Editing Axel

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{{expand|improve wording of the Story sections, story sections need to be in-universe}}
{{InfoboxOrg13
|name=Axel
|kana=アクセル
|romaji=''Akuseru''
|image=[[File:Axel KHD.png|250px]]
|game=Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories; Kingdom Hearts II
|number=VIII
|title=''The Flurry of Dancing Flames''
|weapon=Chakrams ''(Eternal Flames)''
|attribute={{nihongo|Flame|炎|Honō}}
|limit=Explosion
|role=Assistant
|first=''[[Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories]]''
|original={{nihongo|[[Lea]]|リア|Ria}}
|engvoice=[[wikipedia:Quinton Flynn|Quinton Flynn]]
|japvoice=[[wikipedia:Keiji Fujiwara|Keiji Fujiwara]]
}}
{{Q|My show now, Keyblade master! Who am I? Oh, my name's Axel.<br>Got it memorized?|Axel}}
'''Axel''', the {{nihongo|''Flurry of Dancing Flames''|おどる火の風|Odoru Hi no Kaze}}, is the [[Nobody]] of [[Lea]], and is Rank VIII within [[Organization XIII]]. He wields fire and enhances his weapons, twin chakrams, with his pyrokinesis to unleash powerful rapid attacks. The [[Assassin]] Nobodies are under his control. 

In ''[[Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories]]'', Axel was the trump card for the rest of the Organization as a double agent in [[Castle Oblivion]] to keep track of [[Marluxia]]'s plans. In ''[[Kingdom Hearts II]]'', Axel betrayed the Organization for his friendship with [[Roxas]] and acted of his own accord to try and help [[Sora]], though he originally wanted to turn Sora into a Heartless to get Roxas back. Axel appears in ''[[Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days]]'' as a playable character in [[Mission Mode]] and one of the main protagonists.

Lea, his complete being's original name, was revealed in the Day 356 [[Secret Report]] and also mentioned by [[Saïx]]. Lea was friends with Saïx's original persona, [[Isa]]. Lea, Isa, and Axel each appear in ''[[Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep]]'', Axel's appearance merely a cameo.

==Journal entries==
===''Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories''===
;Sora's Story
''A mysterious figure who stands in Sora's path.''

''Hard to read, half the time Axel seems to just be messing around... but for all we know, he's done more thinking than everyone else put together.''

''He knows a lot more than he let's on.''

;Reverse/Rebirth
''No. 8 in the Organization.''

''He is a Nobody whose intentions and secrets are hidden from all.''

''Axel has no qualms about exploiting others to suit his needs. He used Sora and Naminé to silence Marluxia and halt his plot against the Organization.''

''Axel claims he and Sora have something in common, but that connection is unclear.''

===''Kingdom Hearts II''===
''Organization XIII's Number VIII. He commands fire and carries a uniquely-shaped weapon.''

''He is the former mentor of Roxas. He would give anything to get him back.''

''He has proven to be an odd duck of sorts within the Organization, lashing out against treachery, yet stirring troubles with his own betrayals all the while.''

''He claims he and Sora share some sort of bond, but Sora can't imagine what that might be.''

===''Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days''===
''No. VIII AXEL''

''An assassin who puts his own agenda first, and everything else on the back burner. Wields '''fire'''.''

''Weapon: Chakrams''

==Development==
Axel bears a great amount of similarities with [[finalfantasy:Reno|Reno]] from ''[[finalfantasy:Final Fantasy VII|Final Fantasy VII]]''. Axel even shares his voice actor with Reno over a variety of languages: Quinton Flynn in English, Jean Christophe Parquier in French, Víctor Martínez in Spanish, Philipp Brammer in German and Keiji Fujiwara in Japanese. [[wikipedia:Tetsuya Nomura|Tetsuya Nomura]] stated that this is done intentionally as an experiment. He wanted to place a familiar character in a new environment and role. He also stated in an interview that the two are "''different people, but subconsciously alike.''"

Axel was popular among members of the ''Kingdom Hearts'' staff and though he was initially supposed to die at the end of Roxas's prologue, his popularity caused him to be continued into the main game of ''Kingdom Hearts II''.

==Story==
===  ''Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days'' & ''Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories'' ===
[[File:AxelRoxasXion.png|thumb|right|Roxas, Xion, and Axel at Destiny Islands]]
{{Q|Go on! You just keep running! But I'll always be there to bring you back!|Axel to Xion}} 
After inducting Roxas into the Organization, [[Xemnas]] places him under Axel's tutelage. Initially, Axel was unsure how to treat Roxas, as he acted like a "zombie." Over time however the Nobodies begin to bond, eating [[sea-salt ice cream]] together at the [[Twilight Town]] Train Station after missions. As their friendship grows strong, Axel began to demonstrate emotions due to his time with Roxas. Axel is also present when [[Xion]] joins the Organization, but is sent to Castle Oblivion to deal with the traitorous Marluxia. Having received these orders through Saïx, the second-in-command to Xemnas, it would appear that Axel also planned to eliminate other members who could stop their plans to overthrow the Organization.

{{Q|You didn't think after that introduction, I would give up oh so easily?|Axel commenting on Sora's behavior after he purposely allowed himself to be defeated in their first battle}}
While Sora and [[Riku]] wandered around in Castle Oblivion, Axel worked for the two parties of the already divided Organization in the castle. One side, Marluxia and [[Larxene]], sought to use Sora's powers to usurp Xemnas and the rest of the Organization while using [[Naminé]] to alter Sora's memories. Those who stayed in the castle basement were [[Vexen]], [[Lexaeus]], and [[Zexion]]—three of the original members of Organization XIII. The three realized Marluxia's ambitions and tried to counteract by using Riku to destroy Sora. At first, Axel joined the rebel group, though his intentions at that decision point remained unclear.

Upon throwing the first battle with Sora, Axel admitted to testing the Keyblade master's strength. Being the first Organization member to reveal his face, Axel gave up a card created from Sora's memories for him to progress further in the castle. After leaving Sora bewildered, Axel holds a serious conversation with Larxene in which he professes an interest in the fact that Sora retains his self-consciousness even after becoming a [[Heartless]].

After Vexen nearly reveals the existence of Roxas to Sora, Axel was ordered by Marluxia to dispose of him. Axel did so effortlessly, and was at last accepted by Marluxia and Larxene into their conspiracy. Using this to his advantage, Axel allowed Naminé to escape and contact Sora. He later confronted Marluxia, allowing him to figure out that he acted as a double agent during their entire time in the castle. Citing his previous order to rid the Organization of traitors, Axel readied to attack Marluxia, even after Marluxia used Naminé as a shield, but was interrupted by Sora, whom he eventually fought for the last time. At the end of the battle, Axel pretended to be defeated and confused Sora with the words "It was worth saving you after all," and vanished.

After his battle with Sora, Axel met with Zexion in the castle basement. Zexion brought up the subject of Riku and requested data on [[Destiny Islands]] in the form of a card. Despite their previous collaboration, Axel stated that Zexion "just found out way too much", and he offered [[Riku Replica]] the honor of eliminating Zexion, promising the duplicate that he would gain new powers and be able to defeat the real Riku.

When Axel returns to [[the World That Never Was]], he feels that Roxas has replaced him with Xion. Axel becomes jealous, not sure exactly what to make of Xion. At Roxas's suggestion, the three begin to spend time together as a trio. Some time later, Axel finds himself before Saïx, and reveals that he regrets not being able to talk with Saïx as he could with Roxas and Xion. Saïx reminds Axel of the friendship they shared before becoming Nobodies, and the plans they had to take over the Organization.

After discovering who and what she was, Xion began wanting to leave the Organization. Axel eventually catches her in front of Roxas despite his pleas. With him and Roxas not on speaking terms, Axel soon becomes torn between his attempt to save them both from Xemnas's intent to do with any one of them. While assigned to a mission in Wonderland, Xion runs off and Axel makes no attempt of stopping her once she knocks out Xigbar. A few days later, with Roxas learning of Xion's identity and that Axel kept it from him, he leaves the Organization. Axel, who has enjoyed the time he spent with his best friend, is distraught by Roxas' decision as he tried to reason with him.

The next day, under orders, Axel tracks Xion to the Old Mansion in Twilight Town where he realizes her intentions, telling her that he's fed up with her and Roxas being selfish and doing whatever they want, before he manages to knock Xion unconscious. But the fight took its toll as Axel faints from fatigue once he brings her back to the [[Castle That Never Was]], with Xemnas taking Xion from him. Later, in his quarters, learning of the aftermath of Roxas and Xion's fight, a depressed Axel discovers a popsicle stick which reads "WINNER", a gift left by Roxas.

===''Kingdom Hearts II''===
Plagued with questions as to why he has a [[Keyblade]] and subconsciously seeking out Sora, Roxas leaves the Organization. Axel, who found companionship in Roxas, is distraught by this decision.

