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#kingdom hearts chess
cloudofash · 2 months
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Kingdom Hearts is Like a Chess Game...And It Explains the Characters' Story Arcs
If you've played the series up until KH3 you should know that the story of Kingdom Hearts and the characters within our current tale are likened to pieces on a chess board an ample amount of times, especially where Eraqus and Xehanort's chess-like game are a literal re-enactment of the events of the KH3 Keyblade Graveyard war between Light and Darkness.
Despite Kingdom Hearts' chess-like game being well...chess-like and and not an exact 1:1 of chess, we know at the very least that there is a "King" piece within the Kingdom Hearts' chess game. With the introduction of Verum Rex (Verum meaning true Rex meaning King) in KH3 as well as one of the secret endings with Yozora in Re:Mind being titled "Falsus Rex" (False King) entertains the idea that our KH chess game maintains the same (or similar) chess pieces that regular chess has. That is, a King piece, Queen piece, 2 Rooks, 2 Knights, 2 Bishops and 8 Pawns.
This being said, I want to explore which Kingdom Hearts character is which chess piece.
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We know there is a Verum Rex/True King and a Falsus Rex/False King. Yozora is the True King of his Quadratum Universe. The Kingdom Hearts universe is the unreality-reality mirror to Quadratum, meaning that there must be a True King in the Kingdom Hearts universe as well. The true "King" of the KH Realm is most likely Riku, the Keyblade's original and true chosen and he looks nearly identical to Yozora as opposite Kings on a chessboard would. The False King, in this particular case, would be Sora since he wasn't the Keyblade's true chosen and only obtained the power because Riku fell to darkness and his heart's light passed the Keyblade to Sora making him the replacement/fake. However, I don't believe being a False King is Sora's true role in the Kingdom Hearts game of chess. I believe that if Riku's heart never fell to darkness, Sora would be a completely different chess piece that I will get to later.
The other pieces contain a Queen, 2 Rooks, 2 Bishops, 2 Knights and 8 Pawns, giving us a 15 pieces (16 total if you include the King). Now in the Kingdom Hearts game of chess there are only 7 (original) Light Guardians, however in the final battle there are actually 10 Total Guardians: King Mickey, Sora, Aqua, Ventus, Axel, Kairi, (and Riku) are the original 7 and then Terra, Roxas and Xion join the fight after being saved. 12 if we count Donald and Goofy and 13 if we count Riku Replica, but it doesn't stop there. Namine made an appearance as well and helped shift the tide by finding Terra's Lingering Will and connecting him to the battle, and Master Yen Sid also joined the fight in the graveyard. The final piece and final character to help in the war is the light from the past, Ephemer.
In other words, we actually have all 16 chess pieces present in the Keyblade War (on both sides if we include Demyx, Vexen and the Xehanort Replicas as the final 3 to the 13 Darknesses). If we match the pieces with the characters I believe it goes something like this based not only on their role within the War but also their importance and contribution to the overall story. Please know that some of these positions can be debated:
Terra - Rook. Terra reconnecting with his Will and Body drastically alter the events of the Graveyard. TerraNort single-handedly defeated all of the Guardians and Terra's intervention stopped them from losing and altered the timeline altogether. Plus, Terra was also carrying the Heart of Master Eraqus who ultimately ended the war by stopping Xehanort. Considering Terra's value to the War, I can't view him as any piece less than a Rook.
Ephemer - Rook. Though he plays a minimal role in the entire Keyblade Graveyard war and no role at all in the entire Xehanort Saga, his small appearance is what saves the wielders from total demise yet again to the Giant Demon Tide. Since he saved Light from expiring at the part in time where they were destined to expire he is a crucial chess piece. And for those who know chess, the Rook piece is required for a "castling" a move that saves the King (or again, the False King) which is exactly, to me, what Ephemer did.
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Namine - Bishop. Her action of calling Terra changed the tide drastically. However, I will place her position as debateable as there may be others who you could count as a Bishop.
Yen Sid - Bishop. He saves the wielders from the Heartless Army, ultimately saving Light from expiring making him a key player in the War. Without him they most likely would have lost the war or would have been severely weakened and incapable of winning the war.
