What Went Down At The D23 Kingdom Hearts Panel? (News & Rumors #4)
Simple and Clean: A Kingdom Hearts PodcastShow Notes
Last week Disney held their annual D23 Expo in Anaheim, and to our shock and delight, they FINALLY treated the Kingdom Hearts series as the crown jewel we have always known it to be! We got an extended look at our first Disney world for Kingdom Hearts IV, previews of new gameplay mechanics, the reveal of several newly-playable characters (like Donald & Goofy), and confirmation of some of the details we’d gleaned from previous trailers - all while STILL leaving us with more questions about what exactly is going on with Sora in the world of Quadratum. All this, as well as the announcement of a new anime series, a beautiful performance by the voice cast, and a rare appearance by series creator Tetsuya Nomura, made this panel one any Kingdom Hearts fan absolutely needs to see. So in case you didn’t see it: don’t worry, we’ve got you covered!
Credits - Created & hosted by: Mischa Stanton & Mayanna Berrin - Music: “Sunset Dew” by Lupus Nocte - A member of Multitude - Support us on Patreon
About Us Simple and Clean is a show where hosts Mischa Stanton and Mayanna Berrin (and friends) talk about Kingdom Hearts, a little video game franchise about really big feelings. We attempt to unravel how this deceptively expansive game series has touched an entire generation of deeply earnest weirdos - and along the way, we may realize that what we’re talking about might not be just a video game, but a whole lot more.
Never heard of Kingdom Hearts? That’s okay! We’re here to break it down for you, explain why we love it, and hopefully to convince you that this weird little story deserves a place in your heart. Join us as we discuss the plot, characters, world building, music, fashion, fanbase, and societal impact of a thing that by all means, probably shouldn’t even exist. New episodes every Sunday!
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More from Simple and Clean: A Kingdom Hearts Podcast
Tale as old as time, world as old as rhyme - today we’re talking about Beast’s Castle, the level based on Beauty and the Beast! A timeless and classic (not to mention, visually stunning) movie which transcended what audiences thought was possible from an animated film, it’s no surprise that its story about a love which transcends what it means to appear human has a deep resonance with the characters and themes of Kingdom Hearts. What exactly is the power of love - and could Organization XIII possibly harness the Beast’s love somehow, a power so strong it allowed him to punch reality in the face?
Can a copy ever be as real as the original? For the sake of our faves, we hope so - today we’re talking about Replicas! A vessel crafted with care to house memories and hearts… but aren’t we all? Specifically we’re talking about Even/Vexen’s Replica program, and how a noble pursuit of knowledge spun radically out of one scientist’s control and became a crucial weapon in the ultimate battle at the end of the world. But it also allowed characters we thought we’d lost forever a second life - in the cases of Roxas, Xion & Naminé, one arguably much better than their first! I guess it’s really true what they say: guns aren’t people, Replicas are people.
Part city, part spaceship, all vibes - today we’re talking all about The World That Never Was, the homebase world for Organization XIII. An empty facade of a world, reflecting the empty facades of its masters the Nobodies, it relies mostly on vibes to justify its existence at all. I mean, it’s got ordinary hallways with names like “Ruin & Creation’s Passage” - settle down a little! And then, when Xemnas populates it, he only does so with rage and suffering… which is maybe we’re not so sad to see it go, in the end. Should the World That Never Was ever should have been?
Xion, the forgotten 14th member of Organization XIII, was originally a Replica made to absorb overflow power from Sora and Roxas (and replace them should they prove too willful and defiant). But Xion manages to take those scattered pieces and create something wholly new for herself. Her existence is a constant fight… one she, unfortunately, goes on to lose, so that Sora can be properly returned to the story. But despite all she goes through, Xion proves that we are more than the sum of our parts, and despite our origins we all deserve a place in this world together - and that’s both beautiful and heartbreaking.
Welcome to the sleepover! We had a fantastic time recording our live show at PAX West 2026, getting comfy in our jammies with our friends Jenna Stoeber, Jasmine Bhullar & David Tilstra, talking all about playing games at sleepovers & how we discovered games in our youths. What makes a good sleepover game? What makes sleepovers so good for games? What CAN’T you find at the Thieves’ Market?? And what games should you bring to your next sleepover?