Editing Terra-Xehanort

{{Youmay|the possessed version of Terra|[[Xehanort|his original incarnation]]}}

|name=Terranort

|image=[[File:Terranort KHIII.png|350x400px]]

|romaji=Teranōto

|de=Terranort

{{Q|All worlds begin in darkness, and all so end. The heart is no different.|Terranort}}

'''Terranort''', also referred to as '''Xehanort''' and '''Ansem'''<!--, and '''Not-Ansem'''<ref>'''''[[Kingdom Hearts II]]'''''; '''Donald:''' "It's the guy who's NOT Ansem!" / '''Goofy:''' "You mean it's his Nobody!"</ref>-->, is the result of [[Master Xehanort]]'s heart forced into [[Terra]]'s body, and the human form of [[Ansem, Seeker of Darkness|Ansem]] and [[Xemnas]]. He is a member of the [[real Organization XIII]].

In order to replace his aged, dying body and survive the second [[Keyblade War]], Master Xehanort leads Terra into being seduced by the darkness, eventually succeeding just as he is defeated by the youth at the [[Keyblade Graveyard]]. Turning the [[No Name]] on himself, he releases his heart and casts it into Terra's body, creating "Terra-Xehanort". However, Terra's anger animated his former armor as the [[Lingering Will]], which attacks Terra-Xehanort and knocks him out.<!--http://www.mediafire.com/view/vf01a910fdv9xo4/xehanort+exp+record+%28full+size+translated%29.png# Xehanort Experience record--> In the ravine below, [[Aqua]] and [[Ventus]] manage to defeat Vanitas and destroy the [[χ-blade]], creating a lightstorm that sweeps Terra-Xehanort away to [[Radiant Garden]].

After Aqua secures the stricken Ven within [[Castle Oblivion]], Terra's heart calls out to her to put an end to his possessed body. She finds him, amnesiac, within Radiant Garden's [[Central Square]], but he attacks her when Xehanort's heart stirs. She fights him off as Terra's heart struggles within, and the frustrated Terra-Xehanort turns his Keyblade on himself to rid himself of Terra's influence, inadvertently summoning a deluge of darkness that drags him into the [[Realm of Darkness]].<ref>'''''[[Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep]]'', Final Episode''': "In a desperate move to rid himself of Terra once and for all, Xehanort turned his own Keyblade on himself, and began to sink into the pool of darkness that spilled forth."</ref> Aqua follows and sends him back to the Realm of Light using her Keyblade Armor and [[Stormfall|Keyblade]], while she herself falls deeper into the darkness.

Terra-Xehanort is once more found comatose and amnesiac in Central Square, this time by his co-conspirator [[Braig]], who leads [[Dilan]] and their master, [[Ansem the Wise]], to the young man's location. Only able to recall the name "Xehanort", which he treats as his own, Terra-Xehanort is taken back to Ansem's castle, where he is nursed back to health and becomes one of the king's best apprentices, serving as a research assistant alongside his other apprentices, Braig, Dilan, [[Even]], [[Aeleus]], and [[Ienzo]].<ref>'''''[[Secret Ansem's Report 1]]''''': "One of my own apprentices, Xehanort, has volunteered to be a subject. The young man has served me ever since I nursed him back from death's door some years ago. He had lost all his memories at the time, but later showed remarkable intellectual curiosity and readily absorbed my teachings, gaining deep wisdom."</ref>

Some time later, within Xehanort's heart, Master Xehanort and Terra's hearts argue over Terra's fate, both certain that they alone will one day succeed, and the elderly Master realizes that Eraqus's heart has also taken root within their shared body. In the physical world, Braig attempts to discern whether "Xehanort" is truly amnesiac, or possibly actually Terra, but the confused youth shrugs him off, convincing Braig to bide his time.

[[File:Blank Points 10 KHBBS.png|thumb|200px|right|Xehanort, now as an apprentice for Ansem the Wise.]]

