Sora (Kingdom Hearts)
Encyclopedia
is a fictional character
and the main protagonist
of Square Enix
's best-selling Kingdom Hearts
series. Introduced in the series' first game in 2002, Sora is a cheerful teenager who originates from Destiny Islands and has been best friends with Riku and Kairi since early childhood. When they plan to go on a journey to see other worlds, they are separated by creatures known as Heartless. Fighting them, Sora obtains a weapon called Keyblade which makes Donald Duck
and Goofy
recruit him in their journey across various worlds to aid King Mickey
while Sora searches for his friends who were sucked in by the darkness. In the meantime, the trio protect the worlds they visit from various villains. Sora has also made supporting appearances in a few games from the series, and reprised his role in manga and novel adaptations of the games.
Sora's original design was created by Kingdom Hearts series director and character designer Tetsuya Nomura
during a discussion between Disney and Square about who should be main character of the series. Wanting it to be an original character, Nomura made various sketches of him until it met the approval of Disney. Nomura came to regard Sora as his favorite character from all the ones he has designed, and wanted to emphasize the importance of him despite being an ordinary boy. Throughout the series, Sora has been voiced by Haley Joel Osment
in the English version and Miyu Irino
in the Japanese version. As a child, Sora was voiced by Takuto Yoshinaga and Luke Manriquez in Japanese and English, respectively. Sora's character has received mainly positive critical response due to his interactions and development across the series and has also appeared in various popularity polls from video game characters.
and Goofy
, who join forces in search of his friends while Sora helps Donald and Goofy look for King Mickey. They travel across worlds in their Gummi Ship, sealing the keyholes of worlds along the way to protect them from being consumed by the darkness of the Heartless. However, they are often opposed by an alliance of Disney villains led by Maleficent
who are seeking out the seven Princesses of Heart to unlock the Keyhole that leads to "Kingdom Hearts", a repository of knowledge and power and the source of all hearts. Maleficent sows discord into Riku, causing him to antagonize Sora on several occasions.
Sora and his friends arrive at Hollow Bastion, headquarters to Maleficent
, Sora defeats Riku, after the Keyblade decides to stay with the former although the latter was revealed to be the original chosen one. After defeating Maleficient, Sora encounters a Riku possessed by Ansem, who reveals that Kairi is a Princess of Heart, and that her heart has been hiding within Sora's body. In order to return Kairi's heart, Sora impales himself with Ansem's Keyblade, transforming him into a Heartless in the process. After awakening, Kairi returns Sora back to normal with her light. After taking Kairi to safety, Sora and company confront Ansem. Defeated, Ansem is obliterated by overwhelming light inside Kingdom Hearts as he passes its door. Beyond the door are Mickey and the now recovered Riku who keep the Heartless inside from getting out as the former and Sora use their Keyblades to lock the door. Sora is forced leave Kairi once again, as he, Donald and Goofy seek a way to rescue Riku and the King.
In Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
, Sora's group stumble onto a fortress known as Castle Oblivion as all the three sense that Mickey and Riku are there. Upon entering, Sora's memories are manipulated by a girl named Naminé, who was held captive by the group Organization XIII
to jumble up Sora's memories making him forget the past as well as replace memories of Kairi with herself. However, as Sora travels upwards in the castle Namine begins to unravel the truth as he encounters her throughout the castle. After learning the truth, Sora still wishes to protect Naminé and stop the Organization members. After the Organization members opposing him are defeated, Naminé helps him, Donald, and Goofy to restore their memories to their state prior to entering Castle Oblivion, at the cost of losing their memories of the events in the castle. This requires them to sleep in the castle for the restoration of memories to completed.
In Kingdom Hearts II
, taking place a year after Chain of Memories, Sora reawakens along with Donald and Goofy in Twilight Town once his Nobody, Roxas, merges within him. As they explore the town they are told by King Mickey to visit his master, Yen Sid, who explains the existence of the Nobodies as well as Organization XIII
. As Sora sets out to find Riku and King Mickey, the group traverse new and unfamiliar worlds where they often encounter the remaining members of the Organization. Sora later encounters Ansem's Nobody, Xemnas, learning that the Organization now has Kairi captive to force Sora to gather more hearts for them. Eventually, with Mickey joining them, Sora's group finds a way to the Organization's main base in The World That Never Was with the Nobody Axel sacrificing himself to give Sora safe passage. The group soon reunites with Riku and Kairi as Sora learns the truth behind Roxas after taking out the Organization members with only Xemnas left. Sora and Riku are separated from Mickey, Goofy, Kairi and Donald as they fight Xemnas for the final time before they end up in the realm of darkness with no means of return. As two accept their fate, a door appears in front of them, and use it return to Destiny Islands where they reunite with all their friends. Kairi later runs up to them and give them a bottle she found, containing a letter from King Mickey after he uncovered a revelation.
