Organization XIII
Organization XIII (XIII 機関 Jūsan Kikan, lit. XIII Order) is a fictional group of thirteen Nobodies, beings without hearts, created by Tetsuya Nomura and Kazushige Nojima and featured in Square Enix and Buena Vista Games' PlayStation 2 role-playing game, Kingdom Hearts II. They were originally introduced as the Organization (機関 Kikan, lit. Order) in the game Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories. They seek to discover the mysteries that lie within the heart and use the power of Kingdom Hearts to become complete humans. Template:Spoiler
Background
The first six members of Organization XIII are Nobodies of assistants of Ansem in his experiments in darkness. The assistants and Ansem built an underground facility in Hollow Bastion, where they conducted experiments with the heart, using themselves as test subjects. After speaking with the off-worlder, King Mickey, Ansem saw the immorality of what he was doing and ceased his involvement. The assistants and their leader, Xehanort, did not share his moral compunction and continued their experiments. This eventually led to tragedy and the creation of Nobody versions of the assistants. Xemnas, the Nobody of Xehanort, became the "Superior" and founded Organization XIII in order to learn about the secrets of the heart and to recover their hearts and become complete beings again. To that end, they deliberatly send Heartless into various worlds with the expectation of Sora killing them, releasing the hearts inside the creatures, which then bond with Kingdom Hearts, granting more usable power for the Organization to use.
Because Xemnas is an anagram of Ansem with an "X" added, Roxas is an anagram of Sora with an "X" added and the names of members II to VI are anagrams of their old names with Xs added to them, it could be said that each member's name is an anagram of their original being name with an "X". The origins and original names of members VII to XII are unknown.
Nobody
Nobodies (ノーバディ Nōbadi) are creatures without hearts. They are leftovers, existing as merely the body (an empty vessel) and soul of people who lost their hearts to Darkness. Unlike the Heartless, the Nobodies attack people out of confusion and the need to be complete (finding and reuniting their bodies with their lost hearts). The members of Organization XIII, being the most powerful Nobodies because of their strong hearts, kept human form while weaker ones assumed malformed, inhuman forms. Most of the members of the Organization tend to control one type of Nobody, usually suited to their fighting style.
There are twelve known types of primitive Nobodies; those being Assassin, Beserker, Creeper, Dancer, Dragoon, Dusk, Gambler, Samurai, Sniper, Sorcerer, Spectre, and Twilight Thorn.
Members
The Members are presented by assigned number order; the numbers show seniority of the members with I being the most senior, and XIII being the newest member. They all also receive titles indicating their role in Organization XIII and their personality, unique elemental powers and their own breed of primitive Nobodies.
I. Xemnas
Previously known by fans as the Enigmatic Man, Xemnas (ゼムナス Zemunasu) (whose name is an anagram of Ansem with an x added to it) is the Nobody of Xehanort and the main antagonist of Kingdom Hearts II. Like his counterpart, Xemnas is collecting hearts but he intends to absorb Kingdom Hearts to become a complete and almighty godlike being. He can manifest some sort of energy as a weapon, making red "aerial blades" with it, use the element of nothingness, control the Sorcerer Nobodies and move through solid objects such as humans.
He is the man whom Sora fought in the Final Mix version of the original Kingdom Hearts at Hollow Bastion; he was the first member of the Organization that could be fought. Xemnas is first seen in Kingdom Hearts II during the beginning at a beach, stating that Roxas looks like Sora and asks if he has met him. Later on, he appears in front of Sora at Hollow Bastion to taunt him, and then later at Hollow Bastion again when the enormous Heartless army attacked it. While he escapes, Sora confronts him again in the World That Never Was where Xemnas succeeded in obtaining some of Kingdom Hearts' power, taking on a new form. Xemnas is the last member of the Organization that Sora, with help from Riku, battles in Kingdom Hearts II.
He is voiced by Paul St. Peter in the English version of Kingdom Hearts II and veteran seiyū Norio Wakamoto in the Japanese version.
II. Xigbar
Xigbar (シグバール Shigubāru), the "Freeshooter", is a senior member of the Organization. He controls the Sniper Nobodies that share the same affinity for sharpshooting as he does. Being a sniper by nature, Xigbar uses gun arrows and the element of space in battle. A missing right eye and the deep scar on his left cheek indicate that he was in some sort of intense battle in the past. He has several grey streaks in his hair, which is worn in a ponytail.
