Characters of Kingdom Hearts

A piece of promotional artwork for Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix+ that showcases the main characters of the series up to II; Sora appears twice in the center in two different outfits with his Kingdom Hearts II design next to Roxas (left) and his original design next to Riku (right), with the members of Organization XIII at 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 Enix 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, Final Fantasy and The World Ends with You characters, as well as several new characters designed by Tetsuya Nomura. In addition, it has an all-star voice cast which includes many of the Disney characters' official voice actors.

The series centers on Sora's search for his friends and his encounters with various Disney and Final Fantasy characters along the way. Players primarily control Sora, though there are numerous characters that join Sora's party as computer controlled members. The majority of the characters were introduced in the original game Kingdom Hearts. Subsequent installments including Chain of Memories, Kingdom Hearts II, 358/2 Days, Birth by Sleep and coded featured several new original, Disney and Final Fantasy characters while the most recent game Dream Drop Distance introduces several characters from Square Enix's The World Ends with You.

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.

Creation and influences

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

The Kingdom Hearts series is directed by Tetsuya Nomura, 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. 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. 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. 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.

The inclusion of specific Final Fantasy characters was based on the opinions of fans and the development staff. Another criterion for inclusion was whether the staff felt the characters would fit into the storyline and in the Kingdom Hearts universe. Initially, Nomura was hesitant to use characters he did not design, because he was unfamiliar with the background work of such characters. For Kingdom Hearts II, he changed his mind after receiving pressure from his staff. 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.

Main characters

Sora

Main article: Sora (Kingdom Hearts)

Sora (ソラ) is an original character created by Tetsuya Nomura. He is the protagonist of the Kingdom Hearts series and the character that the player directly controls through a majority of the games. Sora's weapon is the Keyblade. Nomura has stated that Sora's name can be interpreted as "sky"; the Japanese word for sky is sora (空).

Sora is voiced by Miyu Irino in the Japanese version and by Haley Joel Osment in the English version. The character's child version is voiced by Takuto Yoshinaga in the Japanese version and by Luke Manriquez in the English version.

Riku

Riku (リク) is an original character created by Tetsuya Nomura. He is Sora's and Kairi's best friend. Nomura has stated that Riku's name can be interpreted as "land"; the Japanese on'yomi pronunciation of land is riku (陸). Riku's character represents one of the series' main themes alongside Sora which is "the light and the dark sides of hearts."

During Kingdom Hearts, Riku is motivated by his wish to go to other worlds and gain strength. However, Riku goes with the darkness as his world is attacked by the Heartless. He is separated from his friends and ends up at Hollow Bastion where he is found by Maleficent and receives his weapon known as the Soul Eater (ソウルイーター) from her. Under her influence, Riku turns on Sora and searches for a way to help Kairi. Riku becomes possessed by Ansem, Seeker of Darkness, until being 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 Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, Riku appears as a playable character as he awakens in the basement levels of Castle Oblivion and begins climbing to the ground floor. Along the way, Riku faces Ansem seeking to control him once again as well as Zexion and a replica of himself. After learning of Sora's comatose state, Riku chooses to find a balance between his light and darkness, allowing him to defeat what remains of Ansem within him.

Soon after in Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, Riku joins DIZ to ensure Sora is restored in peace by capturing Roxas in order to make Sora complete again. He fights against Roxas as the final boss. After Roxas defeats him, Riku uses the power of darkness to capture him at the cost of becoming a physical manifestation of Ansem. In Kingdom Hearts II, Riku is trapped in his Ansem form, but helps Sora in secret, eventually gaining his Way to the Dawn (ウェイトゥザドーン) Keyblade. Riku returns to his original form when Ansem the Wise's machine used to digitally seal away Kingdom Hearts malfunctions and self-destructs. Joining Sora's party, they battle and defeat Xemnas, and return to Destiny Islands.

As revealed in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, Riku as a young boy was granted the power to wield a Keyblade by Terra. In Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance, Riku serves as a playable character alongside Sora as the two are instructed to take the Mark of Mastery exam in order to become Keyblade Masters and prepare to fight Xehanort. The two of them undergo a series of trials through various dream worlds. After saving Sora from Xehanort's group, and releasing Sora's heart from Ventus' armor, Riku is declared a Keyblade Master. Nomura emphasizes how Riku is the main focus of this game as it shows the character's growth across the series.

Riku is voiced by Mamoru Miyano in the Japanese version and by David Gallagher in the English version. The character's child version is voiced by Eiji Shima in the Japanese version and Ty Panitz in the English version.

Kairi

Kairi (カイリ) is an original character created by Tetsuya Nomura for the Kingdom Hearts series. She is Sora and Riku's best friend, and one of the seven Princesses of Heart. Nomura has stated that Kairi's name can be interpreted as "sea or separation",; the Japanese on'yomi pronunciation of sea is kai (海).

During Kingdom Hearts, Kairi's heart enters Sora's while her body falls into a deep sleep when Destiny Islands is destroyed by the Heartless. Upon learning her identity as a Princess of Heart and the location of her heart, Sora gives up his heart in order to release hers and restore it back into her body. Soon after, Kairi finds Sora's Heartless and restores him back to human form. Kairi later stays in Destiny Islands awaiting Sora's return from his journey.

During Chain of Memories, Naminé's memory-altering powers break the memories in Sora's heart as well as those of all his friends, leading Kairi to lose her memories of him. In Kingdom Hearts II, Kairi gradually remembers Sora as his own memories are restored. Later, Kairi is kidnapped by Axel in the hopes to use Kairi to lure Sora to him. However, Saïx takes Kairi from Axel and imprisons her in a jail cell in the World That Never Was. But with the help of Naminé and Riku, she escapes her cell and uses her Destiny's Embrace (デスティニープレイス, lit. "Destiny Place") Keyblade to fight the Heartless summoned by Saïx. Kairi reunites with Sora's group to face and defeat Xemnas. Kairi then returns with Sora and Riku to Destiny Islands.

According to Birth by Sleep, Kairi is originally a resident of Radiant Garden. During an encounter with Aqua, she is given a protective charm to keep her safe from darkness (which would lead to her being sent to Destiny Islands when Xehanort performs an experiment where all six apprentices of Ansem the Wise cause the invasion of darkness).

In Dream Drop Distance, Yen Sid has Kairi summoned to train her in the use of her Keyblade in response their future fight against Xehanort's Organization XIII.

Kairi is voiced by Risa Uchida in the Japanese version of the series. In the English version, the character is voiced by Hayden Panettiere in Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts II and Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, and Alyson Stoner during Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories and Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. The character's child version is voiced by Sumire Morohoshi in Japanese and by Ariel Winter in English.

King Mickey

Main article: Mickey Mouse

King Mickey is the ruler of Disney Castle and, by extension, Disney Town. His inclusion in the series was initially restricted to a small cameo for only one scene. The larger role he played in the sequels first required the approval of Disney.

By the time Kingdom Hearts begins and the Heartless begin to invade other worlds, Mickey leaves his world to discover the cause, leaving a message to Donald and Goofy telling them to find and protect the Keyblade wielder. His journey ultimately leads him to obtaining a new Keyblade, the Kingdom Key D (キングダムチェーンD, lit. "Kingdom Chain D"), from within the realm of darkness, using it to seal Kingdom Hearts with Sora. In Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, he helps Riku in his inner fight against Ansem who previously possessed him. Mickey helps uncover Organization XIII's plan before helping Sora directly during Kingdom Hearts II. He is 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. He is also a playable character in the multiplayer mode of Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. In the aftermath of both Ansem and Xemnas's utter defeat, Mickey returns to his world, only to go on another adventure in the events of Kingdom Hearts coded, where he learns the fates of Terra, Aqua, and Ventus, and contacts Sora to help them. He originally meets them during the time of Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, Mickey is a student under Yen Sid and while helping out them with the Star Seeker (スターシーカー) Keyblade.

Mickey Mouse is voiced by Takashi Aoyagi in the Japanese version of the series. In the English version, King Mickey was voiced by Wayne Allwine in all games from Kingdom Hearts to 358/2 Days, and now voiced by Bret Iwan in all subsequent games starting with Birth by Sleep.

Donald Duck

Main article: Donald Duck

Donald Duck is the court magician of Disney Castle, King Mickey's majordomo, and one of Sora's two partners throughout the series. 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. However, he eventually grows to deeply care for him as a friend. At the end of Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, he, Sora, and Goofy are put to sleep for a year while their memories are fixed by Naminé. In Kingdom Hearts II, he awakens with his friends and continues to fight the Heartless along with the Nobodies and Organization XIII. Donald is playable in the multiplayer mode of Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. In Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance, he saves Riku and Mickey from Xehanort's Guardian when he and Goofy strike the Heartless from behind.

Donald Duck is voiced by Kōichi Yamadera in the Japanese version and by Tony Anselmo in the English version.

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. Despite his position as a knight, Goofy dislikes using weapons, instead wielding a simple shield, and prefers to avoid fighting whenever possible. Goofy retains his trademark clumsiness and simple-mindedness in this series, but is an eternal optimist who takes life in stride. He has surprisingly accurate intuitive skills, often noticing things that others miss. Under King Mickey's orders in Kingdom Hearts, he accompanies Donald on the quest to accompany the Keyblade wielder, Sora. At the end of Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, he, Sora, and Donald are put to sleep for a year while their memories are fixed by Naminé. In Kingdom Hearts II, he awakens with his friends and continues to fight the Heartless along with the Nobodies and Organization XIII. He is a playable character in the multiplayer mode of Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. In Kingdom Hearts 3D, he and Donald saves Riku and Mickey from Xehanort's Guardian by striking the Heartless from behind.

Goofy is voiced by Yū Shimaka in the Japanese version and by Bill Farmer in the English version.

Roxas

Main article: Roxas (Kingdom Hearts)

Roxas (ロクサス, Rokusasu) is Sora's Nobody. He is created when Sora becomes a Heartless to save Kairi in Kingdom Hearts. "Roxas" is an anagram of "Sora" with an X. He is playable in the beginning portion of Kingdom Hearts II where Roxas lives in DiZ's digital Twilight Town after abandoning Organization XIII and being captured by Riku. He merges with Sora to wake him up from his slumber. He is also the protagonist from Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days which follows his life in the Organization.

Roxas is voiced by Kōki Uchiyama in the Japanese version and by Jesse McCartney in the English version.

Naminé

Naminé (ナミネ, Namine) is an original character created for the Kingdom Hearts series. She is Kairi's Nobody, created during the events of Kingdom Hearts. 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, for which she is referred to as a witch.

Naminé first appears in Chain of Memories, where she alters Sora's memories under the orders of Organization XIII to remember her as a close friend from Destiny Islands. She is later released by Axel under his own agenda and reveals the truth to Sora. After Marluxia is defeated, Naminé puts Sora, Donald, and Goofy to sleep for a year in order to restore their memories to their original state. Naminé also saves Riku in "Reverse/Rebirth" from Zexion by teaching him to not fear the darkness. In Kingdom Hearts II, Naminé visits Roxas in the virtual Twilight Town to help him discover his true identity. Though she outlives her purpose in Sora's restoration, Riku entrusts Naminé to the now rogue Axel after DiZ gives him orders to destroy her. While Kairi is trapped in the Organization's dungeon, Naminé appears and helps her escape. She meets with Roxas once more through Sora after Xemnas's apparent defeat, and opens a portal to lead Sora and his friends go home, after which she fuses with Kairi to complete her. During the events of coded, it is revealed that Naminé had created a copy of herself within Jiminy's journal during the restoration of Sora's memories to contact Mickey and reveal to him Sora's ties to herself, Roxas, Xion, Axel, Terra, Aqua and Ventus.

Naminé is voiced by Iku Nakahara in the Japanese version of the series. In the English version, the character was originally voiced by Brittany Snow in Kingdom Hearts II and now by Meaghan Martin in all subsequent appearances/remakes.

Terra

Terra (テラ, Tera) is an original character created by Tetsuya Nomura who appears as one of the three protagonists of Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep. He is a Keyblade wielder raised and trained by Master Eraqus alongside Aqua and Ventus, developing a strong sibling-like bond and sharing his dream of becoming a Keyblade Master with them. During the exam to obtain the Mark of Mastery, Master Xehanort manipulates the trials to stimulate the darkness that resides inside of Terra. Terra becomes troubled upon learning that the darkness in his heart is too strong, for which he is denied the Mark of Mastery. He is thus easily manipulated by Master Xehanort's encouragements to embrace and channel his darkness into power, This, in turn, causes him to succumb to the darkness and become possessed by Xehanort. His fate remains unknown as Xemnas and Ansem's destruction brought back Master Xehanort instead of his possessed self.

