Editing Birth by Sleep (video)

{{Youmay|the video entitled Birth by Sleep|[[Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep|the upcoming PSP game]]}}
[[Image:Keyblade Knights.png|200px|thumb|[[Terra]], [[Aqua]] and [[Ven]]]]
"'''Birth By Sleep'''" is the secret ending video to ''[[Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix+]]'' and a follow up to [[The Gathering]], the secret ending video to the original ''[[Kingdom Hearts II]]''.  The video, centers around three armored warriors wielding [[keyblade]]s and an unnamed foe, and is meant to introduce [[wikipedia:Tetsuya Nomura|Tetsuya Nomura]]'s newest Kingdom Hearts project, the details of which are still scarce. However, it is a trailer for one of the newly confirmed games ''[[Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep]]'' (for the Play Station Portable), will obviously deal with the characters mentioned here. Birth by Sleep will take place ten years before the original ''Kingdom Hearts''. 

==Synopsis==
The video begins with an old man approaching three armored individuals who are seen in [[Sunset Horizons]] picking up [[keyblade]]s stuck in the ground which resemble Sora's Kingdom Key, Riku's Way to dawn and Mickey's keyblade from the realm of darkness.  It is set in a desert area as the sun is setting, and the characters are surrounded by countless keyblades stuck into the ground that form a four-way crossroads. The actual reason why these Keyblades are there has been specualted as being a graveyard for Keyblades after their respective wielders died.  The old man is named Master Xehanort, and he wears clothes like those worn by [[Xehanort's Heartless]], has slighlty pointed ears, and bears a malevolent expression.  He is joined by another entity wearing a muscular suit of red-and-black who appears to spawn from the essence of the old man. He is commonly reffered to as the Darkness Soldier.

The two are charged by Terra, and Master Xehanort responds by shifting the earth beneath them to create a rising plateau that carries Terra above the rest.  Master Xehanort then lifts the ground beneath himself as well, creating a cliff much higher than the surrounding terrain.  It becomes apparent that Master Xehanort and his companion have great power; while his guardian engages the three knights directly using [[magic]] and his own Keyblade, Master Xehanort is able to manipulate the keyblades on the ground into a winding cyclone, which he uses to aid his guardian and attack his three adversaries.
The video ends with King Mickey looking at the supposed [[Kingdom Hearts (combined heart)|Kingdom Hearts]] in the same area but from a distance, holding the Star Seeker Keyblade, which appears to be a gift most students of Yen Sid recieve after some form of training.

==Characters==
''Birth By Sleep'' features five main characters, none of whom appear in any earlier [[Kingdom Hearts (series)|Kingdom Hearts]] scenes of videos.  It also contains a shot of [[King Mickey]].

The characters are not named in the video, but the three armored keyblade warriors were given names confirmed by Tetsuya Nomura in a May 2007 interview.  The main characters demonstrate no concrete connection to other characters in the series, but much speculation has arised regarding various attributes they have, including the implications of the keyblades they wield and their physical resemblance to other characters.


===Terra===
See: [[Terra|Main Article]]

Persumably the oldest of the three keyblade knights, it is revealed that he has some connection with Master Xehanort, which will play an important role in the game. Fans have made guessed that he is a copy of Zack from Final Fantasy VII, based on the similarity of their appearances. In screenshots of Birth By Sleep, Terra is seen with his entire left arm and shoulder covered in a red and gold armour, and wielding his Keyblade in his right hand.{{-}}

===Ven===
[[Image: Ven-artwork.jpg|90px|right]]
'''Ven''' is the alias of one of two younger knights; and the male of the pair.  He fought against Master Xehanort's guardian with [[#Aqua|Aqua]], but the two were unable to defeat it, although Aqua did momentarily force it to flee by using a lightning spell.  His most memorable role in the video is his capture by Master Xehanort, who teleports behind him when Ven attempts to attack him from behind.  Ven struggles against Master Xehanort's grip, but to no avail; Master Xehanort squeezes his head hard enough to crack his helmet and freezes his entire body before letting him drop from the cliff.  Ven's body is caught by Aqua after hitting the cliff wall, shattering his keyblade and most of what remains of his helmet.  When his face is fully revealed, apparently still alive (as his eyes are trying to focus on Aqua), it is shown that he is nearly identical to [[Roxas]].  The connection between the two is not explained or even confirmed as an existent connection, leading to scattered theories among fans. One rumor said that the reason that Ven looks like Roxas, is that Terra was told to take care of Sora, but couldn't for some strange reason. They say that Ven decided to take care of Sora and ended up as his nobody.

