A Wavering but Caring Heart | The Psychology of Aqua

[@redlox2]

i find it ironic that Sora and Riku eventually have a more balanced idea on light and darkness BECAUSE they didnt have masters pushing their ideas onto the next generation like the BBS trio.

[@KaosDeathLord]

This starts to slip the more that Yen Sid tells them everything they know about the key lads is wrong.

[@Xahnel]

​@@KaosDeathLord Does it though? Riku is still steeped in the darkness. Sora's rage mode is a conscious choice, not the overwhelming darkness of antiform.

[@BioRoxas]

I agree! I think it'll be interesting to see how that ideology will shift as the series goes on. Will we shift back to black and white thinking again or will the understanding of light and darkness continue to evolve? I can't wait to see!

[@xenothekami888]

@@Xahnelimo it’s still in an effort against darkness, even in the kh3 xe fight, when he sucks sora’s light out of him, he’s fighting for light, by using “darkness” sound familiar? Not to mention, even a bright light casts a shadow, so instead of letting that shadow grow unkempt and overtake you, utilize the shadow in unison with the light

[@paulinhorobertogoncalvesdo2687]

​@@KaosDeathLordhi kaos death lord dont know you be here ultimally i been talking a break from kh games but i will be more prepared when i will do kh2 no death challenge again yeah i lost the challenge when i was reachning the end of roxas 6 long days by a assinning nobody that explode before i even get to the massion anyway on the next month or so see you later

[@shadowldrago]

The fact that she kept her shit together as long as she did in such a hellish place as the Realm Of Darkness is impressive.

[@wadeyhyena1657]

"You're awful, Aqua." - Ventus Through all the emotional burdens that Eraqus left on her shoulders, being seen as a threat to her friends was the worst feeling she must've felt before being swallowed into the Realm of Darkness. It's an issue that's resolved near the end of Birth By Sleep but is a very striking moment for her to reconsider the master's teaching and to question her own morales. To decide how much is truly her own and how much is influenced through Eraqus's own biased views on Darkness and Light, brought on through Xehanort's own self-indulgent schemes to form a new Keyblade War. I've always treated Eraqus as the quaternary antagonist of Birth by Sleep. Whilst he isn't a villain compared to Xehanort, Vanitas and Braig, he does display a narrow perspective when it comes to the balance of Light and Darkness. He shows a negative side to those who believe that for light to exist, darkness must be extinguished. It's why Terra never had the chance to prove himself that he too could be an amazing keyblade master and struggled to keep his emotions in check, as Eraqus never offered him the mental support he needed to keep them under control. It's why Ventus felt betrayed when the master ordered Aqua to bring him home and how that betrayal turned to fear when Eraqus threatened to kill him to cleanse his heart of darkness. It's why Aqua has been feeling so much hurt during her journey to bring the two back to the Land of Departure, and in doing so, divided them in the process until the end, when the three sacrificed themselves for the greater good. To me, Eraqus was as bad as Xehanort was in his beliefs. But unlike Xehanort, he never sought to manipulate those emotions for his own nefarious wrongdoings. He was simply an aged sage who was blinded by his own unwillingness to change and that's what ultimately lead to his downfall. It's what drove Terra to fight him and it was what caused the trio to become separated in the first place.

[@BioRoxas]

I wholeheartedly agree! Eraqus was so detrimental for their development. I think it makes sense knowing what we do about Dark Road and the early life of Eraqus but it still impacted the Trio in terrible ways.

[@RFDN0]

Eraqus absolutely was a negative force in all three of their lives. Xehanort knew that and had Vanitas keep tabs on them after dropping Ventus off to make sure things were going the way he wanted. We also know Xehanrot used Eraqus' major flaws against him and his students.

[@kira17801]

It’s also worth considering the shit Eraqus and Xehanort went through that shaped them into the men they became, both went from bright eyed students with aspirations to having extreme views.

[@redlox2]

i found it so sad that Aqua last words (when she is about to fall into the realm of Darkness) wasnt about how she was sad but only that she regrets that she wouldnt be there to wake Ven up right away.

[@BioRoxas]

So focused on others just like Sora :

[@redlox2]

I feel Aqua only real negative trait is her stubborness for most of BBS. she has a rather black and white view on things. she feels Ven needs to be protect and refuses to let him stand on his own (instead pushing him to go home) and fears Terra could fall to darkness (due to the test) without trealizing that suspecting him would make him feel hurt.

[@sollato0293]

This isn’t too different from Eraqus in both BBS & Dark Road which could connect to how Aqua follows Eraqus in his teaching and perspective on light & dark

[@redlox2]

@@sollato0293 In my opinion despite Eraquas probably being the closest to Terra of the BBS Trio, I feel Aqua took his teachings to heart the most. Terra is kinda manipulated quite abit and Ven well is more interested in making friends then doing “good for the sake of good”. That’s just my opinion of course

[@alimichalkan8046]

It’s Eraqus’ fault

[@36inc]

I can forgive that negative since its baked in through eroqus Mark hammil played a few flawed masters before huh

[@sollato0293]

@@36inc If I got a nickel everytime he did I’ll get 2 nickels.

[@beingafk3494]

I also like how there is no passing of time in the realm of darkness, because when you are traumatized (and isolated) it also feels like no or barely any time has past, even if it has been years.

[@BlackXSunlight]

It's literally arrested development

[@davydwynos8471]

"Aqua.. she's like Sora" Riku having a mid life crisis after hearing that

[@Dracobyte]

Aqua really needs to go to therapy after everything she has gone through.

