Roxas

***Roxas***, the **Key of Destiny** (めぐりあう鍵 Meguriau Kagi?, lit. "Serendipitous Key"), is the Nobody of Sora and was Rank XIII within the original Organization XIII, born when Sora took his own heart to restore Kairi's. Although Sora's heart was soon restored, Roxas continued to endure and exist, oblivious of Sora's existence for most of his life. He has the ability to use the **Keyblade**, and wields light, using it to direct rays that strike opponents with great power. He commands the Samurai Nobodies.

Roxas was also one of the mysterious hooded figures in Another side, Another story... and Deep Dive. During the prologue of ***Kingdom Hearts II***, the player controls Roxas until Sora is awakened. In ***Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days***, Roxas is the primary protagonist. This game focuses on the time period between Roxas's birth and his departure from the Organization, eventually leading to his capture at the hands of Riku and DiZ.

## Story

### **Kingdom Hearts**

Roxas is born when Sora stabs himself with the **Keyblade** of heart, forged from the hearts of six of the seven **Princesses of Heart**, in order to free Kairi's heart at the cost of his own. However, Sora spends little time as a Heartless, as Kairi's light fetches Sora's heart from the darkness, restoring him to his former self shortly after he becomes a Heartless.

While Nobodies are normally destroyed along with their Heartless counterparts to restore a complete being, Roxas was able to co-exist with Sora thanks to the unique method that restored him to a complete being. However, as a downside, Roxas lacked any conscious memory of his time as Sora (as the strength of Sora's heart allowed him to retain his memories as a Heartless), though Roxas would reflexively respond to things Sora would. At the time of Roxas's creation, Sora also held Ventus's heart within his own and remained with Sora's body and soul when it became a Nobody, resulting in Roxas taking on Ventus's features instead of Sora's.

### **Kingdom Hearts II**

Somehow, likely with the use of Naminé's ability to manipulate memories, DiZ was able to alter Roxas's mind to cause him to believe that he lives a normal life in the digital **Twilight Town**. He has become best friends with three kids - Hayner, Pence, and Olette - and even writes a diary of his time in town. Roxas has lost all memory of his life with the Organization.

As Naminé nears the completion of the task of restoring Sora's memories, Roxas soon begins seeing brief fleeting memories of Sora through a number of his dreams. In addition, mysterious events start to occur around town. Strange white creatures, the Nobodies, begin invading the town, stealing photographs and attacking Roxas. These Nobodies had been sent along with Axel by the Organization, who had finally located their former member, in an attempt to capture him. However, in times of dire need, the **Keyblade** (a single **Kingdom Key** this time) inexplicably comes to aid Roxas, and disappears once the threat is gone.

Along with the Nobodies, Roxas comes into contact with Naminé several times, who seems to know things about Roxas that he himself doesn't and once saves him from the outbursting darkness resulting from the defeat of the **Twilight Thorn** inside Roxas's Dive to the Heart. Furthermore, as observed by DiZ, Naminé's contact with Roxas connects his heart with Kairi's, who Roxas remembered as a friend of Sora. He also meets a mysterious man in a black coat, later revealed to be Riku, who at one point asks a cryptic question: "Can you feel Sora?" Roxas later meets another mysterious figure masked in red bandages, DiZ, who was responsible for his imprisonment.

### **Kingdom Hearts III**

With the intent of returning the **Seven Guardians of Light**, Sora reaches **Twilight Town** hoping to find a way to bring Roxas back. With the help of Ienzo and Pence, Sora's initial plan was to simply reconstruct Roxas with the data Ansem the Wise used to put him in the virtual **Twilight Town**. However, after being guilt-pressured by Xemnas and Ansem, Seeker of Darkness, his plan changes to fully restoring Roxas to life.

After asking Riku if this is plausible, Riku remembers the Organization's replica program and believes it to be a way for Roxas to return should he have a vessel. Unfortunately, this plan becomes unlikely due to Even's absence.

While venturing across space in the **Gummi Ship**, Sora and company are contacted by Ienzo with some news. He had deciphered part of Ansem's Code and discovered that Sora has three unique hearts within his body aside from his own. They all agree one of them is Roxas and, based on their encounter with Vanitas, the second one could be Ventus. Unfortunately, none of them can figure out the identity of the third heart belonging to Xion.

Upon Even's return as Vexen, he creates a replica vessel for Roxas on Ansem the Wise's request and has Demyx deliver it to Ienzo.