Disney Greenlights Kingdom Hearts Anime Series for Disney Channel and Disney+
Disney has greenlit a Kingdom Hearts anime series for Disney Channel and Disney+, announcing the project on stage at its D23 Entertainment Showcase in Anaheim, California, on 14 August 2026. The series currently carries the working title Kingdom Hearts and will tell a new story set within the existing Kingdom Hearts universe rather than directly adapting the games. Eurogamer
Actor Benjamin Bratt revealed the news on stage at D23. Bratt voices Ernesto de la Cruz — the antagonist of Pixar's Coco — in the Coco-inspired world of Kingdom Hearts 4, the upcoming entry in the game series. A first-look teaser image shown at the event featured Sora, the franchise's longtime protagonist, alongside his signature weapon, the Keyblade. No cast beyond Bratt's involvement, episode count, or release date has been confirmed. Eurogamer
The series is being developed in partnership with Tetsuya Nomura, the creator of Kingdom Hearts, and the wider Square Enix creative team. Square Enix has co-produced the franchise with Disney since the original Kingdom Hearts game launched on the PlayStation 2 in 2002. This marks the first time the property has been adapted for television. Eurogamer
Disney Kids & Family president Ayo Davis said in a statement that the series is being built to be "unmistakably Kingdom Hearts" while giving new fans a fresh way to experience the world. The Walt Disney Company
The Kingdom Hearts anime joins a Disney+ slate of original animated series that includes Dragon Striker and a new season of Phineas and Ferb. The Walt Disney Company
For fans, this means a different door into a franchise that has spent more than two decades as a games-first property. A television series built for Disney Channel and Disney+ puts Kingdom Hearts in front of viewers who may never have picked up a controller, and the decision to write a new story rather than retell the games' plots keeps the door open for both newcomers and longtime players.
What remains unknown is the timeline. Disney has not announced a premiere window, and the teaser image is the only visual material shown so far. With Kingdom Hearts 4 still in development and no release date set for the game itself, the franchise now has two major projects in parallel — one for screens, one for consoles — and audiences will be watching for whichever gets a date first.
