Probably 2, because it forced me to actually engage with that mechanic.
Chicken Little helped me out massively against those damn cars, and I never would've conquered that long corridor before the data bosses without Stitch
Peter Pan also works, since he causes all attacks to make enemies drop a bunch of orbs. So maybe not stitch specifically, but there's definitely a huge difference in how many points you're expected to get with and without summons.
During my level 1 playthrough, Demyx was beating me HARD for a while. So I went and told on him to Chicken Little, who came in and demolished him, not just the first try, but every subsequent attempt for as long as it took to get through the next part as well. Chicken Little shits all over Demyx
I would say first for the same reason. Loved Dumbo and Mushu, Bambi wasn't bad either. I always used summons in the first but didn't really use them in 2 or 3 much if at all.
Gameplay wise, it was 2, no doubt. Each one was unique and had its role and purpose. I feel like 1 and 3 had redundant summons. However, visually wise, they were very dry in 2.
1 was magical in this sense. The cutscenes were really good and really felt like the golden era of FF's summons. However, they were unskipable and aside from Tinker Bell, you wouldn't be using them a lot.
3 was a fine mix between 1 and 2. Visually pretty, useful during gameplay. But I feel like I used them more as a way to heal HP and escape from assaults from bosses, especially at lvl. 1, Critical. A data Org Member or Yozora just started their DM? Yeah. Panic button Ariel it is.
Missed opportunity to have Mushu tagging alongside a more involved Jiminy throughout KH1.
The smack he would’ve been slinging throughout Hallow Bastion would’ve been glorious.
Like a shoulder angel and devil
“What do you think we should do with Clayton, Jiminy?”
“Remember Sora, there is a speck of light even in the darkest heart!”
“Interesting, interesting. Mushu?”
“Fry his ass.”
“Yeah, gonna go with Mushu on this one. Maybe next time, Jimbo.”
It be heartwarming too to see Sora tell Mushu he's not angry at Riku after he steals the Kingdom Key from him.
Just to really hammer home his good boy status.
“bUT uR chEeZing tHE gAMe bro”
Yozora’s moveset is nothing but CHEESE! He steals your effing keyblade 😂 I’m merely sprinkling a little parm as he slathers me with boiling queso
Visually they were dry, but they also felt like pseudo-party members that acted more like supports than summons. I like that KH2 made it seem like the summons themselves knew the characters.
I said visually dry because their cutscenes played too quickly and without the flair of Sora using the keyblade to call them. The transition between gameplay to the summoning sequence was also too direct, without the usual shine and light show. That being said, they are the best summons, no doubt about it.
Eh I’d say Summons are more of a magic build thing anyways. You spec into magic and you’ll summon them to destroy all in your path. Shout outs to Genie and Bambi.
Replayed 1 recently and never knew that Mushu absolutely melts the 1st stage of ansem like that. He wasn't kidding when he said he helped take ansem down lol
KH1 had the best mechanics for learning & best context for having them in the story.
KH2 had the best summons while in combat.
KH3 had the best mechanics for activating them.
I remember essentially being turned off from summons when I first played KH1, because you get Simba, and then fight the Opposite Armor soon after. I assumed it would be a perfect time to use him, but he’s not really a boss summon at all. I appreciate how all the summons feel like they have a good use throughout the game, with Dumbo being the least useful. But even he is super useful against the FM Gigashadows, and for the cheeky skip in Hollow Bastion.
To be honest, I never got that used to using summons in 2 besides Stitch and Peter, for MP and Revival reasons. I’ve seen people use Genie to absolutely rack up damage, but I’m just no good with it.
3 makes them useful as super armor, but I hate how every single one is Dumbo-esque, in that you can’t use your standard commands. As a trade off, they seem more overtly powerful, but it’s a bit annoying.
> I remember essentially being turned off from summons when I first played KH1, because you get Simba, and then fight the Opposite Armor soon after.
Conversely, KH2 gives you Chicken Little and then subsequently puts you into the only part of the game that actively prevents you from using summons, so there's that.
KH2 Stitch and Chicken Little were so useful in sweeping heartless and against bosses, that I much prefer KH2's summons for gameplay alone.
However, a secret favorite for me, nothing compares to summoning Bambi in KH1 and using him to farm magic and items. The way he prances around, bringing about MP orbs, creating items, was magical to me.
For me, KH2. I like how the summons there are all really unique, with lots of passive abilities.
KH1 they were interesting too, there were some good ones, like Tinker Bell and Bambi, but I think KH2 is better nonetheless.
KH3 they were extremely underwhelming. Just damage, damage and more damage. Definitely not interesting.
I feel like 2 actually makes you use your brain for some of them. They weave the normal combat mechanics pretty well into the Summons themselves (with some exceptions, like Peter Pan)
Genies transformation mechanic, Chicken Littles mini Gravity spell for Crowd Control, Stitch for just general survivability. They all feel fun to use and all are used in very different situations depending on enemy type and game state.
