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==Director's Secret Report XIII==
{{Game|Real}}
:This is a 13 part expose featuring Tetsuya Nomura's secrets about the worlds, characters, and overall story of the ''Kingdom Hearts'' series. This ''report'' is included in the book "Another Report" that comes with the Limited Edition version of ''[http://kingdomhearts.wikia.com/wiki/Kingdom_Hearts_II:_Final_Mix%2/ Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix+]''.
{{Document|''[[Kingdom Hearts Another Report]]''|[https://khenglish.wordpress.com/ Goldpanner]}}
::(This was originally only in Japanese. Credit goes to [http://boards.gamefaqs.com/gfaqs/user.php?board=935702&topic=34866889&user=3221888/ TheWertle] of the GameFAQs Boards.)
The '''''Director's Secret Report XIII''''' is a thirteen-part exposé featuring {{w|Tetsuya Nomura}}'s secrets about the worlds, characters, and overall story of the [[Kingdom Hearts (series)|''Kingdom Hearts'']] series. This report is included in the book "[[Kingdom Hearts Another Report|Another Report]]" that comes with the Limited Edition version of ''[[Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix+]]''.<!--ALL TRANSLATIONS VIA GOLDPANNER. INTERVIEW DIRECTLY TAKEN FROM HERE~ http://www.khinsider.com/news/A-Look-Back-Director-s-Secret-Report-XIII-4883-->


==Part 1 - About the KH Worlds==
==Part 1 - ABOUT THE WORLD OF ''KINGDOM HEARTS''==
'''I - Until now in the Kingdom Hearts (hereafter KH) Series, there have been 2 types of "Kingdom Hearts" referring to the Heart of Worlds and the Heart of Men, could you explain the mechanics of this?'''
'''I - In the ''Kingdom Hearts'' (hereon ''KH'') series so far, two kinds of "[[Kingdom Hearts]]" have appeared, the "heart of worlds" and the "heart of people". Can you please explain their makeup?'''


:Think of the basic setting of [[Kingdom Hearts|KH]] as "All life has a heart". The heart of a world can be considered the things of nature; for example, the trees in a forest, a sea or river, a flower and so forth. When they all come together to form a world a large heart will come into existence. And concerning the hearts designated to men, all the hearts of humans and animals living in the world are integrated. As for Kingdom Hearts, think of it as if the heart is essentially the culmination of an invisible "Proof of Life"
:I think of "all life has heart" as the most basic premise of KH. The heart of [[worlds]] was a great heart that gathered everything that formed those worlds: the natural things such as the trees in the forests, the oceans and rivers, the flowers and such. The heart of people, as it is called, was the collected hearts of the humans and animals and such that lived in those worlds. A Kingdom Hearts is considered to be an aggregation of the originally invisible "proofs of life" known as [[hearts]].
'''II - Worlds appear in KH, could you please give an explanation of the means of coming and going between them?'''
:Concerning the structure of worlds, first Sora and the Disney characters, and where ever we dwell, these so-called normal worlds are attached to the Realm of Light. If all of these exist at the same level and you imagine them all sitting on top of a plane, there is also plane of existence on the other side where the Realm of Darkness exists.


:At present, there are 4 worlds in-between these planes that have appeared: A) Castle Oblivion, B) Twilight Town, C) Yen Sid's Tower, and D) The World That Never Was. Constructed in this manner, Light < C < B > A > D > Darkness, you can imagine 2 planes with stairs ranging between the worlds. There are 2 means of transfer between these worlds, first being the Gummi Ship Sora uses in what is called the "Sea of Outer Space". In this way they can come and go between the worlds dotted through space. There is an invisible shell covering these worlds, so as to preserve the original world from interference from other worlds. By opening the hearts of each of these worlds this shell is broken and will become a group of shooting stars pouring down. Once settled, these shooting stars will become the Gummi Parts of the Gummi Ship. Because they were originally from the shell covering this world, it becomes possible to interfere into each world.
'''II - Please explain the structure of and means by which one may travel between the worlds that serve as the setting of ''Kingdom Hearts''.'''


:There is one more method, the use of the "Dark Corridor". There are those who are on a fallen path, essentially not being on the path they should be. Only those who can be said to have a Dark existence or an In-between existence can make these doorways. On rare occasion those with particularly strong feelings or hatred, such as the case with Beast and DiZ and perhaps others like them can open these paths. However you must be careful when coming into contact with such darkness. As such, if you use these paths too often you will be completely swallowed by darkness. Sora has used these paths several times before, but the degree of frequency hasn't allowed the darkness to stain his heart, so you can think of the influential power of darkness as being dependent upon the strength of the persons heart.
:As for the structure of the worlds, first, the so-to-speak normal worlds—the ones that [[Sora]], the Disney characters and we live on—are situated in the [[Realm of Light]]. If you picture those worlds as existing on the same level on top of a giant plane, then on a separate level, in other words on the reverse side, exists the [[Realm of Darkness]].


:As for the Nobodies who have no heart and the King and Riku, using these paths many times doesn't concern them. Why doesn't the darkness progressively swallow them you ask? There are secret similarities between the two that are talked about in the game.
:Regarding the Realm Between, four worlds have appeared so far: (A) [[Castle Oblivion]], (B) [[Twilight Town]], (C) [[Yen Sid's Tower]], and (D) [[The World That Never Was]]. You can think of them as arranged like a stairway extending between the two Realm layers, something like Light < C < B > A > D > Darkness. There are two ways to travel, one of which is to use a [[Gummi Ship]] like Sora and his friends do to move through the "Ocean Between", the space studded with all the worlds. Worlds are encased in an invisible shell which keeps the individual world from being breached by other worlds, but when the door to the heart that exists in each world is opened, the shell covering that world is broken, and it rains down as a meteor shower. The meteors, fragments of that shell, result in [[Gummi Blocks]] for Gummi Ships. Gummi Blocks have the ability to breach any world as they were originally part of the world-covering shells.


