A list of recurring motifs and items in the Kingdom Hearts series.
Paopu Fruit
A Paopu Fruit (パオプの実 Paopu No Mi ) is a star-shaped fruit native to the Destiny Islands, where according to legend, two people's destinies will become intertwined if they share one. It resembles a real-life star fruit.
Thalassa Shell
A Thalassa Shell is a unique sea shell found only on the Destiny Islands. According to legend, sailors used them to make lucky charms known as Wayfinders that would ensure they had a safe voyage. These shells appear to have a strong association with characters connected with Kairi; she used these shells to construct a Wayfinder for Sora to give him luck and made him promise to return it to her, Naminé made Sora's Wayfinder appear as a charm resembling a Paopu Fruit (coincidentally another item unique to the Destiny Islands), and Xion has a strange fascination with collecting the shells. The Thalassa Shell in Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days act as a symbol of Xion's connection to Kairi. When Xion dies, a single Thalassa Shell is also all that remains in Xion's place.
In Greek mythology, Thalassa was the primordial goddess of the sea. This is a possible allusion to Kairi's name ("Kairi" meaning "sea") and her symbolic role with the sea.
Wayfinder
A Wayfinder (つながりのお守り Tsunagari no Omamori , lit. "Connection Charm") is a star-shaped lucky charm that is used to provide luck to travelers. It is designed after the Paopu Fruit, which is said to tie friends together. In Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, the bond that the charms represent is manifested physically as the Dimension Link system.
There are six wayfinders that have been presented in the series so far:
Black Coat
The Black coat is special clothing imbued with magic that protects the wearer's heart from corruption when traveling through Corridors of Darkness. It was first worn by Master Xehanort as an alternative to the traditional Keyblade Armor, which shields one's entire being. The coat is primarily worn by Master Xehanort and the members of Organization XIII. When denizens of light, such as Riku or Mickey Mouse, need to utilize the corridors of darkness, they also don the black coat.
Mickey's Letters
Mickey's Letters refer to the three letters King Mickey has written over the course of the Kingdom Hearts series. The first letter was left by King Mickey on his throne for Donald Duck, before he left to seek out the Keyblade. The second letter was carried by Pluto as he lead Sora, Donald and Goofy from the End of the World to Castle Oblivion, and the third letter was sent by Mickey to Sora and Riku to explain the situation behind Terra, Ventus, and Aqua and summon him for a Mark of Mastery exam. Each letter was sealed by a green Hidden Mickey symbol.
Book of Prophecies
The Book of Prophecies is a book that was introduced in Kingdom Hearts χ. According to Chirithy, before its creator disappeared, he bestowed his six followers with new names and gave five of them a tome of prophecy. These five followers would later become the Foretellers and read the future written in the codex. One passage on the last page shocked them all:
- “The war in that place will lead to the defeat and destruction of the Light.
The World will be enveloped in eternal Darkness.” - ―The Last Line in the Book
To save the world from destruction the Foretellers used the power hidden in the book and handed it down to the followers of their respective union.
Following their defeat near the end of Kingdom Hearts Re:coded, Maleficent mentions to Pete that she heard of something similar to the Datascape, the ancient Book of Prophecies. According to a legend it is said to be capable of transcribing events that have yet to take place and even conjuring them, making entire worlds filled with beings and powers of those future events. Maleficent wants to search for a connection between the book and the Datascape, even wondering, if there is also a link between the book and Jiminy's Journal.
Light and Darkness
Light and Darkness are two forces parallel to each other. Denizens of Light are associated with good while members of Darkness are often portrayed as evil or villainous. The Kingdom Hearts series places a focus on the battle between Light and Darkness, though this distinction is broken when characters, like Riku or Terra, accept Darkness as a part of themselves. Likewise, Light itself is not entirely benevolent, as it can also be utilized as a weapon by malignant characters such as Xemnas. Most characters, including Mickey and Sora, come to understand that there is always Darkness where there is Light and that Darkness does not always necessarily mean evil.
All hearts have both light and darkness within them, but despite the neutrality of both concepts, Darkness can consume the hearts if people embrace too much of it, producing Heartless and, on some occasions, a Nobody.
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