Summon
ASummon (召喚, Shōkan?) is a special character that can be magically called on to aidSora in theKingdom Hearts series. In terms of development, the main purpose of adding Summons was to add characters from Disney films that weren't already represented byworlds. They have been present inKingdom Hearts,Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories,Kingdom Hearts II, andKingdom Hearts III, although the mechanics differ from game to game.Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days is the first game in the series not to incorporate any form of summons.
Game differences[edit]
Kingdom Hearts[edit]
In the originalKingdom Hearts, most of the summons are obtained by finding special gems called "Summon Gems" in variousworlds. The gems can then be given to theFairy Godmother, staying atMerlin's House inTraverse Town; she uses hermagic to restore their spirit forms and release their powers, thus making the summon creatures available. All of these summons are victims of theHeartless' quest to destroy the worlds. As explained by the Fairy Godmother, the summon gems are the crystallized forms of strong, good-hearted denizens that did not fall victim to thedarkness during the destruction of their worlds, and so are able to be called into battle for a limited time. Summons are classified under theCommand Menu's "Magic" command in the original release, but inKingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX, it is classified into a separate command instead.
Two summons,Genie andTinker Bell, are allies from worlds Sora has visited, and join him of their own free will upon locking theKeyhole of their world. They do not need to be released by the Fairy Godmother before they can be used.
One of the ultimate Summons from theFinal Fantasy video game series,Bahamut, was intended to be included inKingdom Hearts, but was cut before the final release. Through hacking, it is possible to gain a "Bahamut" option in the Summon menu; however, it is an incomplete summon, and therefore will freeze the game if selected.
Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories[edit]
- Main article:Summon Card
InKingdom Hearts Chain of Memories Sora obtainssummon cards during his ascent ofCastle Oblivion. Somemagic cards enable Sora to perform summons. These cards are created from Sora'smemories, so the summons are the same ones fromKingdom Hearts, with the addition ofCloud. They also differ in how they play out, as playing or stacking a different number of cards has different results, much like Magic andFriend cards (for example, oneCloud card will use a normal slash, while two make aCross-slash and three make anOmnislash). However, Sora is unable to activate cards while the summon is active, contrary toenemy cards.
Kingdom Hearts II[edit]
InKingdom Hearts II, summons come from specialSummon Charms found scattered throughout the worlds, which Sora can immediately use without having to unlock them. The charms fromKingdom Hearts II work differently than the summon gems fromKingdom Hearts. While most of the summon spells on the first game gave a temporarybody to thesoul contained within the gem, the charm actually teleports the summonable character directly from their world.
Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep[edit]
- Main article:Dimension Link
InKingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep,Dimension Links ("D-Link" for short) are a variant of summons that allow players to draw power from both non-playable characters or summon one of the three main characters wirelessly from other players to aid them in action. WhileCinderella,King Mickey,Zack Fair,Experiment 626,Donald Duck, and others are known as the non-playable D-Link characters,Terra,Ventus, andAqua are the wireless D-Link characters.
Kingdom Hearts III[edit]
- Main article:Link Summon
InKingdom Hearts III, Sora obtainsLink Summons fromHeartbinders. According toYen Sid, Heartbinders enhance Sora's gift for connecting with others,[1] allowing him to summon friends from other worlds.
Mechanics[edit]
Kingdom Hearts[edit]
The Summon menu inKingdom Hearts is located within theMagic menu in the original version andKingdom Hearts Final Mix and the fourth Command Slot inKingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX during battle. Each summon requires a specific amount ofMP to be performed, and the summon lasts until its MP bar is fully consumed (or until the player dismisses it manually). The MP the summon has increases with Sora's MP capacity, and is further increased by Cheer abilities. In order to perform a summon, the player needs to have two friends in the battle with him, and they must both be conscious. This means that Sora cannot perform summons during battles he fights alone, or when one or both of his allies are unconscious.
Summons cannot be called when flying or swimming (though some can remain active if already called before entering a flying or swimming state), and certain summons will be instantly dismissed when Sora flies and moves too far away from them.
Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories[edit]
InChain of Memories, once Sora plays that specific summon's card, the summoned character will appear, perform one or more attacks/actions (depending on the amount of cards stocked) and immediately disappear.
Kingdom Hearts II[edit]
The Summon menu was given its own slot in the Command Menu inKingdom Hearts II because of the inclusion of a second menu that could be accessed during battle. In addition,Kingdom Hearts II summons no longer require MP to be summoned; they now use theDrive Gauge to count down their time instead, require three Drive points to summon, and again the player must have two friends in battle in order to perform a summon. Each summon behaves differently during combat and has its ownLimit.