Terra is voiced by Ryōtarō Okiayu in the Japanese version and by Jason Dohring in the English version.

Ventus

Ventus (ヴェントゥス, Ventusu), also known as Ven (ヴェン), is an original character created by Tetsuya Nomura who appears as one of the three protagonists of Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep. His name means "wind" in Latin and his Wayward Wind (フレッシュブリーズ, lit. "Fresh Breeze") Keyblade (which he wields in a reverse grip) both have a "sky" theme similar to that of Sora. He is one of the three Keyblade apprentices from The Land of Departure training to become a Keyblade Master. The exploration of his identity, including his striking resemblance to Roxas, is a major theme in the game, which shows him being stripped of the darkness in his heart and sent to train under Master Eraqus by Master Xehanort so he may form an all-powerful Keyblade called the χ-blade.

Ventus shares Roxas's voice actors: Kōki Uchiyama in Japanese and Jesse McCartney in English.

Aqua

Aqua (アクア, Akua) is an original character created by Tetsuya Nomura who appears as one of the three protagonists of Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep. Her name means "water" in Latin and wields the Rainfell (レインフォール, lit. "Rainfall") Keyblade which both carries a water theme similar to that of Kairi's "sea" meaning. She is the only one among her friends to succeed in achieving the rank of Keyblade Master by the start of the game, and is tasked by Master Eraqus to watch over Terra and bring Ventus home. Unlike Ventus and Terra, Aqua was not part of Xehanort's plans, so she remained largely unaware of them. She delved into the Realm of Darkness, replacing the possessed Terra; Aqua now awaits Sora to rescue her.

Aqua is voiced by Megumi Toyoguchi in the Japanese version and by Willa Holland in the English version.

Antagonists

Master Xehanort

Xehanort (ゼアノート, Zeanōto), Master Xehanort (マスター・ゼアノート, Masutā Zeanōto), Terra-Xehanort (テラ-ゼアノート, Tera-Zeanōto) and Young Xehanort, is the main antagonist of the Kingdom Hearts series. His name is an anagram of "No Heart" and "Another" with the additional letter "X".

Master Xehanort is an elderly Keyblade Master that uses a Keyblade War-era Keyblade, Terra-Xehanort is Terra's body converted into Xehanort's vessel that can use Ansem's Heartless-like Guardian symbiote, and Young Xehanort originated from the Destiny Islands (like Sora and Riku) that can use of swords similar to Xemnas's Ethereal Blades as well as a Keyblade that features various time elements. Master Xehanort is the main antagonist of Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep. Xehanort is a Keyblade Master (alongside classmate Eraqus). He wandered the worlds as he eventually became obsessed with the Keyblade War's mysteries and sought to recreate the χ-blade to summon Kingdom Hearts. Furthermore, he originally also took Ventus as an apprentice to serve his purposes to prolong his life before the youth's inability to use darkness forced him to extract the boy's darkness as Vanitas while seeing Terra as an ideal pawn in his schemes. Master Xehanort set up several events, having planned to merge his former apprentice Ventus back into his current creation Vanitas to reforge the χ-blade. Once the scheme nearly succeeds at the Keyblade Graveyard, having conditioning Terra into opening the youth's heart to darkness, Master Xehanort transfers his heart into Terra's body to convert into his new vessel. Although he is successful in obtaining his vessel to cheat death, Terra-Xehanort finds resistance in Terra's disembodied will before his conflict reaches its zenith and attempts to purge his host's heart during a fight with Aqua. This results into Terra-Xehanort being an amnesic and then found by Ansem the Wise with Braig's help. As time passes, the amnesiac Terra-Xehanort, as one of Ansem's students, becomes increasingly obsessed with the study of hearts so he can regain his lost memories, steals Ansem's name as his own, and sacrifices his own heart and body to split himself into his Heartless "Ansem" and his Nobody Xemnas, leaving his mind and soul to continuously harass various individuals, including Sora and Riku.

Xehanort's youthful incarnation, prior to leaving Destiny Islands, was arranged to travel forward in time in Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance to assemble his future self's splintered incarnations to form the True Organization XIII (Thirteen Seekers of Darkness). Young Xehanort infiltrates the Sleeping Worlds to harass Sora and Riku. After attempting to recruit Riku as the group's final "member" but failing when the youth proved to be a lost cause, Young Xehanort lures Sora to a dream version of the World That Never Was to take advantage of the youth's inexperience with darkness. Although Young Xehanort failed to defeat Riku, Master Xehanort is restored. Although Xehanort fails to make Sora into the final vessel, Master Xehanort falls back to make the preparations for the χ-blade's recreation while Young Xehanort returns to his own time with no memory of his actions yet motivated to ensure his future self's status.

Master Xehanort will return as the main antagonist in Kingdom Hearts III to have his final showdown with Sora.

Master Xehanort was voiced by Chikao Ōtsuka in the Japanese version and by Leonard Nimoy in the English version. Terra-Xehanort shares Ansem's voice actors (Akio Ōtsuka for Japanese and Richard Epcar for English). Young Xehanort shares Riku's voice actors (Mamoru Miyano for Japanese and David Gallagher for English) [albeit uncredited] in Birth by Sleep while in later games by Takanori Okuda in the Japanese version and by Benjamin Diskin in the English version.

Ansem

Ansem, Seeker of Darkness (闇の探求者 アンセム, Yami no Tankyūsha Ansemu or 闇のアンセム、シーカー Yami no ansemu, shīkā), or simply "Ansem" (アンセム, Ansemu), is Xehanort's Heartless. His name comes from Terra-Xehanort stealing the identity of Ansem the Wise as Xehanort's memories return. He controls a Heartless-like symbiote known as the "Guardian".

"Ansem" appears in Kingdom Hearts as the game's main antagonist. Devoid of a body, he watches Maleficent do his dirty work in gathering the Princesses of Hearts. Once Maleficent served her purpose, Ansem possesses Riku's body to regain a physical presence while dealing with Sora at the End of the World. Although his goal of reaching Kingdom Hearts is realized, the light behind the door to Kingdom Hearts destroys him, causing most of the worlds he destroyed to be restored while the others entered in a state of sleep. But in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, Ansem is revealed to still exist and attempted to take over Riku again within Castle Oblivion, however, Riku subdued Ansem.

Ansem reappears as one of the main antagonists for Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance, having been brought from a moment in time by Young Xehanort. Ansem takes advantage of the Sleeping Worlds to mess with Riku by attempting to open the youth's heart to darkness again. After being defeated by Riku in the Sleeping World version of the World That Never Was, later appearing in the Organization's attire, Ansem attacks Riku and Mickey to hinder from interfering in Master Xehanort's attempt to convert Sora. By that time, it is revealed that Xehanort's scheme included making use of Ansem's bodiless form to make contact with Young Xehanort to enact the back-up plan.

Ansem is voiced by Akio Ōtsuka in the Japanese version of the series. In the English version, the character was originally voiced by Billy Zane in Kingdom Hearts (and again for the Kingdom Hearts Final Mix portion of Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX) and later by Richard Epcar in all subsequent games.

Xemnas

Xemnas (ゼムナス, Zemunasu), also known as "The Superior of the In-Between" (狭間の指導者, Hazama no Shidōsha), is the Nobody of Xehanort as Terra-Xehanort albeit uses an anagram of his stolen alias Ansem with an "X" added for his name. He controls the Sorcerer Nobodies, fights with beams of light he generates from his palms called "Ethereal Blades", can manipulate nothingness to phase through solid matter and manifest energy-based shields and projectiles, and is the leader of Organization XIII.

Xemnas is the main antagonist in Kingdom Hearts II, having used Roxas and Xion prior in Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days for the deed while watching from behind the scenes, getting Sora to gather the hearts from destroyed Emblem Heartless so he can increase the size of the Kingdom Hearts that he is cultivating in the World That Never Was. However, after his followers have been dispatched, Xemnas finds his kingdom Hearts damaged as the result of Ansem the Wise attempt to digitally contain. When Sora and company refuses to aid him in it restoration, Xemnas uses what is left of Kingdom Hearts' power to take on a new form to fight Sora's party. Though Xemnas is thought to be defeated, he separates Sora and Riku from the others to attack them. However, the two defeat Xemnas and he fades into darkness.

Xemnas returns as one of the main antagonists for Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance. Xemnas takes advantage of the Sleeping Worlds to mess with Sora by using the youth's many connected hearts. In a Sleeping World version of the World That Never Was, Sora defeats Xemnas. It is also revealed that Xehanort's back-up actions included Xemnas forming Organization XIII to serve as vessels for Xehanort's heart to achieve a perfect recreation of the χ-blade.

Xemnas is voiced by Norio Wakamoto in the Japanese version and by Paul St. Peter in the English version.

Maleficent

Main article: Maleficent

Maleficent is an evil fairy from Sleeping Beauty. As revealed in the series prequel Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, Maleficent originated from the world Enchanted Dominion as she encountered Terra, Ventus, and Aqua after Master Xehanort reveals the existence of the Seven Princesses of Heart, the Keyblade and other Worlds to her. Serving as the secondary antagonist of Kingdom Hearts, Maleficent formed a group of Disney villains help her take control of all worlds through the power of Kingdom Hearts, using the ruins of Hollow Bastion as a base of operations. However, she is defeated by Sora after Riku—possessed by "Ansem"—unlocks her heart and transforms her into a dragon. But Maleficent is resurrected in Kingdom Hearts II, where she resumes her plans of world domination together with Pete while also seeking revenge against Sora, as well as converting Xemnas' Castle That Never Was into her new base of operations. In Kingdom Hearts coded, unaware that she was in an artificially created simulation of the worlds, Maleficent sought the data in Jiminy's Journal to amass an army of Heartless to invade the outside world. Despite failure to carry out this plan, Maleficent attempted to claim the Datascape in exchange for Queen Minnie's life in Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance; however, she once more was forced to abandon her plan. But as revealed in a secret ending in Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix, after learning what the Datascape is, Maleficent aims her goals to find a relic known as the Book of Prophecies as she believes there may be a link between it and the journal.

Maleficent is voiced by Toshiko Sawada in the Japanese version and by Susanne Blakeslee in the English version.

Villains' Council

The Villains' Council is a council that consists of several Disney villains led by Maleficent, with Pete as second in command. She supplied them with a ready supply of Heartless, and they in turn aid her in her plans by locating the Keyholes and any Princesses of Heart that are there.

• Hades is the smooth-talking Lord of the Underworld. During Birth by Sleep, he is out to destroy Zeus, conquer Mount Olympus, and manipulates hero trainee Zack to fight for him. During Kingdom Hearts, he allied with Maleficent when the Heartless begin their attack, Hades manipulates Cloud to his advantage, but Sora's interference results with Hades and Maleficent going their separate ways. Hades planned to use the Heartless to eliminate Hercules during the Hades Games, only to lose against Sora's team. Curiously, Hades is the only council member that isn't consumed by darkness and one of two council members who outlived Maleficent. During Kingdom Hearts II, Hades revives Auron and later reopens the Underdrome to finish off Hercules, though Sora once again interferes. Hades is voiced by Kyūsaku Shimada in the Japanese version and by James Woods in the English version.

• Jafar is 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 Agrabah. 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 disintegrates. Jafar is voiced by Akira Takarada in the Japanese version and by Jonathan Freeman in the English version.

• Ursula is a Sea Witch who allied herself with Maleficent for the aid of the Heartless in gaining control of Atlantica. She used Ariel to get inside the palace and steal the trident. When her two eel minions, Flotsam and Jetsam are slain during her initial fight with Sora, she vows revenge and grows into a giant. However, she is defeated and fades into darkness. She later revives in Kingdom Hearts II, where she tries to take the trident through Ariel's love for Eric. However, her scheming once again ended with her demise. In Dream Drop Distance, she returns as an apparition in her giant form to battle Sora and Riku, something that comes as a shock to both Keyblade wielders, but is eventually defeated by the two. Ursula is voiced by Kujira in the Japanese version and by Pat Carroll in the English version.