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Mickey - Knight. I give Mickey Knight status due to his Last Stand where he single-handedly pushed back all of the 13 Xehanort Replicas and saved everyone. It may not be timeline altering but it is still a contribution nonetheless.
Aqua - Knight. Debateable position, however Aqua took the lead at several points in the battle and barked battle instructions, almost acting like a military general. Thus I rank her above some of the others.
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Roxas - Pawn. Originally a pawn to Org 13, although he went through an incredibly journey he ended up locked away back into Sora's heart and wasn't able to participate or contribute to the war or storyline until he received a Replica body and Sora's connection.
Xion - Pawn. She was used as the 13th Darkness until Sora connected with her and helped Axel remember her.
Ventus - Pawn. He contributed to the war as an Original of the 7 Lights, but he did not alter the timeline nor save the Lights from expiring, nor did he take any lead during the war thus can only be considered a Pawn piece. Not to mention, he took an enormous backseat as a character after being asleep for 11 years. As such he hasn't had much time to shine since his Union Cross days. That may change in the next Arc, especially since he has ties to the Lost Masters.
Axel/Lea - Pawn. A literal Pawn to Org 13 for most of his story until the end when he final joins the the Guardians of Light. In fact, Xemnas even makes a chess analogy when calling Axel a "pawn" during his fight against Isa and Xion.
Donald - Pawn (extension of Sora)
Goofy - Pawn (extension of Sora)
Riku Replica - Pawn (extension of Riku)
And I know many will not like this, but I place Kairi as a Pawn. The reason isn't to shoot the character down, but I believe within the story she is literally treated like a Pawn. Her entire story begins with Xehanort treating her like a Pawn to get to the Keyblade Wielder. Narratively she is only used to push the stories further, constantly getting kidnapped or harmed. Some of the other characters are debateable but I stand firmly in that Kairi is a Pawn piece and it explains why she feels lackluster. She is meant to be, it's simply her role in the KH Chess Game. This doesn’t mean she'll stay a Pawn, as the Lost Master's Arc is starting a "new" KH chess game and thus the roles of many of the chess pieces (sans Riku and Sora) will change. I believe she'll be a Bishop in the Lost Master's Arc but as of the Xehanort Saga Kairi is only a Pawn.
But if Kairi is not the Queen piece, as I'm sure many of you initially thought, then who is?
I'm sure you noticed I skipped a character. That's right: Sora. Sora is the Queen piece in this game. A Queen piece acting in the place of the King, a false king. If you know chess you know that the Queen piece can move in any direction she wants as many spaces which is exactly what Sora is and what he can do. Sora is ridiculously OP as a character to the point he is often considered the most powerful and it's the Queen piece that is the most powerful, not the King piece as some unfamiliar with chess may believe. Sora can move any which way he pleases, even traverse time, travels worlds through hearts and hearts through worlds and even moves between Realms to save Riku from Dark Aqua as a Queen piece would rush to the save the King piece. All of which is reminiscent of a Queen moving all around a board in any way.
Riku is the King piece which is why the battle in the Keyblade graveyard wasn't considered over until Riku was defeated or checkmate'd. After Riku was defeated by the Demon Tide Storm, Sora was instantly knocked off the board. Also again, he is a mirror of Yozora much like the White and Black Kings in chess mirror each other. And if we think about the King piece in chess, Riku makes the most sense. The King is the most important piece and often times Riku is the most important to the story (especially Dream Drop Distance and now post Re:Mind) hence his character development and getting more development than Sora in many ways. In the Keyblade Graveyard War, he IS the most important as its his sacrifice that changes the timeline altogether and saves Light from Expiring. Without his sacrifice, the 13 Darknesses would have won and Light would have remained expired. It doesn't get any more important than that. In addition, if the Crown Necklace theory is proven true and Sora acquired his crown necklace chain from Riku, that means Riku was the original bearer of the Crown and most likely descends from Ephemer's Royal Line (which is all but confirmed, he literally looks like Ephemer) making him make even more sense as the King Piece.
