Timeline of the Kingdom Hearts series

Main Article: Kingdom Hearts (series)

This timeline of the Kingdom Hearts series lists major events and developments in the story of the Kingdom Hearts series in chronological order as told in the games. This timeline is derived from both events that occur in the games as well as events referenced to during the games.

Timeline

				The Master of Masters gives five of his six apprentices a copy of the Book of Prophecies and subsequently disappears. Luxu, the sixth apprentice, also disappears with a black box.
				The remaining five apprentices begin to gather light upon learning of an impending darkness and a potential traitor among them.
				Discord and chaos among the five apprentices and their unions leads to the Keyblade War, where all but few, known as Dandelions, are defeated.
Between Kingdom Hearts χ and Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep				Xehanort, as a youth, is approached by Ansem, Seeker of Darkness, and receives the power to travel through time.
				After fulfilling his purpose in the future, he subsequently returns to Destiny Islands. Although he's forgotten his role in the future, a desire to explore the outside world grows and he begins to seek a way to leave his world.
				Xehanort and Eraqus train and become Keyblade Masters.
				Master Xehanort becomes interested in the Keyblade War and the χ-blade.
				In his search to summon Kingdom Hearts and the χ-blade, Xehanort chooses Ventus as his apprentice.
				Frustrated that his apprentice cannot fight with the darkness, Xehanort extracts the darkness from Ventus's heart and creates Vanitas.
				Xehanort takes the comatose Ventus to Destiny Islands. Ventus's heart connects with that of the newborn Sora, who mends Ventus's heart, allowing him to live. Xehanort then takes him to Master Eraqus, while Xehanort continues to train Vanitas.
				Aqua, Terra, and Ventus train under Master Eraqus. The former two take the Mark of Mastery Exam under the supervision of Eraqus and Xehanort. Aqua passes the exam, while Terra fails.
				Vanitas confronts Ventus and warns him about Terra. After receiving counsel from Master Yen Sid, Eraqus sends Terra and Aqua to other worlds to protect the Princesses of Heart from the Unversed; Ventus leaves after Terra, and Aqua is tasked with bringing him home.
				Xehanort meets Maleficent and tells her of the Princesses of Heart and Kingdom Hearts. Maleficent takes Aurora's heart and tricks Terra into thinking he did it.
				In Radiant Garden, Aqua places a charm to protect Kairi, who inadvertently receives the power to wield the Keyblade when she touches Aqua's Keyblade.
				After fighting against an Unversed together, Aqua confronts Terra about the rumors both she and Ventus had heard about his actions in other worlds. During the altercation, both Terra and Ventus leave, disappointed in Aqua apparently spying on Terra.
				After fighting Braig, Terra is declared a Keyblade Master by Xehanort.
				Terra chooses Riku to succeed him in wielding the Keyblade.
				Ventus learns that Xehanort wants to use him to create the χ-blade, and Xehanort tells him that Eraqus knew the whole time.
				Xehanort kills Eraqus after Terra fights Eraqus for trying to destroy Ventus. The Land of Departure is consumed by darkness.
				Aqua, Terra, and Ventus confront Xehanort, Vanitas, and Braig at the Keyblade Graveyard, where Xehanort attempts to transfer his heart into Terra and Vanitas attempts to fuse with Ventus to form the χ-blade, thereby summoning Kingdom Hearts.
				With the help of Mickey, Aqua defeats Vanitas, while Ventus defeats him from within his heart. Terra's Lingering Will defeats Terra's Xehanort-possessed body, which ends up in Radiant Garden. Ventus's broken heart reaches and rests within Sora's.
				Aqua leaves Ventus in the Chamber of Waking and transforms the Land of Departure into Castle Oblivion.
				Aqua confronts Xehanort, who continues to fight Terra's heart within. After attempting to free him, Aqua rescues Terra from the darkness, but is lost to that same realm herself.
				Braig finds Terra-Xehanort in Radiant Garden, who has lost all his memory except for the name Xehanort, along with Aqua's Keyblade Armor.
Between Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep and Kingdom Hearts				Ansem the Wise and his six apprentices, including Xehanort, begin studies and tests on the Heart in an effort to understand the darkness and be able to protect against it. Soon thereafter, Ansem ends the experiments.
				Xehanort and the other apprentices begin inhumane experiments on others, and Xehanort documents their findings under Ansem's name.
				The six apprentices betray Ansem and banish him to the Realm of Darkness when Ansem learns about and attempts to halt the additional research.
				Xehanort recovers his memory as Master Xehanort, and with the Keyblade, takes the hearts of his colleagues, turning them into Nobodies.
				Ansem, Seeker of Darkness and Xemnas each attempt to create Kingdom Hearts in their own way. Xemnas and the Nobodies of the other apprentices form Organization XIII, while Ansem seeks the hearts of worlds and uses Maleficent to gather the seven Princesses of Light.
				Aqua finds that several of the worlds she had visited have fallen to darkness.
