Kingdom Hearts is a series of action and role-playing games created by Square Enix (originally by Square) and owned by The Walt Disney Company. The series was developed as a partnership between the two companies. Japanese game designers Tetsuya Nomura and Shinji Hashimoto from Square Enix created the idea for the series, with Nomura leading its development as the director.
The games combine characters and stories from Disney movies and other properties with original characters and settings. The main character, Sora, travels through different worlds and interacts with characters from Disney and Square Enix games, such as Final Fantasy, The World Ends with You, and Einhänder, as well as original characters made specifically for the series.
There are thirteen games in the Kingdom Hearts series, available on many gaming platforms. Additional games are planned for the future. Most of the games have been well-received by players and have sold many copies. As of March 2022, over 36 million copies of the series have been sold worldwide. Products related to the games include music CDs, toy figures, books, light novels, a collectible card game, and a manga series.
Media
A Kingdom Hearts game was created for V CAST, which is a broadband service offered by Verizon Wireless. It was released on February 1, 2005, in the United States. This game was one of the first games available for V CAST services. The game was developed by Superscape and published by Disney Mobile, and Square Enix was not involved in its creation. The gameplay is similar to the first Kingdom Hearts game but is adapted for mobile phones. The story follows Sora as he tries to escape a nightmare caused by Maleficent's magic.
Kingdom Hearts Mobile was a social game based on the Kingdom Hearts series. Players could play mini-games together with others. Unlike the V CAST version and Kingdom Hearts Coded, this game does not have a story and focuses more on social interaction. It worked with Kingdom Hearts Coded, as new costume options for avatars became available after completing episodes of Kingdom Hearts Coded. Players could also download items like wallpapers, ringtones, and graphics related to Kingdom Hearts through the service.
In September 2018, Square Enix announced a free, 10-minute interactive video called Kingdom Hearts VR Experience. It includes scenes and music from the Kingdom Hearts games and allows players to unlock extra content by completing parts of the experience. The first part was released in Japan on January 23, 2019, and the second part was released in early 2019. Originally, the first part was scheduled to release on January 18, 2019, after earlier dates in December 2018. The second part was initially planned for January 18, 2019.
Sora has appeared in other video games, such as World of Final Fantasy and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
The first collection, Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix, was released for the PlayStation 3 in Japan on March 14, 2013. It includes remastered versions of Kingdom Hearts Final Mix and Re:Chain of Memories, along with improved gameplay features and a "Theater Mode" that shows high-definition cutscenes from Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. The collection was later released in North America, Australia, and Europe in September 2013. Clips from Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix, Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix, and Kingdom Hearts Re:coded appeared in the credits of HD 1.5 Remix, suggesting another collection might be released.
On October 14, 2013, Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix was announced for the PlayStation 3. It includes Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix and Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix, along with high-definition cinematics from Re:coded. The collection was released in Japan on October 2, 2014, and in North America, Australia, and Europe in December 2014. Clips from Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance appeared in the credits of HD 2.5 Remix, along with a secret ending that hinted at another collection.
In September 2015, Square Enix announced Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue, which includes a remastered version of Dream Drop Distance, a cinematic story about Kingdom Hearts χ, and a new game called Kingdom Hearts 0.2: Birth by Sleep – A Fragmentary Passage. The collection was released in Japan, North America, and Europe in January 2017. Later, it was released for Xbox One and Windows. A cloud version for the Nintendo Switch was released in 2022.
The three collections were combined in different ways. In Japan, special packs like the Kingdom Hearts Starter Pack: HD 1.5 + 2.5 Remix and Kingdom Hearts Collector's Pack: HD 1.5 + 2.5 Remix were released. A single-disc version of HD 1.5 + 2.5 Remix was released for the PlayStation 4 in March 2017. It was later released for Xbox One in 2020, Windows in 2021, and the Nintendo Switch in 2022. Before Kingdom Hearts III was released, a bundle called Kingdom Hearts: The Story So Far was released in North America in 2018. After Kingdom Hearts III was released, a bundle that included Kingdom Hearts III was released digitally in 2019. A physical version became available in 2020. A cloud version of the bundle, called Kingdom Hearts Integrum Masterpiece for Cloud, was released for the Nintendo Switch in 2022 and includes the Kingdom Hearts III Re Mind DLC. A non-cloud version of the bundle was released on Steam in 2024.
