Is Sora Really Happy? | The Psychology of Sora

[@kingleonidas2182]

I’ll edit this if it’s mentioned later but I really hope that moment in KH2’s ending in the Realm of Darkness gets mentioned. Sora is about to open up for the only time ever, thinking that everyone is finally safe and he’s with Riku. He admits that he has his own darkness but it’s not even noticed when Riku falls. He switches right back into service and helping Riku, never mentioning this again. Edit: Dang. Wasn’t mentioned.

[@supremeoverlord0]

Yes, so true! It absolutely should have been mentioned. I thought the same of that scene; it's doubly interesting that despite Sora making that admission, with the context of that scene, he still was at relative peace with himself and his circumstances. I think this is largely in part to he and Riku being isolated from the Realm of Light, and by extension, outside social pressures that have led Sora to internalize feelings of intense responsibility throughout his journey. In that moment, both he and Riku were able to cast away preconceived notions of their characters that were previously thrust upon them, hence the blurring of the light/darkness values and the "we'll be the darkness" line. In a way, the Realm of Darkness offered a crucial haven of honesty with their emotions regarding each other and themselves that was long overdue.

[@BioRoxas]

Thank you so much for pointing it out!! There is probably some aspects and cutscenes we missed and such is the nature of trying to be comprehensive! There will be stuff that slips through the cracks but I really appreciate you pointing this missed part out and unpacking it :)

[@Ueslx.600]

Yea

[@syredonyx9953]

I contemplate this very scene on a weekly basis 😢❤

[@supremeoverlord0]

@@syredonyx9953 Who doesn't, man. :((

[@kyleco9149]

When you realize that roxas is legit whats sora's personality is without the boundless optimism and positive attitude

[@eliz0101]

WAIT I NEVER THOUGHT OF THIS. thats so smart, I'm definitely gonna rewatch some scenes now to compare!

[@ClairvoyantDreams358]

real

[@windy4566]

Holy shit that makes a lot of sense dawg

[@gengargamer5657]

D@MN

[@SolOrSolana]

It just hit me and what makes it crazier is that you can prolly say that Ross’s got those more real feelings from sora and when sora came back that part of happiness couldn’t really click in Roxas

[@tTtan639]

Kh2 in a nutshell: Sora: My friends count on me, I'm not allowed to be sad. Roxas: That is absolutely incorrect in every way shape and form.

[@WaywardRyu]

And this is why Roxas is my favorite. He's overtly able to see through and call Sora out on his bullshit since they're technically the same person.

[@L16htW4rr10r]

Roxas is my favourite ever since I lay my eyes on him. Everything about him is just great

[@creeperkinght1144]

which in itself is both a way of self criticism and conflict of his own motives and ideas of what it means to be happy @@WaywardRyu

[@GeorgiaAndrea]

@@L16htW4rr10r 💯

[@KingdomTerrahearts]

Honestly, this reminds me of a phrase in kh1 that always resonated with me: "the brightest the light, the stronger the shadow it casts". Sora puts up a happy "light" face, but the darkness within grows even stronger the more he tries to hide it.

[@BioRoxas]

Oh I love this!

[@Broomer52]

It’s why Xehanort was so interested in him. He can only make vessels of those with strong hearts with darkness in them. Sora had a very strong heart and in spite of all his good qualities theirs a darkness deep inside him. Every since they introduced forms into the setting this has been mechanically proven as well. His Anti-Form aka Rage Form is his inner Darkness escaping for a moment in time. During fights with the Organization it’s more likely to happen too. Even the final fight with Xehanort showed that Sora’s Darkness is so much stronger than Xehanort’s. Xehanort temporarily purges the light from Sora and forces him into Rage Form and Sora tears Xehanort part with his bare hands. Sora lives his friends, wants to believe the best in everyone, looks at the world around him with such wonder but Sora is dependent on his friends to be there and keep his spirits up.

[@Veritas_Quaesitor_IIV]

There’s a LOT of rage behind that sunny smile…

[@WaywardRyu]

​@@hoohoo431Holy shit Gon an' Sora would get along so fuckin' well. Teach that boy Nen yo.

[@zephyrias]

@@Broomer52 ohh yeah. the more you use drive forms, the more rage forms appears.

[@BranJohn98]

A moment I personally noticed was in the Tangled world, where Sora genuinely opens up to Goofy and Donald, expressing how sad and lost he felt when Destiny Islands was destroyed, and how grateful he was to have met the two of them when he needed them the most. But as soon as he notices that they're picking up on the emotions he's displaying, he immediately changes to a joking, laid-back tone and moves on like he didn't just bear his soul to two of his best friends. Even when he's trying to express his gratitude, he feels the need to bury his feelings and move forward with a smile, sincere or otherwise.

[@pamelamason530]

His dynamic with them (and particularly D & G’s dynamic with him) is even more interesting since D & G went into Jiminy’s journal in Coded. They don’t seem quite as dismissive in the more recent games and are more open to talking things through with him. I think their bond is there, and the space is there, but there’s rarely a moment for them to truly address Sora’s hurt because they are on the clock, so to speak. The dynamic still remains as “we keep each other smiling” rather than “we support your journey.” That’s something Riku’s been good about with Sora-giving him the room to process and be himself, but stepping in if things are too dire.

[@HerrscherofMeep]

Sora's just like me fr

[@BranJohn98]

​@@pamelamason530Sora's ability to follow his heart is also one of the traits Riku used to be envious of, but later came to admire

[@zephyrias]

@@BranJohn98 that trait saved his butt too many times!

[@Xahnel]

This ship runs on smiles. No more sad faces.

[@peanutmuttplays104]

Sora has needed an analysis for a very long time. Too many people think he’s this happy go lucky boy without a care in the world. For people familiar with the concept of Masking, you can recognize right away that he’s got a lot more going on mentally than meets the eye.

[@YoungProfessorUtonium]

This. I like that we touched a little on that in 3. Honestly we could've gone even deeper, but that probably would've bloated that section of the game more than necessary.

[@ZgermanGuy.]

Sora saw his home destroyed his friends and family taken away from him He is basically a child that survived war crimes No way that dosent leave a scar on the soul

[@zachanikwano]

I'd agree if it wasn't for Dream Drop Distance. The boy in that game was running on 1 braincell

[@ZgermanGuy.]

@@zachanikwano i like to ignore that game ever happend It would have been overall a good kh entry but when they decided to have xehanort masterminded ALL events from the start even the the times when he lost just went one step to far

[@MatthewCenance]

People who have watched videos discussing ADHD or autism behaviors such as How to ADHD will have heard of "masking" like I have.

[@JFairy189]

Sora's character arc is begging for a journey into an Inside Out world I swear.

[@TheJaredPunch]

EXACTLY!

[@BioRoxas]

YES!! One of the earlier ideas for this video was to talk about why inside out would be a good world for kh4 actually!

[@Redxan600]

I do wonder if we'll get brand new original characters for when we go inside Sora's mind or they'll be exactly like the characters from the movies.

[@supreme_king_obama1158]

@@Redxan600I could see him somehow ended up in Riley’s mind,

[@Ammy-q4w]

Sadness and Fear are going to break our hearts. Sora has been through a lot and has loads of suppressed trauma that the Inside Out world will force him to confront.

[@TheRoomforImprovement]

When it comes to Sora, there’s a quote from She-Ra that I believe accurately reflects his character: “You’re worth more than What you can do for other people. You deserve to be happy, too.

[@BioRoxas]

Damn that’s such a good quote

[@galaxystarstudios7160]

Even aside from that quote, Sora is pretty similar to Adora in many ways(even there names are similar, too). Both are forced into a position where they suddenly need to save the world from evil forces, both tend to act like they’re okay, and both care a lot less about themselves and much more about their friends.

[@redlox2]

I always thought that Sora HAD TO be the one who is the friend every one leans on but he doesn’t really have people he can share these true sadder emotions with.

[@peanutmuttplays104]

It’s very hard to feel like you can lean on others for support when they see you as the one to be leaned on. When you’re seen as so strong and self assured, you don’t wanna risk being thought of differently.

[@anthonyleachman3541]

​@@peanutmuttplays104sora is hero

[@windy4566]

@@anthonyleachman3541 yeah and heroes aren't always at 100% all the time lol

[@TonyaSmith-sb2pi]

He doesn’t know how too because he wasn’t given the chance too when he journeys started

[@craigsands2567]

​@@peanutmuttplays104but he has broken down several times in the series and having someone else trying to cheer him up at times.

[@Kirito843]

I always felt that Sora, especially more apparent in KHIII, probably had smiling depression.

[@TheJaredPunch]

A Stepford Smiler one could say…

[@sillycookie]

He's been through so much :(

[@xblade149]

I had a feeling too.

