Subject χ & Time-Traveling Shenanigans
Ever since I discovered Kingdom Hearts back in 2019, one of the mysteries I always find myself thinking about is the identity of none other than Subject χ. Over the years, I’ve seen so many videos and discussions about who she might be and I’m personally convinced that she’s Skuld after the events of Khux. However, when it was revealed at the end of Khdr, that Xehanort was not only a descendant of Ephemer, but a relative to Skuld, it made me question somethings.
Now, it’s definitely plausible that Skuld could have a sibling or cousin who eventually got with a descendant of Ephemer which eventually led to Xehanort and his mother. Especially with how Missing Link (rest in peace) was going to focus on bloodlines. Yet, I feel like something else could be going on. Xehanort’s mother and Skuld are extremely similar to one another.
It’s no surprise some people thought that Skuld became Xehanort’s mother due to the striking similarities the two of them share. They’re almost identical if not for the eye color.
With that said, I think I’ve stalled enough, so I’m going to tell you my theory:
I think that when Skuld was sent to the future, she became Subject χ, but after Xigbar, a.k.a. Luxu rescued her, she was sent back into the past.
My reasoning behind this is that we saw that Maleficent was able to travel from the future (Kh1) to the past (Khux) because a version of herself existed in that time, even if it was digital. Additionally, she was able to return to the future, which is technically the present, because she had a medium and memories from people who remembered her.
Who’s to say that the opposite isn’t possible for Skuld?
Now this is where things get interesting. Let’s say that this is true, what would her medium be and who has the memories? I’m going to pose several possibilities I've been thinking of, but first I’d like to say that I believe she didn't have a medium which is why she can’t remember anything.
From what we've seen throughout the series, a medium is something personal that belonged to the time traveller and is what keeps their memories intact. Maleficent, Brain, and the MoM are examples of characters who have known mediums and their memories even after traveling through time. On the flipside, characters like Ventus, Lauriam, Elrena, and one could argue the Player character, all lack memories because they didn't have a medium to help them remember. They only had people who had memories of them in the future.
Okay, so back to what I was saying. Here are the possibilities I’ve considered:
Ephemer: He and Skuld share a strong bond with one another and since he was given the Book of Prophcies at the end of Khux, it’s very possible that he anticipated her arrival. The two could've possiblely started a family together, making both of them Xehanort’s great-great grandparents.
Brain: Similar reasons for Ephemer but I don't think the two would end up together. I want to also bring light to the fact that the Scala we see in the cutscene featuring baby Xehanort and his mother, looks more visually similar to the Scale we see in Missling Link. This means if Skuld hypothetically arrived around this time, Skuld herself could've gotten with a descendant of Ephemer and eventually become Xehanort’s mothers mom or grandma depending on how old Brain was when she arrived.
Luxu: He’s been observing the Union Leaders from the shadows so he would also have memories of Skuld and due to him body hopping, he would obviously exist in the past which would allow Skuld to arrive there. Again, he is the one who saved and hid her. What’s a better place to hide someone than in the past where no one from the present can find them? It would be perfect and could also explain why Isa and Lea couldn’t figure out anything about her whereabouts. She’s no longer in the same time as them. Furthermore, she doesn’t have to get with a descendant of Ephemer since it’s also possible that one of her descendants did.
At the end of the day, this is just a theory I’ve had in my head for several months. I’m curious to know what you guys think of it.
TL;DR: With no medium but memories of those who remember her, Skuld is Subject χ who was sent back into time after being recused by Luxu.
