Introduction

_{_{Holy angry Mickey}}

Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep began development in 2005, and was originally supposed to be a PS2 game. The Final Mix of KHII has a ton of stuff hinting at the plot of the game. It then entered development hell, and became a PSP game because Nomura decided he wanted to release one Kingdom Hearts game on each major portable gaming platform. This game was developed alongside Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days for the Nintendo DS, and Kingdom Hearts: coded, which was a mobile phone game released episodically. All the episodes were later compiled into Kingdom Hearts Re:coded for the DS (which I might be LPing after this).

Birth By Sleep was finally released in Japan on January 9th 2010. In September of that year, it was released in the US with a bunch of extra content, much like the very first Kingdom Hearts game. These included better facial animations for several characters, some additional content in the minigames, and a new boss. And again like the original Kingdom Hearts, all this and more were re-released in Japan as a Final Mix. But unlike Kingdom Hearts: Final Mix, this one is actually worth playing because they added tons of extra content! Here's the full list:

- Added the new stuff from the American version (the original extra boss drops a keyblade, Mysterious Figure fight, higher quality facial animations, Critical difficulty, Skull Board in Command Board, Pete D-Link, Castle Circuit in Rumble Racing, the sticker album side quest, "Destiny Islands" song in Ice Cream Beat, and new commands: Unison Rush, Voltage Stack and Aerial Recovery.)
- The Unversed have different colors, presumably as a throwback to Kingdom Hearts Final Mix.
- A new Command Style
- Illusion commands, which are received from doing new bonus "missions."
- New Mirage Arena battles: Monster of the Deep, Mentor of Light, and Foresight unto Darkness.
- The Secret Movie is changed somewhat.

This game is a

PREQUEL

that takes place around a decade before the original game. Nomura nicknamed it "Kingdom Hearts 0" because it is as important as a numbered title. Because the plot is so goddamn important, I am creating two versions of every video: one with commentary over the cutscenes, and one with said commentary removed. If you seriously want to get the most out of the plot, watch the commentary-less versions, although you're gonna be missing out on most of the funny. I am also using a translation patch that is kind of dodgy, so sometimes what the characters say don't show up as subtitles.

Speaking of THE PLOT, this game follows Terra, Aqua, and Ventus, three Keyblade Master trainees studying under the wise Master Eraqus (voiced by Mark Hamill!). They travel to different Disney worlds, some familiar, some alluded to in previous games, and some brand new. Their task: to discover the origin of the Unversed, monstrous creatures born from fledgling negative emotions, and defeat them on each world. There's also this other guy named Master Xehanort (voiced by Leonard Nimoy) who probably isn't evil and won't play a major role at all. You play through each character's story independently of the others, so you play the entire game as one character before moving on to the next.

Birth By Sleep introduces the Command system, without a doubt the greatest addition to the series in its history. You equip a certain number of commands in a deck, which you can use at any time by pressing Triangle. These range from physical attacks, to attack and support magic, replace your items, and generally fucking own. The gameplay variety increased exponentially because the possible moves your character can perform expands a ton. Each of the characters has their own unique commands, in addition to several that are shared among them. There are also several other big additions to the battle system that I will get to in the videos.

I will be doing 100%, which means I will probably fill the reports for all three characters, show off every goddamn minigame and command, and maybe even beat each secret boss with each character! I dunno if I will be able to manage that, though, because it's fucking hard as balls. Without further ado, let's start the LP!

Episode List

TERRA: A young man training to become a Keyblade Master. He is obsessed with getting stronger, no matter what it takes. He is also a meathead, and incredibly gullible. He has high HP and STR, and has the longest keyblade reach of the three. His unique commmands are focused on brutal physical attacks, dark-element moves, and earth magic.

VENTUS: A young boy with a mysterious past who is training to become a Keyblade Master. He is lighthearted and kind. He moves quickly and attacks rapidly, but his keyblades have a very short reach. His unique commands are focused on Strike Raid-like moves (throwing the keyblade), and Light and Wind magic. He also looks kinda familiar…

AQUA: A young woman training to become a Keyblade Master. She is kindhearted and empathetic, and has a strong sense of justice. She is willing to do anything for her closest friends. She isn't particularly fast, and her keyblades aren't particularly long, and she doesn't have particularly good HP or STR or DEF; instead, she specializes in magic. Her unique commands are all particularly devastating (and hilariously overpowered) high level magic spells.

MASTER ERAQUS: A Keyblade Master who trains apprentices in the Land of Departure. He fights to protect the balance between darkness and light. Also he's voiced by Mark Hamill which kinda owns.