'''III - About the World of Darkness and such, you haven't gone into detail. Could you possible talk about some of these things? Does the beach at the beginning and end of KH [II] have some connection to the World of Darkness?'''
:The other way is to use a "[[corridor of darkness]]". These routes are like a loophole of sorts and not pathways that should rightfully be used. While only those known as beings of darkness and beings of between are able to create entries and exits, in rare cases even other kinds of beings such as the [[Beast]] and [[DiZ]], who held strong sentiment or hatred in their hearts, have been able to open a path themselves. However, this means being near the darkness. Make frequent use of the pathways and the darkness will completely erode one's body. Sora and his friends have also used these pathways a handful of times, but you could consider that the effect of passing through a corridor of darkness is influenced by the strength of one's heart, and as such they have not used them to the degree of frequency that their hearts could have been stained by darkness. In which case, why hasn't erosion by darkness progressed in the heart-lacking [[Nobodies]], [[King Mickey]] or [[Riku]], despite them having used the pathways frequently? There is a secret relating to a feature they all share, explained in this very title.
:Presently there are 4 main untold stories to consider: "the period of the King's absence", "the period of Riku's absence", "Roxas' time in Organization XIII" and "Xehanort's past". In this case, the story of "the period of the King's absence" is set in the realm of darkness. I am examining a way to tell these 4 stories so I might be able to find a way to tell them soon.


:What can be called the dark coastline seen at the beginning and end of KHII is the tip of a world. It is not strictly part of the realm of darkness but rather what serves as the boundary line in between the dark and the in-between. In the ending, Sora and Riku were on the coast on the in-between side and were looking at the sea of the realm of darkness. The door visible in the dark sea is a scene that symbolizes "Deep within the darkness, there is light", as Sora said in the previous KH.
'''III - Is there a possibility that blank points in time and settings that haven't been shown in detail such as the "Realm of Darkness" etc. will be depicted in the future? Was the beach that appeared at the beginning and end of ''KHII'' the "Realm of Darkness"?'''


'''IV - There are still many mysteries surrounding Castle Oblivion. Was the castle itself constructed by the Organization and was Naminé originally a subject of the experiments going on there? Please tell us about the details of the Organization's experiments. Also, was the pod Sora entered somehow related to the experiments done by the Organization? Was the pod in Twilight Town the same sort of thing?'''
:At present, I think there are four broad stories you could say are blank: "[[Kingdom Hearts 0.2 Birth by Sleep -A fragmentary passage- |King Mickey's period of absence]]", "Riku's period of absence", "[[Roxas]]'s [[Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days|days]] with [[Organization XIII]]", and "[[Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep|Xehanort]]'s [[Kingdom Hearts Dark Road|past]]". In that case, "King Mickey's time of absence" would be a story set in the Realm of Darkness. I have been considering over and over how I ought to tell these four stories, so perhaps someday they will be told in some way.
:In the end, the Organization's goal is to obtain the Kingdom Heart's of people's hearts and to fully exist. These Nobodies are called "the Non-Existent Ones". In order to assume a new existence, information about their own personal circumstances must first be gathered. A Nobody's main characteristic is that without a heart they use memories to form the parts of a personality and emotions. For them, memories have become an essential element. The birth of Castle Oblivion itself is still a mystery but before the Organization was born into this world it was there. The Organization discovered this castle. You should be able to make some guesses from the additional scenes this time, and fairly quickly be able to think of the next stage.


:At the same time Roxas awoke in Twilight Town, Naminé awoke in Castle Oblivion. Afterwards, the Organization discovered Naminé. The organization thought of Naminé's gift to manipulate memories as a way to resolve the actual circumstances surrounding each of their abilities and attributes. The memories of those who enter were used in the experiments on memories going on there. Above all else, the Organization's leader Xemnas was investigating the importance of memories. During these experiments, in order for these memories to be broken and then regenerated, those pods were made by the Organization. The pod Sora awoke from in Twilight Town and the pod Diz moved from Castle Oblivion to keep away from the Organization's pursuit are the same thing. Also, there is an additional scene where Xigbar talks about the "true goal of Castle Oblivion" and when this particular scene appears, I think all mystery surrounding Castle Oblivion should become clear.
:That place that appears at the beginning and end of ''KHII'', called the [[Dark Margin]], is the tip of the cape of that world, and it is not strictly part of the Realm of Darkness but a boundary-like place between Darkness and Between. This means that in the ending Sora and Riku are looking at an ocean in the Realm of Darkness from a beach in the Realm Between. This also means that the scene of the door appearing in the ocean of darkness at the end was symbolic of Sora's "deep down, there's a light that never goes out" line from the first game.


==Part 2- About the Keyblades==
'''IV - There are also many things regarding Castle Oblivion that remain mysterious. Did Organization XIII build that castle themselves, with [[Naminé]] the original subject of the experiments they conducted there? Please tell us the details of the experiments the Organization were carrying out. Also, was that [[pod]] that Sora entered something the Organization built in relation to those experiments? Are they the same pods in Twilight Town?
'''V - There is still a lot of mystery about the keyblades I think. The "Light side, heart of worlds keyblade" that Sora wields, the "keyblade of people's hearts" made from the Seven Princesses' hearts for Riku, and the "Dark side, heart of worlds keyblade" that the king obtained in the realm of darkness, presently these 3 types can be confirmed. Could you please explain things a little further?'''
:Keyblades have 2 different constitutions, either from the Light side or the Dark side. This is merely the exterior key, the inner key can act from either side and its abilities won't change. There is no clear division between good and evil. Usually the door to each world is closed and the keyhole itself is not visible. By bringing a keyblade nearby, the keyhole appears. But the lock is not actually closed itself. Indeed, the Heartless were able to find the door and easily open it and in this way steal hearts. In the previous game, Sora turned the locks and closed these doors. Furthermore, about the opened door of the integrated heart of worlds "Kingdom Hearts" itself, to prevent the outflow of the darkness within hearts the intent and reasons were different so the keyblade was used for a different purpose. In order to work, the door needs to be closed from both the Dark side and the Light side and both a dark and light realm keyblade are needed. The King needed a keyblade opposite from the realm of light keyblade that Sora had, so he went to the realm of darkness to obtain one.


