Original VS Final Mix - Review of Every Heartless in Kingdom Hearts II

[@andrewan1225]

Love that kh2 blatantly confirms Scar is disneys most evil villain, even surpassing Maleficent, just due to the fact that hes basically lion Xehanort. He completely retains his appearance and voice BUT just like Xehanort he can became a huge menacing juggernaut heartless like World of Chaos.

[@drakofox1362]

Not just one BUT TWO BIG ASS HEARTLESS the bone lion and the monkey on its back that you had to hit to kill

[@TheSpecialPsycho]

Maleficent has capacity for benevolent actions, as much as she hates to admit it. Scar has literally never done any good for others. He's the most evil because he enjoys malice. Maleficent thrives on her dignity

[@divaalfirman3295]

@@TheSpecialPsycho Maleficent is evil because she can be (read: bad bitch). Scar is evil because he is overcome by jealousy and pride. Maleficent was able to keep her powers in check; Scar was consumed by his anger

[@xXLunatikxXlul]

And yet, Maleficent was stronger.

[@FectoElfilin]

Probs because her and Pete are basically the KH equivalent to Team Rocket.

[@technobecian]

Wait I’m just now realizing Assault Rider is inspired by Mushu impersonating a messenger on a horse in the movie… completely lost when it doesn’t match the soldiers

[@Roaxes]

Maybe it's cause I grew up on the original PS2 games without final mix, but man do most of the recolors hurt my soul. Some DO look great, but the majority I feel like just hurt the feel of the heartless, like I think their more darker, purple, red, black colors just fit more with the "theme" of the heartless.

[@GodOfOrphans]

I'd kill for an original colours option to be patched in too.

[@Buglin_Burger7878]

I agree, Heartless were not bright and colorful for a reason... they are invading bright and colorful Disney worlds. They are threats to everything. Not a bunch of clowns. Now they just feel like if Disney had random monsters.

[@broadwaydummy15]

Same here- when i saw the recolors in game i thought my setting were messed up or something

[@xXLunatikxXlul]

@@Buglin_Burger7878 100% this

[@wadeyhyena1657]

Maybe Nomura wanted to make them look more child friendly? Though, I can't imagine a lot of kids wanting to become friends with a Darkball or a Devastator.

[@TheKingsPride]

I very much recommend Days since you mentioned you haven’t played it. As far as I know, it’s the origin of the stronger re-colors thing that you mention with the aerial Viking. I never played the HD KH2 so I didn’t know that they actually reference Days in the cavern of remembrance, that’s super cool. It’s also just very unique for a KH game, with a ton of systems that they didn’t really return to, like the grid for equipping all aspects of your character. The status effects are kinda irritating but having non-themed keyblades is pretty wacky and unique.

[@somebakedgood]

KH2 Final mix came out before Days.

[@TheKingsPride]

@@somebakedgood huh, right you are. Like I said, never played final mix so I didn’t know.

[@DeftestAphid2]

Also Days is the only game where you can play as multiple characters from Axel to even Donald and Goofy(unlike BBS where they all fight the same). Though they're not all fun to play as.

[@maiastniki]

@@DeftestAphid2 wow how have i never hard about this

[@DeftestAphid2]

@@maiastniki it's because you have to play the game first of all, then play mission mode. Also ez w if you have action replay.

[@andrewgarrett1356]

The Assault Rider recolor is an atrocity. It's easily one of the worst, if not the absolute worst recolor any enemy has received in any Kingdom Hearts game. Why didn't they just invert the original color scheme and make it predominantly red with golden armor, a black cloak, black tail, black hooves, and a pole arm with a black blade and a golden shaft? That would have been exponentially cooler than this pinkish purple abomination we ended up getting. Seriously, they turned the Assault Rider into the Hippie Horse.

[@skeletondemon6009]

After looking at the original I agree completely.

[@Pyco_]

Trick Master is far worse.