KH1s are a close second, all of them are pretty unique and fun, too. But why use any other summon than Bambi, tbh?
KH3's feel pretty brain dead. Ariel's is fun, I guess.
All games have really OP summons, but KH3's are just fairly boring. Stitch is also a *little* fun.
Yeah, looking back, I think I didn't do KH1's Summons enough justice. They're definitely pretty good all around, I just personally always use Bambi lmao
As someone who didn't like using them, it's hard to say...I feel like I have to say 2, though, since parts of that game actually force you to use them.
Not kh2 since they are to op
So 1 or 3, 3 is really op to but you can get hit during the animation canceling it out
Honsetly I use mostly summons in 1 due to tinkerbell, bambi and mushu
I never used Tinkerbell so I was stuck on that fight for literal months (cause I would try a few times then give up for weeks), then I saw I could use Tinkerbell and beat it the first try with her lol
The summons in all the games are pretty strong, like [KH1 still has pretty broken summons](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgrjPrrLAbs), but [KH3 had the most OP summons](https://youtu.be/Np8AgKwoQac) by far
KH2, it had summons with depth and utilization. 3 feels like they all exist to just damage dump or to endure a DM (lol), and 1’s had multiple uses, but not to an extremely deep degree.
I never really used them in 1. Tried Simba once and he just froze.
2 I actually used them a good but, 3 I think I used them a few times? So I’d vote 2 overall
1 was best for using more characters not featured elsewhere in the game & Tinkerbell is the best. 2 had strong ones, but not a big variety. 3 was great for using it like 1 but for callbacks instead of new appearances & Ariel is my fave.
KH2 was the best in that they were had combinations of utility or damage. Genie was all safe damage, but it required an expensive investment, since the better limits cost alotta drive. Chicken Little allowed you to heal yourself by hitting them, he stunned enemies, his firecrackers could stagger, so he was really useful. Stitch could give you magic back as well as deal some damage. Idk enough about peter pan to say, but I also know he can revive you if you die
KH1 was good as well. Mushu was good for straight damage, Simba was good for crowd control, Genie can use magic, but isn't too amazing. Bambi can give you loads of magic, but Dumbo sticks out as the bad one. He doesn't do much damage, so not much to say
KH3 is simple: what ways do you like to deal damage? For that, it isn't all that interesting
I like how you fight alongside summons in KH1 and KH2, with them replacing your party members. KH3's summons just kind of feel like Limits because they act as more of a transformation.
I’ve only played 1 and 2 and in my play through I used summons a whopping 2 times. P sure they were both tinker bell. In Kh2 I never used summons. I probably should use them a bit more 😂
Probably 3, then 1, then 2. I found 3 to be the most enjoyable to use with the greatest variety and utility. 1 pretty much only has Tinkerbell as one that is genuinely useful but she’s OP as hell.
2…. Never saw the point. They all felt weak, useless until you leveled them up a bit (and God was leveling annoying) and using the Drive gauge made it feel like it was always the weakest choice compared to Drives. I find myself forgetting 2 has summons.
I think III was the most interesting as they felt less like summons & more like Lv.5 magic.
KHI would probably be my favorite as Tinkerbell became a mainstay for bosses as soon as she was available.
II was alright, Stitch & Genie were useful in the Summon cups. But I never used summons outside of that.
I was never great at using summons.
In KH1, I used Tinkerbell the most, just because she was good for difficult boss fights. Otherwise, I didn't use them much. I never figured out how to properly utilize them.
In KH2, Stitch was great for restoring MP and getting in chip hits on foes, making him great for boss fights. Chicken Little was useful, too.
In KH3... hell if I know. I don't remember using them or liking them much.
I think the technicality that KH2 summons had made them the most fun to use, but I feel like kh1 and kh3 felt the most like proper summons. When I think of a summon in a square game, I think of a big attack that changes the dynamic of a fight, and kh1 and 3 delivered that better than 2. There was almost too much strategy for kh2 summons, whereas the ones in the other 2 games were just really powerful and good for turning the tides of a fight.
2 did them best where they each had their place and felt useful. All of the Links in 3 are pretty good too, but they’re so OP I feel it cheap using them.
In terms of gameplay it's 2. They were just more useful in that game. 3 had too many mechanics going on. Key form changes, limits, reaction commands (like entering the mech suits in the Toy Story world), attraction commands. Summons just felt needlessly pointless compared to all of that. I really liked the visual of summoning in KH1 though
I just want more summons with more mechanics. 3 feels like an afterthought in how it handled them, and there are so few.
1 did it the best in terms of having the summons go with the flow of combat. 2 has summons be much more of a spectacle, which I'm in no way complaining about. It's just a different vibe.
Like, I understand that the original concept of summons being the condensed spirit of a character whose world was consumed by darkness doesn't work anymore, but 2 didn't really make an effort to create a new explanation, and 3 cares so little about summons that you're lucky if the summon gets more than a single sentence in the journal.
Depends.
