A Kingdom Hearts animated show is on the way.
Alongside its Kingdom Hearts 4 release window and Coco world reveal, Disney used Friday's D23 Entertainment Showcase to confirm a new format for the franchise entirely: an anime series, greenlit for Disney Channel and Disney+.
The news was announced on stage by actor Benjamin Bratt, who is also voicing Ernesto de la Cruz in Kingdom Hearts 4's Coco-inspired world.
Currently going by the working title Kingdom Hearts, the show is being developed in partnership with series creator Tetsuya Nomura and the wider Square Enix creative team, and will tell a new story set within the existing Kingdom Hearts universe rather than directly adapting the games.
A first-look teaser image was shown at the event, featuring Sora and his Keyblade, though no cast, episode count or release date has been confirmed yet.
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 pic.twitter.com/ZJMl3LS4yr
Disney Kids & Family president Ayo Davis said in a statement that the new series is being built to ensure it is "unmistakably Kingdom Hearts" while giving new fans a fresh way to experience the world.
It's the first time the nearly 25-year-old franchise – a joint effort between Disney and Square Enix since the original PS2 game in 2002 – has been adapted into a television series.
Earlier today, we reported that Kingdom Hearts 4 finally has a release window: late 2027. The window puts Kingdom Hearts 4 on track to arrive on Nintendo Switch 2, PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC around the series' Western 25th anniversary.
