Kingdom Hearts III is coming out soon + I hear many people asking, “Do I need to play every game in this series to understand what’s going on?” The answer is no, you don’t have to play them per se, but understanding the story so far will make all the difference in enjoying the admittedly ridiculous body-snatching time-traveling nonsense that is the Kingdom Hearts lore. It’s also now doable on PS3 + PS4 thanks to various Final Mixes + remasters. There are two “orders” of this series - story order, explained below, + release order, which is my recommended play order. The release / play order is as follows:

Kingdom Hearts I

Re:/Chain of Memories Kingdom Hearts II 358/2 Days

Birth By Sleep

Re:/Coded [very skippable]

Dream Drop Distance

0.2 Fragmentary Passage

Kingdom Hearts III



Notice that I do not recommend playing Unchained Chi because it’s a trash mobile game that will do everything in its power to convince you to shell out money you don’t have to make marginal progress.

Anyway, lore recaps below! I also touch a little on game mechanics because this is a video game series + at the end of the day, you should be having fun!

Glossary



Can’t do a “Wtf is Kingdom Hearts?” post with a glossy for the many silly terms so let me try + simplify the terms of this universe as simply as possible. I would recommend you use this a reference for what is below, rather than reading it all before beginning the plot recaps:



Castle Oblivion - After Aqua became a Keyblade Master + Master Xehanort pulled his plan into motion, Aqua turned her home world Land of Departure into Castle Oblivion to hide Ventus’s sleeping body. As if almost sensing him in there [the rooms have a Room of Requirement vibe to them], Xemnas posts up Organization XIII in this castle since it exists between the Realm of Light + the Realm of Darkness. Sora’s Chain of Memories adventure takes place here.



- After Aqua became a Keyblade Master + Master Xehanort pulled his plan into motion, Aqua turned her home world Land of Departure into Castle Oblivion to hide Ventus’s sleeping body. As if almost sensing him in there [the rooms have a Room of Requirement vibe to them], Xemnas posts up Organization XIII in this castle since it exists between the Realm of Light + the Realm of Darkness. Sora’s Chain of Memories adventure takes place here. Chi Blade - An ancient prophecy foretold that a battle between light + darkness would summon the almighty Chi Blade (pronounced key blade like you’re really feeling the Greek fantasy). All of Xehanort’s plans are in pursuit of creating this blade - splitting Ventus, creating princesses, recruiting Organization XIII, + finally the events of KHIII).



- An ancient prophecy foretold that a battle between light + darkness would summon the almighty Chi Blade (pronounced like you’re really feeling the Greek fantasy). All of Xehanort’s plans are in pursuit of creating this blade - splitting Ventus, creating princesses, recruiting Organization XIII, + finally the events of KHIII). Door to Darkness - The threshold that separates the Realm of Darkness from the rest of the universe. The Kingdom Hearts that Ansem Seeker of Darkness summoned using the hearts of the worlds is behind this door. Darkness has a nasty habit of taking on a physical form [Pureblood Heartless] as well as possessing living things [Emblem Heartless] in this universe + Ansem the Wise was researching this connection, making him a prime target for Terranort to take down between BBS + KHI.



- The threshold that separates the Realm of Darkness from the rest of the universe. The Kingdom Hearts that Ansem Seeker of Darkness summoned using the hearts of the worlds is behind this door. Darkness has a nasty habit of taking on a physical form [Pureblood Heartless] as well as possessing living things [Emblem Heartless] in this universe + Ansem the Wise was researching this connection, making him a prime target for Terranort to take down between BBS + KHI. Final Mix - The remastered version of a game, with all the add-ons seen in the Japanese versions. This is pre-DLC so we had to wait for international releases in order to play new secret bosses + side content.



- The remastered version of a game, with all the add-ons seen in the Japanese versions. This is pre-DLC so we had to wait for international releases in order to play new secret bosses + side content. Foretellers - The original band of Keyblade users entrusted with a book that predicts the future thanks to an all-powerful Master of Masters. What is myth + what is history? It’s unclear but the Master of Masters god-like status makes me believe this may be a legend.



- The original band of Keyblade users entrusted with a book that predicts the future thanks to an all-powerful Master of Masters. What is myth + what is history? It’s unclear but the Master of Masters god-like status makes me believe this may be a legend. Heartless - When someone’s heart fills with darkness or evil intentions, it leaves their body + becomes a Heartless. The irony is that most Heart-less are only a heart, even the Purebloods, who are darkness in a heart turned sentient. Evil can also possess a body that’s vulnerable, emblazoning it with an emblem + turn it into a Heartless, thanks to a process invented by Terranort after stealing Ansem the Wise’s research. This is how the game gets away with you kicking the spit out of a lot of classic Disney villains - evil possession.



