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 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 alternative versions of previous characters created from Sora's memories. Kingdom Hearts II and Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep 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.

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Creation and influences

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]

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, Mamoru Miyano as Riku, and Risa Uchida as Kairi.[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 many of the Disney characters' official voice actors. Wayne Allwine (later Bret Iwan after Allwine's death), 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, Hayden Panettiere as Kairi, and David Boreanaz as Leon.[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] with Alyson Stoner as Xion in Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep also introduced several new actors to the cast, such as Jason Dohring as Terra, Willa Holland as Aqua, Leonard Nimoy as Master Xehanort and Mark Hamill as Master Eraqus.[15]

Main protagonists

Sora

Main article: Sora (Kingdom Hearts)

Sora (ソラ?) is an original character created by Tetsuya Nomura. He is the protagonist of the series and the character that the player directly controls through a majority of the games.[1] Sora's weapon is the Kingdom Key Keyblade.[16] 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.[17] Nomura has stated that Sora's name can be interpreted as "sky";[18] the Japanese word for sky is sora (空?).[19] He is voiced by Miyu Irino in the Japanese version and by Haley Joel Osment in the English version. As a child, he is voiced by Takuto Yoshinaga in the Japanese version and Luke Manriquez in the English version.

Kairi

Kairi (カイリ?) is a best friend of Sora and Riku and one of the seven Princesses of Heart. 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";[18] the Japanese on'yomi pronunciation of sea is kai (海?).[17] She is voiced by Risa Uchida in the Japanese version of the series. In English, she is voiced by Hayden Panettiere. She is voiced as a child by Sumire Morohoshi in Japanese and Ariel Winter in English.

Kairi was originally a resident of Radiant Garden as one of the seven Princesses of Heart. She has an encounter with Aqua in Birth by Sleep and is given a protective charm to keep her safe from darkness, which leads to her being sent to Destiny Islands when Xehanort performs an experiment where all six apprentices of Ansem the Wise cause the invasion of darkness.[20]

She is fourteen years old at the beginning of the main series.[21] When Destiny Islands is destroyed by the Heartless, Kairi's heart enters Sora's while her body falls into a deep sleep. Upon learning her identity as a Princess of Heart and the location of her heart, Sora gives up his heart in order to release hers and restore it back into her body. Soon after, Kairi finds Sora's Heartless and restores him back to human form. Kairi later gives Sora her lucky charm, which Sora promises to return. After Sora seals the door to Kingdom Hearts, Kairi is separated from him and left behind on the reforming Destiny Islands where she awaits his return.

During Chain of Memories, Naminé's memory-altering powers break the memories in Sora's heart as well as those of all his friends, leading Kairi to lose her memories of him. In Kingdom Hearts II, Kairi gradually remembers Sora as his own memories are restored, and writes him a letter which she sends out to sea in the hopes that it will find its way to him. Later, Kairi is kidnapped by Axel, who hopes to use Kairi to lure Sora to him. 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, who she recognizes despite his guise as Xehanort's Heartless, Ansem. Riku gives her the Destiny's Embrace (デスティニープレイス?, lit. "Destiny Place") Keyblade, which she uses to fight off the Heartless that Saïx summons. Kairi reunites with Sora, and along with Donald, Goofy and King Mickey, they face and defeat Xemnas. Kairi then returns with Sora and Riku to Destiny Islands where they receive a letter from King Mickey. Soon afterwards, Sora resolves to go on another journey to find Terra, Aqua and Ven, to which Kairi again loans him her lucky charm.

Riku

Riku (リク?) is Sora's and Kairi's best friend and the deuteragonist of the series. He is an original character created by Tetsuya Nomura.[1] Nomura has stated that Riku's name can be interpreted as "land";[18] the Japanese on'yomi pronunciation of land is riku (陸?).[17][19] Riku is voiced by Mamoru Miyano in the Japanese version and by David Gallagher in the English version. As a child, he is voiced by Eiji Shima in the Japanese version and Ty Panitz in the English version. He is playable in the second story mode of Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories and is a world-specific ally to the world that never was in Kingdom Hearts II. In Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, Riku is playable in the multiplayer mode and also serves as the final boss in the game's story mode. He also acts as Sora's main rival in combat.

