When Kingdom Hearts was first released in 2002, few people knew how massive the Square Enixcollaboration with Disney would become. With 13 games spanning multiple systems and console generations, the series has gained immense popularity worldwide. The first Kingdom Hearts game is aclassic, and itstill holds a special place in fans' hearts.
RELATED: Ranking Every Kingdom Hearts Game Ever Made From Worst To Best
It's a reminder of simpler times, before the plot became incredibly complex, numerous spin-offs that also had a big influence on the story were releasedand the cast of characters tripled. Butthere are many things fansmight not know about the game's introductory cutscene, from its hidden connections to later games to the origin of Simple and Clean.
8 Tetsuya Nomura Always Wanted Hikaru Utada To Sing The Opening Song
According to an interview in the Kingdom Hearts Ultimania book from Dark Horse, director Tetsuya Nomura knew he wanted singer-songwriter Hikaru Utada to perform a song for Kingdom Hearts from the beginning.
After a short negotiation with Utada and her team, she agreed to work with them.Her now-famous single, Hikari (better known as Simple And Clean to English-speaking audiences) has been praised for its distinct melody and meaningful lyrics. Utada came back to sing Sanctuary for Kingdom Hearts II.
7 Utada Didn't Write Simple And Clean For Kingdom Hearts
For many Kingdom Hearts fans, Simple and Clean is a defining song of the series. Even people who haven't played the games recognize it and its association with the iconic franchise.
In reality, Hikaru Utada never intended for the song to be used in the game. She had already written the single when she was approached by Nomura's team, and Nomura was moved by the deep meaning of the song (as explained in Kingfom Hearts Ultimania). Utada is more than a Kingdom Hearts singer too, being a very popular artist in recent Japanese music history.
6 Simple And Clean And Hikari Have Totally Different Lyrics
The lyrics for Simple and Clean are iconic, but very different than the original's. In a 2009 interview with magazine Jetanny, Utada explained that the process of creating English lyrics for the song was challenging.
RELATED: Kingdom Hearts: Every Main Character's Age, Height And Birthday
She explained,"when you change the language you're singing in, the same melodies don't work," which led to her slightly altering the melody of Hikari to fit Simple and Clean.Nomura is a huge fan of Hikari's lyrics,stating in his Ultimania interview that "the lyrics fit so perfectly that when I first heard it, I trembled and couldn't speak."
5 The Version Of Simple And Clean Heard In The Intro Isn't The Original
Despite the association of Simple and Clean with the first Kingdom Hearts installment, the version you hear in the opening isn't quite the original. It's actually a remix by PLANTIb, a successful producer from the UK. This explains why the opening song feels more like an upbeat dance tune, as opposed to a slower ballad.
Other official remixes have been releasedsince, including the Hikari Ray of Hope remix Utada released in 2017. It appeared alongside the launch of Kingdom Hearts HD II.8 Final Chapter Prologue.
4 Sora's Opening Line Is Echoed In Another Kingdom Hearts Game
At the very beginning of Kingdom Hearts' opening cutscene, the snappily-dressed Sora says "I've been having these weird thoughts lately. Like, is any of this real or not?" Fans have speculated about the meaning of these wordsfor years, and they may have finally gotten an answer in Kingdom Hearts III: Re Mind.
The game ends with the protagonist of the game Verum Rex, Yozora, repeating those same linesSora once spoke. Dreams and reality are central themes in the series, and this line implies that players will be falling into a new dream.
Kingdom Hearts has a lot of connections with the number thirteen, from Organization XIII to the thirteen worlds Sora visits in the first game. Not to mention the fact that the series' very name, Kingdom Hearts, is thirteen letters long.
RELATED: Kingdom Hearts: Every Game And What Order You Should Play Them In
As such,it doesn't seem like a coincidence that at the very start of the opening sequence, when the words "Kingdom Hearts" appear on the screen, the camera zooms in on the "M" as it shines. What is the connection? M just so happens to be the thirteenth letter of the alphabet.
2 The Falling Stars Represent The Falling Kingdoms
In the opening, there is a moment where Kairi smiles at Sora and then glances up at the sky. Sora follows suit, and the two watch as stars fall from the sky. In addition to making a stunning visual, these stars represent the falling kingdoms that Sora will go on to save.
These are the same stars that King Mickey leaves to investigate at the start of the game, setting the plot of the series in motion. Stars are an important symbol in Kingdom Hearts, as the star-shaped Paopu fruit native to Destiny Islands is said to entwine destinies.
1 Sora's Fall Foreshadows The Ending
Falling is a common occurrence in Kingdom Hearts, and it has been since the first game. It's a running joke among fans at this point that Sorais constantly falling (both physically and into or out of darkness).
This motif foreshadowed the ending of Xehanort's arc in Kingdom Hearts III: Re Mind, which culminates with Sora disappearing from the world (another sad development in Kingdom Hearts' surprisingly dark narrative). He'falls' into a different world, awaking in a version of Shibuya very similar to the Shibuya of The World Ends With You(another Square Enix series).
NEXT: Kingdom Hearts: The 10 Coolest Keyblade Designs, Ranked