Shortly afterward, Roxas is captured by Riku and put in [[Ansem the Wise|DiZ]]'s [[Digital Twilight Town]] where his memory is wiped and replaced with an artificial one, leading him to believe he is a normal teenager. Axel is sent to the simulated town to bring Roxas back to the Organization; however, his first effort failed due to DiZ's appearance and the restarting of the Twilight Town program. Roxas was dumbfounded by Axel's appearance, lacking any memories of him and awareness of what was going on. Pressed by the threats by [[Xaldin]] and Xemnas, Axel again tries to recover Roxas without destroying him, keeping in mind the Organization's order to either eliminate Roxas or be destroyed himself. Roxas learns that the two had been best friends from Naminé and mentions this to Axel, but his bluff is called when he is unable to remember "''their boss's name.''" DiZ then intervenes and Roxas escapes for the Twilight Town mansion. The two meet again at this mansion in the computer room basement. Despite Roxas's recovery of his memories, Axel is hurt from his previous encounter with Roxas and fights him and his dual Keyblades. Axel loses the fight and disappears, choosing not to carry out his mission. 

While Sora reawakens with Roxas inside him, Axel is entrusted by Riku to protect Naminé. Naminé's words, about those who are dear to them despite being Nobodies, strangely moved Axel.

{{Q|The guy you just saw. He's their leader. Got it memorized? X-E-M, N-A-S.|Axel telling Sora about the Organization's leader, Xemnas}}
During Sora's exploits to the different worlds, Axel appeared before [[Kairi]] on a beach across Destiny Islands, intending to kidnap her to draw Sora out. Axel's plan was simple; if Sora were to become a Heartless again, then Roxas would be reborn. However, Kairi escaped through a [[Corridor of Darkness]] created by Riku and landed in Twilight Town where she stayed for some time in wait of Sora. Axel, however, followed her to the town and stole her away again, but not long afterward she was taken captive by Saïx who was under orders to give Axel something to actually worry about. After the invasion of [[Radiant Garden]] by the Heartless, Sora confronted Xemnas, the leader of the Organization. Xemnas decided to take his leave and Axel later greeted Sora. Axel hinted that the Keyblade caused the hearts that composed the Heartless to flee, but refused to say what Organization XIII would do with those hearts. Sora realized that Axel is Kairi's captor, and Axel confirmed this. Though initially seeming unrepentant for his actions, he soon apologized for kidnapping Kairi, and made a hasty exit when Saïx appeared.

{{q|I wanted to see Roxas. He...was the only one I liked...he made me feel...like I had a heart. It's kind of...funny. You make me feel...the same....|Axel referring to how Sora reminded him of Roxas}}
On the way to The World That Never Was, Sora, [[Donald Duck|Donald]], [[Goofy]], and [[Mickey Mouse|King Mickey]] are trapped in [[Betwixt and Between]] by Nobodies, but Axel arrives to help. Sora and Axel battled the Nobodies, but seeing that the [[Dusk|Dusk's]] numbers were too great, Axel decided to put his entire being and essence into an attack, destroying the Nobodies but sacrificing himself in the process. 
{{canon}}
In the Japanese version of ''Kingdom Hearts II'', there were flames consuming Axel's body at his death. The flames were removed for the English version. In ''Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix'', despite keeping many changes made to the English version, Axel's death scene uses the flames.
{{canonend}}
He did this to save Sora, his best friend's original self, who stayed with him until the moment he faded. He sincerely apologized to Sora for getting Kairi involved. Confused, Sora asked him what he was trying to do and Axel confessed that he wanted to see Roxas, the only one who made him feel like he had a heart. Oddly enough for Axel, Sora made him feel the same way (possibly since Sora and Roxas are one and the same) and used these final words to urge Sora on to rescue Kairi. Axel opened the passageway to the World That Never Was with the last bit of strength he had in him before disappearing into darkness completely.

Afterward, [[Xigbar]] and [[Luxord]] were curious about Axel's foolish and senseless actions; essentially turning against the Organization for the sake of his friendship with Roxas, but Xemnas revealed that Axel's disappearance served to stir Roxas from his rest, claiming Axel's disobedience was not entirely meaningless and pitiful. Xemnas also stated that due to contact with Sora's heart, Axel's own ability to feel emotions could have been affected. Naminé, however, backs up this notion in the written novel of the game in which she mentions that Axel never truly died, but rather faded into darkness where he would wander until he would find his heart. Axel made one final appearance to Roxas, right before the latter's mental battle with Sora, where he gives a final farewell to his best friend.

===''[[Kingdom Hearts coded]]''===
In the Data Castle Oblivion, during Episode 8, the Data-Naminé reveals to Data-Sora and King Mickey that Axel is one of the people that, while gone, is still connected to Sora's heart.

===''[[Blank Points]]''===
Axel, Roxas, and Xion are seen sitting happily together on the Clock Tower with sea-salt ice cream. The trio look into the sunset, and Roxas and Xion say Sora's name.

==Appearance==
Like other Organization members, Axel wears the basic black gloves and boots. His black coat, however, is one of the more distinctive ones in the group, as its sleeves close up tightly around his arms. Axel himself is also easily distinguishable from other characters in terms of facial features, made easier by the fact that he rarely wears the hood of his coat up. Axel has a widow's peak, rather small eyebrows and thick, shoulder-length, bright red hair styled into slicked-back spikes. His eyes are a bright emerald color and he has a purple reverse-teardrop shaped marking under each eye, which are similar although not the same as [[finalfantasy:Reno|Reno's]] facial markings.

==Personality==
Axel's personality is very different compared to most other members of the Organization. His attitude also changes during the series. When he is first introduced at the beginning of ''Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories'', Axel has a  mysterious, stoic, and calm demeanor on par with that of Marluxia. He seems to be a very good liar, as he earned Zexion's, Marluxia's, and even the trust of Larxene in only a short amount of time. He also seems to be very committed to the Organization, shown in a cutscene where he battles Marluxia. He seems quite distant at times during his time in Castle Oblivion, ignoring Vexen's insults and almost completely unfazed by Larxene's flirtatious behavior towards him. While he is seen as collected, intelligent, and even somewhat overconfident, cutscenes from ''[[Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories]]'' make him sound as if he is acting at times, possibly hinting at his dislike for the other members. 

In ''Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories'', Axel is shown to hold Larxene and Zexion in good company to an extent. Cutscenes show Axel making friendly conversation with Larxene while Marluxia is not around, and making friendly bets with Zexion as to which member will be defeated next. But eventually Axel betrays Larxene by letting Naminé escape and seemed disappointed yet satisfied upon her elimination. Axel also has Riku Replica annihilate Zexion to ensure that his actions in Castle Oblivion go unnoticed by the rest of the Organization, and to help Saïx keep his rank in the Organization.

Axel's personality changes drastically in between the two games, possibly due to his friendship with Roxas. In ''[[Kingdom Hearts II]]'', he has a very laid-back, "go with the flow" outlook on many things, including missions and battles. But he also is shown to have a very kind, heartful side, ironic because he is a Nobody and has no heart. His friendship with Roxas and Xion and his moving final words to Sora are examples of this.  

He also stated that Roxas made him feel "like he had a heart". Axel was very close with Roxas and Xion. He acted like an older brother towards them, being their main source of advice and wisdom. In some cases he got them out of trouble, including helping out Xion and Roxas when Xion could not summon her Keyblade and preventing them from destroying one another when they were tricked by the Organization into fighting each other.

An important thing to note is that in ''Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix'', when Axel bids his final farewell to Roxas, it can be seen upon closer inspection that the teardrop at the end of the scene belongs to Axel, which displays his emotional capacities.

In both games Axel has been shown to have a very typical "Nobody" side to his personality as well, being cold, unforgiving, and merciless. In ''Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories'', he interrupts Vexen's cries for mercy with a cocky "Goodbye" before incinerating him without any hesitation. He also seemed to be amused by the deaths of his comrades as shown in the scene where he is making bets with Zexion. This cruel attitude also occurs when Marluxia uses Naminé as a human shield against him—Axel confidently declared he would eliminate Naminé to get to Marluxia. Also in ''[[Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix]]'', he appeared indifferent to angering Xaldin.

In both ''Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories'' and ''Kingdom Hearts II'', Axel displays emotion, which is unusual given that Nobodies cannot feel anything. He himself notes this in ''Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories'' when he begins laughing, but catches himself and stops. He even mocks his ability to feel towards his death. Whether he, Roxas, Naminé, and Xion all seem have something unusual in common regarding the heart, is unknown. But it has been hinted by Xemnas, and Axel himself, that by being close in contact with Sora's heart, Axel began to feel emotions of his own. 

Out of the whole Organization, Axel is probably the most difficult to read. One never knows what he is thinking (as Lexaeus stated) or whose side he is really on. Most of the time he seems to be just messing around, but he may have done more thinking than everyone else combined, as stated in Jiminy's Journal. Similarly, in both ''Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories'' and ''Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days'', Axel tends to avoid eye contact when lying.

It is shown in ''Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days'', that Axel does not like to talk about his past. Whenever Roxas or Xion asked him about his past, he would give a brief or vague answer and then tries to change the subject. He is also shown to be quite sarcastic. This is shown once he has returned from Castle Oblivion, when Saïx asks him why he did not report. He simply responds with "Oh, good to see you, too. You're welcome, thanks for the kind words."

