A piece of promotional artwork for Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix+ that showcases the main characters of the series; Sora appears twice in the center in two different outfits. He is flanked by Roxas (left) and Riku (right)—who also appears at the far left—with the members of Organization XIII along the bottom.

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 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 and Final Fantasy characters, as well as several new characters designed by Tetsuya Nomura.^[1] In addition, it has an all-star voice cast which includes many of the Disney characters' official voice actors.

The series centers around the main character Sora's search for his friends and his encounters with Disney and Final Fantasy characters on their worlds. Players primarily control Sora, though there are numerous characters who join Sora's party as computer controlled members. The majority of the characters were introduced in the first game, Kingdom Hearts. Several new characters were introduced in the sequel, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, which also features alternate versions of previous characters created from Sora's memories. The third game, Kingdom Hearts II, added more Disney and Final Fantasy characters, as well as introduced new antagonists.

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 focused on the accurate presentation of Disney characters, the unique visual style of Square Enix characters, how well all the characters blended together, and the consistent quality performances from voice actors.

[edit] Creation and influences

Concept art of Riku, Kairi, and Sora, original characters created for the series

The Kingdom Hearts series is directed by Tetsuya Nomura, who also works as 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.^[2] 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.^[3] 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.^[2] 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.^[4]

The inclusion of specific Final Fantasy characters was based on the opinions of fans and the development staff.^[5] Another criterion for inclusion was whether the staff felt the characters would fit into the storyline and in the Kingdom Hearts universe.^[6] Initially, Nomura was hesitant to use characters he did not design, because he was unfamiliar with the background work of such characters.^[7] For Kingdom Hearts II, he changed his mind after receiving pressure from his staff.^[5] 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.^[8]

[edit] Voice cast

The Kingdom Hearts games feature well-known voice actors for the Japanese and English versions of the characters. The Japanese version featured Miyu Irino as Sora, Risa Uchida as Kairi, and Mamoru Miyano as Riku.^[9][10] Kingdom Hearts II introduced Kōki Uchiyama as Roxas, Iku Nakahara as Naminé, and Genzō Wakayama as DiZ.^[11] The English release of the Kingdom Hearts games featured an all-star voice cast which included many of the Disney characters' official voice actors. Wayne Allwine, Bret Iwan, Tony Anselmo, and Bill Farmer voiced Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy, respectively.^[10][12] Several high profile actors provided the voice acting of the main characters. The first game featured Haley Joel Osment as Sora, David Gallagher as Riku, and Hayden Panettiere as Kairi.^[13] Kingdom Hearts II saw the return of the main character voice actors and added Jesse McCartney as Roxas, Brittany Snow as Naminé, and Christopher Lee as DiZ.^[14]

[edit] Main protagonists

[edit] Sora

Sora (ソラ^?) is an original character created by Tetsuya Nomura, the protagonist of the series and the character that the player directly controls through a majority of the series.^[1] Sora's weapon is the Keyblade.^[15] Though not the original one chosen to wield the Keyblade, Sora was ultimately chosen over Riku because Sora's heart was stronger, while Riku's heart became vulnerable and temporarily weak.^[16] Nomura has stated that Sora's name can be interpreted as "sky";^[17] the Japanese word for sky is sora (空^?).^[18] Over the course of the games, Sora grows older and matures. Nomura wanted to help illustrate this by having his fighting style in Kingdom Hearts II reflect his maturity; the combat system was completely reworked in the game for this purpose.^[3] He is voiced by Haley Joel Osment in the English version and Miyu Irino in the Japanese version.

At the beginning of the series, Sora is fourteen years old and lives on Destiny Islands along with his two friends, Riku and Kairi.^[19] When their world is attacked by a group of dark beings known as the Heartless, the three are separated. During the invasion, he obtains the Keyblade. Soon after, Sora meets Donald Duck and Goofy, who join him on his search for his friends.^[18] To blend in with the inhabitants of the various worlds they visit, the group is occasionally transformed by Donald's magic. Sora later meets Riku on several occasions, but the two clash over saving Kairi. Riku is later possessed by Xehanort's Heartless. After fighting him, Sora sacrifices his own heart to restore Kairi's to her body, becomes a Heartless and creates a Nobody, Roxas, in the process. Soon after, his heart is restored by Kairi. Sora, Donald, and Goofy then fight and defeat Xehanort's Heartless, and with the help of Riku and King Mickey on the other side, they seal the door to Kingdom Hearts. Afterwards, Sora, Donald, and Goofy resolve to find Riku and the King, who were trapped on the other side.

While traveling the three find a fortress known as Castle Oblivion. Upon entering, Sora's memories are manipulated by a girl named Naminé, under the commands of the Organization that is controlling the castle. The Organization uses Naminé's powers to alter Sora's memories and overshadow and replace memories of Kairi with herself. Sora discovers the truth behind the events that have taken place and after defeating the Organization members, he meets with Naminé. She puts Sora, Donald, and Goofy to sleep for one year to restore his memories to their state prior to entering Castle Oblivion, at the cost of losing their memories of the events in the castle.^[20] The three awake a year later in Twilight Town and learn about the Nobodies and Organization XIII. Sora also obtains a new ability, "Drive Form", from the new attire provided to him by the fairies Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather, which allows him to transform into more powerful forms and access new abilities.^[21][22] Sora and the others begin their quest to confront Organization XIII and solve the mystery behind that goals, though Sora questions why he is constantly being referred to as "Roxas" by them. They eventually find King Mickey and Riku, and also rescue Kairi who is kidnapped by Organization XIII during the game, and these friends assist in fighting the Organization's leader, Xemnas. Sora and Riku are separated from the others to fight Xemnas one last time. After defeating him they find their way back to Destiny Islands, where they are reunited with Kairi, Donald, Goofy, and Mickey. A digital version of Sora serves as the main protagonist of Kingdom Hearts coded

[edit] Kairi

Kairi (カイリ^?) is a friend of Sora and Riku and is one of the seven "Princesses of Heart". She is also the romantic interest of Sora. She is an original character created by Tetsuya Nomura for the Kingdom Hearts series.^[1] Nomura has stated that Kairi's name can be interpreted as "sea";^[17] the Japanese on'yomi pronunciation of sea is kai (海^?).^[16] She is voiced in English by Hayden Panettiere in the first two games and Alyson Stoner in Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories. Risa Uchida voices her in the Japanese version.

Kairi was originally a resident of the Radiant Garden, but was sent to the Destiny Islands by Xehanort a few years before the events of Kingdom Hearts in an experiment to test the connection between a Princess of Heart and a Keyblade bearer.^[23] At the beginning of the series, she is fourteen years old.^[19] When the Destiny Islands are destroyed by Heartless, her heart is separated from her body and enters Sora's body, leading him see visions of Kairi and parts of her past. Riku, searching for a way to revive her, brings Kairi's empty and unresponsive body to Hollow Bastion where her status as a Princess of Heart is revealed along with the location of her heart. Learning of this, Sora gives up his heart in order to restore hers back into her body, transforming himself into a Heartless and creating Kairi's Nobody, Naminé, as well as his own, Roxas, in the process. Soon after, Kairi finds Sora's Heartless and restores him back to human form. After Xehanort's Heartless is defeated, Kairi is left behind on the reforming Destiny Islands and separated from Sora. Sora promises to return to her with Riku, and Kairi waits on the island for their return.

