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Kingdom Hearts: The Novel - light novel by Tomoco Kanemaki Tetsuya Nomura
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September 6, 2025Kingdom Heats: The Novel
Sora finds himself in the dark with only a small amount of light. He hears a voice that says. “There you are! So much to do. So little time. But take your time. Don’t be afraid. The door is still closed. Now, step forward. Can you do it? Power sleeps within you. Give it form and it will give you strength. And then the light will shine where you are. But the closer you get to the light, the great the shadow becomes. But don’[t be afraid and don’t forget. You hold the mightiest weapon of all. So don’t forget. You are the one who will open the door. No go. Then the door to destiny opens.
While looking for mushrooms (in a cave) to take when he and his friends Kairi and Riku explore possible other worlds, Sora is startled by a man in a robe that says he’s come to see the door and that this world has been connected. A world tied the darkness that will darkness that will be completely eclipsed. He goes on to say there’s so much to learn and Sora knows so little and that he doesn’t know what lies behind the door. The man tells him one who knows nothing can understand nothing. Something about this door starts to feel familiar but when Sora looks up the man is gone.
At Mickey’s castle, Donald is alarmed when Pluto gives him a note from Mickey that said he had to leave. He’s going to investigate why the stars have been blinking out. He tells him to take Goofy and find a certain person with a key that will be able to help. He further instructs him to go to Tavers Town and find a man named Leon. Queen Minnie tells them to take Jiminy Cricket with them. His world has disappeared as well. A storm hits Destiny’s Island and the whole place is eclipsed by a glowing ball of energy. Riku is swallowed up in darkness inside a doorway. Kairi vanishes into Sora.
Sora awakens in Traverse Town where he meets Cid, Aerith, Yuffie, Leon, Donald, Goofy, Pluto, and Jimny Cricket. Sora finds out they’ll keep tracking his heart as long as he has the Keyblade. We learn that the Heartless are attracted to the fear and darkness in a person’s heart and that King Mickey was in search of a report by a man named Ansem that studied the Heartless (that got scattered over many worlds). Sora is told that each world has a keyhole and if infected by the heartless the world disappears so he has to lock each keyhole with the Keyblade.
In Wonderland, Sora, Donald, and Goofy chase The White Rabbit into a room with a talking doorknob. It says that it has seen a girl but advises us to talk to the Queen. A blue potion on the table shrinks us down to go into a garden. There’s a trial going on and Alice is being accused of assault and stealing the Queen’s heart. Sora intercedes and says he’ll find evidence to prove Alice’s innocence. Back in the room with the doorknob, Sora finds footprints and a odd stench and takes it back to the Queen. The Queen tells Sora to pick the correct evidence from a box. Even tho he picks the right one, she turns furious and unleashes her card army on him. The party defeats them and rushes to save Alice (whose in a cage) but she’s no longer there. They return to the “Bizzare Room” and fight off the Trick Master. After he’s defeated they seal the key hole. They learn that Alice is no longer in that world.
Sora and Donald argue over whether to land on Deep Jungle. Sora thinks his friends might be there, but Donald says the King wouldn’t be in a “back water” place like this. Sora and Donald fight over the controls and end up crashing into the roof of a treehouse. Sora falls into a treehouse, where he is attacked by Sabor, but is saved by Tarzan. He is then brought to a tent by Tarzan, where he meets Jane and Clayton, who found Donald and Goofy. Donald and Goofy have a gummi block that was dropped by one of the gorillas so they think the King might have been there. Clayton convinces Tarzan to lead him to the gorillas. When seeing them, Clayton aims his riffle but Donald intervenes. Clayton claims he was aiming for a snake but after this they find him suspicious. There’s an attack of the Heartless and Jane gets kidnapped. Clayton is now infected by the Heartless. Sora, finds a waterfall that has the keyhole behind it and he closes the world. Donald and Sora apologize to each other afterwards.
They return back to Taverse Town and find Leon in an underground tunnel with Aerith. Leon doesn’t know what the Gummi Block is for and sends them to Leon. Cid explains that with the GB they can open up new routes, but in exchange he wants them to deliver a book to Merlin. There’s a keyhole in the book. It looks like a children’s picture book and has a forest in it (and it looks like stuffed animals). he sound of the Gizmo Shop bell ringing distracts them; Cid mentions that the bell hasn't rung in years. He suggests they check it out.