MASTER XEHANORT: A mysterious Keyblade Master who appears suddenly for the Mark of Mastery Exam. He is ~~evil~~TOTALLY NOT EVIL and immediately disappears after the exam, but not before instructing Terra not to fear the darkness. Not evil. Also, voiced by Leonard Nimoy, which rules.

VANITAS AKA MYSTERIOUS BOY: Where's your fucking face??? Apparently commands the Unversed.

BRAIG: A suspicious man who seems to know a lot more than he is letting on. One thing is for sure, he has something to do with Xehanorts ~~nefarious~~TOTALLY NOT EVIL plans.

WORLDS VISITED:

A world where new Keyblade Masters are trained. That's pretty much it.

The world of Sleeping Beauty. It has two castles; one large and beautiful, overlooking a forest. The other, a twisted, black castle, home to an evil fairy.

A beautiful castle up on a high hill lights up the night sky in this world. It overlooks a spooky forest.

A castle overlooking a forest. Seeing a pattern yet? Although this time, there is a gem mine on the other side of the forest.

A beautiful, floral castle town that is brimming with life. The castle is home to Ansem the Wise, a benevolent ruler who is beloved by his subjects.

This tower is home to the powerful Wizard/former Keyblade Master Yen Sid. Plot happens here.

A town full of colorful characters that sits at the foot of Disney Castle. It is ruled by Mickey Mouse, a young, benevolent King, much loved by his subjects. Unfortunately, he is very adventurous and sometimes gets into mischief. Also the home to one awesome and two shitty mini-games.

An arena where great warriors go to test their strength. May or may not be historically accurate.

A gigantic space ship traveling through... the lanes between? That doesn't make sense. And it's not even a world at all! I don't really get it. I hear there's an adorable death machine on board, though.

A magical island where boys never grow up. Also there are some goofy pirates and I guess some really racist native american stereotypes there, too.

An island world in the middle of nowhere. Has some plot significance or something.

The site of a great Keyblade War, where many Keyblade wielders fought and died over control of the χ-blade and Kingdom Hearts. Xehanort summons the three Keyblade wielders there in an effort to recreate the war and become one with Kingdom Hearts.

It's an arena.

SECRET REPORTS

Xehanort's Letter
Please accept my deepest gratitude for the invitation to witness your pupils'
accession to the office of true Keyblade Master. It was a heavy mantle our
Master placed upon your shoulders naming you Successor, but you have
nonetheless persevered and raised two Masters yourself. I know it cannot be
easy.

I did you terrible harm in the past over a petty difference in opinion, and
just a few years ago selfishly thrust my own burdens upon you. I think of you
like a younger brother, and yet, fool that I am, I have never availed myself of
countless opportunities to apologize or thank you for opening your home to the
boy. Yet not once have you blamed me; on the contrary, here you are inviting me
to such an important ceremony. I intend to be there to offer you all my
blessings.

Our Master chose his heir wisely. Ours is a bizarrely ironic task---to watch
over the light from the shadows---but in the face of that, the warmth in your
heart and unfailing dedication to the light impress me to no end.

I have taken to wandering the World, and seen much darkness hiding in the
light. Lately, I fear it has taken a turn for the worse. Perhaps Yen Sid has
already told you about the Unversed? These fledgling emotions derive from
negativity, and I can now sense their presence in nearly every world.

And on the topic of darkness: we must speak of another matter that concerns me,
one related to the upcoming ceremony. When I visited several years ago, your
pupil Terra drew my attention. His power is immense, to be sure, but within his
heart I could see darkness just waiting to be awakened. I know this is none of
my business, but I have reservations about welcoming Terra as a true Keyblade
Master without taking certain precautions. The traditional examination,
perhaps, to see if he has the Mark of Mastery? The choice is yours, and I will
humbly respect your decision.

Take care. I eagerly await our long overdue reunion.

Xehanort's Report #1
Much time has passed since I left the home of my youth behind, and in the
myriad worlds I have visited, I have gained much knowledge. On these pages, I
intend to record a portion of that knowledge, and put the course of my life to
paper.

Upon reflection, my life underwent the most considerable sea-change when I
arrived at that place. Yes, it began when I found a Master, and another I would
later call my brother---when I found a new home.

Then there was the Keyblade. For what purpose was it begotten, and by whom?
During my training as one of its wielders, the precepts offered a clear answer:
the Keyblade existed so that we who watched over the light could protect the
world from the shadows.

But was that the TRUE answer? Could there not be more to it than that? My heart
sought knowledge, and so I sometimes visited other worlds---though such travel
was forbidden unless duty required---and found what my heart sought.

