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"All worlds begin in darkness, and all so end. The heart is no different. Darkness sprouts within it, it grows, consumes it. Such is its nature. In the end, every heart returns to the darkness whence it came. You see, darkness is the heart's true essence."

—Ansem, Seeker of Darkness to Sora

Ansem, Seeker of Darkness, also referred to asXehanort's Heartless or simplyAnsem orXehanort, is theHeartless ofTerra-Xehanort and a member of thereal Organization XIII. He serves as the main antagonist ofKingdom Hearts and the "Reverse/Rebirth" scenario inKingdom Hearts Chain of Memories, as well as a supporting antagonist inKingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance andKingdom Hearts III. His appearance and personality are primarily derived fromMaster Xehanort, and he usually retains his original form's "Dark Figure".

Ansem was created when Terra-Xehanort, masquerading asAnsem the Wise, reawakened his sleeping memories and split hisheart from hisbody, creating a Heartless; this Heartless, also named Ansem, appears to have characteristics of both Emblem and Pureblood Heartless, and it is unclear exactly which category he falls under. However, he retained hismemories in his new existence and gained the ability to control the other Heartless. With their power, Ansem attacked theRealm of Light, intending to have the Heartless consume the hearts of every world and lead him toKingdom Hearts.

Story[edit]

BetweenKingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep andKingdom Hearts[edit]

"At the time, I did not yet realize I was talking to myself. He cast aside his own body to put me on my destined path. That is Xehanort, reduced to just a heart; the being you and your friends called Ansem."

—Young Xehanort explains Ansem's role in creating a second Organization

Ansem passes on his ability to time-travel to Xehanort's younger self.

Terra-Xehanort, at the time using his king's name, "Ansem", willingly gave his heart to thedarkness in the pursuit of knowledge, creating both his Heartless and hisNobody,Xemnas. His Heartless was able to retain its selfhood for uncertain reasons, though it was believed that this was due to Terra-Xehanort's willing abandonment of his heart;^[1] even Ansem himself was briefly confused by his sentience.^[2] As a result, he could command the lesser Heartless without consequence,^[3] and came to learn of the existence ofNobodies,^[4] including his counterpartXemnas; the two collaborated to fulfill Master Xehanort's goal of obtaining theχ-blade.^[5]

On a quest from his original persona, Ansem travels back in time to when Xehanort lived on theDestiny Islands. Ansem entrusted his younger self with the mission to gather ten vessels to house fragments ofMaster Xehanort's heart to create thereal Organization XIII so that they could create theχ-blade and restart the legendaryKeyblade War. To accomplish this, Ansem gaveYoung Xehanort the power to travel forward into the future. Once his mission was done, young Xehanort would lose his memory of the event, although the subconscious memory would lead Xehanort to become aKeyblade Master. Ansem himself remained on the Destiny Islands until the time the Destiny Islands were destroyed, ensuring a version of him existed across time to allow his younger self the ability to travel to any time period.Kingdom Hearts III

Disguising his actions as a thirst for knowledge, Ansem sent the Heartless to many worlds in search of thePrincesses of Heart to serve as the purelights to forge the χ-blade; many worlds fell in the process. Though in time, he took to observingMaleficent's cabal as they carried out the task, unknowingly, for him. Regardless if Xemnas could create thirteen darknesses, Ansem could create the lesserKeyblade of heart from the seven pure lights to open theDoor to Darkness, which leads toKingdom Hearts.

Ansem had secretly intended this to ensure Xehanort was put in contact with the right hearts; which could be brought to the future to fill the ranks of the second Seekers of Darkness should the original Organization prove inadequate.Kingdom Hearts III

According to Aerith, Ansem was believed to have died defending Hollow Bastion from the Heartless, despite the seeker of darkness assisting in bringing them there in the first place.Kingdom Hearts

Kingdom Hearts[edit]

"Take a look at this tiny place. To the heart seeking freedom, this island is a prison surrounded by water. And so this boy sought out to escape from his prison. He sought a way to cross over into other worlds. And he opened his heart to darkness."

—Ansem, about Riku's motivation

Ansem mentions the existence of other worlds and their connections to Sora.