They fight off more heartless and then find a door with a flame insignia. They meet Merlin and the Fairy Godmother who tell them to go where the light guides them. They go to the Gizmo shop next, investigate the bell, ring it three times, and a keyhole reveals itself in the fountain of the square. But this also brings the Guard Armor. Riku appears and they defeat the heartless. They both discover Kairi isn’t with the other one. The Armor turns into an Opposite Armor. They defeat him but now Riku’s disappeared again. Sora then seals the keyhole to Traverse Town.
Cid then warns Sora and the others about Maleficent and advises he hurry and close the doors to the other worlds. Meanwhile, Maleficent now has Riku and tells him to forget about Sora. She shows him Sora through a window and tells him he’s been replaced. She says if he comes with her, she’ll give him what he’s searching for. (There’s a short chapter that also shows she, Jafar, Hook, (and some of the other Villains) are working together and now have Alice.
Jafar is looking for Princess Jasmine but Iago tells her she’s not there. Maleficent explains the significance of needing her to him. Without the 7 Princess’s of Hearts they can’t open the final door. Jasmine runs into Sora and the others in the alley. She tells them to find Aladdin who went to look for the keyhole. In town they find the flying carpet. They find Aladdin stuck up to his waist in sinking sand. They fight off heartless one by one but there’s more than they can handle. Aladdin calls on the Genie and he makes them all disappear and Aladdin is freed. Sora and the others confront Jafar who has Jasmine. Aladdin uses his second wish to free her but Iago grabs the lamp and gives it to Jafar. Jasmine is dropped in a pot (which transforms to the Pot Centepede). Jafar disappears.
Jafar runs to the Cave of Wonders and as his first wish gets the Genie to reveal the keyhole. He meets with Maleficent about Riku and Sora and the others show up. Maleficent disappears and Jafar uses his second wish and gets the Genie to fight against Sora. After being defeated, Jafar uses his last wish and asks to be turned into an all-powerful Genie. Sora uses the wish against him and traps him in the lamp. Unfortunately, Jasmine is now gone. Sora seals the keyhole and with his final wish sets the Genie free. The Genie offers his serves to Sora and the others if needed.
Back in the ship, Sora, Donald, and Goofy see something flying toward them. Something Jiminy is extremely familiar with. It’s Monstro and he swallows them whole. Inside Monstro, Jiminy and Pinocchio are reunited and the gang meet Geppetto fixing a broken ship. Pinocchio slips away they find him in the bowels of Monstro being held captive by Riki. Sora demands he give him back, but Riku then turns off with the puppet. Pinocchio is held captive inside the Parasite Cage Heartless. Riku and the Heartless attempt to take Pinocchio's heart, but fail. Riku flees as Sora enters the belly of the beast where he defeats the Parasite Cage once and for all and rescues Pinocchio. Monstro spits out the Gummi Ship and they all escape. Geppeto and Pinocchio now are in Traverse Town where they have a shop.
Riki returns Kairi’s body and is told by Maleficent she’s one of the 7 Princess’s needed to open the door. Once the door is opened something on the other side is sure to help waken her. She then gives him the ability to control the Heartless. Sora and the others meet Peter Pan and Tinkerbelle on the ship. Sora encounters Riku and has to fight off his shadow self (AntiSora). Wendy is discarded after they find out she’s not one of the seven. Riku escapes with Kairi. There’s a fight against Captain Hook but he’s defeated by Sora and thrown overboard. Sora is given the ability to fly (and Donald and Goofy as well) by Tinkerbelle. They go to the Clock Tower where Wendy is waiting for them. Sora repairs one of the clock’s hands (that’s stuck on 12) and the keyhole is revealed. Sora seals it. Before they can go to Hollow Bastian, they have to make a stop in Traverse Town again for Cid to install the navigation block that was in the clock tower. Riku is scolded by Maleficent of bringing Kairi there. She warns him about relying on the darkness too much and then she unlocks the dark power within him.
