Kingdom Hearts (series)/Timeline

Official media in chronological order

Kingdom Hearts χ Back Cover
	Kingdom Hearts χ	Runs concurrently with the latter half of Kingdom Hearts χ Back Cover and continues past its ending.
	"Heart & Key"
Kingdom Hearts Union χ
	"Dark Footsteps"	Takes place before Quest 681 of Kingdom Hearts Union χ.
"Destinations"		Includes scenes from various points in the future.
"An Unfamiliar Town"
"Child of Destiny"		9 years before Kingdom Hearts Dark Road.
Kingdom Hearts Dark Road
Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep		65 years after Kingdom Hearts Dark Road.
	"The Gathering"	Takes place during the finale of Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep.
	"Birth by Sleep"	Takes place during the finale of Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep.
"A Fragmentary Passage"
Kingdom Hearts 0.2 Birth by Sleep -A fragmentary passage-		Takes place after Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep and runs concurrently with Kingdom Hearts to the end.
	"Blank Points"	Extends from the end of Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep until sometime between the end of Kingdom Hearts II and the start of Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance.
Kingdom Hearts		10 years after Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep.
	Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days (Days 1-24)	Runs concurrently with the finale of Kingdom Hearts, from Kairi's rescue to the end of the game.
	"Secret Story from Kingdom Hearts Concert -First Breath-"	Takes place during the end Kingdom Hearts, sometime in days 1-16 of Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days.
Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories
	Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days (Days 25-49)	Runs concurrently with Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories.
Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days (Days 50-358)
	Kingdom Hearts Card Struggle -Daifugō-
	"Another side, Another story..."	Takes place during the finale of Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days.
Kingdom Hearts II		1 year after Kingdom Hearts.
	Kingdom Hearts coded	Takes place between the finale of Kingdom Hearts II and its epilogue.
"Signs of What's Next"
	"Destiny"
Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance
"Another Guardian of Light"
"2.9 - The First Volume"
Kingdom Hearts III
	Kingdom Hearts III Re Mind	Takes place between the finale of Kingdom Hearts III and its ending.
"Yozora"
	Secret Episode
	"Like, Is Any of This for Real or Not?"
Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory		Ending takes place 1 year after Kingdom Hearts III.
	Limitcut Episode	Runs concurrently with Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory.
"Another Key"

Kingdom Hearts χ Back Cover
	Kingdom Hearts χ	Runs concurrently with the latter half of Kingdom Hearts χ Back Cover and continues past its ending.
Kingdom Hearts Union χ
Kingdom Hearts Dark Road
Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep		65 years after Kingdom Hearts Dark Road.
Kingdom Hearts 0.2 Birth by Sleep -A fragmentary passage-		Takes place after Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep and runs concurrently with Kingdom Hearts to the end.
Kingdom Hearts		10 years after Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep.
	Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days (Days 1-24)	Runs concurrently with the finale of Kingdom Hearts, from Kairi's rescue to the end of the game.
Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories
	Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days (Days 25-49)	Runs concurrently with Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories.
Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days (Days 50-358)
Kingdom Hearts II		1 year after Kingdom Hearts.
	Kingdom Hearts coded	Takes place between the finale of Kingdom Hearts II and its epilogue.
Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance
Kingdom Hearts III
	Kingdom Hearts III Re Mind	Takes place between the finale of Kingdom Hearts III and its ending.
Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory		Ending takes place 1 year after Kingdom Hearts III.
	Limitcut Episode	Runs concurrently with Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory.

Timeline of Events

Age of Fairy Tales - The First Keyblade War
	When the Master of Masters is a boy, a war rages between the physical manifestations of light and darknesses. To finally win against light, Darkness abandoned its physical form and became a whole entity, but its will could not be maintained. In order to propagate and increase their numbers, it begins to infect people's hearts with darkness, turning them into Pureblood Heartless. In the end, thirteen sentient Darknesses remain.
	Using the power of his Gazing Eye, the Master of Masters writes the Book of Prophecies, containing events of the future, while Darkness watches from nearby. Among other things, the Book tells of a great Keyblade War, warning that darkness will prevail and light expire.
	The Master of Masters has many conversations with Darkness. Although they are eternal enemies, both parties understand that they will never truly understand the other. On one occasion, the Master explains that he plans to go off to a new world, one ruled by neither darkness or light. A world even he cannot concieve: a world of fiction.
