Kingdom Hearts is a series that has touched the hearts of many fans and left an incredible legacy in the gaming world since it was first released in 2002 for the PS2. The strongest of the characters in Kingdom Hearts are the Keyblade wielders, powerful beings with the ability to wield swords that have magical abilities to unlock paths between worlds.
At first, it seemed only one was destined to wield the Keyblade, a Chosen One if you will. However, as more lore behind the Keyblade was discovered, it's clear that there have been many Keyblade wielders and there continue to be many to use the weapon. But among the Keyblade wielders, who's the most powerful?
Updated on August 4, 2023 by Rebecca Phillips: Over the years, Kingdom Hearts has introduced more and more Keyblade Wielders, with some, like Riku, going on to become Keyblade Masters. But, at the end of the day, who are the strongest characters in all of Kingdom Hearts? We've updated this list to find out.
Most, if not all of the Keyblade Wielders are pretty comparable in power, with some minor exceptions on either side.
So, given the circumstances, most of these characters could likely beat someone above them in the rankings and have before.
But, in terms of their overall battle-power in a no-nonsense one-on-one fight, here's where they lie.
15 Yen Sid
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First introduced in the classic movie Fantasia, Yen Sid is a powerful sorcerer who's well-versed in the arts of magic. He wears a long blue robe and a tall, pointy blue hat with gold stars and moons on it. In the Kingdom Hearts universe, Yen Sid made his initial appearance in Kingdom Hearts 2, as he helped Sora regain his powers and abilities.
Yen Sid is a retired Keyblade wielder, so we don't actually get to see him in action. But, it's been said that he was a powerful Keyblade Master, especially given the fact that he tutored King Mickey. Back in his Keyblade-wielding days, Yen Sid fought alongside fellow Keyblade Masters Eraqus and Xehanort.
14 Kairi
As a Princess of Heart, Kairi is exceptionally great at fighting back against Darkness, and can even “hold back the Darkness” using the light stored in her heart. This innate trait also seems to give her an advantage in using light/barrier magic. In Kingdom Hearts 2, Kairi receives her first Keyblade in Destiny's Embrace.
All this combined with her crash course of training actually led Kairi to put up a fair fight against Xemnas during the Keyblade War in Kingdom Hearts 3, despite him being tough for even Sora to take on in Kingdom Hearts 2. While she's still got a ways to go in terms of Keyblade mastery, she's making a good start.
13 Axel/Lea
Axel was originally introduced as just a villainous Nobody in Organization 13 and someone who was cloaked in Darkness; now, Lea is back and fights for the side of light. Axel was pretty talented combat-wise using his Eternal Flames Chakrams, and that expertise actually transfers to his fully-human form using his new Keyblade, the Bond of the Blaze.
Similar to Kairi, he's only just beginning to learn the way of the Keyblade. However, he has more hands-on experience, having fought as part of the Organization, which edges him ahead slightly in terms of strength.
12 Vanitas
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The darkness oozes from Vanitas, apprentice of Xehanort, who was created from the darkness in Ventus's heart and takes on Sora's appearance due to the connection between Sora and Ventus' hearts. Vanitas travels across realms to spread his Unversed, his only goal is to help his master forge the X-blade.
You'll find yourself up against Vanitas multiple times throughout the series, whether it's the multitude of times in Birth by Sleep or just a couple of times in Kingdom Hearts 3. He's been personally trained by Master Xehanort himself, is ruthless in his attacks, and he even uses Darkness in battle to teleport around and empower his Keyblade.
11 Ventus
Next up is Ventus, one of the three playable protagonists of Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep. Out of the three proteges of Master Eraqus, Ventus is the fastest, which is why Vanitas is so quick as well. Ventus has an interesting technique when using the Keyblade, as he holds it backwards.
Birth by Sleep tries to tell us multiple times that Ventus is relatively close to Terra in terms of power, but it's not too convincing, considering Terranort takes him out in a single swing in Kingdom Hearts 3. In any case, it's obvious that Ventus is very proficient with his Keyblade, but as far as his versatility, durability, or overall power, Ventus falls short of both Aqua and Terra.
