Post by Eoko on Oct 15, 2006 23:11:39 GMT -5
The Heart in Kindgom Hearts: Why Nobodies Can Feel
The heart that resides inside the chest and the Heart referred to in Kingdom Hearts are not one and the same. In fact, the very notion that they could be is impossible. The biological heart is a muscle which has the sole responsibility of pumping blood throughout our bodies. The Kingdom Hearts Heart, on the other hand, has not been given a definite function. There are allusions to what the Heart can do, but nothing proven or concrete. The purpose of this essay is to separate the biological heart from that referred to in the game series, Kingdom Hearts, and to determine possible capabilities of that Heart.
Firstly, to understand the difference we must look at the basics. Those basics are the functions and working of the biological heart. The heart is a muscle that sits just to the left of the center of the chest. It is part of the cardiopulmonary system. The heart pumps blood throughout the body via veins and arteries. Arteries travel from the heart to the lungs where the red blood cells pick up oxygen and carry that to the muscles in our bodies. The veins work in reverse, carrying blood vessels to the lungs where carbon dioxide is released and then back to the heart. This system is vital to beings and should biological hearts be damaged of removed, people die.
This is not so in Kingdom Hearts. As shown in Kingdom Hearts II people can lose their Hearts and be reborn as Nobodies. Ansem the Wise states that life is created from three parts: body, soul, heart (Secret Ansem Report 3). In that same report, Ansem also states that if a person loses their soul they die, yet asks the question “what of the soul and body left behind when the heart is lost”. This goes to show that the Heart is not a vital part of living, and thus not in any connection to the biological heart.
At this point I would like to make an aside and discuss what Nobodies are according to Yen Sid and Ansem the Wise. Yen Sid’s purpose in Kingdom Hearts II is to fill Sora and Co. (Read: the player) in on the new enemies known as Nobodies. The initial discussion is on Dusks, a lesser form of Nobodies. According to Yen Sid, Dusks are empty vessels whose hearts have been stolen away; a spirit that goes on even as it’s body fades from existence (kh2_yensidstower, KH2-Vids). He goes on to say that Nobodies may seem to have feelings, but it is a ruse, and that they only pretend to have Hearts. After this discussion he describes the stronger Nobodies, then switches over to the Organization with a defined “But- The beings you see before you now are different”. In my opinion this statement does not exclusively refer to the power of the Nobodies versus the Organization, but also to the ability to feel.
Ansem the Wise describes Nobodies in great detail in his Secret Ansem Reports, as well as the isolated Nobody phenomenon surrounding Sora and Kairi. Nobodies in general are created when somebody loses their Heart. Their body and soul fade from their realm – the Realm of Light – and are reborn elsewhere – The Realm of Darkness. Those with strong Hearts retain much of their prior form (Secret Ansem Report 7).
Let us take a moment a moment to look at a couple of facts that are easily observed by any player of Kingdom Hearts. Firstly, when a Heartless is killed, a sparkling, pink Heart is released. This can be seen when a Boss Heartless is defeated in Kingdom Hearts I and throughout in Kingdom Hearts II. Another fact is that Nobodies have no Hearts. So, look at these words and what the respective beings are made up of. Heartless is a combination of two words meaning lacking a Heart. This is in fact false. Heartless are created from darkness and a living/manufactured Hearts (Secret Ansem Report 5). Nobody is also a combination of words; no and body. Obviously this means lacking a body. However, the structure of a Nobody was previously discussed as consisting of body and soul, and lacking a Heart. In summation, a Heartless is in possession of a Heart and a Nobody most certainly has a body. So, now that we’ve contradicted the sole relationship between beings and given names, let us continue.
