Ranking Every Kingdom Hearts Opening

[@kiroubada]

can't wait for the secret endings ranking

[@handsoaphandsoap]

Number 1 is KH2, let’s be real

[@NamPham-oq7vm]

@@handsoaphandsoap imagine bbs being as dark/mature as the secret ending

[@nixuniverse5240]

Kh2 easy. Kh3's secret ending IMO was kinda weak.

[@RealCGH]

@@handsoaphandsoap v13 fanboys will definitely think it's kh3, joking aside kh3 secret ending is amazing as well

[@zapunknown]

I think I like kh1’s secret ending more

[@vincentive_huynh]

13:30 not sure if you’ve made this connection before but it’s one I read from Tumblr long ago that I really enjoy: The TVA trio are reflections of the three princesses they visit first. - Terra gets possessed by Xehanort just as how Aurora gets possessed by Maleficent. - Ven falls asleep and is kept safe in a chamber just as how Snow White falls asleep and chills out in a glass chamber. - Aqua leaves behind her armour and her keyblade for her friends just as how Cinderella leaves behind her glass slipper for her Prince. All this coupled with how their representative colour palettes conveniently line up with the Disney princesses’ stations of awakening just ✨tickles✨ me.

[@couchpotato3197]

Yeah this was my favourite thing I learned about KH recently, and my favourite thing in this video. It kinda blew my mind and you made it even better by sharing that.

[@couchpotato3197]

Oh also the first three station of awakenings are Green, Blue and Red, SDGs colours. Which are the 3 colours of light. And Aero spells are green, blizzard spells are blue and idk about Terra but Xehanort clearly has earth magic cause he keeps moving rocks in the KBG.

[@annaleepena2790]

Omg that’s amazing. I love learning new things about this series

[@LOZA-DM]

Yo check out this big brain fella over here with the colossal brain observation :O

[@joeyjose727]

@@couchpotato3197 yeah Earth Magic is definitely Terra’s signature, I love that all the BBS trio get some powerful spells with their representative element It’d be cool if Sora did too, but I guess he’s kinda the jack of all trades (even though his name mean sky so... I bet his representative thing is less an element and more of his acrobatic abilities)

[@JonathanQShrimpling]

6:36 "Here`s Larxene. She`s girl." my new favorite Regular Pat quote

[@thomassantos4898]

I still prefer the classic "I don't think so, you fucking rat!" followed by the explanation that Aqua with KH1 Kairi's heart would not take anyone's shit.

[@MajesticWorld19]

"Sora's big Minecraft fingers" I will never be able to unsee that.

[@nanidesuka1591]

Sammeeee

[@BoBennings]

All the KH male characters have gargantuan sized hands

[@creator6782]

You never noticed it? I noticed in the ansem riku cutscene because I was stuck-

[@bnashee]

fr why are his hands so big. i remember noticing this in kh 2 because damn both of his hands together are almost as big as kairi's entire torso

[@andrewgarrett1356]

Whenever the Birth by Sleep opening played, I would always say to my sister that Terra was running from the darkness and Ven was running from the truth (because he lost his memories) in an attempt to hit her right in the feels and in an attempt to make myself sound deeper than I really was. That never gets old.

[@misseli1]

I mean you weren't that far off

[@daviddaybreak3360]

Okay, real talk... this has got to be one of the best videos you have ever made. I mean that wholeheartedly. Not only is your analysis of each games' opening thorough and appreciative of what each of them has to offer, but the way you described the more emotional and impactful moments in them had palpable love behind it, and ngl... It made me get a little choked up. All of this to say that you just keep surprising me with just how much passion you put into your projects and I'm so, so proud of you, bud. Keep it up, Patty. ✌🏻❤️ (PS: The Sean Connery "Shubshcribe" at the end had me on the floor. 😂)

[@zincpodzzz]

Yeah you can really feel the passion in a lot of his videos

[@usernamepassword4517]

all kingdom hearts openings ranked 10. you 9. cant 8. rank 7. them 6. because 5. they 4. are 3. all 2. amazing 1. birth by sleep

[@davidp5114]

lol that made me laugh out loud

[@NevermoreXV]

Michael "the Christ" Mouse had me cackling

[@recino2]

DDD is my number 1 or 2 personally. Watching it on the 3DS legit never failed to make me cry. The book theming, the timing of actions plus music, and yes Mic jumping screens is pure magic and no one can tell me otherwise.

