Sora's Character Progression and Regression (KH 1 - 3) | Kingdom Hearts Discussion

Sora's gone through a lot of character progression and regression throughout the series, and a good chunk of it has to do with his confidence! Count how many times I say confident in this vid! This video follows sora throughout the whole series that we have so far which is KH 1 - 3. Once KH4 comes out, we'll see where that takes him!
Fully Playable KH1 sora in KH3 mod Showcase: • KH1 Sora Mod Showcase ...
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[@oluvids]

Music featured in this video: Organization XIV (Project Destati: DARKNESS) - kzbin.info/www/bejne/r4mYk5iMgs6CrNU Darkness of the Unknown (Project Destati: DARKNESS) - kzbin.info/www/bejne/hZKTqoCYptmsiLM Roxas / The Other Promise (Project Destati: LIGHT) - kzbin.info/www/bejne/nme3kJ2FpdSLnK8 Sweet Spirits (Project Destati: DARKNESS) - kzbin.info/www/bejne/ooGXf4pjg5mela8 Night of Fate (Project Destati: DARKNESS) - kzbin.info/www/bejne/mH3Gp6qfo6yCqdU Sora (Project Destati: LIGHT) - kzbin.info/www/bejne/p5bLpq17jJ6jmac The 13th Floor -Arrangement ~ Kingdom Hearts: RE: Chain Of Memories- - kzbin.info/www/bejne/lZStYaGfZbKEnas

[@EdgardoJCruz-dk5kv]

I always saw Sora carefree attitude during most of Dream Drop as him enjoying and revisiting his inner child wonder. While having conflict with real consequences or injustices he can't or will not ignore. Deep he honestly wishes for much simpler times where he can easily befriend others without judgements, interruptions or manipulations. That is why it always bothered me that people complain that they made him "dumber" or "he did not change at all". No he did but there is thing in narrative called levity and reflection it's kinda needed for some characters to grow.

[@oluvids]

I think this here makes sense. Especially by the time of KH3, yeah DDD was really the last time he could be like that. Also I think that donald and goofy not being there adds to that. Even in KH2 he got so fixated on meeting santa, and probably woulda skipped anything else of donald didnt reel him back

[@PetiteNSweetGaming]

Very well said

[@Redxan600]

I've always wondered why Sora's character in DDD was the way it is. After hearing more about his layers from certain comments, including this one, I'm learning more and more about why he is like that. Thanks for putting out this comment.

[@Kidkinsey]

Great video I’m really excited to see the direction his character takes in the next Kh

[@adverseresolve8142]

No cause he's never That trusting in one, chain, or two. Especially in regards to those with questionable allegiance; is those he has no good reason to or long exposure with. As regards to the stupidity thing in dream drop, Sora hasn't really been slow on the uptake to such a degree especially after the events of KH1 when he's gotten experience from his first journey. Dream Drop Sora feels like an entirely different character. Hope that clears it up.

[@possiblepuzzles8137]

I will also say this in Sora's defense: he didn't fail the ddd test for lack of trying; Xehanort made it clear that he sabotaged Sora from the very beginning by giving him his mark (he was doomed from the start). I feel like that is something the writers chose to ignore when creating Donald's reactions in kh3

[@oluvids]

That is true, though there is the aspect that sora followed his heart into deeper slumber despite riku's warnings(If it was the regular test then he woulda def passed, but even with the rigging it coulda been avoided)

[@starvoltnexus3139]

Also Yensid implies he could’ve foreseen it And I wanna remind you he left BOTH him and Riku for Dead

[@starvoltnexus3139]

@@oluvids he couldn’t hear Riku

[@possiblepuzzles8137]

@@starvoltnexus3139 I guess when you retire as a keyblade master, you retire from EVERYTHING... Except for when you show up super late to the final battle and fight the actual weakest threat ...

[@DreamOfTheRebel]

I choose to believe Donald was just teasing him the way best friends do, and that he actually believes that Sora has what it takes to be a keyblade master.

[@MrMoustache144]

You could say Sora failing in Dream Drop Distance is what caused him to do so many things alone in Kh3, as a way to prove himself. He went to save Riku and Mickey alone and Kairi alone at the end of the game. When you see it from that point of view, Sora probably saw his journey in Kh3 as a redemption arc for himself.

[@oluvids]

Fr! He knows that with his friends he can do big things, but he needed to prove to himself that he can hsve his own power to support everyone to

[@zeroideas3722]

Yo, if that's the case, KH4 is where he finna put all that proof into the biggest test.

[@quotha2695]

Especially in the endgame when he initially was going to enter Scala ad Caelum by himself until Donald and Goofy insisted they come along with him.

[@Hirokey123]

Great video! One thing I want to add is I believe his break down in KH3 is the end result of all the negative lessons Sora had been taking away about his own self worth all the way back to KH1, not just DDD. KH1 he comes the conclusion his heart is weak and unworthy of the keyblade, but that his friends give him strength that makes up for that and when the keyblade returned that sort of validated “ that my friends are all that give me worth”. He says something along these lines and Phil tries to correct him but Hercules stops him, treating Sora like a little kid and not wanting to spoil his friendship belief. KH2 he finally talks to Riku and admits he saw Riku as better than him in everything. When Riku admits his jealousy of Sora he is shocked and then Riku tells him there is one advantage Sora can’t copy, having Sora as a friend. Sora then says he’s okay with himself because having Riku as his friend is something unique and special to him. It’s a sweet moment but it’s actually Sora doubling down even harder on the idea his friends are the only thing that makes being him okay. DDD messed Sora up, right off the bat he’s introduced to the wider history of keybladers and their orders. So DDD spends a lot of time having Sora and Riku think about what the keyblade really means to them, because being a wielder is no longer defining in it of itself, now it’s about their personal relationship to it. For Sora the keyblade represents a power gifted to him by his friends, a power he wouldn’t have without them, and so he feels obligated to use it for others. It’s also a point of pride, to be a part of the hearts of so many amazing people, but you see just for the tiniest moment when Xigbar offers Sora bigger and better things his grip on the keyblade loosens for just a second. It’s a blink and you miss it moment but it’s a tiny crack, hinting that Sora has deeper issues brewing. There is some small part of him that wanted to give in to that temptation, a little spark he crushed but it was there. It’s a lot like Terra in BBS who showed only a tiny flicker of darkness and it lead to his downfall. KH3 is where we explore the fallout of DDD. It’s where Sora actually has to reflect and deal with the fact he failed, for the first time in his life he completely failed and he wasn’t the one who saved the day, it was saved without him/in-spite of him. The consequence of which has left Sora weak and stripped of the power to help people, and he is stuck being constantly coddled and treated like glass. All his achievements in the past mean nothing to his friends in his current state in KH3, they all keep Sora from being “Sora”. He can’t help Riku, Mickey, or Aqua, he can’t figure out how to get the power of waking to help the others who need him, in almost every world he has experienced the failure of saving a friend from death, and you hear and see the growing frustration. For a kid who already had a poor sense of self worth this all cuts deep. Then things finally seem like they are turning around, and he’s riding on the high of friendship. But unlike the past Xehanort isn’t alone this time and he’s no longer underestimating the heroes, he pulls out multiple incredibly nasty and overwhelmingly unfair tricks and blindsides them all. The kids gloves are off and Sora is put into a state of shock at how easily his plots wipe them. Not only is he hit with the shock of how much harder this is going to be, but he also loses all his friends the entire source of his power and worth in his mind. So now he is up against odds far greater than expected and virtually alone, and that tiny little crack we saw revealed in DDD and watched get subtly nurtured throughout KH3 finally expands to the point he completely falls apart. He just can’t handle it anymore, the mask comes off and we see the full exposure of how horrible he feels about himself and how blind he is to his own worth…and he dies. And that’s where it all shifts after he experiences death, failure, and the loss of everyone he holds dear he has nothing left to lose or fear. He is rendered into a state of calm and able to think, he has no one to rely on and must through all his own power he can muster believe that he can save everyone. Which he does and when he comes back you can see a total shift in his personality. He no longer flinches or fears Xehanort or his tricks, tells his friends to calm down and identifies Xehanort is trying to attack them psychologically to cause them to mess up, he is perfectly okay in believing he can take on Master Xehanort completely alone. When the dust settles he believes he has the power to save Kairi alone and doesn’t wait, and when he hears the consequence of using his power will cost him everything he marches forward boldly unperturbed and vanishes with a smile. Sora is a character surrounded by so many amazing people he can’t see his own worth, that’s the crux of his character arc in the Dark Seeker saga. DDD really is where this is brought into focus with a beautiful contrasts of scenes. Xigbar calls Sora a wimp unworthy of the keyblade and Sora doesn’t deny it, he just doubles down he is okay with it. But just earlier you have Riku in SoS saying Sora has the power to make people smile just by hearing his name, find the brightest part of any dark corner, and pull miracles out of thin air like it’s nothing. It’s clear Riku thinks the world of Sora and sees his value clearly. Then there is the scene where Riku calls out to his face that Sora has been stopping him and MX acknowledged it but with a bitter edition of being a “dull ordinary boy”. Which contrasts nicely to Riku’s later scene with AtW where he talks about how what they need isn’t super human powers, just someone who can still see the world the way a child does bright and shiny and how Sora’s ability to do that makes hearts real and can save everyone. I think even DR adds to this. Xehanort knew there was a child of destiny who could stop the war, he thought he could be it but at some point he probably began to suspect it was Sora. The way he constantly tested him, his “obsession” with acquiring Sora’s power through any means necessary all while totally missing the true nature of his power. Even the ending when he tells Eraqus “no I can do this” and demands Sora to tell him who is the one who can save the world. I think he realized Sora was the child of destiny, but Xehanort lived his life so long thinking he was it he wasn’t willingly to just stand aside. He was facing down Sora for the right to be the one who save the day and in the end he finally accepted his blew his chance but Sora and his friends still have their chance and passed his desires onto Sora.

