Characters of Kingdom Hearts

"Kingdom Hearts" is a series of action role-playing games developed and published by Square Enix (formerly Square). It is the result of a collaboration between Square Enix and Disney Interactive Studios. "Kingdom Hearts" is a crossover of various Disney settings based in a universe made specifically for the series. The series features a mixture of familiar Disney, "Final Fantasy", "The World Ends with You" and Pixar characters, as well as several new characters designed by Tetsuya Nomura. In addition, it has an all-star voice cast which includes many of the Disney characters' official voice actors.
The series centers on Sora's search for his friends and his encounters with various Disney and "Final Fantasy" characters along the way. Players primarily control Sora, though there are numerous characters that join Sora's party as computer controlled members. The majority of the characters were introduced in the original game "Kingdom Hearts". Subsequent installments have featured several new original, Disney, and "Final Fantasy" characters, "" introduces characters from Square Enix's "The World Ends with You", while "Kingdom Hearts III" introduces characters from Pixar's "Toy Story" series and "Monsters, Inc.".
Various types of merchandise modeled after the characters' likeness have been produced, including figurines and jewelry. The characters have garnered praise from several video game websites and magazines for the quality of their voice acting and visual style. Comments have focused on the accurate presentation of Disney characters, the unique visual style of Square Enix characters, how well all the characters blend together, and the consistent quality performances from voice actors.
Creation and influences.
The "Kingdom Hearts" series is directed by Tetsuya Nomura, the character designer of the games. Nomura has stated that unlike working with "Final Fantasy" characters, keeping the main character Sora alive and interesting over multiple games is a challenge. He also stated that though many of the Disney characters are not normally dark and serious, there were not many challenges making them so for the story, and despite this, their personalities shine because they maintain their own characteristics. Though Disney gave Nomura freedom in the characters and worlds used for the games, he and his staff tried to stay within the established roles of characters and boundaries of the worlds. When deciding which worlds to include in the game, the development staff tried to take into account worlds with Disney characters that would be interesting.
The inclusion of specific "Final Fantasy" characters was based on the opinions of fans and the development staff. Another criterion for inclusion was whether the staff felt the characters would fit into the storyline and in the "Kingdom Hearts" universe. Nomura was hesitant to use characters he did not design because he was unfamiliar with the background work of such characters. For "Kingdom Hearts II", he changed his mind after receiving pressure from his staff. Throughout the development of the games, Nomura has often left certain events and connections between characters unexplained until the release of future games. Nomura did this because he feels that games should have room for fans to speculate and use their imagination. He stated that with speculation, even though a game may get old, people can still be happy with it.
Original characters.
Main playable characters.
Sora.
 is the main protagonist of the "Kingdom Hearts" series, and the sole playable character of the original game. He is portrayed as a cheerful 14-year-old boy who lives on the Destiny Islands with his two childhood friends, Riku and Kairi. When his world is beset by creatures of darkness known as the Heartless, Sora comes into possession of a weapon of light called the Keyblade, and he embarks on a journey alongside Donald Duck and Goofy to protect other worlds from the Heartless and nobodies and other forces of evil. Nomura has stated that Sora's name can be interpreted as "sky", as the Japanese word for sky is .
Riku.
 is a childhood friend and rival of Sora who resides with him and Kairi on the world of Destiny Islands. Originally appearing as a non-playable character in the original game, where he is introduced as a 15- year-old boy, he has a playable role in the "Reverse/Rebirth" story mode of "Chain of Memories", the multiplayer mode of "358/2 Days", and the core story of "Dream Drop Distance". He is also a computer-controlled party member exclusive to the final level of "Kingdom Hearts II", and is temporarily playable during a sequence where Sora is incapacitated in the game's final boss battle. Riku is also briefly playable at several points in the "Dark World" in "Kingdom Hearts III" and is playable a few times in the "Re Mind" expansion of "Kingdom Hearts III". His signature weapon is the "Soul Eater" sword, a manifestation of the darkness in his heart. During the first game, Riku is revealed to be the rightful owner of Sora's Keyblade, which is bequeathed onto the five-year-old Riku by Terra during the events of "Birth by Sleep"; however, his reliance on the power of darkness causes the Keyblade to reject Riku in favor of Sora. In "Kingdom Hearts II", the 16-year-old Riku acquires another Keyblade of his own, the "Way to the Dawn"; this Keyblade is later broken in "Kingdom Hearts III", leading him to obtain a new Keyblade, "Braveheart".
