Editing Kingdom Hearts (universe)

{{Title|''Kingdom Hearts'' (universe)}}{{ArticleIcons|ultimate=y}}

|caption          = [[File:KingdomHeartsSymbol.svg|50px|class=invert-dark]]

The '''''Kingdom Hearts'' universe''' ({{ja|キングダム ハーツ|Kingudamu Hātsu}}, ''Kingdom Hearts''), stylized in-game as '''KINGDOM HEARTS''', refers to the ''Smash Bros.'' series' collection of characters, stages, and properties that hail from the action role-playing game (ARPG) franchise created by [[Square Enix]] (formerly Squaresoft) in collaboration with [[Disney]], the official owner of the franchise. The series primarily centers around the adventures of [[Sora]], who travels across various worlds themed after properties owned by Disney and its subsidiaries while stopping schemes plotted by both original antagonists and the worlds' native villains. Since the release of its first installment in 2002, the franchise has been one of the best-selling action RPG series in the world and is most notable for its crossing-over of Disney properties with various Square Enix properties, namely {{uv|Final Fantasy}}, ''{{iw|wikipedia|The World Ends with You}}'', and ''{{iw|wikipedia|Einhänder}}''. Alongside ''Final Fantasy'' and {{uv|Dragon Quest}}, ''Kingdom Hearts'' is considered a flagship franchise for Square Enix.

The origins of ''Kingdom Hearts'' can be traced back to conversations between [[Square Enix|Squaresoft]] executive {{iw|wikipedia|Shinji Hashimoto}} and {{uv|Final Fantasy}} series creator {{iw|wikipedia|Hironobu Sakaguchi}} in the late 1990s. The developer was in a financially unstable position at the time and needed a blockbuster success to save them from going bankrupt. The two bemoaned about Square needing a game like ''[[Mario (universe)|Super Mario 64]]'', but realizing only a company like [[Disney]] has characters that could rival the popularity of [[Mario]]. ''Final Fantasy'' character designer {{iw|wikipedia|Tetsuya Nomura}} overheard these conversations and volunteered to create this project. By a stroke of luck, Square and Disney of Japan shared an office building at the time, and Hashimoto would have a chance encounter with a Disney executive in an elevator which allowed him to pitch the concept of using Disney properties in this game, which was eventually approved in 2000.

It was eventually decided that the game would be a crossover title with Disney and ''Final Fantasy'' characters interacting with original characters, however contention arose when settling on the game's premise and direction. The lead protagonist was undecided between the two companies, with Disney wanting {{iw|wikipedia|Donald Duck}} and Square wanting {{iw|wikipedia|Mickey Mouse}}. Nomura decided to compromise by creating an original character, [[Sora]], to serve as the protagonist instead, combining Disney's character design aspects with his own. Disney approved the concept on the condition that all original characters, settings, and assets would be fully owned by them. The storyline and narrative would be helmed by Nomura, marking his debut as a director and lead writer, and it was originally planned to be a simple narrative meant to appeal to Disney's core audience. However, after a meeting with Sakaguchi, Nomura elevated the storyline to better appeal to ''Final Fantasy'' fans. The game eventually morphed into ''Kingdom Hearts'', which was exclusively released for the PlayStation 2 on March 28, 2002.

The game was a critical and financial success both in Japan and internationally, eventually becoming the tenth best-selling game on the system. The game is considered a major factor in the financial recovery of Square, which allowed them to merge with Enix in 2003. The release outside of Japan is notable for having content that was not in the initial release due to time constraints. The game received a Director's Cut re-release in Japan with this new content along with more content made specifically for this version, titled ''Kingdom Hearts Final Mix''. This started a trend of games getting the Final Mix treatment, with most of them being exclusive to Japan for years. Due to the success of the first game’s sales, the real time aerial action RPG battle system of ''Kingdom Hearts'' became the main basis for some modern ''Final Fantasy'' games, particularly the arena fighting game spin-off series ''Dissidia Final Fantasy'', and ''Final Fantasy XV''. Similar aerial combat scenes are also shown in the animated spin-off follow up movie to ''Final Fantasy VII'', ''Advent Children''.