For someone his age, Xigbar talks a lot and likes to insult people. He is not terribly intelligent and fights based on instinct. He initially appears before Sora at Hollow Bastion near the beginning of the game to taunt Sora, though he never takes off his hood. Later, he appears at The Land of Dragons coincidentally at the same time that Riku appears there. Sora sees him and confuses him for Riku, whom he had met earlier. He confronts Sora at the World That Never Was and is defeated. His original name was Braig (mistranslated as Bleig in the English version).
He is voiced by James Patrick Stewart in the English version of Kingdom Hearts II and Hochu Otsuka in the Japanese version.
III. Xaldin
While he looks like the silent-type, Xaldin (ザルディン Zarudin), the "Whirlwind Lancer", is actually quite talkative. He sports long black hair and long sideburns, and wields six lances while wielding the element of wind, along with controlling the Dragoon Nobodies who all wield spears much like his own.
Xaldin confronts Sora in Beast's Castle when he maniuplated the Beast's rage by various means so that a powerful Nobody and Heartless could be created from the Beast. But Sora's interfence with his plan forced Xaldin to take more drastic matters: Stealing the mystical rose and kidnapping Belle to force entice Beast's rage. The plan failed and Xaldin's impulsive actions lead to his downfall against Sora. His original name was Dilan (mistranslated as Dilin in the English version).
He is voiced by David Dayan Fisher in the English version of Kingdom Hearts II and Yōsuke Akimoto in the Japanese version.
IV. Vexen
Vexen (ヴィクセン Vikusen), the "Chilly Academic", is the research scientist of the group and loves to study the secrets of the heart. He is often very stoic in his behavior. Vexen is ranked higher than most others in the game and has long dirty blond hair. He can control the power of ice and carries a large shield in battle that blocks any frontal attacks made against him. His fighting style typically revolves around hindering Sora's movement, and when he is fought in Twilight Town, his sleights include sending icicles to chase Sora, creating slippery frozen puddles on the ground and freezing Sora in a block of ice.
In Chain of Memories, he appears to help in Marluxia's plot, but actually siding with Zexion and Lexaeus. He first battles Riku in order to create a replica of him. However, Vexen cared nothing for his "experiment" and allows Naminé to manipulate the duplicate's memories against his wishes. When he encounters Sora, Vexen says that he came to collect his "debt" and provokes Sora's anger by making him believe that he controlled Riku rather than created a replica. After their battle, Vexen gives Sora the card to Twilight Town with the intention of revealing something important to the boy. Marluxia considers him a traitor as a result and sends Axel to kill him, suspecting that he will reveal the "other side" of Sora's heart to him.
In Twilight Town, Vexen attempts to reveal to Sora why he feels as though he has been to Twilight Town despite being fairly certain (though memories are never quite certain in Castle Oblivion) that he had never been there. Sora and Vexen battle again after Vexen tells Sora to throw away his memories and listen to his heart. Following the fight, Vexen sees Sora as a true threat; even after being weakened by false memories, Sora remained very strong. Just as Vexen is about to reveal to Sora Marluxia's plot to use him and the existence of "the other side of Sora's heart", Vexen is struck behind by one of Axel's chakrams. Despite pleading for mercy, Axel lays the deathblow to Vexen, telling him, "Now you can be nothing instead of just being nobody." His original name was Even.
In the Chain of Memories manga, there is a research lab in the lower levels of Castle Oblivion where Vexen spends most of his time.
He is voiced by Tatsuya Kando in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories.
V. Lexaeus
Lexaeus (レクセウス Rekuseusu), the "Silent Hero", is a well-built, muscular fighter in Organization XIII's ranks. Lexaeus is one of the two members of the Organization in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories that appears in Riku's story only. He employs a large tomahawk and the element of earth in battle, throwing his tomahawk, breaking rocks and shaking the arena itself. He takes little damage from Riku's physical attacks, but is highly vulnerable to Dark sleights.
