Organization XIII

Overview

Organization XIII is a group of exceptionally powerful Nobodies whose ultimate goal is to divide Master Xehanort's heart into thirteen vessels. They are the antagonists of both Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories and Kingdom Hearts II. Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days is set during the year Roxas spent as a member of the Organization and is the only game in which all of the Organization members are playable.

Role in Chain of Memories

Organization XIII debuted in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories. In Sora's story, the rebellious Organization members Marluxia and Larxene attempt to manipulate Sora by using Namine to alter and remove his memories in order to use him to overthrow the Organization. However, Marluxia's plan fails, and Sora, Donald and Goofy are placed in a deep sleep in order to regain the memories that they lost.

In Riku's story, Organization members Lexaeus, Zexion and Vexen attempt to manipulate Riku to counter Sora should Marluxia's plan succeed. However, they fail in their own scheme, as well.

Role in Kingdom Hearts II

The surviving members of Organization XIII serve as the main antagonists of Kingdom Hearts II. They work to wreak havoc in the various worlds, unleashing Heartless that Sora has no choice but to defeat in order to restore Kingdom Hearts. However, their scheme is ultimately foiled, as Sora defeats each remaining organization member in turn.

Role in Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days

358/2 Days is set within the year between the end of Kingdom Hearts and the beginning of Kingdom Hearts II, with an early period of about a month also coinciding with the events of Chain of Memories. The player controls Roxas, Sora's Nobody and the thirteenth Organization member, as he performs his Organization duties, learns about the world around him, and ultimately rebels in order to escape. Over the course of the story, much of the Organization's background and its personalities are explored, giving insight into how the Organization operates.

The Organization's Objective

Like standard Nobodies, the members of Organization XIII lack hearts, and their ultimate goal is to complete Kingdom Hearts under the belief that doing so will allow them to reclaim Xehanort's heart and become clones of him. Because they lack hearts, they also lack emotion; in essence, they are an organization of sociopaths. However, they are able to use memories of their emotional responses before they became Nobodies in order to deceive others into believing otherwise.

Despite the shared goal of reclaiming Xehanort's heart, Organization XIII is filled with internal strife. Marluxia and Larxene plotted a coup in order to take control of the Organization from Xemnas, but were ultimately stopped due to their inability to control Sora and interference from Axel, who only pretended to go along with their scheme until it was time to make his move. Axel himself is a wild card in the Organization more loyal to his friend Roxas than to the other members, and he ultimately sacrifices himself in order to help Sora.

Naming Convention

The name of each Organization XIII member is an anagram of the Nobody's original name with an "X" added. For example, "Roxas" is Sora's Nobody. The original names of the Organization members are as follows:

• Xemnas - Ansem (Name taken from his master, Ansem the Wise.)
• Xigbar - Braig
• Xaldin - Dilan
• Vexen - Even
• Lexaeus - Aeleus
• Zexion - Ienzo
• Saix - Isa
• Axel - Lea
• Roxas - Sora
• Xion - No i (No One)

Demyx, Luxord, Marluxia and Larxene's original names are unknown at this point.

The Members of Organization XIII

I - Xemnas, the Superior

"Organisation XIII's leader. Through power over nothing, he seeks power over everything." - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

Xemnas is the Nobody of Xehanort/Terra and is the leader of the Organization XIII and the main antagonist of Kingdom Hearts II. While his original self was named Xehanort, prior to becoming a Nobody he took his master's name, Ansem. He controls Sorcerer Nobodies and in battle he uses arial blades called the Ethereal Blades and manipulates nothingness to phase through solid matter and create energy-based shields and projectiles.

He makes his first appearance in Kingdom Hearts: Final Mix as an optional boss in Hollow Bastion (called "Enigmatic Man"). He is also referred to in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories simply as "superior". He initially appears in Roxas' dreams in Kingdom Hearts II, telling Roxas he has been to see his other self (a reference to the previously mentioned optional boss battle in Kingdom Hearts: Final Mix ). He also features somewhat in Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, at meetings and finding Roxas as shown in the opening.

