« ABOUT »
01. History
a. Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep
b. Kingdom Hearts
c. Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
d. Kingdom Hearts II
02. Personality
03. Strengths & Weaknesses
04. Other Important Facts
[ History ] :
The Past
Originating from the tropical, serene world of Destiny Islands, Sora was only an average child when the pieces of his destiny began to align, as his only remarkable trait at first was that he was the best friend and rival of a boy named Riku. But sometime around the age of four, Sora was sent briefly to an enigmatic place called The Awakening, where he encountered the heart of a boy named Ventus; the heart had lost its path and wished to become part of Sora's. He easily accepted this, as he had been brought to it after finding himself troubled by an inexplicable feeling of sadness, and wanted only to make it happy again. He returned home with a new heart resting peacefully inside his own.
It turned out that Sora and Riku were both meant for great things, and it wasn't long before they were visited by two of the Keyblade Masters on separate occasions. While Sora never spoke with Terra, who had a greater interest in Riku instead, he was advised by Aqua to protect Riku if he were ever to fall into the hands of darkness. He took this to heart; Riku was his best friend, after all.
The next ten years were quiet for Sora, interrupted only significantly by the arrival of a mysterious little girl a year after the two boys were visited by the Keyblade Masters. Her name was Kairi, and she was thought to have come from a different world entirely, but she was welcomed with open arms and taken in by the mayor of Destiny Islands. Sora and Riku were quick to befriend her, and she completed their circle, balancing them as a team and also becoming another reason for them to compete against one another (in a way, they would discover later, far more serious than they could have seen coming).
The Beginning
After they had grown into teenagers of fourteen and fifteen, the three decided to build a raft and sail out into the ocean, with the intention of exploring other worlds outside of their small, peaceful community. It was primarily Riku's idea, as he was determined to the point of obsession to leave the islands, but Sora was just as ready for the great adventure they were sure to have, and was excited at the prospect of being able to have one with his two best friends.
However, the night before they were finally about to set out on their journey, a great storm hit the islands. Worried about the raft, Sora headed out to check on it, and instead discovered that with the storm had come a dark, powerful force. He visited their secret cave ("The Secret Place"), only to find that Kairi was being swept away by the darkness. (Later, he would find out that when her ghostlike form had passed through his, she had stored her heart of pure light in his body to keep it safe.) Alarmed, he ran back out to the dock and encountered Riku, who was also surrounded by this mysterious force, and was convinced that this was finally their chance to leave the island, even if it meant that they would never see their friends or families again. He held out his hand in invitation, and Sora reached out to pull him back, not trusting this darkness that had just taken Kairi-but it was too late. Riku disappeared, and soon afterwards, Sora found himself in possession of the Keyblade.
The Keyblade
Narrowly surviving a battle with a powerful Heartless that had decided to attack him shortly after Riku's departure, Sora blacked out, and awoke to find that he had been brought to a different world after all: Traverse Town. He soon encountered a strange grown man, who-after a very confusing exchange-decided to 'fight' him, until Sora was tired out enough to collapse and slip into unconsciousness once more. When he awoke this time, it was to the company of the man and another girl, and the two finally explained to him what the Keyblade was and why his home had been swallowed up in Darkness and attacked by the strange creatures known as Heartless. Though Sora was surprised and reluctant to step up at first ("Well, I didn't ask for this."), it didn't take him long to stop thinking and start doing what he felt was right, by fighting alongside Leon and Yuffie to protect the town from the Heartless.
Amidst the battling, Sora ran into Donald Duck and Goofy, who were in search of both a mysterious 'key' The King had asked them to find, as well as The King himself. Sora was still determined to find Kairi and Riku, and after he became fast friends with Donald and Goofy, the three decided to look for their other friends together, using the Gummi Ship to travel between worlds. The search quickly became a means for Sora to realize his true destiny, and he ended up fulfilling his duties as a Keyblade Master, protecting each world's heart from the Darkness by sealing their Keyholes. But things were not working out perfectly, and were, in fact, becoming even more complicated than Sora had ever prepared for them to be. Sora encountered Riku again in several different instances, with each visit less friendly than the last. He realized that his friend was on the wrong side and had changed to suit the darkness, a belief that was only solidified when he found out that Riku had somehow learned to control the Heartless. When Sora openly questioned and argued with him ("You're stupid. Sooner or later they'll swallow your heart!"), it only pushed him further away, and the friends further apart.
