Kingdom Hearts 3's Limit Cut Episode marked the long-awaited return of Data Battles, completely optional fights Sora can take on in order to obtain new accessories and achievements, and test his skills. There are thirteen bosses in total, one for each of the thirteen vessels of darkness. The battles range in difficulty, so players need to take them on responsibly if they want to win them all.
The Limit Cut bosses bring back their iconic fighting styles from the previous games, along with new and improved moves that are sure to be a challenge. Finishing these hardcore battles will unlock the game's Secret Episode, so the player will need to defeat them all if they want to learn what happened to Sora after Kingdom Hearts 3's climax.
Updated December 5, 2022, by Justin Flynn: Since the release of Kingdom Hearts 3's Re Mind DLC, most of what made its Data Battles so good has been documented at great length. While some fans believe certain fights are better than others, it remains difficult to discern which Data Battle is the most difficult.
Aside from Xehanort and Xion, Kingdom Heart 3's Data Battles can be fought in whatever order the player wishes. That said, it's easier to get through them if the player starts off with the easier ones first. Each Data Battle is challenging in its own way, but some are arguably much easier than others.
13 Luxord
As fans of the series could expect, the Data Battle against Luxord is unlike any other Data Battle in the Limit Cut Episode. While the player will need to treat the encounter like a typical boss fight, they will also need to partake in a series of mini-games to lower Luxord's defenses.
There is a time gauge game, a card-breaking game, and a classic "Luxord hiding behind a card" game that has been seen many times before in the Kingdom Hearts series. The games can get a little tricky to win, but they are still fairly easy when compared to the other Limit Cut battles. The Data Battle against Luxord may seem difficult at first, but it is easily the simplest Data Battle in the DLC. If the player is struggling during his Desperation Move, Sora's Shotlock can be used to slow down time.
12 Xigbar
This teleporting sharpshooter brings back some of his classic long-range fighting moves that Sora saw in the battle before, including his bullet barrages, field laser attacks, and his deadly fatal barrage attack. A good way to take this Organization 13 member out of commission is by using Sora's Guard ability to ricochet Xigbar's bullets back at him, combing both defense and offense.
After deflecting enough bullets back at this ex-Keyblade Master, the player can choose to begin a Quick Time Event in which Sora and Xigbar challenge each other to a duel. Winning the duel requires perfect timing, and though it's fairly forgiving in terms of the time allocated to win, it can be tricky to get the hang of. Aside from his Desperation Move, most of Xigbar's attacks are quite easy to avoid.
11 Larxene
Larxene was always one of Kingdom Hearts' more ruthless characters, so it makes sense why she provides Sora with such a challenge in her Data Battle. Sora has to be careful to avoid her super quick lightning attacks, powerful shockwaves, and attacking clones if he hopes to emerge victorious.
It may take some time for the player to familiarize themselves with this Data Battle, but learning Larxene's moveset isn't overly challenging after a few attempts. The best way to ensure victory is to closely monitor her movement when she summons forth her clones. This is by far her deadliest move, but it can be avoided by blocking and dodging at the correct times.
10 Marluxia
Marluxia can deal an "instant death" attack that places a timer over Sora's head. If the timer reaches zero, the battle will be lost, so the player must deplete Marluxia's armor gauge before this happens. This is arguably the most dangerous trick up Marluxia's sleeves, but its threat level can be diminished thanks to some appropriately-timed parries.
When he coats the arena in shadow, Sora should glide to the edge of the arena and prepare for Marluxia's next barrage of attacks. It's vital to maintain a safe distance from the center of the arena during this phase, as Marluxia can summon a skull from beneath the ground that can inflict some serious damage. His health bar gets replaced by an armor gauge whenever he lunges his scythe into the ground. The best way to counteract this move is to cast fire at him.
9 Terra-Xehanort
Like Xigbar, Terra-Xehanort is a big fan of long-range attacks. Whenever he begins firing purple bolts from his Keyblade, Sora should prepare to block, as dodging isn't always reliable. He uses this move regularly throughout this Data Battle, which is great considering how easy it is to punish. While blocking, the player can utilize the Airstep ability to leap toward Terra-Xehanort just before the attack ends, where Sora will be able to attack him.
This Data Battle is a great introduction to how unblockable red attacks work. For Terra-Xehanort, these attacks usually appear at the end of a combo, but they can be difficult to dodge because of how quick they are. Oftentimes, the best way to win this Data Battle is for Sora to counter Terra-Xehanort's blockable attacks as frequently as possible, as this Darkseeker has a surprising few openings.
8 Vanitas
In Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep, Vanitas was one of the most challenging bosses encountered by the Wayfinder Trio. He was deceptively fast and could easily break out of a combo to parry his enemies. As if he wasn't difficult enough already, he posed even more of a challenge as a secret boss in the post-game due to his baffling strength and confusing moveset.
Much of Vanitas' Data Battle in Kingdom Hearts 3 is reminiscent of how he fights as Vanitas Remnant, but the player will need to approach each attack somewhat differently than how they did before. To prevent him from riding around on a collection of Keyblades, Sora should cast Thunder at him whenever he leaps into the air, essentially skipping his Desperation Move. He's one of the more challenging Data Battles available, but his most dangerous attacks can be prevented if the player is quick enough.
