In 2022, Kingdom Hearts celebrated its 20th anniversary. This means that for 20 years, the franchise has released more than ten different titles - each one building upon the machinations and creations introduced to us through the combined efforts of Disney and Square Enix.

Related: The Best Keyblades and How To Get Them​​​​​

In that time, the stories of Sora, Kairi, and Riku (as well as Yen Sid, Mickey, Donald, Goofy, and more) have in some way touched audiences worldwide with their stories of friendship, bravery, conviction, and well, heart.

10 Subject X

Kingdom Hearts Skuld

To this day, Kingdom Hearts 3 is considered a rather polarizing title. Regardless, within the deep-rooted lore the game establishes, a particularly interesting topic comes from the secret reports. Within one specific report, there is discussion of Subject X, an amnesiac 15-year-old girl who is "found" by Terra-Xehanort during his time as a student of Ansem the Wise. The word "found" is used rather loosely as it's pretty evident in those same reports that Ansem essentially abducted her.

Soon after, characters Isa and Lea (the human versions of Organization 13 members Axel and Saix) befriend her and discuss their original intention of helping her out in the climax of the game. Ever since then, die-hard fans have been searching for proof that this is Skuld from the now-defunct Unchained X mobile game (an ancient keyblade wielder who hasn't been heard from in decades). Time will tell.

9 Nameless Star

Nameless Star and Sora KH3

About halfway through Kingdom Hearts 3, players arrive in the Toy Box - the Kingdom Hearts name for Toy Story world, which is widely considered one of the better worlds in the game. There, we are introduced to the game Verum Rex, which features the mysterious main character Yozora alongside his loved ones and friends fighting against a towering Gigas mech. Later during the game's climax (as well as the DLC ReMind), Sora arrives in the Final World, where he meets the literal Nameless Star while trying to save Kairi. The Nameless Star laments about how she is desperately looking for someone near and dear to her heart.

Related: Every World in KH3 ranked

Aside from the obvious implications of these characters, the Nameless Star is considered to be of vast importance, given that she points Riku and Kairi in the direction of Quadratum (where not only does Yozora reside, but is the location where we see Sora wake up in the Kingdom Hearts 4 trailer).

8 Riku

riku fighting darkness

When it comes to Riku, fans usually love him or hate him. After all, in the original Kingdom Hearts game, he acts as one of the primary antagonists and is one of the more brutal boss fights. However, since returning to the light, Riku has been a pivotal asset to King Mickey and the rest of the protagonists featured in the entire Kingdom Hearts series.

Alternatively, one could argue that Riku's real utility comes from his past brush with darkness, which gives him the ability to toe the line between light and darkness, using the best of both worlds in his arsenal against those who would harm him and his friends.

7 Sora

Sora Shows Off The Pirate Ship

Although his current state is inconclusive following the bittersweet ending of Kingdom Hearts 3, Sora is a very good egg. After all, his demeanor and positive attitude are unmatched and honestly, it's the little details of his character that really make him shine.

Even after he technically loses a good chunk of his power during the end of Dream Drop Distance, Sora keeps true to himself, his heart, and his friends. Finally, the sheer amount of characters tethered to Sora's heart is a testament to the kind of person he is.

6 Xehanort

Master-Xehanort-1Kingdom Hearts 3

Once perceived to be the ultimate end game antagonist of the Kingdom Hearts franchise, the elderly Master Xehanort is a bit of a complicated character. On the surface, his obsession with immortality (which involves identity theft, overly convoluted time travel, waging war, and splitting his soul) is absolutely among the darkest of ambitions and goals.

However, when Xehanort eventually explains his reasoning, it's hard not to understand; forging the ancient X-Blade to reset the world – equidistant to both light and darkness. It's a lofty goal, at the very least.

5 Ansem The Wise

Ansem the Wise KH2

Perhaps more of an enigma than Xehanort is his master for a time, Ansem the Wise (not to be confused with Ansem, Seeker of Darkness). Ansem often lurks in the literal shadows, which is specifically exemplified in Chain of Memories, where he makes his first appearance (unbeknownst to fans at this time) as the mysterious masked man DiZ. But no matter what form he takes, Ansem's overarching goals and motives have often been shrouded in secrecy and half-truths.

Related: The Hardest Boss Fights In Kingdom Hearts

Often perceived as a force for good, a case could be made for Ansem jump-starting a lot of the more nefarious doings within the series. After all, it is Young Xehanort's discovery of the experiments of Ansem the Wise that gave him the initial idea of Nobodies and Heartless.

4 Luxord

Luxord, the Gambler of Fate in Kingdom Hearts 3

There are only two members whose original identities (before being Nobodies) have not yet been revealed within Organization 13: Demyx and Luxord. In the case of Luxord, his allegiances are rather unclear since he was last seen giving Sora a wild card for him to use in a future situation after his defeat in the last chunk of KH3 (something many fans of the series believe will be of the utmost importance in returning Sora to the real world), but was also an active member of the Organization.

Related: Every Kingdom Hearts Game And What Order You Should Play Them In

However, the real mystery is that within the secret movie at the end of ReMind, where his voice actor plays the limo driver of Yozora (the secret boss at the end of the game) with the same kind of inflection. Although this isn't confirmed, the common consensus is that he knows Yozora as he asks rhetorically, "impressive, isn't it?" Curiouser and curiouser.

3 Luxu

Luxu And The Foretellers Invi, Ira, Gula and Aced, in Kingdom Hearts 3

At the end of KH3, fans were mind blown to find out that, at least as far as they know – Xigbar had been the ancient Keyblade Master Luxu in disguise. Then, more recently, we learn Luxu is the traitor responsible for the original Keyblade War as well as possessing the Union Leader Brain in the ending of Unchained X.

With his ongoing blind devotion to the Master of Master (for centuries, potentially), he is now ready to execute whatever the next step is. That kind of unfettered devotion doesn't bode well.

2 Yozora

Yozora

What do you get when you mix both the precise look, a similar tone, and emotional brooding attitude of Riku, but…who is not Riku? The answer is undoubtedly Yozora, the mysterious main character of the aforementioned Verum Rex (who also has a very clear likeness to a canceled Final Fantasy game meant for the Playstation 3 generation).

But considering that Yozora was able to both hold his own and best Sora in one of the secret endings of Remind – he certainly should be considered a force to be reckoned with.

1 Master Of Masters

Master of Masters In front of sky KHUX Back Cover

In recent memory, no video game character has been as perplexing as the enigmatic Master of Masters. With no real identity revealed yet, he has been at the forefront of Kingdom Hearts ever since his involvement in the aforementioned Keyblade War(s) alongside his position as the head honcho of Daybreak Town and the Foretellers featured in Unchained X.

The Master is notoriously cryptic with his hints, immediately making him an intriguing character. Equally strange is the fact that he is extremely charismatic and animated, all the while taking a very lukewarm stance in the battle between light vs. darkness. There are multiple theories as to his actual identity, but with all darker roads leading back to the MoM being at the epicenter of our heroes' ongoing troubles? That does not bode well.

Next: Things We Wish We Knew Before Starting KH3 Re-Mind