Ven's full name is speculated by many fans to be Ventus, since the three knights are meant to represent water (Aqua), earth (Terra) and wind, both Latin translations. Ventus is Latin for wind, and the knight's name, which is shortened, is "Ven". His resemblance to Roxas is even more uncanny in his unarmored attire.

The latest magazine indicates that Ven will be a playable character, and is revealed of capable in conjuring Thunder-like magics.

According to an interview with Nomura, Ven is expected to play a huge role in the upcoming PSP game named after the video, perhaps even bigger than just being a male protagonist.<ref name="smi">[http://www.kingdomhearts3.net/scenario-mysteries-interview/ Scenario Mysteries Interview From Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix+ Ultimania]</ref>
{{-}}

===Aqua===
[[Image: Aqua-artwork.jpg|90px|right]]
'''Aqua''' is a young, blue-haired female warrior who fights alongside [[#Ven|Ven]] and [[Terra|Terra]]. She is the first to be unmasked when her helmet gets smashed after being thrown to the ground in battle.

She and Ven briefly take on Master Xehanort's guardian together, but make no progress in defeating him.  She uses a spell reminiscent of [[Reflect]] to shield Terra from the keyblade cyclone generated by Master Xehanort.  She is a spectator for the rest of the battle, being too far away to reach their enemies before Ven becomes trapped by the old man's grip.  She is seen looking on in horror as Ven struggles fruitlessly, and catches his frozen body after he is dropped off the cliff.  She was orginally seen in magazine scans as staring up at a glowing heart, and due to her hair color and style, was seen as connected to Kairi by some fans. The video ends with her holding a helpless but still living Ven, gazing up at the newly appeared Kingdom Hearts in the sky.

Aqua's armor and keyblade were briefly seen in Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix.  It resides in the [[Room of Sleep]], a room constructed by the Organization under Radiant Garden for an unknown purpose.  [[Xemnas]] apparently visits the armor often, calling it "old friend" and talking to it for long periods of time. [[Xigbar]] tells [[Zexion]] that he once heard a voice talking back.

Aqua is currently the most mysterious Birth by Sleep character as no images of her have been released outside the video other than the promotional art depicting Birth by Sleep, coded and 358/2 Days. Furthermore, no information has been given concerning her role, and the mysterious scene with her armor in KHII Final Mix has only added to her mystery. She's even been called "Mystery Girl" in a scan once. 
{{-}}

===Master Xehanort===
[[Image: MasterXehanort-artwork.jpg|90px|right]]
The once unnamed "Old Man", now revealed to be called "Master Xehanort", but also also known by fans as the "Bald Man", "Old Bald Man" and formerly the "Unknown Elder Mage", is the most mysterious of the new characters. He wears almost the exact same clothes worn by [[Xehanort's Heartless]] (He also has the same skin tone), has yellow eyes, and has pointed ears. Master Xehanort is portrayed as the antagonist in the video, and fights against the three keyblade warriors with a [[#Guardian|Guardian]] of unexplained origin that is shaped similarly to a one-sided axe and bears a bull's head and horns on the hilt.

The man shows himself to be immensely powerful during the struggle, capable of dramatically altering the terrain and creating a tornado out of the keyblades that are abundant in the area.  He also can fight using a dark blue and black keyblade, which is notably the only keyblade in the Birth By Sleep that has a chain dangling from the end of it. He also exhibits proficiency in the use of magic; he freezes the arm of [[Terra|Terra]] after fending off his keyblade attacks, and freezes [[#Ven|Ven]]'s entire body solid.

In addition to being a powerful figure, Master Xehanort also exhibits much brutality during the battle.  After vanishing from thin air to avoid being struck from behind by Ven, he grabs onto his helmet and shatters it in his hand while Ven kicks and struggles weakly in an attemprt to free himself.  His freezing of Ven's body and dropping him off the high cliff have become somewhat iconic of the video.

