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{{game|BBS}}
{{game|BBS|FMB|KH3|3RM|DR}}
{{translation}}
{{suite}}
{{Spoiler}}
{{Character
{{Unreleased}}
|name=Eraqus
{{InfoCharacter
|image=[[File:Master Eraqus KHIII.png|300x400px]]
|name     = Master Eraqus
|katakana=エラクゥス
|image   = [[File:Master Eraqus.png]]
|romaji=Erakwusu
|kana    = マスター・エラクゥス
|alias={{nihongo|Youth In White|白の若者|Shiro no wakamono}}
|romaji   = ''Masutā Erakwusu''
|fr=Maître Eraqus
|world    = [[Land of Departure]]
|es=Maestro Eraqus
|role    = Keyblade Master
|de=Meister Eraqus
|first    = ''[[Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep]]''
|charworld1=Scala ad Caelum
|engvoice = N/A
|charworld2=Land of Departure
|japvoice = [[wikipedia:Makio Inoue|Makio Inoue]]
|type=Entelechy
|company=original
|game1=Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep
|game2=Kingdom Hearts III
|game3=Kingdom Hearts Dark Road
|enva=Mark Hamill
|enva2=Drake Bell
|enva2n=(Young, ''KHIII'')
|java=Makio Inoue
|java2=Daisuke Namikawa
|java2n=(Young, ''KHIII'')
|journalBBS=One of the true Keyblade Masters and also Terra, Aqua and Ventus's teacher. He has a strong aversion to darkness, and believes it the duty of every Keyblade Master to rid the world of it.<br><br>Though strict on the outside, he is not unkind, and loves his pupils like his own children.
|journalUX=KINGDOM HEARTS BbS (2010)<br>A Keyblade Master and master of Terra, Aqua, and Ventus.
|journalKH3='''Master Eraqus'''<br>The true Keyblade Master who mentored Terra, Aqua, and Ventus. He was struck down by his own brother-in-training, Master Xehanort, in the clash over a decade ago.<br><br>'''The Boy in White'''<br>He and his best friend would often match wits playing chess between training sessions.
}}
}}
'''Master Eraqus''' is a character who appears in ''[[Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep]]'' as the master of [[Ventus]], [[Aqua]], and [[Terra]].
{{Q|Fear leads to obsession with power, and obsession beckons the darkness.|Eraqus warns [[Terra]] of the path to the dark side}}
'''Eraqus''', known to his students as '''Master Eraqus''', is a [[Keyblade Master]] who watches over the [[Land of Departure]]. He is the master of [[Terra]] and [[Aqua]], and he also serves as the second master of [[Ventus]]. In his youth, Eraqus studied with his friend [[Xehanort]] in [[Scala ad Caelum]]. Eraqus was introduced in ''[[Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep]]'' and is the main supporting protagonist of ''[[Kingdom Hearts Dark Road]]''.
 
==Development==
Master Eraqus was conceived as a ''Final Fantasy''-esque counterpart to Disney's Master Yen Sid, given that his name is an anagram of "Square", a reference to Square Enix, the developers of the ''Kingdom Hearts'' series, and his resemblance to Hironobu Sakaguchi, the creator of ''Final Fantasy'' mirrors Yen Sid's name being an anagram of his creator's name, Walt Disney. Tetsuya Nomura once forgot the basis of Eraqus's name, and had to be reminded by an employee that it was an anagram of "Square".<ref>'''''[[Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Ultimania]]''''', '''Interviewer''': "Master Eraqus's name is an anagram of 'Square', right? / '''Tetsuya Nomura''': "Yes, but I didn't really think very hard on that name. Actually, I gave him that name while writing the original plot, but when I read through it later, I couldn't remember what it was supposed to mean. I asked around, but no one knew. Finally, the producer realized that it was supposed to be an anagram for Square and I thought, 'Oh yeah!' (laugh)." [https://www.khinsider.com/news/Full-Nomura-Interview-20-KH-Mysteries-Solved-1366 Translation via Lissar].</ref>
 
