Ever since the first installment in the series, there have been a lot of abilities that letKingdom Heartsplayers grow stronger, and make the game either easier or harder. Newcomers may not know which ones to use once they have too many abilities and not enough AP (Ability Points).
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Some abilities are much more important to have equipped than others, especially for those who want to be as powerful as the game allows them to be. Kingdom Hearts 1 features some ofthe best abilities in the series, but some are better than others.
Updated July 17, 2025, by Justin Flynn:TheKingdom Heartsseries has evolved a great deal since the original game’s debut in 2002. The Keyblade, Sora’s primary weapon, was always a bafflingly powerful piece of equipment, but it has become something completely different inthe past twenty years of its existence. Though Sora could perform some truly spectacular feats with his Keyblade in Kingdom Hearts 1, his time away from Destiny Island has allowed him to hone his skills.Kingdom Hearts 3introduced some of the series' best abilities to date, and it seems that even more are on the horizon from theKingdom Hearts 4trailer. With so many abilities at Sora’s disposal, it can be easy to forget the many fantastic abilities that he learned during his first adventure.
15Jackpot
Jackpot is a great ability for those who wish to make some quick Munny. When equipped, it increases the amount of Munny dropped by defeated enemies. It also increases the amount of HP and MP orbs that drop after an enemy is defeated, so it can be a great way to replenish Sora’s health and magic during a tough fight.
For those who wish to unlock the Jackpot ability as quickly as possible, Sora can learn it by reaching Level 43, but only if he chose the Dream Shield during the game’s tutorial. If he opted for the Dream Rod, he must wait until he hits Level 63, and Level 100 if he chose the Dream Sword.
14Scan
The beginning ofKingdom Hearts 1can be quite challenging, depending on how the player approaches the obstacles in Sora’s way. Not knowing how much health an enemy has can make a lot of the early encounters feel a great deal tougher than they actually are.
Thankfully, the Scan ability allows the player to monitor the health bars of Sora’s enemies. It may not seem like a big deal at first, but knowing how much health an enemy has left can be a big help during some of the game’smore challenging boss battles. Choosing the Dream Sword will unlock Scan at Level 9, while the Dream Rod will unlock it at Level 15, and the Dream Shield will unlock it at Level 21.
13Leaf Bracer
The Leaf Bracer ability is a must-have for when Sora is pitted againstKingdom Hearts 1’smost ruthless enemies. The Cure spell is the most reliable means of replenishing Sora’s health, but it isn’t always guaranteed to work. If Sora gets hit while casting Cure, for example, the spell will not heal him.
This can easily lead to a game over if the player isn’t quick enough, but equipping Leaf Bracer will prevent Sora’s enemies from damaging him while he casts it. Leaf Bracer is learned upon reaching Level 27 if Sora picked the Dream Shield. The Dream Rod will unlock it at Level 39, while the Dream Sword will unlock it at Level 69.
12Dodge Roll
ThoughSora learns a variety of evasive maneuversinKingdom Hearts 2, the only real means he had for avoiding oncoming attacks inKingdom Hearts 1was Dodge Roll. Though mastering it can be challenging, doing so is the best way to ensure Sora can outlast his enemies in battle.
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Sora learns Dodge Roll once he has defeated the Guard Armor in Traverse Town. Once it’s equipped, the player will be able to use it to avoid certain attacks. Running away can be a good way to avoid danger, but the invincibility frames that come with Dodge Roll are too valuable to ignore.
11Combo Master
To complete a full combo inKingdom Hearts 1, Sora needs to land each of his attacks, otherwise, his combo will be cut short. To counteract this, the player should equip the Combo Master ability, as doing so will allow Sora to continue his combo no matter how many attacks he misses. It is especially handy when Sora is facingan airborne enemy. Without it equipped, Sora will need to hit these foes in order to remain in the air.
The Combo Master ability is one of the best abilities in the entire series. It can be learned at Level 50 if Sora chose the Dream Sword atthe beginning of the game, or Level 55 if he picked either the Dream Rod or Dream Shield.
10Guard
Guard is an ability that allows players to block an enemy’s attack. Before getting Guard, they could only due to this by hitting the enemy’s weapon before they were about to take damage, which would require precise timing and skill, so Guard is a much easier and more reliable way to not take damage.
Like most of the other abilities, when players get Guard depends on what weapon they decided to take at the beginning of the game. By choosing the Dream Shield, they will get this ability at level 15. The Dream Rod will give players Guard at level 33, and at level 24 if they choose the Dream Sword.
9Berserk
There are many times in the game when players will almost be out of HP and will probably lose the battle they are in. By equipping Berserk, they don’t have to worry about the outcome of the fight as much. When their HP is almost out, they will get stronger, giving them an advantage in the battle.
By picking up the Dream Shield, they will get this ability early on in the game, at level 9. However, it’ll take a lot of grinding if they choose one of the other weapons as they don’t get until level 60 with the Dream Rod and level 78 with the Dream Sword.
8Sonic Blade
When going to Olympus Coliseum,Sora and his friendswill meet Cloud fromFinal Fantasy 7. They fight each other in a tournament that Cloud entered after making a deal with Hades to kill Hercules. However, Hades sent Cerberus to attack the heroes. After players defeat the three-headed dog from the Underworld, they will leave the world.
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On their way to the Gummi Ship, Sora and Cloud have a conversation, where the latter explains why he joined Hades. He also gives Sora Sonic Blade, which allows players to quickly slide back and forth as they attack an enemy.
7Lucky Strike
Lucky Strike, while not an ability used to fight, is important for those that want to get as many items as possible, whether it be to spend their Munny on other things or to synthesize the Ultima Weapon.
Lucky Strike is obtained at level 24 for those that picked up the Dream Shield, 48 for those that chose the Dream Rod, and 90 for those that took the Dream Sword.
6Ars Arcanum
The last Disney world in the game is Neverland. Here, Riku had teamed up with Captain Hook and confronted their enemies. However, it wouldn’t take long for Sora, Donald, and Goofy to meet Peter Pan and join forces with him.
While Riku got away, players were able to defeat Captain Hook. Upon doing so, they are rewarded with Ars Arcanum. This ability allows Sora to slash opponents quickly, causing them to take a lot of damage.