After defeating the three keyblade knights, Master Xehanort's Keyblade reverts into a blue and purple sphere of flame-like energy. He then raises his hand to the sky, at which point the sphere promptly shoots upwards and parts the gathering dark clouds to reveal and enormous glowing blue heart, which is assumed to be some form of [[Kingdom Hearts (combined heart)|Kingdom Hearts]].  Both the full process by which he causes it to appear and his involvement in its origin remain thus far unexplained.

The name "Master Xehanort" was revealed in the announcement for the three new games. It was stated in the announcement that currently he and an apprentice of his disappeared, which is an omen of a great disaster, and that Terra and the others were sent to find him.

{{-}}

===Master Xehanort's Apprentice / The Dark Soldier===
[[Image:Old Man Guardian - Birth By Sleep.png|thumb|100px|Master Xehanort's Apprentice.]]
The exact nature of Master Xehanort's Apprentice is also a mystery, but it appears to originate from a part of the old man himself. It could actually be Xehanort but being taken over by Master Xehanort like what happened to Riku in the first game which also explains the similarities in the Riku's heartless suit and the Guardian's armor. The guardian wears a mask over his face, wears a black and red muscle suit (very similar to [[Riku]]'s in the first Kingdom Hearts game), and wields a darkly-colored keyblade which bears a few similarities to Soul Eater.

After the old man creates the cliffs to avoid [[Terra|Terra]]'s charge, the Guardian leaps down to engage the warriors directly, blasting them with [[lightning]] and [[ice]] [[magic]].  After the old man creates the keyblade cyclone, the Guardian leaps onto it, allowing it to carry him at great speed around the area.  After [[#Aqua|Aqua]] is thrown aside by the keyblade cyclone and [[Terra|Terra]] and [[#Ven|Ven]] attack the old man, the Guardian is not seen again until after Ven is caught by the old man.  When Terra makes to run at the old man, the Guardian arrives on the heels of the keyblade cyclone, which throws Terra off the cliff.  The Guardian remains by the old man's side until the end of the video.
Fans also refers Master Xehanorts as "guardian" Demon of Dark (Japan) or The Dark Soldier.

It was announced that Master Xehanort has an apprentice. The Guardian could in fact be Master Xehanort's apprentice. In a recent trailer Terra knocked his helmet off but the trailer ends before his face can be seen.
{{-}}

===King Mickey===
[[Image:King Mickey.png|left|thumb|170px|King Mickey viewing the blue heart-shaped moon that is speculated to be Kingdom Hearts.]]
[[King Mickey]] makes a brief appearance at the end of the video, looking with a grim expression at the area where the battle occurred.  He is seen wearing different clothes than usual and wielding the [[Star Seeker]] keyblade, apparently ready to fight Master Xehanort and his Guardian.  The appearance of this keyblade, which is associated with [[Yen Sid]], has led some fans to believe the shot shows Mickey in his apprenticeship under the great sorcerer.
{{-}}

==Commentary by Nomura==
Tetsuya Nomura, the head storyline designer for the [[Kingdom Hearts series]], originally gave very few details about the secret ending.  Originally, the only information he disclosed was that all the characters in the video were new to the series, despite any physical resemblances.  The time and place of the video were all left ambiguous as well. However, Nomura stated in a recent Famitsu interview that this video is the non-playable ending of the PSP game, and that the game might take place 10 years before the first Kingdom Hearts game.

In a May 2007 interview dubbed the "Scenario Mysteries Interview",<ref name="smi" /> Nomura revealed more insights into the video and its implications for the series.  He confirmed the names of [[#Aqua|Aqua]] and [[#Ven|Ven]] and introduced the name of the third keyblade knight, [[#Terra|Terra]]; however, he also stated that "Ven" was only a nickname for the young male knight, and that the full name is "a little bit longer".

