I don't normally do fics like these, but it's been bugging me and I have a Western Civ paper to procrastinate some more on. It's just a bit of analysis on the main antagonist of the series.

Xehanort. The name is familiar, right?

My speculations on how he came to be:

Just as there is light, there is darkness. An ultimate light, Kingdom Hearts, still remains. But where is the ultimate darkness? If Kingdom Hearts is the heart of all worlds, then the ultimate darkness is the lack of that heart, isn't it? No heart? The X is obviously that same representation he puts into his Organization—Roxas, Sora; Axel, Lea; Saix, Isa. It is that letter he presents as he tries to form the X-blade. Just look at his name . . .I will get back to this.

But what was he, before the events of Birth By Sleep? He appeared to be a respected teacher, although his dialogue with Vanitas suggests that this was an act. Also if you examine what he looks like and compare it with the evil Ansem from Kingdom Hearts one, you'll notice it is the same. So did he really have a heartless, or was this simply a result of his time travel? If Kingdom Hearts is the heart of all the kingdoms and worlds in the game, it definitely isn't connected with its worlds. Therefore, the worlds have a heartless, and a Nobody. Xehanort and Xemnas. X-no heart and x-Ansem.

Another theory, though flawed, is that Xehanort was a fighter in the original Keyblade War who had accumulated a power something like a 'darkness magnet'. That would explain his physical similarities to Terra, Riku, Saix, and also Vanitas, at least with the bright yellow eye color. (whom I think is his thirteenth vessel, even though that is up for debate.) And as the darkness consumed him, his original self was lost.

Or perhaps he is exactly what he looks like: an evil man bent on gaining power who became consumed by darkness on the way.

I believe that Xehanort might be any one of these things, or a combination. Taking up traits from the members of Organization XIII is something I've picked up as of recently from another person. He may be a Heartless of Ansem himself, explaining his desperate need to recearch Kingdom Hearts. The anagram is something I found out on my own, and I feel this part is the key to figuring out his character.

Rearrange Xehanort's name:

X-E-H-A-N-O-R-T

N-O-H-E-A-R-T-X

So who is Xehanort? Feel free to respond with other fics, reviews, or PMs. I'm open to criticism and complements.

Also, should I continue with this fic, basing other chapters on other characters? Let me know however you like!