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Organization 13 is only the surface level of the "number 13 iceberg" that appears in the Kingdom Hearts series. Outside of Kingdom Hearts, the number is symbolic of the superstitious for being unlucky, seen via ideas like Friday the 13th. In astrology, it is a number associated with suffering, death, and rebirth.
Fear of the number 13 is even scattered throughout history and biblical stories. For example, the explosion of Apollo 13 or Judas being the 13th arrival at the Last Supper. The number 13 is so infamous there is even a phobia called triskaidekaphobia. For fans of Kingdom Hearts, it's a common sight, and part of this may be a result of its infamy in real life.
Examples of 13 in Kingdom Hearts
Organization 13:
Organization 13 is the most obvious time the number comes up, but it is not associated with 13 for no reason. This evil group represents the 13 darknesses meant to create the ultimate power of the X-blade (or Chi-blade), darkness that clashes with the seven hearts of light making up Sora's team. Seven is a number that is symbolically opposite to 13, often associated with holiness and luck. Also "light" and "darkness" added together is 13 letters total.
Character Trios:
Three is another popular number in the Kingdom Hearts series, as most friends come in trios. Two of the trios create the number 13, as Sora, Kairi, and Riku's names together add up to 13 letters. The same is true for Xion, Roxas, and Axel.
Kingdom Hearts:
Kingdom Hearts is the namesake of the series and what ultimate antagonist Xehanort is after. It sets the plot in motion, yet is shrouded in mystery. Some fans to this day do not truly know what Kingdom Hearts is, but its name happens to be spelled with 13 letters.
Number of Worlds:
A big part of the fun in Kingdom Hearts is exploring various worlds, both Disney-oriented and original. It takes up a significant part of the story, and it does give the sense of an epic adventure. There are 13 worlds to explore in the original Kingdom Hearts, in Birth by Sleep, and in Kingdom Hearts 2.
World Names:
There are more 13 patterns in the Kingdom Hearts worlds than just how many there are. Worlds such as the Radiant Garden, Hollow Bastion, End of the World, and the Timeless River are all spelled with 13 letters. Given most of these worlds are original to the series and not Disney-related, it's likely this was intentional.
Castle Oblivion:
Introduced in Chain of Memories, Castle Oblivion is a massive place that used to be the Land of Departure before Aqua changed it to house her comatose friend Ventus. While the castle induces memory loss in its inhabitants thanks to the presence of Namine in Chain of Memories, one other important detail is that it has 13 floors to climb.
Ars Arcanum:
Ars Arcanum was introduced in the first game, and has been called "Final Arcana" and "Last Arcanum" depending on the game. It is a flurry attack used by Sora, making him hit everything within a close range. If used correctly, it hits enemies 13 times.
Ansem's Reports:
The Ansem Reports are pieces of lore text that can be collected in the games. There were 13 pages to Ansem's reports in Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts 2, and the name "Ansem's Reports" itself is even spelled with 13 letters.
The Gap Between Games:
Many fans felt the wait for Kingdom Hearts 3 after Kingdom Hearts 2 was too long. However, it is possible that the gap was intentional for more than one reason. Kingdom Hearts 3 was planned to release in 2018 but got pushed back to 2019. If it was not pushed back, there would have been a 13-year gap between Kingdom Hearts 2 and its numerical sequel.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate:
Recently, Sora was announced for Super. Smash Bros. Ultimate. Despite not being a direct part of Kingdom Hearts, the number 13 still made its way into this release. His update will bring the game to version 13.0 and he was announced on October 5, and set to be released 13 days later.
Why the Obsession With Number 13?
To answer why Kingdom Hearts loves the number 13, one also has to know it isn't the only number Kingdom Hearts has an obsession with. The other number is seven, with examples including the seven wonders of Twilight Town, seven princesses of heart, X-blade's seven pieces of light, Roxas hitting DiZ's computer seven times, seven worlds to explore in four of the games, and Roxas spending seven days in the Twilight Town datascape.
The number 13 stands for darkness and seven stands for light; the two major powers of the Kingdom Hearts series. The X-blade's fracturing also fragmented different worlds from each other, so it is also not a stretch to believe that numbers 13 and seven keep re-appearing to reflect that the the guardian to Kingdom Hearts is shattered, like an eerie cry for help.
Despite being opposites, 13 and seven are both unsettling numbers. They are odd, meaning that they cannot be divided without at least one number left over. In that sense, they do not feel whole. This is also symbolic of the destruction of the X-blade, and further symbolic of many characters such as the Nobodies, those who do not feel whole. It can also be seen as a reflection of friendships torn apart by the series' drama, like with Riku and Sora during the first Kingdom Hearts.