AkuRoku

AkuRoku is the slash ship between Axel and Roxas from the Kingdom Hearts fandom.

Canon
Axel tried to befriend Roxas and took him for ice cream on the day that he joined the organization. Roxas was mostly a zombie and initially had trouble with forming new memories. Saïx eventually placed Roxas under Axel's tutelage for training and he finally began to gain new memories. The two would often eat sea-salt ice cream together on top of the station tower in Twilight Town. Roxas and Axel quickly became friends.

Axel eventually left on a mission to Castle Oblivion. He got to meet Roxas' somebody Sora and was amused to meet him. Roxas eventually heard that everybody who went to Castle Oblivion was killed and felt very depressed. However, Axel eventually showed up and revealed that he survived. Roxas was relieved and asked his permission to allow Xion to be friends with him.

Axel did feel a slight amount of jealously when he returned and saw Roxas with Xion as felt that he was replaced. Still, he allowed her to join the group and helped Roxas find her when she went missing. The three would eat ice cream every day. Axel eventually revealed to Roxas that most nobodies retained memories of their former lives. At one point, Roxas asked Axel about romantic love and Axel explained to him what it was. They also went on some missions together in Neverland and flew together.

Roxas eventually left the organization because Xion did and he also wanted to learn the truth. Axel tried to stop him and warned him that he might be destroyed. Roxas responded that nobody would miss him but Axel quietly responded that he would miss him. Axel later sulked in his room and found that Roxas had left him a stick for a free bar of ice cream. Roxas was eventually captured by Riku and placed in a simulated Twilight Town.

Axel was eventually sent to the simulated Twilight Town in order to retrieve Roxas. He found that Roxas had lost all memory of him and attempted to capture him. Roxas later had a vision of Naminé at the mansion and learned that he and Axel were best friends. Xemnas later ordered Axel to destroy Roxas and threatened to turn him into a Dusk. Roxas asked about them being best friends when they reunited and Axel was happy until Roxas was unable to provide Xemnas' name. Roxas later regained his memories but they were forced to fight. Roxas won and Axel commented that they should meet again in the next life.

Roxas eventually merged with Sora and became whole again. When Xemnas wants to capture Kairi in order to bait Sora, Axel turns on the organization and tries to save her but fails. He later encounters Sora in Radiant Garden and reveals the organization's plan to take Kingdom Hearts. When Sora and the group try to reach the World that Never Was, Axel appears to help them and sacrifices himself to defeat a large amount of nobodies. As he fades away, Axel explains that Roxas made him feel like he had a heart and that Sora makes him feel the same.

The death of Axel reached to Roxas inside of Sora and greatly upset him. Eventually, Roxa pulled Sora into his Station of Awakening and fought him. Roxas yelled at Sora for being the one who was picked until being defeated. Axel was then able to telepathically connect to Roxas and they had a vision of eating ice cream together again. They give a final goodbye to each other and shed some tears. Lea then wakes up in Radiant Garden and calls out Roxas' name before realizing that he is whole again.

Fanon
AkuRoku is a very popular Kingdom Hearts ship. It is the most popular slash ship involving Roxas and the most popular overall ship involving Axel. This ship became popular in Kingdom Hearts II when the two were shown to have been close in the past. AkuRoku became even more popular in Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days as their friendship was explored more. A lot of fans feel that the fact that Axel explained the concept of love to Roxas is a sign of romance between them. AkuRoku most commonly rivals RokuNami, RokuShi and occasionally the AkuSai ship as well.

Fandom
AO3