II - Xigbar, the Freeshooter

"Founding member. He keeps an ear to the ground and a finger on the trigger. Manipulates space." - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

Xigbar (Braig) is a senior member of Organization XIII who appears in Kingdom Hearts II and controls Sniper Nobodies, and in battle uses Arrowguns and manipulates space to teleport himself, warp his bullets and levitate upside down.

He appears first before Sora at Hollow Bastion near the beginning of Kingdom Hearts II (although he never takes off his hood until later in the game) where he compares Sora to Roxas. He later appears in the Land of Dragons when he transforms a dragon into a Heartless, making his exit after Sora confronts him in the Emperor's Palace, summoning his Nobodies to cover his escape. He also battles and is defeated by Sora in The World that Never Was.

He also appears in Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, occasionally being called upon to partner with Roxas during missions, particularly those in Agrabah.

Xigbar is already half-Xehanort.

III - Xaldin, the Whirlwind Lance

"Founding member. A warrior with a silver tongue. He carries six lances, and can harness the wind." - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

Xaldin uses wind to manipulate his lances and shield himself. His lances can transform into a dragon-shaped weapon which he uses to stalk and attack his opponent. Xaldin controls the lance-wielding Dragoon Nobodies. He first appeared in Kingdom Hearts II at Hollow Bastion with other members, and he would later confront Sora in Beast's Castle when he manipulates the Beast's rage by stealing the Rose that could be the key to him returning to human form, in the hopes that he would be consumed by rage and turn into a Heartless (thus creating a powerful Nobody). Xaldin would make Beast choose between the Rose or Belle, although his plan failed when Belle escaped with the rose and he was defeated by Sora. Xaldin seems to get the idea for this plan during the course of Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, wherein he goes on missions to Beast's Castle with Roxas.

IV - Vexen, the Chilly Academic

"Founding member. A brilliant scientist with dominion over ice... and a personality to match." - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

Vexen is a scientist who was interested in studying Xehanort's memories. Vexen can control ice and carries a large shield in battle that blocks any attacks from the front. He appears in Chain of Memories, where he sids with Zexion and Lexaeus plans to prevent Marluxia from overthrowing the Organization. He first battles Riku in order to gather data to create a replica of him (Replica Riku), although he never cared much for his experiment with Riku, and allows Namine to manipulate the Riku Replica's memories. When the Replica fails to defeat Sora, Marluxia threatens to reveal the failure to Xemnas, forcing Xemnas to kill Sora. Upon their encounter, Vexen says that he came to collect his "debt" and provokes Sora's anger by making him believe that he controlled Riku (rather then creating a Replica).

After their battle, Vexen gives Sora the card to Twilight Town where he planned to reveal the existence of Roxas (Sora's nobody). As a result of his, Marluxia considered him a traitor and sends Axel to kill him. Vexen attempts to explain to Sora why he feels like he's been to Twilight Town before (despite Sora being sure he had never been there before). Sora and Vexen battle once more after Vexen tells Sora to throw away his memories and listen to his heart. Before Vexen can reveal Marluxia's plot, he is killed by Axel.

He has a brief appearance in Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, training Roxas in how to investigate things and to reach his own conclusions on them.

V - Lexaeus, the Silent Hero

"Founding member. Tremendously strong, but surprisingly quiet - stalwart as the earth itself." - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

Lexaeus is one of the two members of Organization XIII in Chain of Memories that appear only in Riku's story. He combines Earth powered magic with his giant tomahawk during battle, as well as this he is the most well built and physically powerful of Organization members. Lexaeus, along with Vexen and Zexion, is an older member of Organization XIII who occupy the basement levels of Castle Oblivion. Upon finding out Marluxia's plans to overthrow the Organization by capturing and manipulating Sora, Lexaeus and Zexion decide to capture Riku and use him in the same fashion to counter Marluxia. When Sora showed signs of falling into Marluxia's grasp, Lexaeus contronted Riku directly, trying to convince him to open himself up to the darkness in his heart. Riku refuses and Lexaeus attacks him, but is defeated by Riku. WIth his last strength, he released all of the darkness within himself in hopes of overwhelming and consuming Riku, however Riku is protected by King Mickey.

