Because the keyblades in KB's universe have very specific functions and origins, we have set aside this particular section to discuss how they work, where they come from, and how they are united with their wielders.THE PROCESS OF GAINING A KEYBLADE
Keyblades are very unique weapons. They are apparently the only weapons capable of obliterating all creatures of darkness, including heartless and nobodies, and all strangely resemble large, misshapen keys. But what are the keyblades exactly? Where do they come from? And why do they appear to have such an affinity for their wielders?
The answer to these questions is relatively simple. To start with, every keyblade has a "heart" - a fragment or "shard" of light which gives the keyblade its power. The origin of these hearts is not clear, however it is assumed that just as there is a darkness in the world there is also a lightness, and that that is where these shards come from. (It is also thought by many that these shards are actual hearts, which may be why nobodies and heartless are particularly drawn to them.) These hearts give the keyblades life and appear to have their own personalities; as such they are very particular about who they pair with, generally selecting wielders with personality traits that are similar to their own. The process by which these keyblade hearts then unite with their wielders is outlined below.
KEYBLADES AND TRAVEL BETWEEN THE WORLDS
- A shard of light chooses its wielder, usually a kindred spirit with a strong heart.
- Once a shard has chosen its wielder, the shard typically waits until its wielder is in a moment of need or danger. This can be anything from a heartless attack to a weakened emotional state which might threaten to fill the wielder's heart with darkness and subsequently draw the heartless to him/her. Whether the shard takes action before or after the heartless have been drawn to its wielder entirely depends upon the shard and the wielder.
- When a moment of need has been identified, the shard shoots across the universe and embeds itself in an object typically within arm's reach of its wielder. The object the shard enters is usually something personally meaningful or valuable to the wielder, but may also simply be physically close to the wielder at the time of the impending danger. In either case the object the shard enters should have something to do with the ability of the keyblade it is about to turn into.
- When the shard enters the object of its choosing, it turns that object into its wielder's keyblade. This is why all keyblades will take on physical attributes or look similar in appearance to the object they originated from.
- After the initial introduction of shard into base-object, the newly-formed keyblade can then turn back into a keychain form at the keyblade or keyblader's will. The keychain form is essentially a sized-down version of the object chosen in Step 3, set on a chain, which can then be used as a keychain or worn as jewelry. This is the form most keyblades will resume when not being used in battle.
- As soon as danger is perceived, heartless are near, or a fight is initiated, the keyblade will resume its full, battle-ready size once more. When in keyblade form, the keychain form of the keyblade dangles from the hilt of the keyblade, as with the keyblades in the original Kingdom Hearts PS2 games. Some good examples are Circle of Life, Oathkeeper, and Sleeping Lion.
There are no gummi ships in this world. Instead, keyblades take their place as a means by which wielders may travel between the different worlds.
In addition to having a keychain form, every keyblade also has a "key" form. This form is simply a small version of its keyblade form, about the size of a regular house or old-fashioned mansion key, depending. These key-forms can be fitted into any
door, even when there is not a traditional locking mechanism in place. Once inserted and turned the door will then open onto a different world within the KB universe.NOTE: Once on the other side of the door, the wielder's place of entry must either be a door or a relatively flat surface such as a large rock. If it is not a door, it will not be possible to reinsert the keyblade into it and return home via that specific spot again, and another "doorway" of some sort must be found instead.
More experienced wielders can control where they want to go through channeled/focused intention - that is, focusing their thoughts on a particular person, object, or place while turning the key in the lock. This is made particularly easy if they have visited the intended world before. For less experienced wielders, the doors open at "random," typically leading the wielders towards something they desire, something that will benefit them, or someone who will be helpful, a potential ally, or a friend. This has been coined as the keyblades "leading you to your heart's desire," and is a typically "key-virgin" occurrence (mostly specific to those who are using their keyblade for world-travel for the first time).MORE ABOUT ABILITIES
Every keyblade comes with a particular set of traits, or stats, which it passes on to its wielder. One keyblade might boost attack power and lower defense, while another might come with added magic power and lowered hit points. Most keyblades also have combo attacks - special attacks unleashed after a certain number of hits have been laid on an enemy - which may or may not take more time to unlock. Every keyblade also grants its wielder a certain level of control over a certain ability or "element," which can only be channeled through use of the keyblade. These range from abstract concepts (such as "justice" and "loyalty") to more concrete objects (such as steel or soap).
For the sake of this club, you only need to describe your keyblades stats as listed above. Elements/abilities will need to be explained briefly just as nobodies' elements do, so we can get a handle on how they work in battle. Additionally combos and subsequent drive forms (leveled up attack forms with special abilities granted with more experience and time using the keyblade) may also be described but are not necessary.ADDITIONAL PROPERTIES
As in the original Kingdom Hearts games, keyblades cannot be separated from their wielders; they are bonded together by what has come to be known as a "fusion of hearts." Since many wielders believe that the "shards" which brought their keyblades to life are actually hearts, many believe this fusion to be literal - two hearts becoming one, making each entity, wielder and keyblade, inherently inseparable. The most superstitious of the wielders believe that if they are destroyed, their keyblade will vanish, and vice versa; some of the less vehement hold that prolonged deliberate separation of wielder and keyblade will result in the death of both.
Whatever the case, it is
known that if a wielder loses his or keyblade, or has it stolen from them, it will return to their hands within moments after disappearing. No one has had their keyblade destroyed, and as of yet, no one has died, either, so neither theory regarding keyblades and their wielders being "fused" together, sharing one heart, has had the chance to be proven one way or the other.