Editing Keyblade

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[[File:Kingdom Key KHII.png|thumb|200px|The [[Kingdom Key]], the first Keyblade seen in the ''{{c|Kingdom Hearts|series}}'' series, is a Keyblade from the Realm of Light.]]

Human-made Keyblades choose their wielders upon creation,<ref>'''''{{c|Kingdom Hearts|game}}''''', '''Yuffie:''' "The Keyblade chooses its master. And it chose you."</ref> but can also shift allegiances for various reasons.{{?}}<!--cite sora -> riku -> sora, riku's 2nd -> kairi--> The method for forging a regular Keyblade is not entirely clear,{{?}}<!--add details about pulling from hearts, and how Sora made the Kingdom Key--> although several newly-forged Keyblades do appear in the series. Riku's Keyblade, the [[Way to the Dawn]], was able to manifest by using his [[Soul Eater]] as an intermediary,<ref>'''''[[Kingdom Hearts II Ultimania]]''''', '''Interviewer''': "We found out that Riku's Keyblade's name is 'Way to the Dawn' when examining his item slots after he joined your party. Is that Keyblade a transfigured version of Soul Eater?" / '''Tetsuya Nomura''': "I designed it with that image. Since Riku has always been using Soul Eater, he still calls it that even after it changed form. Keyblades aren't something that you can obtain suddenly out of nowhere, so in Riku's case, his Soul Eater was used as an intermediary for that Keyblade." [https://web.archive.org/web/20120331081957/http://www.kh2.co.uk/website/interviews/kh2u Translation via Maiki].</ref> while [[Data-Sora]]'s strength of heart allowed him to create a true Keyblade after his artificial, digital Keyblade was destroyed by Maleficent.<ref>'''''[[Kingdom Hearts Re:coded Ultimania]]''''', '''Interviewer''': "Data-Sora can newly obtain a legitimate Keyblade during his adventure, but are there changes to the real Keyblade when that happens?" / '''Tetsuya Nomura''': "No, it’s a data version the entire time. However, like with the first Keyblade, it wasn’t created by someone else. It comes from the heart’s connections with the data, hinting towards the story theme, 'Can a heart be born in an existence made of data?'" [https://www.khinsider.com/news/Re-coded-Ultimania-Scenario-Mysteries-Interview-Translated-1796 Translation via Olivia].</ref><!--use the new cites from X and ultimania to substantiate that this is part of the choosing process-->

Should a Keyblade be damaged, it can be repaired. In ''Kingdom Hearts III'', Way to the Dawn was snapped in half by a [[Demon Tower]], but it was later repaired by [[Riku Replica]]. Mickey's [[Kingdom Key D]] was repaired via an upgrade by fusing his [[Star Seeker]] with it, creating [[Star Cluster]]. Lea's [[Flame Liberator]] was broken by Xemnas; however, he was later able to summon a repaired version.

Long before the events of the [[Dark Seeker Saga]], in the "age of fairy tales" when the world was whole, [[Kingdom Hearts]] gave light to the world. However, it remained out of mankind's reach, as it was protected by its counterpart, the [[χ-blade]]. According to legend, many came to desire the light, and their greed and jealousy introduced darkness into the World. In order to conquer the light of Kingdom Hearts, people forged the first Keyblades in the image of the χ-blade, and they clashed with each other in a great [[Keyblade War]] that involved those who served the light, those who served the darkness, those who sought balance, and those who simply sought power.

In truth, however, the first known Keyblades were created by the [[Master of Masters]], who was capable of extracting them from the hearts of people using his knowledge of the χ-blade, rather than forging them.<ref>'''''{{w|Weekly Famitsu}}'''''<!--If anyone knows which volume issue this is, please add it-->, pg. 198; '''Tetsuya Nomura:''' "The Master knows about its existence. Using the χ-blade as a model, he creates his own Keyblades. Well, by create I don't mean that in the physical sense, such as forging and tempering them, I mean more along the lines of pulling one out from the depths of a heart." [https://www.khinsider.com/news/Famitsu-showcases-Kingdom-Hearts-HD-2-8-Nomura-interview-released-8108 Translation via Saken and Goldpanner].</ref> The conflict embroiled even those who did not desire Kingdom Hearts and took the lives of thousands; it also extinguished the light from the world and trapped Kingdom Hearts in the deepest darkness while the χ-blade shattered into twenty pieces: seven lights and thirteen darknesses. The final site of the Keyblade War became the barren [[Keyblade Graveyard]], littered with ancient Keyblades.