During the majority of events during Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
, Sora is in a state of sleep as his memories are being restored by Namine, but is also playable in the multiplayer game. In Kingdom Hearts coded
Sora himself does not appear until the game's final scene, in which he receives King Mickey's letter and reads it with Riku and Kairi. A computer program
created from Sora's data serves as the primary protagonist of the game, finding out the truth behind a mysterious message found inside Jiminy's journal. A young Sora and Riku briefly appear in Destiny Islands in the prequel to Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep
. After Ventus, one of the protagonist, has his heart is damaged following a confrontation with his dark side, Vanitas, his heart finds its way into Sora, entering the boy's body. In the game's secret ending, set after the events of Kingdom Hearts II Ansem tells Aqua all about Sora's adventures, and how he may help all the people connected to him. In the final scene, Sora decides to save them after reading Mickey's letter. He and Riku will serve as the main protagonists in Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance, which will focus on their Mark of Mastery Exam under Yen Sid in preparation for their eventual battle with Master Xehanort.
A 2D cartoonish avatar version of Sora wearing his original outfit in Kingdom Hearts is also present in the online community-based social gaming networking service, Kingdom Hearts Mobile
. Sora also appears in the Shiro Amano
's manga and Tomoko Kanemaki's novels which reprise his role in the video games.
as the main protagonist of Kingdom Hearts. However, he was not originally slated to be the main protagonist as Disney wanted Donald Duck
to be the main protagonist of the game while Square
wanted to have Mickey Mouse
as the main protagonist. Nomura wanted neither as the protagonist of the game and went on to design his own main protagonist with the concepts of the Disney characters in mind which resulted in the creation of Sora. Sora originally wielded a weapon resembling a chainsaw
; however, the weapon was not well-received by Disney which led Nomura to redesign the weapon into a Keyblade. Sora's original outfit in Kingdom Hearts was also designed with Mickey Mouse in mind with Mickey Mouse's trademark white gloves, red shorts and giant yellow shoes due to Square's original preference to have Mickey as the main character of the game. The tail was removed as the staff found his design to be similar to the one of the Final Fantasy IX
protagonist Zidane Tribal
who also had a tail. After a talk with the Disney staff, the design was further reworked, and Nomura finished it after a night's work. Sora's Keyblade's primary form is the , resembling a classic skeleton key approximately 3.5' long, with a long silver keychain extending from the hilt, and a Hidden Mickey token on the end of the keychain. But through using Keychains, the Kingdom Key can assume a variety of unique forms.
One of the main concepts of Sora's character in the series is that, according to Nomura, he is a normal boy instead of a supernatural being even though he is deeply connected with other characters from the series. With Sora, Nomura wants to give players the message that even though they are not important people, they can have the opportunity to accomplish notable actions. This was emphasized in Birth by Sleeps secret ending, game in which he hoped players would like to see him. In early versions of development of Birth by Sleep, Nomura thought that Ventus would actually be Sora before being reborn, but due to overseas opinions, such portrayal was discarded.
Nomura has stated that Sora's name can be interpreted as "sky" as his name, , means sky in Japanese and was also chosen by Nomura to symbolise his role as well as personality in the story. It also shows his relation with Riku and Kairi, making their three names together "Skys, Land, and Sea." The writings from Jiminy Cricket
's journals which are supposed to be written by Nomura in the Japanese versions joking that they have similar writings and wanted people to recognize his hand-writing. He was also described by Nomura to have a forward personality, which allows him to make friends across the series. From all of the characters he has designed, Nomura comments that Sora is his favorite having encountered him many times and finding him as "special".
Following the first Kingdom Hearts, Nomura was worried about how players having Sora in a high level would use him in Kingdom Hearts II starting once again with a low level due to the games' natures. Therefore, he developed the plot of Chain of Memories to explain how Sora loses his abilities in Castle Oblivion and then start anew. Additionally, with Chain of Memories a new mystery regarding Sora's memories from Twilight Town was added and while Sora did not have any memories from such town, this fact would be explained in Kingdom Hearts II. The team in charge of Kingdom Hearts II expressed difficulties in animating Sora's Drive Valor Form for having a completely different motion except in the part that Sora walks which is shared with his regular motion. After finishing Kingdom Hearts II, Nomura wanted to give Sora a rest from the series in order to focus the following games in other characters from the series. Moreover, the events from the endings of Kingdom Hearts coded and Birth by Sleep hinted a new mystery regarding Sora's character which will be revealed in Kingdom Hearts III. Although Nomura stated in March 2010 that Sora will once again be the focus of the next Kingdom Hearts, he will share it with another character with a big importance. In response to rumors saying that Sora's story would end in Kingdom Hearts III, Nomura answered that Sora is the main protagonist of the series and that his role will end once the series ends.
