Kingdom Hearts: What's the Difference Between Heartless and…

The Kingdom Hearts series has become one of gaming’s defining action-RPG franchises, and it's not hard to see why. Beginning on the PlayStation 2 in 2002, Kingdom Hearts immediately caught people's attention with its combination of Square, later Square Enix, and Disney properties. Nothing else in gaming was like it at the time, and even though crossovers have become more common in games since, the wholesale mashup of Square Enix and Disney settings into something new hasn't been replicated. With over ten titles to its name and more on the way, Kingdom Hearts and its unique identity seem here to stay.

A collage of some of the most notoriously powerful Nobodies in the Kingdom Hearts Series: Roxas, Xemnas and Saix.

Kingdom Hearts: 10 Most Powerful Nobodies In The Series, Ranked

The Heartless may be the most well-known enemies in Kingdom Hearts, the Nobodies are some of Sora's most powerful opponents.

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By Julián Jorge Fernández Loyarte

Heartless And Nobodies Are Names To Know In Kingdom Hearts

Many gamers, even those outside of the Kingdom Hearts fandom, are likely familiar with the impish Shadows that make up the bulk of the Heartless forces, and others have heard of the Nobodies’ similarly iconic Organization XIII. While the main antagonists vary between entries, Heartless and Nobodies are the first and second most commonly enemy factions in Kingdom Hearts, even though rank-and-file Nobodies aren't introduced until Kingdom Hearts 2. Despite their similarly prominent villain status and their intertwined legacies, however, Heartless and Nobodies aren't exactly allies.

What Kingdom Hearts' Heartless And Nobodies Really Are

Heartless and Nobodies are essentially the two parts that make up a whole person in Kingdom Hearts. Heartless are what remains of a heart that has fallen to darkness, while Nobodies are what become of the remaining body and soul, slipping into a “twilight” that's outside the light and dark’s purview. Nobodies are still intelligent and able to benefit from Final Fantasy-esque classes as well as better organization, while the Heartless make up for their feral nature with sheer numbers and some impressively powerful high-end members. Both can collaborate under a strong-willed leader, but these are two very different forces springing from the same place.

Breaking Down What Separates Kingdom Hearts' Heartless And Nobodies

Kingdom Hearts Explores Heartless’ Darkness And Nobodies' Nothingness In Different Ways

All the Heartless in Kingdom Hearts can be divided into the naturally occurring Pureblood Heartless, which includes the aforementioned Shadows and much stronger entities like Invisibles, and Emblem Heartless, which are manufactured by a machine built by Ansem the Wise and his apprentices. Emblem Heartless tend to lie between the weakest and the strongest Pureblood Heartless, while the Nobodies scale their power by their old self’s strength of will while they were whole. The Nobody leadership are the visibly human members of Organization XIII, although the Emblem Heartless’ leader, Ansem, Seeker of Darkness, is similarly humanoid and willful.

The biggest differences between Heartless and Nobodies, apart from their parallel states of being, are their goals. Organization XIII commands KH's known Nobody population, though, unlike Heartless mindlessly obeying strong, corrupt people, Nobodies seem to have individuality. The stated goal of the Organization is to restore its members' hearts and emotions with a replica of Kingdom Hearts, but supreme leader Xemnas has other plans. Several members, like Axel and the Castle Oblivion team, also have personal goals, and it’s revealed that Nobodies have multiple avenues of regaining their hearts. At the very least, this misguided group of people are still a sight better than Kingdom Hearts’ universe getting dragged into everlasting darkness by the Heartless.