In ''Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days'' it is shown that he thinks that women are complicated, claiming that real women are "double dose of complex" (since he thinks that Somebodies are more complex compared to Nobodies), and Nobody women are "single dose." He is also shown somewhat has experiences with women in his earlier life, seen when he gives Roxas a friendly advice to "not push the wrong buttons" with women.

Axel's trademark quote is "Got it memorised?" whenever he refers to an important name, but mostly when he is introducing himself, even when he was Lea. The quote was originally "Commit it to memory" in ''Chain of Memories'', but since ''Kingdom Hearts II'', it was retconned to "Got it memorised?", and used in ''Re:Chain of Memories''. On a side note, Axel is the only character in the series to curse, since he uses the word "hell" before his first fight with Sora (asking him to "give [him] one hell of a show"), but in the remake, it is changed to "Try and make it enjoyable".

==Abilities==
{{Main|Axel (Boss)}}
As the Flurry of Dancing Flames, Axel uses two uniquely shaped weapons called chakrams, and specializes in Fire manipulation. He can summon pillars of flame at will and strike with rapid combos using his chakrams. He can also surround his chakrams in flame and throw them like boomerangs, spinning and looping them to hit opponents multiple times. In his one on one battle with Roxas in ''Kingdom Hearts II'', Axel also summons a circle of fire to surround them and leaps into the flames to hide, emerging to strike with rapid attacks, and then leaping back to keep his opponents off their guard. Axel is a powerful member of the Organization, arguably even stronger, or at least a better fighter, than Saïx. This is seen when Saïx is defeated by Roxas, but Axel was able to defeat Xion at the Old Mansion, who at the time absorbed much of Roxas's power. However, Axel clearly put more effort into his battle, as he passed out after the fight, while Saïx remained conscious, though exhausted.

In ''Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days'', Axel has a Limit Break called Explosion. During Explosion, Axel throws his chakrams at enemies while they're engulfed in fire, creating a small explosion of fire afterwards. While not being thrown, Axel's chakrams spin rapidly, gathering fire. However, they can be thrown at any time, and do not need to charge.

During Axel's Final Limit, Axel combines his two flaming chakrams into one enormous flaming chakram, easily many times larger than the two chakrams. The explosion after the attack is also much larger.

===Weapon===
Axel utilizes two [[wikipedia:chakram|Chakrams]], named "[[Eternal Flames]]". Each Chakram is circular and red, with silver spikes and circles around the edges, and two black handles shaped like crosses in the middle. Each chakram has eight spikes, possibly referencing Axel's rank in the Organization. Axel is very adept in the use of his weapon; he can throw them, use them as shields, or use them as melee weapons. He performs some unique attacks, including juggling them against an opponent, or throwing one across the entire battlefield continuously.

He also uses them in conjunction with his fire abilities, setting the tips, or even the whole thing, on fire before throwing them. From a scene in ''Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories'', it is shown that he can set his Chakrams on fire from afar, acting as a remote detonator.

The [[Bond of Flame]] Keyblade, obtained from Axel, is similar in appearance to his Chakrams. Axel's Chakrams are among the few Organization XIII weapons that do not bear the Nobody symbol (the others being Xemnas's Ethereal Blades, and Roxas's and Xion's Keyblades), but the spikes on the wheel do bear some similarities to the Nobody insignia.

In real life, chakrams are actually small razor-edged throwing disks used by warriors in ancient India. Axel's Chakrams bear more of a resemblance to Chinese wind-and-fire wheels, wheel-shaped weapons that are used strictly as melee weapons.

<center><gallery>
File:Eternal Flames KHII.png|One of the Eternal Flames
</gallery></center>

==Quotes==
*"''Now that we're getting to know each other better... don't you go off and die on me now!''"
*"''But don't waste your time. We Nobodies can never hope to be somebodies.''"
*"''Best friends can be inseparable even when they're apart.''"
*"''Hey, wait... I'm enjoying this. You guys are something else!''"
*"''What's your problem!? You both... think you can do whatever you want. Well, I'm sick of it. Go on, you just keep running! But I'll always be there to bring you back!''"
*"''This town is his creation, right? Which means we don't have time for a Q and A. You're coming with me conscious or not. Then you'll hear the story.''"
*"''You really do remember me this time? I'm SO FLATTERED. But you're too late!!''"
*"''We've got something in common, Kairi. You and I both miss someone we care about.''"
*"''Think I'll pass. My heart just wouldn't be in it, you know? Haven't got one.''"
*"''You can't turn on the Organization! You get on their bad side and they'll destroy you!''"