In order to protect the people of Radiant Garden, Ansem the Wise resolved to investigate how darkness originates and spreads within the heart.<ref>'''''[[Ansem's Report 1]]''''': "Darkness...Darkness of the heart. How is it born? How does it come to affect us so? As ruler of this world, I must find the answers. I must find them before the world is lost to those taken by the darkness."</ref> Xehanort volunteered to be a test subject for a series of psychological tests, which Ansem and Even hoped would uncover Xehanort's repressed memories.<ref>'''''[[Secret Ansem's Report 1]]''''': "I shall perform an experiment to probe the depths of a person's heart. One of my own apprentices, Xehanort, has volunteered to be a subject."</ref> At Ienzo's encouragement, Ansem constructed a massive laboratory, the [[Chamber of Repose]],<ref name="Chamber">'''''[[Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix]]''''', '''Xigbar''': "The 'Chamber of Repose'. If you recall, that's where we spent our time researching the darkness that resides within people's hearts. It's a graveyard that was sealed by order of Ansem the Wise. The first thing Xemnas did once he got rid of him was to undo the seal and build a room in the back. Ever since then, he holds himself up in that room when he can, and he talks to someone."</ref> beneath his castle, to further investigate the heart and the darkness that lies within it.<ref>'''''[[Secret Ansem's Report 2]]''''': "Spurred on by my youngest apprentice, Ienzo, I constructed a massive laboratory in the basement of my castle."</ref> Eventually, he abandoned the research, deeming it too dangerous to continue.<ref>'''''[[Kingdom Hearts II]]'', Ansem the Wise''': "The true Ansem once studied hearts and the Heartless, but soon ceased his research for fear of disrupting the order of the worlds."</ref>

Eventually, Xehanort came to believe that the girl, known only as [[Subject X]], came not only from another world but from another time, the age of fairy tales.<ref>'''''[[Secret Report 4]]''''': "Subject's memories have not returned, and our conversations remain less than lucid. What fragments can be gleaned evoke a bygone world, like one out of fairy tales. As improbable as it seems, the question may not be where she has come from, but when. If she truly has crossed through time, the prospect of probing her heart is all the more compelling."</ref> The apprentices attempted to control their other subjects' minds and convince them to renounce their sense of self, but this caused the subjects' hearts to collapse, so they imprisoned the stricken victims under the castle.<ref name="Experiment">'''''[[Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance]]''''', '''Xemnas''': "Our experiments creating Heartless were attempts to control the mind, and convince it to renounce its sense of self."</ref> Subject X was not among those whose hearts had collapsed, for which Xehanort was grateful.<ref>'''''[[Secret Report 4]]''''': "My pilot studies used a handful of subjects, but none possessed the fortitude to endure them. Ultimately, all suffered a mental collapse. I knew it would be a heavy blow to lose a subject as unique as she."</ref> Xehanort also masqueraded himself as Ansem in order to subvert the king's [[Hollow Bastion OS|computer system]], which he used to re-install the malicious [[MCP]] and record his secret research in a follow-up to [[Ansem's Report]].<ref>'''''[[Kingdom Hearts II]]''''', '''Tron''': "But Ansem is also the one who brought back the MCP. The Ansem I first knew wouldn't do that. I'm sorry I didn't tell you."</ref> These experiments generated creatures which Xehanort named "[[Pureblood Heartless]]".<ref>'''''[[Ansem's Report 3]]''''': "They still need a name. Those who lack hearts... I will call them the Heartless."</ref> Excited, the apprentices provided the Heartless with victims to see how they would react, discovering that the Heartless multiplied after consuming their victims' hearts, which led them to believe that these Heartless were in fact manifestations of the darkness within hearts.<ref>'''''[[Ansem's Report 4]]''''': "It's just occurred to me: Could they be the darkness in people's hearts?"</ref>  