Although Kingdom Hearts III ended the "Dark Seeker Saga," which focused on Xehanort, the story left room for future games. In January 2020, the game's creator, Tetsuya Nomura, said more time would be needed before the next main game in the series. Later that year, he mentioned that Yozora would play a role in the series' future. In April 2022, Square Enix announced that Kingdom Hearts IV was in development. The game would feature Sora, Donald, and Goofy and be set in Quadratum, a realistic world inspired by Tokyo. Kingdom Hearts IV will start the "Lost Master arc." In March 2023, Nomura hinted that an event during a concert would influence the series' direction.
A mobile game called Kingdom Hearts: Fragmented Keys was briefly developed in 2013 but was canceled before being announced. Concept art for the game was found in 2015, showing that it would have used Game Central Station from Wreck-It Ralph as a hub for exploring worlds based on movies like Aladdin, Frozen, and Star Wars.
In April 2022, Square Enix announced a new mobile game called Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link for iOS and Android devices. The story would take place in the Scala ad Caelum world, between the events of Union X and Dark Road. A closed beta was originally planned for late 2022 but was delayed. The iOS beta, which included 1,500 players from Australia and the UK, was pushed to the end of 2023. The Android beta was also delayed from January 2024 to spring 2024. The delay allowed developers to improve compatibility with more Android devices. The game's release date was not set. On May 14, 2025, Square Enix announced that the game had been canceled.
A manga based on Kingdom Hearts was released in Japan and the United States. The story and artwork were created by Shiro Amano, who is known for adapting Legend of Mana into a manga. The manga follows the events of
Concept and design
Nomura wanted the themes of hearts, strengths, and connections to be a shared idea in the games. Characters in the Kingdom Hearts series are made up of three parts: body, soul, and heart. The body serves as a container for the heart and soul, while the soul gives life to the body. The heart stores memories and provides emotions, light, and darkness.
The Kingdom Hearts games are divided into different levels called "worlds," which players explore in order. Each world looks different, usually based on the Disney setting it represents. The graphics of the worlds match the art style of the original Disney films, and the worlds are filled with characters from those films. For example, Hercules and Philoctetes appear in the world of Olympus Coliseum from the movie Hercules, while Aladdin, Princess Jasmine, and the Genie appear in the world of Agrabah from Aladdin. The game worlds include connected areas where battles and story events take place. Players move between worlds in different ways depending on the game, such as the "Gummi Ship" in the original Kingdom Hearts, the "Keyblade glider" in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, the "Corridors of Darkness" in 358/2 Days, and the "Sleeping Keyholes" in Dream Drop Distance. Some worlds created specifically for the series look similar to other worlds and mainly feature characters from Square Enix games or original characters.
Although Disney allowed director Tetsuya Nomura to choose which characters and worlds to include in the games, he and his team tried to follow the established roles of characters and the settings of the worlds. Nomura found it challenging to keep multiple worlds consistent. After deciding how many worlds to include in the game universe, Nomura selected ones he believed would fit the series' story. His choices were reviewed by his team and Disney representatives. He aimed to use the same number of worlds in each game and reduce overlap in how the worlds looked and felt. To do this, he and his team grouped Disney worlds by their appearance and settings. For example, a world based on The Jungle Book was not included in the first game because it looked too similar to Deep Jungle from Tarzan. They also considered worlds with Disney characters that would be interesting to players. For example, Nomura included a Mulan world because of its unique atmosphere. The Tron world was designed to look like an old computer game, similar to the style of the 1982 film. Nomura got the idea to include this world after seeing a Disney employee work on Tron 2.0. He hoped the world’s unique design would make it enjoyable for players.