In Hallow Bastian, Sora, feels like he’s been there. They hear a roaring. Riku asks the Beast how he got there and he says he believed. He says he’ll have her back. The Beast lunges at him but he dodges. Sora commands that Riku stop. Riku tells him it ends there and takes the Keyblade. He then tosses him a wooden sword and he walks away. Donald and Goofy then leave to follow Riku as they were instructed to follow the Keyblade Master. Sora is heartbroken but realizes the Beast is injured. He says he’ll still fight for Belle. Sora decides he won’t give up ether and they go inside.
Maleficent uses the princess’s (Kairi floatin Riku, Donald, and Goofy appear soon after, where Riku orders Sora to give up,g in mid-air) to reveal the key hole. The Beast sees an illusion of Belle transform into one of the Heartless. Sora informs Riku that while the darkness may destroy his body, it can't harm his heart, and Riku decides to test Sora's theory by firing a dark energy bolt at him. Sora, believing it to be the end, braces himself, but Goofy rushes in and blocks the blast with his shield. Goofy and Donald then rejoin Sora. Thinking of all the friends he’s made (and are yet to meet), Sora realizes he’s friends are his strength and the Keyblade appears back in his hands. Riku realizes he can’t defeat them and runs off.
Ansem (unknown by man) appears to Riku and tells him the Keyblade chooses the one with the strongest heart. To get it back, he has to open himself completely to the darkness. While talking to Maleficent about unlocking the final door and letting the world be over run by Heartless, the Dark Keyblade appears in his hand. He points out that since Kairi has lost her heart, they’ll never be able to unlock the portal.
Sora, Donald, Goofy, and the Beast find the Witch in the chapel. During there fight, Maleficent is stabbed through the heart with Sora’s Keyblade and disappears into darkness. Riku also stabs his Keyblade into Maleficent’s heart and transforms her into a dragon but she’s defeated again. Riku then appears and reveals that Maleficent is merely a pawn of the Heartless, unable to see the darkness swallowing her heart. Riki vanishes and leaves behind a page from Ansem’s report.
The Beast is lead by Belle’s heart to where the princess’s are being held. Sora runs to Kairi. Riku says there’s no waking her and Sora realizes he’s no longer the Riku on the island. Riku explains that Kairi is a princess and that Kairi’s inside him. Riku reveals he is Ansem. Sora takes the dark Keyblade and stabs himself in the chest. It frees Kairi and the princesses but plunges Sora isn’t darkness. Kairi wakes just in time to see Sora disappear Ansem declares Kairi’s part over and that she be killed. Riku projects himself from his stolen body, manages to establish enough control to stop him in his tracks, and warns Kairi and the others that the Heartless called by Ansem will soon overrun the castle.
Kairi is reluctant to leave Sora behind but she lets Donald convince her that they have to get out of there. They’re followed by a little Heartless. Donald tries to whack it with his wand but it won’t leave. Kairi realizes it’s Sora. A massive legions of Heartless attack, and swarm Kairi and Sora's Heartless, much to Donald and Goofy's horror. However, a brilliant flash of light blows the Heartless back, and in place of the Heartless, there is Sora, fully restored. Beast stays behind to hold off the Heartless and continue looking for Belle, and so the group departs Hollow Bastion.
Cid manages to find a way to allow them to return and seal the Keyhole. They return and help Beast reunite with the re-awakened Belle, and jump through the Keyhole to fight a Behemoth Heartless. After a conversation with Leon's group, who have returned to restore their home world, Sora seals the Keyhole at Hollow Bastion
Sora also has his first encounter with Organization XIII in the chapel by way Xemnas. He gives cryptic messages (such as stating that Sora is incomplete and looks just like "him"), Xemnas departs and gives a cryptic message that they’ll meet again. Sora, Donald, and Goofy reach the End of the World. After defeating tons of Heartless, they face Chernabog (again) and defeat him. They then see a door and through it they see the remains of Destiny Island. Ansem (as Riku) appears and then turns into Ansem. Sora calls out to Riku but Ansem tells him he’s no longer there. There’s a debate between Ansem and Sora over whether the true esscence of the heart is darkness (believed by Ansem) or light (believed by Sora).
