Checkmate-An Analysis of KH3’s Opening
Kingdom Hearts 3 has one of if not the best opening in all of Video games and that is thanks to how it uses only visuals to tell the story of Sora and Xehanort.
The Opening to KH3 starts off just like that of Kh1 and KH2, with an opening monologue from Sora reflecting the themes of the games. However KH3 quickly deviates from the path of previous games openings by switching from Sora to Young Xehanort, establishing the framing device of the opening. Kh3’s opening is told not from the perspective of Sora but instead a Young Xehanort as he practices late into the night for his next game with Eraqus. And as he is about to begin he stares into the sky witnessing a star of Darkness, symbolic of how he already set on his road to darkness. This sets up the framing device of Kh3’s opening as Young Xehanort subconsciously plans the events of the Dark seeker saga while he plays. Every move of the game corresponds to a terrible tragedy. It adds so much more weight to opening. Firstly because it gives Xehanort more depth of a character by showing that all of his terrible actions stemmed from something as simple and innocent as a child playing a game. And secondly because it adds a metanarrative to Kingdom Hearts by showing that the events series are contextualized through a game both in and out of universe. Eventually the framing device ends with the events of the Second Keyblade War beginning as Xehanort’s piece put Sora's piece in Checkmate, transitioning from Xehnort’s innocent past to his corrupted Present.
While the Opening of KH3 is framed around Xehanort it is not solely his narrative as we see Sora ever so briefly break free from the framing device cutting through the darkness and creating a Doors of Light for all those that he will save, like Ventus and Roxas, as well as those that he has already saved, Like Riku and Lea. This ultimately highlights what Kingdom Hearts 3 is truly about. It is a story about Sora breaking free from Xehanort’s carefully constructed narrative in order to save others. However the motif of the Door of Light doesn't just end with Sora’s friends as we see Sora open it one last time for Xehanort. Yes as the Opening draws to a close we see Sora aim one finally Keybeam not at Xehanort himself but rather at the darkened sky, allowing the sun to return and For Xehanort himself to be bathed in its beautiful light returning him to his innocent past. Hinting that perhaps Xehanort too will be saved by sora
The opening ends on two parallel shots with both Sora and Xehanort having received one another’s game pieces. This is the most important moment in the whole Opening as it shows that despite their differences Sora and Xehanort share the same core. After all, both grew up under the same sky.
