Fans had to wait an awfully long time for Kingdom Hearts 3 to release. Besides the story and finding out how the battle between the Guardians of Light and the Seekers of Darkness would end, one of the things that fans had anticipated the most was getting to explore each of the worlds that the series' third installment had to offer.
Most of the Disney worlds in this game were brand new to the franchise, with two of them even being from Pixar films, which fans had wanted for years. A couple of new original worlds were also introduced, with even more appearing from previous titles. However, not all the worlds visited by Sora and his friends in Kingdom Hearts 3 quite lived up to the series' usual high standards.
Updated December 10, 2022, by Justin Flynn: It's hard to believe that the Kingdom Hearts series has been around since 2002. As if this wasn't surprising enough, the series doesn't seem to be showing any signs of stopping either, evident through the twentieth-anniversary event held in Shibuya, where the first trailer for Kingdom Hearts 4 was revealed.
Some have begun theorizing about what worlds could appear in Kingdom Hearts 3's sequel, and though nothing has been confirmed yet, many believe the debut trailer for the game is hinting at a Star Wars world. Though Kingdom Hearts 4 will likely introduce an array of new worlds for Sora to explore, it will be hard for the franchise to top the worlds featured in Kingdom Hearts 3.
16 100 Acre Wood
Origin: The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977)
Allies: N/A
Bosses: N/A
Like with the other numbered titles in the series, Sora visits Pooh and his other friends at the 100 Acre Wood. In the other games, where they explored the world inside of Merlin's book, players got to play unique minigames that were different from each other; something that really helped to set the world apart.
With this in mind, many players were disappointed when the minigames offered in the third installment all felt the same and weren't anything like what they were used to. It is still great to see Sora reunite with his old friends, and their interaction had a meaningful message, but the gameplay could have been so much more than it is. It is because of this misstep that the 100 Acre Wood is commonly viewed as one of the worst worlds in Kingdom Hearts 3.
15 Twilight Town
Origin: Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories (2004)
Allies: N/A
Bosses: Demon Tide
Twilight Town is usually one of the best worlds in the series, so it was really unfortunate that players could only explore a small section of it in Kingdom Hearts 3. Most of the world didn't appear at all, and the places that were shown had changed drastically.
This made some fans wonder why Square Enix even bothered to include the world in the game. It would arguably have been better if either the entire world was accessible or if a different one was made, especially since most of the plot surrounding Twilight Town could have taken place anywhere, as it felt mostly like filler. Though it remains one of the most iconic original worlds in the series, its appearance in Kingdom Hearts 3 left much to be desired.
14 Dive To The Heart
Origin: Kingdom Hearts (2002)
Allies: N/A
Bosses: Darkside
Though Dive To The Heart wasn't nearly as good as it was in other titles, it didn't disappoint fans nearly as much as Twilight Town and 100 Acre Wood. Players just spend even less time here than usual, before quickly moving on to Olympus.
The Dive to the Heart is usually placed at the beginning of a Kingdom Hearts game, and therefore usually acts as a tutorial. In Kingdom Hearts 3, this are makes a second appearance during Sora's visit to the Keyblade Graveyard, but it functions more like a cutscene than it ever has before. Fans may feel nostalgia during their first visit to this ethereal location, seeing images of moments from previous installments and being asked questions that impact their experience in the game, but besides that, there's very little to actually do.
13 Land Of Departure
Origin: Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep (2009)
Allies: N/A
Bosses: Vanitas
Land of Departure was introduced in Birth by Sleep as the home to Terra, Ventus, and Aqua. After their adventure, Aqua sealed Ventus in the world and turned the whole world into Castle Oblivion in order to protect him from Xehanort. It's an interesting premise, but one that is ruined somewhat by the latest installment.
In Kingdom Hearts 3, she finally returns with Sora, Donald, and Goofy, ready to bring Ventus back. However, Vanitas is waiting for them, and players are required to fight him while controlling Aqua. Unfortunately, that's all that they can really do. The Land of Departure's return was a monumental moment for longtime fans of the series, but its design is nothing special when compared to the other, more detailed KH3 worlds.