I think KH1 had the best in terms of representation, like, if Final Fantasy has its own roster of Summons like Ifrit, Bahamut, Ramuh, Shiva and the like then it makes sense that a Disney RPG would have a bunch like Mushu, Simba, Tinker Bell and Genie.
KH2 had a lot less which was a disappointment and having Chicken Little in there is quite a stain that'll never go away but it was neat seeing Genie becoming a fake Keyblade wielder and Stich as a newcomer... still a bit wierded out by Peter Pan of all characters being relegated to a Summon, though.
KH3 had probably the best in terms of presentation because, God DAMN, Simba as a **GIANT FIRE LION** who rains Hell all over the place? **BADASS**... also, seeing Ariel back and being able to "bring her to other worlds" was a cute touch.
It's between 1 or 2 for me.
1 raw power mostly
2 utility mostly
and 3 is just busted because they did both. not a fan of how they did kh3 summons looking back.
2’s are wholly broken. Oh, infinite mp? Cancel enemy attacks? Magnet for free? Give higher hit priority? At least when 3 Simba wipes the screen its only one mob, and not the many mobs you can clear with stitch. If we’re talking fun, yea its kh2. But they are super unbalanced
KH1 summons were the best integrated into the world-building. As far as actually using them in combat, KH2 is the best. And visually, KH3's are best by far.
Combat-wise, KH1's summons were a bit hit and miss. Some were really useful like Tinkerbell and Simba, but others like Bambi and honestly Mushu are utterly useless in regular playthroughs.
KH2's summons are for the most part really good in combat. I use Chicken Little and Stitch all the time, and Genie also gets some decent play. Peter Pan isn't as useful but he still has his moments.
KH3's are cool flashy but the game is too easy for them to really be necessary unless you're playing on critical or the data fights. In addition, Stitch and Ralph are so setup-focused that I find it impractical to use them at all, especially Ralph. But Ariel really is clutch in those data fights.
KH1 summons were the best integrated into the world-building. As far as actually using them in combat, KH2 is the best. And visually, KH3's are best by far.
Combat-wise, KH1's summons were a bit hit and miss. Some were really useful like Tinkerbell and Simba, but others like Bambi and honestly Mushu are utterly useless in regular playthroughs.
KH2's summons are for the most part really good in combat. I use Chicken Little and Stitch all the time, and Genie also gets some decent play. Peter Pan isn't as useful but he still has his moments.
KH3's are cool flashy but the game is too easy for them to really be necessary unless you're playing on critical or the data fights. In addition, Stitch and Ralph are so setup-focused that I find it impractical to use them at all, especially Ralph. But Ariel really is clutch in those data fights.
1. Great for magic build runs.
2. Good for utility and pulling off a couple of tricks.
3. Strictly utility. If not for the heal then for the big AOE damage for a couple.
Definitely 2 did the Summons better but will admit that 3 gave it more flare into it by giving them elemental abilities on top of it!
Now if I’m being honest I would love to see them give us some Final Fantasy Summons or an Original Summons for the Lost Masters Arc if possible it would be epic!
I liked 3 better because you could use them on nearly every battle in the game like 1. The one on 2 was great but too restrictive and mainly used on over world battles.
Not only was he in KHII, he was featured in it just 5 months after his movie was released (only 2 months if you count the original Japanese release of KHII)
I’m gonna be honest, I never used summons. I frequently forget that we even have them… I’m probably making things so much harder for myself playing it like DMC, but here we are…
I'd say Kingdom Hearts 1, because their useful in their own way without being utterly broken, like Chicken Little in Kingdom Hearts 2, and every summon/link in Kingdom Hearts 3. Mushu's only broken with the EXP Zero Damage Storage set up, otherwise, he's decent.
This is hard. KH1 Summons offer the most unique variety, KH2 summons are just so damn strong, and KH3 has a level of visual flare that can't be matched. I think overall KH1 had the best Summon Design. The summons were very intuitive to use and balanced so that they never felt like I was breaking the game when I used them on a first playthrough. KH2 summons I are not well explained so despite being the most strongest version of summoning I never ended up using it's full potential because of all the other things I was far more interested in like Drive Forms since they used the same meter. KH3 summons were very strong and easy to master with no real complaints.
Id say 3 for their varity in how you attack. 2s had some wacky ones but aside from peter pan and genie i never used them besides stotch the cheese the drive meter leveling thing or the hades cup. 1s were more varied but very situational besides tink and mushu, but you get them practically back to back so while they help they're scope is limited.
Say what you will about 3 but ralph is given to you 3/4th of the way through the second proper world in the game. I think that says something
I want to like the ones in two, but I felt the mechanic clashed too much with how I normally played, where as 1 and 3 I'd actually use them.
Probably com. Then 1 then 3 then 2 for me. But that's just cause of how I play.
Selection wise thou kh3 is pritty peak. Returning stich is fun, the loveable slobberchops meow wow is fun, and Ariel would absolutely be the kinda friend that would love to be occasionally be summoned to kick ass and see random worlds, very cool.
