A Handy Dandy Guide to Kingdom Hearts, Part I

Kingdom Hearts is a video game franchise co-created by Square Enix and Disney Interactive. Best known mixing characters from The Walt Disney Company, and Square’s own Final Fantasy, and The World Ends With You games, Kingdom Hearts is perhaps the most well known crossover in video game history. Brought to life by a chance meeting between Square producer Shinji Hashimoto and a Disney executive in an elevator ride, Kingdom Hearts has been fleshed out by Tetsuya Nomura, best known for his character designs for Final Fantasy VII.

Since the first game was released in 2002, Kingdom Hearts has spawned eleven video games and a number of manga. The highly anticipated Kingdom Hearts III is due for released (at last) at some point in 2018. How far we’ve come. But, how did we get here?

A large point of discussion and sometimes confusion, is the increasingly complex narrative and universe of Kingdom Hearts. While the first game had a fairly simple storyline, it only got more detailed with each new installment. The world got bigger and bigger, the lore expanding, and more and more questions were being asked.

A story of good vs. evil, and light vs. darkness, had evolved into a boiling pot of ancient wars, otherworldly monsters, memory manipulation, cloning, identity theft, body possession, books which can tell the future, time travel, and the antagonist’s plan of universal balance that was both vague and complicated.

This guide intends to hopefully divulge and make sense of the plot of the Kingdom Hearts, telling brief outlines of each game’s plot, how they link to one another, deliver a chronological rundown of the franchise’s timeline, and answer some of the more head scratcher questions and plot points. Not everything will be answered or explained; just the basic stuff vital to the overall storyline. Some things may provide speculation or guesses.

Chronologically, the games were released as follow:

• Kingdom Hearts (2002, PS2)
• Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories (2004, Game Boy Advance)
• Kingdom Hearts II (2005, PS2)
• Kingdom Hearts: Re: Chain of Memories (2007, PS2)
• Kingdom Hearts Coded (2008, Mobile Phones)
• Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days (2009, Nintendo DS)
• Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep (2010, PlayStation Portal)
• Kingdom Hearts: Re: Coded (2010, Nintendo DS)
• Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance (2012, Nintendo 3DS)
• Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix (2013, PS3)
• Kingdom Hearts X/Unchained X (2013, Web/Android/iOS)
• Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix (2014, PS3)
• Kingdom Hearts 2.8 (2017, PS4)
• Kingdom Hearts III (2019)

Other smaller side stories were included in the later Remix games to frame parts of the story together.

And here is the chronological order for the franchise’s timeline:

• Kingdom Hearts X
• Birth By Sleep
• KH1 (alongside 0.2 Birth By Sleep)
• Chain of Memories
• 358/2 Days (beginning during KH1 and ending just before KH2)
• KH2
• Coded
• Dream Drop Distance
• KH3 (yet-to-happen)

 

KINGDOM HEARTS

Kingdom Hearts was released for the PlayStation 2. The first thing that should be established are the worlds, most based on the settings of various Disney films, and a couple of original locations which would play host to major events in the games’ timeline. According to the mythology of the games, there was just one world of light to begin with. However, the introduction of darkness led to its destruction, but the hearts of surviving children allowed light to return to the universe, creating countless new worlds.

However, these worlds were cut off from each other, with only a few individuals aware of the existence of other worlds. The worlds were walled off by invisible barriers. If these barriers were destroyed, they could be seen by a world’s residents as a star shower. The likes of Mickey Mouse and Scrooge McDuck discovered the pieces of the barriers could be moulded into shapes. The rocket-like Gummi Ships were built, allowing characters to travel across the cosmos and visit the worlds. The universe is also split into the realm of light, the realm of darkness, a realm of dreams, and a realm of “in-between” where the Nobodies come into existence.

