Fire

The element of fire tends to be most closely related to will, and cannot be swayed from its purpose. Right off the bat, you can draw a connection to Axel. Once he has his mind set on something, he refuses to give in until he gets what he wants. He does not stop until Marluxia and Larxene’s plans are foiled, and he refuses to give up hope of seeing Roxas again after he becomes a part of Sora. Character traits most closely related to fire in general are those such as enthusiasm, zest for life, and spontaneous, as well as a tendency to act like a fire left unattended. Axel clearly appears enthusiastic when he is happy or really into doing what he is doing, and there is no doubt he is wild like a fire that is left unattended. Axel is quite uncontrollable and wild when he has his mind set on something, and the burning passion within him, regardless of it is punishing traitors or regaining his best friend, will not simply be put out by a little bit of water. In fact, it grows every second, just like fire does the more it gains oxygen. Axel also seems to really want to live, but in order to do that to the fullest, he needs Roxas near him. Though he does end up sacrificing himself, I still believe he wanted to live, so saying he has a zest for life would not be too far off in my opinion.

In the Chinese element system, fire is related to strength, persistence, dynamism, restlessness, and impulsive behavior. Again, even more adjectives to describe Axel. Persistence and strength really go alongside an undying will, because you cannot have will without the strength to get through any situation and persistence to keep going when things get tough. Axel has also certainly proved that he can be like dynamite waiting to explode, as he becomes completely enraged almost spontaneously when meeting Roxas on his path to return to Sora. Likewise, fire can also relate to negative traits such as being overly strident and selfish, which I do believe are “negative” aspects of his personality. Axel really does not care what he has to do in order to obtain what he wants, and that in turn makes him selfish. He is willing to betray Organization XIII to get his best friend back, even if that means he has to take on the people who used to be his partners.

I find it ironic that most characters related to fire in videogames and anime series are usually very animated and emotional. Even though Organization XIII should not have emotions at all, Axel is one of the few members who is actually pretty animated and you can obviously tell how he is “feeling”. I cannot say if that was coincidental or not, but I would definitely find it ironic if it was only a coincidence. In general, I believe fire was a perfect match for Axel’s character, as he himself is like a wildfire – strong, unpredictable and nearly impossible to control.

RESOURCES:
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1. The Elements: Fire
2. Fire @ Wikipedia
3. Understanding the Elements

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