Ansem is a fictional character who was voiced by Billy Zane(English) and is in the video games Kingdom Hearts for the PlayStation 2 and Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories for the Game Boy Advance. Ansem has silver hair, golden eyes, a slightly dark skin tone, and is usually shown wearing a trenchcoat.

Background Story

He began as a respected sage who dedicated his life to the pursuit of knowledge and was the ruler of his world, Hollow Bastion. He believed that darkness could spread into hearts, no matter how pure, and could take control and swallow the heart. He became curious of the darkness and began to study it by using some of his people. This resulted in his discovery of the creatures which he named the "Heartless", and began to study them, writing down his findings and ideals in his Report. He even went for to artifically create them, tatooting them with his crest (which later became the Heartless insigna). Eventually, he succumbed to utter maddess, believing that darkness is superior and all things must return to it. As a result, he destroyed his own world to gain further knowledge to the mysteries of the universe. In his attempt to gain more knowledge, he sacrificed his body. But despite his decent into darkness, Ansem's disembodied heart maintained his memories and thus did not become a Heartless itself.

In Kingdom Hearts, he first appeared as a cloaked man who Sora encountered the day his island was attack. Ansem later appeared when the path of Kingdom Hearts was about to be opened, deceiving Riku into letting him posess the boy's body, taking over completely and casting Riku's heart into darkness. He then proceeded to open the Door of Darkness, Kingdom Hearts, obtaining the knowledge he sought, despite interference from Sora, accompanied by Goofy and Donald Duck. The Door was opened, but Ansem was destroyed by the light from within the darkness, dying an ironic death as he questioned why there was light in the darkness.

In Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, what remained of Ansem's heart attempted to regain control over Riku (who was now accompanied by Mickey Mouse), but was defeated again. Riku still sensed Ansem's presence, however, and will not rest until every trace of him has been eliminated.

Ansem is said to return in Kingdom Hearts II (in a matter of speaking) in terms of the Organization's leader, DiZ (who is said to be Ansem's original body).