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Sora (Kingdom Hearts)

October 15, 2023

Sora (Japanese: ソラ) is a character and the main protagonist of Disney and Square Enix's Kingdom Hearts video game series. Introduced in the first Kingdom Hearts game in 2002, Sora is portrayed as a cheerful teenager who lives on the Destiny Islands and has been best friends with Riku and Kairi since childhood. When they plan to go on a journey to see other worlds, they are separated by creatures known as the Heartless, with Sora obtaining a weapon called the Keyblade. Donald Duck and Goofy then recruit him in their journey across various worlds to aid their king, Mickey Mouse, while Sora searches for his friends. Along the way, the trio protects the worlds they visit from the Heartless and other villains.

Sora
Kingdom Hearts character
Sora as he appears in Kingdom Hearts III
First appearanceKingdom Hearts (2002)
Created byTetsuya Nomura
Designed byTetsuya Nomura
Voiced byJapanese
Miyu Irino
Takuto Yoshina (young)
English
Haley Joel Osment
Luke Manriquez (young)
In-universe information
WeaponKeyblade
HomeDestiny Islands

Sora was initially designed by the Kingdom Hearts series director and character designer Tetsuya Nomura during a discussion between Disney and Square about who the series's protagonist should be. Wanting an original character, Nomura made various sketches of Sora until the design met the approval of Disney. Throughout the series, Sora has been voiced by Haley Joel Osment in the English version and Miyu Irino in the Japanese version. For his depiction as a child in the prequel Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, Sora was voiced by Luke Manriquez and Takuto Yoshinaga in English and Japanese, respectively. Sora has made supporting appearances in other games from the series and reprised his role in manga and light novel adaptations of the games.

Sora's character has received a generally positive critical response due to his warm personality and adventurous spirit. His personal and martial growth in the series also received praise, especially in his appearance in Kingdom Hearts II. Since his debut in Kingdom Hearts, he has become popular among the video game community, with high rankings among character popularity polls. His prominence increased significantly in 2021 after he was added to Nintendo's fighting video game Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as a downloadable fighter and revealed to be the most requested fighter to appear in the Super Smash Bros. series.

Concept and creation Edit

Original concept and design Edit

Sora was designed by Tetsuya Nomura as the protagonist of Kingdom Hearts. He was not originally slated to be the protagonist, as Disney wanted Donald Duck to fill the role, while Square wanted Mickey Mouse. Nomura designed Sora with the concepts of the Disney characters in mind, basing his outfit on Mickey Mouse's trademark white gloves, red shorts and giant yellow shoes.[1] Sora originally wielded a weapon resembling a chainsaw; however, the weapon was not well received by Disney, which led Nomura to redesign the weapon into a Keyblade. He was also designed with lion-like features, which were removed as the staff found them to be similar to those of Final Fantasy IX protagonist Zidane Tribal. The design was further reworked after a talk with the Disney staff, and Nomura finished it after a night's work.[2] Because Sora was a new character in the first Kingdom Hearts, Square added Final Fantasy characters who support the protagonist.[3]

 
Concept artwork of Sora by Tetsuya Nomura

One of the main concepts of Sora's character in the series is that, according to Nomura, he is a normal boy instead of a supernatural being, even though he is deeply connected with other characters from the series. With Sora, Nomura wants to give players the message that even though they are not "important people", they have the opportunity to accomplish great things. This was emphasized in Birth by Sleep's secret ending, which Nomura hoped players would find because it showed Sora's potential to influence everyone's lives. In early versions of development of Birth by Sleep, Nomura thought that Ventus would actually be Sora before being reborn, but due to negative feedback from overseas, that plot line was discarded.[4] Nomura has stated that Sora's name can be interpreted as "sky", since the Japanese word sora (空) means sky. This name was also chosen to symbolize Sora's role and his personality, as well as his close relationship with Riku and Kairi, making their three names together "sky, land, and sea."[5][6] He was also described by Nomura as having an outgoing personality, which allows him to make friends throughout the series.[7] Of all of the characters he has designed, Nomura called Sora his favorite, describing him as "special" after having worked to develop the character over many games.[8] The name of Noctis Lucis Caelum from Final Fantasy XV is also a reference to Sora; Sora and Caelum both mean "sky" in their respective languages, and Nomura considered Noctis to be his latest "son".[9] When Kingdom Hearts II included a note using Sora's handwriting, Nomura wrote it himself.[10]

Development Edit

Following the first Kingdom Hearts, Nomura was worried that players would be unhappy that Sora would start Kingdom Hearts II as a weak character with few powers who once again had to be leveled up like the first title. Therefore, Nomura developed the plot of Chain of Memories to explain how Sora loses his abilities in Castle Oblivion and then starts anew.[11] Additionally, a new mystery regarding Sora's memories of Twilight Town was added in Chain of Memories, which would be explained in Kingdom Hearts II.[12] Sora was given a new outfit to reflect the time spent between Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II.[13] The team in charge of Kingdom Hearts II expressed difficulties in animating Sora's "Valor" Drive Form for having a completely different motion except in Sora's walking animation, which is shared with his regular motion.[14] The Anti-Form was also made to focus on Sora's dark side from the first Kingdom Hearts, where he is temporarily transformed into a Heartless. Gameplaywise, the form was created to be both powerful and troublesome. The fights Sora has with Roxas and Xemnas were meant to surprise gamers, especially in the latter when the player loses control of Sora and Riku has to save him.[10]

After finishing Kingdom Hearts II, Nomura wanted to give Sora a rest from the series in order to focus the following games on other characters from the series.[5] Moreover, the events from the endings of Coded and Birth by Sleep hinted at a new mystery regarding Sora's character, which would be revealed in Kingdom Hearts III.[4] Although Nomura stated in March 2010 that Sora would once again be the focus of the next title, Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance, he stated that Sora would share it with another character with great importance.[15] The switches between player characters Sora and Riku across the game are meant to contrast the style from Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep, which allowed the player to use three characters in their own campaigns, as well as to explain the word "Distance" in the title, because the two characters never interact across their stories.[16] Nomura has stated that the themes of the game are trust and friendship, and that like Birth by Sleep, the story is on par with that of a numbered title. As a result of the game's plot, both Sora and Riku appear in their younger forms from the first Kingdom Hearts game. To avoid misconceptions that Dream Drop Distance was a remake of the original game, Nomura decided to change Sora's and Riku's outfits for most of the game.[17]

In response to rumors saying that Sora's story would end in Kingdom Hearts III, Nomura answered that Sora is the protagonist of the series and that his role will end once the series ends.[4] For this game, Nomura was interested in giving Sora a new costume, but was worried about doing so because of the popularity of the character's Kingdom Hearts II outfit. In the end, he decided to create a new one as Kingdom Hearts III was a new numbered title.[18] Nomura also revealed that Sora is the same proportions as in previous games; however, they "muted the volume on his hair—it's not as wild." Regarding updating Sora's look from his Kingdom Hearts II design, Nomura noted that the basis for the resulting design is a mix between Sora's costumes for Kingdom Hearts II and Dream Drop Distance, one that is "a lot more sleek and sporty" since "Sora does a lot more... acrobatic [and]... action-oriented movements".[18] Sora's new skills in Kingdom Hearts III were inspired by those of Terra from Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix and Birth by Sleep in order to surprise gamers with new powers related to the Keyblade, with other skills that were influenced by Sora's and Riku's powers from Dream Drop Distance.[19] For the Monsters Inc. world, Nomura considered giving Sora a monster costume similar to the one Boo wears in the movie, but Pixar gave the idea to actually change Sora into a monster. Sora's final stage in Kingdom Hearts III was left ambiguous though Nomura suggested it might be related to the Square Enix game The World Ends With You.[20]

 
For Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Sora's main designs by Tetsuya Nomura were used as alternate costumes. The several designs Nomura developed for the character, which range from his first appearance to Kingdom Hearts III, were praised by the media.

According to Super Smash Bros. series director Masahiro Sakurai, Sora had been the winner of the Super Smash Bros. for 3DS and Wii U Fighter Ballot in 2015, and Sakurai was well aware of the various fan campaigns advocating for Sora's inclusion in the series.[21][22] Sakurai described Sora's inclusion as a "huge undertaking" and "perfect" as the concluding fighter for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.[21] Sakurai also felt that it was "impossible" for Sora to appear in the series, but after Sakurai met a Disney executive at an awards show, Nintendo, Disney, and Square Enix began negotiations to include him.[23] According to Luigi Priore, Vice President of Disney and Pixar Games, the company recognized that having Sora in Smash Bros. was something that fans had been asking for a long time, and the team was delighted to make it happen. "Knowing the passion of Kingdom Hearts fans, we were not surprised [by the reaction], but we were thrilled," Priore added. "It's been incredible watching all the videos and commentary online."[24] Nomura was actually more hesitant than Disney about Sora's inclusion because of potential conflicts with the lore established in the Kingdom Hearts series at first, but seeing the positive reception by the public led him to conclude that "the end result was really great."[25] Sora was designed as a floaty, light, and aerial fighter. The majority of his moves are inspired by his appearance in the original Kingdom Hearts, but per the limitations of the licensing agreement, Disney characters were not included as spirits or cameos.[26]

In April 2022, During the interview with Nomura at Famitsu, he said that "Kingdom Hearts 4 will explore the contrast between the real world known as Quadratum and the fictional worlds of Kingdom Hearts". He further said that "Sora also looks more realistic due to him being in that world. However, if he were to return to his own world, his appearance would look similar to [how he would look with] the shaders used for Donald and Goofy."[27]

Casting Edit

 
Haley Joel Osment voices Sora in the English version of the series.