Xehanort's Report #2
Our Master instructed us to don armor while traveling between worlds, so that
we might shield ourselves from the darkness. But there, in the Lanes Between, I
could feel the force of it---the power---and from then on, I forwent my armor's
"protection." I had been told the darkness would devour me, but what terrors
could it possibly hold, so long as I found the strength to control it?

The World is vast---and the worlds within the greater World, uncountable. Like
little islands, they dot a great Ocean Between which keeps them ignorant of
each other, uncorrupted.

Each world had its own order. Unlike us, they could not know of the World in
its entirety, and we were never to enlighten them.

Xehanort's Report #3
In ancient times, no such buffers kept the larger World divided; there were no
walls of light enclosing each smaller world the way they do today. Nothing
prevented one from physically interfering with the next.

At that time, the World was filled with light, and a great many Keyblade
wielders. But without buffers, the worlds began to squabble over ownership of
the light. You see, they learned of the Keyblade's true use. War broke out as
each of the Keyblade wielders struggled to lay claim to an almighty entity
known as Kingdom Hearts.

Kingdom Hearts could be described as an aggregate of hearts. Worlds, too, have
hearts, just like people; each world's heart is concealed from sight, beyond a
hidden door. By gathering all the hearts of all the worlds in a single place,
one may complete Kingdom Hearts.

Xehanort's Report #4

And when Kingdom Hearts is complete, it is said the one who opens its door will
bring about the creation of the Next World. Such a feat is above any human. Or,
to put it a different way: whoever opens that door will be reborn as something
far greater than human.

Light and darkness are two sides of the same coin; without darkness, there is
no light. The Keyblade wielders' great war over Kingdom Hearts was fought by
defenders of the light, servants of darkness, those who sought to reconcile the
two, and those motivated by nothing more than lust for power. A whole spectrum
of thought was swept into the conflict, and the worlds that did not go to war
found the war brought to them. In the end, the whole World was cast into
darkness. That was how the ancient Keyblade War drew to a close. To this day,
no one has ever managed to open the door to Kingdom Hearts.

Some time later, the little light that remained in the hearts of the few gave
rise to the World we know today: one made of many worlds behind just as many
walls, so that the Keyblade War would not be repeated.

Xehanort Report #5
At present, the lanes and corridors that run between the worlds may only be
traversed by us Keyblade wielders, and those who have given themselves over to
darkness.

As the former, our duty is to cross the chasms between the worlds and guard
against the latter, whose darkness corrupts and contaminates, so that no world
need ever be lost again.

Few Keyblade wielders remain now; I have heard of but a handful of others
outside my circle. But the world is vast, and more of our kind may be out
there.

Now, in addition to the realm of light in which we reside, there is also a
realm of darkness, and the realm between which connects the two. The realm of
darkness is most forbidden; I am told none who set foot there have ever
returned.

Xehanort's Report #6
There are three families of Keyblades: the Keyblades of light we wield,
Keyblades of darkness, and Keyblades of heart.

The first and second families differ only in origin; Keyblades of darkness are
found in the realm of darkness, and are counterparts to the Keyblades we use in
the realm of light.

The third type of key, the Keyblade of heart, came into existence when the
World was reorganized after the Keyblade War. Without this key, Kingdom Hearts
is forever beyond a person's reach. Only by gathering seven hearts of pure
light---hearts completely devoid of darkness---may one forge a Keyblade of
heart and open the door to Kingdom Hearts.

And, as stated before, opening this door arguably gives that person control
over all worlds and all people.

Xehanort's Report #7
I have uncovered the Keyblade's ultimate mystery. You see, besides the three
families of Keyblades, there is another "Key Blade." While it may sound the
same when spoken, it is notated uniquely: "X-blade." And make no mistake, while
it resembles a normal Keyblade, it is something altogether different.

Keyblades are said to be man-made counterparts to Kingdom Hearts. The X-blade,
however, coexists with Kingdom Hearts.

It is only forged when two hearts of equal power intersect---one heart of pure
darkness, one heart of pure light. At the time of its forging, Kingdom Hearts
appears. It must be noted, though, that this Kingdom Hearts is special. Unlike
the Kingdoms brought about forcibly and artificially through the collection of
hearts, THIS Kingdom Hearts is a perfect and complete union of ALL the worlds'
hearts. Surely it was over this that the ancient Keyblade War was fought.

If so, the walls that divide the worlds today are of little consequence. With
the X-blade, all their hearts could be instantly reunited---and the Keyblade
War, refought.

