Editing Birth by Sleep (video)

{{Youmay|the ending video entitled "Birth by Sleep"|[[Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep|the upcoming PSP game]]}}

[[Image:Keyblade Knights.png|200px|thumb|left to right: [[Ven | Ventus]], [[Terra]], [[Aqua]]]]

'''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 [[Keyblades]] 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 PlayStation Portable) and 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 (seen in "[[The Gathering]]") 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<!-- "DarkSide" is the online Square Enix store can be relied. -->.  It is set in a desert area as the sun is setting, and the characters are surrounded by countless [[Keyblades]] stuck in the ground that form a four-way crossroads. The actual reason why these [[Keyblades]] are there has been speculated 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 slightly 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 referred 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 apprentice 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 apprentice and attack his three adversaries.

As the three armored warriors attempt in vain to overcome their enemies, their faces are revealed one by one. The first is a blue-haired female, whose name was later confirmed as [[Aqua]] in an interview with Nomura ; she discards her helmet after being thrown to the ground by the [[Keyblade]] cyclone. The next is another young knight whose name was later revealed to be [[Ven]] (or Ventus), who attacks Master Xehanort from behind. [[Ven]]'s face is revealed when the old man vanishes, only to reappear behind him and grab him by the head. Master Xehanort shatters [[Ven]]'s helmet in his hand before freezing his body solid and dropping him off the makeshift cliff. As he falls, his frozen [[Keyblade]] hits the cliff and breaks in half before he is caught by [[Aqua]], after which his face is seen close-up, showing a striking resemblance to [[Roxas]]. Though frozen, Ven's eyes move very slightly, indicating he's still alive.

The last face to be shown was [[Terra]]'s. His name was later revealed in an interview with Nomura. After disposing of [[Ven]], Master Xehanort's Keyblade reverts into a purple and blue ball of flame-like energy. Master Xehanort then raises his hand to the sky while holding the sphere, and the ball of energy promptly shoots upwards to part the gathering dark clouds, revealing what appears to be [[Kingdom Hearts (combined heart)|Kingdom Hearts]] by means not fully explained, and [[Terra]], having been thrown to the ground by the old man's [[Keyblade]] cyclone, takes off his helmet to look up at the blue [[Kingdom Hearts]] as his eyes turn yellow (hinting a potential 'Anti-Form', which is also supported by trailers indicating that Terra gave in to the darkness).

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]] receive after some form of training.

==Characters==
Birth by sleep features five main characters, none of whom appear in any earlier [[Kingdom Hearts]] scenes or videos. It also contains a shot of [[King Mickey]].

The characters are not named in the video, but the three armored [[Keyblade]] warriors' names were 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 arisen regarding various attributes they have, including the implications of the [[Keyblades]] they wield and their physical resemblance to other characters.

*[[Terra]]
*[[Aqua]]
*[[Ven]]
*[[Master Xehanort]]
*[[Master Xehanort's Apprentice]]
*[[King Mickey]]

==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 Famitsu interview that this video is the non-playable ending of the PSP game, and that the game might take place ten 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]] and [[Ven]] and introduced the name of the third Keyblade knight, [[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" (His full name is Ventus).

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 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 [[Ven]], [[Terra]], and [[Aqua]] represent three different properties of the world : Wind, Earth, and Water.

==Video==
<center><youtube>am3rfpmrwEo</youtube>
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</center>