[@jamarcusdavis4023]

ALL of the KH cast need therapy. (Sora, Roxas, Aqua, Riku, Eraqus, Xehanort, Xion, etc...)

[@Dracobyte]

@@jamarcusdavis4023 yeah.

[@alfg4228]

They need to introduce a therapist character in the future

[@ItzSpookyz1]

Does she need therapy?

[@Dracobyte]

@@ItzSpookyz1 yes, she really does!

[@bigboi8028]

Honestly the moment after Aqua wakes up on Destiny Island after Sora and Riku save her in KH3 is heartbreaking cause she immediately assumed that Destiny Island had also fell into darkness instead of even hoping she'd been saved, already having resigned herself to believing she'd never get out

[@wolfox7776]

This woman spend 10 years in the realm of darkness fighting heartless, depression, and probably staving off hunger. The fact she's not had a day off in 10 years and during her journey in BBS yet still having the ability to go toe to toe with Vanitas right after going to find Ven is just...

[@lsdxiii]

The BBS Trio is my absolute favorite trio and the one I relate the most to. They are a textbook case of sheltering and generational trauma. Eraqus' hatred of the Darkness for taking his friends from him back in Dark Road burgeons a nihilistic hatred of Darkness, that the dark needs to be completely snuffed out. And he passes this hatred onto his students, and we see the three results. We see Aqua take on his teachings, and begin to alter them as she breaks through her sheltered upbringing by receiving new knowledge in the outside world. We see Terra have absolutely no coping skills for dealing with the Darkness, and as such he becomes an easy target for manipulation, and falls to the darkness in the end. We see Ventus be completely naive and ignorant of the Darkness, until he's forced to confront and ends up the most damaged because of it. Aqua falls into depression, Terra becomes lost, Ventus becomes broken. Three results of sheltering them and never preparing them for anything, all a result of Eraqus' trauma from Dark Road. I would LOVE to see a psychology of Eraqus video that dives into his Dark Road trauma and how it impacts his new generation of Keyblade wielders.

[@BioRoxas]

What a well thought out comment. Yes you nailed it! It really is so interesting how they all handled this differently. I definitely want to do one on Eraqus at some point!

[@ultiementgmr6029]

I remeber reading something online that said "Birth By Sleep was Aqua cleaning up Terra and Ventus messes " that I completly disagree with. I like Aqua's character but some people have got to understand shes not perfect, like all good characters she has faults as this video perfectly shows. Aqua's character can also show that while its ok to fallow orders you should also think for yourself sometimes as well as don't keep your pain and everything you went throigh bottled up inside otherwise you well end up in a place both Phiscaly and Mentaly that thankfully she got out of. I'm looking forward to seeing how she acts as a Master Trainning Kairi as well.

[@overlordjames6644]

You keep saying she has unwavering faith in her friends, but as far as I see she does not really show it. She constantly shows she thinks ven is too weak and fragile, despite training with them every day and also projects that onto Zack later on. Then tells Terra to his face she thinks he is falling into darkness and does not have faith in him then before the final fight tells him again she thinks he is going to fall. If protective she is overly so to the point of being overbearing and showing everyone around her she believes they can't do anything and should run or give up instead of encouraging them. The fact that she is wanting her friends to stay together while actively pushing them apart with all her "care" is kinda sad. I would even go as far to say if Terra had more support from her and their master he may not have fallen to darkness following the only man to ever seem to believe in him and show him praise.

[@XekutoZoren]

You raise a valid point and I appreciate you saying it in a calm and non-mocking manner. It would be great to see her work on that in future instalments.

[@Ueslx.600]

I can relate to this character, aqua relatable, anxiety, depression believes in bed

[@BioRoxas]

I also believe in bed

[@alexofalexyel]

Mood

[@adamtaurusragnathebloodedg8407]

In bed we trust 🙏

[@Ueslx.600]

Wow, 108 my comment let’s get more comments about anxiety and depression yay or not about the depression but the other thing I think about rockets for liking my and thank you for coming. Comment you too.

[@niklasw.1297]

Aqua having a Demon Tide PTSD moment is entirely relatable - If I had to fight that annoying Boss the 69th time I would probably just give up as well.

[@invaderhorizongreen8168]

PTSD is not fun,and catching yourself in time is hard too, and the flashbacks are awful. They can catch you off guard sometimes.

[@GreekEros]

@@invaderhorizongreen8168 No one said it was fun ?

[@snowballskies5857]

​@@GreekErosi dont think that was a negative comment, just someone giving information and explaining what the op was talking about in more detail

[@GreekEros]

@@snowballskies5857 damn this was almost a year ago😭 anyway the comment was just a joke and the person I replied too was being serious af like damn

[@underscore55]

I’d like to see a psychology of Ventus next . I’m still interested with his role in the entire series .

[@nixnaccc]

yes!! i would also like one about him as well!

[@WaywardGale]

Same he will *not* be ok when he gets his memories back. KH4 is going to be one hell of a traumatic rollercoaster for the poor guy

[@BioRoxas]

Definitely!

[@StareachValcin]

A very informative look at Aqua's psychology, particularly during the events of birth by sleep. In spite of her character flaws and the psychological burdens and scars she had to carry, Aqua is still my favorite of the birth by sleep trio and one of my favorite kingdom hearts characters in general.

[@BioRoxas]

I think the character flaws help me enjoy her more tbh! I hesitate to even say flaws actually, more so just human characteristics. I think it's relatable to not have perfect characters on screen.