==See also==
*[[Lea]]
{{Chakram}}
{{NobodyDirectory}}
{{Party}}
{{358}}
{{COM}}
{{KH2}}
{{Coded}}
[[fr:Axel]]
[[es:Axel]]
[[Category:Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories characters]]
[[Category:Kingdom Hearts II characters]]
[[Category:Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days characters]]
[[Category:Organization XIII]]
[[Category:Allies]]
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 {{suite}}
-{{youmay|the Nobody|[[Lea|his original person]]}}
+{{expand|improve wording of the Story sections, story sections need to be in-universe}}
-{{Character
+{{InfoboxOrg13
 |name=Axel
-|katakana=アクセル
+|kana=アクセル
-|romaji=Akuseru
+|romaji=''Akuseru''
-|fr=Axel
+|image=[[File:Axel KHD.png|250px]]
-|de=Axel
+|game=Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories; Kingdom Hearts II
-|es=Axel
+|number=VIII
-|image=[[File:Axel_KHMOM.png|350x400px]]
+|title=''The Flurry of Dancing Flames''
-|type=Organization XIII
+|weapon=Chakrams ''(Eternal Flames)''
-|spec=NobodyBoss
+|attribute={{nihongo|Flame|炎|Honō}}
-|game1=Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories
+|limit=Explosion
-|game2=Kingdom Hearts II
+|role=Assistant
-|game3=Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
+|first=''[[Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories]]''
-|game4=Kingdom Hearts coded
+|original={{nihongo|[[Lea]]|リア|Ria}}
-|game5=Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance
+|engvoice=[[wikipedia:Quinton Flynn|Quinton Flynn]]
-|game6=Kingdom Hearts Union χ
+|japvoice=[[wikipedia:Keiji Fujiwara|Keiji Fujiwara]]
-|game7=Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory
-|orgnum=VIII
-|orgtitle=The Flurry of Dancing Flames
-|orgweapon=Chakrams ''(Eternal Flames)''
-|orgatt={{nihongo|Flame|炎|Honō}}
-|orglimit=Explosion
-|orgother=[[Lea]]
-|enva=Quinton Flynn
-|java=Keiji Fujiwara
-|javan=<small>(''KHCoM'' through ''KH3D'')</small>
-|frva=Jean Christophe Parquier
-|esva=Víctor Martínez
-|deva=Philipp Brammer
-|COMbattlename=The 13th Struggle
-|COMbattlefile=The 13th Struggle KHCOM.ogg
-|KH2battlename=The 13th Struggle
-|KH2battlefile=The 13th Struggle KHII.ogg
-|journalSS=A mysterious figure who stands in Sora's path.<br><br>Hard to read, half the time Axel seems to just be messing around... but for all we know, he's done more thinking than everyone else put together.<br><br>He knows a lot more than he let's on.
-|journalRR=No. 8 in the Organization.<br><br>He is a Nobody whose intentions and secrets are hidden from all.<br><br>Axel has no qualms about exploiting others to suit his needs. He used Sora and Naminé to silence Marluxia and halt his plot against the Organization.<br><br>Axel claims he and Sora have something in common, but that connection is unclear.
-|journalKH2=Organization XIII's Number VIII. He commands fire and carries a uniquely-shaped weapon.<br><br>He is the former mentor of Roxas. He would give anything to get him back.<br><br>He has proven to be an odd duck of sorts within the Organization, lashing out against treachery, yet stirring troubles with his own betrayals all the while.<br><br>He claims he and Sora share some sort of bond, but Sora can't imagine what that might be.
-|journal358=No. VIII AXEL<br><br>An assassin who puts his own agenda first, and everything else on the back burner. Wields '''fire'''.<br>Weapon: Chakrams<br><br>'''HD 1.5 ReMIX'''<br>A member of Organization XIII. He prioritizes his own motives over the goals of the Organization. He eventually becomes friends with Roxas after their initial meeting. Like Roxas, he comes to worry for Xion after becoming friends with her as well.
-|journalDDD=One of Organization XIII's more unique personalities. He was especially close to Roxas, another of their members. Axel expired while fighting to save Sora—or perhaps someone else.
-|journalUX='''Album'''<br>'''Roxas & Axel & Xion'''<br>KINGDOM HEARTS 358/2 Days (2008)<br>After a mission, these three friends like to relax over sea-salt ice cream.<br><br>'''Axel A/SP Axel/HD Axel'''<br>KINGDOM HEARTS II (2005)<br>The 8th member of Organization XIII. He commands fire.<br><br>'''Boss'''<br>This Flurry of Dancing Flames absorbs attacks from Power-based Medals. Keep an eye on the count above his head.
-|s1=Lea
 }}
-{{Q|My show now, Keyblade master! Who am I? Oh, my name's Axel. Got it memorized?|Axel}}
+{{Q|My show now, Keyblade master! Who am I? Oh, my name's Axel.<br>Got it memorized?|Axel}}
-'''Axel''', the {{nihongo|''Flurry of Dancing Flames''|おどる火の風|Odoru Hi no Kaze}}, is the [[Nobody]] of [[Lea]], and is Rank VIII within the original [[Organization XIII]]. He wields fire and enhances his weapons, twin chakrams, with his pyrokinesis to unleash powerful rapid attacks. He controls the [[Assassin]] Nobodies.
+'''Axel''', the {{nihongo|''Flurry of Dancing Flames''|おどる火の風|Odoru Hi no Kaze}}, is the [[Nobody]] of [[Lea]], and is Rank VIII within [[Organization XIII]]. He wields fire and enhances his weapons, twin chakrams, with his pyrokinesis to unleash powerful rapid attacks. The [[Assassin]] Nobodies are under his control.
-In ''[[Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories]]'', Axel is the trump card for the rest of the organization, acting as a double agent in [[Castle Oblivion]] to keep track of [[Marluxia]]'s plans. In ''[[Kingdom Hearts II]]'', Axel betrays the Organization due to his friendship with [[Roxas]], and acts of his own accord to aid [[Sora]], though he had originally desired to turn Sora into a [[Heartless]] and restore Roxas. Axel appears in ''[[Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days]]'' as a playable character in [[Mission Mode]].
+In ''[[Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories]]'', Axel was the trump card for the rest of the Organization as a double agent in [[Castle Oblivion]] to keep track of [[Marluxia]]'s plans. In ''[[Kingdom Hearts II]]'', Axel betrayed the Organization for his friendship with [[Roxas]] and acted of his own accord to try and help [[Sora]], though he originally wanted to turn Sora into a Heartless to get Roxas back. Axel appears in ''[[Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days]]'' as a playable character in [[Mission Mode]] and one of the main protagonists.
-Axel's human form, Lea, had been friends with [[Saïx]]'s original persona, [[Isa]].
+Lea, his complete being's original name, was revealed in the Day 356 [[Secret Report]] and also mentioned by [[Saïx]]. Lea was friends with Saïx's original persona, [[Isa]]. Lea, Isa, and Axel each appear in ''[[Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep]]'', Axel's appearance merely a cameo.
-==Development==
+==Journal entries==
-Axel bears a great number of similarities with {{ff|Reno}} from ''{{ff|Final Fantasy VII}}'', even sharing his voice actor with Reno over a variety of languages. {{w|Tetsuya Nomura}} stated that this is done intentionally as an experiment. He wanted to place a familiar character in a new environment and role. He also stated in an interview that the two are "''different people, but subconsciously alike.''"{{fact}}
+===''Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories''===
+;Sora's Story
+''A mysterious figure who stands in Sora's path.''
+''Hard to read, half the time Axel seems to just be messing around... but for all we know, he's done more thinking than everyone else put together.''
+''He knows a lot more than he let's on.''
+;Reverse/Rebirth
+''No. 8 in the Organization.''
+''He is a Nobody whose intentions and secrets are hidden from all.''
+''Axel has no qualms about exploiting others to suit his needs. He used Sora and Naminé to silence Marluxia and halt his plot against the Organization.''
+''Axel claims he and Sora have something in common, but that connection is unclear.''
+===''Kingdom Hearts II''===
+''Organization XIII's Number VIII. He commands fire and carries a uniquely-shaped weapon.''
+''He is the former mentor of Roxas. He would give anything to get him back.''
-Axel was popular among members of the ''Kingdom Hearts'' staff and though he was initially supposed to die at the end of Roxas's prologue, his popularity caused him to be continued into the main game of ''Kingdom Hearts II''.
+''He has proven to be an odd duck of sorts within the Organization, lashing out against treachery, yet stirring troubles with his own betrayals all the while.''
-In the Japanese version of ''Kingdom Hearts II'', flames consumed Axel's body at his death. The flames were removed for the English version. In ''Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix'', despite keeping many changes made to the English version, Axel's death scene uses the flames. In ''[[Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX]]'', the flames are once again removed.
+''He claims he and Sora share some sort of bond, but Sora can't imagine what that might be.''
-==Story==
+===''Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days''===
-===''Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days'' and ''Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories''===
+''No. VIII AXEL''
-{{Q|Right, that first week you could barely form a sentence. But come on, you're still kind of a zombie.|Axel reminisces with Roxas}}
-[[File:Meet Roxas 01 KHD.png|thumb|left|Axel stands alongside Roxas at his induction into the Organization.]]
-After Roxas joins the Organization, Saïx places him under Axel's tutelage. Initially, Axel is unsure how to treat Roxas; he likens the new Organization member's withdrawn and taciturn disposition to that of a zombie. Even more confusing was that Roxas looked like [[Ventus]], whom Axel had met years ago as Lea. Over time, however, the two Nobodies begin to bond, eating [[sea-salt ice cream]] together at the [[Twilight Town]] Train Station after every mission. As his friendship with Roxas develops, Axel begins to demonstrate emotions, despite his being a Nobody.
-Axel is also present when [[Xion]] joins the Organization, but is sent to Castle Oblivion to deal with the traitorous Marluxia soon after Xion's induction. Having received orders through Saïx, [[Xemnas]]'s second-in-command, it appears that Axel had also planned to eliminate other members who could have harmed their plans to overthrow the Organization.
+''An assassin who puts his own agenda first, and everything else on the back burner. Wields '''fire'''.''
-[[File:When Sleeping Memories Awaken 01 KHRECOM.png|thumb|Axel teases Sora and reveals that he was merely playing with the boy.]]
+''Weapon: Chakrams''
-While Sora and [[Riku]] wander Castle Oblivion, Axel works for the two parties of the already divided Organization members in the castle. One party, consisting of Marluxia and [[Larxene]], wishes to use Sora's powers to usurp Xemnas and the rest of the Organization by using [[Naminé]] to alter Sora's memories. The other faction, consisting of [[Vexen]], [[Lexaeus]], and [[Zexion]] three of the original six members of Organization XIII realizes Marluxia's ambitions and tries to stop the traitors, using [[Riku]] to destroy Sora. Early on, Axel spends most of his time with Marluxia and Larxene, trying to obtain their trust.{{storylink|Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories}}