Sora and Riku are the only two who I believe will keep consistent Chess roles as the King and Queen pieces. That's what their relationship is to one another. The only change I can see is Riku and Sora themselves officially swapping roles, with Sora becoming the True King and Riku relinquishing his role as King to become Queen. Considering the way Riku rushes to save Sora and how he travels to all ends to do so (including traveling to an entirely new universe just to save him once more and traveling between dreams to become a Dream Eater to save Sora), it almost is like he is beginning to move all around the "board" and could very well be showing signs of becoming a Queen piece to protect Sora, who would then become the new King piece.
We will have to wait and see which way this chess game goes in KH4 and beyond to confirm or deny any of this theory.
Anyway, that's all I have I hope you all feel free to share your thoughts. If you have alternate Chess Rankings, please feel free to share!
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goldensunset · 5 months
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actually the only kh games that are plot relevant are none of them. the unaired pilot of the kingdom hearts tv show is all that counts. who's ansem
the only true canon piece of kingdom hearts media is the overpriced chess set. if you can figure out how to play it you'll be able to unlock the entire story basically. it's all just symbolism
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ecoamerica · 24 days
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pepperfellover · 2 months
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A little Valentine's Day Comission 💌
for my beloved @scribbat of young Eraqus and Xehanort, back in their prime (before the horrors of being doomed by the narrative).
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lightandfellowship · 8 months
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[Image description: Digital KHDR fanart depicting the upperclassmen as chess pieces. At the very bottom of the image are four chess pieces representing Hoder, Heimdall, Sigrun, and Helgi. They are upside down and silhouetted in black against a white background. Above them are two rows of black and white squares forming a chess board pattern. Above that are three pedestals holding up Vali, Vidar, and Vala's chess pieces, with Vidar's piece resting on the tallest pedestal in the middle. Both the chess pieces and the pedestals are silhouetted in white against a black background. Above them is a white heart with Baldr's hand silhouetted in black inside of it. He holds the iconic Kingdom Hearts crown in-between his index finger and thumb, posed to place it on Vidar's chess piece. End image description.]
"I paved a path for him to succeed, if he had only followed it to the end."
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trashcantasch · 3 months
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Mickey what are those two guys doing
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Kingdom Hearts 3 au where instead of fake Chess, Xehanort and Eraqus are playing Kingdom Hearts Perilous Pursuit in the beginning cutscene.
(All 5 characters in the game are the same. Eraqus wants to know who are these 3 children & duck & dog)
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autumn-may · 1 year
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thinking about the chess game in kh3 and yes I know it’s symbolism but honestly what the frick even was that. Imagine you’re playing chess with your bestie and after you beat him he just says ‘there’s more to light than meets the eye 😈’ and takes his king and moves it back to the beginning??? And puts seven more pieces on the board?? And Xehanorts just like cool with it???? Honestly if I was Xehanort and Eraqus did that to me I wouldn’t even have waited 64 years I would have taken him out right then and there
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mythicalartistx · 10 months
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The conversations between Eraqus and Xehanort are crazy, they foreshadow and parallel things so much.
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Thirteen lifetimes huh?
Thirteen vessels for Xehanort from organization XIII, Xion being number 14.
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Oh Eraqus you have no idea what he has planned...
I think it's amazing how much is foreshadowed through their chess conversations and how they parallel other characters.
In a different world that would be Sora and Riku.
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mnsprime21 · 1 year
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MY CHESS SET HAS FINALLY ARRIVED AFTER A WHOLE YEAR OF WAITING!!!! So beautiful and such an incredibly expensive (in fact, my most expensive) addition to my collection! In love it so much!! 😭😭😭
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stararise · 5 months
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usually i'm not a fan of the "good guy and bad guy play chess as a metaphor for them masterminding the plot" but i really love kh3's chess game and i'm trying to articulate why
eraqus ain't masterminding SHIT. chess metaphors are used to show how smart characters are, and that they're always thinking one step ahead, right? well,
eraqus blatantly cheats. and i love it. "some light comes from the past" gets me every time
the chess game is a vehicle for the great undivorce
and also a vehicle for some of my favorite moments in dark road
eraqus is so rude for saying "checkmate" atop the citadel actually. if i'm xehanort i'm punching him for pointing out that i've become the very thing i swore to destroy (he's right though)
also, the chess board just looks really cool with all the tiers and custom (~symbolic~) pieces. we got sick merch out of it, even if (like all kh merch) it is both very impractical and very expensive
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dominicsorel · 10 months
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Maybe I won't go as far as you. When the World needs a defender, they'll pick you, Eraqus.
