The original Kingdom Hearts is just as much an RPG as it is an action game. That goes for the whole franchise, really. Some hardcore fans of Kingdom Hearts approach the series as if it were Devil May Cry, with an emphasis on hardcore action first and foremost. Don’t get us wrong, Kingdom Hearts has had consistently great gameplay since its first entry, but anyone expecting pure action from their Disney/Final Fantasy crossover should really start looking elsewhere. Kingdom Hearts is just a better game when you understand how to use the Keyblade, magic, and Summons in conjunctions with one another.
Approaching Kingdom Hearts like a pure action game, focusing on combos and the Keyblade almost exclusively, is one of the worst things players can do. If you’re skilled, it can be quite rewarding, but the majority of players should actually try to engage with all the mechanics before they raise arbitrary walls around themselves. What’s the point of playing a game if you’re not willing to engage with every facet of that game? With a game like Kingdom Hearts that makes accessing your entire toolset in battle super easy thanks to the Command Menu, there’s just no excuse.
Perhaps the most underutilized mechanics across the board is the Summon mechanic. Hardcore players will swear by their summons (especially in Kingdom Hearts II and III,) but the casual gamer will likely go through their entire playthrough without ever summoning a single thing. This goes double for Kingdom Hearts I where unlocking a new Summon is a process with steps, one that most players will either ignore or just forget about altogether. Those who sink some real time into their Summons, however, will find one of the most overpowered mechanics in the first Kingdom Hearts.
6 Genie
Genie is one of two Summons players will automatically get just playing through the main game. Unlocked after completing Agrabah, Genie’s main ability is Showtime, a skill that allows Genie to access one of six random techniques at his disposal: Thunder, Gravity, Stop, Stun Shot, Blowing Shot, and Continuous Shot. The first three speak for themselves as they’re a part of Sora’s kit, but the latter three aren’t really worth their salt.
Beyond the fact Genie attacking at random is not helpful in the slightest, his abilities just don’t compare to other Summons, let alone what players can pull off in combat themselves. Frankly, summoning Genie is a waste of time and it only makes sense the first mandatory Summon players get is also the worst.
5 Mushu
Upon defeating Maleficent at Hollow Bastion, players will unlock the Fireglow Gem. Simply bring the Fireglow Gem back to the Fairy Godmother in Traverse Town, and she’ll give Sora the ability to summon Mushu from Mulan in battle. Mushu coming so late in the game does mean he isn’t particularly useful (he’s pretty much only usable in the last World,) but he’s useful in a pinch.
It’s worth noting that Mushu locks Sora’s action in return of doing constant Fire damage. This does mean summoning Mushu to fight Fire based enemies is a horrible idea, but you won’t run into too many at the end of the game and Mushu is quite useful if you find yourself out of magic but in need of some magical offense. Situational, but not useless in the slightest.
4 Dumbo
Getting Dumbo is going to take some exploration, and it might not feel like the exploration is worth it for a great deal of players. Dumbo’s summoning gem, the Watergleam Gem, is found inside of Monstro’s Mouth. It actually isn’t too hard to find, but you might forget to explore the Mouth by the time Sora can High Jump to get the Watergleam Gem. Regardless, it is kind of hard to miss.
Not that it really matters since Dumbo isn’t the most useful Summon in the game. Dumbo essentially makes Sora invincible, allowing players to move around in battle without worry of Heartless. Dumbo can even do damage, but the amount of damage he does is frankly worthless. Dumbo’s more useful than Mushu is, but he’s still a very circumstantial Summon that skilled players honestly won’t make much use out of, if any at all.
3 Simba
Simba is one of the earliest Summons players will get. Upon returning to Traverse Town for the second time (after clearing the first ring of Worlds,) players can talk to Leon and obtain the Earthshine Gem. Trade it in to the Fairy Godmother, and Simba will not be summonable in battle. He’s… alright. He’s really more useful earlier in the game than anything.
Simba’s a good summon for clearing out a bunch of enemies at once, but it doesn’t take long for Sora, Donald, and Goofy to start out damaging Simba consistently. Eventually, summoning Simba ends up being a chore more than anything, especially since it means Sora can’t use all of his abilities with Simba active.
2 Bambi
This is another summon players can get relatively early in the game, and Bambi actually manages to maintain his usefulness all the way to the endgame. By clearing Pooh’s Hunny Hunt in 100 Acre Wood, players receive the Naturespark Gem. As expected, trade this into the Fairy Godmother and Bambi will now be summonable in battle.
Notably, Bambi runs around the stage spawning HP and MP orbs in the process. That’s really all Bambi needs to do as that’s more than enough to completely turn the tide in the player’s favor. Bambi essentially allows you to get reckless with all of Sora’s skills regardless of how dangerous the situation is.
1 Tinker Bell
The other Summon players will automatically unlock just by making their way through the game, Tinker Bell becomes a Summon after clearing Neverland. She is far and away the single most useful Summon in the game, even outdoing Bambi in the process. Tinker Bell might come late in the game, but she’s insanely useful.
Not only does Tinker Bell not despawn your party members, she’s not on a timer either. She’ll just perpetually heal Sora until you make her go away. She’ll even revive Sora once in battle should he die. Tinker Bell is basically Kingdom Hearts I’s get out of jail free card. There is no reason not to Summon her.
NEXT: Every Major Kingdom Hearts 3 Spoiler Explained
