Who actually owns Kingdom Hearts?
The popular RPG series brings together Final Fantasy and Disney characters to form an entirely new franchise. But with so many iconic characters appearing in the games, it’s a fair question to ask: who actually owns Kingdom Hearts?
Despite its unconventional premise, Kingdom Hearts has carved out a place in gaming canon. The series continues to attract millions of fans with its earnest storytelling and memorable characters. But who actually owns Kingdom Hearts? Does Sora belong to Disney or Final Fantasy? And who gets the money if you buy Kingdom Hearts toys?
Who owns Kingdom Hearts?
Kingdom Hearts was born from a simple idea: what would happen if Final Fantasy characters met Disney characters? The answer, it seems, is a lot. The series has sold over 85 million copies, and continues to attract millions of fans with its earnest storytelling and memorable characters. But who owns Kingdom Hearts?
When it comes to who owns Kingdom Hearts, it’s a complex question. The series was initially pitched by Tetsuya Nomura, a developer at Square Enix, to a Disney executive as an elevator pitch. The goal was to create something new by combining the worlds of Final Fantasy and Disney.
As the central character, Sora is essential to Kingdom Hearts. His journey is the focus of the story, and his ability to balance the childlike wonder of Disney animation with the more grounded Final Fantasy characters is a large part of Kingdom Hearts’ charm. Sora is an original character, created by Nomura, but he is key to the Kingdom Hearts’ story.
When it comes to who owns Kingdom Hearts, then, Sora is a key part of the series. But does that mean he belongs to Square Enix, the development team, and creative leads?
Not exactly. While Square Enix serves as the development team and creative leads for Kingdom Hearts, with Disney owning the franchise, Sora’s inclusion in Super Smash Bros required approval from both Square Enix and Disney. Sora is owned by Disney entirely, but Square Enix has a significant influence on the game’s direction.
The partnership between Square Enix and Disney is why this weirdly wonderful series keeps drawing players back, despite its unique premise. The appeal of Kingdom Hearts lies in the original characters and storylines, rather than the presence of Final Fantasy or Disney characters.
Now you know who owns Kingdom Hearts, you can learn about all the games in the series, from the original Kingdom Hearts to the newest game in the series, Kingdom Hearts 3: ReMorseant Moon.