Lexaeus, along with Vexen and Zexion, are older members of the Organization who are less than pleased when they are forced to submit to the will of newcomers like Marluxia. When they realize the Lord of Castle Oblivion plans to overthrow the Organization by capturing and manipulating Sora, Lexaeus and Zexion decide to capture Riku and use him in the same fashion to counter Marluxia. This may have been part of the reason for creating the Riku Replica, and Lexaeus may have taken action upon realizing that the Replica, at that point in Riku's quest, had already lost to Sora on at least two consecutive instances that he knew of.
Lexaeus seems to keep an eye on events unfolding in the higher floors of Castle Oblivion and he is the one that informs Zexion that Axel has killed Vexen. When it became dangerously apparent that Sora might fall into Marluxia's grasp, Lexaeus confronts Riku directly, trying to convince him to open himself up to the power of the darkness in his heart. Riku refuses to give in and Lexaeus attacks him. In a very close battle, Riku manages to defeat the brute, but with his last bits of strength, Lexaeus releases all of the darkness within him in hopes of overwhelming and consuming Riku. However, King Mickey protects Riku from the part of Xehanort in his heart. His original name was Elaeus (mistranslated as Eleus in the English version).
In the Chain of Memories manga, there is a gym in the lower levels of Castle Oblivion where Lexaeus spends most of his time.
He is also voiced by Tatsuya Kando in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories.
VI. Zexion
Like Axel, Zexion (ゼクシオン Zekushion), the "Cloaked Schemer", is a skilled manipulator by nature. Appearing in Chain of Memories, his talents lay outside of battle, even though he does have a weapon; he is the only Organization member who does not fight in a gameplay battle and lacks a voice actor.
He is one of two Organization members who appear only in Riku's story. He has the ability to identify individuals by their scent, sensing when they die, and seems to be able to do so from great distances. His element is unknown.
Zexion informs Vexen and Lexaeus when he senses two new scents in the lowest basement of Castle Oblivion. One of the scents is Maleficent, and he senses that she is eliminated by the other visitor, one with a scent "exactly similar" to that of the Superior. With little information on what was happening, he and the others decide to await development. Not long after, he identifies the other guest in the castle: Riku. He observes the boy's progress through Castle Oblivion until Vexen's death, when he and Lexaeus decide that they should use Riku just as they believe Marluxia will use Sora.
After Larxene, Lexaeus and even Marluxia are killed, Zexion sees that Riku is no longer needed and attempts to destroy him himself. He leads Riku into a manifestation of Destiny Islands, Sora and Riku's home, in which Riku sees his friends disappear. Zexion appears and wages psychological war on Riku, telling him about how he threw away his friends and his home, opened the door to darkness, and destroyed his islands. Following Riku's battle with a Darkside Heartless, Zexion uses his power to disguise himself as Sora and attacks him, telling him that he's become nothing more than a pawn of the darkness. He engulfs Riku in light, but a vision of Kairi manages to convince Riku to shed his fear of the darkness. With newfound strength, Riku follows Zexion's scent through the light and strikes him, but Zexion escapes. His escape was short-lived; Axel brings the Riku Replica down to him and convinces the replica that he can become real by gaining power that the real Riku does not have. The replica agrees, and with Axel's suggestion, strikes down Zexion without difficulty. Kingdom Hearts II Alpha Ultimania, a short guidebook released to promote the game, indicates him as being "fallen into ruin", though the meaning of this remains unclear.
He was originally Ansem's youngest lab assistant and test subject, under the name of Ienzo. He was the one that convinced Ansem, with his passionate words, that they should expand the horizons of their research.
In the Chain of Memories manga, Zexion spends most of his time fooling around with various puzzles and appears much younger than pictured here.
VII. Saïx
Saïx (Known in the Japanese version as Saix, サイクス Saikusu), the "Luna Diviner", has an X-shaped scar on his face and wields a gigantic claymore. He controls the element of moon and the Berserker Nobodies.
Despite his rank, Saïx is respected as if he was the second in command. He is a calm and collected man who shows no emotion, belying his extensively cruel nature. Axel has a clear dislike of him and Saïx becomes the one to brand Axel as a traitor to the group for attempting to derail the Organization's plans for Sora. Saïx shows his true beastlike nature when he fights Sora at the World That Never Was, going into a berserk state from absorbing the moonlight from Kingdom Hearts. However, he was mortally wounded and died while pining for Kingdom Hearts to give him his heart.