During Chain of Memories, Naminé's memory-altering powers break the memories in Sora's heart as well as those of his friends on Destiny Islands. In Kingdom Hearts II, Kairi, and all of Sora's friends, slowly begin to remember Sora. Kairi sends a letter she wrote out to sea in hopes that it will find its way to him. After Sora's memories had been restored by Naminé, Kairi is confronted by Axel, who hopes to use Kairi to lure Sora to him. With the help of Pluto, Kairi evades him and escapes through a dark portal that mysteriously opens taking her to Twilight Town, but is captured by Axel soon after. However, Saïx takes Kairi from Axel and imprisons her and Pluto in a jail cell in the World That Never Was. She escapes her cell with the help of Naminé and they are saved from Saïx by Riku, in the guise of Xehanort's Heartless. Riku gives her a Keyblade which she uses to fight off the Heartless that Saïx summons. Kairi and Riku are reunited with Sora, and along with Donald, Goofy and King Mickey, the group face and defeat Xemnas. Kairi then fuses with Naminé and returns to Destiny Islands with Sora and Riku.

[edit] Riku

Riku (リク^?) is Sora's and Kairi's best friend, and character created by Tetsuya Nomura for the Kingdom Hearts series.^[1] Nomura has stated that Riku's name can be interpreted as "land";^[17] the Japanese on'yomi pronunciation of land is riku (陸^?).^[16][18] Riku is voiced by David Gallagher in the English version and Mamoru Miyano in the Japanese version. He is playable in the second story mode of Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories and as a world-specific ally in Kingdom Hearts II. In 358/2 Days, Riku is playable in the multiplayer mode and also serves as the final boss in the game's story mode.

At the beginning of the series, he is fifteen years old and lives on Destiny Islands with his friends. He is the original one chosen to wield the Keyblade, but when their world is attacked by the Heartless, he chooses darkness over light and loses the Keyblade to Sora. The three are separated,^[19] and Riku ends up at Hollow Bastion where Maleficent finds him, thus giving him the Soul Eater. Under her influence Riku turns on Sora and searches for a way to help Kairi.^[16] Riku eventually becomes possessed by Xehanort's Heartless, with his heart sent to the realm of darkness where he meets King Mickey and helps him and Sora seal the door to the realm of darkness.

In Chain of Memories, Riku awakens in the basement levels of Castle Oblivion and begins climbing to the ground floor. Along the way, Riku confronts the remaining darkness in his heart and a replica of himself that is created by Vexen; he also encounters DiZ, who has been overseeing his progress. After being reunited with King Mickey, Riku reaches the main floor where he finds Naminé as she attends to a sleeping Sora. She offers to seal away his darkness by sealing his memories, but Riku turns her down and chooses to find a balance between his light and darkness, allowing him to defeat what remained of Xehanort's Heartless. Soon after, donning the black cloak DiZ gives him along with a blindfold, Riku joins him to ensure Sora is restored in peace.

While capturing Roxas in order to make Sora complete again, Riku uses the power of darkness at the cost of becoming a physical manifestation of Xehanort's Heartless.^[24] Trapped in that form even after leaving DiZ, Riku helps Sora in secret, ashamed of his appearance. Riku returns to his original form when Ansem the Wise's machine to digitally seal away Kingdom Hearts malfunctions and self-destructs. Joining Sora, they battle and defeat Xemnas, however in his final maneuver, Riku is severely injured saving Sora. In the end, they end up on a dark beach, and discuss how strong their friendship is and how much each of them wanted to be like the other, before a portal opens to Destiny Islands. The two use the portal to return home.

[edit] Donald Duck

Donald Duck is the court wizard of Disney Castle, a loyal servant to King Mickey, and one of Sora's two partners throughout the series.^[15] He is voiced by Tony Anselmo in the English version and Kōichi Yamadera in the Japanese version. Donald is a short-tempered, powerful magician on a quest to find King Mickey Mouse. In Kingdom Hearts, he and Goofy embark on a journey to carry out the missing king’s orders to follow the Keyblade wielder. Initially, he only seems to care for Sora as an asset to track down King Mickey, telling a white lie to him about being able to locate his missing friends in order to convince him to accompany them;^[25] however, he eventually grows to deeply care for him as a friend. At the end of Chain of Memories, he, Sora, and Goofy are put to sleep for a year while their memories are fixed by Naminé.^[20] In Kingdom Hearts II, he awakens with his friends and continues to fight the Heartless along with the Nobodies and Organization XIII. In 358/2 Days, Donald is playable in the multiplayer mode.

[edit] Goofy

Goofy is the captain of the Royal Knights of Disney Castle and the second of Sora's two partners throughout the series. Goofy is voiced by Bill Farmer in the English version and Yū Shimaka in the Japanese version. Despite his position as a knight, Goofy dislikes using weapons, instead wielding a simple shield, and prefers to avoid fighting whenever possible. The Goofy of Kingdom Hearts retains his trademark clumsiness and simple-mindedness, but is an eternal optimist who takes life in stride. He has surprisingly accurate intuitive skills, often noticing things that others miss. Under the king’s orders, he accompanies Donald on the quest to find the key.^[15] At the end of Chain of Memories, he, Sora, and Donald are put to sleep for a year while their memories are fixed by Naminé.^[20] In Kingdom Hearts II, he awakens with his friends and continues to fight the Heartless along with the Nobodies and Organization XIII. In 358/2 Days, Goofy becomes playable in the multiplayer mode.

[edit] King Mickey

King Mickey is the ruler of Disney Castle.^[26] King Mickey is voiced by Wayne Allwine (From Kingdom Hearts up until Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days) and later by Bret Iwan in the English version and Takashi Aoyagi in the Japanese version. Mickey's inclusion in the series was initially restricted to a small cameo for only one scene.^[4] The larger role he played in the sequels first required the approval of Disney.^[8] Prior to the game series, Mickey was a student under Yen Sid and met Ansem the Wise. When the Heartless began to invade other worlds, Mickey left his world to discover the cause. While he had Donald and Goofy find and protect the Keyblade Master, Mickey was on a mission of his own to uncover the plot of Organization XIII that ultimately leads to obtaining a new Keyblade called Kingdom Key D from within the realm of darkness, using it to seal Kingdom Hearts with Sora. In Chain of Memories, he helps Riku in spirit at first, but then returns from the dark realm to help directly. Donning a cloak of darkness in unity with Riku, Mickey continues to uncover the Organization's plan in secret before helping Sora directly. He is only playable in certain boss battles in Kingdom Hearts II; if Sora and his friends are defeated, King Mickey will step in to fight in Sora's place until he is able to revive Sora, as the game forbids King Mickey from defeating a boss on his own. In the aftermath of Xemnas' defeat, Mickey returns to his world, only to go on another adventure in the events of the mobile game Kingdom Hearts coded.

[edit] Ansem the Wise

Ansem the Wise (賢者アンセム, Kenja Ansemu^?) is an original character created for the Kingdom Hearts series. He first appeared in the "Reverse/Rebirth" mode of Chain of Memories under the disguise of a mysterious man named DiZ (ディズ, Dizu^?) and appeared again in Kingdom Hearts II. The name "DiZ" is an acronym for "Darkness in Zero". Ansem is voiced by Christopher Lee in Kingdom Hearts II and Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days and Corey Burton in Re:Chain of Memories; he is voiced by Genzō Wakayama in the Japanese version. Ansem was formerly a respected sage and ruler of the Radiant Garden. As a researcher and ruler of his world, Ansem studied the heart and delved into the many secrets of the worlds. He and his apprentice, Xehanort, believed that darkness could spread into and take control of the heart. After meeting with King Mickey, Ansem ceased the experiments when he heard his research may be connected with a current crisis happening on other worlds. He later found his report on the experiments was given new entries by Xehanort, now using the name Ansem as his own. Ansem's apprentices then betrayed him and banished him to a world of nothingness, where he took on the name DiZ. From that point on, until he cleared his name, DiZ wore concealing red robes and covered most of his face with red bandages.