During the invasion of Heartless in "Kingdom Hearts", Riku immerses himself in darkness to discover new worlds beyond his home. Arriving at Hollow Bastion, Riku is manipulated by Maleficent into aiding her plans for world conquest in exchange for knowledge to restoring Kairi's missing heart. He is later tricked into allowing Xehanort's Heartless, Ansem, to possess his body. Following Ansem's defeat, Riku helps Sora and King Mickey close the door to Kingdom Hearts, remaining on the other side with the king. In "Chain of Memories", DiZ helps Riku escape from the dark realm. Initially rejecting his darkness out of guilt for his betrayal, Riku resolves to wield both powers of light and darkness to battle Ansem, whose essence lingers in his heart. In "Kingdom Hearts II", Riku is forced to harness Ansem's power to capture Roxas in order to restore Sora's missing memories, assuming the Heartless's physical appearance as a result; after the Heartless is destroyed by DiZ's exploding heart encoder, Riku returns to his regular appearance, and he and Sora return to the Destiny Islands together following Xemnas's defeat. In "Dream Drop Distance", he and Sora undertake a Mark of Mastery exam in preparation for Xehanort's return. Riku is promoted to Keyblade Master after venturing into Sora's dreams twice in the form of a Dream Eater to protect him from Xehanort. He subsequently embarks with Mickey in "Kingdom Hearts III" to rescue Aqua from the realm of darkness.
Nomura has stated that Riku's name can be interpreted as "land", since the on'yomi pronunciation of Japanese word for "land" is , similar to how Sora's name is identical to the Japanese word for "sky", . Riku's character represents one of the series' main themes, "the light and the dark sides of hearts," alongside Sora. On the character's role in "Dream Drop Distance", Nomura emphasized Riku as the game's main focus as it shows the character's growth across the series.
Kairi.
 is the main female protagonist of "Kingdom Hearts", and the best friend of Sora and Riku. She is a non-playable character in most games of the series, but debutes as a playable character in the "Re Mind" scenario of "Kingdom Hearts III". As one of the seven Princesses of Heart, she is cast adrift from her homeworld of Radiant Garden at a young age as part of Xehanort's experiment to locate the key bearer, which eventually brings her to the Destiny Islands, piquing Sora and Riku's interest in other worlds. In "Birth by Sleep", it is revealed that her arrival on the islands is the result of an encounter with Aqua, who gives the four-year-old Kairi a protective charm to shield her from the darkness as well as Kairi gaining the ability to wield a Keyblade after touching the one belonging to Aqua.
During "Kingdom Hearts", the 14-year-old Kairi's heart is stolen by the Heartless commanded by "Ansem", sending her body into a coma while her heart takes refuge within Sora's. Upon learning her identity as a Princess of Heart and the location of her heart, Sora sacrifices his own heart in order to release hers and return to her body. While Sora disappears, Kairi escapes from a revived Ansem along with Donald Duck and Goofy. Soon after, Kairi finds Sora's Heartless and restores to human form. Kairi later remains behind on the restored Destiny Islands to await Sora's return from this journey. In "Kingdom Hearts II", Kairi is approached by Axel to come with her, but she runs away with the help of Pluto and a dark corrider made by Riku. She is soon kidnapped by Saïx to motivate Sora towards acting in the Organization's wishes. She escapes with the help of Naminé and Riku, receiving her Keyblade "Destiny Embrace" from the latter to fight alongside Sora while the former merges with her to become a whole being once again. After Sora and Riku defeat the Organization's leader Xemnas, Kairi reunites with them at the Destiny Islands. In "Dream Drop Distance", she is summoned by Yen Sid to train as a Keyblade wielder in order to combat Xehanort's reconfigured Organization XIII. In "Kingdom Hearts III", Kairi trains with a reformed Axel in a secret place created by Merlin's magic. After completing her training, she reunites with her friends and shares with Sora a paopu, a legendary fruit that binds the destinies of those who eat it together. Afterwards, she participates in the final battle against Xehanort and Organization XIII, but Xehanort destroys her body to motivate Sora into helping recreate the χ-blade. Following Xehanort's defeat, Sora departs to restore Kairi by using the power of waking; in the final scene of the game, Kairi is shown to have been revived by Sora before he fades away as a consequence. In the "Limitcut" episode of "Re Mind", Kairi is revealed to be in a deep sleep in Ansem's lab, as Ansem The Wise and his apprentices analyze her heart for clues on Sora's whereabouts. In "", she awakens and is able to deduce with Riku that Sora is in a location outside of their own reality called "Quadratum". As Riku departs to save Sora, Kairi stays behind in order to train with Aqua.
Nomura has stated that Kairi's name can be interpreted as "sea", as the on'yomi pronunciation of the Japanese word for "sea" is .
Roxas.
 is the initial player-controlled character of "Kingdom Hearts II", featured during the game's prologue segment. Introduced as a youth living in a virtual simulation of Twilight Town, he discovers himself to be Sora's Nobody, born when Sora transformed into a Heartless to restore Kairi's heart during the events of the first game. He is also revealed to be a defector from Organization XIII, which sought to utilize his ability to wield the Keyblade. Roxas serves as the main protagonist of "Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days", which revolves around the circumstances leading to his eventual defection from the Organization. Roxas sacrifices his own existence to merge with Sora at the end of "Kingdom Hearts II"'s prologue sequence, but is restored in a replica body during the events of "Kingdom Hearts III".
