The Kingdom Hearts serial has evolved significantly from what information technology one time was: a adequately standard JRPG with the unique distinction of featuring a cast composed of Disney and Final Fantasy characters, which makes whatsoever try to rank its games from worst to all-time a hard task. What began equally a childhood romp alongside iconic faces similar Donald Duck and Cloud Strife has increasingly come into its own identity, featuring a convoluted narrative with a cast largely consisting of original characters. As a outcome, it can be difficult for even invested fans of the series to keep track of its diverse storylines and facets.

There accept been eleven mainline, or at least closer-to-catechism-timelineKingdom Hearts games released since the serial started in 2002, spanning many platforms, including the Nintendo Switch, PC, and even mobile devices. Each one builds upon the existing lore of the franchise, branching out to explore new characters or revisit previous events from a different perspective. Although the numbered Kingdom Hearts titles are often considered the most significant, each one carries in some fashion over to the side by side game.

It'southward currently unclear when exactly the next Kingdom Hearts game could exist coming out, though at that place have been quite a few hints as to its possible story content. In that location'southward also been a significant number of rumors and speculation, with some fans even predicting that the FF7 remake could tie into Kingdom Hearts 4. From what's been revealed and so far, information technology at least seems equally though The Globe Ends With Yous will accept some connection to the narrative, which could mean Foursquare Enix is poised to make the Kingdom Hearts series into more of a crossover with its other game franchises.

#11: Kingdom Hearts Unchained 10 / Dark Road

Kingdom Hearts Ten initially launched in 2013 equally a web browser sectional game, eventually moving to mobile devices in late 2015 and early 2016. The game is notorious for its microtransactions, gacha system, and repetitive gameplay. Although it does contain important story information for the serial as a whole, each narrative update is spaced in between hours' worth of grinding. Kingdom Hearts Unchained X officially closed in May 2021, but not before an additional spinoff, Kingdom Hearts Dark Road, was added to its launcher.

#x: Kingdom Hearts 0.2: Birth By Sleep – A Fragmentary Passage

Introduced with the release ofKingdom Hearts HD two.8 Final Chapter Prologue, this game served as a prologue of sorts for Kingdom Hearts III, delving into Aqua'southward backstory from Nascence by Slumber in a short gameplay feel that only lasts 2 to iii hours. It likewise tested some of the visual and gameplay elements that would later be introduced in Kingdom Hearts Three. Its relevance to the overall story is minimal, still, and its curt playtime makes Kingdom Hearts 0.2: Nativity by Sleep - A Fragmentary Passage more worth watching than playing.

#9: Kingdom Hearts Tune of Memory

The most contempo Kingdom Hearts game, Melody of Memory, came out in late 2020 to help bridge the gap between Kingdom Hearts III and the next major numbered title. Unfortunately, it has minimal plot elements, largely serving as a rhythm game with only cursory cutscenes depicting the story of Kairi diving into her dreams to help locate the missing Sora. In that location was as well some criticism from fans after Melody of Memory'south ending, which finer shelved the serial' primary female person protagonist heading into the next game.

#8: Kingdom Hearts Re:Coded

Re:Coded is one of the to the lowest degree narratively important games in the Kingdom Hearts series, so much so that just its cutscenes were remastered in theKingdom Hearts Hard disk drive 2.5 Remix as opposed to the full game. Its story involves a data version of Sora reliving the series' past adventures, and every bit a upshot, information technology tin largely be seen as a retread of the first game. Its gameplay is worth noting, though, if just because of how unique information technology is and how effectively it utilizes the command deck featured in Birth by Sleep.

#7: Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

Also included as a remastered serial of cutscenes is Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, which takes place between Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts 2 and introduces essential story content relating to a few of the game's secondary protagonists. Although its place on the timeline is much more relevant thanRe:Coded, its gameplay is significantly more repetitive than other mainline entries in the series.

#half dozen: Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain Of Memories

Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories branches out significantly from the residuum of the franchise in terms of gameplay, featuring strategic card battles instead of the button-mashing that's more typical for Kingdom Hearts. Not everyone enjoyed the alter, though, and aside from introducing a few returning characters such as Naminé, the larger story of Re:Concatenation of Memories can exist generally skipped over. It primarily revisits the worlds and events of the first game, and Sora forgets about the experience entirely ahead of Kingdom Hearts 2.

#5: KH3D: Dream Drop Distance

First released in 2012 and remastered later in 2017, Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Driblet Distance introduces storylines and gameplay that would eventually go mainstay parts of the serial, such as fourth dimension travel aspects and creatures known every bit Dream Eaters. The shine and versatile gainsay of Flowmotion and the inclusion of The World Ends with You both seem as though they'll be of import moving into Kingdom Hearts 4 and other future titles, also, making Dream Drib Altitude an essential part of the Kingdom Hearts timeline.

#4: Kingdom Hearts Nascency Past Sleep

Nascence by Slumber sets itself upwardly equally both a prologue to the events of Kingdom Hearts and an entirely separate story entity, post-obit three new characters instead of focusing on Sora. Although there are a few familiar faces in the game - Mickey Mouse plays a fairly large role in its events - for the most role, it stands on its own, introducing new story elements and gameplay features similar to what Dream Drib Distance achieved subsequently on downward the line. Boosted game modes and challenges add together more playability to Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, as well.

#3: Kingdom Hearts III

Kingdom Hearts 3 is one of the more recent games in the series, and the showtime proper numbered title to release since Kingdom Hearts Two. Although it technically served as the ending to the electric current story saga of the serial,Kingdom Hearts Three left many theories and loose ends for the franchise to go along moving forward. Information technology likewise combined gameplay from several other titles to make an engaging and customizable experience.

#ii: Kingdom Hearts

Although many aspects of the original Kingdom Hearts' gameplay are now outdated given it was initially released almost twenty years ago, its straightforward premise and expansive cast of crossover characters arguably best exemplifies what the serial set out to do in the first identify: encapsulate childhood nostalgia in an attainable and mannerly way.

#1: Kingdom Hearts II

Kingdom Hearts Ii built farther upon what the starting time game did best, providing fans with more playtime, characters, and complicated story elements while nevertheless maintaining the spirit of the crossover that made Kingdom Hearts unique in the kickoff identify. Information technology's 1 of the strongest Kingdom Hearts games both gameplay and story-wise, and set the standard for many of the series games that came out after it.

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Almost The Writer

Ky Shinkle (545 Articles Published)

Ky Shinkle is a Senior Gaming Features Writer for Screen Rant as well as an overall avid gamer and writer. Her prior experience is primarily that of a narrative designer for video games, although her writing has covered all formats from screenplays and novels to phase scripts. A graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design, when she isn't writing she works on digital media projects and other types of fiction writing. Ky currently works out of Ohio and enjoys spending her free time either playing RPGs or running with her canis familiaris.

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