Sora
The main protagonist in the Kingdom Hearts series and the wielder of the legendary Keyblade. While sometimes quick to anger, Sora can be very competitive and often starts fights for the sheer challenge of it. Maybe it is an attempt to prove to others, or himself, that he is truly worthy of the Keyblade? While he may appear a bit daft on the outside, Sora is very genuine and a constant defender of justice. His two best friends are Riku and Kairi, however Sora begins this story traveling with Donald and Goofy in search of Riku and King Mickey after the events that unfolded in the previous Kingdom Hearts game. Along with Jiminy Cricket, the four of them are led by a mysteriously cloaked man to Castle Oblivion, which begins the story of Chain of Memories.
Riku
Riku is Sora’s best friend along with Kairi, and the three once lived on Destiny Islands peacefully, until the events of the original Kingdom Hearts fractured the trio’s natural friendship. Being skilled Keyblade wielders and on their way to becoming masters, Riku and Sora were constantly trying to outdo one another, oftentimes leading to some intense conflicts. After Riku’s choice to apprentice under Maleficent in the previous title, darkness has followed him ever since, making it increasingly difficult to stay on the side of Light. Even though Riku played with darkness and was fooled by Ansem regarding the promise of unlimited dark strength, Riku rejected the darkness. He and King Mickey sacrificed themselves to close the door to Kingdom Hearts. Riku begins his story of Reverse/Rebirth as a warrior of darkness, now fighting for the side of Light, floating in the darkness that he and King Mickey were locked in. Riku is intent on getting back to his friends to mend the pain he caused.
King Mickey
Usually called simply, “Your Highness”, King Mickey is the ruler of Disney Castle. King Mickey, Donald Duck, and Goofy are the three main recurring Disney characters in the Kingdom Hearts series. Mickey is also a Keyblade wielder, and was personally chosen to rule the realm of Darkness. Seems odd, since he has always had a warm smile and a lighthearted chuckle. King Mickey is incredibly powerful however, wielding a strength that few come close to achieving. King Mickey is the voice of wisdom and always knows what to do, bringing a calming presence to the group. King Mickey used to be the biggest advocate of extinguishing all darkness, although through his time with Riku, he has come to realize that the light and dark have a symbiotic relationship—one side cannot survive without the other. King Mickey supports Riku in battle as a Friend Card, and fires powerful energy balls at multiple enemies while back to back with Riku.
Donald Duck
Even in his classic sailor suit and hat, Donald Duck is moody, bad tempered, and easily angered. Donald is also surprisingly brave and loyal. He never backs down from a fight regardless of the size, especially when a friend of his is in danger. Donald Duck is the court wizard of Disney Castle and one of the main recurring Disney characters. He travels with Sora, Goofy, and Jiminy Cricket, looking for King Mickey when a strange man in a dark cloak led them to Castle Oblivion. Let’s hope he can calm himself down and let his powerful mage staff do the talking. Donald does not fight as a constant companion unfortunately, but can be summoned to help Sora in battle as a Friend Card. Donald can attack with powerful magic, or heal Sora in the heat of battle.
Goofy
It seems odd that Goofy, with his peaceful and simple-minded temperament, would be the Captain of Disney Castle’s Royal Knights. Goofy is quite prone to injury and accident, and does personal harm to himself and others many times a day. But that is not why he chooses to carry a shield instead of a weapon, although that would be a wise decree from the King. No, Goofy does not carry a weapon because he does not like violence. As the game begins, starting with Sora’s Story, Goofy is traveling with Sora and the gang to find King Mickey and Riku. He helps Sora in battle as a Friend Card, and when called in for assistance, he twirls around and pummels any foe near Sora with his shield.
Jiminy Cricket
Jiminy has taken a bit of a break from being Pinocchio’s conscience, and for good reason since the wooden boy is stuck in a whale and is a bit of a compulsive liar. Jiminy is another recurring Disney character straight from Disney Castle, on leave from his royal record-keeping duties to travel with Sora, Goofy, and Donald Duck to find King Mickey and Riku. Jiminy is older and wiser than most of the other characters, and remains the voice of reason. He ultimately keeps the group (especially Sora) on the straight and narrow. The cricket can’t help but counsel others—he is an official conscience after all. Jiminy records journal entries in the game, which act as a hub for descriptions and information. Just don’t offend the Master Cricket by calling his journal a diary.
Kairi
While Kairi plays an incredibly small part in this entry of the series, it would be a crime not to mention her here. Kairi is one of the three original main characters with Sora and Riku and is the original persona of Naminé. A chilling turn of events left her home world, Destiny Islands, devastated by an unknown evil. Kairi fell into despair, causing her heart to disappear. Oddly enough, it then reappears within Sora, as hearts are often wont to do. Soon after, Kairi is taken captive by Heartless and led away. Sora and Riku set out to find her, when Sora runs into a bit of trouble after being turned into a Heartless. It was an incredible coincidence, however, that Kairi was in fact a princess. Not just any random princess, but one with the power to unlock the secret Keyhole within Sora. Furthermore, Sora was restored to his usual self, with an addition of a heart. Sora and Riku successfully saved Kairi, who now awaits her friends’ return back on Destiny Islands.