Khasekhemwy is normally placed as the successor of Seth-Peribsen, some Egyptologists believe that another Pharaoh, Khasekhem, ruled between them. However most Egyptologists believe that Khasekhem and Khasekhemwy are, in fact, the same person. Khasekhem may have changed his name to Khasekhemwy after he reunited Upper and Lower Egypt after a civil war between the followers of the gods Horus and Set. Others believe he defeated the reigning king, Seth-Peribsen, after returning to Egypt from putting down a revolt in Nubia. Either way he ended the infighting of the 2nd Dynasty and reunited Egypt.

He is unique in Egyptian history as having both the symbols of Horus and Set on his serekh, a cartouche on a palace wall. Some Egyptologist believe that this was an attempt to unify the two factions; but after his death, Set was dropped from the serekh permanently.