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natileroxs · 7 months
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So eraqus totally could have fallen out that window, right?
or, worse still, one of those expensive, extremely rare chess pieces gets knocked out the window to Eraqus's upset and Xehanort's horror
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Can we get Middle Aged Xehanort and Middle Aged Eraqus together? That would be too powerful.
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theyre having a post-divorce game of chess 
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desiredcaramellatte · 2 years
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Ayyye, back with Poison Mushroom and Choco Chess for this request!
Also I found out how to link text hehe
Also I realized that I forgot to add how Strawberry Crepe would act around Gingerbrave and his friends in the head cannons, so I’ll add those here too! Sorry, I was so out of it yesterday oml-
Poison Mushroom x Parental Reader
~| Babe.
~| They don’t know what’s happening 90% of the time, they just vibe and do the happy shroomies.
~| Just show up and adopt them, they’ll be like ‘alright’. Very chill about it, if anything, happy. They still go back to see their friends (like Dark Choco, Licorice, and Pomegranate) every once in a while. I find it so cute that Mushroom was willing to be hurt themself so they wouldn’t hurt Pom oml- The Cookies of Darkness would probably try and take them back, and Poison Mushroom would get thrown around between y’all for a long time.
~| Some days, when you’re worried sick about them because they’ve been missing for days, they’ll just show up on your doorstep. “I had a funnnn sleepover with Pomegranate cookieeee…!!” It’s pretty much become routine for them to randomly go visit their old friends. No one can stop them, and the Cookies of Darkness can’t even stop them from returning to you.
~| Poison Mushroom Cookie is in a constant state of ‘no thoughts, head empty’ 24/7. I mean, just LOOK at those eyes. Those are the most braindead eyes if I’ve ever seen them! Big cuddle bug, will constantly just come up to you and hug you. Requires snuggling, don’t try to get them off of you, they WILL cling onto you like their life depends on it.
~| Absolutely adores when you compliment them and call them cute little names. Occasionally they’ll just come up to you and say “I’m your little shroooomie!” Which would probably make you melt inside, if you’re anything like me.
~| You have to accept that they’re weird. They do what they want all the time, but not in a rebellious way. The most wholesome and braindead of all the Cookies of Darkness. Poison Mushroom doesn’t require as much attention as most children, but they adore it when you come and play with them.
~| They offer you shroomies all the time, and they are coming up to you and giving you some. We’ve all seen what happens when you eat one (April Fool’s Day update where you at-), so maybe its best to keep them like flowers! Or make a little garden with them- Poison Mushroom would love sitting in a garden of mushrooms.
~| As for Gingerbrave and friends? More cookies to play with and offer their shroomies to! Poison Mushroom literally cannot hold a grudge to save their life. They’re too wholesome, too braindead, and too forgetful.
~| Take them out for a playdate with the gang and they’ll be so happy, oml, they’ll tell you all about it even though you were literally right there.
Choco Chess x Parental Reader
~| I would die for these two. No questions asked. They’re just so cute but they’ve been through so much! At least they have each other, and they’re thankful and happy for that. If we were to take Earl Grey out of the picture as their caretaker, I believe they would be pretty calm about going home with you. Not as calm as Poison Mushroom, but not as suspicious of you as Strawberry Crepe. Once they see you won’t hurt them, they’ll relax.
~| Very needy. Very. It’s not that they can’t do stuff my themselves, it’s just that they absolutely adore the fuzzy feelings they get when you’re around to help them. They’ve never had a parent before, so they’ve never experienced this familial bond with someone that wasn’t their twin.