Ansem, as the Robed Figure, appears at Destiny Islands'Keyhole shortly before its fall into darkness, noting that it has been "connected" and insultingSora's ignorance of what was to come—however, as he is operating as a portal between times, he is not talking simply about how the islands will be consumed by the Heartless, but instead referencing how it will become aSleeping World; the Sora and Riku from a year hence will travel back to this moment to follow Destiny Islands into the darkness, and in turn, he will follow them. He vanishes when Sora's back is turned. Later, when the future Sora and Riku enter the Sleeping Worlds, he is there to call uponUrsula's phantom to attack them. After her defeat, Ansem again notes that the world has been connected.Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance

Right before Destiny Islands fully disappear into theDark World, Ansem found Riku and opened a Dark Corridor toHollow Bastion, giving Maleficent a Keyblade wielder to help collect the princesses.Re:Coded

Seeing the same kind of lust for power that he had once seen inTerra coming fromRiku, Ansem appears before him following his battle with Sora. Riku is confused over why theKeyblade left him, to which Ansem explains; only a strong heart can wield a Keyblade. He tells Riku that to become stronger, he must open his heart to the darkness and let his entire being become one with it. Riku complies, opening himself to the darkness. However, Ansem uses this to possess Riku, regaining a body.

Ansem, possessing Riku, informs Maleficent that he's achieved forging the Keyblade of heart.

Posing as Riku, Ansem meets Maleficent as the Final Keyhole forms. He informs her the Heartless will overrun Hollow Bastion once it's unlocked, but she is unconcerned; believing she can use the darkness to rule the worlds. Sneering, he creates theKeyblade of heart from the six captivePrincesses of Heart's hearts. Seeing the keyhole remains incomplete, Ansem realizes they are at a standstill; they need the power ofKairi's heart. Maleficent leaves him to guard the princesses, while she deals with Sora,Donald, andGoofy. After she is defeated, Ansem follows her to a hidden chamber, asking if she needs help. Once Sora sees him and the Keyblade of heart, Ansem tells him it can unlock the hearts and demonstrates on Maleficent; resulting in her being overwhelmed by darkness and transforming into her dragon form. When the dragon is felled, Ansem notes the dark fairy arrogantly believed she controlled the Heartless when it was the other way around, and takes his leave.

When Sora arrives in theGrand Hall, Ansem apathetically explains that Kairi will not wake up without her heart; revealing he is not Riku, but "Ansem, Seeker of Darkness". The Heartless goes on to explain that Kairi's heart is in Sora and that his dark Keyblade is necessary to remove the imprisoned heart. Sora refuses to agree with the plan and they battle. Sora wins the duel, and Ansem retreats. However, his efforts are not in vain, as Sora stabs himself with the dark Keyblade, in order to free Kairi's heart as well as the six other Princesses. This ends up opening the final Keyhole and the way to Kingdom Hearts, as well as the loss of Sora's heart and his brief transformation intoSora's Heartless.

Ansem talks about his views on darkness to Sora on Destiny Islands.

Ansem shortly returns, having shaped Riku's body to resembleTerra-Xehanort. Now that his pawns have served their roles, he plans to kill Kairi.Donald Duck andGoofy bravely make a stand against Ansem in order to protect Kairi, but know it's hopless. Before he can dispose of them, Riku briefly regains enough control to paralyze the Heartless and warn them to run, allowing Donald and Goofy to escape with Kairi. Aggravated, Ansem banished Riku's heart to theDark WorldKingdom Hearts Final Mix taking complete control. Ansem then allows himself to be enveloped by the darkness flowing out of the Keyhole, to find theDoor to Darkness atEnd of the World.

Around this time,^[6] Young Xehanort collected Ansem's heart to serve as a member of the second Organization XIII. However, his time ran out as he could not coexist with Master Xehanort at the time,^[7] and Ansem was forced to return to the past with his memory erased.^[8]Retrieved again from this point,^[9] Ansem fulfilled his role in the new Organization. Following his defeat, Ansem's heart returned to its proper place in time.Kingdom Hearts III

Ansem is destroyed by the light of Kingdom Hearts.