Various types of merchadising have been released based on Sora's character. There are several types of action figures which show Sora with a different appearance such as his original form, the Kingdom Hearts II design and others variants. Other accessories include plush, necklaces and phone charm straps.
In January 2010, Famitsu
featured Sora as its reader's fifth most popular character of all time. They also featured him on its issue #1105 cover, gaving him a tribute, showing his many appearances through the years. UGO placed Sora nineteenth on their list of "Top 25 Japanese RPG Characters" calling him a "charismatic and visually interesting" character. Although he did not make to the top ten of Electronic Gaming Monthly
s "Top Ten: List of Videogame Characters", he was nevertheless an up-and-comer. In an ASCII Media Works
poll in which fans voted selected whose video game or manga character would like to name their children after, Sora's name was second in the male category. In a Famitsu poll from 2011, Sora was voted as the most popular Kingdom Hearts character with his fight against Roxas from Kingdom Hearts II also being listed as the best scene from the series. He was also 15th in the GameInformer poll of characters from the 2000s.
Overall, critics and fans have generally praised the character of Sora. When Sora's character was first revealed in 2002, GameSpot
's Giancarlo Varanini regarded him as "an appropriate amalgamation of the Square and Disney universes." He also comically noted he "doesn't look like much, but you know how it goes." A 1UP.com
writer called Sora "one of my all-time favorite Square characters", praising his cheerful personality. Gamasutra
commented on Sora's journey along the series in their feature "The Birth of Collecting: The Osiris Archetype In Games" by Jason Johnson; While comparing Sora with Isis
, Johnson found Sora's adventure appealing. IGN
praised Sora's resilient character noting how such an ordinary "youngster" could face up to his challenges during his adventures for the sake of friendship, while RPGFan's Nicole Monet Kirk labelled him as an "extremely likable hero". Haley Joel Osment
, Sora's English voice actor, has also been praised by Gaming Target's Matt Swidder who mentioned Osment "makes a perfect fit for Sora". While remarking Osment's work, Louis Bedigian from GameZone
mentioned that "Sora had something rarely found in video-game characters: depth" also praising his role in Kingdom Hearts. Game Informer's Bryan Vore found that in Kingdom Hearts II, Osment has improved in voicing the character, praising his work. In their Super Smash Bros Brawl list, IGN described Sora as "...the most active and evolved hero on this week's list." IGN listed him as a possible character in Super Smash Bros. Brawl
; though he was not chosen as the "reader's choice".
Sora's transformations in the various Disney worlds in Kingdom Hearts II were commented to be entertaining by Julia Reges from Allgame
due to how variated they are. Also reviewing Kingdom Hearts II, Greg Bemis from G4TV
praised Sora's development in the game, including his growth and the fact each of his attacks from the title are entertaining. Although Computer and Video Games
also found an improvement in Sora's movements due to sequences made with the Reaction Commands, they found them "fairly straightforward." RPGamer
's Cortney Stone stated that Sora now moved "like an acrobatic honed fighter" in contrast to his "adolescent awkwardness" seen in the first Kingdom Hearts and remarked Sora's transformation into a lion seen in the sequel as enjoyable. His new outfit was also well-received by GameSpy
who found an improvement from the original one that looked like "wardrobe from Mickey Mouse's closet". GamesRadar
had similar opinions and particularly focused on Sora's transformation and his new abilities. Game Informer viewed Sora's Drive Forms as well as his combined techniques with other characters as one of the best additions to the gameplay. Although IGN also praised Sora's growth in Kingdom Hearts II in their article "Kingdom Hearts III: The IGN Concept", they stated that in order to make his role in a future sequel more entertaining, he would need more development making him "be confident, collected and committed to the tasks at hand". Also commenting on his role in a future sequel, GamesRadar stated that having Sora's character older would be necessary to make the story more mature.
On the other hand, Sora also received negative comments regarding his characterization. He was third in 1UP.com's "Top 5 Most Irritating RPG Protagonists" with writer Bob Mackey commenting he is "a human version of Mickey Mouse", criticizing his original outfit and relationship with Riku and Kairi, and finding him to be less popular than the Disney characters featured in the series. In January 2007, Sora was listed the fourth "biggest dork" of 2006 by Game Informer, citing the Atlantica singing portions of the game. GameDaily
listed Sora as an example of "The spiky-haired hero" archetype, type of characters who have appeared in RPG games since Final Fantasy VII
.
Character (arts)
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
and the main protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
of Square Enix
Square Enix
is a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its console role-playing game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy series, the Dragon Quest series, and the action-RPG Kingdom Hearts series...
