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| {{Game|KH1|FM1|COM|REC|KH2|FM2|FMB|KHC|RCO|DDD|DHD|KH3|3RM|DR|MOM|FA}} | | {{InfoCharacter |
| {{suite|Ansem, Seeker of Darkness}}
| | |name=Ansem |
| {{Youmay|Terra-Xehanort's Heartless|[[Ansem the Wise]]}}
| | |image=[[Image:XAnsem.jpg|200px]] |
| {{Character
| | |game=[[Kingdom Hearts]] |
| |name=Ansem, Seeker of Darkness | | |kana=ゼアノート (Zeanōto) |
| |image=[[File:Ansem, Seeker of Darkness KHIII.png|350x400px]] | | |world= [[End of the World]] |
| |tab1=Ansem | | |role=Antagonist |
| |image2=[[File:Ansem, Seeker of Darkness (Cloaked) KH.png|350x400px]]
| | |first=[[Kingdom Hearts]] |
| |tab2=Robed | | |voice=Billy Zane<br>Richard Epcar (English)<br>Akio Otsuka (Japanese) |
| |katakana=闇の探求者 アンセム
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| |romaji=Yami no Tankyūsha Ansemu
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| |alias={{nihongo|'''Robed Figure'''|ローブの男|Rōbu no Otoko|lit. "Robed Man"}}
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| |fr=Ansem, le chercheur des Ténèbres
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| |de=Ansem (Herzloser)
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| |charworld1=Hollow Bastion | |
| |charworld2=End of the World
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| |company=original | |
| |type=Heartless | |
| |spec=HeartlessBoss
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| |game1=Kingdom Hearts
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| |game2=Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories | |
| |game3=Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance
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| |game4=Kingdom Hearts III
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| |game5=Kingdom Hearts Dark Road
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| |game6=Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory
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| |enva=Billy Zane
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| |envan=<small>(''KH'', ''COM'')</small>
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| |enva2=Richard Epcar
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| |java=Akio Ōtsuka
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| |s1=Xehanort
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| |s2=Terra-Xehanort
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| |s3=Xemnas
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| |s4=Riku-Ansem
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| |journalKH='''First entry'''<br>A researcher who studied the Heartless and delved into secrets of the worlds. He organized his findings into a single volume known as Ansem's report. When he inexplicably vanished, most of its pages were scattered to the winds.<br><br>'''Second entry'''<br>As a researcher and ruler of his world, he studied the Heartless and delved into the many secrets of the worlds. While studying the heart and the darkness within it, he was possessed by darkness and ultimately destroyed his own world. He sacrificed his body to attain great power and later possessed Riku's to regain a physical presence. Failure to stop him means the end of all worlds.
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| |journalRR=Pursuer of darkness.<br>To open the door to darkness, Ansem used the Heartless to steal countless hearts.<br>He enslaved Riku, but met his demise at Sora's hand.<br>Nonetheless, Ansem's shadow lives on in the depths of Riku's heart.
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| |journalDDD='''Robed Figure'''<br>A mysterious man whose identity is masked by a brown robe.<br>Sora encountered him in the Destiny Islands right before his first journey began. Riku has seen him as well, though neither of them ever found out for certain who he was.<br><br>'''Ansem'''<br>He tried to open the door to Kingdom Hearts, but fell to Sora in the end.<br>Once again, Riku finds himself face-to-face with his nemesis.
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| |journalUX=KINGDOM HEARTS (2002)<br>A wise man who devoted his life to researching the Heartless and uncovering the world's secrets.
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| |journalKH3=A member of the real Organization XIII.<br><br>This is Xehanort's Heartless. He was able to regain his original appearance by possessing Riku. In the past, Ansem attempted to open the door to Kingdom Hearts, but was destroyed by Sora and friends before he could succeed.<br><br>Despite this, Ansem has returned.
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| }} | | }} |
| {{Q|All worlds begin in darkness, and all so end. The heart is no different. Darkness sprouts within it, it grows, consumes it. Such is its nature. In the end, every heart returns to the darkness whence it came. You see, darkness is the heart's true essence.|Ansem, Seeker of Darkness to Sora|Kingdom Hearts}}
| | '''Xehanort's Heartless''', is the main antagonist of ''[[Kingdom Hearts (game)|Kingdom Hearts]]''. He was originally called '''Ansem''', and it wasn't revealed until ''[[Kingdom Hearts II]]'' who he really was. |
| '''Ansem, Seeker of Darkness''', also referred to as '''Xehanort's Heartless''' or simply '''Ansem''' or '''Xehanort''', is the [[Heartless]] of [[Terra-Xehanort]] and a member of the [[real Organization XIII]]. He serves as the main antagonist of ''{{c|Kingdom Hearts|game}}'' and the "[[Reverse/Rebirth]]" scenario in ''[[Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories]]'', as well as a supporting antagonist in ''[[Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance]]'' and ''[[Kingdom Hearts III]]''. His appearance and personality are primarily derived from [[Master Xehanort]], and he usually retains his original form's "[[Dark Figure]]".
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| Ansem was created when Terra-Xehanort, masquerading as [[Ansem the Wise]], reawakened his sleeping memories and split his [[heart]] from his body, creating a Heartless; this Heartless, also named Ansem, appears to have characteristics of both Emblem and Pureblood Heartless, and it is unclear exactly which category he falls under. However, because Terra-Xehanort did this of his own will, he retained his memories in his new existence and gained the ability to control the other Heartless. With their power, Ansem attacked the [[Realm of Light]], intending to have the Heartless consume the hearts of every world and lead him to [[Kingdom Hearts]].
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| ==Story==
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| ===Between ''Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep'' and ''Kingdom Hearts''===
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| {{Q|At the time, I did not yet realize I was talking to myself. He cast aside his own body to put me on my destined path. That is Xehanort, reduced to just a heart; the being you and your friends called Ansem.|Young Xehanort explains Ansem's role in creating a second Organization}}
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| [[File:Where It Started 01 KH3D.png|thumb|left|200px|Ansem passes on his ability to time-travel to Xehanort's younger self.]]
