• Hello everybody! We have tons of new awards for the new year that can be requested through our Awards System thanks to Antifa Lockhart! Some are limited-time awards so go claim them before they are gone forever...

    CLICK HERE FOR AWARDS

What would you change about the KH1 story?



REGISTER TO REMOVE ADS

magic713

Active member
Joined
Dec 3, 2009
Messages
257
Awards
4
Location
Bald Mountain
So I was thinking of holding this discussion, with one post for each game of the saga. So what in your personal opinion can be improve about the first game of the series. Be it something minor like lines changes. Maybe something major like add or taking a character away, reworking one of the stories, changing something about a character (Villain or Hero). So voice your opinion what can be improved. Or maybe you enjoy the game as is and don't want to change it all.

For me, I think the story was perfect as a first game. The story was simple, with fanservice for both Disney and Final Fantasy fans. Introduced the hero and characters. I liked the Disney worlds' story structure here the best, where the story is not the source material movie storyline. Overall, a pretty solid story.
 

Zettaflare

Shibuya
Joined
Jan 2, 2013
Messages
11,819
Awards
5
Location
California
I'd probably make Kairi playable before she went into a coma. That was one of Nomura's ideas during the development phase of the first game.

Maybe after the destruction of the Islands she would of ended up in one of the Disney worlds were we would play as her briefly
 

Soldier

Well-known member
Joined
May 14, 2017
Messages
1,718
Awards
10
Location
East Coast, USA
A change to the Neverland story would be nice, even though I say this a lot. I think there was untapped potential in Neverland, though that is not to say I didn't like the world (I did). They could've followed the movie more closely and have Sora look in on John and Michael reenacting Pan's fights with Hook, and reminisce about how he used to play fight with Riku. Something like that would've added more emotional firepower to the story which in a game like KINGDOM HEARTS, which is heavily based in emotional scenes, would always be a welcome addition.
 

Elysium

Be Wiser Than the Serpent
Joined
Nov 4, 2012
Messages
3,772
Awards
37
I wouldn't make any major changes, mostly superficial ones, since I think KH1 is one of the few KH games that's perfect.

- Ariel would be PoH instead of Alice. When Ursula steals the trident and gives her whole speech before SDG arrive ("Time for a little journey, to the dark world of the Heartless..."), she turns Ariel human and sends her through a dark portal to Hollow Bastion. Basically giving Ariel what she wanted in a twisted way.
- I would've added the Evil Queen to Maleficent's group, as a character residing at Hollow Bastion with Maleficent because they'd already destroyed the SW and SB worlds. They would have used the Mirror to find the PoHs. When you get to HB, you fight the Queen and the Mirror before you can reach Maleficent.
- Perhaps have Madame Mim as part of Maleficent's group, too, and use her for the Traverse Town Second Visit boss instead of Opposite Guard Armor? I always thought she'd fit well appearing in that world since Merlin was there already.
- I'd make Kairi a party member for the second visit to Hollow Bastion (Beast would be the party member for the first half and the one you use when you're randomly visiting HB post-world).
 
Last edited:
D

Deleted member 246005

Guest
The Seeker of Darkness should pop up in the Disney worlds more often. He should be working with Maleficent's cabal. Just stick him in the worlds Riku doesn't pop up in.

You could have Sora and the others chase after him through the Disney worlds. It could be like the 2nd visits in KH2.

Kairi should be a boss fight in Destiny Islands. It always felt weird that she wasn't.

I'd stick her with Leon at the end of the game. Staying with Leon and the others offers more opportunities for character development than going back to Destiny Islands.

In the middle of the game, she could have a stage in Sora’s subconscious. It's like Psychonauts or Inside Out.

I don't really know what else to do with her because KH1 doesn't really allow her much wiggle room.

A big What If? Is her becoming a regular nobody working for the Organization. Sora has to get between her and Riku Civil War style. The Organization is the lesser of two evils and also offers more opportunities for characterization for Kairi. She desperately needs it.
 

magic713

Active member
Joined
Dec 3, 2009
Messages
257
Awards
4
Location
Bald Mountain
Technically this is bleeding into CoM, but maybe Riku could have appeared in more Disney Worlds, or influence events in them, pre-possession, if only to give him more guilt fuel for CoM later.
 
Last edited:

shivaa

New member
Joined
Jan 17, 2019
Messages
24
Awards
2
To be honest, I would like change a lot of things.
 
Last edited:

Grey Skies

Member
Joined
Mar 16, 2020
Messages
79
Awards
1
I agree with a lot of the stuff I've already seen so far.

I would give more context to the Guard Armor and Opposite Armor. As it is, they just appear, and it's kind of awkward. I'd give an NPC a throwaway line about Maleficent experimenting with summoning more powerful heartless, or giant heartless sometimes appearing in the second and third districts.

I would make Hook's Ship the second part of a Neverland world. The story would be pretty much exactly the same in the ship, but the player would get to explore Neverland and do some fun stuff before going into the boss gauntlet. It would logically involve Peter Pan recruiting the party to get Wendy back from the Pirates.