[@antonytheriault6252]

I quite liked the 358/2 days opening with all the organization members with each their little description

[@ComputerTechnic217]

It was 2nd place. Third place is BBS. First place is KH2

[@Ephemerthefish2525]

the ds ver for me is better

[@placefantasy1821]

I love the 0.2 remix like it went SO HARD and it didn’t need to but I’m so happy that it did. When the trio were all holding hands I remember needing to take a minute and process how good that opening was it’s just so beautiful

[@adrianemanuel7121]

With the BBS opening, I also like how the three wayfinders that turned into station of awakenings morph into Mickey's Star Seeker keyblade chain, sort of symbolizing how he's supposed to be carrying on the memory/search for the trio in current times

[@Atlas92936]

"If only to pad out the run time of the video.......NUMBER 10" 😂😂😂

[@2minuss]

"Here's Larxene, she's girl!" I am dead.

[@NibbleSnarph]

The one time for DDD to shine.

[@axelwarriorvs]

Very glad you gave 0.2 the credit it deserves, it caught me entirely by surprise when it came out

[@TraverseTown123X]

My faves are KH1 and 0.2, they definitely set the emotional stakes of the game better than the other ones, less concerned about literally telling you what the story is about or recapping, and more concerned with putting you in the space of the characters. KH1 in particular is brilliant if you view it as something that Sora literally saw in a dream before he goes to the Dive to the Heart, and then "wakes up". 0.2 is good because it's more concerned with telling you how Aqua is feeling about Ven/Terra than recapping precisely what happened to them.

[@TraverseTown123X]

That said, my fave moment in all of them is definitely the stairs sequence in KH2's.

[@RecruitofApollo]

Man, if anything, this video reveals a ton of little details and connections that I never noticed. It surprises me that I'm still learning stuff about KH1, about 17 years after I first played it.

[@yeetusvanitas9800]

This was super enjoyable. I’ve had a really, really rough week, and this really brought me up, watching your channel always does. Thanks Pat!

[@jasonscansaroli9755]

I 100% agree with you Pat in regards to KH3. I waited a long damn time for the game and it very much lived up to my expectations

[@OmniGeno]

I watched this video for the first time right after starting KH3 for the first time (a month or so ago, so I wouldn’t be spoiled at all). I watched it again just now after completing the entire series, and it hits even harder. Don’t know what my ranking would be, but I love your analysis of your list. Great job!

[@Xpwnxage]

Sanctuary is so beautiful. You're right, KH2 deserves that spot.

[@habijjj]

I'd say kh3 face my fears is the culmination of all the games and characters leading up to it plus the quote at the beginning I absolutely love it the sora quote gives me chills every time.

[@nuclearsynapse5319]

The simba summon animation at the end of the 3D intro is a callback to the first use of the orchestral version of simple and clean in some kh1 promo material. At the same point in the song we get sora summoning simba, then a cut to the title.

[@AttestedFire66]

"The closing chapter of childhood" I love this. Says it all perfectly.

[@Lilly-dq5wn]

this video made me remember how much I loved the scene from KH2 where they're all running up that spiral staircase...

[@meevil24]

If Simple and Clean: Aqua Edition isnt #1, we will riot

[@shaun7002]

Wrong

[@heyitsspider2499]

That’s the worst one lmfaooo

[@settingittowumbo1953]

It is pretty good

[@gamingwithseamusthe2nd884]

Unpopular opinion, but I hate the Aqua version

[@heyitsspider2499]

@@settingittowumbo1953 I really just don’t like the song, the animation is fine tho

[@mistersnaxor5628]

I love the kh2 intro so fucking much dude, I watch it every now and then and it’s always a good watch.

[@ScapeVEVO]

Can I make the CoM sequence even more awesome for you The keyblade swings from Sora as he’s running up the stairs swatting away shadows are synced to the beat and I LOVE IT Edit: actually I’m pretty sure almost every attack from sora is synced to some beat of the music THIS INTRO IS SO GOODDDDDD

[@AnthonyH0395]

Adding into the greatness of the DDD opening on 3DS. When Mickey does the split when Roxas is created, he not only splits, but his original self fades out when it happens. I might be thinking too into it, but I like to think it represents Xion in how she is also a version of Sora during that time and fades out of existence entirely.