When a Heartless is born the original being disappears from the realm of light, to be reborn as and entirely new being in a completely different realm, and a Nobody is born (Secret Ansem Report 6). Again, weak Hearted Nobodies lose their human forms and change shape, much like the Heartless. Only the strong Hearted can retain their human form (Secret Ansem Report 7). Sora and Kairi are special exceptions to the rule. They have original forms as well as Nobodies. Namine, the Nobody of Kairi is special in many ways. Because Kairi is a Princess of Heart, she has no Darkness in her Heart, and thus could not have produced a Heartless when her Heart left her body and migrated into Sora. Because Kairi is a Princess of Heart her body remained in the Realm of Light (Secret Ansem Report 9). Namine is a further contradiction to the general rule, as she was created when Sora used his Keyblade on himself, releasing both is own Heart and Kairi’s. Ansem the Wise hypothesizes that this action caused Namine to be born of Kairi’s Heart and of Sora’s body and soul (Secret Ansem Report 10). Sora is also an anomaly. As he willingly gave up his Heart to free Kairi’s, he retained his sense of self when he became a Heartless. Roxas was born as his Nobody, but because of his sense of self and the quick regaining of his original form, he kept both his form in the Realm of Light as well as his Nobody, Roxas, in the Realm of Darkness (Secret Ansem Report 10). These two cases are exceptional and rare. Generally, beings that lose their Hearts fade from the Realm of Light, and their body is reborn in the Realm of Darkness as a Nobody with memories of their previous forms intact.
I hope as this point we have all come to the conclusion that the biological heart and the Heart are very different things. The only question remaining then is what the Heart really does. As said by Ansem, and referred to previously, a being consists of body, soul and Heart. A Heartless has also been defined in depth. Xehanort, Ansem’s apprentice sheds some light on the functioning, or more accurately, the non-functioning, of the Heart. He notes in Ansem Report 3 that “they are entirely devoid of emotion”. Throughout his reports, Xehanort describes the Heart of the World, and of all things and all worlds. Every living being has a Heart. A creature made of darkness and a Heart have no emotion, yet according to Yen Sid as interpreted by Sora, Nobodies have no emotion. So then, if creatures with a Heart, and creatures without both show no emotions, the Heart cannot be solely responsible for this trait. In regard to Heartless, and in my opinion, to the Heart of Words, the Heart seems more like a power supply than a device to toss out emotions.
A soul, however, is the key element of life according to Ansem, and without it a being dies. So then a soul must be the true life force, and the Heart merely a sort of energy; more a will power than true fundamental power. Heartless draw their life force from the darkness, born from it and to where they return. They are beings of instinct; collecting other Hearts is their drive. They have no emotion. A Nobody does have a body and a soul; a vessel and a life force. These beings are not whole however. They are lacking a Heart and thus find themselves incomplete. This hypothesis of the Heart beings a source of power is also believed by Xemnas, who states this at the end of the game when he “merges” with Kingdom Hearts.
Perhaps a Heart does nothing by itself. With a Heart combined with darkness it may work only as a compass, showing the creatures what they seek and helping to drive their instincts. With a Heart combined with body and soul you of course have a fully functioning being. But what of a body and soul with no Heart? What element of the whole is lost with that one piece of the puzzle? In Kingdom Hearts it is generally assumed that they have no feelings, and that they, the Organization, are attempting to trick Sora. However, the game is played through Sora. We only hear what he hears, and lose what he loses. He strongly believes that Nobodies have no Hearts and thus no feelings, giving no credence to Yen Sid’s warning of the difference in the Organization members and normal Nobodies. Also with Donald, it is driven into the player’s mind that they have no feelings at all, which given their behavior is impossible.
Yen Sid explains that the Organization is a group of extremely powerful Nobodies who have formed into a tight knit group and are working toward an unknown goal. This goal is later determined to be the regaining of their lost Hearts. It cannot be said that it is the instinct of a Nobody to seek out their lost Heart, as lesser Nobodies sole drive is to attack people (kh2_yensidstower, KH2-Vids). Therefore the Organization definitely has a goal, a desire to find and reclaim their lost Hearts. To desire something, to yearn and grieve over something lost requires feelings and emotions. Without feeling the loss of their Hearts, and without a desire to get them back, the Organization simply would not have the drive to consider a goal, let alone attempt to achieve it.
