Underneath the Mask

[Grace Assassin]

Skipping over any Master Chief or Batman puns that the title entails, this thread doesn't have much of a theory in it. Just a shot in the dark.

So. The topic of interest: Vanitas' face.
What's behind the mask?

The answer:

Spoilers

RIKU'S NOBODY

Sorta. Not really.
Instead, it's what Riku's Nobody would look like if he had had one. This isn't very revealing considering that, well, we have no idea what Riku's Nobody would look like.

[EDIT: I am NOT saying that Vanitas is Riku's Nobody, NOT AT ALL. Vanitas LOOKS like Riku's HYPOTHETICAL Nobody (he NEVER had one), in the same way that Ven looks exactly like Roxas]

And you probably have already figured out how I arrived at this.
Ventus.

A part of him in some way, shape, or form went to Sora. This aspect of Ven has been hinted as the reason why Sora can dual wield (and perhaps the reason he can wield a keyblade at all). Now, obviously he doesn't have the exact same keyblade as Ven, but the ability is there.

Connect Vanitas and Riku. While the point of Vanitas' suit remains to be seen, it would be no wild guess to say that it's a manifestation of his darkness which grants him some superhuman abilities. Like Riku's Dark Mode.

In other words, they both have the same ability. Not quite exactly the same suit, but yeah. See where I'm going?

Riku got his power to use his Dark Mode (as well as use WtD later on I imagine, especially with the "eye" connection to Venitas' Keyblade) from Vanitas. Vanitas, like Ven to Sora, went into Riku in some way, shape, or form.

Vanitas was "erased."

You might argue that Riku's dark suit comes from Ansem SoD, but it does not. Ansem says himself that he tampered the darkness in Riku's heart (which allows him to go into Dark Mode, of course)- it is Riku's "dark strength," not Ansem's. Ansem merely actualized it and used the darkness to his advantage.

In other words, Riku had the ability to go into that dark mode all along (perhaps without the Heartless emblem, but that's a point I won't contest). What took him so long?
Well, you could ask the same about Sora. What took him so long to actualize the potential that Ven gave him (an entire decade)? At the moment, who knows. Undoubtedly has something to do with the strength of their hearts, I'd imagine.

Then some key questions remain:
How was Vanitas "erased"? Did he do it willingly, like Ven, or was he forced into doing so?
I can't shake the idea that the answer to this is dependent on when Terra chose Riku to be a chosen wielder. If he chose Riku before Vanitas was erased, then that could easily explain why Vanitas would do so. He wanted to get erased (assuming he knew that a part of him would dwell in Riku) to get his mitts on the Kingdom Key.
And, naturally, if he was erased before Terra chose Riku, then this may have been a terrible mishap. Terra may not have known a piece of Vanitas was within Riku. Or maybe he did and this was a part of his darker ambitions. Who knows.

Either way, I think one thing is certain about this idea: it fits in very, very, very well with the idea of fate that's being presented in Birth by Sleep.

We have speculated for some time that Vanitas and Ven have a rivalry, one that echoes the rivalry between Riku and Sora. Well, here's an explanation. Riku and Sora were destined to carry on that rivalry.

So, when that scene comes around where Vanitas' face is revealed, make note of any similarities. to Riku. Maybe he has the same hair style and different hair color. Maybe he has the same hair color but a slightly different style. Maybe he has the exact same face, or one with tweaks in minor features (different eye color, for example).

[Zero Sora]

This isn't very revealing considering that, well, we have no idea what Riku's Nobody would look like.

Except evidence seems to be rising that states that Nobodies look exactly like their somebodies. I'm basing this on the fact that the apprentices in BBS look exactly like their Nobodies. And well, Roxas doesn't look like Sora becuase of something to do with Ven, while Namine doesn't look like Kairi because of how she was born from Sora. Xemnas and Xehanort, well... Xemnas is said to be a special Nobody.

[Grace Assassin]

Originally Posted by Zero Sora

Except evidence seems to be rising that states that Nobodies look exactly like their somebodies. I'm basing this on the fact that the apprentices in BBS look exactly like their Nobodies. And well, Roxas doesn't look like Sora becuase of something to do with Ven, while Namine doesn't look like Kairi because of how she was born from Sora. Xemnas and Xehanort, well... Xemnas is said to be a special Nobody.

We're disregarding normal Nobodies here though.
If Riku had a Nobody, I'm saying that it would be special, in the same way that Roxas is special.

[Tenyasyugan]

Hmm... Well, I find this plausible but the thing is, if Vanitas is to Riku as Ventus is to Sora, what probable shape did/does Riku's nobody have? We only know the Roxas/Ven connection due to thier appearance, with Vanitas, we have no idea on what he looks like. We can guess a slight similarity to Riku, but with major differences, just like Sora and Roxas.

[ReverseUnversed]

Well, Grace Assassin, you have to be sure. No one knows what could be underneath the helmet.

[mangartist]

I like it. Not saying I'm buying it, but I like it.

On a side note (and this doesn't disprove it, it actually helps your idea): Riku had the Dark suit before Ansem SoD got in his body. He uses it in your first fight against him (right after you get the keyblade back) which is before he met Ansem SoD.

[Lifes.Lover]

Well, you're right. It's pretty much a shot in the dark.

I kind of like it and I kind of don't.

At this point, it's a theory that has no real evidence to contradict it, but no real evidence to support it, either.

Right now, about the only thing that gives this theory any evidence is the fact that we know something similar happened in the case of Sora and Roxas, even if we don't know the details.

