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.

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[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 criteria 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, Tony Anselmo, and Bill Farmer voiced Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy, respectively.[10][12] Several high profile actors provided the voice acting of the main characters. The first game featured Haley Joel Osment as Sora, David Gallagher as Riku, and Hayden Panettiere as Kairi.[13] Kingdom Hearts II saw the return of the main character voice actors and added Jesse McCartney as Roxas, Brittany Snow as Naminé, and Christopher Lee as DiZ.[14]

[edit] Main protagonists

[edit] Sora

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

At the beginning of the series, Sora is fourteen years old and lives on Destiny Islands along with his two friends, Riku and Kairi.[19] When their world is attacked by a group of dark beings known as the Heartless, the three are separated. During the invasion, he obtains the Keyblade. Soon after, Sora meets Donald Duck and Goofy, who join him on his search for his friends.[18] To blend in with the inhabitants of the various worlds they visit, the group's appearances are altered 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. Afterward, 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 the the witch Naminé, under the commands of the Organization that is controlling the castle. The Organization uses Naminé's powers to make Sora forget Kairi and replace his 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 to why Sora is constantly being referred to as "Roxas". 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] Donald Duck

Main article: 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;[23] however, he eventually grows to deeply care for him as a friend. At the end of Chain of Memories, he, Sora, and Goofy are put to sleep for a year while their memories are fixed by Naminé.[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

Main article: Goofy

Goofy is the captain of the Royal Knights of Disney Castle and the second of Sora's two partners throughout the series. Goofy is voiced by 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] Kairi

Kairi (カイリ?) 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 the Radiant Garden, but was sent to the Destiny Islands by Xehanort a few years before the events of Kingdom Hearts in an experiment to test the connection between a Princess of Heart and a Keyblade bearer.[24] At the beginning of the series, she is fourteen years old.[19] When the Destiny Islands are destroyed by Heartless, her heart is separated from her body and enters Sora's body, leading to him seeing visions of Kairi. Riku, searching for a way to revive her, brings Kairi's comatose body to Hollow Bastion where her status as a Princess of Heart is revealed along with the location of her heart. Learning of this, Sora gives up his heart in order to restore hers back into her body, transforming himself into a Heartless and creating Kairi's Nobody, Naminé, as well as his own, Roxas, in the process. Soon after, Kairi finds Sora's Heartless and restores him back to human form. After Xenahort'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 mind as well as those of his friends on the Destiny Islands. In Kingdom Hearts II, Kairi and all of Sora's friends slowly begin to remember Sora, sending 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 heads 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 completing herself, and returning to Destiny Islands with Sora and Riku following shortly after.

[edit] Riku

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

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

In Chain of Memories, Riku awakens in the basement levels of Castle Oblivion and begins climbing to the ground floor. Along the way, Riku confronts the remaining darkness in his heart and a replica of himself; 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. This choice is reflected in the black cloak which Riku dons before going with DiZ 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. Trapped in that form even after leaving DiZ, Riku helps Sora in secret, ashamed of his appearance. Riku returns to his original form when Ansem the Wise's machine to digitally seal away Kingdom Hearts malfunctions and self-destructs. Joining Sora, they battle and defeat Xemnas. 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] King Mickey

Main article: Mickey Mouse

King Mickey is the ruler of Disney Castle.[25] King Mickey is voiced by the late Wayne Allwine in the English version and Takashi Aoyagi in the Japanese version. Mickey's inclusion in the series was initially restricted to a small cameo for only one scene.[4] The larger role he played in the sequels first required the approval of Disney.[8] Prior to the game series, Mickey was a student under Yen Sid and met Ansem the Wise. When the Heartless began to invade other worlds, Mickey left his world to discover the cause. While he had Donald and Goofy find and protect the Keyblade Master, Mickey was on a mission of his own to uncover the plot of Organization XIII that ultimately leads to obtaining his own Keyblade from within the realm of darkness, using it to seal Kingdom Hearts with Sora. In Chain of Memories, he helps Riku in spirit at first, but then returns from the dark realm to help directly. Donning a cloak of darkness in unity with Riku, Mickey continues to uncover the Organization's plan in secret before helping Sora directly. He is only playable in certain boss battles in Kingdom Hearts II; if Sora and his friends are defeated, King Mickey will step in to fight in Sora's place until he is defeated or resurrects Sora. 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, revealing his side of the story during the events of the first Kingdom Hearts game. His past story will be further explored in Birth by Sleep.

