Characters of Kingdom Hearts

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

Kingdom Hearts is a series of action role-playing games developed and published by Square Enix (formerly Square). It is the result of a collaboration between Square and Disney Interactive Studios. Kingdom Hearts is a crossover of various Disney settings based in a universe made specifically for the series. The series features a mixture of familiar Disney and Final Fantasy characters, as well as several new characters designed by Tetsuya Nomura.^[1] In addition, it has an all-star voice cast which includes many of the Disney characters' official voice actors.

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

Various types of merchandise modeled after the characters' likeness have been produced, including figurines and jewelry. The characters have garnered praise from several video game websites and magazines for the quality of their voice acting and visual style. Comments focused on the accurate presentation of Disney characters, the unique visual style of Square Enix characters, how well all the characters blended together, and the consistent quality performances from voice actors.

[edit] Creation and influences

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

The Kingdom Hearts series is directed by Tetsuya Nomura, who also works as the character designer of the games. Nomura has stated that unlike working with Final Fantasy characters, keeping the main character Sora alive and interesting over multiple games is a challenge.^[2] He also stated that though many of the Disney characters are not normally dark and serious, there were not many challenges making them so for the story, and despite this, their personalities shine because they maintain their own characteristics.^[3] Though Disney gave Nomura freedom in the characters and worlds used for the games, he and his staff tried to stay within the established roles of characters and boundaries of the worlds.^[2] When deciding which worlds to include in the game, the development staff tried to take into account worlds with Disney characters that would be interesting.^[4]

The inclusion of specific Final Fantasy characters was based on the opinions of fans and the development staff.^[5] Another criterion for inclusion was whether the staff felt the characters would fit into the storyline and in the Kingdom Hearts universe.^[6] Initially, Nomura was hesitant to use characters he did not design, because he was unfamiliar with the background work of such characters.^[7] For Kingdom Hearts II, he changed his mind after receiving pressure from his staff.^[5] Throughout the development of the games, Nomura has often left certain events and connections between characters unexplained until the release of future games. Nomura did this because he feels that games should have room for fans to speculate and use their imagination. He stated that with speculation, even though a game may get old, people can still be happy with it.^[8]

[edit] Voice cast

The Kingdom Hearts games feature well-known voice actors for the Japanese and English versions of the characters. The Japanese version featured Miyu Irino as Sora, Risa Uchida as Kairi, and Mamoru Miyano as Riku.^[9][10] Kingdom Hearts II introduced Kōki Uchiyama as Roxas, Iku Nakahara as Naminé, and Genzō Wakayama as DiZ.^[11] The English release of the Kingdom Hearts games featured an all-star voice cast which included many of the Disney characters' official voice actors. Wayne Allwine (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, and Hayden Panettiere as Kairi.^[13] Kingdom Hearts II saw the return of the main character voice actors and added Jesse McCartney as Roxas, Brittany Snow as Naminé, Christopher Lee as DiZ, and Alyson Stoner as Xion.^[14]

[edit] Main protagonists

[edit] Sora

Sora (ソラ^?) is an original character created by Tetsuya Nomura, the protagonist of the series and the character that the player directly controls through a majority of the series.^[1] Sora's weapon is the Keyblade.^[15] Though not the original one chosen to wield the Keyblade, Sora was ultimately chosen over Riku because Sora's heart was stronger, while Riku's heart became vulnerable and temporarily weak.^[16] Nomura has stated that Sora's name can be interpreted as "sky";^[17] the Japanese word for sky is sora (空^?).^[18] Over the course of the games, Sora grows older and matures. Nomura wanted to help illustrate this by having his fighting style in Kingdom Hearts II reflect his maturity; the combat system was completely reworked in the game for this purpose. There are 5 different drive forms unlockable by the player: Valor, Wisdom, Master, Final, and Limit (only available for Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix+).^[3] He is voiced by Haley Joel Osment in the English version and Miyu Irino in the Japanese version.

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

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

[edit] Kairi

Kairi (カイリ^?) is 14 years old and is a friend of Sora and Riku and is 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";^[17] the Japanese on'yomi pronunciation of sea is kai (海^?).^[16] She is voiced in English by Hayden Panettiere in the first two games and Alyson Stoner in Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories. Risa Uchida voices her in the Japanese version.

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

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

[edit] Riku

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

Appearing in Birth by Sleep, Riku had an obbession to see other worlds and explained to Terra he wanted to get stronger. By the beginning of the main series, now fifteen years old, Riku's desire was able to come true thanks to Kairi. Riku went with the darkness as their world is attacked by the Heartless, with the Keyblade coming to Sora. 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.^[16] Riku eventually becomes possessed by Xehanort's Heartless, with his heart sent to the realm of darkness where he meets King Mickey and helps him and Sora seal the door to the realm of darkness.

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

While capturing Roxas in order to make Sora complete again, Riku uses the power of darkness at the cost of becoming a physical manifestation of Xehanort's Heartless.^[24] Trapped in that form even after leaving DiZ, Riku helps Sora in secret, ashamed of his appearance and gaining the Way to the Dawn 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, however in his final maneuver, Riku is severely injured saving Sora. In the end, they end up on a dark beach, and discuss how strong their friendship is and how much each of them wanted to be like the other, before a portal opens to Destiny Islands. The two use the portal to return home.

[edit] Donald Duck

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

[edit] Goofy

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

[edit] King Mickey

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

[edit] Ansem the Wise

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

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

[edit] Naminé

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

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

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

[edit] Roxas

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

[edit] Terra

Left to right: Aqua, Ven and Terra

Terra (テラ, Tera^?) is an original character created by Tetsuya Nomura, he first appears as one of the main protagonists of Birth by Sleep and is the character that the player directly controls in one of the scenarios of the game. He was sent by Master Eraqus to seek out Master Xehanort and his cohort who had previously disappeared. His name means "earth", from Latin, similar to that of Riku's which means "land". He is believed to have succumbed to darkness for power because of Master Xehanort, believing he had done something to his heart.^[33] He is taking the Master Qualification Exam alongside Aqua, if successful he would become a Keyblade Master.^[34] The character is heavily speculated by fans to be connected to Xehanort, due to the slight resemblance.

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

[edit] Ventus

Ventus (ヴェントゥス, Ventusu^?)^[36], also known as Ven (ヴェン^?), is an original character created by Tetsuya Nomura who first appears as one of the main protagonists of Birth by Sleep and the character that the player directly controls in one of the scenarios of the game which also involves him exploring his true identity. He bears an extremely striking resemblance to Roxas, believed to possess a connection to Sora, even being voiced by Koki Uchiyama and Jesse McCartney in the Japanese and English versions respectively.^[37]. His name means "wind" in Latin, similar to that of Sora's, which means "sky".