As a young boy in Birth by Sleep, Riku becomes curious about going to other worlds and gaining the strength needed to protect his friends, which leads him to being chosen by Terra to inherit the power of the Keyblade. By the beginning of the main series, now fifteen years old, Riku goes with the darkness as their world is attacked by the Heartless. Separated from his friends, 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.[17] Riku eventually becomes possessed by Ansem, Seeker of Darkness, 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 Ansem the Wise in his DiZ guise, who has been overseeing his progress. After being reunited with Mickey, Riku reaches the main floor where he finds Naminé as she attends to a sleeping Sora. Riku chooses to find a balance between his light and darkness, allowing him to defeat what remains of Ansem, Seeker of Darkness within him. Soon after, Riku joins DiZ to ensure Sora is restored in peace. While capturing Roxas in order to make Sora complete again, Riku uses the power of darkness to capture him at the cost of becoming a physical manifestation of Ansem, Seeker of Darkness.[22] Trapped in that form, Riku helps Sora in secret, ashamed of his appearance and gaining the Way to the Dawn (ウェイトゥザドーン?) Keyblade. 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. In the end, he returns to Destiny Islands and remained there for a year before Sora receives a letter from Mickey explaining the fates of Terra, Ventus, and Aqua. Now teaming up with Sora, Riku goes on a quest to complete the Mark of Mastery to become a Keyblade Master in preparation for his eventual battle against Master Xehanort.

Donald Duck

Main article: Donald Duck

Donald Duck is the court wizard of Disney Castle, King Mickey's majordomo, and one of Sora's two partners throughout the series.[16] He is voiced by Kōichi Yamadera in the Japanese version and by Tony Anselmo in the English 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.[23] 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.[24] In Kingdom Hearts II, he awakens with his friends and continues to fight the Heartless along with the Nobodies and Organization XIII. Sora's Wisdom Form uses Donald in order to activate the form. In 358/2 Days, Donald is playable in the multiplayer mode.

Goofy

Main article: 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 Yū Shimaka in the Japanese version and by Bill Farmer in the English 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 King Mickey's orders, he accompanies Donald on the quest to find the key.[16] 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.[24] In Kingdom Hearts II, he awakens with his friends and continues to fight the Heartless along with the Nobodies and Organization XIII. Sora's Varlor Form uses Goofy in order to activate the form. In 358/2 Days, Goofy becomes playable in the multiplayer mode.

King Mickey

Main article: Mickey Mouse

King Mickey is the ruler of Disney Castle and by extension, Disney Town.[25] He is voiced by Takashi Aoyagi in the Japanese version of the series. In English, he is voiced by Wayne Allwine in all games from Kingdom Hearts to 358/2 Days, and by Bret Iwan in all subsequent games starting with Birth by Sleep. 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]

During the time of Birth by Sleep, Mickey was a student under Yen Sid and met Ansem the Wise while helping out Terra, Aqua, and Ventus with the Star Seeker (スターシーカー?) Keyblade. By the time Kingdom Hearts begins and the Heartless begin to invade other worlds, Mickey leaves his world to discover the cause, leaving a message to Donald and Goofy telling them to find and protect the Keyblade Master. His journey ultimately leads him to obtaining a new Keyblade, the Kingdom Key D (キングダムチェーンD?, lit. "Kingdom Chain 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 thanks to DiZ to help directly. Donning a cloak of darkness in unity with Riku, Mickey helps uncover Organization XIII's plan in secret before helping Sora directly. He is 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's defeat, Mickey returns to his world, only to go on another adventure in the events of the mobile game Kingdom Hearts coded where he learns the fates of Terra, Aqua and Ventus as he contacts Sora to help them.

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 Kingdom Hearts: 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 Genzō Wakayama in the Japanese version of the series and in English by Christopher Lee in Kingdom Hearts II and Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, and Corey Burton in Kingdom Heats Re:Chain of Memories and Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep.

Ansem was formerly a respected sage and ruler of the Radiant Garden. As a researcher, 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 and learning his research may be connected with a current crisis happening in other worlds, Ansem ceased the experiments. 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 before ending up in the Realm of Darkness, losing his memory in the process. In time, however, Ansem regained his memories and took on the name DiZ. From that point on, until he cleared his name and had his revenge, 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 him in his campaign, DiZ convinces Naminé to move Sora, Donald, and Goofy to Twilight Town for safekeeping as they regain their lost memories, which DiZ oversees throughout 358/2 Days. When the restoration process comes to a standstill, DiZ orders Riku to forcefully retrieve Roxas, Sora's Nobody, who he then places inside a virtual Twilight Town, allowing the process to continue. 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, including taking on the physical form of Xehanort's Heartless, DiZ loses his lust for revenge and grows regretful of his actions. Once Sora awakens and embarks on his new quest, he does not function as DiZ wants, and all of his plans fall apart.[26] 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,[27] the machine self-destructs, and Ansem is consumed in the blast which disrupts the power contained in Kingdom Hearts and restores Riku to his true form. As revealed in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, the explosion sends Ansem to the Realm of Darkness once more with only his memories of Sora and his relation to him intact. There he meets Aqua at the shores of a dark ocean and tells her about Sora and how he may be the means for Ansem to redeem himself for his actions.

