The Kingdom Hearts series began as a simple story about the power of friendship but has since evolved into one of the most convoluted stories in video gaming. What started as a relatively simple narrative has grown to become a frightening storehouse of unnecessary information. Fans of the series have a knack for noticing plot inconsistencies and series director Tetsuya Nomura feels the need to explain them in any way he can.
Nomura is compelled to highlight and explain every detail no matter its significance, resulting in some comical and unusual additions to the game's story. Though retconning can be an efficient method of reshaping a story, sometimes a story should be left alone. The Kingdom Hearts series is chock-full of retcons and, though some serve to benefit the story, others seek to dismantle it.
10 Yen Sid's Mysterious Tower
Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep is a prequel game that takes place ten years before the events in Kingdom Hearts 1. Being a prequel it can include familiar locations from the mainline games to highlight what they were like in the past. Though some inclusions benefit the story, the inclusion of Donald and Goofy at Yen Sid's Tower contradicts events in Kingdom Hearts 2.
Kingdom Hearts 2 sees Donald and Goofy discovering the Mysterious Tower for what appears to be the first time. Upon learning who dwells in this structure, Donald exclaims "Master Yen Sid lives here!?" Before he runs inside to investigate. Donald would not have simply forgotten his role at the Mysterious Tower ten years ago, but unfortunately, the game developers did, leading to one of the most confusing moments in the series.
9 The Original Organization 13
Organization 13's primary goal was to summon Kingdom Hearts, an all-powerful entity capable of restoring lost hearts to their former bodies. To do this, they required Sora to defeat heartless, otherwise, their goal would not be achieved. Though they were presented as malicious beings, they only really wanted the opportunity to feel emotion again.
Their actions were questionable, but Sora's decision to massacre their group was worse. Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance later revealed that the Organization did not plan to use Kingdom Hearts to restore their emotions, but instead to create 13 versions of Xehanort. This retcon was implemented to redeem Sora's actions by further vilifying Organization 13.
8 The Angry Look
Xigbar is one of the most mysterious characters in the Kingdom Hearts series. During Sora's first encounter with him, Xigbar informs him that "He used to give me that same exact look," a line referencing Roxas during his time spent in the Organization. Nomura decided, however, that more context was needed to ensure Xigbar's relevance to the plot.
Xigbar first comments on the iconic "angry look" in Birth By Sleep while referring to Ventus, and then again in Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days while referring to Xion. This retcon serves to give Xigbar a deeper backstory. Though it is unlikely that these connections were planned during the creation of Kingdom Hearts 2, it is successful in highlighting Xigbar's presence throughout the series.
7 Aqua In The Realm Of Darkness
The climax of Birth By Sleep sees Aqua becoming trapped in the Realm of Darkness. She remained here for approximately ten years before her rescue in Kingdom Hearts 3, but her rescue could have come much sooner if a certain mouse had divulged the necessary information.
Mickey Mouse stumbled upon Aqua in the Realm of Darkness during the events of Kingdom Hearts 0.2: A Fragmentary Passage. Aqua played a vital role in the closing of the door to Kingdom Hearts in the first game and, though Mickey had many chances, he chose not to mention her involvement until many years later. Aqua's role was retconned into the series to give Riku and Mickey a reason to explore the Realm of Darkness in search of her.
6 Xehanort's Heartless
The main antagonist of Kingdom Hearts 1 is Ansem, the Seeker of Darkness. He is a ridiculously evil villain that Sora risks everything to put a stop to, so it may come as a shock when it is revealed that he was an imposter.
Mickey reveals to Sora in Kingdom Hearts 2 that the Ansem he fought was Xehanort's heartless, a being formed when Xehanort released his heart using his keyblade. He chose to take his former master's name as he idolized him, but his identity crisis led to him believing he truly was Ansem. This retcon served to give Ansem a fascinating origin story.
5 Roxas' Return
Though Sora's story in Kingdom Hearts 2 is a heartwarming one, for Roxas it is bittersweet. He spends the entirety of the game fighting for a body and a life of his own, but in the end, he happily decides to return to Sora to be with Naminé. The game informs the player that a nobody and its somebody cannot co-exist, so Roxas returning to Sora is the happiest ending one could hope for.
It was a definitive ending, but in response to the community's overwhelming desire for Roxas to live his own and separate life, Kingdom Hearts 3 brought him back, thus diminishing the emotions experienced when his story ended. Roxas' return was impossible in Kingdom Hearts 2, but Nomura chose to retcon him back into the story to appease fans.
4 Nobodies Have Hearts
Since the introduction of Organization 13, the series has constantly reminded the player that its members do not have hearts and thus cannot feel emotion. Many argue that a nobody displaying emotion implies that they have a heart, but this representation of emotion is more than likely a method for the developers to create an engaging character. A truly emotionless character would be difficult to make likable.
It was revealed later in Dream Drop Distance that nobodies were capable of growing hearts. This revelation proved to humanize characters who had previously perished, redeeming them in the process and allowing them the opportunity to return in future installments. It was an unexpected retcon that suited the story, but the chances of it being planned ahead of time are slim.
3 Pete's Introduction
.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=500&dpr=1.5)
Maleficent's lackey, Pete, is introduced in Kingdom Hearts 2. Though he is portrayed as more of a blundering idiot than an asset, he does a great job at assisting Maleficent with her evil schemes.
Birth By Sleep revealed that Maleficent rescued Pete from imprisonment under the condition that he became her minion. Though he was saved before the events of Kingdom Hearts 1, he was only introduced in Kingdom Hearts 2. The presentation of Pete's origins serves to strengthen the bond he and Maleficent share, but it is still a retcon as the timeline of their relationship makes less sense upon this reveal.
2 The Keybalde's Chosen One
Sora is chosen to be the Keyblade's wielder during the beginning of Kingdom Hearts 1. The game implies that Sora is chosen due to the strength of his heart and, though this is partially true, it is inaccurate.
Birth By Sleep reveals that Terra performed the Keyblade Inheritance Ceremony with Riku when he was a child. If the conditions were met, Riku would one day inherit a keyblade of his own. Unfortunately, Riku chose to side with darkness which resulted in the Keyblade being inherited by Sora instead. If the Inheritance Ceremony had not been retconned into the series, Sora may never have received a keyblade.
1 Mickey's Shirt
During the final moments of Kingdom Hearts 1, Mickey is revealed to be on the other side of the door to Kingdom Hearts. With Sora and Mickey's combined strength, they manage to close the door, preventing further darkness from leaking out.
Mickey is shirtless in this scene as that was his intended design, but due to his redesign in later games, Nomura felt it necessary to justify his original depiction. 0.2 A Fragmentary Passage reveals that, just before this scene, Mickey was attacked by a hoard of heartless capable of removing one's clothing. This nonsensical retcon has since become a joke among the community.