Birth by sleep (video)

"Birth by sleep" is the secret ending video to Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix+ and a follow up to "The Gathering", the secret ending video to the original Kingdom Hearts II. The video centers around three armored warriors wielding Keyblades and an unnamed foe and is meant to introduce Tetsuya Nomura's newest Kingdom Hearts project, the details of which are still scarce. However, it is a trailer for one of the newly confirmed games Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep (for the PlayStation Portable) and will obviously deal with the characters mentioned here. Birth by Sleep will take place ten years before the original Kingdom Hearts.

Synopsis
The video begins with an old man approaching three armored individuals (seen in "The Gathering") picking up Keyblades stuck in the ground which resemble Sora's Kingdom Key, Riku's Way to Dawn, and Mickey's Keyblade from the realm of darkness. It is set in a desert area as the sun is setting, and the characters are surrounded by countless Keyblades stuck in the ground that form a four-way crossroads. The actual reason why these Keyblades are there has been speculated as being a graveyard for Keyblades after their respective wielders died. The old man is named Master Xehanort, and he wears clothes like those worn by Xehanort's Heartless, has slightly pointed ears, and bears a malevolent expression. He is joined by another entity wearing a muscular suit of red-and-black who appears to spawn from the essence of the old man. He is commonly referred to as the Darkness Soldier.

The two are charged by Terra, and Master Xehanort responds by shifting the earth beneath them to create a rising plateau that carries Terra above the rest. Master Xehanort then lifts the ground beneath himself as well, creating a cliff much higher than the surrounding terrain. It becomes apparent that Master Xehanort and his companion have great power; while his apprentice engages the three knights directly using magic and his own Keyblade, Master Xehanort is able to manipulate the Keyblades on the ground into a winding cyclone, which he uses to aid his apprentice and attack his three adversaries.

As the three armored warriors attempt in vain to overcome their enemies, their faces are revealed one by one. The first is a blue-haired female, whose name was later confirmed as "Aqua" in an interview with Nomura; she discards her helmet after being thrown to the ground by the Keyblade cyclone. The next is another young knight whose name was later revealed to be "Ven" (actually a shortening of his full name, which has not yet been revealed), who attacks Master Xehanort from behind. Ven's face is revealed when the old man vanishes, only to reappear behind him and grab him by the head. Master Xehanort shatters Ven's helmet in his hand before freezing his body solid and dropping him off the makeshift cliff. As he falls, his frozen Keyblade hits the cliff and breaks in half before he is caught by Aqua, after which his face is seen close-up, showing a striking resemblance to Roxas.

The last face to be shown was Terra's. His name was later revealed in an interview with Nomura. After disposing of Ven, Master Xehanort's Keyblade reverts into a purple and blue ball of flame-like energy. Master Xehanort then raises his hand to the sky while holding the sphere, and the ball of energy promptly shoots upwards to part the gathering dark clouds, revealing what appears to be Kingdom Hearts by means not fully unexplained, and Terra, having been thrown to the ground by the old man's Keyblade cyclone, takes off his helmet to look up at the blue Kingdom Hearts as his eyes turn yellow.

The video ends with King Mickey looking at the supposed Kingdom Hearts in the same area but from a distance, holding the Star Seeker Keyblade, which appears to be a gift most students of Yen Sid receive after some form of training.

Characters
"Birth by sleep" features five main characters, none of whom appear in any earlier Kingdom Hearts scenes or videos. It also contains a shot of King Mickey.

The characters are not named in the video, but the three armored Keyblade warriors' names were confirmed by Tetsuya Nomura in a May 2007 interview. The main characters demonstrate no concrete connection to other characters in the series, but much speculation has arisen regarding various attributes they have, including the implications of the Keyblades they wield and their physical resemblance to other characters(Aqua's hair colour is like Riku's, Tera's hair colour is like Kairi, Master Xehanort has the same name as Xehanort and he wears Xehanort heartless's clothes might be a connection, and Ven look's like Roxas which might mean that Ven is somehow connected to Sora).

Terra
Presumably the oldest of the three Keyblade knights, it is revealed that Terra has some connection with Master Xehanort, which will play an important role in the game. He may also have a connection to Saix, who reacts similar to being exposed to Kingdom Hearts. In screenshots of Birth By Sleep, Terra is seen with his entire left arm and shoulder covered in a red and gold armor.

At the newest Square Enix convention, Terra told Ven and Aqua that Master Xehanort was searching for a heart of pure light. He also told the group to keep a lookout for one as they would follow the person that contained that heart. He also commented that Snow White's heart was pure light, and that she might be who Master Xehanort was searching for.

