Two Endings of Kingdom Hearts II

[Hidden]

To note: this is referring to the normal ending(s) of KHII, not Final Mix or any secret endings.

There are, to my opinion, two endings of the second Kingdom Hearts installment for Playstation II. The first ending extends from the final defeat of Xemnas through Sora and Riku finding themselves in the world of darkness (the desolate, beautiful beach in the moonlight). The second ending extends from the opening of the Door to the Light through to the very end of the game, after the credits.

The reason I call these two separate endings of Kingdom Hearts II is that I find them very thematically opposed, entirely different consequences of Sora's (and Riku's) long journey to that point. And personally, I found the first ending far more convincing and therefore preferable.

Don't get me wrong, I like happy endings, and my suspicion is that someone developing the game decided it really needed one, despite everything. But the story of the games is not one that necessarily invites this kind of "happy ending"--throughout all of them, there is a recognition of trial, change, and sacrifice, even at the same time as there is a recognition of the will to continue through them. Think of the endings of Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories; those are in the same spirit, I think, as the first ending of Kingdom Hearts II, on the beach in the darkness. Sora and Riku are not defeated or destroyed by this ending, but they realize it is where they have come to through their efforts.

When the Door to Light opens, it's a free pass from the universe that, up to this point, hadn't been in the habit of giving Sora so much as a break. It tries to (or seems to) reset the game to when everybody was 'happy' (but they weren't, really) on Destiny Islands. And when it does this, it cannot but erase some of the journey that brought Sora to where he was, and most noticeably, the first ending (which I thought quite important in many ways) entirely loses its significance.

Here is a Youtube video for any who would like to see what I am attempting to describe; the "first ending" is from about 2:35 - 7:05 (or possibly 8:20), and the "second ending" from there beyond the end of the video.

Your thoughts?

 

[Pelafina]

I agree with this, it cheapens not only the story, but all we've worked for by giving us, as you aptly put it, 'a free pass'

But it all comes down to money, and happy endings make money.

 

[haX]

Hmm, you know, I never thought about it that way, but I guess you're right. I always kinda liked the ending, but at the same time, I never understood how the Door to Light just kinda appeared there for no apparent reason... I betcha they just didn't want people to think that Sora gave in to the Darkness... Y'know "Maybe this is all there is... If there's only Darkness and Light, we'll be the Darkness..." or something like that.

 

[Dant?s de Divinity]

Well KH is half Disney and Disney always has happy endings. I did pass up all the things I didn't have to do though. Like how with Kotor or a few of the FF games if you don't find some items or do a side quest you don't get the best ending. Here is what I think it would have been like if KH2 was like that.

Bad ending (Just completing the worlds): Riku Dies from the attack from Xemnas and Sora is stuck in the dark realm.

Normal ending (All worlds and gummi missions completed): Riku lives but Sora is still stuck in the dark realm.

Happy ending (All the worlds, gummi missions, and all side quests): The ending we saw in KH2 where Riku lives and they get back to DI

 

[lux_crusader]

The happy side of the ending was a build up. The main theme of KH has always been connections. The power of light is rooted in the connections between hearts. The door to light came from these connections. All the people Sora helped in the realm of light, and more importantly, Kairi, these connections all came together to free him.

Yes, there is sacrifice, but it is because of all this sacrifice, because they were fully ready time and time again to damn themselves, that Sora and Riku earned the right to return home

 

[xZora]

Uh .. you sound like a smart person. lol random xD

Anyway, I agree. And I really liked the endings of KH1 and CoM. I can watch them over and over and over .... But the ending of KH2 (the happy part) is kind of "mehhh" to me. I don't really like it. I never really thought about why though. xD But what you said makes sense.

 

[Crypto]

maybe the door to light appearing is there because of their efforts in fighting the darkness

 

[*~NeoAdamus~*]

or just the connection of hearts

 

[Hidden]

I do not wholly dislike the ending for itself, but I find it to take something away from the story up to that point, even while it provides us with an 'ideal' conclusion.

Undoubtedly there is a similarity to a number of Disney endings, but there is still a difference between an ending that is brought about by the reality of that story and an ending that pierces the reality of that story--Disney has been known to do both, but thus far Kingdom Hearts seemed to follow the former. I would not like to see the endings vary in "Bad, Normal, and Happy" based upon how many gummies you collect--it would only generate a feeling of, "In reward for your meaningless efforts, fate will arbitrarily rearrange itself." No, here I say let the story play as it will play.