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| Terra-Xehanort, at the time using his king's name, "Ansem", willingly gave his heart to the darkness in the pursuit of knowledge, creating both his Heartless and his [[Nobody]], [[Xemnas]]. His Heartless was able to retain its selfhood for uncertain reasons, though it was believed that this was due to Terra-Xehanort's willing abandonment of his heart; <ref>'''[[Secret Ansem Report 10]]''': "But what if one willingly releases one's heart from one's body? Sora and Xehanort retained their selfhood even after becoming Heartless."</ref> even Ansem himself was briefly confused by his sentience. <ref>'''Ansem Report 12''': "The body is gone; the heart should have returned to the Heartless. And yet nothing. This one is unlike any other. Its memories remain and has yet to take the form of a Heartless. A close eye must be kept on this situation. Much is still unknown."</ref> As a result, he could command the lesser Heartless without consequence,<ref>'''[[Secret Ansem Report 5]]:''' "A human's command would be ineffective; the Heartless would easily steal the human's to increase their own ranks. But what if an even stronger Heartless was giving the commands? If he cast aside his own body and soul and became a Heartless, would he be able to control the otherwise intractable Heartless?"</ref> and came to learn of the existence of [[Nobodies]],<ref>'''Ansem Report 13''': "However, I am certain that if your "self" is here, the other by definition does not "exist". The other one, which does not exist, shall be dubbed "Nobody"."</ref> including his counterpart [[Xemnas]]; the two collaborated to fulfill Master Xehanort's goal of obtaining the [[χ-blade]].<ref>'''''The Story So Far: Darkness:''''' "His heart, Ansem, manipulated [[Maleficent]] and [[Riku]] into gathering the seven pure lights he needed: the [[Princesses of Heart]]. His body, Xemnas, founded [[Organization XIII]], who would serve as the thirteen darknesses.</ref>
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| On a quest from his original persona, Ansem travels back in time to when Xehanort lived on the [[Destiny Islands]]. Ansem entrusted his younger self with the mission to gather ten vessels to house fragments of [[Master Xehanort]]'s heart to create the [[real Organization XIII]] so that they could create the [[χ-blade]] and restart the legendary [[Keyblade War]]. To accomplish this, Ansem gave [[Young Xehanort]] the power to travel forward into the future. Once his mission was done, young Xehanort would lose his memory of the event, although the subconscious memory would lead Xehanort to become a [[Keyblade Master]]. Ansem himself remained on the Destiny Islands until the time the Destiny Islands were destroyed, ensuring a version of him existed across time to allow his younger self the ability to travel to any time period.{{storylink|Kingdom Hearts III}}
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| {{-}}
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| Disguising his actions as a thirst for knowledge, Ansem sent the Heartless to many worlds in search of the [[Princesses of Heart]] to serve as the pure [[light]]s to forge the [[χ-blade]]; many worlds fell in the process. Though in time, he took to observing [[Maleficent]]'s cabal as they carried out the task, unknowingly, for him. Regardless if Xemnas could create thirteen darknesses, Ansem could create the lesser [[Keyblade of heart]] from the seven pure lights to open the [[Door to Darkness]], which leads to [[Kingdom Hearts (world)|Kingdom Hearts]].
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| Ansem had secretly intended this to ensure Xehanort was put in contact with the right hearts; which could be brought to the future to fill the ranks of the second Seekers of Darkness should the original Organization prove inadequate. {{Storylink|Kingdom Hearts III}}
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| According to Aerith, Ansem was believed to have died defending Hollow Bastion from the Heartless, despite the seeker of darkness assisting in bringing them there in the first place. {{Storylink|Kingdom Hearts}}
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| | ==Journal Entries== |
| ===''Kingdom Hearts''=== | | ===''Kingdom Hearts''=== |
| {{Q|Take a look at this tiny place. To the heart seeking freedom, this island is a prison surrounded by water. And so this boy sought out to escape from his prison. He sought a way to cross over into other worlds. And he opened his heart to darkness.|Ansem, about Riku's motivation}}
| | ''A researcher who studied the Heartless and delved into secrets of the worlds. He organized his findings into a single volume known as Ansem's report. When he inexplicably vanished, most of its pages were scattered to the winds.'' |
| [[File:This World Has Been Connected 01 KH.png|thumb|200px|Ansem mentions the existence of other worlds and their connections to Sora.]]
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| Ansem, as the Robed Figure, appears at [[Destiny Islands]]' [[Keyhole]] shortly before its fall into darkness, noting that it has been "connected" and insulting [[Sora]]'s ignorance of what was to come—however, as he is operating as a portal between times, he is not talking simply about how the islands will be consumed by the Heartless, but instead referencing how it will become a [[Sleeping World]]; the Sora and Riku from a year hence will travel back to this moment to follow Destiny Islands into the darkness, and in turn, he will follow them. He vanishes when Sora's back is turned. Later, as Destiny Islands fell apart, Ansem opened a portal to [[Hollow Bastion]] for Riku,{{storylink|Kingdom Hearts coded}} and following that, when the future Sora and Riku enter the Sleeping Worlds, he is there to call upon [[Ursula]]'s phantom to attack them. After her defeat, Ansem again notes that the world has been connected.{{storylink|Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance}}
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| Seeing the same kind of lust for power that he had once seen in [[Terra]] coming from [[Riku]], Ansem appears before him following his battle with Sora. Riku is confused over why the Keyblade left him, to which Ansem explains; only a strong heart can wield a Keyblade. He tells Riku that to become stronger, he must open his heart to the darkness and let his entire being become one with it. Riku complies, opening himself to the darkness. However, Ansem uses this to possess Riku, regaining a body.
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| [[File:The Dark Keyblade 01 KH.png|left|thumb|200px|Ansem, possessing Riku, informs Maleficent that he's achieved forging the Keyblade of heart.]]
