SPOILERS What does KH3's ending mean to you?

[Dionysos]

Obvious spoilers going forward but I’ll have to block it out anyway in case anyone can’t help themselves by clicking this thread.

I know a lot of people have been critical about the ending lately (due to a flawed execution) but what did people think about what actually happened?

Did it resonate with you on a personal, emotional, level? Or did you stop taking it seriously and end up not being impacted by it? What did you like about it, if anything?

I’m going to have to be honest. The whole story with Roxas in KH2 broke my heart when I was a kid. It made me so sad. So to see Roxas restored into existence in KH3, and to then see him hanging out with Axel, then joined by Xion, then Saix, then Hayner, Olette and Pence. Yeah it was a silly ice cream scene, but I was cheering at that point as it really meant a lot to me personally, silly as that sounds typing it up… I felt a sense of closure after all of these years, and in a rarely positive way. I’ve not been in a good head space lately in real life, so I guess the game came out at exactly the right time when I needed it to act as a boost.

That's just one part of the ending I'm referring to, and I totally understand the criticisms of the final chapter. But they didn't sour my experience of the game, so maybe the above factored into that for me...

So what does it mean to you? Did you like any of it?



Also, you may discuss what the game means in terms of lore, etc, if you wish too. I understand the thread title can be read in multiple ways.

 

[Mercurial]

The ending gave me a warm feeling opposed to taking me to any particular emotional level - not because I was disappointed by the ending, but because I felt the Keyblade Graveyard / Scala Ad Caelum chapters gave me greater closure than the ending itself:

- Organisation XIII members could finally 'exist' again - 'And now, I am on the cusp of reclaiming my identity' (Marluxia).
- Xion, Axel and Roxas finally reunite - 'Sora helped me find my way back here... to my friends' (Roxas).
- Terra, Aqua and Ven finally reunite - 'You found me, just like you promised' (Terra).
- Closure between Master Eraqus and Terra / Aqua / Ven - 'Forgive your foolish teacher' (Master Eraqus).
- Closure between Master Eraqus and Master Xehanort - 'Checkmate' (Master Eraqus).

For me, there were two elements of closure in the game, the 'true' closure (for me, personally) in which the protagonists complete their emotional and personal missions (above list) and the happy / warm feeling for actual ending scene showing everyone returning to where it begun: Disney Castle, Twilight Town, Land of Departure & Destiny Islands.

What the ending does also carry is the gut wrenching emotion that Sora has 'died' to save Kairi, hence, only Kairi appearing on Destiny Islands... which may be setting up the Reapers' Game in either DLC or a new saga (Reconnect, Yozora & Master of Masters).

It will be interesting to see if the black box and foretellers become integral to the next arc.