Is there symbolism in Kingdom Hearts? The Kingdom Hearts series is known for its endearing and complex story. Disney and Final Fantasy characters coexist in a fantastical world filled with drama and suspense. Artistic imagery gives the Kingdom Hearts series a unique look and feel. Almost every game opens with a character falling into the water, while pop music from Utada Hikaru plays.
The Kingdom Hearts games may be flashy, but are they symbolic? At first glance, newbies to the series will notice the Disney characters and Sora’s huge goofy shoes. The box art may look cool, but the symbolism is probably the last thing that comes to mind. But, many fans have sworn for years that symbolism exists within the Kingdom Hearts universe. The creator of Kingdom Hearts, Tetsuya Nomura, has never confirmed nor denied symbolism in his interviews.
So, let’s take a look at the Kingdom Hearts series to determine if symbolism exists.
Affiliate Disclosure
Since I share awesome products with people like you, naturally my content may contain affiliate links for products I use and love. If you take action (i.e. subscribe, make a purchase) after clicking one of these links, I’ll earn some coffee money (or game time *gasp*).
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. For more information, please refer to Paid for Advertising.com which explains affiliate marketing in more detail.
Is There Symbolism In Kingdom Hearts?
What Is Symbolism?
Before we can determine if there is symbolism in Kingdom Hearts, we first have to discuss what symbolism means. Symbolism according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is “the use of symbols to express or represent ideas or qualities in literature, art, etc.” And, the word symbol means, “an action, object, event, etc., that expresses or represents a particular idea or quality.”
These definitions are saying that something which is considered symbolic has a cultural, religious, or important significance that the audience should understand. So the creator of the work could be using symbols to strengthen the message of their story. It’s similar to the idea of text and subtext where a choice of dialogue is literally saying one thing while communicating a figurative message at the same time.
Symbolism is subjective to each audience member. Everyone consumes a piece of artwork differently based on their own life experiences, education, and understanding. This means that a symbolic moment is always debatable because everyone has a different point of view. Most Kingdom Hearts fans will swear that the series has symbolism, but seldom will they agree on what the symbolism is or means.
Play your favorite games on the HP OMEN 16 Laptop with over 9 hours of unplugged play.
What Type Of Symbolism Appears In Kingdom Hearts?
The Kingdom Hearts series displays symbolism in its music, imagery, and dialogue. Even the official artworks released by Square Enix has symbolic imagery. Among the most obvious symbols are those which represent different aspects of the series like heartless or nobodies. These are symbols created to represent those special enemies. But, for the purposes of this article, we’ll be referring to symbolism which isn’t quite so obvious.
Less blatant symbolism in the games features motifs related to the war between darkness and light. The games draw on religious symbols like doors, stained glass, and light shining through the darkness. Throughout the years, fans have mentioned seeing symbolism from Christianity, Buddism, and Taoism. For this article, we’ll focus on the Christian themes present within the games as I’m most familiar with the Christian faith. Most religions share a common idea of good versus evil. But, religious symbolism isn’t the only type observed within the series.
Kingdom Hearts is the first game in the series. So it’s the perfect game to begin our observation. The first game features an opening movie. Sora falls into the water and struggles to come up for air. Water represents purification, chaos, salvation, death, and more in the Christian faith. Kingdom Hearts games use the water to represent falling into darkness. It reminds me of the scripture Isaiah 51:10 where the Bible talks about God drying up the waters for the redeemed to pass over them safely. Characters falling in the water are a recurring theme in the Kingdom Hearts games.
Games have never looked better than on the HP OMEN 30L Gaming Desktop featuring NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 graphics card.
What Type Of Symbolism Appears In Kingdom Hearts?
Believing in the Christian faith isn’t important to understand symbols in Kingdom Hearts. Not everyone believes in the Christian God. Science has found proof that certain biblical events did occur, but science can’t answer whether God is real. The Bible can be viewed as a historical document that has recorded important events from the ancient world. So it’s not a surprise that creators draw inspiration from a prolific book to tell stories.
The x-blade (pronounced Keyblade) is also symbolic of how the catholic church has displayed the keys to heaven. Kingdom Hearts is described as a special place deserving of protection. This means that Kingdom Hearts could represent a heavenly place. Scala ad Caelum was a world that appeared in Kingdom Hearts III. The name of the world is Latin for “Stairway to Heaven.”
Play your favorite games with friends while using the SteelSeries – Arctis Pro Wireless High Fidelity gaming headset for PC, PS4, and PS5.
Symbolism: Scala Continued
Scala features islands shaped like triangles which can represent enlightenment, revelation, a higher perspective, and manifestation. In Christianity, the triangle represents the trinity of father, son, and the holy spirit. It also reminds me of the greek symbol Alpha which is used to represent how God has existed for all eternity.
Also in Kingdom Hearts, the gizmo shop looks like a cathedral on the outside. Inside of the gizmo shop is full of bright colors and sounds which reminds me of enlightenment. Doves appear on spinning wheels and levers. In many religious faiths, doves represent peace. The clock is frozen at 6:54 inside of the gizmo shop. When typing 6:54 into Google the Bible scripture John 6:54 pops up. The scripture appears to reference communion. Christians have communion on the first Sunday of each month. Communion involves eating a thin wafer and drinking grape juice to symbolize Christ’s sacrifice which saved God’s children from sin.
But, there are fans who believe that 6:54 is in reference to the time theory, instead of relating to scripture.