He was sent by Master Eraqus to seek out Master Xehanort and his cohort who had previously disappeared, however he meets Master Xehanort at the coliseum who has apparently met Ven before as he easily recognizes Ven, but not the other way around. Master Xehanort then tells Ven that in order to know the truth he must give up everything. He became an apprentice of Master Eraqus after Terra and Aqua, hence he is the only apprentice not taking the Master Qualification Exam as Master Eraqus believes that he is not experienced enough to take the exam.^[34] His personality strongly resembles that of Sora's, however he is more mischievous than Sora. Like Sora, Ven is also able to easily make friends with the dwellers in the various worlds he visits and often helps them out without the need for a reward.^[33]

Ven cameos in Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, where Xigbar and Xemnas both momentarily have flashbacks of Ven when interacting with Xion, as well as when Axel, Xion, and Xigbar are on a mission in Wonderland. Xion turns on Xigbar, and he sees her in the form of Ven. Nomura has stated that Braig (Xigbar's former self) had seen Terra, Aqua, and Ven in the past. Nomura has also stated that although Ven has a connection with Sora and Roxas, he is not either of the characters.^[38]

[edit] Aqua

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

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

[edit] Master Eraqus

Master Eraqus (マスター・エラクゥス, Masutā Erakūsu^?)^[39] is an original character created by Tetsuya Nomura, he first appears in Birth by Sleep and is the dignified master of the three protagonists of Birth by Sleep. He was described in Famitsu as being "the one who is keeping the power of light alive in the world". He is one of the few remaining "Keyblade Masters" and quickly realized that there was a problem with the Princesses of Heart. He sends out his three apprentices: Terra, Ventus and Aqua, in search of the missing Master Xehanort and his Apprentice Vanitas, giving Aqua an additional task to keep a sharp eye on Terra. His relation with Master Xehanort is similar to that of old classmates.^[34] He was first revealed in a trailer shown at the Tokyo Game Show 2009 and was described by viewers as having a "samurai-like" appearance. He was previously thought not to appear physically in the game with only mentions of him by the protagonists. His name is an anagram of "Square", the first name of the developer. And early speculation of his name showed it as being "Master Erauqs," which is Square, only reversed.^[34][40] He also bears a striking resemblance to Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi.^[41][42]

[edit] Main antagonists

[edit] Xehanort

Xehanort (ゼアノート, Zeanōto^?) is an original character created for the Kingdom Hearts series, serving as the primary antagonist of the franchise. Though he was only featured briefly in Kingdom Hearts II via a flashback, Xehanort was a student under Ansem the Wise, and had no memory of his life prior to his appearance at the Radiant Garden. While researching the heart and the darkness within it, he becomes increasingly obsessed with his studies. He sacrifices his body in the process,^[43] creating his Heartless and Nobody. His Heartless assumes the identity of his teacher, Ansem,^[44] while his Nobody takes the name Xemnas.^[45] Xehanort's Heartless is featured in Kingdom Hearts as the main antagonist, possessing Riku's body to regain a physical presence. Although his goal of reaching Kingdom Hearts is realized, the light behind the door to Kingdom Hearts incinerates him. However, In Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, Xehanort is revealed to still exist and attempts to take over Riku's body again.^[46] But Riku manages to defeat him, assuming his form later on while able to maintain control.

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. As the leader of Organization XIII and master of the power of nothingness, Xemnas controls the Sorcerer Nobodies and fights using red "Ethereal Blades", called Intrediction, in battle.^[47] Though acting on his own agenda, Xemnas' goals involve harnessing Kingdom Hearts' power, using Roxas and Xion to build it up and then having Sora add enough hearts to it so he can recreate the universe in his image.^[48] He is defeated by Sora and Riku in the World That Never Was. Xehanort is voiced by Billy Zane in the English version of Kingdom Hearts and Richard Epcar in all other appearances, Akio Ohtsuka providing his voice in the Japanese versions of both games. Xemnas is voiced by Paul St. Peter in the English version of Kingdom Hearts II and by Norio Wakamoto in the Japanese version. Xehanort's name is also connected to the trailer in Kingdom Hearts II. His name without the "X" is an anagram of "No Heart" and "Another".^[8][47] The mysteries behind Xehanort are to be answered in Birth by Sleep.

[edit] Maleficent

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

[edit] Organization XIII

Organization XIII (XIII機関, Jūsan Kikan^?) was a group of thirteen Nobodies based in the World That Never Was who seek to discover the mysteries that lie within the heart and use the power of Kingdom Hearts to become complete humans once again. The Organization was first formed when the six former disciples of Ansem the Wise (Xehanort, Braig, Dilan, Even, Aeleus, and Ienzo) became Heartless, their Nobodies becoming the first members of the Organization.^[8] Members are numbered in the order in which they joined, with Xemnas, the Nobody of Xehanort, numbered one as their leader. Each member also has the letter "X" placed in his or her name. The remaining letters are an anagram of their name prior to becoming a Nobody.^[49] 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.^[50]

They were originally introduced in the secret ending video of Kingdom Hearts Final Mix, "Another Side, Another Story [deep dive]". More members were introduced in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, divided into two parties that are eventually destroyed by Sora and Riku. In the third game, the Organization's plan is fully revealed as they use Sora to kill the Heartless, taking the hearts that emerge and using them to create Kingdom Hearts.^[51] Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days introduces a fourteenth member named Xion; however, due to the fact that she was not actually a Nobody, the group's title remained unchanged.

[edit] Pete

Pete is part of the main group of Disney villains led by Maleficent. Pete is voiced by Jim Cummings in the English version and Tōru Ōhira in the Japanese version.^[10] Pete is first introduced in Kingdom Hearts II, absent from the first two games because he was traveling to other worlds to build a Heartless army for Maleficent. He was originally a steamboat captain from Disney Castle, but was banished to another dimension for his evil ways. However, he is freed by Maleficent and vows to help her conquer the worlds.^[52] Pete follows Sora throughout the worlds they visit, mainly to recruit local villains, old and new, to either join Maleficent's fold or turn them into Heartless for his own purposes.