Sora is voiced in Japanese by Miyu Irino, who used his normal voice for the beginning; Irino was filmed with cameras during voice recording to provide a reference for Sora's mouth movements.[28] As Irino grew older, he struggled with sounding as young as Sora, who remained the same in Re:coded as his data form. By Kingdom Hearts III, Irino faced more issues during recordings of the game. After finishing the game, Irino wondered if he might properly portray Sora in sequels due to his age gap.[20]

In English, the character is voiced by Haley Joel Osment. Due to Sora's lack of growth across the franchise, Osment faced the challenge of properly giving him the tone of a teenager; "I think he's a little bit older now [in Kingdom Hearts 3] than he was in Kingdom Hearts 1 and 2. But early on, you know, I started this when I was 12, and my voice had started to change and everything. So learning how to manipulate that and keep the voice sounding young while still preserving the range of emotions that Sora had; that was a unique challenge." In retrospect, Osment found the idea of ending Kingdom Hearts III as an emotional moment as, while the series is not ending with this installment, the narrative is giving a proper closure to the story started by the antagonist Xehanort.[29] There have also been comments also with Osment and being praised by the media. Gaming Target's Matt Swidder, who mentioned Osment "makes a perfect fit for Sora".[30] On the other hand, Osment's work in Re:Chain of Memories was noted to have made a poor impact in his portrayal as the young lead, as he no longer sounds like in the original Kingdom Hearts game.[31] Louis Bedigian from GameZone remarked on Osment's continuous work in the sequel Kingdom Hearts II.[32] RPGamer still praised Osment's performance in the game, still finding him suitable for the protagonist.[33] Koinya lamented the fact Miyu Irino's work was never made available for the Western audience, considering him talented alongside Mamoru Miyano (Riku).[34]

Characteristics Edit

Sora appears as a boy with spiky brown-hair who, when first introduced, wears a red shirt, red pants, and a white and blue jacket covered by keychains. Upon traveling to certain worlds, Sora's appearance is altered by Donald Duck's magic to adapt to different environments and keep his origin from another world a secret; for example, he turns into a merman in underwater environments.[35] After undergoing significant growth in Kingdom Hearts II, Sora is provided with a new, black outfit by Flora, Fauna and Merryweather. When battling, Sora's outfit can change into other designs depending on the player's choices.[36] The primary form of Sora's Keyblade is the Kingdom Key (キングダムチェーン, Kingudamu Chēn, lit. "Kingdom Chain"), but through the use of in-game keychains, the Keyblade can assume a variety of unique forms.[37] During Kingdom Hearts II, Sora dual-wields Keyblades, their forms depending on the player's use of keychains.[36]

Across the series, Sora is depicted as a cheerful teenager who cherishes his friendships and relies on them for his strength.[38] As a result, several of Sora's enemies use his friends as bait to use the Keyblade for their purposes.[39] During the first game, it is discovered that Sora was not meant to wield the Keyblade, which only chooses him in the absence of its intended owner, Riku.[40] However, Sora's greater strength of heart causes the Keyblade to reject Riku in favor of Sora.[41]

Appearances Edit

In Kingdom Hearts series Edit

In Kingdom Hearts, Sora, Riku and Kairi plan to leave their home on the Destiny Islands to explore new worlds.[42] They are separated when the island is attacked by the Heartless;[43] in the process, Sora obtains a Keyblade that he uses to eliminate the Heartless.[44] Arriving in Traverse Town, Sora allies with Donald Duck and Goofy, who are under instruction from their missing king, Mickey Mouse, to follow the "key".[45] The three travel across worlds in their Gummi Ship in search of their missing friends,[46] sealing the worlds' "Keyholes" along the way to protect them from being consumed by the Heartless. They are opposed by an alliance of Disney villains led by Maleficent, who seeks out the seven Princesses of Heart to unlock the Keyhole that leads to "Kingdom Hearts",[47] a repository of knowledge and power, and the source of all hearts. Riku, who has come under Maleficent's watch, fights with Sora on several occasions under the belief that Sora has replaced him with new friends.[48] As the group travels to Hollow Bastion and defeat Maleficent, Riku becomes possessed by Ansem,[49] who reveals that Kairi's heart is in Sora's body.[50][51] To save Kairi, Sora impales himself with Ansem's Keyblade, briefly transforming him into a Heartless before Kairi restores Sora to human form.[52][53] After taking Kairi to safety, Sora, Donald, and Goofy defeat Ansem at the open door to Kingdom Hearts.[54] From inside the door, Mickey and Riku help Sora and his friends close it to prevent the Heartless within from escaping, with Mickey and Sora using their Keyblades to lock the door.[55] Separated from their friends again, Sora, Donald and Goofy continue their quest to reunite with Riku and Mickey.[56]

In Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, Sora's group stumbles upon a fortress known as Castle Oblivion, where Naminé is forced by the group Organization XIII to manipulate their memories in order to turn Sora into their slave.[57] After Sora and friends defeat the Organization members controlling the castle, Naminé helps restore the trio's memories to their state prior to entering Castle Oblivion, at the cost of their memories of the events in the castle. This requires them to sleep in the castle for the restoration of memories to be completed.[58]

In Kingdom Hearts II, Sora reawakens along with Donald and Goofy in Twilight Town once his Nobody, Roxas, merges within him.[59] They visit Mickey's master, Yen Sid, from whom they are reacquainted with Organization XIII.[60] Sora embarks with Donald and Goofy to find Riku and King Mickey, traversing new and unfamiliar worlds to eliminate the threat of the remaining Heartless, Nobodies, and local villains. Learning that the Organization has abducted Kairi to force Sora to gather more hearts for them,[61][62] Sora's group rejoins Mickey and arrives at the Organization's fortress in the World That Never Was, where they reunite with Kairi and Riku. After being separated from the others, Sora and Riku defeat Xemnas, after which a doorway appears that allows them to reunite with their friends on the Destiny Islands.[63]

Sora makes a minor appearance in Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, the majority of which is set as he sleeps to recover his lost memories from the events of Chain of Memories; it is also established that Xion, an experimental replica of Roxas created by the Organization, inadvertently hinders the restoration process until she joins with him.[64] In Kingdom Hearts Coded, a computer program based on Sora's likeness serves as the primary protagonist of the game, finding out the truth behind a mysterious message found inside Jiminy's journal.[65] A four-year-old Sora appears in the prequel, Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep;[66] after Ventus, one of the protagonists, has his heart damaged following a confrontation with his dark side, Vanitas, his heart finds its way into Sora, who accepts it into his own heart.[67] In the game's secret ending, set after the events of Kingdom Hearts II, Ansem the Wise tells Aqua about Sora's adventures, and how he may help all the people connected to him. In the final scene, Sora decides to save them after reading Mickey's letter.[68]

In Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance, Sora and Riku undertake a Mark of Mastery exam in response to Xehanort's return.[69] The two are sent to awaken several worlds submerged in sleep after the defeat of Ansem. Sora is lured into a deep slumber by Xehanort's incarnations, who plan to turn him into a vessel for Xehanort's heart.[70] Riku and his friends save Sora and bring him back to Yen Sid's tower, where Riku dives into Sora's heart and awakens him. Because of Sora's failure, he does not achieve the rank of Keyblade Master.[71][72] In the ending of Kingdom Hearts 0.2 Birth by Sleep – A Fragmentary Passage, Yen Sid reveals that Sora has lost most of his powers as a consequence of Xehanort's attempted possession, and advises Sora to seek out Hercules, who has gone through a similar experience.[73]

In Kingdom Hearts III, Sora goes on a journey to regain his strength, particularly the "power of waking" (眠りし心を解放する力, Nemurishi Kokoro wo Kaihō-suru Chikara, lit. "Power to free a sleeping heart) required to restore the hearts of Ventus, Aqua, and Terra while also looking for a chance to restore Roxas. Sora engages prepares with Master Xehanort and the thirteen seekers from the new Organization XIII.[74][75] Although Sora's missions end in failures, upon finding Vanitas' body, Sora manages to properly use his strength and restore Ventus.[76] Sora and the other Keyblade wielders go to Graveyard of their predecessors to fight Xehanort but are nearly killed by the amount of Heartless.[77] After being restored by Namine, Sora uses his Power of Waking to give his friends another chance with Kairi's help.[78][79] After their return to the graveyard, Sora manages to restore Terra and defeat the Organization with the group.[80] However, the original Xehanort kills Kairi,[81] causing him to track him to his hometown where Xehanort accepts defeat after as he goes to the afterlife, giving Sora his χ-blade. Sora uses his power of waking to restore Kairi despite learning the risks of its overuse, which causes him to fade from existence.[82]