[@cashout6428]

I just looked it up and that honestly sad to hear and although Donald and goofy were trying to stay positive telling sora to “just keep smiling no matter what” in KH-KH3 is a bad mindset to give a 14 year old because now he’s most likely believing that he shouldn’t feel those feelings because the adults said it’s “wrong” so to say

[@tempusincurvo364]

Didn't know there was a term for what I had back in college. I only really realized how awful I was feeling when someone told me. "Seeing you smile everyday cheers me up." And it hit me, I'd been smiling for the longest time. Not realizing I was doing it. While feeling no sense of happiness. That's when it hit me that something was deeply wrong with me.

[@kingleonidas2182]

I’d like to point out that Donald and Goofy (and Jimminy) encouraging that “keep smiling” mentality is super fitting for them. It’s easy to forget that they’re like… old af. That mentality was super persistent as you go back in time. Edit: My friends are my power or something.

[@sixthcairn]

And let's not forget that Donald Duck literally has PTSD from multiple wars.

[@lukeshoo]

Smiling literally improves your mood. Staying positive can be incredibly helpful. There is nothing wrong with Donald and Goofy's mentality. Y'all are twisting this. Kingdom Hearts is about the struggle between light and darkness. Falling to the darkness is like falling to despair.

[@stripschicken87]

⁠@@lukeshooi mean it’s definitely not the worst mentality but not allowing somebody to express their sadness or hurt whether it be intentional or not can be extremely damaging to that person

[@lukeshoo]

@@stripschicken87 That isn't the thesis of Kingdom Hearts. This is some emo shit y'all are pulling on our boy. Edit: Kingdom Hearts is really saying that in times of sorrow and despair, it's very helpful to surround yourself with positive friends who will support you and cheer you up. This is clear from like every plot point in the series.

[@First-to-last]

​@@lukeshooyou ever heard of bottling up your emotions pal? That's what sora is doing

[@MultiMaxamillion123]

I feel like an Inside Out world in KH4 would do so well at bringing Sora's issues with toxic positivity to the surface and everything else brought up in this video. Showing how important every emotion is to being a complete person will do wonders for Sora's development in the new saga

[@BioRoxas]

I agree ^_^ one of the first drafts of this was a video on why inside out should be in kh4 funnily enough haha

[@basusnny6483]

OHHHH THAT'S A BANGER IDEA

[@NicolasMendoula]

Good idea. It could reflect his own toxic positivity with Joy's. Also Joy would be teinted by darkness and her action would hurt others just like in the movie when she treats Sadness like shit. And it leads to Riley's depression. The world would be very fun too.

[@chaminador]

It would be interesting if anger was represented by rage form, and the antiform represented some negative feeling

[@ungabungar]

I've been having these weird thoughts lately... about Sora. After replaying KH3 a bunch and really thinking about what happened, I realized so much of the depths of Sora's character. From the beginning of KH1, when Kairi tells Sora to never change, to the end of KH2, when Sora finally spills his guts to Riku, Sora has been upholding a facade to maintain his own sense of self-worth. It's so rare to see recognition of the hidden depths of KH characters, they deserve so much more respect than they usually get from a vast majority of the fans. Thank you for making this video, it was so enjoyable. There's still so much more to be said about Sora. Soar's obnoxiously happy 2-dimensional cheese in DDD is a direct result of having returned home with his friends only to have his strength called for examination. At this point he's achieved what he wanted already, so he's just tired, but he still can't give up the facade while he thinks his friends expect it of him. After failing, he's unnaturally happy with Riku surpassing him as a master because he had to pour everything he had into praising his friend in order to keep from breaking down over his own sense of worthlessness. You can sense the uneasy force Sora puts into it, it's so nuanced. That's exactly the same reason why Sora breaks down at the end of KH3, despite the fact Riku is still there beside him; it's a reverse of the test results scene - everyone is beyond Sora's power to help and Riku is the only one worthy. Riku was the only one who already knew Sora like that and everyone Sora was being strong for was gone, so he was hit square in the face with the reality that his personal belief wasn't a universal truth, with nothing holding him back from snapping, no reason to fake anything anymore. He wasn't despairing that his friends had died, he was despairing at the revelation that his power was rooted in a lie he told himself; that in an even greater sense than Roxas, Sora himself, the person his friends believed in, never existed. Um, actually... DDD is arguably where Sora's character has the MOST character development of any game in the series, because this is where Sora first begins to realize his mantra might be a lie. Sora already spends most of the game fighting a sense of futility, having achieved all his goals and having more asked of him, but the first crack in Sora's facade comes from the revelation of everything Roxas faced. Roxas' life was the perfect encapsulation of all Sora's worst fears. When Roxas calls out his friends names, believing they are his power, the next day they can't even see him or remember that he ever existed. Roxas' feelings of always being the odd one out, losing things, inconveniencing the group, and then being told he has no right to exist, being forced to become part of another person... Becoming aware of all that pain was a mortal wound to Sora's psyche, the worst imaginable pain that he never wanted to shoulder. And all that could even be foreshadowing to Sora's eventual fate of fading from the realm of light, and in the wake of Yozora, being told he's not who he thinks he is. Sora's nightmare is really just kicking into full swing here with KH4. It's an awful lot like what Roxas went through. KH3 is the first time Sora has his flaws spotlighted in a way he can't immediately remedy, and worse, he gets repeatedly ganged up on by everyone, who all simply believe Sora is as strong as he lets on, so they dogpile him for his faults, unaware of how deeply it hurts him. And like a repeating stanza of a poem, Riku is again the one going in search of Sora in KH4, just like he did in DDD. It's like resetting a knife's position to peel away another layer of Sora. Toward the end of DDD, Sora's growing darkness takes the form of Ventus' armor, manifesting as all the grief Sora had taken on in accepting Ventus' heart into his. I believe the real reason Sora lost his powers is because the dark revelation from Roxas' memories compromised Sora's belief in friendship and cast a fog over the focused clarity of his heart. When Sora finds Roxas in the dream world, Roxas says, "This could have been the other way around." Meaning that both Ventus and Sora were targets of Xehanort for a reason, they both have the same strengths and weaknesses as each other, but Roxas says, "That's why it has to be you," in response to Sora validating Roxas' individual personhood. It wasn't because Sora was just so good he viewed individual people as individuals. It was because Roxas understood that Sora said that to him because Sora wanted to say that to himself. And that's why Roxas showed Sora all the pain Xehanort caused him, so he could do the thing only Sora can do and finally confront it... in a climactic Keyblade War in Kingdom Hearts III. Sora was indisputably different after this revelation. He had the angry look down. Again. The happy-go-lucky facade completely came off in that moment. Sora finally had a birds-eye-view of himself through osmosis with Roxas' memories. But of course, the idea Sora was powerless all along was the lie that Xehanort wanted to directly beam into Sora's brain, because he recognized that Sora was his antithesis. Xehanort viewed his own past lost friendships through a lens of guilt, so he wanted to validate the dark path he chose for himself through putting Sora through the same thing. And when Sora came out the other side with an even stronger resolve, Xehanort had no choice but to yield and accept his failures of the past as his own weakness, and not some fundamental governing principle of reality. Perhaps that's exactly why the Keyblade chose Sora, because Sora was so much like Xehanort that he was the only one who could stop him, because Sora used the same exact same weaknesses of emotional-suppression and self-sacrifice to help people rather than to hurt them and sever his own connections as Xehanort did. Perhaps that's the key to Sora's unique power? That he so deeply desires to carry the pain of others on his own shoulders that Kingdom Hearts granted him that exact power. Talk about a Monkey's Paw ability. And you guys showed the paopu scene but didn't talk about it! Kairi might just be the driving force behind everything Sora does. Ever notice that he sort of idolizes her, but every chance he gets to be with her it's like he avoids directly speaking to her, but starts putting on a show? That's because in KH1 losing the race against Riku is the canon event. Sora believes Riku is better suited to protect Kairi, but during that scene when Kairi teases Sora with the idea of ditching Riku and running off together, he's taken completely off guard by how appealing that suggestion was. In that same scene, Kairi asks Sora to never change. So he doesn't, especially not in front of her. And losing her to an apocalypse the next day really drives home how much he actually wants to be worthy of Kairi's affection (like every opening cinematic song is about Sora and Kairi, how much Kairi is Sora's safe place in his mind). I don't think Donad of Goobus are so much the driving force of Sora's facade as much as they are a convenient support system to keep him centered on that goal of staying the happy care-free person Kairi likes. So, when Sora finally gets the poapu scene with Kairi, you can see him baring his facade with his whole chest when he really just wants to break down and weep from joy that Kairi is choosing him, validating his entire saga of pretending to be strong for her sake. It's the perfect reversal of Sora baring his true feelings to Riku at the end of KH2. Kingdom Hearts II ends with Sora trapped in the realm of darkness, manifesting a way out through honesty with a friend. Kingdom Hearts III ends with Sora finally back with Kairi on their island in the realm of light, disappearing from reality entirely unable to bear his soul to the person he wants to the most. I think Nomura absolutely had everything in this saga planned out from the start of Chain of Memories, at the very least in cliff notes form of character development and roughly how to use the world building lore mechanics to loosely navigate that development, it just kind of gets dicey when he's trying to figure out how to present those details. In KH2 those details come across as a neat and orderly dramatically satisfying drip feed of questions and answers, whereas in DDD and KH3 Nomura is scrambling to find a place for the details because he was running out of room with the eleventh hour closing in for the finale of the Darkseeker Saga, so rather than having everything framed tastefully and presented in a way to make you think, we get scenes where Sora just kind of runs into the information he needs and there's no time to process that information in real time as a player. I think Nomura probably has the next saga planned out in foot notes as well. Hopefully KH4 will give us the details for the next arc in their optimal cinematic form for a satisfying and comprehensive story arc. I will fight anyone that Sora is the best Square Enix character ever written. I can't stand hearing KH "fans" talking about KH3 and going off about how "poorly written" Sora is in this game and how nothing happens in this game's story until the end, but the end doesn't make sense because they don't actually care to consider what they just saw beyond it's surface level value of being a funny goofy silly anime Disney game for babies which they can only enjoy ironically because it never gets dark because nobody actually dies and if they do it's for cheap shock value and they'll be back later. I hear that garbage EVERYWHERE, and I just wish I could dump everything on them and not seem like a complete crazy person. In the comments for a video like this is probably the best place for me to say all this stuff with any chance of anyone actually following it and I still feel like a crazy person going into this much detail on how everything connects.

