Kingdom Hearts 3: All Worlds From The Game, Ranked

Highlights

• Fans eagerly awaited Kingdom Hearts 3 for its unique worlds, including Pixar additions, but not all lived up to expectations.
• Despite breathtaking visuals, some worlds like 100 Acre Wood fell short with repetitive gameplay and missed opportunities.
• San Fransokyo stood out as the best world, offering a vast, exploration-focused experience that elevated the experience.

Fans had to wait an awfully long time for Kingdom Hearts 3 to release. Besides the story and finding out how the battle between the Guardians of Light and the Seekers of Darkness would end, one of the things that fans had anticipated the most was getting to explore each of the worlds that the series’ third installment had to offer.

Most of the Disney worlds in this game were brand new to the franchise, with two of them even being from Pixar films, something that many fans had wanted for years. A couple of new original worlds were also introduced, with even more appearing from previous titles. However, not all the worlds visited by Sora and his friends in Kingdom Hearts 3 quite lived up to the series’ usual high standards.

Updated June 15, 2024, by Justin Flynn: Kingdom Hearts is home to a variety of remarkable worlds, and with most games in the series now available via Steam, an entirely new group of gamers can finally jump in and see what all the fuss is about. Kingdom Hearts 3 had some pretty big shoes to fill regarding the worlds that were included, and for the most part, it did an excellent job with the worlds that appeared. That said, some worlds in Kingdom Hearts 3 are arguably better than others for various reasons.

16 100 Acre Wood

A Charming World That Only Features Mini-Games

• Origin: The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977)
• Allies: N/A
• Bosses: N/A

Like with the other numbered titles in the series, Sora visits Pooh and his other friends at the 100 Acre Wood in Kingdom Hearts 3. In the other games, where they explored the world inside of Merlin’s book, players got to play unique mini-games that were different from each other, something that really helped to set the world apart from the more action-oriented ones.

With this in mind, many players were disappointed when the mini-games offered in the third installment all felt the same and weren’t anything like what they were used to. It is still great to see Sora reunite with his old friends, and their interaction had a meaningful message, but the gameplay could have been so much more than it was. It is because of this misstep that the 100 Acre Wood is commonly viewed as one of the worst worlds in Kingdom Hearts 3. That said, the world does feature a rather beautiful aesthetic, but that still doesn’t make up for the rest of its flaws.

15 Twilight Town

A Picturesque Town That Got A Serious Downgrade In Terms Of Size

• Origin: Original Creation
• Allies: N/A
• Bosses: Demon Tide

Twilight Town is usually one of the best worlds in the series, so it was really unfortunate that players could only explore a small section of it in Kingdom Hearts 3. Most of the world didn’t appear at all, and the places that were shown had changed drastically. This made some fans wonder why Square Enix even bothered to include the world in the game. It would arguably have been better if either the entire world was accessible or if a different one was made, especially since most of the plot surrounding Twilight Town could have taken place anywhere, as it felt mostly like filler.

Though it remains one of the most iconic original worlds in the series, its appearance in Kingdom Hearts 3 left much to be desired. That said, the world did receive an incredible upgrade in terms of visuals. Now, the town and the forest areas are simply breathtaking, and though the exploration aspect is a little limited, it’s hard not to enjoy how pretty the world has become. Unlike its appearance in previous titles, the town itself is now also jam-packed with NPCs, making it feel much more lived-in and real.

14 Dive To The Heart

A Breathtaking Area Full Imagery From Previous Entries

• Origin: Original Creation
• Allies: N/A
• Bosses: Darkside

Though Dive to the Heart wasn’t nearly as good as it was in other titles, it didn’t disappoint fans nearly as much as Twilight Town and the 100 Acre Wood. Players just spend even less time here than usual, before quickly moving on to Olympus.

The Dive to the Heart is usually placed at the beginning of a Kingdom Hearts game, and therefore, it usually acts as a tutorial. In Kingdom Hearts 3, it makes a second appearance during Sora’s visit to the Keyblade Graveyard, but it functions more like a cutscene than it ever has before. Fans may feel nostalgia during their first visit to this ethereal location, seeing images of moments from previous installments and being asked questions that impact their experience in the game, but besides that, there’s very little to actually do here.

