Xehanort

Master Xehanort (ゼアノート, Zeanōto), is both a fictional character and one of the main antagonists of the Kingdom Hearts series created by Tetsuya Nomura. He was a Keyblade Master, the first master of Ventus, and the creator and master of Vanitas.

He believed that darkness and light should exist in perfect balance, and for this reason, he seeked to conquer and recreate the worlds according to his wishes. Through his many different incarnations, including Terra-Xehanort, his Heartless, Ansem, and his Nobody, Xemnas, Xehanort was ultimately responsible for the series of events that repeatedly threaten the worlds with destruction, including the mass release of Heartless into the Realm of Light, and the creation of the Nobodies and Organization XIII.

Throughout the series, Xehanort is driven by an obsessive interest in the Keyblade War, a historic cataclysm that resulted in the universe's present, fragmented state. He had also brought tragedy to many that have crossed his path, including Sora, Riku, Kairi, Terra, Ventus, and Aqua.

"But once again you have it all wrong, Eraqus. Darkness is a beginning, you see, not an end. At birth, every one of us emerges from darkness into a world of light, do we not?"
 * —Master Xehanort to Master Eraqus.

Appearance & Biography

 * Voice Actor: Rutger Hauer (English), Akio Ōtsuka (Japanese), Not Known (Albanian), Not Known (Arabic), Not Known (Basque), Not Known (Brazilian), Not Known (Cantonese), Not Known (Catalan), Not Known (Chinese), Not Known (Dutch), Not Known (Finnish), Not Known (French), Not Known (Galician), Not Known (German), Not Known (Greek), Not Known (Hebrew), Not Known (Hong Kong), Not Known (Hungarian), Not Known (Indonesian), Not Known (Italian), Not Known (Korean), Not Known (Mandarin), Not Known (Norwegian), Not Known (Polish), Not Known (Portuguese), Not Known (Romanian), Not Known (Russian), Not Known (Serbian), Not Known (Spanish), Not Known (Swedish), Not Known (Tagalog), Not Known (Thai), Not Known (Valencian), Not Known (Brazilian Portuguese), Not Known (European Spanish), Not Known (European Portuguese), Not Known (Latin American Spanish), Not Known (Latin Spanish)
 * Voice Actor (Young): David Gallagher (English), Takanori Okuda (Japanese), Not Known (Albanian), Not Known (Arabic), Not Known (Basque), Not Known (Brazilian), Not Known (Cantonese), Not Known (Catalan), Not Known (Chinese), Not Known (Dutch), Not Known (Finnish), Not Known (French), Not Known (Galician), Not Known (German), Not Known (Greek), Not Known (Hebrew), Not Known (Hong Kong), Not Known (Hungarian), Not Known (Indonesian), Not Known (Italian), Not Known (Korean), Not Known (Mandarin), Not Known (Norwegian), Not Known (Polish), Not Known (Portuguese), Not Known (Romanian), Not Known (Russian), Not Known (Serbian), Not Known (Spanish), Not Known (Swedish), Not Known (Tagalog), Not Known (Thai), Not Known (Valencian), Not Known (Brazilian Portuguese), Not Known (European Spanish), Not Known (European Portuguese), Not Known (Latin American Spanish), Not Known (Latin Spanish)

Biography
A former Keyblade Master and a longtime acquaintance of Master Eraqus. He is connected with the masked boy, and harbors a hidden agenda.

Unlike Master Eraqus, Xehanort believes darkness need not be rejected if it can be controlled.

He has obsession with the Keyblade War led him to give his heart over to darkness.

He tried to forge the χ-blade and trigger another Keyblade War, but three young Keyblade wielders put a stop to him.

Now, he has revealed his ultimate goal: to create the real Organization XIII and infuse his heart into all its members.

In the Young Days
In his youth, Xehanort had mildly tanned skin, golden eyes, and silver hair which both slightly spikes and falls past his shoulders in the back; it is styled similar to Terra-Xehanort's, albeit with four bangs framing his face, the back two thicker than the front two, and the two backwards spikes on the sides are absent, the topmost one slicked back. He wore the same style of white shirt, which only reaches to his thighs, a black vest with a high collar, long armbands which cover his forearms, and dark grey pants stuffed into his boots, similar to those worn by Organization XIII but without the silver lining on top, much like those worn by the guards of Radiant Garden. While traveling through time, he wears the black coat.

Young Xehanort's body model is a copy of Saïx's, though it is likely that this is simply due to data recycling rather than any deeper significance.

In Present Time
As an old man, Master Xehanort is bald except for thin eyebrows and a curled, silver goatee. His ears are pointed and his eyes are yellow. He has broad, hunched shoulders and a crooked back. He appears overall as a somewhat feeble old man, certainly deceiving given his immense power.