Jiminy Cricket

Main article: Jiminy Cricket

Jiminy Cricket travels with Sora, Donald, and Goofy as the chronicler of their travels, recording information about people, places and events in his journals.[28][29] Jiminy is originally from the same world as Geppetto and Pinocchio, where he acted as Pinocchio's conscience. Despite making only a few appearances, he plays a major role in both Chain of Memories and coded. He is voiced by Kaneta Kimotsuki in Japanese, and by Eddie Carroll in English until his death in 2010, after which he is voiced by Phil Snyder.

Naminé

Naminé (ナミネ Namine?) is Kairi's Nobody when her heart left her body and entered Sora's body. She 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.[30][31] Naminé is voiced by Iku Nakahara in the Japanese version of the series and is voiced in English by Brittany Snow in Kingdom Hearts II and by Meaghan Jette Martin in all subsequent appearances.

Naminé first appears in Chain of Memories, where she alters Sora's memories under the orders of Organization XIII 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. After Marluxia is defeated, Naminé puts Sora, Donald, and Goofy to sleep for a year in order to give them back their memories.[24] Naminé also saves Riku in "Reverse/Rebirth" from Zexion by teaching him not to fear the darkness.[8] In Kingdom Hearts II, Naminé is revealed to be a "special Nobody" born from Kairi's heart when Sora unlocked his own heart, an act which also created Roxas. Against DiZ's orders, Naminé visits Roxas in the virtual Twilight Town to help him discover his true identity. Though she outlives her purpose in Sora's restoration, Riku entrusts Naminè to the now rogue Axel after DiZ gives him orders to destroy her. While Kairi is trapped in the Organization's dungeon, Naminé comes and helps her escape. After meeting with Roxas once more through Sora after Xemnas's apparent defeat, she opens a portal to lead Sora and his friends go home and she fuses with Kairi to complete her. During the events of Kingdom Hearts coded, it is revealed that Naminé created a copy of herself within Jiminy's Journal to contact Mickey and reveal to him Sora's ties to Terra, Aqua, and Ven before dissolving upon fulfilling her objective.

Roxas

Main article: Roxas (Kingdom Hearts)

Roxas (ロクサス Rokusasu?) is Sora's Nobody who was created when Sora became a Heartless to save Kairi.[19] "Roxas" is an anagram of "Sora" with an X.[32] He was first featured in the secret trailer "Another Side, Another Story" while wearing the Organization's cloak, though he was unnamed and his face was hidden under a hood. He is playable in the beginning portion of Kingdom Hearts II, and the entire game of Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days. Roxas is voiced by Kōki Uchiyama in the Japanese version and by Jesse McCartney in the English version.

Terra

Main article: Terra (Kingdom Hearts)

Terra (テラ Tera?) is an original character created by Tetsuya Nomura who first appears as one of the main protagonists of Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, originally wielding the Earthshaker (アースシェイカー?) Keyblade. His name is the Latin word for "earth", both it and his Keyblade following the "land" theme he represents alongside Riku.[18] Terra was raised and 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. He becomes troubled upon learning that the darkness in his heart is too strong, for which he is denied the Mark of Mastery.[33] He is thus easily manipulated by Xehanort, who encourages him to embrace and channel his darkness into power. He is voiced by Ryōtarō Okiayu in the Japanese version of the game and Jason Dohring in English.

Ventus

Main article: Ventus (Kingdom Hearts)

Ventus (ヴェントゥス Ventusu?), 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 Kingdom Hearts 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.[34] His name means "wind" in Latin; both it and his Wayward Wind (フレッシュブリーズ?, lit. "Fresh Breeze") Keyblade, which he wields in a reverse grip, have a "sky" theme similar to that of Sora's.[18] He bears a striking resemblance to Roxas, both of whom are voiced by Kōki Uchiyama in Japanese and Jesse McCartney in English.

