Like almost every kid born in the ’90s, I was obsessed with all things Disney. When Mulan When the video came out on VHS, I watched it, rewound it, and then immediately watched it again. There was only one other thing I would compulsively spend so much time on: Final Fantasy. After my introduction to Final Fantasy VIII played it no less than four times over the course of a year. When I was eleven years old and saw a video game with Donald Duck, Goofy and a spiky-haired protagonist, it obviously looked very similar Cloud Strife, he was taken aback. Little did I know that 17 years and 10 games later I would end up crying in my living room Kingdom Hearts 3a pseudo-finale to a series that literally grew up with me.
Kingdom Hearts 3 has problems, some of them. The quality of the Disney worlds is inconsistent and the story is absurdly relegated to the final third. But still, the final five hours represent one of my favorite video game endings, full of incredible catharsis and emotional reward. It’s ironic that the game includes one Toy story world as the narrative begins Kingdom Hearts 3 I remember it very much Toy Story 3with its sense of finality, acceptance and moving on.
As much as Kingdom Hearts 3 While the game makes its way through the first thirty hours, once you reach the Keyblade Graveyard everything hits you like a truck. I could spend hours explaining the dozens of story questions answered in this final section, but what really matters is the thematic storytelling and the way each main character’s plot finds resolution.
At the heart of all this is Sora, the glue that holds everyone and everything in the series together. He is the dense but kind-hearted boy that everyone comes to love, the hero who never frowns in the face of adversity. That’s exactly what makes the first step of the final battle so heartbreaking, as the group loses to Xehanort’s forces in the Badlands.
In the very first battle in the Badlands, the “good guys” are eliminated one by one, causing Sora to suffer a complete mental breakdown the likes of which the series has never shown before. It’s a jarring moment for a series that has almost always been lighthearted, even in its darkest moments. Sora’s quiet sobs are heartbreaking, but also reflect the journey of growing up.
Sora has believed all his life that all of his powers come from his connection to others. Likewise, in our teenage and adolescent years, we are often fixated on friendships, groups, the wishes of our parents, etc. If we leave all that out and set out into the world on our own, it is incredibly frightening. This single moment sums up what makes Kingdom Hearts 3 so special: an admission of the journey we have taken and what is required to move on.
After this breakdown, Sora learns, with some guiding words from Riku, that he must delve within himself in order to move on. It’s not just about what you get from those you love, but also about what you can give them.
This is the crucial turning point Kingdom Hearts 3, and the game builds from there. As Sora, we are guided through a veritable museum of the series’ history. Each battle represents a different piece Kingdom Hearts. It’s thematically appropriate, but also contains key moments that are hugely important to the series’ narrative. Roxas makes a big comeback alongside Xion, Riku and Mickey fight side by side, Aqua and Ventuis are finally reunited with Terra, and even the long-neglected Kairi gets her moment.
Somehow, KH3 manages to pack in half a dozen moments that would be worthy of a grand finale to any other series. Each main character’s plot is advanced in a meaningful way, and even the rogues’ gallery of villains, like Saix and Anse, get their own farewells. New questions are being raised Kingdom Hearts‘ Lore, but basically this is the end of the Xehanort saga.
The bow at the top that holds everything together is the last few minutes of Kingdom Hearts 3, in which we see Sora disappear from life and end up in another world. This was a controversial detail among fans, but for my money it fits. Sora was the guiding light that connected everything Kingdom HeartsIt connects every character, every Disney world, and every absurd plot point. But now we’ve seen how everything comes to an end and everyone gets their happy ending.
That means it’s time to move on, both for fans and for the series as a whole. Kingdom Hearts needs to move on to something new, and fans need to break away from the characters and stories they grew up with. Sora’s departure represents the player’s connection to Kingdom Hearts fade, end. Things can’t just continue as before: the people who caught on first Kingdom Hearts, like me, are now adults with a job and a family. The memories will always be there, but it’s time to move on.
Kingdom Hearts III is now available for Xbox, PlayStation, Switch and PC.
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