For as iconic a video game weapon as the Keyblade has become with time, it’s hard to believe Sora’s weapon of choice was a full-blown chainsaw at one point. Of course, all this information is paired with the fact Sora was also half-lion during Kingdom Hearts’ early conception, but things eventually ironed themselves out into a Keyblade and a regular, human boy.

Although it’s Kingdom Hearts’ crossover elements that first lured audiences, the gameplay was strong enough to establish the franchise as one of the action RPG genre’s best in no time at all. With over eighteen Keyblades to choose from in Sora’s first outing, it’s only natural players want to equip the best of the best.

Updated April 15, 2022, by Hilton Webster: Kingdom Hearts is a series that thrives on nostalgia, relying on you playing previous entries and loving them to keep you going forward. There’s no doubt the Kingdom Hearts 4 announcement has plenty excited but the gameplay has changed plenty in each entry, and keyblades especially, with Kingdom Hearts 1’s being much more reliant on stats.As a result we’ve updated this list to make sure you know exactly which blades to get your hands on.

12 Wishing Star

  • Strength:
  • +5
  • MP:
  • 0

There are a great deal of keyblades in the original Kingdom Hearts, and though they’re not quite as tactical as they are in later games, being much more reliant on raw stats, the Wishing Star is the difference. It has decent enough stats, though does get outclassed. However, it also scores critical hits with ease.

It’s definitely an option if you’re going for a certain style of play, but it’s by no means an all-rounder. Looking like a wooden toy easily made, it’s closely associated with Pinocchio and his father Gepetto, and can be found in the Monstro world in a chest on their little ship, after you’ve sealed the keyhole there.

11 Metal Chocobo

  • Strength:
  • +9
  • MP:
  • -1

Kingdom Hearts is based on a simple, if odd premise: what if Disney and Final Fantasy collabed? And seeing Cloud for the first time in the coliseum really is something. Win or lose in your first fight, you’ll get another chance later, and the Buster Sword-like Metal Chocobo keyblade as a reward.

The thing is, it’s somewhat redundant by the time you get it. It lowers your max MP, but compensates with increased reach and great power. But after beating the cup to actually get it, you’ll already be able to get the superior Olympia keyblade which holds up across the game. But then, maybe the style is enough.

10 Pumpkin Head

  • Attack:
  • 7
  • Strength:
  • +4
  • MP:
  • +0

Unlocked near the end of the game after completing Halloween Town, it’s entirely possible players will have “better” Keyblades by the time they get their hands on Pumpkin Head – nonetheless, it’s a great blade that’s worth using for its offensive capabilities alone.

While Pumpkin Head offers no MP bonus, seven Attack and four Strength are nothing to scoff it. Pumpkin Head also excels when it comes to dealing critical hits and reach. This Keyblade will strike enemies from far away, hard. Pumpkin Head is one of Sora’s most useful Keyblades as far as physical damage goes. Its design is a plus, too.

9 Oathkeeper

  • Attack:
  • 9
  • Strength:
  • +6
  • MP
  • : +1

Another late game Keyblade that might seem outclassed by virtue of arriving at a point where players will have settled on a play style, Oathkeeper is given to Sora by Kairi after visiting Traverse Town for the last mandatory time. Thanks to decently high stats, Oathkeeper ends up one of the most balanced Keyblades in the game.

Simply getting an extra notch of MP makes Oathkeeper worth using as magic is ferociously broken in Kingdom Hearts 1. With the right set up, Sora can use Oathkeeper’s magic to tear through most everything. It’s also just a great looking Keyblade with plenty of thematic significance.

8 Lady Luck

  • Attack:
  • 8
  • Strength
  • : +5
  • MP:
  • +2

For as simple as Lady Luck is to get, it’s one most players will miss if only because it requires backtracking to Wonderland after gaining access to the White Trinity. From there, simply trigger the Trinity in Lotus Forest and Sora will get Lady Luck.

Well rounded and high stats make Lady Luck one of the most practical Keyblades in the game. Its strength bonus isn’t amazing for when most players will likely find it, but getting Lady Luck asap will give Sora access to quite a lot of MP earlier than he should.

7 Spellbinder

  • Attack:
  • 4
  • Strength:
  • +4
  • MP:
  • +2

Speaking of Keyblades with magical bonuses, Spellbinder is technically worse than Lady Luck, but it can be obtained at an earlier point in the game while also radically buffing Sora’s Magic and Summon capabilities. Spellbinder is a must have for anyone who’s going through a magic oriented playthrough.