In the aftermath, as depicted in the Kingdom Hearts III Re Mind DLC, Sora finds himself in the Final World, where he is accosted by a young man, Yozora, who claims he was sent to save him. The two end up in a different world, Quadratum, where they engage in a fierce battle in which Sora emerges victorious; if defeated, Sora transforms into a crystal statue. In the rhythm action game Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory, Kairi recalls Sora's adventures in a dream world she creates within her own heart to search for clues for his whereabouts. Towards the end of her dream, Kairi confronts an illusion of Xehanort, who nearly overpowers her until Sora remotely takes control of her body and defeats him.[83]

A 2D cartoonish avatar version of Sora wearing his original outfit in Kingdom Hearts is also present in the online community-based social gaming networking service, Kingdom Hearts Mobile.[84]

In the Kingdom Hearts IV trailer, Sora is seen fighting a giant Heartless in the world of Quadratum.[85]

Other appearances Edit

Outside Kingdom Hearts, Sora appeared as free limited-time downloadable content in the Final Fantasy crossover game World of Final Fantasy in January 2017.[86] In 2019, Sora appeared in the mobile game Disney Emoji Blitz to commemorate the release of Kingdom Hearts III.[87] Sora appears as a playable character in the Nintendo Switch crossover fighting game Super Smash Bros. Ultimate via downloadable content, which was released on October 18, 2021.[88]

Sora also appears in various Kingdom Hearts media adaptations, including a manga series written by Shiro Amano and a series of novels by Tomoko Kanemaki, which adapt his role in the video games.[89][90] In a collaboration between Square Enix and Japanese fashion brand SuperGroupies, Sora's image was used to create clothing based on his design from Kingdom Hearts III.[91]

Reception Edit

Popularity Edit

Sora's character was very well received by gaming media. Magazines have called him as one of the best[92][93][94][95][96] and iconic character in video games.[97] In an ASCII Media Works poll in which fans voted selected whose video game or manga character would like to name their children after, Sora's name was second in the male category.[98] Chris Penwell of PlayStation LifeStyle named Sora as his favorite character for having "A relatable personality."[99] Sora has the most appearances as hero in Square Enix RPGs, according to Guinness World Records's "The records held by Gamer's Edition 2020 cover characters".[100]

Various types of merchandising have been released based on Sora's character. There are several types of action figures which show Sora with a different appearance such as his original form, the Kingdom Hearts II design and others variants.[101][102] Other accessories has also been released.[103][104][105][106][107] In October 2021, during the reveal of the 20th Anniversary of the Kingdom Hearts trailer, an Ichiban Kuji-based Sora merchandise was made, and is set to be released in 2022.[108] In that same year, Square Enix also made a tote bag and tamagotchi, depicting Sora.[109][110]

Critical response Edit

Critics and fans have generally praised Sora. When Sora was first revealed in 2002, GameSpot's Giancarlo Varanini regarded him as "an appropriate amalgamation of the Square and Disney universes." He also comically noted that Sora "doesn't look like much, but you know how it goes."[111] A 1UP.com writer called Sora "one of my all-time favorite Square characters", praising his cheerful personality.[112] Gamasutra commented on Sora's journey along the series in their feature "The Birth of Collecting: The Osiris Archetype In Games" by Jason Johnson; while comparing Sora with Isis, Johnson found Sora's adventure appealing.[113] IGN praised Sora's resilient character, noting how such an ordinary "youngster" could face up to his challenges during his adventures for the sake of friendship,[114] while RPGFan's Nicole Monet Kirk labelled him as an "extremely likable hero".[115] Furthermore, in the book "Interactive Storytelling for Video Games: A Player-Centered Approach to Creating Memorable Characters and Stories", it is noted that while Sora follows a "standard hero archetype", his character becomes more believable and strong when worrying about his friends' fates.[116] Louis Bedigian from GameZone mentioned that "Sora had something rarely found in video-game characters: depth" also praising his role in Kingdom Hearts.[32] Game Informer's Bryan Vore found that in Kingdom Hearts II, Osment has improved in voicing the character, praising his work.[117] He was third in 1UP.com's "Top 5 Most Irritating RPG Protagonists" with writer Bob Mackey commenting he is "a human version of Mickey Mouse", criticizing his original outfit and relationship with Riku and Kairi, and finding him to be less popular than the Disney characters featured in the series.[118]

Sora's transformations in the various Disney worlds in Kingdom Hearts II were commented to be entertaining by Julia Reges from AllGame due to how varied they are.[119] Also reviewing Kingdom Hearts II, Greg Bemis from G4TV praised Sora's development in the game, including his growth and the fact each of his attacks from the title are entertaining.[120] Although Computer and Video Games also found an improvement in Sora's movements due to sequences made with the Reaction Commands, they found them "fairly straightforward."[121] RPGamer's Cortney Stone stated that Sora now moved "like an acrobatic honed fighter" in contrast to his "adolescent awkwardness" seen in the first Kingdom Hearts, and remarked on Sora's transformation into a lion seen in the sequel as enjoyable.[122] His new outfit was also well received by GameSpy, who found it to be an improvement from the original one that looked like a "wardrobe from Mickey Mouse's closet".[123] GamesRadar had similar opinions and particularly focused on Sora's transformation and his new abilities.[124] Game Informer viewed Sora's Drive Forms as well as his combined techniques with other characters as one of the best additions to the gameplay.[117] Sora also received negative comments regarding his characterization. In January 2007, Sora was listed the fourth "biggest dork" of 2006 by Game Informer, citing the Atlantica singing portions of the second main game.[125]

Although IGN also praised Sora's growth in Kingdom Hearts II in their article "Kingdom Hearts III: The IGN Concept", they stated that in order to make his role in a future sequel more entertaining, he would need more development making him "be confident, collected and committed to the tasks at hand".[126] Both IGN and Anime News Network said Sora and Riku's stories in Dream Drop Distance were just a preparation for their growth in Kingdom Hearts III, revealing that they are in a romantic relationship.[127][128] Also commenting on his role in a future sequel, GamesRadar stated that having Sora's character older would be necessary to make the story more mature,[129] but Allegra Frank of Polygon felt that Sora's characterization in Kingdom Hearts III was "off".[130] In retrospect, Paste Magazine found Sora's story and links with his two similar other selves to be confusing.[131] Wired regarded Sora as a hero who can make anything possible and wanted this to be done again in Kingdom Hearts III, hoping him to remain his likable traits.[132] Critics panned the relationship between Sora and Kairi, criticizing the latter's continued role as a damsel in distress to be rescued by the former, rather than an ally.[133][134][135] RPGamer criticized Sora's hero's journey for being downplayed in contrast to the final worlds.[33] Sora's fate in the ending was the subject of analysis due to his apparent death after saving Kairi to the point GameRevolution stated that Kingdom Hearts III did not give the audience the happy ending they expected despite ending Xehanort's arc.[136][137][138] With the end of Re Mind, GameInformer said Sora's characterization has been poor as he does not really go through a character arc despite appearing in several games to the point he is still a comic relief comparable to Ash Ketchum from Pokémon and Riku instead comes across more developed protagonist but as a result of tragedy which he does not want Sora to undergo.[139]

Sora was a popular choice for inclusion in the Super Smash Bros. roster among fans[140][141][142][143] and numerous websites, including Screen Rant,[144] GamingBolt,[145] Shacknews,[146] IGN,[147] and Siliconera;[148] although Jeremy Winslow of Kotaku opposed him because the roster already included too many sword-wielding characters,[143] he later admitted that Sora was "kinda cool".[149] Kyle Campbell of USA Today and Wesley Leblanc of Game Informer both praised the character's inclusion, stating that Sora's addition "is a big deal" and "perfect".[150][151]

Upon the reveal of the first Kingdom Hearts IV trailer during April 2022, Polygon noted that there were several fans of the character wanting to know the true location of Sora's apartment from the world of Quadratum which is heavily based on Shibuya, Japan. This led to the discovery that it was in the Regno Raffine building of Aoyama, Tokyo which Polygon found wealthy for the idea of Sora living there.[152] Sora's new shoes were also shown, and fans had mixed reactions to it and the loss of his clown shoes.[153]

References Edit

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Further reading Edit

  • Winslow, Jeremy (June 15, 2022). "Kingdom Hearts' Director Was 'Very Picky' About Adding Sora To Smash Bros. Ultimate". Kotaku. Retrieved June 18, 2022.

