• Hello everybody! We have tons of new awards for the new year that can be requested through our Awards System thanks to Antifa Lockhart! Some are limited-time awards so go claim them before they are gone forever...

    CLICK HERE FOR AWARDS

Dark Road ► Dark Road: Chapter 3 - The Purpose of the Journey



REGISTER TO REMOVE ADS

Ballad of Caius

Player 💀
Joined
Jan 4, 2014
Messages
7,270
Awards
9
Location
Shibuya
Perhaps the "unnatural" Princesses of Heart are more natural than we think.
My thoughts exactly. Besides being special for being Pure Hearts, they're also special because they're the last surviving Pure Hearts from ages ago. Perhaps the plot line of New Seven Hearts, besides being a refresh for the newer Disney movies, will also serve, to me, as foreshadowing that, maybe, the age of Pure Hearts can return.

Woah, so, Yozora, Aegis, Magia and Not-Stella could be the Scala Ad Caelum upper-classmen?!
Probably. Spock has theorized about this before, hahaha.

What if Not-Stella is Baldr's sister?
Part of Spockanort's theory, I think, addressed this.

nd Master Odin gave them an unusual Mark of Mastery exam that probably was supposed to get rid of them...
I'm torn with this mysterious Mark of Mastery:
  • It wasn't made on purpose to mess with them
  • It was made on purpose to mess with them
The contents of their MoM, though. Could it be that they were sent to try and enter the Final World?

He could be a body-hopping Luxu... Could he somehow change their appearances, change their names, replace their hearts?
If he's been body hopping, he wouldn't need to change appearance.

Don't forget
"He's been changed beyond recognition- his heart replaced with another's"
"No, this isn't the real world, and I am here. But this isn't what I really look like. How'd you recognize me as Yozora?"
That's referring to Yozora. Maybe Baldr was originally Yozora and changed?
 

Alpha Baymax

On a scale of α to ζ.
Joined
Sep 5, 2015
Messages
4,782
Awards
23
Age
28
Location
United Kingdom
Woah, so, Yozora, Aegis, Magia and Not-Stella could be the Scala Ad Caelum upper-classmen?! What if Not-Stella is Baldr's sister?

My Bragi and Hermod theory can finally be taken seriously.

 

AdrianXXII

Dyslexic rambler
Joined
Dec 5, 2009
Messages
2,989
Awards
15
Location
Switzerland
My thoughts exactly. Besides being special for being Pure Hearts, they're also special because they're the last surviving Pure Hearts from ages ago. Perhaps the plot line of New Seven Hearts, besides being a refresh for the newer Disney movies, will also serve, to me, as foreshadowing that, maybe, the age of Pure Hearts can return.
That'd be interesting. Sometimes I feel like the end goal of the series would be the return of the unified world and the banishment of Darkness from peoples hearts. But I feel the unified world thing wouldn't work with Disney's restriction.

I'm also curious as to what having a pure heart entails. From what we've seen from the PoH, Ven and the New Seven Hearts, a pure heart can still feel things like I'anger or even jealousy, I assume the main difference is that those emotions wouldn't linger or fester in a pure heart and they can more easily forgive and get along with others.

The contents of their MoM, though. Could it be that they were sent to try and enter the Final World?
That'd be quiet the gruesome test. "Okay kids, now to earn your diploma you have to go to limbo and come back"

Still it would seem, that Sora and Riku's MoM was a lot more inline with what they used to do than what Aqua and Terra hand to do.
 

Sign

trapped in revamp hell
Staff member
Joined
Nov 1, 2009
Messages
17,751
Awards
36
Still it would seem, that Sora and Riku's MoM was a lot more inline with what they used to do than what Aqua and Terra hand to do.
I'd assume Eraqus was traumatized by whatever happens in DR and overcompensated to ensure it wouldn't happen for his own children students.
 

astertide

Active member
Joined
Sep 16, 2020
Messages
236
Awards
4
I'm torn with this mysterious Mark of Mastery:
  • It wasn't made on purpose to mess with them
  • It was made on purpose to mess with them
The contents of their MoM, though. Could it be that they were sent to try and enter the Final World?
Probably not the Final World as Sora could go to the Final World at will without dying, remember? "Sleep and death touch," etc.