- When someone’s heart fills with darkness or evil intentions, it leaves their body + becomes a Heartless. The irony is that most Heart-less are only a heart, even the Purebloods, who are darkness in a heart turned sentient. Evil can also possess a body that’s vulnerable, emblazoning it with an emblem + turn it into a Heartless, thanks to a process invented by Terranort after stealing Ansem the Wise’s research. This is how the game gets away with you kicking the spit out of a lot of classic Disney villains - evil possession. Keyblade - A weapon that embodies the user’s strength of heart [or the user stored inside their heart] that can only be used by those it deems worthy. Back in KHI, only Sora + Riku could use a Keyblade + they had to share one while it had a loyalty war between the two. Later in the series, we see Keyblades are plentiful + were once used by thousands of union-members. The Keyblade can change forms, shoot lasers, unlock [most] doors, + more based on the level of mastery of its user. The Keyblade must also be imparted on someone in a ceremony although we have also seen this capability passed on through physical contact [Aqua touching young Kairi’s hands with her Keyblade being the most popular example.]



- A weapon that embodies the user’s strength of heart [or the user stored inside their heart] that can only be used by those it deems worthy. Back in KHI, only Sora + Riku could use a Keyblade + they had to share one while it had a loyalty war between the two. Later in the series, we see Keyblades are plentiful + were once used by thousands of union-members. The Keyblade can change forms, shoot lasers, unlock [most] doors, + more based on the level of mastery of its user. The Keyblade must also be imparted on someone in a ceremony although we have also seen this capability passed on through physical contact [Aqua touching young Kairi’s hands with her Keyblade being the most popular example.] Keyblade Master - So far we have seen Aqua, Terra, Riku, + Sora undergo the Mark of Mastery exam, a test that is less about dexterity + skill, but more about how you respond with your Keyblade under pressure to the challenges in front you. Aqua + Riku passed but these tests had to be supervised by current masters to qualify. It makes you wonder how high does the chain go, kind of like the age-old question does the mailman deliver his own mail…?



- So far we have seen Aqua, Terra, Riku, + Sora undergo the Mark of Mastery exam, a test that is less about dexterity + skill, but more about how you respond with your Keyblade under pressure to the challenges in front you. Aqua + Riku passed but these tests had to be supervised by current masters to qualify. It makes you wonder how high does the chain go, kind of like the age-old question does the mailman deliver his own mail…? Kingdom Hearts - Although commonly thought of as the “opposite” of the Realm of Darkness, Kingdom Hearts is not “heaven” or even a world, to our knowledge. It is the source of all light + acts as a god-like entity. In a corny twist, it’s a moon shaped as a heart that a child would draw. It seems to be a collection of hearts [ones that abandoned Heartless after they were destroyed/unlocked with a Keyblade] + can be unlocked as a power source. Villains have often commented on feeling more powerful upon summoning it in the hopes of reshaping the universe in their own image. So far, we have just seen projections + artifical facsimiles of Kingdom Hearts + never the real thing. It is unclear how the real one would be summoned, except by perhaps combining a little of Ansem Seeker of Darkness’s [hearts of worlds] + Xemnas’s strategies [hearts of people].



- Although commonly thought of as the “opposite” of the Realm of Darkness, Kingdom Hearts is not “heaven” or even a world, to our knowledge. It is the source of all light + acts as a god-like entity. In a corny twist, it’s a moon shaped as a heart that a child would draw. It seems to be a collection of hearts [ones that abandoned Heartless after they were destroyed/unlocked with a Keyblade] + can be unlocked as a power source. Villains have often commented on feeling more powerful upon summoning it in the hopes of reshaping the universe in their own image. So far, we have just seen projections + artifical facsimiles of Kingdom Hearts + never the real thing. It is unclear how the real one would be summoned, except by perhaps combining a little of Ansem Seeker of Darkness’s [hearts of worlds] + Xemnas’s strategies [hearts of people]. Nobody - Nobodys share the same irony of Heartless. When someone is possessed or turns evil, their Heart becomes a Heart-less + their remaining body becomes a No-body. For a long time, Nobodys believed themselves unworthy of humanity because they did not have hearts, but they have shown in the series to have emotions, friendships, + introspective thoughts. This revelation is what caused some Nobodys to rebel from Organization XIII, an entire group of Nobody baddies. For no real scientific reason, when the Heartless + the Nobody of an individual are defeated, their separate parts are able to recombine, summoning the original. Until their Nobody is defeated, their heart will exist in limbo, which may contribute to the power of Kingdom Hearts’ collection. Not all Heartless create Nobodys either, so defeating the Heartless is often times enough to recreate the original person. So when Ansem Seeker of Darkness + Xemnas were defeated, Terranort came back into being. Same goes for most of OXIII, even though we never saw their Heartless versions in-game. This how Lea [previously Axel] is able to join the team.