October 15, 2023
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Sora Japanese ソラ is a character and the main protagonist of Disney and Square Enix s Kingdom Hearts video game series Introduced in the first Kingdom Hearts game in 2002 Sora is portrayed as a cheerful teenager who lives on the Destiny Islands and has been best friends with Riku and Kairi since childhood When they plan to go on a journey to see other worlds they are separated by creatures known as the Heartless with Sora obtaining a weapon called the Keyblade Donald Duck and Goofy then recruit him in their journey across various worlds to aid their king Mickey Mouse while Sora searches for his friends Along the way the trio protects the worlds they visit from the Heartless and other villains SoraKingdom Hearts characterSora as he appears in Kingdom Hearts IIIFirst appearanceKingdom Hearts 2002 Created byTetsuya NomuraDesigned byTetsuya NomuraVoiced byJapaneseMiyu IrinoTakuto Yoshina young EnglishHaley Joel OsmentLuke Manriquez young In universe informationWeaponKeybladeHomeDestiny IslandsSora was initially designed by the Kingdom Hearts series director and character designer Tetsuya Nomura during a discussion between Disney and Square about who the series s protagonist should be Wanting an original character Nomura made various sketches of Sora until the design met the approval of Disney Throughout the series Sora has been voiced by Haley Joel Osment in the English version and Miyu Irino in the Japanese version For his depiction as a child in the prequel Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Sora was voiced by Luke Manriquez and Takuto Yoshinaga in English and Japanese respectively Sora has made supporting appearances in other games from the series and reprised his role in manga and light novel adaptations of the games Sora s character has received a generally positive critical response due to his warm personality and adventurous spirit His personal and martial growth in the series also received praise especially in his appearance in Kingdom Hearts II Since his debut in Kingdom Hearts he has become popular among the video game community with high rankings among character popularity polls His prominence increased significantly in 2021 after he was added to Nintendo s fighting video game Super Smash Bros Ultimate as a downloadable fighter and revealed to be the most requested fighter to appear in the Super Smash Bros series Contents 1 Concept and creation 1 1 Original concept and design 1 2 Development 1 3 Casting 2 Characteristics 3 Appearances 3 1 In Kingdom Hearts series 3 2 Other appearances 4 Reception 4 1 Popularity 4 2 Critical response 5 References 6 Further readingConcept and creation EditOriginal concept and design Edit Sora was designed by Tetsuya Nomura as the protagonist of Kingdom Hearts He was not originally slated to be the protagonist as Disney wanted Donald Duck to fill the role while Square wanted Mickey Mouse Nomura designed Sora with the concepts of the Disney characters in mind basing his outfit on Mickey Mouse s trademark white gloves red shorts and giant yellow shoes 1 Sora originally wielded a weapon resembling a chainsaw however the weapon was not well received by Disney which led Nomura to redesign the weapon into a Keyblade He was also designed with lion like features which were removed as the staff found them to be similar to those of Final Fantasy IX protagonist Zidane Tribal The design was further reworked after a talk with the Disney staff and Nomura finished it after a night s work 2 Because Sora was a new character in the first Kingdom Hearts Square added Final Fantasy characters who support the protagonist 3 nbsp Concept artwork of Sora by Tetsuya NomuraOne of the main concepts of Sora s character in the series is that according to Nomura he is a normal boy instead of a supernatural being even though he is deeply connected with other characters from the series With Sora Nomura wants to give players the message that even though they are not important people they have the opportunity to accomplish great things This was emphasized in Birth by Sleep s secret ending which Nomura hoped players would find because it showed Sora s potential to influence everyone s lives In early versions of development of Birth by Sleep Nomura thought that Ventus would actually be Sora before being reborn but due to negative feedback from overseas that plot line was discarded 4 Nomura has stated that Sora s name can be interpreted as sky since the Japanese word sora 空 means sky This name was also chosen to symbolize Sora s role and his personality as well as his close relationship with Riku and Kairi making their three names together sky land and sea 5 6 He was also described by Nomura as having an outgoing personality which allows him to make friends throughout the series 7 Of all of the characters he has designed Nomura called Sora his favorite describing him as special after having worked to develop the character over many games 8 The name of Noctis Lucis Caelum from Final Fantasy XV is also a reference to Sora Sora and Caelum both mean sky in their respective languages and Nomura considered Noctis to be his latest son 9 When Kingdom Hearts II included a note using Sora s handwriting Nomura wrote it himself 10 Development Edit Following the first Kingdom Hearts Nomura was worried that players would be unhappy that Sora would start Kingdom Hearts II as a weak character with few powers who once again had to be leveled up like the first title Therefore Nomura developed the plot of Chain of Memories to explain how Sora loses his abilities in Castle Oblivion and then starts anew 11 Additionally a new mystery regarding Sora s memories of Twilight Town was added in Chain of Memories which would be explained in Kingdom Hearts II 12 Sora was given a new outfit to reflect the time spent between Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II 13 The team in charge of Kingdom Hearts II expressed difficulties in animating Sora s Valor Drive Form for having a completely different motion except in Sora s walking animation which is shared with his regular motion 14 The Anti Form was also made to focus on Sora s dark side from the first Kingdom Hearts where he is temporarily transformed into a Heartless Gameplaywise the form was created to be both powerful and troublesome The fights Sora has with Roxas and Xemnas were meant to surprise gamers especially in the latter when the player loses control of Sora and Riku has to save him 10 After finishing Kingdom Hearts II Nomura wanted to give Sora a rest from the series in order to focus the following games on other characters from the series 5 Moreover the events from the endings of Coded and Birth by Sleep hinted at a new mystery regarding Sora s character which would be revealed in Kingdom Hearts III 4 Although Nomura stated in March 2010 that Sora would once again be the focus of the next title Kingdom Hearts 3D Dream Drop Distance he stated that Sora would share it with another character with great importance 15 The switches between player characters Sora and Riku across the game are meant to contrast the style from Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep which allowed the player to use three characters in their own campaigns as well as to explain the word Distance in the title because the two characters never interact across their stories 16 Nomura has stated that the themes of the game are trust and friendship and that like Birth by Sleep the story is on par with that of a numbered title As a result of the game s plot both Sora and Riku appear in their younger forms from the first Kingdom Hearts game To avoid misconceptions that Dream Drop Distance was a remake of the original game Nomura decided to change Sora s and Riku s outfits for most of the game 17 In response to rumors saying that Sora s story would end in Kingdom Hearts III Nomura answered that Sora is the protagonist of the series and that his role will end once the series ends 4 For this game Nomura was interested in giving Sora a new costume but was worried about doing so because of the popularity of the character s Kingdom Hearts II outfit In the end he decided to create a new one as Kingdom Hearts III was a new numbered title 18 Nomura also revealed that Sora is the same proportions as in previous games however they muted the volume on his hair it s not as wild Regarding updating Sora s look from his Kingdom Hearts II design Nomura noted that the basis for the resulting design is a mix between Sora s costumes for Kingdom Hearts II and Dream Drop Distance one that is a lot more sleek and sporty since Sora does a lot more acrobatic and action oriented movements 18 Sora s new skills in Kingdom Hearts III were inspired by those of Terra from Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix and Birth by Sleep in order to surprise gamers with new powers related to the Keyblade with other skills that were influenced by Sora s and Riku s powers from Dream Drop Distance 19 For the Monsters Inc world Nomura considered giving Sora a monster costume similar to the one Boo wears in the movie but Pixar gave the idea to actually change Sora into a monster Sora s final stage in Kingdom Hearts III was left ambiguous though Nomura suggested it might be related to the Square Enix game The World Ends With You 20 nbsp For Super Smash Bros Ultimate Sora s main designs by Tetsuya Nomura were used as alternate costumes The several designs Nomura developed for the character which range from his first appearance to Kingdom Hearts III were praised by the media According to Super Smash Bros series director Masahiro Sakurai Sora had been the winner of the Super Smash Bros for 3DS and Wii U Fighter Ballot in 2015 and Sakurai was