Sora is the main protagonist of the Kingdom Hearts video game series. He is the character that players control throughout the games as he goes on adventures with Donald Duck and Goofy to protect the various Disney-themed worlds from the forces of darkness. However, what would happen if Sora were to die before completing his quest? Let’s explore some possible scenarios.
How Important is Sora to the Story?
As the main protagonist, Sora is absolutely essential to the overarching story of Kingdom Hearts. He is chosen by the Keyblade as the hero destined to stop the Heartless, Nobodies, and other villains from unleashing chaos. Sora is connected to many other characters in the series as well, including Riku, Kairi, Roxas, Ventus, and Xion. Without Sora, the story as we know it could not progress.
Sora’s Key Role
More specifically, Sora plays a key role (no pun intended) in the Kingdom Hearts mythos for a few reasons:
- He wields the Keyblade, which is the only weapon that can truly defeat the Heartless and seal the keyholes to different worlds.
- He houses Ventus’s heart, keeping him safe after Ventus lost his heart.
- His Nobody, Roxas, is a former member of Organization XIII and helps stop their plans.
- His connections to so many characters drive the emotional core of the story.
Losing Sora would unravel many of the threads holding the narrative together.
How Sora Interacts with Other Characters
Sora has close bonds with Riku, Kairi, King Mickey, Donald, Goofy, and many other characters. Here are some of his key relationships:
Character | Relationship with Sora |
---|---|
Riku | Childhood best friend and rival who becomes an ally |
Kairi | Childhood friend for whom Sora has romantic feelings |
King Mickey | Keyblade mentor and friend |
Donald & Goofy | Traveling companions who support Sora loyally |
Losing Sora would have emotional ramifications across the cast.
Scenarios Where Sora Could Die
Now let’s think through some key moments in the series where Sora could believably have died. What would happen next?
Destiny Islands is Destroyed
In Kingdom Hearts 1, Sora is still living on Destiny Islands when the Heartless first attack and destroy the world. If Sora perished during this initial invasion, the Keyblade would have to choose a new wielder.
The most likely candidate would be Riku, who originally was meant to inherit the Keyblade before it rejected him for the darkness in his heart. Riku would then potentially take Sora’s place on a quest to find Kairi along with Donald and Goofy. However, without Sora to redeem him, Riku may remain antagonistic.
Sacrifice to Free Kairi’s Heart
When Sora stabs himself with the dark Keyblade to free Kairi’s heart in the first game, he could have plausibly died there. With both Sora and Kairi gone, the final battle with Ansem would play out very differently. Again, Riku may have been forced to step up as protagonist.
Roxas and Naminé also may have never been created without Sora and Kairi. This completely changes the makeup of Organization XIII. Would they find new members? Would Axel and Roxas ever become friends?
Defeat by Xemnas
At the end of Kingdom Hearts 2, Sora and Riku face off against Xemnas. If Sora perished here, Riku may have been able to still defeat Xemnas but would be left stranded in the dark realm. Roxas could potentially return as his own person with Ventus’ heart still inside Sora, but many future storylines around the BBS characters would not occur.
Saving Kairi from Xehanort
In Kingdom Hearts 3, Sora disappears saving Kairi from being kidnapped. If he had died here, Kairi likely still would have been captured. This may have forced the remaining guardians of light to empower Kairi to make her a playable fighter against Xehanort.
Roxas and Ventus could also have played bigger roles without Sora present. Ultimately Xehanort likely still would have been defeated, but at a much greater cost.
How the Story Would Change
Based on these scenarios, we can piece together how the Kingdom Hearts story would differ if Sora died at key moments.
With No Sora…
- Riku likely becomes the protagonist but struggles between light and darkness.
- Kairi may awaken as a Keyblade wielder earlier on.
- Roxas and Naminé may never exist.
- Organization XIII has a different lineup.
- Xehanort’s defeat takes more sacrifices.
Major Differences in Each Game
Here’s how each game could play out:
Kingdom Hearts 1
Riku claims the Keyblade but fights with inner darkness. Kairi never loses her heart, so Ansem possesses Riku completely near the end. Roxas isn’t born.
Chain of Memories
Riku struggles against Ansem’s control to find a way to free himself. NaminĂ© manipulates his memories to try to bury Ansem.
Kingdom Hearts 2
With no Roxas, Axel never defects from the Organization. Kairi may join forces with Riku and Mickey to take down Xemnas.
Birth By Sleep
Ven’s heart never finds refuge in Sora, so he likely perishes. Terra is possessed by Xehanort with no one able to stop him.
Dream Drop Distance
With no Ventus or Roxas, Xehanort can’t create his Organization XIII and stalls his plans. Riku searches for Terra’s lost heart.
Kingdom Hearts 3
Xehanort possesses Terra completely. Riku and Kairi lead the guardians of light but suffer great losses against him.
Conclusion
Sora’s absence would fundamentally change the Kingdom Hearts universe. While the forces of light may still prevail, it could come at a much greater cost. Sora serves as the emotional heart of the story and allows other characters to grow based on their connections with him. Without his heroic journey guiding Kingdom Hearts, the story loses its optimistic and inspiring core. While a grimmer tale where Riku and Kairi rise up as heroes could be interesting, Sora’s uplifting adventurous spirit would be sorely missed. His power of friendship resonates through the whole series – without it, Kingdom Hearts just wouldn’t be the same.