Their journey was finally approaching an end when they reached Hollow Bastion, where the seven kidnapped Princesses of Heart were being held captive. Sora once again encountered Riku, whose heart somehow managed to overpower the strength of Sora's, enabling him to take the Keyblade as his own. Donald and Goofy reluctantly went to Riku's side, falling back on their original orders to go wherever the Keyblade went. But Sora had come too far to give up there, and he continued his search for Kairi, going so far as to use the toy wooden sword Riku had mockingly left behind as his weapon. When they met again, it was under openly hostile intentions. Riku attacked Sora, causing Donald and Goofy to unexpectedly come to his defense. When asked how he expected to fight, Sora answered that his friends were his power, and in doing so, his heart gained back enough strength to earn back the Keyblade and win the battle. He proceeded to engage in battle with the dragon form of Maleficent, who was the witch responsible for the kidnapping and exploitation of the Princesses, before fighting Riku yet again. This time, however, Riku had allowed his body to fall completely to darkness and to become possessed by a strange being who came to be known as "Ansem", Xehanort's Heartless.
The Door
After winning a far more difficult battle against the possessed Riku, Sora finally came upon the unconscious form of his friend, Kairi. "Ansem" informed him that she would not wake up without her heart, a heart that existed within Sora alongside his own. Without hesitation, Sora used Riku's Keyblade to free Kairi's heart from his body, and in the process turned himself into a Heartless, which also instigated the creation of his Nobody, Roxas, and Kairi's Nobody, Naminé. Fortunately, Kairi managed to restore Sora to his full form with her power of light, and without further ado, Sora, Donald, and Goofy prepared to fight and defeat Xehanort's Heartless and seal the Door to Kingdom Hearts once and for all.
Several difficult battles later, they accomplished the difficult feat of taking down Xehanort's Heartless, but were unable to close the Door on their own. Much to their surprise, a back-to-himself Riku and King Mickey appeared in the nick of time on the other side of the Door, and with their respective Keyblades, Mickey and Sora managed to seal it, successfully keeping the Heartless out of the side of light for the time being. However, the success came with a price: Mickey and Riku were trapped on the side of darkness.
Castle Oblivion
After Kairi was safely sent back to Destiny Islands, Sora, Donald, and Goofy proceeded to embark on another quest, this time to find Riku and The King. They quickly discovered a mysterious castle, and upon entering, began to lose their memories as they gradually ascended each floor of the appropriately-named Castle Oblivion. Sora's memories of Kairi were replaced with those of a blonde girl by the name of Naminé, with the intention of manipulating him so he would be willing to work for the lord of the castle, Marluxia. Marluxia planned to use Sora to overthrow Xemnas, the leader of Organization XIII, which was a group of powerful Nobodies who wished to complete Kingdom Hearts. Donald and Goofy were highly suspicious of the castle and the frequent encounters with the figures in cloaks and attempted to convince Sora that something was afoot, but Sora had fallen too far into the game at that point, and was determined to find and protect Naminé, as he had 'promised' in his memories of their childhood.
Eventually, Naminé was convinced by one of the trickier members of the Organization, Axel, to fix her mistakes by doing the right thing. When he finally reached the top, Sora found himself in a virtual Destiny Islands, where Naminé took on the form of Kairi in an attempt to help him remember what was real, and what was really important. When the illusion ended and he was confronted with her, the truth about his false memories and the Organization's plans came out. Apologizing, Naminé offered Sora the choice of either leaving his memories as they were, or putting he and his friends to sleep for one year in a pod so she could re-chain his memories, at the cost of forgetting about her and everything that had happened in Castle Oblivion. He chose the latter, knowing instinctively that it was the only right way.
The Heart of All Worlds
A year passed, and after Roxas discovered Sora's pod in the basement of the mansion in Twilight Town and rejoined him, Sora awoke, along with Donald and Goofy. True to Naminé's word, they retained no memory of Castle Oblivion. Soon enough, they learned about Nobodies and once again, Organization XIII, and set out on yet another journey to confront and defeat them. During this time, it was evident that while it was in Sora's nature to want to help others, especially on a scale as important as this, he was also growing tired of the constant fighting and travelling, and in his heart, he knew what he wanted most was to go back to Destiny Islands. Though he did well in keeping up his responsibilities and focusing on the missions for each world, his friends were never far from his mind.
