Optimizing which skills to put at the top of your priority list may be the difference in winning boss fights throughout Kingdom Hearts 3. You might be wondering, though: when exactly do I obtain the best of these skills? Look no further! This article lists the skills you should be thinking about keeping under your belt, and when you’ll learn them.

10. Aerial Recovery

You’re fighting a particularly hard boss. Everything is going spectacular, and you’re lining up your finishing combo to rid the world of that Heartless once and for all. But suddenly—wham!---you’re knocked into the air, interrupting your flow and suspending you in a vulnerable position. Lucky you, though; Aerial Recovery comes to the rescue! This skill allows Sora to do something of a somersault midair, making for a smooth, quick recovery. Rather than be open to any further attacks, Sora will gracefully stick the landing, allowing you to continue your combo.

Why Aerial Recovery is Great:

• Quickly reorients Sora in a fight
• Acts as an i-frame
• Easy to get

Aerial Recovery details:

• Comes as a default skill if playing KH3 Re:Mind; OR
• Obtained after ridding Andy's House of Heartless in the Toy Story world
• Costs 2 AP to equip
• Hotkeyed to O and X

9. MP Haste

For Magic users in, MP Haste is a must. Using it allows Sora to rapidly regenerate MP, which is essential for casting spells! Regardless of what Power you chose at the beginning of the game, you’ll receive this skill quite early on—earning it a spot on this list!

What's great about MP Haste:

• Quickly regenerates MP
• Allows for quicker casting of spells
• Upgraded abilities can prove ridiculously useful, especially in later game

MP Haste details:

• Obtained at:
  • Lv. 4 with Power of the Mystic
  • Lv. 6 with Power of the Warrior
  • Lv. 12 with Power of the Guardian
• Comes as a default ability for certain Keyblades and accessories

8. Counter Kick

Is there anything more satisfying than delivering a swift, well-deserved kick to your enemy’s face? Counter Kick is here to deliver! This ability is triggered after successfully blocking an enemy attack, and is great when trying to deliver a little extra punch while being on the defense.

What's great about Counter Kick:

• Inflicts solid damage
• Easily usable--all you gotta do is block!
• Relatively easy to obtain

Counter Kick details:

• Costs 4 AP to equip
• Press X after a successful block to use
• Cannot be equipped with other reprisal skills (choose wisely!)
• Obtained after clearing the Anchor Raiders in Davy Jones' Locker

7. Combo Boost

Not surprisingly, KH3 has some wildly vivid combo animations. With Combo Boost, you’ll not only be doing heavy, consecutive damage to enemies; you’ll also be performing a light show while you’re at it!

What's great about Combo Boost:

• Can stagger enemies
• Heavy damage
• Who doesn't like to look flashy while dominating the battlefield?!

Details about Combo Boost:

• Obtained at:
  • Lv. 20 with Power of the Warrior
  • Lv. 36 with Power of the Guardian
  • Lv. 46 with Power of the Mystic
• Ultima Weapon comes with this ability equipped
• Solder Ring comes with this ability equipped

6. Combo Master

Look, it happens to the best of us: sometimes, when we’re battling an enemy, one (or more) of our hits just… miss completely. Not only are these tactical whiffs embarrassing, but normally, it would reset Sora’s combo sequence altogether. But with Combo Boost, you can kiss that struggle goodbye! This ability allows Sora to continue his combo even when one of the sequence hits doesn’t land its target.

What's great about Combo Master:

• Foolproof combo allows for smooth combat
• Prevents Sora from being interrupted during skillcasting

More details on Combo Master:

• Form Changes that have Combo Master equipped:
  • Second Form
  • Guardian Form
  • Element Form
  • Strike Form
  • Blitz Form
  • Ultimate Form
  • Light Form
  • Dark Form
  • Double Form
• Sora obtains this ability by default after filling the Laugh Gauge in the fight with Unversed, on the Second Floor

5. Payback Strike

After making an Aerial Recovery, Sora can use Payback Strike, an ability that allows you to seamlessly continue your combo after being knocked in the air. Sometimes, getting as much damage in as quickly as possible is needed, and that’s exactly what Payback Strike allows you to do!

What's great about Payback Strike:

• Quick, seamless integration of combos
• Good for getting that extra damage in while recovering

Details about Payback Strike:

• Earned after defeating Davy Jones
• Costs 5 AP to equip
• Activated by pressing X after using Aerial Recovery

4. Air Combo Boost

Not only does this ability extend the time you’re in the air smacking your enemies around, but it also increases the damage you do! The Heartless won’t ever see the floor with this ability, allowing for Sora to complete some devastatingly awesome midair combos!

What's great about Air Combo Boost:

• Heavy hitting combo
• Extended time in the air
• Support ability

More details on Air Combo Boost:

• Costs 5 AP to equip
• Increases each hit's damage by 5% in the air
• Obtained at:
  • Lv. 24 with the Power of the Warrior
  • Lv. 42 with Power of the Guardian
  • Lv. 50 with Power of the Mystic
• Ultima Weapon has this ability equipped by default.

3. Leaf Bracer

Getting staggered in KH3 is the bane of our existence as it is. But imagine, being low on HP, desperately trying to cast your healing spell…

    And getting staggered and wiped from existence.

    Oh, the anger!

If this situation makes your blood boil, it’s for good reason! Luckily, Leaf Bracer is here to alleviate that stress. With this ability, you will never get staggered during the Cure animation spell.

What's great about Leaf Bracer:

• Prevents Sora from getting staggered while casting Cure (and any of its variants)
• Serves as a (literal!) life-saver in tough situations
• Cheap to equip

More details on Leaf Bracer:

• Obtained at:
  • Lv. 14 with Power of the Mystic
  • Lv. 26 with Power of the Guardian
  • Lv. 28 with Power of the Warrior
• Element form has this ability by default
• Ever After comes with this ability equipped
• Ultima Weapon has this as its Ultimate Form ability

2. Rising Spiral

Rising Spiral is an ability new to the Kingdom Hearts series. Making its first appearance here, this skill can be used to knock enemies into the air during Sora’s regular combo. This is a great skill to initiate any Air Combo abilities, and is perfect for getting some extra damage and stagger time during a fight!

What's great about Rising Spiral:

• Can initiate a chain between ground combo and air combos
• Perfect for doing extra damage

More details on Rising Spiral:

• Action ability, costs 3 AP to equip
• Triggered by pressing O during a combo
• Learned after defeating Nobodies at the Wharf
• Both Dark & Light forms have Rising Spiral as their form abilities

1. Second Chance

Second Chance has got to be one of the most vital skills you can equip–particularly if this is your first time adventuring the worlds of Kingdom Hearts 3! With this skill, taking a fatal blow will leave Sora at 1 HP instead of finishing him off completely, giving you a moment to recover without having to restart any fight.

What's great about Second Chance:

• Allows Sora to survive a fatal hit
• Gives a chance for recovery

More details on Second Chance:

• Obtained at:
  • Lv. 30 with Power of the Guardian
  • Lv. 42 with Power of the Mystic
  • Lv. 48 with Power of the Warrior
• Guardian Form and Ultima form have this skill as a form ability

That sums up the list for the top 10 KH3 skills from early to late game! Hopefully, this has aided you in making your decision on which abilities to prioritize throughout your adventure through the game.