Assuming his naming convention follows that of other members of Organization XIII, his original name was either Aïs, Asï, Ïas, Ïsa, Saï, or Sïa.
He is voiced by Kirk Thornton in the English version of Kingdom Hearts II and Ginpei Sato in the Japanese version.
VIII. Axel
Axel (アクセル Akuseru), the "Flurry of Dancing Flames", works as a double agent in Castle Oblivion. In battle, he utilizes a pair of chakram as well as the element of fire. The Assassin Nobodies are under his control. He is a skilled manipulator and one never quite knows whose side he is really on.
Chain of Memories
Axel is the first member of the Organization to battle with Sora in Castle Oblivion, though the fight is nothing more than a test of Sora's strength. He gives Sora his first set of world cards to proceed through the castle. Later, he pretends to join with Larxene and Marluxia in their plan to seize control of the Organization using Sora. To gain their trust, he assassinates Vexen when ordered by Marluxia to rid them of "traitors". In Kingdom Hearts II, Axel's other motive for killing Vexen is revealed; because of Vexen, Sora almost learns of his nobody counterpart, Roxas. Afterwards, in order to derail Marluxia's plans, Axel sets Naminé free so that she can reveal to Sora the truth about how she manipulated his memory.
Eventually, Axel confronts Marluxia, prepared to destroy him by reminding him of the order to wipe out traitors of the Organization. Marluxia uses Naminé as shield to keep Axel at bay, though Axel resolves to go through anyone, even Naminé, in order to kill Marluxia. When Sora makes a sudden appearance, Marluxia vanishes with Naminé, leaving Sora to fight Axel. Axel, specializing in ranged attacks, is able to throw and strike with his chakrams, create an unavoidable fire wall and, when faced for the second time, turn his chakrams into fireballs that can seek out Sora. Sora defeats Axel, after which he states the existence of their relation before vanishing, letting Sora believe him to be gone for good (whether or not Sora believes this is unclear). After Marluxia is defeated by Sora, Axel enlists the aid of the Riku Replica that Vexen created to get rid of Zexion in Castle Oblivion's basement levels and to fight the real Riku.
Throughout both the main storyline and "Reverse/Rebirth", Axel seemingly inadvertantly refers to himself, Vexen, and Naminé as "nobodies." The significance of these comments is only evident in Kingdom Hearts II.
Kingdom Hearts II
Axel's role and motives are fully revealed in Kingdom Hearts II and revolve around Roxas, whom Axel sees as a dear friend and almost like a brother. He attempts to personally bring Roxas back into the Organization by force, knowing that if Roxas was to find and meet face to face with Sora, the two would fuse to complete Sora and Roxas as a nobody would no longer exist. When that plan fails, Axel discovers that Xemnas has simply been using Roxas and the other members of the Organization to further his own selfish desires and he turns against the Organization. He kidnaps Kairi to see if he could use her to influence Sora to fight with him against Xemnas.
Because of these acts, Saïx brands Axel as a traitor, and kidnaps Kairi himself to use her as bait to fuel Sora's anger and further their plans. Axel, whose feelings for Roxas live on in Sora, finds the young hero in a pathway to darkness and chooses to fight with him rather than against him. When he and Sora are attacked by a large group of Nobodies, he performs a kamikaze attack and sacrifices himself to save Sora. With the last of his strength, Axel opens a corridor of darkness to the World That Never Was.
Assuming his naming convention follows that of other members of Organization XIII, his original name was either Ael, Ale, Eal, Ela, Lae, or Lea.
Axel is voiced by Keiji Fujiwara in both Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories and the Japanese version of Kingdom Hearts II, while he is voiced by Quinton Flynn in the English version of Kingdom Hearts II.
IX. Demyx
A blond fighting musician, Demyx (デミックス Demikkusu), the "Melodious Nocturne", uses a sitar as his weapon and controls the Dancer Nobodies. He does not enjoy fighting, but can control water with his sitar to replicate himself and to execute powerful and intimidating attacks. Demyx seems not to take his mission seriously at first, joking around with Sora and complaining that the higher-ups had mistakenly chosen him to carry them out, as he claims he is a poor fighter.