[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 guise of a mysterious man named DiZ (ディズ Dizu?) and appeared again in Kingdom Hearts II. His 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.[26] In the World That Never Was, he reveals himself to Mickey while attempting to digitally seal away Kingdom Hearts. However, the hearts prove unpredictable and begin to overload the machine, and Ansem chooses to sacrifice himself in order to help defeat the Organization. After apologizing to Roxas for his mistakes,[27] the machine self-destructs, and Ansem is 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.[28][29] Naminé is voiced by Brittany Snow in the English version of Kingdom Hearts II, Meaghan Jette Martin in the English version of Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories, and Iku Nakahara in the Japanese versions of both 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, replacing Kairi. 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. Afterward, 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 Roxas's later absorption of Xion, hampers her ability to restore Sora, 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.[30] He was first featured at the end of "Reverse/Rebirth" in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories[31] and is playable in the beginning portion of Kingdom Hearts II. 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 is confronted by Riku who defeats and captures him to have Roxas rejoin with Sora.

[edit] Terra, Ven, and Aqua

A bonus teaser at the end of Kingdom Hearts II and expanded version in Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix features three unique characters in armor who hold Keyblades. Their names have been revealed to be Terra (テラ Tera?), Ventus (ヴェントゥス Ventusu?) (referred to as Ven (ヴェン?) by his friends), and Aqua (アクア Akua?), which represent "earth", "wind", and "water"; similar to how Riku, Sora, and Kairi's names can be seen as "land", "sky", and "sea".[17][32][32][33][34] The three characters were in armor primarily to hide their faces until the character designs were completed. Nomura chose armor because he felt he could not use the dark hoods already used in the bonus trailer of the first Kingdom Hearts game.[35] Nomura has stated the characters are related to one or more characters already introduced in the Kingdom Hearts series.[36]

An optional boss in Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix, known as the "Lingering Sentiment" (留まりし思念 Todomarishi Shinen?), has a design similar to Terra but Nomura has stated that whether the two are the same person is uncertain and irrelevant.[37] Lingering Sentiment is reached through a portal in Disney Castle, in the Hall of the Cornerstone. When Sora meets the mysterious figure in a desert, the soldier calls out Xehanort's name and attacks Sora. If Sora comes back to challenge the soldier again, he states he has nothing else to give him, and that the only thing he has left is his hatred towards "Xehanort". In 358/2 Days, Xigbar sees the Replica Xion as Ven. Nomura has stated that Braig (Xigbar's former self) had seen Terra, Aqua, and Ven in the past. Their story will be further explored in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep. In the Japanese version of Birth by Sleep, Terra will be voiced by Ryōtarō Okiayu, Ven by Kōki Uchiyama,[38] and Aqua by Megumi Toyoguchi.

[edit] Main antagonists

[edit] Xehanort

Xehanort (ゼアノート Zeanōto?) is an original character created for the Kingdom Hearts series. Though he was only featured briefly in Kingdom Hearts II via a flashback, Xehanort was a student under Ansem the Wise, and had no memory of his life prior to his appearance at the Radiant Garden. While researching the heart and the darkness within it, he becomes increasingly obsessed with his studies. He sacrifices his body in the process,[39] creating his Heartless and Nobody. His Heartless assumes the identity of his teacher, Ansem,[40] while his Nobody takes the name Xemnas.[41] Xehanort's Heartless is featured in Kingdom Hearts as the main antagonist and in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories as an entity inside Riku.[42] As the leader of Organization XIII and master of the power of nothingness, Xemnas controls the Sorcerer Nobodies and fights using red "aerial blades" in battle.[43]

In Kingdom Hearts, Xehanort's Heartless possesses Riku's body to regain a physical presence. Although his goal of reaching Kingdom Hearts is realized, the light behind the door to Kingdom Hearts incinerates him. His Nobody self, Xemnas, appears in Kingdom Hearts Final Mix as an optional boss, Unknown (謎の男 Nazo no Otoko?, lit. "Enigmatic Man"), who tests Sora for his own agenda. He seeks to harness Kingdom Hearts' power in Kingdom Hearts II, using Sora to build it up until there are enough hearts to recreate the universe.[44] He is defeated by Sora and Riku in the World That Never Was. Xehanort's Heartless is voiced by Billy Zane in the English version of Kingdom Hearts and Richard Epcar in the English version of Kingdom Hearts II and Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain Of Memories. Xehanort and Xehanort's Heartless are voiced by Akio Ohtsuka in the Japanese versions of both games. Xemnas is voiced by Paul St. Peter in the English version of Kingdom Hearts II and by Norio Wakamoto in the Japanese version. Xehanort's name is also connected to the trailer in Kingdom Hearts II. His name without the "X" is an anagram of "No Heart" and "Another".[8][43] Xemnas's name is also an anagram, the name "Ansem" with a "X" added. [43]

