Game:Young Xehanort

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Yes, the untapped power that lies within you. Now, child, it's time you awakened that power and realized your full potential.
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Young Xehanort is an optional boss in the international and Final Mix versions of Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep. His boss battle is unlocked when the protagonist returns to the Land of Departure after defeating Vanitas Remnant, on a save file in which it is still accessible. Despite this odd situation, his scene is within canon, and is considered to occur at the save file's point in the story. Defeating Xehanort will grant a unique Keyblade named "No Name", but he can be fought again by leaving Land of Departure and then returning.

Young Xehanort is also the penultimate boss of Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance, battled by Riku as he desperately tries to save Sora from Master Xehanort.

Abilities

Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep

Young Xehanort has a variety of powerful attacks, all of which can defeat the protagonist instantly if they are unprepared. However, nearly all of these attacks can be blocked or dodged with practice.

• Ethereal Blade short combo: Attacks with three quick strikes.
• Ethereal Blade long combo: Attacks with an extended sword combo.
• Dash attack: Transforms his blades into a spear and dashes forward, then flips backward.
• X wave: Jumps back and releases an X-shaped shockwave from his blades that tracks the protagonist.
• Spear orbs: Summons several orbs that fire spears of energy at the protagonist from every direction. This attack can continue during the Unknown's other attacks. This technique can be blocked by Aqua's Barrier commands.
• Sonic attack: Quickly darts around the battlefield, knocking the protagonist high into the air when he hits them.
• Whirlwind: Summons a tornado that scatters the protagonist's deck commands when it hits them.
• Vanish: Becomes invisible, and cannot be locked-on - though it is still possible to track him via his blades, which are only visible when he attacks.
• Raging Storm: Summons three vortexes of flame around himself and hovers around the battlefield. The flames stun the protagonist when they hit them. In later phases of the battle, he will combine raging storm with some of his other abilities, usually his Long Combo.
• Summon copies: Summons four copies of himself to overwhelm the player. Each of them share his abilities, excluding vanish, and there is no set pattern to their attacks. However, the copies can be easily destroyed with a clean hit.
• Mega Flare: Summons a huge sphere of flames that explodes, inflicting massive damage and sometimes igniting the protagonist.
• Meteor: Summons a meteor to fall on the battlefield and explode.
• Doom: Fires a web of energy at the protagonist and starts a five second countdown. The player must rapidly tap to end the attack, and if the countdown reaches zero they are defeated.
• Collision Magnet: Leaps into the air and casts out a lasso of energy that snares the protagonist and pulls them toward him for a quick slash. In the Final Mix version of the game, Xehanort's collision magnet was weakened to make it easier to dodge.
• Renewal Barrier: If the player attacks him head-first without an opening, or attacks constantly with a long combo, he will parry the player's attack and recover a bit of health.
• Time reversal: At any random moment when the protagonist deals damage to him, he could potentially stop and reverse time to the precise moment before he is hit. As soon as time is restored, he uses one of his other attacks before the protagonist can react.

Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance

Xehanort employs two different phases in this fight, both which make use of his time manipulation abilities and fast strikes. If unprepared, each of his attacks are capable of inflicting serious damage and cumbersome status effects.

Phase 1

• Wild Arcanum (ワイルドアルカナム, Wairudo Arukanamu): Sweeps and stabs with the Keyblade, releasing crescent-shaped waves when he sweeps. In Critical Mode he will occasionally and additionally approach the opponent from the air after these attacks, releasing waves while swinging the Keyblade like a whip in midair dealing huge damage.
• Finish (フィニッシュ, Finisshu): Jumps and swings the Keyblade downward like a whip two times in succession, releasing a racing wave with each swing.
• Whip Wave (ウィップウェーブ, Wippu Wēbu): Swings the Keyblade like a whip three times, releasing a crescent-shaped wave with each swing.
• Flash Liner (フラッシュライナー, Furasshu Rainā): After rapidly Teleporting Lock three times, he transforms his Keyblade again into a whip, and changes its shape to something of a cage trapping Riku inside, where, if he cannot dodge out of it, is bombarded with spear orbs.
• Guard Impact (ガードインパクト, Gādo Impakuto): Blocks Riku's frontal attacks and retaliates. Happens if Young Xehanort has taken too much damage.
• Zero Shot (ゼロショット, Zero Shotto): Scatters a burst of Dark Projectiles. His version always inflicts the opponents with a Slow status effect.
• Teleport Lock (テレポロック, Terepo Rokku): Will frequently teleport around the battlefield. He can do this mid-combo as well, causing Riku's attacks to miss while simultaneously acting as attack cancels for him. The afterimages left by the teleports can make Riku flinch.

Once his health is reduced to 1, he will stop time and teleport to the center of the area, summoning a large clock. Riku has about a one-second window to trigger a Reality Shift to break the spell and continue onto Phase 2. If the latter is not triggered, Xehanort resets time - and the battle - back to the start of Phase 1 with 1/3 of his max health.