In Chain of Memories, he helps guide Riku through his encounters in Castle Oblivion. Soon after Riku joins in his campaign, DiZ convinces Naminé to move Sora, Donald, and Goofy to Twilight Town for safekeeping. However, learning that Naminé is having increasing difficulty in stabilizing Sora's memories, DiZ sends Riku to capture Roxas in hopes that the Nobody's reunion with Sora can complete the restoration. In Kingdom Hearts II, Naminé begins to act on her own and Riku declines to help him in his revenge. As he observes the lengths that Riku is willing to go to in order to help Sora, DiZ loses his lust for revenge and grows regretful of the events in his past. When Sora awakens and embarks on his new quest, he does not function as DiZ wants, and all of his plans fall apart.^[27] In the World That Never Was, he reveals himself to Mickey while attempting to digitally seal away Kingdom Hearts. However, the hearts prove unpredictable and begin to overload the machine, and Ansem chooses to sacrifice himself in order to help defeat the Organization. After apologizing to Roxas for his mistakes,^[28] the machine self-destructs, and Ansem is killed in the blast. The explosion disrupts the power contained in Kingdom Hearts and restores Riku to his true form.

[edit] Naminé

Naminé (ナミネ, Namine^?) is an original character created for the Kingdom Hearts series. She has the ability to change or erase the memories of Sora and those close to him by rearranging and creating new links between them, and is called a witch because of it.^[29][30] She can also create objects by drawing them in her sketchbook. Naminé is voiced by Brittany Snow in the English version of Kingdom Hearts II, Meaghan Jette Martin in other appearances, and Iku Nakahara in the Japanese versions of all games.

Naminé first appears in Chain of Memories, being held hostage by Organization XIII. Under orders from the Organization, she alters Sora's memories to remember her as a close friend from Destiny Islands. When Axel releases Naminé under his own agenda, she reveals herself and the truth to Sora. When Marluxia is defeated, Naminé puts Sora, Donald, and Goofy to sleep for a year in order to restore the chains of memories which she broke.^[20] Naminé also saves Riku in "Reverse/Rebirth" from Zexion by teaching him not to fear the darkness. When they meet in person, she offers to lock away the darkness of his heart at the cost of his memories, but he refuses the offer, opting to battle the darkness himself. Afterwards, she contacts DiZ to help protect Sora, Donald, and Goofy until they awaken.^[8] However, Xemnas's creation of the Replica Xion from Sora's memories, and Xion's later death and return to Sora, hampers her ability to restore Sora's memory, forcing DiZ to have Riku obtain Roxas for her to complete her task.

In Kingdom Hearts II, Naminé is revealed to be a "special Nobody" born from Kairi's heart when it left Sora's body. As Kairi had no darkness in her heart, her heart hid within Sora's body instead of becoming a Heartless when Destiny Islands was consumed by darkness. When Sora impaled himself with the dark Keyblade, his body and soul were used to create not only Roxas, but Naminé as well. As a result of this, she has none of Kairi's memories. Naminé's special birth in conjunction with the fact that Kairi's heart had been in direct contact with Sora's is why Naminé's special powers could only affect the memories of Sora and those whose hearts are connected to his. Despite DiZ's orders, Naminé visits Roxas in the virtual Twilight Town to help him discover his true identity. DiZ instructs Riku to destroy Naminé since she is no longer useful. However, a new scene in Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix reveals that Riku lets her go with Axel in return for her help in Castle Oblivion. After meeting with Roxas once more through Sora after Xemnas' apparent defeat, she fuses with Kairi to complete her.

[edit] Roxas

Roxas (ロクサス, Rokusasu^?) is Sora's Nobody who was created when Sora became a Heartless to save Kairi.^[18] "Roxas" is an anagram of "Sora" with an X.^[31] He was first featured at the end of "Reverse/Rebirth" in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories^[32] and is playable in the beginning portion of Kingdom Hearts II, and the entire game of "Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days". Roxas is voiced by Jesse McCartney in the English version and Koki Uchiyama in the Japanese version. Roxas joined Organization XIII when he was found by Xemnas in Twilight Town and given his name. Unlike the other Organization members, he lacks memories of his previous life. In 358/2 Days, Roxas becomes friends with Axel and Xion, who is later revealed to be a replica of Sora created by Xemnas from Sora's leaked memories, necessary if he were to be useless to Organization XIII's plans. When her attempt to absorb Roxas to become the real "Sora" fails, Xion reveals to him the Organization's true motives which motivates Roxas to leave the Organization and meet Sora. After leaving he gains the ability to use Xion's keyblade and alter their form to the Oblivion and Oathkeeper. Later he is confronted by Riku who defeats and captures him to have Roxas rejoin with Sora. Roxas's personality tends to be more solemn and quiet than Sora, either due to his apparent "lack of a heart" or all the tragedy he's been through.

[edit] Terra

Left to right: Aqua, Ven and Terra

Terra (テラ, Tera^?) is an original character created by Tetsuya Nomura, he first appears as one of the main protagonists of Birth by Sleep and is the character that the player directly controls in one of the scenarios of the game. He was sent by Master Eraqus to seek out Master Xehanort and his cohort who had previously disappeared. His name means "earth", from Latin, similar to that of Riku's which means "land". He is believed to have succumbed to darkness for power under Maleficent's influence similar to what occurred to Riku in Kingdom Hearts. He believes to bear a grudge towards Master Xehanort as he believes that Master Xehanort had done something to his heart.^[33] He is taking the Master Qualification Exam alongside Aqua and Ventus, if successful he would become a Keyblade Master.^[34]

An optional boss in Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix, known as Todomarishi Shinen (留まりし思念^?, lit. "Lingering Sentiment"), has a design similar to Terra but Nomura has stated that whether the two are the same person is uncertain and irrelevant.^[35] Todomarishi Shinen is reached through a portal in Disney Castle, in the Hall of the Cornerstone. When Sora meets the mysterious figure in Sunset Horizons, the soldier calls out Xehanort's name and attacks Sora. If Sora comes back to challenge the soldier again, he states he has nothing else to give him, and that the only thing he has left is his hatred towards "Xehanort".