12 Dark World
Origin: Kingdom Hearts (2002)
Allies: Mickey Mouse
Bosses: Demon Tower & Anti-Aqua
Prior to Aqua returning home, she was stuck in the Dark World (also known as the Realm of Darkness) before being saved by Riku, Sora, and King Mickey. Riku and the king were searching for her before the game began but needed to leave after Riku's Way to the Dawn Keyblade broke when he fought a Demon Tower.
When they return to the world, they finally find her, but she has been corrupted by darkness after spending so much time in the Dark World. She fights Riku and King Mickey, and almost defeats them until Sora arrives, bringing her back to the Realm of Light and ultimately saving her.
11 Arendelle
Origin: Frozen (2013)
Allies: Marshmallow
Bosses: Marshmallow & Skoll
As popular as Frozen is, most players did not enjoy their experience of it in Kingdom Hearts 3. A lot of the content from the movie was removed and replaced by a large, open area that players can very easily get lost in. And get lost they will, unless they're incredibly careful.
That said, the Labyrinth of Ice Larxene creates shortly after Sora's arrival is arguably the most straightforward location in the world. Even without a map, the player will rarely get lost while wandering its halls, which is strange considering Larxene's reasoning for summoning it. While Arendelle is one of the most breathtaking KH3 worlds available, the world's layout is unnecessarily complicated.
10 Toy Box
Origin: Toy Story (1995)
Allies: Buzz & Woody
Bosses: Angelic Amber & King of Toys
Fans had been waiting a long time for Pixar worlds to appear in a Kingdom Hearts game, and then two of them appeared in the series' third installment. Unfortunately, the Toy Box world wasn't quite what players had been hoping for.
As every Toy Story movie has a different setting, there were a lot of possibilities when it came to where exactly Sora, Donald, and Goofy could have gone. For them to end up at an original location that wasn't nearly as fun as places like Al's Toy Barn and Sunnyside Daycare was a little disappointing. Though the world itself may feel a little hollow at points, it is hard to deny the amount of work that went into creating the environments. If it featured a slightly more gripping story, perhaps the Toy Box could have been one of KH3's best worlds.
9 The Final World
Origin: Original Creation
Allies: N/A
Bosses: The Lich
Besides the Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, and Dragon Quest series, one of Square Enix's best games is an underrated title called The World Ends With You. In Dream Drop Distance, Sora and Riku meet characters from that game, and they later get an opportunity to visit their world, Shibuya.
After the Guardians of Light are defeated, Sora finds himself in The Final World and is given a chance to save everyone again. He would then return to this unique world when he saved Kairi and disappeared, but little did he know that it acted as a gateway to a fictional world.
8 Quadratum
Origin: Original Creation
Allies: N/A
Bosses: Yozora
Once Kingdom Hearts 3's credits have finished rolling, players were rewarded with a brief scene documenting the aftermath of Sora's journey. Instead of making it home to Destiny Island, Sora ended up in a fictional city called Quadratum.
Aside from its likeness to Shibuya, there was very little known about the significance of this world. When Kingdom Hearts 3: Re Mind released; however, this changed. Quadratum is used as a battle arena during the climax of Re Mind, and though Sora is unable to explore the city itself, it is clear a great deal of work went into sculpting it. In the Kingdom Hearts 4 trailer, Strelitzia informs Sora that, for them, Quadratum acts as an afterlife. If the trailer is to be believed, it seems players will finally get the chance to explore this mysterious city when Kingdom Hearts 4 eventually releases.
7 Olympus
Origin: Hercules (1997)
Allies: Hercules
Bosses: Rock Troll, Rock Titan, Ice Titan, Fire Titan, & Wind Titan
Olympus has appeared in many games throughout the series, but not all of the areas were shown. This time around, players can explore several new and interesting locations, including Thebes and the Realm of the Gods. For all of the new additions, however, there was one huge omission that completely changed the world.
Many players were left a little disappointed by Olympus as there aren't any tournaments for them to fight in like there were in the original game and Kingdom Hearts 2. These tournaments gave players a reason to return to the world and provided a lot of great challenges and so are greatly missed in Kingdom Hearts 3.
6 Scala Ad Caelum
Origin: Original Creation
Allies: Kairi
Bosses: Darkside, Replica Xehanorts, & Xehanort
Scala ad Caelum is the world that Eraqus and Xehanort lived in when they were younger, and it serves as the area where the final battle takes place. It's wonderfully designed and looks like something straight out of the future, making it the perfect setting for the game's conclusion.