[edit] Organization XIII

Main article: Organization XIII

Organization XIII (XIII機関 Jūsan Kikan?) is a group of thirteen Nobodies based in the World that Never Was who seek to discover the mysteries that lie within the heart and use the power of Kingdom Hearts to become complete humans once again. The Organization was first formed when 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.[45] As Nobodies, they lack true emotion and morality, and are unable to feel guilt or remorse for their actions.[46]

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.[47] 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] Maleficent

Main article: 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. In the first Kingdom Hearts, Xehanort's Heartless unlocks her heart which transforms her into her dragon form. Sora defeats her but she is resurrected in Kingdom Hearts II, where she primarily seeks a new base of operations with Pete so she can obtain Kingdom Hearts. She also wants her revenge against Sora, but to that end, she ends up helping him on two occasions in order to stop Organization XIII from interfering with her plans.

[edit] Pete

Main article: 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.[48] 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] 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.[49][50] Jiminy is originally from the same world as Geppetto and Pinocchio, where he acted as Pinocchio's conscience. Merlin is an eccentric wizard whom King Mickey asked to teach Sora magic. He lives in Traverse Town during Kingdom Hearts with the Fairy Godmother. In Kingdom Hearts II, he goes to Hollow Bastion along with Leon and his group to help restore their old home.

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

[edit] Princesses of Heart

The Princesses of Heart are maidens who possess no darkness in their hearts. The princesses were kidnapped so that their hearts could be used to open the pathway to "Kingdom Hearts". Aurora is a princess who came from the same world as Maleficent, the Enchanted Dominion, based on Sleeping Beauty. Along with Cinderella from the Castle of Dreams and Snow White from the Magical Forest, the three princess are set to appear in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep. The first princess Sora and company meet is Alice, a young girl lost in Wonderland who was abducted by the Heartless. Then, while at Agrabah, Sora encounters Princess Jasmine before she is taken to Hollow Bastion by Riku. The sixth captured princess, Belle, is a strong-willed young woman who resides in Beast's Castle. The seventh princess is 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 Keyblade. They 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]

[edit] Destiny Islands

The characters on Destiny Islands were introduced in the first game and included some of the main characters: Sora, Riku, and Kairi. Other characters included Tidus and Wakka from Final Fantasy X and Selphie from Final Fantasy VIII. The three appear in the first game and are available for fighting practice. Tidus and Wakka do not appear in Kingdom Hearts II, though they are mentioned by Selphie, who briefly makes an appearance with Kairi.

[edit] Disney Castle

The characters of Disney Castle include many classic Disney characters.[51] This world is ruled by King Mickey and Queen Minnie with a royal court that includes Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, and Goofy. Queen Minnie takes charge during the King’s absence and awaits his safe return. Other characters include Chip and Dale, two chipmunks that work on the Gummi Ship and 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. Pluto shows up at unexpected times throughout the games until Kingdom Hearts II, where he uses a corridor of darkness to find Kairi, keeping her company in the Organization's castle until Sora saves her.

[edit] Wonderland

Wonderland features characters from the 1951 animated film, Alice in Wonderland.[51] The main character in this world is Alice, a precocious young girl who has stumbled into Wonderland,[49] and is one of the seven Princesses of Heart. Wonderland is ruled by the despotic Queen of Hearts. Along with the Queen is the White Rabbit, the Queen's personal assistant. The Cheshire Cat is a mysterious, grinning cat that enjoys giving cryptic clues to Sora, Donald, and Goofy. The talking Doorknob guards both the door to the Queen's castle and the keyhole of the world, located in his mouth.

[edit] Olympus Coliseum

The Olympus Coliseum features characters from the 1997 animated film, Hercules.[51] The main character in this world is Hercules, a legendary hero, a demi-god, and the son of Zeus.[49] He first appears in Kingdom Hearts along with Philoctetes and Hades. In Kingdom Hearts II, Hercules spends his days fighting off Hades' challengers in the Coliseum. Philoctetes, or Phil, is a satyr, veteran trainer of heroes, and Hercules’ mentor. He runs the Coliseum and chooses suitable competitors. Hercules' girlfriend, Megara, also appears in Kingdom Hearts II. The main antagonist of the Coliseum is Hades, the Lord of the Underworld. In the first game, he hires Cloud to eliminate Hercules during a tournament at the Coliseum and executes a similar plan with Auron in Kingdom Hearts II; both schemes end in failure. Hades later tricks Sora into unlocking the Underworld's Underdrome. Several monsters from the animated film also appear as bosses, including Cerberus and the Hydra.

