Xehanort's Guardian

[Gram]

I know I said the one I posted yesterday would be my last for a while but haha yeah I changed my mind. I mean what's the fun in kh forums if we don't discuss kh things am I right? (instead of just lurking in the kh3 section constantly refreshing hoping for news)

So in another attempt to get something going let's take a look at probably one of the most enigmatic creatures in this series, Xehanort's Guardian.

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Initially, waaaaay back in the olden days of this site and the series, the Guardian was assumed by many to be Ansem's true heartless form or just a powerful heartless he summoned.
This of course did make some sense at the time because Ansem was a confirmed heartless and the body (human form) he had in the final battle was actually Riku's so him manifesting himself didn't seem THAT crazy....

BUT THEN!

All those small time assumptions was shattered by the most frustratingly convoluted mystery in this series, Terranot.

Appearing in the prequel to kingdom hearts 1, Birth By Sleep, this took 10yrs prior to the main game and to Ansem using the Guardian for battle.
This completely shattered any conceptions/assumptions and raising dozens of question about this being because it was initially assumed the Guardian was a heartless of some sort yet this can't be truly the case because Terranort was neither a heartless nor were any of the three hearts that made up his composition.

As you know a heartless is born when a person succumbs to their own darkness or has their heart stolen by an already existing heartless.
This however never happened to Terranort at least not till after the events of Birth by Sleep. (but before kingdom hearts 1)

Terra was the host and though he opened up to darkness in a fit of rage at Xehanort he didn't lose his heart to it, though his inability to control himself did give Xehanrot an opening to possess the young wielder.

Eraqus, obviously, never experienced this either because he was outright (for a lack of less blunt work) killed by Xehanort.
As he was fading away he placed his heart in Terra's which MX takes note of in Blank Points.

Master Xehanort, though he did release his heart from his body, didn't become a heartless either. After all using the keyblade to release and transfer your heart to a new body isn't the same as being consumed by darkness.

So then if the Guardian isn't a heartless then what could it be? It's obviously ruled by darkness but what does that make it?

Well, at current, there are only a few possible explanations. The most popular explanations being it is actually Terra or Eraqus being manipulated by Xehanort.

Now I wont lie, the Eraqus angle does sound possible he was after all present in Terranort in an unknown share.

Those who hold this theory go to great lengths to point out the straps across the Guardians body and the X strap wore by Eraqus over his chest plate seen here:

This connection, to me, however is really stretching something as proof that isn't even comparable.
Just look at the Guardian again here:

It is indeed covered in straps however nothing in a fashion similar to the signature X one wore by Eraqus.
They do form an X over the mouth but take a closer look, the straps look in such a way that it's as if the straps on it's chest and head are wrapped in a way to keep it's mouth shut.
Which while forming an X-shaped style doesn't mean it's Eraqus because Eraqus isn't the only one to make use of this X.

TAV all wear that X over their clothes and Xehanort is notorious for making use of the X so you can see why, to me, this comparison is just really looking for something that isn't really there.

However that isn't to say the Guardian isn't Eraqus after all, I mean the possibility is very much there, it's just that to me him being present within Terranort and AnsemSoD is plenty enough evidence for the possibility.

As for any other proof or circumstantial bits of info pointing towards this possibility, I can't find any.
But none the less I don't rule Eraqus out.

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Two other theories I've seen pointed out is that the Guardian is either Terra or MX's keyblade however this can't be true.

In the Aqua-Terranort battle there is a sequence you can make unfold which I can't remember what it's called but I do have an image of it's existence seen here:

Here you can see all three, Terra, Terra holding MX's keyblade, and the Guardian all separate from one another.

And yes I can assure you that is MX's keyblade he's holding.
This scene is from the Aqua vs Terranort battle which took place after MX stole Terra's body and discarded Terra's armor and keyblade.

If you want further proof watch some videos of this fight, you'll eventually find one that shows it.
I'd find it for you, I'm not that lazy not to, but my internet is running a bit slow tonight so you'll have to look on your own or wait till I can get back up to speed to post you one.