:The keyblade constructed from the Seven Princesses' hearts that Riku obtained in the previous game allowed for the keyhole in Hollow Bastion to appear. For the plan to cause darkness to overflow from hearts, the special hearts held be the Princesses were used to artificially make this keyblade. So it is different from a proper keyblade. There are further suggestions that this keyblade is artificial as well.
:The ultimate goal of the Organization was to obtain a Kingdom Hearts of the hearts of people and become complete beings, and because Nobodies were a new kind of being beyond all expectations, said to be "nonexistent beings", the lack of background knowledge made it necessary for them to collect information relating to their own condition. One major feature of the Nobodies is that they form personalities and feelings through memories without hearts. This means that "[[memory]]" is a very important element to them. The creation of Castle Oblivion itself is still a mystery, but, as you can guess from the cutscenes added to this title, you may consider that the Organization discovered the castle, which was there since before the Organization was created, at quite an early stage.


'''VI-Could you please give an explanation for the new keyblade "Way to the Dawn" that Riku obtained and the keyblade Kairi has as well as what the conditions for using a keyblade are?'''
:And also, around the same time that Roxas woke up in Twilight Town, Naminé woke up in Castle Oblivion. This means that she was found by the Organization after that. Just as each Organization member has an attribute ability, Naminé possesses the power to manipulate "memory", and they thought that this ability was the key to illuminating the truths of the condition of the Nobodies. This means that in that place that affected the "memory" of those who entered they carried out experiments relating to memory. Above all, [[Xemnas]], the leader of the Organization, seemed to be searching for something important related to "memory". Some of their experiments involved the breaking and rebirth of memories, and those pods were for that purpose indeed created by the Organization. The pod that Sora woke up in in Twilight Town was the same one from Castle Oblivion. DiZ had moved everything as it was in order to escape pursuit by the Organization. Also, as [[Xigbar]] says in a cutscene added to this title: when the time comes to reveal the details of "the true purpose of Castle Oblivion", all the mysteries regarding Castle Oblivion will be solved.
:There isn't necessarily one keyblade for the dark side and one for the light side, just as many as there exist people with qualified hearts. Concerning the conditions to wield one, at this stage, "Those with strong hearts" is the only obvious one. However, less obvious conditions still exist and there are still plans for an opportunity to reveal those. Riku's "Way to the Dawn" and Kairi's keyblade are naturally the same type of keyblade as Sora's. However there is no particular explanation for the Soul Eater's transfer and occurrence, as well as Riku's handing it to Kairi. When there isn't a normal process of acquisition, I think its ok to think there is some deeper meaning there.  


'''VII-In KH, at the same time Sora became a heartless Roxas was born and entered the Organization. So if that's the case, at that point in time at Castle Oblivion Sora used a keyblade while at the same time Roxas would have been using a keyblade. Was this Sora's keyblade? Within the organization I think we particularly saw Roxas using a keyblade. And similar to Roxas, Sora served as another Keyblade Master conveniently gathering hearts. So why was the Organization defeated?'''
==Part 2 - ABOUT THE KEYBLADE==
:The keyblade that Roxas used and the thing that Sora once lost in Castle Oblivion are the same thing. Furthermore, these two both used the keyblade at the same time. This is can be explained by the relationship between Roxas and Sora. Thus, that both can wield two keyblades in fact has an important meaning. This is also related to Xehanort's memories, but this point can't be touched on just yet.
'''V - We believe there are still many mysteries surrounding the [[Keyblade]]. As of now we have been able to discern three types of Keyblades: Keyblades of the hearts of worlds of light, such as the one Sora wields, Keyblades of people's hearts, such as the one Riku made from the hearts of the princesses, and Keyblades of the hearts of worlds of darkness, such as the one King Mickey obtained in the Realm of Darkness. We would like you to explain each of these.'''


:Furthermore, from the time that the two were both using the keyblade at the same time, the Organization itself was using Sora for their ultimate goal. Soon enough, each of the Organization's expectations differed. By changing Sora and Roxas's movements, eventually they became unable to use Sora for their true meaning. As a result, Sora became an obstacle to the movements of the organization itself and he had to be defeated. But even if Sora were to be defeated, you could say there are other things to think about in making that sacrifice.
:Keyblades may have one of two make-up: light-side, or dark-side. That is not a "good or evil" classification, however. Like interior versus exterior keys, the only difference is merely from which side they are able to work. The door of each world is normally closed, the [[Keyhole]] itself in an invisible state. These Keyholes, which appear when a Keyblade is held up to them, are not locked. This means that once the [[Heartless]] find a door it is very easy for them to open it and steal the heart, which is why Sora went around locking those doors in the first title. Keyblades were also used for a purpose different to any prior intentions or reasons - on the door that opens on the heart that stands as the gathering of the world's hearts, Kingdom Hearts - to guard against the darkness leaking from within that heart. In order to do that, the door had to be shut from both the side of light and the side of darkness, which required the use of Keyblades from both the Realm of Light and the Realm of Darkness. That is why King Mickey went to get a Keyblade from the Realm of Darkness - to serve as the counterpart to Sora's Keyblade of the Realm of Light.
==Part 3-About the Characters==
'''VIII-When the heartless are defeated, what becomes of the stolen hearts? Also, when members of Organization XIII and other Nobodies are defeated, do they return to their original form?'''
:When heartless are defeated, essentially the owner's hearts are rejoined with their once extinguished body, whichever world it may be on. As for the whereabouts of hearts in KHII that turn up, this time they remarkably went to the organization (there is a foot note here that says "In Kingdom Hearts II after heartless were defeated, the many hearts were absorbed by the Kingdom Hearts of "people's hearts"). However, in the rare case that the body changed into a Nobody, when there is no container for the heart it resorts to a state of suspension.


:In the case of a Nobody being defeated, it's a little more complicated. If the above mentioned hearts are liberated, they return to their original form. However, if the heart is still stolen by the heartless, the Nobody's body is swallowed by darkness. If somewhere in the world their hearts are taken back, perhaps they might be able to return to their original human form.
:Then, as for the Keyblade made from the hearts of the princesses that Riku wielded in the first title, it was designed from the special hearts of the princesses purely for the sake of the plan to make the Keyhole appear in [[Hollow Bastion]] and force darkness to flood from that heart. It was different from the original Keyblades. There are also hints that Keyblades are artificial, people-made objects.