One such world was the Destiny Islands, home to our spiky-haired hero Sora. I don’t know what’s more ridiculous: his hair or his clunky, yellow clown shoes (inspired by Mickey’s design). Sora lives on the islands with his best friends Riku and Kairi. The trio have a desire to leave their home and explore other worlds via a raft. This was brought on by Kairi’s strange arrival on the island years ago, appearing during a meteor shower, and has no memory of her home.

The island the children play on has a cave system, where a strange wooden door is hidden. Sora encounters a mysterious hooded man, who claims the world is “tied to the darkness”, and will soon be “eclipsed”. That night, Sora spots a dark storm above the island. Racing to secure the raft, Sora finds the island under attack by black, shadowy monsters called the Heartless. Riku and Kairi both vanish into darkness, and Sora’s home is destroyed by the invaders. Sora finds himself armed with the Keyblade, a legendary weapon that can slay the Heartless.

Meanwhile, at Disney Castle, Donald Duck and Goofy discover their ruler, King Mickey, has vanished to combat the Heartless. He leaves them a letter, instructing them to find the wielder of the Keyblade, and someone named “Leon”. Donald, Goofy, Pluto, and Jiminy Cricket, a chronicler from another world, jump into a Gummi Ship and fly off to find the Keyblade and Mickey.

Sora awakens in Traverse Town, an unfamiliar town made up of refugees from worlds destroyed by the Heartless. Sora soon meets Leon (i.e. Squall Leonhart), and his friends Yuffie, Aerith, and Cid Highwind. Other Final Fantasy characters, Cloud Strife and the one-winged angel himself Sephiroth appear later in the game.

Leon explains that the Heartless are the hearts of those consumed/corrupted by darkness. They seek to consume more hearts, including those of the worlds, which is what happened to Sora’s. Each world has a “Keyhole” which acts as a doorway to their heart. Throughout the game, we learn various worlds have already been consumed by darkness, based on numerous Disney films.

The Keyblade is capable of sealing the Keyholes forever, so those worlds can never be destroyed by the Heartless. Sora eventually meets Donald and Goofy, who are also in town, and they agree to search for Riku, Kairi, and Mickey together. Jiminy also accompanies them to chronicle their adventures, while Pluto comes and goes throughout the games. The trio eventually find Riku, but he is quite cold towards Donald and Goofy, believing Sora is goofing off instead of searching for Kairi.

While Sora, Donald, and Goofy venture from world to world, a dark plot is occurring as they go. Maleficent (of Sleeping Beauty) is controlling the Heartless. She and her gang of villains – Hades, Jafar, Ursula, Captain Hook, and Oogie Boogie – are searching for the seven Princesses of Heart. Their hearts are said to be made of incorruptible light. They consist of Snow White, Cinderella, Princess Aurora, Belle, Princess Jasmine, Alice, and an unnamed seventh. It becomes clear that by collecting their hearts, Maleficent will be able to gain access to Kingdom Hearts, said to be the source of all hearts, light, and darkness. She wants the Heartless to consume it and all worlds in darkness.

Maleficent takes Riku under her wing, preying on his inner darkness to corrupt him. He helps her gather the Princesses in exchange for finding Kairi. She is found, but she is missing her heart. Riku eventually gains control of the Heartless, much to Sora’s horror. Kairi is revealed to be the seventh Princess. Sora, Donald, and Goofy confront Riku in Hollow Bastion, a ruined kingdom which will come to have a larger role to play in the plot.

It is here that Riku drops a bombshell – he was supposed to wield the Keyblade, snatching Sora’s from him, leaving him unable to use it. As it turns out, Riku was supposed to use the Keyblade, but because he was tempted by darkness, the Keyblade chose Sora instead. Or at least, that is how it was explained in the first game. This was somewhat retconned in Birth By Sleep. Donald and Goofy abandon Sora, but he and the Beast storm Hollow Bastion to find Kairi and Belle. Sora confronts Riku, concluding he doesn’t need the Keyblade when his friends are his power. Donald and Goofy return to his side, as does the Keyblade.