Obtaining Spellbinder simply requires unlocking the first tier version of each spell, something players will naturally do before even reaching Kingdom Hearts’ halfway point. While Spellbinder’s offense is weak, players should be strong enough when getting the Keyblade where any offensive downsides are mitigated by the massive magic buff.

6 Diamond Dust

  • Attack:
  • 3
  • Strength
  • : +0
  • MP:
  • +3

At first glance, Diamond Dust looks like an utter disaster of a Keyblade. Not only does it have a base attack stat of three (shared with the Kingdom Key, Sora’s default Keyblade), but Diamond Dust awards no strength bonuses. That said, it does award three MP, the most of any Keyblade. While that doesn’t seem like a lot, magical damage scales with MP in the original Kingdom Hearts.

That MP is all Diamond Dust which makes this the single best magically oriented Keyblade in the game. It will tear through enemies so long as Sora uses magic, and it’s especially useful for the late game cups at Olympus Coliseum. Diamond Dust doesn’t look useful, but that’s its trick.

5 Olympia

  • Attack:
  • 10
  • Strength
  • : +6
  • MP
  • : +0

The Kingdom Hearts franchise tends to do good by Olympus Coliseum-themed Keyblades, and the world’s first weapon, Olympia, is no exception. Found inside of a treasure chest after completing the Hercules Cup, Olympia offers Sora staggering strength and critical properties that make it an utter beast in combat.

Olympia has enough raw power to just tear through enemies, easily deflecting attacks in the process. It’s one of Sora’s coolest Keyblades in the game, and a attack stat paired with a plus six STR modifier keeps Olympia viable all the way to the end of the game.

4 Lionheart

  • Attack:
  • 10
  • Strength
  • : +7
  • MP:
  • +1

Lionheart is an amazing Keyblade plagued by one problem: it comes too late. Unlocked after defeating Leon in the Hades Cup, Lionheart is only obtained right before Kingdom Hearts is about to wrap up. Anyone who’s diligently been doing side content will likely have a better Keyblade, or one they’d prefer to use.

But that doesn’t make Lionheart bad by any means. It’s one of the best options for those who just want a balanced Keyblade – hitting hard, increasing MP, and buffing Sora’s Magic and Summoning abilities. Lionheart’s stat spread speaks for itself.

3 One Winged Angel

  • Attack:
  • 8
  • Strength:
  • +5
  • MP:
  • -2

As is the case with Diamond Dust, One Winged Angel doesn’t initially seem all that great a Keyblade. Which is especially frustrating considering unlocking said Keyblade requires defeating Sephiroth, one of the single hardest bosses in the original Kingdom Hearts. As we’ve learned, however, looks can be deceiving.

One Winged Angel’s base attack stat isn’t stellar, and weak Strength modifier and MP reduction may come off as damning. That said, One Winged Angel’s claim to fame is its insane critical rate. The Keyblade is pretty much guaranteed to crit, and its crits hit hard. Stats hardly matter when you’re critting like a monster.

2 Ultima Weapon

  • Attack:
  • 14
  • Strength:
  • +9
  • MP:
  • +2

By far the most tedious and time consuming weapon to get in the game, obtaining the Ultima Weapon requires synthesizing everything. Only then is the Ultima Weapon available for synthesis, not even purchase or given to the player. Naturally, this ends up being quite the process.

It’s worth it, of course, as the Ultima Weapon’s stats are far and away better than anything else in the game, making it quite a beast. It’s just a shame the weapon is guaranteed to be gotten essentially when there’s nothing else left to do in the game.

1 Divine Rose

  • Attack:
  • 13
  • Strength:
  • +7
  • MP:
  • +0

That said, anyone who wants to indulge in the raw power of the Ultima Weapon without actually grinding out the material needed to create it, the Divine Rose can also be found near the end of the game, albeit in a much easier and reliable capacity. Simply speak with Belle in the Hollow Bastion library after rescuing the Princesses of Light.

Requiring next to no effort to get and almost rivaling the Ultima Weapon in stats, the Divine Rose is Kingdom Hearts I’s best Keyblade. It has a base attack stat of 13 and seven strength, an absolutely ludicrous amount of power. It offers no magic buffs, but it crits hard and reliably.