Many fans of the Kingdom Hearts series were destroyed to learn the dark road mobile game was shut down. Only a small portion of Xehanort’s original story had been revealed, leaving fans wondering if they’d ever get a chance to fully experience it since the Dark Seeker Saga came to an end.
Luckily the Kingdom Hearts 20th anniversary eventrevealed that an offline version of dark road was scheduled for August 2022. The entire story was released in one update, finally allowing fans to discover why Xehanort became what he did. although dark road isn’t as impressive visually as other entries, it features some of the key events in the entire series.
8 Xehanort finds Ventus
It was never made clear how Xehanort encountered Ventus before the events of Birth through sleepbut dark road chose to finally reveal how they crossed paths. As a boy, Xehanort came across a magic mirror that could answer all the questions asked and many years later chose to ask for guidance again.
Before leaving Destiny Island to explore the outer worlds, Xehanort dreamed about the characters Union X [Cross]. Not sure if they were real or not, he tried to ask the magic mirror for help in finding it. The mirror told him that Ventus could be found “among an ocean of keys on a vast arid land”, prompting Xehanort to investigate the Keyblade Graveyard.
7 The fear of true darkness
Before becoming Keyblade Masters, Xehanort and Eraqus were accompanied by a mysterious man named Odin. Although series director Tetsuya Nomura usually adds more questions than answers to most of Kingdom HeartsOdin has revealed a lot about the new threat Sora is likely to face in the future.
Fans of the series will already know that some Heartless hail from the Realm of Darkness, while others were created as a result of Ansem the Wise’s research. However, Odin revealed the true source of the Heartless. They were caused by the presence of thirteen ancient darknesses called “true darkness” by Odin. They are formless entities and thus are almost impossible to destroy, making them the greatest threat currently existing in Kingdom Hearts.
6 The visit to the underworld
In an effort to find out more about how the upperclassmen met their end, Xehanort and his fellow Lowerclassmen venture into the Underworld at Olympus Coliseum. While there, they approach Hades and ask him if it is possible to communicate with those who are no longer among the living.
This plot point is surprisingly dark for a Kingdom Hearts game, but it looks like Donald and Goofy will try the same in Kingdom Hearts 4 while searching for Sora. Although many of dark road‘s main characters meet their end at the climax of the game, Xehanort’s journey to the underworld revealed that they can return.
5 Multiple deaths
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The lack of death in Kingdom Hearts has become something of a meme in recent years. The main antagonists of Kingdom Hearts 3 had been defeated in previous entries before, but their return made the concept of death somewhat hollow.
Kingdom Hearts: Dark Road, however, pulled no punches when depicting the deaths of his characters. Towards the end of the story, eleven of Xehanort’s comrades meet their end. While the player doesn’t get much time to get to know these new characters, it’s hard not to sympathize with Xehanort about the loss he feels.
4 Master Odin’s Keyblades
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Not many keyblade bearers can double-use their weapons, but Master Odin is an exception. He spends most of dark road brandishing Brain’s Master Keeper before finally summoning the Master of Master’s Gazing Eye and using both swords in battle.
Dual-wielding is far from unheard of in the Kingdom Hearts series, but Odin’s choice of weapons is fascinating nonetheless. The Gazing Eye and the Master Keeper are two of the most powerful keyblades in the entire series and while little was revealed about Master Odin, his ability to wield both suggests he is one of the most powerful keyblade bearers to ever exist. .
3 The player’s second life
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The final of Union X [Cross] implied that the player’s heart was absorbed into Xehanort’s after their death. This was further suggested by Xehanort’s dreams where he would witness fragments of the player’s life while sleeping. It was only during the final of dark road that this assumption has been refuted.
The player’s heart was absorbed in the hooded figure that Xehanort raised on Destiny Island. Xehanort can sense what is going on in the hearts of others, a quality that allowed him to visualize and connect with his guardian’s experiences.
2 Bragi’s true identity
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When Bragi’s name was revealed prior to the initial release of dark road, many fans assumed he would eventually reveal himself as Luxu. However, as time went on, fans developed multiple theories about Luxu’s next body and largely agreed that Bragi’s would be too obvious.
the end of dark road finally revealed the body Luxu was hiding in and to everyone’s surprise it was Bragi’s. Given Xehanort’s age during the game, it’s likely that Luxu held onto this body for a few more years before taking control of the one he’s known for.
1 The True Purpose of Xehanort
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Xehanort was brought to Destiny Island as a baby by a mysterious man in a blue cloak. The two lived on the island for many years before the cloaked figure died. During their time together, the anonymous informed Xehanort that he was a “child of fate” who would one day prevent the darkness from conquering the light.
Although Xehanort’s mind became somewhat warped during his many travels across the universe, he devoted his entire life to fulfilling this prophecy in every possible way. By making thirteen vessels that he believed to be “true darkness,” he believed he could restore peace to the world by sacrificing himself. His methods were questionable, but he never deviated from what he believed to be his destiny.
Kingdom Hearts: Dark Road is available to play on Android and iOS.
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