Summary

  • The most powerful members of the Nobody species in the Kingdom Hearts franchise are:
  • Naminé: A "Witch" who can manipulate memories. Although she doesn't have any battle prowess, her ability to alter, erase, and control other people's memories is incredibly dangerous.
  • The Sorcerer: The strongest Nobody enemy. They can manipulate magic cubes to protect themselves and deal massive damage to opponents.

When it comes to video game enemies, the Kingdom Hearts franchise has always been synonymous with the fearsome beings made of darkness known as the Heartless. Yet these games have also featured many other interesting and dangerous enemy types, like the Heartless’ hollow counterparts, the Nobodies.

A collage of images of some of the most powerful Heartless in the Kingdom Hearts series: Dark Hide, Ansem Seeker of Darkness and Kurt Zisa.
Kingdom Hearts: 10 Most Powerful Heartless In The Series, Ranked

The Kingdom Hearts franchise has witnessed several powerful Heartless, as the following examples illustrate.

The Nobodies are significantly different to other beings in the Kingdom Hearts universe. While Sora, Donald, Goofy and their allies have fought a lot of regular enemies, Nobodies with human-like appearances, impressive powers, and high intelligence also exist, most of whom are part of Organization XIII. The question is: who are the most powerful members of this bizarre species?

10 Naminé

A “Witch” Who Can Manipulate Memories

Official render of Naminé, from Kingdom Hearts 2.
Kingdom Hearts 2
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Action RPG
Hack and Slash
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Released
March 28, 2006
Developer(s)
Square Enix
Platform(s)
PS2, PS3, PS4, PC
Genre(s)
Action RPG, Hack and Slash

Naminé doesn’t actually have any battle prowess, but her impressive power comes from her ability to alter, erase, and control other people’s memories, which is something that most likely came from her unconventional existence as the Nobody of a Princess of Heart, in this case Kairi.

When Organization XIII manipulated Naminé during the events of Chain of Memories, she managed to completely break Sora’s psyche and even made him distance himself from his own friends. This is a really useful power that has proven to be even more dangerous than any real combat ability. Even after she returned to Kairi’s heart, Naminé's mind-controlling abilities were put to good use when she called to Lingering Will’s side during the final battle of Kingdom Hearts 3.

9 Sorcerer

The Strongest Nobody Enemy

Official render of a Sorcerer Nobody, from Kingdom Hearts 2.

Most of the high-ranking Nobody enemies in the franchise are nowhere near as powerful as the members of Organization XIII, but there’s one clear exception: the Sorcerer. This makes sense considering that these bizarre creatures are Xemnas’ very own minions.

In battle, the Sorcerers can manipulate a bunch of magic cubes in order to protect themselves and deal massive damage to even the strongest of opponents, even Sora himself. They’re incredibly tricky to deal with, as they only appeared in the late stages of Kingdom Hearts 2, not to mention that one of them was upgraded to the mini-boss of a Battlegate in Kingdom Hearts 3.

8 Larxene

A Violent Fighter With Dangerous Electric Powers

Official render of Larxene, from Kingdom Hearts 3.
Kingdom Hearts 3
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Released
January 25, 2019
Developer(s)
Square Enix
Genre(s)
Action, Adventure

While every member of Organization XIII can put up a fight, some focus their efforts on other ventures, like scientific research or complex mini-games. There are still a good number of prominent Nobodies who give Sora and company a tough time, and Larxene is definitely one of the most dangerous ones.

She can move at blindingly-fest speeds, wield a set of eight sharp knives, clone herself, and both generate & control electricity, something that has even let her create huge structures, as was seen with The Labyrinth of Ice in Kingdom Hearts 3. The most dangerous part about Larxene, though, is her sadistic personality. She truly enjoys tormenting those who she sees as beneath her, which makes her a ruthless combatant.

7 Axel

An Assassin With Fiery Powers

Official render of Axel, from Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days.
Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
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Released
May 30, 2009
Developer(s)
Square Enix, h.a.n.d.
Div
Platform(s)
Nintendo DS
Genre(s)
Action RPG, Fighting, Action-Adventure

Back when he was part of Organization XIII, Axel was tasked with the important mission of finding out who were traitors within the Organization, and eliminating them. Thus, he became a deadly assassin who managed to defeat, overpower, and eliminate other strong nobodies, like Vexen or Zexion. He even fought Marluxia one-on-one, which is yet another impressive feat.

Blessed with the power of pyrokinesis, Axel can summon huge walls of fire, create destructive explosions, and even cover his signature chakrams in flames. When he’s in a pinch, he can generate a gigantic fiery explosion that can eliminate thousands of enemies at once, although this final trump card will cost him his own life. Luckily, Axel’s human counterpart, Lea, is still quite a powerful warrior.

6 Xigbar

A Precise Deadly Sniper

Official render of Xigbar, from Kingdom Hearts 2.

Xigbar not only used to be Master Xehanort’s second-in-command (back when he was Braig), but he’s also one of the many incarnations of the Lost Master, Luxu. So it makes a lot of sense that he would be a powerful Nobody during his time in Organization XIII, which was mostly due to his unconventional weapons and special powers.

With his special Arrowguns and his ability to control space, Xigbar really knows how to mess around with his opponents in various ways. He can create huge projectiles, or make it rain deadly lasers, only to increase his range by using portals, teleporting around, or even changing the architecture of the battlefield. Xigbar definitely has one of the most creative fighting styles in all of Kingdom Hearts, which makes him a really tough opponent in battle.

5 Xaldin

The Antagonist Of An Infamous Boss Battle

Official render of Xaldin, from Kingdom Hearts 2.

