Kingdom Hearts Keyblades Guide

Kingdom Hearts is one of those games that just never should’ve worked. I mean, the combination of things happening just was so wrong in so many ways. You took the adult-themed Final Fantasy characters who had experienced death, tragedy, and horrific genocides of their people and mixed them with Disney characters who had experienced death, tragedy, and the….okay, wait a minute, maybe it wasn’t that bizarre of a mix now that you think about it. Still, taking characters from an anime world and throwing them into lands from Disney just didn’t seem right, and from the first announcement of the collaboration, it seemed like it was going to be one of the biggest gaming failures of all time.

I was not that. It was actually quite the opposite, and despite the considerable odds it was up against, Sora and co. made Kingdom Hearts one of the biggest hits that Square had ever seen at the time. 

For me, I got Kingdom Hearts on its release date when it first came out. I was an avid Final Fantasy fan, so despite my distaste for Disney things, I gritted my teeth through that aspect of the game and found not only one of the best combat systems I had ever played but a surprisingly dark and engaging story that pulled me in. 

Of course, every epic quest needs an epic weapon to define it. Luke Skywalker had the Lightsaber, Link had the Master Sword, and Sora had the Keyblade. The initial design of this iconic weapon is admittedly silly, but as you unlock better ones, the weapon gets considerably cooler, and discovering the long history behind them has left to all kinds of crazy machinations happening throughout the story. Let’s find out everything to know about Keyblades in the Kingdom Hearts series.

The Keyblades

The Keyblades appear at first to be a weapon that is exclusive only to Sora, but over time, you learn that not only is he not the only Keyblade user out there, but that there was an entire Keyblade war taking place in ages past.  

Kingdom Hearts

Main Keyblades

The Kingdom Key

This is the first Keyblade you come across in Kingdom Hearts. It appears to Sora in a dreamlike world while the Heartless are attacking destiny island, and it’s the first official weapon you’ll find in Kingdom Hearts.

• Strength +3

Oathkeeper

The second Keyblade you come across will be Oathkeeper, and this one is unique because it raises not only your MP by 1 but also your magic and summon power. It also has the ability to deal with multiple critical strikes in a row. You obtain it by speaking to Kairi in the Secret Waterway in Traverse Town after rescuing her.

• Strength +9
• Magic +1

Oblivion

This Keyblade is all black and is an optional one to acquire, but I highly suggest you do as the power it wields is massive. The one drawback to it is that it reduces your max MP by 1, but the power in physical attacks more than makes up for it. You can find it in a chest in the Grand Hall in Hollow Bastion.

• Strength +11
• Magic -1

World Specific Keyblades

Olympia

This is an incredibly powerful weapon that is equipped with the ability to deal multiple critical blows in succession, downing all but the toughest foes in a matter of a few hits. In order to acquire it, you have to go to the Olympus Coliseum and beat the Phil Cup, Pegasus Cup, and the Hercules Cup. After completing these, you will find the Olympia in a chest in the lobby.

• Strength +9

Jungle King

The Jungle King is an interesting Keyblade because it provides some of the best reach in the entire game. This lets you hang back a bit and still deal damage. The negative is that it rarely does critical damage, so it’s hard to get a huge offensive outburst from it. You will get this Keyblade after locking the Keyhole in the Deep Jungle.

• Strength+5

Three wishes

Three Wishes is a great weapon to acquire early on in the game as it makes it very hard for your enemies to defend against your attacks, and along with that, it’s got great physical power as well. In order to acquire it, you have to lock the Keyhole in Agrabah.

• Strength+6

PumpkinHead

One of the cooler-looking Keyblades in the game, Pumpkinhead, has the reach of the Jungle King while also having the ability to deal a string of critical attacks in a row. Its power is not immense, but the reach and critical ability make up for it. You will automatically receive this after locking the Keyhole in Halloween Town.

• Strength+7

Crabclaw

The Crabclaw Keyblade is a great all-around Keyblade. It raises your MP by 1, enhances your magic power, boosts your summon strength, and it also deals great physical damage. It’s one of the more well-rounded weapons you’ll receive in the first game. You will receive it after you lock the Keyhole in Atlantica.

• Strength+6

Fairy Harp 

The Fairy Harp is focused on players with a solid magic arsenal at this point in the game. It raises your max MP by 1, does big magic damage and ups your summon power. The physical power on its own is not all that great, but you can get some devastating critical attacks out of this weapon on occasion. You automatically acquire this one in Neverland after locking the Keyhole.

