Kingdom Hearts III is the culmination of Sora's journey, alongside those he has affected and who have affected him. Thus, there is a large cast of characters that must do battle, either for the light or the darkness. The heroes are:
- Sora, the hero of this tale, was chosen by the Keyblade, a mysterious weapon. After undergoing a series of trials and tribulations, he has developed a clear sense of justice and realizes the importance of the bonds with his friends in his battle against the Heartless.
- Donald: The Royal Court Magician and assistant to King Mickey. Knowledgeable in the magical arts and equipped with a staff, Donald Duck aids Sora in his journey to stop the Heartless.
- Goofy: Captain of the Royal Knights but sometimes absent-minded, Goofy accompanies Sora and Donald in their quest to find King Mickey. Being the one that unites the group, Goofy combats the Heartless with a shield as he has a distaste in using weapons.
- Riku: Maleficent tricked him into working against Sora once, but he has found his way back to the light and bravely fought the Heartless alongside King Mickey.
- King Mickey: King of Disney Castle and a Keyblade Master. When he realizes the impending threat of the Heartless is drawing closer, he deploys Donald and Goofy to seek out the strange occurrences that have been befalling the other worlds.
- Kairi: One of Sora's dearest friends and always seeks to support him any way she can in the battle against the darkness. When the Heartless invaded the Destiny Islands she went missing, causing Sora and Riku to leave their world to search for her.
- Lea: Formerly known as Axel, he has betrayed Organization XIII in order to fight for the light. His best friends are Roxas and Xion, though he has a connection to Saïx as well.
- Aqua: A kind young woman whose sense of right and wrong never wavers. Aqua's dignified bearing belies an inner sensitivity, and she often looks after Terra and Ventus, who study with her under the same Keyblade Master. She is nimble and gifted at magic.
For more detailed descriptions of the heroes' journeys up to this point, see below.
Sora[edit]
As the main playable hero of most of the series, Sora returns for the conclusion of the saga that began in Kingdom Hearts I, when his home of Destiny Islands was wiped away by a force of darkness. Sora took up the Keyblade and searched for his missing friends, Riku and Kairi, alongside Donald and Goofy, who had been instructed to accompany the Keyblade wielder by King Mickey. Their journey came to its conclusion when the trio of unlikely heroes defeated Ansem, Seeker of Darkness, a powerful Heartless who had made it his goal to open the door to Kingdom Hearts. Because Riku and King Mickey had trapped themselves in the Realm of Darkness in the process of closing the door to Kingdom Hearts, Sora, Donald, and Goofy made it their next goal to find their missing friends. During a journey through Castle Oblivion in Chain of Memories, Sora had his memories manipulated by Naminé, the Nobody of Kairi born when Sora released her heart from his body in Kingdom Hearts. After defeating Marluxia, a Nobody intent on taking leadership of the villainous Organization XIII, Naminé agrees to restore Sora's memories, with the caveat that he must enter a deep sleep as she does so.
In Kingdom Hearts II, Sora awakens and does battle with the rest of Organization XIII. Alongside Donald and Goofy, he discovers that Organization XIII is led by Xemnas, a Nobody born at the same time as the Heartless villain of Kingdom Hearts. After rejoining with his own Nobody, Roxas, and defeating Xemnas with the aid of Riku, Sora returns to Destiny Islands, where he receives a letter from King Mickey notifying him of a test he must complete before taking on his next adventure. Sora and Riku are both tested for the Mark of Mastery in Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance, but the test is manipulated by the man who created both Ansem, Seeker of Darkness, and Xemnas: Master Xehanort. Though Sora is saved by Riku before falling to the darkness, he has lost some of his strength in the process. Kingdom Hearts III begins when Sora, reunited with Donald and Goofy, adventures to Olympus in order to regain some of his power: the first step on a journey that leads to a battle with the true Organization XIII and their leader, Master Xehanort.
In gameplay, Sora has access to a good amount of abilities that he was able to utilize before, such as summons, Flowmotion (accessed by Air Sliding into walls or poles), and magic (with the addition of a new spell, Water), he can also use Shotlocks (which vary depending on the Keyblade equipped), Formchanges (also vary depending on the Keyblade), and Attraction Flow. As in previous Kingdom Hearts games, new abilities (passive and active) can be equipped via the Abilities option in the menu, and special team attacks depend on the party members present.