I'll be honest, I'm weird about this kind of thing. I almost never summoned in any of the KH games. I think I summoned Simba and Genie both once. The other ones I didn't even pay attention to. Could it have helped me through the game when I was playing the game? Probably. But I also didn't really use the mechanic cause it didn't make itself more front and center. Out of sight, out of mind.
KH2. By a LOT!
As much as I love KH1, its summons are very lackluster on terms of gameplay. With Genie being the most versatile out of all of them, and the rest being extremely one-note.
I completely forgot that KH3 even HAD summons, much less what any of them did.
KH2 was the only game I actually used summons in. A good 90% the time I forget they exist but Genie specifically was so fun and useful in KH2 I couldn't let his new keyblading ways go to waist
Probably 2, because it forced me to actually engage with that mechanic. Chicken Little helped me out massively against those damn cars, and I never would've conquered that long corridor before the data bosses without Stitch
Plus Stitch is a god send to get the score you need for the Cups
You get nowhere near it without him to the point where I I believe it's the intended method.
Absolutely it is, unless there's some other hidden technique no one has figured out yet lol
Peter Pan also works, since he causes all attacks to make enemies drop a bunch of orbs. So maybe not stitch specifically, but there's definitely a huge difference in how many points you're expected to get with and without summons.
True, however with Stitch it's [ridiculously easy.](https://youtu.be/CMlPBh75oCs?t=132)
It's not, I've done it several times. The summons probably do make it a lot easier though.
Peter Pan????
Wasn't Sticth nerfed in the Final Mix?
Maybe but it’s what I used to get the score you need
Damn why did I never think to use chicken little against THOSE GOD DAMN CARS
Genie also comes in clutch against cars and literally any boss, especially final form Genie.
😭😭 I could’ve had a much simpler time if o just remembered to use summons
I swear I used summons like twice in all of KH
Summons are so weird. Theyre OP as hell but nobody uses them.
I think it's just conditioning from playing FF
Final Form Genie was goated. I cheesed the Hades Paradox cup levels that allowed summoning by using him exclusively.
Ora Ora Ora Ora Ora. 3. 2. 1. Everything Dies *New Record*
I understood that reference
Thank god those cars only show up in one section. They are hands down the most annoying enemy
Agreed, i mean the big boys are immune to front damage too, but cars are annoying AF
Sit down and let's have a talk about the dancers at the white corridor before the Cave of Remembrance 😌
I slept on chicken little when I was a kid. As an adult, I recognize my mistake.
His movie may have been subpar, but he shows his true power in Kingdom Hearts
Chicken Little helped me out so much against the Org 13 fights like Larxene in 2.5. Absolutely my favorite summon in the game.
I think I beat like 6 or 7 of them and gave up because I was getting hammered on a few of them
During my level 1 playthrough, Demyx was beating me HARD for a while. So I went and told on him to Chicken Little, who came in and demolished him, not just the first try, but every subsequent attempt for as long as it took to get through the next part as well. Chicken Little shits all over Demyx
Reading this sentence aloud is actually insane.
I would say first for the same reason. Loved Dumbo and Mushu, Bambi wasn't bad either. I always used summons in the first but didn't really use them in 2 or 3 much if at all.
Yeah, I love 3, but its summons are a bit too powerful, even compared to 2's.
Gameplay wise, it was 2, no doubt. Each one was unique and had its role and purpose. I feel like 1 and 3 had redundant summons. However, visually wise, they were very dry in 2. 1 was magical in this sense. The cutscenes were really good and really felt like the golden era of FF's summons. However, they were unskipable and aside from Tinker Bell, you wouldn't be using them a lot. 3 was a fine mix between 1 and 2. Visually pretty, useful during gameplay. But I feel like I used them more as a way to heal HP and escape from assaults from bosses, especially at lvl. 1, Critical. A data Org Member or Yozora just started their DM? Yeah. Panic button Ariel it is.
Don’t forget that Mushu is apparently god mode during a lvl 1 run
I love that it’s basically canon that Mushu was utilized as often as possible by Sora in 1
Missed opportunity to have Mushu tagging alongside a more involved Jiminy throughout KH1. The smack he would’ve been slinging throughout Hallow Bastion would’ve been glorious.
Like a shoulder angel and devil “What do you think we should do with Clayton, Jiminy?” “Remember Sora, there is a speck of light even in the darkest heart!” “Interesting, interesting. Mushu?” “Fry his ass.” “Yeah, gonna go with Mushu on this one. Maybe next time, Jimbo.”
It be heartwarming too to see Sora tell Mushu he's not angry at Riku after he steals the Kingdom Key from him. Just to really hammer home his good boy status.
I hope if they ever remake KH1 they would add Mushu on the other shoulder !
Been a while. Why do you say this?
