Shadow

Shadow is one of the main protagonists and later the main antagonist in Kingdom Hearts: The Keyblade War. Kingdom Hearts made into flesh, he begins a Keyblade Master fighting for the light, but is eventually seduced to the darkness. His name is derrived from the word "Darkness."
==Journal Entry==
The Keyblade Master of Eraqus with a role much more in-depth than he thinks.
Turning to the side of darkness on the quest to understand the nature of hearts,
he appears to have a strong connection with Kingdom Hearts, the heart of all worlds.
==Story==
===Kingdom Hearts: Revolutions===
Long ago during The Keyblade War, a mysterious entity known as Kingdom Hearts existed. Creating all that exists from the forces of light and darkness contained within, it soon became the heart of all worlds. Over time Kingdom Hearts gained a sub-consciousness and Shadow was born at this moment. Over time, Shadow found himself in the role of a Keyblade Master becoming the first of many, eventually training a boy named Eraqus who would be named his successor after completing the Mark of Mastery exam while his other apprentice, Xehanort left to explore the worlds after completing his exam with Shadow doing the same. Years later he met Dawn and Void, two promising friends and potential Keyblade Master training under Eraqus, now a Master himself. A bond forming between the three friends. Tied very close to the darkness, it was then that Shadow asked Eraqus to take his apprentices on a journey across other worlds to understand the nature of hearts, Eraqus agreed and the trio began to part as they ventured into the worlds to fight creatures known as the Forsaken, whom Shadow discovered durng his travels.
Along the way, Shadow continued to find himself tempted by the darkness due to his experiences in the worlds. Eventually he had a fateful encounter with a now old Xehanort on Destiny Islands as he traveled. The two men discussing about the Keyblade and Kingdom Hearts itself, Shadow shares information, as he sees Xehanort as trustworthy. Shadow reveals his secrets to Xehanort, forseeing his own death and ordering the man to finish carrying out Shadow's devious plan of "restoring the world through the ashes of war" with the help of Kingdom Hearts and the χ-blade. Xehanort agreed, power-hungry, Shadow heading for the Ravaged Canyon for his final battle with friends Void and Dawn.
The final battle between Shadow, Void, and Dawn took place as Shadow demonstrated superb swordsmanship, severely weaking his old friends. The two emerged victorious, however, Shadow unlocking his heart and transforming into a massive heart-shaped moon, Kingdom Hearts. Using its power, Shadow's spirit used Kingdom Hearts to attack and kill his friends, but not before they severly damaged it, turning it from a radiant gold to a pale blue. Severely weakened, Kingdom Hearts vanished from sight never to be seen again. Shadow would then approach Xehanort in a dream, saying the time to act was at hand.
===Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep===
Xehanort, proceeding to execute Shadow's plan. He created Vanitas, the next chosen wielder of the legendary χ-blade, a weapon that could unlock Kingdom Hearts and set its captive power and Shadow himself free. Xehanort summoned the weakened moon before him as he battled Terra, Ventus, and Aqua, the trio's intervention with Xehanort and Vanitas preventing the plan to be executed. Kingdom Hearts vanished yet again, Xehanort possessing Terra and losing his abilities to wield the Keyblade.
He lost his memories and became the Nobody known as Xemnas, Xemnas's frequent visits to the Chamber of Repose slowly rebuilding his memories, including the plot he had once shared with a mysterious and all-powerful Keyblade wielder named Shadow.
===Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days===
Kingdom Hearts and its dark purposes all but destroyed, Shadow's consciousness slowly faded to the point of the Keyblade master dying once Sora transformed the world into a symbol of eternal hope and light. Xemnas then proceeded to create a replica of Kingdom Hearts in order to regain his lost heart, but also having a robotic desire to revitalize Shadow all the while by doing so, as Shadow had come to him many times in the ghosts of dreams stating he would trade Xemnas his all-powerful heart for release and existence. Using the members of Organization XIII to collect hearts with which to empower it, Xemnas's plan was a near success.
===Kingdom Hearts II===
Sora proceeded to destroy Xemnas's synthetic Kingdom Hearts, consequently permanently bringing an end to Shadow and even Xehanort, himself. The worlds were now safe from harm and turmoil for the time being, Sora again recognized as a hero and able to return home to his friends on Destiny Islands.
==Appearance==
Shadow has the exact appearance of Riku as he appears in Kingdom Hearts II, the only differences being his black hair, yellow eyes and unknown age due to the influence from Kingdom Hearts, his original form. A scar runs across Shadow's face, very similar in appearance to that of Squall Leonhart from Final Fantasy VIII.
Shadow wears an outfit identical to Riku's from Kingdom Hearts II for a majority of the storyline, the outfit colored black and purple, having one long sleeve on his right arm with baggy black denim jeans, and his feet down to a more normal size with a simple pair of armored shoes, wearing armor on the other arm that when he press it turns into purple and black body armor with the Mark of Mastery emblem on his belt and wears a black glove on his right hand.
==Personality==
Self-kept, calm, cool, and collected, Shadow is truly an enigma. He often views the glass as half-empty, having no tolerance for incompetence. Easily angered, he is not without his faults. Kind and almost loving in some rare instances, he is very wise and respected by many.
Shadow's lack of patience almost always leads him into some sort of predicament, but it's never anything he can't handle. Recalling his past causes Shadow to go through stages of depression due to his guilt, often feeling neglected and alone. It is for this reason that he prefers to be alone, becoming defensive because of even the smallest thing said to him. It is very rarely that this dark enigma finds himself wearing a smile.
Once the events of the story of the Keyblade War begin, it is revealed on several instances that Shadow has become aggressive and uncaring due to the power of Kingdom Hearts slowly overwhelming him. He eliminates those who stand in his way without a second thought, showing no mercy to his victims. His great rage and lust for vengeance and power is one of the many contributions to his eventual descent into darkness and his plan of starting a new Keyblade War to in his own words, "I am protecting the worlds through destruction". Shadow states on many occasions that he's not sure why he acts this way, when it is really the darkness of Kingdom Hearts acting out through him and when he succumbs he starts to believe the darkness is the key to saving the worlds and the light must be destroyed.
==Fighting Style==
A Keyblade master and also wielder of darkness, Shadow is fast and powerful. When playable, his attack style is comprised of swift, single-handed slashes, identical to that of Riku in Kingdom Hearts II. The fastest of the playable trio, several dark abilities can be equipped that only enhance his powers further. Shadow has access to several of his abilities as a boss, as well.
==See Also==
*Void
*Dawn
*Xehanort
Category:Kingdom Hearts: Revolutions characters