He has a brief appearance in Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, teaching Roxas how to use limit breaks.

VI - Zexion, The Cloaked Schemer

"Founding member. An intellectual with no room for feelings. He can create illusions at will." - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

Zexion is a manipulator who appears in Chain of Memories. He convinced Ansem the Wise that they should build an underground lab for research, and possesses the ability to mimic others' appearance and weapons, and can also create duplicates of himself. His main weapon is the Lexicon. He, along with Lexaeus, is one of only two Organization XIII members who only appear in Riku's Chain of Memories story, where Lexaeus, Zexion and Vexen decide to use Riku as a counter attack for when (should Marluxia's plan work out) Marluxia uses Sora to overthrow the Organization.

He leads Riku into a manifestation of Destiny Islands (Riku, Sora and Kairi's home). There, Zexion attempts to make Riku give into his darkness and anger by blaming him for the storm on Destiny Islands which caused the three of them to be seperated. He created a darkslide heartless, then transforms into Sora and battles Riku, telling him that hes become a pawn of darkness and must face the light. He engulfs Riku in light, but Riku manages to find him, causing him to flee. Zexion is then killed by the Replica Riku as per Axel's suggestion when Axel told the Riku Replica that he could become real by gaining power that the real Riku does not have.

In his small appearance in Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, Zexion teaches Roxas about the mission gauge. He also makes a later appearance during a rather confusing cutscene that is suggested to come from the thoughts of Xion.

VII - Saix, the Luna Diviner

"Second in command who longs for the heart he does not have. Only the moon breaks his icy calm." - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

Saix draws power from the moon and controls the Beserker Nobodies, and wields a claymore. Saix first appeared in Kingdom Hearts II in Hollow Bastion. He appears again in Twilight Town after Sora defeats his Beserker Nobodies and warns Sora of Axel's intention of turning him into a Heartless. After Sora defeats the thousand Heartless army, Saix appears and explains Sora's purpose in the Organization's plans. Sora pleads with him to see Kairi and Saix makes him beg, but then still refuses even though Sora did so. Maleficent appears and summons Heartless in attempt to battle Saix's Nobodies, but the Heartless are quickly defeated. Once again, towards the end of the game at The World that Never Was, after Namine helps Kairi escape, Saix appears to deal with the two, but flees after Riku arrives on the scene under the guise of Xehanort's Heartless.

Once Kingdom Hearts neared its completion, Xemnas gives him permission to destroy Sora and his friends. Although Saix appears calm and collected, he shows his true nature in battle when he fights Sora in The World that Never Was when he absorbs light radiating from Kingdom Hearts, which puts him in a permanently berserked state where he wildly attacks with his claymore. He is defeated however, and dies while pleaded with Kingdom Hearts to give him Xehanort's heart back.

Saix spends most of his time in Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days organising missions for the other members of the Organisation and giving orders as a proxy to Xemnas. Alongside Xemnas, he is the only other member of the Organisation who never goes on a mission with Roxas.

VIII - Axel, the Flurry of Dancing Flames

"An assassin who puts his own agenda first, and everything else on the back burner. Wields fire." - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

Axel uses a pair of chakrams as well as the element of fire in battle and has the Assassin Nobodies under his control. He appears in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, Kingdom Hearts II and Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days.

In Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days (the game that occurs at the earliest time), the process of Axel befriending Roxas is shown. He is the first member of the Organisation ordered to take Roxas out to train him, which eventually leads to Axel inviting Roxas to have some sea-salt ice cream with him after a mission one day; he states that they don't have to go back immediately. However, this blossoming friendship is somewhat interrupted when Axel is called away to Castle Oblivion for the events of Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories as he is ordered to find which members who have been sent to Castle Oblivion are traitors, and to dispose of them.

