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bluest-planet · 8 months

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A KH newbie's take away from BBS and how Ven, Aqua, and Terra are each coded as part of a typical 'tragic' Fairytale, as Princess, Prince, and Villain. Before they're able to deconstruct those molds in KH3.

I think it's so interesting how Ventus, Aqua, and Terra are so like. Weirdly coded lol. Like bare in mind this is personal opinion/hc, kh newbie here, and what I've seen so this is mostly just spitballin' since I haven't really seen anyone else say anything about it (could be wrong) but like.

First things first a personal view- they are siblings to me lol, they make me think of myself and our siblings sm it's kinda insane. Not in a perfect parallel way, but an understanding. That in mind though,

Ventus is so princess coded??? Like. First, he's a pure light (albeit made rather than naturally like that compared to the actual princesses of light), he's super sweet and and has a lot of faith in his 'princes/heroes' (Terra, Aqua), has a dream of making friends where ever he goes and budding independence (again, kinda like those 'i want' Disney princess), hes kept away in a castle (both in the Land of Departure as his Mentor/Father Figure doesn't want him to leave, AGAIN, ARIEL?? and later when he's in Castle Oblivion.) Again, the whole sleeping in Castle Oblivion also paralleling Aurora, in an actual throne... Waiting to be woken up.

Then you have Aqua, who has so much prince coding. Always helping the princes of each world, slaying monsters and chasing after her 'princess' (Ven) to bring him back/'Save' him from the 'villain' (Terra, and not actually, more as in like, Terra being not a bad influence but def not Ven should be following after rn, metaphorically being dragged along the villains path and needing to be saved, but also from the actual antagonists of the game), her heroics and selflessness always being out on display as a literal master and her huge sacrifice in the end of BBS to try an save Terra and facing a dark path/obstacle like the princes and princesses she helped before. The whole thing with Cinderella, her promise to wake Ven up paralleling Snow White.

Then you've got Terra who is villain coded. I'll be the first to admit I think he's wasn't as bad as everyone was making him out to be (Maleficent and I think Hades saying he's literally too chicken/good for him to willingly give up to Darkness and his choices more of a product of manipulation and self doubt?? And trying to do the right thing in the wrong way idk it's weird.) But he's more painted as this villain who leaves crumbs for Ven and Aqua to find, and tries his best but still causes harm to the other princesses and people he meets. Eventually succumbing/loosing to darkness to be sealed away like another great evil biding it's time to break out again after it is sealed away by the 'Prince.' (Aqua saving him with her armor but not succeeding in the long run).

Anyways, what I'm trying to get at is that BBS to me just comes off as a 'tragic' fairytale, just like the old Disney movies they use as world's in game. Although Disney always gave them a happier ending, and BBS, though a tragedy ends in a happy reunion it's not without its trauma that each of its protagonist had to go through and endure till then. Almost like how original Grimm fairytales ended sadly. It just carries that.

By the end of their story, they no longer have to play thoughts parts however, as much as Kingdom Hearts uses old fairytales and their story structures, it also deconstructs em in a way. With Eraqus gone, the Wayfinder Trio are some of the last vestiges of this 'traditional' way of Keyblade wielding, and history. Their game uses older and more old-fashion Disney movies, with a typical villain, prince, and princess to tell a story with that the other games don't have necessarily. (Not with Riku becoming a redemption, or Sora technically not being the chosen one) so the Wayfinder Trio doesn't have to follow that narrative anymore either by KH3. Just as stories allowed for more complex characters and themes as skill, budget, technology, and ideas grew so did they. Aqua's heroics and light weren't infallible and fell to darkness after so much time trapped in it, Terra was freed and allowed to have a happy ending, Ventus went off to have, in its own way, his own agency in following and helping Sora in his heart, then saving Aqua and Terra as they tried for him. Each a reversal of what they were initially set up for and coded as in the beginning.

I just... Think it's super neat and cute! Obviously they've outgrown these codings, but in some small ways they remain or are shared between them, Terra becoming more prince, Aqua more villain and Ven retains his position as princess, but now all together they're all royalty in some way. Awoken from his slumber, and helping the people he loves, and letting those people get the chance to join him in become like princes (heroic) or princesses (light) again.

