Kingdom Hearts 3 was a groundbreaking release in the franchise—and it was well worth the 6-year wait after KH2. Combining familiar faces like Winnie the Pooh and Hercules with newer characters like Elsa and Anna from Frozen, KH3 is a breath of fresh air.
As you explore the expansive, colorful world of KH3, you’ll be rewarded with various keyblades. In this article, we’ll go over all the Keyblades you should keep under your belt in your fights against the Heartless—as well as the ones that are better left in the Keyblade Graveyard.
16. Kingdom Key
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Ahh, yes–the classic Kingdom Key. This iconic weapon is Sora’s standard-issue Keyblade, and has been with him since Destiny Islands was engulfed in darkness. This Keyblade boasts a pleasant balance between Magic and Strength, and brings along with it the Treasure Magnet ability. While that may be useful to some players in the beginning of the game, you’re bound to find something better later on.
Pros: Great starting stats, Treasure Magnet viable early on
Cons: Standard-issue, other keyblades found early on in the game have better stats
15. Hero's Origin
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After completing Olympus, you’re gifted with Hero’s Origin. It’s a tad bit stronger than the Kingdom Key, coming in at 5 base strength–but that small increase is at the expense of a lower magic stat of 3. If you’re more of a physical player-–blocking off attacks and whacking enemies around with the weapon itself-–this is a great upgrade for you! Otherwise, you might want to either stick with the Kingdom Key, or wait until something better comes along.
Pros: great Strength-based keyblade for being given so early in the game, Defender stats help with physical attacks
Cons: lacking in Magic, remains one of the bottom keyblades stats-wise
14. Shooting Star
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Beginner Magic users, this one’s for you! At the end of Twilight Town’s story, you’ll obtain the Shooting Star. Its stats are basically that of Hero’s Origin, but flipped–coming in at 5 Magic and 3 Strength. If you love roasting your enemies with Fire and battering them with Water, this keyblade might be just what you’re looking for. While Hero’s Origin appeals to Strength users, this one is better for Magic players. However, just like the previous two weapons, Shooting Star is found relatively early on. Because of this, we’re ranking it as the third worst.
Pros: Great for magic, MP Haste assists in quickly regenerating Mana
Cons: Lacks Strength
13. Starlight
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So, it turns out that not all of the weakest Keyblades are found early in the game. Later on in KH3, Starlight can be earned after completing five minigames via Kingdom Hearts Union X, and its stats are… surprisingly disappointing. To give it the benefit of the doubt, it does have MP Haste, allowing Sora to gain more MP by attacking monsters. This ability doesn’t quite justify its low stats, though.
Pros: Better than early-game keyblades by a long shot, MP Haste assists in regenerating Mana
Cons: stats are extremely low for a Keyblade found so late in the game
Completing the Hunny Acre woods will reward you with the Hunny Spout. While this may be the most adorable Keyblade in the game, it’s unfortunately not among the best. If you’re someone who enjoys cooking, too, this would be the best Keyblade in that sense. Though it does have three Shotlocks-–the only Keyblade to have that many except for Starlight-–it doesn’t quite have the punch needed to land at the top. Its Form Change attacks are quite strong, though, making it a great option for a side weapon.
Pros: great for cooking, is one of the two keyblades that has three Shotlocks, powerful Form Changes
Cons: lacking in damage-dealing capabilities
11. Crystal Snow
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Boasting a unique ability called Freeze Guard, Crystal Snow is earned through finishing Arendelle’s story. Because of the aforementioned ability,Sora is protected from being frozen over. As long as you’re wielding it, you’ll never have to worry about taking three times the damage from that debuff ever again!
The Form Change provides a buff in melee strength, and it has a finisher that turns close-range enemies into ice. It’s great when dealing with swarms of enemies close-up, but that might be its only redeeming quality, landing it at 11th place.
Pros: Freeze ability useful on occasion, great melee finisher
Cons: Not too useful outside of Arendelle
10. Happy Gear
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After hanging out with Sully and Mike Wazowski in Monstropolis, you’re able to wield Happy Gear. With 7 Strength and 3 Magic, it’s evidently geared more towards physical attacks, and it really shines when using its Form Change. Assault Claw is a great, ranged attack with a large AoE, which allows you to barrel down enemies, be itnear or far. Twin Yo-Yo transforms the Keyblade into two giant yo-yos lined with sharp gears, making it a powerful tool to use against those high-HP boss monsters.
Pros: Form Change abilities incredibly useful in both close- and long-range
Cons: Low Magic stat
9. Grand Chef
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Grand Chef is one of the late-game Keyblades-–you can get it after acquiring and cooking all known recipes at the Little Bistro in Twilight Town. This keychain has Wizard’s Ruse, a rare ability found on only two other weapons, which allows Sora to recover HP when casting spells. This is a great tool to use if you find yourself getting slapped around a bit too much—rightfully earning its place amongst the top 10 Keyblades.
Pros: Wizard’s Ruse is a rare ability, effect can prove useful in battles
Another pleasantly balanced Keyblade! This weapon is perfect for those wanting to utilize both magic and physical attacks. Acquired from San Fransokyo, Nano Gear’s Form Change alters it into Nano Bots that are able to consecutively smash your enemies. It also comes equipped with a finisher that deals heavy damage in a large area surrounding you, Making it an excellent weapon for bosses and groups of enemies.