[@laststrike4411]

Sora saying he's okay with himself sounds like the end of his arc. The rest of what you wrote sounds like Nomura couldn't think of another struggle to give him so we're just stretching crap out so we can still justify making Sora the main character. Like, are we really at the point where the characters have to give a whole three page essay on how their character arcs have been resolved before we call a spade a spade? Or perhaps this is a "death of the author" sort of thing where you're just fitting the pieces the way they make the most sense to you. In which case, forget I ever said anything and pardon my rudeness.

[@cosmo7314]

@@laststrike4411 Eh, i dont think character Soras arc hasn't even ended yet since kh series is still ongoing with the upcoming release of kh4. And he still has alot to learn about the keyblade and how he himself can grow as a person.

[@Scortex]

Sora is part of my childhood, someone who I can kinda relate to. Seeing him grow up, going through all of the things he went through made me "love" him even more. You cant imagine how hard I f'in cried at the end of KH 3. Omg that ending was so bittersweet.

[@notkeracen3484]

No need to put love in quotations

[@Scortex]

You are right. @@notkeracen3484

[@user-oq4oi1kr1b]

I love Sora’s progression through everything, its his story after all. He’s not an all happy character too. He does have his sad moments that aren’t only in KH3. Kh2 when kairi was kidnapped and couldn’t use the keyblade because the hearts are going to the organization’s kingdom hearts , khddd emphasizing with Roxas Xion and Ven in his dreams, kh1 when donald goofy and riku with the keyblade abandoned him, recom when namine lied and manipulated his memories. What I love about Sora is how he always tries to connect and emphasize with everyone.

[@luxumbra14]

Kingdom Hearts 1 Sora was very different from Kingdom Hearts 2 Sora. I sorta blame Yen Sid for that

[@oluvids]

Yen Sid's out here spreading fake news

[@blueshellincident]

I always saw this as a result of everything that happened in chain of memories, just the way he started treating Donald and goofy, he became a little bit meaner. Sure he forgot everything but we all know that that doesn’t really mean anything in kingdom hearts, because the memories are still there.

[@EdgardoJCruz-dk5kv]

There is also the fact starting the tail end of Dream Drop onwards he becomes more introspective, emotionally sensitive to others, and not to mention, (while already the case) selfless. Which makes the decisions he does make sense.

[@Sergioffiziell]

Kingdom Hearts dark road -> player told a story -> child of destiny

[@stevenviljoen160]

This the amount of levity he has in KH2 when talking about Nobodies and killing always bothered me, he straight up jokes about killing Malificent. In KH3 there are so many moments where we saw him reflect and talk about how he would have been lost without Donald and Goofy finding him when they did, his own fears and doubt and how much he feels he needs others. Honestly KH3 was the closest to KH1 and Chains of memories Sora to me instead of the generic joker he was in 2 and DDD.

[@EdgardoJCruz-dk5kv]

@@stevenviljoen160 Other than being more carefree and optimistic l, in DDD, he was quick to recognize a serious moment when it came. Not to mention his emotional sync with those suffering and answers to constant provocations by Xigbar and the North crew show he is still of strong moral character despite his own flaws. It's why he is abke to bring out a emotional trigger from Rinzler's true self Tron, immediately apologetic to Namine, recognizes Xion suffering despite not knowing why, everything related Roxas that Roxas himself admits why it IS Sora is best for "the job", and his faith & respect for Riku over his own insecurities. Yeah he might joke on occasion but I believe you are blowing it out proportion in regards how much. Nor is he as callus as people bsay he is. Most that say so is due with knowledge of Days, Roxas prologue and hindsight. Even then the Organization was deliberately setting heartless to be created or to invade world's enmasse so they can killed and have Hearts reap upon for their goals. They were not giving an much for Sora an example of being sympathy for. Yes we know NOW they manipulated and were once even good long ago it still does not change drastic actions they took on his friends and world's at large. Still even KH2 Sora at the end with Axel, Roxas, Namine, shown there was more going on. Sora: "Xemnas there is more to an heart than anger and hate. Don't you remember?" Xemnas: "Unfortunately I don't." Not to mention it's their very hypocrisy that have most contention with rather them existing at all. As pointed out by the conversation between Xemnas, King Mickey, Riku, and Sora before the first Xemnas fight. Yeah they might have a right to exist, but the fact they chose to do harm to others & worlds who don't deserve it, makes their argument moot. In the end Organization 13, while filled plenty of grey areas, are still a group of intergalactic cultist terrorists extremists. Forced to or otherwise.

[@SapphireLibra3]

Sora's story is of an NPC becoming the protagonist.

[@Wizard_Pikachu]

What's interesting is Sora will most likely be by himself in KH4, hopefully he's learned from his dumb antics, if he isn't alone hope he gets Riku and/or Kairi as a party member. Been waiting for a game with the three of them as the main crew since the ending of KH2.

[@oluvids]

There's also Strelitzia, and I'm looking forward to seeing how that dynamic will be

[@puterboy2]

I hope KH4 is a Destiny Trio game. I am tired of SDG.

[@bobert7583]

Imagine 2 types games in between kh3 and kh4. Rikus looking for sora in quadradum, kairis and lea are on an adventure taking their mark of mastery. While ven ,terra ,and aqua are in the realm of darkness looking for sora while trying to figure out how to bring the lost worlds out of the realm of darkness.

[@weridplusho]

I think one aspect people always ignore is: Riku. I noticed Sora tends to act more carefree and child-like whenever it involves Riku. KH1, first thing he does when meets Riku is something goofy, something that's almost childish. CoM, he spends most of the game as an angry boi yet never around Riku Replica; we see him adorably confused. KH2, another goofy moment, carefree once they reunite, enough to say he's fine being in the Dark Margin if with Riku (lol what?). (Funny how the Santa moment in KH2 _also_ involves Riku in a way. xD) How I read DDD, is that he felt, understandably, at ease and confident. He's got Riku, both of them are equally strong, thus his statement "Me and Riku can defeat anything". I also think he saw the test as a chance to have an adventure with Riku until the annoying black coat cult interrupted with their mumbo jumbo. So, imo, KH3 is a continuation of that mindset. Riku is around, Kairi is safe with Axel, so he doesn't have that stress/worry and can act more like himself despite everything else. And we see that with how often he defaults to "call/text Riku!" throughout the game. So maybe it's not regression but more we're seeing more of Sora's true self when he's around his closest friends. He probably sees Riku as a pillar of strength and years of friendship made it a habit to relax and rely on Riku. That said, he's definitely insecure. Something that's also Riku's fault. LOL It _can't_ be a coincidence that KH1 has the Keyblade scene establishing Riku telling Sora he's nothing without the keyblade and his friends to KH3 having the Tower scene with Riku telling Sora he "believes in him" even without his friends. KH3 even repeats the scene with Riku showing Sora his back, determined while Sora is on all fours, defeated.

[@oluvids]

It could be that yeah. DDD and 3 are the only games with sora where he isn't looking for his friends and he knows they're all good

[@666blaziken]

My main issue with sora in 3 is that it's the game where he has what feels like the least impact in the plot. Barely interacts with any of the other characters in the end game, they resolve their own arcs after each fight, and in the Disney world, it feels like sora is watching a lot more than participating.

[@oluvids]

Oh, yeah I do agree there. I still think KH1 did the disney worlds the best. In general KH3 is kinda odd with the interactions cause I'm not even sure if Riku and Kairi even spoke to each other even though they're also best friends

[@666blaziken]

@@oluvids or ven and Roxas despite looking just like each other. Regarding riku and kiri's relationship, you would think that the end game would have Sora teaming up with the two people he started the series with, especially with all the teasers of Kiri training and getting stronger, but unfortunately they didn't do that and I was disappointed with kh 3's story for a lot of reasons, but the end game was the main reason

[@SSJRadioBluth]