[@BioRoxas]

I’m glad this video gave you a chance to put all of your thoughts and feelings around Sora :) I think this game has a lot of nuanced writing and it looks like you’ve been digging into a lot of it!!

[@azidal3755]

I wasn't expecting to find a well written thesis in the comments but it pairs nicely with the video. Good points made all around and Sora is and has always been my favorite character in the series. Good luck on your doctorate of Kingdom Hearts-ology!

[@darkpain2452]

i don't lie kh3, scenes because i felt its was very poor style, But the thing notice something wrong, the favorite of writer its xeranort not sora, is that moment i understand, there something a lot more written about sora, the end its very good written but the way of getting there, its felt truly weak but after reading what you just said, its make sense, this a really view sora, that why there will be a happy ending for everyone but not for sora, the plot its super confusing of course i know every sequence of games of kingdoom hearts will become better, but Disney they are piece garbage

[@davidfeddanigga54]

i aint reading allat

[@TimothyGod]

Ummm.... woah...

[@sonomni]

You gotta consider that Sora went through just as much as even Cloud Strife did, and he’s STILL smiling through it despite it.

[@xblade149]

I just like to point out something. In the Japanese version after Sora and Ventus defeated Vanitas, Vanitas points out in order for ventus and sora to continue on as light he must be darkness for both their sakes. This statement pertains to Sora's unhealthy self sacrificing. Since sora also defines vanitas it makes sense

[@Xahnel]

Frankly I think that's yet another example of the plot ignoring antiform and rage mode because it's inconvenient to the narrative. Sora doesn't need someone else to be his darkness, his darkness is perfectly capable of being itself, vicious little bastard that it is. Ventus needs someone to be his darkness, because his darkness was permanently cleaved from him and turned into a someone.

[@massimilianoreali4398]

​​@@Xahneland probably ventus originally didn't have darkness in the first place because vanitas is nothing else than one of the thirteen TRUE Darkness of union cross probably ventus was the kairi of day break town

[@redi.c.e.6046]

I find that a bit confusing. Could ya explain what it means a bit?

[@commentdouchery2838]

I'm actually surprised you guys didn't present another crack in Sora's persona during the Caribbean world where Sora laments of he'll ever get to see home again. Only to turn around and tell Donald he's just joking. It's honestly kind of sad that Sora feels he has to hide his feelings from his friends out of fear they'll leave him if he stops being happy.

[@moonlight_densetsu]

stop this is so sad

[@commentdouchery2838]

@moonlight_densetsu You shouldn't have begged me to stop. That only justifies me in telling you more because I know your paying attention. In KH1 Donald and Goofy showed their true friendship when Riku took Sora's Keyblade. While their mission IS from their hierarchy, and that's what pushes Goofy to go along with Donald, they still didn't do anything for Sora when he lost the Keyblade. They didn't try to comfort him, help by sending him back to the ship, or give him any other means of protection. All that was even said to him was, "Sora, sorry." As they just walked off. Leaving him in one of the most dangerous worlds they had encountered, with a complete stranger they had never met. Donald and Goofy only hung out of with Sora because they had to. It's their job. The only person worth arguing over is Goofy, as he's the only one to show remorse and even stand up for Sora at the last possible second. But, by "Best buddy" standards, Goofy did just the bare minimum from a morally good character stance. When he should have stood up for Sora much earlier. Donald is completely irredeemable. He's master mage with Time Magic and he stood by both times when Sora needed him.

[@jthecryptid]

I really don't like how Sora's anger and pain is often downplayed or written off as "Roxas" by fans. Sora is pretty consistently shown to have a lot of anger (both expressed and repressed) that veers into bloodlust in KH2. His heartless transformations are explicitly fuelled by RAGE and his fear of loneliness. Not just rage towards his enemies, but possibly rage towards himself for not being strong enough to protect his friends and carry their burdens. (Great point that antiform leaves Sora by himself). Now that Sora is truly by himself in Quadratum, im hoping the writers allow Sora to reflect on his vulnerabilities and learn to believe in his own strength

[@stevenhiggins3055]

It was definitely Roxas, but only in KH2 because Roxas hadn't yet fully resigned himself to only existing as part of Sora. The shift from his personality in KH1 to KH2 was too sudden (disregarding CoM because Sora doesn't remember anything about that so this event have no bearing on his KH2 personality because to him its like they never happend, while in com his personality was being impacted by Naminé rewriting his memories) In KH3 it was all Sora himself.

[@tezz2698]

​@@stevenhiggins3055it could just be puberty tbh.

[@creeperkinght1144]

I think losing your home, being separated from your friends an X amount of times (no pun intended), fighting literal armies of darkness, and trying to keep everyone happy is definitely part of that too.@@tezz2698

[@zephyrias]

they forgot how angry he got in KH1 XD

[@TimothyGod]

​@@zephyriasrarely, he doesn't get angry nearly as much as later on

[@MarKreationsStudios]

I'm honestly of the belief that he suffers from a very small case of depression, and it's being hindered by every single one of his friends cheering him on every day. And because he wants everybody to be happy, he feels the desperate need to help keep them happy and hide any pain he has. Just imagine what this kid has gone through. Think back to the scene in KH1, and the scene in ReCOM, where he is told twice to ALWAYS SMILE. "No frowning. No sad face. This boat runs on happy faces!" As good of friends as Donald and Goofy are, they are really keeping him from having a moment to cry. Of course that's not to say they are intentionally hurting him, because we all know they both would literally do anything to help him. But that's just it: ignorant parenting can be toxic,. and these two are basically his foster parents as he lives through his teenage years. Literally being raised to hide any bit of sadness. And you can see that whenever he gets sad in KH3 early on, he always has to make a joke out of it. The "JUST LIKE YOUR FACE" scene in Kingdom of Corona is one of the examples, as you can clearly see him desperately trying to avoid the emotional moment he's having. Because he's been taught in the past two years of his life that, no matter what, he has to keep that smile on his face. And even though he is a happy boy at heart, there is sadness there too. And of course, as we see in the climax of KH3, he has been holding back these feelings he's had towards himself this whole time. Literally feels like without his friends, he's worthless. That's what the "my friends are my power" line means to him, right now. I hope that, someday, he grows and is able to understand that he shouldn't rely on his friends like that. So, in short, depression may not be the right word for it, but he ABSOLUTELY is holding back nasty, negative feelings about himself from underneath. And that feeling still has yet to be resolved. Meaning his character is still going on his arc, which I'm glad for.

[@SwordBurstThrowaway]

Bro made the entire script 💀

[@MarKreationsStudios]

@@SwordBurstThrowaway ...?

[@SwordBurstThrowaway]

Your comment was just really long .

[@MarKreationsStudios]

@@SwordBurstThrowaway well, maybe other people will appreciate it then.

[@SwordBurstThrowaway]

They probably will.

[@mr.fluffles1552]

Thank god someone is finally doing a decent character analysis of Sora, because that poor small boy with big shoes has been through *so much trauma* and has to keep being happy for his friends

[@kyuriht]

The big factor in sora undermining himself Is that sora never learned the last part of ventus' catch frase. Ventus said "my Friends are my Power and i'm theirs" because he knows he can rely on them as they can rely on him But Sora never said the whole frase. He Always said that his Friends are his power, implying he's nothing alone. And even if EVERY character in One way or another told him that he's Stronger than anyone else by his own strength and they all rely on him, the message misses him. He never understood that he's his friends' power and that he has someone who he can rely on. He always helped but never got help, and it's not even his friends' fault, he's so good at hiding his pain that sometimes not even himself notices, that's why he cries and looses composure only when feeling the pain of ventus and roxas, he hides pain so well he doesn't even know it, and being forced to feel it by another heart destabilises him

[@galaxystarstudios7160]

🤓Erm, actually it’s spelled ‘phrase’ not frase.

