Summary
Kingdom Hearts’ ongoing story has meant that there’s been a lot of room for character growth and development. Even side characters who don’t have a central focus in the main series have had character arcs and changed quite a bit since we first saw them.
Of course, the main characters, like Sora and Riku, have changed a lot too, thanks to everything they’ve seen and been through over the course of the games. These are the characters who have changed the most throughout the entire series.
10Eraqus
Dark Road showed what Eraqus was like in his youth before he became a Keyblade master and mentor to Terra, Aqua, and Ventus. When he was young, he was similar to Sora - he always had a positive outlook and strongly believed in the light, providing a stark contrast to his best friend, Xehanort.
After the tragic events of Dark Road, where nearly all of Eraqus’ classmates are killed, Eraqus learns to hate darkness, which is what causes him to turn on Terra in Birth by Sleep. By the end of Kingdom Hearts 3, though, Eraqus is forgiven by his three students, so he’s able to pass on without guilt.
9Xehanort
As Xehanort isthe main villain of the Dark Seeker Saga, you might think that he doesn’t change much. While it’s true that Xehanort remains steadfast in his desire to use Kingdom Hearts for his own vision, Dark Road reveals that he wasn’t always this evil mastermind.
In the past, he was close to Eraqus and enjoyed traveling and investigating the other worlds. It was only when Xehanort saw how darkness possessed Baldr’s heart, causing him to murder their classmates, that Xehanort’s vision was formed and he became consumed with the need to restore the balance of light and darkness.
8Xion
Xion’s story in 358/2 Days is a tragedy. After bonding with Roxas and Axel, she learns that she was built to become a copy of Sora, which would destroy Roxas if the transformation were to complete. Rather than becominga tool for Organization 13, she sacrifices herself to ensure that Sora wakes up.
For a while, Xion’s fate was uncertain, but she makes a triumphant return in Kingdom Hearts 3 thanks to her friends. Now, instead of being forced to be someone she’s not and needing to put herself before others, Xion has her own identity and fights for the life she has made for herself.
7Saix/Isa
In 358/2 Days, Saix’s main goal is to find out more information about Subject X, his and Axel’s missing friend. When Saix notices Axel becoming closer with Roxas and Xion, he feels betrayed and thinks that Axel has forgotten about their mutual goal to find their missing friend.
As a result, Saix opposes Axel when he leaves the Organization. It’s not until Kingdom Hearts 3, when Saix is about to disappear in Axel’s arms, that Saix admits the jealousy he felt. When Saix returns as Isa, no longer a Nobody, he’s finally able to connect with Axel again.
6Ventus
Ventus has changed quite a lot throughout his appearances in the series, but he doesn’t remember everything. He originally lived in the age of fairytales, where he was a Union leader and Keyblade wielder. Though he’s friends with both of them, Ventus admits that he’s jealous of Ephemer and Skuld’s friendship and struggles to connect with others because he’s quiet.
In Birth by Sleep, many years into the future, Ventus has no memories of the past, but he becomes a Keyblade wielder once again. This time, he has two best friends - Aqua and Terra - and is much more outgoing in comparison to his past self.
5Namine
In Chain of Memories, Namine is being forced by the Organization to toy with Sora’s memories and make him go further deeper into Castle Oblivion. Despite her fear of the Organization members, she does her best to help Sora in the little ways that she can.
In Kingdom Hearts 2, Namine accepts that, as a Nobody, she must return to Kairi to make her whole again, and does so, along with Roxas to Sora. She doesn’t think of living her own life - only helping others and returning to Kairi. In 3, however, Namine is finally given her own body, and, like Xion, learns to live for herself, not others.
4Axel/Lea
Axel initially joined Organization 13 alongside Saix with the intention of uncovering more about their missing friend Subject X. Instead, however, he became best friends with Roxas and Xion, which changed him completely.
Because of his connection to Roxas and Xion, Axel leaves the Organization and joins Sora’s side, hoping that, one day, he might be able to get his best friends back. He also learns to wield the Keybladeinstead of his chakrams, showing his commitment to the side of the light.
3Roxas
As Sora’s Nobody, Roxas spent 358/2 Days and Kingdom Hearts 2 feeling like he was living in Sora’s shadow. Everyone wanted him to be Sora, but he just wanted to be Roxas, eating ice-cream on Twilight Town’s clock tower. As a result, Roxas had a lot of anger inside him.
One the most pivotal moments in Roxas’ arc is when he speaks to Sora in Dream Drop Distance. After Sora says that Roxas deserves to be his own person too, Roxas tells Sora, “That’s why it has to be you.” Roxas finally understands Sora - and as a result, he can move on and be his own person, like Sora said he should be.
2Sora
Sora begins the series as an ordinary boy who has dreams of exploring the worlds beyond his home of Destiny Islands. After gaining the Keyblade and befriending Donald and Goofy, he learns that connections are his power and utilizes them for the majority of his journey.
In Kingdom Hearts 3, when almost all of his friends are lost in the Keyblade Graveyard, Sora realizes that he was relying on them for his strength, and breaks down without them. Though he was able to get most of them back and decides to pursue Kairi alone without help, this seems like the tip of the iceberg for Sora’s insecurity, and something that might still be explored more.
1Riku
In the first Kingdom Hearts game, Riku strays down a dark path because of his jealousy and need for Sora’s attention. He wields darkness and hurts his best friend as a result, and then he spends Chain of Memories, 358/2 Days, and Kingdom Hearts 2 feeling a lot of guilt and shame.
Dream Drop Distance was a turning point for Riku. He instinctively becomes a Dream Eater to protect Sora from nightmares, and at the end of the game, he’s asked a series of questions by the people in Sora’s heart. The canon answers are as follows:
Riku has learnt that, above anything else, he cares about Sora. In Kingdom Hearts 3, he proves himself by sacrificing himself to protect Sora in the Keyblade Graveyard. He lets go of his jealousy and uses these feelings as his strength.
