Now that the Kingdom Hearts series is going to be available on PC, fans and newcomers alike will likely be immersing themselves in the expansive series. Of course, the most iconic part of the series is the Keyblade, and the latest installment, Kingdom Hearts 3, has 19 different Keyblades Sora can wield in-game. Kingdom Hearts 3 is unique in that it is the first game in the series to allow Keyblade upgrades, with the addition of the Keyblade Forge in each shop.

So even if a Keyblade is seemingly unimpressive at base level, players who are attached to a specific blade can pour resources into it to build its strength. Even so, each blade has its own specialties and strengths.

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Story Keyblades

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Each Kingdom Hearts game has its own set of Keyblades players unlock naturally by progressing through the story. Aside from Sora's default Keyblade, these Keyblades are all based on the various worlds Sora visits in the game. Ever After, for instance, is found in Rapunzel's home kingdom of Corona and visually themed after her tower. Favorite Deputy, from Toy Box, is themed after Woody and Buzz. Clearing a world's story will award the player with its Keyblade.

  • Kingdom Key is Sora’s default keyblade that he starts every Kingdom Hearts game with. Kingdom Key has no particular leanings towards Strength or Magic, so its gameplay depends on what abilities players equip. Its associated Formchange is Second Form.
  • Hero’s Origin is obtained after clearing Olympus, and it has an emphasis on Strength. Its associated Formchange is Counter Shield.
  • Shooting Star is obtained after clearing Twilight Town, and its emphasis is on Magic. It has two formchanges: Double Arrowguns and Magic Launcher.
  • Favorite Deputy is obtained after clearing Toy Box, and it has an emphasis on Strength. Its two Formchanges are Hyper Hammer and Drill Punch.
  • Ever After is obtained after clearing The Kingdom of Corona’s story. Its emphasis is on Magic and its Formchange is Mirage Staff.
  • Happy Gear is obtained after clearing Monstropolis. It has an emphasis on Strength, and its two Formchanges are Agile Claws and Twin Yo-Yos.
  • Hunny Spout is awarded after completing the story and minigames in the Hundred Acre Wood. It’s a balanced Keyblade with no strong emphasis either way. Its Formchanges are Hunny Blasters and Hunny Launchers.
  • Crystal Snow is obtained after clearing Arendelle. Its emphasis is on Magic, and its Formchanges are Blizzard Claws and Blizzard Blades.
  • Wheel of Fate is obtained after clearing The Caribbean’s story, and its emphasis is on Strength. Its Formchanges are Highwind and Storm Flag.
  • Nano Gear is obtained after clearing San Fransokyo. It's a balanced Keyblade with no heavy leaning either way. Its Formchange is Nano Arms.

Special Keyblades

sora holding ultima keyblade

Outside of the Keyblades acquired through story progression, there are also some Keyblades that require a little bit more effort. These Keyblades are unlocked either through reaching an achievement in the game's side content, or through DLC. The DLC codes are no longer available, but Starlight can still be obtained by playing the game normally.

  • Starlight can be obtained two ways: either from a DLC code in Kingdom Hearts: Union X that is no longer available, or from meeting Ephemer in the Keyblade Graveyard. It’s a balanced Keyblade with the Formchange Second Form S.
  • Grand Chef is awarded after gaining a 5-star rating at Le Grand Bistro, and its emphasis is on Magic. Its Formchange is Frying Pan.
  • Classic Tone is awarded after completing all 23 Classic Kingdom mini-games. It has an emphasis on Magic and has two Formchanges: Boom Hammer and Clock Drill.
  • The two keyblades Oathkeeper and Oblivion were made available through the Version 1.07 update. Oathkeeper requires the Proof of Promises and Oblivion requires the Proof of Times Past. Once the player turns in these items to the Moogle Shop, the keyblades will be awarded. Their stats are balanced between Strength and Magic, and their respective Formchanges are Light Form and Dark Form. They share the Formchange Double Form.
  • Ultima Weapon can be created through Keyblade Synthesis, and the recipe is awarded after the player has collected at least 58 kinds of synthesis materials. It has the highest base stats out of all of the Keyblades, with Strength and Magic both at 13. Its Formchange is Ultimate Form.
  • There are also three exclusive Keyblades that were pre-order bonuses for Kingdom Hearts 3's initial release. Midnight Blue was a pre-order bonus for the PlayStation 4, and Phantom Green was for the Xbox One. Dawn till Dusk was a bonus for those who pre-ordered through Amazon. Their stats are all plainly balanced, and their Formchanges are all variants on Second Form. These Keyblades are mostly cosmetic.

The Keyblade players equip Sora with depends on personal taste towards gameplay style and aesthetics. The Keyblade Forge makes nearly any option viable, so players should experiment and test out every blade they can.

Kingdom Hearts 3 is now available on PS4 and Xbox One, and will be available on PC on March 30, 2021.

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