Master Xehanort's clothing is the same as that worn by his eventual Heartless, Ansem. It is composed of a white and black coat with a red inner lining, over a white shirt with two thin black belts, as well as white gloves and calf-high black boots. The major difference between the two outfits is that Ansem wears the shirt unbuttoned, exposing the Heartless emblem on his chest. However, there are a few minor changes as well; Ansem's coat has gold lining on its edges, where Xehanort's has black lining. Master Xehanort sometimes wears a Black Coat over this outfit.

Possible Future

 * Hair Color: Silver
 * Skin Color: Not Known
 * Eye Color: Yellow (formerly golden)
 * Age: Not Known
 * Birthday: Not Known
 * Height: Not Known
 * Weight: Not Known

Personality
Much like Xehanort, "Ansem", and Xemnas, Master Xehanort is shown to be a cunning, callous, and pragmatic being with the sole goal of merging with Kingdom Hearts and become all knowing, the lives of innocent people and even his closest friends meaning absolutely nothing to him. To this end, he is willing to put whatever he pleases on the line or destroy anything in his way, demonstrated when he manipulated several characters such as Terra, Aqua, Ventus, Braig, and even Maleficent; creates Vanitas, a sentient being for the sole purpose of forwarding his evil plan; and slays his old friend, Master Eraqus, in cold blood after tricking Terra into defeating him in battle.

Furthermore, when Riku and Mickey confronted him over ruining Terra, Ventus, and Aqua's lives, Xehanort simply told them that it was their destiny to fall, and dismissed Sora as a "dull ordinary boy" even though Sora had successfully thwarted several of his plans. In the case of the latter, Xehanort tends to have a series of back-up plans to occur whenever his previous scheme fails. Yen Sid mentions this to Mickey while discussing Xehanort, and describes him as a brilliant strategist.

Despite his overweening malice, Xehanort has shown to have some slight sympathy, though the only known occurrence of this trait is when he takes pity on Ventus, following the rupture of his heart, and decides to leave him to die a peaceful death on Destiny Islands. All of Master Xehanort's other positive points are revealed to have sinister intentions behind them, demonstrated when he only took Ventus as an apprentice and cared for him solely with the intention of making the boy his vessel once he was strong enough, left him in Eraqus's care to simply make him stronger to be joined with Vanitas years later, and only accepted Master Eraqus's invitation to witness the Mark of Mastery Exam to sabotage it and put Terra on the path to darkness so as to make him his new vessel after deciding to instead use Ventus for the χ-blade.

Despite his sinister actions throughout the series, the root of Xehanort's malice appears to originate from his curiosity of how the universe was made and his lust to become all knowing. It is this trait that enticed Xehanort to leave the Destiny Islands in search of other worlds, ultimately starting his life as a Keyblade Wielder. This trait is shared throughout his various incarnations as Xehanort, Xehanort's Heartless, and Xemnas all justify their actions by believing that it is all for the sake of research.

His descent into darkness is owed partially to this lust as he wished to learn everything there is to about the worlds, including the Dark Realm. He does not believe in mindless violence or destruction without cause or motive, nor is sadistic in nature, shown by his merciful sympathy towards Ventus after rupturing his heart, but he will willingly engage in violence, cause destruction, and even commit cold-blooded murder if it benefits his quest for knowledge. Ultimately, knowledge and power are the only things Xehanort finds value in and only sees other living beings as tools to be manipulated if they are useful or destroyed if they are hindrances to his grand designs, but always with a greater purpose in mind.

Additionally, Xehanort's reports show the man in a different light than what is initially portrayed as an individual that does not cause destruction and tragedy for the sake of it, but to gleam answers from it. Unlike villains such as Maleficent, Xehanort does not seek to form Kingdom Hearts to purely obtain power, but to incite a Keyblade War and see firsthand just how the world was made from such a conflict. Through this observation, he would be able to become all knowing and create a universe that is more to his liking where light and darkness are more balanced.

While these motives of seeking knowledge and creating a more balanced existence were not initially evil in nature, they allowed Xehanort to feel no remorse for his actions and commit heinous atrocities throughout the worlds for years on end, turning Xehanort into a violent and amoral villain who is eventually consumed by his lust for knowledge, power, and darkness. Though Xehanort's goal of completing Kingdom Hearts is for various reasons, he is not above of being memorized by the absolute power that he would be granted through possessing the X-Blade and unlocking Kingdom Hearts; this lust and obsession would continue on with his Heartless and Nobody counterparts.

