She's got blood as cold as ice
Have it your way. Thrice the pain for you means thrice the fun for me!
Welcome to Miss Murder, a one page, text-based dedication to the sadistic Larxene from the Kingdom Hearts series. Larxene does not play a huge role in the series as a whole. Therefore, this site will be mostly based on Re:Chain of Memories with a few mentions of 358/2 Days. The point of this site is to provide as much information and analysis of her character as possible, so there will be unmarked spoilers for the plot of Chain of Memories in majority of the sections. Please note that there will also be speculation and personal opinions with regard to the missing parts of Larxene's story. I have marked my theories and opinions as such to be sure readers will know what is factual and what is not. If you have any questions, comments or concerns, please feel free to shoot me an e-mail and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Thanks for dropping by and I hope you are able to find something to make your visit worthwhile!

UPDATES




Version three of Miss Murder features Larxene's concept artwork. All other aspects were made by me or default to the Mac version of Adobe Photoshop CS5, with the exception of fonts that were downloaded from Dafont. There is no navigation, so please continue to scroll down in order to view the contents of the site. Past layouts can be viewed at my layout archive.
Organization XIII
Sadly there's a catch... I'M the bad guy, so you have to go through me!

Organization XIII is a group of Nobodies with a strong character and will that come together with the stated purpose of discovering the secrets of the heart. They serve as the primary antagonists to Sora for majority of the series. The thirteen official members seek to regain their heart and become whole again by making use of Kingdom Hearts—a gathering of hearts. The role of the Organization changes a little depending on what game in the series you are looking at. In Chain of Memories, six members—Vexen, Lexaeus, Zexion, Axel, Marluxia and Larxene—are assigned to an area referred to as Castle Oblivion. Unbeknownst to the senior members, Marluxia and Larxene scheme to use Sora as a tool in order to take over Organization XIII. As they lure Sora deeper and deeper into the strange castle, he forgets nearly everything important and slowly begins to “remember” false, implanted memories. By turning Sora into their puppet, they would have control of the Keyblade and thus have the power to overthrow those of higher rank than themselves. Marluxia and Larxene also let Axel in on their plan. Unfortunately, this decision ultimately leads to their plans being foiled and to the death of five out of the six members stationed at Castle Oblivion.
Profile
Ooh, aren't you clever. The name's Larxene.

ORIGINAL NAME: Unknown
CLASS: Nobody
NUMBER: XII
TITLE: The Savage Nymph (非情の妖姫 Hijou no Youki)
ELEMENT: Lightning
WEAPON: Foudre
LIMIT BREAK: Voltic Rush
IMMUNITIES: Thunder
APPEARANCE: Chain of Memories; 358/2 Days
Journal Entries
Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories (Sora): A member of the group that controls Castle Oblivion. Larxene is unfeeling and loves nothing more than to bring other people down. She is on good terms with Axel but still mocks everyone and trusts no one.Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories (Riku): No. 12 in the Organization. Larxene conspired with Marluxia to take over the group, and intended to pull Axel in as well. However, her abrasive, unfeeling personality proved her downfall—provoking Sora's anger was a fatal error.
Kingdom Hearts II: Formerly Organization XIII's Number XII. She has been eliminated. Larxene conspired with Marluxia to turn on the Organization. Larxene was unfeeling and loved nothing more than to bring people down, but she met her demise when that malice came full circle.
Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days: No. XII LARXENE - Wields sharp knives and a sharper tongue. Her lightning strikes as quick as her temper.
Kingdom Hearts 1.5 HD ReMIX: A member of Organization XIII. She is highly conceited and mocks all those around her with an abrasive attitude. She was sent to Castle Oblivion, but was disposed of by an unknown assailant.
Quick Facts & Trivia
❖ Larxene is the only female member of Organization XIII.❖ Larxene is the first female playable character in the Kingdom Hearts series.
❖ In the novel, she was found and recruited into the Organization by Xigbar.
❖ She was the member who trained Roxas how to use magic in combat.
❖ Larxene eventually considers telling Roxas about her plot with Marluxia.
❖ In the manga, Larxene is shown reading a book about Marquis de Sade, the eponym of sadism.
❖ Her original name is unknown, but the most likely combinations of the letters of her name without an "x" are Arlene and Relena.
❖ While hooded, Larxene can be differentiated from other members based on her short stature, hourglass figure and high heeled boots.
❖ Her Japanese voice is performed by Katayama Reiko in Chain of Memories and Miyamura Yuuko in RE: Chain of Memories and 358/2 Days.
❖ Her English voice actress is Shanelle Gray.
Personality
It'll kill you to hear this—but I can live with that.

