Summary
Square Enix’sKingdom Heartsfranchise is one of the most beloved long-running series in gaming, and it isn’t stopping any time soon. With its fourth mainline title in production,Kingdom Heartsis likely to continue bringing its marriage ofFinal Fantasyand Disney to fans for years to come. Across over 20 years of releases, however, the lore of the series has probably become some of the most convoluted in gaming.
The complex narrative that has been crafted throughout the many titles under theKingdom Heartsumbrella can be daunting for new players looking to understand the franchise, but playing the games in order of release can offer a relatively straightforward experience. As its titles have delved deeper into times that predate the mainline games,the timeline ofKingdom Heartshas now explored many events outside the adventures of Sora. AsKingdom Hearts 4slowly approaches, looking back at the continuity of the series in retrospect can lead players right into the upcoming game.
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Kingdom Hearts Union X
A spin-off taking place hundreds of years prior to the events of the firstKH,Kingdom Hearts UnionX(pronounced “key” or “cross”) acts as a prequel that tells of the story of the Master of Masters and his apprentices known as the Foretellers.X Back Coveris a companion animated film set both before and duringX, while the updatesUnchained XandUnion Xwould go on to continue the narrative into a plot revolving around data worlds and the impendingKeyblade War.
Kingdom Hearts Dark Road
The final update to what is now known asUnion X Dark Road, this game is notable for featuring series main antagonist Xehanort as its player character. The origin story of the instigator of the events of the Dark Seeker Saga,Kingdom Hearts Dark Roadeventually sees a time skip of 64 years that directly leads intoBirth by Sleep.
Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep
Possibly the most iconic of theKingdom Heartsprequels,Birth by Sleepfeatured the three separate adventures ofTerra, Ventus, and Aquathat saw their battle with Master Xehanort lead directly into the events of the original game 10 years later.KH Birth by Sleep -A fragmentary passagechronologically follows right after in a gap-filling lead up to the third game focused purely on Aqua.
Kingdom Hearts
The game that started it all, the originalKingdom Heartswas an innovative experiment of the PS2 era that truly paid off. Seeing the beginning of the story of Sora, Riku, and Kairi, the first game in the franchise introduced the conflict withthe Heartless and Darknessas a whole that would continue for years to come.
Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days
The spin-off centered onSora’s Nobody, Roxas, is a somber reflection on one of the boldest concepts ofKingdom Hearts 2and one of the most emotional experiences of the series for many dedicated fans. Spanning the length between the first and second titles, the context of358/2 Days’ tragedy is largely unknown to the cast of the mainline games.
Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
A strange fever dream of a story that saw Sora losing his memories in Castle Oblivion,Chain of Memoriesrevisited false versions of Disney worlds while first introducing Organization 13. The story of Marluxia and his failed coup attempt takes place concurrently with358/2 Days, but all these events were completely forgotten by Sora leading up to the next mainline game.
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Kingdom Hearts 2
Widely considered the peak of the series,Kingdom Hearts 2improved on many aspects of the original in a bold way. Seeing an older Sora wake up from his rest and return to face off against Organization 13 and its master Xemnas, this game developed the previous cast while also introducing Nobodies.
Kingdom Hearts: Coded
One of the more inconsequential spin-offs,Codedsaw a virtual Data-Sora venturing through previously visited worlds once more to stop mysterious “Bugs” in the data worlds. With its entire plot taking place during the end ofKingdom Hearts 2, this game ultimately served to explain the message in a bottle sent by King Mickey.
Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance
Dream Drop Distancereleased during the long interim between mainline entries after the second and saw Sora and Riku taking the Mark of Mastery exam through exploring various “Sleeping Worlds”. Setting up the conflict of the third game through the return of Master Xehanort and introduction of his new Organization 13, the young appearances of this game’s protagonists can be misleading.
Kingdom Hearts 3
Finally arriving over 10 years after the previous mainline title,Kingdom Hearts 3acted as the culmination of all the events of the Dark Seeker Saga that preceded it. With the return of practically every major character from across the series in an epic final battle against every form of Xehanort, all the previous titles were able to factor into this experience.Kingdom Hearts 3: Re Mindwould later expand on the game’s bittersweet ending while also setting up the future Lost Master Arc, capping off the majority of the timeline.
Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory
While a spin-off rhythm game,Melody of Memoryis technically the most recent within the series’ timeline. Focused on Kairi as she sleeps for an entire year while searching for clues about Sora’s location in her heart, this game eventually takes place concurrently withRe Mind’s “Limitcut Episode”. Seeing Riku entering the “fictional world” of Quadratum in search of Sora, this game seems to lead directly into the fourth.
Kingdom Hearts 4
Only revealed through a cinematic trailer so far,Kingdom Hearts 4is set to bring Sora into Quadratum, a world that exists outside of the typical definitions of light and darkness in favor the new concept of “fiction”. The setting of the fourth mainline entry was hinted at through the secret boss Yozora inRe Mind, and will likely somehow relate to the presence of the Masters of Masters and Luxu in the aptly titledLost Master Arc.
Kingdom Hearts 4is currently in development.
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