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| In control of Riku's body, Ansem meets with Maleficent as the Final Keyhole forms. He informs her that unlocking the Keyhole will allow the Heartless to overrun Hollow Bastion, but she is unconcerned, as she believes that she can use the darkness to rule the other worlds. Sneering, he creates the [[Keyblade of heart]] from six of the Princesses of Heart's hearts. As the Keyhole is not finished yet, Ansem notes it is because Kairi's heart is missing and without its power, they are at a standstill. Maleficent leaves him to guard the princesses, while she deals with Sora, [[Donald Duck]], and [[Goofy]]. After she is defeated, Ansem follows her to a hidden chamber, asking if she needs help. Once Sora sees him and the Keyblade of heart, Ansem tells him it can unlock the hearts and demonstrates by stabbing Maleficent with it, transforming her into her dragon form. When the dragon is felled, Ansem notes that the dark fairy was arrogant to believe she controlled the Heartless when it was the other way around, and takes his leave, waiting for Sora in the [[Grand Hall]].
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| Sora arrives, finally reunited with Kairi, though she is comatose due to the loss of her heart. Ansem comments that she lacks a heart, and from his impersonal comments and unusual nature, Sora realizes that who he sees as Riku is not truly the friend he knew. Riku introduces himself as "Ansem, Seeker of Darkness". The Heartless goes on to explain that Kairi's heart is in Sora and that his dark Keyblade is necessary to remove the imprisoned heart. Sora refuses to agree with the plan and they battle. Sora wins the duel, and Ansem retreats. However, his efforts are not in vain, as Sora stabs himself with the dark Keyblade, in order to free Kairi's heart as well as the six other Princesses. This ends up opening the final Keyhole and the way to Kingdom Hearts, as well as the loss of Sora's heart and his brief transformation into [[Sora's Heartless]].
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| Ansem shortly returns, having shaped Riku's body to resemble his original self, [[Terra-Xehanort]]. Now that the final Keyhole is open from Sora's sacrifice, he plans to kill Kairi now that her purpose in his plans has been fulfilled. Donald and Goofy bravely make a stand against Ansem in order to protect Kairi, but both know that, without Sora, they may not be able to stop him. Before he can dispose of the three, Riku projects himself from Xehanort's stolen body and manages to establish enough control to stop the Heartless in his tracks, allowing Donald and Goofy to escape with Kairi. This leads to an internal struggle between the two that Riku ultimately loses; Riku's heart is sent to the [[Dark World]]{{Storylink|Kingdom Hearts Final Mix}} while Ansem takes complete control. Ansem then allows himself to be enveloped by the darkness flowing out of the Keyhole, and travels to the [[End of the World]] and Kingdom Hearts.
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| Around this time,<ref>'''''Riku, gummiphone post''''': Ansem didn't have a form until he possessed me.</ref> Young Xehanort collected Ansem's heart to serve as a member of the second Organization XIII. However, his time ran out as he could not coexist with Master Xehanort at the time,<ref>'''''Secret Reports'', ''Vexen''': The old man's humanity prevents his Heartless and Nobody, others vanquished in the last from existing.</ref> and Ansem was forced to return to the past with his memory erased.<ref>'''''Kingdom Hearts III Re Mind''''', '''Xigbar''': "Are you sure everyone made it back to their own times?"/ '''Saïx''': "The hearts of Ansem, Xemnas, Vanitas, Riku Replica, and Young Xehanort returned to the past and have been completed once more."</ref>
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| Retrieved again from this point,<ref>'''Saix''': While Young Xehanort is busy depositing hearts...</ref> Ansem fulfilled his role in the new Organization. Following his defeat, Ansem's heart returned to its proper place in time. {{Storylink|Kingdom Hearts III}}
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| [[File:A Light within the Darkness 01 KH.png|thumb|200px|Ansem talks about his views on darkness to Sora on Destiny Islands.]]
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| As Sora, his humanity having been restored by Kairi's light arrives at the remnants of Destiny Islands at End of the World, Ansem appears, bearing Riku's form. He explains Riku's fall to darkness, that he desperately sought to escape the island "prison" enough to open his heart to the darkness. Afterward, Ansem explains his philosophy: that worlds and hearts begin and end in darkness. Thus, darkness is the heart's true essence. Sora denies this, in words and in battle, with Ansem. During the battle, Ansem summons both his familiar, the [[Dark Figure]], and a [[Darkside]] Heartless to assist him. As the battle rages on, Ansem leads the trio to the endless abyss where the [[Door to Darkness]] resides. This time, Ansem transforms into the [[World of Chaos]], a monstrous Heartless ship, which he creates from darkness and captures Donald and Goofy, though Sora rescues them.
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| [[File:Kingdom Hearts 03 KH.png|left|thumb|210px|Ansem is destroyed by the light of Kingdom Hearts.]]
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| After several more rounds of combat, Ansem, weakened, opens the [[Door to Darkness]], imploring Kingdom Hearts to fill him with the power of darkness so that he can gain enough power to destroy Sora, Donald, and Goofy and shroud the universe in darkness. However, Ansem is horrified to see light pour out of the door. The overwhelming light of Kingdom Hearts envelops and destroys Ansem, allowing Riku to take back his body.
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| {{-}}
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| ===''Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories''===
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| {{Q|You called out my name. You have been thinking about me. Good. The more you think of me, the closer my return draws. And when I have woken, I will take hold; your heart will be mine!|Ansem intimidates Riku as he attempts to reclaim control of his body}}
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| [[File:The World of Darkness 01 KHRECOM.png|thumb|200px|Ansem tries to assert control after Lexaeus weakens Riku.]]
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| Because Riku served as the host for Ansem, a piece of the Heartless remains even after his destruction by the light of Kingdom Hearts. Riku remained unaware of this until [[DiZ]] impersonated Ansem and sent Riku on a trial through [[Castle Oblivion]] to overcome his regret and fear of the darkness within him. When [[Lexaeus]] fights Riku, the resulting battle causes Riku to lose consciousness and Ansem takes control of his body, slaying the Nobody. However, before Ansem can cement his control over Riku, [[King Mickey]]'s light seals him away for a time; this angers the Heartless to no end.