Another aspect of her personality worth mentioning is her self-confidence. Larxene acts and talks as if she is above almost everyone. She certainly displays no fear of resentment or retaliation when making jabs at people, at least. Further, when Riku Replica tries to attack her, she easily knocks him down and laughs hysterically at the idea that "a toy" thought he could even stand a chance against her. The mere idea that someone could hurt her was amusing. Also, when Sora tries to attack her because he's sick of her mind games, she easily dodges him and kicks him backward, totally unamused. She seems basically annoyed that Sora even thought he'd be able to touch her. Larxene just carries herself as if no one is able to defeat her and makes excuses when that belief is challenged. For example, she claims that she "threw" her first battle to Sora even though to Axel, it looked like she just plain lost. When she loses to Sora a second time, she desperately says that she "refuses to lose to a bunch of losers." Larxene still can't admit someone bested her even in the face of defeat.
Larxene is also incredibly quick to anger. She can appear completely calm in one moment and erupt into a savage, violent rage a moment later. This is especially true when someone challenges or insults her. When Sora smacks her hand with his Keyblade in order to reclaim Namine's good luck charm, her amusement in mocking him quickly dissolves into rage and she attacks him. Further, when Axel comments on how it looked like she just plain lost to Sora later on, she immediately becomes angry and says, "how dare you?!" When Naminé stands between her and Sora in order to protect him, Larxene is quickly irritated at her sudden disobedience and angrily informs her it's too late for her to develop a conscience. She even goes as far as warning the both of them that she is in an "EXTREMELY foul mood," implying she could snap at any moment and they shouldn't push her. To say Larxene is a bit hot headed is an understatement.
Sadism
As if it's not bad enough that Larxene is a complete asshole, she actually enjoys putting people down. If the amusement on her face and voice when mocking others isn't enough to tell that she enjoys hitting people where it hurts most, her words certainly make it clear. She says things like, "thrice the pain for you means thrice the fun for me," and "it makes me TINGLE to think about how easily you were duped" in almost every interaction she has with others she holds absolutely no regard for. Larxene is just plain sadistic. Sadism, though often having a sexual connotation, can refer more generally to pleasure gained by deliberate cruelty to others. Although the diagnosis no longer exists, there was at one point a "Sadistic Personality Disorder," which included criteria such as humiliates or demeans people in the presence of others, is amused by, or takes pleasure in, the psychological or physical suffering of others and has used physical cruelty or violence for the purpose of establishing dominance in a relationship.1 Her behavior is certainly in line with such criteria! Larxene, without a doubt, gets immense pleasure in the form of amusement by being cruel to those around her. Nothing less would be fitting of someone with the title of The Savage Nymph, I suppose.So what? She's a Nobody, which means she has no feelings and thus no conscience, right? I originally didn't think too much into this until I realized that the whole point of sadism is gaining pleasure from the experience. If we are to assume that Nobodies really can't feel emotion and base their behaviors on their memories of when they did have emotion, Larxene would have to have memories of being sadistic when she was human. If we work under the pretense that somehow Nobodies like those in Organization XIII really do have emotion, it still indicates she is at a point where the suffering of others is amusing to her. This led me to wonder what in the world happened to her that led to her behaving in such a way (hey, I'm a social worker, it's what I do). Of course there is the possibility that Larxene was on the path to becoming a sociopath, but I personally think something happened to her. In a discussion with Marluxia in the novels, Larxene states that having a heart is painful and wonders if they are better off not having one. To me, it seems like she might remember something specific that happened to her that was so painful that it would cause hesitation about regaining her heart. It may be a bit of a stretch, but some of her other behaviors like not trusting others, being callous, hostile and aggressive can be indicators of experiencing trauma. We don't know the circumstances that led to her losing her heart, nor do we know what her life was like before becoming Larxene. My theory, based on looking at her behaviors and the comment she makes about how having a heart is painful, is that she experienced something traumatic that caused her to emotionally shut down as a defense mechanism. Caring for and trusting others is painful and dangerous to someone who's been hurt by someone they trusted, especially if they are a child (see the next section on my theory around that) and that person is a caretaker. Not being able to form bonds with other people compounded by being callous after shutting out feelings completely and potentially being a victim to aggression or violence could set the stage for Larxene's sadism.
Childish Behavior
Another aspect of Larxene's personality that I noticed was how childish she could be. Her explosive anger, impulsivity when angry and overall dramatic behavior strongly reminded me of a child who doesn't have mastery of emotion regulation yet. Larxene can even be seen pouting when Vexen basically tells her she has limited significance and again when he tells her she should learn to be quiet! For someone with such self-confidence and apparent disregard of what other people think and feel, I was actually surprised to see her regress to such a childish behavior. This suggests to me that she was actually only a child when she lost her heart, or that perhaps my theory of a traumatic event discussed above led to her being developmentally stuck at the emotional maturity of a child. Larxene doesn't look like a child, but neither do Axel or Saix and their somebodies were both really young. I can't completely put my finger on it, but Larxene really just reminds me of a child who has learned maladaptive patterns of interaction with others, likely due to being hurt herself. Imagine the havoc an untrusting child who doesn't completely understand what's happened to her or the appropriate way to cope with painful emotions could wreak when given power in the form of weapons and control over lightning. Again, this is all theoretical and not canon, but could be a possible explanation for her behavior as Larxene.Her Demise
No, this isn't...the way I...I won't...allow...