-Upon purposely throwing his battle against Sora, Axel admits to using the battle as a test of the [[Keyblade wielder]]'s strength. Axel gives up a {{c|card|com}} created from Sora's memories, which allows Sora to progress further in the castle, After leaving a bewildered Sora, Axel confronts Larxene, professing an interest in preserving Sora's self-consciousness even after he became a [[Heartless]].
+==Development==
+Axel bears a great amount of similarities with [[finalfantasy:Reno|Reno]] from ''[[finalfantasy:Final Fantasy VII|Final Fantasy VII]]''. Axel even shares his voice actor with Reno over a variety of languages: Quinton Flynn in English, Jean Christophe Parquier in French, Víctor Martínez in Spanish, Philipp Brammer in German and Keiji Fujiwara in Japanese. [[wikipedia:Tetsuya Nomura|Tetsuya Nomura]] stated that this is done intentionally as an experiment. He wanted to place a familiar character in a new environment and role. He also stated in an interview that the two are "''different people, but subconsciously alike.''"
-After Vexen's first battle with Sora, Marluxia orders Axel to dispose of Vexen, both to test Axel's willingness to eliminate another Organization member and to stop Vexen from interfering with Marluxia's plan. Axel finishes off Vexen, who had just engaged Sora in combat and is accepted into Marluxia and Larxene's conspiracy. Taking advantage of Marluxia and Larxene's trust, Axel allows Naminé to escape and contact Sora. Citing his previous order to rid the Organization of traitors, Axel later confronts Marluxia, who now realizes Axel's continued loyalty to the Organization. During their battle, Marluxia attempts to use Naminé as a shield. Axel is undeterred, but before he is able to strike, Sora appears behind him and is angered to learn that Axel would be willing to harm Naminé. A fierce fight ensues between Axel and Sora, and Sora emerges victorious. Conceding defeat, Axel leaves Sora with the words, "It was worth saving you after all," and vanishes.{{storylink|Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories}}
+Axel was popular among members of the ''Kingdom Hearts'' staff and though he was initially supposed to die at the end of Roxas's prologue, his popularity caused him to be continued into the main game of ''Kingdom Hearts II''.
-After his battle with Sora, Axel meets Zexion in the castle basement. Zexion brings up the subject of Riku, and requests data on [[Destiny Islands]] in the form of a card. After Zexion is defeated by Riku, he retreats and meets with Axel. Despite their previous collaboration, Axel says that Zexion had "just found out way too much". Axel persuades the [[Riku Replica]] to absorb Zexion, promising the duplicate that he would gain newfound powers, including the strength needed to defeat the real Riku.{{storylink|Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories}}
+==Story==
+===  ''Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days'' & ''Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories'' ===
+[[File:AxelRoxasXion.png|thumb|right|Roxas, Xion, and Axel at Destiny Islands]]
+{{Q|Go on! You just keep running! But I'll always be there to bring you back!|Axel to Xion}}
+After inducting Roxas into the Organization, [[Xemnas]] places him under Axel's tutelage. Initially, Axel was unsure how to treat Roxas, as he acted like a "zombie." Over time however the Nobodies begin to bond, eating [[sea-salt ice cream]] together at the [[Twilight Town]] Train Station after missions. As their friendship grows strong, Axel began to demonstrate emotions due to his time with Roxas. Axel is also present when [[Xion]] joins the Organization, but is sent to Castle Oblivion to deal with the traitorous Marluxia. Having received these orders through Saïx, the second-in-command to Xemnas, it would appear that Axel also planned to eliminate other members who could stop their plans to overthrow the Organization.
-With the five members of the Organization finished off, Axel proceeds to carry out his orders to find the [[Chamber of Waking]] and retrieve Naminé, but fails to find the chamber and allows Naminé to escape, deeming her unnecessary. When Axel finally returns to [[the World That Never Was]], he feels as if Roxas had replaced him with Xion, with whom Roxas now eats ice cream in Twilight Town in the same way Roxas and Axel had prior to Castle Oblivion. At Roxas's suggestion, the three begin to spend time together as a trio. Sometime later, Saïx confronts Axel. Axel reveals that he regrets not being able to talk with Saïx as he could with Roxas and Xion. Saïx alludes to the friendship he and Axel had shared before becoming Nobodies and reminds him of their plans to find [[Subject X]].
+{{Q|You didn't think after that introduction, I would give up oh so easily?|Axel commenting on Sora's behavior after he purposely allowed himself to be defeated in their first battle}}
+While Sora and [[Riku]] wandered around in Castle Oblivion, Axel worked for the two parties of the already divided Organization in the castle. One side, Marluxia and [[Larxene]], sought to use Sora's powers to usurp Xemnas and the rest of the Organization while using [[Naminé]] to alter Sora's memories. Those who stayed in the castle basement were [[Vexen]], [[Lexaeus]], and [[Zexion]]—three of the original members of Organization XIII. The three realized Marluxia's ambitions and tried to counteract by using Riku to destroy Sora. At first, Axel joined the rebel group, though his intentions at that decision point remained unclear.
-[[File:The Existence of Sadness 02 KHII.png|thumb|left|Axel tries to stop Roxas from leaving the Organization.]]
+Upon throwing the first battle with Sora, Axel admitted to testing the Keyblade master's strength. Being the first Organization member to reveal his face, Axel gave up a card created from Sora's memories for him to progress further in the castle. After leaving Sora bewildered, Axel holds a serious conversation with Larxene in which he professes an interest in the fact that Sora retains his self-consciousness even after becoming a [[Heartless]].
-Eventually, Axel discovered that Xion is an imperfect [[replica]] of Roxas and keeps the truth from him, sometimes he would lie to him to keep him from worrying, but couldn't help but feel bad for deceiving him. After discovering her identity, Xion develops a desire to leave the Organization. While on a mission, Axel discovers Xion has sneaked into Castle Oblivion. He encourages her to leave and to stop remembering her former memories, or rather, Sora's memories. Despite Axel's warning, Xion goes further into the castle. Xion eventually escapes the Organization but is attacked and captured by Axel, under Saïx's orders, in Twilight Town weeks later, before Roxas's eyes. Despite Roxas's protests, Axel claims that his use of force had been necessary. No longer on speaking terms with Roxas, Axel becomes torn between his two friends, trying to decide which one to save from Xemnas's plan.
-[[File:Xion and Axel Face Off 01 KHD.png|thumb|Axel swears that he would always bring Xion back, regardless of how many times she tries to flee.]]
+After Vexen nearly reveals the existence of Roxas to Sora, Axel was ordered by Marluxia to dispose of him. Axel did so effortlessly, and was at last accepted by Marluxia and Larxene into their conspiracy. Using this to his advantage, Axel allowed Naminé to escape and contact Sora. He later confronted Marluxia, allowing him to figure out that he acted as a double agent during their entire time in the castle. Citing his previous order to rid the Organization of traitors, Axel readied to attack Marluxia, even after Marluxia used Naminé as a shield, but was interrupted by Sora, whom he eventually fought for the last time. At the end of the battle, Axel pretended to be defeated and confused Sora with the words "It was worth saving you after all," and vanished.
-About 2 months later, Axel rescues Xion and Roxas from being manipulated into killing each other at [[Halloween Town]], causing all three of them to become distrustful of the Organization and Saïx. The next day while on a mission in [[Wonderland]], Xion attacks [[Xigbar]] and knocks him unconscious, and Axel makes no attempt to stop her. She removes her hood, shocking Axel, and asks Axel to let her go, which he agrees to, and she retreats through a Corridor of Darkness. Roxas confronted him on why he just let her go and reveals that Xion is a replica and that they can't coexist together. Roxas refuses to believe it and leaves in a fury despite Axel's protests. The next day, Xemnas ordered Axel to bring Xion back alive. Before leaving to find her, Roxas tries to reason with him that Xion can't come back, only to say that it's rather that or him being destroyed. The next day, Roxas, having learned Xion's identity and that Axel had hidden it from him, questions him about his true identity resulting an argument between them. Axel only tells Roxas to trust him, but he refuses and leaves the Organization in anger. Axel, who had enjoyed the time he had spent with his best friend, is distraught but is unable to stop Roxas from deserting.
-The next day, under orders, Axel tracks Xion down to the Old Mansion in Twilight Town. Having learned Xion's intentions, and fed up with her and Roxas's selfishness, Axel battles Xion and knocks her unconscious. Axel, after managing to bring Xion back to the [[Castle That Never Was]], faints from fatigue, and Xemnas takes the unconscious Xion from him. Later, in his quarters, after learning the aftermath of Roxas and Xion's fight, a depressed Axel discovers a popsicle stick labeled "WINNER", a gift left by Roxas. After Xion's defeat at Roxas's hands, Axel's memories of her eventually disappear.<ref>'''''[[Secret Reports#Day 357: To My Best Friend|Secret Reports]]''''', '''Axel:''' "Roxas left. It's so like him to just leave that WINNER ice cream stick behind. Come tomorrow, I'll probably get the order to hunt him down, but leaving that here makes it feel so permanent. I wish the three of us—three? No. That the two of us could share some ice cream again someday. That's what it is to be friends."</ref>
+After his battle with Sora, Axel met with Zexion in the castle basement. Zexion brought up the subject of Riku and requested data on [[Destiny Islands]] in the form of a card. Despite their previous collaboration, Axel stated that Zexion "just found out way too much", and he offered [[Riku Replica]] the honor of eliminating Zexion, promising the duplicate that he would gain new powers and be able to defeat the real Riku.
-{{-}}