- Nobodys share the same irony of Heartless. When someone is possessed or turns evil, their Heart becomes a Heart-less + their remaining body becomes a No-body. For a long time, Nobodys believed themselves unworthy of humanity because they did not have hearts, but they have shown in the series to have emotions, friendships, + introspective thoughts. This revelation is what caused some Nobodys to rebel from Organization XIII, an entire group of Nobody baddies. For no real scientific reason, when the Heartless + the Nobody of an individual are defeated, their separate parts are able to recombine, summoning the original. Until their Nobody is defeated, their heart will exist in limbo, which may contribute to the power of Kingdom Hearts’ collection. Not all Heartless create Nobodys either, so defeating the Heartless is often times enough to recreate the original person. So when Ansem Seeker of Darkness + Xemnas were defeated, Terranort came back into being. Same goes for most of OXIII, even though we never saw their Heartless versions in-game. This how Lea [previously Axel] is able to join the team. Realm of Darkness - The Realm of Darkness is mostly dark + scary pathways, but occasionally entire worlds will fall into it, so it’s not like a mirror universe, but rather a place where bad things hang out. It is impossible to enter + leave freely without certain mechanisms, with some we know about being the Door to Darkness, dark pathways used by DiZ + OXIII, + actual spaceship surfboards. Aqua is currently trapped here + the newest trailer shows that it has done something to her psyche, sporting the classic “I’m possessed by Xehanort” yellow eyes.



- The Realm of Darkness is mostly dark + scary pathways, but occasionally entire worlds will fall into it, so it’s not like a mirror universe, but rather a place where bad things hang out. It is impossible to enter + leave freely without certain mechanisms, with some we know about being the Door to Darkness, dark pathways used by DiZ + OXIII, + actual spaceship surfboards. Aqua is currently trapped here + the newest trailer shows that it has done something to her psyche, sporting the classic “I’m possessed by Xehanort” yellow eyes. Sleep/ing - Sleeping is an affliction in the KH universe where certain worlds + individuals can lose their will + fall asleep. This becomes most apparent in Dream Drop Distance where Sora + Riku have to liberate these sleeping worlds during their Mark of Mastery exam from the Dream Eating Nightmares. Ventus is also “asleep” since his heart is stored in Sora’s chest + this basically makes him defenseless + in need of protection. Dream Drop had a huge plot twist where we found out Sora had “fallen asleep” too, making it necessary for Riku to save him + pass his Mark of Mastery by doing so. Then they kissed.



- Sleeping is an affliction in the KH universe where certain worlds + individuals can lose their will + fall asleep. This becomes most apparent in Dream Drop Distance where Sora + Riku have to liberate these sleeping worlds during their Mark of Mastery exam from the Dream Eating Nightmares. Ventus is also “asleep” since his heart is stored in Sora’s chest + this basically makes him defenseless + in need of protection. Dream Drop had a huge plot twist where we found out Sora had “fallen asleep” too, making it necessary for Riku to save him + pass his Mark of Mastery by doing so. Terranort - The fan-made name for Terra after he got possessed by Master Xehanort through body fusion. He famously lost his memory but remembered he was a bad guy when he sought out Ansem the Wise, stole his research + his name, + split into Ansem Seeker of Darkness + Xemnas the Nobody. Since a Nobody’s name is just an anagram of their original selves, Xemnas is also lovingly referred to as Mansex by the fandom.



- The fan-made name for Terra after he got possessed by Master Xehanort through body fusion. He famously lost his memory but remembered he was a bad guy when he sought out Ansem the Wise, stole his research + his name, + split into Ansem Seeker of Darkness + Xemnas the Nobody. Since a Nobody’s name is just an anagram of their original selves, Xemnas is also lovingly referred to as Mansex by the fandom. Unversed - The physical manifestation of angst, created by Vanitas, who is the evil half of Ventus, created in a malicious experiment by Master Xehanort just before the events of BBS. They are the main enemies in Birth By Sleep since Heartless weren’t really a big deal yet + Nobodys were yet to be discovered.

- The physical manifestation of angst, created by Vanitas, who is the evil half of Ventus, created in a malicious experiment by Master Xehanort just before the events of BBS. They are the main enemies in Birth By Sleep since Heartless weren’t really a big deal yet + Nobodys were yet to be discovered. X - You can easily identify a Nobody by the X in their name, mixed in with an anagram of their original name, eg. Sora + X = Roxas, Ansem + X = Xemnas, Kairi + X = Naminé…. Some exceptions apply. Xehanort started this practice apparently + put the X’s in names as a recusant sigil so he could track the movements of folks throughout the world, which is why it’s even dumber that his literal prisoner Naminé would not have an X in her name.

Let’s begin.

Back Cover [PS4] / Unchained Chi [Mobile]

important characters: Master of Masters, Apprentice Luxu, Five Foretellers [left to right: Ira, Gula, Ava, Invi, + Aced], Ephemer + Skuld



Master of Masters, Apprentice Luxu, Five Foretellers [left to right: Ira, Gula, Ava, Invi, + Aced], Ephemer + Skuld relevant plot: Long, long ago, the original Keyblade users learn of a terrible prophecy about a keyblade war [but they’re missing a page from their fortune book] + this causes a local shitstorm. Master of Masters leaves + the Foretellers all start to suspect each other of betrayal. Gula, the Leopard, wants to summon ‘Kingdom Hearts’ to call Master of Masters back + Ava, the Fox, responds by creating a union of keyblade users to prepare for the upcoming battle against darkness [which includes Ephemer + Skuld]. Meanwhile, Apprentice Luxu has been told to stay out of the public eye + is given a mysterious black box filled with something that will surely be relevant in Kingdom Hearts III. The mobile game incorporates Ephemer + Skuld significantly more, who are preparing for the upcoming war but are in a way are just being used as pawns in the Foreteller’s plans. You fight the Union leaders, creating the famous Keyblade Graveyard scene,



