Best Kingdom Hearts Characters

Summary

• Xion is a beloved and tragic character with a heart-wrenching story.
• Xigbar/Luxu is a sarcastic and pivotal villain who made a lasting impact on fans across multiple games.
• Aqua, a strong and wise Keyblade Master who sacrificed herself for her friends.

Most people know the Kingdom Hearts series for its bizarre yet lovely Disney crossover elements, its ambitious and convoluted storyline, or its dynamic real-time combat system. But there’s another important but underrated aspect of this critically acclaimed game franchise: its huge cast of lovable and well-written characters.

While all the Final Fantasy and Disney icons who have appeared in these games are great, there’s no denying that all the original characters created by Tetsuya Nomura and his team are a major highlight, mostly due to their fun personalities, solid designs, and flawless development. As a result, the series is filled to the brim with excellent personalities, with these being the absolute best characters in the entire Kingdom Hearts franchise.

8

Xion

The Most Tragic Character In The Series

• First Appearance: Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

In 358/2 Days, fans were introduced to a mysterious new character named Xion, the fourteenth member of Organization XIII that Axel and Roxas befriended before the events of Kingdom Hearts 2. At first, this seemed like a cheap tactic to make the story of this game more interesting, but it ended up shaping Xion into one of the most fascinating and beloved characters of the franchise.

Needless to say, she has proven to be a delightful figure, and her friendship with both Axel and Roxas was nothing short of adorable, but what cemented Xion as a fan favorite was both her backstory and her eventual fate. She was actually created as a replica of Sora made out of Roxas’ hidden memories, and the hero of the franchise was not going to wake up as long as she was still alive. Because of this, Xion had to sacrifice herself, and she forced her good friend to deal the final blow, which was an incredibly sad and heroic moment in and of itself. Sadly, it was made even more tragic by the fact that her death also meant that everybody was going to forget about her very existence. Fortunately, she was eventually revived and reunited with her friends in Kingdom Hearts 3, which left fans both moved and satisfied.

7

Xigbar / Braig / Luxu

A Sarcastic Villain Who Is Always One Step Ahead Of Everyone Else

• First Appearance: Kingdom Hearts 2

When Xigbar, ranked #2 in Organization XIII, was introduced in Kingdom Hearts 2, many players immediately fell in love with his funny quips, his sarcastic personality, his incredible design, and his over-the-top fighting style. Despite dying in that very same game, he definitely made an impact, so it’s no surprise that many were ecstatic to meet his original human persona, Braig, in Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep, the prequel game.

Braig was just as funny and mischievous as Xigbar, and it turned out that he had been working with Xehanort for many years by the time of Kingdom Hearts 2. Nevertheless, the character was further elevated by his appearance in Kingdom Hearts 3, where not only did he return as a member of the True Organization XIII, but his real identity was revealed: Xigbar is actually Luxu, an apprentice of the Master of Masters, and he was the mastermind who helped and observed Xehanort all along. This made him a lot more complex and interesting while also implying that he will play a crucial part in the upcoming Lost Master Arc.

6

Xemnas

Xehanort’s Most Complex Incarnation

• First Appearance: Kingdom Hearts 2

Master Xehanort, the main antagonist of the Dark Seeker Saga, is infamous for splitting his personality across many different versions of himself, and there’s no denying that Xemnas is the most interesting and complex one of the bunch. This is the Nobody that was formed when Terra-Xehanort was turned into a Heartless. Yet, unlike Ansem, the Seeker of Darkness, it seems like he retained some of the memories and personality traits of Terra.

Xemnas looked for Aqua and Ventus for many years, which is quite odd and fascinating for a character who has always been shown to be ruthless and cold. On top of his complicated personality, he’s also the leader and founder of the original Organization XIII and, thus, is one of the most powerful and intimidating Kingdom Hearts villains, so it is no surprise that many fans prefer Xemnas to his original old-man persona. On top of that, his slick design, unique weapons, and deep voice also contribute to his well-deserved popularity.

5

Riku

He Embarked On An Incredible Journey Of Redemption

• First Appearance: Kingdom Hearts

Riku definitely had the most impressive character arc and development out of the Destiny Islands trio. In the original Kingdom Hearts, he was introduced as Sora’s arrogant and competitive rival, who eventually fell victim to his own darkness and became one of the major antagonists of the game. In the very end, however, he ended up protecting his friends, which was the first step in his long and fascinating journey of redemption.