's best-selling Kingdom Hearts
Kingdom Hearts
is an action role-playing game developed and published by Square in 2002 for the PlayStation 2 video game console. The first game in the Kingdom Hearts series, it is the result of a collaboration between Square Enix and The Walt Disney Company. The game combines characters and settings from Disney...
series. Introduced in the series' first game in 2002, Sora is a cheerful teenager who originates from Destiny Islands and has been best friends with Riku and Kairi since early childhood. When they plan to go on a journey to see other worlds, they are separated by creatures known as Heartless. Fighting them, Sora obtains a weapon called Keyblade which makes Donald Duck
Donald Duck
Donald Fauntleroy Duck is a cartoon character created in 1934 at Walt Disney Productions and licensed by The Walt Disney Company. Donald is an anthropomorphic white duck with a yellow-orange bill, legs, and feet. He typically wears a sailor suit with a cap and a black or red bow tie. Donald is most...
and Goofy
Goofy
Goofy is a cartoon character created in 1932 at Walt Disney Productions. Goofy is a tall, anthropomorphic dog, and typically wears a turtle neck and vest, with pants, shoes, white gloves, and a tall hat originally designed as a rumpled fedora. Goofy is a close friend of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck...
recruit him in their journey across various worlds to aid King Mickey
Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse is a cartoon character created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks at The Walt Disney Studio. Mickey is an anthropomorphic black mouse and typically wears red shorts, large yellow shoes, and white gloves...
while Sora searches for his friends who were sucked in by the darkness. In the meantime, the trio protect the worlds they visit from various villains. Sora has also made supporting appearances in a few games from the series, and reprised his role in manga and novel adaptations of the games.
Sora's original design was created by Kingdom Hearts series director and character designer Tetsuya Nomura
Tetsuya Nomura
is a Japanese video game director and character designer working for Square Enix , best known for his work on both the Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts series.-Time before Square:Nomura was born in Kōchi, Japan...
during a discussion between Disney and Square about who should be main character of the series. Wanting it to be an original character, Nomura made various sketches of him until it met the approval of Disney. Nomura came to regard Sora as his favorite character from all the ones he has designed, and wanted to emphasize the importance of him despite being an ordinary boy. Throughout the series, Sora has been voiced by Haley Joel Osment
Haley Joel Osment
Haley Joel Osment is an American actor. After a series of roles in television and film during the 1990s, including a small part in Forrest Gump playing Tom Hanks' title character’s son, Osment rose to fame with his performance as Cole Sear in M...
in the English version and Miyu Irino
Miyu Irino
is a Japanese voice actor born in Tokyo.He is a good friend of voice actor Mamoru Miyano. He is nicknamed "Miyu-Miyu" by CLAMP members....
in the Japanese version. As a child, Sora was voiced by Takuto Yoshinaga and Luke Manriquez in Japanese and English, respectively. Sora's character has received mainly positive critical response due to his interactions and development across the series and has also appeared in various popularity polls from video game characters.
Appearances
At the beginning of Kingdom Hearts, Sora lives on Destiny Islands along with his two best friends, Riku and Kairi. The three plan to leave the islands to explore new worlds, but when their world is attacked by a group of dark beings known as the Heartless, the three are separated. After obtaining the Keyblade, Sora drifts off to a town known as Traverse Town where he learns the Keyblade is used to eliminate the Heartless. Soon after, Sora meets Donald DuckDonald Duck
Donald Fauntleroy Duck is a cartoon character created in 1934 at Walt Disney Productions and licensed by The Walt Disney Company. Donald is an anthropomorphic white duck with a yellow-orange bill, legs, and feet. He typically wears a sailor suit with a cap and a black or red bow tie. Donald is most...
and Goofy
Goofy
Goofy is a cartoon character created in 1932 at Walt Disney Productions. Goofy is a tall, anthropomorphic dog, and typically wears a turtle neck and vest, with pants, shoes, white gloves, and a tall hat originally designed as a rumpled fedora. Goofy is a close friend of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck...
, who join forces in search of his friends while Sora helps Donald and Goofy look for King Mickey. They travel across worlds in their Gummi Ship, sealing the keyholes of worlds along the way to protect them from being consumed by the darkness of the Heartless. However, they are often opposed by an alliance of Disney villains led by Maleficent
Maleficent
Maleficent is a fictional character and the main antagonist in Walt Disney's 1959 adaptation of Sleeping Beauty. She is the self-proclaimed "Mistress of All Evil" who, after not being invited to the baby's christening, curses the infant Princess Aurora to "prick her finger on the spindle of a...
who are seeking out the seven Princesses of Heart to unlock the Keyhole that leads to "Kingdom Hearts", a repository of knowledge and power and the source of all hearts. Maleficent sows discord into Riku, causing him to antagonize Sora on several occasions.
Sora and his friends arrive at Hollow Bastion, headquarters to Maleficent
Maleficent
Maleficent is a fictional character and the main antagonist in Walt Disney's 1959 adaptation of Sleeping Beauty. She is the self-proclaimed "Mistress of All Evil" who, after not being invited to the baby's christening, curses the infant Princess Aurora to "prick her finger on the spindle of a...