Regardless of his justifications and motives for his plans, Xehanort has shown an extreme disregard for all life. This disregard for life is seen in his ultimate goal of inciting another Keyblade War to simply quell his curiosity and remake the universe, which would cost the lives of billions of innocent people and the destruction of all worlds. He gleefully took the life of Master Eraqus, his former best friend, to simply make the darkness in Terra's heart stronger, showing that Xehanort's obsession with Kingdom Hearts overshadows even that of the affection he once felt towards a man he saw as a brother.

His counterparts also share in his extreme disregard with his Heartless destroying thousands of worlds to form a Kingdom Hearts made of the darkness from their destroyed remnants and unleash it onto the worlds while his Nobody created millions upon millions of heartless from the hearts of countless individuals and manipulated his own associates for his own ends, feeling no attachment to them whatsoever and deceiving their own emotions.

This trait is also very indicative of Xehanort's overall persona as he believes that only the emotions of anger and hatred within the heart give one power as they feed the darkness within all hearts. Xehanort's complete disregard for human life, lack of any empathy or remorse, and disdain of any emotion within the heart aside from anger and hatred arguably makes him a psychopath, unable to feel any attachment to anything aside from Kingdom Hearts.

While possessing amazing skills, stamina, and powers, even at such an old age, Xehanort rarely, if ever, brags about his skills and even accepts the fact that he is capable of being defeated. Knowing that not even he is unbeatable, Xehanort is always laying out numerous back up plans in case his original designs do not go as planned. This not only allows Xehanort multiple paths to take even if his schemes are spoiled, but keeps him one step ahead of all his adversaries, even the immensely wise and powerful Yen Sid. His modest demeanor and acceptance of possible defeat also contributes to his calm appearance as he knows that, even in defeat, he still has other alternatives to turn to.

After taking over Terra's body, the villain retains all of his personality traits as the new incarnation of Xehanort (before the latter's fight against the Lingering Will and Aqua) and "Ansem", who's attire is the same as Master Xehanorts'. Xemnas, meanwhile, appears to be influenced several times by Terra's characteristics, such as his goal of locating Ventus and speaking to Aqua's armor as a fallen ally and friend rather than an enemy. Regardless, Master Xehanort's influence appears to be the primary and dominant consciousness controlling Terra's body and mind as all his forms are obsessed with Kingdom Hearts and completing the alternative plans that Master Xehanort had laid out prior to taking over Terra.

Lastly, Master Xehanort also has a few unusual tendencies and quirks as well, such as turning away from the people he speaks to, or over-dramatizing his hand gestures when delivering a speech, even flexing his fingers in an unusual manner, as if itching to grab something. These actions seem very indicative of his obsession and excitement over his plans and visions, nearly losing his calm composure when discussing over what can be achieved and when fulfilling the most essential steps of his elaborate plots and calculated betrayals.

Overall, Master Xehanort is the true catalyst, either direct or indirect, of all the events in the series so far, such as the creation of all his counterparts, Vanitas, the Unversed, the Emblem Heartless, and Nobodies, Organization XIII and the Disney Villains' hunt for Kingdom Hearts. He appears to be the most evil and dangerous of all of Xehanort's forms and where all their malice and evil truly stems from. What started as simple curiosity turned into pure malice and deception, turning the man into a massive threat and villain throughout all the worlds that has lived on through countless incarnations.

Friends/Allies

 * Unversed
 * Vanitas
 * Heartless
 * Ansem, Seeker of Darkness
 * his guardian
 * Nobodies
 * Organization XIII
 * Xemnas
 * Braig/Xigbar
 * Isa/Saix
 * Terra-Xehanort
 * Nightmares

Family

 * Young Xehanort (past self)
 * Terra-Xehanort
 * No Heart
 * Ansem, Seeker of Darkness
 * Xemnas

Neutral

 * Maleficent
 * Disney Villains Council

Rivals

 * Master Eraqus (rival)

Enemies

 * Sora (arch-nemesis)
 * Riku
 * Kairi
 * Terra
 * Ventus
 * Aqua
 * Master Eraqus (rival)
 * Axel/Lea
 * Roxas
 * Naminé
 * Xion
 * Spirit Dream Eaters
 * Ansem the Wise/DiZ
 * Princesses of Heart
 * numerous Disney characters
 * King Mickey
 * Donald
 * Goofy
 * Queen Minnie
 * Daisy
 * Pluto
 * Clarabelle
 * Max
 * Horace
 * Chip and Dale
 * Scrooge
 * Huey, Dewey, and Louie
 * Pete
 * Yen Sid

Powers and Abilities
Master Xehanort is an extremely skilled Keyblade Master and magic user. His magic skills are some of the most advanced seen in the series so far, as he can manipulate the elements around him, block shots without raising his arms, telekinetically control the Keyblades covering the Keyblade Graveyard to attack Terra and Aqua, and bombard foes with multiple Fire, Thunder, and Blizzard-based magic. Able to teleport if he is in danger, Master Xehanort strikes opponents with powerful, fast-paced attacks. Despite his age, Xehanort possesses physical strength sufficient enough to grab a fully-armored Ventus by the back of the head and lift him into the air, slowly cracking the helmet as he did so. His Keyblade skills have also not tarnished, as he was able to fight at incredible speeds and hold his own in battle.

