Kingdom Hearts

This is a /v/ related article, which we tolerate because it's relevant and/or popular on /tg/... or we just can't be bothered to delete it.

Kingdom Hearts (sic) is a fantasy RPG by Square Enix, the plot of which is incredibly simple or incredibly complex depending on who you ask. Among its achievements include spawning a gigantic franchise, validating everyone who's ever dreamed of a Disney x Final Fantasy crossover, and reinvigorating the Paladin archetype.

The short version

There is Light and Darkness in the cosmos. You are Light. Go kick Darkness's ass.

The slightly longer version

We begin on the peaceful Destiny Islands, which is home to three children. There's Kairi, who was born on a distant, tragically destroyed world, and Riku, whose boundless ambition and curiosity tempts him towards the Darkness (capital D). But for some reason, the protagonist is Sora, a generically pure boy with starry eyes and spiky hair. The young friends dream of becoming ninjas sky pirates explorers who sail to faraway lands...

...but then a storm hits the Islands, carrying creatures of Darkness with it. Called the Heartless, these monsters are amorphous shadow-blobs impervious to every weapon. During the invasion, the kids get split up, and some weird magic shit happens that knocks Sora unconscious.

Sora wakes up in Traverse Town, a world-slash-refugee-camp for those who, like Sora, have had their worlds destroyed by Darkness. In his hand is the Keyblade, a magical weapon that gives him the power to "lock" worlds (essentially rebooting them into safe mode) into isolation before Heartless can overrun them. It's also one of the only weapons that can combat the rising tide of Darkness.

Then he is found by Goofy and Donald Duck-

Yes. No, I am not shitting you. Disney is a vital part of the plot.

-servants of the noble king Mickey, who left them a cryptic order to find "the key to our survival" and keep it safe. They agree he must have been referring to the Keyblade, and readily join Sora on his mission to lock worlds and figure out where Riku and Kairi are...if they're still alive.

The long version

You don't have time for this.

Related games

Chain of Memories

The game's first sequel, which most fans ditched once they realized it was a card game in digital form. The synopsis is spoilery, but suffice it to say that Sora tries to escape a castle, fighting his way through the ghostly Organization XIII that dwells there. This game introduced the Nobody type of monster, and most elements of the twisty pseudophilosophical plot that would come to define the series.

Kingdom Hearts II

After the longest prologue ever (which diehard fans never ever skip for plot reasons), Sora, Donald, and Goofy regain their stolen memories. Mickey tasks them with finding Riku, who is less of a douchebag now but no better at keeping his friends informed. Meanwhile, Organization XIII is still threatening the worlds, hoping to replace the metaphysical hearts that they lost by going Sith.