"Episode 1: Departures" is the first cutscene in a five-part video summary of the story of the Dark Seeker Saga. It is made available from the Kingdom Hearts III Main Menu after the Dive to the Heart tutorial is complete. Narrated by Chirithy, it summarizes Sora's first journey with the Keyblade.
Story[edit | edit source]
Sora, Kairi, and Riku are close friends excited to journey beyond their sea, but are soon separated when their home is consumed by darkness. Sora awakens in Traverse Town and teams up with Donald and Goofy to search for their missing friends. Along the way, Sora learns about the power of the Keyblade and meets new friends and enemies. In the end, he must face his friend Riku, now controlled by Ansem, Seeker of Darkness. Through this Sora learns that his friends are his power.
Transcript[edit | edit source]
"Hikari -KINGDOM Orchestra Instrumental Version-" begins to play.
A golden book floats on screen. A keyblade is embossed on the cover's center. Embossed above the keyblade is the title "DEPARTURES". Below the image are the embossed words "The Story So Far" and, on the line below, "KINGDOM HEARTS III". Chirithy runs onto screen and around the book, while a title in white fades in across the scene:
The Story So Far
KINGDOM HEARTS III
DEPARTURES
Chirithy spins on one leg and poses with an arm in the air. The camera zooms in on the padlock on the side of the book, the keyhole of which begins to glow blue as Chirithy starts to narrate.
Chirithy: "Do you remember"
The book opens and the pages flip before settling on a page featuring a bright watercolor of Sora running along the beach.
Chirithy: "this story?"
The camera zooms in on the title below the picture of Sora. It reads:
KINGDOM HEARTS
The Boy Who Found the Key
And Opened the Door to Unseen Worlds
The camera pans across to the next page, which has two lines of text in its center:
As darkness closes in, a boy named Sora reaches for the light and is granted the power of the Keyblade.
The page turns and we see a watercolor of Kairi on the next page. The camera zooms in on the image and the image becomes cutscenes of smiling shots of Kairi and then Riku.
Chirithy: "It begins with Sora and his friends Kairi and Riku."
We see Sora, Riku, then Kairi running along the beach of Destiny Islands.
Chirithy: "The three are inseparable. And they believe another world is waiting out beyond the sea."
Kairi and Sora sit on the dock, looking out as the sun sets over the sea.
Kairi: "Sora, don't ever change."
Sora: "Huh?"
Kairi gets to her feet.
Kairi: "Once we set sail, it'll be great."
The camera zooms out and the cutscene turns back into a picture in the book. We pan across as the book flips a page and then zoom in to the image on the next page. The next cutscene shows Sora running to meet Riku on the beach as a giant ball of darkness forms in the sky above them.
Chirithy: "But then darkness consumes the islands they call home and tears them apart."
Riku turns to face Sora.
Riku: "The door has opened, Sora! Now we can go to the outside world!"
The scenes quick changes to one of Riku being consumed by darkness as Sora desperately reaches for him. The cutscene turns back into a picture in the book and many pages are turned before we find the next picture: one of Sora, Donald, and Goofy having fallen over each other in Traverse Town. The picture becomes a cutscene, zooming out to show Sora has the Keyblade in his hand.
Chirithy: "Sora wakes up in an unknown world, and before long he meets two courageous companionsâ"
A shot of Donald grimacing and Goofy talking to him plays.
Chirithy: "a magician named Donald and a knight named Goofy."
The next scene shows Sora, Donald, and Goofy stacking their hands.
Goofy: "Hey, why don't you come with us? We can go to other worlds on our vessel."
We return to the book and another page turn. The camera travels down and across the next few pages, showing photos of Sora and the allies he made in Agrabah, Olympus Coliseum, Wonderland, and Neverland.
Chirithy: "They embark on an adventure and make countless friends..."
The final image is of Sora swimming with Ariel in Atlantica. We zoom in and this one plays as a cutscene.
Ariel: "They do seem a little different. Where are you from?"
We return to the book and the page turns. A picture of Sora in Agrabah becomes a cutscene.
Chirithy: "And a few enemies..."
Sora and Princess Jasmine look up at Jafar.
Jafar: "Ah, the boy who holds the key."
The scene changes to show Maleficent.
Maleficent: "This world will be plunged into darkness."
We flash through shots of Cerberus, Ursula, then Sora preparing for battle in Hollow Bastion. We return to the book and multiple pages are flipped.
Sora: "After coming this far, there's no way we're going to let that happen!"
We stop on a picture of Sora holding an unconscious Kairi and zoom in to the cutscene to watch him gently place her on the ground.
Chirithy: "Just as Sora is starting to grasp the power of the Keyblade,"
We see Riku, looking different and holding a keyblade of his own, watching from across the room.
Chirithy: "he comes face to face with his friend Riku."
Riku jumps to the ground and raises his arms.
Riku: "It is I, Ansem, the seeker of darkness."
Sora and Riku clash, but Sora is able to rally his strength and throw Riku off.
Sora: "I know now I don't need the Keyblade. I don't need a weapon. My friends are my power!"
We once again return to the book and hover over the picture of Sora's determined expression. Below the image are two lines of text:
The strength of Sora's heart is great. But will it prove enough to thwart Ansem's plot and rescue Sora's friends?
The book closes and spins around to show us the front cover. The padlock locks itself.
Chirithy: "But that's just the beginning of the tale. Little do Sora and his friends realize what fate has in store for them."
The screen fades to black.