This leads to Axel pretending to join with Larxene and Marluxia in their plan to seize control of the Organization. To gain their trust, he assassinates Vexen after his betrayal as ordered by Marluxia. However, he would later attempt to derail their plans by setting Namine free so that she could tell Sora the truth about how she has been manipulating his memory. Axel would later confront Marluxia, prepared to kill him, but he uses Namine as a shield to keep Axel from attacking, although Axel resolves to go through her. When Sora makes a sudden appearance, Marluxia vanishes with Namine, leaving Sora to fight Axel. After Axel is defeated, he states the existence of their relation before vanishing (he was referring to his relationship with Roxas, which Sora was unaware of). After Marluxia is defeated by Sora, Axel gets help from the Riku Replica to get rid of Zexion in Castle Oblivion's basement levels.

Back in the timeline of Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, Axel returns to find that Roxas has befriended Xion. She gets invited on their excursions and Axel is supportive to Roxas and to some degree to Xion, even when she disappears for some time. However, when Roxas finds out about the origins of Xion, he is angry and accuses Axel of hiding facts about himself from him, although Axel refutes this. As Roxas leaves the Organisation, citing he no longer has a reason to be there and nobody would mis him, Axel is obviously emotionally affected. He is then asked to retrieve Xion, leading to them fighting, and Axel defeats her, dragging her back to the castle despite being obviously injured.

In Kingdom Hearts II, Axel attempts to rescue his old friend Roxas from DiZ virtual Twilight Town. Despite his efforts, Roxas merges with Sora, much to Axel's dismay. Later in the game, Axel kidnaps Kairi in order to bait Sora to him (at this point acting on his own, this was not ordered by the Organization). However, not before long Saix takes her away so the Organization can use her to fuel Sora's anger (thus making him defeat more Heartless, which would complete Kingdom Hearts). Saix would warn Sora that Axel wishes to turn him into a Heartless, and Axel appears after the Heartless invasion of Hollow Bastion before Sora, and informs him that Organization XIII has been using him to get hearts, and apologizes for getting Kairi involved. Towards the end of the game, Axel finds Sora a pathway to The World that Never Was and even fights Nobodies with him. After the amount of surrounding Nobodies becomes overwhelming, he performs a kamikaze-like attack to save Sora. As he fades away, he apologizes for kidnapping Kairi once again and asks Sora to rescue her. He admits to wanting to see Roxas, because he made him feel like he had a heart, and that Sora made him feel the same way. He then opens a pathway to The World that Never Was with his last strength.

IX - Demyx, the Melodious Nocturne

"Prefers to kick back with his sitar, and leave the dirty work to the water under his command." - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

Demyx is a young, relatively laid back member of Organization XIII, who uses a sitar to generate water bodies that attack his enemies. He first appears at Hollow Bastion with the other remaining Organization members, and would later battle Sora in the Underworld, where he was seen with the Olympus Stone (which Sora needed). The two cross paths a final time at Hollow Bastion before the 1000 Heartless army battle, where Demyx is significantly more serious this time around (even calling Sora a "traitor" where before he was reluctant to battle). After the battle, Demyx fades into darkness saying "Come back to us, Roxas".

He goes on missions to Coliseum with Roxas in Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, but is hardly an active participant; he prefers to laze around and let Roxas do all the work.

X - Luxord, the Gambler of Fate

"Life, to him, is just a game to be won... and he has all the time in the world to do it." - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

Luxord was first introduced in Kingdom Hearts II and controls the Gambler Nobodies. During battle, he is able to transform his opponent into a die or card and use games of luck to damage them. He can also use a deck of cards as weapons, defense or hiding places. He also has the power to manipulate time. He first appears at Port Royal where he revives the curse of the Aztec gold and the cursed pirates with it. He also uses this as an opportunity to scout the powerful Grim Reaper Heartless and the golds curse to analyze whether or not they will be useful to the Organization. Sora battles and defeats Luxord in The World that Never Was after Luxord traps Sora's companions in his cards, leaving Sora to battle alone. When he is defeated, he struggles to comprehend how "Roxas" could kill him, as he slowly fades into nothing.

Luxord also assists Roxas during some missions in Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days.

