Now that the Kingdom Hearts mainline trilogy has come to an end, fans are wondering if there will be a Kingdom Hearts IV. Given the series' explosive popularity with Disney and Final Fantasy enthusiasts, it seems all but likely that a sequel is coming.
With one of the most convoluted storylines in video games, this list will attempt to shed light on Kingdom Hearts. Moreover, it will dissect our favorite characters to see what makes them tick. Kingdom Hearts characters are from the Disney and Final Fantasy universes, but also unique ones were created for Kingdom Hearts. Here's the ranking of the best Kingdom Hearts characters across the series.
10 Donald Duck
A royal assistant for King Mickey, Donald Duck's homeworld is the Disney Castle. This colorful character joins forces with Sora so that he can find King Mickey. Soon after, it's clear that his motives change since Donald Duck becomes a close friend to Sora.
Allying with Sora and Goofy, the dynamic trio has overcome impossible odds to fight the darkness. With a mastery of spells, Donald Duck wields a staff. He is one of our favorite Kingdom Hearts characters.
9 Goofy
Captain of the Royal Knights, Goofy serves King Mickey at Disney's Castle. We love Goofy for his bravery in the face of the fiercest foes, and his optimism in the most inhospitable situations.
He is something of a doofus in the Disney cartoons, but Goofy is mostly composed in Kingdom Hearts. Misportrayed as unintelligent, as his name would suggest, Goofy is the voice of reason and one of the smartest characters in the Kingdom Hearts games.
8 Ventus
As one of the main protagonists of the Kingdom Hearts series, Ventus has appeared in games like Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep and Kingdom Hearts Coded.
We can't ignore the uncanny resemblance between Ventus and Roxas. According to the Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep guidebook, Roxas and Ventus's similar appearance is because Ventus's heart enters Sora's. Ventus is a part of Sora, which is why Roxas (Sora's Nobody) is visually similar to Ventus.
7 Xion
Xion is a mix of Kairi and Sora. Created from Kairi's memories of Sora, Xion is considered an imperfect replica of Sora. Living in Twilight Town, Xion is a member of Organization XIII and real Organization XIII.
Sounds confusing? Well, real Organization XIII was assembled by Master Xehanort to recreate the x-blade. It serves a different purpose but has some of the same members as Organization XIII. As a character based on Sora, it's no wonder why we like Xion so much.
6 Mickey
The King Mickey Mouse we see in the first Kingdom Hearts shares the same values but is not part of Disney canon. Although we wish it were, Kingdom Hearts is not Disney canon. The first game revolves around Sora, Donald Duck, and Goofy's journey to find King Mickey Mouse.
Mickey Mouse's origin working alongside Captain Pete in the Timeless River world is highlighted in Kingdom Hearts II. Mickey eventually became a Keyblade Master while training under Master Yen Sid. Mickey Mouse is one of the series' most prominent figures.
5 Kairi
We remember Kairi for being the original persona of Naminé. She is a close friend to Sora and Riku and lives on Destiny Islands with her two best friends.
Kairi is one of the only pure-hearted characters without darkness in their heart. It's said that every character has some evil residing in their heart, but Kairi does not. It is her pure heart that allowed Sora to return to the light after the Heartless consumed him.
4 Axel/Lea
Axel and Lea are two different personas, but they are one and the same. Axel was the original persona who served Organization XIII as an assassin. Until one day, Axel was destroyed and his Heartless was lost, which is what allowed Lea to be reborn.
Axel is the Nobody of Lea. Lea is a friend to Sora, and one of the most impactful characters in Kingdom Hearts. Lea appears in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance, and Kingdom Hearts III.
3 Riku
Sora and Riku are both characters from Destiny Islands, a tropical paradise where seemingly nothing can go wrong. They have a close relationship, lest we forget their rivalry.
This relationship was before Ansem fought Sora at the End of the World, before Roxas kicked off the first Kingdom Hearts sequel, and before Sora lost his Keyblade in a struggle with Riku. Riku is a central character in Kingdom Hearts, despite having an evil doppelganger.
2 Roxas
Roxas is the Nobody of Sora. What does that mean? Well, Roxas first appeared in Kingdom Hearts II as a character with a connection to Sora. Sora released his heart to bring Kairi back to the light, which is why Roxas exists.
Albeit Sora restored his heart, Roxas continued to live as a Nobody. He possesses emotions, unlike most other Nobodies. As a part of Organization XIII, Roxas is one of our favorite Kingdom Hearts characters.
1 Sora
There's more than meets the eye to this spiky-haired character from Destiny Islands. He is the original persona of Roxas, who would risk his life to save an innocent person he barely knows.
Sora is the main playable character in games like Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts II, and Kingdom Hearts III. This Keyblade wielder possesses immense power that stems from his mastery over Keyblades and extensive combat experience.