well aware of the various fan campaigns advocating for Sora s inclusion in the series 21 22 Sakurai described Sora s inclusion as a huge undertaking and perfect as the concluding fighter for Super Smash Bros Ultimate 21 Sakurai also felt that it was impossible for Sora to appear in the series but after Sakurai met a Disney executive at an awards show Nintendo Disney and Square Enix began negotiations to include him 23 According to Luigi Priore Vice President of Disney and Pixar Games the company recognized that having Sora in Smash Bros was something that fans had been asking for a long time and the team was delighted to make it happen Knowing the passion of Kingdom Hearts fans we were not surprised by the reaction but we were thrilled Priore added It s been incredible watching all the videos and commentary online 24 Nomura was actually more hesitant than Disney about Sora s inclusion because of potential conflicts with the lore established in the Kingdom Hearts series at first but seeing the positive reception by the public led him to conclude that the end result was really great 25 Sora was designed as a floaty light and aerial fighter The majority of his moves are inspired by his appearance in the original Kingdom Hearts but per the limitations of the licensing agreement Disney characters were not included as spirits or cameos 26 In April 2022 During the interview with Nomura at Famitsu he said that Kingdom Hearts 4 will explore the contrast between the real world known as Quadratum and the fictional worlds of Kingdom Hearts He further said that Sora also looks more realistic due to him being in that world However if he were to return to his own world his appearance would look similar to how he would look with the shaders used for Donald and Goofy 27 Casting Edit nbsp Haley Joel Osment voices Sora in the English version of the series Sora is voiced in Japanese by Miyu Irino who used his normal voice for the beginning Irino was filmed with cameras during voice recording to provide a reference for Sora s mouth movements 28 As Irino grew older he struggled with sounding as young as Sora who remained the same in Re coded as his data form By Kingdom Hearts III Irino faced more issues during recordings of the game After finishing the game Irino wondered if he might properly portray Sora in sequels due to his age gap 20 In English the character is voiced by Haley Joel Osment Due to Sora s lack of growth across the franchise Osment faced the challenge of properly giving him the tone of a teenager I think he s a little bit older now in Kingdom Hearts 3 than he was in Kingdom Hearts 1 and 2 But early on you know I started this when I was 12 and my voice had started to change and everything So learning how to manipulate that and keep the voice sounding young while still preserving the range of emotions that Sora had that was a unique challenge In retrospect Osment found the idea of ending Kingdom Hearts III as an emotional moment as while the series is not ending with this installment the narrative is giving a proper closure to the story started by the antagonist Xehanort 29 There have also been comments also with Osment and being praised by the media Gaming Target s Matt Swidder who mentioned Osment makes a perfect fit for Sora 30 On the other hand Osment s work in Re Chain of Memories was noted to have made a poor impact in his portrayal as the young lead as he no longer sounds like in the original Kingdom Hearts game 31 Louis Bedigian from GameZone remarked on Osment s continuous work in the sequel Kingdom Hearts II 32 RPGamer still praised Osment s performance in the game still finding him suitable for the protagonist 33 Koinya lamented the fact Miyu Irino s work was never made available for the Western audience considering him talented alongside Mamoru Miyano Riku 34 Characteristics EditSora appears as a boy with spiky brown hair who when first introduced wears a red shirt red pants and a white and blue jacket covered by keychains Upon traveling to certain worlds Sora s appearance is altered by Donald Duck s magic to adapt to different environments and keep his origin from another world a secret for example he turns into a merman in underwater environments 35 After undergoing significant growth in Kingdom Hearts II Sora is provided with a new black outfit by Flora Fauna and Merryweather When battling Sora s outfit can change into other designs depending on the player s choices 36 The primary form of Sora s Keyblade is the Kingdom Key キングダムチェーン Kingudamu Chen lit Kingdom Chain but through the use of in game keychains the Keyblade can assume a variety of unique forms 37 During Kingdom Hearts II Sora dual wields Keyblades their forms depending on the player s use of keychains 36 Across the series Sora is depicted as a cheerful teenager who cherishes his friendships and relies on them for his strength 38 As a result several of Sora s enemies use his friends as bait to use the Keyblade for their purposes 39 During the first game it is discovered that Sora was not meant to wield the Keyblade which only chooses him in the absence of its intended owner Riku 40 However Sora s greater strength of heart causes the Keyblade to reject Riku in favor of Sora 41 Appearances EditIn Kingdom Hearts series Edit In Kingdom Hearts Sora Riku and Kairi plan to leave their home on the Destiny Islands to explore new worlds 42 They are separated when the island is attacked by the Heartless 43 in the process Sora obtains a Keyblade that he uses to eliminate the Heartless 44 Arriving in Traverse Town Sora allies with Donald Duck and Goofy who are under instruction from their missing king Mickey Mouse to follow the key 45 The three travel across worlds in their Gummi Ship in search of their missing friends 46 sealing the worlds Keyholes along the way to protect them from being consumed by the Heartless They are opposed by an alliance of Disney villains led by Maleficent who seeks out the seven Princesses of Heart to unlock the Keyhole that leads to Kingdom Hearts 47 a repository of knowledge and power and the source of all hearts Riku who has come under Maleficent s watch fights with Sora on several occasions under the belief that Sora has replaced him with new friends 48 As the group travels to Hollow Bastion and defeat Maleficent Riku becomes possessed by Ansem 49 who reveals that Kairi s heart is in Sora s body 50 51 To save Kairi Sora impales himself with Ansem s Keyblade briefly transforming him into a Heartless before Kairi restores Sora to human form 52 53 After taking Kairi to safety Sora Donald and Goofy defeat Ansem at the open door to Kingdom Hearts 54 From inside the door Mickey and Riku help Sora and his friends close it to prevent the Heartless within from escaping with Mickey and Sora using their Keyblades to lock the door 55 Separated from their friends again Sora Donald and Goofy continue their quest to reunite with Riku and Mickey 56 In Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories Sora s group stumbles upon a fortress known as Castle Oblivion where Namine is forced by the group Organization XIII to manipulate their memories in order to turn Sora into their slave 57 After Sora and friends defeat the Organization members controlling the castle Namine helps restore the trio s memories to their state prior to entering Castle Oblivion at the cost of their memories of the events in the castle This requires them to sleep in the castle for the restoration of memories to be completed 58 In Kingdom Hearts II Sora reawakens along with Donald and Goofy in Twilight Town once his Nobody Roxas merges within him 59 They visit Mickey s master Yen Sid from whom they are reacquainted with Organization XIII 60 Sora embarks with Donald and Goofy to find Riku and King Mickey traversing new and unfamiliar worlds to eliminate the threat of the remaining Heartless Nobodies and local villains Learning that the Organization has abducted Kairi to force Sora to gather more hearts for them 61 62 Sora s group rejoins Mickey and arrives at the Organization s fortress in the World That Never Was where they reunite with Kairi and Riku After being separated from the others Sora and Riku defeat Xemnas after which a doorway appears that allows them to reunite with their friends on the Destiny Islands 63 Sora makes a minor appearance in Kingdom Hearts 358 2 Days the majority of which is set as he sleeps to recover his lost memories from the events of Chain of Memories it is also established that Xion an experimental replica of Roxas created by the Organization inadvertently hinders the restoration process until she joins with him 64 In Kingdom Hearts Coded a computer program based on Sora s likeness serves as the primary protagonist of the game finding out the truth behind a mysterious message found inside Jiminy s journal 65 A four year old Sora appears in the prequel Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep 66 after Ventus one of the protagonists has his heart damaged following a confrontation with his dark side Vanitas his heart finds its way into Sora who accepts it into his own heart 67 In the game s secret ending set after the events of Kingdom Hearts II Ansem the Wise tells Aqua about Sora s adventures and how he may help all the people connected to him In the final scene Sora decides to save them after reading Mickey s letter 68 In Kingdom Hearts 3D Dream Drop Distance Sora and Riku undertake a Mark of Mastery exam in response to Xehanort s return 69 The two are sent to awaken several worlds submerged in sleep after the defeat of Ansem Sora is lured into a deep slumber by Xehanort s incarnations who plan to turn him into a vessel for Xehanort s heart 70 Riku and his friends save Sora and bring him back to Yen Sid s tower where Riku dives