[edit] Deep Jungle

The Deep Jungle features characters from the 1999 animated film, Tarzan.[51] The main character in this world is Tarzan, a young man raised from infancy by gorillas in Deep Jungle.[15] He spoke only the language of the apes until he met Jane Porter, a naturalist studies gorillas. She is accompanied by Clayton, a veteran hunter who acts as Jane’s guide on her expedition. He thinks of animals only as prey and dreams of the money to be made selling gorillas. His black heart gave him the power to control Heartless but he was crushed by his own Heartless after being defeated by Sora. There are several gorillas that make up the troop Tarzan belongs to. Kerchak is the leader and initially does not trust Sora and the humans that Tarzan befriends. Kala is Tarzan's adoptive mother and Terk is one of Tarzan's friends. Another animal in the Deep Jungle is Sabor, a leopard that Sora first encounters upon arriving. Tarzan saves Sora from Sabor, but the leopard continues to attack Sora on other occasions until she is killed near the end of the chapter.

[edit] Agrabah

The city of Agrabah features characters from the 1992 animated film, Aladdin. The main character is Aladdin, a homeless man living in the streets of Agrabah. He fell in love with Princess Jasmine, but was afraid to tell her about his humble background.[15] Princess Jasmine is one of the seven Princesses of Heart and is a headstrong, smart woman. Aladdin is joined by Abu, his cheeky, but loyal pet monkey and friend. Prior to the first game, Aladdin found Genie and Carpet in the Cave of Wonders. Aladdin frees Genie from the lamp to allow him to accompany Sora on his journey.[52] In Kingdom Hearts II, Aladdin feels lonely and restless without Genie and Carpet and is looking for some excitement,[53] though Genie returns to Agrabah in time for Jafar's return. Sora can call on Genie as a summonable ally in the first three Kingdom Hearts games. The main antagonist in Agrabah is Jafar, the ruthless royal vizier of Agrabah. He steals the lamp from Aladdin to try to take over the kingdom.[49] He uses his final wish from Genie to become "an all-powerful genie", but he gets sealed into his lamp. In Kingdom Hearts II, he tricks the Peddler into releasing him, but is defeated again by Sora. Joining Jafar is Iago, a talking parrot. He initially aids Jafar in taking over Agrabah but in Kingdom Hearts II, he joins forces with Sora. Another character is the Peddler, who is responsible for releasing Jafar from his lamp.[54]

[edit] Monstro

Monstro is an enormous whale who has swallowed characters from the 1940 animated film, Pinocchio.[51] After its world is destroyed by Heartless, the whale swims around in the dimensional rift, attacking and swallowing vessels that passes its way, including Sora's Gummi Ship and Geppetto's ship. Geppetto is a kind and gentle woodcarver. Pinocchio is a puppet crafted by Geppetto and brought to life by the Blue Fairy.[49] 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.[55]

[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.[51] The main character is Winnie the Pooh, a stuffed bear whose favorite food is honey. He is absent-minded and often forgets what he was trying to remember. Pooh has many friends in the 100 Acre Woods including Tigger, Piglet, Rabbit, Eeyore, Owl, Kanga, Roo, and Gopher.

[edit] Atlantica

The characters featured in this world are from the 1989 animated film, The Little Mermaid.[51] The main character is Ariel, the youngest daughter of Triton, king of Atlantica. She is outgoing and full of curiosity, and longs to see the world outside her ocean home.[15] King Triton is the ruler of Atlantica and father of Ariel. He is very strict and does not like Ariel thinking about the outside world. Sebastian is Triton’s concert master and is also responsible for keeping an eye on Ariel. Flounder is a friendly fish who acts as Ariel's sidekick. The main antagonist is Ursula, an evil sea witch who is trying to oust Triton and take over Atlantica. Ursula is often accompanied by her two eels, Floatsam and Jetsam. Prince Eric is a young prince whom Ariel falls in love with and rescues from drowning from a storm in Kingdom Hearts II.

