Seven Guardians of Light

The seven guardians of light (7光の守護者), is a group nominally consisting of seven Keyblade wielders that is first referenced in Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance.

Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance
Following their sealing of the seven Sleeping Keyholes, Sora and Riku both end up in The World That Never Was. While the former is put into a deep slumber by Xemnas, Xigbar, and Young Xehanort, Riku escapes from within Sora's dreams and arrives in the true world. Reaching the castle and meeting up with King Mickey, Riku faces Young Xehanort before the other members of the real Organization XIII appear and taunt the heroes. Master Xehanort then reveals his plans to them; while he had originally attempted to create the χ-blade and summon Kingdom Hearts using Ventus and Vanitas, this was not the proper method. Instead, a clash between thirteen hearts of darkness and seven hearts of light would create the χ-blade and allow Xehanort to more properly accomplish his goals. He then states that, should the heroes want to protect the seven Princesses of Heart, they would need to gather seven guardians of light to defend the princesses and face the darkness.

Mickey hypothesizes that the guardians could include himself, Sora, Riku, and his three lost friends (Terra, Aqua, and Ventus), but cannot think of a seventh. Xehanort then contradicts this count, claiming that Sora and Terra, who he refers to as "another on your list", belong to the Organization. Just as Xehanort prepares to send a piece of his heart into Sora to create the thirteenth vessel, Lea arrives to help the heroes escape, later joined by Donald and Goofy. Having been thwarted from claiming Sora, Xehanort tasks both groups with filling in their numbers before they meet again as destined.

Later, after Riku rescues Sora from the Armored Ventus Nightmare, Lea reveals that he had been training to use a Keyblade, and surprisingly manages to summon his Keyblade, Flame Liberator, as he speaks. Yen Sid then tells Riku to bring Kairi to him, where he declares her to be another guardian of light.

Kingdom Hearts III
Afterwards, Yen Sid sent both Lea and Kairi to Merlin, where the two were trained in order to join the Guardians of Light and be able to battle against the Real Organization XIII in equal footing. As this occurred, both Riku and Mickey sought out a way to rescue Aqua from the Realm of Darkness, while Sora began to travel the worlds in order to regain his lost strength. In time, he joined Riku and Mickey as the former battled against Anti-Aqua, and succeeded both in expunging the dark influence from Aqua, and in rescuing her from the dark realm.

Main members

 * Sora: The main character in the Kingdom Hearts series.
 * Riku: Sora's best friend and a Keyblade Master.
 * Mickey: The king of Disney Castle and a Keyblade Master.
 * Lea: Human form of Axel and one of the new Keyblade wielders under Master Yen Sid and Merlin.
 * Kairi: A Princess of Heart and one of the new Keyblade wielders under Master Yen Sid and Merlin.
 * Aqua: One of Eraqus's students and a Keyblade Master who was brought back from the Realm of Darkness by Sora, Riku, and Mickey.
 * Ventus: One of Eraqus's students who was brought back from his sleep by Sora's Power of Waking.

Other members

 * Donald Duck: The Royal Magician of Disney Castle; although not a Keyblade wielder, he is acknowledged by Yen Sid as a guardian and helps Sora and the others during the final battle.
 * Goofy: The Captain of the Royal Knights of King Mickey's court; although not a Keyblade wielder, he is acknowledged by Yen Sid as a guardian and helps Sora and the others during the final battle.
 * Riku Replica: Having joined his heart to Riku, Riku Replica aids him as he acts as a guardian of light.
 * Terra: One of Eraqus's students. Initially a member of the real Organization XIII as Terra-Xehanort's vessel, he manages to regain control of his body with the help of Sora and becomes a guardian of light during the final battle.
 * Roxas: Sora's Nobody and a member of the first Organization XIII. With the help of Sora, Ienzo, Demyx, Ansem the Wise, and others, Roxas manages to obtain a vessel for his heart and becomes a guardian of light during the final battle, fighting in Lea's place after the Flame Liberator is broken by Xemnas.
 * Xion: Originally an unofficial member of the first Organization, brought back to serve the real Organization XIII. She manages to regain her memories and becomes a guardian of light during the final battle, fighting in Kairi's place after she is kidnapped by Xemnas.