Luxord

Luxord, the Gambler of Fate (運命を賭す者) is Rank X within Organization XIII. He possesses the power of time manipulation, and uses his ability to force his opponents to play timed games, with unfortunate consequences if they cannot learn the rules and lose. He commands the Gambler Nobodies.

He harassed Sora and his friends in Port Royal, playing a game with them involving the cursed Aztec treasure. He later battled Sora alone in The World That Never Was, and was the third-to-last member of Organization XIII to fall.

Sometime after his destruction, Luxord was brought back to serve as a member of the Thirteen Seekers of Darkness, and was tasked to recover a mysterious Black Box for the Organization, though he was unsuccessful. He would later participate in the Second Keyblade War, and would vanish yet again after his defeat.

Along with the rest of Organization XIII, Luxord appears in Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days as a playable character in Mission Mode.

Kingdom Hearts II
Organization XIII's Number X.
 * First entry

''The Organization has hinted that not only do they know about the Keyblade, but they may know things about Sora himself. Are they playing mind games, or is there truth to their words?''

Organization XIII's Number X, a master of rhetoric whose words left Sora and his companions quite perplexed.
 * Second entry

Luxord was using the cursed medallions to conduct experiments on behalf of the Organization.

Organization XIII's Number X, a gambler who can manipulate time.
 * Third entry

Having shaken Sora and his companions with wily words, Luxord entertained himself by drawing them into a game-like battle.

In Port Royal, Luxord used Heartless and the cursed medallions to conduct experiments on the Organization's behalf and collect hearts.

Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

 * Opening

No. X LUXORD

''Life, to him, is just a game to be won... and he has all the time in the world to do it.''

Weapon: Cards


 * HD 1.5 Remix

''A member of Organization XIII. A gambler at heart who enjoys treating everything as a wager. He never lets down his gentlemanly and reserved attitude.''

Kingdom Hearts III
A member of the real Organization XIII.

''He is a lover of games, and sometimes even prioritizes them over his Organization duties. Despite his destruction at Sora's hands, Luxord has returned.''

Kingdom Hearts novels
At a table, Luxord is beating Axel at a game of cards. Embarrassed, Axel challenges him for another game. At Axel’s words, Luxord starts shuffling the cards, laughing, as Xigbar arrives. Luxord asks him for a game, but he refuses. The trio starts to talk about Xemnas going out of the castle, as it was an important time for Organization XIII.

When Axel asks what, Xigbar replies that the world is moving. This makes both Axel and Luxord confused. Xigbar refuses to tell more, leaving them puzzled. Luxord comments about the original six members having been companions since before Organization XIII was formed and that he did not understand what they were planning. Grinning, Axel drops the subject and the pair starts to play cards again.

Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
Luxord plays a minor role in Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. He is present when Xion joined Organization XIII, and often teams up with Roxas in missions in Wonderland. This association with this world is more than likely thanks to the Queen of Hearts's card army. Luxord joins Roxas on other missions and stays in the Grey Area as well.

Luxord takes all of his missions as a game, and tends to comment on them as such to Roxas. He appears shocked when Xemnas announces at an Organization meeting the truth about Xion being a Replica, and remarks, "If only the whispers from the top of the ladder carried to the bottom rung," before vanishing from Where Nothing Gathers. If Roxas talks to him before leaving on his mission, he remarks that "No game is complete without pawns," seemingly resigned to his own role as a pawn in the Organization.

Kingdom Hearts II
Luxord appears with all of the other remaining Organization members in the confrontation with Sora at Hollow Bastion and stands behind and to the left of Saïx. He makes no contact with Sora. In fact, he is not seen again until Port Royal the second time through.

Upon making second rounds to the worlds in search of Organization XIII's stronghold, Sora once again allies with Jack Sparrow in Port Royal, where he learns that Will Turner has gone missing while investigating the theft of cursed pirate gold by a man in a black hood. They seek out Will on the Black Pearl and find him on the Interceptor.