Initially, he refers to Sora as Roxas, not regarding Sora as an individual but rather as another form of Roxas. Demyx first appears in the Underworld, where he is confronted by Sora for stealing the Olmypus Stone, a object that protects the wearer from the restrictive effects of the Underworld. He fought Sora with the use of his clones, not taking the young Keyblade master seriously at the time and left after losing. The two soon crossed paths again at Hollow Bastion during the massive Heartless attack. Upon being reminded that he was a Nobody, and therefore had no heart, Demyx fought Sora fiercely with his full potenial. Unfortunately for Demyx, it was his last fight.
He is voiced by Ryan O'Donohue in the English version of Kingdom Hearts II and Kenichi Suzumura in the Japanese version.
X. Luxord
Being the "Gambler of Fate", Luxord'(ルクソード Rukusōdo)'s life is permeated by gambling. He loves to gamble and sees battle as just another form of it. Like Zexion, he is more a strategist than a powerful fighter. He has neatly ordered white hair, a mustache and several earrings in the shape of the Nobody symbol. Luxord uses a deck of 52 giant playing cards and the element of time. He is in control of the Gambler Nobodies.
Luxord appears at Port Royal, where he revives the curse of the Aztec gold, and the cursed pirate nuisance along with it. Luxord makes use of the opportunity to scout the inhabitants of Port Royal, Sora, and the gold's curse, to ascertain as to whether or not they would be useful to the Organization. In the end, he has Sora defeat a large heartless and collects the forthcoming heart before escaping without fighting Sora and his party himself. Later, at the World That Never Was, Luxord appears before Sora and traps his companions in his playing cards, leaving Sora to fight alone. In his final gamble, he raises his cards to defend himself from Sora's final strike, but it is in vain.
He is voiced by Robin Atkins-Downes in the English version of Kingdom Hearts II and by Jouji Nakata in the Japanese version.
XI. Marluxia
A relative newcomer to the Organization, Marluxia (マールーシャ Mārūsha) is Lord of Castle Oblivion and the "Graceful Assassin". In battle, he wields a pink scythe and the element of flower (referred to as "nature" in some official material; the meaning of nature does not exactly correspond to the powers Marluxia possesses).
Along with Larxene, Marluxia conspires to overthrow the Organization by using Naminé to manipulate Sora's memories.
He declares the replica of Riku a failure and threatens to tell "the Superior" about this. The intimidation tactic is effective and Vexen reluctantly agrees to Marluxia's order to kill Sora. Axel remarks that Vexen would kill Sora, thus rendering their plans useless, but Marluxia is confident Vexen will fail. He assigns Axel to eliminate Vexen when the latter failed to kill Sora and almost told Sora about the "other side of the heart".
Upon Axel's return, Marluxia extends his trust to Axel as he has done with Larxene. However, Axel betrays them and convinces Naminé to do what she thinks is right. Larxene fails to kill Sora and was eliminated as well. Marluxia recaptures Naminé and is confronted by Axel, who accuses Marluxia and Larxene as the traitors for conspiring against the Organization. The two are about to fight with Marluxia planning to use Naminé as a shield. Sora appears and Marluxia disappears to the 13th floor, leaving Axel to fight Sora.
Seeing that Axel has been defeated, Marluxia anticipates Sora's arrival on the 13th Floor. The two fight, only for Sora to realize he has been fighting a replica of Marluxia. The real Marluxia, atop a Nobody called "Spectre", confronts Sora and another battle ensued. Marluxia, like the other members of the Organization, is defeated.
He is the last member of the Organization to battle in Chain of Memories, and, like Vexen and Lexaeus, is voiced by Tatsuya Kando.
XII. Larxene
The only female member and the "Savage Nymph", Larxene (ラクシーヌ Rakushīnu), conspires with Marluxia to overthrow Organization XIII by using Sora to achieve their ends. She is an arrogant sadist in nature, abrasive and uncaring for the feelings of others as she enjoyed seeing them suffer with her mindgames. Larxene uses the element of thunder to fight and wields kunai (throwing knives) held between her fingers as her weapons. Compared to the other members, she is incredibly agile in battle.
