Off the Shelf Media

The Kingdom Hearts franchise has been around for over 20 years, has over a dozen games, and shows no signs of slowing. This list will rank each game from worst to best. Each entry is judged by story, gameplay, and impact on the franchise. 

* Mobile games that have since been shut down and the Kingdom Hearts χ Back Cover will not be included.

Kingdom Hearts: Re:coded

I’m so glad I never have to play this game again. I played it once on the Nintendo DS and that was enough. Originally, it was released exclusively in Japan as a mobile-only game. Maybe it should’ve stayed that way! 

The story is pointless, the gameplay is fine, and it offers nothing to push the franchise arch forward. There are no new worlds, no new characters, and no new intrigue. So get ready to play those same worlds again with the same characters and the same plot devices. Hey, did you know one of the main characters in the franchise,  Riku had darkness in his heart? In case you missed it through the previous four games, he does. 

If you happen to unlock the secret ending, you can find out that since Xehanort’s heartless (Ansem from KH1) and Nobody (Xemnas from KH2) have been defeated it opens the door (pun intended) for the real Master Xehanort to return. 

A quick recap of who those guys are.  Xehanort is the main protagonist of the franchise who wants to rule Kingdom Hearts to bring balance between the forces of light and darkness. 

Ansem is backup plan number one.  Xehanort banishes the real Ansem the Wise into the Realm of Darkness and takes his identity as a Heartless. Ansem is the main antagonist in KH1 and is ultimately destroyed by Sora. 

Xemnas is backup plan number 2. When you create a Heartless you also create a Nobody, which is the version of you without a heart. Xemnas is the main antagonist in KH2 and is again, destroyed by Sora. 

Confused? Good, welcome to the club. Anyway, the secret ending is cool but could have been put as the opening cutscene in the next game in the series, Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance. That’s what they should have done. It would have made a lot more sense and more people would be up to date with the long and convoluted storyline. 

“Their hurting will be mended when you return to end it” That’s exactly how I felt when I returned home and threw this game right in the trash. At least I got something out of it. 

Kingdom Hearts 0.2: Birth by Sleep — A Fragmentary Passage

I debated whether I should put this game on here or not. It’s not a full game, but there’s too much content on here for it to be considered a demo for Kingdom Hearts 3. It’s more of a showcase for their new combat engine, and to be fair, it fucking rocks. 

You play as Aqua from Birth by Sleep wandering the Realm of Darkness. You learn that she’s been doing this for 10 years and that just makes me sad. 

The game is a good buildup to KH3 and I’m glad it exists. I put it as the second worst because it’s not key to the arch of the franchise. Part of me wishes it was a full game, but that means it could have had a lot of filler like Coded did. So I’ll take what I get and not get upset. 

Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories

Moving on to another reboot of the first game. To be clear, this game is not terrible. It has a lot going for it in the story, the introduction of Castle Oblivion, Organization XIII, and you get to play as Riku for the first time. 

So why is it ranked so low? It’s the card combat system. 

This game is so close to being awesome. Imagine how great this game would be with the traditional combat and combos. I could look past the makeshift copy and past-level designs if the combat was somewhat enjoyable. 

I’ll do a full breakdown of the combat in my official review of the game, but for now, just know this game is a 10/10 on the canon importance scale. You learn why Sora goes to sleep before Kingdom Hearts 2. You are introduced to the main villains of the rest of the franchise, and you meet important characters like Namine. 

This game is a disaster from every direction and will confuse you if you skip it. 

Oh, and this game originally came out on the Game Boy Advance. That’s right. The direct sequel to Kingdon Hearts 1 wasn’t on the PlayStation 2 until it was released as Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories. I swear Square Enix didn’t want us to understand their story at all. 

Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory

I want to rank this game higher because I love the music in it. It’s why I fell in love with the franchise, the characters, the confusing story, and why I want more games. Dearly Beloved is playing on Spotify right now as I write this list. The music in Kingdom Hearts is emotional, exciting, and powerful depending on where you are in the game. Whatever emotion the game wants you to feel will be backed up by the music. It’s whimsical, it’s cute, it’s intimidating, and it gets stuck in your head for all the right reasons. 

But…there isn’t much else to this game. You relive some of your favorite adventures through the Disney moves alongside the iconic KH music. It’s a fun game, but at the end of the day, it’s filler. Unfortunately, it can’t rank too high on the list. 

If this game is a giant thank you to Yôko Shimomura, who has been doing the music since KH1, then that’s ok with me. She is a legend and deserves her flowers. 

If you’re a fan of the music, check it out because you will get all the feels, and there’s enjoyable gameplay on top of it. 

Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance

This game introduced the Dream Eaters. They aren’t that important to the overall franchise but the TLDR is they live in the Realm of Sleep and eat or plant dreams. Don’t overthink it, they are just in this game.

Dream Eaters are a thorn in my side much like the card combat system. However, this game has a lot going for it. 

The story is excellent. Sora and Riku take The Mark of Mastery exam. All Keyblade Masters must complete the Mark of Mastery Exam to become God Tier. If the Keyblade determines your heart is strong enough, congratulations, you’re a Keyblade Master.  