• Oogie Boogie is the Boogie Man, who resembles a large insect-containing burlap sack, that loves to gamble unfairly. He allied himself with Maleficent to bring his brand terror and chaos to Halloween Town in an attempt to ruin Jack's Halloween plans. He tried controlling the Heartless with the artificial heart, but its faulty nature attracted few Heartless, leading to him succumbing to darkness, while taking control over his entire manor. Though defeated in the first game, Oogie was later revived by Maleficent in Kingdom Hearts II upon the request of Lock, Shock and Barrel, however he suffered anterograde amnesia and has difficulty remembering things since his resurrection, but still recalls his battle with the heroes. Under her orders, he captures Santa Claus so that he can turn him into a Heartless, before he drives her away saying that she was just cramping his style. Oogie then battles the heroes once again before being defeated for good as Donald smushed his "bug brain". Oogie Boogie is voiced by Hiroshi Hatanaka in the Japanese version and by Ken Page in the English version.

• Captain Hook is a pirate captain from Neverland who seeks revenge on Pan for taking his left hand, that was fed to the crocodile. 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 return's in 358/2 Days, looking for treasure which Pete placed Heartless in that response to the darkness in Hook's heart. Eventually, Hook ends up waking up the Ruler of the Skies Heartless whose demise heavily damaged his ship. In the Japanese version, Captain Hook is voiced by Chikao Otsuka in Kingdom Hearts and Re:Chain of Memories while Naoya Uchida plays the character in Birth by Sleep. In the English version of the series, the character is voiced by Corey Burton.

• Captain Barbossa is the captain of the Black Pearl during Kingdom Hearts II. He was Jack 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. Barbossa is eventually shot by Sparrow before the curse is broken, with Barbossa falling dead. He is the first live-action character to join the Villain's Council, and is the second villain that is a pirate, but is the first villain to be part of this group whom later becomes a protagonist for his corresponding franchise. Captain Barbossa is voiced by Haruhiko Jo in the Japanese version and by Brian George in the English version.

• Scar is a ruthless black-maned lion who is Simba's Uncle and brother of Mufasa. Wanting to rule the Pride Lands for himself, Scar set up Mufasa's death and turned the land into a barren wasteland. In Kingdom Hearts II, he made an alliance with Pete to further his rule as Sora attempts to help Simba regain his birthright. Though defeated, Scar succumbed to the darkness and prey on Simba's hesitance in the form of spirits. Scar is voiced by Haruhiko Jo in the Japanese version and by James Horan in the English version.

Pete

Main article: Pete (Disney)

Pete is part of the main group of Disney villains led by Maleficent. He is originally a steamboat captain from Disney Castle prior to the events of Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, where he causes mischief in Disney Town until he is banished to another dimension for his evil ways by Queen Minnie. However, he is freed by Maleficent and vows to help her conquer the worlds. As such, he plays an unseen role until Kingdom Hearts II in order to build a Heartless army for Maleficent, and spends much of his appearances in the series following Sora throughout the worlds he and his group visit, mainly to recruit local villains, old and new, to either join Maleficent's fold or turn them into Heartless for his own purposes. Despite his bumbling ways, Pete remains Maleficent's only loyal ally throughout the series.

Pete is voiced by Tōru Ōhira in the Japanese version and by Jim Cummings in the English version.

Organization XIII

Main article: Organization XIII

Organization XIII (XIII機関, Jūsan Kikan, lit."XIII Order") 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 is first formed when Ansem the Wise's six apprentices discard their hearts, their Nobodies becoming the first members of the Organization. Members are numbered in the order in which they joined, with Xemnas numbered first as their leader. Each member also has the letter "X" placed in his or her name, the remaining letters being an anagram of their name prior to becoming a Nobody. 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.

Several Organization members were introduced in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, divided into two parties that are eventually destroyed by Sora and Riku. In Kingdom Hearts II, the Organization's plan is fully revealed as they use Sora to eliminate the Heartless, taking the hearts that emerge and using them to create Kingdom Hearts, which they believe will allow them to regain their own hearts and existences.

Xigbar is voiced by Hōchū Ōtsuka in the Japanese version and by James Patrick Stuart in the English version. Xaldin is voiced by Yōsuke Akimoto in the Japanese version and by David Dayan Fisher in the English version. Vexen is voiced by Nachi Nozawa in the Japanese version and by Derek Stephen Prince in the English version. Lexaeus is voiced by Fumihiko Tachiki in the Japanese version and by Dave Boat in the English version. Zexion is voiced by Akira Ishida in the Japanese version and by Vince Corazza in the English version. Saïx is voiced by Ginpei Sato in the Japanese version and by Kirk Thornton in the English version. Axel is voiced by Keiji Fujiwara in the Japanese releases while Quinton Flynn provided the voice for the English releases. Demyx is voiced by Kenichi Suzumura in the Japanese version and by Ryan O'Donohue in the English version. Luxord is voiced by Jouji Nakata in the Japanese version and by Robin Atkin Downes in the English version. Marluxia is voiced by Shūichi Ikeda in the Japanese version and by Keith Ferguson in the English releases. Larxene is voiced by Yuko Miyamura in the Japanese version and by Shanelle Workman in the English releases.

Vanitas

Vanitas (ヴァニタス, Vanitasu) is the embodiment of the darkness in Ventus's heart and Master Xehanort's creation/apprentice. In the form of a masked teenager, Vanitas normally wears a mask which hides a face that shares a strong physical resemblance with Sora as a result of Ventus' connection with the child's heart. In addition to wielding his Void Gear (ヴォイドギア) Keyblade, the Unversed are extensions of his being produced from negative emotions. His name is derived from the Latin word for "emptiness" which connects with Ventus's and Sora's names.

One of the main antagonists in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, Vanitas exists for the purpose of fighting with Ventus so that their respective hearts of pure darkness and light can merge back into one as part of Xehanort's attempt to recreate the χ-blade. To that end, Vanitas goads Ventus into following Terra while pitting him against the Unversed to strengthen him until he became an equal for the plan to work. Once Ventus met his expectations at the Keyblade Graveyard, Vanitas has the Unversed hold Ventus down so he can fuse back into the boy's body with the χ-blade manifested. But as he fights Aqua and Mickey using Ventus's body in the form of Ventus-Vanitas (ヴェントゥス-ヴァニタス, Ventusu-Vanitasu), Vanitas learns his reunion with Ventus is flawed as he proceeds to confront Ventus in a metaphysical battle within his mind to force a complete fusion so the χ-blade can be stabilized. Both fights ultimately end with Vanitas seemingly ceasing to be while Ventus's heart leaves his body. An Unversed-like entity who resembles Vanitas, known as the Vanitas Remnant (ヴァニタスの思念, Vanitasu no Shinen, lit. "Vanitas Sentiment"), appears as a secret boss in the Western and Final Mix versions of Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep. Vanitas makes a brief cameo in Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance. When Sora is taunted by Young Xehanort about the nature of his heart at Notre Dame, Ventus's heart reacts to Young Xehanort's presence, causing Sora to see a vision of Vanitas.

Vanitas shares Sora's voice actors (Miyu Irino in Japanese and Haley Joel Osment in English). Ventus-Vanitas also speaks through Ventus's voice actors (Kōki Uchiyama in Japanese and Jesse McCartney in English).

Braig

Braig (ブライグ, Buraigu, transliterated (incorrectly) as Bleig in the English release of Kingdom Hearts II) is a mercenary for Master Xehanort, co-conspirator with Terra-Xehanort, a student of Ansem the Wise, and the original form of Xigbar. He has a profound interest for the Keyblade. Similar to Xigbar, he attacks with a pair of rayguns which can be combined as well to form a sniper rifle and can manipulate space to teleport himself, warp his bullets, and levitate in battle.

In Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, Braig has a part of Master Xehanort's plan. He battles against Terra at Radiant Garden but receives a scar on the left side of his face and has to wear an eyepatch over his right eye afterwards. After receiving part of Xehanort's heart, he confronted Ventus and Aqua at the Keyblade Graveyard to which the former's glare is etched in his memory and battles against the latter. Back at Radiant Garden, Braig helps Ansem the Wise find Terra-Xehanort. He later helps Terra-Xehanort as Ansem's apprentice before eventually meeting Young Xehanort to discuss Master Xehanort's plans and then becoming Xigbar after being stabbed with Xehanort's Keyblade. In Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance, still in his Xigbar incarnation, Braig returns as a member of the True Organization XIII when he confronts Sora in a Sleeping World version of the World That Never Was and reveals his nature as "half-Xehanort" being.

Braig shares Xigbar's voice actors (Hōchū Ōtsuka in Japanese and James Patrick Stuart in English).

Isa

Isa (アイザ, Aiza) is Lea's original friend and Saïx's original self. In Birth by Sleep, Isa has a care-free personality and morals as he is a resident of Radiant Garden compared to his Nobody counterpart. In Kingdom Hearts 3D, Isa returns with Saïx's features which were due to being another "half-Xehanort" being and therefore a member of Xehanort's Organization XIII. In the World That Never Was, Isa is ordered to stop Lea's rescue of Sora before falling back when his masters' attempt to convert the youth are interrupted.

Isa shares Saïx's voice actors (Ginpei Sato in Japanese and Kirk Thornton in English).

Other characters

A wide variety of Disney and Square Enix characters appear throughout the various Kingdom Hearts games. Some help the protagonists across multiple worlds, including Merlin (voiced by Jeff Bennett), an eccentric wizard whom King Mickey asked to teach Sora magic. He lives in Traverse Town with the Fairy Godmother during Kingdom Hearts, goes to Hollow Bastion along with Leon and his group to help restore their old home Kingdom Hearts II, and lived in Radiant Garden in Birth by Sleep. Dumbo, Bambi and Chicken Little (voiced by Zach Braff), 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.

Jiminy Cricket

Main article: Jiminy Cricket

Jiminy Cricket travels with Sora, Donald, and Goofy as the chronicler of their travels, recording information about people, places and events in his journals. According to Dream Drop Distance, he is originally from the world Prankster's Paradise, where he acted as Pinocchio's conscience. Despite making only a few appearances in Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II, he plays a major role in both Chain of Memories and coded.

Jiminy Cricket is voiced by Kaneta Kimotsuki in the Japanese version of the series. In the English version of the series, the character was voiced by Eddie Carroll from Kingdom Hearts to Re:Chain of Memories and by Phil Snyder in Re:coded and Dream Drop Distance. However, in the Re:coded HD cutscenes of Kingdom Hearts 2.5 HD Remix, he was voiced by Joe Ochman.

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 appears under the disguise DiZ (ディズ, Dizu) in the "Reverse/Rebirth" mode of Chain of Memories while his true identity Ansem the Wise is revealed in Kingdom Hearts II.

Ansem the Wise was a former respected sage and ruler of the Radiant Garden. As a researcher, 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 and learning his research may be connected with a current crisis happening in other worlds, Ansem ceased the experiments. He later found his report on the experiments was given new entries by Xehanort, now using Ansem's name as his own. Ansem's apprentices then betrayed him and banished him to a world of nothingness before he wound up in the realm of darkness.

Taking the name of DiZ, Ansem guides Riku through his encounters in Castle Oblivion during the events of Chain of Memories. Soon after Riku joins him in his campaign, DiZ convinces Naminé to move Sora, Donald and Goofy to Twilight Town for safekeeping as they regain their lost memories, which DiZ oversees throughout 358/2 Days. When the restoration process comes to a standstill, DiZ orders Riku to forcefully retrieve Roxas and he then places inside a virtual Twilight Town, allowing the process to continue.

In Kingdom Hearts II, Naminé begins to act on her own and Riku declines to help him in DiZ's revenge. As he observes the lengths that Riku is willing to go to in order to help Sora, including taking on the physical form of Xehanort's Heartless, DiZ loses his lust for revenge and grows regretful of his actions. Once Sora awakens and embarks on his new quest, he does not function as DiZ wants, and all of his plans fall apart. DiZ reveals himself as Ansem to Mickey at the World That Never Was while attempting to digitally seal away Xemnas's Kingdom Hearts inside a machine. However, the hearts prove unpredictable and begin to overload the machine, and Ansem chooses to sacrifice himself in order to help defeat the Organization. The machine self-destructs after Ansem apologizes for his mistakes, causing an explosion that consumes Ansem, disrupts the power contained in Kingdom Hearts.

In the epilogue of Birth by Sleep, Ansem is in the Realm of Darkness once more with only his memories of his relation to Sora intact. There he meets Aqua at the shores of a dark ocean and tells her about Sora and how he may be the means for Ansem to redeem himself for his actions. In Kingdom Hearts 3D, a digital copy of DiZ appears within Sora's mind, informing Riku of the data he hid inside Sora while under his watch. He also mentions that Sora also may have the power to bring back those who were lost or ceased to be.