[edit] Master Xehanort

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

[edit] Vanitas

Vanitas (ヴァニタス, Vanitasu^?)^[53] is Master Xehanort's apprentice, who also first appeared in the Birth by Sleep secret video. He wields a Keyblade simliar to that of Riku's Soul Eater, bearing a similar fighting stand and armor nearly identical to Riku's Dark Form. He appears to have an interest in Ven's progress, ensuring Master Xehanort that he'll make him strong. Vanitas' story will be fully explained in the upcoming Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep, and while his voice actor is currently unknown, Nomura has stated that it will be someone famous in Japan. His name, Vanitas, means "emptiness" in Latin.

[edit] Other characters

A wide variety of Disney and Final Fantasy characters appear throughout the various Kingdom Hearts games. Some help the protagonist across multiple worlds, including Jiminy Cricket and Merlin. Jiminy travels with Donald and Goofy as the royal chronicler, recording information about people, places and events in his journal.^[54][55] Jiminy is originally from the same world as Geppetto and Pinocchio, where he acted as Pinocchio's conscience. Merlin is an eccentric wizard whom King Mickey asked to teach Sora magic. He lives in Traverse Town during Kingdom Hearts with the Fairy Godmother. In Kingdom Hearts II, he goes to Hollow Bastion along with Leon and his group to help restore their old home. Dumbo, Bambi and Chicken Little all serve as summons.

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 of Pongo and Perdita's ninety-nine Dalmatian puppies. The two parent Dalmatians live in Traverse Town after the destruction of their world, which also scattered their 99 puppies.

[edit] Princesses of Heart

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

• Aurora, a romantic princess-to-be who came from the same world as Maleficent, the Enchanted Dominion, based on Sleeping Beauty. She, along with Snow White and Cinderella, are set to appear in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep. She is the first princess to be captured by Maleficent as she begins her scheme of gathering the princesses.
• Cinderella, a hardworking young woman who is the second captured princess from the Castle of Dreams. She, along with Snow White and Aurora, is set to appear in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep.
• Belle, is a strong-willed young woman who resides in Beast's Castle, caring for the Beast and healing the loneliness he endured. When Maleficent captures Belle as the third captive princess, the Beast made his way to Hollow Bastion to save her. Returning to her world, due to Xaldin's actions, Belle was almost forced to leave Beast. Voiced by Paige O'Hara.
• Snow White, a beautiful kindhearted princess who is the fourth captured princess from Dwarf Woodlands. She, along with Aurora and Cinderella, is set to appear in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep. In the first game, if you do not complete Wonderland before Deep Jungle, Snow White will replace Alice in a scene in which the Disney Villains have captured her with the Heartless. Snow White also never makes any mention about Terra, Ven, & Aqua to Sora when she first met him in the first game. As Ven meets Snow White, he attempts to protect her from the Queen who has Terra do her dirty work. When Aqua arrives at Dwarf Woodlands, Snow White had already eaten the poisoned apple and thus hadn't seen her.
• Alice, a precocious young girl who has stumbled into Wonderland,^[54] and is also the first princess Sora and company meet. She is the fifth princess to be captured while being put on trial by the Queen of Hearts. Voiced by Kathryn Beaumont.
• Jasmine is a headstrong, beautiful, smart princess Sora encounters in Agrabah before she is taken to Hollow Bastion by Riku as the sixth captured princess of heart. Voiced by Linda Larkin

[edit] Destiny Islands

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

• Tidus is a boy who lives on the Destiny Islands, self-confident youth who helps Sora practice his fighting skills prior to the Heartless attack. He is voiced by Shaun Fleming.
• Wakka is another boy who lives on the Destiny Islands, looks out for Tidus and Selphie like a big brother. He is voiced by Dee Bradley Baker.
• Selphie is a girl who lives on the Destiny Islands, a romanticist and a good friend of Kairi's. She later appears in Kingdom Hearts II, referencing Tidus and Wakka. She is voiced by Molly Keck.
• Although unseen, Sora's mother calls him out for dinner during the storm in the first game.
• The Mayor is also briefly mentioned by Sora in a flashback, stating that Kairi is living at his house after her arrival on Destiny Islands.

[edit] Disney Castle/Disney Town (and Timeless River)

The characters of the world where Disney Castle and Disney Town are located include many classic Disney characters.^[56] It happens to be the world where Mickey, Donald, Goofy, and Pete originate from.

• Queen Minnie is the queen of Disney Castle, taking charge during Mickey’s absence to await for his return. Voiced by Russi Taylor.
• Daisy Duck is Queen Minnie's lady-in-waiting and Donald's sweetheart. Voiced by Tress MacNeille.
• Chip and Dale the Gummi Ship engineers who help Sora's group out. Voiced by Tress MacNeille and Corey Burton
• Huey, Dewey, and Louie: Donald's nephews, who run item shops in Traverse Town and Hollow Bastion.
• Pluto, the King’s dog who came with Donald and Goofy to Traverse Town before mysteriously disappearing. The reason for his disappearance is revealed in Kingdom Hearts coded. After Xehanort's Heartless is defeated, Pluto later resurfaces with a letter from Mickey to Sora and company. During Kingdom Hearts II, Pluto remains by Kairi's side when she is abducted by Axel and then again by the Organization.
• Scrooge McDuck: Appearing at Radiant Garden, Scrooge was Mickey's support in setting a world transit system. During the events of Kingdom Hearts II, Scrooge remained at Hollow Bastion while trying to recreate seasalt icecream. To be voiced by Alan Young in Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep.
• Horace Horsecollar: Appearing in Disney Town during the events of Birth by Sleep, a past incarnation of him was introduced in Kingdom Hearts II.
• Clarabelle Cow: A friend of Mickey and Minnie, a past incarnation of her was introduced in Kingdom Hearts II.
• Clara Cluck: A friend of Mickey and Minnie, a past incarnation of her was introduced in Kingdom Hearts II.

[edit] Wonderland

Wonderland features characters from the 1951 animated film, Alice in Wonderland.^[56] It is unknown if Alice originated from this world.

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

[edit] Olympus Coliseum

Olympus Coliseum features characters from the 1997 animated film, Hercules.^[56] Cloud and Sephiroth appeared in the world during Kingdom Hearts. In Kingdom Hearts II, the Underworld is introduced along with its counterpart to the Olympus Coliseum: The Underdrome.