Nomura had this to say of Ven's resemblance to [[Roxas]]:

{{Q|I can't give any specifics about that. He may just resemble him, and if there is a connection, Sora may be related too. What I can say right now is that these mysteries are all connected to the story.|Tetsuya Nomura}}

He also gave no details regarding the change in color of Terra's eyes from blue to gold, saying ''"I think everyone's imaginations are pretty capable so please try and anticipate a lot of things"''.  His final comments regarding the three warriors' names were that the names of Sora, Riku and Kairi are meant to signify Sky, Land and Sea, while the names of Ven, Terra and Aqua represent three different properties of the world: Wind, Earth and Water.<ref name="smi" />

==References==

<references />

==Video==
<center><youtube>YIsbRLGqMGo</youtube>
<br />
<big>'''{{{2|{{PAGENAME}}}}}'''</big></center>

[[Category: Kingdom Hearts II]]
@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{Game|FM2|BBS|FMB|FA}}
+{{Youmay|the video entitled Birth by Sleep|[[Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep|the upcoming PSP game]]}}
-{{Youmay|the ending video entitled "Birth by Sleep"|[[Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep|the PSP game]]}}
+[[Image:Keyblade Knights.png|200px|thumb|[[Terra]], [[Aqua]] and [[Ven]]]]
-[[File:Birth by Sleep 09 KHIIFM.png||thumb|300px|The mysterious warriors Terra, Aqua, and Ventus face an unknown threat.]]
+"'''Birth By Sleep'''" is the secret ending video to ''[[Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix+]]'' and a follow up to [[The Gathering]], the secret ending video to the original ''[[Kingdom Hearts II]]''.  The video, centers around three armored warriors wielding [[keyblade]]s and an unnamed foe, and is meant to introduce [[wikipedia:Tetsuya Nomura|Tetsuya Nomura]]'s newest Kingdom Hearts project, the details of which are still scarce. However, it is a trailer for one of the newly confirmed games ''[[Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep]]'' (for the Play Station Portable), will obviously deal with the characters mentioned here. Birth by Sleep will take place ten years before the original ''Kingdom Hearts''.
-"'''Birth by Sleep'''" is the secret ending video to ''[[Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix]]'' and a follow-up to "[[The Gathering]]", the secret ending video to the original ''[[Kingdom Hearts II]]''. The video centers around three [[Keyblade Armor|armored]] warriors wielding [[Keyblade]]s and [[Xehanort|an unnamed foe]]. It is a teaser for ''[[Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep]]''.
 ==Synopsis==
-Picking up where "The Gathering" left off, the three Keyblade knights, [[Terra]], [[Aqua]] and [[Ventus]] are approached by an old man, [[Master Xehanort]], and his apprentice, [[Vanitas]].
+The video begins with an old man approaching three armored individuals who are seen in [[Sunset Horizons]] picking up [[keyblade]]s stuck in the ground which resemble Sora's Kingdom Key, Riku's Way to dawn and Mickey's keyblade from the realm of darkness.  It is set in a desert area as the sun is setting, and the characters are surrounded by countless keyblades stuck into the ground that form a four-way crossroads. The actual reason why these Keyblades are there has been specualted as being a graveyard for Keyblades after their respective wielders died.  The old man is named Master Xehanort, and he wears clothes like those worn by [[Xehanort's Heartless]], has slighlty pointed ears, and bears a malevolent expression.  He is joined by another entity wearing a muscular suit of red-and-black who appears to spawn from the essence of the old man. He is commonly reffered to as the Darkness Soldier.
-The two are charged by Terra, and Xehanort responds by shifting the earth beneath them to create a rising plateau that carries Terra above the rest. Xehanort then lifts the ground beneath himself as well, creating a cliff much higher than the surrounding terrain. While Vanitas strikes Terra with [[Thunder]], and is immediately pursued by Aqua and Ventus, Terra chases after Xehanort, who creates a Keyblade infused cyclone to aid Vanitas against Aqua and Ventus.
+The two are charged by Terra, and Master Xehanort responds by shifting the earth beneath them to create a rising plateau that carries Terra above the rest.  Master Xehanort then lifts the ground beneath himself as well, creating a cliff much higher than the surrounding terrain.  It becomes apparent that Master Xehanort and his companion have great power; while his guardian engages the three knights directly using [[magic]] and his own Keyblade, Master Xehanort is able to manipulate the keyblades on the ground into a winding cyclone, which he uses to aid his guardian and attack his three adversaries.