When their second world-hopping adventure was drawing up to a conclusion in The World That Never Was and they were reunited with their friends, Sora seemed to reach an emotional peak, going so far as to drop to his knees and break down in tears when Riku (in "Ansem's" form), was revealed to him with the help of Kairi. But it had all been building up to this moment, and Sora was at last able to set his worries aside and concentrate on the final stretch, the road to defeating Organization XIII member-by-member and protecting Kingdom Hearts. Right before the decisive battle against Xemnas, Sora and Riku were separated from the others, and after a long, drawn-out fight, they succeeded in destroying Xemnas once and for all with the power of the Keyblade and the light within their hearts.
Full Circle
Victorious, but exhausted and with no conceivable way of rejoining the others, they were brought to a dark moonlit beach ("The Dark Meridian"). The two were quick to resolve to stay there, if it meant that the side of light was safe, but soon discovered a message in a bottle-one sent from Kairi at the very beginning of their second journey. With her words, the door to the light opened, and Sora and Riku walked through together, where they were reunited with Kairi, Mickey, Donald, and Goofy on the sunlit shore of Destiny Islands.
Sometime later while resting safely at home, they received another message in a bottle-this time with The King's insignia. It was suggested that the message spoke of Terra, Aqua, and Ventus, and their unfinished story. After some thought, Sora came to the decision that he would again leave home to help fix everything connected to him, revealing a deeper maturity than he had yet displayed, but also returning to the warm innocence and generosity of his four-year-old self.
[ Personality ] :
The core of Sora's personality is defined almost entirely by his heart-he is warm, spirited, courageous, and utterly selfless, coming to the aid of friends and strangers alike who need it, and if required, at great personal risk. His default attitude comes with a silly, carefree optimism that is often infectious, giving him a charming edge and endearing him to most people he meets. He isn't the sharpest tool in the shed, with both he and Donald being regularly bested by Goofy in picking up hints and details, but his gut instincts rarely fail, so it's usually a mixture of good intentions and pure luck that keeps him moving ahead. His honesty and sincerity can surprise most people, as despite the backstabbing, cruelty, and general malice he has come into close and frequent contact with, he has never quite fully shaken the naïveté and childlike innocence that came with growing up on Destiny Islands. Unfortunately, this also makes him rather gullible, and he can easily fall prey to a villain with a plan, as evidenced by what occurred at Castle Oblivion.
That said, Sora isn't all fluff and sunshine, and he isn't an immature idiot by any stretch of the phrase. He carries a remarkably high level of empathy, always trying to help anyone who's feeling down or struggling with a problem and feeling terrible when he's unable to; this contributes highly positively to his ability to make new friends and gain others' trust quickly. He can be very serious, and his level of determination and willpower is incredible, making him the perfect leader in most situations, though this can sometimes reach a point where his stubborn streak becomes more unreasonable than admirable. As mentioned previously, his instincts are usually spot-on, which means he has the tendency to follow them and his heart without heed. This recklessness can expectedly lead him into trouble-such as when he used Riku's Keyblade to free Kairi's heart from himself with only a vague idea of the consequences-but it can also be a hugely valuable asset, especially in battle. He has a strong drive for adventure that he was likely born with and was only fueled by his childhood rivalry with Riku, and as a result, he enjoys the thrill and excitement of a good (and fair) fight, fortunately making him all the more suited for his role as the Keyblade Master.
But Sora does have other vices, ones that don't lead nearly as often to good things. He is often blinded by his perceptions of right and wrong, and may act on them before fully analyzing the situation. (When told by Yen Sid that Organization XIII was up to no good and that he should defeat them, he didn't make much of an effort to see their side of the story. He only begins to consider that Nobodies might not all be bad people after Axel's shocking sacrifice, and later when Riku informs him that Roxas is his Nobody.) He can have quite the short temper, getting easily frustrated when confused and even more easily angered when his friends or other innocent people are being threatened. He occasionally makes it very obvious that he's a teenage boy, by showing that he's not above snapping cutting remarks at his enemies ("You gonna cry?") or displaying bouts of rebellious sass ("Did you give him my message?" "Maybe.") at the odd moment. Though Sora is generally friendly to everyone he meets who isn't an obvious bad guy, there are cases when it's clear that he has a lot to learn when it comes to manners and respect, especially regarding people who are older or in positions of authority. (He did bow to the Emperor of China, to his credit, but one would guess he had to learn after he failed to do so for Yen Sid and received the smackdown from Donald.)