Terra.
 is one of the three playable characters of "Birth by Sleep". He is a Keyblade wielder who is trained by Master Eraqus alongside Aqua and Ventus, developing a strong sibling-like bond and sharing his dream of becoming a Keyblade Master with them; gameplay-wise, he performs slower, heavier-hitting attacks than Aqua and Ventus. During an exam to obtain the Mark of Mastery, Master Xehanort manipulates the trials to stimulate the darkness that resides inside of Terra, for which he is denied the rank. He is thus easily manipulated by Xehanort's encouragements to channel his darkness into power, and becomes Xehanort's first vessel. Terra is ultimately freed from Xehanort's control and restored to normal during the events of "Kingdom Hearts III".
Ventus.
, commonly nicknamed , is one of the three playable characters of "Birth by Sleep" who is later revealed to be a member of the Dandelions who survived the Keyblade War before being displaced from his time by Xehanort. Throughout the plot of "Birth by Sleep", Xehanort intended Ventus to recreate χ-blade for his agenda. After Ventus sacrifices his heart to prevent the χ-blade's completion, his comatose body is sealed within Castle Oblivion while his heart takes refuge within Sora's, which factors into the physical appearance of Roxas. In "Kingdom Hearts III", Sora becomes aware of Ventus's heart within him and uses the power of waking to send it back to his body, reviving him. Ventus later aids Sora and his allies in the final battle with Xehanort.
Aqua.
 is a Keyblade Master who serves as one of the three playable characters of "Birth by Sleep", and the sole playable character of "A Fragmentary Passage", a direct sequel bundled in "Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue". She is also playable during one fight in "Kingdom Hearts III". She is a nimble character who specializes in magic attacks while dealing weak physical damage. As the only one among her friends to achieve the rank of Keyblade Master by the start of the game, she is tasked by Master Eraqus to watch over Terra and retrieve Ventus when he runs away from home. While attempting to protect Ventus and save Terra from Xehanort's control, she becomes trapped in the realm of darkness, where she remains suspended in time throughout the series while fending off the endless swarms of Heartless. In "Kingdom Hearts III", Sora rescues her from the realm of darkness, and she joins him in the final battle against Xehanort.
Other characters.
Xehanort.
 is the foremost antagonist of the "Kingdom Hearts" series. Initially introduced as the original form of the sentient Heartless Ansem and Nobody Xemnas, Xehanort is further reestablished as an elderly Keyblade Master from the Destiny Islands who acquired the means to transplant his heart into the bodies of others, which he uses to orchestrate the events of the games up to "Kingdom Hearts III" to suit his agenda. Throughout the series, Xehanort is driven by an obsessive interest in the Keyblade War, a historic cataclysm that resulted in the universe's present, fragmented state. In "Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep", he attempts to use the hearts of his pupils Ventus and Vanitas to forge the χ-blade and unlock Kingdom Hearts to incite another war, desiring to create a new world where light and darkness exist in perfect balance. He also transfers his heart into Terra's body, prolonging his own life. However, he is defeated through the combined efforts of Ventus, Terra and Aqua, sustaining amnesia in the process. In "", Xehanort returns to his original form following the destruction of Ansem and Xemnas, who are revealed to have been created to reenact his original plan by gathering seven "guardians of light" and thirteen "seekers of darkness" in the form of the Princesses of Heart and Organization XIII, respectively; he also uses time travel to assemble Ansem, Xemnas, and other versions of himself from across time into a new Organization, sending their hearts into replica bodies to co-exist with their present self. In "Kingdom Hearts III", where he is defeated and his past selves are eliminated during a showdown against Sora's group, Xehanort surrenders and allows his heart to pass on together with his former friend Eraqus.
The character's name is an anagram of "no heart" and "another" with the additional letter "X". The character's other featured incarnations are:
Naminé.
Introduced in "Chain of Memories", is revealed in "Kingdom Hearts II" to be Kairi's Nobody, created when Sora releases Kairi's heart from within himself during the events of the first game. She has the ability to change, rearrange, or erase the memories of Sora and those close to him, for which she is called a witch. Originating at Castle Oblivion, she is forced by Marluxia to alter Sora's memories so he remembers her as a close friend from the Destiny Islands, allowing Marluxia to manipulate him. She later defies Marluxia to reveal the truth to Sora, and oversees the year-long process to restore Sora and his friends' memories to their original state. Naminé also saves Riku in "Reverse/Rebirth" from Zexion, disguising herself as Kairi. In "Kingdom Hearts II", Naminé visits Roxas in the virtual Twilight Town to help him discover his true identity as Sora's Nobody. Naminé returns in the game's final world to help Kairi escape from the Organization's dungeon, after which she merges with Kairi to complete her. In "Kingdom Hearts III", Naminé plays a role in summoning the Lingering Will to help Sora against Terra-Xehanort after being temporarily separated from Kairi's heart. Later, when Kairi's body is destroyed by Xehanort, Naminé's heart is released and stored in a replica body provided to Ansem the Wise and his apprentices by Riku, restoring Naminé's existence as a separate person.