[edit] Ventus

Ventus (ヴェントゥス, Ventusu^?)^[36], also known as Ven (ヴェン^?), is an original character created by Tetsuya Nomura who first appears as one of the main protagonists of Birth by Sleep and the character that the player directly controls in one of the scenarios of the game which also involves him exploring his true identity. He bears an extremely striking resemblance to Roxas and is believed to possess the strongest connection to Sora. His name means "wind" in Latin, similar to that of Sora's, which means "sky". He was sent by Master Eraqus to seek out Master Xenahort and his cohort who had previously disappeared, however he meets Master Xehanort at the coliseum who has apparently met Ven before as he easily recognizes Ven, but not the other way round. Master Xehahort then tells Ven that in order to know the truth he must give up everything. He became an apprentice of Master Eraqus after Terra and Aqua, hence he is the only apprentice not taking the Master Qualification Exam as Master Eraqus believes that he is not experienced enough to take the exam.^[34] His personality strongly resembles that of Sora's, however he is more mischievous than Sora. Like Sora, Ven is also able to easily make friends with the dwellers in the various worlds he visits and often helps them out without the need for a reward.^[33]

Ven cameos in Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, where Xigbar and Xemnas both momentarily have flashbacks of Ven when interacting with Xion, as well as when Axel, Xion, and Xigbar are on on a mission in Wonderland. Xion turns on Xigbar, and he sees her in the form of Ven. Nomura has stated that Braig (Xigbar's former self) had seen Terra, Aqua, and Ven in the past. Nomura has also stated that although Ven has a connection with Sora and Roxas, he is not either of the characters.^[37]

[edit] Aqua

Aqua (アクア, Akua^?) is an original character created by Tetsuya Nomura, she first appears in Birth by Sleep and is the only female main protagonist of Birth by Sleep. She is the character that the player directly controls in one of the scenarios of the game. Her name means "water" in Latin, which is similar to that of Kairi's, which means "sea". She was the last apprentice to be sent by Master Eraqus to seek out Master Xenahort and his cohort who had previously disappeared. Aqua is known to be a level-minded person, but often worries about her friends. She is taking the Master Qualification Exam along with Terra, if successful she would become a Keyblade Master.^[34]

Aqua's outfit has also been altered three times as of October 2009, the outfit she was wearing during the Tokyo Game Show 2009 was deemed as being too revealing by Nomura. This is because when Aqua jumps in the air her entire back is exposed, hence Nomura is trying to find a balance for the outfit without being too conservative or too revealing.^[34] Aqua's armor and Keyblade were first seen in Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix in the Room of Sleep, a room constructed by the six original members of Organization XIII under Radiant Garden. Xemnas visited the armor, calling it "friend" and talking to it.^[33]

[edit] Master Eraqus

Master Eraqus (マスター・エラクゥス, Masutā Erakūsu^?)^[38] is an original character created by Tetsuya Nomura, he first appears in Birth by Sleep and is the dignified master of the three protagonists of Birth by Sleep. He was described in Famitsu as being "the one who is keeping the power of light alive in the world". He is one of the few remaining "Keyblade Masters" and quickly realized that there was a problem with the Princesses of Heart. He sends out his three apprentices: Terra, Ventus and Aqua, in search of the missing Master Xehanort and his Apprentice Vanitas. His relation with Master Xehanort is similar to that of old classmates.^[34] He was first revealed in a trailer shown at the Tokyo Game Show 2009 and was described by viewers as having a "samurai-like" appearance. He was previously thought not to appear physically in the game with only mentions of him by the protagonists. His name is an anagram of "Square", the first name of the developer. And early speculation of his name showed it as being "Master Erauqs," which is Square, only reversed.^[34][39] He also bears a striking resemblance to Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi.^[40][41]

[edit] Main antagonists

[edit] Xehanort

Xehanort (ゼアノート, Zeanōto^?) is an original character created for the Kingdom Hearts series. Though he was only featured briefly in Kingdom Hearts II via a flashback, Xehanort was a student under Ansem the Wise, and had no memory of his life prior to his appearance at the Radiant Garden. While researching the heart and the darkness within it, he becomes increasingly obsessed with his studies. He sacrifices his body in the process,^[42] creating his Heartless and Nobody. His Heartless assumes the identity of his teacher, Ansem,^[43] while his Nobody takes the name Xemnas.^[44] Xehanort's Heartless is featured in Kingdom Hearts as the main antagonist and in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories as an entity inside Riku.^[45] As the leader of Organization XIII and master of the power of nothingness, Xemnas controls the Sorcerer Nobodies and fights using red "Ethereal Blades" in battle.^[46]

In Kingdom Hearts, Xehanort's Heartless possesses Riku's body to regain a physical presence. Although his goal of reaching Kingdom Hearts is realized, the light behind the door to Kingdom Hearts incinerates him. His Nobody self, Xemnas, appears in Kingdom Hearts Final Mix as an optional boss, Unknown (謎の男, Nazo no Otoko^?, lit. "Enigmatic Man"), who tests Sora for his own agenda. He seeks to harness Kingdom Hearts' power in Kingdom Hearts II, using Sora to build it up until there are enough hearts to recreate the universe.^[47] He is defeated by Sora and Riku in the World That Never Was. Xehanort's Heartless is voiced by Billy Zane in the English version of Kingdom Hearts and Richard Epcar in all other appearances. Xehanort and Xehanort's Heartless are voiced by Akio Ohtsuka in the Japanese versions of both games. Xemnas is voiced by Paul St. Peter in the English version of Kingdom Hearts II and by Norio Wakamoto in the Japanese version. Xehanort's name is also connected to the trailer in Kingdom Hearts II. His name without the "X" is an anagram of "No Heart" and "Another".^[8][46] Xemnas's name is also an anagram, the name "Ansem" with a "X" added.

[edit] Maleficent

Maleficent is an evil sorceress from Sleeping Beauty, voiced by Susanne Blakeslee in the English version and Toshiko Sawada in the Japanese version. Originally from the world Enchanted Dominion, Maleficent leads the group of Disney Villains who seek to harness the power of darkness within Kingdom Hearts. Upon Riku's arrival to Hollow Bastion, she gives him the "Soul Eater" and later the power to control the heartless. In the first Kingdom Hearts, Xehanort's Heartless unlocks her heart which transforms her into her dragon form. Sora defeats her but she is resurrected in Kingdom Hearts II, where she primarily seeks a new base of operations with Pete so she can obtain Kingdom Hearts. She also wants her revenge against Sora, but to that end, she ends up helping him on two occasions in order to stop Organization XIII from interfering with her plans.

[edit] Organization XIII

Organization XIII (XIII機関, Jūsan Kikan^?) was a group of thirteen Nobodies based in the World That Never Was who seek to discover the mysteries that lie within the heart and use the power of Kingdom Hearts to become complete humans once again. The Organization was first formed when the six former disciples of Ansem the Wise (Xehanort, Braig, Dilan, Even, Aeleus, and Ienzo) became Heartless, their Nobodies becoming the first members of the Organization.^[8] Members are numbered in the order in which they joined, with Xemnas, the Nobody of Xehanort, numbered one as their leader. Each member also has the letter "X" placed in his or her name. The remaining letters are an anagram of their name prior to becoming a Nobody.^[48] As Nobodies, they lack true emotion and morality, and are unable to feel guilt or remorse for their actions.^[49]

They were originally introduced in the secret ending video of Kingdom Hearts Final Mix, "Another Side, Another Story [deep dive]". More members were introduced in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, divided into two parties that are eventually destroyed by Sora and Riku. In the third game, the Organization's plan is fully revealed as they use Sora to kill the Heartless, taking the hearts that emerge and using them to create Kingdom Hearts.^[50] Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days introduces a fourteenth member named Xion; however, due to the fact that she was not actually a Nobody, the group's title remained unchanged.

[edit] Pete

Pete is part of the main group of Disney villains led by Maleficent. Pete is voiced by Jim Cummings in the English version and Tōru Ōhira in the Japanese version.^[10] Pete is first introduced in Kingdom Hearts II, absent from the first two games because he was traveling to other worlds to build a Heartless army for Maleficent. He was originally a steamboat captain from Disney Castle, but was banished to another dimension for his evil ways. However, he is freed by Maleficent and vows to help her conquer the worlds.^[51] Pete follows Sora throughout the worlds they visit, mainly to recruit local villains, old and new, to either join Maleficent's fold or turn them into Heartless for his own purposes.