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| Eventually, Riku overcomes his fear of the darkness, intending to use it as well as the light. He also additionally receives some guidance from the enigmatic DiZ, the true owner of the mysterious voice, who in turn leads Riku to [[Naminé]]. Naminé offers to seal away Riku's darkness and Ansem, but he instead chooses to vanquish the Heartless. DiZ then gives Riku a card that will give Ansem form, so that Riku can finish him off once and for all.
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| [[File:Darkness Released 01 KHRECOM.png|left|thumb|200px|Riku forces Ansem to manifest so that he can put him to rest.]]
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| Ansem again attempts to turn Riku to the darkness completely and tries to defeat the young boy so that he can take possession of his body once more. Though this succeeds in destroying Ansem's consciousness, his power still lingers in Riku's heart. Riku sets off with King Mickey to rid himself of the Seeker of Darkness forever.
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| {{-}}
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| ===''Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days''===
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| [[File:The Beginning of Everything 02 KHIIFM.png|thumb|200px|Riku opens himself to Ansem's darkness in order to defeat Roxas.]]
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| Having been unable to find a way to rid himself of Ansem's remaining essence, it began taking over him and transforming Riku into a copy of Ansem. Riku kept it bay by blindfolding himself, and relying on his other senses to keep Ansem from completely taking over him. After learning Sora's memory cannot be completed without his Nobody [[Roxas]], who holds the memories of Kairi in him, Riku knows that he might have to use the darkness to capture the Nobody and bring him to [[DiZ]].<ref>'''''[[Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days]]''''', '''Riku''': "I have to face one of the Organization's members soon. I might not survive the fight. And if I do, it might only be because I gave in to the darkness."</ref>
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| Riku catches up to Roxas at [[The World That Never Was]], but Roxas proves to be too powerful and Riku is left with only one way to overwhelm the Nobody: unleashing his inner darkness. This allows Riku to manifest the Dark Figure, who seizes Roxas and knocks him unconscious but also forces Riku to take on Ansem's appearance. Feeling that he has sacrificed his identity, Riku takes on Ansem's name.
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| {{-}}
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| ===''Kingdom Hearts II''===
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| {{See also|Riku-Ansem}}
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| During the [[Battle of the 1000 Heartless]] at [[Hollow Bastion]], King Mickey reveals the truth about "Ansem" to Sora, Donald, and Goofy—the Heartless wasn't the real king of Radiant Garden, but the Heartless of an impostor. While the trio is shocked and dismayed to learn this, Mickey pacifies them by telling them that Ansem was still a powerful enemy that needed to be stopped.
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| Following the destruction of the [[Kingdom Hearts Encoder]] Ansem the Wise was using, the resulting explosion of light restores Riku to his normal form, implying that "Ansem" has finally been destroyed and his hold on Riku broken once and for all.
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| ===''Kingdom Hearts coded''===
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| Ansem appears in a memory from [[Jiminy's Journal]] in Destiny Islands, opening a Corridor of Darkness for Riku to [[Hollow Bastion]].<!--place this chronologically-->
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| [[Yen Sid]] later explains to Mickey that the destruction of both Ansem and Xemnas has revived Xehanort and will lead to the restoration of [[Master Xehanort]]. Ansem appears along with Xemnas as one of Mickey's mental images.
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| ===''Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance''===
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| {{Q|Ever the fool boy. And forever, a pawn of the darkness!|Ansem and Riku face-off again}}
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| [[File:The Road to Dawn 01 KH3D.png|thumb|left|200px|Ansem reappears to Riku on the balcony of Notre Dame.]]
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| Ansem returns to become part of Master Xehanort's new Organization XIII, thanks to Young Xehanort's doings while time traveling. Accompanied by Young Xehanort, Ansem appears before Riku in [[La Cité des Cloches]], stunning the young Keybearer, and offers him to become part of the darkness again, but Riku protests, reminding Ansem that he now walks the road to dawn. Undaunted, Ansem merely takes his leave. | |
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| When Sora is captured in The World That Never Was, Riku rushes to his rescue and runs into Ansem again. Ansem reveals that Riku had been traveling within Sora's dreams like a [[Dream Eater]], and asks Riku to join him now that the boy has accepted his darkness. As they fight, Riku counters by asking Ansem to become part of his light, but Ansem ignores him and is eventually forced to retreat.
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| During Sora's memory of meeting [[Aqua]], the latter fades at the end of the scene, and Ansem is shown at the shore just before Sora is sent flying out of the memory by [[Riku]].
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| [[File:Seven Lights, Thirteen Darknesses 04 KH3D.png|thumb|200px|Ansem tackles Riku to keep him from rescuing Sora.]]
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| Once Riku finds Sora in the throne room with Mickey's help, Ansem appears before them along with Master Xehanort, Young Xehanort, Xemnas, [[Xigbar]], [[Saïx]] and the rest of the new Organization. Master Xehanort proceeds to reveal that Ansem's possession of Riku's body, along with overseeing Maleficent's gathering of the Princesses, was all part of his master plan with Riku meant to become the vessel to complete the Organization. Ansem restrains Riku from trying to save Sora from becoming Master Xehanort's final vessel, but [[Lea]]'s unexpected intervention distracts Ansem long enough for Riku to break free. Ansem summons the Dark Figure and has it grab Riku and Mickey, but the Dark Figure is defeated by Donald and Goofy. As the heroes advance, the Organization's allotted time expires and its members, including Ansem, retreat to their rightful points in time.
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| {{-}}
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| ===''Kingdom Hearts III''===
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| {{Q|There is still more to seek. Now go forth and seek it.|Ansem's final words to Riku}}
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| Ansem first appears alongside his Nobody counterpart, Xemnas, outside of the Old Mansion, waiting for Sora. Seeking to use [[Roxas]] as a possible 13th member of the [[Real Organization XIII]], Ansem and Xemnas tell Sora to give his heart to darkness, to recreate Roxas. They don't humor Sora's plan to recreate Roxas in the virtual Twilight Town created by [[Ansem the Wise]], claiming it is just data. After breaking Sora with their words, both leave through a [[Corridor of Darkness]], after summoning a swarm of [[Neoshadow]]s and [[Dusk]]s for Sora, Donald, and Goofy. After this, they watch Sora leave [[Twilight Town]] from a rooftop, just as [[Xigbar]] arrives to berate them. Ansem defends his choice to be direct with guiding Sora, due to the boy being slow with hints.