[@StareachValcin]

@@BioRoxas fair enough.

[@aceproductions43]

Surprised that you didn't speculate on how Aqua's trauma and experience may come into play with her training Kairi in the story to come

[@Speedy-nq9ro]

Me too but speaking of that I hope Nomura doesn’t just sweep her trauma under the rug in the next game it has a lot of potential

[@BioRoxas]

That's a good point! I will make sure for future videos I try to extrapolate a bit about what the future looks like for the character ^^

[@rturner4205]

It would be a waste if they did. You don't just sweep away 10+ years of being in the equivalent of hell. It's like a soldier coming home from war, They may very well feel fine, but the cracks are there.

[@BobBillans]

Aqua returning to the realm of light is the hardest hitting moment in the series for me.

[@BioRoxas]

It is SO GOOD

[@k0v4n0v4]

remember the kh3 trailer dropping the "mickey, you're too late" line? god that hit me seeing that.

[@bluesnake4626]

I always saw Aqua crying at the end of the BBS epilaugh to be fueled by many complex emotions. Hope yes, as she learns that there is someone out there capable of rescuering her and her friends. But also I always felt there was a sadness there and sense of regret. Like she said, she believed one keyblade was enough for any friendship, so she knew that the happy boy she once meant surely faced many hurtbreaks and dark times due to having to carry a burden she never wanted him to have.

[@BioRoxas]

Fuck that drives the nail deep :

[@bluesnake4626]

@@BioRoxas That line about not wanting Sora and Riku to have the same life as her and that active decision not to give Sora a keybalde always felt to poignant and specific to not Cary some meaning when she finds out that Sora is the one who has been saving the world in her stead. 2.8 does change to context of the scene a bit, but I still like to look at it through the eyes that she has had no news from the outside world till that exact moment. And with how much responsibility and expectation that Aqua puts on herself I can't help but feel she must have carried some kind of sadness at learning that Sora was the one who had to carry on her mission of protecting the world from Xehanort.

[@ShadowCritias]

Aqua is my favorite character in Kingdom Heart series, & both favorite game & novel of kingdom heart. I just love her development what she has gone through try to keep the light & keep the hope in her alive in the Realm of Darkness for 10 years until she falls into despair in darkness. It's hurt so much to see her like this with a heavy burden on her shoulder because of her Master with this responsibility to be a Keyblade Master. From that scene from KH3 of Dark Aqua it hurts me what she gone thought.

[@Iris-jo5pt]

I have struggled for literal YEARS to get a good grasp on her character. Though I enjoyed playing as her and never disliked her, I was always a little surprised by the sheer amount of people who not only say she's their favorite, but that she's one of the best characters in the series! Thanks for this video man, I feel like I finally understand what makes Aqua such a compelling character! 😄

[@ryanhoward8694]

Aqua may be my favorite KH character. People can hate on KH3 all they want, but Aqua’s rescue and the reunion of the Wayfinder Trio gave me some of the strongest emotions out all the events of the series.

[@spookykatelyn2161]

Same, I was hoping for some different takes for the story, but I accepted the direction KH3 went with. I was emotional when the trio were reunited.

[@emanchi8403]

They made Aqua look too weak in KH3 imo. Was kind of disappointed about that.

[@JackieOwl94]

I remember playing 0.2 for the first time after preordering it. At the time, I was being abused and threatened with death without a place to go. I wanted to finish this one game before leaving this world. I was trapped between temporary shelter and certain death. I had never felt so isolated and was scared. 0.2 was the game that visualized the turmoil I had at the time, and I had just finished it when I was picked up and taken away to a safer place.

[@Avee_Lynn]

Please do terra next! I think everyone misunderstands him the most out of all the characters. His blind trust xehanort and how xehanort manipulates him is definitely a topic you can do deep on

[@BioRoxas]

Yoo Hops! Long time no see ^^ Hope you've been doing well! Next up I have Cloud (FF7) and Roxas! But Terra is definitely one I want to tackle.

[@Jeanblair812]