[edit] Master Xehanort

Master Xehanort (マスター・ゼアノート, Masutā Zeanōto^?) is a mysterious old "Keyblade Master" who appeared in a teaser present in Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix. He wears an outfit very similar to the one worn by Xehanort's Heartless in the first Kingdom Hearts. Currently it is known that he and his apprentice, Vanitas, disappeared, and that Terra, Aqua, and Ven are sent on a quest to find them, as their disappearance foreshadows disaster. Furthermore, as his actions relate to the Princesses of Heart, Master Xehanort sees Terra as having succumbed to the darkness. He will be featured in the upcoming Playstation Portable game, Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep. He will be voiced by Chikao Ōtsuka, the real-life father of Akio Otsuka, who voiced Xehanort and Xehanort's Heartless, possibly implying a father/son-like connection between Master Xehanort and the Xehanort that Sora knew.

[edit] Vanitas

Vanitas (ヴァニタス, Vanitasu^?)^[52] is Master Xehanort's apprentice, who also first appeared in the Birth by Sleep secret video. He wields a Keyblade simliar to that of Riku's Soul Eater. His face is concealed by a helmet and he wears an outfit very similar to the one worn by Riku when in his Heartless Form, although any connection between Vanitas and Riku is currently unknown. His story will be explained in the upcoming Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep, and while his voice actor is currently unknown, Nomura has stated that it will be someone famous in Japan. His name, Vanitas, means "emptiness" in Latin.

[edit] Other characters

A wide variety of Disney and Final Fantasy characters appear throughout the various Kingdom Hearts games. Some help the protagonist across multiple worlds, including Jiminy Cricket and Merlin. Jiminy travels with Donald and Goofy as the royal chronicler, recording information about people, places and events in his journal.^[53][54] Jiminy is originally from the same world as Geppetto and Pinocchio, where he acted as Pinocchio's conscience. Merlin is an eccentric wizard whom King Mickey asked to teach Sora magic. He lives in Traverse Town during Kingdom Hearts with the Fairy Godmother. In Kingdom Hearts II, he goes to Hollow Bastion along with Leon and his group to help restore their old home.

Other characters that provide assistance are the Moogles and Huey, Dewey, and Louie. The Moogles are in charge of the synthesis workshop, where the player can create a variety of items and equipment. Moogles are well known for their roles in the Final Fantasy series. Huey, Dewey, and Louie are Donald's nephews, who run item shops in Traverse Town and Hollow Bastion. Donald's uncle, Scrooge McDuck, makes an appearance at Hollow Bastion in the third game. The first Kingdom Hearts also features a side quest that involves a search of Pongo and Perdita's ninety-nine Dalmatian puppies. The two parent Dalmatians live in Traverse Town after the destruction of their world, which also scattered their 99 puppies.

[edit] Princesses of Heart

The Princesses of Heart are maidens who possess no darkness in their hearts. The princesses were kidnapped so that their hearts could be used to open the pathway to "Kingdom Hearts". The seventh is revealed as Kairi, who regains her heart when Sora pierces himself with the Dark Keyblade. This completes the pathway to Kingdom Hearts but releases the hearts of the princesses which were used to create the Dark Keyblade. The six princesses remain at Hollow Bastion to hold the darkness at bay until the door to Kingdom Hearts is sealed, returning to their homeworlds soon after.^[15]

• Aurora, a romantic princess-to-be who came from the same world as Maleficent, the Enchanted Dominion, based on Sleeping Beauty. She, along with Snow White and Cinderella, is set to appear in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep. She is the first princess to be captured by Maleficent as she begins her scheme of gathering the princesses. Both Aurora and Maleficent came from the same world.
• Cinderella, a hardworking young woman who is the second captured princess from the Castle of Dreams. She, along with Snow White and Aurora, is set to appear in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep.
• Belle, is a strong-willed young woman who resides in Beast's Castle, caring for the Beast and healing the loneliness he endured. When Maleficent captures Belle as the third captive princess, the Beast made his way to Hollow Bastion to save her. Returning to her world, due to Xaldin's actions, Belle was almost forced to leave Beast.
• Snow White, a beautiful kindhearted princess who is the fourth captured princess from Dwarf Woodlands. She, along with Aurora and Cinderella, is set to appear in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep. In the first game, if you do not complete Wonderland before Deep Jungle, Snow White will replace Alice in a scene in which the Disney Villains have captured her with the Heartless. Snow White also never makes any mention about Terra, Ven, & Aqua to Sora when she first met him in the first game. As Ven meets Snow White, he attempts to protect her from the Queen who has Terra do her dirty work. When Aqua arrives at Dwarf Woodlands, Snow White had already eaten the poisoned apple and thus hadn't seen her.
• Alice, a precocious young girl who has stumbled into Wonderland,^[53] and is also the first princess Sora and company meet. She is the fifth princess to be captured while being put on trial by the Queen of Hearts.
• Jasmine is a headstrong, smart princess Sora encounters in Agrabah before she is taken to Hollow Bastion by Riku as the sixth captured princess of heart.

[edit] Destiny Islands

The characters on Destiny Islands were introduced in Kingdom Hearts and included some of the main characters: Sora, Riku, and Kairi. Other characters include:

• Tidus is a boy who lives on the Destiny Islands. He is a self-confident youth who is friends with the other children on the island. He is voiced by Shaun Fleming. Tidus is originally from Final Fantasy X.
• Wakka is another boy who lives on the Destiny Islands. He looks out for Tidus and Selphie like a big brother. He is voiced by Dee Bradley Baker. Wakka is originally from Final Fantasy X.
• Selphie is a girl who lives on the Destiny Islands. She is a romanticist and a good friend of Kairi's. In Kingdom Hearts II, like everyone else, Selphie can't remember who Sora is. She is voiced by Molly Keck. Selphie is originally from Final Fantasy VIII.

Selphie, Tidus and Wakka appear in the first game and are available for fighting practice. Tidus and Wakka do not appear in Kingdom Hearts II, though they are mentioned by Selphie, who briefly makes an appearance with Kairi. The three are also set to appear in Kingdom Hearts coded.

• Although unseen, Sora's mother calls him out for dinner during the storm in the first game.
• The Mayor is also briefly mentioned by Sora in a flashback, stating that Kairi is living at his house after her arrival on Destiny Islands

[edit] Disney Castle

The characters of Disney Castle include many classic Disney characters.^[55] It happens to be the world where Mickey, Donald, Goofy, and Pete originate from.

• Queen Minnie is the queen of Disney Castle, taking charge during Mickey’s absence to await for his return.
• Daisy Duck is Queen Minnie's lady-in-waiting and Donald's sweetheart.
• Chip and Dale the Gummi Ship engineers who help Sora's group out.

• Pluto, the King’s dog who came with Donald and Goofy to Traverse Town before mysteriously disappearing. The reason for his disappearance is revealed in Kingdom Hearts coded. After Xehanort's Heartless is defeated, Pluto later resurfaces with a letter from Mickey to Sora and company. During Kingdom Hearts II, Pluto remains by Kairi's side when she is adbucted by Axel and then again by the Organization.

[edit] Wonderland

Wonderland features characters from the 1951 animated film, Alice in Wonderland.^[55]. It is unknown if Alice originated from this world.