As Sora, his humanity having been restored by Kairi'slight arrives at the remnants of Destiny Islands at End of the World, Ansem appears, bearing Riku's form. He explains Riku's fall to darkness, that he desperately sought to escape the island "prison" enough to open his heart to the darkness. Afterward, Ansem explains his philosophy: that worlds and hearts begin and end in darkness. Thus, darkness is the heart's true essence. Sora denies this, in words and in battle, with Ansem. During the battle, Ansem summons both his familiar, theDark Figure, and aDarkside Heartless to assist him. As the battle rages on, Ansem leads the trio to the endless abyss where the Door to Darkness resides. This time, Ansem transforms into theWorld of Chaos, a monstrous Heartless ship, which he creates from darkness and captures Donald and Goofy, though Sora rescues them.

After having his battleship destroyed, a battered and weakened Ansem taunts Sora that just the Keyblade isn't enough to close the Door to Darkness. He weakly cracks open the doors, asking for Kingdom Hearts to fill him with the power of darkness. However, Sora tells him that like the heart of a person, deep down Kingdom Hearts is light. At that moment a pure light does indeed burst from the doors instead of darkness, hitting Ansem full on. Surprised and confused, Ansem could only question as to why light was behind the door todarkness. Being a Heartless and having already been weakened by Sora, Ansem couldn't withstand the light and was obliterated; giving Riku his body back.

Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories[edit]

"You called out my name. You have been thinking about me. Good. The more you think of me, the closer my return draws. And when I have woken, I will take hold; your heart will be mine!"

—Ansem intimidates Riku as he attempts to reclaim control of his body

Ansem tries to assert control after Lexaeus weakens Riku.

Because Riku served as the host for Ansem, a piece of the Heartless remains even after his destruction by the light of Kingdom Hearts. Riku remained unaware of this untilDiZ impersonated Ansem and sent Riku on a trial throughCastle Oblivion to overcome his regret and fear of the darkness within him. WhenLexaeus fights Riku, the resulting battle causes Riku to lose consciousness and Ansem takes control of his body, slaying the Nobody. However, before Ansem can cement his control over Riku,King Mickey's light seals him away for a time; this angers the Heartless to no end.

Eventually, Riku overcomes his fear of the darkness, intending to use it as well as the light. He also additionally receives some guidance from the enigmatic DiZ, the true owner of the mysterious voice, who in turn leads Riku toNaminé. Naminé offers to seal away Riku's darkness and Ansem, but he instead chooses to vanquish the Heartless. DiZ then gives Riku a card that will give Ansem form, so that Riku can finish him off once and for all.

Riku forces Ansem to manifest so that he can put him to rest.

Ansem again attempts to turn Riku to the darkness completely and tries to defeat the young boy so that he can take possession of his body once more. Though this succeeds in destroying Ansem's consciousness, his power still lingers in Riku's heart. Riku sets off with King Mickey to rid himself of the Seeker of Darkness forever.

Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days[edit]

Riku opens himself to Ansem's darkness in order to defeat Roxas.

Having been unable to find a way to rid himself of Ansem's remaining essence, it began taking over him and transforming Riku into a copy of Ansem. Riku kept it bay by blindfolding himself, and relying on his other senses to keep Ansem from completely taking over him. After learning Sora's memory cannot be completed without his NobodyRoxas, who holds the memories of Kairi in him, Riku knows that he might have to use the darkness to capture the Nobody and bring him toDiZ.^[10]

Riku catches up to Roxas atThe World That Never Was, but Roxas proves to be too powerful and Riku is left with only one way to overwhelm the Nobody: unleashing his inner darkness. This allows Riku to manifest the Dark Figure, who seizes Roxas and knocks him unconscious but also forces Riku to take on Ansem's appearance. Feeling that he has sacrificed his identity, Riku takes on Ansem's name.

