☆ that's just plain rude!

the ninth member

The title of "Melodious Noctrune" is held (somewhat) proudly by Demyx. He is the ninth of thirteen Nobodies of Organization XIII, a fictional antagonistic group featured in the videogame/manga/novel Kingdom Hearts II. Like all the members, he is a master of worldly element and can easily use it in battle. Demyx commands the element of water, and his medium is a life-sized sitar. Using music, he can also summon "water clones" of himself as aids in a fight.

why and wherefore

Unfortunately, Demyx doesn't have much of a role in the game. He shows himself before Sora and company only two times, both visits resulting in a fight. Demyx is charged with trying to convince Sora (who he thinks is Roxas) to come back to the Organization and, if that fails, to dispose of him.

His first meeting with Sora and company takes place in the Underworld, when they are searching for a thief responsible for stealing the Olympus Stone, an object necessary to fight Hades. Demyx is revealed as the thief (though he doesn't call himself that), and a battle begins.

Demyx is soon defeated, and with a closing comment of "Roxas, come back to us, okay?", he transports himself away and leaves Sora confused with his words. Your second encounter with him is at Hollow Bastion, where Demyx transports to and accidently meets Sora. Sora and company wonder why such a wimp is in the Organization, and surmise that it's because Nobodies don't have hearts. Demyx says otherwise and, quite unexpectedly, accuses Sora of being a traitor and summons his sitar to fight.

tug of war

Demyx's weapon of choice is quite a peculiar one. He uses a very large sitar that is blue in color. A sitar is a plucked stringed instrument originating from Asia, and predominantly used in India. Though Demyx's sitar has been greatly modified for esthetic purposes, the overall appearance is similar to the original sitar.

Demyx uses his sitar to conjure up clones of himself. The clones are in liquid form and are controlled by his music. The clones are actually quite powerful, and in numbers they prove to be a challenge.

While you play as Sora, Demyx is the only Organization member that you fight twice. The first encounter isn't a boss fight but rather a small challenge within the game, so Demyx doesn't really put up a fight. The second encounter, however, is entirely different. Demyx is very strong, and his water clones stronger. Well, annoying is more like it. Both Demyx and his clones are quick and powerful, and while you have as much time to fight Demyx, the battle with the clones is timed. As soon as the battle starts, you are faced with 50 of these clones and must defeat them under 40 seconds. After that, Demyx comes at you with an intense speed and dangerous combos.

Reaction commands are your best friend during this fight, and are probably your only ticket to winning it. They're very helpful when Demyx summons ten clones for you to defeat in ten seconds, as well as for fighting Demyx himself. He has some pretty tricky attacks up his sleeve, and he's quick to use them. Speed is his strong point, and you have to focus on avoiding his combo patterns.

Despite his looks, Demyx can fight. The second battle is long and hard, and it might take you a few attempts to finally beat him. But, Demyx isn't invincible, so he shouldn't be such a difficult challenge for anyone.

the end

Like every villain in a game, Demyx ends up being killed by the hero. Sora and company easily defeat the ninth member of Organization XIII, and move on to complete their task of saving Hollow Bastion. Demyx was horribly short-lived, and we weren't able to learn any more about his character. I am glad that the game received a different kind of villain this time around.

impression

When Demyx made his appearance, I just stared at the TV screen. I was honestly a bit surprised at how different he was. He was a wimp, and he belonged to an organization that was made up of a bunch of crazy but strong people. There was definitely something wrong. Demyx was very, very different, and that difference was what made me like him.

He's quite the comic relief, if only for a short period of time. He's easily scared and surprised, and Sora and company have their doubts about this nobody, and rightfully so! They've encountered a few of the shady members of the Organization, and then Demyx comes along. He just makes you want to laugh at the whole situation. Demyx himself seems to see that he isn't that much of an asset to his fellow XIII members, and admits it by saying that they sent "the wrong guy" for the job of killing Sora. His character makes you wonder how he even got into the Organization.

Despite Demyx's carefree and unknowing attitude, there is some speculation that he was a split personality, or he's hiding his true nature. During your second encounter with the ninth nobody, Demyx unexpectedly turns around and calls Sora a traitor. His voice is clearly adapted into a rough, stern, and almost foreboding tone, both in the English and Japanese versions of the game. It's a bit scary, actually, since it's so sudden. My personal view on the matter is that Demyx might be pretending to act tough, or he just had a spur of the moment feeling. I don't believe that Demyx can truly summon up such cold feelings in a short amount of time, even considering the situation he was in. Of course, you don't have to believe me, this is just my opinion.

Basically, Demyx is not your run-of-the-mill bad guy, and that's what makes the guy so interesting. If you haven't already played the game, go out and buy Kingdom Hearts II. It's a great way to spend an afternoon.

extras

♚ "Did they ever pick the wrong guy for this one..."
♚ "Now that's just plain rude!"
♚ "You shouldn't judge anyone by appearance."
♚ "Oh, we do too have hearts!"
♚ "Silence, traitor."
♚ "Dance, water, dance!" ("Maiodoru, mizu-tachi!")

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