Editing Ansem, Seeker of Darkness

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|image=[[File:Ansem, Seeker of Darkness KH.png|350x450px]]

|image2=[[File:Ansem, Seeker of Darkness (Cloaked) KH.png|350x450px]]

|java=Akio Otsuka

|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.

|journalUX='''Illustrated Ansem'''<br>KINGDOM HEARTS (2002)<br>A wise man who devoted his life to researching the Heartless and uncovering the world's secrets.

{{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|Kingdom Hearts}}

'''Ansem, Seeker of Darkness''', sometimes referred to as '''Xehanort's Heartless''', is 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]]''. He is a member of the [[real Organization XIII]] and the [[Heartless]] of [[Terra-Xehanort]], and as such his appearance and personality are primarily derived from [[Master Xehanort]], and he retains his original form's "[[Xehanort's guardian|shadow]]".

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.

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 by the first [[Ansem the Wise|Ansem]] 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 self-hood even after becoming Heartless."</ref> Sometime before casting off his body and gaining the ability to travel through time, Ansem was visited by Young Xehanort, who brought him forward through time to serve as a member of the [[Real Organization XIII]]. Despite losing his memories from the event, the memory remained in his subconscious, leading him to cast off his body and gain the ability to travel through time and {{w|Causal loop|entrust his younger self with forming the Real Organization XIII}}.

 

The self-styled "Seeker of Darkness" and the legions of Heartless at his command continued Xehanort's pursuit of knowledge in the belief that it lay with darkness, and stole countless hearts from both humans and worlds in their search for their ultimate goal, a legendary repository of tremendous power and knowledge known as [[Kingdom Hearts]]. To reach this heart of all worlds, Ansem would need to open the Final Keyhole, and to do that, he would need the [[Princesses of Heart]] to complete it first. He also realized that he needed to locate and neutralize the wielder of the legendary Keyblade, to prevent them from saving the worlds from his Heartless. He detected a power within [[Kairi]], a Princess of Heart living within Radiant Garden, linking her to a guardian of light, which he misidentified as an innate connection between Princesses and Keyblade wielders. In truth, the power within Kairi was the charm Aqua had placed upon her, with much the same effect—when he cast her loose in the [[Ocean Between]], she was naturally drawn to Sora and Riku on the Destiny Islands.<!--format this and cite as ref to 20 mysteries, BbS Ultimania, translation goldpanner

A: It has to do with Aqua’s “magic”.

 

Nine years before KH, Kairi was thrust into the outside world, and found herself on Sora and Riku’s world. Ansem Seeker of Darkness thought that she had been able to search for a keyblade wielder, but what actually saved her was the magic spell Aqua had put on her.

 

[picture: Little Kairi]

Aqua: “Someday your light will lead you to a light that will protect you from the darkness.”

 

The magic Aqua puts on Kairi saves her once year later.

[picture: Ansem Report]

Ansem Seeker of Darkness felt a special power within Kairi and tried to use her to find the keyblade.--> Meanwhile, Ansem traveled through time to Destiny Islands and completed his mission with the young Xehanort, then returned to his own time.{{storylink|Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance}}

[[File:This World Has Been Connected 01 KH.png|right|thumb|210px|Ansem addresses the existence of other worlds and their connections.]]

Ansem, after nine years of being a Heartless, appears in a brown robe at the [[Destiny Islands]] Keyhole before the world's fall into darkness, insulting [[Sora]]'s ignorance of what was to come, and completely ignoring Sora's questions. He then vanishes when Sora's back is turned.

It would late turn out that since Ansem was not insulting Sora for not knowing what about to happen that night, but what would happen in the future. The future versions of Sora and Riku from two years from then would return to the past right before the destruction of [[Destiny Islands]] as part of their [[Mark of Mastery exam]] to wake the [[Sleeping Worlds]]. As part of [[Master Xehanort]]'s plans, Ansem was there to allow himself and the other members of [[Real Organization XIII|the real Organization]] to follow the duo and make one of them another vessel for Master Xehanort's heart. To separate them to better the Organization's chances, Ansem creates a phantom of [[Ursula]] to attack them. After its defeat, Ansem watches as the two enter the [[Sleeping Worlds]], noting that he is connected this world to them.{{storylink|Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance}}

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 posses Riku, regaining a body.

Firmly in control of Riku's body, Ansem meets with Maleficent as the Final Keyhole forms. He informs her that unlocking the Keyhole to the darkness will allow the Heartless to overrun Hollow Bastion, but she is uncaring; Maleficent believes that she can use the darkness to rule the other worlds. Sneering, he creates the artificial [[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 the Sora, Doland, 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 that it can unlock the hears of others. Ansem demonstrates by stabbing Maleficent with it and unlocking her heart, restoring her to full power after an entire decade. Maleficent uses the darkness to turn into a dragon for a second battle. However, the dragon is felled by Sora and co., leading Ansem to comment that the dark fairy was arrogant to believe that she had 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]].