Luxord appears on the Black Pearl after they have recovered Will, with the cursed gold beside him, greeting Jack Sparrow. He reveals that he is at Port Royal to assess the value of the cursed gold to the Organization and calls up the Grim Reaper, a Heartless. After the Heartless is thrown overboard, Luxord invokes the right of parley before Jack can get off a shot with his pistol. He agrees to hand over the chest, but takes four Medallions from it when he does so, sending them off to his Gambler Nobodies, who escape with them. This has the effect of returning the curse on Jack and tying his curse to the Grim Reaper, who becomes cursed, as well.

The Grim Reaper then knocks Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Jack onto the Interceptor, and has the cannons of the Black Pearl destroy the ship. Sora and the others survive and track down the medallions, after which they head to Port Royal and defeat the Grim Reaper, lifting the curse on Jack. Even with Luxord's experiments having failed, he manages to bring the heart that the Grim Reaper was holding to Kingdom Hearts, and promptly flees, but not before "congratulating" Sora.

During several additional scenes in Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix, Luxord is featured with a prominent speaking role. Immediately after taunting Sora, the Organization returns to their meeting chamber. In response to talk regarding Sora, Luxord wonders if he would "like a hand to determine his fate", meaning he intends to dabble around here and there, stirring things up to see what he can do. This inadvertently instigates a small argument between Xigbar and Demyx, and after Xaldin breaks it up, Luxord disappointedly remarks "Well, I suppose the fun will have to wait".

He is again seen just before Sora enters The World That Never Was, discussing Axel with the remaining members. He notes that Axel may have gained something by putting his life on the line to help Sora. When Xigbar retorts that, as Nobodies, they have no life to put on the line, Luxord replies, "Then, perhaps he bet his NON-existence. Either way, he came out a winner". He then adds with a smile, "Oh, Axel. A grifter till the end".

Luxord appears once more in Organization XIII's fortress in The World that Never Was. When Sora, Kairi, Riku, Donald and Goofy enter the area where Luxord waits, Sora walks ahead of the rest. Materializing between Sora and his friends, Luxord uses his cards to remove Sora's allies from the area, and challenges Sora to a game involving time.

Luxord fights against Sora, using a variety of tricks and games of luck with his playing cards, but in the end, Sora is able to wear Luxord's time down and defeat him. As Sora readies a finishing blow, Luxord raises his cards to shield himself, but Sora slices through the cards and finishes Luxord off. His last words are "How could you... Roxas?" before fading out.

Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance
Luxord appears hooded alongside the other Thirteen Seekers of Darkness at Where Nothing Gathers before he and the others are forced to temporarily withdraw due to their allotted time running out.

Kingdom Hearts III
At the Organization's meeting spot in the Keyblade Graveyard, while Xemnas explained the reasoning for the selection of numbers nine through twelve in the original Organization XIII, Luxord appears atop one of the stone pillars, questioning if their roles were to "rot away on the bottom rung". To Larxene's frustration, she remarks if this was "Organization Rehash", though Luxord explains that he had an important role to play, remarking that he wasn't benched unlike Demyx, much to the latter's disappointment over the former's eavesdropping. Larxene asks if his role involved the mysterious Black Box that Xigbar had mentioned to them, though Luxord tells Larxene that she would have to ask him herself. Luxord directs his attention to Xemnas, questioning him on the reasoning for their re-assemblage apart from old time's sake. Xemnas reveals that he, along with Demyx, Larxene and Marluxia, would reveal the ancient Keyblade legacy that slumbers within them, much to their surprise.

Luxord soon travels to The Caribbean with Vexen in search of the Black Box. While Vexen seeks to claim the box for research, Luxord reminds him that their intentions were only to secure the box. The two soon converse over Vexen’s importance and role in the Organization, in addition to his contributions to perfecting the Replica Program. At one point, Vexen questioned if Luxord’s words hinted towards treachery, though Luxord denies this, stating he serves the Organization. Ending their conversation, Luxord tells Vexen to stay out of his way while he searches for the Black Box, to which the latter complies before taking his leave, but not before telling Luxord he would be watching from the shadows.