13 Land Of Departure

An Iconic Location Condensed Down To A Single Room

• Origin: Original Creation
• Allies: N/A
• Bosses: Vanitas

The Land of Departure was introduced in Birth by Sleep as the home to Terra, Ventus, and Aqua. After their adventure, Aqua sealed Ventus in the castle and turned the whole world into Castle Oblivion in order to protect him from Xehanort. It’s an interesting premise, but one that is ruined somewhat by the latest installment.

In Kingdom Hearts 3, Aqua finally returns with Sora, Donald, and Goofy, ready to bring Ventus back. However, Vanitas is waiting for them, and players are required to fight him while controlling Aqua. Unfortunately, that’s all that they can really do here. The Land of Departure’s return was a monumental moment for longtime fans of the series, but its design is nothing special when compared to the other, more detailed KH3 worlds. That said, this version of the Land of Departure is easily the best it has ever looked; it’s just a shame that players don’t have more time to take it all in.

12 Dark World

A Hauntingly Beautiful Location That Features An Emotional Boss Fight

• Origin: Original Creation
• Allies: Mickey Mouse
• Bosses: Demon Tower & Anti-Aqua

Prior to Aqua returning home, she was stuck in the Dark World (also known as the Realm of Darkness) before being saved by Riku, Sora, and King Mickey. Riku and the king were searching for her before the game began but needed to leave after Riku’s Way to the Dawn Keyblade broke during his fight against a Demon Tower.

When they return, they finally find her, but they quickly learn that she has been corrupted by darkness after spending so much time in the Dark World. She fights Riku and King Mickey and almost defeats them until Sora arrives, bringing her back to the Realm of Light and ultimately saving her. While it’s hard to deny that the Dark World is one of the most visually stunning locations in Kingdom Hearts 3, there isn’t really much else to write home about. Essentially, this world is just a circular boss arena, which is a shame considering how much of it could be explored in 0.2: Birth by Sleep – A Fragmentary Passage. An additional room or two would have really done wonders for this world.

11 Arendelle

A Visually Stunning World That Requires A Lot Of Backtracking

• Origin: Frozen (2013)
• Allies: Marshmallow
• Bosses: Marshmallow & Skoll

As popular as Frozen is, most players did not enjoy their experience of it in Kingdom Hearts 3. A lot of the content from the movie was removed and replaced by a large, open area that players could very easily get lost in. And get lost they will, unless they’re incredibly careful.

That said, the Labyrinth of Ice that Larxene creates shortly after Sora’s arrival is arguably the most straightforward location in the world. Even without a map, players will rarely get lost while wandering its halls, which is strange considering Larxene’s reasoning for summoning it. While Arendelle is one of the most breathtaking KH3 worlds available, the world’s layout is unnecessarily complicated and can become a bit tiresome after a few hours of exploration.

10 Toy Box

A Charming World That Is Somewhat Lacking In Fun Environments

• Origin: Toy Story (1995)
• Allies: Buzz & Woody
• Bosses: Angelic Amber & King of Toys

Fans had been waiting a long time for Pixar worlds to appear in a Kingdom Hearts game, and then two of them appeared in the series’ third installment. Unfortunately, the Toy Box world wasn’t quite what players had been hoping for.

As every Toy Story movie has a different setting, there were a lot of possibilities when it came to where exactly Sora, Donald, and Goofy could have gone. For them to end up at an original location that wasn’t nearly as fun as places like Al’s Toy Barn and Sunnyside Daycare was a little disappointing. Though the world itself may feel a little hollow at points, it is hard to ignore the amount of work that went into creating the environments. If it featured a slightly more gripping story, perhaps the Toy Box could have been one of KH3‘s best worlds.

9 The Final World

A Beautiful World That Harbors Dark Undertones

• Origin: Original Creation
• Allies: N/A
• Bosses: The Lich

The Final World is one of the most harrowingly beautiful worlds in the entire Kingdom Hearts series. After being bested by the Seekers of Darkness, Sora wakes up in this picturesque world and learns that he is on the brink of death. Since he’s in a Kingdom Hearts game, however, he is able to remedy this by collecting the pieces of himself that can be seen wandering around. Upon regaining his body, he is given a chance to save his friends by defeating the Lich who stole their hearts.