Thanks to his studies on the heart, Master Xehanort shows a great deal of skill in utilizing the heart and its capabilities, able to create a living being from a heart, and even able to direct his heart into Terra's body to possess it after his defeat in the Keyblade Graveyard. Master Xehanort's greatest asset, however, is his intellect and capacity for manipulation: he had directly and indirectly caused many of the hardships and suffering of the worlds for over a decade through complex schemes and contingencies, and always has backup plans ready.

In his younger incarnation, Xehanort demonstrated the ability to control and stop time.

Abilities
His age often causing opponents to underestimate him, Master Xehanort is an extremely skilled Keyblade Master and magic user. Able to teleport if he is in danger, Master Xehanort strikes opponents with powerful, fast-paced combos. He also can bombard foes with Thunder, Blizzard, and Earth-based magic. His magic skills are the most advanced seen in the series so far, able to create massive rock formations and pillars, encase Ventus's body in ice, project a gust of wind powerful enough to send Ventus and Mickey flying from his hand, block Braig's Arrowgun shots without raising his arms, and telekinetically control the Keyblades covering the Keyblade Graveyard. He also possesses physical strength sufficient enough to grab a fully-armored Ventus by the back of the head and lift him into the air with one hand while crushing his helmet.

Master Xehanort shows a great deal of skill in utilizing the heart and its capabilities, able to create a living being, Vanitas, out of the darkness of Ventus's heart when he unlocks it and even able to direct his heart into Terra's body to possess it after his defeat in the Keyblade Graveyard.

Once he becomes the young man known as Xehanort through the possession of Terra's body, Master Xehanort proves to be the stronger of the two hearts residing within him, repeatedly overpowering Terra's influence over his body is demonstrated several times during the battle between Terra-Xehanort and Aqua, Master Xehanort's influence beginning the fight in the first place and even releasing Terra's heart from within the body of his younger incarnation when Terra begins to regain control. Also, his combat abilities somewhat increase with the combination of Terra's power upped by Xehanort's agility.

His greatest asset, however, is his intelligence and skills at manipulation. For over eleven years, Xehanort's master plan has been going about, resulting in, among other things, the founding of the original Organization XIII and Riku's possession of the Seeker of Darkness, and he always has backup plans ready in the event his initial schemes fail.

Weapons

 * Main article: Gazing Eye

Master Xehanort is able to wield his Keyblade with great skill despite his age, and enough of his strength has remained over the years that he is able to use it in fast-paced physical combos. His battle pose is similar to that of both Vanitas and Riku, but he mainly allows the Keyblade to hang loosely at his side as he walks slowly towards opponents. Master Xehanort also uses his Keyblade to unlock countless hearts, including his own.

When Master Xehanort possesses Terra's body to become Terra-Xehanort, he abandons Terra's Keyblade and replaces it with his own. Terra-Xehanort wields the weapon with great skill, combining several of Terra and Master Xehanort's abilities to form his own deadly combos. As this Keyblade was gained by Terra-Xehanort through Master Xehanort's heart's more powerful influence, it is also used through Master Xehanort's influence to unlock Terra-Xehanort's heart.

Past
"They say ruin brings about creation. So, what then would another Keyblade War bring? When the darkness falls, will we be found worthy of the precious light the legend speaks of? I must have these answers. The X-Blade needs to be forged and with it, the door to the Keyblade War unlocked."
 * —Master Xehanort talking about his long term goal to Master Eraqus.

Xehanort grew up on the Destiny Islands. As a young man, he was paid a visit by his future self's Heartless, Ansem, who granted him the power to traverse time and tasked him with gathering twelve other incarnations of himself from across time.