XI -Marluxia, the Graceful Assassin

"In the arc of his scythe, flowers grow and all else perishes. His pretty face hides ugly motives." - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

Marluxia is one of the newer members of the Organization and is the lord of Castle Oblivion. He is the main antagonist in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories and uses a scythe and his power over plants to attack. In Chain of Memories, Marluxia and Larxene scheme to overthrow the Organization by using Namine to manipulate Sora's memories. He gives Sora his frst set of World Cards to proceed through the castle, and assigns Axel to eliminate Vexen when he learns that Vexen plans to reveal Roxas' existance to Sora. After Larxene is killed, Marluxia is later confronted by Axel, who accuses Marluxia and Larxene of being traitors. Axel attempts to battle Marluxia, but Marluxia uses Namine to manipulate Sora into fighting Axel for him. After Axel's defeat, Marluxia awaits Sora's ascent to the 13th floor and orders Namine to erase Sora's memories, but she refuses. When Marluxia threatens to kill her, Sora appears and demands that she erase his memory for her safety. Marluxia later battles with Sora, and is defeated.

In Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, it is Marluxia's responsibility to explain to Roxas about collecting hearts with his keyblade, which will be used to create Kingdom Hearts.

XII - Larxene, the Savage Nymph

"Wields sharp knives and a sharper tongue. Her lightning strikes as quick as her temper." - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

Larxene was first introduced in Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories, where she conspired with Marluxia to overthrow Organization XIII by manipulating Sora. Larxene wields eight knives (four a hand) and the power of the thunder element to attack her enemy during battle. She entices Sora to believe the false memories Namine implanted in his mind. Larxene later appears to Sora, after he fought the Riku Replica for the fourth time, planning to destroy them all. Larxene again mocks Sora for chaining himself to false memories of Namine and the promise he made to her. She taunts Vexen after Marluxia charges him with treason and incompetence, and toys with Sora before battling him. After she discovers Axel's betrayal and realizes that her and Marluxia's scheme is falling apart, she attacks Sora, only to be defeated.

Larxene's minor job during the tutorials section of Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days is to teach Roxas how to use magic, to the degree that she forbids him from using his keyblade on them so that he can only rely on magic.

XIII - Roxas, the Key of Destiny

"A boy, newly aware of himself. His light shines as bright and brief as the setting sun." - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

Roxas was found by Xemnas in Twilight Town, and is Sora's Nobody. Because of his link with Sora and Ventus, he looks like Ventus and is able to wield the Keyblade. He has the power of light, and controls the Samurai Nobodies. Also unlike other Organization members, Roxas has no memories of his previous life due to the short time Sora spent as a Heartless, leaving Axel to joke about how zombie-like he was when Xemnas first brought him to the Organisation.

As revealed in Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, during his time with the Organization, it is Roxas' job to kill Heartless with his keyblade in order to release hearts that will be used in the creation of Kingdom Hearts. Roxas quickly develops more signs of humanity and feeling through his growing friendship with Axel and later Xion, whom he particularly befriends when Axel is away at Castle Oblivion. He spends a lot of time sitting on the top of the clocktower of Twilight Town eating sea salt ice cream with one or both of them. During the events of Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, Roxas falls unconscious to coincide with Namine's tampering with Sora's memories, and appears genuinely distressed at the notion that all members at Castle Oblivion are said to have died - including Axel, who, fortunately, turns out to be alive.

He also meets and tentatively befriends Hayner, Pence and Olette, and uses them as an occasional source of information as to the goings-on in Twilight Town. However, when Xion disappears for a while, Roxas becomes very worried, particularly when he can't seem to discuss it with Axel, until they start independently searching for her. However, when she returns with new vigor, Roxas starts to become weaker.

Roxas eventually leaves the Organization after finding out that Axel has been hiding things from him, and his curiosity being peaked, such as him wondering why he has the ability to wield the keyblade. He has to defeat Xion, who wants to make Roxas a part of her, which leaves him upset even as he grapples for the meaning of friendship. He, and everybody else, lose their memories of Xion. He is later confronted and attacked by Riku, who has to succumb to using the Darkness within him to defeat Roxas (making him look like Xeharnort's Heartless in the process) and taken to DiZ, who places Roxas in a virtual Twilight Town, leaving him without any memory of his previous life, or his time as an Organization member. During his time here, he starts seeing Sora's memories (from Kingdom Hearts) in his dreams. With DiZ's urging, and despite Axel's attempts to prevent the process, Roxas successfully finds and merges with Sora while Sora is unconscious due to his memories being restored.

