Dearly Beloved

"Dearly Beloved" is the opening and main theme to all  games. Composed for the first game by, a version of the piece has been featured in every Kingdom Hearts release to date.

"Dearly Beloved -Reprise-" is a version of "Dearly Beloved" that plays after the credits during The End.

Appearances
"Dearly Beloved" plays in the opening menu of every Kingdom Hearts game to date. Likewise, "Dearly Beloved -Reprise-" always plays during the ending screen, The End. The song also appears in a few cutscenes.

Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep

 * "Blank Points"

Kingdom Hearts coded

 * "One Last Mystery"

Sora's Story

 * Symphony of Sorcery: "The Duet", "The Apprentice Practices"

Riku's Story

 * Symphony of Sorcery: "The Duet"
 * Mysterious Tower:"Into Sora's Slumber"

Kingdom Hearts χ[chi]

 * Main Story: "The Power of Friendship", "To Other Worlds", "The Foretellers' Chamber"

Kingdom Hearts Union χ[Cross]

 * Main Story: "One Last Wish", "Goodnight"

Composition
"Dearly Beloved" contains two distinct melodies comprised out of identical chord structures, allowing them to be layered on top of each other. The second melody was first introduced in Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories.


 * In Kingdom Hearts, the main melody is performed as a piano solo with a synthesized choral background.
 * The reprise of Kingdom Hearts features a bell solo with pizzicato strings as support.
 * The Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories version contains the original melody played on the piano, along with the secondary melody played by a synthesizer.
 * The Kingdom Hearts II version transformed "Dearly Beloved" into a full orchestral piece, featuring a piano solo carrying the main melody and various woodwind solos building the secondary melody.
 * The reprise of the Kingdom Hearts II version contains both melodies, but played as a piano solo.
 * Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days contains a similar version to the Kingdom Hearts II "Dearly Beloved" reprise, except the flute used in Roxas's theme brings the secondary melody to the foreground.
 * Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep features a new orchestral arrangement of "Dearly Beloved", still featuring a piano as with the previous games, but including a violin solo featuring a third theme exclusive to this game. Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep is the first game to change the chord structure of Dearly Beloved, albeit briefly.
 * Kingdom Hearts Re:coded contains a slightly faster version of the original Dearly Beloved theme. It features both the first and second melodies, with pizzicato string support.
 * Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance contains a version of "Dearly Beloved" that retains the original theme with pianos, violins, glockenspiel, and plucked violins. Next, the melody is played with flute and then has a slightly quicker, waltz-like part where a tambourine comes into play. Unlike other versions, it also switches between a 4/4 and 3/4 time signature - a reference to the "3D" in the title, according to Yoko Shimomura.
 * The Kingdom Hearts χ[chi] arrangement begins with a unique piano section over a soft choir; here, notes of the primary melody play at half the regular frequency. It then transitions into a light and upbeat section prominently featuring mallet instruments, while the second melody is played by strings.
 * The Kingdom Hearts Union χ[Cross] version is characterized by heavy usage of strings: the main melody is plucked, while the secondary melody and a steady background section are bowed. A new descending piano pattern also repeats throughout the arrangement.
 * The Kingdom Hearts χ Back Cover version begins with a low piano backed by strings. Bells and a clarinet are added as the piece crescendos while still maintaining a somber tone throughout.
 * The arrangement of Dearly Beloved in Kingdom Hearts III by Yoko Shimomura and Yui Morishita is a . Tetsuya Nomura ordered it to be based on the , a series of twelve compositions for piano by . The melody in the introduction of the piece is different from any of the arrangements prior until it reaches the moment where it becomes its usual melody.
 * "Dearly Beloved (Forest Memory)" is a version that appears in Kingdom Hearts III and is more prominently featured in Kingdom Hearts III Re Mind. The arrangement features the main melody on piano and the second melody on strings, with supporting flute ornaments.
 * The credits of Kingdom Hearts Union χ[Cross] feature a new version of "Dearly Beloved", incorporating elements from the arrangements of Kingdom Hearts χ[chi], Kingdom Hearts Union χ[Cross], Kingdom Hearts χ Back Cover, and Kingdom Hearts III, as well as "Dearly Beloved (Forest Memory)".
 * Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory features an upbeat iteration of "Dearly Beloved" that retains the original theme played on piano and trumpets. This version takes influence from jazz.

Variations
The tracks "Friends in My Heart", "Always on My Mind", and "Link to All" center around the main melodic theme from "Dearly Beloved".

"Dearly Beloved" frequently appears in medleys that play during the credits of Kingdom Hearts games:
 * "March Caprice for Piano and Orchestra"
 * "Fantasia alla marcia for piano, chorus and orchestra"
 * "Birth by Sleep -A Link to the Future-"
 * "Dream Drop Distance -The Next Awakening-"
 * "Rhapsody in Tres for Piano, Chorus and Orchestra"
 * "March Caprice for 'Melody of Memory'"

In addition, a number of songs in the Kingdom Hearts series contain the main melody from "Dearly Beloved":
 * "A Fight to the Death"
 * "Vector to the Heavens"
 * "Dearly Dreams"
 * "The Key"
 * "Mission Complete"
 * "Hero Upgrade"
 * "Baymax Rebooted"
 * "Rise of the Union"
 * "Secrets of the Night"
 * "Rise of the Union"
 * "Secrets of the Night"

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
In ', the Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory version of "Dearly Beloved," referred to as "Dearly Beloved -Swing Version-'", appears as a available to players who also have a save file from Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory''. It is also heard during the  video presentation on Sora, where it is played while talk about this track as special bonus content for players with both Challenger Pack 11 and a save file of Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory.

Notes and references
Dearly Beloved