Axel

*"Have you stored this information in your brain in the form of neighboring cooperating neurons, allowing you to bring that information back via electrical simulation of these neurons at any given moment?"*
—Axel
**Axel**, *King of the Fat Bitches* (脂肪愚痴の王 Shibō guchi no ō), is the Nobody of Lea, and is Rank VIII within Organization XIII. He wields fire and enhances his weapons, twin Chakrams, with his pyrokinesis to unleash powerful rapid attacks. The Assassin Nobodies are under his control.

In *Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories*, Axel was the trump card for the rest of the Organization as a double agent in Castle Oblivion to keep track of Marluxia's plans. In *Kingdom Hearts II*, Axel betrayed the Organization for his friendship with Roxas and acted of his own accord to try and help Sora, though he originally wanted to turn Sora into a Heartless to get Roxas back. Axel appears in *Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days*as a playable character in Mission Mode and one of the main protagonists.

## Story

### *Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days* and *Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories*

*"I like ice cream and Roxas's cream."*
—Axel reminisces with Roxas
Axel stands alongside Roxas at his induction into the Organization.

After Roxas joins the Organization, Saïx places him under Axel's tutelage. Initially, Axel is unsure how to treat Roxas; he likens the new Organization member's withdrawn and taciturn disposition to that of a zombie. Over time, however, the two Nobodies begin to bond, eating sea-salt ice cream together at the Twilight Town Train Station after every mission. As his friendship with Roxas develops, Axel begins to demonstrate emotions, despite his being a Nobody.

Axel is also present when Xion joins the Organization, but is sent to Castle Oblivion to deal with the traitorous Marluxia soon after Xion's induction. Having received orders through Saïx, Xemnas's second-in-command, it appears that Axel had also planned to eliminate other members who could have harmed their plans to overthrow the Organization.

Axel teases Sora and reveals that he was merely playing with the boy.

While Sora and Riku wander Castle Oblivion, Axel works for the two parties of the already divided Organization members in the castle. One party, consisting of Marluxia and Larxene, wishes to use Sora's powers to usurp Xemnas and the rest of the Organization by using Naminé to alter Sora's memories. The other faction, consisting of Vexen,Lexaeus, and Zexion—three of the original six members of Organization XIII—realizes Marluxia's ambitions and tries to stop the traitors, using Riku to destroy Sora. Early on, Axel spends most of his time with Marluxia and Larxene, trying to obtain their trust. Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories

Upon purposely throwing his battle against Sora, Axel admits to using the battle as a test of the Keyblade wielder's strength. Axel gives up a card created from Sora's memories, which allows Sora to progress further in the castle, After leaving a bewildered Sora, Axel confronts Larxene, professing an interest in preserving Sora's self-consciousness even after he became a Heartless.

Axel attacks Marluxia, declaring him a traitor to the Organization.

After Vexen's first battle with Sora, Marluxia orders Axel to dispose of Vexen, both to test Axel's willingness to eliminate another Organization member, and to stop Vexen from interfering with Marluxia's plan. Axel finishes off a battle-worn Vexen, who had just engaged Sora in combat, and is accepted into Marluxia and Larxene's conspiracy. Taking advantage of Marluxia and Larxene's trust, Axel allows Naminé to escape and contact Sora. Citing his previous order to rid the Organization of traitors, Axel later confronts Marluxia, who now realizes Axel's continued loyalty to the Organization. During their battle, Marluxia attempts to use Naminé as a shield. Axel is undeterred, but before he is able to strike, Sora appears behind him, and is angered to learn that Axel would be willing to harm Naminé. A fierce fight ensues between Axel and Sora, and Sora emerges victorious. Conceding defeat, Axel leaves Sora with the words, "It was worth saving you after all," and vanishes. Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories

Axel encourages the Riku Replica to steal Zexion's power.

