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archicaFandom: Kingdom Hearts/CoM/2
Pairing: Axel/Roxas
Spoilers: All of Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories and Kingdom Hearts 2 (there may be some KH1 spoilers in there too, though I don't remember putting any in).
Axel and Roxas are two very important characters in the Kingdom Hearts 2 video game (though Axel also appeared in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories). Despite their importance to the plot, these two have a relatively small amount of screen time. But in what time they have, they become two of the most memorable in the series. And the most fascinating thing about these two is the touching relationship between them.
Axel:
Axel first appeared in the Gameboy Advance title Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories (a game often unfairly ignored by KH fans). From the moment he first graces the tiny screen, he is far more than just another new face. Axel has an attitude . He’s blunt. He’s sarcastic. He can be rude. He talks in such a casual manner that it’s easy to forget he’s supposed to be a villain. He has a sense of humor (although one could call it black humor). It’s easy to immediately like Axel because he’s cool. He’s very often compared to the popular Reno from Final Fantasy VII (and rightfully so, the two of them could be twins in both appearance and behavior).
But once you get past the exterior, you’ll discover that Axel is a very sad individual. Beneath the sarcastic, funny surface lives a man who is deeply unsatisfied with his existence and longing for a heart. You see, Axel is a “Nobody”. Nobodies are “born” when a person is turned into a Heartless and their will is so strong that it carries on “even as its body fades from existence”. The game also describes a Nobody as “an empty vessel whose heart has been stolen away”. Therefore, Axel doesn’t have a heart, but like the other Nobodies, he desperately wants one. This desire further comes into play in his relationship with Roxas.
Roxas:
Roxas is the archetypical tragic hero, or at least he would’ve been if Sora wasn’t already the hero. He is a Nobody like Axel, but he’s special because he’s Sora’s Nobody. Like Sora, he has the ability to wield the Keyblade (sometimes even two!). He was the last member to join Organization XIII (a group of Nobodies to which Axel also belongs), and spent an unspecified amount of time with them before eventually deciding to leave (presumably, it was to find out why he could wield the Keyblade and discover who Sora is). He ends up in a computer generated version of Twilight Town (created by Diz) with his memories of being in the Organization (and even being a Nobody) erased. Later, when it is time for Sora to awaken from his sleep, Roxas seemingly disappears (to “complete” Sora). It is somewhat unclear whether or not he was willing. He seems to have resigned himself to it right before it happens, but only moments before he was fighting Diz and yelling “My heart belongs to me!”.
Roxas’s personality at times seems similar to Sora’s. He cares about his friends and would do anything to help or protect them. He can be adventurous and fun-loving and he doesn’t back down from a challenge. However, there are some distinct differences. For one, Roxas is not a cheerful person. That’s not to say he’s completely gloomy either (though he does spend a lot of time angsting, and with good reason). He just doesn’t smile near so much as Sora, nor does he try as hard to cheer up others. He’s somewhat quiet and seems to be a little more mature overall.
Evidence:
As I said before, these two don’t get a whole lot of screen time in KH2, but what we do get is fairly significant. First of all, Roxas and Axel were in Organization XIII together for some time, and Namine tells Roxas that he and Axel were “best friends”. This is confirmed by Axel later, when Roxas says “We’re best friends, right?” and Axel says “Sure”. So, they were apparently close while they were in the Organization. This is significant because, from what we see of the other Organization members, they’re not exactly a friendly, close-knit group. They turn on each other quickly, even kill each other with little or no emotional reaction. The fact that Axel and Roxas could become, in their own words, best friends, in the midst of all this darkness and betrayal and apathy seems amazing to me.
Next, when Roxas decides to leave the Organization, it is Axel (and only Axel) who attempts to stop him. Quite obviously, he was not trying to stop him because the Organization needed him, but because Axel was concerned about him. He warns Roxas that the Organization would destroy him if he got on their bad side, and Roxas responds with “No one wold miss me.” Then Axel says “That’s not true... I would.” The way this scene is played out, the tone of Axel’s voice when he says this, it sounds more like a scene between a romantic pair than best friends. But this small scene means a lot. It shows that Axel genuinely cares about Roxas, and it also shows that Axel is rather honest with his feelings when it comes to Roxas (which is important; think of how many possible pairings are made nearly impossible simply due to the fact that you know the people involved would never openly admit their feelings to each other).
