Axel

"The name's Axel. Got it memorized?"

- Axel

Axel (アクセル), the "Flurry of Dancing Flames", is the eighth member of Organization XIII. Considered a wild card by the rest of the Organization, he acted as a double agent in Castle Oblivion, keeping track of Marluxia's plans, then betrayed the Organization for his friendship with Roxas. His distinguishing features include his spiky red hair, aquamarine eyes, and his twin purple reverse teardrop shaped markings under each eye (one per eye).

Axel wields red and silver weapons called chakrams, and utilizes the element of fire. He also controls the group of lesser Nobodies known as the Assassins.

Meeting Roxas
On the day Roxas meet Xemnas, he met Axel while he was in Twllight Town, sitting on the Clock Tower and having sea-salt ice cream, though Axel didn't like its taste at first.

Traitors in Castle Oblivion
While Sora and Riku are wandering around in Castle Oblivion, Axel is working for the two parties of the already divided Organization in the castle. One side is Larxene and Marluxia, who seek to use Sora's powers to ursurp Xemnas and the rest of the Organization using Naminé to alter Sora's memories. On another side is Vexen, Lexaeus, and Zexion, three of the original members of Organization XIII. Those three realized Marluxia's ambitions and try to counteract by using Riku to destroy Sora. At first, Axel joins the rebel group, though his intentions at this point are unclear.

Axel fights Sora to test him; Sora defeats him and Axel gladly gives up a card for Sora to progress further in the castle. In his conversation with Larxene, he professes a interest in the fact that Sora retains his form even after becoming a Heartless.

After Vexen nearly reveals the existence of Roxas to Sora, Axel is ordered by Marluxia to dispose of Vexen. Axel does so effortlessly, and is accepted by Marluxia and Larxene into their conspiracy. Using this to his advantage, Axel allows Naminé to escape and contact Sora. Later on, Axel confronts Marluxia, allowing him to figure out the fact that Axel is actually a double agent. Citing his previous order to rid the Organization of traitors, Axel is about to attack Marluxia even at the cost of Naminé's life but is interrupted by Sora, whom he then fights. At the end of the battle, Axel vanishes.

After his battle with Sora, Axel meets with Zexion, who discusses Riku and requests data on Destiny Islands. Despite their previous collaboration, Axel later offers Riku Replica the honor of killing Zexion, promising the duplicate that he would gain new powers and be able to defeat the real Riku. The exact reason for Axel's betrayal is not stated, and seems self-contradictory after he had helped stop Marluxia's betrayal. The only comment Axel makes is that it would be more interesting to see Sora and Riku's future than to save Zexion.

Roxas's leave and imprisonment
Plagued with questions as to why he had a Keyblade, but subconsciously seeking out Sora, Roxas leaves the Organization. Axel, who found companionship in Roxas, is distraught by this decision.

Later on, Roxas is captured by Riku and put in Ansem the Wise's Digital Twilight Town where his memory is wiped and replaced with artificial ones, leading him to believe he is a normal teenager. Axel is sent to the simulated town to recover Roxas for the Organization. However, his first effort fails due to DiZ's appearance and restarting of the Twilight Town program. Roxas is also dumbfounded by Axel's appearance and comments, lacking any memories of him and awareness of what is going on. Soon, Axel is forced to accept the Organization's order: eliminate Roxas or be destoryed himself. Axel again tries to get Roxas without the need to kill him, especially when Roxas began to rememver him, but is frozen in place by DiZ with his control over the program. The two meet again, for the last time. Despite Roxas recovering his memories, Axel states that it was too late and fights Roxas and his dual Keyblades. Axel loses the fight and disappears away in sadness, choosing not to carry out his mission and branded a traitor for it. While Sora reawakened with Roxas inside him, Axel was given Namine by Riku to protect, with Namine's words, about those dear to them dispite being Nobodies. moving Axel.

A second chance with Sora
During Sora's exploits to the different worlds, Axel appears before Kairi, intending to kidnap her to draw Sora out. Axel realizes that, if he could transform Sora into a Heartless, Roxas would be born again. However, Kairi escapes through a corridor of darkness, landing in Twilight Town and staying there for some time in wait of Sora. However, Axel comes to fetch her once more, but not long afterwards she is taken captive by Saïx instead under orders to give Axel something to actually worry about.

After the invasion of the Radiant Garden by the Heartless, Sora confronts Xemnas, the leader of Organization XIII. Xemnas decides to take his leave, and Axel is there to greet Sora. Axel hints that the Keyblade causes the hearts that composed the Heartless to flee, but refuses to say what Organization XIII would do with those hearts. Axel also apologizes for losing Kairi, but flees when Saïx arrives at the scene.

Death
On the way to The World That Never Was, Sora and his friends are trapped in Betwixt and Between by Nobodies, but Axel arrives to help, though most of his energy had already been spent. Sora and Axel battle the Nobodies, but seeing no other choice, Axel decides to put every bit of his energy into one massive attack to destroy the Nobodies. His body beginning to fade, Axel opens the passageway to the World That Never Was. As he dies, he expresses that Roxas made him feel like he had a heart, and that Sora makes him feel the same way. After that, Xigbar and Luxord were curious about Axel doing something as foolish at that, but Xemnas revealed that Axel's death served to stir Roxas from his rest.

In Final Mix+, Axel would made one final appearence in Roxas' flashback.

Battle Style
As the Flurry of Dancing Flames, Axel uses two uniquely shaped weapons called chakrams, and commands fire.

Axel is very quick on his feet, and attacks with deadly precision and aim. One of his techniques is to launch his weapons at his opponent, and return to Axel's hand with a boomerang-like effect. He can also coat them in fire and launch a formidable mid-ranged offensive assault for a short time as well as launch them as homing fireballs, glide along the ground with fire blazing behind him, or move next to his opponent with impressive speed and unleash a horizontal spiral of flame. And, like his elemental opposite Demyx, Axel can send pillars consisting of his element at his opponent.

In serious one-on-one battles, Axel can create a ring of fire, blocking off any escape route. In this ring, he can hide behind the fire and attack at a moment's notice. The ring itself can also harm opponents when they get too close. He can also turn the floor into a burning surface that slowly chips away at a person's health.

Trivia

 * In the japanese version, Axel was voiced by popular seiyuu Keiji Fujiwara, whose last involvement with SquareEnix was to voice Reno of Final Fantasy 7 in Advent Children/Last Order/Crisis Core and provide the voice of Maes Hughes of Fullmetal Alchemist. Due to the similarites to Axel had with Reno, the English dub followed with Axel voiced by Quinton Flynn, who also voiced Reno in Advent Children and Crisis Core, as well as voice Issaru of Final Fantasy X.

Videos
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Axel (Chain of Memories)

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Axel (KHII)