I do like lux-crusader's justification (if you will) of the happy ending, and it bears consideration. The connection between hearts (emphasized between Sora and Kairi) is an essential part of the reality of Kingdom Hearts, so that is not an aspect of the second ending I react against. The ending for me would be precisely at that point where the letter is read, and that connection is shown still to exist and to have effect. What I do react against is the particular effect this connection suddenly manifests--it goes from being the largely invisible connection that supports both Sora and Kairi through their own quests to the blazingly visible door of light that can, not just overcome, but discard any obstacle. To my sensibility, this has changed it beyond recognition or belief--it has gone from being an element of reality to a magical wand (used in order to 'fix' that reality it was a part of, no less).
As for the second part, I would not at all dispute that Sora and Riku 'deserve' to return home, and that they have both made sacrifices, death and damnation not the only ones. But then, consider the case of our Nobodies--does the story present them as "getting what they deserved?" I think our pity for them follows from a feeling that they did not; even the worst of them is only reaching for something that we almost wish they could have. That aspect of the story I thought particularly potent in this installment--the universe does not necessarily operate according either to what we want or even what we think we deserve.

Just a comment more on the first ending, as I call it--why do you think it is included even, if only to be eclipsed by the second (and I really think this happens)? I call them antithetical to each other, because things are said in the first ending that I don't think can be true in the second--things such as Sora saying, "You know... maybe the darkness has gotten to me too," Riku asking if this is all the world really is, and the idea of having protected one side only to remain in the other. But then they're in the world of light again, and everything is alright; everything is forgotten. Why?

 

[*~NeoAdamus~*]

Just a comment more on the first ending, as I call it--why do you think it is included even, if only to be eclipsed by the second (and I really think this happens)? I call them antithetical to each other, because things are said in the first ending that I don't think can be true in the second--things such as Sora saying, "You know... maybe the darkness has gotten to me too," Riku asking if this is all the world really is, and the idea of having protected one side only to remain in the other. But then they're in the world of light again, and everything is alright; everything is forgotten. Why?

Heh, you're so right. Think about it though if u were locked in a room with only liquorish you just sit their and say well i can survive this way i belong here i guess but when the door finally opens and you see cheeseburgers and pizza you're takes an instant change of lets get da hell outta here

 

[Hidden]

An interesting comparison, though I'm not questioning Sora's wish to return home, rather the possibility.

This does, however, bring up another important point--I do not believe Sora could have remained in the world of darkness indefinitely; that it ultimately would be too far out of his own nature and reality, however willing he is, and it would also discard those connections of hearts so important up to that point in the story. Were his story to continue from that ending, I think that would have to be taken into account.

Riku is another matter entirely, and I think there was something quite serious to his doubts about being able to go back at all (until the door to light opens).

Lastly, I do protest quite strongly the conversation at the end of the credits, second ending:
"Nothing's changed, huh?"
"Nope. Nothing will."
Does anyone else see a problem with that?

 

[Gildragon]

well the whole idea of KH is that there is going to be something more. I don't think they put the happy ending there just to make it happy, although I did like the whole thing where he gave the star charm back to kairi. but anyways I think that it was there to open the door for the direction the games are going which would not have happened with the 1st ending as you call it. also it is not along the lines of the story for them to be darkness since sora is all about light he may have decided to accept that he was there, but he didn't want that anyways.

 

[Antiquity]

Never thought of the endings that way.

The first and second ending merged together up until before the Door to Light opens was sorta the result of what they had to go through in my idea. Sorta reminded me of in KH1 how Sora, Donald, and Goofy ended up in the middle of nowhere before Sora went over to Kairi and that wasn't really a happy ending. Then when Riku said they should stay in the darkness that brought up the KH1 ending to me since he's already been in darkness and after all that, he thinks he should go back.

 

[King Mario]

So what do you think of KH1's ending? In my oppinion its sadder cause all three of these frends get seperated, I was glad they got to gather again in KH2, that was Sora's goal from the first game he didn't succed in KH1 but he did in KH2.

 

[Koji]

The "first ending" is pretty good as a darker, sadder ending (kind of like the Silent Hill movie). Yensid said that Sora's journey will decide if he will return to the Islands which he kinda did (in my opinion, Sora and Riku are sitting on the beach of the dark side of Destiny Islands). Yensid also said that Sora's journey would decide have a connection to Riku returning with him, and thats what happened.

But before all that, Kairi sends out a letter in the ocean, which revealed her and Sora's connection to each other, and so Sora had to find it sometime. But before even that, I mean at the begining of KH1, it was said that Sora will be the one who opens the door to light.

 

[lux_crusader]

I do not wholly dislike the ending for itself, but I find it to take something away from the story up to that point, even while it provides us with an 'ideal' conclusion.