This goes hand in hand with where he ends up in DDD though. Since Sora is just glad to be a part of something bigger in this case: Helping the people that were destined to save the world. He's okay not being the hero and this in turn makes him the greatest hero amongst them. While everybody else is out there chosen by destiny, including Lea, Sora just wants to help. But he knows he can't rely on those same friends anymore because now's the time they all need to work together. It's kind of sad that because the games happen on so many different consoles until the hd versions came out nobody really followed the story lines. I thought everything he did in KHIII was in line with where Sora's mind was. He's not just searching for the power of waking but of what makes him special. Something he didn't have to think about when the threat was right in front of his face. He just wants to save everybody that gave up their lives for he and Riku to succeed. Even Riku explicitly points it out to Xehanort before the dull ordinary boy comment. Sora stopped both halves of Xehanort's most powerful form, and power alone wasn't enough for Xehanort to succeed. Even the world's chosen all highlight the different kinds of beings make a difference. Even amongst princesses of heart none of them shares the same kind of abilities. Sora learns in this game he doesn't have to be just like the people that came before him. Using the unique things he's learning in the world's as the ultimate tools to save the universe. I thought it was beautifully done. To take what makes these heroes on other worlds special most through form changes; (that change his methods of attack); and then through using the actual planet to create non destructive (to the regular folks caught in the middle) ride attacks to save these same worlds yes it delays the final fight, but I personally loved the correlation. That he's using what the worlds teach him to become the greatest warrior in the universe. Because he tried and failed to be like the chosen ones. But he can teach himself how to be his own master. The true master of the X-blade because he learned what the universe needs from people like him. The greatest hero in the universe. Made by the people of said universe. Kairi understood that in him, and because of that she stayed alive long enough to save him believing...neigh, knowing he could save the rest. It's a little lost if you focus too much on the upcoming fight. But damn is it cool as fuck to see how much variety he can have in his combat and reach the same goal whereas they intentionally show how each trio fights in a very specific way except Kairi. Aqua focuses on the three main magic sources. Perfecting fire. Ice and thunder. Alongside her light and dark powers. Ventus focuses on agility, speed and his own light eventually embracing how much he didn't want this but takes it all in stride. Riku uses darkness to his advantage and his own inner strength to fight for the things he believes in. He's the second to last man standing and damn was that shit epic. But all three of these classic masters use their inner duality to enhance their combat. Lea almost exclusively focuses on his fire mastery and works with his environment to it's maximum potential. (Shown since KH: CoM) Xion overwhelms her opponents with the pure light inside her. Literally moving at the speed of light because she can. Terra has the most all around power, and I'd say shows the most overall skill (slightly more than the King) with his actual blade. Mickey uses light to enhance all of his attacks but sorely lacks in other areas as shown by his struggle in II against the nobodies. Whereas he tanks through pure darkness. It's indicative of him being the last line of defense during the Nine year war that Maleficent started. Kairi and Sora: are extremely special since Kairi is actually one of the seven most powerful beings in the universe without a weapon she doesn't need to actually focus on any area in particular but her lack of specialty kind of hinder her. Thankfully she still. Remembers all the combat she and Sora invented when they were bound together and uses her light in perfect harmony with everything she learned from Sora. Sora I highlighted above. But each master brought their own tools made from their trials. So Sora did the same, knowing he would never be on their level in terms of raw power. But surpasses them all in the areas they didn't focus on.

[@SchultzDorinda]

Personally, I'm fine with Sora not having g a big plot in KHIII, his job was to rescue those who had unfinished businesses. And honestly, Sora shouldn't have been the main focus. We should have spent more time with Riku and Mickey in the Realm of Darkness. Most importantly, having Sora just showing to every major event and saving everyone, as if Riku and the others are incapable was jsut plane annoying and unrealistic.

[@dawnrigel4255]

Sora, Donald, and Goofy literally are eating popcorn in Rapunzel's window watching her almost die and have a front row seat to Frozen when Elsa sings Let it Go lol. Like, there are some worlds where the Disney and KH blend really well, like Toy Story and even Monsters Inc. And then there are some worlds where Sora is literally just watching the film.

[@VentyWenty]

Was really excited to watch this all week and it didn’t disappoint! People don’t take the time to appreciate how well written Sora is because from a surface level read, he’s not that deep, but he’s one of the deepest characters I’ve seen in any media. It’s just atypical, which I adore.

[@indedgames4359]

Just like kratos

[@oluvids]

Glad you liked it! And yeah he's got a loootta stuff going on inside

[@sakonan4883]

Even if Sora isn’t that deep, I actually like and find him relatable for that reason. I’m pretty sure most people were not that deep when they were younger, so they can relate to Sora on some level. I relate to Sora too because even though he’s simple, he’s an outsider in the worlds he goes to. He’s a good escapist character in that regard because he’s basically that cool character who comes in and saves the day like a cowboy but if they were immature and kiddish lol.

[@Rose-SunG524]

Good run down of what Sora goes through. Sora's actually always had a bit of insecurity in a sense that he's not sure if he'll be good, but he's still willing to help however he can. He has this tendency to put everyone's needs before himself. Cuz Riku was the 1 who won the battles growing up, not Sora, & he feels that. He thinks he's indestructible when DDD comes around which makes him not take the test seriously & almost gets body snatched in the process. KH3's Sora def shows the most of his insecurities, & that graveyard scene where the demon tide snatches everyone up def shows it. He thinks that all's to himself is his connections to others instead of himself. Riku tells him that Sora won't give up because he believes him in (which was slightly mistranslationed in the ENG dub, this is what he says in Japanese). This keeps Sora fighting to save everyone & get back to the graveyard to win, where he still ends up sacrificing himself but hey! Maybe he'll learn to not do that in 4 lol Btw, you should def check out the novels. They're written by 1 of the KH writers so they are only 2nd tier canon, but you still get to hear Sora's thoughts more than in the games ^^b Sorry for the long ramble, I just love KH a lot

[@oluvids]

Geez, you'd think that we wouldn't still be having mistranslations these days. I def like that line for Riku believing in him cause that'd def mean a lot for sora especially after Riku was able to do what he failed to do. Also yeah I gotta check out the novels and the manga honestly. The ultimania too. Over time I'm really gonna try to expand my knowledge and viewpoint of KH through the making of these videos!

[@Rose-SunG524]

@@oluvids the manga doesn't really count for canon, but there's so lil coverage of them & they're so much fun ;w; oh, & the KH3 character files have some interesting things written about the characters, like Sora's inability to understand love, & something weird with Demyx 👀 even the interviews with Nomura & the team have really interesting info, like explaining Kairi's anxiety around change. The series also plays with parallels a lot, like the Kairi-Pooh parallel. Just a lot of really interesting stuff! & yeeaaa, KH3 has some mistranslation issues especially, cuz the production was so messy in places. The other games usually don't have a lot of mistranslations but oh boy, KH3. Constructing Kingdoms has a good short vid about that & yea! You can do it! ^^b KH can be a convoluted beast sometimes, but that's kinda what makes this series so much fun to pick apart & study. I'm glad more people are getting into that

[@Rose-SunG524]

@@beandam8739 I don't kno what context you mean, but no

[@Rose-SunG524]

@@beandam8739 yea, I get it. They use a power that isn't theirs but they made theirs. It's just that they have similar tropes, not that they're similar. Sora didn't grow up with everyone hating him so he didn't have to fight to make everyone like him nor act out for it. Sora never felt like he needed to hate Riku (& vice versa) even when Riku was going through it in KH1. Sora's personality is not the same as Naruto's, nor any of the other characters personalities match up with their supposed counterpart, but there are multiple loosely similar tropes. It just happens. Their arcs are still totally different & looking at KH on a surface lvl isn't gonna get you far on understanding the characters & where their stories are going. Sora goes through the series thinking he's not good enough without his friends, but Naruto's arc was about proving to everyone he was worthy enough to have friends & be the best. They're almost opposites in that way so it's not a 1-to-1 comparison.

[@Rose-SunG524]

@@darkheartisan for free? Not exactly sure. It's difficult to find them that way. But it's easy to find the whole set to buy online. Amazon tends to be the 1st to come up.

[@ChrisPTenders]

I hear a lot of people accuse DDD and KH3 Sora of being "Flanderized", but I couldn't disagree more. I'm glad you pointed out so many key details about why he is that way. Sora's characterization is pretty complex, even arguably "convoluted", but it's as authentic as it ever was. Kairi asked him to never change at the beginning of KH1 and Riku voiced admiration for him at the end of KH2, so after his failure at the end of DDD he can't let himself be sad or disappointed in himself, so he doesn't rely on his friends the way he did before... which I interpret as the repercussion of being corrupted by darkness and technical reason why he lost his power: his connections to others became an obstacle in his heart. He also acts a lot like Ventus throughout KH3, especially voicing Ven's desire to save Aqua. I think he's so dejected and broken spirited that in order to maintain his positive disposition in front of friends, he defers to Ven's heart; since he starts acting more childish than usual immediately after moments where he feels disrespected. When he feels left out of the new clothes conversation, he acts like Ven and starts complaining. When Riku instigates a collective laughing fit at Sora's immaturity, he arrived at The Caribbean unusually happy about being a pirate, with Donald and Goofy confused about why he was so happy. The more I thought about Sora's characterization in KH3 the more impressed I am at how faithful it was to the previous games, including BBS and DDD. Slept on. His character and the various aspects of his identity, after being mixed with two other people, was so thoroughly explored by the end of 3, I can't imagine where his journey of self-discovery will go next. It's all incredibly deep and nuanced stuff that nobody telling a video game story would really think about... except Nomura, the crazy madman. My favorite Sora used to be KH1, but after recently replaying the whole series and really soaking it all in, I think KH3 Sora is my favorite. His journey in KH3 is like a direct challenge of everything he learned in 1 and 2.

[@oluvids]

Yeah nowadays since after BBS came out, they were def able to add some ventus influence there too instead of just roxas

[@LanzTheMaster]

This was very well edited & explained. Crazy how DDD shook him bad.

[@oluvids]

Oh man thanks Lanz, it took me a while to edit! And yeah, after he was so sure that they can handle anything, he failed hard there

[@possiblepuzzles8137]

I will say this about Sora, it's hard when your creator is literally out to get you. The interview where Nomura openly admitted to having a preference for Xehanort will forever haunt me 😑

[@oluvids]

On one hand we have noctis being nomura's baby and then sora is his enemy 😂

[@bryanyap3888]

@@oluvids I thought he also considered sora his son since he based noctis name out of sora

[@oluvids]

@@bryanyap3888 the sky guys

[@TheNop670]

he didn't really say that, only that he realates more to Xehanort and it makes it easier for him create hard situations for Sora to overcome, it's false that he prefers Xehanort more, it's just misinformation, and he did say one time that his favorite characters were Sora and noctis, and that Sora is like "a good son" to him.