Later, it is Axel who finds Roxas in Twilight Town. Once he realizes that Roxas has no memory of the Organization, he begins trying to remind him. When that has no effect, he states that he will take Roxas back with him, even if he has to knock him out to do so. Axel attacks Roxas, with the intention of knocking him out (he had no intention of actually hurting him) and the two of them have a fight until Diz shows up. At that point, Axel quickly tells Roxas not to let Diz deceive him. He was trying to warn Roxas of what was going to happen (that Roxas would be used to wake Sora up and essentially disappear). But Axel doesn’t get to finish his warning before things return to “normal” and Roxas is back with his friends. Obviously, Axel had to leave because of Diz.
The above scene has a lot significance. Firstly, it’s possible that Axel was the one to find Roxas because he was the one most desperate to do so. Secondly, Axel is determined to bring Roxas back with him and get him out of that place before anything happens to him. He is apparently even willing to risk danger to himself (because Diz obviously has it in for the Organization). Thirdly, the fight between them is interesting in that Axel is so casual about it. It’s easy to assume that the two of them may have spent time sparring with each other before, as Axel seems familiar with Roxas’s fighting style and also doesn’t seem too bothered by the idea of fighting with him. It’s important to note that Axel is not being mean in this scene, but somewhat playful. He’s not trying to hurt Roxas. He’s not taunting him. He simply wants to bring him “home”.
A little after this is when Roxas has a dream sequence/vision in which he speaks to Namine. He see’s a picture on the wall of himself and Axel, and questions it. This is when Namine tells him that he and Axel were best friends.
The next time Axel and Roxas have contact is on the “sixth day”, when Hayner, Pence, and Olette can no longer see or hear Roxas. Axel appears to him, telling him that he’s been given orders to destroy Roxas if he won’t come back with him. He seems unhappy with these orders (referring to them as “icky” orders). Roxas replies with “We’re best friends, right?” to which Axel replies “Sure”. Axel then does a sort of mental double take when he realizes what Roxas has said, mistakenly assuming that Roxas remembers who he is. He seems very excited by the prospect of Roxas coming back, and asks Roxas who their boss is (to make sure that Roxas is telling the truth). When Roxas can’t answer the question, Axel sighs sadly and says “I can’t believe this”. Just as Axel prepares to fight Roxas again, he is frozen (by Diz) and Roxas runs off for the mansion. After which Axel says to himself “The Roxas that I know is long gone. Fine, I see how it is...” I found this particular scene to be rather sad because of Axel’s excitement and false hope when he thought Roxas had remembered him, and eventual sorrow when he realized that he was wrong.
Later, Roxas enters the mansion and realizes the horrible truth of his situation (that he was living in a fake town, that his friends were not real, that he was a Nobody being used to help Sora awaken, etc.) and also begins to remember more about Axel and Organization XIII. Axel appears to him a final time, and Roxas obviously knows who he is now. Axel says that it’s too late now, and starts a fight with him. He says “Come here, I’ll make it all stop.” By this, I believe that Axel still simply wanted to knock Roxas out and take him back, perhaps feeling that Roxas wouldn’t return with him even if he remembered everything. At this point Axel was desperate to get Roxas out of there, to prevent him from disappearing. So desperate that he was willing to fight him seriously.
And the two of them do fight, and Roxas wins. As the battle ends, Roxas has one final flashback of Axel (the scene in which Roxas says that no one would miss him, and Axel replies with “That’s not true, I would”). It is my belief that this is the moment Roxas fully remembers Axel and what Axel meant to him. Roxas seems sad here, almost guilty as Axel begins to fade away. Axel says “Let's meet again in the next life” and Roxas replies “Yeah. I’ll be waiting.” Axel then says “Silly. Just because you have a next life...” before finally disappearing, leaving a very sad Roxas behind.
