Is Braig or Xigbar the Time Traveler?

Last week, we discussed the possibility that both Braig and Xigbar are among the Seekers of Darkness, with one being a re-formed human and the other being a time traveler.

But which is which?

Personally, I believe the Braig at the end of Re:coded is indeed Braig, re-formed as a human along with the other apprentices, and the Xigbar who appears in Dream Drop Distance is a time-traveling Xigbar.

However, let’s look at the evidence and scenarios for each possibility.

Re:coded Braig is human, DDD Xigbar is a time traveler

The easiest evidence for this theory is that this the natural way to name them, since the Re:coded character has Braig’s appearance and the Dream Drop Distance character has Xigbar’s appearance.

Next, we see Braig in the laboratory alongside the other characters who have re-formed as humans.

In that scene, he also mentions that “Lord Xemnas” isn’t there. A time-traveling Braig would not know him as “Lord Xemnas.”

For this theory, Braig woke up in the laboratory as a human. If Terra-Xehanort (or Master Xehanort) also re-formed in the lab, he left before Braig woke. Shortly afterward, Young Xehanort arrived and they discussed the next part of the plan.

Is that what happened? Or…

Re:coded Braig is a time traveler, DDD Xigbar is actually the re-formed Braig

Sora and the others have never met “Braig,” only Xigbar. Therefore, they would think of the character in Dream Drop Distance as Xigbar, and the game text would reflect that. Just as we can’t be sure if Isa or Saix appears in DDD, we can’t go by the name alone to say this is Xigbar.

It makes sense that his appearance would stay the same when he re-formed, rather than reverting to his old appearance as Braig.

Next, in the Re:coded scene, Braig mentions how Xehanort scares him and “no one knows what it is that the old man wants.” This is oddly familiar for someone who hasn’t seen Master Xehanort in over a decade. If he’d already seen a re-formed Master Xehanort in the present, he wouldn’t have been expecting “Lord Xemnas” to be in the lab.

We also don’t get to see him meet Young Xehanort, but he is already perfectly accepting of this being Master Xehanort’s time-traveling younger self.

Finally, he questions “which poor soul” Young Xehanort wants to take. The person they take is seemingly Isa, but he was already a vessel while with Organization XIII.

Either they pick someone else, despite how it appears… or this question makes no sense unless this Braig doesn’t know Isa’s status.

For this theory to work, things get a bit complicated. Braig re-formed in the laboratory first and left, either alone or with Terranort/MX. Meanwhile, Young Xehanort stopped in an earlier time to get Braig and brought him to the laboratory, filling him in about Xemnas and the others along the way. They then took Isa and left before Lea awoke.

Which is which?

What do you think is the truth? DDD Xigbar being the time traveler makes things a lot simpler, but Re:coded Braig being the time traveler clears up smaller concerns like his changing appearance and “choosing” Saix.

If they are separate characters in the present, which do you think is which?

Tags: braig/xigbar, isa/saix, seekers of darkness, xehanort, young xehanort