Kingdom Hearts presents a universe filled with countless colorful characters. To go along with these larger-than-life personalities, creator Tetsuya Nomura and developer Square Enix recruited a plethora of performers to voice them. This has led to some wacky castings, particularly for the Final Fantasy characters. For many of them, it was the first time they had voices instead of text boxes.
The series' original characters have also seen their share of surprising voices. Even a few folks on the Disney side have some weird picks. What these castings have in common, though, is that they all cause gamers to do a double take. Whether due to career choices or sheer randomness, players can't believe certain actors are behind some of their favorite characters.
10 Billy Zane As Ansem, Seeker Of Darkness
As the illusive antagonist of the first game, Zane's naturally deep, smooth voice was an ideal fit. He'd already used this slick persona to put audiences off-guard in films like Titanic and Tombstone.
Sadly, he never played the role again. For every appearance that Ansem's had since, be it real or part of an internal struggle, Richard Epcar has voiced the villain. The series has had so many sequels — with Epcar drifting further away from Zane's portrayal each time — that some fans may not remember the original portrayal.
9 David Boreanaz As Squall Leonhart/Leon
TV viewers these days likely know Boreanaz from Bones and SEAL Team. For the first Kingdom Hearts, he voiced Squall Leonhart, the sullen hero of Final Fantasy VIII. This isn't a shock given his career at the time. Nomura likely cast him for his work as Angel, the brooding antihero in Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
In the end, this was just a steppingstone for Squall, as Lupin III's Doug Erholtz has voiced him in every subsequent appearance. Fans would be forgiven for not knowing, since Boreanaz's understated take informs much of Erholtz's performance. Despite this killer impression (or because of it), the former vampire has never touched the character again.
8 Sean Astin As Hercules
Fans know Olympus is the most recurring world in the series, and it's not the same without its demigod hero. Considering Tate Donovan returned as Hercules in the Kingdom Hearts sequels, it's odd that he wasn't available for the first game. It's even stranger that his replacement was Sean Astin, of The Goonies and Rudy fame. He probably recorded this between takes of The Lord of the Rings.
This was before Astin did much voiceover work; he was primarily a screen actor at the time. Not only does he sound nothing like Donovan, but his presence itself is completely out of left field.
7 Lance Bass As Sephiroth
Few fans expected one of the first entry's optional bosses to be Sephiroth, the iconic villain of Final Fantasy VII. Fewer still expected him to be voiced by Lance Bass, the singer from NSYNC.
This pick would make a lick of sense if the One-Winged Angel broke into song, but no. He doesn't even have any dialogue. All he has are grunts and mid-battle quotes, which players don't pay must attention to. Regardless, Bass is clearly proud of his brief tenure as the character. To this day, his Twitter boasts that he's the "OG Sephiroth."
6 Mandy Moore As Aerith
If this singer/actress was in a Kingdom Hearts title, fans would think she'd reprise her role as Rapunzel. In actuality, her history with these games dates back long before that film came out. In the first game, Moore lends her wholesome voice to Aerith (or Aeris), everyone's favorite flower girl from Final Fantasy VII.
Her role is largely expository, so she doesn't get much chance to shine. Mena Suvari replaced her in Kingdom Hearts II with dull results. In fact, Aerith has seen more recasts than any Final Fantasy VII character, shifting to Andrea Bowen and recently to Briana White. With all these changes, it's easy for Moore to get lost in the shuffle.
5 Ariel Winter As Young Kairi
Despite focusing on new Keyblade wielders, the Birth by Sleep prequel can't resist showing younger versions of familiar heroes. Among these is Kairi. Rather than mainstays Hayden Panettiere or Alyson Stoner returning, Ariel Winter takes over for this vocal cameo.
Winter has done her share of voice work, starring in various Disney animated shows and playing a moogle in a few Final Fantasy titles. With her resume, it was inevitable that she'd show up in Kingdom Hearts at some point. Still, it's funny to think that this star of Modern Family was doing JRPGs on the side.
4 Drake Bell As Young Eraqus
This samurai guy already had a notable voice behind him with Star Wars and Batman actor Mark Hamill. However, when Kingdom Hearts III flashes back several decades, players see Eraqus and Xehanort as children. It turns out the voice for the former is Drake Bell.
Bell's best-known acting projects include the sitcom Drake & Josh and the farcical Ultimate Spider-Man: the opposite of what one would expect from a profound Keyblade master. That said, his youthful tone is fitting for this innocent scene.
3 Dylan Sprouse As Yozora
Fans still don't know what to make of this bizarre boy. Originally appearing as a video game in Kingdom Hearts III's Toy Story world, Yozora and his edgy, urban dimension showed up again as a boss in the Re Mind DLC. Somehow, he's instrumental in locating the wayward Sora and uncovering another side of reality.
It's unclear how Square Enix got a Disney Channel sitcom star to voice him; after all, he hasn't done much acting since those days. Not to mention, Yozora is so devoid of emotion that anyone could have played him. Maybe Nomura's got some grander scheme. Some believe he plans to remake Final Fantasy XV his way, but that remains to be seen.
2 Kathryn Beaumont As Kairi's Grandmother
Beaumont enchanted audiences everywhere with her portrayal of two Disney heroines: the title character in Alice in Wonderland and Wendy in Peter Pan. She reprised both of these roles in the first Kingdom Hearts, but that's not why she's on this list.
In Birth by Sleep, she plays a brief part as Kairi's grandmother, who relates the familiar legend of light giving way to darkness. Bringing back Beaumont as a different character eight years after the first game is an interesting move. This game has a Peter Pan level, but Wendy's not in it. Against all odds, though, the dual Disney Princess is back in some form or another.
1 Christopher Lloyd As Master Xehanort
For the series' overarching villain, Nomura has a habit of casting sci-fi icons. Leonard Nimoy of Star Trek fame voiced the character in his initial appearances, but the actor's tragic passing forced a recast. Blade Runner's Rutger Hauer took the reins for the climactic Kingdom Hearts III, but he also died soon after. However, Nomura wasn't done with the villain.
Enter Christopher Lloyd. The Back to the Future star voiced Xehanort in Re Mind and the following entry, Melody of Memory. Granted, these weren't high-profile releases like the mainline entries. Considering this (and Xehanort's limited screen time), some fans may not have known the Big Bad had any more schemes, let alone another new actor. Whether or not Lloyd has any further part in the series is unclear.