Master Eraqus

Template:Game Template:Character

Fear leads to obsession with power, and obsession beckons the Darkness.

Master Eraqus to Terra

Master Eraqus was a Keyblade Master featured in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix and Kingdom Hearts III. He was the master of Terra and Aqua, and he also served as the second master of Ventus.

Template:Page header

Master Eraqus is a strong Keyblade master, caring for Terra, Ventus, and Aqua as his own children. Stern and willing to instruct, one major goal he has in life appears to be preserving peace throughout the worlds, as he rashly attacks Ventus when Eraqus discovers that through his dark half, Vanitas, Ventus can create the χ-blade, the weapon that sparked the Keyblade War and the means Master Xehanort intends to use to fulfill his goals. Unlike Master Xehanort, Eraqus has an open aversion to darkness, believing that it must be destroyed at all costs, and has at least partially ingrained these beliefs into his apprentices.

Despite his sometimes cold actions toward his apprentices, he still cares deeply for them. He has Aqua look after Terra as he travels the worlds because he is concerned for him, apologizes to Ventus and appears deeply pained before he attempts to attack the boy, and sheds a tear when he is forced to face off against Terra. Despite his relationship with Xehanort having been strained over the years, Eraqus seems to attempt to overlook his former friend's past actions to a degree. Even after he and Xehanort have a fight that results in Eraqus being scarred, he still asks Xehanort to watch over the Mark of Mastery with him. Even despite Xehanort having ruthlessly killed him, Eraqus retained his fondness for his old friend, as his spirit appeared in the end to reason with Xehanort successfully, which allowed his fallen friend to redeem himself, and as Xehanort started to collapse, Eraqus happily offered to help him ascend, showing no malice for Xehanort's part in his death. He also apologized for his actions to his students and showed regret for how strict he mentored them. It was noted by Xehanort, himself a consummate manipulator and strategist, that Eraqus was highly cunning, which is why his heart resided inside Terra to help him resist and also to later appear to aid one last time.

Template:Page header

Master Eraqus, like his student, Terra, bears a distinct Japanese influence in his choice of clothing. He wears a white, red lined haori that has a hood, along with slightly shorter than normal, light-colored hakama. Underneath his haori, he wears a navy blue shirt with a large white X pattern on the front. He also has jagged scars over his right eye and left cheek inflicted by Master Xehanort, much like the wounds Braig received from Terra.

Like his pupils, Eraqus wears pieces of armor, in his case gold and black armored boots and a dull blue-green section that covers his abdomen. This second piece of armor sports the same symbol worn by his students near the top. Eraqus's black hair is tied into a short, high topknot, with one bang falling off to the right side of his face. He also has a short, triangular soul patch and a mustache. Eraqus's Keyblade Armor greatly resembles samurai armor, fitting in with his Japanese theme.

Master Eraqus physically resembles Hironobu Sakaguchi, the creator of the Final Fantasy series. Mark Hamill, Eraqus's English voice actor, was chosen specifically by Tetsuya Nomura for his role as Luke Skywalker in Star Wars.

Template:Page header

Template:Scrollbox

Template:Page header

Although old and having rarely fought in his later days, Eraqus remains an accomplished keyblade master and magic user. His melee style relies on many quick lunging attacks and is able to land many hits before the combo finisher. He can also warp quickly and unleash a devastating 3-hit combo. He is highly skillful in the manipulation of light, capable of coating himself in light and unleashing pillars and blades of light as well as firing shots of light energy, and is proficient enough in fire-related magic to create gigantic pillars of flame.

As the Armor of Eraqus boss fight reveals, Eraqus, likely as he is the one who have taught Terra, Ventus and Aqua how to use them in the first place, is skillfully able to mimic much of their abilities, as he uses multiple of their unique abilities in the fight.

Weapon

Main article: Master Keeper

Master Eraqus wields a rather basic Keyblade named "Master Keeper", which is grey in coloration. It has the appearance of an old fashioned skeleton key, and the teeth are shaped like an "E". Its Keychain is the Mark of Mastery symbol. He summons his Keyblade in a fashion similar to Terra, shrouded in a series of golden blocks.

Aqua uses the Master Keeper to seal the Land of Departure in turn transforming it into Castle Oblivion at the end of Birth By Sleep. In a trailer for Kingdom Hearts III Sora is shown finding the Master Keeper on Destiny Islands.

Battle Style

Master Eraqus is very experienced with a Keyblade. When he attacks, he uses a combination of Keyblade melee and magic. If he uses magic, he uses light as his main form of offence. It often takes the form of a chain extending from the tip of his Keyblade.

Master Keeper KHBBS.png

Master Eraqus's Keyblade, Master Keeper.

Template:Page header

• His name is an anagram of "Square", a reference to Square Enix, the developers of the Kingdom Hearts series. Tetsuya Nomura stated in the Birth by Sleep Ultimania that he had actually forgotten the basis of the name, and that the producer had to remind him that it was an anagram.