• Strenght+8
• MP+1

Miscellaneous Keyblades

Lady Luck

This Keyblade is huge for magic users as you get a max MP raise of 2, and it also enhances both your magic and summon powers significantly. In addition to this, it also deals solid physical damage as well. The Lady Luck Keyblade is found in the Lotus Forest in Wonderland.

• Strength +8
• Magic+2

Wishing Star

The Wishing Star is an optional Keyblade with a very short reach, but the value in it comes in that with every combo attack you finish, the final blow will be a critical strike. That guarantees you big damage at the end of every combo and more than makes up for its limited reach. You can get the Wishing Star from a chest at Gepetto’s House in Traverse Town right after beating the Monstro world.

• Strength+5

Divine Rose

The Divine Rose not only looks awesome, but it also is one of the best weapons you can get in the game. It’s incredibly powerful with a big boost to physical damage and has the ability to deal out multiple critical attacks in a row. You will get the Divine Rose from Belle after you speak with her in the Library in Hollow Bastion.

• Strength+13

Spellbinder

Spellbinder is another Keyblade focused on magic users. For the mages out there, this raises your MP by 2 and gives your spells, and summons a huge boost, making physical attacks not even needed with the right magic setup. In order to get it, speak with Merlin in the Magician’s Study in Traverse Town after you’ve acquired all seven of the basic level magic spells in the game. Its usefulness is doubled each time you get another set of spells, and with the high-level spells, it becomes one of the best Keyblades in the game.

• Strength+4
• MP+2

Metal Chocobo

Maybe the best-looking Keyblade in the game, the Metal Chocobo, only becomes yours after you defeat Final Fantasy VII’s Cloud in the Hercules Cup at Olympus Coliseum. Once you get it, this thing hits like a truck with huge physical power and reach to boot. Your MP will be lowered by 1, and it won’t deal with critical attacks a lot, but the base power is big enough that you won’t even have to worry about things like that.

• Strength +10
• MP -1

Lionheart

If fighting Cloud wasn’t hard enough on its own in the Hercules Cup, then you’ll find quite the challenge in acquiring Lionheart as you need to defeat both Leon and Cloud in the Hades Cup to get this weapon. The Lionheart is an even better version of the Metal Chocobo as it raises your MP by 1, gives a boost to magic power, summon strength, and on top of all that, it also does great physical damage. You’ll have to work hard to get it, but it can be a huge benefit to have this by your side in the final fights of the game.

• Strength +10
• MP +1

Diamond Dust

Diamond Dust is an incredibly powerful weapon for magic users. It provides one of the best boosts to your magic and summon power in the game, and in addition to that, it raises your MP by 3, effectively making it, so you’ll rarely run out of MP during a battle. You receive Diamond Dust after completing the Gold Match in Olympus Coliseum. This is only acquirable in the Final Mix version of Kingdom Hearts.

• Strength+3
• MP+3

One-Winged Angel

If the name wasn’t a dead giveaway, this is the Keyblade that is received after taking on the ultimate challenge in the game, Sephiroth in the Platinum Match in Olympus Coliseum. This is one of the hardest battles in all of gaming, so you’ll need a great weapon to even manage to beat him in the first place. Once you do, you’ll receive this incredibly unique weapon. The One-Winged Angel doesn’t have much to boast in terms of its base damage, but it occasionally deals out strikes that are so powerful your enemies and even bosses will go down in just a few hits. For magic users, this one is rough as it reduces your max MP by 2. You receive this in the Final Mix version of Kingdom Hearts only.

• Strength+8
• MP-2

Ultima Weapon

This is the ultimate Keyblade that Sora can attain in the first Kingdom Hearts game. It raises your max MP by 2 and possesses some crazy physical strength. In order to attain it, you need to complete an item synthesis, so it will take some work to get everything you need.

• Strength +12
• Magic +2

Kingdom Key D

This Keyblade is not actually wielded by you at all, but rather King Mickey. It is incredibly powerful, but unfortunately, you only get to witness it from afar.

Keyblade of Heart

The Keyblade of Heart is used by Rike when he is possessed by Riku. It is created after Sora’s Keyblade rejects him and is therefore not considered a real Keyblade, as the user must be chosen first. This Keyblade is wielded specifically by Riku in the first game and nobody else.

Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories

Main Keyblades

The Kingdom Key

You again start off with the basic Keyblade in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories. It’s not spectacular, but it serves to help you through the opening segments with Sora. You get this weapon as soon as the game begins.

• Strength D+

Soul Eater

This is an awesome Keyblade to start off the series’ ability to play as Riku with. It has a dark power to it and raises Riku’s strength when he wields darkness during battles. This is the starting weapon for Riku.

Oathkeeper

Oathkeeper is a well-balanced weapon overall for both physical and magic attack specialists. It comes with a very powerful thrust attack. You will receive this weapon after speaking with Namine following the defeat of The Darkside.

• Strength B

World Specific Keyblades

Lady Luck

Another returning weapon from the first game, this is a Keyblade that is incredibly well balanced and pretty easy to use. It’s not going to blow away any enemies, but it’s strong enough in all areas that it will serve you well. You can get this Keyblade in Wonderland.

• Strength C+

Olympia

Olympia is an awesome weapon to get specifically because it gives you the ability to recover quickly after card breaks in the game. These can leave you disoriented and open to big damage, so being able to bounce back from them is huge. You can get this Keyblade at the Olympus Coliseum.

• Strength C+

Three Wishes

Three Wishes is obtained in Agrabah. It wields a pretty solid attack power, but the real benefit from Three Wishes comes with the speed of its swing. It’s significantly faster than any Keyblade you’ve gotten to this point and comes in handy in some tough battles.

• Strength C+

Crabclaw

Crabclaw is once again acquired in Atlantica. It’s got a great recovery time and is a very quick weapon as well. It’s more of a tide you over kind of weapon rather than one you’ll be relying on a ton.

• Strength C

Bond of Flame

This is a special Keyblade that you’ll receive after your 2nd Halloween Town Reward is achieved. It’s incredibly powerful in its base damage, but the real benefit comes from the fire-based damage that it’s able to dish out. For bosses like Vexen, these types of Keyblades are crucial to have by your side.

• Strength A

Follow the Wind

Follow the wind is a very powerful thrust weapon with some good base damage. The big get here, though, is the short recovery time it has between card breaks, giving you the ability to not let up during your assault on an enemy. You get this after the 2nd Neverland Reward is achieved, though this is only in the PS2 version of the game.

• Strength C+

Midnight Roar

This is a well-balanced weapon that has a very strong thrust attack. It also has an incredibly short recovery time from card breaks, so you won’t be waiting around to use it again in the middle of a fight. You get this weapon as the 2nd Neverland Reward.

• Strength C+

Miscellaneous Keyblades

Oblivion

This weapon returns from the first game. It is a special attack card that completely obliterates any physical defenses. It also wields some amazing base strength as well. In order to get it, you must speak with Namine’ after defeating Larxene.

• Strength A

Spellbinder

Spellbinder is again one of the most unique and useful Keyblades in the game. In order to get it, you have to find Owl at Tigger’s Playground, and it will be in the Chest there. It is obtained in the 100 Acre Wood, and with it comes a special attack card that deals with lightning-based attacks. If you’re going up against Water enemies, this is a great card to have in your deck.

• Strength D+

Hidden Dragon

This is a unique attack card that can break through pretty much any physical defense you come across. That sounds good, but the problem is that it takes a lot of time to recover from card breaks with this one. You can acquire it by completing the Traverse Town Bounty. This is only available in the PS2 version of the game.

• Strength D+

Photon Debugger

This is a special attack card that can dish out lightning-based attacks to your enemies. You can only get this on the PS2 version of the game, and it’s the 2nd Destiny Islands Reward.

• Strength B

Maverick Flare

This is an attack card that doesn’t have any great attack power, but it finishes all of its combos with powerful attacks, making the tradeoff worth it. You get this as a reward for the Traverse Town Bounty.

•  Strength D+

Two Become One

One of the better weapons in the game, Two Become One, has a powerful thrust attack, and the ends of its combos are very powerful as well. You can get this as the 2nd Destiny Islands Reward.

• Strength B+

Ultima Weapon

This is the best weapon to be found in the game. It’s got elite strength all around, and getting it can be quite the hassle which is understandable. In order to get it, you must complete the Castle Oblivion Bounty.

