Warning!! The following contains spoilers for Kingdom Hearts III Re Mind and Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory, available now.
Fans rejoiced when longtime-community-pick Sora was revealed to be Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's (SSBU) final DLC combatant, but no one's asked how he got there. While fans are usually content with explaining Super Smash Bros.' roster by adhering to the long-held belief the series is the product of a child's imagination, Sora's appearance easily fits within the current Kingdom Hearts narrative. The heroic Keyblade wielder's displacement into Nintendo's brawler may just be another step in his journey.
While Sora's been popularized alongside Disney acquaintances and locales, his inclusion in SSBU introduces the plucky warrior on his own. Sora's still able to utilize his skills with his Keyblade as well as some of the magic he's learned over the years, but it looks like he'll only be able to rely on his allies through the memories in his heart. Anyone familiar with Kingdom Hearts' story will recognize that many of these elements make sense when considering recent plot developments. Sora's addition in SSBU could be more than it appears.
What Happened to Sora After Kingdom Hearts?
Kingdom Hearts' recent narrative has hinted that Sora is no longer in the Kingdom Hearts universe and is instead somewhere beyond the known realms of Light and Darkness. While it hasn't been made clear exactly where Sora is, officially being referred to as Quadratum, several pieces of evidence point to the hero crossing over into other Square Enix franchises. Fans know he's shown up in front of what looks like The World Ends With You's Shibuya 104 building, but that's about it. Everything started in Kingdom Hearts III by a chance encounter with another video game character.
When Sora arrives in Toy Story's Toy Box world, he's quickly confused with being an action figure of a video game character named Yozora. The game in question, Verum Rex, features the signature Square Enix AAA look and may actually be the successor to the unreleased Final Fantasy Versus XIII. Later in Kingdom Hearts III's Re Mind DLC, Sora encounters Yozora after sacrificing himself to save Kairi. The two are somewhat shocked that they're facing the other, both believing the other can't be real. Regardless of victor, an eerie scene plays that mirrors the original teaser for Final Fantasy Versus XIII, but with Yozora standing in for Noctis. As if that wasn't bizarre enough, Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory's ending confirmed Sora was beyond the known reaches of his allies. So if it's a certainty that Sora transcended his universe for another, is it too far-fetched to believe he'd spent some time among the SSBU cast?
Is Sora's Super Smash Bros. Appearance After Kingdom Hearts III?
Sora's somewhat limited arsenal in SSBU can also be taken as evidence that he's there on account of his unintentional franchise-hopping adventure. If his time in Smash occurs somewhere between his sacrifice and his reappearance in Shibuya/Quadratum, then that would explain why he's present without any of his allies, Disney-adjacent or otherwise. The same can be said for his limited ability and magic options. If Sora's disembodied heart/spirit passed through the dimensional boundaries that separate video game universes, it makes sense that he wouldn't retain all his powers.
There's also an interesting tidbit about the way Sora was revealed, a shining bright flame among the darkness-draped SSBU fighters, that's reminiscent of how characters appear in The Final World in Kingdom Hearts III. While not precisely the same, as The Final World inhabitants were often sparkles, stars or gusts of air, there's certainly something to be said about how characters' souls or essence are represented by a basic element in both cases.
Sora's Super Smash Bros. inclusion has fans excited, but should they be pondering instead? Kingdom Hearts has set events into motion that offer plenty of support for Sora's cross-franchise appearance to be more than just DLC phenomena. While neither Square Enix nor Nintendo has mentioned anything about Sora's Smash appearance being a canon, it'd be a great twist to work into both franchises. Just imagine that inevitable conversation where Sora has to explain what an Inkling is to Donald and Goofy.