Are keyblades alive?

[ALittleNerd]

It's been stated that Sora got his keyblade because it 'chose' him. And that he got it on the island because it, as Young Xehanort puts it in Dream Drop Distance, 'Moved down the list' of candidates. It officially 'chose' Sora later in the first game at Hollow Bastion, making it his and that's all well and good. But what does that really mean?

Riku was originally chosen for it, but lost that right, and didn't receive one until he had dragged himself out of all the crap he'd got himself in, so that begs the question: If keyblades can judge and make decisions about who they are wielded by, does that mean that they're alive? Can they FEEL? There is a difference between being 'alive' and being 'sentient' or course, but bear with me here.

Even When Sora got his keyblade in the first game, immediately the words 'keyblade... keyblade... keyblade...' echoed in his head. Could it have been the blade itself? Telling him it's name? This is all theory, but I think it could lead to something interesting. There are a lot of things about the keyblade that we don't know about. How did they come to be? Who was the first Keyblade Master? Why did he need one? The questions are endless.

I'd say that perhaps the warriors of the Keyblade War could have understood the origins and functions of the keyblade better, unlike our Sora and others who are a fairly new generation of keyblade wielders. Like on whether it's 'alive' or if it works like a machine: making choices, but not actually 'sentient'. But I do not know enough of things like Kingdom Hearts Chi to expand on this topic. As far as I know, the freewill of keyblades and the like have not been discussed.

So either this is a load bull, and there's nothing more to the keyblades than what we've already been told, OR that there were Keyblade Masters even BEFORE the ones involved in the war, who would have known more. Perhaps a completely different generation.

But I'm getting off topic, what do you guys think? Do you think that keyblades could be sentient? Or they more likely to be 'tools' than anything?

 

[Audo]

There are a lot of things about the keyblade that we don't know about. How did they come to be? Who was the first Keyblade Master? Why did he need one? The questions are endless.

Well we know that the Keyblades are manmade creations made in the image of the X-Blade to try and fight over the light.

And the Keyblades definitely have some form of sentience, since, as you say, they choose their masters. We also have Xehanort referring to the Keyblades in the Keyblade Graveyard as "lifeless". I don't know if the series will ever get super specific about just how sentient Keyblades are -- it kind of seems like the sort of thing that's best left to mystery.

 

[Sephiroth0812]

Well we know that the Keyblades are manmade creations made in the image of the X-Blade to try and fight over the light.

And the Keyblades definitely have some form of sentience, since, as you say, they choose their masters. We also have Xehanort referring to the Keyblades in the Keyblade Graveyard as "lifeless". I don't know if the series will ever get super specific about just how sentient Keyblades are -- it kind of seems like the sort of thing that's best left to mystery.

To be specific, the man-made Keyblades were indeed originally created and envisioned to conquer the light, not just to "fight" over it. At least that's what we so far learned about its origins, designating it definitely as a weapon created originally with an arguably "evil" intention by the ones (be it a single person or a group, we don't know) who forged the very first blades.

The "level" of sentience a Keyblade has might also be different as at least one has been explicitly stated to carry a "will", so maybe Keyblades can also serve as "heartjars" and house hearts inside them.
The Dark Keyblade of KH 1 was made of hearts and also the X-blade-prototype in BBS that was forcibly brought about by Vanitas had both his and Ventus' hearts at the core.
That hearts do not necessarily need to have a meatbag (aka body) to be stored in has also already been shown in the series with Ansem the Wise holding some hearts in glass containers in his study (during the flashbacks with Mickey in KH 2) and the Heartless manufactury has at least 640 Hearts held in pods lined along the wall (seen when the MCP activates the Manufactory).
In any case Keyblades are weapons heavily influenced by the heart, that's also why they are so effective in dealing with heart matters.
Even those Keyblades who do not necessarily have a heart housed inside them can still have a partly sentience if they're imprinted with something like memories or leftover thoughts/emotions, just like i.e. the Lingering Will is an armor imprinted with some leftover memories/thoughts/emotions.
Parallels are definitely already given that could be easily extended in further entries of the series.