In the English version of the series, Eraqus is voiced by Mark Hamill, who was chosen specifically by Nomura because of his role as Luke Skywalker, his love of the ''Star Wars'' series, and his desire to pit ''Star Wars'' and ''Star Trek'' (a series that Nomura is also a fan of) against each other in a "dream match" by casting the late Leonard Nimoy of ''Star Trek'' fame as Master Xehanort, Eraqus's friend turned rival.<ref>'''The Making of ''Birth by Sleep'' - Addendum w/ Tetsuya Nomura''' - "Usually I choose actors whose voices are similar to the Japanese version, but this time around I focused more on candidates who were simply a good fit for the character. For Eraqus and Xehanort, I chose actors who I felt personified these characters best, but also wanted to be a bit playful in my decision-making."</ref><ref>'''Dengeki Magazine, July 7, 2010''' - '''Nomura:''' Mark Hamill will be voicing Master Eraqus, and the voice of Master Xehanort is Leonard Nimoy. It has become the dream battle between ''Star Wars'' and ''Star Trek''.--「スター・ウォーズ」と「スタートレック」の夢の競演になっています</ref>


==Story==
==Story==
===Before ''Kingdom Hearts Dark Road''===
Eraqus is a blueblood, descended from one of the [[Dandelions]].{{storylink|Secret Report 2}}{{?}}<!--cite dandelion bit to ultimania, with quote-->
===''Kingdom Hearts Dark Road''===
Eraqus is one of Xehanort's fellow classmates in [[Scala ad Caelum]], alongside [[Vor]], [[Hermod]], [[Urd]], [[Bragi]], and Baldr. They train together under Master [[Odin]]. He would often spend his days playing [[Alba & Ater]] with Xehanort.
One day, Master Odin informs everyone that the upperclassmen of Keyblade wielders had gone missing, including the sister of his fellow classmate, Baldr, and that his apprentices are to split into two groups to search the worlds. Eraqus travels with Xehanort and another apprentice, heading to [[Agrabah]] first.
While talking with [[Baldr]], it is revealed that Eraqus's grandfather battled the darkness.
{{sec-stub}}
===Between ''Kingdom Hearts Dark Road'' and ''Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep''===
In [[Scala ad Caelum]], [[Xehanort]] questions Eraqus about his knowledge of the [[Keyblade War]] and the "Lost Masters" during a game of Alba & Ater. After the game, the two offer each other their support.
[[File:Flashback The Keyblade Masters 01 KHBBS.png|thumb|left|200px|Eraqus warns Xehanort that recreating the χ-blade is a ridiculous idea.]]
After passing the [[Mark of Mastery exam]], Eraqus becomes a Keyblade Master and is entrusted to safeguard the [[Land of Departure]] while Xehanort leaves to travel the worlds as a Seeker. When the two meet again, Eraqus learns of Xehanort's scheme to cause a second [[Keyblade War]] in order to recreate the [[χ-blade]] and attempts to fight his former friend to stop him from carrying out what would destroy everything. However, his attempt is futile as Xehanort quickly takes him down and scars his face. Years later, Eraqus obtains apprentices of his own, Terra and Aqua, before taking Ventus under his wing from a seemingly repentant Xehanort.
{{-}}
===''Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep''===
===''Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep''===
In the beginning of ''Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep'', Master Eraqus prepares to hold the [[Master Qualification Exam]] for Keyblade wielders and apprentices, when he is introduced to a young [[Ventus]] after Eraqus's long-time colleague [[Master Xehanort]] arrives at the [[Land of Departure]] to witness [[Terra]] and [[Aqua]] as they endure their Exams. The exam is carried out soon afterwards, Aqua passing while Terra fails, Eraqus believing that Terra is on the grounds that he is unable to control his darkness. Little does Eraqus know that Master Xehanort had used his dark powers to tamper with the course of the Exam, itself.
[[File:Mark of Mastery 01 KHBBS.png|thumb|200px|Master Eraqus starting the Mark of Mastery exam.]]
Eraqus holds the Mark of Mastery exam for Terra and Aqua, with Ventus and Xehanort as witnesses. In the end, Eraqus names Aqua master while refusing to give Terra the mantle on the grounds that he is unable to control his darkness. Despite the formality, Eraqus confides to Terra that he has the potential to become a Keyblade Master. Little does Eraqus know that Xehanort had used his dark powers to tamper with the course of the Exam itself. Soon after, he conveys to Aqua the responsibilities that go with her status and what she is required to do if he died for any reason. With Xehanort nowhere to be seen, Eraqus sends Terra and Aqua to find him shortly after being contacted by Master [[Yen Sid]] about the spawning of the mysterious [[Unversed]]. Sensing a possible connection between the two events, Eraqus later instructs Aqua to look after Terra, as he fears his apprentice may be tempted by the darkness. However, after Terra departs, Aqua and Eraqus witness Ventus leaving as well, and he instructs Aqua to bring Ventus back.
 