• Hercules, a legendary hero, a demi-god, and the son of Zeus.^[54] He usually uses his friend Pegasus as transportion. In Birth by Sleep, Hercules appeared as a strong but clumsy teenage boy who came to Phil in order to become a hero. By Kingdom Hearts, Hercules played a minor role in overseeing Sora's own raise to heroism. But due to the appearance of Heartless plaguing the colleseum, Hercules is at wits end keeping up with both them and the usual monsters he goes up against. By Kingdom Hearts II, Hercules suffers a brief crisis and relearned what it takes to be a hero. Voiced by Sean Astin in the first game and by Tate Donovan in the second game.
• Hades, the smooth-taking Lord of the Underworld who is out to destroy Hercules. Allying with Maleficent, Hades manipulates Cloud to his advantage, but Sora's interference results with Hades and Maleficent going their separate ways. During Kingdom Heart II, Hades revives Auron and later reopens the Underdrome to finish off Hercules, though Sora once again interferes. Voiced by James Woods.
• Megara, Hercules' girlfriend, is a serious and cynical young woman who has some reluctant ties to Hades. She is introduced in Kingdom Hearts II. Voiced by Susan Egan.
• Philoctetes, or "Phil" for short, is a satyr who is veteran trainer of heroes, and Hercules' mentor. He runs the Coliseum and chooses suitable competitors, refusing to see Sora and company as true heroes. Phil also trained Roxas, believing him to be the new rookie Hercules found for him. Voiced by Robert Costanzo.
• Pain and Panic, Hades' two imp minions who run the Underdrome for him.
• Auron is a mysterious figure revived by Hades to help him eliminate Hercules. Voiced by Matt McKenzie.
• Zack, a cheery guy with dreams of becoming a hero. Though he appears in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, Zack's role in the story is as of yet unknown.
• Several monsters from the animated film also appear as bosses, including Cerberus in both games and the Hydra in Kingdom Hearts II. The Rock Titan and Ice Titan also appear as Tournament Bosses in Kingdom Hearts.

[edit] Deep Jungle

The Deep Jungle features characters from the 1999 animated film, Tarzan.^[56] Due to Disney losing the rights to Tarzan, Deep Jungle has not made another appearance in any other games in the series.

• Tarzan, a young man raised from infancy by gorillas in Deep Jungle.^[15] He spoke only the language of the apes until he met Jane. Voiced by Tony Goldwyn.
• Jane Porter, a naturalist who studied gorillas. Voiced by Naia Kelly.
• Clayton, a veteran hunter who acts as Jane’s guide on her expedition. He thinks of animals only as prey and dreams of the money to be made selling gorillas. His black heart attracted the Heartless which he used to capture Gorillas. However, he ends up being crushed to death by a Stealth Sneak he summoned to deal with Sora's group. Voiced by Brian Blessed.
• Kerchak is the leader of the Gorilla troupe, initially not trusting Sora and the humans that Tarzan befriends.
• Kala is Tarzan's adoptive mother.
• Terk is one of Tarzan's friends. Voiced by Audrey Wasilewski.
• Sabor, a leopard that Sora first encounters upon arriving. Tarzan saves Sora from Sabor, but the leopard continues to attack Sora on other occasions until she is killed near the end of the chapter.

[edit] Agrabah

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

• Aladdin, a poor but kind-hearted Agrabah thief. Aladdin fell in love with Princess Jasmine, but was afraid to tell her about his humble background.^[15] During 358/2 Days, Aladdin led the people of Agrabah in fortifying their city in response to the sandstorms caused by the Heartless. But by Kingdom Hearts II, Aladdin starts longing for adventure as the city got peaceful soon after.^[57] Voiced by Scott Weinger.
• Abu, Aladdin's cheeky kleptomaniac, but loyal pet monkey and friend. Voiced by Frank Welker.
• Genie, a comedic genie with nigh omnipotent power that can only be exercised when his master wishes it. Found in the Cave of Wonders, Genie was in Aladdin's possession until Jafar stole it for his own use. But after Jafar's defeat, Aladdin frees Genie from the lamp to allow him to accompany Sora on his journey.^[58] Soon after, Genie returns to Agrabah after a world tour during 358/2 Days, deciding to resume it after seeing everyone there is doing well without him. Genie later returns in Kingdom Hearts II prior to Jafar's return. However, as his magic isn't needed much, Genie wishes to be of some use and tries to restraint himself. Sora can call on Genie as a summonable ally in the first three Kingdom Hearts games. Voiced by Dan Castellaneta and by Robin Williams in the film.
• The Magic Carpet is a sentient carpet who is able to fly and expresses himself through pantomime, accompanying his friend Genie before returning to Agrabah.
• Jafar, the power-hungry Royal Vizier of Agrabah who allied himself with Maleficent to rule the city with the Heartless while he captures Jasmine. He steals the lamp from Aladdin to try to take over the kingdom.^[54] He uses his final wish from Genie to become "an all-powerful genie", but he gets sealed into his lamp. In Kingdom Hearts II, he tricks the Peddler into releasing him, but is defeated again by Sora, violently imploding as his lamp disintergrates. Voiced by Jonathan Freeman.
• Iago, Jafar's sarcastic, foul-mouthed pet parrot sidekick. He initially aids Jafar in taking over Agrabah but in Kingdom Hearts II, he joins forces with Sora after ending up saving him and his friends from a Heartless attack. However, Jafar appears and convinces Iago to take Aladdin and Sora's group on a wild goose chase. Feeling guilty at betraying Aladdin, Iago risks his life to save Aladdin from Jafar's attack. Voiced by Gilbert Gottfried.
• The Peddler is a mysterious small merchant who runs a shop in Agrabah, interested in money above all else. He appears in the first game as a cameo. In Kingdom Hearts II, the Peddler plays a bigger part in finding Jafar's lamp and later releasing him.^[59] Voiced by Corey Burton.

[edit] Monstro

Monstro is an enormous whale who has swallowed characters from the 1940 animated film, Pinocchio.^[56] After its world is destroyed by Heartless, the whale swims around in the dimensional rift, attacking and swallowing vessels that passes its way, including Sora's Gummi Ship and Geppetto's ship.

• Geppetto is a kind and gentle woodcarver. Voiced by Tony Pope.
• Pinocchio is a puppet crafted by Geppetto and brought to life by the Blue Fairy.^[54] When the little puppet disappears, Geppetto sets out to find him but he and his boat were swallowed by Monstro. Sora, Donald, and Goofy meet Geppetto and Pinocchio after being swallowed by Monstro, and assist them in escaping. They eventually make their way to Traverse Town where Leon assists them in finding a home.^[60] Voiced by Seth Adkins.
• Cleo the goldfish makes a cameo appearance in her bowl on Geppetto's boat, and later shows up in another fish bowl in Geppetto's house in Traverse Town after the Monstro world is cleared.

