During the course of the game, you'll be able to gather reports on Ansem's writing about the heartless. These reports give information on what he has learned.
Report 1: Location: Argrabah - defeat Genie Jafar
Much of my life has been dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. That
knowledge has guarded this world well. Not a soul doubts that I am blessed
with my people's smiles and respect. But though I am called a sage, there
are things I do not understand. I believe darkness sleeps in every heart
no matter how pure. Given the chance, the smallest drop can spread and
swallow the heart. I witnessed it many times.
Darkness... Darkness of the heart. How is it born? How does it come to
affect us? As a ruler of this world I must find the answers. I must find
them before the world is lost to those taken by darkness.
It is my duty to expose what this darkness really is. I shall conduct the
following experiments:
-Extract the darkness from a person's heart.
-Cultivate darkness in a pure heart.
-Both suppress and amplify the darkness within.
The experiments caused the test subject's heart to collapse, including
those of the most stalwart. How fragile our hearts are! My treatments
produced no signs of recovery. I confined those who had completely lost
their hearts beneath the castle.
Sometime later, I went below and was greeted by the strangest sight.
Creatures that seemed born from darkness... What are they? Are they truly
sentient beings? Could they be the shadows of those who lost their hearts
in my experiments?
Report 3: Location: Beat Ursula in Atlantica
The shadows that crawl beneath the castle... Are they the people who lost
their hearts, or incarnations of darkness? Or something entirely beyond
imagination?
All my knowledge has provided no answer. One thing I'm sure of is that
they are entirely devoid of emotion. Perhaps further study will unlock the
mysteries of the heart.
Fortunately, there is no shortage of test samples. They are multiplying
underground even as I write this report. They still need a name. Those who
lack hearts... I will call them the Heartless.
The Heartless appear in groups and are multiplying rapidly. I've provided
them with both living and non-living samples. They've responded only to
the living. They seem to multiply after absorbing something from the
living creatures. Their prey vanishes without a trace.
I believe the Heartless are taking hearts. They are born from those who've
lost their hearts and thrive on hearts seized from others. The hearts
taken by the Heartless become Heartless themselves.
Though I lack proof, I'm confident in this hypothesis. I must also study
their behavioral principles. Though they lack emotions, they do seem to
have some intelligence. How to communicate with them?
It just occurred to me: Could they be the darkness in people's hearts?
Report 5: Location: - Hollow Bastion
To study Heartless behavior, I picked one out for observation. It wiggled
its antennae and as if sensing a target, headed deep into the castle. In
the deepest part of the castle, its antennae began vibrating as if
searching for something. Suddenly a strange door appeared. I'd never known
of its existence.
It had a large keyhole, but didn't seem to be locked. So I opened the door
What I saw on the other side mystified me. What was that powerful mass of
energy? That night I observed a great meteor shower in the sky. Could it
be related to the door that I have opened?
Report 6: Location: Aerith - Hollow Bastion
A massive core of energy lay beyond the door sought by the Heartless. It
may well be the ultimate goal of all Heartless. But what is that energy? I
have devised a hypothesis, based upon my observations of the Heartless.
The Heartless feed on others' hearts and they yearn for that energy core.
That thing beyond the door must be a heart too -- the heart of this world.
There is no proof, but having felt that immense energy I am certain. That
was the heart of the world.
The heartless are trying to take hearts not only from living creatures,
but from the world itself. But what do they mean to do with the heart of
the world?
Report 7: Location: Erith - Oogie Boogie- Halloween Town
I am now studying materials from the meteors that rained down that fateful
night. What a find! The material is foreign from our world. It's elastic
to the touch and when two pieces are combined they bond easily. None of
the records I've scoured even mention such a substance.
Was it introduced to this world when I opened that door? I wonder how many
other such material drift through the atmosphere of this tiny world.
wish I could soar off and find out! Could there be uncharted worlds up
there? My curiosity never ceases to grow.
But I should stop speaking of such unrealistic dreams. For now there is no
way to venture outside this world. My people and I are all but prisoners
of this tiny place.
Report 8: Location: Aerith - Beat Hades in Hades cup
There is no doubt that the Heartless are deeply connected to people's
hearts. Further study may unravel both their motivations and the mysteries
shrouding the heart.
As a start I built a device that artificially creates Heartless. By
recreating the conditions that spawn the Heartless naturally, I should be
able to produce them artificially. This device is the culmination of all
my research thus far. The machine's test run successfully created a
Heartless.
This may be a step towards creating a heart from nothing. The artificially
and naturally created Heartless showed nearly identical traits. But the
two types should remain distinct for the purpose of this experiment. So I
will mark those that are created artificially.
Report 9: Beat Captain Hook in Neverland
Simply astonishing! Today I had a guest from another world. He is a king
and, his vessel is built of the material that composed the meteors. He
called the pieces "gummi blocks". It seems that my opening that door has
opened a path to interworld travel.
We talked for countless hours but one story in particular caught my
interest, that of a key called the "keyblade". The keyblade is said to
hold phenomenal power.
One legend says its wielder saved the world, while another says he wrought
chaos and ruin upon it. I must know what this keyblade is. A key opens
doors. It must be connected to the door that I have opened.
Report 10: Aerith- Hallow Bastion Library
Just as people have hearts, so do worlds. The same can be said of the
stars in the night sky. And deep within each world lies a door to its
heart. The Heartless desire those hearts. Born out of the darkness in
people's hearts, they seek to return to a greater heart.
Yes that's it. The Heartless come from people's hearts as does the
darkness. Is the core of the world's heart the world of the Heartless? I
will pursue the answer there and become all-knowing.
My path is set. I shall seek out the wielder of the keyblade and the
princesses. My body is too frail for such a journey but I must do this. I
will cast it off and plunge into the depths of the darkness.
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