Ansem the Wise/DiZ is voiced by Genzō Wakayama in the Japanese version of the series. In the English version, the character is voiced by Sir Christopher Lee in Kingdom Hearts II and 358/2 Days and by Corey Burton for Re:Chain of Memories, Birth by Sleep and Dream Drop Distance. Burton also redubs Lee's lines in the HD remaster of 358/2 Days, due to Lee's unavailability to provide his voice for the newly made cutscenes.

Dilan

Dilan (ディラン, Diran, transliterated (incorrectly) as Dilin in the English release of Kingdom Hearts II) was Xaldin's original self. During Birth by Sleep, he was Ansem the Wise's palace working guard. In Dream Drop Distance, Xaldin's defeat results in the restoration of Dilan.

Dilan shares Xaldin's Japanese voice actor (Yōsuke Akimoto) and English voice actor (David Dayan Fisher).

Even

Even (エヴェン) is Vexen's original self. He is a scientist whose interest in studying Terra-Xehanort's memories after Birth by Sleep results in him becoming a Nobody. Vexen's death leads to Even's restoration in Dream Drop Distance.

Even shares Vexen's Japanese voice actor (Nachi Nozawa) and English voice actor (Derek Stephen Prince).

Aeleus

Aeleus (エレウス, Ereusu, transliterated (incorrectly) as Eleus in the English release of Kingdom Hearts II) is Lexaeus's original form. By the time of Birth by Sleep, he was one of Ansem the Wise's guards. Lexaeus's demise leads to Aeleus's revival in Dream Drop Distance. In the English version, how Aeleus speaks is different from his Nobody; Lexaeus usually sounds like he's growling his words, while Aeleus is more easily heard.

Aeleus shares Lexaeus's Japanese voice actor (Fumihiko Tachiki) and English voice actor (Dave Boat).

Ienzo

Ienzo (イエンツォ, Ientso) is one of Ansem the Wise's students and Zexion's original form. In Birth By Sleep, he was a silent young orphan who is taken in by Ansem as one of his apprentices after the boy's parents' deaths. He later suggests the creation of an underground laboratory for their research on the heart. Zexion's death leads to the revival of an adult incarnation of Ienzo in Kingdom Hearts 3D.

Ienzo's child incarnation is voiceless in Birth by Sleep whereas his adult incarnation in Dream Drop Distance shares Zexion's Japanese voice actor (Akira Ishida) and English voice actor (Vince Corazza).

Yen Sid

Main article: Yen Sid

Yen Sid is a sorcerer who lives in the Mysterious Tower and is King Mickey's old mentor when King Mickey once serve as Yen Sid's apprentice. He shows considerable knowledge about Keyblades abilities, and is shown to be an acquaintance of both Master Eraqus and Master Xehanort. Though he is retired, his wisdom still serves as a source of information for the protagonists. In Kingdom Hearts II, he informs Sora, Goofy and Donald of the dangers of the Heartless, the Nobodies and Organization XIII. In Birth by Sleep, he informs Terra, Ventus, Aqua and Eraqus of the threat of the Unversed. In Re:coded, Yen Sid reveals to Mickey that the destruction of "Ansem" and Xemnas will eventually lead to the reconstruction of Master Xehanort. In Dream Drop Distance, Yen Sid puts Sora and Riku through a Mark of Mastery exam in order to make them into full-fledged Keyblade Masters to defeat Xehanort. After Riku saves Sora, Yen Sid decides they need seven protectors to keep the Princesses of Heart safe from Xehanort's Organization XIII so he inlists the aid of Kairi to train because of her ability to wield a Keyblade.

Yen Sid is voiced by Takashi Inagaki in the Japanese version and by Corey Burton in the English version.

Xion

Xion (シオン, Shion) is an original character created by Tetsuya Nomura who appears in Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. She is the newest and fourteenth member of Organization XIII, who then forged a friendship with Roxas and Axel. Later on, it is revealed that she is a replica of Roxas created from Sora's memories of Kairi, and is thus not technically a member of Organization XIII or even a real Nobody. She eventually fades away from existence before asking Roxas to stop Xemnas's plans, reverting into Sora's memories which entered Roxas. Though all memories of her existence were erased from everyone she came in contact with, Xion still existed through Roxas (and later Sora in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep and Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance). Xion also appears in Kingdom Hearts Re:coded where she is shown to be one of the people connected to Sora's heart who may be able to return one day. It appears Roxas, still existing within Sora in Dream Drop Distance, does remember her, given Sora cried upon seeing Xion. She appears once again as one of the three characters asking Riku a question in Sora's heart.

Xion shares Kairi's voice actresses: Risa Uchida [Japanese], Alyson Stoner (English, 358/2 Days) and Hayden Panettiere (English, Dream Drop Distance).

Master Eraqus

Master Eraqus (マスター・エラクゥス, Masutā Erakūsu) is an original character created by Tetsuya Nomura. His name is an anagram of "Square", the first name of the developer, Square Enix. He also bears a striking resemblance to Final Fantasy series creator Hironobu Sakaguchi who also was a member of Square. He appears in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep as one of the few remaining Keyblade Masters who trained alongside Master Xehanort, who he considers to be a friend in a relationship similar to that of old classmates. He oversees the power of light in all worlds from the Land of Departure, and acts as both a teacher and caring father figure of Terra, Ventus and Aqua. Eraqus is strongly biased in the existence of darkness in favor of light, believing darkness to be a malevolent force that needs to be destroyed, which leads him to deny Terra the Mark of Mastery upon sensing darkness in his heart. He also strictly forbids Ventus from leaving the Land of Departure, fearing Xehanort will use him to create the χ-blade. He sends Terra and Aqua to deal with the appearance of the Unversed and the disappearance of Master Xehanort and also sends Aqua to retrieve Ventus who escaped from the Land of Departure. When Ventus confronts him over this and confirms his fears, Eraqus attempts to foil Xehanort's plan by killing Ventus. He is stopped by Terra and, after battling and losing to his student, is struck down by Xehanort and fades away, leaving behind his Master Keeper (マスターキーパー) Keyblade. However, the game's secret ending reveals that Eraqus had hidden his own heart within Terra, allowing Terra to resist Xehanort's influence after being possessed by him. An additional boss modeled after Eraqus's armor called the Armor of the Master (アーマー・オブ・ザ・マスター, Āmā obu za Masutā) appears in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix in the Mirage Arena.

Master Eraqus is voiced by Makio Inoue in the Japanese version and by Mark Hamill in the English version.

Lea

Lea (リア, Ria) is the original form of Axel and an original character created for the series. He has a desire to achieve his own ideal of immortality by having everyone he comes in contact with remember him, saying the phrase "Got it memorized?" on multiple occasions.

During the events of Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, Lea and his friend Isa meet Ventus during his visit to Radiant Garden and befriends him (this friendship is reflected in his Nobody's ties to Roxas and Sora). Though converted into a Nobody by the actions of Xehanort to serve as the eighth member of Organization XIII, Axel possessed many of Lea's memories and quirks as he befriended Roxas and Xion during the events of Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. In Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance, Axel's sacrifice at the end of Kingdom Hearts II restores Lea to his original form before he leaves Radiant Garden to find Braig and Isa. In doing so, he becomes an ally of Sora and his companions, aiding Riku and Mickey in rescuing Sora from Xehanort's new Organization XIII. Afterwards, Lea reveals himself to have become a Keyblade Wielder as he obtains his own Keyblade.

Lea shares Axel's voice actors: Keiji Fujiwara in Japanese and Quinton Flynn in English.

Princesses of Heart

The Seven Princesses of Heart are maidens whose hearts are made of pure light, devoid of darkness. The first five are generally made up of Disney Princesses, with the sixth being Alice, and the seventh being Kairi. They are noted for possessing the power to summon the Door to Darkness when all seven of them are brought together. The term "princess" is merely a formality; while several Princesses are indeed such, official Disney Princesses such as Ariel are not counted among them, while Alice is.

Prior to and during the events of the original Kingdom Hearts, the princesses are kidnapped by Maleficent so that she may open the pathway to Kingdom Hearts; their hearts are later used to forge a Keyblade with the power to unlock people's hearts, which is wielded by Xehanort's Heartless "Ansem" while he possesses Riku. Sora restores their hearts by unlocking his own heart to release Kairi's using Ansem's Keyblade, which is then destroyed. The princesses (excluding Kairi) remain at Hollow Bastion to hold the darkness at bay until the door to Kingdom Hearts is sealed, returning to their homeworlds soon after. In Birth by Sleep, Master Xehanort seeks out the Princesses of Heart, though his reasons for doing so are unexplained. In Dream Drop Distance, it is revealed their hearts were once part of the true χ-blade, which broke apart at the end of the Keyblade War; thirteen darknesses were also released. Yen Sid has said that their hearts are the source of all light in the World. Xehanort plans to gather thirteen darknesses in the form of himself and 12 clones and fight seven guardians of light to create the χ-blade. To this end, Yen Sid prepares a clash along with seven other Keyblade wielders: Sora, Riku, Mickey, Kairi, Aqua, Ventus and Lea.

Given the timeline between Xehanort's youth and the present, the hearts of the Princesses most likely reincarnate when their owners pass away; proven possible as Kairi hadn't been born yet when Xehanort lived on Destiny Islands.

• Snow White is a beautiful, kindhearted princess from Dwarf Woodlands. She is the most beautiful maiden in her world, much to the jealousy of her evil stepmother, the Queen, who tricks her into eating a poisoned apple during the events of Birth by Sleep. However, she is revived with a kiss from her true love, the Prince. She befriended Ventus and Aqua; Snow White also met Terra, but mistoke him for the Unversed's master. Snow White is voiced by Kurumi Kobato in the Japanese version and Carolyn Gardner in the English version.

• Cinderella is a hardworking young woman from the Castle of Dreams. She is forced by her wicked stepmother and stepsisters to work as a scullery maid until the events of Birth by Sleep result in her marrying Prince Charming. During the night she went to the ball and later was discovered to be the girl Prince Charming fell in love with. Cinderella becomes friends with Ventus, Terra and Aqua. She may have also taken in Lucifer, as her step family was killed by an Unversed. Cinderella is voiced by Yoriko Suzuki in the Japanese version and Jennifer Hale in the English version.

• Aurora is a romantic princess-to-be who comes from the same world as Maleficent, Enchanted Dominion. She was cursed by Maleficent at birth, causing her to fall into a deep sleep on her sixteenth birthday. During the events of Birth by Sleep, Maleficent forces Terra to remove Aurora's heart from her body for her own use. Ventus restores her heart, and the curse is lifted when she is kissed by her true love, Prince Phillip. Aurora is voiced by Mayumi Suzuki in the Japanese version and by Jennifer Hale in the English version.

• 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, the Beast makes his way to Hollow Bastion to save her. She is nearly forced to leave the Beast during Kingdom Hearts II after Xaldin manipulates the Beast into becoming emotionally distant. She's good friends with Sora, Donald, Goofy and the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee. Belle is voiced by Eri Itō in the Japanese version and by Paige O'Hara in the English version.

• Alice is a precocious young girl who had stumbled into Wonderland, where she is unjustly put on trial by the Queen of Hearts under the charge of attempting to steal the Queen's heart. The Heartless kidnapped her for Maleficent while Sora, Donald and Goofy fought for her (and their) freedom. She is the first of only two princesses (excluding Kairi) who Sora and company meet before she is captured by Maleficent. Unlike the rest of the princesses, her homeworld remains unknown. Alice is voiced by Mika Doi in the Japanese version. In the English version of the series, the character was originally voiced by Kathryn Beaumont until 2011 and was later replaced by Hynden Walch.

• Jasmine is a headstrong, beautiful, and smart princess living in Agrabah, and the second of only two princesses that Sora encounters. She is also Aladdin's girlfriend. While everyone was fighting Jafar to keep her safe, she was kidnapped by Riku and taken to Hollow Bastion. She later returned to Agrabah following the sealing of the Door to Darkness. She plays a minor role in Sora's visits in Kingdom Hearts II. Jasmine is voiced by Kaori Asō in the Japanese version and by Linda Larkin in the English version.
• Kairi is the seventh Princess of Heart.