Leveling Up Summons[edit]
Summons inKingdom Hearts II draw their power from a separate Summon Gauge (similar to the Drive Gauge), which can also be leveled up, allowing the Summon to remain with Sora for a longer period of time. Unlike withDrive Forms which are leveled up separately, all of the Summons are affected by this. One point of Experience is gained for every gauge expended while the Summon is on the field. At first the maximum level for the Summons is 3, but can be raised by 1 for each new summon acquired, until it reaches 7 once all the summons are acquired. A simple way to level up is by finding a safe place, call a Summon, and then wait as time whittles down the gauges before jumping into the Gummi Ship to reset the gauge to MAX.
However, a much faster way to level up the Summon Gauge is to call a Summon to the field, and then find enemies to fight. Closely watch the Summon Gauge, and attack enemies the moment the Gauge drops down a level. Every hit boosts the gauge by a small amount, so by constantly attacking to boost the gauge back up a level, it will drop back down again. Continue this method to boost the gauge back up a level with every attack so it is then expended, rewarding a point of Experience each time.
Kingdom Hearts III[edit]
Link Summons inKingdom Hearts III consume all of Sora's MP, and his MP must be at maximum before using a Link. Each Link has a specialCommand Menu that allows Sora to perform various attacks with them, and a Finish command that provides a devastating attack. When activated, Links restore all of Sora's HP.[2]
List of Summons[edit]
Kingdom Hearts[edit]
Simba
From theEarthshine obtained fromLeon during the second visit toTraverse Town.
Bambi
From theNaturespark obtained after returning the first set ofTorn Pages toPooh's book.
Dumbo
From theWatergleam found insideMonstro.
Tinker Bell
Tinker Bell joins the party after sealingNeverland's Keyhole.
Mushu
From theFireglow obtained after defeatingDragon Maleficent.
Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories[edit]
Simba
Leon gives Sora theSimba Card after he completes his tutorial.
Genie
Genie gives Sora theGenie Card after he completes theAgrabah floor.
Bambi
Sora obtains theBambi Card after completing the100 Acre Wood floor.
Dumbo
Sora obtains theDumbo Card after he completes theMonstro floor.
Tinker Bell
Tinker Bell gives Sora theTinker Bell Card after he completes theNeverland floor.
Mushu
TheMushu Card is found in a chest in theHollow BastionRoom of Rewards.
Cloud
Cloud gives Sora theCloud Card after he completes theOlympus Coliseum floor.
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Kingdom Hearts II[edit]
Chicken Little
Merlin gives Sora theBaseball Charm after telling them about Pooh's book.
Genie
Genie gives Sora theLamp Charm after his first visit to Agrabah.
Stitch
TheUkulele Charm is found in a chest atAnsem's Study during the second visit to Hollow Bastion.
Peter Pan
TheFeather Charm is found in a chest at theShip Graveyard during the second visit toPort Royal.
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Kingdom Hearts III[edit]
Meow Wow
Yen Sid gives Sora theDream Heartbinder after returning toMysterious Tower.
Wreck-It Ralph
Sora receives thePixel Heartbinder for clearingVerum Rex for the first time.
Simba
Sora receives thePride Heartbinder for putting out the fires at the Tank Yard inMonstropolis.
Ariel
TheOcean Heartbinder is found in a chest in the Underwater Cave inThe Caribbean after defeating theLightning Angler.
Stitch
Sora receives theOhana Heartbinder for clearing theFlash Tracer minigame for the first time.
Gallery[edit]
Development[edit]
Storyboard of the summoning mechanic.
Storyboard of the summoning mechanic.
Storyboard of Bambi's summoning.
Storyboard of Bambi's summoning.
Storyboard of Dumbo's summoning.
Storyboard of Dumbo's summoning.
Storyboard of Genie's summoning.
Storyboard of Genie's summoning.
Storyboard of Mushu's summoning.
Storyboard of Mushu's summoning.
Storyboard of Simba's summoning.
Storyboard of Simba's summoning.
Storyboard of Simba's summoning.
Storyboard of Tinker Bell's summoning
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Notes and references[edit]
- ^Kingdom Hearts III, Yen Sid: "That is a Heartbinder. Think of this as a good luck charm made just for you. You have a gift, Sora, for connecting with others, and this makes that gift stronger."
- ^OnCritical Mode, Links instead restore half of Sora's maximum HP.
