Kingdom Hearts: An Original Animated Series Announced for Disney+ and Disney Channel

Kingdom Hearts is set for its first official foray into a TV series. Disney has greenlit an original animated series aimed at Disney Channel and Disney+. With a provisional title, the project currently has no air date.

The announcement came at the D23 convention. The series is being developed in collaboration with Tetsuya Nomura, the franchise’s creator, and the creative teams at Square Enix. Their involvement is meant to safeguard the identity of a universe built over more than twenty years, bringing Disney’s characters into dialogue with the conventions of Japanese role-playing games.

An Original Tale, Not Just a Video-Game Adaptation

The series won’t directly pick up the storyline from the first game or from any specific installment. Disney says it’s an all-new adventure, crafted to expand the Kingdom Hearts universe while bringing back familiar faces. Their identities, however, have not yet been revealed.

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Since the release of the first game in 2002, the franchise has centered on Sora, a young Keyblade bearer who travels through worlds inspired by Disney films. Joined by Donald Duck and Goofy, he contends with the forces of darkness in a narrative that blends original characters, beloved Disney icons, and heroes from Square Enix productions. Whether Sora or his companions will appear in the series remains to be seen.

The Kingdom Hearts franchise gears up for its 25th anniversary

This first TV series lands as Kingdom Hearts gears up to celebrate its 25th anniversary in March 2027. According to Square Enix, the various installments and reissues of the franchise had shipped and sold over 39 million copies worldwide by the end of March 2026.

The project marks a new milestone for a saga that has until now been developed primarily through video games. Disney has not yet announced which studio will handle animation, how many episodes there will be, the voice cast, or early plot details. The release date for Kingdom Hearts on Disney Channel and Disney+ will be revealed at a later time.

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