into Sora s heart and awakens him Because of Sora s failure he does not achieve the rank of Keyblade Master 71 72 In the ending of Kingdom Hearts 0 2 Birth by Sleep A Fragmentary Passage Yen Sid reveals that Sora has lost most of his powers as a consequence of Xehanort s attempted possession and advises Sora to seek out Hercules who has gone through a similar experience 73 In Kingdom Hearts III Sora goes on a journey to regain his strength particularly the power of waking 眠りし心を解放する力 Nemurishi Kokoro wo Kaihō suru Chikara lit Power to free a sleeping heart required to restore the hearts of Ventus Aqua and Terra while also looking for a chance to restore Roxas Sora engages prepares with Master Xehanort and the thirteen seekers from the new Organization XIII 74 75 Although Sora s missions end in failures upon finding Vanitas body Sora manages to properly use his strength and restore Ventus 76 Sora and the other Keyblade wielders go to Graveyard of their predecessors to fight Xehanort but are nearly killed by the amount of Heartless 77 After being restored by Namine Sora uses his Power of Waking to give his friends another chance with Kairi s help 78 79 After their return to the graveyard Sora manages to restore Terra and defeat the Organization with the group 80 However the original Xehanort kills Kairi 81 causing him to track him to his hometown where Xehanort accepts defeat after as he goes to the afterlife giving Sora his x blade Sora uses his power of waking to restore Kairi despite learning the risks of its overuse which causes him to fade from existence 82 In the aftermath as depicted in the Kingdom Hearts III Re Mind DLC Sora finds himself in the Final World where he is accosted by a young man Yozora who claims he was sent to save him The two end up in a different world Quadratum where they engage in a fierce battle in which Sora emerges victorious if defeated Sora transforms into a crystal statue In the rhythm action game Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory Kairi recalls Sora s adventures in a dream world she creates within her own heart to search for clues for his whereabouts Towards the end of her dream Kairi confronts an illusion of Xehanort who nearly overpowers her until Sora remotely takes control of her body and defeats him 83 A 2D cartoonish avatar version of Sora wearing his original outfit in Kingdom Hearts is also present in the online community based social gaming networking service Kingdom Hearts Mobile 84 In the Kingdom Hearts IV trailer Sora is seen fighting a giant Heartless in the world of Quadratum 85 Other appearances Edit Outside Kingdom Hearts Sora appeared as free limited time downloadable content in the Final Fantasy crossover game World of Final Fantasy in January 2017 86 In 2019 Sora appeared in the mobile game Disney Emoji Blitz to commemorate the release of Kingdom Hearts III 87 Sora appears as a playable character in the Nintendo Switch crossover fighting game Super Smash Bros Ultimate via downloadable content which was released on October 18 2021 88 Sora also appears in various Kingdom Hearts media adaptations including a manga series written by Shiro Amano and a series of novels by Tomoko Kanemaki which adapt his role in the video games 89 90 In a collaboration between Square Enix and Japanese fashion brand SuperGroupies Sora s image was used to create clothing based on his design from Kingdom Hearts III 91 Reception EditPopularity Edit Sora s character was very well received by gaming media Magazines have called him as one of the best 92 93 94 95 96 and iconic character in video games 97 In an ASCII Media Works poll in which fans voted selected whose video game or manga character would like to name their children after Sora s name was second in the male category 98 Chris Penwell of PlayStation LifeStyle named Sora as his favorite character for having A relatable personality 99 Sora has the most appearances as hero in Square Enix RPGs according to Guinness World Records s The records held by Gamer s Edition 2020 cover characters 100 Various types of merchandising have been released based on Sora s character There are several types of action figures which show Sora with a different appearance such as his original form the Kingdom Hearts II design and others variants 101 102 Other accessories has also been released 103 104 105 106 107 In October 2021 during the reveal of the 20th Anniversary of the Kingdom Hearts trailer an Ichiban Kuji based Sora merchandise was made and is set to be released in 2022 108 In that same year Square Enix also made a tote bag and tamagotchi depicting Sora 109 110 Critical response Edit Critics and fans have generally praised Sora When Sora was first revealed in 2002 GameSpot s Giancarlo Varanini regarded him as an appropriate amalgamation of the Square and Disney universes He also comically noted that Sora doesn t look like much but you know how it goes 111 A 1UP com writer called Sora one of my all time favorite Square characters praising his cheerful personality 112 Gamasutra commented on Sora s journey along the series in their feature The Birth of Collecting The Osiris Archetype In Games by Jason Johnson while comparing Sora with Isis Johnson found Sora s adventure appealing 113 IGN praised Sora s resilient character noting how such an ordinary youngster could face up to his challenges during his adventures for the sake of friendship 114 while RPGFan s Nicole Monet Kirk labelled him as an extremely likable hero 115 Furthermore in the book Interactive Storytelling for Video Games A Player Centered Approach to Creating Memorable Characters and Stories it is noted that while Sora follows a standard hero archetype his character becomes more believable and strong when worrying about his friends fates 116 Louis Bedigian from GameZone mentioned that Sora had something rarely found in video game characters depth also praising his role in Kingdom Hearts 32 Game Informer s Bryan Vore found that in Kingdom Hearts II Osment has improved in voicing the character praising his work 117 He was third in 1UP com s Top 5 Most Irritating RPG Protagonists with writer Bob Mackey commenting he is a human version of Mickey Mouse criticizing his original outfit and relationship with Riku and Kairi and finding him to be less popular than the Disney characters featured in the series 118 Sora s transformations in the various Disney worlds in Kingdom Hearts II were commented to be entertaining by Julia Reges from AllGame due to how varied they are 119 Also reviewing Kingdom Hearts II Greg Bemis from G4TV praised Sora s development in the game including his growth and the fact each of his attacks from the title are entertaining 120 Although Computer and Video Games also found an improvement in Sora s movements due to sequences made with the Reaction Commands they found them fairly straightforward 121 RPGamer s Cortney Stone stated that Sora now moved like an acrobatic honed fighter in contrast to his adolescent awkwardness seen in the first Kingdom Hearts and remarked on Sora s transformation into a lion seen in the sequel as enjoyable 122 His new outfit was also well received by GameSpy who found it to be an improvement from the original one that looked like a wardrobe from Mickey Mouse s closet 123 GamesRadar had similar opinions and particularly focused on Sora s transformation and his new abilities 124 Game Informer viewed Sora s Drive Forms as well as his combined techniques with other characters as one of the best additions to the gameplay 117 Sora also received negative comments regarding his characterization In January 2007 Sora was listed the fourth biggest dork of 2006 by Game Informer citing the Atlantica singing portions of the second main game 125 Although IGN also praised Sora s growth in Kingdom Hearts II in their article Kingdom Hearts III The IGN Concept they stated that in order to make his role in a future sequel more entertaining he would need more development making him be confident collected and committed to the tasks at hand 126 Both IGN and Anime News Network said Sora and Riku s stories in Dream Drop Distance were just a preparation for their growth in Kingdom Hearts III revealing that they are in a romantic relationship 127 128 Also commenting on his role in a future sequel GamesRadar stated that having Sora s character older would be necessary to make the story more mature 129 but Allegra Frank of Polygon felt that Sora s characterization in Kingdom Hearts III was off 130 In retrospect Paste Magazine found Sora s story and links with his two similar other selves to be confusing 131 Wired regarded Sora as a hero who can make anything possible and wanted this to be done again in Kingdom Hearts III hoping him to remain his likable traits 132 Critics panned the relationship between Sora and Kairi criticizing the latter s continued role as a damsel in distress to be rescued by the former rather than an ally 133 134 135 RPGamer criticized Sora s hero s journey for being downplayed in contrast to the final worlds 33 Sora s fate in the ending was the subject of analysis due to his apparent death after saving Kairi to the point GameRevolution stated that Kingdom Hearts III did not give the audience the happy ending they expected despite ending Xehanort s arc 136 137 138 With the end of Re Mind GameInformer said Sora s characterization has been poor as he does not really go through a character arc despite appearing in several games to the point he is still a comic relief comparable to Ash Ketchum from Pokemon and Riku instead comes across more developed protagonist but as a result of tragedy which he does not want Sora to undergo 139 Sora was a popular choice for inclusion in the Super Smash Bros roster among fans 140 141 142 143 and numerous