Axel and His Popularity
I distinctly remember, back in high school, our French class was doing a project to learn how to write and pronounce family members and we were asked to make a family tree with these titles. Since we had been allowed to use any sorts of pictures, one girl, and probably one of the only other people in that tiny, tiny school to be intrigued by the new Kingdom Hearts game, used a screenshot of Axel in her project. This was early into the official announcement of the second game, several years before its actual release. The picture of Axel still had Japanese subtitles on it and all I could think was: who is this guy!?
Accepting a New Character Isn’t Always Easy
Since the debut of Chain of Memories, and most certainly Kingdom Hearts II, fans have been intrigued, delighted, even obsessed with the Organization XIII member, Axel. What exactly is his appeal to gamers? His curious appearance, the bad boy attitude, the deadly weapons, or maybe his mysterious background? I’ve thought about this and came to the conclusion within just a few short minutes that it must be all of the above. This assortment of attributes Axel came parading in with are ideal traits for a new role-playing character to be accepted into an already begun story.
A Humanized Antagonist
It’s no question to anyone who has completed their playing of Kingdom Hearts II and 358/2 Days that Axel is not only an important icon in the birth and progress of the plot, but he is also key in the emotional stability of the main protagonists, that being both Sora and Roxas. Axel’s layers create a well thought-out and complex man, someone who isn’t in the Organization just because. Before the release of 358, it was quite obvious throughout Sora’s meetings with the redhead that the member hid frustration and fear for the safety of his friend, Roxas. This makes him appeal to the gaming audience because a character who is essentially supposed to be our antagonist now shows hints of humanity and suffering that we can relate to and understand. Now that we have attached to him emotionally, we become intrigued by his mysterious life and how he came to be.
Drawn to the Flame
In regards to his appearance, Axel embodies all aspects of fire, an element that is both beautiful and powerful. He has weapons that radiate fire on top of their already deadly appearance. His red and spiky hair causes him to stand out from every other member of the Organization and its inability to be kept under control appears to be much like his attitude. Axel does what he pleases, despite the ramifications from his superiors, although for as much as his bad boy personality is used to get him out of sticky situations and jobs he wants to take on, it’s also used as a guard to hide behind. There has always been an appeal to viewers, or in this case gamers, of the lone wolf’s hard, outer shell being slowly dismantled to show off a more gentle person. In these regards, that would be the meeting of Axel and Roxas.
A Great Addition to Kingdom Hearts
Axel is a very well balanced character with enough of that unique twist and mysteriousness that grabs at RPG players. With his dangerous appearance and brash personality coupled with a kind nature hidden deep inside, it’s no surprise that he should be one of the more popular characters introduced after Kingdom Hearts I.
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I think that Axel is a great character but for him to actually sacrifice himself was sad. His importance in the latest game was amusing and I think that he won’t be forgotten in the last Kingdom Hearts game.
I just recently got kingdom hearts 385/2 days and i am obsessed with the game and Axel. He’s already my #1 fav character. If i’m not playing the game i’m on Youtube watch vids about him. You can’t stop fangirlism. Axel is probably the coolest guy on the game (in my opinion). I love his attitude, his weapons, and his looks. Can’t help it. I love bad boys. Anyway, Axel just rocks!
i strongly dislike Axel,if you’re making a game mainly and mostly about Roxas,which is another giant contreversy.then you’re not supposed to have to go almost all on the impact on Axel getting destroyed at Castle Oblivion,but i get having to go through that phase f your friend either gets seriously injured or sadly killed your heart would be broken,but thats another
I think Axel was great he should come back and i think he had feelings and he was my favorite he shouldnt of died.He had amazing powers.And he had the best sayins. “Got it memoized”
Can ppl agree with me ppl remember him by his saying “Got it memoized”
Love Axel. ^_^ He definitely piqued my interest when i first saw him on the game. But i dont remember him for his saying. I remember his weapons and hair.
His catch phrase kind got me.
“Got it memorized, Roxas?”