10 Terra
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Terra is also an apprentice of Master Eraqus, but is associated closest with the Darkness. In fact, the reason he didn't become a Keyblade Master, like his companion Aqua, was the inability to control the Darkness inside him during his test. However, his strength is shown time and again merely by his ability to resist the temptations of the Darkness, as the villains of each world try to seduce him to turn further into its untapped power. During his quest to discover himself and finally become a Master, he inadvertently starts abandoning his friends for the sake of his path.
But, everyone knows how that went, and Terra suffered immensely for his misdeeds as his body was quite literally forced to join the bad guys' side. As far as his actual battle prowess is concerned, you can get a feel for it in the Lingering Will secret boss fight of Kingdom Hearts 2, since that is a part of him. Additionally, like Riku, Terra can use a bit of Darkness magic as well, further empowering his already overbearing strikes. He's a bit of a meathead, and he's not all too fast in a fight, but no one hits harder than Terra.
9 Roxas
Roxas, born of the sacrifice of Sora to get Kairi's heart back in Kingdom Hearts, is the Nobody of Sora. Because, like Vanitas, Roxas has elements of both Sora and Ventus in him, he can use both their Keyblades at once, which is quite a powerful advantage. And, as seen in his added fight against Sora in Kingdom Hearts 2: Final Mix, Roxas is incredible at using light magic and even uses some 'quick-draw' slashes that bear some resemblance to Iaijutsu.
In his quest to find out who he is, as he receives his memories from Sora's life through dreams, he meets Naminé, who tells him where he's from and that, to truly become whole, and for Sora to become complete, he must return to Sora and reunite with him. To put it in perspective, Roxas is basically as strong as Sora at the end of Kingdom Hearts 2, but with the ability to use two Keyblades at all times as well as light and dark magic.
8 Sora
Sora, protagonist, hero, savior of the realms, and now, Smash Ultimate Fighter, is the iconic JRPG protagonist and Keyblade wielder that just about anyone thinks of when Kingdom Hearts is mentioned. With a heart of goodness, as well as a heart that seems to just 'rent' out space to other people's hearts sometimes, he has the strongest connection to the Light, stronger even than King Mickey, and the two work together to heal the worlds and remove the growing infection of darkness.
It must be mentioned, however, that Sora is constantly given help by Sora, Goofy, Riku, King Mickey, and more. That isn't to say that Sora isn't a masterfully powerful Keyblade Wielder, because he is, but he's much better with friends on his side, or. as Sora likes to say "My friends are my power!" Plus, the kid just seems to always lose a portion of his powers every game and has to get them back, so that doesn't help his ranking all too much either. Still, Sora has the tallest peaks and the lowest valleys in terms of his power level, and it's completely dependent on who is with him, his state of mind, and what's at stake.
7 Aqua
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Aqua is the third apprentice of Master Eraqus, and the only true Keyblade Master of the Birth by Sleep trio. So, if Ventus is all about speed, and Terra is all about strength, what's Aqua's specialty? That's right, it's magic! Aqua is most likely the third-strongest magic user in the series, just behind King Mickey and Master Xehanort, which is a big deal.
Her ability to use Reflect magic indefinitely means that she's literally unhittable if she's paying attention, and she utilizes both gymnastic-like movements and a flurry of spells in combat with ease. And, considering Aqua managed to survive in the Realm of Darkness for an absurdly long time, something that characters like Riku or even King Mickey wouldn't dream of attempting, it's safe to say that she's up there as one of the strongest.
6 Riku
Master Riku, chosen as an apprentice by Terra, and best friend to Sora, has struggled with seduction into Darkness and getting false revenge on Sora for his actions. Because of this interaction with the darkness, and his apprenticeship with Terra, when Riku becomes a Keyblade Master, he can use both Light and Darkness to empower himself.
His character, like most of the protagonists, shows that he is always willing to sacrifice himself for the greater good, as well as the good of his friends. His strength to resist evil, but using its power, as well as having loving bonds between himself and those that support him, grant him a position as one of the strongest users of the Keyblade.
5 Master Eraqus
Growing up, Eraqus trained alongside Xehanort in becoming Keyblade Masters. During their training, Xehanort left to freely travel the world as a Seeker, while Eraqus achieved Master rank. When Eraqus learned of Xehanort's plan to forge the X-blade, the young master attempted to reason with his old friend. Xehanort eventually killed Eraqus, but in the end, Eraqus always cared for Xehanort and was there to help his troubled friend ascend to the afterlife after his defeat.