Aqua

Main article: Aqua (Kingdom Hearts)

Aqua (アクア Akua?) is an original character created by Tetsuya Nomura who first appears as one of the main protagonists of Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep. Her name means "water" in Latin which carries a water theme similar to that of Kairi, whose name means "sea".[18] Aqua is a level-headed and serious person, but often worries about her friends. She is also a very creative and outgoing girl as well. Her Keyblade is called Rainfell (レインフォール?, lit "Rainfall"). She is voiced by Megumi Toyoguchi in the Japanese version and Willa Holland in the English version.

Master Eraqus

Master Eraqus (マスター・エラクゥス Masutā Erakūsu?)[35] is an original character created by Tetsuya Nomura. His name is an anagram of "Square," the first name of the developer, Square Enix. Early speculation of his name showed it as being "Master Erauqs," which is Square, only reversed.[33][36] He also bears a striking resemblance to Final Fantasy series creator Hironobu Sakaguchi.[37] He appears in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep as one of the few remaining Keyblade Masters who trained alongside Master Xehanort, who he considers to be a friend in a relationship similar to that of old classmates.[35] He oversees the power of light in all worlds from the Land of Departure, and acts as both a teacher and caring father figure of Terra, Aqua, and Ventus. He is voiced by Makio Inoue in the Japanese version of the game, and by Mark Hamill in the English version.

Eraqus is strongly biased in the existence of darkness in favor of light, believing darkness to be a malevolent force that needs to be destroyed, which leads him to deny Terra the Mark of Mastery upon sensing darkness in his heart. He also strictly forbids Ventus from leaving the Land of Departure, fearing Xehanort will use him to create the χ-blade. He sends Terra and Aqua to deal with the appearance of the Unversed and the disappearance of Master Xehanort; he also requests Aqua to watch over Terra to ensure he doesn't succumb to darkness, as well as to retrieve Ventus after he chases Terra to other worlds. When Ventus confronts him over this and confirms his fears, Eraqus attempts to foil Xehanort's plan by destroying Ventus. He is stopped by Terra and, after battling and losing to his student, is struck down by Xehanort and fades away, leaving behind his Keyblade, the Master Keeper (マスターキーパー?), which Aqua later uses to replace her own Keyblade. 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. An additional boss modeled after Eraqus's armor, called the Armor of the Master (アーマー・オブ・ザ・マスター Āmā obu za Masutā?), appears in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix in the Mirage Arena.

Yen Sid

Main article: Yen Sid

Yen Sid is a sorcerer who lives in the Mysterious Tower, and is King Mickey's old mentor.[38] He shows considerable knowledge about Keyblades and their abilities, and is shown to be an acquaintance and friend of both Master Eraqus and Master Xehanort. Though he is retired, his wisdom still serves as a source of information for Mickey, Terra, Aqua, Ventus, Sora, Donald and Goofy, demonstrated when he informs Eraqus of the threat of the Unversed and Sora of the dangers of the Heartless, the Nobodies and Organization XIII. Upon discovering that due to the destruction of "Ansem" and Xemnas, Xehanort has returned and will pave way for the return of Master Xehanort, Yen Sid intends to put Sora and Riku through a Mark of Mastery Exam in order to make them into full-fledged Keyblade Masters to defeat Master Xehanort once and for all. He is voiced by Takashi Inagaki in the Japanese version and by Corey Burton in the English version.

Main antagonists

Xehanort

Xehanort (ゼアノート Zeanōto?) is an original character and the primary antagonist of the Kingdom Hearts series. His name without the "X" is an anagram of "No Heart" and "Another".[8][39] Xehanort, a student of Ansem the Wise, becomes increasingly obsessed with the study of hearts so he can regain some of his lost memories. To that end, he sacrifices his body in the process,[40] creating his Heartless and Nobody.

His Heartless assumes the identity of his teacher, Ansem,[41] with the title of Ansem, Seeker of Darkness (闇の探求者 アンセム Yami no Tankyūsha Ansemu?) while his Nobody takes the name Xemnas.[42] "Ansem" is featured in Kingdom Hearts as the main antagonist. He commandeers the Heartless to do his bidding and steals the hearts of many worlds. Late in the game, he takes Riku's body to regain a physical presence.[43] Although his goal of reaching Kingdom Hearts is realized, the light behind the door to Kingdom Hearts destroys him, causing all of the worlds he destroyed to be restored.[44] However, in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, Ansem is revealed to still exist and fights to take over Riku's body again, who continuously fights back.[45] Xehanort's Nobody, Xemnas, first 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 later appears as the main antagonist of Kingdom Hearts II. As the leader of Organization XIII and master of the power of nothingness, Xemnas controls the Nobodies.[39] He is defeated by Sora and Riku in the World That Never Was.

