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Dark Road ► (Theory) True Darkness is NOT in Ven



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Vaer

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Hello and greetings! New member with no one to really discuss with.


Ever since the end of Dark Road I've had a lot of questions jumbling around my head. As I believe most of you do as well.

One scene in the Dark Road Finale that REALLY got my gears turning was Master Xehanort's discussion with Vanitas.

I posted most of this outlandish theory as sporadic comments on various platforms so I've attempted to compile them onto different platforms and see if I can get more lore-knowledgeable people to weigh in on this theory.

Theory:

The "True Darkness" that inhabited Ven has transferred to Sora and Sora is now a "Dark Vessel"

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I'm personally not convinced yet that Vanitas is "True Darkness"/Ancient Darkness. My main points being that A) "True Darkness" is formless and B) "True Darkness" is out there but not where we think it would be: inside Ven. It WAS inside Ven until the event where Vanitas was extracted.

I surmise the extraction of "True Darkness" from Ven by Xehanort was, for lack of a better word, incomplete. I think, when Xehanort initiated the split, he broke Ven's heart in attempt to draw "True Darkness" out. A piece of "True Darkness" was torn off, and coalesced into the being known as Vanitas. A being of pure darkness, once part of a whole, now independent. In the same instance "True Darkness" began to hide in the cracks of Ven's broken heart until he contacted Sora's "new" heart to help heal. At this point I conjecture that "True Darkness" hitched over to Sora and now inhabits Sora's heart. Now with "True Darkness" within Sora, Sora is now a template to give Vanitas, a piece of "True Darkness" with a corporeal form, a true shape and face.

Vanitas is just an "avatar" of the "True Darkness". A splintered piece that became sentient, and now taking on the face of "True Darkness's" current vessel: Sora.

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Validity: Most Likely Not
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The only thing I can think of that can make this likely improbable theory somewhat plausible is if we look at the context of the confrontation with "Darkness", and what it really is, during Sora's dive into Ven's heart. The "Darkness" confronted within Ven, which manifests into/summons Dark Inferno X, must be different and possibly a "Darkness" (lesser) like Dark Baldr in Dark Road.

There's possibly some evidence, that I can't currently cite but I can hazily recall, about darkness (just regular old darkness) within the human heart, so please fill in gaps if you can.

We're told humans have darkness within their hearts, but some humans have immensely bright hearts filled with light and some of these humans are sensitive to the hearts and emotions of others. With the Dark Road Finale we see that Baldr, a being with a heart so sensitive (similar to Xehanort) that it took on the negative feelings of others. These negative feelings formed a shadow, darkness, within Baldr's heart. The shadow used and fed on the negative feelings, the "Animosity", from the loss of his sister until it birthed a lesser "Darkness". It personally confirms that it wasn't the "Ancient Darkness" everyone assumed it to be. This "Darkness" also confirmed that this is how they propagate and grow in number. This lesser "Darkness" also had the ability to "manifest" into a Pureblood Heartless (a kind of "guardian" even?) called Hringhorn. Which is important because True Darkness is consistently said to be formless and must inhabit a heart to be "physical".

With this in mind let's consider the following:
- A sensitive heart can be tainted by the darkness of those around them
- That darkness, fed with the right negative emotions, can become "Darkness" (lesser)
- This "Darkness" (lesser) will inahbit the heart/vessel that birthed it
- This type of "Darkness" has the ability to summon (or simply manifest itself as) a Pureblood Heartless, or a "guardian" so to speak, to protect its Vessel (Something "True Darkness" hasn't done yet, or I don't remember an instance of it).


With those points let's now take a look at Ven: a boy with a sensitive heart that's filled with light who was confirmed to be a vessel for "True Darkness". Possibly the "True Darkness" that "disguised itself as an ally of light".