In her first encounter with Sora, she flips Marluxia's plans into high gear when she attacks Sora and turns the luck charm into a shape of a star different from Kairi's. The act fully replaces Kairi in Sora's memories with Naminé. After the battle, Larxene mocks Sora, claiming he's trying to "play" the hero. The trust Marluxia and Larxene place in Axel proved to be a mistake when he derails their plans by setting Naminé free. Naminé reveals to Sora that the Organization has been using him since he stepped into Castle Oblivion. Larxene appears to Sora, after he fought the Riku Replica for the fourth time, to destroy them all. Again, Larxene mocks Sora for "chaining" himself to false memories of Naminé and the "promise" he made to her. To add injury to the insult, she harms Namine by shoving her into a wall. This cruel act proves fatal, as Sora attacks with Donald and Goofy aiding him. Sora kills Larxene, leaving only two members of the Organization in Castle Oblivion for him to deal with.
In the Chain of Memories manga, there is a library in the upper area of Castle Oblivion where Larxene spends most of her time reading a book entitled Marquis de Sade, which was named after the infamous French writer, who was the namesake of sadism.
She is voiced by Rieko Katayama in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories.
XIII. Roxas
The youngest and newest member of the Organization, Roxas (ロクサス Rokusasu), the "Key of Destiny", was "born" when Sora briefly became a Heartless. However, due to a combination of Sora's short time as a Shadow and Kairi's heart serving in his creation, Roxas had no memory of being Sora. He wields the Oblivion and Oathkeeper Keyblades, and controls the power of light and the Samurai Nobodies. His name is an anagram of Sora with an x added.
Roxas' first appearance was in the "Another side, Another story..." video that is unlockable if the player accomplishes certain tasks in Kingdom Hearts; he was the first Organization member to be revealed. He later appeared in an additional video, "Another Side, Another Story [deep dive]", for Kingdom Hearts: Final Mix. When pre-release screenshots and video showed this character without an Organization cloak, he was featured prominently, emphasizing his importance to the future game's plot. In the absence of an official name, fan names included Glowing-Eyed Unknown and Dual-Wielding Unknown as he appears in "Another side, Another story [deep dive]" and Blond-Haired Kid when he was revealed in his Twilight Town outfit. The Square Enix-given name in Kingdom Hearts Alpha Ultimania was Misterious Boy [sic]) and debated his importance in the plot.
He is voiced by Jesse McCartney in the English version of Kingdom Hearts II and Koki Uchiyama in the Japanese version.
Story
During his time in the Organization, he and Axel became best friends, but that changed after Xemnas revealed Sora's existence to him. Roxas, against Axel's wishes, wanted to find out the truth behind who he really was and left the Organization.
Roxas cooperated with Riku when he was attacked by Heartless due to possessing the Keyblade, but the two soon fought each other. Roxas was victorious in the first encounter, but after Riku took possession of the power of darkness and confronted him again Roxas was defeated. Riku took him to DiZ, who placed him in his virtual Twilight Town with no memory of being a Nobody. DiZ had Naminé replace some of Roxas' memories with Sora's, much to Axel's fury, who did not want Roxas involved with DiZ's plan. As a result of DiZ's scheme, Roxas lived a normal life in a simulated Twilight Town until his past came back to haunt him when Axel infiltrated the simulated town to reach him.
Although he is able to remember his past as Number 13 in the Organization, and despite Axel's attempts to stop him, he merges with Sora at the beginning of the game as part of DiZ's plan to restore Sora's memories faster so that he would be active again to fight the rest of the Organization. Despite the fact that Roxas seemed to have been assimilated into Sora, he appeared two more times in The World That Never Was near the end of the game. The first was a confrontation with Sora that led to a one-on-one fight. The fight is never fully explained and is left open for interpretation. Roxas could have been fighting Sora for dominance over their body, or he could have been testing Sora to make sure he was strong enough to fight Xemnas and other Organization members, or simply because he had wanted to meet Sora himself. Roxas appears once again with Naminé as they both combine with their Others before Kairi enters the corridor of darkness back to the Destiny Islands. He and Naminé imply that they will would not fade but live on within Sora and Kairi as both a part of them and as their own seperate beings, as we see in the ending cinematic when they smile at each other through their other selves.