Xaldin is yet another member of Organization XIII who specializes in combat, and this is perfectly reflected in his design and weapons. He wields six lances at the same time, and his physical prowess is boosted by his ability to control air, which he can use to conjure deadly tornadoes or create reflective shields.

Most players will remember Xaldin from his infamous boss battle set in Beast's Castle in Kingdom Hearts 2, in which he fights relentlessly, and is surprisingly hard to beat for a game that is otherwise pretty easy. During this encounter, Xaldin fights by jumping and striking his opponent with his lance in a way that is reminiscent of the Dragoons from Final Fantasy, which is one of the most powerful job classes in that franchise.

4 Saix

A Berserker Powered By The Moon

Official render of Saix in his Berserk form, from Kingdom Hearts 3.

Saix is a true wild card because, despite his usual calm and calculated demeanor, he can become a chaotic beast in battle. For starters, he fights by wielding a gigantic sword known as Claymore, and he can even boost this weapon’s strength by harnessing the power of the moon. Yet Saix’s most dangerous tool is his Berserk Form, in which he becomes even stronger, faster, and more unpredictable.

Vanitas Remnant in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep and Lingering Will in Kingdom Hearts 2
Kingdom Hearts: Hardest Bosses In The Games, Ranked

The Kingdom Hearts series is home to a collection of devastatingly hard battles, but these particular boss fights prove to be a cut above the rest.

He was already powerful in Kingdom Hearts 2, but Kingdom Hearts 3 took him to a whole new level, since he gained the ability to summon up to five different Claymores at the same time. With this power, Saix could easily fight Sora, Kairi, and Lea at the same time without any real issue. Not to mention that his Data Battle is infamous among seasoned fans because of how challenging it is.

3 Marluxia

The Lord Of Castle Oblivion

Official render of Marluxia, from Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories.
Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories
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Memory is the key. Sora reunites with his friends from Kingdom Hearts and encounters foes both old and new while exploring a castle and regaining his missing memories.

Released
December 2, 2008
Developer(s)
Square Enix
Platform(s)
PS2, PS3, PS4, Xbox One, PC
Genre(s)
Action RPG, Digital Card Game

There are only two Nobodies who have been the main antagonists of a Kingdom Hearts game, and one of them was Marluxia. This is quite admirable, considering that, at that point in the story, he was one of the few villains in the series who had nothing to do with Xehanort. During the events of Chain of Memories, Marluxia gracefully leads his own crew in order to manipulate Sora and eventually betray the rest of Organization XIII.

He would never have been able to do any of that if he didn’t have enough power to back up his position, and Marluxia certainly delivered on that promise. He wields his sharp scythe in a variety of deadly ways, and can even harness the power of cherry blossoms in order to create some truly powerful attacks, like his infamous Doom technique. When he was in a pinch, Marluxia summoned a gigantic Nobody named Specter who could aid him in battle, which is something that not many Organization XIII members are able to do.

2 Roxas

A Dual-Wielding Keyblade Hero

Official render of Roxas, from Kingdom Hearts 3.
Kingdom Hearts
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Released
September 17, 2002
Developer(s)
Square Enix
Platform(s)
PS2
Genre(s)
Action RPG

As the main protagonist, it’s only inevitable that Sora would be one of the strongest characters in the entire Kingdom Hearts franchise. As a result, it also makes sense that his Nobody, Roxas, is also incredibly powerful. However, due to some strange heart & memory shenanigans, he has been shown to have some unexpected extra abilities that make him even more powerful than initially expected.

Roxas was already a proficient Keyblade Wielder who could cast magic, summon Samurai Nobodies, and use Light in a vast array of different attacks. But, after a specific set of circumstances was achieved, Roxas gained the ability to wield two Keyblades at the same time, which made him even more powerful. At one point, he became so incredibly strong that Riku was forced to use Ansem’s darkness to subdue him, not to mention that he also gave Sora a tough time during their encounter in Kingdom Hearts 2. When he finally came back in Kingdom Hearts 3, Roxas was able to defeat Saix’s Berserk Form in just a few minutes.

1 Xemnas

The Leader Of Organization XIII

Official render of Xemnas from Kingdom Hearts 2.

As the Nobody of Terra-Xehanort and the top member of Organization XIII, Xemnas is pretty much the indirect leader of all the Nobodies in the Kingdom Hearts universe. He’s a being who appreciates both light and darkness, and takes advantage of his seamlessly-hollow body to wield both of them at the same time.

Xemnas is not only an intelligent manipulator and leader; he’s also one of the most powerful combatants in the series, with a lot of tricky abilities and techniques at his disposal. He can wield his deadly Ethereal Blades, use darkness, create reflective barriers, and shoot balls of lightning, not to mention that he can turn other Nobodies into Dusks, and even empower them in the midst of battle.

If that wasn’t enough, Xemnas became a true force to be reckoned with at the very end of Kingdom Hearts 2, where he boosted his own power thanks to his artificial Kingdom Hearts. On that occasion, he summoned a gigantic Nobody Dragon, threw giant buildings around with no problem, and even created a dome of explosive projectiles. Even though Sora & Riku eventually managed to defeat him, they almost died in the process, which shows how deadly Xemnas truly was.

A collage of Sora alongside cutscenes from different Kingdom Hearts games: Birth by Sleep, Kingdom Hearts 1, 358/2 Days and Kingdom Hearts 3.
Kingdom Hearts: Every Game's Story, Ranked

Not all Kingdom Hearts plots are equally good. Here's how all of them rank up from worst to best.