[edit] 100 Acre Wood

The characters featured in the 100 Acre Wood are from A. A. Milne's series of Winnie-the-Pooh books that have been adapted into animated featurettes and films by Disney.^[56]

• Winnie the Pooh, a bear whose favorite food is honey. He is absent-minded and often forgets what he was trying to remember. He is voiced by Jim Cummings in the English version.
• Tigger, a tiger-like with bright orange fur and black stripes. He is often seen bouncing around on his springy tail and is usually very optimistic. He is voiced by Jim Cummings in the English version.
• Piglet, a baby pig who often stutters when speaking and has a timid disposition. He is usually caught in situations which require him to receive help from Sora or any of his friends to get out of. He is voiced by Travis Oates in the English version.
• Rabbit, a practical and responsible rabbit who always tries to protect his honey supplies from Pooh. He has his own garden where he keeps crops which are always destroyed by Tigger's bouncing. He is voiced by Ken Sansom in the English version.
• Eeyore, a donkey who always drops his tail which is pinned on to his back. He usually has a very pessimistic attitude, but is capable of great compassion. He is voiced by Gregg Berger in the English version.
• Owl, an owl who is supposedly very wise though rather questionable. He loves to tell stories to his friends about his numerous famous relatives which causes him to seem rather long-winded. He is voiced by Andre Stojka in the English version.
• Kanga, a kangaroo who is Roo's mother. She is voiced by Tress MacNeille in the English version.
• Roo, a baby kangaroo who is Kanga's son. He is usually rather playful and always hangs out around Tigger. He is voiced by Jimmy Bennett in the English Version.
• Gopher, a gopher who constantly digs tunnels underground. He is very hard-working when it comes to digging his tunnels which he always falls into from time to time. He is voiced by Michael Gough in the English version.

[edit] Atlantica

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

• Ariel is the younger daughter of King Triton and princess of Atlantica. She meets Sora and company soon after his descent into Atlantica and serves as a member of his party. She was tricked by Ursula into brining her into the palace on the promise that she would take her to other worlds where she steals the trident. Upon entry into the castle Ursula promptly takes King Triton's trident and attacks him. Ariel then goes with Sora to defeat Ursula and retrieve the Trident. Voiced by Jodi Benson.
• Ursula is the main antagonist of Atlantica, tricking Ariel into taking her inside the palace. Once inside she snatches away King Triton's trident and attacks him. When her two minion eels, Flotsam and Jetsam, tell her the keyhole isn't in the palace she returns to her lair where she would later be defeated by Sora. But surviving the incident, Ursula makes another attempt to take the trident through Ariel's love for Eric. Voiced by Pat Carroll.
• King Triton is Ariel's father and the ruler of Atlantica. Voiced by Kenneth Mars.
• Sebastian is the royal advisor and personally takes care of Ariel on behalf of the King and keeps a watchful eye out for her. Voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson.
• Flounder is Ariel's best friend and helps her out in any possible way. Voiced by Eli Russell Linetz in the first game and by Parker Goris in the second game.
• Flotsam and Jetsam are Ursula's pet minion eels. Voiced by Corey Burton.
• Prince Eric is a human that Ariel fell in love with, appearing in Kingdom Hearts II. Voiced by Christopher Daniel Barnes.
• Attina and Andrina are two of Ariel's older sisters, appearing in Kingdom Hearts II during the final music number.

[edit] Halloween Town

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

• Jack Skellington is "The Pumpkin King" who is the organizer of each year's Halloween festival, intending to use the Search Ghosts for it until the heart he and Finklestien created caused them to go amok.^[15] Between the events of Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II, while attempting to think up new ideas, Jack became fascinated by Christmas. His pet Zero is a ghost dog whose Heartless-sniffing nose doubles as a bright light. Voiced by Chris Sarandon.
• Oogie Boogie is A large insect-containing sack who attempted to ruin Jack's Halloween planing by getting control of the Heartless. Though defeated in the first game, Oogie was later revived by Maleficent in Kingdom Hearts II before being defeated for good. Voiced by Ken Page.
• Sally is a ragdoll originally patched together by Doctor Finkelstein, Jack's love-interest and his voice of reason. Despite her makeshift appearance, Sally is a determined individual with a good feel for what is right. Voiced by Rita Rudner in the first game and by Kath Soucie in the second game.
• Doctor Finklestein is a wheelchair-bound mad scientist who created Sally, helping Jack during his "Heartless Halloween" plan and then his second attempt to run Christmas while working on his Experiment.^[54] Voiced by Jess Harnell
• The Mayor of Halloween Town is a literally two-faced politician, one for a joyous mood and the other when he freaks out, that has trouble doing anything without Jack's help. Voiced by Jeff Bennett in the first game and by Glenn Shadix in the second game.
• Lock, Shock, and Barrel are a group of young, mischievous trick-or-treaters (a devil, a witch, and a skeleton, respectively), wearing masks that resemble their actual faces. They usually work as Oogie Boogie's henchmen but don't often directly follow his orders. While Oogie was gone, they worked as assistants to Dr. Finklestein though still cause trouble and harressed Roxas during his visits to Halloween Town while taking a Leechgrave as a pet before it goes out of control. During Kingdom Hearts II, the tricksters help Maleficent and later use a Prison Cage Heartless to hold off Sora and company for her and the revived Oogie to escape. The trio later cause mischief in Christmas Town. Lock is voiced by Jess Harnell, Shock by Kath Soucie, and Barrel by Jeff Bennett in the second game.
• Santa Claus (or "Sandy Claws" as Jack calls him) is the leader of Christmas Town, featured in Kingdom Hearts II. When Sora meets Santa Claus, he encourages Sora to believe while trying to reason Jack to stick with his holiday. Voiced by Corey Burton.
• The Experiment, which was created by Dr. Finklestein by using components scavenged around town to provide Lock, Shock, and Barrel with a playmate. However, the robot was not equipped with a heart, which prompted it to steal Christmas gifts in hopes of gaining one.

