The long-awaited Kingdom Hearts 3 was the first installment in this franchise to be simultaneously released on multiple platforms at once, instead of being exclusive to a single Sony or Nintendo console. It initially launched on both PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, only to be re-released afterward on other systems, like the Nintendo Switch and PC, thanks to digital storefronts like the Epic Games Store and Steam.
Square Enix celebrated this occasion by releasing themed Keyblades for Sora to wield in each version of Kingdom Hearts 3. That’s right — even though the internet was shocked by the recent news of the Steam-exclusive Keyblade, this practice has been going on since the game’s initial release. This list will contain information about these unique weapons: what system they appear in, how to obtain them, and what their individual features are.
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6 Midnight Blue
PlayStation 4
- Obtained by: DLC purchase, Pre-Order Bonus (PlayStation Store)
For many years, the Kingdom Hearts franchise was synonymous with the PlayStation brand, so it was quite endearing to see a Keyblade that represents this entire line of consoles. Midnight Blue not only has a beautiful blue hue that is reminiscent of the PS4’s home screen. It also features numerous references to the four iconic buttons, which extends to its clever particle effects that pop out whenever Sora hits an enemy with it.
Something interesting about Midnight Blue is that it’s a recolor of Star Seeker, another iconic Keyblade that can’t be obtained anywhere else in Kingdom Hearts 3. Power-wise, it’s not particularly strong, since it can be equipped from the beginning of the game. However, its Second Form M transformation and both its Blizzard Boost and Formchange Extender abilities make Midnight Blue a tad more useful than Sora’s regular Kingdom Key.
5 Phantom Green
Xbox One
- Obtained by: DLC purchase, Pre-Order Bonus (Microsoft Store)
Kingdom Hearts 3 marked the franchise’s debut on an Xbox system, and the Phantom Green Keyblade celebrates this achievement. Like Midnight Blue, this weapon’s design represents its console. This one has a vibrant green hue that is reminiscent of the Xbox brand's iconic color scheme. Phantom Green also has a few other interesting little details. Its keychain has the colors of the buttons of the Xbox One controller, and little Xbox logos pop out whenever Sora hits an enemy.
This Keyblade’s stats and abilities function pretty much identically to its PlayStation 4 counterpart. This makes sense, considering that it would have been unfair to give either console an advantage. The only main difference is that it has the Thunder Boost ability (instead of Blizzard Boost) and its transformation is called Second Form P, even though it works exactly like any other Second Form in the game.
4 Advent Red
Nintendo Switch
- Obtained by: Default (Only on Nintendo Switch)
This may be one of the most obscure Keyblades in the franchise, mainly because of how unpopular the cloud-based Nintendo Switch ports of the Kingdom Hearts games are. This is a shame, because this franchise has had a close relationship with Nintendo’s handhelds. Nevertheless, Advent Red is a beautiful Keyblade with a lovely red, blue, and black color scheme that represents the console’s signature Joy-Con controllers.
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Advent Red is especially interesting because it’s a recolor of Mickey Mouse’s Keyblade in Kingdom Hearts 3: Star Cluster, another weapon that Sora can’t otherwise obtain. Once again, it’s not particularly strong, because it can be equipped from the start. It features another variation of Second Form as its transformation, this time called Second Form A. Advent Red stands out from the other home console exclusive Keyblades by having the useful Magic Roulette ability, which allows the players to spawn Grand Magic Situation Commands without having met the usual requirements.
3 Elemental Encoder
Epic Games Store
- Obtained by: Default (Only on Epic Games Store)
In 2021, the Kingdom Hearts franchise finally arrived on PC thanks to the ports that were released on the Epic Games Store. Many fans were disappointed by this (initial) exclusivity, but it made sense, considering that Kingdom Hearts 3 was created with Epic Games’ Unreal Engine 4. The Elemental Encoder was the Keyblade created for this special release of the game.
This is yet another recolor of Star Cluster, this time in black and white, since those are the main colors of the Epic Games Store. It doesn’t look bad, but it lacks the creativity and care that was put into the designs of the other system-exclusive Keyblades. Even the name Elemental Encoder feels boring. It’s a reference to its Magic Roulette ability, instead of being a nod to any part of the Epic Games Store’s identity. It also features yet another variation of Sora’s first Keyblade transformation, this time named Second Form E.
2 Dead of Night
Steam
- Obtained by: Default (Only on Steam)
The long-awaited and recently released ports of the Kingdom Hearts games on Steam were received with a thunderous applause by most fans. This excitement only grew with the announcement of its own Kingdom Hearts 3 exclusive Keyblade, called Dead of Night.
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For starters, this is a great name, since it’s a callback to the battle theme for the Destiny Islands in the first Kingdom Hearts game. It also references the Keyblade’s beautiful nocturnal hue, which, in turn, is an homage to the Steam store’s classic color scheme. And, while Advent Red disappointingly reused the same particle effects as Elemental Encoder, Dead of Night spawns bright blue stars whenever Sora hits an opponent. It features the same abilities as the previous two Keyblades, and its transformation is known as Second Form D.
1 Dawn Till Dusk
7-Eleven & Amazon
- Obtained by: DLC purchase (PS Store & Microsoft Store), Pre-Order Bonus (7-Eleven in Japan or Amazon in North America)
While this isn’t a system-exclusive Keyblade, it’s so unique and weird that it belongs to this list. Dawn Till Dusk is actually exclusive to a real life convenience store. In collaboration with the popular 7-Eleven brand, Square Enix released this fascinating green and yellow Keyblade, in reference to the store's iconic color scheme. However, this clever nod was completely lost when it was released as an Amazon Pre-Order bonus in North America.
Even the name Dawn Till Dusk is quite a genius reference to the fact that 7-Eleven stores open from 7 AM (dawn) until 11 PM (dusk). This theme can also be seen in the colorful moons and stars that pop out whenever Sora hits an enemy with it. This is once again another regularly strong Keyblade with decent stats, and that features Second Form D transformation. Lastly, Dawn Till Dusk has the Fire Boost ability, completing the elemental trio that was set up with Midnight Blue and Phantom Green.