Riku flees but is approached by the hooded man from the islands, offering him power. Six of the Princesses’ heart merge, creating a Dark Keyblade held by Riku, who now shows signs of possession. He strikes Maleficent with it, unlocking her heart to darkness, and she transforms into a dragon. Sora defeats her, Maleficent dying as a result, Riku revealing she was a pawn of the Heartless all along. Sora finds Kairi, Riku explaining her heart has been taken refuge inside Sora’s all along, explaining why he has been seeing visions of Kairi throughout his journey.

Sora realises Riku is possessed by another character. This person turns out to be the hooded man, who introduces himself as Ansem, the Seeker of Darkness. Ansem is a known scientist and researcher who was fascinated by darkness and was aware of the other worlds. Turns out he was a little too obsessed with darkness, and wants to use the power of Kingdom Hearts to consume all worlds with his favourite thing. Lacking a corporeal form, Ansem possessed Riku.

Sora battles Ansem, coming into possession of his Dark Keyblade. Realising he must free the Princesses’ hearts, Sora stabs his own heart with the Keyblade. Kairi and the others are awakened, but Sora is transformed into a Heartless. Kairi hugs him, the light in her heart restoring him to normal. The group flee Hollow Bastion, but Ansem ventures through the Keyhole to find Kingdom Hearts. Sora leaves Kairi with Leon’s group, learning Hollow Bastion is their homeworld. Kairi gives Sora her lucky charm, with the promise to return it too her.

(Kairi’s lucky charm resembles a Paopu Fruit, a star-shaped fruit from Destiny Islands. It is said that if two people share one, their destinies are tied. In the island’s cave, Sora and Kairi slowly complete a drawing of them sharing said fruit.)

Sora, Donald, and Goofy reach the End of the World, an apocalyptic realm made up of broken pieces of the destroyed worlds. They find Destiny Islands and confront Ansem. After a lengthy battle, Ansem draws the trio into the realm of darkness, where Kingdom Hearts dwells behind a pair of tall, white doors. Ansem calls upon Kingdom Hearts to give him the power of darkness. Sora proclaims that Kingdom Hearts is in fact made of light. The doors fly over, bathing Ansem in light, and causing him to explode.

With darkness leaking out of the doors, Sora, Donald, and Goofy rush to close it before the Heartless get through. Riku appears on the other side, trapped in the realm of darkness. Mickey appears within too, wielding his own Keyblade, and orders Sora to close the door from his side, sealing both sides with their Keyblades. Before doing so, Riku tells Sora to protect Kairi. The door is closed, sealed, and vanishes. Sora spots Kairi nearby and runs to her just as Destiny Islands (and the other worlds) are restored. He promises her that he will return, but has to find Riku too.

In a final scene, Sora, Donald, and Goofy walk down a countryside road with no progress in their search. Pluto randomly appears, carrying a bottle with Mickey’s sigil on it. The three give chase.

...

CHAIN OF MEMORIES

The direct sequel, Chain of Memories could be considered a secondary title, but it is vital to the story of Kingdom Hearts. It is split in two, with the point of view of Sora, and Riku. We’ll go through the game’s story in the same manner.

Straight after the end of the first game, Sora, Donald, and Goofy lose track of Pluto. They instead meet yet another mysterious hooded man, Marluxia, who lures them to weird-looking Castle Oblivion. You’d think the name would be enough to chase them off. But, something guides them into the castle, believing Riku and Mickey are within. Marluxia welcomes them, explaining that something they are looking for is on the top floor. However, every time they scale a floor, they will lose parts of their memories as per the castle’s rules.

To reach each new floor, the trio (and Jiminy Cricket) must use special memory cards. They discover each floor is a replica of worlds they visited in the past, but no one they met remembers them. These plays are made of their memories. As the group venture higher and higher, they forget more and more, including the very reason they came to the castle. To make matters worse, Sora forgets Kairi, believing he was friends with a blonde haired girl named Namine.

