Dearly Beloved

Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories; Dearly Beloved
Arranger	Yoko Shimomura
Composer	Yoko Shimomura

Kingdom Hearts; Dearly Beloved -Reprise-
Arranger	Yoko Shimomura
Composer	Yoko Shimomura
Length	1:20

Kingdom Hearts; Dearly Beloved
Arranger	Yoko Shimomura
Composer	Yoko Shimomura
Length	1:13

Oh no! The water! I'm in big trouble if I don't fetch it!

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Issues: Complete the Composition section, by adding more info on Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX and Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX, as well as on the versions found in Piano Collections Kingdom Hearts.

Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories Dearly Beloved

Arranger	Yoko Shimomura
Composer	Yoko Shimomura
Length	2:22

Kingdom Hearts II Dearly Beloved

Arranger	Yoko Shimomura
Composer	Yoko Shimomura
Length	2:22

Kingdom Hearts II Dearly Beloved -Reprise-

Arranger	Yoko Shimomura
Composer	Yoko Shimomura
Length	1:28

Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days Dearly Beloved

Arranger	Yoko Shimomura
Composer	Yoko Shimormua
Length	2:55

Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Dearly Beloved

Arranger	Yoko Shimomura
Composer	Yoko Shimomura
Length	5:24

Kingdom Hearts Re:coded Dearly Beloved

Arranger	Yoko Shimomura
Composer	Yoko Shimomura
Length	2:56

Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance Dearly Beloved

Arranger	Yoko Shimomura
Composer	Yoko Shimomura
Length	2:43

Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX Dearly Beloved

Arranger	Yoko Shimomura
Composer	Yoko Shimomura
Length	1:13

Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX Dearly Beloved
This file doesn't exist. Perhaps you could help us by uploading it. File:Dearly Beloved KHIIHD.ogg
Arranger	Yoko Shimomura
Composer	Yoko Shimomura
Length	4:19

Kingdom Hearts χ[chi] Dearly Beloved
This file doesn't exist. Perhaps you could help us by uploading it. File:Dearly Beloved KHX.ogg
Arranger	Yoko Shimomura
Composer	Yoko Shimomura

Piano Collections Kingdom Hearts Dearly Beloved
This file doesn't exist. Perhaps you could help us by uploading it. File:Dearly Beloved (Piano Collections).ogg
Arranger	Yoko Shimomura
Composer	Yoko Shimomura
Length	2:35

Piano Collections Kingdom Hearts Concert Paraphrase on 'Dearly Beloved'
This file doesn't exist. Perhaps you could help us by uploading it. File:Concert Paraphrase on Dearly Beloved (Piano Collections).ogg
Arranger	Yoko Shimomura
Composer	Yoko Shimomura
Length	4:06

"Dearly Beloved" is the opening and main theme to all Kingdom Hearts games. Composed for the first game by Yoko Shimomura, 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

The opening menu of Kingdom Hearts. "Dearly Beloved" plays while on this menu.

"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"

Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance

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 "Always on My Mind" and was first incorporated into "Dearly Beloved" 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 (also used for Kingdom Hearts Dark Road) 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 piano concerto. Tetsuya Nomura ordered it to be based on the Transcendental Études, a series of twelve compositions for piano by Franz Liszt. 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.^[1]
"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)". This version is also used in the credits of Kingdom Hearts Dark Road.
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:

In addition, a number of songs in the Kingdom Hearts series contain the main melody from "Dearly Beloved":

Other appearances

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, the Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory version of "Dearly Beloved," referred to as "Dearly Beloved -Swing Version-", appears as a track available to players who also have a save file from Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory. It is also heard during the Mr. Sakurai Presents video presentation on Sora, where it is played while Masahiro Sakurai 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.