[edit] Halloween Town

The characters featured in Halloween Town are from Touchstone Pictures' 1993 stop motion film, The Nightmare Before Christmas. The main character is Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King, who is fascinated by Christmas. He is headstrong, confident, and the organizer of each year's Halloween festival.[15] Dr. Finklestein is the resident mad scientist who created Sally, Jack's love interest.[49] The Mayor of Halloween Town is a literally two-faced politician that has trouble doing anything without Jack's help. Santa Claus is a resident of Christmas Town and was featured in Kingdom Hearts II. The main antagonist in Halloween Town is Oogie Boogie, an evil bag of bugs. He was defeated in the first game and was later revived by Maleficent in Kingdom Hearts II. Lock, Shock, and Barrel are three young children in costumes that work for Oogie Boogie. While Oogie was gone, they worked as assistants to Dr. Finklestein. Another antagonist is the Experiment, which was created by Dr. Finklestein by using components scavenged around town. However, the robot was not equipped with a heart, which prompted it to steal Christmas gifts in hopes of gaining one.

[edit] Never Land

The characters in Never Land are from the 1953 animated film Peter Pan. The main character is Peter Pan, a flying boy who infiltrates Hook’s ship to save his friend Wendy.[15] While he joins Sora's party in the first game, Peter Pan appears only as a summonable ally in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories and Kingdom Hearts II, along with Tinker Bell, a fairy. Wendy Darling is a girl that Peter has brought to Never Land. Captain Hook mistakes her for one of the seven Princesses of Heart. The main antagonist is Captain Hook, a pirate captain with a grudge against Peter Pan. In the past, Peter caused the loss of Captain Hook's hand to the Crocodile in a duel. Hook is often accompanied by Mr. Smee, his loyal henchman.

[edit] Hollow Bastion

Hollow Bastion is an original world created for Kingdom Hearts. The majority of the inhabitants are alternate versions of Final Fantasy characters. Sora originally met many of the residents from here in Traverse Town. The group is led by Leon, a swordsman who fights the Heartless, based on the main character from Final Fantasy VIII. Though his full name is Squall Leonhart, he has vowed not to use it until the Heartless are defeated. He and his teammates, Yuffie and Aerith, escaped to Traverse Town with the help of Cid when the Heartless took over Hollow Bastion. In Kingdom Hearts, he and Yuffie encounter Sora and explain the Heartless to him. In Kingdom Hearts II, he and his group form the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee to organize a rebuilding effort. Cid operates the Accessory Shop in Traverse Town and is an expert on Gummi Ships. After returning to Hollow Bastion in Kingdom Hearts II, Cid helps build the defense system to help protect the town from Heartless attacks. He is based on Cid Highwind from Final Fantasy VII. Aerith is a woman with a good heart allied with Leon and the others. She is based on Aerith Gainsborough from Final Fantasy VII. Yuffie is a female ninja working with Leon. She is based on Yuffie Kisaragi from Final Fantasy VII. Yuffie helps Leon rebuild Hollow Bastion in Kingdom Hearts II.[15]

Other Final Fantasy characters are also featured. Cloud is a warrior who wields a large sword. He is based on Cloud Strife from Final Fantasy VII. In Kingdom Hearts II, Sora helps Cloud find Sephiroth. Sephiroth is a warrior who embodies the darkness in Cloud's heart and is based on the Final Fantasy VII character by the same name. He appears in the Olympus Coliseum as an optional boss.[15] Sephiroth returns in Kingdom Hearts II seeking Cloud. 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.[45] Yuna, Rikku, and Paine are three fairies that appear in Kingdom Hearts II. The three are based on the three main characters in Final Fantasy X-2. They secretly worked for Maleficent, who had them spy on the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee,[56] until Maleficent left during the massive battle at Hollow Bastion. Nomura changed them into pixies because he wanted to have some Final Fantasy characters appear in a non-human form that still looked human and felt that the Kingdom Hearts universe was the best scenario. He chose a fairy appearance because he felt it would make them more interesting and was also worried that the screen would be too crowded if the three showed up as normal sized characters.[45]

[edit] Space Paranoids

Space Paranoids features characters from Buena Vista Pictures' 1982 science-fiction film, Tron. It is introduced in Kingdom Hearts II as a digital world located in Ansem the Wise's computer. Ruling the world is the MCP, who appropriates other programs' functions to grow more powerful. Supporting the MCP is Commander Sark, who directly deals with dissident programs. With the Heartless, the MCP seeks to extend its reach into the real world. Both are opposed by Tron, a security program who had most of his functions removed by the MCP.[57]

