Episode 39: Man of Darkness

Synopsis
As Sora fades away, Kairi and the Seven Princesses of Heart regain their hearts, awakening from their sleep. When Kairi comes to, she catches a short glimpse of Sora before he completely fades away. While Kairi, Donald, and Goofy cope with the loss of Sora, Ansem, now completely possessing Riku, appears. Ansem states that now that the Keyhole is complete, he has no need for Kairi. As Donald and Goofy prepare to fight Ansem alone, Riku suddenly appears, blocking Ansem's path. Riku immediately orders the group to flee from the oncoming Heartless. Ansem is impressed that Riku has suppressed him this long, but states Riku will never get his body back. Ansem stands before the darkness-flowing Keyhole, claiming the world will be returned to darkness. The Beast then arrives, standing helpless before the bursting Keyhole.

Meanwhile, Donald, Goofy, and Kairi have made it to the castle's entrance. There, they find a lone Shadow Heartless, which Kairi quickly concludes is Sora. Kairi hugs the Heartless, wishing Sora to come back. Immediately the two are enveloped in a burst of light, with Sora now in his original form. The group heads back to the world's Keyhole, finding Beast and the Seven Princesses of Heart unable to hold the raging darkness back. Just as the Beast reveals the Keyblade bearer is gone, Sora arrives, determined to seal the Keyhole.

Covers (2)

 * Front cover: Sora, fading after releasing his heart.
 * Back cover: Maleficent's raven, Diablo.

Continuity errors

 * None yet identified.

Artistic errors

 * None yet identified.

Collections

 * Kingdom Hearts Volume 4 manga
 * "Episode 39: Man of Darkness" is only available within the manga collection.