Roxas later disappears to complete Sora, and no more is seen of him until much later on (sadly, none of his later scenes involve Axel). Axel, however, makes several more appearances throughout the game. An important scene is when Axel appears to Kairi. He tells her that the two of them have something in common in that they both miss someone they care about (Axel is very obviously speaking of Roxas). Later, Saix tells Sora that Axel will stop at nothing to turn him into a Heartless. This is of course for the purpose of having Roxas come into existence again (because Nobodies are born when someone becomes a Heartless, remember?).
Axel later kidnaps Kairi and appears to Sora. He seems almost friendly with Sora, introducing himself and giving away some of Organization XIII’s plans, which seems to upset Saix. It almost seems like Axel is helping Sora. It’s also interesting that Axel doesn’t attack Sora, despite his many chances to do so. I believe this is because he knows Roxas is inside Sora.
Late in the game, Sora enters a portal to the darkness and is separated from his friends. A swarm of Nobodies attack, and Axel jumps into the fight to help him. Why would Axel fight against his own “kind” to help Sora? It’s no doubt for the same reason that he gave Sora information earlier in the game. He knows that Roxas, on some level, is Sora. As the Nobodies continue to attack relentlessly, Axel performs a powerful attack that destroys them all. Unfortunately, this attack leaves him lying on the ground. Axel tells Sora that this is what happens when you put your “whole being” into an attack. This indicates that Axel knew beforehand that performing this attack would consume him. He did it willingly to protect Sora, who contains Roxas.
As he fades away, Axel apologizes to Sora for kidnaping Kairi. When Sora asks him what he was trying to do by kidnaping her, he responds with what is perhaps the saddest and most touching line in the entire game: “I wanted to see Roxas. He...was the only one I liked... He made me feel...like I had a heart. It's kind of...funny... You make me feel...the same...” He commands Sora to go and rescue Kairi, opening up a portal for Sora to go through before disappearing completely, essentially dying.
Axel’s death scene was quite traumatic for his many fans, but for me it served as proof that Axel cared very deeply for Roxas on a level that, in my honest opinion, transcended friendship. He was willing to die to save Sora, in who’s body Roxas resided. Even if he no longer existed as the Roxas he knew, Axel still preferred death over the notion that Roxas would no longer exist at all.
Their Relationship:
Axel loved Roxas. I believe that from the bottom of my heart. He loved him as a friend. He loved him as a comrade. And yes, I fully believe that he loved him as a soul mate. He needed Roxas, not for some ridiculous scheme or plot with Organization XIII, but for emotional comfort and affection. He said that Roxas made him feel as if he had a heart, and that is very significant. Roxas gave him something that nothing and no one else could give. I find it likely that Axel had doubts about Organization XIII’s plans involving Kingdom Hearts. Perhaps he felt that, if he could only have Roxas back, he didn’t need a “real” heart. I think this is why he was willing to turn against the organization.
I am not sure how Roxas felt about Axel. It is fairly safe to assume that Roxas cared about him a great deal and also trusted him. After all, he confided in Axel about leaving the organization, and his reasons for doing so. If he shared that with Axel, it’s likely that he shared other feelings with him as well. Beyond that, we don’t know. Also, I find it hard to believe that Axel would continuously pursue a one-sided relationship. For that reason, I think Roxas returned Axel’s affections.
The two of them admitted to being “best friends”, but their relationship functioned on such a deeper level. Axel betrayed the Organization for Roxas, willingly died for Roxas. How different are these actions from what Axel did to his other fellow Organization XIII members in Chain of Memories? He very callously killed them in cold blood when they tried to betray the organization, and yet when Roxas did basically the same thing, Axel not only allowed him to do so without physically attempting to stop him, but later made it his mission to rescue Roxas. They shared something very special, something that was perhaps unspoken yet clearly understood between them. They trusted each other. They cared for each other. And when it comes right down to it, they could depend on each other.
Sadly, their relationship came to a tragic end when Roxas disappeared (becoming a part of Sora) and Axel died. Though Axel tried desperately to hold onto Roxas, and even to protect the person that Roxas had been absorbed into, they could no longer be together.
Why Support Axel/Roxas?
