The Kingdom Hearts series is highly regarded as being one of Square Enix's most bizarre properties. By incorporating Disney-themed worlds and characters native to Final Fantasy, series director Tetsuya Nomura somehow managed to create one of the most loved JRPG experiences in gaming history.
Several Kingdom Hearts characters have undergone costume changes since their inception. Though these changes often see each character being given a much more practical outfit, there are instances where a once purposeful costume is exchanged for something less suited. There are many impractical outfits in the series, but some are more baffling than others.
7 Ansem's Heart
Before embarking on his first adventure, Sora pays a visit to the Secret Place, a small cave that both he and his friends used to play in as children. While there, he notices a crudely carved image of himself and Kairi on a rock and decides to carve an extra detail into it before leaving. Once finished, he turns around to witness a strange figure in a brown robe lurking behind him.
It is later revealed in Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance that this mysterious robed figure was nothing more than a floating heart. Ansem the Seeker of Darkness was scouting the galaxy in search of a body in which he could transfer his essence. Without a body, he was forced to wander the universe with nothing but a cloak to shield him from danger. Xehanort prides himself on planning for every eventuality, but this one instance sees him forgetting to prepare a practical outfit for his exposed, vulnerable heart.
6 Every Member Of Organization 13
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The iconic coat worn by all those in Organization 13's ranks was finally revealed in Kingdom Hearts 3 to serve a purpose. Worn primarily by those who have pledged themselves to the power of darkness or the in-between, these unlikely black cloaks serve to protect the wearer while they traverse the darker planes of existence. It acts as a shield that stops darkness from seeping into one's heart, making it a must-have for all those walking a dark path.
Though the coat is a necessity in any dark-wielder's wardrobe, it is far from being a practical choice of attire. Each Organization member chooses to zip the coat up to their neck, an aesthetic choice that can limit one's movement. While attempting to conceal their identities, members will pull the jacket's hood over their head, restricting their peripheral vision. For such a calculating group of people, their choice of outfit isn't particularly practical.
5 Brain
A trained Keyblade wielder will eventually obtain the power to defy gravity thanks to their unique powers. Once their abilities have been perfected, they will be able to perform impressive acrobatic feats as a means of traversal and combat. Keyblade wielders will regularly be seen doing midair somersaults on their ventures, so wearing the appropriate clothing for doing should be a wielder's primary concern when journeying away from their world.
Brain denounces any idea of this thought process through the outfit he chooses to wear. Though the clothing is relatively normal in terms of the Kingdom Hearts aesthetic, the black fedora he chooses to place atop his head is an extremely impractical choice for an up-and-coming Keyblade master. If Kingdom Hearts: Dark Road intends to tell the story of how Xehanort lost his hair, perhaps Missing Link will reveal how Brain manages to keep his hat on while spiraling through the sky.
4 Ira
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Ira made his debut in Kingdom Hearts 2.8: The Final Chapter Prologue. He is an ancient Keyblade Master and leader of the Unicornis Union, a group of young and devoted Keyblade wielders who strive to protect the world by defeating the powers of darkness. He is a bafflingly powerful Keyblade wielder, but his choice of outfit is destined to lead to his downfall.
Ira sports an elegant gown that covers the entirety of his body and, though these vestments do not hinder his fighting abilities, it is hard to believe they don't partially restrain him. His gown is impractical, but his mask is arguably the most ridiculous part of his outfit. Unlike his fellow Foretellers, Ira sports the face of a unicorn on his head. The unusual shape of this mask is likely to restrict Ira's cone of vision, rendering all of his combat encounters much more difficult than they need to be.
3 Aqua
Raised by her master, Eraqus, in the Land of Departure, Aqua dedicates her life to the pursuit of Keyblade mastery. In the hope of obtaining the title of "Keyblade Master," she, alongside her friend Terra, takes part in the Mark of Mastery, a trial that tests a wielder's skills to see if they are deserving of the title. The end result of the test sees Aqua being crowned the victor due to her impressive abilities, but not for her outfit choice.
Though a lot is going on with Aqua's outfit, it serves little purpose overall. The halter top she sports on her torso offers little to no protection, while the only purpose of her shorts and stockings is to poorly shield her from harsh weather. Aside from her unusual clothing, Aqua wears armor on her arms and feet. Why she chose to shield these areas as opposed to her vital organs is unclear, but at least this gives her outfit a semblance of purpose. The blade-like hilts protruding from her boots could serve to be an effective means of inflicting damage on an enemy, but its strange design renders Aqua far more likely to injure herself before harming her enemies.
2 Kairi
For someone intending to journey to a haunting graveyard in the hope of vanquishing the forces of darkness from the world, it is surprising that Kairi shows up sporting such an impractical outfit. Compared to her friends, Kairi is a novice Keyblade wielder with little experience, so it would have made more sense for her to prepare for the Keyblade War by wearing something that offered protection.
Kairi instead opts to wear a pink dress with a plaid skirt, leaving her vulnerable to all attacks. Though the hood of her dress features a quaint pair of cat ears, they provide little benefit to her combat abilities and instead portray her as an empty threat. The Remind DLC portrays Kairi as a force to be reckoned with, but her impact in the base game, alongside her impractical outfit, made her appear weak.
1 Sora
Sora's outfit in Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance was largely reminiscent of his attire in the original Kingdom Hearts, where he wore a comically large pair of red shorts and a similar red jumpsuit. It was heavily inspired by the design of Mickey Mouse, but it didn't take long for Sora to ditch these childish garments in favor of something more suited to him in Kingdom Hearts 2. Though there are several questionable elements of Sora's outfit, his unusual clothing combination never restricts his movement. If anything, it encourages it.
After jumping from a ledge, Sora will fall at an understandable speed, but this should not be the case. The baffling size of Sora's shorts should allow him to descend like a hot-air balloon, or perhaps negate gravity altogether and float upwards. His slightly altered costume in Dream Drop Distance sees him wearing a v-neck with an "X" in the center. It is later revealed in the game that the Organization placed this shirt on Sora after he entered the Sleeping Worlds to track his location, but Sora could have easily removed the shirt at any time to halt the plans of his enemies. Both outfits are far from practical, but they are charming nonetheless.