Kingdom Hearts is known for many things. It is one of the most compelling crossovers of all time due to its combination of Disney and Square Enix franchises. It has a convoluted story and deep lore that players can get lost in, and it has some of the greatest characters in gaming. The main character of the series, Sora, is no exception in many fans' hearts.
Sora has changed a lot over the years. In a lot of ways, he's not even the same person that he used to be, with some players liking him more than they used to while others miss who he was. Here are some of the ways he's changed.
10 He Became A Keyblade Wielder
Though it's hard to think of him without it, Sora had no idea what a keyblade was in the beginning of the first installment. Even when he started using it, he wasn't actually meant to. Riku was supposed to wield the Kingdom Key and took it back at the end of the game. Without his weapon, Sora realized that his heart was more powerful anyway, and the Kingdom Key returned to him.
In Birth by Sleep, fans got to see Sora when he was a young child. His heart connected with Ven's, which is what caused him to obtain the Kingdom Key in the first place. Without Ven, Sora wouldn't have ever become the fighter fans know him as.
9 His Design Changed A Few Times
Due to both an improved art style and getting older, Sora looks nothing like he used to. When the franchise began, he had dark hair, wore light-colored clothes and shoes that were way too big for him, and was shorter than he is now. Throughout the years, his hair has gotten shorter and brighter, and he wears much darker clothes. If any newcomers to the series were to look at him in the first game and in Kingdom Hearts 3, they may not even realize that he's the same person.
8 He's Not As Bright As He Used To Be
Though he was never the sharpest tool in the shed to begin with, Sora isn't as smart as he used to be. In fact, as the series progresses, it seems that his intelligence decreases. It began in Kingdom Hearts 2 and never really stopped, especially with Dream Drop Distance. Interestingly enough, he seemed to be fine up until Namine restored his erased memories. Perhaps she never actually finished turning him back to who he was before Chain of Memories.
7 But He Sees The Bright Side Of Things More Often
Even though he isn't as smart anymore, it's much more important that he's kind, optimistic, and caring. He's gotten much more helpful to those around him, even if it's not as serious of an issue. Back in the first game, he only really helped someone if he felt like something was wrong.
Now he gets involved with just about everyone's troubles, even if they don't have anything to do with him. Seeing the world in a better light has turned Sora into a better person.
6 He's Much Stronger
When the series first started, Sora lacked fighting experience and wasn't nearly as strong as he is now. Throughout the games, players get to see how much more powerful he becomes. He's defeated Organization XIII, thousands of heartless, and other strong characters in the franchise, such as Yozora and the Lingering Will. And fans can look forward to many more battles in the next saga.
5 He Visited Many Worlds
Sora has traveled to a lot of worlds, both based on Disney movies (such as Olympus, Arendelle, and Agrabah) and original locations made for the game (like Traverse Town, Twilight Town, Radiant Garden, and The World That Never Was). As this was his goal since before he even had the keyblade and teamed up with Donald and Goofy, he has achieved exactly what he set out to do. It was revealed in Melody of Memory that he is now in Quadratum, a fictional world. Who knows where he'll go from here?
4 He Saved Many Worlds
Most of the time when Sora goes to a world, he finds its keyhole and saves it from being swallowed by darkness, or from any other dangers that world is currently facing. At the end of the original game, he and his friends were able to bring the worlds that were taken to the Realm of Darkness back to the Realm of Light, saving places and people that he never even met.
3 He Vanished, Dimmed, And Faded
When Sora used the Power of Waking to save Kairi, he disappeared shortly after, going to Quadratum. The most interesting thing about this is that it was hinted at in the first trailer of the original game, nearly two decades before it actually happened.
It's strange to think of Kingdom Hearts without him, and even though fans know that he'll return, they have no idea when it will be. Until he does, this series will not be the same.
2 He Learned The Value Of Friendship
Friendship is a very important theme in Kingdom Hearts. At the end of the first installment, he realized that his friends were his power, and he's continued to learn about friendship ever since. When he was younger, Sora didn't always try to get along with those around him and could be stubborn, but he's changed and knows how much they matter to him now, willing to do just about anything for them.
1 There Are Many Versions Of Him
There are a few characters in Kingdom Hearts that have multiple incarnations, with Sora being one of them. When he became a heartless, he also turned into a nobody, Roxas, but when Kairi reverted Sora back to his original state, Roxas was split apart from Sora, being his own person. As Kairi's heart was inside of Sora at this time, he created another nobody named Namine. Xion, a replica that joined Organization XIII with Roxas was also part of Sora. These are just three examples of the many people that Sora is directly connected to.