The Kingdom Hearts video game series has dazzled its audience with incredibly moving music throughout the past 20 years.
Composer Yoko Shimomura embellishes each game’s epic adventures with a wonderful sound, from the tranquil splendor of “Dearly Beloved” to the thrashing “Rage Awakened.”
With that being said, this list is meant to acknowledge the best of the best in the series.
At the same time, however, this only scratches the surface in terms of all the great music this game has brought into the world so if your favorite is missing from this very limited compilation, feel free to share it in the comment section!
- Rage Awakened (from Kingdom Hearts 2)
“Rage Awakened” can be summed up in one word: epic.
The stakes are upped during the boss battle with the enigmatic soldier, and the music intensifies with a rocking soundtrack.
The booming percussion in this song symbolizes the soldier’s power as he repeatedly strikes you down while the strings in it tell of the soldier’s tragic background.
- Dearly Beloved (from Kingdom Hearts 2)
A memorable main menu theme is essential to any great JRPG, and Kingdom Hearts excels at providing it.
The epic poem that has followed Sora’s journey all this time is called “Dearly Beloved.”
In fact, each series title has a different variation on the iconic piano-led tune, demonstrating how versatile it really is.
But perhaps the rendition of “Dearly Beloved” from Kingdom Hearts 2 stands out more than all the others.
At the top of the song, there is an amazing held string part, and the opening is elevated by a beautiful harp. Then the piano begins to play, accompanied by sweeping strings that pull at the heartstrings.
The primary piano theme, which echoes the adventurous nature of the game, is gloomy and surrounded by a variety of other tones.
- Edge of Existence (from Kingdom Hearts 3)
This composition by Yoko Shimomura heightens the tension of Kingdom Hearts 3’s plot in the enigmatic new realm of Scala ad Caelum.
This last level can be explored to a piece of epic music that combines brass, violins, and percussion.
The mystique of this long-forgotten area is further enhanced by a lovely piano playing that deviates from the main theme for a brief period of time.
- Scherzo Di Notte (from Kingdom Hearts)
There is a period of ambiguity when Sora arrives in Hollow Bastion. He loses his keyblade, his companions, and nearly all of his optimism.
He nonetheless continues on his way while being followed by The Beast.
With a powerful marching drum beat and instrumentals in the backdrop, “Scherzo Di Notte” pushes the character’s bold spirit forward.
The brass provides such wavering melodies straying away and indicating Sora’s troubles, to the upward and forward moving song. It’s an epic work that is perfect for a late game setting like Hollow Bastion.
- Vector to the Heavens (from Kingdom Hearts 3 Re Mind/ Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days)
Two close friends are ripped apart by fate in Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, and the heartbreaking song “Vector to the Heavens” serves as both a combat theme and a character theme.
The gorgeous Xion’s theme is infused with drama by the strings and secondary piano.
It also incorporates the main theme of “Dearly Beloved” from Kingdom Hearts, as Xion chooses to go back to Sora because of their strong bond.
A rocking guitar and a heavy percussion beat can be heard in the Kingdom Hearts 3 Re Mind version, which adopts a completely new style. Both are effective and suit each game.