A sequel was immediately put into production. To tide fans over, an interquel was co-developed by Jupiter for the Game Boy Advance in 2004 titled ''Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories''. The game experimented by having a card-based combat system that has been referenced but never replicated. Unlike other side projects, ''Chain of Memories'' is integral to the overall plot and is directly referenced in future installments. The game was fully remade in 2007 for PlayStation 2, titled ''Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories'', and this version has been re-released ever since.

The proper sequel, ''Kingdom Hearts II'', released on PlayStation 2 in late 2005. The game picks up right after the events of ''Chain of Memories'' left off and received praise for improving on the first game in many ways, and is generally considered the most popular entry in the series. A Final Mix version was released in 2007 with new content.

Another mobile game was released in 2008 titled ''Kingdom Hearts coded''. This game was released episodically over a year and exists to explain plot holes in ''Kingdom Hearts II''. All episodes were later combined and released on [[Nintendo DS]] in 2011, titled ''Kingdom Hearts Re:coded''. A web browser game tie in titled ''Kingdom Hearts Re:coded Gummiship Studio'' released as a studio to make a Gummi Ship. Around the same time, a mobile domain titled ''Kingdom Hearts Mobile'' was released and contained all episodes of ''coded'' as well as ringtones, wallpapers, and minigames. The site went defunct in 2013.

A prequel entry titled ''Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep'' released on PlayStation Portable in 2010. Based on the adventures of Terra, Ventus, and Aqua, the game is set ten years before the events of the first game and explains plot mysteries that have persisted since the beginning. This game received the Final Mix treatment in 2011.

An entry for [[Nintendo 3DS]] titled ''Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance'' released in 2012 as part of the series' 10th anniversary, and was the first game since ''Kingdom Hearts II'' to properly advance the story. The game was remastered as ''Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance HD'' in 2017.

In 2013, a web browser game titled ''Kingdom Hearts χ[chi]'' was released as a prequel to every game released prior. The game was fully remade for mobile devices in 2015 titled ''Kingdom Hearts Unchained χ'', which was renamed in 2017 to ''Kingdom Hearts Union χ[Cross]''. A companion game was released in 2020, titled ''Kingdom Hearts Dark Road'', that explains the origin of several characters. The games have since been shut down, but the cutscenes in theatre mode are still available to download.

In addition to ''Kingdom Hearts χ'', 2013 brought forth the beginning of compiling the series in HD remaster collections. ''Kingdom Hearts Final Mix'', ''Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories'', and remade cutscenes of ''Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days'' were compiled on PlayStation 3 as ''Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX''. In 2014, HD remasters of ''Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix'', ''Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix'', and remade cutscenes of ''Kingdom Hearts Re:coded'' were also collected on PlayStation 3 as ''Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX''. In 2017, both collections were remastered again and combined on PlayStation 4 as ''Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX''. That same year, ''Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance HD'', an abbreviated cinematic adaptation of ''Kingdom Hearts χ'' titled ''Kingdom Hearts χ Back Cover'' and an original entry titled ''Kingdom Hearts 0.2 Birth by Sleep -A fragmentary passage-'' were collected on PlayStation 4 as ''Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue''. The two collections were then placed into another collection for the PlayStation 4 as one called ''Kingdom Hearts The Story So Far''.

All the way back in 2013, a teaser trailer revealed ''Kingdom Hearts III'' to be in development, with Nomura admitting the game was announced to the public far too early. Development progress was slow and steady, as Nomura was also directing ''Final Fantasy Versus XIII'' and ''Final Fantasy VII Remake''. Nomura ended up stepping down as director of ''Versus XIII'' due to him disagreeing with the direction the game was heading, which allowed him to focus more on the other two titles. ''Versus XIII'' eventually released in 2016, ten years after development started, as ''Final Fantasy XV''.  