Undoubtedly there is a similarity to a number of Disney endings, but there is still a difference between an ending that is brought about by the reality of that story and an ending that pierces the reality of that story--Disney has been known to do both, but thus far Kingdom Hearts seemed to follow the former. I would not like to see the endings vary in "Bad, Normal, and Happy" based upon how many gummies you collect--it would only generate a feeling of, "In reward for your meaningless efforts, fate will arbitrarily rearrange itself." No, here I say let the story play as it will play.

I do like lux-crusader's justification (if you will) of the happy ending, and it bears consideration. The connection between hearts (emphasized between Sora and Kairi) is an essential part of the reality of Kingdom Hearts, so that is not an aspect of the second ending I react against. The ending for me would be precisely at that point where the letter is read, and that connection is shown still to exist and to have effect. What I do react against is the particular effect this connection suddenly manifests--it goes from being the largely invisible connection that supports both Sora and Kairi through their own quests to the blazingly visible door of light that can, not just overcome, but discard any obstacle. To my sensibility, this has changed it beyond recognition or belief--it has gone from being an element of reality to a magical wand (used in order to 'fix' that reality it was a part of, no less).
As for the second part, I would not at all dispute that Sora and Riku 'deserve' to return home, and that they have both made sacrifices, death and damnation not the only ones. But then, consider the case of our Nobodies--does the story present them as "getting what they deserved?" I think our pity for them follows from a feeling that they did not; even the worst of them is only reaching for something that we almost wish they could have. That aspect of the story I thought particularly potent in this installment--the universe does not necessarily operate according either to what we want or even what we think we deserve.

Just a comment more on the first ending, as I call it--why do you think it is included even, if only to be eclipsed by the second (and I really think this happens)? I call them antithetical to each other, because things are said in the first ending that I don't think can be true in the second--things such as Sora saying, "You know... maybe the darkness has gotten to me too," Riku asking if this is all the world really is, and the idea of having protected one side only to remain in the other. But then they're in the world of light again, and everything is alright; everything is forgotten. Why?

Well, take into consideration that the door to light had been alluded to ever since the beginning of the first game. Although acknowledging the existence of a deux ex machina doesn't really make something any less of a deus ex machina.
The connection between the door and the bond of their hearts probably should have been a bit more emphasized, though one could say that the bottle making it's way to Sora was foreshadowing their bond moving from emotional to tangible.

As for the purpose of the first ending, I think it serves quite a few. It has Sora and Riku completely alone, in a world both similar and opposite to their own. It is here that they can truly put closure to their little rivalry and fully resume being best friends. Their bonds are mended.
It also is reminiscent of how Riku and the King were trapped behind the door to darkness. This is Sora and Riku's damnation, their death. But they accept this, they know it is what they must do, it is their greatest sacrifice, and for this they gain a path home, their resurrection.

I actually quite like the so-called second ending. It brings the story full-circle; both with letter's text being from the original game's trailer, and how Sora and Riku's return to Destiny Islands parallels Sora's dreams from the first game's intro. This was meant to happen.

I also have no problem with those lines after the credits. I think that they feel comfort in the familiarity. They are finally home, after working so hard to get back. And even if there is some negativity in Riku's statements, I feel like this is countered by,
"This really is a small world..."
"Yes, but it's part of something much greater."

 

[Raeneth]

The second ending of KH2 really finalized (for me at least) the Kingdom Hearts series. To me, they wouldn't need to make a game taking place after the events of 2, and it would be a nice two part game. However, since we know that there is going to be another, the final ending of 2 is really a joke. The happy ending won't last forever if Sora has to go on another mission. I mean where does it end?

 

[Xziled]

the final ending might lead to sadness my friend or at least make think about things in a new light

 

[Charlie K]

Yeash, there ish two endings, the one after Xemnas dies and the nthe super better graphic one.Heh.

 

[Pelafina]

Well KH is half Disney and Disney always has happy endings. I did pass up all the things I didn't have to do though. Like how with Kotor or a few of the FF games if you don't find some items or do a side quest you don't get the best ending. Here is what I think it would have been like if KH2 was like that.

Bad ending (Just completing the worlds): Riku Dies from the attack from Xemnas and Sora is stuck in the dark realm.

Normal ending (All worlds and gummi missions completed): Riku lives but Sora is still stuck in the dark realm.

Happy ending (All the worlds, gummi missions, and all side quests): The ending we saw in KH2 where Riku lives and they get back to DI

You can't do this though, it would ruin the story.

You can't have, say, Riku live in one story and die in another.

It would become really messy in KHIII.