To accomplish his goal, Luxord manipulates Jack Sparrow into revealing information regarding the Dead Man's Chest aboard the Flying Dutchman by establishing parley and betting with Jack on a race to Port Royal in exchange for rewarding the pirate whatever he wanted. Later, when the Flying Dutchman and Black Pearl engage in battle around a whirlpool, Luxord appears on Sora's ship. When Sora explains that the chest aboard the Flying Dutchman housed the heart of Davy Jones and that it couldn't be what they were looking for, Luxord reveals that no one knows the contents of the box he was looking for. When questioned by Sora on how he would know if he found it, Luxord admits that the higher-ups of the Organization haven't informed the lower-ranked members of the box's mysterious contents, only that it contained "hope". In order to board the Flying Dutchman, Luxord summons the Kraken to deal with the pirates. Once Jack had recovered the Dead Man's Chest, Luxord intercepts him and attempts to negotiate for it with parley, though he is interrupted by Jack before he could. When Jack says that he has what he needs, he blows a whiff of his rancid breath into Luxord's face, causing the Nobody to stumble off the side of the ship and into the ocean in disgust.

Luxord later appears in the Keyblade Graveyard, walking along with the other hooded Organization members before Master Xehanort creates the Skein of Severance to serve as the battlegrounds of the Second Keyblade War. Luxord soon fights alongside Larxene, Marluxia and Xemnas in the Trail of Valediction against King Mickey and Sora. During the battle, Xemnas empowers Luxord, who soon uses his newfound strength to trap Mickey in a card while challenging Sora to one last game. Unfortunately for Luxord, Sora is yet again able to beat him. After his defeat, Luxord praises Sora for his talents and gives him a "wild card", telling him to hold onto it as it could turn the tables. Sora tells Luxord he would play him again one day when they are just normal people. Luxord chuckles, saying he would very much enjoy that before fading away once again, releasing Mickey in the process.

Kingdom Hearts Union χ
A data recreation of Luxord could be fought during the New Organization XIII Event in October 2018.

Appearance
Luxord wears the usual all-black attire of Organization members, but his cloak is somewhat different than normal, sporting slightly pointed shoulders and very loose sleeves. Luxord's platinum-blond hair is very short and worn in a Caesar cut, and he has electric-blue eyes, although they become golden-yellow when he becomes one of the Thirteen Seekers of Darkness. He is also the only member of Organization XIII to have a beard or mustache, his being a goatee and the same blond color as his hair.

Luxord wears five silver piercings on his ears; four helix piercings in the form of two hoops on each ear and one piercing shaped like the Nobody symbol dangling from one earlobe. The latter piercing hangs from his left ear in-game and his right in some artwork, indicating that both earlobes are pierced.

Personality


Luxord is a man of games and luck; his challenge to Sora and Jack to find the medallions has a game quality to it, and the Heartless he summons cannot be attacked unless all the coins are in the chest, giving a side-objective to the battle. He also uses games of chance in his own battle with Sora. However, his enjoyment for games can backfire on him, both in and out of battle. His enjoyment of games is further portrayed in his additional scenes in Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix, which show him in an almost uncaring light - he seems to not be bothered as long as he can continue to gamble and see interesting things. In Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, much of Luxord's dialogue makes references to cards, games, and luck.

Luxord is also portrayed as a master of rhetoric, with an advanced vocabulary (for example, describing the Grim Reaper Heartless as "a veritable maelstrom of avarice", meaning endlessly greedy, using it to taunt his opponents). He also possesses a notably British accent in the English translation, furthering his air of sophistication. Another interesting note is that, unlike most other members of Organization XIII, who banter with Sora in some fashion before fighting, when Luxord appears to him he calmly smiles and says "I'd rather we just skip the formalities", and begins the battle right away. This somewhat contrasts his appearance in Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, where he talks a good deal to Roxas on their missions, supposedly because he gets on well with him. This brings further meaning to his last words after being fatally struck by Sora "How could you, Roxas?"

