Kingdom Hearts is a series with a large and vibrant cast of characters, both original and hailing from the Disney and Final Fantasy universes. Among this rather extensive list, there, of course, has to be villains, opposing Sora and his friends.
The majority of villains in the series seek to control darkness and fulfil Kingdom Hearts itself, and many of them even originate from the same person. While their aims (and in some cases, origins) may be similar, the villains have individual personalities and designs, making them distinct from one another and memorable in the games that they feature in.
10 Born From Darkness: Vanitas
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You first meet Vanitas in Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep, where he acts as one of the main antagonists and as Xehanort’s apprentice, attempting to forge the X-blade with Ventus. Throughout the game, Vanitas is cruel to Ventus and looks down on him, most likely because he was made from darkness. However, it might also be because he’s jealous of Ventus’ friendships with Terra and Aqua, as he is always alone.
When Vanitas first appears, he makes sure to cover his appearance with a mask, but it’s later revealed that he looks exactly like Sora (except he’s got black hair and yellow eyes). Who doesn’t love a bit of the evil twin trope?
9 Electrifying: Larxene
A member of Organization XIII (and later, the Real Organization XIII), Larxene is a feisty villain who uses throwing knives powered up with electricity as her weapon. Personality-wise, she stands out from some of the other villains in the series thanks to her constant smile, though it’s usually dripping with venom.
Sora first encounters Larxene in Castle Oblivion, where she and the other members of the Organization are attempting to steal Sora’s memories. She’s a face you see pretty often on your journey throughout the castle, and your fights with her always pack a punch.
8 Villain Turned Hero: Axel
With a personality as bright as his fiery red hair, it’s no surprise that Axel makes his mark in the series, right from his debut in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories. When you first meet Axel, he’s a member of Organization XIII stationed in Castle Oblivion, tasked with stripping Sora of his memories, just like the other members.
However, Axel doesn’t remain a villain for long, as he values his friendship with Roxas and Xion above all else. He betrays the Organization, joining Marluxia and Larxene as traitors, but he eventually betrays them as well. While Axel is no longer a villain by any means, he had a pretty intimidating presence in Chain of Memories, and leaned a little too well into the sarcastic villain archetype.
7 Pretty In Pink: Marluxia
Known as the Lord of Castle Oblivion in Chain of Memories, Marluxia takes pride in his status in Organization XIII, so much so that he believes he should be ruling it, leading to his treacherous actions alongside Larxene.
While Marluxia takes a bit of a backseat in his return in Kingdom Hearts 3, he still has a unique design that makes him stand out even among an already colourful cast of villains. He has pastel pink hair and yellow eyes, but his most memorable feature is his weapon — a pink scythe that he uses alongside his ability to control flowers. His appearance might make him seem delicate, but you wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of his sharp scythe.
6 Body Snatcher: Luxu
Luxu is the Master of Masters’ apprentice and has taken on many forms across the years, dedicated to following the Master of Masters’ plan to rid the world of darkness once and for all, albeit using extreme methods. Luxu was trusted with the Gazing Eye and tasked with passing it down from Keyblade wielder to Keyblade wielder, so that the Master of Masters could continue writing the Book of Prophecies.
However, to keep watch over the Gazing Eye, Luxu needed to take on various vessels to keep living. He became Braig in Birth by Sleep to stick close to Xehanort, as well as his Nobody, Xigbar. Luxu himself is a mysterious figure, keeping his real face hidden from view.
5 Queen Of Darkness: Maleficent
As you’d expect, a fair few Disney villains pop up in the Kingdom Hearts series, but none are more memorable than Maleficent herself, as she plays a role in the main story. Her home world was destroyed, so she made Hollow Bastion her new home and sought great power by gathering the seven Princesses of Heart.
One of the most iconic battles in the original Kingdom Hearts is against Maleficent’s dragon form, and she plays a key role in Xehanort’s manipulation of Terra in Birth by Sleep as well. Though she originated as Xehanort’s pawn in his own plan to ignite the Keyblade War, Maleficent is a formidable villain in her own right, causing trouble for Keyblade wielders wherever she goes.
4 The First Nobody: Xemnas
The very first Nobody, Xemnas took form after Xehanort discarded his heart and body. As the leader of Organization XIII, he’s the primary villain of Kingdom Hearts 2 and 358/2 Days, and the most emotionless of all the Nobodies. Where the rest of the Organization desire Kingdom Hearts to take back their true forms, Xemnas simply wants it for power, mirroring his connection to Xehanort.
Xemnas has all the flair of a dramatic villain, only it’s made all the more unsettling due to his true lack of emotions underneath. He has no care for others, and his sight is firmly set on Kingdom Hearts and absolutely nothing else. Oh, and his weapon is basically a pair of lightsabers, so he gets extra points for that too.
3 The First Villain: Ansem, Seeker Of Darkness
If Xehanort himself is anything to go by, his Heartless is going to be just as formidable. True to Xehanort’s exceptional nature, Ansem, Seeker of Darkness is one of only two Heartless who retains intelligence similar to that of a human. Because of this, Ansem is able to carry out Xehanort’s plans, which leads him to become the main villain of the original game.
Ansem takes many personality traits from Xehanort, being a brooding, intelligent villain who will stop at nothing to achieve his goal. What’s interesting about Ansem is that he reveals a little more about Xehanort’s past — instead of taking Xehanort’s name, he is named after Ansem the Wise, Xehanort’s master.
2 The One Behind It All: Master of Masters
With a name like the Master of Masters, you can only expect big things from this character. Keeping his identity well hidden inside his black cloak, the Master of Masters is a skilled and intelligent Keyblade master who trained the five Foretellers and wrote the Book of Prophecies.
Despite his hand in almost all of Kingdom Hearts’ overarching narrative so far, the Master of Masters doesn’t seem to take himself too seriously, presenting himself as an eccentric character and speaking in riddles whenever someone tries to get a straight answer out of him. His bizarre personality contrasts greatly with his actions, making him a truly unpredictable villain.
1 Dark Seeker: Xehanort
Master Xehanort is the main antagonist from the original Kingdom Hearts through to Kingdom Hearts 3. While his villainy takes many forms, and he may not actually be present for some games, his plans and desires underpin the entire plot.
Xehanort split himself into various forms to complete his plan to bring about the Keyblade War and use Kingdom Hearts, including his Heartless, Ansem, and his Nobody, Xemnas. Xehanort’s sheer determination to achieve his goals drives the plot forward, and the series simply wouldn’t be the same without his influence.