Best Kingdom Hearts spells, ranked

‘Don’t Think Twice’ about these spells

Throughout the years, some of the best Kingdom Hearts spells have Sora summoning fireballs or using balloons as projectile weapons. Most Kingdom Hearts games have their own exclusive spells, like Water and Reflect; the latter of which is one of the most beloved enchantments in the series.

Today, we’re listing the best Kingdom Hearts spells based on their effectiveness in battle and cinematic flair on-screen. Let’s hope Donald is better at healing Sora after reading this.

10. Magnet (KH2)

The Magnet spell is introduced in Kingdom Hearts 2 and pulls your opponents towards one orb. For a few seconds, you can work in an air combo unrestrained from the encroaching Heartless and Nobodies around you. Magnet can also combo with other spells like Thunder and Fire, making it a useful utility in combat.

9. Thunder (KH3)

Thunder has been in the Kingdom Hearts series since the very beginning. It’s an effective AoE (Area of Effect) attack that takes out multiple enemies at the same time. However, it seems to be less powerful than the likes of Fire and Blizzard. In Port Royal (the Pirates of the Caribbean world in KH2), Thunder can be used to completely stun Barbossa’s minions in place.

8. Water (KH3)

Water is the newest spell in Sora’s arsenal. It’s one of the best spells in Kingdom Hearts because it has a wide AoE and looks absolutely stunning as the waves flop to the side. It’s also glistening in the sunlight, especially in Tangled‘s world. Water looks gorgeous in Kingdom Hearts 3, but it also bumps opponents into the air, allowing for follow-up attacks.

7. Blizzard (KH3)

Another form of water is ice, and Sora can unleash his frosty powers with Blizzard. In Kingdom Hearts 3, the spell is heightened as it forms a trail on the ground. Sora can ride it like Tony Hawk on a skateboard. You can then get a quick flowmotion attack from it. In addition, enemies will freeze on the spot when Sora hits them with ice.

6. Balloon (Dream Drop Distance)

One of Sora’s silliest (but most effective) spells in the Kingdom Hearts series is Balloon. Only featured in Dream Drop Distance, this spell causes a ton of unexpected damage toward your foes when struck, including major bosses. It’s also quite thrilling to see the offensive balloons flying all over the arena. The game might have some of the worst worlds in the series, but Balloon is awesome to use.

5. Aero (KH1)

Aero is an absolute godsend in the original Kingdom Hearts. Before it was turned into an offensive spell, Aero was used as a shield to protect Sora. You still take damage, but each attack struck on Sora while Aero is active is lessened significantly. This was helpful in bosses with attacks that are hard to avoid, like the Ursula battle and the Ansem (Xehanort’s Heartless) final boss.

4. Fire (KH1)

A spell that’s iconic to Kingdom Hearts fans is Fire. It’s the first that we unlock in the series and is still one of the best you can use. It causes a lot of damage, and its fireballs can be launched quickly one after the other. The spell looks particularly impressive in Kingdom Hearts 3 with all of the fiery particle effects occurring in the modern game.

3. Gravity / Zero Gravity (KH1 / Birth By Sleep)

One of the most useful spells in the original Kingdom Hearts is Gravity, renamed to Zero Gravity in Birth By Sleep. It takes bigger Heartless types and reduces their health almost to zero. For anyone who has ever ventured into Wonderland, you know how annoying the Battleship Heartless can be. It flies around Sora at a fast pace and then charges at the keyblade wielder. The Gravity spell can bring these ships down to earth. Utilizing this power of gravity to counteract these Heartless with a big health meter is a good tactic to implement.

2. Reflect (KH2)

Reflect is one of the coolest spells in gaming. It allows Sora to neutralize incoming attacks and it can stack however long the game allows you to. Then, once you’ve finished Reflect, it will release a circle of white spell damage around the keyblade-wielding hero. It made fighting bosses like Sephiroth easier, and it truly looks sick when you pull it off. Reflecting a big attack from the One-Winged Angel and other foes gives such a rush. It is overpowered, but man, Reflect was fun while we had it.

1. Cure (KH1 and beyond)

The most important spell in the Kingdom Hearts series is Cure. It may be simple, but its healing properties are essential for every player to keep Sora alive. It can cancel out attacks if you have Leaf Bracer equipped, and a beautiful animation floats above Sora’s head whenever he heals himself. It’s usually of a flower. As you can see in the image above, Square Enix adds a nice touch to KH3’s version with petals floating around the area.