So, I must say that I'm perplexed by the new order of the Real Organization XIII as revealed in the new Garden of Assemblage.
Now, in KH2, we know that the rank a member holds is indicative of WHEN they joined the Organization. Which makes sense enough.
But, here's the new official ordering for the real Organization:
1. Master Xehanort
2. Ansem, Seeker of Darkness
3. Xemnas
4. Xigbar
5. Luxord
6. Larxene
7. Marluxia
8. Saïx
9. Terra-Xehanort
10. Dark Riku
11. Vanitas
12. Young Xehanort
13. Xion
Now, originally, I had assumed they were going to rank the norts by order of how close they were to actually BEING the OG Master Xehanort. So, for example, Ansem, Xemnas, Young Xehanort, and Terra-Xehanort would all be in the top five slots because they're all Xehanort not only in heart but in mind, whereas the other characters still retain their sense of self just with Xehanort's heart kind of nesting deep inside them.
But, having it go back to order of induction makes sense, too. Although, what we have here doesn't even seem to match up with that.
If they were ranked by order of when each member actually JOINED the new Organization, then Young Xehanort I assume should be number 2, since he's the one responsibly for assembling the other norts in the first place. Instead, he's at...twelve?? Second-to-last place?? How does that make sense?
On the other hand, if we're ordering it by when each character first appeared chronologically in the series, then it still doesn't make sense, because then in that case Vanitas and Terra-Xehanort would be further toward the top.
If we're going by order of introduction, then the list should be as follows:
1. Master Xehanort
2. Vanitas
3. Terra-Xehanort
4. Ansem, Seeker of Darkness
5. Xemnas
6. Xigbar
7. Saïx
8. Luxord
9. Marluxia
10. Larxene
11. Dark Riku
12. Xion
13. Young Xehanort
If we're going by order of induction, then according to the scene in ReMIND, it should be closer to something like this:
1. Master Xehanort
2. Young Xehanort
3. Xigbar
4. Saïx
5/6/7. Luxord/Marluxia/Larxene
8/9/10/11. Ansem SoD/Xemnas/Vanitas/Dark Riku
12. Terra-Xehanort
13. Xion
So, this ranking doesn't make any sense. Is there some other metric by which Nomura is justifying this order? Does anybody have any ideas?
Now, in KH2, we know that the rank a member holds is indicative of WHEN they joined the Organization. Which makes sense enough.
But, here's the new official ordering for the real Organization:
1. Master Xehanort
2. Ansem, Seeker of Darkness
3. Xemnas
4. Xigbar
5. Luxord
6. Larxene
7. Marluxia
8. Saïx
9. Terra-Xehanort
10. Dark Riku
11. Vanitas
12. Young Xehanort
13. Xion
Now, originally, I had assumed they were going to rank the norts by order of how close they were to actually BEING the OG Master Xehanort. So, for example, Ansem, Xemnas, Young Xehanort, and Terra-Xehanort would all be in the top five slots because they're all Xehanort not only in heart but in mind, whereas the other characters still retain their sense of self just with Xehanort's heart kind of nesting deep inside them.
But, having it go back to order of induction makes sense, too. Although, what we have here doesn't even seem to match up with that.
If they were ranked by order of when each member actually JOINED the new Organization, then Young Xehanort I assume should be number 2, since he's the one responsibly for assembling the other norts in the first place. Instead, he's at...twelve?? Second-to-last place?? How does that make sense?
On the other hand, if we're ordering it by when each character first appeared chronologically in the series, then it still doesn't make sense, because then in that case Vanitas and Terra-Xehanort would be further toward the top.
If we're going by order of introduction, then the list should be as follows:
1. Master Xehanort
2. Vanitas
3. Terra-Xehanort
4. Ansem, Seeker of Darkness
5. Xemnas
6. Xigbar
7. Saïx
8. Luxord
9. Marluxia
10. Larxene
11. Dark Riku
12. Xion
13. Young Xehanort
If we're going by order of induction, then according to the scene in ReMIND, it should be closer to something like this:
1. Master Xehanort
2. Young Xehanort
3. Xigbar
4. Saïx
5/6/7. Luxord/Marluxia/Larxene
8/9/10/11. Ansem SoD/Xemnas/Vanitas/Dark Riku
12. Terra-Xehanort
13. Xion
So, this ranking doesn't make any sense. Is there some other metric by which Nomura is justifying this order? Does anybody have any ideas?