[@cashout6428]

That’s actually a good way of looking at it, there are alot of times where sora randomly cries and we just brush it off as “oh this is a roxas or venous connection moment” but a few of those scenes are probably just soras true tears being painted as one of the other 2

[@kyuriht]

@@galaxystarstudios7160 Fair, my autocorrect didn't tell me because I wrote this using the Italian keyboard (frase is a word, literally means phrase lol)

[@boyinterrupted7204]

I think the reason why he comes off as happier than usual was because he had the hearts of many within his own. When he cries a tear in KH3 he doesn't recognize the emotion as his own

[@camilla6482]

The ultimate Empath

[@IvoryCaffeine_]

​@@camilla6482brooo imagine if sora was a therapist

[@heartlessking5636]

It also helps to remember that from KH1 through KH3,Sora starts at 14 years old in 1 and by KH3,he's at most 16 years old.He's essentially still a kid and he hasn't really had the time to process all the emotional trauma of his entire journey and he doesn't start to realize that until the big Heartless storm at the Keyblade Graveyard where all his friends were taken away from him.I hope KH4 explores this while Sora is away from everyone in Quadratum.

[@АннаПШЕНИЧНОВА-к5о]

He is 15 in kh3

[@DarklightNamari]

@@АннаПШЕНИЧНОВА-к5о He's 15 in KH2, the time period of 2 was confirmed to take place ONE year after KH1 (with ReCoM taking place within that time frame, not long after KH1). IT's also noted more time passes when DDD comes around and KH3 is roughly another year ahead or a little more. I'm positive that Riku was nearing 18 in KH3, which would make Sora roughly, 16, MAYBE 17. The time was never directly stated for KH3, but it's clear more time has passed. Just clarifying.

[@АннаПШЕНИЧНОВА-к5о]

@@DarklightNamari donald and hayner confirmed that not much time passed since the last time sora donald and goofy visited twilight town.

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

I’m so glad to have been able to work with you on this video. Sora is such an incredibly nuanced character and I hope everyone enjoys it!

[@13thNobodyprod.]

Thanks for helping Bio with the script for this. Love to see others putting so much thought into such a topic and talking about Sora at the same time❤ it's something that I've thought about before and I'm so happy to see such an extensive video on it. Again thank you💖

[@BioRoxas]

Thank you so much Jon for helping ;-; it would not have been completed without you man!!

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

@@BioRoxas Of course! We’ll definitely need to work on videos together in the future!

[@MrRobot-0]

Sora is way more stalwart and serious than most people give him credit for that is for sure.

[@The_13th_Voyager]

I relate to Roxas so much. But after watching this, I realized that I relate to Sora just as much. The fact that he puts his own sanity on the line for his friends is very much something I would more than likely do too. He casts aside his own feelings so he may help people, uplift them, and strive to make damaged people feel whole again, but fails to do the same for himself because he feels as though it may burden his friends. Like Data Namine said at the end of Re:Coded, "If that pain is too much to face alone, you turn to a friend."

[@bradleybourgeois4710]

Personally, I hope that Square-Enix takes the bold decision that just focuses on Sora interacting with Roxas and Ventus as party members. Kingdom Hearts 3 presents a focus of brotherhood between them and Vanitas. I think Roxas could relate to Sora's own insecurities and Ventus could talk to him about dealing with his own darkness while reminding him about how much he's accomplished (as Ventus was living in Sora's heart for about 12 years, meaning he would of had a front row seat to all of Sora's adventures). It would also help pay off the relationships Sora has with them, by having them grow closer together.

[@The_13th_Voyager]

@@bradleybourgeois4710 Agreed.

[@vinnievu1]

Finally, some love and understanding for Sora. I know Riku is the fan favorite, but I relate to Sora a lot more.

[@liamfitzgerald1400]

It's okay to not be okay, Sora. We'll make it through this together

[@artistlee7068]

One scene that always resonates with me as well is in KH2 when Sora reunited with Riku. Even though most of that game he was relatively optimistic and happy, that was the moment he broke down. He had no clue where Riku was and you can really see how much it really affected him in that moment

[@evaundertale2247]

To add to this despite Ventus still being naive sometimes he is someone who goes by what Sora does "my friends are my power but im also theres." Its what draws a line between how Sora was taught to only be positive whether on purpose or not while Ven didn't have that type of pressure. He has a different case with pressure and struggles but still is positive and recognizes his other emotions well. While Sora never had that time of control as Ven does. I saw someone even bring up how Roxas is probably Sora actually personality if he had the proper copying skills related to his emotions.

[@martyg4088]

I think the most drastic indicator that Sora is Not Okay is when he uses the Keyblade of Hearts to release Kairi’s heart from his own Edit: AND his smile at Donald and Goofy right before . . .

[@EnoughWithYourShizz]

(Insert "that boy ain't right" joke here)

[@sno0n266]

Yeah I feel like that people tend to forget that that moment was basically killing himself

[@stevenhiggins3055]

​​@@sno0n266 Yeah, I always read that scene as Sora knowing he was about to do something that could possibly end his entire existence but not wanting his friends to worry, so he tries to give them a comforting "everything will be alright" smile.

[@Daltonisntabot]

​@@stevenhiggins3055 Also, 'No frowning, no sad face.' Instead of looking worried or saying anything, it's like he's saying, 'I'm keeping my promise to smile for you guys.'

[@nerdychocobo]

​@@stevenhiggins3055the fact he did it with zero hesitation on the assumption that it MIGHT free kairis heart is really concerning

[@TheDataRich]

I don’t think I ever considered before if Donald’s comment “this ship runs on happy faces” way back in KH1 would have affected Sora so much but I am grateful for it

[@JPer811]

What a toxic line by Donald Then again, he’s king of toxic lines.

[@kanekikingstorm2113]

Sora would really benefit from a trip to Inside out

[@mirandagoldstine8548]

Or a really good psychologist.

[@BioRoxas]

Funnily enough, this video went through a couple iterations while we were writing it! One iteration was how Inside Out would be a good world for KH4!

[@e0jay]

When Sora screamed in anguish after the others fell legit broke my heart and surprised me. It was essentially a reminder that no man is an island, and definitely not Sora. I mean, we had a glimpse of this when he beat up Davy Jones.

[@inthebasement2989]

The violet howler has actually already been onto the trauma sora has lived and the unspoken trauma that his friends put him through. Sora has never opened up and he will go into a major depression cycle maybe even suicidal thoughts

[@mirandagoldstine8548]

I have seen that video and I totally agree. He’s going to be mentally fragile and I fear that a certain person will attempt to take advantage of his fragility. And if you know whom I’m talking about then you should be afraid.

[@mellemadswoestenburg1296]

Violet Howler is very underrated in my opinion. His analysis videos are so full of thought, deep character study and lore, he really needs more people watching his stuff. Yeah his videos about Sora's hidden enotional turmoil and Kairi's fear of change are so good and made me see the series in a completely new way. I really hope that they both get to experience the growth and emotional closure that they need.

[@BioRoxas]

Ooh I’ve been hearing about them lately! I’ll definitely need to check their content out!

[@dairyprods]

can you link the video? ty

[@mellemadswoestenburg1296]

@@dairyprods kzbin.info/www/bejne/qGXIl5R9nLmta9ksi=nlhzzSIPD0Bz2NB6 kzbin.info/www/bejne/fWnQaZ-Qd9qcbtksi=UzWO3hMwdqTPUUI2 kzbin.info/www/bejne/fnnPfoiQbraWmrcsi=QjnmVOVo_DTkI_U- There are quite a few with that subject but these touch on them the most i think.

[@tlozfolife5333]

this analysis made me love sora even more. hes my favorite video game character because i always related to him, and now knowing how he copes with his emotions made me relate to him even more

[@kleptopolarbear1609]

This is a great video. Its also interesting how Riku directly played into Sora's deep insecurity and depression about himself by being the childhood rival who was always better (and his villainy in KH1). But man this video does not bode well for Sora who is now isolated and alone in a completely different realm...and the only person we know will be there is the most manipulative villain in the entire series

[@sencrew5293]

Man...Sora is one of my all time favorite chars and this video helps me see why. This resonates a lot and hearing someone say "you arent a burden" hit heavy. This is something a younger me shouldve heard. 😅

[@clarityvee]

This is everything I’ve been thinking about Sora for YEARS put into words. It’s why he’s such a special character to me. He hides so much, because what will happen if he doesn’t? I really liked how you touched on Donald’s comments, and how they effect Sora even if Donald is only playing around. I grew up with a family that showed affection through teasing. But a lot of those comments hurt me greatly and have stayed with me well into my adult life, they’re still here, and they make me afraid to show people when I’m hurt, and want to hide my own feelings because I used to get teased and made fun of for showing my emotions. An excellent video all around. Everyone needs to see this!