Kingdom Hearts II[edit]

See also:Riku-Ansem

During theBattle of the 1000 Heartless atHollow Bastion, King Mickey reveals the truth about "Ansem" to Sora, Donald, and Goofy, the Heartless wasn't the real king of Radiant Garden, but the Heartless of an impostor. While the trio is shocked and dismayed to learn this, Mickey pacifies them by telling them that Ansem was still a powerful enemy that needed to be stopped.

Following the destruction of theKingdom Hearts Encoder Ansem the Wise was using, the resulting explosion of light restores Riku to his normal form, implying that "Ansem" has finally been destroyed and his hold on Riku broken once and for all.

Kingdom Hearts coded[edit]

Ansem appears in a memory fromJiminy's Journal in Destiny Islands, opening aCorridor of Darkness for Riku toHollow Bastion.

Yen Sid later explains to Mickey that the destruction of both Ansem and Xemnas has revived Xehanort and will lead to the restoration ofMaster Xehanort. Ansem appears along with Xemnas as one of Mickey's mental images.

Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance[edit]

"Ever the fool boy. And forever, a pawn of the darkness!"

—Ansem and Riku face-off again

Ansem reappears to Riku on the balcony of Notre Dame.

Ansem returns to become part of Master Xehanort's new Organization XIII, thanks to Young Xehanort's doings while time traveling. Accompanied by Young Xehanort, Ansem appears before Riku inLa Cité des Cloches, stunning the young Keybearer, and offers him to become part of the darkness again, but Riku protests, reminding Ansem that he now walks the road to dawn. Undaunted, Ansem merely takes his leave.

When Sora is captured in The World That Never Was, Riku rushes to his rescue and runs into Ansem again. Ansem reveals that Riku had been traveling within Sora's dreams like aDream Eater, and asks Riku to join him now that the boy has accepted his darkness. As they fight, Riku counters by asking Ansem to become part of his light, but Ansem ignores him and is eventually forced to retreat.

During Sora's memory of meetingAqua, the latter fades at the end of the scene, and Ansem is shown at the shore just before Sora is sent flying out of the memory byRiku.

Ansem tackles Riku to keep him from rescuing Sora.

Once Riku finds Sora in the throne room with Mickey's help, Ansem appears before them along with Master Xehanort, Young Xehanort, Xemnas,Xigbar,Saïx and the rest of the new Organization. Master Xehanort proceeds to reveal that Ansem's possession of Riku's body, along with overseeing Maleficent's gathering of the Princesses, was all part of his master plan with Riku meant to become the vessel to complete the Organization. Ansem restrains Riku from trying to save Sora from becoming Master Xehanort's final vessel, butLea's unexpected intervention distracts Ansem long enough for Riku to break free. Ansem summons the Dark Figure and has it grab Riku and Mickey, but the Dark Figure is defeated by Donald and Goofy. As the heroes advance, the Organization's allotted time expires and its members, including Ansem, retreat to their rightful points in time.

Kingdom Hearts III[edit]

"There is still more to seek. Now go forth and seek it."

—Ansem's final words to Riku

Ansem first appears alongside his Nobody counterpart, Xemnas, outside of the Old Mansion, waiting for Sora. Seeking to use Roxas as a possible 13th member of theReal Organization XIII, Ansem and Xemnas tell Sora to give his heart to darkness, to recreate Roxas. They don't humor Sora's plan to recreate Roxas in theVirtual Twilight Town created by Ansem the Wise, claiming it is just data. After breaking Sora with their words, both leave through a Corridor of Darkness, after summoning a swarm ofNeoshadows andDusks for Sora, Donald, and Goofy. After this, they watch Sora leaveTwilight Town from a rooftop, just as Xigbar arrives to berate them. Ansem defends his choice to be direct with guiding Sora, due to the boy being slow with hints.

Ansem locates his old master and demands to know the whereabouts of Subject X.

Later, Ansem goes to theDark World to retrieve his old master, as he wishes to know of the whereabouts ofSubject X, a mysterious amnesiac girl who had become his favorite test subject before her disappearance. Assuming she was taken away by Ansem the Wise, this brings him into conflict withAqua, who kept Ansem company. Despite her resistance, Aqua could do nothing without her Keyblade, and was cast into the ocean by theDark Figure, which causes her transformation intoAnti-Aqua.