Further examples of the falsehood of the Organization lacking emotion is in the way they behave. Axel, for example, is full of emotions, and visibly displays them. He is sad when Roxas does not remember him, joyful when he thinks he has regained his memory, and hurt when Roxas finally remembers but it is too late (Twilight Town – Roxas, KH2-Vids). Axel further demonstrates sorrow in the flashback of Roxas leaving, and freely admits his feelings of friendship towards the thirteenth member upon his, assumed, final defeat via his own powerful fire attack versus the Dusks. Axel also demonstrates worry or fear upon Saïx locating him in Hollow Bastion (kh2_hb5english, KH2-Vids). Saïx, the usually stoic character, also shows his longing for his Heart more than once. Once, after lecturing at Sora and summoning Heartless for the Keyblade Wielder to destroy, he watches the Hearts float into the sky with a longing or pleased look on his face. This desire to find his own Heart again is further displayed when Sora defeats him in The World that Never Was. He reaches up to the Heart shaped moon the Organization call ‘Kingdom Hearts’ and wonders aloud, “Why, Kingdom Hearts? Where is my Heart?” Even the most emotionless seeming characters of the Organization display feelings.
Another almost purely emotionally driven Organization member is Demyx. He is often cheery and would rather avoid a fight. He showed fear when running through the Underworld. He often says that they chose the wrong guy when sending him on missions, sighing and showing a lack of self esteem, or possibly disappointment. His feelings are easily hurt and his emotions are often exaggerated by his body language (kh2_hb5english, KH2-Vids).
Not a single member of the Organization shows absolutely no emotions, and though several do say things in reference to having no hearts and no feelings, these are often accompanied with a joking undertone. Upon Axel’s final defeat/fading, Sora tells him he’ll be able to apologize to Kairi himself. He replies with a “think I’ll pass. My heart just wouldn’t be in it, you know? Haven’t got one” followed by a hearty chuckle. He also says his fading is because he put his whole being into his last attack, “not that Nobodies HAVE beings… right?” which we’ve all realized is false, as they consist of, really, the two most essential pieces of a whole (kh2_twilight3english, KH2-Vids). It is very possible that the Organization members are just intelligent and witty, using a play on the symbolism of the heart in regard to the lose of their Heart. Six of the members are scientists after all.
Some people argue that all these displayed emotions are simply acting. Emotional responses that occur in sometimes mundane situations, and sometimes with no one who they would need to act for. When Axel approaches Roxas alone, what purpose would false and acted emotions have? None. He displays only what he truly feels. These same people find proof of their hypothesis in the fact that the Organization members change their tone, or character quickly. These occurrences are most easily observed when Demyx is reading from his card in the Underworld, during his second battle with Sora, and the various members calling Roxas a traitor. In regard to the mission card Demyx reads, he heavily exaggerating the word ‘aggression’ and keeps a slightly angry tone until the end of that sentence. During his second meeting with Sora in Hollow Bastion he turns back to the group of heros and says firmly, “silence traitor”. Xigbar also uses the word traitor, emphasizing above his normal tone. Why do they do this? My opinion is that it was somewhat forced on them. Xigbar and Demyx are quite lighthearted characters, Demyx especially.
What would cause them to use such a cruel word and tone when talking to Roxas in Sora? Other characters as well as these two have shown they wanted Roxas to come back to the Organization and that he was well liked. Luxord voices disbelief that “Roxas” would defeat him, showing a possible friendship there as well. So why this angry tone in their voices? Forced perhaps? Who would have no qualms voicing distain over a traitor’s actions? Someone cold and collected perhaps? Saïx certainly fits the personality. Also, he is often depicted as Xemnas’s number two and right hand man, despite the fact he is actual number seven in the Organization. Would it not seem like the moon obsessed Berserker to make sure the softer hearted members stay true to the collective appearance the Organization must keep. This is all conjecture, of course, but what is more likely? Characters that have shown that they are not cruel at all, and often pleasant individuals changing on a dime, and over the same topic no less; or, characters that have been lectured on their behaviour when faced with a specific topic. Does Demyx sound like himself when he demands silence, or does he seem more like a poor imitation of Saïx? This is a conclusion you have to draw on your own.
Another argument is that Xemnas, at the end of the game, agrees with Sora’s comment to them having no feelings. However, he does not agree in the way people assume. Let us look at what he says exactly. After Sora states his opinion Xemnas agrees, saying, “you don’t miss a thing. I cannot feel – sorrow…” Later, when Sora asks him if he remembers the other feelings inside the Heart – not just anger or hate – he answers with, “unfortunately… I don’t.” Is this because Xemnas is a Nobody? The answer is no. Nobodies, except for Namine, remember their former selves from the Realm of Light. Xemnas is different for not the same reason as Namine. He, as Xehanort, was rescued from death’s doorstep by Ansem the Wise and nursed back to health. Ansem notes in Secret Ansem Report 1 that Xehanort had lost all his memories at that time, but later showed remarkable intellectual curiosity. Xehanort became an apprentice and absorbed Ansem’s teachings, gaining deep wisdom. Ansem further notes that Xehanort exhibits extraordinary talents, talents he finds to be even too extraordinary, and perhaps even superhuman.