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]].

Ansem shortly returns, having expelled Riku's heart and shaped his body into one resembling his original human self. 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. His heart is forced out of his body, and Ansem completely takes 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.

[[File:Return to Darkness 01 KH.png|right|thumb|210px|Ansem pontificates on darkness.]]

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 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 guardian, 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 merges himself to the [[World of Chaos]], a monstrous Heartless ship, and captures Donald and Goofy, though Sora rescues them.

[[File:The World of Darkness 01 KHRECOM.png|left|thumb|210px|Ansem makes a play for Riku's body while the boy fights Lexaeus.]]

Because Riku served as the host for Ansem, 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.

 

Guided by [[Ansem the Wise|a mysterious voice]], Riku climbs through the basements of Castle Oblivion, trying to rid himself of his darkness. However, Ansem appears early on, intending to overcome Riku, but fails. Still, Ansem 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.

At times, Riku almost becomes overwhelmed by the darkness, but [[Mickey Mouse|King Mickey]]'s light continually comes to the rescue, frustrating Ansem. 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 [[Ansem the Wise|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 face the Heartless on his own. DiZ then gives Riku a card that will give Ansem form, so that Riku can finish him off once and for all.

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.

[[File:The Beginning of Everything 02 KHIIFM.png|thumb|left|210px|Riku opens himself to Ansem's darkness in order to defeat Roxas.]]

Within Riku's heart, Ansem's darkness starts to eat away at him, forcing the boy to wear a blindfold to put a stop to Ansem's false visions. This comes to a head when DiZ sends Riku to capture Sora's Nobody, [[Roxas]], so that the two can join and Sora can awaken from his slumber. 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 Xehanort's powerful guardian, 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.

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 are shocked and dismayed to learn this, Mickey pacifies them by telling them that Ansem was still a powerful enemy that needed to be stopped.

[[File:The Road to Dawn 01 KH3D.png|thumb|right|210px|Ansem reappears before Riku on the balcony of Notre Dame.]]

Ansem returns to become part of Master Xehanort's new Organization XIII, thanks to Young Xehanort's doings while time travelling. 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.

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.

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|someone]].

[[File:Seven Lights, Thirteen Darknesses 04 KH3D.png|thumb|left|210px|Ansem tackles Riku to keep him from rescuing Sora.]]

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 his Guardian and has it grab Riku and Mickey, but the Guardian 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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[[File:A Fragmentary Passage 03 KHBBSFM.png|thumb|right|210px|Ansem appears on the beach of Destiny Islands.]]

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==Appearance==

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. Due to his lack of a body, he appears much shorter and crippled in this form and wears the robe's hood up that hides his face.

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]] [[Xemnas|counterpart]], Ansem's skin color varies by being depicted as tan in the game to quite dark in official artwork. He shares Terra-Xehanort's amber-orange eyes and long white hair, as well as the three spikes on the top and sides of his head, but he lacks Terra-Xehanort's bangs.

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.

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 which 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.

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 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.

''[[Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep]]'' reveals that Ansem is essentially the Heartless of [[Master 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.

{{main|Game:Ansem, Seeker of Darkness}}

{{main|Game:World of Chaos}}

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 Guardian. Due to lacking a body, he is also capable of traveling through time.{{fact}}

When Ansem takes possession over Riku's body to procure a physical form, his fighting capabilities increased greatly, and he gains the ability to fly. His new body allows him to fight alongside his guardian by having it possess others to trap them while he utilizes an energy shield to both protect himself and damage foes.

When necessary, Ansem becomes more powerful by merging with either his guardian or the [[World of Chaos]].

Ansem does not wield a specific weapon.

While possessing Riku in ''Kingdom Hearts'', he wields the [[Keyblade of heart]], which was created from the six captured hearts of the Princesses of Heart. Later, in his World of Chaos form, Ansem wields a weapon as massive as he is, a dual-bladed [[Soul Eater]] halberd<!--薙刀 per ultimania-->. When fought on his own, Ansem simply uses the power of darkness and his Guardian to attack opponents. When Riku assumes Ansem's form to become Riku-Ansem, he wields his Soul Eater (and later, the [[Way to the Dawn]]), just as he does normally.

In ''Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance'', Ansem briefly wields Frollo's sword to threaten Riku, but does not actually use it to fight.

File:Dual Soul Eater KH.png|The dual-bladed Soul Eater halberd, wielded by Ansem in his World of Chaos form.

*[[Xehanort's guardian]]

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