'''IX-Could you please gather some information about the main characters? The reason Sora becomes Anti Form, the reason Riku is able to be selected by a keyblade, Kairi's memories of Radiant Garden, Roxas and Naminé's differences from other Nobodies, the absence of Sora and them, their parent's and friends, and what about school?'''
'''VI - Please explain Riku's newly obtained [[Way to the Dawn]] and [[Destiny's Embrace|the Keyblade Kairi wields]], and tell us about the conditions of becoming a Keyblade Wielder.'''
:Concerning Sora's Anti Form, you could think that the reason is related to his changing into a heartless once before. In fact, beyond Sora's Nobody, you it is natural to assume that Sora is influenced by the heartless. Riku's Dark Mode is similar. By using such a strong power too much, he may have ended up approaching too close to darkness. There should be a hint about Riku being a chosen wielder hidden discreetly somewhere in the additions to the game, so certainly try and find it. As for Kairi's memories, there's nothing particularly special about them. If I personally regained memories from before I was 5, I think i wouldn't remember many details about them. That is to say on a general level, there are things I would remember and things I would forget.


:Because there is already a detailed explanation of Roxas and Naminé being special Nobodies in this volume, please read the specific details there. I'll summarize it so its easy to understand. Essentially when a strong hearted person has their heart stolen, they change into a heartless, and on rare occasions their body changes into a Nobody. But in the case for these 2, for Kairi's heart to be hidden within Sora, i took a special shape. Moreover, when Sora himself was changed into a heartless he was purified by Kairi. In order for Sora to be revived without following the essential course, the special way Roxas and Naminé were born from these types, special Nobodies ended up being left behind. Still, I get the feeling from the story so far that Xemnas might also be a special Nobody.
:There isn't just one Keyblade for the side of light and one for darkness. There are as many Keyblades in existence as there are hearts qualified to wield them. At this stage, the only requirement that has been made clear is that someone must have a "strong heart", but there are other requirements that haven't been spelled out yet which I plan to reveal another time when I have the chance. Riku's Way to the Dawn and the Keyblade [[Kairi]] wields are of the same nature as Sora's Keyblade. However, what with one having developed with the [[Soul Eater]] as intermediary and one having been handed to Kairi by Riku, I would like you to think that something not fully explained, outside the usual method of acquirement, is going on here.


:Finally, about the people on Destiny Island, at the time of Sora and groups disappearance, on the night of the storm from the previous game, Destiny Island itself ended up disappearing and for the people of that world time is stopped. Afterwards, Sora slept for 1 year, and then everyone's memories of Sora himself were no longer there. As such the memory actually became "On the night of the storm, Riku's body disappeared". Once Sora awoke, the memories of him returned. Eventually the memories of Sora, just as Riku was no longer there after the storm that night, were that both of them had disappeared. (footnote: However, Kairi alone was once assimilated into Sora's heart. In this edition "Kingdom Hearts II" i strongly feel that he was influenced by this.
'''VII - If Roxas was born and joined the Organization during the same period that Sora became a Heartless, then that means Roxas was using a Keyblade during the same period that Sora was using one in Castle Oblivion. Was he using Sora's Keyblade? It seems that Roxas was valued within the Organization for being a Keyblade Wielder, and surely it would have been handy for them to have Sora, another hero of the Keyblade, gathering hearts. In that case, why did the Organization try to defeat Sora?'''


'''X-KH's Ansem (Xehanort) seems to have thoroughly gotten rid of his own heart, but Xemnas (Xehanort) commanding Organization XIII is seeking a fresh heart. If I understand that in becoming a heartless and a nobody, they became 2 different people, would their minds then as well become separate? Also, the original Xehanort should have some memory loss but in the additional scenes this time there seem to be some questionable parts. Have his memories returned, or perhaps the memory loss itself was a lie?'''
:The Keyblade Roxas used was the same one that Sora lost temporarily in Castle Oblivion. And then the two of them were using that Keyblade at the same time, which is accounted for by the relationship between Roxas and Sora if you think about it. However, the fact that both of them are dual wielders actually means something rather major. This is connected to the story of "Xehanort's memories", and I cannot touch that topic with a ten foot pole right now.
:In essence, the two are the same. However, they function under separate minds. Xehanort most certainly got rid of his heart, and at that time it's assumed a Nobody was born. The means of obtaining their goal is different due to the nature of Heartless and Nobodies. However. I think for both of them the desire "to become a complete existence" is the same. This time the new mysterious keyword "Xehanort's memories" is left behind. In the "Secret Ansem Report" that Ansem the Wise wrote and mysteriously left behind, there is a hidden secret that will have a big influence on KH. As for the contents of his memories and the present condition of them, I cannot reveal that just yet.  


==Part 4-About the Keyblade War, and other further developments of KH==
:Also, while the two of them were both using that Keyblade, the Organization were trying to use Sora for the sake of their own end goals. Before long, however, due to different expectations held by different Organization members and the actions of Sora and Roxas themselves, their methods changed, and, in the end, they became unable to use Sora in any real way. Sora getting in the way of the Organization's actions in this way is what caused them to try to defeat him. You could also say that they were thinking that even if they were to defeat Sora, they had a replacement.
'''XI-Concerning the keyword Keyblade War, could you be a little more specific about that? Could it be related to the "Fairytale of Children and Light" that Kairi's Grandmother told?(footnote: In Kingdom Heats, Sora experienced Kairi's memories. It was the scene when Kairi's Grandmother told her an old story when she was still young. It was about when worlds were swallowed by darkness, children used the power of fragments of light to rebuild worlds.)'''
:To tell the story about the Keyblade War we need the capacity of hi-spec hardware and we need to accumulate all of our knowledge on this hardware. And in telling this story, we will need to tell it in separate episodes, and how specifically to tell it has yet to be figured out.