In truth, Namine is a pawn of Marluxia and his co-conspirators, the sadistic Larxene, and the trickster Axel. They are members of Organization XIII, who all wear black cloaks and have plans which involve Sora and the Keyblade. However, Marluxia and Larxene wish to control Sora and take over the Organization. Namine has an ability to manipulate memories, capable of erasing them and fabricating fake ones. She is reluctantly doing this to Sora, hoping he will save her. Interestingly, Namine possesses a striking resemblance to Kairi.

Sora’s lucky charm changes, and he is convinced Namine gave it too him. Riku appears, but is seemingly hostile and aggressive towards Sora. Riku also remembers Namine, and plots to rescue her instead of Sora. Another member of the Organization, the scientist Vexen, joins Marluxia’s team to control Sora. Unbeknownst to Sora, Riku is in fact a clone created by Vexen using the original’s memories. This is all part of the plan for Sora to find Namine, at which point, his mind will be blank and he will be a puppet for Marluxia to use in his schemes.

Vexen takes Sora to a memory of an unfamiliar place called Twilight Town and tries to explain Marluxia’s plan. Axel appears and assassinates Vexen to cover up the truth. However, Axel turns out to be a double agent, working to eliminate the Organization’s traitors and dead weight. He frees Namine to put a wrench in Marluxia’s plans. Sora finally finds Namine but is confused when she rejects their memories, revealing her puppetry and she has replaced Kairi in his mind. On cue, Kairi’s lucky charm returns to normal.

Larxene confronts Sora and Namine, but she is destroyed by our heroes. The Riku replica is temporarily rendered braindead by Namine when he attacks Sora, only for the clone to regain his mind, due to having his own heart. Sora later confronts and defeats Marluxia. In order to restore our heroes’ memories, Namine has them sleep in memory chambers, where they will sleep for a year, and won’t remember the events in Castle Oblivion. However, Sora makes a promise with Namine that they will meet again, and he will remember their friendship.

Meanwhile, Riku is trapped in the realm of darkness, but escapes with help of Mickey. He finds himself in the basement of Castle Oblivion, encountering memories of Maleficent and other villains along the way, as he tries to come to terms with his dark deeds. He constantly tormented by Ansem, whose darkness lingers in his heart. In the basement, Vexen and his cohorts, Lexaeus and Zexion, plot to intervene with Marluxia’s plans for Sora, but to also attempt to use Riku to destroy the traitors. Vexen is murdered by Axel, and Lexaeus dies fighting Riku, who is temporarily possessed by Ansem. Zexion attempts to psychologically break Riku with one hell of a guilt trip, but Riku sees through his illusions and defeats him too.

Riku also encounters his replica numerous times. Axel has the replica kill Zexion to absorb his power. The replica confronts Riku, but is defeated and appears to die. However, later games are hinting that he may not be as gone as we thought.

Riku reunites with Mickey and comes to the conclusion he must defeat Ansem’s lingering presence in his heart. He succeeds, though that doesn’t mean his link to Ansem is gone. It also becomes clear that the physical Ansem who has been taunting him, was actually a disguise for a new character named DiZ (Darkness in Zero), yet another mysterious cloaked man with a connection to Ansem. Riku meets Namine, learning of Sora’s fate, and agrees to help awaken him. Riku, Mickey, DiZ, and Namine eventually move Sora, Donald, and Goofy to an old abandoned mansion in Twilight Town. Riku also comes to wield a proper Keyblade.

...

KINGDOM HEARTS II 

Kingdom Hearts II was released in 2005, continuing Sora’s journey, but takes place a whole year after the events of Chain of Memories. However, fans were surprised when the game didn’t begin with Sora as the playable character, but a new character named Roxas, who bares a striking resemblance to Sora.

As the game begins, Roxas lives in Twilight Town with his friends Hayner, Pence, and Olette, spending the summer vacation together. Roxas has recurring dreams of Sora, normally through his eyes. Strange things begin happening around Roxas. Peculiar white creatures called Nobodies stalk him, and he is approached by a number of strangers in hooded cloaks, including DiZ, Riku, and Axel, who refers to Roxas as his best friend. Namine also appears to Roxas as a friend.