In the prequel, Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, it is revealed that Xehanort was originally Master Xehanort (マスター・ゼアノート Masutā Zeanōto?), an elderly Keyblade Master obsessed with the mysteries behind the Keyblade War. He pits his former apprentice Ventus against Vanitas to forge the χ-blade in order to open the door to Kingdom Hearts and begin another war, hoping to uncover the secrets of the first. He also manipulates Terra into becoming a warrior of darkness with the intention of merging his own heart with a suitable, younger body that will allow him to survive long enough to see his plan come to fruition. Though he succeeds in possessing Terra, creating the current incarnation of Xehanort, the unforeseen creation of the Lingering Will (made from Terra's mind inhabiting his armor) leads to his defeat. He is later defeated again by Aqua, which leaves him in his amnesic state while found by Ansem the Wise.

With the destruction of both "Ansem" and Xemnas twelve years later, as shown in the secret ending of Kingdom Hearts Re:coded, Yen Sid realizes that Xehanort has been revived.

Xehanort and "Ansem" are voiced by Akio Ōtsuka in the Japanese version of the series and Richard Epcar in all English versions after Kingdom Hearts, "Ansem" being voiced in the first game by Billy Zane. Master Xehanort in Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep is voiced by Chikao Ōtsuka in the Japanese version and Leonard Nimoy in English.

Maleficent

Main article: Maleficent

Maleficent is an evil fairy from Sleeping Beauty. She is originally from the world Enchanted Dominion, encountering Terra, Aqua, and Ventus after Master Xehanort reveals to her the existence of the Princesses of Heart in Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep. She acts as the primary antagonist of Kingdom Hearts, having formed a group of Disney villains to take control of all worlds through the power of Kingdom Hearts, using the ruins of Hollow Bastion as a base of operations. However, she is defeated by Sora after Riku (possessed by Xehanort's Heartless "Ansem") unlocks her heart and transforms her into a dragon. She is resurrected in Kingdom Hearts II, where resumes her plans of world domination together with Pete while also seeking revenge against Sora, as well as a new base of operations. She is voiced by Toshiko Sawada in the Japanese version and by Susanne Blakeslee in the English version.

Pete

Main article: Pete (Disney character)

Pete is part of the main group of Disney villains led by Maleficent. He was originally a steamboat captain from Disney Castle prior to the events of Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep, where he causes mischief in Disney Town until he is banished to another dimension for his evil ways by Queen Minnie. However, he is freed by Maleficent and vows to help her conquer the worlds.[46] As such, he plays an unseen role until Kingdom Hearts II in order to build a Heartless army for Maleficent, and spends much of his appearances in the series following Sora throughout the worlds he and his group visit, mainly to recruit local villains, old and new, to either join Maleficent's fold or turn them into Heartless for his own purposes. He is voiced by Tōru Ōhira in the Japanese version and by Jim Cummings in the English version.[10]

Organization XIII

Main article: Organization XIII

Organization XIII (XIII機関 Jūsan Kikan?) is 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 Ansem the Wise's six apprentices—Xehanort, Braig, Dilan, Even, Aeleus, and Ienzo—discarded their hearts, 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 first as their leader. Each member also has the letter "X" placed in his or her name, the remaining letters being an anagram of their name prior to becoming a Nobody.[47] As Nobodies, acting based on the memories of their original selves, they lack true emotion and morality, and are unable to feel guilt or remorse for their actions.[48]

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 Kingdom Hearts II, 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, which they believe will allow them to regain their own hearts and existences.[49]

Vanitas

Vanitas (ヴァニタス Vanitasu?) is the embodiment of the darkness in Ventus's heart, created by Master Xehanort and appearing only in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep. He is also the source of the Unversed, which are spawned from his emotions to carry out his will. He wields a Keyblade called Void Gear (ヴォイドギア?) in a stance similar to Riku's, and wears a full-body suit resembling Riku's "dark mode" costume, concealing his face behind a black, rounded mask. Despite his similarities to Riku, his physical appearance is identical to that of Sora with black hair and yellow eyes in contrast to Sora's brown hair and blue eyes. Tetsuya Nomura says this is because Sora connected his heart to Ventus's to supplement his missing darkness, and adds that Vanitas's appearance would have been identical to any other character who would do the same. His name is derived from the Latin word for "emptiness," which sounds similar to Ventus's name. In addition, the kanji for "emptiness" (空?) is shared with the word "sky," which further connects Vanitas to Sora. Vanitas shares Sora's Japanese and English voice actors, Miyu Irino and Haley Joel Osment, respectively.[50]