[@andrewgarrett1356]

@@Pyco_ Oh definitely. I don't mean to sound like a whiny bitch, but who in the hell thought it was a good a idea to take the badass Heartless with black and red color schemes and recolor them so that they look like monsters going through a flower child phase? If they had to change Trickmaster's color scheme, then why didn't they just replace the red parts with purple so that it would look a bit more like the Chessire Cat? Or why not replace the black with white so that it would look more like a heart playing card? Either one would have allowed it to keep those Wonderland vibes. Also, now that I think about it, what if instead of inverting the original color scheme of the Assault Rider, what if they made it black and white with a little grey so that it would look more like Shan-Yu? That would have been cool to see.

[@GayLPer]

I kinda like both XD

[@abiean222]

or at least give it another natural color. a white or chestnut body would look better then the pink. everything else can be forgiven, but not that.

[@divaalfirman3295]

"I'd wonder what the team was smoking" That's it. Kingdom Hearts is basically a fever dream but at this point you can't tell dreams from reality

[@sonicplays8740]

Where did these far off memories come from?

[@divaalfirman3295]

@@sonicplays8740 you mean scattered dreams?

[@jorymo4964]

Is any of this for real...or not?

[@cameronfield7313]

"Can't tell dreams from reality" ...WELCOME TO THE VELVET ROOM!!!

[@sonicplays8740]

@@divaalfirman3295 Aren't they like far off memories?

[@javierpm9449]

Was it that hard to include an option where you can choose between "classic heartless colours" and "FM heartless colours"? I feel like we should push Square to include this in a future update.

[@Pesthuf]

There are mods that restore the original colors, but an official option would be the best.

[@javierpm9449]

@@Pesthuf And you know, not everybody plays on computer... I currently play Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX on PS5 after playing the games on PS2, PS3 and PS4. Best option would be an official one indeed!

[@urosasin8979]

Reject recolour, return to PS2.

[@samuellopez479]

@@urosasin8979 GIVE INTO THE DARKNESS

[@wadeyhyena1657]

What about an option to switch between the original score and the remastered score?

[@ArcadeTheatre]

I love the dry humour your weave into these videos.

[@304Dolo]

nice! waking up to a new video about KHII is great

[@mulduls]

“I’d wonder what the team was smoking…” Look, to come up with something as crazy as Kingdom Hearts, the entire population at SE is probably smoking a combination of the strongest things on the planet, except Yoko Shimomura and Utada Hikaru. Those two are perfectly fine. I worry for the rest, especially Nomura.

[@divaalfirman3295]

Have you heard KH music? Yoko Shimomura doesn't take drugs. Yoko Shimomura IS drugs.

[@connorqr]

Coded was the product of a bender not exaggerating lmao

[@mulduls]

@@connorqr?

[@skeletondemon6009]

Being that I love skeletons and skeletal themes, the skeletal looking heartless from both Jack Sparrow and Skellington's worlds were my favorite. Especially that annoying boss from Jack Sparrow's world that you had to fight twice.

[@masterseal0418]

I'm surprised that the Groundshaker was so huge that it surpassed the PS2's limitations compared to Xemnas' other forms being King and even Kentauros being scrapped(though both would be fused together as the False Master of Masters' 2nd form after riding the Chimera known as the Master Chimera in some kaiju-esque design and mannerisms being the final boss of my concept of a Days sequel having PlatinumGames co-develop it aside from Disney and Square Enix). Boy, am I impressed, Novayon.

[@SuperFanFiction]

"Resembling two faction of an MMO that should have ended years ago." Nicely referencing there, dude. WoW!

[@Neko312]

Wish they made so that you can chose which heartless style you can play with.

[@farquarwion4324]

Now this☝🏾

[@NickyLaurienzo]

I’ve been taking a little break from KH content recently, this is the perfect thing to get me back 😎

[@jojoledo4517]

"You see those Lunar Bandits from Agrahbah? They've got curved swords, CURVED SWORDS!" LMAO Thanks Nova, that made the whole video right there and made my day! I enjoyed the OG colours from both games (Kh1+2) but the re colours do make them stand out more/easier to spot and brighten up the game a bit more. I kinda enjoy the bigger videos like these from time to time so I wouldn't say no to more but I hope you find a good balance too! Great video anyway!

[@jexusdomel5194]

I can't believe hostile program isn't a heartless, it has the eyes and all. The experiment does have the eyes and the squiggly line pattern, but it still feels weird it being one.