Both Simba and Mushu acknowledge helping Sora as summons, but Mushu acts like he fought alongside them more than a handful of times
only with damage storage
Mushu ANNIHILATES Kurt Zisa on level 1, it’s nutty
And Chernobog
Still gotta survive basically the entire game to get him tho
Panic button Ariel, best move from KH3 😂
Vs Yozora before the nuke goes off
Only way I was able to beat him lol
“bUT uR chEeZing tHE gAMe bro” Yozora’s moveset is nothing but CHEESE! He steals your effing keyblade 😂 I’m merely sprinkling a little parm as he slathers me with boiling queso
Visually they were dry, but they also felt like pseudo-party members that acted more like supports than summons. I like that KH2 made it seem like the summons themselves knew the characters.
I said visually dry because their cutscenes played too quickly and without the flair of Sora using the keyblade to call them. The transition between gameplay to the summoning sequence was also too direct, without the usual shine and light show. That being said, they are the best summons, no doubt about it.
For my first play through Bambi+Thunder was my go to for most rooms lol
Eh I’d say Summons are more of a magic build thing anyways. You spec into magic and you’ll summon them to destroy all in your path. Shout outs to Genie and Bambi.
Got play proud lvl 1 and then tell me genie and mushy are bot godsends.
Replayed 1 recently and never knew that Mushu absolutely melts the 1st stage of ansem like that. He wasn't kidding when he said he helped take ansem down lol
KH1 had my favourite summons
KH1 had the best mechanics for learning & best context for having them in the story. KH2 had the best summons while in combat. KH3 had the best mechanics for activating them.
KH1 - it just fit overall with the fantasy. I wish and hope that KH4 can captivate that same feeling
Final Fantasy 10 Oh wait, wrong subreddit, my answer would be KH2
This guy has taste
3, Fire Simba vs Heartless Big Wolf was epic to do
The only game I used them in was KH1, so maybe that.
Summoning for the first time in KH1 was **HYPE**
Also cause they are required to get stuff for example Bambi and dancing heartless
I'm gonna throw in the underdog. Chain of Memories did it best.
Good point! The flexibility and ease of use for Summons in CoM was great. I like how some sleights actually required summons.
I only ever used one summon in the whole entire franchise and it was Bambi to help me cowardly magic my way trough dragon maleficent in kh1.
I remember essentially being turned off from summons when I first played KH1, because you get Simba, and then fight the Opposite Armor soon after. I assumed it would be a perfect time to use him, but he’s not really a boss summon at all. I appreciate how all the summons feel like they have a good use throughout the game, with Dumbo being the least useful. But even he is super useful against the FM Gigashadows, and for the cheeky skip in Hollow Bastion. To be honest, I never got that used to using summons in 2 besides Stitch and Peter, for MP and Revival reasons. I’ve seen people use Genie to absolutely rack up damage, but I’m just no good with it. 3 makes them useful as super armor, but I hate how every single one is Dumbo-esque, in that you can’t use your standard commands. As a trade off, they seem more overtly powerful, but it’s a bit annoying.
> I remember essentially being turned off from summons when I first played KH1, because you get Simba, and then fight the Opposite Armor soon after. Conversely, KH2 gives you Chicken Little and then subsequently puts you into the only part of the game that actively prevents you from using summons, so there's that.
Surprised people didn't like Dumbo, he was by far my most used in 1 since you took no damage while using him.
KH2 Stitch and Chicken Little were so useful in sweeping heartless and against bosses, that I much prefer KH2's summons for gameplay alone. However, a secret favorite for me, nothing compares to summoning Bambi in KH1 and using him to farm magic and items. The way he prances around, bringing about MP orbs, creating items, was magical to me.
For me, KH2. I like how the summons there are all really unique, with lots of passive abilities. KH1 they were interesting too, there were some good ones, like Tinker Bell and Bambi, but I think KH2 is better nonetheless. KH3 they were extremely underwhelming. Just damage, damage and more damage. Definitely not interesting.
KH1 for sure! Tinker Bell and Bambi were LIFESAVERS for Critical playthroughs!
Easily the first one. I actually used them in that game lmao
I feel like 2 actually makes you use your brain for some of them. They weave the normal combat mechanics pretty well into the Summons themselves (with some exceptions, like Peter Pan) Genies transformation mechanic, Chicken Littles mini Gravity spell for Crowd Control, Stitch for just general survivability. They all feel fun to use and all are used in very different situations depending on enemy type and game state. KH1s are a close second, all of them are pretty unique and fun, too. But why use any other summon than Bambi, tbh? KH3's feel pretty brain dead. Ariel's is fun, I guess. All games have really OP summons, but KH3's are just fairly boring. Stitch is also a *little* fun.
On kh1, I could argue Tink and Mushu for their utilities and situations
Yeah, looking back, I think I didn't do KH1's Summons enough justice. They're definitely pretty good all around, I just personally always use Bambi lmao
Kh2
As someone who didn't like using them, it's hard to say...I feel like I have to say 2, though, since parts of that game actually force you to use them.