Vanitas exists for the purpose of fighting with Ventus so that their respective hearts of pure darkness and light can merge and forge the χ-blade. Noting Ventus's weakness, Vanitas goads him into following his friend Terra and pits him against the Unversed to strengthen him, all while monitoring his strength and progress. He also makes several attempts on Aqua's life, deeming her to be an obstacle to Master Xehanort's plans. He merges with Ventus during the final battle at the Keyblade Graveyard, though Ventus's consciousness prevents the χ-blade's completion. Vanitas fights Ventus in a metaphysical battle within Ventus's mind while simultaneously possessing his body and fighting Aqua and Mickey, wielding the χ-blade during both fights. Ventus and Aqua both defeat Vanitas and destroy the χ-blade, vanquishing him and the Unversed. A secret boss in the game known as the Vanitas Remnant (ヴァニタスの思念 Vanitasu no Shinen?, lit. "Vanitas Sentiment"), appearing identical to Vanitas with a grayscale Void Gear and armor, and bearing the Unversed emblem on his helmet. He was added to the game due to positive fan response to the secret boss battle of Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix+.[50]

Other characters

A wide variety of Disney and Final Fantasy characters appear throughout the various Kingdom Hearts games. Some help the protagonists across multiple worlds, including Merlin. Merlin is an eccentric wizard whom King Mickey asked to teach Sora magic. He lives in Radiant Garden during Birth by Sleep, and in Traverse Town with the Fairy Godmother during Kingdom Hearts. In Kingdom Hearts II, he goes to Hollow Bastion along with Leon and his group to help restore their old home. Dumbo, Bambi and Chicken Little all serve as summons. While at the End of the World, Sora confronts Chernabog from the 1940 film Fantasia.

Other characters that provide assistance to both Sora and the Organization are the Moogles, well known for their roles in the Final Fantasy series. The first Kingdom Hearts also features a side quest that involves a search for 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.

Neku Sakuraba and the main cast from the Nintendo DS game The World Ends With You will be appearing in Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance. This marks the first time that non-Final Fantasy or non-Disney characters has appeared in the series.[51]

Seven Princesses of Heart

The Seven Princesses of Heart are maidens whose hearts are made of pure light, devoid of darkness. The first six are generally made up of Disney Princesses, with the seventh being Kairi. They are noted for possessing the power to summon the Door to Darkness when all seven of them are brought together. The term "princess" is merely a formality; while several Princesses are indeed such, official Disney Princesses such as Ariel are not counted among them, while Alice is.

During the events of Birth by Sleep, Master Xehanort seeks out the Princesses of Heart, though his reasons for doing so are unexplained. Prior to and during the events of the original Kingdom Hearts, the princesses are kidnapped by Maleficent so that she may open the pathway to Kingdom Hearts; their hearts are later used to forge a Keyblade with the power to unlock people's hearts, which is wielded by Xehanort's Heartless "Ansem" while he possesses Riku. Sora restores their hearts by unlocking his own heart to release Kairi's using Ansem's Keyblade, which is then destroyed. The princesses (excluding Kairi) remain at Hollow Bastion to hold the darkness at bay until the door to Kingdom Hearts is sealed, returning to their homeworlds soon after.[16]

Destiny Islands

The characters on Destiny Islands are introduced in Kingdom Hearts and include some of the main characters (Sora, Riku, and Kairi) and their parents. The island's village also has a mayor, who is briefly mentioned by Sora to have looked after Kairi shortly after her arrival on Destiny Islands. Other characters include youthful versions of Final Fantasy X's Tidus and Wakka and Final Fantasy VIII's Selphie, all of whom are friends of Sora, Riku, and Kairi, and gather on the island where they like to play.

Disney Town

The characters of Disney Town, along with the occupants of Disney Castle, includes many classic Disney characters.[52] It is also the world where Mickey, Donald, Goofy, and Pete originate from. During the events of Kingdom Hearts II, when Disney Castle's Cornerstone of Light is endangered, Merlin conjures a door that takes Sora's group into the past incarnation of Disney Town, the Timeless River.

Wonderland

Wonderland features characters from the 1951 animated film, Alice in Wonderland,[52] and the world where Sora and his friends first meet Alice.