Organization XIII.
 is a group created by Xehanort in his plan to acquire the χ-blade, introduced as thirteen Nobodies who seek the power of Kingdom Hearts to become complete humans, with Xehanort's Nobody Xemnas ranked first as their leader. With the exception of Xemnas using Ansem's name, each Organization member's name is an anagram of their original self's name with the letter "X" inserted. While Nobodies initially lack true emotion and morality at first, they gradually grow hearts over time. In "Dream Drop Distance", it is revealed that the Organization's true purpose is to serve as vessels for Xehanort's heart in his plan to forge the χ-blade, with a second, "real" Organization XIII being assembled from several of the Organization's older members, who willingly return to their Nobody forms, and various incarnations of Xehanort brought from the past using artificial replica bodies. The first Organization's members also serve as computer-controlled party members of "358/2 Days", and are playable in the game's "Mission Mode". Excluding Xemnas and Roxas, the initial members and their original names are, in order of rank:
Riku Replica.
 is a replica created by Vexen from the real Riku's combat data, first appearing as an antagonist in "Chain of Memories". Initially appearing to be the real Riku under the influence of darkness, his true nature is revealed after he battles Sora to protect Naminé, who previously altered his memories so that he believed himself to be real as part of Marluxia's plan to manipulate Sora. The game's "Reverse/Rebirth" story mode depicts Riku's confrontations with his replica, who is eventually destroyed in a fight meant to prove his own right to exist after discovering his origins. In "Kingdom Hearts III", Riku finds the replica's heart in the realm of darkness and gives it refuge within his own heart. A past version of the replica called "Dark Riku" also appears in the game as a member of the real Organization XIII, masquerading as the real Riku's younger self. After Dark Riku is defeated, Riku Replica sacrifices himself to extract Dark Riku's heart from its vessel, which he provides for Naminé.
Ansem the Wise.
 is the former sage king of Radiant Garden, first appearing in the "Reverse/Rebirth" storyline of "Chain of Memories" as a bandaged figure known as . His true identity is uncovered in "Kingdom Hearts II", simultaneously revealing the similarly named antagonist to be an impostor. Nine years prior to the first game's events, Ansem studies the darkness in people's hearts for the benefit of his world after taking an amnesic Terra-Xehanort in. After meeting with King Mickey and learning his research may be connected to a crisis happening in other worlds, Ansem ceases his experiments. However, Xehanort secretly continues the experiments under Ansem's name alongside Ansem's other pupils—Braig, Dilan, Even, Aeleus, and Ienzo—who exile Ansem to a world of nothingness and form Organization XIII. Ansem disguises himself as DiZ, an acronym for "Darkness in Zero", and escapes to exact revenge on the Organization.
In "Chain of Memories", DiZ guides Riku through Castle Oblivion under the guise of Xehanort's Heartless. Together with Riku and Naminé, DiZ oversees the restoration of Sora, Donald, and Goofy's memories throughout "358/2 Days", moving them from Castle Oblivion to Twilight Town for safekeeping. When Roxas unwittingly begins absorbing Sora's memories, DiZ orders Riku to retrieve Roxas, whom he places inside a simulation of Twilight Town to eventually merge with Sora. In "Kingdom Hearts II", DiZ's plans fall apart when Sora does not function as he wants upon awakening. Realizing the harm he has brought upon Sora and his friends, DiZ becomes remorseful and loses his lust for revenge. Ansem reveals himself to Mickey at the World That Never Was while attempting to digitally encode Xemnas' Kingdom Hearts within a machine. The hearts overload the machine and cause it to self-destruct, with Ansem allowing himself to be engulfed by the blast to atone for his mistakes.
In the epilogue of "Birth by Sleep", Ansem is revealed to be alive in the realm of darkness, where he relays his intact memories of Sora to Aqua. In "Dream Drop Distance", a digital copy of Ansem appears within Sora's heart to present Riku with research data he has hidden regarding Roxas, Xion, and Ventus's hearts. During the events of "Kingdom Hearts III", Ansem is brought back to the realm of light by Xehanort's Heartless to locate one of his former test subjects for the Organization before being rescued by Vexen's intervention. Following Xehanort's defeat, Ansem resumes his role as ruler of Radiant Garden.
Vanitas.
 is a Keyblade wielder and antagonist who first appears in "Birth by Sleep", created by Master Xehanort from darkness extracted from Ventus's heart as part of the man's plan to forge the χ-blade. Vantias was initially faceless at the time of his creation until Ventus connected his heart to the newborn Sora, considering Sora as a "brother" like Ventus since their connection defined him as a person. Though he aids Xehanort's scheme, Vanitas acted on his own whims to lure Ventus away from home in order to strengthen him into his equal to commence their reunion while attacking him and his friends with the Unversed manifesting from Vanitas's negative emotions. While Vanitas succeeded in merging back into Ventus during their final confrontation at the Keyblade Graveyard, their reunion produces an unstable χ-blade, which is destroyed along with Vanitas in a metaphysical battle against Ventus within their combined heart. However, after briefly appearing alongside Young Xehanort in "Dream Drop Distance" in reaction to the presence of Ventus's heart within Sora's. Vanitas is inducted into the real Organization XIII as one of the thirteen seekers of darkness in "Kingdom Hearts III", using a replica body with the intention of reclaiming Ventus's heart. Vanitas returns to his original time upon being defeated a second time.