• The Queen of Hearts is the ruler of Wonderland.
• Along with the Queen is the White Rabbit, the Queen's personal assistant.
• The Cheshire Cat is a mysterious, grinning cat that enjoys giving cryptic clues to wanderers and the residents of Wonderland.
• The talking Doorknob guards both the door to the Queen's castle and the Keyhole of the world, located in his mouth.
• The Mad Hatter and March Hare make a cameo appearance in a painting in the Tea Party Garden.
• The Caterpillar makes an appearance in Kingdom Hearts V Cast.
• The flowers in the Lotus Forest present travelers with rewards if they give them items.
• The Card Soldiers serve the Queen as her personal guard.

[edit] Olympus Coliseum

Olympus Coliseum features characters from the 1997 animated film, Hercules.^[55] Cloud and Sephiroth appeared in the world during Kingdom Hearts.

The main character in this world is Hercules, a legendary hero, a demi-god, and the son of Zeus.^[53] He first appears in Kingdom Hearts along with Philoctetes and Hades.

• Philoctetes/Phil, is a satyr, veteran trainer of heroes, and Hercules’ mentor. He runs the Coliseum and chooses suitable competitors.
• Megara, Hercules' girlfriend, is a serious and cynical young woman. She is introduced in Kingdom Hearts II.
• Hades is the Lord of the Underworld and the main antagonist of the Coliseum, always truing to destroy Hercules.
• Auron is a mysterious figure revived by Hades to help him eliminate Hercules.
• Several monsters from the animated film also appear as bosses, including Cerberus in both games and the Hydra in Kingdom Hearts II. The Rock Titan and Ice Titan also appear as Tournament Bosses in Kingdom Hearts.

[edit] Deep Jungle

The Deep Jungle features characters from the 1999 animated film, Tarzan.^[55] The main character in this world is Tarzan, a young man raised from infancy by gorillas in Deep Jungle.^[15] He spoke only the language of the apes until he met Jane Porter, a naturalist who studied gorillas. Due to Disney losing the rights to Tarzan, Deep Jungle has not made another appearance in any other games in the series.

• Jane is accompanied by Clayton, a veteran hunter who acts as Jane’s guide on her expedition. He thinks of animals only as prey and dreams of the money to be made selling gorillas. His black heart gave him the power to control Heartless but he was crushed by his own Heartless after being defeated by Sora. There are several gorillas that make up the troop Tarzan belongs to.
• Kerchak is the leader and initially does not trust Sora and the humans that Tarzan befriends.
• Kala is Tarzan's adoptive mother.
• Terk is one of Tarzan's friends.
• Another animal in the Deep Jungle is Sabor, a leopard that Sora first encounters upon arriving. Tarzan saves Sora from Sabor, but the leopard continues to attack Sora on other occasions until he is killed near the end of the chapter.

[edit] Agrabah

The city of Agrabah features characters from the 1992 animated film, Aladdin. Jasmine originated from this world.

• The main character is Aladdin, a homeless man living in the streets of Agrabah. Aladdin fell in love with Princess Jasmine, but was afraid to tell her about his humble background.^[15]
• Aladdin is joined by Abu, his cheeky, but loyal pet monkey and friend.
• Prior to the first game, Aladdin found Genie and Carpet in the Cave of Wonders. Aladdin frees Genie from the lamp to allow him to accompany Sora on his journey.^[56] In Kingdom Hearts II, Aladdin feels lonely and restless without Genie and Carpet and is looking for some excitement,^[57] though Genie returns to Agrabah in time for Jafar's return. Sora can call on Genie as a summonable ally in the first three Kingdom Hearts games.
• The main antagonist in Agrabah is Jafar, the ruthless royal vizier of Agrabah. He steals the lamp from Aladdin to try to take over the kingdom.^[53] He uses his final wish from Genie to become "an all-powerful genie", but he gets sealed into his lamp. In Kingdom Hearts II, he tricks the Peddler into releasing him, but is defeated again by Sora.
• Joining Jafar is Iago, a talking parrot. He initially aids Jafar in taking over Agrabah but in Kingdom Hearts II, he joins forces with Sora. Another character is the Peddler, who is responsible for releasing Jafar from his lamp.^[58]
• The Peddler is a small man who runs a shop in Agrabah. He appeared in the first game as a cameo, although his role was expanded in the third.

[edit] Monstro

Monstro is an enormous whale who has swallowed characters from the 1940 animated film, Pinocchio.^[55] After its world is destroyed by Heartless, the whale swims around in the dimensional rift, attacking and swallowing vessels that passes its way, including Sora's Gummi Ship and Geppetto's ship.

• Geppetto is a kind and gentle woodcarver.
• Pinocchio is a puppet crafted by Geppetto and brought to life by the Blue Fairy.^[53] When the little puppet disappears, Geppetto sets out to find him but he and his boat were swallowed by Monstro. Sora, Donald, and Goofy meet Geppetto and Pinocchio after being swallowed by Monstro, and assist them in escaping. They eventually make their way to Traverse Town where Leon assists them in finding a home.^[59]
• Cleo the goldfish makes a cameo appearance in her bowl on Geppetto's boat, and later shows up in another fish bowl in Geppetto's house in Traverse Town after the Monstro world is cleared.

[edit] 100 Acre Wood

The characters featured in the 100 Acre Wood are from A. A. Milne's series of Winnie-the-Pooh books that have been adapted into animated featurettes and films by Disney.^[55] The main character is Winnie the Pooh, a stuffed bear whose favorite food is honey. He is absent-minded and often forgets what he was trying to remember.

• Pooh has many friends in the 100 Acre Woods including Tigger, Piglet, Rabbit, Eeyore, Owl, Kanga, Roo, and Gopher. In Kingdom Hearts II, if you talk with Roo, he will tell you that he met a new friend. This friend is likely to be Lumpy the Heffalump, since he is good friends with Roo in recent Winnie the Pooh Disney adaptations.

[edit] Atlantica

The characters featured in Atlantica are from 1989 animated film, The Little Mermaid.

• Ariel is the daughter of King Triton and princess of Atlantica. She meets Sora and company soon after his descent into Atlantica and serves as a member of his party. She was tricked by Ursula into brining her into the palace on the promise that she would take her to other worlds where she steals the trident. Upon entry into the castle Ursula promptly takes King Triton's trident and attacks him. Ariel then goes with Sora to defeat Ursula and retrieve the Trident.
• Ursula is the main antagonist of Atlantica, tricking Ariel into taking her inside the palace. Once inside she snatches away King Triton's trident and attacks him. When her two minion eels, Flotsam and Jetsam, tell her the keyhole isn't in the palace she returns to her lair where she would later be defeated by Sora.
• King Triton is Ariel's father and the ruler of Atlantica.
• Sebastian is the royal advisor and personally takes care of Ariel on behalf of the King and keeps a watchful eye out for her.
• Flounder is Ariel's best friend and helps her out in any possible way.
• Flotsam and Jetsam are Ursula's pet minion eels.

[edit] Halloween Town

The characters featured in Halloween Town are from Touchstone Pictures' 1993 stop motion film, The Nightmare Before Christmas.