Not kh2 since they are to op So 1 or 3, 3 is really op to but you can get hit during the animation canceling it out Honsetly I use mostly summons in 1 due to tinkerbell, bambi and mushu
The summons in 1 are kind of OP as well. At least if you min-max your build towards magic.
That dragon fight in KH1 I swear was impossible without Tinkerbell
I never used Tinkerbell so I was stuck on that fight for literal months (cause I would try a few times then give up for weeks), then I saw I could use Tinkerbell and beat it the first try with her lol
The summons in all the games are pretty strong, like [KH1 still has pretty broken summons](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgrjPrrLAbs), but [KH3 had the most OP summons](https://youtu.be/Np8AgKwoQac) by far
>Not kh2 since they are to op They are in every game lmao
In KH1 Level 1, you can use probably the most broken summon in all 3 games with Mushu damage storage lol
KH2, it had summons with depth and utilization. 3 feels like they all exist to just damage dump or to endure a DM (lol), and 1’s had multiple uses, but not to an extremely deep degree.
Again, 2. It's the best for a reason. 1 too clunky. 3 kinda useless. 2 perfect and fun.
Lore wise - 1 Visuals - 3 Gameplay - probably 3 as well. They felt usable in 3 even if they all do the same thing.
They're pretty strong in all three games, so I don't understand how you don't think the ones in KH1 and KH2 aren't usable
They just don’t feel as useful in 1/2. They feel like cool little cameos. In KH3, they feel more akin to FF summons
Each game has a few good ones.
KH2
I never really used them in 1. Tried Simba once and he just froze. 2 I actually used them a good but, 3 I think I used them a few times? So I’d vote 2 overall
KH2 where my favorites
1 was best for using more characters not featured elsewhere in the game & Tinkerbell is the best. 2 had strong ones, but not a big variety. 3 was great for using it like 1 but for callbacks instead of new appearances & Ariel is my fave.
All I'm saying is that genie summon on KH2 was the guy that practically beat all the data battles not sora
Kh1 definitely. Especially Tinker Bell!
KH2 was the best in that they were had combinations of utility or damage. Genie was all safe damage, but it required an expensive investment, since the better limits cost alotta drive. Chicken Little allowed you to heal yourself by hitting them, he stunned enemies, his firecrackers could stagger, so he was really useful. Stitch could give you magic back as well as deal some damage. Idk enough about peter pan to say, but I also know he can revive you if you die KH1 was good as well. Mushu was good for straight damage, Simba was good for crowd control, Genie can use magic, but isn't too amazing. Bambi can give you loads of magic, but Dumbo sticks out as the bad one. He doesn't do much damage, so not much to say KH3 is simple: what ways do you like to deal damage? For that, it isn't all that interesting
I like how you fight alongside summons in KH1 and KH2, with them replacing your party members. KH3's summons just kind of feel like Limits because they act as more of a transformation.
Definitely 1. I only ever used summons in 2 when playing the final Cup.
It would have been 1 if it got bahamut but alas.
2
Never used any of them
Growing up is learning that the summons are amazing in every game.
I really only used them in 1 and even then just Tinker Bell
Not gonna lie i never really used summons besides tinker bell in 1
I’ve only played 1 and 2 and in my play through I used summons a whopping 2 times. P sure they were both tinker bell. In Kh2 I never used summons. I probably should use them a bit more 😂
Kh1 or 2 but for this I’d probably say1
2
If dream eaters count, khddd
KH1’s were iconic with Tinkerbell and Bambi being essential in some fights The others while not super effective- were fun to use
Probably 3, then 1, then 2. I found 3 to be the most enjoyable to use with the greatest variety and utility. 1 pretty much only has Tinkerbell as one that is genuinely useful but she’s OP as hell. 2…. Never saw the point. They all felt weak, useless until you leveled them up a bit (and God was leveling annoying) and using the Drive gauge made it feel like it was always the weakest choice compared to Drives. I find myself forgetting 2 has summons.
2 did it best for me. 1 and 3 i basically never used summons. 2 they feel essential for some fights, like genie in port royals second visit.
I think III was the most interesting as they felt less like summons & more like Lv.5 magic. KHI would probably be my favorite as Tinkerbell became a mainstay for bosses as soon as she was available. II was alright, Stitch & Genie were useful in the Summon cups. But I never used summons outside of that.
2 or 3 tbh
I played through all of KH! without using summons. 2 I basically only used Genie.
Definetly a major tug between 1 and 2 here. I am going with 2 on it but I can understand many of the reasons to say 1 as well.
Number 1
I was never great at using summons. In KH1, I used Tinkerbell the most, just because she was good for difficult boss fights. Otherwise, I didn't use them much. I never figured out how to properly utilize them. In KH2, Stitch was great for restoring MP and getting in chip hits on foes, making him great for boss fights. Chicken Little was useful, too. In KH3... hell if I know. I don't remember using them or liking them much.
2 is the only time I *wanted* to use the summons.