[[File:Master and Pupil Trade Blows 01 KHBBS.png|thumb|left|200px|Master and apprentice face off.]]
Upon seeing Ventus later returning, Eraqus welcomes him back home with open arms, only to find the boy confused and enraged as he questions him about the χ-blade and his role in its creation. Eraqus, realizing that Xehanort never intended to give up his agenda and revealing to the boy his role in the plot, sees killing Ventus to be the only way to put Xehanort's plot to an end for good. However, Xehanort arranged Terra to arrive to save Ventus from Eraqus. Sensing that Terra has indeed descended into darkness, the youth refusing to let him kill Ventus, Eraqus is left with no choice but to eliminate them both. However, after throwing Ventus into a portal leading to the Destiny Islands, Terra mortally wounds Eraqus. In the end, Terra regretting fighting him while he sees that turning his Keyblade on his own apprentices was an error on judgment, Eraqus is struck from behind by Xehanort and fades in Terra's arms.
 
Avenging Eraqus's death was among Terra's primary motives for defeating Xehanort during the events in the [[Keyblade Graveyard]]. However, after Xehanort uses Terra's body as the first of his [[Terra-Xehanort|vessels]], he learns that Eraqus entered Terra's heart and thus gave him the means to resist Xehanort.
{{-}}
 
===''Kingdom Hearts III''===
[[File:Checkmate 01 KHIII.png|thumb|Eraqus and Xehanort leave for The Final World together.]]
After Master Xehanort is defeated and mortally wounded by [[Sora]], Eraqus leaves the newly-freed Terra's body in spirit form and persuades Xehanort to stand down, despite Xehanort's final attempts to enact the purge with the χ-blade. As Xehanort respectfully hands the χ-blade to Sora to close Kingdom Hearts, Eraqus shares a warm reunion with his three apprentices and entrusts Aqua's and Ventus's care to Terra before joining Xehanort as the two fade away peacefully as friends once again.


Soon after, Master Xehanort and his apprentice [[Vanitas]] go missing. Eraqus sends his three apprentices to find them shortly after being contacted by Master [[Yen Sid]] about the spawning of the mysterious [[Unversed]]. Sensing a possible connection between the two events, Eraqus later instructs Aqua to look after Terra, as he fears the man may be tempted by the darkness.
Terra, Aqua, and Ventus later place Eraqus's Keyblade in the ground in the Land of Departure with their Wayfinders as a makeshift gravestone to honor their fallen master.
{{-}}


As he reaches the end of his journey, Ventus discovers the truth about his past, and in order to get his questions answered, travels back to the Land of Departure so he may talk with Master Eraqus. Meanwhile, Terra receives this news from Master Xehanort and also learns that Eraqus plans to eliminate his friend, the man tricked into thinking that the only way to save Ventus from his grim fate being to eliminate his master. Terra arrives just before Eraqus is about to vanquish Ventus, Eraqus sensing that Terra has indeed descended into darkness. Seeing Terra's stained heart, he is then forced to recall a long-ago discussion between himself and Master Xehanort over the [[Keyblade War]] before Xehanort turns on him and leaves Eraqus with a scar across his face.
==Design==
Master Eraqus has slightly tan skin. He has jagged scars over his right eye and left cheek inflicted by Master Xehanort's [[Dark Volley]], much like the wounds Braig received from Terra. Eraqus has dark grey eyes, and black hair tied into a short, high topknot, with one bang falling off to the right side of his face. He also has a short, triangular {{w|soul patch}} and a mustache.  