[@night-oblivion8423]

This is gonna be so worth the watch ;)

[@bayardkyyako7427]

I like how you lament about a dinosaur enemy AFTER covering the Aerial Champ, which is itself a dinosaur

[@Comicbrooke]

Yay I’ve been waiting for this one!

[@TheV8Pumpkin]

10/10 I'd simp

[@farquarwion4324]

I love your videos. I like little werid details in video games I'm a total geek about, so I really appreciate these types of videos you make.

[@3picn355]

I enjoy your style of humour in this video. Very matter-of-fact lol

[@JTD95]

I find most of the Heartless bosses' recoloring to be equally good with their original color scheme in my opinion. The Heartless recolor that bothers me the most is defiantly the Lunar Bandit. God that's a major downgrade. As for BbS, I find most of the recolors to be far better than the originals. In vanilla BbS most of the Unversed were blue which visually bored me in the long run while in the Final Mix there's a lot more variation which I love. EDIT: I wish they would add an update to 1.5 and 2.5 where you can change between OG colors and FM colors.

[@godzillakingofkaiju6366]

15:18 Sora, the British are coming! The British are coming Sora!!

[@BigBossMan538]

Can't wait for the next enemy review

[@stuartgreen4512]

Fantastic video! Loving this kind of in depth content! Keep it up

[@carlossoto1715]

With the redesigns in the first game’s Final Mix, it was inevitable that those in the sequel would be redesigned as well. Although they don’t seem to be as widespread despite the many more than from the first game. And Birth by Sleep Final Mix gave this treatment to the Unversed, but the Nobodies were all spared.

[@MegaSpideyman]

I don't think there were any Nobodies in BBS.

[@carlossoto1715]

@@MegaSpideyman I mean compared to the Heartless and Unversed, the Nobodies were not redesigned in any way.

[@fluffdafire157]

I'm pretty sure the befuudler is called that to befuddle people who understand the name scheme

[@lordnul1708]

I wholeheartedly recommend picking up Days as long as you have a functioning DS or 3DS. In addition to being where some of the "stronger recolours apparently come from, you miss out on so much content and characterization compared to the simple narrated summaries you get in the remix versions. Especially Xion, Roxas himself, and how every single weapon (and variant thereof) has it's own combos and even combo b ranches in some cases.

[@Raizoken0]

been waiting for this :D

[@soriku666]

I never realised KH2 final mix also recoloured heartless ! Great video 👍🏻

[@LightningCayo]

I’m still going through Dream Drop Distance but man, I love the old color palette the Heartless used to have as opposed to Final Mix. The originals just look creepier and more unsettling, and I love that.

[@wadeyhyena1657]

An idea for a Heartless I had in mind for the Pride Lands World would've been a skeletal hyena that's been reinvigorated by darkness which secretes green gas. Could've called it the "Chucklebones" (Yeah, that would've been cool.) Great video as always. Love hearing more about the Heartless. They're honestly my favourite faction to fight in any video game. From the cute Shadows all the way up to the more terrifying Darksides. KH2's were definitely a mixed bag, but of the new ones introduced, I liked the Hot Rods and the Living Bones.

[@harleyrose666]

As always Nova, Thank you for your KH vids. I really really enjoy them 😊😊😊

[@Numba003]

I love these videos, just looking at all the heartless and their little details is wonderful. Thank you. Stay well out there everybody, and God bless you friends. :)

[@anonymousoff-brand7538]

i'm gonna admit: alot of these i kinda prefer final mix, or atleast don't care either way or like both either way. the halloween town versions especially often look cooler with the recolours. but i have to say... alot of the ones you don't really go into it kinda feels like you do "i instantly like the recolour less by default for being fm" for no reason(such as the illuminator(which i'm not sure you even actually looked at the recolour, just took a glance) or the windrider), and ones you did like recoloured it kinda feels like that pains you to say for some reason.

[@josephpitcher5990]

The minute bomb was dancing to the timeless river theme

[@confusedpsyduck714]

Novayon is one handsome chap

[@theshattered5936]

Found your channel by random chance, I do enjoy myself some good kingdom hearts content but you done got me thinking about Dragon Ball just by saying "I wonder what life would be like if we kept ours."