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| [[File:An Unexpected Encounter 01 KHIII.png|thumb|200px|left|Ansem locates his old master and demands to know the whereabouts of Subject X.]]
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| Later, Ansem goes to the [[Dark World]] to retrieve his old master, as he wishes to know of the whereabouts of [[Subject X]], a mysterious amnesiac girl who had become his favorite test subject before her disappearance. Assuming she was taken away by Ansem the Wise, this brings him into conflict with [[Aqua]], who kept Ansem company. Despite her resistance, Aqua could do nothing without her Keyblade, and was cast into the ocean by the [[Dark Figure]], which causes her transformation into [[Anti-Aqua]].
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| Bringing Ansem the Wise back to his old HQ at the Old Mansion, Ansem begs his treacherous apprentice to cease, as he doesn't wish for more victims. Xehanort's Heartless is not convinced by Ansem's act, reminding him of all the children sacrificed in their research on the heart, as well as his treatment of Roxas and [[Naminé]]. Suddenly, [[Hayner]], [[Pence]] and [[Olette]], who had been watching all along, enter into action. While Hayner distracts Xehanort's Heartless, Olette helps Ansem escape. The group is able to evade pursuit by Ansem thanks to a small troop of [[Dusk]]s sent by [[Vexen]], whose true loyalties lie with Ansem the Wise.
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| Ansem shows up for the last time in the [[Keyblade Graveyard]], accompanying Master Xehanort alongside Xemnas, Young Xehanort and [[Vanitas]], while he welcomes the [[Guardians of Light]]. Much later, he drops into [[the Skein of Severance]] for the final battle. Ansem, now without his [[Black Coat]], fights against Riku alongside [[Dark Riku]] and Xigbar. Once Sora joins the fight, it doesn't take long for Ansem to leave.
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| [[File:More to Seek 01 KHIII.png|thumb|200px|Ansem reflects on his journey with Riku as he fades into darkness.]]
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| Ansem appears for the last time alongside Xemnas and Young Xehanort, as the last line of defense before Sora can reach the elderly Master Xehanort. Defeated by Sora, Riku, and Mickey in a battle alongside his aforementioned incarnations, Ansem voices his final thoughts on his relationship with Riku, stating that Riku's might is "vaster than darkness" and showing he is proud the boy he chose as his vessel has grown into such a powerful [[Keyblade Master]]. Riku even states he is going to miss his nemesis. After their parting words, Ansem's replica body fades away into darkness and his heart returns to its proper place in time.
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| {{-}}
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| ==Other appearances==
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| ===''[[A Fragmentary Passage]]''===
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| {{canon
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| |[[File:A Fragmentary Passage 03 KHBBSFM.png|thumb|left|200px|Ansem appears on the beach of Destiny Islands.]]
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| Ansem is shown as the first transformation and the second incarnation after a young [[Master Xehanort]] but before Xemnas.
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| }}
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| ===''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate''===
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| In ''{{ssb|Super Smash Bros. Ultimate}}'', Ansem appears in the 2 o'clock Stations in the [[Dive to the Heart]] sections of the {{ssb|Hollow Bastion}} stage.
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| ==Design== | | ==Separation== |
| Before possessing Riku, Ansem was little more than a wandering heart and could only appear as a figure in a brown hooded robe. This robe has two dark brown straps crossing over his shoulders and chest with five metal studs lining either strap. In this form, Ansem is significantly shorter than he'll later be once he gains a proper body.
| | Xehanort's Heartless was spawned from the [[heart]] of [[Xehanort]], or Ansem as he called himself, when he gave his heart to [[darkness]] in the pursuit of knowledge (this also gave birth to the leader of [[Organization XIII]], [[Xemnas]]). However, he had been calling himself Ansem, taking his name from [[Ansem the Wise]], his original self's teacher, for some time, and he continued this practice even as a Heartless. However, unlike others who became Heartless, "Ansem" kept his memories for reasons not even he knows. |
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| Ansem gains a body by possessing Riku, though at first, his presence is only evident from the change to Riku's voice. In his physical form, like his [[Nobody]] counterpart Xemnas, Ansem's skin color varies by being depicted as tan in the game to quite dark in official artwork. He shares Terra-Xehanort's long white hair, as well as the three spikes on the top and sides of his head, but he lacks Terra-Xehanort's bangs.
| | He and legions of Heartless at his command continued his original self's pursuit of knowledge, believing it would be found in darkness, and stole countless hearts from both humans and worlds in search of this knowledge. But his ultimate goal was [[Kingdom Hearts (Combined Heart)|Kingdom Hearts]], a supposed repository of tremendous power and knowledge. However, to access the heart of all worlds, he would need to open the Final Keyhole. For this, the [[Princess of Heart|Princesses of Heart]] were needed to complete the Keyhole. He also realized that the wielder of the legendary [[Keyblade]] needed to be found, for the Keyblade's ability to seal away the hearts of worlds from the preying Heartless could prove dangerous. So, believing that the Princesses and the Keyblade wielder are connected, sent [[Kairi]], a supposed resident of the [[Radiant Garden]], Xehanort's home, as well as a Princess of Heart, to other worlds. As he waited for his theory to be proven, Xehanort's Heartless continued on his path towards stealing many hearts. |
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| He wears silver-white gloves on his hands, each with a grey band on the wrist, while the rest of the glove, which has three black buttons lining one side, bells outwards. There is a black pauldron on both of his shoulders, each attached to his coat by two straps. He also wears black pants and black, silver-lined, knee-high boots identical to the ones worn by [[Organization XIII]] members.