[@slickzilla12]

I'm very glad you touched on all the exact reasons why KH2's opening is the best. I'm biased about it for sure, but it has a cohesiveness that just stands above the rest. Nothing beats the pixelated CoM transition or Kairi and Namine voicing the lines of the song. Just untouchable. Although I think DDD's has the best CGI in the series.

[@tylerfrancom8538]

7:15 you know this part really weirded me out too, until I learned that axel actually hates sea salt ice cream, he just ate it to be with roxas and xion

[@Salciin]

Why again did I start crying seeing only the footage of these openings?

[@Soooooooooooonicable]

Nothing compares to KH1's opening for me. It was the best Christmas morning I ever experienced. If I could living in a moment for all eternity, that's the one I'd choose.

[@KEVINF0X]

I literally cried when you showed and described the number 1 and 2 spots. This video game series is just so beautiful and I'm happy that we're all connected through it ❤

[@bubalackgaming8892]

I'm gonna make a prediction: this comment section will be more of a war zone than any other Kingdom Hearts comment section in history.

[@recino2]

Comments are a war zone. My heart's a battleground

[@Duality333]

Hey screw you pal fight me

[@Duality333]

Dude I still get choked up every time sanctuary comes on, and I’ve heard it a billion times. Good ol limewire back in the day. I’ll take a virus for this song any day.

[@Enixgeek]

Words cannot describe the validation and dopamine boost I received when KH2 won first. Sanctuary slaps harder than SAC and FMF/DTT! Fight me! That and, there's just something so memorable about KH2's intro. Sora leaping off the tree, the fight through rising falls, Riku turning into Ansem, the door to Kingdom Hearts, the infinite stairway, Riku v Ansem and Sora v Marluxia, Naminé's room, Sora flying over the ocean, the Destiny Island sunset, and the Roxas reveal. each equally give me goosebumps every time. KH2 earns it's top spot. Not just because it's intro is iconic and beautiful, but because it precedes one of the greatest games made for the PS2.

[@lucaswoop1827]

This video was superb! I thought you described every intro so accurately and thoughtfully, and I'm glad 0.2's intro is getting some love! Great stuff!

[@kblade08]

Simple and clean (and that KH1 opening) was so impactful to me that just thinking about it still gives me chills. Surprised to see it so "low" at first but it makes sense when the rest of the list is taken into context.

[@Jyukenmaster95]

I feel less crazy about thinking that the end of the DDD intro "could've been Simba". Thanks Pat.

[@phil2160]

Well theoretically, since Simba is a link in KH3, you can body the old Nort with him, just that you can't deal the finishing blow

[@sarahbasham89]

I love this so much. Kh as a whole has always meant so much to me and I definitely go through phases where I’m super into it and I’m in one of those phases rn lol. Glad to hear someone else really enjoyed 3!! It’s a beautiful game. Intro always gives me goosebumps!

[@auroraborealis8602]

Your description of the 358/2 Days opening hit the nail on the head, regarding my own experience. It was my first KH game, and so, being a blank slate like Roxas, I totally believed it all.

[@MegaSpideyman]

I like how you used each Org member for each number that matched it.

[@OverlordNeon]

I remember feeling so clever when first seeing Sora and Riku fall back to Destiny Islands at the end of KH2 and thinking "wow, so thats why sora was falling in the KH1 intro??maybe?" Still, what a way to work that into the plot somehow.

[@ScrapsandSlaps]

Did anyone else make multiple saves anytime they started KH2 as a kid? It just never felt the same if I didn’t hear Sanctuary before playing the game.

[@TheBlueWizzrobe]

8:50 The best thing about your sense of humor is just how subtle it is. I love how this implies that you are in fact proud to have had the Pokemon: The First Movie soundtrack as a significant portion of the songs played on your walkman.