Further investigations with the Heartless led them to discover Radiant Garden's [[Keyhole]] beneath the castle in the form of a door which Xehanort somehow opened.<ref>'''''[[Ansem's Report 5]]''''': "To study the Heartless behavior, I picked one out for observation. It wiggled its antennae and, as if sensing a target, headed deep into the castle. In the deepest part of the castle, its antennae began vibrating, as if searching for something. Suddenly, a strange door appeared. I'd never known of its existence. It had a large keyhole, but didn't seem to be locked. So I opened the door. What I saw on the other side mystified me. What was that powerful mass of energy?"</ref> They deduced that it contained the world's heart and allowed the Heartless to tamper with it, causing the walls between worlds to begin deteriorating in a shower of [[Gummi Block]]s.<ref>'''''[[Ansem's Report 6]]''''': "he Heartless feed on other's hearts, and they yearn for that energy core. That thing beyond the door must be a heart, too--the heart of this world. There is no proof, but, having felt that immense energy, I am certain. That was the heart of the world."</ref> The apprentices began to study these blocks, while simultaneously converting the Chamber of Repose into a [[Heartless Manufactory]] which used the Pureblood Heartless to create new, synthetic Heartless, which Xehanort branded with an [[Symbols in the Kingdom Hearts series#Heartless|insignia]] and named "[[Emblem Heartless]]".<ref>'''''[[Ansem's Report 8]]''''': "As a start, I have built a device that artificially creates Heartless. By recreating the conditions that spawn the Heartless naturally, I should be able to produce them artificially. This device is the culmination of all my research thus far. The machine's test run successfully created a Heartless. This may be a step toward creating a heart from nothing. The artificially and naturally created Heartless showed nearly identical traits. But the two types remain distinct for the purpose of the experiment. So, I will mark the ones that are created artificially."</ref>

Xehanort and the apprentices presented Ansem with some of the results of their research, such as the existence of the Heartless and the door beneath the castle.<ref>'''''[[Kingdom Hearts II]]''''', '''Ansem the Wise''': "The doors that appeared. The place the Heartless seek. I fear my research may have brought this upon us..."</ref><ref>'''''[[Kingdom Hearts II]]''''', '''Xehanort''': "Master Ansem. Regarding the experiment I presented the other day...With your permission, I'd like to proceed—"</ref> However, Ansem suspected that the experiment was connected to the increased instability of the worlds, and his suspicions eventually led him to discover that his apprentices had been abducting test subjects. Distraught, he ordered them to cease the experiment and destroy their research, then sealed off the laboratory.<ref name="Chamber"/><ref>'''''[[Secret Ansem's Report 2]]''''': "Unbeknownst to me, my six apprentices then began collecting a large number of subjects on which to perform dangerous experiments into the "darkness of the heart." As soon as I found out, I called my apprentices together and ordered them not only to cease their studies, but to destroy the results of their research thus far.</ref> After this Subject X disappeared. Xehanort believed she had been hidden away by Ansem,<ref>'''''[[Secret Report 4]]''''': "Where is Subject X now? Has "wise" Master Ansem hidden her away?"</ref> though she had actually been taken by Braig.<ref>'''''[[Secret Report 1]]''''': "One day, a man came to take me from the prison. I could not see him for the darkness, save that he wore an eyepatch."</ref>