How then can we even hope to compare this leader to the others in the Organization? He is not necessarily even human to begin with, having some sort of power before even becoming a Heartless of a Nobody. On top of this, he had forgotten all his memories before becoming Ansem’s apprentice, and personalizes Sora’s statement to his lack of ability to feel. As a leader, he no doubt brings the others under an umbrella of his own understanding. He may in fact believe that Nobodies as a whole cannot feel, and may force that onto the others. And what should a Nobody do when their leader says one thing and they feel another? Any good subordinate would voice the word of their leader out of respect to the outside world. Xemnas, however, does have a drive, and knows the feelings of envy and hate and rage. So then, is it only the feeling from his past that he lost that he cannot feel? It is instinct to feel. We rely on feelings. Fear and apprehension can save our lives, trust and caring are vital to the social structure of human beings. When Ansem told Xehanort to stop his research and destroy their findings, did hate and anger cloud everything else?
There are many questions that cannot be answered, as this in just a game, and the evidence is limited. Perhaps the creators may get wind of this essay and could enlighten us as to the rest, or perhaps it will all be revealed in the next game. It is also possible, and probable that a fair bit of detail has been lost in the translation from Japanese to English. But, based on what I have seen, read, picked apart and re-observed, it is impossible to assume that the Nobodies of the Organization simply cannot feel. Even if, as Sora suggests, they rely on memories to ignite their feelings, they do still feel. They still have drive, desire and wishes. Their feelings can be hurt and their pride wounded. They are still beings of body and soul. A Heart is never defined. There are multiple theories on what it does and does not do, and there is further complication with the use of symbolism of the heart. The simple fact is they show all these things that require them to feel, and thus must. Even though Xemnas feels only negative emotions he still feels, just as they all do. No matter what the Heart may, or may not do, it does not govern feelings.
The heart that resides inside the chest and the Heart referred to in Kingdom Hearts are not one and the same. In fact, the very notion that they could be is impossible. The biological heart is a muscle which has the sole responsibility of pumping blood throughout our bodies. The Kingdom Hearts Heart, on the other hand, has not been given a definite function. There are allusions to what the Heart can do, but nothing proven or concrete. The purpose of this essay is to separate the biological heart from that referred to in the game series, Kingdom Hearts, and to determine possible capabilities of that Heart.
Firstly, to understand the difference we must look at the basics. Those basics are the functions and working of the biological heart. The heart is a muscle that sits just to the left of the center of the chest. It is part of the cardiopulmonary system. The heart pumps blood throughout the body via veins and arteries. Arteries travel from the heart to the lungs where the red blood cells pick up oxygen and carry that to the muscles in our bodies. The veins work in reverse, carrying blood vessels to the lungs where carbon dioxide is released and then back to the heart. This system is vital to beings and should biological hearts be damaged of removed, people die.
This is not so in Kingdom Hearts. As shown in Kingdom Hearts II people can lose their Hearts and be reborn as Nobodies. Ansem the Wise states that life is created from three parts: body, soul, heart (Secret Ansem Report 3). In that same report, Ansem also states that if a person loses their soul they die, yet asks the question “what of the soul and body left behind when the heart is lost”. This goes to show that the Heart is not a vital part of living, and thus not in any connection to the biological heart.
At this point I would like to make an aside and discuss what Nobodies are according to Yen Sid and Ansem the Wise. Yen Sid’s purpose in Kingdom Hearts II is to fill Sora and Co. (Read: the player) in on the new enemies known as Nobodies. The initial discussion is on Dusks, a lesser form of Nobodies. According to Yen Sid, Dusks are empty vessels whose hearts have been stolen away; a spirit that goes on even as it’s body fades from existence (kh2_yensidstower, KH2-Vids). He goes on to say that Nobodies may seem to have feelings, but it is a ruse, and that they only pretend to have Hearts. After this discussion he describes the stronger Nobodies, then switches over to the Organization with a defined “But- The beings you see before you now are different”. In my opinion this statement does not exclusively refer to the power of the Nobodies versus the Organization, but also to the ability to feel.
