Disney just greenlit a Kingdom Hearts anime for Disney Channel and Disney+. The company’s D23 post calls it the first original TV series from the game franchise. The working title is simply Kingdom Hearts. However, Disney did not name a premiere date.
What the Kingdom Hearts anime actually is
This is not a scene-for-scene remake of the games. Instead, Disney says the series reimagines the adventure with a brand-new story. Specifically, it will expand the Kingdom Hearts universe while celebrating the characters fans already know. The official key art shows a Keyblade wielder from behind. Disney has not named that character.
The news dropped at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event. Meanwhile, Disney’s tweet puts the teaser on Disney Channel and Disney+ together. The corporate post then slots the show next to other Disney+ originals such as Dragon Striker, the returning Phineas and Ferb, and upcoming titles like Warrior Cats. Ayo Davis, president of Disney Kids & Family, framed it as a kids-and-families series with magic, wonder, adventure, and heart.
Tetsuya Nomura followed the reveal on the official Kingdom Hearts account. He said the scenario team is already in close talks, and that the art team drew several new character designs for this project. His only hint is the single piece of key art Disney showed. “Please let your imaginations run wild,” he wrote, while asking fans to wait for more.
Who is making it
Disney developed the series with Nomura, the director and character designer behind the games, and with Square Enix’s creative team. “There’s something really exciting about taking a world fans have spent years exploring through the games and bringing it to life in a completely new way.” Davis also said the team is working closely with Nomura so the show stays unmistakably Kingdom Hearts.
Still, Disney has not named a studio, episode count, rating, or voice cast. It also has not said whether Sora is the lead. Square Enix remains the other half of this franchise. TMM already covered the publisher’s next HD-2D game, Final Fantasy Resonance, and the multiplatform Final Fantasy VII Revelation reveal. Besides those game sequels, TMM’s last anime-theater note was the Ninja Scroll 4K run.
Kingdom Hearts IV now has a window
The same D23 weekend locked a game date that the anime post left out. The official Kingdom Hearts account says Kingdom Hearts IV arrives in late 2027. Wish lists are live on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series, Steam, and the Epic Games Store. In comparison, Disney’s TV post still stops at “coming soon” for the show.