[@RegularPat]

im still bopping to Vacation and Free Up Your Mind

[@anthonyhoward3246]

I just found your channel in the last year but has become one of my favorite kh channels and now I know your anniversary is the same day as my birthday nice 🙂

[@KittyKatKandi]

> places the intro to 3d high on the list > says kh3 lived up to the wait i see you’re a man of culture 💖🥰

[@andyz6306]

This is probably dumb, but I adore how you call him Michael. Somehow that just elevates things for me all the time.

[@Mia-Solastasia]

That goddamn staircase scene with the guitar in KH2's opening is one of the best things my senses have ever experienced. I'm so glad to see someone appreciate it as much as I do. I went to rewatch both KH1 and KH2's openings, and I didn't get any chills until the moment I got to that scene. It is inexplicably satisfying the way Sanctuary fits with the visuals. I still think about it often to this day.

[@cloudshines812]

Its not a synth and garbage dubstep song like what Skrillx did to Face My Fears. A perfectly okay song, ruined by his contribution. Even Utada Hikaru stated in an interview she genuinely disliked the song

[@divaalfirman3295]

27:32 somebody once pointed out that since the Oathkeeper keyblade is meant to symbolize Kairi and the Oblivion keyblade is meantt to symbolize Riku, Sora can be seen as "dual-wielding" the Oathkeeper and Oblivion, foreshadowing his connection to Roxas

[@aliaubreyswink6767]

The thing I love about both kh1 & kh2 intros are that they literally are the beginning of each games kh1 being part of soras dream at the beginning of the game and same with kh2 being kinda roxas dream before he wakes up (That’s the way I always saw it at least)

[@tgbell6567]

Personally, I think it’s better to play 358/2 days first because it sets up the stuff with Roxas and Axel perfectly for KH2.

[@davidwilliama.7296]

I hadn't seen several of these because I didn't play every game. The 0.2 intro was freaking amazing! I should try that game out since I like Aqua. I agree that KH2 is probably the best intro. I love it so much! I also love KH3's intro. I pretty much agree on almost everything in this list.

[@TheCrayzeerayquaza]

Can't believe I didn't catch it at first but "Drowned her goldfish" just really got me

[@Soynereh]

I remember KH2 op was put in bewtween commercial on the Animax channel. The stairs drawing transition to 3D was what hook me up with KH forever. Also I remember being really happy with 3D intro, the story was finally moving forward...! just not by much, oh well.

[@ComputerTechnic217]

can you send a link to the ad?

[@ComputerTechnic217]

I really want to see it

[@Soynereh]

@@ComputerTechnic217 In between ads. Like a music video the proper full intro wqs played around 2006.

[@ComputerTechnic217]

@@Soynereh wow. if you can find a recording of this happening it would be awesome to see

[@Soynereh]

@@ComputerTechnic217 Not an ad, it's the same vid just with the Animax channel logo on the corner. The full intro was played in between commercials.

[@whisper6146]

I listen to Sanctuary every day. It is AMAZING

[@world_ends_with_bread_9207]

I luv his dad in the facecam just vibin along to Simple and Clean

[@boodrood7612]

I freaking love all of these videos so much, no matter what you put out, it always is so full of great content, and it makes me so happy! Keep up the great work man!! My Kingdom Hearts experience wouldn't be the same without ya!

[@punkitt]

ANOTHER PAT VIDEO MY FANART IS IN, CAN I KEEP THE TRAIN RUNNIN Seriously tho, thanks again for the wonderful video! Really reminded me how high production the KH intros are and I _still_ got emotional at the KH2 opening. Thanks for putting all of it into words! I'm gonna to rewatch all of em now

[@mega1268]

shoutouts to MoM for not even having an opening would have been great too

[@Arkbirdman]

Honestly with kh 2s intro I just rewatched it after 5 years when starting a playthrough and with the context of having had played all the games it was great

[@Jazzy-Mintz]

Honestly all the openings put me in my feels :3 I can’t even decide what to rank them

[@elid3630]

When you said “literally all of us are Sora ok, grow up. Well I guess we’re all..” then flashed a picture of Xehanort on the screen I couldn’t help but just out laughing because of the accuracy. 😂

[@GingieFFSE]

This was phenomenal to watch! Thank you so much

[@Silversky1113]

Dream Drop Distance op is still the best one for me. It's so nostalgic and beautiful.