-===''Kingdom Hearts II''===
+When Axel returns to [[the World That Never Was]], he feels that Roxas has replaced him with Xion. Axel becomes jealous, not sure exactly what to make of Xion. At Roxas's suggestion, the three begin to spend time together as a trio. Some time later, Axel finds himself before Saïx, and reveals that he regrets not being able to talk with Saïx as he could with Roxas and Xion. Saïx reminds Axel of the friendship they shared before becoming Nobodies, and the plans they had to take over the Organization.
-{{q|I wanted to see Roxas. He...was the only one I liked...he made me feel...like I had a heart. It's kind of...funny. You make me feel...the same....|Axel referring to how Sora reminded him of Roxas}}
-Shortly after Roxas's escape from The World That Never Was, Riku captures Roxas and [[Ansem the Wise]] places him in [[The Other Twilight Town]]. There, Roxas's memory is wiped and replaced with artificial ones, leading Roxas to believe that he is a normal teenager on summer vacation. Axel is ordered to retrieve or destroy Roxas, but only agrees after threats from [[Xaldin]] and Xemnas. He enters the simulated town to confront Roxas; however, his first effort to retrieve Roxas fails when DiZ appears and restarts the Twilight Town program, temporarily removing Axel from the simulation. Roxas is dumbfounded by Axel's appearance, as he lacks any memories of the Organization member.
-[[File:Axel's Decision 01 KHII.png|thumb|left|Furious at being forgotten, Axel prepares to eliminate Roxas.]]
+After discovering who and what she was, Xion began wanting to leave the Organization. Axel eventually catches her in front of Roxas despite his pleas. With him and Roxas not on speaking terms, Axel soon becomes torn between his attempt to save them both from Xemnas's intent to do with any one of them. While assigned to a mission in Wonderland, Xion runs off and Axel makes no attempt of stopping her once she knocks out Xigbar. A few days later, with Roxas learning of Xion's identity and that Axel kept it from him, he leaves the Organization. Axel, who has enjoyed the time he spent with his best friend, is distraught by Roxas' decision as he tried to reason with him.
-Axel again tries to recover Roxas without destroying him, while keeping in mind the Organization's order to either eliminate Roxas or be destroyed himself. Roxas, who has since learned from Naminé that the two had been best friends, mentions this to Axel, who calls Roxas's bluff when he is unable to remember Xemnas's name. [[DiZ]] again intervenes, and Roxas escapes to the Old Mansion in Twilight Town. The two meet again in the mansion's computer room basement. Despite Roxas's having regained his memories, Axel,  who is hurt emotionally from his previous encounters, fights Roxas, who is now dual-wielding [[Oathkeeper & Oblivion]]. Axel loses the fight and disappears, obliging not to finish his mission.
-While Sora reawakens with Roxas inside him, Riku asks Axel to protect Naminé. Later, at Sunset Hill, Axel calls it a day before Riku motions for them to leave. Naminé's words, about those who are dear to them despite being Nobodies, strangely move him. As Riku thanks them both, he opens a Corridor of Darkness, allowing the three to make their exit.
+The next day, under orders, Axel tracks Xion to the Old Mansion in Twilight Town where he realizes her intentions, telling her that he's fed up with her and Roxas being selfish and doing whatever they want, before he manages to knock Xion unconscious. But the fight took its toll as Axel faints from fatigue once he brings her back to the [[Castle That Never Was]], with Xemnas taking Xion from him. Later, in his quarters, learning of the aftermath of Roxas and Xion's fight, a depressed Axel discovers a popsicle stick which reads "WINNER", a gift left by Roxas.
-During Sora's travels through the different worlds, Axel appears before [[Kairi]] on a beach in Destiny Islands, intending to kidnap her. Axel's plan is simple: if Sora were to become a Heartless again, then Roxas would be reborn. However, Kairi escapes through a [[Corridor of Darkness]] created by Riku, and lands in Twilight Town where she waits for Sora. Axel, however, follows her to the town and steals her away again. Not long afterward, she is taken captive by Saïx, who is under orders to "give him something to be pitiful about". After the invasion of [[Radiant Garden]] by the Heartless, Sora confronts Xemnas, the leader of Organization XIII, who disappears after a brief exchange. Axel appears before Sora right after Xemnas exits and explains the [[Keyblade]]'s ability to release the captive [[heart]]s that compose Heartless. However, Axel refuses to say what Organization XIII would do with those hearts. Sora realizes that Axel is Kairi's captor, which Axel confirms. Though initially unrepentant for his actions, he soon apologizes for kidnapping Kairi, but makes a hasty exit when Saïx appears.
+===''Kingdom Hearts II''===
+Plagued with questions as to why he has a [[Keyblade]] and subconsciously seeking out Sora, Roxas leaves the Organization. Axel, who found companionship in Roxas, is distraught by this decision.
-On the way to The World That Never Was, Sora, [[Donald]], [[Goofy]], and [[King Mickey]] are trapped in [[Betwixt and Between]] and attacked by Nobodies, but Axel arrives to help Sora battle the Nobodies. Realizing the [[Dusk]]s' overwhelming numbers, Axel puts his entire being and essence into one, powerful attack, which destroys the Nobodies at the expense of his life.
+Shortly afterward, Roxas is captured by Riku and put in [[Ansem the Wise|DiZ]]'s [[Digital Twilight Town]] where his memory is wiped and replaced with an artificial one, leading him to believe he is a normal teenager. Axel is sent to the simulated town to bring Roxas back to the Organization; however, his first effort failed due to DiZ's appearance and the restarting of the Twilight Town program. Roxas was dumbfounded by Axel's appearance, lacking any memories of him and awareness of what was going on. Pressed by the threats by [[Xaldin]] and Xemnas, Axel again tries to recover Roxas without destroying him, keeping in mind the Organization's order to either eliminate Roxas or be destroyed himself. Roxas learns that the two had been best friends from Naminé and mentions this to Axel, but his bluff is called when he is unable to remember "''their boss's name.''" DiZ then intervenes and Roxas escapes for the Twilight Town mansion. The two meet again at this mansion in the computer room basement. Despite Roxas's recovery of his memories, Axel is hurt from his previous encounter with Roxas and fights him and his dual Keyblades. Axel loses the fight and disappears, choosing not to carry out his mission.
-[[File:The Words I Wanted to Say 02 KHII.png|thumb|A fading Axel apologizes to Sora for kidnapping Kairi.]]
+While Sora reawakens with Roxas inside him, Axel is entrusted by Riku to protect Naminé. Naminé's words, about those who are dear to them despite being Nobodies, strangely moved Axel.
-As he fades away, Axel explains his motives: he had wanted to save Sora, Roxas's original self, who stays with him in his last moments. He sincerely apologizes to Sora for involving Kairi in Organization XIII's plans. Axel confesses that he had wanted to see Roxas, the only one who had made him feel like he had a heart. Axel remarks that Sora makes him feel the same way. In his final moments, Axel urges Sora to proceed and rescue Kairi, then opens a passageway to the World That Never Was before disappearing into the darkness.
-Afterward, [[Xigbar]], [[Luxord]] and [[Saïx]] discuss Axel's foolish and senseless actions, in turning against the Organization for the sake of his friendship with Roxas. Xemnas reveals that Axel's disappearance had served to stir Roxas from his rest, claiming Axel's disobedience had not been entirely meaningless and pitiful. Xemnas also states that, due to his contact with Sora's heart, Axel's own ability to feel emotions may have been affected.
+{{Q|The guy you just saw. He's their leader. Got it memorized? X-E-M, N-A-S.|Axel telling Sora about the Organization's leader, Xemnas}}
+During Sora's exploits to the different worlds, Axel appeared before [[Kairi]] on a beach across Destiny Islands, intending to kidnap her to draw Sora out. Axel's plan was simple; if Sora were to become a Heartless again, then Roxas would be reborn. However, Kairi escaped through a [[Corridor of Darkness]] created by Riku and landed in Twilight Town where she stayed for some time in wait of Sora. Axel, however, followed her to the town and stole her away again, but not long afterward she was taken captive by Saïx who was under orders to give Axel something to actually worry about. After the invasion of [[Radiant Garden]] by the Heartless, Sora confronted Xemnas, the leader of the Organization. Xemnas decided to take his leave and Axel later greeted Sora. Axel hinted that the Keyblade caused the hearts that composed the Heartless to flee, but refused to say what Organization XIII would do with those hearts. Sora realized that Axel is Kairi's captor, and Axel confirmed this. Though initially seeming unrepentant for his actions, he soon apologized for kidnapping Kairi, and made a hasty exit when Saïx appeared.
-{{canon
+{{q|I wanted to see Roxas. He...was the only one I liked...he made me feel...like I had a heart. It's kind of...funny. You make me feel...the same....|Axel referring to how Sora reminded him of Roxas}}
-|In the written novel of the game, Naminé backs up Xemnas's notion, mentioning that Axel had never truly died, but had rather faded into darkness, where he would wander until he found his heart.
+On the way to The World That Never Was, Sora, [[Donald Duck|Donald]], [[Goofy]], and [[Mickey Mouse|King Mickey]] are trapped in [[Betwixt and Between]] by Nobodies, but Axel arrives to help. Sora and Axel battled the Nobodies, but seeing that the [[Dusk|Dusk's]] numbers were too great, Axel decided to put his entire being and essence into an attack, destroying the Nobodies but sacrificing himself in the process.
-|width=85%
+{{canon}}
-}}
+In the Japanese version of ''Kingdom Hearts II'', there were flames consuming Axel's body at his death. The flames were removed for the English version. In ''Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix'', despite keeping many changes made to the English version, Axel's death scene uses the flames.
+{{canonend}}
+He did this to save Sora, his best friend's original self, who stayed with him until the moment he faded. He sincerely apologized to Sora for getting Kairi involved. Confused, Sora asked him what he was trying to do and Axel confessed that he wanted to see Roxas, the only one who made him feel like he had a heart. Oddly enough for Axel, Sora made him feel the same way (possibly since Sora and Roxas are one and the same) and used these final words to urge Sora on to rescue Kairi. Axel opened the passageway to the World That Never Was with the last bit of strength he had in him before disappearing into darkness completely.
