An original anime series based on the popular ‘Kingdom Hearts’ video game franchise is in development for Disney+ and Disney Channel, with a new story planned to expand the franchise’s universe.
An original anime series based on the popular ‘Kingdom Hearts’ video game franchise is in development for Disney+ and Disney Channel. The project was announced during Disney’s entertainment showcase at the 2026 D23 event.
The new series is expected to tell an original story set within the world of ‘Kingdom Hearts’. The project aims to expand the franchise’s universe while featuring the characters that have made the video game series popular with fans around the world.
The anime is being developed in partnership with Tetsuya Nomura, the creator and longtime creative force behind the ‘Kingdom Hearts’ franchise, along with the creative team at Square Enix. Their involvement connects the animated project directly to the team responsible for the original game series.
‘Kingdom Hearts’ first launched as a video game franchise in 2002 through a collaboration between Disney and Square Enix. The series combines original characters with familiar Disney worlds and characters, creating a fantasy adventure centered on friendship, light and darkness.
The games follow Sora, who travels between different worlds alongside Donald Duck and Goofy. Their adventures frequently bring them into contact with well-known Disney characters and locations while they battle the Heartless and other threats.
The announcement of the anime comes as the franchise continues to expand across different forms of entertainment. A new mainline game, ‘Kingdom Hearts IV,’ is also in development and is expected to continue Sora’s story.
Disney has not yet announced a specific release date for the anime series. The project is currently described as coming soon to Disney+ and Disney Channel.