While developing "Birth by Sleep", Nomura created Vanitas's relationship with Ventus under suggestion from the game's Osaka development team, as he enjoyed the idea of adding more connections between characters. He chose the name "Vanitas"—Latin for "emptiness"—for its similarity to Ventus's name, and because its Japanese translation, , could be reinterpreted as Sora's name, which means "sky". A secret boss based on Vanitas called the appears in "Birth by Sleep".
Eraqus.
 is introduced in "Birth by Sleep" as one of the few remaining Keyblade Masters alongside Xehanort, revealed to be descended from the Keyblade users that survived the Keyblade War. In charge of the Land of Departure, he is both a mentor and father figure to Terra, Aqua and Ventus, and is noted for being biased against the existence of darkness in favor of light, a key factor behind his eventual falling out with Xehanort. Nomura described his relationship with Xehanort as that of old friends and classmates. At the start of the game, Eraqus passes Aqua the Mark of Mastery but denies Terra, basing his decision on the darkness in Terra's heart. He sends Terra and Aqua to deal with the appearance of the Unversed and the disappearance of Master Xehanort, and also sends Aqua to retrieve Ventus, fearing that Xehanort will use Ventus to create the χ-blade. When Ventus confronts him over this and confirms his fears, Eraqus attempts to destroy Ventus to foil Xehanort's plan, but is stopped by Terra. After battling with his student, he is struck down by Xehanort and fades away, leaving his Keyblade behind. However, the game's secret ending reveals that Eraqus had hidden his own heart within Terra, allowing Terra to resist Xehanort's influence after being possessed by him. Eraqus returns in "Kingdom Hearts III", emerging from Terra's restored body and persuading Xehanort to surrender, after which their hearts ascend to the afterlife.
Eraqus' name is an anagram of "Square", referencing series developer company Square Enix. He also bears a resemblance to "Final Fantasy" series creator Hironobu Sakaguchi. An additional boss modeled after Eraqus' armor, called the , appears in "Birth by Sleep Final Mix" as an opponent in the Mirage Arena.
Foretellers.
The are a group of Keyblade Masters trained under the Master of Masters, each a leader of one of the five Unions established to gather light and combat darkness. First appearing in "Kingdom Hearts χ", the Foretellers are each given a copy of the Book of Prophecies, which details their master's prediction of the future and the manifestation of worlds. After the Master disappears, the Foretellers' paranoia of a traitor among themselves results in infighting that eventually leads to the Keyblade War and the destruction of the world. With the exception of Ava, the Foretellers appear in the epilogue of "Kingdom Hearts III", where they are summoned by Luxu and informed of the events that occurred in their absence.
Dandelions.
The are a group of Keyblade wielders recruited by Ava, each deemed strong enough to resist the darkness. They are sent to another world before the Keyblade War to prevent being caught in the battle and to help rebuild the world in its aftermath. In the new world, five of the Dandelions, including Ventus and Lauriam, are chosen to retain their memories of the Keyblade War and become the new Union leaders, forming the joint group Union Cross to ensure the event would never repeat itself. The other Dandelions, like Elrena, had their memories rewritten to forget the events leading to the Keyblade War.
Disney and Square Enix characters.
Mickey Mouse.
Mickey Mouse is depicted in the "Kingdom Hearts" series as the king of Disney Castle, frequently referred to in-game as "King Mickey" or simply . He is also an experienced Keyblade Master, alternatively wielding a golden version of Sora's "Kingdom Key" retrieved from the realm of darkness, and the "Star Seeker" he is seen using during his apprenticeship to Yen Sid in "Birth by Sleep". Mickey is absent for most of the original game, which sees him departing his world to discover a solution to the Heartless' invasion, leaving instructions for Donald and Goofy telling to find and protect the Keyblade wielder. He has a more active role fighting alongside Sora and his allies in later installments, which first required the approval of Disney. He is a playable character in "Kingdom Hearts II", stepping in to replace Sora whenever the player is defeated during certain boss battles until he is able to revive Sora. He is also available for play in the "Mission Mode" of "Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days" as an unlockable character.
Donald Duck and Goofy.
In various games, Donald Duck and Goofy serve as the player's main computer-controlled partners. They are both depicted as members of Disney Castle's royal court; Donald is a magician who is proficient with a variety of offensive and supportive spells, and Goofy is a peaceful knights' captain who performs supportive and defensive techniques with a shield. In "Kingdom Hearts", Donald and Goofy embark on a journey to find their missing king, with orders from a letter left by Mickey to find the Keyblade wielder. They accompany Sora for this reason, initially viewing him as little more than a means to track down the king, and reluctantly abandoning him upon the discovery that Riku is the rightful owner of Sora's Keyblade. However, both eventually grow to care for Sora as a friend and remain with him. The two are also unlockable characters for play in "358/2 Days"'s "Mission Mode".