• Strength A

Kingdom Hearts II

Main Keyblades

Kingdom Key

Back to Square one yet again with the Kingdom Key. This time around, though, the defense of this weapon protects you in the most dangerous moments, making it quite helpful compared to previous entries. You get this after you fight the Mysterious Enemy at the Old Mansion.

• Strength+3

Oathkeeper

Oathkeeper is a powerful magic Keyblade that greatly enhances the duration of your Drive Form. You get this as soon as you unlock the Gate in Twilight Town.

• Strength +3
• Magic+3

Gullwing

The Gullwing increases the amount of experience received from an enemy when you defeat them at a critical moment. You receive it after speaking with the Gullwings following the Battle of the 1000 Heartless in Hollow Bastion.

• Strength+3
• Magic+3

World Specific Keyblades

Hidden Dragon

This Keyblade restores your MP as you get damaged. If you have a cure spell on hand, it essentially keeps you alive indefinitely as long as you’re careful. Other than that, it has no special attributes. You get this after defeating Shan-Yu in The Land of Dragons.

• Strength+2
• Magic+2

Rumbling Rose

This Keyblade has incredible strength, and in addition to that, it gives you the ability to unleash finishers at the end of a combo in succession, creating a devastating sequence of attacks. You get this after reuniting with Beast in Beast’s Castle.

• Strength+5

Hero’s Crest

This unique Keyblade increases the damage of the finishing move you perform in the air depending on the number of moves that were in the combo. You get this after defeating the Hydra in Olympus Coliseum.

• Strength+4

Monochrome

This Keyblade increases the effect of any curative items you use on the field. It doesn’t boast any special attributes but can definitely be of great use for defensive-minded players. In order to get it, you have to complete the Timeless River.

• Strength+4

Oblivion

Oblivion is again one of the better weapons you can get in the game. It has an incredible physical attack strength, and more importantly, it allows the Drive gauge to fill up very quickly during your MP Charge. In order to get it, you have to reunite with Riku in the World That Never Was.

• Strength+6
• Magic+2

Miscellaneous Keyblades

Kingdom Key D

This is a special weapon that you can use that is only acquirable during certain points of the game. If you’re given the option “I won’t give up!” during a fight after being knocked out, select it, and you will get to use this Keyblade for the first time.

Way to the Dawn

This is Riku’s default weapon in Kingdom Heart II. He is not a playable character this time around.

Destiny’s Embrace

For the first time in the series, Kairi gets to wield a Keyblade, and although you cannot play as her just yet, it was a landmark moment in the game.

Stormfall

This weapon is not useable in the series yet, but it appears next to Aqua’s armor in the Chamber of Repose.

Ends of the Earth

This weapon is wielded by the Lingering Will boss in Kingdom Hearts II. It is incredibly powerful, suggesting this armor once belonged to a great Keyblade Master.

Star Seeker

A very unique Keyblade, this weapon increases your combo when you’re attacking in the air by one additional attack. You will receive it after talking to Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather in the Mysterious Tower.

• Strength+3
• Magic+1

Fenrir

You get this Keyblade after defeating Sephiroth in Radiant Garden. Speak to Cloud-first, then go to the Dark Depths and speak to Sephiroth. This weapon has massive strength and great range as well.

• Strength+7
• Magic+1

Two Become One

This weapon has massive strength and magic as well as a special effect to it. You can only get this in Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix after defeating Roxas in front of Memory’s Skyscraper.

• Strength+5
• Magic+4

Ultima Weapon

The most powerful weapon in the game looks, unlike any other Keyblade. It has immense power and increases your MP restoration rate as soon as you’ve run out of MP. You can only acquire it through specific Item Synthesis.

• Strength+6
• Strength+4

Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep

Main Keyblades

Ends of the Earth

This weapon gives you a solid all-around Keyblade that gives a boost to all of your stats. You get this by meeting Riku on Destiny Islands.

• Strength+5
• Magic+3

Lost Memory

This is a strength-based Keyblade that provides long reach and deals huge critical damage, which improves your normal damage after you connect with them. You get this after meeting Vanitas on Destiny Islands.

• Strength+6
• Magic+5

Chaos Ripper

This Keyblade has an extremely long reach and is massively powerful in the strength department, but it won’t do much for your magic. You get this after the tough battle with Master Eraqus.

• Strength+10
• Magic+3

Stormfall

This is a great weapon that improves all of your stats equally. You get it after meeting Sora and Riku on Destiny Islands.