Before he fell to Xehanort, Eraqus trained Terra, Ventus, and Aqua. Not only did he train the trio, but he cared for them as if he was their own father. Eraqus's main goal wasn't to become all-powerful or rule over others, but rather to spread peace among all the worlds. He sought to use his powers strictly for good and believed all darkness needed to be destroyed. In his fighting days, Eraqus excelled at sword attacks with his Keyblade Master's Defender, and was able to swing with incredible power and fast speeds.
4 Terranort
Terra was always connected with Xehanort, as he was the one to open Terra's eyes to the Darkness within him and show him the greater power he could control. This relationship led Terra to be possessed by Xehanort's heart and turned him to complete darkness. Through a battle within Xehanort, and two battles on the exterior with the Lingering Will, Terra's armor and mind, and Aqua, who is essentially family to him, Terranort plunges deeper into darkness and is saved by none other than Aqua herself in a redeeming act that caused her downfall into the Realm of Darkness.
Because of the connection with darkness, Terra was always strong; however, after Xehanort takes over his body, Terranort possesses Xehanorts absurd magical abilities combined with Terra's unreal strength, making them a truly terrifying combo. And, to make matters even worse, Terranort also has the Dark Figure (which turns out to be Terra's Heartless), which he controls like a JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Stand, making it fight for him and decimate his opponents.
3 The Foretellers
The Foretellers are still a mysterious group in the Kingdom Hearts universe, and only those who played the mobile game Kingdom Hearts X even know about them extensively. In this game, the Foretellers named Aced, Ava, Gula, Invi, and Ira all run separate Unions with Keyblade Wielders who fight back the Darkness. All of this is of course a front, and the Foretellers are actually playing out the roles assigned to them by Luxu and the Master of Masters, the identity of which is still one of the biggest mysteries of the series.
That said, as far as their abilities are concerned, The Foretellers, as well as Luxu, are all Keyblade Masters of the highest degree, since they’re disciples of the Master of Masters himself. Each one of them has their own unique Keyblade with the Gazing Eye on their Keychains so that the Master can look after their apprentices, and this Gazing Eye is seen in all Keyblades connected to Xehanort in future games. In any case, the Foretellers, while not seen fighting often, are likely at the peak of Keyblade Mastery, and would only lose to their Master, and possibly King Mickey or Master Xehanort.
2 King Mickey
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Arguably the most recognized Keyblade wielder of the series (other than Sora himself), King Mickey is not only a loving king but also a powerful Keyblade wielder. Studying under Master Yen Sid, he is strongly connected to the Light and is the first to understand the danger of the Darkness spreading through the worlds.
Appearing in every Kingdom Hearts game throughout the series, Mickey is a guide and friend to Sora. Wielding the memorable Star Seeker, as well as two Kingdom Keys, Mickey is a formidable foe for any evil character and a strong ally for those he chooses to befriend. Essentially, King Mickey is the 'overpowered to an absurd degree' character who's always conveniently written out of most of the story's conflicts, similar to characters like Professor X from X-Men or Goku in DragonBall Z. He's the complete package fighter who is quick, can counter enemies with hard hits, is better at magic than even Aqua, and is even capable of flying!
1 Master Xehanort
As the main villain of the series so far, Master Xehanort takes many forms during the lengthy episodes of Kingdom Hearts. From the original Master who sat beside Master Eraqus, corrupting Terra and possessing him, and shown as Young Xehanort in Birth by Sleep, he is an ever-present evil whose purpose is reforging the Keyblade and overcoming any that might halt his progress.
Compared to other Keyblade wielders, Xehanort has one of the strongest connections to the Darkness and uses this connection to manipulate and overcome many of Sora's friends throughout the series. He tried to reforge the X-blade and gave his entire heart over to Darkness, throwing away any Light within him and trying to start another Keyblade War. He also uses these powers to literally send his Heart and his Nobody backward in time, which was unprecedented before Sora learned to do something similar in Kingdom Hearts 3 with the Power of Waking.
Though seen as a relatively aged man through most of the series, his physical prowess and incredible magic abilities give Sora many headaches trying to halt his quest. Having the greatest skills with a Keyblade and the most advanced powers infused with Darkness, Master Xehanort has been granted the greatest Keyblade wielder in the entire series.