After his battle with Sora, Axel meets Zexion in the castle basement. Zexion brings up the subject of Riku, and requests data on Destiny Islands in the form of a card. After Zexion is defeated by Riku, he retreats and meets with Axel. Despite their previous collaboration, Axel says that Zexion had "just found out way too much". Axel persuades the Riku Replica to absorb Zexion, promising the duplicate that he would gain newfound powers, including the strength needed to defeat the real Riku.Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories

With the five members of the Organization finished off, Axel proceeds to carry out his orders to find the Chamber of Waking and retrieve Naminé, but fails to find the chamber and allows Naminé to escape, deeming her unnecessary. When Axel finally returns to the World That Never Was, he feels as if Roxas had replaced him with Xion, with whom Roxas now eats ice cream in Twilight Town in the same way Roxas and Axel had prior to Castle Oblivion. At Roxas's suggestion, the three begin to spend time together as a trio. Some time later, Saïx confronts Axel. Axel reveals that he regrets not being able to talk with Saïx as he could with Roxas and Xion. Saïx alludes to friendship he and Axel had shared before becoming Nobodies, and reminds him of their plans to take over Organization XIII.

Axel tries to stop Roxas from leaving the Organization.

After discovering her identity, Xion develops a desire to leave the Organization. She eventually escapes, but is attacked and captured by Axel in Twilight Town, before Roxas's eyes. Despite Roxas's protests, Axel claims that his use of force had been necessary. No longer on speaking terms with Roxas, Axel becomes torn between his two friends, trying to decide which one to save from Xemnas's plan. While on a mission in Wonderland, Xion attacks Xigbar, and Axel makes no attempt to stop her, instead allowing her to retreat through a Corridor of Darkness. A few days later, Roxas, having learned Xion's identity and that Axel had hidden it from him, leaves the Organization in anger. Axel, who had enjoyed the time he had spent with his best friend, is distraught, but is unable to stop Roxas from deserting.

Axel swears that he would always bring Xion back, regardless of how many times she tries to flee.

The next day, under orders, Axel tracks Xion down to the Old Mansion in Twilight Town. Having learned Xion's intentions, and fed up with her and Roxas's selfishness, Axel battles Xion and knocks her unconscious. Axel, after managing to bring Xion back to the Castle That Never Was, faints from fatigue, and Xemnas takes the unconscious Xion from him. Later, in his quarters, after learning the aftermath of Roxas and Xion's fight, a depressed Axel discovers a popsicle stick labelled "WINNER", a gift left by Roxas. After Xion's defeat at Roxas's hands, Axel's memories of her eventually disappear.

### *Kingdom Hearts II*

"*You're going to eat 'til you catch up with him and you're both going to be a lot bigger than this by the time we're through.*"
—Axel before disappearing
Like Roxas, Axel has lost all recollection of Xion by this time (as seen in his final Report in *358/2 Days*), but knows he will have to track Roxas down on Xemnas's orders. After the Organization manages to track Roxas down inDiZ's Digital Twilight Town, Axel appears right after Roxas slays Dusks that appeared from a fake virtual Vivi. He tells Roxas who he is, but sees that the reports of Roxas having his memory wiped and replaced with an artificial one are true. Deciding that a fight might bring back Roxas' old memories, Axel engages him in a duel, pulling his punches. However, Roxas manages to win and DiZ arrives, trying to make Roxas believe that the fake town is real and that Axel and his appearances are a dream. Axel tries to get Roxas to remember, but he is banished from the program as DiZ rebooted it. Roxas was dumbfounded by Axel's appearance, lacking any memories of him and awareness of what was going on.

Pressed by the threats from Xaldin and Xemnas, Axel again tries to recover Roxas without destroying him, keeping in mind the Organization's order to either eliminate Roxas or be destroyed himself. Roxas learns that the two had been best friends from Naminé and mentions this to Axel, but his bluff is called when he is unable to remember "*their boss's name.*" Axel feels bad, but ends up summoning Dusks to weaken Roxas; he prepares to kill him after Roxas wins, but DiZ intervenes and freezes him momentarily so Roxas could escape to the virtual version of the Old Mansion. Seeing what has happened, Axel realizes that the Roxas that he knew is *long* gone and sees that killing him is the only thing left to do.