In the base version of the game, players are only really able to fight the Dark Seeker at Scala Ad Caelum, a battle that is a little disappointing compared to the final bosses in the first game and Kingdom Hearts 2. Luckily, players are able to fully explore this fantastic world if they pick up the Re Mind DLC. Not only does Re Mind permit players to explore this delightful town, but it also allows them to fight some of the hardest bosses in the Kingdom Hearts series.
5 Monstropolis
Origin: Monsters, Inc (2001)
Allies: Mike & Sulley
Bosses: Lump of Horror
The second world based on a Pixar movie that Sora and his friends get to visit in Kingdom Hearts 3 is Monstropolis. Here, they turn into monsters and meet Mike, Sulley, and Boo. The storyline serves as a sequel of sorts to Monsters Inc., with Randall attempting to get his revenge on Mike and Sulley.
As Sora, Donald, and Goofy help their new friends out, they battle against the unversed, creatures that seemed to have all been defeated in Birth by Sleep. One of the best things about the Disney worlds is how they can be implemented to improve the overall story, and Monstropolis is a great example of this.
4 The Keyblade Graveyard
Origin: Kingdom Hearts 2: Final Mix (2007)
Allies: Mickey Mouse, Riku, Aqua, Ventus, Kairi, Lea, Roxas, & Xion
Bosses: Demon Tide, Ansem, Young Riku, Xigbar, Marluxia, Larxene, Luxord, Vanitas, Terra-Xehanort, Saix, Xion, Xemnas, & Young Xehanort
The Keyblade Graveyard is where most of the game's ending takes place. When the Guardians of Light are brought together, they are ready to defeat the Seekers of Darkness once and for all. After fighting hundreds of heartless when they first arrive there, the group split up and fight the Seekers of Darkness separately, with only Sora fighting them all.
Though the bosses are fun, what makes this world really special is the story surrounding it. Players had waited years for characters such as Roxas, Xion, and Terra to return, and so to finally see it happen was a special moment indeed. Seeing some of the organization's members for the last time was also quite emotional, though one or two will no doubt return in future games.
3 Kingdom Of Corona
Origin: Tangled (2010)
Allies: Eugene & Rapunzel
Bosses: Chaos Carriage & Grim Guardianess
The Kingdom of Corona is arguably the most tranquil KH3 world. Sora's quest to reclaim the Power of Waking brought him here, and though he does plan to search for it, he prioritizes exploring the fairytale kingdom above all else, mainly because of how beautiful it is.
The world is generally very accurate to the movie, although there are a few minor exceptions. The biggest of these are perhaps Sora, Donald, and Goofy joining Eugene and Rapunzel or Marluxia teaming up with Mother Gothel in place of the Stabbington brothers.
2 The Caribbean
Origin: Pirates of the Caribbean (2003)
Allies: Jack Sparrow
Bosses: Raging Vulture, Lightning Angler, Luxord's Ship, & Davy Jones
Out of all of the Disney worlds to appear in Kingdom Hearts 3, The Caribbean was perhaps the least expected. Previously known as Port Royal in Kingdom Hearts 2, this world is of course based on the Pirates of the Caribbean movies and offers a very good representation.
When Sora, Donald, and Goofy became pirates again, they reunite with Jack Sparrow and his companions before learning of Davy Jones and his plot against the world. Not only is this world incredibly fun to play in, but it is also one of the vastest KH3 worlds available.
1 San Fransokyo
Origin: Big Hero 6 (2014)
Allies: Baymax
Bosses: Iron Troll, Catastrachorus, Darkubes, & Dark Baymax
Most people consider the best world in Kingdom Hearts 3 to be San Fransokyo, the city that serves as the setting of Big Hero 6. Like Monstropolis, this world serves as a sequel to the movie, with the first Baymax getting corrupted and Sora, Donald, and Goofy having to team up with the superhero team to both stop and save him.
Throughout the years, there have been Kingdom Hearts worlds with cities in them, but this is the first one that actually feels like it could be a real city rather than just a few tall buildings. Worlds like these show how great Kingdom Hearts' level design has become and are a promising sign for the future of the series.
Kingdom Hearts 3 is available now for Microsoft Windows, Switch, PS4, and Xbox One.