Shortly afterward, [[King Mickey]] arrived at Radiant Garden via [[Gummi Ship]], seeking the source of the darkness that had begun to threaten the worlds. Ansem and Mickey had a long conversation in [[Ansem's Study|his study]] about the [[Keyblade]], the Gummi Ship, and the stability of the worlds, upon which the intrigued apprentice apparently eavesdropped.<ref>'''''[[Secret Ansem's Report 2]]''''': "A tiny king named Mickey came wielding a legendary key — the infamous "Keyblade," said to bring both chaos and prosperity to the world. He was very knowledgeable on many topics, and we deepened our friendship as we conversed companionably."</ref> At the end of the conversation, Xehanort interrupted to request that Ansem reconsider ending their experiments, but was vehemently denied.<ref>'''''[[Kingdom Hearts II]]''''', '''Ansem the Wise''': "I forbid it! Forget this talk of doors, and the heart of all worlds. That place must not be defiled!"</ref> Frustrated, Xehanort secretly returned to the Ansem's Report, logging the details of Ansem and Mickey's conversation under the pretense that he himself was Ansem.<ref>'''''[[Ansem's Report 9]]''''': "Simply astonishing! Today I had a guest from another world. He is a king, and his vessel is built of the material that composed the meteors."</ref> However, on Mickey's advice, Ansem reviewed the research data, discovering Xehanort's additions to his report, and the true depths of his apprentices' depravity. No longer able to conceal themselves, the apprentices banished Ansem to the [[Realm of Darkness]] in order to continue their research.<ref>'''''[[Secret Ansem's Report 3]]''''': "In the "Ansem's Reports" my apprentice Xehanort had written under my name, I found the records of his hideous experiments along with his hypothesis about the door that had appeared out of the darkness in my basement. (...) I, too, have had everything taken away from me, banished to a hollow realm of nothingness.</ref> Xehanort unsealed the Chamber of Repose, and built a room at the back to hide Aqua's Keyblade Armor and Keyblade.<ref name="Chamber"/>

[[File:Lost Memories 01 KHMOM.png|thumb|right|200px|Xehanort prepares a young Kairi before sending her into the unknown.]]

Wanting to seek out the "world of the Heartless" and gain power over darkness, Xehanort decided to track down the wielder of the Keyblade and the [[Princesses of Heart]]. In order to do so, he resolved to cast off his body and become a Heartless himself.<ref>'''''[[Ansem's Report 10]]''''': "My path is set. I shall seek out the wielder of the Keyblade, and the princesses. My body is too frail for such a journey, but I must do this. I will cast it off and plunge into the depths of darkness."</ref> After choosing and abducting a young girl named [[Kairi]] while she was under attack from the Heartless, Xehanort sealed her in a pod to release her from the world. He explained to her that if she was a Princess of Heart, she would find her way to a Keyblade wielder's world, but warned her that if she were to end up on the other side of reality, they would fail.{{storylink|Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory}} He then set her free into the worlds to observe.<ref>'''''[[Ansem's Report 11]]''''': "I've chosen a girl. I don't know if she holds the princesses' powers, but I will find out. She may lead me to the key bearer. I shall set her free and observe."</ref> In truth, it was the charm Aqua placed on Kairi, and not her nature as a pure light, that led to her being drawn to Sora and Riku on the Destiny Islands.<ref>'''''[[Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Ultimania]]''''', '''Interviewer:''' "Why did Kairi end up with Sora and Riku?" / '''Tetsuya Nomura:''' "It has to do with Aqua's 'magic'. Nine years before ''Kingdom Hearts'', Kairi was thrust into the outside world and found herself on Sora and Riku's world. Ansem Seeker of Darkness thought that she had been able to search for a Keyblade wielder, but what actually saved her was the magic spell Aqua had put on her." [https://www.khinsider.com/news/BBS-Ultimania-20-Mysteries-Solved-2546 Translation via Lissar].</ref>  