Characters in other locations

Destiny Islands

The characters on the Destiny Islands are introduced in Kingdom Hearts and include Sora, Riku, and Xehanort. Though originally from Radiant Garden, Kairi came to consider the Destiny Islands as her home. The island's village also has a mayor, who is briefly mentioned by Sora to have looked after Kairi shortly after her arrival on the Destiny Islands. Other characters include youthful versions of Final Fantasy X's Tidus and Wakka and Final Fantasy VIII's Selphie, all of whom are friends of Sora, Riku, and Kairi, and gather on the island where they like to play.

Disney Castle/Disney Town

The characters of Disney Town, along with the occupants of Disney Castle, includes many classic Disney characters. It is also the world where King Mickey, Donald, Goofy, and Pete originate from. During the events of Kingdom Hearts II when Disney Castle's Cornerstone of Light is endangered, Merlin conjures a door that takes Sora's group into the past incarnation of Disney Town called the Timeless River.

• Queen Minnie: The queen of Disney Castle, taking charge during her husband Mickey's absence while waiting for his return. She is the one responsible for banishing Pete when he acts out of hand during Birth by Sleep. She is voiced by Yūko Mizutani in the Japanese version and by Russi Taylor in the English version.

• Daisy Duck: Queen Minnie's lady-in-waiting and Donald's girlfriend. She is voiced by Mika Doi in the Japanese version and by Tress MacNeille in the English version.

• Chip 'n' Dale: Two chipmunks who are Gummi Ship engineers who help Sora's group out. They also host the "Rumble Racing" mini-game during the Dream Festival in Birth by Sleep, and create a machine that helps King Mickey analyze Jiminy Cricket's journal in coded. Chip is voiced by Roko Takizawa in the Japanese version and by Tress MacNeille in the English version, while Dale is voiced by Minoru Inaba in the Japanese version and by Corey Burton in the English version.

• Huey, Dewey, and Louie: Donald's nephews who run an ice cream shop in Disney Town during the Dream Festival in Birth by Sleep. During Sora's adventures, the nephews set up an item shop in Traverse Town and later at Radiant Garden in hopes of saving up money for their own adventures. They are voiced by Chika Sakamoto in the Japanese version and by Russi Taylor in the English version.

• Pluto: Mickey's pet dog who comes with Donald and Goofy to Traverse Town before mysteriously disappearing. After Xehanort's Heartless is defeated, Pluto returns 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. He is voiced by Bill Farmer in both versions of the series.

• Scrooge McDuck: Donald's uncle and a wealthy entrepreneur in charge of creating an inter-world transit system. He appears in Radiant Garden during Birth by Sleep, giving Ventus three lifetime passes to Disney Town. He returns there in Kingdom Hearts II where he tries to recreate his favorite ice cream flavor, sea-salt ice cream. He is voiced by Atsushi Ii in the Japanese version and by Alan Young in the English version.

• Horace Horsecollar: A friend of Mickey and Minnie, introduced as a past incarnation of himself in Kingdom Hearts II. He appears in Disney Town during the events of Birth by Sleep to host the "Fruitball" mini-game. He is voiced by Atsushi Ii in the Japanese version and Bill Farmer in the English version.

• Clarabelle Cow: A friend of Mickey and Minnie. She is introduced as a past incarnation of herself in Kingdom Hearts II.

• Clara Cluck: A friend of Mickey and Minnie. She is introduced as a past incarnation of herself in Kingdom Hearts II.

Traverse Town

Traverse Town is an original world created for Kingdom Hearts. It is where many who lost their worlds (such as Radiant Garden) end up. In the first game, among its Disney character occupants are Pongo and Perdita, with their 99 puppies scattered across the worlds after their world was consumed. Lady and the Tramp make a cameo appearance as a neon sign in the back alley. Ending up a sleeping world after the events of Kingdom Hearts, Traverse Town was found by Joshua while trying to save his friends. It became the home to the main cast of The World Ends with You during the events of the Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance storyline. This marks the first time that non-Disney or non-Final Fantasy characters appear in the series. Some of these characters include:

• Neku Sakuraba: Neku Sakuraba is an anti-social teenage boy who claims he does not "get" people, and rarely interacts with others. He's easily annoyed by spirited personalities. Sora and the others slowly help Neku overcome his anti-social behavior. When Young Xehanort offered him the chance to be returned home with Shiki in exchange for Sora, Neku was eager to take the offer; however, he defended Sora when it looked like Xehanort went back on his promise not to harm him. He is voiced by Kōki Uchiyama in the Japanese version and by Jesse David Corti in the English version.

• Shiki Misaki: Shiki Misaki is a cheerful and energetic teenage girl who carries her stuffed animal named, Mr. Mew, as her sole method of attacking in combat, and is Neku's game partner. The form she appears in is not her own; it's a copy of a dear friend she envies, and her own was the price she had to pay for playing the Reapers' Game. Offered the same deal as Neku, Shiki locates Riku and attempts to bring him to Young Xehanort; however, he double-crosses her by sending a Dream Eater to attack. She is voiced by Anna Hachimine in the Japanese version and by Heather Hogan in the English version.

• Joshua: Joshua an extremely intelligent young boy with a refined taste and knowledge for the world around him. It is later revealed that Joshua is able to exist in both versions of Traverse Town, having brought his friends into the world to save them. Joshua bends the rules of the Reapers' Game twice by asking Riku and Sora (non-players) to help; Sora went after a Dream Eater that went to another world. Joshua is actually the one in charge of the Reapers' Game (the Composer), setting the rules for the Players to follow. He is voiced by Ryōhei Kimura in the Japanese version and by Aaron Spann in the English version.

• Beat: Beat is a hard-headed guy who's really a softie underneath, and gets highly embarrassed by his real name (which Riku says is a mouthful). He cares very much about his sister, believing the first thing he hears that can help if she's in trouble; Young Xehanort used this to his advantage to make him attack Joshua. He is voiced by Subaru Kimura in the Japanese version and by Crawford Wilson in the English version.

• Rhyme: Rhyme is Beat's sister and partner who balances him out with her calm demeanor. She often pokes holes in the things her brother says, making him embarrassed; unlike Beat, she knows they're foils to each other. Temporarily in the wrong version of Traverse Town, Rhyme was without her Game partner and suffered from amnesia. She is voiced by Ayana Taketatsu in the Japanese version and by Ashley Rose Orr in the English version.

• Julius: A hulking peg-legged monster that is a Frankenstein's Monster-type look-a-like of Pete from the Disney short Runaway Brain. He appears as a secret boss available after completing Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance. The first fight is triggered by simply entering Fountain Plaza. Examining the manhole afterwards will activate the fight again. Why he attacked the boys or how he wounded up in Traverse Town is unknown. Julius shares Pete's voice actors in the Japanese and English versions respectively.

Wonderland

Wonderland features characters from the 1951 animated film, Alice in Wonderland, and the world where Sora and his friends first meet Alice. Conventional logic is quite useless in this world, as even gravity can work differently.

• The Queen of Hearts: She is the ruler of Wonderland, she is a haughty sadist who enjoys decapitating anyone who merely annoys her. Holding trial on Alice for the attempted theft on her heart, the Queen has her Card soldiers attack Sora's group when they attempt to clear Alice's name by revealing the Heartless to be the true criminals. But when Alice is abducted by Maleficent's group, the Queen temporarily pardons Sora, Donald and Goofy to have them find her to resume the trial. She is voiced by Sumie Ōzawa in the Japanese version and by Tress MacNeille in the English version.

• The White Rabbit: The Queen of Hearts's personal assistant, seeming to have the most logic out of all the Wonderland residents. He constantly fears being late, carrying a large pocketwatch with him. He is voiced by Shigeru Ushiyama in the Japanese version and by Corey Burton in the English version.

• The Cheshire Cat: The Cheshire Cat is a mysterious, grinning cat who is an intelligent yet mischievous as he enjoys giving cryptic clues to Sora and Roxas during their respective visits to Wonderland. Luxord seems to understand the riddles well, likely due to being a gambler. Even Roxas has said "that cat's a walking question mark." He is voiced by Tokio Seki in the Japanese version and by Jim Cummings in the English version.

• The Doorknob: The Doorknob guards both the door to the Queen's castle and the Keyhole of the world, located in his mouth. He is voiced Takehiro Koyama in the Japanese version and by Corey Burton in the English version.

• The Card Soldiers: The Card Soldiers serve the Queen as her personal guard. They fear losing their heads and do their best to keep the Queen of Hearts pleased. If spoken to, they explain that they are simply following orders and follow them even though they don't make sense. The one in charge of keeping an eye of Alice's prison still has to watch it even though it's empty for example.

Olympus Coliseum

Olympus Coliseum features characters from the 1997 animated film, Hercules, as well as the Final Fantasy characters Zack Fair (voiced by Kenichi Suzumura in Japanese and Rick Gomez in English) and Auron (voiced by Hideo Ishikawa in Japanese and Matt McKenzie in English). Both Cloud and Sephiroth appeared in that world during the first game's events, with the former appearing in facsimiles of the world based on Sora's memories in later games. In Kingdom Hearts II, the Underworld is introduced as an expansion along with its counterpart to the Olympus Coliseum called the Underdrome.

• Hercules: A legendary hero, a demigod, and the son of Zeus. In Birth by Sleep, Hercules appears as a strong but clumsy teenage boy who comes to Phil in order to become a hero. By Kingdom Hearts, Hercules played a supporting role in overseeing Sora's own rise 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 relearns what it takes to be a hero. In the Japanese version of the series he is voiced by Yasunori Matsumoto. In the English version he is voiced by Sean Astin in the first game and by Tate Donovan in the second game and Re:Coded in Kingdom Hearts 2.5. In Birth by Sleep he is voiced by Masakazu Suzuki in the Japanese version and by Josh Keaton in the English version.

• Philoctetes: 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 Ven, believing him to be the new rookie Hercules found for him. In Aqua's presence, Phil was a shameless flirt. He is voiced by Ichirō Nagai in the Japanese version and by Robert Costanzo in the English version.

• Megara: Hercules' girlfriend. She is a serious and cynical young woman who has some reluctant ties to Hades. She is introduced in Kingdom Hearts II. She is voiced by Rica Matsumoto in the Japanese version and by Susan Egan in the English version.

• Pegasus: A Pegasus who is Hercules' best friend. Hercules uses him as a mode for transportation.

• Pain and Panic: Hades' two imp minions who run the Underdrome for him.

• Cerberus: The three-headed dog that guards the Underworld for Hades, used by his owner to attack Sora both in and outside Tournaments.\

• Hydra: A giant monster can grow multiple heads, used by Hades in his attempt to kill the tired Hercules during the events of Kingdom Hearts II. Though Hercules defeated the Hydra, he left the Coliseum to help Sora's group with the monster regaining consciousness and tearing the Coliseum to pieces before Sora finishes the monster off.

• Rock Titan: A two-headed Rock Titan that Hades used in the Hades Tournament during the events of Kingdom Hearts.

• Ice Titan: A Titan that Sora can duel as an optional boss during Kingdom Hearts, he is revealed to have a weaker replica in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep called the Ice Colossus.

Deep Jungle

The Deep Jungle appears only in the first Kingdom Hearts game and its "Final Mix" version. It features characters from the 1999 animated film Tarzan. It features:

• Tarzan – A young man raised from infancy by gorillas in Deep Jungle. He spoke only the language of the apes until he met Jane Porter. He is voiced by Jūrōta Kosugi in the Japanese dub and by Tony Goldwyn in the English dub.

• Jane Porter – A naturalist who studied gorillas. She is voiced by Mayumi Suzuki in the Japanese version and by Naia Kelly in the English version.

• Clayton – A veteran hunter who thinks of animals only as prey and dreams of the money to be made selling gorillas. His black heart attracts the Heartless which he used to capture Gorillas, but is defeated by Sora. He is voiced by Banjō Ginga in the Japanese dub and by Brian Blessed in the English dub.

Other animals appearing in the Deep Jungle include:

• Terk – Tarzan's best friend who takes a liking to Donald. She is voiced by Yuko Doi in the Japanese dub and by Audrey Wasilewski in the English dub.

• Kala – Tarzan's adoptive mother.

• Kerchak – The leader of the gorillas who makes little contact with Sora and his friends for not trusting them.

• Sabor – A leopard that attacks Sora several times.

Due to Square Enix's failure to keeping the rights to Tarzan, Deep Jungle has not made another appearance in any other games in the series. Though it has been referenced.