Long before Sora's journey, [[Xehanort]] and [[Eraqus]] became apprentices under an unnamed Keyblade Master, and they served to protect the Realm of Light from darkness. However, Xehanort's natural curiosity about the darkness and his research into the Keyblade War eventually led him to believe that the sovereignty of light upheld by the Keyblade wielders was tyrannical and misguided. Xehanort sought to create a world in which light and darkness existed in equilibrium; due to the lack of balance between these two forces, if he was to accomplish this goal, he would need to unleash a flood of darkness upon the worlds in the form of a second Keyblade War.

Intending to sabotage Terra and Aqua's Mark of Mastery exam in accordance with his plot to reforge the χ-blade, Xehanort extended his apologies to Eraqus and requested to be present for the examination; this ended the feud between Xehanort and Eraqus.  

When he visits the [[Destiny Islands]], Terra performs the [[Bequeathing]], granting a young boy named [[Riku]] the ability to one day wield the Keyblade himself. Aqua accidentally does this with [[Kairi]] in [[Radiant Garden]]; she initially intends to perform the ceremony and grant Riku's friend Sora the ability to wield the Keyblade, but Aqua decides against this when she senses that Riku already can.  

When Terra, Aqua, and Ventus confront Xehanort at the Keyblade Graveyard, the elderly Keyblade Master explains that the world serves as the final resting place of the combatants of the Keyblade War.

When the worlds first start to disappear, King Mickey realizes that [[Kingdom Hearts]] was going to be opened, and went to the [[Realm of Darkness]] to find its Keyblade, with which he could seal the door. However, he would also need someone to use a Keyblade from the [[Realm of Light]] in concert with him, so he left a letter for [[Donald Duck]] and [[Goofy]], asking them to find the chosen wielder of that Keyblade and assist him in saving the worlds.<!--letter at beginning telling Donald and Goofy to find the boy with the key-->

 

When the Heartless invade [[Destiny Islands]], Sora rushes to the small island to save his friends, but finds that Kairi and Riku have already been swallowed by darkness. It is at this point that the Keyblade which Terra had promised Riku finally appears on the island, but because Riku has already given himself to darkness, Sora becomes its wielder instead.<!--is Sora's Keyblade literally Riku's, from his heart, or is it a one-of-a-kind special Light Keyblade? did riku use it to open the keyhole?-->

When Sora first arrives at the [[Traverse Town]], he meets Leon, who gives him shelter and some insight about the Keyblade and Heartless. Yuffie and Leon have to get Sora off the Keyblade since it's the only way to "conceal his heart (Sora's)," this is due to the Heartless fearing the Keyblade and they will stop at nothing to eliminate the wielder of the weapon.

[[File:Kingdom Key D KHII.png|thumb|200px|left|The Kingdom Key D is a Keyblade from the Realm of Darkness.]]

Confused and angry, Riku runs off and is found by [[Ansem, Seeker of Darkness|Ansem]], who convinces Riku to allow Ansem to possess his body in exchange for more power. While possessing Riku, Ansem summons the [[Keyblade of heart]], created from the collected hearts of the [[Princesses of Heart]], in order to unlock the [[Final Keyhole]]. However, both the Keyblade and the Keyhole remain incomplete due to the disappearance of Kairi's heart. When Sora tracks down the possessed Riku and confronts him, Ansem reveals that Kairi's heart is in fact within Sora, and he attacks Sora in order to take it. Sora defeats him, but in order to restore Kairi's heart and fully seal the Final Keyhole, he uses the Keyblade of heart on himself. This completes the Keyhole and restores all of the Princess's hearts, but Sora becomes a Heartless, until he is restored to his body by Kairi's light.