XIV - Xion

Xion is introduced in Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days as the fourteenth member. She joins Organization XIII shortly after Roxas, and seems to have the same powers as Roxas. Her role is central to the events of 358/2 Days, as she makes a large impact on his life.

Xion befriends Roxas as he takes her under his wing a little. When Roxas falls unconscious for a prolonged period of time for no apparent reason, a very worried Xion visits him, and leaves a small present. She also befriends Axel when she properly meets him after his return from the mission at Castle Oblivion.

When Xion loses her ability to summon the keyblade, she's worried about the effect this will have on her role at the Organisation, where it's obvious that at the very least Saix greatly dislikes her. Her friendship with Axel and Roxas saves this, as Axel makes a convincing case to pair them together for missions despite the weakened state of the Organization due to their size and relative inexperience. During this time when they are working together, Roxas on one occasion hopes that he can rekindle her memory of her keyblade by allowing her to use his, and personally fights through the whole of the mission armed only with a stick.

Eventually, Xion finds out that she is essentially a puppet, a creation made from some of Sora's stray memories, in order to further the plans of the Organization. She disappears for a short while and spends some time with Riku before returning to the Organization. Riku tells her that she is holding some of Sora's memories, and that they should be returned to him, although she refuses, concerned about her own friends. She also discovers that her growing stronger and Roxas going weaker seems to be linked; that she is somehow sapping his power. She leaves the Organization a second time, telling Axel to take care of Roxas. However, she eventually encounters Roxas one last time, and knowing that the memories that both of them are comprised of should return to Sora, challenges him to a fight. With Xion's death, the memories from which she was made return to Sora, but as a consequence, all memories of her existence are erased.

Lesser Nobodies

A few select members of the Organization have been granted with the control over weaker Nobodies, and the player will frequently encounter these Nobodies during their play-through of the game. The Sorcerer Nobodies are under the command of Xemnas, and float over the ground and utilize large cubes of nothingness in several ways. They are, like Xemnas, the most powerful of the lesser Nobodies, and are also the rarest. The Sniper nobodies are controlled by Xigbar and carry guns that shoot small red crystallized lasers. Dragoon Nobodies are controlled by Xaldin due to his affinity with win, and wield a lance that mirrors the ones that Xaldin carries (although he carries six of them). Beserker Nobodies are under Saix's control and carry with them a claymore, similar to the one he wields. These are arguably the strongest of the lesser nobodies behind Xemnas' sorcerers. Also, like their master, randomly go berserk, making them impossible to damage for a short time. The Assassin Nobodies are under control of Axel and capable of turning into a circular shape, similar to the shape of Axel's weapons and causing powerful explosions. Dancer Nobodies are under Demyx's control, and, relative to his musical nature, are the most vibrant and colorful of all the Nobodies. The Gambler nobodies are under Luxords control, and fight with cards and dice. Last but not least is the Samurai, which Roxas controlled, which wield two katanas, a reflection of Roxas who wields two keyblades. It can be assumed that the Organization members in Chain of Memories had Nobodies under their control, but as they died the nobodies and their control over them went with them.

Where Nothing Gathers

Within The Castle that Never Was (the Organization's stronghold, which floats above The World that Never Was) is the meeting room of the Organization. Although it is inaccessible to the player, it can be accessed with a cheat device (action replay, ect.), and the game calls this area "Where Nothing Gathers" (which may mean that the room was developed and planned to be in the final game, but was dropped). "Where Nothing Gathers" is a white cylindrical room consisting of a platform in the middle and thirteen very tall white thrones, where each of the Organization's members would sit. Interestingly, the height of the thrones is determined by the amount of missions the member sitting on it have completed, and the amount its gets high fluctuates in relation to how successful (or unsuccessful) a mission is. Xemnas throne is predictably the highest of all as he is the leader (and likely has completed the most missions). Adversely, Vexen, Lexaeus and Zexion have the lowest throne height out of all Organization members. The odd numbered ranked members sit to his left, and the even numbered members sit to his right. Starting from Xemnas the order they sit in (clockwise) is Xemnas, Xaldin, Lexaeus, Saix, Demyx, Marluxia, Roxas, Larxene, Luxord, Axel, Zexion, Vexen and Xigbar.