For many years I have been playing KH with BBS being my favorite game. I always adore Aqua besides Ventus. But deep down there is so much more to her like her past like her childhood or how she became Eraqus' pupil before Terra or they have become pupils at the same time of day. But when I looked at your video, I never thought and realized about her psychology. Her anxiety, despair and fear have ties to her personality and character. Which is very tragic and deep. Aqua is very noble, beautiful, kind and caring woman which I admire, who is always looked up to her friends. Being around her friends keeps her mental health stable with that much support. It's like her problems have go away for short period when her mood changes but whenever she’s alone, betrayed or hurt she feels broken , a failure and alone. Hope and faith what keeps her fighting and the way she protects people is sometimes using her body as a shield rather than making barriers like she did with Cinderella and Ventus, at first it’s quite strange and makes no sense but in reality it is part of her personality. She and Terra might have a strict training or childhood when it comes to Eraqus. The master was also so focused about their training and Xehanort’s plans he never think twice about his pupil’s emotions. As for Aqua, she does her tasks without a single thought of consequence nor feelings because of Eraqus. until something happens before it becomes a reality which soon becomes a misunderstanding due to her teachings she was taught. Aqua never thinks about herself only helping others in need rather than her heart and mind. The best unique thing about Aqua is when Zack asked her out on a date. She doesn’t know how to react or properly respond while blushing which is adorable to me seeing Aqua flustered with new experiences she never had before when being sheltered. In this line “Masters never make mistakes” what that means to Aqua is a huge responsibility for everything for everyone when it comes to Terra and Ven and their mistakes have become hers which shows how similar leadership which she immediately feels like a burden and failure after Terra left which leaves her the first scar of her mistakes. She literally is in a roller coaster of emotions and crisis because of what she had experienced and indored. Hearing Ventus saying she’s awful, Shatters her while still keeping her cool and hope up while gripping her wayfinder tightly. More importantly hearing him saying “Put an end to me” makes her feel way worse the way she expressed it. Bro I felt that from the first time I heard that, I feel ya Aqua 😢 Ventus is so special and precious to Aqua but Ven is more bond to Terra because the two relationships is more than friends it’s like brotherhood and that’s what cause Ven to leave. Aqua never had that deep bondged before yet still look after him and never think to care about her pain. I generally believe his pure light makes Aqua feel warm and relaxed. In realm of darkness, the worlds she previously been into have a lot of symbolism to emotions which I find fascinating to know. In The Castle of Dreams (Cinderella’s world) Symbolizes her wishes to turn back time to fix for what is done right and what could have been done differently to make things for everyone. In Dwarf woodlands (Snow White’s world) symbolizes her identity and fighting her own thoughts (Literally!) with so many mirrors around. This is actually the second time she seen her in the mirror in Woodlands but in the realm of light but anyway, seeing herself making her have self doubt of her being master. In Enchanted Domain (Aurora’s world) Symbolize lost. so desperately finding her way back unaware the phantom version of Terra and Ven are real or not and have to keep going to find them no matter even though she’s getting deeper into the darkness. Aqua never fully explicitly say her feelings to anyone which shows she is holding them back for as long as possible and like I said she never thinks about herself only helping others cause they always come first without hesitation. This scene 33:54 is so powerful, finally expressing her feelings to Mickey she never get to say, Darkness or not, there’s no doubt that hers. Holding on to those feelings for so long only does more damage to herself than after being rescued once more she felt a bit of heeling. Also when Sora feels what Aqua feels it brings him to his knees. That's how bad the pain is, enduring the pain for past ten years and hiding back mental crises she had to deal through Aqua has been through so much damage to point where she needs a break (and therapy) I would say she the most tragic person I’ve seen. I wonder what comes next while training Kairi.

[@BioRoxas]

Such a well thought out comment. Thank you for sharing your thought and I'm glad my video was able to get you thinking :)

[@shimashima1970]

Fantastic deep dive into Aqua's character and personality. One part I particularly like from the end of her journey that I did not see covered in the video that I'd like to share is in the final exchange between Terra and Xehanort - after Xehanort is defeated by Sora, Terra (carrying the heart of Eraqus) moves to confront him one last time, and Aqua reaches out and grabs Terra's arm to stop him. Her instinct to protect Terra from Darkness is as strong as ever, and she has a lot of reasons to be worried about Terra being anywhere near Xehanort again. However, it's clear that it represents her falling back on her old habits, trying to take too much responsibility for others and trying to exert too much control, like when she was chasing after Terra and Ven on her Master's orders all those years ago instead of letting them walk their own paths. Terra, also having developed, does not angrily remark on Aqua trying to keep him safe, but just looks at her calmly and tries to show her he has to do this. Aqua, realizing she's starting to repeat her mistakes, lets go of Terra's arm and allows him to confront Xehanort on his own which begins the last exchange between the old masters. I think it's great show of character development in that Aqua knows not to heap so much pressure on to herself, as you've clearly shown in this video was one of her biggest hurdles, to know when to let others go their own way and is more willing to trust others to take on their own challenges like she always wanted to believe Terra was capable of, it's a fantastic moment that I think caps off her arc so far perfectly.

[@sofiaizaguirre1755]

In reality, I have always thought that Aqua and Sora are very similar, both have similar natures of helping their friends and protecting them, which at the same time is very sad because it takes its toll on them because it has been noticed that both have low self-esteem and throw themselves into danger. not only because of her protective sense but also because of that and another sad thing is that they both have similar destinies. Aqua sacrificed herself for Terra and promised to wake up Ven while she was exiled to the Realm of Darkness and being trapped for 10 years. Sora sacrificed himself for others and sacrificed himself for Kairi twice and ended up being exiled to Quadratum. The truth is I think that the comparison of Aqua and Kairi is very superficial, sorry for saying this but this is my opinion. To be honest, I could make the comparison if we base it on in-depth analysis of the characters: Terra and Riku, Ventus and Kairi, Aqua and Sora. 🤔😢😊

[@beckjoy3778]

Love this look on Aqua. She is by far one of my favorite characters, though I had problems with her being so black and white. I can't wait to see if you will do the Psychology of Terra video, because I'm sure that will have some interesting views on Terra's character.

[@terra-xehanort]

Love the psychology of series, the aqua episode will slap.

[@muddyscot]

I want to take a moment and geek out at the music that reflects everything so well. Particularly during her monologue. The music that picks up at 34:18 is just Aqua's theme, not even a reprise or remaster. Its tense, sad, and slightly anxiety inducing. It has a steady piano line that brings a feeling of constant movement, but stings that add this faltering feeling. The strings also maintain long notes that hold on for just a bit longer than someone might expect before fading away. There is also a five note motif in the piano line at about 35:02 that I'm fairly certain only shows up in one other place, Xion's theme which is similarly sad. I find the connection of both Xion and Aqua losing themselves to be interesting.

