Kingdom Hearts Concept Sketches + Discussion

[Oracle Spockanort]

Well, I figured since we are all excited over Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance, some of us more nostalgic folk would take a little break and remember what it was like back when the series was new.

So here is a glimpse into some old concept sketches I found and thought were hilarious and wished they had used in the games Do you feel like they should have implemented these kinds of things in the earlier games?

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[Oracle Spockanort]

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[Oracle Spockanort]

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(Image credit goes to kh2.co.uk)

 

[rokudamia2]

So they were more cartoony the animeish.
Riku wilded a Keyblade.
And Kairi appears to have been emoted to a chore workers.

 

[Sign]

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L'Oréal. Because you're worth it.

xD

looking at Riku holding the KK like that makes me kinda sad ;~;

 

[Oracle Spockanort]

So they were more cartoony the animeish.
Riku wilded a Keyblade.
And Kairi appears to have been emoted to a chore workers.

It was just the art style of the artist.

Riku was always supposed to be a Keyblade wielder~

And Kairi doesn't to much better nowadays. She is either asleep, kidnapped, waiting. I rather liked the personality she seems to have in this artwork. She seems like she isn't afraid to give Sora or Riku her mind and they all look like great friends.

L'Oréal. Because you're worth it.

xD

looking at Riku holding the KK like that makes me kinda sad ;~;

Riku is always worth it. Aw now he can't do L'Oréal commercials with his new hair xD

;w; Makes me sad too...but things got better along the way

 

[Wehrmacht]

Riku wilded a Keyblade.

He did in the game anyway. The same one he's holding in the sketches. Just not for very long.

 

[Sign]

It was just the art style of the artist.

Riku was always supposed to be a Keyblade wielder~

And Kairi doesn't to much better nowadays. She is either asleep, kidnapped, waiting. I rather liked the personality she seems to have in this artwork. She seems like she isn't afraid to give Sora or Riku her mind and they all look like great friends.

I think I'd like Kairi more if she was as proactive as she was in these sketches, even if they were just chores.

Riku is always worth it. Aw now he can't do L'Oréal commercials with his new hair xD

I think he'll find a way. He's Riku.

 

[Oracle Spockanort]

I think I'd like Kairi more if she was as proactive as she was in these sketches, even if they were just chores.

Same. She just seems more personable in these sketches. The Kairi in the games is a fairly basic character and she hasn't changed much from KH1 to now. This was honestly the Kairi I wanted from KH.

I think he'll find a way. He's Riku.

Of course. :3 Riku is amazing at everything. I'm sure he can do one of those Bed Head commercials for his new doo.

 

[Ruran]

I always liked the concept sketches, they have a lot of personality. Seeing old Kairi makes me sad panda though.
She didn't seem all that afraid to say what was on her mind in KH1 (at least to Sora...) though. We just didn't get to see much of it and what little spunk she had was abolished in KH2.

 

[blueheart]

I've seen these before. I'm surprised they weren't on the site before.

This makes me want to see KH2 concept art.

 

[Mason Stark]

Ahh, I've always loved these! They're so much fun and gestural and dynamic andandand gah, so epic! ;w; And Sora's a silly goofball, so that's really cute. I don't like the style of the art as much (in comparison to other official and concept arts), but they're energetic and it doesn't really matter that much.

But I agree about Kairi: I wish she was more like that in the games, more of the spunky, outgoing personality than the doing chores and stuff crap. I know she was a bit like that in KH, but she's been so worthless since then. Hopefully she's more like that in the next games. (Or at least in KH3?)

 

[kupo1121]

I'm kind of glad Kairi didn't fall into the old female-stereotype of being left with the chores. I mean...she pretty much fell into the current-video game stereotype however of being a damsel in distress instead. It seems she really can't get a break -__-

 

[ultima-demi]

Guess there pretty ok.......

 

[Virus]

I think you left out one very important one: the original Sora with his chainsaw.

 

[Oracle Spockanort]

Guess there pretty ok.......

But would you have wanted the ideas in those images in KH?

I'm kind of glad Kairi didn't fall into the old female-stereotype of being left with the chores. I mean...she pretty much fell into the current-video game stereotype however of being a damsel in distress instead. It seems she really can't get a break -__-

I'm also glad she wasn't forced to be in the kitchen, but she still does "chores" in KH. And she is the DiD, so she was always going to have this stereotypical personality unless Nomura decides to build on her character more. At least the Kairi in the sketches seems more involved with Sora and Riku. From what we got in KH1 and KH2, Kairi stays away from most other people and keeps to herself a lot.

Ahh, I've always loved these! They're so much fun and gestural and dynamic andandand gah, so epic! ;w; And Sora's a silly goofball, so that's really cute. I don't like the style of the art as much (in comparison to other official and concept arts), but they're energetic and it doesn't really matter that much.

But I agree about Kairi: I wish she was more like that in the games, more of the spunky, outgoing personality than the doing chores and stuff crap. I know she was a bit like that in KH, but she's been so worthless since then. Hopefully she's more like that in the next games. (Or at least in KH3?)

Yeah, I ignore the style but it works :3 Sora was completely adorable and spazzy and everywhere. Just so energetic~ The Sora we know is sort like that, but he is as zany.

Here's to Kairi being spunky in DDD or KH3~

I've seen these before. I'm surprised they weren't on the site before.

This makes me want to see KH2 concept art.

They have been on the site in the past but years go by and data gets lost, links stop working...

I wonder what kind of concept art was done for KH2 as well. They didn't show this kind of stuff in KH2 Ultimania or KH2FM+ Ultimania.

I always liked the concept sketches, they have a lot of personality. Seeing old Kairi makes me sad panda though.
She didn't seem all that afraid to say what was on her mind in KH1 (at least to Sora...) though. We just didn't get to see much of it and what little spunk she had was abolished in KH2.

Yeah. :C In KH1 she jokingly chastised Sora over sleeping instead of working, but that just seems watered down from the chastising in the sketches. In KH2 she jokingly says Sora is hopeless without her or Riku, which is true in a sense, but it still was more joke than the confidence sketch!Kairi exudes. There was also when she ran from Axel which was probably her best scene in KH2 imho.

I'm hoping some of her spunk is shown in DDD or future games.

I think you left out one very important one: the original Sora with his chainsaw.

Well that wasn't a sketch. It was just concept art. People are welcome to post any concept art they want to reminisce on, though. DDDDDD

There are two designs of the Lion!Sora.

But here he has the Keyblade. Definitely done after Nomura suggested the chainsaw and the Disney staff looked at him like he was mental. xD

 

[Lonbilly]

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(Image credit goes to kh2.co.uk)

This one is differently my favorite. Concept!Kairi seems amazing, and I love how she actually hit a (is that a Heartless?) with a wooden stick. Why didn't we get this Kairi?

 

[Virus]

Gotta say, I'm kind of relieved Sora isn't some kind of Sphynx-like creature

 

[Lonbilly]

Gotta say, I'm kind of relieved Sora isn't some kind of Sphynx-like creature

Yeah. Imagine how much worse some of the fan art would have been. Oh God, furries... =O

 

[Vanitas666]

That's awesome! now that we've seen the keyblade transform, do anyone think we'll be able to pull out the chain on the keyblade and fight like Riku do in one of those sketches?