Sora, Riku, Kairi, [[Roxas]], and King Mickey can use the Keyblade. Sora uses the Keyblade to open new paths to new worlds through [[Gate]]s. While King Mickey comes out occasionally to assist Sora, Riku obtains his own Keyblade, [[Way to the Dawn]], at some point before reuniting with Sora and Kairi in [[The World That Never Was]]. During the Heartless surge in the [[Castle That Never Was]], Kairi obtains the [[Destiny's Embrace]] from Riku.

In the [[datascape]], [[Data-Sora]] can use his digital version of the [[Kingdom Key]] to fix the source of [[Bug Blox]] and to seal the data Keyholes. His digital Keyblade was destroyed in Episode 5, but gained a new Keyblade in Episode 6. King Mickey explains that this Keyblade is tightly connected to the Power of the Heart, implying that his Keyblade is genuine.

{{section-stub}}<!--this should be in-universe, list episodes as storylinks-->

Upon his materialization, Master Xehanort reveals his intention to clash seven lights and thirteen darkness to forge a χ-blade. He also reveals that it was his intentions to gather the Princesses of Heart to fulfill his old intentions. After discussing his ideals with the [[Real Organization XIII|new Organization]], he attempts to use his Keyblade, [[No Name]], to make Sora his thirteenth vessel. He is stopped by [[Lea]] and all of the members of the Organization are forced to return to their respective places in time. Riku dives into Sora's heart, and fights against an [[Armored Ventus Nightmare]], who wields the Kingdom Key in a similar fashion to Ventus's fighting style. After Riku wakes up Sora and returns to the real world, Yen Sid declares that Riku has passed the exam, but due to what has transpired, Sora does not attain the rank of master. It is later revealed that [[Lea]] has become a Keyblade wielder, as well.

[[File:Roxas (Oathkeeper and Oblivion) KHII.png|thumb|right|180px|Roxas often uses Synch Blade to manifest his [[Oathkeeper and Oblivion]].]]

The Keyblade's signature ability is the power to open or close any lock or door,<ref>'''''[[Kingdom Hearts II]]''''', '''Hades''': "Let me see if I got this right... That brat's Keyblade works on any lock?" / '''Pete''': "That's right".</ref> be it to a physical object, to the heart of a person or world, or to a [[gate]] or pathway between worlds. For objects like treasure chests, this merely requires tapping the chest, while for more magical locks, the Keyblade generally operates by emitting a bright, thin beam of light from its tip, or by being thrust directly into the keyhole or person's chest.

<!--Their ability to unlock a person's heart makes them particularly effective weapons against [[Heartless]] and [[Nobody|Nobodies]], but also draws these beings to the wielders. Meanwhile, their power over a world's heart allows a wielder to open or seal the barriers between worlds, or even lock the world's heart to protect it from darkness. Keyblades usually exercise this power by emitting a bright, thin beam of light, but can also work by being directly impaled into a person's chest.-->[[Tia Dalma]] implies they can also reverse curses and spells that trap others in different forms; she asked Sora to release her from her mortal form, over trying to persuade the Brethren Court.

A trained Keyblade wielder can also transform their Keyblade, changing its size and shape. This can be used to augment its use as a weapon, or to transform the Keyblade into a vehicle form, known as a "[[Keyblade Glider]]".

Keyblades seem to be a manifestation of their wielder's hearts and desires and can act upon these desires even when the user is incapacitated, or even in another world or realm entirely. When Aqua gave up hope and allowed herself to be destroyed in the Realm of Darkness, Terra's Earthshaker and Ventus's Wayward Wind came and destroyed the Darksides threatening her, protecting her without a wielder. Also, a Keyblade may appear for it's weilder in a time of need even if it is not consciously summoned, such as during Roxas's battles in the Simulated Twilight Town or when a large lock blocked Sora's path in the Underworld.

==Appearance==