	Master of Masters takes six apprentices, gifting each of them Keyblades forged from their hearts: Aced, Ava, Gula, Invi, Ira, and Luxu. Aware that Darkness could not be defeated without a physical form, the Master of Masters's real purpose of training his students was to make their hearts strong enough so they could lock the seven strongest darknesses away.
	The Unions are created in Daybreak Town, each led by a Foreteller, with the aim to recruit Keyblade wielders and collect Lux to battle Darkness.
	The Master of Masters tasks each of his apprentices with a crucial role they must carry out if he should ever disappear. Luxu is tasked to observe the events to come with the No Name and ensure the Book of Prophecies is written, pass it along to worthy apprentices down the generations, and safeguard a mysterious black box. The Foretellers are each given a copy of the Book of Prophecies.
	The Master of Masters speaks to Luxu about the past and the future of the world. Luxu expresses disappointment that the Dandelions will have to flee to a new world to rebuild once the Keyblade War arrived, rather than aid in the fight against Darkness. However, the Master of Masters assures him that there is a way to defeat Darkness, but it will take many lifetimes to accomplish it. He explains that, using a passage in the Book about a traitor, he will plant doubt in the Foretellers' minds, manipulating them into becoming vessels for Darkness.
	The Master of Masters vanishes without a trace, leaving the Unions to carry on without him.
	Player is recruited into one of the Unions. Together with their chosen Union and newfound friends Ephemer and Skuld, they experience many adventures in Daybreak Town and the hologram worlds created by the Book of Prophecies.
	While Player is going on adventures, Strelitzia watches from afar. Although she would like to be friends with them, she is too timid to approach.
	The Foretellers discover a traitor in their midst, signaled by the appearance of a Nightmare Chirithy. Due to the loss of a security blanket in the Master's guidance, as well as their own ineptitude in carrying out their roles, they begin to suspect one another of treason. Their squabbling eventually turns into all-out battles between the Unions, all but ensuring the coming of the prophesied Keyblade War, just as the Master intended.
	Unbeknownst to the Foretellers, it was the Nightmare Chirithy that stole Lux, causing the Keyblade wielder's hearts to be consumed by darkness and turning them into Darklings.
	Master Ava forms the Dandelions, an organization of gifted Keyblade wielders from all Unions. These wielders will avoid the Keyblade War and work to rebuild the new world to come. Ephemer and Skuld join; however, Player refuses.
	Ava is given a list of names by the Master of Masters: it lists five wielders who will become the new Union leaders following the war, one of whom will receive a copy of the Book of Prophecies. Ava defies her Master's orders by gifting the Book to Brain instead of his original pick.
	Strelitzia, Lauriam's sister and one of the chosen leaders of the Dandelions, secretly tries to recruit Player into their ranks, afraid that they will be harmed in the upcoming Keyblade War. However, she is murdered by a Darkness-possessed Ventus before she gets an opportunity to warn Player, and her Rulebook is stolen.
	The First Keyblade War takes place in the badlands of the Keyblade Graveyard. Tens of thousands of Keyblade wielders lose their lives in the battle. Player barely survives, being rescued by Ephemer and Skuld. The Foretellers disappear sometime before the War's conclusion. Luxu watches from a distance with the No Name in hand as thousands of Hearts are engulfed into Kingdom Hearts.
	The five leaders of the Dandelions gather in the Keyblade Graveyard: Ephemer, Skuld, Lauriam, Brain and Ventus.
	Daybreak Town is rebuilt as a data world to serve as the new home to the Dandelions. All of its residents have their memories of the Keyblade War erased as if it never happened, repeating their training and adventures. Maleficent appears from the future following her demise in Hollow Bastion, showing up in one of the data worlds.
	The Dandelions leaders try to figure out their roles and how to rebuild their world. Brain voices his intent to be the "virus in the system" and change destiny from what is written in the Book. Meanwhile, Maleficent is approached by a shadowy entity known only as "Darkness" who promises to return her to her own time.
	Player continues to go on adventures with fellow Dandelions in data versions of worlds. However, this peaceful stasis is interrupted when data glitches, apparitions, and Darklings appear. Through Brain's deductive reasoning, the Union leaders discover that in escaping the Keyblade War, they were all trapped in a data version of Daybreak Town.