[@possiblepuzzles8137]

@@TheNop670 if that's the case then I would stand corrected

[@Kortegard0341]

7:24 he's like, 13-14, hes gonna have mood swings, no early teenager is completely emotionally stable

[@BlaxxShadow]

I'm glad someone else is talking about this. Sora's character regressed so hard in KH3 and I didn't even realize it started in DDD. I can only hope KH4 is a more of an advancement from KH2 which is my favorite benchmark for Sora. He felt like he really found his personal confidence in that game and finally came out of Riku's shadow mostly.

[@oluvids]

KH4 will be interesting cause while I think he'll be confident in his abilities, he's in a world with different rules than he's used to. So he'll need to be very careful

[@EdgardoJCruz-dk5kv]

I believe the term is you are looking for regarding KH2 Sora is snarky or quipy.

[@oluvids]

Aaaah you're right youre right! Snarky

[@raheemaslam7363]

@@oluvids because it’s Roxas

[@StareachValcin]

I definitely enjoyed this very detailed analysis of Sora's character arc for the entire kingdom hearts series so far.

[@oluvids]

Thanks! It seems like I'll need to do more of these deep analysis type videos! It was a lot of work but it seems like it was worth it

[@StareachValcin]

@@oluvids maybe you can do analysis videos on the birth by sleep trio. Terra in particular definitely needs it, while Ven could use an analysis too considering his link to the first keyblade war. Not to mention Master Aqua, the only one of the birth by sleep trio to achieve the rank of keyblade master. You can even do a video about the 3 active keyblade masters, Aqua, Mickey, and Riku. Maybe even discuss how the keyblade war in kingdom hearts 3 brought back the X-blade. No one really discusses how significant it is for X-blade to be brought back into existence after being destroyed for so long after the previous keyblade war.

[@oluvids]

@@StareachValcin Oh, you're right about the X-blade not really being talked about much. I'll see what I can do about that and the other characters, though it'll def take time. In the meantime though, I do have a terra video where we talk about our favorite terra scenes if you're interested kzbin.info/www/bejne/sKi2qqOJhbWgpKM

[@StareachValcin]

@@oluvids the terra video was good and had some of the best Terra scenes. I will patiently await your videos discussing the X-blade and the kingdom hearts characters I recommended.

[@excalibur493]

Now that I look at it all like this... I can relate to Sora hard. I was one of those "special" kids that always got help and I was confident in what I could do in school, but once I got to college, everything nosedived for the worst. I was broken, suicidal. And I had no one. Sadly, I can't beat some ass with a magic weapon and abuse some ability to fix things, but I'm bouncing back. _Still never not doubtful about decision making, tho._

[@oluvids]

Hang in there man. Who needs powers when you've got your brain!

[@bobert7583]

Kh2 sora was peak sora

[@oluvids]

Yes.

[@xXLunatikxXlul]

100%

[@habijjj]

I have to disagree remind Sora is peak Sora. He's strong and confident and I'd argue the strongest he's ever been. In remind he solo'd Terranort whose easily as strong if not stronger then xemnas. Remind Sora is an absolute Chad he's got the mad resolve and confidence. Remind Sora is literal peak Sora.

[@Redxan600]

I have to disagree. kh2 Sora acted *WAAAAAYYY* different than any other of his characters in other KH games. I think it's mostly because of Roxas, but Sora acts so aggressive towards others including Organization XIII. But Sora has always been kind and seeing the good in other's hearts before seeing the bad. With the way how the members are saying that they have hearts and having the information that Nobodies just pretend to have one, Sora should've question whether Nobodies could actually have hearts instead of being so aggressive after defeating Demyx. That's not the Sora for me. I'd say KH1 and KH3 Sora is better.

[@bobert7583]

@@Redxan600 idk they dumbed him down in ddd

[@DowntownTasty]

I honestly can’t wait for kh4. I’m really glad someone finally made a video about this. He really was “weak hearted” in the beginning and grew to have a strong one.

[@oluvids]

He's a whole pint all on his own now :)

[@Alduinhead]

Sora's moodswings are entirely justified by the fact that he is a teenager

[@oluvids]

so true

[@sandersrulez595]

Them laughin about Maleficent had me dying

[@oluvids]

Pete really thought he was gonna scare em 😂

[@Microman504]

I don't take his character development in KH3 as a regression. He's growing up and he's starting to see different shades of grey instead of just light and darkness

[@dabooth]

This is such a good video, alot of people write sora off as 1 dimensional but you did an amazing job explaining how Hes quite the opposite

[@oluvids]

Yeah, the thing with him is that unlike riku he won't outright be like "I'm going through this and that right now". Sora is more of the type to act like everything's fine, so if you just take it at face value he is just happy go lucky mc kid

[@SuperMarioSwagger]

Great video, really interesting stuff! I like the DDD and KH3 interpretation of things, made me appreciate them a little more. But i can't stop finding it really funny that the whole thing in 3 was that he had an hard time being by himself when in KH2 almost half of the fights was with Sora being alone lol

[@oluvids]

this man beat up 1000 heartless and everything

[@kyurei4478]

The thumbnail and Sora in the Kingdom Hearts games are basically a metaphor of aging and becoming more and more depressed. I find it extremely funny even though my comment itself is very depressing and pessimistic I know lol.

[@oluvids]

;-;

[@indedgames4359]

The think is he always had selfdoupt. He always relied on his friends etc and why this is a great Power it has its downsides. The reason Sora was the way he Was in ddd was both his ego geting the better of himself making him belive he can handle anything now. Him loosin reminded him he wasnt choisen by the keyblade etc. Kh 4 is continuing sora learning to trust his own strength

[@oluvids]

Mhm Sora seems to be on his own in terms of protecting quadratum. Maybe streletzia will help at some point too, but in that trailer we have it was only sora!

[@kevinbell5674]

"I know the Keyblade didn't choose me, and I don't care. I'm proud to be a small part of something much bigger." Those don't sound like the words of someone who's ego is getting the better of them, nor did he need reminding that the keyblade didn't choose him. Sora's problem is the opposite, his complete lack of ego. By consistently triumphing over those with opposing ideologies Sora has gained complete faith that forging bonds with others is what gives one strength, however, this has caused him to loose faith in the strength of the individual. Mostly himself. Even by DDD we start to see the signs of that. Sora never needed to be humbled anymore then he already was. If anything, he needed his ego boosted.

[@TimothyGod]

@@kevinbell5674 yeah surprisingly compared to a lot of protagonists he is not very ego-driven. You normally get that speech of I'm going to stop you because a b and c but we never really get that for Sora he just kind of does his thing

[@malyckrentz9346]

That's a cool introspective on Sora. Nice!

[@oluvids]

Thanks!

[@0neSky0neDestiny]

I never saw this side of Sora, even though is my favorite character of the game, at least I never thought this deep, I just had the sense that he feels dispensable, because of the ease he has into self-sacrifice; he will do everything to save his friends and comrades, but he don´t think they need him to be okay, he just sacrifice himself in order to get Kairi back, I would say not expecting her to rescue him after because he considers himself already lost forever like "It's okay, I will vanish but you will be here, be happy". Basically I still don´t think he sees himself as worthy as the others, I think he is too hard on himself even with all what he has done until now.

[@creator6782]

Sora is Sora, no matter who he becomes, and I will always respect him like the god he is

[@namiegomez7957]

I said the same thing on another similar video, but for me, KH2 Sora has my heart because of his attitude and sense of humor. I feel like he’s got a lot of sass and chemistry with Donald and Goofy that doesn’t feel as corny (for lack of a nicer word) as in KH3. I also think Haley did such a great job with line delivery for this game! I’ll always love Sora’s many iterations though.

[@oluvids]

Yeah KH2 sora is pretty entertaining to watch!

[@Mono_303]

KH2 Sora is peak Sora. From his VA voice, maturity, goofiness, snarks, legit everything !

[@oluvids]

Fr fr

[@DistantKingdom]

having sora feel like his weakest in the 3rd installment feelsbad, especially considering all the crazy shit he does in 2

[@oluvids]

I found it kinda funny cause he got super nerfed in story, and then in gameplay you get all these new mechanics as well as fighting all the titans at the same time 😂

[@DistantKingdom]

@@oluvids yea a pretty bad case of ludonarrative dissonance

[@JabamiLain]

Oluvids...I think his regression kinda makes sense. And I hope it's more explored, now that he has no one by his side to distract him from that fact. Besides... He's suposed to be the unmovable object, right ? It is only natural he'll be challenged. Then we'll see just how unmovable he truly is.

[@oluvids]

They always be telling him that he's the "key" and such, so it's def a lotta pressure. Tho yeah the regression is intentional and fits for him

[@JabamiLain]

@@oluvids in my last comment...do you think I could be right ? Do you think the world might be faded to end and be rewritten like in the Keyblade War 1 ?