Sporadic updates on ''Kingdom Hearts III'' occurred for many years after the initial reveal until it was finally released in early 2019 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. This game's story marked the end to the Dark Seeker Saga, which had been going on since the first game. Also in 2019, ''Kingdom Hearts VR Experience'' released exclusively on PlayStation VR as a walking simulator of various worlds. The series's first official piece of downloadable content was released roughly one year later as ''Kingdom Hearts III Re Mind'', which explains plot elements in the base game, reintroduces elements seen in Final Mixes, and opens the door to a brand new story arc for the franchise. ''Kingdom Hearts III'' would later be bundled with everything seen in the ''The Story So Far'' bundle and released as ''Kingdom Hearts All-In-One Package''. A cloud version of this bundle with the edition of the ''Re Mind'' DLC, titled ''Kingdom Hearts Integrum Masterpiece'', was revealed to be released on Nintendo Switch on October 5, 2021 during Sora's edition of [[Mr. Sakurai Presents#Battling with Sora|Mr. Sakurai Presents]], and was released on February 10, 2022.

A rhythm game released in 2020 titled ''Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory''. It is also the first game in the series to appear on a Nintendo console since ''Dream Drop Distance'' eight years prior.

On April 10, 2022, it was announced at the 20th Anniversary Event that ''Kingdom Hearts IV'' is in development, alongside a mobile midquel set between ''Kingdom Hearts Union χ[Cross]'' and ''Kingdom Hearts Dark Road'' called  ''Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link'', with a closed beta test set to release in 2022. The existence of ''Kingdom Hearts IV'' was previously leaked in November, 2021 as part of a list of games leaked from Nvidia, but was officially announced in this event.

The ''Kingdom Hearts'' franchise also comprises several other media, including soundtracks, several different series of manga and light novels, ''Ultimania'' novels, and a cancelled television series, which had its archives recovered in October 2022.

 

Sora, along with the franchise, and barring Disney and Pixar-related content, would be revealed for ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'' on October 5, 2021 as the last purchasable DLC character for both [[Fighters Pass Vol. 2]] and the game overall. The crossover happened after many years of fans showing their support to the then unthinkable event. During the last ''Mr. Sakurai Presents'' video, it was explained that Sora was the most requested character in the Super Smash Bros. Fighter Ballot back in 2015, contrarily to [[Bayonetta]] who was the most requested character and realizable to include in ''Super Smash Bros. 4''. In an interview featuring Tetsuya Nomura for the upcoming game ''Kingdom Hearts IV'', he has commented on Sora's inclusion in ''Ultimate'', which reveals Disney were supportive of adding him and the franchise in this game. However, Nomura was hesitant on adding Sora in ''Ultimate'' as he thought it would be tough to do it between both the franchise's lore and the Disney worlds, and Masahiro Sakurai's ''Super Smash Bros.'' series.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gameinformer.com/exclusive-interview/2022/06/14/nomura-reveals-more-on-kingdom-hearts-iv-and-the-series-future-with|title=Nomura Reveals More On Kingdom Hearts IV And The Series' Future With Final Fantasy|author=Kimberley Wallace|date=June 14, 2022|accessdate=June 14, 2022|website=Game Informer}}</ref>

 

Likewise for Sakurai, he thought it was impossible to see it happen at first. However, he met by chance a higher-up at Disney during an awards show, which let him have the chance to ask about adding the franchise in ''Ultimate''. During production, Sakurai had to make the reveal trailer "The Last Key" with a set of rules given by supervisors from Disney and Square Enix, and by respecting ''Kingdom Hearts''{{'}}s lore.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://kotaku.com/masahiro-sakurai-explains-how-sora-came-to-super-smash-1847906871|title=Masahiro Sakurai Explains How Sora Came To Super Smash Bros. Ultimate|author=Brian Ashcraft|date=October 21, 2021|accessdate=June 14, 2022|website=Kotaku}}</ref>

*82. [[File:SoraIcon(SSBU).png|50px|right|link=Sora (SSBU)]]'''{{SSBU|Sora}}''' ([[DLC]]): The highly-requested main character of the series was revealed as the sixth and final downloadable newcomer of the [[Fighters Pass Vol. 2]]. He is the last character to be added in ''Ultimate'' overall and released along with Hollow Bastion, 10 music tracks, and several spirits on October 18th, 2021.