After carrying out his duties in the future, Xehanort returned to his proper place in time at the Destiny Islands. While the rules of time travel prevented him from keeping his memories of his travels, they engraved themselves on his heart so that he retained a desire to eventually leave the islands. He eventually found a way to depart his home world and arrived at the Land of Departure, where he encountered a Keyblade Master. Under this master, he began training as a Keyblade wielder, along with his fellow pupil Eraqus, who Xehanort eventually came to see as a brother. The Master taught the two the ways of the Keyblade and that their role as Keyblade wielders was to protect the worlds of light from darkness. However, this answer was unsatisfactory to Xehanort, and he often visited other worlds without permission to learn more. Initially, Xehanort wore Keyblade Armor during his travels, to protect himself from the darkness between worlds, but eventually he discarded it and sought to control the darkness, believing that if he succeeded, he would not need his armor for protection. Eventually, both Eraqus and Xehanort became Keyblade Masters, and Eraqus was chosen as the Master's successor. The newly titled Master Xehanort was free to take on apprentices of his own to train, and he traveled the worlds freely.

As he journeyed, Xehanort obtained vast knowledge concerning Keyblade lore, the Heartless, and the mysteries of the Keyblade War and Kingdom Hearts. Xehanort came to believe that darkness and light were meant to be in balance, but the "tyranny" of light had destroyed much of the darkness and shifted that balance. He therefore resolved to obtain the power of Kingdom Hearts, so that he may create a World in balance. To that end, he sought to recreate the legendary χ-blade and begin a new Keyblade War. By this time, however, Xehanort had grown very old, and he devised a plan to use his Keyblade to extract his own heart and transfer it to a younger body to prolong his life until his ambitions were fulfilled. At one point, Xehanort discussed his ideas about the Keyblade War with Eraqus, who attempted to dissuade him from risking a new apocalypse for the sake of gaining knowledge. When Eraqus tried to stop him by force, Xehanort used his power of darkness to easily fend him off, scarring his face in the process.

Eventually, Xehanort encountered Ventus, who he took on as a pupil. Finding Ventus unsuitable as a vessel, he decided to use the boy in his plan to create the χ-blade. After failing to stimulate Ven's darkness during a training exercise in the Badlands, Xehanort forcibly extracted the darkness from his heart, creating Vanitas. Ven's heart was badly damaged in the process, and Xehanort brought him to the Destiny Islands to die in peace, but Ven showed signs of recovery after his heart connected with that of the newly born Sora. In order to strengthen Ven's light and keep him separated from Vanitas, Xehanort brought him to Eraqus and requested that he take care of Ventus and train him as a Keyblade wielder. His hopes were that Eraqus's dedication to the light would nurture Ventus and make him equal in strength to Vanitas, so that they could one day fight each other, forging the χ-blade. Despite how they had parted ways, Eraqus readily accepts Xehanort's request, taking Ventus as an apprentice, to be trained along with Terra and Aqua. While there, Xehanort notices Terra's desire for power, and he decides to make Terra his new vessel

Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep
"Seek out the darkness that upsets the balance. Find Vanitas and put an end to him... Master Terra."
 * —Master Xehanort manipulates Terra.

A few years later, Master Eraqus invites Master Xehanort to the Land of Departure to witness Terra and Aqua becoming Keyblade Masters. Xehanort accepts, but he hints that Terra has the potential for darkness and suggests Eraqus administer a Mark of Mastery Exam to the two apprentices. During the exam, Xehanort subtly uses darkness to affect the Orbs of Light and nudge Terra's darkness during his spar with Aqua. At the end of the exam, Eraqus names Aqua as Master, telling Terra that he failed to keep his darkness in check. Meanwhile, Xehanort leaves the building, passing by Vanitas, who tells him that Terra is the key to luring Ventus away from home. Outside, Xehanort tells Terra that he should not fear his darkness, and that he should learn to channel it instead. He then leaves via a Corridor of Darkness, making himself unavailable when Eraqus tries to contact him about the Unversed threat. Master Eraqus tasks Aqua and Terra with countering the Unversed and locating Master Xehanort, and Vanitas manipulates Ventus into following Terra.

During his travels, Master Xehanort meets the evil fairy Maleficent, and he informs her of the existence of other worlds, the Princesses of Heart, and Kingdom Hearts. He also tells her that the Keyblade is necessary to take others' hearts, and warns her of the three Keyblade wielders that would follow him to her world.

Some time later, Master Xehanort summons Terra to the Keyblade Graveyard, where he tells him of Vanitas and his connection to the Unversed. He explains that he created Vanitas after Ventus succumbed to darkness in a training accident, and he asks Terra to stop Vanitas for him, suggesting that he may be drawn to Radiant Garden, the city of light.

After arriving at Radiant Garden, Terra spots Master Xehanort walking into the Castle Town, but he is distracted from following him by a giant Unversed. Xehanort strikes an alliance with Braig, and they stage Xehanort's kidnapping in order to manipulate Terra into using darkness. Braig faces Terra in battle, and Terra accidentally channels his darkness, scarring Braig's face and forcing him to flee. Xehanort consoles the distraught Terra, offering to take him under his wing, so they may pursue a balance between light and darkness together. He tells "Master Terra" to continue his journey and his search for Vanitas.

