Fans of theKingdom Heartsseries were devastated to learn thatDark Roadwas shutting down in 2021. It meant that Xehanort’s long-awaited origin story may never see the light of day but, thankfully, Square Enix came up with a solution. They planned to release an offline version of the game and, though it took longer to release than fans hoped, it finally revealed why Xehanort became what he did.
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Kingdom Hearts: Dark Roadtells one of the darkest stories in the series. It documents Xehanort’s journey as a keyblade wielder and the events that led him down his dark path. Much is revealed about why Xehanort embraced the darkness, but some revelations are far more shocking than others.
8His Guardian’s Identity
The ending ofKingdom Hearts: Union X [Cross]showcased the player’s life coming to end. In the hope of saving their friends from the darkness that plagued Daybreak Town, they tricked the four remaining darknesses and, as a result, trapped them in the data version of the world.
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The player then got the option to choose between becoming a Dream Eater or fading into another heart. They choose the latter and were seemingly absorbed into Xehanort’s heart. The climax ofDark Road, however, revealed that the player’s heart was actually absorbed by Xehanort’s guardian, meaning that the player fromUnion X [Cross]is the reason Xehanort grew up in the wooden shack on Destiny Island.
7Xehanort’s True Destiny
The finale ofDark Roadrevealed that both Xehanort’s mother and the player believed him to be a “child of destiny.” According to the player, there is a prophecy that states he will one day prevent darkness from prevailing.
Xehanort fails to comprehend the importance of his guardian’s words at first but eventually grows to understand them. He spends his whole lifebelieving himself to be the child of destiny, only to finally realize thatthe prophecy spoke of Sora. If not for the influence of the Master of Masters, perhaps Xehanort could have fulfilled the destiny he was never destined for.
6The Master Of Masters' Influence
Xehanort first meetsthe Master of Mastersin the Keyblade Graveyard after being rescued by him from a Dark Corridor. The two exchange a few ominous words before the Master asks the young Xehanort to do him a favor.
Before sitting the Mark of Mastery, Xehanort must venture into the outside world to broaden his horizons. The Master scoffs at this idea before encouraging Xehanort to examine the hearts of the people he meets along the way. Xehanort remains skeptical of the strange man but obliges his request, a decision that eventually leads him to embrace the darkness.
5His Unique Power
The player was relatively sure that Xehanort was the prophesied child of destiny before bringing him to Destiny Island, butDark Road’s finale solidified his suspicions. Xehanort can feel what lies in the hearts of others, a power that only a few keyblade wielders are capable of.
The player believed that this ability alone confirmed Xehanort to be the child of destiny, but the climax ofKingdom Hearts 3revealed this to be incorrect. Xehanort could feel the emotions inside someone’s heart and also experiencethe memoriesresiding in their minds. It was because of this ability that he was able to experience the player’s past life in his dreams.
4His Connection To Union X [Cross]
As a young boy, Xehanort’s dreams were plagued by images of the past. These dreams would often depict the player’s life during the events ofUnion X [Cross]and the trials they had to overcome during the Keyblade War. Xehanort began to view the people from his dreams as friends but slowly forgot about them as he grew old.
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Prior to the events ofBirth By Sleep, Xehanort ventured to the Dwarf Woodlands in the hope of learning more about his dreams. He approached the Magic Mirror and asked if the people he dreamed of were real. The Mirror encourages the inquisitive old man to search the Keyblade Graveyard, leading him to discover Ventus.
3His Tragic Loss
Xehanort spent most of his youth studying to become a keyblade master alongsideEraqus and his friends. The group all shared a strong connection and seemed to live happy lives in Scala ad Caelum, but the influence of darkness turned Xehanort’s life upside down.
Baldr, one of Xehanort’s closest friends, became possessed by the darkness after losing his sister. The darkness then used Baldr’s body to murder all of his friends before eventually trying to do the same to Xehanort and Eraqus. Xehanort eventually defeats Baldr and is forced by his master, Odin, to end his life.
2Xehanort’s Master Plan
After exploring the outside worlds in preparation for the Mark of Mastery, Xehanort realizes that one lifetime is much too short. He goes on toexplain to Eraqusthat he would need thirteen lives to rebuild the world, but then remarks that one more would be necessary to experience the new world with his own eyes.
Throughout theKingdom Heartsseries, Xehanort has tried to achieve this childhood dream twice but has failed at both attempts. Each of Xehanort’s lives was ended by Sora, but the fourteenth life he planned to make has yet to be encountered. If Xehanort did manage to create a fourteenth version of himself to see the aftermath of his plan, there is a chance that this fourteenth life could belong to the Master of Masters as they both share similar experiences.
1Xehanort’s Lineage
The player brought Xehanort to Destiny Island as they believed him to be the child of destiny, but it isn’t made clear exactly why they thought this until the game’s final moments. After discovering that Xehanort can feel what lies inside the heart of someone else, the player revealed why he believed Xehanort was the key.
Xehanort is the great-great-grandchild of Emphemer, the founder of Scala ad Caelum and a dear friend of the player. His lineage suggested he would go on to do great things and, though, in some ways he did, the power of darkness weighed too heavy on his heart for him to honor his ancestor’s legacy.