• The main character is Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King, who is fascinated by Christmas. He is headstrong, confident, and the organizer of each year's Halloween festival.^[15]
• Dr. Finklestein is the resident mad scientist who created Sally, Jack's love interest.^[53]
• The Mayor of Halloween Town is a literally two-faced politician that has trouble doing anything without Jack's help.
• Santa Claus is a resident of Christmas Town and was featured in Kingdom Hearts II.
• The main antagonist in Halloween Town is Oogie Boogie, an evil bag of bugs. He was defeated in the first game and was later revived by Maleficent in Kingdom Hearts II.
• Lock, Shock, and Barrel are three young children in costumes that work for Oogie Boogie. While Oogie was gone, they worked as assistants to Dr. Finklestein.
• Another antagonist is the Experiment, which was created by Dr. Finklestein by using components scavenged around town. However, the robot was not equipped with a heart, which prompted it to steal Christmas gifts in hopes of gaining one.

[edit] Neverland

The characters in Neverland are from the 1953 animated film Peter Pan. In the original Kingdom Hearts, most of the game's setting takes place on Captain Hook's ship but never on the actual world itself but in Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days the player can now set on foot on a specific part of the island, and various parts of the island itself will be featured in the upcoming Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep.

• The main character is Peter Pan, a flying boy who infiltrates Hook’s ship to save his friend Wendy.^[15] While he joins Sora's party in the first game, Peter Pan appears only as a summonable ally in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories and Kingdom Hearts II with Tinker Bell by his side.
• Tinker Bell, a fairy who accompanies Peter, though a bit jealous of Wendy. Tinker Bell appears only as a summonable ally in Kingdom Hearts
• Wendy Darling is a girl that Peter has brought to Neverland. Captain Hook mistakes her for one of the seven Princesses of Heart before Maleficent clarifies that she's not.
• Captain Hook is the main antagonist of Neverland, a pirate captain with a grudge against Peter Pan. In the past, Peter caused the loss of Captain Hook's hand to the Crocodile in a duel.
• Mr. Smee, Captain Hook's loyal henchman, often accompanies him.

[edit] Hollow Bastion

Hollow Bastion is an original world created for Kingdom Hearts. The majority of the inhabitants are alternate versions of Final Fantasy characters, with original characters like Ansem the Wise. Sora originally met many of the residents from here in Traverse Town.

• The group is led by Leon, a swordsman who fights the Heartless. Though his full name is Squall Leonhart, he has vowed not to use it until the Heartless are defeated. He and his teammates, Yuffie and Aerith, escaped to Traverse Town with the help of Cid when the Heartless took over Hollow Bastion. In Kingdom Hearts, he and Yuffie encounter Sora and explain the Heartless to him. In Kingdom Hearts II, he and his group form the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee to organize a rebuilding effort.
• Cid operates the Accessory Shop in Traverse Town and is an expert on Gummi Ships. After returning to Hollow Bastion in Kingdom Hearts II, Cid helps build the defense system to help protect the town from Heartless attacks.
• Aerith is a woman with a good heart allied with Leon and the others.
• Yuffie is a female ninja working with Leon. Yuffie helps Leon rebuild Hollow Bastion in Kingdom Hearts II.^[15]
• Cloud is a warrior who wields a large sword. He first appears in Kingdom Hearts, working for Hades to eliminate Hercules during a tournament at the Coliseum in return to settle his affairs with Sephiroth. In Kingdom Hearts II, Sora helps Cloud find Sephiroth.
• Sephiroth is a warrior who embodies the darkness in Cloud's heart. He appears in the Olympus Coliseum as an optional boss in the first game.^[15] Sephiroth returns in Kingdom Hearts II seeking Cloud, and is an optional boss in Hollow Bastion in Kingdom Hearts II.
• Tifa is a young woman skilled in combat who is searching for Cloud. Tifa was originally considered to be included along with Sephiroth in the first game, but was left out due to time constraints.^[48]
• Yuna, Rikku, and Paine are three fairies that appear in Kingdom Hearts II. They secretly worked for Maleficent, who had them spy on the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee,^[60] until Maleficent left during the massive battle at Hollow Bastion. Nomura changed them into pixies because he wanted to have some Final Fantasy characters appear in a non-human form that still looked human and felt that the Kingdom Hearts universe was the best scenario. He chose a fairy appearance because he felt it would make them more interesting and was also worried that the screen would be too crowded if the three showed up as normal sized characters.^[48]
• Kairi's grandmother also appears in the Hollow Bastion Library in a flashback showing her telling her a story about light and darkness.
• Ansem's apprentices, prior to becoming Nobodies, include scientist Even and the guards Dilan and Aeleus.

[edit] Space Paranoids

Space Paranoids features characters from Buena Vista Pictures 1982 science-fiction film, Tron. It was introduced in Kingdom Hearts II as a digital world located in Ansem the Wise's computer.

• Tron is a security program who had most of his functions removed by the MCP due to his rebellious attitude towards the MCP and Sark.
• The Master Control Program or MCP for short, he is the ruler of the world, he issues functions to other programs in order to grow more powerful. The MCP seeks to extend its reach into the real world with the help of the Heartless.
• Commander Sark is the apprentice of the MCP and deals directly with dissident programs who disobey the MCP's orders.^[61]

[edit] Twilight Town

Twilight Town was introduced in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories,^[53] but characters were not introduced until Kingdom Hearts II. Many of the characters were first introduced as alternate versions of themselves in DiZ's virtual Twilight Town, though they still exhibited the same personalities.

• Hayner, Pence, and Olette are a small group of friends that reside in Twilight Town. In the virtual town, they were friends with Roxas and they have frequent conflicts with another group. This group is the self-proclaimed "Twilight Town Disciplinary Committee" and consists of Seifer, Rai, and Fuu from Final Fantasy VIII and Vivi from Final Fantasy IX. The two groups sometimes settled their differences in the "Struggle Battle".
• Another inhabitant of Twilight Town is Setzer from Final Fantasy VI. He is a flamboyant gambler that participates in the Struggle Battle.
• Other characters make a brief appearance in the beginning of the game and include Yen Sid from the The Sorcerer's Apprentice segment of Fantasia. He is a sorcerer who lives in a tower accessed from Twilight Town and was King Mickey's teacher.^[62]

[edit] Beast's Castle

Beast's Castle features characters from the 1991 animated film, Beauty and the Beast. Belle originated from this world.

• Beast is a prince who was transformed into a hideous monster because of his selfish heart.^[15] But Belle's arrival healed the loneliness he endured. When Maleficent captures Belle, the Beast's iron will carries him through a corridor of darkness to Hollow Bastion where he teams up with Sora to defeat Maleficent.^[63] In 358/2 Days, Beast and Belle have returned to their world as the Organization begin appearing. By Kingdom Hearts II, Beast is plagued by his inner darkness brought forth through Xaldin's attempt to acquire his Nobody.^[64]
• The Beast's servants, Lumiere, Mrs. Potts (along with Chip) , Coggsworth and Wardrobe also appear in Kingdom Hearts II.

[edit] The Land of Dragons

The Land of Dragons features characters from the 1998 animated film, Mulan. This world and most of the characters were introduced in Kingdom Hearts II. The Land of Dragons is in the middle of a war between Shan Yu and the forces of China, ruled by the Emperor.^[65]

• Mulan, a woman, disguises herself as a man to replace her ailing father in the Chinese army.^[21]
• Her unit is led by Captain Shang, and includes Ling, Yao, and Chien-Po.
• Accompanying Mulan is Mushu, a small dragon who accompanied the main protagonists as a summon in Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories.^[15][53]

[edit] Pride Land

The Pride Land features characters from the 1994 animated film, The Lion King. The Pride Land and most of the characters were introduced in Kingdom Hearts II.