:As for the fairytale that Kairi heard, for everyone to feel like such and old fairytale is real, I think we need a little more time. That is to say, to talk specifically about either this soon might perhaps be irrelevant.
==Part 3 - ABOUT THE CHARACTERS==
'''VIII - When you defeat Heartless, what happens to the hearts they have stolen? Also, when Nobodies and members of Organization XIII are defeated, do they return to their original forms?'''


'''XII-Of the people that appear in the new secret movie "Birth By Sleep" that was added to KHII:FM, several names and figures are recognizable and must be extremely meaningful. Giving specifics is likely impossible, but could you give us a hint? Furthermore, do the 3 armored figures that appear there and the similar looking armored figure in the Last Battle have some relation to Xemnas?'''
:When a Heartless is defeated, essentially, the owner of that heart returns to life somewhere in the Realm with the body that had once disappeared. Some facts about where hearts go were also established in ''KHII'', but those were exceptional circumstances brought about by the Organization. However, there is the rare case in which a body changes into a Nobody. If that has happened, without the vessel it ought to return to the heart will go into a suspended state.
:For the recognizable figures and the recognizable faces, reaching the secret this time is extremely difficult, but I think the video is fairly spectacular and will stir you imaginations. The armored figures have a connection to Xemnas but after all I can't give any specifics at the present stage. But, the video this time has a foreboding opening and please think of the figures ahead as having reason and a hinting connection.


'''XIII-Lastly, has Sora's journey come to an end this time? Before you told us "I have the end of Kingdom Hearts in my head", but does this mean that Sora won't be there? There seem to be new developments with the Kingdom Hearts Series, so can you please tell us within the present limits any hints?'''
:When a Nobody is defeated, it's a little complicated. If the heart has been released they will return to their original form as mentioned above, but if the heart is still dispossessed by a Heartless, the Nobody will be swallowed by darkness. If their heart, wherever it is in the realm, could be taken back perhaps they could return to their original human form.
:Without recalling too much about the mysteries and problems of the outline remaining for KH series thus far, I don't think that Sora's journey is over. If you get to see the ending of KHII I think you will be able to sense some new premonitions. About what I said about the "end" of KH, of course I won't be able to say anything about that yet, but if the numbering of KH were to go to "III", I doubt that Sora would have no relation to it. And even if I wrap up Kingdom Hearts, I don't think that Sora will be irrelevant.


'''IX - Now we will ask about the main characters in general. Why can Sora turn into the [[AntiForm]]? Why was Riku chosen by the Keyblade? What of Kairi's memories of Radiant Garden? How are Roxas and Naminé different from other Nobodies? And, while Sora and his friends were gone, what happened to their school, their friends, and their parents?'''


:Also, there are many new developments. I think that the news will be able to satisfy the widely supportive KH fans everywhere. Because there is still more to say about this "new" thing, please dare to think with a different flow, rather than just going with what's mainstream. I will give you a hint about the contents of one of the numerous developments. In the freshly added secret movie a phrase comes out, "Fate doesn't happen by accident, there is necessity".
:You can consider the time Sora turned into a Heartless as the reason he can change into the AntiForm. Actually, it is more natural to think that on top of the existence of his Nobody, there would be more effects remaining from Sora becoming a Heartless. Perhaps using too much strong power will bring him closer to the darkness, just like Riku's [[Dark Mode]]. As for why Riku was chosen, there is an indirect hint hidden somewhere in the material added to this title, so please see if you can find it. As for Kairi's memories, there isn't anything particularly special there. Try thinking back to your own memories from when you were five years old - I'm sure you don't really remember that many details. In other words, I think she does and doesn't remember things on an ordinary level.


:In the near future, when you experience the new Kingdom Hearts, please see about opening this book. I think surely some of these points will tie together. And also at that time, it would be very fortunate if all the fans everywhere have a good time with it. Until an announcement comes, please have you fill of fun with this game and look forward to the next.
:The fact that Roxas and Naminé are special Nobodies is already explained thoroughly elsewhere, so please read that for the details. Essentially, when someone with a strong heart has their heart stolen and becomes a Heartless, there is a rare chance that the flesh body left behind will turn into a Nobody. However, these two have a special case - Kairi's heart had been hidden in Sora, and Sora himself was also purified of his Heartless state by Kairi. Sora's revival, which doesn't follow the usual script, meant Roxas and Naminé were born in a special way, making them left-over Nobodies of sorts. Furthermore, you should have felt from the story so far that Xemnas is also a special Nobody.