I am a het fan at heart. I’ve always been drawn to male/female pairings and rarely ever become interested in yaoi or “slash” pairings. It has to be pretty obvious or strikingly fascinating for me to take notice. But Axel/Roxas is both blatantly obvious (even some of my anti-yaoi male friends will admit that Axel’s feelings for Roxas seem way too intense for “best friends”) and extremely interesting. Though I tried to deny it at first, desperately searching for a plausible het pairing to place Axel in (because I just have to shove my favorite characters into pairings), it eventually became clear to me that there is no one else for Axel. There is no other character in Kingdom Hearts, male or female, that is so perfectly suited to Axel as Roxas is.
There is a certain level of angst involved in this pairing (both Axel and Roxas are deeply troubled boys who deal with their internal pain in different ways), but there is also a degree of sweetness (the fact that these two sad boys found completeness in each other). Also, since their time together in Organization XIII is highly unelaborated upon, there is plenty of room for speculation and scenarios to throw them in.
Brief Fandom Guide:
KH2 hasn’t been out that long, so Axel/Roxas fandom is relatively new. But it appears to be growing quickly. Here are some fanfics I particularly liked:
Halfread Book by CaideSin
This is my all-time favorite. It's a very sad story, with some Roxas/Demyx thrown in, but the focus is very much on Roxas/Axel. It presents a darker vision of Organization XIII.
First Impressions by rem_sama
This is a really well-written fic from Axel's perspective. It's very in-character and humorous without being silly or contrived.
Flesh and Blood by archica (Me)
This is shameless self-promotion. XD It's not as good as the other fanfics, but I'm always hoping for more readers.
Here are some great Axel/Roxas-related links:
NEXT LIFE: The Axel/Roxas Fanlisting and Shrine
This is a wonderful website for fans of this pairing. I got the third image used in this manifesto from this site.
Axel/Roxas Deviantart Club![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif){kind=small}
axel_roxas
LJ community for Axel/Roxas.axelxroxas
Another LJ community for Axel/Roxas.thedancinglight
Yet Another LJ community for Axel/Roxas.
Note: The title "Masters of a Nothing Place" and the title of the cut "Of recoil and grace" come from a line in the song "The Beginning is the End is the Beginning" by the Smashing Pumpkins. The entire song reminds me very much of Organization XIII in general, but particularly of Axel and Roxas. I suggest checking it out!
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no subject
Date: 2006-07-28 08:37 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-28 09:15 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-28 12:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-29 05:10 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-28 03:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-29 07:31 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-28 04:30 pm (UTC)Very awesome manifesto. I have such a terrible weakness for these tragic pairings that don't end well. ;-; They are just so canon~.
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Date: 2006-07-29 07:36 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-12-31 08:30 am (UTC)In general, I think KH hates het fans.
Just because the possible yaoi pairings seem more interesting and have more evidence than the het possibilities to you, doesn't mean KH hates its het fans.
For the record, I love the het pairings in KH like Namine/Roxas and Kairi/Sora. And I think those pairings have a lot of evidence (especially Kairi/Sora). I don't know if there is more evidence for yaoi pairings or not. But there is still a lot of evidence for the het pairings.
The het Disney pairings and het Final Fantasy Pairings have lots of evidence and are also interesting to me. And there are a *lot* more overt het pairings in KH (see: Disney het pairings for each world).
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Date: 2006-07-28 05:39 pm (UTC)i have a couple of fic recs myself, but I dont feel like looking them up right now *is on her lunch break*
zaaa. i'm REALLY glad you're the one who did this. I dont think anyone else could've done it justice like you. XD
no subject
Date: 2006-07-29 07:37 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-28 09:53 pm (UTC)I think that you should add "Super Sized" to your list on fanfics, it's an AU but it's so addicting~~
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Date: 2006-07-29 07:39 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-29 06:00 pm (UTC)I feel so worthless, lol I just told you and didn't give a link! Sorry!
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Date: 2006-08-02 03:38 am (UTC)You know, I think the fact that you're not particularly a yaoi fan actually drives this home even more. But this really is one of the most obvious pairings I've ever seen...
Oh, have you posted this in the Akuroku communities? I'm sure they'd all love to see it!