Greatly saddened by the fact that he must use force to eliminate two of his apprentices and even angered when Terra refuses his orders to stand down, Eraqus charges forward only for Ventus to be thrown into a portal to another world by Terra. Terra no longer caring that Eraqus is his master and someone he holds dear, Eraqus soon challenges him. Terra victorious, Eraqus soon dies, fading out of existence and into the light, before Terra's eyes when he is ambushed by Master Xehanort.
Master Eraqus, like his student, Terra, bears a distinct Japanese influence in his choice of clothing. He wears a white, red-lined ''{{w|haori}}'' that has a hood, along with slightly shorter than normal, light-colored ''{{w|hakama}}''. Underneath his haori, he wears a navy blue shirt with a large white X pattern on the front.  


Some time after Terra's possession at Master Xehanort's hand, the remains of both Master Xehanort and Terra begin to converse with each other. Master Xehanort then realizes that Eraqus's heart now resides within Terra, with the two beginning to debate over who would control it.
Like his pupils, Eraqus wears pieces of armor, in his case gold and black armored boots, and a dull blue-green section that covers his abdomen. This second piece of armor sports the same symbol worn by his students near the top. Eraqus's Keyblade Armor greatly resembles {{w|samurai}} armor<!--what is it called?-->, fitting in with his Japanese theme.


==Appearance==
When fully immersed in his Keyblade Armor, Eraqus features primarily white plating with highlights of gold and bronze.
Master Eraqus, like his student, Terra, bears a distinct Japanese influence in his choice of clothing. He wears a white, red lined haori that seems to have a hood, along with slightly shorter than normal, light-colored hakama. Underneath his haori, he wears a navy blue shirt with a large white X pattern on the front. He also has a jagged scar over his right eye and on his left cheek (the latter being quite similar to [[Braig]]'s scar).


Like his pupils, Eraqus wears pieces of armor, in his case gold and black armored boots and a dull blue-green section that covers his abdomen. This second piece of armor sports the same symbol worn by his students near the top. Eraqus's black hair is tied into a short, high topknot, with one bang falling off to the right side of his face. He also has a short, triangular [[wikipedia:soul patch|soul patch]] and a mustache.
Master Eraqus physically resembles {{w|Hironobu Sakaguchi}}, the creator of the ''Final Fantasy'' series.{{fact}}
===Forms===
<gallery>
File:The Boy in White KHIII.png|Eraqus as he looked in his youth while training with Xehanort in Scala ad Caelum.
File:Master Eraqus KHIII.png|Master Eraqus wearing his standard attire
File:Armor of Eraqus KHBBSFM.png|Master Eraqus's Keyblade Armor.
</gallery>
{{clear}}


==Personality==
==Personality==
Master Eraqus is a strong Keyblade master, caring very deeply for his three apprentices, Terra, Ventus, and Aqua. Stern and willing to instruct, one major goal he has in life appears to be preserving peace throughout the worlds, as he rashly attacks Ventus when Eraqus discovers that through his dark half, Vanitas, Ventus can create the [[X-Blade]], the weapon that sparked the Keyblade War and that Master Xehanort desires.
Master Eraqus is a strong Keyblade master, caring for Terra, Ventus, and Aqua as his own children. Stern and willing to instruct, one major goal he has in life appears to be preserving peace throughout the worlds, as he rashly attacks Ventus when Eraqus discovers that through his dark half, Vanitas, Ventus can create the [[χ-blade]]. Unlike Master Xehanort, Eraqus has a staunch and almost bigoted aversion to darkness and believes that it must be destroyed at all costs, a view that he has endeavored to ingrain into his apprentices. In his final moments, he even becomes concerned that his actions against Ventus and Terra were due to some darkness having snuck into his heart.
 
As a youth, Eraqus was the most laid-back of his peers and was tardy for class very often. He was also the life of his class, lightening the mood to make sure his friends still retained hope in finding their upper classmen. Even at young age, Eraqus held a one-sided view of light and darkness and believed that darkness must be eradicated. He believes that this was due to his lineage as his grandfather has also fought darkness in the past.
 