Phase 2

• Dual-wielding Dance (2刀流乱舞, Nitouryū Ranbu): Every single one of his attacks is executed via two clones attacking simultaneously (the real Xehanort being inside the clock).
• X-Blade (Xブレード, X-Burēdo): The clones simultaneously fire an X-shaped shockwave that track Riku.
• Raging Storm (レイジングストーム, Reijingu Sutōmu): The clones surround themselves in three vortexes of flame and chase down Riku.

The player must defeat Xehanort within the clock at the center of the area, which is continually counting down. The time allotted is dependent on both game difficulty and damage dealt. If the clock isn't destroyed before the time is up, Xehanort resets time - and the battle - back to the start of Phase 1 with 1/3 of his max health

Strategy

Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep

Young Xehanort is a powerful boss and one of the strongest enemies in the game. His attacks are varied and hard to predict, similar to those of the Lingering Will. Not only is he immune to all status effects, but he has a great deal of HP as well. The boss is very swift and can inflict massive damage to the protagonist, quickly knocking them out unless they have Second Chance or Once More equipped. Xehanort is also adept in defense; he can use Renewal Barrier if attacked too much, and he sometimes rewinds time after taking damage, allowing him to recover some of his lost HP.

As Xehanort's HP dwindles, he goes even further on the offensive. He will often start one of his long-duration techniques, then continue to attack with different techniques while the first one is playing out. Xehanort will also clone himself, creating four copies that can attack and move independently of the true Xehanort. However, the clones can dissipate after being hit once, so try to use a multi-hitting attack to clear the clones. His most frustrating tactic is to snare the protagonist with his Collision Magnet, then immediately follow it up with another Collision Magnet, a sword combo, or a Whirlwind to the Void, none of which he/she is given the chance to avoid, resulting in an immediate game over (although there are very rare occasions in which the protagonist can escape before Xehanort strings together another attack). Collision Magnet can be avoided easily by simply dashing towards Xehanort when he jumps in the air, and also seems to be canceled if Xehanort pulls the protagonist up against a wall.

After half of his heath is gone, Young Xehanort will begin to turn invisible. He can't be locked on, but he does leave a faint shimmer and can be "visible" through his Ethereal Blades, so he can still take damage. He still uses his old abilities, but it's harder to see when he uses them. However, he also gains new abilities, such as firing a beam that inflicts Doom and forces mashing to escape, and casting Mega Flare and Meteor to inflict massive damage.

Xehanort will attack whenever an opening to do so presents itself, but it is easy to heal safely by simply dashing far away from him first with either Slide, Dodge Roll, or Cartwheel. It is also somewhat easy to guard against his attacks by mashing , so the protagonist can also heal by using Renewal Block or Renewal Barrier. Because Xehanort leaves little time for the protagonist to act, it is unwise to use any advanced or ultimate commands, as they take too long to fire and reload. Shotlocks are also good options, but Xehanort likes to evade the targeting reticule, and can often evade damage midway through by using its Renewal Block, which will also heal him. If the protagonist decides to rely on Shotlocks, they should stock many Elixirs in order to make sure their Focus Gauge never runs out. D-Links can also work, especially Goofy's for Ventus and Aqua due to the Goofy Spin finisher allowing free movement and rapid blows. However, they are usually ill-advised, as Xehanort may turn invisible in response. Finally, the Keyblade and Finish Command equipped are not very important, as Xehanort leaves barely any time for Keyblade strikes. The protagonist's Keyblade should be chosen only for its stat boosts, preferably towards the Attack stat.

The safest and simplest way to defeat Young Xehanort is to simply use a deck of 2-4 Cure-type commands, and fill the rest with Thunder Surge commands. Although Fire Surge is equally effective as a command, the Thunderbolt Command Style, triggered by the Thunder Surges, has an easier time hitting Xehanort than Firestorm does. A good way to arrange the Command Deck is to have Thunder Surge, Cure, Thunder Surge, Cure and so on, so that both commands are easily accessible and it also helps with not needing to cycle through commands that are reloading. With this deck, the protagonist can basically use Thunder Surge over and over, even when Xehanort is invisible, damaging Xehanort if they hit him and often knocking him out of his combos. The protagonist should make sure to use Thunder Surge so that they go through Xehanort and winds up a short distance past him, rather than next to him, but should dash away instead if Xehanort is right next to the protagonist, as Thunder Surge has a tiny but noticeable start-up lag. Thunder Surge can even be used as a pseudo-dash in order to avoid Xehanort's techniques, like his Collision Magnet. If the protagonist is ever hit by an attack, they should immediately start dashing away, normally, and heal with Cure as soon as they are clear from Xehanort. If playing as Ventus, it's a good idea to stock up on Double Crunch Ice Cream to activate Wingblade, which allows him to hit Xehanort with a combo of Keyblade attacks that he can't easily break out of. Even after setting up a working deck and overall strategy, victory against Xehanort relies primarily on luck, due to his penchant for using unavoidable, instant-death combos.

In the Final Mix versions, the difficulty of the boss fight is slightly toned down. The protagonist can now escape after being ensnared by the Collision Magnet attack by air dodging before the second attack, therefore avoiding the lethal combos that were inescapable in the original version. In addition, Thunder Surge is even more useful, as it can easily lead into the powerful Rhythm Mixer Command Style.

Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance

To provide for defense, Riku should equip Dark Barrier, Dark Roll, Counter Aura, Leaf Bracer, Second Chance, Once More, and Slow Block. His Command Deck should include homing attacks like Balloonga, Firaga Burst and Dark Firaga, as well as powerful attacks like Dark Aura, Dark Splicer, Meteor Crash and Shadowbreaker, and healing commands like Curaga. Also, make sure to have two Spirits that have healing commands, like a Meow Wow, a Komory Bat or even a Lord Kyroo.

Young Xehanort is an aggressive fighter and it can be difficult to score hits on him as he can trap Riku in a flurry of combo attacks that rapidly drain his health. Dark Barrier followed by Counter Aura is an effective way of damaging him, although keep in mind that some of his attacks are not easy to block and should be evaded using Dark Roll or Shadow Slide. In Critical Mode, Xehanort can run to Riku (or not) and perform a violent combo followed by an aerial combo, which can rapidly put Riku to 1 HP and Game Over if not blocked or evaded in time. Xehanort tends to warp away from projectiles and attack commands, but will be open to attack when he pauses to launch his own ranged attacks. Xehanort will periodically teleport away and fire dark projectiles at Riku. Defend using Dark Barrier, staying near to or far away from him, or dodge continually. If the projectiles connect, they will inflict Slow, so quickly cure it with Esuna (Riku's spirits can have this command) or a Panacea if Slow Block is not equipped. He can also summon giant ice blocks that must be blocked or dodged. When Xehanort prepares this attack, move close to him, blocking the ice blocks, and use Counter Aura in front of him. Make sure to watch how he warps around the arena, because it will signal which attack he will use, and will provide Riku enough time to use powerful attacks such as Dark Aura. If timed carefully, Dark Aura will keep hitting Xehanort and stops his movements for a while, dealing heavy damage. Alternatively, continue using Firaga Burst, Baloonga, and other attack magic in conjunction with spirit attacks. After Xehanort takes enough damage, he will transform his Keyblade into a shield and if Riku hits it, Xehanort will counterattack. If he teleports up and falls, he will whip Riku multiple times. Get ready to block or to Shadow Slide when he reaches the ground. If Xehanort teleports constantly from right to left, he will prepare to charge at Riku. He will teleport like this twice; once he warps the fourth time, get ready to block or use Shadow Slide. If he is a fair distance away, he will start teleporting from side to side again, gradually getting closer to Riku. Get as close to Xehanort as possible when this occurs. After he teleports the third time in this manner, use Dark Barrier near him to block the lasers and use Counter Aura in front of him. If possible, utilize Shadow Slide and Shadow Strike to attack and stop Xehanort's attack.

Once Xehanort's health has been depleted to 1, he will freeze time and warp into a giant Clock that appears in the center of the arena. Wait until the option to perform a Mirage Split Reality Shift appears. This will trigger the final stage of the battle. Note that the symbol for activating the Reality Shift will appear for less than one second. If Riku misses the timing, Xehanort will rewind time to the beginning of the fight and regain some of his health (approximately two and a half life bars). His health must be depleted again in order to perform Reality Shift, but this time, the symbol for activating Reality Shift will remain for a longer period of time.

For the final stage of the fight, Xehanort remains inside the Clock, which is now vulnerable to attack. Though he does not attack Riku directly, he creates invincible clones of himself to defend the Clock. The clones will attempt to swarm Riku with ethereal blade combos, X-slashes, and fiery tornadoes, but may occasionally disappear if attacked. It is safer to evade these attacks than to block them, as blocking those attacks will lock-out the clock. The Clock is open to attack while the clones are not on the field, but if the hands on the Clock strike 12 before Riku destroys it, it will rewind time to the start of this phase and regain his lost health of the previous phase, and as Xehanort will stop his attacks before it rewinds time, Riku should finish him as fast as possible when it stops attacking if the Clock is close to be defeated ; however, after Xehanort rewinds time once, the total health of the Clock will decrease to the same amount as Xehanort's first phase's, and thus, for the next times this phase will restart, making it easier to destroy the Clock on the next try. Multi-hit warping attacks such as Dark Splicer and Dark Aura can bypass Xehanort's clones and remove multiple health bars off the clock, even finishing it off if at low health. Do this with caution, however, as Riku can be attacked and deflected by incoming clones, especially those which use combos and fiery tornadoes, which can knock him away.

Due to the relentless assault of the clones, leaving few to no windows of opportunity to attack, a reliable strategy is to activate commands like Firaga Burst while in midair. Releasing the commands at the apex of Riku's Doubleflight will allow Riku to avoid interruption from most of the clones' attacks, with the exception of the X-slashes.
If Riku is supposedly not strong enough to destroy the clock in time, he can, while dodging the attacks, restrain from attacking and wait until the Clock rewinds time, where next time it will have less health, to have a chance to finish it in time.

Videos

Unknown – Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix

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Young Xehanort – Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance HD

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