[@holwy97]

The most important media drop of today

[@tuffemily1431]

Theres a weird thing with the kh1 and 2 themes where like. I got into this series in 2018 with the ps4 collection so I don't really have nostalgia for the series but something about them makes me nostalgic for that time period. Also I listened to the 0.2 theme like 10 tens before actually starting the game when I first got to it so I'm glad to see it here.

[@SilverInkblot]

The best KH openers operate on a sort of dream logic where everything makes sense as long as you were there from the beginning, but are still enjoyable if you weren't. I've always thought the editing in the best ones was peak quality, like the simultaneous Sora/ Marluxia Riku/Ansem fight, or the quick cuts at the end of DDD; they sync up to the music great, the rotation of the camera adds extra dynamism, and the cuts are placed so that an action from one moment carries into the next on a different character. It's hella slick animation and not as appreciated as it really should be.

[@TheDimensionDweller]

6:45 I almost spewed my tea when you said "Linkedin Bio," thanks

[@KaimArgonarEyyyy]

What made DDD's intro even more special was how it used both of the screens on the 3DS, with Mickey doing the hand wavy stuff at the bottom and the video proper happening above. Pretty neat. Edit: oof, and you decide to talk about that just after I finish and posted the comment.

[@Hevenlee]

I remember when I was young I went from 1 to 2 so when Sora got trapped in that bubble at the end I thought they were showing Namine off to be this character who was deceptive between her goals and what she looked like which I suppose is /kinda/ what happens in re:chain? KIINDA?

[@blackpencil2910]

16:02 Not only it shows the sora getting cloned to roxas,but you can also see a third mickey in the middle,a detail that was kept in the re-release,they could remove it but they didn't,i'ts Xion,briefly showing up,being "born" at the same time Sora splits up and forms Roxas

[@daniellins4114]

I'd like to know where you'd put the, for lack of a better word, "second oppening" to KH3, the one that actually plays every time you put on the game. It would probably would be low, since it's just a recap.

[@YukeWeiss]

So good. You have so many little great jokes and pretty much lined up with my take. I feel like people who started with KH1 back in the day probably still have that nostalgia from KH2's opening just hitting our impressionable young little minds embedded somewhere.

[@Depth217]

The 3D intro basically foreshadowing the end of III had me excited from the start. This would be like if somehow we got a glimpse at the Portals scene in Endgame back at the end of Avengers or something.

[@DestinedConch]

13:08 Drowning a Goldfish is truly monstrous! I guess Terra COULD drown it in Darkness, but not water haha!

[@abiean222]

i used to start a new game on KH2 just to watch the opening all the time, i loved it so much.

[@sachib.2607]

hm! im so glad u included 0.2 so high up :> I really do vividly remember the moment i saw it for the first time - I was immediately moved to tears. Something about it was a gut punch of emotions , with the focus on Aqua.... DDD is also probs one of my top faves- for the exact reasons you mentioned too, i love loved how well choreographed the sequence it was and the instrumental made it feel so.... intense, I absolutely loved it.... Time to watch all the opening sequences again and sob all the while! Thanks for your all your videos Pat :D

[@densonandra]

A Survivor “Ponderosa” reference in a KH video…..yep, subscribing!

[@phoenixkh93]

But yeah top notch video again, can't fault any of your choices or reasons. You're right I completely forgot about 0.2, im gonna go watch it

[@socialistbcrumb]

The 0.2 love is well-founded and appreciated

[@caldw615]

I think I hold KH2's opening in such high regard because of the sense of time passing. Sure looking back this franchise is near 20 years old now and there was a massive gap between 2 and 3's release but I feel the progression from 1 to COM to 2 felt impactful. COM being this smaller title on a handheld system that resused voice clips from 1 really made it feel like the jump to KH2 was much larger than it it first seemed and it was always amazing seeing what was once just little sprite battles on a tiny screen fully realised on 3D was just amazing. I think that impact is somewhat lost going from KH1 to Re:COM and into 2 because of it already being 3D and, if new players are playing Re:COM instead of COM, the first time they hear Sora's voice since his actor aged and voice deepened. It makes the sudden jump of "1 year later" and Sora's sudden growth spurt and voice change a bit less impactful compared to back on the early 2000's where you jumped from a GBA title to 2.