[@JPer811]

This resonated with me. Making little cutting comments, even if teasing, weighs on you. I remember things my dad and grandma said to me years ago that I won’t ever forget, even if it was just a joke at the time.

[@NickRyanBayon]

I have always said throughout the series sora's darkness has grown, his anger and sadness have grown, because sora always chases light even to his own detriment and well being. Remember the line in 3D "darkness becomes light, and light falls into darkness." Riku has gone from darkness to light but sora has slowly over time fallen further into the dark. From a heartless to antiform, to rage form, and at the end of kh3 we can see his anger and rage, his sadness and pain hit a peak at the end of the game and when he loses his light Kairi.

[@demi-fiendoftime3825]

Dark Road clearly showed Sora and Xehanort are alot more alike then we thought and this analysis reinforces it a bit. They both try to shoulder everyone elses problems and in Xehanort's case it broke him and turned him into the monster he became his logic being the only way to save everyone from the darkness and pain it causes was to wipe everyone out and reset the world. Sora almost broke just as hard in KH3 when he loses his friends and I genuinely worry what he's going to do when he learns after what he did to save Kairi theres no way back to his reality for him.

[@Cloud-dt6xb]

The most I've been aware of for Sora is his tendency to self sacrifice without a second thought for someone else especially Kairi even if it's incredibly dangerous to himself. But even I was'nt aware of some of the things you two pointed out for him. But it all makes sense when you really stop to think about all he's been through. The fact that he could always find the positive through it all and keep smiling anyways is why I love him so much. I really feel like 4 will dive deeper into this side of things though with how much his personaility was examined in 3. Funny enough Riku was the first person to tell Sora to his face that he's weak and useless. Sora held firm and spat that back by adopting the my friends are my power mindset, a strong iconic moment that earned him back the keyblade. However I think it did effect him more than anyone realized even himself, it's why I love the moment in the Keyblade Graveyard where Sora's breaking down admitting everything Riku once accused him of, and Riku is the one to try to snap him out of that saying that he is strong. Perhaps even realizing in that moment what his harsh words did to his best friend then. A nice come full circle moment that I hope Riku will be able to remember in 4.

[@Beep325]

Something that's always stuck with me is the scene where Donald and Goofy have to leave Sora in Hollow Bastion, Sora was broken down on his knees, similar to the Keyblade Graveyard, his only two friends had to leave him on order from their unknown King, and he's there, alone, except for Beast, who he immediately jumps up to help, worrying about him. His happiness is both fake and very real, he uses happiness as a crutch for himself and his own feelings, but the happiness he shows is the happiness he feels for the people around him, putting aside his own feelings to help others, and worrying about them first, and when his friends aren't there, he breaks down. This is why im so excited for KH4, how will he break down, and adapt to the situation when none of his friends are around him to "give him strength?" This will make a reunion between everyone that much more sweet.

[@ultimasora2852]

With Sora being my favorite character of all time, he inspires me to be like him and try to always put on a happy face and not be a "burden" on close ones. The more I tried to be this way the more I repressed my emotions to make sure I wouldn't make others worry. I would and still do hide my depression from people. Realizing this, I related to Sora as a character even more and loved him more. Its not a bad idea to try to stay optimistic at hard times but there comes a point where it damages u more than u realize. I still love Sora to death and can't wait for his development in the next saga. This was a amazing video. Keep up the good work.

[@BioRoxas]

I’m glad this gave you some insight into your own life :) in a world that always pushes so much positive and being happy we can internalize messages that can hurt us in the long run!

[@jamarcusdavis4023]

7:04 - That would've been a perfect moment for Sora to go Rage Form. In fact, I wished that Rage Form had been brought up more in the story outside of the final boss fight with Xehanort. Also, this whole analysis for Sora makes me hope we get a world based on Inside Out in KH4. Since the whole film was all about managing your emotions in a healthy way, this would be perfect for Sora. All in all, this was a fantastic analysis and I hope you'll do more in the future. I'd love a character analysis on Aqua or Riku.

[@BioRoxas]

I wish we could see more of Sora’s darkness explored for sure!!

[@netherworlde]

Kinda ironic how Riku and Sora had beef in the first game, but they both ultimately wanted the same thing: to protect their friends. They just went about it in different ways -- Sora with radical optimism, and Riku with ruthless nihilism. Now that Sora is struggling to reconcile or even acknowledge the darkness within him, Riku is the best person to help him do that.

[@BioRoxas]

This is so well said I love the contrast

[@PasCone103Z]

I started having a lot of these same thoughts about Sora, thinking about the direction KH3 went with his character and the context behind it, it does make me realized there was more to him than even I previously thought. We always assumed that Sora was sort of a wide-eyed optimist complete with having the "power of friendship" (in Sora's case, literally), and he may have started out this way, but it's clear how nuanced his character is in the games. His empathy for others (especially for Roxas), his determination, and, of course, his breaking points. Sora believes his friends are his power, but KH3 especially highlighted that, if it's his friends, then what's he without them. Sora's answer would be, and was, that he was very little without them, that he couldn't do anything on his own. He's dependent on them to a fault. The ending contrasted this with Xehanort, someone who believed that he was the only one who could create the right world, and literally mostly relied only on himself to accomplish his goals. This video helped showcase the evolution of Sora's character in a way that I am not as good at explaining myself, and even pointed out a few things that I haven't noticed myself, such as in his character in 3D. I thought they just made him too friendly for no reason, but this video made me realize that it was intentional that his happy-go-lucky attitude was portrayed in a way that presented the flaws with said attitude. The only missed opportunity was not highlighting the memory loss aspect in CoM, as I think it was a major factor that contributed to Sora's anger issues in the game. But regardless, I really liked the video, and I'm looking forward to other videos like it as well. (I know the next psychology video is on Riku, but I really want to see one for Xehanort, especially since I feel like people misunderstood his character in 3.)

[@BioRoxas]

Thanks for the thought out comment :) I’m glad you had some insight into Sora coming into this video and I’m glad you learned some new things! I have definitely wanted to look at Xehanort so that will come at some point in the future ^^

[@muigokublack6487]

Sora always came across to me as someone that has their darker moments but they don't let them show because he wants to make everyone happy, has always been told to smile but every now and then you see the cracks and KH3 has him let it all out. "My friends are my power". This sentiment cuts both ways. Yes it is a source of his power but what happens when he has no friends to rely upon? He breaks down and feels he's worthless if he's not helping which makes me think Sora feels he has to justify his existence. I do think he's truly a happy go lucky guy but he does have problems, problems that he's not being allowed to face and deal with because of the company he keeps.

[@Mwolf55]

Its weird, normally this kind of masking is reserved for characters that fall into the atoner trope like Kenshin. However, Sora doesnt have some great evil he commited in the past, he just doesnt think that much of himself. Its kind of an interesting analogue for anyone who leans heavily into any kind of nostalgia to cope with depression. Its more allegorical, but if you consider that the disney aspect can symbolize childhood wonder, it makes some pretty interesting metaphors.

[@camilla6482]

Well there's alot of people who didn't do an ultimate wrong to feel this way they just do. So it's cool sometimes when you do get characters like sora to show this off.

[@massimilianoreali4398]

It doesn't help that in kingdom hearts 1 it was always said that the keyblade was for riku and not for sora remember that scene when riku robbed sora of the keyblade and goofy and donald litterally abandoned him because of this?

[@supremeoverlord0]

Any video that actually sees the value of Re:Coded as a character study, and appreciates Sora in DDD as the beginning of the deconstruction of his character and unhealthy traits (instead of complaining about him being "dumb") is a win in my book. Lovely intro as well! Xigbar's comments in KH3 really jumps off what he said in DDD as well, where he mockingly goads Sora with "Aren't hearts great? Steer us wrong every time." A directly oppositional line to Sora's entire philosophy that you could chalk up to anti-feelings villain speak, but Sora holds the losing hand by the end of the game partly because he "follows his heart" so strongly, albeit only in the sense of helping others. While I doubt KH would ever say things along the lines of "due to preconceived bias rooted in unhealthy emotion-based habits, following your every feeling and whim may not be the best thing for your mental health," what I DO know is that KH displays the importance of balance. The balance between light and darkness, connection and isolation, etc. I'm sure that it could come up how post KH3 Sora's burnt himself out like a dwindling flame due to his ceaseless efforts to overcompensate as a friend and never allow them to give back. I could absolutely see him having to confront that by being rash and bottling up emotions for the sake of doing the absolute best for his friends, that he has inadvertently and ironically hurt them through those same efforts. Be it the end of KHCoM, where Sora's sleep caused psychological distress for Riku, who essentially took a year long pilgrimage to watch over Sora and kinda/sorta committed murder to help fix the consequences of CoM and help Sora wake up, and Kairi, who grappled with isolation from her friends and what I'm sure was concerning amnesia of someone she cared about, or more recently, the ending of KH3 which has left his friends without Sora again for an entire year- it's obvious that Sora's behavior in trying to help them has had them be hurt all the same. So, my hope is that it will come to Sora's attention that, if he truly wants those he cares about to be happy, it's crucial he values himself as well. It hurts to see the people you love not love themselves. I think Sora's struggles can be aptly summarized by the ending of his CoM journey where, in a barebones sense, when confronted with trauma and emotional pain, Sora's response is to supress it rather than confront it: "Make me like I was." So uh.... Inside Out world KH4 when?

