The Seven Princesses of Heart

The Seven Princesses of Heart were a select group of young women destined to hold the keys to unlocking Kingdom Hearts. Their hearts were said to be the purest, filled with the power of Light and lacking any traces of Darkness. Sora, the Keyblade Master, fought to free the Princesses from Ansem and his cohorts who stole each of their hearts in order to unlock a Dark keyhole in Hollow Bastion. Although their plan succeeded and they were steps closer to opening Kingdom Hearts, most of the villains met their demise when the powers of Darkness proved too much for them to handle. Eventually, the Princesses were able to foil Ansem’s plans by holding back the Darkness throughout the worlds long enough for Sora, his friend Riku, and King Mickey to shut the door once again.

The Seven used to open Kingdom Hearts were Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Alice, Jasmine, Belle, and Kairi. No one knows exactly who chose each Princess or why there are only seven, though it is safe to assume that since the Keyblade could choose its wielder, it may also be responsible for appointing the Princesses. Though the title implies royalty, not all of the Princesses have regal backgrounds; thus, status had no influence in the Seven’s fates. It was strictly their inner strength and their abilities to stay strong even when hardships threatened their hearts.

Snow White and Cinderella faced similar struggles even before Darkness took over their worlds. Both oppressed by evil stepmothers, they were forced to work relentlessly, though never complained or bore harsh feelings for their tyrannical families. Under the shadow of cold authority, their hearts remained bright and touched those around them. Snow White was able to escape death by the guard who took pity on her even after the Evil Queen had ordered him to bring back the young woman’s heart. Even the seven dwarves soon welcomed her into their home after witnessing her kindheartedness. Cinderella’s pleasant spirit allowed her to become friends with the birds and mice that her stepmother and sisters despised. Along with her Fairy Godmother, her dreams of attending a ball came true.

Aurora and Jasmine were born into prosperous kingdoms, but the evil that seeped within the peaceful walls threatened their happiness and their lives. Aurora, though blessed at birth by the Good Fairies with two wonderful gifts, was also cursed by the witch Maleficent to prick her finger on a spinning wheel and die. However, since the last Good Fairy had yet to grant her gift, she countered the curse by replacing death with a deep sleep until awakened by true love’s kiss. Hidden for many years to escape any temptation from Maleficent, Princess Aurora grew up beautiful and pure, though naive to the world outside of the forest and her Fairy guardians. She was content without even knowing she was of royal lineage or that she was betrothed to a prince. When she accidentally meets her true love, they are both unaware of each others’ true identities and fretful when they think they cannot be together just because of their pre-arranged royal engagements.

Jasmine faces a similar dilemma when she is told she must marry a prince before her eighteenth birthday. Though sheltered her entire life, her heart begins to yearn for life outside of the palace. After meeting Aladdin, both as a pauper and a prince, she falls in love, not for his fabricated status, but for the courage and compassion she knows he has in his heart.

Belle grew up in a world surrounded by thick books and fairy tale stories. Living with her father, a very imaginative inventor, she was happy to support him, though dreamt of the adventure beyond the careless antics of her shallow suitor. When her father was to be held captive by a cursed prince in a desolate enchanted castle, Belle made the selfless decision to take his place as the Beast’s prisoner. Though frightened, her love for her father overcame the fear and gave her the courage to remain in the company of the Beast. Ultimately, her tender heart and kind feelings toward the inhabitants of the castle allowed her and the Beast to become very close friends.

Alice was in no way related to royalty, though appeared to come from a privileged family. The fact that she became one of the Seven Princesses may have something to do with her childlike innocence and curiosity. After falling into Wonderland and meeting with the many bewildering characters, she remains courteous even in the most bizarre of situations. Probably the youngest of the Princesses, her heart is still untainted and utterly honest.

Kairi’s enigmatic past makes it hard to find reason behind her purity, but it is mentioned that she truly was a princess of the world she came from. There is subtle evidence that she grew up in Hollow Bastion (previously Radiant Garden), but only based on memories Sora uncovers while Kairi’s heart is inside of him. When she arrives on Destiny Island she cannot remember anything about her home world, though to end up on another world unharmed, without a vessel in the Darkness, she would have had to have a strong power of Light to protect her.

Though each of the Seven’s stories differ, they all relate when it comes to the strength of their hearts while in turmoil. But why only seven and why not any of the other princesses or young women affected by the chaos surrounding Ansem’s search for Kingdom Hearts? Why couldn’t Princess Ariel of Atlantica, Wendy, or even Aerith or Yuffie meet the requirements as a Princess of Heart? Since it obviously does not have to be a matter of royalty, the next best assumption is that their hearts were not completely filled with Light at the time it was necessary.

Aerith and Yuffie escaped from Hollow Bastion with Cid and Leon many years before Sora became the Keyblade Master. In the years since, Maleficent and Ansem’s power increased and the girls continued to help fight off the powers of Darkness while in Traverse Town. Unlike Kairi, who supposedly escaped from the same world when it was attacked by Heartless, Aerith and Yuffie remembered the destruction and fear from the disaster. The trauma could have left a lasting impression of sadness and hatred in their young hearts as they grew older. Later it is discovered that a young man named Cloud and his dark nemesis Sephiroth played a large role in their lives as well.

When Wendy Darling met Peter Pan, she was already nearing the age of "growing up." Her father scolded her for believing in such fantastic fairy tales and fascinating her younger brothers with make believe. However, even after arriving in Neverland with Peter Pan and the Lost Boys, they treated her as their Mother. Wendy’s love for Peter was never fully requited, though he did care for her greatly in his heart. The pure innocence of her heart was waning as she matured. Emotions like jealousy and defiance could have clouded the Light in her heart, though could never extinguish it.

Ariel, daughter of King Triton, faced a lot of restrictions in her underwater kingdom of Atlantica. The mermaid princess was free-spirited and adventurous, though rebellious, to a point, when it came to her father’s warnings. Unlike Cinderella or Snow White who were true to their authority even when they were treated maliciously, Ariel disregards her father’s words on multiple occasions when he is only concerned for her safety. After meeting Sora, her desire to travel to other worlds became so grave that she was willing to make a deal with Ursula the sea witch, also seeking to rule over the worlds with Darkness. Ultimately Ariel was tricked by the sea witch into stealing her father’s magic triton, yet her initial doubt, dishonesty, and reliance on one with Dark powers had an affect on her heart. Though she underwent many conflicts within her heart and was unable to be one of the Seven, the Light she holds would forever flourish due to the love of her friends and family.

Truly it takes a resilient heart to prevail over the cunning evils of Darkness. The Seven Princesses of Heart were well chosen, even if their purposes were abused by the Dark forces. In the end, those seven glimmers of Light outweighed the powers that destroyed worlds and consumed hearts. The Princesses never lost sight of their Light even while Darkness surrounded them. They faced their opposition with warmth and hope, believed in their dreams, and followed their hearts and the hearts of others toward triumph.