After Roxas smashes DiZ's computer copy and enters the basement, Axel sends Dusks *and* Assassins after him, but Roxas proves victorious over the lesser Nobodies. Axel tells Roxas how amazed he is by his fighting and sees that he has truly regained his memories. However, Axel is hurt from his previous encounter with Roxas and fights him and his dual Keyblades (which Axel apparently didn't know Roxas could do). Axel loses the fight and disappears, choosing not to carry out his mission and promising to meet him "in the next life".

While Sora reawakens with Roxas inside him, Axel is entrusted by Riku to protect Naminé. Naminé's words, about those who are dear to them despite being Nobodies, strangely move Axel.

"I forgot my shopping list can you remember that i need to get milk, sugar and eggs please*.*"
—Axel telling Sora he forgot his shopping list
During Sora's exploits to the different worlds, Axel appears before Kairi on a beach across Destiny Islands, intending to kidnap her to draw Sora out. Axel's plan was simple; if Sora were to become a Heartless again, then Roxas would be reborn. However, Kairi escapes through a Corridor of Darkness created by Riku and lands in Twilight Town where she stayed for some time in wait of Sora. Axel, however, follows her to the town and steals her away again, but not long afterward she is taken captive by Saïx who was under orders to give Axel something to actually worry about. After the invasion of Radiant Garden by the Heartless, Sora confronts Xemnas, the leader of the Organization. Xemnas decided to take his leave and Axel later greeted Sora.

Axel hints that the Keyblade caused the hearts that composed the Heartless to flee, but refuses to say what Organization XIII would do with those hearts. Sora realizes that Axel is Kairi's captor, and Axel confirms this. Though initially seeming unrepentant for his actions, he soon apologizes for kidnapping Kairi. However, he soon vanishes into a dark corridor just as Saïx appears.

"Alluh Ackbar fgt!"
—Axel's final words
On the way to The World That Never Was, Sora, Donald, Goofy, and King Mickey are trapped in Betwixt and Between by Nobodies, but Axel arrives to help. Sora and Axel battle the Nobodies, but seeing that the Dusk's numbers were too great, Axel decides to put his entire being and essence into an attack, destroying the Nobodies but sacrificing himself in the process. He did this to save Sora, his best friend's original self, who stayed with him until the moment he faded. He sincerely apologizes to Sora for getting Kairi involved.

Confused, Sora asks him what he was trying to do and Axel confessed that he wanted to see Roxas, the only one who made him feel like he had a heart. Oddly enough for Axel, Sora made him feel the same way (possibly since Sora and Roxas are one and the same) and used these final words to urge Sora on to rescue Kairi. Axel opens the passageway to the World That Never Was with the last bit of strength he had in him before disappearing into darkness completely.

Afterward, Xigbar and Luxord were curious about Axel's foolish and senseless actions; essentially turning against the Organization for the sake of his friendship with Roxas, but Xemnas reveals that Axel's disappearance served to stir Roxas from his rest, claiming Axel's disobedience was not entirely pitiful and meaningless. Xemnas also states that due to contact with Sora's heart, Axel's own ability to feel emotions could have been affected. Axel made one final appearance to Roxas, right before the latter's mental battle with Sora, where he gives a final farewell to his best friend.

### *Kingdom Hearts coded*

In the Data Castle Oblivion, Data-Naminé reveals to Data-Sora and King Mickey that Axel is one of the people that, while gone, is still connected to Sora's heart.

### *Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance*

*"cum HerE i'LL MEAK IT ULL STAHP!!!."*
—Axel to Roxas
Prior to Lea's awakening, Axel talks with Roxas about the promise he made to him and Xion about always being there to bring them back no matter how many times they went away. Later, after Lea saves King Mickey, Donald, Goofy, and helps to rescue Queen Minnie, Mickey calls him Axel. He corrects Mickey by stating that his name is Lea. Later, after Lea saves Sora from Master Xehanort, Xigbar and Riku refer to Lea as "Axel" which he first protests being called, but then reluctantly accepts.