Well, one thing's for sure is Odin is giving them an exam that's completely different from a regular Mark of Mastery, that is far more dangerous than a regular Mark exam and may end up killing his students.

Actually, now I doubt he wanted to get rid of them. Why would Odin try to get rid of the upperclassmen but then get the lowerclassmen to search for the upperclassmen?

It was probably some sort of mission disguised as a test. Or maybe the mission was the test.

If he's been body hopping, he wouldn't need to change appearance.
That's referring to Yozora. Maybe Baldr was originally Yozora and changed?
I know that that's referring to Yozora, I'm just theorising on Spock's theory about Yozora being one of the upper classmen. Yozora probably didn't change his own appearance, so did Luxu do something?
 

Chie

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 30, 2020
Messages
789
Awards
3
The Disney stuff would probably work even better if telephones hadn't killed video games and this was done with 3D cutscenes on a console. Seeing characters do Their Bit From The Movie! in text lines doesn't do anything for me, but if it felt like we were actually in that bit with voice acting and cinematic direction and all, I think I'd quite like it. Especially with us meeting characters who've never actually appeared in the series before (the disney stuff in X doesn't really count since "the book of prophecies generated the plot of the movie a bajillion years before it happened" is pretty explicitly an excuse to make Content for the Gacha; I suspect most of that would be cut in a remake, while every scene here in Dark Road is still part of the narrative).
 

rokudamia2

Dream eater ally.
Joined
Dec 23, 2005
Messages
3,753
Awards
5
Age
31
Do people really think baldr is connected to ravus even though Nomura didn't design Ravus?
 

Chie

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 30, 2020
Messages
789
Awards
3
He probably designed the Versus XIII character who Ravus resembles, though. Which is I assume what people really mean, we just don't know if that character would have had a different name or what.

Semi-relatedly I wonder if there is still hope for Yen Sid to get a mention (I assume they're not allowed to give him a young design, if he's not secretly one of the ones we've seen)
 
Last edited:

Ballad of Caius

Player 💀
Joined
Jan 4, 2014
Messages
7,270
Awards
9
Location
Shibuya
That'd be interesting. Sometimes I feel like the end goal of the series would be the return of the unified world and the banishment of Darkness from peoples hearts. But I feel the unified world thing wouldn't work with Disney's restriction.
I mean, they can just show a reunified world and not display Disney characters.

I'm also curious as to what having a pure heart entails. From what we've seen from the PoH, Ven and the New Seven Hearts, a pure heart can still feel things like I'anger or even jealousy, I assume the main difference is that those emotions wouldn't linger or fester in a pure heart and they can more easily forgive and get along with others.
From what Master Odin said, I presume Pure Hearts are those that have their emotions in check to the point of not creating Darkness.

I'd assume Eraqus was traumatized by whatever happens in DR and overcompensated to ensure it wouldn't happen for his own children students.
Makes sense.

Actually, now I doubt he wanted to get rid of them. Why would Odin try to get rid of the upperclassmen but then get the lowerclassmen to search for the upperclassmen?
If we go with the line that Odin was trying to get rid of them, then maybe the "rescuing" part is also trying to get rid of the newer students. But if we go with the line that it wasn't on purpose, then perhaps Odin overestimated the success rate of the upperclassmen.

I know that that's referring to Yozora, I'm just theorising on Spock's theory about Yozora being one of the upper classmen. Yozora probably didn't change his own appearance, so did Luxu do something?
I don't think Luxu is related to Yozora's appearance changing. From the wording, I think Yozora has another heart currently inside of him that is changing him. Maybe he's another Apprentice Xehanort:
* A person born from two hearts with an identity of his own because both hearts are amnesiac
 

Idreamaboutcats

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 13, 2020
Messages
578
Awards
9
That'd be interesting. Sometimes I feel like the end goal of the series would be the return of the unified world and the banishment of Darkness from peoples hearts. But I feel the unified world thing wouldn't work with Disney's restriction.