Olympus Coliseum

Olympus Coliseum features characters from the 1997 animated film, Hercules,[52] as well as the Final Fantasy characters Zack Fair and Auron. Both Cloud and Sephiroth appeared in that world during the first game's events, with the former appearing in facsimiles of the world based on Sora's memories in later games. In Kingdom Hearts II, the Underworld is introduced along with its counterpart to the Olympus Coliseum, called the Underdrome.

Deep Jungle

The Deep Jungle features characters from the 1999 animated film, Tarzan.[52] Due to Square Enix's failure to keeping the rights to Tarzan, Deep Jungle has not made another appearance in any other games in the series.

Agrabah

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

Halloween Town

The characters featured in Halloween Town are from Tim Burton's 1993 stop motion Disney film, The Nightmare Before Christmas. In Kingdom Hearts II, Christmas Town is introduced.

Prankster's Paradise

The characters in Prankster's Paradise are from the 1940 animated film Pinocchio. Jiminy Cricket originated from this world.

Atlantica

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

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 are featured in Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep.

Radiant Garden

Radiant Garden is an original world created for Kingdom Hearts; it came to be known as Hollow Bastion after the Heartless infested it until the city was restored to its former glory. The majority of the inhabitants are alternative versions of Final Fantasy characters, with original characters like Ansem the Wise. Sora originally met many of the residents from here in Traverse Town.

Most of them help the Sora's group in his journey and help to protect Hollow Bastion and then become known as the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee. Some of these members include Leon, a soldier who discarded his previous name and serves as the group's leader; Cid, an expert on Gummi Ships, Aerith, a woman with a good heart, and Yuffie, a young female ninja.[16] While not being official members of the group, Cloud, a silent swordsman, and Tifa, a woman expert in hand-to-hand combat, support them during Kingdom Hearts II, while dealing with the former hero Sephiroth who embodies the darkness in Cloud's heart.[16] Yuna, Rikku, and Paine are three fairies who secretly work for Maleficent, who had them spy on the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee,[56] 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.[47]

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.[52]

Twilight Town

Twilight Town was introduced in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories,[28] but characters were not introduced until Kingdom Hearts II. Many of the characters were first introduced as alternative versions of themselves in DiZ's virtual Twilight Town, though they still exhibited the same personalities. A regular gang seen is one composed of three children named, Hayner, Pence, and Olette whose virtual replicas befriended Roxas.

Another gang, is the self-proclaimed Twilight Town Disciplinary Committee consists of Seifer, Rai, Fuu and Vivi. The committee is based on Final Fantasy VIII of which the first three belongs to in Final Fantasy VIII counterpart. Being very prideful, Seifer has a thing against outsiders and more so on those who disturb the town's peace. Picking fights with Hayner, Seifer and him sometimes settle their disputes in contests like "Struggle Battle" and "Grandstand Ball". Another inhabitant of Twilight Town is Setzer from Final Fantasy VI. He is a flamboyant gambler that participates in the Struggle Battle.

Space Paranoids/The Grid

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. Its story will be continued in Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance as it explores the events of Tron: Legacy.

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.[58]

Beast's Castle

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

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, following primarily the storyline of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. 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] Port Royal has not made another appearance in any other games in the series.

Pride Lands

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

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.

Castle of Dreams

Castle of Dreams features characters from the 1950 animated film, Cinderella, introduced in Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep. Cinderella originated from this world. As Terra appears in normal size the whole time, Aqua is reduced to 3'in by the Fairy Godmother, and Ven appears three inches high the whole time in the Castle of Dreams. The secret episode segment in the Final Mix version of Birth by Sleep, this world is one of the first world to be attacked by the Heartless and end up in the Realm of Darkness.

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. Snow White originated from this world.

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.

La Cité des Cloches

La Cité des Cloches (fr: The City of Bells) features characters from the 1996 Disney film The Hunchback of Notre Dame, was the first Disney world to be announced for Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance. La Cité des Cloches resembles Paris in the 15th century.

Country of the Musketeers

The Country of the Musketeers features characters from the Disney film Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers.

