For those who have finishedKingdom Hearts 3 ReMind, it’s a lot to take in and puts the original game’s ending in to greater perspective, and as with any Nomura creation, there’s elements of subtlety and ambiguity that can easily be missed on the first playthrough.
WithKingdom Hearts 3ReMindproviding closure for several members of the supporting cast, there’s also some smaller details in between that may seem irrelevant or confusing. Truth be told, they’re easy to miss at first, but upon closer inspection these, hidden details could have massive implications on the future of the series. Here are some of the easy-to-miss details fromReMindthat everyKingdom Heartsfan needs to know.Potential Spoilers forKingdom Hearts ReMINDahead.
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Who is Luxord?
Thebeginning ofReMindstarts with a tense moment between Xigbar and Luxord, two of the members of Xehanort’s Organization 13. During Xigbar’s search for the infamous “black box,” Luxord appears, looking to get answers on his current assignment. Luxord presses Xigbar, trying to understand why he would’ve sent Luxord to find the box and what purpose it serves, considering it’s something Xehanort may not even know or care about. He asks Xigbar who he really is, knowing his connection to the box is far more important than just sheer curiosity.
Luxord surprisingly holds back and doesn’t press any further, stating with a smirk that he’s “content to feign ignorance” despite his suspicions. After Luxord leaves, Xigbar mutters under his breath, asking who Luxord truly is. That’s the important bit here, asReMinddives into the characters, specifically deeper into their relationship and backstories. While it’s known Xigbar (Braig) is Luxu from the Foretellers Era and the Keyblade War, this question implies Luxord is more than he seems as well.
Xigbar can’t possibly be the only member of the organization with ulterior motives, as it’s happened before with Axel and Marluxia. Luxord is also one of the few Organization members who’s real name/identity has yet to be discovered inKingdom Heartsyet. There’s another point that could potentially connect to Luxord’s true identity, but that’ll be addressed later on.
The Fight with Yozora is in Shibuya
OnceReMind’s Secret Episode begins, Yozora demands the player’s attentionwith his incredibly difficultKH3boss battle. Sora is transported to his Station of Awakening before the environment shifts and changes and Yozora draws his weapons. Though it’s not expressly stated, the location Sora and Yozora are sent to is more significant than it first appears.
It’s easy to assume they’re both inVerum Rex, the fictional video game world that Yozora’s character is supposedly from. But there’s one defining clue that shows they’re actually in Shibuya, or at least some version of it. The city tower that Sora and Yozora’s battle takes place is the 104 building, a city district in Shibuya fromThe World Ends with You. Even if theKH3player glitches the areathrough questionable means in photo mode, there’s more evidence in the environment art. Several billboards and neon signs in Japanese stand tall over a city center that resembles Shibuya as well.
What’s strange about the world being Shibuya is if compared to the Secret Ending in theKingdom Hearts 3base game, this doesn’t appear to be the same city Yozora was watching Sora and Riku wake up in previously. The monolithic two towers seems to be in a much darker city, or at the very least is very far away from Shibuya’s city center. It could be that Sora and Riku wake up in two different worlds, but the fact that Shibuya is back along with a potentiallyFinal Fantasy Versus 13-inspired world means players could be seeing something completely differentin the nextKingdom Heartsentry.
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Is Yozora actually Yozora?
Keeping withtheKH3Secret Episode, Yozora introduces himself to Sora in a very peculiar and ambiguous way. Sora first wakes up in the Final World and meets up with Yozora in the expanse. From there, Sora recognizes Yozora, but Yozora keeps his guard up and steps back. He asks how Sora recognizes him, and then goes on to tell Sora that he is Yozora, but in his current form is not what Yozora looks like. He then accuses Sora of stealing his own name, clearly expecting Sora to look very different.
This moment is very hard to parse and presents a lot of questions. Yozora as seen inVerum Rexand from Sora’s perspective is not the true Yozora, or at least not the one he understands himself to be. Along with that, Sora appears differently to Yozora than Sora sees himself. It’s very possible this is a difference in perspective on both ends, meaning Yozora sees a different Sora than what the player sees, and vice versa. It’s a brief moment before the taxing boss battle begins, but these little clues bring more questions than answers as towho Yozora truly isand why he’s in The Final World with Sora.
The Final Fantasy Versus 13 Connection
Even more curious is the final scene after theReMindSecret Episode boss battle. Whether the playergets the “good” or “bad” ending, the last scene of the Secret Episode depicts Yozora sleeping in the backseat of a car. He’s awoken by his driver commenting on something, and looks out the opposite window before the scene ends and we’re greeted with the famous quote fromKingdom Hearts: “I’ve been having these weird thoughts lately. Like is any of this for real or not?”
For those who are strictlyKingdom Heartsfans, this scene doesn’t make any semblance of sense. Those who are also fans ofFinal Fantasymight find this scene vaguely familiar. This scene is a direct, shot-for-shot remake of one of the first trailers forFinal Fantasy Versus 13, the precursor project forwhat would eventually becomeFinal Fantasy XV.
This scene on its own would just be a cheeky reference to game director Tetsuya Nomura’s previous project. Everyone thought that aboutVerum Rexuntil players unlocked and watchedKingdom Hearts 3’s Secret Ending. Nomura has stated previously that he wants to incorporate some of theoriginal/conceptual ideas fromFinal Fantasy Versus 13into other projects, soKingdom Heartswould be a proper opportunity for that. This could lead to a greater focus onFinal Fantasyworlds inKingdom Heartsthat aren’t original/unique worlds, a first for the series.
Luxord Knows Yozora, Somehow
Lastly, and perhaps most perplexing, is also involving the final scene in theReMindsecret episode. Aside from thedirect reference toVersus 13, there’s another familiar voice that can be heard during this scene if the player gets the “good” ending (wins the boss fight). The driver that wakes up Yozora in the backseat says “Commander! Impressive, is it not?” to get his attention, as Yozora stares out the window.
The actor behind this driver’s muffled voice is none other than Robin Atkin Downes. For those who don’t know, Downes is also the actor behind Luxord. Granted, Downes is doing a slightly different voice/accent in the scene, but it can’t possibly be a coincidence.Kingdom Heartsdoesn’t change/adjust voice actors unless it’s due to an emergency,like the changing of Xehanort’s actorsmultiple times. A prime example of this is Sora’s actor Haley Joel Osment, who also plays Ventus' evil counterpart Vanitas. One of the twists inKingdom Hearts:Birth By Sleepis that when Vanitas mask breaks and his face is revealed, he resembles Sora.
For better or worse inKingdom Hearts, this revelation is probably the most important tiny detail that’s easily missed on the first playthrough. It means that Luxord, or some version of him, is related to Yozora in some way. Whether that’s his real self, or his current Nobody form posing as Yozora’s subordinate, Luxord knows Yozora well enough. This relates back to earlier when analyzing what Luxord’s true identity could be. It’s possible Luxord was a part of the world ofVerum Rexin his past, but whether that was in his current form as a Nobody, or through his yet unknown true identity.
Since players have gone through andbeatKingdom Hearts ReMind, much ofKingdom Hearts 3’s original story has received significant closure and context. But like anyKingdom Heartsstory, as many loose ends are tied up, more questions arise. These few details here are subtle, but could have a significant on the future of the series and whereKingdom Heartswill go next.
Kingdom Hearts 3 ReMindis available now on PS4 and available on Xbox One February 25.
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