Kingdom Hearts (Video Game)

**Kingdom Hearts** is a 2002 action role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the PlayStation 2.

## Synopsis

When his world is destroyed and his friends mysteriously disappear, a young boy named Sora is thrust into a quest to find his missing friends and prevent the armies of darkness from destroying many other worlds.

## Plot

Sora, Riku, and Kairi build a raft with the intent to leave their home world of Destiny Islands to explore new worlds. On the night before the planned voyage, the islands are attacked by the Heartless, and Riku and Kairi disappear. Before the Heartless consume the islands, Sora mysteriously obtains the Keyblade, a weapon effective against the Heartless. Meanwhile, King Mickey has left his own world to deal with the increasing number of Heartless, leaving instructions for Donald and Goofy to find the "key" that will protect the worlds from the encroaching darkness. Donald and Goofy use the Gummi Ship to travel to Traverse Town, where they find Sora after he has drifted there from his destroyed world. The three decide to travel together – Donald and Goofy to find Mickey, and Sora to find Kairi and Riku – traveling to various worlds and sealing "Keyholes" in the worlds that, when sealed, prevent the "heart" of those worlds from being consumed by the Heartless. Meanwhile, a group of Disney villains led by Maleficent seek out the seven Princesses of Heart to unlock the final keyhole that leads to Kingdom Hearts, a repository of knowledge and power, and the source of all hearts. Maleficent also finds Riku and recruits him into her services, manipulating him into believing that Sora abandoned him.

Sora and his friends eventually arrive at Hollow Bastion, Maleficent's headquarters, where Riku takes the Keyblade from Sora, revealing himself to be its intended user with Sora only receiving it in his absence; Donald and Goofy reluctantly leave Sora as per their orders. Sora later challenges Riku, stating that his heart derives strength from his friends, inspiring Donald and Goofy to return to him and regaining control of the Keyblade. After the three defeat Maleficent, Sora finds Kairi's comatose body and confronts Riku, who is now possessed by Ansem, a figure who has been manipulating Maleficent from the beginning to open the way to Kingdom Hearts. Ansem reveals Kairi as the seventh Princess of Heart, her heart having transferred into Sora's body when the Destiny Islands were destroyed. After defeating the possessed Riku, Sora impales himself with Ansem's Keyblade, which is designed to unlock hearts, releasing both his and Kairi's hearts; Kairi's heart returns to her body, in turn completing the final Keyhole, while Sora becomes a Heartless. Kairi recognizes Sora's Heartless, and the light in her heart restores him to human form.

After Kairi gives him a good luck charm, Sora and his group venture to the End of the World, the remnants of the worlds destroyed by the Heartless, to confront Ansem as he reaches the door to Kingdom Hearts. After a battle, Ansem calls upon Kingdom Hearts to aid him, believing it to be the ultimate reservoir of darkness. However Ansem is destroyed when the door opens, revealing light. Also beyond the door are Mickey and Riku, who help Sora and his friends close the door before Sora and Mickey lock it with their Keyblades from both sides. The worlds lost to the Heartless reconstruct themselves; as the Destiny Islands reform, Kairi returns there while Sora is forced to part with her. Sora, Donald, and Goofy resolve to find Riku and Mickey.