[@dustinmartin6524]

Kh3 is by far my favourite Sora. He’s probably not as witty or sharp as KH2, but throughout the game he has shown to have insecurities that he bottles up and only briefly shows. After DDD, he is at his lowest. Even though he tried and was put in a shitty situation, he would be a Xeanort if not for Lea, he failed. People often feel uncomfortable with how much Sora gets made fun of in 3, but I honestly think it’s more that this time he is fazed and clearly hurt/frustrated by the exam. In other games he laughed with everyone. In 3, it feels like he’s trying to laugh it off but failing. When everyone dies, Sora is completely defeated and only Riku keeps him tethered to life, and the ending makes so much sense under that context. Sora finally understands that his friends aren’t his power and without them he isn’t nothing, he sees the connections are what drives out the strength he always had. Thats the point of the power of waking, he always had it but needed his connections to Aqua and Ventus to drive it out. It’s also the point of the Final World, using his connections to save his friends. And now, after an entire saga, Sora is on his own, isolated from his friends. Its a great arc of Sora understanding how to draw on his friends without being entirely co-dependent. I see a common complaint that Sora doesn’t influence enough in KH3, but I think that’s because KH3 is all about Sora. Remove the reunions and Keyblade war, and you are left with Sora. Big comment but I feel like Sora gets hated on in KH3 for being whiny and massively co-dependent, while not mentioning/seeing Soras journey and internal redemption

[@oluvids]

It's interesing how Nomura wanted to kinda challenge the big "my friends are my power" revelation in this one

[@khfreak5531]

As much as I didn’t like what they did with his character in DDD. I realized that his personality in 2 was heavily influenced by Roxas at that point. Being a lot more serious and angst-ish. In a way you’re more or so playing as Roxas personality wise, rather than Sora in 2. Once everything is over he balances out and goes back to how he was. More confident and less unsure of himself. The confidence can be seen as him being dumber by not thinking before he acts. But now he takes more things in stride. Bad or good he just deals with it and makes quick decisions based on the outcomes. It can actually be seen as a form of maturity. But that’s all up to interpretation.

[@oluvids]

Yeah maybe it was roxas, we did see him make sora cry and such

[@NoctLightCloud]

Sora is at his best in KH2 and at his worst in all the DS games as well as KH3. Maybe KH3 turned out like that because the Osaka team that made all the spinoffs did KH3, instead of the Tokyo-based main team (that had to help with FF7R)? Anyways, based on what we've seen so far, KH4 Sora looks more mature than KH3 but still less badass than KH2 Sora. I miss the 2000s edgelord era.

[@oluvids]

Hmmm I don't think that's affect the writing. Only like gameplay, level design, boss fights etc.

[@NoctLightCloud]

@@oluvids true that!

[@isaiahrivers7117]

I actually thought of this and i think it would've been more interesting where after KH2 they made a new protagonist and Sora as a side/support character or something moving forward. I mean yeah they wouldn't since Sora is the main face of series and all but i actually thought on how it could've been interesting if we could've got like new protagonist moving forward since i think Sora's character arc was completed in 2, I mean you can still have him as the main face of the series since he started it all and whatnot but you know. Heck i wonder if it would've been interesting it would've been to had Sora as a secret boss or something in the games after 2.

[@oluvids]

Can't wait for him to spam firaga on me if they ever do a sora boss😂 Though lowkey if they ever wanted to make a yozora centric game, they could have a sora boss

[@JabamiLain]

Characters like Riku are fun and all. But for me, it's the open hearted ones like Sora, Naruto, Tanjiro, Madoka, etc. that hold a special place in my heart. The many ways they can be touched, the diversity in the impact they can have in the world around them, the unpredictable consequences that can come from playing with their souls and their hope... Oh ! Angsty emo characters have got nothing compared to their opposites.

[@oluvids]

I agree!

[@JabamiLain]

@@oluvids do you know what's the worst part about loving this kind of characters ? It is that I feel like my OCs exist only to torture these characters. A sort of Joker (boundless force) and Batman (unmovable object) thing. It's complicated to explain why I feel the need to do this. And the need for the open-hearted ones to be minors.

[@oluvids]

@@JabamiLain What you made like an evil OC?

[@JabamiLain]

@@oluvids an insane one yes. She's suposed to be the incarnation of my worst traits mixed with my two favorite insane characters. Her goal in my fanfic of "Kingdom Hearts" is a bit too long to explain completely, so all I can tell you is that she replaces Luxu/Xigbar in the grand scheme of things and she has her heart divided into one half light and the other darkness (both becoming goddesses that represent their respective element). Her favorite victims to play psychologically with are Naminé (who she wants to turn into a sort of sister like figure alongside Zexion) and Kairie (who she wants to both test just how attached to the light her heart truly is, and use to hurt Sora, her third favorite). And during all of this, she lets it pretty clear just how much fun and enjoyment she's having. She fears what would happen to her if she ascends to the next plane in existance like nihilistic pacifist.

[@JabamiLain]

@@oluvids my OCs aren't the most heroic. I'm thinking about making one for "Percy Jackson" who's as cowardly as Hermes, using strategy to ensure they stay away from battle. And I'm considering about having them pray to Hekate as well in order to use magic to further their coward nature.

[@lzpain9189]

Great video

[@oluvids]

Thanks!

[@Redxan600]

I saw the title and thumbnail and I was thinking this was going to be another video just trashing on KH3 and completely ignoring Sora's character. Imagine my surprise when you actually understood Sora's character and his development. KH3 Sora is peak Sora. It is without a doubt his finest development. The Disney worlds he goes through has his character developed. The Caribbean shows us Sora is maturing and The Hundred Acre Woods practically tells us that Sora is growing up. My friend found something on Reddit (Which I wish I could leave a link, but I know KZbin won't let me leave it and my comment will be hidden or deleted from anyone seeing my comment.) where someone goes through layers of Sora's character development. The one thing I liked about that Reddit post was that Sora had to ask for Riku's advice like he was crying to his older brother for help. I really like this video you put up. Hope this gets more attention.

[@oluvids]

Ah yeah especially after DDD, Riku is kinda his anchor for what he should do(That's also kinda like how Sora was asking Riku what he should do about Ven needing help in BBS). I'm glad you enjoyed the video, and I'm glad I was able to do his character justice!

[@Redxan600]

@@oluvids All right, here it is. I found the Reddit post. Now like I said, KZbin won't allow me to leave a link. So the best I can do is this. "The theme of losing one's childhood" by izanami94

[@laststrike4411]

@@Redxan600 You realize canonically KH2 and 3 are maybe a month apart at most, right?

[@Redxan600]

@@laststrike4411 Yeah, I know. Including that Re:Coded takes place right after kh2 and DDD takes place right after that game. Some time have passed. And it's enough time for Sora to learn and grow as a character.

[@laststrike4411]

@@Redxan600 Sure. Mind listing the things marking Sora as different from before? For the life of me, the only new thing they've done with him is somethin we'll have to wait till 4 to get a proper follow-up on. Also, how do you think character arcs will be structured this time around?

[@darianmartinez9926]

Sora: You gonna cry Xigbar: Yes

[@Blackfire_2022]

After this video I have a new application for kh3 sora

[@oluvids]

Lets goooooooo

[@TheMoonlightMage]

I always loved the idea that Riku used to be the protagonist who had an evil story arc for a minute

[@oluvids]

Yup he was supposed to get the keyblade on that fateful day, however he dove into the darkness so it had to choose sora

[@MNIDakota]

Really liked the video dude! Especially the 358 days part!

[@oluvids]

The peak of his character development

[@HatKidPeck]

He regressed too damn much in DDD, but KH2 was peak.

[@oluvids]

Thank you Noctis Lucis Caelum from final fantasy XV

[@abbeysnails]

KH1 Sora is my personal favorite. CoM Sora is so complex to me. We get different emotions from him than in KH1. I think the only time we see Sora get mad like that. Making poor decisions but he comes to his senses. KH2 Sora is ok. Very shonen. I do like his arrogant and cocky moments. 3D isn’t my favorite so not even gonna talk about it. KH3 Sora is interesting to me. I think with more time he’ll grow on me. I’ve only played through the game once though. An improvement from 3D. I don’t think this was his regression phase like in 3D (have to disagree with my fellow peers) but maybe I don’t dislike nor like this version of him. But this was a good little analysis video!

[@oluvids]

Yeah I always say that CoM is really cool cause we see a lotta stuff that we'll probably never see again in terms of sora

[@stevenviljoen160]

The amount of levity he has in KH2 when talking about Nobodies and killing always bothered me, he straight up jokes about killing Malificent. In KH3 there are so many moments where we saw him reflect and talk about how he would have been lost without Donald and Goofy finding him when they did, his own fears and doubt and how much he feels he needs others. Honestly KH3 was the closest to KH1 and Chains of memories Sora to me instead of the generic joker he was in 2 and DDD.

[@johnpantag472]

Kh3 sora started to grow on me. Maybe i hated him so much because many years passed since 2 that his changes felt unnatural. But screw ddd. I cringe so hard everytime i see a cutscene with him.

[@oluvids]

I think what also makes DDD the way it is might be the way haley did sora's voice at the time

[@habijjj]

I mean sora starts kh3 at his lowest point and by the end of it and remind. he's strong enough to beat x blade using xehnort with only Kairi's help. He's mature and confident and focused in remind.