Long, long ago, the original Keyblade users learn of a terrible prophecy about a keyblade war [but they’re missing a page from their fortune book] + this causes a local shitstorm. Master of Masters leaves + the Foretellers all start to suspect each other of betrayal. Gula, the Leopard, wants to summon ‘Kingdom Hearts’ to call Master of Masters back + Ava, the Fox, responds by creating a union of keyblade users to prepare for the upcoming battle against darkness [which includes Ephemer + Skuld]. Meanwhile, Apprentice Luxu has been told to stay out of the public eye + is given a mysterious black box filled with something that will surely be relevant in Kingdom Hearts III. The mobile game incorporates Ephemer + Skuld significantly more, who are preparing for the upcoming war but are in a way are just being used as pawns in the Foreteller’s plans. You fight the Union leaders, creating the famous Keyblade Graveyard scene, notable mechanics: Back Cover is a movie so only Unchained Chi has game mechanics. Honestly, you just collect gacha-style attacks that feature character art from throughout the series, use a rock-paper-scissors style system to do extra damager, + grind weekly quests to upgrade your Keyblades. The leaderboards are plagued with “whales,” aka players who spend a shit-toon to rush to the top of the charts, + it’s generally got a negative community from what I’ve seen on Tumblr + Reddit.



Birth By Sleep [PSP, PS3, PS4]



important characters: [left to right:] Ventus, Aqua, Terra, Master Eraqus, Master Xehanort, Vanitas



[left to right:] Ventus, Aqua, Terra, Master Eraqus, Master Xehanort, Vanitas relevant plot: Many, many years after Chi, but 10 years before Kingdom Hearts I, Master Eraqus is housing Aqua, Terra, + Ventus, + training them to be Keyblade masters. For some dumb fucking reason, Eraqus invites Master Xehanort to their final exam, despite the fact that Xehanort has tried to tear Ventus’ heart in half in the past in an attempt to create a being of pure light + a being of pure darkness to fulfill the aforementioned prophecy. Due to an ancient legend, Xehanort believes having light battle darkness will create the Chi Blade, giving him the strongest possible weapon for the upcoming Keyblade War. This doesn’t work but instead creates Vanitas, a dark version of Ventus, who looks like Sora. This is because when Xehanort brought a fractured Ventus to Destiny Islands to die, Sora’s young heart helped repair Ventus’s + gave Vanitas his own image, who was previously faceless. Xehanort hatches a new plan to get 7 pure lights to battle 13 pure darknesses + honestly that motivates everything else in the Kingdom Hearts series. He uses his spoopy persuasive ways to convince Terra he can be stronger if he betrays/murders his master, which Terra selfishly does a few hours later. Xehanort ultimately takes over Terra’s body, creating Terranort, who grows up without his memory, but evil in his heart, becoming a villain in later games. Aqua runs around the universe trying to save her friends, fighting Vanitas + the Unversed who are little depression monsters, + mostly has a terrible time + fails, getting trapped in the Realm of Darkness before hiding Ventus in Castle Oblivion. During her journey, she + Terra meet younger versions of Sora, Riku, + Kairi, granting them the ability to use Keyblades down the line, ruining everything for everyone. Ven’s heart finds refuge in a young Sora’s heart so he is out cold “sleeping” from here on out with his heart unknowingly locked away in Sora’s.



Many, many years after Chi, but 10 years before Kingdom Hearts I, Master Eraqus is housing Aqua, Terra, + Ventus, + training them to be Keyblade masters. For some dumb fucking reason, Eraqus invites Master Xehanort to their final exam, despite the fact that Xehanort has tried to tear Ventus’ heart in half in the past in an attempt to create a being of pure light + a being of pure darkness to fulfill the aforementioned prophecy. Due to an ancient legend, Xehanort believes having light battle darkness will create the Chi Blade, giving him the strongest possible weapon for the upcoming Keyblade War. This doesn’t work but instead creates Vanitas, a dark version of Ventus, who looks like Sora. This is because when Xehanort brought a fractured Ventus to Destiny Islands to die, Sora’s young heart helped repair Ventus’s + gave Vanitas his own image, who was previously faceless. Xehanort hatches a new plan to get 7 pure lights to battle 13 pure darknesses + honestly that motivates everything else in the Kingdom Hearts series. He uses his spoopy persuasive ways to convince Terra he can be stronger if he betrays/murders his master, which Terra selfishly does a few hours later. Xehanort ultimately takes over Terra’s body, creating Terranort, who grows up without his memory, but evil in his heart, becoming a villain in later games. Aqua runs around the universe trying to save her friends, fighting Vanitas + the Unversed who are little depression monsters, + mostly has a terrible time + fails, getting trapped in the Realm of Darkness before hiding Ventus in Castle Oblivion. During her journey, she + Terra meet younger versions of Sora, Riku, + Kairi, granting them the ability to use Keyblades down the line, ruining everything for everyone. Ven’s heart finds refuge in a young Sora’s heart so he is out cold “sleeping” from here on out with his heart unknowingly locked away in Sora’s. notable mechanics: This game is fucking fun! There are three distinct stories you can play as each character, they replaced summons with D-Links which give you useful skills + commands, it introduced command styles which change your fighting on the go. Probably most OP of all, it introduced Shotlocks, which are lasers you can shoot out of your Keyblade at multiple targets. These are most definitely going to be nerfed if they return for Kingdom Hearts III.