In a lot of anime and manga there's this theme of Princess and Princehood. A good example of this would be Revolutionary Girl Utena, in that being a prince is more of a code or way of living rather than a thing you are born as. Something to strive to be in a abstract way. It's not extended to being a Queen or a King however; those still being very much rooted in its realistic counterpart's roots. Like bing a good ruler (A La, Ling Yao FMAB). Prince and Princesses have a layer of separation because they are not yet the rules of their kingdoms, there's an element of youth there, sure, but it's more that a Princess and a Prince can be symbols for something greater to be of service to a larger society and part of their community. Utena wants to be a prince because she sees them as kind and chivalrous and a symbol to people, like the one that saved her (I haven't seen Utena in a while or even finished it pls bare with me but I'm sure this is it.) Or think of the 'prince of the school' archetype in shojos/slice of life type anime. They're seen as princes because they're kind and respectable and help their classmates like a good prince would do for his people.

Then Princesses are a bit more unique, I don't have a good example in anime or manga, but in the west we do something similar in framing Princesses as symbols of purity and goodness. Disney is a big perpetrator of this. We've got Queen Bees, or calling people princess teasingly. How they're good with animals, and young children, generous and kind. That myth that all little girls wanna grow up and be like a princess; partly because of the dresses and castles, but also because they represent being a good person to the people around them. (Yes this is also steeped in misogyny that girls need to be these things or strive to the other parts of princesses like the dresses and obedience to their royal families and such, but in reclamation of princesses as an idea- this is the barbies in fairytopia types, or twilight sparkles, who want to be friends and help people with princesshood being a reward for choosing to help their communities and cherish their friends.)

Villains are a little trickier, they're not seen as a good thing, but times change and the definition of a villain changes with it as attitudes change over what does and doesn't qualify under that label. It's oddly fluid like that, no one wants to be a villain but we're all villains in someone else's eyes, which kinda goes in line with the games in a way. The Guardians of Light are the Villains in Xehanort's eyes, preventing change though he doesn't begrudge them I don't think. Or Terra not seeing Xehanort as a villain at first, but his Master under the gaze that he was going to hurt Ven. And Terra looking like a villain to everyone else outside looking in. If you don't try to understand at first, then you're just going to keep thinking they're villains. (This doesn't apply to everything obviously; some things are cut and dry and you can see their actions plain as day, but Terra's actions are not something the other's bare witness to first hand and only get 2nd hand accounts or the after effects, which they refuse to believe are even real lol. They love their brother too much for that.)

Anyways, there's not much more to add other than I thought this would be neat to day and put out there. Totally don't want people to draw Ven as and Aqua as a Prince and Princesses sibling duo (and yes, VEN, as the princess let's be queer guys, put him in a tiara and holiday barbie esk gown lol) and again, when I say Prince and Princess they're as removed from their gendered connotations as I can get, more like, complimenting takes on the same idea of chivalry? This is coming from someone who is both genderqueer and genderless. And uses We/Us in reference to ourselves so like, I don't see princess as a girl thing or Princes as a boy thing. We can be both and neither as the same time.

Anyways it's 5:03 am. This has been a brief Moonie analysis ig. Have fun out there guys, and follow what your heart tells you to. 💙

#kh #kingdom hearts #kh bbs #birth by sleep #kh aqua #kh ventus #kh terra #wayfinder trio #kh analysis #blue speaks #planetary analysis #this is my genderqueer ventus agenda keyblade be damned my boy is a (artificial) princess of heart #not a prince of heart he IS a princess and takes pride in it #and aqua is his prince big sister looking out for him same with terra love em they are sibling ur honor #if they call kairi a princess at all i want ven to also be called princess as a title of honor to wear as a badge you dont need a kingdom #to be a princess. being a princess is a state of mind (and long sleepy nap lol)#a princess makes their own personal kingdom made from their friends and their community #BE THE PRINCESS YOU WANNA SEE IN THE WORLD. BE THE PRIMCESS OF YOUR COMMUNITY AMD CHERISH THOSE YOU LOVE #a princess serves their people humbled and kind and with joy and fun in whater way possible. be the light of your kingdom

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