[@BioRoxas]

Such a well thought out comment. It’s so true that by Sora trying his absolute best to help his friends, he inadvertently caused them harm! I’ve said this in a few other comments, but this video had a couple different iterations! One of them was why Inside out should be a world in kh4 haha

[@Ozzygirl17]

Of all the worlds in Kingdom Hearts 4 that can develop Sora’s character psychologically, the best pick arguably is “Encanto”. My reasoning is he would want to help Mirabel save the magic but she recognizes that, after witnessing her sister, he is acting like Luisa. Mirabel tries to help but he shrugs her observations off. It takes Luisa recognizing his burden and connecting with him to realize what to do next, or vice versa.

[@MrFurro-uu7je]

Inside out is a really good choice for this to

[@purpleirken1529]

@@MrFurro-uu7je Both, both is good.

[@ArgetKnight]

It's very interesting to see you list the issues of Sora's psychology and seeing a lot of them reflecting one to one to issues myself had and am still working on. When I was young Sora was my hero, a role model. I didn't see how pushing down your emotions could make you unhealthy, instead seeing it as a sign of strength. This video was very interesting. I can't wait to see Sora's development into a late teenager or young adult in KH4

[@Redxan600]

I'm so glad we have people like you and Thought Bubble for going deep dive into Sora's psychology and what he is going through in the games. Our boy needs a break from all of that.

[@dairyprods]

Why are you everywhere? Lol

[@Redxan600]

@@dairyprods Guess it's because I am a Kingdom Hearts fan. :)

[@pn2294]

It felt more like projection to me.

[@Pokkaii_San]

When i played it as a kid, i always looked up to him. Now as an adult, i reconise myself as him. Sometimes you have to let it go

[@khfreak5531]

He definitely overcompensates and forces it. In KH3 this was more obvious. It’s his way of coping with all the messed up stuff around him most likely. Feels like he has to be an encouragement to everyone around him and takes their burdens on his shoulders. I think it’s possible that in KH4 since he’ll be by himself. We may see a more serious and darker version of him. Since he doesn’t have to put on a strong front for his friends.

[@pn2294]

I feel like this just shows that people don’t really believe Sora can be happy with all that he’s been through.

[@JetBlackGodhand]

ON THAT NOTE, I think this darker Sora is the Sora that Yozora knows. The one he wants to save.

[@eniq08]

This one was one of the best KH videos, I have ever watched. Mad respect.

[@BioRoxas]

Ahh I’m so glad you enjoyed it!! :’)

[@psyckwhoever4197]

I really like that Kairi clearly states that she wants to be Soras Backup, not his burden. Even though they have very few time together after KH1, she seems to understand his inner feelings better than anyone 😁 Riku, Donald and Goofy are worried sometimes, but they often pick the wrong time to tell him that they are there for him. It doesn't have that much of an impact on him 😕

[@davidssubwaycookies190]

Yea she really seems to understand him *shakes head* 'let me keep you safe'. I feel like he needs some consolation alone from her tbh. He definitely needs it.

[@justakrab4003]

I knew Re:coded was important in that regard. This in turn made me look again at Sora's character and I felt DDD, Chain, and Re:Coded was most expressive of Sora's mindset

[@BioRoxas]

For sure! Those three titles give us so much insight into Sora’s character!

[@LukaRomero069]

Greater the light, greater the darkness. When he is closer to HIS light, his strengh, his friends, when he’s trying to be more positive, The Greater the pain he is feeling when a bad moment happens. It’s okay that you don’t want to be pushed over by your negative emotions, but you musn’t push them out. Light and darkness are faces of the same coin, both are real and need to be acknowledge and need to be felt. This really gives a whole new meaning to “The closer you get to light, the greater your shadow becomes”

[@LittleNamMan]

I like to think of Sora's arc as a dissection of the "power of friendship" trope. Relying on friends can be great and working together to overcome an obstacle can prove to be possible if your bond is strong enough and can allow you to play to each other's strengths, but that last note is something worth mentioning. A team focuses on the strengths of others and relying on those around you in whatever area you deem them important or helpful. It's not because they are your friend that you are strong, you're strong because together you can accomplish something greater, which includes you with it. Everyone has a strength and no one person is singled out of the team. Just because your friends are your power doesn't mean you alone are worthless without them. You are just as strong in the very thing you can use to help them in their time of need, but you are not meant to carry their weight for them when you need their strengths to get you through something. A friendship is only as powerful as those who choose to combine their strength in unison to become a nigh unstoppable team. In my opinion, that is the true power of connections.

[@irusu.]

The scene of roxas crying inside of sora always get me

[@knowledgeseeker4614]

I do remember that scene in the original Kingdom Hearts when Donald and Goofy were telling Sora to stay smiling and happy even after the events of Neverland. They were basically saying Sora had to force himself to stay happy, and he pointed out whether or not they cared about how their King was doing. Additionally, they weren't even trying to ask him about how he was feeling after he was literally betrayed by his best friend along with his other friend being turned into an empty husk. As the series progressed, specifically in Dream Drop Distance and Kingdom Hearts III, I actually found it pretty tiring how other characters, including Donald would constantly mock Sora's apparent inability despite everything he accomplished before. I know friends can do some ribbing against each other, but it felt a little constant, and Sora was kinda their punching bag. It also felt like they were leaving Sora out of the loop when they shouldn't. It also irks me that Yen Sid hasn't acknowledged Sora as being a Keyblade Master. Sora was the one who ultimately saved Aqua who was a Keyblade Master while Riku and Mickey failed miserably, and they were both Keyblade Masters. Sora should've been made a Keyblade Master for that alone. Not to mention, in his original test, it was totally sabotaged by Xehanort.

[@shadowelii]

16:30-16:35 i know you mentioned before that Re:Coded is Data Sora but that just means that our main man Sora still has not reached this point. It was Data Sora. In fact, King Mickey sent a letter to Destiny Islands to tell Real Sora that a computer simulation/data version of him was able to cope, so Sora should be able to too, but it's one thing to read about it in a letter, and another to actually experience it. Sora has been through so much and of course he's been Hurt, but I don't think he's really ever reached the same conclusion Data Sora did.

[@normal6483]

Yes, exactly! Sora and Data Sora even talk about hurt in different ways. Data Sora says that hurt is worthwhile because it allows him to understand others. While Meat Sora says that hurt is worth enduring if he can still be with his friends. One believes that hurt is a source of potential growth and connection, while the other sees it as an unfortunate side effect. That's why Data Sora is capable of handling hurt, while real Sora represses and fights it.

[@BioRoxas]

That’s a good point! :o Also @normal6483 MEAT Sora has me dying xD haha

[@zephyrias]

@@normal6483 meat sora had me rollinggg

[@shadowelii]

I edited my comment to fix a typo the heart is gone oh well it was nice having it earlier 😔🫡

[@ENDtredecim]

One of the reasons I always connected with him as a character is cause in my own upbringing and learning, I was always afraid of showing too much weakness, that I had to stay strong or positive especially for my parents or siblings and did a lot on my own even with my friends. It really hit me hard how I am or used to be when I played KH3, I saw me when I was younger and it felt so wild and made me question how much I grew. I did grow more and I have been very healthy even when KH3 came out, but it struck a big chord. I'm just bewildered and glad to see I really did grow up alongside this character in a way, I look forward to how he is later on in IV. He is an amazing character, I hope this video helps people who dunk on him see just how deep he really is.

[@BioRoxas]

I’m glad it resonated with you so much :) the fact that you have that insight into your own upbringing already shows some growth and awareness!

[@Derpinator01]

Looking forward, I can only hope that his time in the Keyblade Graveyard will be the spark to teach Sora that showing sadness isn't a bad thing, since it was able to connect to Terra and Xion when his usual methods couldn't. Perhaps learning to express his negative emotions instead of hiding them could lead to the ability to wield darkness in a controlled matter like Riku instead of being overwhelmed in a flood like with Anti Form or Rage Form.