• Simba is a lion and the son of Mufasa, a former king of the Pride Land. He was first introduced in Kingdom Hearts as a summonable ally and appeared again in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories in the same fashion. His father was killed during a wildebeest stampede caused by Simba's uncle, Scar.^[66]
• During Simba's time away from Pride Rock, he met Timon and Pumbaa, a meerkat and a warthog.
• Nala is a lioness and a childhood friend of Simba's. Later on, the two are reunited in the jungle after Sora revealed to her that Simba was still alive.^[67]
• Rafiki is a wise old mandrill and advisor to the king of the Pride Land.
• The main antagonist in Pride Land is Scar, a ruthless lion and Mufasa's brother. He made an alliance with Pete in order to stop Simba and Sora from returning. He was defeated, but dark spectres resembling him later returned to prey on Simba's hesitance.
• Shenzi, Banzai and Ed are the three most prominent hyenas who work for Scar, in the hope that they will get plenty of food while he is king of the Pride Land.

[edit] Port Royal

Port Royal features characters from the Pirates of the Caribbean film series. It was introduced in Kingdom Hearts II and is occupied by pirates and local residents from the Pirates of the Caribbean film series.

• Will Turner is a blacksmith from Port Royal and Elizabeth Swann is the daughter of the governor of the port.
• Port Royal is besieged by the Black Pearl led by Captain Barbossa who, like his crew, was cursed with un-life by Aztec gold. They seek the gold and blood payment needed to break the curse.^[68] After the pirates abduct Elizabeth, believing her to be the daughter of their long gone crewmate William "Bootstrap Bill" Turner, Sora and company save Will as the Black Pearl departs. However, Captain Jack Sparrow offers his aid out of his own agenda to reclaim the Black Pearl and settle things with Barbossa.^[69] Though the characters of Port Royal were visually more realistic than the other Kingdom Hearts characters, the development team had experience creating realistic character models from earlier Final Fantasy titles. The characters models were created using technology that generated them from live-action pictures.^[7]

[edit] Deep Space

Deep Space features characters from the Lilo & Stitch series. It was introduced in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep and takes place in outer space in the galaxy of Lilo & Stitch.

• Stitch is a genetic alien experiment created by "evil genius" Dr. Jumba Jookiba for the motive of causing chaos and destruction throughout the galaxy. He is the most successful experiment created by Jumba and has the most abilities like retractable claws and super-strength.
• Dr. Jumba Jookiba is an "evil genius" and in a way a father to Experiment 626. He created numerous genetic experiments each with unique abilities and characteristics.
• Gantu is a captain of the Galactic Federation and primary antagonist of Deep Space. He was the one who originally captured and arrested Jumba for his genetic experiments.
• Experiment 221 is the 221st genetic alien experiment created by "evil genius" Dr. Jumba Jookiba. His primary motive is to cause chaos and destruction using his electrical powers and abilities.^[70]

[edit] Dwarf Woodlands

Dwarf Woodlands features characters from the 1937 animated film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. It was introduced in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep and takes place in the woods of the Dwarves.

• Seven Dwarves are a group of Dwarves living in a cottage deep in the woods working in mines. They were leaving alone until one day Snow White arrived at their cottage fleeing from the Queen. Soon after they become extremely good friends with each other and treat her like a sister.
• The Queen, also known as Evil Queen, Wicked Queen, Old Hag, or Queen Grimhilde, is the vain and proud queen of the kingdom who became queen after marrying the windowed king who died shortly after the marriage. She attempts to kill Snow White after the Magic Mirror tells her that the latter is the fairest in the land instead of her due to her jealousy and hatred towards Snow White.
• The Magic Mirror is a magical mirror hung up on the wall of the castle which answers truthfully to any question asks. he always appears as a floating green mask who appears from puff of green smoke whenever called upon. In Birth by Sleep, the Queen allows Terra to ask the mirror the whereabouts of Master Xehanort if he does a favor for her. Aqua also gets into a battle with the mirror in a special world within the mirror.^[71]

[edit] Enchanted Dominion

Enchanted Dominion features characters from the 1959 animated film, Sleeping Beauty, introduced in Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep. Both Maleficent and Aurora originate from this world.

• Prince Philip is a prince who was betrothed to Aurora at birth. In order to lift Aurora's curse he teams up with Aqua to battle Maleficent.^[71]
• The three fairies, Flora, Fauna and Merryweather, who attempt to save Aurora from Maleficent's curse. They later appeared in Yen Sid's tower during the events of Kingdom Hearts II, giving Sora his new attire and the ability to transform into Drive Forms.^[22]

[edit] Castle of Dreams

Castle of Dreams features characters from the 1950 animated film, Cinderella, introduced in Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep. As Aqua appears in normal size, Ven is reduced to the size of a mouse.

• Jaq is the mouse friend of Cinderella who helps her with favors in return for her saving him from mouse traps and from the cat Lucifer.
• Lady Tremaine is the wicked stepmother of Cinderella and treats Cinderella very badly forcing her to do chore after chore.
• Prince Charming is a prince who falls in love at first sight with Cinderella after meeting her at the ball. He chases after her when she attempts to leave the ball, though he does not catch up to her but retrieves the slipper that she leaves behind.
• Anastasia Tremaine and Drizella Tremaine are the ugly stepsisters of Cinderella who try their best to stop her from attending the ball.
• Lucifer is the cat owned by Lady Tremaine, he constantly tries to make Cindrella's chores tougher by dirtying the floor and always tries to catch Jaq before attempting of going after Ven
• Grand Duke attempts to help Prince Charming locate Cinderella so that he can marry her by going through every house in the kingdom and letting each lady try out the glass slipper until he finds the perfect fit.^[71]

[edit] Merchandise

Kingdom Hearts character figurines; a Play Arts figure of Roxas appears in the center and Formation Arts Volume 1 & 2 figures are arrayed around him.

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.^[72][73] A series of Play Arts action figures has also been released.^[74] Other merchandise includes jewelry and key chains modeled after character apparel and accessories.^[75] The characters are also featured on posters,^[75] desktop wallpapers,^[76] and trading cards that are part of the Kingdom Hearts Trading Card Game.^[77]

[edit] 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.^[78][79][80] 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".^[78] 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".^[79]

GameSpot commented the first game created a "fascinating world" using the Disney and Final Fantasy characters.^[81] Gaming Age commented the combination of Final Fantasy and Disney characters worked very well and outweighed any design problems in the game. For the third game, they stated Square Enix "captured the look and mannerisms of the various Disney characters" very well.^[82] GameSpy stated the inclusion of the Disney and Square Enix characters was handled well.^[79] 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.^[83] IGN listed him as a possible character in Super Smash Bros. Brawl;^[84] though he was not chosen as the "reader's choice".^[85]

GameSpy praised the voice cast and voice acting in the first and third games.^[79][86] G4TV awarded Kingdom Hearts II "Best Voice Over" in their 2006 G-phoria Awards.^[87] Game Informer praised the voice acting of the third game, particularly performances by Haley Joel Osment, Christopher Lee, and James Woods. They also stated the voice talent "shines across the board."^[88] Gaming Age praised the voice work in the first and third game and the localization of the dialogue.^[82][89] They commented the voice acting in the first game was one of its best features.^[89] For the third, they stated the voice actors did an "admirable job" and given the amount of characters, the small number of complaints was impressive.^[82]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Kingdom Hearts

• Official Kingdom Hearts site
• Official international Kingdom Hearts site