0.2 Fragmentary Passage [PS4]

important characters: Apprentice Luxu, Aqua, King Mickey



Apprentice Luxu, Aqua, King Mickey relevant plot: On a casual day-trip, King Mickey spots Aqua in the Realm of Darkness, which she traveled to to try + save Terranort. Sadly, Aqua has been trapped here for a decade + ultimately runs into Sora closing the Door to Darkness after he defeats Ansem [discussed more later], locking herself inside. In the recent KHIII trailer, it seems Aqua has “turned to darkness” after all + Sora will have to work to save her from the living hell she has been trapped in.



On a casual day-trip, King Mickey spots Aqua in the Realm of Darkness, which she traveled to to try + save Terranort. Sadly, Aqua has been trapped here for a decade + ultimately runs into Sora closing the Door to Darkness after he defeats Ansem [discussed more later], locking herself inside. In the recent KHIII trailer, it seems Aqua has “turned to darkness” after all + Sora will have to work to save her from the living hell she has been trapped in. notable mechanics: This game is unfortunately only a couple hours long but did a great job of preparing us for the combat we can expect in Kingdom Hearts III. It seemed to have traditional combat menus, allowed Aqua to dress up in cute outfits, + introduced a more fluid magic system where you build spells with your combos. Aqua has always uniquely been more of a magician than a swordsman so it wouldn’t be surprising if Sora didn’t feel as OP with his spells in KHIII.

Kingdom Hearts I [PS2, PS3, PS4]





important characters: Sora, Kairi, Riku, King Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Ansem Seeker of Darkness



Sora, Kairi, Riku, King Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Ansem Seeker of Darkness relevant plot: The “beginning” of this series + one of the least complicated entries. Sora, Kairi, + Riku get tired of living the quiet island life + dream of traveling to other worlds. One day, darkness hits their island + Sora gains the ability to use a Keyblade thanks to Terra’s earlier gift to Riku, whom the Keyblade passes over since Riku doesn’t deal with this darkness mess as well + succumbs to it, whisking around with Maleficent causing havoc around the worlds by spreading Heartless, evil feelings incarnate. Kairi probably has the worst time + gets wrapped up in a Seven Princesses of Heart plot, an early version of the whole “let’s fulfill the prophecy” train. However, her heart has been entrusted with Sora’s, since that’s a thing that can happen in this universe. To save Kairi, Sora has to use the Keyblade to release his heart to thwart Riku + release hers in the process which has secretly been hiding in his chest. We don’t learn this until later but releasing your heart turns you into a Heartless [ironic] + at the same time, a Nobody is born elsewhere. As a result of Sora’s act, Roxas is born + he looks just like Ventus because Sora is hoarding his heart as well. Ultimately, Sora battles Ansem Seeker of Darkness, who is the Heartless version of a grown-up Terranort trying to summon Kingdom Hearts with the hearts of different worlds. Sora defeats him, closes the Door to Darkness, + thinks he’s saved the universe. Lol.

The “beginning” of this series + one of the least complicated entries. Sora, Kairi, + Riku get tired of living the quiet island life + dream of traveling to other worlds. One day, darkness hits their island + Sora gains the ability to use a Keyblade thanks to Terra’s earlier gift to Riku, whom the Keyblade passes over since Riku doesn’t deal with this darkness mess as well + succumbs to it, whisking around with Maleficent causing havoc around the worlds by spreading Heartless, evil feelings incarnate. Kairi probably has the worst time + gets wrapped up in a Seven Princesses of Heart plot, an early version of the whole “let’s fulfill the prophecy” train. However, her heart has been entrusted with Sora’s, since that’s a thing that can happen in this universe. To save Kairi, Sora has to use the Keyblade to release his heart to thwart Riku + release hers in the process which has secretly been hiding in his chest. We don’t learn this until later but releasing your heart turns you into a Heartless [ironic] + at the same time, a Nobody is born elsewhere. As a result of Sora’s act, Roxas is born + he looks just like Ventus because Sora is hoarding his heart as well. Ultimately, Sora battles Ansem Seeker of Darkness, who is the Heartless version of a grown-up Terranort trying to summon Kingdom Hearts with the hearts of different worlds. Sora defeats him, closes the Door to Darkness, + thinks he’s saved the universe. Lol. notable mechanics: It’s the original so things were pretty simple back then. You had a command menu, spells, summons, + two teammates, Donald + Goofy. It hasn’t aged particularly well but the Final Mix remaster is a pretty good version since it includes all the fun bonus bosses as well.