In Kingdom Hearts III, Luxord's loyalty to the Organization appears to be out of duty rather than out of any actual loyalty to Xemnas. He contrasts this with Vexen's apparent loyalty to Xemnas. He does not appear to enjoy being used as a pawn, sarcastically remarking to Xemnas about being put at the bottom of the Organization rankings. After being defeated, Luxord calmly accepts his demise and praises Sora for his magnificent talents in playing card games. He even gives Sora a wild card that he said could "turn the tables", seeming to indicate he knows of the price Sora will have to pay for using the power of waking and he gave him the card to show his gratitude for Sora helping his restoration, and smiles when Sora playfully asks to play him again after he is revived, saying that he would like that very much.

Abilities
Luxord uses his attribute, time, in unorthodox methods when compared to other Organization XIII members. One might not even see his element as time at first glance. He shortens the odds originally by dispatching of Sora's companions before attacking Sora himself. Luxord does not have a health bar; during the battle, Luxord and Sora each have a "time" bar that depletes over time and when they are damaged. The first to have theirs depleted loses the battle. This means that the player must watch Sora's HP and time gauges to make sure neither are emptied. He can blast his enemies with magic presumably of his element when they are far away, but he mainly uses his cards to fight them.

In Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, Luxord has a Limit Break called Jackpot. During Jackpot, Luxord summons a card in front of him. While it is summoned, the card alternates between a cross and a flashing symbol similar to Roxas's pendant. Selecting the cross results in the card merely exploding and Luxord will visibly flinch, while selecting the flashing symbol will create a few powerful energy blasts that follow a trail between Luxord and the target.

During Luxord's Final Limit, Luxord summons two cards in front of him instead of one. The player now has three alternating symbols to choose from: double crosses, the flashing symbol, and an additional red symbol or two large red symbols. The crosses cause the cards to explode as before, the flashing symbol and the red symbol create the exact same energy blasts as summoned by one card. When the two large red symbols are selected, Luxord will create more energy blasts than with one card, with the final blast being much bigger and more powerful. Both versions of the attack are reminiscent of the "Begin Game" Reaction Command that Luxord and the Gambler Nobodies shared in Kingdom Hearts II.

Weapon
Luxord's weapons are very flexible, both literally and figuratively. He uses Cards of varying sizes, some reaching likely more than ten feet in the air when stood on end. The back of each Card has five Nobody symbols on it, while the opposite side resembles a clock (referencing Luxord's element of time) that has Nobody symbols as the minute and hour hands, and the Roman numerals for 1-12 for the clock numbers (the numeral for 13 is in the center, just under the clock hands). Luxord uses these Cards the way that most members of Organization XIII use their element. His signature weapon is the Fair Game Cards.

He can turn himself into a giant Card and hide among similar Cards, turn his enemies into Cards, throw flurries of razor-sharp cards at an enemy, create defensive barriers, and at times by will can warp reality. The Reaction Command "Flip" causes the Cards to vanish, but some of them have a booby trap (represented by a symbol on the one side of the Card) that "Flip" triggers. He can also use them as sleight of hand cover, or to disorient his enemies.

Oddly, most of the Cards (that lack booby traps) Luxord uses in battle are blank on one side, while the ones he uses to "trap" Sora's companions bear the aforementioned clock design.

Gambler Nobodies also use Cards as their weapons, and have the ability to turn an enemy into a Card after winning a "game". They also use Dice, and have a similar ability to turn an enemy into a Die.

It is also noted that in Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, almost all of his weapons have the name of a card in a Tarot card deck.

Trivia

 * In Latin, "lux" means "light". This, combined with his genteel air and pleasantries towards Roxas in Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, may suggest Luxord was less inclined towards the darkness, unlike other members of the Organization. This may be a coincidental reference to his friendly relations with Roxas, whose attribute is 'Light'.
 * "Luxor" is the name of a famous Egyptian-themed casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Given Luxord's penchant for gambling, it is possible that he was named after the casino.

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