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Axel
Flurry of Dancing Flames
Name: Axel
Class: Nobody
Affiliation: Organization XIII
Organization Number: VIII
Element: Fire
Weapon: Chakrams
Number VIII in the group known as Organization XIII, Axel is head of the Assassin class of Nobodies. A strong fighter, Axel is called the "Flurry of Dancing Flames" because of his ability to weild fire using his chakram.
"A mysterious figure who stands in Sora's path. Hard to read, half the time Axel seems to just be messing around...but for all we know, he's done more thinking than everyone else put together."
- Jimminy's Journal, Kingdom Hearts: CoM
The Game
Of all the XIII, Axel is the first we meet. He makes his debut in Chain of Memories when he shows up to gift Sora with his first deck of cards. Soon, Axel is discovered to be working with Larxene and Marluxia in an attempt to overthrow the Organization and take control, even aiding them in killing other members of the Organization considered "traitors" as a show of his loyalty. However, Axel is later revealed to be double-crossing Larxene and Marluxia, both of whom trusted him and considered him a friend; his plan from the start was to actually bring down those who opposed the Organization- his "friends" included.
We see Axel again in Kingdom Hearts II, where he is once again working under the Organization's orders. However, things change drastically once orders begin to conflict with his own self-interests and he becomes a rogue member, hunted down as a traitor by Saïx.
"No.8 in the Organization. He is a shadow whose intentions and secrets are hidden from all. Axel has no qualms about exploiting others to suit his needs.
He used Sora and Namine to silence Marluxia and halt his plot against the Organization."
- D Report, Kingdom Hearts: CoM
The Player
Honestly, Axel is a very dual-natured and manipulative character, and it's hard to know who he's working for at any given point in time. Ultimately? He works for himself, changing his loyalties according to which side will come out in his favor. This does not mean he's not truly ever loyal- we see that he's fiercely so. He's loyal to the Organization when he shares their goal and he probably loves having somewhere he can belong and feel part of a team. Later, loyalty to Roxas overrides loyalty to the Organization because he considers Roxas a true friend and finds personal gain in the way Roxas makes him feel.
Contrary to a lot of his actions, it's hard to see Axel a total bastard or really, even a "villain" at all in the long run. This is odd, as throughout the span of the timeline he commits quite a few murders and kidnaps Kairi. Yet somehow, by the end, it's impossible not to sympathize to a degree once his real motives are revealed and we find that, more than anything, he fights for friendship and his own brands of loyalty and devotion. Selfish? Yes. Untrustworthy? Definitely, but we find out later that Axel has reasons for doing the things he does that in his mind (and maybe ours too) are totally justified.
"Organization XIII's Number VIII. He commands fire and carries a uniquely-shaped weapon. He has proven to be an odd duck of sorts within the Organization, lashing out against treachery, yet stirring troubles with his own betrayals all the while. He claims he and Sora share some sort of bond, but Sora can't imagine what that might be."
- Jimminy's Journal, Kingdom Hearts II
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