Over the next few days, Roxas discovers Twilight Town is a computer simulation set up by DiZ to contain him. Roxas himself has a connection to Sora, explaining why he looks like him, and can wield the Keyblade. He is Sora’s Nobody. Nobodies are the animated bodies and souls discarded when a person turns into a Heartless. Those with strong hearts can maintain their human appearances, but lack a heart, and thus proper emotions. Roxas, however, appears to have his own heart and emotions. The same applies to Axel, who is desperate to save his friend from those who wish to control and destroy him.

In flashbacks, Roxas is revealed to be the thirteenth member of Organization XIII,  and the only one who can wield Keyblades. Haunted by Sora’s memories, Roxas quits the group, only to be captured by Riku and DiZ, so he can merge with Sora and awaken him. During the iconic battle between Roxas and Riku, the latter unleashes the darkness in his heart, physically transforming him into a duplicate of Ansem.

On his last day of summer vacation, Roxas promises Axel that they will meet again. When Namine attempts to divulge secrets to Roxas, DiZ and Riku drag her away, but not before she tells Roxas they will see each other again, but perhaps not as the same people. It is also revealed that Namine is Kairi’s Nobody, and like Roxas, she too has her own heart. Roxas and Namine were brought into existence when Sora stabbed his heart in the first game.

Roxas eventually finds Sora and reluctantly surrenders himself to his other self, merging with his heart.

Sora, Donald, and Goofy awaken in Twilight Town, with no memory of the past year. Mickey instructs them to board a train and visit the tower of his master, the sorcerer Yen Sid. There, the trio meet Pete, a bungling oaf who has a past with Donald and Goofy. Pete works with Maleficent and is unaware of her death. However, thanks to her pet raven Diablo, Maleficent is resurrected, but spends the whole game house-hunting with Pete to find a new lair.

Yen Sid introduces Sora to the concept of Nobodies, claiming they don’t exist, even though they do. The Organization XIII are plotting something related to the Heartless and Kingdom Hearts, and tasks Sora to stop them. The Three Fairies from Sleeping Beauty give Sora a new outfit. Our trio continue their world-to-world adventures, also searching for Riku as well. On the way, Sora slowly acknowledges the existence of Roxas, and later learns of their connection.

Our heroes encounter the remaining members of the Organization along the way, who are attempting to collect hearts to fuel Kingdom Hearts. These include Xigbar, Xaldin, Saix, who has a past with Axel, Demyx, and Luxord. The leader of Organization XIII is a man named Xemnas, who is actually Ansem’s own Nobody.

It is during an encounter with Mickey, where one hell of a bombshell is dropped. Ansem is in fact an entirely different person, having stolen the name and identity of “Ansem”. His real name is Xehanort, an ambitious researcher who became fascinated by the power and nature of the heart. He worked for Ansem the Wise, the sage-like ruler of Hollow Bastion. Mickey had warned Ansem the Wise about the dangers of messing with the heart, prompting Ansem to ban Xehanort’s experiments. This didn’t stop Xehanort, who corrupted Ansem’s other five apprentices to betray their master and turn their hearts to darkness.

Xehanort and the other apprentices – who would become Xigbar, Xaldin, Vexen, Lexaeus, and Zexion – ultimately created the Heartless and Nobodies. Xehanort banished Ansem the Wise to the realm of darkness, and took on his identity. Organization XIII were founded, and the Heartless began devouring worlds.

Both the Organization and Maleficent launch full scale invasions of Hollow Bastion, hoping Sora will slay all of the Heartless. Saix explains to him that the Heartless, when destroyed, return to Kingdom Hearts. The Organization hopes that with enough hearts, they will be able to use Kingdom Hearts’ power to restore their own.