Check out the new Victus 16:1 gaming laptop by HP. It features an Nvidia GeForce 3060 graphics card, so all of your games will look simple and clean.
Symbolism In Kingdom Hearts: Darkness Continued
Darkness represents sin. Within Kingdom Hearts everyone is born with darkness in their heart. Characters like Riku, embark on dangerous journeys to fight the darkness inside of them and remain in the light. Riku ultimately decides to walk the path of dawn because light cannot exist without darkness. The darkness manifests as creatures called heartless in the game. In real life, darkness can manifest as trials and hardships.
The Christian faith believes in second chances. So despite being born in sin a person can become redeemed. In Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep, Ventus got a second chance at life after his heart merged with Sora’s heart. Master Xehanort stripped the darkness from Ventus’s heart and created Vanitas. The goal was to have them fight and create the x-blade (Keyblade). Master Xehanort was going to use the x-blade to start the Keyblade war, not unlike the biblical wars in the bible.
Ventus fell into a deep slumber. He was reborn or had his “birth by sleep” after connecting his heart with Sora’s. In Kingdom Hearts, Sora is the main protagonist and has played the role of a savior many times. By Sora accepting Ventus into his heart, Ventus was allowed to sleep safely. Ventus thanked Sora for giving him a second chance in Kingdom Hearts III. This is similar to how Christians must accept Christ into their hearts to be born again. Being born again is a second chance to live life without sin and go to heaven once they die.
Want more Kingdom Hearts? Then check out Kingdom Hearts: The Complete Novel Collector’s Edition by Tomoco Kanemaki available on Amazon.com.
Symbolism In Kingdom Hearts: Heart Cont.
The heart is an organ. Our heart pumps blood through our veins keeping us alive. Spiritually the heart is more complicated and involves our emotions, fears, and desires. So having a strong heart can mean staying focused on God. Well, in the Kingdom Hearts games having a strong heart can prevent you from falling into darkness. In the first game, Sora and his friends visit a castle called Hollow Bastion. This castle has pipes running through it like veins.
Hollow Bastion is a literal representation of a heart within the game. Every pipe or vein is pumping darkness from the center of the heart. Sora reaches the heart of the castle and saves the princesses of heart from danger. In the story, Maleficient was using the Disney princesses to open the door to darkness. The princesses were referred to as “princesses of heart” because they were pure. No darkness existed within their hearts. God asks us in Proverbs 4: 23-26 to guard our hearts. We see this same request urged countless times in Kingdom Hearts. Characters are urged from the Station of Awakening to guard their hearts against darkness and stay strong.
Check out Kingdom Hearts: The Ultimate Handbook to add to your KH collection available on Amazon.com.
Kingdom Hearts Symbolism: Music Continued
Kingdom Hearts games have fantastic music. Each track is composed by Yoko Shimomura and various artists. Beautiful sounds and riveting tracks accompany every moment of the game perfectly. “Dearly Beloved” is the main theme. The song plays at the beginning of every Kingdom Hearts game on the title screen. Every version of the song changes to match each game. It’s a gentle song full of emotion.
The saying “dearly beloved” is an old term used at weddings. Dearly Beloved addresses the audience. Symbolically a wedding is a covenant formed by the bride and groom with the Lord. Weddings are an example of Christ’s union with the church. The term “dearly beloved” means something or someone that is loved very much. Almost as if the game is celebrating the gathering of fans who are bearing witness to the story. Scripture mentions love in various contexts. Love is usually described as deeper than a feeling. Also, a husband’s love for their wife is sacred.
The Kingdom Hearts games deal with the concept of love. Love is displayed in the games through actions and words. Characters sacrifice themselves to save another, worlds are restored, and characters are protected while waiting for their rebirth. The games focus on showcasing love in friendship. Romantic love exists within the games, but it’s not the main focus. Love is showcased by characters helping others like Christ helped the less fortunate in the bible.
Listen to “Dearly Beloved” by Yoko Shimomura and leave a comment below. How does the music make you feel?
Become a Keyblade Master with your own Sora’s Keyblade available on Amazon.com.
Is There Symbolism In Kingdom Hearts?
So the question still remains. Is there symbolism in Kingdom Hearts? The answer depends on you. Art is inspiring because we can connect to it on a personal level. Not everyone is going to see a deeper meaning and that’s okay. What’s most important is how playing Kingdom Hearts makes you feel. If playing the games makes you happy then who cares about the symbolism.
Also, this article doesn’t mention every single symbolic moment. The Kingdom Hearts series is celebrating its 20th anniversary. There are thirteen games in the series. Certain games like Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days and Kingdom Hearts: Coded can’t be played on current-gen consoles. Their movies are included within the complete Kingdom Hearts collection available on Amazon.com, but they’re not the same. The Kingdom Hearts series also features Final Mixes, Remakes, movies, and mobile games. Symbolism can easily be missed with a series this big.
What symbolism have you noticed in Kingdom Hearts? Please leave a comment below. Please don’t forget to share this article on social media. Sharing is caring! Also, please consider becoming a patron if you enjoy the content featured on Warcraftlover.
Check out these other Kingdom Hearts related articles below:
Kingdom Hearts 20th Anniversary Theories
Sora Is The Final Super Smash Bros. DLC Character
Please refer to our sister site realgamergirl for more Kingdom Heart’s content:
Is The Kingdom Hearts TV Show Happening?
Who Is The Master Of Masters In Kingdom Hearts?
Thank you for hanging out with me. May you ever walk in the light of the crystal.
Spyells