[edit] Neverland

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

• Peter Pan, a the boy who never grows up. Though he acts insensitive, he is caring towards those dear to him. He infiltrates Hook’s ship to save his friend Wendy, teaming up with Sora to save her before he returns to help him out.^[15]. Peter Pan later appears as a summonable ally in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories and Kingdom Hearts II with Tinker Bell by his side. Voiced by Christopher Steele.
• Tinker Bell, a hot-headed pixie and Peter Pan's closest friend, being very envious when Peter started to have a relationship to Wendy. As a result, Tink goes with Sora as a summonable ally in Kingdom Hearts. She is to appear in the game prequel Birth by Sleep
• Wendy Darling is a girl that Peter has brought to Neverland, mature despite her age. She is kidnaped by Hook under the assumption that she's the seventh Princess of Heart. She returns to London after Peter saved her. Voiced by Kathryn Beaumont.
• Captain Hook, a pirate captain who seeks revenge on Pan for taking his left hand, that was fed to the crocodile, with the aid of his personal assistant Mr. Smee. He allied himself with Maleficent, helping her until his humiliating defeat as he knocked over board and flees for his life with the crocodile in hot pursuit. Hook and Smee return in 358/2 Days, looking for treasure and end up waking up the Lord of the Skies Heartless. Voiced by Corey Burton.
• Lost Boys, Peter's ragtag friends in Neverland who are dressed in animal fur.

[edit] Radiant Garden

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

• Leon, a soldier identifiable by the scar on his face and a reputation of being a lone wolf. His name was Squall Leonhart, but he forsake the name the day he lost his world to the Heartless and doesn't want to be called by that name again until the Heartless are defeated. Squall's weapon is a gunblade, a sword that uses components of a revolver to send vibrations through the blade when triggered. He serves as the leader of his group prior to becoming the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee. Voiced by David Boreanaz in the first game and by Doug Erholtz in the second game.
• Cid operates the Accessory Shop in Traverse Town and is an expert on Gummi Ships. After returning to Hollow Bastion in Kingdom Hearts II, Cid helps build the defense system to help protect the town from Heartless attacks. Voiced by Chris Edgerly.
• Aerith is a woman with a good heart allied with Leon and the others. Voiced by Mandy Moore in the first game and by Mena Suvari in the second game.
• Yuffie is a female ninja working with Leon. Yuffie helps Leon rebuild Hollow Bastion in Kingdom Hearts II.^[15] Voiced by Christy Carlson Romano in the first game and by Mae Whitman in the second game.
• Kairi's grandmother, seen by Sora through Kairi's memories. depicted telling her Kairi about light and darkness. She is to actually appear in Birth by Sleep.
• Cloud is a warrior who wields a large sword. He first appears in Kingdom Hearts, working for Hades to eliminate Hercules during a tournament at the Coliseum in return to settle his affairs with Sephiroth. In Kingdom Hearts II, Sora helps Cloud find Sephiroth. Voiced by Steve Burton.
• Sephiroth is a warrior who embodies the darkness in Cloud's heart. He appears in the Olympus Coliseum as an optional boss in the first game.^[15] Sephiroth returns in Kingdom Hearts II seeking Cloud, and is an optional boss in Hollow Bastion in Kingdom Hearts II. Voiced by Lance Bass in the first game and by George Newbern in the second game.
• Tifa is a young woman skilled in combat who is searching for Cloud. Tifa was originally considered to be included along with Sephiroth in the first game, but was left out due to time constraints.^[49] Voiced by Rachael Leigh Cook.
• Yuna, Rikku, and Paine are three fairies that appear in Kingdom Hearts II. They secretly worked for Maleficent, who had them spy on the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee,^[61] 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.^[49] Yuna is voiced by Hedy Burress. Rikku is voiced by Tara Strong. Paine is voiced by Gwendoline Yeo.
• Braig is a young man who served in Hollow Bastion's militant forces, having an interest in the Keyblade which led him to be Ansem's apprentice. Allying himself with Xehanort, Braig became Organization XIII's Xigbar. Braig is voiced by James Patrick Stuart.
• Dilan and Aeleus are palace guards prior to becoming Ansem's apprentices. Allying themselves with Xehanort, they respectively became Organization XIII's Xaldin and Lexaeus. Dilan is voiced by David Dayan Fisher.
• Even is a scientist who became Ansem's apprentice. Allying himself with Xehanort, Even became Organization XIII's Vexen.
• Ienzo is a boy who is Ansem's lab assistant and apprentice. Allying himself with Xehanort, Ienzo became the older Zexion of Organization XIII.
• Lea and Isa are residents of Radiant Garden who meet Ven during his journey to Radiant Garden. After Radiant Garden's fall, Lea and Isa became the older Axel and Saïx of Organization XIII, each taking a separate path as a member. Lea is voiced by Quinton Flynn while Isa is voiced by Kirk Thornton.

[edit] Space Paranoids

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

• Tron is a security program who had most of his functions removed by the MCP due to his rebellious attitude towards the MCP and Sark. Voiced by Bruce Boxleitner.
• The Master Control Program or MCP for short, he is the ruler of the world, he issues functions to other programs in order to grow more powerful. The MCP seeks to extend its reach into the real world with the help of the Heartless. Voiced by Corey Burton
• Commander Sark is the apprentice of the MCP and deals directly with dissident programs who disobey the MCP's orders.^[62] Voiced by Corey Burton.

[edit] Twilight Town

Twilight Town was introduced in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories,^[54] but characters were not introduced until Kingdom Hearts II. Many of the characters were first introduced as alternate versions of themselves in DiZ's virtual Twilight Town, though they still exhibited the same personalities.

• Hayner is one of the kids residing in Twilight Town, a overconfident guy who leads the others in his group and has a rivalry with Seifer. A virtual simulation of him was created by DiZ to keep Roxas under control. Hayner is voiced by Justin Cowden.
• Pence is one of Hayner's friends, being knowledgeable in some of their home's urban legends and computers. A virtual simulation of him was created by DiZ to keep Roxas under control. Pence is voiced by Sean Marquette.
• Olette is the only female member of Hayner's group, the voice of reason sometimes. A virtual simulation of her was created by DiZ to keep Roxas under control. Olette is voiced by Jessica DiCicco.

• The self-proclaimed "Twilight Town Disciplinary Committee" consists of Seifer, Rai, and Fuu. 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". Seifer is voiced by Will Friedle, Rai by Brandon Adams, and Fuu by Jillian Bowen.
• Vivi is also a member of the "Twilight Town Disciplinary Committee." A virtual simulation of him was used by Dusks while they attempt to capture Roxas. Vivi is voiced by Melissa Disney.
• Another inhabitant of Twilight Town is Setzer from Final Fantasy VI. He is a flamboyant gambler that participates in the Struggle Battle. Voiced by Crispin Freeman.

[edit] Mysterious Tower/Yen Sid's Tower

• Yen Sid, a sorcerer who was King Mickey's teacher.^[63] He appeared in Kingdom Hearts II to set Sora for his new mission to defeat Organization XIII. He is to appear in Birth by Sleep to assist Ven and Terra. Voiced by Corey Burton.

