Overview
Originally appearing in the title Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories for the Gameboy Advance, Larxene "the Savage Nymph" is the twelfth and only female member of the Organization of Nobodies and is one of the antagonists in that series. Together with her co-conspirator Marluxia she plays a pivotal role in the internal struggle between the senior leadership and the younger Neophytes of the Organization as the two plot to overthrow their superiors using Naminé, another Nobody that can manipulate memories, to take control over Sora, the protagonist of the series, which forms the basis around that game's plot. She also plays minor roles in other titles in the series.
As a character, Larxene is deceptively cruel and is by far the member of the Organization that's the most openly mean-spirited. A sadist, she hurts those in her presence physically or emotionally in order to evoke the emotions that she as a heartless Nobody cannot feel for herself and even makes her supposed allies end up on the receiving end of her snide remarks. She refers to those she abuses as "toys" on numerous occasions and the act of hurting them as "playing". Her mannerisms are often a blend of playful cruelty and elitism against others that often takes the form of bullying, but she can also be crafty and clever at times as well if the situation calls for it.
Throughout the series Larxene has appeared as a boss that the player has to fight in several games and as a playable character in Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days. In Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories she appears as a boss twice and is one of the toughest enemies in that game. She can also be faced as an optional boss in a form called an Absent Silhouette and later as a Data Replica in Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix+. As a playable character in Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days, she's the fastest but also one of the most vulnerable of the selectable characters from the Organization. In every instance, she's characterized by her speed, her control over the lightning element, and the use of throwing daggers known as kunai that she keeps between her fingers when she fights.
Story
Kingdom Hearts Novels
Until Square-Enix fleshes out her backstory further, the earliest appearance of Larxene as far as timelines goes is in the Kingdom Hearts novels that so far have only been released in Japan. She’s found by Xigbar, who's number two in the Organization of Nobodies. She soon joined the group’s ranks as its twelfth and sole female member. Early on, she's depicted as being bored and restless within the Castle that Never Was (the Organization’s headquarters) and didn’t seem to get along well with most of her fellow Nobodies.
Later on, she befriends her colleague Marluxia, who ends up being her only solid ally throughout the series. Larxene confesses her disinterest in regaining her heart to him, saying that having one had merely been painful to her while doubting that Nobodies like her would be any better off if they regained their ability t feel. This suggests that her life before turning to darkness was anything but a happy one, although it might as well be deceit on her part. As their ties grew, the pair eventually started to formulate a scheme to topple the leadership of the Organization and claim it for themselves.
Playing a minor role in the earlier chapters of the game, Larxene was tasked with teaching Roxas, the game’s protagonist and the Organization's thirteenth member, how to use magic. Dismissing it as being forced to “play nanny” to a “half-baked Nobody”, she showed nothing but utter contempt for her task and towards Roxas himself, who she’d constantly berate with demeaning remarks throughout the tutoring session. Although she crowned it the “worst mission ever” and deplored Roxas for his uselessness, she later appears to at least consider his potential, even going as far as thinking of letting him in on her scheme to take over the Organization before she changes her mind mid-sentence.
Once her and Marluxia’s ambitions for power become known to the leadership of the Organization, Larxene is re-assigned to Castle Oblivion where she was essentially contained until the events in Chain of Memories took place. Larxene was furious at this and wrote in a secret report about her bitterness at being shut out from monitoring the Keyblade Master, vowing to make the others pay once her and Marluxia’s plan was set into motion.
Of lesser but still significant note is that she didn’t get along with several of the other members of the Organization. Especially Demyx, number nine within the Organization, who referred to her as a “witch” in her absence and seemed relieved to see her shipped away to Oblivion, quite literally saying that he “loved days when Larxene is out”. He was definitely not alone in that sentiment. Larxene would also insult Roxas at almost every given opportunity if the player approaches her in the lobby between missions.
Some time after being re-assigned to Castle Oblivion, Larxene and Marluxia act on their scheme to overthrow the Organization, this time aided by Axel, number eight within the Organization, as the newest addition to their crew. The plan was to lead Sora, the master of the Keyblade, into Castle Oblivion, hoping to attain the power of the aforementioned Keyblade to take over the Organization.
Instrumental in their plan was a witch named Naminé, a Nobody who could manipulate the memories of others. Naminé is used by Marluxia and Larxene to plant false memories inside of Sora. Early on, Larxene confronts him and sets in motion the false memories Naminé planted inside him, making him believe that Naminé was a childhood friend of his. Soon thereafter, Larxene attacks Sora, but later claims to have "thrown the fight" out of boredom when she's eventually defeated in the battle that follows. Before making her retreat, she hands the hero the cards that gives him access to the higher levels in the castle, goading him into making it further up with a verbal cocktail of mockery and insults.
Ultimately however, Larxene’s and Marluxia’s plan to seize power is thwarted. Axel is revealed to be a double agent and releases Naminé from captivity, causing the very foundation of their plan to fall apart. Realizing that her plan is toast, a furious Larxene confronts Sora one last time in a fit of rage. After revealing the true nature of Naminé and how he had been deceived all along, she viciously attacks him in what becomes a long and bitter fight that ends with her being fatally wounded. She ends her life as a Nobody with a dying cry before she fades away into non-existence, becoming "nothing" instead of just a Nobody.
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