Ven
Ven is the alias of one of two younger knights, the male of the pair. He fought against Master Xehanort's apprentice with Aqua, but the two were unable to defeat it, although Aqua did momentarily force him to flee by using a lightning spell. His most memorable role in the video is his capture by Master Xehanort, who teleports behind him when Ven attempts to attack him from behind. Ven struggles against Master Xehanort's grip, but to no avail; Master Xehanort squeezes his head hard enough to crack his helmet and freezes his entire body before letting him drop from the cliff. Ven's body is caught by Aqua after hitting the cliff wall, shattering his keyblade and most of what remained of his helmet. When his face is fully revealed, apparently still alive (as his eyes are trying to focus on Aqua), it is shown that he is identical to Roxas. The connection between the two is not explained or even confirmed as an existent connection, leading to scattered theories among fans. One rumor speculates the reason Ven looks like Roxas is that Terra was told to take care of Sora, but couldn't for some strange reason, leading to Ven taking care of Sora and ending up as his Nobody. Ven has been shown to wear the same checkered wristband as Roxas on his left wrist (the same as Roxas) but Ven's has a white outline while Roxas's has a black outline. It is unknown if this shows a connection between the two or it's just an ironic situation.

Ven's full name is speculated by many fans to be Ventus, since the three knights are meant to represent water, earth, and wind, which in Latin are "aqua", "terra", "ventus"; "Ven" would be a shorthand of that term. His resemblance to Roxas is even more uncanny in his unarmored attire.

Not much is known about Ven but in one scene during the TGS trailer, Terra says that Ven rescued him and Ven replys it was because they are friends.

The latest magazine indicates that Ven will be a playable character, and shown capable of conjuring Thunder-like magics.

According to an interview with Nomura, Ven is expected to play a huge role in the upcoming PSP game named after the video, perhaps even bigger than just being a male protagonist. In a video of unseen footage, Ven encounters Xehanort while at Olympus Coliseum. Ven asks who he is only to have a flash of light go past as if he realized something. Xehanort goes on to say that Ven is losing something but he hasn't lost it permanently. He then summons a lightning-like ball of energy in his hand like in the trailer. He tells Ven, "In order to obtain it, give up," and, "Now recover everything, and discover the truth!" This may be in regards to Ven's memory (akin to Chain of Memories), but this theory has yet to be confirmed.

At Square Enix's latest convention, A playable demo of Ven in Cinderella's world was seen. He was also with Aqua when Maleficent told them that Terra's heart was descending into darkness. Ven's full name has been confirmed to be Ventus.

Aqua
Aqua is a young, blue-haired female knight who fights alongside Ven and Terra. She is the first to be unmasked when her helmet gets smashed after being thrown to the ground in battle. She and Ven briefly take on Master Xehanort's apprentice together, but make no progress in defeating him. She uses a spell reminiscent of Reflect to shield Terra from the Keyblade cyclone generated by Master Xehanort. She is a spectator for the rest of the battle, being too far away to reach their enemies before Ven becomes trapped by the old man's grip. She is seen looking on in horror as Ven struggles fruitlessly, and catches his frozen body after he is dropped off the cliff. She was originally seen in magazine scans as staring up at a glowing heart, and due to her hair color and style, was seen as connected to Kairi by some fans. The video ends with her holding a helpless but still living Ven, gazing up at what may be a newly appeared Kingdom Hearts in the sky. Aqua's armor and Keyblade were briefly seen in Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix. They reside in the Room of Sleep, a room constructed by the Organization under Radiant Garden for an unknown purpose. Xemnas apparently visits the armor often, calling it "old friend" and talking to it for long periods of time. Xigbar tells Zexion that he once heard a voice talking back. This has led to speculation that she could be the 14th member of Organization XIII (set to appear in 358/2 Days).

Aqua is currently the most mysterious "Birth by sleep" character as no images of her have been released outside the video other than the promotional artworks for Birth by Sleep, coded, and 358/2 Days. Furthermore, no information has been given concerning her role, and the mysterious scene with her armor in Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix has only added to her mystery. She has even once been called "Mystery Girl" in a scan.

At the recent Square-Enix event, Aqua was seen dancing before Ven and Terra, denying the possibility of Terra descending into darkness while conversing with Maleficent, and even seen battling her dragon form. She is to be voiced by Megumi Toyoguchi, who previously played Paine in Final Fantasy X-2 and her Kingdom Hearts II counterpart, as well as the Turks Elena and her elder sister "Gun (Female)" in the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII.

Master Xehanort
The once unnamed "Old Man", now revealed to be called Master Xehanort, but also known by fans as the "Bald Man", "Old Bald Man", and formerly the "Unknown Elder Mage", is the most mysterious of the new characters. He bears almost the exact same attire and a similar skin tone as Xehanort's Heartless, has yellow eyes, and has pointed ears. Master Xehanort is portrayed as the antagonist in the video, and fights against the three Keyblade knights with a Guardian of unexplained origin.