*'''{{SSBUMusicLink|Kingdom Hearts|Night of Fate}}''' ([[DLC]]): The first battle theme in ''{{iw|khwiki|Kingdom Hearts|game}}'', sourced from ''{{iw|khwiki|Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX}}''.

*'''{{SSBUMusicLink|Kingdom Hearts|Destiny's Force}}''' ([[DLC]]): A recurring battle theme, sourced from ''Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX''.

*'''{{SSBUMusicLink|Kingdom Hearts|Shrouding Dark Cloud}}''' ([[DLC]]): A recurring battle theme, sourced from ''Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX''.

*'''{{SSBUMusicLink|Kingdom Hearts|Hand in Hand}}''' ([[DLC]]): The battle theme used for {{iw|khwiki|Traverse Town}}, sourced from ''Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX''.

*'''{{SSBUMusicLink|Kingdom Hearts|Blast Away! -Gummi Ship II-}}''' ([[DLC]]): The {{iw|khwiki|Gummi Ship}}'s theme used for some routes in ''Kingdom Hearts'', sourced from ''Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX''.

*'''{{SSBUMusicLink|Kingdom Hearts|Hollow Bastion}}''' ([[DLC]]): The eponymous location's theme, sourced from ''Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX''.

*'''{{SSBUMusicLink|Kingdom Hearts|Scherzo di Notte}}''' ([[DLC]]): The battle theme that plays in Hollow Bastion, sourced from ''Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX''.

*'''{{SSBUMusicLink|Kingdom Hearts|Fragments of Sorrow}}''' ([[DLC]]): A battle theme used for two events in ''Kingdom Hearts''; first for {{iw|khwiki|End of the World}}, then for the [[Dive to the Heart]] scenes, sourced from ''{{iw|khwiki|Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX}}''.

*'''{{SSBUMusicLink|Kingdom Hearts|Destati}}''' ([[DLC]]): The opening theme for ''Kingdom Hearts''{{'}}s [[E3|E3 2001]] trailer.

*'''{{SSBUMusicLink|Kingdom Hearts|Dearly Beloved -Swing Version-}}''' ([[DLC]]): An arrangement of one of the common themes in the franchise, "{{iw|khwiki|Dearly Beloved}}", from ''{{iw|khwiki|Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory}}''. This track is unlocked for players that have save data from the aforementioned game.

==Media with elements appearing in the ''Super Smash Bros.'' series==

 

*Playable characters:

**{{GameIcon|SSBU}} [[Sora]] debuts in this game as the main playable character.

**{{GameIcon|SSBU}} [[List of voice actors#O|Haley Joel Osment]] and [[List of voice actors#I|Miyu Irino]] voiced Sora for the first time in this game in English and Japanese respectively.

**{{GameIcon|SSBU}} Sora's design for his default costume is sourced from this game.

**{{gameIcon|SSB4}} [[List of voice actors#S|Takahiro Sakurai]], [[Cloud]]'s Japanese voice actor, reprises his role in all regions of ''Smash 4'' and ''Ultimate''.

**{{gameIcon|SSBU}} Although derived from the title of his battle theme in ''Final Fantasy VII'', "One-Winged Angel", [[Sephiroth]]'s one wing debuted in this game.

**{{gameIcon|SSBU}} [[Shadow Flare]] is based on the ''Kingdom Hearts'' incarnation.

*Stage:

**{{GameIcon|SSBU}} [[Hollow Bastion]]: The stage originates from this game.

**{{GameIcon|SSBU}} In the Dive to the Heart section, {{iw|khwiki|Riku}}, {{iw|khwiki|Kairi}}, and {{iw|khwiki|Ansem, Seeker of Darkness}} appear as background characters.