	Lauriam begins his investigation into his sister's murder while Brain concocts his own plans to thwart the prophesied triumph of darkness. Meanwhile, "Darkness" informs Maleficent of a device known as the lifeboat, which can purportedly return her to her own time. Lauriam confronts her, but she defeats him and manages to escape in one of the pods.
	While investigating the glitches, Brain discovers that Ventus was never meant to be one of the Dandelion's leaders. Together with Ephemer, they confront him to try and ascertain who appointed him among their ranks. They eventually reach the conclusion that Darkness disguised themselves as Ava to replace Strelitzia with Ventus. They head back to the clock tower to inform Lauriam.
	With Darkness's help, Maleficient escapes to the real world from the data world, but not her own time. The entity suggests using a second pod to get there; it will not be joining her, however, since it has some unfinished business.
	The strain of trying to remember what happened with Strelitzia puts Ventus to sleep. Meanwhile, the other union leaders realize that Darkness is drawing near. Their investigation is cut short by a grief-stricken and injured Lauriam. Ventus returns, now with a full understanding of what had happened, and informs him that he was responsible for Strelitzia's demise. As Lauriam turns his anger on Ventus, Darkness emerges from him, making its presence known to everyone and causing Ventus to fall unconscious.
	The Union leaders converse with Darkness, who reveals that it was Strelitzia's true killer; by reading the Book of Prophecies, they learned that Ventus is meant to harbor the Darkness as the "fated child", inspiring them to possess Ventus in the present. Darkness also claims that they are an old acquaintance of the Master of Masters. Brain leads the others in a fight to destroy Darkness.
	Meanwhile, despite Nightmare Chirithy's defeat at Player's hands during the Keyblade War, the Darklings continue to follow Player through their investigation of the glitches in Game Central Station. It appears as though the Darklings are searching for someone. Left with more questions than answers, Player returns to Daybreak Town.
	As fight between Darkness and the Union leaders continues, they begin to get a better understanding of Darkness's plans. However, the ancient entity proves quite the formidable opponent. Then, Player arrives to help fight the Darkness once more.
	Darkness reveals that Maleficient's departure in the lifeboat had begun the lock-down and destruction of the data world. The Union leaders resolve to fight Darkness anyway, but because it has no form, it cannot be defeated. Suddenly, the Darklings return – it was Ventus they were after. Ventus wakes up enveloped in light, dispelling the creatures of darkness and forcing Darkness into a fightable form.
	Although he was tasked only with observing, Luxu makes his way into the data Daybreak Town. He finds the data of one individual, calling them the "true Dandelion", and takes them back to the real world. There, he meets another Darkness, and discovers the dark entities' true goal: expansion and infection. Luxu uses a lifeboat pod to send the "true Dandelion" into the future.
	The fight with Darkness leaves Ventus unconscious, while the others are trying to figure out their next move. Elrena and her Chirithy arrive with news of seeing Strelitzia, further evidence of the glitches caused by the data world's increasingly unstable state. The seven head to the basement of the Clock Tower where the lifeboats are contained. The Union Leaders split up: Brain, Lauriam, Elrena, and Ventus take pods into the real world, while Skuld, Player and Ephemer remain in the Data World to attend to the other Dandelions. Before leaving, Brain passes down his Master's Defender Keyblade and the Book of Prophecies to Ephemer, who was originally the intended recipient.
	As Brain and the others make it to the real world, they realize that the real Daybreak Town is also collapsing. Brain quickly sends Ventus, Lauriam, and Elrena into the future. While he waits the for the others, he encounters Luxu. Luxu explains that the lifeboat was an incomplete form of travel: one would need a medium and someone who remembers them at their destination in order to regain both their body and their memories. What a shame, Luxu continues, that Brain is so smart but only has one lifetime to work with.
	Despite their previous defeat, Darkness returns with reinforcements to antagonize Ephemer, Skuld and Player. Knowing they are one lifeboat short, and desperate to save their friends, Player pretends to be possessed by Darkness and attacks Ephemer and Skuld. Player triumphs, but with his last bit of strength, Ephemer unleashes a beam of light, sealing Player and the four Darknesses in the Cable Tunnels of the data workd.
	Ephemer and Skuld return to the real world just in time to see it engulfed in darkness. They return to their pods and teleport to the future. Ephemer, Skuld, Ventus, Lauriam, and Elrena are flung into different points in time.