BTW: I just have to second "Super Sized", if you're looking for a really cracktastic story. ^^
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Date: 2006-08-08 06:19 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-17 08:25 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-17 03:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-30 07:05 am (UTC)Nice analysis of the relationship, btw. :D
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Date: 2006-10-31 03:40 pm (UTC)How wonderful, finally I found a long long post about Axel-Roxas. I love this pair as much as I love Sora-Riku pairing XD
YOu're such a wonderful person >__<
[[Wonder if you'll write about Sora/Riku ??]]
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Date: 2006-11-11 04:53 am (UTC)There is one piece of evidence you forgot, however-- not many people recognize it until I tell them, either. I remember in the fight where Axel got very irritated and made the room catch on fire, every time Axel attacked he screamed, "GET BACK!!!!!!"
Hehe. I love that fight. Anyways, I hope you include it. ^^
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Date: 2007-02-16 11:07 pm (UTC)I just re-read this for fun.
OMG YOU TOTALLY NEED TO UPDATE TO INCLUDE THE MANGA. You know. The pinning. And the alternate take on the usual spot scene. And everything. Oh my god him crying and... ;_;
That, and how Axel's canon petname for Roxas is "Baby"~~~ ♥ >D
Axel's pen name for Roxy is baby!?!?!?!?
Date: 2007-07-17 09:22 am (UTC)Axel's Petname for Roxas is BABY!??!?! when did this happend!!!!! TELL EM!!! XD
Re: Axel's pen name for Roxy is baby!?!?!?!?
Date: 2007-07-17 01:41 pm (UTC)"Burn, baby~"
Re: Axel's pen name for Roxy is baby!?!?!?!?
Date: 2007-07-17 08:33 pm (UTC)I see!
no subject
Date: 2007-03-10 06:22 am (UTC)XDD I smacked him on the head rly hard b/c fruitcake ish mean! But he agrees, Axel and Roxas belongs together. And you do them justice. <333
YES!!
Date: 2007-07-17 09:21 am (UTC)THIS ESSAY IS THE LIVING PROOF OF AKUROKU!!!!!! XDDD
I shall worship you for the rest of my life *-*
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Date: 2007-11-16 01:59 am (UTC)...but most RoxasxAxel, which is such a heart-breakingly lovely pairing.
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Date: 2008-12-05 12:20 am (UTC)ANYWAY. So, YAY, thanks for posting this. Thanks so much.
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Date: 2009-03-03 10:39 am (UTC)I was just wondering if, after 358/2 days come out whether you'd add in additional bits, if there are any :] There does seem to be more interaction scenes in there. And some might not consider it canon, but I thought the novels had really good bits in there too XD
I agree that Roxas doesn't seem to express the same amount of affection for Axel, though there is some evidence, even if not sufficient. One is the novels, which express Roxas's feelings a little more. Another is the battle with Sora immediately after Axel fades away. I always thought it a bit strange that Roxas chose that moment to fight Sora. It's possible that entering the city triggered it, though I don't really believe it. I read it as that Axel's death triggered Roxas's awakening. It's like he's trying to tell Sora to prove to him why he's so important that Roxas have to become a nobody, lose his Twilight Town gang, and lose his best friend on top of it. Asking Sora to prove his worth :]
Still, that is an evidence which might or might not be there, haha. Was just exploring it (:
Nice manifesto! Really liked it!
no subject
Date: 2009-09-18 06:30 am (UTC)Well, I started a new game this week and I started really seeing the relationship there. Then I read what happens with them in the game. It's one of the most beautiful, amazing relationships I've seen, and I don't usually like doomed couples. I'm still a Riku/Sora girl at heart, but I'm definitely making room for these two.
Your essay was simply gorgeous! If I wasn't so damn tired that my eyes feel like sandpaper, I would probably have teared up while reading it. I know I'm going to cry, at least a little, when Axel dies. My God, thank you SO much for this.
Also, I think the creators of these games do this on purpose. There is no other explanation for how canon Axel/Roxas and Riku/Sora are. Seriously.
I'm gonna go sleep and dream happy (or possibly thoroughly depressing), Kingdom Hearts-related dreams now.
no subject
Date: 2009-10-31 09:27 pm (UTC)