Common elements
Kingdom Hearts combines characters from Disney and Square Enix, along with new characters created by Nomura. The series includes original locations and many worlds from Disney films. Sora travels to these worlds, interacts with Disney characters, and protects them from enemies. His actions often follow the stories of the Disney films. Characters usually avoid interfering with other worlds to keep the universe in balance. Final Fantasy characters, such as Moogles, also appear. Moogles run shops where players can create or buy items. Characters from The World Ends with You, like Neku Sakuraba and Joshua, appear in Dream Drop Distance. Kingdom Hearts III includes characters from Pixar films, such as Toy Story and Monsters, Inc., as well as Schwarzgeist from Einhänder. However, Disney sometimes limits character use. For example, Nomura wanted to include Oswald the Lucky Rabbit in Kingdom Hearts III, but Disney said it would be "too difficult" to use.
Heartless are creatures born from the darkness in people’s hearts. They lack souls and try to take others’ hearts. When Heartless are created, the body left behind becomes a Nobody. Nobodies usually look monstrous, but members of Organization XIII keep their human forms because they remember their past selves. If both a Heartless and its Nobody are defeated, the original person is brought back.
Unversed are creatures introduced in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep. They represent Vanitas’ emotions and feed on negativity. Vanitas uses them to challenge Ventus as part of Xehanort’s plan to get the χ-blade. When defeated, the Unversed’s negativity returns to Vanitas, allowing him to recreate them. After Vanitas is destroyed in Kingdom Hearts III, the Unversed no longer exist.
Dream Eaters appear in Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance. They are dark beings that live in isolated worlds and search for keyholes. There are two types: hostile "Nightmares," which harm good dreams and act as enemies, and helpful "Spirits," which players can summon to fight Nightmares. Cat-like Dream Eaters called Chirithy appear as NPCs in Kingdom Hearts χ and Kingdom Hearts III.
Heartless are the most common enemies in the series. They come from darkness and seek to take hearts from worlds. Before Kingdom Hearts, Heartless were mainly in the realm of darkness. Later, Xehanort and others created artificial "Emblem" Heartless by corrupting living hearts. These Heartless have symbols on their bodies and release hearts when defeated. If the Keyblade is not used, the hearts go to darkness and become Heartless again. Maleficent’s quest to collect the seven Princesses of Heart also increases Heartless in the realm of light.
Heartless usually act on instinct but obey those with strong will. In darker worlds, they are more powerful. They enter worlds through "corridors of darkness," which are unpredictable paths connecting different worlds.
When Heartless are created, the body and soul of those who lost their hearts become Nobodies. Nobodies lack hearts and are "nothing," but they can later gain new hearts. Organization XIII members keep their human forms because they remember their past selves. Each member controls a Nobody that matches their fighting style, similar to jobs in Final Fantasy. Nobodies have symbols resembling broken hearts, which contrast with the Heartless’ symbols. When defeated, Nobodies disappear until their Heartless counterpart is destroyed, allowing the original being to return.
Roxas and Naminé are special Nobodies. Roxas was created when Sora used Xehanort’s Keyblade to release his heart. He coexists with Sora but resembles Ventus and lacks Sora’s memories. Naminé was born from Kairi’s heart through Sora’s body. She cannot remember Kairi and can change others’ memories.
Unversed are mostly in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep. They are Vanitas’ emotions given form and grow stronger by feeding on negativity. Vanitas uses them to challenge Ventus. After Vanitas is destroyed in Kingdom Hearts III, the Unversed disappear.
In Kingdom Hearts Coded, software bugs called "Bug Blox" are the main antagonists. King Mickey digitizes Jiminy Cricket’s journal to solve a mystery left by Naminé. The message in the journal causes the bugs to act aggressively.
Development and history
The idea for Kingdom Hearts began when Shinji Hashimoto and Hironobu Sakaguchi discussed Super Mario 64. They wanted to create a game that allowed players to move freely in three dimensions, like Super Mario 64, but they believed only characters as popular as Disney's could compete with a Mario game. Tetsuya Nomura, who heard their conversation, offered to lead the project, and the two producers agreed to let him direct. A chance meeting between Hashimoto and a Disney executive in an elevator (Square and Disney shared the same building in Japan) allowed Hashimoto to present the idea directly to Disney. Development started in February 2000, with Nomura as director and Hashimoto as producer. Although Nomura had previously worked on the Final Fantasy series as a monster designer and graphic director, he became widely known later as the lead character designer for Final Fantasy VII. Kingdom Hearts marked his move into a directorial role, though he also designed the game's characters. Kazushige Nojima, a scenario writer for Square from Final Fantasy VII until 2003, provided story ideas for the game. Early development focused on gameplay with a simple story to appeal to Disney's target age group. After Hironobu Sakaguchi, the game's executive producer, told Nomura that the game would fail unless it matched the quality of the Final Fantasy series, Nomura worked to improve the story. In June 2013, Nomura explained that the name "Kingdom Hearts" came from thinking about Disney Theme Parks, especially Animal Kingdom. Because he could not use just "Kingdom" for the title, the team added "heart" to reflect the story's themes.
