Ventus (Kingdom Hearts)

Ventus
Kingdom Hearts character
Concept artwork for Ventus by Tetsuya Nomura.
First game	Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep (2010)
Created by	Tetsuya Nomura
Designed by	Tetsuya Nomura
Voiced by (English)	Jesse McCartney
Voiced by (Japanese)	Kōki Uchiyama
Fictional profile
Weapon	Keyblade

Ventus (Japanese: ヴェントゥス, Hepburn: Ventusu^?), commonly referred to as Ven (ヴェン^?), is a fictional character from Square Enix's video game franchise Kingdom Hearts. Having first made cameos in Kingdom Hearts II and other related titles, Ventus was introduced in the 2010 prequel Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep as one of the three protagonists. In its story, Ventus is introduced as the youngest apprentice of Master Eraqus who trains him alongside his best friends, Terra and Aqua, to become experienced warriors with the Keyblade. When Terra goes on a mission to find Master Xehanort, Ventus follows him, having also become concerned about his fate. As Ventus journeys through various worlds, he learns about his origins as well as his relation with Xehanort and his apprentice Vanitas.

Ventus was designed by director Tetsuya Nomura who wanted to create a character with an important connection with the series' main character Sora. Ventus bears a strong resemblance to the character of Roxas, both of whom are voiced by Kōki Uchiyama in Japanese and Jesse McCartney in English. After Ventus' first cameo, Nomura had to state that both of them are different characters, and the reason for such connection would be revealed in Birth by Sleep. Video game websites also commented on Ventus' first appearance, initially confusing him for Roxas during the development of Birth by Sleep, but has since been well received.