Donald and Goofy[edit]
Donald Duck is an anthropomorphic duck who made his debut in the 1934 Walt Disney Silly Symphonies cartoon, The Wise Little Hen. Goofy is an anthropomorphic dog who made his debut in the 1932 Walt Disney cartoon, Mickey's Revue. In Kingdom Hearts, Donald is the court magician to King Mickey while Goofy is the captain of the royal guard; both are sent by letter to accompany the Keyblade wielder as he restores the worlds and battles darkness. The pair come upon Sora in Traverse Town, and bring him on board their Gummi Ship as they seal the worlds they visit, locking them away from darkness. Their journey takes them to Ansem, Seeker of Darkness, a powerful Heartless who has made it his mission to open the door to Kingdom Hearts. Together, the trio defeat him, but Donald and Goofy lose their King while Sora loses his friend, Riku. They agree to search for Mickey and Riku before returning home, leading them to Castle Oblivion, where some of the evil Organization XIII are stationed. As they climb to the top of the castle, Sora has his memories manipulated by Naminé, who holds such power due to the unique circumstances in which she was born. This also causes the memories of those close to Sora to be manipulated, including Donald and Goofy. After defeating the Nobodies of Organization XIII in the castle, Naminé agrees to restore the memories of the trio, though they must be put into a deep sleep as she does so.
In Kingdom Hearts II, Sora, Donald, and Goofy awaken to battle the rest of Organization XIII, including its leader, Xemnas. During their journey, Mickey tells the trio of the true villain behind Heartless Ansem and Nobody Xemnas: Master Xehanort. While Donald and Goofy are separated from Sora during the final battle, they are reunited on Destiny Islands. They then aid Mickey in the decoding of Jiminy Cricket's journal in Kingdom Hearts coded, after which they learn of the troublesome predicaments of three Keyblade wielders of the past: Terra, Ventus, and Aqua. In Kingdom Hearts III, Donald and Goofy agree to assist Sora on the path to a battle with the thirteen seekers of darkness, led by Master Xehanort.
Though Donald and Goofy aren't playable, they act as valuable allies for Sora, staying in his party for the majority of the game. Goofy keeps enemies at bay using attacks with his shield while Donald uses both offensive and defensive magic as support, including healing Sora when his health is in a critical state. Sora also has access to powerful team attacks while his friends fight alongside him, such as Goofy Bombardier and Donald Meteor, activated as Situation Commands.
Riku[edit]
Riku is a close friend of Sora and Kairi, having grown up with them on Destiny Islands. When the islands are lost to darkness in Kingdom Hearts, Riku searches for Sora and Kairi on his own, but when he finds that Sora has found a purpose aside from searching for his friends - to restore the worlds from darkness - he grows bitter, and with the encouragement of the evil Maleficent, resolves to find Kairi on his own. He later discovers that he was meant to wield the Keyblade in Sora's place, a revelation that allows him to take control of the Keyblade in Hollow Bastion. However, the darkness that Riku has submitted to allows Sora to take control once more, a battle which culminates in the possession of Riku by Ansem, Seeker of Darkness. Riku attempts to redeem himself by closing the door to darkness with the aid of King Mickey, which he later escapes by accepting that the darkness in his heart is a part of him just as much as the light is.
In Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, Riku convinces Xion to sacrifice herself so that Sora may awaken, a decision which causes a friend of Xion's and the Nobody of Sora, Roxas, to attack Riku in his anger. Though Riku is able to defeat Roxas, it takes a great amount of darkness for him to do so, causing him to take on the appearance of the Heartless that once possessed him. In Kingdom Hearts II, Riku's appearance is restored, and together with Sora, he defeats Xemnas, the Nobody of Xehanort born during the creation of Ansem, Seeker of Darkness. In Kingdom Hearts 3D, Riku and Sora undergo an exam in order to obtain the Mark of Mastery, proving themselves worthy for the final battle against Xehanort. However, the exam is manipulated by Xehanort himself, as he attempts to steal Sora as a vessel for the true Organization XIII. Riku is able to rescue his friend, proving himself as a Keyblade Master. In Kingdom Hearts III, he journeys with Mickey to the Realm of Darkness in an effort to save Aqua, who he learns sacrificed herself for his sake during his brief stay there.
Riku is playable for a short time in Kingdom Hearts III, and as was revealed in promotional material, he obtains a new Keyblade during the game: Braveheart. As in Chain of Memories and Dream Drop Distance, his attacks are similar to Sora's, though they have a tinge of darkness to them.