Bringing Ansem the Wise back to his old HQ at the Old Mansion, Ansem begs his treacherous apprentice to cease, as he doesn't wish for more victims. Xehanort's Heartless is not convinced by Ansem's act, reminding him of all the children sacrificed in their research on the heart, as well as his treatment of Roxas andNaminé. Suddenly,Hayner,Pence andOlette, who had been watching all along, enter into action. While Hayner distracts Xehanort's Heartless, Olette helps Ansem escape. The group is able to evade pursuit by Ansem thanks to a small troop ofDusks sent byVexen, whose true loyalties lie with Ansem the Wise.

Ansem shows up for the last time in theKeyblade Graveyard, accompanying Master Xehanort alongside Xemnas, Young Xehanort andVanitas, while he welcomes theGuardians of Light. Much later, he drops intothe Skein of Severance for the final battle. Ansem, now without hisBlack Coat, fights against Riku alongsideDark Riku and Xigbar. Once Sora joins the fight, it doesn't take long for Ansem to leave.

Ansem reflects on his journey with Riku as he fades into darkness.

Ansem appears for the last time alongside Xemnas and Young Xehanort, as the last line of defense before Sora can reach the elderly Master Xehanort. Defeated by Sora, Riku, and Mickey in a battle alongside his aforementioned incarnations, Ansem voices his final thoughts on his relationship with Riku, stating that Riku's might is "vaster than darkness" and showing he is proud the boy he chose as his vessel has grown into such a powerfulKeyblade Master. Riku even states he is going to miss his nemesis. After their parting words, Ansem's replica body fades away into darkness and his heart returns to its proper place in time.

Other appearances[edit]

A Fragmentary Passage[edit]

This information is based on alternate scenes or materials and is not considered canon within the overall plot of the series.
Ansem appears on the beach of Destiny Islands. Ansem is shown as the first transformation and the second incarnation after a youngMaster Xehanort but before Xemnas.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[edit]

InSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate, Ansem appears in the 2 o'clock Stations in theDive to the Heart sections of theHollow Bastion stage.

Design[edit]

Before possessing Riku, Ansem was little more than a wandering heart and could only appear as a figure in a brown hooded robe. This robe has two dark brown straps crossing over his shoulders and chest with five metal studs lining either strap. In this form, Ansem is significantly shorter than he later becomes upon gaining a physical body.

Ansem gains a body by possessing Riku, though at first, his presence is only evident from the change to Riku's voice. In his physical form, like hisNobody counterpart Xemnas, Ansem's skin color varies by being depicted as tan in the game to quite dark in official artwork. He shares Terra-Xehanort's long white hair, as well as the three spikes on the top and sides of his head, but he lacks Terra-Xehanort's bangs.

He wears silver-white gloves on his hands, each with a grey band on the wrist, while the rest of the glove, which has three black buttons lining one side, bells outwards. There is a black pauldron on both of his shoulders, each attached to his coat by two straps. He also wears black pants and black, silver-lined, knee-high boots identical to the ones worn byOrganization XIII members.

Ansem's black leather coat is red on the inside and lined with yellow, and also has a large grey section that covers the lower half and shoulders of the coat. Upon closer inspection, this grey section seems to be attached by several small pins or buttons around the hip and neck sections of the coat, as well as by a belt that wraps around the Heartless's back and attaches to the rim of the coat. This coat is high-collared and completely unzipped, showing the second, shorter jacket the Heartless wears underneath. Ansem's second jacket is white and high-collared much like the outer coat. It is mostly unbuttoned and exposes Ansem's chest before being closed up by three buttons and two belts near the Heartless's waist, only to flare outward again, leaving three buttons undone. On his chest is the Heartless emblem, but it seems to be just decoration as it appears attached to the long coat.

When Ansem becomes part of the World of Chaos, he loses both of his jackets and his gloves, showing a well-toned physique, and his pants and boots are replaced by a pair of black skin-tight leggings with yellow lining. He also grows to a tremendous size and his eyes become completely orange and pupil-less in this form.

