Published Aug 17, 2026, 5:56 AM EDT
Known as 'Cyberpunk 2077's' biggest fan, Angharad is a Welsh games writer who thrives in anything related to digital storytelling. If a video game explores the intricacies and horrors of womanhood, she is there.
Thanks to previous work at GAMINGbible, GameByte, The Loadout, Game Luster, Angharad has built a strong understanding of both the digital world and what fans want from it and is eager to share her thoughts and expertise with readers.
Today we awoke to the heartbreaking news that Kingdom Hearts actress Hayden Panettiere had passed away at the age of 36. Best known for being the English voice actor of Kairi from 2002's Kingdom Hearts to 2010's Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, Panettiere is remembered fondly, bringing warmth and humanity to the role that is still remembered many years later.
Born in 1989 and becoming a child star, Panettiere racked up a number of iconic roles over her career, ranging from Bring It On, Heroes, and Nashville to name but a few. However, the actress was also a celebrated voice actor, lending her talent to many of the biggest franchises, with the most notable entries being Kairi in Kingdom Hearts, Xion in Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance, and more recently, Sam in Until Dawn.
With an investigation into Panettiere's death now underway, fans are left shocked and heartbroken and have taken to r/KingdomHearts to share their condolences, with one user posting, "This one hurts. So young. RIP Hayden Panettiere, our original Kairi."
"I read it’s like five days away from her birthday too?" One user asked. "And she dealt with a lot of depression, addictions and bad stuff as a child actor, and her brother died three years ago, which was really hard on her. She went through a lot and, for how young she was, it’s even more terrible." Another added, "I'm gonna hold off on my KH1 replay. That ending where Sora and Kairi reach out to each other, and she says, "I know you will," and Simple and Clean plays after will just get me sobbing like a baby. RIP Hayden, and thank you for being part of my childhood."
With the Kingdom Hearts community celebrating in recent weeks thanks to the news that Kingdom Hearts IV will launch in late 2027 for the Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, the announcement of Panettiere's death is even more heartbreaking.
"Man, I was contemplating picking up the KH games again in anticipation of KH4," another user shared. "Now going to pick up and do some tribute runs. Wishing her the best wherever she is now."
For another fan, it is the iconic monologue by Kairi that is helping them mourn Panettiere's death. "Thinking of you, wherever you are. We pray for our sorrows to end, and hope that our hearts will blend. Now I will step forward to realize this wish. And who knows: starting a new journey may not be so hard, or maybe it has already begun. There are many worlds, but they share the same sky — one sky, one destiny."
Released September 17, 2002
ESRB E for Everyone: Violence
Developer(s) Square Enix
Publisher(s) Square Enix
Engine Unreal Engine 4
Cross-Platform Play android, ios
Cross Save yes
Steam Deck Compatibility yes
English (US) ·