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.[70][71] A series of Play Arts action figures has also been released.[72] Other merchandise includes jewelry and key chains modeled after character apparel and accessories.[73] The characters are also featured on posters,[73] desktop wallpapers,[74] and trading cards that are part of the Kingdom Hearts Trading Card Game.[75]

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.[76][77][78] 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".[76] 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".[77]

GameSpot commented the first game created a "fascinating world" using the Disney and Final Fantasy characters.[79] 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.[80] GameSpy stated the inclusion of the Disney and Square Enix characters was handled well.[77] 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.[81] IGN listed him as a possible character in Super Smash Bros. Brawl;[82] though he was not chosen as the "reader's choice".[83]

GameSpy praised the voice cast and voice acting in the first and third games.[77][84] G4TV awarded Kingdom Hearts II "Best Voice Over" in their 2006 G-phoria Awards.[85] 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."[86] Gaming Age praised the voice work in the first and third game and the localization of the dialogue.[80][87] They commented the voice acting in the first game was one of its best features.[87] 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.[80]

References

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  45. ^ Ansem: You have been thinking about me... You're afraid of the darkness I command. Good... The more you think of me, the closer my return draws. And when I have awoken, I will take hold...Your heart will be mine! Jupiter. Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories.. (Square Enix, Disney Interactive). (2008-12-02)
  46. ^ Goofy: We sure do! Pete's been causin' trouble for ages! His Majesty banished him to another dimension a long time ago. I wonder how he escaped. / Pete: You wanna know how, eh? Well, Maleficent busted me out, that's how! And now your world---no, no, no, all the worlds---are gonna belong to yours truly. Cause Maleficent's gonna help me conquer 'em! Square Enix. Kingdom Hearts II. (Square Enix U.S.A., Buena Vista Games). PlayStation 2. (2006-03-28)
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  54. ^ Aladdin: I...I wish... ...for your freedom, Genie. A deal’s a deal, Genie. Now, you can go anywhere you want. You’re your own master. But if you can, it’d be great if you could go along with them and help Sora find Jasmine. Square Co.. Kingdom Hearts. (Square Electronic Arts). PlayStation 2. (2002-11-15)
  55. ^ Aladdin: Can't believe it... That stupid peddler let Jafar out of the lamp! Square Enix. Kingdom Hearts II. (Square Enix U.S.A., Buena Vista Games). PlayStation 2. (2006-03-28)
  56. ^ Yuna: Excuse me, are you with the Restoration Committee? / ... / Paine: Let's report. / Donald: To who? / Yuna: Our leader, of course! / Rikku: Yeah, you know, Malefi--- Square Enix. Kingdom Hearts II. (Square Enix U.S.A., Buena Vista Games). PlayStation 2. (2006-03-28)
  57. ^ Tron: A number of my functions were appropriated when I last took on the MCP. That's why I need the password. If I can get inside the DTD, I can access my original backup program and restore all my functions. Square Enix. Kingdom Hearts II. (Square Enix U.S.A., Buena Vista Games). PlayStation 2. (2006-03-28)
  58. ^ Shang: You've done a passable job. But stay alert! This is just the beginning. Shan-Yu has invaded our country. We must stop him at all costs. Square Enix. Kingdom Hearts II. (Square Enix U.S.A., Buena Vista Games). PlayStation 2. (2006-03-28)
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  61. ^ Xaldin: It's time you dealt with Belle. She's scheming to take everything you have. This castle, your precious rose. And then---your life. Trust no one. Feed your anger! Only anger will keep you strong. / Beast: I've had enough of strength. There's only one thing I want--- / Xaldin: What? To love, and be loved in return? Who could ever love a beast? Square Enix. Kingdom Hearts II. (Square Enix U.S.A., Buena Vista Games). PlayStation 2. (2006-03-28)
  62. ^ Jack Sparrow: Treasure's already his. So's the curse upon it. I've no desire for such treacherous spoils. But I will have back what's mine---the Black Pearl.Square Enix. Kingdom Hearts II. (Square Enix U.S.A., Buena Vista Games). PlayStation 2. (2006-03-28)
  63. ^ Barbossa: This is no trinket, missy. This is cursed Aztec gold. One of eight hundred and eighty-two identical pieces they delivered in a stone chest to Cortez himself. Square Enix. Kingdom Hearts II. (Square Enix U.S.A., Buena Vista Games). PlayStation 2. (2006-03-28)
  64. ^ Scar: And here's my little secret... I killed Mufasa. Square Enix. Kingdom Hearts II. (Square Enix U.S.A., Buena Vista Games). PlayStation 2. (2006-03-28)
  65. ^ Nala: There was... but he died... when he was just a cub. He was the son of our last king, Mufasa. If only Simba were here... / Sora: Simba!? But Simba's just fine! He was fighting right beside us not that long ago. Square Enix. Kingdom Hearts II. (Square Enix U.S.A., Buena Vista Games). PlayStation 2. (2006-03-28)
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