[@anthonymolina4982]

I think roxas himself shows a side of sora whos hiding deep inside. Roxas is a part of sora, and has sora's traits and desires. Their two sides of the same coin.

[@camilla6482]

But at the same time sora isn't Roxas too because once he became his own being he might be similar to sora but he's not the same sora. Because he was able to live his own life and feel his feelings and it's what he worked for since kingdom hearts 2 and before in-between all the way to kingdom hearts 3. So although I like them both kingdom hearts the series has made it clear on many occasions he's soras nobody but he's not sora, he's Roxas. And I like seeing them as separate because that's just how complex kingdom hearts and it's characters are. And it's what roxas's ark has been all about as goes for Namine and Xion. They wouldn't have come back if they weren't separate beings who deserved there lives back.

[@amberpasta9379]

For a game that involves sora as being the main protagonist in retrospect we don’t actually know sora… like what makes him tick and gives him that strength (not just his friends) to be optimistic and keep fighting… yeah we see him do all this and we see how he interacts with his friends but we don’t really get to know what he thinks in all given scenarios… there’s only a few times where I can think of where he mentions his full opinions on things. I’m hoping in KH4 we get to dive deeper into his mind and understanding him in a more personal way considering now he’s a much older teenager and has done a lot of character growth

[@danielmoloney7465]

Sora has always been my favourite character in anything. Just as a character that encapsulates everything I love in a character and everything I want to be, Sora has it all and so much more. I admire everything about him with fun and playful personality, his love for his friends, his drive to never give up and his happy smile that always makes everything better. His relationship with everyone is amazing and I personally think the absolute peak of his character is in Kingdom Hearts 2 where I think he was depicted the best, as well as had my favourite character design and my favourite voice performance for him from Haley Joel Osment, who also does a phenomenal job capturing everything that’s incredible about Sora as a whole. Wherever Sora’s character ends up next, I can’t wait to see and I know he’ll still be the same lovable character he’s always been. I always aspire to be like him and I wouldn’t be where I am without him. He’s the reason I value people as much as I do so much more about me came from him. He’s always my number 1 favourite character of all and the others like that for me are Naruto, Spider-Man, SpongeBob, Mickey Mouse, Sonic, Luffy and Goku. Again, I can’t say enough good things about Sora and every time I see him on screen, I immediately feel happy and feel like I wanna be his real friend.

[@bobdryn]

This really solidifies my feeling of having Sora as my favorite character. Because next to being the sunshine boy, he’s also sad and anger and much more than just the happiness he always shows. Amazing character analysis!!

[@DgoneOfficial]

This video is insane. I've played this game for 20 years and never really thought about it that way. As someone who struggles with expressing emotions and always mask to make others feel better, suddenly he becomes very relatable.

[@pacnat_9069]

I LOVEEE the conflict in Chain of Memories, seeing Sora irrationally take his anger out seems so realistic after everything he’s been through. Plus it’s pretty teen-coded lol

[@Mysticist]

Great video! Though I honestly think this just scratches the surface. For example, Sora’s willingness to take on the burdens of others really feeds into the Messiah complex people develop about him, first in the BBS secret ending and later at the end of DDD. Also I think comparing and contrasting characters is really helpful tool of analysis especially in KH where you have so many similarities between characters. Roxas originally was very much a manifestation of Sora’s latent depression, I mean he’s literally Sora without his connections to his friends and shows how without that connection Sora could pretty easily be taken in and used by the cult that is The Organization.

[@datiek5893]

I relate a LOT with Sora and his tendency to put literally anyone else before himself, even his enemies, so I really appreciate this video as a whole but especially your message at the end of the essay itself. I loved this analysis and would love to see more from you! 🗝️💗

[@trashraccoon2635]

i became aware of the whole toxic positivity in KH because of fanfic, of all things. i don't remember which fic it was, but the gist of it was sora tells riku that the gummi ship runs of smiles and happiness so he smiles even when sad and riku just stares at him and goes "well that's kind of fucked up." (should have known we would get something like this though, cause the fic has "sora has depression" or something like that as a tag)

[@LastHope135]

I mean heck while its a gameplay mechanic Anti-Sora and Rage Form, show that Sora has a lot of pent-up anger, sadness, and even fear that he didnt even become an emblem heartless when he gave up his heart to free Kairi's he became a Shadow. So consumed with his emotions that all that was left was a dark shadow cast in a world of light.

[@DavidPunisher23]

As a fellow mental health professional, I am really glad that there are Contant creators with the skills and knowledge to back up their series and understanding of this interesting character and story. Kingdom hearts was an extraordinarily pivotal story for me growing up, and I don’t know if my career would be the same if it weren’t for, the game coming out the right time in my life.

[@pamelamason530]

This idea of Sora as a ball of perpetual joy always felt off to me. Maybe it’s because he didn’t seem /that/ happy in KH1, or even in KH2. He had moments where he experienced hurt and brushed past it for the sake of being a “true hero.” I often think about his CoM outbursts or Coded’s acknowledgement of his pain, especially when I hear Riku talk about Sora to others. As I’ve grown, I’ve grown to really relate to Sora and his drive to help others. Riku, Roxas, and Axel are the cool, tortured boys, so the comforting tends to skew towards them. (Riku especially is not the best masker if KH2 and DDD show us anything, but he has grown much more in touch with his emotions.) Sora came off to me as someone whose hurt was rarely explored fully. Even in KH3: he has his breakdown in the Keyblade Graveyard and almost immediately has to pick himself up (literally) to bring back his friends. I hope they really explore that in KH4, especially if he starts the game off alone (alone = without his realm of reality friends, without Donald and Goofy). As an aside: my personal reactions to relating with Sora may say even more about him (or my take on him). Whenever I think of how I’m like Sora, I push the thought down and keep going, not wanting to make his experience about me. At the same time, though, the fact that I’ve been following the kid since I was 5 years old (now 26) makes that kind of impossible, doesn’t it?

[@goodie2shoes874]

Sora reminds me of Ichigo Kurosaki from Bleach. Both are burdened by not having the strength to protect the people important to them. But at the same time they both handle it differently. We’ll see how Sora handles it in KH4. Hopefully looking forward to seeing a deep dive into Riki’s character next.

[@Redxan600]

Don't mean to compare this character to your comment, but I would also like to add Miles Morales to your statement.

[@DiademAce]

@@Redxan600these are good comparisons so I’ll add Jotaro Kujo. As he tends to use his stoic personality to hide his depression and sadness.

[@SkyMacaroon]

One interesting idea that came up was Sanctuary that plays in Kingdom Hearts 2's intro, specifically when it's reversed. "I need more affection than you know." It could be an interesting tidbit of information when analyzing it in the lens of Sora and how he's been feeling throughout his story so far in not only that game but the series.

[@SoraFan23]

I wish Sora's friends would see the pain he is going through. Maybe if they saw how it was hurting him maybe they would be more understanding. I would've wanted them to help him with his negative emotions. I get Donald and Goofy meant well but their constant "Don't be Sad" and "Happy face only" really made Sora forced himself to be positive all the time. That is just not a healthy way to cope with your emotions. Once you keep bottling up your negative emotions at some point it will come lose revealing how you really feel. Sora had a Mental Breakdown in KH3 when he saw all of his friends getting carried away by the Tornado Heartless. Riku of course tried to cheer him up but he was just blinded by his self doubt and negativity that he had built up for so long. I can see why Sora cares about his friends, but he really doesn't to take time to care for himself. It really shows how he is willing to go the extra mile to help his friends even if it means paying the price for abusing his powers. I hope in Kingdom Hearts 4 Sora will be more mature and understand that he was neglecting himself so much.

[@maskedtrickster9691]

I find this video very interesting because I share a lot of similarities to Sora as I grew older from the time I was a little kid. He’s still one of my favorite characters to this day. Probably because I idolize my favorite characters and their good characteristics. But beyond that, sometimes we tend to forget the negative aspects. The aspects that doesn’t get touched on enough. I love Sora, he’s a flawed character but so redeemable at the same time. It’s truly inspirational how he comes back on his feet everytime he falls down.

[@PreferredWhale6]

Thoroughly enjoyed this video, so well done and articulated! It always felt weird to me that they'd constantly push Sora to keep being positive. But after watching this video and thinking about it more, it seems way more intentionally written than I first thought. Especially compared to Riku, who learns how to embrace his darkness and use it as a strength rather than trying to repress it. Such an interesting video and informative I'm sure to people who might relate to what Sora's gone through!