Though there isn’t much to do in The Final World aside from fighting the same boss a few times and running through a large number of Sora clones, it’s hard not to enjoy what the world symbolizes. It serves as a unique version of the afterlife, a topic that was rarely mentioned before Kingdom Hearts 3. On top of that, it truly is one of the most breathtaking worlds in the game, even though it can feel somewhat unsettling when interacting with all the Nameless Stars.

8 Quadratum

A Boss Arena That Features Some Impressive Visuals

• Origin: Original Creation
• Allies: N/A
• Bosses: Yozora

Once Kingdom Hearts 3‘s credits have finished rolling, players are rewarded with a brief scene documenting the aftermath of Sora’s journey. Instead of making it home to Destiny Island, Sora ended up in a fictional city called Quadratum.

Aside from its likeness to Shibuya, there was very little known about the significance of this world. When Kingdom Hearts 3: Re Mind released, however, this changed. Quadratum is used as a battle arena during the climax of Re Mind, and though Sora is unable to explore the city itself, it is clear a great deal of work went into sculpting it. In the Kingdom Hearts 4 trailer, Strelitzia informs Sora that, for them, Quadratum acts as an afterlife. If the trailer is to be believed, it seems players will finally get the chance to explore this mysterious city when Kingdom Hearts 4 eventually releases.

7 Olympus

A Massive World That Encourages Exploration

• Origin: Hercules (1997)
• Allies: Hercules
• Bosses: Rock Troll, Rock Titan, Ice Titan, Fire Titan, & Wind Titan

Olympus has appeared in many games throughout the Kingdom Hearts series, but not all of its areas were shown. In Kingdom Hearts 3, players can explore several new and interesting locations, including Thebes and the Realm of the Gods. For all of the new additions, however, there was one huge omission that completely changed the world.

Many players were left a little disappointed by Olympus, as there weren’t any tournaments for them to fight in like there were in the original game and Kingdom Hearts 2. These tournaments gave players a reason to return to the world and provided a lot of great challenges and so are greatly missed in Kingdom Hearts 3. Tournaments aside, Olympus is a staggeringly beautiful world. It features three distinct areas, and exploring each of them is a reward in itself. On top of that, this world is also home to some incredibly memorable boss fights, with the first Rock Titan first being one of the most striking.

6 Scala Ad Caelum

A Gorgeous Town That Became Explorable In The Re Mind DLC

• Origin: Original Creation
• Allies: Kairi
• Bosses: Darkside, Replica Xehanorts, & Xehanort

Scala ad Caelum is the world that Eraqus and Xehanort lived in when they were younger, and it serves as the area where the final battles of Kingdom Hearts 3 take place. It’s wonderfully designed and looks like something straight out of the future, making it the perfect setting for the game’s conclusion.

In the base version of the game, players are only really able to fight the Dark Seeker at Scala Ad Caelum, a battle that is a little disappointing compared to the final bosses in the first game and Kingdom Hearts 2. Luckily, players are able to fully explore this fantastic world if they pick up the Re Mind DLC. Not only does Re Mind permit players to explore this delightful town, but it also allows them to fight some of the hardest bosses in the Kingdom Hearts series.

5 Monstropolis

A Fully Realized World That Perfectly Blends The Stories From The Movie And The Game

• Origin: Monsters, Inc (2001)
• Allies: Mike & Sulley
• Bosses: Lump of Horror

The second world based on a Pixar movie that Sora and his friends get to visit in Kingdom Hearts 3 is Monstropolis. Here, they turn into monsters and meet Mike, Sulley, and Boo. The storyline serves as a sequel of sorts to Monsters, Inc., with Randall attempting to get his revenge on Mike and Sulley.

