Formation Arts

The Formation Arts Figures are officially-licensed sets of collectible figures, like the static arts and play arts figures, made for the Kingdom Hearts game series, and are part of Square Enix's larger Formation Arts collectible figurines series. As of 2013, six official Kingdom Hearts sets have been released: three for the original series, and three for the second, Kingdom Hearts II series.

All three original volumes are composed of six figures; three heroes and three villains. The Kingdom Hearts II volumes are composed of five figures each, and lack the chess icons of the previous series. All figures are made of heavy plastic and feature a character or characters with important props, locations, or symbols that represent them.

The original series figures have a black or white symbol on the back opposite the Mickey head or Heartless symbol on the front of the base. This marks which chess piece the figure corresponds to so the figures can be used on a Chess board. However, there are repeats of the same piece throughout the series so you can use whatever ones you want based on liking or which ones you receive.

Set Types
Two styles of the Formation arts figures have been released. The original style comes packaged in a small, solid box. The figure inside is randomized, so the buyer cannot see which character they are purchasing, and will not know until the box is opened. Some characters can be guessed at based on the weight of the box; Hades from the first volume can usually be selected without opening the box, for example, as packages with his figure were slightly heavier. In addition, at least a few of each figure were also released in rare monotone version, colored to resemble a pewter-like metal. Once opened, the figurines have to be assembled in the style of a gashapon toy according to the directions contained within. These figures were primarily released in Japan, although a few make their way to other countries through collectors and conventions.

The second version comes packaged in a blister pack, so the character being chosen is readily seen; only the heroes from each set are available. In addition, instead of coming in pieces as the original releases did, the blister figures are made from one molded, painted piece of plastic. They are generally seen as lower in quality, but on the plus side are cheaper and readily available in more places, including many American shops and bookstore chains such as Borders.

Volume 1
The figures from Volume 1 were made available in Japan in April 2005. They are, in numerical order:


 * 1. Sora in his Kingdom Hearts gear, holding the Kingdom Key on top of a stylized version of the Traverse Town Gizmo Shop clock. Available in both styles. Sora is the white king.
 * 2. Donald Duck, holding the Mage's Staff and sitting atop a stylized Traverse Town roof. Available in both styles. Donald is a white bishop.
 * 3. Jack Skellington with Zero, surrounded by ghosts and a stylized version of Halloween Town's Guillotine Gate. Available in both styles. Jack Skellington is a white rook.
 * 4. Maleficent, holding her wand and encircled by thorns and her dragon form. Maleficent is the black queen.
 * 5. Hades, sitting on his throne with Cerberus behind him. Hades is a black knight.
 * 6. A collection of Heartless, including three Shadows, one Wyvern, one Darkball, the Gauntlet of the Guard Armor, and a Red Nocturne-like Heartless, colored black. This piece is a black pawn.

Volume 2
The figures from Volume 2 were first made available in Japan in April 2006. A "re-run", or re-release, was done in August 2008. They are, in numerical order:


 * 7. Cloud in his original Kingdom Hearts gear, wielding the Buster Sword on top of some damaged pieces of Olympus Coliseum. Available in both styles. Cloud is a white knight.
 * 8. Kairi on the dock at Destiny Islands, surrounded by palm trees and with a Paopu Fruit in her lap. Available in both styles. Kairi is the white queen.
 * 9. Goofy with the Knight's Shield atop a stylized spire in Traverse Town, complete with Tinker Bell windvane. Goofy is a white knight.
 * 10. Oogie Boogie, surrounded by the dangerous toys and tricks from his lair in Halloween Town. Oogie is a black rook.
 * 11. Ansem, Seeker of Darkness and his Guardian, cupped in Darkside's hands. Ansem is the black king.
 * 12. Jafar, atop a pile of treasure from the Cave of Wonders and Genie, holding Genie's lamp and Iago. Jafar is a black knight.

Volume 3
The Volume 3 figures were released in Japan in August 2008. It is the first series to be based on Kingdom Hearts II, but is part of the original series. In numerical order, they are:


 * 13. Sora in his Three Fairies made-gear from Kingdom Hearts II in The World That Never Was. Available in both styles. Sora is a white king.
 * 14. Queen Minnie with Chip and Dale at Disney Castle. Available in both styles. Minnie is a white queen.
 * 15. Jack Sparrow atop treasure from the Isla de Muerta. Available in both styles. Jack Sparrow is a white rook.
 * 16. Axel with his chakrams on top of Castle Oblivion. Axel is a black knight.
 * 17. Pete with various cartoon-style implements of destruction. Pete is a black pawn.
 * 18. Ursula with Flotsam and Jetsam, holding King Triton's Trident. Ursula is a black bishop.

Volume 1
The KHII Volume 1 figures were released in Japan in Fall 2010. It is the first volume to be branded with the Kingdom Hearts II label, and does not continue the numbering of the previous series. They are:


 * Roxas in his Twilight Town attire sitting atop the Twilight Town clocktower eating sea-salt ice cream.
 * Naminé sitting on a chair in the middle of a Memory Pod with a small staircase wrapping around it with Sora, Donald, and Goofy running up the stairs like the scene in the opening movie of Kingdom Hearts II. This figure was only released in Japan.
 * Riku with his Way to the Dawn Keyblade while riding upon the Sidecar Glider that he and Sora used in the battle against Xemnas in his Dragon form.
 * Sora in Final Form with the Oathkeeper and Oblivion Keyblades in the Audience Chamber in Disney Castle.
 * Mickey Mouse in his Kingdom Hearts II attire fighting a Shadow Heartless with his Kingdom Key D Keyblade in Radiant Garden.

Volume 2
The KHII Volume 2 figures were released in Japan in Winter 2012, and have yet to be released elsewhere. They are:


 * Sora in Master Form with the Oathkeeper and Oblivion Keyblades in front of Radiant Garden. Stars swirl around him and yellow energy spikes at his feet.
 * Roxas in his Organization XIII attire with the Oathkeeper and Oblivion Keyblades in front of the Castle That Never Was. Purple energy zig-zags around him while darkness swirls at his feet.
 * Axel bursting out of flames with chakrams in hand. A flame-colored nobody symbol sticks out from the top of the flames while two Dusks dance alongside it.
 * The Twilight Thorn in a dynamic pose on the Dive to the Heart platform; white energy shoots around it.
 * Sora, Donald and Goofy in their Pride Lands forms with Pride Lands scenery surrounding them. Sora is swinging the Kingdom Key while stars circle around his feet.

Volume 3
The KHII Volume 3 figures were released in Japan on June 28, 2013. They are colored blue unlike the silver of the previous two sets, and are based on the various words of Kingdom Hearts II. They are:


 * Sora on the beach in Destiny Islands. He is holding Kairi's Wayfinder.
 * Sora, Donald and Goofy in Timeless River. Sora is on top of the cannon tower in Lilliput, holding the Monochrome Keyblade.
 * Sora with Ariel and Sebastian in Atlantica. They are in a musical; Sora is posing and holding a few bubbles, while Ariel is clapping and Sebastian is conducting.
 * Sora in Space Paranoids. He is on his Light Cycle in the Game Grid. The MCP is also visible.
 * Sora, Donald and Goofy in Halloween Town. Oogie's Manor and ghosts are seen in the background.