[edit] Twilight Town

Twilight Town was introduced in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories,[49] but characters were not introduced until Kingdom Hearts II. Many of the characters were first introduced as alternate versions of themselves in DiZ's virtual Twilight Town, though they still exhibited the same personalities. Hayner, Pence, and Olette are a small group of friends that reside in Twilight Town. In the virtual town, they were friends with Roxas and they have frequent conflicts with another group. This group is the self-proclaimed "Twilight Town Disciplinary Committee" and consists of Seifer, Rai, and Fuu from Final Fantasy VIII and Vivi from Final Fantasy IX. The two groups sometimes settled their differences in the "Struggle Battle". Another inhabitant of Twilight Town is Setzer from Final Fantasy VI. He is a flamboyant gambler that participates in the Struggle Battle. Other characters make a brief appearance in the beginning of the game and include Yen Sid from the The Sorcerer's Apprentice segment of Fantasia. He is a sorcerer who lives in a tower accessed from Twilight Town and was King Mickey's teacher.[58] Also in Yen Sid's tower are Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather from Sleeping Beauty. They are three fairies that give Sora his new attire and the ability to transform into Drive Forms.[22]

[edit] Beast's Castle

Beast's Castle features characters from the 1991 animated film, Beauty and the Beast. Beast is a prince who was transformed into a hideous monster because of his selfish heart.[15] Eventually Belle ended up in the castle, caring for the Beast and healing 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.[59] In 358/2 Days, Beast and Belle have returned to their world as the Organization begin appearing. By Kingdom Hearts II, Beast is plagued by his inner darkness brought forth through Xaldin's attempt to acquire his Nobody.[60]

[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.[61] Mulan, a woman, disguises herself as a man to replace her ailing father in the Chinese army.[21] Her unit is led by Captain Shang, and includes Ling, Yao, and Chien-Po. Accompanying Mulan is Mushu, a small dragon who accompanied the main protagonists as a summon in Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories.[15][49]

[edit] Pride Land

The Pride Land features characters from the 1994 animated film, The Lion King. The Pride Land and most of the characters were introduced in Kingdom Hearts II. Simba is a lion and the son of Mufasa, a former king of the Pride Land. He was first introduced in Kingdom Hearts as a summonable ally and appeared again in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories in the same fashion. His father was killed during a wildebeest stampede caused by Simba's uncle, Scar.[62] During Simba's time away from Pride Rock, he met Timon and Pumbaa, a meerkat and a warthog. Nala is a lioness and a childhood friend of Simba's. Later on, the two are reunited in the jungle after Sora revealed to her that Simba was still alive.[63] Rafiki is a wise old mandrill and advisor to the king of the Pride Land. The main antagonist in Pride Land is Scar, a ruthless lion and Mufasa's brother. He made an alliance with Pete in order to stop Simba and Sora from returning. He was defeated, but dark spectres resembling him later returned to prey on Simba's hesitance. Shenzi, Banzai and Ed are the three most prominent hyenas who work for Scar, in the hope that they will get plenty of food while he is king of the Pride Land.

[edit] Port Royal

Port Royal was introduced in Kingdom Hearts II and is occupied by pirates and local residents from the Pirates of the Caribbean film series. Will Turner is a blacksmith from Port Royal and Elizabeth Swann is the daughter of the governor of the port. Port Royal is besieged by the Black Pearl led by Captain Barbossa who, like his crew, was cursed with un-life by Aztec gold. They seek the gold and blood payment needed to break the curse.[64] After the pirates abduct Elizabeth, believing her to be the daughter of their long gone crewmate William "Bootstrap Bill" Turner, Sora and company save Will as the Black Pearl departs. However, Captain Jack Sparrow offers his aid out of his own agenda to reclaim the Black Pearl and settle things with Barbossa.[65] Though the characters of Port Royal were visually more realistic than the other Kingdom Hearts characters, the development team had experience creating realistic character models from earlier Final Fantasy titles. The characters models were created using technology that generated them from live-action pictures.[7]

[edit] 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 disappeared, and that Terra, Aqua, and Ven are sent on a quest to find them, as their disappearance foreshadows disaster. Furthermore, as his actions relate to the Princesses of Heart, Master Xehanort sees Terra as having succumbed to the darkness. He will be featured in the upcoming Playstation Portable game, Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep.[66] He will be voiced by Chikao Ōtsuka.