Agrabah

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

• Aladdin: Aladdin is a poor but kind-hearted Agrabah thief. Aladdin fell in love with Princess Jasmine, but was afraid to tell her about his humble background. He asked Sora to rescue Jasmine after Maleficent kidnapped her, since it would disrupt world order for him to come along. 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. He is voiced by Shin-ichiro Miki in the Japanese version and by Scott Weinger in the English version.

• Abu: Aladdin's cheeky kleptomaniac, but loyal pet monkey and friend. He is voiced by Frank Welker in both versions of the series.

• 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. 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 restrain himself. Sora can call on Genie as a summonable ally in the first three Kingdom Hearts games. He is voiced by Kōichi Yamadera in the Japanese version and by Dan Castellaneta in the English version of the earlier games and by Jim Meskimen in Kingdom Hearts 2.5 HD Remix.

• The Magic Carpet: He is a sentient carpet who is able to fly and expresses himself through pantomime, accompanying his friend Genie before returning to Agrabah. It previously took up residence in the Cave of Wonders.

• Iago: Iago is Jafar's sarcastic, foul-mouthed pet parrot sidekick. He initially aids Jafar in taking over Agrabah. 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. In the Japanese version, he is voiced by Akira Kamiya in Kingdom Hearts and by Tōru Ōkawa in Kingdom Hearts II. In the English version of the series, he is voiced by Gilbert Gottfried.

• The Peddler: 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. He is voiced by Takashi Matsuo in the Japanese version and by Corey Burton in the English version.

Atlantica

Atlantica features characters from the 1989 animated film, The Little Mermaid.

• Ariel: A mermaid who is the youngest 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 bringing 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. She is voiced by Mayumi Suzuki in the Japanese version and by Jodi Benson in the English version.

• Sebastian: A caribbean crab who is the royal advisor and personally takes care of Ariel on behalf of the King and keeps a watchful eye out for her. During the events of Kingdom Hearts II, Sebastian is given the task of preparing a musical under Triton's wishes to keep Ariel preoccupied. He is voiced by Kōichi Yamadera in the Japanese version and by Kevin Michael Richardson in the English version.

• King Triton: King Triton is Ariel's father and the ruler of Atlantica who wields a trident that shoots beams from it and other magical properties. Though strict he is not unkind, caring for his daughter's safety above else. Oddly, he knows of the Keyblade prior to his meeting with Sora. He is voiced by Tarō Ishida in the Japanese version and by Kenneth Mars in the English version.

• Flounder: A juvenile tropical fish who is Ariel's best friend and helps her out in any possible way. In the Japanese version, he is voiced by Yūki Tokiwa in the first game and by Takuya Kaihoko in the second game. In the English version, he is voiced by Eli Russell Linnetz in the first game and by Parker Goris in the second game.

• Flotsam and Jetsam: Flotsam and Jetsam are Ursula's pet minion Moray eels. Voiced by Shūichirō Moriyama in the Japanese version and by Corey Burton in the English version.

• Eric: Prince Eric is a human that Ariel falls in love with. He is voiced by Kazuhiko Inoue in the Japanese version and by Christopher Daniel Barnes in the English version.

• Glut: A shark that serves as a boss. It stalks the sunken ship until Ursula is slain. Afterwards, the Heartless take his place.

• Attina and Andrina: Two of Ariel's six sisters that appear in Kingdom Hearts II during the final music number. They are voiced by Hiromi Maeda and Shion Hino in the Japanese version and by Christie Hauser and Susan Stevens Logan respectively in the English version.

Halloween Town

The characters featured in Halloween Town are from Tim Burton's 1993 stop motion Disney film, The Nightmare Before Christmas. In Kingdom Hearts II, Christmas Town was introduced as an expansion.

• Jack Skellington: 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. Between the events of Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II, while attempting to think up new ideas, Jack became fascinated by Christmas. He is voiced by Masachika Ichimura in the Japanese version and by Chris Sarandon in the English version.

• Sally: 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. She is voiced by Yūko Doi in the Japanese version and by Kath Soucie in the English version.

• Doctor Finkelstein: Doctor Finklestein is a wheelchair-bound mad scientist who created Sally. Doctor Finkelstein helps Jack during his "Heartless Halloween" plan and then helps in his second attempt to run Christmas while working on his Experiment. He is voiced by Yuji Mitsuya in the Japanese version and by Jess Harnell in the English version.

• Zero: Zero is Jack's faithful ghost dog who floats about freely and follows Jack wherever he goes. His Heartless-sniffing nose, which is in the shape of a jack-o-lantern, also doubles as a bright light.

• The Mayor of Halloween Town: He 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. In the Japanese version, he is voiced by Tōru Ōhira. In the English version, he is voiced by Jeff Bennett in the first game and by Glenn Shadix in the second game.

• Lock, Shock, and Barrel: They 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. In 358/2 Days, they worked as assistants to Dr. Finklestein though still cause trouble and harassed 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 Shintarō Sonooka in the Japanese version and by Jess Harnell in the English version. Shock is voiced by Yūko Doi in the Japanese version and by Kath Soucie in the English version. Barrel is voiced by Shigeo Matsuzawa in the Japanese version and by Jeff Bennett in the English version.

• Santa Claus: 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. Santa also makes a reference to Jack's attempt to improvise Christmas. He is voiced by Tomoaki Nagae in the Japanese version and by Corey Burton in the English version.

• Jack's Reindeer: A bunch of skeletal reindeer that were created by Doctor Finkelstein in Jack's first time at improvising Christmas. They are later rebuilt for Jack's second plan to improvise Christmas.

• The Experiment: The Experiment 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.

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 and the Big Ben Clock tower but never on the actual world itself. 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 are featured in Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep.

• Peter Pan: Peter Pan is a 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. Peter Pan later appears as a summonable ally in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories and Kingdom Hearts II with Tinker Bell by his side. In the Japanese version, he is voiced by Mitsuo Iwata in Kingdom Hearts and in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories and by Yū Hayashi in Kingdom Hearts II, Re: Chain of Memories, and Birth by Sleep. In the English version of the series, he is 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.

• Wendy Darling: Wendy is a girl that Peter has brought to Neverland, mature despite her age. She is kidnapped by Hook under the assumption that she's the seventh Princess of Heart. She returns to London after Peter saved her. She is voiced by Yuriko Fuchizaki in the Japanese version and by Kathryn Beaumont in the English version.

• Mr. Smee: Smee is Captain Hook's most trusted assistant and first mate. Though Hook gives him a lot of trouble, he is very loyal to him. He is voiced by Kazuo Kumakura in the Japanese version and by Jeff Bennett in the English version.

• The Lost Boys: Peter's ragtag friends in Neverland who are dressed in animal fur. Among its members are Slightly and Cubby who are dressed in fox and bear fur respectively. They are voiced by Reita Shibai and Kaito Arai, respectively in the Japanese version and by Mason Vale Cotton and Wally Wingert, respectively in the English version.

• The Crocodile: A Crocodile who is Captain Hook's most feared nemesis. He acquired a taste for him after Peter Pan cut of Hook's left hand and fed it to him. He now follows Hook around everywhere, hoping to get a second taste of the captain. The Crocodile also swallowed a clock where hearing the ticking lets everyone know that the Crocodile is near.

Radiant Garden/Hollow Bastion

Radiant Garden is an original world created for Kingdom Hearts. It came to be known as Hollow Bastion after the Heartless infested it until the city was restored to its former glory. The majority of the inhabitants are alternative versions of Final Fantasy characters, with original characters like Lea, Ansem the Wise, and his apprentices. Sora originally met many of the residents from here in Traverse Town. Most of them help Sora's group in his journey and help to protect Hollow Bastion and then become known as the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee. Some of these members include:

• Leon: A soldier who discarded his previous name and serves as the group's leader. He is voiced by Hideo Ishikawa in the Japanese version of the series, while the English version has him voiced by David Boreanaz in the first game and by Doug Erholtz in the second game.

• Cid: An expert on Gummi Ships. Voiced by Chris Edgerly in the English version.

• Aerith: A woman with a good heart. She is voiced by Maaya Sakamoto in the Japanese version of the series, while the English version has her voiced by Mandy Moore in the first game and by Mina Suvari in the second game.

• Yuffie: A young female ninja. She is voiced by Yumi Kakazu in the Japanese version of the series, while the English version has her voiced by Christy Carlson Romano in the first game and by Mae Whitman in the second game.

There were also characters that were not being official members of the group:

• Cloud: A ruthless, strong, silent, stubborn swordsman. He can also be found in Olympus Colosseum in Chain of Memories. Voiced by Takahiro Sakurai in the Japanese version and Steve Burton in the English version.

• Tifa: A woman expert in hand-to-hand combat, support them during Kingdom Hearts II, while dealing with the former hero Sephiroth. She is voiced by Ayumi Ito in the Japanese version and Rachael Leigh Cook in the English version.

• Sephiroth: A former hero who embodies the darkness in Cloud's heart. He is voiced by Toshiyuki Morikawa in the Japanese version of the series. In the English version, he is voiced by Lance Bass in Kingdom Hearts and by George Newbern in Kingdom Hearts II.

• Yuna, Rikku, and Paine : Also known as The Gullwings as they call themselves, Yuna, Rikku, and Paine are three treasure-hunting fairies who secretly work for Maleficent, who had them spy on the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee, until Maleficent left during the massive battle at Hollow Bastion. Afterwards they ultimately switch sides and gave Sora the Gull Wing Keyblade as a sign of forgiveness. 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. In the Japanese version, Yuna is voiced by Mayuko Aoki, Rikku is voiced by Marika Matsumoto, and Paine is voiced by Megumi Toyoguchi. In the English version, Yuna is voiced by Hedy Burress, Rikku is voiced by Tara Strong, and Paine is voiced by Gwendoline Yeo.

• Kairi's Grandmother, who told Kairi a story about light and darkness based on the events of the Keyblade War. Though appearing as a memory of Kairi's that Sora looked into, her grandmother actually appears in Birth by Sleep. Voiced by Masako Ikeda in the Japanese version and Kathryn Beaumont.

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.

• Winnie the Pooh: A bear whose favorite food is honey (pronounced as hunny). He is absent-minded and often forgets what he was trying to remember. In the Japanese version, he is voiced by Shun Yashiro in Kingdom Hearts and by Sukekiyo Kameyama in Kingdom Hearts II. In the English version, he is voiced by Jim Cummings.

• Tigger: A tiger 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 Tesshō Genda in the Japanese version and by Jim Cummings in the English version.

• Piglet: A piglet 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. In the Japanese version he is voiced by Kiyoshi Komiyama in the first game and by Mitsuru Ogata in the second game. In the English version, he is voiced by John Fiedler in the first game and by Travis Oates in the second game.

• 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 Naoki Tatsuta in the Japanese version and 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 Tarō Ishida in the Japanese version and 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 Toshiya Ueda in the Japanese version and by Andre Stojka in the English version.

• Kanga: A kangaroo who is Roo's mother. She is voiced by Tomie Kataoka in the Japanese version and by Tress MacNeille in the English version.

• Roo: A joey who is Kanga's son. He is usually rather playful and always hangs out around Tigger. He is voiced by Masaya Sugimoto in the Japanese version and 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 cannot help but fall into from time to time. He is voiced by Mahito Tsujimura in the Japanese version and by Michael Gough in the English version.

Twilight Town

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

• Hayner, Pence, and Olette – Three children whose virtual replicas befriend Roxas, while their real version meets Sora's group. Hayner is voiced by Kazunori Sasaki in the Japanese version and by Justin Cowden in the English version. Pence is voiced by Hayato Taya in the Japanese version and by Sean Marquette in the English version. Olette is voiced by Yuka Hirasawa in the Japanese version and by Jessica DiCicco in the English version.

Another gang, is the self-proclaimed Twilight Town Disciplinary Committee consists of Seifer (voiced by Takehito Koyasu in Japanese and Will Friedle in the English dub), Rai (voiced by Kazuya Nakai in Japanese and Brandon Adams in the English dub), Fuu (voiced by Rio Natsuki in Japanese and Jillian Bowen in the English dub), and Vivi (voiced by Ikue Ōtani in Japanese and Melissa Disney in the English dub). The committee is based on Final Fantasy VIII of which the first three belongs to in Final Fantasy VIII counterpart. 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".

Another inhabitant of Twilight Town is Setzer (voiced by Ryōtarō Okiayu in Japanese and Crispin Freeman in the English dub) from Final Fantasy VI, a flamboyant gambler that participates in the Struggle Battle.