Maleficent.
Maleficent, an evil fairy and the antagonist of the 1959 film "Sleeping Beauty", appears as a secondary antagonist in the "Kingdom Hearts" series. During the first game, she leads a group of other Disney villains—Hades from "Hercules", Jafar from "Aladdin", Ursula from "The Little Mermaid", Oogie Boogie from "The Nightmare Before Christmas", and Captain Hook from "Peter Pan"—to capture the Princesses of Heart and harness the power of Kingdom Hearts, which she intends to use to conquer all worlds. In reality, she is an unwitting pawn of Xehanort, who first informs her of the princesses during the prequel "Birth by Sleep" as part of his own plan to gather components for the χ-blade. Her defeat results in her becoming trapped in the realm of darkness, but she returns after her raven forces Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather to recall their memories of her, allowing her to resume her conquest of worlds. Following Maleficent's attempts to acquire a new lair after losing Hollow Bastion, she and Pete proceed to search for the Master of Master's Black Box for much of "Kingdom Hearts III" before witnessing Luxu summoning the Foretellers.
Pete.
Pete is included in "Kingdom Hearts II" as Maleficent's bumbling henchman who first encounters Sora's group while amassing a Heartless army for her, unaware of her earlier defeat. Originally a steamboat captain based on his depiction in "Steamboat Willie", Pete is banished to another dimension by Queen Minnie for incessantly causing mischief around Disney Town under the masked superhero guises "Captain Justice" and "Captain Dark", as seen in "Birth by Sleep". He becomes indebted to Maleficent when she frees him, and he vows to help conquer the worlds in return. He makes recurring appearances throughout "Kingdom Hearts II" and later installments, menacing Sora's group alongside Maleficent and various other Disney villains. A version of Pete based on his depiction in "" also appears in the "Country of the Musketeers" world based on the film.
Yen Sid.
Yen Sid is the sorcerer from "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" segment of "Fantasia", appearing as King Mickey's old mentor and a retired Keyblade Master who resides in the Mysterious Tower. He first appears in "Kingdom Hearts II", where he informs Sora's group of their task at hand on Mickey's behalf. In addition to providing counsel to the main characters of "Birth by Sleep", he proctors Sora and Riku's Mark of Mastery exam in "Dream Drop Distance" to prepare them for an inevitable showdown with Master Xehanort, training Kairi and Lea to serve as two of the potential seven "guardians of light" as well.
Princesses of Heart.
The Princesses of Heart, known as the in the Japanese language version, are maidens whose hearts are made of pure light and devoid of darkness, with the original character Kairi as one such maiden. The roster of the other Princesses includes five official Disney Princesses—Snow White from "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs", Cinderella from the Disney film of the same name, Aurora from "Sleeping Beauty", Belle from "Beauty and the Beast", and Jasmine from "Aladdin", plus Alice from "Alice in Wonderland". "Kingdom Hearts III" introduces new inheritors of the original maidens' powers called the —including Rapunzel from "Tangled" and the sisters Anna and Elsa from "Frozen"—with only Kairi retaining her original role.
Throughout the original game, Maleficent kidnaps the princesses for their ability to summon the Keyhole to Kingdom Hearts when brought together. Xehanort's Heartless "Ansem" later uses six of the princesses' hearts to forge a Keyblade with the power to unlock people's hearts, intending to free Kairi's heart from Sora's. Sora restores their hearts after using Ansem's Keyblade on himself to revive Kairi, destroying it. The other princesses remain at Hollow Bastion to contain the darkness spilling from the Keyhole until the door to Kingdom Hearts is sealed, subsequently returning to their homeworlds. In the prequel "Birth by Sleep", it is revealed that Master Xehanort seeks out the Princesses of Heart, spurring Maleficent into gathering them as well; it is later explained in "Dream Drop Distance" that the princesses' hearts represent the seven fragments of light broken off from the χ-blade, which Xehanort intends to use in his plan to forge the weapon. To prevent this, Yen Sid prepares to substitute the princesses with seven Keyblade wielders to clash with Xehanort's reformed Organization XIII.
Party members and summons.
Several games in the "Kingdom Hearts" series feature computer-controlled characters that are added to the player's party in a specific world. The first game features six different party members in addition to Donald and Goofy: Tarzan in the Deep Jungle; Aladdin in Agrabah; Ariel in Atlantica from "The Little Mermaid"; Jack Skellington in Halloween Town from "The Nightmare Before Christmas"; Peter Pan in Never Land; and Beast from "Beauty and the Beast" in Hollow Bastion, a world exclusive to the series. In addition, there are six characters that can be acquired as summoned allies in the game: adult Simba from "The Lion King", Genie from "Aladdin", Dumbo, Bambi, Tinker Bell from "Peter Pan", and Mushu from "Mulan". "Chain of Memories" features the same party and summoned characters from the first game, with the inclusion of Cloud Strife as an additional summon.