Despite his sometimes cold actions toward his apprentices, he still cares deeply for them. He has Aqua follow Terra out of concern for the youth, gives a pained apology to Ventus before attempting to destroy the boy, and sheds a tear when he is forced to face off against Terra. Despite the strain between him and Xehanort, Eraqus attempts to forgive his erstwhile friend, even welcoming him to help preside over the Mark of Mastery exam despite their last meeting ending in violence. Following his apparent demise at Xehanort's hands, Eraqus's influence and strength settle within Terra in order to help him counter Xehanort's possession and hopefully regain his body.


He also feels strong attachments, having Aqua look after Terra, whom he sees as a son, as he travels the worlds, apologizing before his assassination attempt on Ventus, and even shedding a tear when he is forced to face off against Terra. Eraqus has a strong sensitivity to betrayal, having experienced it far too many times in his life, both at the hands of Master Xehanort and Terra, himself.
Despite some of his extreme measures, Eraqus is a forgiving person at heart as he takes Ventus in, despite the fact Xehanort scarred his face, and in the final confrontation with Xehanort years later, he persuades Xehanort to peacefully surrender and escorts Xehanort to the afterlife as his friend.
 
==Abilities==
Master Eraqus serves as a boss battle for Terra after Terra prevents him from executing Ventus. During the battle, Eraqus uses many quick lunging attacks and is able to land many hits before the combo finisher. He also has several desperation attacks, each based on the light element.
 
As an apprentice in Scala ad Caelum, he specializes in buffing his allies' physical attacks.


==Fighting Style==
{{Main|Master Eraqus (Boss)}}
Master Eraqus appears as a boss in Terra's storyline after the Keyblade wielder rescues Ventus from an assassination attempt made by Eraqus, Terra forced to battle his master to the death. During battle, Eraqus will use many quick lunging attacks, able to land many hits before the combo finisher. He also has several desperation attacks, each based off of the light element.
===Weapon===
===Weapon===
{{Main|Master Eraqus's Keyblade}}
Master Eraqus wields a rather basic Keyblade named "Master's Defender", which is grey in coloration. It has the appearance of an old-fashioned skeleton key, and the teeth are shaped like an "E". Its [[Keychain]] is [[Terra's Mark]]. He summons his Keyblade in a fashion similar to Terra, shrouded in a series of golden blocks. In battle, he holds his Keyblade in the {{w|chūdan-no-kamae}} stance.
Master Eraqus wields a rather basic [[Erauqs's Keyblade|Keyblade]], gray in coloration. It has the appearance of an old fashioned skeleton key, the tip being shaped like an "E", the first letter of his name. Interestingly, its keychain is the symbol that Aqua, Terra, Ven, and Eraqus himself all wear in their clothing.


==Gallery==
As an apprentice at [[Scala ad Caelum]], Eraqus wielded the {{c|Keyblade|KHDR}}, the same as his classmates.
<gallery>
 
Image:Eraqus_concept_art.png|Official Artwork of Eraqus from the ''Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep Ultimania''.
<center><gallery>
</gallery>
File:Keyblade KHDR.png|[[Keyblade (KHDR)|Keyblade]]
File:Master's Defender KHBBSFM.png|[[Master's Defender]]
</gallery></center>
 
==Notes and references==
{{reflist}}
 
==See also==
*[[Armor of Eraqus]]


==Trivia==
{{Party}}
*Master Eraqus resembles and could be possibly be based on the appearance of [[wikipedia:Hironobu Sakaguchi|Hironobu Sakaguchi]], the creator of the ''Final Fantasy'' series.
*His name is an anagram of "Square", the first name of the series's developer. This trend is based on [[Yen Sid]]'s name being the reverse spelling of "Disney", the other company who produced the series.
*Tetsuya Nomura stated the relationship between Master Eraqus and Master Xehanort is something like old classmates.
*Master Eraqus, Braig (as well as his Nobody, [[Xigbar]]) and [[Saïx]] are thus far the only characters in the series who have received permanent and visible body damage.
*Master Eraqus received his scars after a confrontation with Master Xehanort.
{{spoilerend}}
[[fr:Maître Eraqus]]
{{BBS}}
{{BBS}}
[[Category:Original characters]]
{{KH3}}
[[Category:Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep characters]]
{{KHDR}}
[[Category:Keyblade Wielders]]
[[Category:Keyblade Masters]]
[[Category:Land of Departure]]
[[Category:Kingdom Hearts Dark Road characters]]

