Square Enix officially announced an upcoming release of Kingdom Hearts IV at the Kingdom Hearts 20th Anniversary in Tokyo, Japan. While waiting for the official release of Kingdom Hearts IV, for those of you who are new to the game and don’t know about the story in the whole franchise, be sure to play the previous entries to get a better understanding of the Kingdom Hearts universe. No need to worry about where to start as on this occasion, Dunia Games would like to show you how to play Kingdom Hearts games in chronological order.

1. Kingdom Hearts I

Initially released for the PlayStation 2, Kingdom Hearts I got exclusively re-released in Japan for the same console with the new title Kingdom Hearts Final Mix with some additional content yet the story remains the same. Kingdom Hearts I is the beginning of the main character’s (Sora) journey with his friends Riku and Kairi who live alongside each other on Destiny Island. The story begins with the three of them embarking on a journey to another world on a raft. 

However, on the night before they’re set to sail, Destiny Island gets ambushed by a group of Heartless. Sora tries to defend his home while trying to find Riku and Kairi. He meets Riku who holds a ‘Keyblade’, and Sora uses it to fight off the Heartless. He then looks for Kairi, and just when he finds her, Sora sees a portal that connects Destiny Island with the world of darkness and suddenly emits energy that blasts both Sora and Kairi out of Destiny Island. This prequel builds the framework for the plot that will eventually involve the 'Hearts' and the villains, the 'Heartless'.

2. Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories

The sequel was first released on the Game Boy Advance in Japan on 11 November 2004. Then it was remade on the PS2 with the same title. The story continues from the prequel, where Sora enters a place called Castle Oblivion. Aside from Sora, Riku joins to discover the secret that this place holds. However, while in Castle Oblivion, Sora gradually loses his memories of his friends. This game adopts a real-time battle system with a card deck concept, unlike the usual system in other RPGs.

3. Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

This game was first released for the handheld console, the Nintendo DS. The main character of this title is Roxas. Roxas is the “Nobody of Sora”, after becoming a Heartless in Kingdom Hearts I. Roxas joins the Organization XIII and is sent to complete every mission assigned to him. During his missions, Roxas meets and befriends Axel and Xion. Later on when it’s revealed, as it turns out, Xion is actually part of Sora’s heart, just like Roxas. 

Previously in Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories, Sora had to be put to ‘sleep’ to regain his memories, and during this time, Xion was created. Upon knowing the real motive of the organization, he tries to escape but gets prevented by Riku who tries to use the darkness to bring Roxas back. Yet his intention fails and Roxas manages to escape.

4. Kingdom Hearts II

Released for the PS2, Kingdom Hearts II begins with Roxas’ story, a seemingly normal teenager. Yet after several days, Sora’s memories keep popping up in his mind. Roxas then meets Sora who’s asleep in a capsule, just like the last time we saw him in Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories. But ultimately, Roxas gets reunited with Sora’s heart as Sora and Roxas have always been one. In this entry of the series, Sora, Donald, and Goofy need to stop Organization XIII’s ambition of creating Kingdom Hearts to run their evil plans. This game focuses on the concept of 'Hearts' that involves a new group of enemies 'Nobody', that are their 'Heartless' counterparts.

5. Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep

Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep was released on the PlayStation Portable (PSP) in Japan on 9 January 2010. The story is set a decade prior to the events in Kingdom Hearts I and focuses on the origins of the main villain, Xehanort. This game also introduces 3 new main characters: Terra, Ventus, and Aqua who try to prevent Xehanort from re-creating the Keyblade War to gain the power of the darkness.

Read Also:

• Here Are 9 Final Fantasy Characters Who Appear in Kingdom Hearts!
• 8 Surprising Facts Behind the Anime Attack on Titan
• Become the Best PS2 Game, Here Are 5 Interesting Facts about The Warriors!

6. Kingdom Hearts Re:coded

This game was initially released on mobile but then re-released on the Nintendo DS with the title Kingdom Hearts Re:coded. The story begins when the events in Kingdom Hearts 2 end, all the notes & journals written by Jiminy Cricket were lost as he’s possessed by a bug, which is also a Heartless, and Sora, who’s still just a data, needs to recover all of the lost records.

7. Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distances

Released on 29 March 2012 in Japan for the Nintendo 3DS, this game focuses on Sora and Riku’s Mark of Mastery exam under Yen Sid to anticipate the return of Xehanort and their subsequent conflict with the enemies from their past. They need to pass tests and challenges to restore the 7 worlds that were saved from the darkness yet are still untethered with the real world as they are still in a "sleep" state. Sora and Riku will enter the dream world to stop Xehanort’s ambition and meet the various versions of Xehanort. 

8. Kingdom Hearts X Back Cover

It’s an animated movie based on the Kingdom Hearts 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue for the PlayStation 4. In this movie, you’ll learn the origins of the Keyblade War, two words that you’ll see more often in the subsequent titles. The Keyblade War happens due to the suspicion that one of ‘The Foretellers’ has betrayed. They ultimately gather each other’s army and fight each other.

9. Kingdom Hearts 0.2 Birth by Sleep: A Fragmentary Passage

It’s a short game that follows the things that happen after the events in Birth by Sleep. The main character is Aqua, who tries to find a way out of the world of darkness with the help of Mickey Mouse, who’s a king in this game. This game is a continuation of Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep. In the middle of the game, the story merges with the events in Kingdom Hearts I, including the ending of the prequel.

10. Kingdom Hearts III

Released for the PlayStation 4, Kingdom Hearts III continues the story from the Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance after Sora failed the Mark of Mastery exam. After that, he’s assigned by Yen Sid to travel across the various Disney universe to revive his lost powers. Kingdom Hearts III will also reunite Sora with his enemy, Xehanort, who has just traveled through time to gather 13 dark figures to rebuild Organization XIII to realize Xehanort’s vision. 

11. Kingdom Hearts 3 Re:Mind

The most recent installment of the series, Kingdom Hearts 3 Re:Mind is a DLC in Kingdom Hearts 3. The DLC is available on the PlayStation 4, Xbox, and PC. The story begins right at the end of Kingdom Hearts 3 when Kairi’s missing and Sora is invested in finding and rescuing Kairi who ends up being the victim in the previous battle against Xehanort. In this DLC, you will see Sora going back in time to the moment when he fights Xehanort and loses Kairi. After passing through the hearts of Ventus, Aqua, Terra, and Roxas, Sora enters his past self’s heart and tries to avert Kairi’s fate. Yet his effort isn’t an easy task. 

So, that’s the entire Kingdom Hearts story in chronological order. Granted, most of the installments of this series are exclusively available on consoles, yet you can play the earlier entries before Kingdom Hearts III with Kingdom Hearts 1.5 + 2.5 HD Remix and Kingdom Hearts 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue on PC with the same story and enhanced graphics. 

Stick around for more anime, movie, and gaming info, and make sure to follow Dunia Games on Facebook and Instagram for the latest updates.

You can also buy vouchers for various games, such as Mobile Legends, Free Fire, and Call of Duty Mobile, at lower prices by making your top-ups at Dunia Games!

Buy game vouchers - get bonus data only at Dunia Games!

Read Also >> 5 Facts About Platinum End, a ‘Battle Royale’ Anime Series from the Death Note Mangaka