:Lastly, while Sora and others were gone, time had stopped for the people on the world of [[Destiny Islands]] - on the night of the storm in the first game, the Islands were wiped out. After that, the only reality for them for the year that Sora slept was that "Riku vanished on the night of the storm", as all their memories of Sora himself had disappeared. Those memories inside them of Sora did return when Sora awakened, but, in the end, their memories regarding Sora simply matched those of Riku - that they had both vanished ever since the night of the storm.
'''X - We believe that in ''KHI'' Ansem ([[Xehanort]]) abandoned his own heart. However, Organization XIII, led by Xemnas (Xehanort), sought to regain their hearts. Is this because the two of them - split as Heartless and Nobody - became different people with separate intentions? Also, despite the fact that Xehanort, who serves as their base, was meant to have lost his memories, in one of the scenes added to this title, there was a part where he insinuated something about the past. Does that mean his memories have come back? Or does it mean his memory loss was a lie all along?'''
:Both of them share a true nature, but they were acting upon separate intentions. It is true that Xehanort abandoned his heart, but at that time Nobodies being born was probably completely outside his expectations, and the different natures of Heartless and Nobodies meant different methods for his goals, too. However, I think that both of them shared the same desire to be a "complete being". I left a new mystery hidden in the last "[[Ansem's Reports|Secret Ansem Report]]", written by Ansem the Wise. The key phrase that symbolizes this mystery is "Xehanort's Memories", in which hides a secret with huge implications for future ''KH'' titles. I still cannot reveal anything concerning the content or state of his memory.
==Part 4 - ABOUT THE KEYBLADE WAR AND FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS FOR ''KINGDOM HEARTS''==
'''XI - We'd like to ask for a few more details regarding the key phrase "the [[Keyblade War]]". Does it have anything to do with the "fairy-tale of the children and the light" told by [[Kairi's Grandma|Kairi's grandmother]]?'''
:In order to tell [[Kingdom Hearts Union χ|the story of the Keyblade War]], we need high-spec, high-volume hardware, and we ourselves need to gather the know—how to deal with that hardware. There are also other episodes we need to show before we can tell that story, so I won't be able to give details for some time yet.
:As for the fairy-tale that Kairi heard, that too requires a little more time before, like a fairy-tale you've all heard, I can make it feel real for you. In other words, if I can't talk about either of these things until later, it's certainly not unlikely that they are relevant.
'''XII - ''{{c|Birth by Sleep|video}}'', the new secret movie added to ''KHIIFM'', was extremely significant - and some of the people who appeared seemed familiar. Even if you can't give details, can't you give us any hints? Also, do the three who appeared in armor have any connection to Xemnas, who appeared in similar armor in the last battle?'''
:There are familiar figures, and familiar faces - this secret movie is incredibly difficult to reach, but I think it is a considerably impressive movie that stirs up the imagination. There is some kind of connection to Xemnas' armor, but of course I can't answer in detail at this stage. However, this movie marks the rise of new premonitions, so please think that the motives and foreshadowing of the figures and such we've seen so far will connect up ahead.
'''XIII - Lastly, is this the last adventure for Sora? You've said that you have the end of ''Kingdom Hearts'' in your head, but will Sora be there? And, please give us a hint concerning the future developments of the series within the limits of what you can say at present.'''
:There is a summary of the remaining questions mysteries of the ''KH'' series so far collected in this book - from that, I don't think Sora's journey is over. If you watch the end of ''KHII'', I think you will feel those new premonitions. I can't say anything more about the "end" of ''KH'' that I spoke of before, of course, but I don't think Sora would be unconnected to ''KHIII'', if the numbered titles reach that far. So, I think Sora will be relevant right up to if we wrap up ''Kingdom Hearts''.
:As for the new developments, there are several in the works. I believe they will answer the needs of ''KH'' fans, from whom we receive extensive support. I dare label them as "new" - please think of them as different streams rather than part of the main flow. I'll give you a hint regarding the content of one of them. In the newly added secret movie appear these words: destiny is never left to chance.
:In the near future, once you've experienced the new ''Kingdom Hearts'' titles for yourselves, please try reading this book once more. I'm sure you will be able to connect many of the dots. I will be so happy if the fans enjoy themselves when the time comes. First, as you look forward to the coming announcements, please play this title to your hearts content.
[[fr:Another Report: Secret Report]]
[[Category:Kingdom Hearts II]]
[[Category:Kingdom Hearts II]]

Latest revision as of 04:09, 12 November 2021

Valet? He's the product of pure research.
Vexen B 7★ KHUX.png
This article is about a real-world document and contains a transcript of material from Kingdom Hearts Another Report. The translation of this material was performed by Goldpanner, and it is used with permission.

All rights to this material belong to their original authors, and any suggested corrections to this article should be discussed on its talk page to maintain proper attribution.

The Director's Secret Report XIII is a thirteen-part exposé featuring Tetsuya Nomura's secrets about the worlds, characters, and overall story of the Kingdom Hearts series. This report is included in the book "Another Report" that comes with the Limited Edition version of Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix+.

Part 1 - ABOUT THE WORLD OF KINGDOM HEARTS[edit]

I - In the Kingdom Hearts (hereon KH) series so far, two kinds of "Kingdom Hearts" have appeared, the "heart of worlds" and the "heart of people". Can you please explain their makeup?

I think of "all life has heart" as the most basic premise of KH. The heart of worlds was a great heart that gathered everything that formed those worlds: the natural things such as the trees in the forests, the oceans and rivers, the flowers and such. The heart of people, as it is called, was the collected hearts of the humans and animals and such that lived in those worlds. A Kingdom Hearts is considered to be an aggregation of the originally invisible "proofs of life" known as hearts.

II - Please explain the structure of and means by which one may travel between the worlds that serve as the setting of Kingdom Hearts.

As for the structure of the worlds, first, the so-to-speak normal worlds—the ones that Sora, the Disney characters and we live on—are situated in the Realm of Light. If you picture those worlds as existing on the same level on top of a giant plane, then on a separate level, in other words on the reverse side, exists the Realm of Darkness.
Regarding the Realm Between, four worlds have appeared so far: (A) Castle Oblivion, (B) Twilight Town, (C) Yen Sid's Tower, and (D) The World That Never Was. You can think of them as arranged like a stairway extending between the two Realm layers, something like Light < C < B > A > D > Darkness. There are two ways to travel, one of which is to use a Gummi Ship like Sora and his friends do to move through the "Ocean Between", the space studded with all the worlds. Worlds are encased in an invisible shell which keeps the individual world from being breached by other worlds, but when the door to the heart that exists in each world is opened, the shell covering that world is broken, and it rains down as a meteor shower. The meteors, fragments of that shell, result in Gummi Blocks for Gummi Ships. Gummi Blocks have the ability to breach any world as they were originally part of the world-covering shells.
The other way is to use a "corridor of darkness". These routes are like a loophole of sorts and not pathways that should rightfully be used. While only those known as beings of darkness and beings of between are able to create entries and exits, in rare cases even other kinds of beings such as the Beast and DiZ, who held strong sentiment or hatred in their hearts, have been able to open a path themselves. However, this means being near the darkness. Make frequent use of the pathways and the darkness will completely erode one's body. Sora and his friends have also used these pathways a handful of times, but you could consider that the effect of passing through a corridor of darkness is influenced by the strength of one's heart, and as such they have not used them to the degree of frequency that their hearts could have been stained by darkness. In which case, why hasn't erosion by darkness progressed in the heart-lacking Nobodies, King Mickey or Riku, despite them having used the pathways frequently? There is a secret relating to a feature they all share, explained in this very title.

III - Is there a possibility that blank points in time and settings that haven't been shown in detail such as the "Realm of Darkness" etc. will be depicted in the future? Was the beach that appeared at the beginning and end of KHII the "Realm of Darkness"?