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 a Han dynasty-based world in the middle of a war between Shan Yu and the forces of China, ruled by the Emperor.

• 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 Shang whom she developed feelings for. She is voiced by Mayumi Suzuki in the Japanese version and by Ming-Na Wen in the English version.

• Captain Li 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. He is voiced by Shintarō Sonooka in the Japanese version and by B.D. Wong in the English version.

• 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. He is voiced by Kōichi Yamadera in the Japanese version and by Mark Moseley in the English version.

• Yao, Ling, and Chien-Po: They 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. In the Japanese version, Yao is voiced by Yutaka Ōda, Ling is voiced by Ryūsei Nakao, and Chien-Po is voiced by Kōzō Shioya. In the English version, Yao is voiced by Harvey Fierstein, Ling is voiced by Gedde Watanabe, and Chien-Po is voiced by Jerry Tondo.

• 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. Upon surviving to multiple encounters with Sora's group Shan Yu 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. He is voiced by Hiroshi Fujioka in the Japanese version and by Corey Burton in the English version.

• The Emperor of China: The Emperor of China is the unnamed ruler of China who is among the wisest of his people. Kidnapped by Shan Yu, the Emperor is saved by Mulan and Sora as they quickly dispatched the Hun. Soon after, the Emperor steps and criticizes Mulan for impersonating a soldier, but thanks her for saving their beloved country by 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 Storm Rider Heartless and its arrival to the Imperial City. He is voiced by Osamu Kobayashi in the Japanese version and by Pat Morita (in one of his last roles) in the English version.

Beast's Castle

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

• Beast: The Beast is a prince who was transformed into a hideous monster by an enchantress because of his selfish heart. 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. 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 Xaldin studying his weaknesses. By the time of Kingdom Hearts II, Beast is plagued by his inner darkness brought forth through Xaldin's attempt to acquire his Nobody. Eventually, long after Xaldin's defeat, Beast is transformed back into a handsome prince. He is voiced by Kōichi Yamadera in the Japanese version and by Robby Benson in the English version.

• Lumiere: Lumiere is the kind-hearted but rebellious maître d' of the Beast's castle who was transformed into a candelabra. He is voiced by Masashi Ebara in the Japanese version and by Jeff Bennett in the English version.

• Cogsworth: The castle's majordomo who was 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. He is voiced by Kazuo Kumakura in the Japanese version and by David Ogden Stiers in the English version.

• Mrs. Potts: Mrs. Potts is the head of the castle kitchens who was turned into a teapot. She takes on a motherly attitude towards Belle. Mrs. Potts is accompanied by her son Chip who was turned into a teacup. She is voiced by Kimiko Fukuda in the Japanese version and by Angela Lansbury in the English version.

• The Wardrobe: A former opera singer turned into a wardrobe. She is Belle's confidant during her stay in the Castle. She is voiced by Takako Kondō in the Japanese version and by Jo Anne Worley in the English version.

Timeless River

Timeless River is a world from the past, introduced in Kingdom Hearts II. It is largely based on the 1928 animated short Steamboat Willie, as well as many other classic Disney shorts. The world is an area back in time to when it was still monochrome and the Castle had not been built.

Pete comes to the Timeless River as part of a wish to return to simpler days, which Maleficent takes advantage of and works into her plans. Heartless invade the sacred land and capture the Cornerstone of Light. This is because the Disney Castle of the future wouldn't have any way to protect itself leaving it vulnerable to the Heartless. But thanks to Sora's group, with the help of Past Pete, they thwart Pete's plans and locks his door into Timeless River so he cannot return as The Cornerstone and The Present Disney Castle are safe at last.

Port Royal

Port Royal features characters from the Pirates of the Caribbean series. It was introduced in Kingdom Hearts II and is occupied by pirates and local residents from the Pirates of the Caribbean film series, following primarily the storyline of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. 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.

• 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 his former first mate Barbossa who instigated the mutiny against him. 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. After this adventure, he tries collecting Sora's Keyblade as a reward for his trouble, but is not very surprised to see it go back to its wielder. He promises to one day come to steal it with a blood-thirsty crew, hoping to have the ability to wield it then. He is voiced by Hiroaki Hirata in the Japanese version and by James Arnold Taylor in the English version.

• William 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, which he was. He has a shaky friendship with Jack because of him being a pirate, never trusting a word he says. He is voiced by Daisuke Hirakawa in the Japanese version and by Crispin Freeman in the English version.

• Elizabeth Swann: The daughter of Governor Weatherby Swann, she gives her name as Turner to Barbossa when he and his men attacked Port Royal, mistaken for "Bootstrap" Bill's child. She is voiced by Saori Yumiba in the Japanese version and by Eliza Schneider in the English version.

• Bo'sun: One of Barbossa's pirates, his burly second in command who uses a hatchet as his weapon. Voiced by Beau Billingslea.

• Twigg: One of Barbossa's pirates, armed with a rifle that he uses to attack from long distances. Voiced by Adam Leadbeater.

• Jacoby: One of Barbossa's pirates, a man with a long black beard and uses hand grenades. Voiced by John DiMaggio.

Pride Lands

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

• Simba: Simba is a lion and the son of Mufasa. 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 a 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, learns the truth that his uncle Scar was responsible. Though he became the new king of Pride Land, Simba suffered self-doubt until Sora and friends help him out of it. He is voiced by Mitsuru Miyamoto in the Japanese version and by Cam Clarke in the English version. As a cub, archive recordings of Jonathan Taylor Thomas were used in the English version.
• Timon and Pumbaa: A meerkat and warthog duo that are Simba's best friends, during his time away from Pride Rock. They are voiced by Yūji Mitsuya and Hiroshi Hatanaka respectively in the Japanese version and by Bruce Lanoil and Ernie Sabella respectively in the English version.

• Nala: 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. Upon Sora's second visit, Nala is pregnant with Simba's child. She is voiced by Riko Hanamura in the Japanese version and by Vanessa Marshall in the English version.
• Mufasa: Simba's father and a former king of the Pride Land who died in a wildebeest stampede planned by his brother Scar. He is voiced Shinya Ōwada in the Japanese version and by James Earl Jones through archive recording in the English version.
• Rafiki: Rafiki is a wise old mandrill and advisor to the king of the Pride Land. He is voiced by Ryūji Saikachi in the Japanese version and by Robert Guillaume in the English version.
• Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed: 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 Tomie Kataoka in the Japanese version and by Tress MacNeille in the English version. Banzai is voiced by Ben Hiura in the Japanese version and by Cheech Marin in the English version. Ed is voiced by Jim Cummings in both versions.

Space Paranoids

Space Paranoids features characters from the 1982 science-fiction Disney film, Tron. It was introduced in Kingdom Hearts II as a digital world located within Ansem the Wise's computer at Hollow Bastion, Xemnas revealing that it was a copy of another world at its earliest stage.

• Tron: 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. Thanks to his meeting with Sora, Tron regained his functions and learned about friendship, taking over the MCP's functions to ensure Users can access Ansem the Wise's computer; a downside is if someone is typing on the computer, it tickles him. He is voiced by Hiroshi Tsuchida in the Japanese version and by Bruce Boxleitner in the English version.

• The Master Control Program: The Master Control Program or MCP for short, 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. However, arresting Sora's group by trapping them in the computer proved to be its downfall as they helped Tron erase it permanently. He is voiced by Ikuya Sawaki in the Japanese version and by Corey Burton in the English version.

• Commander Sark: Commander Sark is the chief lieutenant to the MCP and deals directly with dissident programs who disobey the MCP's orders. He controls the virtual Heartless and was the one to imprison Sora's group. Though he puts up a good fight when it comes to delete the MCP, Sark proved no match for them until being given the MCP's functions to power up. However, he is deleted along with the MCP in their final confrontation. He is voiced by Tetsuo Kanao in the Japanese version and by Corey Burton in the English version.

The World That Never Was

The World That Never Was is an original world created for the game series, introduced in Kingdom Hearts II. It serves as home to the Nobodies and Organization XIII before the latter group was seemingly defeated. However, Xehanort enabled his past self to gather members throughout time for his ideal Organization XIII, composed of thirteen alternate selves of Xehanort. In 358/2 Days, it is referred to by the castle's name - The Castle That Never Was. In contrast to End of the World, which was a world of the Heartles and thus had a naturalistic look, The World That Never Was has a city and the Organization's castle, showing civilization as a representation of the Nobodies' ability to be able to think and plan.

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 Phillip: Prince Phillip 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. He is voiced by Josh Robert Thompson.

• The Three Fairies: Flora, Fauna and Merryweather are three fairies that attempt to save Aurora from Maleficent's curse. They have raised Aurora in their cottage during her early life. 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. They are respectively voiced by Miyoko Asō, Hisako Kyōda, and Masako Nozawa in the Japanese version and by Barbara Dirikson, Russi Taylor, and Tress MacNeille, in the English version.

• Diablo: Diablo is Maleficent's pet raven who carries his mistress cloak to Yen Sid's tower just before her return to power.

• Maleficent's Goons: They are a group of humanoid monsters that help defend the Forbidden Mountain from intruders. Some have pig-like heads and an overweight body while some have vulture-like heads and a frail thin body.

Castle of Dreams

Castle of Dreams features characters from the 1950 animated film, Cinderella. This world and most of the characters were introduced in Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep. Cinderella originated from this world. Terra appears in normal size the whole time in that world, Aqua appears in normal size, but is reduced to three inches by the Fairy Godmother in order to help Jaq try to reach Cinderella, and Ven appears three inches high the whole time in the Castle of Dreams.

• The Fairy Godmother: The Fairy Godmother is a benefactor who helps Cinderella get to the ball. She first appears appears in Kingdom Hearts at Traverse Town providing Sora with summons to help him in his fights. Voiced by Hisako Kyōda in the Japanese version and by Russi Taylor in the English version.

• Jaq: 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. He is voiced by Kōichi Yamadera in the Japanese version and by Rob Paulsen in the English version.

• Lady Tremaine: Lady Tremaine is the wicked stepmother of Cinderella and treats Cinderella very badly, forcing her to do chore after chore. Twice, her negative emotions birth Unversed - Symphony Master and Cursed Coach. However, her jealousy quite literally exploded in her face as a bomb from the Cursed Coach fell upon her and her daughters which sends them flying. She is voiced by Aiko Konoshima in the Japanese version and by Susan Blakeslee in the English version.

• Prince Charming: 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. He is voiced by Kenyū Horiuchi in the Japanese version and by Matt Nolan in the English version.

• Anastasia and Drizella: They are the ugly stepsisters of Cinderella who try their best to stop her from attending the ball. Anastasia and Drizella are voiced by Ayumi Kida and Shinobu Adachi, respectively in the Japanese version and by Gina Tuttle and Russi Taylor, respectively in the English version.

• Lucifer: 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. Cinderella likely took him in since Lady Tremaine and her daughters fell victim to the Cursed Coach. He is voiced by Jon Olson in both versions.

• Grand Duke: The 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. He is voiced by Hiroshi Iwasaki in the Japanese version and by Rob Paulsen in the English version.

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 originated from this world.

• The Seven Dwarfs: They are a group of dwarves living in a cottage deep in the woods working in the diamond 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, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, Bashful, Sneezy, and Dopey. With the exception of Dopey, they are respectively voiced by Kazuo Kumakura, Ichirō Nagai, Junpei Takiguchi, Kousei Yagi, Takkō Ishimori, and Ryūji Saikachi in the Japanese version and by David Ogden Stiers, Corey Burton, Stephen Stanton, Bill Farmer, Jeff Bennett, and Bob Joles in the English version.

• The Queen: Also known as Evil Queen, Wicked Queen, Old Hag, or Queen Grimhilde, she is the vain and proud queen of the kingdom who became queen after marrying the widowed king and becoming Snow White's stepmother. 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. Upon the Magic Mirror being defeated by Terra, the Evil Queen has the Magic Mirror answer Terra's question on where Master Xehanort can be found. Her hag form is later encountered by Ventus when on her way to give Snow White a poison apple. Upon being defeated by Aqua, it is mentioned by the Magic Mirror that the Queen is no more. The Queen is voiced by Kyoko Satomi in the Japanese version and by Susan Blakeslee in the English version.

• The Magic Mirror: It 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. Upon Aqua defeating him, the Magic Mirror states that the Queen is no more and his job of being her servant is done. The Magic Mirror is voiced by Tamio Ōki in the Japanese version and by Corey Burton in the English version.