After Terra leaves Radiant Garden, an injured Braig attempts to gun Master Xehanort down, furious at for being set up as "collateral damage", but Xehanort easily forces him to back down. When Braig remarks that a scarred face is better than a lost heart, Xehanort reveals that Terra is actally incapable of stealing a heart, implying that he himself was the one who stole Aurora's heart.

Later, Master Xehanort has Vanitas abduct Mickey Mouse to lure Ventus to the Keyblade Graveyard, where he reveals to Ventus the truth about his past and his plans to create the χ-blade. He adds that Master Eraqus has kept Ventus from venturing away from the Land of Departure in order to prevent the creation of the χ-blade, and that he never trusted Ventus enough to tell him the truth. Xehanort summons a dark vortex that sends Ven to the Land of Departure, expecting him to confront Eraqus. He then calls Terra to him, telling him that Ven went to confront Eraqus on his own, and that he fears for Ven's safety. He sends Terra after Ventus, and Terra arrives in time to protect Ven, throws him through a portal to safety, and defeats Eraqus in battle. Although Terra and Eraqus both regret their actions, Xehanort appears and delivers the final blow against Eraqus, who dissolves into light in Terra's arms. Revealing his true intentions to Terra, for him to succumb to darkness, Xehanort tells Terra to return to the Keyblade Graveyard, where he will see Ventus and Aqua meet their ends. He then summons his Keyblade and uses it to unleash darkness on the Land of Departure, completely destroying the world and leaving nothing but the castle's remains, before departing.

When Terra, Ventus, and Aqua travel to the remains of the Land of Departure again, they meet the time-displaced Young Xehanort, who hides his identity by keeping his hood up. After he is defeated, he departs again through time.

Terra, Ven and Aqua arrive at the Keyblade Graveyard, where Master Xehanort and Vanitas confront the three Keyblade wielders. Xehanort uses his immense magic to alter the landscape, summoning giant cliffs and creating a whirling stream of abandoned Keyblades that pursues the three friends. Terra is knocked onto the cliff where Xehanort stands, Ventus tries to attack him from behind, but Xehanort instantly moves behind Ven and grabs him by the helmet of his Keyblade Armor. Terra is knocked off the cliff by the flying Keyblades while Xehanort flash-freezes Ventus and drops him off the cliff. Xehanort then creates an orb of magic which he launches into the clouds overhead, summoning Kingdom Hearts in the sky.

Terra returns to the top of the cliff and faces off against Xehanort and Vanitas, but Xehanort soon sends Vanitas to fight Ventus, leaving Xehanort and Terra to fight one-on-one. Xehanort goads Terra into tapping into his darkness, and Terra successfully defeats the elderly Master. While the battle between Ventus and Vanitas climaxes in the forging of the χ-blade, Xehanort uses his Keyblade to extract his own heart and implant it into Terra, declaring his vow to survive to see the results of the Keyblade War. Terra-Xehanort becomes the new incarnation of Xehanort, with his old body fading away in a shower of light with a triumphant smile.

Blank Points
"You are just one of many roads that I might choose to take."
 * —Master Xehanort to Terra.

Master Xehanort and Terra continue to dispute over internal dominance within the new Xehanort. Despite Xehanort's insistence that he will soon subsume Terra's heart into his own, Terra remains confident that he will win over and eventually expel Master Xehanort. Xehanort realizes that Terra is harboring the heart of Master Eraqus, which may allow him to resist his darkness for longer than he expected. However, Xehanort serenely points out that he has many other plans in the works should he lose control over Terra's body.

Between Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep and Kingdom Hearts II
Anticipating that Ventus and Vanitas's union may fail to successfully create the χ-blade, Master Xehanort had arranged a number of back up plans: Braig, as Ansem's trusted guard, took the role of advisor and comrade for Terra-Xehanort, who had lost his memories following his fight with Aqua. With Braig's guidance, the new Xehanort began conducting experiments into the nature of the heart and the darkness within, in the attempt to remove one's sense of self. The two recruited Ansem's other apprentices to assist in their research, which eventually led to the mass release of Heartless into the Realm of Light. Having banished Ansem the Wise to the Realm of Darkness, the apprentices continue their experiments until they lose their hearts to darkness. Terra-Xehanort, recovering the use of his Keyblade, takes Braig's heart himself, then gives his own heart over to darkness, creating his Heartless, Ansem, Seeker of Darkness, and his Nobody, Xemnas.