Aladdin, Jack, and the Beast return as party members in "Kingdom Hearts II", with Ariel appearing in a non-playable capacity, and Peter Pan appearing as a summon in tandem with Tinker Bell. Adult Simba is featured as a full party member in "The Lion King"s Pride Lands, while Mushu becomes a supporting ally in tandem with new party member Mulan in the film's Land of Dragons. Other new party members include "Final Fantasy X" character Auron in the "Hercules"-inspired Olympus Coliseum world, Jack Sparrow in the "Pirates of the Caribbean"s Port Royal, and Tron in Space Paranoids. Chicken Little and Stitch are included as new summons.
"Birth by Sleep" removes the standard party system utilized by previous games, instead using characters as temporary partners during certain portions of the game. These characters are Prince Phillip in Enchanted Dominion, based on "Sleeping Beauty"; Hercules and Zack Fair in Olympus Coliseum, with the latter being based on his "" appearance; and Stitch, named "Experiment 626", in the "Lilo & Stitch"-inspired Deep Space.
Hercules and Jack Sparrow return as party members in "Kingdom Hearts III", with new party members including Woody and Buzz Lightyear from "Toy Story", Rapunzel and Flynn Rider from "Tangled", James P. Sullivan and Mike Wazowski from "Monsters, Inc.", Marshmallow from "Frozen", and Baymax from "Big Hero 6", all in worlds based on their respective films. Wreck-It Ralph, Simba, Ariel, and Stitch also appear as summonable "Link" characters alongside the "Meow Wow" Dream Eater from "Dream Drop Distance".
Other Disney characters.
One of the common elements in the "Kingdom Hearts" series is the inclusion of levels based on various Disney and Pixar films, as well as related media. Several key characters from the films appear in their respective worlds, closely following their roles from the film and play a small role in the main story.
Several characters from the Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck universes appear in the "Kingdom Hearts" series, most of them appearing at the original world Disney Castle and its adjacent urban area, Disney Town. Minnie Mouse is portrayed as the queen of Disney Castle who rules in the absence of her husband, King Mickey. Daisy Duck, Donald Duck's girlfriend, is Queen Minnie's lady-in-waiting. Pluto reprises his role as Mickey's pet and makes recurring appearances throughout the series, accompanying Donald and Goofy's search for the king in the first game. Chip and Dale act as Disney Castle's technicians, managing the Gummi Ship that Sora's party uses to travel between worlds; they play a major role in "Coded", where they construct the machine used to digitize the contents of Jiminy Cricket's journal. Donald's nephews Huey, Dewey, and Louie appear as shop owners in "Kingdom Hearts" and "Kingdom Hearts II", where they attempt to save up money to go on their own adventure. Scrooge McDuck appears in "Kingdom Hearts II", "Birth by Sleep", and "Kingdom Hearts III" where he attempts to open business venues, such as a transit system between worlds, an ice cream business, and a restaurant in Twilight Town. The Beagle Boys, as depicted in "", reprise their roles from the film as Pete's minions in the "Dream Drop Distance" level "Country of the Musketeers". Other characters such as Horace Horsecollar, Clarabelle Cow, and Clara Cluck make minor appearances in "Kingdom Hearts II" and "Birth by Sleep". Ludwig Von Drake does not appear physically, but is mentioned on the Classic Kingdom posters found in Twilight Town in "Kingdom Hearts III".
Characters from other Disney films also play prominent roles in the games' story. Jiminy Cricket appears as a chronicler of Sora's travels, recording information about the people, places and events they encounter in his journals; he also retains his role from "Pinocchio" as the title character's conscience. Merlin from "The Sword in the Stone" acts as Sora's mentor in performing magic, and he keeps an enchanted book that allows players access to the Hundred Acre Wood world based on Disney's "Winnie the Pooh" franchise. The Fairy Godmother from "Cinderella" appears in Merlin's house in "Kingdom Hearts", where she transforms "summon gems" collected throughout the game into summoned allies; she also appears in "Birth by Sleep" as a resident of her original world, the Castle of Dreams. The One Hundred and One Dalmatians are featured in a side-quest in the first game, where players retrieve Pongo and Perdita's 99 puppies scattered throughout the game's worlds in exchange for prizes. Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather from "Sleeping Beauty" appear in "Kingdom Hearts II", where they provide Sora with new clothes that grant him access to Drive Forms. "Kingdom Hearts III" includes Remy from Pixar's "Ratatouille" as the chef of Scrooge McDuck's bistro, where he hosts a cooking minigame.
Other Square Enix characters.
In addition to Disney elements, "Kingdom Hearts" features characters from other Square Enix-developed titles, most prominently "Final Fantasy". A majority of the games include Moogles, small creatures that are a recurring element throughout the "Final Fantasy" series; they serve to run shops where players can create and purchase items used in the game.
