Xehanort

Xehanort (Japanese: ゼアノート, Hepburn: Zeanōto; English: ZAY-ə-nort) is a fictional character from the Kingdom Hearts series by Square Enix, in which he serves as the main antagonist of the "Dark Seeker Saga" story arc. He was introduced as the original form of the Heartless "Ansem, Seeker of Darkness" in the first game and the Nobody Xemnas in Kingdom Hearts II. Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep reveals the human elder Xehanort who, like his alter-egos, wishes to harness the power of the mythical Kingdom Hearts to recreate the universe in his image. While Kingdom Hearts III is the last major installment focusing on Xehanort, the 2020 mobile game Kingdom Hearts Dark Road explores his childhood and descent into villainy. Xehanort was created by Kingdom Hearts director Tetsuya Nomura who decided to revise elements of the character when Square Enix greenlit Kingdom Hearts II. Critical response to Xehanort was originally mixed with his multiple alter egos being confusing to the audience. His further exploration in Birth by Sleep and his boss battles were the subject of praise.