By this time, he had regained his Keyblade, and possibly his memories as well. Choosing to bring the other apprentices with him, he steals their hearts while finally abandoning his name and vocally taking that of his erstwhile master, Ansem, to Braig's confusion.<ref>'''''[[Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance]]''''', '''Braig''': "Hey! Do you remember now, or...Wait, did you never lose your memory?" / '''Xehanort''': "That's not my name. I'm not 'Xehanort.' My name...is Ansem."</ref>{{storylink|Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance}} In the process, this created the first eight members of [[Organization XIII]],<ref>'''''[[Secret Report 6]]''''': "But we did not find her inside on that day or the next, or any of our subsequent visits. Had she been moved? Had we simply imagined her? Lea and I knew there was only one way to be certain. And so we stand before the castle gates today, not as trespassing children but in order to become Ansem the Wise's newest apprentices."</ref> as well as their Heartless. Xehanort himself was split into his Heartless, [[Ansem, Seeker of Darkness]], and his Nobody, [[Xemnas]]. By willingly releasing his own heart, the Heartless was able to retain his selfhood,<ref>'''''[[Secret Ansem's Report 10]]''''': "But what if one willingly releases one's heart from one's body? Sora and Xehanort retained their selfhood even after becoming Heartless."</ref> and so both attempted to obtain [[Kingdom Hearts]] in their own way.<ref>'''''[[Secret Ansem's Report 13]]''''': "His Heartless had attempted to draw out the great darkness of Kingdom Hearts, created from the hearts of all worlds. His Nobody, however, is now almost finished gathering human hearts to be assimilated into Kingdom Hearts as well."</ref> All the while, the two halves secretly cooperated on Master Xehanort's desire to create the [[χ-blade]].<ref>''''''The Story So Far: Darkness''''', '''Chirithy:''' "Master Xehanort's second attempt to start the [[Keyblade War]] involved pitting seven pure lights against thirteen darknesses. His heart and body acted separately. His heart, Ansem, manipulated [[Riku]] and [[Maleficent]] into capturing the seven pure lights he needs, the [[Princesses of Heart]]. His body, Xemnas, founded [[Organization XIII]], who would serve as the thirteen darknesses."</ref>

[[File:Reunion 04 KH0.2.png|right|thumb|Xehanort struggles with Terra for control of their body.]]

In the remains of Enchanted Dominion, Aqua encounters phantoms of Terra and Ventus, pursuing them through the Forest of Thorns. Eventually, she catches up with them. Terra speaks to her, explaining to her that his heart is tied to the darkness and that he too is corrupted. He warns her that Xehanort is looking for Ventus, but as she explains that she has hidden Ventus somewhere where no one will find him, Terra's spirit transforms into Terra-Xehanort. Terra-Xehanort wonders if Ventus is in the [[Chamber of Waking]] and, when questioned by Aqua, begins to reveal his identity. However, Terra overpowers Xehanort's will, informing her of Xehanort's ruse. Surprised, Xehanort summons dark hands to drag Aqua into darkness, but his enraged host summons chains of light to fend off Xehanort.

While attempting to retrieve data on the Heartless and Organization XIII from Ansem's computer, Sora, Donald, and Goofy are sucked into [[Space Paranoids]] and meet Tron, who informs them about the history of the [[Hollow Bastion OS]], and asks them to find the password to the  D.T.D. dataspace. While investigating Ansem the Wise's study, Sora finds a painting of Xehanort, who they believe to be "Ansem". After returning to Tron and helping him defeat the MCP, Tron informs him of his understanding that "Ansem" was responsible for installing the MCP, but when they return to King Mickey with their findings, he clarifies that the man they believe to be Ansem was actually the apprentice of the true king, Ansem the Wise.<ref>'''''[[Kingdom Hearts II]]''''', '''King Mickey''': "Well, the man in the picture is definitely the one who tried to take over Kingdom Hearts—the one you fellas defeated. But, what you actually fought was his Heartless. Ya see, he wasn't really Ansem. He just went around telling everybody that he was."</ref> Furious, Sora denounces the apprentice as the cause of all the chaos and his friends' suffering.<ref>'''''[[Kingdom Hearts II]]''''', '''Sora''': "You...! You started all of this! Because of you, Riku and Kairi..."</ref>

After Ansem and Xemnas were defeated, Terra's body was recompleted. However, his heart was trapped within the [[Dark Figure]] and his empty body was once again used as a vessel for Xehanort. When Dilan, Even, Aeleus, Ienzo, and [[Lea]] reawaken at the Heartless Manufactory, they quickly realize that Xehanort, Braig, and Isa are missing. Recognizing Xehanort's treachery, Lea resolves to go searching only for Braig and Isa.

