell to the no you just did not give me attitude
"Updating" IS a retcon if you didn't notice

And that doesn't make sense. I thought 'pointy ears' were a sign connected to Xehanort. That's wrong then because YX did NOT have pointy ears, and yet he had yellow eyes. Pointy ears probably appoint to darkness or something. Yellow eyes is influence from Xehanort. YX had yellow eyes before he ever got off DI

How the heck do I have to explain this to you so you can understand me? Do I even have to speak slower for ya?

Pointy ears and yellow eyes can be considered a connection to Xehanort and of course, the vessel would have to harbor a piece of Xehanort's heart as well. Young Xehanort is, again, from the past, hence he didn't have pointy ears if you fail to notice that!

As time went on after he got off his home world, he turned to darkness at some point.

 

[billyzanesucks]

Wtf? Hell to the no you just did not give me attitude
"Updating" IS a retcon if you didn't notice

A minor visual update is a retcon, now? Are I.5's live music and altered menu retcons, too?