So the concept of Disney characters being Keyblade wielders and having an active part in this war seems kind of like it’s out of left field. And why wouldn’t it? We haven’t seen the idea of these characters using these weapons (outside of Mickey Mouse) at ALL, though we do know that some of them have an interest in the Keyblade. Furthermore, isn’t the war supposed to be between the seven lights and thirteen seekers of darkness? 

Well, let’s start with looking at the lore of Keyblades and see if it would even be canonically possible for them to obtain such.

The qualifications to be a Keyblade wielder are murky at best and have been pretty shaky from the beginning of the series. At first, it was assumed Sora was the Keyblade’s “chosen one,” and that the Keyblade only appeared to a single wielder. Later, we figure out that MANY people have or have once possessed Keyblades, and the only solid requirement we know is that they must have an exceptionally strong heart to be able to use it. We also know that the Keyblade’s power can be passed on to another person through touching the Keyblade, whether the Keyblade wielder is aware of it or not (i.e. Aqua and Kairi). 

With such vague, vague requirements of usage, we can logically say that it wouldn’t be impossible for Disney characters to have Keyblades of their own, even if it is unlikely. If the character has a strong enough heart, they can summon their own Keyblade--a power that it’s implied that most people can eventually obtain, given Lea’s ability to summon his own without an inheritance ceremony, and the fact that all players of the mobiles games count as Keyblade Wielders. 

So which Disney characters could have a Keyblade?

There’s only ONE that we can confirm could have a Keyblade at some point:

Captain Jack Sparrow.

In Kingdom Hearts 2, Sora allows Jack Sparrow to hold his Keyblade, knowing full well that the Keyblade would return to him. Since Jack touched his Keyblade, there was most likely an inheritance ceremony between the two of them at that point--and considering how the Caribbean returned for KH3, there’s a chance we could see something come of this. Coincidence? Perhaps not. 

Though there is argument about whether or not Sora could actually perform an inheritance ceremony, intentionally or no, I think it’s become clear that Sora is a wild card case in the Kingdom Hearts universe and generally turns all preconceived notions about how things should work on their head. Generally, the Keyblade Inheritance Ceremony can only be performed by someone who is a Master, though there is much debate between that means a named Master or a Master in skill. Regardless, the Keyblade chose Sora simply because of his relation to Ventus, who was nowhere near a Master--so it could be likely that the light will assist Sora’s chosen people.

Further, we know a few other characters who meet the strong heart qualification for Keyblade usage:

We already know that Kairi, a Princess of Heart, inherited a Keyblade at a young age--however, she was not able to summon it on her own the first time she ever used it, and her heart had to grow into the qualifications of a Keyblade Wielder before she could bring it into battle on her own. 

Therefore, if Kairi’s heart can be strong enough to summon a Keyblade, and an inheritance ceremony is not necessary to being able to use it, then the remaining six Princesses of Heart would be the most likely characters to have a Keyblade, after Jack Sparrow.

So if there’s only a logical train of canonical thought for seven total Disney characters to have Keyblades, then why do you think there could be more?

I call it more of a hunch than anything else, but in each Disney world you get a new Keychain which allows you to modify your weapon’s stats, external appearance, and combat functionality. We know that there are special mementos that can be made into a Keychain, with the best example being:

Oathkeeper, whose Keychain was made from the lucky charm that Kairi gave to Sora way back in Kingdom Hearts 1. 

But Keychains became a little more interesting after BBS came out, and Aqua receives flowers as a gift from Kairi. These flowers became a Keychain that brought forth this Keybade:

The flowers that Kairi gave Aqua allowed Aqua to use her Keyblade. On top of that, we also know that one Keyblade wielder is capable of using another’s Keyblade, as we see Sora using Riku’s Keyblade for Limit attacks in KH2, Riku using Sora’s Keyblade in KH1, and various other instances. 

So, if you were to take the train of thought that all of the Keyblades Sora has been using were the specific Keyblades belonging to their Disney party members throughout the series, it could make canonical sense. 

But why would all of the Disney characters even be dragged out to take part in this war anyway? Isn’t the war between the Seven Guardians of Light and Thirteen Seekers of Darkness?

I mean, yeah, that is true--but only partially. In Dream Drop Distance, it was more or less revealed that Xehanort is assembling his darknesses to fight the lights as another attempt to forge the X-Blade, considering both of his attempts to do so with Ventus were abject failures. Though only 20 characters are supposed to be involved in this X-Blade forging, that hardly counts as a “Great War”--and according to the Master of Masters, this war is supposed to be great.

Plus, Xehanort has already expressed that he is intent on reigniting the war as well. And with a list of potential Xehanort vessels that is more than 13 people, he could truly be attempting to recreate the war on its prior, grandiose scale:

That’s a lot of Keyblades.

And even if all Keyblade wielders involved could dual wield...that’s still a lot of Keyblades. That’s still a lot of Keyblade Wielders. 

To get another great Keyblade War the likes of which Xehanort is discussing, you would need more Keyblade wielders than we have available, on both sides. Currently, only 15 people, including Data-Riku and the currently-deceased Xion (who hopefully will return soon) have the ability to use the Keyblade, and the overwhelming majority of them are focused on the side of Light. 

The only way to really have more Keyblade Wielders jump into this conflict and make it a war, both Disney heros and villains would need to respond to the call of arms and pick up Keyblades themselves.

What call to arms? What would move them in a way that would strengthen their hearts and make them want to jump into such a heavy conflict?

Our boy, Sora.

He’s went through a lot in the last few games, and we already know he’s going to go through a hell of a lot in KH3. The most notable of these struggles, and the most heartbreaking, is that the notion he will be all alone in facing Xehanort. 

In the final battle trailer, we hear Sora say that he cannot do this alone, which echoes earlier sentiments from the game series, such as “my friends are my power!” Without his friends, Sora feels entirely alone, powerless, and helpless to fight the situation and make it out alive--especially after he just watched all of his party be ripped from his grasp. 

But his heart is connected to the hearts of his friends, the hearts that hold memories of them and treasure them for all time. It’s a bond so strong that it had led him back to multiple Disney worlds throughout the series to check in on them, and friendship is a two-way street--certainly, all of the Disney characters would go to his aid if they ever could feel Sora being in danger. 

Though I don’t necessarily think this is going to be something that will happen in KH3, it certainly would be fun to see and it does have some logical credibility. It would be a weird flex for them to actually put in the game, but it’s always fun to dream, right?