Ansem the Wise describes Nobodies in great detail in his Secret Ansem Reports, as well as the isolated Nobody phenomenon surrounding Sora and Kairi. Nobodies in general are created when somebody loses their Heart. Their body and soul fade from their realm – the Realm of Light – and are reborn elsewhere – The Realm of Darkness. Those with strong Hearts retain much of their prior form (Secret Ansem Report 7).
Let us take a moment a moment to look at a couple of facts that are easily observed by any player of Kingdom Hearts. Firstly, when a Heartless is killed, a sparkling, pink Heart is released. This can be seen when a Boss Heartless is defeated in Kingdom Hearts I and throughout in Kingdom Hearts II. Another fact is that Nobodies have no Hearts. So, look at these words and what the respective beings are made up of. Heartless is a combination of two words meaning lacking a Heart. This is in fact false. Heartless are created from darkness and a living/manufactured Hearts (Secret Ansem Report 5). Nobody is also a combination of words; no and body. Obviously this means lacking a body. However, the structure of a Nobody was previously discussed as consisting of body and soul, and lacking a Heart. In summation, a Heartless is in possession of a Heart and a Nobody most certainly has a body. So, now that we’ve contradicted the sole relationship between beings and given names, let us continue.
When a Heartless is born the original being disappears from the realm of light, to be reborn as and entirely new being in a completely different realm, and a Nobody is born (Secret Ansem Report 6). Again, weak Hearted Nobodies lose their human forms and change shape, much like the Heartless. Only the strong Hearted can retain their human form (Secret Ansem Report 7). Sora and Kairi are special exceptions to the rule. They have original forms as well as Nobodies. Namine, the Nobody of Kairi is special in many ways. Because Kairi is a Princess of Heart, she has no Darkness in her Heart, and thus could not have produced a Heartless when her Heart left her body and migrated into Sora. Because Kairi is a Princess of Heart her body remained in the Realm of Light (Secret Ansem Report 9). Namine is a further contradiction to the general rule, as she was created when Sora used his Keyblade on himself, releasing both is own Heart and Kairi’s. Ansem the Wise hypothesizes that this action caused Namine to be born of Kairi’s Heart and of Sora’s body and soul (Secret Ansem Report 10). Sora is also an anomaly. As he willingly gave up his Heart to free Kairi’s, he retained his sense of self when he became a Heartless. Roxas was born as his Nobody, but because of his sense of self and the quick regaining of his original form, he kept both his form in the Realm of Light as well as his Nobody, Roxas, in the Realm of Darkness (Secret Ansem Report 10). These two cases are exceptional and rare. Generally, beings that lose their Hearts fade from the Realm of Light, and their body is reborn in the Realm of Darkness as a Nobody with memories of their previous forms intact.
I hope as this point we have all come to the conclusion that the biological heart and the Heart are very different things. The only question remaining then is what the Heart really does. As said by Ansem, and referred to previously, a being consists of body, soul and Heart. A Heartless has also been defined in depth. Xehanort, Ansem’s apprentice sheds some light on the functioning, or more accurately, the non-functioning, of the Heart. He notes in Ansem Report 3 that “they are entirely devoid of emotion”. Throughout his reports, Xehanort describes the Heart of the World, and of all things and all worlds. Every living being has a Heart. A creature made of darkness and a Heart have no emotion, yet according to Yen Sid as interpreted by Sora, Nobodies have no emotion. So then, if creatures with a Heart, and creatures without both show no emotions, the Heart cannot be solely responsible for this trait. In regard to Heartless, and in my opinion, to the Heart of Words, the Heart seems more like a power supply than a device to toss out emotions.
A soul, however, is the key element of life according to Ansem, and without it a being dies. So then a soul must be the true life force, and the Heart merely a sort of energy; more a will power than true fundamental power. Heartless draw their life force from the darkness, born from it and to where they return. They are beings of instinct; collecting other Hearts is their drive. They have no emotion. A Nobody does have a body and a soul; a vessel and a life force. These beings are not whole however. They are lacking a Heart and thus find themselves incomplete. This hypothesis of the Heart beings a source of power is also believed by Xemnas, who states this at the end of the game when he “merges” with Kingdom Hearts.