| | ==Following the Keyblade's Trail== |
| | Xehanort's Heartless, after nine years of being a Heartless, appears in a brown robe by the [[Destiny Islands]] Keyhole before the world's fall into darkness, insulting [[Sora]]'s ignorance of what was to come. |
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| Ansem's black leather coat is red on the inside and lined with yellow, and also has a large grey section that covers the lower half and shoulders of the coat. Upon closer inspection, this grey section seems to be attached by several small pins or buttons around the hip and neck sections of the coat, as well as by a belt that wraps around the Heartless's back and attaches to the rim of the coat. This coat is high-collared and completely unzipped, showing the second, shorter jacket the Heartless wears underneath. Ansem's second jacket is white and high-collared much like the outer coat. It is mostly unbuttoned and exposes Ansem's chest before being closed up by three buttons and two belts near the Heartless's waist, only to flare outward again, leaving three buttons undone. On the Heartless's chest is the Heartless emblem, but it seems to be just decoration as it appears attached to the long coat.
| | The villain appears again to [[Riku]], after his loss to Sora at [[Hollow Bastion]]. Shaken by his loss of control over the Keyblade to Sora, Riku lets himself be influenced by Xehanort's Heartless and his promise of power. Riku then lets his heart open up to the darkness, allowing Xehanort's Heartless to take over. |
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| When Ansem becomes part of the World of Chaos, he loses both of his jackets and his gloves, showing a well-toned physique, and his pants and boots are replaced by a pair of black skin-tight leggings with yellow lining. He also grows to a tremendous size and his eyes become completely orange and pupil-less in this form.
| | Firmly in control of Riku's body, Xehanort's Heartless creates the artificial [[dark Keyblade]] from six of the Princesses of Heart's hearts. This Keyblade possesses the power to unlock hearts, a property he soon tests on [[Maleficent]], transforming her into a gigantic dragon. The dragon is felled by Sora and his friends, leading the Heartless to comment that the dark fairy was arrogant to believe that she manipulated the Heartless when it was actually the other way around. He insults Maleficent and takes his leave, waiting for Sora in the chamber of the final Keyhole. |
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| As Ansem is essentially the Heartless of Master Xehanort, his overall appearance is nearly identical to a younger version of Master Xehanort, wearing the elderly Xehanort's attire.
| | Sora arrives, finally reunited with [[Kairi|Kairi's]] lifeless body. Xehanort's Heartless comments that she lacks a heart, and from his impersonal comments and unusual nature, Sora realizes that who he sees as Riku is not truly the friend he knew. Xehanort's Heartless introduces himself as "Ansem, the Seeker of Darkness". The Heartless goes on to explain that Kairi's heart is in Sora, and that his dark Keyblade is necessary to remove the imprisoned heart. Sora refuses to agree with the plan and they battle. Sora wins the duel, and Xehanort's Heartless retreats. However, his efforts are not in vain, as Sora stabs himself with the dark Keyblade, in order to free Kairi's heart as well as the six other Princesses. But this ends up opening the final Keyhole and the way to Kingdom Hearts. |
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| ===Forms===
| | Xehanort's Heartless shortly returns. Now that he has gained full control of Riku's body he has changed its appearance to resemble a form similar to his original self, satisfied that the final Keyhole is open from Sora's sacrifice, but not willing to allow the revived Kairi to live. Before he can do so, Riku establishes enough control to stop the Heartless in his tracks, allowing Kairi, Donald, and Goofy to escape, but Riku's heart ends up being forced out of his body, giving Xehanort's Heartless complete control. Xehanort's Heartless then allows himself to be enveloped by the darkness flowing out of the Keyhole, and travels to [[End of the World]] and Kingdom Hearts. |
| <gallery perrow="6">
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| File:Ansem, Seeker of Darkness 02 KHIII.png|Ansem wearing his standard attire
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| File:Ansem, Seeker of Darkness (Cloaked) KH.png|Ansem's original form
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| File:Riku (Dark) KH.png|Ansem while possessing Riku.
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| File:Ansem, Seeker of Darkness (World of Chaos) KH.png|Ansem while attached to the World of Chaos.
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| File:Ansem, Seeker of Darkness KHIII.png|Ansem wearing a black coat
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| </gallery>
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| ==Personality== | | ==End of the World== |
| Ansem is, thus far, one of only three Heartless with human-level intelligence, the others being Sora's Heartless and [[Scar]]. His knowledge of the worlds and hearts shows that Xehanort's keen intellect has survived the transition into a Heartless. However, the few shreds of humanity that remained in the researcher have been obliterated. Ansem is cold, calculating, and utterly ruthless. He treats people and their hearts as either tools to be manipulated and disposed of, or as cattle for his ravenous Heartless legions. He reveres power and knowledge above all things, and he despises ignorance.
| | As Sora arrives at the remnants of Destiny Islands at End of the World, Xehanort's Heartless appears, bearing Riku's form. He explains the fall of Riku to darkness, that he desperately sought to escape the island "prison" enough to open his heart to darkness. Afterwards, Xehanort's Heartless explains his philosophy: that worlds and hearts begin and end in darkness. Thus, darkness is the heart's true essence. Sora denies this, in words and in battle, with Xehanort's Heartless. During the battle Ansem summons both his familiar, the [[Guardian]] heartless, and a [[Darkside]] Heartless to assist him. As the battle rages on, Xehanort's Heartless leads the trio to the endless abyss where the Door to Darkness resides. This time, Xehanort's Heartless merges himself to the [[World of Chaos]], a monstrous Heartless ship. |
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| The only times when Ansem's voice rises above a cold, monotonous drone is when he is berating [[Sora]] for his foolishness, or when he is reveling in his latest triumph. However, Ansem's scientific genius is blinded by an obsession with the darkness. His arrogance ultimately leads to his destruction when the door to Kingdom Hearts is opened, and his greatest thesis is, in the end, proved wrong.
