Summary
It’s a known fact that theKingdom Heartsfranchise has along and complex, yet convoluted, storyline that spans through several titles. So it’s completely understandable that most players would just see each game as separate parts of the same plot. But that’s not entirely the case.
EachKingdom Heartsgame actually has its own standalone story with a clear beginning, middle, and end, each with its own set of characters, themes, settings, and developments. While all of these individual plots eventually add their part to the overall plot of the series, these glaring differences mean thatsome of theseKingdom Heartsstories are better than others.
Updated on May 23, 2025, by Julián Fernández Loyarte:The Kingdom Hearts series is home to multiple entries, each featuring its own unique and important story. As such, this article has been updated to provide more in-depth explanations for what makes each story so good, especially for newcomers to the series who are just starting their Kingdom Hearts journey via Steam. Though there is always something to like about each game’s plot, it’s hard to deny that some narratives simply outshine others for various reasons. And while no Kingdom Hearts game features an outright “bad” tale, some are arguably a great deal more compelling than others.
One of this franchise’s flaws is that director Tetsuya Nomura feels like every single entry needs to be canonical to the storyline. This is why this mobile game had to have some significance to the plot, even though it actually had little impact and was extremely forgettable.
Re:Codedtakes place entirely within a digital world based on Jiminy Cricket’s diary, meaning that it essentially just retreads plot beats fromKingdom Hearts. The protagonist is a data version of Sora who never appeared again, and it feels like this story exists solely to explain the post-credits scene ofKingdom Hearts 2. It’s the definition of a “filler arc.”
This rhythm side-game repeats the previously mentioned problem. It was especially disappointing for fans who were excited tofinally have Kairi as the protagonist, only to have her being unimportant for most of the story.
90% of the plot ofMelody of Memoryconsists of flashbacks of events from previous games, and only at the very end does Kairi actually do something to move the plot forward, yet it still leaves a lot to be desired. This plot didn’t need to exist, as it feels like it could have been a post-credits scene inKingdom Hearts 3or it’s DLC. However, the plot ofMelody of Memorydoes set up a lot of important events that will be relevant in the upcomingKingdom Hearts 4, so maybe this odd rhythm game will be seen with a different light in future years.
The main goal ofDream Drop Distancewas to set up the stage for the events ofKingdom Hearts 3, by explaining how Master Xehanort came back and introducing the true Organization XIII at the same time. And it succeeded in doing so, for the most part.
But this game was also a turning point for the franchise since it introduced and combined two concepts that are hard to grasp and are not even explained very well:time travel and dream exploration. These elements ended up feeling unnecessarily convoluted for most players, especially newcomers to the series. And they also ended up negatively affecting characters, especially Sora, who feels less intelligent and more annoying for most of the course of this game. This was quite disappointing, but luckily, it didn’t carry over toKingdom Hearts 3.
The plot ofChain of Memoriesis one of the most interesting in the series since it offers a deep exploration of Sora’s psyche. Byslowly erasing his memoriesand making him fight with Donald and Goofy, this game explores a side of the hero that players never saw before. But the best part about this game’s plot is the introduction ofOrganization XIII, which is not only made up of memorable and charismatic characters, like Marluxia, Axel or Larxene, but would also end up becoming one of the most iconic and important groups in the entireKingdom Heartsfranchise. There’s also Riku’s side story, which marks the beginning of his amazing yet extensive character development and redemption.
However,Chain of Memoriesdoes suffer from taking place entirely in one location, making the story feel isolated and repetitive. And even worse, everything that happens within the Disney worlds of this game is just recycled fromKingdom Hearts, with many awkward cutscenes that don’t have direction or voice acting.
As the conclusion of the Xehanort Saga,Kingdom Hearts 3had to fulfill a lot of promises to leave longtime fans satisfied. While it featured a solid story, it still left some people disappointed, with complaints about its rushed pacing and some characters feeling insignificant in order to give Sora the spotlight. After all, landing a good ending is not always easy.
But there are still a lot of positive elements inKingdom Hearts 3. Seeing all of these beloved characters fighting together to defeat Xehanort and his true Organization XIII was as epic as it was satisfying, and the entire thing felt like a hugely important event. On top of that, theRe MindDLC felt like it was entirely designed to fix most of the player’s complaints regarding the plot of this game. It added brand-new cutscenes that offeredbetter lore explanations, it made the pacing a little bit better, and it even introduced new playable situations that gave the other 6 Guardians of Light relevant stuff to do.Re Mindalso gave fans their first few hints towards the plot of future installments, which is definitely quite intriguing.