, Sora defeats Riku, after the Keyblade decides to stay with the former although the latter was revealed to be the original chosen one. After defeating Maleficient, Sora encounters a Riku possessed by Ansem, who reveals that Kairi is a Princess of Heart, and that her heart has been hiding within Sora's body. In order to return Kairi's heart, Sora impales himself with Ansem's Keyblade, transforming him into a Heartless in the process. After awakening, Kairi returns Sora back to normal with her light. After taking Kairi to safety, Sora and company confront Ansem. Defeated, Ansem is obliterated by overwhelming light inside Kingdom Hearts as he passes its door. Beyond the door are Mickey and the now recovered Riku who keep the Heartless inside from getting out as the former and Sora use their Keyblades to lock the door. Sora is forced leave Kairi once again, as he, Donald and Goofy seek a way to rescue Riku and the King.
In Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
is an action role-playing game developed by Square Enix and Japanese studio Jupiter and published by Square Enix in 2004 for the Game Boy Advance. The game serves as an intermediary between the two larger-scale PlayStation 2 games in the Kingdom Hearts series. It was one of the first GBA games to...
, Sora's group stumble onto a fortress known as Castle Oblivion as all the three sense that Mickey and Riku are there. Upon entering, Sora's memories are manipulated by a girl named Naminé, who was held captive by the group Organization XIII
Organization XIII
is a fictional group of characters featured in Square Enix and Disney Interactive Studios' Kingdom Hearts video game series. The group comprises thirteen beings without hearts called NobodiesIn the video game series' setting, beings comprise a body, heart and soul, known as a 'Whole'. When a heart...
to jumble up Sora's memories making him forget the past as well as replace memories of Kairi with herself. However, as Sora travels upwards in the castle Namine begins to unravel the truth as he encounters her throughout the castle. After learning the truth, Sora still wishes to protect Naminé and stop the Organization members. After the Organization members opposing him are defeated, Naminé helps him, Donald, and Goofy to restore their memories to their state prior to entering Castle Oblivion, at the cost of losing their memories of the events in the castle. This requires them to sleep in the castle for the restoration of memories to completed.
In Kingdom Hearts II
Kingdom Hearts II
is an action role-playing game developed by Square Enix and published by Buena Vista Games and Square Enix in 2005 for the Sony PlayStation 2 video game console...
, taking place a year after Chain of Memories, Sora reawakens along with Donald and Goofy in Twilight Town once his Nobody, Roxas, merges within him. As they explore the town they are told by King Mickey to visit his master, Yen Sid, who explains the existence of the Nobodies as well as Organization XIII
Organization XIII
is a fictional group of characters featured in Square Enix and Disney Interactive Studios' Kingdom Hearts video game series. The group comprises thirteen beings without hearts called NobodiesIn the video game series' setting, beings comprise a body, heart and soul, known as a 'Whole'. When a heart...
. As Sora sets out to find Riku and King Mickey, the group traverse new and unfamiliar worlds where they often encounter the remaining members of the Organization. Sora later encounters Ansem's Nobody, Xemnas, learning that the Organization now has Kairi captive to force Sora to gather more hearts for them. Eventually, with Mickey joining them, Sora's group finds a way to the Organization's main base in The World That Never Was with the Nobody Axel sacrificing himself to give Sora safe passage. The group soon reunites with Riku and Kairi as Sora learns the truth behind Roxas after taking out the Organization members with only Xemnas left. Sora and Riku are separated from Mickey, Goofy, Kairi and Donald as they fight Xemnas for the final time before they end up in the realm of darkness with no means of return. As two accept their fate, a door appears in front of them, and use it return to Destiny Islands where they reunite with all their friends. Kairi later runs up to them and give them a bottle she found, containing a letter from King Mickey after he uncovered a revelation.
During the majority of events during Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
is an action roleplaying game developed and published by Square Enix for the Nintendo DS with assistance from h.a.n.d. It is the fifth installment in the best-selling Kingdom Hearts series, and serves as an interquel beginning near the end of the first game, Kingdom Hearts, and covering the period...
, Sora is in a state of sleep as his memories are being restored by Namine, but is also playable in the multiplayer game. In Kingdom Hearts coded
Kingdom Hearts coded
is an episodic puzzle video game developed and published by Square Enix, in collaboration with the Walt Disney Internet Group for mobile phones. It is the fourth installment in the Kingdom Hearts series and is set after the events of the Kingdom Hearts II. The story focuses on a message written in...