Xehanort's Report #8
My brother pupil Eraqus thinks only in absolutes. He has persuaded himself that
light is the only way, but forgets that light cannot exist without shadow. I
believe a balance of light and darkness is what sustains our World, but too
much of the darkness has been stamped out, disrupting that balance. Someone
must tear down this tyranny of light and reorganize the World around the
darkness which then creeps back in.

Eraqus and I did not see eye to eye. I left, and wandered the World. This was
perhaps the first time I felt truly free since that day I departed my boyhood
home. But free to do what? I had already shown the Mark and become a Keyblade
Master---but having been passed over as a Successor, all that remained to me
was the road of teacher.

Ordinarily, Keyblade Masters take pupils under their wings, malleable minds in
which to impress the precepts of the Keyblade wielder and keep our profession
alive for generations to come. Was my time drawing to an end, then, after all
I had accomplished since casting away the place of my birth? Surely waiting for
a quiet death would not do, not when there was still so much I needed to see
for myself. Powers help me, I thought, my body is so old...

Xehanort's Report #9
We Keyblade Masters have a special gift. We can extract a heart, be it our own
or that of another. By continuing this cycle, it is possible to remain in the
world of the living forever.

As a boy, I dreamed of seeing the farthest reaches of the World. If I only went
far enough, there had to be a world out there in which no one had ever before
set foot. And now I know of just such a world. If I become the first to open
Kingdom Hearts' door, I can create the Next World in which light and darkness
exist in perfect equilibrium.

So there I stood, with vast knowledge in one gnarled, dying hand, and newfound
purpose in the other. The next step was clear: I needed a new vessel.

And that was when I met Ventus and made him my pupil. We were destined to meet,
and I could sense the potential within him, but the boy was too benign for his
own good. I came to the conclusion he was too frail to serve as a vessel, and
decided to use him for a second purpose I had in mind.

I would remove the darkness from his heart and split him in two. Then I would
have my heart of pure light, and my heart of pure darkness.

Xehanort's Report #10
As was to be expected, Ventus lacked the constitution for such an ordeal. I was
able to remove the darkness inside him and create Vanitas, a heart of pure
darkness, but Ventus drifted into the clutches of sleep.

Ventus's heart of pure light and Vanitas's heart of pure darkness...If both
could be made strong enough to one day clash, I know the X-blade would be
forged.

But Vanitas took too much of Ventus's heart, and from that fracture, I could
see the last of Ventus's light was slipping away. The boy deserved a place to
spend his final moments peacefully. And what should come to mind but my own
boyhood home.

My legs took me there unbidden, and as I stood there on the same beach where I
had made my choice so many years ago, I thought: not a single thing has
changed. Here, in this quiet world, time marches in place. Content that Ventus
would find peace here, I started to walk away---but just then, the boy held up
his Keyblade. The light within him had not died.

Xehanort Report #11
Ventus and Vanitas were not matched in power; I could not train them, or
Vanitas's darkness would gnaw away what little Ventus had left.

Of course, since I needed a place where the boy's light might flourish, the
answer was obvious: Eraqus, and his absolutes.

Considering how we had parted ways, I expected friction---but if anything,
Eraqus seemed delighted to see me again. He readily agreed to take care of
Ventus. Now I need only wait for the boy's heart to get stronger.

I had not visited this second home of mine for some time, and discovered Eraqus
had already two pupils of his own. Within one of them, Terra, I sensed
something. The boy, though well-intentioned, seeks power single-mindedly. And
that kind of hunger is a seedbed for darkness.

I had found my vessel.

Xehanort's Report #12
The time has come. I have received word from Eraqus that his pupils are to
become true Keyblade Masters. Terra and Aqua...They will be easy now to lure
into the outside world. But Ventus! I will get nowhere without him.

Vanitas can feel some of what Ventus feels, and he says Terra is the key.
Ventus has loved Terra like a real brother ever since he let him keep his old
wooden Keyblade. It seems we have found a loose thread at which we can tug to
unravel Ventus's heart.

The first step is to get Terra alone; then we need to plant the seeds of doubt
in Ventus. Let him carry his faint light as he chases his brother into the
darkness.

Let the darkness make his light stronger, then let the light deepen the
darkness. And where the two finally meet is where the stuff of legends will
become real.

FAN ART

Rahonavis made this absurd picture of Mickey

MelodicWaffle made a dramatic reenactment of a scene from Ventus's story

HoneyBoy posted:

Most competent character in the series:

The Let's Play Archive

Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep: Final Mix

by Blackbelt Bobman

Introduction

Episode List

HoneyBoy posted: