As far as Kingdom Hearts games go, the latest addition makes for an impressive hack-and-slash experience. Kingdom Hearts 3 delivers not only visually, but also in terms of stylish combat mechanics. From Shotlocks to Flowmotion commands, Sora can unleash a multitude of flashy combos that knock down even the toughest enemies.

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Of course, his weapon of choice makes a comeback in a big way, as well. This time around, every Keyblade can undergo upgrades and Form changes, giving each one its own utility at every point in the game. Despite the reduced amount of Keyblades available, each one proves useful in its own way. However, this doesn't stop some from outshining the others. Let's take a look at the best Keyblades in Kingdom Hearts 3.

Updated November 26, 2022 by Justin Flynn: The Keyblade has always been an unusual choice of weaponry. Most are blunt and awkward to use, but Sora has managed to master every type during his time away from Destiny Island. Now, he can call upon the Keyblade to perform a variety of unique feats, but only if the Keyblade in question allows him to.

With rumors of a Star Wars world debuting in the upcoming sequel, fans are eager to see Sora receive his first Lightsaber-themed Keyblade. Though it’s exciting to theorize about what Sora will obtain on his next adventure, it’s also nice to look back at the weapons that got him this far, especially the most powerful ones.

16 Kingdom Key

Sora uses his Keyblade in Kingdom Hearts 3

The Kingdom Key is Sora’s most iconic Keyblade, but it will usually be unequipped fairly quickly after something better is unlocked. When activated, its Formchange, Second Form, permits Sora the opportunity to perform some of his more iconic Kingdom Hearts 2 abilities.

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Boasting a somewhat disappointing 4 Strength and 3 Magic, the Kingdom Key is far from a reliable means of vanquishing Sora’s foes. However, it can be useful for those who wish to collect the treasure dropped by Sora’s enemies thanks to its Treasure Magnet ability. As his default weapon, Sora will have access to the Kingdom Key from the beginning of the game.

15 Starlight

Goofy, Sora, and Donald in Kingdom Hearts 3

The Starlight Keyblade is unlocked once Sora, Donald, and Goofy have defeated the Demon Tide in The Keyblade Graveyard. Most fans would expect a decent reward after vanquishing such a formidable opponent, but sadly, the Starlight Keyblade is one of the weakest weapons in the game.

With its 4 Strength and Magic, the Starlight Keyblade is only slightly better than the Kingdom Key, so there isn’t much point in equipping it at this point in the game. Its Formchange, Second From S, allows Sora to perform some classic Kingdom Hearts 2 moves, but the player will need to prioritize strength over nostalgia for the remaining battles.

14 Shooting Star

Sora uses his Double Arrowguns in Kingdom Hearts 3

Sora receives the Shooting Star Keyblade during his first visit to Little Chef’s Bistrot. Players who wish to prioritize Magic over Strength will find plenty of use for this Keyblade during the beginning of the game thanks to its 5 Magic and 3 Strength, but they will soon find themselves replacing it with something better.

It can be a big help during the Toy Story and Tangled worlds, but as soon as Sora receives the Ever After Keyblade, the Shooting Star will quickly be forgotten. Though it’s one of the weaker weapons in the game, its Double Arrowguns and Magic Launcher Formchanges can be a great help when Sora wishes to attack from a distance.

13 Hero’s Origin

Sora uses Counter Shield in Kingdom Hearts 3

The Hero’s Origin Keyblade is obtained after Sora defeats the Titans in Olympus. Though it’s only the second Keyblade he unlocks, it can be extremely beneficial to have during most of Kingdom Hearts 3’s boss battles.

Though it only has 5 Strength and 2 Magic, it features one of the most reliable means of defense in the entire game. The Counter Shield Formchange allows Sora to block oncoming attacks and redirect them back at his enemies. If timed correctly, deflected attacks can deal a baffling amount of damage. The Grand Chef Keyblade offers a similar ability, but it takes much more effort to obtain. Until it’s unlocked, the player should make use of Hero’s Origin in its stead.

12 Ever After

Sora uses his Ever After Keyblade in Kingdom Hearts 3

The Ever After Keyblade is unlocked after Sora defeats the Grim Guardianess in the Kingdom of Corona. It may not seem like a great addition to Sora’s arsenal with its 2 Strength, but its 7 Magic can be a great help to those who utilize Magic.

Its Mirage Staff Formchange allows Sora to glide across the arena while dealing out magical attacks from a distance. If Sora attacks from different locations in quick succession, a flurry of magical bursts will launch in the direction of his enemies. Its Shimmering Drops Shotlock can also be a great means of replenishing Sora’s health. Though it’s one of the weaker Keyblades in Kingdom Hearts 3, this ability alone makes it a must-have for late-game battles.

11 Hunny Spout

Sora using the Hunny Spout Keyblade

This Keyblade isn't just fun to use, it's also super cute! The weapon has a nostalgic wooden handle with a stack of Pooh's favorite honey pots making up the rest of the blade. Sora will unlock the Hunny Spout Keyblade after completing the heartwarming 100-Acre Woods story.

The Hunny Spout has a good balance of stats, with a Magic of 6 and Strength of 5, and has powerful Form Change attacks. The Keyblade Formchanges include Hunny Launcher and Hunny Blasters, along with the Shotlocks named Hunny Burst, Hunny Drizzle, and Sweet Surprise which deal critical slowdown effects on the opponent.

10 Grand Chef

Little Chef and Sora Cooking together

This impressive Keyblade isn't the easiest to obtain, as the Grand Chef requires Sora to have cooked every single recipe in Kingdom Hearts 3. Not only that, but it requires Sora to have achieved an "Excellent" rating on each recipe. To collect all recipes, Sora will need to have gathered every ingredient and used them to create stunning meals in Little Chef's Bistro. Only then can he get the Grand Chef Keyblade, which boasts Magic of 7 and Strength of 5.

Grand Chef can transform into a gigantic frying pan that hits a lot of opponents at once and moves very quickly. It's great for clearing out big groups of enemies all at once. Even if Sora already has a better Keyblade by the time he unlocks the Grand Chef, it's still an awesome achievement to get it!

9 Oblivion

oblivion keyblade in the upgrade menu

In the 1.07 update of Kingdom Hearts 3, the two coolest Keyblades in the entire series were added to the game: Oblivion and Oathkeeper. They are no easy weapons to unlock, proving to be a challenge for even the most skilled, veteran players. Players have to obtain the Proof of Time Past in order to get the Oblivion.

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This requires them to have completed the game on Critical Mode, which is regarded as the most difficult mode of any Kingdom Hearts game in the franchise! It's totally worth it though, offering a whopping 13 Strength and 11 Magic, with a powerful Dark Form and Double Form.

8 Oathkeeper

Sora dual wielding the oblivion and oathkeeper key blades

To unlock this Keyblade will take a lot of time and effort, as it requires players to have obtained the Proof of Promise. This Proof can be achieved when players find all 90 Lucky Emblems in the game. They have to locate and take a photo of every emblem, which are hidden all across the worlds, some in very difficult and tricky spots.

Oathkeeper is very balanced, just like the Oblivion Keyblade, with 12 Strength and 12 Magic. It grants access to a Light Form and a Double Form finisher, which unlocks the highly loved ability to dual wield Keyblades in battle. The Oathkeeper Keyblade, dual-wielded with the Oblivion, is an iconic look for Sora, as the two blades have been seen paired together in the prior games.

7 Favorite Deputy

Kingdom Hearts III Toy Box Sora Donald Goofy

Favorite Deputy is the Keyblade obtained after completing the Toy Box world's story. It has a maximum Strength of 10 and Magic of 8. Two stand-out features of this Keyblade include its Lucky Strike ability and its Formchanges. Lucky Strike increases the likelihood of synthesis materials dropping, making it very useful for upgrading other items.

The Boost Hammer and Drill Punch Formchanges transform the Keyblade into a giant hammer and drill, respectively. The hammer deals with groups especially well, while the drill can focus loads of damage on a single target.

6 Crystal Snow

Kingdom Hearts III Sora Arendelle Crystal Snow Keyblade

This beautiful Keyblade does an excellent job of representing the frozen land of Arendelle, where players can nab this weapon. With 8 Strength and 11 Magic, Crystal Snow focuses more on casting powerful spells. However, it handles very well as a weapon in both of its Formchanges.

Blizzard Claw turns it into a set of icy claws, while the Blizzard Blade acts as a pair of ice skates and arm blades. Freeze Protection also aids in negating the Freeze status, and Blizzard Boost increases the power of Blizzard spells.

5 Wheel Of Fate

Kingdom Hearts II Caribbean Sora Outfit Wheel of Fate Keyblade

Players nab this swashbuckling Keyblade after completing the story in The Caribbean. It has a decent mix of 11 Strength and 9 Magic; the Keyblade also has the ability to cast Waterza to deal water-based damage in a massive spread.

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Its Highwind Formchange transforms the Keyblade into a spear, while the Storm Flag changes it into a large banner-like flag. Both swipe and lunge at enemy targets to deal with crowds and bosses effectively. In this way, Wheel of Fate perfectly combines power with style.

4 Nano Gear

Kingdom Hearts III Sora San Fransokyo Nano Gear Keyblade

Nano Gear appears late in Kingdom Hearts 3 after completing the San Fransokyo world. It carries 10 Strength and 9 Magic at its maximum level and comes paired with the Stun Protection ability. This helps immensely with hard-hitting bosses that would otherwise render Sora immobile for a short time.

Nano Gear's only Formchange, Nano Arms, changes into a variety of weapons depending on the attack. It also comes with a powerful finisher that skewers enemies with teleporting nanobot spears. Those tiny black dots pack a serious punch!

3 *Happy Gear

Kingdom Hearts III Twin Yoyo Happy Gear Keyblade

This Keyblade, acquired after completing Monstropolis, focuses primarily on physical attack. It has 11 Strength and 7 Magic, and it allows players to use Shotlocks often thanks to its Focus Converter ability.

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Despite its lower Magic stat, its secondary Full MP Blast ability gives spells a power boost when at full MP. Its Assault Claw Formchange is similar to Crystal Snow's Blizzard Claw, but the Twin Yoyo Formchange transforms into a set of deadly spinning projectiles. Its finishing moves make quick work of single targets.

2 Classic Tone

Kingdom Hearts III Classic Tone Keyblade

Only a few Keyblades unlock by means outside the main story, and Classic Tone is one such Keyblade. Sora must first find and set record scores on all 23 Classic Kingdom minigames. Afterward, this powerful yet unconventional Keyblade becomes available. Its 11 Strength and 14 Magic are no joke.

Classic Tone's Formchanges, Boom Hammer, and Clock Drill, mimic that of the Favorite Deputy Keyblade. Even so, it proves itself more powerful by coming with three MP Haste abilities equipped, granting access to more magic attacks.

1 Ultima Weapon

sora holding ultima keyblade

While it may seem obvious at this point, Ultima Weapon nevertheless proves to be the superior Keyblade in all facets. It has a balanced yet impressive 13 Strength and Magic. Combo Boost and Air Combo Boost improve the damage output of combo attacks, and Situation Boost fills the Situation Command gauge much faster.

Not only that, but its Ultimate Form comes with a massive power boost and a slew of abilities. While it may take some time to synthesize this weapon, it once again proves to be worth the effort.

Kingdom Hearts 3 is available now on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows.

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