websites including Screen Rant 144 GamingBolt 145 Shacknews 146 IGN 147 and Siliconera 148 although Jeremy Winslow of Kotaku opposed him because the roster already included too many sword wielding characters 143 he later admitted that Sora was kinda cool 149 Kyle Campbell of USA Today and Wesley Leblanc of Game Informer both praised the character s inclusion stating that Sora s addition is a big deal and perfect 150 151 Upon the reveal of the first Kingdom Hearts IV trailer during April 2022 Polygon noted that there were several fans of the character wanting to know the true location of Sora s apartment from the world of Quadratum which is heavily based on Shibuya Japan This led to the discovery that it was in the Regno Raffine building of Aoyama Tokyo which Polygon found wealthy for the idea of Sora living there 152 Sora s new shoes were also shown and fans had mixed reactions to it and the loss of his clown shoes 153 References Edit Kevin Gifford 2009 07 08 Tetsuya Nomura Discusses Kingdom Hearts Past Present 1UP com Archived from the original on 2011 06 05 Retrieved 2009 11 03 Famitsu Staff 2010 02 01 A Tribute to Sora Weekly Famitsu in Japanese Enterbrain 1105 Tetsuya Nomura Opens Up About Kingdom Hearts 3 I Do Feel a Little Sad When I Think Some Characters Will Probably Never Appear Ever Again US Gamer 28 June 2018 Archived from the original on 29 June 2018 Retrieved June 28 2018 a b c キングダム ハーツ バース バイ スリープ アルティマニア in Japanese Square Enix 2010 pp 616 623 ISBN 978 4 7575 2788 1 a b キングダムハーツII FINAL MIX アルティマニア in Japanese Square Enix 2007 ISBN 978 4 7575 2013 4 Sora Biography IGN Archived from the original on 2007 11 13 Retrieved 2008 01 02 Famitsu Staff 2009 08 27 キングダム ハーツ バース バイ スリープ Tetsuya Nomura Interview Famitsu in Japanese Enterbrain and Tokuma Shoten Gantayat Anoop 2010 03 18 Tetsuya Nomura Interviewed at Twitter Andriasang Archived from the original on 2010 03 22 Retrieved 2010 03 18 JE 2013 Interview with Tetsuya Nomura ENG Finalland Archived from the original on August 28 2023 Retrieved February 25 2022 a b Famitsu Staff December 2006 キングダム ハーツ II Final Mix Famitsu in Japanese Enterbrain and Tokuma Shoten キングダム ハーツ 358 2 Days アルティマニア Kingdom Hearts 358 2 Days Ultimania in Japanese Square Enix 2009 01 01 ISBN 978 4 7575 2578 8 Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories Ultimania in Japanese Square Enix December 2004 ISBN 978 4 7575 1344 0 IGN Staff September 26 2003 TGS 2003 Kingdom Hearts II Details IGN Archived from the original on June 29 2011 Retrieved June 14 2007 Gantayat Anoop 2005 05 04 Tetsuya Nomura on Everything IGN Archived from the original on 2011 06 29 Retrieved 2010 09 19 Famitsu Staff 2010 03 04 Tetsuya Nomura Interview Weekly Famitsu in Japanese Enterbrain Gantayat Anoop January 19 2011 Kingdom Hearts 3DS Named Trailered and Discussed Andriasang Archived from the original on December 25 2012 Retrieved April 7 2012 Gantayat Anoop January 30 2011 Kingdom Hearts 3D Sora and Riku to See Clothing Changes Andriasang Archived from the original on December 25 2012 Retrieved April 12 2012 a b Tetsuya Nomura On Kingdom Hearts III And Kingdom Hearts Unchained X chi Siliconera 2015 06 18 Archived from the original on 2015 06 20 Retrieved 2015 06 20 Kingdom Hearts III Shows Sora at His Most Powerful GameSpot Archived from the original on June 18 2015 Retrieved February 24 2022 a b Kingdom Hearts III Ultimania Square Enix 2019 a b Good Owen S October 5 2021 Sora s Smash Bros appearance answers a 6 year old question Polygon Archived from the original on October 6 2021 Retrieved October 6 2021 Gilliam Ryan October 21 2021 Here s how hard it was to bring Sora to Smash Bros according to Sakurai Polygon Archived from the original on August 28 2023 Retrieved October 26 2021 Ashcraft Brian October 21 2021 Masahiro Sakurai Explains How Sora Came To Super Smash Bros Ultimate Kotaku Archived from the original on August 28 2023 Retrieved October 22 2021 Fanelli Jason November 10 2021 From Splatoon To Sora The Life And Times Of Super Smash Bros Ultimate GameSpot Archived from the original on August 28 2023 Retrieved November 11 2021 Wallace Kimberley June 14 2022 Nomura Reveals More On Kingdom Hearts IV And The Series Future With Final Fantasy GameInformer Archived from the original on August 10 2023 Retrieved August 30 2023 Thomas Wilde October 5 2021 Sora from Kingdom Hearts is the last addition to the Super Smash Bros Ultimate roster GeekWire Archived from the original on August 28 2023 Retrieved October 26 2021 Michael McWhertor April 14 2022 Kingdom Hearts creator explains why Sora looks normal in Kingdom Hearts 4 Polygon Archived from the original on August 28 2023 Retrieved April 15 2022 スタジオベントスタッフ 2002 Kingdom Hearts Ultimania pp 510 514 ISBN 4887870426 Haley Joel Osment on Growing up in Kingdom Hearts USGamer 16 January 2019 Archived from the original on 28 August 2023 Retrieved February 24 2022 Swider Matt 2002 10 25 Kingdom Hearts review Gaming Target UGO Networks Archived from the original on 2012 03 16 Retrieved 2010 03 03 Kingdom Hearts Re Chain of Memories Review IGN December 1 2008 Archived from the original on January 13 2012 Retrieved March 1 2022 a b Bedigian Louis 2006 03 20 Kingdom Hearts II preview GameZone Archived from the original on 2008 10 06 Retrieved 2010 02 06 a b Kingdom Hearts III Review RPGamer 12 February 2019 Archived from the original on 14 September 2019 Retrieved February 24 2022 Review Kingdom Hearts 2 5 HD Remix Koi Nya 3 January 2015 Retrieved February 24 2022 Square 2002 11 15 Kingdom Hearts PlayStation 2 Square Electronic Arts Donald Okay guys Prepare for landing Sora Land where In the sea We ll drown Donald Not with my magic we won t Just leave it to me a b Square Enix 2006 03 28 Kingdom Hearts II PlayStation 2 Square Enix U S A Buena Vista Games Goofy Two Keyblades Merryweather This journey s gonna be twice as difficult as your last Flora Your garments also have other powers but you will have to discover what they are as you continue on your journey Birlew Dan 2003 Kingdom Hearts Official Strategy Guide BradyGames Publishing ISBN 0 7440 0198 6 Square 2002 11 15 Kingdom Hearts PlayStation 2 Square Electronic Arts Sora I ve become a part of their heart just as they ve become a part of mine And if they think of me now and then if they don t forget me then our hearts will be one I don t need a weapon My friends are my power Square Enix 2006 03 28 Kingdom Hearts II PlayStation 2 Square Enix U S A Buena Vista Games Saix So you really do care for her In that case the answer is no Sora You rotten Saix Are you angry Do you hate me Then take that rage and direct it at the Heartless Square 2002 11 15 Kingdom Hearts PlayStation 2 Square Electronic Arts Riku Let the Keyblade choose its true master Sora But that s impossible How did this happen I m the one who fought my way here with the Keyblade Riku You were just the delivery boy Sorry your part s over now Square 2002 11 15 Kingdom Hearts PlayStation 2 Square Electronic Arts Ansem Know this The heart that is strong and true shall win the Keyblade Riku What You re saying my heart s weaker than his Ansem For that instant it was Square Co Ltd 2002 Kingdom Hearts Instruction Booklet Square Co Ltd Turner Benjamin 2002 09 03 Kingdom Hearts Review PS2 GameSpy Archived from the original on 2012 01 21 Retrieved 2007 07 05 Square 2002 11 15 Kingdom Hearts PlayStation 2 Square Electronic Arts Sora The Heartless Yuffie The ones who attacked you you remember Leon Those without hearts Yuffie The darkness in people s hearts that s what attracts them Leon And there is darkness within every heart Leon The Heartless have great fear of the Keyblade That s why they ll keep coming after you no matter what Square 2002 11 15 Kingdom Hearts PlayStation 2 Square Electronic Arts King Mickey s Note Donald Sorry to rush off without sayin goodbye but there s big trouble brewin Not sure why but the stars have been blinkin out one by one And that means disaster can t be far behind I hate to leave you all but I ve gotta go check into it There s someone with a key the key to our survival So I need you and Goofy to find him and stick with him Got it We need that key or we re doomed So go to Traverse Town and find Leon He ll point you in the right direction P S Would ya apologize to Minnie for me Thanks pal Square 2002 11 15 Kingdom Hearts PlayStation 2 Square Electronic Arts Goofy Hey why don t you come with us We can go to other worlds on our vessel Sora I wonder if I could find Riku and Kairi Donald Of course Goofy Are you sure Donald Who knows But we need him to come with us to help us find the king Leon Sora go with them Especially if you want to find your friends Sora Yeah I guess Kingdom Hearts for PlayStation 2 2002 MobyGames Archived from the original on 2012 02 15 Retrieved 2007 05 18 Square 2002 11 15 Kingdom Hearts PlayStation 2 Square Electronic Arts Maleficent You see It s just as I told you While you toiled away trying to find your dear friend he quite simply replaced you with some new companions Evidently now he values them far more than he does you You re better off without that wretched boy Now think no more of him and come with me I ll help you find what you re searching for Square 2002 11 15 Kingdom Hearts PlayStation 2 Square Electronic Arts Sora What You You re not Riku Sora Tell me Who are you Ansem It is I Ansem the seeker of darkness Square 2002 11 15 Kingdom Hearts PlayStation 2 Square Electronic Arts Ansem The Keyhole cannot be completed so long as the last princess of heart still sleeps Sora The princess Kairi s a princess Ansem Yes and without her power the Keyhole will remain incomplete Square 2002 11 15 Kingdom Hearts PlayStation 2 Square Electronic Arts Ansem Don t you see yet The princess s heart is responding It has