Donald and Goofy are sucked into a dark hole, but are rescued by Sora. Ansem opens the Door to Darkness, informs Sora that not even the Keyblade can seal the door. He asks that Kingdom Hearts fill him with the power of darkness. But Sora then realizes that Kingdom Heart isn’t darkness. It’s light. The light spills from the door and destroys Ansem. Heartless start to pour out of the door and Sora struggles to close it. Riku -on the other side- attemps to push it from his end. King Mickey arrives with a golden Keyblade, and Sora, Riku, Donald, and Goofy manage to close the door. Before it does, Mickey assures them that there will always be a Door to Light. King Mickey and Sora seal the door. Riku asks Sora to take care of Kairi.
Kairi appears as the ends of the worlds collapse. Sora promises her he’ll come back to her. Kairi then finds herself on Destiny Island and Donald, Sora, and Goofy find themselves on the ship heading out to try to find Riku and Mickey.
My Thoughts:
I was excited to find this had been turned into a novel because there’s so much going on in this game. Over the years, I’ve attempted on and off to just watch the cut scenes, but the story got so complex that sometimes it was hard to keep up. I even remember looking up the transcripts online and trying to read those. There was also a graphic novel a while back that I got some volumes through then stopped. Reading this brought back good memories. As I read it I could practically see all the amazing scenes. The only chapter I didn’t quite visualize was “End of the World” because I don’t remember my cousin beating this part. I watched him beat this whole game, but either he beat it so fast it slipped out of my head or it got dragged out (I really don’t remember it being that long). But since this is taken *exactly* from the game I think it’s the first reason. This continues to be my all-time favorite game for the sentimental factor alone that this was a game my cousin and I LOVED and I still remember us playing this one (Kingdom Hearts 1) for the first time. I also remember that very special Christmas when I wasn’t expecting a gift and watching all my other cousins run into the living room and holding back. Only for my aunt tell me to come into the living room and I was thinking why. I don’t have any presents. Only to find I’d gotten not only the KH game but the game system to play it on and how happy and excited I was to open that box and see the system. Then the other box (with the game). It’s something that I will never forget! Then its just a really message about how sometimes even tho darkness can seep into the heart there will always be the light and strength of friends and family
Rating: 10 I wouldn’t give this story anything less
Sora finds himself in the dark with only a small amount of light. He hears a voice that says. “There you are! So much to do. So little time. But take your time. Don’t be afraid. The door is still closed. Now, step forward. Can you do it? Power sleeps within you. Give it form and it will give you strength. And then the light will shine where you are. But the closer you get to the light, the great the shadow becomes. But don’[t be afraid and don’t forget. You hold the mightiest weapon of all. So don’t forget. You are the one who will open the door. No go. Then the door to destiny opens.
While looking for mushrooms (in a cave) to take when he and his friends Kairi and Riku explore possible other worlds, Sora is startled by a man in a robe that says he’s come to see the door and that this world has been connected. A world tied the darkness that will darkness that will be completely eclipsed. He goes on to say there’s so much to learn and Sora knows so little and that he doesn’t know what lies behind the door. The man tells him one who knows nothing can understand nothing. Something about this door starts to feel familiar but when Sora looks up the man is gone.
At Mickey’s castle, Donald is alarmed when Pluto gives him a note from Mickey that said he had to leave. He’s going to investigate why the stars have been blinking out. He tells him to take Goofy and find a certain person with a key that will be able to help. He further instructs him to go to Tavers Town and find a man named Leon. Queen Minnie tells them to take Jiminy Cricket with them. His world has disappeared as well. A storm hits Destiny’s Island and the whole place is eclipsed by a glowing ball of energy. Riku is swallowed up in darkness inside a doorway. Kairi vanishes into Sora.
Sora awakens in Traverse Town where he meets Cid, Aerith, Yuffie, Leon, Donald, Goofy, Pluto, and Jimny Cricket. Sora finds out they’ll keep tracking his heart as long as he has the Keyblade. We learn that the Heartless are attracted to the fear and darkness in a person’s heart and that King Mickey was in search of a report by a man named Ansem that studied the Heartless (that got scattered over many worlds). Sora is told that each world has a keyhole and if infected by the heartless the world disappears so he has to lock each keyhole with the Keyblade.