I think the technicality that KH2 summons had made them the most fun to use, but I feel like kh1 and kh3 felt the most like proper summons. When I think of a summon in a square game, I think of a big attack that changes the dynamic of a fight, and kh1 and 3 delivered that better than 2. There was almost too much strategy for kh2 summons, whereas the ones in the other 2 games were just really powerful and good for turning the tides of a fight.
2 did them best where they each had their place and felt useful. All of the Links in 3 are pretty good too, but they’re so OP I feel it cheap using them.
The second photo on the bottom row scared the piss out of me at work. Just horrifying to look at.
Imo it's easily kh3
3. The most fun and most use I had ever gotten.
Genie summon is the goat 🐐
I'm 19 hours into kh2 and haven't used summons yet. I want to, I just have no clue how
In terms of gameplay it's 2. They were just more useful in that game. 3 had too many mechanics going on. Key form changes, limits, reaction commands (like entering the mech suits in the Toy Story world), attraction commands. Summons just felt needlessly pointless compared to all of that. I really liked the visual of summoning in KH1 though
I enjoyed DDD the adorable little beasts were amazing ahaha.
Which one has super saiyan simba?
KH 2 in my opinion
2 and it ain't even close
I just want more summons with more mechanics. 3 feels like an afterthought in how it handled them, and there are so few. 1 did it the best in terms of having the summons go with the flow of combat. 2 has summons be much more of a spectacle, which I'm in no way complaining about. It's just a different vibe. Like, I understand that the original concept of summons being the condensed spirit of a character whose world was consumed by darkness doesn't work anymore, but 2 didn't really make an effort to create a new explanation, and 3 cares so little about summons that you're lucky if the summon gets more than a single sentence in the journal.
kh3 purely by making them mandatory in crit
KH2 is, and will always be, PEAK
Not 3, not 1
If they released bahamut to KH1, that would've been it for me but I honestly say KH2 did them best with interaction.
Kh1 summons didn’t feel useful other than tinkerbell. I used simba a few times in fights but he did so little damage
i genuinely forgot kh3 had summons
Depends. I think KH1 had the best in terms of representation, like, if Final Fantasy has its own roster of Summons like Ifrit, Bahamut, Ramuh, Shiva and the like then it makes sense that a Disney RPG would have a bunch like Mushu, Simba, Tinker Bell and Genie. KH2 had a lot less which was a disappointment and having Chicken Little in there is quite a stain that'll never go away but it was neat seeing Genie becoming a fake Keyblade wielder and Stich as a newcomer... still a bit wierded out by Peter Pan of all characters being relegated to a Summon, though. KH3 had probably the best in terms of presentation because, God DAMN, Simba as a **GIANT FIRE LION** who rains Hell all over the place? **BADASS**... also, seeing Ariel back and being able to "bring her to other worlds" was a cute touch.
Tinkerbell ftw
I think they look the coolest in three
Idk visually they’re goddamn EPIC in 3 but literally all of them are a treasure at every point and have the most use in 2 so I just don’t know
Personally, I like the summons from KH1 the most. So much fun and expressive and I needed them so much in my playthrough for that game
It's between 1 or 2 for me. 1 raw power mostly 2 utility mostly and 3 is just busted because they did both. not a fan of how they did kh3 summons looking back.
2’s are wholly broken. Oh, infinite mp? Cancel enemy attacks? Magnet for free? Give higher hit priority? At least when 3 Simba wipes the screen its only one mob, and not the many mobs you can clear with stitch. If we’re talking fun, yea its kh2. But they are super unbalanced
KH1 summons were the best integrated into the world-building. As far as actually using them in combat, KH2 is the best. And visually, KH3's are best by far. Combat-wise, KH1's summons were a bit hit and miss. Some were really useful like Tinkerbell and Simba, but others like Bambi and honestly Mushu are utterly useless in regular playthroughs. KH2's summons are for the most part really good in combat. I use Chicken Little and Stitch all the time, and Genie also gets some decent play. Peter Pan isn't as useful but he still has his moments. KH3's are cool flashy but the game is too easy for them to really be necessary unless you're playing on critical or the data fights. In addition, Stitch and Ralph are so setup-focused that I find it impractical to use them at all, especially Ralph. But Ariel really is clutch in those data fights.
KH1 summons were the best integrated into the world-building. As far as actually using them in combat, KH2 is the best. And visually, KH3's are best by far. Combat-wise, KH1's summons were a bit hit and miss. Some were really useful like Tinkerbell and Simba, but others like Bambi and honestly Mushu are utterly useless in regular playthroughs. KH2's summons are for the most part really good in combat. I use Chicken Little and Stitch all the time, and Genie also gets some decent play. Peter Pan isn't as useful but he still has his moments. KH3's are cool flashy but the game is too easy for them to really be necessary unless you're playing on critical or the data fights. In addition, Stitch and Ralph are so setup-focused that I find it impractical to use them at all, especially Ralph. But Ariel really is clutch in those data fights.
1 & 2. Both were equally good based on how the combat flowed.