However, I don't really think that Venitas looks like Riku. It feels too much like a coincidence, especially with the whole Roxas/Ven thing going on.

Basically, Roxas looks like Ven, not Sora.

Therefore, Riku's Nobody would like Vanitas, not Riku.

So, in the end, Riku and Vanitas may not have much in common in the looks department, much like Roxas and Sora.

[tevlen]

Originally Posted by Grace Assassin

We're disregarding normal Nobodies here though.
If Riku had a Nobody, I'm saying that it would be special, in the same way that Roxas is special.

Weren't Sora and Kairi's nobodies special because of the way they were born rather than because of a possible connection to Ven?

So if Sora had become a normal heartless, wouldn't Roxas have just been a normal nobody that looked like Sora?

[Talys Alankil]

I like your theory, but the problem is you won't be able to prove that if not specifically stated in-game.
Or the resemblance with Riku must be strong. I mean, first time Roxas was seen, you could guess he was connected to Sora, but more due to him wielding the KK than to his appearance

[Grace Assassin]

Originally Posted by Lifes.Lover

Basically, Roxas looks like Ven, not Sora.

That's a point you're a little too quick to dismiss.
The obvious similarities comes in with Roxas and Ven- they're supposed to look exactly the same.

But what about Sora and Ven?
Think logically.
If Roxas is supposed to look like Sora, and Roxas looks exactly like Ven, then that also means that Ven is supposed to look like Sora. Or rather, Sora is supposed to look like Ven.

That Xemnas points out Roxas looks a lot like Sora entails that Sora also looks a lot like Ven- this is irrefutable. It's especially so considering that Xigbar's comment of how Sora gives him the "exact same look" is actually in reference to Ven, not Roxas.

And, of course, Nomura said that there may be some kind of connection between Sora and Ven.

Originally Posted by tevlen

Weren't Sora and Kairi's nobodies special because of the way they were born rather than because of a possible connection to Ven?

So if Sora had become a normal heartless, wouldn't Roxas have just been a normal nobody that looked like Sora?

Roxas (and arguably Namine) have more to their "specialty" than just the circumstances by which they were born. Roxas does not look like Ven simply because he was born in a special way, I thought that was pretty obvious. He has the "Ven factor," and that's what contributes to his uniqueness.

Roxas, Namine, and perhaps Xemnas were all born in different manners, yet they are all classified as "special" Nobodies. The manner of birth is not necessarily important but, until we get all of the details, we don't know for sure what makes them all "special."

Originally Posted by Talys Alankil

I like your theory, but the problem is you won't be able to prove that if not specifically stated in-game.
Or the resemblance with Riku must be strong. I mean, first time Roxas was seen, you could guess he was connected to Sora, but more due to him wielding the KK than to his appearance

People seem to be taking this the wrong way.

If you take anything away from this, do not think that VANITAS MUST LOOK LIKE A HYPOTHETICAL RIKU NOBODY. I stated that so you could visualize what Vanitas may look like.

The importance here is, rather, that Vanitas becomes a part of Riku in the same way that Ventus comes a part of Sora. This theory is very provable. If that happens, then, well, the theory is right. The extension is that, naturally, if Vanitas became a part of Riku in the same way, then Riku would have had the exact same looking Nobody.

[TrinityxLimit]

I agree about him being part of Riku, or maybe Riku's suit itself (fat chance).

But what you say could be possible. I'm sure Vanitas and Riku share some sort of connection, and this is a good shot at the dark, as you say.

[Pratiko]

Vanitas was "erased."

Wouldn't that contradict your own "Longest and most Controversial Theory Ever"?

[KingBlade]

Reverse Rebirth? Why does those words sound much more important after reading your theory. I like it. But, doesn't explain why Sora's VA is voicing him.

[The 14th Order]

Are you saying that Riku's nobody is like Roxas, in the sense of him coming from Ven/Sora
So it's someone else/Riku's nobody?

Because I don't think it could just be Riku's nobody. Riku is probably around 5 years old in BBS.

[Grace Assassin]

Originally Posted by Pratiko

Wouldn't that contradict your own "Longest and most Controversial Theory Ever"?

(Funny you should mention, this is something I was thinking about).
Sure it would.
This is theorizing. I could give out multiple theories each attempting to explain the same phenomenon, but all equally reasonable. Does it mean that one is wrong and one is right? Yes, or they're all wrong. Doesn't mean I have to stick to one idea though, that would be pretty close minded.

And in any case, it contradicts a relatively minute detail of that theory anyway. In fact, it could even be easily adjusted.

(Assuming you know which part of the theory I'm talking about)

The guardian, you'll notice, is a being that only appears well after Ansem SoD has started possessing Riku. One could claim that the guardian may not actually be Xehanort's Heartless' darkness, but rather Riku's.

Originally I proposed that the DS (heart and all) remained inside of MX so that, when this was released through Xehanort, DS's heart became a Heartless (the Guardian). But that flat out contradicts this theory. And, moreover, in the new rendition we saw, DS is not actually a part of MX, he simply slides out from behind him.

There is a way to compensate between the two.
Xehanort's Heartless (really Xehanort's memories), possesses Riku, like in the original theory. This is, of course, looong after Vanitas has become a part of Riku. And while dwelling in Riku's heart, he utilizes that piece of Vanitas, essentially controlling its darkness as the guardian. This too is fitting as a theme of fate: Xehanort's Heartless (part of the remnants of MX) and Vanitas, separated after BbS, are reunited through Riku.

(If other people reading this have no idea what I'm talking about, disregard it, as it involves an older theory of mine)