| | After several more rounds of combat, Xehanort's Heartless, weakened, opens up the Door to Darkness, imploring Kingdom Hearts to fill him with the power of darkness. However, when Sora yells "You're wrong! I know now without a doubt Kingdom Hearts is light", something pours out of the door that Xehanort's Heartless never expected: light. The blinding light of Kingdom Hearts envelops and destroys Xehanort's Heartless, allowing Riku to take back his body. |
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| Ansem prefers to not fight hand-to-hand. Rather, he prefers using his dark powers and the Dark Figure. | | ==Haunting Riku== |
| | [[Image:KH COM-Ansem.png|left]] |
| | However, because Riku served as the host for Xehanort's Heartless, a piece remains even after his destruction by the light of Kingdom Hearts. This bothers Riku greatly, who ends up in [[Castle Oblivion]] thanks to his heart resonating with Sora's, who is also in the castle. |
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| ''[[Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep]]'' reveals that Ansem is essentially the Heartless of [[Xehanort]]. This is why he appears to share most of his personality traits with the elderly Keyblade Master, demonstrated by his choice of words when facing Sora, Donald, and Goofy; this is also reflected in his desire to find, open, and become one with Kingdom Hearts itself.
| | Guided by a mysterious voice--who is actually [[DiZ]]--Riku climbs through the basements of Castle Oblivion, trying to rid himself of his darkness. However, Xehanort's Heartless appears early on, intending to overcome Riku, but fails. Still, Xehanort's Heartless remains, and even stirs the darkness in Riku's heart so that he may use it in battle, if he so chooses. The dark being remains confident that Riku will eventually give into the darkness. |
| | [[Image:Ansem Chain of Memories.gif|right]] |
| | At times, Riku almost becomes overwhelmed by the darkness, but [[King Mickey|King Mickey's]] light continually comes to the rescue, frustrating Xehanort's Heartless. Eventually, Riku overcomes his fear of the darkness, intending to use it as well as the light. He also additionally receives some guidance from the enigmatic DiZ, who in turn leads Riku to [[Naminé]]. Naminé offers to seal away Riku's darkness and Xehanort's Heartless, but he instead chooses to face the Heartless on his own. DiZ then gives Riku a card that will give Xehanort's Heartless form, so that Riku can finish him off once and for all. |
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| In ''Kingdom Hearts III'', Ansem shows pride in Riku's development since their first meeting, seeing Riku gain true strength as a Keyblade Master surpassing the power of darkness. At the very end, Ansem shows that he still values learning about the World, telling Riku to expand his horizons by going to seek more. He also demonstrates a fatalist attitude, expressing that initially wished to defy his fate, but found himself no longer caring after other Organization members betrayed them.
| | Xehanort's Heartless again tries to turn Riku to the darkness completely, and tries to defeat the young boy so that he can take over again, but is defeated. However, though he is defeated, Riku realizes that Xehanort's Heartless still lingers in his heart, and sets off with King Mickey in order to rid himself of the Seeker of Darkness forever. |
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| ==Abilities== | | ==New Developments== |
| {{main|Game:Ansem, Seeker of Darkness|Game:Riku#Riku (Keyblade)|World of Chaos}}
| | Though Xemnas, the Nobody counter part of Xehanort's Heartless, soon becomes the main threat, the dark being still has a presence. In fact, the part of him that lingers in Riku starts to eat away at him, even forcing him to put on a blindfold over his eyes to keep him from "lying to himself". |
| As a Heartless, Ansem has control over darkness, which he can use to attack others, steal hearts, and create Corridors of Darkness. He can also possess other beings and has command over the Dark Figure.
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| Ansem can time travel without aid, as he is just a heart. However, he is limited to points in time where he existed; additionally, he can only briefly exist in those times he is not native to unless a vessel is provided for his heart.
| | This comes to a head when Riku travels to [[The World That Never Was]] at the behest of DiZ, with the intent to capture [[Roxas]], the Nobody of Sora and a member of Organization XIII, so that the two can join and Sora can awaken from his slumber. However, Roxas and the darkness that he lives in prove to be too much, so Riku is left with one option: Riku unleashes the darkness in himself, in order to gain the power necessary to defeat Roxas. However, this has the side effect of giving Riku the appearance of Xehanort's Heartless, who used the Guardian to knock Roxas out. So, in his new form, Riku takes on a new name: Ansem. |
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| When Ansem takes possession of Riku's body to procure a physical form, his fighting capabilities increase greatly, and he gains the ability to fly. His new body allows him to fight alongside the Dark Figure by having it possess others to trap them while he utilizes an energy shield to both protect himself and damage foes.
| | Riku remains like this for some time, though he somehow gains a Keyblade called the [[Way to the Dawn]] at a certain point. His new appearance prompts him to refuse making contact with Sora and Kairi, despite him being able to easily do so. Still, when push comes to shove, Riku aids his friends, but never reveals himself as Riku (though Sora begins to suspect his mysterious helper's true identity). But when Naminé chooses to use Riku's true name after he rescues her and Kairi from the Organization at The World That Never Was, things take a turn. Kairi, in her excitement, removes Riku's hood, only to see the face of the one who had endangered her a year ago. Still, she sees Riku underneath the dark form, and takes it in stride. |
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| When necessary, Ansem becomes more powerful by merging with either the Dark Figure or the [[World of Chaos]].
| | Riku is also forced to meet Sora when Kairi prevents him from taking his leave when Kairi and Sora reunite. Though at first Sora does not realize it is Riku, eventually Sora also sees Riku's true form underneath his dark form. They all then travel through the Nobody castle, and end up reuniting with King Mickey and DiZ, whose true name is Ansem the Wise. However, the machine that Ansem was using to encode Kingdom Hearts into data ends up exploding, allowing Riku to regain his true form. What happens to Xehanort's Heartless is unknown, but is presumably disintegrated forever as the explosion's light fully restores Riku to the extent that he is robbed of his ability to open corridors of darkness. |
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| ===Weapons=== | | ==In Battle== |
| Most of the time, Ansem does not wield a weapon, instead opting to use the power of darkness and the Dark Figure, when present, to attack opponents. Contrary to his Nobody counterpart [[Xemnas]], he specializes more in magic-based attacks than melee attacks.