At present, I think there are four broad stories you could say are blank: "King Mickey's period of absence", "Riku's period of absence", "Roxas's days with Organization XIII", and "Xehanort's past". In that case, "King Mickey's time of absence" would be a story set in the Realm of Darkness. I have been considering over and over how I ought to tell these four stories, so perhaps someday they will be told in some way.
That place that appears at the beginning and end of KHII, called the Dark Margin, is the tip of the cape of that world, and it is not strictly part of the Realm of Darkness but a boundary-like place between Darkness and Between. This means that in the ending Sora and Riku are looking at an ocean in the Realm of Darkness from a beach in the Realm Between. This also means that the scene of the door appearing in the ocean of darkness at the end was symbolic of Sora's "deep down, there's a light that never goes out" line from the first game.

IV - There are also many things regarding Castle Oblivion that remain mysterious. Did Organization XIII build that castle themselves, with Naminé the original subject of the experiments they conducted there? Please tell us the details of the experiments the Organization were carrying out. Also, was that pod that Sora entered something the Organization built in relation to those experiments? Are they the same pods in Twilight Town?

The ultimate goal of the Organization was to obtain a Kingdom Hearts of the hearts of people and become complete beings, and because Nobodies were a new kind of being beyond all expectations, said to be "nonexistent beings", the lack of background knowledge made it necessary for them to collect information relating to their own condition. One major feature of the Nobodies is that they form personalities and feelings through memories without hearts. This means that "memory" is a very important element to them. The creation of Castle Oblivion itself is still a mystery, but, as you can guess from the cutscenes added to this title, you may consider that the Organization discovered the castle, which was there since before the Organization was created, at quite an early stage.
And also, around the same time that Roxas woke up in Twilight Town, Naminé woke up in Castle Oblivion. This means that she was found by the Organization after that. Just as each Organization member has an attribute ability, Naminé possesses the power to manipulate "memory", and they thought that this ability was the key to illuminating the truths of the condition of the Nobodies. This means that in that place that affected the "memory" of those who entered they carried out experiments relating to memory. Above all, Xemnas, the leader of the Organization, seemed to be searching for something important related to "memory". Some of their experiments involved the breaking and rebirth of memories, and those pods were for that purpose indeed created by the Organization. The pod that Sora woke up in in Twilight Town was the same one from Castle Oblivion. DiZ had moved everything as it was in order to escape pursuit by the Organization. Also, as Xigbar says in a cutscene added to this title: when the time comes to reveal the details of "the true purpose of Castle Oblivion", all the mysteries regarding Castle Oblivion will be solved.

Part 2 - ABOUT THE KEYBLADE[edit]

V - We believe there are still many mysteries surrounding the Keyblade. As of now we have been able to discern three types of Keyblades: Keyblades of the hearts of worlds of light, such as the one Sora wields, Keyblades of people's hearts, such as the one Riku made from the hearts of the princesses, and Keyblades of the hearts of worlds of darkness, such as the one King Mickey obtained in the Realm of Darkness. We would like you to explain each of these.

Keyblades may have one of two make-up: light-side, or dark-side. That is not a "good or evil" classification, however. Like interior versus exterior keys, the only difference is merely from which side they are able to work. The door of each world is normally closed, the Keyhole itself in an invisible state. These Keyholes, which appear when a Keyblade is held up to them, are not locked. This means that once the Heartless find a door it is very easy for them to open it and steal the heart, which is why Sora went around locking those doors in the first title. Keyblades were also used for a purpose different to any prior intentions or reasons - on the door that opens on the heart that stands as the gathering of the world's hearts, Kingdom Hearts - to guard against the darkness leaking from within that heart. In order to do that, the door had to be shut from both the side of light and the side of darkness, which required the use of Keyblades from both the Realm of Light and the Realm of Darkness. That is why King Mickey went to get a Keyblade from the Realm of Darkness - to serve as the counterpart to Sora's Keyblade of the Realm of Light.
Then, as for the Keyblade made from the hearts of the princesses that Riku wielded in the first title, it was designed from the special hearts of the princesses purely for the sake of the plan to make the Keyhole appear in Hollow Bastion and force darkness to flood from that heart. It was different from the original Keyblades. There are also hints that Keyblades are artificial, people-made objects.

VI - Please explain Riku's newly obtained Way to the Dawn and the Keyblade Kairi wields, and tell us about the conditions of becoming a Keyblade Wielder.

There isn't just one Keyblade for the side of light and one for darkness. There are as many Keyblades in existence as there are hearts qualified to wield them. At this stage, the only requirement that has been made clear is that someone must have a "strong heart", but there are other requirements that haven't been spelled out yet which I plan to reveal another time when I have the chance. Riku's Way to the Dawn and the Keyblade Kairi wields are of the same nature as Sora's Keyblade. However, what with one having developed with the Soul Eater as intermediary and one having been handed to Kairi by Riku, I would like you to think that something not fully explained, outside the usual method of acquirement, is going on here.

VII - If Roxas was born and joined the Organization during the same period that Sora became a Heartless, then that means Roxas was using a Keyblade during the same period that Sora was using one in Castle Oblivion. Was he using Sora's Keyblade? It seems that Roxas was valued within the Organization for being a Keyblade Wielder, and surely it would have been handy for them to have Sora, another hero of the Keyblade, gathering hearts. In that case, why did the Organization try to defeat Sora?

The Keyblade Roxas used was the same one that Sora lost temporarily in Castle Oblivion. And then the two of them were using that Keyblade at the same time, which is accounted for by the relationship between Roxas and Sora if you think about it. However, the fact that both of them are dual wielders actually means something rather major. This is connected to the story of "Xehanort's memories", and I cannot touch that topic with a ten foot pole right now.
Also, while the two of them were both using that Keyblade, the Organization were trying to use Sora for the sake of their own end goals. Before long, however, due to different expectations held by different Organization members and the actions of Sora and Roxas themselves, their methods changed, and, in the end, they became unable to use Sora in any real way. Sora getting in the way of the Organization's actions in this way is what caused them to try to defeat him. You could also say that they were thinking that even if they were to defeat Sora, they had a replacement.

Part 3 - ABOUT THE CHARACTERS[edit]

VIII - When you defeat Heartless, what happens to the hearts they have stolen? Also, when Nobodies and members of Organization XIII are defeated, do they return to their original forms?

