Disney is bringing Kingdom Hearts to television with a new anime series headed to Disney+ and Disney Channel. The project will tell a brand-new story, expanding the franchise while celebrating the characters who have shaped its games.
Disney announced the anime on August 15, 2026, at 7:52 am EST, sharing the news alongside a glimpse of Kingdom Hearts IV. The announcement gives fans two parts of the franchise’s future to watch: a new animated story and the next major game installment from Square Enix.
Disney described the project as “An original Kingdom Hearts anime series inspired by the beloved video game franchise is coming soon to @DisneyChannel and @DisneyPlus.” The statement confirms both destinations for the series, but the available details do not include an anime release date.
A New Story With Familiar Game Characters
The anime will feature a new story rather than simply repeating the plot of the games. Disney developed it with Tetsuya Nomura and the creative team at Square Enix, bringing together the people connected to the franchise’s direction and design.
That combination gives the series a clear purpose. It will expand the Kingdom Hearts story while still celebrating the characters in the games, creating a new part of the franchise without leaving its existing cast and identity behind.
The first glimpse has already led to questions about who appears in the anime. Some fans believe the character shown in the teaser is not Sora, the protagonist of the games, but a keyblade wielder. The available details do not identify the character, leaving that question open.
That uncertainty fits the announcement’s focus on a new story. The anime can introduce a different part of the franchise while connecting to the characters and ideas that fans already know from the games. For now, the identity of the teaser character remains one of the project’s unanswered details.
Kingdom Hearts IV Sets a Later Game Milestone
Disney also showed a glimpse of Kingdom Hearts IV, adding a game update to the anime announcement. The next installment will feature a setting based on Pixar’s Coco, giving the upcoming title a setting tied to another well-known part of Disney’s entertainment lineup.
Square Enix plans to release the next installment of the franchise in late 2027. That date applies to the next game, not the anime, whose release timing has not been provided in the available announcement.
The two projects therefore mark different points on the franchise’s timeline. The anime is coming to Disney+ and Disney Channel with a new story, while Kingdom Hearts IV is planned for late 2027 and will include a setting based on Pixar’s Coco.
For fans, the announcement creates several separate questions to follow. They will want to learn when the anime arrives, whether the teaser character is Sora or another keyblade wielder, and how the new story expands the world of the games.
Disney has confirmed the main direction, but not every detail. The anime will be developed with Tetsuya Nomura and Square Enix, it will bring a new story to Disney+ and Disney Channel, and the franchise’s next game is planned for late 2027.
That leaves the franchise with both an immediate new screen project and a longer game release ahead. The anime will add another story to Kingdom Hearts, while Kingdom Hearts IV will continue the game series with a setting based on Coco.