[@BioRoxas]

If you like music analysis, The green requiem makes some AWESOME videos!! www.youtube.com/@GreenRequiem

[@psyckwhoever4197]

I just realized that BBS (despite all of its gameplay flaws) was more successful in integrating the disney worlds into the overall narrative, than most main titles. There was a noteworthy moment in every world and I remember being really surprised, when Stitch mentions Terra and grabs the heartbinder. Just like when Sully yeets Vanitas into one of the doors, which still is one of my favourite moments of the entire franchise 😁

[@WaywardGale]

A suggestion for your next video of mine would definitely be the psychology of Ventus. I'm aware that many people are asking for Roxas next and I'm still on board with that but Ven definitely needs some therapy. He was already one of the most sad and traumatic characters before Union X offered more of his backstory and that one game just increased it 10 fold. He most certainly is *not* just the energetic, young, happy go lucky part of the Wayfinder trio. In just half a game he goes from wanting to join his friends on their journey like a kid asking for cookies, to begging said friends to end his life to protect the world. And future games are likely just going to expand on this and traumatize the poor guy even more. I totally get you going for older, more popular characters first, but it would make me so happy to see someone talk about my favorite character's trauma and psychology. Loved this btw!

[@BioRoxas]

Yeah I definitely want to do Ventus :> We shall see when I can get to him but right now the plan is Cloud (FF7) and then Roxas! Those will take me some time though so we'll see what I'm feeling when we get those finished up

[@WaywardGale]

@@BioRoxas NICE! Super excited, thanks man!

[@seerofwords]

💙💙💙💙 Now that I've watched it in full again. Thank you so much for having me aboard to voice the light novel portions of Aqua! She's such an underrated and kind character, and it's been great to explore her sensitive and stubborn sides all over again.

[@BioRoxas]

Thank you so much for lending your voice to this project!!

[@seerofwords]

@@BioRoxas 💙💙💙💙

[@sonicthefox2478]

I think another character that deserves a deep dive is Mickey. Most likely wouldnt catch it, but he's been going through something starting in 3. It's not directly obvious, but I believe he is entering a self-doubt arc. What's more is that Mickey has a lot of material to work with thanks to DDD showing his past, too. While I would say Donald and Goofy as well deserve a video, they dont have much to them beyond just being the goofballs who help out, which is disappointing.

[@BioRoxas]

Mmm Maybe at some point! I definitely have other characters I have my sights on first!

[@SoraFan23]

Aqua was in the Relm of Darkness and you can tell her mental state was unstable. She began to doubt herself and wondered if she failed everyone. I felt very sorry for her.

[@johnsantos507]

*Realm*

[@saphexteni]

Incredibly well done. Aqua is not only my favorite KH character, but I would say my favorite fictional character of all time because of how much I relate to her. The build up had me tearing up and even crying at key moments in the end (reliving Aqua's decision to stay in the RoD, her escape, and reunion with Terra and Ven). Also was revealing for myself since I see so much of myself in her decision making, the juggling of multiple responsibilities, as well as the respect for authority combined with lack of self confidence. Pointing out her multiple personas was so poignant since I do that. How I act with my peers, how I act when I am the oldest one around, and how I act with those older and of higher stature than me. It does get exhausting. And the self imposed expectations are neverending, then you combine them with expectations from others.... (which are often increased by nature of how you carry yourself). But wow. thank you for the video and your hard work. Fun, mentally stimulating, emotional, and in a way, it also felt like a superficial form of therapy for myself.

[@chandlerw8123]

This honestly covers exactly why I think Aqua is one of my favorite characters in Kingdom Hearts. People who don’t like her often say “oh, she’s too bland, she’s so emotionless.” No. She’s responsible. She’s caring. And you build up perfectly how Eraqus’ upbringing and her natural capabilities push that to its breaking point. She cared so much that she pushed herself to shoulder everything. It was important; but it was also unhealthy for her. You know her heart’s in the right place, but everything is going against her. And she suffers for doing everything she can to help. Seeing her despair finally overwhelm her is heartbreaking, and her final realization of being free from the Realm of Darkness… is honestly *the* story highlight for me in all of KHIII. You’ve even managed to address one of my most hated moments of KHIII: her taking the hit against Vanitas without guarding. I’m still annoyed at it, but addressing how her “caring” can go too far to become self-effacing honestly makes sense. After her time in the Realm of Darkness, even more so perhaps. All that to say, excellent analysis. Well done.

[@XekutoZoren]

Exactly. Whilst I understand why people lump "responsible/mature" and "bland/boring" together, I've always hated that way of thinking.

[@mylesmixon5078]

For the years between birth by sleep and KH3, I remember frequently thinking, “Dang, Aqua is still in the realm of darkness.” Her return in KH3 was probably the most emotionally fulfilling thing I’ve experienced from fiction.

[@RainTT]

It's the fact that she quite literally spent 10 years in the RoD in our real time too 😭

[@_Chessa_]

Mickey: “Aqua!! She’s just like Sora!” Riku: “Wha…The….” Mickey: “No no no! Strong like Sora!” Riku: “oh…” *thank gosh* Loved that part!

[@TheJaredPunch]

Mickey wasn’t wrong but… 😂

[@felixthecat5333]

I remember when I first saw that scene and I misheard it as “she likes sora” and having the same reaction as riku 😂

[@milesbarnes6777]

@@felixthecat5333 omg, lol!

[@CinnamonGamer-ef1zk]

Aqua is such a great character! :)

[@C4DNerd]

Dang, rewatching that scene of Terra, Aqua, and Ventus finally reuniting in KH3 almost never fails to get me teary-eyed again. Really wasn't expecting that to hit again from watching this, though I probably should've expected that given the whole video was a whole summary of Aqua's trauma. Great video as always!