Additionally, I really wonder what the intent behind her final words was. My first thoughts were that she really was just in disbelief that she lost to Sora because her self-confidence blinded her to the possibility that she could lose. And then perhaps "I won't allow" was her trying to will herself not to disappear because that would mean admitting defeat. Any feelings of fear or panic could simply be a natural reaction to not knowing what would happen to her after she faded. Another interpretation I considered based on my theory of her past was maybe Larxene really had her heart set on taking over the Organization because she desperately wanted to have control over something. Trauma can lead to people feeling as though the world is unsafe and that they have no control over what happens to them. Losing to Sora shattered her ambitions and likely made her feel like she had no control over her situation, once again. Not wanting to allow the sense of power and control she felt as Larxene slip out of her fingers would make sense. Panic and fear would be a natural reaction to losing that power as well. It's interesting to think about, at least!
Relationships
So you're in on it, too? Well, keep it under your hood until the time is right.

Larxene and Marluxia don't have a lot of screen time together to be sure of their dynamic, either. The novels depict the two of them having a deep conversation around having hearts, their roles in the Organization and eventual scheme to take over. Larxene must have some level of trust for Marluxia in order to have such conversations and to actually go through with their plans at Castle Oblivion... Or at least some confidence that he wouldn't betray her in the immediate future, anyway. Larxene does seem to become more serious and less antagonistic toward others when Marluxia is around. She certainly is never seen mocking him. Therefore, I would argue she has respect for him. Undertones of the game suggest Marluxia has the leadership role at Castle Oblivion. Thus, it seems Larxene is more of a right-hand woman in their plot to take over the Organization. Larxene temporarily casting aside her radiating self-confidence and being remotely submissive to anyone would likely suggest she has respect for that person. How could someone so callous and unfeeling have respect for anything? Well, I doubted it at first as well until I saw Larxene's interactions with Roxas. She despised having to train him and clearly had no regard for him at all. However, she eventually considers telling him about her and Marluxia's conspiracy against the Organization. If Larxene can grow to be impressed enough to respect Roxas as potential comrade, I think it's safe to say she is capable of respecting Marluxia as well.
Even if Larxene is capable of feeling emotions, I highly doubt that she actually cares about anyone. If anything, she simply views Axel and Marluxia as pawns to get what she wants. I don't think Larxene is stupid. She realizes she can't take over the Organization and carry out the plans at Castle Oblivion on her own. She needs Marluxia and recognizes that the task will be easier with Axel's help as well. She even says that the three of them taking over the Organization together will be like "child's play." Larxene probably respects both Marluxia and Axel for their prowess in battle and nothing more. Whether that respect would keep the two of them on her good side after she reached her goals and no longer had use for them, I'm not sure. Larxene is incapable of forming emotional bonds and truly trusting other people. Thus, I would label her relationships with both Marluxia and Axel professional, at best.
Element
Her lightning strikes as quick as her temper.

