'Kingdom Hearts' Is Officially Getting a TV Series

1 week ago 13

Published Aug 14, 2026, 11:06 PM EDT

Hannah has been writing about horror, sci-fi, and all things nerdy since 2021. At Collider, she covers news and conducts interviews, along with contributing features that dive deep into genre storytelling and why it works. If there’s something lurking in the shadows, she’s probably already writing about it if she's not too busy watching a tape from her VHS collection.

For more than two decades, Kingdom Hearts has occupied one of the strangest and most beloved corners of the Disney universe, and in all of gaming. The Square Enix franchise brought Disney characters together with the worlds and characters of Final Fantasy, eventually building a mythology that spans numerous games, platforms, timelines, and realities. At the center of it all is Sora, whose adventures alongside Donald and Goofy have taken him through worlds inspired by everything from Aladdin and The Little Mermaid to Pirates of the Caribbean, Toy Story, and Frozen. The franchise has grown considerably since the original Kingdom Hearts arrived in 2002, with Kingdom Hearts 4 currently set to begin another major chapter in Sora's story.

Despite that success, Kingdom Hearts has remained almost entirely tied to video games. The franchise has expanded through manga, novels, and other media over the years, but Sora's story has never made the jump to an original television series. More than 20 years after players first picked up the Keyblade, that's finally about to change.

The ‘Kingdom Hearts’ TV Series Will Tell a Brand-New Story

Disney officially announced at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event that a Kingdom Hearts anime series has been greenlit for Disney Channel and Disney+. Currently operating under the working title Kingdom Hearts, the series is being developed in partnership with franchise creator Tetsuya Nomura and the creative team at Square Enix. Importantly, the anime will not simply retell the story of the games. Disney says the series will feature a brand-new story that expands the existing Kingdom Hearts universe, while reimagining its iconic adventure and celebrating the characters fans already know.

"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," Disney Kids & Family president Ayo Davis said in a statement. Davis also promised that working closely with Nomura will ensure the series remains "unmistakably Kingdom Hearts." The announcement represents one of the franchise's biggest expansions since its creation. Nomura's involvement should also be particularly encouraging for longtime fans, especially with the anime telling an original story that could potentially introduce new characters, worlds, or mythology alongside familiar faces.

Disney has not yet announced a premiere date, voice cast, or additional creative team for the Kingdom Hearts anime. The series will eventually premiere on Disney Channel and Disney+. Stay tuned with Collider for future D23 updates throughout the weekend.