[@BioRoxas]

It hit so hard. I was getting teary-eyed watching the final cut of the video because it really does just prime you to really feel the full weight of that scene.

[@nixnaccc]

i’m coming back to this video to give another idea for a psychological video! i was taking a deep dive into vanitas and i find him actually way more interesting once i learned more about him. because originally i thought he was just a normal bad guy. but the more i watched him on screen and looked a bit more into his story. the more i realized he’s so much more to that. even tragic honestly. i totally suggest doing a video on vanitas in the future! just wanted to put that here!

[@yamatohashirama7992]

Aqua supremacy!

[@RamChop451]

"Masters arent suposed to make mistakes" And so she fought on for years in the realm of darkness.

[@ziongamer6905]

My biggest gripe with KH3 was that I wish we got Aqua midway through. I wish we had more time to hear her insight as she’s going through her mental battle. I personally really liked that she couldn’t even bring herself to fight back during the graveyard scene. It was painfully real to me.

[@zenronez1158]

I love this video. I didn't know about the novel but it was probably my favorite thing to learn about. Especially when it shows Aqua's thought process and how she feels about herself and the situation she finds herself in. I also find her struggle with her responsibility relatable. I like the interpretation that the Keyblade might be an unwanted burden to bear. I do think that her interaction in the destiny island before the Graveyard is a bit of to me. Especially when she tells Sora that Riku might waver. Although true in the future I do think that she conflates Riku with Terra even when they're just kids at the moment.

[@BioRoxas]

Yeah there may definitely be some projection going on haha And it's also interesting that if she is projecting on Sora as well why she encourages him to help Riku when she essentially tries to stop Ventus from doing the same thing for Terra.

[@kimberleyashworth4224]

aqua is one of my fave characters

[@wettymeister]

i like this interpretation, but i also like that one video just a pancake did on aqua. really summarises aquas struggle in the realm of darkness and touches on some points you made on your analysis

[@pinkyslime3369]

This video didn't make me sad.. so totally not. I'm not sure why this one hit harder than either the Sora or Riku one, but my goodness do I feel for Aqua. I feel so much of what she does, so I really understood every point you brought up to a core level. Which only makes me feel worse whenever Mickey basically left her there in the realm of darkness. I already didn't like him for doing that, but I've read into why he couldn't (I guess), but still this just emphasized that he should've been there for her. Someone, anyone, should've been there more during that time, but I'm glad that she has Ventus and Terra to be with at the end of KH3. She really really needed, and still needs, that.

[@BioRoxas]

What I like about doing these is while all of the characters are relatable in some form or fashion, each character is still different which means that some are going to hit really hard in terms of connection and projection.

[@allaroundlazy2845]

Well I did gain a new appreciation for Aqua for sure, she always had the weakest yet intriguing arc for me. This helped sort out some thoughts I had, and that Light novel stuff we coulda really used as internal thoughts in BBS. BBS just told the story enough for these 3, but failed to give it all the correct impact it needed DURING the journey to really make their Failed Ending beautiful and not just great. I say keep the BBS train going, make me appreciate Terra more.

[@BioRoxas]

I definitely plan to cover Terra and Ven at some point :>

[@MNSprime21]

I always love when fans talk about the psychology of KH characters and you did Sora, Riku, and Aqua so well! I'd love to see you tackle the psychologies of Xehanort and Eraqus. I can't speak for everyone of course, but I find them to be quite fascinating since I have been analyzing them myself (mostly Xehanort admittedly since he's been my favorite character - YOUNG Xehanort specifically)

[@BioRoxas]

Xehanort will be a video for sure!!

[@IndigoWilliams22]

I agree with your statement about Aqua because her life was tragic throughout the game. This is why Aqua is one of my favorite characters and I think she should be in Hufflepuff because she cares for Ventus and Terra. Even though it didn't work at birth by sleep, I know that she tried. Also, I wonder if you can do the video on either the psychology of Ventus or Terra.

[@BioRoxas]

I definitely want to do ones on both Ventus and Terra :)

[@joannamyers1268]

Ive always loved the BBS trio! Thanks to this video, i started reading the light novel. One thing that immediately jumped out at me is that the Trio had even less knowledge of darkness than I had thought. I could be wrong, but the impression i got in the book is that they weren't taught that its normal to have at least some darkness in their heart, nor how to recognize it. Both really should have been step one of their training. Ignorance of thise things, considering they're supposed to be fighting against darknes, makes them come across as a cult. It really highlights just how much Eraqus failed them, and explains a lot of their struggles throughout BBS.

[@KaosDeathLord]

Thank you Bio for giving people more of an understanding for Aqua, people always look at me funny when I say Aqua is a great character, This is an amazing video about my favorite character in the franchise.

[@BioRoxas]

I'm so glad you enjoyed it :>

[@XekutoZoren]

I feel like the people who react like that don't know what it's like to be pressured to be perfect, experience trauma from failures and have the courage to stand back up.

[@KaosDeathLord]

@@XekutoZoren Exactly.

[@ANexus21]

Strong like sora, and always focused on others like sora is what i believe king mickey meant when talking to riku

[@nxtcaliber3445]

THIS is the one I was looking forward to. Thank you Bio! :D

[@BioRoxas]

I hope it held up to your expectations!!