The man shows himself to be immensely powerful during the struggle, capable of dramatically altering the terrain and creating a cyclone of Keyblades, abundant in the area. He exhibits proficiency in the use of magic, particularly ice-related skill; he freezes the arm of Terra after fending off his Keyblade attacks, and freezes Ven's entire body solid. He also used a jet-black flame to burn Ven before freezing him. He is also shown to wield a dark blue and black Keyblade that is shaped similarly to a one-sided axe and bears a bull's head and horns on the hilt; notably, it is the only one in "Birth by sleep" with a chain at the end of its hilt.

Aside from simply being a powerful figure, Master Xehanort also exhibits severe brutality during the battle. After vanishing from thin air to avoid being struck from behind by Ven, he grabs onto his helmet and shatters it in his hand while Ven kicks and struggles weakly in an attempt to free himself. His freezing of Ven's body and dropping him off the high cliff have become somewhat iconic of the video.

After defeating the three Keyblade knights, Master Xehanort's Keyblade reverts into a blue and purple sphere of flame-like energy. He then raises his hand to the sky, at which point the sphere promptly shoots upwards and parts the gathering dark clouds to reveal an enormous, glowing, blue heart, which is assumed to be some form of Kingdom Hearts. Both the full process by which he causes it to appear and his involvement in its origin remain thus far unexplained.

The name "Master Xehanort" was revealed in the announcement for the three new games. It was stated in the announcement that currently he and an apprentice of his have disappeared, which is an omen of a great disaster, and that Terra and the others were sent to find him.

Master Xehanort's Apprentice / The Dark Soldier
The exact nature of Master Xehanort's Apprentice is also a mystery, but it appears to originate from a part of the old man himself. It could actually be the Xehanort shown in Kingdom Hearts II, taken over by Master Xehanort as Riku by Xehanort's Heartless in Kingdom Hearts, which could attribute to the similarities between the apprentice's armor and Riku's dark suit (seen in the first game and Chain of Memories). The apprentice wears a dome-like helmet, a black and red muscle suit, and wields a darkly-colored Keyblade which bears a few similarities to the Soul Eater, a weapon used by Riku.

After the old man creates the cliffs to avoid Terra's charge, his apprentice leaps down to engage the knights directly, blasting them with lightning and ice magic. After the old man generates the Keyblade cyclone, his apprentice leaps onto it, allowing it to carry him at great speed around the area. After Aqua is thrown aside by the Keyblade cyclone and Terra and Ven attack the Master Xehanort, the apprentice is not seen again until after Ven is caught by the old man. When Terra makes a run at the old man, the apprentice arrives on the heels of the Keyblade cyclone, which throws Terra off the cliff. The apprentice remains by its master's side until the end of the video. Fans also refer to Master Xehanort's Apprentice as "[his] Guardian", "Demon of Dark" (Japan), "The Dark Soldier" or "the final heartless".

It was announced that Master Xehanort has an apprentice. The Guardian could in fact be Master Xehanort's apprentice. In a recent trailer Terra knocked his helmet off, but the trailer ends before his face can be seen.

King Mickey
King Mickey makes a brief appearance at the end of the video, looking with a grim expression at the area where the battle occurred. He is seen wearing different clothes than usual and wielding the Star Seeker Keyblade, apparently ready to fight Master Xehanort and his Guardian. The appearance of this Keyblade, which is associated with Yen Sid, has led some fans to believe the shot shows Mickey during his apprenticeship under the great sorcerer. There is a scan depicting the King protecting Ven from an unknown enemy.

The Master
Terra, Ven, and Aqua's master who will make his or her debute in Birth by Sleep. He has not been seen in any pictures or trailers, and no information has been leaked about his character.

Commentary by Nomura
Tetsuya Nomura, the head storyline designer for the Kingdom Hearts series, originally gave very few details about the secret ending. Originally, the only information he disclosed was that all the characters in the video were new to the series, despite any physical resemblances. The time and place of the video were all left ambiguous as well. However, Nomura stated in a Famitsu interview that this video is the non-playable ending of the PSP game, and that the game might take place ten years before the first Kingdom Hearts game.

In a May 2007 interview dubbed the "Scenario Mysteries Interview", Nomura revealed more insights into the video and its implications for the series. He confirmed the names of Aqua and Ven and introduced the name of the third Keyblade knight, Terra; however, he also stated that "Ven" was only a nickname for the young male knight, and that the full name is "a little bit longer".

Nomura had this to say of Ven's resemblance to Roxas:

He also gave no details regarding the change in color of Terra's eyes from blue to gold, saying "I think everyone's imaginations are pretty capable so please try and anticipate a lot of things." His final comments regarding the three warriors' names were that the names of Sora, Riku, and Kairi are meant to signify Sky, Land, and Sea, while the names of Ven, Terra, and Aqua represent three different properties of the world: Wind, Earth, and Water.

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