Hollow Bastion
Ruined castle world
Story and background
Sora confronts the truth about Kairi’s heart in the castle that was once Radiant Garden. The events here precipitate his brief transformation into a Heartless and the creation of Roxas.
Events and connections in the series
At Hollow Bastion, Riku claimed the Keyblade as its intended wielder. Donald and Goofy briefly followed their obligation to the weapon, leaving Sora apparently powerless. But the Keyblade returned when Sora's heart and his commitment to his friends proved stronger. Riku fled, and the enemy already waiting inside his darkness finally gained control. This was Ansem, Seeker of Darkness: Xehanort's Heartless, not the real Ansem the Wise.
At Hollow Bastion, Mickey revealed the extraordinary deception at the center of the earlier game. The enemy Sora knew as Ansem had been Xehanort's Heartless, an impostor using the name of a betrayed master. The genuine Ansem the Wise was the hidden figure DiZ, a researcher whose hunger for revenge had made him mistreat Roxas and others. The line from scientist to Heartless, from scientist to Nobody, was finally visible.
More in the lore
Explore the complete chronology for the surrounding events, relationships and consequences across the games.