[edit] Beast's Castle

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

• Beast is a prince who was transformed into a hideous monster because of his selfish heart.^[15] But Belle's arrival healed the loneliness he endured. When Maleficent captures Belle, the Beast's iron will carries him through a corridor of darkness to Hollow Bastion where he teams up with Sora to defeat Maleficent.^[64] In 358/2 Days, Beast and Belle have returned to their world though their relationship starts to get friction because of the Heartless appearing with Beast fighting them alone and Xaldyn studying his weaknessess. By the time of Kingdom Hearts II, Beast is plagued by his inner darkness brought forth through Xaldin's attempt to acquire his Nobody.^[65] Eventually, long after Xaldyn's defeat, Beast is transformed back into a handsome prince. Voiced by Robby Benson.
• Lumiere is the kind-hearted but rebellious maître d' of the Beast's castle, he has been transformed into a candelabra. Voiced by Jeff Bennett.
• Mrs. Potts is the head of the castle kitchens, turned into a teapot, who takes on a motherly attitude towards Belle. She is accompanied by her son Chip who was turned into a teacup. Voiced by Angela Lansbury.
• Cogsworth: The castle majordomo, transformed into a clock. While he is as good-natured as Lumiere, he is extremely loyal to the Beast so as to save himself and anyone else any trouble. Voiced by David Ogden Stiers.
• Wardrobe: Belle's confidant during her stay in the Castle. Voiced by Jo Anne Worley.

[edit] The Land of Dragons

The Land of Dragons features characters from the 1998 animated film, Mulan. This world and most of the characters were introduced in Kingdom Hearts II. The Land of Dragons is in the middle of a war between Shan Yu and the forces of China, ruled by the Emperor.^[66]

• Mulan, a woman who disguises herself as a man named Ping to replace her ailing father in the Chinese army. Though exposed, Mulan manages to save the Emperor with Sora's help and maintained her family's honor. Later, while investigating the sightings of a figure in black, Mulan joins Sora and company in once more saving the Emperor from a Heartless attack. Though her extact request for her deed is denined, Mulan accepts the Emperor's offer to serve as his protector with Sheng whom she developed feelings for.^[21] Voiced by Ming-Na
• Captain Shang, A Chinese army captain who is the highly capable leader of the unit Mulan sneaked into. Though a "by-the-book" and putting his duty above his feelings, Shang developed feelings for Mulan in the long run after learning of her identity. Voiced by B.D. Wong.
• Yao, Ling, and Chien-Po are a trio newly recruited soldiers, lacking military skills before they were trained. Yao is the self-appointed leader of the trio with a temper, Ling the friendly funnyman, and Chien-Po the calmest of them. Yao is voiced by Harvey Fierstein. Ling is voiced by Gedde Watanabe. Chien-Po is voiced by Jerry Tondo.
• The Emperor of China is among the wisest of his people. Kidnapped by Shan Yu, the Emperor is saved by Shan Yu as Sora and Mulan quickly dispatched the Hun. Soon after, the Emperor steps and criticizes Mulan for impersonating a soldier, but thanks her for saving their beloved country, giving her Shan Yu's sword as a token for her effort. He later meets Riku when he warns him of a dragon being turned into the StormBringer Heartless and its arrival to the Imperial City. Voiced by Pat Morita.
• Mushu, a small dragon who is Fa Mulan's closest companion and originally a guardian spirit in her family until being demoted to the humiliating position for failing his mission. As a result, Mushu helps Mulan in her plan in order to regain his former title upon her success. Using his time with Sora from Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, as a summon, Mushu recruits him and his friends to help Mulan out while portraying himself as a family guardian to them until they learn the truth.^[15][54] Voiced by Mark Moseley.
• Shan Yu, the cruel leader of the Huns who is bent on conquering China, gaining control of the Heartless and using his falcon Hayabusa as his eyes. While Sora and Mulan investigate a cave, Shang sets the nearby village on fire in an attempt to deal with the imperial army stationed there. Later, Shan Yu uses his Heartless army to finish them off until Mulan uses a cannon to cause an avalanche that wipes out the army. However, Shan Yu survives and heads to the Imperial City with a new batch of Heartless, using them as a distraction while he kidnaps the Emperor and threatens him to submit. But Sora and company manage to free the Emperor with Shang's help as they battle Shan Yu when he attempts to break down the palace doors after his quarry. In the end, Shan Yu collapses after Sora defeats him. Voiced by Corey Burton.

[edit] Pride Land

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

• Simba is a lion and the son of Mufasa, a former king of the Pride Land who died in wildebeest stampede. After the Heartless consumed his world, the summon stone Simba became ended up in Leon's possession before he gave it to Sora, gaining Simba as an summonable ally in the Kingdom Hearts and then again in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories. During Kingdom Hearts II, though still blaming himself for Mufasa's death, leaves the truth that his uncle Scar was responsible.^[67] Though he became the new king of Pride Land, Simba suffered self-doubt until Sora and friends help him out of it. Voiced by Cam Clarke
• Timon and Pumbaa, a meerkat and a warthog that Simba met during his time away from Pride Rock. Voiced by James Arnold Taylor and Ernie Sabella.
• Nala is a lioness and a childhood friend of Simba's. Later on, the two are reunited in the jungle after Sora revealed to her that Simba was still alive.^[68] Voiced by Vanessa Marshall
• Rafiki is a wise old mandrill and advisor to the king of the Pride Land. Voiced by Robert Guillaume.
• Scar, a ruthless lion and Mufasa's brother. Wanting to rule the Pride Land, Scar set up Mufasa's death and turned the land into a barren wasteland. He made an alliance with Pete to further his rule as Sora attempts to help Simba regain hi birthright. Though defeated, Scar sucuumed to the darkness and prey on Simba's hesitance in the form of spirits. Voiced by James Horan.
• Shenzi, Banzai and Ed are the three most prominent hyenas who work for Scar, in the hope that they will get plenty of food while he is king of the Pride Land. Shenzi is voiced by Tress MacNeille. Banzai is voiced by Cheech Marin. Ed is voiced by Jim Cummings.

[edit] Port Royal

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

• Captain Jack Sparrow: An eccentric pirate noted for a slightly drunken swagger, accompanied by slurred speech and awkwardly flailing hand gestures. He is bent on regaining the Black Pearl, which he captained ten years before, and settle things with Barbossa.^[69] Though he succeeds, Jack helps Sora again when Luxord uses the cursed Aztec gold for his own schemes. But during the incident, Sparrow is cursed by the Grim Reaper Heartless. Voiced by James Arnold Taylor.

