Universe of Kingdom Hearts: Difference between revisions

{{-}}

===Travel===

Traveling between worlds is normally very difficult. In addition to being separated by the Ocean Between, worlds are also protected by barriers which prevent outside interference. When Heartless attack a world these barriers are broken, indicated by a meteor shower in that world. The barriers are restored when the worlds are restored and their keyholes locked. The loss of the barriers allows virtually anyone access the world without assistance. With the barriers in place, only certain people, such as Keyblade wielders and those with access to Lanes between or Corridors of Darkness, can gain access to worlds.

====Corridors of Darkness====

The {{nihongo|'''Corridors of Darkness'''|闇の回廊|Yami no Kairō}} are pathways that interlink the various worlds, as well as connecting the [[Realm of Darkness]] and [[Realm Between]] to the [[Realm of Light]].<ref>{{storylink|Secret Ansem Report 6}}: "With this new power, I uncovered a 'corridor of darkness' that connects the realm of nothingness to the outside world. While it is still difficult to come and go as I please, my banishment is now a thing of the past."</ref> They may only be opened by those who have given themselves over to darkness,<ref>{{storylink|Xehanort's Report V}}: "At present, the lanes and corridors that run between the worlds may only be traversed by us Keyblade wielders, and those who have given themselves over to darkness."</ref> but can be used by almost anyone once opened.<ref>{{storylink|Secret Ansem Report 11}}: "It seems my friend, fighting in the realm of darkness, appeared in Castle Oblivion through a corridor of darkness constructed by Organization XIII. My new ally Riku also affected his return via one of these corridors."</ref> The Heartless and Nobodies frequently attempt to link their own Corridors to the [[gate]]s.<ref name="GateCorridor">'''''[[Kingdom Hearts II]]''''', '''Yen Sid''': "They may be attempting to link these dark pathways to the gates between the worlds."</ref> Corridors of Darkness also occasionally form spontaneously within the Realm Between, often when a world is destroyed and its surviving inhabitants are cast away to worlds like Traverse Town.<ref>{{storylink|Secret Ansem Report 11}}: "This 'realm between' is quite unstable, with corridors of darkness appearing from time to time. Whenever a world disappears, some of its inhabitants must arrive here through these corridors. Surely Sora traveled these same corridors of darkness when he first came to Traverse Town."</ref>

==Stars==

In the ''{{c|Kingdom Hearts|series}}'' games, each '''Star''' is a specific world. Should a star stop shining, that would mean that a particular world has disappeared from existence, most likely from destruction by the Heartless.

===Realm of Darkness===

{{main|Realm of Darkness}}

The {{nihongo|'''Realm of Darkness'''|闇の世界|Yami no Sekai}} is a realm that lies opposite the Realm of Light. There are few people who have lived or are living here, such as [[Aqua]], [[Ansem the Wise]], and [[Riku]], and it is instead inhabited by the Heartless and other dark beings.<ref>Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep and Kingdom Hearts Fragmentary Passage</ref><!--cite to memorial ultimania, with page--> The only known Keyblade of the Realm of Darkness is the [[Kingdom Key D]], wielded by Mickey.<!--cite to Nomura interview from kh2 ultimania--><ref>Kingdom Hearts Fragmentary Passage</ref> The Kingdom Hearts of Worlds' Hearts began growing in the Realm of Darkness after the Heartless plague was unleashed on the Realm of Light.<!--cite to memorial ultimania, with page-->{{fact}}

===World characteristics===

There are over thirty worlds that have appeared in the ''Kingdom Hearts'' series so far. Most of them are based on {{w|The Walt Disney Company|Disney}}'s animated features and contain locations and characters from or inspired by the films. As a result, worlds are greatly varied in appearance, style, and nature, as their sources range from the oldest cartoons created by Disney to more current films in the Disney canon. The oldest source is the 1928 cartoon ''{{w|Steamboat Willie}}'', used as a basis for Timeless River, while the most recent inspiration for a world from Disney's animated features is 2014's ''{{w|Big Hero 6 (film)|Big Hero 6}}''. In ''Kingdom Hearts II'', two live-action films, ''{{w|Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl}}'' and ''{{w|Tron (film)|Tron}}'', served as the foundation for the worlds [[Port Royal]] and [[Space Paranoids]], respectively, while ''Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance'' included "[[The Grid]]" based on the live-action film ''{{w|Tron: Legacy}}.