Re:/Chain of Memories [GBA, PS3, PS4]

important characters: Sora, Donald, Goofy, Naminé, Organization XIII, Riku, King Mickey, DiZ



Sora, Donald, Goofy, Naminé, Organization XIII, Riku, King Mickey, DiZ relevant plot: Remember when I said when someone loses their heart to darkness becomes a Heartless, a Nobody is created too? Well Terranort’s Heartless was the big boss of KHI + his Nobody form Xemnas was also up to no good. Xemnas has been busy collecting twelve other Nobodys, including Roxas, the Nobody created from Ventus’s heart leaving Sora in KHI. Xemnas also has Naminé in his control, the Nobody created from Kairi’s heart when she was released from Sora. Because of Kairi’s strong heart, Naminé is able to tamper with the hearts + memories of others [sure, why not] + she does this for Sora while he fights through Castle Oblivion against Organization XIII. Coincidentally, Ventus’s sleeping body is stored in the basement of Castle Oblivion - something only Aqua + Xemnas know at this time. The Organization’s big plan won’t be revealed until KHII [+ even then, the Organization members think they know more about what Xemnas is up to than they actually do] but their current goal is to have Sora beat up as many Heartless as possible, beckoning Kingdom Hearts to be summoned, thus releasing the prophecy, etc. Sora loses all his memories during this journey, keeping this chapter self-contained, but Naminé restores them for him at the expense of his memory + friendship with her. The post-game follows Riku’s story through the basement of Castle Oblivion + through his own internal darkness, traveling with King Mickey + DiZ [the scientist Terranort stole the name “Ansem” from]. As we know from Aqua’s tale, traveling through the Realm of Darkness is no easy task + Riku must take on the form of Ansem Seeker of Darkness, a currently defeated empty shell who more or less has travel-through-darkness-freely clearance.



Remember when I said when someone loses their heart to darkness becomes a Heartless, a Nobody is created too? Well Terranort’s Heartless was the big boss of KHI + his Nobody form Xemnas was also up to no good. Xemnas has been busy collecting twelve other Nobodys, including Roxas, the Nobody created from Ventus’s heart leaving Sora in KHI. Xemnas also has Naminé in his control, the Nobody created from Kairi’s heart when she was released from Sora. Because of Kairi’s strong heart, Naminé is able to tamper with the hearts + memories of others [sure, why not] + she does this for Sora while he fights through Castle Oblivion against Organization XIII. Coincidentally, Ventus’s sleeping body is stored in the basement of Castle Oblivion - something only Aqua + Xemnas know at this time. The Organization’s big plan won’t be revealed until KHII [+ even then, the Organization members think they know more about what Xemnas is up to than they actually do] but their current goal is to have Sora beat up as many Heartless as possible, beckoning Kingdom Hearts to be summoned, thus releasing the prophecy, etc. Sora loses all his memories during this journey, keeping this chapter self-contained, but Naminé restores them for him at the expense of his memory + friendship with her. The post-game follows Riku’s story through the basement of Castle Oblivion + through his own internal darkness, traveling with King Mickey + DiZ [the scientist Terranort stole the name “Ansem” from]. As we know from Aqua’s tale, traveling through the Realm of Darkness is no easy task + Riku must take on the form of Ansem Seeker of Darkness, a currently defeated empty shell who more or less has travel-through-darkness-freely clearance. notable mechanics: This game is fully different from anything else in the series + the main combat is done using a cards + sleights system. Because of this huge departure, it is easily the most polarizing + I ultimately preferred the 3D console remake to the GBA but the fact that the combat in this game isn’t really fun until closer to the end makes it a harder volume for folks to get through.

358/2 Days [NDS, PS3, PS4]



important characters: Roxas, Xion, Axel, Organization XIII



Roxas, Xion, Axel, Organization XIII relevant plot: In this game, you play as Roxas [Sora’s Nobody] + you go on missions with Organization XIII, exploring their motives + advancing the cause of bashing as many Heartless as possible to summon Kingdom Hearts. You mostly travel with Axel who builds a deep friendship with Roxas - even feeling affection, something the Organization’s leader Xemnas assures the other Nobodys they are incapable of feeling. This inkling of emotions creates a little of dissent in the ranks + allows Roxas + Axel to image “what-if” scenarios such as what it would be like to live for themselves instead of in the shadow of the person who created them. Most of the Organization is made up of the Nobodys who were originally research assistants to Terranort + they make additional appearances in KHII. Even though it’s a backstory of sorts, it also has a self-contained plot about Xion [basically Roxas’s clone] who gets programmed + used by OXIII to advance this main mission since she can use a copy of the Keyblade. Ultimately, you have to defeat Xion because she is too-far-gone + anyone that’s seen Westworld knows cloning never ends well + it’s hugely depressing because she is forgotten by everyone she’s ever known + loved in the process.