				Just as Sora, Kairi and Riku prepare to leave Destiny Islands, the Islands are attacked by the Heartless and is destroyed. Sora wakes up in Traverse Town alone.
				Sora joins Donald Duck and Goofy, who are searching for King Mickey.
				Riku joins Maleficent, who tricks him into thinking Sora doesn't care for him and Kairi anymore.
				Maleficent, Riku, and Captain Hook find a comatose Kairi, having lost her heart.
				Riku takes the Keyblade from Sora when the party arrives in Hollow Bastion, revealing that he was the one chosen to wield the Keyblade all along. Donald and Goofy follow Riku in order to comply with King Mickey's letter.
				Sora confronts Riku and reveals that his friends are his power, giving him the strength to retrieve the Keyblade from Riku.
				A disembodied Ansem, Seeker of Darkness, appears to Riku and explains why he lost the Keyblade. He then enters Riku's heart and takes control of his body.
				Roxas is created as a result of Sora's sacrifice for Kairi. Xemnas finds Roxas in Twilight Town.
				Naminé is created as a result of Sora's sacrifice for Kairi. The Organization finds Naminé in Castle Oblivion.
				Kairi's light brings Sora back to the real world.
				King Mickey finds Aqua and explains the situation with the Heartless. Together, they find the Kingdom Key D.
				Sora, Donald, and Goofy confront Ansem at the End of the World, where he opens the Door to Darkness. Ansem is defeated.
				In order to allow Mickey, Riku, and Sora to close the Door to Darkness, Aqua attacks and is taken back into the Realm of Darkness by a Demon Tide.
				Sora, Donald, and Goofy, along with Riku and King Mickey, seal the Door to Darkness. Destiny Islands is restored, and Sora leaves Kairi there to begin his search for Riku and King Mickey.
				Xion is created and is introduced to Organization XIII.
				Ansem the Wise escapes the Realm of Darkness and begins to go by DiZ
				Sora, Donald, and Goofy find Castle Oblivion and meet some of the members of Organization XIII. Marluxia uses Naminé to manipulate Sora, attempting to use him to overthrow Xemnas and take control of the Organization.
				Riku awakens in the basement of Castle Oblivion and, guided by Mickey's voice, begins to fight his way up to the main floor.
				Axel is sent to purge traitors from the Organization at Castle Oblivion.
				Sora defeats Marluxia and Larxene in order to rescue Naminé. Having lost his memories on the way up the floors of Castle Oblivion, Sora goes to sleep so that Naminé can restore them.
				Riku defeats Lexaeus and Zexion as he attempts to the lingering darkness within his heart. He meets DiZ, and with King Mickey, sets out to help wake Sora up.
				Naminé and DiZ move Sora to Twilight Town; Sora's recovery comes to a halt.
				Riku confronts Xion and advises her to leave Organization XIII.
				Xion leaves the Organization, having become frustrated with Riku's comments and her own memory relapses.
				Roxas leaves the Organization.
				Axel captures Xion after she attempts to join with Sora
				Xion, reprogrammed by Xemnas, fights Roxas to absorb him and loses, resulting in her disappearance physically and from everybody's memory
				Roxas attempts to free Kingdom Hearts to get Xion back; Riku defeats Roxas and takes him to Twilight Town so Sora's memories may finish being restored.
				Roxas lives his final week in Twilight Town while Naminé finishes restoring Sora's memories within Roxas.
				Roxas returns to Sora; Sora awakens in Twilight Town.
				Master Yen Sid informs Sora, Donald, and Goofy about the status of the worlds and the existence of Organization XIII.
				Maleficent returns to Hollow Bastion.
				In an attempt to bring Roxas back, Axel kidnaps Kairi.
				Mickey informs Sora, Donald, and Goofy that the Ansem they fought the year previous was actually an imposter, the Heartless of Xehanort. His Nobody, Xemnas, appears and is revealed to be the leader of Organization XIII.
				Sora confronts both Maleficent and Xemnas in Hollow Bastion, leading to the Battle of the 1000 Heartless.
				Mickey finds Ansem the Wise, disguised as DiZ, and they talk about Ansem's plan to encode Kingdom Hearts.
				Sora reunites with both Kairi and Riku.
				Ansem's attempts to encode Kingdom Hearts fail and the Kingdom Hearts Encoder is destroyed, restoring Riku's true appearance and exiling Ansem to the Realm of Darkness again.
				Sora and Riku face and defeat Xemnas. They return to Destiny Islands.
				Mickey has Jiminy's first journal digitized to attempt to find the source of a mysterious message.
				Mickey, Donald, and Goofy are mysteriously brought into the Journal
				The Journal is taken by Maleficent; Mickey, Donald, Goofy, and Data-Sora rescue the Journal and defeat Maleficent and Pete.
				After the data is erased, Mickey returns to the Data-World to help Sora investigate a new world.