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Now your likely wondering of these other possibilities I talked about, other than Eraqus, well there is only one other outcome I can think of besides Eraqus.

That the Guardian is somehow Xehanort.

As you seen in that image above, in the Aqua vs Terranort battle you can cause that scene in the image which has to do with inside Terranorts heart.
Yet the only people you see there is Terra and the Guardian.

Of course Eraqus is also missing form that image so it leaves one to wonder.

Don't get me wrong the Eraqus route seems more likely but at the same time there's nothing ruling out Xehanort either, either way I'll leave that inward debate for you.

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So what do you think? Do you think the Guardian is Xehanort manipulating Eraqus through his darkness? Do you think it's Xehanort himself? Or do you think it is really just something as simple like it being a manifestation of Terranort's darkness?

Don't feel shy, tell me and everyone what you think. o3o

 

[Axel92]

Aesthetically talking, I think Eraqus' hair look similar to Guardian's "Hair".

 

[ok sunny]

I look at the eyes and facial structure of Eraqus and the Guardian. They both seem almost identical. It's just that the Guardian has his mouth opened. But either way, even the nose looks similar. Anyway, the tape that covers his mouth keeps me wondering about its purpose and how it's relevant to a Heartless like him. The X pattern across his chest never occurred to me, but I doubt it means much.

 

[Axel92]

To complete the OP:

ANd look at the Goat-Like Monster:

 

[Gram]

^ Ah thank you!
Yes indeed theres no mistake who's keyblade is being used cause there is not only appearance but also because Eraqus' keyblade is left behind and later picked up by Aqua at LoD.

 

[FudgemintGuardian]

It being Eraqus does seem likely.
But, simply agreeing on this and walking away is no fun. So I bring an unlikely but also possible theory: That the Guardian is a parasitic Heartless that nurtures and consumes the darkness in a person and "breeds" by inserting small bits of itself into other yummy candidates.
Yup. The Organizations role is to make baby Guardians. Yup.

 

[Gram]

It being Eraqus does seem likely.
But, simply agreeing on this and walking away is no fun.

Finally! Someone who gets it. TuT

So I bring an unlikely but also possible theory: That the Guardian is a parasitic Heartless that nurtures and consumes the darkness in a person and "breeds" by inserting small bits of itself into other yummy candidates.
Yup. The Organizations role is to make baby Guardians. Yup.

It actually being a heartless thats been with Xehanort since early on? Not bad~

 

[Jadentheman]

It's just the manifestation of Terra's and MX darkness combined. There was so much darkness in Terra's body that it just took it's own form in that of the Guardian.

 

[Shogo-Kun]

To add to both the parasitic Heartless point and the "Darkness taking physical form" point, maybe the Guardian was once a Shadow that has somehow matured into a high-ranking Heartless, though doesn't reach the sheer physical size of Darkside due being born of human will. And maybe it prefers it that way since it might be slowly growing a will of it's own? I don't know, just something I thought of.

Though I'd like to stick of my personal head-canon that the Guardian is the King of Heartless who is being used by Xehanort for his own purposes. (lol! And watch Xehanort get double-crossed by the Guardian who was using him to try and take over Kingdom Hearts for himself and create a neverending ear of Darkness!)

 

[Gram]

Though I'd like to stick of my personal head-canon that the Guardian is the King of Heartless who is being used by Xehanort for his own purposes. (lol! And watch Xehanort get double-crossed by the Guardian who was using him to try and take over Kingdom Hearts for himself and create a neverending ear of Darkness!)

haha To be honest I'd be a bit irked if Nomura tries to end up making Xehanort some sort of tragic figure like that.

 

[Antar]

I really think the guardian is actually Terra. There seemed to a be a lot of hints of it during my DDD playthrough and even though they both are separate during that part of the battle with aqua, I don't think that completely destroys that theory.