Who knows, maybe all the Keyblades in the current universe used by our main characters have something inside them that is a leftover from all those who perished in the Keyblade War in the old universe.
Yet that of course would beckon the question what was about their Keyblades back in the day, the ones that are now all pieces of metal garbage rusting at the Keyblade Graveyard?

 

[Audo]

To be specific, the man-made Keyblades were indeed originally created and envisioned to conquer the light, not just to "fight" over it.

As for the Keyblade that "explicitly has a will" it might not be as defined as we think. After all, the English translation of that scene makes no mention of the Keyblade having a will, and according to GP, in the Japanese it's more saying that the Keyblade is a symbol OF a passed down will/intent, and stresses that the word used for "will" is not at all the one used in 'Lingering Will'. This likely explains why the English localization went with "destiny" over "will", which could suggest that the scene is not about Xehanort's Keyblade having a 'will' in the way we originally believed.

 

[BlackOsprey]

As for the Keyblade that "explicitly has a will" it might not be as defined as we think. After all, the English translation of that scene makes no mention of the Keyblade having a will, and according to GP, in the Japanese it's more saying that the Keyblade is a symbol OF a passed down will/intent, and stresses that the word used for "will" is not at all the one used in 'Lingering Will'. This likely explains why the English localization went with "destiny" over "will", which could suggest that the scene is not about Xehanort's Keyblade having a 'will' in the way we originally believed.

Or it could just be the will of destiny, idk. Saying that the Keyblade itself is the one with the will is a pretty misleading translation, though. :I

Keyblades seem to be a lot like the wands in the Harry Potter franchise, in that they actively choose their users. And like the wands, Keyblades have never shown to have a sense of sentience beyond the ability to choose its wielder, or at least any signs that it's capable of displaying.

A lifeless Keyblade seems to be the weapon sans any of its magical qualities; it's just an oversized key, incapable of channeling magic, being summoned, dealing more damage beyond basic bludgeoning, or choosing a wielder. I'd guess that you get a lifeless Keyblade when its wielder dies- like, soul extinguished, body breaks down, heart leaves mortal plane kinda dead. (Basically, something that we've never witnessed in KH so far.)

Using a Keyblade as a sort of heart container isn't completely out of the realm of possibility, but we have yet to see an example of this and the possibility has not been brought up yet. (Excluding that weird business with the Keyblade of People's Hearts, but that thing was made out of hearts, rather than a weapon used as a container for them.)

 

[Anagram]

To be specific, the man-made Keyblades were indeed originally created and envisioned to conquer the light, not just to "fight" over it. At least that's what we so far learned about its origins, designating it definitely as a weapon created originally with an arguably "evil" intention by the ones (be it a single person or a group, we don't know) who forged the very first blades.

The "level" of sentience a Keyblade has might also be different as at least one has been explicitly stated to carry a "will", so maybe Keyblades can also serve as "heartjars" and house hearts inside them.
The Dark Keyblade of KH 1 was made of hearts and also the X-blade-prototype in BBS that was forcibly brought about by Vanitas had both his and Ventus' hearts at the core.
That hearts do not necessarily need to have a meatbag (aka body) to be stored in has also already been shown in the series with Ansem the Wise holding some hearts in glass containers in his study (during the flashbacks with Mickey in KH 2) and the Heartless manufactury has at least 640 Hearts held in pods lined along the wall (seen when the MCP activates the Manufactory).
In any case Keyblades are weapons heavily influenced by the heart, that's also why they are so effective in dealing with heart matters.
Even those Keyblades who do not necessarily have a heart housed inside them can still have a partly sentience if they're imprinted with something like memories or leftover thoughts/emotions, just like i.e. the Lingering Will is an armor imprinted with some leftover memories/thoughts/emotions.
Parallels are definitely already given that could be easily extended in further entries of the series.

Who knows, maybe all the Keyblades in the current universe used by our main characters have something inside them that is a leftover from all those who perished in the Keyblade War in the old universe.
Yet that of course would beckon the question what was about their Keyblades back in the day, the ones that are now all pieces of metal garbage rusting at the Keyblade Graveyard?