~| Pawn White and Pawn Black are very close. You will not be able to separate them without both of them being extremely upset and shutting down. They have to be near or touching the other to properly function. Their twin will always be their number one, and once you’ve become their parent, you’ll be their number two.
~| A little mischievous. They definitely help each other out when they want something. If they cant get it themselves, they’ll go up to you. Who can say no to a cute little kid face? Well, now try saying no to two!
~| Constantly asking you and others around you to play chess with them. They never want to play any other games, not sports or even checkers, only chess. They love going to public events that hold chess games and tournaments, and often win them. If they hear of a public chess event, you better take them to it, else they’ll be very salty about it.
~| They eat a lot, and drink a lot. Their tiny little prodigy minds require constant nourishment in meals and drinks, but often times they’re caught up in chess or other things, so you’ll have to practically be their waiter.
~| They aren’t really into physical affection, but they do love to give you gifts- often times hand-made items they carved, or oddly shaped rocks they painted. Oddly enough, the two little children are very crafty and artsy. They’ve made their own chess set out of wood before, multiple times.
~| When they get hurt, you’ll have to go out of your way to help them. Often times, their twin will try to patch them up, and they’ll hide it from you, mostly because they don’t want you to get upset and angry. They have a bit of ✨trauma✨ from Dark Enchantress and their parents of whom we do not speak of smh.
~| They like to hang around Gingerbrave and his friends, most of the time playing and teaching them chess. They quite enjoy the odd cookie’s company, and occasionally they’ll ask “Are we gonna go visit Gingerbrave? When will we see Gingerbrave next?”
Strawberry Crepe Pt II x Parental Reader
Because I completely forgot about the last line “and being friends with gingerbrave and the others” in the request hbsidbwidn
~| Strawberry Crepe does not like Gingerbrave nor any of his friends. They hold a huge grudge against them for harming their wafflebots- and them! Strawberry Crepe most likely announced loudly that “Oh, hey, those are the cookies who hurt me and my wafflebots!” And, if you were anything like me, you’d most likely get angry at them for hurting precious baby.
~| Crepe refuses to talk to them. They will not even acknowledge that they’re there. Most of the time they just hide behind you, pout, and wait for them to go away. They don’t like it when you interact with others anyways- they especially don’t like it when you talk to cookies that hurt their wafflebots.
~| They may get a bit better, depending on how remorseful the others are, but they still will not talk. If you tell them that both of you are going to visit Gingerbrave and the others, Strawberry Crepe will whine. “Do we reaaaaally have to go? I can build a robot of that brave cookie if you want to talk to him so bad!” “Come on Crepe, we have to be there by 3.” “AhhHHHHH I don’t wannaAA!”
I need to drink some water now.
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dualdeixis · 2 years
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[Image description: Two digital drawings in black and white. In the first, Vanitas and Ventus are standing in the center of an Alba & Ater board. They face each other stoically, their fists clenched. Vanitas is wearing his mask and Ventus’s eyes aren’t visible, though he has a small frown. From above, Xehanort’s large, gloved hands reach down as if to pick them up by their heads.
In the second drawing, the Alba & Ater board has dimmed to a gray color. Vanitas stands off to the left and Ventus to the right, with both now facing the viewer. They each have one arm hanging down and the other folded behind their back. Vanitas’s visor has been cracked to reveal half of his face. He says with a thin smile, “‘All pieces are subject to capture except the king.’” Ventus, still frowning, says, “‘Its life is sacred; the player must defend it, it perishes only when no possible resource can save it from capture.’” In the middle of the board, Sora appears to be stepping off into the air, though he turns his head back as if to glance at the viewer. He has slightly widened eyes, but no mouth. He is drawn only in outline, and dissipating ribbons of light curl off of him. End image description.]
pawns
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8hitz3n · 2 years
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YOUNGGHG XEHANOORTTRTT woop woop im so excited for dark road wuhuhuh ive been working on changing some things in my art so this was so kinda play around more but Yes!!!
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