Kingdom Hearts, the action-RPG series that blends original heroes with Disney and Final Fantasy characters, began from an unlikely spark and has grown into a franchise with more than 39 million copies distributed.
Inspiration from Super Mario 64 and a bold idea
Tetsuya Nomura, director at Square Enix, has said Super Mario 64 influenced him strongly—its fully 3D visuals and freedom of movement shaped his thinking about new game possibilities. Colleagues at Square, however, believed such a project would be difficult to launch with an entirely new protagonist.
During discussions at the company, someone suggested that a game of that scope could only succeed with already-recognized characters, such as Disney’s. That suggestion lingered in Nomura’s mind and resurfaced years later while Kingdom Hearts was being developed.
How the Disney collaboration began
Nomura described his initial meeting with Disney representatives as short and informal, without a rigid agenda. He already had a clear concept: create entirely new characters who would travel across multiple worlds populated by Disney figures.
Disney officials were initially surprised by some early creative choices—one early concept for the main character’s weapon resembled a chainsaw—but that notion was later discarded. Disney ultimately approved the final character design.
Nomura has recounted the anecdote that the collaboration’s origin traces back to an encounter in an elevator: in one telling at Tokyo Game Show 2004, he said the project began after Square producer Shinji Hashimoto met Disney executives in an elevator of the building both companies occupied.
Early development and shifts in tone
Development officially started in February 2000. Initially, the story targeted Disney’s core audience, but over the course of production the narrative was reworked into a more expansive, epic tale influenced by Final Fantasy’s storytelling style.
The team faced significant challenges: the studio was not specialized in action games, and this was Nomura’s first project as director. He recalled moments of panic and anxiety among staff uncertain whether the game would be enjoyable.
Release and franchise growth
The original Kingdom Hearts launched in Japan on March 28, 2002 for PlayStation 2. The title sold 6.4 million units on that console and became, until 2019, the best-selling game starring Mickey Mouse, according to Guinness.
The franchise now totals 17 games when counting remasters, mobile titles and spin-offs. Square Enix announced at D23 that the series has had more than 39 million units distributed. For context, by 2022 the franchise had exceeded 35 million units, and Kingdom Hearts III is the series’ top seller with 6.7 million units, per Square Enix.
What’s next: Kingdom Hearts IV and related projects
Kingdom Hearts IV is scheduled for release in 2027 and will include a world inspired by Coco (Viva: A Vida é uma Festa). Alongside the game announcement, an original Kingdom Hearts series for Disney Channel and Disney+ was revealed, with Nomura participating in its development.