In addition to power, the thunderbolt has also come to be associated with speed.3 This is true of both classical literature and pop culture. In Pokémon, for example, the electric types (represented by a thunderbolt) tend to excel in the speed stat. Speed is Larxene's strongest skill in battle. She is able to quickly maneuver herself, her knives and bolts of lightning. You can view the abilities & fighting style section below to read more about Larxene's speed.
Lightning is an interesting symbol. On one hand, it is a terrible and destructive force associated with punishment, violence and death. On the other, however, it also symbolizes revelation and illumination.3 The duality of lightning includes both destruction and enlightenment. Although my theory about Larxene's past discussed in previous sections is only my opinion, I've found this duality of "good" and "bad" in a number of places while working on this site. Perhaps, then, lightning is another reference to how she wasn't always so violent and sadistic. Or, it shows that people have the potential to be both "good" and "bad." Many members of Organization XIII are simply longing to be whole again. They aren't necessarily evil or "bad." In this way, then, lightning might be a reminder that the duality of destruction and illumination exists in all of us, even someone so savage and violent as Larxene. Our circumstances and experiences push us one way or the other. If the circumstances that led to Larxene becoming a Nobody didn't occur, she might not have ended up the way she appears to us in the game.
Symbolism aside, consider a simplified definition of what lightning is. It's a sudden, electrostatic discharge. Such a definition can easily be likened to Larxene's short fuse! In one moment she appears fine and the next she explodes with anger. This phenomenon is often visually demonstrated by sparks of lightning coming from her hands. Lightning is also typically occurs during storms. Words such as violent, angry and other strong emotions are usually used to describe the sky and weather during storms. Again, this may be a reference to Larxene's hotheaded, savage personality. Her lightning is noted to strike as quick as her temper, after all!
Numerology
She's number twelve of the Organization.

If we look closer at 12 in relation to time, we can see that it divides our concepts of day and night.4 Therefore, the number 12 is also associated with the duality of time of day, much like lightning is associated with the duality of destruction and illumination, and a number of Larxene's weapons discussed in the next section suggest the duality between violence and gentleness. I personally find this repeated discovery of dissonance to be very interesting in light of my speculations about her history discussed in previous sections. That aside, though, duality has certainly been a reoccurring theme in my considerations of Larxene's character. It's food for thought, anyway...
The Hanged Man
I would argue that the 13 members of Organization XIII have similarities to the 13 Major Arcana of tarot cards. They both have the number 13 as their focal point and use Roman numerals, for example. I thought it might be interesting and appropriate to look at an analysis of Arcana XII, The Hanged Man. Interpretations of the card often focus on self-sacrifice, but it can also represent someone going through a major transformation at the hands of loss or illness.5 Such transformation is described as resulting in the shattering of an old way of life and letting go of old patterns.5 This could be linked back to Larxene's human existence losing her heart and thus undergoing the transformation into a Nobody. Losing her old way of life could tie into my speculations that she wasn't so violent and savage before undergoing whatever trauma led to her losing her heart. The card is also interpreted as needing to let go depending on its position in the reading. If Larxene was truly impacted by some sort of trauma or whatever the circumstances that led to her losing her heart, perhaps this is an indication she needs to let it go rather than acting out violently in response. Further, The Hanged Man may indicate that a person needs to re-evaluate what is important and what they want.5 Larxene's discussion with Marluxia in the Kingdom Hearts novel around whether or not they are better off without hearts may mean her desires are clouded. Is becoming a whole person important? Or is gaining power via overtaking the Organization important? I entertained the idea that maybe in her last moments (reference the "her demise" section), Larxene realized that becoming whole was what she really wanted and thus regretted the path she took when her desires were clouded.
Another interpretation of The Hanged Man looks at paradox. For example, the card is said to attract, but disturb, and be simple, but complex.6 If you look closer at the card, although the man appears to be hanging, he doesn't look discontent. Although he appears to be hanging, his hands are behind his back and his one leg is bent at the knee as if he is relaxing or doing some sort of meditation. The card doesn't seem to make sense because there are contradictions. The truths of The Hanged Man are hidden in their opposites.6 Yet again, the theme of contradiction presents itself! Like the card, Larxene's history and origin aren't apparent. However, if the truth is hidden in the "opposite," perhaps this could be a hint that Larxene was nothing like she is now as a Nobody.
Combat
Oh, whatever. It's your funeral.