| | Xehanort's Heartless body is actually Riku's body. When he fully gained control of it he changed the body's appearance into a body similar to how he looked when he was human. His familiar Heartless, the Guardian, is the one that attacks. He could ram into people with his Guardian, using dark energy to cause more damage. His Guardian also shot out crescent shaped dark disks at the opponent. Xehanort would also use his Guardian to grab people, and slowly drain their health. During this time the Guardian will control the body at a range by making it create a force field of darkness around itself. Xehanort's best move was a replica of [[Riku|Riku's]] Dark Aura attack; first the Guardian separates itself from the body and then disappear into the ground, next it erupts from the ground several times and follows Sora across the arena, it then finishes with the body causing columns of darkness from to erupting from the ground. As the [[World of Chaos]], Xehanort's Heartless used a more direct style of fighting, attacking with a double bladed [[Soul Eater]] polearm. When Riku took on the appearance of Xehanort's Heartless he still fought the same, but during the face off against [[Roxas]] he was temporarily overtaken with darkness. He summoned the [[Guardian]] Heartless that proceeded to beat Roxas senselessly and knock him unconscious before Riku could stabilize his heart again. |
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| While possessing Riku in ''Kingdom Hearts'', he wields the [[Keyblade of Heart]], forged from the six captured hearts of the Princesses of Heart. Later, in his World of Chaos form, Ansem wields a dual-bladed [[Soul Eater]] halberd<!--薙刀 per ultimania--> as big as he is. When he briefly possess Riku to take down Lexaeus, he wields Riku's Soul Eater. In ''Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance'', Ansem briefly wields Frollo's sword to threaten Riku but does not actually use it to fight.
| | ===Card=== |
| | see:''[[Enemy Cards#Ansem|Ansem (Enemy Card)]]'' |
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| Despite being the Heartless of Master Xehanort, a Keyblade wielder, Ansem is unable to wield a Keyblade because, according to Riku, he gave his heart to the darkness.<ref>'''''[[Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance]]''''', '''Riku''': "You used to be a Keyblade wielder. But darkness stole your heart, and the Keyblade with it."</ref>
| | ==Battle Quotes== |
| | ===Xehanort's heartless Death in ''Kingdom Hearts''=== |
| | *"''It is futile''" |
| | *"''The Keyblade alone cannot seal the door to darkness''" |
| | *"''Kingdom Hearts!, Fill me with the power of darkness!...''" |
| | *"''Supreme darkness.''" |
| | *"''Light?...But...why''" |
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| <center><gallery>
| | ===Riku (Xehanort's Heartless)=== |
| File:Soul Eater KH.png|[[Soul Eater]], wielded by Ansem while he is possessing Riku to take down Lexaeus briefly.
| | *"''Come.''" |
| File:Keyblade of heart KH.png|The [[Keyblade of Heart]], wielded by Ansem while he is possessing Riku.
| | *"''Is that it.''" |
| File:Dual Soul Eater KH.png|The dual-bladed [[Soul Eater]] halberd, wielded by Ansem in his World of Chaos form.
| | *"''Kneel!''" |
| </gallery></center>
| | *"''Now witness true Power!''" |
| {{-}}
| | *"''Welcome Oblivion.''" |
| | *"''Here it comes!''" |
| | *"''Behold the power of Darkness!''" |
| | *"''Open your heart to Darkness!''" |
| | *"''It's over!''" |
| | *"''Well, what now.''" |
| | *"''Foolish boy.''" |
| | *"''You are Nothing.''" |
| | *"''My force...has failed me...''" |
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| ==See also== | | ===Xehanort's Heartless=== |
| *[[Dark Figure]] | | *"''Power!''" |
| *[[World of Chaos]] | | *"''Come Guardian!''" |
| | *"''Insolent.''" |
| | *"''Submit!''" |
| | *"''Come, open your heart!''" |
| | *"''My strength returns.''" |
| | *"''Witness this!''" |
| | *"''What do you hope to accomplish?''" |
| | *"''Do not deny who you are.''" |
| | *"''The Final Darkness is now!''" |
| | *"''Take this!''" |
| | *"''Why do...you refuse the...darkness?''" |
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| ==Notes and references== | | ==Trivia== |
| {{reflist}}
| | *In the North American version, Xehanort's Heartless was voiced by Billy Zane, whose only Disney role is John Rolfe in ''Pocahontas 2''. Much like his previous self, Xehanort's Heartless was voiced by popular seiyuu Akio Ohtsuka in the Japanese version, who also voiced Judge Magister Gabranth of ''Final Fantasy XII''. However, Billy Zane did not reprise his role in ''Kingdom Hearts II''; instead, Richard Epcar provided the voices as well as dubbed over the former's voice during Roxas's flashback of Sora's memories. |
| | *Though their characters never interacted, Akio Ohtsuka was castmates with his real-life father and fellow seiyuu Chikao Ohtsuka (Captain Hook) in the first game only. |
| | *It is believed that the reason Ansem still retained his humanity after becoming a Heartless was by doing so of his own will, in addition to having a strong heart. This can be seen in Sora, who gave his heart willingly to return Kairi's from his body with the dark Keyblade. Shortly after, he returned as a Shadow (probably because he did not possess as much darkness as Xehanort's Heart) and found his way to Kairi, who restored Sora to his original form. |
| | *In ''Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories'', Sora can get the Ansem enemy card, even though he's not a boss for Sora. Sora can get it on the thirteenth floor after the player beats Riku's story. |
| | *It is unconfirmed, whether or not Xehanort's Heartless is a pureblood or emble heartless due to the emblem on his chest, but it is speculated that he most likely is a pureblood. |
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| {{KH1}} | | {{KHBoss}} |
| {{COM}}
| | [[Category:Bosses]] |
| {{DDD}}
| | [[Category:Villains]] |
| {{KH3}}
| | [[Category:Emblem Heartless]] |
| {{KHDR}}
| | [[Category:Castle Oblivion]] |
| {{MOM}}
| | [[Category:Destiny Islands]] |
| {{HeartlessBossDirectory}}
| | [[Category:End of the World]] |
| [[Category:Antagonists]] | | [[Category:Rulers of Worlds]] |
| | [[Category:Keyblade Wielders]] |
| | [[Category:Travelers]] |