[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.[67][68] A series of Play Arts action figures has also been released.[69] Other merchandise includes jewelry and key chains modeled after character apparel and accessories.[70] The characters are also featured on posters,[70] desktop wallpapers,[71] and trading cards that are part of the Kingdom Hearts Trading Card Game.[72]

[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.[73][74][75] 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".[73] 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".[74]

GameSpot commented the first game created a "fascinating world" using the Disney and Final Fantasy characters.[76] 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.[77] GameSpy stated the inclusion of the Disney and Square Enix characters was handled well.[74] 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.[78] IGN listed him as a possible character in Super Smash Bros. Brawl;[79] though he was not chosen as the "reader's choice".[80]

GameSpy praised the voice cast and voice acting in the first and third games.[74][81] G4TV awarded Kingdom Hearts II "Best Voice Over" in their 2006 G-phoria Awards.[82] 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."[83] Gaming Age praised the voice work in the first and third game and the localization of the dialogue.[77][84] They commented the voice acting in the first game was one of its best features.[84] 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.[77]

[edit] References

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  23. ^ Goofy: Hey, why don't ya come with us? We can go to other worlds on our vessel. / Sora: I wonder if I could find Riku and Kairi... / Donald Duck: Of course. / Goofy: Are you sure? / Donald Duck: Who knows? But we need him to come with us to help us find the king. Square. Kingdom Hearts. (Square Electronic Arts). PlayStation 2. (2002-11-15)
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  39. ^ Ansem Report 10: My path is set. I shall seek out the wielder of the Keyblade, and the princesses. My body is too frail for such a journey, but I must do this. I will cast it off and plunge into the depths of darkness. Square Co.. Kingdom Hearts. (Square, Disney Interactive). PlayStation 2. (2002-09-17)
  40. ^ Mickey: But, what you actually fought was his Heartless. Ya see, he wasn't really Ansem. He just went around telling everybody that he was. Square Enix. Kingdom Hearts II. (Square Enix U.S.A., Buena Vista Games). PlayStation 2. (2006-03-28)
  41. ^ Ansem the Wise: Xemnas, the Organization's Superior, is the Nobody of Xehanort, my foremost apprentice. Square Enix. Kingdom Hearts II. (Square Enix U.S.A., Buena Vista Games). PlayStation 2. (2006-03-28)
  42. ^ Riku: So let me guess... You want to pull me back into the darkness and play puppet master again... right? / Ansem: Clever boy. You'll make a fine host. Now, surrender to me again and — Jupiter. Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories. (Square Enix, Disney Interactive). Game Boy Advance. (2004-12-07)
  43. ^ a b c Studio BentStuff, ed (2005) (in Japanese). Kingdom Hearts II Ultimania. Square Enix. ISBN 4-7575-1621-5. 
  44. ^ Ansem the Wise: I admit... my disregard brought chaos to more worlds than one. But what were YOU seeking? You erased me from the world, only to take my name and continue research better left forgotten... Is this the answer you've been looking for? / Xemnas: All that and more. I'm carrying on what you yourself began, and I'm creating a brand new world, one heart at a time. Square Enix. Kingdom Hearts II. (Square Enix U.S.A., Buena Vista Games). PlayStation 2. (2006-03-28)
  45. ^ a b c "Kingdom Hearts II Tetsuya Nomura interview". Video Game Blogger. http://www.videogamesblogger.com/2006/08/11/kingdom-hearts-ii-tetsuya-nomura-interview.htm. Retrieved on 2007-06-19. 
  46. ^ Yen Sid: Nobodies may seem to have feelings, but this is a ruse---they only pretend to have hearts. Square Enix. Kingdom Hearts II. (Square Enix U.S.A., Buena Vista Games). PlayStation 2. (2006-03-28)
  47. ^ Saïx: Pitiful Heartless, mindlessly collecting hearts. And yet they know not the true power of what they hold. The rage of the Keyblade releases those hearts. They gather in darkness, masterless and free… until they weave together to make Kingdom Hearts. And when that time comes, we can truly, finally exist. Square Enix. Kingdom Hearts II. (Square Enix U.S.A., Buena Vista Games). PlayStation 2. (2006-03-28)