Nomura included a hidden trailer in Kingdom Hearts to encourage fans to want a sequel. He was unsure if fans would want a sequel and planned to leave some events unexplained if they did not. After Kingdom Hearts Final Mix was completed, work on Kingdom Hearts II began. Before starting the sequel, the team faced challenges, including a desire to feature Mickey Mouse more prominently, as his role in the first game was limited. Nomura originally planned for the sequel to take place a year after the first game but intended to leave that year's events unexplained. To connect the two games, the team created Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories. Nomura was hesitant to develop a Game Boy Advance game because he believed the original game's 3D graphics would not translate well to 2D. He changed his mind after learning that children wanted to play the game on a handheld system.
Although Disney allowed Nomura and his team to use Disney characters and worlds, they tried to stay within the characters' established roles and the boundaries of each world. Nomura noted that making Disney characters dark or serious was not difficult, as their personalities remained clear even with these changes. He also mentioned that managing multiple worlds was challenging. When choosing which worlds to include, the team focused on worlds with Disney characters that would be interesting and made an effort to ensure each world had a unique look and feel.
The inclusion of Final Fantasy characters was based on fan and staff opinions. Another consideration was whether characters would fit into the story and the Kingdom Hearts universe. Nomura was initially hesitant to use characters he did not design because he was unfamiliar with their backgrounds. For Kingdom Hearts II, he changed his mind after pressure from his team. Throughout development, Nomura often left events and character connections unexplained until future games were released. He believes this allows fans to use their imagination and enjoy the games even as they age.
Promotion and marketing
The first Kingdom Hearts game was announced at E3 in May 2001. It was a project created by Square and Disney Interactive. The game included worlds made by both companies and featured Disney characters. New characters were designed by Nomura, including Sora, Riku, Kairi, and the Heartless. On May 14, 2002, a press release listed the English voice actors for the game. The actors included Haley Joel Osment, David Gallagher, and Hayden Panettiere, who voiced the three new characters. It was also announced that Disney characters would be voiced by actors from their original films.
A secret trailer in the first Kingdom Hearts and its Final Mix version suggested a sequel might be made. Rumors about a sequel on the PlayStation 2 began in Japan when a website called Quiter reported that an anonymous source at Square Japan said development of Kingdom Hearts II had started. These rumors were confirmed in September 2003 when Kingdom Hearts II and Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories were officially announced at the Tokyo Game Show. Details stated that Kingdom Hearts II would take place after Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, which happens right after the first game. Other details included the return of Sora, Donald, and Goofy, along with new costumes. At the 2004 Square Enix E3 press conference, the producer, Shinji Hashimoto, said many mysteries from the first game would be explained.
To promote the games, websites were created for each game, and demos were shown at events. Each main series game was later re-released in Japan with extra content, which became official updates to the series. This added content gave hints about future story elements. These re-releases added the term "Final Mix" to the titles. Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories and Kingdom Hearts Coded were re-released as Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories and Kingdom Hearts Re:coded, respectively. These versions were released on the PlayStation 2 and Nintendo DS with 3D graphics, voiceovers in some scenes, and new game content.
Square Enix and Disney created many Kingdom Hearts products, such as toys, figurines, clothing, and jewelry. Soundtracks for Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II were released with the games. Later, a nine-CD collection was made, including both soundtracks and new songs. A trading card game based on Kingdom Hearts was made by Tomy in Japan. An English version was released in November 2007 by Fantasy Flight Games. The games were also adapted into manga and novel series.