*Spirits:

**{{GameIcon|SSBU}} Sora, Riku, and Kairi appear as spirits.

**{{gameIcon|SSBU}} "'''Hikari -KINGDOM Orchestra Instrumental Version-'''": Plays during the opening credits. Used for Sora's reveal trailer on October 5, 2021, although it is not available in the game.

**{{GameIcon|SSBU}} "'''{{SSBUMusicLink|Kingdom Hearts|Dearly Beloved -Swing Version-}}'''": The original version of "{{iw|khwiki|Dearly Beloved}}" comes from this game.

**{{gameIcon|SSBU}} "'''{{SSBUMusicLink|Kingdom Hearts|Destati}}'''": Sourced directly from this game. Used in the opening scene.

**{{gameIcon|SSBU}} "'''{{SSBUMusicLink|Kingdom Hearts|Night of Fate}}'''": A recurring song that first appears in this game.

**{{gameIcon|SSBU}} "'''{{SSBUMusicLink|Kingdom Hearts|Destiny's Force}}'''": A recurring song that first appears in this game.

**{{gameIcon|SSBU}} "'''{{SSBUMusicLink|Kingdom Hearts|Shrouding Dark Cloud}}'''": A recurring boss theme that first appears in this game.

**{{gameIcon|SSBU}} "'''{{SSBUMusicLink|Kingdom Hearts|Hand in Hand}}'''": A recurring song that first appears in this game. Most commonly the battle theme for {{iw|khwiki|Traverse Town}}.

**{{gameIcon|SSBU}} "'''[[Victory theme#Kingdom Hearts Victory Theme|Victory! Sora]]'''": An arrangement of "Hand in Hand".

**{{gameIcon|SSBU}} "'''{{SSBUMusicLink|Kingdom Hearts|Blast Away! -Gummi Ship II-}}'''": Heard during the Gummi Ship routes between {{iw|khwiki|Agrabah}}, {{iw|khwiki|Monstro}}, {{iw|khwiki|Atlantica}}, {{iw|khwiki|Halloween Town}}, and {{iw|khwiki|Neverland}} in this game. It is used for Sora's credits theme.

**{{gameIcon|SSBU}} "'''{{SSBUMusicLink|Kingdom Hearts|Hollow Bastion}}'''": The main theme for the eponymous location, which first appears in this game.

**{{gameIcon|SSBU}} "'''{{SSBUMusicLink|Kingdom Hearts|Scherzo di Notte}}'''": Most commonly the battle theme for Hollow Bastion.

**{{gameIcon|SSBU}} "'''{{SSBUMusicLink|Kingdom Hearts|Fragments of Sorrow}}'''": First used as the battle theme for {{iw|khwiki|End of the World}}, but most commonly used for [[Dive to the Heart]] scenes. Was used in Sora's reveal trailer.

**{{gameIcon|SSBU}} [[Aerith]]'s retranslated name is canonized in this game.

**{{gameIcon|SSBU}} ''Kingdom Hearts''{{'}}s [[series symbol]] is taken from the three pointed crown, which first appeared in this game.

*Playable characters:

**{{GameIcon|SSBU}} Sora's down air, {{iw|khwiki|Hurricane Blast}}, first originated in this title.

**{{GameIcon|SSBU}} In the Dive to the Heart section, {{iw|khwiki|Naminé}} appears as a background character.

*Spirits:

**{{GameIcon|SSBU}} {{iw|khwiki|Axel}} appears as a spirit.

*Playable characters:

**{{GameIcon|SSBU}} Sora's design for his second costume is sourced from this game.

**{{GameIcon|SSBU}} Sora's Timeless River, Valor, and Wisdom design for his fifth to seventh costumes respectively are sourced from this game.