When Sora nears the end of his dream of [[The World That Never Was]], Xemnas appears alongside Xigbar and reminisces on the apprentices' original experiments.<ref name="Experiment"/>

Later, Terra-Xehanort wearing his black coat appeared alongside his fellow members of the real Organization XIII at [[Where Nothing Gathers]]. When Mickey confronts Master Xehanort, the resurrected Master gloats about condemning Terra to become his vessel.<ref>'''''[[Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance]]''''', '''Master Xehanort''': "The broken boy who failed to be the blade... the misguided master who sacrificed herself for a friend... and the feckless youth who became my new vessel."</ref><ref>'''''[[Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance]]''''', '''King Mickey''': "Seven guardians of light? Well, for Keyblade wielders, there's me and Riku and Sora. And my three missing friends, that's six. Then the seventh would be...That means...the thirteen seekers of darkness..." / '''Master Xehanort''': "Yes, little king. Perceptive. But Sora and another on your list belong to me now."</ref> As the heroes advance, the Organization's allotted time expires and its members, including Terra-Xehanort, retreat to their rightful points in time.

[[File:Light Expires 01 KHIII.png|thumb|right|200px|Terra-Xehanort reveals himself as a vessel.]]

[[File:The Answer 01 KHMOM.png|thumb|right|200px|Kairi's memory of Xehanort gives her a clue regarding Sora's whereabouts.]]

When Kairi finds herself in a memory of the Final World, she is accosted by a vision of Master Xehanort. After Sora takes over her body and defeats the phantom Xehanort, Xehanort transforms into Terra-Xehanort and recounts the words he had said to her before casting her out of Radiant Garden, explaining that these words hold a clue to Sora's whereabouts.

As an apprentice under Ansem the Wise, Terra-Xehanort wears a white lab coat with rather loose sleeves that is partway zipped down. The coat also has pockets roughly where Terra-Xehanort's hips are. He wears black boots that are identical to those worn by Ansem, Xemnas, and the members of [[Organization XIII]], with a white/silver lining along the top and an indentation on the sides. Underneath his coat, Terra-Xehanort wears a grey vest over a white collar shirt, along with a purple ascot around his neck. During this time, his hair is worn long, with two bangs framing his face. His eyes have gone from yellow to brown and his hair has become whiter in color. His hair also sports three backward-facing spikes, one at the top of his head, and one on either side, just above his ears.

As a fusion of Terra and Xehanort, Terra-Xehanort is able to use many of both Keyblade wielders' abilities, and combines Xehanort's magical prowess with Terra's youthful agility and raw physical strength while also being backed up by the former's wit. Terra-Xehanort uses Xehanort's Keyblade to perform techniques like [[Ars Solum]], a fast combo comprised of multiple hits. He can use [[Meteor]] and [[Quake]] as well, and he is one of the few bosses that is able to heal with Curaga. When in desperate need of power, Terra-Xehanort gains access to the Dark Impulse [[Command Style]], as well as the [[Dark Volley]] and [[Ultima Cannon]] [[Shotlock]]s.

 

Terra-Xehanort also can call upon his "[[Dark Figure|guardian]]", a [[Pureblood Heartless]]-like symbiote that floats behind him and serves as both his main source of offense and defense. The powerful guardian attacks Terra-Xehanort's enemies with physical blows and dark energy projectiles, and can also take possession of them. Terra-Xehanort's Heartless, Ansem, inherits the ability to summon this guardian.

Terra-Xehanort wields the Keyblade [[No Name]]. The weapon has a spiky shaft, as well as a gleaming eye of darkness near its teeth, which give the Keyblade a battle ax-like appearance. No Name is black and silver in coloration; it is able to unlock hearts and appears in its wielder's hand in a flash of dark energy. Another eye of darkness appears on the Keyblade's keychain; Terra-Xehanort uses this Keyblade to perform long, powerful combos, as well as several desperation attacks. When Terra-Xehanort loses his memories, he also loses his ability to wield No Name. A year later, however, he regains the weapon and uses it to unlock Braig's heart.