Best Kingdom Hearts Summons, ranked

My friends are my power!

Sora has enlisted the help of many Disney and Final Fantasy characters over the years, and Kingdom Hearts summons have provided a great way for players to get the upper hand on the Heartless and Nobodies. With Tinkerbell giving constant healing, and Peter Pan lifting Sora off the ground for some aerial attacks, there were plenty of awesome summons to pool from in order to create this list.

While not all Kingdom Hearts summons are useful (we’re looking at you, Chicken Little), plenty of them can greatly assist Sora and his friends, both offensively and defensively.

Here are the seven best Kingdom Hearts summons.

7. Peter Pan (Kingdom Hearts II)

While not as powerful as you’d like, Peter Pan’s summon is still useful in tight situations. While protected, pixie dust flies across the battlefield while Sora attacks his foes from the air. Photos of Sora’s Neverland adventure with Peter Pan also appear on-screen, which makes for a great callback. The attacks don’t last long, making this summon lower on the list. Regardless, “The Flying Boy” can save Sora in a pinch if used correctly.

6. Bambi (Kingdom Hearts)

The original KH has summons based more on utility than dominance on the battlefield; that is the case with Bambi. While this creature is merely a small deer, Bambi makes our list of the greatest Kingdom Hearts Summons because they release a ton of MP bubbles around themselves. If you need to utilize a Blizzard spell or an awesome ability like Sonic Blade, Bambi can stock you up quickly. What a “Thumper” of a Summon!

5. Simba (Kingdom Hearts III)

One of the very few characters to appear in all three Kingdom Hearts games Simba is a powerful summon for Sora in KH3. He turns into a massive source of fire for the keyblade wielder. When he roars, the surrounding area is scorched and every time he jumps and collides with a foe, it causes damage. At the end of the sequence, Simba unleashes a burst of fire that wipes out all of your enemies in the vicinity. With how powerful each consecutive attack is, Simba is one of the best Kingdom Hearts summons.

4. Ariel (Kingdom Hearts III)

Despite originating from one of the worst worlds in Kingdom Hearts history, Ariel is a fantastic summon in KH3. Sora and the redhead mermaid dive in and out of the water, damaging foes with every impact. However, you can also splash water towards enemies mid-dive, adding another way to deal a blow to their HP meter. This “Sea Spectacle” attack is essential for some players who want to defeat the secret boss of KH3 Remind, as you can avoid incoming combos while this move is active.

3. Genie (Kingdom Hearts II)

Agrabah’s Genie provides some stellar attacks in Kingdom Hearts II. Taking inspiration from Sora’s drive forms, he provides alternate attacks depending on the outfit he is wearing, and they’re all pretty powerful. The Master Form has the Arcana, which has Genie spinning in the air, sending out magical projectiles. In this form, he can easily wipe out a wave of heartless with his attacks. The gimmick of Genie wearing cosplay for Sora’s drive forms also provides a nice visual touch.

2. Meow Wow (Kingdom Hearts III)

Meow Wow is an adorable Dream Eater that deals a massive amount of damage to its opponents in Kingdom Hearts III. Sora rides the creature as it bounces on its foes, and the creature grows larger every time it hits the ground. Once you’ve pumped it up to a full size, you can release the air in the balloon-like animal, which strikes foes with a powerful blast as it whips around the battlefield. Meow Wow is surprisingly effective against tough bosses and a large crowd of heartless or nobodies. It’s one of the best Kingdom Hearts summons ever.

1. Tinker Bell (Kingdom Hearts)

Tinkerbell has come in clutch in many Kingdom Hearts playthroughs throughout the years. In “End of the World”, Tinkerbell is an essential carry, healing you as you strike down the Heartless. Tinkerbell never leaves your side during the battle, unlike every other summon in the series. And what makes her greater still is that she’ll revive you completely if you lose all of your health. This comes at the cost of losing her presence by your side, however. For these reasons and more, Tinkerbell is arguably the greatest Summon in Kingdom Hearts.

Chris Penwell

Chris is a freelance writer for multiple outlets, including Destructoid! He loves narrative games like Kingdom Hearts, Life is Strange, and Beyond Good & Evil. However, he does enjoy Fortnite and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate from time to time.