**{{GameIcon|SSBU}} In the Dive to the Heart section, {{iw|khwiki|Xemnas}} and {{iw|khwiki|Saïx}} appear as background characters.

**{{GameIcon|SSBU}} {{iw|khwiki|Roxas}} appears as a spirit.

**{{GameIcon|SSBU}} Sora (Kingdom Hearts II) and Sora (Timeless River) use artwork from this game.

 

**{{GameIcon|SSBU}} Terra, Ventus, and Aqua make their first appearances here.

**{{GameIcon|SSBU}} In the Dive to the Heart section, {{iw|khwiki|Vanitas}} and {{iw|khwiki|Xehanort}}, who made their first appearances here, appear as background characters.

**{{GameIcon|SSBU}} {{iw|khwiki|Xion}} appears as a spirit. Axel uses artwork from this game.

**{{GameIcon|SSBU}} In the Dive to the Heart section, {{iw|khwiki|Vanitas}} and {{iw|khwiki|Xehanort}} appear as background characters.

**{{GameIcon|SSBU}} {{iw|khwiki|Ventus}}, {{iw|khwiki|Aqua}}, and {{iw|khwiki|Terra}} appear as spirits.

*Playable characters:

**{{GameIcon|SSBU}} Some of Sora's voice clips originate from this game.

*Playable characters:

**{{GameIcon|SSBU}} Sora's design for his third costume is sourced from this game.

**{{GameIcon|SSBU}} Many of Sora's voice clips originate from this game.

*Spirits:

**{{GameIcon|SSBU}} Sora (Kingdom Hearts 3D [Dream Drop Distance]) uses artwork from this game.

*Spirits:

**{{GameIcon|SSBU}} Sora, Riku, and Kairi use artwork from this game.

*Music:

**{{gameIcon|SSBU}} "'''{{SSBUMusicLink|Kingdom Hearts|Night of Fate}}'''": Sourced directly from this game.

**{{gameIcon|SSBU}} "'''{{SSBUMusicLink|Kingdom Hearts|Destiny's Force}}'''": Sourced directly from this game.

**{{gameIcon|SSBU}} "'''{{SSBUMusicLink|Kingdom Hearts|Shrouding Dark Cloud}}'''": Sourced directly from this game.

**{{gameIcon|SSBU}} "'''{{SSBUMusicLink|Kingdom Hearts|Hand in Hand}}'''": Sourced directly from this game.

**{{gameIcon|SSBU}} "'''{{SSBUMusicLink|Kingdom Hearts|Blast Away! -Gummi Ship II-}}'''": Sourced directly from this game.

**{{gameIcon|SSBU}} "'''{{SSBUMusicLink|Kingdom Hearts|Hollow Bastion}}'''": Sourced directly from this game.

**{{gameIcon|SSBU}} "'''{{SSBUMusicLink|Kingdom Hearts|Scherzo di Notte}}'''": Sourced directly from this game.

*Music:

**{{gameIcon|SSBU}} "'''{{SSBUMusicLink|Kingdom Hearts|Fragments of Sorrow}}'''": Sourced directly from this game.

===''{{iw|khwiki|Kingdom Hearts III}}'' / ''{{iw|khwiki|Kingdom Hearts III Re Mind}}''===

*Playable characters:

**{{GameIcon|SSBU}} Sora's design for his fourth costume is sourced from this game.

**{{GameIcon|SSBU}} Sora's Ultimate form for his eighth costume is sourced from this game.

**{{GameIcon|SSBU}} The Stations of Awakening depicting Aqua, Terra, Roxas, and Riku are taken directly from ''Kingdom Hearts III Re Mind'', a DLC expansion for the game.

*Spirits:

**{{GameIcon|SSBU}} Sora (Kingdom Hearts III) uses artwork from this game.

**{{GameIcon|SSBU}} "'''{{SSBUMusicLink|Kingdom Hearts|Dearly Beloved -Swing Version-}}'''": The arranged version of "Dearly Beloved" is sourced from this game.

[[Category:Third-party universes]]