[@5gumluv]

A lot of what is shown in BBS (first play through here) seems to point to Aqua having eldest daughter (sister) syndrome. Hope to see her overcome this anxiety and perfectionism 😢

[@kayleighdriessen]

I hope to next see you do a video on the psychology of Axel or Roxas/Ventus (Imo Roxas and Ventus are two sides of the same coin as Roxas is Ventus but with that much-neeed character-development, they're originally only brought back as two seperate entities instead of Ventus waking up but with Roxas' personality because of cheap pointless fanservice).

[@BioRoxas]

Roxas should be next :)

[@trashgoon]

im so hyped for psychology of roxas

[@skazzfish]

I have watched three times already. I just love it.😭😭😭

[@skazzfish]

To be honest, I would love to see a Psychology of Xehanort and Eraqus, too

[@adrianXXII]

Love these Psychology of Videos! I hope we'll get to see more of them and hopefully as we get more games in the series you can revisit some of these with new context.

[@BioRoxas]

Yup! The plan is to get the "Dark Seeker Saga" kind of wrapped up for each character so we can be ready to dive into the characters in this new "Lost Masters Saga"!

[@adrianXXII]

@@BioRoxas awesome! I look forward to seeing you explore these characters futher as they change in the future sagas.

[@KHGuides]

Incredible analysis, Bio! You NEVER miss with these character psychology videos. 👏

[@BioRoxas]

Ahhh Guides!! Thank you so much!

[@yutogiovanna]

Would very much love to see a vid on Terra

[@freakofbooks]

This video is just amazing and beautiful! Thank you for this! I really love this character and Birth By Sleep is my most favorite title in the series! She is my favorite character because of her story and I can relate a lot to her. The despair, anxiety, loneliness, depression, isolation, self-sacrificing persona, losses, and so much more she has gone through is all too relatable. I just feel a level of connection with her that surpasses many other connections in my life I believe.

[@_Yu853]

This video didn't disappoint at all. The wait was worth of it! Aqua's a character I also didn't pay a lot mind to but thanks to this video I understand her more; even relating to her. Can't wait for the next psychology video! (Which character is it gonna be?)

[@kumakibbs]

In the entirety of my life, I didnt think I would relate to character as much as I do to Aqua.

[@yungeffortless6803]

every single time i hear aqua finally put the blame on someone else it gives me chills

[@solaria_nova]

Tysm for making this video! I feel like you've perfectly looked into Aqua's character and was able to define her fears, characterization, and goals very well! Please make more from this series, I feel like these are a really good and helpful way for me to learn and study more about the characters within this beautiful game, especially when it comes to writing characters of my own :)

[@ashleyc3397]

Ahhh another job well done on the psychology of KH characters. Adding the novel really helps me understand more about Aquas character. Thank you for another great vid!!! ❤

[@HeroOfLight13]

Can’t wait to see more of the Wayfinder Trio in future games, and I really can’t wait to see who you analyze next! I’m hoping most for Roxas, Kairi, Xion, Axel, and Namine, in that order lol.

[@gundamkaizer6947]

Damn fine video, good sir. ...Psychology of Terra next?

[@BioRoxas]

Psychology of Cloud :> But I definitely plan to do Terra at some point

[@Numba003]

Thank you for yet another beautiful character exploration. Poor Aqua has been through so much. I hope she gets to take it a little easier in the future. I quite enjoy these videos! I look forward to any you may choose to do in the future. God be with you out there, everybody. ✝️ :)

[@szkieleton]

love the music choice, the BBS overworld theme has this forlorn, contemplative element to it, not much time to think about that in-game, but really comes through here

[@coolcat33333]

I would love to see your take on Xehenort if I'm going to be honest.

[@qt1051]

ven and riku are my favorite so i cant wait to see what you have for ven

[@WilliamGionet]

I wanna see a vidéo of Roxas or Ventus (my favorite character)

[@xrubyxlightx]

💙⭐️💙✨💙⭐️ Love her. I cant express how much i'd love to know the wayfinders' experience in the RoD

[@BioRoxas]

Yes!! I neeeed it!

[@Natsunoyo_1808]

Aqua never was my favourite character. i always felt uneasy around her. Since my friends and i got ourselves some wayfinders and i got aquas i thought so much about her. i still feel uneasy around her but now i can relate to her. not only a little bit but more than to most of the character of the kh series. Thank you so much for this video. i hope so much more people can see how aqua is and not only that mother role of the wayfinder trio

[@BioRoxas]

Oh interesting! What makes you feel uneasy? I'm glad you found some relatability with her through this video :)

[@Natsunoyo_1808]

@@BioRoxas it's more like that i love ven and terra too much, that's why i just can't with her. Her whole acting espesically against terra just make me feel unsave. The feeling of not being safe when i saw her makes me feel uneasy. But i guess that's just me

[@BioRoxas]

Ooh yeah I understand! She is so dogmatic and follows Eraqus’ teachings that it turns her against her friends almost

[@Natsunoyo_1808]

@@BioRoxas right for a certain time in the game she more feels like the master of ven and terra instead of a friend who they needed more in this time

[@spookykatelyn2161]

I can relate alot with aqua, I been through anxiety, depression, abandoned, low self-esteem, loneliness, regret, how protective and caring I am deep down for all of my friends and family safety if they will be if they fall into darkness. I felt like recently felt like I have been slowly losing my friends to darkness of how different we become after different life experiences where we were grown apart even though I never want all of us to be apart. I remember being alot like aqua as a kid having this huge compassionate family and friendship love for not just my friends, but for some for some of my classmates who I was slightly closer to or so I thought. had a feeling where I am today when i look at aqua story, I feel like the realm of darkness tries to drown me as the world around me falls apart and all of my friends and classmates I'm close to are far away from home.