[@JabamiLain]

I'm gonna write this here because...well, he's the protagonist, it just makes a lot of sense for me: -There are two crossover fanfics between this saga and "OUAT" (I'm surprised there aren't like hundreds of them). Sora, Kairie and Riku's story was that Kairie was the princess of a kingdom in the Enchanted Forest that swore to protect the world of light, Sora was her Keyblade knight, and Riku was simply a knight. The Dark Curse separated the three of them and made Sora and Riku enemies, Kairie's fate kinda unknown. Why am I talking about this ? Ever since I read them and played "Nirvana Initiative", I have been thinking. What if the worlds'saga is meant to suffer a complete reset "Dark Curse" style ? For a new world to be born ? I guess, like Kirari and Yumeko from "Kagegurui", I want to see the universe come to its flashy end, to see its rebirth and what comes out of it. Actually...I don't think this is something recent. Ever since the first game, when Ansem talked about death, that I could only wonder how this universe's hidden side is ? What lies beyond lign and darkness ? What happens when the light separating them evaporates ? What is left ? Will the dead rise ? Will people be reborn ? The possibilities are endless. And all it takes is someone to perform the heart surgery without being manipulated by neither the power nor the characters.

[@habijjj]

I'm just gonna say if I get to the end of this and it says end kh/remind Sora is a regression I will lose my mind.

[@oluvids]

Looool nah, luckily sora did indeed pick himself back up!

[@akinamation]

KH3 Sora's gotta be my honest favorite. I dislike KH3 but one thing it absolutely did right and made the experience way more bearable was Sora. He feels the most organic here; and despite my hatred for DDD, it set him up for this. Thanks, DDD. I'd go as far as to argue that KH3 pushed Sora up to my top 3 favorite KH characters. Maybe he also just shined because everyone else was quite off, but regardless he's one of my favorites now.

[@oluvids]

Not only in just the character, but I think Haley also got the current voice down right in 3 too!

[@Valhalaal]

Kingdom Hearts 2 Sora is my favourite. I think it's the nostalgia.

[@krabman2889]

Really? Your just gonna gloss over the part where Sora talks to Xehanort where everyone says “Sora is mature”?

[@oluvids]

Yeah, cause I'll be honest, I don't think I understand it at the moment and I don't wanna put it in a video if I end up saying something that isn't true. In my view at least, that scene makes sora look like a hypocrite cause he says that a real leader knows that destiny is beyond their control, and then proceeds to break the rules of nature so hard that he gets ejected to another reality right after. If I put my take in now, it def wouldve ended on a sour note instead of how it ended up. I'm not sure if I misunderstood what sora was saying or not cause lotsa people really like that scene so I'll need more time on that

[@blizzardhusky15]

​@@oluvids The difference I see is that Xehanort wanted to control everything through external powers via Kingdom Hearts, commit nature taboos and get away from consequences of doing so. Sora changes destiny all for the sake to keep his friends alive, knows the consequences of his actions and accepts that. He may have broken the rules of nature, but he did not defy what will come after. If his destiny is to die to keep his friends safe, then so be it, he accepts that. So in a way, he is true to his word that destiny is beyond anyone's control.

[@Anrgystudio]

​@@oluvids Sora isn't a hypocrite. He accepted his punishment for changing the course of destiny and faded away. He literally had the X-blade in his hands, the same X-blade that controls KINGDOM HEARTS ITSELF, and didn't try to stop his punishment. He just sat down and let it happen instead of trying to break nature even more. Sora is humble to know that there are greater forces at play that mortals can't control while Xehanort is a controlling maniac trying to corrupt Kingdom Hearts itself.

[@oluvids]

@@blizzardhusky15 @AngryBoy13 Ah I think you guys are right. Sora didn't go sabatoge other lives to extend his own like xehanort usually did when he was in trouble. Thanks for the explanation,I'll see if I can make something highlighting that at some point

[@laststrike4411]

@@blizzardhusky15 And what are you going to say when he tries getting back home after all that? What are you going to say when he succeeds? Moreover, where was this talk of sticking to the script when he took the Keyblade back from Riku?

[@Sjono]

16:33 “And he is literally weaker” Yes…Sora is definitely ‘weaker’ in KH3 than any game prior😅

[@TimothyGod]

Yeah I kind of find it weird that canonically sorrow will never be as strong as he could be. At least until they decide that that isn't the case anymore. But saying that he may never regain his previous power implies that he is at least a tear under where he could have been had he not been taken over

[@oluvids]

I always found it funny how they say he's super weakened and then he proceeds to fight like 4 titans all at once

[@procrastinationstation3343]

I think that KH2 Sora was my favorite. In terms of character I found him very fun. But I am still fascinated with his character in khddd and kh3. It’s very interesting how he changed because of ddd

[@oluvids]

Makes me wonder how the ending of 3 will affect him in 4

[@onlyacomentarynothingspeci2419]

Well lets see how his character will progress in KH4 Remind was a massive step for his Character

[@oluvids]

Can't wait to see it!

[@michaelbrent1536]

I glade Sora is In Super Smash Bros Ultimate as the final DLC he a on par with Shulk(Xenoblade),Pit(Kid icarus Uprising),Link and Cloud! He Pure of heart,Willing to help other able to travel to Disney World and KH3 make the Ultimate Sacrifice! I can see why he so popular and fan campare Sora and Pit together!

[@Kizzainpleh]

Character development aside, I really hated what they did to Sora’s character (attitude, mannerisms, maturity) after KH2. KH2 Sora will forever be my favorite character from any franchise, and I was so disappointed to see how he turned out in 3D and 3

[@Mono_303]

Same bruh, after Kh2 they changed him. He’s a teenager not a little kid, idk why they can’t let him just grow up and mature more. And it doesn’t help that his VA is too old to voice Sora too.

[@quinnhouk5369]

Awesome

[@oluvids]

Thanks!

[@quinnhouk5369]

@@oluvids you’re welcome

[@tjreed7797]

My favorite version of Sora is CoM & KH2 because when I replayed the series last year, those were the games where he seemed more interesting to me. I can't wait to see how Sora will be KH4 and if he'll team up with Strelitzia and Xehanort. I hope for the next saga, the main trio will actually be the destiny island trio instead of just being Sora, Donald, and goofy since they never went on an adventure together and to give Kairi some much needed character development. Or at the very least, have a kairi game where she actually goes on an adventure (maybe with Webby/Oswald and Max)

[@oluvids]

CoM sora is really interesting to see, and honestly it's probably the only time we'll see him be manipulated so hard like that(unless KH4 wants to change that 👀)

[@wish5615]

I’m gonna be replying to this as I watch, I don’t agree with your initial assessment. Sora being a side character in riku’s story. That’s like saying naruto is a side character in sasuke’s story, just because a character isn’t the most admired doesn’t mean he’s set up as a side character.

[@oluvids]

I don't mean literally sora's a side character, I mean in his mind and the rest of the ppl he grew up with, sora is number 2 and Riku is the best. There's even one of the kids, I think it mighta been tidus who's like "wow Riku's so strong, guess Kairi can always rely on him!" There's also scenes with sora in DDD saying that he's at least proud to be a small part of something bigger even if he wasn't the keyblade's first choice. But yeah main point is that in KH1 he's the underdog type of protag

[@wish5615]

@@oluvids okay yea, you got it then.

[@LeonardoRodrigues-uj1sm]

Highkey hated how they write Sora as this arrogant teenager in KH2 so much, doesn't even feel like the same character as 1 and even other games.

[@oluvids]

Yeeaah I've noticed over time that KH2 and KH3 sora seems to be split. Though KH1 sora seems to be universally loved at least

[@laststrike4411]

You guys really struggle with the concept of character development/context, huh?

[@dawnrigel4255]

It's funny you point out how people perceived Sora's personality as "edgey" in KH2. Before the game came out, I think I had only seen like 2 TV ads for KH2, so I knew absolutely nothing about it other than the fact that I was getting it because I loved KH1. But for some reason, seeing the 2 seconds of screen time Sora got on those TV ads back then and seeing how he was a bit older, for some reason I thought he was going to be a silent protagonist that time around lol.

[@oluvids]

Yeah I really disagree when ppl say Sora's out of character in KH2. There are *moments* when the roxas comes out but for the most part he's still sora. Also cool how you got to see those ads, I got into KH way after KH2 came out 😭

[@dawnrigel4255]

@@oluvids Lol yeah anytime I heard that Square Enix logo ping, me and my sister would sit and wait to here those sweet few seconds of Sanctuary playing lol. And yeah, I've never considered KH2 sora to be out of character. I definitely feel like he gets his competitive crap talk from growing up with Riku, and definitely agree with the idea of the Roxas coming out XD Not to mention, KH2 felt like they were kinda at war with the Orginzation, so I never really blamed Sora for not taking the time for mercy lol Especially during the Hallow Bastion attack

[@kalzaingaming92]

Definitely kh3 sora by far is my favorite

[@R0B5e55or001]

It'll be even more depressing if Haley Joel Osment and the whole Kingdom Hearts voice cast gets replaced in the future games just like what happened to the original FF7 voice cast. If I were Haley, I'd be watching my back and be concerned with their trusting of keeping the original voices consistent.

[@oluvids]

It's odd cause I heard that the japanese cast for 7R stayed the same. I'm not sure if it's to differentiate between the different versions of cloud, but yeah they better keep the same cast going forward

[@R0B5e55or001]

@@oluvids yeah, that even contradicts to the flimsy excuse of why they had to recast the FF7 voice cast in the English version when the new voices tries to imitate the original FF7 voices, and that every other region languages didn't even try to go into younger direction. With what happened to the original FF7, Scooby-Doo, Looney Tunes, James C. Burns, Johnny Yong Bosch, original Super Mario, Chicken Run, and now the Mob Psycho 100 voice casts, I'd be totally concerned for the Kingdom Hearts voice cast who might be next to be mistreated.