To see if the "True Darkness is in Sora" theory is to have some validity, we'll continue the discussion as if it is indeed true:

Master Xehanort, finding Ven, split his heart into Light and Dark in an attempt to remove "True Darkness". Master Xehanort ultimately fails since Ven's heart had no darkness, but somehow, by breaking Ven's heart, Master Xehanort succeeded in removing a portion of both Ven's heart and a piece of "True Darkness": creating Vanitas. (A being of Darkness, once part of a whole, given a heart, and now independent). Hiding in the cracks of Ven's heart, "True Darkness" waited and when Ven and Sora first make contact to ensure Ven is healed, it took the opportunity to transfer to Sora during the connection. Master Xehanort, somewhat content his "friend" is safe for now, takes Ven to Master Eraqus. At this point Master Xehanort suspects that "True Darkness" isn't in Ven anymore, and he begins to question Vanitas (a sentient, independent, piece of "True Darkness") with hypotheticals about if he "was the [Primitive Darkness] in question", whether if "it hides [within someone in present time]", and if Vanitas "know where the others are". All because he's trying to find where "True Darkness" has run off to. Vanitas, feeling no real loyalty to either side keeps his information to himself.

Ven, although now free of "True Darkness", is still someone who is sensitive to the feelings in the hearts of others. During this time in the Land of Departure, he grows alongside Terra and Aqua as apprentices to Master Eraqus. Master Eraqus, with his unwavering devotion to light (similar in how Dark Baldr mentioned Xehanort's devotion to light affected Baldr's heart) and Terra, being somewhat close to the darkness, could have influenced Ven's heart over the years seeding his heart with shadow (similar to Baldr taking in the darkness of Xehanort and others around him).
This burrowed "seed" of darkness was on its way to becoming a full grown "Darkness" (lesser) over the course of events leading up to KH3, especially with his heart being within Sora (and Roxas) and experiencing most of their journey, both good and bad; the joy and the hurt. The darkness feeding on the strongest negative emotions encountered by them both.

In Re:Mind when Future Heart Sora jumps into Ven's heart: he's greeted by something calling itself "Darkness". Whether this is A) the "True Darkness" inside Sora just warning him to leave Ven alone and let him sleep, B) the "Darkness" (lesser) that's been growing within Ven's heart voicing it's own opinion to leave Ven alone, or C) Both are resonating and speaking as One to Sora simply as "Darkness", still remains unsure in my mind because it can go all three ways and still make sense to me in this moment.
After this interaction though, shadows and darkness burst from Ven's Station Platform and this "Darkness" manifests itself/summons a Pureblood Heartless called "Dark Inferno X" (bringing me closer to believing point B above). This is all somewhat similar to how Dark Baldr/"Darkness" (lesser) manifested Hringhorn in the Dark Road Finale.

With this perspective, could it be plausible that "True Darkness" has made Sora its vessel?

What about the "Child of Destiny" prophecy?
- "He can feel and connect to others hearts",
- "He will hail from the Isles of Destiny",
- "[He] will save the world from darkness".


In addition, Master Xehanort monologues that his "first mentor", taught him about the "one inscribed in the book": describing them as the one "chosen to be a  Dark Vessel."

Can this maybe shed light on Anti-Form(shrouded in darkness) and Rage Form(shrouded in Animosity and other Negative Feelings).

"True Darkness" being within Sora; probable?



Thoughts? Additions? Disproving evidence? Corroborating Evidence?
 
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Ventuswayfinder

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Your theory is interesting. But couldn't it be that Vanitas got a form from Ventus?

After all;

A6BAFABB-8140-40BC-AAD2-AA85135C631F.jpeg

2D3EB6DE-F886-4730-89A1-86EEF85A7EF8.jpeg

C264FEE8-8EDF-4191-ABB9-C90E6639B167.jpeg

BE7F8E0D-12C0-4620-896A-AA172F5FBA49.jpeg

And Ventus defeated Vanitas' form in BBS, so Vanitas should be formless currently. That’s if his heart, or whatever remains of him, still exists somewhere in the present time.