				Mickey and Data-Sora journey through Castle Oblivion and find Naminé, who reveals that herself, Roxas, Xion, Terra, Aqua, and Ventus need Sora's help to return.
				Mickey writes a letter to Sora, Kairi, and Riku.
				Aqua meets Ansem the Wise in the Realm of Darkness
				Sora and Riku begin the Mark of Mastery Exam.
				Lea, Ienzo, Even, Aeleus, and Dilan awaken in Radiant Garden.
				Sora and Riku each confront Ansem, Xemnas, and Young Xehanort throughout the Mark of Mastery Exam.
				After Maleficent and Pete attempt to gain access to the Data-Worlds by attempting to kidnap Minnie, but are thwarted when Lea intervenes.
				After sealing all seven keyholes, Sora finds himself in The World that Never Was, where Xigbar and Young Xehanort put him into a deep sleep, plunging Sora into darkness.
				Riku arrives in the Castle That Never Was and attempts to rescue Sora with Mickey. Master Xehanort is revived and explains his plan to pit thirteen darknesses against seven lights. Xehanort attempts to make Sora one of the darknesses, but is foiled by Donald, Goofy, and Lea.
				Riku rescues Sora from the darkness within his heart and awakens him. He retrieves the hidden data from the data form of Ansem the Wise.
Between Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance and Kingdom Hearts III				Kairi and Lea begin their training under Merlin. Mickey and Riku set off to find Aqua
				Ansem captures Ansem the Wise in the realm of darkness and throws Aqua further into the dark realm.
				Sora, Donald, and Goofy journey to recover the power of waking.
				Riku and King Mickey fail to find Aqua. The Riku Replica reunites with Riku.
				The Organization recruits Vexen to create replicas. Saïx and Vexen plot their betrayal.
				Riku and King Mickey find Dark Aqua in the dark realm.
				Vexen rescues Ansem the Wise in Twilight Town.
				Sora defeats and rescues Aqua from the dark realm.
				Vexen employs Demyx to deliver Ansem the Wise and a vessel to Ienzo in Radiant Garden.
				Aqua, Sora, Donald, and Goofy wake Ventus in the Land of Departure.
				The guardians of light gather at the Mysterious Tower, then set off to face Master Xehanort and the Organization.
				The seekers of darkness defeat the guardians of light. Sora awakens in The Final World.
				Sora uses the power of waking to return to the Keyblade Graveyard. Sora passes through Ventus and Aqua before the guardians of light are defeated.
				Sora uses the power of waking to restore the hearts of his friends and return to the Keyblade Graveyard before their defeat. The Lingering Will appears and stops Terra-Xehanort from defeating the guardians.
				Sora passes through the rift. Sora tells Naminé to retreat to the Final World. Sora fights Terra-Xehanort.
				The guardians of light face and defeat the members of the Organization, rescuing Xion and Terra in the process. The Riku Replica defeats Dark Riku, leaving a vessel for Naminé's rescue. Xemnas kidnaps Kairi.
				Demyx appears after Riku and Sora defeat Xigbar and Dark Riku to recover the vessel for Naminé.
				Xehanort defeats Kairi to form the χ-blade. Sora and the guardians trap Xehanort in a portal to Scala ad Caelum, where Sora, Donald, and Goofy defeat Xehanort.
				Sora uses the power of waking to go back in time to rescue Kairi. King Mickey, Donald, Goofy, and Pluto return to fireworks at Disney Castle. Terra, Aqua, and Ventus honor Master Eraqus in the Land of Departure, Roxas, Xion, and Lea enjoy ice cream in Twilight Town with Isa, Hayner, Pence, and Olette, and Naminé awakens in Radiant Garden. The guardians of light gather at Destiny Islands.
				Sora and Kairi return to the present time. They watch fireworks at Disney Castle, take Chirithy back to Ventus in the Land of Departure, enjoy ice cream in Twilight Town, and free Naminé's heart in Radiant Garden, allowing her to wake. Sora fades in Destiny Islands.
				Terra, Aqua, and Ventus journey to the realm of darkness in search for Sora. King Mickey, Donald, and Goofy search for Sora throughout various worlds he's visited. The Twilight Town gang searches Roxas and Xion's memories for Sora. Kairi goes to sleep to allow Ansem the Wise, Vexen, and Ienzo to search her heart.
				One year passes. Master Yen Sid sends the Fairy Godmother to assist Riku in his search for Sora.
				Sora faces and fights Yozora.
				Kairi remembers Sora's journey, facing and defeating Master Xehanort in her heart.
				Kairi awakens and relays the information Xehanort gave her to Ansem the Wise, Ienzo, and Vexen.
				Fairy Godmother and Riku meet up with Kairi, and the three journey to the Final World. They find the Nameless Star, and Riku opens a portal to Quadratum.
				Kairi returns to the Mysterious Tower. Master Yen Sid assigns Mickey to study the oher world where Riku has gone. Kairi resumes her training under Aqua.