I would make Kairi a boss on Destiny Islands, and I'd make her a party member in the second visit to Hollow Bastion, as well as in End of the World. Her strength can even be explained by stating that while Sora was learning to fight, she was too. It just seemed really awkward that she was willing to stay behind after swearing she would fight to protect Sora and find Riku.

A very substantial change to the game I would suggest, but not so seriously, is that Sora stay dead after his sacrifice, and that Kairi take his role and finish the game. It sure would be a memorable and a shocking twist. It could be an optional end to the game.

I would make Riku a bigger part of the final battle, fighting from the inside, similar to Aqua's fight with Terra-Xehanort at the end of BBS.

I would give clearer foreshadowing to Kairi being inside Sora. Him having hallucinations of her was great, but he kind of seemed like he was just so desperate to find her that he hallucinated about her. Maybe give him snippets of Kairi's personality at times.

But really, the biggest problem I have with the story is how illogical it was for Kairi to not be a party member once she was alive and well again.
 

disney233

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 3, 2015
Messages
1,161
Awards
2
Age
26
- Ariel as a Princess of Hearts. I get that not all Princesses have to be royalty and all that to be a PoH, but there's something more...fitting for Ariel to be a Princess instead of Alice.

- Someone already mentioned it before, but GIVE THE MAGIC MIRROR TO MALEFICENT. It'd be perfect for her goals to find the remaining PoH. Then, when Maleficent's defeated, either Sora or Riku has to fight to take possession of the Mirror, and it evidently goes to Yen Sid, for the Guardians.

- Honest John & Gideon as maybe spies that gives Maleficent info on what's going on with Sora & the gang of Traverse Town. If not, then maybe introduce Pete earlier instead of later in 2.

- Have a party of 5 instead of the trio we know. I'd like the idea for Minnie & Daisy to join Donald & Goofy to find Mickey. Minnie's a White Mage & Daisy could be maybe...I'm thinking Alchemist instead of another Mage. It helps gives the main Mickey Mouse cast some importance instead of just being hauled up in the castle. And Pluto? Maybe have him travel with Riku or Kairi.

- Alongside the 5, I kinda had the idea of Genie & Tink joining the party instead of being...just summons. Doesn't really make sense to me that they're just...there, too I guess, in comparison to the actual summoning stones.

- Another idea I had was teasing the Organization in the middle of the game instead of just...Xemnas near the literal end. Have a few cutscenes in Halloween Town in regards to Finklestein being confronted (again) by a mysterious figure in a black coat (Vexen,) Vexen has an interest in Finklestein, in regards to how he can so easily create artificial life, and best of all, equip them with a heart. Vexen wishes to borrow a few research papers from Finklestein, so that he may start on the Organization's big project...the Replica Program.

- The scene with the Heartless dogpiling Kairi & Sora....THAT SHOULD be the moment that Kairi gets her Keyblade...instead of Riku just fucking...giving it to her, out of fucking nowhere. It helps sets up an adventure on her own, and be equal in Sora & Riku's strength...instead of being resorted to training duty THIS far into the game.

- Perhaps maybe give the Chernabog more importance than just being there at the End of the World. I remember having an idea of someone gathering 7 relics to awaken him from his slumber so that they may control him, or even share his power. I believe the person I thought up for this idea is...maybe Garland, so that he could absorb Chernabog's power to transform into Chaos.

Ya'll don't understand, there are SO many ideas I had for one.
 
Last edited:
Joined
Oct 11, 2015
Messages
3,353
Awards
21
Location
Saberworld
Have Potato Ansem show up in more worlds talking to Riku or whatever.

Bring back the Crumbling Island segment with the fourth "Riku" battle. He'd have more moves incorporating Ansem's corruption and the Guardian. Riku's gone. Ansem is using his body like a deranged meat puppet and he's fuckin' enjoying beating the crap outta you with it, saying things Riku would say in a more twisted manner. A true disturbing call back to your first battle with Riku on the Islands.

And a more big change: Make Leon and Yuffie your official party members alongside Donald and Goofy. Outside of Cid, they're the first people Sora comes into contact with and they're the ones who tell him about the Keyblade and the Heartless. Not to mention how they in KH1 believe that Ansem SoD was the ruler of Radiant Garden and thus was the one who led it to destruction, so they'd want payback or smth.
 

Grey Skies

Member
Joined
Mar 16, 2020
Messages
79
Awards
1
Another big change that could be good is axing the plot point of Kairi's heart going into Sora right at the beginning of the story. Have both of them look leave the islands and look for Riku. This could offer more character development, more character interactions, and less hatred for Kairi.

Or (I kid), make Kairi male and then the fandom won't be so hard on the character.

You may notice many of the suggestions in this thread involve Kairi. The writers came close to doing the character some justice, but missed the mark, and it really sticks out as part of the story that could have been much better and make more sense.

Another change I would make in order for people to understand Ansem's backstory better is to have the FF gang talk about him more before you go to Hollow Bastion. I want to hear more about what kind of ruler he was, maybe even see a picture of him, and then have this fresh in my mind before meeting him and seeing just how badly he was corrupted.