been there all along Kairi s heart rests within you Sora Kairi Kairi s inside me Square 2002 11 15 Kingdom Hearts PlayStation 2 Square Electronic Arts Sora A Keyblade that unlocks people s hearts I wonder Goofy Sora Sora hold on Donald No wait Sora Sora Kairi Sora Square 2002 11 15 Kingdom Hearts PlayStation 2 Square Electronic Arts Kairi Sora Is that you Goofy Uh oh Kairi This time I ll protect you Goofy Kairi Sora Kairi thank you Square 2002 11 15 Kingdom Hearts PlayStation 2 Square Electronic Arts Goofy Gawrsh is that all that s left of the worlds taken by the Heartless Square 2002 11 15 Kingdom Hearts PlayStation 2 Square Electronic Arts Mickey Now Sora Let s close this door for good Donald Close it quick Sora But Mickey Don t worry There will always be a door to the light Goofy Sora you can trust King Mickey Riku Now They re coming Square 2002 11 15 Kingdom Hearts PlayStation 2 Square Electronic Arts Donald Well now what do we do Sora We ve gotta find Riku and King Mickey Square Enix 2008 12 02 Kingdom Hearts Re Chain of Memories PlayStation 2 Square Enix U S A Buena Vista Games Larxene You re so stupid Don t you get it now That s what Namine s powers are about She can enter rearrange and even create new memories of anything even things that never happened The girl you ve been trying to protect all this time is really a manipulative witch who shackles people s hearts Sora Then my memories are all Larxene Oh you do get it Lies lies all lies Just Namine s illusions nothing more Square Enix 2008 12 02 Kingdom Hearts Re Chain of Memories PlayStation 2 Square Enix U S A Buena Vista Games Namine You won t be able to remember anything about what happened here Sora Not even you Namine I m sorry It s the only way I m afraid Sora you have a choice You can lose your memories of this castle and reclaim your old one or keep your memories here and give up the memories that you ve lost Square Enix 2006 03 28 Kingdom Hearts II PlayStation 2 Square Enix U S A Buena Vista Games Riku Will it work DiZ If we can maintain the simulated town until Namine finishes chaining together Sora s memories Riku What will happen to Roxas DiZ He holds half of Sora s power within him In the end he ll have to give it back Hollinger Elizabeth 2006 Kingdom Hearts II Official Strategy Guide BradyGames Publishing ISBN 0 7440 0526 4 Square Enix 2006 03 28 Kingdom Hearts II PlayStation 2 Square Enix U S A Buena Vista Games Saix Pitiful Heartless mindlessly collecting hearts And yet they know not the true power of what they hold The rage of the Keyblade releases those hearts They gather in darkness masterless and free until they weave together to make Kingdom Hearts And when that time comes we can truly finally exist Square Enix 2006 03 28 Kingdom Hearts II PlayStation 2 Square Enix U S A Buena Vista Games Saix If it s Kairi you re worried about don t We re taking very good care of her Square Enix 2006 03 28 Kingdom Hearts II PlayStation 2 Square Enix U S A Buena Vista Games Kairi You re home Square Enix h a n d 2009 09 29 Kingdom Hearts 358 2 Days Nintendo DS Square Enix Disney Interactive Studios Riku Xion your memories they really belong to Sora Xion So you mean I m like a part of him Riku When his memories were scattered some of them found their way inside you Now Sora has been put to sleep so that we can piece together his memory Except Xion You can t because part of it is inside of me That means he can t wake up Riku Yeah You got it Interview with Tetsuya Nomura and Hajime Tabata Famitsu 2007 10 01 p 33 Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Square Enix Archived from the original on 2009 11 02 Retrieved 2009 11 03 Square Enix PDD 5 2010 09 07 Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep PlayStation Portable Square Enix Disney Interactive Studios Sora Hey can you hear me Ventus I heard your voice Ventus Would you mind if I stay here with you Sora Sure if it ll make you feel better Ventus Thank you Square Enix PDD 5 2010 09 07 Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep PlayStation Portable Square Enix Disney Interactive Studios Riku Your mind s made up Sora Yeah Sora Kairi I it s just they really need me I have to go I am who I am because of them Kairi See you soon Square Enix h a n d July 31 2012 Kingdom Hearts 3D Dream Drop Distance Nintendo 3DS Square Enix Disney Interactive Studios Yen Sid Only a true master can teach you the proper way Both of you are self taught Keyblade wielders an impressive feat However the time has come for you to let go of preconceived notions forget what you know about the Keyblade and begin your training again with a clean slate Very well then Sora and Riku let your examination begin Square Enix h a n d July 31 2012 Kingdom Hearts 3D Dream Drop Distance Nintendo 3DS Square Enix Disney Interactive Studios Xehanort Your heart will sleep forever in the folds of darkness And your body will be another vessel for me So light gives way to darkness Good night Sora Reed Ashley 2014 12 03 Kingdom Hearts history One of gaming s most complicated stories explained gamesradar Archived from the original on 2016 03 24 Retrieved 2016 04 05 Square Enix h a n d July 31 2012 Kingdom Hearts 3D Dream Drop Distance Nintendo 3DS Square Enix Disney Interactive Studios Yen Sid Sora and Riku you both deserve the honor However one of you braved the realm of sleep again to unlock the final Keyhole and save a friend Riku I name you our new true Keyblade Master PC Review Kingdom Hearts HD 2 8 Final Chapter Prologue WorthPlaying Archived from the original on 2021 10 06 Retrieved 2021 10 06 Corriea Alexa Ray 2015 06 16 Kingdom Hearts III Shows Sora at His Most Powerful GameSpot Archived from the original on 2015 06 18 Retrieved 2015 06 17 Nakamura Toshi 2013 06 20 Here Are Some Things To Expect in Kingdom Hearts 3 Kotaku Archived from the original on 2013 06 22 Retrieved 2013 06 24 Square Enix 2018 Kingdom Hearts III Square Enix Disney Interactive Studios Ventus The power of waking Sora I can t I still don t have it yet Ventus You never lost it It sleeps until someone needs it Call to it Sora I am calling with all my heart Square Enix 2018 Kingdom Hearts III Square Enix Disney Interactive Studios Sora They re gone Kairi Donald Goofy the King Gone forever What do we do Square Enix 2018 Kingdom Hearts III Square Enix Disney Interactive Studios Sora You re wrong My heart is strong Xehanort What do you think the power of waking is It s for traversing hearts to reach worlds Not for traversing worlds to reach hearts There s a high price to pay for wielding such power foolishly Square Enix 2018 Kingdom Hearts III Square Enix Disney Interactive Studios Sora I found you Kairi You see I had no doubts that you d pull through Sora The light in the darkness It was you You re the one who kept me from fading away Kairi All I did was believe that you wouldn t Square Enix 2018 Kingdom Hearts III Square Enix Disney Interactive Studios Terra and protect my friends Sora Terra Now Terra Aqua Ven Square Enix 2018 Kingdom Hearts III Square Enix Disney Interactive Studios Master Xehanort You require motivation Sora Kairi Square Enix 2018 Kingdom Hearts III Square Enix Disney Interactive Studios Mickey Sora listen The power of waking isn t to go chase hearts around Even if you do locate Kairi you might never come home to us again Sora I will And we ll both be back before you know it Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory is a Disney Re Imagining of Theatrhythm IGN 7 September 2020 Archived from the original on 6 October 2021 Retrieved 6 October 2021 Message from the KINGDOM KH MOBILE blog jp square enix com Archived from the original on 2009 11 28 Retrieved 2021 10 06 McWhertor Michael April 10 2022 Kingdom Hearts 4 announced will kick off Sora s new story arc Polygon Archived from the original on April 10 2022 Retrieved April 10 2022 Sora From Kingdom Hearts To Join World of Final Fantasy As A Free DLC This Winter Siliconera 2016 10 27 Archived from the original on 2016 10 28 Retrieved 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October 2021 Retrieved 4 October 2021 12 Characters We Would Like To See As DLC In Super Smash Bros Ultimate GamingBolt Archived from the original on 2021 08 19 Retrieved 2021 10 04 Shack Chat What is your fantasy video game crossover Shacknews 26 February 2021 Archived from the original on 4 October 2021 Retrieved 4 October 2021 Thomas Lucas M 2007 11 16 Smash It Up Veterans Day IGN Archived from the original on 2007 11 19 Retrieved 2008 01 02 What Should the Final SSBU Character Be Siliconera October 2021 Archived from the original on 2021 10 04 Retrieved 2021 10 04 I Was Wrong Sora In Smash Bros Is Kinda Cool To Play Kotaku 20 October 2021 Archived from the original on 26 October 2021 Retrieved 26 October 2021 Sora s Inclusion in Super Smash Bros Ultimate is a Perfect Series Sendoff for the Game s Creator GameInformer Archived from the original on 2021 10 07 Retrieved 2021 10 07 Here s why Sora joining the cast of Smash Bros Ultimate is a big deal USAToday 5 October 2021 Archived from the original on 6 October 2021 Retrieved 6 October 2021 Kingdom Hearts fans found Sora s swanky new real world Tokyo apartment Polygon 11 April 2022 Archived from the original on 17 April 2022 Retrieved April 17 2022 Zack Zwiezen April 10 2022 RIP Sora s Big Ass Clown Shoes 2002 2022 Kotaku Archived from the original on April 11 2022 Retrieved April 11 2022 Further reading EditWinslow Jeremy June 15 2022 Kingdom Hearts Director Was Very Picky About Adding Sora To Smash Bros Ultimate Kotaku Retrieved June 18 2022 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Sora Kingdom Hearts amp oldid 1176469628, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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