Kingdom Hearts is a series famous for its seemingly unending story and massive cast of characters. With faces from Final Fantasy and Disney, as well as a host of Kingdom Hearts originals, there’s no shortage of characters fighting for a spot on the screen.
This large saturation of characters ultimately means that some will fall to the wayside. Often this is justified. There is only so much Mushu or Yuffie can do for the larger KH plot. However, there are quite a few characters who could very easily have bigger parts in the KH narrative if given the chance, yet for some reason are kept to smaller roles.
7 Minnie Mouse
While he was saved until the very end of Kingdom Hearts 1, Mickey Mouse ended up playing a huge role in the rest of the series, acting as a leader of sorts to the guardians of light. Minnie, however, is rarely seen, and one of her longest appearances is as a captive of Maleficent.
It’s stated that she’s taking on Mickey’s duties while he’s away, but as such a major Disney character, she should get more screen time. Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep does her the best, showing her as a good leader in Disney Castle, so maybe if that location could be visited more often, that would give players a chance to spend more time with her.
6 Xaldin/Lexaeus
The betrayal of Ansem The Wise by his apprentices is one of the more pivotal moments in the KH story. It not only birthed the original Organization 13 but also spurred him to take revenge on them, leading to his mistreatment of Roxas and other characters.
Despite being part of that original group, Xaldin and Lexaeus have been notably kept in the background. In KH3 they didn’t even receive speaking lines, despite all the other apprentices having proper character development. As Ansem’s guards, it would be interesting to explore how they felt about betraying him and getting betrayed in turn by Xemnas.
5 Demyx
Keeping to underused Organization 13 characters, Demyx is a character who is quite famous for his role in KH2, yet he doesn’t actually appear much in the series. He has a small part in KH2, 358/2 Days, and KH3, but none of these really explore him at all.
The mystery around Demyx is so high that some fans even theorize that he might have some secret, more important role. For a character as charismatic and memorable as he is, the series just does nothing with him. KH3 did hint at some greater relevance for him going forward, but for now, Demyx needs more screen time.
4 Aerith
Of all the Final Fantasy characters that appear in the KH series, the cast of Final Fantasy 7 easily gets the most emphasis. With the Sephiroth and Radiant Garden plotlines, Cloud, Cid, and Yuffie get a decent amount to do. Yet despite her huge role in FF7, Aerith in KH doesn’t really do much.
She is always with the other FF7 characters, but only ever seems to be there to say a few lines. This is despite her powerful healing abilities and her relevance to Cloud’s character. This isn’t to say her iconic death from FF7 must be recreated, but FF7: Remake has shown that Aerith’s character can be way more fun when given the room to work.
3 Yen Sid
Yen Sid is infamous in the KH community for his reluctance to ever get out of his chair and assist the main characters in their battles. This is despite being a former keyblade master, and the one who personally trained King Mickey.
When he finally did help out in KH3, it was one of the game’s most impactful scenes and made it clear how much he was being underused. He even had some relationship with Eraqus and Xehanort, yet this history is never explored, beyond a few throwaway lines. Going forward, Yen Sid should stay well out of his chair.
2 The Princesses Of Heart
Back in KH1, the princesses of heart were some of the most important characters. As beings with hearts of pure light, they were integral to Ansem’s plan to obtain Kingdom Hearts. They’ve also been highlighted in KH: Birth By Sleep and KH3, yet both times they didn’t even factor into the final conflict.
Especially with the newly introduced mechanic of the princess roles changing every now and then, the princesses could be a rotating council of sorts who stay informed on the goings-on of Sora and friends. Either way, if any Disney characters should matter more to the overarching story, it should be them.
1 Kairi
Fans have been asking for a bigger role for Kairi ever since KH1. Despite being best friends with Sora and Riku, two of the most impactful characters in the series, Kairi is consistently left to the wayside. It constantly feels like a bigger role is being promised for her, but never delivered.
KH2, Dream Drop Distance, Re: Coded, KH3, and Melody of Memory have all hinted at Kairi mattering more, but the series has so far failed to deliver. At this point, it feels like Tetsuya Nomura just doesn’t know what to do with her, despite her role as a keyblade wielder and a princess of heart being completely unique in the series, and opening many doors for possible character development.