When the Kingdom Hearts franchise first started, Sora was the only playable character. However, as more games were released, many other characters have become playable, whether it be in their own game, a specific mode, or a small role in a large title.
As there are now over thirty characters that can be used to fight the heartless or save the worlds, not all of them are going to have their own entry on this list. While main characters like Sora are really important and should be placed in their own entry, some are better off being grouped together. These are the characters that players can control throughout the games.
10 Sora
Sora is the main character of the series, so he is obviously played in a lot of the games. Most of his play time can be found in Kingdom Hearts, Chain of Memories, Kingdom Hearts 2, Dream Drop Distance, and Kingdom Hearts 3, though there are a couple of other games where he isn't the main character but can also be controlled. He can be unlocked in 358/2 Days' Mission Mode, which allows players to work with each other in local multiplayer. Another version of Sora, known as Data Sora, can be played in Coded. Lastly, he is one of the many playable characters in the newest release of the franchise, Melody of Memory.
9 Riku
Riku is another protagonist of the series, being played in a lot of games. After finishing Sora's story in Chain of Memories, players get to control Riku in his own campaign, known as Reverse/Rebirth. In Dream Drop Distance, players get to switch between using him and Sora, with Riku even having a slightly greater role than his friend. He can also be controlled in the final battle of Kingdom Hearts 2 and in Mission Mode from 358/2 Days, as well as some moments throughout Kingdom Hearts 3. In Melody of Memory, players can use him along with two dream eaters.
8 Roxas
Roxas was introduced in the beginning of Kingdom Hearts 2. Though fans were confused as to why they were playing as him at first, they were sad to see him go after the first few hours of the game. Luckily, he is the main playable character in 358/2 Days and can also be controlled in Kingdom Hearts 3 and Melody of Memory.
7 Disney Characters
In Kingdom Hearts 2, there are specific battles that will let the player take control of King Mickey if Sora is defeated. Many fans didn't know about this the first time they lost in these battles and were thrilled to play as the king.
He was given an important role in the ReMind DLC for Kingdom Hearts 3. In 358/2 Days' Mission Mode, he can be played again, along with Donald and Goofy, who can also be controlled in Melody of Memory along with many other Disney characters that have appeared throughout the series, such as Aladdin and Hercules.
6 Organization XIII
Like Roxas, the other members of Organization XIII have been playable, though not nearly as much as he was. Players could control these characters in 358/2 Days' Mission Mode. Axel (or Lea) and Xion can also be played in Melody of Memory, as well as a battle in Kingdom Hearts 3's ReMind DLC, along with some of the other protagonists. In this fight, they attack thirteen replicas of Xehanort while Sora, Donald, and Goofy fought against the master himself.
5 Terra And Ventus
Terra first appeared as a secret boss in Kingdom Hearts 2 and fans were shocked when they found out that they could play as him in Birth by Sleep. He is one of the three main protagonists of that game, being the one that is highly recommended to be used in fans' first playthrough. Ventus is also playable in this game, along with the others that Terra can be used in, and gamers should control him in their second playthrough. Like Xion and Lea, they are part of the group that fought against Xehanort's replicas in ReMind and they are playable in Melody of Memory.
4 Aqua
Aqua is the third character that can be controlled in Birth by Sleep, but has a greater role in the series than Terra and Ventus. After players complete each character's campaign in Birth By Sleep, they unlock two additional episodes where they play as Aqua, one of them being a boss battle and the other being an epilogue to the title.
Taking place immediately where the epilogue ends, Aqua has her own short game called A Fragmentary Passage, which comes with 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue. She can also be played in Kingdom Hearts 3 and Melody of Memory.
3 The Players
Rather than having gamers control a character that was created by Tetsuya Nomura, the director of the series, Union X allows them to make their own avatars. There are a lot of customization options, with many of them looking like other characters in the series for those that enjoy playing as Sora, Riku, and the others on this list. The players were also controlled in Kingdom Hearts X, a prequel to Union X that was exclusively in Japan and was shut down five years ago.
2 Xehanort
Xehanort is the main antagonist of the series. There are many incarnations of him, such as his heartless, Ansem, and his nobody, Xemnas, but he has had a major role to play since the original game. When he was defeated in Kingdom Hearts 3, fans thought that his story came to an end, but there is still a lot to learn about this dark seeker. In Dark Road, gamers can control him when he was young as they learn about what caused him to become the antagonist they knew him as for so long.
1 Kairi
Kairi has been an important character from the first installment, but hasn't been playable until recently. She was first used in the ReMind DLC after Sora saved her. She is also the main character of the story in Melody of Memory, though she isn't controlled that much. Seeing as how many fans have been wanting to play as her for a long time, especially after the disappointing role she played in Kingdom Hearts 3 when it first released, she will hopefully be playable in upcoming titles as well.