Pros: Well-balanced stats to appeal to all builds, great Form Change abilities
Cons: Stats are similar or lower to Keyblades found already
7. Favorite Deputy
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Deciding where Favorite Deputy belonged on this list was admittedly a little tough.. For acquiring this weapon so early in the game (after completing Toy Box) it really is one of the best. If you’re looking to synthesize materials, Favorite Deputy’s Lucky Strike ability is vital. It’s also able to take out swarms of enemies using its Form Change ability, which transforms the weapon into an oversized toy hammer. For those who prefer strength over magic, this is a wonderful early-game weapon for you.
Pros: Lucky Strike extremely useful for material synthesizing, strong Form Change ability with great Strength stat
Cons: Not the best weapon for Magic users
6. Ever After
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Counterpart to Favorite Deputy in its stats, this fairytale-looking Keyblade is gifted to you after completing the Kingdom of Corona story, and it’s got a high Magic Stat of 7 for all those magic users out there. Using its Form Change ability will cause this keyblade to swing in a large arc, providing the opportunity to slam larger opponents multiple times for extra damage. On top of that, Ever After has an ability called “Leaf Bracer,” which protects Sora from being staggered while using any of Cure’s variants. Very helpful in a pinch! Just make sure you’ve equipped MP Haste on the side to prevent your mana from running low.
Pros: high Magic state for magic builds, Leaf Bracer extremely useful for Cure skills (getting staggered is never fun!)
Cons: lacking in Strength stat
5. Wheel of Fate
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Once you brave the seas of the Caribbean, the Wheel of Fate is yours! It’s another late-game keyblade with a strong build of 8 Strength and 5 Magic. It permanently unlocks the Waterza ability, so you’ll be able to wipe out your foes with strong blasts of water. Definitely one of the strongest Keyblades, rightfully earning 5th place on the list.
Pros: permanently unlocks Waterza, excels in Strength
Cons: slightly lower Magic Stat (but may be a useful tradeoff for Waterza)
4. Classic Tone
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Classic Tone isn’t earned through the main story—you’ll have to complete all 23 minigames through the Gummi Phone. It has a whopping three MP Haste abilities equipped to it, so you can bid farewell to all of your mana woes, and he-lloooo to casting powerful magic abilities back to back. Classic Tone stands as one of the most powerful single-target heavy hitters, utilizing its form change to demolish those Heartless, one by one.
Pros: MP haste abilities allow for casting multiple powerful spells back to back without worrying too much about MP consumption, great for single-targeting
Cons: strays from main story, may not be the best for multi-targeting enemies
This Keyblade is as familiar as it is tough to get. In order to wield the Oathkeeper, you’ll need to trade a Proof of Promise to a Moogle. Proof of Promise is obtained by acquiring all 90 Lucky Emblems (on any game difficulty). Fear not, though! This weapon is totally worth it. A combination of 12 Strength and 12 Magic will have you plowing through enemies like nothing. Oathkeeper also unlocks the Light Form ability, giving you a plethora of skills at your disposal. For this reason, Oathkeeper lands its place within the Top 3 Keyblades.
Pros: wildly powerful, balanced strength and magic allows for massive combos, dual-wielding and Light Form unlocked
The dark counterpart to Oathkeeper, Oblivion boasts the same stats (12 Strength, 12 Magic) and is as devastating as it is cool. Similar to Oathkeeper, you’ll need to trade in a Proof of Times Past to a Moogle. This is obtained by playing through the entire game on the dreaded (or simply challenging, depending on your playstyle) Critical Mode—meaning all enemies are buffed in HP and damage, and Sora’s default HP and MP are cut in half. If you’re up to this challenge, you’ll be rewarded with the second best Keyblade in the game (both in power and in looks!)
Pros: insane stats similar to Oathkeeper, classic (and iconic) Keyblade
Cons: conditions to acquire may prove very challenging
Fans of previous games in the franchise will recognize this one. As expected, the Ultima Weapon is hands down the number one Keyblade in the game. Very similar to acquiring it in previous games, you’ll need 58 types of Synthesis Materials—which will give you the recipe—collect 7 Orichalum+, as well as 2 Wellspring Gems, 2 Pulsing Crystals, and 2 Lucid Crystals.
With 13 Strength and 13 Magic, you’ll be mowing your enemies down without much trouble. While it excels in melee combos utilizing Combo Boost and Air Boost, Magic users can equip accessories to make this Keyblade just as dangerous. After Form Changing into the Ultimate Form, Sora will be dishing out massive attacks with devastating damage—so make sure to take full advantage of this impressive weapon!
Pros: The strongest Keyblade in the game, insane combo abilities
Cons: Lots of synthesizing and gathering materials involved, time-consuming
And there you have it! The Keyblades have been ranked Worst to Best, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take advantage of the many loadouts Kingdom Hearts 3 has to offer. Whatever your playstyle is, we hope this list has given you some insight on how you can best fight the Heartless!
Residing in the tropics of south Texas, nature-enthusiast Jordan spends time with her two feline familiars, reading tomes of knowledge and sipping dandelion tea.