Sora himself does not appear until the game's final scene, in which he receives King Mickey's letter and reads it with Riku and Kairi. A computer program
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
created from Sora's data serves as the primary protagonist of the game, finding out the truth behind a mysterious message found inside Jiminy's journal. A young Sora and Riku briefly appear in Destiny Islands in the prequel to Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep
Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep
is an action role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix and Disney for the PlayStation Portable, serving as the sixth installment in the Kingdom Hearts series. The game was released on UMD in Japan on January 9, 2010, in North America on September 7, 2010 and in Europe on September...
. After Ventus, one of the protagonist, has his heart is damaged following a confrontation with his dark side, Vanitas, his heart finds its way into Sora, entering the boy's body. In the game's secret ending, set after the events of Kingdom Hearts II Ansem tells Aqua all about Sora's adventures, and how he may help all the people connected to him. In the final scene, Sora decides to save them after reading Mickey's letter. He and Riku will serve as the main protagonists in Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance, which will focus on their Mark of Mastery Exam under Yen Sid in preparation for their eventual battle with Master Xehanort.
A 2D cartoonish avatar version of Sora wearing his original outfit in Kingdom Hearts is also present in the online community-based social gaming networking service, Kingdom Hearts Mobile
Kingdom Hearts Mobile
is an online community-based social gaming networking service developed by Square Enix for the NTT DoCoMo. It was officially launched on December 15, 2008 in Japan in conjunction with the video game Kingdom Hearts coded for mobile phones. Unlike Kingdom Hearts coded, Mobile is not part of the main...
. Sora also appears in the Shiro Amano
Shiro Amano
is a Japanese manga artist who has worked on several projects, including his adaptation on the popular Kingdom Hearts series.-Manga:* Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories* Kingdom Hearts II* Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days* Legend of Mana...
's manga and Tomoko Kanemaki's novels which reprise his role in the video games.
Concept and creation
Sora was designed by Tetsuya NomuraTetsuya Nomura
is a Japanese video game director and character designer working for Square Enix , best known for his work on both the Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts series.-Time before Square:Nomura was born in Kōchi, Japan...
as the main protagonist of Kingdom Hearts. However, he was not originally slated to be the main protagonist as Disney wanted Donald Duck
Donald Duck
Donald Fauntleroy Duck is a cartoon character created in 1934 at Walt Disney Productions and licensed by The Walt Disney Company. Donald is an anthropomorphic white duck with a yellow-orange bill, legs, and feet. He typically wears a sailor suit with a cap and a black or red bow tie. Donald is most...
to be the main protagonist of the game while Square
Square (company)
was a Japanese video game company founded in September 1983 by Masafumi Miyamoto. It merged with Enix in 2003 and became part of Square Enix...
wanted to have Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse is a cartoon character created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks at The Walt Disney Studio. Mickey is an anthropomorphic black mouse and typically wears red shorts, large yellow shoes, and white gloves...
as the main protagonist. Nomura wanted neither as the protagonist of the game and went on to design his own main protagonist with the concepts of the Disney characters in mind which resulted in the creation of Sora. Sora originally wielded a weapon resembling a chainsaw
Chainsaw
A chainsaw is a portable mechanical saw, powered by electricity, compressed air, hydraulic power, or most commonly a two-stroke engine...
; however, the weapon was not well-received by Disney which led Nomura to redesign the weapon into a Keyblade. Sora's original outfit in Kingdom Hearts was also designed with Mickey Mouse in mind with Mickey Mouse's trademark white gloves, red shorts and giant yellow shoes due to Square's original preference to have Mickey as the main character of the game. The tail was removed as the staff found his design to be similar to the one of the Final Fantasy IX
Final Fantasy IX
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the PlayStation video game console. It is the ninth title in the Final Fantasy series. The game introduced new features to the series like the 'Active Time Event', 'Mognet' and a unique equipment and skill system.Final Fantasy IXs...
protagonist Zidane Tribal
Zidane Tribal
is a fictional thief in the Final Fantasy series, and the protagonist of Final Fantasy IX.-Concept and creation:Zidane, along with other characters, was designed after the creation of Final Fantasy IXs plot, unlike its predecessors, Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy VIII, which had its...
who also had a tail. After a talk with the Disney staff, the design was further reworked, and Nomura finished it after a night's work. Sora's Keyblade's primary form is the , resembling a classic skeleton key approximately 3.5' long, with a long silver keychain extending from the hilt, and a Hidden Mickey token on the end of the keychain. But through using Keychains, the Kingdom Key can assume a variety of unique forms.
One of the main concepts of Sora's character in the series is that, according to Nomura, he is a normal boy instead of a supernatural being even though he is deeply connected with other characters from the series. With Sora, Nomura wants to give players the message that even though they are not important people, they can have the opportunity to accomplish notable actions. This was emphasized in Birth by Sleeps secret ending, game in which he hoped players would like to see him. In early versions of development of Birth by Sleep, Nomura thought that Ventus would actually be Sora before being reborn, but due to overseas opinions, such portrayal was discarded.