In Wonderland, Sora, Donald, and Goofy chase The White Rabbit into a room with a talking doorknob. It says that it has seen a girl but advises us to talk to the Queen. A blue potion on the table shrinks us down to go into a garden. There’s a trial going on and Alice is being accused of assault and stealing the Queen’s heart. Sora intercedes and says he’ll find evidence to prove Alice’s innocence. Back in the room with the doorknob, Sora finds footprints and a odd stench and takes it back to the Queen. The Queen tells Sora to pick the correct evidence from a box. Even tho he picks the right one, she turns furious and unleashes her card army on him. The party defeats them and rushes to save Alice (whose in a cage) but she’s no longer there. They return to the “Bizzare Room” and fight off the Trick Master. After he’s defeated they seal the key hole. They learn that Alice is no longer in that world.
Sora and Donald argue over whether to land on Deep Jungle. Sora thinks his friends might be there, but Donald says the King wouldn’t be in a “back water” place like this. Sora and Donald fight over the controls and end up crashing into the roof of a treehouse. Sora falls into a treehouse, where he is attacked by Sabor, but is saved by Tarzan. He is then brought to a tent by Tarzan, where he meets Jane and Clayton, who found Donald and Goofy. Donald and Goofy have a gummi block that was dropped by one of the gorillas so they think the King might have been there. Clayton convinces Tarzan to lead him to the gorillas. When seeing them, Clayton aims his riffle but Donald intervenes. Clayton claims he was aiming for a snake but after this they find him suspicious. There’s an attack of the Heartless and Jane gets kidnapped. Clayton is now infected by the Heartless. Sora, finds a waterfall that has the keyhole behind it and he closes the world. Donald and Sora apologize to each other afterwards.
They return back to Taverse Town and find Leon in an underground tunnel with Aerith. Leon doesn’t know what the Gummi Block is for and sends them to Leon. Cid explains that with the GB they can open up new routes, but in exchange he wants them to deliver a book to Merlin. There’s a keyhole in the book. It looks like a children’s picture book and has a forest in it (and it looks like stuffed animals). he sound of the Gizmo Shop bell ringing distracts them; Cid mentions that the bell hasn't rung in years. He suggests they check it out.
They fight off more heartless and then find a door with a flame insignia. They meet Merlin and the Fairy Godmother who tell them to go where the light guides them. They go to the Gizmo shop next, investigate the bell, ring it three times, and a keyhole reveals itself in the fountain of the square. But this also brings the Guard Armor. Riku appears and they defeat the heartless. They both discover Kairi isn’t with the other one. The Armor turns into an Opposite Armor. They defeat him but now Riku’s disappeared again. Sora then seals the keyhole to Traverse Town.
Cid then warns Sora and the others about Maleficent and advises he hurry and close the doors to the other worlds. Meanwhile, Maleficent now has Riku and tells him to forget about Sora. She shows him Sora through a window and tells him he’s been replaced. She says if he comes with her, she’ll give him what he’s searching for. (There’s a short chapter that also shows she, Jafar, Hook, (and some of the other Villains) are working together and now have Alice.
Jafar is looking for Princess Jasmine but Iago tells her she’s not there. Maleficent explains the significance of needing her to him. Without the 7 Princess’s of Hearts they can’t open the final door. Jasmine runs into Sora and the others in the alley. She tells them to find Aladdin who went to look for the keyhole. In town they find the flying carpet. They find Aladdin stuck up to his waist in sinking sand. They fight off heartless one by one but there’s more than they can handle. Aladdin calls on the Genie and he makes them all disappear and Aladdin is freed. Sora and the others confront Jafar who has Jasmine. Aladdin uses his second wish to free her but Iago grabs the lamp and gives it to Jafar. Jasmine is dropped in a pot (which transforms to the Pot Centepede). Jafar disappears.
Jafar runs to the Cave of Wonders and as his first wish gets the Genie to reveal the keyhole. He meets with Maleficent about Riku and Sora and the others show up. Maleficent disappears and Jafar uses his second wish and gets the Genie to fight against Sora. After being defeated, Jafar uses his last wish and asks to be turned into an all-powerful Genie. Sora uses the wish against him and traps him in the lamp. Unfortunately, Jasmine is now gone. Sora seals the keyhole and with his final wish sets the Genie free. The Genie offers his serves to Sora and the others if needed.