Like the Final Fantasy games, "Ultimania" books were released in Japan for many Kingdom Hearts games. These books included game guides, interviews, and developer notes. A book called Kingdom Hearts -Another Report- was released with Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix+ and included game details, artwork by Shiro Amano, and a director interview. In North America, Brady Games published strategy guides for each game. For Kingdom Hearts II, two versions were released: a standard version and a limited-edition version with four different covers. The limited edition included a copy of Jiminy's Journal and 400 stickers.
Reception
The Kingdom Hearts series has been successful in both sales and reviews. As of March 2014, the series sold over 20 million copies worldwide. The three main games in the series sold well when they were first released. In the first two months after the North American release of Kingdom Hearts, it was one of the top three best-selling video games. Chain of Memories sold 104,000 units in 48 hours in Japan, a record for a Game Boy Advance game at the time. Its strong sales made it the top-selling game in Japan. In the first month of its North American release, it was ranked 1st on GameSpot's ChartSpot for portable systems and 6th for all consoles. Within three days of the Kingdom Hearts II release in Japan, it shipped 1 million copies, selling out within a month. By the end of March 2006, the NPD Group reported that Kingdom Hearts II was the highest-selling console game in North America, with 614,000 copies. In the month after its North American release, Kingdom Hearts II sold about 1 million copies. As of February 2019, the series sold more than 30 million copies worldwide. This number reached over 35 million by October 2021. On April 11, 2022, it was reported that Kingdom Hearts III sold 6.7 million units by September 2021, surpassing the previous best-selling title in the series, which sold 6 million units. As of March 2022, the series sold more than 36 million copies worldwide.
The games have received high scores and positive comments from reviewers. All main games in the series scored 36 out of 40 or higher from the Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu, known for its strict grading. All six games were praised for their visuals. Game Informer listed the series as the 11th "must-play PlayStation 2" series. Individual games also won awards. GameSpot said the idea of combining the serious parts of Final Fantasy with the lighter parts of Disney seemed impossible but was done well. Because of this, they named Kingdom Hearts "Best Crossover Since Capcom vs. SNK" in their 2002 awards. IGN called Kingdom Hearts "Best Art Style/Direction" in their 2003 list of "Best Looking Games on PS2." G4 gave it "Best Story" at their 2003 G-Phoria awards. Electronic Gaming Monthly named Kingdom Hearts II "Best Sequel" of 2006. It tied with Resident Evil 4 as Famitsu's Game of the Year 2005. The manga series was also well received. Several manga volumes were listed on USA Today's "Top 150 best sellers." The highest-ranked volume was Kingdom Hearts volume 4 at #73. Every listed volume stayed on the list for at least two weeks; volume 4 stayed the longest at four weeks.
The series' setting received mostly positive reviews from critics. After the first game was announced, some publications were unsure if it would work. Andrew Reiner of Game Informer said the combination of Final Fantasy and Disney elements worked well with new content. Another Game Informer reviewer, Matt Miller, called the idea a "hard sell" but said the franchise's formula was successful. The graphics were praised, especially their similarity to Disney movies. IGN said the "worlds look very much like their filmed counterparts." A Japanese gaming site, Gpara.com, also praised the look of the worlds. GameSpot described the worlds as "wonderfully rich familiar environments," and GamePro said they were "spot-on with the original movies."
After the first game was released, the Disney settings were well received. Allgame's Scott Marriott said the Disney settings were the most attractive feature and called some world choices a surprise. He praised the level designs, noting that familiar elements from Disney films were included. Marriott said that even though the stages were small, interacting with beloved characters and exploring familiar settings were enjoyable. Maura Sutton of Computer and Video Games said the Disney elements were a major reason for the game's "astounding worlds." She called Kingdom Hearts a "delightful mixture of two enchanted worlds." Critics of Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories were disappointed by the limited number of new worlds. 1UP.com's Bryan Intihar praised Kingdom Hearts II's environment, calling it appealing and an improvement over the first game. He described the level designs as "impeccable" and said the changes to previous worlds made them "feel fresh." In contrast, Reiner said the Disney elements in Kingdom Hearts II felt "tacked on."