 

[χ-Blade Master]

I think it's Eraqus. He's the only one who hasn't been officially been given some sort of representation within Terranort. Would it be plausible to believe that when MX forced his heart inside Terra, Eraqus' heart acted out of instinct and shielded Terra from completely being engulfed my MX's darkness and instead sacrificed himself? Could be that this sacrifice engulfed Eraqus' heart with MX's darkness turning him into the Guardian, with MX having full control over it as a slave.

Also don't forget The Dark Guardian reaching out to Riku as if it were asking for help after Ansem SOD's defeat in DDD. Could have been Eraqus pleading Riku for help. This was also the ONLY moment we ever saw the Guardian have any sort of free will whatsoever.

 

[The_Echo]

The straps on the Guardian look a bit like bindings, most notably the cross over its mouth. This could signify that the Guardian is bound by Xehanort/Ansem, SoD and cannot work with its own will.

As someone else pointed out, the Guardian's facial structure is also quite similar to Eraqus.

And something that people seem to gloss over is that its name is the Guardian. However, Terra-Xehanort was fully capable of defending himself with Dark magic and his own Keyblade. He doesn't necessarily need a Guardian. We also know that Eraqus felt for Terra as he would his own son, and in his final moments we see him feeling deep resentment for raising his Keyblade against Terra and Ventus.

And, something people often point out is the Guardian reaching to Riku after he defeats Ansem in DDD. This is the first time Riku fights Ansem with his Keyblade--an ability he inherited from Terra. The Lingering Sentiment recognized Ventus within Sora (while initially mistaking him for Riku), so perhaps the Guardian felt Terra's mark on Riku?

Until something is said otherwise by the games or Nomura himself, I feel confident enough to say that this is borderline confirmed.

 

[ok sunny]

And, something people often point out is the Guardian reaching to Riku after he defeats Ansem in DDD. This is the first time Riku fights Ansem with his Keyblade--an ability he inherited from Terra. The Lingering Sentiment recognized Ventus within Sora (while initially mistaking him for Riku), so perhaps the Guardian felt Terra's mark on Riku?

I almost forgot about that part from KH2. But the DDD part where the Guardian reaches out for Riku is interesting. I had that part of the game in mind, but couldn't figure out any helpful info for this topic... Small things like that could actually mean something.

 

[Antar]

The guardian reaching out for riku (while riku says Terra's quote) is the ultimate hint. There is no way that could mean nothing. After reading some posts here I am now convinced that if the guardian is not Terra, then it's Eraqus.

 

[Gram]

Also something to take into account, the only times the guardian is ever used is after Xehanort has stolen someone's body.
MX>Terra uses Guardian.
Ansem>Riku>gains human form uses Guardian.

Might be reasons for that.

 

[Draxem]

Also something to take into account, the only times the guardian is ever used is after Xehanort has stolen someone's body.
MX>Terra uses Guardian.
Ansem>Riku>gains human form uses Guardian.

Might be reasons for that.

He uses it in DDD against Riku again, not entirely sure if that part of the game is in the real world or not though.

 

[Gram]

He uses it in DDD against Riku again, not entirely sure if that part of the game is in the real world or not though.

It was in the dream world. After that battle Riku finally returns to the real world.
Though dream or real doesnt really matter since that version of Ansem was the time displaced one that stole Rikus body.

 

[kreezy64]

I forget who it was that said it could be Terra or MX's keyblade, but couldn't that not be true, at least for Terra considering his keyblade is with the lingering sentiment in KH2FM?

 

[FudgemintGuardian]

And something that people seem to gloss over is that its name is the Guardian.

Wait... It's me?! Well that's a twist no one saw coming.

I forget who it was that said it could be Terra or MX's keyblade, but couldn't that not be true, at least for Terra considering his keyblade is with the lingering sentiment in KH2FM?

Don't know who said it either, but it's not a bad theory when you consider that Keyblades have at least some form of sentience. Though I think if that's what the Guardian is then it'd look like Xehanort's Keyblade.