After so many years, a Kingdom Hearts anime is finally coming. Coco actor Benjamin Bratt revealed an upcoming Kingdom Hearts anime during D23 2026’s Disney Entertainment Showcase panel. Tetsuya Nomura and Square Enix will be working on the project, but it is unclear in what capacity exactly. The Kingdom Hearts anime will air on Disney Channel, as well as stream on Disney+, and is allegedly “coming soon” based on the series’ official poster. With Kingdom Hearts IV scheduled to release next year, the Kingdom Hearts anime could very well air this year.
Disney has described the Kingdom Hearts anime as a reimagining of “the iconic adventure,” set to feature “a brand-new story that will expand on the universe of ‘Kingdom Hearts’ while celebrating the characters that have captured the hearts of millions of fans around the world.” It’s unclear if the “reimagine” wording means the anime will be a reboot, set in an alternate continuity, or a canon side story, but either way, the Kingdom Hearts franchise has been long overdue for an anime.
The Kingdom Hearts Anime is Shrouded in Mystery
Ushering in a new era for the franchise, the Kingdom Hearts anime is currently shrouded in mystery. Next to nothing is known about the series. All that’s been revealed is art of a young man holding a Keyblade. His clothing indicates the anime may be a prequel set long before the events of the main series. Disney’s official post on X seems to back this up, reading, “Ready for a new adventure? 💛 An original Kingdom Hearts anime series inspired by the beloved video game franchise is coming soon to @DisneyChannel and @DisneyPlus.”
Calling the anime “a new adventure” and “original” would suggest the series will not remake or adapt Sora’s adventure from the video games. Kingdom Hearts has a rich backstory and lore worth exploring, but it’s getting hard to parse everything between countless spin-offs and mobile games. The Kingdom Hearts anime could be a way to simplify and introduce lore details that’ll be important in Kingdom Hearts IV to more casual fans who haven’t kept up with the non-console releases.
The fact that the Kingdom Hearts anime is “coming soon” is very promising. Square Enix has really been building up the hype for Kingdom Hearts IV as of late, and a TV series with mass appeal will get more people interested once the long-awaited sequel releases in 2027. The Kingdom Hearts anime could come as early as the Fall Anime season, but Winter 2026 seems most realistic considering we haven’t seen anything beyond promo art of someone who may or may not be the series’ protagonist.
- Engine
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Unreal Engine 5
- Franchise
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Kingdom Hearts