Perhaps the most important aspect of Sora's personality is one that has nothing to do with himself and everything to do with the people in his life. He has limitless energy and strong personal integrity, but it's all held together by his promises to others, by his powerful desire to 'fix' sadness, by his ideals of a universe where the strongest person is anyone who has a true friend. He continues to put himself at risk for the worlds not only because of his moral obligation as the Keyblade Master, but because he personally befriends the people he meets on these worlds, and he would go to any length required of him and further to keep his promises and protect them. To Sora, there is not a single thing in all the worlds and universes that is more important than your friends, and it is that simple fact that keeps him strong-even if he's got nothing more than a toy sword for a weapon.
[ Strengths/Weaknesses ] :
Sora wields the Keyblade, a large metal weapon shaped like a key that is used similar to a sword, but strikes rather than cuts. The Keyblade's main purpose is to seal and open barriers between worlds, as well as lock the Keyholes of worlds to protect their hearts. Its appearance and stats can be altered by changing the keychain attached to the end of the handle. He has the ability to cast magic, limited through a system of "magic points", but only with the Keyblade present; this includes defensive and restorative spells such as Aero and Cure, and offensive spells that are primarily element-based. He also has various other physical abilities, such as high jumping, gliding, and dodge rolling, which are for the most part derived from his Drive Forms (magical transformations that alter his stats and battle style).
Having only practiced sword-fighting with Riku at home, Sora didn't start out as the best candidate for the Keyblade Master, but experience and force of will has turned him into a formidable, near-unbeatable opponent who can accomplish otherwise impossible feats, such as taking down a larger-than-life Heartless when only able to wield the Keyblade with his mouth or tail as a lion cub, or defeating the God of the Underworld, Hades. He can be an extremely aggressive hitter and chain endless combinations, while being quick on his feet and able to dodge or counter most physical attacks. His greatest asset is likely his agility, as when he reaches his full potential, his abilities allow him to move so fast he becomes a blur, and it becomes possible to literally fly circles around the enemy.
One of his few weaknesses is most likely his small size, and relatedly, his defense. It isn't very difficult at all to knock him off his feet with an attack of so much as medium strength, as long as it manages to hit. Another obvious method of gaining the upper hand would be to disarm Sora, as he is virtually useless without the Keyblade (but even that would only give you a split second to move in before the Keyblade would magically appear in his hands again). One would probably have an easier time targeting him outside of direct battle, but it's also quite easy to frustrate him given the right circumstances, which may make him vulnerable to unexpected advances. Sora isn't so much a strategical fighter as he is an instinctual one, so a well-thought-out plan has a good chance of disorienting him long enough to give you the upper hand, especially given that he can also be incredibly predictable.
Mentally and emotionally, Sora is one of the toughest characters to break, as the reason he's able to wield the Keyblade in the first place is due to the sheer strength of his heart and resolve. However, it would likely be extremely easy to get to him by placing his friends in danger-potentially forcing him to act recklessly to save them-or by slowly gaining his trust and breaking it. A few fancy words can definitely travel a long way, especially if there are no allies present to protect him from being manipulated.
[ Other Important Facts ] :
- Sora is directly connected to at least four important characters: Ventus, whose heart is kept safe within his; Roxas, his Nobody; Naminé, Kairi's Nobody; and Xion, a replica created from his strongest memories.
- Sora was not originally a destined Keyblade Master, as hinted by Riku in Hollow Bastion. Riku had allowed Darkness into his heart, weakening it and sending the Keyblade to the next strongest heart, which happened to be Sora's.
- Sora's current outfit is a gift from the fairies of Sleeping Beauty, given shortly after he emerged from his restoration pod. It has the ability to alter his physical appearance for certain worlds and better enable him to blend into the environment. (Prior to this, it was Donald's magic that helped the three transform.)