Usually I avoid this topic due to it's unexplained nature but after responding to a post about souls in a thread the other day a thought came to me.
To start off it's best to get a something out of the way, namely the matter of the soul.
I know it's a loved theory that the soul plays some factor in the LS' creation (as well as other beings) but this simply isn't true.
The soul is nothing more than the life force of ones vessel, to extract it is to kill a being. Yes I know nomura said that "death doesn't exist in kh" but that only applies to the heart not the physical shell.
When one "dies" naturally the soul expires and the body dies, it is the heart that moves on and persists eternally.
You can see proof in Ventus, his heart has been literally ripped apart to make Vanitas as well as quite literally shattered in order to defeat Vanitas and his heart still exists. (though damaged)
You can see this fact in the kh2 reports:
So quite simply, and bluntly, the soul is nothing more than life force, it's a packaged deal along with the body itself. You can't separate them from any living being cause it results in death of that being.
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Now to move onto the heart of this post, the mind.
In the thread mentioned earlier someone brought up the matter of mind and soul.
Now as I've shown the soul is never a factor and as well all know the heart is the identity of a being, it is their core, who they are, i.e their mind.
The heart contains ones memories, their sense of self and pretty much everything that makes them who they are.
It is quite frankly the kh series equivalent to the mind. Well if anything the heart contains the "mind" itself.
Heartless, and their very name, shows this as well. Now as we all now know the heartless are just hearts swallowed by darkness, yet despite being made up of hearts they are called "heartless".
Why is this? Well it's cause of the state the heart is in. It's cause the heart is lost to darkness and all sense of self and emotion is gone which is in of itself a form of being "heartless". Their rendered to nothing but an emotionless void of instinct. They essentially lose what it is that makes them who they are, i.e their mind, or more correctly their sense of self.
Even sora states he began to forget until kairi saved him.
Now with the heart serving as ones core, their mind, as well as being the source of emotions it would mean thoughts and emotions are tightly linked to one another.
Now I bring this up to point out Vanitas and his unversed. The unversed, as stated by Vanitas himself, are his negative emotions. (His very thoughts and feelings given physical form)
Now why is this important to the title material of the Lingering Will (Sentiment) you ask? Simple, if Vanitas can can give rise to physical beings made from his rampaging emotions and thoughts, then why can't other people do something similar?
In a sense, the unversed are splinters of Vanitas' thoughts/emotions and if the heart is the core of ones being, their mind, and thoughts+emotions come from this core then in a sense they are splinters of his mind.
More accurately, parts of him that are connected and extensions of his heart/mind.
To boil it down, what if Terra's lingering will is in fact something similar to the unversed.
Not exactly the same mind you, but similar in nature.
We know that Terra's mind is playing a role in it's formation given Terranorts line: "Your body submits, your heart succumbs yet your mind resists!?"
Now we know the LW can't have Terra's actual mind as it resides with, or rather is, the heart because in the vid Blank Points at the end of bbs we see the hearts of Terra and MX conversing over the possession of terra's body.
Seen here: Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep - Secret Movie: Blank Points USA 1080P - YouTube
So if the LW can't possess Terra's actual mind what if the LW, like the unversed to vanitas, is rather a splinter of his mind?
One born of Terras intense emotions of hatred for Master Xehanort, acting on his very strong desire and stubborn will (will and desire being just as much a thought as they are an emotion) to stop MX at any cost.
An extension of Terra's actual mind and heart given form through his armor and keyblade.
Edit: A bit of a sub-theory, or inkling rather, perhaps the keyblade was the catalyst for this creation. The keyblade it tightly bound to the heart, in fact it thrives on it, as we seen in BBS this connection is so strong that when their wielders pass the keyblade becomes lifeless which we see from all the keyblades in the graveyard.
So perhaps using this strong connection to it's master, Terra's keyblade took his thoughts and feelings, gave them form and from this the Lingering Will was born.
Would this not explain how the LW would be terra's "mind" resisting Xehanort even when the rest of him has been dominated? Does it not explain how the LW can be a part of terra without being composed any of his main components (main being Heart/mind, body and soul)?
I'd like to hear so thoughts on it.
(damn this is the longest post I've made in years lol)
To start off it's best to get a something out of the way, namely the matter of the soul.
I know it's a loved theory that the soul plays some factor in the LS' creation (as well as other beings) but this simply isn't true.
The soul is nothing more than the life force of ones vessel, to extract it is to kill a being. Yes I know nomura said that "death doesn't exist in kh" but that only applies to the heart not the physical shell.
When one "dies" naturally the soul expires and the body dies, it is the heart that moves on and persists eternally.
