Fun Facts: KH and Novikovs Principle

I know there's some explanation thread for time already but I made these for a side blog annnddd well I at least like my effort read. ;-; haha



For the most part people are familiar with the concept of “string theory” aka parallel worlds also called alternate timelines.
It’s the theory most used in media these days. The basic idea is there’s a world for every decision.

Like you live in a world were you took a job offer while there’s a world born with a you that didnt take that job offer. A world for every decision and outcome of that decision.

It’s peoples familiarity with this theory that confuses them so badly with Kingdom Hearts time travel or mainly Xehanort’s version of it.



There’s lots of time traveling theories. Make no mistake no human alive knows time in it’s entirety. We have a perception of time but we dont understand it. It’s why something like time travel eludes us or why we have so many theories on the subject at all.

We DONT understand time. Some even argue that time is an illusion altogether. In the end we just dont know.

So when you say “this isn’t how time travel works” your being a bit hypocritical because neither you nor the person your calling out have that understanding.

This is where KH comes in. A simple google search will show it but it’s so confusing to you, who are used to seeing string theory or paradoxes, because your unfamiliar with other variants.

“Yeah yeah get on with it!”
Fine fine. You see the concept of time that Xehanort’s convoluted variant deals with is called Novikov Self Consistency Principle.

What this theory details can be summed up in a simple scenario.



The idea is that nothing you do can alter history. For example even if I somehow discovered a way to go back in time tooo let’s say save my ill fated father.

How this works is that even if I manage to go back in time and try to save my dad from whatever it is that ends his life the end result is that it happens regardless. In most examples it’s shown that my very actions of going back in time to save my father ultimately cause his death.

That’s what Xehanort’s time travel is. He’s altering time but nothing he does can alter the history between him being the young Xehanort up to the end of DDD when the old Xehanort comes back.

Nothing he does can change that series of events. At least not using the powers he uses during KH DDD.
Whether this was intentional on Nomura’s part or it was just something he made himself without realizing that such a time theory existed I dont know but do remember this isn’t some out of nowhere BS logic.

The Novikov Principle is older than most of you playing this series. It’s far from the only theory out there as well. String Theory like in Zelda, Novikov like seen here, there’s lots of other types of time travel.

If your curious give them a read. Who knows. The more time travel theories you look into the more you’ll come to understand shows that confused you. Whether it be the time centered Doctor Who or the convoluted methods of Xehanort. =)
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I made others on time but not sure if I should add them with that other topic already about it. Dx

 

I framed it on the assumption since across most forums and things I've seen on places like tumblr fans literally didn't know of these principles usually saying things like "that's not how time travel works" and so on.

I've also learned something new today since you listed uses in places I didn't know. I was aware of Terminator but threw it out since each movie after kinda changed with time theory is used and I'm no big fan of Harry Potter nor have I played FF8 (not sure I wanna try now after that futile comment lol).
*doesn'twatchtvsohasneverreallydelvedintotvtropes*

Well *puts on criticism cap* tbh Xehanort's time travel wasn't explained that badly in retrospect. It was completely unnecessary as a plot point but Xehanort does go out of his way to explain it twice to the cast and to the player. To his credit he actually explains it quite well. He's bringing people from the past to affect the present yet he can't alter his past.
That's the textbook definition of a loop or paradox. It's a loop of Xehanort creating history that he can't alter that seemingly began nowhere but affects nothing.

Sooooo I'd think it's more likely most fans just overthink it because that's what they've become used to doing with this series. In it's simplest term Xehanort is causing a paradox and/or loop. It's just one of those things that require Occams razor which I dont think many fans know how to use.
It also probably confuses them because other forms of time manipulation exist such as stop magic or the doors to Timeless River which is an example of a different use of time travel since it's affecting the future to manipulate the past whereas Xehanorts version can't alter anything.

 

I've tried several FFs but never really liked them. I liked X and crisis core out of all the ones I tried though. I don't agree with the "canon" ending of FFX-2 personally but eh.

In light of thinking that maybe I shouldn't show my other things I made. Thinking back all the overthinking would probably make even the simplest threads on it pointless.