Perhaps a Heart does nothing by itself. With a Heart combined with darkness it may work only as a compass, showing the creatures what they seek and helping to drive their instincts. With a Heart combined with body and soul you of course have a fully functioning being. But what of a body and soul with no Heart? What element of the whole is lost with that one piece of the puzzle? In Kingdom Hearts it is generally assumed that they have no feelings, and that they, the Organization, are attempting to trick Sora. However, the game is played through Sora. We only hear what he hears, and lose what he loses. He strongly believes that Nobodies have no Hearts and thus no feelings, giving no credence to Yen Sid’s warning of the difference in the Organization members and normal Nobodies. Also with Donald, it is driven into the player’s mind that they have no feelings at all, which given their behavior is impossible.
Yen Sid explains that the Organization is a group of extremely powerful Nobodies who have formed into a tight knit group and are working toward an unknown goal. This goal is later determined to be the regaining of their lost Hearts. It cannot be said that it is the instinct of a Nobody to seek out their lost Heart, as lesser Nobodies sole drive is to attack people (kh2_yensidstower, KH2-Vids). Therefore the Organization definitely has a goal, a desire to find and reclaim their lost Hearts. To desire something, to yearn and grieve over something lost requires feelings and emotions. Without feeling the loss of their Hearts, and without a desire to get them back, the Organization simply would not have the drive to consider a goal, let alone attempt to achieve it.
Further examples of the falsehood of the Organization lacking emotion is in the way they behave. Axel, for example, is full of emotions, and visibly displays them. He is sad when Roxas does not remember him, joyful when he thinks he has regained his memory, and hurt when Roxas finally remembers but it is too late (Twilight Town – Roxas, KH2-Vids). Axel further demonstrates sorrow in the flashback of Roxas leaving, and freely admits his feelings of friendship towards the thirteenth member upon his, assumed, final defeat via his own powerful fire attack versus the Dusks. Axel also demonstrates worry or fear upon Saïx locating him in Hollow Bastion (kh2_hb5english, KH2-Vids). Saïx, the usually stoic character, also shows his longing for his Heart more than once. Once, after lecturing at Sora and summoning Heartless for the Keyblade Wielder to destroy, he watches the Hearts float into the sky with a longing or pleased look on his face. This desire to find his own Heart again is further displayed when Sora defeats him in The World that Never Was. He reaches up to the Heart shaped moon the Organization call ‘Kingdom Hearts’ and wonders aloud, “Why, Kingdom Hearts? Where is my Heart?” Even the most emotionless seeming characters of the Organization display feelings.
Another almost purely emotionally driven Organization member is Demyx. He is often cheery and would rather avoid a fight. He showed fear when running through the Underworld. He often says that they chose the wrong guy when sending him on missions, sighing and showing a lack of self esteem, or possibly disappointment. His feelings are easily hurt and his emotions are often exaggerated by his body language (kh2_hb5english, KH2-Vids).
Not a single member of the Organization shows absolutely no emotions, and though several do say things in reference to having no hearts and no feelings, these are often accompanied with a joking undertone. Upon Axel’s final defeat/fading, Sora tells him he’ll be able to apologize to Kairi himself. He replies with a “think I’ll pass. My heart just wouldn’t be in it, you know? Haven’t got one” followed by a hearty chuckle. He also says his fading is because he put his whole being into his last attack, “not that Nobodies HAVE beings… right?” which we’ve all realized is false, as they consist of, really, the two most essential pieces of a whole (kh2_twilight3english, KH2-Vids). It is very possible that the Organization members are just intelligent and witty, using a play on the symbolism of the heart in regard to the lose of their Heart. Six of the members are scientists after all.
Some people argue that all these displayed emotions are simply acting. Emotional responses that occur in sometimes mundane situations, and sometimes with no one who they would need to act for. When Axel approaches Roxas alone, what purpose would false and acted emotions have? None. He displays only what he truly feels. These same people find proof of their hypothesis in the fact that the Organization members change their tone, or character quickly. These occurrences are most easily observed when Demyx is reading from his card in the Underworld, during his second battle with Sora, and the various members calling Roxas a traitor. In regard to the mission card Demyx reads, he heavily exaggerating the word ‘aggression’ and keeps a slightly angry tone until the end of that sentence. During his second meeting with Sora in Hollow Bastion he turns back to the group of heros and says firmly, “silence traitor”. Xigbar also uses the word traitor, emphasizing above his normal tone. Why do they do this? My opinion is that it was somewhat forced on them. Xigbar and Demyx are quite lighthearted characters, Demyx especially.