Several new cutscenes have been added to Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix where members of the Organization hold their meetings within this room, which is the first time in the series' history where the player can see this room without the help of a cheat device.

Proof of Existence

Another important room within The Castle that Never Was is, at the point that the player can visit it, somewhat of a graveyard for Organization members. The room consists of thirteen portals which lead to the area which each member of the Organization dwell when they are resting or not completing missions. The portals are placed simultaneously along the walls and glow blue if the member is dead and red if they are dead. Only three portals remain open (as each portal for the killed members has been destroyed, and only three members remain at the point that Sora and co. reach the room), one which is actually a path to The Altar of Naught (where Xemnas resids), one portal that goes to Havoc's Divide (where Luxord resides) and Addled Impasse (where Saix resides), although strangely, while the deceaced members' portals are destroyed, after Sora defeats Siax and Luxord, their portals remain open. Another interesting point is that Roxas' portal remains blue (making it technically usable), although the portal itself has been broken, perhaps a reflection on Roxas himself, who still lives, but has no physical form as he is within Sora.

Nobodies and Organization XIII

There are a few significant differences between the Nobodies that the Organization consists of and the ones that Sora and co. frequently encounter and battle throughout the game. The average Nobody (Dusks and other lesser Nobodies) often have erratic movements, metallic skin in shades of either silver, blue or white and the symbol of a Nobody somewhere on them. The Nobodies that make up the Organization have a usual human appearance and possess special powers that revolving around elements (e.g. wind, ice, thunder). Each member of the Organization has the power to summon an obsidian portal of darkness that leads to the unseen paths of darkness, or the "Corridors of Darkness". The Organization memebers frequently use this ability to travel from world to world and back to The World that Never Was.

The Real Organization XIII (Kingdom Hearts 3D Spoilers)

It is revealed at the end of Riku's story in Kingdom Hearts 3D, that Master Xehanort was secretly behind the plans of Organization XIII. Combined with Maleficent gathering the 7 Princesses of Heart (beings of pure light), he planned to gather 13 beings of darkness (the original Organization XIII) to attack the Princesses, which would forge the x-blade. To ensure the 13 darknesses would co-operate he would through his Nobody Xemnas complete a fake Kingdom Hearts that could be used to transfer his heart into them essentially creating 13 copies of himself. However Sora and Riku foiled both Maleficent and Xemnas' plans.

In someway this proved to be useful to Master Xehanort, in that he know knew that only a few of the original Organization XIII were up to the task of becoming copies of Xehanort. Meanwhile, as a back up plan, Xehanort had sent his Heartless Ansem through time to visit his younger self and embue his young self with time traveling abilities. Ansem requested that Young Xehanort gather versions of himself through time and meet in the Realm of Sleep. The real Organization XIII is made of 13 versions of Master Xehanort from throughout time. They are the 13 darknesses that Master Xehanort intends to clash with the Keyblade Masters of the light and make the x-blade.

Members of the Real Organization XIII

• Master Xehanort
• Young Xehanort
• Ansem
• Xemnas
• Xigbar
• Saix
• 6 other members who are unknown at this time.

Xehanort's various forms tracked Sora as his made his way through the Realm of Sleep. Sora was making his way to become a Keyblade Master. However, Xehanort interrupted his Keyblade Master test as he intended for Sora to become the 13th member. Following a battle with Xemnas, Sora exhausted, fell into the darkness. This is what Xehanort needed in order for him to transfer his heart into Sora.

However, Xehanort ultimately failed at this because Lea saved Sora just before Xehanort could put his heart into Sora. Having not achieved his goal of having 13 versions of himself, the real Organization XIII faded away, but not before Master Xehanort commented that the final clash between light and darkness is indeed coming.