[@JabamiLain]

Sora looked so peaceful and mature in 2. What have they done to my baby boy in 3 ? Cursed Nomura.

[@snappygus5013]

Watched this 7 days after it was uploaded 😏

[@oluvids]

you are now a viewer of light

[@SuperSteve180]

He also becomes really immature in DDD and KH3 for some reason and can sometimes act really dumb.

[@tombolt13thexehanort29]

Kh2 sora is very immature (do you know what maturity is) DDD exposes that problem, and kh3 solves it. Sora has always been kind of dumb. DDD is when Sora is stripped of his false sense of maturity and confidence and learns he is still at heart a kid; the 100 acre woods plot in kh3 is all about him becoming no longer a kid, thus losing connection with the book.

[@jenievangelou1359]

He was excited to see santa

[@MissLyssT]

Kingdom hearts 3

[@oluvids]

He finally got with kairi!

[@raheemaslam7363]

@@oluvids all for 2 seconds before dying

[@Redxan600]

...is peak!

[@RandomVids0987]

Not gonna change a logical mind that Sora is a fucking idiot after part 2 and WAY less serious. Part 1 is where he felt so natural and balanced as a main character. He's got his goofy side but he's so much more of nature, has way more common sense, more serious when and where he needs to be in the story, and it just all feels so good.

[@oluvids]

I'd say DDD is the main one where he had his dumb moments, but KH3 moves closer to a balance

[@JabamiLain]

Oluvids, there's a question I need to ask you. How do you have your KZbin videos get more views ?

[@oluvids]

I think the titles and Thumbnails are helping!

[@JabamiLain]

@@oluvids thanks.

[@bullshark7888]

Very nice analysis on Sora, but as a rule of thumb for future videos, maybe talk a bit slower next time. I had to pause and rewind on several parts of the video just because I couldn't understand what you were saying

[@oluvids]

Oh yeeaah I was thinking that too while editing! I kinda naturally talk a bit fast I suppose lol

[@miiks...5...3...9...]

Re:Coded Data Sora was the most based Sora

[@oluvids]

Maaaan and I had a section on him too but I cut it out due to how long the vid was and since it technically isn't the same guy 😂 I'll need to convert it to its own video sometime

[@0rnami]

I was hoping that this was going to be more of a video essay, but it sounds like you're just recapping moments from the games pretty sporadically without the use of a script. I didn't really get any useful insight into his character from this video, and it sucks because that's really what needs highlighting when it comes to the way that Square handled Sora's character "progression" throughout the games: it's all surface-level, like they don't even properly understand his character or his motivations. Kingdom Hearts 1 Sora is competitive, brave, amicable, but also a bit naive, and maybe a little bit immature. In Kingdom Hearts 2, his character is a weird Frankenstein monster of character traits that are grafted together and called upon at any given moment depending on whatever Nomura wants from Sora in a given scene: he's with Donald and Goofy, so he's overly goofy and childish. He's fighting enemies, so he puts on this fake tough guy act and says things like "you gonna cry?". He encounters a new foe, so he becomes arrogant and somewhat insulting. He goes to Atlantica, and now all of a sudden, he becomes a singing and "dancing" merman. They tried to make him a character that can "do it all", but he can't. He fails miserably, and it hurts more because of who his character used to be. It only gets worse, but also somehow less noteworthy as the series goes on: now he's become a bland, Flanderized version of his KH2 self, except now he's also unbearably ignorant for someone who's supposed to be a Keyblade "master". I don't think I can even be bothered to get to know him in Kingdom Hearts 4. The bottom line is, Nomura is a character designer first, and everything else he does is a distant second. He sits atop a massive gaming empire and can do whatever the hell he wants, so he indulges himself in whatever way he pleases, which is (in my opinion) often times more of a bad thing than a good thing, especially if a.) you have a discerning eye, and b.) whatever project he's working on goes on long enough to the point that the flaws in the work begin to expose themselves more and more.

[@oluvids]

I made this cause I saw that a lotta ppl didn't know why sora acts the way he does in later games, so I needed to use the moments to show why he acts a certain way later on. Less of a critique and more of an explanation

[@Genji-Agito]

I guess it was hard for me to notice sora's character development because in all brutal honestly, sora is a character I genuinely despise. I would explain why but it wouldn't surprise me if people didn't care.

[@oluvids]

See now I'm curious. By all means, you can explain it!

[@Genji-Agito]

@@oluvids here's the thing, I can't bring myself to respect characters who've had everything handed to them on a silver platter, I mean no what situation sora finds himself in ,he can just "friendship" his way out of any problem. Plus, I hate characters who force their GARBAGE views on others "a real leader understands that destiny is beyond their control........and accepts that" , that doesn't hold much weigh coming from Mr. Power of waking over here.

[@oluvids]

@@Genji-Agito In terms of the friendship thing, it does make sense within the context of KH cause the more bonds, connections ad experiences you have, the stronger your heart becomes. It's a prettt prominent trope but I think it works better here since its pretry literal rather than them just saying it to say it. And yeah not everyone really likes a preachy character, that's fair I think. I get the feeling you probably wouldn't like Rex from Xenoblade 2 😂

[@Genji-Agito]

@@oluvids I'm not to familiar with anyone from xenoblade, so who knows. Also, in terms of the power of connections thing, so persona basically. I'm sorry but I'm indifferent to persona, but again, sora is a very difficult character to get behind, to be fair I've always had unpopular opinions in terms of any square enix characters.

[@oluvids]

@@Genji-Agito I guess it depends on your tastes, but not only that but perhaps when you got into KH(like at what age). Cause like a lotta ppl got into it as pre-teens and such, and I think his type of character works well especially in KH1 where he's an underdog young guy who chooses the right path to getting stronger rather than riku who was the prodigy but ended up going with the wrong crowd. But I mean, yeah I think your reasoning makes sense. I also think thats why some ppl gravitate more to riku or roxas

[@Ares_GETRECKT_shorts]

Nah, Riku is weak. I got him 47 to 6. (The only reason I lost 6 times was because I fell off while attacking him.)

[@oluvids]

L riku

[@tombolt13thexehanort29]

CoM sora makes the incorrect decision, and then was reset; he arrived at the incorrect conclusion. Kh2 sora is not confident, he is a little twat who thinks he is all that. Kh2 sora is brash, rash, reckless, mean and violent. The context to the Sora quote about who wants to be next actually highlights how he acts immature and rashly. He only forgives those who do something for him, i.e he forgives Ansem for the sole reason that he saves Kairi. The best quote I can think of to describe kh2 sora is the quote "you gotta be confident" " Hey, I'm super confident!" "no you're just loud". He, as you said, shows no remorse or empathy for the organization members, who are clearly in pain when they die, and you try to justify it is ok for sora to show a lack of empathy towards them solely because they do not have emotions, this means sora is not empathetic in kh2. Sora only begins caring about Roxas after he learns of his circumstances and that he is connected to him. Contrast this with kh3 sora who actively inquires into why people are doing wrong and actively tries to understand others. The game itself says the organization isn't bad, to quote Namine who's says something like "bad or good, I'm not sure, they are beings who wish to be whole. To accomplish that goal they are desperately searching for something". Sora at the end of kh2 gets the wrong message, he has glaring faults, but refuses to address them, DDD contradicts this message that he is fine how he is by pointing to these weaknesses. This breaks sora's false confidence in himself and helps him to find true confidence. Kh2 sora thought he was confident in his abilities, but In DDD, he realizes that he was really just confident in his friends, not himself. Kh3 sora becomes confident in his friends and himself, and finally understands his role as a leader.

[@laststrike4411]

Bro, if you can give ONE reason why Sora should show empathy for the group of people that have A) Kidnapped his childhood friend/love interest B) Tried to kill him C) Repeatedly tried to make him into their living weapon D) Mindraped him E) Tried to kill his friends F) Tried to make his FRIENDS into tools Without some BS appeal to their tragic backstories that he would have no way of knowing, I'll agree with you. Also, Sora doesn't even forgive "Ansem." The man wrecked his home, corrupted his best friend, stole his body, drowned multiple worlds in darkness, and attempted to murder Kairi the second she served his purpose for him. Getting so much as a "thanks" from Sora with all that speaks more to how much the girl's safety meant than anything else. Also, it makes him human, because people have to have a line drawn somewhere. Kingdom Hearts also likes to sometimes preach a message about darkness not being inherently bad and how one needs to strike a balance, but at the end of the day, you don't see any worlds getting consumed by the light. In the absence of manipulation, there's been like ONE GUY who took too much light (and even then, that was just another stroke in a dark master's plan). All of this is to say that Namine's words mean little when nearly every act these guys take proves them the villains. This is the most painful thing about a series written by a guy writing by the seat of his pants (with the occasional bit of fanservice); coming across cope posts like this.