Notable Sets of Knives
Larxene has a total of 24 sets of knives she can equip in 358/2 Days, including the above mentioned Foudre. Most of them are French words with a wide range of meanings. A full list of her knives can be viewed here. For the purposes of this site, though, I decided to only talk about the knives that could have possible symbolism for Larxene's character:ORAGE, thunderstorm — Thunder is the name given to the sound made by lightning and thus this weapon is another reference to her element. However, I also think it is indicative of her personality as well. Thunderstorms can be incredibly violent, loud and destructive. She is certainly like a violent storm when she snaps and gets angry! From her harsh, callous and downright degrading words to her rapid onslaught in battle, Larxene's physical and emotional violence can be likened to a thunderstorm.
TEMPÊTE, tempest — Although Larxene has no connection to the element of wind, a tempest is a particularly powerful and violent wind. This is likely yet another reference to her destructive and violent nature that was previously mentioned. Larxene is certainly a force to be reckoned with!
IRRÉGULIER, irregular — To me, this weapon might be a reference to how as a member of Organization XIII, Larxene is an irregular Nobody. She is able to have a human form because of her strong will and retains memories from her existence as a whole person. As for why Square Enix decided to give Larxene a weapon with that name over other members of Organization XIII, I can't be sure. Roxas and Naminé would be better suited to an "irregular Nobody" description. Maybe this is a reference to how Larxene is one of the members who really makes you question whether or not all Nobodies are devoid or emotion. Or, perhaps Larxene is considered an "irregular" member of Organization XIII because she is the only female.
DISSONANCE — Dissonance refers to tension created by a clash of two dissimilar elements. This could possibly reference the dissonance between Larxene's apparent display of intense emotions and the "facts" that state Nobodies can't feel anything. I would argue that Larxene is one of a few members of Organization XIII that displays intense emotion and therefore calls into question whether or not Nobodies being unable to feel emotion is actually always true. This set could also potentially reference the theory discussed in the personality section—that she wasn't always a vicious, savage and sadistic person. If this were true, her overt personality as "Larxene" could be in dissonance with how she once was as a human.
ERUPTION — This set is likely a reference to Larxene's tendency to have a short fuse. Her amusement can change to rage in the blink of an eye, after all! One minute she will be joking around and the next she will be set off to the point where she aggressively retaliates—whether that be emotionally or physically.
INDIGO — The color indigo can symbolize a wide variety of things ranging from traits that seem to resonate with Larxene's character to those that are the complete opposite. Some of the negative character traits represented by the color indigo include being fanatical, intolerant, bigoted and inconsiderate.7 Larxene clearly does not tolerate when people challenge her. Additionally, her reactions when someone does cross her are nothing less than callous and extreme. Larxene is also very self-confident and acts like she views herself as above everyone else. On the flip side, though, indigo can also represent service to others, integrity, justice and fairness.7 Not only do these not seem to fit Larxene on a surface level, they are also in juxtaposition to the traits mentioned above. Perhaps, then, this weapon is also a reference to something that might have happened in Larxene's past to make her the way she is—the opposite of how she used to be.
EXTIRPEUR, eradicate — Larxene's view on obstacles standing between her and her goal can pretty much be summed up into one word: eradication. From Vexen to Riku Replica to Sora, Larxene doesn't think twice about putting an end to anything that stands in her way. Perhaps this is the result of her not being able to feel emotion and thus being unable to form connections with living things. Or, maybe her existence as a human led her to view people simply as objects that are useful or in the way. Although Larxene seemed partial to both Axel and Marluxia, I wouldn't be surprised if she ended up having the same mentality toward them if/when they turned on her. I guarantee that she would have gone after Axel if Larxene had lived long enough.