• Strength+5
• Magic+4

Void Gear

This Keyblade has a huge reach and gives you a massive boost in strength. When you land a critical hit, it then increases all the damage you do following that hit. In order to acquire it, you must defeat the Vanitas Remnant.

• Strength+8
• Magic+4

Crown Unlimited

This is the most powerful Keyblade in the game; it speeds up the Command Gauge when you use it. You receive it after completing the Foresight Unto Darkness battle.

• Strength+8
• Magic+7

World Specific Keyblades

Stroke of Midnight

This Keyblade makes it way easier to land critical hits than usual. You can get this automatically after clearing the Castle of Dreams.

• Strength+2
• Magic+2

Mark of a Hero

This is a hugely powerful weapon that not only boosts your strength but also deals greater damage when you land a critical hit. You get this after clearing the Olympus Coliseum.

• Strength+5
• Magic+1

Miscellaneous Keyblades

Sweet stack

This is a somewhat absurd-looking Keyblade that gives you a huge boost in strength and guarantees every attack you do is a critical hit, giving the damage output some crazy possibilities. You get this Keyblade after making all seven kinds of Ice Cream.

• Strength+6
• Magic+4

Ultima Weapon

This has the best base strength of any weapon in the game. You can acquire it after completing the Villains’ Vendetta battle.

• Strength+7
• Magic+6

No Name

This weapon is acquired after defeating the Unknown. It’s an incredibly strong magic Keyblade that provides super long reach and a massive boost in magic power. It also makes it much easier to land critical hits.

• Strength+6
• Magic+7

Kingdom Hearts III

Main Keyblades

The Kingdom Key

These games love starting you off with this thing. Here, there are no special attributes; it’s your starting weapon.

• Strength+4
• Magic+3

Shooting Star

In order to grab this one, you have to complete the initial Twlight Town level. It’s not going to do much in the way of strength, but your magic gets a nice boost here, making it a great option early on for those who go for the ranged combat.

• Strength+3
• Magic+5

World Specific Keyblades

Hero’s Origin

This Keyblade has great physical attack power and can acquire after clearing Olympus.

• Strength+5
• Magic+2

Favorite Deputy

This goofy looking Keyblade becomes yours after you complete the Toy Box level. It has some really good strength for early on in the game and should help you in some of the initial boss battles you come across. The magic doesn’t get boosted much, but it’s still a decent increase in its power.

• Strength+6
• Magic+3

Happy Gear

This weapon can be acquired after clearing Monstropolis. It’s incredibly powerful, though magic users won’t find too much here.

• Strength+7
• Magic+3

Crystal Snow

This is one of the cooler-looking weapons in the game. Crystal Snow emphasizes magic power and can be received after you clear Arendelle.

• Strength+4
• Magic+7

Wheel of Fate

You’ll acquire this Keyblade after completing the Caribbean level. It’s got some good strength stats and gives a nice bonus to magic-users as well.

• Strength+8
• Magic+5

Nano Gear

This slick-looking weapon gives you a solid boost to strength and magic, making it well balanced compared to most Keyblades you come across. You acquire this after completing San Fransokyo.

• Strength+7
• Magic+5

Miscellaneous Keyblades

Way to the Dawn

This is the default weapon for Riku when you fight the Demon Tower. It has no special attributes.

Braveheart

You receive this after fighting Anti-Aqua and the Demon Tower as Riku.

Grand Chef

One of the best weapons in the game for the magic users out there, you can acquire it after you get Bistro to a 5 star rating.

• Strength+5
• Magic+7

Classic Tone

This is possibly the best weapon in the game, but it’s incredibly tough to find as you’ll need to gather all 23 Classic Kingdom Mini Games and play all of them as well. The strength stats here are unreal, but the magic stats manage to be even more outlandish making this a devastating weapon to have by your side.

• Strength+11
• Magic+14

Ultima Weapon

This weapon is achievable again by Item Synthesis of all 58 materials and has the best attack power in the game.

• Strength+13
• Magic+13

FAQ

Conclusion

Kingdom Hearts may only give you one weapon to play with throughout its duration, but at least they give you tons of variety of it, and depending on your playstyle and character builds, you might find your favorite Keyblade is much different than anyone else. Hopefully, this guide will help you decide how to do battle with the Heartless throughout the series.

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