The rights to the character Sora from the Kingdom Hearts video game franchise are owned by Square Enix. Sora was created by game director Tetsuya Nomura during the development of the first Kingdom Hearts game, which was a collaboration between Square Enix and Disney Interactive Studios. As the publisher of the Kingdom Hearts games, Square Enix holds the copyright on all original characters, including Sora.
When was Sora created?
Sora first appeared in the 2002 PlayStation 2 game Kingdom Hearts, which was released in Japan on March 28, 2002 and in North America on September 17, 2002. The game was developed by Square Product Development Division 1, the studio that later became Square Enix after Square’s merger with Enix in 2003.
Sora was designed by Tetsuya Nomura, who served as the director of the Kingdom Hearts series. Nomura had previously worked as a character designer for various Square games including Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy VIII. He was chosen to direct Kingdom Hearts and created Sora as an original character not based on any previous Square or Disney property.
What games has Sora appeared in?
Since his debut in the first Kingdom Hearts game, Sora has appeared as the primary playable protagonist in all the mainline numbered entries in the Kingdom Hearts series:
- Kingdom Hearts (2002)
- Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories (2004)
- Kingdom Hearts II (2005)
- Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days (2009)
- Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep (2010)
- Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance (2012)
- Kingdom Hearts III (2019)
He is also the main character in several side games and collections like Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories (2007) and Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory (2020). Overall, Sora has been a playable character in over 10 different Kingdom Hearts games and compilations.
Who owns the rights to Sora?
As an original character created specifically for the Kingdom Hearts games, Sora is owned and copyrighted by Square Enix. Square Enix holds the intellectual property rights to all elements of the Kingdom Hearts franchise, including characters, story, game design, music, etc.
Disney only licenses some of their characters like Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy to appear in the Kingdom Hearts games alongside Square Enix’s original characters. But Square Enix owns the copyrights on Sora, Riku, Kairi and other characters created for the series.
Could Sora appear in Disney or non-Kingdom Hearts games?
Because Square Enix owns Sora, Disney cannot use the character in their own games or productions without permission. Likewise, Square Enix controls the rights to have Sora appear in any non-Kingdom Hearts games.
In the early 2000s, there were plans to have Sora make cameo appearances in two Disney games, Disney Golf and Disney Tennis, but these never materialized. So far, Sora has only ever officially appeared in Kingdom Hearts branded games from Square Enix.
Theoretically, Square Enix could license Sora to appear as a guest character in a non-Kingdom Hearts game, as they have done with other Square Enix IPs like Cloud from Final Fantasy appearing in Super Smash Bros. But so far, no plans for Sora cameos outside of Kingdom Hearts have been announced.
Does Disney own any part of Sora?
No, Disney does not own any part of Sora or have any rights to solely use the character, as they do with the Disney characters like Mickey Mouse who appear in Kingdom Hearts. However, it is likely that Square Enix’s original character designs had to be approved by Disney before their inclusion in the games.
Additionally, Disney may own limited rights to Sora’s likeness when it comes to merchandise and promotion. For example, Sora appears with Disney characters at Disney Parks and some Sora themed merchandise like action figures may have required Disney approval.
But Disney does not outright own any copyright on the character or have full control over his use in non-Kingdom Hearts media. Sora is fully owned and was created by Square Enix, with Disney only having an arm’s length licensing agreement for his inclusion in the collaborative Kingdom Hearts games.
Could Disney ever buy the rights to Sora?
It is hypothetically possible that Disney could attempt to buy the rights to Sora outright from Square Enix, which would give Disney full control over the character. However, it is highly unlikely Square Enix would ever sell or give up the rights to such an iconic character from their popular franchise.
Sora is intrinsically tied to the Kingdom Hearts brand, which has sold over 37 million copies worldwide. It would be extremely unusual for Square Enix to part with such a valuable intellectual property that is so closely linked to their company’s legacy.
While anything is possible, there have been no indications that Disney has ever sought to acquire the rights to Sora from Square Enix. Sora remains a wholly owned Square Enix character created specifically for Kingdom Hearts.
Could Sora appear in Super Smash Bros?
Many fans have long hoped that Sora would be added as a playable fighter to Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros. franchise. However, this is unlikely to happen without Square Enix agreeing to license the character.
So far, Square Enix has not allowed Sora to appear in any non-Kingdom Hearts games. While Cloud from Final Fantasy VII has appeared in Smash Bros., licensing an iconic character like Sora would likely come with more conditions from Square Enix.
Director Masahiro Sakurai has said he considered adding Sora to the roster but that negotiations with Disney made it difficult. This implies that Square Enix and Disney would both need to provide license approval for Sora to join Smash Bros.
Though not impossible, the legal web of rights surrounding Sora currently makes his inclusion in cross-over games like Smash Bros. highly improbable without significant deals between multiple companies.
Conclusion
In summary, Sora was created and is fully owned by Square Enix as an original character for the Kingdom Hearts franchise. Disney merely licenses their characters for inclusion in the games. While Disney likely has some limited approval rights for Sora’s likeness, they do not own any part of the intellectual property.
Square Enix fully controls Sora’s appearance in non-Kingdom Hearts games, though he has yet to officially appear outside the franchise. It is unlikely Disney could ever buy the rights to Sora outright, as he is too intrinsically tied to Square Enix’s legacy. So while fans may dream of seeing Sora in games like Super Smash Bros., significant legal and licensing deals would need to be struck between multiple parties first.