[@MegaSpideyman]

Yeah, some really cool links and foreshadowing in a lot of these, like KH and BBS. Still a lovely moment when Mickey jumps into the action in DDD's opening.

[@velvetbutterfly]

3:20 I think they did it because canonically the Xemnas encounter happens in roughly the time Sora is in Hollow Bastion, and they probably mixed up the exact order of those three scenes because they were close enough and they wanted either a certain visual or they wanted it to match up with the music

[@portiasnowdon9443]

Love these videos keep em coming

[@go_gorilla_go]

You just made me realise I never played 2.8, time to boot it up. The intro for 2.8 does slap, the remix of simple and clean is real nice~

[@asolo4169]

Xigbar intro description for 358 "Traverses between realms" hits different.

[@Ari-6]

KH2 OP was also my favourite. Even if the gameplay was not my favourite, I would start new games without saving, just to listen to the OP again.

[@GNOtaku13]

Another phenomenal video! I completely agree with your placements of the clip show intros bc they had a lot of wasted potential. I will say that 358/2 Days and 3D got gutted on the HD remaster due to the lack of dual screens!

[@captaintogawa9736]

You should look into the Hikari's lyrics (KH1 Japanese theme) if you haven't before. They fit the Kingdom Hearts a lot better than Simple and Clean IMO

[@TetsuRiken]

The kh2 intro was the first one I saw and it still gets me hyped

[@ChrisPTenders]

I came here to get beat up. Swap places for 1 and 2 for me. 1 makes me feel things, 2 is just a pretty recap. KH1's intro moves with a purpose. It makes me feel all the emotions the game has to offer, all at once, in a span of two minutes. It might not be going nuts with foreshadowing or recapping, like other openings, but I like that. Because of that, it can focus on using visuals to elicit abstract emotion and being atmospheric and intriguing. It does a lot more with half the run time of 2's opening... I honestly might not be a fan of the series if it weren't for how damn alluring and mystifying KH1's opening was - and still is. KH2's intro does sync really well, and the song is appropriately emotional to set the game's tone, but it's just a prettier version of things that happened in the games. It just shows what happened with better visuals and cinematography - which is pretty cool ngl, but not enough to make it the best one imho. Essentially, it communicates, "hey so, if you didn't know, some things happened. If you did know, it was all much cooler than you remember, we swear." It's exciting to look at, but it doesn't make me excited to play the game that comes after it. It's presentation doesn't make me feel anything on its own, but just uses images of the past two games to re:mind me how those games made me feel. Artistically, it's nothing special compared to what other openings do, especially KH1's opening. It's the best in production value though, for sure. I think KH3's intro, despite being less synchronized, does better at using more emotionally evocative imagery in its recaps than 2's does. Much like how the game itself aims to rekindle the better qualities of KH1, so does the opening. It's recapping takes artistic liberty with the expression of canon to craft and move around more impactful imagery in a way that makes you feel what you're seeing on a deeper level, similar in nature to KH1's recap free opening... which makes it vastly superior to KH2's opening in my book. Just my opinion. If it's stinky hold your nose and escape, don't huff and puff at it, you're just breathing it in if you do that.

[@masterseal0418]

Okay for almost every single intro which Simple and Clean’s PlanitB remix played that everyone complained about: SHUT UP AND ENJOY THE NIGHTCORE.

[@auroraborealis8602]

Okay, that troll moment at number six had me holler for a second, so it definitely worked.

[@jackbrownio3]

18:10 I literally used Simba to cheese most of the bosses in the KH3 data battles. Therefore in the canon of my playthrough this is exactly what happened hahaha

[@Arcadio_Castellanoz]

THE POKÉMON SOUNDTRACK HOLY F*CK YOU JUST UNLOCKED SOMETHING

[@saix_unicorn]

i'm happy that Face my fears is at least 3rd because this into made me cry so much times

[@calelkestifer3570]

you just unlocked my memories of when they called Roxas BHK because no one knew his name yet holy wow I knew what it stands for immediately and I don't always remember text lingo I saw yesterday lmao