 |
This stub is making SpongeBob sad. This article or section is a stub. You can help the Heroism Wiki by expanding it! What are you waiting for? GO! |
| “ | This is what lights the darkness. A chance to make everyone happy! | „ |
| ~ Sora to CLU about the Keyblade. |
The Keyblades are mysterious weapons that are heavily featured in the Kingdom Hearts series. Wielded by the main character, Sora, as well as a number of other important characters, the Keyblade is a main part of the battle between Darkness and Light.
Appearance
All Keyblades shown have the same distinguishing features that are modeled after a key: a guard with a handle, a hilt, and a head at the end of the shaft that resembles the teeth of a skeleton key (with the exception of Fenrir, which is instead modeled after a pin tumbler lock key). Most Keyblades also have some theme, usually a world or a person associated with that world, that will reflect in its appearance.
Each Keychain has a unique animation for when the Keyblade is summoned, and these animations usually symbolize a specific aspect of its respective Keyblade. For example, when Oblivion is summoned, a dark aura and violet sparks form around Sora's hands before the Keyblade actually appears. The particle effects that appear when the Keyblade is used to hit something also change with each Keychain. For example, the Keyblade Two Become One conjures black and white checkered crowns when a solid object is hit.
Overview
Keyblades are weapons fashioned in ancient times in the image of the χ-blade in order to fight back the darkness and maintain order in the World. They can only be wielded by chosen individuals who are strong of heart.
Shaped like keys, they operate any lock in existence and are imbued with magic and other unique capabilities. Keyblade wielders may "bequeath" their powers to the next generation upon meeting worthy individuals.
Powers
As the name implies, in combat, Keyblades are used in a manner similar to swords. Despite the fact that most possess no actual cutting edge, Keyblades still make efficient combat weapons, and are shown to be particularly effective weapons against Heartless, Nobodies, Unversed, and Dream Eaters. However, as a downside to this, the Heartless use the Keyblade as a homing beacon, and thus Keyblade wielders are at constant risk of Heartless attacks at any time.
Most Keyblade wielders are also able to extend their Keyblade's length with Light or Darkness for their ultimate attacks. This has been seen for Sora's Ars Arcanum; Roxas, Xion, and Riku's Limit Break in Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days; Sora and Riku's Limit, Eternal Session; and Terra and Aqua's Command Style, Blade Charge.
The main power of the Keyblade, however, is the ability to seal or open the barriers between worlds, as well as to "lock" a world's Keyhole, preventing the Heartless from attacking that world's heart. As an offset of this ability, the Keyblade can also be used to lock or unlock any lock, allowing the user to access any sealed interior, whether it be a locked room, gate, or treasure chest. The Keyblade opens and shuts locks by emitting a bright, thin beam of light; this can also be used as an attack against certain enemies, although it is not featured in general game-play. Keyblade wielders can usually just simply tap the surface of a treasure chest and that will be enough to open it.
In addition to its base powers, it is possible to modify a Keyblade's appearance and powers by attaching various Keychains or Gears in the wielder's inventory. However, there are many Keyblades that do not possess a keychain for reasons unknown. There are other instances of the Keyblade changing form, such as when Riku's Soul Eater becomes the Way to the Dawn and when Roxas's two Kingdom Keys transmute into the Oathkeeper and Oblivion, but the mechanism behind these transformations is uncertain. In addition, Keyblade wielders can also transform their keyblades into other objects, vehicles, and weapons though it is hinted that Keyblade wielders can only do this after a certain amount of training. Terra, Aqua, and Ventus seemingly have this ability as they transformed their keyblades into vehicles they use to travel to other worlds. Sora also acquires this ability after his Mark of Mastery exam as he was shown to transform his Keyblade depending on the type of Keyblade he is using. Sora was shown to be able to transform his Keyblade into dual guns that fire magic bullets, a huge bazooka like weapon, and a chariot with a flying Pegasus.
Trivia
- In Kingdom Hearts, the Keyblade disappears until Sora starts attacking, while in Kingdom Hearts II and Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep, it reappears as soon as the player approaches an enemy. In Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, the Keyblade appears when Roxas takes damage. In the manga, Sora keeps his Keyblade behind him, strapped to his belt.
- The Keyblade seems to appear to its chosen wielder for the first time when he/she is in some kind of danger. Examples are when Sora is being engulfed by darkness in Kingdom Hearts or when Roxas is fighting a Dusk Nobody in Kingdom Hearts II.
- The Keyblade has been parodied in many pop culture outlets. For example, in the RoosterTeeth Production series Red vs. Blue, one of the characters, Private Tucker, obtains a Great Weapon which is a sword that also turns out to be a key, just like the Keyblade.