I don’t know about that. It’s true that back in the day the old execs didn’t like the idea of their IPs interacting with each other; heck, it was an argument against the Disney Princess line during its inception. However, it has considerably relaxed since then, if Sofia, Descendants and Ralph are anything to go by.

That said, that might be the end goal. It’s either the reunion of the world, or a rebirth of it via FF formula, the “god” in question being both Kingdom Hearts and the Darkness. I don’t think Disney would be a fan of following the FF formula though. They can also follow the Disney formula and have a zooming out shot of a fairytale book closing after a happy ending. I don’t think Nomura would be a fan of following the Disney formula though.

(everyone else about the MoM)
What even is a regular MoM? Between Terra and Aqua it was a sparring match. Between Sora and Riku it was waking up the sleeping worlds. Now for the upperclassmen it’s going out into a suicide mission. There’s so many ways a MoM can be conducted I feel like there’s no “regular” formula, but rather just follows the discretion and decision of the presiding master.

From what Master Odin said, I presume Pure Hearts are those that have their emotions in check to the point of not creating Darkness.

This might actually be the case.

(everyone else about the Yozora and Baldr connection)
Maybe? It’s too soon to tell. We know little about Baldr; even less about Yozora.

I’m calling a prediction: Either Baldr goes berserk and does away with the other four kids after learning what happened to his sister, or Baldr survives the madness and finds himself flung to the Destiny Islands probably with amnesia or not, and sires a certain kid there with one of the locals.
 
Last edited:

Clue.Less

Well-known member
Joined
May 9, 2020
Messages
477
Awards
7
Website
archiveofourown.org
I’m calling a prediction: Either Baldr goes berserk and does away with the other four kids after learning what happened to his sister, or Baldr survives the madness and finds himself flung to the Destiny Islands probably with amnesia or not, and sires a certain kid there with one of the locals.

I was having similar thoughts, lol.
 

Alpha Baymax

On a scale of α to ζ.
Joined
Sep 5, 2015
Messages
4,782
Awards
23
Age
28
Location
United Kingdom
I’m calling a prediction: Either Baldr goes berserk and does away with the other four kids after learning what happened to his sister, or Baldr survives the madness and finds himself flung to the Destiny Islands probably with amnesia or not, and sires a certain kid there with one of the locals.

👁👄👁
 

Ballad of Caius

Player 💀
Joined
Jan 4, 2014
Messages
7,270
Awards
9
Location
Shibuya
Riku descending from someone of Scala is something I wouldn't be surprised with. Especially now that Riku is another Not!Noctis and being from Scala could be defined as KH's closeness to royalty
 

Foxycian

Active member
Joined
Aug 1, 2016
Messages
881
Awards
3
Riku descending from someone of Scala is something I wouldn't be surprised with. Especially now that Riku is another Not!Noctis and being from Scala could be defined as KH's closeness to royalty
I really don’t like how they trying to force the Noctis connection with Riku... Riku isn’t like Noctis, Riku have always been like Cecil Harvey.
 

Idreamaboutcats

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 13, 2020
Messages
578
Awards
9
I really don’t like how they trying to force the Noctis connection with Riku... Riku isn’t like Noctis, Riku have always been like Cecil Harvey.
It can’t be helped. Nomura is very, very bitter about what happened with Versus (something tells me Shimomura is too). If I had the chance to be petty and screw my employers over who f—ked with me while having the protection of a multi-billion media conglomerate, I’d take that chance every time.

It doesn’t help that Kingdom Hearts is a bestseller and moneymaker for Disney, while they handed over the Avengers license, another moneymaking IP, and SE somehow managed to screw it up. Disney can be very unforgiving, and now that Nomura and his pet project is probably the only thing they managed to benefit from SE, you can bet the lion has its teeth bared if SE so much as raises a hand against Nomura; now they’re letting him get away with anything under pain of litigation from The Mouse. Of course, this isn’t fact, just a scenario I think would be happening behind closed doors.