In this game, you play as Roxas [Sora’s Nobody] + you go on missions with Organization XIII, exploring their motives + advancing the cause of bashing as many Heartless as possible to summon Kingdom Hearts. You mostly travel with Axel who builds a deep friendship with Roxas - even feeling affection, something the Organization’s leader Xemnas assures the other Nobodys they are incapable of feeling. This inkling of emotions creates a little of dissent in the ranks + allows Roxas + Axel to image “what-if” scenarios such as what it would be like to live for themselves instead of in the shadow of the person who created them. Most of the Organization is made up of the Nobodys who were originally research assistants to Terranort + they make additional appearances in KHII. Even though it’s a backstory of sorts, it also has a self-contained plot about Xion [basically Roxas’s clone] who gets programmed + used by OXIII to advance this main mission since she can use a copy of the Keyblade. Ultimately, you have to defeat Xion because she is too-far-gone + anyone that’s seen Westworld knows cloning never ends well + it’s hugely depressing because she is forgotten by everyone she’s ever known + loved in the process. notable mechanics: This game experimented with a Tetris/chips mechanic for powering up + I ultimately think it didn’t land well. I liked what it became more in re:coded + I feel like you spend a lot of this game underpowered as a result of its shortcomings. There is a multiplayer mode where you can play as any member of Organization XIII or Sora’s crew but because the missions are meant to be taken on by multiple people, they are balanced for multiple people + end up being such time-sinks due to needlessly huge HP bars + it’s never as fun as it could have been.

Kingdom Hearts II [PS2, PS3, PS4]

important characters: Sora, Donald, Goofy, King Mickey, Organization XIII, Riku, Kairi, DiZ



Sora, Donald, Goofy, King Mickey, Organization XIII, Riku, Kairi, DiZ relevant plot: After a lengthy tutorial playing as Roxas in a simulation created by DiZ [soon to be revealed as the OG Ansem the Wise who Terranort usurped], you pick up with Sora after he’s completed Castle Oblivion but with his memories of the previous journey wiped. He’s still dead-set on saving Riku + Kairi from this terrible adventure when he gets wrapped up with the Final Fantasy crowd + Xemnas’s plan to summon Kingdom Hearts. The surviving Nobodys in Organization XIII come to fight Sora basically one at a time [terrible strategy] but you take them all out, saving worlds from Nobodys instead of just Heartless all while releasing more + more hearts towards summoning Kingdom Hearts, Xemnas’s final plan you can’t help but contribute to. This version of Kingdom Hearts is also artificial since it is just made of human hearts. Sora is used as a pawn of sorts since defeating Heartless with a Keyblade is the only way to release their hearts for good, instead of creating a new Heartless out of them. Riku shows up later with Ansem the Wise in the body of Ansem Seeker of Darkness [Xehanort’s Heartless] but kicking ass allows him to break free from his darkness prison ??? + even Kairi gets in on the action. Side-by-side you get to fight Xemnas with Riku + afterwards show up in Darkness Purgatory but friendship brings you back home. :’)



After a lengthy tutorial playing as Roxas in a simulation created by DiZ [soon to be revealed as the OG Ansem the Wise who Terranort usurped], you pick up with Sora after he’s completed Castle Oblivion but with his memories of the previous journey wiped. He’s still dead-set on saving Riku + Kairi from this terrible adventure when he gets wrapped up with the Final Fantasy crowd + Xemnas’s plan to summon Kingdom Hearts. The surviving Nobodys in Organization XIII come to fight Sora basically one at a time [terrible strategy] but you take them all out, saving worlds from Nobodys instead of just Heartless all while releasing more + more hearts towards summoning Kingdom Hearts, Xemnas’s final plan you can’t help but contribute to. This version of Kingdom Hearts is also artificial since it is just made of human hearts. Sora is used as a pawn of sorts since defeating Heartless with a Keyblade is the only way to release their hearts for good, instead of creating a new Heartless out of them. Riku shows up later with Ansem the Wise in the body of Ansem Seeker of Darkness [Xehanort’s Heartless] but kicking ass allows him to break free from his darkness prison ??? + even Kairi gets in on the action. Side-by-side you get to fight Xemnas with Riku + afterwards show up in Darkness Purgatory but friendship brings you back home. :’) notable mechanics: The ability system is pretty similar to KHI but now there are reaction commands (broken), drive forms (broken but fun to level), revised limit attacks, + magic the is slightly reworked. You also get to use two Keyblades at once multiple times which is cool as shit.

Re:/Coded [Mobile, NDS, PS3, PS4]

important characters: Sora, Donald, Goofy, King Mickey, Jiminy Cricket lol



Sora, Donald, Goofy, King Mickey, Jiminy Cricket lol relevant plot: Honestly nothing of real importance happens in Re:Coded as far as big picture plot goes. You can entirely skip this game but honestly it’s just so much fun to play that I really recommend you try it! Jiminy’s journal data gets corrupted + you need to use King Mickey’s technology to go inside of it + correct the data corruptions. The coolest piece of story is actually the “secret movie” teasing Dream Drop Distance.