[@guest-1564]

Y'know, I don't really hate the cartoony looking Heartless. I viewed it as them adapting to thier Disney themed surroundings better. That said, if they're gonna keep making them more and more toy-like, I'd like to see a line of collectible figures/ designer toys.

[@axelschakram3516]

“Colonization time baby” Got my subscription

[@deebogaillard]

“Fuck Mushroom No. VIII” put that on a shirt bro

[@tylerfrancom8538]

Generally I think I tend to notice the kh1 re colors more often than the kh2 ones, probably because it’s less of a mass murder of enemies and more like 2-4 at a time

[@DestinyHeroDarkside]

Did you just make a Skyrim reference in a KH video :thinking: nicely done lmao

[@50ksavagegoodsavage4]

Dat Hot-Rod heartless with the flames design is beautiful, effin' delicious

[@madmaster0015]

I think the recolors for KH2 are mostly a downgrade. At least KH1 had some interesting retextures for some bosses like the Phantom.

[@SweisPlays]

Love these videos so much!! :)

[@lbmybblb7993]

After kh1 i feel like heartless have become like pokemon.

[@DGamesabit]

I usually don't watch KZbin videos on a big screen TV. But for some reason I was when watching this video.

[@BarnabusBarbarossa]

This was a nice video. Here is a nice comment.

[@NovayonKH]

Thanks. Here is a thankful reply

[@night-oblivion8423]

Finished watching. And to your question, I prefer the original colors :)

[@ninjaeris131]

The Halloween Town Armored Knight has a pretty cool rusted sword

[@camharkness]

Hot take: final mix heartless tends to look better imo.

[@gittonsxv126]

Same, while there is a few that are worse than the originals most are better in general.

[@deebogaillard]

Reminds me of shiny Pokémon lol

[@Vibrate69]

agreed

[@yeetusvanitas9800]

Is it normally pronounced “saeman” in the UK instead of “shahman”?

[@NovayonKH]

Sometimes but I've heard both

[@humangirl2122]

If they ever Add a Princess and The Frog world in kingdom hearts 4, I really hope they make some Crocodile heartless and Voodoo doll heartless.

[@burnum]

The horns on Viking helmets were added long after since they originally never had them.

[@NovayonKH]

Yes that's why I said without horns of course

[@marctaco2624]

the final mix thresh holder's more greys and blues with hints of gold more resemble ornate stone gargoyles. A more fitting color scheme as they are parts of a castle's stone door.

[@thad8218]

the way days is literally my fav kh game

[@Yurikon3]

That discord is going all NOOT NOOT on us.

[@caroljeeben7064]

Thank you!!

[@ribbonfly]

I call Rapid Thrusters "flying pistachio".

[@dubbie7879]

I actually enjoy the new colors a fair bit more than the old ones

[@rootedcorgi7742]

I feel like in kh2 they work but not in kh1

[@EyeBeZombie]

Should do a review on kh2 music vs kh2fm there's some tracks I feel that were butchered in final mix that really annoyed me

[@recreationtime]

The final mix translations seem iffy sometimes. It's not nessicarily bad, but the limit form abilities are inconsistent with most other translations we have and the "air viking" thing adds to my suspicions about it

[@Mattznick]

so like what is the reason these color changes exist from vanilla to final mix?

[@TheDarkFuryKnight]

You look great

[@finnmchugh99]

I wonder if Nova will possibly do vids reviewing the Unversed or Nobodies or Dream Eaters.... Im just curious cuz I like these vids

[@jacktaylor6155]

Did you do the nobodies yet?

[@SoulFoxie]

I agree,mushroom number 8 isn't very cool and even I struggle with it after repeated playthroughs

[@rynun7620]

2:08 based

[@IPODsify]

Kh2 seems to have a general trend of giving up purple and black for yellow, purple and red. Any kh2 recolors that aren't just yellow red im fine with

[@seeya_le5666]

ddd was almost technically a kh game if we got the treasure planet world there's a ship in it so it would technically count ddd

[@grandbean9031]

Why do I remember tornado steps being blue in kh2.5? Overall even tho I have played kh2.5 like 30 times over, I always remember the heartless being their normal colours.

