The 100 Greatest Kingdom Hearts Scenes (100-91)

[InnerLight13 26]

After taking a break from the Kingdom Hearts series for a few months, I decided I wanted to piece together a summer project that I can share with the world. This is that project. I will be counting down the 100 greatest scenes in the series’ history. Ten scenes will be revealed at a time, so this will run for a few days. No text box cutscenes or opening cinematics are included in this list. Each of the scenes is listed under their “Theater Mode” title. I hope you enjoy the countdown, and I hope it can spark some hearty discussion.

 

100. “Darkness Takes Over” (Birth by Sleep)

Master Xehanort gets a twisted emotional victory when his monstrous threats and taunts directed at Terra become too much for the young warrior to bear. Memories of his master, Eraqus, only add a tragic dose of fuel to the fire. And as the scene ends, the most earth-shattering, primal scream transforms Terra from a perceived dunce to the series’ most scarred victim.

99. “The Longest Day” (358/2 Days)

Salty and sweet, indeed. The inevitable fracture of the Days  trio, which crashes down on the main characters with seemingly every scene in the game’s latter half, comes to a head right here. Axel knows more than he wants to know, while his young Keyblade-bearing friends struggle with their existences. At the end of the day, not even a properly contextualized helioseismology lesson can keep Roxas from unknowingly striking a negative chord.

98. “Opposing Goals” (Kingdom Hearts III)

Set on the night before the fateful battle, a pair of old friends discuss days gone by on the Twilight Town clock tower. In opposition to their usual roles, Lea plays the bitter curmudgeon to Isa’s lax pacifist. The old friends are given a moment to have their immense chemistry on display, a truly earned interaction after mostly just hearing about their history. It’s a powerful dramedy hiding in the vast final chapter of Kingdom Hearts III.

97. “See You in Shibuya” (Dream Drop Distance)

Here we see a surprisingly tender farewell to the lovable cast of The World Ends With You. Their inclusion in Dream Drop Distance’s narrative is strange at face value, but the way they turn onto Sora’s personality is organic and heartfelt in equal part. Not to mention, the potential for this invitation to be honored adds some needed intrigue to the Secret Ending of the series’ third main installment.

96. “Why Do You Hate the Darkness?” (Kingdom Hearts II)

This is some classic “light, darkness and everything else” mumbo jumbo on everyone’s part as the gang finally reaches the Altar of Naught. Riku easily steals the show in his simple body check of Xemnas’ flawed eleventh hour attempt at justification. Dare not get distracted by the response the silver-haired hero receives; his honorable defense of the worlds is unmatched.

95. “To Make a Heart” (Kingdom Hearts)

Even amongst the well-intentioned characters in this series, the heart is not completely understood. In fact, the failed Frankenstein-esque experiment carried out by Halloween Town’s mad doctor (in a delightfully annoyed turn of crankiness) serves as an allegorical showcase for one of the series’ major themes. Essentially, a strong heart’s ingredients sprout under the warm conditions of human interaction, not cold science.

94. “The Clash” (Back Cover)

Rarely is free will rewarded in Kingdom Hearts. Aced, the rogue member of the Foretellers, fights for the savior of the world, but still manages to find himself facing three of his fellow Keyblade Masters in combat by scene’s end. On display here is a masterclass of cinematic intensity. A worthy use of “Night of Fate,” brilliant voice acting performances and the most impressive animation the series has seen thus far contribute to a massively thrilling atmosphere. Even still, a thematic look at five petals separating in a nearby body of water serves as the emotional crux of the drama.

93. “Number XIV” (358/2 Days)

Is there any more empty feeling than knowing you’re completely and utterly replaceable? Roxas is a member in the Organization for not yet ten days when Xion is introduced at Where Nothing Gathers, signaling a subtle pressure to perform well in the convoluted schemes of his superiors. Points for being one of the only scenes in which every single member of the original Organization XIII is present at one time. It must really be a momentous day.

92. “A Corridor of Light” (Kingdom Hearts III)

The road to the Keyblade War is paved with the power of a sorcerer with some stunning Old Testament abilities. Master Yen Sid’s moment to shine was a long time coming, and there was perhaps no better time to make the move than this show stealing shocker. The Keyblade War veterans obviously weren’t the only lights from the past that Eraqus predicted would want to get in on the heroics.

91. “Advice for a Hero” (Birth by Sleep)

“Charm” is a word that is brought up often in reference to this series and its characters, and nowhere is that aspect more on display than in this adorable scene between Aqua and the wacky Zack Fair. Aqua is creepily ogled by both Hades and Phil in Birth by Sleep’s version of Olympus Coliseum, so seeing Zack so happily asking her for a single, modest date is a pleasant surprise. The result? The bluebird turns cardinal as she tries to shield her uncharacteristic embarrassment.

 

To 90-81: https://www.kh13.com/forums/topic/121583-the-100-greatest-kingdom-hearts-scenes-90-81/

Edited September 4, 2019 by InnerLight13