On the topic of Hollow Bastion, I'd start the level with a brief section in the destroyed town of Radiant Garden to show players what happened here, and also to show that this world is not just a castle surrounded by water. Actually, it could even be a cutscene.

I would also add an Ansem's report that can be found in that one freaky chamber of the Hollow Bastion section of End of the World, and make it clearer to players exactly what the machine does and what happened there.
 

Zackarix

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 12, 2021
Messages
407
Awards
3
- Ariel would be PoH instead of Alice. When Ursula steals the trident and gives her whole speech before SDG arrive ("Time for a little journey, to the dark world of the Heartless..."), she turns Ariel human and sends her through a dark portal to Hollow Bastion. Basically giving Ariel what she wanted in a twisted way.
- Ariel as a Princess of Hearts. I get that not all Princesses have to be royalty and all that to be a PoH, but there's something more...fitting for Ariel to be a Princess instead of Alice.
Why is it that whenever I see the "Ariel should have been a Princess of Heart!" claims it's always Alice that gets booted out to make room? Doing so would greatly damage the introduction of the PoH plotline and make Wonderland into filler. I think Ariel's story in KH1 is perfect as is and making her a PoH would only weaken it, but if I absolutely had to make her a PoH it would make more sense for her to replace Snow White, Cinderella, or Aurora - they're the ones who had the least amount of impact on the plot, so it would be easier to write them out.

I understand the complaints about Neverland, but there's a reason it's just Hook's ship: they were running out of development time Neverland itself might have too much in common with Deep Jungle. Therefore, the easiest fix would be to change the name of the world from Neverland to the Jolly Roger.

I would have Kairi sent to Hollow Bastion at the end of the game instead of being sent home to live a normal life at the Destiny Islands. That would put her in a much better position to become involved in the sequel.
 

redcrown

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 21, 2015
Messages
1,005
Awards
6
Ansem is using his body like a deranged meat puppet and he's fuckin' enjoying beating the crap outta you with it, saying things Riku would say in a more twisted manner. A true disturbing call back to your first battle with Riku on the Islands.
Wasn't that already happening with the Riku-Ansem vs Sora battle in Hollow Bastion? Not that I'm against using the Crumbling Island battle, it looked so cool and prime for more Ansem mocking Sora using Riku's body and knowledge of his downfall.
 

MATGSY

Silver Member
Joined
Nov 28, 2005
Messages
6,782
Awards
8
Why is it that whenever I see the "Ariel should have been a Princess of Heart!" claims it's always Alice that gets booted out to make room? Doing so would greatly damage the introduction of the PoH plotline and make Wonderland into filler. I think Ariel's story in KH1 is perfect as is and making her a PoH would only weaken it, but if I absolutely had to make her a PoH it would make more sense for her to replace Snow White, Cinderella, or Aurora - they're the ones who had the least amount of impact on the plot, so it would be easier to write them out.
They could just not have Wonderland in KH1, replace it with a Snow White or Cinderella world. Those worlds were planned for KH1 but were cut. Changing the PoH would likely effect the decision process on which worlds got axed. & let's be frank, Wonderland was handled poorly anyway. The Bizarre Room is like they mashed two different locations together, the Mad Hatter doesn't appear, the entire beach segment was missing, & what was even up with the literal skybox?

& then there's the power of hindsight. The film ends with the reveal that it was all just a dream, so in retrospect Wonderland would've been better suited for DDD.
 
Last edited:

Zackarix

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 12, 2021
Messages
407
Awards
3
Wonderland isn't perfect, but I don't think any world in KH1 is. It's still a charming world with more personality than a Snow White or Cinderella world have had, which is probably why they chose Wonderland over other worlds they considered. I think that the Skybox was an attempt to get a storybook feel? But you're right, it was weird. And if anything there being parts that weren't adapted just means that the world should have returned in KH2.

Do people really hate Alice so much that they'd choose to axe her entire world over booting one of the less important PoH?
 

KudoTsurugi

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 14, 2017
Messages
725
Awards
12
I guess one thing I would change is have Sora and Kairi interact more during the time she’s inside his heart. Like whenever Sora is alone or separate from other people or even dreaming, he’d hear Kairi from somewhere and they’d talk a bit. He can’t see her, but she could see him, and offer a little help. Neither of them knowing quite what their situation is until the infamous scene in with Riku-Ansem.
 

kirabook

Bronze Member
Joined
Jan 4, 2010
Messages
1,669
Awards
4
Location
RoL
Fix the translation error focusing on one and only keyblade master
 

Pestilence

Member
Joined
Feb 4, 2010
Messages
352
Awards
4
Age
33
Location
Finland
Kinda nitpicky and I don't know the exact details how I would do it but I would put Jafar as a boss towards much later in the game. Optimally as the penultimate Disney villain to fall before Maleficent.

In silly powerlevel logic in my head it was always weird to me how Jafar is the first one to fall and a mook like Captain Hook is towards late game. Basically I would either swap Agrabah visit to be after Neverland or Jafar boss fight to happen at Hollow Bastion.
 
Back
Top