+The video ends with King Mickey looking at the supposed [[Kingdom Hearts (combined heart)|Kingdom Hearts]] in the same area but from a distance, holding the Star Seeker Keyblade, which appears to be a gift most students of Yen Sid recieve after some form of training.
-Vanitas chases and battles Aqua and Ventus on the cyclone, and neither are able to overcome him. Noticing that Terra is getting closer to Xehanort, Vanitas directs the cyclone towards Terra, knocking him off the cliff. Aqua and Ventus watch in horror, and Aqua gets hit by the cyclone, crashing to the ground, obliterating her helmet completely. Ventus comes to her aid as she casts [[Reflect]] magic on Terra to protect him from the cyclone. The spell protects him from the cyclone until the he is pushed up to where Xehanort is, at which point it explodes, blasting the cyclone to pieces. Terra is dropped to where Xehanort is. Terra briefly duels Xehanort until the old man freezes his left arm. Ventus attempts to attack Xehanort from behind, but Xehanort teleports himself behind Ventus and grabs him by the helmet, beginning to crush it. Terra stumbles forward, probably in an attempt to help Ven, until Vanitas and the Keyblade infused cyclone inexplicably reappear below Terra's feet, hurling him off the cliff as countless keyblades batter his body. Xehanort and Vanitas stand at the top of the cliff, still holding Ventus, presumably so Aqua could see him. When she does, Xehanort first burns and then freezes Ventus. As Aqua looks on in horror, Xehanort throws him off the cliff, and his Keyblade shatters on a rock. Aqua catches his body and he is revealed to have a striking resemblance to [[Roxas]]. Though frozen, he moves his eyes to indicate that he is still alive.
+==Characters==
+''Birth By Sleep'' features five main characters, none of whom appear in any earlier [[Kingdom Hearts (series)|Kingdom Hearts]] scenes of videos.  It also contains a shot of [[King Mickey]].
-Xehanort's Keyblade is changed into a purple and blue ball of flame-like energy, which he shoots upwards to part the gathering dark clouds, revealing [[Kingdom Hearts]]. Terra, barely able to stand, tears off what remains of his helmet to look up at Kingdom Hearts and begins to succumb to the darkness, shown by his eyes turning yellow.
+The characters are not named in the video, but the three armored keyblade warriors were given names confirmed by Tetsuya Nomura in a May 2007 interview.  The main characters demonstrate no concrete connection to other characters in the series, but much speculation has arised regarding various attributes they have, including the implications of the keyblades they wield and their physical resemblance to other characters.
-The video ends with [[Mickey Mouse]] looking at the battlefield from a distance, holding the [[Star Seeker]] Keyblade and on the verge of stepping in to fight Xehanort and Vanitas.
-==Characters in order of appearance==
+===Terra===
-<gallery>
+See: [[Terra|Main Article]]
-File:Keyblade Armor (Terra) KHBBS.png|[[Terra]]
-File:Keyblade Armor (Aqua) KHBBS.png|[[Aqua]]
-File:Keyblade Armor (Ventus) KHBBS.png|[[Ventus]]
-File:Master Xehanort KHBBS.png|[[Master Xehanort]]
-File:Vanitas KHBBS.png|[[Vanitas]]
-File:Mickey Mouse KHBBS.png|[[Mickey Mouse]]
-</gallery>
-==Unlock criteria==
+Persumably the oldest of the three keyblade knights, it is revealed that he has some connection with Master Xehanort, which will play an important role in the game. Fans have made guessed that he is a copy of Zack from Final Fantasy VII, based on the similarity of their appearances. In screenshots of Birth By Sleep, Terra is seen with his entire left arm and shoulder covered in a red and gold armour, and wielding his Keyblade in his right hand.{{-}}
-The conditions to unlock the video "Birth by Sleep" vary according with the difficulty level chosen:
-*'''Beginner Mode''' - Not accessible.
+===Ven===
-*'''Standard Mode''' - Beat the game, complete [[Jiminy's Journal]], all [[Gummi Missions]], and get the [[Gold Crown]].
+[[Image: Ven-artwork.jpg|90px|right]]
-*'''Proud Mode''' - Beat the game, complete Jiminy's Journal, and get the Gold Crown.