/dies\
The reason I like Axel is one I love trying to peice together character’s pasts. From playing 238/2 days I’ve concluded Axel and Saix knew each other…might had even been friends prior to the oganization. Another thing I don’t support yaori (Don’t flame me) They way I see it when Axel and Saix joind Org XIII, Saix gained more and more power until he was 2nd in command.Thier friendship slowly slipped away. (Call me a dreamer) Alone,(But now showing it, what with his personality?) he found other ways to spend his time via clocktower. I see Axel and Roxas as I see Sora and Riku, close enough to be brothers…..but not lovers. Fire happens to be my favorite element (Can’t you tell?) So I was pleased to see a character with the elemnt in kingdom hearts. His catch praze is “catchy” too (XD) as I catch myself saying it in conversations. I also tend to go with the “underdogs” (If you’d call Axel an underdog!) I like to go with the characters with troubled pasts…such as: Being posessed: Riku, Realizing a hidden truth: Roxas….you get the point. I going to stop rambling before I get myself flamed. And I end on this…………………..Axel is amazing
Got it memorized?
Everyone has different reasons as to why they like a certain thing, so I would say the same thing goes for Axel. I absolutely adore his character mainly because of the way he is with Roxas (and Xion) He’s just so different from the rest.
Axel is a beast! he is awesome i like playing kingdom hearts 2 and using cheats so instead of donald or goofy i use him to help me out
Axel i use him to fight in kingdom hearts 2 you can use cheats and i like being him
I got 358/2 days about a month ago and ever since then i’ve loved Axel, i think what i loved best was that without him, i think the whole storyline would have been a complete drag(whereas if roxas became friends with someone like Larxene, well it might had been interesting lol but she wasent in the game for very long), the main reason (proboly) why i carried on was to see Axel and Roxas eating ice cream together :’)
Axel is like hayners nobody
Only a true fan girl would cry at Axels death. There, thats MY catch phrase! XD
I personally love Axel /(and Lea of course!) He’s my favorite character. I got Birth by Sleep the week after it came out, and I love 358/2 and KH 2! I love the meaning behind “358/2″: “358″ Days spent between “2″ people. <3 That's what I read in a Tetsuya Nomura interview anyway.
I believe it was Axel/Roxas. I despise Xion. She ruined Roxas' life.
Annnnd as you have probably guessed I'm a huge Axel/Roxas -AkuRoku fan! Not simply because its Yaoi, but because it makes more sense to me than any other couple. C:
Yup.
Axel is awesome. He is sweet and thoughtful, while still being sarcastic and dark. C:
And besides, in another Tetsuya Nomura interview he said that through Sora, Roxas has a heart, and through Roxas/Sora, Axel had a heart/emotions.
Sssssooooo. Yeah. He can love. C:
I was obsessed with Axel when i first began my Kingdom Hearts fandom (which im sad to say, began with 358/2 days…) but I eventualy realized, though he was(and still is) INCREDIBLY atractive, his personality wasn’t really my type and I moved onto my Roxypoo. But my best friend Steph is majorly in love with Axel. her fanpop username is AxelsGirl15 and she died her hair bright red to show her fandom. (and when i say bright red, i mean ust like Axel’s hair. we even tried spiking it up once, lol) but anyway, Axel is my second favorite character. And even though Roxas has 99.999% of my heart, there is still 00.001% left over for Axel :3
I love Axel for so many reasons. He’s loyal, funny, had a lot of character development, etc… =D
“I despise Xion. She ruined Roxas’ life.”
What is this I don’t even. If it weren’t for Xion, Roxas would be dead. Roxas ruined his own life with help from RIku and Xemnas. :c
Roxas and Riku ruined Axel’s life.
Roxas turned his back on one of his two best friends. (which did not go well. Roxas needs people to look after him, which was what Axel was doing through most of Days, and Xion after she learned the danger they were in.) Xion doesn’t get in the way of AkuRoku; ROXAS does. (much to my frustration. xD I love Axel and Roxas as friends! <3 The pairing squicks me out a bit due to age difference- physical and mental. *laughs*)
Riku captured Roxas and had his memories erased. Earlier, he basically tried to talk Xion into suicide.