Ansem and Xemnas each carry out a part of Master's Xehanort's plan: Ansem manipulates Maleficent into gathering seven hearts of pure light, while Xemnas and Braig's Nobody, Xigbar, found Organization XIII, intending to turns its members into vessels for Master Xehanort's heart. However, anticipating that the Organization members would prove unsuitable as vessels, Ansem, lacking a body, travels back in time and approaches Xehanort in his youth. He grants him the ability to move forward in time and tasks him with gathering many incarnations of himself from throughout time.

In the meantime, Ansem and Xemnas each attempt to obtain the power of Kingdom Hearts. Ansem, by manipulating the Heartless into consuming the hearts of many worlds, creates Kingdom Hearts in the depths of the End of the World from the lost hearts, while Xemnas, by having Roxas and Xion collect hearts from Emblem Heartless, and later by manipulating Sora into doing the same, creates Kingdom Hearts in the sky above The World That Never Was from people's hearts. However, their plans are both thwarted by Sora and his friends.

Kingdom Hearts coded
"A man like Xehanort will have left many roads open."
 * —Yen Sid to Mickey.

When Mickey returns to the Mysterious Tower, Yen Sid explains that the destruction of Ansem and Xemnas will inevitably lead to the resurrection of Master Xehanort. Musing that Xehanort will have left himself many paths to take and cryptically suggesting that there may be more than one of Xehanort to contend with, Yen Sid instructs Mickey to summon Sora and Riku to the tower to take the Mark of Mastery exam.

Meanwhile, the time-displaced Young Xehanort travels to Radiant Garden and wakes Braig. The two discuss Master Xehanort's plans and the details of his Keyblade for a short period, then agree to take Isa, as Saïx, with them.

Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance
"I am Xehanort from the most distant past. My future self gave me a task—to visit the splintered versions of myself in many worlds, and ensure they gathered here today."
 * —Young Xehanort to Riku.

The time displaced Young Xehanort successfully gathers other incarnations of himself from across time, until they total twelve, including himself and the elder Master Xehanort.

At the beginning of Sora and Riku's Mark of Mastery exam, the disembodied Ansem appears, in his robed appearance. He causes Sora to be marked with the Recusant's Sigil, allowing him to be tracked down and guided through the Sleeping Worlds by Young Xehanort and his comrades.

He appears before Sora and Riku in several worlds, often accompanied by either Ansem or Xemnas. They taunt the two, Sora about his unknown links to others' hearts, Riku about his dark past, and both about being trapped in their dreams. The Young Xehanort chooses to make Sora the thirteenth vessel for Master Xehanort's heart, as Riku had developed a resistance to darkness. In the Symphony of Sorcery, Xehanort confronts Sora, commenting on the idyllic and beautiful dream-like landscape. Xehanort reveals he is not part of Sora's dream and ominously tells Sora to keep sleeping and they will meet again.

Eventually, Sora is brought to the real World that Never Was, where Xigbar then explains how his little journey had been manipulated all along, and Young Xehanort plunges Sora back into a deep sleep, showing him illusions of his own past. Sora then dreams of the many people connected to him, and when he chases the phantoms in his dream, he falls deeper into sleep. Eventually he confronts Xigbar and Xemnas, who reveal to him the true purpose of Organization XIII and admit that Nobodies can regrow their hearts over time. Although Sora defeats Xemnas, the fight weakens him to the point that he cannot escape from his deep sleep. Young Xehanort reappears before him, and he tells Sora how they had manipulated his journey. As Sora falls unconscious, Xehanort informs him that he will become the thirteenth member of the new Organization XIII.

Riku attempts to find Sora in The World That Never Was, eventually defeating Ansem (Xehanort hertless) and then returning to the real world. He tracks Sora to the Castle That Never Was, where he finds Sora in Where Nothing Gathers. Young Xehanort stops Riku from reaching Sora, and he tells him about the true purpose of Organization XIII as vessels for Xehanort, as well as his role in gathering the members from across time, and his choosing Sora as the thirteenth member. The current members appear, but before Master Xehanort fully materializes, Mickey arrives and freezes the area with a Stopza spell. However, Master Xehanort possesses the body of his younger incarnation, allowing him to move and to summon a Keyblade. Young Xehanort faces Riku in battle, but Riku finally prevails. The time freeze wears off, and Master Xehanort fully revives on the highest throne, while Young Xehanort takes his place on another.

