Summons are a core part of Kingdom Hearts’ game design, but it 🐽tends to go ignored by even the fans who t🐠end to play every game. It’s not hard to see why, though. Even in Final Fantasy, Summons are oꦿften ignored. They can be seen as an ex൲traneous gameplay element—and they sometimes are—but that’s not necessarily the case with Kingdom Hearts. The first game alone managed to feature half a dozen Summons who could all pull their weight—albe💦it some only situationally.
Kingdom Hearts II naturally brings Summons back into the fold, but the game rather noticeably trims the fat away. Rather than featuring six mandatory Summons (two obtained through the storyও and the remaining all optional,) Kingdom Hearts II only features four (with 👍an even split between mandatory and optional Summons.) With only four S🧔ummons to choose from, one would think Kingdom Hearts II’s Summons would all be designed around each other to keep ꦡthem all usable late game, but that’s not the case.
If anything, Summons are arguably less useful in Kingdom Hearts II in the grand scheme of thiౠngs. Which is not to say they’re useless. They’re very useful for getting through the game on higher difficulties or just for speedrunning purposes, but don’t e꧂xpect them to see much use in the end- or post-game. But that also isn’t a bad thing. It’s perfectly fine for a game to outgrow its own mechanics. It isn’t as if Summons suddenly become useless or less fun to use.
4 Genie
Fate is a very cruel mistress, and Kingdom Hearts simply insists on making sure Genie is as mediocre a Summon as h💞umanly pos𝔉sible whenever he appears. In the original Kingdom Hearts, the majority of Genie’s worst problems tended to stem from the fact he attacked randomly. He had a few set moves and technꦚiques he could choose from, but there was no real way to control how he behaved in battle.
All the same, that randomness could indeed be useful at times, a♉nd Genie wasn’t so useless where Ssummoning him was a waste. That isn’t the case with Kingdom Hearts II ღGenie, either, but it frankly might as well be. Genie’s special ability is being able to emulate Sora’s different Drive Forms in combat.
In theory, this should create a scenario where players have access to both Sora AND an AI-controlled Drive Sora at the same time. In practice, players have access to their base story and a Genie with sloppy AI whose hitbox ensures your Summon Gauge will totally deplete before Genie can accomplish anything of battle. At least he’s interesting mechanically and conceptually. Like with the first game, Genie is automa🔯tically unlocked after clearing Agrabah.
3 Peter Pan
Peter Pan has a brief window after being unlocked where he’s potentially quite useful. Found in Port Royal during the second visit, Peter Pan more or less functions like a rabid version of his party member counterpart in the first game. Interestingly, Peter even brings Tinker Bell al⛎ong with him, but she’s no longer as ferociously overpowered to the point of definitely being the best Summon.
That said, Tinker Bell does still gradually heal Sora with the ability to revive him once in battle. That might be enough to make Peter Pan useful for some, bu💃t it’s important to keep in mind that Peter Pan is unlocked quite late into the game. By Port Royal’s second visit, most players will be easing into their preferred playstyle for Sora, more or less.
After just a few worlds, ൩Peter Paꦛn loses all relevance. Summoning him doesn’t give Sora any real damage benefits over his Drive Forms or other Summons, and Tinker Bell’s healing abilities—while nice to have—are outclassed by what both the player and Donald can accomplish close to the endgame. That said, he is still useful for specific endgame bosses.
2 Chicken Little ﷽
All logic should dictate that Chicken Little would follow in his namesake film’s footsteps and be a total waste of time, proof of mankind's inability to create true lasti𝔍ng art in a money-driven society, more but it instead defies all logic and serves as one of Sora’s best early game tools. While Chicken Little’s Limit is lousy (most of the Summon’s Limits honestly are,) his inherent abilities more than make up for that.
By stunning enemies and blowing enemies towards him with his whistle, Chicken Little is essentially a living, breathing Magnet. Stay close to him, and Sora will be able to tear through mobs with little to no effort early on. Chicken Little more or less immediately loses his usefulness as soon as Sora does get Magnet, but he’s still a lifesaver on C𓄧ritical.
As is the case with Genie, Chicken Little is a mandatory Summon. Upon exiting 100 Acre Wood, Merli🀅n will give Sora Chicken Little. Unlike in the original Kingdom Hearts, however, players no longer need to deliver gems to the Fairy Godmother to unlock 𝓡Summons, a nice change that removes busywork the original Kingdom Hearts frankly did ෴not need (although it does encourage frequent trips to 100 Acre Wood.)
1 Stitch
Stitch is far and away the best Summon in Kingdom Hearts II, and it honestly isn’t even close. He is the only Summon who can reliably be used in an endgame setting without crippling Sora or hindering the player in the long run. Found in Hollow Bastion after visiting Space Paranoids the first time around, Stitch is found at a rather ꦜnice point. There’s just enough game left where he’s useful while enough time has passed where the player should understand KH II better.
Uniquely, Stitch breaks the fourth wall, actually interacting with the game’s hub i🅰n a tangible capacity. Stitch is mainly useful for deflecting enemy attacks away from Sora while randomly firing off to deal damage. Adorably, Stitch will even notice when Sora’s health is low, licking the health bar to 𓄧fully restore it.
There’s no real downside to using Stitch, as he accounts for every situation players would want a Summon around for. He gets rid of attacks you may not see, he heals you when 𒐪you need it most, and he’ll even pitch in to do some damage. There’s no reason to Summon anyone but Stitch once you have him.