Riku spent every subsequent game trying to atone for his actions and sacrificed himself for Sora on multiple occasions, which made their friendship stronger and more endearing. What’s especially interesting about him is that he’s one of the few heroes in the series who broke the mold and actually embraced his inner darkness instead of rejecting it, which allowed him to maintain a perfect balance between the two forces.

4

Aqua

A Strong Keyblade Master Who Sacrificed Everything For Her Friends

• First Appearance: Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep

The Kingdom Hearts series has a solid cast of female characters, of which the best and most beloved one is definitely Master Aqua. Her introduction in Birth by Sleep did a perfect job at illustrating that she was a wise, calm, and kind friend/sister to Ventus and Terra from the get-go, but she still had a lot to learn about light, darkness, and the responsibility of being a Keyblade Master.

Of course, Aqua discovered a lot throughout her adventure, where she also showcased how strong she is, thanks to her incredible magic spells and strong Keyblade skills. She really went through a perfect character arc that turned her into a legitimate protector and master, even if it tragically concluded with her getting trapped in the Realm of Darkness as a result of saving Terra. Furthermore, Kingdom Hearts 0.2: Birth by Sleep – A Fragmentary Passage did an excellent job at showing why this sacrifice was so important and how her imprisonment was severely affecting her physical and mental health. Similarly to Xion, Aqua was eventually rescued in Kingdom Hearts 3, where she reunited with Terra and Ventus in one of the most adorable and touching scenes in the entire series.

3

Sora

A Lovable RPG Protagonist Who’s Impossible To Hate

• First Appearance: Kingdom Hearts

Sora is the main playable character of the Kingdom Hearts series, and at first glance, he may seem like the quintessential shonen anime protagonist who is a little bit dumb but has a heart of gold. While these attributes do apply to him, he’s actually a much more complex and fascinating individual.

Sora is the perfect main character for this whimsical Disney adventure, as his endless enthusiasm, friendliness, and heroism make him almost impossible to dislike. On top of that, his impressive skills with the Keyblade mean that he is a very fun and satisfying character to control throughout many titles. On the other hand, however, there’s an innate darkness to him that he’s constantly hiding and trying to fight back, which elevates his entire character and has led to some subtle but important developments. Sora is undoubtedly one of the best and most iconic RPG protagonists ever created, and countless fans can’t wait to play as him once again in the upcoming Kingdom Hearts 4.

2

Roxas

A Powerful Nobody With A Heartbreaking Existence

• First Appearance: Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories

From the moment he was born, Roxas was manipulated by Xemnas to become the new Keyblade wielder of Organization XIII, which led to an entire year filled with despair and tragedy for him. Of course, during that time, he also befriended Axel and Xion, but he would eventually lose his beloved friends due to the Organization’s evil actions.

To make things even worse, Ansem the Wise trapped him in a digital recreation of Twilight Town and forced him to live a fake life, only to later make him sacrifice himself in order to wake Sora up from his slumber. Roxas is a very tragic figure, which is made even worse by the fact that he was always shown to be an innocent, friendly, and considerate boy who was simply dealt a bad hand in life. His engaging story, coupled with his solid design and his impressive ability to wield two Keyblades at the same time, has turned him into one of the best and most popular characters in the Kingdom Hearts series. Fortunately, Roxas and his friends finally received their long-awaited happy ending in Kingdom Hearts 3.

1

Axel / Lea

He’s A Fan Favorite For A Very Good Reason

• First Appearance: Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories

Most Kingdom Hearts fans fell in love with Axel, ranked #8 in Organization XIII, the moment they met him, thanks to his cool appearance, his explosive pyrokinetic abilities, his distinctive weapons, his hilarious sense of humor, and his charismatic personality. If he remained as just a random boss, he would likely still be one of the most popular characters in the series, but his unexpected popularity allowed him to go through an unbelievable arc.

Axel is a character with many layers and a complex story: He started off as a calculated assassin, but everything in him changed when he met and befriended Roxas, which slowly turned him into a better person. This all concluded with Axel becoming an anti-hero in Kingdom Hearts 2, and his sacrifice at the very end of that game was one of the most heartbreaking moments in the franchise. Fortunately for his fans, he later returned in Dream Drop Distance as his original human persona, Lea, where he retained his solid design and his funny personality. On top of that, he also became one of the new Guardians of Light. This meant that he had an important part to play in the climactic battle against Master Xehanort and the True Organization XIII.