	Back in the data world, Player reveals their trick to the Darknesses, using their Keyblade to seal them inside the tunnel. Trapped in the collapsing data world, Player and the Darknesses are engulfed in a bright beam of light as the world goes to sleep. Player finds themselves and their Chirithy surrounded by fellow sleeping wielders. The Dandelions' Chirithies transform into Dream Eaters to protect their sleeping hearts. Faced with the choice to sleep forever or pass on and reincarnate, Player chooses to let go and allow their heart meld into a new one.
	Luxu walks the Keyblade Graveyard in the aftermath of the events at Daybreak Town, dutifully carrying the No Name Keybalde and Black Box. He lifts his hood, revealing Brain's face. "May your heart be your guiding key."

Intermediate Years
	Ephemer founds the picturesque city of Scala ad Caelum, the "city of Keyblade wielders", over the remains of Daybreak Town.
	Brain awakens at Scala ad Caelum, where he meets Sigurd and learns of Ephemer's founding of the town.
	Player's heart melds with that of a resident of Scala ad Caelum, a mysterious figure in a blue cloak.
	One day, believing that the newborn Xehanort was the fabled "Child of Destiny", the blue cloaked figure takes him to Destiny Islands for safety, watching as Xehanort grows up. As Xehanort grows up, he starts having dreams of Player's adventures and their experience in the Keyblade War; these memories resided in the heart of his caretaker, with whom Xehanort formed a connection due to the excptional strength of his heart. Eventually, the cloaked figure passes away, their task complete.
	One day in his youth, Xehanort meets his future Heartless, Ansem, Seeker of Darkness, who opens up a portal to leave the islands and seek the answers to his dreams. The portal sends Xehanort to Scala ad Caelum, and together with his newfound friends Eraqus, Hermod, Bragi, Urd, Vor, and Baldr, he begins his training under the watchful eye of Master Odin.
	Over the course of two years, Xehanort and Eraqus become very close. They often play Alba & Ater together, a type of chess. Even from this young age, Xehanort shows great interest in the Keyblade War and the Lost Masters of yore.
	Master Odin sends a group of seven upper classmen on a trip to other worlds to prepare for their Mark of Mastery Exam. On this journey, Hoder, Heimdall, Helgi, and Sigrun meet an unfortunate end at Maleficent's hands.
	Master Odin informs Xehanort and his classmates of the seven upper classmen's disappearance. The young wielders are tasked with finding their whereabouts. One of the group, Baldr, remains behind, as his sister Hoder is one of the missing.
	Xehanort and his friends' first stop is Agrabah. The world is still in the process of reforming following the Keyblade War, so it is uninhabited. The wielders continue their search in Wonderland, where they learn that someone can unknowingly harbor darkness in their heart. They also discuss the possibility of a world's order being founded in darkness.
	Baldr learns of his sister's death, falling into a deep depression. Over the course of a week, his exceptionally sensitive heart is overtaken by darkness. He emerges convinced that he must purge the light.
	While investigating Dwarf Woodlands, Vor consults the Magic Mirror about her future, confirming her doubts about her current trajectory. As Xehanort, Eraqus, and Vor continue to search the world, the upper classman Vidar reveals himself. He offers Vor the opportunity to join him in completing some important task, and the two depart despite Eraqus's protests.
	After regrouping in Scala ad Caelum, Eraqus and Bragi leave in search of Vor, while Xehanort, Hermod, and Urd decide to look for more answers in Beast's Castle. There, Urd encounters another one of the upper classmen, Vala, who offers Urd a chance to join their mission. Urd declines, and Vali returns the magic rose, which the upper classmen had mysteriously stolen from the Beast.
	Xehanort, Hermod, Urd, Eraqus, and Bragi reunite in Agrabah's Cave of Wonders, all searching for the Magic Lamp. Upon reaching the artifact, Vidar and Vor appear. They explain that the upper classmen were plotting to steal items that are central to each world's order, thus disrupting the order and forcing a pure light to emerge from the chaos.
	Xehanort and his peers return to Master Odin, who determines that the young wielders are not equipped to handle the sitation. Odin informs his pupils of true darkness, the thirteen ancient formless Darknesses that pose a serious threat. He reveals that Vidar is gathering pure lights to summon Kingdom Hearts, hoping to purge the worlds and, with them, true darkness.