+'''Ven''' is the alias of one of two younger knights; and the male of the pair.  He fought against Master Xehanort's guardian with [[#Aqua|Aqua]], but the two were unable to defeat it, although Aqua did momentarily force it to flee by using a lightning spell.  His most memorable role in the video is his capture by Master Xehanort, who teleports behind him when Ven attempts to attack him from behind.  Ven struggles against Master Xehanort's grip, but to no avail; Master Xehanort squeezes his head hard enough to crack his helmet and freezes his entire body before letting him drop from the cliff.  Ven's body is caught by Aqua after hitting the cliff wall, shattering his keyblade and most of what remains of his helmet.  When his face is fully revealed, apparently still alive (as his eyes are trying to focus on Aqua), it is shown that he is nearly identical to [[Roxas]].  The connection between the two is not explained or even confirmed as an existent connection, leading to scattered theories among fans. One rumor said that the reason that Ven looks like Roxas, is that Terra was told to take care of Sora, but couldn't for some strange reason. They say that Ven decided to take care of Sora and ended up as his nobody.
-*'''Critical Mode''' - Beat the game and get the Gold Crown.
-==Differences between the video and the game==
+Ven's full name is speculated by many fans to be Ventus, since the three knights are meant to represent water (Aqua), earth (Terra) and wind, both Latin translations. Ventus is Latin for wind, and the knight's name, which is shortened, is "Ven". His resemblance to Roxas is even more uncanny in his unarmored attire.
-Although the climactic scene of ''Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep'' was designed after this video, there are several changes and omissions in the final version.
-*The omitted scenes include:
+The latest magazine indicates that Ven will be a playable character, and is revealed of capable in conjuring Thunder-like magics.
-**Vanitas jumping off the cliff and using Thunder on Terra.
-**Vanitas using Blizzard on Aqua, and Ventus attacking Vanitas from above.
-**Terra attacking Master Xehanort when he falls from the explosion, followed by Master Xehanort using Blizzard on Terra's left arm.
-**Master Xehanort cracking Ventus's helmet after he picks him up, and pieces breaking off.
-**Ventus's Keyblade shattering against the rocks.
-**Terra's eyes turning yellow after he removes his helmet.
-*The changes include:
+According to an interview with Nomura, Ven is expected to play a huge role in the upcoming PSP game named after the video, perhaps even bigger than just being a male protagonist.<ref name="smi">[http://www.kingdomhearts3.net/scenario-mysteries-interview/ Scenario Mysteries Interview From Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix+ Ultimania]</ref>
-**Terra, Ventus, and Aqua no longer wear capes, due to frame rate issues in the final game.<ref>'''''{{w|Famitsu}} PSP+PS3''''', '''Interviewer''': "I was very surprised to hear that in VS Arena Mode you could play with six other people." / '''Tetsuya Nomura''': "We wanted to make it so that as many people could play together as possible, but in the end we could only do six. By the way, in the ''Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix'' secret movie you can see Terra in his armor with a cape, but we took off the cape in this game. It was to make processing easier when you're playing with six people. Processing of moving fabric can be slow, so the speed it runs at is completely different if he has a cape or not." [https://www.khinsider.com/news/Famitsu-Interview-Nomura-New-1269 Translation via Lissar].</ref>
+{{-}}
-**Ventus holds the [[Wayward Wind]] with his right hand, and the guard and teeth of the Keyblade are now on the same side.
+===Aqua===
+[[Image: Aqua-artwork.jpg|90px|right]]
+'''Aqua''' is a young, blue-haired female warrior who fights alongside [[#Ven|Ven]] and [[Terra|Terra]]. She is the first to be unmasked when her helmet gets smashed after being thrown to the ground in battle.
+She and Ven briefly take on Master Xehanort's guardian together, but make no progress in defeating him.  She uses a spell reminiscent of [[Reflect]] to shield Terra from the keyblade cyclone generated by Master Xehanort.  She is a spectator for the rest of the battle, being too far away to reach their enemies before Ven becomes trapped by the old man's grip.  She is seen looking on in horror as Ven struggles fruitlessly, and catches his frozen body after he is dropped off the cliff.  She was orginally seen in magazine scans as staring up at a glowing heart, and due to her hair color and style, was seen as connected to Kairi by some fans. The video ends with her holding a helpless but still living Ven, gazing up at the newly appeared Kingdom Hearts in the sky.
+Aqua's armor and keyblade were briefly seen in Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix.  It resides in the [[Room of Sleep]], a room constructed by the Organization under Radiant Garden for an unknown purpose.  [[Xemnas]] apparently visits the armor often, calling it "old friend" and talking to it for long periods of time. [[Xigbar]] tells [[Zexion]] that he once heard a voice talking back.