• The Prince: The unnamed prince is Snow White's love interest who arrives to Snow White's aid after she has been poisoned by the Queen. Voiced by Toshiyuki Morikawa in the Japanese version and by James Arnold Taylor in the English version.

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. Unlike most of the universe, the residents of Deep Space are aware other worlds exist....specifically the worlds in the Galactic Federation.

• 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. However, due to the presences of Terra's group, Stitch eventually befriends each of the three Keyblade users, while also seeing Terra's Wayfinder creating a replica version of it made from space junk, in order to demonstrate his understanding of friendship. He later escapes into Hyperspace to avoid his pursuers, while becoming more self-conscious to the three Keyblade wielders. Stitch later ends up at Radiant Garden during the events of Kingdom Hearts II, where he fought alongside Sora, Donald, Goofy and The Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee in the Battle of the 1000 Heartless. Afterwards, he joined them as a summon. He is voiced by Kōichi Yamadera in the Japanese version and by Chris Sanders in the English version.

• Dr. Jumba Jookiba: 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. The manner of how he speaks appears similar to Russian, and the use of incorrect pronouns. Jumba tricks Terra into helping him rescue 626, which causes 626 to develop a conscience; Aqua later apprehends him, and Jumba goes back to prison without a fight. He is voiced by Shōzō Iizuka in the Japanese version and by David Ogden Stiers in the English version.

• Gantu: Gantu is the captain of the Galactic Federation. He was the one who originally captured and arrested Jumba for his genetic experiments. He eventually ended up demoted back to patrol by The Grand Councilwoman when he attempted to kill Aqua (who was trying to protect Stitch and Jumba from him). He is voiced by Unshō Ishizuka in the Japanese version and by Kevin Michael Richardson in the English version.

• The Grand Councilwoman: The Grand Gouncilwoman is the leader of the Galactic Federation, leading the trial against Jumba Jookiba before sentencing him and the newly created Stitch to their respective prisons. She rules firmly, but fairly and with an open mind. With the Unversed hindering the recapture of Jumba and 626, she if forced to let Aqua take care of the task. After Gantu attempts killing the fugitives, she demotes him and begins reconsidering 626's sentnece per Aqua request. She is voiced by Ikuko Tani in the Japanese version and by Zoe Caldwell in the English version.

• Sparky: Sparky is the 221st genetic alien experiment created by Jumba. His primary motive is to cause chaos and destruction using his electrical powers and abilities, attacking Terra. Confusingly, Jumba did not have 221's dehydrated form, a pod, confiscated; he should not have had access to it. Voiced by Wataru Takagi in the Japanese version and by Frank Welker in the English version.

La Cité des Cloches

La Cité des Cloches (French for The City of Bells) features characters from the 1996 animated film, The Hunchback of Notre Dame. It was introduced in Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance as a Sleeping World, while taking place in the city of Paris during the 15th century.

• Quasimodo: Quasimodo is a kind-hearted and caring hunchback who is the bellringer of the Notre Dame Cathedral. He feels that he can not be accepted due to Frollo pointing out his physical deformities. He is voiced by Sōsuke Komori in the Japanese version and by Ari Rubin in the English version.

• Esméralda: Esméralda is a free-spirited and streetwise gypsy woman with a heart of gold. She later befriends Quasimodo and helps him realize his inner beauty. She is voiced by Urara Takano in the Japanese version and by Renee Faia in the English version.

• Phoebus: Frollo's Captain of the Guard, who instantly falls in love with Esméralda. After meeting Quasimodo and Esmeralda respectively, he begins to question and then challenge Judge Frollo's actions. He is voiced by Souma Suzuki in the Japanese version and by Phil LaMarr in the English version.

• Claude Frollo: The ruthless and self-righteous justice minister and is Quasimodo's reluctant guardian seeing the evil he commits to be for the greater good. Riku describes him as too far gone for help and "a sad old man, with a dark heart." Frollo is voiced by Shozo Sasaki in the Japanese version and by Corey Burton in the English version.

• Victor, Hugo, and Laverne: A trio of gargoyle statues who are Quasimodo's close friends as they encourage him not to believe Frollo and see the world. Victor is the renaissance man, who's often the voice of reason, Hugo the comical and mischievous member of the group, and Laverne the most intelligent of them, and acts as a motherly figure to Quasimodo. In the Japanese version, Victor is voiced by Kiyotaka Imai, Hugo is voiced by Atsushi Haruta, and Laverne is voiced by Hisako Kyōda. In the English version, Victor is voiced by Charles Kimbrough, Hugo is voiced by Jason Alexander, and Laverne is voiced by Patricia Lentz.

The Grid

The Grid features characters from the 2010 science-fiction Disney film, Tron: Legacy, making it the second world to be based on the Tron franchise. It was introduced in Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance as a Sleeping World, Xemnas revealing to Sora how a past version of The Grid was found by Ansem the Wise who copied it to create Space Paranoids. Hoping to confuse Sora, Young Xehanort lied, claiming that this world wasn't asleep because it was data.

• Kevin Flynn: A User and the creator of the Grid; CLU is a program he created to help him perfect the Grid. However, CLU believed the ISOs to be imperfect, destroying most of them and trapping Kevin in the Grid for 20 years. Kevin took Quorra, the last of the ISOs, as his apprentice, teaching her about the User world. In Riku's side, Kevin forces ClU to merge with him, causing both to cease existence. He is voiced by Tsutomu Isobe in the Japanese version and by Fred Tatasciore in the English version.

• Sam Flynn: Kevin Flynn's son who ventures into the Grid to find his missing father; unknowning of the circumstances behind his father's disappearance 20 years ago, Sam thought bitterly of him. He allies with Riku to help recover Kevin's Identity Disk and rescue Quorra. Voiced by Daisuke Hirakawa in the Japanese version and by Ross Thomas in the English version.

• Quorra: Quorra is the confidante and apprentice to Kevin Flynn during his years in exile. She is also the last known surviving member of a group of 'isomorphic algorithms' destroyed by CLU and is referred to by Kevin Flynn as "The Miracle"; her kind manifested when the conditiions in the Grid were right, and Kevin believed it could challenge and change the User world's beliefs. Quorra befriends Sora when he tries to restore Rinzler's memory. She is voiced by Yuka Komatsu in the Japanese version and by Erin Cottrell in the English version.

• Rinzler: Rinzler is a reprogrammed version of Tron, who is CLU's primary enforcer. In addition he is the only known program to use two identity discs in combat. Despite not being the same Tron that Sora met in Space Paranoids, he recognises the Keyblade in their first encounter. After Sora successfully undoes CLU's reprogramming, Rinzler pushes Sora out of the path of CLU's disk and even reaches for Sora's hand when falling out of a floating arena.

• CLU 2: Also known as CLU, CLU 2 is an artificial intelligence program which stands for Codified Likeness Utility. CLU 2 was created by Kevin in his likeness to oversee the development of the Grid. However, following his programming to create a "perfect system", CLU 2 betrayed Flynn and took the Grid under his undisputed control, while also issuing the complete annihilation of the ISOs. He even gains control of the Dream Eater, Commantis. In Riku's side, CLU 2 was forced to merge with Kevin, causing both to disappear. He is voiced by Tsutomu Isobe in the Japanese version and by Fred Tatasciore in the English version.

• Black Guards: The Black Guards are computer programs that were reprogrammed by CLU to serve as his main enforcers on the Grid. A group tries to capture Sora and Riku each; however, only Riku complies to learn about the Grid, while Sora escapes. They often appear in groups of four. Besides Dream Eaters, they are generic foes fought in the Grid. They are voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson and Brian Bloom respectively in the English version.

• The Grid A.I.: The artificial intelligence of The Grid. The Grid A.I.'s only line is "Combatant 13 versus Rinzler." It is voiced by Kari Wahlgren in the English version.

Prankster's Paradise

Prankster's Paradise features characters from the 1940 animated film, Pinocchio. Jiminy Cricket originated from this world. It was introduced in Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance as a Sleeping World, in which most of the world's setting takes place on the circus area and amusement park of Pleasure Island and inside Monstro the Whale.

• Pinocchio: A happy wooden puppet made by Geppetto and turned into a living puppet by the Blue Fairy. He ended up in Traverse Town after the Heartless ravaged his world before stowing away to be reunited with Geppetto. In the Japanese version, he is voiced by Yūki Tokiwa in Kingdom Hearts and by Yasutomo Yamaguchi in Dream Drop Distance. In the English version, he is voiced by Seth Adkins in Kingdom Hearts and by Nick Carson in Dream Drop Distance.

• Geppetto: A kind and gentle woodcarver who created Pinocchio, treating him like a son. He owns a goldfish named Cleo. In the Japanese version, Geppetto is voiced by Kazuo Kumakura, while the English version has him voiced by Tony Pope in Kingdom Hearts, and by Jeff Bennett in Dream Drop Distance.

• The Blue Fairy: The beautiful fairy who brought Pinocchio to life and appointed Jiminy Cricket to be his conscience. She is voiced by Miyuki Ichijo in the Japanese version and by Rosalyn Landor in the English version.

• Monstro: A whale that has been traveling through space, known as the Lanes Between, after his world was ravaged by the Heartless. He swallowed Geppetto during his search for Pinocchio, with the latter swallowed as well when Sora's Gummi Ship was also swallowed. Eventually, due to Sora and friends fighting the Heartless, Monstro sneezes everyone out. Monstro also makes an appearance in Birth By Sleep: Final Mix as a boss in the Mirage Arena.

Country of the Musketeers

The Country of the Musketeers features characters from the 2004 direct-to-video Disney film, Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers, introduced in Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance. Like Timeless River and Symphony of Sorcery, it is set in the past, although at a later period, and focuses on King Mickey's earlier adventures as a musketeer with Donald and Goofy.

• The Beagle Boys: A trio of hooded bandits who work as Captain Pete's henchmen. They attempt kidnapping Princess Minnie and helping Pete fight in Sora's story, but after defeated again and again. In Riku's story, they trap Minnie in a chest and try keeping a gadget that controls a trap for the musketeers from Riku. In the Japanese version the Beagle Boys are respectively voiced by Naoki Tatsuta, Kenji Nomura, and Fumihiko Tachiki. In the English version, two of the Beagle Boys are voiced by Jeff Bennett while the third is voiced by Maurice LaMarche.

Symphony of Sorcery

Symphony of Sorcery features characters from the 1940 animated film, Fantasia, introduced in Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance. Like Timeless River and Country of the Musketeers, it is set in the past at the Mysterious Tower when Mickey was still Yen Sid's apprentice. The actual parts of the world itself are located within three song books located within Yen Sid's tower: The Sorcerer's Apprentice, the Nutcracker Suite, and The Pastoral Symphony.

• Chernabog: A massive nocturnal deity who is capable of holding power over various restless souls. With Symphony of Sorcery's destruction, Chernabog was released from the musical score imprisoning him and ended up in the End of the World during Kingdom Hearts. He fought Sora, but was defeated. A dream apperition of Chernabog appears in Dream Drop Distance, where it is summoned by Young Xehanort to destroy Riku at Bald Mountain.

• Magic Brooms: Sentient broomsticks brought to life from Mickey's sorcerer magic. They assist Mickey on helping around in the Mysterious Tower (and eventually, Disney Castle). In KH3D, they flood the tower with water while Mickey is put to sleep by Spellican.

Kingdom of Corona

Kingdom of Corona features characters from the 2010 animated film, Tangled. It will be introduced in Kingdom Hearts III and takes place in the kingdom and the tower where Rapunzel lives.

San Fransokyo

San Fransokyo features characters from the 2014 animated film, Big Hero 6. It will be introduced in Kingdom Hearts III and takes place after the events of the movie's storyline with Baymax's original body turned into an antagonist.

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

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. 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". 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".

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

GameSpy praised the voice cast and voice acting in the first and third games. G4TV awarded Kingdom Hearts II "Best Voice Over" in their 2006 G-phoria Awards. 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." Gaming Age praised the voice work in the first and third game and the localization of the dialogue. They commented the voice acting in the first game was one of its best features. 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. Reception towards the voice acting in Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep, however, was decidedly mixed, with praise aimed at the performances of Jesse McCartney, Mark Hamill and Leonard Nimoy, while Willa Holland and Jason Dohring's performances received a more mixed reaction, with GameSpot referring to Dohring's performance as "abysmal".

External links

• Kingdom Hearts Japan official portal
• Kingdom Hearts North America official portal