This isn’t a defense for Nomura, just a hypothesized scenario of why there’s a lot of Not!Noctises running around. I’m surprised he made Riku take on that look though, since Sora has a closer connection by virtue of name and interviews.
 

The_Echo

Anti-SENA Operative
Joined
Mar 16, 2013
Messages
1,841
Awards
12
It can’t be helped. Nomura is very, very bitter about what happened with Versus (something tells me Shimomura is too). If I had the chance to be petty and screw my employers over who f—ked with me while having the protection of a multi-billion media conglomerate, I’d take that chance every time.

It doesn’t help that Kingdom Hearts is a bestseller and moneymaker for Disney, while they handed over the Avengers license, another moneymaking IP, and SE somehow managed to screw it up. Disney can be very unforgiving, and now that Nomura and his pet project is probably the only thing they managed to benefit from SE, you can bet the lion has its teeth bared if SE so much as raises a hand against Nomura; now they’re letting him get away with anything under pain of litigation from The Mouse. Of course, this isn’t fact, just a scenario I think would be happening behind closed doors.

This isn’t a defense for Nomura, just a hypothesized scenario of why there’s a lot of Not!Noctises running around. I’m surprised he made Riku take on that look though, since Sora has a closer connection by virtue of name and interviews.
I think that's a very exaggerated version of what's actually happening

Is Nomura upset about Versus XIII? Almost assuredly.
Is he somehow in-league with Disney to strongarm Square execs into letting him make Versus XIII a part of KH?
Uh... probably not my guy

I'm pretty sure it's just a case of him recycling ideas he wasn't able to use elsewhere, similar to how Lingering Will was designed after an earlier project that never got off the ground.
And I doubt very heavily that Disney gives a single shit about Nomura in specific. We all (probably) think of KH as being nothing without him, but Disney won't hesitate to keep the franchise running if for some reason Nomura dropped out of the picture.
As long as it keeps making money.
 

Idreamaboutcats

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 13, 2020
Messages
578
Awards
9
That’s why I said hypothesized. They’ll sooner throw Nomura under the bus than lose those sweet Franklins and Washingtons. Any entrepreneur with common sense would do the same thing to a liability, ethics be damned, I know I would.

Back to topic though, I’m really curious now about what the upperclassmen look like. And the order thing…hmmm…
 

Alpha Baymax

On a scale of α to ζ.
Joined
Sep 5, 2015
Messages
4,782
Awards
23
Age
28
Location
United Kingdom
It can’t be helped. Nomura is very, very bitter about what happened with Versus (something tells me Shimomura is too). If I had the chance to be petty and screw my employers over who f—ked with me while having the protection of a multi-billion media conglomerate, I’d take that chance every time.

It doesn’t help that Kingdom Hearts is a bestseller and moneymaker for Disney, while they handed over the Avengers license, another moneymaking IP, and SE somehow managed to screw it up. Disney can be very unforgiving, and now that Nomura and his pet project is probably the only thing they managed to benefit from SE, you can bet the lion has its teeth bared if SE so much as raises a hand against Nomura; now they’re letting him get away with anything under pain of litigation from The Mouse. Of course, this isn’t fact, just a scenario I think would be happening behind closed doors.

This isn’t a defense for Nomura, just a hypothesized scenario of why there’s a lot of Not!Noctises running around. I’m surprised he made Riku take on that look though, since Sora has a closer connection by virtue of name and interviews.

My dude, chill with the dramatics.

Nomura has arguably worked on Versus XIII/XV for almost a decade, of course, he'd take inspirations from that and integrate it into Kingdom Hearts. If you've worked on a creative project for that long only for it to be ultimately canned, the smartest thing you can do from the failed project is to sample what worked and amalgamate it in a project that's more functional, that's just how artistic media development works. I don't get why you're bringing Avengers into the discussion when that game was published by Square Enix Europe/Eidos Interactive

And by the way, Nomura loves to recycle character designs, he's not just obsessed with Noctis.

FFXV_Gentiana.png
Skuld02.png
1f3d2c3f9f9add7d82ed6666732a36e4.png
 
Back
Top