Why does the Kingdom Key look like the χ-blade?

[legacier]

It always bothered me that Sora's keyblade is treated as unremarkable, even though its default form is obviously the same as the ones that make up the χ-blade. Nobody has even noticed it in-game. Like, Xehanort definitely knew what the χ-blade looked like, but neither he nor his incarnations ever commented on the Kingdom Key's similarity. Even after seeing Xehanort summon the χ-blade, even after battling him with the χ-blade, even after watching him hand it to Sora, nobody points out the similarity, not even Sora himself.

And the story handles it in the same way. No indication has even been made that the Kingdom Key has any special significance, unique powers, or connection to the χ-blade. No explanation is given for its appearance. And there's also the issue that all keyblades were supposedly designed based on the original, yet the "most ancient keyblade" looks nothing like it, whereas the Kingdom Key does, but has no backstory whatsoever.

 

[Ballad of Caius]

While honestly a good question, I don't think you should be looking too deeply into the designs of Kingdom Key and No Name. Remember that the xBlade was designed waaay after the original KINGDOM HEARTS game, so the xBlade looking like the KK is more of an inspiration than a direct connection, in my honest opinion. It's possible that whoever made the KK felt inspired by the xBlade (assuming anyone has ever seen the xBlade). And No Name being the most ancient Keyblade has less to do with its connection with the xBlade and more to do with the fact that Young Xehanort was alluding to how Master Xehanort wasn't its original wielder, but rather an inheritor of it, and possibly alluding to the fact that No Name is from the Age of Fairytales.

Or the KK could be a metaphor to how Sora is literally a Kingdom Hearts of his own with the plethora of hearts he's connected to.

 

[Violet Pluto]

If I remember correctly, in the original Kingdom Hearts the Kingdom Key is given by the Worlds of Light to a recipient and that could be the reason why it looks like the X-Blade, they are both protectors of the Worlds. At least if nothing is too different.

 

[okhi12]

I agree it doesn't mean anything at all. It's the same with KH3 Ultima weapon that looks like it's made of the same glittering metal as the X-Blade. Just a symbolic thing that shows how overpowered the keyblade is as it's prime is but with no significance at all.
The X-Blade looks like it is made of Kingdom Keys just because Sora's is the most recognizable keyblade of the whole franchise, but that's about it.
Unless they retcon it to have some hidden meaning, which wouldn't surprise me in the slightest.

 

[AR829038]

Well, if we're to believe that Keyblades acquire their form from the heart of their wielders, as mentioned in KHXBC, as this was the method used by the Master of Masters to forge the Keyblades, then it could imply that Sora's heart is uniquely qualified or destined to not only be a wielder of the Keyblade, but to do something much greater. It could be that his heart is just so strong that the universe recognizes it and displays it in the form of his Keyblade as resembling the X-Blade. That's pretty much the only thing I can think of. No good explanation as to why no one else seems to acknowledge the resemblance, though.

 

[Ballad of Caius]

To be honest, Nomura should have changed the xBlade's design to something less cheesy and seemingly lazy. Hell, give it another form by saying: "when KH is completely summoned, the xBlade's appearance changes to its true form".

 

[AdrianXXII]

and possibly alluding to the fact that No Name is from the Age of Fairytales.

Aren't all keyblades from the AoF? Honestly going through this thread i realize just how confused I've become about keyblades over the years.

I think i need to make a collection references of KH lore so i can go back and freshen up stuff.

On the topic on hand, i do think that it'd have been better for the xblade to have a true form revealed in KH3 or them at least acknowledge the similarities.
The way the game treats actually the similarity, i guess it's of no consequence, bit as a outside viewer it's a bit frustrating.

 

[Ballad of Caius]

Aren't all keyblades from the AoF? Honestly going through this thread i realize just how confused I've become about keyblades over the years.

I think i need to make a collection references of KH lore so i can go back and freshen up stuff.

On the topic on hand, i do think that it'd have been better for the xblade to have a true form revealed in KH3 or them at least acknowledge the similarities.
The way the game treats actually the similarity, i guess it's of no consequence, bit as a outside viewer it's a bit frustrating.

Well, judging by the fact that Young Xehanort specified that Master Xehanort's Keyblade, No Name, is the most ancient Keyblade, I presume the other Keyblades aren't as ancient as it.

 

[legacier]

Aren't all keyblades from the AoF? Honestly going through this thread i realize just how confused I've become about keyblades over the years.

It looks like new keyblades have been created since the AoF, per this Young Xehanort quote in re:coded:

"Every Keyblade master is bequeathed a Keyblade of his very own. With the passing of time, as you can imagine, more and more Keyblades were forged to be handed down."

Even with the timeframe of the main series, we've seen a few new keyblades get created. In particular, Lea's keyblade apparently came into existence spontaneously, and in KH3 Yen Sid gave Riku a new keyblade, but it was never explained where it came from (although it's not stated outright, BBS makes it look like he had already bequeathed his own, Star Seeker, to Mickey).

 

[AdrianXXII]

Well, judging by the fact that Young Xehanort specified that Master Xehanort's Keyblade, No Name, is the most ancient Keyblade, I presume the other Keyblades aren't as ancient as it.

Yeah, i just figured No Name was among the original ones to be created and all others would have been made afterwards.

It looks like new keyblades have been created since the AoF, per this Young Xehanort quote in re:coded:

"Every Keyblade master is bequeathed a Keyblade of his very own. With the passing of time, as you can imagine, more and more Keyblades were forged to be handed down."

I forgot about that line. I could see them continue to make Keyblades through out the Scala Ad Caleum era up to our trio in LoD.

But this kinda puts into question the whole being chosen by a keyblade thing, if they are still being made a new for a new weilder.

Even with the timeframe of the main series, we've seen a few new keyblades get created. In particular, Lea's keyblade apparently came into existence spontaneously, and in KH3 Yen Sid gave Riku a new keyblade, but it was never explained where it came from (although it's not stated outright, BBS makes it look like he had already bequeathed his own, Star Seeker, to Mickey).

I always read that as a Keyblade finally choosing Axel and taking on a look to match him and not a new one coming into being.

I also took it as Riku having to be chosen by a new Keyblade instead of a new one being forged for him.

On another note, i find it frustrating that the series opted to call both the act of nominating someone to potentially wield via Keyblade Inheritance Ceremony and actually passing on the keyblade bequeathing. (or maybe that's a confusion on my end)