Nomura has stated that Sora's name can be interpreted as "sky" as his name, , means sky in Japanese and was also chosen by Nomura to symbolise his role as well as personality in the story. It also shows his relation with Riku and Kairi, making their three names together "Skys, Land, and Sea." The writings from Jiminy Cricket
Jiminy Cricket
Jiminy Cricket is the Walt Disney version of "The Talking Cricket" , a fictional character created by Carlo Collodi for his children's book Pinocchio, which was adapted into an animated film by Disney in 1940...
's journals which are supposed to be written by Nomura in the Japanese versions joking that they have similar writings and wanted people to recognize his hand-writing. He was also described by Nomura to have a forward personality, which allows him to make friends across the series. From all of the characters he has designed, Nomura comments that Sora is his favorite having encountered him many times and finding him as "special".
Following the first Kingdom Hearts, Nomura was worried about how players having Sora in a high level would use him in Kingdom Hearts II starting once again with a low level due to the games' natures. Therefore, he developed the plot of Chain of Memories to explain how Sora loses his abilities in Castle Oblivion and then start anew. Additionally, with Chain of Memories a new mystery regarding Sora's memories from Twilight Town was added and while Sora did not have any memories from such town, this fact would be explained in Kingdom Hearts II. The team in charge of Kingdom Hearts II expressed difficulties in animating Sora's Drive Valor Form for having a completely different motion except in the part that Sora walks which is shared with his regular motion. After finishing Kingdom Hearts II, Nomura wanted to give Sora a rest from the series in order to focus the following games in other characters from the series. Moreover, the events from the endings of Kingdom Hearts coded and Birth by Sleep hinted a new mystery regarding Sora's character which will be revealed in Kingdom Hearts III. Although Nomura stated in March 2010 that Sora will once again be the focus of the next Kingdom Hearts, he will share it with another character with a big importance. In response to rumors saying that Sora's story would end in Kingdom Hearts III, Nomura answered that Sora is the main protagonist of the series and that his role will end once the series ends.
Reception
In January 2010, Famitsu
Famitsu
is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Enterbrain, Inc. and Tokuma. Currently, there are five Famitsū magazines: Shūkan Famitsū, Famitsū PS3 + PSP, Famitsū Xbox 360, Famitsū Wii+DS, and Famitsū Wave DVD...
featured Sora as its reader's fifth most popular character of all time. They also featured him on its issue #1105 cover, gaving him a tribute, showing his many appearances through the years. UGO placed Sora nineteenth on their list of "Top 25 Japanese RPG Characters" calling him a "charismatic and visually interesting" character. Although he did not make to the top ten of Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly is a bimonthly American video game magazine. It has been published by EGM Media, LLC. since relaunching in April of 2010. Its previous run, which ended in January 2009, was published by Ziff Davis...
s "Top Ten: List of Videogame Characters", he was nevertheless an up-and-comer. In an ASCII Media Works
ASCII Media Works
is a Japanese publishing company in the Kadokawa Group which formed on April 1, 2008 as a result of a merger between ASCII and MediaWorks where MediaWorks legally absorbed ASCII. Despite this, the former president of ASCII, Kiyoshi Takano, became the president of ASCII Media Works. The company...
poll in which fans voted selected whose video game or manga character would like to name their children after, Sora's name was second in the male category. In a Famitsu poll from 2011, Sora was voted as the most popular Kingdom Hearts character with his fight against Roxas from Kingdom Hearts II also being listed as the best scene from the series. He was also 15th in the GameInformer poll of characters from the 2000s.
Overall, critics and fans have generally praised the character of Sora. When Sora's character was first revealed in 2002, GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
's Giancarlo Varanini regarded him as "an appropriate amalgamation of the Square and Disney universes." He also comically noted he "doesn't look like much, but you know how it goes." A 1UP.com
1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
writer called Sora "one of my all-time favorite Square characters", praising his cheerful personality. Gamasutra
Gamasutra
Gamasutra is a website founded in 1997 for video game developers. It is owned and operated by UBM TechWeb , a division of United Business Media, and acts as the online sister publication to the print magazine Game Developer...
commented on Sora's journey along the series in their feature "The Birth of Collecting: The Osiris Archetype In Games" by Jason Johnson; While comparing Sora with Isis
Isis
Isis or in original more likely Aset is a goddess in Ancient Egyptian religious beliefs, whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. She was worshipped as the ideal mother and wife as well as the matron of nature and magic...
, Johnson found Sora's adventure appealing. IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
praised Sora's resilient character noting how such an ordinary "youngster" could face up to his challenges during his adventures for the sake of friendship, while RPGFan's Nicole Monet Kirk labelled him as an "extremely likable hero". Haley Joel Osment
Haley Joel Osment
Haley Joel Osment is an American actor. After a series of roles in television and film during the 1990s, including a small part in Forrest Gump playing Tom Hanks' title character’s son, Osment rose to fame with his performance as Cole Sear in M...