Honestly nothing of real importance happens in Re:Coded as far as big picture plot goes. You can entirely skip this game but honestly it’s just so much fun to play that I really recommend you try it! Jiminy’s journal data gets corrupted + you need to use King Mickey’s technology to go inside of it + correct the data corruptions. The coolest piece of story is actually the “secret movie” teasing Dream Drop Distance. notable mechanics: This is where this game shines. Many of the worlds are repeated from past games but each one plays entirely differently (side-scroller, turn-based RPG, etc.) to keep things fresh + fun. The Keyblade leveling system is also an awesome way to choose both strengths + weaknesses for your playstyle by actively leveling your weapon up + down in a fight. Finally, the data chip system was the polished version of what we saw in 358/2 Days.

Dream Drop Distance [3DS, PS4]

important characters: Riku, Sora, King Mickey, Xehanort, Organization XIII, pretty much everyone tbh



Riku, Sora, King Mickey, Xehanort, Organization XIII, pretty much everyone tbh relevant plot: Okay, this is when things started to get funky in the Kingdom Hearts series. After KHII, Sora + Riku are ready to take the Mark of Mastery exam, aka the Keyblade master final. You get to play as both of these characters + visit “sleeping worlds,” similar to the sleep affliction Ventus is dealing with. Multiple forms of Xehanort are terrorizing these worlds + it turns out he’s learned a couple of lessons of how + how not to trigger the prophecy of the Keyblade War. Xehanort now uses time travel to get multiple forms of himself to create the Thirteen Vessels of Pure Darkness, including Young Xehanort, Ansem Seeker of Darkness, Xemnas, possessed versions of Organization XIII, + now he wants to recruit Sora too - bewitching him with the sleep affliction. It turns out finding appropriate vessels was the real goal of Organization XIII + Xemnas, Xigbar, + Saïx were in on that plan. For the first time in the series, Riku actually gets to save the day, passing his Masters exam, + stops this plan… for now. You know how prophecies go so basically it’s is going to happen one way or another with Thirteen Vessels of Darkness fighting Seven Pure Hearts to finally summon the Chi Blade + trigger the Keyblade War. The thirteen vs seven comes from the ancient legend that said the original Kingdom Hearts was lost to darkness after the Keyblade War + the Chi Blade broke into thirteen pieces of darkness + seven pieces of light, but it’s really just because those numbers are present a lot in the series. At the end of the game, you see that King Mickey’s master Yen Sid has been training Lea [the non-Nobody version of Axel] + Kairi to use the Keyblade, making them good candidiates for the Seven Good Guys. The others are probably Sora, Riku, King Mickey, Ventus, + maybe Aqua.



Okay, this is when things started to get funky in the Kingdom Hearts series. After KHII, Sora + Riku are ready to take the Mark of Mastery exam, aka the Keyblade master final. You get to play as both of these characters + visit “sleeping worlds,” similar to the sleep affliction Ventus is dealing with. Multiple forms of Xehanort are terrorizing these worlds + it turns out he’s learned a couple of lessons of how + how not to trigger the prophecy of the Keyblade War. Xehanort now uses time travel to get multiple forms of himself to create the Thirteen Vessels of Pure Darkness, including Young Xehanort, Ansem Seeker of Darkness, Xemnas, possessed versions of Organization XIII, + now he wants to recruit Sora too - bewitching him with the sleep affliction. It turns out finding appropriate vessels was the real goal of Organization XIII + Xemnas, Xigbar, + Saïx were in on that plan. For the first time in the series, Riku actually gets to save the day, passing his Masters exam, + stops this plan… for now. You know how prophecies go so basically it’s is going to happen one way or another with Thirteen Vessels of Darkness fighting Seven Pure Hearts to finally summon the Chi Blade + trigger the Keyblade War. The thirteen vs seven comes from the ancient legend that said the original Kingdom Hearts was lost to darkness after the Keyblade War + the Chi Blade broke into thirteen pieces of darkness + seven pieces of light, but it’s really just because those numbers are present a lot in the series. At the end of the game, you see that King Mickey’s master Yen Sid has been training Lea [the non-Nobody version of Axel] + Kairi to use the Keyblade, making them good candidiates for the Seven Good Guys. The others are probably Sora, Riku, King Mickey, Ventus, + maybe Aqua. notable mechanics: Flowmotion allowed you to bounce off the walls, beating enemies to bits. Command Styles / Limit moves made a reappearance in the form of Dream Eaters, Pokémon-like teammates you can bring with you, who also hold on to your skills + abilities, meaning some are unfortunately way better than others, regardless of your preferred play style.

0.2 Fragmentary Passage, again

relevant plot: As mentioned, this game explores what Aqua has been up to but the cutscenes ends with King Mickey + the gang post-Dream Drop Distance discussing how they will save Aqua from the Realm of Darkness. It seems this will be an early goal in Kingdom Hearts III.

Kingdom Hearts III [PS4, XB1]