	Baldr unexpectedly returns to his peers, explaining that he was tasked with learning more about darkness and relating his sister's fate. To help continue their investigation, he opens a gate to Olympus Coliseum. The wielders are split up in the Underworld: Xehanot and Eraqus make a deal with Hades, Baldr and Bragi are left to fight Cerberus, and Hermod and Urd try to regroup with the others. Hades summons the four felled upper classmen's spirits from The Final World, allowing Xehanort and Eraqus to learn more about what had transpired.
	Baldr, who had previously been hiding his darkness, turns his Keyblade on Bragi, but is quickly and decisively overpowerd. Deciding that Baldr is unfit to be a vessel, Bragi tells him that he is choosing to disappear forever. Bragi walks off, never to be seen by any of his classmates again.
	Xehanort, Eraqus, Hermod, and Urd are hurled into a Corridor of Darkness. Hermod and Urd try to resist but eventually succumb to the darkness, with Baldr delivering the finishing blow. Xehanort and Eraqus collapse, but they are found by Master Odin.
	Scala ad Caelum falls under attack from Baldr's darkness. As Master Odin rushes to defend the city, Xehanort and Eraqus encounter Vali, Vala, and Vidar. Upon learning that Vidar had known about Baldr's darkness, Eraqus becomes angered and clashes with the upper classmen. Ultimately, the fight calms down, and all of the wielders race to the central tower to rescue Vor.
	Baldr reveals to Vor that he – or, his darkness – was responsible for the deaths of Hoder, Heimdall, Helgi, Sigrun, Bragi, Urd, and Hermod. A fight breaks out, and Vali, Vala, and Vidar manage to save Vor from one of Baldr's attacks. However, Vor and the upper classmen are struck down when Baldr's darkness manifests as Hringhorn, leaving only Xehanort and Eraqus left to stop him.
	Atop Scala ad Caelum's tower, Xehanort and Eraqus meet with Baldr for the final showdown. Baldr explains that he is purging thirteen lights – the seven upper classmen and his six classmates – in order to summon Kingdom Hearts, and had indeed manipluated Vidar into persuing the same end. Xehanort overpowers Hringhorn, and Hoder's spirit emerges from Xehanort to quell Baldr. Baldr claims that he and Xehanort are alike, and urges his former friend to seek answers in the darkness. In the end, Xehanort is forced to finish Baldr with Master Odin's assistance.
	One month later, Xehanort and Eraqus place flowers in the cemetery at Scala ad Caelum. Xehanort, Eraqus, and Master Odin have all been greatly affected by the events that had taken place. Odin plans to retire, so he wants the wielders to prepare for their Mark of Mastery exam. As the two friends leave the cemetery, Luxu appears behind them. He lifts his hood, revealing Bragi's face.
	One year after the upper classmen incident, Xehanort embarks on a journey to other worlds in preparation for their Mark of Mastery exam. Xehanort meets the Master of Masters and is gifted a Black Coat which will shield him from darkness. In exchange, the Lost Master only wants Xehanort to look at the hearts of others and broaden his view of the world.
	Xehanort returns to the Keyblade Graveyard, now jaded and cynical of what he has seen of the worlds and of human nature. He confides the results of his journey with the Master of Masters. With a little bit of coaxing from him, Xehanort is determined to become the Dark Seeker, with the aim to save the worlds from a "false light" and return balance.
	Sometime during his travels, Xehanort is approached by Ansem and is recruited into the Real Organization XIII, destined to take part in the Second Keyblade War. After this foray into the future, Xehanort is returned to his own time with no memories of the trip.
	Four years after the upper classmen incident, Xehanort and Eraqus visit a cemetery in Scala ad Caelum. Xehanort places flowers on four gravestones, determined to see still more other worlds before undertaking the Mark of Mastery exam. Embarking on another journey, Xehanort returns to Wonderland and speaks to the Queen of Hearts, hoping to better understand the nature of her darkness.
	Six years after the incident, Xehanort and Eraqus both pass their exams and earn the Mark of Mastery. Xehanort is bequeathed the No Name, while Eraqus is bequeathed the Master's Defender.
	Seven years after the incident, Xehanort leaves Scala ad Caelum for good. After much deliberation, he has come to the conclusion that Kingdom Hearts is the only way to protect the world. Eraqus opposes him, beliving Kingdom Hearts to be too drastic a measure. Sometime following Xehanort's departure, Eraqus begins his dutiful watch over the Land of Departure.
	54 have passed since the uppserclassmen incident. Xehanort and Eraqus have both grown into old men, but Xehanort remains fixated