, Sora's English voice actor, has also been praised by Gaming Target's Matt Swidder who mentioned Osment "makes a perfect fit for Sora". While remarking Osment's work, Louis Bedigian from GameZone
GameZone
GameZone is an American multiplatform video game website. GameZone's daily coverage includes reviews, previews, news, hints & cheats, and editorials. Additionally, GameZone offers downloads, a child-targeted website and in association with GameStop, hosts GZGameShop, an online retailer...
mentioned that "Sora had something rarely found in video-game characters: depth" also praising his role in Kingdom Hearts. Game Informer's Bryan Vore found that in Kingdom Hearts II, Osment has improved in voicing the character, praising his work. In their Super Smash Bros Brawl list, IGN described Sora as "...the most active and evolved hero on this week's list." IGN listed him as a possible character in Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl, known in Japan as , often abbreviated as SSBB or simply as Brawl, is the third installment in the Super Smash Bros. series of crossover fighting games, developed by an ad hoc development team consisting of Sora, Game Arts and staff from other developers, and published by...
; though he was not chosen as the "reader's choice".
Sora's transformations in the various Disney worlds in Kingdom Hearts II were commented to be entertaining by Julia Reges from Allgame
Allgame
Allgame is a commercial database of information about arcade games, video games and console manufacturers.Allgame is owned by All Media Guide, along with Allmusic and Allmovie....
due to how variated they are. Also reviewing Kingdom Hearts II, Greg Bemis from G4TV
G4 (TV channel)
G4, also known as G4 TV, is an American cable- and satellite-television channel originally geared primarily toward young adult viewers, originally based on the world of video games...
praised Sora's development in the game, including his growth and the fact each of his attacks from the title are entertaining. Although Computer and Video Games
Computer and video games
A video game is an electronic game that involves human interaction with a user interface to generate visual feedback on a video device. The word video in video game traditionally referred to a raster display device, but following popularization of the term "video game", it now implies any type of...
also found an improvement in Sora's movements due to sequences made with the Reaction Commands, they found them "fairly straightforward." RPGamer
RPGamer
RPGamer is a media and news website dedicated to covering computer and video game RPGs. Its coverage includes North American game news, European game news, Asian game news, gaming industry news, game reviews, game previews, hands-on game impressions, gaming conventions, game merchandise, release...
's Cortney Stone stated that Sora now moved "like an acrobatic honed fighter" in contrast to his "adolescent awkwardness" seen in the first Kingdom Hearts and remarked Sora's transformation into a lion seen in the sequel as enjoyable. His new outfit was also well-received by GameSpy
GameSpy
GameSpy Industries, Inc., known simply as GameSpy, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game websites and provides online video game-related services and software. GameSpy dates back to the 1996 release of an internet Quake server search program named QSpy. The current...
who found an improvement from the original one that looked like "wardrobe from Mickey Mouse's closet". GamesRadar
GamesRadar
GamesRadar is a multi-format video game website featuring regular news, previews, reviews, videos, and guides. It is owned and operated simultaneously in the UK and US by worldwide publisher Future Publishing...
had similar opinions and particularly focused on Sora's transformation and his new abilities. Game Informer viewed Sora's Drive Forms as well as his combined techniques with other characters as one of the best additions to the gameplay. Although IGN also praised Sora's growth in Kingdom Hearts II in their article "Kingdom Hearts III: The IGN Concept", they stated that in order to make his role in a future sequel more entertaining, he would need more development making him "be confident, collected and committed to the tasks at hand". Also commenting on his role in a future sequel, GamesRadar stated that having Sora's character older would be necessary to make the story more mature.
On the other hand, Sora also received negative comments regarding his characterization. He was third in 1UP.com's "Top 5 Most Irritating RPG Protagonists" with writer Bob Mackey commenting he is "a human version of Mickey Mouse", criticizing his original outfit and relationship with Riku and Kairi, and finding him to be less popular than the Disney characters featured in the series. In January 2007, Sora was listed the fourth "biggest dork" of 2006 by Game Informer, citing the Atlantica singing portions of the game. GameDaily
GameDaily
GameDaily was a video game journalism website based in the United States. Launched in 1995 by entrepreneur Mark Friedler under the name Gigex and focused on free game demo downloads, The site changed its business model from a flat fee per download CDN distributed service network to an...
listed Sora as an example of "The spiky-haired hero" archetype, type of characters who have appeared in RPG games since Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy VII
is a role-playing video game developed by Square and published by Sony Computer Entertainment as the seventh installment in the Final Fantasy series. It was originally released in 1997 for the Sony PlayStation and was re-released in 1998 for Microsoft Windows-based personal computers and in 2009...
.