As Sora, Donald, and Goofy help their new friends out, they battle against the unversed, creatures that seemed to have all been defeated in Birth by Sleep. One of the best things about the Disney worlds in Kingdom Hearts is how their stories can be used to improve the overall narrative of the game, and Monstropolis is a great example of this. In a world that relies on negative emotions as a source of power, it made perfect sense for Vanitas, a being who also relies heavily on negative emotions, to make his comeback here.

4 The Keyblade Graveyard

An Unsettling World Full Of Challenging Boss Fights And Iconic Moments

• Origin: Kingdom Hearts 2: Final Mix (2007)
• Allies: Mickey Mouse, Riku, Aqua, Ventus, Kairi, Lea, Roxas, & Xion
• Bosses: Demon Tide, Ansem, Young Riku, Xigbar, Marluxia, Larxene, Luxord, Vanitas, Terra-Xehanort, Saix, Xion, Xemnas, & Young Xehanort

The Keyblade Graveyard is where most of the game’s ending takes place. When the Guardians of Light are brought together, they are ready to defeat the Seekers of Darkness once and for all. After fighting hundreds of heartless when they first arrive there, the group splits up, taking on different Seekers, with only Sora fighting them all.

Though the bosses are fun, what makes this world really special is the story surrounding it. Players had waited years for characters such as Roxas, Xion, and Terra to return, and to finally see it happen was a special moment indeed. Seeing some of the Organization’s members for the last time was also quite emotional, though one or two will no doubt return in future games. Aside from boss fights, the design of The Keyblade Graveyard is also quite captivating, embracing a rather daunting aesthetic that is sure to leave players on edge as their make their way through the boss gauntlet.

3 Kingdom Of Corona

A Beautiful Forest Kingdom Full Of Sweet Moments And Touching Interactions

• Origin: Tangled (2010)
• Allies: Eugene & Rapunzel
• Bosses: Chaos Carriage & Grim Guardianess

The Kingdom of Corona is arguably the most tranquil Kingdom Hearts 3 world. Sora’s quest to reclaim the Power of Waking brought him here, and though he does plan to search for it, he prioritizes exploring the fairytale kingdom above all else, mainly because of how beautiful it is.

The world is generally very accurate to the movie, although there are a few minor exceptions. The biggest of these are perhaps Sora, Donald, and Goofy joining Eugene and Rapunzel or Marluxia teaming up with Mother Gothel in place of the Stabbington brothers. Still, the world is an absolute blast to explore because of how visually stunning it is. Since it’s also quite vast, players will be kept quite busy if they are planning to locate all the hidden collectibles scattered throughout.

2 The Caribbean

A Vast World That Lets Players Explore The Ocean And Get Lost In A Harbor

• Origin: Pirates of the Caribbean (2003)
• Allies: Jack Sparrow
• Bosses: Raging Vulture, Lightning Angler, Luxord’s Ship, & Davy Jones

Out of all of the Disney worlds to appear in Kingdom Hearts 3, The Caribbean was perhaps the least expected. Previously known as Port Royal in Kingdom Hearts 2, this world is, of course, based on the Pirates of the Caribbean movies and offers a very good representation.

When Sora, Donald, and Goofy become pirates again, they reunite with Jack Sparrow and his companions before learning of Davy Jones and his plot against the world. Not only is this world incredibly fun to play in, but it is also one of the vastest KH3 worlds available. It features a baffling amount of optional content for players to pursue, and on top of that, the visuals are genuinely next level.

1 San Fransokyo

A Staggeringly Large City In Which Exploration Is Encouraged

• Origin: Big Hero 6 (2014)
• Allies: Baymax
• Bosses: Iron Troll, Catastrachorus, Darkubes, & Dark Baymax

Most people consider the best world in Kingdom Hearts 3 to be San Fransokyo, the city that serves as the setting of Big Hero 6. Like Monstropolis, this world serves as a sequel to the movie, with the first Baymax getting corrupted and Sora, Donald, and Goofy having to team up with the superhero team to both stop and save him.

Throughout the years, there have been Kingdom Hearts worlds with cities in them, but this is the first one that actually feels like it could be a real city rather than just a few tall buildings. Worlds like these show how great Kingdom Hearts‘ level design has become and are a promising sign for the future of the series.