+Aqua is currently the most mysterious Birth by Sleep character as no images of her have been released outside the video other than the promotional art depicting Birth by Sleep, coded and 358/2 Days. Furthermore, no information has been given concerning her role, and the mysterious scene with her armor in KHII Final Mix has only added to her mystery. She's even been called "Mystery Girl" in a scan once.
+{{-}}
+===Master Xehanort===
+[[Image: MasterXehanort-artwork.jpg|90px|right]]
+The once unnamed "Old Man", now revealed to be called "Master Xehanort", but also also known by fans as the "Bald Man", "Old Bald Man" and formerly the "Unknown Elder Mage", is the most mysterious of the new characters. He wears almost the exact same clothes worn by [[Xehanort's Heartless]] (He also has the same skin tone), has yellow eyes, and has pointed ears. Master Xehanort is portrayed as the antagonist in the video, and fights against the three keyblade warriors with a [[#Guardian|Guardian]] of unexplained origin that is shaped similarly to a one-sided axe and bears a bull's head and horns on the hilt.
+The man shows himself to be immensely powerful during the struggle, capable of dramatically altering the terrain and creating a tornado out of the keyblades that are abundant in the area.  He also can fight using a dark blue and black keyblade, which is notably the only keyblade in the Birth By Sleep that has a chain dangling from the end of it. He also exhibits proficiency in the use of magic; he freezes the arm of [[Terra|Terra]] after fending off his keyblade attacks, and freezes [[#Ven|Ven]]'s entire body solid.
+In addition to being a powerful figure, Master Xehanort also exhibits much brutality during the battle.  After vanishing from thin air to avoid being struck from behind by Ven, he grabs onto his helmet and shatters it in his hand while Ven kicks and struggles weakly in an attemprt to free himself.  His freezing of Ven's body and dropping him off the high cliff have become somewhat iconic of the video.
+After defeating the three keyblade knights, Master Xehanort's Keyblade reverts into a blue and purple sphere of flame-like energy. He then raises his hand to the sky, at which point the sphere promptly shoots upwards and parts the gathering dark clouds to reveal and enormous glowing blue heart, which is assumed to be some form of [[Kingdom Hearts (combined heart)|Kingdom Hearts]].  Both the full process by which he causes it to appear and his involvement in its origin remain thus far unexplained.
-==Commentary by Tetsuya Nomura==
+The name "Master Xehanort" was revealed in the announcement for the three new games. It was stated in the announcement that currently he and an apprentice of his disappeared, which is an omen of a great disaster, and that Terra and the others were sent to find him.
-[[Tetsuya Nomura]], the head storyline designer for the ''{{c|Kingdom Hearts|series}}'' series, originally gave very few details about the secret ending. Originally, the only information he disclosed was that all the characters in the video were new to the series, despite any physical resemblances. The time and place of the video were all left ambiguous as well. However, Nomura stated in a Famitsu interview that the video was the non-playable ending of ''Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep'', and took place ten years before ''{{c|Kingdom Hearts|game}}''.
-In a May 2007 interview dubbed the "Scenario Mysteries Interview", Nomura revealed more insights into the video and its implications for the series. He confirmed the names of Aqua and Ventus, and introduced the name of the third Keyblade knight, Terra. Having introduced Ventus by his nickname "Ven", he clarified that "Ven" was only a nickname for the young male knight, and that the full name was "a little bit longer" (Ventus). In regards to Ventus's resemblance to Roxas, Nomura hinted that was due to their connection to Sora.
+{{-}}
-He also gave no details regarding the change in color of Terra's eyes from blue to yellow, saying "I think everyone's imaginations are pretty capable so please try and anticipate a lot of things." His final comments regarding the three warriors' names were that the names of [[Sora]], [[Riku]], and [[Kairi]] are meant to signify "sky", "land", and "sea", while the names of Ventus, Terra, and Aqua represent three different properties of the world: "wind", "earth", and "water".{{fact}}<!--This interview was taken Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix+ Ultimania, originally translated here~ https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/935702-kingdom-hearts-ii-final-mix-/42359124-->