You can see proof in Ventus, his heart has been literally ripped apart to make Vanitas as well as quite literally shattered in order to defeat Vanitas and his heart still exists. (though damaged)
You can see this fact in the kh2 reports:
Spoiler Show
The distant days spent in that beautiful paradise are an illusion to me now.
How long have I been here, banished to the realm of nothingness?
It is only by relying upon my anger and hatred that I have been able to retain my sense of self here where all existence is nullified.
My heart is being overcome with hatred toward my apprentices, possessed by the darkness, and with the anger I feel for stupidly allowing myself to be betrayed.
Is this darkness, eating away at my heart?
I cannot continue to idle away my time here.
What are Xehanort and the others attempting to do?
I must unravel the mystery of these Ansem's Reports, intercept my apprentices, and defeat them.
That is my mission...the only way to repay the world for my sins.
Those beings who lack hearts—the Heartless—must be the key.
The darkness of the heart, made flesh. Cursed shadows who not only lack hearts, but multiply by seizing hearts from any and all living things.
Where have they come from, and where are they going?
Three elements combine to create a life: a heart, a soul, and a body.
But what of the soul and body left behind when the heart is lost?
When the soul leaves the body, its vessel, life gives way to death, but what about when the heart leaves?
A being does not perish when its heart leaves its body. The heart alone disappears into the darkness.
There is little time.
If I remain in this realm much longer, I will certainly learn these answers the hard way.
My heart is already a captive of the darkness. [/QUOTE]
So quite simply, and bluntly, the soul is nothing more than life force, it's a packaged deal along with the body itself. You can't separate them from any living being cause it results in death of that being.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now to move onto the heart of this post, the mind.
In the thread mentioned earlier someone brought up the matter of mind and soul.
Now as I've shown the soul is never a factor and as well all know the heart is the identity of a being, it is their core, who they are, i.e their mind.
The heart contains ones memories, their sense of self and pretty much everything that makes them who they are.
It is quite frankly the kh series equivalent to the mind. Well if anything the heart contains the "mind" itself.
Heartless, and their very name, shows this as well. Now as we all now know the heartless are just hearts swallowed by darkness, yet despite being made up of hearts they are called "heartless".
Why is this? Well it's cause of the state the heart is in. It's cause the heart is lost to darkness and all sense of self and emotion is gone which is in of itself a form of being "heartless". Their rendered to nothing but an emotionless void of instinct. They essentially lose what it is that makes them who they are, i.e their mind, or more correctly their sense of self.
Even sora states he began to forget until kairi saved him.
Now with the heart serving as ones core, their mind, as well as being the source of emotions it would mean thoughts and emotions are tightly linked to one another.
Now I bring this up to point out Vanitas and his unversed. The unversed, as stated by Vanitas himself, are his negative emotions. (His very thoughts and feelings given physical form)
Now why is this important to the title material of the Lingering Will (Sentiment) you ask? Simple, if Vanitas can can give rise to physical beings made from his rampaging emotions and thoughts, then why can't other people do something similar?
In a sense, the unversed are splinters of Vanitas' thoughts/emotions and if the heart is the core of ones being, their mind, and thoughts+emotions come from this core then in a sense they are splinters of his mind.
More accurately, parts of him that are connected and extensions of his heart/mind.
To boil it down, what if Terra's lingering will is in fact something similar to the unversed.
Not exactly the same mind you, but similar in nature.
We know that Terra's mind is playing a role in it's formation given Terranorts line: "Your body submits, your heart succumbs yet your mind resists!?"
Now we know the LW can't have Terra's actual mind as it resides with, or rather is, the heart because in the vid Blank Points at the end of bbs we see the hearts of Terra and MX conversing over the possession of terra's body.
Seen here: Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep - Secret Movie: Blank Points USA 1080P - YouTube
So if the LW can't possess Terra's actual mind what if the LW, like the unversed to vanitas, is rather a splinter of his mind?
One born of Terras intense emotions of hatred for Master Xehanort, acting on his very strong desire and stubborn will (will and desire being just as much a thought as they are an emotion) to stop MX at any cost.
An extension of Terra's actual mind and heart given form through his armor and keyblade.
Edit: A bit of a sub-theory, or inkling rather, perhaps the keyblade was the catalyst for this creation. The keyblade it tightly bound to the heart, in fact it thrives on it, as we seen in BBS this connection is so strong that when their wielders pass the keyblade becomes lifeless which we see from all the keyblades in the graveyard.
So perhaps using this strong connection to it's master, Terra's keyblade took his thoughts and feelings, gave them form and from this the Lingering Will was born.
Would this not explain how the LW would be terra's "mind" resisting Xehanort even when the rest of him has been dominated? Does it not explain how the LW can be a part of terra without being composed any of his main components (main being Heart/mind, body and soul)?
I'd like to hear so thoughts on it.
(damn this is the longest post I've made in years lol)
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