But I theorized Vanitas got his form from Ven.

Aside from that, I like your theory.
 
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Vaer

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I still think my theory has no real weight, but let's keep our thinking hats on anyway and consider other angles! I'm going to talk completely out of my arse for this, since that's how I theorize best.

I guess it can really come down to how we see this scene and the perspective we take of the context.

"True Darkness"/Ancient Darkness is a formless mass of darkness with a Will. A Will that continues to fade the longer it's incorporeal/without form and without a heart to possess/and gain a physical form. While they can still be dangerous in this state, it is undesirable for them to remain like this for long periods of time.


A6BAFABB-8140-40BC-AAD2-AA85135C631F.jpeg

This line in another perspective: "If you used me to reshape yourself...":

Possibly referring to:
"Darkness forms into Master Ava"

The Darkness that possessed Ventus used Ven's memories to take the Shape of Master Ava, someone trustworthy and familiar to him, to "manifest" and appear before him, and possibly others.

2D3EB6DE-F886-4730-89A1-86EEF85A7EF8.jpeg

C264FEE8-8EDF-4191-ABB9-C90E6639B167.jpeg

Ventus, possibly thinking since "True Darkness" used him, his heart, and his memories, to take a familiar form by possessing him, it must have connected with him, and Ven believes he has power over it and can force it to take another shape. A shape we're all familiar with.

BE7F8E0D-12C0-4620-896A-AA172F5FBA49.jpeg

What if this new "form" that Ven is talking about is simply trapping the "True Darkness", deep within his own heart. This would be giving it a physical shell (his body/heart) that can be defeated (destroying his body/heart) as an act of self-sacrifice.


Probable? All conjecture.

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"And Ventus defeated Vanitas' form in BBS, so Vanitas should be formless currently. That’s if his heart, or whatever remains of him, still exists somewhere in the present time."

I, personally, saw the battle between Ven and Vanitas' as a fight between two hearts. Seeing that Aqua fought Vanitas in Ven's physical body. So while it can be said that Vanitas' form was destroyed, I might think not. The context of the fight can be seen as "a heart of pure light clashing with a heart of pure darkness". I would say that their "forms" during the fight weren't really physical as it was a battle of heart. So Vanitas being "destroyed" wasn't his physical self being destroyed, but his heart.(..which then causes his physical form to be...destroyed?) Ven survived and went to Sora to recoup.

But the question remains, where did Vanitas go?

Although the situations are completely different, we can maybe take a guess what happens to Vanitas after being defeated by Ventus. Let's look at other "beings of darkness" (saying this liberally). Repliku. After he was defeated by Riku, it was thought he was gone for good. But in KH3 we find out that his heart was simply floating in a "sea of darkness", consigned to his fate to disappear, until Riku "woke him up" and he joined with him.

Rolling with my theory again:
Like I said, different situations between Repliku and Vanitas, but let's assume the same happens when Vanitas was beaten in BBS. We see Vanitas close his eyes, and sink into the darkness eminating from Ven's heart. His heart could have been floating in a similar "sea of darkness" but, because Vanitas is a "part" of "True Darkness" his heart won't fade away in this state and remains in a sort of limbo for now. Sleeping and healing after his fight with Ven. A limbo that could possibly be the mentioned "seed" of darkness currently growing in Ven (from his days in the Land of Departure).

So now, just like Repliku joined with Riku, maybe after Vanitas' heart's defeat at the hand of Ven's heart he is simply sleeping within the shadows in Ven's heart in present day. (I keep forgetting that the Vanitas we fight in KH3 and Re:Mind is a time-travel shenanigan heart thing in replica stuff... Or I just misunderstood his existence)

Watch Ven attempt to pull off what Sora did for Roxas.

My thinking cap is shorting out and now my head hurts... Been thinking on this WAY too long.

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We need Missing Link NOW.
 
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