  48. ^ Goofy: We sure do! Pete's been causin' trouble for ages! His Majesty banished him to another dimension a long time ago. I wonder how he escaped. / Pete: You wanna know how, eh? Well, Maleficent busted me out, that's how! And now your world---no, no, no, all the worlds---are gonna belong to yours truly. Cause Maleficent's gonna help me conquer 'em! Square Enix. Kingdom Hearts II. (Square Enix U.S.A., Buena Vista Games). PlayStation 2. (2006-03-28)
  49. ^ a b c d e f g h Hollinger, Elizabeth (2004). Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories Official Strategy Guide. BradyGames Publishing. ISBN 0-7440-0473-X. 
  50. ^ Minnie: Oh, and to chronicle your travels, he will accompany you. / Jiminy: Over here! Cricket’s the name. Jiminy Cricket, at your service. Square. Kingdom Hearts. (Square Electronic Arts). PlayStation 2. (2002-11-15)
  51. ^ a b c d e f g Zdyrko, Dave (2002-02-06). "Kingdom Hearts Preview". IGN. http://ps2.ign.com/articles/136/136467p1.html. Retrieved on 2007-09-05. 
  52. ^ Aladdin: I...I wish... ...for your freedom, Genie. A deal’s a deal, Genie. Now, you can go anywhere you want. You’re your own master. But if you can, it’d be great if you could go along with them and help Sora find Jasmine. Square Co.. Kingdom Hearts. (Square Electronic Arts). PlayStation 2. (2002-11-15)
  53. ^ Aladdin: Genie and Carpet took off to see the world. It's what Genie always wanted, so I wished him the best and all, but... / Goofy: You miss him. / Sora: Man, things must be REALLY quiet with Genie gone. Square Enix. Kingdom Hearts II. (Square Enix U.S.A., Buena Vista Games). PlayStation 2. (2006-03-28)
  54. ^ Aladdin: Can't believe it... That stupid peddler let Jafar out of the lamp! Square Enix. Kingdom Hearts II. (Square Enix U.S.A., Buena Vista Games). PlayStation 2. (2006-03-28)
  55. ^ Geppetto: A man named Leon helped us. He even got us this house to live in. Square Co.. Kingdom Hearts. (Square Electronic Arts). PlayStation 2. (2002-11-15)
  56. ^ Yuna: Excuse me, are you with the Restoration Committee? / ... / Paine: Let's report. / Donald: To who? / Yuna: Our leader, of course! / Rikku: Yeah, you know, Malefi--- Square Enix. Kingdom Hearts II. (Square Enix U.S.A., Buena Vista Games). PlayStation 2. (2006-03-28)
  57. ^ Tron: A number of my functions were appropriated when I last took on the MCP. That's why I need the password. If I can get inside the DTD, I can access my original backup program and restore all my functions. Square Enix. Kingdom Hearts II. (Square Enix U.S.A., Buena Vista Games). PlayStation 2. (2006-03-28)
  58. ^ Goofy: Yen Sid is the King's teacher! Square Enix. Kingdom Hearts II. (Square Enix U.S.A., Buena Vista Games). PlayStation 2. (2006-03-28)
  59. ^ Beast: Why... Why did you...you come here? I came to fight for Belle. And though I am on my own, I will fight. I won’t leave without her. That’s why I’m here. / Sora: Me too. I’m not gonna give up now. I came here to find someone very important to me. Square Co.. Kingdom Hearts. (Square Electronic Arts). PlayStation 2. (2002-11-15)
  60. ^ Xaldin: It's time you dealt with Belle. She's scheming to take everything you have. This castle, your precious rose. And then---your life. Trust no one. Feed your anger! Only anger will keep you strong. / Beast: I've had enough of strength. There's only one thing I want--- / Xaldin: What? To love, and be loved in return? Who could ever love a beast? Square Enix. Kingdom Hearts II. (Square Enix U.S.A., Buena Vista Games). PlayStation 2. (2006-03-28)
  61. ^ Shang: You've done a passable job. But stay alert! This is just the beginning. Shan-Yu has invaded our country. We must stop him at all costs. Square Enix. Kingdom Hearts II. (Square Enix U.S.A., Buena Vista Games). PlayStation 2. (2006-03-28)
  62. ^ Scar: And here's my little secret... I killed Mufasa. Square Enix. Kingdom Hearts II. (Square Enix U.S.A., Buena Vista Games). PlayStation 2. (2006-03-28)
  63. ^ Nala: There was... but he died... when he was just a cub. He was the son of our last king, Mufasa. If only Simba were here... / Sora: Simba!? But Simba's just fine! He was fighting right beside us not that long ago. Square Enix. Kingdom Hearts II. (Square Enix U.S.A., Buena Vista Games). PlayStation 2. (2006-03-28)
  64. ^ Barbossa: This is no trinket, missy. This is cursed Aztec gold. One of eight hundred and eighty-two identical pieces they delivered in a stone chest to Cortez himself. Square Enix. Kingdom Hearts II. (Square Enix U.S.A., Buena Vista Games). PlayStation 2. (2006-03-28)
  65. ^ Jack Sparrow: Treasure's already his. So's the curse upon it. I've no desire for such treacherous spoils. But I will have back what's mine---the Black Pearl.Square Enix. Kingdom Hearts II. (Square Enix U.S.A., Buena Vista Games). PlayStation 2. (2006-03-28)
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