Back in the ship, Sora, Donald, and Goofy see something flying toward them. Something Jiminy is extremely familiar with. It’s Monstro and he swallows them whole. Inside Monstro, Jiminy and Pinocchio are reunited and the gang meet Geppetto fixing a broken ship. Pinocchio slips away they find him in the bowels of Monstro being held captive by Riki. Sora demands he give him back, but Riku then turns off with the puppet. Pinocchio is held captive inside the Parasite Cage Heartless. Riku and the Heartless attempt to take Pinocchio's heart, but fail. Riku flees as Sora enters the belly of the beast where he defeats the Parasite Cage once and for all and rescues Pinocchio. Monstro spits out the Gummi Ship and they all escape. Geppeto and Pinocchio now are in Traverse Town where they have a shop.
Riki returns Kairi’s body and is told by Maleficent she’s one of the 7 Princess’s needed to open the door. Once the door is opened something on the other side is sure to help waken her. She then gives him the ability to control the Heartless. Sora and the others meet Peter Pan and Tinkerbelle on the ship. Sora encounters Riku and has to fight off his shadow self (AntiSora). Wendy is discarded after they find out she’s not one of the seven. Riku escapes with Kairi. There’s a fight against Captain Hook but he’s defeated by Sora and thrown overboard. Sora is given the ability to fly (and Donald and Goofy as well) by Tinkerbelle. They go to the Clock Tower where Wendy is waiting for them. Sora repairs one of the clock’s hands (that’s stuck on 12) and the keyhole is revealed. Sora seals it. Before they can go to Hollow Bastian, they have to make a stop in Traverse Town again for Cid to install the navigation block that was in the clock tower. Riku is scolded by Maleficent of bringing Kairi there. She warns him about relying on the darkness too much and then she unlocks the dark power within him.
In Hallow Bastian, Sora, feels like he’s been there. They hear a roaring. Riku asks the Beast how he got there and he says he believed. He says he’ll have her back. The Beast lunges at him but he dodges. Sora commands that Riku stop. Riku tells him it ends there and takes the Keyblade. He then tosses him a wooden sword and he walks away. Donald and Goofy then leave to follow Riku as they were instructed to follow the Keyblade Master. Sora is heartbroken but realizes the Beast is injured. He says he’ll still fight for Belle. Sora decides he won’t give up ether and they go inside.
Maleficent uses the princess’s (Kairi floatin Riku, Donald, and Goofy appear soon after, where Riku orders Sora to give up,g in mid-air) to reveal the key hole. The Beast sees an illusion of Belle transform into one of the Heartless. Sora informs Riku that while the darkness may destroy his body, it can't harm his heart, and Riku decides to test Sora's theory by firing a dark energy bolt at him. Sora, believing it to be the end, braces himself, but Goofy rushes in and blocks the blast with his shield. Goofy and Donald then rejoin Sora. Thinking of all the friends he’s made (and are yet to meet), Sora realizes he’s friends are his strength and the Keyblade appears back in his hands. Riku realizes he can’t defeat them and runs off.
Ansem (unknown by man) appears to Riku and tells him the Keyblade chooses the one with the strongest heart. To get it back, he has to open himself completely to the darkness. While talking to Maleficent about unlocking the final door and letting the world be over run by Heartless, the Dark Keyblade appears in his hand. He points out that since Kairi has lost her heart, they’ll never be able to unlock the portal.
Sora, Donald, Goofy, and the Beast find the Witch in the chapel. During there fight, Maleficent is stabbed through the heart with Sora’s Keyblade and disappears into darkness. Riku also stabs his Keyblade into Maleficent’s heart and transforms her into a dragon but she’s defeated again. Riku then appears and reveals that Maleficent is merely a pawn of the Heartless, unable to see the darkness swallowing her heart. Riki vanishes and leaves behind a page from Ansem’s report.
The Beast is lead by Belle’s heart to where the princess’s are being held. Sora runs to Kairi. Riku says there’s no waking her and Sora realizes he’s no longer the Riku on the island. Riku explains that Kairi is a princess and that Kairi’s inside him. Riku reveals he is Ansem. Sora takes the dark Keyblade and stabs himself in the chest. It frees Kairi and the princesses but plunges Sora isn’t darkness. Kairi wakes just in time to see Sora disappear Ansem declares Kairi’s part over and that she be killed. Riku projects himself from his stolen body, manages to establish enough control to stop him in his tracks, and warns Kairi and the others that the Heartless called by Ansem will soon overrun the castle.