Meanwhile, Kairi returns to the story. After a year of not remembering Sora, as a side effect of Namine messing with his mind, Kairi recalls her friends and send out a bottled message into the sea hoping it will guide him and Riku home. She also has a brief encounter with Roxas when her memories of Sora return. However, Axel later appears, offering her the chance to see Sora again. The only condition is that she becomes his prisoner. Pluto appears out of nowhere and guides Kairi through a dark portal, implying Riku is also helping from the shadows. Kairi and Pluto make it to Twilight Town, meeting Roxas’ friends, but Axel drags her way into the darkness. Axel later turns up in Hollow Bastion, revealing to Sora that Saix took Kairi prisoner.

Afterward, Sora, Donald, and Goofy continue their adventures, defeating Xaldin along the way when he tries to turn the Beast into a Heartless. They wind up back in Twilight Town, discovering its secrets related to Roxas and DiZ. With help from Pence, Hayner, Olette, and Mickey, they discover they can reach the Organization’s realm through a portal in the simulated Twilight Town.

Whilst travelling through the limbo world, Betwixt and Between, they are attacked by Nobodies. Axel comes to the rescues and blows up the Nobodies with an inferno, but at the cost of his own life. As Axel fades away, he reveals his actions were to see Roxas again, and apologises for kidnapping Kairi. He uses the last of his energy to open a portal to The World That Never Was.

Upon arriving in the dark metropolis, Sora is attacked by an enraged Roxas, mourning Axel. Sora manages to defeat him, and Roxas surrenders, finally accepting his bond with Sora. He also manages to say goodbye to Axel too.

Our heroes storm the floating Castle That Never Was, dispatching the remaining Organization members save Xemnas. Namine and Riku bust Kairi out of prison, Riku giving Kairi a Keyblade. How and why she can wield one will be established later on. Together, they reunite with Sora. Riku reveals he is stuck in Xehanort’s form due to using the darkness in his heart.

Mickey, who ran on ahead, runs into DiZ, who is unmasked as Ansem the Wise. After being betrayed by his apprentices, Ansem took on the identity of DiZ and sought revenge on them. He regarded Nobodies as pawns in his own plans, using Roxas and Namine to awaken Sora, hoping to use him as a weapon. However, as he saw Roxas and Namine develop their own hearts, his guilt grew. It only became worse when Riku went to collect Roxas, and came back resembling Xehanort. At that point, DiZ had a change of heart and knew he had to make amends.

Mickey and Ansem the Wise travel through the castle, armed with a funny-looking machine, which Ansem explains will be able to absorb Kingdom Hearts (which appears as a giant heart-shaped moon) and convert it into data. However, he soon realises his machine cannot control or contain hearts, realising the people in created in the simulated Twilight Town had developed their own hearts as well. Sora and the others appear, as does Xemnas, who mocks his old teacher. Ansem’s machine implodes, taking Ansem the Wise with it. However, it damages Kingdom Hearts and frees Riku of his darkness, returning him to normal.

The group confront and defeat Xemnas, who bonds with Kingdom Hearts’ remaining power. Namine opens a portal to the realm of light, which everyone save Sora and Riku travel through. Namine and Roxas bond with Kairi and Sora, fulfilling Namine and Roxas’ promise to each other. Xemnas returns, dragging Sora and Riku into the realm in-between realms, where they battle, but Xemnas falls.

Sora and Riku make it to the realm of darkness, resting on a dark beach. There, they come to terms with their own jealousies towards each other, renewing their friendship. Just then, Kairi’s message in a bottle appears, and Sora reads it. This opens a door to the realm of light, which our boys travel through, winding up home on Destiny Islands where they are reunited with their friends. Sora returns Kairi her lucky charm as promised.

In the closing scene, Kairi approaches Sora and Riku with a message marked with Mickey’s sigil. The three read, but the contents won’t be revealed for a while.

I did consider doing the whole thing in one post, but it makes sense to space things out. So join us in part two to cover the rest of the games' storyline. I originally wrote this for my Deviantart page.