When it comes to any art form that tells a story, one of the most important pieces to get right are the characters. They’re who we get attached to and want to spend more time with as the story progresses. The best characters are the ones that impact us and leave a mark on our memories and our hearts. These are the ones that we deeply cherish and hold in high regard. There are a number of characters across different forms of media that have impacted me for a multitude of reasons. The one who stands above all others and has had by far the most impact and influence on me as a person is none other than Sora from Kingdom Hearts.
Youthful Optimism
Sora has been a part of my life for the past 20 years. It’s a bit wild to think about but currently, as a 26-year old, that amounts to just over 76% of my life. I’ve quite literally grown up with him! There are so many things I like about Sora that it’s hard to pick a place to start, but I think what initially drew me to him so much as a kid was the fact that he’s a fun, light-hearted person. This is something that we can tell from when we first meet him sleeping on the shore of Destiny Islands in the original Kingdom Hearts, and it persists throughout the series. Whether he’s singing songs in Atlantica, living out his pirate dream in The Caribbean, training with Hercules and Phil in Olympus, or so much more, Sora’s personality has always endeared me to him and made me want to just kick back and hang out with him.
As the series goes on and becomes darker and more serious, this positive attitude that Sora has never goes away. While he grows and becomes a stronger, more mature person, Sora never lets the events of his adventures dim his light. If anything, they make his light shine even brighter. Perhaps the best example of this would be at the end of Dream Drop Distance. During the Mark of Mastery Exam that Sora and Riku take, Sora nearly falls to darkness at the hands of Organization XIII and manages to be saved by Riku. And how does Sora react after being saved? By throwing a party and praising his best friend for passing the test even though Sora himself failed. It’s moments like this that show that no matter what hardships Sora endures, he’ll always remain the same optimistic, joyful boy that we met on that small island 20 years ago.
A Guiding Light
My love for Sora goes deeper than just liking his uplifting personality. Over these past 20 years, Sora’s been more than just a character in a video game to me. He’s been a true role model and inspiration. One could say he’s been a shining light that’s guided the way for me. You see, at his core, Sora is genuinely a good person. He’s the type of person who truly cares about the people in his life, whether they be lifelong friends, people he just met, or even those that he’s never met. He wants nothing but the best for them and is always ready and willing to help however he can, regardless of the potential danger that he could face. Because I want to be like Sora so much, I would like to think that I’m a genuinely good person as well because of him.
If you ask anyone that’s met me, whether it be a friend, family member, coworker, or my girlfriend, they’ll all say that I’m one of the nicest people in the world, and I’m proud to say that it’s true. Sure I can be plenty mean as well to those who deserve it (I’m not perfect after all), but at my core I’m truly a nice person. I’m always putting others before myself, even at times when I should probably put myself first. I’m always offering my ear to people when they’re hurting or need advice on something and offering my assistance to those who may need it.
Even with people online that I don’t really know, I’ll ask if they wanna talk about whatever’s bothering them simply because I want to try and help however I can. I think about how Sora didn’t hesitate to give his life in order for Kairi to get her heart back in the first Kingdom Hearts, or how he wanted to try and save Ventus, Terra, and Aqua after learning about their respective situations in Birth By Sleep, and find myself wanting to be as selfless as he is. I hate seeing people that I care about in distress or struggling with something, so if there’s a way for me to help then I want to.
Going hand-in-hand with that is how Sora is always looking for the best in people. He doesn’t believe that bad people are purely evil, rather that there’s still something good in them. As he says to Ansem in the original Kingdom Hearts, “…deep down there’s a light that never goes out.” Sora’s endless optimism has rubbed off on me and has led me to always hold out hope for people who are in the wrong. I believe that people can come back from whatever mistakes they’ve made and that they should be deserving of second chances because there’s always the potential for them to do good in the future. Again, this is all within reason of course (you won’t find any sympathy for serial killers, racists, etc. from me), but I choose to look for the best in people just like Sora and try to give them chances that they may not deserve.
Strength of Heart
On an even deeper level, Sora’s strength, determination, and perseverance has also been a source of inspiration for me. Sora’s faced a number of tough situations and some real emotional lows. From losing his Keyblade in the first game to watching all his friends be taken away by darkness right in front of him in Kingdom Hearts III, things haven’t always been happy go lucky. But although he may briefly falter and lose sight of things, thanks to the strength of his heart he always manages to pull himself together and keep on moving forward towards his goal stronger than he was before.
I see this strength in Sora and try my best to arouse that same strength in myself. The goals and dreams that I have for my life aren’t necessarily easy to achieve, but part of my drive to reach them comes from the fact that I know Sora wouldn’t give up so easily. He would try again and again, over and over until he was able to make it happen, so I don’t want to give up on them either. But as I’ve gotten older and life’s gotten harder, it’s not uncommon for me to find myself down in the dumps and consumed by thoughts in my head regarding my future that leave me feeling depressed. While this typically never lasts for longer than a week, it’s still a difficult period whenever I find myself like this.
During this time, I always try to stay strong and postitive as I work through my thoughts and feelings. I tell myself that things aren’t as bad as they may seem; that things can and will get better; that I’ll figure it out one step at a time. Sometimes I talk with my girlfriend or other friends about what I’m feeling, and sometimes I just keep it all to myself. But once I’ve worked through it, I’m back to normal and am able to keep on going. I’m not always stronger though. Unlike Sora, sometimes I feel a bit weaker in my resolve for my goals and dreams. I look at him and I wish that I could always come out the other side feeling better than I did going in. That desire to have the same strength as him keeps me optimistic and focused every time I find myself in a depressed period to keep fighting and never give up on what I want in life.
True To Oneself
I think that one of the most admirable things about Sora is that no matter what, he always stays true to himself. As we go through life, it can be hard for us to stay true to who we are. Friends change, new things become popular, and societal beliefs and norms evolve. It can all cause us to feel like we need to change along with everything else in the world. As he’s grown up, Sora has never felt like he needed to change who he is, and I admire that.
Whether he’s in the presence of royalty like King Mickey and Queen Minnie, people that are more mature than him like the Final Fantasy characters in Radiant Garden, or staring down Master Xehanort, Sora remains the same brave, light-hearted kid that he’s always been. I’ve always tried my best to stay true to myself no matter how much things change, and I don’t ever intend to stop. I don’t want to compromise my beliefs and values or change my personality just to fit in or become popular in society. I’d rather make friends and earn any accomplishments by being myself than by being someone that I’m not.
Having You For A Friend
For 20 years, Sora has been one of the best people that I know. Every facet of his character makes him someone that’s more than just a role model or inspiration to me. This may sound silly, but I truly believe that if Sora was real he would be my best friend. I’m certain that our shared personalities and beliefs would cause us to mesh so well together that we’d be like PB&J. Sometimes I lament the fact that Sora can’t actually be my best friend because he’s not real. What I always take solace in though are the things that I’ve learned from him. To never give up, to be selfless and kind-hearted to others, and to stay true to myself. I carry Sora and his lessons in my heart with me every day, and I’ll cherish them until the day I die.
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