[@BioRoxas]

Thanks Whale!! I’m so glad you enjoyed this :)

[@Fauxrising2022]

I am so happy that someone finally did a real analysis of Sora! KH PS series (now watching this I feel disappointed that I really missed out on the other games. And most likely why KH3 was hard to follow). This game was a comfort growing up, probably because the main character has been so relatable of the years! If you think about it KH1 was originally advertised for kids. I remember seeing loads of advertisements on the Disney channel. So Soras 2D go lucky personality and mindset relates to what kids go through. Needing to mask negative feels to not feel like a burden, needing to feel worthy, the value of friendship. These are powerful themes that are reflected in Sora. I think those that played KH1 grew with the character throughout the sequels so darker themes and the dark cracks in Soras personality were explored. I’m not sure how the sequels were advertised and over time I think the game franchises demographic changed to adolescents and adults. It’s interesting how Soras core values and flaws from the beginning of the game kind of doom him in the end. As some one who idolized Sora in KH1 and KH2 I can see how my lack of boundaries and masking have led to similar traits shown in KH3 now that I’m an adult. Don’t get me wrong it will always remain as a favorite! However I wonder what would have happened to Sora if he was depicted as someone with boundaries and able to process his anger and sadness. I hope if KH4 becomes a reality they will cover that next in his story arc. It another thing from childhood where the layers are peeled to reveal something deeper than one could have realized. Soras been a real comfort and this video explains just how complex and well written his character was! Definitely will have to find a video of every cut scene from all the games now! I couldn’t get my PS to work so I sadly donated KH1 (after holding on to it for almost 17 years 😢)

[@aguywithgames3135]

I knew I was onto something when I felt that Sora didn’t necessarily get better after The Guardians’ death. While yes, he’s pretty much putting in the most effort in the war, supporting everyone in their fights on his own, his mindset is still set on “my friends are my power” and is only standing strong and pushing forward for the sake of others while excluding himself in the picture.

[@corvin_nl3455]

I’ve been having a hard time. Recently KH has come back into my periphery and this video made me understand that I do the same thing as Sora. I’m heartbroken. Yet, for once, I understand why. “Art is the lie that reveals the truth.” Thank you.

[@BioRoxas]

I hope you get some relief soon :( I’m so sorry to hear you’re going through a rough time

[@mckaylahoffman1338]

Two words for our boy: self differentiation ❤️ It’s difficult to do this if we’ve experienced loss and are insecure in our relationships as Sora might be. Really fantastic analysis-thank you for this!!

[@ajregalia1334]

I REALLY want to see a breakdown of this for Riku and how his development contrasts Sora's and how that contrast culminates in him becoming a master where Sora couldn't

[@bella_daze3092]

I’ve always wanted to see this type of video for Sora. Sora as a character and his development hits home for me… I loved this

[@wallybonejengles5595]

I feel like one of these days Sora is gonna scratch everybody's eyes out. My man really gets no respect and he can only take so much. He takes so much on and people need to recognize that and help lift my boy up. They always treat him like a joke. I have been there. It starts to hurt. It makes you resentful.

[@wallybonejengles5595]

PS. The Psychology of Riku would be great. I loved your take on Sora. An old friend tried to explain this rough idea to me, way before we thought 3 was on its was. I didn't get it then. But the struggle that is life has allowed me to see it now. Sora is deep.

[@MBRSims]

This was a fantastic video, because I genuinely never fully realised the depth of Sora's character before. It made me look at the plot of the series in a new and refreshing way. I can now relate to and understand Sora more than I did before. Thank you for this great analysis.

[@Mestephra]

If anyone knows about soras pain, its namine. I mean she had personal contact with his memories, and as a result, his feelings.

[@joshuamoody7729]

Wasn’t she Kairi’s heartless? it’s been a minute.

[@Mestephra]

@@joshuamoody7729 Nope, she's kairi's nobody. Kairi doesn't have a heartless because she's one of the 7 princesses of light who have absolutely no darkness in them. No darkness = no heartless.

[@SorryIBlackedOut]

Except she’s actually (also) Sora’s Nobody. She came into existence when Kairi’s heart was released from Sora’s when Sora lost his heart in KH 1. Same for Roxas.

[@Sulfur-of-steel-coffin]

I enjoy that you took the time to go over re:coded. Everyone skips over it and misses a piece of the story. Re:coded is when sora learns to hurt, even though it's only his data version

[@rh162]

This dive is so cathartic to hear after having preached this to the community (especially the Roxas fans that dog on Sora for being too happy) for years.

[@GeorgiaAndrea]

People like Sora do exist. They keep on showing their happy personality to distract themselves from their worry. Sometimes it looks fake but they don’t care.

[@DeeJamari]

I like this. I myself am going through my own journey of self discovery and learning my emotions and feelings. Without this video, I never would have thought Sora was going through his own internal struggles. He really hides it well. Thank you!

[@SwordBurstThrowaway]

Can't wait. A full analysis of our boy.

[@boozeman4749]

Great analysis. I've always felt that Sorra and character's like him have always been misunderstood by most of their fan base. ( Naruto, Zack Fair, Eward Elric ect.)

[@redlox2]

Sora is much more complex then people give him, he isn’t dumb, people just like to hype Riku and put Sora down in comparison. It’s mostly due to COM and DDD.

[@SSlash]

DDD really did make him seem more absent minded at times then it needed to, like I get it, its a weird ass situation to be thrust into but the amount of times it felt like his IQ dropped for a scene or two was just odd, in some cases you can say its intentional and purposeful but idk about ALL

[@redlox2]

@@SSlash the way I saw it. Despite wanting the title I don’t think Keyblade mastery was Sora goal in DDD. He was mostly still trying to make friends and help people out (which he did by virtue of waking up sleeping worlds) and I kinda felt he didn’t take the Organization as seriously as he did in KH2. I don’t think he got the full scope of what was happening till he beat Xenmas only to fall into the trap of sleep.

[@SteveCrafts2k]

@@redlox2 Then again, he thought the Organization was over with, and that Xemnas and Young Xehanort were the only things he had to deal with.

[@lilchaos9212]

People don't really seem to realise that Riku had a positive arc (going from a more negative character to redeeming himself and becoming a Keyblade Master) while Sora has a negative arc (going from an innocent kid who just wants to help people to being a young man who everyone relies on to fix their problems but who is humiliated and critiqued for having his own issues and not being happy all the time).

[@Reycied]

There's a quote that always stuck with me about how allowing yourself to feel sad is important. It's from Book 7 of the Dark Tower by Stephen King. Spoilers for the book after the jump. One of the series' central characters, Susannah Dean, has just lost her husband and soulmate, Eddie. A crew of psychics, worried for her well-being, attempt to combine their powers into a psychic 'good-mind' to blunt her grief and rage. She notices immediately what happens, and says the following: "You mustn't use your good-mind to steal my grief, for I'd open my mouth and drink it to the dregs." It's been years since I last read it, and I still remember that quote.

[@LilacMonarch]

The way D&G relentlessly told Sora "no sad faces" and never allowing him a moment to process anything has always bothered me. He's always told to bottle his emotions but you can only cram so many things in the bottle before it shatters

[@TheJaredPunch]

In a way, it’s ironic that Disney is making Sora bottle his emotions considering that Disney has many emotional moments.

[@ReginaSparrow2002]

Wow. I have never really thought of that before and I have been with the series since it came out on PS3. Hearing and taking a deeper look makes this game have so much more depth than I could ever imagine. Thank you so much for showing me how Sora is more human than just always being super positive! Keep up the good work!

[@dangoo._.docosplay]

I am like sora it's almost bad. I would do anything for my friends no matter how much it hurts me and I always feel like a burden and I'm afraid to ask for things. Sora is my first kin and this series has brought so many memories. Thank you Nomura for such an amazing game and moments. And thank you bio-roxas

[@BioRoxas]

I really encourage you to start taking time for yourself :) it’s good to support others but I hope you know you are worth it to take care of yourself!

[@dangoo._.docosplay]

@BioRoxas thank you you're too kind and yes I've been getting better about caring for myself more. Thank you

[@SSlash]

@@dangoo._.docosplay trust me when I say I've been there man, have had a friend over the past few years where, instead of putting my own wants or desires forward like, ever, I would drop everything to spend time with them, maybe out of a fear of losing them like I have others in the past or something, but it eventually hit me just how unhappy it was making me and how little time I was actually having to do stuff I genuinely wanted to do instead of whatever they wanted. Maybe there isnt a much similar case for you to relate to with this, but regardless I've been a lot happier just by having more me time and not agreeing to stuff that I'm truly not in the mood for, doesnt help in my case where its so one sided, I'd give them all the time in the world for what they want and I get almost none of that reciprocated, and it just felt expected of me at some point that I just stopped trying as much. So regardless I truly hope you have or can come to be okay with asking for things and not hurting yourself just to please others and whatever else that might be an issue for you, dont gotta put yourself first 100% of the time, its okay to let someone else be a priority in your mind, just dont let it all go ruining your whole mood if you can help it I guess.

[@dangoo._.docosplay]

@SSlash honestly I totally get what you are saying most of my friendships are extremely one sided and it's never reciprocated but I've been trying to do things for myself