7 Xemnas
Given how mobile Xemnas tends to be during this Data Battle, Sora will need to make use of his Airstepping ability if he hopes to take advantage of this Nobody's openings. They can be difficult to detect, but most of Xemnas' gimmicks can be interrupted with a well-placed Keyblade slash or spell. Thunder can be a big help when dealing with the walls Xemnas summons forth, but they can also be destroyed by Airstepping to him while they are being summoned.
When he shrouds the arena in darkness, the player must prepare to block and dodge when needed. The lasers he unleashes after these combos are easy to avoid so long as Sora dodges the blue lasers while blocking the red. The Nano Gear Keyblade will prevent Xemnas from stunning Sora once this phase ends.
6 Young Xehanort
Young Xehanort was one of the most challenging secret bosses in Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep, so it makes sense for his Data Battle in Kingdom Hearts 3 to echo his strength. Though he may not pose the same level of difficulty as he did once before, he is undoubtedly one of the most challenging Data Battles featured in Re Mind.
Young Xehanort is incredibly fast and tough, especially when he armors up. Unlike Marluxia, using Magic won't deplete his armor gauge, so Sora will need to rely on his brute strength to empty it. The most difficult part of the battle takes place at the end, where Young Xehanort freezes time and launches a flurry of lightning-fast attacks. All Sora needs to do is land one single hit to end the battle, but it can be quite difficult given Young Xehanort's hectic attack patterns.
5 Saix
The Data Battle against Saix is possibly the most chaotic in the entire Limit Cut Episode. Like in his base game battle, Saix can harness the Moon's power to activate Berserk Mode, his ultimate form. Keeping a safe distance while facing this foe can be a huge benefit, but maintaining it can be quite tough due to how quick most of his moves are.
Sadly, Berserk Mode is unavoidable, but it isn't overly difficult to deal with so long as Sora utilizes his Glide ability whenever Saix begins charging around the arena. The worst part about this Data Battle is how Saix can throw his Claymore at Sora to stun him. A great way to counter this move is to equip the Nano Gear Keyblade, as its passive Stun Protection ability will render the attack ineffective.
4 Riku Replica
The Data Battle against Riku Replica is arguably one of the toughest battles in the entire Re Mind DLC. It takes inspiration from the battle against Riku in Kingdom Hearts 1; however, this new iteration of Riku has a few new tricks up his sleeve. Like Saix, Riku Replica can deal out a barrage of frighteningly quick attacks that can be extremely difficult to predict. Learning his pattern is challenging, but figuring out how to avoid each of his moves can often feel impossible.
Riku Replica can deal out a variety of devastating attacks. He can hit extremely hard, but the most dangerous aspect of this Data Battle lies in the battle arena itself. Punishing some of Riku's moves can often land Sora next to an explosive obstacle, so the player will need to cancel their own attacks and dodge away to avoid taking damage.
3 Ansem
Ansem knows better than to fight up close with Sora, as he spends most of this Data Battle retreating from the young Keyblade wielder while launching long-range attacks. Like with Xemnas, his theoretical other half, Sora will need to make use of his Airstepping abilities if he hopes to close the gap Ansem tries to keep between them.
The Data Battle against Ansem is incredibly difficult for several reasons, but the most challenging aspect of it takes place during his Desperation Move. Toward the climax of the battle, Ansem will cover the arena in darkness, reminiscent of the fight against him in Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance, and launch a flurry of dark-themed projectiles at Sora. Getting struck by the flames he shoots will set Sora on fire, but the most dangerous move he deploys here sees him launching dark orbs in Sora's direction. These orbs can be dodged, but getting the timing right can be quite challenging.
2 Xion
Upon completing eleven of the thirteen Data Battles, two new doorways will open. Lurking behind the center door is Master Xehanort, while the other contains one of the most surprising entries in the Organization's ranks, Xion. Like in Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days, Xion can be extremely powerful when she wants to be, evident through her new and improved moveset.
Unlike in previous Data Battles, this foe can reduce Sora's maximum HP if he gets struck by any of her light pillars. If Sora gets hit enough times, he will be reduced to one HP. A great way to avoid suffering this effect is to activate a Formchange, as doing will restore Sora's health to its maximum.
1 Master Xehanort
The final Data Battle in Kingdom Hearts 3 Re Mind tasks players with facing Xehanort in his ultimate form. As if he wasn't difficult enough to defeat in the base game, Xehanort can now use a variety of different moves that can easily result in a game over if the player isn't careful.
Upon initiating this Data Battle, Sora will be subjected to some of the most lethal attacks to ever appear in the Kingdom Hearts series. Xehanort is a big fan of using long-range attacks interspliced with physical ones, so Sora will need to stay on high alert for the duration of the battle. One of his most unusual moves sees him throwing the X-blade at Sora and freezing him with ice. The best way to avoid getting hit by this attack is to hit the X-blade back at Xehanort, leaving him open to attack.