[@seantheroyalknight6932]

Everyone else: actually listening me: WHAT IS THRESHOLDERS BOSS THEME AAAAAAA

[@briansanders8122]

Can you do one of these for Dream Eaters from Dream Drop Distance?

[@maiastniki]

the befuddlers name is befuddled

[@TheLazySage7]

"Full of magic, unlike in real life, where they are full of shit." bahahahahaha

[@quentinlutzwick7993]

So, you're going to do pretty much the same overview. Only for the Unversed in BbS.

[@Kainvainslay]

Ill be honest; initially I wanted to rip you a new one upon starting this video. But after watching i actually respect you just kinda voicing your opinions and just chatting about KH. So good on you dude, you won me over. But i still have to bitch You are kinda snobby about some variants, in ways i really dont think matter so much. But over all i do kinda agree the FM variant got bent over and fucked with colors, for the most part.

[@themacca277]

What did mushroom number 8 do to deserve that callout

[@antoinewilliams290]

Heartless everywhere

[@zarxiel2339]

the Wight Knight of FM1 that looked clean is because you took the no-Halloween/Christmas Town version, btw Possessor should been on the boss section, and the thing about the Possessor being inside the gargoyles too is actually a misbelive very common among the fans. there is no actual source that state these are Possessor and if looked closely, their are actually different. The creatures that are released after the death of gargoyles don't have spike and mouth, and are actually the creatures summoned by Dark Thorn, Hydra and Numer 10, and they are called "Servant of Darkness" in the guide if I recall correctly. So... no official relationship between Possessor and the Gargoyle Knight/Gargoyle Warrior.

[@pikachufrankie]

If you kill the statues, Possessor heartless come out of them… what are you on about?

[@zarxiel2339]

@@pikachufrankie examine what came out with attention and compare with Possessor. The creature is different. What came out Is mouhtless and spikeless

[@pikachufrankie]

@@zarxiel2339 When viewed from most angles, the Possessor’s spikes are relatively obscured. As for the mouth, when it leaves the statue, it’s half behind the thing anyhow. If you wanted to argue that they’re lesser forms of Possessor heartless, I could see an argument there, but they are definitely some form of Possessor heartless.

[@Eric_Black134]

I feel like KH1 is the only game that had really good enemies. Kh2 had a few nobodies to think about, but everything else is just "spam x to win." You can try to shake things up with original combos, but that won't do you much. In KH1, just about every enemy is different. Some move fast so you had to go after them. Some you had to wait for an opportunity to strike. Some would block, some would counter, etc. I don't think about how to take out an enemy in kingdom hearts 2. But I do in the first one

[@2049571]

Have a new sub

[@josstarfluff5052]

Are you going to do the nobodies?

[@dapperblack3509]

If the heartless were pokemon, then these recolors would be theyre shinies

[@chameleonfoot]

Gotta go see the kh1 video and hopefully hear someone validate my feelings about final mix Trickmaster. HIS WHOE DESIGN IS CARD THEMED. He has PAPER ARMS. RED AND BLACK WAS PERFECT AND IT LOOKED SO GOOD. Why purple and green? How did you fuck it up so bad? I have been saying this for Years.

[@dinodude8899]

*cleans ear out.* I’m sorry, you *DON’T* like the Groundshaker!?

[@andrewaftontheandroidhedge2780]

4:41 what is happening to the orignal fat bandit's neck

[@pforgottonsoul]

how do you not know about the akashic records? they are referenced all over fiction.

[@seekerofnothingness]

Fuck Mushroom VIII indeed

[@diaborodevil3161]

I mean technically the Pinocchio world is a pirate world in ddd

[@starlife2682]

plz do the nobodies

[@maxwell_edison]

I hate the recolors. I downloaded a mod to fix. I am happy.

[@Kryors]

You are gonna do kh3 right? As in criticizing the designs right?

[@Elwood7X]

Ya like recolors? Well, let’s hear your opinion on Shiny Pokemon.

[@chimeratcg07]

Do a KH3 Heartleas video please!

[@trentonfontes5354]

I like 👍

[@nathanielsearle9822]

Oh god the hostile program isn’t a heartless

[@Silverwingmk2]

I am a tad disappointed on the achache record description. The mumbo jumbo comment feels disrespectful. Like I get it, but It feels kind of harsh on your part