"Kingdom Hearts" prominently depicts several "Final Fantasy" characters as residents of the ruined world Radiant Garden, known as Hollow Bastion prior to "Kingdom Hearts II". Led by Squall Leonheart from "Final Fantasy VIII", who goes by the name out of shame for his inability to save his home, the group also includes "Final Fantasy VII" characters Aerith Gainsborough, a flower girl and healer; Yuffie Kisaragi, a friendly ninja; and Cid Highwind, an expert in the games' "Gummi Ship" feature. These characters form the "Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee" in "Kingdom Hearts II", with the goal of rebuilding their destroyed world following Maleficent's defeat, using the home of Merlin as a base. In both games, Leon and Yuffie are featured as opponents in the Olympus Coliseum. The Restoration Committee return in "Kingdom Hearts III Re Mind", helping Riku search for clues to the missing Sora's disappearance.
Youthful versions of "Final Fantasy X" characters Tidus and Wakka, as well as "Final Fantasy VIII" character Selphie Tilmitt, make recurring appearances as residents of the Destiny Islands. The three serve as optional sparring partners early in the first game.
Cloud Strife appears in "Kingdom Hearts" at Olympus Coliseum, based on Disney's "Hercules". In the game, he is a mercenary hired by Hades to kill Hercules in exchange for the whereabouts of Sephiroth, who is an optional boss included in the North American, PAL, and "Final Mix" releases of the game. Cloud and Tifa Lockhart later appear in "Kingdom Hearts II" as allies of the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee; Sephiroth also returns here as an optional boss, and is depicted as the embodiment of Cloud's darkness.
Younger incarnations of "Final Fantasy VIII" characters Seifer Almasy, Fujin, and Raijin—the latter two named "Fuu" and "Rai", respectively—appear in "Kingdom Hearts II" as members of Twilight Town's self-proclaimed disciplinary committee. Twilight Town also depicts "Final Fantasy IX"s Vivi Ornitier as an admirer of Seifer, and "Final Fantasy VI"s Setzer Gabbiani as a champion of the local Struggle sport; neither character was designed by Nomura, who included them under pressure from his staff.
The Gullwings from "Final Fantasy X-2"—Yuna, Rikku and Paine—are depicted as fairy-like creatures in "Kingdom Hearts II", where they are initially sent by Maleficent to spy on the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee, but later switch sides to help Sora's group in exchange for treasure.
The main characters of "The World Ends with You"—Neku Sakuraba, Yoshiya "Joshua" Kiryu, Shiki Misaki, Daisukenojo "Beat" Bito, and Raimu "Rhyme" Bito—appear in "Dream Drop Distance" as players of a Reapers' Game in Traverse Town. They are depicted as figments of their original selves, saved from fading out of existence by Joshua following Shibuya's destruction.
Merchandise.
The characters of the "Kingdom Hearts" series have had various types of merchandise modeled after their likeness. Square Enix has released a collection of Formation Arts figurines that feature several of the main characters from the first game. A series of Play Arts action figures has also been released. Other merchandise includes jewelry and key chains modeled after character apparel and accessories. The characters are also featured on posters, desktop wallpapers, and trading cards that are part of the "Kingdom Hearts" Trading Card Game.
Reception.
Overall, the characters within the "Kingdom Hearts" series have been well received and have garnered praise for the quality of their voice acting as well as their visual style. IGN, GameSpy, and "Game Informer" all praised the animation quality of the characters. IGN's David Smith's impressions of the characters were very positive, referring to them as an "engaging cast", and stating the "characters' acting is helped immensely by the facial expressions and body". The design of the characters created specifically for "Kingdom Hearts" was seen as the highlight of the first game, stating "the majority of its best visual moments are based on original designs". One complaint he expressed was "the odd bit of cheating with the lip-synching, where textured facial features are substituted for full 3D animation". GameSpy stated the Disney characters "slide perfectly into Square's visual style", and complemented the realistic characters from "Pirates of the Caribbean", describing them as "remarkably accurate".
GameSpot commented the first game created a "fascinating world" using the Disney and "Final Fantasy" characters. GameSpy stated the inclusion of the Disney and Square Enix characters was handled well. The main character Sora has also received press comments. In January 2007, Sora was listed the 4th biggest dork of 2006 by "Game Informer", citing the Atlantica singing portions of the game. IGN listed him as a possible character in "Super Smash Bros. Brawl"; though he was not chosen as the "reader's choice".
GameSpy praised the voice cast and voice acting in the first and third games. G4TV awarded "Kingdom Hearts II" "Best Voice Over" in their 2006 G-phoria Awards. "Game Informer" praised the voice acting of the third game, particularly the performances by Haley Joel Osment, Christopher Lee, and James Woods. They also stated the voice talent "shines across the board." Reception towards the voice acting in "Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep", however, was decidedly mixed, with praise aimed at the performances of Jesse McCartney, Mark Hamill and Leonard Nimoy, while Willa Holland and Jason Dohring's performances received a more mixed reaction, with GameSpot referring to Dohring's performance as "abysmal".