Latest revision as of 22:15, 10 May 2024

Eraqus

Master Eraqus from the Ultimania

Japanese エラクゥス
Rōmaji Erakwusu
Other names Youth In White (白の若者 Shiro no wakamono?)
Voice actors (Ja:) Makio Inoue
Daisuke Namikawa (Young, KHIII)
(En:) Mark Hamill
Drake Bell (Young, KHIII)
Homeworld Scala ad Caelum
Land of Departure
Games Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep
Kingdom Hearts III
Kingdom Hearts Dark Road
Eraqus

Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep
One of the true Keyblade Masters and also Terra, Aqua and Ventus's teacher. He has a strong aversion to darkness, and believes it the duty of every Keyblade Master to rid the world of it.

Though strict on the outside, he is not unkind, and loves his pupils like his own children.
Kingdom Hearts Union χ
KINGDOM HEARTS BbS (2010)
A Keyblade Master and master of Terra, Aqua, and Ventus.
Kingdom Hearts III
Master Eraqus
The true Keyblade Master who mentored Terra, Aqua, and Ventus. He was struck down by his own brother-in-training, Master Xehanort, in the clash over a decade ago.

The Boy in White
He and his best friend would often match wits playing chess between training sessions.
"Fear leads to obsession with power, and obsession beckons the darkness."
—Eraqus warns Terra of the path to the dark side

Eraqus, known to his students as Master Eraqus, is a Keyblade Master who watches over the Land of Departure. He is the master of Terra and Aqua, and he also serves as the second master of Ventus. In his youth, Eraqus studied with his friend Xehanort in Scala ad Caelum. Eraqus was introduced in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep and is the main supporting protagonist of Kingdom Hearts Dark Road.

Development[edit]

Master Eraqus was conceived as a Final Fantasy-esque counterpart to Disney's Master Yen Sid, given that his name is an anagram of "Square", a reference to Square Enix, the developers of the Kingdom Hearts series, and his resemblance to Hironobu Sakaguchi, the creator of Final Fantasy mirrors Yen Sid's name being an anagram of his creator's name, Walt Disney. Tetsuya Nomura once forgot the basis of Eraqus's name, and had to be reminded by an employee that it was an anagram of "Square".[1]

In the English version of the series, Eraqus is voiced by Mark Hamill, who was chosen specifically by Nomura because of his role as Luke Skywalker, his love of the Star Wars series, and his desire to pit Star Wars and Star Trek (a series that Nomura is also a fan of) against each other in a "dream match" by casting the late Leonard Nimoy of Star Trek fame as Master Xehanort, Eraqus's friend turned rival.[2][3]

Story[edit]

Before Kingdom Hearts Dark Road[edit]

Eraqus is a blueblood, descended from one of the Dandelions. Secret Report 2[?]

Kingdom Hearts Dark Road[edit]

Eraqus is one of Xehanort's fellow classmates in Scala ad Caelum, alongside Vor, Hermod, Urd, Bragi, and Baldr. They train together under Master Odin. He would often spend his days playing Alba & Ater with Xehanort.

One day, Master Odin informs everyone that the upperclassmen of Keyblade wielders had gone missing, including the sister of his fellow classmate, Baldr, and that his apprentices are to split into two groups to search the worlds. Eraqus travels with Xehanort and another apprentice, heading to Agrabah first.

While talking with Baldr, it is revealed that Eraqus's grandfather battled the darkness.

Between Kingdom Hearts Dark Road and Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep[edit]

In Scala ad Caelum, Xehanort questions Eraqus about his knowledge of the Keyblade War and the "Lost Masters" during a game of Alba & Ater. After the game, the two offer each other their support.

Eraqus warns Xehanort that recreating the χ-blade is a ridiculous idea.