Master Xehanort admits to his past endeavors and his failed attempt to create the χ-blade to Riku and Mickey, but also reveals that he has another way to create the χ-blade and restart the Keyblade War. Since the χ-blade was divided at the conclusion of the Keyblade War into thirteen darknesses and seven lights, he had orchestrated many previous events, including manipulating Maleficent into capturing the seven Princesses of Heart and the creation of Organization XIII as vessels of darkness, each meant to harbor a piece of his own heart. Due to Sora and Riku's interference and the unforeseen independence or weakness of a number of Organization members, the two-part plan had failed. However, having given Young Xehanort the ability to travel through time, Master Xehanort has brought about the creation of a new Organization XIII made up of himself, his other incarnations, and vessels that harbor pieces of his heart, which he intends to pit against the "Seven Lights".

Master Xehanort moves in to place a fragment of his heart inside Sora, but the arrival of Lea, Donald, and Goofy stalls the Organization long enough that they are forced to retreat, each member returning to his own time. As Master Xehanort fades, he tells his opponents that both the seven of light and the thirteen of darkness will have their numbers filled when the time comes.

Although Yen Sid and Mickey agree that they will be playing into Xehanort's hands, they resolve to gather seven Keyblade-wielding defenders of light, rather than endanger the Princesses of Heart.

Kingdom Hearts III
Master Xehanort is not seen until Sora and the other Seven Guardians of Light arrive in the Keyblade Graveyard. He approaches them with the other members of the Thirteen Seekers of Darkness, repeating his words, previously said to Eraqus, regarding the Keyblade War. Using his Keyblade, he creates the Skein of Severance. He is not seen again until Sora, Riku and Mickey clear the Skein of Severance. He remarks that nine keys have been forged due to the nine clashes between the Guardians of Light and the Seekers of Darkness, and that the final four keys will be forged now. He watches on as his younger self, Xemnas and Ansem battle Sora, Mickey and Riku to create three of the remaining keys. Once young Xehanort, Ansem and Xemnas are defeated, Xehanort strikes down Kairi in order to motivate Sora into clashing with him.

With the final key created, Xehanort summons the χ-Blade and opens Kingdom Hearts, casing a shower of Darkness to fall upon the World. Riku explains that Xehanort is a portal through time, and while the other Guardians try to hold off Kingdom hearts, Sora opens a portal around Xehanort, transporting him, Xehanort, Donald and Goofy to Scala ad Caelum. The fragments of Xehanort's heart that had previously occupied the other members of Thirteen Seekers of Darkness appear and attack Sora, but when they are defeated, they return to Master Xehanort, who summons a new set of Keyblade Armor to combat Sora himself. He manipulates Scala ad Caelum during the battle, constantly changing their battleground from the town itself, to underwater, then in the air.

Sora defeats Master Xehanort, destroying his Keyblade Armor, but Xehanort retreats to the top of Scala ad Caelum's clock tower. Sora pursues him, and Xehanort once again summons the χ-Blade and opens Kingdom Hearts in Scala ad Caelum. After a long battle in which Xehanort attempts to drain Sora's Light, Master Xehanort is finally defeated. Expressing shock that he had lost, Xehanort nonetheless explains his belief that he can still carry out his plan of using Kingdom Hearts to start a 'purge', in which Kingdom Hearts will return the Worlds to how they were, with him to guide the hearts of the people to their destiny. Sora tells him that it's not his decision to make.

At that moment, the other Guardians of Light arrive in Scala ad Caelum, and Terra speaks to Master Xehanort, using the words of Eraqus, whose heart still resides within him. Eraqus appears before Xehanort and convinces him to surrender the χ-Blade to Sora, stating that while it is too late for the two of them, it is not too late for Sora and the others. After surrendering the χ-Blade, Xehanort fades away with Eraqus, briefly taking on their childhood forms before their Hearts fly away toward Kingdom Hearts.

Etymology

 * Like all the members of the original Organization XIII, Xehanort's name contains the letter "X", along with the anagrams "Another" and "No Heart".

Notes & Trivia

 * Xehanort's design is heavily reminiscent of the Mad Doctor. He also bears a resemblance to executive Disney film producer Roy Conli, something Conli himself notes in a Kingdom Hearts III promotional video.
 * Like the members of the original Organization XIII, Xehanort's name contains the letter "X", along with the anagrams "Another" and "No Heart".
 * Ansem, Seeker of Darkness, made from the heart of Master Xehanort, is referenced twice in Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep. First, Master Xehanort asks Terra to "Seek out the darkness that upsets the balance", similar to Ansem's title, and second, Terra tells Master Xehanort in Blank Points that "You're gonna get shown the door, old man", referencing Ansem's fate at the end of Kingdom Hearts.
 * In both versions of Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep, the voice actor for the young Master Xehanort is uncredited.
 * Both of Master Xehanort's original voice actors have passed away. Chikao Ōtsuka passed away on January 15th, 2015 and Leonard Nimoy died on February 27th, 2015.