Roxas in Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

"Why did the Keyblade choose me? I have to know."

—Roxas to Axel upon his departure from the Organization.

Roxas was born in Twilight Town and soon discovered by Xemnas, who gave him his name. Having nowhere else to go, Roxas joins the Organization in hopes of finding the answers he needs. On Roxas's fifth day, Xemnas places Roxas under Axel's watch, and the two soon become best friends. When he visits Twilight Town, sometimes he catches sight of three regular kids: Hayner, Pence, and Olette, and wishes to befriend them.

When Axel is sent to Castle Oblivion to interfere in Marluxia's plans to enslave Sora and overthrow Xemnas, Roxas is placed in charge of Xion, the newest member of the Organization and a girl about the same (physical) age as him. Though emotionally distant at first, Xion soon opens up to Roxas, revealing to him that she can wield a Keyblade, and the two become close friends after Roxas falls into a coma for several weeks, linked to Sora being placed in suspended animation by Naminé. After awakening, Roxas attempts to spend time with Axel and Xion, but he begins to react to the process of Sora's memory restoration, and begins to question why he wields the Keyblade and doubt the Organization's motives. At the time when he is at the Organization he begins a lot of missions involving visiting other worlds which cause Roxas to experience some of Sora's memories.

As he spends more time with The Organization, Roxas grows increasingly impatient towards his unanswered questions. Meanwhile, he still works actively to help the Organization in their plan for Kingdom Hearts, using the Keyblade to release the Heartless' hearts. However, Xion, seeking answers to her own questions, departs the Organization to find herself. Roxas soon follows her example and defects from the Organization himself. On his way, he is intercepted by Axel, who attempts to persuade him to stay, warning him that the Organization would destroy him due to his betrayal. However, Roxas remains indifferent, saying "No one would miss me", and continues on his way.

Roxas, Xion, and Axel during their time at Organization XIII

At some point, Roxas, while searching Twilight Town, encounters Xion, who has discovered the truth behind her own birth (that she is not a Nobody, but an imperfect replica of Sora created from his leaked memories by Xemnas in the event that Sora turned out to be useless to his plans for Kingdom Hearts) and is reprogrammed by Xemnas. Roxas is shocked to discover that Xion has taken on the appearance of his past self, and even more so when he discovers that Xion desires to become the 'real' Sora, and wants to absorb Roxas stating it was the reason why she was created. This is shown to be nothing, but a ruse, in connection to her thoughts by her Secret Reports. She is aware that they cannot coexist, that Roxas was in danger if so, and decided to willingly disappear, and not let Xemnas succeed: a fact that she states when she later dies.

Knowing that Roxas would not be able to kill her, and Axel had admitted that he could not either in his own Secret Report, she forces Roxas to fight her instead. Xion then transforms into a giant armored monster at the ready. After a long and grueling battle, Roxas defeats Xion, who regains her original appearance. Roxas, however, loses all of his memories of Xion after the battle. In her final moments, she informs Roxas of the true colors of the Organization, tells him that she is glad they were friends and pleads with him not to let Xemnas accomplish Kingdom Hearts before dying peacefully in his arms. At this moment, Roxas remembers Xion, but he is too late. Saddened, Roxas holds Xion's essence and degenerating crystallized body until she is completely gone, leaving behind a seashell on the ground, as he spills tears.

This marks the start of where he gains his signature ability to dual-wield, as he inherits Xion's Keyblade after her demise. The first time he uses them, it shows two Kingdom Keys, his and Xion's, which later transform into the Oblivion and Oathkeeper.

"How many times do I have to beat you!?"

—Roxas, engaging Riku

Riku, taking the form of Xehanort's Heartless, confronts Roxas at The World That Never Was.

Xion's absorbtion into Sora, along with the knowledge of Xemnas's true plans, only further strengthens Roxas's determination to find Sora and the answers that he seeks. Before that, however, Roxas returns to The World That Never Was, planning to "set Kingdom Hearts free", in compliance to Xion's last words. He also desires to save Xion from within him, hoping that freeing Kingdom Hearts would bring her back. Then, they could go back to Axel. Upon his arrival, Roxas is attacked at Memory's Skyscraper by countless Neoshadow Heartless, which surround him. Roxas draws out his Keyblades, ready to defend himself. However, after slaying many Heartless, he realizes there are too much to fight alone.

Luckily, Riku suddenly appears at the scene on top of the Skyscraper, and Roxas tosses him his Oblivion Keyblade as he runs up, and they both defeat the Neoshadows after in the ground. However, both immediately turn on each other when done. Roxas beats Riku at first, but Riku willingly unleashes his inner darkness and takes on the physical appearance of Xehanort's Heartless. Riku-Ansem disappears and reappears in front of Roxas, surprising him, before the Guardian grabs him and squeezes him hard enough to make him lose consciousness. DiZ then appears and opens up a portal to the old mansion in Twilight Town, where Roxas came into being and where DiZ resides.

DiZ aims to join Sora and Roxas together in order to help Sora wake up faster after regaining his memories. However, he knows the Organization is hunting fervently for their missing member, so DiZ places him in a virtual Twilight Town. There, Roxas would be kept safely away from the Organization while he lived as a normal boy, unaware of his past. Even though Roxas begins to forget about Xion, she tells him that she'll always remember him and Axel. It showed that when Roxas began to forget, cutscenes including him, Axel, and Xion were changed by Xion being erased.