I like this as a story because it’s a callback to Birth By Sleep since Sora and Riku have parallels with Ventas and Terra. It also makes sense for where Riku and Sora are in the plot. They’ve saved the world and conquered the darkness in their heart respectively, but they have one more step to go before they hit max level.

The gameplay is fluid and fun. I enjoy switching back and forth between Sora and Riku. It tells a better story per world when you can play both sides of it simultaneously. 

Then there’s the Dream Eaters. Yes, they are adorable but inconsequential to the main plot. They don’t play a big role in KH3 and are there for mini-game purposes and replacements for Donald and Goofy in combat. I get it, but I’m not a fan. 

Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep

Set 10 years before KH1, Birth by Sleep is an excellent prequel that kicks the franchise off with a bang. You get a ton of backstory of Master Xehanort and get more insight into what his plans are. 

The replay value of this game is high due to its interesting characters, compelling story, and difference in gameplay.  I must warn you, this is not a happy story. Terra, Ventus, and Aqua all get screwed over in this game and it’s hard to say who gets the worst of it. 

The combat gets overhauled and is a way better version of the card combat. It uses the deck system where you can mix and match different abilities depending on the character you use. Aqua has a specialty in magic, Terra is strength, and Ventus is speed.  It also has the D-Link system where you call on an ally and do a barrage of combos on your opponents. 

Finally, there is the arena. If any game has an arena, that is a plus in my book. 

Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days

The one thing I don’t like about the Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX bundle is that this game isn’t a playable option. I get it because the gameplay and structure would be hard to reproduce for a console or PC, but a boy can dream. The movie is still worth watching but this is hands down one of the best games in the series. 

The story is Kingdom Hearts at its best but it’s from the perspective of Organization XIII. You play as Roxas, the newest member of the Organization going through an identity crisis. Roxas is a Nobody, meaning he has no heart, but has a strong connection to fellow member Axel and new member Xion. The trio’s relationship has parallels to Sora, Riku, and Kairi’s relationship as well as the Ventus, Aqua, and Terra trio. 

This game is critical to the overall story and it answers a lot of questions. How did Roxas leave the organization? How did he end up in Twilight Town at the start of KH2? How do the inner workings of the organization work? 

The story is paced well and by the time you get to the end, you want to go right back to the beginning to pick up on the clues you missed the first time. If you still have a Nintendo DS, go play it. You won’t be disappointed. 

Kingdom Hearts 

This is the game that started it all. Kingdom Hearts was released on the PlayStation 2 in 2002 and a franchise was born. The gameplay is a little clunky. The combat isn’t as smooth as other games, but I hold it in high regard. 

The story is straightforward enough that you understand what’s going on before there are 40 new characters introduced across four different gaming consoles. Sora, Donald, and Goofy go from world to world to lock the keyholes, thus saving them from being plunged into darkness. 

One knock on the game is the lack of direction. If you don’t pay attention to a cutscene, you will get lost around Traverse Town or wander around Wonderland for an hour trying to figure out what you’re supposed to do. I had the walkthrough bookmarked on the internet when I was playing this game in middle school. That’s how little the game tells you. 

Overall, It’s a strong foundation for the franchise and that’s enough for it to earn the bronze medal on this list.

Kingdom Hearts 3 

The conclusion to the Dark Seeker Saga doesn’t pull any punches. The combat is the best it’s ever been even if you just spam the triangle ability time and time again. The graphics are the best they’ve ever been and make the gameplay look more like the cinematic trailers from games past. 

The story also concludes satisfyingly, in my opinion. It’s still confusing, but it wraps everything up with each trio from previous games. If you played all the other games, KH3 will make you feel like it meant something during the final battle. As a fan, I love that. 

This game gets silver for 3 reasons. 

1. They cut out the Final Fantasy characters. They were so important to the previous games. Their absence created a hole that wasn’t filled with anything else. 
2. It’s too easy. Even on the hardest difficulty, I think I beat the entire game without dying once. There aren’t any memorable boss fights either because they were all easily defeated. 
3. You go to each world once. This critique is a bit nitpicky, but I love how KH2 had an A plot and a B plot. More on that in a second.  

I’m looking forward to playing KH3 again. I haven’t played it since it was released on the PlayStation 4, but I’m confident I will stand by it getting the silver medal. 

Kingdom Hearts 2 

Was there ever any doubt? Kingdom Hearts 2 is the best Kingdom Hearts game and it isn’t even close. They fixed the flaws from the first one, told a great story, improved the combat, and surprised you with the second half of the game where you go back to the world for a part two. 

I love this game so much. I remember playing it for the first time and being confused about who Roxas was. I never played the other games so I was left in the dark. I thought he was Sora! I didn’t care though. I played it again and again and again. 

I love how they added a story to the Olympus Colesium level but still had the arena. There are memorable boss fights whether they are tough Heartless or members of Organization XIII. The Gummi Ship combat was improved. Everything about this game came together to work and make a perfect 10/10 game. 

That wraps up the list of Kingdom Hearts games ranked from worst to best. Kingdom Hearts 4 will be out before you know it. When it does, I’ll update this list, but for now, I’m going to play these games from top to bottom all over again. If you haven’t played the series yet and are hoping to start, check out my list of how to play Kingdom Hearts chronologically to avoid confusion. It’s going to be a fun one so I’ll see ya there, but until then, y’all take care.