After passing the Mark of Mastery exam, Eraqus becomes a Keyblade Master and is entrusted to safeguard the Land of Departure while Xehanort leaves to travel the worlds as a Seeker. When the two meet again, Eraqus learns of Xehanort's scheme to cause a second Keyblade War in order to recreate the χ-blade and attempts to fight his former friend to stop him from carrying out what would destroy everything. However, his attempt is futile as Xehanort quickly takes him down and scars his face. Years later, Eraqus obtains apprentices of his own, Terra and Aqua, before taking Ventus under his wing from a seemingly repentant Xehanort.

Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep[edit]

Master Eraqus starting the Mark of Mastery exam.

Eraqus holds the Mark of Mastery exam for Terra and Aqua, with Ventus and Xehanort as witnesses. In the end, Eraqus names Aqua master while refusing to give Terra the mantle on the grounds that he is unable to control his darkness. Despite the formality, Eraqus confides to Terra that he has the potential to become a Keyblade Master. Little does Eraqus know that Xehanort had used his dark powers to tamper with the course of the Exam itself. Soon after, he conveys to Aqua the responsibilities that go with her status and what she is required to do if he died for any reason. With Xehanort nowhere to be seen, Eraqus sends Terra and Aqua to find him shortly after being contacted by Master Yen Sid about the spawning of the mysterious Unversed. Sensing a possible connection between the two events, Eraqus later instructs Aqua to look after Terra, as he fears his apprentice may be tempted by the darkness. However, after Terra departs, Aqua and Eraqus witness Ventus leaving as well, and he instructs Aqua to bring Ventus back.

Master and apprentice face off.

Upon seeing Ventus later returning, Eraqus welcomes him back home with open arms, only to find the boy confused and enraged as he questions him about the χ-blade and his role in its creation. Eraqus, realizing that Xehanort never intended to give up his agenda and revealing to the boy his role in the plot, sees killing Ventus to be the only way to put Xehanort's plot to an end for good. However, Xehanort arranged Terra to arrive to save Ventus from Eraqus. Sensing that Terra has indeed descended into darkness, the youth refusing to let him kill Ventus, Eraqus is left with no choice but to eliminate them both. However, after throwing Ventus into a portal leading to the Destiny Islands, Terra mortally wounds Eraqus. In the end, Terra regretting fighting him while he sees that turning his Keyblade on his own apprentices was an error on judgment, Eraqus is struck from behind by Xehanort and fades in Terra's arms.

Avenging Eraqus's death was among Terra's primary motives for defeating Xehanort during the events in the Keyblade Graveyard. However, after Xehanort uses Terra's body as the first of his vessels, he learns that Eraqus entered Terra's heart and thus gave him the means to resist Xehanort.

Kingdom Hearts III[edit]

Xehanort goes on to Kingdom Hearts
Eraqus and Xehanort leave for The Final World together.

After Master Xehanort is defeated and mortally wounded by Sora, Eraqus leaves the newly-freed Terra's body in spirit form and persuades Xehanort to stand down, despite Xehanort's final attempts to enact the purge with the χ-blade. As Xehanort respectfully hands the χ-blade to Sora to close Kingdom Hearts, Eraqus shares a warm reunion with his three apprentices and entrusts Aqua's and Ventus's care to Terra before joining Xehanort as the two fade away peacefully as friends once again.

Terra, Aqua, and Ventus later place Eraqus's Keyblade in the ground in the Land of Departure with their Wayfinders as a makeshift gravestone to honor their fallen master.

Design[edit]

Master Eraqus has slightly tan skin. He has jagged scars over his right eye and left cheek inflicted by Master Xehanort's Dark Volley, much like the wounds Braig received from Terra. Eraqus has dark grey eyes, and black hair tied into a short, high topknot, with one bang falling off to the right side of his face. He also has a short, triangular soul patch and a mustache.

Master Eraqus, like his student, Terra, bears a distinct Japanese influence in his choice of clothing. He wears a white, red-lined haori that has a hood, along with slightly shorter than normal, light-colored hakama. Underneath his haori, he wears a navy blue shirt with a large white X pattern on the front.

Like his pupils, Eraqus wears pieces of armor, in his case gold and black armored boots, and a dull blue-green section that covers his abdomen. This second piece of armor sports the same symbol worn by his students near the top. Eraqus's Keyblade Armor greatly resembles samurai armor, fitting in with his Japanese theme.