-[[File:Leaving Him Behind 02 KHIIFM.png|thumb|left|Axel bids his final farewell to Roxas.]]
+Afterward, [[Xigbar]] and [[Luxord]] were curious about Axel's foolish and senseless actions; essentially turning against the Organization for the sake of his friendship with Roxas, but Xemnas revealed that Axel's disappearance served to stir Roxas from his rest, claiming Axel's disobedience was not entirely meaningless and pitiful. Xemnas also stated that due to contact with Sora's heart, Axel's own ability to feel emotions could have been affected. Naminé, however, backs up this notion in the written novel of the game in which she mentions that Axel never truly died, but rather faded into darkness where he would wander until he would find his heart. Axel made one final appearance to Roxas, right before the latter's mental battle with Sora, where he gives a final farewell to his best friend.
-Axel makes one final appearance before Roxas, immediately after Roxas's mental battle with Sora. The two discuss their fate, reminisce about the good times they had shared with each other. Axel gives a final farewell to his best friend shedding a tear, as his [[body]] and [[soul]] reunite with his heart at Radiant Garden, reviving Lea.
-{{-}}
 ===''[[Kingdom Hearts coded]]''===
-In the [[Datascape]]'s version of Castle Oblivion, [[Data-Naminé]] reveals to [[Data-Sora]] and King Mickey that Axel is one of the people that, while gone, is still connected to Sora's heart.
+In the Data Castle Oblivion, during Episode 8, the Data-Naminé reveals to Data-Sora and King Mickey that Axel is one of the people that, while gone, is still connected to Sora's heart.
-===''[[Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance]]''===
+===''[[Blank Points]]''===
-[[File:A Remembered Promise 01 KH3D.png|thumb|In Lea's dream, Roxas reminds Axel of the promise he made to him and Xion.]]
+Axel, Roxas, and Xion are seen sitting happily together on the Clock Tower with sea-salt ice cream. The trio look into the sunset, and Roxas and Xion say Sora's name.
-Just before waking, Lea has a dream of Axel and Roxas eating sea-salt ice cream in Twilight Town. In the dream, Roxas reminds Axel of the promise he had made to him and Xion, to always bring them back. He asks Axel if he had it memorized before fading away, leaving Axel to chuckle.
-{{-}}
-==Other appearances==
+==Appearance==
-===''[[Blank Points]]''===
+Like other Organization members, Axel wears the basic black gloves and boots. His black coat, however, is one of the more distinctive ones in the group, as its sleeves close up tightly around his arms. Axel himself is also easily distinguishable from other characters in terms of facial features, made easier by the fact that he rarely wears the hood of his coat up. Axel has a widow's peak, rather small eyebrows and thick, shoulder-length, bright red hair styled into slicked-back spikes. His eyes are a bright emerald color and he has a purple reverse-teardrop shaped marking under each eye, which are similar although not the same as [[finalfantasy:Reno|Reno's]] facial markings.
-Axel, Roxas, and Xion are seen sitting happily together on the Clock Tower with sea-salt ice cream. The trio looks into the sunset, and Roxas and Xion say Sora's name.
-===''Kingdom Hearts Union χ[Cross]''===
+==Personality==
-Axel appears as an enemy in the August 2018 {{khux|NEW XIII Event}}.
+Axel's personality is very different compared to most other members of the Organization. His attitude also changes during the series. When he is first introduced at the beginning of ''Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories'', Axel has a  mysterious, stoic, and calm demeanor on par with that of Marluxia. He seems to be a very good liar, as he earned Zexion's, Marluxia's, and even the trust of Larxene in only a short amount of time. He also seems to be very committed to the Organization, shown in a cutscene where he battles Marluxia. He seems quite distant at times during his time in Castle Oblivion, ignoring Vexen's insults and almost completely unfazed by Larxene's flirtatious behavior towards him. While he is seen as collected, intelligent, and even somewhat overconfident, cutscenes from ''[[Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories]]'' make him sound as if he is acting at times, possibly hinting at his dislike for the other members.
-===''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate''===
+In ''Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories'', Axel is shown to hold Larxene and Zexion in good company to an extent. Cutscenes show Axel making friendly conversation with Larxene while Marluxia is not around, and making friendly bets with Zexion as to which member will be defeated next. But eventually Axel betrays Larxene by letting Naminé escape and seemed disappointed yet satisfied upon her elimination. Axel also has Riku Replica annihilate Zexion to ensure that his actions in Castle Oblivion go unnoticed by the rest of the Organization, and to help Saïx keep his rank in the Organization.
-In ''{{ssb|Super Smash Bros. Ultimate}}'', Axel appears in the 4 o'clock and 5 o'clock Stations in the [[Dive to the Heart]] sections of the {{ssb|Hollow Bastion}} stage, as an obtainable {{ssb|spirit}} in Sora's {{ssb|DLC Spirits (mode)|Spirit Board}}, and is represented by {{ssb|Roy (SSBU)|Roy}} in {{ssb|Spirit#Spirit Battles|Spirit Battle}}.
-==Design==
+Axel's personality changes drastically in between the two games, possibly due to his friendship with Roxas. In ''[[Kingdom Hearts II]]'', he has a very laid-back, "go with the flow" outlook on many things, including missions and battles. But he also is shown to have a very kind, heartful side, ironic because he is a Nobody and has no heart. His friendship with Roxas and Xion and his moving final words to Sora are examples of this.
-Axel is tall and slender in appearance. Like other Organization members, he wears basic black gloves and boots. His black coat, however, is one of the more distinctive ones in the group, as its sleeves close up tightly around his arms. Axel himself is also easily distinguishable from other characters in terms of facial features, made easier by the fact that he rarely wears the hood of his coat up. Axel has a widow's peak, rather small eyebrows, and thick, shoulder-length, bright red hair styled into slicked-back spikes. Xigbar teases him about it, calling him "Flamesilocks". His eyes are a bright emerald color and he has a purple reverse-teardrop-shaped marking under each eye, which is similar to {{ff|Reno}}'s facial markings. According to Saïx, the marking was to prevent Axel from crying, which Lea claims he does not need anymore.<ref>'''''Kingdom Hearts III'', Saïx''': "Always told you they'd stop you from crying. The upside-down tears." / '''Lea''': "Yeah. Don't need 'em."''</ref>
-==Personality==
+He also stated that Roxas made him feel "like he had a heart". Axel was very close with Roxas and Xion. He acted like an older brother towards them, being their main source of advice and wisdom. In some cases he got them out of trouble, including helping out Xion and Roxas when Xion could not summon her Keyblade and preventing them from destroying one another when they were tricked by the Organization into fighting each other.
-At the beginning of ''Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories'', Axel has a mysterious, stoic, and calm, as well as cold, unforgiving, and merciless demeanor on par with that of Marluxia. In ''Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories'', he interrupts Vexen's cries for mercy with a cocky "goodbye" before incinerating him without any hesitation and seems to be amused by the deaths of his comrades as shown in the scene where he is making bets with Zexion. When Marluxia uses Naminé as a human shield against him, Axel confidently implies that he doesn't care if Naminé is in his way to get to Marluxia.
-He seems quite distant at times during his time in Castle Oblivion, ignoring Vexen's insults and almost completely unfazed by Larxene's behavior towards him. Although Axel seems to hold Larxene and Zexion in good company to an extent by making friendly conversation with Larxene while Marluxia is not around and making bets with Zexion as to which member will be defeated next, this was shown to be nothing more than an act to earn their trust. Eventually, Axel betrays Larxene by letting Naminé escape, although he seems disappointed yet satisfied with her elimination. Later on, he encourages Riku Replica to annihilate Zexion to ensure that his actions in Castle Oblivion go unnoticed by the rest of the Organization and to help Saïx keep his rank in the Organization. In ''[[Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix]]'', he appears indifferent to angering Xaldin, showing his disdain for the other Nobody.
+An important thing to note is that in ''Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix'', when Axel bids his final farewell to Roxas, it can be seen upon closer inspection that the teardrop at the end of the scene belongs to Axel, which displays his emotional capacities.
-Axel's cold personality changes drastically, due to his friendship with [[Roxas]], stating that the latter made him feel "like he had a heart". In ''[[Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days]]'', he has a very laidback, "go with the flow" outlook on many things, including missions and battles. He is also shown to be quite sarcastic. This is shown once he has returned from Castle Oblivion when Saïx asks him why he did not report, he simply responds with "Oh, good to see you, too. You're welcome, thanks for the kind words."
+In both games Axel has been shown to have a very typical "Nobody" side to his personality as well, being cold, unforgiving, and merciless. In ''Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories'', he interrupts Vexen's cries for mercy with a cocky "Goodbye" before incinerating him without any hesitation. He also seemed to be amused by the deaths of his comrades as shown in the scene where he is making bets with Zexion. This cruel attitude also occurs when Marluxia uses Naminé as a human shield against him—Axel confidently declared he would eliminate Naminé to get to Marluxia. Also in ''[[Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix]]'', he appeared indifferent to angering Xaldin.
-Axel revealed to have a very kind, heartful side, which he only displayed to his closest friends, Roxas and Xion, acting like an older brother towards them and being their main source of advice and wisdom. In some cases, he got them out of trouble, including helping out Xion and Roxas when Xion cannot summon her Keyblade and preventing them from destroying one another when they are tricked by the Organization into fighting each other. In ''Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix'', when Axel bids his final farewell to Roxas, it can be seen upon closer inspection that the teardrop at the end of the scene belongs to Axel, which displays his emotional capacities.