5Kingdom Hearts Union X Dark Road
Features Two Somewhat Dark Stories That Set Up Events For The Future
Union Xwas a mobile game that had content added to it for years, which had its pros and cons. This meant that Square Enix was able to slowly build the plot by introducing new characters, setting up huge mysteries, and exploring time periods that fans always wanted to know more about, like the Keyblade War or Xehanort and Eraqus’ backstory.
But this also meant thatUnion Xwas a slow burn that was filled to the brim with filler. What’s even worse is that many fans never had the chance to play it when it was actively being updated. It’s a shame because this game featured a solid and intriguing storyline that will be ofhuge importance for future installments. Thankfully, fans eager to find out more about the Keyblade War inUnion Xcan still do so via the game’s cutscenes, which are available in the offline version of the game. It’s a surprisingly dark tale full of complex twists and turns, but it features an array of charming characters and memorable moments that are certain to appeal to longtime fans.
Those curious about why Xehanort eventually became the villainous figure fans commonly see him as today can playDark Roadto find out more about his origins. This title presents the iconicKingdom Heartsvillain as a protagonist and follows him during his early years as a Keyblade wielder. The story itself is quite charming, but it slowly becomes quite unsettling, convenientlysetting Xehanort on his dark path.
The plot ofBirth by Sleepwas an experiment and a huge gamble for Tetsuya Nomura. It’s prequel that is meant toexplain the origins of Xehanortand several other important aspects of the franchise, told across three different but interconnected storylines. Luckily, it ended up being one of the best stories in the series.
The tale of Ventus, Aqua, and Terra is an emotional one, with many challenges, sacrifices, twists, and even a bitter-sweet ending that perfectly sets up the events ofKingdom Heartsand beyond. It also marks the origin of Ansem, Xemnas, and Organization XIII, which was explained and written in a very clever way. Not only isBirth by Sleepa greatKingdom Heartsprequel, but it’s also one of thebest video game prequels ever made.
It’s truly shocking how simple yet effective the story of the originalKingdom Heartsis. It only features a small handful of original characters, and it successfully uses them to explore the wonderful world of Disney andFinal Fantasyin a way that no future installment ever did again.
The plot ofKingdom Heartsalso takes a lot from classic tropes from the Shonen genre, and it works well because it’s simple, relatable, and entertaining. The first entry in this series has a magical atmosphere that was never replicated, and it has such a solid beginning, middle, and end that it could’ve worked as a standalone title, even though its sequels are amazing. It features a heartwarming story about a young boy who sets off on a journey to reunite with his missing friends. It’s a simple premise initially, but it grows tobecome something much greateras players progress further. It’s easily the most straightforward story the series has told, but it’s written with such care that it’s hard not to acknowledge it as one of the best in the series.
The plot ofKingdom Hearts 2is an acquired taste since most people usually play it without having experiencedChain of Memories, so this game’s story will likely feel strange and confusing to them. The prologue centered on Roxas may seem like an odd writing choice at first, but once this story clicks, it becomessuch a satisfying experience.
Everything starts off with Roxas, who is a complex character and has a complicated yet endearing relationship with Sora. Once players gain control of Sora, however, the real story kicks off, pitting players against the ruthless Organization XIII and leading to a climactic final encounter against their leader, Xemnas. Lastly, the final boss and ending cutscene ofKingdom Hearts 2are truly perfect, and it closes every character’s story in such a tight-knit and satisfying way that this could have easily been the final entry in the series, and most players wouldn’t have had any problem with that. Like the debut game in the series,Kingdom Hearts 2places the theme of friendship at its core, but it feels much more compelling than what is offered in the first game due to the hardships that each main character has had to go through since then.
Kingdom Heartsplots are better when they are centered primarily on one character, exploring them to their fullest, and358/2 Daysis the best example of this sentiment. Set betweenKingdom HeartsandKingdom Hearts 2,this game tells the story of Roxas’ time in Organization XIII and the friendship he eventually builds with Axel and a mysterious new character, Xion.
Those who are familiar with future events will immediately realize that this plot will not end well. SeeingRoxas’ complex developmentby slowly bonding with his new friends, only to inevitably have all of that ripped away from him, is extremely emotional. Not to mention the huge sacrifice he has to make by the end. But Roxas’ friends aren’t left behind either, because358/2 Daysmade them into incredibly interesting and tragic characters that also have to sacrifice a lot for the good of the world. Axel’s real redemption and rebellion against Organization XIII begins here, and Xion’s story of being a puppet who is forgotten by everyone after she dies at the hands of her own friend is truly heartbreaking. At the end of the day, this is a sweet yet tear-inducing story, and it’s definitely the best written tale in the entireKingdom Heartsseries.
