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But tragedy is what Kingdom Hearts needed most if a post- KH II narrative were to thrive.Ī common criticism lobbed at prequels as a structure is the notion that the audience already has an idea of what’s to come. At the time of its release, there were no other games to ensure audiences that BbS’ three leads– Terra, Ventus, and Aqua– were going to be alright following the prequels downer of an ending. Roxas’ depressing arc in the former game at the very least tied into Kingdom Hearts II, a story where he ultimately comes to terms with his fate. Although 358/2 Days had already set a precedent for sad storytelling in the series, Birth by Sleep embraced its tragic qualities on a more extreme scale. Set a decade prior to the events of the first game, Birth by Sleep recontextualizes Kingdom Hearts’ history through tragedy.

Before Sora ever left Destiny Islands and Xehanort adopted the name “Ansem,” three young Keyblade wielders retroactively kickstarted a saga that would take nearly two decades to tell in full. Where Days chronicled the events directly leading into the beginning of Kingdom Hearts II and Re:codedexplicitly tied itself to the ending, Birth by Sleep sought to look further back into the series’ history. Moving forward, Kingdom Hearts would have to establish new ground, and the franchise would do this with three games: 358/2 Days, Birth by Sleep, and Re:coded. Following Kingdom Hearts II, where else was there to go? The sky’s the limit, of course, but it’s hard to deny the sense of finality at play during KH II’s second half.

Obviously, this wasn’t the case, but that in itself was something of a problem. Sora, Riku, and Kairi reading Mickey’s letter at the end of KH II– along with the secret ending ‘The Gathering’– promise more, but Kingdom Hearts would have at least ended in a satisfying way had the series for whatever reason concluded with II. Sora is reunited with his friends back home, Donald & Goofy have found King Mickey, and both Ansem, Seeker of Darkness & Xemnas have been stopped, seemingly ending all current major conflicts. Kingdom Hearts I, Chain of Memories, and Kingdom Hearts II form a very cohesive trilogy, one where just about every major thread is resolved by the conclusion of II, leaving little room for a game like Birth by Sleep. Had Kingdom Hearts ended with the release of Kingdom Hearts II in 2005, the franchise naturally wouldn’t be as discussed as it is today but the story would have wrapped itself up rather neatly nonetheless.