When fully immersed in his Keyblade Armor, Eraqus features primarily white plating with highlights of gold and bronze.

Master Eraqus physically resembles Hironobu Sakaguchi, the creator of the Final Fantasy series.[citation needed]

Forms[edit]

Personality[edit]

Master Eraqus is a strong Keyblade master, caring for Terra, Ventus, and Aqua as his own children. Stern and willing to instruct, one major goal he has in life appears to be preserving peace throughout the worlds, as he rashly attacks Ventus when Eraqus discovers that through his dark half, Vanitas, Ventus can create the χ-blade. Unlike Master Xehanort, Eraqus has a staunch and almost bigoted aversion to darkness and believes that it must be destroyed at all costs, a view that he has endeavored to ingrain into his apprentices. In his final moments, he even becomes concerned that his actions against Ventus and Terra were due to some darkness having snuck into his heart.

As a youth, Eraqus was the most laid-back of his peers and was tardy for class very often. He was also the life of his class, lightening the mood to make sure his friends still retained hope in finding their upper classmen. Even at young age, Eraqus held a one-sided view of light and darkness and believed that darkness must be eradicated. He believes that this was due to his lineage as his grandfather has also fought darkness in the past.

Despite his sometimes cold actions toward his apprentices, he still cares deeply for them. He has Aqua follow Terra out of concern for the youth, gives a pained apology to Ventus before attempting to destroy the boy, and sheds a tear when he is forced to face off against Terra. Despite the strain between him and Xehanort, Eraqus attempts to forgive his erstwhile friend, even welcoming him to help preside over the Mark of Mastery exam despite their last meeting ending in violence. Following his apparent demise at Xehanort's hands, Eraqus's influence and strength settle within Terra in order to help him counter Xehanort's possession and hopefully regain his body.

Despite some of his extreme measures, Eraqus is a forgiving person at heart as he takes Ventus in, despite the fact Xehanort scarred his face, and in the final confrontation with Xehanort years later, he persuades Xehanort to peacefully surrender and escorts Xehanort to the afterlife as his friend.

Abilities[edit]

Master Eraqus serves as a boss battle for Terra after Terra prevents him from executing Ventus. During the battle, Eraqus uses many quick lunging attacks and is able to land many hits before the combo finisher. He also has several desperation attacks, each based on the light element.

As an apprentice in Scala ad Caelum, he specializes in buffing his allies' physical attacks.

Weapon[edit]

Master Eraqus wields a rather basic Keyblade named "Master's Defender", which is grey in coloration. It has the appearance of an old-fashioned skeleton key, and the teeth are shaped like an "E". Its Keychain is Terra's Mark. He summons his Keyblade in a fashion similar to Terra, shrouded in a series of golden blocks. In battle, he holds his Keyblade in the chūdan-no-kamae stance.

As an apprentice at Scala ad Caelum, Eraqus wielded the Keyblade, the same as his classmates.

Notes and references[edit]

  1. ^ Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Ultimania, Interviewer: "Master Eraqus's name is an anagram of 'Square', right? / Tetsuya Nomura: "Yes, but I didn't really think very hard on that name. Actually, I gave him that name while writing the original plot, but when I read through it later, I couldn't remember what it was supposed to mean. I asked around, but no one knew. Finally, the producer realized that it was supposed to be an anagram for Square and I thought, 'Oh yeah!' (laugh)." Translation via Lissar.
  2. ^ The Making of Birth by Sleep - Addendum w/ Tetsuya Nomura - "Usually I choose actors whose voices are similar to the Japanese version, but this time around I focused more on candidates who were simply a good fit for the character. For Eraqus and Xehanort, I chose actors who I felt personified these characters best, but also wanted to be a bit playful in my decision-making."
  3. ^ Dengeki Magazine, July 7, 2010 - Nomura: Mark Hamill will be voicing Master Eraqus, and the voice of Master Xehanort is Leonard Nimoy. It has become the dream battle between Star Wars and Star Trek.--「スター・ウォーズ」と「スタートレック」の夢の競演になっています

See also[edit]