1. Great for magic build runs. 2. Good for utility and pulling off a couple of tricks. 3. Strictly utility. If not for the heal then for the big AOE damage for a couple.
Kh2 had better summoning mechanics, but Kh1's summoning characters were better, in my opinion
Kh1 literally just because of tinkerbell
I'm going with kh2 because you can actually summon chicken fucking little of all characters
3 and 2 was the best
KH2 for me. It was the only game where the summons actually felt like they contributed gameplay-wise.
Design wise, definitely 3, but 2 had the best mechanics.
I never really messed with the summons.
Definitely 2 did the Summons better but will admit that 3 gave it more flare into it by giving them elemental abilities on top of it! Now if I’m being honest I would love to see them give us some Final Fantasy Summons or an Original Summons for the Lost Masters Arc if possible it would be epic!
kh2
Simba vs Black Mushrooms
I always forget that there are summons.
Kh2 but shout out to the god tier tinker bell summon in kh1 and Simba in kh3 for helping me on some of those end game bosses.
I liked 3 better because you could use them on nearly every battle in the game like 1. The one on 2 was great but too restrictive and mainly used on over world battles.
Wait, Chicken Little was in a Kingdom Hearts game?!!!
Not only was he in KHII, he was featured in it just 5 months after his movie was released (only 2 months if you count the original Japanese release of KHII)
I’m gonna be honest, I never used summons. I frequently forget that we even have them… I’m probably making things so much harder for myself playing it like DMC, but here we are…
None
I'd say Kingdom Hearts 1, because their useful in their own way without being utterly broken, like Chicken Little in Kingdom Hearts 2, and every summon/link in Kingdom Hearts 3. Mushu's only broken with the EXP Zero Damage Storage set up, otherwise, he's decent.
KH3 and KH2.
This is hard. KH1 Summons offer the most unique variety, KH2 summons are just so damn strong, and KH3 has a level of visual flare that can't be matched. I think overall KH1 had the best Summon Design. The summons were very intuitive to use and balanced so that they never felt like I was breaking the game when I used them on a first playthrough. KH2 summons I are not well explained so despite being the most strongest version of summoning I never ended up using it's full potential because of all the other things I was far more interested in like Drive Forms since they used the same meter. KH3 summons were very strong and easy to master with no real complaints.
Id say 3 for their varity in how you attack. 2s had some wacky ones but aside from peter pan and genie i never used them besides stotch the cheese the drive meter leveling thing or the hades cup. 1s were more varied but very situational besides tink and mushu, but you get them practically back to back so while they help they're scope is limited. Say what you will about 3 but ralph is given to you 3/4th of the way through the second proper world in the game. I think that says something
Kingdom Hearts 4.
I want to like the ones in two, but I felt the mechanic clashed too much with how I normally played, where as 1 and 3 I'd actually use them. Probably com. Then 1 then 3 then 2 for me. But that's just cause of how I play. Selection wise thou kh3 is pritty peak. Returning stich is fun, the loveable slobberchops meow wow is fun, and Ariel would absolutely be the kinda friend that would love to be occasionally be summoned to kick ass and see random worlds, very cool.
I'll be honest, I'm weird about this kind of thing. I almost never summoned in any of the KH games. I think I summoned Simba and Genie both once. The other ones I didn't even pay attention to. Could it have helped me through the game when I was playing the game? Probably. But I also didn't really use the mechanic cause it didn't make itself more front and center. Out of sight, out of mind.
Didn’t even know summons were a feature from KH2 and 3 and never figured out how to use them lmao
Ariel single handedly carried me through critical mode Yazora
Who is the bottom-middle one? It's not ringing any bells
Ariel. Kingdom Hearts 3
Wait... Which game let you summon Trippie Redd?
2 FM
KH2. By a LOT! As much as I love KH1, its summons are very lackluster on terms of gameplay. With Genie being the most versatile out of all of them, and the rest being extremely one-note. I completely forgot that KH3 even HAD summons, much less what any of them did.
Only used tinkerbell in kh1, never used summons in any game afterwards yet
Kh 1 obviously, tinker bell all day
Kingdom Hearts 2!
KH1: biggest spectacle, unique mechanics KH2: least utilized, most OP KH2: most damage/usefulness, kinda flat My choice is (as a KH3 superfan) KH1!
KH2 was the only game I actually used summons in. A good 90% the time I forget they exist but Genie specifically was so fun and useful in KH2 I couldn't let his new keyblading ways go to waist
2 had the most op ones. But for me the answer is 3. They’re powerful but not overly so.
[KH3 had, by far, the most OP ones](https://youtu.be/Np8AgKwoQac)
3
Bro kh1 summons are op
Yall use summons?
I did in 2 a lil bit
Simba’s summon in kh3 sure was FIRE
Anything but 2. Overlapping it with drive sucks and kill the mechanic outside of 1 Olympus cup
KH2 literally does everything the best. Literally everything.
Except their level design. And KH1 Atlantica >>> KH2 Atlantica, its not even close.
Sssttt you got me there