Kingdom Hearts Anime Coming to Disney+ and Disney Channel | Pixel Twelve
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Kingdom Hearts Anime Is Coming to Disney+ With a Brand-New Story
A new Kingdom Hearts anime is coming to Disney+ and Disney Channel with an original story, Tetsuya Nomura involved, and no release date yet. Here is what D23 confirmed.
By Pixel Twelve StaffAug 16, 2026
Kingdom Hearts fans just got a surprise that is bigger than another mysterious trailer: the series is getting an original anime for Disney+ and Disney Channel. The announcement came during D23 on August 15, and it promises a brand-new story instead of a straight retelling of one of the games.
Disney has only said the project is “coming soon,” so there is no release date yet. The first report from Variety and the D23 update from GamesRadar+ agree on the part fans can actually hold onto right now: this is a real animated series in development, but most of the details are still locked away.
That is a very Kingdom Hearts way to announce a show. We have a Keyblade, a mysterious figure, and just enough information to start asking a hundred questions.
Kingdom Hearts Is Getting an Original Anime
The new series will tell an original story in the Kingdom Hearts universe. It is not being presented as an adaptation of Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts II, or Kingdom Hearts III, and Disney has not said that it will retell Sora’s complete journey. The official Kingdom Hearts account’s announcement points fans toward a new adventure for both Disney Channel and Disney+; you can read the official message here.
For anyone who has somehow avoided the franchise, Kingdom Hearts is the action-RPG series that mixes Square Enix characters and storytelling with Disney worlds. Sora travels with Donald Duck and Goofy, fights creatures called Heartless, and uses a Keyblade while trying to keep his friends—and several entire worlds—from being swallowed by darkness. The series has a lot of lore, but its emotional center is simple: finding people you care about and refusing to let go.
The first key art gives fans a closer look at the unnamed Keyblade wielder. Image: Disney/Square Enix, via Variety.
The series is being developed with Tetsuya Nomura and the creative team at Square Enix. Nomura co-created Kingdom Hearts and has directed several of its games, so his involvement puts a familiar name close to the project. Disney has not announced the animation studio, episode count, voice cast, or a release window.
Nomura’s message, as reported by GamesRadar+, says he has been in close discussions with the scenario team and that the Kingdom Hearts IV art team created multiple new character designs specifically for the anime. That detail comes from the official Kingdom Hearts post and the trade coverage around it—not from a fan theory.
The project was revealed during a D23 weekend that also gave Kingdom Hearts IV its own spotlight. The official D23 programming page listed the franchise’s deep-dive event as part of its 25th anniversary celebration.
Nomura Is Asking Fans to Guess
The first artwork shows a long-haired character holding a Keyblade, but the image does not identify them. Nomura says the hint is in the art and tells fans to “let your imaginations run wild,” which is exciting and extremely unhelpful in the way only Kingdom Hearts can be. The follow-up report from GamesRadar+ makes clear that he did not reveal the character’s name, timeline, or connection to Sora.
So far, there is no confirmation that Sora is the lead, that the anime takes place before the first game, or that it will explain the next chapter of the main saga. The character could be new, familiar, or connected to a part of the universe the games have only shown in passing. Those are fun possibilities, but they are still possibilities.
Kingdom Hearts IV is a separate game project, but its art team is also helping with the new anime. Image: Square Enix and Disney/Pixar.
How the Anime Connects to Kingdom Hearts IV
The anime and Kingdom Hearts IV are separate projects. The game is still the next mainline entry, while the show is a new animated story that expands the wider universe. The connection is the creative team: Nomura and members of the Kingdom Hearts IV development team are involved with the anime’s early designs and story work.
Kingdom Hearts IV recently received a late 2027 release window and a playable Coco world at D23. Our Kingdom Hearts IV coverage has the confirmed platforms, trailer details, and the difference between what Square Enix showed and what fans are still guessing.
The D23 coverage also included the Coco world report from Polygon, which helps show how much of the weekend was focused on expanding the Kingdom Hearts universe.
Why This Could Be a Great Starting Point for New Fans
Kingdom Hearts can be intimidating when a newcomer sees a list of numbered games, side stories, mobile chapters, time-travel rules, and characters who sometimes have three names. An original anime could give viewers a cleaner doorway into the Disney and Square Enix crossover without requiring a homework checklist first.
That is not a promise from Disney, and the show could still become just as mysterious as the games. But a new story gives the writers room to introduce the Keyblade, the worlds, and the rules in a way that makes sense on its own. For longtime fans, it could also open a corner of the universe that the games have not had time to explore.
The official Square Enix overview of Kingdom Hearts is a useful refresher for anyone who remembers the Disney worlds but needs a quick reminder of how the action-RPG side fits in.
Kingdom Hearts Anime Release Date and What We Still Do Not Know
The Kingdom Hearts anime does not have a release date yet. Disney has only said it is coming soon to Disney+ and Disney Channel. There is also no confirmed episode count, animation studio, voice cast, story setting, or announcement that Sora will appear.
The next useful update will probably be a longer piece of key art, a character reveal, or a production detail that tells us where this story sits in the timeline. Until then, the safest version of the news is also the most exciting one: Kingdom Hearts is getting a new animated adventure, and even Nomura wants fans to guess what the first image means.
If you want to follow the rest of the D23 announcements, our D23 viewing guide collects the Disney+ schedule and the panels fans could watch from home.
Who do you think the mysterious Keyblade wielder is? And would you rather see a brand-new hero or a familiar face from the games?
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