As Ansem is essentially the Heartless of Master Xehanort, his overall appearance is nearly identical to a younger version of Master Xehanort, wearing the elderly Xehanort's attire.

Forms[edit]

• 

  Ansem wearing his standard attire

• 

  Ansem's original form

• 

  Ansem while possessing Riku.

• 

  Ansem while attached to the World of Chaos.

• 

  Ansem wearing a black coat

Personality[edit]

Ansem is, thus far, one of only three Heartless with human-level intelligence, the others being Sora's Heartless andScar. His knowledge of the worlds and hearts shows that Xehanort's keen intellect has survived the transition into a Heartless. However, the few shreds of humanity that remained in the researcher have been obliterated. Ansem is cold, calculating, and utterly ruthless. He treats people and their hearts as either tools to be manipulated and disposed of, or as cattle for his ravenous Heartless legions. He reveres power and knowledge above all things, and he despises ignorance.

The only times when Ansem's voice rises above a cold, monotonous drone is when he is beratingSora for his foolishness, or when he is reveling in his latest triumph. However, Ansem's scientific genius is blinded by an obsession with the darkness. His arrogance ultimately leads to his destruction when the door to Kingdom Hearts is opened, and his greatest thesis is, in the end, proved wrong.

Ansem prefers to not fight hand-to-hand. Rather, he prefers using his dark powers and the Dark Figure.

Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep reveals that Ansem is essentially the Heartless ofXehanort. This is why he appears to share most of his personality traits with the elderly Keyblade Master, demonstrated by his choice of words when facing Sora, Donald, and Goofy; this is also reflected in his desire to find, open, and become one with Kingdom Hearts itself.

InKingdom Hearts III, Ansem shows pride in Riku's development since their first meeting, seeing Riku gain true strength as a Keyblade Master surpassing the power of darkness. At the very end, Ansem shows that he still values learning about the World, telling Riku to expand his horizons by going to seek more. He also demonstrates a fatalist attitude, expressing that initially wished to defy his fate, but found himself no longer caring after other Organization members betrayed them.

Abilities[edit]

Main articles:Game:Ansem, Seeker of Darkness, Game:Riku#Riku (Keyblade), and World of Chaos

As a Heartless, Ansem has control over darkness, which he can use to attack others, steal hearts, and create Corridors of Darkness. He can also possess other beings and has command over the Dark Figure.

Ansem can time travel without aid, as he is just a heart. However, he is limited to points in time where he existed; additionally, he can only briefly exist in those times he is not native to unless a vessel is provided for his heart.

When Ansem takes possession of Riku's body to procure a physical form, his fighting capabilities increase greatly, and he gains the ability to fly. His new body allows him to fight alongside the Dark Figure by having it possess others to trap them while he utilizes an energy shield to both protect himself and damage foes.

When necessary, Ansem becomes more powerful by merging with either the Dark Figure or theWorld of Chaos.

Weapons[edit]

Most of the time, Ansem does not wield a weapon, instead opting to use the power of darkness and the Dark Figure, when present, to attack opponents. Contrary to his Nobody counterpartXemnas, he specializes more in magic-based attacks than melee attacks when fighting without the Dark Figure.

While possessing Riku inKingdom Hearts, he wields theKeyblade of Heart, forged from the six captured hearts of the Princesses of Heart. Later, in his World of Chaos form, Ansem wields a dual-bladedSoul Eater halberd as big as he is. When he briefly possess Riku to take down Lexaeus, he wields Riku's Soul Eater. InKingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance, Ansem briefly wields Frollo's sword to threaten Riku but does not actually use it to fight.

Despite being the Heartless of Master Xehanort, a Keyblade wielder, Ansem is unable to wield a Keyblade because, according to Riku, he gave his heart to the darkness.^[11]

See also[edit]

• Dark Figure
• World of Chaos

Notes and references[edit]

• Heartless
• Hollow Bastion/Radiant Garden
• End of the World
• Original characters
• Kingdom Hearts characters
• Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories characters
• Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance characters
• Kingdom Hearts III characters
• Kingdom Hearts Dark Road characters
• Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory characters
• Antagonists

• Featured articles
• Articles with non-canon sources