[[Category: Kingdom Hearts II]]
@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{Game|FM2|BBS|FMB|FA}}
+{{Youmay|the ending 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]]}}
-[[File:Birth by Sleep 09 KHIIFM.png||thumb|300px|The mysterious warriors Terra, Aqua, and Ventus face an unknown threat.]]
+[[Image:Keyblade Knights.png|200px|thumb|left to right: [[Ven | Ventus]], [[Terra]], [[Aqua]]]]
-"'''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]]''.
+'''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 [[Keyblades]] 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 PlayStation Portable) and will obviously deal with the characters mentioned here. Birth by Sleep will take place ten years before the original [[Kingdom Hearts]].
 ==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 (seen in "[[The Gathering]]") 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<!-- "DarkSide" is the online Square Enix store can be relied. -->.  It is set in a desert area as the sun is setting, and the characters are surrounded by countless [[Keyblades]] stuck in the ground that form a four-way crossroads. The actual reason why these [[Keyblades]] are there has been speculated 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 slightly 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 referred 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.
-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.
+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 apprentice 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 apprentice and attack his three adversaries.
-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.
+As the three armored warriors attempt in vain to overcome their enemies, their faces are revealed one by one. The first is a blue-haired female, whose name was later confirmed as [[Aqua]] in an interview with Nomura ; she discards her helmet after being thrown to the ground by the [[Keyblade]] cyclone. The next is another young knight whose name was later revealed to be [[Ven]] (or Ventus), who attacks Master Xehanort from behind. [[Ven]]'s face is revealed when the old man vanishes, only to reappear behind him and grab him by the head. Master Xehanort shatters [[Ven]]'s helmet in his hand before freezing his body solid and dropping him off the makeshift cliff. As he falls, his frozen [[Keyblade]] hits the cliff and breaks in half before he is caught by [[Aqua]], after which his face is seen close-up, showing a striking resemblance to [[Roxas]]. Though frozen, Ven's eyes move very slightly, indicating he's still alive.
-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.
+The last face to be shown was [[Terra]]'s. His name was later revealed in an interview with Nomura. After disposing of [[Ven]], Master Xehanort's Keyblade reverts into a purple and blue ball of flame-like energy. Master Xehanort then raises his hand to the sky while holding the sphere, and the ball of energy promptly shoots upwards to part the gathering dark clouds, revealing what appears to be [[Kingdom Hearts (combined heart)|Kingdom Hearts]] by means not fully explained, and [[Terra]], having been thrown to the ground by the old man's [[Keyblade]] cyclone, takes off his helmet to look up at the blue [[Kingdom Hearts]] as his eyes turn yellow (hinting a potential 'Anti-Form', which is also supported by trailers indicating that Terra gave in to the darkness).
-==Characters in order of appearance==
+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]] receive after some form of training.
-<gallery>
-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==
+==Characters==
-The conditions to unlock the video "Birth by Sleep" vary according with the difficulty level chosen:
+Birth by sleep features five main characters, none of whom appear in any earlier [[Kingdom Hearts]] scenes or videos. It also contains a shot of [[King Mickey]].
-*'''Beginner Mode''' - Not accessible.
+The characters are not named in the video, but the three armored [[Keyblade]] warriors' names were 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 arisen regarding various attributes they have, including the implications of the [[Keyblades]] they wield and their physical resemblance to other characters.
-*'''Standard Mode''' - Beat the game, complete [[Jiminy's Journal]], all [[Gummi Missions]], and get the [[Gold Crown]].
-*'''Proud Mode''' - Beat the game, complete Jiminy's Journal, and get the Gold Crown.
-*'''Critical Mode''' - Beat the game and get the Gold Crown.
-==Differences between the video and the game==
+*[[Terra]]
-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.
+*[[Aqua]]
+*[[Ven]]
+*[[Master Xehanort]]
+*[[Master Xehanort's Apprentice]]
+*[[King Mickey]]
-*The omitted scenes include:
+==Commentary by Nomura==
-**Vanitas jumping off the cliff and using Thunder on Terra.
+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 Famitsu interview that this video is the non-playable ending of the PSP game, and that the game might take place ten years before the first [[Kingdom Hearts]] game.
-**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:
+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]] and [[Ven]] and introduced the name of the third Keyblade knight, [[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" (His full name is Ventus).
-**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.
-==Commentary by Tetsuya Nomura==
+Nomura had this to say of [[Ven]]'s resemblance to [[Roxas]]:
-[[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.
+{{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 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-->
+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 [[Ven]], [[Terra]], and [[Aqua]] represent three different properties of the world : Wind, Earth, and Water.
 ==Video==
-{| class="video"
+<center><youtube>am3rfpmrwEo</youtube>
-! "Birth by Sleep"
+<br />
-|-
+</center>
-| {{#widget:YouTube|id=ejYttnAXfEY|width=320|height=240}}
-|}
-{{-}}
-==Notes and references==
-{{reflist}}
-{{FM2}}
+[[Category: Kingdom Hearts II]]
-[[fr:Birth by sleep (fin secrète)]]
-[[Category:Secret Ending]]
-[[Category:Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix]]