LUMINEUSE, luminous — This is yet another likely reference to her control over lightning. When lightning appears, especially at night, it lights up the whole sky! Therefore, lightning is certainly luminous. Further, luminous can also refer to something that's so bright that it's harsh to look at. Being harsh on the eyes is somewhat like a visual type of violence, or at least abrasive... Much like Larxene's personality.
DEMOISELLE, damselfly — The damselfly represents a number of things that can be potentially drawn to Larxene's character. First, the damselfly is known for its speed and ability to move almost like light itself.8 To me, this aspect of the damselfly connects to how speed is one of Larxene's greatest assets in battle. Like the damselfly, she is able to maneuver herself and her knives quickly. Further, damselflies are actually hunters and use their dagger-like legs to entrap their prey.8 This, too, could be a reference to Larxene's battle style with regard to her use of sharp knives. Interestingly, damselflies can also symbolize shutting out emotions due to something happening earlier in life. It can even represent a person who is neglecting their emotions.8 This is yet another knife set that could reflect my theory that something negative happened in Larxene's past that made her emotional side shut down in defense.
AMPOULE, lightbulb — It's no surprise that Larxene's joke weapon is an electrical reference. Instead of knives, Larxene actually wields a set of lightbulbs! The lightbulb may be a reference to Larxene's hotheaded personality as well. Light bulbs get warm after being on for a while and certainly can generate heat depending on how many watts the bulb is. I'd also imagine that lightbulbs smashing into targets (and thus essentially be shattered glass) would be particularly painful. Twice the pain for the enemy is twice the fun for her, after all!
That being said, I wanted to also comment on how some of the other knife sets not mentioned above have much more gentle meanings such as moonlight and star and setting sun. I thought this contrast from the sets that seem to directly reference her savage personality was interesting. I've looked through the names of the other members' weapons and they, too, seem to have weapon names that reference their characters. Again, in combination with the references to contradiction in previous sections and the analyses of Dissonance, Indigo and Demoiselle, it really makes me wonder if perhaps Larxene wasn't so harsh and violent during her existence as a human...
Abilities & Fighting Style
There's no doubt that Larxene's strongest asset in battle is her speed. Her movements, knife throwing and summoning of lightning can all happen very quickly if Sora isn't careful. She also has the ability to teleport, which further adds to her quick movements. While Larxene arguably is a better close range fighter and uses her speed to get right in front of her enemy in order to hack and slash with her knives, she is also able to attack at a distance by throwing her knives and summoning multiple lightning strikes. Larxene can pack a powerful punch despite typically relying more on speed than power. In fact, Larxene can fill the whole field with intense lightning in Kingdom Hearts 2.5 HD ReMIX! She is also seen reinforcing the damage done by her knives by charging them with electricity as well. Further, Larxene can make copies of herself that can simultaneously do damage to her enemy. If you would like to see Larxene in action, feel free to check out the three videos below. The third video shows Larxene at her best!



Final Remarks
Be a good boy and say thanks. Ta-ta!
Thank you for visiting Miss Murder. The following are a collection of Organization XIII related links. Want more Kingdom Hearts sites in general? Feel free to visit my Aqua site's link page. If you have an Organization XIII character site and would like to be linked here, just send me an e-mail and I'll add you back as soon as I can.





b a c k . c l e a r . f o r w a r d Miss Murder is © Samantha, however Larxene and Kingdom Hearts are © Square Enix, Disney and other rightful owners. Miss Murder is a part of AFTER-DEATH.ORG.