What would cause them to use such a cruel word and tone when talking to Roxas in Sora? Other characters as well as these two have shown they wanted Roxas to come back to the Organization and that he was well liked. Luxord voices disbelief that “Roxas” would defeat him, showing a possible friendship there as well. So why this angry tone in their voices? Forced perhaps? Who would have no qualms voicing distain over a traitor’s actions? Someone cold and collected perhaps? Saïx certainly fits the personality. Also, he is often depicted as Xemnas’s number two and right hand man, despite the fact he is actual number seven in the Organization. Would it not seem like the moon obsessed Berserker to make sure the softer hearted members stay true to the collective appearance the Organization must keep. This is all conjecture, of course, but what is more likely? Characters that have shown that they are not cruel at all, and often pleasant individuals changing on a dime, and over the same topic no less; or, characters that have been lectured on their behaviour when faced with a specific topic. Does Demyx sound like himself when he demands silence, or does he seem more like a poor imitation of Saïx? This is a conclusion you have to draw on your own.
Another argument is that Xemnas, at the end of the game, agrees with Sora’s comment to them having no feelings. However, he does not agree in the way people assume. Let us look at what he says exactly. After Sora states his opinion Xemnas agrees, saying, “you don’t miss a thing. I cannot feel – sorrow…” Later, when Sora asks him if he remembers the other feelings inside the Heart – not just anger or hate – he answers with, “unfortunately… I don’t.” Is this because Xemnas is a Nobody? The answer is no. Nobodies, except for Namine, remember their former selves from the Realm of Light. Xemnas is different for not the same reason as Namine. He, as Xehanort, was rescued from death’s doorstep by Ansem the Wise and nursed back to health. Ansem notes in Secret Ansem Report 1 that Xehanort had lost all his memories at that time, but later showed remarkable intellectual curiosity. Xehanort became an apprentice and absorbed Ansem’s teachings, gaining deep wisdom. Ansem further notes that Xehanort exhibits extraordinary talents, talents he finds to be even too extraordinary, and perhaps even superhuman.
How then can we even hope to compare this leader to the others in the Organization? He is not necessarily even human to begin with, having some sort of power before even becoming a Heartless of a Nobody. On top of this, he had forgotten all his memories before becoming Ansem’s apprentice, and personalizes Sora’s statement to his lack of ability to feel. As a leader, he no doubt brings the others under an umbrella of his own understanding. He may in fact believe that Nobodies as a whole cannot feel, and may force that onto the others. And what should a Nobody do when their leader says one thing and they feel another? Any good subordinate would voice the word of their leader out of respect to the outside world. Xemnas, however, does have a drive, and knows the feelings of envy and hate and rage. So then, is it only the feeling from his past that he lost that he cannot feel? It is instinct to feel. We rely on feelings. Fear and apprehension can save our lives, trust and caring are vital to the social structure of human beings. When Ansem told Xehanort to stop his research and destroy their findings, did hate and anger cloud everything else?
There are many questions that cannot be answered, as this in just a game, and the evidence is limited. Perhaps the creators may get wind of this essay and could enlighten us as to the rest, or perhaps it will all be revealed in the next game. It is also possible, and probable that a fair bit of detail has been lost in the translation from Japanese to English. But, based on what I have seen, read, picked apart and re-observed, it is impossible to assume that the Nobodies of the Organization simply cannot feel. Even if, as Sora suggests, they rely on memories to ignite their feelings, they do still feel. They still have drive, desire and wishes. Their feelings can be hurt and their pride wounded. They are still beings of body and soul. A Heart is never defined. There are multiple theories on what it does and does not do, and there is further complication with the use of symbolism of the heart. The simple fact is they show all these things that require them to feel, and thus must. Even though Xemnas feels only negative emotions he still feels, just as they all do. No matter what the Heart may, or may not do, it does not govern feelings.