+===Master Xehanort's Apprentice / The Dark Soldier===
+[[Image:Old Man Guardian - Birth By Sleep.png|thumb|100px|Master Xehanort's Apprentice.]]
+The exact nature of Master Xehanort's Apprentice is also a mystery, but it appears to originate from a part of the old man himself. It could actually be Xehanort but being taken over by Master Xehanort like what happened to Riku in the first game which also explains the similarities in the Riku's heartless suit and the Guardian's armor. The guardian wears a mask over his face, wears a black and red muscle suit (very similar to [[Riku]]'s in the first Kingdom Hearts game), and wields a darkly-colored keyblade which bears a few similarities to Soul Eater.
-==Video==
+After the old man creates the cliffs to avoid [[Terra|Terra]]'s charge, the Guardian leaps down to engage the warriors directly, blasting them with [[lightning]] and [[ice]] [[magic]].  After the old man creates the keyblade cyclone, the Guardian leaps onto it, allowing it to carry him at great speed around the area.  After [[#Aqua|Aqua]] is thrown aside by the keyblade cyclone and [[Terra|Terra]] and [[#Ven|Ven]] attack the old man, the Guardian is not seen again until after Ven is caught by the old man.  When Terra makes to run at the old man, the Guardian arrives on the heels of the keyblade cyclone, which throws Terra off the cliff.  The Guardian remains by the old man's side until the end of the video.
-{| class="video"
+Fans also refers Master Xehanorts as "guardian" Demon of Dark (Japan) or The Dark Soldier.
-! "Birth by Sleep"
-|-
+It was announced that Master Xehanort has an apprentice. The Guardian could in fact be Master Xehanort's apprentice. In a recent trailer Terra knocked his helmet off but the trailer ends before his face can be seen.
-| {{#widget:YouTube|id=ejYttnAXfEY|width=320|height=240}}
+{{-}}
-|}
+===King Mickey===
+[[Image:King Mickey.png|left|thumb|170px|King Mickey viewing the blue heart-shaped moon that is speculated to be Kingdom Hearts.]]
+[[King Mickey]] makes a brief appearance at the end of the video, looking with a grim expression at the area where the battle occurred.  He is seen wearing different clothes than usual and wielding the [[Star Seeker]] keyblade, apparently ready to fight Master Xehanort and his Guardian.  The appearance of this keyblade, which is associated with [[Yen Sid]], has led some fans to believe the shot shows Mickey in his apprenticeship under the great sorcerer.
 {{-}}
-==Notes and references==
+==Commentary by Nomura==
-{{reflist}}
+Tetsuya Nomura, the head storyline designer for the [[Kingdom Hearts series]], originally gave very few details about the secret ending.  Originally, the only information he disclosed was that all the characters in the video were new to the series, despite any physical resemblances.  The time and place of the video were all left ambiguous as well. However, Nomura stated in a recent Famitsu interview that this video is the non-playable ending of the PSP game, and that the game might take place 10 years before the first Kingdom Hearts game.
+In a May 2007 interview dubbed the "Scenario Mysteries Interview",<ref name="smi" /> Nomura revealed more insights into the video and its implications for the series.  He confirmed the names of [[#Aqua|Aqua]] and [[#Ven|Ven]] and introduced the name of the third keyblade knight, [[#Terra|Terra]]; however, he also stated that "Ven" was only a nickname for the young male knight, and that the full name is "a little bit longer".
+Nomura had this to say of Ven's resemblance to [[Roxas]]:
+{{Q|I can't give any specifics about that. He may just resemble him, and if there is a connection, Sora may be related too. What I can say right now is that these mysteries are all connected to the story.|Tetsuya Nomura}}
+He also gave no details regarding the change in color of Terra's eyes from blue to gold, saying ''"I think everyone's imaginations are pretty capable so please try and anticipate a lot of things"''.  His final comments regarding the three warriors' names were that the names of Sora, Riku and Kairi are meant to signify Sky, Land and Sea, while the names of Ven, Terra and Aqua represent three different properties of the world: Wind, Earth and Water.<ref name="smi" />
+==References==
+<references />
+==Video==
+<center><youtube>YIsbRLGqMGo</youtube>
+<br />
+<big>'''{{{2|{{PAGENAME}}}}}'''</big></center>
-{{FM2}}
+[[Category: Kingdom Hearts II]]
-[[fr:Birth by sleep (fin secrète)]]
-[[Category:Secret Ending]]
-[[Category:Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix]]