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Dream Eaters (ドリームイーター, Dorīmu Ītā^?) are creatures that debuted inKingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance. They reside in the Realm of Sleep and consume dreams, as their name implies.

There are two types of Dream Eaters: benevolentSpirits (スピリット, Supiritto^?), which feast upon bad dreams, and malevolentNightmares (ナイトメア, Naitomea^?), which plant bad ones.^[1] During theirMark of Mastery exam,Sora andRiku recruit Spirit Dream Eaters asparty members to help combat the Nightmares plaguing theSleeping Worlds.

Development[edit]

The scrapped bunny Dream Eater.

Tetsuya Nomura designed theMeow Wow; all of the others were designed by other staff members.^[2] Several Dream Eater designs were scrapped, but theQueen Buzzerfly was revived as a boss.^[3] A lapine Dream Eater concept was planned for inclusion at one point, and is depicted in theUltimania. It would have fought using carrots plucked from the ground.

Story[edit]

Kingdom Hearts χ[edit]

Ava marvels at the newly created Chirithy.

During the "age of fairy tales", theMaster of Masters creates the first Spirit Dream Eater, theChirithy, to assist and guide Keyblade wielders in their endeavors. The Master of Masters warns theforetellers that if aKeyblade wielder succumbs todarkness or vanishes, so will the Chirithy. The Chirithy support all fiveUnions, and though they are not subordinates to the foretellers directly, they work together with them to drive back the darkness.

Nightmare Chirithy proclaims that Nightmares like it exist to show people bad dreams, allowing them to sever connections and live freely, a concept that Chirithy is unable to understand. After a fierce battle withDarklings, Nightmare Chirithy absorbs them and becomes a monster. After being defeated, Nightmare Chirithy fades away.

Kingdom Hearts Union χ[Cross][edit]

Chirithy transforms into a Meow Wow.

To combat the nightmares, the new Union leaders create a new type of Spirit Dream Eaters for theDandelions calledPets.

When the Chirithy and thePlayer meet for one last time, they are enveloped inlight. Waking up, Player sees the remaining Dandelions and their Chirithys, who explain that when a wielder falls into darkness, their respective Chirithy does so as well. However, when a wielder sleeps, the Chirithys take on a new form and protect their wielder'sheart by turning into Spirit Dream Eaters that roam the Sleeping Worlds.

Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance[edit]

DespiteAnsem, Seeker of Darkness's defeat, some of the worlds remain asleep.Yen Sid explains they are beyond reach of theHeartless, but they and theirKeyholes are instead threatened by Nightmare Dream Eaters. These enemies attack Sora and Riku many times over the course of their Mark of Mastery exam.

InTraverse Town, Sora decides to team up with Spirit Dream Eaters after he seesNeku summon aNecho Cat. Riku makes the same choice afterJoshua helps him spawn aKomory Bat.

When Sora and Riku return to Traverse Town, they learn their friends in that world have forsaken their Dream Eaters for their human Game partners. TheKeyblade wielders also encounter theSpellican, which wreaks havoc before escaping toSymphony of Sorcery. There, this powerful Nightmare troublesMickey Mouse until Sora and Riku come to his aid.

The Armored Ventus Nightmare.

In a false version ofThe World That Never Was, Riku comes face-to-face with Ansem, Seeker of Darkness. The Heartless reveals Riku is a Spirit Dream Eater who spent his entire Mark of Mastery exam inside Sora's dreams.^[4] Riku battles Ansem, defeats him, and escapes to the real The World That Never Was. He then locates Sora'sMeow Wow and uses the power of his Komory Bat to reach the Castle That Never Was. After an encounter with thereal Organization XIII and Sora's successful rescue, Riku returns with King Mickey,Donald,Goofy, andLea to theMysterious Tower. To wake Sora, Riku voluntarily uses thePower of waking and plunges back into his friend's dreams and defeats theArmored Ventus Nightmare. Reawakened, Sora watches as Yen Sid names Riku aKeyblade Master. He returns to the sleeping Traverse Town and reunites with his Spirit Dream Eaters.

Kingdom Hearts III[edit]

"Look for the light in the darkness."

—Chirithy gives a hint to Sora on how to save his friends.

Sora and Chirithy in The Final World.

Meow Wow and many other Spirits appear in the Meow Wow BalloonLink Summon.

Chirithy appears inThe Final World, where it speaks to Sora and explains what the world is, and how Sorahas been there before. It goes on to explain that Sora arrived there due to his heart andbody perishing, butsomething is holding him there on the edge of death and life. It instructs Sora in what he has to do in order to leave before he disappears. Once Sora finds all the pieces of himself, it returns, somewhat annoyed that he is still hanging around. Sora offers to help Chirithy find its pieces so it can leave, but it informs him it does not "work like that".

Design[edit]

Like theUnversed, Heartless, andNobodies, Dream Eaters come in many shapes, sizes, and colors. They resemble real-world animals, and they bear emblems that designate them as either Spirits or Nightmares. While Spirit Dream Eaters are brightly colored, Nightmares are typically less vibrant. Spirits' eyes depend on theirDisposition, while Nightmares' eyes are round, red, and lack pupils.

Characters that become Dream Eaters have emblems on their bodies in accordance with their roles. When Riku becomes a Spirit Dream Eater, he bears the Spirit sigil on his back. Meanwhile, the Armored Ventus Nightmare has the Nightmare insignia emblazoned on its helmet.

Nature[edit]

Yen Sid compares Nightmare and Spirit Dream Eaters for Sora and Riku.

Dream Eaters primarily exist in the Realm of Sleep, where they consume the dreams and nightmares of its denizens. The Nightmare Dream Eaters outnumber the Spirits, which Sora and Riku must reinforce by creating new Spirits using the necessaryrecipes andDream Pieces.

Dream Eaters do not usually have the ability to travel to differentSleeping Worlds; some likeBrawlamari andQueen Buzzerfly exist right outside of them. ThoughSpellican could teleport between both sides ofTraverse Town and even outright leave forSymphony of Sorcery. The omniscientJoshua implied this power was not typical of Dream Eaters.

Nightmares typically only attack once negative emotions are felt, such as whenQuasimodo could ride aZolephant without issue until being scared. Along with their weaker compatriots, powerful Nightmares likeHockomonkey,Commantis andWargoyle show a willingness to obey those with an affinity for darkness, like thereal Organization XIII,CLU, andFrollo. Some likeAnti Black Coat andArmored Ventus Nightmare were purpose created to keep a victim trapped in sleep, attacking anyone who tried to wake up their prisoner.

Spirit Dream Eaters enjoy affection and love playing withTraining Toys. Their Disposition determines their eye color and how they behave during combat, whilePaint Guns can be used to alter their body color. Spirits lend their power to Sora and Riku via theLink System, and they can compete against others of their kind inFlick Rush tournaments.

List of Dream Eaters[edit]

• Dream Eaters listed initalics are exclusive toKingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance HD.
• Dream Eaters listed inbold serve as bosses.

Spirits[edit]

Nightmares[edit]

See also[edit]

• Spirit
• Heartless
• Nobody
• Unversed

Notes and references[edit]

• Original characters
• Dream Eaters
• Enemies
• Allies

• Featured articles