King Mickey[edit]
Mickey Mouse is the mascot of Disney, having made his debut in the 1928 cartoon Steamboat Willie and bringing the company much success afterward. It is only fitting then that he is a King and very capable fighter in Kingdom Hearts, though his journey began chronologically in Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep, ten years before the events of the first game in the series. In Birth by Sleep, he is an inexperienced Keyblade wielder under the tutelage of Master Yen Sid, stumbling into the conflict between Master Xehanort and the three pupils of Master Eraqus: Terra, Ventus, and Aqua. Though he occasionally aids Ventus and Aqua in battle, the next time he meets one of the trio is during the events of Kingdom Hearts, when he reunites with Aqua in the Realm of Darkness. Having already instructed his trusted allies, Donald and Goofy, to accompany the wielder of the Kingdom Key in the Realm of Light, Mickey searches the Realm of Darkness for its dark counterpart, the Kingdom Key D. There, he battles hordes of Heartless with Aqua, though they are separated once again when Mickey works with Riku to close the door to the Realm of Darkness.
Mickey aids Riku during his journey through the basement of Castle Oblivion in Chain of Memories, and is next seen battling the Nobodies in Kingdom Hearts II. In coded, he learns of the whereabouts of Terra, Ventus, and Aqua, and in Kingdom Hearts III, he works with Riku to venture to the Realm of Darkness in order to rescue Aqua, a key ally in the fight against Xehanort and the seekers of darkness.
Mickey is a party member in Kingdom Hearts III when playing as Riku, acting as Donald or Goofy would for Sora: keeping enemies at bay and healing Riku when his health reaches a critical state.
Kairi[edit]
Kairi is one of the original Seven Princesses of Heart, and she returns in Kingdom Hearts III as one of the Seven Guardians of Light alongside childhood friends Sora and Riku. Following her rescue by Sora in Kingdom Hearts, Kairi becomes unsatisfied with her passive role in the adventures of her friends in Kingdom Hearts II. She obtains a Keyblade, Destiny's Embrace, and joins the fight against the Nobodies alongside Sora and Riku, rejoining with her Nobody, Naminé, in the process. Following the defeat of Xemnas, leader of Organization XIII, she is reunited with her friends on Destiny Islands, but the peace doesn't last long as a new, bigger threat looms. After Sora is rescued by Riku in Kingdom Hearts 3D, Kairi agrees to undergo training to better wield the Keyblade alongside Axel (now known as Lea) under the tutelage of Merlin.
Kingdom Hearts III begins while Kairi and Lea are still in the midst of their training, preparing for the final battle against Master Xehanort and the thirteen seekers of darkness. Just as Sora feels responsible for the restoration of Roxas, Kairi seeks to a way to restore Naminé.
Lea/Axel[edit]
Lea was once a member of Organization XIII under the name Axel. While fighting for the Organization, Axel formed a bond with Roxas and Xion, though their time together would come to an end when Xion discovered via Riku that she must cease to exist in order for Sora to awaken. Though Roxas and Axel would forget about Xion due to the circumstances of her disappearance, in which Naminé was involved, Roxas made a decision to leave the Organization, eventually rejoining with Sora. Upon sacrificing himself for Sora's sake in Kingdom Hearts II, Axel was reborn as a human once again, and took on his human name, Lea (revealed during his brief interaction with Ventus in Birth by Sleep) to mark the occasion.
In Kingdom Hearts III, Lea trains alongside Kairi in order to become a guardian of light in the battle against Xehanort and the thirteen seekers of darkness. Like Sora, he wishes to restore Roxas as his own person, though he also seems to have a vague recollection of Xion due to the appearance of Kairi, who bears an appearance similar to his forgotten friend.
Aqua[edit]
Aqua is one of the heroes of Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep, alongside Terra and Ventus under Master Eraqus. She defeats Terra to become a Keyblade Master at the start of the game, though in actuality, Master Xehanort, who was invited to the examination by Eraqus, manipulated the darkness in Terra's heart to throw him off. When Terra leaves the Land of Departure, where the trio live and train, and Ventus follows shortly after, Aqua is instructed by Eraqus to watch over Terra and bring Ventus back home. Along the way, she learns of Terra's mysterious bad deeds in the worlds that he visits, and does battle with a masked boy named Vanitas on numerous occasions. Eventually, the heroes reunite in the Keyblade Graveyard, where they do battle with Xehanort. At last Terra falls to Xehanort's manipulation, becoming possessed by the villain, while Ventus falls into a deep sleep as a result of losing his heart. Aqua hides the sleeping Ventus away in Castle Oblivion, a labyrinth of her design, before doing battle with her possessed friend. Though she is able to defeat him, she sacrifices herself so that he may stay in the realm of light, falling to the darkness in his place.
In Kingdom Hearts III, Aqua waits for an exit from the Realm of Darkness. As was revealed in promotional material before the game's release, she is fought as a boss reminiscent of the fight against Phantom Aqua in 0.2 Birth by Sleep – A Fragmentary Passage. She relies on magic and speed in battle, and has access to the Spellweaver Command Style following large combos.