• Will Turner: A blacksmith's apprentice working in Port Royal, he is in love with Elizabeth Swann. Will struggles with the fact his father, "Bootstrap" Bill, was a pirate, unable to reconcile that he was a good man too. Voiced by Crispin Freeman.

• Elizabeth Swann: The daughter of Port Royal's governor, she gives her name as Turner to Barbossa when he and his men attacked Port Royal, mistaken for "Bootstrap" Bill's child. Voiced by Eliza Schneider.

• Captain Barbossa: The captain of the Black Pearl, he was Sparrow's first mate before he led a mutiny ten years before. He and his crew stole cursed Aztec gold, for which they walk the Earth forever with un-life. As a result, they seek the gold and blood payment needed to break the curse.^[70] Barbossa is shot by Sparrow before the curse is broken, with the wounded Barbossa falling dead. Voiced by Brian George.

• Jacoby: One of Barbossa's pirates, his burly second in command who uses a hatchet as his weapon. Voiced by John DiMaggio.

• Bo'sun: One of Barbossa's pirates, a man with a long black beard and uses hand grenades. Voiced by Beau Billingslea.

• Twig: One of Barbossa's pirates, armed with a rifle that he uses to attack from long distances.

[edit] Deep Space

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

• Stitch is the 626th genetic alien experiment created by "evil genius" Dr. Jumba Jookiba for the motive of causing chaos and destruction throughout the galaxy. He is the most successful experiment created by Jumba and has the most abilities like retractable claws and super-strength. He ended up at Hollow Bastion during the events of Kingdom Hearts II. Voiced by Chris Sanders.
• Dr. Jumba Jookiba is an "evil genius" and in a way a father to Experiment 626. He created numerous genetic experiments each with unique abilities and characteristics.
• Gantu is a captain of the Galactic Federation and primary antagonist of Deep Space. He was the one who originally captured and arrested Jumba for his genetic experiments.
• Experiment 221 is the 221st genetic alien experiment created by "evil genius" Dr. Jumba Jookiba. His primary motive is to cause chaos and destruction using his electrical powers and abilities.^[71]

[edit] Dwarf Woodlands

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

• Seven Dwarfs are a group of Dwarves living in a cottage deep in the woods working in mines. They were leaving alone until one day Snow White arrived at their cottage fleeing from the Queen. Soon after they become extremely good friends with each other and treat her like a sister. They are composed of Doc, Grumby, Happy, Sleepy, Bashful, Sneezy, and Dopey.
• The Queen, also known as Evil Queen, Wicked Queen, Old Hag, or Queen Grimhilde, is the vain and proud queen of the kingdom who became queen after marrying the windowed king who died shortly after the marriage. She attempts to kill Snow White after the Magic Mirror tells her that the latter is the fairest in the land instead of her due to her jealousy and hatred towards Snow White.
• The Magic Mirror is a magical mirror hung up on the wall of the castle which answers truthfully to any question asks. he always appears as a floating green mask who appears from puff of green smoke whenever called upon. In Birth by Sleep, the Queen allows Terra to ask the mirror the whereabouts of Master Xehanort if he does a favor for her. Aqua also gets into a battle with the mirror in a special world within the mirror.^[72]

[edit] Enchanted Dominion

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

• Prince Philip is a prince who was betrothed to Aurora at birth. In order to lift Aurora's curse he teams up with Aqua to battle Maleficent.^[72] To be voiced by Josh Robert Thompson.
• The Three Fairies, Flora, Fauna and Merryweather, who attempt to save Aurora from Maleficent's curse. They later appeared in Yen Sid's tower during the events of Kingdom Hearts II, giving Sora his new attire and the ability to transform into Drive Forms.^[22] They are respectively voiced by Susanne Blakeslee, Russi Taylor, and Tress MacNeille.

[edit] Castle of Dreams

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

• Fairy Godmother is a benefactor who helps Cinderella get to the ball. She appears in Kingdom Hearts at Transverse Town, providing him summons to help him in his fights.
• Jaq is the mouse friend of Cinderella who helps her with favors in return for her saving him from mouse traps and from the cat Lucifer.
• Lady Tremaine is the wicked stepmother of Cinderella and treats Cinderella very badly forcing her to do chore after chore.
• Prince Charming is a prince who falls in love at first sight with Cinderella after meeting her at the ball. He chases after her when she attempts to leave the ball, though he does not catch up to her but retrieves the slipper that she leaves behind.
• Anastasia Tremaine and Drizella Tremaine are the ugly stepsisters of Cinderella who try their best to stop her from attending the ball.
• Lucifer is the cat owned by Lady Tremaine, he constantly tries to make Cindrella's chores tougher by dirtying the floor and always tries to catch Jaq before attempting of going after Ven
• Grand Duke attempts to help Prince Charming locate Cinderella so that he can marry her by going through every house in the kingdom and letting each lady try out the glass slipper until he finds the perfect fit.^[72]

[edit] Merchandise

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

The characters of the Kingdom Hearts series have had various types of merchandise modeled after their likeness. Square Enix has released a collection of Formation Arts figurines that feature several of the main characters from the first game.^[73][74] A series of Play Arts action figures has also been released.^[75] Other merchandise includes jewelry and key chains modeled after character apparel and accessories.^[76] The characters are also featured on posters,^[76] desktop wallpapers,^[77] and trading cards that are part of the Kingdom Hearts Trading Card Game.^[78]

[edit] Reception

Overall, the characters within the Kingdom Hearts series have been well received and have garnered praise for the quality of their voice acting as well as their visual style. IGN, GameSpy, and Game Informer all praised the animation quality of the characters.^[79][80][81] 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".^[79] 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".^[80]

GameSpot commented the first game created a "fascinating world" using the Disney and Final Fantasy characters.^[82] 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.^[83] GameSpy stated the inclusion of the Disney and Square Enix characters was handled well.^[80] 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.^[84] IGN listed him as a possible character in Super Smash Bros. Brawl;^[85] though he was not chosen as the "reader's choice".^[86]

GameSpy praised the voice cast and voice acting in the first and third games.^[80][87] G4TV awarded Kingdom Hearts II "Best Voice Over" in their 2006 G-phoria Awards.^[88] 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."^[89] Gaming Age praised the voice work in the first and third game and the localization of the dialogue.^[83][90] They commented the voice acting in the first game was one of its best features.^[90] 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.^[83]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Kingdom Hearts

• Official Kingdom Hearts site
• Official international Kingdom Hearts site