Kairi is reluctant to leave Sora behind but she lets Donald convince her that they have to get out of there. They’re followed by a little Heartless. Donald tries to whack it with his wand but it won’t leave. Kairi realizes it’s Sora. A massive legions of Heartless attack, and swarm Kairi and Sora's Heartless, much to Donald and Goofy's horror. However, a brilliant flash of light blows the Heartless back, and in place of the Heartless, there is Sora, fully restored. Beast stays behind to hold off the Heartless and continue looking for Belle, and so the group departs Hollow Bastion.
Cid manages to find a way to allow them to return and seal the Keyhole. They return and help Beast reunite with the re-awakened Belle, and jump through the Keyhole to fight a Behemoth Heartless. After a conversation with Leon's group, who have returned to restore their home world, Sora seals the Keyhole at Hollow Bastion
Sora also has his first encounter with Organization XIII in the chapel by way Xemnas. He gives cryptic messages (such as stating that Sora is incomplete and looks just like "him"), Xemnas departs and gives a cryptic message that they’ll meet again. Sora, Donald, and Goofy reach the End of the World. After defeating tons of Heartless, they face Chernabog (again) and defeat him. They then see a door and through it they see the remains of Destiny Island. Ansem (as Riku) appears and then turns into Ansem. Sora calls out to Riku but Ansem tells him he’s no longer there. There’s a debate between Ansem and Sora over whether the true esscence of the heart is darkness (believed by Ansem) or light (believed by Sora).
Donald and Goofy are sucked into a dark hole, but are rescued by Sora. Ansem opens the Door to Darkness, informs Sora that not even the Keyblade can seal the door. He asks that Kingdom Hearts fill him with the power of darkness. But Sora then realizes that Kingdom Heart isn’t darkness. It’s light. The light spills from the door and destroys Ansem. Heartless start to pour out of the door and Sora struggles to close it. Riku -on the other side- attemps to push it from his end. King Mickey arrives with a golden Keyblade, and Sora, Riku, Donald, and Goofy manage to close the door. Before it does, Mickey assures them that there will always be a Door to Light. King Mickey and Sora seal the door. Riku asks Sora to take care of Kairi.
Kairi appears as the ends of the worlds collapse. Sora promises her he’ll come back to her. Kairi then finds herself on Destiny Island and Donald, Sora, and Goofy find themselves on the ship heading out to try to find Riku and Mickey.
My Thoughts:
I was excited to find this had been turned into a novel because there’s so much going on in this game. Over the years, I’ve attempted on and off to just watch the cut scenes, but the story got so complex that sometimes it was hard to keep up. I even remember looking up the transcripts online and trying to read those. There was also a graphic novel a while back that I got some volumes through then stopped. Reading this brought back good memories. As I read it I could practically see all the amazing scenes. The only chapter I didn’t quite visualize was “End of the World” because I don’t remember my cousin beating this part. I watched him beat this whole game, but either he beat it so fast it slipped out of my head or it got dragged out (I really don’t remember it being that long). But since this is taken *exactly* from the game I think it’s the first reason. This continues to be my all-time favorite game for the sentimental factor alone that this was a game my cousin and I LOVED and I still remember us playing this one (Kingdom Hearts 1) for the first time. I also remember that very special Christmas when I wasn’t expecting a gift and watching all my other cousins run into the living room and holding back. Only for my aunt tell me to come into the living room and I was thinking why. I don’t have any presents. Only to find I’d gotten not only the KH game but the game system to play it on and how happy and excited I was to open that box and see the system. Then the other box (with the game). It’s something that I will never forget! Then its just a really message about how sometimes even tho darkness can seep into the heart there will always be the light and strength of friends and family
Rating: 10 I wouldn’t give this story anything less
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 19, 2025
Absolutely fantastic. Just like the cutscenes from the video game with a little more detail.
May 4, 2025
Read because i did an audio book for my gf and honestly it was good never really played the game growing up but i assume its just the game plot.
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