When a Heartless is defeated, essentially, the owner of that heart returns to life somewhere in the Realm with the body that had once disappeared. Some facts about where hearts go were also established in KHII, but those were exceptional circumstances brought about by the Organization. However, there is the rare case in which a body changes into a Nobody. If that has happened, without the vessel it ought to return to the heart will go into a suspended state.
When a Nobody is defeated, it's a little complicated. If the heart has been released they will return to their original form as mentioned above, but if the heart is still dispossessed by a Heartless, the Nobody will be swallowed by darkness. If their heart, wherever it is in the realm, could be taken back perhaps they could return to their original human form.

IX - Now we will ask about the main characters in general. Why can Sora turn into the AntiForm? Why was Riku chosen by the Keyblade? What of Kairi's memories of Radiant Garden? How are Roxas and Naminé different from other Nobodies? And, while Sora and his friends were gone, what happened to their school, their friends, and their parents?

You can consider the time Sora turned into a Heartless as the reason he can change into the AntiForm. Actually, it is more natural to think that on top of the existence of his Nobody, there would be more effects remaining from Sora becoming a Heartless. Perhaps using too much strong power will bring him closer to the darkness, just like Riku's Dark Mode. As for why Riku was chosen, there is an indirect hint hidden somewhere in the material added to this title, so please see if you can find it. As for Kairi's memories, there isn't anything particularly special there. Try thinking back to your own memories from when you were five years old - I'm sure you don't really remember that many details. In other words, I think she does and doesn't remember things on an ordinary level.
The fact that Roxas and Naminé are special Nobodies is already explained thoroughly elsewhere, so please read that for the details. Essentially, when someone with a strong heart has their heart stolen and becomes a Heartless, there is a rare chance that the flesh body left behind will turn into a Nobody. However, these two have a special case - Kairi's heart had been hidden in Sora, and Sora himself was also purified of his Heartless state by Kairi. Sora's revival, which doesn't follow the usual script, meant Roxas and Naminé were born in a special way, making them left-over Nobodies of sorts. Furthermore, you should have felt from the story so far that Xemnas is also a special Nobody.
Lastly, while Sora and others were gone, time had stopped for the people on the world of Destiny Islands - on the night of the storm in the first game, the Islands were wiped out. After that, the only reality for them for the year that Sora slept was that "Riku vanished on the night of the storm", as all their memories of Sora himself had disappeared. Those memories inside them of Sora did return when Sora awakened, but, in the end, their memories regarding Sora simply matched those of Riku - that they had both vanished ever since the night of the storm.

X - We believe that in KHI Ansem (Xehanort) abandoned his own heart. However, Organization XIII, led by Xemnas (Xehanort), sought to regain their hearts. Is this because the two of them - split as Heartless and Nobody - became different people with separate intentions? Also, despite the fact that Xehanort, who serves as their base, was meant to have lost his memories, in one of the scenes added to this title, there was a part where he insinuated something about the past. Does that mean his memories have come back? Or does it mean his memory loss was a lie all along?

Both of them share a true nature, but they were acting upon separate intentions. It is true that Xehanort abandoned his heart, but at that time Nobodies being born was probably completely outside his expectations, and the different natures of Heartless and Nobodies meant different methods for his goals, too. However, I think that both of them shared the same desire to be a "complete being". I left a new mystery hidden in the last "Secret Ansem Report", written by Ansem the Wise. The key phrase that symbolizes this mystery is "Xehanort's Memories", in which hides a secret with huge implications for future KH titles. I still cannot reveal anything concerning the content or state of his memory.

Part 4 - ABOUT THE KEYBLADE WAR AND FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS FOR KINGDOM HEARTS[edit]

XI - We'd like to ask for a few more details regarding the key phrase "the Keyblade War". Does it have anything to do with the "fairy-tale of the children and the light" told by Kairi's grandmother?

In order to tell the story of the Keyblade War, we need high-spec, high-volume hardware, and we ourselves need to gather the know—how to deal with that hardware. There are also other episodes we need to show before we can tell that story, so I won't be able to give details for some time yet.
As for the fairy-tale that Kairi heard, that too requires a little more time before, like a fairy-tale you've all heard, I can make it feel real for you. In other words, if I can't talk about either of these things until later, it's certainly not unlikely that they are relevant.

XII - Birth by Sleep, the new secret movie added to KHIIFM, was extremely significant - and some of the people who appeared seemed familiar. Even if you can't give details, can't you give us any hints? Also, do the three who appeared in armor have any connection to Xemnas, who appeared in similar armor in the last battle?

There are familiar figures, and familiar faces - this secret movie is incredibly difficult to reach, but I think it is a considerably impressive movie that stirs up the imagination. There is some kind of connection to Xemnas' armor, but of course I can't answer in detail at this stage. However, this movie marks the rise of new premonitions, so please think that the motives and foreshadowing of the figures and such we've seen so far will connect up ahead.

XIII - Lastly, is this the last adventure for Sora? You've said that you have the end of Kingdom Hearts in your head, but will Sora be there? And, please give us a hint concerning the future developments of the series within the limits of what you can say at present.

There is a summary of the remaining questions mysteries of the KH series so far collected in this book - from that, I don't think Sora's journey is over. If you watch the end of KHII, I think you will feel those new premonitions. I can't say anything more about the "end" of KH that I spoke of before, of course, but I don't think Sora would be unconnected to KHIII, if the numbered titles reach that far. So, I think Sora will be relevant right up to if we wrap up Kingdom Hearts.
As for the new developments, there are several in the works. I believe they will answer the needs of KH fans, from whom we receive extensive support. I dare label them as "new" - please think of them as different streams rather than part of the main flow. I'll give you a hint regarding the content of one of them. In the newly added secret movie appear these words: destiny is never left to chance.
In the near future, once you've experienced the new Kingdom Hearts titles for yourselves, please try reading this book once more. I'm sure you will be able to connect many of the dots. I will be so happy if the fans enjoy themselves when the time comes. First, as you look forward to the coming announcements, please play this title to your hearts content.