[@katiemorison7969]

You should talk to a therapist frfr

[@spookykatelyn2161]

@katiemorison7969 I been thinking about that for a long time since 2020, but I just need to find the right one to talk to.

[@katiemorison7969]

​@@spookykatelyn2161 It is lifechanging and worth it. Best of luck, gamer

[@BioRoxas]

I want to echo katie in saying that finding someone to talk to might be really helpful :) It sounds like you put a lot of your identity into your connections with others, which isn't necessarily bad! But if we never build a strong identity in ourselves, then when we lose or move away from the people who gave us our identity we can feel really lost.

[@wingedmirage4226]

Between this and the Terra video, I realize that what Eraqus really fears isn’t darkness, it’s EMOTION. Aqua is able to perfectly control/mask her emotions, and so she’s the star pupil. Terra isn’t able to mask/bottle his emotions like that, which results in him losing his cool during the fight and summoning darkness briefly, and Eraqus severely judges him for it.

[@nixnaccc]

god i loved this video and all the psychology videos you’ve done so far!! i can’t wait to see the next one, i totally would love to see a psychology video about the follow: roxas, xion or terra!

[@BioRoxas]

All three are on my list :>

[@zekejaeger4848]

more.... mooore.... MOOOOOOORE (Xion & Roxas are my favourite characters so I would love for their psychology videos too but I can wait their turn, I'll still watch all the others too anyway :))

[@purplestardust0]

Ah this was worth the wait! I would love to see one of these for Roxas or Xion too!

[@K-C-D-A]

Doubled up on the music there at 6:34

[@LockesStruggle]

I really love these videos! Thank you so much for making them! One small suggestion I have is that although I don't mind you drawing from the novels for more context and information, I found the slow scenes of just the text from the book on screen with it being read very slowly to be boring. I think they sort of ruined the pace and interest of the rest of the video, since the other parts always have some interesting scenes from the games to watch in the background while listening to your narration. Please keep making these though! I really enjoy them!

[@BioRoxas]

Hmm ok! Good to know! I'll try to mess around with how I present those then :) Thanks for the feedback!

[@simosa.sokariz]

OHHHHHH CANT WAIT

[@BioRoxas]

Hope it lived up to the hype :>

[@simosa.sokariz]

@@BioRoxas Yes! Also a bit sad, but amazing video!

[@meowsteryy140]

I cried. i love your videos!

[@fadedslate6871]

I would love to see a phycology breakdown of ventus he's one of my favorite characters

[@BioRoxas]

Definitely :>

[@HernandoWolfy]

Aqua dry your tears please am here too protect you 💙💜💙💜 don’t give up hope ok

[@redlox2]

I know you said that someone already did a Kairi video but in the future if you ever want to do one i would definitely love to watch it

[@Legend_Gamerboy]

I love Aqua and brilliant job with the video

[@WarlockofThorns]

I can't stop crying during this video.

[@BioRoxas]

Grab the tissues!! On a serious note I am glad it resonates so much with you :)

[@Xahnel]

Aqua in the dark realm should have been handled differently, I think. She held out for so long, only to fall at the last minute, and she's fixed by a single Sora throwdown. That darkness should have become part of her. And a portion of the game should have been Aqua, learning from Riku that it's okay to use the darkness, that darkness in her heart is natural, that as long you can look it dead in the eye and accept it without fear, your inner darkness will work with you, not against you. Taking her to meet the Mushroom Heartless, who are beings of pure darkness that don't want to hurt anyone, just play and be friends. Teach her that even beauty can be found in darkness, when she has her inevitable freakout over what falling did to her appearance. He could show her his Ansem transformation, reveal that a small part of that man will be with him forever, and he learned to turn that to his advantage. And finally, he would introduce her to Sora's darkness, how he is capable of wearing it like a shroud and dismissing it when it's no longer needed. And once Aqua accepts her trauma without fear, the darkness fades from her skin. "It's... My skin... It's gone..." "You were afraid. It was protecting you. But you aren't afraid anymore. You're on the path to dawn, now."

[@Topaz-zk4zk]

Hate to break it to you, but Riku can't transform into “Ansem SoD” anymore due to Ansem the Wise's machine back in KHII. Love everything else though, especially you mentioning the friendly Mushroom Heartlesses.

[@XekutoZoren]

Agreed. It still breaks me to know that she was holding out and then pretty much *forced* to submit by getting darkness literally injected into her.

[@Topaz-zk4zk]

@@XekutoZoren _Special Attack: Mega Destructive Dark Ball of Darkness and Destruction_

[@CaptainCJ97]

I do wish we spent more time with dark aqua

[@seanbaker5704]

I’m loving these videos! Do Roxas next!

[@maskedwriter4088]

I love these so much! Would you be able to do ones on Eraqus and or Xehanort since their stories are done with Dark Roads? Because that definitely gave a big impact on how Eraqus trained Aqua, Terra, and Ven.

[@BioRoxas]

Definitely!

[@frostaegis8653]

I always related most to Aqua and still do.

[@pacnat_9069]

WOW!!! Initially I was in the same spot as you before understanding Aqua, but diving into her self-sacrificing tendencies, seeing her struggle with choosing between what she was told to do vs. what she wants in her heart, AND the unsteady pressure of doing what’s she’s told out of fear of not being perfect and validated… I get it now. I’m so happy she found peace with Ven and Terra again 🥹💕

[@BioRoxas]

It has made me so happy seeing your comments as you go through these videos 🥹 thank you!! You’ve made my day