A Quick Nobody Question...

So how can Nobodies ( not the special ones like Namine or Roxas) keep the memories of who they were when they don't have any hearts? I mean didn't CoM basically establish that one's memories are kept within their hearts?

 

Well, In DDD it's established that

Spoiler

Nobodies DO have hearts. They sort of grow them back over time from what i understand. So, i'd be willing to guess that when they first became nobodies, they were actually kind of emotionless, and gradually developed personalities and their memories returned to them.

 

But that's only after some time has past. I always thought that Nobodies start off with no heart but then they gradually grow them back ( or a new one perhaps). However, when Nobodies are just born they have no hearts but are still capable of keeping their memories for some reason.

 

When a Nobody is born they at first have no recollection of their previous life.

Spoiler

It's over time as explained in 3D that they grow their hearts back and recover their previous life and memories.

 

Unless i'm forgetting something, all the nobodies we've seen save for the special ones had been nobodies for some time. That would give them time to regain their memories.

 

That would all be well and good as a theory, except for the fact that they see Roxas's lack of memories as odd within the first two weeks. My theory would be that since they're the bodies left behind, the memories remain because their will was strong enough to retain their physical appearance. That would explain why their personalities are often very similar to the whole person they once were, while still allowing the revelation from 3D to be possible.

 

Then how are Nobodies able to make new memories and retain them so quickly?

 

This feels the likeliest to me. The reason why they retain their appearance is because they have enough willpower to retain their appearance despite losing their hearts, and part of this is connected to their self-identity. It is also entirely possible that memories are not solely connected to the heart in some instances, and may be tied to the soul of the person as a whole, at least in terms of identity.

In this idea, I question whether the Nobodies are tied explicitly to identity as a dependency of their existence. We can understand that the grunt nobodies (the basic ones we fight and the like, assigned to each member) have lost their sense of individuality, implying they possess no identity and therefore are the likeliest to have no memory in connection to their lack of hearts. If this is the case, it may seem that memories are connected to both the heart and the shell, depending on the strength of the heart or the individual as a whole.

If memories can be formed post-heart loss then this should not be very much a problem if strong-willed nobodies begin to regrow hearts from the onset of their loss. Alternatively, the shells may operate on a sort of neuroplasticity-type of factor where the lack of heart means that other functions of the body (e.g. the shell) temporarily take over these processes in the interim until the heart regrows.

 

*WARNING, DDD SPOILERS* You all are forgetting that they DO have hearts! Xemnas lied to them remember? He gave them the goal to complete Kingdom Hearts so they could get hearts of their own when really he's using them as vessels. Once Kingdom Hearts would be complete, Xehanort would split his heart 13 ways making 13 versions of himself. Therefore, Nobodies do have all their memories and they DO have hearts. As for the lesser Nobodies, i.e. Dusks, Creepers, Samurai, etc. They are basically animals, relying solely on instinct (as Yen Sid explained in KH2) so I don't believe they have memories of before their death...

 

It's very likely that each member of the Organization had no memory of their past lives. like Roxas did in the beginning of Days, but grew them back rather quickly. The reason why Roxas not getting his memories back was seen as odd is because he didn't have any memories for way longer than he should have. This is probably because Sora was still running around, hogging all of the memories for himself. Once Sora lost his memories, Roxas could then claim them. That made Namine's work hard enough, but Xion had to claim some too.

Roxas had memories of being Sora, but they were fragmented and incomplete because Xion took more than he did. As for Namine, Kairi kept the memories because she was awake and remembering things and Namine didn't get any of them.

 

Actually, Yen Sid said they had intellegence unlike the heartless although yes they are more effective under orders also if what you say about lessers is correct then I guess that would mean that CAT~ theory is good. Also wasn't the reason Roxas had no memories of his past because Sora's heart wasn't gone long enough for there to be any real memory transfer? I believe all Nobodies start off without hearts and they can only develop hearts if they bonded with eachother which is why Axel, Roxas, and Xion showed the most emotion out of anyone out of the entire organization and why Saix was such a jerk. Then Xemnas lied and made them beleive they didn't have hearts which aided to prevent the formation of hearts and made them perfect Vessels for Xehanort although Saix was possesed which kind of means that DualBladeRoxas' theory has some possible credibility. You try and make us remember that Xemnas said they have heart which isn't entirely accurate considering he said during the grand reveal that "Nobodies can DEVELOP hearts" then he went on a rant about how they can be nurtured he also says "one can purge the heart from the body but the body will try to replace it the first chance it gets" which means both of us are right but I am more right than you. (I hope I didn't mess up the quotes)

 

Yes, Roxas was born when Sora stabbed himself to save Kairi (also creating Namine in the process), but doesn't have all his memories from before because Sora wasn't a heartless for very long. Another reason why Xion can't remember anything is because she's not a true Nobody. She's only replica that holds only the memories of Kairi, making Xion resemble Kairi in every way who was created to copy Roxas's powers. As for what you said about Nobodies getting their memories faster by being together, that's not really a factor... The strongest Nobodies (the humanoid versions) get all of their memories once they turn into one. Only Roxas is the exception (Xion doesn't count because she's not a true Nobody). Now when I said that they've had hearts, you basically quoted me but in much greater detail. As for the lesser nobodies, you'd have to go into what a Nobody really is and how they form. If a person dies, their body and will are left. Lesser Nobodies (Creeper, Dusk, etc.) have a disformed body but have their will so they can make decisions on their own. All they want is purpose now, making them great slaves. However if someone with a strong will dies, they get to keep their original body, soul AND MEMORIES (with the exception of Roxas who took Ven's form who lives inside of Sora's heart). Everyone in the Organization says they remember who they were. They keep their memories from the start. Only Roxas is the special one who couldn't. Xemnas explained how a heart can never be completely gone, which, by how he explains it, means a small part of their heart lives within them but can be nurtured back to full health. If you want a representation of my thinking, think of the movie "Warm Bodies". They are just zombies at first, just their original body and soul to wonder the earth eating brains to survive, but over time, they nurture themselves back to normal and they become alive again. Now, here's the weird/scary part. Since a Nobody is their body and soul, Sora exists the same time Roxas does. Roxas takes Ven's bodily form which is understandable since he lives inside of Sora's heart. However, does that mean Sora only has half of his soul since Roxas exists? Same thing with Namine. Kairi and Namine exist the same time too. Riddle me that. If I'm not clear about anything I've said above, let me know
and I'll clarify what I'm saying.

 

You know Hearts aren't entirely linked to memoires right they mostly store important memories, it could be that the brain they have remembers although I do see where you are getting at with the heart fragment therory and most of what you put up is valid and well said, I must agree with you with 96% of what you said but the key thing I disagree on is the hearts situation also as we see the body or Sora anyway falls into darkness while there is a heartless in the other world so I think they are downloading memories from the body in the realm of darkness or the body in the realm of darkness becomes a Nobody either way when a heartless steals a heart there will be nothing left, heartless may be stupid but they know how to steal a heart