[@tombolt13thexehanort29]

@@laststrike4411 well consider their circumstances, which sora was told, they are beings who can not feel, which In itself is tragic. Sora is an emotional person, he inherently cares for people, it is wildly out of character for sora to show no remorse whatsoever for their circumstance or as someone literally limps to a window in clear pain and expires after lamenting on his inability to feel emotion, no matter their personal beef. It is out of character for sora to not show some form of empathy for them. The organization did not kidnap Kairi, Axel did, which was against the wishes of the organization, the organization even said they were going to bring him to justice; xemnas was not aware Kairi was even involved, thus not giving Kairi back was a personal decision made by siax. The organization never, to sora's knowledge, tried to make him into a weapon; they did use sora's inability to control his emotions to have him kill more heartless, but never against his will. They do manipulate soras emotions, but they can't feel emotions, so they wouldn't be able to recognize this as wrong. By your logic, sora would and should have not empathized with riku through kh1 who messed with the worlds, tried to kill him multiple times etc. About the balance between light and darkness, Eraqus was so obsessed over the light he ended up abusing his children. Ansem the wise, he was so obsessed over preserving the light he allowed his research to become horrible. Riku in CoM is all about the balance between light and dark. Nomura has always had the view for the themes of kingdom hearts, what was written on the run (even then he has stated he did have a general view of where he wanted to go after kh2) was the story; the thing he would use to present that theme. A big strength and weakness of Nomura's writing is his left up to interpretion style of writing, which he does because he thinks it boosts fan discourse and involvement by allowing the story to be more personalized; some key details are hidden in glossaries or even a single line and visuals (like the recusiant sigil which has been here since kh2).

[@laststrike4411]

@Tombolt13 the Xehanort 1) You could call a Nobody tragic in the sense that a Zombie is tragic (a shell of what used to be human, cursed to walk the Earth feeding off the misfortune of others to reach some semblance of wholeness) and you wouldn't see Sora stopping to kill those. In KH1, it was practically the same situation with the Heartless. Some of them used to be people. Sora destroys them all the same. 2) Did you forget that 14 year old Sora straight up got Clayton killed without batting an eye? Same for Oogie Boogie and Maleficent (until she came back, but he certainly wasn't counting on that). Pretty sure they were in some extreme pain then. Oh, and let's not forget Ansem crawling over to Kingdom Hearts as a last ditch effort after Sora and co. BEAT HIM TO AN INCH OF HIS LIFE. A saint Sora ain't. 3) Refer to the previous laundry list of the Organization's sins. As for your excuses A) The very same scene you refer to regarding Kairi has Sora BEGGING for them to let her go only to be denied. If they meant to let the girl go, they have a funny way of showing it, locking her up in a cell and straight up telling her that they're using her as a tool to manipulate Sora into doing their bidding for them unwittingly. B) Do Nobodies have feelings or not? You seem to think Sora should feel oh-so-bad about them dying but fall back on their lack of a heart the second they do something reprehensible, like Manny saying "I'm onwy THWEE!" Even if we went by old Nobody lore, these people and their personalities are based off the experiences of their past lives. You know, people that DID have a moral compass? The concept of right and wrong wouldn't be lost on you because you woke up without emotions one day. C) Most of what Sora did in COM could be technically considered his own response to things. Intellectually honest people, however, acknowledge that a lot of the actions Sora takes wouldn't have happened if he had been aware of what the Organization was trying to do to him. Also, if he knew he was being mindraped. Let's be intellectually honest here too, okay? E) If you think Riku in 1 is comparable to the Organization, I suggest you replay the games again. It's not complicated to understand why Sora would empathize with HIS OLDEST FRIEND who is at least partially doing all the things he's doing because he wants to save Kairi (ANOTHER close friend) as opposed to a bunch of self-absorbed randos that are fucking everything up to obtain the almighty force that he had to prevent someone else from obtaining just a year ago. F) I know about Eraqus, man. That was my whole point. Even with him, the best (and honestly ONLY) example you could muster, you have to remember the bigger picture. He's another Pawn for Xehanort (the DARKNESS USER). Ansem the Wise...you mean the guy that got his shit BTFO'd by the Organization (Who does that belong to again)? And let's not forget Riku, the ONE character that pulled off that "balance" crap properly (who still only got as far as he did because of BS circumstances outside of his control). Terra? Couldn't control his darkness and lost his body. Aqua? Became Anti-Aqua and wound up traumatized. Yeah, two characters managing to be dicks or decent regardless of their light/dark allegiance makes an exception, not a rule. Less darkness is almost always better. G) I present to you Roxas and Xion.

[@tombolt13thexehanort29]

@@laststrike4411 that comparison to a zombie, even if disingenuous as the orgmembers have a conscience (which heartless and zombies do not have), still proves my point as you still feel bad for the people who became zombies and excuse their actions because they are no longer themselves. 2. For Clayton (who was stated to no longer be stated to be clayton, but a heartless), sora still is affected by Clayton's death, Tarzan's speech about Clayton resonates enough with sora for him to see the error of his ways and apologizes to Donald. As for oogie and malaficint, due to hardware limitations, there is no say one way or the other (the best I can do is he does not crush the insect oogie became when it fell next to him). With ansem he does consider and understand Ansem's philosophy, he just disagrees with it, this is against the Nobodies who he simply disregards without the understanding part. What kills ansem is his philosophy, not to mention there were more pressing matters to attend to after ansems death, than lamenting ansems death. Sora feels bad for Ansem, that is why he debates him. Take demyx, who is clear about not wanting to fight, who sora than goads into fighting. It is less about who he shows remorse to but the fact he shows the opposite (he shows contempt) towards the organization, that is out character. All of the deaths in kh1 leads to sora seeing the tragedy in it to form his ideas about the world and light.

[@laststrike4411]

@@tombolt13thexehanort29 1) No the fuck you don't. You acknowledge they aren't human anymore and (unless they're one of your own) kill them without ceremony. As Sora does. 2) If Clayton has become a heartless, his heart would have left his body when he died. He would have dissolved into nothingness. He didn't do all of that so he isn't a heartless. The darkness just consumed him. And even if he did, Sora should still feel something for the man he once was according to your own logic...and he doesn't. 3) Funny enough you mention crushing, because that's exactly what he tries to do the ice Titan when it shrinks down. But I guess it doesn't look human enough so it doesn't count? Sora talks about his previous kills as early as COM. States it matter-of-factly, and you could argue Sora's more emotive there. Also, you realize KH1 FM was built from scratch, right? There are multiple versions of the events of KH1. Not one of them has Sora giving a damn that some villain died. Not even the Ultimania will back you up. Just take the L with some dignity. You can't be right all the time. 4) Define the word "consider." 5) Sora's own words regarding Ansem's fate in COM: He's not around anymore. We saw to that. Like, what do you think Sora was going to do to him if Ansem DIDN'T try to use the power of KH? Using your own "Word of God," argument, Sora killed him. He acknowledges this. He is fine with it. 6) Sora listens to him because it bookends the beginning dialogue of the game. There isn't any pity for the man that destroyed his home, stole his friend's body, and made Kairi almost lose her heart. Also, this is Kingdom Hearts. The heroes always give the villains time to monologue before the big showdown. Unless you think Sora was "feeling bad" for Marluxia too? 7) He showed contempt towards Hook, Maleficent, and Ansem. He got sick of even Riku's crap at multiple points, but Riku has a way of changing the subject/guilting him so that the kid never can keep his edge for long. COM Sora already held Marluxia and his "pals" in contempt within the first hour of his trip in Oblivion (that's with minimal mindrape). 8) So basically, when the Organization goads Sora and attacks him the entire game it's fine. But when Sora loses his temper and does it back ONCE, he's gone too far and has changed? You realize there's a thing called "context," right? You know people have these things called "Limits," right? Just say you liked the Org characters and were butthurt when Sora killed them. It'd be more honest than trying to make up all these BS rules why the Org didn du nuffin.

[@PrinnyDusst]

I feel this is less an in depth analysis of Sora’s character, and more a timeline description of sora’s reactions to events in the games. Not as interesting as I was hoping for.

[@oluvids]

It basically explains his why his personality and actions fluctuate throughout the series, mainly cause around when i posted this there discourse between sora character throughout the series. But yeah sounds like you knew about that already which is good!

[@PrinnyDusst]

@@oluvids you described some details and insights that I found interesting. While I’ve played through most of the KH games, from my perspective I find Sora to be frustratingly static throughout the series. You offered that in DDD he was emotionally dealing more with his failures and his struggles since he was without his companions from previous games. I found it a cool detail, and maybe this is more of the games writing problems for me that these character beats don’t come through well emotionally (for me at least).

[@xen3588]

blame disney they forced nomura to make it more kid friendly and turn sora into cringe boy we got in kh3.

[@GogetaEiyuuYamcha]

how is KH3 sora more kid friendly when he struggles to deal with anxiety, self-doubt and death? lol

[@laststrike4411]

Bro, please spare all this summary stuff. We played the games. No need for the play by play.

[@oluvids]

with a series this big, a lotta people will not remember every detail

[@laststrike4411]

@@oluvids I get that much, man. I don't envy your position for sure. At the same time, most of the people willing to watch analysis videos for these characters tend to be more familiar. If you just generally refer to past events when what you're explaining needs backstory, I think you'll be fine.

[@oluvids]

@@laststrike4411 I'll see what I can do next time! Thanks for the input

[@life0093]

I get that some people don’t like summaries, but I think you did a great job of mapping out how reacted to the different experiences throughout the series. Between all the hidden bosses and extra end game content in every game, you can forget bits and pieces of this huge KH story. I just played KH2 FM a few months ago, and I liked Sora’s personality a lot more than I did the last time I beat the game. I also appreciated KH3 remind more after playing 2 again. Nothing wrong with refreshing people’s memory

[@justadragonnamemarcus1751]

I still don't like KH3 SORA he seems more dumb personality then Kh2 Sora Kh2 Sora build just different....

[@warhead-2268]

As much as i was disappointed with a lot of things in kh 3. One thing they nailed was that sora felt the most real and human from all the games combined.