Nail on the head basically. Sephiroth00812 explained it best but for me I think be it "will" or "sentience" is maybe moot to degrees. Most of our examples of the keyblade expressing actions beyond a wielder are with Sora. Like in Hollow Bastion when the kingdom key explicitly chooses Sora over Riku it's intended wielder and initially chosen one by both itself and Terra. Then there's the numerous times it appeared in Sora's hands to perform some automatic function that Sora later replicates willingly. (like locking world keyholes or opening paths) Then there's the keyblade appearing for both Riku and Sora when allowing them into the Realm of Sleep.

The mystery of the keyblades sentience may be a question of their origin the Xblade. They're based on it. They have the Xblades abilities, or at least a number of them, on a weaker scale. Like mentioned Rikus Keyblade in KH1, aka Heartunlocker or Keyblade of Hearts, was made from the 7 Princesses and the Xblade Vanitas tried to make had Ven and Vanitas.
Yet most of the "normal" ones just appear to a wielder usually. Sora's keyblade wasn't even originally intended for him. Are these keyblades made of hearts too? What if the keyblade is just an extension of the wielders heart in the same way the Xblade is a naturally formed counterpart to Kingdom Hearts?

I bring it up since most of the actions keyblades are shown to take of their own accord usually benefit their wielder in some way. Like the fulfill their wielders subconscious or even conscious needs when they dont know how too. (like opening the way to the realm of sleep)
It's also something to call into question of their sentience since the keyblades are shown to be incredibly immoral. (or is amoral?) Basically their overall disregard for how they're used. The war and Xehanort's actions included show they honestly give no rats @ss what is done with them.

Just random things to ponder I guess. I'd honestly prefer it remain a mystery but if there was an answer I'm sure it'd be tied into the Xblade and how it was originally a natural occurring existence in counterbalance to Kingdom Hearts itself.
Xehanort's words of the keyblades in the Graveyard being "lifeless" are also likely important. As are the three branches of the "keyblade family".

 

[Audo]

Well Xehanort explicitly separates Keyblades of Light/Dark from Keyblades of Heart so that would seem to suggest the average Keyblade is not made up of hearts. But then again, at the same time, "everything is capable of growing a heart", apparently lol. If petals on the wind, and empty puppets can grow hearts, why couldn't something that already has a level of sentience?

 

[Anagram]

Well Xehanort explicitly separates Keyblades of Light/Dark from Keyblades of Heart so that would seem to suggest the average Keyblade is not made up of hearts. But then again, at the same time, "everything is capable of growing a heart", apparently lol. If petals on the wind, and empty puppets can grow hearts, why couldn't something that already has a level of sentience?

Given the keyblades will or sentience upon first appearing too their master it would imply they already have one like Seph points out as well. *shrugs* Tis all a mystery. Maybe even moot since we know they have some level of choice or will.
Maybe the light-dark ones are even more unique for this regard. The Keyblade of Heart didnt' come about till "after the war" apparently sooooo.....eh I dunno.

 

[LightUpTheSky452]

The fact the Keyblade can choose its wielder used to hint at this to me.

But then I realized that--because of BbS now--I think a Keyblade is made for a certain person, when a Master uses his power to bequeath the power onto them (and a potential Keyblade for them is made in that moment).

Not denying that the Keyblades are still sentient in some ways (I think they most definitely are, and I'd love to see that explored more in future games), but I think BbS lessened it all some. Mainly because, as Ruran would say, now a Keyblade's been given a list of recommendations--and is sort of forced to give itself to someone if they meet the requirements--instead of just choosing a random person out of the clear blue of its own volition, like we used to think.

 

[Anagram]

The fact the Keyblade can choose its wielder used to hint at this to me.

But then I realized that--because of BbS now--I think a Keyblade is made for a certain person, when a Master uses his power to bequeath the power onto them (and a potential Keyblade for them is made in that moment).

Not denying that the Keyblades are still sentient in some ways (I think they most definitely are, and I'd love to see that explored more in future games), but I think BbS lessened it all some. Mainly because, as Ruran would say, now a Keyblade's been given a list of recommendations--and is sort of forced to give itself to someone if they meet the requirements--instead of just choosing a random person out of the clear blue of its own volition, like we used to think.

Tbh this isn't too far off either. BBS kinda lessened the keyblades mystique in ways. Before it was the keyblade but now it's the keyblade plus a master. Sure the keyblade can veto, hello Sora, but eh yeah I agree with Ruran or you on the regard.