+In both ''Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories'' and ''Kingdom Hearts II'', Axel displays emotion, which is unusual given that Nobodies cannot feel anything. He himself notes this in ''Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories'' when he begins laughing, but catches himself and stops. He even mocks his ability to feel towards his death. Whether he, Roxas, Naminé, and Xion all seem have something unusual in common regarding the heart, is unknown. But it has been hinted by Xemnas, and Axel himself, that by being close in contact with Sora's heart, Axel began to feel emotions of his own.
-Originally, when Axel displays emotion, he finds it unusual given that Nobodies cannot feel anything, and often refuses to acknowledge them, even mocking his ability to feel towards his death. He notes this in ''Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories'' when he begins laughing, but catches himself and stops. However, it has been hinted by Xemnas, and Axel himself, that by being close in contact with Sora's heart, Axel began to feel emotions of his own.
+Out of the whole Organization, Axel is probably the most difficult to read. One never knows what he is thinking (as Lexaeus stated) or whose side he is really on. Most of the time he seems to be just messing around, but he may have done more thinking than everyone else combined, as stated in Jiminy's Journal. Similarly, in both ''Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories'' and ''Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days'', Axel tends to avoid eye contact when lying.
-Out of the whole Organization, Axel is probably the most difficult to read. According to Lexaeus, no one ever knows what he is thinking or whose side he is really on. While he seems to just be joking around, he may have done more thinking than everyone else combined, as stated in Jiminy's Journal. Similarly, in both ''Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories'' and ''Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days'', Axel tends to avoid eye contact when lying.
+It is shown in ''Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days'', that Axel does not like to talk about his past. Whenever Roxas or Xion asked him about his past, he would give a brief or vague answer and then tries to change the subject. He is also shown to be quite sarcastic. This is shown once he has returned from Castle Oblivion, when Saïx asks him why he did not report. He simply responds with "Oh, good to see you, too. You're welcome, thanks for the kind words."
-In ''Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days'', it is shown that Axel does not like to talk about his past. Whenever Roxas or Xion asks him about it, he gives a brief or vague answer and then tries to change the subject. It is implied that he had some sort of experience with women in his earlier life, as seen when he gives Roxas a piece of friendly advice to "not push the wrong buttons" with women. He also believes that women are complicated, claiming that real women are a "double dose of complex" (since he thinks that real people are more complex compared to Nobodies), and Nobody women are a "single dose".
+In ''Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days'' it is shown that he thinks that women are complicated, claiming that real women are "double dose of complex" (since he thinks that Somebodies are more complex compared to Nobodies), and Nobody women are "single dose." He is also shown somewhat has experiences with women in his earlier life, seen when he gives Roxas a friendly advice to "not push the wrong buttons" with women.
-Axel's catchphrase is "Got it memorized?" (originally localized as "Commit it to memory" in ''Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories'') whenever he refers to an important name, but mostly when he is introducing himself, even when he is Lea. On a side note, Axel is the first character in the series to curse, since he uses the word "hell" after letting Naminé go, asking Sora to "give [him] one hell of a show", but in the remake, it is changed to "Try and make it enjoyable".
+Axel's trademark quote is "Got it memorised?" whenever he refers to an important name, but mostly when he is introducing himself, even when he was Lea. The quote was originally "Commit it to memory" in ''Chain of Memories'', but since ''Kingdom Hearts II'', it was retconned to "Got it memorised?", and used in ''Re:Chain of Memories''. On a side note, Axel is the only character in the series to curse, since he uses the word "hell" before his first fight with Sora (asking him to "give [him] one hell of a show"), but in the remake, it is changed to "Try and make it enjoyable".
 ==Abilities==
+{{Main|Axel (Boss)}}
 As the Flurry of Dancing Flames, Axel uses two uniquely shaped weapons called chakrams, and specializes in Fire manipulation. He can summon pillars of flame at will and strike with rapid combos using his chakrams. He can also surround his chakrams in flame and throw them like boomerangs, spinning and looping them to hit opponents multiple times. In his one on one battle with Roxas in ''Kingdom Hearts II'', Axel also summons a circle of fire to surround them and leaps into the flames to hide, emerging to strike with rapid attacks, and then leaping back to keep his opponents off their guard. Axel is a powerful member of the Organization, arguably even stronger, or at least a better fighter, than Saïx. This is seen when Saïx is defeated by Roxas, but Axel was able to defeat Xion at the Old Mansion, who at the time absorbed much of Roxas's power. However, Axel clearly put more effort into his battle, as he passed out after the fight, while Saïx remained conscious, though exhausted.
-In ''Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days'', Axel has a Limit Break called [[Explosion (Limit Break)|Explosion]], which causes Axel to throw his fire-engulfed chakrams at enemies. During the Final Limit, his two chakrams are combined into one enormous chakram.
+In ''Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days'', Axel has a Limit Break called Explosion. During Explosion, Axel throws his chakrams at enemies while they're engulfed in fire, creating a small explosion of fire afterwards. While not being thrown, Axel's chakrams spin rapidly, gathering fire. However, they can be thrown at any time, and do not need to charge.
-===''Kingdom Hearts II''===
-Axel assists Sora when fighting the Nobodies at [[Betwixt and Between]]. He fights with attacks that are also used in the battles against him.
+During Axel's Final Limit, Axel combines his two flaming chakrams into one enormous flaming chakram, easily many times larger than the two chakrams. The explosion after the attack is also much larger.
-{{frm-abi-o|kh2|o=*}}
-{{frm-abi|n=*|{{nihongo|'''Continuous Attack'''|連続攻撃|<br>Renzoku Kōgeki}}|Axel twists his body while swinging his weapon many times.}}
-{{frm-abi|n=*|{{nihongo|'''Firetooth'''|ファイアカッター|<br>Faia Kattā|lit. "Fire Cutter"}}|Axel moves behind the enemy and throws a flaming weapon.}}
-{{frm-abi|n=*|{{nihongo|'''Assault'''|突撃|<br>Totsugeki}}|After disappearing, Axel charges forward while covered in flames.}}
-{{frm-abi|n=*|{{nihongo|'''Wild Dance'''|乱舞|<br>Ranbu}}|Axel swings his weapon covered in flames, and repeatedly attacks with flaming pillars.}}
-{{frm-abi|n=*|{{nihongo|'''Fall Attack'''|落下攻撃|<br>Rakka Kōgeki}}|Axel warps into the air above, and spreads a blaze upon landing.}}
-{{frm-c}}
 ===Weapon===
-Axel utilizes two {{w|Chakram}}s, named "[[Eternal Flames]]". Each Chakram is circular and red, with silver spikes and circles around the edges, and two black handles shaped like crosses in the middle. Each chakram has eight spikes, possibly referencing Axel's rank in the Organization. Axel is very adept in the use of his weapon; he can throw them, use them as shields, or use them as melee weapons. He performs some unique attacks, including juggling them against an opponent or throwing one across the entire battlefield continuously.
+Axel utilizes two [[wikipedia:chakram|Chakrams]], named "[[Eternal Flames]]". Each Chakram is circular and red, with silver spikes and circles around the edges, and two black handles shaped like crosses in the middle. Each chakram has eight spikes, possibly referencing Axel's rank in the Organization. Axel is very adept in the use of his weapon; he can throw them, use them as shields, or use them as melee weapons. He performs some unique attacks, including juggling them against an opponent, or throwing one across the entire battlefield continuously.
 He also uses them in conjunction with his fire abilities, setting the tips, or even the whole thing, on fire before throwing them. From a scene in ''Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories'', it is shown that he can set his Chakrams on fire from afar, acting as a remote detonator.
@@ Line 174: / Line 155: @@
 <center><gallery>
-File:Eternal Flames KHII.png|Axel's signature Chakrams, the Eternal Flames.
+File:Eternal Flames KHII.png|One of the Eternal Flames
 </gallery></center>
-==Notes and references==
+==Quotes==
-{{reflist}}
+*"''Now that we're getting to know each other better... don't you go off and die on me now!''"
+*"''But don't waste your time. We Nobodies can never hope to be somebodies.''"
+*"''Best friends can be inseparable even when they're apart.''"
+*"''Hey, wait... I'm enjoying this. You guys are something else!''"
+*"''What's your problem!? You both... think you can do whatever you want. Well, I'm sick of it. Go on, you just keep running! But I'll always be there to bring you back!''"
+*"''This town is his creation, right? Which means we don't have time for a Q and A. You're coming with me conscious or not. Then you'll hear the story.''"
+*"''You really do remember me this time? I'm SO FLATTERED. But you're too late!!''"
+*"''We've got something in common, Kairi. You and I both miss someone we care about.''"
+*"''Think I'll pass. My heart just wouldn't be in it, you know? Haven't got one.''"
+*"''You can't turn on the Organization! You get on their bad side and they'll destroy you!''"
+==See also==
+*[[Lea]]
 {{Chakram}}
 {{NobodyDirectory}}
@@ Line 187: / Line 179: @@
 {{KH2}}
 {{Coded}}
-{{DDD}}
+[[fr:Axel]]
-{{MOM}}
+[[es:Axel]]
+[[Category:Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories characters]]
+[[Category:Kingdom Hearts II characters]]
+[[Category:Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days characters]]
+[[Category:Organization XIII]]
 [[Category:Allies]]
-[[Category:Antagonists]]